Step Onto the Smuggler's Moon

[Tzeentch]

Looking up into the darkened skies of Nar Shaddaa's vast urban sprawl through his mask, Nier paused in his steps, wondering as to why he had decided to step foot onto the wretched planet in the first place rather than a more civilized one, such as Coruscant.

He wore his battle-worn cloak, its hood shadowing the mask that had been placed upon his face, both as a form of protection and to prevent his identity from being so easily exposed for whatever reason. The only limb that could be seen, other than his legs, was his heavily bandaged right arm, which was laying limp in a sling. On his person were three cortosis-woven blades, all of which were retrieved from the ruins of his home; one was built for those who could deliver brutal strikes behind their swings while the other two were of the same design to deliver swift and precise strikes.

As for his lightsabers, he left those aboard his ship in one of the docking bays.

Sighing to himself silently, the injured man continued to weave his way through to the bustling masses, a slight limp in his step. He remembered why and lectured himself mentally for choosing Nar Shaddaa of all places...

Spoiler: Several Weeks Earlier...

Location: Unknown
Time: Unknown

Nier frowned deeply as he looked down on the damaged, eight-foot blade that sat on the workbench in front of him. He had managed to retrieve the weapon that he had forged himself as a child, but during his encounter with a bounty hunter, a chunk of the blade was destroyed and cracks appeared throughout its body.

During its entire existence, Vergessenheit was never damaged to such an extreme, other than the spars that Nier had with his father and other instructors. The young man would head to the family forge to repair the beaten blade, even improving it time from time.

Unlike the past however, the forge located on Dantooine had long since been destroyed and looted by the Schatten's assault that forced him from the planet, leaving him with no tools and metals to work with.

Thus, Nier looked out into the emptiness of space, he had to acquire said tools and resources to make the massive weapon usable once again..

Again he shook his head, 'It's too late to turn back now,' and continued to venture deeper into the black market he found himself in, his eye scanning each stand and store entrance for the necessary tools and materials he required.

Luckily, he seemed to have stumbled upon one such 'merchant' who possessed the metals. Nier changed his course and stood in front of the stall and began to peruse the merchandise, much to the owner's delight.

The Knight glanced from the metals and to the slave trader nearby, who was shouting how much 'merchandise' he had in his possession and how it was all being sold at bargain prices. The sight twisted his face into one of slight disgust, but he turned back to the stall as he continued his inspection, ignoring the scene not even thirty feet away.

 

[Green Ranger]

'I wouldn't shop here, friend,' said a voice from nearby. The Sullustan stall vendor nearly leapt out of his own skin at the accusation from a previously silent bystander who had seemed barely old enough to afford such materials. A gloved hand hovered over the wares momentarily before picking up a thin plate of duranium.

'Almost everything here is a poorly crafted alloy - note the mottled specks in the platework, and the warping from inconsistent melting points in the metals. Whatever you're looking for, you're better off finding it somewhere else.'

The Sullustan vendor, clearly agitated by the accusation, began to blub blub blub at the stranger in his native tongue. The dark haired young man smiled softly. The same gloved hand put the duranium plate back, and he flashed a smile at his companion shopper.

'Looks like I've overstayed my welcome, then. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go find someone more earnest to trade with.'

Aro tipped his head in acknowledgement, then turned to walk away, back through the crowds. Whatever agenda he had with the vendor, and with assisting the newcomer, remained a mystery.

 

[Tzeentch]

The voice of another not only took the stall's owner by surprise, but Nier as well, although rather than nearly jumping out of his skin, the man paused for a brief moment before turning his head slightly to see the dark haired individual.

As he spoke of the imperfections that plagued the metallic materials at the stand, Nier listened and turned his gaze back onto the criticized merchandise; A dull-silver brow was raised behind Nier's mask as he realized that the man, who looked rather young, was correct.

The frown that marred his features deepened even more so, if that was possible, as he did not realize that the alloys were of exceedingly poor quality. It seemed that Nier had allowed his skills in identifying quality goods to dull as he explored the seemingly endless galaxy, something that upset him greatly.

As the stranger set down the duranium plate and turned to leave, Nier nodded in turn as a sign of thanks and lifted that same plate and brought it towards his face for a brief moment, "It isn't everyday one finds another who is able to glance at metal and state its impurities..." he turned the plate over in his hand to take a look at the other side, ".. albeit this is of poor quality even to a not-so-inquisitive eye."

The 22 year old man let out a silent and brief chuckle, setting the duranium plate back where it previously was and turned the opposite way to which the other was headed, "Regardless, I give you my thanks. I seem to have allowed my skills to deteriorate. Farewell." Shaking his head, Nier began to walk off in search of proper goods.

Not five seconds had passed, a figure moved itself from the shadows not too far from where the stall was situated and into the crowd, heading in the same direction as the departing Licht.

The cloaked individual's face could not be seen, and he seemed to posses a somewhat regal aura about him, something quite unusual for a planet such as Nar Shaddaa. His weapon was also something not commonly seen, even in the black market in which he entered.

The figure walked past the stranger, only mere inches from actually making contact, with only a calm smile being his only visible facial feature.

If one kept a close eye out, they would also be able to see other figures sticking to the shadows, all of which bore a similar, if not same, armor and weapons.

They all seemed content with ceasing their movements once in a while, apparently 'browsing' the numerous stalls the market had to offer, before heading in the same direction as they were before.

 

[Green Ranger]

'Nothing to it...don't mention it,' Aro muttered as he turned to leave. His path was suddenly blocked by another figure walking directly in front of him, and off in the same direction as the stranger from the stall. A chill ran down the former Jedi's back. Something was definately wrong about the situation.

He frowned slightly before turning to another market stall, another vendor of metal plating, albeit less exotic variants. After purchasing a sizeable turadium plate, he bound up the metal in cloth rags and slung it over his shoulder before following the strangers deeper into the crowd.

 

[Tzeentch]

In a stroke of luck, Nier had stumbled upon possibly the only person not wanting to scam everyone she tried to sell her goods to; he was able to purchase

Nothing noteworthy would occur for approximately twenty minutes after that as Nier moved from stall to stall looking for the last few components he needed. It wouldn't be until a ragged, elderly man hobbled next to him that Nier's attention was brought elsewhere.

In a stuttering voice somewhat laced with hopefulness and glee, the grime-covered little man rubbed his hands, "I c-couldn't help but o-overhear that y-you needed c-certain items of in-interest?"

Nier, who was just about to check another stall, stopped and turned to face the hunched man, eying him. The ragged individual shied away from his gaze during the few moments it lasted, "Yes, I am. Of what concern, if any, is it to you.. sir?"

The slightly frightened demeanor of the man reverted back to one of glee, without the stuttering, "My master owns such a store away from all this noise, he does! He has asked me to find po-pote-bah! Willing customers to browse his wares, he did!" He began to hobble off towards one of the side alleys, a slight hop in every other step, "Come! Come!"

Normally, Nier would reject such a suspicious offer outright, but seeing as it was one of the few paths that would likely lead him to an actual source, he followed the odd, little man. Just before entering the alleyway, however, Nier paused and turned his head to the side before shaking it, stepping foot into the dimly lit path.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

The regal figure had moved himself to the edge of the street, away from the shouting masses that tried to sell their goods to anyone walking within twenty feet of their stalls. The man simply stood their, the smile on his face morphing into something akin to the grin of a predator trapping its prey; he lifted a hand to the side of his head and spoke one word silently, "Commence."

Immediately, well over a dozen of the white and gray clad individuals seen scattered about the busy street seemed to appear from the shadows and the crowd, all of which began to enter various alleyways, including the one Nier had just gone down; as each path was occupied by the unknown personnel, two from each group, their armor a darker gray than the rest, stood in front or near the entrances.

The alley closest to the shopper who had warned Nier earlier was also guarded, although it seemed that it wasn't used nearly as much as the others, if not at all except for the 'Noble' clad in black who vanished into the darkness as soon as he had given the order. The view of said alley was also blocked due to a surprisingly convenient flash auction, which quickly attracted a sizable crowd.

The auctioneer seemed to have 'obtained' a rather large of credit chips after a white armored man passed by him.

Regardless, the area was beginning to become chaotic as more time passed by and the strangely garbed individuals disappeared into the numerous alleys after the Licht.

 

[Green Ranger]

Time passed, and Aro kept as close to his new aquaintance as possible without arousing suspicion, but far enough away that he wouldn't seem noteworthy. It was this gap that allowed numerous strange figures to take up positions throughout the numerous exits from the area. Aro smirked. Wearing white on Nar Shaddaa in the first place was the first thing he had noticed - local garb was bland and unassuming, and white was instantly out of place. Even before they had taken up position, Aro knew they were a unit in cooperation of sorts, though he didn't recognize any significant cultural symbols on their garb...or at least none he recognized.

Getting past them would be tricky, though nothing too strenuous. The crowds were constantly ebbing and flowing with their own strange currents, and Aro managed to find ways to follow the streams closer and closer towards his target. A simple trick through the force kept the men distracted - rather than attempting to disappear entirely, he focused instead on making his self apparently unassuming - eyes that focused on him more than a moment seemed distracted, diverting away to other sounds and sights, clearly more significant than he was. Anyone looking for him would most likely be completely unaware that their focus was being diverted at all, let alone away from a short, slender figure, head bowed in quiet, unassuming pilgrimage across the square. Even passing through the auction, he remained like a shadow. Figures stepped out of his way, moving back to fill the void without even recalling who they had moved for. In this manner Aro managed to find himself still hot on the tail of the source of his feeling of unease.

Silently he noted to himself that no doubt one day his curiousity would be the death of him.

 

[Tzeentch]

Aro could have been considered lucky; the two that were stationed in front of the alley were not specialized in detecting Force users, as well as the others at the numerous entrances, and would be considered 'recruits' in the terms of their leader's eyes.

Nonetheless, it was an extremely bold move on his part. When close enough, the inhuman glow of cybernetic enhancements could be seen glowing under the hoods of the unknown individuals; one seemed to have looked over, but turned away soon after.

The one who bore the nobility-like air about him had disappeared in the darkness of the alley, but the path itself was straightforward with no other paths branching from it. Other than the lack of lighting, guards, and wretched smell, the journey would be quite simple. It wouldn't take very long to reach the end either if one's pace was quick; it would eventually lead up to a series of warehouses, most of which were forgotten or too worn down to be of any use.

The sound of a blaster firing once echoed throughout the now silent area as the noise from the streets faded away.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abandoned Warehouse​

Bringing his arm back from its outstretched position, the regal figure holstered the blaster he had just used to kill the poor old man. Just moments earlier, his face was filled with such glee and happiness due to the fact he was paid a few measly credits and began to rush to the alley from which the figure emerged from.

The man didn't even realize that he was killed by the highly penetrating blaster that fired a bolt, of which burned through his torso and into a nearby wall with ease. Even then, his empty and dulled eyes had the look of hope in them.

"Well, now that that's dealt with," the man had never looked away from Nier, who stood in the center of the warehouse not fifteen feet away, and his smile still on his face, "I must say that it is a pleasure to be meeting the newly appointed 'Lord of the Licht.'" He bowed low, his voice and posture bearing no mockery of any kind, if anything it bore a small amount of respect. He rose from the bow once again and calmly waited for Nier to respond.

Nier's lone eye however, was scanning the shrouded structure carefully; he spent enough time around the Schatten to know one with a simple glance, as well as detect those of the same blood in the general vicinity after realizing that there were Schatten in the area. From what he could tell, there were around twenty to thirty of them hidden away in the darkness surrounding him, along with two others he wasn't familiar with..

Finally, after ten seconds of complete silence, Nier looked back to the man in front of him, "It has been a long time, Massaker. Tell me, what brings you to Nar Shaddaa of all places?" The Licht, his functioning arm under his cloak, carefully pressed something, never disturbing the still material and any suspicion.

The man's, Massaker, smile grew, "I am quite pleased that you remember my name since you were quite young at the time, Lord." He began to walk slowly in a circle around Nier, "To answer your question, my Lord desires to meet you, as not many afflicted with the Scrawl assume the role as leader of your Branch, as it often drives the bearer to insanity long before then."

Nier's muscles stiffened slightly at the mention of the Scrawl and caused his eye to narrow at Massaker from behind his mask, "I will not speak of it here, Massaker, nor will I go with you willingly." Upon finishing his statement, Nier drew the larger blade in his arsenal and directed its point at the now frowning individual, which elicited a sigh from him.

"Very well. It's apparent that you will not listen to reason. There are ways to bring you back along with us; after all, it would be a waste to have traveled over half of the galaxy only to return with a corpse, now wouldn't it?" Massaker shook his head in disappointment and snapped his fingers, the noise echoing throughout the warehouse.

Thanks to his instinct and training, Nier turned his body partway and deflected a strike from a blade, only for him to turn towards the opposite direction and repeat the action. The two assailants jumped away from him, who adjusted the weapon in his grip, "Do you like them?" Massaker chuckled, "They are of my own design; they are specifically created to match a Licht's naturally enhanced strength and speed! Unfortunately," the man clasped his hands together, his smile back, "it is a very costly process considering that, ninety-nine times out of one hundred, the subject dies for whatever reason while he is on the operating table, so I can't exactly mass produce them... Oh well. Carry on!"

Nier's eye jumped from one to the other, waiting in a defensive stance until they struck again. He only had to hold them off for a while, but the strain on his right leg was beginning to ache again.

He never would have thought that the Schatten would go as far as Nar Shaddaa just to find him. Perhaps it was time to fully accept his role and focus on the threat back on Dantooine, as it was obvious he would never find peace if he left it alone.

The sounds of blades trading blows numerous times a second could be heard even in the alleys outside the warehouse, and sparks flying from each inhumanly swift strike lit up portions of the room, revealing twenty-seven white and gray clad figures in the shadows, watching the confrontation...

 

[Green Ranger]

Aro frowned, keeping the pace as quick as possible while remaining as inconspicuous as possible. The trail seemed to be getting colder as he continued onwards, and doubt began to gnaw at the edges of his thoughts. He shook his head, trying to regain focuses. Every single on of the dilapidated warehouses looked alike, but they couldn't have gone much further.

The sound of a lone blaster shot confirmed his assumptions, though it still only helped him narrow down the location of his quarry by about half of all the warehouses. He closed his eyes, steadying his breathing. Trust in the Force...

His eyes snapped wide open again. The sound of metal clashing on metal. Swordfighting on Nar Shaddaa? Has to be him. He ducked his head down and snuck into the warehouse.

***

Twenty or thirty uniformed men all stood around the edges of the room, watching in silence as their prey fought against two of their own...albeit more specialized version of their selves. Or something.

"How's it feel to have to sit on the sidelines while they get the glory, eh?" a voice said from beside one of the bystanders. There was a distinct snap-hiss, and a brief flash of blue light...and then the man was on the floor with a smouldering hole burnt sideways through his neck. Any of the other guards, or anyone else in the room who looked over would only briefly see a man, two metallic cylinders in hand, vanishing back into the shadows they considered sanctuary not five seconds ago.

 

[Tzeentch]

The lone individual stood no chance, the flesh and the inhumanely extensive cybernetics inside his neck burnt, as he fell to the floor headfirst.

The presence of an unaffiliated individual drew the attention of Massaker, who looked away from the battling Nier and towards the disturbance. Upon doing so, he briefly saw the blade of a lightsaber before it and its wielder vanished into the shadows. However, rather than losing his good mood, Massaker's smile morphed into a grin not unlike a predator; in response, he crouched low and leaped up onto the scaffolding far above the conflict, once again shrouding himself in the darkness.

"Do you truly think that you can hide within the shadows?" A chuckle could be heard, but its source could not be so easily found, "No.. no, you can't." There was a brief pause, the only sound coming from the still engaged Nier, before Massaker spoke again, "You stand in the way of the Schatten's goals.. In the way of the children practically born from the shadows of Dantooine.. In the way of the Shadowlord's ambition.."

"Warriors, permission has been granted; mach ihn platt."

With that command, sixteen of the twenty-six remaining warriors closest to the deceased turned their attention towards that direction, a menacing red glow coming from under each of their hoods; ten of the remaining twenty-six warriors drew simple vibroblades of strange and unknown design and charged into the darkness seemingly recklessly, blades at the ready. The other six drew their blasters, also of a strange yet simple design, aimed, and fired in bursts of three.

Unfortunately, they were surprisingly accurate, although it could be thanks to the cybernetics each warrior seemed to have.

The remaining ten retreated towards the other side of the warehouse and situated themselves in two rows of five, the first on their knees and the second standing, in front of a large, sealed door. Not a moment after they themselves drew their blaster rifles, Massaker dropped from above and landed behind them without a sound. He watched as the scene began to unfold with great interest...

---------------------------------------------​

Massaker wasn't the only one to see the lightsaber; Nier caught a glimpse of the lightsaber, but was forced to focus his attention on the more immediate threats that were currently lashing at him from any direction they could.

Eventually, he locked his blade with one of the specialized warriors. Gritting his teeth, he pushed against the creature that was more machine than man before glancing towards the other, only to see it about to embed its blade into his ribs. With a pained shout, Nier tore his right arm from the sling in which it rested and threw his palm at the approaching attacker.

The being was positioned in such away that, when its feet lifted from the ground and lurched backwards, it ended up going through two warriors with blaster rifles and another with a vibroblade, turning them into little more than a red mist, as well as the wall of the warehouse.

With one of them temporarily dealt with, Nier did not waste time; turning back to the one in front of him, he allowed his blade to give way, ducking underneath its own weapon before gripping his own with both his hands. With an upward stroke, the creature's arm, from the elbow, was separated from its body before receiving multiple slashes to the torso.

The last thing it saw was the glint of light from the edge of Nier's blade before its head was severed from its shoulders. The now lifeless body fell to its knees, blood, mechanical, and what little bodily fluids seeping from the decapitated corpse.

Panting lightly, Nier looked to the newly formed hole in the wall and fell into a balanced stance while using both his hands. His bandaged arm could be seen shaking from an unknown amount of pain if one looked closely enough.

Sure enough, a hand emerged from the hole and gripped the side of the torn metal wall, allowing its owner to pull itself back into the warehouse and 'glare' at Nier, ignoring the newly sparked conflict nearby. Once it was inside again, it pulled a belt-fed slugthrower from its 'belt,' dug its feet into the ground, and charged Nier while releasing a roar.

The heavily augmented and cybernetically enhanced sounds that ruptured from its throat nearly blocked out that of a more human scream.

A scream that seemed to be filled with torment and agony.

 

[Green Ranger]

"Oops," Aro muttered. He wasn't exactly intending on hiding, but the darkness behnd and around him did help him focus on his combatants a little more. Visual distractions became less apparent in the shadows. Still, judging by the way their eyes glowed a mechanical red, he imagined them to have infrared vision of sorts. It would be easy enough to blind them, if he had the right heatsource. His thoughts were suddenly cut off at the wild charge of ten of the soldiers into the shadows. Before he could even re-activate his lightsaber, however, six blaster bolts fired at him from the shadows. He raised his arms up in defence and there was a faint shimmer in the shadows. The bolts suddenly deflected away to hit some of the incoming soldiers. The first volley felled three of the soldiers, the second taking down down another two. The final volley didn't seem to return at all for a moment, then there was a flash and a sickening meaty thud as an arc of redirected energy dessicated the the remaining five, smoking glowing scores marking the warehouse walls.

Aro crinkled his nose in disgust. While his hands were still holding his lightsaber hilts, reversing the energy like that had left his hands smouldering from the exertion. Silently he noted to himself that it was a lot easier empty handed. A lesson for next time. For now...ten down, sixteen to go. What have I got myself into?

 

[Tzeentch]

OOC: I believe that there are 13/27 left rather than 16; 1 killed by lightsaber [P8], 3 killed by flying metal guy [P9], and 10 during the last post [P10](?). If this is incorrect, I will make the required adjustments to this post. Also, I must really get used to making fight scenes.. >_<


Unbeknownst to Aro, every one of the bolts he had deflected back at the charging warriors had hit vital areas of their bodies, ensuring that they would stay down; each individual under the Schatten's banner went through such extensive cybernetic enhancement that, if not struck in a vital location, they would remain in conflict until they were decisively dealt with.

Such areas of the body would usually be the head, spine, and the heart; certain specialized individuals are so much more machine than man that, should their hearts fail, a backup system will start up and allow them to remain standing for a brief period no longer than a few minutes. This 'privilege' is often given to officers, generals, and high ranking troops.

Although, one could also obliterate the body entirely, preventing any chance of 'revival.'

The three remaining warriors, all wielding rifles, seemed undeterred by the sudden deaths of their brethren and began to adjust their weapons. After three seconds, they brought their attention back to Aro, foot long blades protruding from underneath the barrels and aimed.

However, they never had the chance to do whatever it was that they were planning on doing.

--------------------------------------------​

Nier narrowly ducked under his opponent's arm as it brought it around and fired off a number of successive shots, before making continued use of Force Speed in order to evade each shot, albeit just barely due to such close proximity with the shooter.

This would continue until an opening was found, with Nier lashing out with his blade, severing the belt that fed the being's weapon. Still, there were a number of rounds left and it wasn't afraid to continue using them.

His blade in the air, the Licht brought it down on the sword arm of his opponent, not unlike the first, before stepping to the side and sliced through the waist, just short of severing the spine.

Instead of lowering his weapon however, he raised the flat-side of his blade to cover his masked face, deflecting three consecutive shots that would have otherwise killed him. In that moment he heard his weapon crack. In that moment, he drove it into the chest of his enemy before feeling pain on the side of his head.

The last of the specialized warriors had smashed the handle of its firearm into the side of Nier's head, sending his mask from his face and forcing him to tear the hilt of his blade away from the shattered blade that remained in its torso. Before it could fire another round, Nier batted its remaining arm away with the hilt before discarding it, choosing to draw his dual blades instead.

He had managed to cut away at its armor several times before bringing his arms back and, with a shout, drove the twin weapons under the chin of the warrior.

As for the warrior, it had brought its arm back around and had put its firearm to Nier's head, finger on the trigger.

Things seemed still until Nier pulled out the blades, the sound of metal against metal and flesh in the air, and flicked them to either side of him, sending blood and other fluids onto the floor. The upgraded warrior, still in its previous position, fell backward with a ground-shaking thud.

With shaky breaths, Nier turned his head and threw his right blade into the back of one of the three nearby warriors and quickly traversed the few feet between his previous conflict to the one nearby.

The second warrior turned to face the new threat only to receive a slash to the chest and a blade through his head.

Nier, letting go of his second weapon as the corpse fell, turned his attention to the final warrior, who was looking between him and Aro in the shadows before lifting his rifle towards Nier.

The Jedi Knight did not allow him to make use of it however, as he raised his right arm and made a slight gripping motion; the warrior's rifle fell to the ground as his hands flew to his neck, clawing at nothing but air as he was lifted into the air, writhing.

Nier slowly tightened his 'grip,' until he finally clenched his hand into that of a fist, which was followed by the gruesome and resounding sound of not only the warrior's windpipe being crushed, but also the utter destruction of his neck as well. His task finished, the Jedi flung the body aside as his bandaged limb went limp from overexertion.

Extending his hand, one of his blades tore itself from one of the carcasses and flew into his grip. He flung it to the side to rid it of any blood. Nier, for a brief moment, glanced towards the general area in the shadows where Aro was before turning his attention to Massaker and the final ten warriors at the far side of the vast room.

The upper portion of his face was shrouded by his hood and hair, his mask gone when it was knocked into the darkness of the warehouse. Anyone could see the trail of blood that ran down the right side of his face and jaw however.

Breathing somewhat heavily, Nier twirled the blade once in his left hand as he slowly began to walk (limp) towards the remaining Schatten, his right arm hanging limp at his side...

From the other side of the room, a glow from under his hood could be seen as Massaker, his grin had long since faded away, "This was not at all expected.."


OOC2: If anything is unclear or needs to be rephrased, tell me because I was damn tired as I was typing this..

 

[Green Ranger]

Everything seemed to go still for a moment, as Aro re-centered himself, preparing for the final rush against the three remaining soldiers. He steadied his breathing, a wave of calm washing over his body as he prepared to face them.

And then, in a moment, it was over. One minute Aro was lowering himself into a guard position, ready to ignite his sabers at the moment a shot was fired, the next he was staring at the other friendly combatant, a look of surprised annoyance across his face as he raised his hands in a confused shrug, jaw slack as the man tore through the remaining there men. And then without any courtesy, the man directed his attention elsewhere. For another brief moment, the former Jedi stood standing there, at a complete loss. He frowned and shook his head, muttering under his breath as he followed the now clearly injured man to face the remaining soldiers.

'Hey!' he shouted as he casually walked up behind the man, his sabers still in hand and clearly quite irritated. 'You owe me three kills, buddy. I'm supposed to be rescuing you, remember?'

For a moment he paused, noting the hooded man, scowling at him. He gave a curt nod, followed by a snappy, 'Hey, how you doin'?' before returning his attention to the man he was trying to protect.

'You know, it's really poor form to steal my kills like that. And some of us have something called manners, you know. Battlefield etiquette and whatnot. I don't even know I bothered to come rescue you if you're going to killsteal like that, really.'

 

[Tzeentch]

Hearing someone call out to him rather than attempting to shoot and/or stab him in the back, Nier stopped limping towards Massaker, who was still a fair distance away, and glanced at the man behind him.

One of Nier's brows rose as he recognized the individual as the one who had helped him identify the poor craftsmanship of the supplies he was about to purchase. He had not expected to see him again, nor did he suspect him a Jedi.

However, with the threat of being fired upon by the remaining ten warriors very real, Nier kept his attention mostly on them as he listened to Aro's 'rant.'

With him being the more serious type and lacking the necessary social skills to tell if Aro was being serious about him 'stealing his kills,' Nier did take it quite seriously and drove his blade into the metallic floor, sending a horribly racket into the air, ".. Perhaps I should show you why I removed those three before they were able to fire."

Having his palm face behind him, a rifle from one of the three deceased warriors flew into it, much like the blade that was now driven into the ground.

The Schatten's rifle in hand, Nier brought it in front of him to take a look at it, "I've seen these used far too many times before and I know what they are capable of." He looked up at Massaker and his warriors and pulled the trigger with nothing occurring, "Never underestimate the Schatten. If anything, overestimate them." He lifted the rifle into the air, its barrel beginning to give off an ominous, red glow, and aimed it at the two rows of warriors, his arm outstretched.

For the five seconds he held down the trigger, nothing happened. That is until he directed the end of the weapon at his enemies.

Erupting from the rifle was what seemed to be a torrent of red as it screamed from its barrel and scattered into numerous bolts at once as they soared toward the unfortunate targets of demonstration.

-----------------------------------------​

Massaker squinted at Aro for his comment, his face twisting in displeasure, 'This filthy wretch seems to think that he is quite the superior mongrel doesn't he?' Unconsciously, that simple message and 'dismissal' made by Aro had caused the usually calm Massaker to grit his teeth slightly before calming down.

Unfortunately for him, calming himself down allowed Nier to receive the time he needed to make a small change in pace from his usual combat style.

Eye(s) widening, he directed his hand towards the two Jedi, "Fire you sons of Kath Hounds! Fire!"

The order was too late. Even as the ten warriors raised their rifles to fire on the two simply standing before them, they were all cut down by a vast amount of bolts that seared through both the front and back rows of armored men and into the gate behind them with horrifying ease. A second afterward, their bodies fell, smoking and lifeless.

Realizing that he would have been killed otherwise, Massaker leaped to the side and back into the shadows, out of the line of fire.

The entire event took approximately three seconds, used about 45 bolts, and killed ten armored and cybernetically advanced soldiers with the bolts still going through two bodies and into a gate.

In the shadows, the hooded man bared his teeth and growled, casting aside his 'noble' appearance temporarily as he narrowed his eye(s) at the Jedi from his position.

-----------------------------------------​

Tossing the now useless and smoking weapon to the side, where it sparked every few seconds, Nier glanced at Aro with his lone, gold-flecked eye, "Fifteen rounds per second for three seconds. I am unsure as to if you could have stopped that, let alone an attack from three of Schatten's rifles."

Looking back at the smoldering corpses filled with holes, Nier frowned as he noted that the body of Massaker was not included. Tearing his blade from the floor, he allowed the tip to hover just above the ground as his eye darted across the shadows around him, "Be on your guard, Massaker is aptly named for his deeds. His strikes are swift, and if I remember correctly, he utilizes a style involving his blade and blaster."

 

[Matt]

Nar'Shaddaa was in truth one of the places a Jedi could come and wonder why they bothered. A place full to the brim of selfish and decadent ways that smothered this moon in it;s foul stench.

Bektar stood over looking the skyline with his head swimming, this place was not like Coruscant where one could swim in the force energy coming off a trillion beings, but on this world it didn't make you swim.

It made you drown.

Slavery, prostitution and all sorts of things crept across the surface of this planet and were considered no more strange then the setting of the sun? How could beings live in such a society?

Though Bektar was not here to find the question to that answer, he was here to find someone.

The Jedi who had left the order and turned it's back on it's way.

He was here for the one called Nier.

 

[Green Ranger]

Aro stared in stunned silence for a moment at the smoking, charred remains of the ten men that had once stood there. If he had any marksmanship abilities whatsoever, he would have considered shouldering one or two of the remaining rifles...not that any of them still looked serviceable. He vaguely recalled the hooded fellow making a clumsy, egotistical quip, but it suddenly didn't seem all that important anymore. The smell of charred flesh filled his nose again, and he cringed. There were some things in the galaxy even Jedi discipline couldn't temper you against.

"Fifteen rounds per second for three seconds. I am unsure as to if you could have stopped that, let alone an attack from three of Schatten's rifles," the other man said, the killstealer. Aro frowned for a moment, then gave a lopsided grin.

"You know, a little green man once said that size isn't important. Course, that ideology could either get you killed...but it could have applied in this situation too. Still, I don't quite think I'm ready to find out."

He turned his gaze to the shadows, the Force once again washing through his body, calming every fiber of his being. Though the light was low, he could still feel the other man...Massaker. Massaker...wait, Massacre?

"By the Force man," he said, his nose crinkled up in disapproval, "What a horrible alias. I mean really, people these days just don't try like they used to..."

Still, quips aside, he knew someone who was sure of their survival abilities when he saw one. And goofy, melodramatic speeches and condescension aside, the man obviously was a significant threat, if he gave 'ole Killstealer here reason to pause.

The former Jedi Knight rolled his shoulders, feeling the Force with him as he ignited his twin lightsaber blades, keeping the cyan energy beams low, whirling one around as he relaxed the tension in his wrist to give off the appearance of a relaxed attitude and style. Let him underestimate me for now. Mentally, he heard the chittering voice of his former master in a frenzied Jawa trade tongue. Stage of the first. Learning of the enemy. Observationism of his fighting. Adaptingation of the things of surround. Be of the Gizka. Survive.

 

[Tzeentch]

Lost first post due to a number of reasons...

Nar Shaddaa Bazaar​

Amongst the countless people that filled the streets, a woman was moving her way through the crowd with a slight urgency. She would have otherwise fit in with those around her, had it not been for her sleet, light armor and the two large droids that kept pace close behind. In fact, the reason as to why those in front of her moved aside could be contributed to the presence of her mechanical companions.

Pausing her her steps, the woman glanced at a device held in her left hand before turning sharply, bringing her attention to one of the alleyways guarded by two of the Schatten's guards.

Everyone on a planet such as Nar Shaddaa has a reason to be on edge, even to the point of pulling out their weapons and firing off a couple shots. Whether or not they were directed at someone or acted as a form of warning depended on the shooters.

The Schatten were more aggressive in their reaction, as they reached for their weapons the moment they saw dark-haired individual headed towards them.

Unfortunately, they were never able to so much as lay their fingers on them when a pair of throwing knives embedded themselves into the faces hidden under the shadowed hoods. Members of the crowd nearby quickly backed away.

As the two bodies collapsed, the woman never missed a step as she entered the passage and headed for the nearby warehouses...

---------------

Abandoned Warehouse​

Nier glanced at the Aro, the man's strange words echoing in his head. However, he turned his attention back to the unwavering darkness looming above the two Jedi, "Regardless, the man is aptly named for good reason." A frown marred Nier's features, 'Even though I was too young to see it for myself, I've always heard of the slaughter of the Licht's allies in the last War by his hand alone...'

Sensing no movement above, Nier pulled down his hood and removed his black robe to ensure unrestricted movement; he allowed his dulled, silver hair to settle, revealing the socket where his right eye used to be, the scars, and the blackened skin that exuded a slightly sinister aura.. Having cast away his robe for the time being, the scarred armor was also revealed, of which protected the entirety of his torso.

Lifting his right arm shakily, Nier didn't take his eyes away from the ceiling as his hand contorted, popping the knuckles, "Despite my injuries, I'll have to give myself whatever advantage I can take to deal with Massaker in this state," he glanced at Aro, "You had best do the same."

The moment the Licht glanced away, six bolts were fired down at the Jedi in rapid succession, three for Nier and three for Aro.

As injured as he was, Nier was able to hop back just enough for the bolts to sear themselves into the metal floor. This allowed the Schatten officer to drop from his vantage point not far behind the Jedi and close the distance with astonishing speed while firing another six shots at Aro, his blaster in his right hand.

Massaker, having closed the distance between he and Nier, struck swiftly and constantly, leaving little room for error and wasted movements. Nier was capable of deflecting the continuous onslaught, but would likely succumb to his injuries shortly should it continue.

Nier grit his teeth and narrowed his eye as he furiously defended himself against the blurred jabs; If he were in a better condition, then he may have been able to easily keep up.

However, in his current state, he was being pushed back very quickly and decisively..

 

[Green Ranger]

Aro's lopsided grin vanished the moment that first blaster bolt was fired. His legs sweeping out into a wider stance, his twin blades whirled in front of him, each blade striking the blaster bolts and batting them away from himself, his adversary, and his apparent ally. Using the momentum of his last deflective strike, the former Jedi pivoted on the spot to face his opponent, now trying to flank him from behind. Cyan light whirled in front of him again as the six blaster bolts were again deflected away harmlessly, searing bolts marking the walls and floor of the warehouse.

Aro then noticed that the engagement had turned to his 'ally,' and the Gray Jedi thrust his hands out in front of him, holding his two hilts with the last two digits of his hands in and X shape in front of his torso. As he thrust his hands outwards, the remaining digits clenched again around the saber hilt, and the young man's temples burned as the Force coursed through his body. An invisible force would suddenly spring into life around his adversary, wrapping itself around his feet and ankles and rooting him feet to the floor suddenly and without warning - enough to either make the man lose balance and fall, or at least be unable to move, and thus leaving him prone to attack from his white-haired opponent.

 

[Tzeentch]

From the point where Aro's grin vanished from his face, a similar grin, albeit far more maniacal, made its way onto Massaker's facial features as he was prepared to strike a crippling blow against Nier.

Just as he was about to however, his feet remained planted to the floor and his body lurched forward.

It was at times like this that he was more than thankful that he was so horrendously wounded during the last War and was given the opportunity to 'test' some new cybernetic technology the Schatten had recently gotten their hands on.

The fabric of Massaker's pants, near the knees, and his lower shirt, the lower spine, were torn to shreds. His legs stopped him from falling forward and overextending himself while his back bent backward at a painful looking angle, preventing his from losing his head to one of Nier's blades.

When the wounded Jedi moved to take advantage of the Schatten's seemingly disadvantaged state, the man raised rapier and deflected several strikes before suddenly and skillfully parrying one of Nier's strikes. Seizing the opportunity, Massaker dropped his primary weapon and grabbed the back of Jedi Knight's blade and snapped it in two.

Nier wasn't expecting such a thing, hence as to why he left himself open when he glanced at the broken weapon, his single eye wide with shock. It was also the reason why Massaker used that same limb that broke his blade to punch him hard in the center of his armored torso, sending him back several feet, dazed.

However, when he had punched Nier, one could obviously tell that his arm was longer than it should have been. Only one with keen eyes could have seen the metallic surface that briefly revealed itself between the sleeve and glove.

With Nier stunned for the moment, Massaker looked to the ex-Jedi that bound his legs to the floor, his pleased expression gone. In a low voice, he muttered, mostly to himself, "It would seem that I have to dispose of you before I can subdue Lord Licht and take him back home to see the Lord of Shadows.." He raised his blaster and, much like the blaster rifles the other Schatten Warriors possessed, seemed to charge up.

After a few seconds, there was silence. It was followed by the sound of twelve bolts wildly screaming towards Aro.

 

[Green Ranger]

Though taken aback at his opponent's obvious artificial enhancements, Aro maintained focus. As much as he knew this wasn't going to be an easy fight, part of him still relished the challenge, and he couldn't help smiling in spite of himself. You didn't get this kind of adrenaline rush sitting in a temple on some tranquil backwater world meditating. Sometimes you had to take yourself to the very brink of destruction to truly feel alive.

Flicking the lightsaber hilts in his hand, the former Jedi Knight reversed the grip of his two blades into a defensive reverse grip. Sliding out his stance wider, he thrust a palm towards his adversary as his weapon charged, two fingers that had elongated once again closing around the hilt of his weapon as the Force whirled around him.

As Massacre, or Massaker - how in blazes did you spell his name, anyway? - charged his weapon, in the brief pause between charging and firing, the blaster would twist and contort in his hand, solid metal crushing like tin foil beneath the power of the Force. If the weapon was indeed still able to fire, the result would likely instead result in a backfire or an undirected, uncontrolled blast of energy in the cyborg's own hands. Likely scenario would involve the complete vaporization of the man's arm, though at the worst it would create a blinding burst of light that would dazzle his senses - especially considering they were clearly attuned to low-light situations, as he has proved earlier in the scuffle.

Aro didn't hesitate for even a moment to find out. Darting to the side with a burst of Force-augmented speed, he once again reverse his grip as he ran up and along the very wall of the warehouse, deftly stepping over a hole in the wall created earlier. At the apex of his altitude, the Jedi sprung off the wall in a whirlwind of energy, striking at Massaker from above and from his flank with his twin cyan blades.

 

[Tzeentch]

True to one of Aro's predictions, the blaster that was brimming with energy, exploded, sending makeshift shrapnel in every direction and creating a bright flash. Unfortunately for the Jedi, the sudden energy that was dispersed did not vaporize Massaker's hand, let alone his arm.

Instead, it eradicated anything that was not metallic up to his mid-bicep. The only thing damaged was his clothing and not the cybernetic limb that was under the fabric, of which glowed red from the heat.

"Gah!" Massaker withdrew his hand swiftly as if it were burned before turning to face the Jedi who leaped from the wall, lightsabers prepared to drop on him.

Acting with great speed, the hooded individual kicked up the blade that he had dropped earlier, caught it with his left hand, and spun out of the way not a moment too soon. Unable to efficiently use the pointed blade at that point in time however, Massaker instead used the momentum from his spin and rocketed back towards the spot where the Jedi would undoubtedly land, lashing out with a kick powerful enough to send Aro flying into the still dazed Nier if it were to successfully hit.

Somewhat like Aro, a small grin grew on Massaker's face. Although, it was filled with more bloodlust than adrenaline.

Like the warriors that now lied dead on the floor, a faint, red glow emitted from beneath the Schatten's hood. 'Perhaps this may actually be worth my time..'