Private Enter The (Krayt) Dragon, Pt. 2

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan, Katherine, and Braze , along with the man they had rescued earlier, Kolin, walked to what remained of the woodlands on Ord Antalaha, towards the hidden entrance to this "Sith Distillery" with it's odd, bizarre recipes for "Spirit Liquor"

Nathan was more worried for Braze than he showed. That Drunk Sith (Who Nathan was starting to have serious doubts that he was actually drunk) had brutally kicked Nathan's ass, a fact that the creature he was bonded to, Syd Celsius, was occasionally giving mild chuckles of amusement now in his head to his chagrin.

"He had the advantage of surprise when we faced him the first time. But we have more information. I also think now might be a good time to try and use some of his strategies as also. Not by getting sloshed, mind you, but imitation of certain movement patterns of his. Like that Drunk sway...it seemed pretty useful to evade our blows at the last second."

"Are you two going to kill him? There must be a better way..." Katherine suggested.

"Every effort will be made to apprehend him non lethally..." Nathan affirmed, trying to set a good example for Braze. Or, at least, not a bad one. Because that was the last thing he wanted, watching Braze pick up too much of Nathan's outlook. He liked the kid. That's why he was going to make sure they brought their target in with as little lethal force as possible...

"So Braze, you a betting sort?" Katherine wondered. "Whatcha wanna bet that you bring this Sith in alive?"

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Nathan Bloodscrawl

"I only kill people who try to kill me," Braze chirped lightly, his tone casual yet firm.

"I like bets, but... I dunno if it's right for me to bet on someone's life. Seems a bit... uncivilized and uncouth, unless it were my own life I was betting on. Especially if I might have a hand in killing them by circumstances. It doesn't really sit right with me. Jedi aren't supposed to be judge, jury, and executioner. We're here to sort out what's happening with other people who are as talented and gifted as we are, who might use those gifts for nefarious ends," Braze explained, his voice thoughtful.

"I'm uncertain Jedi would have the role they do in the galaxy if others could stand against Force users on the same footing that we can. It's a role born, in my mind at least, out of necessity," he continued, reflecting on the unique responsibilities and challenges they faced. "So, while I enjoy a good wager, this isn't the kind I'd want to make. Let's just focus on bringing this Sith in alive and seeing justice done the right way."

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

"Good answer!" Nathan praised, in a very slight break from his normal, straight to business tone. "And besides, if you're gonna gamble

20 creds says it's a gorefest before the day is over he heard Syd taunt in the back of his head.

GO TO HELL. GO DIRECTLY TO HELL. he replied before cutting her off again, though he couldn't truly stop her from observing.

"Eh, I suppose. It's just that in my experience, you rarely bring the crazy types in alive...I mean, it's practically a meme at this point how few Sith get brought in..." Katherine remarked.

She blinked.

"It reminds me of something I heard an old Jedi turned bounty hunter say once: You only know whether or not a suspect is being brought in alive in the first three seconds..."

"Everyone!" Kolin hissed, pointing at a rock edifice carved like an archway.

"We're here!" he said, heading up to it...

"What do you suppose it is? It's guarding the actual to entrance to the cave..."

Katherine chose to take the opportunity to educate Braze

"Braze, would you do me a favor and stretch your senses out? Don't try to force it to do anything. Just give your first impressions..."

Nathan folded his arms, wanting to observe how Braze handled this...

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Nathan Bloodscrawl

Braze perked up at the praise, seemingly responding very well to it.

He paused as Kolin shouted. "Maybe try to be a little quieter, perhaps? If he's somehow passed out in a drunken stupor, I wouldn't want to wake him," Braze suggested gently rather than in a scolding manner.

"I suppose I could try." He moved to take off his gloves and set a hand on the ground. He had a strange development with the Force, where touching things and people made him hyper-sensitive. He'd try psychometry first, then he would reach out with his Force sense to determine what was up ahead. Perhaps he could get a feel for what had happened here recently.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

What would hit Braze first and most notably was a strong miasma of suffering at the very edge. The feeling of being ordered to do something you knew was horrible and wrong, but had no choice in the matter.

Katherine felt it also, as did Nathan.

Braze would likely see images of the Drunken Sith doing a stupid, silly looking jig, while occasionally barfing and farting in an incredibly violent manner to the side while the villagers he had kidnapped mindlessly be walking inside.

Katherine covered her nose, wanting to be sick as she herself partly perceived the psychic vision.

"How the hell can I smell the broken winds and the puke?" Katherine complained, coughing.

Nathan for his part, whistled as he went up to the entrance. Spotting a Rune trap, he pulled out a pistol and shot it at it's weakpoint, disabling it.

"Why is it always caves?" he complained dryly. "These Sith Bastards always pick the worst, most isolated places to build this crap. Never anywhere simple, with a Turbolift or even safety railings. No, it's just 'Here, let me build this ridiculously complex facility in the middle of nowhere! I got a billion creds to blow, and I'm gonna make it a good old fashioned Death Trap'."

"I know, right?" Once, just once I'd like to run into a Sith who wasn't crazy enough to do anything more than build an underground spa. Or a bakery! You never hear of Sith bakeries!"

"Please tell me you are joking..." Nathan said to Katherine.

"I'm dead fethin' serious...It'd be the greatest gag ever!" Katherine asserted. "You go to all that trouble of finding a big, evil secret layer, and it's just nothing sinister on the inside. It would be a pure troll move to archeologists and grave robbers."

"It's enough the Sith made a freaking distillery..." Nathan replied before turning to Kolin.

"You've been a big help. But what's awaiting us is too dangerous, and you have already been lucky once today...I wouldn't press it if I was you. Go and wait for us close to the bunker we found you. If you don't hear from us in an hour, contact whatever authority you can to get you in contact with the Jedi. Tell them what we found here."

Kolin nodded. "No problem. I still owe you two! Good hunting!"

Kolin nodded to Braze and Katherine before walking off.

"So what exactly do you feel, Braze? What did your psychometry reveal? Any traps ahead?" Nathan asked.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Nathan Bloodscrawl

Braze felt the intense wave of suffering and regret emanating from the rock edifice, the images of the Drunken Sith's antics intermingling with the villagers' misery. He shuddered but remained focused, determined to use his abilities for good.

"There's a strong sense of suffering here, people being forced to do terrible things. I saw the Drunken Sith, behaving erratically... It's disturbing. I didn't detect any more traps beyond the one Nathan disabled, but we should stay cautious. Let's move carefully and remember our goal: bring him in alive and seek justice the right way."