A Hero and a Villian

[Via Dolorosa]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]



Xhexania, the mentally unstable Swamp Witch from Dagobah, stood before a select few of the members of the One Sith Council with her bowed and her eyes closed waiting for them to speak. She had been summoned by them upon her return from Maanan and with respect for their power, not them as individuals, came at once. Respect was a notion she did not give freely and rarely at all. She respected her Master only because the Sith Lord had something she craved; power and knowledge. Had she had grown up in the days of the old Sith Empire, she would kill her Master when there was nothing more to be gained serving as her Apprentice; only the strong shall endure in the Order. But times have changed, slightly.

"No doubt you are wondering why we have called you here, Acolyte. So I shall be brief," one of the Lords spoke with strong authority in his voice. "There is a situation occurring that needs to be dealt with immediately. We have reports that a band of thieves have stumbled upon something important, yet dangerous. According to our spies, this something is a weapon but nothing like anything the galaxy has seen."

"And you wish for me to retrieve this weapon,"

"No. We wish for you to destroy it. They are making an effort to sell it to the highest bidder and all organizations are making a play for it. We do not wish to see it in our enemies hands."

"Would the Sith not benefit from such a destructive weapon?"

"There has been some debate about that," the Lord says moving his eyes to each of the others before falling back on Xhexania. "No, it must be destroyed. Be aware young one, the Jedi have no doubt have learned of such a weapon and though it is not in their nature to obtain such destructive powers, they may see it as a chance to level the war against us."

"Understood. I will seek out this weapon and those in possession of it...and destroy them. And what of the Jedi?"

"Deal with them as you see fit. Remember, the weapon is and will be your top priority. We are well aware of your passion to kill Jedi. Do not let that blind you from your true purpose. A transport shuttle awaits you and there you will find a datapad with the name of the planet and your contact. Now go and may the Dark Side guide you."

"It shall be done."

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

[member="Xhexania"]

Sera was rarely sent on any sort of important mission alone. She was typically accompanied by her master, so this would surely be a first. She wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. A chance to accomplish something perhaps, but still, incredibly dangerous and quite possibly, suicidal. Still, after Manaan, anything would be better than that lingering memory. She had managed to replace her destroyed green saber, and her side was no longer bothering her, though that was a scar that would surely persist for quite some time.

The Twi'lek girl sat waiting in her room to be sent the details of her assignment. There was going to be a substantial bit of travel as she understood, so she would be gone from Ossus for quite some time. All she knew thus far was that she was being sent to investigate the possibility of an illegal arms deal between pirates or smugglers, and she was to either discredit the claim, or destroy whatever superweapon was being developed.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]


First glance of the spaceport here in Formos told her everything she needed to know. She was going to hate it here. Everywhere she looked, smugglers and pirates. Everywhere she turned, murders and killers without honour. And somewhere hidden among this collection of scum and villains was a weapon she needed to find, and destroy. So her first priority was to find her contact, a Sith Military Intel Operative, and retrieve a package that consisted of three things. The first was a another datapad which would disclose the location of the auction. The second, a datacard with false information about her as a prospective buyer that would grant her authorization into the auction. And the last, a credchip card with an exceedingly amount of credits stored in the account, which could be traced if activated, under her pseudonym. So should moved through the streets keeping her mind focused on everything around here while her black eyes scanned the various buildings looking for a cantina aptly named The Blockade Runner to rendezvous with her contact.

The Blockade Runner's outside appearance was everything she imagined it would be, a beacon of vile to attract the worst of the worse. Two animated scantly dressed Twi'lek girls, one on each side of the entrance way, danced about and speaking in automated voices with promises of good fun and great times. Xhexania doubted that. "Now that is something I have not indulged in quite a long time," one of the voices inside her head announced, this one male. Up to this pointe, the voices had been relatively silent but it was only a matter of time before they would stir and wake from their slumber. She needed to find their amulet and maybe they would stop nagging at her. Even better, just go away. But she strangely felt somehow that would never happen. With a an annoying sigh, she took a step in the direction of the entrance when she felt a hand grip her right arm.

"Hey there sweetheart. No need for you to go in there for some action. I'm all the action you will ever need," a man, probably one of the worst of the worse drawn to this establishment said. "Release me," Xhexania said without turning around. When the man chuckled, she added, "Now." The man's hand tightened on her arm as he replied, "You're a feisty one. I do..." The man gurgled and clutched at his throat with his free hand as if something suddenly was stuck there. While the man behind her finally released his hand from her arm, adding that to the one already prying at his throat, Xhexania closed her eyes and focused on what she was doing. Pouring her malice into the Dark Side, the man's throat began to tighten further causing him to panic, then more poison was introduced cutting off his air supply causing his eyes to roll back into his head, and finally one more drop of her venom and the man's hands dropped from his throat, body went limp, and landed on the street. "Well displayed", a wiser and older woman's voice spoke inside the mind of Xhexania. A devious grin appeared on the face of Xhexania.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Formos. A cesspool of a planet that could compete with the vile atrocities of Nar Shaddaa. Were there any planets out here that weren't corrupt beyond belief?

Sera docked her E-25 Starfighter at the landing pad, and as if on cue, several Rodian's with blasters approached her ship. The cockpit window lifted, and the Twi'lek girl stepped down. "Excuse me, outlander, but these docks are restricted. If you wish to remain here, you'll need to pay the docking....tax." The Padawan rolled her eyes, but wasn't interested in causing trouble the moment she landed. "Of course." Begrudgingly she placed 100 credits into the Rodian's hands. He tossed them about as he counted them, smiled, and waved to his companions as they turned to leave. "Good day, girlie."

"Wait here with the ship, R4. I will be back soon." The droid beeped and booped in confirmation. She turned and headed down the ramp into the city. Darkness and misery surrounded this place. As the saying goes, misery loves company. And boy would it have company. Sera had looked over the datapad she had been given regarding the mission details further. She would need to blend herself in a bit better if she was to gain access to this meeting. She crossed into an alleyway and noticed a homeless man sitting near some of what looked like his belongings. She knelt down, and handed the man 175 credits, motioning to his hooded trenchcoat. "I'd like to buy that from you, sir." The man smiled upon his good fortune and eagerly handed Sera his coat. She nodded, and outfitted herself with it as she continued walking.

The Twi'lek wandered around a bit, listening closely to every conversation as she passed by dozens of crowds. Most having little to do with her objective, but a few here and there gave wind to a piece of information she needed. An auction of some kind was to be held at a place called The Blockade Runner. Now the question is how to get in?

[member="Xhexania"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]


"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show," the SMIO man said gesturing to the empty chair across from his. When Xhexania sat down, he pushed a small package over to her. "That should be everything you need. The auction is to take place tonight at midnight so that gives you some time to familiarize yourself with the area. There appears to be some underground facility near this establishment but the datapad will have the coordinates for you. I've seen your kind in action and I no doubt question the Council's decision to elect you but I must warn you," he said as he leaned closer, his eyes moving around the cantina. In a soft whispered voice he added, "There are all manners of trouble represented here for this auction. But from what I have observed, the Hutts really and I mean really want to win this auction. They have hired bounty hunters and mercenaries to act on their behalf. So, good luck." The SMIO rose from his chair, bid the young Sith farewell, and left the cantina.

Xhexania sat at the table staring at the package lying on the table replying over what the SMIO said about bounty hunters and mercenaries. She knew this mission would not be simple but that complicated things. In fact, it put a severe wrench in her plan. Time for plan B. Whatever that was going to be. She reached and took the package, opened it, and spilled the contents on the table. Out of the corner of her right eye she saw two thugs staring at her, or the items on the table, with over-enthusiasm. She slowly turned her head in their direction, locking gazes with them. In unison, the two thugs looked away. "And here I thought they wished to fight. Sad times. Sad times indeed," another of the male voices rippled through her mind.

Placing the credchip card in a hidden pocket inside her dark robes, she moved onto the information card memorizing all the details and then that to went into the pocket. Xhexania rose to her feet, snatched up the datapad and headed for the cantina's backdoor to examine the contents on the data device.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The streets were crowded. Everywhere one turned some kind of illegal deal was going down. Whether that meant spice trade, slave trade, importing or exporting illegal weapons, even contract killers mingled in plain sight. Disgusting. Let me find this was nothing but a tall tale and be gone from this dump. She kept walking, listening with her ears, and the Force. It beckoned to her. She made her way toward The Blockade Runner and stood just across the street, observing the locals as they entered and exited. Some brought items that were to be sold, others simply passed their credentials to the door guards as they entered into the dark building.

I need a way in there. She continued watching. After what was likely 45 minutes of loitering, a female human exited the building, and proceeded in her direction. Sera turned, facing the opposite way so to shield her face from the stranger, before falling in line behind the girl as they continued walking down the poorly maintained streetway. As Sera drew closer to the woman, she noted the security badge dangling just outside the woman's back pocket. Gotcha. The Twi'lek Padawan was highly proficient with the act of telekinesis, and now was her opportunity to put that talent to use.

Slowly, cautiously, and gently, Sera lifted the security badge from the woman's pocket as she continued walking. The badge floated weightlessly in the air as Sera snatched it up. Quickly glancing at it as she turned around and headed back toward the auction house, she noted that while the facial ID would be essentially useless to her, the security strip on the back would at least get her through the building's rear security doors. Not bad, but still not a home run. I need to find a way to get a lot of credits, and quickly.

Lifting the hood of the trenchcoat, Seraphina walked down the road a bit further and stepped into one of the dregs they considered a cantina just as another skeevy looking fellow made a swift exit. She took a seat by one of the circular tables on the outskirts of the room. She glanced around a number of times to be sure that nobody was too focused on her, and to see if there was anyone she recognized. Both items on the agenda came up clean as far as she could tell. So she got to thinking about how to pose as a buyer.

A bit of time passed before it clicked. The starfighter is worth a substantial amount of credits. I could borrow against that, find out what I need from here, and return the loan same-day without ever needing them. Seemed like a pretty solid plan to her. With that, she rose from her table, headed to the bar, and asked where she could find someone willing to loan her some credits. The barback pointed toward the table in the back corner. A shady looking rodian with a wide brim hat sat with a number of Twi'lek dancers, or slaves, she wasn't sure, drinking away his evening.

Approaching, Sera placed a holocron of her ship on the table, raised her eyebrow, and made a deal without an introduction. "I need a loan. My starfighter will be used as collateral. 72 hours to repay or it's yours. If you wish to inspect it, the ship is at the docks." The rodian looked up, observed the ship, and proposed his own counter-offer. "You have 48 hours. The astromech droid is mine as well, if you fail to show with my credits." The Twi'lek girl didn't exactly have time or resources to haggle, so she agreed.

With the credits in hand, the location of the auction, and a security badge, she had just about everything she'd need to get in to this meeting. Now she had but to wait. Kicking back, she ordered a drink, and watched the crowd, listening to the music.

[member="Xhexania"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

So it seemed this underground facility was actually under the establishment, and the coordinates she was expecting to find was a message from the SMIO contact. "I didn't have enough time to contact the Sith High Command and I knew we would not be able to speak openly but the situation has grown worse. One of my underlings discovered a plot that a group of Mercs calling themselves The Reapers plan to steal the weapon before it goes up for auction. You must stop them from doing that. The facility is under the Blockade Runner. The durasteel door on the west leads down to it. Destroy this after you read it." Xhexaina dropped the datapad on the ground and crushed it underfoot. She had the approved authorization to appear at the auction but that was not until later tonight. She had to act now! How was she going to do that? A full on assault would be madness, and one she believed she would not survive. The odds were sorely against her. She could persuade the guards standing watch at the durasteel door that probably led to the underground to let her in, but they were droids and mental persuasion would not work on them. Perhaps she could explain to them she seeks an audience with the sellers, to authenticate the value of the weapon.

Xhexania re-entered the canitina and before she could make her way to the door, she felt a disturbance in the Force. There was another Force user here and from the feel of it, a Jedi. So the Jedi had arrived. She moved through the smoky establishment trying to scan for the Jedi and found the signature was familiar to her. The Twi'lek Jedi! It seemed fate had brought them together at last. But that confrontation would have to wait. The Sith Lord had make it quite clear that the weapon was her priority and killing Jedi was not. Then a thought, no matter how odd it seemed to her, struck her fancy. The SMIO didn't not state the number of these Reapers that were involved in the theft plot. And from her past experiences with roving bands of mercs, they worked in numbers and were heavily armed. Plus, what about the bounty hunters and other mercs sent here as reps for their customers? Would they perceive both parties, the Reapers and herself, making a move either together or against one another as a threat to their profits? She imagined they would, bounty hunters and mercs were not famed for their intelligence. So, dealing with them and the Reapers again left the odds in their favour. The idea began to make sense. Propose an alliance with this Jedi, observe her motive her, and when the weapon is destroyed, seduce her and if she refuses; destroy her.

She moved to the table where the Twi'lek sat, her back to Xhexania, indulging in a colourful drink and enjoying the music by the way her lekku bounced about. "Outrageous! In my day no Sith would dare to think to join forces with the likes of a Jedi," one of the female voices in her head raged. Xhexania ignored the outburst, instead reached out and gently caressed the mind of the Jedi seconds before she stood in front of her. Looking down at the Jedi and gesturing with her left hand at the empty chair, Xhexania said with no emotion in her voice, "We need to talk, you and I"

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]​

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

[member="Xhexania"]

A chill ran down the back of her neck as she sat there. This was no draft from the cold, breezy air outside. This was the slithering crawl of the Sith. She cringed, the drink in her hand twitched as she gripped it tighter. Suddenly, the music dimmed in volume, it was as if she were going deaf for just a brief moment. What is that? Then it hit her. That same feeling she got when she first met [member="Xhexania"]. No. Impossible.

Then, standing before her, smug look and emotionless. The Sith acolyte. Sera squinted her eyes, staring, her eyes piercing Xhexania's soul, or what was left of it there may be hiding in there. She spoke but a single word in response to the proposition of the human girl. "You."

Without hesitating, she reached down towards her lightsabers, her fingers waiting on the activators, half expecting the Sith to try and kill her right there at the table. "That's funny, coming from you. Now you want to talk? If I recall, back on Manaan, you backstabbed me, and tried to force my surrender when that Lord of yours pat your ego like her loyal servant. What, after all this, could you possibly have to talk to me about?"

Her nose crinkled, and her lips curled in anger as the final word slid out of her mouth like it were sludge, oozing from a barrel. "Schutta."

 

[Via Dolorosa]

"Ancient history, Jedi. Ancient history," Xhexania said moving into the unoccupied chair without waiting for an invitation. Her cold, calculating eyes stared at the Tw'lek waiting for the Jedi to make an aggressive move, and when none came, Xhexania said, "I know why you are here and there is no need to deny it. Your Council, just as mine, knows about the auction and they have sent you here to destroy it. Perhaps capture it? No...you Jedi do not value power such as we Sith. So destruction it is. But we to seek the destruction of that weapon. Balance of power and all." Xhexania fell silent when a serving girl, dressed in garments barely hiding her valuables, stopped at their table. The girl asked Xhexania if she would require a beverage and the Sith obliged her question by ordering a non-induced alcoholic drink. Xhexania watched as the servering girl walked away and shook her head.

"My proposal....simple. We work together. I'm sure you are aware that you are outnumbered here just as I am. Alone, we stand no chance of even getting close to that weapon but together....we will be unstoppable," Xhexania says with a dark smile. "Besides, that weapon won't survive to see the auction tonight. There is a group calling themselves The Reapers who plan to steal it right under the noses of everyone...and we cannot let that happen can we? First, we need to convince those droids at that door we seek an audience with the sellers. I have the proper authorization and I'm sure you managed to weasel someone out of theirs. Once inside, we need to act fast."

The Sith leans back into her chair as the serving girl returns with her drink. The serving girl announces the bill and Xhexania waves her left hand in the direction of the girl telling the serving girl that she doesn't need to collect credits from her. The girl nods her head and turns to leave. "You can move fast right Jedi? Speaking of moving....how's your side?"


[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Hmph. Ancient history? This human must have taken a fall to the head recently.

"So you're here for the weapon? And you think I believe you that you want to destroy it? I may have believed you back on Manaan, but I simply do not trust you not to betray me the moment it becomes convenient. That is the Sith way, is it not? Twice you've shown that to be true now."

Sera placed her drink down on the table and leaned forward, cupping her hands together as she contemplated the now more complicated situation she found herself in. "And how many more of your kind are hanging around waiting to snatch up whatever it is they've got in there once we've made our way through to it?" Tapping her fingers on the table she knew her odds of getting to the weapon were slim by herself, given the number of guards patrolling the area and the building. Still, nothing made her stomach turn more than working with a Sith, especially one that had already betrayed her trust.

"I've got my way in, but I suspect my chances of leaving are minimal. So, suppose I considered your proposal, what then, is your plan? Outside of the obvious attempt to kill me again once we're done?" The Twi'lek girl's hands were nearly shaking. She despised the idea of working with her, only to be led into her death shortly after. As the server began to walk away without payment for Xhexania's drink, Sera rolled her eyes at the girl. "Are you that petty that you can't even pay your tab? She is only doing her job." Sera shook her head and yelled to the server to come back. "Miss, I will be paying for my friend's drink as well as mine." With that, she handed the girl 50 credits, before smiling and turning back to Xhexania. "Such an abuse of one's power."

Returning to the subject at hand, Sera replied sharply to the comment made by the Sith. "Yes, I am fast. And....My side is fine. Though I'm sure your concern is anything but sarcasm."

[member="Xhexania"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Crossing both her hands over her heart in a gesture of feigning injury, she said "You wound me, Jedi. If there was more than just one of us here you would feel the influx of the Dark Side through the Force, But alas, it is your lucky day....you only have me." The Sith scoffed when the Jedi called the serving girl over and paid for the drinks then giving her a bonus. "Mighty generous of you. Perhaps one day I will return the favour for the drink and the scar on my shoulder. But for now, our squabbling is getting us no closer to that weapon." The Sith sighed heavily and laid her hands on the table as a gesture she was not planning to harm the Jedi. "'Tis not a matter if you believe me about us wanting to destroy that weapon but examine the facts before you. I'm here...alone...to deal with that weapon. If the Sith wanted that weapon, they would have come in force. That is our m.o., is it not?" The young Sith whistled for the serving girl to return to the table and when she did, the Sith handed the girl 100 credits and sent her on her way. "A gesture of faith, Jedi."

Her fingers now steepled out in front of her, the Sith contemplated her plan. In truth, she did not have one. From the time she had been given the mission, fate had conspired against her. Several factors were involved, a band of thugs planning to steal the weapon before the auction was one such factor. Another, working with not just a Jedi, but this Jedi. And as much she hated to admit it, she needed this Jedi; for now. "Remember our keeper, the enemy of my enemy...," the female Cathar's voice echoed in her head. The voice of the Cathar was right.

"I'll be up front with you, Jedi. My original plan has been ripped to shreds but I think I've found an alternate plan. We will use honesty...sort of. We seek an audience with the sellers and tell them about the plot...offering our services to root out the thieves and deal with them personally. In exchange for our help, we tell them they will sell us the weapon for whatever price they wish but before we pay for it, we ask to see it first," the Stih said then grinned at the Jedi, "Then we persuade them to give it to us with a little mental push. Once in our possession, we take it to..." The young Sith fell silent then jumped to her feet grabbing her weapon.

The cantina's power shut down, casting the establishment in darkness, then a series of bright explosions designed to blind and confuse erupted out of thin air. The Sith quickly threw her right arm across her eyes to avoid being blind just as the cantina was rocked by an explosion, knocking her to the ground. A series of blaster fire erupted.


[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

[member="Darth Venefica"]

Well...This is a fine pickle. Stuck between a Sith, some galactic superweapon, and a bunch of low life thugs who want to steal it for themselves. How can my day get any worse?

Sera slapped her hand on the table, gesturing a mocked laugh. "Oh, I think it would take much more than that to wound your calloused heart, human. But I'm sorry to hear about that scar you have. If it brings you any happiness, I have a pair of them as well, behind my calf, and my side, though I'm not sure which part of that one is from your blade and which part is from the surgery." She clasped her hands together and shrugged. "It matters not. You're here, and now I need to keep an eye on you too. Can't have you running off with this doomsday weapon, and I can't likely do this myself. But make no mistake, I don't trust anything you say, and I will be ready this time for your inevitable betrayal."

The Sith girl dropped a fistful of credits to the serving girl as she returned as beckoned. Sera rolled her eyes at the gesture, "You're all heart. Maybe you'll be a great Jedi some day." She snorted a concealed laugh. "Now about your plan. I suppose it makes sense but I foresee an issue with the last piece. If any of them are trained against mind tricks, or it simply fails, we'll be gunned down immediately."

Sera had planned to finish her minor objection to the mind trick tactic as the power shut down, followed by an explosion that rocked the building. The Padawan flipped the table forward to shield the pair as she pulled the Sith beside her, blaster shots firing in every direction. She focused her eyes around the room, trying to identify the shooters while raising her voice over the blaster fire. "I don't suppose this was part of your plan was it?"

 

[Via Dolorosa]

It grew to become a pattern every time they were together, someone always intervening between them she thought as she jumped to her feet, her weapon still not activated. The crimson blade would be a dead give away as to whom her allegiance lied, so for now she kept it silent. Her eyes scanned through the darkness catching glimpses of blaster fire trying to determine which of the shooters were members of the Reapers and who were opposing them. She didn't want to start killing people for risk of drawing the attention of the seller's minions and those here representing the other buyers. At the moment, the only threat was the pirates or whatever they labeled themselves as. And that's how she wanted it for now. Soon everything was revealed to her as she saw several figures rush through the ruined durasteel door and the blaster fire died inside the cantina replaced by moans from those injured in the exchange.

"They're going through the door that leads to the underground facility," she said extending her right hand catching the last of the men, via his outline, before he moved through the door and slammed him to the ground. Charging toward the man as he struggled to rise to his feet, her left thumb stroked the stud on her weapon and the familiar snap hiss reverberated in the near deathly silence. Just as she began to bring her blade down on him, she halted her death strike and instead kicked his weapon away and drove her right knee into his groin causing him to keel over. Pointing the tip of her blade inches from his face, she said, "I do not have the patience to listen to your refusals. So you have two options before you. Tell me what I want to know or I can simply rip it from your mind." The figure, as it turned out, was a young Bothan male who simply laughed at the Sith.

Before she could inquire as to why he was laughing, he slipped something into his furry maw and crunched his teeth down. The Bothan immediately began to convulse and foam poured from his mouth as Darth Venefica watched is amazement. "Why would the animal do something like that? Its not like you would have killed him,right," the young voice of the Zabrak asked.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Underground facility? Apparently there is more to this than I knew of. I thought the weapon was to be sold at auction. This day keeps getting more and more complicated.

[member="Darth Venefica"] charged toward the last of the men scrambling to reach the lower level. Sera stood up and began to make her way as well, to interrupt what was about to be the quick snuffing out of this man's life as the Sith's blade activated with the bright red hiss of hate. Surprisingly enough she didn't kill him. Well then. She listened to the human girl give him his choices only moments before he bit down on a poison caplet.

"Whatever information he had was crucial enough that his life was forfeit whether or not you let him live. Either that, or he knew you were going to kill him anyway, judging by the color of that lightsaber you have there. Regardless, we need to find out where the rest of them went down there and stop them."

She looked around the ruined cantina as she approached the blown out doorway. The Jedi turned to one of the uninjured patrons, "Get everyone out of here, and get the wounded to hospitals."

Looking to the human Sith she nodded her head toward the entryway. "After you."

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The Jedi was right, the Bothan would have died whether he volunteered the information or she had to yank it from his mind. At the moment, he was the enemy, aligned with the faction attempting to steal the weapon. Did the Jedi forget that this group blazed into the cantina and began firing recklessly, killing and wounding some of the patrons she would have labeled innocent? Jedi and their misguided views.

Once they entered the underground facility, it came apparent that this was going to be an adventure. From the looks of it, the place was massive, like some underground fortress. If not for the sound of blaster fire ringing all about, the duo would be hard pressed to find the Reapers. Running down the hall, Darth Venefica saw a couple of dead bodies, dressed in exquisite clothes, that probably were associated with the group auctioning off the weapon or a group lobbying to buy it before the auction. The poor sods didn't stand a chance against the greedy invaders.

"Halt! Identify yourselves," a man, dressed in light armour and holding a weapon at the them, said just as two more dressed in similar fashion stepped into view from a side hallway. "We don't have time to exchange meaningless dialogue with the likes of you! We are trying...," Darth Venefica was saying when the man held up his arm to gesture her to silence. The Sith Knight gritted her teeth and fought to restrain herself from cutting this man down. "But you do have the time. A group has broken into the facility, their motives yet unknown. We are trying to contain them and then there's you two," the man said eyeing both the Sith and Jedi.

The man spoke to his comrades in a language she did not understand and when they concluded their discussion, he said to the duo, "We are unsure of your motives so you will be come with us and speak to our boss." In the distance the blaster fire was getting weaker in sound. Darth Venefica turned to look at the Jedi and said, "You're the voice of reason....how do we proceed?"

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]​

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

I'm the voice of reason that is never listened to. The Jedi shook her head towards the approaching men, her hands raised from her belt,motioning for the human girl to do the same.

Few choices were presented before them at the moment, and the bandits were quickly making their way down the corridors. "Listen! Do you hear the blaster fire coming from down that way? Do you think they want to stop and chat? If we were with them, we would have already killed you! If you value the lives of the rest of your men here, you will let us pass!" Sera made a wave of her hand toward the man she was addressing, adding a bit of mind trick in with her honest plea in the event that somehow he was not swayed by the words alone.

Sera then turned to the other two, "There may be more coming, I've already ordered those in the cantina to evacuate or get the wounded to hospitals. They need help transporting the wounded and dead though. Take care of them, and we'll find out what is going on down below." With that, Sera ignited both lightsabers and began to press onward, motioning to [member="Darth Venefica"] to follow further down as the blaster fire continued to echo further and further away.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

With a smirk on her face, she followed the Jedi's gesture and raised her hands to show these men she meant them no harm. Which was in fact true. There were far more pressing matters at hand that required her attention, and these men were not the problem; just an obstacle to overcome. The Jedi spoke to them in a respectful manner and then surprised the Sith when she felt a ping in the Force. Darth Venefica gave a sly glance at the Jedi but held her words until they were away.

"A mental push, huh? Didn't know you had it in you," the Sith commented as she moved through the halls, a step behind the Jedi. They came to the end of the hall that split in two directions, and from the sounds of it; there was fighting coming from both sections. "We should split it up to cover more ground. This is my comlink signature if you need to contact me," Darth Venefica said as she moved toward the right hall without waiting for the Jedi to reply. Half way down she yelled, "I will refrain myself from killing anyone unless of course they try to kill me first. And if you find the weapon first...don't try to steal it."

There appeared to be corpses, from both sides, aligning the hallway; signs of an intense battle. But to her satisfaction, the fighting grew louder which meant only one thing, she was closing the distance despite the set back from those three men they encountered.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

[member="Darth Venefica"]

"When the situation is for their own good, and does not inflict harm, yes, it is appropriate. Believe it or not, Sith, the powers we share can be used for good reason, not malicious ones." She rolled her eyes, unsure of why she even bothers to acknowledge the comments anymore, it's not like the Sith really cared why she did what she did, except of course to mock her. The split corridor would mean that each one would risk finding the weapon alone, and if outgunned, potentially in trouble. She didn't like the plan, but there was little she could refute given that they were now on a clock with their guests already ahead of them. "Fine. Just don't go and-" She held her sentence as the Sith agreed not to kill anyone needlessly. "Nevermind. I will see you shortly. Stealing is a Sith's M.O, not a Jedi's."

Sera ran at a brisk pace down the hall, keeping her eyes and ears focused, as well as her mind clear to avoid any unexpected surprises along the way. There was a bit of shouting that echoed through the hall, but as she checked through each of the closed doors and passages, she found only emptiness. As she closed the last of the doors before turning the corner, she heard a wave of blaster fire followed by intense shouting in a language she was unfamiliar with.

Charging down the corridor she spotted two corpses outside of a pair of large, closed, blast doors. There was still fighting going on inside, and it sounded as if there was a small war going on. Sera snapped up her comm and dialed in to the Sith's provided frequency. "I believe these two halls interconnect, at the end, take a right, if you can hear the blaser fire, simply follow it. I'll wait for you here."

 

[Via Dolorosa]

"Enroute now," she said ending the transmission and quickened her pace to meet up with her temporary ally. Rounding the corner she quickly had to avoid a set of blaster fire from one of the Reapers, and countered it with a Force Push shoving him into the wall. Time was not an ally so she dispatched the armoured man quickly with a fast slash from her blade that cut through his chest plate and opening a wound he would never recover from.

She met up with the Jedi without anymore obstacles and stood by the door listening to the fighting inside. There appeared to be some small war being waged behind the blast doors and she wondered if the weapon was there. Well, there was only one way to find out. She pressed the button on the side panel to open the door; and nothing. The door must have been auto locked for security purposes when the enemy entered the facility.

"Stand guard while I cut a hole for us to enter," Darth Venefica said driving her blade into the left side of the door. Moving in a circular pattern, she cut a medium size hole into the blaster door then retracted her weapon. Using the front part of her right foot, she nudged the cut metal and it fell inward with a loud thud, then she stepped through. The fight between the guards and the thieves was intense but a stray blaster shot hit a large round object and it began to hum then transform into a massive droid.

"What is that thing," she muttered to the Jedi. Then it dawned on her and she added with an inquisitive tone to her voice, "The weapon?" Somehow the weapon to be auctioned had been activated by the blaster shot. Then a computerized voice resonated from the droid, "Threat assessed....beep...reevaluating threat...beep...response determined...beep...defense protocols activated...beep...activating battle protocols...beep...eliminate organics." And the droid opened fired.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]​

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera stood to the side with watchful eyes as the Sith forced her saber through the doorway, carving a small opening to the other side. Stepping through behind Venefica she watched as the combatants continued firing at each other, seemingly unaware of the two new participants. A lucky or planned shot, she was unsure, but it activated something. Something big. It began to deploy itself, spouting off activation protocols as it did."If that isn't the weapon, they have one hell of a security force for it!"

Sera drew her pair of sabers, activating them both simultaneously as the droid began firing at every target it identified. It made short work of most of the others, too busy trying to kill each other to notice this monstrosity that they just inadvertently activated. One by one the droid cut down each life form in the room as if it were nothing but performing target practice. Those who did notice turned and located any kind of cover they could find. This was no small security droid, this was something unique, something someone spent a lot of time in creating, perfecting, but for what purpose? "Do we destroy this? Or try and deactivate it to identify who made it? I feel the creator is far more dangerous than this single unit, if they produce more of these. We'll need it's data bank in tact."

The droid then turned to the new arrivals, opening a hellfire burst of rounds at each. Sera batted a number of the shots away, ducking and leaning to avoid others, before focusing briefly and erecting a Force Barrier around herself to absorb the remaining rapid fire blasts before the droid required a temporary stay to recharge its own power cell for its weapon.

[member="Darth Venefica"]