Xiandra

@rosso:

Xi stopped as the hand fell upon her shoulder. Though an observer wouldn't have been able to detect any shift in her physical demeanor, Val would have been able to feel the steel-coil muscles tensing beneath her grip, ready to snap into violent action, if warranted. The only action she took, however, was a glance at the hand on her shoulder, followed by a glance at its owner. "You don't have to take anything, my word or my gift," she answered with a noncommittal shrug. "I came here to honor a victorious foe, and that's done, now. Whether or not you take it, use it, or survive what's coming is up to you, now. If you do, maybe the Great Hunt will lead our paths to cross again. Who knows?"

@rosso:

Xi made a sound that was half snort and half chuckle at the humorous bravado. "Maybe. If they do, though, that will cure you. It's synthetic Eristian plasma. It'll heighten your awareness and give you a mild sense of euphoria plus a massive adrenaline spike, but those are just the side effects. It will also dramatically increase your body's ability to heal for a matter of hours, depending on how badly injured you are."

She pushed herself up off her seat, and began to head for the exit. "Don't let you victories go to your head," she called out over her shoulder. "If I'm right about you, you're likely to become the target of some of the most dangerous...things in existence, and they generally don't fight as cleanly as I do."

@rosso:

Unless you were born in a jungle somewhere...

Xi smirked at this. While she hadn't been born in a jungle, per se, she'd spent so much of what passed as her youth in one that she may as well have. In some ways, the Sauroid jungle was more her mother than her biological mother had been, for all that she remembered her.

"A rock is as basic as it gets," she answered with a shrug. "It can still cave in a skull, in a strong enough hand. Do I need to say more, though? If I'm right, you already know what I'm talking about, and if I'm wrong, nothing I'd say about it will make any sense. Either way, you've earned my respect, and the respect of a hunter is worth something."

Reaching into her jacket pocket, she produced a item that in some ways resembled a medical auto-injector, albeit one designed by someone with a an aesthetic that was both advanced and more than a bit twisted. It contained a fluid of such a bright green color that it almost seemed to possess a luminescence. "If you keep picking fights with offworlders, you're going to need this."

@rosso:

The other's demeanor proved to be as malleable as her combat ability, shifting without warning from an almost careless nonchalance to a laser-like focus in the blink of an eye. It was beginning to appear as though speaking with her would be almost as enjoyable, and challenging, as fighting her was. Almost.

Xi's eyes stayed fixed on Val, a casual but definitive wave of her hand warning off the barkeep when he approached to inquire as to whether she would like a drink. Her own demeanor did not change; only the omnipresent intensity of her gaze gave any clue that her casual body language was intended to deceive any who might be watching. This was the other's world, the other's territory, after all; any hunter would be remiss to not assume that the other would ensure that every precaution was taken, every advantage hers.

"Unfortunate." Xi's voice was heavily accented, though that accent would be difficult to place for any who had not traveled beyond their homeworld. "Of course, weapons can be replaced. You survived the destruction, so that becomes another victory for you. And I am looking for you because I will not be the first to do so, and the others will not be seeking conversation." The primary Imperium agent on this world, the one who had summoned her here in the first place, had taken a close interest in the most recent war for the urban battleground known as Gothic City. The huntress had been able to learn much of why the battle had been waged, and was well aware of what her superior suspected lay behind the outbreak of violence. "...especially if you managed to find a weapon far more powerful than my spear."

The mask would make a fine trophy.

@rosso:

Xiandra would have been unrecognizable from her last meeting with Valentina; she had done away with her alien armor, and now showed her face plainly. The only possible clue to her identity would be her tightly-braided hair, which had always been visible behind her masked helmet. She'd acquired Earth clothing for this meeting: black biker boots, jeans, a white tanktop, and a black leather jacket (and despite her overall disdain for humanity in general, she had to grudgingly admit that the look was growing on her), and the only weapons she'd brought were five of her electrified throwing stars, concealed in an inner pocket of the jacket. She was here to talk, not fight, but her own life had taught her that violence was often indifferent to intention.

She was ushered into the VIP area without question or incident, and it was not difficult to spot the woman she had come here to meet; Valentina sat at the bar, looking for all appearances as though she was simply relaxing after a day's business. Had Xi not known better, she would have considered the other woman careless, but their encounter had taught her that the red-haired warrior was not one to take security for granted.

She strode right up to the bar beside her, and seated herself, her movements smooth and almost serpentine. "Has the spear been serving you well?"

Those who make no attempt to blend into their environment are generally dangerous.

@rosso:

Xi's helmeted head snapped up at the sound. It was unrecognizable; that noise almost invariably meant some form of grenade or other explosive ordnance was bouncing along a concrete floor. It was impossible for her quarry to know where she had taken cover, so either this was meant to be a distraction...or her foe was confident that the weapon was powerful enough that it didn't need to be near her to kill her.

Move!

Ignoring the shrieks that her wounded leg sent echoing through her nervous system, the Ephemeran launched herself from her position and to, and through, the nearest window. The entire building went up just as she cleared it, throwing her a good dozen yards to tumble most ungracefully along the ground. Even with the duranium in her armor absorbing most of the force, she was rattled, and it took her a moment to push herself off the ground and scan for her enemy. She had just a glimpse of a heat signature as it disappeared over another rooftop.

Very well, then.

She needed to return to her drop pod, where she could see to the injury in her leg and restock the weaponry she'd expended in this battle, including her spear. Her frustration at Val's escape was tempered by the confirmation of her suspicion: this was worthy prey, indeed. This time, she had not been sufficiently prepared, but she still lived.

Which meant that there would be a next time.

@rosso:

Xi cursed silently as her gauntlet blades slashed through empty air and into the floor beneath, as Val recalled her grapnel and used it to ascend to the higher levels. Again, smart. Her opponent now held the high ground, and she was injured, an injury that would impact her mobility.

Still...there were options. Xi swiftly reactivated her cloaking shield, disappearing from sight as she rolled from her position, taking cover behind one of the many interchangeable pallets of boxes that littered the warehouse. Her HUD display guided the bladed disc that still spun through the warehouse, and she directed towards Val's position. The disc wasn't cloaked in any way, nor was it particularly quiet, especially once it would start slashing through wiring, piping and the like, and her hope was that it would both distract her enemy and force her to give away her position while the wounded but invisible huntress positioned herself to strike.

I've not hunted a magus is some time...