Cor Odium: Korriban Mission (open)

[Tydeus of Tion]

"No!"

On his hands and knees in the dark cavern, Ryan watched by dim illumination as the wicked Nautolan stabbed the warrioress while simultaneously lashing out toward him with a kick. The Jedi Knight caught the glint of the woman's blade coming up and did not for a moment hesitate.

He could not act before, not in the sheer hate pouring from Odium, but now he held new purpose. Save the woman. Take a life not because that life was evil, nor that it threatened him, but because that life threatened another. The purpose gave him peace, peace enough to withstand the flowing tides of darkness that sought to overwhelm and consume him.

Strength sapped and bone weary, Ryan reached out with what energy he had left and brought his lightsaber up in a smooth arc. He thumbed the activation switch and moved the glowing blue blade into the path of the incoming kick, aiming to shear through just above the ankle. The woman's stab to Odium's other leg would potentially unbalance him. The combined pain would hopefully stop the Force Drain and just maybe give them time.

[member="Darth Odium"] [member="Quinn Vos"]

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Kitt Solo"]
Aran watched over the woman's shoulder as the Gand moved his staff to strike the mobbing prisoners. The quick sound of a shock filled the air each time the Gand connected with the weapon against the frenzied beings that had only a short time ago been stuck between wanting to go home and gaining their promised transcendence.

"You have about 30 more seconds, love before that whatever he his knocks out the whole shabla lot of them." Aran said his new comrade worked at his bindings.

Several more shocks occurred and finally the Gand stood still not advancing on Kitt and Aran with one end of his shock staff resting on the deck and a leg bent with foot pressed against the opposite leg.

"What are you doing?" The Gand said again still near the doorway.

 

[Darth Odium]

[member="Ryan Korr"] [member="Quinn Vos"]

Odium's kick it seemed was over eager. In his desire to end this engagement and move on he had not counted on the second dagger. The blade flashed briefly as it aimed for his knee. He tried to twist to avoid having it strike tendons but that meant his kick was not as on target as he had hoped but the dagger struck once again piercing to the bone but the ligaments in his knee were in one piece. His eyes went wide as the world seemed to move in slow motion and he started to fall. The blue blade of the jedi's lightsaber flared to life and was on intercept with his now poorly placed kick as his back neared the ground and the blade neared his leg he was choices grew few.

He lifted his leg straight up in an effort to get it out of the reach of the blue energy beam but at the angle even a much faster being could have done little. A quick buzzing hum of the blade was heard and followed by the smell of cauterized flesh as the blade took off the Nautolan's left foot at the ankle leaving a quickly cooling stump in it's place. Had he been another being he would have screamed at the pain of the unceremoniously removed appendage but he was anything but normal. The drain could not be maintained and he let it go as he rolled to the side and did what any good Sith would do, he pulled the warrior woman close to himself and rolled back to have her between herself and the determined jedi. His sith sword still in his right hand and the woman's throat in the other he tried to stand. This was not as he had planned but then plans usually only worked until the first move was made. He had a choice try and take the woman or leave her with the Jedi and try and hobble to his goal, but which ever it was he needed to choose quickly.

 

[Quinn Vos]

[member="Darth Odium"] [member="Ryan Korr"]

The sudden lack of free-flowing oxygen stirred Quinn from her nightmarish sleep. What little mental barriers she had in place crumbled at Odium's touch around her neck. Once fiery-eyes seemed dimmed, as she struggled to open them.

The force drain, blood loss, and psychometry were too much.

Darth Odium's memories were hers now. She fought to maintain her sense of self through a mix of his and her own hatred. But for a fleeting moment, she was able to focus on the redhead. "Too...late," she rasped and found an ounce of her old-stubborn self. "Go-oh." The command was short as she addressed Korr.

Tactically, she saw the situation.

She was unwillingly bonded to Odium now. If Korr fought, it would potentially strengthen the darkside claws firmly embedded in the Kiffar warrior because if something happened to Korr...At the same time, Korr was the last lifeline she had. Her thoughts and decisions were already being warped in favor of the sith nautolan and the potential allure to track the bigger game that was his master.

 

[Kitt Solo]

[member="Aran Ordo"]

"Thirty seconds, perfect." She felt the heat from Aran's body as she worked close to him. Her leg brushed against his as she leveraged herself for the final twist of the key.

Clunk. Clunk.

Both sets of his bindings hit the floor. Her fingers brushed against his as she gave him the keys for her freedom. As she turned, her eyes met a pile of stunned bodies and one scary-zen-like mother-flecker.

A disarmingly charming smile curled upon her lips as she addressed the Gand. "I think you know exactly what we're doin', darlin.'" Yes, the Southern Corellian sass was there.

Her hand snapped through the air, hopefully she wouldn't punch Aran in the jaw, as she used the force to pluck up the Gand and pummel him straight up, into the ceiling, then down to the floor with enough force to bend metal on an x-wing. Her goal was to toss him around like a rag doll for awhile, just enough to knock him out. She wanted him alive for questioning.

If she made it back, the Fringe Council was going to hear about this little syrupy-situation.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Kitt Solo"]

Aran watched his bonds hit the floor as the Gand finished the last prisoner leaving them a unconscious body slumped on the floor. The woman's hand almost cracked his jaw as she spun around to use her space magic to bounce the Gand about like a rubber ball off the deck as overhead...repeatedly. He was either beginning to like this aruetise or he had hit his head to hard somewhere along the way, either was likely.

"Nice work." Aran said as the Gand lay motionless on the deck, "let me know to call a Jeti when I need a fly swatted."

Aran reached around to grab her binders and a moment later they fell to the deck with a pleasant thunk. He looked around but had not a single clue where his gear would be or even if it would be here and decided to use the binders on the Gand while he could. Aran grabbed his former bracelets of immobility and hurried over to the Gand. It took just a few moments to have him bound wrist to ankles laying on the deck.

"Let's get the Shab out of here before anything else decides to jump in the fun." Aran said seemingly evading perma-death once again.

 

[Tydeus of Tion]

The vile drain disappeared, but exhaustion still leeched the very marrow from his bones. He grit his teeth against the ploying ministrations of weariness and pushed himself up to his knees, trying desperately to get to his feet. Cramped muscles cried out in agony as though he'd run a hundred leagues but the croaking whisper of the warrioress proved more catalyst than the screams of his body.

He did not know the woman, but he refused to abandon her. No matter the cost.

"No," he rasped again.

The hum of his lightsaber proved reassuring, its glow casting blue light across his features. He pointed the weapon toward [member="Darth Odium"], finally regaining his feet. He did not know how the Nautolan managed to maintain balance with the lack of a foot, but surely the injury would prove hobbling.

"Release her and leave. Stay... and I'll do what I must."

[member="Darth Odium"] [member="Kitt Solo"][member="Quinn Vos"]

 

[Darth Odium]

[member="Quinn Vos"] [member="Ryan Korr"]

Odium rested his back against the wall and let the woman go. He was still filled with the strength he had drained from the Jedi but his injury was too severe to be able to win any kind of fight. He put his sword in its sheath and looked at the woman.

<<If you want him go if not don't. >> he said simply to her before looking to the man.

<<This place will be my tomb but will a Jedi force the woman to go against her will? Enslave and imprison? Go she is free to do as she pleases. I have no interest in wither of you.>> he said casually despite his missing foot, <<Or you could kill me now. I'm unarmed, injured, helpless. You could strike and end my misery here.>>

He looked at the woman bathed in blue light. He could feel her now her feelings and thoughts as if they were nearly his own. Was this what it was to have a companion, a friend? He looked at the ground and back up before putting his stump down and begining to slide deeper into the catacombs.

<<Release me of life embrace your victory. Look how I've cut her and choked her. Will you let me live to hubt her again? Will you Jedi?>>

He said to Quinn alone.

<<Can you feel me? Can you see that I can help you give you power set you free? What would he do but cage and try and force you to change to a house pet? I don't want to see that...do you? Find me, learn from me, be my companion.>> he asked softly, pleading.

Slowly he backed toward the darkness and began to hobble away.

 

[Quinn Vos]

[member="Ryan Korr"] [member="Darth Odium"]

With Odium's release, she stumbled forward into the redhead, her muscles and energy thoroughly depleted. Her injuries were bathed in the blue luminescence of his fire-sword as she caught Darth Odium's disappearance outside of its glowing circumference. She felt as if she was half his.

Hardened-green gaze shifted to Korr. Odium's mental departing words stirred up something new as she looked at the jedi. Caution and a whisper of distrust.

"You are stubborn," she rasped, despite her new feelings. Pain lanced across her mocha-features. "I need...tarot-root. Blood, lost too much," her basic was limited but her eyes drifted down to the open wound on her exposed midriff. Features paled. Slender-digits pressed tightly on her wound, using the pain to keep herself from slipping away into the eddy of darkness that threatened to snatch her up.

 

[Kitt Solo]

[member="Aran Ordo"]

"I'm no jedi, sweetpie, but if you wanted my comm. number you just had to ask," she winked, even as her careful gaze swept over the Gand. He wasn't going anywhere. The mando did a nice job, even if he talked funny.

"We're taking this ship. I ain't a saint but I'm not leaving these folks to some drink-my-knock-out-punch maniac," she pushed ahead and headed toward the general direction she imagined the cockpit to be.

She came to a dead-end.

Clearing her throat, she headed a different direction and hollered back at Aran. "How are your co-piloting skills? And I hope you're not wanted in Fringe space..."

 

[Tydeus of Tion]

He glared at the Sith. Part of him did wish to take a few steps forward and cut the treacherous aquarian down. Another part thought that he was being lured into a trap. Either way, Ryan was too exhausted to consider pursuit and... the girl. Teeth gritted, Ryan stepped forward and caught the mudcaked woman before she could fall.

Shadows swallowed the Nautolan as he limped away, the sound of his awkward one-footed walk slowly fading with distance. Ryan swayed on his feet, the full force of exhaustion slamming into him like a punch to the gut. He maintained his balance, but struggled to breath evenly through his nose.

He looked down at the woman, eyes moving to her wound.

"You need more than that. I can cauterize it with my lightsaber." He said grimly. "Burn the wound so it stops bleeding."

Korr held his lightsaber forward as if to do so, but stopped. Grey eyes stared intensely down into her own, their composition that of steel, iron, and all things hard, edged and forged by fire.

"Let me help you," he rasped.

[member="Quinn Vos"] [member="Darth Odium"]

 

[Darth Odium]

[member="Quinn Vos"] [member="Ryan Korr"]

Luckily Odium had not been far from his sought after prize. Unluckily he had to traverse the closing walls through blinding pain on one foot. He went a good distance until the lightsaber was no longer visible and began using his sword as a cane to hop with. Minutes paased this way until he came to a chamber that if he had planned right would contain the heartless body of Dathka Graush.

Odium took his own lightsaber from his belt and ignited one side. The room was filled with relics of sith past. Odium took a moment to look through the force and see what was attached to the dead and what was not. It was not difficult when one was an expert at such things. Soon he decided to not tempt his luck and avoided the bound items. He looked until he found inside a heavy metallic jar a holocron and a datacron. He took both and checked for what else he may make use of or that his maser may enjoy. He took two gold and jeweled necklaces and a few small rings of unknown origin before sneaking away.

He could still feel the woman but not the jedi. Curious as that was it could not slow him now. Quickly as he could he circled to where he precieved would be nearest his fighter and began ascending a narrow tube in the darkness as he had extinguished his lightsaber.

"This should be the right place." He thought as he went from darkness to the harsh light.

He should have been close but apparently in his flight he had miscalculated and was far closer to the ancient academy than he would have liked. Odium took a breath and pulled his sword to use as an aid in hobbling to his fighter that was nearly 50 yards away.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Kitt Solo"]

"My dah is Field Marshal Ordo." Aran said, "I could fly a bucket with wings."

Aran moved up to stand beside Kit as the Gand slowly faded away. The ship grew silent and the bodies of the slaves also slowly faded to nothing as he stood there staring at her. He smiled slightly as he watched what was happening.

"You need to go now miss!" Aran said turning and racing to the cargo hold controls. "Get off the ship don't trust your senses just jump."

Aran stood and began opening the cargo hold airlock.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Kitt Solo"]

Another person walked into the cargo hold and looked at the woman. His sad emerald eyes looked her up and down before he walked to the airlock and began pulling the door aside with Aran.

"Go while you can." The tall man said, "you're body still lives but it won't if you stay here."

 

[Kitt Solo]

[member="Aran Ordo"] [member="Lews Therin"]

Just when she thought she was at the cockpit, she found herself back in the cargo-hold. And it was empty. Save for...

Alarm shot through her as Aran and another she hadn't seen before started to open the doors to space, to death, while speaking a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Myrtle-ellipses swept the empty room and couldn't process what had just happened.

"How did I...where did everyone....Aran, STOP!" Alarm rose in her throat and she sprinted across the ship's floor and launched herself to tackle the Mando from the side. Hopefully with the controls stopped, the newcomer wouldn't be able to work the doors manually.

"What the KRIFF are you doing?!"

 

[Quinn Vos]

[member="Darth Odium"] [member="Ryan Korr"]

Let me help you.

The Kiffar warrior stared at him from a position of vulnerability, cradled and held up by his form alone. It was not a position she often found herself in and she found herself feeling disgraced. For a moment his hand brushed against a non-mud-caked spot on her shoulder and she felt a kindred spirit of tenacity and she grasped his name: Ryan Korr. But his other feelings of peace were too foreign to her, too foreign for the blood and memories of Odium that raced through her body. She was thoroughly branded by the darkside.

In that moment, she wondered if Ryan Korr wanted to do more than help her with her physical injuries.

But the moment quickly passed. She blinked and the image of the nautolan stared down at her, black eyes in place of Ryan's as his arms held her closer, his tentacles tangled along her skin. She grimaced and removed her hand as the red-hair cut through the hallucination.

"Do it...Ryan Korr," tattooed-face set to take the pain, something she was very familiar with.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Kitt Solo"]

He had been hit my bigger but he couldn't remember when. He hooked his arm beneath hers as the stronger being, whoever he had been, held the door half open.

"You have to go or you'll never leave!" Aran said as he fell and tried to swing her toward the exit. "It's a trick! Go!"

 

[Kitt Solo]

[member="Aran Ordo"]

Bewilderment and panic shot across her features as the cargo doors opened and she was pitched toward, what she thought, as the impending vacuum of space. A hand latched out, fingers curled around the fabric of Aran's shirt as she prepared to construct a protective force bubble around them before it was too...

Trick?

Half her body sprawled on the floor, outside the doors. Her clouded mind cleared sharply, as crisp as inhaling the air outside on a winter morning. Part of the illusion of wherever she was crumbled around her but her grip on Aran's shirt tightened as she stared at the Mando.

"Don't leave me!" The empath yelled, feeling the emotions of those she could not yet see just beyond the dark-magic.

The reality that she was powerless to save him slammed into her from an intrinsic sense through the force buried deep down in her core. She had only seconds before she wouldn't be able to save herself.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she released his shirt and tumbled free.

 

[Tydeus of Tion]

A chill prickled down his spine. How did she know his name? Did it have something to do with the dark mysticism pervading this planet, or the woman herself? Too many unknowns and no time to discern them.

The Force, still slowly pouring back into him, did not lend a glimpse of the woman's emotions. If it had Ryan might have paused before pushing his lightsaber forward and burning the wound closed.

He held the blue blade lengthwise and grimaced at the blackening of her flesh. Acrid smoke curled up from the kiss of the saber, gentle as he could make it. Once the wound was as cauterized as was safe, Ryan deactivated his lightsaber and looped an arm around her waist to support her as they walked.

"We need to get out of here. Back the way we came."

[member="Quinn Vos"] [member="Darth Odium"]

 

[Darth Odium]

[member="Ryan Korr"] [member="Quinn Vos"]
Quickly as he coyld Odium hobbled to his ship and sheathed his sword. The holocron secured he pulled himself intot the cockpit and began his departure from Koribban. He could feel the woman still taking up nearly half of his tangled pain rattled mind. He fought the urge to stay and fight for her to keep her close but he also knew it wouldn't save her from the evil jedi. It was best he leave and take the chance to heal. The corruption of Koribban was deadly even to him and he risked being over come by the strong spirits if he remained.

It took minutes and they would be just leaving thr caves as he lifted off feom the red sand ground. He set the ship to auto-pilot and leaned back as the ship rocketed toward space.
He said to the woman as he left. <<Find me.>> and to the Jedi <<I'll Find you.>>