"In The Dark" PBP

[Dukha]

Sharra listened as the trooper spoke, not suprised by his refusal but still impressed by his courage and determination.

She had no moral objections to killing, no ethical code that forbade her from tearing this man apart. His face would not keep her awake at nights, nor would she regret taking his life once it was done.

But still, anger welled up within her, anger at the senseless waste the war brought with it. Pieces on the dejarik board, thats what they where, thats all they where. But still, acting on her feelings would be counterporductive. As the trooper said, they had picked their sides.

Sharra returned his bow then let her body flow into the starting position of the Makashi style, the saber held point towards the ground.

"Well then, in this deadly game, it is your move. Ladies first, as always."

Sharra offered him a wry smile, then nodded.

"As you wish."

She struck, letting the blade sweep in a vicious upwards arc towards her opponent in a blow aimed diagonally across his midsection, more to test than to injure or kill at this point.

[Ysme]

"Come on baby, come on"

Vixi looked anxiously at the little pad she had wired into the swoop as the progress symbol circled the screen. She was sat straddled on the swoop. As all was turning to choas around here. The ally filled with the rumble of collapsing building, showering debris and the shouts and screams of panicked and confused people. The grunts and squeals of gamorrean heavies could be heard among them.

"Shit, the Hutts!"

With a soft whir the swoop rose into the air

" Yes baby! now go!" As she hit the throttle she felt a menacing rush of air and a soft thump as a caped figure with a cold menacing presence landed a few feet behind where she had been a split second ago. Not even thinking to turn round and find out she zoomed out of the alley and into the relative safety of the perpetual night of Nar Shaddar.

"Whoa"

The swoop almost slammed into a Hutt barge that was moving in on the apartment. Tears from the cold night air streamed from Vixi's eyes,as she she sped on half blinded but exhilerated to a place she would be safe. For a while at least.

Ysme hit the floor like a cat in a crouch, just as the speeder sped away. A second too late, she watched the swoop with Vixi flash out of the alley and out of sight. She knew there would be little point trying to follow her through the alleys and levels of the district. She might not have her target but she sensed her mission was successful for now.

Rising slowly to a stand, the shadowed figure strode over to the remaining swoops. Taking a small round flat device from her belt she pressed in a sequence over the buttons around the outer rim and placed it on the under side of the end swoops engine. With that she straddled the next swoop over and raised her comm link up.

"end swoop tagged, 2 minutes to clear, return to ship"

Ysme then gunned the engine and sped out into the neon lit night.

Up above, the Dashade made its way out in a limping sprint and hurled its way downwards jumping flights of stairs at a time.

[Kbrury]

After getting out of the Apartment Seiryuu had no time to think about the now missing Vixi. Getting his team together safely was the priority, one by one the team confirmed their positions. It was time to put an end to this and get out of here as quickly as possible before shadier groups begin showing up.

Kryad, detonate now! Seiryuu ordered.

To himself, "I hope he didn't go overboard on the explosives again."

[Hart of Hircine]

Kbrury wrote:

After getting out of the Apartment Seiryuu had no time to think about the now missing Vixi. Getting his team together safely was the priority, one by one the team confirmed their positions. It was time to put an end to this and get out of here as quickly as possible before shadier groups begin showing up. Kryad, detonate now! Seiryuu ordered. To himself, "I hope he didn't go overboard on the explosives again."

Azno with the wtf look on his face as if there was a big drop of water obviously on his face that and he kinda looked like he was frowning. "Like he always kinda like that time on Dxun man that was a blast!" Azno twiddling his fingers looking down and in a spinning motion rubbing his feet on the metal surface Azno said looking like an emo "You know we might even have to move further from here knowing him!"

[Kryad Explo]

Kryad, detonate now! Seiryuu ordered.

Kryad pushed the button. He heard many bombs, but at both the armorys it sounded more like whoop - boom. Maybe there had been some bad explosive.

It is... done. Kryad said over comlink

[Zabac]

It is done

Zabac hunkered down behind the dumpster hoping that it would protect him from the rubble flying around him. Zabac looked up to see a chunk of plasteel the size of a gizka flying straight for him Kryad look out]Zabac yelled just before he blacked out

[Ysme]

The red cloaked figure, swooped through the levels and alleys back towards the ship. Running through her mind all that had happened and all the possible outcomes. She raised her data link bracer

"1 minute to detonation"

Vaarak thundered down to the last few steps and lept twoars the ground. Heading straight for the swoops parked up in the alley. Climbing aboard, almost dwarfing the big machine, he looked round to see who else had made it out. Turning back, he gunned the engines and was gone.

Vixi sped on, not wanting to stop or slow down. The presence she felt seemed to clinge to her like chill air. Adrenaline was giving way to exhaustion.

[Tharsus]

"1 minute to detonation"

Tharsus tipped his earpiece with two fingers and started to run nearly leaping each step through the corridor.

Damn that building with elevators broken and that unusual architecture of Nar Shadaa apartment block it was hard to find emergency exit.

He was ready to jump through the window and try to survive the fall... suddenly his eye caught something in the corridor wall... garbage disposal chute... nice...

He stopped and used lightsabre to cut through the lid covering chute and quickly jumped inside feet down.

As he supposed... after a vertical fall of few levels chute was ending in a curved part ending above huge garbage container which was parked in backalley behind the building block.

He landed softly on his back... jumped out of the container... and continued to run toward the swoops.

He dumped his cloak on the run which was now completely ruined.

[Kryad Explo]

Kryad look out Zabac yelled

Kryad looked at him. Look out for what? And then he saw Zabac got hit by a chunk of plasteel and then he turned his dead and saw the end of the chunk.

[Atka Talin]

Atka whipped his sword up, blocking the attack. It was a solid strike, but it seemed lazy, not really trying to kill. His arms quaked with the strike, and it felt as if someone had already shoved a knife in his back.

The sith sent a few more of these lazy shots, blocked again without too much difficulty. Then, she started to fight. Her saber cut up, down, and backwards. Atka could barely keep up. As the blade got closer, and he got weaker, Atka noticed in his helmet a flashing light.


0:51


The timer. The estimated time of which Kryad would blow the apartments to dust. After a particularly vicious hit from the saber, Atka Struck Back. He drew up energy from the last wells of his strength, and forcing his body to follow his commands, his sword became a blur. He used every tactic he knew, attempting to turn the tables. As one of his strikes locked blades with her, they were face to face. Once again, it was a conflicted face, yet it was determined. In those eyes, Atka saw his fate.

Atka knew he was going to die. Then, the second was over, and she forced his blade back. He lost his grip, and the Mandolorian sword flew out of his hand. With the force behind it, it embedded in the metal street.


0:30

[Dukha]

Sharras first strike was fairly easily blocked, as expected, but it was clear the trooper was near breaking point. He was a skilled swordsman however, good posture despite his injuries and quick on his feet.

Sharra fell back, then renewed the attack, this time increasing the strenght of the onslaught with each strike, pushing the trooper hard. A blurring succession of blows ended with him missing a step as he struggled to keep up and Sharra leapt, striking straight down, almost forcing her opponent to his knees as he parried the blow just in time.

Stepping back, the lighsaber humming as she let it spin in her hand, the troopers eyes narrowed. She almost missed it but the sudden burst of determined rage as he struck flared trough the Force like a beacon, alerting her just in time. For a few moments it was Sharras turn to be on the recieving end as the troopers heavy sword clashed against the lighsabers ionized blade over and over, each blow parried sending sharp bursts of pain through her arms and back.

Teeth gritted Sharra stood her ground, breaking the onslaught with a quick counterstrike that ended in a classical saber lock, the pale green of the lightsaber reflected along the lenght of the swords rugged metal surface. Weapons locked Sharra looked into his eyes. There was no fear there, just grim determination and once again she was reminded of the dejarik board. The pawn has to move forward wether it wants to or not.

She screamed, filling that primal sound with all the rage and hatred that was pent up inside her, using it to break the lock and push him away. A vicious strike from the saber knocked the blade out of his hand, sending it spiraling away before embedding it in the street.

Sharras second strike caught him over his forearm, severing it in one clean cut.

[Atka Talin]

Atka fell to his knees. He gripped the stump of his left forearm. A scream perched at his lips, but nothing came. Time seemed to slow as he looked around.

The building was collapsing, even without an explosion. He had no doubt Kryad would still send it all up in flames, but it was really mainly unnecessary.

He saw chunks of rock and plasteel fall from the higher reaches of the building. The crumpled speeder lay aside, as with his helmet. Vixi's kiss was barely visible on the visor. His sword was somewhere behind him. Even if he could reach it, there was no way he could wield it.

And the sith, she walked towards him, and a cold fist gripped his heart. The heart was noble, and at the very least it understood honor, and it told the man what was required. It told him he wasnt finished, that his friends were still at risk, and that the mission was compromised.

At what Atka thought would be his last stand, Atka wasnt sorry. Quite the contrary, he was happy. He was born in a warrior culture, and lived a warrior's life. He was glad, then, that he would die a warriors death.

He started to laugh. Quite cheerfully. The sith looked at him with a brow arched and a puzzled look. She had seen broken men cry and beg. She had seen the crazy and disturbed start to laugh, too, but not like this. So she was puzzled.

Then he stopped. He forced himself to his feet, and looked once again at the gauntleted section of his arm laying in the street. The pain was intense, even with the large amounts of adrenaline, but it was shrugged off through training in the matter. From his right gauntlet sprang a small blade. Atka raised his remaining limb and sprang at his enemy. There was no going back.

[Dukha]

As the trooper charged, wisps of smoke trailing from the cauterized wound left by the lightsaber Sharra raised her hand and, channeling the Force, slammed him hard into a nearby wall.

His laughter still ringing in her ears Sharra powered down the lightsaber, suddenly feeling very tired. Drained of energy as if the sabers glow was tied to her endurance. Every muscle ached and it was an effort to keep her back straight. Looking at the slumped figure she felt a pang of sympathy for him. While most would think all sith heartless monsters Sharra had no problem feeling for this man, being impressed by his bravery and strenght of will. But it mattered little. Hard to shake off though.

Mind wandering Sharra felt unsure of what to do next. Check on him? Stupid idea, if he was still alive he'd probably detonate a grenade right in her face. The tought made her smile. But it also reminded her that Ysme had said something about rigging a swoop with explosives. Of course she had, the stupid bitch. Face expressionless Sharra looked around, trying to spot some means of transportation.

[Ysme]

" 50 seconds"

The voice was clear and calm across the comm's link

[Kbrury]

After relaying the message to Kryad, Seiryuu caught a glimpse of the Dashade and the Sith woman speeding off below. "Their attention is not on us anymore" Seriyuu thought out loud, that's our cue to get out of here as well.

Around the corner a vengeful scream rung throughout Seiryuu's ears, it didn't sound the same as the Sith woman. Running to see what was going on he saw Atka fighting another Sith but hanging down at his waist was a crippled arm. "He's not going to last much longer" Igniting his lightsaber Seiryuu charged in but before he could make it a massive shock came from above. The explosions started to go off above as rubble began to fly down from the apartment.