Darkness and Lightning 17: Endings and Beginnings
Several orns had passed since the death of Dai Atlas and Axe, and the chaos in the Citadel was finally starting to subside. Of the seven master Knights who had been candidates for the next leader of the Circle, two had backed out in the face of the political uproar. Of the remaining five, they were pretty much at a stalemate in their discussions.
The largest of the five, a red-armored airframe, vented heavily, leaning back in his seat. "This is getting nowhere." He looked around the chamber, ignoring Lightstrike's intense glare. "We've been locked in a stalemate for three orns now."
"And what do you suggest, then?" Bladewing asked, narrowing her optics at the larger mech.
"This decision doesn't just affect us. It affects the entire Circle. So, put it to a vote, like we do for new Initiates when they're ready to join the Knights." Orange optics moved over each other others.
"So you can rig the voting?" Lightstrike's optics narrowed suspiciously.
"I'm not rigging anything," Shogun retorted calmly.
"Master Shogun has a point," the second femme of the group, a small but exquisitely deadly Ankmorian Light Jet that went by Marwir, agreed. "This decision does affect the whole Circle. Perhaps a vote, of all the living Knights, would be the best way."
"Not all of the Knights are in the Citadel," Bladewing pointed out. "Knights Drift and Wing have not been seen since Masters Dai Atlas and Axe fell."
"Knights Drift and Wing have had their own issues to deal with," Shogun replied smoothly. "They will be summoned to the Citadel for the vote."
"No one knows where they are," Lightstrike snarled.
"I know where they are, and I know one other who does as well." Shogun's optics went briefly out of focus as he summoned Thorn to the chamber.
"Then it is agreed, four to one," the five and oldest of them, Tamerix, spoke with the finality of one used to getting his way. Mostly because he only spoke when he knew the inevitable results.
There was only a moment of tense silence before Thorn appeared, his frame taunt and wings folded tightly against his back. "You summoned me, Masters?"
"Master Shogun has suggested that the decision be put to a vote of all living Knights." Bladewing turned her emerald gaze on the black jet. "Knights Drift and Wing must be summoned back to the Citadel, and Master Shogun summoned you because he believes you know where their lair is."
The quiver that went through their master blackmailer was indication enough that yes, he knew, and no, he was not about to go. "Begging the master's pardon, but I would not get close enough to pass on the summons."
Shogun rumbled. "And my frame is too large to fit through the caves." A red wing shifted. "Ping me the exact coordinates, and I will send someone else to fetch them."
Thorn nodded in eager agreement, sending the quick databurst in the most encrypted format he knew. After the thrashing Drift had given him over a few words and an interface, he wasn't about to risk the pair's temper again.
Shogun made a humming sound to acknowledge that he'd gotten the databurst, then dismissed Thorn. The red Knight thought for a moment.
"And just who are you going to send?" Lightstrike sneered. "Another Knight?"
"Someone I trust," Shogun shot back, glaring at the other Knight. "But not a Knight, and no one you know. No one you can harass for the coordinates later."
That said, he opened a comm line to one of the seven members of his harem. The femme accepted the request and the databurst, re-encrypted in a format only Shogun himself or his harem could decipher.
Drift was the first to react to the ping warning of an approaching mecha in the tunnels. He slipped from the berth where he and Wing had spent much of the time snuggling with Nightsun tucked protectively between them.
~I'll see who and see them off,~ Drift promised silently as he sheathed his Great Sword and double-checked his blaster's charge. ~Stay with Nightsun.~
The dark jet nodded, curling protectively around their surviving sparkling. Nightsun pressed himself against his carrier's chestplate, peering out over Wing's arms. The tiny mech had become even more clingy after the death of his sister, latching onto his creators at every opportunity.
~We'll be right here,~ Wing promised, watching his mate stalk toward the door.
With a rumble Drift checked the monitor, then scowled and opened the bond enough to show Wing the blue-green groundframe femme, slightly taller than Wing but lightly armored and unarmed, outside. ~Know her?~
~Red collar,~ Wing pointed out immediately. ~See the glyph? She's one of Shogun's. If she's here then he must have sent her. I'm not sure what her name is.~
~Good enough to open the door for her,~ Drift decided as he keyed the inside lock and slid into the gap. It blocked her way in, but gave her a clear visual on who she was going to speak to. "Yes?"
Soft blue optics scanned over the dark grounder. "Knight Drift?" The femme stepped up to the door, but gave no indication of wishing to enter. "I am Azure. Master Shogun sent me to find you and Knight Wing."
"You have found them. What is the message?" Drift asked, relaxing slightly.
"The Circle is being assembled for a vote on who will become the new leader," Azure replied. "All members of the Circle must take part. You and Wing are being called back to the Citadel to participate." She shifted. "Master Shogun commented that he was going to send another Knight to fetch you, but the other Knight refused. He said you'd know who he meant."
A vicious smile crossed Drift's features. "Nice to know he remembered his lesson about being here."
~Love, we have to return to the Citadel, to vote on the next leader. Even if it wasn't an order, we need to support Shogun in this.~
~Not leaving Nightsun, not even with Governess,~ Wing informed his mate firmly. ~If we have to go to the Citadel, we're bringing Nightsun with us.~ The dark jet peeked around the doorframe of their berthroom, holding their sparkling close.
~Shogun promised he would be safe,~ Drift reminded his mate. ~We'll take him with us.~ He focused back on Azure. "We will be there within a joor."
Azure nodded, bowing respectfully before turning and making her way back out of the tunnels.
Wing emerged from the berthroom, walking over to join his mate. Nightsun clung to his carrier's armor.
"Walk there?" Drift suggested, decidedly not keen on the idea of being flown.
The dark jet nodded, shifting Nightsun in his arms. "It's a nice orn for a walk," he agreed. One wing extended to touch Drift's arm, then folded to his back again. And it would give him a chance to gather his nerves before reentering the Citadel.
Drift leaned close and kissed him softly, his hand moving to rub both Wing joints. "Then let's put together some supplies for Nightsun and go. You can fly him back as soon as the voting is done."
The Citadel of Shadows loomed ahead of the pair, Knights visible moving about here and there. Wing's wings shifted against his back, the only outward sign of nervousness. Nightsun whined softly, trying to burrow deeper into his carrier's chassis.
~Here we go,~ Wing murmured to Drift.
~Yes,~ Drift slid an arm around Wing's waist and moved a little closer. The tension in the entire compound was palpable. No matter who a Knight backed, there was a strong possibly that if your choice didn't take over, you were effectively dead.
Wing pressed his shoulder against his mate's, the faint trembling of his frame clearly felt where their armor touched. For a moment the dark jet stayed where he was, then, slowly, he resumed their walk toward the Citadel.
Apparently their arrival had been watched for. As they approached, there was movement by the gates as a deep purple and silver Knight stepped forward, the hilt of her Great Sword shining silver over her helm.
"Snapshot," Drift greeted her, grateful to have a relatively friendly face to explain the details.
She motioned them to follow her. "Five of the seven masters are standing for the position of Leader of the Circle of Shadow. Masters Tamerix, Shogun, Lightstrike, Marwir and Bladewing." She listed them off in order of seniority, carefully guarding who, if any, she favored. She gave a hard look at Wing and the very young black sparkling clinging to him. "I heard Dai Atlas killed your sparkling."
"He killed our older sparkling." There was ice in Wing's tone, the dark jet returning the hard look. "Nightsun was still at our home when Starcrossed was killed."
She nodded and turned her attention to where they were going. "All five agreed to put who will lead us to a vote among all Knights. The choices are only those five masters."
Wing relaxed ever so slightly, following the femme Knight. He stayed close to Drift, though. In his arms, Nightsun peered at their surroundings, peeking over Wing's shoulder to take in every detail that he could see. Other Knights, heading in the same direction Snapshot was leading them, gave the sparkling curious looks.
"I'm surprised Lightstrike is still in contention," Wing commented. What he knew of the master Knight flowed through the bond to Drift, and none of it was any good.
"All the masters are, unless they remove themselves," she shrugged. "That's what Nightstrike and Angel did."
"And Lightstrike is determined to take the position," Wing murmured. He looked down the corridor, spotting the doors of the Circle's main meeting chamber.
More Knights were starting to fill the corridor. Wing eased closer to Drift, watching the others warily as they took note of the sparkling he carried. Nightsun blinked at them over Wing's arms. Drift did his absolute best impersonation of Megatron ready to kill anything within reach ... which wasn't that far from the truth.
~I see Thorn,~ Wing murmured, his wings loosening from their strut-creakingly tight tuck as the other Knights shied away from Drift, creating a pocket of open space around them.
They both saw the moment Thorn realized that part of the inky blackness that was Wing had tiny purple optics, his surprise, then comprehension as he made the same connections Shogun had.
Nightsun blinked in the direction of the other black jet, while Wing kept a wary optic on his former lover and Drift glared painful death upon him.
Thorn quickly looked away and dipped his wings in a mixture of submission and offer of sympathy for their loss, then fluttered slightly in offered congratulations.
~I think he's learned well,~ Drift didn't hide the smug satisfaction that the older Knight still feared him after half a century.
The Knights filed into the meeting hall, taking their places. In the center of the chamber were the five masters who were vying for the position as leader of the Circle of Shadows. Noticeably absent were the two mecha who normally ruled this room. It made it both lighter and heavier for Wing knowing his creators were gone, even if they had stepped past the line where he cared for them any more.
Lightstrike was a large white mech with black trim, who probably would have been a handsome mech if it wasn't for the aura of insanity and the mad light in blue optics. His votes would come from those too afraid of him to make any stand, not that there were many, and the couple insane enough to like him.
Marwir, her deep purples and blacks having long been used as a connection to both Dai Atlas and Axe, stood nearly opposite him, making a quiet display of her opposition. Despite the connection, and her definite insanity, she was among the most stable of the masters.
Next to her stood the tall red form of Shogun, who was keeping a cautious optic on his near polar opposite. Most knew many would vote for him simply because he was the most predictable of the contenders. It was a rare trait for a Knight who lasted as long as Shogun had.
Bladewing with her several shades of blue, trimmed with purple and gray, her face impassive, stood next to Marwir. Her green optics flicking between the other mecha, judging and gauging.
None of them were very concerned over Tamerix. The oldest of the Knights had a valid claim, but not the political backing among the Circle to stand much of a chance.
Wing settled into his place, Nightsun on his lap. The sparkling clung to his arm with one hand, the other grasping the edge of the table. Next to them Drift claimed his spot and rested one hand on Nightsun's back.
One of the other Knights, not quite a master himself, stood in the center of the chamber, equally distant from the five masters. He was careful not to look at the five, keeping his attention on the other mecha filling the seats lining the meeting chamber.
Once all the other Knights were in their seats, the gray Knight in the center of the chamber spoke.
"Knights of the Circle of Shadows, before you stand the five candidates for the position of Master of Shadows. They have been unable to decide a course of action amongst themselves, so now it has been decided that the Circle as a whole will cast their vote for who will take the position," Mist announced.
Nightsun was staring with rapt attention at the curved silver crest of Shogun's helm. The red Knight was standing close enough for the spreading crest to come within grabbing range from time to time. Shogun glanced around the group of masters, then started as small fingers seized the closest edge of his helm crest, Nightsun letting out a triumphant giggle as Wing tried to get his sparkling to let go.
Any other Knight would have had the pair of creators in full retreat, but the vorns they had spent under Master Shogun's tutelage made them trust that he wouldn't take undue offence at a sparkling.
Still, Drift tensed until the master smiled slightly and waited for Wing to free his hand before moving his helm and crest out of reach. Only then did Shogun turn to look at what had grabbed him. Bright purple optics met his orange, the sparkling giggling at him. The big red mech chirred a warm greeting, then turned his attention back to the proceedings.
"It has been agreed that each master will hum a tone. Those who vote for them match that tone," Mist explained. "Master Tamerix, as the most senior, if you would begin."
The older green, deep blue and white mech rumbled slightly before settling on a tone. One by one, the other masters joined the building symphony.
"Knights, cast your votes."
A multi-toned harmony began to fill the room as the gathered Knights cast their votes. Mist turned in a slow circle, tallying up the votes.
There were audibly few votes for Lightstrike. The white master's expression was ugly, the look in his optics one most recognized as similar to the look Dai Atlas had sported before rending someone limb from limb. Armor flared on at least two of the other masters and half the audience.
"Fewest votes, Lightstrike," Mist announced, then winced away from the white Knight's enraged snarl.
This time Drift literally grabbed Wing and pulled him out of his chair to put as much distance, and himself, between his family and the fight that was about to happen. He trusted his mate to keep a tight grip on their sparkling for the trip.
"Lightstrike, step down," Marwir rumbled, glaring up at the much larger mech with no fear.
The sound Lightstrike made was an incoherent noise of fury, the look in his optics making it clear that whatever sanity he had left was rapidly slipping away. Wild blue optics flicked from master to master, white armor bristling.
"Here we go," Shogun muttered under his breath. "Lightstrike, control yourself!"
Wing retreated to the very top tier of the chamber, pressing his back against the wall and peering around Drift while Nightsun made himself as small as possible in his carrier's arms, warm and feeling safe surrounded by the plating of his creators. Despite having their attention focused on the masters and the impending fight, both took note of the Knights that made a point of getting between them and the action.
Tamerix stepped back, dropping into a defensive position, though he didn't draw his blades yet.
Marwir stepped up with Shogun, ready to fight.
With a bellow Lightstrike drew both his short swords and lunged at Shogun, his perceived chief rival.
Shogun choose to draw his swords rather than his naginata this time, due to the more confined space. He sidestepped the first strike, parrying the second. Bladewing backed out of the way as the least sane of the masters attacked the two sanest.
Wing made a tiny chirr as he noted the other Knights putting their own frames and armor between the fighting masters and their tiny sparkling.
~It's good to know most still value a sparkling's life,~ Drift murmured, watching as Marwir and Shogun silently coordinated a joint battle. Watching Lightstrike turn on them brought intense flashbacks of Dai Atlas for Drift, and that made his tanks churn ands spark ache for the creation bond that had broken far too early.
~It is,~ Wing agreed.
Somehow Shogun and Marwir managed to keep Lightstrike from getting a definitive strike on either of them while gashes and gouges were practically appearing in the white armor. Together, the two drove the bellowing white master backward, against the rim of the central area. The seated Knights discreetly inched backward out of the way. No one wanted to get caught in the swirl of blades that three master-level Knights in a serious fight produced.
With the aid of her powerful turbines, Marwir bolted forward to slice the back of both of Lightstrike's knees while Shogun kept him distracted.
Lightstrike's hoarse bellow sounded more like a rabid mecha beast than a sentient mech. He stumbled, energon running down his legs from severed fuel lines, trying to keep his balance on legs that would no longer support him. The enraged mech turned on Marwir, optics glowing nearly white with utter madness.
Seeing an opportunity, Shogun took it. He dashed forward, slamming his shoulder into Lightstrike, sending the staggering white master back into the wall. Before Lightstrike could get his bearings, pain slashed through his sensor net, following the path of the gleaming sword blade jammed nearly to the hilt through his chest.
"Masterful pin, Shogun," Marwir complemented him, her manner one of honest admiration. "Even Redline should be grateful for the lack of serious damage."
Shogun chuckled. "I've ended up on the wrong side of Redline one too many times; hopefully this will let me off the hook this time." He released the sword hilt, leaving the weapon embedded in the wall, holding Lightstrike transfixed. Stepping back, he sheathed the other sword and returned to his place in the circle.
Mist peeled himself away from the wall now that the fighting was over and eased back into the center of the gathering. He looked around nervously, watching the various Knights ease back to their seats, though the ones who normally sat behind where Lightstrike had been pinned found other spots to be. When the room settled again, he cycled his vocalizer.
"Second vote!" he declared. "Lightstrike is out of the contention. Knights, cast your votes."
The masters once more chose their tone and the Circle joined in. Tamerix was clearly out, and truly had been the first time. While Bladewing had a reasonable amount of support, there was no question that Marwir and Shogun were heavily favored.
"Master Tamerix is out," Mist announced, nodding slightly to the oldest of the masters. He watched the remaining three, but they remained where they were, waiting patiently.
After the third vote, Bladewing was also out. She leaned against the wall by the entrance, content to watch and listen as the votes were cast for the fourth time.
Mist blinked several times as he listened to the two-tone humming. "Masters Marwir and Shogun are tied."
The two masters looked at each other.
"Combat to blackout?" Marwir suggested.
Shogun pondered the idea for a moment, then nodded his acceptance. As one of his swords was pinning Lightstrike to the wall, for this he would be using his naginata.
"Then to the arena," she inclined her helm to him and smoothly walked to the door, expecting the gathering to follow to the more appropriate venue for ritual combat. Despite her undeniable madness, she was decidedly stable as long as one did not break the rules. It had served her well over the vorns, especially in this Circle where madness usually meant instability as well.
Shogun followed, leaving Lightstrike pinned where he was. Someone would pry the white Knight down later, or the red mech would do it himself after everything was done with. The other Knights began flowing after the two, everyone heading for the largest of the arenas.
In the arena, the crowd spread out into the raised, tiered benches along the walls. Wing tugged Drift up to the highest tier, where they had a clear view but would be well out of range of the weapons in use, even the long reach of Shogun's naginata. He wrapped his arms firmly around Nightsun, keeping the sparkling from trying to squirm loose.
Drift sat next to his family, his arms around his mate and sparkling, ready to pull or push them out of the way of any projectile that might come their way. He trusted both the masters in the arena not to target them, but the loss was still far too raw for him to be completely rational about it.
He did take note of those Knights who looked at them and then positioned themselves to be an additional protection to the young life they held. This day was already changing his opinion of a few of his fellow Knights for the better.
Last into the arena was Redline, carrying an energon-coated short sword. "Shogun!" He called out, catching the master's attention before tossing the blade to him in a smooth arc that reminded everyone that their chief medic was also a highly skilled Knight, only a few vorns from being a master himself if he focused on that and not medicine for it.
Shogun neatly caught the blade, absently snapping it sideways to flick off the energon before sheathing it. His gaze immediately returned to Marwir, shifting his grip on his naginata to activate the blade.
At a dozen paces, well outside the naginata's range, Marwir settled her slender wings, the same kind Wing had, and relaxed into a ready posture opposite the giant twice her height and several times her mass.
Mist stepped forward, keeping well clear of the pair. "Masters, you may begin."
Millennia of familiarity had the pair circling each other, judging and gauging not for skill but for weaknesses of the moment. Marwir darted in first, her greater speed and agility, a solid match for Wing's most orns, being her primary advantage against the larger, stronger and more heavily armored Knight. They were well matched in skill. On any given orn one might defeat the other when sparring, though Shogun took more matches than he lost.
The shaft of Shogun's naginata, as much a weapon as the curved energy blade at the other end, lashed out at her, the bigger mech's optics following Marwir's moves.
She dodged easily, her turbines revving in exhilaration as the dance began. Her goal was as predictable as it was difficult to defend again; get inside his guard, strike and dart off before getting hit herself.
Shogun focused all his attention on Marwir, optics narrow. His weapon was a blur in his hands as he struck out, the end cap of the naginata's shaft just barely nicking against her ankle. It sent her tumbling off balance, though she found her pedes quickly with the help of her turbines and the exceptional natural balance that came with being a stunt frame.
With a rumble that was a mixture of annoyance, approval and excitement she made a fast rush past him, twisting around and doubling in on herself to slash at his inner thighs as she passed between his pedes.
Her blades struck sparks against armor, leaving gleaming gouges in the metal that began to ooze energon. Shogun whipped around on one heel, the blade of his weapon arcing around, managing to take off one of her shoulder pinions but missing a solid hit. The red giant followed her movement, striking out a second time but missed as she got out of range.
A slightly manic grin spread across her features at the battle against an equal and having so much at stake, but Shogun wasn't one to be fooled into thinking that look meant she was at all out of control.
She rushed back in, her target cutting off the reinforced end of his naginata.
Shogun's optics narrowed to glowing orange slits. He lashed out with the weapon's shaft rather than pulling it away. If he connected the force of the blow would send her right across the arena.
The roar of turbines gave her enough lift to dodge the strike and connect with her own. One blade slashed down into the swing of the naginata, using it's momentum to aid her in slicing the reinforced tip off.
Shogun shifted his grip to compensate for the change in weight, whipping the now lighter weapon in a blinding arc, the glowing energy blade hooking out at the smaller femme. The curved tip caught a seam of Marwir's leg armor and he pulled, yanking the smaller Knight off balance. She nearly landed on her aft, only the roar of turbines powering to full saved her as she twisted to pull herself free.
As quickly as he could, Shogun brought the weapon down, hoping to slam Marwir into the floor before she got loose. Once the blade came loose, he brought it down in a blinding arc, aiming for the smaller femme's shoulder. The tip caught her, cutting deep into armor and reducing the arm's effectiveness, but not fully disabling it.
Shogun spun to follow the femme jet's moves, wings pulling close to his back. Tracking on her, he struck out again, the blade coming up in a swift slash. She darted out of the way, then bolted back in to slash deep gouges into his left leg.
Energon flowed over red armor, spattering onto the floor. Shogun hissed but otherwise didn't react, bringing the shaft of his weapon down squarely across her back. It slammed her into the ground, cracking armor and rattling circuits.
Marwir grunted, her engines powering her out of range the moment there was no longer pressure holding her down.
The glowing blade just missed her as she darted away. Shogun bared his dental plates briefly, his own turbines roaring, going after the smaller femme, poised to strike as soon as he saw an opening.
Her speed didn't give much. She slashed and darted, leaving oozing marks along his legs and arms, slicing into cables and wires. Air huffed softly from Shogun's vents. He was ignoring the sting of his injuries; it would take a lot more than that to take him down, though as she'd proven more than once, the tactic could work on him effectively.
Narrow orange optics watched Marwir, waiting for just the right moment. Reversing his weapon as he lashed out, he struck with the shaft of his naginata rather than the blade. Redline would rip him a new exhaust vent if he actually cut Marwir in half.
She went down with a heavy grunt, briefly stunned.
Shogun was on her in an instant, the blade of his naginata striking one of her shoulder nacelles, disabling it. Whipping the weapon around, the red giant cracked her right across the helm with the truncated end of the weapon's shaft, leaving an impressive dent. Her systems quickly quieted as awareness fled.
The red mech stood over Marwir for a long moment, then took a step back, deactivating the naginata's blade. Mist, taking the weapon's deactivation as a signal, came forward to check on the femme jet.
"Master Marwir has been knocked unconscious," Mist reported. "Master Shogun is the victor!"
There was a distinct wave of relief as their new leadership was settled on, deepened by who it was.
~For once, things have gone our way,~ Drift murmured, still a bit in shock that it had gone so smoothly.
Redline stalked forward to collect Marwir. "At least you refrained from doing worse damage," he growled at the red mech as he lifted the femme off the floor.
"After getting chewed out by you as many times as I have, I have gotten the message," Shogun rumbled back with an amused snort.