First Steps

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn Rask was on his way to the top, and he realized that he was going to step on a lot of heads and necks to get there. There were many people who thought those necks had to be allies and other innocents, but Varyn had another theory. He was of the opinion that most of those steps could be made on enemies: terrorists, rebels, Jedi, Mandalorians, and all the others standing against the Empire. The death of a single person could reverberate across the entire galaxy... it was all about who you killed.

And so he was here to kill terrorists today. He'd always been a believer in leading from the front; after all he was a leader, not a supervisor. He would make sure that people did their jobs, but he was more than willing to get his hands dirty in the process. He was out here in the trenches with his people because that was what earned respect, especially in the Sith where only the strong survived.

The saber lit in his hand as he made his way into the base. They'd already managed to break through the perimeter, and he was more than willing to be the tip of the spear plunging into the facility the rebels had taken up residence in.

As he stepped inside, it was immediately clear that the scent of death became stronger. Not only was it in the air, but it permeated through the Force as well. Dark waves from both terrorist and Imperials alike bent around Varyn, ready to be called to his will. The feeling called to him and begged him to latch onto it. There was more death to come, and Varyn was its tool. Today was a day to touch the Dark Side.

@Critas @Rom Sorry about the mediocre OP, subsequent posts might be better

 

[Artarion Sekt]

Artarion was not thrilled about his current assignment. He had recently been promoted to Crusader and that had been a welcome event. Almost with the same breath as his promotion, he had been dispatched to Al’doleem to try and catch terrorists. It was not until he had started looking at the mission parameters that he had become interested. He would be working with a turn coat, a Sith who had, until recently, been a member of the Imperial Republica. This Sith had gained the True Emperor’s trust enough to be named a Sith Lord and that was enough for Artarion.

This was the sort of mission that could make or break someone in the Sith hierarchy. The political ramifications were not lost on Artarion. Those were not his aspirations, not yet. He would be lying if he said he did not have dreams of grandeur, but he was also practical and understood it took time for those dreams to see the light of day. So, it was dirty jobs like this one for now. They would help him make his name and hopefully, place his name in the right ears.

Looking up, he caught sight of the Sith Lord he had been sent to back up. Varyn Rask was his name and he seemed a competent warrior. Artarion had not had occasion to speak to the man in society but he had heard of his reputation as a swordsman. Artarion had resolved to keep his eyes and ears open and learn what he could from the other Sith. They made their way into he stronghold where so recently there had been so much rebel activity. There was discarded equipment and rubble everywhere. The rebels or terrorists, depending on your point of view, had definitely left in a hurry.

Artarion wore his usual Sith Marauder Armor with its newly painted Sith Crusader rank on the shoulder. He had his twin lightsabers in his hands, but they were not ignited as yet. He had several grenades of different types in a bandoleer style bag that hung from left shoulder to right hip. On that same right hip rode a Pugio blaster pistol in a thigh holster. He moved nimbly through the chaos that had been left behind in the rapid extraction, eyes searching the corners and angles for ambush or booby trap.

The Force was strong in this place, but it was tainted in a way. The place stank of death, it was a smell Artarion was quite familiar with from his time in the gladiatorial pits of his home world. It put him on edge, and he could feel that the Sith Lord in front of him sensed and smelled it as well. It was old and filled with the promise of new and fresh combat to come. Artarion remained wary as they moved, his eyes and mind searching the facility for any threats.

@Phoenix

 

[Aro Saa]

Standing at a terminal within the nearly abandoned rebel base, thick fingers flying across the keys inputting security commands while his eyes scanned the screens showing multiple breaches in the perimeter, A'ro Saa spared a moment to wish the exiled Jedi had been courageous enough to rescue her Padawan - or failing that, kill her before the Sith could discover the Rebellion's bases through what was no doubt a horrific interrogation. Snorting behind his rebreather, the Kel Dor commando entered the final lockdown code and nodded in satisfaction at the display full of sealed security doors leading deeper into the base from the breached exterior. Palming a keycard each for himself and his badger-clad friend, A'ro did a quick check of his equipment; pistols, sword, grenades, lack of good sense to have been in the first wave of transports off of this rock? All present and accounted for.

Thumbing his commlink, A'ro moved down the corridor from the command room to the armored figure waiting in the main thoroughfare, broadcasting on all Alliance frequencies.

"Alliance troopers and Mando'ade, this is Wraith Three in Central Command. The systems are cleared and the security systems are active. All personnel, make your way to the evacuation point and shoot a few Imps for me on the way if you get the chance, but don't risk yourselves to do it. Commander expects us all to get home in one piece, and you know how he gets when we ignore his orders. To your ships... and may the Force be with you."

Tossing the spare keycard to Daniel with a nod, A'ro glanced over the Mandalorians gear covetously while keying in a private channel to his awaiting ship. "Sixer, get the ship ready for launch and keep the cargo bay doors open - I'm bringing friends." A series of whistles and chirps that could only be described as sarcastic Binary filled the corridor. Scowling at the commlink, A'ro bit out, "No, I'm not talking about the Sith, you bucket of bolts! Just get the Starsong ready to fly! A'ro out."

Turning to Daniel, the Rebel commando gestured down the corridor toward their extraction point and his awaiting ship with a helpless shrug. "I hope your droid gives you less trouble than mine, mate, or this retreat is going to be over much quicker than we planned. We've got Sith entering the base from Sector 3... you ready to get this party started?"

@Lucid @Phoenix @Critas

 

[Daniel Solus (old)]

"Oh! Don't worry! My droid is awesome and fun!" Daniel patted his basilisk droid like it was a good dog and looked at the security feed that was patched into his datapad. There was indeed a Sith detachment entering through sector three. They looked so silly in their robes and masks. Their presence seemed foreign here, even to Daniel who had never felt the Force a day in his life.

They wouldn't go much further though. They wanted to stomp all over something good and right; the people had a right to freedom and the rebellion was just that. It was the first step. They could not afford to lose here. With the security systems armed along the Sith's path they would be slowed but not stopped and Daniel had no illusions that they would just ignore the duo shepherding refuges to their evacuation point. Daniel wasn't worried though.

"Ya, let's get rolling," he said, swatting a button on the basilisk's control panel. It stood up and surged forward as a group of armed, evacuating personnel trudged past their location. Daniel and the funny looking A'ro stepped out behind them and followed the convoy deeper into the base, Daniel covering the rear as they moved. Behind them the noise of the Sith entrance could be heard. They would be on them soon.

At a junction, as they cleared the corridors, Daniel poked A'ro in the back. He turned around to look at the Mandalorian. Daniel had noticed his utter lack of interesting weaponry and handed him his Renegade heavy blaster pistol. "Take this. You might need it," Daniel's T-visor stared expressionlessly at the Kel Dor for a moment before he added. "I want it back at the end of this though, so don't forget!"

The junction cleared, they moved on, more people joining their convoy as they moved. The Sith could be heard behind them as they ran through the corridors. It was almost time.

@Phoenix @Critas @Rom

 

[Varyn Rask]

The Sith poured into the base, and around a score of Sith spread out throughout the building. Many had masks and robes, others had armor, but every one of them had a blood red lightsaber. Varyn was no exception to the rules here. He moved quickly through the base and although people were already evacuating, his crimson blade passed through the body of a fleeing rebel, sending him to the ground with a shrill scream.

The Force ran black and dark into him, and he drank it in. This was only one part battle, the other part was a slaughter. He had long understood that he would have to do terrible things, and he was beginning to think that this fell into that category. That was until he remembered who he was here killing. These weren't some innocent lambs he led to the slaughter, this was a group of terrorists who had shed blood in the streets of Corellia, slaughtered people on Nar Shaddaa, and likely many other atrocities. No, they should be paying with blood.

He rounded the corner of the hallway and saw the terrorists there. Some had rounded the corner ahead and Varyn heard a loud clomping, but the hallway they were in was tight enough to prevent its entrance. The Force gathered to the Sith Lord, and he had a Crusader next to him. It was an abrupt realization that it wasn't a rebel but a Mandalorian doing the escort. And... was that a Jedi? He could feel the latent Force within the man, but it felt... raw. Maybe he wasn't even aware of his potential?

Badger! he shouted down the hallway, recognizing the armor the man wore. Does your Mandalorian honor still allow you to duel your opponents?! he shouted at the man. He was making slow progress toward the men down the hall, keeping some space between he and his partner as the Force formed into a ball in his hand with his saber in his other hand. They were only moments from battle now, and his heart was absolutely pounding, but he was excited... taken in by the bloodlust that he hated existed within him. @Rom @Lucid @Critas

 

[Artarion Sekt]

Artarion moved through the rebel base like a cat, stalking his prey with a determined look on his pale skinned face. He wore no mask, having never really understood why those who chose to, did so. He had his twin lightsabers out and was slashing at any rebel that came within striking distance. He reveled in the feelings of chaos all around them, his mind wrapped in the dark side of the Force. The raw emotions flowing in the evacuation of the base were intoxicating and Artarion reveled in it.

As he and the Sith Lord turned one corner, they came upon a small knot of determined resistance. A Mandalorian warrior and a Kel Dor stood at the end of the hallway. Artarion could not make out the features of the alien but he knew the distinctive Mandalorian armor for what it was. Trouble. He heard the Sith Lord make his challenge, and he moved to one side. His eyes were on the two combatants at the end of the hall. Moving a little further to one side, he placed several large crates between himself and the twin targets, cover was a thing he felt he needed.

Scanning the two at the other end of the hallway, Artarion kept his attention on both of the figures, watching their movements. He allowed himself to fall into he Force, augmenting his senses and heightening his reactions. He was ready for this fight, but he was not reckless enough to interfere in the Sith Lord’s duel. He would have to satisfy himself with the Kel Dor, for now.

@Phoenix
@Lucid
@Rom

 

[Daniel Solus (old)]

Daniel heard footsteps echoing around the corner behind them and turned around. They were a bit sooner than expected but he had been expecting them. It was the two Sith he had seen over the security cameras, the ones who seemed to be leading the slaughter. Daniel felt a very undaniellike emotion rise with him. Rage and hatred. Their very presence sent waves of revulsion coursing through him. But they needed a bit more time yet.

The basilisk was just ahead, guarding the last large group of survivors out to their transports. He had no doubts that it would be suitable protection...they just needed time. He left A'ro to his own devices...the funny looking man seemed like he could handle himself. Daniel turned as they came around the corner, drawing his sword in his right hand and letting it hang by his side.

"Oh heya!! I'm Daniel! Nice to meet you!" He said cheerfully as he walked closer to them, extending his free arm in greeting, noticing the silent Sith crouch down behind a row of crates. "Well you see, he continued, "that would be lovely but there are two problems. Firstly, we have a rather large group of people just ahead of us and they're trying to preserve their lives and I intend to help with that." Daniel's face contorted into an angry mask beneath his helmet and the tone of his voice changed for a moment before resuming it's normal, cheerful tone. "The second is...I just don't trust you. Asking for a duel while you have a partner with you...I'm not into being shanked from behind, thanks!" As he spoke, Daniel lowered his arm swiftly until it was along the same line as the row of boxes and closed his fist triggering his wrist rocket.

It zoomed across the perhaps ten or twelve meters between the Mandalorian and the Sith, above the line of crates and impacting the wall just above and beside where the Sith's, who had hidden behind them, head would be. If he didn't die, his face would be shredded by shrapnel and metal from the remodeled walls. Daniel was watchful of the Sith who had spoken, his blade coming up into center guard with both hands. He knew that A'ro was nearby and ready to do his part.

@Rom @Phoenix @Critas

 

[Aro Saa]

Let it never be said that A'ro Saa was a Kel Dor without class or culture; the mere fact that he had only fondled the Renegade pistol for a few moments before returning his attention to the task at hand was not only an testament of his resolve and fortitude toward his duties as a member of the Galactic Alliance, it was an endorsement of self control worthy of the Jedi of yore. Sighting down the hall with the pistol in his dominant hand, A'ro simply could not wait to test the weapon out on a few deserving targets...

And the hum of plasma and a chill that seemed to steal the warmth from his blood indicated that those targets were closer than he'd like.

Clapping a young Amaran rebel on the shoulder with softly murmured encouragement to help get the others to the hangar, A'ro drew a second pistol from his thigh holster and fell into step next to Daniel as they turned the corner, eyes narrowing behind his goggles at the sight of the Sith standing in the center of the corridor. Daniel was approaching the apparent leader with A'ro right on his heels, cheerful words that belied the anger his posture exuded, sword held at the ready and left arm extended as though he meant to shake the Siths hand or wave helloo..'oh, kriff.'

A'ro sprang into action as Daniel finished his second reason for declining the duel, strafing to the left with his borrowed heavy pistol and trusted familiar side arm spitting three lances of fire at the Sith that made the challenge; the green of the heavy pistol aimed at the shoulder of the weaponless hand while the blue of the medium pistol sped toward his pelvis and then to the Siths right where he'd need to step to avoid the shrapnel from the wrist rocket impact.

Regardless of whether his shots landed he kept moving, twisting into the cover offered by the edge of bulkhead leading into a side passage in case the Sith managed to reflect any of his shots back toward him.

@Phoenix @Critas @Lucid

 

[Varyn Rask]

The battle was afoot, and Varyn didn't waste a moment. He let the Force flow through him, pushing to his own right immediately when the rocket launched, letting it fly through the air without addressing it as it slammed into the wall far and away behind him and out of range of him. He hoped it hadn't killed his partner, but he couldn't worry himself with it right now. He had his own attacks to deal with.

Varyn’s blade was at his right side in a Makashi style opening stance with his left hand down at his side as well, still gathering up that Force. Until it stopped. Like a bubbling stream, it pulsed in his hand still, but his attention was now far more on the attacks coming his way.

His feet moved to his right and the saber blade began to move to his own left in a clockwise (from his perspective) movement. The first blaster shot whizzed past where his left shoulder had been only moments ago. His saber swept in front of his pelvis through its clockwise motion and sent the shot aimed there skidding off into the wall. It continued its arc until it was vertically upright and then chopped directly down. With the precision of a master of the Force, the blade slammed into the bolt and sent it downward into the ground even as his feet continued to move to the right.

He moved until he was right next to one of the hallway pillars. With the Kel Dor in cover, there was only the Mandalorian for the moment, and all the Force energy that Varyn had been building up lashed out even while he was still moving. It wouldn't be evident to the Mandalorian, but it wrapped like a spider web around the jetpack he wore, wrapping and squeezing tighter and tighter in a crushing grip. It was a shame that these things didn't explode anymore as the older versions had done, but unless the Mandalorian had something really cheeky in mind, it would crush the device and spill its contents out everywhere rendering it useless. Those jetpacks could get ever so pestilent, and the last thing they needed was for the Mandalorian to make his way into the larger room at their end of the hall and start flitting around. With the Kel Dor in cover and the Mandalorian with nothing but a sword, they would both be hard pressed to stop his move, but even if they made a move, he had his saber ready to counteract it. @Critas @Lucid @Rom

 

[Artarion Sekt]

Artarion had been watching the Mandalorian as he made his introductions. This was a warzone, there was no need for such frivolities and the absurdity of it all was not lost on him. The fact that it was a ruse was also not lost on him. He saw the wrist rocket attached to the warriors vambrace so any surprise at the sudden appearance of a rocket heading towards his location was null. Artarion was already flowing with the dark side of the Force when the attack started. He saw the exit of the rocket from the vambrace of the Mandalorian and reflexes heightened by the Force and years in the gladiatorial pits of Rattatak kicked into overdrive.

The Force, which had already been augmenting his reactions, kicked into gear and he turned to his right and ran away from the blast as he did so. His track would put him behind Varyn and slightly further away from the two threats, but he did not have time to be choosy. He felt the dark side empower his muscles and move him faster and further than humanly possible in an instant. He ran trying desperately to get outside the radius of the rocket’s explosion and cleared it just as it exploded against the wall behind him to his left. Artarion did take some minor damage. His back armor saves him from any serious damage to his vitals, but does catch a couple pieces of shrapnel at the edge of the blast, damaging it. Likewise his left arm is grazed by a zinging piece of shrapnel, slicing it painfully and causing some bleeding. The wound is minor and is not debilitating.

He was in full defensive mode at this point, evading and running with the Force as his guide, not taking him down the hall but to his right and towards his partner.

As he ran, he kept an eye on the two attackers, he did not want to run out of the frying pan and into the fire, quite literally. He saw the blaster shots at his partner in this endeavor and cleared the heavy blaster shot as it went behind him. He made a tight turn and came around to stand in front of Varyn, both of his lightsabers ignited and ready for action as he ended his movement, the force still flowing through him in a full defensive posture with his left saber high across his chest and his right saber low to protect his lower body.

@Lucid
@Rom
@Phoenix

 

[Daniel Solus (old)]

Daniel started to move and finger crossed his wrist as the Sith he had fired the rocket at took off like a bat out of hell. He didn't need much, being close to them as he was. His finger came down on the trigger for his jetpack for a moment firing a single burst as he charged the Sith, taking his sword in his left and raising it to attack as the momentary burst from the jetpack propelled him forward. It was a fortunate that he'd only needed a moment of propulsion, for when he neared the Sith running from the rocket, he felt and heard a terrible screech from his back. His jetpack crumpled and screeched, the metal threatening to knock him to the side, but he held his forward movement true with a burst of his strength.

He was in range in a moment and his sword came down in a viscous vertical slice across the body of the lesser Sith. With the man still bringing up his sabers into a guard, it would be tricky to parry. Even as his sword started to come down, Daniel's right hand was busy as well. Trusting A'ro to keep the other occupied for a moment, Daniel drew his violator, his finger closing on the trigger even as he started to lift it from its holster. His feet were planted and his weight was behind the attack to the lesser Sith.

One, one thousand. He counted silently.

@Rom @Critas @Phoenix

 

[Aro Saa]

The snap and hiss of the Sith's lightsaber batting away A'ro's shots into the stone sounded far louder to his sensory organs than the wrist rocket explosion further down the hall. Twisting himself back around the edge of the doorway, he raised his borrowed pistol and shot another heavy blast at his original target, focusing entirely on the enemies before him while trusting the Mandalorian to take care of his own foe. Tossing his VB blaster pistol away, he drew his sword and advanced on the leader of the Sith, a tremor of *something* reaching out from within his soul and demanding the dark warrior's attention.

"Welcome to Al'doleem, you black-hearted bastards. Let's dance."

 

[Varyn Rask]

As Varyn crushed the jetpack under his grip, he was aware of the movement up the hall. Ah, the terrorist joins the fight again. Varyn took a single step backwards and behind the cover of the pillar he'd pressed up against, putting him out of the line of fire of a blaster bolt that came whizzing by only a moment later. From this angle, another follow up shot would be all but impossible for the moment.

The jetpack finally gave way under the squeeze, sending bits of metal everywhere and dousing its user in fuel. At least that was out of the way, but the Mandalorian was determined to press the attack. Brave, but foolish. The Sith Lord once more began gathering the Force, preparing for his next trick when he saw the other one charging again. Was he a Jedi? He didn't carry a lightsaber, and with all the recent revelations, he would have expected the Jedi to brandish their blades proudly. The Force was certainly strong with him, but he'd not been brought into the Jedi? How odd...

These thoughts all flitted through his brain in an instant, completely secondary to any actual combat taking place... an afterthought if you will. More pressing was the Mandalorian who had closed on the Crusader. There was a humming from a gun, and it took a moment for Varyn to place what it was. Oh, kriff. He knew what that sound was, and it still caught him off guard. Even most Sith didn't use disruptors because of how inhumane and illegal they were.

In Varyn's right hand, his saber still lingered, ready to intercept attack, while in his left the Force rippled with a powerful swell of flame that built there, swirling and terrible. It boiled to the point that it would be able to practically melt skin off the bones when it was released, but still he held it... refined within its sphere where it burned no one. He stepped forward once again to see the terrorist charge at him, but having yet to close. Hopefully the flames would be enough to force him to second guess his charge. @Rom @Critas @Lucid

 

[Artarion Sekt]

A charging enemy was not out of the ordinary for the Sith Crusader thus it was not unexpected. Artarion kept his attention on the closer threat, the armored man charging at him. Artarion’s left blade pushed up to meet the Mandalorians, abandoning his passive guard now that he saw the Mandalorian making a move of his own with a full 10-meter charge worth of time to compensate. The man was strong, and he wasn't going to meet his power blow for blow.

Artarion raised his left hand up and angled his left blade downward from above him toward the right side of his body where it would extend past him to the right. Their blades met and the resistance slowed the blade just enough to allow the Sith to step to his own left as the Mandalorian's sword skidded off to the right side and down to the floor, his own momentum and the weight behind his attack causing him to be thrown off balance.

Artarion took a step back from his attacker, finishing his movement and he would end up on the right side of his target. He kept his right hand blade low, approximately two feet from his body. He was eyeing the Disrupter the armored man had drawn, once again in full defensive mode. He was on the balls of his feet, able to react to any riposte or shot from his armored opponent. Artarion knew the danger of the illegal pistol and that he could block the shot but it needed a certain distance to keep him from getting caught in the exchange to spite the block.

@Lucid
@Rom
@Phoenix

 

[Daniel Solus (old)]

Daniel was quick and powerful. Their swords met and try as the Sith might, he wasn't able to throw Daniel off balance. However Daniel had little interest in pressing the attack against the lesser Sith. His sword skated off the Sith's as he moved. Even as his opponent started to move back, Daniel was stepping to the right and out on a diagonal. His disruptor came up and, as his swift movement carried him off on a tangent to the pillar--sword trailing behind, ready to fend of a counter from the lesser Sith--his perspective shifted and the Sith who had taken cover came into view. He had been Daniel's target all along.

Two, one thousand." The final part of his mental count rang in his mind.

His disruptor up and ready, mental count ending even as he came into view of the man who was gathering fire in his hand. The beam lanced out from the illegal weapon would srike the Sith cleanly on the side of his unarmored chest. At the same time he dropped his sword and swung his free hand around, releasing a burst of flame from his mounted flamethrower, close enough that the fire would engulf the unsuspecting Sith. Daniel's movement had been crafty. He had adjusted his position such that the distance between and his mark remained the same while adjusting his angle so that he was in the line of fire. The illegal weapon had completed its charge as Daniel came across.

The Sith, two meters from him at best would not have the time to react...consumed as he was by the conjuring of his twisted magics. He may have heard Daniel's violator begin to charge as the Mandalorian engaged his partner, but nothing would have suggested that Daniel's primary target had been the Sith behind the pillar all along. Caught by surprise and focused on other tasks, the Sith would fight no more.

@Phoenix @Critas @Rom

 

[Aro Saa]

Growling in the back of his throat, A'ro surged forward along the corridor to engage the lead Sith, angling himself deeper toward the center of the corridor so the Sith could not take advantage of the pillar to block his line of sight again, sword held to his side and at the ready. He chewed up the distance between them swiftly, grinning savagely at the sight of his target and at his side A'ro's new favorite Mandalorian ally twisting toward the Sith with the sharp report of the disruptor firing into the dark warrior. He snarled and, ensuring that Daniel was not in his line of fire, raised the Renegade pistol in his left hand and pulled the trigger twice in quick succession - aiming to slam into the Sith Lord at waist and chest height even as Daniel triggered his own attack to unload a gout from the wrist flamethrower at their mutual target, the two soldiers working to ensnare the Sith in a fatal crossfire.

'No kill like overkill' he thought darkly as he lunged forward, sword leading the way, intending to close in the Sith with a brutal thrust.

@Phoenix @Lucid @Critas

 

[Artarion Sekt]

Artarion knew it at once, their opponents had made a mistake. As the Mandalorian stepped to his right and on a diagonal, he placed his flank to Artarion and once again closed half of the meager gap Artarion had created. Artarion sneered in anger as he felt the Dark Side flow through him, adding speed to his movements as he suddenly and violently went on the offensive for the first time in this fight. The Florentine style of fighting stresses two blades and the practitioners of it move as if the blades were extensions of their consciousness. Artarion had learned his craft in the slave pens of Rattatak, from some of the best blade fighters in the world. They were already within striking distance, Artarion on his right side and part of the way behind him, less than a step between them, well within striking distance.

The disruptor had already charged for one second, and while the second ticked by, was when the strikes came in, well before the flamethrower could fire or he could bring his left arm forward, and while the Mandalorian was still doubled down on attacking the other man. Not paying any attention to the Crusader. The Mandalorian would be forced to abandon his attack if he survived at all, but with both of his hands occupied and his attention elsewhere, he’d be hard pressed to respond at all.

Artarion struck like a viper, his right-hand saber streaking across the distance between he and the Mandalorian’s exposed flank. The slashing strike would cut the Mandalorian in two at the waist as his only defense was the blade which was on the other side of his body. As the two blades moved as one, the left-hand blade would slash across and through the neck of the Mandalorian in a classic backwards scissors style move. As he struck, Artarion moved as well, stepping to follow his target and towards the back of the Mandalorian, allowing his force and momentum to drive his blades home through any defense. This would also close the distance between he and the Mandalorian, ensuring that a dodge of the attack was out of the question. Artarion’s eyes remained on his target, watching the threat of the blade on the Mando’s left side and the Disrupter on his right.

@Lucid
@Phoenix
@Rom

 

[Varyn Rask]

One second. It wasn't an eternity, but it was good for two steps, and that was how long until the Mandalorian rounded the corner. Varyn didn't know that, of course, but with the sudden revelation that he could no longer see the Mandalorian, he gave up on his pyrokinetic game. The jetfuel-covered body had been his target, but it wasn't an option anymore.

Instead, his saber continued its defensive positioning and he took his two steps back down the hall before the Mandalorian even turned the corner, and because of the lack of line of sight, it would take the Mandalorian and his plans off guard. Instead of two meters between them, there were four. Instead of where the Mandalorian was planning to fire at Varyn - where he would have had to be pre-aiming if he wanted to hit the man with anywhere near the precision of firing "almost immediately" as he came around the corner - there was nothing but air.

He would readjust his aim to Varyn, no doubt, but by the man's own assessment of the timing of the shot one of two things would result: either the man's timing was so precise to fire his shot that he would have no time to readjust his aim and his shot would miss altogether or he would have time to readjust his aim in which case Varyn would have time to bring his saber up to block. This was the more likely scenario, and Varyn's blade did come up regardless. The impact of the shot would be far enough away from his body that it wouldn't be a danger, but he would feel the impact travel up his arm like a poorly hit baseball.

As for the flamethrower... well, only time would tell if it ever came at all. The other Sith's attack would interrupt it, but even if it did unleash, he was now out of range and still backpedaling further as needed. Even if the Mandalorian began a charge now he'd only accomplish keeping an equal - but too large of - distance between them. At least initially, and if the situation changed that could be dealt with.

For the meantime, the only other threat to him was the terrorist whose blaster had been waiting for the flame. His saber whirled and caught the first shot and sent it into the floor while the second was a more directed reflection back at the terrorist's chest, cutting short his charge before it completed. @Rom @Lucid @Critas

 

[Daniel Solus (old)]

Daniel's line carried him off to his right to bring the Sith around the edge of the pillar into line of sight without drastically altering his position or range. He was still facing his original enemy who backed off, stepping back and to Daniel's right as Daniel moved across him. As Daniel moved, so did his enemy, coming in at an oblique angle as if he had expected Daniel to turn his back or stop so that he could strike from behind when, in fact Daniel hadn't. He had kept his body facing forward to keep both targets in view. Daniel had a moment of fleeting surprise. Did the Sith think that he could catch him? He was still very much in view...maybe he expected Daniel to be fully committed to his attack against the greater Sith.

Whatever the case, his timing and angle of attack were not as well executed as they could have been. Daniel made a hard decision quickly, choosing instead to keep his blade in his hand and counter the crossed blades that were coming toward him. His sword was still up and ready, as it had been when he stepped away. There would be no flamethrower, but there would be death.

He leaned back onto his left food and prepared to counter. He brought his blade down at the point where his enemy's blades cross, knocking them down and forcing them to bind for a moment, turning himself fully into the block even as he transferred weight to his left foot. His enemy had been quick, but Daniel's speed was greater, his experience in combat allowing him to focus on two targets at a time. It would delay the strike from the Sith for a moment, but a moment was all he need. His turning brought his already outstretched right arm around.

As Daniel's blade caught the Sith's, his right arm bent at the elbow as he turned in bringing the disruptor around as the final moment of its charge ticked by. The beam lanced out as his arm bent. It would strike the left side (Daniel's right) of the Sith's head, point blank. The deed done Daniel would disengage, stepping back and bringing his blade around as he turned to face the other Sith.

@Rom @Critas @Phoenix

 

[Aro Saa]

The flames had never came, Daniel's move to entrap the lead Sith aborted as the lesser moved in to attack. A'ro squeezed the trigger only once, andthe sound of the blast being slapped away with contemptuous ease far-away from his ears as time seemed to slow. The Mandalorian raised his trailing sword, defiance written into every line of his armored frame, and with a spray of sparks caught the one blade in a classic high guard even as the second blade drew a line of red fire through his torso. He was distantly aware of his own voice crying out a pained denial, his body moving on auto-pilot in the same forward diagonal leading his across the corridor and creating more space between him, the Sith, and the fallen Mandalorian. The heavy thumping of his heart filled his ears, his vibrosword falling from grasping fingers to embed point first into a gap in the old stone of the corridor. He leaned heavily against the now sheathed blade, hand reaching uselessly out past the Sith with twin blades toward his fallen comrade.

The Renegade felt heavy in his hand, and the Solus' words about wanting it back after they'd left the base behind echoed mockingly in his mind. The beating of his heart grew louder, a heat washing across his body as the corridor seemed to crystallize before him, and with a roar of fury that echoed through the corridor something dormant inside A'ro surged to life. It reached out in a wave of pain and hate and a burning need for vengeance, and then pulled back to the Kel Dor - and with it came a shining cylinder from Daniel's hip

A snap-hiss filled the shocked silence, and A'ro shoved the thought of how moving at lightspeed through his head to the back of his mind as he raised the red lightsaber into a loose guard, facing the two Sith across the corridor from him. He took a step sideways, then another, and feinted a step forward to engage the two before pivoting and throwing himself back down the corridor toward the breach the Sith had first made to enter the base, juking around or leaping the abandoned crates and refuse of the Alliance to put more space between him and his foes.

The strange warmth and heightened sense of the death and cold and life all around seemed to suffuse his body and he moved with an agility he could scarcely believe was possible. He was hyperaware of the world around him, his mind and ears and eyes and extrasensory organs all keeping track of the enemy in pursuit behind him. He knew the base better than they did, and breaking their line of sight with a wide pillar he darted toward one of the doors leading out of the main thoroughfare and deeper into the base.

He was not seeking to hide, the burning in his heart demanding vengeance that only blood would satisfy. The saber carved a fiery line in the wall as he ran before he deactivated it and sped deeper into the darkened base, an arrow pointing the Sith in his direction.

"Come and play, you bastards."