Dark Flames

[Syd Celsius]

"What the...heeeeeeyyyyy!" Syd protested, still in her half melted state as Wu Yeoh-Mei dragged her away from her pursuit of Howard, who she genuinely thirsted to kill for humiliating her.

Gradually though, the farther she was from the object of her frustration, the more her sanity seemed to return.

"Something...something is wrong. Get it out of me! Get it out of me!" The Flame Geist exclaimed as she was dragged away from her prey.

Meanwhile...

Howard ran for his life in the depths nearly naked and almost weaponless, barely able to see. He needed a light or he knew these tunnels would be his grave after a painful death from starvation. And that's if ol' Redhead didn't get him first.

Howard focused. Survival against impossible odds was the only thing he was good at. Frank Castle Syndrome, in other words, and with the manly chest hair to go along with it. He wasn't the Bernthal or Jane versions. He was more like the Dolph Lundgren version, who survives because he is Dolph Lundgren and its the Eighties. Also, there is no Van Damme present. This is an important factor, as well as the absence of John Wick expies in this thread.

Howard The Pirate heard snarls and ran blindly un the dark, and it wasn't long before one of the monsters had tackled him, trying to get his jaws around his throat, the compact blaster shotgun sprang from his cybernetic arm, blasting its head off. Fourteen shots left.

"Howard!"

Raine's voice stirred Howard from his terror and ge got up as Rain yelled, and he heard blasterfire.

He ran into Raine holding an old blaster pistol with a rusted, broken flashlight flickering in and out. They nearly shot each other.

The Chiss coughed, clutching his side, bite marks causing alien blood to run through.

"Raine!" Howard yelled, running up and holding him as he almost collapsed, pistol tumbling out of his hand.

"Still alive, eh?" Raine chuckled, coughing blood. "I gotta admit, Howard...you're one tough old bastard. My old man woulda liked you..."

"How bad are your injuries?" Howard asked in near darkness.

"Stuck my remaining bacta patch on the worst bite, but I don't think its gonna matter." Raine said.

"What about the bullion?" Howard asked.

"The bullion...its out...I got it out. Left it in a small crack in a canyon southwest of our original landing position."

"You actually came back..." Howard said quietly. "I'm surprised."

Raine chuckled. Then he collapsed in Howard's arms, coughing blood. "So am I. Listen...the way beyond...nothing by tunnel monsters now. You're cut off. Only way out now is the way you came...take this...007 shots left...all I could find..."

"Thanks." Howard said respectfully. "I owe you."

Raine opened his vest, revealed two grenades. He gave one to Howard.

"I won't bleed out before they catch up...go...you got fifteen seconds 'fore they get here. Get as far as you can..."

Howard ran from Raine, not daring to look back as he heard the shrieks of the tunnel monsters, a few seconds later, he was out running a deafening blast and a fire ball...

Howard barely cleared it, diving behind a giant fallen stalagmite for cover. Then he began heading back to the way he came...distraught at everyone who was dead because of him...

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

Syd Celsius

She could hear her and Wu wasn't going to stop... she was just as determined and didn't speak but she used the force and reinforced her grip to make it more like iron so she couldn't move or squirm out of her carry. She was getting them back to the ship with a nod of ehr head when she finally spoke. "Not yet, when we are back at the ship." She said it where she was looking to really try and used the chevron pad on her wrist as she held her steady and went back towards the ship. Getting the droid in it to handle things and activate several things for them but most importantly an ice bath was there for her as Wu cleared the pathway faster and faster bounding with her because if there was something there she would have to try and figure a way to help her. She reached out mentally with the force to search and prod and seek.

She felt something there beneath it all but she was not certain about how they were going to be able to really get into it and solve the problem. She was near the ship and going inside of her yacht where they looked around to make sure there was something else here trying to get at them and she moved into the ship ad towards the main fresher as she hefted Syd and dropped her carefully but sure into the waters to cool her off. It might no be the nicest way to do it but.... the hot head needed to cool off and the ice bath would be important to doing that as she stood there and spoke looking down at her with a nod of her head. "Now once you have cooled down we will try and figure out what that thing is inside of you." She said it and held her hand over the control pad that was using the fabricator to make more ice if needed... a warning to behave if she didn't want more ice splashed on her.

 

[Syd Celsius]

Syd shrieked as she was dumped in the tub of ice water, steam instantly rising in very light amounts, which affected her psychic shell, causing her face to melt and sag on one side. But as painful as it was, it stymied the alchemized object that had embedded itself in the core of her body, returning her suit to it's normal red and gold colors. She shivered but reason started to come back to her...

"This thing...get it out!" Syd hissed. "I'm not supposed to feel rage like this...

She felt pain everywhere. The suit took the worst of the water exposure but it still hurt.

Now that her head was a little clearer than it had been, it gave her time to think.

Her pride...and there was a considerable amount of it...had been bruised. Some pirate who should have been worth twenty XP at best had instead given her one of the most serious fights she had ever had. He had come within centimeters of doing what scores of Sith Lords had failed at. Hell, at one point, he had legitimately had her at his mercy, and if he had wanted right then to kill her, there wouldn't have been a thing either her or Wu Yeoh-Mei could do about it. That a mere mortal could tear even one such as her down to the muck and fighting for survival like a footsoldier in the trenches terrified her.

Howard was that ever present reminder that, for all her skill, all she could do, she could still be killed. Gruesomely and unceremoniously. Remembered in fragments by what few that had personally encountered her, like Wu.

One more playing piece in the Galaxy, tossed off the board. That's what she had almost been brought down to. A knocked over playing piece.

"Please help me, it hurts..." Syd whispered..." her head getting clearer though her pain was steadily growing greater. What was that trinket Howard had used.

"Wu...you need to keep dumping ice on me, as much as you can...this trinket...it needs to be dampened...its doing something to me..."

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

Syd Celsius

She was looking at her and listening as she heard the shrieks and thankfully they were alone and the ship was soundproof to the outside... she didn't want to cause pain to the woman but she needed her to be calm and it seemed rationale wes starting to return to her. She dumped some more ice and moved closer towards her to try and get it out... however that might be... she was looking at some of the suit and where she could move as she focused on the force. "Just sit still." The jedi master held a hand out and she was focusing on what she could find and feel.. it was different then Syd which helped and it was inside her screaming to get out before the jedi grasped at it ith the force. "Come on you." She said it and was focused intensely on it but needed a little give. "Try and budge it just a little and we can get it out."

 

[Syd Celsius]

Howard ran for his life from the tunnel monsters on pure adrenaline. They pursued endlessly, and he had already used three of his shots on those who had gotten way too close.

But he wasn't free yet.

Finally, he could see the breach in the ancient vessel that had allowed him into the tunnels. But they were still closing. He sprinted as fast as he could before activating and tossing the grenade...

Howard barely cleared the blast, and the ship rocked from it. He lay on the deck, glad to be alive for a few seconds before getting up and running for the engineering section, looking for any gear he could use...

As he entered the ancient, collapsed section, he spied an ancient vibroblade lodged in an old computer...and a water pistol.

Howard swore violently but quietly, in case Syd was nearby.

She was still the problem. Howard couldn't leave this planet because she would stop him. He couldn't fight her in this state. Not without better weapons.

Howard began to think as he scavenged the engineering section, controlling his emotions so he wouldn't be sensed until he wanted to be.

Since he had no weapons really, why not use whatever power was left in this ship's reactor and destroy the ship and make her think he died in the blast? Howard knew he stood no chance in a direct encounter. Not against her.

Howard began to make his way to the ship core...

Meanwhile...

Though Wu Yeoh-Mei tried to get at the object it, clung tightly to her essence and The Flame Geist screamed in agony as it fought to remain. It would not budge.

"Wu, you need to stop. The more you pull the worse it gets!" Syd pleaded. "You need to set up a magical ward circle...we need more specialized means to extract it...I'll walk you through the process..."

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

Syd Celsius

She was still trying and looking at the pain it caused with a heavy heart..she didn't want to hurt her but there was a lot of danger in leaving it as she saw... danger and you could let Syd well go off the rails again. She was following and hunting almost to the point of madness. She looked at her and if there was a way to contain it then she would have to do that if extraction was not possible but she didn't like risking leaving it in there. "If that is what we have to do then that is what we are going to have to do but it would be better if we can make sure it isn't there inside of you." She tried it with a look though and focused on the force to try and dampen the area and then continue topull it out as best she could.

 

[Syd Celsius]

Howard patiently, carefully worked the ancient controls to the reactor, not taking any chances as he watched the power levels in the reactor fluctuate. He had scouted out an escape route beforehand, and had prepared boobytraps accordingly.

It had been difficult work. But Howard, dirty, disheveled, and tired, kept to it meticulously. Only that and experience had kept him alive so far. But he didn't know how many more tricks he had when it came to that red headed abomination.

Howard had the setting just right. This place would destroy itself very soon.

Gasses started to escape ancient pipes, as the main oower cut whatever lights were left.

"You now have fifteen minutes to evacuate..." an ancient warning system

Meaning he had to initiate combat.

Howard had gathered materials for a torch, choosing to signal to his potential executioner. He thought of all the ways he could have died before. All the ways he might die at her hands.

Howard didn't give a feth. He was a pirate. He stole stuff. And his chest hair was the stuff of legend.

So you better believe, Wu Yeoh-Mei that Howard climbed to a part of the ruined ship, even though he was exhausted and tired. Even though Syd would likely roast his sorry pirate ass.

He lit the torch, covered in mud as he reached a part where the ancient ship was exposed to air.

He waved it up high, and let out a bellowing war cry...

Meanwhile...

Syd screamed and screamed as Wu desperately tried to remove the object thus embedded in her. But it would not budge. Oh, how Syd wished they could just use the rune option already...

She felt mortal fear, and pain, very intensely for the first, really long and extended time. She did not like it. She hated it, in fact. She hated being helpless, at the mercy of this alchemized object.

But the roar of Howard drove her out of control with fury. Fury the object used.

Her body suit turned white, black veins in her neck and face, eyes black as her body suit turned white.

"HOOOOWWWWARRRD!" She screeched...bursting free of the tub and flying through the hull to go and confront him.

The corrupted Syd flew fast towards the ship.

Howard only had a moment to feel awesome for giving an Arnold-Worthy roar of death before he was running for his life, black flames melting anything they hit on contact as she gave pursuit, him running for his life through red emergency lights while she hunted him relentlessly, slinging black fireballs at him. Howard ran like he was an Exar who had found him a Crado to betray and leave to die in a supernova and barely evaded a stream of black fire from her mouth.

"You WILL NOT TAKE HER FROM ME!" Syd cried out insensibly, confused by both time and place as she pursued her prey. She desperately needed help. The object was driving her mad...

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

Syd Celsius

Wu moved back when she felt the darkness and the heat... trying to focus the force and protect herself as she pulled in at the energy being generated with Tutaminis.. she had learned t and there was a talent before she was moving allowing the force to protect her and Syd was gone... through a hole in the ship that was slagged with cherry red edges. "What... stop putting holes in my ship." W said it when she was out of earshot and was checking out some parts of it... allowing herself to really focus on the force and she turned the energy she had absorbed from the raging Syd into power and then into a focused energy to cool rapidly the metal... they needed to repair and ship and she got some of the smaller droid on top of it as they started to work.

She needed to take off after Syd again but would need something... whatever insanity was driving her the one called Howard shared it... he would run in fear for his life and then taunt then run in fear again... he was acting less like a grown man and more like a child.... he wasn't special enough and Wu couldn't do some things... she couldn't save him from his own stupidity if he just wanted to keep taunting Syd... she needed to save lives but constantly throwing herself against a wall one of rock and one of flame was dangerous.. she couldn't protect him unless he wanted it. She made sure she had her saber and a small cryo blaster for suppressing the flames... it would hurt her but the best way to calm Syd down would be flash freezing her enough to get into a containment cell and then off world.

 

[Syd Celsius]

The corrupted Syd hunted Howard The Pirate relentlessly.

"ALERT. REACTOR MELT DOWN IMMINENT." a warning system sounded over ancient speakers.

The temperature of Syd's Psychic shell was so intense that she scorched the deck plating she floated over. That insufferable, infuriating pirate. She would roast him alive and other sorts of chit.

As she pursued where she sensed him, she didn't notice until too late the crossbow trap he had set up until her leg tripped it.

It fired a bolt, but not at her. It instead hit a coolant tank behind her, bathing her screaming form in cryogenic chemicals, making her psychic shell ripple and warp disgustingly.

Howard began running, momentarily out of ideals as a roaring, humiliated, weakened Syd.

But the object trapped in her, finally put under enough stress, began to weaken and crack. Wu Yeoh-Mei would no doubt feel the weakened object in Syd. This was her chance. If she was going to destroy what was hurting and corrupting Syd, it had to be done now

Trouble was, Syd was hot on Howard's heels, and Howard had rigged the ancient fire management system to target her, constantly blasting the roaring weapon with extinguishers as she pursued Howard deeper into the ancient vessel...

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

Syd Celsius

"THis is crazy." She could hear the warnings now and feel Syd or at least the thing that was in her as the jedi was moving to try and catch her... she was moving quickly and focusing the force into her hand... it wouldn't be perfect but tutaminis could let her past the heat and reinforce the technique in a super conductive loop for a time but it was not going to be easy as she moved after her seeing the attacks... this Harold was starting to annoy her more and more with how antagonistic he was being to ruin the moment. She could see Syd in the distance as she pushed more power into her small body and lunged letting her momentum toss her forward in an even quicker lunge to try and plunge the hand into Syd with tutaminis to absorb the intense heat and grab at the thing.. she had tried for it the easy way now it was about stopping the woman before she did somehting that all of them would regret.