Surprised I am still around? Me too. I have been trying to write this for months, but my schedule is just getting more and more hectic. I wanted to go all the way to the end of boot camp, but the characters demanded more interaction. My senior design project for Sikorsky is consuming a great deal of my time, as well as my other projects. I apologize for the people who enjoy reading my story. I will try to have the next chapter up in May, but I can't make any promises. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Innokenti Telibus, Citadel, November 18, 2187
Innokenti found himself unable to sleep. His little brother and mother had gone to sleep hours ago and he found himself in his bathroom looking at the new scar on the palm of his hand. He knew that his sangua'fradae ceremony with Hadesian was going to be among his proudest moments, but his insomnia wasn't adding to the memory. He looked at the omnitool at his wrist, then back up at his face in the mirror. His clean-shaven face now carried a layer of green paint. He started to wipe away the paint, so he could go to sleep, but stopped when he looked up at the mirror. The towel was covering one half of his face. He moved it to the other side and stared the half that was bare of paint. As he stared at the bare side of his face, he was Innokenti Mikhaelovich Oborin, son of Mary Ryan and Mikhael Oborin. He covered the bare side of his face and he was Innokenti Telibus, second-son of Iuterna and Fidelis Telibus. He smiled at his own thoughts before wiping the rest of the paint from his face adding adding a fresh coat. Maybe Innokenti Telibus can get good night sleep. Kenti lay back on his bed and sleep claimed him quickly.
Instead of the usual reliving of his killings under John's command, Innokenti found himself back on Epyrus, tracking down the man that had killed his girlfriend. Leading the man to Epyrus during Innokenti's biomedical engineering conference had taken some planning. Using a friend of his, who was skilled in hacking, he had put the male into financial ruin. Kenti had contacted him, convincing him that he was escaping to Epyrus to enjoy the money he stole. The male had followed him to Epyrus, and had tried to locate him. Kenti simply had to wait for the male to walk past the alley and grab him.
Once he got his hands on the male, Innokenti had not held back in his assault. The male struck out with a punch and Kenti broke his elbow and dislocated his shoulder. The male screamed and Kenti grabbed the sides of his opponent's head and slammed his knee under the man's chin. The man hit the ground, spitting blood and teeth. Kenti closed in and started beating the prone man, blood covering his hands and splattering his face.
Innokenti's dream was interrupted by the screaming of his little brother. Kenti was out of bed and on his feet before he realized it. He moved out of the door, carrying the knife from his nightstand, and noticed nothing damaged. He moved toward his brother's room, noticing his mother, in her night cloths, burst from her room and moving to join him. Ambrosii had stopped screaming, but Innokenti could hear his brother's frantic breathing through the doorway. Kenti kicked open the door. "You alright, Ambros-"
Kenti's question was interrupted by a scream and a nightstand slamming into his chest. Innokenti hit mirror hanging from the opposite wall, the impact knocking the wind from his body and left him gasping.
Mary ran to her elder son. "Kenti, are you okay?"
Kenti nodded and smiled at his mother as he stood up, shards of glass falling from his body. "I'm fine, Mamushka. You should check on Ambrosii." He felt the bite of the shards in his back, but he kept his face neutral and his bleeding back from his mother's view. He knew she didn't believe him, but she did stand and check on Rosii. Innokenti moved to the restroom, examining his sliced up back. He winced at the sight of the glass shards lodged in his flesh and pulled a medical kit from under the sink. Innokenti ignored the stabs of pain as he used a pair of tweezers to remove the shards of glass. When he was confident that he had removed all the glass, Kenti placed the tweezers down. He gripped the side of the sink. He could feel the biotic energies wash over his skin, tingling like an electric current. He looked into his own bright amber eyes as he felt the cuts in his back mend back together. The scar from Hilaria's claws on his arm was fading as his back mended.
When Yetara was killed while connected to him, Innokenti received a barrage of biotic energy. After overcoming the haze of rage and bewilderment, he discovered an increase in his biotic abilities. His mada had made him visit a physician, who discovered a dramatic increase in the number of biotic nodes in his body. He discovered his eye color changes and unusual cellular regeneration at boot camp. In order to hide the oddities, Innokenti forced himself to stay calm throughout his years in the Alliance. Upon returning to the Citadel and entering college, he did more research on the subject. Kenti befriended a young premedical student, who was working part time at a hospital. After a little coaxing, Innokenti convinced his friend to test his DNA for possible causes.
The change in his eye color was caused by the presence of xanthophores in his eyes. The yellow pigmented chromatophore wasn't naturally occurring in humans and was likely caused by Yetara's death. Activation of his biotics excites the organelles and overwhelms the natural dark pigment in his eyes.
The results showed that the gene to regulate cellular division was inactive. Many doctors had experimented on the gene and were convinced that it was the key for humans to engage in cellular regeneration. Unfortunately, the gene also regulates cellular division. If cellular division is allowed to unchecked, it could lead to many types of cancers. He was unsure on whether this mutation would be a detriment or a benefit in the future, but he was content with the information he had acquired and didn't investigate further.
Innokenti was rocked from his thoughts by the door opening. He quickly turned his head away from the door, pretending to crack his neck, as he relaxed his biotics and his eyes slowly returned to their normal color. He moved his head back and smiled at his mother. "How's Ambrosii?"
His mother sighed, her eyes sad. "It seems he had a bad nightmare. Apparently he saw himself beating a man to death, but he didn't recognize his own hands. He thinks he was watching you kill someone, through your eyes." She shook her head. "I don't know what I can do to help him, Kenti? Should I get him some psychiatric help?"
Innokenti sighed, leaning his back against the sink. Was I projecting? No. I haven't done that in years. Ambrosii has seen me do some frightening things, though. "In my experience, there isn't really anything that can be done. The human subconscious can create some interesting images. With the life I have led, I get nightmares almost every night. They are so frequent, that they are just a nuisance. I really hope Rosii doesn't have the same problem when he is older. It is true that he had a hard childhood and that will leave its scars. He does have a chance to make new, warm memories here. I am sure that seeing me killing men a few weeks back, didn't help his opinion of me. I don't think he needs help yet. He hasn't had these kinds of dreams yet. I think we should wait, but I am not his mother."
"I suppose you're right. I will see how he is doing for a little while. Now why don't you show me your back?"
Kenti sighed. "Mamushka, I'm fine."
His mother leveled a glare that could melt platisteel at him and Kenti turned around. She ran her hands over his back quickly. "I thought I saw blood on the glass, but you're unhurt."
Innokenti smiled. "I wouldn't say that. I think I bruised a rib or two when I hit the wall. It's nothing that won't heal up in a few weeks. I will just have to hold back on the exercise." He looked at his omnitool. "It's still late mamushka. You should go back to bed. I think Ambrosii is sleeping calmly."
His mother consented and started to go back to her room. She stopped when she saw Innokenti pull on a short sleeve shirt. "Where are you going?"
Innokenti shrugged. "As I've said, nightmares are quite frequent for me. I don't feel like going back to them quite yet, so I am heading out for a drink."
Mary looked at him for a few seconds before smiling. "Stay safe."
Innokenti walked over and kissed his mother on the cheek. "I always do. I love you, mamushka."
Once he left the apartment, Kenti just started walking. He didn't really have a destination in mind, but he stopped when he passed a familiar glowing sign. The Iron Wolf Pub? Innokenti started to frequent the bar in college and had many good memories inside, but hadn't returned since Carla was murdered. After a few moments of thinking, Kenti walked through the door and into the bar. As he entered, he was hit with a wave of sound. The door opened in a corner of the room, clearly visible from the bar. The bar itself took up the wall to the left of the door. There were a number of round tables separating the bar and the door.
The familiar turian bartender lifted his head over the heads of his patrons and laughed slightly. "That you, Innokenti? It's been a long time. Where have you been?"
Kenti laughed and sat down at the bar. "I've been busy, needed some time away from this fun place."
The Quadim-painted turian laughed, but he didn't seem happy. "If you have so much fun here, then why did you stay away?"
Kenti crossed his arm. "I felt like brooding for a while."
The turian pulled out a bottle of bourbon and pouring him a drink, leaving the bottle in front of him. The silence lasted for a few moments before the turian spoke again. "I heard about Carla."
Kenti brought the drink to his lips. "Then you already know why I was brooding, Noctis." He took a sip looking at the turian closely. "What happened, Noctis? You're more reserved than usual."
Noctis sighed as he handed out more drinks to the other patrons. "My son got injured in boot camp."
Kenti raised an eyebrow, placing the glass down. "How bad was his injury?"
The turian shook his head, closing his eyes. The slight flush on his crest gave away his anger. "He was hit with a spur kick during a particularly bad sparring match on the second week. Matus managed to dodge a vital strike, but the spur still damaged his spine. My son came home in a wheelchair." The glass he was cleaning cracked under the pressure.
Kenti winced, looking into his glass. "A spinal injury is never pretty. Have you spoken to a surgeon about it?"
Noctis shook his head. "Not yet. I have a meeting with a surgeon tomorrow. I might have trouble paying for it, but I am giving my son an opportunity to become a citizen. I have been having troubles just keeping the bills paid without Via's assistance." The turian wasn't looking at Innokenti.
Kenti closed his eyes, remembering Noctis' wife visiting the bar after work, to visit her husband. That memory was followed by Via's funeral, following the Reaper War. "I can see how that would be difficult."
Noctis walked down the bar and left Innokenti to his thoughts. The human continued to drink, finding a strange calmness in watching the bottle slowly empty as he continued to refill his glass. As he drank, he was thinking of the surgeons that he had worked with for the installation of prosthetic limbs. His perception of time was clouded by the alcohol. Before he knew it the bottle was empty and the next group of workers began to enter the bar. After taking a moment to enjoy the warm buzz of the alcohol, Kenti took a look around the bar, but didn't recognize any of the other patrons.
He turned when he heard the door open and notice a drell female walk through the entryway. She wore simple black pants and a skin-tight, sleeveless, black shirt. The dark clothing went well with her dark red scales. The scales on her palms and the top of her head were jet black. As soon as she moved into the light, Kenti recognized her. He turned around to the bar and started sipping his drink, watching the female out of the corner of his eye. She is looking well.
Noctis noticed the female quickly and called out to her, over the crowd. "Kynia Thantos? It's strange that you both would return on the same night."
Innokenti turned to look at the bartender, only to find the turian was gesturing toward him. Kenti turned and smiled at the female, who looked a little shocked to see him. "Hello Ms. Thantos."
The female walked over. "Hello, Mr. Oborin." Her voice was cold
Kenti blinked before smiling. "It has been a while. Would you care to share a drink with me?"
Kynia gestured to a bottle of vodka on the shelf behind the bar. "It will be difficult to finish the bottle, with just the two of us, Mr. Oborin."
The tension was thick, but Innokenti tried not to let it bother him. He didn't break his stare with Kynia's cold, black eyes. "Noctis, I need two shot glasses, please." The glasses and bottle of vodka were in front of him before he finished his statement. Innokent followed Kynia with his eyes as she moved to one of the tables, the same one he used to share with her and Carla when the three of them drank together. Kenti tipped his glass back, placed the empty glass on the bar, and walked over to join the female. "How have you been, Kynia? Still dating that turian?" He used her first name and gave her a smile in an attempt to ease the tension.
She sipped at her drink. "No, Mr Oborin, I'm not."
Kenti watched the female closely, guarding his thoughts. No mention of my face paint and not reciprocating the casual addressing? She must be mad at me. "That's too bad. What happened?"
The tension in the air was palpable between them. "You don't need to know." Her voice gave nothing away.
Kenti's irritation was growing. "What have I done to vex you so much, Ms. Thantos." He tried to keep his voice neutral.
Kynia leaned over the table. "Do you know how long it has been since we last saw each other?"
Innokenti locked eyes with the female. "A little over six months?"
"Two hundred and sixty days."
Kenti sighed. "You would be counting the days."
The drell lifted one finger, a turian gesture she picked up from him, and he stopped talking. "It has been two hundred and sixty days since I last saw you." She chuckled darkly, giving him a smile that didn'treach her eyes. "I remember that day well, as well as ten days later, when I went to Carla's funeral. I would have seen you there, if you bothered to show up."
Innokenti dug his nails into the table, his voice filled with contempt. "Oh, did I miss the funeral? I think I was busy that day."
Kynia tensed before leaning forward and hissing at the male in front of her. Biotic energies swirled around the female, but Kenti didn't even raise a barrier. Neither of them moved, Kynia's ferocious stare clashed with Kenti's cold glare. Suddenly, her biotic energies died down and she hung her head, letting out a small laugh. She sat back down in her chair, crossed her arms over her chest, and gave the male a victorious smile. "Trying to bait me into attacking you and avoid answering my questions, Kenti? You're not escaping from answering me."
Kenti sighed. Great, now we get to play twenty questions. He flinched when he heard her voice in his head.
No, Innokenti. I have a single question for you and I expect honesty. Why didn't you attend Carla's funeral? You were the one who found her in that alley. You arranged her funeral, but didn't appear when she was buried. He felt the heat of her rage, simmering on the surface. The only thing keeping her from assaulting him, was their friendship. He had usually enjoyed connecting his mind with hers, but her usually warm acceptance was replaced with cold, hard control.
I had a lot of reasons. He shook his head at the blur of memories that flew through his mind. Kynia had flashed his short term memory at him, a warning and reminder that she was stronger than him.
I don't have times for games, Innokenti. I can make you tell me, if you would prefer. The threat was genuine. He had seen the female command people before. That ability had helped them survive the Reaper attacks on the Citadel. She even dominated a brute, the Reapers' twisted combination of turian and krogan physiology, and had it attack the rest of the Reaper force chasing them. Innokenti had never feared her ability to manipulate.
As I said, I was busy. He dropped his barriers, allowing her access to his mind. He brought forth his memory of watching the funeral through his binoculars. After a few moments of watching the funeral, he turned back to sabotaging the machinery which would kill one of Carla's murderers the following day.
She followed his memories as they showed Kenti's systematic tracking and killing of Carla's murderers. I'm upset that you didn't inform me of your vendetta.
He couldn't stop the smile from appearing on his face. It didn't surprise him that Kynia wanted to join him. Despite being a physician, Kynia had never been afraid to protect herself. The memories continued, returning them to the alleyway on Epyrus. I may be related to a cop, but I was certain that she still throw me on a prison ship. I didn't feel like dragging you along for the ride.
Her smile matched his as she leaned back in her chair and close her eyes. What was the real reason you didn't show up? I know you could have done hacked that machine any day you wanted. Why did you pick that day?"
Kenti leaned back placing a hand over his face. You dove deep enough to figure out that I knew where he worked before her funeral. Why not just keep diving into my mind?
Kynia looked down. I am giving you the opportunity to admit the true reason for yourself. If you too cowardly to speak the truth, then I will rip the information I need from your skull. The look in the female's eyes was dangerous.
Innokenti looked away, watching more people enter the bar. A group of men were making their way through the bar, making crude remarks to the single females at the bar. Noctis wasn't looking pleased with them, but left them alone, for now. Innokenti shook his head. Was I ever that juvenile?
Another wave of memories hit followed by Kynia's warning tone. "Are you ignoring me, Kenti?"
Innokenti looked at the female, sighed, and then shook his head. "I was avoiding the funeral, because I wasn't ready to say goodbye yet.
The drell left his mind, leaning back in her chair. "I… understand what you mean."
The human reached forward and picked up the bottle of vodka. "I think I'm ready to say goodbye." He cracked the top.
Kynia leaned forward and gave him a somber smile. "Just like old times." She placed the two glasses together and walked to the bar. Kenti turned to watch the female quizzically, as he filled the two glasses. She grinned at him gesturing to one of the table's empty chairs. "I need a glass too."
Kenti blinked before following her gaze to the empty chair. Carla's chair. He smiled and placed one of the glasses in front of the empty chair, before turning back to watch Kynia, who was exchanging words with Noctis. Out of the corner of his eye, Kenti noticed the group of men, who were spending their time propositioning all the females in the bar, were talking amongst themselves and gesturing in his direction. Innokenti connected his mind to Kynia's, as she walked back toward the table. What are the juveniles planning now?
Kynia chucked out loud as she sat down across from him, breaking mental contact. "They were discussing my sexuality amongst themselves. They appear to be unsure as to whether I am female."
Kenti shook his head. "Human males are so stupid."
Kynia started laughing, pouring herself a drink and holding it up for a toast. "Are you including yourself in that statement, Innokenti Oborin?"
The male tapped glasses with her and tipped his drink back. "I'm not human. I'm an albino turian. I even have the face paint."
Kynia laughed louder, causing Kenti to laugh in return. "I was meaning to inquire about that. Did you get married?"
Innokenti poured another round. "No female is crazy enough to marry me. I was adopted into the Telibus clan. How's your family doing, Kynia?"
She tipped back another shot. "Kyne's only sixteen, but I think he will complete his primary education within the year. He's a smart male certainly smarter than I."
"Smarter than me, maybe. You made it through med school, Kynia. Top of your class, if I recall correctly."
Kynia took another shot and started pouring more rounds as they talked. "I suppose you're correct, for a change." She gave him a grin as he held his chest in mock pain. "As for the rest of my family, my mother is working hard to pull in the money to pay for my three siblings. I send her money when I can, but the Citadel is an expensive place to live. She'll probably move to Omega, after the Citadel is decommissioned."
Kenti smiled back at the female, enjoying the familiar warmth of her presence and the alcohol. "I know a few people in Omega that could probably find your family a nice neighborhood. Well, nice for Omega anyway." Innokenti poured the last of the alcohol into their glasses. As he moved to clink glasses with Carla's untouched glass, he heard people approaching. He watched Kynia look behind him and he followed his gaze as the group of drunkards closed in. Fantastic.
The shortest member of the group leaned in close to Kynia while the other four males clustered behind him. "Hey baby, why not leave this guy and spend some time with us?" Kynia looked at the male, then back at Kenti, and started laughing. The group of men looked very confused and the short man looked angry. "What's so funny?"
Kynia laughed harder. "I find it difficult to believe that you think I would find that idea enticing. If I wanted to mate, I certainly wouldn't do it with you males."
As she lifted her drink to her lips again, the male grabbed her arm. "What did you say, bitch?"
Kenti picked up Clara's and his drink, propping his feet up on the table. "She is saying she doesn't want to deal with five tiny, flaccid phalluses. I don't understand how you don't understand that."
The rest of the group practically growled at Kenti. While the men were distracted, Kynia moved her other hand to the smaller man's wrist, grabbed his thumb, and twisted. The man cried out in pain as Kynia torque his arm and slammed his face onto the table.
KyniaThantos, Citadel, November 18th, 2187
The evening had been going very well. Innokenti was still the same male she thought he was, if not a little warmer. They had just finished adapting to each other's presence again, when the inebriated group disturbed them. Kynia applied more torque to the smaller male's arm, in her frustration. The human glared at her and she just smirked at him. Pathetic male. Kynia released his hand and picked her glass back up. "I recommend you leave, before you continue to embarrass yourselves."
The shorter man lifted himself from the table, barking obscenities at her while he still held his hurt wrist. The man refused to move from his spot in front of her, but Kynia was far from intimidated.
Kynia, left! She turned just in time to notice another member of the group swing his fist at her. She ducked under the blow, moved directly in front of the man, and slammed her knee into the man's groin. The high-pitched scream was satisfying to her ears as his knees buckled and he curled up in the fetal position, holding his genitals. The rest of the group was stunned for a moment, before they moved to attack her. She spun around and lifted her leg off the ground to kick. The man closest to her moved his hands down to protect his genitals, but his head, her actual target, was unguarded.
The force of the blow sent the man to the ground and he didn't try to stand back up. Kynia had to take a step back to regain her proper footing. The man whose arm she twisted was sitting on the floor now, staring at her. She smirked at him as the tallest, conscious, member of the group pulled out a knife from his pants, holding in a thrusting position. She sighed at the male. "Don't be foolish."
The male responded by running at her. Kynia slid out of the way, grabbed the male's arm, and used his own momentum to throw him onto the table.
In the middle of her motion, Kynia saw Kenti swing his legs off the table, using the momentum to spin off the chair and to his feet. He swayed a little, but still held Carla's full glass of liquor in his hand. The smile on his face was almost whimsical. How much did he drink before I showed up? The male's eyes cleared and his biotics flared. A handgun flew into Kenti's hand, held by his biotics. "You're fucking lucky that C-Sec isn't happy with me right now." He placed the glass of liquor and firearm on the table beside him, trying to hide his rapidly lightening eyes.
Kynia hissed and turned to the two members of the group that were still conscious and lifted her hands. She felt the biotic field ripple over her body as she locked the two men in a stasis field. "Should we call C-Sec?"
Kenti walked over to her and reached into her shirt. She couldn't move much while maintaining the stasis field, but she did cock her head at him. The male took hold of the dark glasses that drell wore in bright environments. She felt the cool sensation of the human inhaling some of her scent. "You smell very nice today, Kynia." He placed the dark glasses over his unnatural, amber eyes
She gawked at him. "How much have you had to drink? Now is not the time for you to be lost in memories." Damn male can't keep his mind out of the bedroom. She sighed and looked at the bar to see Noctis with his omnitool open. "Noctis is calling C-Sec, so why don't you go sit down while I hold them."
Kenti smirked at the female. "But the memories are so nice."
Kynia glares at him. "As soon as I can move, I am going to kick you."
C-Sec officers arrived soon after, carting the group of men away and taking statements from everyone at the bar, beginning with Noctis. One of the officers moved toward Kynia and Innokenti. Kenti grinned at the man, waving from his seat at a new table. "Hello again, Officer Johnson."
The darker skinned human turned to Kenti. "Mr. Oborin, I was hoping it would be longer before I ran into you at work again."
Kynia looked at the officer. "What is going to happen now, officer?"
Johnson looked out the window, to the aircars containing the drunken men. "I take them in for disturbing the peace, unless you want to charge them with assault."
Kynia shook her head. "If anyone's getting charged with assault, it will be me."
Kenti walked over and handed the officer a datapad. "I recorded the beginning of the fight. They grabbed her and tried to pull her away. After she got out of their hold, they attacked and she began to defend herself."
The C-Sec Officer seemed satisfied with the datapad and, after a few more questions, the pair exited the bar. Innokenti was still wearing her glasses, his flaring biotics giving away the change in his eyes. "Do you think Noctis will let us come back, Kynia?" His voice seemed steadier as his strange regenerative abilities burned away the alcohol faster than normal.
She worried about him. The sheer number of biotic nodules in the male's system could cause problems for him in the future, but he seemed happy living his life like nothing was wrong. Kynia looked up at the ceiling thinking about his previous question. "I don't think he took offence to me dealing with his unruly patrons." She looked up at the slightly taller man. Kynia was taller than most females at 5'11", but still only came up to the human's chest. Her memories of the nights they spent together in college were swirling in her mind, and the alcohol wasn't helping. She shook her head and looked at the male. "Are you going to be safe walking all the way back to your apartment, Innokenti?"
The male looked at her and smiled. "I think so, but at least allow me to take you home."
Kynia smiled. "I think I would enjoy that."
They spent the journey exchanging stories of the time that they were apart. The return of his birth mother to his life seemed to be the cause of his warmer demeanor. She was truly happy for the male. He had grown past Carla's death and moved forward with his life.
Before she knew it, they had arrived at her apartment. She turned to the male beside her and invited him inside. Taking his seat on the couch, Kenti leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. "There is nothing like a bar fight to bring back memories. The last time I saw you fight like that, was during the Reaper War." He grinned broadly at her as she sat in a chair across from him. "Though there was a lot more carnage involved, back then."
Kynia couldn't stop herself from smiling. "It's not any fault of mine, Innokenti. Our invaders were just too barbaric to reason with. As I remember it, you were the one that assaulted them first."
Kenti grinned. "I'll take the credit for starting that one, but you were the one that turned the Brute against its fellows. You can be quite brutal."
Kynia smiled warmly. "This is from the same male that bifurcated the same Brute, with his mind."
The male laughed and started into a story where he actually cut someone in half. Kynia was lost in her own thoughts. Reminiscing with Kenti had begun warm-hearted, but was slowly turning melancholy. She had a difficult time forgetting that while they were fighting the Reaper forces, Carla was cowering behind them. Kenti's story became white noise as she imagined all the nights that the three of them had spent together, laughing and enjoying each other's company. Suddenly, her vision cleared and she found Kenti's concerned face inches from her own."You alright, Kynia? You seemed lost in your memories."
Kynia tried to put on a smile, but she was feeling Carla's loss more than she had in a long time. Maybe even more than at her funeral. Kenti's face didn't change so she simply pushed him back onto the couch and stood up. "I apologize. I enjoy speaking with you, Kenti. I really do…"
The male sighed, evidently following her train of thought. "Except that all the memories you have of me, involve Carla." He started to get up giving her a small smile. "I am not surprised that the memories would upset you. Don't worry about it, I'll show myself out."
Kynia growled in frustration and pushed him back on the couch, now straddling his waist with her hands on his shoulders. "You are dealing with her memories too, Innokenti. You might not have my memory, but I know who much you dwell on past failures."
Kenti's eyes softened slightly. "So, why don't you want me to leave and save us both the pain?"
She crossed her arms across her chest, while his were spread across the back of the couch. "Neither you nor I have ever run from our problems."
The male cocked his head to the side and gave her a grin, reminding her of their college days. "So, what would you suggest we do?" She felt his body tense as her lips connected with his. The male responded in kind, laying his hands on her thighs. The familiar feel of his lips brought back memories of their nights together. Light kisses they shared in greeting or teasing, short and jovial. Heated kisses in the heat of their mating, frenzied and hard. Kynia recalled all of the memories she shared with the male ran through her head even as she broke the kiss, leaving her hands on his shoulders.
Kenti cocked his head to the side and smirked at her, not moving his hands from her legs. "What are you doing, Miss Thantos?"
She leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss. "I am engineering some new memories for us. Do you disapprove, Mister Telibus?"
Kenti's smile sent a shiver up her spine. He moved a hand from her waist to the back of her neck. "Engineering memories with a dangerous, beautiful female, such as you? What male is stupid enough to disapprove?" With that, he pulled her into a deep kiss, their bodies melting together.
As she adjusted her sitting position, she felt just how in favor of this idea he was. She felt him smirk into her mouth and couldn't help but grin herself. Kenti deepened the kiss, his hands now on her hips.
Kynia ran her fingers through his hair enjoying the familiar yet alien feeling between her fingers. When they finally broke for air, her hands were still running through his short, black hair. She felt him grab the hem of her shirt and smiled at him, lifting her arms so he could lift it over her head. Kenti tossed the garment over his shoulder as she tabbed a button on her omnitool, shutting off the lights in the apartment. Her drell eyes picked up the limited illumination in the room as she watched him remove his shirt. She felt and saw the biotic field form around his body as he removed his own shirt. He was smirking at her in the dark, removing the drell glasses he had barrowed to show his rapidly lightening eyes. She felt his mind try to connect to hers and accepted the connection, closing the distance for another fiery kiss.
Leontina, Palaven, November 21 – December 1, 2187
Leontina stared out at the pool as the drill centurion began to explain the importance of the ability to survive in the water. She was not looking forward to this test. She, like most of the recruits around her, hadn't had any training in how to swim. Innokenti had taken her to a pool on the Citadel, but she couldn't get over the feeling of water flowing into her nostrils. When the drill centurions asked who knew how to swim, she was surprised to find that everyone in her squad raised their hand, except herself.
Shaking herself from her thoughts, she focused on Hrabanus, who looked very at home in the water, as he lay on his back and kicked to the other end of the pool. Well, I am certain I just lost squad leadership this week.
Leontina had difficulties in the water, but Hrabanus was almost as good teaching swimming as he was teaching firearms. By the time they exited the pool, she was confident that she could swim well enough to save her life, if needed.
Leontina was excited when the centurions brought out the weighted staves for them to use in sparing. Her favorite gladiator, Therontis Ignibus, had wielded a spear and net during his matches, before his retirement in 2183. Leontina had always admired his fighting style and had practiced with weighted staves when she was younger. The staves they were training with were heavier than she was used to. The staves were supposed to be used to simulate using a rifle for an improvised melee weapon. Falling back on her previous experience, Leontina managed to win against most of her squad.
Hrabanus appeared to have experience with staves as well easily knocking Iovis' staff away and smashing the Edessan-painted male in the head. Despite the pain Iovis was in, Leontina couldn't help the amused smile that crept onto her face. Why am I still surprised? He has excelled in everything involving the body, so far.
She was confident in her abilities, but she still ended up on the floor with Hrabanus holding one end of his staff under her chin. When he helped her up, she sighed. "Is there nothing that you haven't already mastered?"
Pratis chuckled. "I am terrible at climbing and book work. You're intelligent enough to make an officer's commission. You can dangle your larger pay over my head when boot camp is over."
She bit back her laugh as the centurions ordered them back to the barracks, battered and bruised. Considering their injuries, her squad was in a surprisingly good mood. Iovis was leading the discussion about gladiatorial fighting. He started with addressing Verus, showing off his many missing teeth when he grinned at the male. "Who's your favorite gladiator, Verus? I'm a big fan of Ambrosianus Murcuius, myself."
Verus looked confused. "Ambrosianus? I haven't seen him in any of the matches I've seen. Is he an essedarius?" The essedarii fought on chariot, pulled by a single rlata, and typically fought each other, except for special matches.
Pythius laughed slightly, rubbing his bruised arm. "Ambrosianus is one of the most popular cestus. What matches do you watch, Paruus? Traditional sword and shield combat?" Cestus wore a studded metal glove, spiked in ancient times, and fought typically fought only with each other.
Verus ran a hand over his fringe. "Those matches are what I typically watch, yes. I really enjoy fights between hoplomachi and scissores. My favorite hoplomachi has to be Basilius Aquibus, though he has had a hard time the last few years." Hoplomachi fought with a traditional short sword and small, round shield while scissors fought with no shield and a unique two bladed sword they used to trap opponents weapons.
As the trio began talking statistics and the pros and cons of each type of gladiator, Leontina leaned back against the wall, observing. She enjoyed watching her squad interact so easily. She looked over at Hrabanus, who walked over and leaned against the wall beside her. "Aren't you going to join their conversation, Recruit Pratis?"
The male shrugged slightly. "I don't watch gladiatorial combat frequently, Squad Leader. My father used to be a gladiator, while he was married to my mother. His stories make it had to watch most of the standard matches."
She stared at him. When did he say his parents divorced? Pratis' mysterious parents were keeping her mind moving. She couldn't stop running through their possible identities in her head. "Is that where you learned to use the staves?"
Hrabanus nodded. "My father taught me unarmed and armed combat. It was helpful during the Reaper War."
"I didn't know they sent troops to Syglar. Did you have to abandon your home?"
Pratis looked up at the ceiling. "No, we didn't need too."
His body was tense and she could see his hands shaking at his sides. "Pratis?" The male looked back at her and she unconsciously leaned away from him. His face was set in its usual stoic look, but his eyes were hard. She could almost feel the hate from him.
Pratis' eyes returned to normal and his voice was apologetic, switching to inferior to superior. "I apologize, Squad Leader. I was incapacitated by my memories for a moment."
Leontina looked him over speaking equal to equal. "Are you going to be alright, Pratis?"
"Of course, Squad Leader." She wasn't convinced, but he was speaking as equals with her again and his court accent was less prevalent now. She decided against pressing the male. He probably lost friends in the war.
After their conversation, Hrabanus became more reserved, his face a near constant mask of turian stoicism. The fourth week continued to be difficult for Leontina, as first aid was added. The shear amount of memorization was difficult for her to wrap her mind around. Iovis shined in this section, easily able to grasp the various procedures and took charge of training her and the other members of the Squad 234. Despite her difficulty during the week, Leontina wasn't going to make it easy for Hrabanus to beat her in sparing.
Week four ended in a consolidation match, like the second week. Squad 234 had beaten 233 during the second week and became a squad of ten. Squad 234 competed against 236, who had absorbed 235 in the previous consolidation, at the end of week four. The consolidation match ended with Hrabanus and Tallus Vetulus, the squad leader from 236. Tallus wasn't as muscular or as tall as Hrabanus, but Leontina liked the air of confidence about the male. She couldn't help but smile at the male's surprised expression when Hrabanus threw him to the mats, hard. He's pretty attractive.
Hrabanus, Palaven, December 1, 2187 – December 31, 2187
Hrabanus had taken mental notes on his opponents throughout the matches. The newest members of his squad were lacking in melee experience. To counteract this lack, Hrabanus transferred Lucieo to 236 and replaced him with Vetulus. Recruit Vetulus was very amicable about the transfer and quickly gathered his belongings. Hrabanus turned to the Magna-painted male outside of Squad 234's room. "Before we enter, I would like you to inform me on any ongoing disciplinary issues in Squads 235 and 236, Recruit Vetulus"
The male straitened his back and looked Hrabanus in the eye. "I have a problem with a female that simply refuses to take orders from me. I also have a pair of males that I had to separate, before they injured themselves. I can't think of any other issues, Squad Leader."
Hrabanus thought back on Lucieo's personality. Lucieo should be capable of handling those issues. "No major obstacles then. Thank you, Recruit Vetulus. Shall we enter?" Hrabanus moved to open the door, but the male beside put a hand on his shoulder, stopping Hrabanus.
"Squad Leader, may I ask you something?"
Hrabanus turned toward the male, who removed his hand from the taller male's shoulder and stood at attention. "What is your inquiry, Recruit Vetulus?"
"Why didn't you ask about issues in my squad prior to assigning Recruit Lucieo to Squad 236?"
Hrabanus let his mandibles twitch slightly. "It is important to give Recruit Lucieo his own opportunity to discover faults that you may otherwise have overlooked, Recruit Vetulus. If he doesn't discover your previous issues by the time I meet with him, at midweek, then I shall inform him." The male looked confused, but didn't pose another query. Hrabanus led the male inside of the room and stood back to observe the rest of his squad's reactions to the new member.
Paruus was the first one to introduce himself, inquiring about the new male's place of origin. Telibus joined the conversation quickly, ignoring her mail to welcome the new member. Porcarius was uncharacteristically reserved. He failed to introduce himself, until Telibus practically dragged him into the conversation. Hrabanus took note of Porcarius' strange behavior and decided to observe him as the week continued.
The fifth week consisted of training in the application of breathers in toxic areas or those without adequate oxygen for life. The centurions taught them about different chemicals they could come across and how they would affect them.
Halfway through the week, Hrabanus moved through the barracks, visiting his subordinate squad leaders, as he did every week, whether he was in charge or not. The female that replaced Porcarius as the squad leader of 235, Xanthia Alselinus, was an exemplary disciplinarian. The Baetika-painted female gave him a detailed account of any disciplinary issues for the week and how she resolved them, as always. Her squad members didn't cause any significant problems and Alselinus had molded Redueriis into a proper recruit, raising her melee and bookwork skills.
After spending a few minutes conversing with the female, Hrabanus moved to Squad 236's room to speak with Lucieo. Hrabanus wasn't surprised that the male began their discussion by mentioning the previously known issues. Lucieo wasn't the most humble male, but he was skilled at understanding motives and personalities. Lucieo had kept the two problem males separated and, after a serious discussion, the female that had given Vetulus trouble was following Lucieo's orders. In addition to the problems that Hrabanus already knew about, Lucieo found a few males who were cheating on their bookwork. Lucieo seemed pleased with his accomplishments, but Hrabanus wasn't going to add to his ego.
Hrabanus returned to his room content that his subordinates were rising to their positions. Vetulus was adapting to his new environment, easily conversing with Paruus and Telibus. Porcarius had opened up to the new male, but still appeared more reserved than Hrabanus remembered. Telibus had pulled Porcarius aside a few times to speak to him about the subject, but Hrabanus made sure to keep his distance.
The week culminated with a breather test. Hrabanus joined the other nineteen members of his squads in the gas chamber. At the signal, Hrabanus lifted the mask over his face, pulling the straps, and sealing his breather. Seconds after the announcement, a light red mist started filling the room. Red Sand. It causes brief, but intense euphoria and brief telekinetic abilities. Hrabanus took a deep breath, lifted his mask, and recited Regulation 2.1.2 in one breath. He had to resist rolling his eyes when they told him to breath. Why did I think it would be that easy? Taking a deep breath, Hrabanus fastened his breather back onto his face, relying mostly upon muscle memory.
Hrabanus could hear his blood pumping in his ears. His vision blurred around the edges and his flesh was tingling, but he refused to let himself so much as stagger as the euphoria brought out his more pleasurable memories. Spirits take them. One lung-full and I am fighting to stay focused. He had always been able to keep his feelings under control. The loss of that control was frightening him.
He tried to focus on his more painful memories, to try and regain control of his emotions. Hrabanus remembered back, before the Reaper War, to Syglar. He was hunting alone, tracking a large noxserpens carrying only his skinning knife and one shot in his rifle. When Hrabanus reached the edge of his father's land, he spotted a young female, far too young to be out in the swamps alone. As she approached, he noticed that she was injured. She was bleeding from multiple cuts to her chest and face and was being pursued by a male holding a blood stained knife in his hand. He found out after the incident that the female was Aquilina Florus, a youngling from the closest town to his father's estate. The male was Achilles Haia, a serial killer who had killed ten females before the incident from Hrabanus' memory.
Aquilina tripped on a submerged root and struggled to regain her footing as Haia closed in. Hrabanus moved closer before he lifted his rifle, moved the scope to the pursuer's head, and froze. His experience with hunting held his scope over Haia as he closed in on the female, but his finger hovered over the trigger, unable to squeeze. Hrabanus had killed many creatures over his years of hunting, but he couldn't shoot the female's attacker, a sentient being. Aquilina scrambled on top of the roots of a nearby tree, her attacker following her and barely dodging her instinctive spur kick.
As her attacker stabbed his knife into her, Aquilina screamed. Hrabanus tensed at the sound and his rifle went off, impacting his shoulder harder than normal. The projectile hit Haia in the chest rocking his body back off the female and into the swamp. Aquilina started pulling herself away from where her attacker fell, her legs dragging behind her. Hrabanus moved to help her, slinging his useless rifle over his shoulder.
Aquilina had a deep wound in the center of her back, damaging her spine and paralyzing her legs. Hrabanus tried to calm the female, having difficulty communicating due to her thick Syglar accent. Her attacker wasn't killed by Hrabanus' bullet and rose from the bog to stab Hrabanus in the side with his knife.
Hrabanus' idea seemed to work. The warmth caused by the Red Sand was subsiding as he remembered the pain, rage, and sorrow caused by his memory. He moved to the showers assisting one of his comrades who didn't apply their breather correctly and had a much larger dose than Hrabanus had received. The shower, usually quiet, was filled with conversation, the drug eroding their sense of propriety.
After they finished metabolizing the drug, the recruits returned to their rooms to read their mail. Hrabanus sat down in his nest and opened his omnitool. His inbox contained two messages. One was from Aquilina, inquiring on his boot camp experience and relaying news of a large sum of money being donated for her spinal surgery. The second was from the United Bank of Syglar informing him that his transaction of money to the Florus family was successful.
Hrabanus had retained his leadership status for the sixth week, where they were instructed in the function and maintenance of various weapons. The recruits were fitted with their armor during the week and were instructed on the proper method of storing and applying their armor. Hrabanus had difficulty enjoying the week because of the memories the resurfaced the previous week. Following a rather painful loss to Telibus in a match during the week, Hrabanus began to feel better.
Following their armor acquisition, the squads were sent out of the barracks for the remainder of the week for five days of high temperature environment training and five days of cold environment training. Telibus and Vetulus grew closer as the week grew on. They spoke together frequently and stayed very close during the cold environment. Porcarius had taken to teasing them on the subject whenever the opportunity presented itself. Hrabanus had difficulty with the cold environment himself. He had spent time in similar areas of Palaven, when he was younger, but his body had become accustomed to the humidity of the swamps of Syglar.
The week culminated with the third squad consolidation match. Unlike the round robin style of matches that the previous consolidation matches, the third consolidation match was elimination tournament style. Both opposing squads' members were scattered throughout the bracket with the leaders of the squads placed on opposite sides of the brackets to prevent them from sparring too early. His opponents were skilled and his pairing with Telibus in his first round wasn't beneficial to his strength for the final match. His final opponent was the squad leader of 240, Phaedra Surius. The Epyrus-painted female was very skilled in hand to hand combat, relying more on grappling than traditional turian kickboxing. She was shorter than Hrabanus, but was very stocky for a female, reminding him of his older sister. Hrabanus was barely able to pin the female and was awarded squad leadership for the seventh week.
Following his appointment as squad leader, Hrabanus moved to the room that held Squad 240. Surius answered the door. "Welcome, Squad Leader. How I can help you?" The female's accent was thick but she had shot to attention as soon as she saw him.
Hrabanus enjoyed protocol, but the female was acting a little too rigid for him. He relaxed his usually stoic expression and spoke to her as equals. "At ease, Surius. I have a hard time ordering those who give me a hard time on the mats."
Surius relaxed slightly with him. "You are a very skilled opponent. Had you been fresh, I would not have been able to last as long as I did."
Hrabanus shook his head. "I am not sure about that. You are very good at grappling. Maybe we will find out just who is better at the end of the week."
A ghost of a smile spread over the female's face. "That sounds like fun."
Hrabanus matched her slight smile. "Indeed it does." Correcting his face, he refocused on the reason he walked to Squad 240 in the first place. "I need to speak to you about your subordinanes, Surius." At the start of the seventh week, every leader of the now forty person squad reported to the drill centurions to give their opinions on their subordinates. Hrabanus trusted the Epyrus-painted female to assist him in giving her subordinates proper representation.
Surius' face returned to a mask of turian stoicism. The female listed various issues she had found and how she remedied them. She had a few people that were trying to barely pass boot camp, but had repaired their attitude so that they attempted to become better. Judging from her list, Surius was a serious disciplinarian. Judging by the way the rest of her squad acted, they were happy with her in charge.
After receiving a substantial portion of information from Surius, Hrabanus returned to his own room to mentally prepare himself for the following day.
When Hrabanus' turn came up, the drill centurions wasted no time in their inquiries. "Let's begin with your people, Squad Leader Pratis. Your opinion of Silva Redueriis?"
Hrabanus wasn't going to hold back information from the Drill Centurions, but he wasn't going to sabotage his subordinates. "She lacked discipline at the beginning, sir. She has improved her skills under Recruit Alselinus' command."
The centurion placed a note on his datapad and moved down the list. "Verus Paruus?"
"Very intelligent, He has been assisting the other members of the squad with the book work."
"Pythius Lucieo?"
Hrabanus took a moment to think. "A strong leader and disciplinarian. Rises to exceed expectations, sir."
"Elaborate, Squad Leader."
"The male has been looking for a leadership position for the past six weeks. Following the consolidation match at the conclusion of the fifth week, I assigned him as the squad leader of Squad 236. He has resolved all of the outstanding disciplinary issues that the previous squad leader informed me about."
The centurion wrote a note. "Very interesting. Leontina Telibus?"
"Excellent leadership, sir. She is my strongest rival for squad leadership. She led squad 234 very well, fixing all of the starting disciplinary issues in the first week, sir."
"Iovis Porcarius?"
"Very intelligent. He was the most knowledgeable during the medical section of training. He has a skill for dissolving disputes and contributes to the spirit of the squad."
The interview continued on through his assessment of all forty members of his squad, excluding himself. Hrabanus thought that he represented his subordinates to the best of his ability. He had to rely on Surius' word on her half of his squad, but he was confident that the tough female wouldn't steer him wrong.
The following day, the initial allocations of vocations were posted. These placements were not final, but gave a good indication of where the recruits will work for their time in the military. The board that the notice was placed on was surrounded by various recruits, chatting animatedly about their various positions. Porcarius was standing close to the board, talking to Lucieo, who looked disappointed. Porcarius lifted his arm toward Hrabanus, beckoning him over. "Hrabanus, you must have the gift of the silver tongue, my friend. Come have a look."
Lucieo straitened his posture and addressed the crowd. "Make a hole! Squad Leader needs to make it to the board!"
The crowd promptly parted and allowed Hrabanus to the board. The squad breakdowns had been altered based on the various postings the recruits had. Hrabanus made sure to read all of his subordinates' postings before his own. He doubted his words mattered much in the postings, but he still felt responsible for them. Luckily, he didn't hear any muffled disappointment form any of his squad, save Lucieo.
Paruus and a few of the members of squads 237 and 239 were going into the engineering corps, and were consolidated into the new squad 239, with Paruus in command.
There were a great number of marines in his squads, including Vetulus, who looked a little dejected, but didn't voice any protests. He figured out why, when he noticed that Telibus had been assigned as Vetulus' Squad Leader and was slated for Special Forces. He fought the grin that tried to cross his face. Good for you, Telibus. That seems like a good fit for you. He glanced in her direction and she was practically beaming.
The rest of his subordinates were placed in a smattering of various vocations. Redueris was assigned to Force Management, which befitted the female as mostly an organizational position with no combat. Surius was slated for flight school for the marines, flying gunships and troop transports. Porcarius was following Telibus into the Special Forces, but with a medic position. Alselinus and Lucieo were slated for Military Police and Hrabanus was confused.
"What is the sour look for, Lucieo? It seems like the perfect fit for you."
The male scoffed. "I don't think I am cut out for being an MP."
There was a chorus of nine voices responded, belonging to the two squads that Lucieo had been in charge of for the last two weeks. "Yes you are, Squad Leader."
Porcarius burst out laughing, and Hrabanus couldn't help but join in as Pythius turned on the group and started to discipline them, before he too fell to laughter. Hrabanus recovered quickly, not wanting the centurions to step in. He took one last look at the board and let the smile spread across his lips at the posting. Pratis, Hrabanus – Special Forces
For the seventh weeks of tests, the recruits were to undergo microgravity training. Hrabanus, who had spent his entire life on Palaven and Syglar, whose gravity was slightly higher than Palaven, spent most of the training spinning around uncontrollably. Telibus and Porcarius lived on the Citadel and were among the strongest at this training. Hrabanus did well during the intra-squad sparing, but was unable to excel in the microgravity environment and lost to Telibus. Due to her high scores during the seventh week and her victory in the sparing match, she was awarded squad leadership for the eighth week. Hrabanus had to keep his smile in check. I will get you next week, Telibus.
Iovis Porcarius, December 31, 2187 – January 10, 2188
Iovis was very pleased with how well he did in the intra-squad sparring matches, losing only to Leontina in the final match. He followed Hrabanus back through the barracks and into the room that they shared with Xanthia, Pythius, and the female from Epyrus, Phaedra. Iovis leaned back in his nest. "Just two more consolidations and you or Leontina will be leading a squad in The Trial, Hrabanus."
The Syglar-painted male rolled over to face him. "You and Lucieo are very close to our respective scores, Porcarius. Don't leave out the possibility of your command."
Iovis chuckled. "I don't think I have the organizational skills to juggle so many people. I know that you have everyone's face memorized."
Hrabanus shrugged. "There are currently only forty recruits in the squad, I doubt I would be able to memorize 160 names and faces."
Iovis shrugged and noticed Phaedra fidget slightly. "What's wrong, Phaedra?"
The female straitened herself and leveled her gaze at Iovis. "You should be addressing me as Recruit Surius, Recruit Porcarius."
Hrabanus looked at the female. "Your body language shows that you are worried, Surius. What is wrong?"
The female faced her squad leader, not relaxing at all. "I am simply worried about the next consolidation match."
"For what reason, Surius?"
The female actually broke eye contact. "I have heard that there have been many injuries in the other side of the barracks. There is a male known for going harder than necessary on the sparing mats. He has been stripped of command twice now and seems to have a problem with colonists."
Iovis raised an eyebrow. "They haven't tossed him out on his ass yet?" Iovis was also surprised by Surius' behavior. She never talks this plainly.
The female didn't look at him. "Evidently he has been issued an ultimatum on the subject."
Hrabanus rolled back onto his stomach. "Then there is nothing to worry about."
Phaedra moved toward their squad leader. "I am simply looking out for your safety"
Hrabanus sat up and looked at the female. "My safety?"
Phaedra was slightly flushed. "My apologies, Squad Leader. I was referring to your previous subordinates. You had quite a few recruits that weren't very skilled in melee combat."
Iovis couldn't help his chuckle. "They'll be fine, Phaedra. You worry too much." And I am sure that your potential mate will be fine too. Iovis had noticed the chemistry between Phaedra and Hrabanus, but he doubted that Pratis would act on it. He didn't seem to notice her that way.
As Phaedra turned on Iovis, Hrabanus spoke to her back. "Surius, there is nothing to worry about. The male has been given a choice. He can either spar like a fellow recruit should or he can perform dangerous acts that could leave his opponent crippled. I will tell you this, Surius. If the male tries anything against my subordinates, I will take care of him."
Ordinarily, Iovis would have commented on the fact that he wasn't the squad leader for anyone but the four in the room currently. The cold look in Hrabanus' aqua eyes stopped Iovis from commenting, however. For your sake, male. I hope you don't try something stupid. I have my biotics to fall back on in a fight, and I don't want to fight him.
Hrabanus was back to his calm and composed self the next morning, when the recruits were shipped to the Telavin shipyards, for heavy gravity training. Ten days in the heavy gravity were taxing for everyone, particularly from those that lived in space stations. Leontina in particular was having significant difficulties adjusting to the environment. On a routine mission to recover a piece of intel, she fell of the trail and sprained her left leg. She hadn't complained about the injury but, according to Tallus, she had to sleep a special way, to ensure her added weight didn't damage the leg more.
At the end of the week, the recruits were returned to Palaven and were sent right into the next squad consolidation match. After spending the week at over twice the gravity he was used to, returning to Palaven made him feel like he weighed nothing. He couldn't wait to begin the sparing, until he noticed the male that Phaedra had alluded to at the beginning of the week.
He was easily spotted because all of his fellow recruits were leaving twice the amount of space between them and him, leaving a noticeable gap around the male. Iovis didn't figure out the bare faced male's name until he entered the ring for his first match, against Leontina.
Karion Sicaro's distain for colonists was evident with the insults he was throwing at Leontina. The only thing he could do to make him more stereotypical, would be for him to be related to a dominus. Leontina's response to the insults was a very well placed kick across the male's face. Every hit Leontina landed, made Sicaro more violent. Iovis was happy that she was doing well, but he did notice that she was favoring her bad leg. Iovis noticed a smile form on Sicaro's face and felt his blood chill. Sicaro ducked under Leontina's kick and slammed his shin against the weight bearing leg, much higher than normal. Leontina hit the ground holding her leg and Iovis moved forward.
Before he could say or do anything, he heard Hrabanus' voice behind him. "Centruion, my squad leader is injured. Please accept me in her place."
Sicaro was laughing. "Such a typical female who can't fight for herself."
Leontina pushed herself up, trying to stand on her good leg. The drill centurion looked at Leontina, who fell right over with a gasp of pain. "The substitution is acceptable." Iovis immediately moved to assist Leontina, who wasn't very pleased.
"Let go of me, Iovis. I will show him what a female can do."
Iovis' nerves were on edge. Be quiet, Leontina. Do you want to be injured and wash out?
Leontina looked away and didn't respond, mentally or otherwise. Iovis sat her down and let the medics look her over. He could her Sicaro's voice taunting Hrabanus. "So they bring in the back up squad leader to replace the pathetic female. I heard about you, struggling against that colonial trash. Your path-"
Hrabanus' dark voice and clear court accent caused Iovis to turn around. Hrabanus was talking down to the male, superior to inferior, with a tone that Iovis had never heard from the male. "Be silent you spurless, pompus, sack of skak. You have damaged someone I enjoy sparing with. Now come and receive your recompense!"
The match began and Hrabanus shot forwards leveling a heavy punch to Sicaro's face. The male staggered back snarling at Hrabanus. Sicaro advanced and struck out with a powerful kick. Hrabanus deflected the blow with one arm and struck another heavy blow to the male's face sending him to the ground. Hrabanus locked eyes with the male and snarled back at him, sending a shiver up Iovis' spine. Compared to Hrabanus' feral snarl, Sicaro's sounded like an angry child who didn't get their way. Sicaro stood up again and again, striking harder and harder. Every blow was either dodged or deflected by Hrabanus. He followed his deflections with heavy punches to Sicaro's face.
Since the match began Hrabanus had only struck the male's face and only with his fists. He is playing with him. Iovis would have a hard time saying he didn't enjoy watching Hrabanus beat Sicaro into the ground. Sicaro had hurt his best friend and if Hrabanus didn't volunteer to fight the male, Iovis would have volunteered himself.
Hrabanus connected with another heavy blow across Sicaro's face, rocking his head back. The male used his momentum to spin around and throw a spur kick at the right side of Hrabanus' body. Iovis felt everyone in his squad move forward at the sight. He felt the familiar tingle of biotic energies wash over his body, until he noticed that Hrabanus had blocked most of the damage of the kick, with only the point of the spur sticking into his side. Before the centurions moved in, Hrabanus launched a counterattack. Keeping a hold on his opponent's foot, Hrabanus removed the spur from his body and shattered his knee with a heavy blow from his other hand. Hrabanus released Sicaro's crippled leg, spun around, and swung his talons down across the male's face. There was a splatter of azure blood on the mats as Kerion hit the ground, holding the side of his face and screaming, blood oozing between his fingers. Hrabanus' right hand was mangled. The middle finger of the hand was overextended from his hand, clearly broken, while the last finger's talon was bent backwards, bleeding freely. Hrabanus didn't seem to notice the pain. Two centurions were holding him back by the shoulders, but he wasn't fighting them. The Syglar-painted male turned his head to face the rest of Squad 225. "Does any other member of this squad want to try and cripple me?" His voice rose over the chatter of the medics that were loading Sicaro onto a stretcher and Sicaro's own painful screams.
No one took Hrabanus up on his offer, not that Iovis could blame them. Hrabanus was laid on a stretcher as well and taken to the infirmary, to prevent the poison from Sicaro's spurs from spreading through his body.
The matches continued without Hrabanus, Sicaro, and Leontina, who followed Hrabanus to the infirmary for her leg injury. Many of Squad 234 followed Hrabanus' example and summarily defeating their opponents.
The only recruits remaining in the last match were Iovis and Pythius. The match was long and brutal, but eventually Iovis, bloodied and missing teeth, finally pinned his equally bloody opponent. I am not the only one irritated by our Squad Leader's injury, am I Pythius? Iovis helped his opponent up as he was awarded squad leadership of the newly consolidated Squad 234. Iovis didn't even feel happy about his new position and simply turned to the male beside him. "Pythius, you are in charge of the other side of the barracks. I expect you to integrate them with the spirit of the squad and remove any damage that pathetic excuse for a male did to his squads. Take Xanthia as your second."
Pythius had a confident smile. "I think we will enjoy that." He looked to Xanthia, who smiled at him. Along with Pythius and Xanthia's move, Iovis made a few more changes to the other side of the barracks. He returned to the barracks room that he now shared with Hrabanus and Phaedra. Squad 225 had come into the consolidation with 39 recruits, having lost a recruit in a sparring incident, and Iovis was sure that Sicaro wasn't returning with the injuries that Hrabanus gave him.