Home at Last

[Phoenix]

Corvo was secretly - and not so secretly - happy to see her so happy. She marched off with the dog in tow, pulling him along to show him the entire house. He realized that they didn't actually have any dog food in the house which meant they needed to go into town tomorrow to get some. Tonight Riley would be getting some chicken, he supposed.

Corvo turned to see his oldest and dearest friend standing there, all sorts of shenanigans in his hair. So did you, he quipped back, motioning toward the things in his hair.

He began to walk off when it struck him that it was something Ciri had never done with him. How much had he missed over the years? All the things Chaz had taught her, all the things they did together, all the things he'd missed. Combined with Shae's words on Korriban, there was a sting in Corvo's heart and soul. He wandered down, following Ciri at a distance and watching as she led the dog outside, Chaz at his side.

Chaz... his voice was quiet as he watched his beautiful daughter playing in the distance. She was the most amazing thing he could have ever brought into this world. If something ever happens to me... and if Shae never comes back... watch after Ciri, he asked quietly. He knew it went without saying, after a quarter of a century, but he needed to hear it. You've been a good friend, he added with a sober smile.

He turned back to Ciri, feet moving more quickly the closer he got, grabbing Ciri around the belly at the last moment and swinging her in circles. The time he had may have been limited, but he wanted to make what he had of it instead of wasting it moping around about himself.

 

[Sreeya]

Chaz simply grinned as Corvo motioned towards the clips in his hair, "Every now and then she remembers she's a little girl. Surprises us both," He took another bite of the candy, watching her get excited about Riley. Even he couldn't keep the smile off his face at the sight of her being so ecstatic over the dog. He mostly saw a very focused and diligent side of her when she worked on droids and tech with him, and he had also gotten good at calming down her temper tantrums when things didn't work. He was about to walk away and give them some time alone when Corvo spoke up. He had known his friend for as long as he could remember, and he knew that look in his eye.

"What're you saying?" He knew Corvo wouldn't elaborate, but he knew that look better than anything else. It meant that he was going to walk into danger. It meant he was treading where he wasn't entirely sure of himself. Chaz felt uneasy, the expression on Corvo's face seared into his mind, "O-Of course....Ciri will always be taken care of," He delivered the words with a deadpan expression, nodding dutifully as he always had. Though his mind was in a flurry, none of that came across externally. He briefly watched Corvo immediately revert back to dad mode and turned away, his thoughts weighing heavily on his mind. He would have to approach him later, but for now he would bury himself into his work to avoid pondering things that would only bring him anxiety.

Meanwhile, Ciri was distracted and hadn't seen Corvo coming. As he abruptly scooped her up, she shrieked out loud, giggling at once as she was spun around in circles, "Weeeee! This is the happiest day of my life!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, kicking her feet out as she was spun. When she was finally put down, she beamed up at Corvo, "Daddy, since you're gone so much I made you something!" With that, she grabbed his hand and half dragged him up to her room, Riley following in tow. After a moment, she came back with what looked like a little box. She clicked a button and a small Holoprojection of herself jumped up, her voice eagerly speaking out, "Hi daddy! I want you to know I love and miss you! Please come back home and bring me lots of presents from wherever you go!" The in person Ciri giggled nervously at the presents part, handing him the device, "It took me a long time to build this but I did it from scratch! I even have different versions. There's one of me reciting the stupid 6 P's so you know I have it memorized."

 

[Phoenix]

It was odd how things progressed. Corvo remembered that first day he and Chaz had met. Both quiet, neither had said more than a few words to one another for weeks. Chaz was some mercenary pilot hired to shuttle the young assassin around. But they had twenty six years to get to know one another, a few weeks of silence was nothing. The relationship had grown with time until it was a friendship. Chaz hadn't batted an eye at coming to the Jedi, caring more about Corvo - and later Shae and Ciri - than any faction or cause. Corvo was truly thankful that Ciri had one more guardian he could trust to watch over his daughter.

Corvo was all smiles as he set his daughter back down, the look of joy on her face and the smiles beaming from her were as wonderful as the warm sands of a beach. You made me something?! he asked, both puzzled and excited at the same time. He followed quickly after her, dragged by his hand until they arrived at her room, filled with stuffed droids and all other manner of things that reminded him she was still a child.

He took the little box in his hands and looked down at it as she pressed a button. An image of his little angel appeared beseeching him to come home safely and reminding him of how much she loved him. It struck him in the heart. Without warning he threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly. It's perfect, angel. I love it and I love you, he said before pulling back.

I'm sorry I'm not around more, he said soberly, but I miss you so desperately when I'm gone. I hope someday you'll understand why I do it. He reined his thoughts in once more, a grin sneaking across his face, Someday, you're going to thank me for those six P's, you just wait, he said before checking his chrono. Well, we've got time, want to run into town and get Riley stocked up on some food and treats? he asked his little bundle of energy.

 

[Sreeya]

Ciri was excited to see that he liked it, and it even got a big hug from him. She lit up at that, hugging him back, thrilled to have him back. She even put aside her big girl rule and leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek, "Don't tell anyone! Kisses are still for babies," She grinned widely as he pulled back. As he apologized for not being around more, Ciri waved it off, "That's okay! I know you're always doing big important stuff and saving the galaxy," Ciri nodded towards her wall where she kept screenshots of every time he appeared on the news or had to do an interview pasted on her wall where most kids would have posters of their favorite celebrities. The same was true of her mother, "You're my heroes! I can't wait to be like you!" She hugged him tightly again, "I'm so lucky to have you as a daddy."

As he mentioned going into town, Ciri scrunched up her face, "Okay but.... hear me out!" She raised her hand to cut off any suspicious inquiries, "I think I've been practicing a lot and I'm better than the other kids. You're the best of the best. And now we have Riley. Can....you take me on a mission? It doesn't even have to be anywhere dangerous! I just want to do...something Jedi with you," She tried her best to give him her infamous cutesy eyes.

 

[Phoenix]

He smiled at her peck on the cheek, putting a finger up to his lips. It'll be our little secret, he whispered to her.

It warmed his heart and terrified him at once to see the way she looked up at him. He didn't want her to be just like him, he wanted her to be better. Devoid of the evils that were in his soul. He believed in her, knew she could be all of that. You're already great and you'll be even better with time. You'll be an amazing Jedi known to the whole galaxy, he gave her a smile, exuding confidence that he believed it. I'm the luckiest dad in the galaxy, many times over.

When she began on her "hear me out" he really didn't know where this was going until it was too late. It took great restraint not to roll his eyes, knowing they had been over this many times before. A mission? He certainly wasn't going to take her on one of his normal operations, not at her age. What could he do? He figured there was a need for Jedi help somewhere that wasn't going to put his daughter directly in harm's way.

I'll... think about it. But first we need some dog food, he grumbled as he stood. She had the same way about her that Shae did, where he ended up giving into things he shouldn't have. She had more of her mother in her every day, it seemed.

 

[Sreeya]

"You will?!" This was huge progress from his flat no's from the last million times she had asked. She nodded eagerly at the prospect of going on a mission. Corvo would notice that she already had a backpack with images of her favorite cartoons stuffed and ready to go on an adventure. She swung it over her shoulders and called for Riley to join them, "Okay I'm ready!" As they began to walk towards the exit, Chaz came up from below. He saw the three of them ready to go and quirked an eyebrow. Ciri grinned widely, "We're going to get dog food and maaaaybe daddy will take me on a mission!"

It was obvious she was oozing with excitement at getting into danger. Ciri was practically skipping on her way to the Fury, engaging Riley in a long conversation about how she had been wanting to go on a mission forever. Chaz quietly came up near Corvo again, grinning, "So, I'm sure you could use a pilot," He rubbed his hair sheepishly, recalling how he chose to stay behind instead of accompanying him to Korriban. It hadn't gone unnoticed that Chaz didn't come with Corvo as frequently as he always had in the past. Ciri was the only thing that could ever get between him and joining Corvo on missions. He almost looked at his old friend apologetically, though he knew Corvo would think little of it.

Back on the ship, Ciri plopped into a seat entirely too big for her and invited Riley to sit with her. She took out her datapad, already booting up a game to play on the way there.

 

[Phoenix]

She ran off, overwhelmed with excitement as Chaz came up next to him, both men watching her quietly. I could always use a pilot, he shot Chaz a sideways glance and a smug half-smile. In truth, he didn't really blame Chaz, he was glad someone was around to watch and care for Ciri, but he couldn't resist a jab again. He slapped his friend on the back, armor up, then. Or... once we get some dog food.

Corvo got aboard, all of his gear still sorted from just coming back from a mission. Maybe as the case would unfold, they could grab their dog food on another world. He made his way inside, pulling up several files on his datapad and scrolling through, looking for something appropriate to bringing a child along. This'll do, he muttered under his breath. A real mission with real spies, but not one that would likely have a lot of shooting or danger.

He walked over to the seat next to Ciri and sat down. Chaz wandered over to get their heading as well. Alright, we're going to go to Sleheryron, have you ever heard of it? he asked Ciri as Chaz already went to get underway to their target. It would be a long trip but that gave them more time to prepare. Ciri, I need you to listen to me, he said, waiting for her to look at him and putting on his serious voice again. When we're out there if I tell you to do something, you need to do it without question or argument, understand? He clenched his teeth together a bit, more than worried about taking her out there, but then she needed to do this eventually. Better under his care than someone else's.

 

[Sreeya]

Ciri was still in a great mood by the time Corvo came down to sit next to her. She just beat another level on her game and vaguely heard him mention the planet they were going to, "Right, Slytherin, got it," She nodded knowingly, mashing buttons and eagerly playing her game. Riley was happily laying at her feet as the ship began to rev up and take off. After a moment, she heard that stern dad voice again and paused her game to look up at him. She could tell he was beyond worried, and he usually came across agitated when he was, "Daddy stop worrying. Nothing can happen to me with you around. But yes I'll listen. I'm a big girl remember?"

After they took off and got to a comfortable altitude, she hopped off her seat, going back to explore the ship. In truth, she hadn't been allowed on here too much. She had only walked around it when Corvo showed her what daddy used to go on missions, but she had never been in it to go anywhere. Ciri opened random doors to everyone's quarters, moving till she found Corvo's, "Ugh it's so boring in here," She looked around at how neat everything looked. She spotted a frameless photo of both her parents, walking over to pick it up, "Oh wow! When was this from?" She could barely recognize her parents, both a lot younger and smiling more broadly than she had ever seen them.

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo sighed as she clearly didn't listen to him, playing her game as he mentioned where they were going. She was apparently too distracted with her video games to focus on the mission they were working on. Maybe this was a mistake... he muttered under his breath. She assured him she would listen, though, so he took her at her word. If it weren't true, she wouldn't be going on another one of these any time soon. Just relax, Corvo.

She was off again in no time, wandering through the ship to explore every crevice. The Fury was mostly just for "work" so Ciri hadn't spent a great deal of time here. It didn't take her long to poke around and find "the Vis suite." None other than the room in which Ciri had been... well, she didn't need to know about that.

This room has everything I need in it, he said with a smile, knowing just how much she would dislike it. Just like her mother, averse to his spartan living conditions. That was from one of the greatest weeks of my life. Mommy and I were married and I found out that we were going to be having a beautiful little daughter in our lives to love and take on missions with me, he said with a smile.

He took a seat at the end of the bed, taking the picture in his hand and looking down at it, studying every curve and tone of his wife's face. He missed her so badly and he missed the days when they were happy and safe. Mommy and I wanted to get away for a while so we went out to a resort and saw seals and all sorts of amazing sights. Mommy and I got married and we prepared for you, angel. Maybe someday, we can go there again....

 

[Sreeya]

"I want to go there!" Ciri piped up as he explained where it was from. She looked at the picture again, unable to keep the smile back. Though he was speaking, Ciri quietly observed him. She was hit with a flood of feelings at once, feeling the sorrow that was almost palpable. Ciri's smile began to fade as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "You miss her too don't you?" She chewed on her lip to keep from crying, "I hope she comes back. I miss her so much.." She couldn't help it, sniffling lightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him, burying her face into his shoulder as the tears began to come. Though she had been excited moments prior, she couldn't help but think about her mother then and how she would have wanted her around for her first mission.

"She has to miss us too....right? Mommy loves us..." She spoke through shuddered breaths, finally drawing away after a moment and wiping her cheeks and nose, her eyes red. Big girls didn't cry! She furiously rubbed the tears away, setting the photo back where it was, "It's okay, I'll tell mommy all about the mission after it's done. She'll be so happy that we'll forget about all this," Ciri smiled sadly at Corvo. As sad as she was, nothing struck her more than seeing her steadfast father upset. It happened extremely rarely, but when it did, it hit her like a ton of bricks. She plopped down next to him, looking all around the room, "Daddy when you're old and a fossil can I have this ship?" She couldn't help but crack a grin at the thought, "I know I'd make a great pilot!"

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo hated himself for letting her see that. He needed to be strong for her; she certainly didn't need to be carrying his burdens. He watched her face turn sad and moments later the tears flowed. He clutched her tightly, wishing he could make her feel better and take away her pain. Of course I miss her, and of course mommy misses us. She loves you very much, he reassured her. I just hope she remembers it before the end.

He gave her one last squeeze before she pulled back, wiping the tears from her eyes and he forced a smile. We'll tell her all about it. He was secretly grateful for the change of topic as she asked about when he was old. He truthfully, never expected to get old, but now he was beginning to wonder what would happen if he died sooner rather than later. Ciri would always have Chaz and he didn't draw the dangerous attention that Corvo was notorious for.

You might have to battle Uncle Chaz for it... although he's even older than I am, he said with a bit of a laugh. Don't tell me he's been teaching you to fly in your spare time too?! He certainly hoped not. At eight years old that was... hazardous. Although, she had a lightsaber at eight. That was certainly dangerous too.

Alright, you want to be a big girl, time to do big girl stuff. Are you ready to hear about what we're going to be doing? he asked, knowing that she needed to be at least moderately informed of what was going to be happening. We're going to go pick up a man who wants to defect from the Empire. Umm, it means he wants to leave them and join us. We need to sneak in and get him and bring him back to the Jedi. Normally such an operation would have been left to one of the other Shadows, but this one was something that seemed more safe than most of his normal operations, so that was better for taking Ciri along with him.

 

[Sreeya]

Ciri almost blurted out that here and there Uncle Chaz had shown her a few things in terms of flying. But she also knew if she spilled that, Corvo would put a permanent stop to that, "No of course not! He only showed me the yacht," Ciri nodded, completely believing her own lie to be more convincing. Her smile was entirely too adorable for Corvo to press further. As he began to explain what the mission was, she listened eagerly. Her eyes suddenly got huge as he mentioned they were going to deal with a man that wanted to leave the Sith, "But daddy...how do we know we can believe what he says?"

She quirked her head in confusion. Was it as simple as that? She had been taught that Sith could be deceitful and tell very good lies to trick people. She also grinned widely in excitement, "Also does this mean we're going into Sith space?" It was impossible to keep the giddiness out of her voice. The 8-year-old was entirely too excited to walk into danger. She patted the saberhilt on her hip, "Well I'm ready for anything, daddy!"

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo watched as she vehemently denied ever having learned anything about the ships or how to fly it. He thought about following up but her smile was adorable and he wasn't sure he wanted to know if her story wasn't true. Besides, Chaz was the best pilot he knew, so he just decided to assume that it was true.

He smiled as she asked if they could believe the defector. No, we can't. Never trust a Sith, he affirmed her guess. We need to be careful. Until a Sith has proven themselves - and sometimes even after - you have to be wary of them. But that doesn't mean we can always ignore it. Sometimes these spies can have valuable information for us. He realized he was slowly but surely showing her what he did on a regular basis, even if it was the more tame side of his work.

No, Sleheryron is in neutral space. That's the thing, we don't want to go into Sith space if we don't have to, he explained. He had no intention of taking her into Sith space any time soon.

Glad to see you're ready. Don't let that saber leave your hand or side. You need to be safe and that weapon can keep you alive... or if someone takes it from you, can be used against you. Now, what do you need to do before we land? Everything prepped and ready? he asked, wandering in to find Chaz.

---​

The world was less than a lovely one. It wasn't the worst planet he'd been on, but it had that typical space-port feel to it. The type that he didn't really want Ciri at, but she needed to start somewhere and spies worked well in seedy towns.

Corvo grabbed his helmet, slipping it over his head for one of the first times that Ciri would have ever seen, throwing his hood up a moment later. Are you ready?

 

[Sreeya]

Ciri stepped off the ship along with her father, Chaz waiting back on the ship. As Riley was still recovering, for now he stayed behind as well. As she watched Corvo put on his helmet and throw his hood up, Ciri blinked in surprise. She had never really seen him fully dressed like this except on HoloNet. She frowned at the sight, "You...look scary, daddy," She couldn't keep the hint of fear from her voice. He suddenly looked cold, like a machine. People often called him a 'killing machine' or a 'beast', and she always couldn't fathom it till now. Ciri couldn't help but take a step away, looking away, "Um yes...I'm ready.."

She looked all around, marveling at the spaceport. Ciri only knew Theed and the Jedi temple on Dantooine, not given many opportunities to go elsewhere. She followed along as he began to walk, her head moving as if it were on a swivel. Everything was fascinating from the people, the smells, to the sights and buildings. She kept shooting glances at her father, still surprised that this was the same man that was tickling her or giving her kisses. Was this how others saw him? Was this why everyone considered him so terrifying? For now, she kept quiet and obediently followed. Already she began to notice a few people glancing their way, mainly at Corvo.

----​

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a very torn Shae Vis was in the chambers of a Sith temple. She sprang up with a cold sweat, glancing at herself in a mirror and seeing the vacant yellow eyes staring back at her. Her face was gaunt and she looked closer to how she looked when she was rescued years ago. Except this time it was by her own doing. Shae could hardly recognize herself, her mind torturing her more than anyone externally ever could. She had become nothing more than Malon's tool, a weapon for him to use. Did she mind that? Did she go from one prison to another? Shae glanced down at her hand, looking at the ring Corvo had sneakily pushed back onto her finger. She knew he knew where she was, and he still respected the distance she wanted.

With a sigh, she slumped to the cold, hard floor, pulling up her comm and typing, erasing, typing and erasing again. At long last she gave up and a message shot through to Corvo where he would find his own comm buzzing, You've been on my mind. I want you to know that I haven't forgotten. I'm still lost...still trying to search for answers. Still trying to dig. Still trying to find my path She regretted sending it the moment she did, crying out in frustration and throwing the comm across the room.

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo sometimes forgot that Ciri wasn't used to seeing this side of him. Just like that moment in training on Dantooine when she'd caught a glimpse of that darkness inside of him. Now, again, she took a step back from him as she saw him dawn mask and hood. He paused, never wanting his daughter to have any reason to fear him. He knelt down in front of her, though his gear all still remained in place. Hey, it's just me, angel. You're always safe around me.

Come on, he said reaching out a hand to her before heading down the ramp and leaving Chaz behind. He looked back at her, seeing she was fascinated by the world around her. He couldn't help but smile, forcing his mind back into the present. He didn't want to rob her of the world around by it didn't take long for him to duck down an alleyway and out of the inquiring eyes around him.

After a moment, they came to a doorway and he knelt down. You learn how to bypass electronic locks yet? he asked as he expertly went to work on the lock until the door slid open, heading to the second floor of the building he'd chosen. We're going to watch for our "honored guest" to arrive.

An alert popped up in his HUD that he had a high priority message and his eyebrow arched glancing down at his datapad. His gut did a somersault as he saw who it was from and what it said. he did what he could to pull the spear out of his heart, desperate to see her once more and desperately missing her. He tapped a few keys and saw where she was, no sign of her leaving the Sith. Come back to me, Shae... he muttered imperceptibly under his breath, pausing to furiously type out a message.

I miss you desperately. I love you so much. Ciri was asking about you and misses you too. Hope to have you home again soon. He sent the message almost immediately, no doubt she would note the speed with which he dropped everything to see her. He bit down harshly on his lip, moving forward quickly once again to try to keep them on track.

 

[Sreeya]

Ciri felt exponentially better after he knelt down in front of her and reminded her he was still the same person. Her demeanor changed at once, the smile returning to her face. As he asked if she knew how to bypass locks, Ciri waved her hand, "Please, daddy, I learned that ages ago!" Never mind that she had only been alive for 8 years... Chaz had taught her some very crucial essentials and locks and overriding consoles were included. She was well beyond her years and peers when it came to tech. She watched Corvo fiddle with the lock, rolling her eyes, "You take forever. I could take a nap during this."

She followed him in, glancing up as he paused suddenly. She sensed the abrupt twist in his demeanor, feeling pain emanate from him at once. Before she could ask, he typed something and the little wave of emotions was gone. Figuring he wouldn't answer her either way, Ciri shrugged and kept walking. The door led to an empty corridor that gave her an uneasy feeling. It looked like an abandoned business building from the looks of it, the corridor leading to a series of doors. Just as she was about to ask which door to go in through, a figure stepped out from behind a corner.

As the figure drew closer, it was clear that it was a woman. Waves of black hair hung at her shoulders and she gazed ahead at the duo with an amused grin on her face, "Well well well I didn't think this would be picked up by the General Vis," She whistled as she looked him up and down, "To what do I owe this pleasure?" Her steely eyes flashed then to Ciri, "Awww and who's this little tyke?" The woman stared for a long moment, "Is this bring your padawan to work day?" She laughed at that. There was something hollow about the way she laughed that sent chills up Ciri's spine. The woman reached into her pocket and tossed an ID tag at Corvo. It was the name of the man that they were meant to extract, the tag dotted with specks of blood, "Looks like your date is with me now," The woman winked at him, reaching to draw out a weapon.

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo rolled his eyes at Ciri, choosing to believe that she was exaggerating about how bad he was, but she probably wasn't. He'd not really adopted security bypass until he and Shae had repeatedly been befuddled by locks, which he found infuriating. The fact that his eight year old daughter was probably better at this than he was, was frustrating. Though it also made him proud of his daughter once more.

It seemed they had just gotten into position when he sensed a presence only too late. A voice rang out that wasn't the man he was supposed to be meeting. It could have been a coincidence, but it quickly became apparent that it was no coincidence.

Within a moment, Corvo's sabers were in hand, blades ignited on either side as he took a step forward, putting himself slightly in front of Ciri. The room was cast in the glowing violet of the blades as he pulled the Force to himself. He may well have been a father, but that was slowly melting away. He would do anything to protect his daughter but the call of combat was pulling at him. Before the mission, he had considered telling Ciri not to call him daddy on the mission and now wished he had, but he just hadn't been able to bring himself to do it. Radio for extract, he said toward Ciri, hoping she knew how to call in Chaz, but then, she was better with tech than he was.

You made a mistake coming here, he growled at the unknown woman. Last chance to back off... he said. He glanced back to make sure Ciri had her saber out, though he had plenty of faith that she did. As the woman didn't seem to have any intention of backing off, made his move. In a flash, he darted forward, bringing his right blade up from his own bottom right in a semi-circle that would start at the woman's left foot, arc through her pelvis and out her left shoulder.

 

[Sreeya]

Ciri felt nervous inside, but she saw her father quickly revert to his stoic fighter mode. She knew she couldn't be a little girl right now and stepped aside slightly. He had both sabers out at once, stepping out in front of her. Ciri remained silent as she watched the woman across them who looked more amused than anything. The woman quickly ignited two sabers of her own, confirming that she was a Sith. Ciri had never seen a real live Sith before, and something told her it was not a part of her father's plan. As Corvo barked orders at her to radio for extract, she quickly nodded, shuffling back to do just that. She commed Chaz at once to get them out, her eyes still on the fight.

The woman simply scoffed at Corvo's request to back off, "And ruin my chances to carve up your pretty face? I wouldn't dream of it," She pouted as she prepared for his approach. As he came whirling in with his saber to go from her left foot to cut upwards, she dropped her own saber in a slant to clash against his. She caught his saber with his saber external to hers, going inside his guard. Meanwhile, her right saber jammed forward towards his torso, also aiming to be inside his guard in case he intended to swing with his left saber as well. If he attempted an attack, she would quickly adjust it to the incoming saber.

Meanwhile Ciri had already commed for Chaz and was observing the fight. They were both moving quickly, and she was observing the woman, sizing up the weapons she had on her. Chaz commed back that there would be complications getting to them and he was delayed. Ciri grimaced as she looked back at the battle.

 

[Phoenix]

Keep Venator in the box, he told himself. In some ways, it was even more pressing on his mind than the rest of it. He didn't want his daughter to see that in full force. Instead, he fell back on his own skills against this Sith, clearly noting her own skill quickly.

Her blade caught his and as it did, he stepped to his own left and pivoted on his foot to face her. Her thrust passed by just to his right as his left blade pushed it to ensure it didn't come swinging back into him. His right blade (still in contact with hers from her block) disengaged from hers and pulled back to himself in defense as his left began to run down her blade toward her wrist along the outside. Corvo took another step to his left, aiming to draw the woman's attention away and turn her back to Ciri.

It was more of an instinctual move that he used when fighting with Shae. His wife would have known to plunge a saber into the woman's back, but Ciri, of course, had not trained with him for such things. The thought that, even on a subconscious level, he was asking his eight year old daughter to kill should have been - and was - abhorrent to him, but there was an element of survival. Had he had time to think on it, he would have hoped she didn't strike, allowing him to finish this Sith on his own and spare such a young one from those horrors. Why had he let her come with him?

 

[Sreeya]

As Corvo pivoted, the woman moved with him, feeling his right saber draw back towards himself. Because she moved with him, she lowered her right saber towards the direction his left was going to prevent him from traveling down to her wrist. This kept their blades engaged and moved his blade away from his core. The woman quickly swooshed in with her left saber, swinging it in towards his torso from her own left to right in close range to cut into his side from below where his right saber would be. With his left moving out of the way, she hoped to land a hit right on his torso, "Damn, you move quick for being as old as you are!"

Meanwhile, Ciri was entirely too stubborn to simply stand around. The woman whipped around with her back facing Ciri. She chewed her lip nervously, spotting a blaster on the woman's hip. She decided Corvo could yell at her later and she focused on channeling the Force. She thought back to all her training, applying the Force to yank the blaster. To her surprise, it flew easily into her hand. Ciri didn't think twice, quickly aiming at the woman and firing. Chaz had taught her to shoot as basic self defense, and she was better at it than she was at sabers. However, this was a moving target and she ran the risk of shooting her father. She relied on the Force for help, the bolt landing directly on the woman's.....butt.

The woman howled out in pain, disengaging from Corvo and stumbling backwards from the excruciating pain. In a fit of rage, she bodily flung Ciri down the hall. The power of the Force easily took her small frame across the hall, slamming her against the opposite wall. However, this little act of revenge would give Corvo a window of opportunity to deal a heavy blow.