Musings over dinner ( or The search for the library of Darth Koptus)

[Nightmare Moon]

The tall lush grass that covered the plains of Dellat swept in the wind. A figure was travelling across it alone and seemingly unarmed except for a small metal cylinder worn at the belt. The figure strode with the confident stride that seemed to indicate that they had complete dominion over all that would meet them on their trek and woe to the ones who did not pay proper respect. The traveller who just so happened to be Togruta and female was on a mission from her master who just so happened to be a sith and a very impatient one at that.

She was to bring several books and maps that were stored in a rather unassuming library (she had murdered the single aged librarian and quickly located her prise by intimidating his assistant subsequently killing him) back to her master currently located on Thalassia at the mansion of a wealthy slave trader who was attempting to garner favour with the sith. This would all be very well were it not for the tirefin in her backpack that resided next to her books. Togruta bodies often have several white patches that interrupted the red that covered most of their form however the acolyte (Who referred to her self as Leega and whose master referred to her as worm, whore, or if he was in a particularly foul mood little XXXX ) had an extra one under her nose that seemed to grow as time went on.

In time Leega reached the forest where she had parked her ship but not 20 minutes after she had entered the forest the urge became to strong for her and she threw her pack to the ground unmindful of the damage that might have occurred to the books. Her hands dug around in bag until they found her true love the pouch full of white dust that promised so many perverse and titillating pleasures to the connoisseur. Taking a handful of the dust and inhaling deeply she felt the familiar and yet alien sensation begin to creep through her nerves. "XXXX the old git" she mumbled to herself then giggled in a fashion much unbecoming of a lady of the sith. Joy quickly soured as Leega began to feel something’s eyes on her as if a great bird was perched in the trees. She shuddered perhaps it was just the trip going bad and of course nothing out her could possibly pose a threat to a sith...

 

[SoloWing]

The orders were simple: take a platoon of soldiers and search for the source of a great many disturbances in the area. After some legwork and investigation, they had narrowed their search for the culprit down to this unorthodox patch of forest. Their perpetrator had to be somewhere within, according to all reports and logic.

Which was why Alya and a Sith military troop were slogging through the backwater undergrowth. Each person present was on full alert with weapons at the ready; the only justification that Alya required for that status was the foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach. She'd learned the value of trusting her instincts long ago; right now those instincts were decidedly on edge. There was an atmosphere... a presence... in the forest that didn't agree with her.

There was a rustle of the underbrush, and a Sith scout appeared from the foliage. Alya waited for the man to give the appropriate high sign and then waved him closer. He saluted and then began his report.

"There wasn't much out there, ma'am." The man's voice echoed through her comlink. "But we did see a Force Sensitive a short distance off. She wasn't exactly being subtle with the racket she was making. I'm sending you the coordinates now."

A frown worked its way over Alya's lips. Experience had taught her that when a Force user turned up in a troubled area, then they usually had a hand in the problem. While she couldn't rule out coincidence, it didn't seem very likely given the reports that had come their direction. Assuming that the Force user was here for the same reason, then it would probably be better not to ignore the user in the long run. At best it would solve this problem sooner; at worst it would spare her some humiliating explanations.

"Thanks for the report." She addressed the scout and dismissed him before turning to the rest of her men. "Form up and stay sharp. Let's go pay this Sith a visit."

As one, they fell into place and began marching across the forest anew. This time, they had a destination in mind.

 

[Nightmare Moon]

Leega's head was spinning the rush had really started to hit her and she was getting more and more afraid that something was in the trees waiting to pounce on her whenever it got a chance. This coupled with a nagging remembrance of what would happen to her should she be too late to bring the maps back to her master sent her into a run at top speed for her ship with her backpack hung over one arm. Leega's head was spinning the rush had really started to hit her and she was getting more and more afraid that something was in the trees waiting to pounce on her whenever it got a chance. This coupled with a nagging remembrance of what would happen to her should she be too late to bring the maps back to her master sent her into a run at top speed for her ship with her backpack hung over one arm.

However this point was where things started to go very badly for the young sith. A warning signal blossomed in her left horn as she detected movement from a tree - something large and heavy moving with the grace of a big cat. Taking the initiative Leega threw her lightsaber in direct path to intercept the unseen watcher smiling as it hit where she expected it to be and hearing a satisfying zwoom as the lightsaber connected with something. The only thing that fell however was a large section of tree branch and just as she was telekinetically calling her lightsaber back to her hand something smashed down behind her with incredible force shaking her and leaving her stunned for a few precious but wasted seconds. Her mind roiled with panic and fear and then she felt first a single and then a second set of claws tear deep gouges out of her back leaving an X shaped mark made of ten bloody furrows in her back. Rolling forward she could not stop the tears welling up in her eyes and the shriek of pain as her back constricted from the movement.

Recovering from her evasive roll she came into a kneeling crouch looking up at the massive dark shape that hade dropped from the sky and holing her hand out to finish calling her lightsaber with the other. Her lightsaber shook once , twice and then slowly began to raise of the ground. But this was wrong though even if she was just an acolyte she could still call her lightsaber quickly this was like some form of horrible dream. The figure began to take steps towards her ripping claw marks into the ground with its taloned feet. All thoughts of her lightsaber abandoned Leega attempted to use the force to throw back the advancing beast but the pathetic wave that broke on the creatures front did nothing to hinder its progress. Leega began to feel the warm trickling sensation of piss begin to trickle down her leg but she was to scared to be embarrassed - she had to leave but her legs were frozen the creatures clawed hand was around her neck.

Zephyr reached around the Togruta girls neck then slid his hand down to her shoulder placing the other on her arm. There was a wet popping sound as the Tortuga's lightsaber arm left her body followed by the sound of tendons snapping as it made its final parting. She was already dead by the time it came clean. His meal prepared he sank his razor maw into her neck breast, then stomach pulling off gobbets of flesh and began gulping the blood that came forth. Her midi-chlorin levels were not great but a sith was a sith and it was a good meal. Plus it was not like she was a paragon of goodness herself as he had been to the library she ransacked and had seen the decapitated bodies of the librarian and his assistant whom by scent Zephyr had deduced were grandfather and grandson.

Finishing his meal and discarding the remains on the ground bedside him Zephyr inspected the backpack that had fallen off during the tussle. A book was peeking out of the top bearing the title "God-Kings of the ancient empire Vol 6 Darth Koptus". The volume looked ancient itself and handmade at that. "I wonder" Zephyr whispered through sharp teeth. Sith tended to get off on the whole ancient mystery thing and if taking this would piss them off then he was up for it. But then his senses kicked in and he smelled people coming this way. At least one human (like he used to be and still thought of himself as) force sensitive and judging from the scent female. Zephyr turned stood up to his impressive height of over seven feet and waited for the party to arrive.

 

[Rico]

Yeisha and Tollen were moving through harsh thickets when Yeisha picked up radio static "shit Tollen we arent the only ones here" she explained. Tollen didn't hear her because he was too memorized at the massive beast tearing into a very young and inexperienced sith. "****, we are not going to get those books." "wait, what are you saying Tollen?" Yeisha asked as she pulled up his HUD "****, your right the only other way we are going to get any of those books is find the library. Tollen I'm picking up some static it sounds like Sith troops and some female leader." "Yeisha you think we should call in some help?" Tollen questioned. Yeshia got angry at the question "Tollen this is my op we don't need help"

 

[SoloWing]

All at once, the platoon broke past the treeline and pulled up short. An expletive drifted across the comm channel and Alya found herself forced to agree. Her stomach rolled at the sight placed before them, but she forced herself to harden to it. They had found the source of the disturbances; now they had to deal with it.

"Get it together." She snapped across the comlink to her men. "Safety off, shoot to kill on my mark."

A staccato of snaps and clicks sounded as the sixteen soldiers of her unit clicked their weapons over to the highest setting. Alya thumbed her switch as well and then opened her auditory enhancers so that she could address the entire area... and by extension that cannibalistic thing.

"By the authority of the New Sith Imperium you are hereby under arrest for murder, sabotage, and vandalism. Drop to your stomach and keep your arms spread. You have three seconds to comply before we drop you where you stand." She further indicated her point by bringing her rifle up to point at the beast. This thing had just taken down a Sith force user; she wasn't inclined to give it much leeway.

 

[Nightmare Moon]

The Sith woman's words were amusing to Zephyr though they also made him feel sick and bitter inside. Here was a princess of hypocrites dispensing justice with one had and then committing the very same crimes that she punished with the other when it suited her. At least he had to eat to live. Zephyr did not particularly want to kill the sith soldiers as he himself had been one in a past life and he knew that they merely following orders generally took little in the way of pleasure from their work. Also Zephyr would not eat the woman she was a human not xeno and with his own twisted logic that would be an act of degenerate cannibalism. Kill perhaps but not eat. And he was NOT going back to a Sith prison.

The bag fell from Zephyrs claws - there were seventeen of them and he would need all the advantages that he could get to escape this one. Seventeen to one was very bad odds but he knew how Sith soldiers fought and died. Then with a bound so fast that it would only be visible by the Sith mistress he was gone into the trees. What followed from the left of the platoon was a 6 foot log snapped from a tree and hurled with enough force to shatter the bones of any men unlucky enough to be anywhere near its flight trajectory. Simple yet deadly! He would be long gone from that spot by the time the men managed to send their counter fire.

(Lets put this thread on hold for the moment because apparently playing a draconic force wielding bio weapon breaks a whole ton of rules)

 

[SoloWing]

Alya issued the order and her men responded, opening up their blasters upon the thing in front of them. As it turned and vanished into the the treeline, Alya issued another order: "Scatter!"

As a result of that order, the retaliatory throwing log did very little. Most of her men had disbursed from formation; only one man had the misfortune of being in the log's way. It impacted the man's leg and took him down, but the man rose to his feet, unsteadily, but surely, favoring the injured leg. It was obvious that the man wouldn't be able to move quickly at all.

"I'm fine." The soldier's voice came over the comlink. "I don't think its broken, just hurts like heck."

Alya set her jaw and began issuing another stream of orders: "Four, five, secure the space transport. The rest of you keep your eyes sharp. Shoot first and ask questions later."

 

[Rico]

Yeisha said "Tollen, take the thing." Tollen looked and said "yes ma'am" he went off in a sprit towards the beast as it threw the log. "Yeisha where are the sith troops" Tollen questioned. "They are going into flanking position, take him down now." Yeisha demanded. Tollen shot back with "shut up I'm trying he's a fast mother ****" he sped up and lunged and tacked the beast. "I got him" Tollen said. When Yeisha heard this she went sprinting towards the sith women yelling and waving her hands "hey don't shoot" as she slowed she hit her stealth suit and took out the sith troops around the women and the grabbed the women and said give me those sith books and no one else will get hurt. Plus we got your beast that killed that inccoent little sith girl if you want him back you will give us the books she had."

 

[Orphen]

Alexander had been on this planet for a little while, and as he saw an old friend of his being hunted int he forests he had intended to meet up with, he wasn't happy. He looked to the alpha unit, plugging a cord in from his mechanical eye to its neck, which then took up its position ready to fire, automatically targetting the two individuals as well as the troopers in league with them with the state of the art targeting system about two kilometers away. The zoom on the droid with Alexander hooked into its visual systems could pick out the individual graze marks on their armour.

"Command; relentless assault, do not hit friendly, fire at will..." He spoke calmly.

The Droid with its sniperrifle targetted those who were shooting as higher priority, but with the advanced movement scanning technology it prepped intercepting shots, calculated wind movement, as well as bullet drop each .5 of a second the data was reanalysed and relayed through Alexanders' eye. They were a lethal combo.

The droid fired its first shot at a trooper. Followed by another nine that would be aloft before the first shot would hit a trooper. The shots careened perfectly through the forest before the first trooper would be marked by a shot. There was 'no' laser targeting involved in this shot, as well as the distance being up angled upon an upraised cliff. And both of them were kneeling down, the shots fired in a speed of about 2.8 per second.between that 2.8 the droid could reangle its rifle and fire again just as precise as its first shot, without taking its finger off the trigger.

The first trooper would go down, and in RAPID succession the next nine as the bullets would expertly with surgical machinelike precision meet thier marks. As they had scattered it would be even harder for them to notice their downed comrades within the first two seconds of firing. The man above his friend was the last on the thread list, as well as the squads commander, as they seemed to be least offensive directly than the troopers themselves. Noted, that the droid would 'not' stop firing, and continue to circulate through all 18 targets until they were all dead, or incapacitated.

the first 9-10 would drop like flies to him, imperial troops simply had no real way to detect a sniper from so far away, and the reaction time of human beings wasn't so fast as to move to cover before shots that were already fired connected. The remaining 8-9 would have the necessary time to react and move to cover certainly.

 

[Nightmare Moon]

( OOC :Looks like this thread is contiuning anyways so sod it lets keep going and if it get shut down so be it. Also as always with my character im going to flip a coin when he uses a force power heads it suceeds- tails he messes himself up though either way it should be pretty spectacular)

Zephyr felt the armoured man wrap his arms around Zephyr's back. Zepyr smiled his mouth pulling back into a demnted rictus as he heard his old pal and fellow Sith hater Alexander put some well deserved holes in the troops (Pity about them but he was sure their master was going to go soon) . "Hold on tight you little XXXX" Zephyr growled as his wings shot out the power from his last meal leaving muscles bulging in his back as they expanded giving his wings the ungodly strength needed to fly. His wings flapped the left one smashing into Tollens head as he lifted off. Zephyr shot into the air attempting to grab Tollen with his left claw and apply just enough presure to hold the man there to watch as he WRECKED the soldiers that had tried to assult him.

Energy built up in his mouth as he looked down from the sky at the remaining soldiers he was running on pure adrenalin now and he could hear the living ones hearts beating. Zephyrs force control was not great he was like a mad ogre swinging a sledge hammer compared to a master jedi who weilded the force like a master fencer - but since his power was so raw even though it could backfire and damage him horribly it's primal intensity gave it an edge like other. SUCESS the force lightning swept out in a devastating combination of beam and ark branching to each of the living troopers and finally the jedi and the merc to fry them alive.The soldiers armour would not protect them this time and if the other two survived then he would just deal with them on the ground.

 

[SoloWing]

A round of expletives left Alya's lips as everything went to pot. Between some kid showing up and ruining their line of fire, lightning falling from the sky, and some unknown assailant providing cover fire, the long version was that they were hopelessly outmatched and done for. The short version was that they were screwed.

Many of her men were down and several more were close to it. In an instant, most of her squad had been taken out. A bolt of lightning stabbed into the earth next to her and a bullet smacked into her left arm. She grit her teeth as those muscles went dead. It was time to get out of dodge.

"Retreat to the starship, now!" She shouted over the comlink. "Four, get topside and get those engines running. Five, cover us as best you can!"

Those words lost all of their meaning as Five, Drake McGil, dropped from a shot to the chest. Alya cursed and moved for the open hatch. Four was already way ahead of her, making his way to the control center. Two more stumbled aboard, one of which had actually thought to grab the books that had started the whole mess. Alya was glad for that. It would lend a bit of proof to their story.

She hit the control board, causing the hatch to slide up and lock into place. Her good hand then retreated to hit the comm one final time. "Get us out of here, Jon!"

Jon needed no further orders. All at once, the ship was rising into the air and rocketing towards the horizon. Alya broke out the medpacs and tried to tend to her squad's wounds. Trying to explain this one to high command... was not something that she looked forward to.

 

[Orphen]

Alexander smiled at her decision to retreat, this was another victory for the grim assuming visage of the ebony black droid, that in body somewhat resembled a gangan, with its long metallic ears which held most of its sensory systems for judging wind curve and radar. His friend was safe, and raising a hand the sniper held his fire, though it still took aim.

"Sir, do i still stand at ready?" it asked, as he had programmed it to. "Always..." Alexander remarked. "Now is not the time to think they won't come for revenge. Raise the ships' shields and take up position within them, cover my back, as always, if anyone looks to attack, open fire, but i think i'll be safe. The cloak and dagger will have my back aswell." And with that, taking up a hoverbike, he began riding in the direction of the others. He may just have a new recriut, although, he wasn't sure. But he approached swiftly.