"Lifeless-?" Aleph hadn't expected that, but it was the answer to his question. And one doesn't ask a question if one doesn't want an answer. He nodded with the conditions and limbered up his muscles in preparation. And just at that time who should wander in but Martyn, the man who said "Hey" to his superior officer.

Since said superior was Leonis, Alephoros wasn't sure whether to be wary or to owe him a drink. But though he did have a sense of humour, he also had a fight to win.

"Of course you can, how do you prefer to fight? Blades or spears?" he called out, joining Extrovious in the playful teasing. His opponent for the now - which was what he needed to concentrate on - had chosen a weapon with superior reach, which meant that Aleph had to get in close where that reach became a liability. Aleph was strong, all Marines were, but he was more lightly built than Extrovious who was Astartes: brick outhouse edition. So he let him close.

Aleph wasn't as strongly built as his Legion-brother but he was fast, and he had the advantage of a dancer's grace. The ancestors on his mother's side were of the now-dead Sulpha tribe, and Aleph had studied some of their dances as he grew into the recruit he now was. Fulgrim's sons were cultured men. But this hobby was one he hoped would also serve him in war. Moving along with the step forward and half-turning as he did so, for a moment he mirrored the other warrior, so that the two stood side by side and facing the same direction. Extrovious' cunningly feinted blow pierced the place where Aleph no longer was.

Of course, though it got him away from the spear it did place Aleph close to his brother if he wanted to use his elbows or his feet. His desire was to discourage this by continuing his spin, putting himself behind Extrovious and with his sword raised to strike, somewhere in the upper body or the shoulders.

@DeranVendar @WanderingJester

With a few more sword strokes, one of the arms of the servitors hung limp, useless before Martyn. Hearing his brothers called out to him, he turned just as the match got started. If they get distracted by his simple replies, well it would be something to work on. Calling back, the young space marine said, "why the rush Extrovious? If I beat you both at once I'll only have one match instead of two." He grinned, before parrying another strike from the servitor, his silver hair wisping around, though never over his eyes.

Martyn continued the banter. "Choose whichever melee weapon you'll like Aleph. I shall be using this sword against you. Think I prefer something one-handed over two myself."


@DeranVendar
@Jorimel

"Yes Aleph, lifeless." For all the smaller combatant's speed, Extrovious tracks him with the trans-human speed that would make their duel a true strain to follow with the naked mortal eye. Blade clashes against halberd haft, halting the overhead blow. "He should be counting on two things: my desire for distance, and that I will abuse my superior stature. Aleph must be like a bird of prey, circling and waiting for his time to dive in and bleed me in a single swoop. I must punish him when he fails." Hands tilt the pole axe, deflecting Aleph's sword edge towards Extrovious' fingers for half a second, warrior then ducking and whipping the pommel upwards. Intent is to smash part of the shaft up between the sword wielder's legs while simultaneously driving his shoulder into Aleph's gut and using the combined leverage to flip him up, over, and onto his back. Should this prove successful Extrovious would initiate phase two of the plan and turn one opportunity into another, attempting two swift and shallow jabs at his brother's chest, knowing full well that were he to put a bit too much 'Oomph' into the stabbing attempts that the fused ribplate they all bore would keep things from becoming too dangerous.

"If this works then he should try and counter by attempting to grapple with my halberd. I may take a cut or two during this, but if I can swing him into the wall, or hoist back on the halberd and hook him with the bottom of the axe head, then I can end this decisively. Alternatively..." Thought completes itself soundlessly as he glances to his left arm, a smile taking shape as he at last responds to Martyn. "I think that is hesitation I hear in your voice! Would you be more amicable to demonstrating your skills if we fetched you a combat bike?"

@Jorimel @WanderingJester

"Hesitation Brother? No, I thought it only fair to allow you to catch your breath," Aleph retorted, but likewise with a smile. "Would you like us to try bikes? It would let you fight while seated ..."

Fights happen in three dimensions. The words of his first instructor rang in his ears - not as keenly as the blow he'd caught to the side of his head the first time he heard them - but the point stuck. As Extrovious parried the sword thrust - and Aleph had to admit he made a solid counter - instead of remaining on the ground when he brought the shaft of his halberd up, Aleph leapt high, lashing out at Extrovious with his sword more as a distraction than an attempt to land a blow. Extrovious was shoulder-charging, so his head was tucked down and any hit to the body wouldn't phase the other Marine. But it did put him at a lower point, which ought to make it easier to jump over him at the height of his leap.

Aleph boosted himself high, using the strength in his powerful musculature to launch up and over his sparring partner. He concentrated on clearing the other Astartes, but he was aware that in landing, he had to respond with a fast turn. Even with Extrovious facing away from him, presenting his back to a fight went against the grain. Leap high, turn fast, get your guard up. It was a plan; now all he had to do was make it work.

<Training cages>
@DeranVendar @Jorimel @WanderingJester ​

Aleph saw the attack, Extrovious dangerously moving forward in an attempt to toss him over and onto the ground, so the sword-wielding Legionary leaped high. But not high enough. Missing the initial crippling move as his opponent jumped, Extrovious moved faster and caught Aleph on the shoulder, using his own weight against him and while showing quite skill with a halberd, tossing him over his head and on the sand floor below. First hit was for him, but when he had the opportunity to do even more damage on the fallen Legionary, Aleph came to his senses faster than expected and rolled to the side, Extrovious missing him with the followup jabs that only speared the ground.

"Marvelous, just marvelous!" another Legionary arrived at the scene close to where the 4th squadmates fought, wearing similar outfit like Extrovious and looking every much as any proud member of the Legion - silver-haired, tall and handsome.

"Don't mind me! Fight on, reach the perfection, claim your just reward!"

Martyn grinned as he dispatched the servitor with scarcely an effort, knocking the limp automaton to the ground with another couple of blows. Hearing the reply from Extrovious and assuming the reply from Aleph had been towards him, he called back to the lot of them, not noticing their new audience, "and what fun would beating you be if I can't gloat over it? Trust me brothers: me on a jetbike, or even a combat bike, and you'll be sleeping in the apothecarion for the next few weeks."

With that, Martyn waved another two servitors up, and couldn't resist one more jab at his squadmates. "Allow me to demonstrate your hypothetical situation, Extrovious," he said before launching into another round of melee combat with the two. Sword flashed between another practice sword, a long training knife, and even a spear, as sparks flew into the air once more.


@DeranVendar
@Jorimel

"There is nothing you can do to me that the enemy did not already try and fail at Marty." Extrovious grunted as he hunched into a full on charge. He sweeps hard with the halberd, aiming to land a heavy slash on Aleph's chest, by all rights it is his most vicious blow yet. "Lets see if we cannot merely turn the table, but flip it right over on him as well. At least, before he does." When the swing completes he reverses the position of his hands, lifting the left up to clasp just beneath the axe head, while right slides down closer towards the pommel. He bounds forward, attempting to crash into Aleph and bore him down to the ground, preferably with arms pinned, or at the least restrained, by the haft. There was something exhilarating about one on one combat, it allowed him to play far more aggressively than with the others, where he felt the weight of duty urging him to hold back so he might be ready to protect someone in need.

OOC: All Out Attack, first strike is the slash, second is the charge.

@Jorimel @WanderingJester

~~ Earlier - Landing Zone ~~
Elymas was unimpressed by the turn of events. He should have known better than reveal his full hand. But he knew first hand better than any of the non-gifted, or rather like in this very moment - cursed. When he had killed his brother with his powers, the first time they manifested and caused him to be outcast. Since then, every night, even sometimes while awake he is just... There. Judging.

He could endure one, but hundreds of mortals and Astartes? No. He would not put that unto himself. The young Velodonus believed in science, in reason, the doctrine of the Imperium of Mankind as directed by their Emperor himself! But. There were things out there. Like the echoes of the dead. How could he ignore that? The curiosity of the librarian wanted to make him know more. A whole galaxy waited to be surveyed and examined.

Only now he realized that nobody else was affected by the Aliens' weapon. A psyker-focused device. So there was more to them than just a slight genetic difference and powers manifest. 'There is always more than the eye meets.'

The Librarian dared not respond beyond an "Aye, sir!" and failed to relax. And instead of going straight to relax, he walked about to do his secondary duties of cataloging items and documenting about the battle. Librarians were as much combat-witch as they were historians and scriveners.

When he came across the artifact of the Dark Eldar, he nicknamed it 'Crucible of Malediction', made a drawing of it and it's container and explained the various states of pain he went through. He knew nobody was going to allow to analyze it, but he knew the third to know that someone was going to keep it as a spoil of war.


~~ Now - Librarius Conclave ~~

Elymas was glad to be among his own, the energies between them flowing in harmony, until he felt the gaze of Hephestus. He gulped and for once truly felt fear from the place and people he called sanctuary. Not only was his master unhappy, but the younger apprentice knew he betrayed him in open field. But to be perfect in his view, meant to stand up to your beliefs. Maybe Elymas just couldn't help but always say the wrong thing at the worst time in order to get himself almost killed, or worse.

Like before, Elymas assumed the stance of kneeling, but this time laying his staff across his knee rather than keeping it upright. A true sign of submission. He looked up to meet his accuser's face. "I will accept any punishment you have in store for me, master. But please allow me to at least share what I have seen, what I felt..." He closed his eyes and a deep breath, summoning his remembrances. Then he opened them again.

"We were given the opportunity to cut the head of the snake or save our brethren and mortal auxiliaries. Everyone but me of my squad desired the blood of the alien in charge. I spoke up against them. I wished them to see reason and help our imprisoned brothers and the other elements of our legion. In fact you will see in my battle report that I did say, quote"

"Even against my accusation of them doing it only for glory, nobody heeded my words. And after our combat I saw the truth of the massacre. Hundreds dead, unsatisfied with not having gotten the chance to fight once more, slaughtered in cages like animals. Many of them far older and experienced than us. Their specters judging glares, their desire of vengeance burning with the intensity of Sol and the Emperor's blazing blade..." Elymas could see the spirit of his dead brother again in his inner eye when he blinked or rested his eyes to remember more accurately.

"I had to put them to rest. Else they might haunt whoever their gene-seed get implemented into. Akin to how our Power Armor seems to remember those who wore it before them, so I fear their pure hatred for aliens could manifest in the very element that makes us Adeptus Astartes. But the worst, master. When the Lord Commander arrived, my foolish brethren asked him in his face to grant better weaponry. As if their 'honorable' actions of sacrificing human life over that of one single dead alien leader granted them the required respect to receive higher grade weapons. Can you imagine the anger the dead veterans among the cages were thinking on such insane commentary? They were burning like your image of the Phoenix, master." He shuddered, but not even he could tell if it was an after quake of the Crucible of Malediction or something else that caused the shudder.

Martyn bit his tongue to prevent the retort from escaping his lips. Extrovious was tough; he had every right to be proud of the punishment he could take and still walk away with their enemy's head. He had nothing he could say to his battle brother that would change that, nor did would he want to. Any other reply that came to mind would merely decrease the squad cohesion and camaraderie such banter was meant to create, completely undermining their exchanges for the sake of personal pride. That was unacceptable.

"Can't deny that, Extro. Makes me proud to call you brother," Martyn replied, without a hint of sarcasm. His sincerity was the main driver of his tone, though he also had more important things to worry about at the moment than being sarcastic.

The two servitors proved to be more of a match to Martyn than he had originally thought. With one dual wielding and the other owning the range advantage, the programming allowed both to coordinate an attack together to overwhelm him. More than once he had rolled under a lunge from the spearman servitor only for a practice sword or a training knife to intercept his counterattacks. Now, the young space marine had to learn how to improvise, or else find himself embarrassed in front of countless legionnaire brothers around the training cages.


@DeranVendar

Aleph made a good judgement call, in his mind - unfortunately, the universe disagreed. He avoided the humiliating blwo to the crotch with his leap, but Extrovious caught him on his upward jump and decided to give him a little help of his own. Was that a grin on his Brother's face as he sailed past? The Son of the Phoenix flew, faster and further than he'd planned for, landing with a thump right on his gene-toned behind. He was acutely aware of Martyn and the other spectators for the duration of his aerial adventure, but when he landed, he had work to do. No time for vanity here.

Luckily the sense wasn't completely knocked out of him with the air, and Aleph rolled as he landed, the initial plan surviving in embryonic form as he twisted out of the charging bull of a man that tried to pin him down. "First strike to you, Brother!" he called out, actually quite admiring the speed of the other man's interception. "Let us see if it was luck or judgement!" It was all in the spirit of camaraderie, though he wasn't sure being flattened by his steamrolling Battle-Brother would be quite as friendly.

On the other hand, he was on the floor. He reckoned that he would be expected to regain his feet quickly. So instead he used his lower vantage point to kick out with both legs, continuing his twist, trying to unbalance Extrovious or kick the back of his knee. Aleph kept himself in motion. To stay still was to end up underneath the bulk of his Brother and that would negate any advantage of speed. So of course, Extrovious would take every chance to do it.

If he managed to bring down his opponent, he would leap onto his back as he hit the sand of the training cage. If he did not, Aleph would at least get to his feet and take up a new defensive stance. Or so he hoped.



OOC: Attack on Extro, defence on self.