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The Desert at this time of night is extremely cold, perhaps even harsher than in the daytime. A wind blows through the area, kicking up small funnels of sand, shaping the dunes at its will. On a nearby rock, a bird-like creature not native to Idar prime perches on a rock, studying the landscape with inquisitive eyes.
A woman in jet black armor walks out of the walls and onto the main road, a sniper rifle propped up on her right shoulder. Everything about her is concealed, other than the fact that she's female. She looks around cautiously as she walks, doing her best to let nothing escape her gaze.
The bird creature shifts, and drops from the rock to the shadows beneath it, landing in the sand not as a bird, but as a feather decorated Myini. Seeka sinks back into those shadows, enjoying the cool darkness, bow sliding easily from her back.
The armored woman notices something out of the corner of her eye and instantly puts the sniper rifle to her shoulder, inching toward the rock. She crouches low, as to not give off her position if she hasn't already. Her finger is on the trigger of her rifle, ready to shoot at a moment's notice.
Perhaps it was the way her eyes seem to catch what little light is cast from the city in the distance that gave her away. Perhaps it was her large, bushy tail. Either way, Seeka's behaviour changes from relaxed to tensed in a heartbeat. Her bowstring draws back, her feet sink slightly in the sand as the Myini takes aim.
Xul'Quaras notices the bow and raises her own gun, pressing the scope to her visor, where a HUD appears showing what the scope shows, plus range, elevation, etc. She lines the crosshairs up with her enemy's head, grinning as she prepares to fire.
With a snap that pushes Seeka back slightly, a sickly sharp arrow launches from the Myini's techno-bow. It's all blades and edges, and makes nearly no sound as it sails through the air towards the Idaran. One shot fired, the Myini jumps forward and pulls another arrow from the quiver at her waist.
The armored woman aims quickly for the arrow that's fired, firing her own shot at it before returning her crosshairs to the other woman's face, saying to herself, "Say your prayers." before shooting another shot off.
Whilst not exactly said, prayers do pass through the Myini's mind, especially when the Idaran's shot catches her across the chest. The impact pushes her onto her back in the sand, a bloody mist remaining in the air where she once was. Either side of her, her greeny-black blood seeps into the sand of the dune. Her bow lands a small distance from her, and it seems for now, she can't find the energy to stand. She remains where she is, clutching the wound in her chest.
The other woman grunts as the arrow skimming her side, hitting a slightly weaker spot on her armor between plates and drawing a little blood, but not doing an extreme amount of damage, thanks to her mostly accurate shot. When she sees the hit on the Myini, she stands up and walks over, not showing any sign of her injury other than the bleeding. "Now WHAT is a Myini doing on Idar Prime, I wonder?"
Seeka grunts, her feet kicking in the sand as she tries in vain to get up but only ends wreathing in agony. She glares at the Idaran before her and spits blood at the sand. "The Myini go where they please, as it has been for centuries before we encountered /you/!"
The armored figure slings her weapon over her shoulder, taking one of the energy pistols from her belt and pointing it at the Myini's head, "This is OUR planet, Myini, not yours. We evolved here, not you. Don't try to lay claim to this place, too." She sounds rather angry at the notion that the Myini have some claim over the place.
"Such pride for a race so young!" Seeka coughs, yet more greenish black blood dribbling from her mouth. Such a wound might've killed a lesser Myini. As her eyes meet the barrel of the gun before her, they widen more then slightly. A shiver runs down her spine that has nothing to do with her own blood rapidly cooling in the desert night air. "I don't want to die." She says simply, shutting her eyes.
The woman pulls her helmet off to reveal a white scaled, pinkish-eyed face that is currently uncharactaristically emotionally flat. "You don't have to," says the girl in less angry tones, though she doesn't sheathe her weapon, "Why are you here?"
An eyelid opens a crack, "Believe me or not, the others do not know that I'm here. Druids move as they wish. It was my goal to observe." She replies, her voice raspy with a throat that seems as though she's not drunk water in days. It's nice to see a face though, even an Idaran face, and Seeka's eyes both open as she looks up, frowning and continuing to clutch at her wound.
Xul'Quaras says with a rather feigned-looking smile, "Yeah? And why would I beleive that? Besides, even if it were only your goal to 'observe', as you said, I'd rather not have Myini get intel on our capital city."
"You asked. I answered. I have already committed that crime against my people..." Anguish fills her eyes worse than the pain that had lit them up not moments before, and Seeka's hands fall from her wound to lie limp in the sand. She shuts her eyes and her head rests in the blood soaked sand. "I don't want to die..." She murmurs, her breathing slowing. "What will you do with me?"
Xul'Quaras frowns a bit at that, hmming a little. She slowly lowers her gun, and takes a field medical kit from her belt, tossing it to the Myini, "I assume you know how to patch yourself up? I would suggest doing that. You're lucky I don't kill you right now."
A relieved sigh escapes her lips, like the whisper of wind through trees. Seeka catches the medical kit with blood soaked hand and extracts a bandage, quickly applying it around her wound. She doesn't have to disrobe, her clothing is loose enough for her to work, though the process is a pitifully slow one as every motion seems to be agonising. By the time she's done, she's bitten through her bottom lip in an effort not to cry out.
Xul'Quaras nods after the Myini finishes covering her wound, "As for what to do with you...hmm...I may have to take you prisoner. You said you have commited a crime against your people, yes? What crime is that?"
"I've come here, to the capital of our enemy, spoken when my mouth should have remained shut... they would need no more to see me in a cell for the rest of my life..." Seeka gets shakily to her feet. She's not the Myini she was when she landed on the rock. She's defeated, tired, bone weary. Her knees wobble, and that has everything to do with the sheer volume of blood she's lost.
Xul'Quaras nods slowly at that, hand moving to her pistol as the Myini stands up. You can never be too careful. She does, however, move over to steady her, help her stand. "You should probably be seen by a doctor. That was a very good shot...if I do say so myself." She sounds just the slightest bit concerned as she says this.
"No... with time... I will be okay..." The Myini insists, too weak to do anything but accept the steadying hand. "Circe forgive me." Seeka murmurs to herself, holding out her hands as if she expects to be restrained.
Xul'Quaras raises an eyebrow over at the other woman, "You'll be okay? There's a rather large hole in your chest, if you haven't noticed. You're lucky I missed by a bit." She tilts her head a little, "Can you walk?"
"I do not wish to see one of your doctors..." Seeka doesn't meet Xul's eyes, instead they drop to the sand underfoot. She's a prisoner, and knows her wishes don't amount to a lot. But she is doing well to be on her feet. A lesser Myini would have died in the sand. "I... I think so..." She rasps, taking an unsteady step forward. If not assisted, she won't walk very far.
Xul'Quaras nods a little and moves over, wrapping her arm around the Myini's back without asking and helping her stand a bit, saying, "Good. I'm contemplating taking you to the Detention Center, but I don't agree with their ways. They may torture you to death or execute you. They don't know any good ways to get information without hurting the other person." After a few minutes of thought, she seems to have reached a decision, "Right, we'll camp out somewhere in the desert for the night. I have with me enough food and water to last until morning. You'll 'slip away', then, but not before answering some questions."
Seeka forces herself to meet the Idaran's eyes. "And if the answers aren't what you expected?" She asks, her long, rather bushy tail hanging limply behind her, dragging through the sand. The sand seems to cling to her fur, even before it was moist with her own blood, the scent of which hangs almost overpoweringly heavy in the air. She gives a little nod though. "I will answer truthfully. What choice do I have?"
Xul'Quaras looks over to the Myini with a serious expression, saying in even more serious tones, "I WILL kill you if you attempt to escape, or try to kill me or steal anything. Just know that the Detention Center would have been a lot less soft on you than I am being. You don't want to ruin that for yourself, do you?"
"I understand I'm in a dangerous place to offend, and I don't mean to, but I wasn't aware your kind knew much of honour. I give my word, on my right to return to Circe, that I will not try to kill you, or steal anything you own. You have spared my life..." Seeka looks away once the oath is sworn, one hand pressed over the bandage that covers her chest.
Xul'Quaras nods at the Myini, saying seriously again, "Good. And don't try to escape before I question you, either, or I'll kill you then, too. Most Guards would kill you, you know. It's your lucky day, believe it or not." She laughs a little with that, and, with her helmet still under her arm, leads the Myini out in the general direction of the mines. "I know a place, an abandoned mine, where we can sleep for the night without you freezing to death. Come."
Seeka staggers along with the Idaran, her tail dragging along forlornly in the sand behind her. She doesn't say anything, she really is a defeated Myini.