Shadowed Stars

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"Mmm...watch."

The response came from a voice behind Tessa, a feminine voice. Rasheel was perched quite comfortably in the chair Keene had vacated, lounging back as she watched the male cry out in agony before he simply went silent, his body stilling as he stared into nothing, into the place the planet used to be. There was nothing but exploded rocks and debris. No life. Complete and utter silence, and the hybrid didn't seem to hear any of the people around him as he stayed curled, frozen that way.

Rasheel chuckled and her dark eyes met Tessa now angry ones. "I do love to hear him scream. It takes effort these days, but at least I know that I'm the only one who gets tears out of him. Very satisfying for my pride." She grinned and glanced at Dorene and Raxiel as they arrived, doing nothing more than narrowing her eyes at the android, making his weapon's system malfunction completely for the time she was here. The last thing she wanted was to have to dodge a bullet. That would be completely undignified and such a party spoiler.

"So, now that Noro's out of the way for the moment....tell me, what has he told you? Anything about Arthur's heir yet?"
 
As soon as she heard the voice, Tessa stood and spun around to face Rasheel. Her violet eyes darkened and narrowed and the tendril beneath her arm began to glow and frost in response to her rising anger.

As Dorene entered the room, she stopped a few feet in, her soft green eyes widening when she saw Rasheel. Tessa had already told her all about the sultry brunette and her motives and it didn't take long for Dorene to identify her. Though, knowing that Rasheel was the enemy didn't necessarily mean Dorene had any clue what to do in this situation.

Raxiel had already begun to raise his arm to level his gun to the woman but when Rasheel narrowed her eyes, the android felt immediately as his weapons malfunctioned and he lowered his arm, appearing frustrated.

Tessa didn't acknowledge Dorene or Raxiel's presence, her eyes locked onto Rasheel.

"Arthur's heir? Look, Keene hasn't told us anything and even if he did, we wouldn't tell you. Now get the f*** off our ship."
 
Rasheel let a delicately arched brow rise on her face, her dark eyes glittering with new interest. "Oh, so it's 'our' ship now? That's interesting." She disappeared then completely, but not a moment later she was back, this time crouched beside Keene, forcing Tessa around again to face her as she was now behind the white-haired female. Her fingers ran with a mocking fondness through the male's black hair and his entire body shuddered in revulsion, in fear as a dark chill worked its way into him, but there was no more reaction than that, his gray eyes blank.

"Have you made friends, Noro? I do believe we talked about that. Well, if you haven't learned I guess I'll just blow up another planet. Maybe Nijera..."

The seductive brunette stood again, walking calmly around Tessa, almost circling really before she leaned against the console, a smirk playing on her face. "So, he's told you nothing. Pity. And here I thought keeping you all alive might actually be beneficial to me."

Her dark eyes snapped to Tessa again, cold. "You were so helpful last time, Tessa and you've earned his trust, else his power wouldn't reach out to you. He must have told you something useful. Perhaps his next move? If you told me, I might be inclined to let you keep breathing even if it would bring me so much pleasure to see Noro shatter...again."
 
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As Rasheel disappeared from view and appeared next to Keene, Tessa spun around and glared at the female. Watching the brunette touch Keene sent a shock of anger through Tessa and she had half a mind to grab the woman and pull her away from the man, but by then Rasheel was already moving, nearly circling. Tessa's violet eyes remained locked on the woman and she turned as well, never letting Rasheel out of her sight.

Tessa's blood was already boiling and when Rasheel delivered her threat, a growl broke from her throat. "I'm not telling you s***," she spat, stubborn to the end.

Dorene appeared uncertain though, as she glanced between two females. Tessa was a ball of fury but Dorene's thoughts weren't clouded by rage and she knew they didn't stand a chance if Rasheel decided to kill them off.

"Wait. If what you said is true - if Keene trusts Tessa - then it is only a matter of time before he tells her information about Arthur's heir. Just because we don't have the information now doesn't mean we can't give it to you later."

It was a lie; Dorene had no desire to help Rasheel and she understood that doing so would bring dire consequences. Still, the only person in the room that could subdue Rasheel was currently zoned out on the floor and if Dorene knew that if Tessa continued, they all might wind up killed. In her mind, it was better to appease the lethal woman now and regroup afterwards to form a plan for next time.
 
Rasheel looked toward Dorene with a combination of bare tolerance, but also thought and her sharp, intelligent eyes flickered from Tessa to the red-head and than to Keene. She was calculating and far more ruthless than the hybrid. She'd also been alive at least a hundred years longer than him and had made it life's mission to be a liar, a destroyer, tormentor, seducer, manipulator and everything in between. If anyone was going to spot a lie, it was Rasheel.

And well, Dorene's face was much too innocent to pull off a lie of that magnitude.

The brunette smirked and her chuckle was mocking as she pushed away from the console and started to approach the three with measured, unhurried steps. "Oh, sweet, gullible Dorene. If I thought for a moment that was true, I wouldn't have killed off Lyalah. No, Noro won't tell you, not until there is no possible chance of me finding out." Rasheel had stopped, seeming more thoughtful now, indecisive about something, as if she were hearing her own words. Ah, yes, she'd contradicted herself; asking about Arthur's heir and then telling them Keene wouldn't reveal that secret. Oh well. Perhaps there was another way of going about this...

"However, Noro DOES seem fond of you three. I wonder..." Her dark eyes flickered to Tessa and she scanned the white-haired female, noting the tension in her body and the fury in her eyes. "No. I think you'd be too difficult to contain." She glanced at Dorene, starting to smile. "You, though...hmm...yes, I think you'd do. And dear Tessa here, well she'd make sure Noro rescued you, wouldn't she?" Rasheel laughed, her demeanor darkening, body coiling like she was going strike at any moment. "Oh, yes, I think you will do just fine."

She darted forward then and disappeared. Something went wrong, though, and when she appeared right in front of Dorene, intending to grab her, she found herself facing Keene instead. A fully functional, livid Keene. The hybrid had moved with astounding speed and now his dark green eyes, nearly blackened with rage met her surprised ones. Rasheel didn't get the time to say anything before Keene was sending her flying backward with a strong lash of his tail. She hit the console in a shower of sparks and gasped at the pain, grinning as she stood, looking for all the world like she'd merely been bumped even if her clothes were now torn, hair disheveled.

"Now, now, Noro, you can't blame me for trying. Hostages are so effective against you when you finally care." Her brow rose when he refused to respond, walking forward slowly, an aura of black anger around him. Rasheel stood her ground, the smile still at her lips. "Did you enjoy my little gift? It was only a few billion people. No reason to get so uptight. It's not like you haven't done the same, Worlds' Bane."

Keene snarled, lunging forward and Rasheel found herself on the floor with the hybrid's hands around her neck. She smiled, eyes glittering, hissing her words up at him. "Careful there, Keenenoro. The darkness isn't your territory, right? You're starting to look like a Destroyer." she taunted and then leaned up, unconcerned with the grip he had on her, knowing he couldn't kill her, just as she couldn't him. "Give me Arthur's heir, Noro, or I'll make every moment hell for you." She promptly disappeared then and Keene slammed his hands down where she'd been, releasing a roar of frustration, a stream of curses pouring from his mouth.
 
Dorene felt her stomach twist with dread when Rasheel easily saw through her lie. She tensed a little and when the brunette's eyes wandered from Tessa back to her, Dorene instinctively took a step backwards. Raxiel was already stepping forwards, prepared to use weaponless brute force if need be to stop Rasheel's advancement.

It was not necessary however, as Keene intercepted Rasheel and sent the brunette flying into the console. None of the three dared to interfere, all watching intently during Keene and Rasheel's hostile exchange before the brunette disappeared entirely.

Dorene breathed a sigh of relief and even Raxiel visibly relaxed once he was certain the danger was over. Tessa though, was still fuming over Rasheel's words and when she finally pushed aside her anger to direct her attention to Keene, concern and sympathy began to trickle into her gaze. She had seen what Keene had seen - if only for a brief moment - and the effect was shocking, sickening. It made her ill to think that Keene had endured such things from Rasheel for so long. Tessa stepped towards Keene then, though she left him a wide berth.

"Are you hurt, Keene?"

Tessa knew better than to ask if the man was okay; he most certainly wasn't, not after what he had seen, but Tessa needed to express her concern somehow.
 
Keene hadn't stood, still kneeling where he'd pinned Rasheel and he was quiet. Eerily so. When Tessa asked her question, his eyes fluttered open and they were back under his control, a perfect jade as he slowly stood. "Not physically." he answered honestly and then moved to the console. His expression was like stone, blank, neutral but there was a fury that boiled around him like a darkening storm as he started to punch in a coordination, getting the ship ready for a jump...three in fact.

The hybrid finally turned to the three who watched him and his once again dark green eyes were cold, no emotion but anger burning in their depths, so strong it was like an electric current in the air, crackling and snapping around them. That was more his power than Keene himself, but that just made it more deadly.

"Rasheel just destroyed an entire planet. Billions of innocent people just died and she had help accomplishing it." His fists curled and if it was possible, his gaze darkened further, anger reaching a new height and gray flashed like streaks of lightning through his eyes and his tail coiled dangerously. "I'm going to deal with those who helped her. They are Kiskar, slavers and there are going to be many of them. If you don't want any part in it, you better say something now."

He wasn't going to be persuaded to not go after them.
 
Tessa didn't say a word in answer to Keene's response, merely watching as the man stood and walked over to the console. At Keene's warning, Tessa remained quiet, signaling her agreement with the plan. She not only understood, but shared in the hybrid's fury and hurt over the destruction and she certainly wasn't going to say anything to stop him now.

Dorene, ever cautious, seemed uncertain though. Questions rested on the tip of her tongue, yearning to be asked. What happened with Keene's foresight just now? Why did Rasheel destroy the planet? Could they really defeat all of the Kiskar by themselves? One look at Keene and Tessa though, and Dorene knew she wasn't going to ask. Both of them had already made up their minds and asking questions of either wouldn't be well received at the moment. With a light sigh, Dorene resigned herself to silence as well.

When a few seconds passed and nobody said anything in protest, Tessa spoke up.

"We'll help you. Go ahead and prepare the jump."
 
Keene smiled and it was a chilling expression on his face, nothing but fury and danger in his eyes. He turned around and flipped a few more switches before pulling the lever that took them into their first jump. The world rushed by them and they hybrid choked back vomit when they stopped, not hesitating as he typed in new coordinates. He had to give in to his stomach before pulling the lever again and Keene wiped his mouth with a growl before ruthlessly pulling the lever once more.

This jump was far more violent as he'd taken them through an asteroid belt, a shortcut of sorts and Keene didn't even make it through the jump itself before he started throwing up again, nothing but yellow bile coming from his mouth, his body spasming in protest. His head flared with agony, but in the wake of the vision it was like a fly buzzing in his ear and with a will born of two three centuries, Keene pulled himself up and he repeated the process, never saying a word, pure determination in every line of his body.

The final jump was smooth, taking them to orbit above a small desert planet, but no matter how gentle the jump, Keene was suffering it. His nose bled, dripping red on to the floor - and the floor cleaned it as quickly as it came - as he retched and coughed, struggling to gain control of his rebellious body. His anger hadn't dimmed, but it was definitely stalled and the hybrid felt his foresight, chaotic in his mind, trying to settle.

He needed it to, needed to be able to see before he could unleash the destruction he had planned, but right now, all he could do was wait.

He finally looked up, his dark jade eyes nearly obscured by his black hair as he slowly stood, every muscled riddled with tension, but his movements themselves fluid.

"I f***ing HATE jumps." was all he ground out before Keene looked toward the planet below, easily recognizing it and the maze full of horrible memories it brought. His gaze narrowed, seeing the ships entering the atmosphere.

They weren't too late. Good.

The hybrid glanced at the three, vaguely wondering how they'd handled the jumps, but more focused on making sure they actually knew what they were getting into. "The Kiskar are the known slavers of the universe. They are large, strong and brutal. They won't hesitate to kill you and if you're captured...you'll wish you were dead. Believe me, I've suffered at their hands personally."

The hybrid delivered his words factually, not letting anything of what he felt except the anger seep into his voice. "If you have a favorite weapon not currently on you and you're still crazy enough to continue with me, now would be the time to get it."
 
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Tessa knew Keene was arranging for multiple jumps but she didn't realize the impact they would have on her body. The first jump was fine, merely leaving her a tad woozy, but the second one made her stomach lurch. She groaned, managing to mutter a curse before they jumped again and Tessa felt her head spin. She was dizzy, disoriented, but nowhere near as bad as Keene. Dorene looked a little pale as well but Raxiel remained impassive, lacking the bodily fluids that were affected by jumps.

Once she was sure that was the final jump, Tessa stood from her seat and walked over to the window next to Keene, looking down at the planet beneath them. Tessa tore her gaze away then, focusing instead on what the black-haired male was telling them.

Tessa's go-to weapon was her own power but now that the option was presented to her, she figured she might as well bring a few guns. Tessa quickly went to her room and grabbed three guns; two handguns and a laser one before returning to the others. She handed one of the handguns to Dorene.

"Here."

Dorene took the gun timidly, uncertain, but nodded. She knew how to fire a weapon but the redhead so rarely fought that merely holding the gun made her uncomfortable. She didn't say anything though, knowing she had plenty of warnings beforehand about embarking on this.

Raxiel didn't take any new weapons but as his arm shifted, the gun it transformed into had a bigger barrel and was considerably more elaborate than the usual. The transformation took longer than normal, which was probably the reason why the android opted not to use the more powerful weapon as much.

Once they had prepared themselves, Tessa turned her attention back to the window, watching the ships beneath them. Her violet eyes went to Keene then. "So what's the plan?"
 
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Keene hadn't been idle while the others had prepared and their ship was already entering atmosphere, following after the Kiskar ships, observing as they landed below. Seeing as this was an illegal planet on the back side of the universe, Keene's Waterlily wasn't even hailed, wasn't questioned for credentials as they moved in toward a port and the hybrid glanced at Tessa, cold jade meeting her exotic violet.

"Kill."

There really wasn't much more to the plan in all honesty and Keene said nothing else as he focused on landing the ship. Once they set down, he put the ship on lockdown, tightening the security as there were many ship-jackers in this place and the last thing he wanted was his stolen. The hybrid moved out of the cockpit then and he head to Nyteek's room, greeting the Aislon with words in the ancient tongue. The creature was agitated, snapping and snarling with his own mood and Keene ran his hand along her multi-shaded hide as he went to a lever. Pulling it, he watched as the hull above opened up to the sky, big enough for Nyteek to pass through and force-fielded to make sure she was the only one who could get through.

Keene went back to the creature's head, cradling it, his jade eyes holding four gold ones. "Come if called."

Nyteek rumbled a growl, understanding completely and Keene left the room. He stopped at the door that would let them out and looked at the others, asserting an unquestionable authority. "Do not do anything until I tell you that you can." The unsaid statement that they'd probably die if they didn't comply was not said, but it definitely was there in his tone anyway. The hybrid didn't wait for a response before opening the ship doors and walking out into the noisy, foul-smelling port.

The Kiskar were aliens around seven feet tall, red of skin and looking for all the world like shaggy hyenas mixed with a crab-like hide, they were very strange to look upon. They were also feared as evidence by the fact that even while trading with them, most aliens were wary, looking more like they wanted to leave than stay. And the slaves that were everywhere...looked nothing short of hopeless, their eyes dull, most of them half-starved, beaten and having lost the will to fight long ago. There were some, though, newer ones that struggled and fought, that cursed and lashed out....and it was toward those people that Keene started to walk to, fury growing in him with every step.

Those were the people, the payment that Rasheel had give the Kiskar in return for destroying the rest, the entire planet.
 
Tessa watched out the window as the Waterlily entered the atmosphere and when Keene's jade eyes met her own and he very plainly told her his intent, Tessa couldn't suppress a slight shiver. Few things unnerved her but there was nothing compromising in Keene's tone and the male's unwavering determination to kill the offenders was a chilling thought.

After Keene landed the ship and turned to the others to deliver his instructions, nobody said a word of protest. They knew they were entering dangerous territory and listening to Keene was probably the safest thing they could do at this point. As the doors to the ship opened and they stepped outside, Tessa's nose wrinkled a little at the stench. Her violet eyes scanned the area and when she saw the many slaves, she too felt a fury rise in her. She didn't say anything though, merely following after Keene as he made his way towards the new slaves.

Dorene followed behind them, her eyes wide as she gazed at the Kiskar. She was beyond nervous and she hurried to catch up to the other two, grateful that at least Raxiel seemed more intent on keeping all of them safe as opposed to actively killing. Keene and Tessa though... they were on a mission all on their own and Dorene was starting to wonder if it was such a good idea for her to have come along on this particular adventure.
 
Keene wasn't really thinking anymore. He was feeling, he was seeing and everything else was shut out. There would be no moral compass this time, no mercy, no hesitation. The hybrid moved into the crowd gathering at an auction block and his jade eyes landed upon a mother and a child pair and the Kiskar prying the boy from the woman's arms as she screamed and pleaded for the alien to leave her son be.

The black-haired male saw red and the Kiskar suddenly dropped, roaring out in pain, bleeding from his ears, nose and eyes. A low hum vibrated through the air, heard by everyone, but it sounded like a high-pitched, deafening noise to the Kiskar it was affecting and even as he writhed, the other aliens around him were looking for the culprit. It was as if their eyes were drawn to Keene and the moment they set their sights on him, it seemed they DID know what fear was.

"Chula Six." one said clearly, both a strange type of awful greed in his voice and just the right touch of worry.

The hybrid only smiled, a slow, cold expression as his green eyes flashed and more Kiskar dropped in agony, his telepathic power good for more than just sending messages. Keene started to stalk forward as panic erupted and he didn't look at Tessa, Dorene or Raxiel when he spoke to them, monotone. "Do as you wish."

He started into a run then and it was with brutal efficiency that he snapped the neck of the first downed Kiskar he came to, moving on without hesitation to the rest. When he was met with opposition, Keene only grinned, his body executing flawless martial arts moves - and anything and everything in-between - and everything he came in contact with able to be used as a weapon. Oh, and his foresight was pretty helpful, too.

His opponent really didn't stand much of a chance. None of them did.
 
It didn't take long for Tessa to figure out what was happening as the air around them began to hum and the first Kiskar dropped. She WAS surprised though, by how the other Kiskar regarded Keene. Thanks to her earlier dream, Tessa knew why they would be familiar with the hybrid, but that didn't explain the reputation Keene seemed to have had established among the Kiskar people.

Before Tessa could think about it for too long though, Keene was already moving forward and when he gave the three permission to do as they pleased, Tessa didn't hesitate to move as well. She was not daunted by the size or ferocity of the Kiskar and she rushed towards the first that she saw, latching her right arm onto the creature. The tendril under her arm glowed brightly and it was within only a matter of seconds that the Kiskar's body began to coat in a thick layer of ice.

Dorene took a different approach with Keene's instructions; she was far too passive to actively seek out anyone to attack but she remained aware, ready to shoot any threat that came near her.

Raxiel glanced at Tessa and Keene as they worked their way through the Kiskar, leaving a trail of death in their wake, and then at Dorene. The android didn't seem to have a preference either way and when he raised his gun and began to fire down Kiskar, it was safety, not blood lust, that fueled the male.
 
Keene was death incarnate. Nothing that acted, partook in or breathed malice was left untouched by him. He couldn't be hurt; not by blade, not by gun, or laser or powers. A creature of light was he born to be, but there was nothing except darkness around him now, a consuming rage and blood lust that blocked out anything else. He killed without hesitation, without mercy, quick and lethal and on some particular Kiskar, a bit creatively. Everything around him, from fallen weapons to the simplest coin could be used by the hybrid as a means to kill....and they were.

Still, despite his lack of any other emotion but the drive to end life, Keene didn't go near the slaves. Not one of them met harm at his hands and it seemed he actually went out of his way to keep the violence away from those who couldn't run, drawing the danger away from them.

The hybrid was a blood-coated mess. It dripped from his body, soaked his clothes and hair, but the didn't seem satisfied with it, constantly moving, chasing the Kiskar now as they attempted to flee. Keene was relentless in his chaotic justice and it was no wonder how he'd gotten the name 'Oncoming Shadow'.

Time made no sense to Keene, he wasn't aware of it, but even so, time itself seemed to stop when he saw her and Keene stilled, his entire being rippling with lethal tension. She walked among the carnage without worry, a smirk on her face, triumph in her eyes as she looked him over, both appreciative and mocking. "Well, well...and you like to say *I* am the Destroyer. I'll say it again, Noro - we could be the same. You are so much closer to the darkness than the light."

"I am nothing like you!" the hybrid snarled back, watching her closely and Rasheel laughed, the sound haunting and harsh.

"Oh, aren't you? You've been here once before, Noro. What did you do then, hmm? Kill." She chuckled, walking closer, acting for all the world as if they weren't standing in the middle of chaos and panic, blood and screams, guns firing, the cries of woman and children. "And what are you doing now, oh great Keeper of the Light? Killing." She hissed the last word and Keene went rigid before a chilling smile worked its way across his face and he tilted his head, blood-matted hair sticking to his skin.

"You're right, I am. Let's see if perhaps that pastime extends to you today, shall we?"

He attacked the woman then and unlike on the ship, there was room to do it and Rasheel fought back. Their minds clashed just as violently as their bodies did and the entire atmosphere around them, extending out for several yards - making those near aware of the power-struggle - crackled like the air before a storm. In any other circumstance, the wounds inflicted on Rasheel and Keene by each other - broken ribs, terrible gashes, broken bones, internal ruptures and bleeding - would have killed them, but when caused by the each other, the healing was only minutes in coming and neither died or even came close.
 
Tessa held no love for the Kiskar but even as she encased her victims in ice - letting them fall and shatter on the ground afterwards- she was surprised at the Keene's ruthlessness. More than once Tessa paused, unable to help herself as she glanced at Keene from the corner of her eye. The man was a born killer if she had ever seen one and Tessa was profoundly relieved that he was on their side.

Once the crowd began to disperse and flee, Dorene gave up attacking entirely and she put her gun away. She rushed then to help some of the slaves, finding it significantly easier and more rewarding to help the innocent as opposed to eliminating the enemy. With Dorene being the most helpless on their team, Raxiel gravitated towards her, keeping a close eye on any threats.

Tessa didn't notice Rasheel immediately but as Keene clashed with her, the atmosphere shifted and Tessa stopped. Her eyes fell on Rasheel and a growl broke from her throat as she advanced towards them. There were hardly any Kiskar left, most having fled by now, and that meant Tessa could better focus on what was happening between Keene and Rasheel. Not that she could truly help though - both of their skill surpassed her own - but Tessa still felt she had to do something. Getting close to Rasheel meant suicide so Tessa instead drew her handgun and raised it, leveling it to the brunette and firing several shots.
 
Most of the bullets missed, but one....one hit Rasheel in the shoulder and the female shrieked like a banshee, pain erupting in her body. She released the hold she had on Keene then, letting him drop to the ground - she was still stronger than he was even if she couldn't kill him and he'd suffered a lot more damage than she had - as she whirled. When her black eyes met Tessa's, they widened in complete and utter shock and the brunette looked at Keene with disbelief and rage.

"Nimue's heir?! HER?!"

Keene nearly vomited blood there was so much in his mouth, but even so he grinned and the expression was feral, satisfaction dancing in his pale green eyes past the pain and anger. "Surprise."

Rasheel screeched and she leveled a poisonous glare at Tessa, taking a step toward her before she seemed forced to stop. "You will regret this, Ice B****! I will make sure you suffer for this!" She didn't get the chance to say more as Keene had risen and he slammed the female back against a post, his hand around her throat, crushing bone, but unable to kill her, to snap her windpipe like he wanted and watch her gurgle on her own blood. No, he had to be happy with the bullet wound in her shoulder...that wasn't healing. Oh yes, he was quite pleased about that.

"Now, now, Rasheel. Don't make threats you can't keep. You won't touch her and you know it." Keene purposely mocked her with his tone.

He'd not realized it before, but watching Rasheel now, the fury in her face but her inability to act, Keene knew what he spoke was true. If she killed Tessa, Nimue's heir, if she hurt her...then Rasheel wouldn't find Mordred's heir. The universe balanced itself between darkness and light. Keene and Rasheel were two wild cards in their choices, two sides of a coin that could land on one side at any point, but those around them....Nimue's heir, Mordred's heir and Lancelot's heir...those were fixed - Arthur's heir and Guinevere's heir were entire separate in their own way and that was another complicated explanation altogether. To eliminate one of the three too soon, though...and everything collapsed. If a light-player was taken out by the dark then the light won. If a dark-player was taken by the light, the dark won. Simple as that.

Keene knew that and was now applying it to Tessa...and Rasheel knew it, too. She seethed with the knowledge and she delivered one more crippling blow to Keene before disappearing with a scream of fury. The hybrid didn't watch her go, too busy trying to breathe past the blood pooling in his lungs. Rasheel had punctured his left one quite thoroughly and though he was healing, it hurt like a b**** and he coughed blood, gasping and gritting his teeth against a scream as an audible snap was heard at the ribs came back into place.
 
Tessa wasn't sure what she was expecting when the bullet shot through Rasheel; after all, it appeared the brunette was taking far greater damage from Keene - what would one bullet wound do in comparison? When Rasheel screamed and spun around to face her then, voicing her disbelief, Tessa was bewildered.

Nimue's heir? Who the hell is Nimue?

Tessa didn't have much time to think about it though as Rasheel was already advancing towards her and she automatically tensed, dropping the gun that had run out of bullets so her right hand was free to tap into its power if needed. It was unnecessary though, as Keene intervened and detained Rasheel. By the time the brunette had lashed out at Keene again and disappeared, Tessa's head was reeling.

She moved towards the hybrid, frowning a little in concern when she saw his wounds. It looked as though the man should be dead by now but then again, Rasheel had sported similar wounds and she had recovered.

"Are you okay?"
 
Keene coughed again, spitting mouthfuls of blood, but he seemed to be breathing a little easier and he nodded slowly at Tessa's question, wiping his mouth with an equally as bloody hand and arm as he pushed himself up and slowly stood, wary of dizzying blood loss, but also used to it. The hybrid looked around then, his jade eyes flickering gray, images and information rushing through him as he observed the chaos he'd - they'd - created.

The Kiskar had fled and all that was left was riffraff that would rather avoid them than make trouble. And the slaves.

It was to them that Keene slowly gravitated, toward them and Dorene and Raxiel. As the black-haired male came near, though, the people backed up away from him, looks of fear on their faces and Keene stopped, something like pain flickering for a fraction of a second through his eyes before they blanked completely and he spoke in a neutral tone to the many hundreds of formerly captured people.

"There are many ships here that can take you home. They are yours now. No one will stop you. You're free."

Keene started away then, walking back the way they'd come, back to the Waterlily. His tail nearly dragged behind him, exhaustion in every line of his body, but he did his best to hide the rejection and the hurt it caused. He didn't blame them. They were scared and he'd only scared them further and he could live with that. They were safe now and that's all that mattered.
 
Tessa regarded Keene skeptically at his answer but she didn't say anything as the man walked by her and towards the others. Sighing lightly, Tessa followed, glancing around at the destruction they had collectively caused.

Dorene looked up at Keene as he approached and she backed away from the slaves so that he could speak to them uninterrupted. The former captives were understandably scared of the man and while Dorene's sympathies extended to the slaves and the trauma they had undergone, Tessa's focus was on Keene. She frowned slightly as the black-haired man delivered his message and then began walking back towards the ship. The male suffered from severe wounds - even if they were gradually recovering - and he had fought on behalf of the slaves, all the while ensuring none of them were hurt in the crossfire. Yes, it was understandable as to why the slaves were afraid of Keene, but it was also unfair for the man who had worked so hard to help them.

Tessa thought about this for a moment before she ran to catch up with Keene, Dorene and Raxiel following behind at a slight distance. She had questions - mainly about what Rasheel said - but they could wait until Keene was feeling a little better. Well, Tessa was doubtful that the man would feel better any time soon, but it still felt wrong to bombard him with questions immediately.

"You've helped a lot of people today. They'll be thankful."
 
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