Adventures on Hoth: An Icy Demise

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Aurelio Murtix"]

Already her blood had began to cool with each step she took. She was angry now, more with herself for loosing her temper, she must learn to not allow this to get the better of her. Her shoulders slumped and she let out a sigh of recognition at her own failings. However, her back straightened as she hear his voice behind her. She did not turn to face him, but listened to his voice, a genuine apology, even if a little placed with some interesting words.

"Don't do that, don't bow to me and please do not call me Princess. I should not have told you, no one knows of this apart from myself and my mother and now you", she now had to fight the rising emotions and not allow the welling tears to form. She stood taller and took a deep breath.

"I must also apologise for my behaviour, someone of my standing should not react in such a way, it is unbecoming". She in turn, replied with the same smile of apology. Her head turned to the side and her smile widened at some of the comments she had threw at him. "Midvinter may well be a ice rock, as you put it, but my home has a warm hearth and it would welcome you, if you so desired to visit once this memory has faded from you mind".

 

[Aurelio Murtix]

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

Aerin was not only forgiving him for his foolish behavior, but even apologizing herself for getting upset. In that moment she was acting more civilized than even he was, and it made him feel another twinge of guilt for what he said. Even if she did not like hearing it, now Aurelio could see the demeanor of royalty in her body language and hear it in he words. It was an aura that only those of royal blood could cultivate, and that combined with her own smile made him grin.

"It was I who was acting in a way unfitting of my title, and I would be glad to visit your world someday...after I warm up a bit of course. Let's get back to the fire before we both freeze out here."

The baron was glad that their little fight was over and started to walk back towards the only source of heat and survival they had besides each other, but now began to feel that old familiar sting of jealousy again. She was a beautiful woman of royal blood and gifted with the force, and while he was nobility he was but a mere baron. Aerin was his superior in social standing and ability, but he would not prove useless once the pirates eventually found them. In that moment Aurelio would show her that he was still strong. After deciding on this and arriving at the camp he grabbed one of the food rations, deciding that he would need to eat, and against the judgement of his nose and tongue began devouring the brown meat. Once finished, he covered up a small burp with his hand and then tossed the can aside before turning to the daughter of a king.

Alright princess," he said with emphasis and a playful smirk since he knew she did not like the title, "How should we deal with these pirates?"

--------------------------------------------------

" Come on out rats...we know you're in here somewhere."

The taunts of the pirate captain proved meaningless, as she soon discovered herself when she crept inside and found nobody there. She began to angrily stomp around, muttering curses and threats under her breath while running a hand through her mohawk hairstyle as her compatriots followed in after her. The Chistori began looking around for clues and tracks while the Duros and Trandoshan watched their boss freak out, and soon he proved why he was her second-in-command when he approached her with a piece of cloth.

"They were definitely here boss, but since we can't find any evidence they left the cave there must be another passage somewhere."

The evil grin the rest of them knew to fear appeared once again on their captain's face as her hope was restored, and after putting on her goggles activated the night-vision mode. The tunnel to the next part of the cave was easy to find after that, and she began marching closer to the survivor's location as they rest of them, except the Trandoshan who lost his, used their own goggles to follow. Soon she would be upon them, and the captain always found a way to have a fun time with it.

"Let's go you worms! First one to bring me something alive gets a special reward! After I slowly kill our prey that is."

Eventually they reached the next part of the cave, a wide open space with a deathly smell, and as they looked around for signs of the survivors the Trandoshan was unlucky enough to bump into the sleeping giant. It awoke with a mighty roar, and before the pirate could react the Wampa ripped his arms right out of their sockets. The Trandoshan screamed in pain while the rest of them turned to face the creature, and let loose with their weaponry. The Wampa charged through their attacks even while taking injuries, and knocked the Chistori aside to go for the Duros. Giving her own battle cry, the captain opened fire on the back of its head with her pistol and finally brought the beast down before walking over to the Trandoshan's dying body and giving it a kick.

"You idiot! Now I'm another man short and I have an injured first mate!" She sighed heavily in anger while she walked over to help the Chistori up, "We'll take a short break here before we go any further because you weaklings got hurt. I'm not going on without my crew to shield me."

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Aurelio Murtix"]

The reminder of the fire and its inviting warmth, pleased Aerin and took her mind off his jest although she smiled. She followed him back and sat down close to it and fed it once more. Soon they would run out of fuel, as not much within the base was found suitable. They would make it through the night, sleep would not come easy, and they would have to resort to extreme measure to keep the cold at bay.

Aerin watched the growing flames build up once more as she placed the last of the old wood on the burning clothes. Her eyes flicked toward Aurelio as he ate some of the meat, a grin forming over her face at his reaction to it. She wondered what he would make of Midvinter, a jewel of a planet, with rich natural beauty, cold and dangerous but the people, warm and generous. She pictured him sitting by her hearth dressed in pelt for comfort with a large tankard of mead in his hand. It would be the evenings that would be delightful in his company. Aerin looked away as she found herself looking upon his full lips.

She longed for her hearth now, with the roasting meats and vegetables she prepares from her daily gathering and hunting. A Princess she might be by birth, but not of nature. She is a warrior and huntress. As she thought of these things her hand went to the hilt of her sword and remained there. She did not wish the pirates to find this, it is valuable and special her primary weapon.

She sat in though a while longer, regarding his question of the pirates. Aerin was about to speak when her head snapped to the tunnel leading into the base. The sound of the awaken creature echoed into the base, screams of a man and yelling. The pirates are close at hand.

“Seems we had better think of a plan quickly”, she said standing. “They need to pay for what they have done, so many killed and without reason apart from material gain for themselves”.

“And we need to take possession of their ships, it might be our only way off this planet. Even if the distress signal is picked up, there is no guarantee that we will survive for the rescue”. She looked down into his face and searched his eyes for any sign of suggestion.

[SIZE=11pt]“We need a strategy, they do not want witnesses to what they have done, and they will kill us, so we must kill them”. [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]If it came to this, she would do it. But she hoped he might see a clearer way. [/SIZE]

 

[Aurelio Murtix]

Aurelio was almost a bit surprised at how resolute she was in deciding their deaths, giving it an angle of justice along with survival, and couldn't help but smile. He might have thought she would go soft on them at first, but now he could look into her powerful eyes and see the truth in her words. If she had to, Aerin would put them down in order to keep them both alive. She was a beautiful huntress from a society most likely based around martial skill, and her power in the force could only be a benefit. To be honest he much preferred her as she was instead of the Tapani noblewoman he was imagining she could have been.

"I think I can come up with something, but you are right about how quickly we must formulate a plan. Your idea about their ships is good, so in order to get to them we might have to be smart about it."

He began pacing, doing his best to come up with a plan that wouldn't get them killed. After a minute of silence, the baron finally stopped before turning to face her again.

"It might sound a bit crazy, but one of us should just surrender. They might not know there are more than one of us, so while either of us is being taken the other can follow." He came closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, hoping it would keep her calm if she didn't like the plan, "Logically I would make the best choice since you are far more important to our success, but if you think otherwise I am open to any thoughts."

Aurelio looked into her face and found himself entranced by it for a few moments before he broke the spell, trying his best to stay focused on the situation at hand. It was the difference between life and death if things went badly and it could mean their best chance to escape Hoth's cold embrace, but...she was distracting him to say the least. Maybe once they were free of this wretched world he would decide on how to deal with this. He was definitely going to enjoy a nice glass of wine at the very least, and maybe they had some at their base...

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Aurelio Murtix"]

"Yes that is crazy", she smiled however, "When one has a need to enter sometimes it is best to simply get caught". As to whether he was the best choice? there is pluses and minuses form them both. As his hand rested gently on her shoulder, a tremor ran through her body, quite unexpected and settled in her stomach. A momentary look of surprise filled her eyes, but she pushed it away as quickly. It was more that she had not looked for such things, rather it was the sensation, which unsettled her. A soft warmth rose up and flushed her cheeks.

"I think it is sound, just be careful", she said. "I shall follow once they have you, but before this we must make sure you are worth taking and not simply extinguished". If they so much as hurt him in any way, she would attack. She now began to pace, from time to time, looking back to Aurelio, in truth she did not like the plan, placing him in this situation has a higher degree of danger and that must not be unchecked.

"Or we could both be captured?", she added. But she did not think he would go for that, maybe Aurelio had more in mind. That stirring of fear when one is about to fight entered her mind, but it sets the mind to alert and focus. She now stood tall and resolved, to whatever would come. They really had no choice, it was do this or die to Hoth's harsh commands. Her head turned to look at him again, only for a moment before she walked to him. Aerin stood in front of him closer, "I don't want anything to happen to you", she said softly as she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Now I will go hide my presence".

 

[Aurelio Murtix]

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

At lease Aerin was agreeable with the plan of action, and as his touch brought up a flush in her cheeks he couldn't stop himself from smirking a little. She was so strong compared to him, but then at times the woman seemed so innocent and unspoiled by the corruption of the galaxy. Maybe there was more to her homeworld than he thought, and as he tried to think it over she suddenly moved in close. Arein's presence at this distance was strong, and Aurelio felt almost as if he was being pulled towards her by something unknown. The baron began wondering if somehow her force abilities were affecting him, and began forming paranoid thoughts before she kissed his cheek and made them all vanish.

"Now I will go hide my presence." she said before getting ready for the pirate's arrival, and in that brief time he thought about calling her back to him. He sighed while touching the affected cheek and sat down, his mind now much more focused on Arein than it should have been considering the circumstances. There were of course some women that he had gotten physical with, but none of them had his current ally's appeal and none of them affected his mind as she did. It was definitely something to ponder and Aurelio sat in silence doing so, while looking into the flames and thinking about her hair and passionate personality.

Aurelio placed his foil and blaster under some of the discarded clothing, hoping Aerin would find it and bring them to him once they were ready to fight back, and then simply waited...

--------------------------------------

After some time the Chistori's arm wound was bandaged up, and the group ready to once again move forward and find those damned survivors. The captain walked by the body of the now dead Trandoshan, and spit on it before entering the next tunnel. The two others followed after since they knew the price of not following orders...or even when following them in a way she wasn't a fan of. Traveling through the tunnel for her was much easier than with Aurelio since she had no fear holding her back, even grabbing the same small ice worm that scared the nobleman and tossing it on the ground before crushing it with her boot on the way to her prey.

Eventually the same bit of light could be seen at the end just as with Aurelio and Aerin, so the group switched off their night-vision and continued onward until reaching the old base. The Duros and Chistori were busy admiring the actual facility, but their single-minded captain could only grin as her real prize revealed itself in the form of the long-sought survivor. The Chiss woman walked over towards the sitting noble, laughing heartily in the joy of finding her prey, while rubbing the disfigurement on her face.

"I knew my lucky scar would bring me to you." she said with all the malice she could muster before pushing Aurelio backwards onto his back with her foot, then placing it on his chest to keep him down, "Now give me just one good reason to not blow that pretty little face to pieces."

"Simple. Because I am a man of noble birth and my family would give a significant ransom for my return." Aurelio said it as bluntly as he could to cover the lie, since his family was pretty much all gone and his own personal fortune was running dry, "Hurt me however and the price will drop steadily."

She almost wanted to kill him anyway because of his pompous attitude, but grunted in annoyance since she knew her comrades wouldn't be too happy with that. The captain roughly grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him up, then pushed him towards the other two.

"This one is a silver-spoon biter, so we can make a lot of credits on this one. We'll bring him back to the ships, then back to our base."

With that the plan was set in motion, and Aurelio turned to look for his hidden weapons one last time before being led back into the tunnel by the pirates.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Aurelio Murtix"]

Aerin shifted her weight form her left to right. This subtle movement partially revealed her hidden position toward the back of the base. A tall metal column, a support beam for the base structure provided the best cover, by casting a shadow in which she hid, the grey of her fur coat blended. The pirates would not see her or the sharp newly designed and crafted arrow aimed directly between the eyes of the woman. Aerin is completely focused on the task and the protection of Aurelio, her hunting instincts and skill is second to no one. She never misses.

As the pirates approached Aurelio, the string on the bow tightened, her long fingers controlling the tension with a deft touch. As soon as the small group entered the base Aerin could tell the woman to be the leader, she will be the first to fall if they hurt him. Remove the head the body will die.

She could hear the woman speak and shoved Aurelio backwards placing her foot on him to hold him down. As a low growl escaped her lips, Aerin's arms straightened as she body turned side ways, everything parallel to her chest, her right arm elbow high primed and she loosened her fingers on the string ready to release the arrow. Her vision narrowed, the force aiding her aim.. just one more move, the wrong move, and she would be dead.

However, the ruse had worked .. at least for now. Roughly bringing Aurelio to his feet, the pirates with him in hand, left for the tunnel. It was only then that she released the tension on the bow. Aerin only waited a short moment before she ran to the pile of clothes near the fire and quickly took up his foil and ... strange metal weapon, a blaster she would learn one day. Her personal items within the backpack forgotten, as that could be replaced.

Following .. she could sense the presence of the group ahead, the use of the force able to give her sight through the cave and their intentions. With each foot fall silence, still stalking on her hunt. But it was easy, they had not been cautious and made much noise as they retreated toward their ships. Aerin knew they needed to get to the pirate base, the hardest part will be for her to get aboard the ship unseen.

 

[Aurelio Murtix]

The trip back outside of the cave was quick and uneventful for Aurelio, the pirate captain hastily trying to get them all back to their ships, with the one exception being the grisly sight of the Trandoshan's arm-less corpse and the Wampa's shot up remains. Eventually they were back at the entrance where he first came to in search of shelter, and for a moment he stopped to think about all he had gone through since then. This was not agreeable with the pirates, as the Duros gave him a quick slap on the back of the head before pushing him into the freezing winds of Hoth. The ships were not too far away thankfully since Aurelio was once again beginning to feel quite cold.

Once at their pirate-ships, the Chistori pushed the young baron into the Captain's arms before walking towards his own ship, leaving him to look into her face and see the sadist personality lurking just below the surface and wanting to do nothing but cause pain. She was smirking of course at his supposed weakness, and pulled him by the arm like a helpless child to her fighter before ordering him to get in the cockpit and following behind. The Chiss sat down in front of him, pushing him back into the seat with her back as she got comfy and started prepping her ship for launch as he grunted in pain from his bruise.

"It sounds like you're enjoying yourself back there, so have fun while you still can pretty boy." She was feeling cheerful from their success and possibly his pain as well, "You gave us some trouble finding you, so there is a chance I might just decide to forget about the ransom and just end it my way. We'll see how I feel once we get home."

Aurelio of course remained silent, besides the occasional sign that he was in pain, as the captain's ship began to launch alongside the Chistori's. The Duros attached his fighter to the Trandoshan's with a cable to bring it back to the base, and set the pilot's hatch to shut right before lift-off before jumping in his own. As he was getting ready though it was left open, and it would most likely be a decision he regretted later...

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Aurelio Murtix"]


The icy air whispering softly on a slight breeze told Aerin they neared the entrance to the cave. Between Aurelio and herself, lay the bodies of the pirate and the Wampa. As she passed she gave thanks to the creature for aiding them .. a small consolation to the Wampa she did not doubt. Her foot lifted and stepped over the body of the pirate, her bow still notched with the arrow pointed downward, but much ready if needed.

Her force senses told her Aurelio is patient and waiting .. as if stalling for time. But she is close at hand. The light steamed into her eyes as the entrance now visible as well as the form of Aurelio, she looked intently over him, no harm at least for now. The cold had propelled the pirates to move with haste to their ships and so too Aerin. Staying low and finding cover as she went, Aerin soon came along side the ships. She laid down on the ice surface and watched as the woman forced Aurelio into her ship, the other pirate busied him self securing the remaining fighter. This was her only chance, and as soon as the pirate moved away, her only hope was that he had not secured the ship hatch properly. Otherwise....... well.

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, Aerin used the force to run toward the ship, the fighter engines began their warm up and preparations for ascent. Meters from the ship, Aerin force jumped onto the wing and pulled at the hatch. It moved and she opened it. Throwing her bow and quiver inside, she followed them and secured herself to the seat and kept her head down. A wash of relief came over her, only for a moment, as their troubled situation still very much hung in the balance.

 

[Aurelio Murtix]

The three pirates were in the air now with the fourth ship towed behind in autopilot, and after a few minutes passed with Aurelio still in pain and the captain enjoying every minute of it they were finally at the pirate's base. It was a small and run down place, and as they landed Aurelio could tell that these pirates were probably living in conditions only a tiny bit better than him and Aerin in the old base. Once everyone was landed the captain opened her hatch, stood up, and grabbed her hostage before tossing him out to land hard on the ground. Of course he let out a cry of pain at the harsh treatment, but it was the answer that she wanted so as she jumped down and crouched next to him all that was on her face was a smile.

"You should have watched your step idiot!" The Chiss said while barely containing her laughter, "That was a mighty bad fall you took there!" The Chistori jumped out of his ship and walked over to the two of them at her beckoning, then forcing the young man onto his feet as the captain caressed her second in command's armor chest plate, "This handsome little boy needs his rest, so make your boss happy and take good care of him for me. We have to do our best to treat this guest well, since he is from a very important family I bet."

The Chistori gave a deep chuckle in response to her brutality and sarcastic tone, pushing the defenseless Aurelio inside and bringing him to a small room that would serve as his cell before locking him inside. As the pirate captain joined her comrade inside the base to begin the celebration of a good day, even though they lost one partner to the escorts, one to her own wrath, and one to a Wampa, the Duros was left all alone to check on the ships and do the grunt work of bringing in their looted goods...as he was always forced to do. While grumbling about the lack of respect he got compared to his Chistori superior the hatch of the supposedly unmanned fighter opened up and he began walking towards it for inspection.

The poor fool...

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Aurelio Murtix"]

While Aurelio spent the travel in pain, Aerin dived into the depths of fear. She could barely tolerate transport in bigger ships like shuttles, even they are vulnerable she discovered, but a fighter was something entirely different. Apart from the fact she had little to no room to move, her long legs cramped up around her, the closeness of space, with only a piece of thick glass separating her from doom. If she hated the plan before, she hated it more now.

Normally to combat her fear of flying, she would sleep, but here in this metal coffin if was impossible. but she did spend the entire trip with her eyes closed, for no other reason then to block out the blurred blue tunnel of hyperspace travel.

As the ships began their descent, it was only then she allowed her eyes to open, which she immediately regretted, as the atmospheric flames licked around the ship, trapped within a ball of fire. Finally, the ships landed, the hatch on her ship hissed as fresh air and the life support pressure equalized. Sliding upward from her slumped position, Aerin watched as Aurelio was thrown to the ground, she could sense his pain, more so then before. As the pirates took him inside, Aerin focused on him, in order to locate him when the time came to escape. Now she had an immediate problem of the approaching pirate.

Weapon of choice now reduced to one, she waited only a moment before she sprang from the cockpit and ignited the sith blade, Aerin landed directly in front of the man, his face sudden with surprise and fear, at the sight of the red blade. Aerin is no sith, form him she is and this Aerin would use to advantage.

Shaking hands raised a blaster toward her, Aerin using the force pulled it away as she continued her fast pace toward him. His life was removed swiftly as her blade cut him in two. Time is of the essence, as a mood swing from the woman could see the end of Aurelio's life.

Quickly she gathered her bow and quiver from the ship and ran toward the base. She had to get to Aurelio first, free him. As she approached the entrance, the door left open and unguarded she quietly entered and made her way toward the back where Aurelio is located. Finally reaching the locked door .. Aerin plunged the red blade through the metal and began to cut a hole. The hissing, burning, melting alloy fell to the floor in large heaps of red hot slag setting fire to the thread bare carpet. As she completed the cut, using the force, Aerin lifted the cut piece away and rested it against the wall for prudence, no more noise then necessary.

She looked inside the room to find Aurelio. "Not bad for a savage Princess", she said in a low voice, and a smile, but the jest was fleeting as her face turned to concern. She had suspected he might have sustained a fractured rib or two in the crash, but he rough 'man' handling by the woman would have been enough to break the fracture.

 

[Aurelio Murtix]

The pain in Aurelio's chest had grown considerably throughout his capture, from being crushed into a seat to being thrown onto the ground, and now he could barely even breathe without it hurting badly. He suspected that at least one of his ribs was truly broken now, and if things continued along this route it could accidentally pierce an organ. It was also quite cold in his lonely room as well, making a bad situation health wise even worse for him.

In other words; he felt like he'd been chewed up, spit out, and left to freeze.

The only thing keeping him going was the fact that he knew Aerin was out there somewhere working to save him, and when she did finally do so it would mean trouble for the pirates once he got his weapons back. As if to confirm this very fact, a red blade of energy poked through the door and soon enough a hole was made where he could see the huntress on the other side smiling at him. Aurelio smiled back and wanted to laugh out of joy, but the wound made things hurt only that much more alongside his generally sore body. He struggled to his feet while holding his side, and held his hand out.

"It's good to see you again dear Aerin, but could you hand me my foil please? I want to carve her up myself."

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Aurelio Murtix"]

"Not in that state you will not", she relied quickly to his wanting. She took his outstretched hand, not want he has asked for, but she aided him through the door. Naturally, Aurelio wanted his revenge on the hideous woman and he will have it. But not before she would administer some aid to his wounds again. Aerin can not heal, she has not the training for that yet, but she can give assistance with energy and basic healing. The bones will have to be taken care of by medics.

"Come", she ordered, and would brook no argument. "Stand still". She stood in front of him and without asking lifted his shirt from his trousers, the wounded bruised area black blue now and she quickly laid her hands on the immediate spot. Gently as possible but even that would make him winch. The force issued through her hand and palm, a strong heat he would feel on his skin as she focused on mending the broken vessels stopping the internal bleeding. The pain would subside a little .. as least enough for him to move with a bit more ease. But his body would replenish with a stronger energy boost. This drained her of course, she could feel her force energy wane, but she still had more then enough physical strength to do the job still needed.

"There .. that should help more", she said and she now handed him is weapons. "So, let's go pick a fight".

 

[Aurelio Murtix]

Before he could even object Aurelio was being led through the hole and his wound attended to, with Aerin using the force to once again heal and rejuvenate the weakening baron's body. He immediately felt a bit better, taking a deep breath before taking his weapons back and mentally preparing himself for battle. This would settle things once and for all, but he wanted to do something before the possible end to his life came.

"Don't get me wrong, I will enjoy gutting them. There's just something I wanted to do first...you know, just in case something goes bad for one or both of us."

Aurelio took hold of his savior's hand, looked into her eyes, and moved his face closer to hers to do what he wanted to do for a bit of time now. His lips were a mere short distance away before a loud roar took him by surprise, causing him to pull back and draw his light-foil. It was the Chistori, holding one of the pieces of his deceased comrade, and it was not long before the captain herself came sauntering up from behind her subordinate.

"So...it seems you weren't being totally honest with me pretty boy. And as for you girl, I'm afraid that I'm the only one allowed to kill my men without punishment." The Chiss woman rubbed her scar with the usual demented smile, "You can tear him apart if you like my friend, but now I want the girl all to myself."

With that the Chistori roared once more, charging towards the pair as his captain began to open fire on Aerin with her pistol. Aurelio moved to the side to avoid the tackle, but was surprised and pulled back by the enemy's outstretched arm, which tossed him across the room. The Chistori pulled out a blade of his own, a deadly looking blade with a serrated edge and point still encrusted with the blood of a recent foe, before starting their duel off with a mighty swing towards the baron's head. It was luckily avoided, and Aurelio countered by making a strike at the blade in the hopes of cutting it in two. His opponent saw this coming and swiftly moved his sword aside, spinning and landing a quick strike on the nobleman's sword arm.

"That is the one hit you get on me." Aurelio said with a grin as he sized his enemy up for weaknesses, "And the perfect way to make me want to put my weapon through your chest!"

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Aurelio Murtix"]

besides getting off Hoth, what more did Aurelio wish to do? she wondered. Looking into his deep emerald eyes she noticed a different intent and as he took her hand, she realised. The smallest intake of breath he would hear as he neared, and the return of that feeling in her stomach, her breath laboured not from exertion but anticipation. She did not back away but stood her ground, her eyes falling on those full lips she had pondered earlier, she was about to submit to a kiss, when rudely interrupted.

As Aurelio's head whipped toward the horrible voice Aerin, remained almost as if in a trance, until she too returned to the present. She set her jaw to determination, as the woman spoke directly to her. You will pay for that, she thought. Only now did Aerin react by taking in a deep breath and turned her head. No retort came as Aurelio and she separated to fight.

'you are not to intelligent are you? did not check for prints in the snow". She began .. "And now you will pay for your mistake".

The woman looked without injury at her words, but snarled. Her blaster began to fire toward her. Aerin smiled, only two days before, Master [member="Crystal"] had put her through exhaustive saber training, using remotes to learn to deflect blaster fire. In that lesson she learned to deflect and redirection the bolt back to their origin. The woman was about to learn a lesson of her own, the red saber blocking the bolts, deflecting them away from herself and Aurelio. Aerin sensed the woman's growing anger and she screamed with a bestial rage. Rapid fire, as a second blaster raised and began throwing volley after volley. Aerin's blade began to blur with motion she did not take her eyes off the woman.

Her connection through the force, established striking blade now sent the bolt back to her, which hit her thigh, arm and shoulder. The hideous woman stopped in shock realising she was bested and if she did not run would be killed. Aerin sensed she was about to take flight, a force push hit the woman in the chest and sent her flying to the back wall. Her body smashed into the metal barrier which showed no mercy. Her ribs broke, Aerin moved forward and raised the woman by the neck off the ground with little effort.

"The broken ribs is for Aurelio", she plunged the saber through her body and let the blade burn, "And that is for the people on the shuttle". Aerin's voice low. The woman's eye widened, and then her body went limp.

 

[Aurelio Murtix]

Aurelio was still clashing with the skilled Chistori warrior, having finally cut the metal blade in two and trying to make the killing blow, as Aerin got the better of the pirate captain, ending her life in the most pathetic way possible for the sadist; helpless, and unable to do anything to stop her fated death. He could feel the ruthless anger coming off of her, but when the roar of his opponent came it was one that proved his devotion to the bested pirate queen. The Chistori had cared for her, and it charged towards her killer to exact his revenge while Aurelio pulled out his blaster, aimed carefully, and sent a shot at the back of his enemy's head.

It was a direct hit, and the monstrous pirate's eyes went blank before he finally collapsed, and with his death all of their enemies were gone and the people who died avenged. All there was now was silence, and the baron both loved and hated it. He stepped over the Chistori corpse towards Aerin and looked down at the Chiss' remains before kicking at it furiously. Once satisfied he composed himself and took a deep breath before looking around. There was now a way for them to escape this rotting base of death and this world of ice, and Aurelio was going to do it as soon as possible.

"While I was imprisoned I heard one of them talking about going to another system to get supplies, so they must have a ship capable of hyperspace nearby. I think it's over this way."

And with that he began walking towards the back of the facility, looking back occasionally to make sure Aerin was following, and eventually he came upon a small shuttle that was most likely the ship in question. It looked a bit junky, but it would most likely work as long as Aurelio could figure out the basic controls and remember some of his flying lessons. With their salvation at hand and their way out before them, the young man turned and looked at his newest ally with a smile.

"We...finally did it...it's all over. We can finally get off this horrible planet and never see it again Aerin!" He was getting his second wind at their victory, and he began laughing heartily as he grabbed her shoulders out of excitement, "We actually did it! A perfect team of noble blood won this day, proving our superiority!"

His beautiful huntress was them main reason they had indeed won, but he was going to at least give himself credit for the last kill.

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Aurelio Murtix"]

She too laughed, joined him in the release of tension. Her body relaxed only a little as he had mentioned yet another ship. There only way off this place. Although she would miss the cold weather, as her journey would take her back to Exocron and healing and that hot environment. She sighed at the thought of it, even though there her training in the force will continue and make her more then she currently is. Today had proven her worth as a user of the force in that she took pride, it was all for Midvinter as one day she knew it would be needed to defend her beloved home.

A slight tinge of sadness crossed her face, for more reasons then one and one stood in front of her now. They would have to say goodbye soon .. even though at times he had infuriated her, displayed a difference in views .. she likes his company and wanted to spend more time with him, if that going to be possible. She only smiled a little at his comment about nobility and superiority again not agreeing with, but that would be an argument for another day, she hoped.

Victory was theirs they had saved themselves from death and retribution delivered. "Yes we are good together", she could only say, as she stood there with his hands on her shoulders. Only the smallest briefest movement of her own hands toward him a sign of what she wished to do, but she stayed them.

"Lets go, not a moment longer shall we wait .. until we are in the skies will I be happy we have won". She broke from him and began to walk in the direction he indicated to the ship.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

Double post again. :S

 

[Aurelio Murtix]

For whatever reason, Aerin did not seem as happy by the end as the baron had anticipated. At first she seemed more than glad at their victory and escape, but something must have crossed her mind and ruined her good spirit, for she lost her cheer and moved away to get on the ship. Aurelio watched her walk off with a bit of concern and regret, but followed after and entered the ship's pilot seat. After a few minutes of silence, besides the clicking of switches and getting familiar with the basic controls, the small shuttle was finally up and ready to go into space. The planet surface and all the death it now carried got farther and farther away in his thoughts as well as physically, and soon enough the depths of space were theirs to explore.

"It's finally come to an end Aerin, and to be honest I don't know if there are many other people out there I would have rather been trapped there with. It was...an honor to meet you." He summoned a smile, hoping to bring her spirits up as the system began to warm up for their hyperspace trip to the nearest civilized world, "And I will pay you back for all those times you saved me. I promise."

With the systems ready, Aurelio put the ship into hyperspace and set them on a course to eventual recovery. There was one last thought he had as they left the system though, besides thoughts of Aerin of course...

Why hasn't someone blown up Hoth already?

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]