First Reply Assault at Kampe

[Darth Defias]

"Let's go."

He shot a glance at her her hand softly placed over his own. The tension of his grip slowly began to relent to the gentle touch as the same memories from before -- of Mira, of a life and a future divergent to the current -- seeped through the cracks of a yet unbent fully to the dark side acolyte's will and exhausted mind.

Consumed by a past long gone, a weakness throbbing at the back of his skull, Defias ignorantly marched onwards into the agent's trap. He barely felt the lever beneath his grip slowly slip away forward, gaining momentum against his decaying resistance.

His danger sense suddenly flared to life and the freighter rocked and rattled as the first shots of their pursuers made purchase.

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Assault at Kampe
Escaping with Darth Defias ​

For a time, it seemed to be going well. Aside from the loud hum of the ship's engines working overtime, there was silence as the two Imperials quietly seemed reach some sort of understanding.

Then, the attackers interrupted. With a yelp, Ines pulled them into a violent spin. Her eyes lingered on his for a moment longer before turning forth. The hand which had been resting by his was quickly pulled back to the ship controls for more precise steering as she evened them out.

It quickly became c thlearat the agent was an adept pilot - but it became even more obvious that she was no fighter pilot. With a pull of the control, she brought the freighter into a vertical turn as another volley was fired in their direction. From the way the bolts swooshed by under the viewport, it was obvious that the manoeuvrability of the fighter was greater than theirs. With a grimace, she brought the control stick to the side to save them from being shot for a few more moments.

"Is the ship still good to go?" she asked, her voice high pitched and carrying clear signs of fear.

 

[Darth Defias]

And the brief moment of weakness was gone, drowned under a wave of red washing over the viewport and rocking the ship. The agent yanked them into evasive twists and turns that the freighter barely withstood without tearing itself apart.

The blasts and dodging maneuvers rattled Defias in his seat. Gritting his teeth, he yelled through the tumult of cannon fire and the screeching of the hull, "The data… or we're space dust!!"

His hand remained over the lever but itched to push them into the safety of hyperspace. This was his final bluff, braving the precipice of death. One way or the other, he did not plan on dying over Kampe. Shoving the lever was inevitable.

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Assault at Kampe
Escaping with Darth Defias ​

The fear that had been so plain to see soon dissipated. Instead, Ines eyes narrowed and her lips formed a thin, determined line. Meanwhile, her concentration on evading the massive laser bolts that were fired their way remained. Taking a bit of a risk, she brought them into a high loop with a sudden jerk of the controls, bringing them right above the current line of fire to then level out on the opposite side of where they had previously been heading. Had the opposing pilot been a bit faster, he could easily have landed a few shots - fortunately, the two ships ended up going in opposite directions.

She muttered an incredulous "Rancor's arse, you're a lunatic" before falling silent once more as a precise burst was fired in their direction by the second pursuer. With another violent jerk of the control stick, she brought them into another sharp turn, this time pointing the ship in a good position to make the jump.

Seemingly admitting defeat on being able to outmanoeuvre their opponents, the girl freed one hand from the controller and reached into a side compartment to produce a datapad. It was an air-gapped spare which she always kept either on her person or on the ship. Naturally, it was empty - in fact, it had never even been connected to the ship. Still, she quickly tossed it onto his lap "I'll give you the codes when we're safe, just make the jump, please!" she begged.

If the jump was made, Ines would take in the sudden calmness of the whites and blues steaming by the viewport. After taking a deep breath, she'd turn to him with shivering eyes and an unsteady, and almost exasperated voice, "Why didn't you just threaten me personally after the jump? You didn't need them, you could've just pointed your sword at me, I mean, look at you!" she gave a quick glance over his, comparatively, massive form.

 

[Darth Defias]

With every ticking second, every miraculous maneuver of the freighter to escape the inevitable jaws of its fighter pursuers, his hand trembled more and more over the lever. Fear began to blur the razor-sharp focus of the adrenaline rush, corroding his steel-willed gambit like rust.

"I'll give you the codes when we're safe, just make the jump, please!" she begged.

The plea and the datapad falling onto his lap burst into his mind like a long-yearned command. Defias thrust the lever forward and the rumbling skies before them were stretched into the soft hum of hyperspace lines washing over their viewport in an endless loop. He sank into the back of his chair with a sigh of relief escaping his lips. The unbridled dread and terror subsided to a tamer lever. He shut his eyes briefly and drank in the emotions. Now, he could feel them fueling his connection to the dark side, stoking the fire within, rather seizing his mind in a frozen grip. There was a long way of learning before he could tap into these emotions' rawest and most potent form as a source of power. A long way before he could fully unearth the secrets of the Dark Side.

"Why didn't you just threaten me personally after the jump? You didn't need them, you could've just pointed your sword at me, I mean, look at you!" .

Defias opened his eyes, squinting at both the question and the stretched stars of hyperspace raining over the viewport. The answer to her question escaped his mind; perhaps it was a glaring moment of weakness, stemming from a past yet not fully buried, or her strong instinct and desire for survival could be used better alive and dead as useful ally and instrument in the future, or simply he had failed to think it through. Or perhaps it was something else entirely.

The acolyte was not sure either, but he wagered on one of the reasons in response as he turned to face her: "Had it been just me, your sole focus would have been undivided. You're an agent -- playing people is your strong suite." he gestured at the control stick, then slightly smirked. "Dogfighting with a freighter? Not so much." he was trying to rationalize his decision to her as much as to himself, but the uncertainty remained.

Defias placed the datapad from his lap unto the surface of the small compartment between them. "Would you die for these codes?" he asked, his eyes measuring her and her response. "Would you die for... an Empire?"

If her answer was yes, then he would ask a plain "Why?".

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Assault at Kampe
Escaping with Darth Defias ​

A straight and to-the-point answer. Ines' eyes scanned him meticulously as she processed the words before crossing her arms throwing herself back onto the backrest with a frustrated twist. Once more she let her eyes rest on the lines of blue and white outside as she lightly shook her head. For a moment, it looked like she was about to say something - but then, she swallowed her words. Letting the silence fester, she finally gave him a long and serious look.

Her gaze fell down upon the datapad when he placed it between them. A curious look was sent his way as she once more turned to look to him more comfortably. The Agent was usually pretty good at keeping her guard against mind probes and similar techniques up. A storm of miniscule observations and idle little thoughts usually swirled about to prevent any force user to fully read her. For a moment, the storm died down as she offered a "Yes." The determined voice did not match what she felt.

Pausing briefly, Ines took the contacts off "Everyone who decides to serve accepts that they might die for an Empire. I'd rather die for our Empire than any plutocracy. Rights, freedoms and open markets helps the rich and powerful. Not us. With the Empire? They appreciate loyalty and dedication. Anyone who offers it wholeheartedly will not be found living in utter poverty." Slowly but surely, she was upping her defences once more - still, it was a process. While the words rung true, they were not really motivating making the ultimate sacrifice.

"I suppose things are different for people like you?"

 

[Darth Defias]

Poverty?

Defias had read on Force techniques capable of probing the mind for the truth. Inquisitive abilities that drilled into a sentient's mind and yanked out in the open all of their deepest thoughts and desires. But these powers were beyond the reach of an acolyte's capability with the Force.

His own perception sifting through her tone and face bore no results. It was expected that a clandestine agent could be hard to read. Their duty called for deception and cunning: traits the ancient texts in the forgotten library of the Carlac Academy strongly commended.

But beyond the mask, the mention of utter poverty rang true. Whether it was a slip, an honest answer or his own intimate familiarity with the despondency of his upbringing on Raxus Prime, Defias could not tell.

He untied the belt holding the scabbard of his blade and set it leaning against the side of his seat, then sunk into the comfort of his seat unencumbered no more.

"The way of the true Sith transcends the material; credits, governments, status are all merely means to an end. " he paraphrased an old Sith writing he'd read in the library. "Tools to guarantee our survival and our ascent to power, and through it — our freedom."

Defias realized he was ruminating aloud to her as much as he was to himself, almost forgetting the purpose for which he'd risked his neck. Defias jerked his chin at the datapad between them, “What’s the code?”

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Assault at Kampe
Talking to Darth Defias ​

There sure was an allure to it - the idea of liberation from all necessities and burdens carried by those who weren't so lucky. What first started as a subtle twitch of the lips gradually turned into a full on smirk as he explained his position. Anyone probing her mind would sense a sliver of envy as she put the last few pieces of her defence back up.

Ines mirrored him and made herself more comfortable in her seat. She pulled her legs up onto the cushion and brushed her side up against the backrest before echoing "Power and freedom" The words were allowed to linger on the tongue for a bit as nodded softly. "That has to be a springboard to something. Pleasure, comfort, stability. Maybe even peace and a calm life." Although she did not pose a question, she did lean her head to the side with a curious glint in her eye.

When they eventually moved on to the codes, she shuffled in her seat before offering a light chuckle "It's probably easier if I write it down for you." Promptly, the Agent produced a pen and got to work as she wrote down a lengthy code consisting of a range of scrambled letters, numbers and other signs. Upon completion, she brushed back a rogue strand of hair in behind her ear and handed the note over.

Reaching her pre-plotted destination would likely mean that she was safe. The journey there, however, was long - and the jump could be cut short way before they arrived. With one fluent motion, Ines took the technician's cap off and slid out of the pilot's seat and turned to move into the freighter's common area "While you're working on that, I'll fetch us something to drink. I hope rosé is fine by you - on this ship, it's either that or tea."

 

[Darth Defias]

Peace is a lie. The first passage of the Sith Code nearly rolled off his tongue, but Defias held it back. Instead, he only replied with an enigmatic smirk tugging at his lips. There was something oddly satisfying in retaining the mysteries of the Sith to himself.

Leaving the agent's curiosity unsated, they returned to the matter of the datapad code and the data scrounged from Kampe's listening outpost. After writing down the lengthy password on a note, she handed it over to him and stood up from her seat, turning heel away from the cockpit.

The offer caught him by surprise. Not more than a few minutes ago they had been staring into the abyss of death, evading X-wings with a stock freighter whilst gambling with their lives for the data's possession. And now, they were lounging aboard a ship with a limited choice of beverages. He could not deny a Corellian scotch would've been welcome, but given the poor choice of drinks and his attention enveloped by the typing of the password on the datapad, he simply mumbled with a wave of his hand, "Yeah, it's fine."

Encapsulated by the datapad and the contents locked behind it, the thought that he was being played by the agent escaped his mind. Defias had nearly forgotten she required the threat of their mutual demise to hand over the data, and now he had foolishly left her to scurry away from his sight. The revelation came crashing down onto him when the datapad was unlocked only to reveal it void of data.

If she returned with the drinks, she would find his imposing frame casting a shadow over the cockpit with hands curled into white-knuckled fists, and be welcomed by a low growl of, "It's empty." he would bring the datapad up with his hand, showing it to the agent.

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Assault at Kampe
Talking to Darth Defias ​

Ines left the cockpit with leisurely and quiet steps. Upon turning the corner, she increased the length of her strides but made sure to continue to avoid making any noise as her feet hit the panels below. First, a glance was thrown towards the exit where the grenade launcher was located. Of course, anything too volatile would be just as devastating as lingering with the X-wings but gas was still an option. Then, a glance towards the food station where the wine and her chemical supplies could be found.

Finally, she acted. The Agent made a decently silent jog to grab a grenade filled with sleeping gas from the armoury. After it was hidden in a large pant pocket, she returned to the food station. Once there, she worked to offer the Sith a bit of noise and opened the fridge to grab the bottle. As she continued to the glass section, she simultaneously opened the chemical supplies and placed a small sealed bag deep into her mouth - it too, contained enough substance to put most humanoids into a deep sleep.

A tense breath of air left her as she completed it all by opening the bottle and pouring them a glass each. When the girl returned to the cockpit, she held the two glasses between her fingers with the right hand whilst the left carried the bottle.

The welcome back was far from warm. The smile that had lingered on Ines' lips remained, but it faded completely from her eyes. Instead, they displayed an immediate and overwhelming sense of fear - but only for a brief moment as she pushed herself to display composure. "That empty datapad probably saved my life. And yours." she spoke matter-of-factly, hiding the quiver in her voice well.

With a slow and careful motion, the Agent twisted lightly to place the bottle down onto the chair by the back of the cockpit. "Look, we did a good job today. We should just take the win and turn the data in. All other paths are too risky." she took a small step closer to the large form at the other end of the cockpit - if he decided to lash out, he could probably reach her with an extended arm by now "Before your ascension to power, there is survival, this is the best way to get both"

Her eyes searched his for sympathy as she moved even closer, stopping right before she'd had to tilt her head all too uncomfortably when looking up at him. Raising her free hand to pick up one of the drinks, she proceeded to offer it to him with a nod.

 

[Darth Defias]

He allowed her to get up close as he listened to her explanation. But the disappointment and anger cracking his face only dug deeper into his features. With a backhanded slap of his hand, he shoved her hand and the drink away. The glass shattered into a hundred pieces, its contents spilling on the cold floor of the cockpit.

Defias remained silent for a long moment, contemplating on whether to strangle her or give her one last chance; the latter option driven by a memory of a betrayal he foolishly yearned to rationalize or correct. The moment seemed to last an eternity for him but it was no more than several heartbeats before he spoke: "You still don't understand," he shook his head, his voice louder than before. "Sell or trade this data for the right price and you'll break your own chains, agent. Or are you content with serving anyone but yourself for a miserable wage?" Defias taunted her, revealing the purpose of seizing the data.

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Assault at Kampe
Surviving Darth Defias ? ​

An involuntary high pitched yelp escaped her as the back of his hand smashed the glass she extended to him. Meanwhile, she flinched back, as if he might as well have been aiming for her and dropped the other glass she held. Another orchestra of clirs ensued as it too broke, spilling its contents over the floor.

As he begun speaking, her eyes were drawn to a small trail of blood running down from her index finger. Ines shot the man a resentful look as her unbloodied hand dug deep into a pant pocket: A pocket which did not contain medical supplies, but rather the gas grenade. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she looked thoroughly unconvinced by the idea of selling the data. No more words were offered, instead, she executed her plan and activated the grenade, causing a trail of white knockout gas to follow as she brought it out in the hopes of letting it fill the cockpit.

Agent Pen-Ar-Lan did not stop there. Her bloodied hand reached for her blaster. Although she was trained in combat and far from lousy with a blaster, she was not at all a gunslinging rouge that could often be found in the outer rim. Her speed was adequate and her accuracy didn't matter much considering how close they stood. Flicking a switch with her thumb, she set it to stun mode and fired off a single shot aimed at his centre mass.

If all went to plan, they'd soon both find themselves knocked out, well on their way to the destination they were barreling through hyperspace to reach.

 

[Darth Defias]

A hundred daggers pieced the back of his skull a mere moment before a trail of white gas hissed inside the cockpit. His hand snapped up instinctively and the Force obeyed his command: the agent's stun bolt collided with an invisible shockwave, ricocheting back toward its source. The ethereal tide smashed into the agent, flinging her against the cockpit wall as the grenade tumbled on the floor.

Crimson vengeance spilled over his vision, tunneling into the limp body of the agent. He urged his body forward, but his legs felt like blocks of concrete, anchored to the ground. A violent coughing fit seized his lungs with an iron grip and squeezed until Defias collapsed to one knee. Yet seething rage, an unyielding tempest of vengeance, anchored his consciousness, refusing to let it slip away, and forced him onward.

He crawled as the world around him fell victim to a heavy haze of delirium. Shadows of his past beset him, ridiculing, mocking. He crawled as the skin beneath his digits began to peel off. The pain turned numb as the white gas flowed deeper into his body. He crawled until the unmoving shape of the agent was all he could see. With all the remaining strength he could muster, Defias reached for the hidden boot vibroknfie strapped beneath his leggings. He lifted it up with the strain of heaving a planet off orbit and wriggled back around, raising the blade up for a vengeful stab.

A clatter of steel against steel was all Defias heard before his world turned black.

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan