KORRIBAN
Pare and Reit Saboorin were twi'lek twins, there was no mistaking that. They had the same rounded face, same builds and height, and both had short cropped dark brown hair. Both wore the grey and red armour of acolytes and wielded the training sabers in almost identical stances. There were differences however, both subtle and not so subtle. For starters Pare bore scarring down the left side of his face, while his twin had no such blemish. Pare was left handed while Reit was right handed as well.
The two acolytes stood waiting and watching their opponent in the academy training room. Neither of them was too happy about facing off against the cathar, even if it was a two on one battle. None of their class wanted to be in their position. The woman was dangerous, feral, and had a tendency to leave acolytes in the medical bay after spars.
Pumirra flashed a feral grin, giving her opponents a glimpse of sharp teeth. She wore the same armour as they did, but instead of the grey red of most students, she had died and painted hers black with white accent. Absently she twirled the training saber in her right hand, held out away from her. The green luminous eyes studied both of them. They were no real threat or match for her, she knew. She had observed them countless matches, knew exactly how they worked in unison. They were good, but not that good. They had flawed techniques, but their biggest weakness was their reliance on each other. Break them up, isolate one of them, they would both fall, she knew.
"No force powers." The instructor yelled out the reminder, followed quickly by, "Begin!"
Reist immediately charged in at Pumirra, Pare circling to her left, looking to find the opening when she locked blades with Reist. Always the same opening feint and attack, Pumirra knew. Instead of catching the blade head on, Pumirra turned to her left, arm rising to catch and take Reist's blade away behind her. Pare rushed in only to pull up as Pumirra brought a booted foot up that nearly connected. Pare dropped to his knees and slid under the strike and past her.
"That the best you two have for me?" Pumirra growled out. "I won't even break a sweat today."
Reist and Pare said nothing, glancing at each other before each circled in the opposite direction. Pumirra went on the offensive, lunging at Reist to her left, blade swinging down in a wide arc making him leap back. Her other arm swung about as Pare moved to attack on her right, only to again draw back wary of the cathar's claws. Pumirra leapt up and backwards in a tight back flip even as Reist tried to press his attack, swinging and missing. It gave Pumirra the opening she wanted. A quick hard kick to the side of Reist's head dropped him to the floor.
Pare gave a yell and charged in. Pumirra grinned, knowing she had both of them beaten. Rushing right back at the twi'lek, Pumirra caught his blade on hers, leaping up and twisting mid air to land behind him, dropping the blade in the process. Before Pare could adjust and move, Pumirra dug the claws of both hands into the twi'leks lekku. With her grip secure, Pumirra yanked hard turning and pulling the twi'lek backwards up over her. As she felt his weight against her she pressed upwards, launching the man up to then pull him face first down into the floor. Letting go Pumirra moved over to her dropped blade and kicked it back up to her hand in one fluid motion. Returning to the groaning prone form of Pare, Pumirra made to strike.
"Enough!" The instructor's voice boomed, and Pumirra pulled back from striking. "The match is over."
Pumirra licked her lips and turned and walked calm and collect back to stand at the starting spot for a match, watching both red skinned twi'lek twitching and groaning where they had fallen. A glance at the instructor showed he looked ready to let into her once again about her fighting, but the appearance of a messenger brought him up short. After conversing a moment, she noted the messenger hand over a holo device and depart.
"Pumirra, come here." The instructor waved her over.
Curiosity peaked, Pumirra walked over to her instructor, who quickly handed the device to her before pointing and telling her to use the change room. She was done training for the day, she knew. He had found the perfect excuse for her to be out of the class. Not that Pumirra cared. None of them were worth fighting. None of them were any sort of challenge at all. Might as well be a bunch of one legged men in an ass kicking contest, she thought of her classmates.
Settling on one of the change room benches, she pressed the holo device to activate it, setting it on the bench as she rose and began to change. The light blue holo image swirled and formed, the figure of Darth Marr standing with hands clasped at his back.
"Pumirra, I have need of you."
Pumirra turned, half naked and not remotely caring and bowing to the Dark Council member. He was her sister's master, not hers, but she treated him with as much respect as Pyrannus did. There was something to be said for having the favour of one of the most powerful sith in the galaxy behind you. It allowed her to merely be herself, embrace her full nature and desires. Not even her instructors dared to oppose her, knowing to go too far, they risked his disfavour.
"As you command, my lord." Pumirra purred as she continued to change. For a moment she wondered if the man enjoyed seeing her naked in just her fur. "What is it you would have of me?"
"You will go to the academy stores for gear, and then you are to seek out three individuals. I want them alive if possible, but dead shall suffice just as well." Marr commanded and the cathar paused, running her hands over her grey and white furred body a moment before nodding her understanding.
"Very well." Pumirra commented. "Send me the files on them and I shall not fail you."
"See that you don't!" Marr snapped in reply. "I would hate to have to skin that lovely body of yours from head to toe if you did."
THE FOUNDRY
The room was too full of people for Necrolis' liking. There were too many opinions, too many views being tossed into the raging argument. It of course was going to end this way, he knew. It was a simple matter of having too many people, and too volatile a subject. In the end Necrolis was left with nothing but shouting and a bad headache.
On one side Aela, along with Vette, had argued adamantly about going to rescue Quinn. It did not matter at all where they had to go or what they had to do. There was no consideration for what they would face and be up against. Damn the odds, they were determined to get Quinn back, or die trying. Necrolis had found allies in the argument against such folly in Teffa, Bloodshade, and even some of the Republic aligned members. Scourge and Rusk, even the Havoc Squad group had all voiced objections and pointed out it was nothing more than a suicide mission. Where things went from bad to worse were the unsure people, those like Asha willing to help if they decided to go, but advising against it at the same time.
Necrolis rubbed at his temples before shaking his head. Moving over to the table and flopping into one of the chairs about it, the sith just closed his eyes and focused on drowning out the noise. He knew sooner or later it would subside, once all of them were done trying to talk over one another. At that point a decision would get made, though he knew all too well Aela and Vette had already made up their minds.
"I'm going!" Mako stated, causing Teffa to stop arguing with Aela and turn to his wife.
"Over my dead body!" The bounty hunter shot back at her.
"You aren't telling me what to do!" Mako jabbed a finger into her husband's chest plate, staring up at him defiantly. "I'm not leaving Quinn to rot and be forgotten. If that was you I'd do the same thing Aela is!"
Teffa growled and made to say something, only to have Torian step between them breaking up the fight that was brewing. Mako gave the young man a hard look as he moved Teffa back away and the two conversed between themselves. She could see Teffa shaking his head negatively and arguing with him. Torian was just as animated, hands moving as he talked, every so often gesturing behind him back towards her. What are you up to, Mako wondered? Finally Torian spun about and walked back over to her.
"It's decided." Torian said softly. "You are not going."
"Try and stop me junior!" Mako snapped back, ready for a fight and pissed off Torian had ended up taking Teffa's side. Stepping back, Torian brought both hands up defensively.
"You are staying Mako, I'm going in your place." Torian told her, making Mako stop and raise an eyebrow at him.
"It's a simple matter of life and death." Torian told her, reaching a hand down to rest on her swollen belly. "This life, and the possible death awaiting anyone going after Quinn. You are staying."
Mako felt her eyes watering up, and before she did cry, she leapt forward, wrapping her arms about the young mandalorian's neck hugging him tightly. Torian patted her back, gently returning the hug. Mako's voice came soft to his ear as she whispered.
"You had better come back, you hear me?"
"I learned from the best." Torian answered as he stepped back and out of the hug. "I plan on it."
Kyl'thanis stood with Asha and Kamthar off to the side, taking in the various arguments happening. The twi'lek cast a glance to his daughter, noticing she was staring over at the Emperor's Wrath. He did not like her interest, even in passing, with the sith. Worse, he knew she was beginning to understand her role in all of this, and that meant they would need to talk and soon.
"I think they're rushing off to their deaths." Kamthar commented, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he glanced over the group once more.
"Not if we help them." Asha replied, casting a glance to the trooper who shrugged and then to Kyl'thanis who gave her a questioning look.
"You'd rush off into such a battle?" He asked his daughter, watching her nod in answer.
"Look around you, father." Asha said, gesturing with a hand to those before them. "These are the heroes of both the Empire and Republic. We've all faced greater odds and come out the other side. They stand a far better chance if we go along, than they do on their own."
Kyl'thanis looked at her before shaking his head. Damn the woman, he thought, knowing she was right. A pair of jedi, along with a sith, a mandalorian, and the twi'lek stood a far better chance than if they did not go along. The jedi looked past Asha to Kamthar, who stared back and sighed. He knew all too well what was coming. Havoc Squad was the elite of the Republic, the suicide mission was their specialty. Shaking his head, he finally nodded.
"Alric and I will go." He stated, his tone clear the decision was final. "The rest stay here to hold this base. We're going to need to be able to regroup."
The rescue team formed quickly from there. Along with Asha, Kyl'thanis, Kamthar, and Alric from the republic, Aela had the support of Vette, Pierce, Jaesa, and Torian. It then fell to Teffa and Necrolis to decide who stayed and went to Ziost to continue the search for answers. Tormen, Scourge, Kira, Doc, Bloodshade, Kaliyo, and Shadelis would join them in the hunt there. The rest would remain in the Foundry, securing and holding it as their base of operations. No one could find fault or argue with that at least.
Forgotten amongst the arguing, off to one side, stood Blizz. The jawa was often overlooked due to his quiet nature and short stature. It did not bother the jawa to be forgotten about, as they always found need of him when it came to anything needing fixing. And he was good at fixing things. Arms crossed, the jawa watched them all, confused by most of the arguing. To him it seemed simple enough. Fix what was broken and move on. Quinn gone had broken them. Get Quinn back.
The bright yellow eyes roamed over them all, studying them, until he caught sight of Bloodshade. The woman glanced over and smiled, and Blizz wiggled his fingers in a wave to the ratattaki. He liked her, she was fun, and she seemed to like him too. She had, after all, said he was good with his hands. Blizz had been rushing out, but he had heard such all the same. He liked the compliment.
The jawa turned his attention back, listening and hearing some of them saying the mission was impossible. Blizz cocked a head to the side thinking on that more. They just needed help, he surmised, and then he clapped his hands together as he began to get an idea. He had been exploring after all. There was plenty of shiny machines, some beyond him but a lot that seemed like with a bit of work, he could make function. Not to mention he had discovered a large room way down into the asteroid, and the shiny things inside. Knowing he would need to get to work, Blizz slipped out unnoticed to head back down into the bowels of the Foundry.