Corsin - Teething Pains

[Osk Torlaug]

Osk set her freighter down in the spaceport on Corin, with the care one would expect of a mother putting her newborn child to bed, before powering down the systems in preparation for disembarkation. While she hadn’t been living on the freighter since tying herself to the Empire, it was still the closest thing to home for the wandering Kiffar.

It was her first time back in Imperial space since leaving her homeworld of Kiffu all those years ago and not something she had anticipated doing ever again. Her restless nature, however, had seen her moving to Korriban and since joining up with the Old Empire a year ago she had gone through a concentrated course at the academy that included military protocol among other things. And although she had thoroughly enjoyed her fighter pilot training, this mission called for a subtlety that didn’t scream ’woo hoo look at me the saboteur!’

Piloting her own freighter rather than a starfighter she appeared to be civilian in nature rather than military. Her first solo mission. She wasn’t sure if it was the usual practice or something designed especially to test her loyalties. Either way she was fine with whatever motivated the directive and she kept her suspicions in check just focusing on her objective. With the upcoming invasion of the Republica several operatives had been sent into the territory to take out minor communication and sensor arrays along the route support convoys would be traveling rather than that planned for the main fleet. It was a strategically sound plan designed to lessen the range of sensory capabilities increasing the time in which their forces could remain undetected as they penetrated Imperial space.

It was actually the perfect opportunity for Osk to show what she was capable of without having to be under the thumb of an overseeing Crusader or hindered by some wet behind the ears acolyte who would let their zeal land them both in hot water. Having been self reliant basically all of her life, the woman wasn’t intimidated by going it alone and rather preferred it that way. Unfastening the safety restraints, she rose from the pilot’s seat and exited the cockpit to gear up. Her usual attire would actually be perfect to further dissuade the notion that she was anything but a wanderer seeking to take on supplies and perform a bit of maintenance before heading on her merry way.

Mismatched garments and a raggety cloak she looked more rag picker than Sith. The saber secured to her belt at the small of her back was quite hidden from view, though the DH-7 secured to her side would dissuade the foolish from believing she was unarmed and an easy mark. The only bit of her armor that actually matched were the dueling gloves, and as she pulled them on she slipped a few explosive packs into the pouch hanging from the other side of her belt. With the location of the objective firmly in her mind, her astromech droid lowered the gang plank and Osk exited her craft to take in the scene within the port.

The city was rather small but intelligence operatives had reported upon the location of the sensor array in this remote area rather than the main space port in the capital city. Had Osk been tasked with picking a likely place to set up such a sensory station she too would have chosen this podunk town. Passing by the few workers on the docks who were busy directing laden repulsor lifts too and from the various crafts in the port, she stepped out into the city to get her bearings.

The space dock jutted out over a large body of water, a river that cut through the interior before emptying out into an inland sea she could just make out as a blue haze upon the horizon. She could see some Selligore grazing along the shallow water’s edge, the sprawl of the city stopping well before encroaching upon their feeding grounds. Even though the place was not a huge metropolis, the place could still support a fairly large marketplace that appeared to be doing a bustling business. Her target, however, would be on the other side of the city, past the residential areas and that of the local government to an ore refinery on the outskirts of the city. With any luck she would be in an out of the facility and back on board her ship within a few hours time.

@Denzein

 

[Harren Skaalvarg]

What a dump.

It was a wonder that military strategies that decided the fate of billions could revolve around tiny cities like this one, insignificant backwaters where countless numbers of people of all species, colour and creed lived out their small, pointless lives. Nobody looked like they enjoyed living here, their eyes were grey and dull and lacked the spark of life. It was a depressing place to be.

Which made Harren's reasons for coming here that much more suspect. He sat at an outside table on one of the dockside cantinas, nursing a small cup of caff as he observed the newcomer idly. He wasn't on the mission, he wasn't even really supposed to be on the world - but being one of the Order's most advanced acolytes did grant a few perks. Arianna was requesting him personally for a mission along the main offensive, and that gave him a few days to himself outside the confines of his quarters in the academy...

Which was why there was a two metre tall Deucalian, with arms thicker than some trees and a great messy rope of dreadlocks and braids for hair, bearded and with icy blue eyes, sitting at some grimy little table in a shabby little bar in the middle of nowhere. He'd not worn Sith attire, opting for his simple Deucalian wanderer's clothing (gauntlets included), though he had his two favourite weapons on him as always - his Deucalian hunting knife and his lightsaber strapped to his belt, not hidden in the slightest. Despite that oversight, he wasn't being paid the slightest bit of attention to... Most people weren't spending time staring at a random patron in a bar, after all.

In truth he'd not been back to Korriban in some time now. Harren was a fighter, and he'd managed to find all sorts of inventive excuses to not go back and read - much to Arianna's despair. She wanted him to learn more about the witches of Dathomir, to follow in her sorcerous footsteps, and part of him was absolutely intrigued.

The other, distinctly more nordic side of him scoffed at the idea.

She was a Kiffar, this green acolyte whom the master's had sent on this little test. She was favoured, then, to be trusted with something that actually affected the war, no matter in how insignificant a way. She blended in well to the city crowds, but she could not hide from Harren. He'd sensed her the moment she arrived, it was the very reason he was sat at that table - so he could concentrate. He was here to help her, watch her, assess her for his own curiosity's sake. He wanted to know how far he'd come since setting out on his own journey, and thought he'd picked a fairly worthy measuring stick in this woman.

It was best that nobody asked how he'd found out about the mission, he didn't want heads to roll back in Intelligence. He liked being able to pull the odd insignificant favor here and there...

 

[Osk Torlaug]

One thing that did work in her favor, however, was the river wound its way in a huge curve beyond the city before it widened into the estuary that fed the sea. She stopped before a Besalisk preparing food with a fairly primitive outdoor cook fire going upon which a large iron plate was perched. Its slightly curved surface provided a shallow bowl within which the most fragrant of smells was coming. Osk ordered up a portion of the dish, which turned out to be some local seafood in a spicy sauce. Grabbing up a cool bottle of some local brew with one of her right arms, the elderly cook’s other three hands occupied themselves with dishing up the food into some sort of flat bread and throwing in some mix of fried vegetables on top. Deftly the bread was rolled round the food and wrapped in paper. Osk paid the woman and said, ”Thank you, grandmother”, before taking her lunch with her to walk on through the city.

As the Besalisk had been preparing her food, the Kiffar had been gazing fondly at the river watching the rather long beasts grazing. It was curious to her that a people who would choose to place their city in the curve of a river like this didn’t seem to be worried much about securing their perimeter for there was no wall. She stopped upon the walkway facing the river and took a bite of the fish wrap, her mouth instantly exploding with the spices to set her eyes watering. It was wonderful though she quickly would wash it down with a drink of the beer.

Free to just wander onto the grass and walk down to the river’s edge, she proceeded to eat her lunch while playing nature lover for a moment. She did see a couple of kids fishing upstream from her location but other than the huge grazing beasts the place was devoid of life; no guards, no couple taking a stroll. It was inconceivable to her that the Republica would place such an important outpost here and do nothing to see to its security. It required further investigation and she turned to move down river through the grass working her way around the city. As yet the refinery could not be seen through the jumble of buildings obstructing her view save for the top of some odd looking hoist. At least she had a slight point of reference to head toward though the river was as good as any glowing path with flashing arrows might be.

It was near onto half an hour before she got her first real glimpse of what she was up against and a few things became a bit more clear. The processing plant was enclosed in fencing that had some pretty nasty looking wire strung in three rows all along the top of its height. There were guard posts at a main gate through which ore cars were loaded and pulled with trucks presumably back toward the space port. It must have been shift change as there was a large group of people passing in and out of the facility and she surmised this was probably the main employer for the city. No wonder they looked so down in the mouth. These places had a reputation for being just one step removed from outright slavery when it came to the creds the workers earned. She wondered if the place ran both day and night with a third shift or if during the night the place would close down.

It wasn’t something she felt she could take the time to find out, the array needed to come down within just the right time frame and waiting around would put her too far behind schedule. While it was true she had a fairly large window of time within which to work, she saw no need to throw it away without provocation when something could go wrong later forcing her to miss her deadline.

At least she would make a full circuit for she wished to see what things looked like on the seaside. Hopefully there would be a lot less traffic on that side. Tossing her now empty bottle into the water, she took off running along its bank for the shift change was too good of a distraction to waste.

@Denzein

 

[Harren Skaalvarg]

Harren followed her the entire way to the refinery, staying well back so as to not cause suspicion. He couldn't exactly blend in to the indigenous crowds, but he did his best to stop at market stalls and little shops while she ambled through the city, hoping to appear little more than a foreign merchant, or tourist.

At least, a tourist with a lightsaber. Harren so hated sneaking.

All the beauty she saw, he ignored. Harren's mind was a seething furnace of barely contained rage, and had been for some time - he'd yet to process the feeling of losing his best friend, for it was the first time someone had died in him and he didn't know what to do - it didn't feel right to talk about his feelings, and he'd not found a Jedi to take his anger out upon just yet. Consequently they festered. He saw nothing redeemable about this place at all, it was grey and lifeless. It was irritating.

As she came up on the refinery, no doubt her target, Harren watched and waited as she examined it from afar before heading closer. The main entrance was clearly not an entry point - it probably could have been for him, but he had no idea about this girls fighting ability and had no doubt she didn't fancy her chances, as she began to move off around the perimeter. Tossing her bottle into the river, it began to drift downstream.

Harren fished it out, picking the bottle now filled with brackish brown water up and fastening the clasp... He sniffed it - as if he might be able to gain some occult knowledge from the thing, though he was more trying to figure out what had been in it before river water.

Beer, thin and watery. Clearly not a woman who knew her drink, then... Or maybe someone that just wasn't choosey. He stashed the bottle, for it was weighty and made of glass and would make a useful improvised weapon if he felt creative.

Shoving past a couple of grey lifeless workers he followed, matching her pace as she broke into a run. It would be more difficult to hide himself now, but he still made an effort - ducking behind dessicated trees and mounds of slag whenever he sensed she might be about to turn. He dropped back a bit too, hoping to avoid her hearing his footfalls - surprisingly quiet given his size though they might have been.

Together, yet not together, the pair circled the base. Sharks circling prey. @Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Osk Torlaug]

The nearer to her destination the breeze coming in off the ocean began brushing against the woman setting her garments and hair rippling light about her form. Turning toward the fence, her back now into the wind, the tendrils of her hair drifted sporadically into her field of vision under the direction of the temperamental breeze. It reminded her slightly of the winds on her home world right before the storm seasons would hit and the lightning trees would branch across the skies. That made her wonder…

Reaching out with the force she did a sensing and found her thought was right; the fencing was electrified. That made a bit more sense to her, for upon viewing the back of the facility she noted only four guards patrolling along the perimeter. That did not mean the towers at the gates didn’t have a complete view of the facility and she was unsure what sort of surveillance equipment might be in use. Closing her eyes she wrapped herself in the force increasing the sensing. She touched upon the guards brushing over them and quickly moving what she sought soon brought a smile to her face. An Akk dog.

Her touch upon the red scaled creature’s mind caused it to growl and rise to its feet from where it had been lying on the ground. She could detect it was waiting for its master who was inside the building before which it had lain. While its mind was easy enough to penetrate, to deceive and bend its perceptions, she had to focus for quite a while before she was able to gain control.

Opening her eyes she waited for it, and almost immediately the Akk dog darted for the eastern fence line barking and raising an incredible ruckus. At first only one of the guards moved away to investigate. The dog was in a fury, however and before long another responded to his partner’s call for aid. That left just enough of the fence line untended for her to use a force aided leap and clear the fence to land within the compound beyond.

Not willing to waste the edge the limited tactic provided, she darted for the shelter of the southern wall on the refinery with the intent of breaking into the place from an upper window. As she came into position, she sprang upward once again and caught hold of the lip of the window before pulling herself up to perch upon the ledge. Her forearm came up to smudge at the filthy pane of glass to get her first look at the interior.

@Denzein

 

[Harren Skaalvarg]

It was a cute trick, drawing the guards away with the Akk dog to infiltrate the base unawares. Harren was forced to agree with the Acolyte that stealth was probably the best approach on this mission - if the alarm went up too early word could be got out that the installation was under attack and the entire sector could be reinforced before the troops even made planetfall. He despised the idea, but he was going to have to follow just as silently as she was being if he wanted to continue to observe.

Stealth. Even the thought of it put a bitter taste on the back of his throat.

She leapt the fence, showing that she was trained to a useful level of force aptitude, and hugged the southern wall. Whether she'd see him at this point was pot luck, there was no way he'd be able to bypass the fence without leaping it the same as she did, which wasn't exactly fitting in with his whole subtle observation approach. Worse, a pair of the guards were returning from the fading commotion of the Akk dog - Harren had to think quickly, hiding behind a tree fairly close to the wall. He looked up, and grinned.

A hiss, a flash of red, another hiss. Quick and decisive.

The tree was over a hundred years old, diseased and dying due to the closeness to the industrial plant, but mighty and thick trunked nonetheless with numerous hardy branches. It was easily long enough to hit the fence on its way down, which promptly gave way in a shower of sparks. A klaxon went off, but no alarms were actually raised - just a fire warning then. The two guards were quickly joined by their comrades, who were pointing out of the compound at the base of the trunk, starting to assess the damage and isolate the short circuited fencing from the rest of the system before the whole thing blew out.

Harren was already moving. Lightly tapping into the force to speed himself up he ran a hundred metres or so past the collapsed fence section, leapt up onto another tree branch, and from there into the compound - easily clearing the fence with a minimum of effort. The guards were still occupied with the fallen tree, the dog had been leashed so as to not accidentally electrocute itself - all in all a well executed distraction. He kept the speed going, running up to and scrambling up a wall of one of the outer, smaller buildings. He stopped on top behind an air conditioning unit, with a clear view to the acolyte.

The force only knew what she'd make of the fallen tree - silently he hoped she wouldn't immediately go loud... Then again? He wouldn't have to sneak anymore.
@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Osk Torlaug]

The interior of the factory was about what she figured, full of machinery, people, and droids. Well that was not her objective but rather the array. Moving out she lept once more and caught hold of the lip of the roof pulling herself up even as the sound of destruction behind her occurred. Rolling over onto her stomach, she quickly turned to peer at her back trail seeing the ruin the tree had made of the fence.

Frowning she wondered what the kark was going on there for that tree had not been so feeble nor the wind so fierce as to cause this. The culprit, for surely there must be one, had already made his escape by the time she had righted herself and had been able to see. Slipping back to the shelter of the roof she fumed, for surely this had been a distraction same as her trick with the Akk dog had been. Surely if this mystery person had anything to do with the facility there would have been no need for subterfuge; no this person was a wild card and it occurred to her that perhaps this mission was not as much of a solo as she had first assumed.

Would they have done something like that, sent a field agent out to keep tabs on her? She couldn’t fathom wasting the resource during this critical time, so that left any number of options and none of them brought anything but anger to mind. This person could be anything from a bounty hunter after her to someone who was just trying to rob the place. Whatever their agenda they’d better not get in the way. Once more she took her hold on the force and sent it out seeking this fly in the ointment.

Osk felt the men on the ground, even the Akk dog now restrained on his leash, and the concentration of workers beneath her slaving away. Suddenly she detected someone on the roof of a small outbuilding across the way, the feel unmistakable; this person could use the force. That just cleared her window of opportunity to near closed. The Kiffar ran in a low crouch across the roof heading toward the center of the compound where the array had been reported to be. Whatever she was going to do she had to do now or never. This force user, for she didn’t even entertain the notion they were merely force sensitive, was clearly going to be a huge threat. Even as she crouched down at the other end of the factory’s roof, she figured they had probably sensed her throwing her powers around and it was much too late to mask herself now.

So instead? Her eyes gleamed as she took in the sight of the array in the center of the complex and grinned. She would just have to be better than them. Osk gripped the edge of the roof and flipped herself over and let her body drop to the ground rolling as she hit to scramble back up to her feet and took off running across the distance between herself and the array. The time for stealth was over, pretty much pointless now, and as she pulled her saber out from its hiding spot, she ignited the blade sending its crimson glow loose for all to see. Even as the two guards standing at its base saw her coming, it was already too late for them. Their blaster fire cut through the air, her blade lowering to deflect the shots away, did not slow her mad rush.

She had been trained not to over extend her reach, not to worry about those strikes that did not come within range but to focus on what entered her personal space. So as some of their shots began to lose their accuracy, her rush startling the men a bit and pulling their aim off, they still managed to target her with most of their blasts. Over and over her strikes sent the bolts careening off save for the last that she actually managed to ricochet into one of the guard’s chest. The second was at last within range and her saber cut his head off before she jumped over his crumbling form to land upon the platform of the array.

@Denzein

 

[Harren Skaalvarg]

"Shit."

She went loud, igniting her blade and leaping for the communications array from the roof, breaking into a sprint as a pair of guards closed her down. Obviously the tree was a step too far, but Harren wasn't overly upset about his little indiscretion. She'd made it into the centre of the compound without being detected, and only drew her blade at all because of his actions - she'd been given this mission not as a punishment, or as a test, but because she could do it.

And now he got to see how she handled a fight.

She dispatched the two guards and reached the base of the array, but Harren had a better vantage point than she did. The other two guards had split up - one running for what looked like a radio terminal, the other unleashing the akk dog - which was by now growling with the smell of blood in the air. The leash came off and it bounded towards the sound of the commotion, towards the acolyte. The guard who'd set it loose followed up behind, toting what looked like some kind of scatter gun. The girl was in trouble.

That said, her mission was a bust if the other man made it to the radio to signal the next base over they were under attack. Harren wouldn't let that happen - especially since he was (begrudgingly) partly to blame.

He took out the stoppered glass bottle of river water, eyed up his target, fleeing for the terminal, and hefted in his hand. It was weighty, this would work.

He launched it over arm, the force guiding his aim, and caught the runner square in the back of the head. The bottle shattered, showering him in polluted water, and the man went down hard, most likely unconscious but not for more than a few minutes.

That, however, was time enough. He gathered the force to him, preparing properly now. The girl was good on the offensive, having killed the other two while making it look easy, but how would she handle the dog? Or the shotgun? Neither were simple obstacles to deal with.

As he drew on the force he watched and waited. He lightsaber was drawn but not ignited, not yet. Harren wanted to see if she could do it herself, and was only prepared to step in right at the last moment.

He'd have to time this carefully if it ended up that she needed help.

 

[Osk Torlaug]

The Kiffar wasted no time upon anything, her hand going to the small pouch of explosives and planting one of the three on this side of the base. She put her hand on the huge pedestal upon which the dish was mounted as she stooped to circle round and place the other two. As each one had been placed she depressed the 30 second delay on the detonation activator and dropped to the ground upon the other side of the platform. That is when she heard the growling of the Akk dog. Kriff, the damned thing was going to get itself blown to bits.

Running for the eastern wall she hoped to draw the creature clear of the array in its pursuit of herself. A mind link had already been established and she wasn’t about to risk such a valuable ally for she was very much aware she had yet to get out of there in one piece. As a mental chrono ticked away in her mind she stopped mid-dash to pivot round and whistle shrilling for the red scaled creature to follow. She needn’t have bothered for he was bounding to the ground, already having lept up to the platform and on the other side in all of two jumps of its mighty stride. Clear of the array the motion of the guard running away from her caught her eye, her expression changing to one of intense focus as her hand came up before her and the dog. Closing her eyes she reached out to touch his mind again.

The creature knocked her to the ground and she laughed as it licked her face snuffling her up good. Her saber gone dark, she was pinned to the ground looking up at it with laughter tears running out the corner of her eyes. ”That’s right, who’s a good boy, ha ha. Go eat the bad man. We can play later”, she laughed and rolled her head to the side to throw her arm out toward the fleeing guard. The Akk dog whirled his head around suddenly as drool fell from its mouth to splat across her face. He growled low in his chest and she could feel his muscles bunching before he pushed at her chest and lept toward his new target.

The air escaped from her body with an oof sound when the animal pushed away even as her mind ticked off another 15 seconds. It had been a costly expenditure of time leaving her little room to get back toward the southern fence line. It was not a good plan to go back that way anyhow because the tree across the fence line was being removed in preparation for the repairs. As yet she had caught no visual on the force user and couldn’t afford to dither around.

Heaving herself up to her feet, her chest ached from the blow the Akk’s lovings had given. Too consumed by the beastie, she hadn’t seen the guard that was following until some shots hit the ground right next to her feet. Instantly she flicked on her saber to bring it before herself and block the low flying blasts. Once more she would guard herself as she advanced upon someone looking to take her out. Osk knew she didn’t have time for this shit but she couldn’t very well leave him to fill her backside with holes as she fled either.

The guard was no green recruit, however, and had seen this woman take out Fry and Eurling in just the same way she was working to do to him. Well not today bitch! Ducking back for cover under the dish of the array, his foot came down on the explosive pack giving him a real sense of urgency. The man took a knee and quickly pressed the deactivation button then cast about frantically for signs of more packs.

Osk could tell what he was about and there was no way she was gonna let him undo all her hard work, not this late in the game. The woman ran for all she was worth, her blade held before her in her right hand, and jumped upon the platform that was soon to be blown to bits. This guy was all cool cucumbers and had already circled round to where the second explosive charge had been set. He never took his eyes off the work even though he had to have heard her coming. Such dedication to his duty station proved to be his undoing; he hadn't even seen the strike coming which severed his head from his body.

Pushing his body away with her foot. The corpse rolled over to reveal the charge was still active. Shifting her weight to the right, she spun round and dropped to a knee and flipped the charge to active once more, it resumed the prior countdown but she didn’t have time for a reset. Five seconds… she took three running strides and jumped as the count in her head grew louder and louder.

@Denzein

 

[Harren Skaalvarg]

Impressive. The girl managed to deal with the entire scenario almost completely unaided. She'd have been rumbled by the guard Harren brained with the bottle, but he suspected that might not have been the case had he not been tagging along. Her affinity with animals was uncommon for a force user as green as her, and she could fight - picking her targets and eliminating them with a minimum of fuss. She was going to turn into a model sith, if she continued down this road...

Harren smirked. Unlike he was going to end up, no doubt.

Harren jumped down from his vantage point and drew his knife, meaning to finish the last guard before he came around from the bottling. He managed to walk a few steps, getting to within a few metres of the unconscious man, before the ground shook and a thunderous explosion went off behind him. Harren being Harren, didn't turn to look.

Dropping to one knee beside his fallen prey, he slit the man's throat ending his life with a messy gurgle. Wiping the knife on the guard's jacket and resheathing it, he stood and looked behind him.

The array was devastated, blasted to smithereens. He couldn't see the acolyte, but he still sensed her nearby - so she wasn't killed by the blast even if she had been caught in it. Urgent sirens were now going off all around, warning of fire and the need to evacuate - the workers investigating the tree were complying. They didn't get paid enough to risk their lives, clearly.

Walking towards where he sensed the woman's presence, he ran through possible next moves in his head. This array was down, but there was always the possibility word would get out to the next one along - unless this mission was simply part of a larger, orchestrated effort and other acolytes had been tasked with similarly minor roles in the coming invasions. The girl had played her part then, and thoroughly impressed Harren in the process - not needing his help almost at all.

There was only the need to withdraw, before Republica military arrived and began combing the city for dissidents. It was time for both of them to go. He realised he'd lost track of the acolytes precise position, after the blast - and began to wonder: What if she considered him a threat?

His hand went to his blade, his senses expanding. The hairs on the back of his neck raised. @Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Osk Torlaug]

The man at the radio terminal never knew what hit him for the Akk dog made short work of him, as far as ending his life had been concerned, he wasn’t done with the man by no means as he was going through the tenderizing ritual peculiar to canine kind; literally shaking his body and throwing him in the air only to later pounce upon him once his form had hit the ground. Lying upon the ground where the blast had thrown her, she watched the creature at play stunned slightly by the lack of sound in the area.

Even as she pushed herself up to her hands and knees the ability to hear came rushing back to her threatening to buckle her arms right out from under her. This was not something she was prepared to permit as she had a keen aversion to just laying down to die. The sound of the sirens going off came into sharp focus swiftly slipping into the background of her hearing as she began hearing the sound of voices in distress from all over the facility. Pushing herself up to her feet, Osk swayed slightly even as she turned to look at the destruction of what used to be the array. That is when she saw the large man rising from the ground over a dead body. It was uncertain if he had killed the man or simply bent down to see if he yet lived, from this vantage point of the compound but she wasn’t going to stick around and get to know him better. While his attire screamed Deucalian this bit of trivia didn’t afford her any clearer picture what his intentions were. She turned and began to sprint for the fence line hoping to put a bit of distance between herself and this wild card in the mix. If he was indeed here after her, then he was going to have to work for it.

Osk ignited her lightsaber and began cutting out a wide section of the fence for her to fit through, the sparks flying everywhere but she hadn’t hesitated in the least having seen the masters deflect force lightning with sabers back in her academy days on Kiffu. Rather showy, yes, but then the need for stealth had long since fallen by the wayside. Soon as her escape route had been formed, she slipped through the opening and turned her feet toward the city. However this large man was he may well have trailed her along the river unless his arrival had nothing to do with her. At any rate, she needed the coverage the urban setting could provide in order to increase her chances of escape should he be tracking her in earnest. Why that would be she could not fathom and she didn’t feel the need to hang around and find out.

@Denzein

 

[Harren Skaalvarg]

He heard the footsteps even over the crackling flames, such was he using the force to sense for unseen attackers - but they were receding. Turning he caught sight of her, showering herself in sparks as her blade contended with the electrically charged fencing. The force flowing into his limbs he broke into a run as she cut through and began to sprint herself on the other side. She thought him a threat - A Jedi, or a bounty hunter, or worse perhaps that much was certain. Harren wanted to share words with her and was so loathe to allow her to escape, but he also knew both of them needed to make themselves scarce.

The middle of a Republica compound soon to be swarming with emergency services was not the best place for a chat.

Fortunately she could run quickly. Harren was committed to using the force to both keep up and maintain cover between the two of them at the same time, though she obviously knew he was there he didn't know if she'd try and shoot him and he'd rather not take the risk. Arianna would not be best pleased if he arrived at their rendezvous injured, after all.

Their little game of cat and mouse took them back along the river, towards the city. A few natives turned and looked at the two metre tall Deucalian sprinting faster than anyone had the right to sprint, darting between trees and rocks but ever with his eye on the running woman ahead. His blade was in his had, but it was not ignited for now. He could have called out, he could have asked her to stop.

But where was the fun in that?

 

[Osk Torlaug]

Osk had been forced to change her course due to responders from the city clogging up the works, and it had been a merry chase she led this man as she wound her way back along the river toward the space port. The delay was gonna cost her the chance for escaping without having to confront him, but she could at least pick her own ground upon which to make a stand.

To wait until she was too near her ship would put unneeded heat on her, open her up for scrutiny she couldn’t afford. By passing the slope that led from the river to the cafe and shops at the city’s edge, she made for the overhang of the docks that jutted out over the river. This fishing children had long since gone on to other interests and the Selligore had drifted through the water to cross over to the far shore. She didn’t know if this had anything to do with the explosion at the factory and didn’t spare time to observe if their motions appeared spooked or not.

The river was still rather wide this far from the sea, the ground turning slightly rougher as the natural stone outcropping had been used as good foundation upon which to construct the dock. Large duracret piers rose along the old cut of the river, the main channel having changed course ages ago had left the weather resistant stone to stand above the new water course by a good 10 meters in elevation. Running into the shadow cast by the port, she angled her path toward the semi-sheer face of the cut. As the ground began to rise she could feel his presence all too near. It would have to do and so halting her run, she turned with her extinguished blade in her left hand prepared to call this man out. Whatever his business with her might be, it was going to be resolved one way or another.

@Denzein

 

[Harren Skaalvarg]

Slowly but surely, metre by metre, he'd reeled her in. She was only running, he was using the force to strengthen his limbs - even ducking behind carts and crowds when he could was he gaining ground. But by but as he got closer, he could feel her presence looming larger. This one had potential... She reminded him of himself, almost.

Then again, she was running from a fight. Perhaps she was not so alike.

As she ran along the old riverside, hardy weather beaten rock long eroded by water but now standing tall and proud, Harren slowed his pace, recovering what he could of his spent energy. She had nowhere else to go, unless she fancied swimming the river, and after their run such a task would be dangerous. Neither of them knew what currents lay just beneath the surface, even the calmest brooks could be raging torrents just beneath the ripples.

He had nothing to hide behind, so he simply slowed to a walk and approached. As he did he took her in, sizing her up as a potential opponent as he had no idea what she'd make of him. She was much shorter than he was, slighter of frame too - though that wasn't necessarily a disadvantage. She could use the force, that much was clear from the compound, and was in peak physical fitness given the distance the pair of them had just ran. She was a model acolyte, as far as he could tell.

Harren grinned as he approached, stopping with about a dozen metres between them. She had a lightsaber drawn, but not yet ignited. He simply widened his smile and held his palms out before her, arms still low by his waist.

"And what do you intend to do with that, sister? Start a fight in the middle of town?"

His tone was light (for him - it was still gruff and low), even jovial. He'd enjoyed their little game of cat and mouse, and was curious to see where it led. If nothing else, the girl had impressed him.

@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Osk Torlaug]

Once more she was afforded a view of the man, each step he took bringing his features more fully into focus. That he was bold enough to approach her at last told her plenty in that he wanted something more than just her death. When he easily could have sniped her before she was even aware of his existence was proof of that, if nothing else. His attire painted him as somewhat outside the realm of your typical Sith, either that or it was a disguise he had worn to keep a low profile. Even so, she abandoned that line of thought for he was much too comfortable in the way he moved within the garments hinting that for him this was no mere costume but rather a more familiar form of dress than that.

As for keeping a low profile she smirked for the man’s size alone would make that an unlikely option were it even one that fit his persona. Deciding that it was unlikely the man was part of the Imperial Republica, for in her experience the lot of them were puffed up dandies who wouldn't have been caught dead running around in furs and a kilt with such familiarity. That did not mean she was out of danger for the whole thing could be some personal challenge for the man, pitting himself against opponents for the sheer challenge it may present.

His smile, the light inflection of humor in his voice gruff and low as it was, lent evidence to the supposition that the purpose of his presence was not going to be an easy thing to deduce. She would need a lot more information, and until she learned different he represented a threat that she could little ignore.

In reply to his question she said, ”If I have to, brother”, she retorted. His use of such a familiar term was wide open for interpretation, some sexist remark or a bungled attempt to establish some sort of faction tie between them. It mattered not, his showing his empty hands and placating words did nothing to ease her tension. Although he approached her much in the manner one would a spooked steed, she was no wild beast to be so easily tamed.

”How about you start with an explanation of your intrusion back there at the factory?”, her words were more command than suggestion and any refusal to spill his guts and prove his intention was likely to see her just attack and sort things out later.

@Denzein

 

[Harren Skaalvarg]

Another step forward, a widening smile. Harren's eyes, however, were cold - icy as they were blue. The tone of the woman's voice implied she thought she was the alpha here... Interesting. Perhaps she came from a culture where woman were naturally dominant? It was an attitude that was going to get her a broken nose if she wasn't careful.

"Oh I'm sure the Republica would love that. They could bag two of us in one!" His tone was still light, almost nonchalant. Another step forwards. "My name is Harren. Acolyte of the Old Empire, Warrior, and Witch. What is yours?"

He deliberately ignored her question. He didn't have to answer her at all if he didn't feel like it, and though his palms were open his right one hovered about the lightsaber hilt on his belt and his left was drawing force energy. He honestly didn't mind much if they had a fight here, the girl's mission was complete and he was confident the two (or one) of them could make it out before the authorities collapsed on their position.

Also, it was fun to push her buttons. She was pretty, alpha, and confident - all traits Harren valued in a woman and a fellow Sith. She was going to be a promising acolyte, he knew because he was. Now, as he saw it on the brink of becoming a fully fledged crusader, he felt he had the experience necessary to identify a promising recruit. This woman would be a fine Sith... Assuming she didn't kill herself on his blade, here and now.

A gust of wind blew between the two of them, the standoff continuing. Would she attack?

Harren flexed his fingers by his lightsaber in anticipation. @Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Osk Torlaug]

The man’s smile was obviously designed to bait her, no doubt he thought her of little consequence. It was nothing new to her but then she was still here and most of those who had underestimated her were not. She had long since stopping being angry about it; it was rather amusing to watch the expression on the face of her opponent change from arrogance to wariness to alarm, before the realization that death would be their fate. Osk, as disdainful as she was of that sort of mentality, did not go around making the same mistake and was not prone to underestimating her opponents. When you were on your own you couldn’t afford to slip up even once.

It would have been good to have a partner, or a crew she could depend upon, but her experience at the Academy on Korriban had not been much different than the one on Kiffu. Well, at least the elitist nonsense had been absent, but she had often been targeted for her size as easy prey. This time, however, she added control to her arsenal for now she wished to remain in the Old Empire instead of having to move on. The Galaxy was bitter cold for a solitary traveler and she knew enough of going it alone to understand the fate of most lone wolves. Osk was determined not to suffer a similar fate and unfortunately that meant belonging somewhere.

The man was a talker, that much was for sure, and yet he didn’t answer her question. Fair enough, she could play along. He could be as welcoming as he liked, she still saw his hand was more than ready to draw upon her should she provoke him to action. She could well believe his words, already she was half convinced he was not of the Republica. Her eyes would narrow though, for she could feel him gathering the force to himself.

For her own part she gave no tells as some were prone to do, closing their eyes or inhaling as they drew upon the force. Instead she visualized a door opening and the flood waters of the force washing over her with its sustaining vitality. ”My name is Osk, though I suspect you already know where my allegiance lies.” She moved forward, her eyes never leaving his of icy blue. Her walk was one of confidence, leading with her stomach and long strides but just before she got within striking range of a light saber, she would begin to angle around his left flank eying him up and down with a bold challenge in her eyes.

”Do you often tag along on the missions of others Harren? Does the Empire have no work of your own you could be tending to?”, she inquired not about to give up on why he had been skulking about her work site. Had she needed a partner one would have been provided. She noted his stance, every inch the warrior, wondering about his use of the term witch. Let him start a fight, her pride urged her to goad him on even. She knew that was the weakest part of her so unless he chose to stop her she would continue to walk right on past his flank, her extinguished saber in her hand and ready to bring to bare should he insist they dance. Otherwise she was getting on her ship and he could sod off. She wasn’t going to let anyone karff up this second chance for her, not even herself.

@Denzein

 

[Harren Skaalvarg]

Harren physically scoffed at the notion that he was a delinquent - while it was absolutely true, and he knew it, it wasn't because there was no work for him. The opposite in fact, it was that he wasn't interested in work just now. He had a mission prepped with Arianna, something big on the road to Coruscant itself, and was taking some time for himself beforehand. Life wasn't all dark rituals, sacrifice and murder - if you didn't take the time to enjoy it, what was the point?

She had a good walk, confident and attractive. He watched her closely as she approached, and began to circle past him, taking note of how her eyes traced his silhouette. "Only when I'm bored, sister. Don't you ever do anything just for the fun of it?" As she passed him, he turned with her - keeping her very much in front of him. "No, I don't figure you do. You look the... Driven...Sort." He raised an eyebrow, apparently mocking her, if it wasn't for his eyes giving away his focus.

If she continued walking away, he'd take a step after her, maintaining their spacing just out of easy slashing distance. If she stopped, or attacked, he was ready to respond.

Harren wasn't engaging on purpose. He wanted to judge her, to see what she herself was willing to do in uncertain situations. If she snapped easily, like so many Sith, or was able to keep her inner rage in check. He was quickly learning himself, that one's own demons were a double edged sword. @Kayenta Moenkopi