#yes i used the game version of the cannon. it’s easier to draw.

[starmagnets]

saw sonic 3 the other day and got inspired to do my second ever full digital painting

(background only version under the cut)

[aknosde]

Okay, you know earlier this week when I dropped a paragraph of a fic? I actually finished it, and the end isn’t the best so I’m posting it here and not on AO3.

Loneliness - (featuring my HoH Percy and Clarisse head cannons)

TW for attempted self harm and a generally bad mental space

Percy’s never really had a mentor. When he was young he was put in a few organizations as a mentee. The type of organizations that are supposed to make things easier on kids like him, brown and black kids with “authority problems”. They never really clicked though, sometimes it was him, a lot of the time it was the supposed mentor. He had never cared much, it’s not like they could help him in a way that mattered.

Then there was Luke. Luke who was tall and strong and quick and really, really, really good with a sword. Maybe some of it was a crush, but he had never met someone who he was so encapsulated by. Luke was cool, intelligent, and good looking. He was everything Percy ever wanted and ever wanted to be.

Luke left a bitter taste in Percy’s mouth and a scar on his hand and a distaste for soda. Luke left Percy with an even quicker brain and a knot in his stomach that turned into a murder plot for his stepfather. He drew Percy in time and time again with a hatred that was laced with unrequited love and left Annabeth with blood stains on her dagger and both of them with salt stains on their cheeks and the taste of ash on their tongues.

After Luke was Beckendorf. Granted Percy had had a bit of a crush on him too. Beckendorf was pure, not in the way some white campers might call Hazel innocent. He was just kind, and genuine, and warm. Percy looked up at Beckendorf, big, strong, brave, caring, and he thought this, this is something I could do. I might not be able to be a big hero, but I can do this. I want this.

Beckendorf left Percy with no body for the shroud to cover. He left Percy with inside jokes that would never again be completed and a desire in his brain to constantly be in the forges and to keep as far away from them as possible. Beckendorf left a hole in Percy’s heart that was filled by blood and guilt. Percy looks at the acid scars on his foot with a longing for the time when Beckendorf was taken by giant ants.

And after Beckendorf there was no one. Suddenly Percy was one of the oldest campers. A war veteran. Supposedly the strongest demigod alive. He wasn’t just a counselor now, of his cabin that was solely him, he was a senior counselor. Jake Mason sat in Beck’s seat and Percy cried because suddenly he was alone.

He shouldn’t feel alone. When Annabeth holds his hand while they wait for breakfast he shouldn’t feel alone. When Grover makes enchiladas in the kitchen of the Big House and they eat them together in a field Percy shouldn’t feel alone. When Nico comes running into Percy’s cabin telling Percy that Mythomagic is apparently run by demigods and that they made a card of Nico he shouldn’t feel alone.

It only gets worse when he’s back at home. His mom goes through their normal post-quest routine. She gives him time and space and love. She takes him to the doctor’s. His old prescriptions get refilled, adderall, meperidine. Sally tries again to find a demigod therapist, to no avail. They don’t celebrate his birthday this year.

He’s at Goode without Rachel and he has no other friends. He’s never really been good at that, the whole friend thing, and now it’s practically impossible finding someone who isn’t uneasy around him. He sits in the back of his physics class and eats alone at lunch and sleeps in Paul’s office during breaks.

A teacher hands him back an essay and there’s a paperclip in the corner keeping all the pages together. There is a B+ on it with a smiley face, and Percy takes the paper clip and sharpens it and tries to scratch his skin. It doesn’t do anything. His skin still won’t break, there is just a faint redness. Only after scratching away mindlessly for weeks does he realize that he’s writing words. Last words. “Go!” “Don’t let it happen again.” “Tell him I’m sorry.”

He can fill up his schedule with school and homework and swim and skating and basketball. He can wake up in the morning and eat breakfast and take adderall and carry around the other small orange bottle waiting for his skin to revolt against him. He feels disgusting and empty. Like a demon in a suit of skin that used to be Percy. He misses two years ago when the war wasn’t looming over head, when he and Annabeth and Silena and Beck would all hang out, when he and Clarisse had weekly midnight basketball games.

Grover knows. Grover’s gotta know. For one thing, there’s the empathy link. And Grover is calling multiple times a week, and he always asks how Percy is, if he’s alright. Percy lies “I’m all good man, don’t worry. How’s work?” Then Grover goes off on a tangent about pollution or some shit he saw a human do and the way he purses his lips when he’s worried doesn’t come back until they’re hanging up.

He hates it, the lying. He’s only told lies to protect others, when he doesn’t have enough information yet, when he needs to save them. Now he is lying for himself. How fucking selfish does he have to be? But he’s so lonely, and he can’t bare to lose anyone else. It feels like the smallest step out of line will make his world crumble.

So he lies. He lies his ass off, and he doesn’t know if he’s good at it, but he could be. When Annabeth comes over one weekend, all the way from California, and she asks about the pill bottle rattling in his pocket he says that it’s adderall and she turns back to the tv. When his mom asks if he’s made new friends he says yes, and proceeds to tell a mortal version of something that he and Beck did last year.

One day Rachel comes into the city to visit her parents. They’re sitting on a bench in Central Park and he takes the paperclip out of his coat pocket and goes to work on his wrist while they talk. It’s habit by now. Rachel stops in the middle of her sentence and gently pries the paperclip from his hands and in its place she leaves a blue eyeliner pencil.

Soon his arms are covered in names and words and horrifically beautiful drawings. Blue pigment against brown skin and pink scars, all swirling together. The pencil runs out quickly, but a week later, just as he’s about to take the paperclip back out, an envelope arrives. Sitting in the bottom is a new pencil of blue eyeliner. Percy throws the paperclip in the trash.

By Thanksgiving break Percy isn’t feeling good exactly, he’s feeling mildly better. Loneliness still hits him, in pangs. He’ll be walking to lunch and he’ll have to jump in the canoe lake because he can’t handle it, and swimming is a good excuse for missing a meal.

He wakes up early in the morning and sits in Rachel’s cave waiting for her to wake up. She makes hot chocolate and points out drawings she particularly likes, and then he’ll wash his arms off ready to begin again.

Days are filled with meetings. Meetings with Chiron and meetings with other counselors, trying to make up for being away at school. When he’s not in meetings he trains. Sometimes himself, but a lot of newer or younger campers. The disarming technique he teaches throws him back to Luke and he gives the campers a five minute break hoping the feeling leaves.  

Evenings are being tossed between one person and another. Racing up the climbing wall with Annabeth and laughing at the top and sitting there for way too long. Stopping by the Aphrodite cabin where Drew will catch him up on everything he’s missed being away or being busy. He sits on the floor of the Hades cabin trying for the fifth time to understand Mythomagic.

Every night since he’s gotten back Clarisse raps on his door at two in the morning and they play one v. one on the basketball court until they end up on their backs under the stars. There’s rarely any talking. It’s dark outside and Clarisse has left her hearing aids in her cabin and he’s left his back in Manhattan. Not like he ever uses them in public.

He’s still lonely. 

Maybe Clarisse can read his mind because she taps his leg and they sit up facing each other. He can just barely see her fingers in the moonlight.

“Sometimes people can be lonely not because they are alone but because they miss someone. You have a lot of people to miss.”

“Thanks for reminding me.” He signs back.

“Oh be quiet punk.”

They both break into laughter then, before she continues.

“Miss them. As much as you fucking want. I was in love with Silena, and she died, and Drew is a bitch about it, but she has a right to be.”

Percy is struck again by how similar he and Clarisse are, their lives and their feelings and their actions. The only difference is that Clarisse grants herself the freedom to do what she wants, and he’s scared to death of doing that himself.

“But, and do not ever tell anybody I told you this, a lot of people would miss you. You can pull away and feel lonely but you can’t disappear. Annabeth needs you, Rachel needs you, Nico and Will and Drew need you. And gods fucking dammit, I need you.”

Clarisse stands and pulls him up behind her. They part ways, heading back to their cabins. Percy mulls her words over in his head as he finally drifts into sleep, his body completely and utterly exhausted. Suddenly there is a blue-gold light, and he remembers Annabeth, and then everything is dark and there’s the smell of pine.

[naruwitch]

Code Geass: Paladins of Voltron Chapter 13: Return to the Balmera

After several more hours of traveling, the Balmera was at last in sight. Other than Shirley, the other Paladins took a moment to take in the view of the planet. A planet that they were told wasn't a planet at all, but a giant petrified animal, that made itself a home for other creatures as well.

"We'll be arriving at the Balmera soon," Allura announced, "Liberating these Balmerans from Zarkon's grasp will not be easy."

"So, what's the plan? We go in there and just—Pow, pow, pow!" Rivalz said as he imitated shooting noises with his hands in gun form, "—And free the prisoners?"

"What was that noise?" Kallen asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Laser guns!" Rivals smirked back.

"No, Rivalz, I think you mean—" Milly made sounds that sounded like a giant cannon, even making hand motions to demonstrate it locking into place, "—Pow!"

"No offense, Milly, but sounded like fireworks to me," Rivalz argued.

"Technically, they're more like—ba-choo, ba-choo, ba-choo!" Rai said, making his own handgun and 'shooting' with it.

"Okay, enough with the bad sound effects!" Lelouch chastised with a frown.

"Yeah… besides, it's more like— blam, blam, blam!" Suzaku said, crouching down as if he were holding a sniper rifle and targeting his foe.

"Suzaku…" Lelouch groaned as the other Paladins protested in agreement that that was not what a gun sounded like.

"Paladins, focus," Allura said with a sigh.

"Besides," C.C. spoke up, "you might want to rethink that strategy. It'd be foolish to start shooting at the Galra once we enter."

"C.C.'s right," Shirley agreed, as a picture of the Balmera's heat signature appeared before them, "this Balmera thing, it's, like, alive. And from what we've seen, it doesn't look very good."

"Yes," Coran agreed as the screen showed the brighter colors slowly giving way to darker, colder ones, "it's an atrocity what the Galra have been doing to this grand beast. Stealing its Crystals," another screen of the Balmera's current surface appeared next to it, "its very life force, without ever performing the energy rejuvenation ceremonies to heal it." Another image showed two figures, Alteans they assumed, with hands outstretched and surrounded by a circle, and arrows being directed towards a large Crystal in between them.

"After seeing Shay's people enslaved, it made me realize how bad Zarkon really is," Shirley said with a frown. "And we're the only ones who can stop him."

"C.C. and Shirley are right, going in guns blazing is the last thing we want to do," The Black Paladin said. "Not only will it alert the enemy of our arrival sooner, but it would simply hurt the Balmera as well. What we need to do is try and draw as many troops as we can up to the surface where we can fight them in the open air."

"Wait, I know!" Rivalz exclaimed, "If we attack all of this big mining stuff on the surface, the Galra troops will have to come out to defend it. Then we beat them up, head down to the tunnels, and Voltron saves the day!"

"Okay, but will we know how many are left in the tunnels?" Kallen asked.

"We can track the Galra and the Balmerans using Biothermal Life Indicator Point Technology," Allura said. She pulled up a hologram of a small device that looked like a miniature version of the Castleship.

"Oh, B.L.I.P. Tech!" Rai said, leaning in closer. At Allura's confused stare Rai awkwardly looked at the Princess and clarified, "...It's an acronym."

"One of you will need to fly around the Balmera and drop sensors into the shafts on each side," Allura continued as the device flew further in front of her. The screen then spread out to show a map of intricate tunnels and vein systems that it picked up, "Then we'll be able to see where the Galra and the Balmerans are. There are already sensors built into your suits."

"I can do it," Rai volunteered immediately, "I just modified Zerith with the invisible maze's cloaking ability. I should be able to fly around unnoticed. Plus, I'll have Rover with me as well to help out," he smirked at the robot helper that beeped excitedly.

"Zerith?" Shirley asked, confused.

"My Lion," Rai said with a smile.

"Oh! That's pretty!" Shirley commented.

"Thanks!"

"Okay, first you know how to reprogram Galra tech, now you can make your Lion invisible? Are you sure you're not an alien, Rai?" Milly asked with a teasing grin.

Rai shrugged, "I don't know. It's like I said, these things are easy for me… maybe it's something to do with my Geass?"

Lelouch glanced at C.C., who simply shrugged. She wasn't the one who gave Rai his Geass, so she didn't know.

"That's their main power generator," Coran said, pulling up the surface again, this time with a large structure in the center. "If you take that down, it will severely weaken their defenses."

"The three of us will stay in cloud cover and give tactical support," Allura said, pulling up a model of the Castle, some areas being pointed out next to it with Altean writing. "With the Castle's defenses weakened from Sendak's Crystal, we won't be of much help to you."

"Very well, I'll take out the power generator," Lelouch said, "Rai, get those sensors to the shafts. The rest of you will take out these big mining rigs around the area. Any objections?"

The rest of the Paladins shook their heads and agreed to the strategy.

"Yeah!" Milly jumped in the air, "Okay, let's do this! Let's go kick some alien butt!"

The Balmera's gravity pulled the Castleship into its atmosphere as the Paladins made their way to their respective Lions.

"You think the Balmerans will have a parade for us after we've freed everybody?" Rivalz asked as he settled in Blue. He had yet to come up with a name for her but promised he would soon. He had already thrown a few names her way, but all had been shot down. Rivalz didn't mind too much; it was her name after all.

Kallen's face showed up on his dashboard, Aka's cockpit in the background, "It's not about the glory, Rivalz. It's about freeing prisoners from Zarkon."

"No, I know. I know. But still. When they—" Rivalz didn't finish his sentence as he and the Blue Lion launched off into the atmosphere with the rest of the Lions. As they descended, the pillars surrounding the power generator started firing rapidly at the Lions. One even launched an attack that looked like a flying windmill blade that they had to maneuver around to avoid.

"This is it. Get your heads in the game," Lelouch ordered. "Remember, the Balmera is a living creature. Make sure you pinpoint only the Galra installations and not its surface."

Rai, Rover, and Zerith promptly broke off from the rest of the group and started flying low, closer to the ground.

"Initiating cloak," the Green Paladin said, as Zerith disappeared from view. The other Lions could still pinpoint where they were, but the Galra certainly wouldn't be able to. At each mining shaft he flew over, a B.L.I.P. device was dropped in and activated at the bottom.

As the installations continued to fire at them, Suzaku expertly maneuvered the Purple Lion up and around every strike like a pro. He shot back with blasts of his own from his Lion's tail. He noticed Rivalz, and Milly quickly followed his example as they took up his flanks.

As he flew, Suzaku noticed how much easier it felt to fly his Lion, compared to even the Lancelot. It was like he and the Lion were one being instead of just pilot and machine. It was so much more than that. He could feel it.

'I need to remember to find a name for you too,' Suzaku added mentally as they shot down another tower.

Shirley, on the other hand, had gone in closer to the ground, and her Lion was simply smashing into each tower, causing them to collapse.

Lelouch grit his teeth as he examined the base. He knew shooting at full power was out of the question, but his Lion was not quite bulky enough to just smash through either, "How do I take this thing down?"

He blinked as he felt the Black Lion brush against his mind as a screen showed up in front of him, "What's that?" he asked as the Lion elaborated. It was a picture of the Lion's head, and a pair of blades that seemed to extend from its jaw, "Jaw blade?" he questioned before smirking almost evilly, pushing the thrusters down, "Okay! Let's do this!"

The Black Lion growled as the blade formed around her jaw. With the weapon in place, she and Lelouch easily sliced through the generator's foundation like a hot knife through butter. It wasn't long until nearly the entire generator was destroyed.

"All sensors delivered," Rai confirmed just as he dropped the last one.

From inside the Castle of Lions, a screen appeared, showing all of the underground tunnels of the Balmera. They'd now easily be able to track any movements and guide the Paladins through without a hitch.

The biggest cannon was still giving them trouble. Team Voltron wouldn't be able to start the rescue until it was dismantled. After a couple more blasts, Kallen and Aka managed to get in close, as the Red Lion opened its maw, and outshot a pillar of pure fire that melted right through the cannon's support beam.

"Whoa! Did you guys just see that?!" Kallen exclaimed, a giant grin on her face, "I got fire powers!"

"Hey! I want that!" Rivalz whined.

"That is so awesome, Kallen!" Milly cried, a matching grin on her face.

The praises were short-lived, though, as the cannon suddenly shuddered and wobbled. It began to tip down towards the surface. The very thing that they didn't want to happen!

"Oh, no!" Rivalz shouted.

Before it could connect, however, Shirley managed to get under it in the Orange Lion and try to push it back up, "We can't let this thing hurt the Balmera!"

"I'm coming!" Suzaku shouted as he flew overhead. His Lion opened its mouth too, but instead of anything firing out of it, it started sucking wind and debris into it. Almost like-

"A black hole!" Suzaku said as the suction began to slow the descent gradually.

"Cool, Suzaku!" Milly exclaimed.

It wasn't enough, though; the structure was still falling too fast.

"We need to try something else!" Suzaku yelled, strain in his voice.

"I think my Lion knows what to do!" Rivalz said as he and the Blue Lion flew in closer. It opened its jaws too, and while everyone expected the tower to go up in flames, a blast of crisp white ice hit it instead, freezing it entirely in place and halting the crash.

"Ha-aw, snap! These rays are super cool, just like me!" Rivalz cheered.

"Well done, everyone!" Lelouch said, as the Lions all perched on top of the frozen cannon. However, as they looked across the Balmera's surface, they were perplexed to see that no ships were coming up to attack them.

"Something's wrong," Suzaku said, "Where are all the troops? They're not coming to the surface."

"He's right," Shirley said, as her face popped up on everyone's dashboards, "Last time I was here, I remember seeing a whole army of Galra down in the mines."

"We've located a hangar full of Galra fighters just below the surface," Allura informed them from the Castle, "Someone has to take those out before they can launch."

Lelouch grit his teeth. They were being lured down. It was obviously a trap. But… "We don't have a choice," he muttered. "Alright, we'll split into three teams. Suzaku, Kallen, and Rivalz will hit the hangar. Shirley, you, Rai, and Rover head to the prison to rescue Shay and the other Balmerans. Milly and I will track down the Galra soldiers. Any objections?"

"Nope!"

"Ten-four!"

"Nada!"

"You got it!"

"Leave it to us!"

"Let's do this!" Came the shouts as the Lions bounded off the tower and towards the tunnels.

o~o

Back at the Galran headquarters, Commander Prorok was waiting. It had been several varga since he'd contacted those bounty hunters that claimed to have the Blue Lion. They never arrived at their meeting point. This could only mean one of two things. They had either been caught by the other Paladins, or they had decided to keep the Blue Lion for themselves.

Whatever the case, it wasn't a completely lost cause. Thanks to their hailing, Prorok now knew where the Paladins were going. It was now merely a matter of when to strike them.

"Commander Prorok," Thace said, as he approached his superior, "we have word from the troops on Balmera X-95 Vox. The informants were right. Voltron is there."

"Excellent," Prorok smiled smugly, "Everything is going according to plan."

"How do you wish to proceed?" his subordinate asked, "Should we inform Emperor Zarkon?"

"Contact Subcommander Ylvik," Prorok ordered, turning to meet Thace's eye, "His fleet is awaiting my command. Tell him it's time to attack. I will update the Emperor."

o~o

The Black Lion landed with a bang at the bottom of the shaft. Fortunately, there had been no Galra fighters occupying it, so Lelouch had managed to land without too much trouble. Unfortunately, the cave tunnels were too small for the Lion to navigate due to its enormous size. But there was no need to worry as there was a way around this hiccup.

Lelouch's pilot chair slowly pulled back with him, still seated. It hit the back wall of the cockpit and then lowered into the Lion's chest. Inside was a speeder; all the Lions had one. As Lelouch's seat clicked into it, the Black Lion's chest opened and set him free. As the speeder departed, the Lion's particle barrier rose up, effectively securing it until Lelouch could return.

o~o

Inside another tunnel, Rivalz, Suzaku, and Kallen slowly crept up in their speeders to a ledge that quickly showed the hanger full of Galra fighters that Allura had mentioned earlier. They were quite surprised to see how only a few sentries were guarding them.

"The entire hangar's only being guarded by a few sentries?" Rivalz said, voicing everyone's question.

"We can take them! Let's go!" Kallen said as she pulled out her Bayard and was about to storm in before Suzaku grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Whoa, whoa! Kallen!" Suzaku hissed, "Do you not remember all that stuff about this Balmera thing being a sensitive animal?"

Kallen stopped struggling against Suzaku's grip, "Oh. Right," she said, feeling embarrassed.

"Yeah, I think going and blowing things up like psychos is the last thing we want to do right now," Rivalz agreed.

"Well, do either of you have a better idea?" Kallen snapped impatiently.

"I do actually," Rivalz said as he pointed to the other end of the gorge, "We sneak into the control room to shut down the bay doors. That'll trap the ships in."

"That—!" Kallen stopped herself as she processed Rivalz's words, as Suzaku smiled in agreement, "...Actually... is a better idea."

"Come on!" Suzaku said as he started sneaking across one of the catwalks, connecting the two sides together. Kallen and Rivalz were right behind him. They were reasonably narrow, so they had to move slowly and pray that none of the sentries spotted them doing so.

o~o

In another tunnel, Shirley and Rai, with Rover hovering in Rai's speeder with him, were struggling to locate Shay and her family. Despite the Orange Paladin's previous visit, it didn't mean she was suddenly a tunnel expert.

"Allura, Coran, w-what's our location?" Shirley asked, "All these tunnels look the same. I can't remember where the prison is."

"You're on the right path," Coran assured them as he looked at their map in the Castle. "Turn right at the next tunnel. Once you get there, you'll have to disable the energy doors."

"Be careful, though," C.C. added, "it's heavily guarded."

o~o

"No, no, over here more!" Kallen whispered as Suzaku was about to cut through the control room's ceiling.

"Calm down, Kallen, I know what I'm doing," the Purple Paladin said in an exasperated tone, as he plunged his katana through and cut a circular hole through. Below them, a single sentry was operating the controls. He didn't have time to react when he looked up to see what the noise was as the ceiling hole came crashing down with Suzaku on top of it, crushing it below. Kallen and Rivalz joined him a moment later.

"Alright, you two keep an eye out for guards," Rivalz said as he approached the control panel, "I'll see if I can find a way to shut the hangar doors."

Kallen and Suzaku both moved to the side to look out the bay windows. So far, it seemed their presence had gone unnoticed. The few sentries that were down below made no move or gesture to signify that they knew the Paladins were there.

Rivalz eyes lingered over different parts of the panel. Screens were showing the status of multiple base functions, a box with a Galran symbol on it, and a few other things. There were some buttons near the bottom of the screen that Rivalz pushed in a couple of patterns, but nothing happened or worked.

"Ah!" he finally groaned in defeat, "I don't know what I'm doing here. It's all Galra gibberish."

"Let me see," Suzaku said as he and Kallen came closer to try and help.

Just like with the Blue Paladin, they didn't understand what most of the text meant; the box near the upper center caught Suzaku's eye, though.

"Hmmm…" he hummed. He turned to the sentry that was now destroyed. He took out his Bayard again and sliced off the downed sentry's arm.

"What are you doing?" Kallen asked, confused.

"Let me try something," he said, as he placed the sentry hand over the symbol and box. It glowed red when he did it, and a buzzing sound filled the room as the hanger doors above slowly creaked shut.

"Nice thinking, Suzaku!" Rivalz cheered as Kallen nodded in agreement.

One task down, two to go.

o~o

Following Coran's directions, Shirley and Rai turned right at the next tunnel intersection. They were able to spot the prison doors about halfway down. As they approached, sentries started shooting at the two speeders, forcing them to stop. The Paladins and drone exited their rides and ducked behind the speeders for cover.

Shirley whipped out her bow and fired two consecutive shots at the robots, ultimately destroying both of them.

Despite the small victory, an uneasy feeling bubbled up in the Orange Paladin's chest.

"Shirley, that was way too easy," Rai said, voicing her exact thoughts, "I don't have a good feeling about this."

"Neither do I, Rai, but Shay's still in there!" Shirley argued.

Rai sighed as the three of them approached the energy doors.

"Do your thing Rover," Rai said as the drone beeped happily and scanned the control board. The energy barrier went down immediately. No bombs went off; no army was waiting for them on the other side. Rai was right; this was too easy.

They took the chance, though, and sprinted down the tunnel. Off to the side, they thought they heard a troop of sentries approaching, but the steps quickly faded. After turning another corner, Shirley finally spotted it. It was a cell door with some familiar faces on the other side. Rai had Rover scan the console here as well, and the doors opened to reveal Shay's mother, father, grandmother, and her brother Rax… but Shay wasn't there.

The Balmerans present looked up as the door opened, surprised delight on their faces.

"Shirley, you have returned," Shay's father exclaimed as he, his wife, and his mother, stood up to greet her.

"I promised I would be back," Shirley smiled as she grasped his hand. She turned around, hand outstretched, "This is Rai. He's one of my friends I told you about."

"Nice to meet you," he greeted with a smile. Rover clicked a greeting as well, "Oh, and this is Rover. Don't worry; he's with us too."

Shirley looked around the cell but then realized something.

"Where's Shay?" she asked urgently.

"Our life may not have been perfect, but our family was whole," Rax retorted and glared at the two Paladins. "Your arrival has left us imprisoned and torn apart. As soon as your attack started, they took her away to the core of the Balmera. For all we know, she could be gone for good."

Shirley gasped at this information as Rai grimaced, "This isn't good," he muttered.

"Paladins, are you there?" Allura asked urgently, as she Coran and C.C, saw the Galra forces converging at a point, "The Galra troops are moving down the tunnels. It looks like they're going down toward the center."

"They must be headed to the core of the Balmera," Shirley said, "That's where they're holding Shay."

o~o

Lelouch grit his teeth in frustration as he rode on his speeder. "They're drawing us into an ambush," he said objectively, "but we don't have a choice if we want to save Shay. We have to follow. Everyone, start heading to the core. We'll need to be together to get through this firefight."

o~o

"Copy that," Kallen's voice sounded as she and her team left the control room now that the launch doors were sealed, "we're on our way!"

Behind her, Suzaku quickly slashed through the control board to prevent anyone from trying to open the doors again. As the trio ran out, and the doors closed, Rivalz fired his Bayard at the control pad, effectively locking it behind them.

o~o

Milly gasped, and her speeder screeched to a halt as it almost crashed into what she thought was a dead-end of the tunnel. After she stopped and popped out of it, she saw that there wasn't a dead-end, but that the tunnel was simply narrow enough that she couldn't bring her speeder through.

"Looks like you're in an area where the tunnels are too narrow for your speeder," Allura informed her.

"Yeah, I see that," Milly said, stepping through the small gap, "proceeding on foot."

Milly had been walking for a couple of minutes when she spotted lights that were moving ahead of her. She jumped to the side, hiding from view, "There's someone here," she whispered urgently.

"Looking into it," Allura replied.

As the shadows crept closer and closer, Milly bit her lip before she jumped out and ran, raising her kusarigama Bayard to attack.

"Milly, no! Those are Balmerans!" Allura cried out just in time. Milly stopped short and lowered her weapon. Three young Balmeran children were standing in front of her. One of them was carrying a small lamp.

Milly sighed in relief that they weren't sentries. She looked up with a smile and waved to the children.

Suddenly, the ground underneath her began to quake, and a loud, high-pitched groan echoed through the tunnel. Small rocks, dust, and debris began to fall around them.

The three children gasped and turned to run in the other direction, but one of them tripped and fell. Above them, a large slab of stone shook loose and began to fall. Acting fast, Milly sprinted to the trio, using her jetpack for more momentum, and snatched the fallen child just as the slab crashed to the ground behind them. She set the Balmeran down next to her friends, who promptly hugged her close to them. Milly turned to view the damage behind her. She was completely blocked off from her speeder.

"Don't worry," she assured the children, "everything's going to be okay."

o~o

"Everyone," Milly's voice buzzed through the comms, "be careful. The Balmera is very unstable."

Kallen, Suzaku, and Rivalz almost didn't have time to start worrying about that. When they turned a corner, they were ambushed by a small platoon of sentries that were guarding a door. Rivalz and Kallen tumbled to the left, and Suzaku took shelter to the right of a battlecruiser output of the wall. As the laser shots zoomed past them, the ground vibrated again, and the pained echoes of the Balmera could be heard from all over the tunnels.

"Their shooting is destroying the Balmera. We gotta do something!" Kallen shouted over the noise.

"Well, we can't shoot back!" Rivalz said, "That'll just make it worse!"

They had to think of a plan, fast. The ground started shaking again as stone and rock tumbled down around them from the Balmera's pained screams.

Suzaku looked around, by the sentries and his teammates. Then he spotted a ladder behind Kallen. If the two of them climbed up to the upper level, they would have the advantage of higher ground. With Rivalz distracting them below, it would be easy!

"Kallen!" He whispered, urgently pointing behind her.

The Red Paladin shot him a confused stare before glancing behind and spotting the ladder. Making an 'o' with her mouth, she then smiled and gave a thumbs-up, realizing what the Purple Paladin had in mind.

As Suzaku scrambled to the other side with her, Rivalz leaped out and waved his hands in the air right in front of the platoon, "Na-na na-na boo-boo!"

As the sentries started firing at him again, he crouched down to the ground with his shield activated, hoping to block most of the shot from hitting the Balmera wall behind him. Some still made it to the other side, though. He gritted his teeth and endured it as Kallen and Suzaku ran across the upper level. Once they were on top of them, they leaped down and quickly finished them off with their weapons, Kallen blowing the last one up with her gauntlet.

"I love this thing!" she whispered with a smirk. She and Suzaku glanced back to check on Rivalz, who flashed them a smile and a thumbs up.

o~o

Rai and Shirley ran until they came across a closed door. According to Allura's directions, the core was on the other side. They would find Shay there.

"Okay, this should be it," Rai muttered as he directed Rover to unlock it. "Be ready, we don't know what's on the other side."

Shirley nodded and gulped, readying her bow to shoot. Despite being scared, she put on the bravest face she could as Rover beeped that he was finished.

Rai raised his hand with three fingers. Once his finger hit one, the two rushed in as the door opened, weapons drawn and prepared to fight. They came to an abrupt stop, though when no enemies came to greet them. There was only one occupant in the room, dangling in chains from the ceiling.

"Shay!" Shirley shouted in relief, "You're alive!"

The Balmera was hanging from the ceiling by her wrists and had a muzzle wrapped around her mouth. Upon spotting Shirley and Rai, she started struggling against her restraints, shaking her head furiously to try and dislodge the muzzle.

Aiming as carefully as she could, Shirley fired an arrow at the chains holding her up. As the Balmeran fell, Rai rushed to catch her from underneath. With a blast from his jetpack, Rai caught Shay bridle style, and slowly lowered them to the ground. Once there, Shirley started working trying to undue the muzzle, but it was clasped super tight. As the Orange Paladin assisted her friend, Rai looked around in disbelief. They were the only ones there. There were no guards, sentries, or even Rover's fellow droids. Nothing.

'Something's wrong,' he thought, eyes scanning around them.

"Where are the Galra?" Lelouch demanded as he ran in through another entrance, the other Paladins following from another. "If this is an ambush, they should be here waiting for us."

They got their answer as the doors they had moments ago run through, slammed shut and locked behind them.

"Not an ambush," Suzaku said, "more like a trap!"

"Whatever it is, keep your guard up!" Kallen shouted.

"The Galra, they gained knowledge that you would return to the Balmera," Shay said once Shirley removed the muzzle. The other Paladins joined her at the bottom.

"What? How?!" Rivalz asked.

"I know not," Shay answered with remorse, bowing her head, "But they set this trap just for you. I was the bait."

"Who could have possibly known that we were heading here to save Shay?" Rai asked incredulously.

Lelouch grit his teeth, already knowing who, but Milly beat him to the punch, "Rolo! Those liars must have told Zarkon!"

"It likely happened when they had the Blue Lion, to negotiate its trade," Lelouch said with a frown, "and we were foolish not to question them of such an action!" Lelouch mentally kicked himself for overlooking something so obvious.

"We need to get out here, fast!" Shirley said, looking around at the closed doors.

"Rai, can Rover hack the doors and get us out?" Suzaku asked the Green Paladin.

"If he was on the other side, he could. There are no control panels to do that here!" he answered. Rover beeped sadly, tilting downward as if ashamed.

"Wait! We have a giant Castleship hovering in the sky," Rivalz said, before contacting the said ship, "Allura, can you please come get us?"

"How do you expect her to do that, genius?" Kallen demanded.

"I don't know; maybe they got teleporters or something. Like from Star Trek." Rivalz suggested.

o~o

"We're quite occupied at the moment," Allura informed them urgently and grunted as another shot from a Galra fighter hit the ship's shields. There were over a dozen of them surrounding the Castle, "We're completely surrounded by Galra ships, and we're taking heavy fire!"

The shots were coming from every direction, giving the ship no place to maneuver. Alarms started blaring, and the screens in front of the ship's occupants turned red with warnings of malfunction.

"Princess, our particle barrier won't last much longer!" Coran informed her urgently.

"Do you have any other forms of attacking besides the Lions?" C.C. asked, holding onto one of the control tables as another blast rocked the ship.

"We do, but I'm not sure how long they'll last," Allura informed the immortal.

"It's better than nothing!" she countered as she made her way to another screen that popped up by the princess. A targeting system appeared in front, and C.C. grasped the two control sticks that appeared in front of her. She pressed down on the handles and started firing back at the fleet intensely. Despite managing to take a few ships down, more continued to pour in.

"Paladins, you need to get out of there as soon as you can!" Allura cried out.

o~o

"This is it! We're going to die in here. I can say bye-bye to that parade," Rivalz lamented as he sagged down. Everyone shot him unimpressed looks.

"Everyone focus!" Lelouch ordered, "Allura, we'll get there as soon as we can!"

"Perhaps my people can help us get out," Shay suggested. She walked towards the core of the Balmera and placed a hand lightly on top of it. "This is how we communicate. The Balmera senses our vibrations and sends a message to those in the tunnels."

"Are you sure someone will be able to hear your... hand from all the way down here?" Kallen asked skeptically.

"The Balmera will deliver the message," Shay reassured them as she closed her eyes in concentration. Her hand started to glow, and the Balmera groaned around them. The Paladins watched mesmerized. Shay stood still, not moving a muscle from the core.

o~o

Elsewhere on the Balmera, Shay's family was making their way back to their home inside. Their faces were sad and solemn, believing that a member of their family was gone forever despite was Shirley said.

The four suddenly stopped as the Balmera groaned. Rax bent down, placing his hand on the ground.

"It's a message from Shay!" he exclaimed, shocked.

"She's alive!" her father rejoiced as his wife and mother smiled at the news.

"The Paladins of Voltron went to the core of the Balmera to save Shay... and now they are all trapped," Rax informed them, eyes narrowing.

"Then we are all doomed," his father mourned, looking down in despair.

"This is all my fault," Rax said, standing up, guilt swelling in his chest, "I conspired against them, and because of my actions, Shay was imprisoned. The orange female was right. If we ever hope to be free, we must take action."

"But how can we rise up against our Galra overlords?" his father asked.

"What choice do we have?" Rax asked, "They have stolen all of the crystals from our Balmera. Our lives are worthless to them now."

"But Balmerans have never fought." his father countered.

"You taught me that without family, we have nothing," Rax argued, a fire of rebellion blazing in his eyes. "The Galra have taken Shay. How can we do nothing while the Paladins sacrifice everything to save us? We must do our part!"

o~o

Prorok kneeled before Zarkon, smirking at the knowledge that his plan was working out. The Emperor would no doubt be pleased with him for his efforts. Within the next few varga, Voltron would be within the Galra's grasp at last.

"Lord Zarkon, I have news to report. News that will likely please you, my Emperor."

"Proceed," Zarkon commanded, no emotion on his ancient face.

"I have the Voltron Paladins trapped on a Balmera in the Javeeno star system," the commander informed him, with a proud grin. "I've ordered a fleet to capture the Lions and destroy the Altean Castle."

To Prorok's surprise, though, the Emperor was far from pleased with his report, and scowled contemptibly, "You fool! You dare make plans without informing me?"

"Forgive me, Emperor…" Prorok shrank back in fear, "...but I saw an opportunity, and I took it for the glory of the Galra Empire."

"I suspect that you are seeking your own glory, Prorok," Zarkon growled, "But you do not realize Voltron's power." He knew that there were only a few that knew Voltron's full potential. Not even the Altean Princess did, much less the new Paladins…

o~o

As the Castle continued to be fired upon, a dozen Galra fighters broke off from the formation and began to descend towards the Balmera.

"They're heading down into the tunnels!" Coran gasped, "They're going to steal the Lions!"

"Paladins, the Lions are in danger! You must get back to them immediately!" Allura called out desperately.

On C.C.'s targeting scanner, a small alert popped up, directing them to the cause of it in the distance.

"Something's locked onto us!" she informed them as they spotted a large Galra cruiser with an ion cannon affixed on top.

o~o

"Paladins, do you copy?" Allura asked, "There's a battlecruiser locked onto us. If it fires with its ion cannon, I don't know if we can survive."

"We're trying, Allura," Shirley replied anxiously.

"Yeah, Shay's pressing her hand against the wall, which apparently sends vibrations to the other rock people," Rivalz tried explaining, "who vibrate back or something? Hand talking? I guess the answer to your question is, 'Yes, we copy.'"

"Shay, are you sure the Balmera is sending your message?" Suzaku asked urgently.

As Shay began focusing harder, her family appeared behind one of the doors. They pressed their hands against the wall surface, causing it to glow blue. The wall suddenly constricted, knocking the door off its hinges.

The Paladins and Shay all jumped and turned to where the door had been initially. As the dust settled, Shay's family stood in the doorway to greet them.

"Rax!" Shay exclaimed, happily.

"We must make haste!" Rax replied urgently, "We know a shortcut through the tunnels."

"Princess, stand by," Lelouch called out to the Castle, "we're on our way up!"

o~o

Lelouch and his speeder had scrambled back to the Black Lion just in time. Two Galra ships were using tracker beams to try and drag it out.

"Paladins, hurry! They're taking off with the Lions!" Allura said.

Gritting his teeth, Lelouch thrust the speeder forward. A small opening was made in the particle barrier, and the Black Paladin disappeared back inside his Lion. With a roar, the Black Lion broke free of the tractor beams and zoomed out of the Balmera tunnel.

"Paladins report! Did everyone make it to their Lions?" Lelouch asked as he hovered above the mines.

He got his answers as the six other Lions promptly burst from the tunnels and joined him on the surface in formation.

"Come on, Lelouch. Who you think you're dealing with? A bunch of amateurs—" Rivalz didn't finish his sentence as he and the Blue Lion ran headfirst into what remained of one of the Galra structures, which the other six Lions easily avoided.

"You really want me to answer that, Rivalz?" Lelouch smirked in amusement despite the situation.

"No," the Blue Paladin groaned.

The Lions quickly regrouped as the Galra fleet started firing furiously at them. The Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow Lions fired shots of their own while the Orange Lion tore through them with its armor and powerful jaws. The Purple Lion followed suit, sucking in every aircraft it could and tearing the wings off and destroying them. Finally, the mighty Black Lion sliced through several fighters with its jaw blade in effect. It was like a hot knife through butter!

The fleet was getting obliterated every second they continued to fight. Balls of fire rained down from the sky.

As another wave came flying at them, Kallen and Rivalz put their Lions attacks together to wipe them out. Kallen melting half of them as Rivalz froze the rest completely.

Shirley grabbed another fighter in the Orange Lion's maw and proceeded to ram into four more before tossing the stack away as it exploded in a fiery inferno.

From above her, though, she didn't have time to dodge as three more began firing at her.

"Shirley, watch out!" Rai cried as he and Zerith flew to cover her, the shots having little effect against the Green Lion's shield on its back.

"I'm coming!" Lelouch shouted as he and the Black Lion zoomed overhead and sliced through the three assailants. They blew up quickly.

"Phew! Thanks, boys!" Shirley said with a smile.

Milly and Suzaku charged another five Galra fighters from above. They seemed ready to dive-bomb them.

Milly thrust the control of the Yellow Lion forward, intending to take them out with one shot. To her surprise, however, when the Yellow Lion opened its mouth, it didn't shoot a blast of energy, but a tiny ball of light… which moments later expanded to illuminate the battlefield, blinding everyone but the Paladins, whose visors came down automatically to protect their vision.

"Woah!" Milly exclaimed in shocked excitement, "Did you guys just see that?!"

"Nice, Milly!" Suzaku complimented as he sucked the five fighters towards them, and chomped down on them at once. They blew up as he tossed them aside.

Despite the Paladins' growing success, the Castle was still facing a threat from the Galra warship. The ion cannon began to charge up, ready to fire.

"It's charging its ion cannon!" Coran exclaimed in fear.

"Divert all shields to the bow!" Allura ordered.

"That'll leave the rest of the ship completely vulnerable!" Coran argued.

"Leave that to me!" C.C. said, still at blaster controls.

As the shields converged in front of the ship, it met the blast of the ion cannon head-on. Allura grit her teeth as the blast pressed against the shield. It began to fizzle out, losing power fast.

"Paladins, I need you immediately! Five more ticks, and we're finished!"

"Very well!" Lelouch shouted, "Team, let's form Voltron!"

"Yes/Yeah!" the rest of the team screamed out as the Lions roared and converged.

Within moments the giant juggernaut appeared before them and emerged from the clouds and headed straight for the Galra warship. It slammed into the bottom of the ship. As the Paladins screamed, Voltron shoved the ship upwards, diverting the cannon blast away from the Castle of Lions in the knick of time.

"Right, now is our chance, Princess!" Coran proclaimed.

"Full power on the blasters!" Allura ordered as the holographic image lined up with the target, "Lock onto target. Fire!"

At Allura's command, the Castle unleashed a sizeable blue beam of energy straight at the Galra ship. Voltron flew out of the way just as the shot hit the ship, straight through the helm. Within moments the warship exploded in a fiery inferno, taking out whatever remained of its Galra fighters with it.

"Yes!"

"Woo-hoo!"

"Whoop-whoop!"

"Nice shot, Princess!"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah! The Parade's back on!"

Lelouch simply smirked victoriously from the Black Lion, watching the firework show.

The day was theirs.

o~o

"The Galra fleet and all Sentries on the Balmera have been defeated!" a communications officer reported to the throne room.

Prorok's face fell at the news. That wasn't possible. He was sure he could obtain Voltron!

"No!" the commander gasped, "How could this be? Lord Zarkon, I will do all that I can to recapture Voltron for the Galra!"

"Silence, Prorok!" Zarkon thundered, causing the commander to flinch away, "I have plans that you can not comprehend."

o~o

Voltron touched down lightly on the Balmera's surface, the Castleship preparing to settle just behind them.

"Mission accomplished!" Kallen grinned as she leaned back in Aka's pilot chair. She hadn't felt this pumped since her first official mission with Ohgi's old group before Lelouch/Zero had come in to play.

"And just in the tick of time," Allura agreed, "The Castle's defenses are battered and will need to fully recharge."

Allura spoke too soon, though, as the Castle's proximity alarms blared to life. Something was approaching the Balmera's atmosphere. Fast.

"There's an unknown object incoming!" Coran said as a massive fireball could be seen from the ship's bridge, "It's about to crash into the Balmera!"

Lelouch silently cursed as the object crashed into the surface. As the dust cleared, a familiar-looking black coffin-like ship could be seen in the distance.

"What the heck?!" Rivalz exclaimed.

"What is that?!" Milly asked.

Additional noises of confusion could be heard from the other Paladins as well.

"...Trouble." Lelouch spat, teeth grinding in his jaw. The battle wasn't over. It had only just begun.

[gamerprincess13]

Fire Emblem Heroes Unit Review: Cordelia

"I was once one of the Ylissean pegasus knights. The others all died...but their spirits live on in me."

Available: 3-4 Star (5-Star if a Focus Unit)

Neutral Stats: 40/35/35/22/25 (Best IV’s: +Attack for more power on any set, +Speed to double more foes or attack four times with the Brave Lance+; -Res as she’ll want to preserve her physical bulk if possible, or -HP to keep both Def and Res in tact.)

Default Kit:

Brave Lance+ (MT: 8. Inflicts Spd-5. If unit initiates combat, unit attacks twice.) Unlocked at 5-Star.

Special: Galeforce (If unit initiates combat, grants unit another action after combat. Once per turn. Cooldown: 5 Turns). Unlocked at 5-Star.

A-Slot: Triangle Adept 3 (If unit has weapon-triangle advantage, boosts Atk by 20%. If unit has weapon-triangle disadvantage, reduces Atk by 20%.) Unlocked at 5-Star.

B-Slot: Pass 3 (If unit’s HP is greater than/equal to 25%, unit can move through foes’ spaces.)

Pros:

Fantastic offensive spread

35 in both Attack and Speed

Can run many multiple offensive kits

Naturally learns Galeforce

Can pull it off with Brave Lance+/Firesweep Lance

Has access to Flier Emblem buffs

Being a flier means she can easily navigate through terrain

Makes her more dangerous if not careful

Starting kit isn’t too half-bad... except Pass...

Easy to merge

STRONG Player Phase

A freakin’ genius!

But... SHH! Don’t tell her I said that!

Cons:

Weak defenses

In danger to archers... and Merric

POOR Enemy Phase

Some of her best builds (minus Galeforce) are expensive to build

Doesn’t have the best art in Heroes though...

Her alt’s are better... especially her Bridal version!

With a lot of new strong fliers coming in and old fliers such as Hinoka and Clair obtaining new personal weapons, Cordelia still manages to stay on top of the game thanks to her stellar offensive stat-line, alongside with having the easiest access of the most killer sets most offensive units would die for.

So since Cordelia’s birthday is coming up soon, I thought it would be nice to do a review for her, alongside her bridal variant!

Cordelia’s default weapon is the Brave Lance+, which allows Cordelia to attack twice whenever she initiates combat, though it reduces her speed by -5. But that’s not too bad of a trade off since most of the time, Cordelia will either kill her foe thanks to her high attack, or in some cases, quad attack the foe due to her already stellar speed. Her default special is Galeforce, and she’s one of the three units who have it by default (the other two being Lyn and Brave Roy). Whenever the special reduces to zero and she initiates combat, Cordelia is allowed to move again, allowing Cordelia to either finish off a foe or escape safely. It’s an awesome special for an offensive unit like Cordelia, and she can use skills like Heavy Blade 3 to make Galeforce go down faster.

Her default A-Skill is Triangle Adept 3, which makes her kill red units a lot faster, though that makes her take more damage from green units if Cordelia isn’t too careful. This skill is still nice for those with limited skill fodder (ie Death Blow, Life and Death, etc.), or if they want to use Cordelia only as a hard counter in Arena Assault for pesky red units. Her B-Slot is Pass 3... which doesn’t do too much for Cordelia (or any unit in general... Sorry for players who find Pass useful) and can easily be replaced with another skill of the player’s choosing.

In terms of Skill Inheritance, there’s a LOT for Cordelia to improve her default kit, or make a new set that’s equally as deadly as her Brave Lance set. Brave Lance+ is already an excellent weapon for Cordelia, but the Firesweep Lance+ is just as awesome as the Brave Lance+ as the former allows Cordelia to attack safely without any worry of the foe striking back at her... at least when she attacks. If the foe attacks Cordelia, she won’t strike back to her foe. So take caution when using the Firesweep Lance, or the Firesweep weapons in general. She can also take advantage of the Slaying Lance+ or the Harmonic Lance+ if she wishes, especially when refined with either Attack or Speed in mind.

Her A-Slot has a couple of amazing options. Death Blow 3 or Swift Sparrow 2 are always popular choices regardless of what lance Cordelia is wielding as it helps her gain more power on the Player Phase; which is where Cordelia shines on. Life and Death 3 makes Cordelia even more of a Glass Cannon; more power for less bulk which isn’t a problem as her defense and resistance are both terrible. Heavy Blade 3 is a nice option, but that requires an Ike and there’s already a Sacred Seal for it. Popular B-Slots like Hit-and-Run and Drag Back are nice for a flier like Cordelia as it allows her a quick escape after combat with a foe. Desperation 3 is a nice skill for Cordelia, especially when running the Brave Lance+ set. Swordbreaker 3 is a good option for taking care of popular sword units such as Zelgius and Ayra, and other skills like Wings of Mercy or Escape Route are nice options if you want to surprise your foes. Cordelia’s C-Slot is free, from Goad/Ward Fliers, to Threaten Defense/Speed depending on what team she’s on.

Cordelia’s default Galeforce is already fantastic, but specials such as Glimmer, Luna, Moonbow, and Draconic Aura would do as well. So it pretty much depends on what Skill fodder the player has for Cordelia to use. Reposition is the best assist skill for Cordelia in any team she’s in, though others such as the Rallys and Draw Back or Swap will do just fine.

But as much as a genius Cordelia is in combat, there are things she still needs work on. As mentioned earlier, Cordelia’s bulk isn’t the best, which means she’ll take heavy damage, even to units that she has an advantage against. While being a flier means navigating through terrain much easier, Cordelia is vulnerable against all archers, alongside Merric too due to her poor defenses. And while Cordelia can shine in Player Phase, her Enemy Phase is poor, not getting as much damage in to her foes, or not even countering her foes if she’s wielding the Firesweep Lance+. Also, minus Galeforce, most of Cordelia’s great sets are quite expensive, costing some rare units, alongside feathers in order to obtain the Firesweep Lance+. 

Regardless of her weaknesses, Cordelia makes up with her power, speed, and the ability to be able to fit into any team, Flier or Mixed Emblem teams. She’s the fan-favorite to many Fire Emblem fans, and her looks isn’t the sole reason why. It’s also thanks to her perfect combat skills!

Recommended Skills:

Weapons:

Brave Lance+ (default)

Firesweep Lance+

Slaying Lance+

Harmonic Lance+

Assist:

Reposition

Draw Back

Swap

Rallys

Special:

Galeforce (default)

Luna

Moonbow

Aether

Draconic Aura

Glimmer

A-Slot:

Death Blow 3

Swift Sparrow 2

Life and Death 3

Heavy Blade 3

Triangle Adept 3 (default)

B-Slot:

Hit and Run

Drag Back

Desperation 3

Swordbreaker 3

Wings of Mercy 3

Escape Route 3

C-Slot:

Goad/Ward Fliers

Fortify Fliers

Threaten Defense/Speed

Counters:

Archers are her worst enemy if she’s unable to escape from them

Merric’s tome grants effective damage against fliers; harmful for Cordelia

Tanky units like Lukas, Effie

Hector (all variants), Amelia, and Male Grima give Cordelia trouble due to their bulk

Blue magic units like Linde, Delthea, and Reinhardt

Teammates:

Flying allies such as Kinshi Hinoka, Summer Tana, and Elincia

Dragons like Nowi or Tiki to handle some archers for her

Dancers are nice

Especially New Years Azura or Bride Ninian; mainly the former for balance

Sword units

Falchion users like Alm, Lucina, or Chrom (either normal or Exalted) to take care of green dragons

Summoner’s Words of Wisdom: “Soaring in the air with power and grace, one of the last Ylissean Pegasus Knights displays an incredible amount of skill to her foes. A genius, yes! Wait... she doesn’t like to be called that. Then, a perfect warrior indeed!”

[inexcon]

RSI Comm-Link: Banu Defender

A Guide to Visiting the Banu Protectorate

Welcome, Citizen, to the official “A Guide to Visiting the Banu Protectorate”, 65th edition. There are new, fun, and informative additions to the Guide, such as tips on negotiation and personal safety.

Enjoy your time in the Protectorate and thank you for making us your choice in planning your voyage.

Sincerely, The UEE Diplomatic Corps

Why visit the Banu?

The Banu are not only the first alien species that Humanity had contact with, but they have been a consistently peaceful and respectful neighbor who have fostered a close relationship with the UEE and her citizens through economic trade and cultural exchange. On top of all that, they are a rich and vibrant people well worth a closer look.

Known best for their industrious nature, Banu pride themselves on their artisanal craftsmanship and astute business acumen. Rather than the traditional family units or corporations typically found among Humans, the Banu instead have a societal structure that combines both into one single unit – the Souli. Often translated as ‘guild,’ the Souli is the foundation for life in the Protectorate, where Banu work and live together. Each Souli specializes in a specific industry and can vary widely; from a ship manufacturing Souli, to a trade Souli, even a Souli that raises Banu young. There is a Souli for everything. This regimented division of labor translates directly into the skilled expertise present on Banu worlds, markets and trade-vessels making for a memorable visit.

Where to go?

Travelling throughout the Banu Protectorate offers a variety of exotic sights and sounds. From the flotillas of Yulin to the hallowed halls of Trise, you can find adventure and mystery around every corner. So where do you even start? We’ve assembled a handy guide of some of the systems to make planning your journey even easier.

Bacchus II​ – Skip between the thousands of archipelagos and islands across this vast ocean world to experience what many consider the quintessential Banu world.

Geddon I​ – Fancy a little danger? Visit the arcologies among the beautiful desolation of this geologically active volcanic world to see how mining soulis are harvesting planetary resources for trade goods.

Gliese IV – Ever wonder what an uninhabited planet looks like? Traverse the unkempt wilds of Gliese IV, perfectly habitable to Humans and Banu, but completely unoccupied.

Kins II – For you history buffs, no trip to the Banu Protectorate would be complete without seeing the ancient structure on Kins II. Completely defying any existing Banu engineering styles, these sites have long baffled xenoarchaeologists about who (or what) built them.

What to do when I get there?

Of course, the Banu don’t spend all their time working and trading. With a strong belief that you should always live in the moment and focus on the present, they take their relaxation almost as seriously as they take their work. There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to diversions and there’s sure to be something to match almost any taste. Maybe you would like to try your hand at one of the bustling gambling halls where goods are exuberantly exchanged in games of chance. If you’re passionate about sports, the Banu have taken a strong liking to the Human game of Sataball with many arenas to be found throughout the Protectorate — just be warned that it’s common for Banu to cheer for both sides in a match!

For many who visit the Banu, the biggest draw will be the markets which many consider to offer some of the best shopping anywhere in the universe. Not only can you peruse the elite craftsmanship of the various Souli, but because the Banu trade with many other species, you can often find exotic goods from almost every corner of known space and some items from even farther than that. Wandering down the crowded stalls of a Banu Flotilla can be a treat for the senses, but to get the full experience you will definitely want to have the fun of purchasing an item of your very own. For those looking for just a small keepsake of their travels, a popular item to purchase is a tholo, a small three-sided token representative of Cassa, the Banu patron of luck.

- These trinkets are sold as decision-making devices, so ask a question, then roll the tholo to get a ‘yes,’ ‘no’ or (what roughly translates to)‘run’ as an answer.

And after all that exploring and shopping, make sure to stop by one of the dining Souli to experience some of the Banu’s hospitality firsthand and partake in one of their large communal meals. While Banu typically eat with their hands, some places that cater to Humans will have silverware available.

In the Marketplace

When visiting any Banu population center, from the smallest enclaves to the thriving cities, you will notice one thing: they are always built around a central marketplace. Human anthropologists theorize that early Banu societies must have grown around crossroads, placing themselves along the confluences of travellers allowed them to maximize their exposure to goods moving around their planet. The more popular crossroads attracted more and more Banu until permanent settlements began to take shape around them. Interestingly enough, these are just theories and not even Banu ones. The most comprehensive historians of the Banu culture are actually Humans and that only goes back as far as our first interactions with them. The Banu belief that one should always live in the present has created a cultural mentality that disregards facts of the past. To that end, while technical knowledge will be preserved (until they come across a better design), all other facts (historical figures, key events, even their own homeworld) have been lost to the ages. So, while Humans place great value on deeds and noteworthy actions, to the Banu it is the accumulation of material goods that truly represents a life well spent. No where is this clearer than in their markets.

From stalls packed to the brim with odds and ends to the immaculate showrooms aboard a Merchantman, there are a few things to keep in mind when trading with the Banu:

Negotiating is a must. It is considered very strange to accept an initial offer.

Even though an item or a ship can look the same on the outside, it’s worth taking a closer look as Banu manufacturing can vary widely from Souli to Souli. It may be worth shopping around till you find the one that matches your price and quality standards.

As trade between our two species grows, many Banu are making products specifically to cater to Human tastes. For example, there are now numerous ship Souli who are constructing Human flight ready versions of ships like the Merchantman and Defender.

It is traditional for Banu to offer hospitality while negotiating and you will often see traders gathered around a slomaddon, a large ornate brewing vessel, each of them having contributed an ingredient to the drink, sloma.

If you are offered a cup, be polite and take a sip, but make sure to drink responsibility          — sloma can sometimes be quite potent.

Most Banu will consider a deal final once the transaction is complete. Make sure you inspect everything closely and double check the terms of your agreement before leaving.

A good tip for finding a reputable dealer is watching where other Banu shop. If a Souli doesn’t have very many customers there might be a reason for it.

If you see something you like, go ahead and buy it! Banu traders are often transient and may not be there next time you return.

Safety and Security

Here are a few tips and pointers to keep in mind during your visit:

Many Humans find that bringing earplugs or other hearing protection can be helpful since the Banu’s hearing isn’t as sensitive and noise levels can get quite high.

While many Banu will deal with you honestly, they have what can be described as a lax view of crime and expect visitors to look after themselves, so keep your wits about you at all times. Some travelers find hiring local Banu mercenaries or Defender escorts to be a sound investment.

If you are the victim of a crime, you will be expected to hire a security Souli to investigate the matter for you. In cases of theft, many are willing to take a percentage of the recovered goods as their fee.

One of the biggest dangers that Humans can encounter in the Banu Protectorate is slavery. We strongly advise people avoid the “Servant Markets” of Kins II for this reason. However, please note that if you are captured by Banu slavers you will most likely be offered the opportunity to purchase your own freedom. There are few companies that offer travelers slavery insurance in case of emergency.

Please note that while many visitors have read the popular book A Human Perspective, we would like to remind people that this is a work of fiction and should not be counted on as an accurate source of information on the Banu.

A Guide to Visiting the Banu Protectorate

“A Guide to Visiting the Banu Protectorate” is prepared by the United Empire of Earth Diplomatic Corps for the use of UEE members, both public and private. Logos & photos used with permission. All Rights Reserved.

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Discover the Defender

Learn more about the Banu’s unique culture and their premiere fighter in this brochure.

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Introducing the Banu Defender

In the Banu Protectorate, tradesmen are known for hauling precious cargo across long distances in their Merchantman ships. While the Merchantman boasts a cavernous cargo area, it lacks the offensive capabilities to ward off large numbers of attackers.

Meet the Banu Defender, a multi-crew fighter whose patchwork design features both Xi’an thrusters, Tevarin shields, and four Singe tachyon cannons. Though cargo space is limited, the Defender features modest accommodations for its crew and provides easy access to components. The Defender gets its name from the role it serves: the first line of defense against enemy attacks.

That’s why the Defender makes the ideal companion to the Merchantman: one to do the heavy hauling and the other to perform the deadly dogfighting. Every Banu merchant knows an investment in defense is an investment in their livelihood.

Now, you can purchase both ships as part of the Banu Pack! This exclusive 2-ship pack is available for a limited time. The Defender and Merchantman can also be bought individually in two models: Standard and War Bond. This special sale ends on May 1, 2017.

About the Sale

The Defender is being offered for the first time as a limited concept sale. This means that the ship design meets our specifications, but it is not yet ready to display in your Hangar, fight in Arena Commander or fly in the Alpha. All revenue collected from Concept Sales goes directly to supporting the development of Star Citizen; to building a game with a scale and depth that’s never been accomplished in games before. Your contributions directly finance the hundreds of developers striving to create the Best Damn Space Sim ever and the team engaging with the Best Damn Community Ever. Concept Sale profits don’t go to shareholders or personal pockets; they go directly into developing a better game. Star Citizen wouldn’t exist without the continued support of our backers.

The sale includes Lifetime Insurance on the ship hull and a pair of decorative items for your Hangar. A future patch will add a Defender poster and then once the in-game model is finished you will also be given an in-game Defender mini ship model! In the future, the ship price will increase and the offer will not include Lifetime Insurance or these extras.

Disclaimer

Remember: we are offering this pledge ship to help fund Star Citizen’s development. The funding generated by sales such as this is what allows us to include deeper, non-combat oriented features in the Star Citizen world. Concept ships will be available for in-game credits in the final universe, and they are not required to start the game.

Additionally, please note that the Defender will be entering the ship pipeline now, it will ultimately be released after other concept ships have been completed. All decorative ‘flare’ items will also be available to acquire in the finished game world. The goal is to make additional ships available that give players a different experience rather than a particular advantage when the persistent universe launches.

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