A/N~ Let's get going with the reviews before we get to the story.
HavenofUmbar:
I get what you mean. I was also quite worried that having a scythe for Ruby's lightsaber would be a bit questionable. However, after much thought, I've decided that, yes, I want Ruby's saber to feature some small crescent blade cos personally, it suits her well. Adventurous, reckless and deadly. I know, it might out of place, but don't worry, I came up with ways to work around the reason why the scythe is implemented to her blade which shall be explained in a future chapter.
I would love to answer more for your review, but I can't reveal anything yet, so I hope you'll wait till then.
So out of all of that, thanks to HavenofUmbar for the feedback. I hope you'll enjoy the story nevertheless.
RedShirt1453:
Thanks for the likes, man! As you'll see here, I'll be fleshing out Blake in this chapter, for her story seemed to fit more of the Mandalorians than the Separatists, so let's see if I can change your mind ;)
UPDATE (17/6/2019): Changed some details regarding the origins of Blake's armour after a change in the story.
Black: The Way of the White Fang
The world of Mandalore had seen better days, conflict had left the once-lush planet decimated and almost devoid of life, turning it into a desert world and left its population to take shelter within behind domed cities decorated with cubist artwork and ceremonial dressings to display an ironic beauty in the otherwise war-torn planet.
Mandalore's past had not been a pretty one. For thousands of years, the Mandalorians were once the scourge of the galaxy. Ever since the time of their ancestors, they were bred to fight. It was their birth right. To conquer and assimilate. It was these dangerous beliefs that prompted them to unleash countless 'crusades' throughout the known galaxy, often coming to blows with the Republic and the Jedi over lesser territories.
Then, everything changed when the Mandalorians invaded the Republic full on, culminating in one of the bloodiest conflicts in the galaxy's history. It was a war that went by many names, but all can agree that the war was probably the most devastating of all the conflicts with the warrior race.
However, after much destruction and death, the Republic, with the help of the Jedi, were able to defeat the Mandalorians and liberate the galaxy, leaving Mandalore itself completely destroyed, not just in physical form, but also in pride.
Soon, after realizing the error of their ways, a split majority of Mandalorians soon decide to put their warrior pasts behind to pursue a more peaceful government. But there were many who continued to preserve their birth right as warriors. And the conflicting forces between the two did not get along well.
A civil war broke out between the peace-loving Mandalorians, who called themselves the New Mandalorians, and the aggressive insurgent forces. But with the leadership of a Duchess for the New Mandalorians, the war had ended. The violence committed on both sides had prompted the New Mandalorians to put an end to violence and call upon the people to embrace their new pacifist way of life.
The planet itself would go on to become a neutral system in the upcoming war that would burn the galaxy apart, maintaining its non-violent ideals and carry on to make life better for everyone.
However, it wasn't so easy, as not everyone was so fond of the rule of the New Mandalorians. A certain group of Mandalorians grew to despise the new regime, seeing it as a disgrace to the true nature of the Mandalorian way.
And right alongside them, another group of like-minded people would also stand with them against another power in the galaxy…
Unknown Location,
Concordia,
Mandalore System,
Another unsatisfying trip back home for Blake Belladonna, flying off in her Gauntlet fighter towards the desolate planet. Although, she would have preferred to call by its true name, a Kom'rk fighter. She was always so fond of literature that it only seemed fair to keep things as they were to its most significant or symbolic.
According to ancient Mandalorian culture, the word Kom'rk meant 'death from the skies'. And that was why she preferred that name over 'Gauntlet'. She was always fascinated with literature and history that she would be willing to maintain the significance of the more symbolic names and references. The only problem was that most of her peers didn't share her fascination for literate details. The peers she grew to know as her brothers and sisters, united under a single cause.
She flew her fighter into the surface and the stormy clouds that covered the area of her destination. An almost temperate moon, which even with all the arid ground, towering and dry rock formations and very little vegetation devoid of any greens, it looked more of a paradise than the larger desert planet it orbited around.
The Kom'rk passed over a mesa of rock towers and abandoned industrial sites left behind by centuries of post-war recovery and continued on towards a flat expansive landmass with a mountain line just over the distance.
The mountain plateau had a large crack right in the middle where a metal platform could be seen deep within the dark opening. Its huge and wide size and with it sticking out of the crack indicated that it would serve as a landing platform for any transport to dock onto.
The complex where the landing platform was connected via a built-in walkway looked rusty and broken with what little light shining being rather dim, not bright enough to light up the dark shadows of the crevice, making the building seem abandoned and unused for some time. Deactivated oil drills and tanks also indicate the building being an industrial complex.
Yet, even with the building's inactive and aged condition, Blake still flew her fighter right into the crevice and began the landing sequence on the platform. Once close enough, she put a slow stop to her engines, pushed down on the brakes and allowed her ship's wing to flip upwards to a stationary position. The fighter neared closer to the platform and opened out its landing gear, approaching the middle of the circle where she finally touched down.
Steam from the cooling system shot right out from the landing gear as the boarding ramp of the fighter dropped down from the rear. Blake walked out of the ship, choosing to keep her helmet on and hoping to conceal her disappointment from her fellow members.
She was welcomed by a group of similarly-dressed comrades at the landing platform as soon as she exited the ship. Four of them wore identical white armour similar to Blake's, but without the jetpack she used. They did wear different helmets, all of them being unique from one another.
The last of the group stood in the middle, clad with black armour and a large cape coming down his back with a red outline. He wore a helmet with two horns etched out and his visor was shaped with the two sides of the 'T' being like a pair of furious eyes. He presented the image of violence and hatred, despite his calm and slow stride.
As Blake came down, she could see the tall dark figure among the group and sighed deeply. She could not bear to speak to the man, simply because she was unsure of how to put her failure. She didn't fear the man, but she knew if she expressed any doubt to her cause, she would be met with unwelcome reception from her peers. She approached the warrior just as he stopped to look at her crossly. Blake opened up her helmet, revealing her face. She rolled her eyes at the sight of the otherwise fearsome man in front of her. As she did so, the warrior also took off his helmet, revealing himself to be the one she had been in contact with on Coruscant.
Adam Taurus.
Blake just looked at him without a word. She may had been humiliated, but the man was a great deal for her. He was something of a mentor figure and, possibly something more. At least, that was what she felt at that point.
"So… you return, my dear." he stated.
"I have." she spoke. The word 'dear' not felt like how it should be, but she took it to heart anyway. "I… failed."
"It matters not." The man said without any disappointment, causing Blake to shift her head up in surprise. "What matters is that we have an important meeting to attend to. We must have our best warriors to attend." Blake cringed her eyes, knowing what was about to come.
"So, we got some new blood?" she asked.
"Tons of them." Adam answered for her. "Come. We must not keep our guests waiting." Blake just nodded, not wanting to speak more of her mission.
"So, who do you think they'll send today to welcome the newcomers?" asked Blake, hoping to change the subject.
"My bet's on Aran. He always comes to initiate these things." Yep, there was always the typical messenger of their higher-ups on Mandalore, who they'd love to poke fun at whenever he received the bulk of threats from the newcomers who would scowl at the sight of a human in their midst. Blake, however, thought it would be someone even more important, given Adam's description of how many new recruits were attending the initiation.
"Who knows? Maybe it'll be someone else. Someone more powerful." suggested Blake. She was getting quite relieved that her conversation was getting elsewhere from her failed mission. They resumed their walk into the main building stuck into the rock walls, its large doors guarded at the sides by two more White Fang members, their arms crossed and watching out for any unwelcomed guests. When Adam and Blake arrived in between them, they bowed to greet them; one of them signalling to another guard at a watch tower to open the entrance leading into the complex.
"Like who? Their leader himself?" Adam retorted, referring to the man who brought them to where they were now. "Please. He has other concerns trying to plan his move on the other clans. Word is, he's going to bring another clan to his cause."
"Clan Wren, I assume?" asked Blake again. "I heard they were gaining some power within the government."
"And he will use that to consolidate his own power." Blake tapped her fingers to her other arm, cringing at Adam's aspiration for the organization. "I sure hope everything will change for us today." Blake nodded, agreeing to her partner's words. But for some reason, she just wasn't sure about it.
The truth was, she wasn't so sure the organization was living up to its goals. Blake was unlike any human in existence. She was in fact, a different kind of one. She was a Faunus. Described as humans with animal-like features, both by physical shape and behaviour, the Faunus had not seen the brightest days in the galaxy.
No one could really explain the existence of the Faunus, as did most other ancient mysteries. They just sort of appeared throughout the galaxy, and once they did, the rest of the galaxy's species began to fear them, as if they were nothing more than dangerous animals. And it was downright frustrating because Blake could not understand why even other aliens feared them when they were different themselves.
And once they found out that the Faunus were just common folk like them, they began to turn their anger on them, punishing them by giving them the harshest forms of treatment only a Hutt could enjoy. Hard labour, slave trades, portrayals of disgust and filth, the Faunus were the laughing stock of the galaxy during those old times.
Then, the Republic came. Laws were enacted to ensure that crimes against the Faunus would be squashed. However, as time passed on and in these times of corruption, separation and conflict, very little had been done to see through these laws.
And that's what made Blake very furious of the Republic, and a certain company in mind. It was easy to see why she agreed to locate and kill Senator Weiss Schnee back on Coruscant. Things could have been avoided, Blake thought, if it weren't for the Senator's father.
Everything the Schnee family had done to her kind, forcing them to continue becoming slaves to do the dirty work and become increasingly ridiculed by the public of Solitas. And because of their importance to the galactic market, even the Republic is unable to restrict their questionable quests for riches and power. For all of these reasons, Blake had every reason to be angry at the Corporation for belittling and destroying the good will the Faunus had. That was why she decided to make a difference…
However, she had always felt very safe that the organization would only target those who would intend on harming her kind, namely the Schnee and other low-lives like smugglers, slavers, and bounty hunters. Even the Hutts were occasional targets at some point. All of these within Mandalorian Space with the organization preying upon anyone unfortunate enough to stumble into their reach.
But even with these specific targets and more, Blake started to notice a rise in attacks upon more targets over the years. The White Fang was beginning to expand its attacks and soon, they started to break out on territories bordering with Mandalorian Space.
What made her more fearful was the fact that the organization had also begun to increase its violence factor upon their victims. First, it used to be silent and quick assassinations or simple sabotages on supply convoys or structures of importance. Now, the killings committed were now more widespread, done with more open strikes and attacks, disregarding public attention.
These actions made Blake very worried. If the White Fang continued to grow to become more radical, then the Republic would be sure to react with force. They had already been labelled as a hostile threat by the Republic and that made the discrimination against the Faunus all the worse. She was unsure of what to make of the rising violence within her organization, questioning its role in helping the Faunus achieve the rights they deserved.
This wasn't looking like a fight for equality, but rather an all-out act of terrorism. She hoped that the organization would slow down its advances, but with their numbers rising, especially in today's case, she knew it was going to take quite a long while for the White Fang to fall back.
She carried on into the building, following her superior with more White Fang members following behind. The messy hallway, filled with pipes along the ceiling and generators deactivated, showed more of the building's dead state for so long. Only now, it's being occupied by more White Fang members all dressed in white battle armour and some wearing their own helmets as well.
Blake saw in front of her a huge crowd of younger individuals who were not wearing any of the battle armour the other members did. Instead, they all wore different clothing; some casual, most others shabby and dirty. Blake could had sworn she saw a few dressed in fancy attires, something out of place in an otherwise shady and abandoned location. Still, the line looked huge; Blake estimating it at around fifty or more. And from the looks of everyone, they all had a certain animal feature each; narglatch tail, kaadu bill, rancor skin; she could name it all. This was indeed a large gathering of Faunus huddled up into the wide open room ahead.
Everyone in the crowd wore a piece of white eyewear that stretched across the face like a blindfold, but had a thin black visor to give them their sight. This was to determine their status as new recruits ready to begin their first day at the White Fang. There was no telling where these freshmen came from, but one thing was certain. When the White Fang started spreading the word of their cause, these were among thousands who joined their ranks.
Everyone, including Blake and Adam followed the crowd into the large meeting hall, which was once a lobby area completely transformed with a stage at the opposite end of the room and White Fang symbols and flags all around.
On top of the stage, a tall White Fang sergeant, identified by the more vibrant markings on his helmet, overlooked the crowd as they were herded in front of them. Blake and Adam moved to one side of the room as did the other official members who took it to all other sides of the room, leaving the gathering of recruits in the middle. The sergeant came forward to deliver a welcoming speech to a glorious fight for glory and freedom.
"Fellow brothers and sisters of the White Fang!" "It is with great honour and dignity that I welcome, today, the one who would promise us true victory and freedom over the pestilence of those who oppose our kind!"
Said guest came from behind the sergeant as he shifted to the side to reveal the figure coming forward. The warrior wore the same armour as the White Fang soldiers, only with a long-sleeved combat sweater underneath the armour. The body was curvy and slim, suggesting a female character in the room.
Once the helmet was taken off, all eyes among the recruits were widened in shock when they found out that the visitor was nothing like them at all. She was a human. A young woman with short combed red hair and kept neat with a silver hairband. She greeted the audience with a silent grin to show them her satisfaction of their attendance.
Unfortunately, the presence of this human was not so welcomed by the new recruits who had been appalled by her appearance, baffled that a human could just enter their premises and smug about it.
"What the-?!" one of the recruits yelled.
"What is a human doing here?!" another added.
"Why are we welcoming her? She is one of them!" Soon, it became a riot as the whole room was blasted with the noisy cries of unhappy White Fang hopefuls; all jeering at the sight of their despised enemy. However, the more experienced White Fang all just stared at them with amusement, knowing that they would all get the picture soon enough.
And they would right now…
BWUIM!
The woman fired up a warning shot to the ceiling with her blaster pistol. The loud booming noise within the echoing room sent a soundwave loud enough to silence the whole crowd, who most reeled back from the shock while others just straight up shut their mouths.
The warrior looked around the frightened crowd for any more signs of protest or even disapproval, in case anyone had anything else to say about her presence.
"Any further objections?" She warned everyone as she scanned for a while to find that everyone was finally forced enough to pay attention. She then withdrew her weapon away into her holster before she began her speech.
"I come in peace. I am not the type of person you think I am because not all 'humans' or any other being in the galaxy hate you." She looked all around, still seeing the doubtful expressions in their faces. "We are more in common than you think. Allow me to introduce myself."
Blake spectated the charm and passion of this warrior as she instilled her might over the audience. Deep inside, she didn't really like where this was going, seeing that this was going to be another session of war-mongering glorification.
"I am Bo-Katan. I am part of the brotherhood of warriors who brought you here to fight for the freedom of your people. If you really don't believe me, then you are free to leave." "Then again, we all know what happens to disgruntled deserters here in the White Fang, do we not?"
After her 'generous' offer, no one seemed to bother defying her word. They were simply letting the fact that even thinking about running away from the place could be their last thought, seep into their fearful minds. They said nothing, which was all Bo-Katan needed to carry on.
"Let me remind that we are here in good faith. We are the liberators who shall help you punish those who sought to use you as slaves. Servants." Before she finished with her sentence, she took a brief second to let the emotion wait for the right moment to be expressed to her spectators.
"Cannon fodder." She finally said with pure disdain. At this point, her words managed to catch the people's attention, sync with their own hatred of a huge majority of other galactic beings who made them trash. "Which is why we welcome you today. In open arms. To this circle of brethren who shall exact our revenge against your oppressors and give you what even the Republic couldn't."
Soon, her rousing speech began to pick up momentum. The young and advocate followers, one by one, were now slowly understanding this human, who actually understood their plight and their hatred for the many species in the galaxy for putting them in such a light.
"They were supposed to bring an end to your unfortunate sufferings, but they had failed. For far too long, you had continued to go through torment after torment, living a life of unforgiving negligence and ungrateful brutality."
And now, the crowd was roaring with anger and frustration, hate for the Republic and all of non-Faunus kind fuelling their cries as they cheered on for this human to press on to what they would do to get back at the galaxy.
"I assure you that my brotherhood stands with you. We have our goals aligned. Once we end the Republic and take what is rightfully ours, we shall provide you with the glory you so deserve!"
Everyone's cheers became louder and louder, bellowing their war cries as they applauded for Bo-Katan's power over them. All except Blake. This is what she feared the most. Now, the White Fang was now going from bad to worse. The attacks would now be more violent, the threat imposed becoming larger. It seemed now that nothing could stop them from reaching out to commit more of the atrocities she dreaded to even think about.
She could only look to the one partner and mentor she held in high regard. Surely, even with his own reason to distrust the galaxy, he must have had some kind of empathy for the falling image of the White Fang, she hoped. Adam had the power and will over the organization. He would have to stop this, or all of Faunus kind would forever be tarnished.
"You may not like it now, but soon enough, you will learn to understand that you are not just part of the White Fang. You are part of something greater. Something that shall bring us to the heights of true power!"
And with the loudest cheers the crowd could give, Bo-Katan put on her helmet. Then, behind her, four more of her fellow brothers joined in, taking their places at her side to show the whole room where their place stood and their goals fully assured. Blake huffed out in despair, knowing that this would be the moment she hoped would never come.
"Welcome… to Death Watch! And we are going to finally have our way against our enemies!"
Blake was now standing at a catwalk, alone. She leaned her arms over the catwalk, watching the commotion that was going on below. She silently observed from above the hurrying and messy assembly of the recruits as they were herded into a few large transports to be delivered to the main base where they would be trained by some of Death Watch's fiercest trainers.
Blake grew very unsure about what the future beheld for these young individuals. She wasn't even sure if many of them would even survive the harsh training and even more so, the acts of violence they would commit against their enemies.
Was this really what the White Fang hoped to achieve? To spread terror to the Republic and provoke more discrimination to the Faunus? If you asked her, Blake thought that the organization would prove to be no better than the forces against her kind. It was bad enough that Mandalore was attempting to hunt them down, but now it seemed the Republic could end up being a bigger problem.
She had to find a way to convince them to cease their aggressive ways and go back to the way it was, where Faunus were fighting for actual equality than delusional dominance.
She heard the faint footsteps coming from behind her. She turned around and saw Adam approaching her. She always knew that Adam, being an assassin and all, had to walk silently at any costs. Thanks to her heightened sense of hearing though, she could already tell his exact position. A trait most Faunus like her had grown to value in battle.
"You seemed troubled, my dear." Adam calmly told her, noticing the worried look on her face. However, even with the kind gesture, Blake refused to utter a word. Adam moved to hold her chin gently, coaxing the girl to feel heartened by his caring touch. "What's bothering you?"
Even then, there was nothing she could say to him. There was just too much in her mind to speak out to him. She worried that if she told him of what she was concerned about, and what she wanted him to do, he might feel threatened of her opposition. How would he take it? Would he be furious? She hated the thought of upsetting him to the point of betrayal.
"Come on. You can tell me." His voice was just too tempting for her. She knew Adam was an understanding man, despite his deadly abilities. He was the one who took her in when her own family hadn't. She was always grateful to Adam for helping her and she would be loyal to him during her missions. And in return, he would respect her for being a devoted partner.
Perhaps she could trust him to listen to her. Maybe he would trust her to be honest.
"I'm not sure if this is what we were supposed to be doing." She finally confided. "Sure, attack slave traders and corrupt officials at our own borders. But attacking the Republic?" She then fell silent, unsure if she should continue. Taking in more courage, she finished her sentence. "Adam, I'm just worried for what we really stand for now. Everyone would think of us as lower than we are now."
Adam looked away from Blake. The feline assassin was now sure that she had struck a nerve at this point. She lowered her head in shame, hoping that she had not offended her partner too much.
"Blake." Then, Adam muttered to her. Blake squinted her eyes as if she was ready for a full-on scolding from the White Fang leader. Instead, the warrior came to her with full understanding. "I know you feel pressured about all of this, but if we let our enemies continue to harass our kind, things will only get worse for us." He then stretched his arms to grab her shoulders to help her listen further. "If the Republic can't help us, then we have to take actions to ourselves."
"So, you're not going to do anything to stop our aggression?" she asked.
"I'll do what I can to make sure we don't go too far, but I'm not promising anything." answered Adam reluctantly.
It was not the answer Blake wanted to hear, but at least it was something she could try to comprehend. Maybe the White Fang wouldn't change so quickly, but she could take comfort in knowing that they would find a way to slowly go back to the way it was supposed to be. No more killing. No more sabotage. It was going to be the old peaceful approach through negotiations and protests to give the Faunus a voice rather than a crosshair to the head.
With Blake barely content, Adam finally left the area to continue with his business, leaving his partner behind to ponder on. Before he could leave, he turned around to give Blake one more set of words.
"I assure you, Blake. We will have our cause fulfilled. The Faunus shall no longer be threatened nor ruled over. We shall have our place in the galaxy." Finally, Adam had finally decided to move on, disappearing from Blake's sight and earshot.
The White Fang huntress stood on, going back to watching the young newbies being loaded to the last transport to the headquarters of Death Watch. Even with the belief that Adam could help lower the damage done to their enemies, Blake had to wonder if it would be enough to keep the White Fang on a safe level of danger from the Republic or any major organization.
DAYS LATER
Blake remained on their hideout in Concordia after some time mainly to scout the area for any trespassers or spies who could be locking into their position. So far for the past few months, there hadn't been any intruders for miles around. Concordia's abandoned mines were good as done for all the galaxy knew.
After her recent patrol, she just resorted to staying back at base to polish up her weapons and then, as always, take out a good book or two to indulge herself in. The ones she read definitely inspired her.
Vode An and Love and Rakghouls: Curse of the Murr Talisman.
But right now, she was just strolling around the landing pad, just outside the Starfighter she had just used to hunt down the Senator of Solitas. Her arms crossed and right fingers tapping on her left shoulder, she let time pass while waiting for news of Adam's return from yet another raid. She sincerely hoped that Adam had agreed to soften his assaults in Mandalorian Space to avoid Republic involvement.
Though, she wouldn't mind him plucking a few hairs or more out of a member of the Schnee Mining Corporation. No one could blame Blake for hating the Schnees. After all, if there was anyone who would take great satisfaction from ruining the lives of the Faunus, the Schnee family was definitely the worst.
Ever since the company's founding almost after the Mandalorian defeat at the hands of the Jedi, the Schnees had seized the opportunity to take in her ancestors as slaves to carry out their mining operations. The treatment was beyond excruciating and painful that even the most devoted Faunus slave was nothing but a piece of trash. It was that very cruelty that sparked Faunus aggression to perform acts of revolt and resistance. There was even a small skirmish between Solitas and Faunus workers in a small moon where the company was mining some rare minerals from. The workers won and the Republic began to intervene, but the influence of the mining company seemed too powerful to give the conflict any significant impact.
Needless to say, no one was being much a help. That all changed when the White Fang came. For once, Blake began to feel that the formation of a Faunus rights movement would be the very thing the Faunus could have to make their voices heard, restoring hope for her kind across the galaxy. Unfortunately, even the promise of political influence was being downplayed by the growing crisis involving systems leaving the Republic and the eventual declaration of war by the Senate.
With no other option, the White Fang began to become even more desperate for breaking out of their discrimination and started to result to more violent and destructive methods to realize their goals. However, Blake wasn't so convinced. Even as a child, she had become involved in the White Fang's plans for Faunus rights. But soon, she became inspired by one such individual who began to have much power over the organization.
Adam was indeed a powerful warrior, so it seemed natural that he was chosen to lead the White Fang. Blake simply grew to love his charm and charisma over the masses, and was even more grateful for guiding her through the path of the Fang.
Time went by, though, and Blake was not liking the direction the organization was taking. She really wanted Adam to make a difference and help the White Fang become more aligned to what it once was. She tolerated the attacks on their enemies within Mandalorian Space, so she didn't need anything else beyond that.
Unfortunately, Death Watch came. A group of exiled Mandalorians who wished to seek revenge against the current rulers of their home planet who they viewed as a disgrace to their warrior culture. In some way, both the White Fang and Death Watch had goals aligned. Death Watch wanted to dispose of Mandalore's government and restore their past, while the White Fang considered Mandalore as one of its hostile locations after many cases of prejudicial crimes were committed there.
After many years, it was the perfect chance for both parties to ally with one another. And Blake's fears grew from that point on. But she was glad that the White Fang had some goals that helped it differentiate itself from the Mandalorian warriors, and she preferred to keep it that way. Once Mandalore would be taken by Death Watch, the White Fang would proceed to get the equal rights they would need. That was all she could ask for.
So, while Adam was out on his mission, Blake could do nothing but wait. She would probably try to call a friend of hers who was stationed on another secret base in Concord Dawn. Alas, she just stood idly, waiting for something to happen that would require her attention. She even thought about talking to Adam about what she could for him in the future.
Perhaps… maybe… Confess?
Her thoughts were snapped out as she then heard the whirring sounds in the air. She looked to see that Adam's transport had returned from their mission. The large transport landed down on another landing platform on the opposite side of Blake's ship's own.
She walked over the platform to witness the departure of her partner and more of her fellow members from the ship. Then, she noticed some extra guests behind her comrades.
Behind Adam in two straight lines, there were men dressed in armour and also wearing metal helmets, but with square goggles. They all had their hands tied behind their backs, hunched down with their heads facing the ground. Blake recognized the plain grey colourings and the design of their armours. They were soldiers of Mandalore. The Mandalore the White Fang had been trained to fight. The Mandalore that became a prime obstacle in their activities ever since Death Watch allied themselves with the organization.
This was something Blake had never seen before. Usually, if Adam would take prisoners, he'd sent them to Concord Dawn or any other White Fang base in the system. Bringing them here in their main and most important base was something uncommon.
Blake felt like ignoring the roundup of the prisoners. Usually, prisoners would be used as ransom to be traded for useful goods that might help the White Fang earn some credits to fund their campaigns. Mandalorian officials seemed to be the favourite as prisoner exchanges often proved quite fruitful.
However, the cat in her couldn't help but feel tempted to find out what was going on. She would like to know what the price would be this time and get a good look at how the negotiations would go by.
More importantly, though was the urge to ask Adam whether how he had carried out this mission and captured the prisoners, as well as the aftermath of their strike. So after wasting almost half an hour of waiting, she decided to take a trip down to meet Adam and see where this event was heading.
She got off from the landing platform and walked into the building to meet up with Adam and watch the deals being made.
Blake through the complex towards the landing platform where the prisoners were being loaded off into the base, finding the room where they had gone from the platform itself. Throughout the rusty and dusty mining building, she could hear some silent grunts coming from a room of the base near the transport's landing platform.
Once she reached the room where Adam was inspecting his catches of the day, Blake couldn't help but peek over the wall and watch on from behind. She saw Adam, walking around the line of prisoners now forced to kneel with their hands still tied to their backs. As he stepped around, he was constantly fixing his head onto every single one of their faces. Blake could see them riddled with fear as they couldn't look up at him. Behind the prisoners, there were a few White Fang members standing guard facing the prisoners' backs. Blake knew this was one of Adam's policies where he would give the prisoners a very intimidating reminder of escape or any other intention of retaliation.
Despite the hostile standoff, Blake had nothing to worry about. She knew deep down that he wouldn't straight up kill them. Even if the White Fang were allied to Death Watch, who had made the current Mandalorian government an enemy, the White Fang were not above murderous towards potential prisoners, only resulting to killing when they attempted to strike first. So, Blake continued to hide there, not wanting to disturb Adam, while at the same time, looking on.
"You dared to trespass into White Fang territory." Adam spoke fiercely to the hostages with a voice that sent shivers down their spines. "And then, what did you do next? You killed more of our brethren. How many more Faunus lives must we lose to make you listen?!"
Blake furrowed her brows in anger when Adam yelled about the lives lost in his previous encounter with these Mandalorian soldiers. None of them had the courage to even whimper. Adam's terrifying gaze kept them silent and horrified of a swift death. However, one of them did have the guts to speak up to his captor with loyalty for his ruler.
"You were the ones intruding in Mandalorian Space." he defied with no fear. "This entire system is under the protection of her Royal Highness, Duchess Satine of Mandalore. We have been given orders to engage the White Fang with force."
That defiance was only met with a hard smack to the back of his head by one of the White Fang members who angrily bashed the soldier with the butt of his rifle.
"You dare mock our order?!" he screamed at the hit soldier, frightening the other soldiers. He was about to do some more damage to him, but he was stopped by the cold hand of Adam Taurus prompting him to stop.
"That's enough, men." he calmly ordered his underling. Finally, once the attention was back at him, Adam bent down to the same soldier and stared at him. "I will show you what happens to our enemies now."
Blake could definitely hear what Adam said. She was expecting Adam to be given a nice lesson of pain and torture that usually involved a slash of the sword to his face. Nothing lethal, but it would put the victim in such agony that he would learn to be silenced.
So, Adam pulled out his vibrosword from his holster and proceeded to aim for the soldier. Just one slash at the mouth would silence the arrogant soldier for good.
SHINK!
Adam slashed the prisoner… at the neck.
Blake gasped, witnessing the shock of her entire life. Blood was slowly coming out of the cut as the body then slumped forward as a lifeless husk. Adam just standing there, feeling no remorse for his action. With the nod of his head, the rest of the White Fang members too complied. They raised their rifles, aimed them at the rest of the prisoners…
And fired…
All prisoners were now dead. Executed in cold blood.
Blake could not believe what had happened. Sheer fear and betrayal fuelled inside, wishing that all she was seeing was nothing more than a dream or hallucination. No matter how much she wanted to snap out of it, she was still going back to the same scene. It was all too real.
The White Fang had gone down the road to ruin from the moment they began to become a more dangerous threat, and now she was seeing the full extent of the terror they were willing to spread. They had killed without even showing mercy towards their captives. It was the final piece of the puzzle of knowing what the White Fang's true intentions were.
Adam even showed no pity for the fallen bodies of the executed, putting away his sword and looking at his guards to clean up the mess.
"Get rid of this trash." Blake shivered tensely upon hearing the coldness in his voice. No, not the tone that brought humour and suave. This one came as pure sinister-like, evil and coarse, filled with hatred. It was like nothing Blake had ever felt before in him. She didn't know what to do with him now that she had seen his true colours.
She was so blur and numb inside that she did not realize that she could be well seen at the entrance by none other than the cold-blooded killer who had just revealed himself to her.
"Blake?" Adam was just in front of Blake while she was being traumatized by that sudden act of murder he and her fellow members had done. When she did hear his voice, she stared at him with disbelief. He was coming at her with the same friendly stride looking to comfort her from whatever was bothering her. Unfortunately, there was no fooling Blake, for she was now looking at the face of a killer.
"Adam…" Blake stuttered, riddled with fear. The feeling almost stunned her again, forcing her to not speak to him. Adam's worried expression in turn became even chillier, knowing what Blake was going through. He didn't like the look on her face, wanting to make sure she knows her place, as opposed to his apparent kindness prior to the current events.
"Why, Adam?" Finally, Blake had broken out of her frozen state. What took over was just as unlikely as her frightened feelings. Something boiling within that pushed her to the breaking point. She was so betrayed, so riled up. She wanted to let it all out in a fit of fiery emotions, almost even wanting to lash out and vent out her frustration and confusion at Adam.
Rage… Rage was all that she had inside of her.
"Why did you kill them?!" Her shrill yell echoed through the complex, surely to catch the attention of everyone inside. Even Adam was shocked by the sudden outburst of anger on him. However, he was prepared for the moment she would see him for who he really was and he was about to teach her a thing or two about his true mission. To see that Faunus-kind would see the day where they would get their revenge on the galaxy. He shook his head with a firm belief that what he was doing was the rightful path he would take.
"It was the only way." he coldly said to her, fully cementing his dark image to her. The feline assassin grew even more hurt. She couldn't believe her eyes and now she had to hear for herself the cruelty of Adam's terror.
"What?" She was now beyond bewildered, realizing that this was no longer the Adam she knew. The Adam she actually… loved. The man she admired all this time was now a man she learned to fear. "But Adam…" When she tried to reason with him, she was only caught off by a loud yell from Adam, angered by her reluctant stand against him.
"The only way for us to achieve our rightful place is to become one with Death Watch!" Adam's powerful shout made Blake even more scared. All the anger was blown at her like a violent hurricane pressing inside her body.
"But… you said we…" She tried to remain strong and she went with another powerful argument back at Adam. "But what about the Faunus? What would they be now that you've decided to commit terrorism on the Republic?! You are making us nothing more than violent barbarians!" Even as Blake yelled back, Adam was ready to give her the most straightforward and angriest response to her undermining of his cause.
"You really think trying to fight for some rights is going to solve our plight? Do you expect our voices alone to be enough to convince the galaxy of our right to be here? That only through peace can there be victory?!" He turned around, remembering the one time the White Fang attempted to talk their way to settle matters. "The last time we tried, it ended up letting that damn Schnee company destroy an entire colony on Gargon! So, think about it now, Blake! Whenever we do try, someone always gets back at us. Ten-fold!"
The more rage Adam expressed, the more intimidated Blake was. At this point, she was starting to see the Adam she loved fade away, consumed by a new form of evil who had no mercy in his heart. She was listening to a demon out to destroy and maim the galaxy. Adam had become a monster in her eyes.
"We have to step in or we will remain the scum of the galaxy for good. We must show the galaxy what happens when they toy with us. We will destroy all who oppose us, and let our name be known as the very last thing they see before we get our revenge!"
After his last sentence, silence filled the room. Blake was unable to even utter a word. She had heard it all come out of Adam, but she couldn't find the words to show how much she felt about him now. She hoped that she would never had to see this, but the White Fang was about to desecrate the name of the Faunus for the worse.
Still frightened by Adam's rage and the fate of the White Fang and all for Faunus kind, Blake didn't try to say anything. She wanted to run, get out of this mess of things and never return to leave behind the betrayal and sins that her own comrades were about to commit. Unfortunately, when she was about to make the run for it, Adam realized her steps, watching her creeping backwards while still facing him. He saw this as a sign of cowardice and ultimate betrayal. A White Fang member running away from the cause was considered unacceptable in his eyes.
"Blake." he called out to her, trying to stop her from making a foolish mistake. "Don't you run away." His cries became even more sadistic, demanding Blake to remain in place, or she would suffer the consequences. "Don't tell me you're thinking about running away!"
Blake didn't even want to know what Adam would do to her if she continued to become disobedient. Adam's commanding cry was still petrifying to her. Part of her refused to object him, but at the most part, she was very much afraid of him, desiring to rid herself of him. She spun around to look away from his enraged look and flee from his sight. However, if she did anything, she had the idea that Adam would stop her by any means. Whatever he would do, she didn't want to go through with the punishment.
It came down to a choice. It was either run… Or fight…
"I'm sorry, Adam." After hesitating for a brief second, she made her choice. "But this is not me." She bent down, as if looking to run away, but instead of running away, she did just the opposite. She ran… Forward; towards Adam. "NEVER!"
She leapt forward with her blade drawn and heading straight for her former mentor and love interest. Adam was bewildered by the surprise attack and quickly drew his own long red sword to defend himself. Within a split second, he managed to stop the black sword from slicing him. The two were now locked in a flustering clash, each side pushing against the other.
Adam stared at Blake's face as he blocked her attempt. He could see the anger now in full force. Her irises were thinned like a beast lusting for food. Her teeth were gritted and he could make out the jaws pushing against each other, showing even more of her ferocity. The strength she was forcing on him was almost too much for him to bear. Her aggravation was beyond anything he had ever felt in her, even a Schnee wouldn't compel her to lash out.
But Adam didn't falter. Rather, he enjoyed Blake's flustered rage, energized by her anger and her will to fight. She was truly embracing the spirit of a White Fang member for she was going to go all out and defeat him. Blake had to defeat Adam if she wanted to find a way to restore order and bring the White Fang back to what it originally fought for. If this was what she wanted, then Adam would let her have her chance, but he believed it would end with her ultimate punishment.
Blake poured in all her strength before pushing herself away from the lock between blades, flipping backwards and landing gracefully while Adam spun back once before facing his now ex-partner in a duel to decide whose cause was going to prevail. The rest of the White Fang members present just stood there, choosing not to interfere in a power struggle between two of their most prominent leaders, though some of them secretly wished Adam would win due to their shared ideals.
Blake ran first, dashing at Adam with her blade aiming right for him. She immediately swung her blade once in range, which the leader easily blocked the attack. Blake followed up with another swing to the other side and Adam also parried the strike with an easy swing of his own. She did another slash, batting it from the right in a heavy swing. This time, it was a little more successful than her previous attacks, being strong enough to knock Adam off balance as he moved his sword to defend. He spun back weakly from the force of the blow with his back against her.
Blake saw her chance while Adam's defence was broken. She drew hew blaster out and fired at him, letting loose a trio of energy bolts in a line. Within a split second however, Adam saw the blaster fire heading for him. For the first two shots, he shifted here and there, dodging the shots with extreme speed. The third shot he saw, he was able to regain balance and used his sword to reflect the shot.
Blake cursed mentally inside, her opportunity wasted by Adam's sudden agility. The man took his turn and raised his arm straight towards her, revealing a steel gauntlet with a small cannon attached. He fired a couple of little metal shuriken stars, spinning for her head and threatening to bore through her flesh. She ducked down fast enough to avoid being struck by the fast stars only to have strands of her hair sliced off by the incoming projectiles. Blake then wasted no more time and fired her blaster with more anger in her grip. Adam blocked more shots and flipped to the side to gain a new angle on her. Once Blake finished shooting, he immediately raced for her and swung his weapon.
They engaged in another brewing sword fight, though it was Adam who had more of the offensive. He kept up the attacks, lashing out on Blake strike after strike, forcing Blake back step by step while she defended herself. Blake had a harder time blocking his attacks, with the warrior's sword slashes being just as fast as hers, but were even heavier. After two or more strikes, she had to move away after being thrown off by his stronger slashes. After a few slashes, Adam delivered a hard kick to her stomach, causing her to flip away from the clash of blades.
Knowing she won't do much good on the ground, Blake activated her jetpack and hovered over the room in a loud burst. Adam looked over him, waiting for Blake to make the next move on him from above. Blake shifted her body to the right, strafing sideways while aiming her blaster at Adam. She fired her weapon at his head, anticipating a height advantage would secure a good shot at him. Alas, even while flying, Adam showed that he didn't need a jetpack of his own, deflecting each shot effortlessly.
Blake groaned at the apparent failure of her fly-by attacks. The jetpack was a gift from Death Watch she didn't hesitate to accept because it would serve as a great advantage over most of her foes. Due of the loud booming sounds of the rocket boosters ruining her stealthy approaches, she would only use it for open conflicts such as this, where she would come out on top over anyone she fought. This time, however, her opponent was still proficient in his defence like a Jedi wielding a lightsaber.
She then stopped firing her weapon after failing to do any damage, pushing herself all the way towards Adam and swung her blade with a heavy swing at him from the air. The force of her strike would be enough to knock him off his feet or brush away his sword from his grip. With one full burst of speed, she crashed her sword onto his own. Adam felt the blasting force acting upon him, dragging him back as he pushed himself to the limit as well. In the end, it was yet another equal clash of forces. The next second, Blake pushed upwards and front flipped over Adam to try and strike him from behind. Once again, Adam spun around and blocked her attack before doing another round of sword strikes against her.
For the next few minutes, they glided around the room with swords swinging at each other like a dance of death with the climax ending in someone's brutal execution. They slashed and clashed on and on, both putting up an equal amount of skill, grace and precision with both attack and defence.
Then, everything came to a head when Adam decided to break her off. After separating himself from her attacks, he grabbed his wrist gauntlet and once again aimed it at Blake. While Blake was expecting another few shuriken from the launcher, she was suddenly cut off as a burst of flames was fired out instead. A deadly flamethrower towards her face forced her to bend her body down and avoid the stream of fire, letting the heat sear her back. Blake had her head down when she ducked down, unable to see Adam prepare for his eventual strike on Blake. When she rose, it was too late to respond… Adam used his blaster and shot her at the chest, sending her thrown to the ground.
The blast mark she sustained was only able to burn her, having protected by the beskar-clad armour covering her body, but Adam's blaster was always known to be very powerful, enough to break through most metals. With enough firepower to at least burn through Blake's armour, it was still enough to injure her. She held the wound, pressing her hand roughly on it to relieve the stinging pain. As she was doing that, Adam was already running towards her with his sword ready to slice through her. She hurriedly thrust her sword to her front in a desperate attempt to shield herself. The sword hit her blade, but with her injury weakening her, she had to use her left hand to hold up her weapon. While she had to use both hands to push against Adam's blade, the injury on her chest was still hurting her as the itching need to massage the pain was making her left hand twitch, wanting to hold the chest wound.
Adam gave one cold smirk before he used his right leg to swipe off the sword of her hand while she was distracted by her wound. Then, to add up to her injury, he gave one swift kick to the chest. She felt the pain pierce through her as Adam's foot thrust her off her balance, with Blake then falling on her back on the floor.
As she laid on the floor, Blake was now even more hurt by the kick. Her whole body was now encumbered by the pain spread out after the hit to the wound. All she could do was strain her muscles to reduce the pain and squirm about while she was still grounded on the floor. Adam scoffed at the pitiful sight of the fallen assassin while the rest of the White Fang members watched on in disappointment, mentally ridiculing Blake for her wasted attempt at usurping Adam's leadership. Without wasting time, Adam walked over to Blake with his sword pointing at her. Now, it was time to finish her off. It was now customary tradition to execute his defeated enemy, following the code of the White Fang. Blake was a threat to him and he wouldn't mind getting rid of her if it meant keeping his power in check.
Blake could faintly see the blade directed at her face, too hurt to do anything to stop him. Adam was loyal to his culture and he would see to it that all traditions are followed, including the honorary death of a defeated champion in battle. Some part of her knew that this was to be the end. She would have to die honourably and let the chips fall as they may without her. The fate of the Faunus had been sealed. She closed her eyes, seemingly accepting her fate at the hands of the man she once loved.
Adam moved for the kill and swung his sword down to kill the fallen warrior. He felt no remorse as he was about to execute his most loyal follower. But other than the necessity to follow the code, he felt that removing her would only be the start of a proper rise to power against the galaxy. He wouldn't care less about what happened to her, or anyone at the matter. As long as the White Fang rose to prominence, he was content with his victory.
His blade was only inches away from cutting into her body. However, as soon as he was about to finally end it, he felt the sword slam onto the hard metal surface that was the floor. He was stunned to find that he had missed his opponent, who had suddenly rolled out of the way and saved herself from a quick death.
Once she was safe from her brush with death, she took out the blaster still within her holster and fired her weapon on Adam's leg. The shot hit the exposed leg of the warrior, causing him to throw his weapon up in the air and drop down on the ground in pain to grasp the wound. While still hurting, he looked up to see that Blake was now standing right above him, both of the swords now crossed at his neck. He found himself in between two killer blades almost inches to his exposed skin. It all looked to be over so suddenly. He had not anticipated such a twist in the duel and he was now forced to accept his fall at the hands of a disgraced warrior. There was only one way he could keep his reputation at this moment.
Forgetting the pain on his foot, he knelt down in a defeated position, hands on his knees as he had his head down. Blake just stared at the crushed warrior, intent on ending the fight once and for all.
"Go ahead, my dear." called Adam. "Do it." Blake looked at the sorry sight once more and moved her swords to finish him off once and for all, take the chance of guiding the White Fang in a new direction for the better. But when she looked at Adam down on the ground, she wondered to herself if this was what had to be done.
Was this the way to gain power and help influence her comrades to take the right path? To kill off Adam and follow the code he had placed so prominently in the organization? Wouldn't that make her a hypocrite? Or was it… Something else? Was she still reluctant to kill him because of her own feelings? She wished that he would have some sense in him, and she didn't want to end him if he ever did have some good in him?
So, it was decided. She was going to forget about going on the path of the White Fang. She was not going to be the same monster Adam had become. Thus, refusing to kill, she tossed his sword away and let the battle end in his humiliating defeat, so that he may live to regret his actions and change the way she wanted.
She turned around and walked away with a heavy heart. She hated to leave him at this state, but it was for the best and she hoped that things would get better for the organization without her. She would have to forge a new path. It was too late for her to change things, and now, she wanted to do nothing with their downfall. Perhaps, maybe fighting for Faunus kind was not the path she was meant for.
If that was the case, then what good was she to the galaxy? She had left behind the one family she knew and ended up with a band of terrorists seeking revenge and violence against the Republic, doing all the things she secretly dreaded, despite doing so on her enemies. Just what could she even do to make things better?
Nothing. That was all she could think of. She was no longer one with the White Fang. She was just Blake.
After throwing away Adam's sword and her loyalty to the horrid cause she committed herself into, she began to walk away, not looking back. A lone tear was seen, slowly coming down as she repented all that she had done. She lost her real family, and now, she had lost the comrades who took her in.
She heard silent footsteps behind her, suggesting that Adam had finally rose back up after Blake sparred his life. Adam looked on in disbelief, watching his former partner walk away without honouring the code of the White Fang. He could not stand for the disgrace she was presenting, and he could not bear to let the shameful defeat at the hands of this sorry excuse of a warrior go to pass. He looked to his men, who were also shocked to see their leader befallen by Blake. He gave them one order… One to deal with traitors like Blake.
"Blast her!"
Blake was flabbergasted to hear Adam give out the order. She was sure that Adam would just let her go after such a powerful loss. Yet, there seemed to be no heart for defeat for the man. He was still going to follow what he believed was the righteous path, in which he saw the loss as nothing more than a sham; unfit for a true warrior of the White Fang. She was a traitor who knew no honour in her fights and she was going to end up the same way as all other traitors. Dead and thrown away like thrash.
The soldiers all complied while they still had loyalty with Adam, fearing for their lives if they were to object to his word or even delay his command. Immediately, blasters were aimed towards the woman they would have thought was the most loyal to their leader. Blake could not believe what she was seeing, but she knew she had to run.
The soldiers all made their move and fired their weapons at Blake, shooting out yellow bolts of lasers for her. The ex-White Fang member rolled out of the way before they could hit her, letting them all hit the wall behind her. They continued to fire away, making Blake jump, roll and dodge all over the place. Adam soon joined in and fired his own weapon at her, adding the difficulty for her.
Blake had to find a way to escape the place before she would run out of energy and eventually lose the fight to live. She couldn't run off to the corridors for she knew Adam would alert the rest of the base and inform them of her betrayal. So, she looked around for the fastest way out. She found her exit in the form of an overhead window on the domed ceiling. That was her only ticket out of hell.
She locked on to the window and fired up her jetpack, using all of her strength and luck to attempt the escape. Once she boosted up in the air, the blaster fire still went for her from all directions. She kept on flying towards her window of opportunity, just flying straight towards the hole praying that she would make it out from the danger soon enough. Halfway through the crossfire, she shot with her own weapon at the glass window, shattering it to bits and leaving the exit completely open for her.
Soon, with all her power, she gave it one last boost and sped her way to the window. Finally, after going through the blaster fire, she managed to zoom right into the hole and out into the air; to freedom.
The people in the room had ceased fire; Adam groaning at the successful breach through the window by Blake. With the traitor on the run, he quickly ordered his men to follow him outside to pursue the fleeing coward. He refused to alert the entire base, only caring about punishing Blake for her treachery.
Adam, followed by three more White Fang soldiers, ran all the way out to the landing platform where they could find the traitor flying in the sky. They reached for the railing and scanned the area from where Blake may had come out from. Then, they saw a faint black dot in the sky with a flaring light on it. After a closer look, Adam could easily identify the object as none other than the treacherous assassin fleeing the base.
He didn't lose much time to react and gave a silent nod to one of his men. The soldier had a sniper rifle at the ready as he zoomed in with his scope. He set his sights on Blake, aiming at her jetpack. Without any regrets, he then pulled the trigger and shot out a high-velocity bolt that headed straight for the flying Blake.
Blake thought she was already out of reach and would successfully escape the premises without any difficulty. That was until she felt a violent tremor to her body followed by an ear-shaking blast behind her. The next thing she knew it; she was starting to feel her flight path being shaken up badly. She heard the malfunctioning sounds of an engine going haywire and looked behind to find that her jetpack had been hit hard by a lone energy shot. Her jetpack soon grew a flaming trail behind her as she was now flying dizzily and out of control. She couldn't keep her course in a straight line and was becoming even more uncontrollable.
There was nothing she could do but fly with a completely damaged jetpack as it then sent her plummeting to the ground. Blake was riddled with panic and desperation, trying to force a crash landing without killing her. She then set her sights on a forest with trees of no leaves. She free-fell all the way, uncertain whether she was going to survive her fall. Her body was now tumbling down to a deathly height and just kept going, leaving her to a fate impossible to avoid.
From the platform, Adam watched as the body of his former partner dived right down towards the dead forest on the surface. Then, after a few more seconds, the smoking body soon entered the forest and disappeared from his sights. He waited a little more before, finally, all he could see and hear was a faint explosion.
And just like that, Blake was gone. Gone from his organization. Gone from his life.
He let out a sigh of pity towards the fallen traitor. For certain, he thought she was a goner. With a sharp fall and an exploding jetpack, there was no way she could have survived any of those. However, some of his men had to be sure.
"Find her!" ordered the sniper who shot her down. Then, they were cut off as Adam raised his hand up to stop them.
"Forget it." he assured them. "No one could have survived that fall." He looked back at the forest, where now, a cloud of smoke drifted into the air, further proving his point that Blake was now a dead woman, no more to threaten his place.
He decided to let bygones be bygones, leaving the body to further rot in an unforgiving environment where only scavengers would come and greet her dead body and feast on her remains. She was to be nothing more than a memory best forgotten. He pulled out his sword, the one fortunately not soaked in his own blood, and pointed it at his soldiers, giving them a stern warning about the events of this day.
"Let this be a lesson to all who dare defy the White Fang." growled Adam. "No one betrays our way. And they will suffer the consequences dearly if they ever betray us." Everyone kept quiet, falling nervous from the sight of a brutal Adam Taurus as he solidifies his leadership in the White Fang.
From this moment on, they would continue on to join Death Watch in their campaign against all who dared ridiculed them. It was time to set the stage for an operation that shall see the glory of the Faunus and the end of a hated galaxy. of misfits and demons. The White Fang will prevail and they would show the galaxy that they were destined to rule over all, alongside their allies of Death Watch.
In the forest below, nothing was heard after the explosion. Only the high-pitched, terrifying sounds of a flock of shriek-hawks circling over the remains of a charred out body. They took their time and descended one-by-one to scavenge on what was left of the unfortunate soul.
As they landed, they found the smoking remains of their prey. They closed in to finish it off and go about their day. As they crept forward to begin the feast, they eyed upon where they would land their first bite. The neck, the stomach, the limbs. Anywhere they would find edible, which meant almost every part of her body. They came to their quarry and poked their heads down…
…to find nothing.
There was only the empty burnt out shell of Mandalorian armour left. The completely broken jetpack, now decimated further by the explosion and some bits of cloth possibly torn from her clothing. The scavengers didn't find anything worth eating and cawed in defeat at the sight of a worthless pile of junk.
Meanwhile, as the hawks cried out their failed hunt, a trail of footprints was seen, heading for the bushes. From out of the vegetation, the person making those prints had presented herself. Blake had survived the crash, coming out battered and hurt, but still very much alive.
The trees above her had shielded her from a fatal fall and removed her jetpack just in the nick of time. However, she was now faced with more than just the chest wound she had suffered from the duel before. She had bruises from the fall, the bare branches of the trees ripping at her soft clothing, leaving her shoulders exposed to the heat of Concordia. She had abandoned the armour that had practically been her own ever since she was brought into the brotherhood she called home.
Now left with an injured and a much more damaged spirit, she now walked off into the wilderness, wondering about what she would do from here on. She couldn't go back to the hideout and retake her ship. She couldn't go back to her real family either. There was just no one else to look for…
Or is there?
Blake suddenly remembered. Maybe there was someone she could go to. For once since the realization of her former partner's brutality, she had hope again. She wished she could run to find the one person she could call on, but her injuries kept her from going so far. She had to limp her way to an unforgiving forest but with her weapons still intact and her hopes on a new high, she would not stop until she reached her destination. She had to find her.
Ilia…
END
A/N~ Three down, one to go! And that is all from Blake's debut story. I've almost completed the guidelines to the whole story and now will be focusing on finishing up the next chapter, which would most definitely be about a certain blonde-haired boxer.
Thanks for reading and many thanks to draco1221, slickman, RedShirt1453, Darth Sigma, DarkLogistics97, A.K.b00m and miltonski for favouriting and following the story so far.
Coming up next is the Yellow chapter of our prologue arc! See ya guys soon, and may the Force be with you!
