"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it"

Jean de la Fontaine

Decisions

Chaos reigned inside the battlestation, officers worked hard attempting to stabilize the dying monster, but it was in vain, the beam was locked on them there was no way to escape. Lux's virus had already infected their systems so the beam couldn't be turned off nor they could activate the engines. Realizing the helplessness of the situation and in absence of the commander in chief, the second in command ordered the full evacuation everybody ran for their lives boarding the escape modules as soon as possible, needless to say any troop movement to the ground was cancelled in favor of rescue actions nor the station or the fleet will be sending soldiers planetside, they were too busy trying to save themselves from this disaster, such was Lux genius that she even calculated their response.

Below them, on the surface rain and thunder started as the Raedsel ship landed and Katarina was the first to jump out and charge forward followed by the Raedsel detachment "Blood for Noxus!" she yelled making Garen turn around, halting his escape. The soldier looked at her coming, charging at him such an image that called for a response in kind, the Demacian transport landed behind him, Lux boarded it and looked back "Garen come on!" she yelled immediately realizing what was going through her brother mind "Don't! Garen come here!" but Garen wasn't listening, the thrill of seen her, her passion, her fierceness everything called him to her and so he raised his sword ready to receive her deadly embrace but something happened that Garen did not foresee…

From behind one of the Raedsel guard spear attacked Katarina, alert as always she managed to dodge the strike towards her leg sidestepping, but a second attack came and the woman barely dodge by jumping the attack which left a sligth flesh wound on her leg, then a third came and that one she couldn't dodge as it caught her landing, the spear lodge on her thigh, pain crawled her spine as a electric charge immobilized her leg, Garen was not sure what he was seen, confusion overtook him something inside told him to go there and save the woman "Garen!" another voice called, Lux was yelling for him desperately. Garen turned to Lux then towards Katarina who was now kneeling, then back to Lux who called him again, his duty told him to go away and so he did running towards the transport his mind in turmoil he didn't know what to do, his feet carried him fast and he boarded the transport that hastily left the ground.

Katarina looked him go but a hard impact turned her to reality as one of the Raedsel struck her cheek, dizzy and confused she rolled in the ground as she finally reacted towards them, the first came and she jumped over him, her leg bleed profusely, but she had to endure and ignore she was alone all alone, after landing her blades came down the back of the soldier as she spun to behead him and parry another attack with her offhand blade but a second one came piercing her shoulder, the excruciating pain made her scream a scream that somehow reached Garen's ears, she then sliced the spear and spun again cutting the soldiers throat and releasing 3 daggers to kill another one that was going to attack her from behind, but a third Raedsel charged and the spear pierced her stomach, she was weak now, too weak kneeling almost in defeat, she looked at her attacker, Katarina's emerald eyes didn't seem to dim, she was defiant even in the end.

Garen watched as she struggled for her life from the air through the still open hatch, the voice in his head repeated over and over "Save her!" why he was asking himself to do that, why? "Save her, don't you see?!" his eyes posed on her after receiving that last spear, after the soldier removed the spear, forcing her down on the mud, her long hair laid in the ground, dirty, flocks of hair wet, blooded and his mind finally clicked, she was the woman in the dreams, the woman he was chasing he turned away in regret, moving into the transport…

But just to take impulse as he turned again and ran forward, his men and sister didn't give credit when he passed in between them and jumped through the hatch with his battlecry loud and clear that inspired fear in the Raedsel, the build in jet pack on his commando light power armor activated slowing his descent for a few moments, until Garen deactivated it to gain impulse as he landed on top of the guard closer to Katarina, the same that just pierced her stomach.

The Demacian General raised, the guard laid at his feet, his blue eyes showed hate and anger, they hurt her and that made him angry, something stirred in him that told him he was not going to let her die, Garen gazed upon them as his sword raised and charged, his foot stomped on the guard's head below him crushing his skull, sending a clear message to the Raedsel

None was going to leave this place alive.

A dance of blades

Garen now stood in between the Raedsel Guards and their prey any other Demacian would have not given contempt, but this was Garen Crownguard even the Raedsel knew well to fear this man, even if they won by numbers 50 to 1, well 46 to 1 now.

"Get up!" he yelled to Katarina behind him "You are much better than this! Are you not?!" behind him, the assassin tried to get herself up her knees shacked, her arms trembled and the blood loss was intense as so was the pain "I… I…" she mumbled, rain pouring on her skin, blood surrounded her, the water on her skin helped a bit as her eyes gazed to her savior, she was confused at first, her eyes wide open in surprise, and she was surprised even more when he offered her a hand to raise "The mud doesn't suit you" the phrase triggered one of her memories, which made Katarina smile and forget the pain for a second, her delicate hand posed on his as the man helped her up, now on her feet she nodded to Garen who turned and faced the Raedsel, Katarina got her back against him, now they both guarded each other and the Raedsel began to feel a quite unknown sensation for them…

Panic.

"You know soldier… I always wanted to dance with you, again" Garen was still not sure what she meant by always speaking as if they knew each other "There are some questions I need you to answer, but for now, I'll oblige to your wishes" and that said the dance began

Garen charged first against a terrified Raedsel, ramming him with the shoulder placing him off guard as the ascendant slash came up slicing him in half, snapping out of the trance the Raedsel beside tried to counter attack but was met with two blades on his chest, Katarina then sliced to the sides, cutting torso from legs as she jumped to the next target with lighting speed, thunders roared in the distance adding a strange music to this dance of death, a dance macabre. The next Raedsel felt Katarina's knees on his face, forcing him down as Garen came behind her impaling the guard to the ground with his blade, a blast of energy released from his sword in a vertical fashion blowing the insides of the guard to nothing, following this Garen turned and with the sword on one hand performed a vertical descending slash, cutting another guard in half, Katarina covered his back, shifting in a quick motion towards an approaching enemy and releasing a flurry of blades on his chest and then spinning to release a barrage of daggers towards the opposite side, catching 4 guards, daggers piercing their four eyed helmets, a second spin and she was again at Garen's back, who stood mighty and ready.

"Breathtaking isn't it?" she teased, Garen remained silent but nodded, he had to admit fighting along her was something he was rather enjoying "Keep your focus" he replied, almost scolding, almost "You are losing energy faster because of the blood loss, we need to finish this quickly, not to mention the gigantic piece of debris about to fall on our heads" Katarina looked at the sky, the station was falling apart and drifting towards the moon "Oh… that, clever by the way" she said to Garen "Save your compliments for my sister, she was the one who devised the plan" Katarina chuckled "I was surprised, you wasn't that brilliant before, I guess some things never change"

Garen huffed and moved forward, this time feinting as the Raedsel readied his spear to impale him, instead of that Katarina came by the side and killed him as Garen moved to another target, with might he parried the piercing spear and grabbed the Guard's head, pressure applied, he crushed the helmet and used him as a bashing weapon against another Raedsel, as he did this a blade pierced his side, Katarina quickly reacted and dispatched the attacker with a quick slice at its throat "Sorry!" she said jumping on to the next "See what I meant! focus!" he yelled as another Guard charged, Garen drops his sword and grabs the spear letting it pass by the side, making a show off his almost Godly strength he lift the guard and throws it away against a crowd of them, just like if a giant flipped a table "Not my fault you have that ass!" Katarina said as she backstabbed another guard, throwing a kiss in Garen direction, obviously by now the Demacian was bewildered with her taunts. In the meantime, Katarina moved quickly, shadowstepping here and there, slicing everytime she came out of a shadow, and with each slice another Guard laid death.

Unstoppable, unbeatable, a fearsome force of nature, a hurricane of blades, that what their dance seemed, there was no way for the Raedsel to win, and in the end just one remained, completely frightened against the two warriors in front of him, at the same time both charged, Garen blade found home on the Guard chest as Katarina's found the target at its back, the soldier died almost instantly, both warriors pulled out their blades and spined to finish off what was left of the soldier, but the body fell lifeless and their weapons clashed unintentionally, both breathed heavily, tired out of the titanic effort of killing more than 40 of the best Noxian soldiers, a baptism of fire, 40 to 1 in a sense, because they fought as one.

Their eyes met, for the first time without violence in them and Garen found her eyes enthralling, beautifully enthralling, she smiled at him her weakness was noticeable and dizziness took her, not able to hold any longer Katarina passed out, her blades falling in the muddy ground while her body leaned forward falling into the arms of Garen who promptly and instinctively dropped the sword to hold her.

And thus they remained idle and for a moment, Garen felt he found something he was looking for.

Answers (Part 1)

It was dark, way too dark, but Katarina knew somehow she was safe, she felt been carried away by strong arms, probably Garen's, she dare open her eyes slightly and indeed Garen carried her, handcuffed but in his arms "Save for the cuffs, this could even be considered romantic... I think I like the cuffs as well" she though, a smirk on her face, albeit it was barely visible considering she didn't even have strength left to make much of a facial gesture, she leaned her head on his chest, hearing his heart beat, such a lovely sound it made for her that made Katarina forget she was in the custody of Demacians, however since Swain betrayed her, why will it matter?, without much else to think or do, Katarina drifted back to unconsciousness.

The next time she woke up, she felt way better, not only her wounds were healing thanks to her advanced regeneration cells, somebody treated her wounds, the red head looked around she wasn't in a brig, rather it was a sickbay save for the fact she was tied to the bed she didn't look like a prisoner, more like another wounded, with the same clothing the wounded had and all.

On another section of the ship Garen, Lux and a couple of technicians examined Katarina's belongings, blades and daggers, her light body armor, resilient to an extent but mostly flexible, the damaged black suit, no explosives, nothing that seemed like a trap, apparently the betrayal by the guards was real.

"Why would they betray her, brother?" Lux inquired looking at one of the sharp blades "I don't know Lux, I don't know" he replied looking at the blade, the situation was confusing, was there a power struggle in Noxus? Why would swain lose one of the best he had? "Well, at least we got the station down, one less thing to worry" Lux concluded leaving the sword back on the table.

"Sir…" one of the technicians called to Garen holding the strange container Katarina carried, it was small, but the tag was what called his attention "What is it Connors?" he replied looking at the stranged expression of the man. Lux kindly took the container from the hands of the Technician and her surprise was evident "Garen…" she said showing the contraption to Garen, he immediately opened his eyes wide in surprise after reading the name on the tag…

Garen Crownguard…

"Why is your name on a Noxian device?" Lux inquired but Garen had no answer, only one person had the answer he needed "I don't know Lux, but I will find out" the soldier said taking the container and leaving the room with haste

Merely minutes passed as he walked towards the sickbay, entering without announcement he went straight for the isolation area where Katarina was held, two guards at the door saluted him, Garen walked inside after the door opened and seconds later it closed behind him.

"We need to talk" Garen said looking at the now recovering Katarina, she was sitting on the bed, still tied by metallic handcuffs to the furniture

"Yes we do, I have waited 900 years for this"