I Like It Heavy

[Eisa Swan]

Dusk had set upon the desert planet of Utapau, the darkness of the night sky being offset by the faint distant glow of artificial lighting emanating from the countless potholes that littered the planet, along with a couple of bonfires, the flickering orange light reflecting off of the metallic hulls of the two large ships that had made landfall. The immediate air around the ships was filled with chatter from the various groups who had nestled around the impromptu campfires.

Amidst the group that surrounded the larger of the bonfires sat an ashen haired female, contently slouching deeply against the back of her chair. Her bright emerald hued eyes panning between two rebels that were regaling the small gathering with tales of their misadventures, a light smile curling on her lips as she chuckled as the tale built up to the punchline. "So there i was my kecks around my ankles, mid squat and look up and the kriffing imps are standing right over me" the greyhaired rebel concluded, illiciting a roar of laughter from those who were listening the crewman's encounters.

Shaking her head, the Ashen haired female slowly drew a hand over her features, using her fingers to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes before bringing a bottle of beer to her lips and taking a light swig from the beverage. "What about you Master Swan?" The crewman inquired, turning all attention onto the ashen haired Jedi. Pursing her lips in thought Eisa mused on what would have been her most embarrassing moment during her years within the Rebellion, whilst there had been countless incidents during her late teens, she couldn't say she had been caught with her pants down.

"Well there was Hoth" Eisa spoke out before taking another swig from her drink. "Probably was my third mission a good ten years ago. We got sent to Hoth to repair and energise an old shield generator, whilst the rebellion was establishing the base out there. " she continued giving a bit of history to the tale, getting a few nods from the more venerable members of the crew. "Master Reach, thought it would be a good idea to send two green teenagers out alone to fix it up, so we land by the complex blizzard playing something rotten with the scanners, can't see Kriff ya know" She added as she swirled the liquid around in her bottle briefly before draining the rest of the contents.

"This was before I even was aware of what the Force was, so we thought nothing of it, wrapped ourselves up in about three coats and made our way to the boarding ramp, open the doors and step out. Then what comes bursting out of the blizzard? A kriffing wampa, bout three times the size as Hask over there" Eisa continued, before guesturing over towards the Mercenary pureblood who had joined along with his own crew in the social gathering. Reaching off the side, the Jedi held out a hand and summoned a fresh bottle out of the ice bucket into her hand. "Naturally I Just shriek like a little girl, digging into my pockets for anything to throw at the kriffer, spanners, fuel cells you name it I threw it to scare it off" she added before taking a moment to pause and open the newly retrieved bottle, her gaze moving over towards her Padawan, figuring that she was giving more ammunition for the teenager to use against her. "Then I remember i actually have a blaster, So as its starting to climb up the boarding ramp i pull it out and fire off 4 or 5 shots"

A light smile crossed her features as she could feel her cheeks start to redden from recollection, at that point she barely could hold the weapon straight. "It was no more than 2 meters infront of me, and every kriffing shot missed!" Eisa contined with a groan, and shaking her head at the chuckling that had started to ripple around the fire. "Whether it was the Force or just sheer dumb luck, one of the blaster shots hit a fuel cell I had thrown at it's feet, the Wampa went up like a wild fire, for two Kriffing months I could smell nothing but burnt hair" the Jedi master concluded before burying her face into her free hand.

@KinkyPrawn @Herrith

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask sat beside Eisa around the bonfire, idly playing with his silver durasteel lightsaber with a beer sitting between his arm and leg to keep it steady. His crew members also sat around the fire along with hers. It was a colourful group to say the least. Rebels, Weequay pirates, ex-Czerka troops, a Jedi and a Sith Pureblood. He listened to the story the one rebel was telling and laughed along lazily as he laid back into his chair.

They asked Eisa to tell a story and he sat up, taking a big swig of his drink as he looked at Eisa. She started her story and he listened intently with a half-smile on his lips. That smile only grew as she went on and when it finally came to the punchline he gave a heart laugh. He almost spilled his drink as he laughed. When he finally calmed down he shifted in his seat. "Now that you mention big animals that reminds me. I was stationed on this prison over Geonosis at one point, way back when the Old Empire was still a thing." he started his story, his golden eyes looking at Eisa and the crew members. "I was in charge of interrogating this Trandoshan privateer that works for the Alliance, but boy did that backfire." he said with a chuckle. "Now he was big. Like over seven feet tall, weighed more than double my weight and it was basically all muscle. So he wasn't a joke."

"I sat down, hiding my shocked face behind my helmet, and started the usual drill with trying to get him to talk. Just as I was making progress he broke his binders and clocked me across the jaw before I could even move!" he said with a chuckle. "I felt that hit through Durasteel and everything. My head has pounding and my jaw was clicking for probably a month after that." he continued. "To add insult to injury, that kriffer escaped using my lightsaber then the agent in charge of locking the place down was sleeping on the job and somehow that all got pinned on me. Things were hectic for a while after that." he finally finished.

He took a sip again and sat in thought for a second. "Oh yeah, just about a day after that I almost got my head blown off by a Mandalorian. But that's a whole other story in and of itself." he explained. He looked down at the lightsaber in his hand and a small pang of sadness rolled through his chest. To think it's almost been a decade since her death. And all he had of her was the crystal in this lightsaber.

He looked back up to Eisa. "There was also the time we almost blew up a Czerka airfield in a stealth mission." he said with a shrug.

@Plebometer

 

[Mavie Arkantra]

Indeed, Mavise sat nearby her master, listening to the stories and the entertainment to be had. It was unusual for her, having such a camaraderie-even stranger considering one of those comrades was a Sith Pureblood. The very same one that was 'training' her--along with her Master, of course. She stared into the fire as they spoke, slightly tuning out while she decided to try and think. It had been...an interesting introduction to...well, both of her mentors now. One more violent than the other. She'd gotten a lightsaber and yet...apprehension remained about her abilities. The training she'd done was plenty to prepare her...but was it enough preparation?

There was a time coming...and she didn't want to fail anyone. Not ever. Not even herself. Nor did she want to succeed...and lose part of herself in the process. A frown came on her fsce before she wiped it away and went back to listening about Czerka and all that.

 

[Eisa Swan]

The thought hadn't occurred to her, nor had it really crossed the Jedis mind to enquire about the Purebloods, lineage withing the Sith Empire. But the single mention of the Old Empire, was enough to send chills running down her back. As Hask continued to share his tales of his various near misses and perilous encounters, the Jedi Masters features darkened, sitting in silence amidst the light laughter that emanated among those gathered around the bonfire. Her mind starting to seeth with the long bitterness that she held for the Old Empire, for what they had done to her and her former crew.

As Hasks tales started to draw to tgier conclusion, the Jedi Masters gaze lingered over her crew, before panning over to her padawan. A slight sigh escaping her lips as she looked to her bottle of beer, contemplating whether to neck the contents or not. Shaking her head, Eisa sat the bottle down, burying its base into the sand before abruptly getting to her feet and swiftly departing from the gathering, without a single word passing her lips. Headed in no particular direction, other than away from the two ships, her slight form disappearing into the shadow of the night.

She could feel her hands ball into tight fists, as her mind flashed back to the events a decade ago. The sight of her father, her former crew who she grew up with, being mercilessly executed live across the holonet, bringing back the same sensations of anger and pain as it had done the day she witnessed the death of her family. Deep down she knew hask more than likely had little part in thier execution, but hearing him admit to his former allegiance, was like tearing open an old wound., and she needed to just put some distance so she could calm her thoughts. Ironic really, the whole venture was to help train Mavie to control her emotions, yet here it was, the mentor was now wandering off to go and try to do the same thing.

Coming to a standstill with a sigh, the Jedi master picked up a small handful of pebbles off from the dusty ground. Before proceeding to one by one feed each pebble into the opposing hand and cast them into the air, venting her frustrations and emotions by mentally visualising that she was releasing them with each cast stone.

 

[Hask Jen]

They were all still laughing away, having a good time. But as Hask listened to one of the other stories, he felt a whirlwind of emotion well up inside Eisa. In all honesty it caught him off guard. His smile faded as his eyes shifted to look at the Jedi master. He gave Mavie a quick look to see if she picked it up as well. He hoped not.

Eventually Eisa stood up and walked off without a word. He watched her as she disappeared into the night then he decided to follow. He excused himself and followed after her. He hanged back to watch her, not wanting to interfere. But the whole time he kept his senses open, feeling the rage building up inside her. It was personal. He didn't know where it came from or what caused it, but he could tell it wasn't trivial.

Finally he broke his non-existent by clearing his throat. "Hey...Eisa? Are you alright?" he asked her calmly. She threw a pebble through the air but it stopped halfway, instead levitating over towards him. "I've met Sith Lords who don't even have that kind of hate. What's going on?" he asked her with a light chuckle.

@Herrith @Plebometer

 

[Eisa Swan]

Slowly the Jedi Master's hand tightened around the remaining pebbles that remained within the palm of her hand, a surge of energy flowed through her before her clenched fingers parted, allowing powdered grit and sand to pass inbetween. Hask's arrival and breaking of the silence, causing the ashen haired woman to narrow her eyes as she starred out into the distance. The pureblood was questioning her whether she was ok, before attempting to make light of the tension, commenting that he known Sith lords who held less hate than she was feeling right now. Eisa's lips parted as she gritted her teeth, looking to keep her calm and not fly off the handle.

But then again, this was a long time coming. There was no denying of the fact that she was still bitter over what had transpired in what seemed like a lifetime ago, whether it was just Hask reigniting the raw memory of that day by nothing more than a simple slip of the tongue, or if he knew the truth about those events. He would unfortunately be on the receiving end, now that she was standing near a remnant of the Old Empire. "What about Sith Lords who order the execution of innocent freighter crews" Eisa spoke out, her voice carrying a venomous bitterness to her words as she remained focused on the distant night sky.

Not giving the pure blood any time to react or comment, the ashen haired master turned around. Her bright emerald hued eyes glistening in with freshly formed tears. "Huh?" she added, questioning the man. "What about the Sith Lords, who without care orphan a teenage girl, leave her with no one to turn to, and has to spend her life running for the fear that just the mention of her name would be grounds for her to be captured and executed" Eisa continued as her narrowed gaze bore deep into the amber hued eyes of the towering Sith, her aura in the Force swirling around her like a torrential maelstrom. Even though compared to the height and stature of the dark haired Sith, the petite form of the Jedi master resonated with an air that would intimidate even the fiercest of rancors.

Perhaps what would be more unnerving was that within a swift instant the violent swirling energies of the Force around the Jedi fell still, becoming honed and focused within its wielder as she stepped closer towards Hask "Or what about the simple fact that the Old Empire Fracking decided to broadcast their cold blooded murder of my family across the entire Holonet" She spoke out before she came to a standstill about two meters in front of the towering pure blood. "And before you say it, no they were not pirates, smugglers or slavers. They were simply just people making ends meat shipping Imperial cargo"

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask blinked at her question. He didn't expect this at all. For a second he thought that she was blaming him for something...though that blame wouldn't be unfounded. Given the atrocities he had committed both before and after he left the Empire would put him on a no-fly list in a couple systems. Either way, he didn't like how she was blaming him for something.

He stood solidly, not intimidated in the least by her aura. He kept his ears open, listening to her rant. He quickly put it together that this was personal. But unfortunately he didn't have a clue what she was talking about. "Eisa..." he started, but got cut off as she spoke about it being broadcasted. It still went way over his head. Were the situation less tense, he would have been amused. But right now he was quite annoyed with her.

"Eisa...I don't know what you're talking about." he answered truthfully. "Now I don't know what the Old Empire did to your parents but I wasn't a part of it...or maybe I was, I don't know. I killed a lot of people back then. Hell, I killed my own parents at fourteen!" he practically shouted to her, resting his hands on the grips of his pistols. He leaned forward slightly to look her dead in the eye. "Just listen to yourself. We're talking about the SITH EMPIRE. Now you're standing here sounding like you're blaming me!" he accused her, trying to keep his voice down. But he was now just as fired up as her.

She was very conveniently forgetting that he himself was a troubled soul. He was standing in front of her, independent of the Sith Empire. He didn't leave because he thought it would be funny. He left because he hated himself and the Empire for everything he had done. Everything they made him.

@Plebometer

 

[Eisa Swan]

Scowling at the pureblood's retort, the ashen haired Jedi glared at Hask as he claimed to not know what the old empire did to her family - was he just simply doing like most men, and not listen whilst she vented. "They murdered my Father, they murdered his crew, people I spent my childhood growing up with" Eisa interjected, her words coming out slowly and clearly, giving indication to the frustration that was coarsing through her. Her gaze narrowing as she caught sight of the Sith motioning his hands towards his side arms, a part of her would have taken that enough of a provocation to snatch up her own weapons. But she wasn't dealing with raiders or imperial troopers, this wasn't some precursor to a shoot out - no this was simply her venting at the one person who happened at the time to have the misfortune to have been aligned with a group that held such a deeply routed loathing for.

Whether Hask expected it or not, he was on the receiving end of the young womans venting. Shaking her head as the Sith continued, making it out that she was blaming him, Eisas features furrowed into a look of frustration. Her emerald hued gaze falling off to the side "I'm not blaming you" Eisa spoke out dryly, whilst she continued to stare at the ground beside her, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip. "I'm vexed at what you represented" she added as her gaze lifted up to view Hask through the corners of her eyes. "The Old Empire is gone, so are my family, everything that the galaxy once was is now merely dust and Ash" the Jedi continued, her voice softening slightly as a brief wave of sorrow washed over her.

"And I can never get closure for what the Old empire took from me" the ashen haired female sighed as she pulled a hand up to rub at her temple. "There is no remnants of those Kriffing Schuttas, the Imperials had seen to that when they reclaimed power over the Empire" she added as she pulled her hand back down to the side, her gaze lingering over the Towering pureblood infront of her. Despite the fact that pretty much over the ten years, the faces she had committed to memory, well the ones that were scarred deeply - its not likely anything that she could ever forget, watching in abject horror surrounded by the other rebels in the mess Hall at the Hoth outpost as her family were mercilessly gunned down, the sneering faces of the Empire officials, the troopers hell even the smug condescending smirk of the dolled up cow that presented the news bulletin. All of them,in that moment when the Darkside first started to clearly whisper to her, she wanted to so badly give into her primal influences and render each and every one of them limb from limb. Had it not been for the sudden appearance and her swift removal from the Mess hall by her Master Leah Reach, then perhaps that instinct would have been focused on the Rebels around her, particularly one Gotal by the name of Mig, who in his ignorance implied that Eisa's reaction was purely down to it being her time of the month!

"The only remnant of what was the Old Empire, is you Hask" Eisa resumed as her attention leveled back to the pureblood, who hadn't softened his stance in the slightest, then again who could blame him, when standing beside a potent Force user who was airing a decades worth of repressed hurt, it would be foolish to let his guard down. "and, whether you like it or not, you are a reminder of the fact that I cannot get that closure"

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask raised an eyebrow at her words. "Well it certainly sounds like you're blaming me, Eisa!" he fired right back at her. She continued, explaining how both the Old Empire is gone as well as her family. What was annoying him to hell and back was that she wasn't even looking at him. She had the nerve to chew him out on something he didn't even want to be a part of but she didn't have the guts to look him in the eye. Her temper wasn't the only one rising in this moment.

She finally managed to raised her head and look him in the eye. But what she said was not making things better. Something akin to an animalistic growl rumbled in his throat...something he hadn't done in a long time. Her final words drove him over the edge. His grip on his hilts tightened, and the soft golden eyes he always sported steadily disappeared. A sick yellow filled his eyes. The kind of yellow one could expect from a Sith Lord, not him. "Then what about it Eisa?" he snapped coldly. "If my ugly red mug is such a...cruel and sick reminder to you, then why bother suffering my presence in the first place?!" he shouted at her. Eisa was a powerful force user, no one could deny that. But the growing darkness and rage flowing from Hask was a presence one couldn't dare to take lightly.

"If I'm such a nuisance, then why don't you draw your sword and do something about it?!" he continued, talking down on her. He unclipped his crossguard lightsaber and a loud hum more akin to a laser cannon rumbled as his crimson blade and crossguards came to life. The red light lit the area up around them, the red hue melding with his skin and reflecting in his sickly yellow eyes. "Well come on, Jedi! Strike your enemy down and get that closure!" he shouted, raising his blade in his left hand and gripping it with his right.

@Plebometer

 

[Eisa Swan]

Narrowing her gaze as she watched the pureblood tighten his grip on the hilts of his weapons, the ashen haired Jedi regarded the changing in the Sith's eye hue, shifting from their golden autumnal tint to a sickly yellow blood shot tinge. A clear indicator that the darkside was now being actively channeled through the Sith. The words like the darkening aura around Hask were cold and bitter, questioning why she even put up with his presence if he was such a reminder of the past.

Shaking her head slightly at the response, a light sigh passed her lips, the Sith had taken the wrong end of the stick and fallen back to his base urges and instincts. "You were a sith and you turned your back on the Empire, I accept that fact" Eisa spoke out trying to clarify things between thier misunderstanding. "But it's the fact that you talk of interrogating prisoners as if it were a joke, people I cared about would have been subject to the same tortures as that Trandoshan you joked about" she added before moving a hand to wipe at the corners of her eyes, removing the forming tears. "that is what hurts the most, the sentiment that to the old empire and to you, that the torture and murder of my family was nothing more than a joke"

Silence fell between the pair, as the ashen haired Jedi regarded the Crimson hued blade of Hasks lightsaber errupt into life, as he barked at her to strike him down like a Jedi. Slowly she lowered her head as her eyes closed, her hands falling to her side, the sensation of cold metal touching the skin of her palms as the hilts of her lightsabers bolted out of their bindings and into her hands, but they remained lifeless for the moment. The Energies of the Force swirling and building up around the petite framed figure, a vortex of cyan hued light shimmering around the outer fringes of her body. "Fine, but this is not the act of a Jedi" Eisa spoke out, with a resigned sigh to her words. "This is the of act of a grieving daughter" she added moments before the cyan and peridot hued blades of light erupted into life with a snap hiss.

Then as swiftly as the swirling Energies had manifested, they violently intensified. The Ashen haired Jedi Master unmasking her Force signature allowing her aura to flood the immediate area with her presence, knowing that there was no point in concealing or holding her connection back in the slightest, not when Hask was channelling the dark side to his fullest potential. Bare fingers caressing the smooth polished metal of the ignited lightsaber hilts, adjusting her grip on her weapons - the blades adjusting their angle slightly so that they were poised diagonally off to her sides.

Hidden away under the darkness of the night sky, thick darkened clouds started to roll in and form over head, the only give away of their recent formation was the sudden clap of thunder and a flash of lightning that illuminated the area around them in a sharp white light. The thunder was then followed by the continual tapping sounds of water droplets that fell from above. Unflinching under the rainfall that cascaded upon her, the droplets soaking into her ashen hair and running along the channels of her exposed flesh.

As another flash of lightning cascaded along the cloud line above, the Jedi's eyes slowly opened, revealing focused look amidst the emerald hue of her irises. With a swift twirl of her lightsabers, Eisa sprang forwards. Within the space of several heart beats the empty plains were alive with the sound of lightsaber blades crashing hard against one another, the sound resonating against the metallic hulls of the two ships. The the dimly lit area surrounding the two Force users became flooded with the movements of crimson, saphire and peridot hued arcs of light, neither of the crew were sure as to what was going on and given the sparodic and fast movements of each ships respective Force user all they could do was cautiously observe from afar at a safe distance.