All Your Docking Bays Belong To Us.

[RedneckLoves]

Aria waited calmly for whatever enemy was near to make their move. She was breathing heavily, still recovering from the battle she'd fought only minutes ago. If she wasn't still in full attack mode, she may have noticed the blood trickling down her face from the cut on her cheek or the pain in her arm where she'd caught a blaster shot. As it was, she felt no pain only excitement for the fight yet to come. She pushed the computers out of her mind, the mission would be completed one way or another. Right now her primary objective was to deal with whatever threat came through that door.

Ready as she was, she still didn't expect a bomb to come hurling through the door. It was only a small frag, but packed enough energy to send her sprawling into the side wall of the room as it detonated. She was up again in a second, sporting minor burns on one arm and her clothing smoking a little. She quickly surveyed the damage to the computers where the thing had gone off. Luckily, it had been thrown high and off center. The central computer hub was mostly intact still, though the monitor screens had been damaged and gone offline. For the moment, there was no way to know if the lockdown and security hack commands were still loading or not.

Whoever was on the other side of the door was trying to jeopardize the mission. Aria could not allow them to succeed. Gripping her claws tightly in her fists, she moved silently to the wall beside the door across from the small opening the bomb had been tossed through. "Well come in and play then, if that's what you want," she called out with a mocking tone and a chiming giggle.

 

[Narsi]

Normally he would have waited for any valuable information the two men could have provided, but Hausser was on a fire high and oozing impatience. Ryu had put a bit of distance between them when he had force-sprinted ahead and so had reached the two men alone. Hausser, despite a quick pace, had only made it in time to hear the panicked explanations mentioning a Jedi. With Aria's call for help still echoing in short term memory and the Jedi confirmation, Hausser gave into his newly acquired sense of invulnerability and charged forward, shoving past Ryu and his new informants.

Shouting, "We need to hurry, those fools will just slow us down!" Hausserr threw off his hood and began attuning himself to the force as he ran down the hall towards the control room. Leaving Ryu behind him, Hausser barged his way through the first doorway he came to without any pause.

As he went through the door, the force pulsed in warning and Hausser instantly reacted. His reaction time was amazing like always and his attunment in the force had given him pre-warning but it wasn't quite enough. Hausser threw himself up and away as a blossoming ball of heat and shrapnel went off in the doorway. The shrapnel mostly missed and only a small piece nicked Hausser's side. But the concussive force and heat smacked the tall thin Sith into the opposite wall with an almost comical crunch where Hausser collapsed to the ground, covered in a few minor burns and a slightly smoking black cloak.

The explosion decimated the doorway leaving a jagged hole and shrapnel covering the walls. floor, and ceiling and a small amount of dust in the air. At the wall, Hausser groaned as he flickered in and out of consciousness. He wasn't sure of the damage yet but he could feel a multitude of injuries throughout his body and he knew his battle capability had just been substantially decreased. For now he could only lay there in shock and pain as he felt the irony thickening in the air. Hausser groaned as he thought back to a childhood nickname, "Yup, I'm a Rakkin Wreck again."

 

[Aibhne Tibbot]

Only seconds passed:

He listened to the obscure story his frag's boom told, waiting for the sounds of the aftermath to inform his reaction. It was unclear. No overt groaning or telltale defeat. Though neither did he hear protest to innocence. His violence once again proved justified with forethought. He heard her scurry closer, choosing to stay inside the room rather than charge him. Heard her breathing even heavier. His eyes rolled into the backs of his skull in ecstasy of those soundwaves beating against his ears, her breath breaking barriers and spiriting his mind into the ethereal - The Force - a sweet spot between focus and total relaxation. He could almost picture her lips as hot air bloomed off her breath.

Aibhne stealthily and slowly turned to face the wall, in a trance. Her on one side, he on the other. His arms circled down into his sides, upturned claws reaching out towards the wall.

The woman knew not whom she now faced. Though she had quickly recovered, she had previously been close to the computer console when the frag had impacted and thus would likely be ignorant to the possible concussion she could have sustained. Her senses might not be prepared to react. Her hearing could be impaired. Her body might be sluggish to her mind's impulses. Yet she called out to him then her challenge, desperate, and acknowledging herself his enemy.

As though cupping his palms behind her head and embracing it to his chest with divinely murderous intent, his arms suddenly pumped his pulling fists inwards - her telekinetically yanked head to be at once bashed against the wall she stood beside. An abrupt application of the Force.

Aibhne's eyes recoiled back into reality and looked up at the wall before him in anticipation of the knock he expected to hear from her head hitting the wall. He stood upright and prepared to walk towards the ajar entrance after a moment in pause when suddenly his senses flared alarm. His land mine blew and Aibhne cowered to the rupturing force from down the hallway as bits of splattering wall even made it as far as where he stood. He looked back and saw destruction, wondering if it was the bumbling idiots who just blew themselves up or if it was... No. Wait. He could sense them vaguely in their darkness. They had come...

 

[Tsunami]

A first bang, in the distance and certainly in the direction they were headed. "Aria, What was that?" He shouted down the comlink, his voice not sounding worried but interested. Death was an inevitable part of life and he could only hope that if his ally had met hers it was with dignity and honour. Hausser pushed past him, eager and pumped up, yet Ryu wished he had waited, and Hausser would be too.

A second bang, much louder now and much closer. "YOU FOOL!" Ryu roared, as he broke the neck of the man in his grip, his body falling limp before being left to fall to the ground. He would have the second of the two lead the way now, returning to a jog he kept the man close to him, making sure there was no way he would get away. Hausser just lay on the floor as he passed, he couldn't bare to look at the waste of space, the impatient and incompetent pyromaniac.

It wasn't long before Ryu was almost upon the man, the guard he was being escorted by almost in a hurry to reach the Jedi, as if he would somehow be able to save him. The control center was not to far away now, and as they turned a bend the Jedi came into sight. Roughly thirty meters away from him a man in armour stood, a beacon of the light and surely a worthy opponent. However, Ryu wanted this over fast, but wouldn't kill the man if he could help it. With only one way out and the possibility a two on one, Ryu paused, gripping the man by the back of the neck, and retrieving his hilt from his belt.

"Honourable Jedi. I applaud... No, i respect your bravery. Even if you were not sure you must have assumed, that there were more of us, yet you stayed to fight and defend anyway. That is your way." He waited for the man to turn around, and made sure he paused often through his sentence in order to make sure no funny business went on. "I don't wish to kill you. However that is because you are a man of value. Drop your weapons and come with us, or i will kill this man. He has no value any longer." Again he spoke, pausing often out of caution. It was uncommon for Ryu not to charge in, however the man was valuable alive, the information in the coming war far to great to be passed up.

 

[RedneckLoves]

Aria was quickly becoming impatient. Sure she was trained to be sneaky, stealthy, and silent, but she'd been sitting staring at the opening to the door for what seemed to be much longer than necessary since the frag went off. Obviously there was someone outside the door, but she heard nothing, smelled nothing, saw nothing. In battle, she was always quick and efficient. The same could be said of her performance today, but now this unknown enemy was wasting time. Time better spent verifying that her commands had gone through before the computer terminal was partially blown up.

Reminding herself that there was no way for whoever it was to get through the door without meeting her claws first, Aria slowly pulled in a deep breath to calm herself. Adrenaline pumping through her veins was keeping her heart rate up and she wished like hell something would happen already. That thought was just crossing her mind when suddenly she found herself on the floor. Spots clouded her vision and intense pain shot through her head. Rolling on her side, Aria threw up and groaned in pain. She seemed to be spinning and couldn't make sense of anything.....

 

[Aibhne Tibbot]

Confirmed. He heard her skull knock the wall, followed by a clattering collapse. He presumed she was down and, perhaps foolishly, put her out of his mind; focusing on the incoming footsteps.

He rocked from one leg onto the other, turning about-face.

Surprise swelled his stare as he watched the Sith walk his prisoner by the neck into sight, like a dog. A stout mass of steel, the Sith plodded into place in true form. Aibhne grimaced, then quelled that baser emotion. Unbecoming.

He begrudgingly listened to the Sith's entire oration. Breathing a deep sigh of discontent. Thoughts swarmed. Pros and cons. Jedi creed listing off in the gaps of the Sith's gall, Aibhne's right eye developed a tell-tale twitch. Instincts begged for haste in action, but better judgement reconsidered. Save the energy. He had to think of himself if he were to succeed in this. Whatever this was. Decision made. For the greater good. His role was to report this to Jedi leadership, a burden far more important than one life.

"...Your sacrifice won't be made in vain," he coldly said to the man.

Then he started walking straight towards Ryu, deadpanned. Strange that the Sith was respectful and honoring while the Jedi was neither, Aibhne holding all wretched Sith in contempt despite his generous words. Right hand meeting left wrist before him, he turned on his S.O.S. locator beacon with a press of a button. He didn't expect anyone to pick up the signal in time, but covered his bases. Lightsaber in right hand raised ahead of him as left hand retrieved his second lightsaber but did not ignite it.

As his opening attack:

Meanwhile, Aibhne would build a small amount of the Force in his leading right hand; then use it to modestly push the prisoner into Ryu.

 

[Tsunami]

It was a tough call that the Jedi had to make, but he was correct in a way, the needs of the many did outweigh the needs of the few, and as the Jedi spoke his less than comforting apologetic words. Ryu ignited his lightsaber and severed the man almost clean in half, his body falling to the floor as the parts of him still connected tore and his life left his body but seconds later.

Ryu was not one for ideal threats, he was a man of his word and the Jedi paid for his lack of interest in an innocent mans life. He couldn't help but wonder how different the Jedi and Sith were, that maybe the centuries of war had blurred the line between what was good and evil. Yet it didn't matter now his body was poised to and ready for combat, he had allowed the man a stay of execution, the kindest thing he had done in years on the battlefield.

He held his lightsaber in his right hand, it returning to hang by his side, while his left hand remained free and ready to grab his second hilt if needs be. He could feel a small manifestation of the force bubbling, yet could not pinpoint what it was to be used for and before he knew it, he was forced to take two steps backwards as a less than aggressive force push hit his sturdy and heavy stance.

As the Jedi approached him, he turned slightly side on, his right side and blade being that which he left exposed and the target, much smaller than it would of been had the hulking man stood front on with his opponent.

"And it begins."

 

[RedneckLoves]

Aria was in confused dreamland. Images flitted through her unconscious brain randomly and without purpose. She saw Nataar, her previous commander and lover. She saw his ship, the ship she had lived on for most of her childhood and her entire adult life up until the tragedy. She saw her sister, young and strong before she died. She saw the SBZ brother... Alistair. She saw a dark and quiet control room and smelled smoke. She heard an electrical buzzing. Her mouth was dry and she smacked her lips together, vainly searching for some morsel of liquid.

Now her head hurt. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to diminish the pain but it wouldn't go away. Her hand touched her forehead as if physical touch may help. Aria's eyes blinked open and then shut again. It was bright and blurry. Slowly, she tried again somehow knowing it was important to open her eyes but not really understanding why. It took a few long moments to adjust, but soon she did have her eyes open. She moved her head to the side and looked around. It was a control room. Something had exploded. She shut her eyes again as the pain in her head got worse.

That's when it came back to her. She was on a mission. For the Sacred Band of Ziost. There were Sith with her. A Jedi had found them. He must have been the one to throw the frag in at her. As all of these thoughts and realizations and memories bombarded her mind, she heard voices outside the door. She was right next to it and it was slightly open, so she could hear them quite clearly. It was then she realized the electrical humming she heard wasn't the computers, it was coming from lightsabers out in the hall. Sith and Jedi had met and battle was about to be waged.

Knowing she may be needed to aid her partners in the fight, she sat up carefully and located her claws. It took agonizing moments to stand, but stand she did and made ready to enter the hallway. The pain in her head had gotten considerably worse the more vertical she forced herself. She hope the Sith out there felt better than she did, or they may in fact be in trouble.

 

[Narsi]

Hausser felt his body scream a protest as he finally dragged himself into a sitting position. For a moment he simply sat against the wall as he beheld the jagged hole directly opposite from him. Looking around, he got a good glimpse of shrapnel embedded in various parts of the hall and an exploration of a burning pain in his right side revealed a deep gash. Tenderly clumping his cloak around the wound, Hausser began stretching out his limbs, looking for more injuries.

His inspection revealed that he was mostly fine. He had found one cracked rib but his extremeties were thankfully intact barring some major bruising. Relieved Hausser licked his lips, surprised when he tasted blood. Another self exam centered on the face revealed a bloodied and broken nose which Hausser quickly seared shut with a flick of his wrist. Hausser sighed in relief as he finished, the burning sensation was a familiar one that actually brought him a small degree of comfort. He had yet to notice the minor burns on his chest and side for that very reaspm, probably wouldn't for quite some time.

The sound of not one but two lightsabers humming is what inspired Hausser to finally put some effort into standing. To the best of his knowledge, Ryu only used one saber and Aria didn't have one which meant that Ryu was probably engaged with the Jedi nearby. Hausser groaned slightly as he pulled his feet beneath, then used the wall to attempt levering to his feet. He had to pay back someone for that booby trap.

 

[Lamper]

Aibhne cringed painfully to the man's evisceration, not out of sorrow for the lost soul but out of failure to himself. The man would travel into the Force, as all did who weren't damned for oblivion. Aibhne would carry this sin, among all others, to his grave. But not this day.

He'd managed to back the Sith up a step or two. Good. The Sith wouldn't commend his valor if he knew what Aibhne was planning. His left hand, two fingers and thumb (unignited lightsaber pinched to palm by pinky and ring finger), pulled another orb from his rear belt pouch; trying to hide it from Ryu as Aibhne engaged.

Aibhne lunged onto his left leg, the leg angling ahead on a diagonal towards the exit, as he thrusted his right lightsaber tip straight forward at Ryu's bicep - to only slice through the side of the arm, no deeper. As he did, Aibhne simultaneously lobbed the orb to his left also towards the exit.

It was a flash grenade. But only Aibhne would know that. To the naked eye, if quick enough to even notice the waist height lob, it would look like Aibhne was throwing a grenade so that he might suicidally move towards it himself.

If possible, Aibhne would keep his gaze angled towards Ryu as Aibhne progressed towards the exit so that the flash would erupt just behind him then, off an angle so that there was clear visibility for Ryu to be blinded (or perhaps for his visor to be fried). Hausser would be blinded if he looked towards the entrance with Ryu in sight. And if Aria emerged from the control room in the next couple seconds, she too would be blinded to a lesser degree. If she took longer, she would not be blinded; but by then Aibhne would be positioned to make his strategic move.

 

[Tsunami]

Where are those two when you need them, unhelpful whelps. Ryu thought to himself has his opponent approached him. It was only a duel, a simple one on one, the man was not too big, then again compared to Ryu no one really was. Yet this one was more cunning than other knights or even generals that Ryu had fought over the years, he would have to be on guard, take in the entire situation as they happen and fight smart rather than brutally.

Suddenly without warning the Jedi began to move, followed by a bright flash that rendered the Sith blind, if not momentarily. Before he could fully move he felt the searing hot plasma of a lightsaber piercing into his bicep, would he be able to have full functionality, no. Would he need it, likely not.

As soon as he felt the blade touch his skin he used the information he had processed over the last few seconds, he may be blind, but the Jedi had left many tells as to the attack. His right blade was ignited, the throwing of an explosive meant that the strike came only from the right arm, and the fact that he was coming onto his left foot meant the blade was likely coming across his body. Ryu would counter, and in doing so he would take the man’s arm, well part of it at least.

From his side on pose he rotated clockwise quickly, stepping outwards from the blade only slightly. Simultaneously to this he would blindly rip his second hilt his hand was on from his belt, firing it into ignition as his left arm lifted in the only direction the blade could possibly be held in, this would be further aided by his opponent moving forward to the other side of Ryu, but the nature of a lunge and the speed of a spin as well as the bang from the grenade so close to his opponent having some residual effect on him also, meant that Ryu would likely be take his opponents lower forearm off, however he couldn’t be sure where he cut the man truly.

Ryu was still in trouble, blind and unable to defend himself for the next few seconds, he would likely fall victim to a fatal blow if his companions did not show up soon.

 

[RedneckLoves]

Aria moved quickly to the door and stepped out to survey the situation. The big Sith Ryu and the Jedi who had attacked her were facing off in the middle of the hallway. Just as she got her bearings, a huge flash went off and she was on the floor once again, this time blinded by the flash bomb.

 

[Narsi]

His aching pains faded sufficiently Hausser had quickly driven himself forward towards the sounds of the lightsabers. While his rib sent a stabbing pain with every step, Hausser focused on the pleasing sting of his burns and inched forward. He had just caught sight of Ryu's armored figure, closing quarters with another figure holding a lightsaber before the flash went off. Hausser roared in pain and shock as he was blinded and fell back flailing against the wall. Hausser roared again as he nudged his cracked rib and pain returned in full to his body.

Another sound cut through his own pain though, the sharp whirr of a lightsaber meeting resistance and Hausser fell the familiar scent of something burning. Thinking rapidly, Hausser recalled what he had seen last. The Jedi was lunging at Ryu and Hausser realized what the burning smell most likely was. Hausser scowled and shoved himself off the wall, as pleasing that acrid scent was, he would much prefer it coming from the enemy.

While He was still blind and a new headache was stabbing into his skull, Hausser reached for the force, pushing the pain away, it was his turn now. Hausser faced forwards towards his target using Ryu's familiar aura to make sure he was facing the correct direction. To his dismay, he couldn't get a very precise location for the Jedi, despite Ryu's easy location. Hausser shrugged, you couldn't make a fire without burning something.

Hausser threw his hands and arms out to either side, wincing at the sudden motion, and gathered the force around him like a storm. Closing his now-useless eyes, he felt once more for Ryu to make sure of his general direction before bringing his hands back together in front with a loud clap. The action released the gathered energy sending it all forward as if fired from a cannon, funneling off the walls and celings down the short hallway in a massive force push designed to send everything in its path flying as if smacked with a giant hand. Unfortunately, the wave was also heading right for Ryu, and too a lesser extent, Aria who was still crumpled on the ground. Any attempt to dodge would be near useless due to the hallways close quarters and the size and speed of the force wave.

 

[Aibhne Tibbot]

He only wanted to escape...

But the fools played with fire...

See how they burn...

Previously Aibhne had stepped left, diagonally. His right arm had crossed the thrusted stab from a safe distance, only grazing Ryu's arm with the tip of his lightsaber at maximum wingspan. Thus Aibhne's right arm had continued crossing, in towards Aibhne's left and away from Ryu's following counter. And Aibhne's left arm had curled in and forward after having tossed the flashbang, with unignited hilt in hand; having naturally twisted over with the tossing motion.

Aibhne's exposed areas felt the hot flash of the frag behind him, his left leg seared, his vision only slightly impaired as:

Aibhne's left thumb primed the ignition button of the previously positioned secondary lightsaber, beam harmlessly extending in the direction of Ryu's abdomen. Ryu's lightsaber had upwardly grazed Aibhne's right phrik gauntlet, denting the metal and sending Aibhne's right hand up with a teeth-grinding cry of pain. Which meant Ryu's lightsaber had swung upright in the process, while Ryu's other lightsaber was defunctly pointed straight down. Which likely meant that both sabers would be held there when, suddenly, a massive force was propagated through the hall.

Aibhne and Ryu were just inside the doorway and therefore at the base of the long narrow hallway, Hausser then at Aibhne's back and the close wall then at Ryu's back. Hausser's eruption of Force could only send both Aibhne and Ryu in one direction: towards that close wall opposite the doorway. Ryu's sabers had been positioned just before the blast, one up and one down. Aibhne's sabers had been positioned just before the blast, one up and one pointing right at Ryu's abdomen. And while Ryu would be thrown back, slamming against the wall, Aibhne would be launched like a spear to impale the exposed body of the Sith. In an instant.

Neither of them could refute the power of Hausser's unexpected blast.

And flash grenades didn't just blind, they disrupted the senses. Ryu would likely be blind in every sense of the word to his imminent debilitation. Eyes. Blinded. Ears. Ringing. Force connection. Disrupted. And with Hausser's Force attack, Ryu would likely be physically immobile and utterly defenseless before likely feeling the freezing pain in immobilizing shock of plunging plasma.

Aibhne's right elbow would likely and unintentionally jam into the side of Ryu's neck, Aibhne's arm cushioning his face from impact; Ryu likely taking both a smack from the wall and Aibhne's body blow.

 

[Tsunami]

The moments seemed slower without his senses, even though he and his opponent were moving as fast as they could, things seemed calm. It was almost peaceful and Ryu had not been at peace for many years. His mind returned to his tortured body and the teachings of the Sith as his blade raised in the hopes of severing the Jedi’s arm. Then as if the cherry on the cake, his blade met something solid, not the bone of flesh he had intended and in that moment he knew, it was all over.

Where were my allies? He thought to himself, but he knew the answer. Sith had no allies and upon that feeling of being so alone he felt the blade sear into his lower body, right before another shock to the system was felt, the blade ripping slightly through him before exiting out of him the way it came as a wave of force slammed into his body. It was powerful enough that it cracked the armour, like a rocked propelled Vibroblade it struck the armour bending it inwards into his already useless right arm.

The lightsabers flew from his hand, their blades extinguishing as the light finally returned to his eyes and sound returned to his ears just in time to see his face crashing into the floor of the facility, the useless body of the Sith no longer able to stop himself as his body rag dolled along the cold metallic surface.

The impact had send his mask flying, the glass cracking inwards as shards peppered his cheeks and lips before he lay there, his eyes gazing upon the mask of Mandalorian design, a homage to the family that he had lost all those years ago. In that moment his mind drifted, thoughts of his sisters and how he had failed to protect them, but how he would find them again before a single tear rolled down his cheek, his eyes closing and he drifted to sleep.

It was impossible to tell if he was unconscious or dead, he had made little sound and his body was as if lifeless. Yet a feint pulse remained. A feint flicker of hope, enough to keep his heart beating. For now though he dreamt and relished in the peace the Jedi had brought him if only for a moment.

 

[RedneckLoves]

Aria was blind. Blind and deaf. She felt weightless, as if floating peacefully along a river or upon wisps of cool wind. The feeling brought thoughts of birds flying happily in the air and trees rustling and bending softly in a gentle breeze...

The first sensation to come back to her was touch. She felt the impact as she slammed against a wall, viciously bruising her side and right arm. The next was sound. She heard several people, including herself, gasping or crying out in pain. Taste came next and she felt a sense of dejavu as her lips smacked together once again in vain search for moisture. Memory returned before her sight did. This was not the first time today that she had been knocked unconscious, and she was certain the same man responsible for the first time was behind this one as well.

Finally, her sight began to clear. White spots still floated in her vision, but she could see at last. Taking in the scene, what she saw was not necessarily heartening. The skinny pyro Sith was at the end of the hall and seemed to be responsible for the meeting with the wall she had taken. He'd done it to get the the Jedi, though, she could see that much as well. The big armored Sith was down and underneath him, the smell of burning flesh and the smoke coming from one of his plated arms didn't bode well for him.

Aria's concentration was stolen from all other things when her gaze met the Jedi. Thoughts and images raced through her mind, the frag going off and destroying the computer monitors-possibly endangering their mission, waking up from her first unconciousness and knowing it was he who had done it, and that blinding instant before she'd fallen again which he was surely responsible for. Aria was angry. Furious. The only time she'd ever been this fueled by pure rage was when her crew and family were being murdered by the Sith.

Without even thinking about it, her hands reached out and took hold of her claws. Fists clenched like death grips, she stood and stalked across the hall towards her wounded enemy. With no thought in her mind except to kill this wretched man, she pounced on his body and went for the soft spots, his jugular and his midsection, with all the strength she could muster.

 

[Eccles]

"What do you mean there's a fire!?" Davik yelled in disbelief. He had gone all the way to Cadinth, the farthest place in the galaxy's armpit for all he was concerned, because it was home to a smuggling operation that, as opposed to those in his own sector, hadn't blacklisted him. If there was something he needed badly, it was his hands back on some illicit goods that would allow him entrance into the right underworld markets. However straightforward that might've been in any other circumstance, Davik's bounty had prevented him from landing at the spaceport in fear of being recognized as a wanted man and due to a sandstorm east of town he had been running late. So late in fact, that it seemed his contact had set fire to the docking bays..

The petite Rodian he had adressed was still shaking in his legs from what he had seen, "Sith, Jed, they're murdering everyone" the rodian stammered and much to Davik's displeasure that wasn't exactly the answer he was looking for "what about, let's say" he dropped his voice slightly "cargo, it's still good?" but the Rodian didn't seem to understand and just stared at him "f-f-fire, Sith kill innocent people" it stammered again.

"Yes yes, I know. Very sad, but what about the goods? Did you see crates whose owners died?" Davik inquired "It's terrible ofcourse, but did you see any unclaimed-"

 

[Narsi]

Hausser let out a ragged gasp as the fatigue hit him and he was forced to lean against the wall again while his senses fully returned to him. Hausser's vision returned and he took a moment to wipe the rapidly pooling sweat away from his eyes before looking up to take a gander at the results. His eyes found the two combatants crumpled in a pile right next to the far wall. The burning smell was stronger than ever and Ryu looked to be out for the count, injured and pined by the Jedi on top of him. The hall itself was devastated and the far wall was pockmarked where various objects had smashed into its surface.

Hausser nodded and closed his eyes, letting the wall take more of his weight as he waited for some strength to return and the final spots to clear his eyes. It looked like his attack had worked, taking out both the Jedi and Ryu in one swoop. Hausser was sure that Ryu would be alright with some time and besides, the Jedi was surely down for the count after a hit of that magnitude. His panting had started to subside when a flash of rage rang like a bell through the hall. Hausser snapped his eyes open to see Aria, on her feet and surveying the room. In truth Hausser had forgotten about her and was relieved that someone else would be there to carry out the deadweights. He had just opened his mouth to shout a greeting when the SBZ member grabbed her weapons and went right for the Jedi.

Hausser felt the rage blossom as he watched Aria dive towards her target and he felt the killing intent leak out of her pores. Hausser pushed off from the wall and charged forward shouting , "Stop we need him alive!" but the fatigue, still present throughout his body, was slowing him down and he could only watch as Aria pounced, her claws raised for an attack.

Still, Hausser forced himself forward, ignoring his throbbing muscles and aching lungs. As he took another step a thought occurred, what if the Jedi wasn't down? Cursing under his breath, Hausser pulled his lightsaber from his belt and continued, drawing nearer to the scene with every step.

 

[Sreeya]

"Kriff, Davik!"

Talia slammed her hand on the console, then immediately checked to see if she broke anything. The little shitstain had been a massive thorn at her side. He'd had a very delicious bounty on him, but he proved to be quite a pain to catch. The bounty hunter had been chasing him to various corners of the galaxy. Her run in with Diva unintentionally provided her with a better lead, but the man was as elusive as ever. This time, the weasel managed to go all the way out to Cadinth. The planet served little to no purpose, almost entirely covered in deserts and vast fields of nothing. However, Talia had heard about a smuggling operation taking place here some time ago. Her intel from Republic space also told her that Jedi were going to be dragged into this mess, but that was none of her business. She was here for one thing and one thing only: Davik Lorso.

As soon as she had landed, prepared to go after him, she noted the distress signal. She had promptly slammed her gloved hand on the console, realizing her curiosity would temporarily take her off Davik's path and let him slip again. She grabbed her weapons, adorned in full armor. Her HUD picked up her surroundings and she immediately made her way towards the source of the signal. Talia had no idea what had been happening or who was involved, but she wasn't one to let an opportunity slide. Her guess was that this was some altercation involving various smugglers. She hoped to be able to capture them and bring them to justice for a nice fat paycheck. Who knows, perhaps it would be a bigger payout than the idiot Lorso by himself.

By the time she had arrived on the scene, it was clear there had been an explosion of sorts. Thick plumes of smoke rose in the air, and Talia was even more curious, preparing her blasters. Small knives and vibroblades were also on her person at all times, though she hoped to not have to use them. Right as Talia stepped closer, she spotted her target. Her eyes widened under her helmet as she spotted Davik. Unfortunately, he had spotted her too. In what she could describe as the girliest noise ever, the criminal squeaked and disappeared into the smoke filled building. Talia cursed loudly, following in hot pursuit, no pun intended.

"DAVIK GET BACK HERE!"

She followed the man inside, jumping into the hallway and closer towards where the explosion had taken place. Talia came inside and skidded to a halt as she spotted the others there. Davik left her thoughts immediately, as she spotted a man on the ground, a half crazed Sith rushing at him. There was another obvious Sith with yellow eyes standing against a wall, lightsaber prepared as he made his move towards the Jedi. Talia understood exactly what was going on, drawing a blaster and pointing it at the Sith that had his saber drawn and focused on the Jedi.

"Step back from him, you creepy little shit."

If he took any further step towards the Jedi, she would fire off 3 shots in quick succession directly at his head.

 

[Aibhne Tibbot]

With crushing force, his body was like butter. He was lost in a daze. Eyes tired. Eyesight a blur. Right lid stuck tight. The tunnel was spinning as he was reborn. With cognizance came discomfort. Discomfort crept closer to stinging pain. He silently winced but could not move. He tensed internally; tongue pushing his teeth apart, metallic taste sending signals to smell with a red stain across his left cheek. Nose leaking, crimson smeared into mouth and onto chin, his breath seemed to warm the blood renewed. Chest caught in a bind, his dented armor stifled full breadth. Ribs could be cracked. Or just bruised, Force willing. His heart thumped, and with it surged a dozen pinpricks across every extremity.

It would take him just a couple seconds longer than Aria to revive, here meaning look around with his eyes only, and she'd been sent further down the corridor with the very same wave. So it would take her a moment to get back onto her feet, regain sight and sound, recover her claws, and then close the distance towards him.

Thank the Force, it was enough time for him to notice she was enraged and in full charge; his thumb resting against the piece at his right thigh.

Aibhne struggled. He didn't know where he was, where he'd landed on the floor despite partially lying on top of Ryu's limp body, nor what'd happened to his lightsabers. So he mustered his remaining strength to pull out his sidearm so close to hand, point the blaster with a lazy wrist, and double click the trigger.

pew-pew

Aria had been rushing towards Aibhne in a narrow hallway with no exits in reach, had opened her claws out like a feral beast after sustaining something akin to a concussion in a senseless rage, no doubt stumbling after having taken two concussive jolts, and - before she could reach Aibhne - faced two blaster bolts to the gut.

Please don't fall on me, he prayed...

If he'd successfully dealt with Aria:

Aibhne's arm would then fall to his side. His feet pointing towards Hausser, Aibhne would drag his cheek down against the floor to see whose voice he'd just heard. His right hand would be shaking, already pointing down in his direction, as it would try to lift up again and aim towards Hausser.