Beware the Crystals of Blood

[Sawa Ike]

The sounds in her ears as she listened brought a grin. As the one leading her moved she looked at the lockdown and ran a hand along the side of his face. "Shhh shhh shhh it is alright you have done well and now you're going to do something else for me. Find the nearest generator or power and use yourself to shorten it out." The looked on her face while her silvery eyes starred into his had him moving to follow orders while she stood there for a moment. This was a mine and she knew how to shift the earth while she crouched low to the ground. The sensations of the different vibrations coming to her as the area around her hand shifted.

The rock riding up to enclose over it before it was raising up and up around her. The earth shifting to create a hole around her as she sank down lower and lower sending herself into the elevator shaft with a tilt of her head and the slithering of the hydrastaff as it uncoiled from around her shoulder in the bodysuit. The five heads hissing more and more while her hand came up from the ground listening. "Yes my pet, I can hear it too. So many delicious things and their heartbeats go." She made little clap sounds while looking downward into the shaft and getting a small smile on her face before she jumped grabbing the wall with earth shaping and sliding down.

 

[Kha'ro Ottosuki]

Kha'ro stopped in his tracks, he felt the dark side energy very near now, he could not let fear sway him though, fear led to anger, anger led to hate and hate led to the dark side. "I never caught your names, but listen, we cannot outrun this sith, I can sense that they are close, I must protect my friends, even if you don't see me as friends I see you as friends. So, if i die, bye," Kha'ro says, he had made up his mind, there was no turning back, "Continue on."

Kha'ro sat down and began using battle meditation.

 

[Ultimatum]

"Let's stay focused on the job. You said you were working on drills, were they down in the mines or ones brought up for repairs?" He asked [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"]. In the case of the former she would have been near the crystal mining area and would probably be able to lead, in the case of the latter he would have to cross reference scheduled repairs with mine locations in order to figure out where the drills had come from which would lead to the crystals. For escape, he assumed that all organics followed the logical procedure of creating an extra exit shaft in case of a cave in. It was a natural assumption, however he was having to go through maps to find the specific location of said exit. It would have to be easily marked as an emergency escape, for the sake of anyone down there at the time.

He hoped to come back for the droid, he could probably get it running again, giving it some commands might help, but now was not the time for experimentation. His HoloNet program reported that the notification had been sent prematurely and that the authorities were arriving with overwhelming numbers. That definitely made it more likely to be captured, both his group and any other trespassers. Still any one of those people could probably find a way into the mine. Ultimatum had not animosity towards them, he was simply securing his own attempt. He could hide the crystals if they reached them, after all before being mind the crystals weren't numbered or kept track of.

[member="Kha'ro"] [member="Grace Darkson"] [member="Sawa Ike"]

 

[Kha'ro Ottosuki]

[member="Ultimatum"] [member="Sawa Ike"] [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"] [member="Grace Darkson"]

"Hurry, okay? And please tell me when you are done, I will try to slow the enemy," Kha'ro stated quickly.

 

[Grace Darkson]

Grace's eyes did a quick scan of the room as she entered, nothing shabby, but nothing that she hadn't seen before. Decently-trained security, well-kept area. And then power went out. As soon as the red glow of the backup lights turned on, the Sith accepted the weapons back from her guide, before turning towards the presence. [member="Sawa Ike"] wasn't even trying. Hubris. Still, Grace saw no reason to fight. "Well, I guess the investment's out of the picture now." she muttered as she re-did her hair. no sense to have it in her face the whole time. "Time to do this the hard way."

Sprinting towards the consoles, she called the hidden lightsaber to her hand. The small, one-handed handle slid easily into her palm as the guards turned her way. Laying a pair of credit chips down, she grabbed the small case of what she assumed were the sought-after stones. "Are these what I think they are?" she asked the officials, who nodded. "Good. A word of advice: Run while you still can."

And with that, she headed for the exit tunnel. No one seemed to follow. But as soon as her foot hit the side, the cavern shook, and she found herself dumped right in front of [member="Kha'ro"], the saber hilt rolling just out of reach. The case bounced, still shut, and slid.

Well, kark.

@Ultimatum

 

[Kha'ro Ottosuki]

Kha'ro gets up and says, "I sensed another sith, a powerful one but you are around my strength." Kha'ro uses the force to grab the sith's saber hilt and takes out the crystal, he tosses it to the sith saying, "No good without the rest," and then he tosses the rest of the hilt behind him. He draws his two lightsabers and demands, "Just so you know it would be wise to answer my question! Are you alone?"

[member="Grace Darkson"] [member="Sawa Ike"] [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"]

 

[Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha]

"Well it's the latter I'm afraid." She responded to [member="Ultimatum"] and then looked at [member="Kha'ro"]. "You know you won't do anybody any good if you stay here to be killed..." She then said with a near annoyed tone. 'Great someone with a hero complex.' She thought as she then moved to be behind [member="Ultimatum"], the dark was coming closer and though she was unnerved and didn't want it to come nearer. She wasn't afraid of it though her hands clutched the hilts of her swords, ready to be draw at a moments notice. When [member="Grace Darkson"] fell in front of them she drew her swords and took a Stava stance against the new arrival. she felt dark for sure but she wasn't that gnawing kind of dark like what ever it was that was approaching them.

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Kha'ro"] [member="Grace Darkson"] [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"] [member="Ultimatum"]

Her body came through the stone, dropping down to the floor and Sawa breathed in the scents near her while she was moving. Her head turning back to look at the one sith with a jedi confronting her while she brushed herself off. "Interesting." She didn't turn while the hydra on her arm hissed wrapping and unwrapping itself before she was straightening up fully and walking towards the wall. The absence of a saber and emotion of darkside presence making her harder to read. She stood there numb to looking upon them. "Well proceed, come now and entertain since you're all here." She was looking at the boy with silvery eyes in the dark while letting them drift past towards Zreame and the other thing. A smile coming while she remained there for a moment. "Well aren't you pretty and oh something other then them."

 

[Kha'ro Ottosuki]

"I need to know if there are more." Kha'ro stated, "And yeah, i put others before myself, look, if more are coming I'll leave, if not, I can handle my own."
[member="Grace Darkson"] [member="Sawa Ike"] [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"]

 

[Kha'ro Ottosuki]

Kha'ro looked at the newly appeared person and says to the sith, "Don't move!" Going over toward the stranger Kha'ro asks, "And who woukd you be? And what do you mean entertain? If you mean kill purely for your enjoyment then no, hey, just go talk to them," Kha'ro points at Zreame and Ultimatum. He then returns to the sith.

 

[Grace Darkson]

Grace's first reaction to [member="Kha'ro"]'s grabbing of the saber was a small gasp. Smart move. But it wouldn't save him. Calling the case to her hand, she made her move. "So violent. So rude." Was all she said as she rolled away, safely out of easy reach before launching into backwards jump. "Neat trick, though." With that, she closed her eyes. Telepathic blasts would reach him in les than a second. Nothing major, enough to stagger him if he didn't defend himself and enough to at least put him off balance if he did. If she found him unguarded, she would let him know that she was alone.

[member="Sawa Ike"] crashing the party, however, wasn't wanted. Another with she didn't know was just another possible enemy. Time to get out. But she needed a path. Past the Jedi wouldn't work, the droid was liable to stop her. Back was cut off by the new arrival. "But you seem to have bigger problems now."

At the other Sith's provocation, the girl fumed. She hated that. Rage built up in her, and she aimed it at [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"]. A mental spike, aimed at her conscious brain, intended to knock her out. She'd been told it felt like nails to the skull. If this Sith wanted her to fight, then she would. Light saber or no.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum watched as events unfolded. Not caring too much as his processors were working overtime to discover the location of the crystals, as well as the escape. The arrival of weapons activated emergency systems. His original response would have been to immediately become react hostility and to try and cause overloads in nearby electronic systems to create distractions. After his personal changes however, he simply took it as a danger and adjusted his processing power appropriately. Unfortunately, this could only go so far.

He decided to give the enemies what they might have wanted. He assumed they were after the crystals as well. However his systems were forced to respond to rapid changes. He wasn't Force aware, so he was mentally aware of the Force movements, based on movements however he was able to visually tell that the Force was being used. He needed a way to break down the enemy attacks. The HoloNet program was being used to call a stronger military force, not by Ultimatum but the authorities that had been beaten the floors above. That likely meant that they would be dealing with more interference on the way back up and it would be much more difficult to escape.

He raised his audio output so as to be heard in the near vicinity without any doubt. "Cease hostility! Fighting it out under 50 to a 100 meters of ground is not the answer!" He then moved power to preparing movement in case that didn't result in any change in the enemy hostilities. He hoped that they would at least be able to avoid fighting, if only to allow each person to go his or her own way.

[member="Kha'ro"] [member="Sawa Ike"] [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"] [member="Grace Darkson"]

 

[Sawa Ike]

Sawa looked at them now, seemingly acknowledging more then the one who wasn't human existed. Her eyes turned from looking at [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"] to [member="Kha'ro"] for the first time while she spoke. "I am Shōjō." She stopped and turned her attention from him now dismissing him while she saw the droid or whatever he was making sense for sensible ones... but her hands were on the wall of the mine as it started shifting under her touch. The rock becoming a small alcove with a smile on her face. "Never know, maybe that is their intention." She was looking at them now with her eyes watching over each of them as the hydraheads hissed having a small grin on her face.

"Were I to do something. I'd have remembered the One Sith forces overtook this world several days ago. Reinforcements aren't coming to save non sith." She looked at them while standing there giving a coy almost innocent look if it weren't for the smile on her face reaching those silver eyes and giving off an air she'd tear their arms off and then ask them to clap if they wanted aid. She looked at [member="Ultimatum"] holding the smile in the dark of the tunnels with emergency lighting flicking off her face. Her eyes tracking each of them while she let her staff slither off her arm and onto the wall to find the wires and chew on them.

She didn't look at [member="Grace Darkson"] who was making more of a scene as Sawa watched with her senses on the girl. Tracking the beating of her heart with the others. She kept the grin on her face watching the girl attack the other... well she could be useful in tenderizing her food at least. "Oh dear try not to kill her, play with her, have some fun but to kill is to waste the potential of something far greater." Her attention remained ignoring the little jedi who was still near her and she had her dauntless blades, no need for her to fight just yet as she spoke diverting some attention back to the boy. "Run as fast as you can child, you won't like me when I am hungry."

 

[Kha'ro Ottosuki]

[member="Grace Darkson"] [member="Sawa Ike"] [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"]

Kha'ro is very strong-willed, and was able to resist the siths attack and tried sending one of his own, it worked differently though, Kha'ro agreed with Ultimatum and wanted to stop fighting, if the blast worked it would calm the enemy, remove their urge to fight. When Kha'eo heard the words of Shojo he said to Ultimatum and Zreame, "We have to run, that Shojo lady is very powerful." If they ran, Kha'ro would follow.

 

[Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha]

When the mental spike hit, Zreame recoiled and dropped her swords as she grabbed her head, pushing her hood back and revealing her horns. "AHHH!" She screamed out and took a few steps back, uncoiling her tail from around her waist as it shot out behind her. Institutionally she had put up a defense against the attack but it was only enough to stop her from passing out. Her head was swimming and she could barely stand which made her go down on one knee to keep balanced. 'What the frak was that?!' She thought as she rubbed her head hoping that somehow that would help with the throbbing headache and swimming sight. Focusing on what was in front of her and the feeling she got from just looking at [member="Sawa Ike"] caused her entire being and instincts to scream at her to run, to get as far away as possible from whatever she was.

With a groan she stood up once again after retrieving her swords from the floor of the mine shaft. Looking directly at [member="Grace Darkson"] as she sheathed her swords and then pulled out one of her slugthrower revolvers and pointing it at her. "You EVER do that again and I'll riddle you full of holes!" She threatened the sith and with the angry look in her eyes it was not an idle one. She hadn't done anything to the woman and yet she attacked her, could have something to do with the jedi next to her and the fact she had her swords drawn but she had stayed in a defensive stance not indicating she wanted to attack her. But then again jedi and sith were a confusing lot that always used the force so excessively. She stayed near [member="Ultimatum"] as he seemed the most sensible of the entire group that had gathered, [member="Kha'ro"] seemed more trouble than he was worth though.

 

[Grace Darkson]

[member="Kha'ro"] would feel nothing but a churning black mass as he attacked. Calming a telepathy with telepathy. Bright idea. The response was an overwhelming wave of psychic energy directed at his consciousness. At the same time, she reached deep into his mind, pulling out the baser nature within that he worked so hard to hide. Pain should help it. As she whispered to that violent bit, egging it on to attack the others, her hands moved with practice. A horned shape fell out of her sleeve, and slapped into her palm. The blood-red blade activated with an iconic snap-hiss as she opened her eyes. Raising the tip to eye level, she gave the other Jedi a Makashi salute before smiling.

[member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"] wasn't getting much of a response. Grace had other priorities right now.

@Ultimatum @Sawa Ike

 

[Kha'ro Ottosuki]

[member="Grace Darkson"]

Kha'ro is able to fight off most of the siths attack, he clutches his head, the mind control just became a throbbing headache. He focuses extremely hard and puts his fingers to his head, he attempts a mind trick, "You are a republic spy!" If the sith's mind was too strong to be controlled he would turn it into a way to pull out the siths sad memories, to the point of her curling up and sobbing hopefully. After the use of that force power Kha'ro would be noticeably tired, panting exhaustedly.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum smiled at [member="Sawa Ike"]'s attempt at superiority. It didn't work for Ultimatum. The fact that the forces outside were not Sith meant that there was still as much likelihood of everyone getting hurt. It would only take a good detonation charge to bring the ceiling down on them and if there was a fight going on down here the people above would probably just blow out the ceiling. It was the strategic move and because they would have no idea the people down here were Sith there would be no reason to hold back on any intelligent decisions. He could have had his programs send a message to blow out the cave, knowing he would be the most likely survivor. The problem with that course of action was that he would be the most probably survivor and that the majority of the others have a high likelihood of being killed in a cave in.

The organic's attempted logic had a number of flaws, the largest of which was based around the fact that she was a Sith on a Sith world. If she had been Sith, why had she decided to show up during the night at which point the mine was closed, and why did she act as if she had intended on stealing just like Ultimatum had? If she were a Sith she probably could have come during the day and demanded some of the crystals and the people in her way would probably step aside out of fear. Ultimatum didn't try to understand the logic, her acting like a thief meant she would be treated as such. She would likely get reprimanded by some higher up within the Sith Order for attempting such an action.

With this thought being forced out of his processors to make room for more important problems, Ultimatum spoke aloud for all to here, though he kept his audio output at polite levels. "There is no need for conflict. You go about your business and we will go about ours. If we are all here for the same thing then let us work together rather than get into trouble separate." He turned and began walking, sending a command to his HoloNet program to try and get the protocol droid up and running. He had the program order the unit to follow Ultimatum as a test as to whether the unit was under his control. He wasn't a fighter, he hadn't been built to be one. He was meant as a strategist and war leader, but he didn't enjoy those roles. By walking away from the fighting he was trying to show a maturity that most organics seemed to lack. He spared a look at [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"], she was about the only organic in the room that he really felt any care about. She had helped him and he had come to enjoy her presence, anyways she wanted a look inside at his mechanics so he would gladly give it, if they both survived the encounter. He motioned as if asking if she would follow.

[member="Kha'ro"] [member="Grace Darkson"]

 

[Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha]

Zreame nodded to [member="Ultimatum"], her face showing she'd rather be anywhere else than around the others, though particularly [member="Grace Darkson"] since she never liked anyone mucking about in her mind. Putting up the defense against said attack had tuckered her out and she holstered her revolver and moved to stay behind [member="Ultimatum"]. Mostly because he looked like he could handle himself and he was about the only individual around her that she liked not to mention was interested in. "Can we just go?" she then whispered to [member="Ultimatum"] as she looked behind them towards the intersecting tunnels that went of in four different directions.

[member="Kha'ro"] [member="Sawa Ike"]

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum kept a steady pace, he was fairly certain that there would still be the police or what not above and that that would probably lead to some difficulties in getting out. However, that was not a concern at the moment. He would plan ahead, but not too far. "It they don't attempt to stop us then yes." He doubted that they would, there was simply not much usefulness in fighting or quarreling. He had chosen the tunnel with the most recent request for drill repairs, which was a large indication that it was still being mined. It could also have meant that it was finished being mined in, though the drills wouldn't need full repairs then, or so Ultimatum assumed.

The droid had seemed to follow orders, though the program remained incomplete and very odd. It appeared subservient and continued to send bits and pieces of information to the HoloNet program, however it was unique, it didn't save the same type of information Ultimatum would and it appeared to be more erratic in its scans and messages. All in all it would be an interesting addition to Ultimatum's 'crew' if it could be called that. It gave Ultimatum an idea about droid programs.

"Well, that was interesting. At least it can be said that this wasn't a simple snatch and grab." Ultimatum smiled as he spoke, trying to put some humor into the air.

[member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"]