Forum:Lore:Transfuga Regina

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Transfuga Regina is a Lore book introduced in TBA. It chronicles Lau'urc's journey as the leader of the Dune Raiders alongside those who've sworn loyalty to her.

I: Absense

"BRACUS LAU'URC, CABAL DEMOLITIONIST."

She hears the voice of the Prison Warden clear through the walls of her containment. A hiss followed soon after as it began to open.

She breathes, taking stock of the Slug Thrower in her hands. It is scarred by battle. She had been through many a Prison fight and came out on top. Fallen and Cabal alike would break against her, and she would relish the crunch of metal and bone under her armoured foot.

But today, she faces what she fears is an unbeatable opponent. A trio of broad-shouldered Guardians. She knows few things in this system can put Guardians down for good. Most can handle just one, but three at once was a death sentence.

But, she will not fall without a fight. As the cryo fog clears to show the orange glow of the Cabal arena, she holds her Slug Thrower aloft and lets out a guttural roar. Broken Legion troops emerge from the shadows.

The battle begins.

- - -

She watches her troops fall one by one. A Legionary charges at the alcove they cower in, only to be reduced to ash from a hammer tossed by one of the Guardians that glowed bright like the sun.

She holds her ground against them, but she can feel every bullet fired smashing into her armour, the solar light heating the pressure gel and steadily warming her suit, threatening to boil her alive. Slowly, she grows weaker.

One of them loads a round into an ornately designed rocket launcher, ready for the final blow. Another one charges at her at full speed, lightning crackling at its footsteps. It lunges at her.

She fires at it with her Slug Thrower, putting her fear and rage into every round fired. She roars and roars. She shuts her eyes in acceptance, prepared to reunite with all she had lost on this day and days before.

She hears something, like a fire being snuffed out by a gust, then a fizzle. Then, everything goes silent.

- - -

She opens her eyes slowly. She is still here. She is still alive.

The charging Guardian lies motionless at her feet. The rounds of her Slug Thrower have buried themselves across its armour, steam rises from freshly made holes the size of a Psion's finger. Its Dead Person lies on the ground next to it.

The Guardian with the Rocket Launcher and its partner are on their hands and knees. The rocket launcher is on the ground, round half loaded.

She looks at them in total disbelief as to what has happened.

"I-it's… gone…" comes a weak voice.

She looks down at the Guardian. She snatches the Dead Person and brings it closer to her face to inspect. It appears to be inert. It doesn't squirm in her clutch.

She knows what she could do. It does not seem fair, but she knows to never waste an opportunity for an advantage. A lesson the Prison beat into her, as well as another. Victory cares not for honor.

"Who's the executioner now?" she calls to the Guardians with a smile, knowing they will not understand. Her grip on the Dead Person grew tighter and tighter until, with a metallic crunch, it was no more.

She looks to her remaining troops who are equally confused about the situation. "Their Light is gone! CHARGE!"

Her troops roar in support.

The two Guardians look in horror as the Cabal move in. One of them grabs their weapon to hold them back, but they struggle to keep up. The other is banging on their entry door, begging for a rescue.

Lau'urc watches with a smile of all teeth.

II: Students

The cryo cells on the other side of the hall hold a trio of Psion Flayers. Though their bodies are suspended, their minds remain free to commune with each other and with her.

At first, she tries to block out their projected sensations. They're all too grasping for her liking. At times, they remind her of watching wild War Beasts back home, snapping at one another and squabbling over the pack leader's kills.

Eventually, they learn how to gain her interest through the right words. She learns their names. The one that reaches out first is Vov; her spirit is welcoming and friendly, but naive. She thinks every idea the three think up is the first and greatest of its kind. Perhaps none of them have ever talked to anyone above the rank of a Bracus before.

They like to show her visions of weapons, building them and bending them to their will. Her other half, Vuv, shows her one of their madder ideas. She sees Vex Goblins and Minotaurs kneeling to the Flayers. They stand atop a colossal Hydra, its eye glows a bright blue as tendrils of Psionic energy snake into the chinks of its chassis. They’ve been listening to rumours of the Mindbender.

So, she tests them with words. Every question she asks is like the thrust of a blade to see their responses. She measures them with care, for it will only take one wrong answer for her to lose interest.

"Gu'uam and his squad still hold sway over what remains of the Broken Legion, heard they’ve even tried recruiting the new guys. Their little plans failed. What would they need all that muscle for?" She asks them.

She feels both of their thoughts ripple through her mind.

She sees a large Centurion with a white skull on his chestplate standing before a crowd of Cabal and Psions. He speaks of lamenting the death of the Dominus, consolidating strength and avenging what we have lost. Some of the crowd are unconvinced, but they are drowned out by the supporting roars of the majority.

"What nonsense," Lau'urc snarls. She braces herself for a reaction from them, like a spike of rage flooding her system from a reprimand of her traitorous views. Instead, she feels nothing. It catches her off-guard for a brief moment.

"Ghaul, with the Red Legion at his back, could have squashed the Awoken, cracked this place like an egg and gotten us all out. But instead, we played our part and he left us to rot for our reward!" she bellows.

Again, nothing. She sighs and leans back against the wall of her cell.

"I've no doubt Gu'uam would be keen to bring us to the Red Legion if we ever get out, but what point would there be? The Red Legion has been culled, their greatest warriors cut down, and we cannot return home. Our only choice will be to just fight until the last of us falls."

They are silent for so long that she begins to wonder if they were even worth her time. Finally, she hears the voices of all three ring in her skull. Though they were frozen across the hall, they sounded to her like they were in her cell whispering the words straight into her ears.

THEN WE SHALL FIGHT FOR EACH OTHER.

She looks to their cells, her eyes lit up, and smiles.