EliteCommander

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

How do we want to go about the planning? Since it is going to be a conversation, it might be best as a collab.

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

Sirka'ith and Dazan-Ka

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"Hmph, you're not the first to give that answer. Not exactly a lot of men out there looking for a reptilian over twice their size. Still, I'll take that drink; better than a blaster bolt, at least." Sirka'ith answered. Once the new drinks came, Sirka was quick to start on hers. If she needed to, she was capable of downing the whole thing in pretty much one go, but she preferred to pace herself, if only to savor it. "As for why a Ssi-ruu is out here? Work, naturally. I couldn't care less about the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium. They can all go fall into a sarlacc pit for all I care. Honestly, I'm surprised you even know what a Ssi-ruu is; I sure don't know what in the blazes you are."

Drinks are definitely better than blaster wounds, he would know. Dazan sipped his drink, something he usually did to start a glass, before speaking, "I'd ask what caused such a dislike, but that would be prying a little too mush, eh? And while Ssi-ruu aren't that common, word tends to get around, you just need to be at the right place. As for what I am," He took a swig, "I am a Codru-Ji, and most people who call me a derogatory nickname for that, I tend to make regret it." He leaned back in the booth a bit, bottom pair of arms crossed, "I'm here for a job as well, in case you're wondering. Shady as it is, couldn't resist the creds."

Sirka was at least somewhat interested in the job he mentioned, as it sounded something like the one she had been offered, by the way he described it. "Hmm, contacted by some shady people for some shady job? Sounds like a scam, but worth too many credits for any good merc to turn down? You might be after the same job as me, if that's all the case. It was probably a stupid idea to come here, but I've gotten pretty far with stupid ideas. If it is legit, though, I'd expect to make heavy use of your blasters. It's the only reason anyone would hire me."

"Well, if your guess is right, I will watch your back if you watch mine. If it isn't legit, I expect I'll have to go through the hassle of finding and teaching the... idiots a lesson, and get some money out of them." It wouldn't be the first time he's had to do something of the sort, "I'm hired likely because of my skill with explosives. Want something blown up? I'm one of the first people thought of. Although, I'm a little skeptical about this offer, as I've been out of the game for four years. Still, good a time as any to get back in it, need the creds anyways to make up for that time."

Sirka gave a chuckle as she continued with her drink. She was actually starting to feel some effects from it, though it would take a fair amount more for her to be drunk. One downside of her body mass was how comparatively weak most of the drinks were for her. She assumed her people had appropriate strength alcohol, though it wasn't as if she would know. Brown-scaled Ssi-ruu were not allowed drinks.

Shaking off her displeasure at the Imperium, Sirka continued with the conversation. "I hear you on that. I came all the way out here from Nar Shaddaa to shoot something up, and I intend to do that, no matter what. Though, if they're really paying what they say they're paying, it'd probably be best to go along with whatever job they offer. That kind of credits can buy a lot of power, and I wouldn't want to fight it unless someone richer is paying me to."

This second glass was probably going to be the last one, for now, it wasn't wise to get drunk before seeing an employer. The Ssi-ruu wouldn't have that much of a problem, judging by how large she was. "Mhmm, a danger with such high paying jobs is the possible enemies made, especially if something goes wrong. What is it you'd say you do best? Aside from seemingly being a damage sponge." A moment passed before he realized something, " We've been talking so much and we don't yet know each other's names. Mine is Dazan-Ka, Daz or Dazan for short."

"Sirka'ith" She answered simply, finishing off her drink with her next swig. Since it seemed reasonably likely that they would be working together, she didn't see much harm in telling him a bit about her. Normally, she liked to keep some of her capabilities hidden in case she needed to use them...unless she felt like boasting. In that case, she would say anything.

"Well, you heard that comparison to a wookiee? That wasn't random; I'm about as strong as one of those walking carpets, which means I can do things most species can't. Like, for instance, carrying a blaster cannon big enough that a human would have to mount it on a tripod. I can bring firepower, and scales as good or better than armor. I think you can tell what all that would be good for. Like I said, expect a big, straight up firefight at some point." Now that she was out of drinks, and wasn't willing to buy anymore for herself, she had nothing more to do in the cantina but talk to this Daz person. He wasn't boring her or anything, but at the same time, she did not tend to like sticking around too long in a place after causing a fight, purposefully or not. "Say, since it seems like we're going to be working together, want to get out of this place? The other patrons won't stop glancing at me, and they smell nervous."

"I'm not against a firefight, they always do get the blood flowing." Sirka finished her drink, and Dazan looked around at said patrons, several of them certainly seemed nervous enough, "It probably didn't help that we weren't so descreet when we spoke." He downed the last of his drink in quick order before slowly standing, checking that everything on his person was in order before speaking again, "Well, you lead the way. I was planning to see what else was on this station anyway."

The Depths of Deception

"Yeah, it's more of a head-tail...thing." Rareth commented. While the others continued to discuss Masulu head-spikes, Rareth stood up, somewhat unsteadily, and walked back over to the cabinet. Unfortunately, she found it was now empty, which, now that she was thinking about it, was probably what she told everyone last time she got up to check. Nevertheless, she informed them again. "Ah, bad news. Out of wine. I can have...no, wait, this place doesn't come with a machine servant. Always had Thavrin make me something at home. Well, there's stuff here to eat if you want. Some of it doesn't need cooking."

Rareth returned to take her seat, but this time, she laid down across both the couch, and Telmeck's lap. She let out a relaxed sigh as she stretched out her muscles and closed her eyes. "Feels good to relax. My muscles are so sore from today. At least Shiva here's good with her magic, or I'd be a lot worse off. Well...not really; the ship has plenty of doctors and stuff, but...she got to me a lot quicker. I feel like I could kick all your tails right now. Well, Telmeck here could give me a problem. Those implants of his are like getting hit by a dropship."

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

For a few minutes, Sirka'ith was able to drink in peace for a few minutes. She did not think anyone would have the courage to bother her after that display, but to her surprise, someone actually sat down at her booth with her. The fact that he ordered her a drink tempered her reaction, but she was still naturally suspicious of any stranger in a place like this. She had no clue what kind of strange four-armed species he was, which meant she couldn't judge his emotions from his scent. She did doubt that anyone would want to fight her after showing her capabilities, but the galaxy had many varieties of scum that operated in many different ways. Still, she was in the mood to drink, not fight, so she wasn't going to start anything.

"Hmm, buying me drinks, are you? What, did you come over here to try and seduce the big, tough Ssi-ruu merc? I know I'm irresistible, but I'll have you know that you'll at least have to buy me dinner before you try to hook up a power coupling with me or something." Sirka said, giving a moderately strong laugh as she finished off her original drink. Regardless of anything she said, however, she was more than willing to take the drink he bought. Unless it was poisoned or something, it was her policy to never refuse a free drink, no matter who was offering.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

That's quite alright.

Also, if there isn't anything more that is important in the scenes with Kaleeth and Lorag, we don't necessarily have to RP through them. They are making our posts quite...substantial.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth had no idea how to handle the situation, for more reasons than one. If she tried to comfort Vera, the children would probably notice, but she was not sure if she could just do nothing. It was frustrating not knowing what she could do, and when she finally did speak up, both her tone and the look in her eyes showed that she was confused and nervous. She just hoped that moving on to a new topic would help her at least get her mind off of everything that had happened.

"So, uh, how long do the children usually practice on their own? I have never been in a...class like this." Kaleeth asked.

Meesei looked to Sabine reassuringly. "Do not worry, I will make sure it is healed properly, but these lessons are quite important. If you fight for long enough, injury is unavoidable, and knowing how to heal can mean the difference between life and death for yourself or your allies. Not only that, but in learning to heal, you also learn all of the intricacies of the body, all of its strengths and weaknesses. Now, let us find some place quiet."

It was not difficult for the pair to find a suitable room nearby. It was not entirely empty, as it looked like it was used for something, even if it was just storage, but there was no one currently using it. The main reason behind starting the lesson was so Sabine could stay nearby to her experiment, but while they were waiting, there was no harm in actually going through with the lesson. Meesei sat herself down on the floor just in front of Sabine as she began.

"Restoration, just like with most forms of magic, is about the understanding of your subject. In this case, the body. For the convenience of learning, we start with your body, that of a female Breton. Of course, the races of Humans and the races of Elves are not greatly different from one another, so knowledge you learn from one can be applied to another, in many cases. You may need to spend some time studying the anatomies of Khajiit and Argonians to fill out your knowledge completely, but for now, we shall start with you. To master healing, you will learn everything about the body: how the muscles interact with each other and how they connect to bone, where every organ is, what they do, and what they are made from. Every minute detail can be important. I cannot say it is easy, and it is sometimes an...unsettling topic to learn about, but I do have to say, there is a certain beauty to the inner workings of our bodies. They demonstrate how truly complex we all are." Meesei explained. To begin the lesson, she reached out and grabbed Sabine's wounded hand.

"For this lesson, let us start with pain, since it gave you trouble last time." Meesei began, pausing to numb Sabine's hand with a minor restoration spell. "In general, one cannot die from pain, and in an emergency, your first priority should be the wound itself, but it is easier for all involved if the pain is not an issue." Meesei released her hand, allowing the pain to return to it. "The most important step to understanding pain is understanding what causes it. It may seem like your skin, and the flesh underneath, can simply feel pain, but that is not the case. The flesh itself does not feel, but rather, it is an incredibly small, long organ that spreads throughout your entire body, in much the same way as your arteries and veins. They are invisible to your eyes, but with magic, you can perceive them. Try practicing looking inside yourself with your magic, as I taught you. Try to feel the slight presence of magicka within your body, feel how your energies are disrupted around the wound. If you have trouble, you might try taking your dagger and pressing on your skin until you feel a slight amount of pain, then see if you can feel what changed."

"Yeah, I guess." Lorag answered, taking a step forward and looking over the Dunmer. "Harriet's got the right of it. Be aware of your reach, and your enemy's. When you're not attacking, you want to be outside the other guy's reach. Usually, where they'd have to take a step forward if they wanted to hit you. That means they'll have to telegraph more if they want to hit you, which gives you time to react. The place you definitely don't want to be is where you can't hit them, but they can hit you. If you're in that spot, then either back off, or push forward, but do somethin' quick. If your weapon's shorter than theirs, then push the attack quick to get in range. A shield's great for that, so make sure you use it. Also, be more aggressive. A good defense is important, but it won't win the fight alone."

The Depths of Deception

Given how long we've been on this mission, I think I will do a timeskip to Pax after this scene is over. From there, I'm debating on whether or not we need to look for more people. On one hand, it can't hurt to have more, but on the other, I don't know if we really need more than we have.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek did not think he could actually understand Onyx's beliefs without a much more in-depth explanation of the beings she was referencing, but it was obvious those beliefs were strongly-held. Of course, he felt that a more likely explanation for her ability to carry him was simply that she was much stronger in flight than he initially assumed, but he also did not doubt the power of faith in motivating someone towards their goals. Whatever the case, Onyx's suggestion that he get some rest was starting to seem quite appealing.

"Oh, I do not think I will have any trouble getting to sleep. I will finish my meal, then retire for the night. Thank you for your hospitality. I hope my warning helps your people." He said. After a few minutes, he was finally able to finish what was left of his meal before bidding her goodnight, then returning to his room.

As Tarentek was undressing himself, he sat down on the bed with his robe in hand, running his finger through the hole in its front. The robe was not his originally, but rather that of his friend whom he escaped Amman with, as his own robe had been torn to shreds by the same weapon which gave him his scars. Tarentek had done everything he could to save him, but the bullet had pierced his heart, and the bleeding outpaced his regeneration. His death, unfortunately, was not quick nor painless, but at the very least, he had a chance to give his final words to another. Tarentek could not help but to wonder how many of his fellow warriors had not been given the same opportunity. How many had died with unfinished arguments, unconfessed love, or other unsaid words? There was always the possibility that some had survived, but with what he had seen during the battle, he held little hope. There had been far too much death; it was something that he was still having a difficult time coming to terms with, so for the moment, Tarentek did his best to push the thoughts aside. After finding a place in the corner of the room to tuck away his clothing and other belongings, he finally laid down in the bed for some well-deserved rest.

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

“Leave?” The Twi’lek male said with a scoff, glancing around to his friends with a smug expression. “He wants us to leave. Now, that doesn’t seem very nice.” He gave an exaggerated laugh for a few moments, then suddenly slammed his hands down onto the table. “Now, what makes you think I’m gonna let you go that easily?”

Sirka’ith showed signs of anger and annoyance, but one emotion she did not show was fear. The group had her outnumbered, which was probably why they felt they could take on someone who was obviously physically superior to all of them. Considering that they were all only lightly armed, it was an idea that almost made her laugh. It was rare for someone to even know what a Ssi-ruu was, so they were likely unaware of what she was capable of. Regardless, she maintained a threatening demeanor as she stared the Twi’lek down. “I don’t know who you think you are, but I can tell you have no idea who I am. I’ll say it again, leave. If you think I can’t handle a few two-bit thugs like yourselves, then you’re dead wrong. Doesn’t matter how many of you there are. Also, I’m a woman, idiot.”

“Hmph, as ugly as you are, I bet you have to clarify that all the time.” He responded, producing a few chuckles from his entourage. “Well, I don’t care how big or tough you think you are, ‘cause it doesn’t matter. I’m the fastest shot in the sector; I’d burn a hole through your head before you could lay a finger on me. Now I’ll say it again, buy me a drink.” The Twi’lek demanded. He definitely seemed to believe his own threats, as he had an obnoxiously strong air of confidence about him. He glanced to the woman in his group with a smug grin as he waited to see if Sirka would give in to his demands.

Sirka took in the man’s scent once again, giving her a good sense of his mood, which gave her a good idea of what this was all about. Adrenaline was pumping through him; he was anxious for something, and had heightened confidence and libido. Sirka had the feeling this was all just to put on a show and make him seem tough, likely to impress the Twi’lek woman he kept glancing at. If he would have tossed a few credits Sirka’s way, she might have even helped him out, but now, she was going to make him regret it.

After letting out another, heavy sigh, Sirka slowly stood to her feet, causing a few of them to take a step back. She towered over all of them, but the Twi’lek seemed undeterred, though with his hand now hovering over his hip.

“Enough of this. I gave you a chance to back off, and you schuttas know as well as I this isn’t about drinks. What you looking to show how tough you are? Pick a fight with the biggest person in the room to show off and impress this girl?” She began, shifting her glare to the Twi’lek woman for a moment. “Don’t know why you’d even go through all the effort. From the looks of her, it seems like you pulled her straight out of a brothel…”

Sirka’s efforts to rile up her aggressor were successful, as he suddenly shouted out in anger. “That’s it!” He screamed. To his credit, he was actually reasonably fast on the draw, and while his shot did not hit her head like he bragged, it did hit her straight in the chest. Normally, that was enough to essentially fry any unarmored foe, but much to the Twi’lek’s horror, the same was not so for Sirka. There was a burn on her chest, but it had obviously not penetrated her thick, blaster-resistant scales. Any pain it might have caused, she was not showing in the slightest. There were a few, brief moments where the cantina was dead silent and the Twi’lek stood speechless, unable to bring himself to do anything but stand in fear. Eventually, he released his grip on his blaster pistol and let it drop to the ground, but Sirka was not letting him surrender so easily.

Before the Twi’lek could flee, Sirka snatched him up by the neck and lifted him up off the ground with one hand. She pulled his face close, almost to the point of touching her muzzle, and spoke in a low, growling voice. The others, despite being armed themselves seemed to offer no help to their “friend.”

“You know those stories about wookies pulling the arms off of stormtroopers? Let’s just say I can do that too. And you know what? You’re really making me want to give a demonstration.” By this point, pretty much everyone in the cantina had their attention on the scene unfolding before them, including the barkeeper whom Sirka locked eyes with for a moment. Like most other barkeepers, he obviously wanted to avoid killings in his cantina, and if Sirka still wanted to order drinks after this, she would need to oblige that preference. Focusing back on the Twi’lek in her grasp, she decided to leave him with one final warning. “You’re going to go give the barkeep a tip for the trouble you’ve caused him, then you’re going to get out of here before I crush your skull and turn your head-tails into soup.” She threatened before throwing him straight onto his back on the ground. “Now, move.”

As Sirka sat back down at her table and the Twi’lek started to skulk away, she flicked out her scent tongues once more, allowing herself to take in that sweet, sweet smell of shame from the thoroughly embarrassed thug.

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

Sep said we could start putting up IC intros...so I did.