Private Date under a nebula

[Talohn Atar]

The droid knew she wouldn't be afraid. No self respecting sith would be afraid of a droid. It's goal in this situation was not to intimidate, but to notify her of the situation. Now that she'd been notified, they could both hopefully move on to getting along ever so slightly better at a later date. For now, it was best to let her ponder the words, or forget about them. Whichever was her preference. Madlad did not care.

When Zlova gets out to the hangar, she'd see the cathar pacing in circles around her ship, curiously observing it's parts and machinery. He was a tech obsessed fellow after all. He was likely admiring the handiwork, but also thinking about what improvements could be made. He seems particularly interested in the thrusters, and the model that they are. When he hears her footsteps, one of those pointed ears of his twitches slightly, and he turns his head to look at her. "You know, I could probably double the speed of this thing, and give it more armaments too if that strikes your fancy. Buzz droid launcher?" He asks, chuckling a bit. He liked buzz droids, they were mischievous little hunks of metal.

When asked the question, he holds up his arm, showing off his wristpad. it's a touch screen of some sort, likely controlling that set of Mandalorian armor he was decked out in. He definitely wasn't planning for stealth. He was armed to the teeth with his usual weapons as well. His trusty Atin heavy pistol in a holster on his right thigh, the mule sawed off shotgun in a holster on his lower back, and the TDW harm slung over his left shoulder so it hung on his right hip, ready to be pulled up and aimed at any moment. "I'll put the coordinates in your computer when we get on the ship. As for sight seeing, don't worry. All the sights I need will be on the ship with me." He grins.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

"I bet you could." Zlova smirked as she regarded the Cathar pleased with himself. "I did steal-- I mean, requisitioned this ship from the Knights. Not a mass produced piece of junk, but it could use some tender love." Hadn't been the need to purchase a personal vessel yet. Not when they gave these things away for free. Oh, right, "borrowed" for free. Would they complain if it got a little work done? Probably, but who cared?

As for Buzz Droids... She'd let that idea slide. Wasn't like they weren't useful, but Zlova preferred blowing her enemies out of the stars and hearing the rain of debris strike her canopy. Any kill worth doing was worth doing personally.

A spin of a finger in the air and Zlova lead the way inside the ship. "Alright, Gadget-Cat, but I better not catch you taking a holo-picture while I'm bisecting someone." She wouldn't actually care if he did. Would probably admire the image, actually. Not that she had to admit it aloud.

"At least I don't need to worry about Madlad refusing to let me back in when we return, with you on board," Zlova snorted as she settled into the pilot's seat. "Speaking of uninvited, what happens if these cretins have any captives with them?" Was saving people a 'bonus?' Not really. Only the ones that when armed with a knife were willing to fight now that their bonds had been cut. That was the kind of captive that got Zlova's blessing. The rest? Live, die, find a nice hole to crawl in... whatever.

As the engines came to life, Zlova pointed over at a control, "Ready when you are. I'll try not to scratch the paint on the way out." She began to manuever the ship out of Talohn's hanger.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Indeed. Probably could use some love. Remember, when you're working for a military company...or whatever you'd call the knights of obsidian,.." He rubs his chin. "What's the phrase...Ah, yes. Your gear was made by the lowest bidder. Not your lightsaber, I'm sure that's fine. But the ship is standard issue, probably made cheaply. Honestly, if you ever go ship shopping, take me with you. I'll help you find something nice."

He certainly had an eye for tech, that much can't be denied. He and his child both knew how to work the wiring and steel to make some pretty nice things. He also seems charmed enough by her to help her if she asks...or it could be that he finds tech to be a fun time. Perhaps it's a mix of both.

Talohn chuckles as he follows her up the ramp. "That's a fair idea actually. You and I both know you might just frame it. Put it on a wall." He teases lightly. When they arrive on the ship, Talohn settles into the passenger seat of the cockpit. He begins checking over his weapons as they talk. Checking the magazines, taking them apart and putting them together again to prevent jamming, various things to overall improve weapon performance. He also takes a bit to polish his favorite gun, the Stjolkk. An intimidating looking handgun to be sure, seems to be a slug thrower of some sort. "Captives? The ship has escape pods. Should get them to the next civilized planet. If it's kids? Guess we have extra dinner guests. I'll make sure they get home." Course he now has a weakness for children. That's what parenthood does to someone.

He looks up at Zlova with a grin, holstering the gun on his hip. "Ready to go."

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova scoffed at Talohn's remark. "If you ever find yourself partnered with a Sith that allowed someone else to build their saber, my fine feline friend, do yourself a favor: shoot them. They'll get you killed with their incompetence." The Lethan turned to smirk back at Talohn. It was friendly advice. No Sith Warrior worth anything would let someone else build their saber. Provide technology that went into building a saber, certainly; but if you couldn't manage to fit the pieces together with your own hands or the Force Zlova had no time for you. It meant the person didn't trust in their own abilities. They "wanted to be certain" their saber would be in working order, which meant they had no pride, and hadn't spent time to develop their skills.

The armor and ship being built by another? Sure. They were tools, and only a fool wagered their life on a tool. A lightsaber was an extension of a warrior's body.

That said, she added, "I could do with a sharp eye in finding a nice ship." Who didn't like pampering themselves from time to time?

A thoughtful hum followed his remark about the picture. "True. If it captured just how beautiful and deadly I am." And who didn't mind a little vanity display? Zlova might be playing "nice" in the Southern Systems, but she was still a very ruthless woman.

Zlova held her tongue and simply smiled over at the Cathar. Her hands slid over the controls and the vessel lifted off the hanger deck. It pivoted in place and flew straight out into the void faster than most would have dared.

She pointed at the navicomputer within his reach, "Input the coordinates, and away we go."

"Are we landing at a distance and sneaking into their camp before taking them, or waltzing through the front door?" Might as well see what Talohn had in mind in terms of strategy. It was his job. She assumed he had some intelligence on the location. If not she wouldn't judge him for it. Not everything require a meticulous plan. If you asked most Knights Obsidian none of them would ever accuse the Twi'lek of being careful. They'd been one time the Confederacy's forces moved in in a very coordinated matter, and Zlova simply dropped out of orbit and punched her way into the interior of the enemy stronghold. Sometimes you took your time, and sometimes you took the leader's head before anyone knew what happened. Whichever one was more fun, really.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

He laughs heartily as she tells him to shoot any sith that didn't make their own lightsaber. "That's fair, I forgot you guys make your own sabers. I suppose what I said mostly applies to the common grunt or soldier. Most governments don't care about having quality, only quantity, and enough meatshields to throw at their foes. That was basically the republic during the clone wars. That was an interesting period of time. I'm not much a fan of darth sideous, from what I've read about him. But I'll be damned if he wasn't good at the long con. Or the jedi grew too complacent and incompetent. That's another thing I've heard." He nods to himself. It was a distinct possibility.

Leaning back in his seat momentarily, he looks up from his weapons. "I can help you with ships. Repairs, upgrades, all of that. i can also help you find one as well. Though I'll have to ask you what kind of ship you're looking for. It'll help me find something to your liking. Let me guess, speedy and durable? Perhaps some comforts on the side?"

When she points to the navicomputer, he leans over to begin typing in the coordinates. He whistles slightly. "Capture just how deadly and beautiful you are? Sorry Zlova, no picture is good enough to handle catching all of that." He flirtingly jokes. "I'll just have to remember the sight I suppose." He chuckles slightly. With the coordinates typed in, he once again leans back in his seat.

When she asks his strategy, he begins. "I don't have much intel on the base, only the location. When we get there, I plan to shoot some ping darts. They're little darts that give you the layout of a location by using echolocation. They won't be able to hear the frequency. With the layout in out grasp, we can act from there. Though, this is a date. It's supposed to be fun. What do you suppose the most fun way to terrorize a group of pirates is?" He questions, raising a brow.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

"Sidious?" Zlova looked over at the Cathar for a moment. "He was cunning. Played everyone masterfully, picked his allies well. No Exar Kun, but still a name worth remembering." It wasn't that Sidious eventually fell. More that the man's entire agenda was about becoming a living god. More power, live forever, yeah sure all nice goals, but what was his legacy? A student lost points if they said 'broke the Republic,' because despite all the 'ten thousands years' propaganda the Republic hadn't ever been as solid as the history books painted it. Exar Kun? Maybe he didn't rule the galaxy, but the Sith were still around. Exar Kun and those like him built up the mythology and made sure no matter how thick some Lords got -- like the Rule of Two -- their way of life never fell into darkness as it once had long, long ago.

"Could use a good ship. Who doesn't like creature comforts? There are only a few truly self-loathing Sith Lords that can't be bothered pampering themselves time to time." Zlova smirked over at Talohn for a moment. A monstrous Lord that enjoyed slaughter typically 'pampered' themselves quite often. Not her nyoom juice, but everyone enjoyed conflict in their own, sadistic little way.

Soft laughter bubbled forth with Talohn's flirting. It was better to be admired than photographed. The latter was good for propaganda, but Zlova didn't expect to live long enough to want to admire here Glory Days while scarcely able to hold a blade in her hands. Better for someone like Talohn to notice her and feel the moment than try to capture an empty still. She'd help him remember the passion of the moment if the need presented itself.

"Of course it will be fun." Not a doubt in her mind how ever it played out. "After all, a battle is best enjoyed with good company." Not a duel obviously, but a battle certainly. A shared experience you could conjure and laugh about later. A real romantic bonding moment. Even if it was 'bromance.'

With the ship speeding into the distance on their way, Zlova turned to face Talohn. "Silently stealing one of them without another noticing, turning them into a grotesque statue, and leaving them for the others to find. One by one until only the leader's left." A quick smile in a brief pause. "If we want to take it slow. Or we just make them disappear one at a time allowing them to let out a scream, but leaving no evidence of our passing. Save the leader for last, of course." Well, Talohn had said terrorize them.

Actually there was another way to terrorize them, but it would be even slower and might be going 'too far.' You know... identify all the pirates, find out if they had any family, kidnap the family, and then-- well, make the pirates regret their life choices. Like, choosing to go on this last mission being away unable to protect their family. The ones without family? Well, they had to have something they did care for. Credits, probably. Plenty of ways to turn that against them.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Sideous though, from what I can tell, was extremely short sighted. At least in comparison to his other sith counterparts. The one that Madlad and I find interesting is Vader. He wasn't as powerful as Sideous, but he always persevered. Madlad suspected that Vader was so powerful due to self hatred. I gotta say, if that's the case, that isn't healthy at all I will say, sith are better at going down in history. The only big jedi name I remember is...." he takes a long moment to think. "Kenobi. Yea, I've heard a few stories of kenobi. That's about it." He shrugs. "Some sith have too much ambition, and the jedi have too little. Both sides tend to be so polarized. Middle ground is the best place to be in my opinion. Allows you to make the clearest choice that benefits you the most. And what's the point in living if you never make any choices to your benefit? Living for the benefit of another entirely is...well, stupid. I know that sounds terrible coming from a parent. But parents need time for themselves too." He chuckles.

He looks at her with a raised brow. "What size of ship are you in the market for exactly? This size? My size of ship maybe? Something in between? What's your preferred aesthetic? Colors? Weaponry equipment? I can probably find someone to hook you up with a new ship quite easily if you give me the specs you want. Personally, I've been searching everywhere for an X-70b phantom. I think you'd like it." He shows her an image of the sleek ship on his datapad. If she knew her history, she'd know the ships are ancient, old republic era at least. Flown by imperial agents. "You get ahold of one of those, I'll upgrade it all for you, make it a beast of a machine." He grins. "I'd love to study that stealth drive tech. To this day, it's apparently still extremely advanced." He really is a nerdy cat isn't he?

"Battle is indeed better with company. It's good to be able to work alone, but teamwork brings your power to new heights. Not to sound mushy or stereotypical, but it's true. Good team composition brings more efficiency. The republic had commandoes for a reason you know. It's also why I made Madlad. Though that ship turned out way different than I intended it to be."

He doesn't look disgusted or horrified when she brings up her ideas, but they aren't his favorite ideas. "You can mess up their bodies if you want. Personally? Ain't my thing. I don't subscribe to a religion, but respect of corpses was amongst the honorable teachings I was taught as a catharese warrior in my clan. Just doesn't feel right." He grins. "I was thinking we could walk in the front door. Most of my life has been stealth. I wanna do something more actiony this time, you know?"

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

The Twi'lek leaned in to examine the image Talohn had on display. "An X-70B Phantom?" The design seemed familiar. Given her interest an older eras of the galaxy she figured that'd be the reason. If so, it was interesting the Cathar held such interest in it. Perhaps Zlova was mistaken. Fancy rides weren't something she spent a lot of time contemplating; could have just seen a brochure at some point. "Well, I don't know any other handsome, smart Cathar willing to deck out my ship. Just don't let Madlad connect to the computer." A mental note was made to refresh her memory about the ship design later. Certainly looked nice.

"Here I was trying to be creative thinking Mandalorians took the front door too often." Zlova smirked over at Talohn. "Normally I'd save 'terror' for people that earned it. It takes time to do it properly, after all." Didn't upset her the man lacked an interest in 'messing up their bodies.' Her? Well, she didn't mind doing it, really. If the situation required it. Dead's dead. Oh, Zlova knew all about Force Ghosts -- spirits, if you will -- but that didn't mean it mattered what happened to the physical body after death far as she was concerned. Wasn't like the apparition was going to need it again. Though a few did take repossession it rarely turned out well.

"The front door, then. Lightsabers lit up so they see us coming, or do you want to try the 'we have something to sell' approach? It's only stealthy until the guard at the front gate drops." Either way was fine with her. A little excitement was just what the Sith ordered. "And while I don't need to say it, I won't kill any of the captives or any other noncombatant." Because Zlova didn't need to say it.

If she wanted to kill them she would, and there'd be a reason for it. Just so happened she had no reason to do so today. Figured Talohn would like a little assurance about his new Sith date though. And if the noncombatants turned into combatants? Well, if they were serious about it then she would be too. Someone with a rusty spoon, however, was just getting slapped into submission. Cutting down a woefully defenseless opponent wasn't a show of strength, but of weakness. Zlova wasn't afraid of a deranged captive.

Wouldn't be long until they arrived in orbit now. A little discussion about their approach, landing, and then excitement. Something to cap a day full of surprisingly enjoyable activity. Zlova couldn't quite recall the last 'wholesome' day she'd had like this. Bits and pieces, certainly. All together? Perhaps that one time when she pretended to be someone's mistress... but that'd just been business.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

The cathar snickers slightly at her words. "I don't let Madlad connect to my computers. I'll make sure yours are safe, don't worry. I can even add some extra security functions if you want. I use it to keep my mom's family recipes a secret. Family recipes remain family recipes. Some tribe tradition. I don't care about it much, but there's no reason to hurt mom's feelings by letting them get out, y'know?" It seems he still has a great love for his parents. It's obvious the life he grew up with was easier than hers, though he's making sure to show her respect despite that. She was a strong lass and didn't need pity. "I could probably install an AI of some sort to help you on your ship if you want. But you'll have to pick one up for me to install. You've seen what happens when I make AI." Madlad wasn't the best thing to come out of experimenting with AI, that's for sure. "Also, It's not every day I find a beautiful, powerful twi'lek that's willing to listen to me nerd out about ships." He grins.

"Most Mandalorians use the front door, true. though I prefer to ambush, and get every advantage I can. The more of an advantage I have, the more likely I am to live, and if I'm likely to live, Monari is likely to not be an orphan again. Whole universe works." He shrugs. He then gestures to her. "With you here, using the front door will be just fine, I'll get to let loose a little. I'll use my lightsaber this time, for the sake of pretty color contrast." He states jokingly, since his lightsaber is blue.

"Who knows, the captives, if there are any, may have some useful info for us. After all, the pirates would be keeping them for a reason. right? Perhaps a lead on some treasure, maybe we'll get some info on some slaver ships." He rubs his hands together. "I do love slaughtering slavers." Talohn had bloodlust too, he was just a bit restrained with it.

Talonh takes a few moments to double check the nav computer as they went into orbit. "We'll be a ways off as we land. We'll show up at the front door, but we don't want them to see the ship coming down. We don't want gunfire on the ship as we're landing. It'd be shame to see this baby ruined after all." He marks a landing zone on the Nav computer as they pass through the atmosphere. "There should do it." He then looks to her, smiling ear to ear. "Ready to plunder some pirates?"

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

"Not really," the Twi'lek confessed. "But I imagine it's as important as keeping your Master's secret ritual secret. With less murder." Or maybe just as much murder. Zlova wasn't an expert on Cathar culture. Some people took motherly offense quite personally -- that she did know because it could be useful to employ against someone under the right circumstances.

A smirk followed Talohn's remarks about computer intelligences. "You shouldn't beat yourself up over it. Just don't program something infused by Dark Side magic next time. Should turn out better." Fairly certain it was the Sith influence that made Madlad... mad. Second nature to anything conjured using such negative energies. That's what gave Zlova her stellar inter-personal skills -- like when she threatened to shove her hand down someone's throat and turn them inside out.

A quiet examination of Talohn followed his suggestion of using his own saber. It was certainly an interesting thought. Would be informative to watch the man swing such a blade about. The Ecchani went a tad far with the whole 'converse by combat' philosophy -- there was truth to it, but not a great deal of information actually got transferred that way. Nonetheless, some things couldn't be spoken and were best witnessed. "I look forward to it."

Whether the captives had anything of value was immaterial. Zlova just wanted to 'play nice' with her new friend with benefits. A little reassurance the blood-thirsty Sith wouldn't massacre anything that moved because they forgot the definition of sanity. Despite what the Jedi said, her kind were capable of self-restraint.

The thing those Jedi didn't get, however, was there were few circumstances where self-restraint was truly better than letting loose. Don't butcher everyone as you walk down the street? Typically a good idea. Don't kill someone insulting you because it was against the law or some misplaced belief in an intrinsic value to all sentient life? Hells no.

"I'll be sure to let you know if I hear about any slaver conventions then," she added with a chuckle.

As they began to drop in over the landing zone, Zlova looked back over at Talohn with a smile. "I do enjoy the ominous approach punctuated by igniting a crimson blade. I've seen security footage of it. Hot." Theatrics were part of the fun and allure of giving in to the darkness -- as people put it. "Let's begin."

Just a bit more work to set the ship down, debark, and secure the hatch before they could get their show under way. Should be fun.

Zlova would happily dispatch those nearest, but she wouldn't stray far in the beginning. Even if Talohn could kill others without killing himself with a saber, and even if he had Mandalorian armor on, it'd be irresponsible not to make sure the Cathar didn't get buried in blaster fire. Even his armor didn't let him just stand in the open with multiple assailants shooting at him. Besides, she wanted to know just how well trained the man was in saber combat.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Less murder, yea, much less murder. I mean, we've had murders happen for power grabs and such. But no murders over food recipes...that I know of at least." He shrugs. "Well, there was that one murder over a drug recipe. That was gross. Some offshoot of deathsticks." He shakes his head. "Literally, it's in the name. Why touch them?" Such stupidity still baffled him to this day. Why hinder your body in such a manner?

"Don't program things infused with sith magic? I'll go for jedi magic, make a droid that's got a stick up it's ass." He jokes. Talohn didn't hate jedi as deeply as sith did, he just hated how most of them acted. Holier than thou, afraid to show emotion. It was both annoying and sad at the same time that they forced themselves to live in such a lonely way. But Talohn wasn't here to worry about them. He had better things to do.

"Madlad knows more about actual lightsaber fighting styles than I do, but I know catharese viroblade styles. I can manage with those. It's a sword, just lighter. Some of the catharese style involve touching your blade, but I'll just makes sure not to do that. Shouldn't be too hard." He looks at her as she mentions notifying him of any slaver groups, and he grins happily. "Do tell."

It wasn't long until they landed, the ship's ramp opening for them to step out into the jungle. One didn't have to completely give in to the darkness to like theatrics, but it was true. People obsessed with being good never really were able to make badass entrances. He makes her way down the ramp beside her, his features now obscured by the ever identifiable mandalorian helmet, the visor of said helmet reflecting blue hues as his lightsaber ignites, letting out that signature noise.

She'd get the perfect opportunity to watch him in action. The cathar seemed to highly favor the use of force speed to offput the weight of his armor. It allowed him to move as if he were wearing robes instead, sometimes even faster than that as his movements left a blur of afterimages. His preference was to use one blade two handed, basic yet versatile. Though, it was obvious he did not yet trust himself to deflect a blaster bolt, as he would dodge and weave out of the way instead in a beautiful dance, showing off his honed senses which knew where the bolts were going to fly before they were even fired. After dashing into the middle of a group, sending limbs and chunks flying about as his blade delivered precise strikes in the blink of an eye thanks to force speed, he looks to Zlova. She was right, the imposing hue of a red lightsaber with her as the backdrop? Hot. "They all seem so slow when you've had to deal with some crazy beast filled with sith spirits." He states to her over the comms.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

"A droid infused with the Light Side. It would never shut up, and so I would be forced to destroy it, and then the Jedi would call me a monster and claim justification in trying to 'bring me to justice.'" Zlova shrugged. Then she turned to look over at Talohn with a smile. "But, really, they shouldn't waste all that time looking for a reason to try and kill me. Some stereotypes are accurate -- I, as a tattooed, red Twi'lek, am one of them. All they need to do is ask and I'll give them at least ten reasons to try punishing me." The haughty disdain Jedi had for Sith was annoying, but Zlova didn't much care about it. Their unhealthy obsession with repressing emotions, however, was disturbing. So much so how could a woman like her not try to free such a shackled soul?

The smile dropped into a dead pan stare for a moment after the Cathar had something to say about lightsabers. She blinked, softly coughed and reached over to lay a hand upon Talohn's shoulder. "It's a sword with no tactile feedback for you to know where in space that glowing, limb-dispatching blade is in relation to your body. And if you aren't careful, the lack of weigh can allow an enemy to force your own blade back upon you." It most certainly had much in common with a sword -- even if most seemed to wield it more like a bat (honestly who lifts it as high over head as possible before trying to hit someone with it?) -- but there were severe penalties for those that didn't respect the differences. "Mandalorians do have one thing going for them in that regard though. Your armor can prevent loss of an arm. Sith Initiates aren't so fortunate. Poor things." If an Apprentice couldn't figure out how to respect their saber or learn how to parry or dodge that of their partners then they simply weren't cut out to live.

Once they landed, Zlova stood beside her feline companion as the ramp fell. Unlike Talohn, however, Zlova wore lighter leathers and fabrics to help absorb blaster fire and environmental dangers. Heavy armor wasn't in her repertoire. While the Cathar would demonstrate a means of compensating for the weight, a Sith Warrior usually preferred to use their abilities to lay waste to enemies and not counterbalance a handicap. In fact, sometimes no armor at all was best. If you couldn't survive without wearing a tank then what good were you?

Present company excluded, of course. Mandalorians were Mandalorians; wearing a tank was part of their culture much like not wearing one was often a Sith's. Besides, beskar armor helped them survive dropping through a planet's atmosphere -- no complaints.

Zlova kept her blades off until they were well in sight of the enemy. Granted they closed that distance instantly, but the point was to let your opponent see you coming, mentally shift gears, think they were prepared, and then ignite your saber to tell them 'no, you are not.' And in her case, she'd ignite two sabers fanned out to either side for that extra evolutionary 'I am bigger than you, I am better than you, and I am going to kill you' look.

While capable of speed herself, the Twi'lekl accompanying the Cathar didn't move at full speed once they crossed the encampment threshold. They could play 'who killed the most' later. Today she was interested in keeping an eye on Talohn to see how he was with a saber. Admittedly to also make sure he didn't get himself killed as his own movements lacked any attempt to block or deflect any fire directed at him. Dodging, however, was perfectly acceptable. Nice to see she wouldn't need to screen him the entire time.

She might have made sure to catch an errant blaster here or there just to make sure it didn't get him. Especially long distance ones. In time she'd understand the limits of his battle sense and be less apt to worry about his well being. Normally she wouldn't care either way, but he was good company and it would be a damn shame if he fell because of a lucky shot.

As a professional dancer -- albeit largely erotic -- Zlova wove her own path through the camp quickly, but not so fast the eye couldn't keep up with her. Careful foot placement and the whirling of twin blades swept about her person as she moved along the ground. Twirling, spinning, hopping, and swaying she knocked the sad-sad offense aside to close the distance and cut down the moving targets.

"We could always assault a rogue Force Sensitive compound next time," Zlova responded over the comm. "Get that adrenaline pumping when your enemies can move as fast -- or faster than you can." Her golden rings darted in Talohn's direction as she smirked. Even a little conversation didn't slow down the rate in which she closed and dispensed with the living.

Both blades crossed before her and dropped another body. Sound from the tent they'd been guarding begged her to carefully draw the flap back. Within were huddled a small group of people with a mix of wide or shut eyes unaware of who was attacking or why. No smile touched her lips as she regarded them for a moment. A moment later she kicked the dropped weapon into the tent and then turned to resume the hunt on her own. Maybe they'd figure out something to do with themselves, or maybe they'd just sit there the whole time praying to some dear and fluffy lord. Mattered not, unless they tried to shoot her in which case their fate would be truly sealed.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"The jedi are so obsessed with peace, they lose the true meaning of it in the process. You know? It's a childish belief. The concept that there will one day be galaxy wide peace. But galaxy wide is not where peace is centered. It's in movie night, or parties, or well...Time spent enjoying yourself is time well spent. That is where piece is centered. The little things. Jedi detach themselves from the little things, and therefore lose the true concept of peace. Anyways." He waves a hand dismissively. "I'm getting too mushy. That's enough of that."

He notices her deadpan stare in regards to his words about the lightsaber, and then listens to her words intently. She'd used one more than he, so listening to her was the wise thing to do. "You'll certainly won't tire out as fast using a lightsaber, I'll wager? I've got a lot to learn, for sure. But I understand the science behind the blade enough to understand what I am and am not supposed to do. Considering how well it cuts, I'll wager part of it is letting the blade worry about the cutting, and you worry about the maneuvering. Putting a lot of strength into your blows seems useless unless against something that can actually block you. Is that....correct?" He asks, wondering if he was onto something with his hypothesis.

Once they were tearing their way through the enemy encampment, she would get ample time to see how he fights. It's certainly a bit peculiar, Not very similar to any of the lightsaber forms. There is no blocking involved, for one. On top of that, he always dodges wide, dashing backwards far from a blow before dashing forward back into the fray to cut down his foes. His style also seems to focus more on disabling the enemy, and dismemberment instead of lethal blows. He seems to adapted it well for combat against humanoids, but if one had to guess, he was using a catharese fighting style often used for hunting large beasts, as it contained all the trademarks of such a style. Those being wide dodges, and blows aimed to weaken and disable the enemy instead of going for a straight kill. Mind you, in this case, removal of the arm is a straight kill for humanoids, so it's all the same in the end.

However, at one point, he does break his pattern of using the lightsaber. His visor catches a glint in his peripheral vision, encircling it with a warning sign in his UI. A while back, he'd made a system to detect the glare of sniper scopes. He draws the stjolkk, his trusty slugthrower pistol, with his left hand as he spins about, firing off a shot into the darkness that flies about 5 feet or so over Zlova's head. A scream of pain can be heard, followed by a thud as a body hits the forest floor. He then, despite having a helmet on, pretends to blow a kiss to his sith companion. Eventually, their path of destruction leads them to be in close proximity once again. "Ehh. Depends on if the rogues are causing trouble. Dark jedi? Force using bandits? Sure. But if they're just sitting there, I see no point. No reason to beat someone into the floor cause they don't want to subscribe to a faction or religion, y'know? Lookin hot by the way. Almost enough to distract me." He notices a stray bolt fly her way, and does for her as she's done for him, though he doesn't use the saber. He reaches out, blocking the blaster fire with the beskar bracer on his forearm.

He notices Zlova toss a weapon to the prisoners. He'll dash over, peeking his head in, "You folks stay here in cover, take some shots if you're brave enough. But don't die. I've got some questions." By now, he turns about to continues alongside Zlova. "Alright, there's gotta be a boss, a camp leader, something." His visor scans about. By now, the pirates were playing the long game, going into the trees to ambush there. He activates the thermal vision on his helmet, allowing him to see any life signatures in the woods. He uses his lightsaber to point off to the left. "There's some climbing up the tree over that way."

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

"Ever tried to force the same poles of two strong magnets together? When the fields that contain the actual blades come into contact it's a similar effect. They repel one another. That's when your strength actually matters. Or when you're dealing with one of those annoying 'magical' lightsaber-resistant metal blades." Solid matter able to repel the strong magnetic field or extreme cutting power of the blade itself... seemed pretty damn magical even if it was of a scientific nature.


Amidst the slaver-scum, the Twi'lek didn't so much as flinch when Talohn let a bolt loose over her head. Five feet was a long way in a fire fight. Well, it was really the Force that told her the blast wouldn't hit her. Usual Sith cheating tactic. "Good shot." Which garnered a mimed kiss by the feisty feline. Zlova smirked in response with a glance cast in Talohn's direction. Nothing wrong with playing on the battlefield. Being serious was overrated.

The Twi'lek spun about to stand in front of the Mandalorian. Her left hand was behind his neck with the saber running along the length of her forearm, while her right arm hung at her side with the saber running up the backside of her arm. "Almost?" A fine tattooed brow lifted as she gazed into the helmet's visor. With a laugh she spun away to continue their assault. Dangerous? Waltzing into a slaver camp was 'dangerous.' There was no chance she'd 'accidentally' cut her Cathar or herself 'recklessly' hugging him with the blades active.

A short while later, after finding some 'innocent' captives, Zlova listened to Talohn's tactical assessment. Her head turned to the side in the direction he'd pointed. Both sabers fell back into the hilts as she attached them at the small of her back. Both hands shot out in the direction of the tree, her fingers grasping at the very air between them. A few seconds followed before the cracking sound of wood could be heard even from where they stood. "Think they know how to fly?" Zlova growled followed by a toothy grin as she sought to break the trunk at the base. Some might drop to run, but she'd happily have the rest smash into the ground.

"See any extravagent lodging? Probably where the leader is," she added after having a bit of fun with the tree.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Lightsaber resistant metal blades? You mean a beskad? I'm sure there are other lightsaber deflecting metals, but beskar is mainly what comes to mind. Freebird industries has phrik-a? It's pretty solid. I've never made anything with it though, It isn't exactly easy to get ahold of. I've been pondering getting a beskad. I would probably wield it better than a lightsaber, honestly, Not that I don't respect the lightsaber. It's just personal preference."

Talohn's battle sense seemed to allow him to be playful on the battlefield. In his mind, the universe had a rhythm, and he was dancing to it in order to serve his own needs. When you listen to the music, all became clear. Though he was more at home with real blades, he was making a good effort with the lightsaber, but he was fighting pirates. These fellows weren't trained warriors, but at least they were making good practice. With most of the camp cleared, and them looking for survivors, he watches Zlova throw her lightsabers into the trees to knock over where he had pointed out.

"Judging by the outline I'm getting, there's an ithorian over there. I bet if he screams loud enough with those super vocal cords, he could lau-" Then, a louder thud could be heard. Louder than the rest of those that hit the ground. "Damn....That would have been cool to see, too. Shame." He shakes his head. He then turns about to point at an area not far off. "I'm gonna assume it's the big tent. Big lodging for a big ego. The coward has probably fled by now, but hey, pirates collect shinies. Could be something worth while over there." With that said, he makes his way towards the tent.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

"Well, if you see his ship let me know," Zlova commented as she casually turned toward the tent. "I'll drop it straight out of the sky." The Twi'lek tilted her head back with a laugh. There was very little in the galaxy a little lightning couldn't fix. Not to mention how much fun it was to throw around.

As Talohn started for the tent, the red woman drifted a bit to one side where the ground seemed firmer. Barren rock cover in a thin layer of dirt. Both sabers slid back into her hands and ignited. A few spin and careful sweeps of the hand later a glyph of molten rock was left in her wake. "Something to remember me by," she explained as Zlova quickly joined the Cathar's side. Just a little mark a Sith had been there. Nothing so grand as poisoning the planet or making gold -- there was showing off and then there was just being full of yourself. Just something that would stand the test of time; which was more than they could say about this camp.

"We bringing those 'survivors,'" using the word loosely, "with us or broadcasting their location for someone else to pick them up?" Her ship wasn't a transport so if they were coming along Zlova hoped there weren't too many more present. Be a shame if only the strong managed to get a ride. Damn shame. How to arrange that... With a smile on her lips, Zlova looked over at Talohn. She wondered if he'd approve of determining who got a ride in such a manner. Seemed fairer than drawing straws or whatever the weak did for their chance at escape. If you survived fighting or killing to get on a ship you stood a better chance surviving out there among the stars than someone that held out their hands for 'charity.' The Sith were charitable -- in their way.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Wasn't there a guy who pulled a star destroyer out of the guy? Some vader apprentice or somethin? Madlad went on about it for a bit." He casually mentions the killer of stars while they look about for their next prey. "Apparently there's a lot of debate on whether or not he actually existed? With his existence invalidating the Skywalker's power and all that. It's a weird history situation." Willing to talk of history while in battle. He's such a nerd.

He looks back as she carves the sign into a stone, grinning slightly. "A parting gift? How sentimental." He teases. "The survivors? This camp has the stuff needed to survive now that the pirates are gone. If they manage to mess it up before help comes, that's on them. I'll call the authorities and give them the numbers for a tracking fob, leave it here. They'll get picked up. I'm not bringing a bunch of strangers on a ship with my kid." Not all victims were angels after all. The cathar was wise to realize such things. He certainly wouldn't be ok with what she's thinking. He understood and respected her belief about only the strong surviving, he himself was much more peaceful by nature. Though that's part of what made them able to get along, he had tolerance for people he enjoys talking to. One differing belief was no reason to destroy a friendship.

As they arrive at the entrance to the tent, he slices the curtain aside so he can step in with his defenses still up. That's when it happens. It's a fact of life that reaction time only goes so far, even with the force. The ringing of blasterfire echoes across the entire camp as the mounted turret activates, a hailfire of bullets raining down upon Talohn. Various catharese vulgarities can be heard on the comm line as he begins taking hits, metal ringing harsh on the ears as bullets impact the beskar, pushing him backwards as he rapidly moves the lightsaber around to deflect what he can. He bangs the pommel of his lightsaber on his left wrist, activating a wrist shield which he quickly transitions to using to block the blasterfire. Of course, even beskar couldn't survive sustained fire from a turret. Despite this, his reaction is interesting. The whole time he fumbles to activate the shield through blasterfire shining in his face, his first instinct is to position himself in front of Zlova since she isn't as well armored as him, giving her time to move into cover. It's only when she's moved from the turret's range that he activates his rocket boots, launching himself into the air to do a backflip as he lands behind a nearby pile of cargo crates. With them both in cover, he speaks over the comms. "I will not lie, that hurt a bit. Few of those shots slipped through armor gaps." He pauses, coughing a few times. The cough sounds deep, like he took a hit around the chest region. "So...here's the idea. I'll peek my head up when it overheats, and use thermals to see the exact position. They'll remain focused on me while I'm in their sights. When I tell you where they are, go around back and hit them from behind.

He peeks his head up and the turret starts up again, metal ringing as five shots quickly bounce off his helmet and he ducks back into cover. "Damn! I hate the fire rate on that thing! Prepping some smokes. Once these launch, you're up alright?" He questions his red companion. He takes a small gun from his satchel, strangely made. Seems like it shoots...pucks? He puts his hand up ever so slightly and fires them into the tent. Soon, the pucks explode, filling the area with a cloud of gray.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

"I heard a story like that once. Not really my Era." The Fall of the Galactica Republic may have been Palpatine's personal, crowning achievement and the height of his power, but in the grand scheme of things? Not that interesting. The Rule of Two really screwed with understanding the full breadth and depth of the Dark Side. No one shared anything -- as evidenced by Palpatine not leaving a whole lot behind for his successors. Because like any Emperor they thought they'd live forever. Who cared about those that followed?

At least the Old Republic had Sith willing to write things down. Sure, some of it had been outright lies designed to sabotage their enemies' pursuits, but if you believed everything you read or heard you were a fool. To learn how to discern the falsehoods from the truths was an instrumental skill. One very few bothered to teach. Thus why the galaxy was full of cowards and fools.

Thankfully the Cathar had no plans to bring the survivors along. Better that way. Let a bleeding heart spend their time and resources on the people. Zlova didn't sense a Force Sensitive among them so they weren't even interesting on that level.

As for sentimentality, it appeared Talohn had that in spades. The red Twi'lek was forced to restrain herself as the blaster fire flew when the Mandalorian stepped in front of her. Bad habits for a caring soul. Obviously part of why he had a Catfish for a daughter -- being kind hearted on some level -- and yet that same sort of selflessness was what got people killed, and why Sith didn't espouse it as a strength like Jedi might. Beskar could take a beating, but it wasn't impervious.

Admittedly -- though a Sith would rarely say it aloud -- even a Force User could only deflect so many blaster bolts. You could only spin a weightless blade of plasma so quickly. Even droids had an upper limit.

Zlova ducked to the side to find cover to get her bearings, and hoped Talohn would excise himself from an otherwise lethal situation with the 'need' to stand there removed. Even a coldblooded Sith -- which she was not -- should recognize two warriors on a battlefield conferred a benefit. Though there were some fools that thought they could take an army on all by their self; and such people were quickly excised from the galaxy for their foolhardiness.

Her golden eyes narrowed slightly in the Cathar's direction when he spoke next. Upbeat even when he was shot. A genuine personality trait then; difficult to maintain one's stage face when so stricken.

"Always." When wasn't she ready to launch into battle? Not that Talohn had been asking so much as affirming a plan a second or two before initiating it. No need to dawdle making sure.

When the smoke curtain dropped, Zlova bolted from around her cover. Both sabers clicked together forming a staff in one hand as the smoke enveloped her figure. Where they stood was more a mystery to her than it had been Talohn. That hardly mattered. Fingers unwrapped about the staff enough to direct a wave of invisible energy at the goons to knock them back and off their feet. Something to occupy them in the seconds it would take to dispense with their greatest tactical advantage.

Which was faster to react? A Pirate Boss pivoting a turret cannon to track a moving target out of an opaque cloud, or a Sith lifting their hand? Energy crackled to life and lit up her side of the cloud as it shot forth into the turret and the one wielding it. Zlova stood fast and poured a constant stream of raw power into the assault. It was more fun to watch your victim squirm or dance on their feet under the barrage. She continued pouring power into it far longer than was at all necessary, of course. An example must be made.

Golden orbs turned toward the thugs as they thought to rise. The black ink that adorned Zlova's body seemed to thicken and covered more of her ruby skin. A stray lance of lightning knocked out the nearest light sources to allow her radiant, golden eyes to shine. A moment later the lightning stopped sizzling in the air to allow the Boss to collapse behind a silent turret.

Whatever happened next, the pirates weren't going to escape alive. How they died was up to them. Any Talohn didn't cut down next she'd gladly crush. She was in the mood.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

The cathar did step in front of her to keep her alive, knowing one can only deflect bolts so fast. Though more reasons were behind him doing so than just a bleeding heart. He had to admit, he quite preferred Zlova alive, and that certainly was a reason. But the goal was to get out of this mission alive, both of them. He knew he could take such sustained fire, there was a chance she could not. Thus he acted upon the alternative that he believed was most likely to keep them both alive. After all, he needed her for the next step, and two warriors on the battlefield were supposed to have eachother's backs. His ancestors would spit upon him if he abandoned a comrade. This wasn't the jedi's need to defend others at the expense of themselves, this was an action done out of mutual respect for a warrior. He'd never brag about the fact that he jumped into oncoming fire. Only idiots did that, but he doesn't mind being an idiot if they both walk out of this alive.

After launching off the smokes and calling out to Zlova, he watches her dart off, keeping an overview of the situation with his thermals. With the thermals on, he might as well have been hit with a flashbang considering what happened next. The warmth of force lightning lit up his entire vision. "Holy Hell, making yourself some dinner over there?" He asks over the comms. Having recovered from the initial lightshow, he peeks out of cover with his pistol, and loud gunshots as projectiles leave the gun echo throughout the forest. He always preferred projectiles over bolts or lasers. He fires at the men standing furthest from Zlova, that 14mm handcannon easily blowing entire chunks out of people's heads and torsos, each shot hitting like a sledgehammer. Meanwhile, the turret user Zlova hit with lighting continued to be shocked, until the lighting travelled into the turret, setting off the fuel cells. This makes the turret explode, turning the man into a fine red mist, much to the screaming horror of the men nearest to the red sith, who were likely to be dead by her as well soon after. With Talohn shooting those out of her melee range, that left Zlova to handle the ones closest to her without worry.

Save for one final fool who sprints out of the tent, charging Talohn with a vibroknife, out of desperation and madness. If Zlova has her sights on the fellow, Talohn gestures for her to stand down as he vaults over the crates, allowing the rodian to get within fighting range. The man goes for a backhanded overhead stab. Talohn forms an X over his head with his arms, catching the knife. He then moves his left hand slightly, grabbing the rodian's wrist as he quickly pulls the knif downwards and inwards, shoving it straight into the attacker's gut all within the same split second. Right after that, just as the rodian tries to backpedal away, the lightsaber is ignited as Talohn pulls it from it's spot on his middle back, one clean horizontal swing removing the rodian's head.

"Gotta say, your beauty was blinding." He states to Zlova. "Like, literally. Had my thermals on when you got out the force lightning." If she gets closer, he reaches to wipe some of that bloody mist off of her cheek, "You've got something uh...everywhere?" He chuckles

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova didn't respond to Talohn's whimsical quip. Nor did she flinch at the explosion that soon dispatched and dispersed one of the former-living among them. She did close her eyes, but only so the blood didn't get in them -- that was such an unnecessary pain. Despite what some believed or said, not all pain was 'good' pain. Not that being blinded momentarily would hinder, but she wasn't here to show off.

The saberstaff whirled and deflected a bolt before the Twi'lek extended her free hand toward its owner. A sharp, simple gesture twisted the head unnaturally. A second bolt was then reflected into the third former-living creature nearby that would have joined in on the fun.

The second soul was soon lifted off the ground where they found their limbs unresponsive to their commands. Held still, the red woman threw her blades forth. They spun vertically end over end as they sailed forth. Their momentum came to a dead halt just far enough from the body so the burning plasma could work on the flesh. It only took a second before the whirling blades of woe drew back to their owner's grasp and the bodily halves were discarded to the ground.

Laughter followed the scene before the mirth was wiped from her expression in an instant. A sigh followed. More of her crimson flesh became visible once more as her golden eyes turned in the Cathar's direction. As the blades deactivate, Zlova slid them back into their place at the small of her back. "Well, that was fun." Casually, the Twi'lek lifted a hand to mime brushing a lekku over her shoulder. "Shame there weren't more of them." She strode toward Talohn, but would refrain from getting the blood on his fur. "They weren't a challenge, but it's not often I get to play." Wholesale slaughter was rarely favored even in the Confederacy. Oh, sometimes it was acceptable. Often whenever 'let loose' was the commandment, however, there was ten to thirty other people present, which was not conducive to Zlova enjoying herself. Too many allied bodies present.

"It's the armor, isn't it?" Certainly couldn't be the blood-red skin and blacker-than-night tattoos that let him see 'something everywhere.' Oh, the survivors probably wouldn't approve if they saw. But when did Zlova care about such things?

"Are you alright?"

Tag: Talohn Atar