THE DRAIKEN
Pyrannus stood examining her claws, picking at the bits of dried blood and flesh that seemed to linger even after cleaning them. Glancing up, the cathar smiled as she saw her master approaching. Following the recording the cathar had made sure the broadcast reached the holo net before getting cleaned up. Darth Marr had then summoned her to his chambers and she had been waiting since. She knew her plan had worked, though not quite fully as intended. She had wanted to break Malavai Quinn down and show such off, but his defiant outburst had thwarted that. Pyrannus however, was far from displeased, knowing that outburst may well prove even better in drawing a response. In the end all that mattered was flushing the rest of them out.
The chamber doors hissed and parted, Darth Marr striding in before sealing the room behind him. Sealed in and away from being overheard or prying eyes, the Dark Council member looked at his apprentice. His eyes burned through the visor in his helmet, sliding over her slowly. Indeed his apprentice was as lovely and enticing as she was deadly. Her plan had been simple enough, though not without risk. Marr was now gambling on chance favouring him. It was a rare occurrence, but he believed his apprentice could pull such off. If it brought an end finally to the chase, he was all for it. The longer it went, the greater the odds of drawing unwanted attention and questions.
"I see you've enjoyed yourself, my apprentice." Marr's hollow voice stated, and Pyrannus flashed a feral grin and nodded as she purred.
"It was most… stimulating, Master." She answered and bowed her head to him.
"It was quite the show." Marr remarked moving about to settle behind the desk in the room.
Marr leaned forward in the chair, faceless helmet looking directly at her. Pyrannus could feel the eyes behind that mask burning into her. She wondered if he enjoyed seeing her, taking in her body that she displayed. The thought her master might desire her flesh made her want to squirm. Bedding a member of the Dark Council was not something she would have turned down, not when it was Marr. Pyrannus had to push away such thoughts till later, however.
"I have taken a very big risk Pyrannus, broadcasting such. It may well bring too many questions I do not want to answer."
"A calculated risk, master." Pyrannus answered, not in the least worried.
"Indeed." Marr thrummed the fingers on his left hand against the desk top. "It had best pay off, my apprentice, because it is all on you now. Prepare for their arrival, I will ensure our whereabouts are known. The trap is set."
Pyrannus nodded to her master before bowing low, making sure to pause long enough to give a nice view of her cleavage. With a sly grin she then rose and turned to head off to take care of the preparations. The cathar did not look back, but could feel her master's eyes on her still, accentuating the sway of her hips as she left. Though distracted by the more tantalizing thoughts, Pyrannus knew well enough to deal with the business at hand first and foremost. The Vaiken was about to have company come calling. She would not fail her master.
THE FOUNDRY
"Turn that shit off!" Teffa snarled, fighting the urge to just grab a blaster and shoot the holo terminal.
"He's alive at least." Asha Lightstar said softly, even though what she had seen had disturbed her more than she could say.
A silence had fallen over most of them. None of them had any words with which to convey what they had seen, or how they felt. Shadelis had taken Aela and Vette, going back to Aela's room. Right now both women needed their own space and time to get themselves together and composed. Shadelis had seen much, and was less rattled, and had taken such upon herself. She knew though, the image of Quinn was going to stay with her and haunt her for some time. It had been one of the worst things she had seen.
With the announcement of a live execution, they clearly were out of time. They would have to leave almost immediately in order to have any chance of rescue. Necrolis was already mulling it all over. He was all too aware that he missed Quinn being there to plan such. It was a strange turn of events. The man who was the best strategist was now the one they had to save and get back.
"I hated to even think of saying it while Aela was here, but he is in bad shape." Bloodshade commented, looking about at everyone. "I do not believe we can save him."
Immediately the debate began, turning quickly into yet another argument. Necrolis let his eyes narrow, knowing they had no time for such folly. Bloodshade was right, Quinn was in bad shape, and it would likely be worse by the time a rescue was attempted. He might even be dead by the time they got to him. Whatever came to be, there was no more room for debate. At this point they were just flogging a dead tauntaun. Necrolis finally decided he had enough, needing to put an end to the arguing. Reaching out with the force, he ripped the large table from the floor then brought it smashing back down in place. The resounding crash of metal brought swift silence as all eyes turned on him. Well, problem one was solved, he thought.
"Enough bickering." He stated, arms folding over his chest. "We stick to what the plan was. Those going after Quinn, get ready."
There were murmurs and mutterings, but the arguing did not return. One glance to the twisted and ruined table was enough to silence everyone. With such finished, the group began breaking up to head off and do what they needed to. Necrolis glanced over at the bent and warped table he had wrecked and sighed. So much for that one, he thought. Glancing over, Necrolis saw Teffa moving towards him and turned to meet his brother.
"Remind me not to piss you off!" Teffa cracked, looking past the sith at the table then back at his brother, a smirk plastered on his face.
Before Necrolis could respond, Blizz raced into the room and right over to Teffa. The jawa was frantic, waving his arms about and almost bouncing. The chittering speech of the jawa was completely lost on Necrolis. All he could do was cast his brother a questioning glance and wait for a translation. Teffa watched and shook his head as he tried to understand the little creature, finally reaching down and grabbing Blizz by the shoulders and holding him still. When he was worked up and going, Blizz became almost incomprehensible.
"Blizz slow down! What is it?"
"Blizz do good! Boss be happy! Save friend! Blizz awesome with hands!"
Teffa arched an eyebrow and cast a glance at Necrolis. Blizz had been off somewhere, on his own, and Teffa could not say when the last time was he had actually seen him. That meant he had way too much time on his hands. The bounty hunter got a bad sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Given all the technology that abounded around them in the Foundry, just about anything could have happened. Teffa knew better than anyone, give Blizz but a moment alone with any tech, he was going to tweak it. The little jawa had swiped his blaster the first time they had met, upping its power in mere seconds.
"Blizz, what did you do?" Teffa demanded.
"Blizz go work. Make big shiny army. You like, Blizz promise!" Blizz stated excitedly, hands patting Teffa's forearms where he held him and kept him from literally bouncing in place.
Teffa looked at Necrolis and shrugged. Necrolis looked from his brother to the jawa, and then back to Teffa. Confused he could only scratch his head and hope Teffa might make heads or tails of things. Whatever was going on, the jawa had gone and done something. So long as Teffa was not panicking, Necrolis was simply going to take whatever it was in stride.
"Look, look, you like!" Blizz twisted and shrugged out of Teffa's grasp and pointed back to the doorway.
"I'll be damned!" Teffa swore, eyes widening as he saw the pair of battle droids standing in the entry way.
"Teffa, I don't know what you pay this little guy, but double it!" Necrolis commented as they moved across to look at the droids.
"See, Blizz make better, all fixed." The jawa waved at them as he bounced along beside them. "Blizz good with his hands!"
"Blizz, you just became the galaxy's most hugged and kissed jawa, buddy." Teffa remarked with a laugh.
KORRIBAN
Blackheart Darkstar stretched and felt the small little pops along the spine of his back as it protested the movements. Three nights sleeping on the hard ground had left him aching. None of them were happy, he knew. Sore, tired, and constantly on the move, they all were mentally drained. It came from being on alert for danger at all times, but there was little help for it. They had remained on the edge of the valley, avoiding patrols, while staying out of the wilds. Loun had made it clear as a last resort only would they venture into that territory.
They were on the move once again, the sky brightening as day peeled back the night. Loun let Raistlis lead, remaining between the two young sith. Blackheart knew they did not much care for one another. There was no trust there, and for him, he just did not like the way the other young sith carried himself. He was competent enough in a fight though, Blackheart reminded himself. It was just not a good fit between them. What am I doing here, Blackheart wondered not for the first time, had Bloodshade really meant for him to come here to all this? He could not believe that had been his mother's plan at all.
"We're just going in circles." Blackheart stated when he recognized some of the landscape about him
"There is no other choice at present." Loun commented over her shoulder with a shrug and smile to him. "Better this than a holding cell in the academy."
Blackheart could not argue that at all. Whatever was happening, their capture seemed high priority. I don't like cages, Blackheart thought, knowing if they were captured that indeed would be their fate. At least for he and Raistlis. The Overseer faced a far worse fate he surmised. By aiding him, attacking the Imperial troops, even aiding someone in getting into the academy, Loun would be branded a traitor and be killed.
Raistlis brought them to a stop suddenly, all of them crouching. Loun and Blackheart crept forward to join him, keeping low. Raistlis pointed down the slope to the valley below them. He had caught the glint of sunlight off the metal of two Imperial shuttles that were sitting out in the open. About the craft a large contingent of troops milled about, setting up a makeshift camp. Raistlis looked to Loun and shook his head, knowing it was not a good sign. There was no other reason for them to be out this far setting up a camp unless it was to look for them.
"This does not bode well for us." Loun whispered, scanning over the force below them.
Loun knew there had to be a commander, be it sith or Imperial. Her eyes spotted the one in charge in a few moments as they strode down the ramp of a shuttle and out into view. It was a sith. She was female, that much she could tell from the outline and curves of her body. Black revealing armour allowed Loun to see her stomach and the grey fur covering her, marking her as a cathar. Great, the woman thought, not only do we need to worry about force powers, but also her sense of smell and hunting instincts. They were in trouble, Loun knew. It was what she had feared might end up happening, a worst case scenario.
"Things just took a turn for the worse." Loun said softly, Raistlis nodding in agreement.
"We should hit them now before they get set up." Raistlis commented, tossing out the idea. Blackheart considered the notion and in all honesty would not have minded fighting them as opposed to running. He was getting tired of playing hide and seek.
"I do not think, even with the three of us, we could take them all on. There's too many of them." Loun looked back down, quickly trying to count the number of Imperial troopers, not even taking into account weaponry. There were twenty, maybe thirty troopers. And of course there was the sith leading them.
"Hit them at night, we would have the element of surprise." Raistlis said.
"No, that only lasts so long. There are too many of them, and we have no idea what weapons they would bring to bear." Loun countered with a shake of her head for emphasis. "And we would have to fight the sith as well as all the rest. Better to run for now, make them chase us, break them into smaller groups we can manage."
Blackheart nodded, seeing what the Overseer had in mind. Hit and run tactics would be their best option. Dwindle and bleed them of their numbers and strength little by little. Keep moving, use the terrain to their advantage, and make them come to them. It was a sound strategy, he could not argue against it. At least with Loun's plan there was a good chance they would stay alive. Rushing headlong into a fight outnumbered and outgunned, the odds were far and away against them. As much as he hated backing down, he was beginning to learn quickly there was a time and place when that simply was necessary.
"Well looks like we won't be having campfires anymore." Blackheart joked half-heartedly and Loun gave a soft very low laugh.
"Come, we need to move." Loun said sliding back from the edge. "We've got preparations to make."
Pumirra stepped quickly from the shuttle, looking about as the Imperials hurried to set up a base camp about them. The sooner that was done, the sooner she could get her men up into the high ground around them. Securing their base and not being vulnerable was paramount. Once they could deploy the probe droids she would feel more comfortable. Until then, she knew they were open to attack, and there were three sith out there after all.
Pumirra had read over the files of those she was after. Clearly Overseer Loun was the one she needed to eliminate the most. Experience and wisdom removed by taking her out, would leave the other two alone and vulnerable. They were both young and foolish. They would make rash and hasty decisions and come to her on her own terms, she knew. Loun was clearly in charge and removing their leader was all it would really take to have them right where she wanted. The cathar had been surprised to see the Overseer's name, but it did not matter in the end. She was a traitor and deserved to be captured and killed. Pumirra could have cared less, if Darth Marr gave the order, then she was going to follow those orders. I'm not sticking my own neck out and on the line for anyone, she thought.
Raistlis would be the harder to beat in a fight, Pumirra knew, as she contemplated the others. The pure blood sith youth had already shown great strength and skill in his classes. He was being trained as an acolyte towards being a juggernaut class warrior. The last of the group was an inquisitor, which the cathar knew would be dangerous in their own right. They commanded force lightning, as well as being able to wrap themselves in the force to seem invisible. It would prove a good test of her skills bringing them all down. Her master had set her against worthy foes.
"Commander, how long until this base camp is set?" She demanded seeing the Imperial commander, Vess, directing the men about.
Vess turned and gave the sith a bow of his head before straightening to attention and his hands clasped at the small of his back. Pumirra watched with a hint of amusement, knowing her very presence distracted and unnerved at the same time. She had chosen the same armour as her sister, the revealing gear showing off her body, the flat and fur of her stomach, the swell of the underside of her large breasts, the tease of her abdomen just above where her hips flared and rounded. The fact she was sith and most knew of her reputation made them uncomfortable even as they wanted to look at her. It amused Pumirra to have it be so.
"My lord." Vess said quickly. "We should have general placements within the hour. I've ordered as soon as that is done for the sniper teams to seek the high ground. We should have two on either side of the valley soon. Once that is done we will set up the droids."
Pumirra smiled within the depths of her drawn up cowl. Vess was no different from any other man. She had caught his glances at her. He was appealing enough and a younger age than most commanders. A brush cut head of fine blonde hair and dark brown eyes, average height and build, he could turn heads if he wanted to. The man was also quite competent, and she was pleased by his report. He was quick, thorough, and at least could keep his mind on business and off her body. He might rise through the ranks quickly if he avoided any mistakes. Pumirra knew it was very easy to falter, all it took was one misstep and all that promising future would vanish right before your eyes. It was no different for her. If she failed Darth Marr, she would be lucky to still be alive.
"Good." Pumirra nodded to the commander. "Make sure the hunting parties are ready. Night vision for the troops, I'm sending them out tonight."
"As you will, my lord." Vess bowed again to her.
Pumirra glanced about the valley, up over each sloping side of it, before looking about at the base camp being set up. Somewhere out there, she knew, her prey was waiting.
