Aid and Beskar (PM for invite)

[James Justice]

James' empathy came in handy-again. In some ways it would be a thorn in his side, never shutting off when he wanted it to or needed it to, in other ways it was the best thing that could happen to him, able to scope out a bluff or being's emotions in a matter of seconds. It was true he could feel the pain of a suffering village or the highs of the euphoria of a wedding. And now, with the few people in the room, he could feel the ones who were suspicious and the ones who were terrified.

"I think we could pawn em at Corellia for an easy 270," James said, carefully encoding the degree locations of those he was suspicious about in his offhanded remarks, "But then with fuel that'd take out an easy 105 per stack, plus dock hands, thar be another 30. It might be better to take it to Kuat where we could get em for a profit of 200, after dar expenses," he took another sip and winked, "if ye follow me. But I be interested to know, where do you think we could go with this, love? Or shun't we take it head on?"

Reed behind him gave a warbled, confused reply. His master had gone from gentleman to chummy bar-hopper in a matter of seconds. And the little yellow bot was confused and concerned for his master.

James felt the tension in the room rise, even though he hadn't heard anything. He could bet they had given a secret signal behind him and his bet was things were about to get dirty quick. When the two engineers walked out, James was afraid his gut was right. Why can't we have a nice drink ever now and then without someone shooting at us?

[member="Ruby Rose"]

 

[Ruby Rose]

Ruby lets out a quick chuckle as she straightens up in her seat, her face going from flirtatious date to serious and planning. Sensing the change in demeanor and the engineers presence leaving the bar she quickly spins around to look back at the four groups of two walking at us from all angles.

"Oh James, I don't believe you have to keep up the act anymore, they aren't going to leave us alone now...they've heard us talking and they decided to reveal themselves, they even cleared out the bar. How thoughtful of them, they won't be leaving until they answer our questions now."

Her eyes turn from emerald green to an ice blue as the hinges in the door leaving the bar freeze, effectively wedging it closed, cutting off their escape as the bronze disk on back flips to my hand, revealing it to be a shield of sorts, not just some decorative garment as a saber springs into my hand from under my cloak, remaining deactivated.

"I'll give you all two options. You can do this the easy way and surrender, telling us what we need, or you can do this the hard way, and i promise not all of you will walk out of here. Do be smart and pick the former, I really don't want to have to clean my cloak after this."

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James grabbed the bartender by the hair and slammed the man's face down with a hard crash. The heavy being fell with a thud, unconscious. The splatter of blood from the man's broken nose on the bar was distinguishable from the other stains. Turning around, the captain felt anger, pure anger in his body, flowing like the blood in his veins.

His brown eyes cut through the air like daggers. The men halted, waiting to see who would make the first move. It was a stand off. James hated stand offs. His anger grew, billowing around him like a mist in the force. It wasn't tangible, but it could be felt in other's hearts. Sometimes it made others angry. Sometime it made them fearful, it was always a toss up. Either way, it was a force to be reckoned with.

"I be making you a better deal," the captain hissed darkly, "I hate it when ye pick on the innocent people. I really do. I make a living hacking through bullies like ye and in fact, to be honest to goodness, I would love nothing more than to blow ye bodies apart like we did to ye friends in space." He looked at the four goons, his eyes darting angrily, "I am fast enough to draw on each of ye, and the miss her could cleave ye in half without half a blink. So I'll make ye a better deal."
James' eyebrow twitched in anger. His glass behind him shattered untouched, the glowing red toxic waste called a Reactor Core spilled out on the counter. The gesture was enough to strike terror into the hearts of even veteran gunslingers. "The first one to talk lives."

James' glare and anger darted from face to face. He could feel each was a combination of angry and scared. Some more fearful than angry. He didn't blame them, it was the common stand off feeling before the blasters were drawn. The youngest one, to James' direct right finally opened his mouth, "Ok, but only if--"

The pilot whipped his DeathHammer out in a wild draw. The first shot he squeezed out tore a massive hole in the young man's flesh, eliciting a howl of agony. The other three drew and shot wildly where James was, the veteran bar-brawler twisted, dodging deftly as he fell from the stool. The three shots scored singes on his coat and tore into the bar. Rolling to a crouch, James fired a trio of shots that ripped massive holes in one of the unlucky shooter's chests and fried his face beyond recognition. The injured gunner had fallen back onto a booth, gripping his arm and bemoaning his fate. Only two more remain.

[member="Ruby Rose"]

 

[Ruby Rose]

Ruby let out a slight laugh as she starts slowly walking towards the last two, her emerald green eyes dancing in amusement as the last two turned, firing their blasters at her. She takes the shots on her shield, igniting her saber, the reddish pink glow reflecting off her eyes, staring directly into the eyes of one of the pirates as she approaches them and gives it a slight flourish.

"For you fools who have harmed innocents, we shall be your judges. You harm those who do no harm unto you, and so to keep the balance, I hope you are ready for the favor to be returned, I will do what i must to keep the balance. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish. You lot, have flourished off of the backs of others for far too long. It is time that ends."

The two fire desperately again, trying to stop her as she approaches. She shrugs off the attack, deflecting two of the bolts back at them, hitting the closer of the two in the shoulder and arm, forcing him to drop his weapon. The man drops to his knees, arms not working due to his injuries, "H..have mercy!" the pirate cries out, his comrade running for the door, unable to open the frozen portal and escape.

Ruby smirks down at the wounded man, "Would you look at that, your partner there is trying to abandon you. Goes to show how much you can trust one another, doesn't it?"

She looks to the man at the door and fires a stream of lightning at the man, not the emerald lightning of the light, nor the blue of the sith, but the black lightning of one who walks the path of balance. The man arches his back and falls to the floor twitching, some lightning left over electricity arcing across his body.

"Now, we have a couple questions, and you two WILL answer them for us." She demands in an authoritative tone, lifting the man off the ground and holding him in the air in front of us. "James, would you like to ask the questions?"

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James gave a shrug. He was honestly more interested in killing one of them than asking questions, but they needed answers. And if he had to, he would be dirty. He did admire Ruby's delicate little speech about taking own those who harm others and restoring order. Never did like dogma. Note to self: keep her around.

James gave a quick spat, "You Mandos?"

One of them shook their heads angrily, "No, we were rejected. They considered us dar'manda, they said we weren't good enough."

James nodded, "And 'tis is revenge?"

"Yes, in a way," said the other. "The Mandos leased this space out to some aruttisi to mine the beskar for them as part of an attempt at a peace settlement. Kark, real mandalorians don't make peace settlements!"

"What planet?"

"I dunno, some nothing-burger."

James fished a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, puffing up a cloud of smoke around himself. "Where you keeping the hostages?"

"Ho-hostages? What do you mean?" the first one asked trying to play dumb.

James scowled and walked to him, getting menacingly close, "I'll ask ye again; where are the hostages?"

"I-I--" James cut him off by snuffing his cigarette on the man's face. His flesh singed under the heat, "Aaaaagh, ah, ah, beskar refinery vault under the metalurgy center. Bottom most part of the city, connected to the loading dock, please just stoppp!"

James stepped back and resumed his smoke. He calmly raised his weapon and dispatched the silent prisoner. James was nothing if not a man of his word; he promised to let the one to speak first live, and live that prisoner would. Looking at [member="Ruby Rose"] James flicked some of the ashes off the end of his cig, "Any more questions, my lady?"

 

[Ruby Rose]

She stands back watching you interrogate the two, eyebrows raised in slight surprise as you take your cigarette to the one. Really didn't expect that kind of behavior out of the rugged pilot but out here you have to do what's necessary. She walks forward to the other one and looks him in the eyes, hers face a look of utter disdain and disregard for the pirate.

"No questions, just a statement. Pirate, you will stay here, the citizens will choose how to judge you when they get free. You will not speak of this, you will not remember us, you will never harm the innocent again. Understood?"

Ruby looks into the man's eyes, digging deep into his mind, pulling forth the worst images from the man's past. He tries to get up and run but she holds him still as he closes eyes and tries to block out the memories of all the terrible thing's he's done. She pulls out a pair of handcuffs and locks the man to the bar so he cannot leave and heads for the door.

"Okay James, we're done here, lets go get the innocents. We're done with him, the people of this planet will decide what they do with him."

 

[James Justice]

The angry freighter looked at the cuffed man. Justice could easily kill him and it would be avenging many crimes. Sighing, the pilot leaned in close to the man's face, "let's get something strait, lad. If I ever sees ye again, you will die. Clear?"

The man nodded terrified and James pistol-whipped him into unconsciousness. The frieghter turned to Ruby and smiled, "Sorry you had to see that miss. Another time I'll give ye a make up drink." He winked. "For now: they's probably stolen our ship or got em under heavy guard. We'd be best legging it to the rondevous point," he turned to Reed, "he know what to do mate."

The droid gave a cheerful reply and trundled out the back.

[member="Ruby Rose"]

 

[Ruby Rose]

The man nodded terrified and James pistol-whipped him into unconsciousness. The frieghter turned to Ruby and smiled, "Sorry you had to see that miss. Another time I'll give ye a make up drink." He winked. "For now: they's probably stolen our ship or got em under heavy guard. We'd be best legging it to the rondevous point," he turned to Reed, "he know what to do mate."

"Oh don't worry about that now, I've seen worse in my time, but I'll take you up on that when we're done here.

She turns back to you and puts her saber away, smiling lightly at the flirt, wondering how he can still be so lighthearted in a time like this. The man would probably be out of luck anyway, but at least this way it would be up to the ones he had wronged to decide his fate.

"I wouldn't be too worried about our ships, I left X4 with the on board the Crescent with the order to defend them both. That little droid can at the very least keep their ground forces off with the firepower it can bring to bear, but they still might have cordoned off the area."

If they damage my ship, their hostages and city won't be the only thing they lose today...

 

[James Justice]

James shoved the door open with a shoulder slam. Ice fragments sprayed across the floor and hall. He glanced at the street looking for hostiles. For a city the street was virtually empty. He looked back at ruby lighting a fresh cigarette. "How you wanna play this, love?"

[member="Ruby Rose"]

 

[Ruby Rose]

She follows you out the door noting the lack of anyone, tension in the air. The civilians must have warned their families and the pirates by now.

"Hmm, well he said the refinery vault is at the bottom of the city, right next to the dock right? Lets go break our ships out from the dock, you can pilot the Angel around and X4 can pilot the Crescent behind you, blocking off their escape route. I'll go down through the city and hit them from above, we'll trap them and meet up in the middle. The ships will distract them hopefully and they'll put most of the defenses at the docks and I can hit them from behind."

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James nodded, and began moving through the street carefully. He had a lot of practice at moving through urban hostile zones. This was nothing new to him.

He halted at a corner peering over to the landing pad. Four goons stood watch by the causeway. James grit his teeth. It was time for action. Hard, real action.

Stepping on the catwalk with a quick step, he didn't slow down. One of the pirates raised his hand to stop. James raised his DeathHammer and blasted a massive hole in the guard's chest.

[member="Ruby Rose"]

 

[Ruby Rose]

Rose moved along through the city, noticing the glances through the windows, the shutters quickly closing as the nervous occupants hide from what they think will soon start.

We get to the catwalk by the landing pad, looking at the guards and the spacer jumps out recklessly onto the catwalk. Damnit theres no cover on that causeway, that idiot is going to get himself killed! She runs out in front defensively, igniting her saber and throwing it at one of the guards. It impales his chest and he falls over the edge, pulling her saber back as the man falls and the other two open fire all around them. She deflects some of the blaster bolts, shielding us both.

"What are you thinking? Are you trying to get yourself killed!"

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James picked off one of the other two guards as he reached in his coat and whipped the hold out bolster that fried a hole in the fourth's face. "I be thinking I hates pirates and that no one takes the Angel from me."

Pure anger bristled off the freighter, electrifying the air around him as he stepped over the bodies. He was angry and his anger burned like the lit end of his cigarettes.

As he made his way to the Angel's loading ramp, a blaster bolt pinged off the hull, missing his head by inches. James whirled around, giving an angry barage of shots at the pirates on the end of the platform who had come to take their shops before launch.

[member="Ruby Rose"]

 

[Ruby Rose]

"That, I can understand, but nobody is taking our ships on my watch," She opens up comms to the ships "X4 if you would give us a hand please?"

I smile as I hear the engines of the Crescent kicking up, lifting slightly off the ground, its ion cannon and dual laser turrets coming to bear on the pirates that dared try to take our ships. She runs back down the boarding ramp, deflecting the barrage of shots coming towards the pair with her saber and shield as the other end of the platform vanishes in a blur of red laserbolts and a hail of blue bolts from the ion cannon, ripping through the pirates as they start to pick up and run.

"James get in the pilots seat and take off, I'll keep you covered!"

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

"Feth," the freighter spat a spray of saliva in his curse. He squeezed off a few more rounds into one of the pirates, "I can't give drinks to a dead women, ye dun't forget that."

Turning, he sprinted up the ship and tossed himself into the pilot's seat. Warming the guns up, he gave the engines a cold fire and was up off the platform in a moment. They would make him pay for that later, but a quick tune-up was worth their lives any day. Pulling the Angel up in a hard arc he was air-borne in seconds. Then the HUD began flashing. Three Pursuers were in-bound at 30-Mark-100. He had a feeling they were coming to destroy them like ducks in the water.

Diving down to intercept them in their route to the Crescent. Smoke puffed from the cigarette between his lips with every breath. A second later, he rounded the edge of the city, strait into a barrage of fire, "Kark!"

He twisted in a wild roll, dodging some as others scuffed the blue-hulled ship. "We got company, love, three bite. I'll do what I can but dun't count on much."

Two of the Pursuers fell in behind him and the third went to continue its mission. James slammed the emergency jettison. Several tons of mining equipment and explosives went flying out the back of the ship. One of the Pursuers was fast enough to dodge, the other erupted into a ball of fire on impact. "Feth, another ten thousand lost."

[member="Ruby Rose"]

 

[Ruby Rose]

"Don't worry, I don't plan on dying James, just make sure you're around to foot the bill. X4, make sure he stays alive."

X4 picks up and takes off with the Crescent on your tail, diving low as you drop the cloud of debris and bleeding off speed as the last Pursuer speeds after you. He picks up his speed, arcing back up tailing the Pursuer and opens fire on it, damaging its engine, the forward Lasers ripping into the hull, leaving it smoking and losing altitude.


Rose starts through the city, the tension thick as a knife as she makes her way through, street by street, disengaging her saber and attaching the staff on her back into a small groove at the base of the shield. The staff locks in place and she swings the now hammer looking construct her left shoulder as she descends through the inner levels of the city towards the vault.

"Stop, who goes there! Only authorized personnel past this point" Two guards stop me as I go through a warehouse on my way down, eight others on either side atop of catwalks, turning the area into a killzone, the way out a heavy blast door.

Hmm, they must've heard about up above and heightened their defenses.

"Oh, nothing, I'm just a simple engineer. I was told to go down and fix a broken beam that was out of place, needs straightened out and welded into place." She tries to look as unassuming as possible, motioning her weapon as if it was some sort of maintenance tool. her cloak covering her armor, concealing it.

"There isn't any maintenance that needs performed we would have been told about it. Who are you and what are you doing here, Jedi, you have ten seconds." The guards all tense up and shoulder their rifles, aiming them at me.

Well then, I guess we left a bit of an impression, must've been cameras.

 

[James Justice]

James arced around, almost scraping the Crescent's hull. The third Pursuer began to lock on it, only to find a wall of laser's that turned it into a falling, flaming metal carcass.

Spinning back around, James dove in a deep dip that circled around the bottom of the city, coming to a tail end of what looked like the loading center. A bulk freighter stood by idly, clamped to a ramp by massive metallic arms. It was unarmed and a cursory scan revealed no life aboard.

"I cant afford them getting away on this kit," James muttered in regret as he opened fire.

The Angel's cannons tore the metal arms loose and in seconds it was free-falling to the surface, to be crushed on impact. James sighed in regret.

A squad of pirates spilled out onto the loading platform, spewing small arms fire at the Angel. Shaking his head, James easily picked them off with rattling shots. After he landed, James stepped over the maimed, charred carcasses, unaffected. He pressed his ear-piece, "Reed, you hear me? Good boy, got what I need? Good." James looked at the massive durasteel blast door and waved his hand casually. The lock clicked and the door slid open with a loud woosh.

[member="Ruby Rose"]

 

[Ruby Rose]

Rose chuckles slightly at their threat. Ten seconds? They're lucky if they have ten seconds... She presses a button on the haft and a blade edge ignites around half of the shield, revealing it to be a Lightaxe (see profile pic) as she starts walking towards the guards in front of the door.

"How about this, you open the door... and I'll think about being lenient for all you've done to the people of this city.

The guards all open fire as she starts walking forward but she is no longer there, dashing forward in a blur of motion as she uses the force to bring her oversized weapon around, the momentum of it turning her into a maelstrom of light with her at the middle, the axe quickly cutting through the two in front of the door and deflecting rounds back at the ones on the catwalks. The door at the entrance closes as she comes to the rear, continuing her reckless dash forward as the heavy weapons multiple blades cut into the door three times leaving a horizontal gash in it wide enough and she jumps through into the main room where the prisoners are held.

"Don't worry everyone, everything is going to be okay, your ride to safety should be here shortly. He'll be coming to the loading docks, i'll deal with the guards behind and you should be in the clear. If you have any information for the pilot, do let him know and we'll help remove the rest of these parasites from your city."

 

[James Justice]

James chuckled, "Thanks for opening the door for me, Reed. I always wanted to know what that felt like, mate."

The droid gave a sarcastic warble.

James shook his head and made his way through the loading dock. It was quiet, abandoned. Resonance of remaining pain, anger, and hate was left in the room. From the dead pirates, he figured. Suddenly he felt a wave of emotions coming towards him, from the hall. James drew his his weapon and pressed against the wall, waiting. It surprised him because what he felt was--relief. Happiness. Joy. Gratitude?

A host of civilians came down the hall and James sighed, shaking his head. "Oi, ye needs to be more careful."

"Are you the one the woman told us about?" asked a boy.

James leaned down and grinned, ruffling his hair, "That I am, mate. I gonna take y'all safety." he winked, "she's cute isn't she?"

He nodded shily. The man, presumably his father stepped up behind him. "They have the security tower. You have to--"

James smiled and raised his hand, "Way ahead of ye, mate." He stepped aside and pressed his comm on, "Hey, love, next time gimme a warning if ye don't mind, alright? We almost lost the civies cause of miss-comm."

The man stood in front of James, frantic, "You don't understand, they have the anti-aircraft guns up and running!"

James gave the man a very sour look, "Well lots of good that did ye, now didn't it?" He brushed the man aside, "I told ye, I am ahead of ye, tell the others to get on my ship." He took a few more steps, "Anyway, love, thanks, I'll be up after ye in a few shakes," he chuckled as he walked up the hall, checking for stragglers, "then, who knows, maybe give you drinks and, if you promise to be a good girl," he dropped to a sweet, knowing tone, "I'll give you a treat." He switched the comm over to Reed's channel, "Blow the security tower, its full of hostiles, Reed. I repeat, blow it."

The tall metal tower in the center of the floating city exploded in a series of beautiful, orange fire blossoms. James switched channels back to Ruby, "Look, love, I brought you a bouquet. A bouquet of fire-flowers. Aren't they lovely?"

[member="Ruby Rose"]

 

[Ruby Rose]

Ruby lets a small smile as the civilians flood towards [member="James Justice"] and his ship, glad that they'll be out of this hell soon enough. Now there was just one group left to deal with.

<Hey, I figured you would check your targets before firing James, well done. Get those civilians out of here, I have one last group to dispatch.>

With that, she jumps through the gouge in the door back into the room with eight pirates still left, staring them down as a loud explosion rocks the city.

Your hostages are gone, the city is freed, and your HQ up above has just been demolished. If you do the smart thing and surrender you'll only be imprisoned, resist..." Her Axe and Lightwhip ignite, black lightning crackling along the length of the whip adding a reddish pink glow to her face in the dim room "and you fall here by my hands, understood?"

Some of the guards seemed to get nervous but some of the veterans held their ground, shouldering their rifles and aimed in at her. Rose lets out a sigh, disappointed but not surprised, they would at least go down the way they lived. She deflected some of their rounds back at them as she swung the lightwhip high, severing the supports and causing the catwalks to fall to the floor below as she ran advanced forward, into the midst of them, lashing out at each of them in turn, easy pickings now that they were dislodged from their advantaged position.

<Alright James, we're all clear, sorry I missed the bouquet, I was a tad busy."