The Spearhead

[Sabrina K]

She was ready for combat now, and came back into the hangar bay, with lightsaber lighted up. She looked around, then saw a blue woman, running towards her ally. She had to react quickly, and she did just that. She saw the light fixture getting pulled, and she used the Force to throw it back at the Republica woman. In order to protect her comrade in arms.

@Ulysses @Yuan @Cainhurst Crow @Sreeya

 

[Shizuo Aramusha]

Shizuo ceased his lighting attack, conserving himself for a fight. A quick burst of power was pivotal to his fighting style, but so to was falling back on the practices of Soresu, defense and allowing an opponent to provide him an offense to use, while keeping himself from becoming over-exerted.

Another combatant made themselves known, a flash of bright color catching the sith's eye as he noticed the Pantoran. It was the same species as his fellow infiltration partner tasha, yet much more brighter, an easy target. Shizuo then saw movement, Argo coming from his cover and taking a step to the side, as Shizuo caught the first blaster bolt with his blade, and sent it soaring towards the brightly colored adversary.

The second shot came, another step to the side, the same rythem as last time, and Shizuo turned his wrist to as he took 2 steps forward, knocking the bolt towards the imperial republican pantoran again, as he focused on the human gunman. His movements were orderly, predictable, forming a set pattern that the Kyuzo cautiously decided to exploit.

The 3rd shot came as Shizuo lunged to the left, the blaster bolt flying by as it seared along the metal of his prosthetic arm, charring it and making it glow a bright orange for a few moments as the Kyuzo brought his saber in his right hand, letting his left arm rest just as the 4th faster shot came. Shizuo caught it with the blade just in time, not having been lined up with the 4th shot until he had tried to risk side-stepping himself, to counter-act his opponents rythem.

In the blink, Shizuo sent the blaster bolt sailing back at his opponent. He had intended to try and reflect it at his head, hoping to end this quickly. However, the swiftness of the 4th shot made it impossible to line up that shot properly. Instead the bolt sailed low, and to the right, it's off-center trajectory sailing to hit the imperial agent in the leg, or perhaps the foot. If he tried to jump out of the way, he'd most likely make it, but hitting the deck would force him to stop shooting, as Shizuo continued his ever patient advance.

@Sreeya @Yuan @Sabrina K @Ulysses

 

[Tasha Blackwell]

Tasha sensed the light fixture above her head moving, but her ally came to her aid at once, sending it flying back at the woman. Regardless, she stepped back out from the trajectory of the fixture and continued the choke she had around the man’s neck. As he had been relying entirely on his ally breaking Tasha’s concentration, it meant that he was helpless to defend against it. Without any sort of interruptions given to Tasha as she had her hold, she simply continued the grip, the impacts making the man drop to the floor unconscious.

With both the light fixture and the deflected bolts coming her way, the fellow Pantoran would be hard pressed to continue her advance. Regardless, Tasha still her blade up and ready to defend against any actual strikes against her, blocking anything with her blade at a diagonal angle (end facing to Tasha’s left shoulder) if the woman’s blade ever reached hers. She maintained the Force choke around the male until he was down, knowing he was powerless to do any further attacks.

@Ulysses @Yuan

 

[Argo Swan]

As Argo's finger squeezed the trigger for the final time, everything went black. He had not noticed in his stifling armour his air supply being cut off. He would not awake until later, when he would see the outcome of the sabotage.

 

[Shikari]

Shikari skidded to a halt as everything suddenly seemed to be coming crashing towards her. Swinging her growling red saber in her left hand, she bent her knees and leapt backwards in a long, force-infused backflip as the light fixture came crashing down where she had stood only a moment before, the two deflected blaster bolts impacted the now barely-recognizable heap of debris. As she flipped through the air, Shikari scanned her surroundings, seeing the Old Empire sith, now three in number, and her ally, the brave but misguided soldier lying on the floor. Was he alive or dead? She couldn't tell in the brief moment, and she didn't know if she would have the time to investigate the body.

Landing several meters back from where she had started, Shikari quickly rose from her crouch and raised her lit saber to point tip-first at the enemy pantoran, reaching to her back with her free right hand she pulled her second saber free from it's hiding place and ignited that as well, pointing it at the Kyuzo and the human woman off in slightly the other direction. Slowly Shikari began to back-step. The Old Empire sith had entered from the innards of the frigate, leaving Shikari with her back to the fighters she had been looking at before and the hangar entrance behind her, the cold dark of space just beyond that. Shikari's gaze shifted above her black, fanged mask from one sith to the other. "If the sith continue this infighting amongst ourselves, the galaxy will be lost to all of us." Shikari stated allowed to her opponents as she continued to slowly inch back, watching for any sign of incoming attack.

@Ulysses @Sreeya @Cainhurst Crow @Sabrina

 

[Tasha Blackwell]

Tasha took in sight of the woman for the first time since they had engaged in battle. She was a Pantoran, just like her. The woman was cornered, and there was nowhere for her to run. Her words, however, echoed within Tasha’s mind. She wasn’t the mindless killing machine most Sith were perceived as. Her allies today were people she could rely on, Sabrina and Shiuzu both people she would go into battle with again.

Her gaze remained on the other Pantoran woman, and she switched off her saber, her yellow eyes meeting the woman, “I agree,” She said quietly, “But there is the right side and the wrong side to be on. You are no different than I am,” Tasha remarked, pointing out that they were both Pantoran, “You will never get the respect you deserve as long as you cling to the Republica. The Empress is dead, the Republica is crumbling. There is nothing for you there. Emperor Vrael does not give a kriff if you are human or alien, he only cares if you prove yourself,” She paused for a moment, “I know you and your comrade are worth a lot more than this - a lot more than how you are treated now. There is another path. Follow the Old Empire and realize your true worth and your place in the galaxy. You will never get that respect within a sinking ship. We don’t have to keep fighting, but I implore you to reconsider following a leaderless and crumbling regime.”


@Yuan @Cainhurst Crow @Sabrina

 

[Sabrina K]

Sabrina quickly dodged the incoming light fitting, that she pulled towards the other Pantoran. The woman dodge her attack, with a rather impressive flip. She had cornered herself, though she was still capable of fighting. She made pretty speech, but they where just words. She was the enemy, unless she submitted to the rule of the strong. She was fighting on the wrong side history, the imperium republica was dead, these where their final death throes. As she spoke, she took step back behind her two companions. Then began to focus on her, she was not listening to Tasha reply. Though the reply was correct, she wanted to make sure if she did not accept it, she could end this fight in a breath. She preparing a force pull, to use on the woman.

@Sreeya @Yuan @Cainhurst Crow @Ulysses

 

[Shizuo Aramusha]

Shizuo watched the human go down, falling where he stood as the altered kyuzo felt something he hadn't before. The man was unconscious, no longer a threat, and yet...something was drawing him towards the man. He took a step towards him, eyes fixed as he felt his blade tighten in his grasp.

'It'd be so easy. Finish him. End him...' Shizuo felt the darkness in him reaching forward as he took another step, his saber raising when Shikari made her proclamation. The kyuzo stopped in his tracks as he felt his hand shaking, 'Do it. Kill him. Kill her. Kill them. Kill them all!'

"No..." Shizuo said aloud as he clenched his fist, forcing himself from regarding the fallen warrior. His movements had put himself in front of the human on their side, Sabrina, as he contemplated the fate of Argo. He'd fought harder then most of the other soldiers on this vessel. Shizuo wouldn't end his life, and he wouldn't allow the urge inside of him to push him towards it. He looked to his fellow sith, as she offered a counter-offer, an offer to join them, instead of stand against them.

Shizuo mulled over the idea himself. The swirling darkness still thirsting for blood, but his own willpower holding out, at the moment. Whether he would be able to hold it back if he were to end up in a fight, however, was anybodies guess. Not even he knew if he could stop himself in the moment.

"You...are a wolf...forced to serve, among sheep..." Shizuo said, holding back his bloodlust and trying to force some composure onto himself as he looked the Pantoran in the eyes, "You could be more. But you hold yourself back...You fight for a republic...that doesn't even see you, as worthy..." He looked at her with a new emotion, one outside of the bloodlust and malice.

It was pity. Genuine pity, as he lowered his own saber, and deactivated it. "You should fight, and kill, for what you believe...Not what a group of humans...tells you to die for."

@Sreeya @Sabrina @Yuan @Ulysses

 

[Sabrina K]

The woman was ether stalling or contemplating what to do next, either way she did not care. Her allies where more than a match for her, as it would be in essence two verse one if she left. The woman had no help coming, and was alone. The explosives where planted, but with the entire crew knocked out, why bother destroying the ship, when you could just capture it. That would make an excellent prize for the Emperor @Darth Vrael, and possibly worth a promotion to sith crusader. She knew they where at a recently conquered jungle world, and she had the coordinates.

She began heading to the bridge, as that was the best place to be, if you wanted to order a ship to do something. Her route was unopposed, and she got their quite easily. She was stepping over the odd member of staff, as went their. The doors opened automatically as she got their. She saw the nav computer terminal was on, and went over to it. The computer was unlocked, so she pushed, the young ensign to one side. His body made a bang, as he hit the deck. She began punching in the coordinates, so they could make the jump to lightspeed.

Soon they she the lines of hyperspace, she was heading home. This was her prizes to give to her emperor, she hoped he liked it. This gave the other sith just enough time to make up her mind, come with them and live, or fight and die.

@Yuan @Ulysses @Sreeya @Cainhurst Crow

 

[Shizuo Aramusha]

Shizuo deactivated his lightsaber, as he looked to the last standing imperial with a cold stare. "The choice is yours...You'll know where to find us, when you made up your mind." He said as he walked towards the shuttle the others had come on, ready to depart as their mission was complete.

He took a seat in the getaway shuttle and closed his eyes, breathing in meditation. This mission had been an enjoyable one, and he looked forward to see what terror they would wrought onto Coruscant.

/exit thread.

 

[Shikari]

Shikari listened as the two sith of the old empire spoke out to her about the folly of her ways and the merits of defecting and joining the Empire. This was to be expected, she supposed, but she was still a little surprised that her comments had proved so effective. She had indeed spoken her mind, but she had also been trying to stall for time. In this way her ploy had worked exceedingly well, but she was surprised to hear these that these infiltrators and saboteurs had such similar opinions as she herself had. It just went to prove that this fight was foolish and pointless. But it seemed that the emperor Vrael was dead-set on unifying the two sides of the empire under his rule before he would turn his full attention on the enemies at the gates.

Shikari continued stepping back, slowly, sabers raised. As she did, she saw one of the three sith turn and head back deeper into the ship. What she was up to, Shikari could only guess. Hadn't they come here to destroy this ship? The lynchpin behind the defense of the planet? Was their true goal something else? Shikari had trouble believing it, but it was very possible that they were actually planning on stealing this vessel. That made her grit her teeth even more. More than the thought of losing the frigate, but to think of a potential enemy gaining the ship was truly frustrating. But she had few options to proceed.

Behind Shikari was the shuttle she had arrived on. She stepped onto the ramp. Disengaging her left saber, she returned it to her belt. Shikari reached out her left hand and focused on the force, gathering it to her. The limp body of the unconscious Argo began to move, sliding across the floor at first slowly, but with increasing speed, until he hit the ramp, none to gently, and slid up into the passenger cabin. Shikari looked back to her fellow sith, her sith opponents. "All that you say may be true, but the times are changing. The galaxy is changing. The sith must change. We must evolve, or the galaxy will eventually outpace us and we will be consumed by our enemies. Vrael and the Empire cling to the old ways too strongly for my beliefs. I will continue to believe in the Republica and try to change it from within. I just hope we can all see the error of our ways before it is too late."

As she said this, alarm klaxons began to blare indicating a hyperspace jump. Shikari bit her lip in frustration beneath her face mask. She disengaged her right saber and turned, walking the last few steps up the ramp into the shuttle, closing the door behind her. She walked briskly past Argo and into the cockpit, flipping switches and engaging the engines.

The small shuttle flew out the Spearhead's hangar only moments before the much larger ship shot off into the oblivion of hyperspace. Shikari leaned back in her pilot's seat as the autopilot took over and began guiding them down to the planet below. She had failed to prevent the loss of the frigate. She had a long way to go before she was prepared to lead armies in battle against the Republica's enemies. As for where to go now... She and the other Imperials who were fighting to preserve the Republica as best they could were going to have to figure out how to do it without the Spearhead now...

///Exit Thread///