Empires of Ashes Reboot

Ket: "Caltrops... I shall have to invest in caltrops."

Hakon follows with his t'sebi to cover the other side, and ensure she is not flanked.

Titus, who at this point has rejoined the main body of soldiers. Watches with not particularly well masked amusement
(To no one in particular) “It’s hardly fair!”

it doesn't take long for this section of wall to be mostly cleared, any not dead being stunned or otherwise not exactly in a good position to fight back when hakon's men reach them.

Next up the ladder, a T'sebi move to secure the gatehouse, and throw the gates open

with the gate open, the dracians enter, in close formation, shields locked

With the gates open, the remaining slave soldiers are scattering before the dracians, leaving the gates to the palace wide open.

LI has become the spearhead for the dracian advance, hewing down any who stand before her with her longsword, as the dracians surround the palace and advance upon it

The Cymraic warriors let the dracians advance unhindered and set to making sure anybody who tries to escape is captured or killed

before long, the legionaries, headed by LI, are assembling at the main entry to the palace, presumably awaiting the immortals

The palace is built around a central courtyard, with the main gate leading into it. Arrayed around it are slave quarters, kitchens and such, then at the far side is the palace proper. A grand multi domed building with but a single entrance. Leading into a grand hall, and being defended by the Satrap's personal guard. Clad in steel plate, with mail and silken padding beneath.Tall shields and curved swords. Behind them, Li, as she is tall enough to see, can see a man and a woman sat, he appears in a mad panic, while she appears at great ease.

A number of the immortals approach, ket and hakon among them. As the palace is far too small for their full number to be effective.

Ket: "I see he cowers behind his guard."

LI flips her sword around, grabbing it by the blade, clearly preparing to use the beak like crossguard to strike with.
"Then his guard die."

Ket: "Be my guest, Li. we shall follow."

she advances, silently, towards them

The immortals fall in behind her. Forming a two rank phalanx, with spears underarm in the front, and overarm in second.

The guard hold firm in response, though she does hear something in the hall behind, a woman's voice, in kelthrovi. "Those terms were generous you know."

she keeps listening, but still advances, breaking into a charge at the closest guard. she swings, using the beaks of her crossguard essentially like a warhammer to deliver a crushing murderstrike

The guard are well drilled and disciplined. The man raises his shield to take the blow, being thrown the ground by the force, but otherwise unharmed as his compatriots move to retaliate, knowing that blades are useless, axes, or maces are the weapons of choice when clavae are known to be in play. The man to her left swings with the back spike of an axe towards her head.

she parries instantly, hooking the axe with her own weapon and twisting it out of his grip, before delivering a follow up blow, right into the man's neck, smashing right through the mail and puncturing his throat

Before another blow can be struck against her, the immortals close to fighting, their charge catching up with hers. The guard line shudders from the impact, as they are struck shield on shield, pushed back a half dozen steps as they try to maintain footing, but they hold.

while they are distracted LI delivers another blow, this time an overhead swing, coming down where the neck meets the shoulder, where there is again only mail to protect her target.

The guard falls, clutching his neck as blood flows freely from the wound. The sheer weight of force continues to push the guards back, the immortals second line, harrying the guard with spear thrusts to the head.

Li continues to hack her way through them, again and again crushing and piercing blows shattering through weaker, mail joints to fell the man beneath

The guard start to fall, and the line starts to buckle. Well drilled and well armed, true. but faced with clavae and immortals. It was only a matter of time.

"Min'na o koroshimashou!"
with this cry, kenshin leaps down from a ledge above, landing on his feet and rolling, the roll taking him alongside the guards on the flank, slashing at the back of their legs with his naginata as he rises at the end of the roll, causing one of them to fall instantly. Immediately he enters a combat stance once more, having ended up on their flank to draw their attention further

With that, the formation collapses entirely, no longer with the strength to hold back the immortals. the last of the guards are butchered.

with that, kenshin turns to LI and the immortals, silently

Ket: "Thankyou." With that ket goes to walk past, shifting his spear to an overhand grip.

kenshin nods, as LI silently leads them on into the palace

Across the courtyard, they can see the open doors to the grand hall, and the Satrap, sat arguing with the woman sat by him.

she advances, implacably, with kenshin not far behind

Ket crosses the threshold first. "bet’ami legasi neberia! gēta hoyi." (My offer was generous. Your chose poorly.)

The satrap, an aged, slightly overweight man, stands from his chair, yelling demands and pointing at ket.
"gidelewi! ye’inē bēti līnorenyi yichilali!" (Kill him! You can have everything!)

LI: Ina inidēti inēni megideli ik’idi ālenyi? (and how do you plan on killing me?)

He looks at Li, wide eyed in horror. Before his attention is torn away to the woman sat by his throne, picking at a plate of fruit, a peach in her hand, and a short curved knife in the other.

"āyi." (no) "yanini genizebi lemekifeli āyichilumi" (You cannot afford it.) She speaks dismissively, waving his words away with the knife.

LI glances at the woman, her expression hidden as usual, before looking at Ket, deferring to him in this situation

Ket takes a step forward, dropping his shield onto the marble tiles. He shifts his grip back on his spear, balanced, and runs a few steps, hurling the spear at the satrap.

LI simply watches as the man is impaled

The impact sends him to the floor, screaming in pain. Ket closes the distance, puts a foot on the mans chest, pulls the spear out, and stabs him through the throat.

LI:...And you are? *directing the question at the woman*

"Yenefasi Abeba... And that... is Prince Ket'Verahi, am i mistaken?"

she lets Ket answer that for himself

It is around now that Mordred and a few of his guard muscle their way into the palace and the grand hall itself. Not loud enough to make an entrance, but subtlety and chainmail rarely mix.

Ket: "You are not mistaken. But your name does not answer the clavae's question."

Yenefasi smiles, and looks at the bleeding corpse on the floor. "I am a mercenary. The man you just saw fit to paint the floor with was my latest client."

LI: your loyalty is astounding. *deadpan*

"He was in the process of hiring me to attack a caravan of his brothers, so he could claim his holdings. He did not pay me to fight a dracian invasion headed by immortals."

"Hm"

Yenefasi: "Is that... is that a Cymrai noble?" *Looking past li at mordred.*

"it is"
*about that moment, Trajan and his other guards enter, along with a blood slicked justinian*

“Perceptive, care to guess how Influential I am?”

Yenefasi: "Accompanying a dracian invasion... obviously rich... Rather full of himself. I am going to guess... at least a prince if not an heir."

LI:...do we allow her to live, sirs?