A Huntin’ We Will Go

[Gerwald Lechner]

LOCATION: Stewjon​

WEARING: This​

w. [member="Shakti Sweet"]​

---

​

---

​

It had been far too long since Gerwald’s feet had stood on Stewjon soil. His homeworld had come under the banner of the Confederacy nearly a year ago and the Lupine had only been back once. There were bitter memories attached to this world, a lying and abusive mother, an archaic way of living, a misunderstanding of the Force. What was worse was how the wealthy and powerful had treated what they did not understand. His sister Alwine had almost been killed as witch because of what she had done. Granted lighting half the village on fire with the Force was one way to get unwanted attention.

As as he had returned on official business then, Gerwald was back now on a mission to root out a terrorist cell that had made the backwater world the location of their main cell. Whether it was the occultists some of the other Knights dealt with, or the zealous Templar’s he had seen before, Gerwald was there for one purpose and one purpose only. Eradicate the entire cell.

While he he had worked alone or with his sister Alwine, today he was working with someone entirely knew. Her scent was unique, every scent was, and the wolf inside Gerwald memorized it. If they were going to be working together Gerwald had to keep her location, especially if he was going to let his wolf run free. That was yet to be determined, but it did not hurt to be ready.

His ship landed in a secluded forest well outside of the village limits. As soon as the loading ramp lowered the familiar smell of his homeworld assaulted his nostrils. Gerwald took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Stewjon for all the faults of its culture had a pristine environment. The forests and and mountains were perfect and majestic. It was home regardless of whatever memories tried to taint it. While he was not in a hurry to rid of the planet, he was in a hurry to finish the job. Gerwald carries his large six foot seven inch frame down the ramp hopefully with his partner in tow.

“Intel says they are on the south side of the village. When we make we strike hard and fast,” he said as he adjusted his belt.

His lightsaber found its new home against the small of his back with added axe to the hilt. For someone trying to move on from Stewjon, Gerwald still acted like the brute warrior they had fashioned him to be. A large hunting knife rest on his thigh, and he mused that a second lightsaber would need to proffered in the future.

“I hope you don’t tire easily.”

With that, the Lupine took off running.

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Stewjon
Wearing: Something Versatile
Tag: [member="Gerwald Lechner"]

Shakti wasn't exactly sure why it was that she'd accepted the offer to join the tall, rugged looking fellow on this particular outing, but it was a little late now to be worried about that. She rolled her shoulders gently, the leather of the harnesses around her shoulders and arms creaking comfortingly as she felt the two large blades along her back settle comfortably into their proper place. Something about the weight and warmth of the metal always came as a comfort to her - especially when she suspected there would be some blood to shed in short order.

The soft jolt of the ship making landfall caused her mind to return to the task at hand, turning those eerily alert green eyes of hers back to the significantly larger man at her side. Her hands rose to grip the edges of her hood, holding off on pulling it up so she could ensure that he knew she was listening. Being mute presented a unique set of challenges with any job - but ensuring that you were communicating effectively was certainly chief among them. As the side of the ship slid open and the ramp extended, she kept pace with Gerwald, her legs working at nearly twice the pace but managing to ensure she didn't fall behind.

As they reached the bottom she stopped beside him once more, turning her face up to his as he explained the plan in an extremely succinct fashion. She returned the favour with an equally curt nod. Her eyes flashed once more with that brilliant green before she tugged the hood up, her face hidden in shadow with the exception of her chin - the white tattoos there stark against her tarnished golden skin. As he took off running she didn't miss a beat and took off after him, her footfalls purposefully quiet as she darted through the tall grass after him. She'd learned over the years many tricks to keep herself as quiet as possible - and running through forest undergrowth was easily one of the best terrains if you wanted to be stealthy.

However, with his added height and what seemed to be a much better understanding of the area than she had, she struggled at first to keep up. It took her nearly half a minute to find a comfortable pace with which to bound through the trees while still keeping pace with the man, which had her several paced back from him but still with him squarely in her sights. With that pace set, she instead focussed ahead of them, trying to see if she could hear anything in the village as they approached.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

LOCATION: Stewjon
WEARING: This
w. [member="Shakti Sweet"]


She kept up, which was not a bad thing at all. Gerwald had a significantly longer stride than the red haired mute, so he was impressed that she was not far behind. He had gotten lost in the run for a moment. The woods were more than familiar to him as he had run the forests of Stewjon his whole life. It was if he knew every tree, every misplaced branch, and what parts were best to avoid when one was following you. Had it not been for the armor, Gerwald would have transformed on the spot and let the wolf run wild. It was scratching inside him, pawing and begging to be free in the woods it new the best.

A deep breath was taken in. Gerwald could smell the woman not that far behind him, but he could also track every animal he had loved to hunt. They were a distraction. The mission was to eliminate the terror cell that had taken up residence on the planet, and that was something they were going to do.

Gerwald's steps slowed as they neared the outskirts of the village. His pace was no faster than a moderate walk. Each step helped him to slow his breathing as the run had taken out of him than he realized it would. Perhaps it was in part due to the emotions of being home once again. This was a thing he would have to revisit with Alwine later. His sister would be happy he had gone home, at least he hoped she would be. A large hand rest on a tree as Gerwald stood waiting for Shakti to catch up.

"We are on the north side of the village," he said out loud before he pressed his thoughts into her mind. He had to have some way of communicating with her.

"We can either circle around or cut directly through the village. That or we split up. It's up to you. Just think it... my mind will hear it, and then we can work on teaching you how to project words through telepathy."

Telepathy would certainly be helpful if there were to be any future missions. Gerwald had no idea if there would be. It would depend on his orders, what Shakti chose to do in the Confederacy, and whether or not this mission was a success. Regardless, Gerwald was not going to simply dictate how they would accomplish the task. They were a team.

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Stewjon
Tag: [member="Gerwald Lechner"]


She had several fleeting moments to contemplate what lay before them as she followed her compatriot through the dense underbrush, knowing they'd soon be upon the village that had been described to her in their earlier debriefing. She was still a little unclear on who their enemy was, but it was very clear in her mind what the objective was; they were here to end some lives and be efficient about it. She had no qualms with that piece, but it worried her a little that she was going in somewhat blind with regards to their targets.

With that thought she slowed her pace, noting that he'd come to rest ahead of her with his hand resting on the trunk of a particularly broad tree. She allowed herself a moment to glance up at the full canopy above them while she took the last few steps to meet him. His homeworld was indeed beautiful... She was too young to remember much about any of the many places she'd called home in her youth, but from what she recalled most of them had been dirty, dry, or some combination of the two.

In her experience, they didn't offer up the cream of the crop to refugees...

With that thought, she brought her eyes back down, the light from the sky that filtered down through the leaves to dapple the ground around them catching them as they leveled with his to make them glint under the hood. They were unsettling at times, those eyes of hers - especially when they were wide with the anticipation of something to come. North side of the village. She turned that hooded face towards the south, able to catch sight of something that hinted at civilization through the trees ahead. Excellent.

Her body language changed dramatically as he spoke into her mind, however. Where a moment before she'd seemed primed and ready, she was now tense, that hood turning sharply in his direction. It was the second time someone had spoken to her thusly, and upon hearing that he would be able to hear whatever she thought back she was hesitant to think a single thing.

After several long moments, a voice came back to him, but it was one that seemed wholly alien to the figure standing before him. The voice that reached across that distance was broken, painful like the sound of thunder when a storm is frighteningly close. "Together. Quickly. You lead." The sound was harsh and grating - entirely unpleasant.

She motioned with one leather-clad hand towards the North and motioned for him to lead on.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

LOCATION: Stewjon​

WEARING: This
w. [member="Shakti Sweet"]

---

A dark and distorted voice echoed four words back to Gerwalds mind. It took time to process because he was taken aback at the sheer amount of pain that and brokenness in the voice he heard. Gerwald hesitated to move as he scrubbed his mind, pulling his thoughts away from the obvious hurt that was in the fiery haired woman. Another Knight had picked up on Gerwald’s anger and taught him to channel it. He was a true Sith in philosophy thanks to her, and now Gerwald sensed another weapon that could be used for the darkness. Pain was something that could be harnessed as well. Gerwald simply smiled as he tucked away the information in front of him. The woman was broken, and with the right instruction she could be remade into something powerful.

Ger nodded at at the path she indicated. He wanted to remain unnoticed, but his height would not make that possible. Perhaps they could blend in as they made their way through the village, but the lightsaber at the small of the back would make that hard. Still, Gerwald took his steps quickly.

“I don’t know who we are going to find. It is either the cultists that have been plaguing the CIS as of late, or the Templars who hate the CIS because of the Sith in our ranks. Once we get closer we can be sure...”

It mattered because the cultists used magic, but the Templars were simply force users that claimed to be Jedi. In truth, they were killers and the embodiment of the evil they claimed the Sith were. Gerwald would love to destroy a Templar safe house and make them feel the wrath their hypocrisy stirred within him. As they mad their way to the location of the safe house, Gerwald mused on the idea of who they might be dealing with.

The house itself was on an old farm. It seemed to be well taken care of. The small field was growing a healthy crop, but a healthy crop of what? The windows were shuddered closed, and the small thatched farm house looked abandoned. Had it not been for the fields it would seem no one was there. It was curious indeed. Gerwald wasn’t one for subtlety, so he closed his eyes to scan the house for any signs of life.

There was nothing. So far it was the hallmark of the Templars. All they needed to find was a tunnel that headed to some set of underground tunnels and it would only confirm it.

“Search for some kind of underground access...”

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Stewjon
Tag: [member="Gerwald Lechner"]


Those sharp green eyes marked the change in his expression as she assumed he heard her response, a small tilt in the angle of her neck the only betrayal of her curiosity. It seemed that something about her response had caught him off guard. Interesting indeed. She gave one curt nod as he glanced towards the path she'd indicated and immediately loped after him as he took off jogging again. She kept pace a good deal easier now, having sorted out his rhythm and finding it quickly.

She thought over what he'd mentioned as they ran, having limited knowledge of the two factions he'd spoken of. Cultists sounded like they would cause them some issues... It seemed that her hope mirrored his own. Some dark Jedi brutes with a god complex would be much more her speed. That thought still tugged at her mind as they rounded a small cluster of trees to reveal the modest farmhouse and low fields that surrounded it. How... quaint.

Shakti paused there as she carefully rotated her shoulders once more, checking the latches on the holsters across her back, the blades still feeling secure there. A low breath slid passed her lips as she scanned the horizon, paying close attention to the trees that lay on the opposite side of the fields. If they hadn't set sentries, these people were fools... But perhaps they could be that lucky.

As his voice came to her again she had to resist the urge to visibly jerk back - her eyes narrowed beneath the hood as she looked to Gerwald once more. She gave another short nod, her voice quite as it came back to him this time, though no less grating, "Done."

Her stance shifted as she crouched low into the gently swaying grass of the field and began to creep carefully closer to the tidy little farmhouse. Taking a moment as she crept along the ground, she reached for that soft buzzing feeling she'd come to recognize as the Force and attuned her ears to it. Almost immediately the grass around her became like the ocean, each softly whispering blade like a cacophonous symphony.

She focused to sort the sounds as she continued to creep forward; ears trained for any sound from the home ahead of her as her eyes darted along the edges of the house as well as the field itself for something that could be an entrance to any sort of underground structure.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

LOCATION: Stewjon
WEARING: This
w. [member="Shakti Sweet"]

---

​

---

An abandoned home with a manicured field had to have been the work of the Templars. While most on Stewjon would not have looked past the dilapidated home to see the condition of the field, these were the kinds of things Gerwald had been trained to find. He stilled his breathing as he crept closer to the field. Gerwald was curious about what they were growing. While Shakti was looking for some kind of entrance, Gerwald was trying to collect whatever information he could to determine if his hunch was correct. They were not prepared for the magick of cultists. The Mandragora were better suited for that sort of task.

The closer Gerwald moved to the field the more he was convinced they may be dealing with Templars. Botanical growth happened under the soil. The green leaves that covered the field at this time of year should have shown evidence of some kind of fruit. It looked like they were growing some kind of starchy vegetable which was ideal to have when hiding or storing underground. He nodded on curt and satisfied nod as he walked toward the farmhouse.

There were no sentries which meant they were not going to find the entrance anywhere near the house. Maybe there was something inside and guards posted somewhere underground, but it was striking Gerwald as a bit odd. They were either confident or stupid, maybe a little of both, but leaving the home unprotected was not a good practice.

This time Gerwald opted to speak.

"Either they have recently abandoned this site, or..."

Ger closed his eyes and searched for something through the force, any sign that the ones they were hunting were somewhere close by. His breathing slowed as he tapped into the Force, his head canting to one side allowing the strands of hair that had pulled loose from his man bun to fall away from his shoulder.

"I think we are standing on it," Ger said as kicked the floor beneath him.

Something that sounded like metal rang in their ears, and again as Ger stomped one more time. He smiled as he pulled the carpet away to find a metal cover that looked like manhole cover. Gerwald stretched his senses further. It was a deep drop to an entire system of caves and caverns. There was a reason they did not leave sentry behind. Anyone who would dare try and follow was certain get lost. The network of tunnels beneath them was like its own labyrinth. Fortunately for Shakti and Gerwald, the force would tell them exactly where their target was, and it would tell them how to get back.

He pulled the cover off of the entry.

"Ladies first..."

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Stewjon
Tags: [member="Gerwald Lechner"]

It didn't take more than a few moments of using that keen hearing of hers to realize the home was empty. As she did she lifted herself from the crouch she'd been using to move towards the small farmhouse, an irritated frown tugging at the edges of her lips. She closed her eyes lightly and lifted her hands to the edges of her hood, fingers curling around the thick black fabric as she pulled it back. Without the cover of the trees to muddle the colour, the sun against her hair made it shine a rich red, and her skin seemed to alight with it as well - her tattoos less apparent against the golden flesh.

She tilted her head this way and that, keeping her eyes closed as she listened carefully. Somewhere there was the soft keening of wind between a tight space - that soft breeze that made the grass sway also hinting at an entrance to what Gerwald had suggested she search for. As her face slowly started to turn back towards the farmhouse, she was brought back to her surroundings by the sounds of his footfalls.

Her eyes snapped back open, her face turning towards him with an unimpressed heat in her eyes. It didn't seem he was interested in her irritation, however - and her glare was utterly wasted as he strode past her and into the doorway of the tiny building. Shakti chuffed softly, the closest thing she came to actual vocalization and set off after him.

Stepping over the threshold she glanced around the interior of the home. It was simple enough... There wasn't much in the way of decoration, but it had been well maintained. Everything was tidy, from the modest kitchen counters to the comfortable looking chair near one of the windows - even the sill of the window had been cleaned recently. Someone worked very hard to make this place appear lived in.

The sound of his heel hitting the floor, the hollow resounding reverberation through the tunnels below - all of it made her ears positively hum. The edges of her mouth curled into the smallest of smirks as she glanced below him to what she could now see to be a false floor. Those eyes turned back on him again as he stooped and pried the door open, the yawning mouth of the tunnel opening at their feet. Ladies first.

Well if he insisted... She crouched at the edge of the hole in the floor and peered down. It was perhaps a ten-foot drop into the tunnel's entrance and she didn't bother with the ladder that lay within it. She gripped the edges of the opening and lowered herself in, landing with a muted thud on her toes as she turned her face up to him and motioned for him to follow her.

"Come."

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

LOCATION: Stewjon
WEARING: This

w. [member="Shakti Sweet"]​

​

---

​

---

​

The woman exuded an irritation which Gerwald simply ignored. Another woman was frustrated with him, what else was new. Alwine had spent many months upset with her brother. Gerwald had managed to hurt both Katrine and Scherezade by trying to have some kind of physical relationship with them both at the same time. When it came to women, it seemed that Gerwald did not make good decisions. Any irritation which came his way simply felt normal. Why would it be different?

They had a job to do however, and Gerwald didn't care if she like him or not. This was simply about killing, and they could not kill if they could not find the enemy. The fact she was a mute helped Gerwald ignore the daggers which came from her eyes much easier as he walked past her to open the cover on the floor. Naturally revealing the entrance, and knowing the hunt was on put both of them in a better mood. Gerwald caught the grin that formed at her mouth. He watched as she dropped into the opening, a clean 10 feet or so below.

Gerwald followed when she told him to come. It was one word. A simple instruction. Large booted feet collided with the ground below as his heavy frame came falling through the opening. The air was stale and it smelled of the Templars who had used the tunnels many times. Gerwald did not need the force to find their enemy. All he had to do was follow the scent.

His nose lifted in the air a bit as he began to sniff around tunnels. If Shakti had not figured out that Gerwald was not a normal human by now, this would give away that something about his was different. The scent trailed off down the left tunnel. Gerwald raised and pointed.

"That way... about fifty meters. 5 of them."

WIth that, Gerwald took off down the tunnel.

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Stewjon
Tag: [member="Gerwald Lechner"]

After having beckoned her companion to follow her into the gaping mouth of the tunnel system that lay beneath the floor of the humble farm home they'd found, she took several steps deeper into the cavernous system they'd discovered. She could hear clearly as he landed behind her, but didn't bother to look back. Areas like this were both a blessing and a curse with her enhanced hearing.

She closed her eyes a moment and simply let her senses extend out beyond the area they currently inhabited. Much as his nose could tell him a great many details about where their quarry lay in the labyrinth of tunnels before them, her eyes weren't going to be her main source of information gathering. She took several very slow steps forward, dragging the tips of her fingers along the edges of the earthen tunnel wall and listening. She couldn't help the soft smile that crept along the corners of her lips as she heard the profound quiet that only underground spaces could create.

The lack of wind, the utter stillness of it, it was like a thick blanket across the back of her mind that allowed her to clearly pick up the sound of movement ahead of them. The sound of fabric and metal, people speaking... At least 4 by the different voices she could sift through. That's when the voice came from beside her and startled her back to herself.

Once more he had those blazing green eyes turned his way. It seemed that whatever sense it was that he was using was a little better suited to picking up the exact numbers ahead in the tunnels. However, that didn't leave her any less annoyed that he seemed to constantly be interrupting her. Her voice came to him once more, this time there was a heat to it though - painful in a slightly different way, "Weapons. They discuss weapons. Caution."

With that she set off ahead of him, her hands lifting to her shoulders to grip the hilts of the twin blades over her shoulders, and with a smooth shrug, she'd hoisted them both. The twin ryyk blades glinted dully in the dim light of the tunnels, their edges running along the undersides of her forearms, their points parallel to her elbows as she crept forward.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Gerwald was beginning to pick up the annoyance. He was unsure why the woman seemed to be annoyed, but then he picked up on something about the woman that made him marvel. Her sense of hearing was as strong as his sense of smell. She simply missed a fifth voice where his nose picked up the fifth scent. Of course he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut on the thought. Her words came to his mind again. This time it was different, but still hurting.

"Weapons. They discuss weapons. Caution."

He wanted to ask what kind of weapons, but she was running off before he could ask.

Gerwald bounded after her, and had they not needed to be quiet for the element of surprise, Gerwald would have howled. The thrill of the chase always brought the wolf out of him even if he could not change. It would be like the Templars to stock weapons underground. It seemed to be the one place they liked to keep them. His mind recalled what he had learned about previous encounters from other Knights. This could not be good.

He ran to catch up to her and pressed his thoughts into her mind.

"They like tunnels, they like hiding dangerous weapons. Whatever these weapons are they cannot be good."

There was no smirk on his face, nothing that would indicate that he was amused by the thought. Instead, Gerwald was more serious than he had been previously. As they rounded the corners, Gerwald became still. He could still smell the Templars. They had not moved. His hand gripped the lightsaber hilt around his waist. Ger's lip curled anticipating the kill.

"They are on the other side of this turn... ladies first?"

[member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Stewjon
Tag: [member="Gerwald Lechner"]

She paused as she came to a sharp corner in the underground labyrinth. Much as he could smell them ahead, she could clearly hear the scuff and stomp of a boot against the hard ground, as well as the quiet murmurs as they discussed matters between themselves. This close she was certain he too could hear every hushed word their targets spoke.

She crouched down low to the ground and gently pressed her back against the wall of the tunnel, slowing her breathing as she began to listen once more. As her eyes began to drift closed, his voice rang through the silence again, once more invading her mind. She stiffened and turned the black pit that her hooded face had become towards him, eyes narrowed. Her voice this time was quiet, as though whispering so as not to be heard, despite making no noise at all. "Too much talk."

With the hopes that it would silence him for a moment, she leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. She listened closely to the sounds over and above their quiet talking - picking up on the sound of metal, the shifting of items on what sounded like wooden benches. Her head slowly tilted as she strained to pick up more... Leather straps. Plastic buckles. Flesh testing the edge of something bladed. She let a low and slow breath escape her as she turned that hooded visage back to him.

"Blades. Blasters. We go."

And with that she stood all at once and slid around the corner, her eyes falling on the figures standing around a wooden workbench. They were in the process of unpacking a number of weapons from what appeared to be shipping crates lining the walls of the tunnel that had opened into a much more expansive area. There was a moment of silence as they all turned to see the woman who had just entered what could be considered the doorway to the room before she stepped forward with those keenly sharp blades and closed the distance between herself and the closest Templar. With one upward thrust of her arm, she cut a deep rivet into the front of the first body she could reach, opening them from belly to shoulder with a warm wash of blood.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Gerwald rolled his eyes. How were they supposed to communicate if they didn't talk? The force gave them the ability to not use hand signals. The force even allowed him to know where each one was standing, well, relatively anyway. He understood the need for stealth in their situation, but he never once thought his voice in her head could be a distraction. Gerwald did almost everything by instinct when it came to tracking and hunting. She clearly was more methodical about it. The wolf had to remember that not everyone was a Lupine. Even though he knew it, being around more of his kind, and embracing who he was had made him forget at times.

Rather than reply he simply nodded. She had a plan, and was ready to move.

For a moment Ger just watched what was unfolding in front of him. As Shakti stepped into the "doorway" and the men simply looked at her. His lip curled upward into a smirk as she charged ahead and cut the first who stood in her way. She would likely be on to her second before Gerwald stepped out and threw belt axe which he was carrying in the small of his back at the first Templar to charge him. It landed between the man's eyes, as Gerwald was igniting his lightsaber.

The black blade sprung to life with a snap and hiss, it's hum echoing through the cave. The remaining Templar's reached for theirs as well, a defunct and twisted version of what it meant to be a Jedi. These were nothing more than terrorists. Ger ducked the first attack, and retrieved his axe as he did so. Stepping past the attacker he ran his blade into the one who followed. He had killed 2, and the moment they were all dead, the pair could assess the weapons they had found before they set to destroying the system of tunnels underneath the farm.

[member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Stewjon
Tag: [member="Gerwald Lechner"]

The sound of that black lightsaber snapping to life was the last bit of her mind that she spared for the wolf as he flowed into the room behind her. The blood that sprayed across her front as her first target crumpled was enough to remind her where her focus needed to be. As she spun on her heels to gain a bit of momentum she saw from the corner of her eyes as another of their number crumpled with Gerwald's axe embedded in the Templar's head. Effective.

As she finished that rotation her arm lifted and she cleaved the blade that ran along her forearm through the throat of the man closest to her first kill. Much as with the last, this rewarded her with a fresh, hot spill of blood across her arm and a bit onto her side as she finished the rotation. She planted her feet firmly as she came to a stop, both blades raised in a defensive stance at her sides, about shoulder height, her knees bent into a low crouch as her eyes darted around her.

It seemed that the wolf had taken care of two of the others himself, which left her eyes to fall on the one Templar that remained. She couldn't be sure but based off of what she'd heard and where the figure now stood, she assumed this is the one who had not been speaking. The man stood facing the pair of would-be assassins, and Shakti paused. She wasn't certain that Gerwald wouldn't want to question whoever this person was - especially since she wasn't going to be able to do it herself.

Instead, she adjusted her stance, rising from the crouch and slowly prowling around to the right of the Templar, prepared to chase him down if he was foolish enough to try and run. She ignored the quickly cooling blood that was making soft pattering noises as it dripped from the blade she held, the left still perfectly clean while the right was a gory mess.

Her voice returned to Gerwald's mind, something about it slightly less grating - almost a soft harmony under all that shrapnel, "We kill?"

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Her skill with a blade was arrousing in a way. The precision and talent with the weapons she used reminded him of deadly small blades could truly be. As a larger man Gerwald was not much use in a knife fight even though he was more agile than he looked. Shakti’s skill alone boasted that she could best him in such combat, and the thought was exhilarating. She was both woman and warrior, something Stewjon had never allowed, but it was something Gerwald had always admired.

His method was was not as bloody, or as close quartered. It lacked an intimacy that Shakti experienced in combat. The closest Gerwald had come to such an intimate kill were the times he used his sword, a weapon he no longer carried as Force users generally used a lightsaber. The weapon had taken some adjustment. Where he had been used to a weighted and balanced blade, a lightsaber held none of it. The swift manner in which he could kill a person with it far out weighed the loss of the mass he was used to. He liked it.

Only one one of the Templars remained, and Shakti held him at a crossroad. Her question cake to Gerwald’s mind, something sweetened and softened to it after killing. Gerwald smirked at the idea killing had made her kinder in a way. Perhaps this was simply who she was. Ger shook his head in reply.

“We need to know if there are others in this network of tunnels,” Gerwald said for the benefit of the Templar’s awareness about how much he was about to wish they would just kill him. “The Force can do many things to a person’s mind if their defenses are weak enough. There are things I can do to him to make him talk... unless, you would rather cut it out of him slowly and methodically?”

How sadistic was the woman Gerwald had partnered with? This was an opportunity to find out. Gerwald was going to get the information one way or another, but if they could find some enjoyment in it, then why not.

“By all means, if you would like to, he is all yours...”

[member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Stewjon
Tag: [member="Gerwald Lechner"]

Shakti was very different indeed when there was bloodshed - something about the way that she prowled around what was left of their quarry told of a silent enjoyment. Not enough to bring a smile to her blood droplet dotted lips, but certainly enough to make those keen green eyes of hers dance with a light that had not been there previously.

As Gerwald spoke of their options she didn't so much as spare him a glance, those feverish emerald eyes roving across the Templar, watching for any attempt he might make an escape, or possibly have a concealed weapon. Though as the option of cutting it out of the tense looking man came up, one of her brows lifted a fraction, moving those eyes back to the man who'd been charged with bringing her here.

The voice came back to his mind as the hand that held her bloodied blade rotated, the blade doing a full 360º rotation inside of her hand, the soft patter of blood audible as she flicked a good deal of the gore clear in an arch across the floor, walls, and ceiling. "I can do."

Her slow, quiet steps had carried her around the back of the man, who seemed foolish enough to believe the wolf ahead of him with the crackling lightsaber was the greater risk to his personal safety in that tiny cavern below the earth. With a quick step forward and another rotation of her wrist the yet unsullied blade flashed, the very tip drawing a clean line up the Templar's back. It was nowhere near deep enough to cause the sort of damage that would end his life, but as the fabric she'd split slowly started to bloom a dark crimson, she knew it wasn't going to have felt good.

There was a soft ring in her voice this time told of mirth that was not apparent on her features, "Tell him. Next lower."

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

There was something methodical about how the woman worked. Her eyes remained focused on their target and never once diverged as he spoke. Naturally the templar liked nothing of what they were discussing, albeit to him it was likely what Gerwald was suggesting. The mute could not lend her half of the conversation for the man to hear, but he would gather all to soon what had been decided. A look of terror filled his eyes as the woman walked behind. Everything about his body language suggested that the large Lupine would be the one to deal out the torture. That thought shattered with a piercing scream as the man flinched in pain.

Gerwald simply smiled.

"Right so this is how it is going to go," Gerwald said as he looked at the man. "My friend here, she doesn't seem to be the patient type when it comes to getting off this rock. I can't really be too sure though because we've only just met, and well, she doesn't speak, just a few thoughts here and there. I might be interpreting this wrong but I get the idea that if you don't tell us where the rest of the weapon caches are, and how many there are of you there are down here... the next one... well..."

A mischievous grin tugged at Gerwald's lips as he simply pointed at the man's crotch a couple of times.

"I think you get the idea..."

The Templar looked to Shakti, then quickly back to Gerwald. There was a brief moment where the man might have thought about running, but eventually he just gulped. One way or the other, he knew that this was it, and he could have it over with quickly, or rather slowly and with great pain.

He sighed.

"One more cache... about 2 kilometers down that way," he pointed to the tunnel on the left side of the underground bunker. "That cache is bigger... more guards, ten."

Ger had been using the force to listen for any irregularities coming from their hostage to see if he was lying, but there was nothing. His blue eyes looked to the bright emerald gaze of the fiery redhead and simply nodded.

"Make it quick," he said before walking toward the tunnel they had just been told about.

[member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Stewjon
Tag: [member="Gerwald Lechner"]

Something about the cry that escaped the remaining Templar as he staggered from the blood blooming across his back brought a sense of excited jitteriness to the redhead. Her pacing around this target sped a touch as she strode confidently back and forth at the man's back. Her fingers itched to strike him again - but if what Gerwald said was accurate, they needed something from the man first... She could wait.

In truth, she wasn't overly interested in what he had to say for himself - especially since she knew how this ended. If whatever forces remained in this bunker were as meek and easily felled as these men had been, well... Not much sport it in, but it was an easy way to earn her keep. When the bloodied man turned his head to lay eyes on her, she returned that gaze with her own - her eyes alight with a mania, both emerald pools blazing in the dim light as though lit from behind. It was a trick of the light, of course, her eyes just wide enough to reflect bits of light back... She could see the ill ease in his eyes and she bared her teeth at him in a silent snarl. She may not have been a wolf herself - but she'd learned a fair amount about how to intimidate someone without the ability to speak to them.

Shakti watched as the Templar flinched before turning back to the wolf, spilling all he knew about the location of the rest of their comrades and their location. He wasn't as foolish as he appeared then. She tilted her head to the side inside of that massive hood, listening carefully and marking in her mind how many lives she'd need to take to complete their mission. She could do ten more...

With the last spoken instructions from her companion, her eyes lifted once more, alighting on Gerwald as he turned and began to head towards the direction their quarry had indicated. Make it quick. The frown that tugged at her lips was near invisible in the shadows cast by her hood, but the displeasure that rolled off her would likely be slightly less hard to pick up on if he'd been paying attention. There was a tension that bled into her limbs as she stepped forward and swung her already bloodied blade once in a downward arc before cutting upwards quickly, the motion cutting into the man's haunch deeply and causing him to collapse to his knees involuntarily. In the upward swing of her initial cut, Shakti slid up against the back of the mans kneeling form and brought her arms across his throat, palms facing upwards, and sliced back towards herself.

The spray of blood that resulted as she nearly cleaved his head from his shoulders was dramatic and vibrant, the corpse slumping to the ground with a dull thud as she drew her arms away. She stood over it for a moment, ensuring that the eyes became dull and lifeless before she stepped over what was left of the man and hurriedly followed Gerwald into the next corridor.