Event Escape From Mataou - Dead Money

[Zathria]

The engines on the ship were fired up, and she saw that some of the slaves had come with her, but she didn't spend long arguing with them. There was only minutes before death would take them all.

She pulled back on the controls of the ship and lifted it off the floor of the hangar. Firing the engines, she flew out, looking down through the viewport at the horde that had tried to devour them earlier and the scorch marks from the attacks that Drow had left behind.

Her eyes turned to the scanners next and she could see the remnants of the blockade she had flown through earlier, looking for an opening. Meeting up with the other Jedi could wait until later and a shower would come after that. For now, she plotted her course to get out of this system and to the safety of the stars.

//Exit

Thanks @Nefieslab @MatureContentWarningx

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied burst into the med bay, a few of the slaves following behind him while others made their way to the cockpit. As he could hear the Crusader's engines powering up the hunter helped his charge up onto the nearest operating table. He made his way over to the sink to wash some of the grime off himself, shouting orders in Huttese to the slaves. He was no doctor, but he had cleaned and dressed his own wounds while out on expedition in the past. And the ship's med bay was thankfully well equipped. With the other slaves' help he was able to apply bacta to the teenager's wounds and wrap them up. It was still unclear whether or not he would survive but his prospects were certainly better than before.

"Cheespa ahu." He tried to assure the kid, though at this point the young slave was drifting out of consciousness. Klied looked at him worriedly a few more moments before turning his attention to the other slaves in the med bay. "Ye wanya catke cohka jen." He told them, and while he was reluctant to leave even then, he forced himself to do so. He would be fine in their care. They probably knew him better than he did anyway.

As the hunter made his way back towards the cockpit he could feel the ship taking off. They were on their way out. He lifted his comlink to his mouth as he kept walking. "Aska, Poffo, I'll meet you on Onderon. Safe travels." He lowered the comlink after that, not interested in any conversation. This trip had been punctuated by a most unsettling turn of events. He'd killed plenty of people before, but he felt confident knowing they'd all had it coming. This was the first time he could ever remember losing control, the first time hurting someone he had no quarrel with. It stoked certain feelings in him that he certainly didn't enjoy. The trip, though not what they had expected, had been profitable. A corvette to call their own, as well as whatever his companions made it away with. It was unfortunate he couldn't enjoy the success more.

Finally the hunter arrived on the Crusader's command deck, just in time to watch the ship break through Mataou's atmosphere. The slaves flying the corvette seemed quite eager to know how he would be making them rich. Klied chuckled humorlessly and assured them in Huttese that once they were to safety he would personally pay each of them well enough to make good use of their newfound freedom. And besides that, a job offer. Things had changed much for the hunter in recent years. Despite his best efforts to remain isolated from civilization he was constantly getting wrapped up in other peoples affairs as of late. He was part of a group that seemed to be growing all the time now. He figured it was about time he committed himself fully to this new course, and now he had the resources to do so. He directed the pilots where to take them, and stood back and watched as the ship jumped to hyperspace.

/Exit Thread

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

Well... it could've opened up worse.

Turbolasers could've simply shot out of the walls and started blasting them. Or the hallways could flood with toxic gas. Or the rancor could spontaneously return to life, crawling down the hallway and devouring him and the woman.

Maybe that last one was more unlikely, but it made Laeonas and his "partner's" situations seem much better than they were by contrast. They hadn't moved at the voice's command-- he didn't want to risk provoking the automated defense system, which it now, above all else, seemed to be.

Aquamarine eyes darted through the hallway as Laeonas looked for a possible advantage. His eyes were immediately caught by the bars on the large vault doors. Shiny and malleable, they could probably easily be fried with the woman's lightsaber, or cut with the cortosis weave of his blade. But neither could cover the ground to the door do such a thing, without risking the oncoming fire of the round, shielded droids.

Briefly, Laeonas was tempted to simply do as commanded. To turn, and run in the opposite direction, in the hopes that the darker skinned human could pilot a ship, or that the entire group hadn't simply flown off world by this point. He thought he had heard the rumbling of engines, but he couldn't be sure. They could simply be the rumblings of the internal mechanisms of the vault and broader facility, finally whirring back to life.

But if it had been the ships, than there'd be no way for them to escape before the rest left.

That prospect was equally emboldening as it was terrifying. They'd only get off world if the droideka's didn't gun them down-- which meant leaving, or destroying the two droids.

Laeonas had considered leaving a multitude of times-- but when he had turned to run down the hallway he and the other force wielder stood in, there was only the singular desire for victory.

No droids were going to stop him now.

Speaking of their new adversaries, Laeonas was... stumped. He'd rarely seen shields of such a design before, at least not ones that fully encompassed such a large area. Hairs on his chest raised as he felt a chill go through his body, fear almost gripping him. Almost.

The droid's couldn't be invulnerable-- nothing in this galaxy was. Shielded from blaster fire, his weapon would undoubtedly be useless, which is why he had dropped it to his side earlier. His vibrosword might be useful-- unless the droids were made of the same durasteel-cortosis weave of his blade, they could be cut and destroyed. But, once again, he couldn't possibly close the distance between him and the round guards without blasted to bits.

Glancing at them more closely, however, Laeonas noticed that the photoreceptors-- small and front facing-- didn't loop around to their backs. Additionally, the automata had a large, circular waist, and a few stubbed metal feet. They would undoubtedly turn slow. Unable to see from their peripherals or from behind, and slow to turn, the key was to attack them from behind.

But how could they manage it?

Glancing at the other human, he tried to search and see if she had any ideas. The force would definitely have to come in to play-- perhaps combining their strength was once again the key to defeating the droids.

When moving and confronted by an obstacle, there were several directions one could take in avoiding it; Under, Over, Around, and Through. It was the first principle he had learned when he began studying hand to hand combat.

They could do the same as they had done in the hall earlier, and throw the droids from their spots and backwards; a straightforward assault, attempting to go through the final custodians of the vault. Further, they might be able to use the force of their attack to crush their metal frames before they could fire a single bolt. But there was the possibility that the droidekas might fire at the slightest provocation-- if they were programmed to register a force push as an attack, they would undoubtedly shoot.

Under wasn't an option-- they didn't have the time to dig through the floors, whatever they were made out of. Similarly, going around was also untenable, as they knew of no alternative pathways (and even if they did, they would probably be guarded in a similar fashion). In addition, the walls were also strong,... though, there might be a use for the tacky paneling...

Perhaps the key was to go over the vault's defenders? Laeonas briefly considered it; the droids were vulnerable to an attack from behind, and if the both of them leapt up using the force, they could land and cut through the droids, or Kamelle could use her lightsaber and slash through the barred door-- though, they seemed more for decoration than practical security.

Still, this plan was not without flaws as well-- there was no way of determining if the droidekas could turn their guns upward when they leapt. In addition, Laeonas' connection to the force wasn't anywhere near trained enough to actually cushion his fall. Even if he stuck the landing, the hard floor beneath might still cause his bones to crack. If by some miracle he still dispatched the droideka, there was no way he'd get back to the hangar on time with injured legs...

...and the other human certainly wasn't going to carry him there.

And, finally-- if, by some greater miracle, Laeonas stuck the landing, they destroyed the droids, got into the vault, and looted it for the most valuable treasures they could find-- if he could hobble back to the hangar when (not if) the other human abandoned him, the boy still couldn't fly a ship. He had never once sat in the pilot's seat of a cockpit. Even if he got on the smallest, most basic of ships, if it didn't have an autopilot, he would probably crash, or be detected by the Hutt fleet before he escaped-- and be subsequently blasted out of the sky.

No; they couldn't go around, they couldn't go under, they (he) couldn't go over, and they couldn't go through. All four directions were impossible to attack from.

Laeonas stood, deflating a bit. His otherwise fit figure, lithe and lean, knotted with well defined muscle, almost collapsed. The boy's brow had furrowed, lips curled down in a frown.

Was this it? Had he come all this way-- had THEY come all this way, not to triumph, not to be defeated in combat, not even to be unceremoniously blown to smithereens by hutt guns...

...but to be forced to run away? Tails between their legs, running back to the ships like morons, the last to escape a doomed world? Humbled, humiliated by an automated defense system that was defending a fortune that would be reduced to slag in mere minutes.

Shame was the look Laeonas wore. Laeonas Tannaras, self proclaimed bastard of the greatest of the noble family's of his wealthy and prestigious world. Criminal and smuggler, a cunning warrior, an adept of the force? He felt as empty and embarrassed as he had in the nights following a beating by the police and civil authorities of his world. The jeering insults, the mocking laughter.

He stood, impotent rage growing. The force started to swirl as he looked up again, staring longingly at the door. A barrier to all that would be necessary to prove, once and for all, that his name not only belonged to him, but unlike anyone else who'd had it given to them, with all the respect and reverence it held... that Laeonas had earned that prize.

It was imposing; with large, probably partially ornamental bars keeping it sealed-- attacked to larger, and probably stronger, black, metal fixtures, bolted into the wall.

Right between the droids.

The rage fell away, and the gears, freshly greased with longing and a desire to triumph, started to turn once more.

One of the later lessons he'd learned in hand-to-hand training was that the space behind his opponent, by necessity, was always open. This would be largely irrelevant to most; what could a person do with an open space behind their opponent? Sure, it was undefended, but to most sentients, there was no way to exploit this... with their own bodies.

Laeonas had read in this tiny little handbook that you could use the environment to your advantage-- to corner an opponent in a space would put you in a position where they couldn't back up. Or, if you slammed them forward, they might break against the hard space behind them.

However, what Laeonas had learned on his own, was that he could bring what was behind someone, right to them.

He had stood silent and contemplating for only a brief amount of time. In that same timeframe following, either a volley of blaster bolts would tear through him, or the droids would be destroyed.

His physical form not shifting it's appearance at all, Laeonas would nod, taking a few steps back, as his hands slowly raised into the air. "O'kay, o'kay; no need ta be hasty." He would say, a defeated tone in his voice. As his hands shifted upwards, one would slip ever so slightly forward, fingers pressed together. It almost looked as if the boy was pulling on something.

Concentrating, Laeonas thought back to the lesson that Rishe had taught him on Ossus. He forced him to remember a host of different emotions. As soon as they came forward, they would fall away, replaced by the next, until they swirled. Soon, his feelings would dissipate-- and the raw power of life itself would swell inside him.

Continuing to take steps back, the droids would be focused on what was directly in front of them-- and not at what was behind. In addition, they couldn't feel the boy's swelling presence in the force.

Almost unnoticeable at first, the black fixtures, bolted into the door and the walls, would... shake a bit. It was nothing distinct... for a droid. Even if the droids picked up on it with their audio receptors, it would take time them to determine the source, both of the sound, and immediately following, how the only things barring the doors were being pulled off.

In addition to this rumbling, Laeonas primed his mind, reaching out for one of the wall panels. Much lighter, they could be promptly ripped off the walls and thrown in front of the two humans. If the droids realized what was going on, and if the droids started firing-- the wall panel would rip off, and fly in front of the two of them.

On his own, even with all his building strength, the moves couldn't succeed... without help.

Turning his head to Kamelle, his intentions were clear; and a faint grin had slipped across his otherwise defeated disposition.

"Me and mae partner understand ya loud and clear. We'll make our way out... no sudden moves." He assured the automated security system, pulling harder with the force.

If he wasn't stopped-- and if the other human helped him-- the metal fixtures would be torn from the massive walls, and the bars, now freed, would slam with the speed and force of a small boulder during an avallanche... right into the backs of the droidekas, who were at the moment completely unsuspecting. At the same time, he would reach out-- using the force to attempt to disable the droids as he destroyed them.

​

@MatureContentWarningx @Phoenix @Die Shize @Nefieslab @Sreeya @Fantasy Liver @Isen @Reyn @Tulos

OOC: casting destroy droid+throw beeg bars

 

[Aska Ryun]

As the freighter soared from the hangar bay, Aska could see the horde of zombies that had chased them into the bunker still throwing themselves against the durasteel doors with ferocious intent. The ship that she and her allies had arrived on was covered in undead and was no doubt unsalvageable even now. Once the Hutt fleet began their bombardment? There would be nothing left of the old freighter to even pick through. Not that she was ever coming back to this shit hole, not if she could help it.

As the ship began to ascend through the upper reaches of Mataou’s atmosphere, the fleet came into view. Their positioning was still loose, fully enabling the fleeing members of the raid team the opportunity to slip by unscathed. Aska was no ace pilot, far from, but the urge to play cat and mouse with the orbiting capital ships was strong. A chance to flaunt the stolen vessel before it’s previous owners? Hard to pass up. With a sinister grin of determination, she pushed the ship to it’s maximum speed as she soared ever closer to the Hutt vessels when Klied’s voice came through her wrist comm.

"Aska, Poffo, I'll meet you on Onderon. Safe travels."

The words caused her to pause before groaning and breaking off course. She had passed on the opportunity to visit Klied’s estate in the past but now there was business that needed to be discussed. Playing such a risky game with the Hutt fleet presented too much of a risk of getting captured in a tractor beam or blown into a thousand pieces. Flipping the switch on her communicator that would allow her to speak to both Klied and Poffo, Aska simultaneously punched in the co-ordinates that would take her to Bespin.

”I’ll be there soon, Caveman. I’ve got my own slave to rescue first,” Cutting the channel, Aska smirked. ”Rescue, my ass. What kind of trouble could that Togruta ( @Bex ) get into without me there to provoke it?” she chuckled. With that, the woman pushed the lever ahead to kick the hyperdrive in and she was gone, never to return to this cursed world.

[Bye Felicia]​

@Nefieslab @MatureContentWarningx​

 

[Kamelle Skyler]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

The system had warned the intruders to turn around and go away. Why had they not just blasted them outright? Why delay? Was it because the Sith might destroy those droids if they attacked her, get inside the vault and take what one Hutt did not want to be taken? Kamelle did not waste time contemplating it. Her mule decided to start backing away slowly and Kamelle was already thinking the same thing he was as she followed suit.

They needed to get that door open without getting shot. As they worked together through the Force to subtly loosen the fixtures supporting the bars there was indeed the likely scenario that the droidekas would not catch onto the goings-on behind them. Their rear was their blind side and the Force-users were starting off slow and steady instead of obviously trying to rip the fixtures off with brute Force.

The droids could not be left to their own devices, however, and Kamelle had clued her mule in on that fact with a whisper as they began backing away. “Disable droid...focus...hold…” The Sith had already been in a mode of focus and would use the meager moments that passed to hone in on those droidekas in order to disable them with the Force.

Before that attack would come, the intruders would suddenly rip the metal fixtures from the bars and slam those bars into the backs of the droids. The bars would be close and would not move with the speed of a blaster bolt so would likely pierce through the shield, scatter upon the droids and cause them to turn around toward this ‘assault’ from behind.

If the droids attacked the intruders at any point, Kamelle and her mule would block whatever bolts would come their way with torn wall panel and lightsaber, and still move to disable the droids particularly with the Force. Whatever the immediate outcome, this would all occur over mere seconds and not minutes, and both Sith and Screamer would have more to come.

@Nefieslab @MatureContentWarningx
@Tom

 

[Poffo Sauvage]

The slaves that Poffo did not intend to save piled into his ship, and the Dug started to fire up the engines. "Aren't you going to ask me where to, boss?" Poffo asked him. "Yeah, I got a lot of tropical locales on the old bucket list, yeah! I hear there are some beaches on some of the planets in the Mid Rim, yeah, where there are no limitations to limiting your attire, yeah!"

The Dug clicked several times, and snorted twice. "Nude beaches? That's your concern?"

"The beaches aren't my concern, my new ace pilot. No, sir. It's bodies bathing in that beautiful white sand, yeah!"

The Dug shook his head and lifted the ship off the ground. About that time, Poffo heard Klied over his comms. "Aska, Poffo, I'll meet you on Onderon. Safe travels."

The Dug pilot looked at Poffo as he flew the ship out of the hangar. "Who was that, uh?"

Poffo sighed and shook his head. "A good work partner, but a horrible party buddy if ya dig the news I'm spreading, yeah. The hot babes are going to have to wait to get a load of the Madness, yeah...yeah, they will. To Onderon." Poffo heard Aska's response, and then he clicked on his comms and said back, "I was expecting hot babes after this, and all I get is Aska back on Onderon? Hunter-man, you owe me brutha, yeah!"

The pilot was giving strong consideration to getting off at Onderon and buying a ticket...anywhere. But first things first. Once they were out of Matau's atmosphere, he got the navicomputer to calculate the hyperspace route to Onderon, and then- zip- they were off.

/Exit Thread

 

[The Gatekeeper]

The droidekas and the security system had already given their final warning and when they didn't immediately holster their weapons or leave, they were assumed to be hostile. As Laeonas and Kamelle both started to fiddle with the hinges of the door, a fairly delicate task at this distance that would require their focus, the two droids would focus on them and start blasting at them with their twin blaster cannons. As they were spaced apart from each other by roughly 5 meters, they would each start shooting at a target each, shooting a total of 8 blasts at each of the intruders in the space of the first three to four seconds.

As Laeonas had theorized, the paneling of the walls was detachable with enough force but it was still far from easy. The Hutts hadn't attached their durasteel walls with simple adhesive so much as it had been purpose built and fitted. As someone with little to no formal training in using the Force and no sea of untapped power to fall back on, Laeonas would be able to tear a chunk of durasteel plating off the wall roughly the size of his own torso but he would be forced to abandon all of his influence on the door to do so.

If he attempted to continue his influence on the door regardless, the durasteel plating would prove too sluggish in response to his demands and he would be immediately assaulted by the blaster bolts heading his way. Equally as an Force User with no formal training, Disable Droid would be something beyond him while simultaneously focusing on not being shot by moving the durasteel plate as a guard, especially when focused vaguely on two droids not immediately next to each other.

Kamelle would be in a similar position as Laeonas in that she would need to defend herself from blaster bolts heading her way. The difference between the two, however, was a matter of training - namely that Kamelle had enough of it to split her focus with a far greater degree of success. She would be able to block the initial blaster fire heading her way while also finishing the Pull on the door to send it flying at the droideka attacking Laeonas.

However, with only her power and her split attention, the door would be less of a destructive blow than intended. Instead the droideka opposite Laeonas would be assaulted with the door and it would get through its shield, hitting the droideka itself with some degree of force. It would ring with a bell-like quality known around the Galaxy as the sound of beskar hitting another metal. The droideka itself would be dented along it's back plating, its left arm unit breaking at the shoulder, reducing its firepower by half.

Between the Pull on the door and blocking the blaster bolts, Kamelle would be able to partially disable the droid facing her rather than entirely. The effect was much the same as with the other droid, effectively cutting the droid's firepower in half as its right twin blaster cannon overloaded, sparking and ceasing to function.

Both droids now down to a single twin blaster cannon each, they would continue to fire at the two intruders, another four shots heading their way as soon as the droids could pull the triggers.

@Tom @Die Shize
@Fantasy Liver @Sreeya - You guys don't need to make an exit thread post, its assumed you get off planet at this point since you already chose that option, feel free to do so if you want but no pressure otherwise

 

[Drow Venn]

Drow would have his work cut out for him getting the ship to take off and maintain order and morale. These slaves were not unified, they were scared and they were exhausted. But once the ship got up in the air and moving, a wave of calm seemed to wash over the ship as the thought of further enslavement and being bombarded into oblivion seemed to wash over them. Always having a soft spot for the enslaved, Drow quickly thought through some of his options.

He had just gotten out of trouble with the Council for taking refugees to Yavin so the Jedi Temple was out of the question for now even though it would be the most accomodating for these people. Kashyyyk also had a Jedi presence but with its current AMS woes, Drow thought it best to not bring them there. He eventually settled on his homeworld of Tibrin. He knew of several nations there that took in refugees and there were enough ports there where they could get offworld if they wanted. With all of the Hutt gold and art pieces on board the corvette, Drow figured there'd be enough money to be made selling them for these slaves to start new lives. Not enough to erase the damage that had been done to these people but it was a start.

As Drow made his way through the ship, he noticed with distaste that the ship's name was the Spiritbreaker. Drow rolled his eyes. Hutts sure did love to sound big and tough without any regard for how stupid some of their names sounded. It would definitely have to be renamed once it was made part of the Jedi fleet. Maybe the Chainbreaker instead? That had a better ring and would be an extra slap in the face from theses slaves to their former Hutt masters.

Sparky flew Drow's Y-Wing to dock on the corvette and Drow busied himself Force Healing those that needed it as they set a course for Tibrin. Having rescued slaves, successfully fought his way through a zombie-infested Hutt stronghold and now having given the Order a Hammerhead, it was all told, a pretty good day.

/ExitThread

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

He hadn't been immediately pumped full of blaster bolts. His life had not ended-- it had persisted.

Though Laeonas wasn't entirely sure if he should be glad about that, with such a humiliating display.

The ferocity of the droid's blasts were far greater than he had expected; he was lucky that he'd managed to tear even the chunk of metal slag off the walls to block the bolts shooting at him. The pounding of the blasts against the slab rang in his ears, and he stood, practically helpless.

By contrast, the woman was able to parry the bolts away, pull at the door, and essentially succeed in all he'd tried to. He imagined what was running through her mind right now-- seething disdain for his weakness? Disgust? In any other situation it wouldn't have mattered, but in a position where either of them not wanting to help each other could cost the both of them their lives, it was a matter of importance.

Still, it wasn't the strategic value of her feelings that made him care. Laeonas could imagine it-- contempt, disdain, disgust. The feelings radiated out-- but it was from the Sith, and him.

Sith?

What kind of training did she have? She didn't have the disposition of a Jedi at all, yet she carried a lightsaber.

Could she actually be a Sith?

The Jedi had called her as much, and it was expert opinion to be sure. The human woman had also been a completely miserable piece of kark through the entire escapade, either regarding everyone around her with complete indifference or total contempt... which, of the two other Sith he had met, seemed to describe their attitude perfectly when it came to strangers.

Wondering what the woman was mattered even less than what she thought. Quickly, Laeonas felt his shame turning to frustration, which built and built before it slowly began turning into anger. He'd felt this before; the gathering of the force, concentrated behind all the negative feelings that swelled within him. It was such an abundant source; years of trauma and pain, years of enduring the same disgust and contempt that had come from virtually everyone around him besides his own mother and grandfather.

It had only been the continued feeling of disgust that welled within Laeonas that came when he used it. No matter what happened, it always felt fundamentally wrong to draw upon it, to feed on all the things he wanted to turn away from and overcome. It was his rejection of that source, that disgusting well of negative emotions-- propelled by those same feelings, ironically enough-- that had sent him off his homeworld. It was the desire to go beyond that drove him out-- not to sink down under.

But he didn't care. He couldn't care.

The boy was going to die. He was going to die if he didn't fight these droids off. He was going to die if he didn't escape this vault before the bombardment started. He was going to die-- not in 30 or 40 or 80 years, but right now.

He'd only briefly seen the Sith's attack succeed before he forced the metal in front of him, but with the force-- and with his own ears-- he could tell that it had worked. He'd heard the distinct clang of the... unique... metal.

It had meant that he was right-- an attack from behind was the most viable option; but as Laeonas had seen, he wasn't able to take advantage of his surroundings in the way he'd hoped.

He thought about slamming the droid currently focused on him backwards-- his powers in the force swelling for such an occasion, but he decided against it at the last moment. He didn't have the strength to use the environment to his advantage; not now, not like this.

There was only one option left beyond what he had already done. It was a far greater risk, but as humiliation and self disgust turned into rage, and rage turned into raw, white hot hate, he couldn't care anymore. These droids were denying him what he had earned-- and Laeonas wasn't going to be stopped. Not by a droid, not by the Sith, not by officers leaving his bones broken and body bruised.

His mental grip on the slag in front of him started to relax; than, with a roar, the boy leapt into the air.

Carrying him well over ten feet above his standing position, he practically appeared to fly across the hall. To any unfamiliar with the force, it would've been incredible; the site of a half exposed boy, raven hair pulled back by the force of rushing air, and eyes blazing with a fury that could only be brought on by years of pain unbearable to most. The blade he'd drawn was long, and ready to cut through anything that stood as an obstacle before him.

When he landed-- if he landed-- Laeonas' body would find itself right behind the droideka that had been firing at him. With vibrosword in hand, and with the power of raw emotion behind his movements, he would slash down with the vibrating sword. The droid would struggle to turn and face him, but if it did, the sword would've quickly dropped-- and with the power of the force and his own raw muscle, he would grab the last remaining blaster, torso penetrating the shield, and yank it upwards.

Either he would die, or the droid would be brought down-- by his sword, or the Sith's saber.

​

@Die Shize @Nefieslab

 

[Kamelle Skyler]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Bolts flashed like lightning. Kamelle swept her saber across the barrage to deflect and dodge. Discovering that she was being shot at, she abandoned any feigned retreat and advanced forward in a flash of her own. Meanwhile, the door came down to strike the droid opposite Screamer, and once that was achieved the Sith regained freedom of her left hand.

By this point, she was focused enough into the Force to execute it upon the droid opposite herself. Those droidekas had attacked a tad too soon, though, so with what little time Kamelle had afforded in preparing her attack it did not result in outright disabling her quarry. Instead, the blaster overloaded, and amid the commotion and her charge she caught a rather similar result with Screamer’s droid.

The two intruders continued to advance, hopefully thinking the same thing, but just in case Screamer had the wrong idea Kamelle made it clear. “Up and over, mule!” An instant later and both of them were in the air. Her own leap had been as sudden as swift, using the Force to propel her forward and upward, seamlessly warding off blaster bolts with her saber even while airborne.

Kamelle would land behind the droid that was parallel to her, with its right blaster missing from its person. Upon descending, the droideka would likely be turning around to face her along with its cannon. As this would happen, the Sith pushed through the Force against the droid’s remaining left cannon in an attempt to jerk it upward (just in case a stray shot might otherwise strike her mule).

Concurrently, Kamelle would push her deignited saber through the shield to simply reignite it at the other side, the blade taking the droid’s head off in a lethally quick movement and moment.

@Nefieslab @MatureContentWarningx
@Tom

 

[The Gatekeeper]

As a fault of their design, the droideka model of battle droids had some key issues that meant they were not as well rounded as other battle droids. Though formidable from the front, their rear guard was much less impressive. Equally, their blasters were fearsome weapons but they were designed to fire forward quickly. This meant that their ability to track a target upward was not as sophisticated as they would need in this situation.

So as the Sith and the Scoundrel threw themselves up into the air, the droids would attempt to follow their ascending arc with the blasters but be unable to do so quickly enough to land a hit. Their droid brains predicting the trajectory of the enemies, however, they both began to turn around on their strange trio of legs.

Due to the design of the droidekas, however, their turning cycle was, in a word, awful. So the droid turning to face Laeonas would be facing the wall by the time the young man’s vibrosword would punch through the shield easily to thrust down into the droid, slicing cleanly and deeply through the metal exoskeleton and into its vital processors. It would be deactivated by the time the sword was pulled free.

Kamelle seemed to have knowledge of the model of droid or, perhaps, only the droid’s shield units as she knew to deactivate her saber first. If the blade had still been ignited it would have caught against the shield but the deactivated hilt passed through the shield without issue, the blade igniting brightly straight into the droid, the old “turn it off and on again” trick having bypassed the shield entirely.

The barred door lay to one side, largely forgotten about since its removal from its hinges, leaving the way forward open to the two adventurers. Beyond the doorway another corridor extended deeper, with a more classical vault door attached firmly to the wall ahead. Even from the other end of the corridor, the tell-tale shine of a shield layered over the vault door itself was clear. Between the adventurers and the next door, red laser lines crisscrossed the distance in a maze of cat’s cradle proportions.

If they were alarm tripwire lasers or actual cutting lasers was not immediately apparent.

Immediately to their right, however, was a small console. It was simple with only a single flashing line, as though waiting for text to be input. The security system spoke, unprompted, once they neared the doorway they had broken through.

“Speak of the jewel.”

@Die Shize @Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

His earlier performance had embarrassed him. Shame had turned to frustration, and frustration to anger. That anger had brought him strength, and with strength, the power to destroy his obstacles.

Laeonas wasn't dead. He'd won; but he couldn't relish the victory.

As the anger flushed out of his system with the heavy breathes that escaped his mouth, so did he realize what had happened. The wrong-- the dark side-- it had offered itself to him, and he used it.

The boy wasn't sure what was the worst part. Was it that he'd done it voluntarily? Was it that he was so... effective in using it?

Or was it that the strength, the power... actually started to feel good. Not disgusting, as he'd usually found it.

Good.

A chill ran up the boy's spine as he stood there, staring down at the chopped and broken form of the droideka. It was incredible how something so dangerous, something that had the ability to end his life, had gone down so easily-- all thanks to him just tapping into his anger for a little while. Was this what he was truly capable of? Could he go even further? If he received training-- real training-- could he extend this beyond what he'd done so far? The Jedi obviously didn't embrace teachings like that, but...

Laeonas felt a chill run up his spine.

He wasn't considering that option. Not after everything he'd seen and all that he heard. The woman standing next to him was testament to how objectively awful the only other real option was.

Glancing over at the Sith in question, Laeonas saw that she'd succeeded in much a similar way to how he had. The anger had largely faded, but he still furrowed his brow a bit whenever he saw her at this point.

Glancing around a bit further, he noticed the door, and the ripped off bars and assorted fixtures that had kept it in place. The appearance of the metal was unlike anything he'd ever seen, and from what he remembered, ever heard as well. He briefly remembered all of the stories his mother had told him about the valuable metals her father would forge into suits and cuirasses and helmets for mercenaries or the local officers.

Whatever it was, he'd have to come back for it.

Finding himself again wasting time with his own thoughts, the boy audibly groaned as he'd start through the doorway and into the next corridor. He gave an exasperated wave forward at the Sith, less because of his growing dislike for her (caused by her dislike for him, ofcourse) but because if they didn't really, really start moving, they'd be dead soon.

Rushing into the next room, however, Laeonas was displeased to see that he wouldn't be doing much moving at all. The laser system before him was like nothing he'd seen before. To an extent, it reminded him of the security measures some took with their windows, placing bars in front of them. Only instead of durasteel (more often cast iron prefabs) there were lasers... which he was not about to bother touching.

He blinked a bit when he heard the voice; another synthetic tone, but... different, somehow. Glancing over at the console, he gave it a puzzled look. It was... bothering to speak to them?

How could it not know that the facility was compromised? How could it not know that they were intruders-- intruders that had just had (not so) incredibly dangerous droids pointed at them? The other voice on the comms had immediately regarded them as intruders... but...

Staring at the console, he thought of the words again. "jewel", pompous and proud it was. Still, it was to similar to an all to easy place name.

Nal Hutta.

"This security system isn't makin' any sense, but Ai know they're talkin' about tha hutt's fav'rite planet." The boy exposited, quickly typing the name on the keypad in front of him. He was about to finally press ENTER when he paused.

"This... it's freakin' me out. This thing should be locked down, tha'other systems know we're not supposed ta be 'ere-- but this thing doesn't care." He quickly spat out, fingers hovering over the key that would submit his answer.

Still, he didn't have any time to think past this. At this point, the worst outcome was that they tripped the security system, and something worse than the droids appeared to accost them-- and if that would happen, they'd just fight or run.

He held back, scowling a bit. He began to sweat again, and Laeonas turned again, begrudged, at the Sith. "Any ideas?!"

​

@Die Shize @Nefieslab

 

[Kamelle Skyler]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Kamelle had been tempted to take the beskar and call it quits. Maybe she had enough time to escape? She could make her mule carry the doorframe; he had proven useful enough with taking out a droideka so surely he could manage that much. Then again, who knew how far to the hangar or if the others had escaped with a zombie-robot army right on their heels and now waiting for fresh meat.

No, the Sith had come this far and would not turn back now. However, with one hand on hilt, her other dragged that doorframe behind her with a simple ‘Force tow’ as she entered the next corridor. The beskar would earn a catchy cred and might just come in handy.

It was pretty apparent what might happen if her own body danced between the lasers, as much as the door at the other end leading to the vault inside the vault. Just hope there’s not a vault inside the vault inside the vault…

Kamelle chewed on the security system's words. Screamer was thinking what she was regarding the jewel’. She wasn’t fluent in Huttese but knew the Basic translation of “Nal Hutta”. On the other hand, the Hutts had ‘jewel worlds’ and Mataou was one of them. So which jewel? ‘The jewel’ we’re on or ‘the jewel of the Hutts’?

Largely ignoring her mule’s tongue, Kamelle regarded his prompt for ideas. “If the voice had spoken ‘speak the name of the jewel’ then “Nal Hutta” might be a good answer, but it said ‘speak of the jewel’.” She looked around her person but saw only the absolute mess on her person. “If I speak of all the pulp on my clothing then I would say that it is gross. If I speak of a jewel then I would say that it is…” What is “Hutta” in Basic?

Without wasting any more precious seconds, Kamelle reached the console and typed a single word before confirming it aloud. “Glorious.” She pressed ‘ENTER’ and awaited the result. Hopefully whatever droids might come next would be CleanerBots?

@Nefieslab @MatureContentWarningx
@Tom

 

[The Gatekeeper]

It was a good thing that Laeonas had hesitated in entering his choice for the password for he would have been wrong. Nal Hutta did mean Glorious Jewel in Huttese but as Kamelle was able to confirm, the Jewel was the "Nal" part of the word. If they had entered Nal Hutta, the explosives hidden within the console would have activated by default.

As it was when the correct code was entered there was a small "ding" sound as the laser grid was deactivated but something more was activated. At the other end of the corridor, beside the shielded door, a hologram began to play. The hologram was a life-size representation of a large Hutt, who spoke directly to them.

"Jahke ukaueth."

The console beside them deactivated with a theatrical wave of the Hutt's left hand. Like most of its species, the Hutt didn't bother with speaking in Basic, speaking only in Huttese. It didn't matter if they understood the Hutt or not after all.

"Woy uba bla bu pim nallya bai tah saconba bom bom Jee kehau? Haku doth stafa... dopa ukaueth mo jot?"

In a disgusting display of wobbling fat and flesh, the Hutt let out a slow, deep, laugh before tapping its left wrist.

"Uba gee dopa kaniaka, kaae ukaueth."

The hologram of the Hutt was replaced with a countdown rather than the visage of the Hutt they were attempting to rob. His system had alerted him to the intrusion and, after being angry, the Hutt in question had gotten rather amused. The mocking voice of the Hutt would ring through the corridor.

"Woy tah masoi che mi... Good Luck."

The last words, spoken in mocking Basic, were the last words spoken by the Hutt as the timer continued to countdown.

||1:59||​

@Die Shize @Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

The Sith's contradictory answer was still consistent with his own logic, but he still braced for what was to come. Instinctively, the boy pulled his blaster up from over his shoulder and placed it against his hip, while he drew his sword in the other hand. What came next would have to be more deadly than the droidekas, and Laeonas knew he'd need to be as prepared as possible.

But, to his pleasant surprise, success was what met the two treasure hunters. He looked briefly at the Sith in amazement, the boy holding back a smile and congratulatory set of words in approval only because of the shock that had come with success. "She's as smart as she's capable, and just as rude." Was all the boy could manage to think as he turned to see the fruits of their success once more.

Gawking, he'd watch as the lasers disappeared from view, gradually replaced with a look of confusion as the large, life-sized form of a hutt appeared on a holo across the room.

From his facial expression, the hutt was obviously displeased by their presence, which was odd considering the first thing the large crime lord chose to do was compliment them. That changed as it continued on, with Laeonas quickly trying to translate what amounted to both a threat, and a warning.

As the large hutt bellowed out a long, deep laugh, Laeonas couldn't help but cringe as the surprisingly realistic hologram seemed to replicate the disgusting movement of the fat being as it laughed. Watching and listening, he realized what he was trying to tell the last two hunters; that their time was running out, and that they would almost certainly die.

Right before the hutt's visage turned to a countdown, Laeonas' face would contort into anger. Raising up his left hand, grip still clasped around the vibrosword, he'd allow his middle finger to extend out. He could care less if the Hutt could see or hear them, but he still shouted "<GO KARK YERSELF YA OVERGROWN PILE OF BANTHA FODDER!>" in uncharacteristically fluent huttese.

Refusing to waste another second, Laeonas suddenly bolted across the now bare hallway, cleared of laser traps, across to both the large holo-timer and the shielded door. The door in question looked simple behind the shield; a rotating wheel that could be spun and opened. "Be ready ta cut that with yer lightsaber-- but first, we gotta take this down!" The boy instructed, turning his head back to the Sith and pointing at the door through the shield.

Quickly, he fired a few bolts, with predictably useless results. "No shield's gonna break laike that," He cursed himself, dropping the rifle and instead hitting it with his blade-- with equally useless results. Cursing, Laeonas frantically looked around, hoping for a solution. Thinking back, they hadn't had to deal with an obstacle like this so far. Every challenge had either involved them having to kill some creatures or destroy some automata-- this should've been easy by comparison. Yet it was the most difficult one yet.

Their weapons couldn't be the solution to something like this-- at least, not a few blasts. Maybe the Sith's lightsaber could break through after a few minutes of assault-- but neither of them had that time. The boy realized they needed a quick and immediate solution-- one that had the potential to destroy this uniquely non-combative obstacle.

Would the force do it? Laeo could try and reach out with the force to disable the shields; but that had failed spectacularly with the droids in the previous room. What he'd managed to succeed in-- what they had managed to succeed in-- was ripping off the door and tossing it at the droids.

Realization colored his face. The boy turned abruptly, than extended his perceptions outward. He focused on his emotions once more-- only this time, he refused to feed on them. Rather, he distilled all of it-- anger, frustration, the hunger to succeed and break through into raw power. Concentrating it further, Laeonas could focus this time around, no longer hyped up by the adrenaline and emotional burst of combat, he could use the force free of distractions. But he knew he himself couldn't do it alone.

Turning his head to the Sith, he shouted, "HELP ME GRAB THA DOOR!" As he finally let out a wave of power, hoping to grip the beskar-durasteel door that had previously kept them out of the room. It had been left behind when the Sith had typed in the correct password into the console, and now, both force users would have to use all their power to throw it against the shield-- which would, hopefully, short out as a result of the sheer power of several tons of metal getting thrown at it.

​

@Die Shize @Nefieslab

 

[Kamelle Skyler]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Well, they weren’t dead. Yet. That counted for something, surely. The reward for Kamelle’s correct answer was a fat Hutt as fat as any other Hutt and not just in flab but also in flagrant arrogance. He mumbo-jumbo’d about “Woy ubba blah blah” this and “Hari-kari doth thou” that but eh whatever the Sith’s mule translated it all for her.

More importantly was the shielded vault door at the other end of the formerly lasered corridor and of course the vault door itself. To get to the latter, though, they would first need to get through the former. Thus, as Screamer screamed as though the hologram had actually just revealed to him that his father was a Hutt, Kamelle could only roll her eyes and brace for the next instant.

For her part, she had not wasted any time pointing at doors, shooting at shields, swinging swords or cursing herself. She already knew about the door made of beskar. She had been the one to bring it with her into the corridor.

So, by the time Screamer had discovered his own stupidity, Kamelle was already reaching for said door. The boy shouted her way to grab it. It was already in her grip. “CATCH, MULE!” With that, the Sith curled the Force over the doorframe with both hands, concentrated, and hurled it toward the vault door’s shield.

She had put a great deal of force into that throw. The idea wasn’t for Screamer to actually catch the door but to slingshot it onward by latching onto its momentum. True, he was a lesser Force-user, a bit of a dunce, but he had previously helped one Sith and one Jedi Force-push some AMS fools down a corridor.

In this situation, then, Kamelle was doing the heavy work. All her mule needed to do was help out. Hopefully, in the mere seconds that would pass, the door of beskar and durasteel, launched full force by two Force-users, would crash into the shield and deal enough damage to disengage it so that the vault door itself would be the next obstacle to conquer.

@Nefieslab @MatureContentWarningx
@Tom

 

[The Gatekeeper]

The Hutt didn't respond to anything that the two thieves had said, having cut off the communication feed so that he could focus on setting up the bombardment. Some ships had escaped but the Hutt didn't much care about that since all it would do was bring AMS to planets that weren't his - which he didn't give a damn about so long as it didn't catch him.

Back down in the corridor to the vault, Laeonas and Kamelle together would be able to launch the beskar-bar door with some speed down the length of the corridor. Beskar itself had many properties and one of them was that it was remarkably light for something so strong, so tough. When sharpened to a point, this allowed beskar weapons to be deadly sharp against even the toughest of other materials.

Why this was relevant in the moment was because the two Force-users had launched a blunt mass of beskar at speed at the vault door, the beskar slamming into the centre of the vault's door with its distinctive ringing. The vault door itself bowed in the middle, as though doubled over by the impact, with the beskar door jammed into its centre. At the top of the vault door, it had come away from its frame slightly, letting a slither of light escape from.

The gap at the top of the vault door was not large, no wider than the width of Kamelle's hand, but it was progress even if the vault door was largely unmoved.

The shielding remained exactly where it was, the tell-tale line of the shield covering the doorway regardless of how damaged the door was. It would be rather obvious to the duo from how the shield just passed by the bars of the beskar that it had not impeded its journey at all. Also, it would become clear that the shield itself was not, seemingly, connected to the door of the vault itself either.

@Die Shize @Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

Words weren't something he was to focused on as he threw the slab of metal. Kamelle's insulting command had reached the boy's eardrums, but he couldn't really process it as he focused all his energy on the task at hand.

There wasn't much time for him to develop any sense of anticipation as the hunk of metal flew across the room. The odd sound of the clanging metal against metal made Laeonas wince a bit. From what he saw, it didn't even look like the shield had posed any sort of obstacle for their blunt attack. He might've been able to revel in his success, if he wasn't immediately focused on breaking through what appeared to be their last obstacle to get through the vault door.

Glancing over the surrounding destruction, Laeonas observed everything; the way the vault door had folded in, the lack of a dent to the odd metal bars on the hall door, and the crack of light from another room slipping through the small gap created by their impact. The effort had strained the boy's abilities, and sweat would pour down from his brow.

But physical exhaustion wasn't about to stop them. Closing his eyes, Laeonas drew on the force, focusing so he could rejuvenate his fatigued muscles, and fill his lungs with air. His heart slowly steadied as he took in long, deep breathes, and within seconds the boy was refreshed, more than ready to continue the next step.

What the next course of action would be was still up for debate, however. Glancing at the shimmering shield, Laeonas could guess that this wasn't designed to stop physical, blunt-force trauma to the door, but instead to keep out energy attacks. It made sense, seeing as his blaster's bolts had harmlessly bounced off earlier on; the perceived ineptitude of his vibrosword was more likely against the door itself. Where the shield had previously only covered the door in a thin layer, their attack against the vault's final barrier had left space for wider than his own blade.

He only had to process for a few seconds as to what that thing would be.

The shield, Laeonas figured, was compensating for the door's vulnerability to energy weapons; and the Sith currently had a lightsaber hot enough to cut though the durasteel frame of a droideka.

The only issue in his plan was the height of the door. While not absurdly large, Kamelle would have to angle herself in such an absurd way that there was no guarantee she'd cut the door correctly. She could've used the force to levitate the blade, slip it through the gap in the shield, and activate it that way-- but that would probably take an additional few seconds that neither of them could afford to waste.

He considered, for a brief moment, allowing the woman to sit on his shoulders-- but such an idea quickly allowed the earlier insult to slip back into his mind.

It might've been the easiest path, but Laeonas' pride wouldn't allow such a blow.

Still, the pull of the vault gnawed on his mind. This was all that physically kept them out from absurd riches; wealth beyond measure, enough, as the slaves had said, to change the balance of power in the galaxy forever. He wouldn't simply be able to give up work of any sort, legal or otherwise; he'd be able to have others work for him.

That still wasn't something he'd ever give up.

His options were limited. Laeonas glanced at the vault door again, at the damage, and his mind wandered back to the lodged in door from the halls.

It was uneven; an improper movement would probably cause it to fall promptly. Still, if someone stood on it, they could probably succeed in reaching the gap at the top of the vault door. The unbent bars glistened, and the boy comprehended his next move.

Focusing once more, Laeonas outstretched his arms. Gripping one of the particularly durable bars, he pulled; his strength obviously wouldn't be enough to rip it off, but that wasn't his intent.

Allowing the force to aid his own physical movements (which were merely a sideshow to add to his resolve,) Laeonas applied all his physical and mental strength to keeping the door in the exact, stable position that could allow Kamelle to stand on it, slip her hand through the shield, and ignite the lightsaber and cut right through the door.

Drawing in both the raw power of the force, fueled additionally by his scorn that formed as a result of the woman's insults, he would do all he could to keep the door in place. He only had one thing to say to the Sith; "Cut it!"

​

@Die Shize @Nefieslab

 

[Kamelle Skyler]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Beskar. Boy did many a Mandalorian know of its power. Others too, like failing empires and the remnants thereof, all the way to a Sith and a mule. Kamelle had come into this universe a screaming whelp, much like Screamer, but had quickly learned that existence was what you made it.

So finite a thing, life… It could be given to you one moment and taken from you the next. Why worry about it? After all, if you died then you would be too dead to question death. Screamer? He was a mule, sure, whose existence was to serve anyone of whom he permitted, and so far that meant Kamelle.

Where would it end? Perhaps right then and there. The boy had put his untapped efforts into hurling a door of beskar and steel into a vault door. The latter had taken the punch, well enough but not too well, and enough that the battering ram had kissed its core and stayed there like someone who had just achieved orgasm and was too lazy to break away.

That worked for Kamelle. Screamer too, apparently. The two Forcies were of one mind and wasted no moments to connect. The best way through that vault door was through the Sith’s saber. Her counterpart was unfortunately lacking in that department but, like a mule, he would serve as a saddle even if his better did not get a chance to sit or stand upon him.

“Cutting it,” Kamelle said simply after climbing atop the beskar door wedged into the vault door. The energy shield was still operational, as had been proven, but it was not of concern. The vault door was.

So, upon achieving a level height, Kamelle pushed her hand through that shield and in its grip was a saber. It was not ignited. She ignited it only after bypassing the shield so that the blade would protrude into the gap at the top of the door as created by the battering ram.

Depending on the proximity between that shield and the vault door, Kamelle might be allowed only the base of her blade touching the vault door itself, with the emitter exposed just beyond the shield and enough to allow the ignition into the gap.

That would be stellar. A lightsaber was a lightsaber either way. With a bit of her blade or more, Kamelle would waste no time in using both hands to carve an arc into the vault door. Her intention was to cut an opening that would allow a person to pass through while not seeking to remove the vault door itself entirely.

@Nefieslab @MatureContentWarningx
@Tom

 

[The Gatekeeper]

The beskar-bar door lodged into the vault door was lodged in there tight enough that it didn’t move much at all. Even with someone stepping atop of it, the metal would waiver slightly but otherwise remain in roughly the same position. As discovered by the two intrepid adventurers up until this point, the shield that was covering the doorway did not deflect physical objects.

What the two had failed to account for was what it did do to physical objects if it didn’t deflect them. As a ray shield, emitted from emitters fitted into the door-frame, what the shield did to physical objects was simple. The physical objects that had interacted with the shield would have its energy directly transferred to them.

And, unfortunately for Kamelle, this was far from inconsequential.

The lightsaber in her hand would go through the shield without issue and her hand would start to do the same. However, the difference was that her hand would immediately stop on contact with the shield as her entire body would suddenly seize up as lethal amounts of electricity rocketed into her from her hand.

Her body would begin seizing up from the electricity, she would not be able to pull it back even as it began to kill her.

Ray Shields were a form of shielding often used on starships to deflect radiation and laser based weaponry but they did not just simply allow objects to pass through them. Kamelle had not deduced its true nature and thus had to pay the price.

With the energy running into her, she would continue to stand in place as the electricity paralyzed her muscles, lightly jerking and giving the occasional spasm from the continued shocks. Laeonas would find himself suddenly holding up a woman, quite literally, in the process of being shocked to the point that death was a fast approaching possibility.

||1:29||​

Spoiler: OOC

Canon wiki link for Ray Shields HERE - Deadly shocks my friendos. I've gone ahead and said that it's only direct energy transfer, so Laeonas touching the beskar door and touching it with the vibrosword didn't shock him but directly touching it with flesh has resulted in the above.

To clarify, this is NOT an insta-death here but depending on your next posts? It may very well result in Kamelle's death. Give me your best shot at avoiding death and if it seems like good cricket (likely/logical/good sport) then we can move on without a death.

If you try and avoid consequences for your actions entirely, this may not occur.

That said, its entirely up to you if you want to die or attempt resistance Mr Die Shize! Lemme see what you got!

@Tom @Die Shize