Ever Resilient

[Venris Helion]

[member="Mallory Pryde"]

Venris drew out two of his knives and threw one, scoring a hit in the exposed throat of one of the surviving men and then managed to weave in behind another while cutting his throat. The rogue snatched up the man's rifle as he fell to the ground and levelled it at the surviving attackers. "Hold it!" They froze stiff, eyes wide with fright after witnessing the execution of their comrades.

"Alright gentlemen," Venris released a breath. "Pop Quiz, anybody who passes gets to walk home alive. Why have you attacked us?"

"It-it was just a job," One man replied in a shaky voice. "We were paid."

"By who? Who would want us dead?" Venris demanded.

"Not both of you...just you," The man answered.

"He didn't tell us his name, just gave us a bunch of credits and told us where to find you, said he'd have more if we brought you back dead." A second member of the four surviving attackers spoke up.

"Describe him to me, now!" Venris barked.

"Pale skin! Black hair and uh...yellow eyes." The first man quickly summarized what he remembered.

That description was vague...but to Venris it triggered certain memories. He shook his head and glared at the group. "...run." He said in a low voice before shouting. "RUN!" The men scrambled away as Venris fired several shots into the ground.

Dropping the gun, Venris let out a breath. "...good thing they didn't call my bluff....couldn't hit the broad side of a Bantha with one of these." He sighed and looked towards Ivy and the pile of bodies surrounding her. "You alright?" He held out one hand and called his lightsaber back into his waiting grasp.

 

[renegade solstice]

Allowing her muscles to relax as she sensed the fear from the men, she took more a reserved stance and then watched as they inevitably scurried away while making a mental note of their features, and weapons... most likely paid hunters.
foolish mercs her mind rasped as she focused on his words.

We should never have allowed them to flee, bad for business she said in a more discernible and malicious tone and then corrected herself while allowing the rush and high to fade.


She then released her grip on the secondary weapon and looked to him I'm fine, thanks she said and then deactivated her own weapon and returned it to her hip while pushing her senses out ensuring there would be no more surprises.

[member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Mallory Pryde"]

"Perhaps," Venris shrugged. "I'm told that my sense of fair play can be a little...inconvenient at times, but those men are simply hired thugs who will now be able to spread word around Tortuga to not cause either of us any trouble. You'll find that letting some enemies live can have its benefits." He straightened his coat out and looked over at the young girl with increasing interest. "You held your own very competently, even managed to quickly adapt using two blades at once....tell me, Ivy, who trained you in how to use the Force? In how to wield a lightsaber?"

 

[renegade solstice]

No one she quickly stated as she continued to let go of the high and aggressive side of her adrenaline fueled superiority.

Looking back at him she smirked and then glared for a moment studying him more.. I must be going, spent way too much time mixed in with the refuse of galactic sewage she said as she activated something on her hip and then placed it in her ear and answered a call from someone while walking off and disappearing down the dark streets of Tortuga.

[member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Mallory Pryde"]

Venris let her go, not seeing any point in badgering her for any more information. He began to make his way back to the Red Beard Tavern that the crew had claimed upon their first day in Tortuga...after beating the ever loving daylights out of the previous owners during a nasty bar fight. It had improved visibly since they had taken over management, being better compared to the average dive in this town.

He sight as he sat down at the counter and let a droid pour him a glass of tasteless liquid that passed for fine liquor on this planet, his thoughts focused on the girl, Ivy. She reminded him of when he had been younger, more...impulsive, aggressive, etc. In a way...she also reminded him of how wrong things could go at a moment's notice. What if she wound up biting off more than she could chew as he did? What if she was the one who wound up nursing mental scars for a decade before having the courage to pick up a lightsaber again, much less make one of her own?

Venris sighed and shook his head, trying to get her out of his head. She was gone anyways...gone and no longer his problem.

 

[renegade solstice]

Walking down the back alleys of the city she was in, most likely the only city the entire planet had she ended the call and looked for somewhere to lay low for the night when she caught a glimpse of a lit sign, Red Beard Cantina. she glared against the faint light and began to walk toward it.


Moments later she entered the front door to a more welcoming odour and sight, not many riffraff and definitely more quiet. Good to know she wont be committing to an act of mass homicide here, she smirks and then makes her way to the bar.. the far end, away from most anyone and seated herself when she zeroes in on a familiar sense.


Her eyes darted across the bar where the hooded male rested, she smirked when the bar keep came over and asked for her order
Bloody Mary she replied and he looked at her like she was entirely insane and then shrugged and staggered off.

[member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Mallory Pryde"]

Venris had been lifting his drink to his lips when he felt her enter the bar. Once she made her order he set his glass down and spun around on his stool, staring at Ivy with an expression that hid any kind of surprise, shock, anger, or satisfaction he may have felt at seeing her again.

"We have to stop meeting like this," He joked as he rose to his feet. "My wife will start getting suspicious...or she would if she existed in the first place. What brings you to the only halfway decent dive in Tortuga?"

 

[renegade solstice]

Looking at him she grinned and then had her drink delivered, the bar keep was really starting to piss her off.. he almost acts as if he never saw a woman before, or one as kewt as she is.

Looking at him she sipped and then sat back with swagger and then rested her feet on the bar counter.. Ain't needed for another 24 hours, so don't got nothing to do.. I take it your not exactly here for the entertainment value she stated and then joked.

[member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Mallory Pryde"]

"I'm here because I'm one of the owners," Venris replied, picking up his glass again and grimacing as he downed what was left of its contents. "If I had my way though there'd be better drinks. We won this tavern from the previous owners...put most of them in an i fir ary in the process, some of them wound up in the ground."

He let the bartender take his glass and stood up. "You know, you never did give me an answer to my earlier offer." He reminded Ivy. "You have an aptitude for combat, but it's rough and untempered. I'd be willing to help you improve."

 

[renegade solstice]

Grinning mischievously Ivy studied him for a moment and then took her feet off the bar counter and sat more straight, she focused her mind and put her attention to a medium sized object.. a chair and activated her levitation.. nothing really happened, other than the chair being lifted a foot or two upward and immediately dropped.

let's just say a low midi-chlorian count was not the only burden my snatch of a mother left me with before she abandoned me as a newborn on a backwards world. she stated with anger and malice in her mouth, but also a sadness that allowed her true nature to show.. and possibly a reason for her aggression and bloodlust.

But it makes sense if you consider the options, my only powerful abilities I have were those gifted by the force.. which aren't many and only one is a combat related one she commented and then rose as if she held a weight upon her shoulders.

But yea.. its all a struggle and a game of survival it seems

[member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Mallory Pryde"]

Given enough time Venris could hear a similar tale ten thousand times in his travels, and he had over the last decade with minor variations. He raised one hand and the chair slid over to him, positioning itself just in time for him to sit down on it.

"And it's a game that you don't have to partake in alone," He pointed out. "I'm offering to help you. I won't try any Master/Padawan nonsense like the Jedi would, but I see a lot of potential in you that just needs to be tapped, and I'm offering to help you do that. With a little training and focus you could take on a group thrice the size of the one we just took out without my assistance, and it old give me the opportunity to dust off some of my own talents." He telekinetically pulled a recently filled glass into his hand and took a sip. "...what do you say, Ivy?"

He held out his free hand. "Partners?"

(I'm on my iPad at the moment, that's why Venris' speech is normal colored now.)

 

[renegade solstice]

Watches him she grins and looks to the bottles of expensive alcohol and parted the strands of hair that fell over her face and held out her hand, seconds later a bottle of scotch broke through the mirrored case and flew into her hand, she glared at him and began to walk away in thought.

After several moments she turned back to him and opened the bottle and took a large swig and then spoke up Whats your angle? she asked with pure skepticism, everyone seems to want or need something.

[member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Mallory Pryde"]

"Beyond my own personal interest in your particular situation?" Venris asked rhetorically. "Im not doing this strictly out of the goodness of my heart, yet I won't ask any favours, payments or debts..." He downed the contents of his glass. "I'm offering because you're a shoddy Soresu user, which basically means you're a corpse that is still walking until somebody lands a killing shot like I could have done, and a little training could make you into an amazing Soresu user and save your life. It's simple as that."

 

[renegade solstice]

chuckling at his inclination she lacked the skill for soresu, she downed half the bottle of scotch and then put the cap back on and set it down.

Yew wanna rumble cowboy, let's go then pretty boi..

She stated as she felt the effect of the alcohol known as liquid courage, and adopted a more dominant look.. her entire life had been one struggle after another, many told her she would not succeed and they either died or wound up being proven wrong.

[member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Mallory Pryde"] l

Venris sighed, setting his own glass down. "Are you seriously going to fight me because I criticized your skill?" He gestured to her arms that bore the cuts from their duel. "If I hadn't pulled back I'd have cut your arms clean off, or worse. If you want to be a Soresu user then you need to be able to be in the eye of the storm during battle both figuratively and literally." He pulled up his hood. "Maybe I can show you what I mean. Go ahead if you so desire....hit me."

 

[renegade solstice]

Stopping for a moment and just staring him down with a watchful and studying eye she just stood there, not out of cowardice but due to the fact she wasn't stupid.. well not much anyway.


Pulling the dark energies to her body she allowed them to fuel her for a moment and then used a force throw to hurl a nearby chair at him just to see what he would do.. merely a test, and not the start of the fight.

[member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Mallory Pryde"]

Venris spun, pivoting on one leg just as the chair reached him and causing it to fly past him until he grabbed one of the legs, swung it back around and planted it firmly back on the floor, pressing down against it to keep the chair in place. "If you'd prefer we can do this with a live blaster, then I'd probably be able to show you a few things like I promised." He said, cracking a grin at her.

 

[renegade solstice]

Grinning enthusiastically she focused the darkside around her and lifted her hand up in a claw form and decided it was time to toy with this instructor of hers, this would be so much fun,,,


Smirking she sent a small bottle from the top shelf flying at him, right after she sent a second and aimed it lower and right at him.. if any of these hit he would either have a headache in the morning, or be out of breathe immediately after the impact.. but nothing was a definite.

[member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Mallory Pryde"]

Venris spun out of the way of the first bottle and shot one hand out, snatching it in mid flight and examining the label. "Huh...didn't know they had this-" He cursed and dodged out of the way...unfortunately the second bottle struck the first and shattered both, spilling the contents all over the floor.

"Awww come on! I spend months looking for a decent drink and the moment I find one literally thrown into my hands you go and smash it?" Venris complained to Ivy. "You are either going to be a very great student or I'll kill the both of us within a month, I can already tell we're on one of those two paths."

 

[renegade solstice]

She chuckled and then stopped with throwing bottles at him and focused her mind, she then began to close the distance between them quickly as she tore her shotoh off her belt, regarding him with a stone cold glare she used levitation on a nearby table, nearby to him and jumped toward him in an attempt to force him into making last minute preparations for a rapid encounter.

[member="Venris Helion"]