Pirate's Folly

[Rameth]

--2 Hours Prior--​

Hal looked out the starboard side of the window, hoping to make out another vessel in the void of space. It was rather doubtful that he would see one before the sensors picked it up but it made him feel better to be doing anything other then sitting around waiting for the engines to be repaired.

Getting around on these commercial transports was beginning to be more of a hassle then it was worth. Not only was privacy completely nonexistent, evident by the screaming toddler sitting in the row behind him, but things like his current situation were prone to happen constantly. There was also this nagging feeling in the back of his mind, although Hal couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

"What's that?", a small child asked, breaking Hal's gaze away from his window. The child was pointing at a window near Hal and he was bored enough to look.

Peering through the window Hal saw nothing at first, save a gas cloud probably several thousand kilometers away from them. He turned away looking down at the child who looked in wonder through the window still. She cried out to him, considering he was the only one paying any attention, to look outside once more. Hal gave a sigh and crouched down again, peering through the window.

It was then he saw what the girl was looking at, amazed he didn't notice it before. A small glint of the thruster burn was the only thing that gave it away. Hidden from sight with the backdrop of the gas cloud in the distance the missile streaked toward the vessel. Heading right toward their section of the ship Hal barely had time to react. He picked up the small child, let the Force surge through his body, and jumped sideways into the other section of the ship.

Hal was midair when the concussion missile hit the vessel. He was also still close enough to blast for it to effect him and his trajectory. The explosion flung Hal away from his intended destination and into the far side bulkhead. His head cracked against the durasteel with tremendous force. After that everything went dark....

--Presently--​

Hal's face crashed into the ground with a sickening crack. The blood that poured from his nose indicated the source of the noise. Disoriented he tried to get back onto his feet as he was roughly pulled up from the ground by four large hands. Then suddenly he was thrown down, hitting the ground with a loud thud. He rolled over onto his back just in time to see the cage above him close and lock. He groaned and positioned himself upright, looking around the cage he was just thrust into.

There was barely any light in the cage, save for the square that allowed light from the room above down. That made it hard for Hal to make out if there were any other people in the cage with him. Short quick movements around him let him know otherwise. His eyes had still yet to adjust and his head was slowly starting to clear. He decided to try using the Force to reach out, bringing what his eyes could not see to clarity.

"Hello? Who's there?", Hal asked the shapes that soon appeared in front of him.

 

[Zach]

Ruthric quietly sat comfortably on the bench attached to the wall, one leg propped up as he rested on his knee. He couldn't believe that he'd been taken by surprise by pirates, of all the things that could have captured him. It wasn't even the Jedi he thought in his head, mentally spitting at the word. Shortly after coming to himself, he heard the vague ruffling noises of a body being dragged. Perking up and paying attention, but not moving from his position, he waited until the noises came close enough to see for himself.

The guards brought a man bleeding profusely from his nose, tossing him loftily into the center of the prison. Ruthric coughed twice, more meaning to let the newcomer know that he was already present in the prison rather than clear his throat or intimidate the guards. As casually as they'd thrown him in the cage, they still seemed to keep their distance from him, though if he really wished it, he could have gripped them with the Force and smashed them against the walls. They seemed to believe he wasn't as powerful without his lightsaber, which would be their downfall.

Turning to the collapsed man on the ground as he called out, Ruthric slowly stood from his comfortable place on the bench and made his way to the man. He reached down and offered a hand, meaning to help him up. Maybe he would be able to use this man as a decoy.

"It seems you've fallen to their ambush as well, friend," he said, wanting to seem friendly so he could better cooperate with the man. After a moment though, he felt a sense through the Force. This one had a connection, and he was trained, he could tell. He felt no darkness from the Force sensitive, meaning that he would have been a Jedi. he looked rather young for a Knight or Master, so he would surely be a Padawan. Unfortunate for the individual, as Ruthric would have crushed him in an instant, but he stopped himself.

Ruthric had no idea how much training this one had, including the ability to conceal his own Force signature. Without a lightsaber, it would purely be a battle of the Force, and although he was confident in his capabilities, it would cause a fight with the pirates, and he would rather have an ally if he ended up fighting them. Narrowing his eyes and focusing on the man, he spoke up, "You're a Jedi, then..." Ruthric contemplated his options, but dived headfirst into it before over-analyzing the situation as he often did. "Ruthric Segra - Sith Marauder," he continued, still offering his hand.

 

[Insanity]

-1 Hour Earlier-​

Vaerin felt the Moonshade shudder as it emerged from hyperspace, one less hyperspace-jump down, fifteen more to go. While she was old, the Coruscanti Moonshade wasn't a pushover. What she lacked, she made up for with speed, reliability, and some really heavy auto-cannons. She also had her little secrets stowed all over, hidden from most normal means of detection. She was his home, and that made her everything he needed to get by. That and the lightsaber he always had on his person, and his armor, which he was wearing now. If an oxygen leak got sprung somewhere he couldn't fix, better safe than sorry. Anyways....

The system he had jumped to was one of those generally empty systems, just some co-ordinates that weren't near a major population center. He'd always meant to get the ship outfitted with some sensor-dampeners and maybe the new adaptive camoflauge systems that were being developed. Not enough credits and not much chance of getting any if he didn't do this run. Smuggler, scholar, informant, all kinds of things he'd tried his hand in. Smuggling was where his cash-flow came from, and people were easy to talk around when they knew who he was.... usually.

He spotted it easily enough on his scanner, a transport ship just drifting. Recently damaged, too, according to the more modern scans. He'd avoid such things, usually, but this ship was a civilian transport. He directed the controls, bringing the Moonshade in close and taking a look. There was a hole where the hull had been bust open, not by explosives so much as kinetic force. Concussion missiles had that effect, if they were overcharged. He slowed the ship down and lined up an umbilical with the burst hull, pulling on the helmet of his armor and sealing it tight. Making his way back to the airlock, he considered the implications. The risks didn't seem too major, investigating.

Then again, he wasn't always right about things....

View attachment 324

Present​

He awoke inside a cage, head ringing and feeling bruised. A check of himself convinced him that he still wore his armor and his helmet was tossed beside him. His lightsaber was missing, though, which left him with a small bit of annoyance and fear. He relied on the bloody thing, after all. He froze as he heard footfalls approaching, silhouetted shapes appearing outside the cage. The door was pulled open and one shape pushed inside, the door secured again afterwards. That brought the presence of others to his attention, as he looked around. Well, now he knew what had happened to the transport he'd boarded... somewhat.

 

[Rameth]

Hal attention shot to the man who walked over to him. He looked up at him as he mentioned an ambush. Was that what happened? He barely remembered what happened, only recalling glimpses of what happened a few hours ago. His head was still pounding in a slow rhythm. He noticed the hand the man offered at was about to grab hold when he remarked about his status as a Jedi. How did he know that? Unless he was a Force user himself. Was Hal lucky enough to meet another Jedi on board whatever ship he was caged inside?

It seemed that wasn't so. Before Hal could ask the man of his origins he blurted out the truth. Something Hal wasn't expecting in the slightest. A Sith and a Marauder at that. Hal knew the term as one that equaled the rank and skill of a Knight within his own order. He pulled his hand away slowly, instinctively down to where his lightsaber should hang. Feeling nothing Hal looked down and saw the strap that held it in place was cut, he was weaponless. No, he wasn't, he always had the Force with him.

He stood up on his own, forgoing the assistance of this Ruthric. He stumbled slightly but eventually stood upright. Turning he prepared himself for the inevitable conflict that would come between himself and the Sith. At least that's the only thing he ended up wrapping his head around, not knowing that the Sith wanting cooperation.

"What do you want from me? Is this your doing?", Hal asked aggressively, already forgetting that it was Ruthric that mentioned the ambush earlier. His head was now swimming upon standing and at the moment he thought only the danger that the Sith presented, even if that danger hadn't presented itself yet.

 

[Zach]

The Padawan had almost begun to take the offered hand of the Sith Marauder, but as Ruthric raised a slight grin over his face, the boy retracted his hand. It seemed he hadn't expected Ruthric to have been a Sith, but a Jedi. He scoffed at the fact that he'd instantly gone to his lightsaber, wondering if the boy really thought that he wouldn't have been disarmed - or that he could possibly defeat him.

"You misunderstand, Padawan. We're in similar predicaments; yours much more dire than mine," he stated, straightening his back and looking down at the captured Jedi. "You see, I, Ruthric, a Sith Marauder, and an ex-soldier of the Galactic Alliance with much stealth and infiltration experience, have been captured and disarmed. The Force is quite accessible, but who'd want to cause such a racket?" he asked, flashing a bright white smile to the now standing Jedi. "You, however, are a Jedi Padawan, likely without much experience as you don't seem to have a master nearby, and alone in the galaxy under the custody of pirates. Can you block blaster bolts?" Ruthric continued, hoping to let the fact that the Jedi needed the Sith's help sink in. With any luck, he would be intelligent and pick up on the fact that he was offering an alliance. Otherwise he'd have to go on and explain and waste time.

In a vague and distant sense, Ruthric thought he'd felt the presence of another, one that was trained and strong in the Force. Unable to feel out clearly enough with his unfamiliar surroundings and the unfamiliar presence, he decided to let it go until it became more apparent. Perhaps it would be another Force-sensitive prisoner, one that could join them. Or possibly this Padawan's Jedi Knight or Master that he'd commented on.

 

[Insanity]

"Pirates... Why pirates...?" Vaerin shook his head before pulling his helmet on, checking it over. Apparently, the pirate who had put him here hadn't figured out what it could do, aside from filter air and act as a sealed-suit. That and even trying to remove the armor would've taken too much time, when it wasn't worth the effort. They could always come claim it later, after all, or so they must've thought. Pulling himself up, he looked at the other shapes in detail. Most were ragged, a few freshly caught prisoners. They'd stuck him in a communal cell, rather than a small one. if any of those locked in here were being sold as slaves, he wouldn't be surprised. Still, he didn't plan to lose his armor or life, and he surely wasn't going to let the bastard who'd taken his weapon live. Quick or slow, either way appealed as he approached the durasteel bars, tightly built to prevent someone from reaching through with more than a few fingers.

Not Force-proof, unfortunately for whoever was on guard duty. He sensed out, the Force weaving into the lock's mechanisms and testing, looking for the one that would deactivate the magnetic seal. Distantly, two Force-presences burned in his Force sense, though he didn't reach out to verify. Instead, he finished, hearing a small buzz and the door loosening. Sliding it open, he motioned stepped out. The nearest guard, and the only one down here checking the cells, noticed immediately and reached to pull out a blaster. Vaerin smiled inside the helmet as he wrapped himself in the Force, fading from sight and confusing the poor pirate. Then a buzzing filled the pirate's senses, wearing down his resistance as he tried to get it out.

That opened his mind properly, subverted by thoughts Vaerin projected, such as 'You see nothing odd, but the cells are empty. Unseal them all.' The command was simple and amusing, something of note as the pirate started to obey. How long he would be useful was a question.

((OOC: Bleh, decided to just be straightforward and mind-rape the guard, so to speak. :p))

 

[Rameth]

Hal's head was much clearer then it was even a minute prior but he still wasn't sure he was hearing the man correctly. It seemed the Sith was willing to work together, seeing as he was in the same predicament, a captive. Yet if what he said was true why was he still in the cage? Hal was sure he could get out of the room and if this Sith, who was so sure of himself or full of himself, Hal couldn't tell, was as strong as he said why didn't he just blast the cage door off it's hinges? Now Ruthric was doubting Hal's abilities, even asking him what he knew.

"I'm not sure what that has to do with anything but yes I can. Even without my lightsaber. If your so strong why haven't you-", Hal cut himself off as the other man walked to the cage door.

The man seemed to have just woke up, like Hal, except he was obviously more experienced with their situation. Seeing as he wasn't as cautious as Hal was when he motioned to the guard. Hal immediately felt the presence of the Force within him, confusing the guards senses and sense of reality with the Force. He's a Force user as well? What was this some kind of Force sensitive prison?

The guard did as he was told and opened the gate, all of the gates to be more precise. The other guard next to him protested loudly, pulled out his gun and shot the man three times in the back. Not before he released all of the cage doors however. Most of the prisoners rushed free, quickly overrunning the guards in the holding bay despite them having weapons. There was also at least thirty prisoners now roaming through the interior of the ship, some of them armed.

It all happened so fast Hal wasn't sure what to do with himself. After most of the commotion was over he stepped out of his cell and looked around. The bay was large, very large. He quickly wondered where his lightsaber was, seeing as it was the only thing taken from him. He also needed to get off this ship, he knew the security forces wouldn't let the band of prisoners wander freely for long. Quick action was needed. He looked over at the two men next to him.

"That was...unexpected. If you really want to ally for now. I'm fine with it. Just know I'm watching you. The name's Hal by the way.", Hal directed at Ruthric. He looked over at the other man, who's name he didn't know. "I don't yet know who you are. Are you with him?", he asked wondering if he was not only traveling with Sith but outnumbered as well.

 

[Zach]

Ruthric froze as the boy started to speak again, as they were suddenly interrupted with the presence of another Force user. He felt only that his alignment was neither as strict as the Jedi Code, nor as freeborn as the Sith, and that he had exercised his power. When the gates all around them opened, he felt a small smile creep up his face and turned back to the Padawan. "I'm guessing that's not your Jedi Master, then?" he asked, confirming what he already suspected when the Padawan asked if he was his ally.

Only seconds later, could the rumbling noise of footsteps be heard throughout the corridors, the now empty cages hanging ajar as its previous residents roamed free. It seemed that the pirates had been after more than Force sensitives, as many of the humanoid-looking creatures running by seemed to be wearing little more than a loincloth, if not naked. These were slaves, and they would serve his purposes as such, whether under the custody of the pirates, or manipulated to his will.

Starting to leave the unlocked cell, he glanced at the Padawan from the corner of his eyes. "We should make our way to the bridge," he suggested, taking a step out into the forming crowd. Ruthric was bumped by several of the captives, all rushing to the exit and trying to escape, but they'd all come to a standstill, raging and pushing forward against a dead end. Snarling and grunting as they pushed against him, Ruthric looked back to the Jedi and called, "This is getting us nowhere," closing his eyes and focusing. A moment later, a burst of momentum rushed from all around him, a Protection Bubble of kinetic energy formed around his body turning into a Force Repulse, blasting out in each direction.

 

[Insanity]

Vaerin chuckled as the guards were overrun, disarmed, knocked unconcious or killed, and the prisoners rushing to freedom.. or supposed freedom, anyways. So simple, to start a riot amongst slaves and freedom-starved captives. His helmet recorded it all for later documentation, once he was away from here and found his ship. Likely, it was stored somewhere on this vessel, likely in a hangar. He directed his senses outwards, towards the levels above and below. The lifeforces he felt were spread out but numerous, too much so. Then he felt it, that familiar call coming from the crystal embedded in his lightsaber, that gave it that blade anti-light. He smiled in triumph, though his attention was soon called back as he was addressed.

The feelings surrounding the one addressing him, and another who stood near him, was like seeing two sides of a coin - the younger gave off naivette, confusion, a need for survival, compassion, and other benign feelings. And a Force presence. The older gave off a need for survival, cruelty, a myriad of other traits. The older of the two spoke then, moving towards where some prisoners had reached a standstill. Vaerin remained silent, grabbing at one part of a cage as the Force extended outwards in a blast, knocking prisoners aside and disturbing the air in all directions, to varying degrees. Once it passed, he cleared his throat. "I'm with myself, as I usually am. Curiosity brought me into this predicament, violence will lead me out. The Force is very unsettled aboard this vessel, something I intend to correct. You're a Jedi, as I've met a Knight of your order and you give off similar emotions. He, I believe, is a Dark Jedi, or Sith, by what emotions and the sense he gives in the Force. You could say I'm a mix of both sides, before you assume anything. My name's Vaerin, and I do believe that getting out of here is a good idea." Everything he said was in an amused tone, his expression hidden within his helmet behind the full-cover visor. But if either was surprised by how much he'd noticed, it would only add to it. He'd made a living as a smuggler, which had involved getting to understand the senses of people quite closely. And the Force gave away a lot more than some assumed.

 

[Rameth]

Hal knew what the Sith was going to attempt before he finished. He was going to blast away the prisoners rushing past. Why, Hal didn't know but he did know he couldn't let him hurt people just because he was annoyed. Hal did his best to wrap his own solid Force bubble around Ruthric. Hal was by no means an expert in that technique but his interruption of the Sith's technique was enough to stop the prisoners from flying away. The ones nearest Ruthric were merely shoved away by an invisible force. No serious injuries but remaining beings made sure to stay away from Ruthric after the display. Holding back Ruthric's technique took a lot out of Hal. He was suddenly tired, breathing heavily.

"You...can't just...throw people....around on a whim.", Hal tried to say between his deep breaths.

It didn't take very long for him to regain his posture. His breathing soon slowed down after he confronted the Sith. Staring him down to make sure he knew he wasn't going to falter. After making sure he got his point across, whether the Ruthric took him seriously or not, he walked past the man heading out into the hallway.

"To the bridge then. We may be able to find out where our things are once we get there.", Hal said calmly, finally gaining full control over his breathing.

In truth Hal didn't want to go along with the Sith after that last fiasco but he knew he could use his help. The other man as well, despite not knowing much about him. Walking to the hallway Hal noticed a small baton on the ground and picked it up. He would need some kind of weapon. He would rather have a blaster if he was without his lightsaber but the prisoners took them all in the commotion. Gripping the baton in his hand he stepped out into the hallway, wondering which way the bridge was.

((OOC: Zack you post going down the hallway and w/e we run into so I'm not the only one shaping the story here. Insanity can do it after that, then back to me. Feel free to do whatever you want within reason lol.))

 

[Zach]

((Sounds good to me.))

Ruthric flashed back to the Padawan with a sudden fury in his eyes. He dared intervene? He raised his arm at the boy, fingers curled sinisterly. He was about to grip the child by his throat and slam him into the metal poles of their previous prison, but decided against it. there would be no purpose in punishing the Jedi for something as trivial as this. If it happened again, however, he would do far worse than punish the boy. One would think that a Sith would retaliate with aggression or fury. He, on the other hand, would take all that he stood for and strip it down to a ragged, bloodied core of his humanity. Perhaps if the boy was taken prisoner to the Sith academy on Korriban, then he would understand, but it would be decided on a later note.

Turning away from the Padawan, he made his way down the hallway, casually waving a hand across his front to sling the slaves out of his path. Without tossing them hard enough to damage bones against the metal, Ruthric merely gripped their clothes and yanked, clearing an undisturbed path for him to approach the blocked-off exit. As he pushed past the last few people standing in the way of the locked door, Ruthric clenched his right fist, the mechanics of his cybernetic prosthetic shifting to a tensed pillar of metal. Clearing the way, he plunged it into the door, utilizing the Force and amplifying his blow with a massive burst of kinetic energy.

Hoping to pierce through the metal and blast back any opponents waiting behind it, he clashed against the metal and bent it so far inward that it curled around its edges, pulling the entire frame with it. Although he hadn't ripped through it, he'd sufficiently freed the crowd, which had instantly begun to push through upon seeing an entry way. Tired and frustrated from the dozens of slaves rushing past him, Ruthric waved off the thought of the Padawan's objections, clenching both fists and lashing outward in front of him, blasting a Force Wave that covered the corridor and flung each of the bodies forward, crashing into the guards bracing themselves at the end of the hall.

((EDIT: Btw, I don't really plan to abduct you and force you to become a Sith, that's just character perceptions.))

 

[Insanity]

Vaerin looked between the Jedi and Sith, letting amusement show in his aura. This was why he knew his course was correct, and why both philosophies were flawed far too much. He followed behind the Sith, countering the momentum of those who were forced aside, so as to prevent any tangles blocking the way. The Sith's demonstration and assault on the door and guards warranted little more than shake of his head. Far too direct, as far as he was concerned. And the slaves and prisoners getting used as projectiles. A waste of resources. "If one of us could, I don't know... organize these prisoners and send them off to make trouble, it would make recovery of possessions and then escape much more easier. That aside, I know where they're holding my own weapon, so I would assume both of yours are there as well. I would, however, assume resistance between here and there, thus my suggestion..."

 

[Zach]

Ruthric turned to face the other Force-sensitive for the first time since escaping, the matter now being of relevance to him. It seemed that they were all willing to work together, and with a certain amount of restraint, it seemed as though they wouldn't have an conflicts. Raising an eyebrow at the newcomer, Ruthric hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Very well," he said simply, turning to the slaves.

Having practiced in the Force to infiltrate the minds of weaker beings, Ruthric sensed out in a general sense, feeling the emotions and feelings of all those around him. At least, those with simpler minds around him that could be easily infiltrated and influenced. "Hear me now, slaves!" he called out, instantly grabbing their attention with his call through the Force. "These are the pirate you've been captured by, the pirates who have stricken your belongings and possessions from you and forced you into a destiny of slavery!" Ruthric slightly amplified his voice with the Force, ensuring that he would audible throughout the corridors and prisons. "Rise now, and strike back at these savages, rise now and take back what freedom was once yours!" Ruthric felt the sinister smile creep up his face, the sheer feeling of commanding a solid force of warriors. Even if these men and women were only slaves, the art of influencing those around you who want to be influenced was a valuable feat in the art of war. In a way, it was similar to an aspect of Battle Meditation, but that was a very complex and sophisticated ability that took much practice.

The slaves had taken his intent to heart, cheering and charging forward to the bridge of the ship. Fortunately, there were different corridors that led to the other side of the vessel, so it wouldn't be hard to navigate themselves about with the slaves distracting the security and crew. Turning to the Force-sensitive who'd freed the lot of them, Ruthric inclined his head, nodding in acknowledgement. "We should be free to make our way to our possessions and ships. Lead on," he said, offering an arm out for the other to take the lead.

 

[Rameth]

Hal wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Both men were sure of themselves and how they would get off the ship. Neither one held any restraint in what they did, never thinking of the consequences. This was one of the main differences of the Jedi compared to other Force users across the galaxy. Hal rather liked that. He wouldn't bring it up however, knowing that they would just mock him for taking up shackles they deemed unnecessary. He instead listened to Ruthric command the slaves as he would a small army. They rushed off invigorated by his words, aiming to take the bridge of the ship. He wondered how many of them would survive the suicide charge. As they spoke the slavers were mounting a defense against the revolt. Hal doubted this was the first one they've ever seen and doubted it would be their last.

As Ruthric agreed to follow Vaerin Hal chose to stay silent. Opting to follow the two to where Vaerin said their possessions where still held. How the man knew that Hal wasn't sure but there were many things still unknown to him about the Force. He would trust them but only because he knew they wanted to escape as well. Oh what as mess I've found myself in, Hal thought to himself following the men through the ship.

 

[Insanity]

Inside the helmet, Vaerin smiled, amused at how the Sith decided to follow his suggestion. It was tactically sound, yes... but he could tell that the Jedi had started to worry as soon as the slaves began to react, rushing down corridors towards the bridge. He suppressed a laugh and mockingly bowed towards the Sith when he motioned for Vaerin to lead. For now, turning his back to another wouldn't be too much of an issue. So he turned and walked, heading into the ship's corridors. Rather than taking them in the slaves' wake, he instead directed them towards the aft of the ship. Not towards the cargo hold but to a maintenance ladder, which he then climbed and continued to another, after which he followed a single corridor that led back towards the front of the ship. There, he stopped at a junction.

He sensed out again, feeling the presence of his weapon. It almost overshadowed the three life-forms near it, inside the same room. He realized what the room was now - an armory, holding exotic weapons that would be sold to collectors. The guards in the room were all annoyed at protecting the 'cache', but remained unaware of their danger. He rounded the corner and opened the door to the room, the guards looking his way in confusion and suspicion. The first, a Trandoshan, was thrown aside, the second's mind filling with noise as they collapsed; a Bith. And the third, a human, being flung from the room to crash into the corridor-wall. The threats unconcious or dead, he brought his lightsaber to himself with a secure grip and turned to walk out.

 

[Zach]

Ruthric followed the indifferent Jedi through the halls as he led on. He felt the nearing presence of living beings beyond the walls, expecting to run into some trouble. In an odd way, he also felt the familiar sensation of his lightsaber. The hilt that he'd created since first arriving at the Sith academy on Korriban was clear as day behind closed eyes, every crevice of the device imprinted in the back of the assassin's mind.

He trusted that the rest of his belongings were with his treasured saber, as Vaerin headed towards the same direction. Keeping pace with the man through the corridor as they reached the room, Ruthric closed his back against the wall watching as he crashed through the door to ambush the three pirates inside. Curious as to why they'd remained still in the room, not fleeing about from their orders to suppress the riot, Ruthric assumed that they had been there for a reason, likely protecting something. It must have been their armory, since they didn't seem to be expecting such a sudden attack.

The man thrashed through the pirates swiftly, finishing his infiltration with the igniting of his lightsaber. Ruthric followed in suit, pulling his own lightsaber to his hand, along with the belt of equipment and weaponry that had been taken from him. Attaching it across his belt and assorted locations about his armor and cloak, Ruthric turned to the others, nodding his head in affirmation. "Ready when you are," he said, turning to the Padawan to see if he'd located his lightsaber.

 

[Rameth]

The sudden attack confused Hal as much as it had the pirates in the armory. Vaerin dealt with them quickly, dispatching their foes before they could put up any sort of defense. Hal wished he could have given them a little warning first. He didn't even know they were about to get into a battle. The two men set off to find their respective weapons, unaware of his disapproval. Hal figured he should do the same. Like the others his lightsaber and additional equipment were all in one section, not yet valued for their individual worth. He grabbed it all, holding his lightsaber in hand instead of returning it to his belt.

He did notice something else before he turned away, a starship access card. It wasn't in the pile of stolen equipment however. It was peeking out from inside an opened locker that had "Edenu's personal equipment, TOUCH AND DIE" written on the outside. Along with the access card there was a bottle of Corellian whisky, a XXXIntergalactic magazine and a datapad. Hal chose to ignore the rest of the contents and turned to his two companions.

"I'm ready. Should we head to the hangar?", he asked no one in particular after placing the access card in his belt pocket.

They had only just stepped outside the armory when three men turned the corner far down the hallway. One of them pointed, placed his hand on his radio then yelled.

"Kill the kriffing bastards!", at his command they started shooting and running at them.

Most of the blaster bolts strayed, made inaccurate by their erratic movement and range, but one was dead on. Hal activated his lightsaber and blocked the bolt that headed for Vaerin, deflecting it into the wall. He was sure that Vaerin could have done the same but he had just reacted on instinct while standing in front of them.

"I'll take the one in the middle.", Hal stated not skipping a beat.

He rushed forward assuming the others were right behind him. With his speed enhanced by the Force he made it to them within a few seconds. He only had to block one more blaster bolt before he was within striking range. He leapt over the man, cut his rifle in half mid flip and landed behind him. A powerful Force blast followed, sending the man flying down the hallway knocking him unconscious.

((OOC: Since there's three of them that means one for each of us lol))

 

[Insanity]

Vaerin simply looked past both the Sith and Jedi, ignoring both slightly. It wasn't until they had stepped out into the corridor again that he returned his attention to the present, looking at the three assailants as they began to fire. He had just brought up a hand to re-direct one blaster bolt to the side when the Jedi intervened, blocking it with his lightsaber. The Jedi's words and apparent confidence amused him enough that he chuckled, following at a more sedate pace. His armor was more than adequate for blocking blaster-bolts, as were his reflexes. His un-ignited lightsaber rested in his right hand, making Vaerin seem less of a threat than the Jedi to the pirates.

The first was dispatched quickly by the Jedi, hurtling down the corridor as Vaerin leaned to the side to avoid an arm. Then he gripped one of the pirates, pulling them towards himself and slamming them against a wall. His attention focused on that one sentient, he tore away the pirate's weapon and held him in place. "Now that you can't cause any more trouble, let's chat, shall we? Which way to the hangar, from here, and which way to the bridge? Aside from that, who commands you lot?"

 

[Zach]

Ruthric nodded to the Padawan curtly, acknowledging that he was ready to find their ships. The assassin wasn't sure how he felt about three differently aligned Force-sensitives to be working together, but as he so often reminded himself, the Force puts everything in motion. There are no accidents. Turning and following the Grey and Light Jedi out of the room, Ruthric immediately peered out of the corner of his eyes down the hall, detecting the presence of three life forms nearby. From what he could tell, they would have had to be guards, from the rushed sense of urgency that he felt from their emotions. There was no panic, or the familiar feeling of the Battle Meditation he'd influenced over the slaves, so unless there were other guests unaccounted for, they were pirates.

Drawing his lightsaber to his mechanized right hand, activating it in a single, fluid motion, Ruthric felt out with the Force, concentrating and focusing on the man's Force signature. He felt the emotions emanating off of him, the rush of adrenaline through his veins from the incursion destabilizing a normally calmed stated of mind. He felt the intent and influences of his thought process, passively making his openness to suggestion much more so than it was. Ruthric penetrated the pirate's mind and corrupted his consciousness with the illusion that his comrades were his enemies. Suddenly, he'd felt as though the three Force-sensitives at the end of the hall were his allies, and worth protecting and working for.

This was a complex ability of the Force, requiring many days of training and honing Ruthric's skills of mental infiltration. It had begun with Force Persuasion, making the target's likeness to suggestion controllable, moving on to confusing his conscious awareness. The last step of turning one's enemies foot soldiers against their own kind involved dominating the mind to the extent of possessing a slave, but corrupting the loyalty of one worked just as well, realigning their alliances and priorities to the advantage of the Force user.

Watching as the Padawan eliminated his target, and the grey Jedi disarming and questioning his his own, Ruthric turned to the others and stated simply, "This one will work well for us. If needed, we can use him as a scout to see how heavily defended the hangar is. If nothing else, we can use to get to the bridge and take them out without ever needing to see them," he offered, suggesting the options he had in mind. Throughout his training to be a Sith Assassin, Ruthric had developed many different tactics of stealth and out of the box ideas.

Influencing the prisoner telepathically, Ruthric handed him a set of explosive charges from his equipment, ordering him to position them around the vulnerable points of the hangar. He and the group would follow him through the corridors and wait until he came back. Then they'd blow all the guard posts and take back their ships.

 

[Rameth]

Hal watched as the two men took much different approaches to eliminating the threat of their respective guards. Ruthric had dominated the mind of his mind making him take explosives and place them around the hanger. That would no doubt help them when they were finally made their way to the hanger in order to escape. Vaerin was till trying to question his guard as to the location of the bridge.

"I think we should head to the bridge. Make sure these pirates stop slaving forever.", Hal personally wanted to take the entire ship down. He was sure that the Alliance would no doubt investigate if a Jedi, even a Padawan, called them to free the slaves imprisoned here. "I'm sure the two of you would no doubt want to pay them back for bringing you here against your will?", Hal mentioned trying to see if he could play into their emotions to get them to help him. He was sure that neither one was happy with their capture. Hopefully his words would work and they wouldn't just leave him to try it alone.