EliteCommander

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Being awoken early in the morning before a long day of traveling, for a moment, brought Ssarak back to his days of service as a warrior. It was a rarity for Ssarak to flashback to that part of his past without feeling some kind of emotional pain, but this time, it was a bit more nostalgic. Long marches were, of course, not particularly pleasant experiences, but he recalled fondly how his brothers and sisters in arms would try to make it bearable. He remembered the jokes, the arguments, the competitions, the pranks, and the general camaraderie they all shared. If there was anything he actually wanted to reclaim from his sordid past, that would be it. He chuckled to himself as they set out from the inn, wondering if Meirin was the type to enjoy a harmless prank. Or if she perhaps would want to go in together to play one on Alaira? That would be a risky venture.

Along the road, there were times where the scenery was interesting enough to capture their attention, but for most of the way, Ssarak passed the time with conversation with the others, being sure to keep his eyes and mind open to danger. As well, he held a mental conversation with Lyn on whatever topics could entertain her, since her spot in the caravan hardly had the best view. He was well-aware of how much small children hated to be idle, so for the convenience of the others, especially the caravan master, he was sure to keep her occupied.

Toll bridges were a custom which Ssarak was completely unfamiliar with. Obviously, it was not something he had ever been forced to deal with. It seemed like it would be expensive to pay a toll every time one wanted to cross a river, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Bridges were necessary for trade, and they carried with them a cost to build and maintain. He trusted that the caravan master knew what he was doing, so Ssarak simply focused on his own task of watching out for danger, and looking intimidating. The first few bridges gave them no issue, but as they came to one in particular, Ssarak was suddenly much more on edge. The guards were noticeably more poorly equipped than the previous ones, and they themselves did not look too healthy. That, combined with the foul odor in the air, lended a strange feeling to the entire encounter.

As before, Ssarak trusted the caravan master to carry out the negotiating, but he was much more active in seeking out the potential danger. He did not want to start a fight if it turned out that his fears were mistaken, but he wanted to be ready. Telepathically, he instructed Lyn to stay hidden as he looked out with a sharp eye for anything out of the ordinary, and opened his mind to search for any thoughts that might clue him in to danger. He recognized that he was in a foreign land and might be ignorant of some kind of social norm, but as Meirin was a native of Djarkel, he reasoned that she might be able to confirm or eliminate his fears. "Meirin, these guards...do you find they are acting strangely? This situation does not sit well with me." He asked telepathically, listening to her mind for a response.

Star Wars - Jedi Exile

Once back on her feet, Shir shifted her posture once again, this time to a defensive one. On the other side of the clone reinforcements, she could sense a familiar presence. They had the clones surrounded, so once, the Human Jedi went on the attack, so did she. She ran forward and threw her shoto, telekinetically guiding it through the center mass of one of the clones on the far left, while reflecting a blaster shot into the stomach of another beside him. One of the Padawans finished off the wounded trooper, and with Jedi on all sides, it was not long before the immediate threat was eliminated.

Shir made quick use of the bacta patch her ally gave her. She did have her own, basic medkit in a pouch on her belt, but she preferred to save it for emergencies, not that it would be greatly useful for serious wounds. In addition to her Shoto, Shir also made a point of pulling one of the clone assassin's blaster pistol to her. She did not have a specialized holster on her tool belt, but she found a way to make due with what she had. Most Jedi would hardly consider making use of blasters, but Shir was comfortable with using any resource at her disposal, no matter how "uncivilized."

Shir kept her lightsabers at the ready, and as pleased as she was to see her Padawan alive, was not comfortable with stopping for more than a few moments. "Tactus, it is good to see you alive. It seems the Republic has deployed Jedi hunters, so our time here must be brief. Have either of you been near the hanger, or know if other Jedi are trying to escape through it? As he said, it is surely a trap."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei leaned against the railing alongside Sabine, letting out a long sigh as she looked out over the horizon along with her. It would have been much easier if she could have given her a direct, clear answer, but for a question like Sabine's there was no right answer. "I could just say 'become whoever you want to be,' but I believe we both know it is more complicated than that. You are changing, that much in certain. Physically, you are taller, and you look much more mature than when we first met. In a few years, no one will be calling you a 'little girl,' though that really doesn't describe you anymore already. As for the person you will become, well, I don't think anyone really knows who they are going to be, not really. I thought I did when I was your age, but I could not have been more wrong. Who you become is based off of what you experience, what you understand about the world around you. It is how you want to fit into your world. I cannot tell you who you should be, but what I can do is make sure you do not have to deal with it alone. I can give you the tools to help you build your beliefs. Any question, no matter how difficult, no matter how long the answer, no matter how...awkward the subject, I will answer. No matter what it is, I will give whatever advice my experience allows. Becoming an adult, it is not easy, and it is understandable that you are scared, but I want you to know that I will be with you every step of the way."

Once they were settled, Kaleeth was content to relax with Janius. The hammock was small for the two of them, so it forced them quite close together, but that was something she did not mind. Once he asked about getting up, she would have tried to find a way to get up carefully, but was frightened of sending them both to the floor. She thought about it for a few moments, looking around at her options until she came to a decision. "How about we...don't? We can just stay here together until the boat shakes us over onto the ground." She said with a smile, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

It was a few minutes later that one of the crew members finally made his way down to the bunks. Like much of the crew, he was Imperial, though with a particularly rough-looking exterior. He looked older, with a long, prominent scar on his right arm and two missing fingers. As the bunks were all situated in the same, large room, he could clearly see Janius and Kaleeth, and he had no real consideration for their privacy. He looked over to them, and as his eyes met Janius' he gave him a disgusted glare and muttered something under his breath as he made his way to his own hammock. As Kaleeth was facing the opposite direction, she did not notice.

Star Wars - Jedi Exile

As they entered into the melee, Shir and her ally were able to keep control of the fight, blocking the clones from flanking them. The clone assassin who first engaged her started out conservatively, probing her defenses with a few, quick jabs. Suddenly, Shir quickly threw her shoto at him, but he demonstrated his own honed reflexed by narrowly dodging to the side, the blade singing his armor slightly before arcing to the right and embedding itself into the wall.

Thinking it an opportunity, the assassin lunged forward for two quick jabs to different parts of Shir's body. However, Shir's reaction was instant. She darted to the right to sidestep the first blade, then used her saber to clash with the second. Given the extended length of her lightsaber's hilt, she could use it effectively in a two handed style as a lever to deliver more force, which, combined with her own considerable physical strength, meant the clone stood no chance of resisting her blade without using both arms. Shir was able to force back his vibroblade until she could angle her blade towards his head, at which point all it took to finish him was the telekinetic turn of a dial to extend the length of her dual phase saber.

There was no time to recover before Shir had to again react immediately, but this time, it was to protect her ally. One of the clones who had been behind the others and too constrained by limited space to help forced his way to the front for a vertical slash at the Human Jedi. It looked as if he might be able to block it, but Shir was not going to take the risk of allowing him to open up her ally's defenses. Reaching out with her already extended blade, she managed to block his vibroblade, but using the momentum he already had, the clone assassin managed to retaliate quickly with an uppercut-like strike towards her neck. She sensed the danger coming and jumped back to evade, but even so, the clone was fast enough to deliver a slice diagonally up her torso.. Her reaction had just been fast enough to avoid a deeper, much more serious wound.

For a non-force user, to wound a Jedi in melee combat was an accomplishment, and Shir allowed her opponent to play off of that success. She allowed herself to fall on her back, to appear off balance and vulnerable. Her lightsaber even rolled out of her hand. Then, once the assassin committed to his finishing blow, she used the force to pull her shoto from the wall behind him, straight through his chest. As she rolled out of the way of his falling body, she pulled both of her sabers to her, then snapped back to her feet to aid her ally if needed. Her wound was bleeding, but not serious enough to stop her from fighting. It was not severe enough that she could not heal it, but to do so would require more time than she had.

Star Wars - Jedi Exile

I'm just awaiting Sep's response

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

With Sabine returning above decks to watch the shoreline recede behind them, it was perhaps no surprise that Meesei emerged shortly afterwards to join her. She stood next to her, looking out at the steadily shrinking city in the distance silently. The shouting and general commotion of the crew around them did ruin the peaceful atmosphere to an extent, but it was still a beautiful view regardless. As long as they stayed out of the way of the crew, it was unlikely anyone would bother them.

"A majestic sight, isn't it? We have made so many memories in those swamps, so many life-changing events. Some wonderful, some...beyond terrible. I don't think any of us could have predicted what would happen when we first crossed into its hot and humid borders, or even through the pass into Morrowind before that. I think there is a lot we would all like to change if we could, but with everything considered...I think our time here ended pretty well. Your sister is happy. Happy with herself, with her new life, and most of all, with you. As painful as it is to leave, she is proud of who you are, and the woman you are becoming."

Kaleeth's second attempt at climbing into the hammock, this time with Janius, was just as awkward as the first, but at least she had an example to follow. As she tried to climb over him, the hammock rocked back and forth wildly, nearly throwing both of them to the ground several times. Eventually, she managed to find a position that kept the hammock stable, but unfortunately, it was not the most optimal one. She was laying across him in an awkward manner that placed enough weight on his chest to make it harder for him to breathe. It was perhaps possible that she could readjust to make them more comfortable, but she was too afraid of tipping them over to attempt it. "Is this, uh, okay? It isn't, is it?"

The Depths of Deception

While it was much easier to navigate in a weightless environment using telekinesis, Rareth avoided using her magic as much as possible in order to give herself a chance to recover from her prior exertion. She stopped maintaining her barrier and relied strictly on momentum to push her through the corridors. With the chaos the sudden attack had created, any pursuers which had been sent after them had likely abandoned the search or been diverted to some other objective.

The team encountered no resistance for some time as they made their way back to the hanger through an alternate route, near the outer edge of the station. There were no more station rattling explosions, but there were undoubtedly battles occurring across the station, as after rescuing the hostages, their forces were tasked with clearing out the station. Eventually, Shuo asked about her spaceworthiness, and as she rounded the corner, Rareth could see why. A blast door was locked down in front of them. Given that the rebels had been given almost no opportunity to react, it was likely an automated response to depressurization in the chamber just beyond.

"I'll be fine. My wound is closed, and my suit is skintight. It doesn't need a seal to provide pressure As long as nothing actually punctures my scales again, there will be no issue." Rareth explained, taking position by the manual release on the blast door. Like Shuo, she magnetized her boots to the floor and instructed the others to do the same. "Get ready, make sure your oxygen levels are fine."

Once everyone signaled they were ready, Rareth opened the door, sending a sizable rush of air out into the vacuum which lasted for several seconds before a blast door behind them locked down as well. She felt her suit rapidly constrict around her as the pressure dropped, eventually bringing her back to the same equilibrium as before. Before them was a very sizable breach, one that stretched several floors above and below them, and was just as wide. It looked to be one of the impact sites from a plasma cannon, which opened up the breach to allow the missile strikes to penetrate deep within the station. There was a field of debris, from small particles to large metal plates, scattered in the empty space between them and their destination on the other side.

The group pushed off in as straight of a line as possible towards the opposite door, though it would require some maneuvering to get through the debris. However, Rareth caught a light out of the corner of her eye which captured her attention. Looking over, she could see the helmet lights of another group about their size coming from deeper inside the station to their left. From their armor, they were not part of the Assembly force.

"Get to cover!" Rareth shouted immediately through the comms, which was quickly followed by gunfire from the direction of the hostiles. Given that the blast of air has pushed away much of the debris nearest the door, she had to rush to find suitable cover. Since Shiva's suit did not seem to possess thrusters, Rareth grabbed onto her arm and telekinetically pulled her towards a large, slightly spinning piece of the station's hull. As soon as they were close enough, they grabbed on, and Rareth used her telekinesis to stabilize its spin. It was still drifting slightly, but it was still a mostly stable platform for the moment. While Rareth had rested enough to regain some energy, she needed to be conservative with her magic in this fight.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I'll respond when I can tomorrow. I'll be gone most of the day, though.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei would have stayed longer above decks watching the coastline recede, but the captain urged them to get themselves and the significant amount of baggage they were carrying below decks, and out of the way of the crew. A deckhand led them down to the bottom deck, at the bow where the crew quarters were located. As it was not a specialized passenger vessel, they would be sharing the same quarters as the rest of the standard crew.

The bunks consisted of rows of hammocks along the walls in the triangular shaped room, enough for most of the crew. There were other quarters with more traditional beds in other parts of the ship, but they were reserved for the various kinds of officers aboard the vessel, and Meesei had certainly not paid enough to use those. Fortunately, they were permitted to use an adjacent storage room for their belongings to help alleviate the crowding. As the ship had just set sail, the quarters were currently empty apart from the pack, but from what Meesei understood, they would be pretty much constantly inhabited after a while as the crew alternated between shifts of sleeping and working. It was not the most ideal way to spend the next month, but at least they would all be together to make it more bearable.

The pack was still fresh off of the emotional exchange between Sabine and Ariel, but they distracted themselves by taking their time getting settled in. Once Kaleeth found a place in the storage room for the bags she was carrying, she approached the hammock curiously. Having not used one before, she did not even recognize their intended purpose until she noticed there was no other form of bed in the room. She approached unsteadily, as she was still unused to the constant swaying of the ship.

"So, these are what we are supposed to sleep in?" Kaleeth commented as she attempted to climb into one. "Do I just..." She began, but between the swaying of the ship, the difficulty she had with moving in her dress, and her unfamiliarity with hammocks, she lost her balance and flipped over onto the ground as soon as she attempted to lie down.

Star Wars - Jedi Exile

Shir as well could hear the armored footsteps approaching, though she had no objection to her fellow Jedi's plan. "Agreed, we need to keep others from the hanger if we can. Even if they can get a ship, they will certainly be shot down after leaving." She commented just as they saw the clones round the corner. The beasts they released sprang ahead immediately towards the Jedi. While Shir's new ally went on the attack, Shir adopted a defensive stance for the two creatures rushing her. She crossed her lightsabers in front of her just as the beast closest to her was starting to pounce, resulting in it jumping onto her blades and ending up in several pieces on the ground around her. The other attempted to circle around and attack from behind, but Shir was able to react more than quickly enough. While quite vicious, these creatures had no special protection against lightsaber attacks, and with how fast Shir could strike, she needed no special trick or strategy to kill it. All that was needed was a simple, direct slash across the front half of its body.

With the beasts dead, Shir rushed to aid the Human Jedi. She had not been at the Temple for much of the Clone Wars until recently, so she had not seen them training with Padawans, but even so, she could easily see that there was something different about this group; namely, the sizable twin vibroblades attached at their elbows. She had fought alongside clones long enough that she knew not to underestimate them in numbers, especially their special forces. They were outnumbered four to one, but in that regard, they had advantage. The hallway they were in, while tall, was only a few meters wide, which restricted movement enough to negate the clones' numbers advantage.

Shir ran to the side of the Human Jedi, once again dropping to a defensive stance. Together, they effectively blocked the corridor, so the clones could not flank them and were restricted to attacking only two, perhaps three at a time. If they had been training only against Padawans, as her ally suggested, then the clones would not be at the advantage.