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Post by EmperorMyric on Dec 17, 2017 13:31:35 GMT
Tau Volaris: Ash Wastes outside of Tau Profundus
Sotek wandered the plains, it was unusual for him to actually walk around places. Normally he travelled by darkness, but for once he wanted to see a world burn from the front-line. Experience it first hand again like he always used to. The meeting with Naga, Shaw and the Abberation had gone well, all fitting into his plan. He had roots into all the factions here on Tau Volaris, from the Neo Heretics to the cultists. However there was one he had never seen yet... They called themselves the Paradox. The demon trudged towards the dreary city, jutting like a jagged piece of metal the spire looked like some sort of buried blade. The ripping storm swept around him, not touching his form as the Demon stood for a moment, he analysed the defences. Hastily dug trenches and emplacements had been set up, though he could go through all of them with little effort that was a job for the allies. Better go in the old fashioned way he thought. He closed his eyes and felt slight dislocation from his body. The next moment he opened them again to find himself in a large room, dark, dank and clearly used regularly the room had a large holo table, clearly old but well used. It was empty, but Sotek could feel people close by and coming this well. But he sensed something more. Something a lot more powerful than a human. he kept to the shadows of the large room, hiding himself in darkness. Watching and waiting.
The ominous murmur of millions of men and computers floated overhead like a vague cloud. Tau Profundus was at war, or so it seemed. Sotek first saw the signs when he stepped outside of the old command and control room.
Geometric mountains of cement extended before him, the mines and factories of Tau Profundus, streets and railways cutting through the monolithic stacks of arcologies like rivers amongst valleys. To his surprise, the streets laid underneath a layer of crystalline, pure water.
Water, as far as the eye could see, slowly flowing through the once-filthy industrial corridors and streets, carrying with it leaves and the petals of flowers, its purity casting a mirror like reverse image of the buildings above. While the factories elsewhere furiously churned out war machines and manned by many a thousand slaves, all the factories in Profundus had fallen silent, emptied of people and equipment, with nothing left but enormous banners hanging from their faccade, flat red displayed in all of them, no slogans or symbols.
The gigantic sprawling city spanned the better portion of the plain in which it was located on. Dozens of millions of denizens manning the defences, huddled in the shelters and supporting the war machine; Sotek could feel them but barely, as something much more powerful drowned out their presence, outshining what seemed to be the whole of the continent.
Sotek cocked his head, reading and taking in all around him, this was very much unlike the blood choked sacrificial grounds of the cultists or the martially imposed civilians of the Neo heretics. It almost felt that this place was trying to be healed... by the people who were here. Sotek however concentrated on the shining presence, how could he not? It was on par with the power of the Draken commanders, but Sotek sensed it was much different. He stuck to the shadows, moving slowly through the labyrinthine city he homed in on the golden presence. Surprisingly this presence was not located in the most secure area of the city, but rather where the most humans were located, around the defences. Perhaps this presence was like the Red Angel... fighting on the frontlines. But he would see.
As he continued he could see the industrial infrastructure was not the only thing that had gotten dismantled. Propagandistic and surveillance equipment had also been stripped of the walls and monoliths of Tau Profundus; walls and barbed wire fences had been torn down without much direction or purpose, as if their mere presence was an affront to whatever strange ideology had taken over.
The entire place seemed to have an air of otherworldly yet almost frightening by how out-of place it was in the middle of the apocalyptic world. Large congregations of people clogged the enormous boulevards of the city, draped in white sheets and carrying masks that rendered them all the same. There were no preachers or speeches, only the people themselves, gyrating, weeping, celebrating, mourning. Every now and then a corpse floated over the water. Packs of soldiers ran on the walkways above towards the defences as if living in a separate universe.
Any outsider would have seen it as utter madness, the vandalization of enormous concrete faccades with paint, the crowds gathered at street level to pluck fish out of the water, the white silk and petals that floated over the nameless streets, the defacing of statues and names. Sotek however was perceptive enough to see it beyond the appearances of lunacy and know he was seeing something else.
As he neared the presence -deep down the remains of an enormous diagonal elevator shaft which was now a waterfall- he stumbled upon one of the patrols. An antigrav gunship quickly aimed several floodlights at it, the soldiers on it aiming their rifles at him.
"Halt!" They spoke over the loudspeakers. "Identify yourself!"
Sotek halted, and sighed slowly turning his head up to the gunship. He still carried his halberd, its huge form towered even him. He smiled at the pilot and spoke in a very calm, even scarily soothing voice "An envoy. I am here to speak with your.... leader. The one who commands this city. I wish to speak with him as soon as possible" His grip tightened slightly on his halberd, Hopefully these mortals would see sense.
"We're also envoys!" He said as another gunship floated over to him, aiming its large-bore cannon at the demon. The masked, robed civilians began peering out of windows and cracks between buildings. "And we also got a message to your leader!"
A third gunship appeared as the first one floated closer and dumped five bodies in front of Sotek. Union uniforms drenched with blood, these were the Red Angel's servants. A noose tied to each of their necks. 'MURDERER' had been engraved on their chestplates.
"Now go back to your shithole or may Nivose help you!"
Sotek grinned, these people had balls. He stared at the bodies, Union uniforms painted red with blood. Red Angel followers... Though he was technically working with the other forces on the planet in reality the Red Angel slaughtered and fought who he wanted. Being close by to this city he had clearly wanted to spill these peoples blood. Sotek then looked back up again "I am not with the Red Angel. Take me to see your lord, or I will make my way to him myself" The demon said, his tone darkening.
"Think again, motherfucker!" The loudspeaker said as more soldiers appeared around corners and through catwalks. They seemed disorganized, with no central command. "We've killed the ones before you, we'll kill you too!"
The gunship quickly brought an end to the talk by firing a single 57mm shell from its chin-mounted turret, aimed straight at Sotek
Sotek sighed as he stopped the round mid flight, he held it in the air with his left arm outstretched "Then I'm afraid I must make my way there myself" He threw the shell towards the soldiers coming round the corner and leapt into the air, landing on the gunship with his halberd raised. It had been too long since he had a good fight. He licked his lips with elation the thrill of combat filling his veins once again.
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Post by EmperorMyric on Dec 17, 2017 13:31:49 GMT
Tau Volaris: Inside Tau Profundus
The soldiers immediately began firing at him point-blank with their laser rifles, but were quickly silenced when the other gunship fired at Sotek, causing the aircraft's frontal half to explode.
Sotek was already in motion as the second gunship destroyed the first, the wreckage falling down to the ground, the troops kept firing the bullets wizzing through the air as the demon launched himself towards the second gunship. He put his halberd first, slicing through the craft and causing it to detonate in a few moments. Sotek brought himself to a stop in the air and landed, the troops moving up and kept firing. He admired them, many more troops ran or panicked when he attacked. He sadistically grinned as he walked slowly towards them, he brought out his hand, some were crushed, the snapping of bones loud as he clenched his hand, others he threw into walls with wrist gestures and others he made explode by bursting his fist open. Nothing too flashy, he still needed to stay somewhat concealed. He made his way over to the elevator door again and pressed the button, the flaming wreckage and bloodied bodies betraying his presence, an alarm would surely go off soon.
The cargo elevator was remotely shut down as more gunships came by to deliver soldiers to the frontline, this time with heavy artillery and rocket launchers, which they recklessly fired all over Sotek's position.
The soldiers were all weighed down by their bulky suits of armour, essentially thick ceramic slabs that did very little to stop the demon
Sotek surveyed the elevator calmly the rockets and large artillery exploding around him as the troops dropped off. He knew his target was at the top of this shaft. He grabbed the large doors of the elevator and pried them open, ripping one of the doors off without him realised it. He stepped into the hollow shaft and flew upwards, leaving the troops behind to eventually catch up to him. The presence was close. All he wanted to do was talk, was it too much to ask?
Two more gunships loaded with troops floated down the elevator shaft, firing a torrent of shells as they went and Sotek neared the blinding spiritual glow that came from the top
Sotek deflected the rounds and continued going up, smashing one of the gunships out the way with his own body. As he neared the top the glow intensified. Until the demon came through the elevator doors at the top and landed, looking up towards the source of the light.
The top of the elevator was an enormous V-shaped canal with two openings leading to two symmetric elevator shafts, one of which Sotek had just come through. Like everything else it was flooded with clear water, though a large, flat concrete structure stood above the water. Some in the crowd held very tall staffs on top of which aromatic torches burned.
In the middle of it stood a frightened crowd, which Sotek was barely able to see by the almost searing brightness coming from the middle. At first he assumed he had finally gotten to Nivose but then he realized there were two sources of light, one far more potent than the other.
A hooded man sat on the edge of the concrete platform, cradling an old woman. Sotek immediately recognized in this the mirror of the Axiom's most sacred images, that of Mother cradling the Son of Man.
Sotek stood up, looking into the crowded room, and at the large adult man. Walking forward the people seemed to slowly step back out of the demons way. Approaching the glowing man Sotek nodded slightly towards him, the soldiers and gunships following behind him up the shaft and deploying. Sotek smiled to the glowing being "Greetings" Sotek grinned "I have come to talk to you"
He quickly noticed what was the bright glow that eclipsed even the man as he stood and wrapped the old woman in a blanket as she let out her last breaths. Several threads in the blanket, no more than eight, glowed in tremendous light, one that even Hjelmsdeläre and Nivose himself were extinguished by. The threads came from none but the blanket that Mother had wrapped around the Son of Man during the harsh winters.
It was, as far as the Axioms were concerned, the single most sacred object in the galaxy, and would be willing to sacrifice a hundred Blinkers to regain it. Yet there it was, being wrapped around the corpse of an old human woman.
"Silence." A thunderous yet calm voice replied from underneath the hood. "This woman has lost her five sons to raiders from our neighbouring city. I don't know what you've come for, from your appearance and aura it seems you have come here to kill me. You have a right to kill me, but you do not have a right to desecrate this funeral."
Sotek looked at the women and then back at the being "I have not come to fight you. Or kill you. I have come here to talk. If you wish me to wait until you are finished I will do so. However I would appreciate it if you could tell your men to stop attacking me" Sotek smiled, gesturing towards the men storming forward and stopping as if not to disturb the funeral.
He simply raised his hand, and with it the soldiers stopped, though still aimed their guns at Sotek. He seemed dissatisfied, and gestured at them to step back.
The man then stood, revealing himself to be quite tall, and gently placed the body on the river, pressing his forehead against the deceased's in deep lamentation. The body floated away into the canal, taking with it the sacred relic touched by the Son of Man himself.
He then took off his hood. His skin was dark, his features wide, African, imposing, with intense yellow irised-eyes sunk into their sockets. A thick grey beard was the only hair he had, otherwise he was completely bald.
He ordered the crowd to gain some distance, and as they retreated they revealed a tent with a few tin plates, the only earthly possessions of Maximilian Nivose, revolutionary, saviour of Tau Profundus, enigmatic pseudo-messiah hunted by the vast armies of Hjelmsdeläre and EPA.
Sotek watched the people disperse, the figure moving forward, he was very imposing. Sotek was impressed by what he saw, Myric would certainly be interested... However this was completely the opposite to what Sotek had expected. From the things he heard the Paradox was supposed to be evil. However this was incorrect, he felt much good from the powerful aura of this clearly transhuman. He had come here to try to recruit more forces to his cause. But this... he smiled, this was delectably different. Perhaps a new ally for the Union, but they were invading. Sotek knew he should report this to Hargun. Myric would want to meet this person, for he was clearly very powerful indeed. Sotek bowed, clearly not in respect but in an almost mocking gesture of greeting "I am Sotek. Good to meet you. I am here to meet and discover who you are. But you are clearly not what I expected"
"Discover who I am?" He inquired, remaining where he was. Even under the ragged robes he wore Sotek could see he was quite an enormous person. "By doing what? Sit down and asking me?"
Sotek smiled, surveying the being up and down he put his halberd away making is disappear in a cloud of darkness. He then surprisingly sat down. Crossing his legs on the floor and looking at the large man to do the same "But of course. Is that not how humans usually act?" He asked.
The tall man, if he could even be called a man at this point, mirrored Sotek's gesture, keeping a very stern expression throughout as he sat down as well.
"Which is why I did not expect you to talk"
Sotek chuckled "Indeed, my looks generally put people off. That is why I normally use surrogates or those under my influence however this time..." He said staring at the giant "This time I decided to come explore in person. Besides its not everyday I encounter someone with an aura like yours. What is your name?"
"I am Maximilian Caron Nivose" He said with a firm voice, keeping literally still as he said so, not a single muscle of his body moved. "My real name is unimportant. I am the facilitator here in Tau Profundus."
"Interesting..." Sotek leaned forward so that his chin rested upon one of his armoured gauntlets "You are far different than the others here. While others have come here to gather, to challenge those of power in the galaxy... You are here for a different purpose, you fight the others here" He said thinking about the Red Angel, The Dustman and Zeon to name a few "Why are you here Nivose?"
"I don't fight the others" He said punctually. "The others fight me. That they lost is attributable only to their competence in battle, not to any initiative on my part.
Amongst the trillions of books that compose the Suma Antropogenica there is one in particular, Parerga und Paralipomena. In its first volume it is argued that all that can happen to a man, from the moment of his birth to his death, have been chosen by him. Thus, every negligence is deliberate, every casual encounter is a meeting, every humiliation is a penitence, every failure is a mysterious victory. There's no bigger consolation than to think that we have chosen all our misfortunes. What obscure purpose made me search this rotten city and this lost people and this lost war? I ignore it"
He leaned to a side to grab a hold of a dirty tin tray underneath his tent, with several fruit in it. The only thing he had to eat, he offered it to his guest.
"But as I've been displaced, I at least want to do some good before leaving. The important thing is that justice rules, not this anarchy. If victory and happiness are not for me, let them be for these people in Tau Profundus. Let heaven exist, even if my place may be hell."
Sotek smiled and took one of the fruit offered to him, he analysed it closely before taking a bite. Its sweet flavour was juicy and enjoyable. Though he didn’t need to eat Sotek always enjoyed such trivial things. He listened intently to Nivose, the man reminded him so much of Myric. Perhaps if the two were to ever meet the philosophy talks between them would last for years. He looked around, the crowds of people still at the edge of the area being held back by guards. Watching their every move. This wasn’t what he had come to find, the Union needed to hear about this, these people were not evil. And neither was this being, Sotek took another bite "A true person who wishes to make a difference. I know someone very similar to yourself, he knows his path is predestined yet he lives it like it is his own. Ignoring your path brings life a far... sweeter taste don’t you think?" Sotek smiled as he took another bite "However you are to be commended for what you have accomplished here"
"I would rather not be, I don't do this for fame and I would rather let this remain buried. I am not one who seeks to have his actions paraded in front of billions throughout space and time. Those who do are the exact reason this planet tears itself apart as well as hypocrites." The guards listened attentively until, spurred by their higher-ups, began vacating the place, guiding the crowd to the upper levels. "And there is nothing I detest more than the stench of hypocrisy. Let me die unsung, it is all I ask."
Sotek smiled "You may not want to be lauded for your actions but you will be by the people you have saved. It is the way things are" He watched as the people were filed away and finished the fruit he was eating "Say. You were part of the empire of AIs were you not? Why did you leave them? They seem pretty intent on hunting you down"
"There is no such thing as the Axiom empire, we are individuals like you. No common ideology binds us." He said, peaking Sotek's interest, now that he referred to the Axioms, those distant and seemingly inert beings, in the first person. "And I did not leave."
Sotek leaned in further "Then why are they trying to kill you?" Sotek said in a hush tone, he was truly intrigued by Nivose, he was something humble and yet so grand. What the Union would do to get someone like Nivose as a close freind and ally...
"I am something that Hjelmsdeläre needs eliminated. This is all I will say"
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Post by EmperorMyric on Dec 17, 2017 13:32:02 GMT
Tau Volaris: Inside Tau Profundus
He got back up and turned to his tent, going underneath it as he searched a large, ornate metallic case.
"Indeed" Sotek replied as he watched Nivose searched for something "Those associated to the Union of Worlds come here to reclaim this world. They think its full of rebels and those that need to be eliminated. If they had the intelligence on who you are and what your doing to help these people they would gladly offer assistance I expect. And also protect you from any of the others who wish your people dead" He talked loudly so Nivose could hear him.
"If they had intelligence on who I am and what I am doing I am sure they would face some hard decisions."
Out of the crate he took out two massive, shining flanged maces. From their composition and general shape, Sotek could see they had been fashioned out of industrial drill bits. Designed to resist immense pressure and temperature, the maces were as fearsome a weapon as could be crafted by the relatively humble, now-deindustrialized means of Tau Profundus.
Nivose was a man who, by his nature, was showered with gifts almost constantly, yet all but one had been rejected. Nanoengraved with the names of the population of Tau Profundus -minus Nivose himself and some passages of the Synagma, they were the only gifts he had ever accepted other than his measly rations of food.
"Now it is my turn to address you, as you have killed nineteen of this city's soldiers."
Sotek got up and grinned "I'm sure they would, I will send word on, I'm sure either way they would want to meet you" Sotek then laughed "Of course, you know Nivose, I like you. And I don’t say that to people often. Are you sure you want to fight me?" Sotek asked with a wide grin.
"It's not a matter of wanting to fight." He said as he threw Sotek one of the heavy maces, which fit Sotek well owing to his similar stature. He took off his robe and hood, revealing an imposing, almost golemic physique of tempered muscle. "You've come to these people's home and killed them, as far as I'm concerned you're no better than the Red Angel's followers.
“But if there's one redeeming quality to battle it is that, just like women, it tests men, before you fight you don't know who you are. Someone can think himself a coward and prove a hero; I think of yourself as a murderer, I just give you an opportunity to change that."
Sotek catched the mace and held it, it had terrible balance, the air of a improvised weapon clearly hung to it but he accepted it none the less. Sotek smiled "Well Nivose your right about one thing" He said taking his armour off piece by piece. Nobody outside a select few had seen Sotek out of his armour but he respected his opponent, and for once wanted a fair fight "Its that Women really test a man" He stood, his pallid green skin showing off his genetically enhanced physique, strange runes covered his form as he smiled, lifting the mace up to a combat position.
"So if I may be the one to raise a question this time..." Nivose tensed up, and just as Sotek was registering it he threw a quick, low attack, which he turned into a feint at the last moment. He repeated the gesture several times, getting closer to actually striking Sotek, from a different direction each time. "What brings you here after all the other people you've spoken to? Did you expect me to be a continuation of the parade of human infamy you've witnessed?"
Sotek grinned being able to get some sort of contest finally, he analysed each of Nivoses moves carefully, moving around quickly in a defensive posture he kept his weapon close to his chest ready to make as many parries as need be "Truth be told I did. I expected you to be another tortured soul who wished nothing more than the destruction and death of millions, who had some sort of 'grand scheme' to rule or conquer or just who thought himself better than all the rest. But instead I find a being who against all odds. Is one of the rare things in the universe worth finding" Sotek made a quick side dash making his own feint which looked to hook round Nivoses guard but instead leapt back to continue being defensive "Even if it did mean eating some fruit and having a chat"
"Which means you are the kind of person your handlers would send to speak to such vile individuals." Nivose the finally struck, throwing a powerful attack at Sotek's legs with a twist of his wrist and elbow, a relatively small movement that nevertheless imparted the flail with impressive speed.
Sotek moved fast, catching the flail edge on his lower leg it cut through skin, the first time Sotek had seen his own blood in countless years. The demon in motion riposted, counter attacking with a shot to the collar bone, seeking to break it and leave Nivose's left hand unable to be used, whipping it round to try and get in behind his guard "I have no handlers, I merely report to whoever I please. I am here for my own reasons and those alone. I too have a grand scheme which if come to fruition would easily see most of those vile individuals removed from the face of creation"
"If you had no handlers the Union would mean nothing to you. Union, Xanthos, a world of difference to you, to Axioms they are just different degrees of the same value."
As Sotek counter-attacked, somewhat surprised by Nivose's allusion to his former manipulator, Nivose quickly lunged at him to close the distance between them, using his free hand to push Sotek's foream away. On the other hand, Nivose himself didn't have any room to attack either, so he quickly head butted the demon.
Sotek somewhat angered by the assertion that Xanthos and the Union were similar took the headbutt with glee, relishing the pain as he put in a powerful leg strike while parrying with his mace "To the Axioms maybe, however for someone who has fought and bled for both there is indeed a world of difference. A world of difference for the people too. I may have killed millions, it dosent mean I enjoy living with that fact. I spend my life looking for a way to change and reverse what I have done. And I will do anything to acomplish that goal"
The leg strike created some distance between them, enough for Sotek's attack to hit the right side of Nivose's chest with a powerful, bone-breaking thud. He was quick to react, pinning Sotek's flail against his chest with his arm while throwing a short yet quick and loaded punch at his opponent.
"They both kill, they both die, whatever vindication you're looking for you're certainly not going to find it here or anywhere else"
Sotek took the punch, feeling the thunderous impact smash into his side, moving him slightly to the left. He rode the blow and swung the mace round into Nivoses side "I am not here for vindication. I'm here to gather intelligence, and because I like to meet new people"
"Gather intelligence?" Nivose recoiled from the mace's impact. Gritting his teeth, rapidly, he feinted another attack to force Sotek to try and parry it; he grabbed the head of Sotek's weapon with his free hand to keep him from attacking.
"So you do you come here for yourself or for your masters? From when you got here you knew there you knew there was nothing to help your efforts against the Flux, yet you still came forth!" He said as he delivered a swing to Sotek's left thigh. "Now, if I die right here let me die with one question and only one question answered!" He spoke fiercely, loudly. "Am I speaking to a man or a slave?!"
Sotek took the blow, on his thigh, the full swing impacting as he heard the break of the bone, the pain barely registering as the thrill of the fight fuelled him further. However he was at a disadvantage. He thought of Nivoses question, was he really a slave? His life was pre determined. His every action was already written out, this had all happened before and would happen again. He knew what his destiny was. And it was close. But he didn’t do them because he was destined to, he took his steps as they came. Because he chose to do so. He had come here of his own accord, out of his own interest, the intelligence for the Union was a secondary by product. Sotek was his own person, he shouted at the top of his voice "A man! A man tempered by the actions of a demon! Who even now fights to try and free myself!" He dropped the mace and threw a heavy punch to Nivoses face.
"Then act like a man!" Nivose took the punch, causing him to spit out a couple of his teeth in a wad of thick blood, he immediately threw his mace away and tried to return the punch, though Sotek's counter ended up with the two of them grappled, throwing their entire weigh towards one another.
"There's no Union, no rebels, no Hjelmsdeläre, no Syntagma and no Xanthos here! There's no slaves in this city!" He pushed Sotek to create some distance, and before he could react attacked again, throwing several quick punches at his upper body to distract him as he made him trip with his leg. As soon as he fell Nivose was on top of him, delivering punches while pinning Sotek's arms to the floor with his knees. "Only men!"
Sotek tried to kick Nivose off of him with his descent leg, but ended up being blocked by Nivose, in turn preventing punches of large degrees. Sotek took some of the punches to the face, blood welling in his mouth as he punched Nivose back, the two of them trading hammer blows "Then why are you here Axiom?" He spat, as he tried another powerful kick to Nivoses chest.
"A paradox has taken my place!" He furiously replied, throwing himself back as Sotek delivered the kick to dodge it, then wrapping his arms around his leg and twisting his body to try and dislocate his leg. "To call Hjelmsdeläre an Axiom is an insult, I am the only Axiom you'll ever witness, I am of the bloodline of the Son of Man, and I'll make my stand here!."
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Post by EmperorMyric on Dec 17, 2017 13:32:16 GMT
Tau Volaris: Inside Tau Profundus
Sotek felt his leg dislocate as Nivose put his full weight behind both the actions and his words. He roared as the pain finally came through, both of his legs were out of action and he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer in the fight. Nivose would surely go for his mace next to finish the job. Sotek made jabs to Nivoses collar bone and sides, aiming for the pressure points to make the Axiom stop its attack "Then you are failing your own people if you merely stay here and let Hjelmsdeläre control those who deserve the truth! The forces gathered will destroy your people here, and your bloodline will end, without having accomplished your goal. You could do so much more! Do what you have done here a thousand fold, not for yourself or for admiration but for the people who deserve better!" Sotek shouted. Realising that Nivose was a huge key for the events of Ancerious. Sotek knew Nivose must live through this invasion. he would have to inform the Union.
"What do you care about the people who deserve better?" He asked as Sotek's powerful jabs finally hammered through his defence and connected a powerful, crippling blow to his right arm. "I do not seek admiration, only slaves seek admiration!" He yelled, veins popping on his forehead as his visage was disfigured by his sheer anger, as he used his remaining arm to reach for his mace and swing down with enormous power straight at Sotek's head.
Sotek held out his palm, the mace and all its force impacting just before the palm of Soteks hand. The sheer force exploded outwards like a shockwave and Sotek winced at the force behind it. However he was untouched by the massive swing "I care a great deal more than you realise. And I do not seek Admiration, I only seek the one I love" he was strangely calm for the position he was in, bruises and cuts were all over his body, blood was on the floor and both of his legs were out of action "I concede defeat Maximilian Caron Nivose, there is no need to continue this fight. Your peoples honour has been satisfied"
He stood back up, dropping the shattered remains of the mace to the ground, shaking his sweat-covered head. He offered Sotek a hand to come back up, having seemingly repaired his left arm already.
"That was good enough." He said as he then crouched near the canal and started washing the blood off his face.
Sotek took Nivoses hand and stood up, his physique like Nivoses healing the damage inhumanly fast, as his legs recovered momentarily, Sotek nodded "It has been a long time since I had a good fight like that" As he too made his way over to the canal and came to kneel by Nivose, crouching down to wash his face and arms the blood washing off in the water to float down stream.
"Now, as to what you were saying" He stood up now with a much calmed voice, more or less what he had when Sotek had first met him. He still breathed heavily and his pulse was still high, however. "I am displaced, and the vast puppets of Hjelmsdeläre move against me. I know that the situation is dire, but not dire enough for me to abandon my principles. There is no such thing as 'my people', I have no ownership over the citizens of Tau Secundus and cannot in good conscience lead them into a war."
Sotek finished cleaning himself and then walked over to where his armour lay, listening to Nivose as he explained Sotek merely stood arms outstretched as the armour flew softly around him attaching back onto his form, leaving him once again covered in his imposing dark armour. He turned back round to Nivose after contemplating "You need not abandon your principles, there are others in this galaxy who would help you merely because you ask it of them in good faith. The allies who are coming here think you are just another vile creature but if they knew the truth they would surely back you and your endeavour. I am not sure about all of them but the Union would most definitely. Once they learn the truth" He looked around at the city the sounds of millions still quite audible "They will not fight for you if you ask them to. They will fight for your cause. These people will lay down their lives if it means the continued existence and betterment of more including themselves. War is not the immediate answer. Biding your time is, with the aid of allies" Sotek said smiling, his breath also still high from the rush of battle.
"The Union has also become quite close to Hjelmsdeläre, and have played a great part in destroying Esophagealis, the closest I had to a comrade here." He took a deep breath before looking for his robes again. "Right as we speak the Union is making a landing and Hjelmsdeläre's militia is following close behind, as he does not believe I am capable enough to warrant the deployment of his actual forces. We will make sure this city does not succumb to violence or occupation, then I can turn myself in at peace."
Sotek nodded "They have indeed, however I answer to the Emperor of the Union himself, he will see what I have seen here and act accordingly" Sotek thought of the EPA forces, fanatics and devouts who fought for the Axioms. Hjelmsdeläre wouldn’t only just take him in "You know that wouldn’t happen, the EPA forces would purge this city and all its occupants claiming them to be heretics. There is no way you could surrender yourself and still have these people live, even if you do the allies or even the Red Angel would come here oblivious and attack. The Union destroyed your Blinker because they saw it working with the others, they saw it as a threat. However if I had managed to talk to you before it happened it might of been averted" Sotek looked Nivose in the eye "I cant offer you a clean way out. But I can offer you a way forward"
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