|
|
Post by Blue but beautiful on Jul 2, 2007 16:42:41 GMT -5
"quarter mil before and quarter mil after. that's the deal i'm willing to go for."
Smart avian,
"Done....just as soon as ya locate my vong." The phrase sounded wrong even to his own ears, but there it was. That vong was his best chance at digging his way out of a bad hole to be stuck in. If Heero could do this task for him, all the better...but if he botched it, well he'd rather not think about that right now.
Turning and making for the doorway himself, he figured he'd be better out front where he could keep an eye on things. The others had not returned yet, probably still looking, he'd wait for another few moments and then head out to rejoin the search himself. For now, he could run a list of comings and goings from the holonet terminal at the bar, if a Jedi checked out of the spaceport, he'd soon know about it....as long as he wasn't one of Nynx's VIP's that was.
|
|
|
|
Post by heerojen on Jul 2, 2007 21:25:32 GMT -5
"Done....just as soon as ya locate my vong."
"well, then... who or what took your cargo, or is that question off limits?" heero said as he came out behind ta'ak. he grabbed the pitcher of ale he had left before. he drank a couple deep swallows and then set it back down, nearly empty.
he walked out of the cantina and walked around the city area, looking for someone who would have seen something. he found a homeless man who looked like he set up every night in the streets and took his arm, sending a burst of the force through him, "has someone come through here in a hurry?"
the man turned white and nodded, pointing to the apartments and then passing out from the massive force overload. heero dropped his arm and walked back towards the cantina, intent on finding ta'ak.
he walked into the cantina, sighting the twi'lek instantly and squawking rather loudly at him as he walked over to the man.
"i think i've found your cargo, but i haven't investigated yet. i don't want to scare them off first off." heero was actually quite astonished at the ingenuity of their hiding space. it was out in the open, but also hidden from the eyes that mattered.
|
|
|
|
Post by darklord on Jul 3, 2007 3:10:32 GMT -5
"They say your Jedi powers come from abominable implants, is that the truth?"
Drevin smiled faintly, as he looked across to the shamed one. "No, its not as mechanical as that..." He stopped himself, wondering how much he should reveal, perhaps it was best that the yuuzhan vong remained completely ignorant to the force. On the other hand, perhaps telling this one might make her see things differently to the lies that she'd been fed.
"Our power comes from the force, the mystical energy field that binds all life." Well, all except for you apparently. "Some, like the jedi use it to preserve and protect life. While others use it for power or personal gain. I use it when and if necessary."
Her next questions boldness surprised him. "You can help me return to the worldship?" She was almost pleading with him. But why would she want to go back? Surely they'd kill her after what she'd done. But what else could he do with her? He wasnt going to sell her like the twi'lek and he hadnt planned on handing her over to the authorities either.
"I could help you yes... but do you honestly want to return to them?" He indicated to her bruises and wounds. And what would i get for my trouble other than another wrecked ship? He had no intention of flying into yuuzhan vong territory and pulling up next to a worldship to drop her off.
Just then Drevin felt a slight disturbance in the force, it was just out of range to be felt fully, merely a flicker. But it was there... searching.
|
|
|
|
Post by Blue but beautiful on Jul 3, 2007 12:10:21 GMT -5
Ta'ak had been blissfully unaware of the Fosh's prompt return, busy in conversation with one of this associates who had, as yet, turned up empty handed, so when he heard the diminutive avian speak up, it took him somewhat by surprise.
"i think i've found your cargo, but i haven't investigated yet. i don't want to scare them off first off."
That was fast....even for a Jedi wannabe like this.
"Ya sure? " He asked hardly believing his luck, Lekku curling slightly at the ends with curiosity.
"We can't afford any false alarms" he finally chided suspiciously.
With a one handed gesture to the rodian he had been talking with, Ta'ak turned his full attention on the Fosh, eyes narrowed, tone low...he wanted to be certain that this creature wasn't just fobbing him off with some lie.
Casting a hand out, he swept an arm out, motioning to all around them emphatically.
"So where are they?"
He wasn't in any mood for tricks, especially ones from this walking musical instrument - the way he spoke just seemed to make a mockery of everything anyone else said or did. Ta'ak didn't like that one little bit, but he would put up with it for the sake of getting the job done efficiently.
"Our power comes from the force, the mystical energy field that binds all life."
Kaalyanii had never heard of this force before, nor did she believed it existed now...there had to be an explanation for how the Jeedai did what they did. They were not above or beyond the reach of the gods, so why could no Yuuzhan Vong do what they did? It was also said that Jeedai could communicate like Yammosks - no doubt the shapers would discover their secret eventually, it was not for her to ponder. She pretended to take his words on face value, nodding once for confirmation that she'd heard what he said. Taking it in was another matter.
"I could help you yes... but do you honestly want to return to them?"
At first Kaalyanii had been about to answer an definant yes, but the more she contemplated it, the more her brow furrowed and her thoughts turned to what would become of her if they knew where she had been...and with who. Not only that but her actions in doing so - she would be killed for certain, and dishonorably.
But what else was she supposed to do? Stay?! The shamed one wrinkled up her nose ridge in disgust at that idea, she was shamed yes, but she was not that desperate, yet.
But then she had known little outside the worldships of her people, Kaalyanii had been a warrior once, true, but she had fallen from grace long before they had reached the galaxy given to them by the gods. These worlds were not their homes yet.
"Dwi - Yes" She responded after several moments of silence, resolute in her decision.
The Jeedai then reacted in a strange way to what Kaalyanii would not have called a question. Perhaps the abomination had mistranslated it?
Following Drevin's gaze, he seemed to look off into the distance somewhere as though seeing through time, rather than actually looking at an object. His expression was introvertive as were his feelings no doubt.
Something was wrong.
Her eyes glanced over every sharp, linear surface the room had to offer, looking for an unseen danger. But what was she looking for? Nothing here had changed as far as she could see. Rising to her feet cautiously, she felt bones click into joint pleasantly, tendons aching. Had they come looking for her? Had the Twi'lek located them? She dare not ask, speaking out of turn might attract attention. But she did shoot Drevin a questioning look, if he knew something, now would be a good time to discreetly mention it...though perhaps not verbally.
|
|
|
|
Post by heerojen on Jul 3, 2007 18:04:06 GMT -5
"Ya sure?"
his head feathers turned a dark gray, showing a bit of anger mixed with seriousness, "i'm pretty sure your cargo is ectremely noticeable, especially when in a rush with someone towards the apartments. i did a very brief force sweep into someone who told me that he'd seen them." heero cocked his head to the side at what ta'ak said next.
"We can't afford any false alarms"
"i don't give false alarms. when i have a legit lead, i follow it." a group of people came into the cantina, all wearing the same work uniform, followed by other people in random work uniforms from around the city.
"So where are they?"
"they're an hour or so away... we'd better hurry if you really want this cargo." heero turned on his heel and jumped over the people that had just come in from work, landing at the door and turning to look at the twi'lek before exiting the cantina and waiting, his plumage turning a bright gray.
heero didn't like crouds, though they were good cover, they tended to jostle him too much, and he didn't like it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Blue but beautiful on Jul 4, 2007 12:23:22 GMT -5
Ta'ak did not need any encouragement, the Fosh's assumptions were enough for him to go on for now. He would have liked to think he could detect any sort of trickery before it happened, but he would have been wrong. Not exactly weak minded, but he'd already shown himself susceptible to the force.
He hurried after Heero, trying to follow the avian's crest that bobbed up and down in the crowd every so often. It's constantly changing colour seemed not to draw the attention that the twi'lek thought it would have, strange really, because it stood out so well to him.
Out in the now less busy streets, Ta'ak caught up with the fosh leading the way. Fixing his orange-eyed gaze on the small creature, he decided to ask those questions he'd been wanting to, for small talk's sake anyway.
"So where ya from? Fosh you said, never heard of em..."
That was suspicious, having never heard of a species these days was making other people jittery - and with the Yuuzhan Vong's arrival, was that any surprise?
Not in Ta'ak's opinion, but then this one had spoken perfect basic and did not recoil at the sight of a droid, perhaps they weren't all like the vong then.
Assumptions, thats all this was...there were plenty of rare species in this galaxy if one cared to look hard enough. Heero looked too comfortable in his surroundings to be from elsewhere - well, as comfortable as anyone on this moon could look.
Their trip lead them down toward the central area of this sector, close to the main trading places and more popular cantina's. There were of course many rentable establishments down here, smugglers taking up the majority of the rooms, here for some downtime between jobs.
A great place to go if you were looking to blend in with other miscreants, but not exactly what Ta'ak would have thought one of the Vong would do. Especially one minus the grotesque flesh covering disguise they all seemed to utilize - no, that was a tad obvious.
"So the old man told you here? It'll take us all night to search half the floors of one buildin', you better work ya magic again...I don't have all night and more."
|
|
|
|
Post by heerojen on Jul 4, 2007 13:21:28 GMT -5
"So where ya from? Fosh you said, never heard of em..."
"well, i was raised on mon calamari by the islanders, so i don't know where my home planet is or who my parents are." his head plumage stopped changing color for a while, staying at gray to display how serious about this job he was. he stopped, holding his hand up to the twi'lek and jumping really high into the air, getting a good view of the city.
he fell down rather quickly, landing softly and continuing on the trek to the apartments, stretching out with the force to feel for anyone that wasn't what they seemed to be.
"So the old man told you here? It'll take us all night to search half the floors of one buildin', you better work ya magic again...I don't have all night and more." "i'm already working on that. if they come out before us, i'll feel their movement and we'll be on their trail immediately." he turned his head around, looking at the twi'lek behind him, sensing his way with the force, "be careful once we get to the apartments, they're very dangerous."
as if he needed to tell someone who had captured a vong that. if anything, heero expected the twi'lek to hold out his own in the least part, especially since he was a cantina rat.
|
|
|
|
Post by darklord on Jul 5, 2007 7:33:32 GMT -5
Kaalyanii steadily rose to her feet noting the look of concentration on Drevin's face. They were being tracked, that much was obvious, but it was the presence he'd felt in the force that unnerved him. This was no jedi.
He'd encountered a few other Dark Jedi like himself since his exile but this certainly wasnt one of them and he couldnt even be sure if this was a Dark Jedi. Drevin quickly shielded his presence in the force using the rare skill that he'd learned from one of the Sith holocrons, it hadnt failed him yet.
The Dark Jedi rose to his feet and began pulling on a new vest. "They're onto us, we have to leave now."
V3 relayed his words to the shamed one in her own tongue as he strode into the closet and emerged wearing his long black cloak.
He still hadnt decided on what to do with Kaalyanii but he could deal with that problem once they were away. He'd debated confronting the mysterious force user but decided against it, if Drevin was found to be harboring Yuuzhan Vong then it wouldnt exactly look good on his already tarnished record.
No, this war would be about survival and Drevin had every intention of doing just that.
|
|
|
|
Post by Blue but beautiful on Jul 6, 2007 4:35:47 GMT -5
The fosh was telling Ta'ak exactly what he already knew, a quarren friend of his could attest to the danger they were facing in trying to track this expensive cargo down.
"Ya don't have't remind me...I have personal experience in dealing with that one." Even he had to admit, despite the vong's sick looking appearance, she'd done her upmost to evade them instantly, he'd suffered a few minor injuries himself in the scuffle to bring her in. What had been surprising had been that she was all on her own...a spy perhaps? One that was not immunized against the diseases of this galaxy no doubt. That would make sense.
Checking his blaster to see how many charges he still had left, he motioned for the fosh to go first.
"Lead the way, friend."
The offending abomination had translated Drevin's words near perfectly, the sentiment was still the same though - they had been discovered. How had he known?
She did not have time to question this...Jeedai sorcery was the short explanation for now and that would have to do.
Kaalyanii was somewhat perplexed as to why she'd not felt something herself, the icy and dark grip of the hunt coming toward them...she should have known they'd find her.
Drevin had already donned his concealing cloak, leaving Kaalyanii to puzzle over exactly how she was supposed to get out of here as undetected as they had gotten in here in the first place. Confused look on her face, she addressed the Jeedai rather than the abomination - the lesser of two evils as it were.
"remaga corlat, migan yam? - where are you going?" She asked, soon adding, "C'ann na tiu! - look at me!"
The shamed one then proceeded to gesture to herself as if to make him regard her sinewy form the same way that any infidel should, or would. How far did the Jeedai wish them to go? She wouldn't get 10 paces away before someone tried to cut her down...and if the gods were as displeased with her as they seemed to be, she could hope for no divine intervention from them either.
He could have at least given her a weapon!
Fact of the matter was, neither of them had time for contemplation, Kaalyanii had no idea how close these people were...weather they were her own kind or if they were those from the cantina. A sickening guilt twisted her gut suddenly, what if the warriors assumed that she had been the one to kill that warrior back at the derelict sector?
No....no time to think of that now.
|
|
|
|
Post by heerojen on Jul 6, 2007 14:29:16 GMT -5
"Lead the way, friend."
"something's changed with the force in the apartments... someone just vanished from my force search. i'm going ahead." he leapt into the air and zipped away towards the building's door, hoping to stop the void in the force before it got out of the building.
he drew his poisoned blade, readying for the coming battle, knowing that at least one of them had control of the force - not many people could make themselves vanish from a force search. he came down at the doors, holding the blade in one hand and bringing an electric arc between his fingers for a quick force lightning if need be.
where are you, adept; i know you're in there. i can feel the lack of force energy where the vong is, but you're just not there. he thought to himself as he waited for the two to come out of the only entrance to the apartments.
|
|
|
|
Post by Blue but beautiful on Jul 8, 2007 13:08:25 GMT -5
Ta'ak grumbled something insulting under his breath as the Fosh proceeded to evade him yet again. He'd do well to keep up this time! For something so small, it could move at quite a pace...perhaps he was more out of shape than he realized?
Finally, when he did locate Heero, he found him at the main entrance to a large apartment block, designated for the use of those utilizing the nearby spaceport. So their quarry was looking for a quick way out?
"How can y'be sure they'll come out this way?" He grumbled as he checked his blaster setting - Vong didn't react well to stun blasts...he'd aim for the knees this time on full power.
"There are a million and one ways they could get outta there...entrance or not."
Ta'ak knew he need not gesture to the windows and service shafts that must have littered the building inside and out. Though was the Vong desperate enough to actually enter a service shaft...droids were the main keepers of those, that was their perpose - to go undetected.
Glancing at the Fosh once more, he raised an eyebrow at the beings corkscrewing antennae that seemed to be waving in a particuarly spooky fashion.
Concentrating, I s'pose... he thought to himself - before then making his way up the steps.
"You concentrate pal, i'm goin' in."
|
|
|
|
Post by darklord on Jul 15, 2007 4:32:25 GMT -5
"Where are you going? Look at me!"
Drevin snapped his head around impatiently at the shamed one just as he felt the threat grow in the force. Drevin reached out with his feelings, still masking his own presence. Two of them, the force user and another... the tw'lek perhaps. They're determined...
The Dark jedi ignited his ruby blade and plunged it into the floor, drawing a large circle with the blade. The lightsaber cut through easily and with little effort. The slab of duracrete fell with a crash into the room below, much to the distress of its occupants who began screaming and cursing. They were beyond the point of escaping quietly. And subtlety had never been one of Drevin's virtues.
"Get down there!" He shouted to Kaalyanii before turning to his droid. "And you too V3" It was a short drop so it shouldnt cause too much damage to the droids casing. He hoped.
Drevin drew himself up and turned to the door, struggling with himself over whether to attack the intruders and take them by surprise. The prospect of battling with another force user seemed to reawaken a need to fight, but his common sense told him otherwise. In their eyes he was harboring an enemy spy, that in itself was bad enough without killing another jedi on top of everything.
But this isnt a jedi is it? And thats why you wont hand her over...
|
|
|
|
Post by heerojen on Jul 15, 2007 7:45:46 GMT -5
feeling the void in the force move, he guessed on where the other force adept was, and by that, went into the building after the twi'lek. he was light on his feet, and very quick, quickly passing the twi'lek by and veering to the left. he came to a door in which he felt the void in the force, having a good idea as to where the vong was. he tinkered with the door for a second until it came open.
what was going through his head? why had he even taken on this job? why would he put himself in this much danger for a cargo? sure he was good enough to keep himself alive, but he wasn't an offensive being. what was he doing here?
he was making enough credits to outlive all of the credits he could possibly steal.
|
|
|
|
Post by Blue but beautiful on Jul 15, 2007 13:18:54 GMT -5
"Get down there!"
Kaalyanii did not have time to voice her dislike of the use of the Jeedai's abominable weapon, nor could she hear the droid's translation of what he'd said, but the meaning seemed to be universal. He meant for them to jump through the gap and she did not need asking twice.
Jumping blindly through the still smouldering hole in the floor, the shamed one tumbled into the apartment below, sending it's occupants into a bigger blind panic than they had been about their ceiling crashing down. While two of the occupants simply fled the room, others - more brave than their counterparts - scrabbled around for weapons of their own.
The abominable made-thing V3 crashed down beside Kaalyanii soon after her own landing, causing her to bite out a curse in alarm.
The disturbed infidels had gathered what they could in the form of a couple of blaster carbines, and through shaking hands tried to take a steady aim at their unexpected guest.
A cold dread spiraled up Kaalyanii's spine, this was worse than bad, she could stand here and aquire a few new holes, or she could do something about this.
She felt what she could only discribe as an echo of the warrior mindset, the shamed one had begun to tire of these infidels and their insessant pointing of mechanized weapons in her direction.
Do, or die....she didn't much like die.
Having barely gotten to her feet, Kaalyanii launched herself at the first of the room's occupants, putting all her weight behind the leap - to collide with the infidel only a split second later, knocking him clean off his feet.
A blaster shot went wide, riquocheting off one wall's surface only to burn harmlessly into another. The other occupant was moving now, taking renewed aim at the struggle going on between the shamed one and the scruffy looking human counterpart.
The other infidel, another conical snouted rodian, was yelling at the human to break off the scuffle and get out the way, Kaalyanii couldn't understand the words, but the motions the purple-tinted alien made with his head indicated such actions to her.
The human complied - no, tried to.
As he rose, trying to drop Kaalyanii back to the floor with an impossibly wide- slung punch, the shamed one caught hold of his arm as his fist grazed her cheekbone. Holding on so tightly that her clawed fingers dug into the human's flesh, she pulled him toward her a second before she heard the rodian fire off a blaster bolt.
The shot sizzled and burned into the back of the human she'd clung to with intent to use as a sheild. That, she recalled, was almost ironic - shameful.
Recoiling, she could hear the rodian's exclaimations of anger, shock, before he fixed his bulbous eyed gaze on the shamed one across the way. Kaalyanii braced herself for the blessed release, she'd gotten his fellow infidel killed - the correct response would be to exact honourable revenge.
Instead he tootled some spat responce at her in his strangely musical sounding language, fired off a warning shot...and fled.
Kaalyanii shoved the body of the fallen human away from herself with disgust. He was still an infidel, she was still Yuuzhan Vong - no matter how useful he had just been.
Above her, she could still clearly hear the sound of Drevin's lightsaber humming ominously in waiting.
|
|
|
|
Post by darklord on Jul 16, 2007 5:41:37 GMT -5
Drevin gathered the force around him as the sound of blaster fire rang out below. He let the Darkside take him fully as he unleashed a wave of force energy at the opening door, buckling it and sending it crashing into the two pursuers about to enter the room. It wouldnt kill them, nor would it stop them but it would give Drevin and the others more time. The Dark side whispered to him, urging him to put an end their pursuers permanently, again he found himself struggling with the decision...
The Dark Jedi backflipped through the gaping hole and landed softly into the smoke filled room below, his lightsaber still ignited and his face grim.
Kaalyanii had taken care of the rooms occupants, most it seemed had fled but he caught sight of one who'd been killed by a blaster bolt. Drevin felt little remorse for the mans death, most of the residents of this apartment block were mercs under the employment of the local crime lords. Just like I had been. In another life.
"Follow me" Drevin ran out of the room and into the corridor not caring whether or not V3 had translated his words. An intruder alarm rang out loudly ahead which was quickly silenced by the Dark Jedi's lightsaber. The docking bay was only a short distance away.
|
|
