"Ladies and gentlemen of all ages and species! Welcome to the Armax Arsenal Tournament! We have an amazing show for you all, where people and teams of all races, species, nationalities, and creeds come together to beat the ever-living shit out of each other! Last cycle we saw an amazing finish by the galaxy renowned Asari fighter Eria T'nal who single handedly knocked out 2 of the 6 other finalists and killed 2 more. An awe inspiring display of grace and raw power, it will surely be a tough act to follow this cycle, especially since she will be participating again this cycle.
For those who are joining us for the first time let me break it all down. The tournament is broken down into 4 events, matches of 1v1, 2v2, and 4v4 with a finale of the winners from each event competing in the free for all event at the very end of the tournament. As far as rules go, within the arena there are no rules. It's survival of the fittest, kill or be killed. If a combatant is unable to continue they are considered eliminated. This is generally done by total knockout, expulsion from the arena physically, or death. The matches themselves also possess no time limit so it goes until there is one group standing.
Before each match the arena is randomly generated by the Armax Arsenal Arena VI. The environment is a fully immersive holographic setup meaning while it is fake combatants can be thrown, impaled, crushed, and shot into the obstacles as if they were real!
For those that win there is a lot on the line: large credit prizes, weapons and armor, and even jobs, bounties, and contracts. For this cycle the tournament winner has the chance to receive a fully paid and sponsored Cord-Hislop Aerospace starship! Capable of FTL travel, possessing an array of both passive and active sensors, military grade kinetic barriers and ablative armor, and a basic GARDIAN system, this ship is definitely a winner and a must have for those who venture beyond the Terminus Systems, and who deal frequently with pirates and bandits.
Alright ladies and gentlemen starting in just 1 hour the 2v2 matches will begin. Begin placing bets, and downing drinks because this cycle appears it's going to be mind-blowing! Good luck combatants and may the best person survive!"
….
"Holy shit, did she just…."
"Yeah, she did. Wow that's brutal." Ruby shudders at the scene below.
Down below a woman wearing a Devlon Industries matte gray and hot pink striped light combat armor with jet black boots is currently wrist deep into her opponent, Omni blade glowing brightly on the other side of him, blood boiling off the orange glow of the molten metal trapped within a mass effect field that makes up an Omni blade. With shoulder length dark brown hair and blood speckled on her face green eyes meet the blue of the Turian below her. For them it feels like an eternity, to see who would fall first. For everyone else it was but another adrenaline-fueled moment for with another breath another combatant has been eliminated.
"WOW! What an amazing execution! After an impressive display of finesse and power between both combatants Sarah Ma'Larke has just leveled with playing field by eliminating her opponent, similarly to how her partner was eliminated only moments before! For there can be only one standing, who will it be?"
Down below a beaten up yet intimidating human woman is squaring off against a much larger Krogan in full battle gear.
Hailing from a world devastated by nuclear war Krogan are an extremely resilient species. Standing at a typical 7 feet tall and upwards of 500lbs on average and reptilian in appearance they can be devastating in close quarters combat, which is a generally Krogan-preferred combat style. To aid in said combat style Krogan possess extremely thick hides of skin all across their bodies which make them naturally impervious to conventional cuts, scrapes, and contusions.
"Despite that there's no way Ma'Larke can win. She is going against an experienced Krogan single handedly. One whom is not only well equipped but also still in good shape, which she is not." declared the taller blonde brawler
"Yeah but don't forget that she's an experienced bounty hunter whom has been in way crazier situations than this, and she has taken down Krogan before. Remember her fight with the Blood Pack on Omega? They say she single handedly took down a dozen Krogan in an attempt to take down their leader."
"Don't forget Rubes that that's just a rumor, one she hasn't even confirmed. And we both know she LOVES to brag about her previous contracts." mused Yang as she remembered the two of them running into Ma'Larke at the nightclub on the strip a few nights prior.
"Because OBVIOUSLY she won't brag about a contract that she failed, duh. Even if what she accomplished WAS impressive…."CRACK
Down below in the arena Sarah Ma'Larke is flying across the arena space in a rag doll fashion before slamming into the backside of a barricade.
"EEP! That looked like it hurt." frowned Ruby whilst rubbing her lower back in sympathy. "I take it back, she's done for."
"Wow, way to turn your back on her, glad to know you're reliable" her older sister chuckled "And is that a declaration of defeat? Because I can take your credits now if you want."
The sisters had placed a bet on which team would win, with Ruby voting for the Ma'Larke team and Yang rooting for the Krogan's team.
The Krogan slowly advances on Ma'Larke whilst drawing a large semi-automatic shotgun from his side holster. Weapon extending and unfolding the Krogan begins to fire despite not fully bringing her into aim. The sound of the gun's discharge spurs her to move, rolling behind the nearest barricade.
Thinking quickly Ma'Larke begins taking stock of the situation. Think think think, I'll be damned if I die to a damn Krogan in a fake battle! Ignoring the leers and cheers of the crowd she continues. No grenades, no guns, and no time. All I've got is a couple of broken ribs, my Omni-blade, and…. Perfect! Without fully thinking it through the body is biotically lifted and thrown at the Krogan. In an instinctual reaction the Krogan aims and fires, failing to see a pair of smoke grenades rolling at his feet. At the same time the body is eviscerated the grenades go off filling the area with a putridly dense grey fog. Not wasting time Ma'Larke biotically lifts herself to her feet and charges in low, orange streak at her side on a direct course for the Krogan's knee.
With a twist and a jump a quick 1-2-3 stab to the back follows, not doing much damage, but then again it's but not supposed to. Instead that opened up the real target. As Ma'Larke came up and over the Krogan an opening in the top head plate armor is revealed. With the last ounce of strength and energy she has she slams the Omni-blade home, shotgun firing wildly under her in an attempt to connect and maim his opponent. With the blade mere centimeters from the brain the extreme heat of the molten metal from within the blade roasted the brain, killing the Krogan before the body could hit the ground, with Ma'Larke landing on top; exhausted but alive.
"Damn, that could've gone so wrong. Good thing it didn't. Pay up!" grinned the redhead
"Not even mad that was ballsy. Just don't eat too many sweets, we've got our match coming up shortly," As she swiped her Omni-tool over her sister's.
"Yeah yeah." she chuckled, already walking away
….
The crowd was going wild for Ma'Larke, having finished the match with an impressive finisher, especially against such a difficult opponent. Fighting against her later on in the tournament would be quite interesting, the woman mused. Turning away from the holoscreens light blue combat jump suit swishing faintly as the fabric moved the woman began making her way out of the stands. Glancing at the roster board at the back of the arena she confirms the next contestants. "Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long" she mused quietly. Not much was known about them, they seemed to be new to the scene.
Having grown up on Earth the two women were recent graduates of a fairly prestigious combat school, Signal Combat. Located on the island of Madagascar Signal Combat is home to a large number of soldiers and medics in training. Possessing an incredibly difficult survival course those who attend will be well versed in subjects such as first aid, short and long ranged combat including hand to hand and weapons training, tactics and reconnaissance, as well as biotics training for those who possess the aptitude for said ability. It is generally advantageous to attend as those who do get extra advancement options when joining various military factions, more credibility when picking up bounty hunting contracts, and the ability to attend more rigorous galactic universities.
Of course, who needs a silly school when you had the greatest instructors and minds that money had to offer. Walking to the main atrium she orders a Thessian Temple from the bartender and heads up to the balcony seating to get comfortable for the next match.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! So far this tournament we have seen some amazing matches and some even greater finishers. But don't worry folks, the show is only just getting started. Next up we have an interesting matchup. On one end we have human and Asari combination.
Hailing from Feros they are private security by day and an adorable couple by night. But don't let that adorableness fool you, they can be extremely vicious. Having a confirmed kill count of 56/64 respectively they have shown to do whatever it takes to get the job done. But the question is do they have what it takes to get this job done? Because on the other side we have a fierce tag team duo, both human females. Being new to the arena scene they have a long way to go and a lot to prove! But don't worry folks they both have a bit of credibility having graduated top of their classes from Signal Combat School, Earth these sisters have some bite to them. The real question is, are they about to bite off more than they can chew? In just a few moments we'll find out! So take your seats, but only the edge as that's all you'll need for this match!"
Ah, yes. Tucking a strand of white hair behind her ear she recalled hearing briefly on the news how the younger sister had somehow graduated early for stopping some massive terrorist theft and protecting almost a billion credits in ammunition and weapons grade Eezo. By doing so she had showed not only bravery but combat tactfulness and prowess, fearlessness yet caution. That and made a few friends, higher up. Despite what was said she wasn't convinced. A multinational terrorist organization rumored to be involved in everything from genetic experimentation, weapons and creature smuggling, theft on massive scales, and many more how could a single girl have held off such an organized group? Was that girl in the right place at the right time or is she actually competent on the battlefield as the news made her out to be?
With icy-blue eyes on a face that showed no emotion she gazed out onto the arena floor as both teams marched out.
With the field having been generated only seconds before the human/Asari team walking out from the bottom left and the sisters coming out from the top right. Standing between them was a sloped arena, almost spherical, like a bowl. At 4 equidistant points were tall towers that connected at the top to form an X over the playing field. Below there are two L shaped steel crates with the shorter side sticking straight up, parallel to each other and several floating holographic plates randomly scattered around the arena ranging from 2 to 4 feet off the ground. And to literally wrap it up is a yellow and gold railing ringing the arena on the left half and open pit on the right. The railing itself coming up 3 and a half feet off the edge of the ground. The floor itself is a cold white steel checkered plates.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen here are your combatants! Coming in from the right we have the Earth born sisters, Ruby Rose in red and Yang Xiao Long in dark gold. Coming in from the left we have the human male and Asari tag team, Verner Trippe in a black with green striped suit and Tara Sel'core in a dark green with black striped suit. That's absolutely adorable ladies and gentlemen how they complement each other!" chuckled the announcer "And now let's see if it extends past fashion sense into the battlefield. Welcome again your next combatants, and enjoy the show!"
And with that the two teams faced each other and squared off.
"5…4…3…2…1…FIGHT!"
Before the word fight could be completed Yang is charging across the field rapidly losing the distance with Tara. CRACK moments before Yang lands a punch with her omni-gauntlet a sniper rifle is discharged and the succeeding round slams into Tara's shield and shredding it, slamming into her right shoulder, knocking her back and off her feet. At that moment a left cross/right uppercut to the face and stomach respectively slam Tara into a pillar hard enough to crack her helmet visor and stun her.
While that was an impressive one-two from them it leaves a lot to be desired, such as the fact that Yang left her guard down and just got pummeled by a biotic shockwave from Verner. The white-haired woman thought.
Which at that moment Yang was busy trying to pick herself up as Ruby provided cover sniper fire from atop one of the pillars behind her. Switching to Cryo ammo Ruby began aiming to pin Verner's limbs to the floor when she is suddenly lifted into the air and pulled forward off of the pillar and onto the ground several feet below, weapon skittering away over the side of the arena.
"Ruby!" Immediately a barrier is fabricated and wrapped around the younger one as she gathers her breath back. Before it is completed the barrier is shredded by machine gun fire and several rounds slam into Ruby's shield causing it to spark and lose power.
What are they planning? The woman thought. With Ruby down and Yang focused on her they failed to see Tara and Verner closing in from the right.
You would think that hailing from Signal would mean they have a better awareness of their surroundings. The woman tuted. With Verner's heavy weapon out and Tara's biotics charging up they are about to get blindsided hard. Definitely not the shortest match in the arena but close. Smirked the woman, whom herself failed to see what was really happening.
Yang spins around unleashing a shockwave on Tara and throwing Verner back. While Tara was prepared for such an event and countered with a barrier around herself Verner was less so and was expectedly thrown back and knocked off balance. Without waiting for time to catch up Yang biotically charges forward and releases another shockwave in front of her fist at the same time her secondary shotgun gauntlet discharges. 3 rounds slam into him pushing past his shields and knocking him flat over the edge of the arena as mass effect fields engage and the chambers slide back on their rails absorbing some of the recoil.
"And there it is folks! The first knockout of the match, which goes to Verner Trippe! While he fought bravely that final hit is definitely going to leave a mark and bravery isn't going to heal that!" the announcer said, laughing at his own terrible joke.
Using the remaining recoil from the gauntlet she flips over and around hitting the ground running. Heart slamming in her chest it only sped up when she realized what she was looking at. What was supposed to be Ruby having put shotgun rounds into Tara's helmet and chest plate was instead Ruby being held up in the air with her own heavy weapon instead floating in front pointing at her.
It seems they underestimated Tara. The shockwave was supposed to stun Tara and take down her barrier but all it did instead was damage it. With this having failed she was able to react in time to Ruby jumping up and above her to come down point blank. It was pretty smart to be honest. Use Ruby as a honeypot to draw them in and semi-ambush them. Too bad it failed.
Doing everything she could Yang put everything she had into getting to Ruby. Mustering all strength she charged forward, using a biotic push/pull combination to go faster, then follow through with a lift right as she jumped. Pushing Ruby out of the way of the weapon was the only thing she could think of. Because of this she failed to think of what would happen if she got hit with the heavy weapon instead of Ruby. Which is exactly what happened.
Pushing Ruby out of the way of both the weapon and the biotic influence of Tara Yang was left in the void to absorb the discharge of the heavy weapon. Time seemed to slow as the rocket propelled grenade slammed through her barrier and shield and splashing against her armor with enough force to melt the first few layers of the chest plate and then systematically smash her into the wall of the arena beyond the edge of the ring. Unconsciousness was the only thing that followed, long before she hit the floor.
Having been knocked out of the air unexpectedly all Ruby could do was eat the floor as she tumbled, heat and debris from the explosion peppering her back. Sliding to a halt near the edge of the arena she recovered enough to spin around and see Tara lock onto her, having apparently recovered from the surprise blonde missile only a moment before. It was apparent that she was getting tired, not unto the fact that so was she. Picking herself up she bolts across the arena and dives behind the L shaped obstruction and checks herself over. Noting the missing shotgun and mini-grenade launcher she was left with a handgun and a Cryo grenade. She also noted that her shield was still down and unrepairable at the moment, due to the looming possibility of imminent death. What a lovely thought.
"What's wrong little girl? Running scared now that your partner has been eliminated? Maybe you should take a lesson that that happens! If you're too scared to fight now then you're more than welcome to stand up so I can eliminate you. Make it nice and quick, I promise!" Tara taunts
Who says I'm scared? I'm not scared! I mean it's not like my sister just took a freaking grenade to the face or anything. Alright, I can't worry about her. I need to focus. She'll be fine, she promised. Ruby thought frantically
Trying to buy more time she again sprints around the edge of the arena and jumps up onto a pillar, then to another.
Running in circles isn't going to do much, though it will make her a bit harder to miss she is still out in the open, a wide open target. Tara on the other hand appears to be in decent shape having not gotten hit by any rounds, though having spent a fair bit of energy maintaining her barrier and her abilities. The snow-colored haired spectator observes.
Turns out running in circles paid off, having spotted one of Yang's gauntlets on the floor Ruby had an idea, albeit a crazy one. If it didn't work then...well it would be the end of the match either way. Sprinting and dive-rolling to grab the weapon she again vaulted behind a pillar. Crouching down she caught her breath and waited, listening for Tara's approach. Hearing the boots clomp on the steel plates she lobbed the grenade up and to the right behind her. Without waiting to hear the detonation she grabbed her own handgun and slung it across the steel plating, having it bounce and spin and creating a lot of noise. As the gun was thrown the grenade detonated prematurely due to being struck by a round from Tara's own handgun. At the sound of the grenade's demise Ruby vaulted the top of the pillar and dove forward into the cloud of frost left behind. What came through was a streak of red and a glimmer of steel on her wrist, followed by three simultaneous fwoomps as each barrel discharged directly into the front of the helmet's visor. At such short range both the barrier and the visor stood no chance as both shattered in a spectacular visage of sparkling light. The woman was sent spinning head first backwards before hitting the floor with floor with a thump.
With that being said laws are absolute and Newton was going to get his dues as Ruby, not having proper training with such a weapon, was unprepared and sent sideways from the recoil. The weapon itself flung off her wrist where it slammed into the pillar and subsequently broke into multiple pieces.
"And that ladies and gentleman is the end of the match! And what a show that was! My heart's still racing hahaha. The winners of the match are Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose. Congratulations! And for everyone else feel free to stick around for the match recap and commentary followed by the next match!"
Huh, well that was…daring. It worked, but it was extremely reckless. She should have played it safe from cover, then again if they had Yang would still have been in the match. I better not join them in battle because that's how you get yourself and others killed. And with that final scold the woman exited the arena and disappeared into the crowds leaving Ruby to be escorted out by medics to join the other 3 combatants in the medical center.
….
2 hours later
Walking rather stiffly Yang and Ruby exit the medical center. Medigel having fixed almost all of their wounds was a boon to galactic society. Having been developed by the Sirta Foundation it is an all-purpose medicinal salve that is both an anesthetic and clotting agent used by paramedics, EMTs, and military personnel. It is capable of healing various wounds and ailments including gashes, burns, gunshot wounds, etc by instantly sealing various injuries against infection by the use of an ultrasonic frequency, generally administered by an Omni-tool. Recent advancements in the formula which makes up Medigel have allowed it to work on more complex structures such as bone and critical organs such as hearts, lungs, liver, etc. Due to its ease of production and ubiquitous usage in most facets of society it can be found just about anywhere and is also a common staple in most households' medicine cabinets.
"Sorry about breaking Celica, I didn't realize how crazy the recoil was. The medic said it was a miracle I didn't dislocate my shoulder with it." Ruby frowned. She felt horrible for breaking her sister's weapon, and with only one of two it would make further matches more difficult if they couldn't fabricate a new one ASAP.
"It's alright, I mean I only took a grenade for you, no big deal." teased the older sister whilst ruffling the younger's hair. "But seriously it not only won us the tournament but helped keep you safe, well I wouldn't necessarily call what you did safe but you're not gravely injured or dead so there's that. I'll go build a new one later, it should only take me a few hours in the workshop upstairs hopefully."
"You sure? I can rebuild it in half the time, after all I should be the one to do it since it's my fault it's broken." And that particular statement is not untrue. Ruby's particular obsession for all things dangerous and explosive has left her with a particular skill when it comes to various weaponry.
"Yes, you're fine Rubes. It saved your life after all so it was worth it. I'll rebuild it later. But first, let's get some food, I'm starving."
Having auto-piloted their way to the backend of the Silversun Strip there were everything from food stalls, restaurants, and markets. A little bit of everything, cuisines ranging from Earthen Italian to Thessian Shirvan (A traditional Asari dish made by steaming a variety of fish indigenous to Thessia, served with a spicy sauce). This is to allow diverse range of cultures and residents of the Citadel to get a little piece of home or expand their horizons and try new things.
While the market here on the Silversun strip was nothing compared to the ones on the upper and lower wards on the Citadel it certainly didn't leave much to be desired. Taking a right off the main strip takes you to an avenue with a smooth gleaming silver stone walkway with buildings on both sides. Bright holographic neon signs light up the area advertising and drawing in all those who come near. Looking up beyond the signs and buildings you can see the other four arms of the citadel, the faint flickers of light of vehicles as they navigated their way through their busy lives weaving in and out of buildings and flying between the arms.
The Citadel itself is a marvel of alien innovation and vision. Built by the species that inhabited the galaxy long before it stands as a symbol of strength and unity for the races that now live within the galaxy. Weighing in at 7.11 billion metric tons with a total length of 44.7km when the arms are open the Citadel serves as a central political and cultural point for the galaxy. In the center is a central ring 7.2km in diameter, from which all five arms of the Citadel protrude, each 43.6km long and 330m thick. Gravity is artificially created through the rotation of the colossal deep-space station. It sits at a comfortable 1.02 G's on the Wards and a light 0.3 G's on the Presidium Ring.
The arms themselves are capable of closing, normally only done in times of extreme emergency. Doing so would transform the citadel into a long impenetrable cylinder. The central ring of the Citadel consists of the Presidium, spaceports, and home of the Citadel Council. The Citadel Council, whom are a small governing body made up of individuals from several of the most powerful galactic species, have ultimate authority when it comes to happenings throughout the Milky Way.
Walking their way down the street awash in neon glow, the duo stumble upon what appears to be a large aquarium. Floor to ceiling clear as crystal glass treats passerby to the view within: aquatic creatures of all kinds bask in the waters within. Fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Eels, sharks, dolphins, and jellyfish abound. And if it weren't for the glass a new creature would join possibly join them in awe, one with two legs, black and red hair, and a red cloak whose face was presently pressed up against the glass.
"Oh my gosh they are so pretty! Look at all of the different kinds, I've never seen so many before. If only we could buy one, or two, or twenty…"
"I don't see why we can't, I mean we're here. Might as well if that's what you want then it sounds good to me." she smirked knowing full well Ruby didn't realize what this place actually was.
"Can we really?!" bouncing up and down rapidly
"Of course, depends on how hungry you are though. Personally, I'm famished."
"Wha...why would we eat them?" Ruby shouted, arms thrown up in the air in exasperation.
Without saying anything Yang simply points upwards at the sign. "Ryuusei's Sushi Bar" shone brightly in pink neon lettering. "Oh…" The disappointment shown on her face, temporary dreams crushed of owning brightly colored alien fish. And as if at the snap of a finger the smile returned and excitement shone in her eyes. "Let's go in anyway, I'm hungry."
"Alright hungry, lead the way."
"Wow, that joke was so bad it almost killed those fish." Ruby laughed as she walked in.
Walking inside it was clear the restaurant was quite popular as it was packed with clientele of all origins. Walking in on a strip of red carpet led the way to an Asari in a knee length blue dress which complimented her skin tone with a black jacket and black boots to match. "Welcome ladies to Ryuusei's Sushi Bar. Will it be just you two today or will others be joining?"
Asari are an interesting alien race. Often considered one of the most influential and respected species in the galaxy they are the backbone for the galactic community. Having been one of the first species to achieve interstellar flight and subsequently to colonize the Citadel, with the help of its silent caretakers- the keepers, they have aided many races achieve a galactic presence.
Asari resemble humans in terms of basic stature and skeletal structure. This allows them to wear human clothing, armor and equipment, and vice versa. Averaging height at around six feet they possess a blue to purple skin color. Instead of hair they possess a series of semi-rigid segments of cartilage, or 'tentacles' starting at the human hairline and flowing backwards. One of the unique features of the Asari is their significant lifespans compared to other races (although similar to the Krogan) which can be upwards of a thousand years.
"Nope! Just us two for today." Ruby piped, flashing a smile at the hostess.
"Of course. Presently it appears that we have a spot available up at the bar, will that be alright?" Behind and to the left of the hostess a couple dozen paces away was a long bar. The bar itself was an extension of the aquarium seen outside, as was the entire floor of the restaurant. Behind the bar was an Asari and two Turian bartenders rapidly concocting a variety of cocktails. The area itself was rather well lit with mixtures of white and neon blue. This accentuates the water and its inhabitants all around the restaurant while making the place seem more relaxed, yet exciting.
"Of course, we'll take whatever is available."
"Splendid, right this way." she said as she picks up two menus from the booth and walks up the few steps to the bar.
Behind the bar are several layers of shelves with all manor of liquors, including many severely lethal types to humans. Above the shelves float multiple holoscreens with a variety of programs playing, including recaps from the tournament and the news. Artistically hanging from the ceiling are strips of white light and gleaming silver bars, as if it came out of David Sarif's office itself.
"I'm starting to have second thoughts about coming here, it seems like it is rather expensive and we need to saving as many credits as we can." Ruby said worriedly
"Honestly it doesn't matter how expensive this place is, tonight we've earned it. More importantly You've earned it. Not only did you save my life but even more importantly you got the round winning hit. That was some seriously quick thinking. So with that said consider dinner my treat." Yang said with a cheeky grin
"Haha your treat, as in with Our money you know, in the one account we share? Listen sis, I love you and all but we can celebrate another time, together as a team. Don't forget you also saved my butt in there And took out that Trippe guy. It wasn't all me out there."
Look at her being so…mature about the situation. She's starting to grow up isn't she? Dust, I just want to hug her right now. Despite the sobering thoughts Yang refused to show her confliction and instead turned back to the menu. After flipping the page she found something that would crush any protest her younger sibling could potentially muster. "You know I did have a surprise for you here, but if you really want to leave then I guess we could…" trailing off knowing Ruby would take the bait. Her curiosity would override any self-control. It usually did.
"I mean we could maybe stay a couple more minutes. The fish are pretty and sharing is caring and since you care you should totally share that surprise with me." The look in those silver eyes of hers, like a flock of golden retriever puppies wanted a treat or to be petted. Fighting it was futile granted, she had no intention of doing so to begin with.
"Well I'm glad you two are willing to stay. I assure you the sushi here is top notch, and I'm not saying that because I work here." The Asari bartender chuckled "Sorry for the intrusion, I'm Aveena and my two coworkers are Markus, he's the one with the red tie, and Serlor. Have you ladies decided what you wanted to drink?" Aveena was exceptionally pretty, even for an Asari. Despite her skin tone sitting hard on the blue side of the color wheel there was a faint shade of purple mixed in. With purple eyes and red facial markings, 3 small triangles under her left eye and one under her right pointing down. Standing at a height of 5"11' she was on the lower end of average in height. All of this wrapped up in a well fitted suit that showed off her slender yet muscular shoulders, hourglass figure, and long legs.
Quickly realizing her jaw was hanging open Yang snapped it shut and regained her composure enough to remember her drink and order. "Not a problem at all I assure you. I'll have a Strawberry Sunrise, no ice. Oh and one of those little umbrellas." Shooting the Asari a warm smile when she finished.
"Of course miss, and what would you like?" Ruby having been completely oblivious to Yang's initial reaction to the bartender was busy trying to decide what she wanted. "Uuhh I guess I'll just have water please." "Of course miss." Aveena spun around to prepare their drinks.
"So, what's the surprise?" Yang was sitting there pretending to be debating on it. "Honestly it's not really a big deal. I can still pay for my drink and we can go if you want."
"No no no you can't do that! Tell someone you have a surprise then take it back. That's rude you know." Ruby huffed and crossed her arms, doing her best to appear annoyed. It wasn't working too well. "Wweell I was planning on surprising you with this." Sliding the menu over, second to last page Yang tapped the picture in the top left. The caption read"Pizookie: A small pizza sized cookie partially baked to a warm, gooey perfection. Topped with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge it's sure to please those even with the largest of sweet tooths."
"Oohhmmyyggoodd" Ruby practically drooled, eyes wide with desire "You know I take it back we can totally stay on the condition I get one to myself."
"Haha of course, although you're going to let your big sister have a bite right?" eyes narrowed suddenly "Mmh we'll see." Clearly pondering if it was worth sacrificing a bite of perfection.
"Sorry about the wait again ladies, here you are!" Aveena having returned with the drinks "Have you two by chance decided what you wanted to eat or did you need another minute?"
"Well apparently we know what we are doing for desert, but for dinner I think we need another minute. Do you have any recommendations?" Shooting Aveena another smile Yang leaned forward a bit showing off the low cut of her top a bit better at a not so subtle attempt at flirting. Next to her she hears a snort only to look over to see Ruby rolling her eyes apparently having noticed Yang's attempt this time around. Whether Aveena failed to pick up on it or simply ignored it she responded without indication.
"Personally my favorite is the Futomaki Roll which is shrimp, crab, whitefish powder, omelet, cucumber, gourd and pickled radish. If there is a specific type of shrimp or crab you want in the roll we can do so if we have it. A popular order here is the Spicy Corn and Crab Chowder. One of our specials this week is the Bourbon-Glazed Salmon which I've been told is really good as well. Was there something in particular you two were feeling for tonight, I can do some better recommendations for that?"
"Well I was thinking sushi already and that Foko...mati Roll thing sounds really good so I may do that. Oh, and a Pizookie please." Ruby grinned ear to ear in excitement
"Alright, one Futomaki Roll and a Pizookie. What about you, miss?"
"Please, call me Yang. And I'll try that Bourbon-Glazed Salmon you mentioned, that sounds delicious!"
"Alright Yang, will that be it for you two? Did you want a Pizookie for yourself as well or were you two going to split the one?"
"You might as well order your own because that one is all mine."
"Awe, you don't feel like sharing, sis? You wound me so. Can you believe her, Aveena?" Yang attempts at shooting the bartender a wounded look only to find her raising an eyebrow in amusement.
"Haha well based on her reaction when you showed it to her on the menu I can't say I'm surprised. And sorry, I wasn't eavesdropping you're both energetic in volume."
"You're good, and I'll just stick with the salmon and my drink for now, thanks."
"Alright, I'll put the order in and retrieve your food when it's ready. Should a plate finish before the other should I bring it to you or wait until all the food is ready and bring it at one time?"
"Hmm all at once sounds good I think." quipped Ruby "Although it would probably be best to bring the Pizookie later as I'll end up eating that first and not eating my food and that would be a waste."
"As you wish. Yang would you like another Strawberry Sunrise?" nodding to the now empty glass
"Yes please, thanks!"
"Alright, I'll go put the order in and get you another drink." And with that Aveena sauntered off, taking a pair of roaming lilac eyes with her.
"You're incorrigible I hope you know that, Yang."
"No idea what you're talking about." she laughed
"Were you even trying to…?"
"Ladies and gentlemen we have a breaking news bulletin. Just moments ago we received word that the human colony Eden Prime has just been attacked. Right now it is unknown if there are any survivors as the damage to the colony appears to be absolute. As to who or what razed this peaceful colony it is unknown at this time. This is Diana Allers with Alliance News network, stay tuned for updates on this tragedy."
Eden Prime. A beautiful, idyllic world which sits just beyond the Charon mass relay. Eden Prime was the first human colony to be settled outside of the Sol system. Having a bio system unusually well-suited to host Earth-based life colonization was a rapid and successful process. Due to the environment much of the colonized surface is used for agriculture. Founded in 2152 present population estimates range at roughly 3.7 million inhabitants.
Aveena, having walked back over as the report ended noticed the somber sad looks on their faces. "Is everything alright?" Setting the drink down she looks up at the screen and sees the emergency news bulletin banner disappear. "What was that report?"
"Eden prime, one of our first colonies beyond our solar system was attacked. Nobody is sure who is responsible but there are said to be no known survivors. How is that even possible? That's in the heart of Alliance Space…." Noting Yang's growing sense of alarm Ruby puts a hand on her sister's shoulder "At least Uncle Qrow isn't there anymore, he finished his mission last week and is back on Earth now."
"He is? Well that's good." She takes a sip of her drink and tries to relax. Ruby always has been extremely close with their uncle. After all it was Uncle Qrow that taught Ruby a great deal of what she knows, which had allowed her to advance in her schooling by two years. It's Uncle Qrow whose fighting style Ruby mirrors to an extent. So it was no wonder that she knew his whereabouts as they talked constantly. That being said that doesn't mean that Yang and her uncle weren't close, they absolutely were but Yang just considered herself more independent.
"Well an entire colony going dark like that will definitely draw the attention of the council, especially one as supposedly well protected as that one. I'm sure they will offer help and work alongside the Alliance to figure out what is going on and repair the damage. Your species may be new to the galactic community but it's obvious that you all are quick hitters and I'd put money on you guys having a seat on the council or getting a SPECTRE soon."
Putting on a smile to reassure her sister Yang quips up "Yeah, I'm sure you're right." Smiling at Aveena as she glides back and forth behind the bar making drinks and delivering them with an alluring amount of grace.
"Hey Yang, question."
"What's up?"
"Has anyone ever gone and done multiple events of the tournament? Like a team of 4 doing 2 sets of 2 for the 2v2 and/or splitting up for the 1v1 sections? If they continued to win wouldn't that lower the number of people to possibly compete against in the finals if they won multiple sections?"
"Uumm….Honestly I've never heard of anyone doing that simply because you spend so much time preparing for the matches in one event that attempting to balance another events matches would be crazy. Especially when you factor in healing time as we both well know we get beat during matches. That being said I'm pretty sure it's against the rules anyway seeing as it would effectively grant you an almost instant win in the finals if everyone was on the same team, seeing as how it wouldn't matter who wins or loses the finalists would be sharing it regardless, like you and me for example."
With the scraping of plates and the deposit of another Strawberry Sunrise dinner has arrived. "Actually to the best of my knowledge it isn't against the rules. If someone is crazy enough to attempt to do multiple events and win them then they've pretty much won the tournament anyway. At that point they would've earned whatever the final prize was and be set for a while. Are you two thinking about doing another event?"
"I wasn't but Ruby just asked about the scenario."
"Ah, ok. Well if you're interested Ruby you and Yang should check out the help desk on the 2nd level in the arena's main lobby. They could tell you for sure. If you decide to I wish you both the best of luck as you'll definitely need it. Most contestants, even highly trained ones, can't handle a single event let alone multiple so you'll have your hands full." And with a whistle and the wag of a finger Aveena sees the extremely rude patron. And with the roll of her eyes "Excuse me."
"Are you seriously considering wanting to do another event, sis?"
"Not really I was just curious….but hypothetically no one ever does it, right? If we did and survived a couple of rounds we would be able to turn a few heads. Maybe the right head turns our way, we get a sponsorship, funds, equipment which would help us greatly. Along with it notoriety, even if we fell out before the finals being crazy enough to attempt it could help us out after the tournament is completed. Sometimes being the best isn't enough, especially with how competitive it is around here. We need to stand out." The more Ruby talked the more she hyped herself up, and by extension the more excited she got. One thing Yang hated to do was ruin her little sister's excitement. Sometimes there was just an innocence about it that tugged at her heart strings, to protect it.
"Alright alright, we'll go check it out after we're done here. I'm not promising anything because this is a serious decision. We would need to sit down and figure out if we are capable of doing such a thing."
"I know I know. But how cool would it be if we won more than one event?!" Generally the term 'bouncing' is a figure of speech when describing a person who's excited and sitting down, but not Ruby whom was literally bouncing up and down and coming up to eye level with her blonder half. Smirking Yang looked back to see Aveena coming back with what appeared to be a pizza tin in each hand….
"But first, let's dig in." A grin spreading its way across Yang's face
"What are you talking about, we just finis…." And with that a Pizookie was placed in front of them both and their empty food dishes were taken away. "I hope you ladies enjoy it. I only charged you for one, the other is on the house for a match well done today." With a wink Aveena stalked off once again leaving them to their plate of delicious gooey heaven.
….
ARMAX ARSENAL ARENA. The sign glowed brightly in red, illuminating the area with an ominous yet suspenseful glow. Walking through the doorway led the duo to the main lobby. On the far left stood the double metal door to the infirmary with it stenciled in bright blue above it. Straight ahead were three paths. The leftmost one went to the east entrance of the arena, the center went to the north entrance, and the right went to the west entrance. To the right of that was a staircase to the 2nd level, which is where they wanted to go.
Heading up the staircase they pass the Armax store on their left and instead take a right. This leads them straight to the Information kiosk where a life sized Turian VI glows ready. "Welcome to the Armax Arsenal Arena Information hub. I am the Armax Arsenal Information VI. How can I help you today?"
"Hello." flashing a smile Ruby stepped forward "we had a question regarding the tournament rules."
"Of course, I would be happy to assist you. What questions did you have pertaining to the rules?"
"Well is it possible to participate in more than one event in the tournament? Like we are currently both participating in the 2v2 matches but could we pair up with someone and do 4v4 as well?"
"Presently there is no rule against participating in multiple events. Please be warned that failure of a match stipulates the end of your participation within the tournament. If you fail a match in one event you are disqualified from participating in other events as well from that point forward."
Turning to look at Ruby "so basically twice the effort for twice the chance of failure. Question is whether the payoff is worth the effort."
"Hmm…" turning back to the VI Ruby pips up "Has anyone ever participated in multiple events at the same time and won?"
"Presently there is no record of a participant or group of participants having been involved in more than one event and succeeded. There is however a short list of those who have tried. The present record is the successful completion of 3 consecutive matches in an event before failure. Presently to make it to the semi-finals you need 9."
"Well, that's inspiring." words spoken sour Ruby turns to Yang "Well there you go. Maybe it isn't such a good idea after all."
"Were you two interested in registering for another event? The only available event presently is the 4v4. I am capable of beginning the registration process from here."
"Unfortunately even if we wanted to we don't have anyone else who would be able to join us."
"That is quite alright. Presently we offer a teammate selection service. A fair percentage of 4v4 teams are chosen with this service. We take a large set of variables that you provide to match you with the best possible people. Please note that this takes some time, generally no longer than 24 hours. Once the selection is complete you will be notified via your Omni tools along with a basic dossier of all other teammates. The information in said dossier is all info you provide us during registration, we do not crawl the extranet for information as that is a invasion of digital privacy per council policy."
"Seems easy enough! And it isn't completely random, our teammates would be chosen to complement our strengths and weaknesses in the arena which would be good for us. C'mon, let's sign up."
"Now hold on Rubes. Question, if we were to register for the 4v4 event what are some things we should know going forward as a team participating in multiple events?"
"Based on previous combatant data it would be advised that you spend any free time maintaining any necessary gear, training, or sleeping. You will need your rest as you will be participating in twice as many matches. Other than that there isn't much else in terms of information that I can share with you."
"I mean we do that anyways so we are obviousl…"
"Based on present combatant data and current tournament combatant data you two have an estimated 11.256% chance of making it to the semifinals successfully."
"Oh…."
"Yeah, doesn't exactly inspire. What do you think Rubes?"
"I think we should do it anyway. It'll be a huge experience boost for us. Besides even if we don't make it to the semifinals all we have to do is beat the current record of 3 successful matches in each event. The better we do the higher the chance we get sponsored or make it to the finals, or both."
"If it helps with your decision there is currently a bounty in place by Kassa Fabrication. Any combatants that can compete in two or more events simultaneously and succeed in the finals will win a contract and a bounty amount of 500,000 credits."
Whistle "Wow that is a lot of money. Alright, why not. Let's do it. You in Ruby?"
"YEAH!"