Golden Beaches and Dark Futures

[Viabuck]

---

Psychopathic.

Irritable.

Unpleasant.

Anti-social.

These were all great ways to describe one Jorath Baylor and yet on this day, against his own preferences, he would add another word to this list.

Dependable.

When Jorath had promised his partner and friend a vacation following what could be described as one of the single worst missions that either of them could ever have hoped to be involved in, he had meant it and upon arranging the trip, he would prove himself to be something of an above average listener.

Lillieth would have preferred to be on a beach on Corellia? That was fine. All it took was a few calls to be made and a large sum of credits to be paid (which aside from a suit of armor he commissioned and a modest sum for hi smother, he never spent) and the Crusader had booked a destination away from the worries of the Sith Empire and it's crusade against terrorists, rebels, and the Jedi... Except for you know.. The fact that the two had carried out an operation in which they murdered countless Gungans, executed a terrorists, and broadcasted their faces across the galaxy.. But this was a beach! So in his mind he had done exceptionally well and he wouldn't hear otherwise.

As their shuttle touched down in front of the rather ornately designed beach house which he had rented for them, Jorath would patiently disembark from the shuttle, carrying any and all luggage simply because.. he was... him and it was sort of expected. Of course once said luggage had been deposited safely in the rental property, he would step outside into the bright sun, finding it curious in that instance how pale he had become... He really did need to get out a bit more.. Focus... Focus.

And there they would stand, on a private section of one of Corellia's famed Golden Beaches, one of the wonders of the core worlds and something that he thought would properly make up for what he had done when he signed them up for the mission that had taken from a jungle to a chapel along with earning both of them a few injuries which were admittedly a little less than pleasant but that wasn't on his mind now.. What was on his mind.. Other than the fact that he hated beaches mostly due in part to the sand that he had spent most of his childhood around, was the fact that he was almost certainly due some praise.

"So... Pretty good? Am I right?"

It had better be good, at least he thought. It had taken him from having a rather significant bankroll to nearly being back to where he had started from.. Ah the problems that came from pairing up with rich girls. Oh well. It'd probably be worth it just to have a situation where Lillieth had NOTHING to be unhappy about.. Not even as someone far off in the densely forested regions of the forest was watching the two of them, completely outside of the range of conventional detection... But surely that couldn't be a problem.. At least not immediately... Right?

 

[Asinine Soup]

"Psychopathic."

"Irritable."

"Unpleasant."

"Anti-social."

Lillieth spoke in segmented paragraphs casually, knowing Jorath was possibly, or maybe not, listening to her subtle detest of both Kashyyyk and the Cult they had ripped apart from the roots and their loyal followers. But it was when the shuttle settled down and the door hissed open that Lillieth's tone shifted to something a tad more...confiding.

"But you, my dear...are the most dependable person I've ever met. For a Sith, you do a good job of keeping your word, my dear, look. At. That." she staccatos, having seen plenty of pictures and holovids of the infamous Correlian beaches but never in person. Wasn't this something? She steps off the transport, robing nowhere to be found - she adorned a fairly basic garb, though what was a basic tunic to her was a fairly immaculate, 'smart' suit for those non-familiar.

"So...Pretty good, am I right?" he chimed.

Lillieth could only laugh softly at the resort and the beach, closing her eyes and feeling the sun, still fairly high in the sky for it to be so late in the afternoon (though it meant nothing when one traveled from planet to planet, never taking place in one time zone for more than a few hours).
"...you've done...great, Jorath. Imagine that: we get to bask...and relax...and you don't have to hear me talk, hm?" She chuckles, knowing that would likely mean quite a bit to him, right?
It wouldn't take long for the young woman to get settled, thanking Jorath for carrying all the crap between the two to a central locale. Before long, Lillieth would be standing barefoot in the beautiful shores and blinking out over the ocean. A pinnacle of beauty, one that she felt she could never hope to match herself; she smiles, hair blowing within the wind with an intensity that rivaled the sun now facing her. Closing her eyes, she breaths in the breeze...and releases.

It was the little things.
Why was there such a foreboding tinge of blight deep within the depth of her relaxation?...Was the Force trying to tell her something?

"Hm." She brushes it off, wiggling toes as water rushes along her toes.

 

[Viabuck]

Having not expected any real praise from Lillieth, at least in regards to his dependabilty, he folded his arms over his broad chest and shrugged his shoulders. He had never looked at being a Sith as a reason to not keep his word. He had always operated under the simple impression that most members of the Order were simply assholes who had become so self involved that they no longer shared concern for those around them. He was determined to never allow that to apply to him, at least so long as he could help it.

Regardless of his thoughts regarding the egocentric nature of the Sith, he would soon find himself smiling as his companion took in the sights that he had arranged for. Seeing that she was pleased with his planning was satisfying in a number of ways, one such reason being that she wouldn't be complaining about anything in the immediate future.

"A little talk is fine..." he replied in regard to her comment about him not having to hear her speak, offering a few additional words. "I actually enjoy it from time to time."

With that said, as Lillieth set off to prepare to enjoy their little vacation away from the woes of the Empire, he would make a garment change of his own, dawning a pair of rather long black shorts.... Along with a combat belt and his lightsaber.

Okay so it wasn't traditional beach going gear but honestly, if someone wanted to separate him from his lightsaber it was going to take a bit more than a vacation to do it. He didn't believe in being anymore vulnerable than what was absolutely required and he -had- followed Ark's advice and installed a Bifurcating cyclical-ignition pulse 'Bifocal cylndrical-ignacious push' as he so affectionately called the device that allowed his lightsaber to operate with total effectiveness even underneath of the water. Of course if anyone were to ask him five minutes later, he would undoubtedly refer to it as a 'Bisexual Silicone-ignorant plush' and honestly? It wouldn't get any better beyond that.

Regardless of that, Jorath made his way out into the water, standing there allowing the sun to bare down upon his increasingly pale body in hopes of restoring some of the tan that he had lost. He knew that submitting ones body to the darkside had drawbacks but he -never- intended to look like a corpse.. At least not until he actually was one. Darkside corruption be damned, he was taking preventative measures before it even became an issue.

".. So what do people do on vacations?" he'd after a few moments of awkwardly standing next to Lillieth, actually sounding puzzled. He had never been on one, which shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone. He had grown up poor on a Hutt controlled world. The closest thing he got to a vacation was trying to pick up women in bars when he was still just a teenager.. And doing poorly at it. Which really hadn't helped his cheerful disposition leading up to the present moment.

But speaking of darkside corruption! Whatever had been spying on them was now joined by no less than four other seperate entities, each possessing a pair of bright yellow eyes, wearing garb that blended with the jungle landscape behind their beach house. While not completely immune to setting off a persons 'Sithy Senses' these beings had somehow masked their presences, their exact positioning and general presence being exceptionally hard to detect as they crept around the compound, biding their time..

 

[Asinine Soup]

"I'm glad you asked." Lillieth retorts, smiling and peering up to her partner, getting ready for subtle conversation by looping her hands and arm within his. They could walk and talk.

As she explained the happenings that typically occur on off-days - ranging from relaxation to basking, to painting and spoiling one's self with expensive foodstuffs - the pair's footsteps sink into the beautiful sands, sensation as sublime as it appeared...golden beaches twinkling in the approaching twilight. Waves roared and crashed, and throughout it all, she couldn't help but shake as though she were being watched.
Occasionally, she would peer about...and lo and behold, they were the only two on the beach. So why couldn't she shake this feeling? Should she address it?...

She didn't want to ruin it for Jorath up there, so she just continues speaking of her previous vacations - the beautiful Naboo, the Casinos of Nal Hutta's moon Nar Shaddaa, the exciting swoop races of Mos Espa - as she calmly allows Jorath a window into her life before the Sith Order.
"Vacations like this are fair, but I always enjoyed the more simple things, too - adventuring to a local bar in Coruscant's lower levels, or visiting a night club in the poorer parts of my home world of Falang Minor."

As her bust-revealing tunic, but casually-so, tunic flickers in the beach's winds, catered legs whining in the sunslight, she takes one more glimpse over her shoulder, tone slightly disturbed as it was apparent by this point that she was worried that her instincts were correct. She directs question to the larger man as though attempting to dismiss her worry.
"Have you ever been in a swoop race, Jorath?", voice dripping with intrigue.

 

[Viabuck]

As Jorath found his arm being taken, he raised a single eyebrow but didn't provide any resistance. In spite of every anti-social defect in his personality urging him to pull away and stand his ground, the part of him that had actually begun to enjoy the company of the female won out. It was this mental struggle between his desire for company and his gruff demeanor that prevented him from detecting that anything was askew. For now he was focused on being a good companion who provided an overall enjoyable experience for Lillieth.

Listening quietly as he was regaled with tales of the girl's past trips, he would occasionally nod his head, offering an affirmative grunt every now and then if only to show that he was actively engaged in the process. While it didn't particularly interest him, he really was trying to listen in spite of how everything she was speaking of he was utterly unable to relate to. He had never had vacations when he was growing up. The most interesting place he had ever been was to a burnt out Hutt Palace after some kind of internal conflict lead to gang violence and he would of course share this fact, sharing the far less than interesting story of how he had explored what was essentially empty ruins where he hadn't found anything of real interest with his small group of friends that he had had growing up on Tattooine... But combine the fact that he wasn't a great talker and the fact the story was in itself boring? He wouldn't press long, instead allowing her to take charge of conversation as they walked.

"Vacations like this are fair, but I always enjoyed the more simple things, too - adventuring to a local bar in Coruscant's lower levels, or visiting a night club in the poorer parts of my home world of Falang Minor."

"I suppose that explains why you seemed to have so much fun in my mother's bar then?... Made quite a scene she said.." he remarked quietly, finding his mind slipping to what he had been told transpired while he was fighting that damnable Jedi. It had been such a burden to handle the little bastard. For a moment he would clench his fist but upon catching what he was about to do, he would begin to calm himself, focusing on the beach, the ocean, and the company which he currently had locked arms with.

"From the sounds of it, you just like seeing what you can get out of guys before they get grabby and you get an excuse to kill them... Should I be worried?" he joked, cracking a partial smile before the question of Swoop racing came up.

"I've never actually been involved in one.. No. I've watched plenty... Lots of tourists on Tattooine liked to gamble. Course if you're some pencil neck businessman from Coruscant in a seedy place you're gonna wanna hire protection.. I was a really big fifteen year old and it was a nice way to earn some walking around money.. Got to watch the races and earn an easy buck.."

Having slowly picked up on Lillieth's concern, the giant Sith would pay the occasional glance around himself at this point, his head turning to the jungle like areas behind their beach house, his darkside corrupted eyes carefully observing and actually picking up on the rustle of several bushes, his free hand reaching to his side slowly only for Skere to pop his head out of bushes, a much smaller bright green lizard trapped within it's mouth. For a moment Jorath pondered if his pet was going to become obese because of it's tendency to seemingly eat something on -EVERY- planet he took it too... And yet he wouldn't dwell on it too long, figuring that it was the source of impending danger that had been nagging him.

".. Gonna get fat.." he remarked quietly, looking down at Lillieth, his eyes widening briefly. "Skere is. Always eating." he clarified.

 

[Asinine Soup]

Lillieth giggles shortly through the sentiment regarding Jorath's mother. Those were some memories in the making, there.
"For your information, I don't make a habit of it - my intent was to have fun!...They wanted much, much more, dear, and you would have likely done several times worse than I did if such unwanted advances were made on you." Lillieth tosses a smirk upward, focus finally being paid back to the treeline. "Advances involving sleeping agents."

With a pat-pat of her hand upon his arm, though, a gesture that most considered confiding while Lillieth saw it being casual, she responds to his seemingly earnest inquiry.
"Don't worry too much. If I didn't like you, I would've finished you off back on Korriban." She winks, suppressing a laugh after her partner's tell-tale grunt of a response. She, then, listens to his story about the swoop races. It was nice hearing of his past, seeing as he often kept it bottled up. Maybe they were growing on one another more than she previously thought.
She truly didn't mind it, either.

"Sounds rather exciting. A younger, shorter Lillieth partook in those types of spectacles with an overbearing father." she states as though sincerely speaking of an entirely different person. She tilts her head with her verse as though giving a slight hint of disdain at the memory, though drops the issue before she would have cared to address it.
With Skere popping his head out of the brush, Lillieth's amber eyes calm for just a moment - maybe that's what she felt?...It was quite the eerie feeling. She was supposed to be relaxing, yet here she is, paranoid on the beach. A slight squeeze of Jorath's arm - a humorous one - is given in light of his comment. She hadn't even thought self-consciously before Jorath made a point to reiterate.
"Ha. Ha." she mock laughs. "Are you Sith or comedian?"

Their trek continues down the beach, though eventually, she would opt to turn around and head back toward the shack. It was quaint, this time spent - having gone from finding the hulk of a Crusader insufferable to being damn near the only friend she could afford to have in her still-relatively-new lifestyle was quite the progression.
"If my count is correct, hun...this is the third time I've said this: I've to say..." she starts, after a pregnant pause prior to her small sentence. "...you're quite the wild card, and I still don't know what to make of you. Think we can shake the galaxy?"

Her eyes had, by now, floated off toward the horizon as though taking a peek at the galaxy she intended to take a grasp of. Not of wanderlust, no, and not of the wanting of power, but something that broiled down from passion. Passion to control. To be in control.

 

[Viabuck]

Walking along quietly as Lillieth made her justification for what she had done to the men in the bar back on his home world, he found himself scowling momentarily, the addition of the men's intent proving to roil something within him. "I would have done several times worse if I had seen what they were doing to -you-..." he commented in a matter of fact manner, not even considering how protective he may have sounded in that instant. He had already thrown himself into harm's way, serving as a living tank of sorts so that she wouldn't have harm befall her, saying something like that simply felt as if it was a fairly natural response given the circumstances.. For a moment he would dwell on that thought right up until the idea of her finishing him off came up, a brief roll of his eyes being given.

"I could have broken you and that Togruta both that day... Don't even try and play tough now.." he remarked, a smirk forming across his own face as he recalled their first encounter, choosing not to acknowledge the second... Right up until he saw a chance to poke a bit of fun at her. "It was fun watching you retreat though.. Your first encounter with me using force fury and you didn't know what to make of it.."

With that said, the giant wouldn't really continue on for fear of the end of the fight coming up, not wanting to recollect just how his kamikaze like tactics had ended with him suffering numerous torn muscles and seemingly being unable to fight any longer.. Those were days long past though and through a combination of moderation and practice, he had built his body to hold a certain degree of tolerance.... Which might have had something to do with his pale complexion which he hoped the beach trip would have a hand in counteracting. He had seen Sith who had given themselves over to the darker aspects of the Force.. There was no way he wanted to look like an albino at age eighteen..

Once again, his drifting mind was pulled back on course by Lillieth's statement regarding her inability to form a sound opinion of him and for the third time, he found himself unsure of how to respond. What was there to say? Was there something clever to throw in there? Was she looking for a certain response? Should he try and make fun of it in some way? What came to mind?

"You'll have plenty of time to figure it out. You're important to me, I'm not going anywhere and I'm positive we're going to leave our mark whether it's by shaking, crushing, or reforming whatever's put before us.." he replied rather abruptly, simply going with what came to mind rather than over thinking a response to such a statement. Of course rather than dwell on it too long, the larger of the two Sith would abruptly reach down while kneeling, hooking his arm which had been looped with hers around her legs and lifting her up onto his shoulder as if she had weighed nothing as he continued back toward the beach house. A playful little act or an attempt to cover what he felt was a brief display of emotion? Either one worked.

As they neared the beach house, it was at this point that he would slow his stride, eventually taking notice of what he thought was a figure standing through the large glass windows of the building, a hint of concern forming upon his face for a moment. He hadn't requested a butler.. What in the world was someone doing in his house? If it was a Gungan he was going to..

Jorath's eyes went wide as the force screamed out, electricity surging throughout his body, causing him to lose his grip on Lillieth if he still held her at this stage, one end of an electrostaff being stuck into the middle of his back, causing him to roar out. Dropping down to one knee only to be hit again, the Crusader barely turned to look over his shoulder in time to look at his attackers. Standing behind him was a masked man, unnaturally glowing blue eyes behind a mask staring at him along with... Oh god damn it.. It was a Gungan.. Albeit it one of the most unhealthy ones he had ever encountered his lifetime, it's flesh discolored and eyes even more yellow than what should have been natural.. In fact it wasn't natural.. Even in his pain racked state he could tell that... And each of them was wielding an electostaff, made evident to the Sith by the fact that they were continuously striking him with it and attempting to keep him on the ground each time he attempted to rise.

He was getting pissed off -extremely- quickly and it was at this stage that Lillieth would find herself in a similar set of circumstances, a Gungan very similar to the one that had attacked Jorath suddenly rushing her, electrostaff in hand intent on attacking the female displaying a surprising talent for the Juyo Lightsaber form even in the absence of an actual saber.

Of course while Lillieth had her Gungan to deal with, the two men that were attempting to suppress Jorath would oddly find the sparks erupting as they contacted his flesh to be becoming less and less intense, the Sith's eyes seeming to grow more and more yellow in coloration as he endured the abuse, not ceasing in his attempts to stand up.

 

[Asinine Soup]

Lillieth can only smile and advert her eyes to the skies as Jorath speaks, a luxury beholding itself in the form of a humorous hulk lightening the mood. While Jorath was the closest thing to a friend that she had, she wouldn't take any personal qualm in lieu of his playful, competitive spirit regarding their own fights. She only nods and smiles as she had before, grinning as the entire situation in and of itself is fairly humorous.

"You'll have plenty of time to figure it out. You're important to me, I'm not going anywhere and I'm positive we're going to leave our mark whether it's by shaking, crushing, or reforming whatever's put before us.." he chants absent-mindedly; he seldom said things he didn't mean, so with that being the conclusion to their conversation, Lillieth nods firmly and gently bites a lip in silent pondering. It could be done. It would be done. With time.
She's then, as she was on the biting planet of Kashyyyk, man--er, womanhandled with ease. "Wooh." Lillieth sways in response, giggling lightly and shaking her head as she already knew the inevitability of remaining in his grasp.
"I'm the only girl you'll ever be able to sweep off their feet with that charm, Jor." she murmurs sarcastically, allowing the entendre to settle as it seemed the pair had eventually happened back toward the resort.

She felt something strange.

By this point, Lillieth's sand-soaked feet have returned to the beach, a brow furrowing as she, too, spots a figure within their temporary home.
"A friend of yours?" Lillieth asks softly, quietly, and with a frown...interrupted by the sound of electricity flowing through an energy staff, striking mass. Lillieth turns, then, surprise on her face, more surprised at the fact that she's surprised, because, well...she's never surprised.
"What in blazes--" she's cut off by a whirling electrostaff blurring vertically and striking her in the chin, rendering her sentence unfulfilled. She's sent into the air and toppling with a plume of sand billowing into the ...a light groan escaping her lips as she's rolling...stunned. Her assailant - proud that he and his two allies' ambush appeared to be successful - grins, coughing lightly. With a shift of his arm, he sends the staff to a ready position, implying his follow-up was nigh. Lillieth, squinting and slowly rising, peers back and forth between her partner being pummeled and her assailant priming for round two.

"You sons of Hutts just made the last mistake of your natural-born lives..." she murmurs, dusting sand from her tunic and equipping her lightsaber, failing to discharge its energy just yet.

The Gungan that aimed for Lillieth's life, however, saw this as a challenge...and rushes forth. The electrostaff swirls brilliantly, and the Lady Sunsinger returns the gesture with an activation of her lightsaber, an acrobatic spin causing the staff to miss and follow-up along Lillieth's center-mass: her lightsaber was awaiting there to clash. The two objects hiss in detest of the contact, Lillieth holding her own against the Gungan that had caused a bruising scar of damage upon her jawline likely in for a less-than-subtle surprise.

Lillieth was grinning as their weapons collided, and when the assailant twists and pivots to send a horizontal strike toward the female's center again, Lillieth - too - pivots and narrowly dodges the fray of a purple pike, spinning in turn and lifting a foot in tandem...sending a boot to stun the Gungan warrior's jawline. He groans in response, but doesn't fall or falter - the two return to clashing blade and staff once more, a sadistic smirk slowly curling upon the young Sith woman's visage.

"Keheheh..." she chortles, increasingly amber eyes staring into the sickly opponent's irises.

 

[Viabuck]

With what he had hoped to see as a lovely vacation for two of them being torn asunder, the Sith was positively seething. With continued shocks being delivered to his system, in all probability, he should have been unconcious and yet somehow he was still standing, only seem to recover in spite of the continued abuse which he was taking. Seemingly refusing to allow himself to go down, the veins covering his body would begin to become slowly visible, his already massive collection of muscles growing as he seemed to be literally hulking out.

By using the force, every shock being delivered to his system was being absorbed, his body adjusting to the sequence and instead converting it to fuel which he would channel along with his rage, right up until the time came that two more thrusts would be made and two electrostaves would be caught in his hand, the sound of energy crackling being heard as he took on the pain that was being inflicted upon him without a moments hesitation. He needed to make it stop and he was going to.

With a sudden exertion of strength, Jorath grabbed and ripped back on one, tearing it from the Gungans hand before kicking up from the ground, lunging at the mask wearing individual, his massive right arm outstretched as he swung it toward the neckline of his attacker, sending him flipping up into the air, his legs flying otu from under him before allowing him to tumble down to the ground.

Taking a moment to catch his breath now as steam would raise from his flesh, he let out and exhausted groan, wanting to take a moment to recover and yet the Gungan was back now, running at him having taken his fallen friends staff up and swinging it toward Jorath's face, forcing him to show surprising agility as he began to weave and dart his body from side to side, unable to muster much offense. Absorbing so much electricity had taken something of a toll and it would take a moment or two before he could...

Jorath things.. If that was an acceptable term.

 

[Asinine Soup]

The figure within the Sith's temporary beach-home seems to only be watching from afar, smirking at the action occurring below.

Lillieth is struck along the cheek with a free-hand, sending her groan of distaste echoing loudly...though she persists. They aimed for the money-maker, and -that- just wouldn't do. Mid-combat, she invades his mind, squinting as the blazing combat of electrostaff-versus-lightsaber lights the sands of the beach brilliantly. His knowledge of combat had begun to turn slowly into a decaying self-doubt, one that made his movements sluggish...worn...tattered and void of commitment and resolve.

The redhead slashes left to deflect and right to parry, grunting lightly as she shifts into the Form II initiative. Her bladework shifts from force-battling to precision, a cackling hiss of sparks being displayed with every point of contact; nothing more than a riposte and a lundge and a scream exits the tall Gungan's throat. He'd lost his favored hand in the blink of an eye, the severed appendage falling to the ground.
The Sith cackles lightly, eyes widening at the sound of his pain. "Do those grow back?" she inquires, actually slightly interested. He doesn't respond, only shifts to begin battle with one hand.

"A bold one - I'd shake your hand, but..." she giggles at her own insensitive joke, nearly pulling the rage out of her opponent's form and using its madness to entice further mistakes.

She bats an eye toward Jorath as swiftly as she backs another horizontal blur of an attack out of the way, mentally noting he was doing...the thing. The Jorath thing.

If that was an acceptable term.

Lillieth stretches a grin along her visage, biting her lip in anxiousness within the combat. It was a thrill.

 

[Viabuck]

With his recovery taking longer than he would have liked, a quick glance was paid to Lillieth as he began to avoid each and every single strike that was thrown his way, occasionally throwing a hand up and attempting to deflect attacks that came his way. Of course the flaw in this was that he was blocking an electrified stick and thus he was receiving unpleasant jolts with each defensive manuever, right up until he felt he had had enough. Already in a full on rage, Jorath suddenly narrowed his eyes upon the masked man, his temper reaching critical mass and that was when yet another interesting power was put into play. One created out of pure frustration and intent to crush..

"STTTTOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!"

The ground shook and from the Sith's mouth, an inhuman roar was uttered, physically lifting his assailant off of his feet and throwing him backward, his chest heaving as he stood there, his muscles tense and his hand slowly reaching to his belt which held his lightsaber. His fingers settling upon the grip of his curved weapon, in an instant the blade would erupt, burning a fierce red while the Sith started to tread toward the man as he recovered, clearly intent on doing some rather cruel things once he reached him.

Covered in multiple scorch marks where the staff had found it's mark, he was clearly not a happy camper. Reaching a hand outward, Jorath attempted to seize his target by the throat via the force, something which he had grown to enjoy doing quite a bit when suddenly he felt something impact his back, causing him to pause briefly and look behind him to where the deformed Gungan was standing, his eyes narrowing into slits for a moment.

"I'm going to rip you in half.."

"Yous'a talkin' bigsa b-"

As the Gungan attempted to reply, the Sith physically thrust his right hand into the amphibious alien's mouth, suddenly pushing down upon it's jaw, breaking it in an instant causing it to hang unnaturally off to the side. Elevating his right leg, he drove a stiff kick into the creatures stomach, shifting his weight forward on impact and shoving his target onto the ground and holding him there under one leg while staring down at him hatefully. Reaching down with one arm and seizing the Gungan's ears with one hand and reaching down or it's right leg with the other, the massive warrior began to pull upward with all of his strength, a horrendous ripping sound being heard and moments later Jorath would be covered in blood holding a Gungan's torn body from the waist up while it's lower torso and legs remained pinned underneath of his foot.

".. Next.."

Jorath turned to face the masked man, who oddly seemed to be showing reason, already sprinting down the beach as fast as his legs could carry him. He wouldn't get away however..

 

[Asinine Soup]

Lillieth quickly hops into the air, both feet narrowly avoiding a low-strike meant to cripple the shins. With a pair of knees tucked together, the girl rips a page out of Jorath's playbook, squinting as she primes her target's distance for a strike unlike any other.

Conjuring her inner-strength and turmoil, the Force builds within her legs...the stuff of legend, really, as kinetic energy builds, waiting, thirsting to be released. With a slight bend in posture, the girl's back arches and legs suddenly shoot outward; her soles impact the one-handed Gungan's chest, the Force emitting from the contact and sending him off his feet with a grunt. Lillieth lands on the ground from her dropkick a few moments before her opponent, and in such, utilizes a kai to land on her back and spring right back onto her feet...where she would be waiting anxiously for her Gungan dance-partner to land on his back.

And land on his back, he does, stunned and groaning as he mentally contemplates the fact that he's just been drop-kicked. These would be his final thoughts, for when Lillieth makes a promise that it would have been the last mistake of someone's life?...It would be rude to lie. Pacing forth, the Sith calmly twists her blade and suddenly drops her weight all within her right knee - the knee bombs down atop the Gungan's exposed throat, caving in the esophagus and sending him choking on the fragmented remains of his windpipe.
Although Lillieth was a softie, she sure was getting a bit more durable in lieu of all the physical fighting she'd had to endure as of late. Peering up to see the remnants of Jorath's fight (she couldn't determine which was more surprising: the fact that Jorath just ripped someone in two pieces, or that the Gungan's ears were so strong and connected to the body to endure the force that was pulled), blade still activated, she watches as a masked individual had begun to sprint for his natural-born life.

Exhaling a sigh, Lillieth elegantly steps beside Jorath, a bend and sway within her hips as she twirls her blade once again. "I got it." she exclaims, rather exasperated with two bruises along both sides of her jaw; she appeared as though she'd been abused domestically. Not a good look.

A toss of her arm and an anchor within the Force sends her lightsaber spiraling in a brilliant blaze of crimson and silver-white, arcing and splashing against the sandy beach below as a few grains transformed to glass as it's heated.

Running, running, running - what's that sound? What's that hum? It's getting closer. Where is i--

From the distance, Lillieth spots her lightsaber having carved a decent laceration along the back of the runner's calfs near the Achilles Tendon. That'll pretty much ruin walking and running for just about any sentient species. Like a trusty boomerang, the lightsaber twists and picks up momentum, cascading back into her hand with a twist and a casual nod of the head.

The man within their home seemed to be getting rather worried, no longer enjoying the show - he begins to turn and leave as the two's attention seems to remain on the masked individual now attempting to crawl away in the sand. Lillieth simply focuses back upon the Gungan ripped in two, still bleeding out...not yet deceased, then peers up to Jorath. Her lips quiver as she forces a smile.
"Best vacation ever." she states, beginning to walk toward the crippled masked man, knowing the hulking, blood soaked Sith was likely beyond pissed that even when attempting to relax, nothing could go right.

 

[Viabuck]

Continuing to stalk toward the fleeing masked assailant, Jorath's still wore a mask of his own, one of rage, a desire to disembowel and slaughter. Lillieth had made a correct assumption assuming that he was more than a little upset about how his life had been working out as of late and right now? He had someone to take it out on. Someone who wasn't going to receive such a merciful death as the one he handed the Gungan... Who he had torn apart and had only moments ago lost conciousness after having looked down to see his own innards spilling from his broken and beaten form.

He was the lucky one.

With Lillieth getting involved in his hunt, he watched his masked foe drop down to the sands as continued his methodical walk, not even turning to look over at his partner in that moment. He had other things to focus on. He knew the one who had been in their beach house had likely escaped given the fact that they had set their focus instead upon finishing off one of the last actual attackers but none of that mattered.. He'd find them sooner or later.. He'd find them and he would pull them apart like a mean kid who had just caught an insect..

His eyes set upon the crawling man's legs, he would reach his hand outward, suddenly seizing the man by the ankle via the force, which was really an unfortuante place to be grabbed given his condition.. It left his leg to physically bend backward on the cut, allowing even more severe pain coupled with a healthy flow of blood to run along his body causing him to begin to scream and ramble incoherently.. Which was really music to the large Sith's ears.

"You interrupted my vacation... Scratch that.. You interrupted -our- vacation. Tell me.." Jorath started to say, suddenly bringing his other hand up and reaching out as if he was grasping something, his hands becoming parralel for a moment before slowly spreading them apart, the cut on the masked man's right leg peeling back, pressure being applied to the leg as Jorath's fierce yellow eyes seemed to be devoid of any emotion in that moment as did his voice in spite of the unsettling rage that anyone with the slightest hint of sensitivity could pick up upon.

"Tell me.. Why did you do it? Why did you take it upon yourself to jab me with your stupid electrosticks? Why did you decide to attack -us- of all people...Do you know who we are? Did you see the broadcast? Is this some terrorist joke? Are you stupid? Do you want to die? You're going to die. Do you want to suffer? YOUR ABILITY TO ANSWER ME NOW WILL DETERMINE EXACTLY HOW MUCH YOU SUFFER!" he went on, his voice growing louder, emotion seeping into it as he spoke, parting his hands even further, a sickening crack being heard as bone began to break, the entirety of the man's leg bending clean in half and resting against itself, a horrific looking compound fracture being created in the process.

"WHO ARE YOU!"

"BAN-"

Suddenly as if Jorath had done it himself, the man's neck abruptly jolted to the side unnaturally, it's neck being broken by some unnatural force in what seemed like an instant, his eyes rolling back in his head and his mask falling off to the side revealing... What looked to be little more than a common street thug wearing a costume. From the sores that accompanied rampant drug use to the scruff beard and hair, this man who he now looked upon seemed as if he should have come right off of Nar Shaddaa.. What in the hell was he doing attacking Sith? With any degree of success?!

AND WHO BROKE HIS TARGETS NECK!?

Try as he might, as Jorath dropped the body to the ground, he would be unable to locate anyone or anything outside of Lillieth and.. That wasn't helping his temper at all.. In fact if one looked closely at his clenched fist, they might even notice thin trickles of blood seeping from it. This was not the best vacation ever... Not for Jorath.

 

[Asinine Soup]

Lillieth watches on as Jorath investigates the occurring matter at hand, her smirk falling as Jorath's anger was held on his sleeve. He was incorrigible, and she knew at this moment that not too much talking on her part would cheer him up. So she remains quiet. She remains quiet and watches him take it out on the masked man.

Her eye twitches slightly as the sound of bone cracking rings in her ears, a soft "Hm," escaping her throat. She watches on, and as soon as it seemed they were about to get somewhere, his neck snaps.

*Crick!*

A sound of absolute death. The Sith woman frowns, blinking up to Jorath. "Why did you do that?" she asks with an air of disbelieving disappointment in her tone, having believed that it was he whom rendered their assailant's neck to spin 180-degrees. I mean, who else could have done it? It wasn't her, and to her knowledge, that meant Jorath. "He was...just about to..." she trails off, not wanting to anger the man any more, despite the usual excitement that came from doing so. After a moment of contemplation, the corpse on the ground, the girl blinks up to Jorath and sighs.

"Check him and see if he has anything on him - notes, contracts, weapons, clues. I'll...go investigate the other two." Without wasting another moment, she turns and begins walking back toward the remains of the two Gungans whom were whispering their last breaths. Although both targets' bodies were still warm, their spirits were long gone. She checks her own target just to postpone digging through bloody remains that Jorath left behind, peering up to the beach house as the sun had begun to set further, the sky painting a mass of blue and deep violet within its twilight. The sun was almost gone, but the area was still well-lit, as it would be for perhaps another thirty minutes or so.

She begins patting down the Gungan, looking for the same small list of hints, all the while thinking of what they would have to do next. Regardless of what Jorath decided to do, or not to do, Lillieth would find herself walking within the beach home to inspect in more detail. Had their bags been touched? Had the overseer of the violence left anything?...Her jaw tightens as the Force begins to compliment the rest of her senses to fine-tune anything she may need to anticipate.

She would hope she didn't come across an armed thermal detonator within one of her bags. That would ruin her day. All the while she works, the Force had begun to kiss her minor wounds, cleaning them and healing the open cuts that tainted her otherwise flawless skin.
Never let them see you bleed, mother always said...

 

[Viabuck]

"I didn't.." he growled, his voice still seething as he knelt down by the corpse, taking a moment to examine it for a moment. With the task of investigation now being forced upon him, he no longer held the capacity to sustain his anger, his adrenaline slowly and causing the normal unpleansatries that came along with such things. The end of a rush was never a pleasant thing and this case was no different. Roughly shifting through the strange tribal garb and eventually happening upon a pouch, he would seize it within his right hand, pulling it free and dumping it's contents out onto the sand next to the body, a number of items of minor interest falling out. The first would be a datapad which upon closer inspection only seemed to have a set of coordinates programmed into it.. Next to that?.. A plastic container of what he could identify as the pathetically named, 'Death Stix'. He never understood that drug.. It sounded so... Ugh he didn't have words..

"... Coordinates missing a planet and drugs.. Oh look at how helpful this has been.." he muttered, standing up and drawing his foot back, kicking the corpse along it's face, snapping it's neck the other direction now in his irritation. Noticing Lillieth looking over the other body, he would quickly gather his findings and approach behind her, his eyes looking over her shoulder as she searched through the Gungans bag which contained... More Death Stix along with a book of matches which interestingly enough advertised a strip club, displaying the shilloute of a Twi'lek in a provocative pose.

It was the location the matches that made Jorath wince internally, if only for an instant.. Nar-sha-freakin'-dar...

Hutt world. A really terrible one at that.. Those damnable slugs had so much power on that world.. It was actually on his list of places he hoped to one day raze and begin anew and now it was a potential lead?.. Just.. Ugh.. He wouldn't deal with it yet, instead, he'd just try and see if Lillieth even thought it was -worth- investigating.. Which he really did want to.. But.. He really didn't want to go to that planet again. Ever. For any reason. Maybe he could distract her with their vacation to earn just a few days of reprieve before they had to deal with further inquiries..

With that in mind, as he stood there behind her, his massive palms would come down upon her shoulders, clasping there and applying a gentle squeeze as if he was just trying to be friendly with a close-friend. "..Anything worth mentioning?" he finally asked, forcing his voice to be -slightly- less gruff than it had been moments before.

 

[Asinine Soup]

Lillieth accepts the mild embrace, if not to further isolate Jorath's coming-down from a rage-fest, then to actually feel accepting of the first contact she'd had that wasn't violent or abrupt in quite a while. She refrains from smiling.
"Mmm..." she tosses an empty box with the aforementioned label in the sand and lifts a box of matches advertising a strip club that she hadn't the faintest idea of. "Well the drugs would explain their appearance - whatever they were absorbing wasn't exactly healthy for a Gungan diet." she starts, sighing softly and observing the box of matches - primitive - more closely.

"And...it's not really the...matches that catches the eye, is it?" she inquires aloud, referring to said picture of the Twi'lek and ad designed in Basic, looking up and over her shoulder (even as Jorath's large hands nearly enveloped her entire, small-framed shoulders) and holds up the book of items for him to observe as well.
All in all, to her, she didn't seem to find anything beneficial - she sensed her partners disdain upon peering at the item, though, which caused her to lift an eyebrow.
"What is it?" she asks softly, twisting to stand, taking a brief moment to look around the beach. Where's Skere? She places the thought behind what was more important - Jorath's reaction to what he'd seen. She blinks up high to peer into his eyes despite the height difference as she waits.

She pauses for a moment, awaiting the man to explain before turning and beginning to finally walk for the beach house, Jorath presumably at her side.

 

[Viabuck]

Jorath stood there quietly, looking at his partner with a forced half smile on his face as he tried to hold back his obvious agitation. He hadn't thus far gone on a racist tirade against the Hutts and he was fairly certain she wouldn't find it particularly entertaining. All the same, if she insisted on asking, he figured it wouldn't hurt for him to give a -short- version of what was going through his mind.

"It's a strip club on a Hutt controlled world. Everything going on on that force forsaken world is making them richer and fatter in one way or another.. The drug trade is pretty big there and judging by what these guys were carrying and how they look, they probably got it there.. " his hands tightened his grip momentarily on her shoulders, making certain to not push it to uncomfortable levels of pressure before releasing all at once. "I'm simply not looking forward to going there... -I- wanted to relax.. And those god for nothing lard sweating gluttonous swine..." Jorath's voice seemed to drip with disdain as he spoke, his teeth clenching momentarily.

"They ruin everything in this galaxy.. Once I -do- find out which one is responsible for this I'll kill their -entire- family.. I know this is Hutt involved... It has to be.." he went on, eventually relenting and walking alongside Lillieth back to the house where Skere was laying, his tail curled beside him in a lazy state of sorts, very similar to the one that he had been in when Lillieth prevented him from getting involved in their second duel by manipulating his mind in the slightest of ways..

Of course with who or whatever was responsible having left, he was coming out of it but it did beg the question... Who in oblivion had pacified -his- pet.. It was just something else to annoy him.. All the same, they were back at the house, maybe they could just relax after all, maybe ponder things and then leave after the fact.. There wasn't any big hurry. As he opened the main door leading into the main living area, Jorath glanced around, his eyes settling upon the fireplace before sliding over to a chair, before moving to the sofa. Okay.. Nothing had been tampered with that he noticed at least.. Maybe everything was fine.

And then there was the coffee table... Damn it.

'SEE YOU' was carved into it and Jorath was nearly seeing red again.

 

[Asinine Soup]

"I, I, I, Jor..." Lillieth tatters in, slowly peering up to the man as they enter the abode. "We're a team - I'd say 'we' wanted to relax, and 'we' can destroy their entire family. Right now, how about we...take a breath." With a soft sigh, though, as the residence is checked for alteration, it would seem there was a message on the table. The energy was heated in the room, and it only got hotter once Jorath read the note. He was mad - so much so that the simple word was no longer able to explain his level of anger. Loathing, dripping detest at the situation and those of whom caused it was being extended, and as Lillieth sympathized for a moment, she reaches out to place a gentle hand on an electricity-charred arm.

While their lead was fresh, and if they traveled to Nar Shaddaa right now, they would likely be able to pick up clues faster. But right now?...The very reason they were on Corellia to begin with needed to be done. He wouldn't be able to function if they up and left, so Lillieth's soothing voice fills the room.
"Relax, sweetie, relax - we can calm down and enjoy what's left of your...amazing vacation before picking up their scent. Okay?" She smiles jokingly before adding, "They smell horrid anyway, so they shouldn't be that hard to track."

Stars knows she wasn't that good a tracker in the slightest, perhaps something that she needed to work on. All in all, though she had the mental integrity of her partner to worry about, and seeing as he, herself, and Skere were all safe and sound (relatively), there was little else that bothered her at the moment. Her touch provides a subtle anesthesia effect as she manipulates the Force and the calmness of her crystal to extend into Jorath's psyche. An altered mind-trick of sorts, she sought to mentally and verbally convince the hulk to calm down and come down.
So she tugs on his arm lightly with a smile.

"Pretty nice form, by the by...knocking that Gungan down to half his height..."
Ah, the Sith...subtly joking about ripping people apart. Literally. Either they had no sense of morality, or they abandoned it in their pursuit of knowledge and power long ago.

 

[Viabuck]

For a moment, Jorath was about to reach down and seize hold of the coffee table, intending to throw it through the nearest window when he heard Lillieth's voice attempting to soothe him and bring him to a state of calm. Fighting instinct and what came natural, he relented from his plans only when physical contact was made with him, a deep exhalation of breath being made as he found his clouded thoughts being lifted, an odd sense of peace coming over him. He had trained long enough to know that there were unnatural forces acting upon his mind and yet he made no effort to resist them in this singular instance, instead choosing to let the feeling of calm come over him, his visible tenseness fading away in that instant.

With her continued attempts to indulge him in lighter conversation, he let out a simple grunt dropping down onto the sofa, his rather large form taking up a fair amount of it on it's own while leaving enough space for him to tug Lillieth down now to sit beside him, even going as far in this moment as to throw an arm around her. In his disheveled state, he would sit there quietly for a few moments, his scorched body stinging slightly, simply taking a few moments to think rationally which with him didn't come nearly enough.

"We'll sleep here then set off for Narshaada tomorrow.. We're also going to comandeer a civilian vessel. I'm tired of having to have the Imperial forces shuttle us around. We're going to go to that club, I'll threaten some people, people will make crude advances on you, one of us will hit and or maim them and we'll figure out what these coordinates mean. Once we figure that out, we'll decide if there's anyone else we want to involve in this.. Perhaps my apprentice.. Any other suggestions for people or plans?" he spoke, surprisingly calculated when calmed via outside influences. The wonders that medication might do for him if only it wouldn't cripple his connection to the dark side..

".. But it was pretty cool how I ripped that guy in half wasn't it?.. I wasn't sure the ears would hold but that's actually some rather rugged flesh on them.. I might make a pair of boots from them.." he half joked, offering her a quick squeeze with his arm and a grin. "Maybe a new hilt grip for my next lightsaber.."

 

[Asinine Soup]

Pleased she was able to calm the man before he exploded, she nods gently, watching as Jorath falls to the couch and relaxes. Crisis averte--her train of thought is interrupted as she's pulled to share the relaxation.
She could only chuckle lightly. She wouldn't defy it, and - in fact - would snug closer, daring to accept the friendly embrace and advance by leaning her head into his arm. As he explains the plan, his deep voice vibrating her ears as she rested them upon him, Lillieth shrugs lightly. Of course...her telltale sarcasm would have to be expressed.
"You didn't tell me there was a part-two to the vacation."

Eventually, she would sit up, resting her chin upon her clasped hands, thinking to herself. There was Fayath...a potential student, but was she ready? At the very least, she could make a nice meat shield, but as Jorath described going into Nal Hutta's moon's bars and being advanced upon was a welcome inevitability, perhaps the girl could learn more than just trades of the Force. Part of the reason why Lillieth made such an exceptional inquisitor is her attachment to the mind - she could pique peoples' intentions and entice and persuade someone to buy a fishing boat on Kamino.

"I know someone." she finally utters, looking over her shoulder and grinning at her partner on the couch she shared. "The Miraluka. The blind one from before. I think I'll bring her." But honestly, that was enough of that.
"But that's business - we're on vacation, Jorath. We should at least enjoy the rest of our stay here on Corellia, if nothing else." She felt slightly sorry for the poor tenant whom would likely stumble across the corpses on the beach, but she otherwise didn't mind pretending it never happened. The sun had finally fallen and the darkness filled the sky, and with the dim lights of the home to mimic the twilight of the world, her eye twinkles, peering back forward once again. Strangely, she kept things short for the duration of the conversation, no doubt something heavy on her mind that she didn't wish to drop.

With a soft few fingertips, she utilizes the Force to continue healing the heavy bruising and cuts along her cheek and jaw, absently staring ahead at the room.
"Would you like me to heal your wounds, Jorath?" she inquires, convincing herself she already knew the answer. He wasn't the only one that noticed his changing complexion, and she wasn't lost to the reason as to why he attempted to get some sunlight. He was losing himself to the Dark Side.

That couldn't be her. She lost herself at times, but she always had to constantly remind herself whom she was.