Faction A Not So Soft Underbelly [SO]

[Evor]

"Never better," his voice trilled out. He ducked underneath a haymaker from a baton wielding guard, sweeping the man's legs out from underneath him. As he collapsed into the catwalk the heel of Evors boot was brought down upon the back of his head, caving it in. He pressed forward, running at a dead sprint now toward the next few guards. As he neared them he jumped toward the railing, landing gracefully atop of it for a split second before launching himself into the air and bringing his lightsaber down onto the first of the group with primal fury.

A high pitched shriek escaped from the guard's lips as she crumpled to the ground, quivering for a moment before the life left her body forever. The next fared no better. Evor feinted left, pivoting forward on his right heel as he switched his grip the the less traditional reverse grip. The blade hummed with energy as it was brought up at a diagonal, eating through the body armor and fleshy bits underneath with ease.

His arm raised in front of him, dark energy pulsating from his palm. The final guard on the catwalk slowly left his feet, rising in the air as he grabbed at his throat. His face turned red as he struggled to breathe, clawing at the invisible force at his throat. Yet before he fell into darkness he was tossed aside like a doll, flying through the air before the opposite wall of the warehouse broke his flight.

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina scanned through the various loot, uncaringly tossing aside things that were likely valuable but not what she was searching for. Her ghouls were more than enough to let her look in peace, after all. It didn't take long to find what she was searching for, though. A black bound tome, seemingly buried in the junk around it. She chuckled. Of course they didn't think much of it. They couldn't open it.

There was a whole trick to it they were probably going to sell.

"Good. I got what I was looking for."

Evor

 

[Evor]

It was mere seconds after the words left her mouth that every window and door in the warehouse slammed shut, thick metal slabs slamming down into place locking the duo in. In contrast, the ceiling seemed to open up in several places, metal flaps folding down to reveal half a dozen or so mini-turrets that promptly began to spin up, ready to release hellfire upon the intruders. The intercom crackled, the static just loud enough to be heard over the humming of the turrets. A singular voice spoke, filling the room.

“Foolish little Sith, come to add to my collection. A shame you had to kill so many of my men, but they were disposable just as you. The relics of your empires will feed my family for generations to come! This is what happens when you cross the Assemble.”

Just as quickly as it came on the voice cut off, leaving just the spinning of turrets echoing around the otherwise quiet room. The humming got louder and louder. A singular bolt squeaked off, followed quickly by a second. Within seconds the room would be torn to shreds, they had to act fast. Evor quickly took the big iron from his hip and popped off a few rounds toward the nearest turret as he dove from the catwalk down onto the main floor. He rolled as he landed, using his momentum to carry himself behind a large pillar on the side of the room.

He peaked out from the pillar, looking to take more shots at the nearest turret but was met quickly with red hot fury. The bolt took a chunk out of the pillar, right where his face would have been had he not pulled it back almost immediately.

“Perhaps it's time to leave,” he yelled out to Alina. “Any tricks up your sleeve?”

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Turrets.

Alina stared up at them as they were revealed, frowning ever so faintly. She didn't like turrets. There was no blood to manipulate, sense. Droids were even worse. At least turrets were in one place. Thankfully the man was just all too willing to talk. Gave her enough time to crack open the book she'd picked up. It wouldn't open normally. It took the blood of a Sith capable of sorcery to unbind the latch and reveal the spells within.

"One or two."

The book flared to life as she raised a hand just as the turrets started to spin up.

"Sutta Chwituskak." A sphere of purple formed in her palm before it rocketed forward. Erupted in a sphere of pure heat to consume one of the turrets. Nothing was left. She grinned wide, though had to throw herself out of the way as the other turret ripped open with it's blasterfire.

"That's pretty fun!"

Evor

 

[Evor]

A smile spread across his face, he had never been a capable sorcerer but he couldn’t deny the excitement it held. He stared, almost a little too long, as Alina channeled the purple sphere into the palm of her hand. It was intoxicating, all of it. The blood, the carnage, the sense of impending death. It was these moments that Evor cherished, and for all the wrong reasons.

The turrets quickly turned toward Alina, spraying their hatred where she had stood just seconds before. But that was all the window that Evor needed. He stepped out from behind his collum, releasing his own bout of hellfire back toward the turrets. Perhaps it was the force that guided him, or just dumb luck, but several of the blaster bolts struck true, causing 2 of the turrets to twitch slightly and spark before going inert.

Quickly he too had to duck back behind cover, but not quick enough as one of the bolts from the turrets grazed his arm.

“That’s quite the toy. It do anything else?” he asked through gritted teeth.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Isn't it!?"

She'd be laughing. Actually, she was. Power. Pure and unadul- A grimace spread as Alina landed on her feet from all her running. Right. That was the sensation she felt before. When she went after Darth Strosius . When she first fixed that old body. It wasn't completely the same, but she'd almost let herself loose herself into that drunken power. Death was, as always, sobering. She let out a heavy sigh as the pages turned to another entry. A hand raised.

She said nothing, but around her and Evor a barrier shimmered to life to catch the next burst of turret fire.

"Feel free to shoot! I'm not sure how long this lasts, actually." She shrugged casually. It'd protect them, but for how long was very much up in the air. Ah well. Hopefully it'd be enough time for him to at least get rid of the last of the turrets.

Evor

 

[Evor]

His eyes closed softly as she thumbed through the pages of the newly re-acquired tome, waiting for a thought or impulse to send him forth. But it never came, for Alinas next action protected him from the harm that sought to befall him. His eyes blinked open, his arm raising at the same time. He stared down the barrel of the gun, as if it was an extension of his arm. It felt infinitely long. He could see the little metallic sight knob, but it seemed miles away. It felt lighter in his hand than it ever had.

The hellfire from above sounded like rain on Alinas barrier. It seemed to almost shimmer upon every bullet strike, rippling outwards through the shield. It seemed to wax and wane, fading and repairing itself seconds later, fueled by Alinas connection to the force. Four loud bangs echoed within the warehouse, silencing the mechanical whirring of the turrets once and for all. Evors arm moved as if weightless, swinging from one turret to the next. Each shot found its mark, burrowing into the metallic makeup of the turrets.

A searing sensation of pain filled Evors mind. His pistol quickly found its holster, his hands turning back toward himself. He touched his stomach and looked down at his hands, now promptly covered in blood. His eyes darted upward in shock, the barrier still intact. A round had snuck through, finding its mark. Evor groaned and closed his eyes once more. His hand hovered over the wound, shaking slightly. Power surged through him, and after a few seconds the bullet, mangled from piercing both the shield and his body, flew out of the wound and onto the ground. Evor collapsed to a knee, taking deep, shallow breaths.

“Let’s go kill that fucker.”

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

The barrier dissipated, but so too did the burning glow in Alina's eyes. Not completely, but it seemed Sorcery did burn her reserves of Anima quite quickly. Perhaps it was something she could manage better later, once she had more of a grasp on her powers. The creatures she'd made had all been shot apart by the turrets. Only the pair of Sith remained in the chamber. Alone, angry, and eager.

It was why she was still grinning.

"Yes. Lets."

The book snapped closed as she instead reached out with the Force itself. No twisted magics, no complex sorcery. Streams of red blurred across the ground as she pulled the Anima she'd spent towards her. From her Ghouls, and the other bodies that had been consumed. It wouldn't replenish what was lost, but as she reached a hand out towards the heavy door that blocked their way forward, her eyes flared red and she ripped the steel open. No metal would stop them now.

"Are you fast?"

Evor

 

[Evor]

A singular sigh escaped from Evors lips. He looked down at his stomach, his hand pressed firmly upon the bloody wound. He looked around the room, wrought in destruction and suffering. They had come so far, killed so many. The finish line was close, he would not quit now. His gaze lingered upon Alina for a moment as she tore down the barrier before them. He had underestimated her, in more ways than one.

He offered her a singular nod, “I’ll keep up.”

He shook his head from side to side, as if clearing his mind of the dark, looming thoughts that pressed upon him. Power flowed through him once more, emboldening him and augmenting his every move. He owed her his best at this point. Alina clearly had more in the tank than he did, it was something he would need to add to his laundry list of skills he needed to improve on.

“Lead the way.”

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Good. I'd hate to have to use you."

It'd be a waste, for certain. As annoying as he'd been, he had skill. Value. Perhaps that's why he was so frustrating. She chuckled as she stepped through the now open door and sprinted through the halls. No hesitation, no slowing down. She blitzed her way through some of the goons that remained. Heightened security, if she had to take a guess. They were panicked, but it mattered little.

She cut through them all the same.

Deeper within Kresh was already trying to make his escape. A private vessel in a hanger to escape. Clever, but not enough. She reached a hand up and pulled. The Dark was hers to command, and this little shutta wasn't about to escape after trying to have her killed. The ship started to lift up, only to be brought right back down into the hanger floor in a crash of metal.

"You never told me what you were here for, Evor." She stepped forward, wrenching open the door. She was exhausting herself, but it felt right. Anyone who looked to this and what happened needed to know to never mess with the Sith.

"Sith don't just go along for the fun of it. What is it you want?"

Evor

 

[Evor]

“The day is still young,” he quipped before dashing after her, perhaps only a step or two behind. Where she sliced right, he sliced left. They cut through the rabble together, making quick work of the lazy and untrained sentries that stood in their way. They had no choice but to give it their all, lest Kresh escape.

He stood back with a chuckle, letting Alina have her way with Kresh and his ship. It was far more personal to her than it ever would be to him. There was something bubbling just under the surface, but he still did not understand the bigger picture. They had stolen something from her, surely. But what could be so meaningful? The answer eluded him.

The question rang in his ears, and he could do naught but look around him at the warehouse that was slowly being consumed by hatred and death. He spread his arms wide, motioning toward all that surrounded him.

“This. This is what I want. First this warehouse, then perhaps the one next door. Then this outer ring of Arcadia will be mine. This planet will bow before me and the Emperor before I leave it.”

He paused for a moment, asking his next question after she had finished ripping the door off of the ship.

“I would ask you the same, yet I still do not know your name.”

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Alina Tremiru, head of House Tremiru, and current.. Leader of Dromund Kaas." He had been forthcoming, and thus Alina would do the same. She smiled to him as she reached out to rip open the door, just as Kresh had reached out to open it himself. He stumbled, bruised and bloodied as he fell to the ground. Pain would keep him immobilized enough for her to instead focus on him. "When the Ashlan's ripped into Dromund Kaas, my families vault was ransacked. Ancient knowledge and artifacts that we've been keeping since the time of the Old Republic, scattered and stolen by people like Kresh here. I'm recollecting. Reminding people not to steal from my family. I've what I want, so,"

She looked to their prey, who had finally scrambled enough from the wreckage to sprawl on his back. Try to focus on breathing.

"He is yours. And I certainly won't get in the way of your claim of this world. I'll support it, if that's something you desire."

Evor

 

[Evor]

Wordlessly Evor stepped forward, looking down at Kresh. In a sense he envied the cowering man laying before him. Unable to defend himself and letting others die for his own pride, yet he had achieved something before life was snuffed from him. In his dying moments he could look back at his life and perhaps even be proud of the power he had amassed, and the pain he had caused others to get ahead. But it would not save him now. Nothing could.

There was a sudden burst of force as Evor stepped forth and raised his hand. The broken body of the man left the ground for half a second before it promptly flew into the wall farthest from the pair. His body hit with a sickening squelch before crumpling lifeless to the floor. An easy kill, but a much needed one.

“I would not ask you to vouch for me, Alina Tremiru, though your kindness is nothing short of respectable. You are a fierce warrior, and surely a just leader. Only time and further bloodshed will determine the fate of this world.”

He paused for a moment, looking around the now empty hangar of the warehouse.

“Likewise if you need help tracking down any more relics of your family I will gladly aid you. It is refreshing fighting alongside those with a coherent grasp of Sorcery, something my toolkit sorely lacks.”

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"It's not kindness, Evor. The Sith are changing. Alliances and friends will be needed in this coming age. I'm just making a deposit." Though if Evor wasn't going to accept it, she wasn't going to push it. Alina's eyes lingered on the now dead body, her lips still in a smile. The underground world that that man had run would be of incredible use going forward.

The open war of Sith fighting Sith was over. Now would be the time of shadow wars and political intrigue.

"I would appreciate as much myself. You know how to handle a blaster. That's rare among Sith. And a welcome sight." It was how she once fought, when she was an acolyte incapable of even lifting a rock. Not that she'd say as much.

"Do you have forces to come and take this facility?"

Evor