"Wait a minute, young lady, where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to fight, like I said!"

"Not on the front lines, you won't! Follow me."

Kipo huffed but did as she was told, and Saliska ran in front of them.

"Saliska," the guardian said, "are you going to tell your friends that we're not a threat to them before they get shooting?"

"Oh, eia!" She closed two eyes, looking at them both in turn. "Thank you!" She scurried away, again going to four limbs, and Kipo watched with purposefully distracted fascination. Such an interesting evolution the Eliksni had.

"It would be just our luck," the guardian muttered, "if we get out of the cell just to get shot."

"That won't happen," Kipo stated, a little more confidently than she felt. She kept her sidearm low, just in case. She kept an eye on the guardian as they carefully rounded the defenses, weapons lowered, but the guardian seemed filled with a new resolve. Well, it seemed closer to resignation, honestly, but Kipo understood that.

"Here," he said, and suddenly the Night Watch was in his hand, the long rifle reflecting the blue lights of the warren dully. "That little thing won't do a lot of good at the ranges we'll be shooting at."

Kipo shoved the sidearm back in its holster, and hefted the larger gun, also accepting the stack of magazines that was offered. "So, if we're not fighting up there, what's the plan?"

He stopped and pointed. "See there? The Eliksni have set up in a V, trying to cover the attackers with fire from both sides. Nowhere to hide or take cover."

Kipo nodded. Then the door, and the rest of the room, shook as a BOOM impacted it. "Uh oh."

He nodded. "Uh oh is right. That door isn't going to hold forever, I'd give it another minute at most. So, we'll be back here, supporting them from a distance."

They approached a row of Eliksni, all bearing long weapons. They looked at the guardian and child with caution, but Kipo noticed suddenly that Kelsik was one of them.

"Kelsik!" Kipo said, smiling. "Is there room for two more back here?"

She eyed them, her compatriots looking at her, askance. "You're fighting with us?"

"We're all in this together, now!" Kipo said, and the guardian muttered something under his breath. Kipo ignored him. "I never wanted to be your enemy, and now I get a chance to prove that."

Kelsik didn't say anything to her in reply, but with a phrase in Eliksni there was space made for them.

Wordless, the guardian knelt behind the makeshift barricade that had been set up. He pulled out the Damietta from dataspace, the massive sniper held easily in his hand, and sat behind one of the support pillars that held up the roof. He addressed Kipo. "We'll take shots from here, behind the V." He looked directly at her. "If the front line breaks, you run. Understood?"

Kipo nodded. "What about you?"

He grinned sardonically. "I can come back to life, remember? I'll give them a fight while you get away and hide or something."

Now that the guardian had decided to help, Kipo thought that maybe now was a good time to bring up something she'd noticed. "Well, Saliska said that the other Eliksni were escaping, but they weren't going up the stairs, so maybe there's another exit?"

As another BOOM shook the door in its frame, and nerves began to build in her. She'd fought people before, she could do this! But as she knelt beside the guardian, raising the Night Watch to her shoulder, she could feel the unease creeping in. She'd never fought with guns, and after seeing that Cabal fall in the blink of an eye… Kipo swallowed. Death would happen fast if she messed up.

And… Kipo took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She'd have to kill, too. She opened her eyes, and narrowed them. Yes, that was a big deal. But they were asking for it, by attacking these people. She could do this.

Saliska ran up to her, drawing her rifle, and Kipo smiled at the Eliksni girl, trying to hide the anxiety in her. "We'll be ok! Just stick with us, all right?"

"Eia. Ok." Saliska didn't look convinced, but Kipo held up a hand. The Eliksni looked at it, then gave her a high-five. Kipo smiled at her, then returned her attention to the metal door.

Kipo settled behind the barricade, taking deliberate breaths. "Guardian?"

"Yeah?"

"I've realized something."

"What is it?" He looked at her.

She kept her eye down the sights of the Watch. "Sometimes you can try and talk to people, and make peace." Kipo gestured at the Eliksni around them, all united in the defense of their home. "It's possible, and you should at least try."

Then she looked back at the guardian, and it was hard to keep her eyes up, her expression saddening. "But, sometimes you can't. Sometimes the other people don't let you try. Sometimes, they won't listen."

"Sometimes they're a military empire that has twenty-three translations for the word 'war'."

"Yeah, sometimes they're that," Kipo chuckled, then considered. "Wait, you speak Cabal?"

"It's called Ulurant, and no, not really."

"Ah. Anyway, it's just kind of sad. I don't want to fight them," Kipo said, sagging against the barricade. "But I have no choice," she muttered.

"A lot of this world is like that, fighting because the world doesn't give you a choice." The guardian nodded. But then, he reached out and touched her shoulder. "But, you're also right, you know."

"How so?"

He was silent for a second, then he looked around. "I never would have thought I'd fight beside Eliksni. And that's all because of you, Kipo." He met her eyes again, and smiled. "You're right. It is possible."

She returned the smile, and reached up and touched his hand.

And then the door blew open. Kipo barely had time to react as shards of metal were flung across the empty area in front of the door. But there were others paying better attention; at a cry from the Captain, the Eliksni began to shoot.

And suddenly the world was noise and fire and blue lightning.

The guardian fired his massive rifle beside her, and the boom shook her bones. An explosion blended with everything else out in the short hall beyond the door. Shadowed shapes moved and fell as beams and tracers took them, sending them to the ground.

And then Kipo could see them. The Cabal. Huge armored figures bearing thick shields waded through the storm of blue energy, shoving aside their dead comrades. She looked through her scope and began to fire, aiming at feet and legs, and under the combined weight of the entire room's weaponry, the first group through the door fell, barely able to return fire.

In the shadowed doorway, something massive was fired with a WHOOMP. Kipo's sharp eyes caught the metal object as it was launched into the room, and she barely had time to call, "GET DOWN" before one side of the Eliksni's V was struck by roiling flames. The explosion's shockwave pushed everyone down, and Kipo was almost knocked off her feet.

The Cabal charged. More shield bearers stormed the entrance, slamming their shields into the ground, where they planted and expanded, forming huge energy walls. More Cabal filed in behind them, firing through them.

Kipo ducked as a round whistled over her head, but she gritted her teeth and raised the Watch again. She fired, the gun bucking in her hands, but she could see her bullets taking a figure down, the holes in their armor seemingly disproportionate to the size of her rounds.

"Aim for the center of their shields! It's a weak spot!" the guardian called, then he fired again, sniper rifle booming, and an energy shield failed as it was pierced. The guardian stuck out a hand, and in an instant a knife made of sun was in between his fingers. He threw it through the gap he'd made, and it exploded, pure orange flames shredding the armor of three of their attackers.

"Nice one!" she called, almost screaming to be heard over the gunfire, adrenaline surging through her body. Her jaguar power called out to her now, to fight, to run, to roar and devour those that threatened her, but she shoved it back, gritting her teeth.

Kelsik shouted in Eliksni, and Saliksa translated quickly, saying words between her shots. "Focus on the gap, give the survivors cover!"

"Ok!" Kipo shot some more until empty clicking rang. She panicked for a moment, then her drilling with the guardian came back to her. She ejected the empty mag, slotted a new one in smoothly, and drew back the bolt. She rose, aimed, then killed two Cabal in a matter of seconds. She tried not to think too hard about the ruptured suits that bled black, and kept her gaze away from the burning Eliksni corpses on the right side of the line.

For the damage it had taken, the line hadn't collapsed. The explosion had been powerful enough to blow down the barricades close to it, but other Eliksni had taken cover in time and were now returning fire, some dragging their injured comrades back.

There were more kinds of Cabal now, entering and securing their foothold. There were the normal large fellows with their blocky guns and their shield bearing companions, but there were also smaller aliens, slim and lightly armored, bearing long-barreled guns; these took up strategic positions, waiting for a chance to fire.

One of the Eliksni in Kipo's line was hit, a scream of pain coming from her right, and Kipo's instincts flared, and she turned. Was it Kelsik!? Maybe she could–

"Kipo, no!" the guardian called. "They'll deal with the wounded, keep your attention on the attack!"

She ripped her gaze back to the enemy line, aligning her eye with the scope. She tried to steady her frantic breathing, and kept firing, unsure how much good she was doing. She let some of her power into her eyes, trying to see better through the smoke. There was a group of Cabal behind the shields, and Kipo gasped as she made out the warriors with their giant swords, getting ready for… something.

"Watch out!" she called, "They're planning!"

"Where!?" the guardian replied.

"Third shield to the right!"

The guardian fired, and the shield collapsed. Kipo fired hurriedly, but another shield-bearer closed the gap. The guardian swore, and closed his hand into a fist. Suddenly it flared with orange light, and he tossed it overhead. It spat sparks as it flew and landed solidly behind the new shield. Bellows of panic, then an explosion of fire tore through the line.

"NICE!" Kipo shouted, baring fangs in a smile, but it disappeared as several other blade-wielding Cabal leapt over their shieldwall, burning jets on their backs propelling them forward at insane speeds. They hit the ground running, much closer than Kipo thought possible, charging directly for the back line, bolts of energy bouncing off their thick armor.

"KIPO, RUN!" the guardian shouted, rising and throwing down his rifle, drawing his revolver.

Kipo took Saliska's arm and tried to pull her back with her, but the Eliksni fell, and Kipo could only watch as one of the charging beings leapt over the barricade.

It swung its massive sword, and Kipo ducked under the heavy blow, firing madly with her rifle. She hit something important, and the Cabal staggered for a moment, but then Kipo realized she was out of bullets again.

Her eyes widened with horror. "Oh no."

The giant swung again, and Kipo leapt back from the burning sword, bringing her strength into her legs. She drew her sidearm and emptied the mag into the Cabal, pushing him back. She reloaded, this action more familiar. She took a moment to sight and fired again. The round was sent into the eye hole of the Cabal's helmet, snapping their head back in a burst of black fluid. It swung wildly, but Saliska sent a volley of blue bolts into the Cabal from where she lay. Kipo joined her and together they forced the giant to the ground.

But there was another right behind it. This Cabal laughed hoarsely and raised a leg to stomp Saliska into the ground.

Anger suddenly flared in Kipo, burning purple. "Oh, NO!" She braced, went to her knees, and power swelled through her. It only took a moment.

Her fist slammed into the Cabal's chest plate, crumpling it like paper. It fell back, roaring in pain, but behind it came several more. Kipo felt her pupils narrowing, ears growing into tufts, and muscles surging under her sleeves. She ignored the pain in her paw, bared her fangs, and dropped the Dynasty. She didn't need her gun now.

The next Cabal was wholly unprepared for the snarling being that leapt at him. With a slash, his armor was rent to ribbons, black oil streaming from the broken metal. The next swung his blades, and Kipo batted the strikes away, her claws sparking red off the flats of the wedges of steel. Her kick sent this Cabal flying into a companion. They seemed not quite as large as they had before, but Kipo didn't have time to process such things.

[Desperation.]

She heard the guardian calling out her name, but she didn't listen. She couldn't afford to be distracted right now. There were only three thoughts in her mind now. Don't lose control. Protect your friends. Destroy the enemy.

The next was a shield warrior. He swung his shield violently, and Kipo slid underneath the blow, using her size to her advantage. She slashed at a leg, bringing the Cabal down, then grabbed the shield in her other paw. Ripping it from his grasp, Kipo slashed downwards, claws tearing gashes in the metal. The next fired his rifle at her, and she felt the bullets graze her arm, and then her side, but she was moving too fast to care.

Kipo slashed the gun out of its owner's hand, but then was forced to dodge as its armored fist came rocketing at her. She slashed, but this Cabal was prepared, presumably from watching her kill his comrades. He struck again, and she caught his fist in her massive paw, claws piercing his wrist armor. The Cabal was strong, but she was stronger. He bellowed in rage, and she roared back, channeling so much more of the jaguar's destructive instinct then she ever had before.

[Separation.]

There was a dim memory of seeing her mother in pain far away, and feeling powerless. Yes, she'd felt this way before. But this time, even after her training, she dimly felt herself losing control, the violet rage taking over her mind, her slitted eyes filling with instinct.

Her claws tore at the Cabal, ripping and tearing until he fell, black liquid rushing and staining her paws.

[Destruction.]

"Kipo!"

She knew that voice. There were no more enemies directly in front of her, so she turned to find the source of it.

The guardian. Oh yeah! He was looking at her, eyes wide in shock and fear, and she felt herself return, mostly. Wait, was he… She smiled suddenly. He was an anchor for her too!

Then she felt pain, and realized that she was standing in the middle of a battlefield. Kipo ducked lower, shook her head, and took a deep breath. "Herbs OUT." She shrunk, and the mental pressure was pushed back, but Kipo kept the power in her eyes and legs, and she darted back over their cover, kneeling beside Saliska, who was back on her feet and watching Kipo with four wide eyes.

"Are you ok?" Kipo asked.

"What are you?" she asked, voice full of awe.

"I'm Kipo, don't worry about it. I'm glad you're alive."

The Eliksni closed two eyes. "Me too."

"Kipo!"

She looked at the guardian, who was firing his hand cannon. He looked back at her, and seemed to lose some of his tension. "Are you ok, you look bad."

She looked down, and saw the bloodstains on her, most of it not hers, and pain began to register on her arm and side. "Oh. I guess I got a little hurt." She smiled, feeling oddly dizzy. "But I can still fight! Are you ok?"

He ducked behind the pillar, reloading. The guardian gave her a disbelieving smile. "I'm fine, you should retreat, though."

"I'll be ok!" Kipo picked up the Night Watch and reloaded it. "See?" She rose slightly and put the rifle to her shoulder. In the scope she saw one of the smaller Cabal, and its sight was trained directly on–

A beam of red light, a crack, and Kipo's world became one of agony. Lights danced in her vision, and she screamed, and suddenly she was on the ground, not knowing when she'd gotten there.

"KIPO! NO!"

Kipo saw a blurred face in brief moments beyond her clenched eyes, the guardian, shouting. He shouted her name one more time, voice filled with pain, and then her vision was blooming with orange fire. The guardian… he was… he was… She almost couldn't believe her eyes, and somehow she felt wonder through the excruciating pain. He was shooting beams of shining beautiful sunlight from his revolver.

Kipo rolled onto her side and coughed, spitting up blood. Her thoughts began to coalesce, and her vision cleared slightly, but everything was still blurry from tears of pain. She'd been shot. She'd been shot, again. But this time was a whole lot worse. She looked down, and saw the gaping hole in her chest.

"Oh," she managed.

Saliska swam into view, her alien face twisted into an expression of desperate panic. She was calling out in Eliksni, then calling Kipo's name. Then the guardian was there, picking her up, taking her further from the battle. She jostled in his arms, but she somehow knew that she couldn't sense any more pain than she currently felt.

He set her down, and looked at her wound with abject horror. "We can't fix this, a warlock couldn't fix this, there's far too much blood, by the Traveler, Kipo, this can't be happening, Kipo, PLEASE DON'T DIE," the last words were a shout and she winced. The pain was dulled now, blurry like her vision. She could feel her jaguar power in her, raging, fighting, fading. His tears were falling on her face and mingling with hers, and she tried to gather her thoughts into words.

Her last words, she realized.

"Guardian."

"Don't talk. I have to find a way to slow the bleeding, somehow, there's got to be something–"

"Arren."

He stopped his frantic movement, and met her eyes, chest heaving. "What?"

Kipo touched his hand. "Arren. He was a friend of mine, but he died when I was really young." She smiled. "He was a good kid, and he was quiet, like you. Looked after me so I didn't get into trouble. Now it's your name, if you want it." She broke into coughing, and she could feel one of her lungs not reacting properly, air escaping from the hole in her. Blood had flecked on Arren's face. "Sorry," she whispered.

"No. No, Kipo."

"Sorry for leaving you like this. Please forgive me. I really enjoyed knowing you."

"Stop talking, please, it's only going to hurt you more–"

"Don't forget your promise," she said, her voice growing weaker by the moment. "You remember your promise you made me?"

Arren nodded, clutching at her hand with both of his.

"Please, go and live and be happy. Nothing could make me happier. Yeah?

"Yeah."

"Arren?"

"Yeah?"

"Did we win?"

He gave a sob, then nodded. "They're retreating. They didn't expect a guardian and a crazy pink monster."

Kipo gave a weak laugh, then groaned and clenched her eyes shut for the pain piercing her heart. At least Arren and the Eliksni would be ok. Most of them.

She could barely hear him through his sobs, and her hearing seemed to be failing. A steady darkness was encroaching on her vision. She didn't have a lot of time. "If you ever see my friends or family again, tell them I love them, please. Thank you so much for… for helping…"

"Kipo… thank you… for everything."

Kipo's last thought was of her friends, and her father, and of her mother, who she'd never get to save.