Public Fate Under the Twin Suns

[Tamsin Graves]

Bestine, Tatooine​

Scrubbed clean, shaved, perfumed, and made up like a little princess doll. Red lips glistened in the twin suns of Tatooine as she marched up onto the stage in front of a large crowd led by large Gamorrean. In comparison the pig man she was a beauty queen on her average of cleaning out the cages in Blougah the Hutts personal Zoo.

Her heart started to pound, and her eyes widened as she saw the large crowd gathered in the Bestine square. She had never seen such a densely packed crowd in her life made up of so many bizarre species of galaxy. All the colors of the spectrum on display yelling and arguing at each other. It seemed like a stampede ready to rage on. Yet as she watched with her dark eyes, she could see the order of what seemed like pure chaos.

Fear set into her heart as she knew what was coming next as voice boomed forth. "Up next is one Blougah the Hutts stock. A very fine human woman, well we assume human she has no registration papers." The Toydarian auctioneer let out a little chuckle at that "That should bring up her value a bit as even if she escaped, she has nowhere to run too." Letting another hefty chuckle thinking himself a comedian.

"She is young, Blougah says somewhere around eighteen cycles. He used her primarily for maid-like duties. Claims she is undefiled. Also has some mechanical aptitude and listens well. Granted she is a bit small so not suited for the hardest of labors. With that we will start the bidding at fifteen thousand credits. Since she is a good listener perhaps you could teach her a few new tricks." He laughed again and looked out to the crowd that somewhat quieted and waited for the first mark to post.

Tamsin kept her red lips tight, her eyes still wide and her heart pounding with fear. She only barely remembered the day she had been sold to Blougah at the age of five. She knew it had been a man who sold her, she didn't know who he was or exactly why he sold her. She knew from rumor that the one who sold her was on the run from someone and perhaps Blougah offered to hide him.

Yet now here she was around eighteen and Blougah was selling her, most could guess why but no one spoke it out loud. Eyes of the crowd were now leering on her. Beady creepy eyes from all manor of aliens and weirdos. It was in that moment that Tasmin knew her life was over, it wasn't great under Blougah but at least it had been fairly predictable. Now the worst fate imaginable could happen.

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto was on tatooine for business more than anything else. Looking for old ships and parts from before the fall of the republic. as tatooine had been apart of the Great hyperspace war several millennia ago, he had participated in the battle, and so it was only natural that he had come back, if not to pay his respects to the dead than to try and find something worth salvaging.

It was by pure accident that Laphisto had happened among the slave market. or so he thought, when he stumbled against the crown he rumbled to himself ear pinning on his head in frustration. His eyesight getting the better of him. With a rumble, he pushed the force against his eyes, seeing through the force and peering into the crowd before letting his eyes settle on the girl on the stage. A force sensitive? Way out here and in such an unfortunate predicament

Laphisto's jaw clenched. It wasn't his place to intervene in the laws of this backwater planet, at least not directly. Disrupting the auction or cutting down the guards might cause more harm than good. The last thing he wanted was to leave the girl on the run for the rest of her life, hunted as a fugitive. Instead, he decided on a different course of action, one that wouldn't draw unwanted attention.

Moving to the back of the crowd, his arms crossed over his chest, he waited in the stillness, calculating. The auctioneer's voice droned on, and as the bidding began, Laphisto raised his hand. A Force-sensitive was a rare find, and more importantly, the girl's freedom was worth far more than the credits being thrown around. If he had to pay to secure it, so be it.

At least this way, she had a chance at something better. he stood imposing at seven foot eight, with battle worn armor and the handle and cross guard of what looked to be the bottom half of a Vibrosword minus the blade mag locked to his hip "sixteen thousand credits"

Tamsin Graves

 

[Tella Voland]

Sitting in a chair beneath the awning of a small cafe, a diminutive woman with white hair, blue eyes and dark robes observed the ruckus of the slave auction, what little could be seen of her face indicating a disgusted expression. She had not intended to come here today, her business on Tatooine being something else for her mother, but the tingling sense in the Force had led her here, and it had not taken her long to see why. A young, distressed woman strong with Force potential, broadcasting, likely unintentionally, her position for those attuned and looking.

The opposite of what Tella had learned to do, to become completely invisible to those searching in the Force except for those who had the highest level of skill in Force Sense, although there were limits to what she could do without making herself obvious. Passive observation, and, increasingly since she had focused on it during her period of her exile, small to moderate acts of Force use. Little more than that would need to be done today…if others deigned not to interfere. If they did, she had more than a few tricks up her sleeve.

I hate slavers. Mother hated them too, even before what they did to her.

She glanced over at Laphisto, whom she had not met personally but who had been in the Empire of the Lost’s intelligence files even when her mother was in power and whom she had studied. He was not really trying to hide his presence either, which made it easy to pick him out in the crowd. Lilaste Order. Not the worst fate for the girl, but she frowned beneath her hood at him being willing to play this sick game of purchasing beings against their own free will. She and her mother had always taken stronger stances against such things. To actually give them credits, no matter how noble, perpetuated the practice, rewarded them. Something she was not going to do.

And we need more men and women in our camp than you do, Laphisto. So forgive me for what I am going to do. This auction has to be canceled before she is sold, and then we can look to freeing the

She had spent a bit of time analyzing the old and rickety infrastructure that was present even in the capital of Bestine, Tatooine being a backwater. And spotted more than a few interesting opportunities. A small, rickety water tower held together only by a few small, rusty support structures. Fraying electrical cables. A few gas pipes that already had minor leaks. A little push here, a little push there, and chaos would reign over the auction, and hopefully kill a few of the slavers without touching any of the slaves if she was careful.

The water tower first, onto the auctioneer himself, she decided.

Reaching out with one small hand through the Force, it was easy enough for her to snap the already rusty support structure on the nearby roof, and give it a small nudge towards the Toydarian auctioneer. The reservoir tank was poised to fall directly on him, likely killing or crippling him for life, and although the water would likely splash more than a few of the residents and slaves when it cracked, little harm would be done due to its comparatively modest size. The local crowd would also likely scatter all about trying to grab some of the free water before it drained away due to its already high price. If that did not end the auction enough for the slaves to be returned to where it was easier to free them, she had other options.

 

[Kaila Irons]

Kaila had only been on Tatooine for a few days, but god did she hate the place. It wasn't even the course sand that got into everything she owned- she had grown familiar with living rough and on the move- it was the way that Tatooine seemed utterly untamable. The Confederacy tried to bring infrastructure here, the Mandalorians attempted to bring law and order with an iron fist, and every time someone tried to make a difference, the hive of scum and villainy thrived even still.

In another life, she might have respected it. Respected a place that refused to abide any law but it's own, a place that refused to die.

But then she was reminded what that chaos brought to the common people. People who, in her own way, she related to. People who had been robbed of agency.

The Jedi tried to say that the force and it's will were a benevolent thing, that it brought peace, that it's influence over the destiny of all living things wassomething to accept and to live in harmony with. So then why is that everywhere she looked, people seemed destined only to suffer?

Kaila had not come here to free slaves. In fact her being here was a small part of a much larger plan to free herself from servitude. She was finishing a meeting with a Haxion Brood informant of hers when the auction began, the slaver's voice drawing her attention as she passed some credits off to her employee for a job well done. It wasn't until she wandered closer that she realized what was happening.

Standing a short distance from the back of the crowd, that faceless mask stared up at the young woman on stage.

They looked... terrified.

It was a look Kaila had given her master many times when she was a mere Acolyte some years ago. The look of someone trying to piece together an uncertain future, only to conclude with the worst possible outcome. Their signature in the force was equally off-putting in it's similarities; for it felt as if someone, or something was bound to her.

In all the worst ways, It was like looking in a mirror.

She was too distracted to notice Laphisto who would likely recognize her duel presence in the force as she wandered by, Her traveling cloak and war-skirt making her appear like a dark spirit or omen as she passed with an absentminded grace, as if she were being drawn to the girl by an unseen tether. Fitting, given the source of her powerful signature.

Don't do it Kaila...​

This is wrong...

Don't compromise the mission...​

Them what is the point of this power?

But what if he finds out?​

​

Her fist clenched, leather audibly straining as her wary approach became a purposeful march. What would she do when she reached the front of the crowd? Would she bid? Would she lash out against the slavers? Would she simply grab the girl and run? She wasn't even sure, drawing on pure emotion as she had been trained to do for so long.

She didn't hear the draconic man start the bidding war or the roar of the crowd, nor did she even notice Tella Voland preparing to tear down the water tower. She simply stared at the girl, trying to hold herself back so that she wouldn't do something they might both regret.

But then she saw the tower fall in her peripheral.

"No!" Suddenly she reached out, forming a translucent sphere around the girl.

The tower thankfully did not land atop the girl, her magical shield serving little purpose beyond keeping her dry as the water passed over them both and into the crowd.

She had needlessly revealed herself to the world, and to the girl perhaps. It was now or never.


Tamsin Graves Laphisto Tella Voland

 

[Tamsin Graves]

A heavy lump in her throat gulped back as the first caller yelled out sixteen thousand. The caller a large man clad in armor. She had to wonder what a man like that would have need of her for, she didn't want to imagine it. She looked at the man as the Toydarian auctioneer called out.

"We have sixteen thousand. Sixteen, Sixteen, Sixteen, do I hear a Seventeen for this pretty little thing."

As he called out the bid and asked for the next, Tasmin's eyes shifted slightly to the side pulling away from the giant that was Laphisto . She heard it or it called to her she wasn't sure which, but she heard the very faintest of cracking. Her side glance went to the water tower not so far away from the stage and the crowd.

Her left hand in bonds twitched slightly, the twitch moved up her arm as the large Gamorrean behind her set his hand on her shoulder. Tamsin looked up slightly at the pig man as he sneered down at her. In her life she had come across many moments when her life was in danger, but she always managed to survive. In this moment like those times words flashed in her mind this time the words were Game and Win. A riddle to survive the situation at hand.

It was but a moment and then chaotic flood waters breached forth as if from the phantom Abyss. The water tower cracked and waned creaking loudly and then snapping free into fall. The Gamorrean broke his hand free of Tamsin and ran for the auctioneer as the tower broke free. The tower began to shed its waters as it crumbled and shattered. Water poured down on the stage and across down into the front of the crowd like a tsunami taking people off their feet. Shards of the tower splintered out into the crowd shrapnel hitting both the wicked and innocent alike in those crowded.

Tamsin watched on as the waters seemingly flowed around her as the carnage ensued. One of the main bows holding up the water tower smashed and with a hard crunch of crushed bone and snapped neck the Gamorrean fell dead as the Toydarian auctioneer was violently shoved out of the way just to be knocked away by the water flowing forth.

Those dark eyes of Tamsin's caught the glimmer off the visor of the helmeted figure through the wave of water that shed forth. Something, some sort of familiarity was felt, but she didn't know what it was. Two dark omens in the purifying waters under the two suns in the sands of an endless desert. Yet Tasmin's eyes shifted away from Kaila Irons as there was a third in the crowd that was now getting flooded away. In the mess of chaos and confusion was Tella Voland . Tasmin peered out not sure if she should run or stay put as guards both from the city and the slave auction from the cage areas came running to the square to see what happened. That is the nature of things a tingling voice in the back of her mind says soft and distant. "They cannot help but run to the danger." The voice caused Tasmin's spine to tingle it was the first time she had ever heard it. Then it said "Run! you stupid girl." The voice sending a trembling through her body as her right leg stepped forward.

---

Laphisto | Tella Voland | Kaila Irons

 

[Darth Nexion]

Nexion wasn't intending on remaining on Tatooine for long. He hated the place, in all honesty. Not because of who was in charge, he was indifferent to the Hutts. Not because of the practises of the world, others can fo as they pleased so long as they didn't get in his way. No, it was because whenever he was sent here, there never seemed to be anything of importance, whether that be people or events.

This time, however, he found himself just outside of a (what he guessed to be) a slave auction. Well, it was that, until the place started to flood from a broken water tower. Looking around the area, there were 4 individuals which caught his senses.

One, a Sith from what he could tell. An Apprentice, by his guess. Another, was a Jedi by his guess. He looked around to find her and saw a woman in robes with teh hood up, but he couldn't be sure she was a Jedi, a force user at least.

Next, a giant, well over 7ft. He would have called him a human before noticing the horms on his head: a Kiev'arian.

Finally, he saw a slave girl. She began to move away from the scene, seemingly running off of fear than thought.

He could tell they were all attuned to the force, but one stood out to him. The slave girl.

"She could be useful..."

He began to move after her, knowing she'd be the one least able to defend herself should he catch her. He simply had to hope, none of the others caught onto him.

________________________

Laphisto
Tella Voland
Kaila Irons
Tamsin Graves

 

[Laphisto]

Everything had been going according to plan. Laphisto was set to outbid the scum here and win Tamsin Graves her freedom. Afterward, once they were far enough away from this cesspool, Trace Xyston and his spec ops team would swoop in and eliminate this slaver ring. But plans rarely held up under pressure. No matter how meticulously crafted, something always slipped through the cracks—a minor fault, a bump in the road that sent everything into disarray.

Laphisto felt a sharp pulse of irritation as a familiar sense washed over him. Precognition hit like a wave, sending flashes of the near future hurtling through his mind. He saw Kaila Irons step forward, shielding the girl from the chaos unleashed by Tella Voland . Splinters of wood flew, slashing, stabbing, and maiming those unfortunate enough to be in the front row. But even amidst the violence, Laphisto saw the Toydarian auctioneer narrowly escape death, protected by his lumbering Gamorrean bodyguard. His eyes narrowed as the vision dragged him back to the present, mere moments before the chaos erupted.

Blinking the images away, Laphisto growled softly to himself, feeling the teal glow flicker over his eyes. He had only seconds to act, and every one of them mattered. When the Toydarian called out his bid, Laphisto moved swiftly, navigating through the crowd with purpose. He pushed toward the stage, just as the water tower overhead began to groan under pressure, cracks spreading across its surface. He watched, for the second time, as Kaila erected a protective barrier over the girl, bracing for the inevitable. His gaze shifted toward Tella, now distant, but her presence in the Force was unmistakable. At first, she was hard to pin down, her energy erratic and elusive. But Laphisto concentrated, threading through the chaos to find her, his connection with the Force sharpening his awareness.

His attention snapped back to the stage as the Gamorrean guard lurched forward, intent on shielding the Toydarian. Laphisto was already moving. He wasn't about to let things repeat. As the Toydarian was swept up in the confusion, Laphisto extended his hand, pulling the slaver toward him through the Force. In the same motion, he plucked a jagged shard of wood from the wreckage, sending it hurtling toward the Toydarian with deadly accuracy. The splinter drove deep into the creature's chest, ending his life swiftly and without fanfare. A tragic accident, no doubt—the kind that happens when chaos reigns and a misstep seals your fate.

With the Toydarian dispatched and loose ends tied up, Laphisto made his way toward the stage. His eyes flickered over Kaila once again and recognizing her duel force signature before then looking to tamsin then back to the 'acolyte' " there isnt much time before the city guard arrives and then this accident goes from the perfect escape plan, to being much much harder to deal with"

 

[Tella Voland]

Tella winced as the water barrel unexpectedly splintered and caused more damage than she was initially hoping for, but thankfully none of it seemed lethal aside from the Gamorrean throwing his life away to protect the Toydarian, an ultimately futile act as Laphisto simply used one of the shards to kill him anyway. One of the Sith, the woman, had thrown up a barrier around the Force Sensitive girl, likely not out of any sense of altruism, but to protect a possible new apprentice (read:slave).

What surprised her more was a combination of things.

1. Sith, and not exactly the typical weak, young Sith typically sent out to the more backwater regions to handle things their masters could not be bothered to, were this far out in the middle of nowhere, which was odd because they were usually either fighting somewhere far more valuable, preening themselves somewhere far more luxurious, or otherwise seeking means to increase their own personal power far more than anything Bestine could offer. There were two of them, neither of them bothering to hide themselves as was typical of Sith, and one with a more interesting Force presence that might have in other circumstances warranted additional scrutiny, but she had little time.

1. Laphisto, and the male Sith who at first glance seemed more powerful than the other one, actually managed to clock her that fast, considering the rather obvious looks she was given. She had not thought the former was skilled enough in the art of Force Sense to do so considering the relatively minimal exertion in the Force she had applied to bring down the tower based on his files, but you learned something new every day. Granted she had only been passively suppressing her presence since that took far less exertion than actively doing so, but it was still something of a surprise. And Mother had taught her to hate surprises.

She sighed and got up from the table, moving to distance herself from the three others, as she was not keen to engage in any close range combat. Her mother had trained her in the art of stealth and manipulation of the Force, and she was only middling in lightsaber combat. As she passed a pillar she suddenly seemed to vanish both from the Force and from the visual eye, a combination of both the schools of Misdirection and Alter, her specialties, as she bent both physical light and the minds of those around her to disappear, even adding a small sweeping motion of air to erase her tracks from the small specks of sand on the sandstone streets. She sweated a little as she did so, as managing such a combination was taxing, but thankfully she would not have to do it for long and it was worth it to completely vanish from the eyes of the rest of them until she could get a proper perch and let them tire themselves out battling each other over the girl.

Now to find a proper vantage point a decent distance away, and see what to do.

Tamsin Graves Darth Nexion Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

Kaila exhaled sharply as the barrier dropped along with her hand, the last of the debris and water having been diverted away from the girl and from the renegade sith. Save for one piece that found itself driven unnaturally off course and into the auctioneer.

She glanced over her shoulder just as Laphisto neared, assuming that his somewhat familiar presence was responsible for the kill.

"You...?" Her modulated voice questioned, having recognized him from Tarko Se, although she could not remember if they had been properly introduced. Still, his signature in the force was not wholly light nor wholly dark, and so she could begrudgingly place a degree of trust in him for the time being.

" there isnt much time before the city guard arrives and then this accident goes from the perfect escape plan, to being much much harder to deal with"

"Protect the girl, that's the highest priority right now"

She knew the man had little reason to trust her, but in her own words they had higher priorities to consider. She pressed a button on her vambrace to alert an Astromech aboard her ship which she hoped would arrive before the guard became an issue, at which point they could decide what to do from there.

It was around this time that another presence caught her attention.

"There is a dark side presence here, and it's not one of mine" She warned with urgency, looking up from her vambrace at Laphisto and then towards the girl.

Without skipping a beat, Kaila leapt up to the platform, landing between Tamsin Graves and any slavers, one hand out and ready to summon defensive powers if anyone tried to intercept them.

"Hey! We're going to get you out of here, then you can go wherever you want after, okay? What's your name?"
She tried to speak calmly despite the chaos around them, feeling the fear in the air again, and knowing the girl probably felt more than her own. Kaila was no Jedi, no guardian of peace, but she knew from experience that fear was not an ally she needed.


Tamsin Graves Laphisto Tella Voland Darth Nexion

 

[Tamsin Graves]

That first step forward, that first step to a freedom something she had never known, that step reseeded back as she saw the large man in armor Laphisto approaching her. She looked off in another direction and was about to move but then saw another man approaching Darth Nexion .

" There isn't much time before the city guard arrives and then this accident goes from the perfect escape plan, to being much much harder to deal with"

"Protect the girl, that's the highest priority right now"

"There is a dark side presence here, and it's not one of mine"

She stepped back as she heard the large man in armor call out the helmeted woman Kaila Irons who jump up unto the stage and put herself between Tamsin and the guards coming from the slave pen area.

What the hell…. protect her but why, why was she important? She was not, not at least from anything she knew of herself. She was just some slave who was being sold for the second time in her life. And what the hell was the Darkside? Was that something like that weird space magick several people in Blougah the Hutt’s court sometimes talked about? Jedi was it?

What did these people know and what did they want to do with her? She saw only one opening left for her to run but it was in the direction of the dead Gamorrean and the broken bow of the water tower.

With her hands bound she knew she wouldn't be able to manage to get over it quick enough before these strangers or the guards coming to the square got to her. On top of that people in the crowd were starting to get back up to their feet and it wouldn’t be long before they started asking the right questions. This was Tatooine, no greater harbor for the scum and villainy of the Galaxy. The answer to those questions would draw anger and weapons sooner rather than later.

Her heart was pounding, and she was confused as to what her next move was. All she could think was that whispering voice in the back of her head telling her to run. Yet she had nowhere to go, then those words that flashed in her head again Game and Win. Tamsin closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as her right arm jerked up against the restraints on her wrist hard. Her gritted teeth bit into her tongue drawing blood as she jerked up against the restraints. Her right thumb made a loud popping sound as it broke. Tears came formed in pain around Tamsin’s eyes her thumb snapped just above the joint, but it allowed her to pull her hand free from the restraint.

Then then her eyes opened and she took off for the dead Gamorrean’s body and the broken bow of the water tower. Just as she did she heard the helmeted woman ask her calmly.

"Hey! We're going to get you out of here, then you can go wherever you want after, okay? What's your name?"

She heard it but it didn’t register fear, pain, and adrenaline causing one to flee or fight. Tamsin chose to flee as she had no means to fight. She took off in a dead sprint for the broken bow climbing up the Gomorreans body and then beginning her climb over the broken bow.

---

Darth Nexion | Laphisto | Tella Voland | Kaila Irons

 

[Spek Zhio]

Have a tune y'all

"Easy in-and-out!"

The display on the navigation console flashed red multiple times, with varying degrees of intensity. Buzzing alarm sound accompanying it.

"No need for that foul language, okay? I need to eat, and you're long overdue for some proper maintenance."

A diagram of Tatooine popped up on the screen in front of him, followed by a large, blinking, red X on top. It was the planet that the sublight drives were engaging an approach on. The blaring of a klaxon echoed throughout the ship, for no more than a couple of seconds. But enough to leave a ringing in his ears.

"I hate it when you do this! Plus, it's a safety hazard! I can't properly fly you like this!" He continued arguing with his ship, alone at the cockpit. "Do you want me to turn on manual override? Keep it up, missie! 'Cause that's how you get me to turn on manual override!"

It took a moment for the ship to see reason, while the man just silently sat with arms crossed but, eventually, all displays returned to normal.

"Good," Spek Zhio, a male Zeltron and sole occupant of the Azure Alcyone, a retrofitted YT-1930 transport, declared. "Now, let's discuss this like adults, shall we?"

His starship was powered by a temperamental droid brain with a mind of her own. Alas, lacking a vocabulator, she could only communicate through the ship's many displays and warning systems. Which was to say nothing of the lack of a navicomputer, temperature control, automated turrets, the list went on... She was still a fast and nimble ship for it's size though, so Spek was somewhat well-off.

"I know you don't like us going to Tatooine - Bestine, of all places! - but this is a sweet and safe deal we got going on! We're not running spice or dealing with Hutts, but hauling moisture vaporators, remember? These will help a lot of people down there. And us as well, with the pay we'll be getting.

"Look, I promise, it's an easy in-and-out job. We'll even land outside, and I'll drive into town and get the buyers to come pick up the cargo. We'll be off this rock before you barely have time to cycle your thrusters for take-off," he said, while getting up from the pilot seat. "Now, be a sweetheart, Alcy, and lock in our entry vector. Send over those CEC codes once we're in the pipe. It's an old transponder but it should still check out."

Almost exiting the flight cabin, he looked over his shoulder when Alcyone caused some warning lights to flash yellow.

"Me? I'll be getting ready to go out," he pondered for a moment. "Still uncertain if I'll take the coat or not..."

---

Under the sweltering heat of the binaries, Zhio was regretting ever putting on the long, gold-embroidered, red leather coat. Regardless of what he had told his starship, the smuggler was not about to leave her without bringing along his blaster pistol, vibrosword, and - last resort - lightsabers. The coat helped conceal all that, aside from making the Zeltron sweat like a Gamorrean. Not even the wind on his face, while previously riding his speeder bike, had helped him cool off. Sweat beads formed on his forehead and ran down across his bare chest. His shirt fully unbuttoned. With an endocrine system overtaxed, his natural Zeltron pheromone production was sure to be on overdrive. Hopefully, the pheromone-suppressing bracelet, on his right wrist, would be enough to keep Zhio from turning into a walking wellspring of enticement.

The last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself.

"Easy in-and-out," he repeated the newfound mantra to himself.

Now that he walked through the streets of the capital, heading towards his employers after having parked his speeder, he hoped to have some free-time to indulge in the mundane pleasures that the nearest cantina had to offer. But, just as he mused over alcohol and slender dancers, a mob of people came running in the opposite direction. All sorts of alien and near-human species. "What's happening?" Alarmed, the offworlder grabbed the nearest one by the arm and sought an answer. "What are you running away from?"

"Boska! Yoka to Bantha poodoo! Chess ko!" they replied in Huttese.

"Sorry, mate. I don't speak gibberish!"

"Tooska chai mani! Sleemo!"

"Riiiiiiight... And a fine afternoon to you too, my good sir!"

The Rodian ran along, after Spek had let go of his arm. Continuing to yell back at him what could only have been more expletives. The thought of how he really had to get one of those protocol droids, crossed his mind.

"In-and-out... In-and-out..." he mumbled. Screw the entertainment.

Then he felt it, before seeing and hearing the huge structure falling in the near distance. One, two, three, four, five Force users! Leave it to the Sith or the Jedi to ruin a perfectly peaceful afternoon. The spacer wanted no piece of whatever trouble was going on, a couple of dozen meters down the road, towards the square. However, just as he was about to turn back, he sensed familiarity in one of those Force signatures. The one that felt like a maelstrom ripping a wound through the fabric of the Force. "Kaila?" he inquired out loud, to none other but himself.

Suddenly, one of the other presences vanished, as if snuffed out. Dead?

Zhio sighed. "Dank farrik!" he soldiered on. Left hand resting on the pommel of The Kingfisher - his Echani vibrosword with aurodium filigree - and right hand lingering above the pouch, on the same side of his utility-belt - which concealed the interlocking-hilt dual lightsabers.

"Alcyone will never let me hear the end of it."

If Jedi and Sith were murdering each other a block down from where he was, he had to do something. Their bouts rarely concluded without what they called 'collateral'. If anything, the destroyed reservoir was proof of just that. Maybe, even someone he knew - if ever so slightly - could be in need of assistance. Spek was unable to walk away with a clear conscience.

"Easy in-and-out," he smirked as he approached the eye of the storm.

---

Tamsin Graves Laphisto Tella Voland Kaila Irons Darth Nexion

 

[Darth Nexion]

As Nexion carried on towards the slave girl, he took note of the events around him. The Jedi(?), appeared to be trying to find a more secluded area, maybe for a better view. Either way, she wasn't an immediate threat. Next, he felt the presence of someone new, looking around until he spot a new face. He was a human, by his guess, standing at about 5'10. He could be felt in the force, but Nexion didn't feel he'd be difficult to handle, so he moved on.

The girl he was giving towards was now near the armoured girl, who seemed to be an ally of the Kiev'arian. They were the two that posed the most immediate challenge. The dragon-like man was giant, and would most likely be physically stronger. The girl was a Sith. A young one, but one with a unique feeling in the force.

Even if he got past them, there'd be no guarantee that he'd be unaffected by the crossfire of everyone else. He'd have to be careful. He drew one of his lightsabers into his left hand, but didn't activate it. He raised his right hand to his side and began to snap the necks of some of the bystanders. If he were to try anything on anyone, he'd need his little trick to be ready to use.

After snapping around 10 bystander's necks, he continued on, readying to use his blade, should he be forced to fight.

______________________________

Tamsin Graves
Laphisto
Tella Voland
Spek Zhio
Kaila Irons

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto looked to Kaila Irons with a small nod, it seemed he had himself a temporary ally. Least for the moment until their goals went in opposite directions that is. when she mentioned the presence of another dark force user Laphisto raised a brow, letting the teal blue flick over his eyes. peering through the force out towards the crowd. he saw it. The faint presence of the dark side and the extinguish of life as they approached. the method caused him to scoff softly as he spoke" Typical Sith. a slave to thier own weakness"

Laphisto gave pause before looking to kaila and clearing his throat " no offense meant" while it was true he held a certain view of how the force should be delt with. an embrace of both light and dark either within oneself or as a community, he always found it distasteful when those who wielded the dark side let themselves become consumed and corrupted by it. a weakness, he thought. true strength was to use the dark side and still remain whole to yourself.

his thoughts were interrupted when he heard the snapping of bones of which made him wince in discomfort, his gaze turned back to face Tamsin Graves as she broke her thumb to try and flee from the current sight before them. of which caused him to frown lightly " that could have been done easier." turning to the masked woman laphisto contemplated his options. leave and give chase to the girl, or let Kaila go after her. in teh end he chose to stay put on the stage.

Turning back to Darth Nexion laphisto crossed his arms over his chest with a small rumble, grabbing at the bridge of his nose looking up just in time to see his raised lightsaber. Still un ignited. There was still hope for diplomacy. his eyes flicked around the environment looking for Tella Voland having lost her in the confusion, though that didn't stop him from trying and actively seeking her out. and in his search he saw Spek Zhio rushing towards teh scene, yet another force sensitive.

you would almost think that they were all drawn together, with how many times a large gathering of force sensitives showed up and found one another. the thought caused him to chuckle somewhat before addressing the new comer " quite facinating dont you think? how easily force sensitives seem to gather by pure accident?"

 

[Tella Voland]

As she had predicted, everything soon started to go to hell once the Sith showed up. Laphisto was reported as usually being reserved and somewhat reasonable so she had not been too worried before, but now they had a Sith Lord of some kind casually murdering a dozen bystanders, and, of course, attracting even more Force Sensitives. She needed to grab the girl and get her out of here before the inevitable cluster and mass casualties began.

Scrambling unto a nearby roof and ducking behind one of the alcoves, she let the optical shield drop to conserve energy while still keeping up her active force suppression for now, enough to hopefully obscure Laphisto’s Force Sight as it was based on force presence rather than optics, and to help keep her hidden from the senses of others unless she was directly spotted or they were very skilled with Force Sense and actively concentrated on looking for her.

Taking a sneak peak at the scene, she watched as Tamsin made a break for it, running to the broken water tank and over the dead Gamorrean’s body and leaping into the air. Tella decided this was a good a moment as any and briefly stepped out from behind her alcove, letting her suppression drop since it would be pointless with what she was going to do, as she used both hands to launch a powerful Force Pull at the girl to bring her up and towards her, helped by the fact she was already in the air.

I just need to grab her, quickly explain the situation, get her on a speeder, place a homing beacon on it, and call my team in to pick her up, then I can cloak again and exfiltrate while everyone else here likely tries to kill each other.

 

[Kaila Irons]

"Hmph..." Kaila merely growled at the Draconic fellow's remark. The amount of times she'd been called weak by Grays or Ex-Jedi these past few months was starting to get on her nerves, whether directly or by association. She had come to expect it from Sith, several of which she had slain to reassert her strength over them, but from Jedi? It seemed more and more that she had even less a place with their ilk than she did with Sith.

"Just focus on-"

She could feel the slave girl's suffering spike as her thumb broke, causing Kaila to turn sharply just as they began running.

"Damn...!" The girl would need bacta after, pain killers at minimum.

Kaila chose to follow the girl from a distance this time, walking just far enough back that she wouldn't look like someone chasing her, but close enough that she could keep an eye out or intercept anyone else chasing her.

" quite facinating dont you think? how easily force sensitives seem to gather by pure accident?"

"The force has a preferred destiny for us all, good or bad. Keep it in mind" She said, passing the man.

Then she kept her head low, placing the palm of her hand against the cortosis helmet. None would see it but a strange circlet had been built into it that could either strengthen or weaken her telepathy as needed. Using this device, she attempted to contact the girl.

<<I know that you're confused and frightened right now. I was like you, once. Let me help you reach safety, so you can choose for yourself>>

Her voice would be soft, unmarred and undistorted by the mask.

Kaila came to a stop as a Jedi revealed themselves somewhere nearby, shocking the renegade sith with their sudden arrival just as she neared the broken tower.

"Draconic," She called out and gestured toward the rooftops, the suddenness with which so many force sensitives were arriving made it difficult to pick out the exact location on such short notice

"Is that one of yours?!"


Tamsin Graves Laphisto Darth Nexion Spek Zhio Tella Voland

 

[Tamsin Graves]

The fear dripped off her as she began her climb a scared little slave girl. She had seen violence and needless death before in Blougah's compound. She had seen the cruelest of the nature in men, yet she had never seen so aimed in her direction. Sure, she had been abused through over top punishment for mistakes but people even if they were slavers had never been killed in her name.

She hadn't asked for this and yet it happened chaos, death, and destruction all because of her. She was scared out of her damn mind but that little tingling voice that had spoken to her she could feel it and it was thriving on this mayhem feeding on it. That terrified her even more, the climb was painful with her broken thumb, but the adrenaline caused her to push through. Yet as she moved up the broken tower, she felt lighter for some reason.

Then the full force of the pull as she was lifted into the air. What the hell she was flying, no it felt more like she was being yanked through the air. Her eyes went wide as she looked at the ground underneath her feet. She had no control over where she was going, and her breathing grew heavy as she heard a voice in her mind.

<<I know that you're confused and frightened right now. I was like you, once. Let me help you reach safety, so you can choose for yourself>>

Was that the voice that spoke to her earlier? No, it was different softer less harsh. Still, she didn't know where it was coming from. Panicking she was looking all over the place seeing the dead people in the crowd bodies beneath the feet of one of man she had spotted earlier running towards her in his hand was some strange cylinder object. Then her eyes moved to the giant man who had approached her. Then they went to Kaila Irons the helmeted woman and something strange told her that was the voice in her head. How she knew or thought she knew she couldn't explain it, but something told her it was.

Her thoughts pulled away as she turned and saw what she was getting pulled towards as she came up high over the approaching Spek Zhio head. Then she saw another figure approaching fast with her hands up in the air like she was grasping at it. The female figures attention seemed to be on Tamsin as she approached through the air. She looked back again towards where the giant man and helmeted woman were. As she did Tamsin's dark eyes caught the visor of Kaila Irons they looked like they were peering right through it, right into Kalia's eyes.

Words were not spoken back through telepathy, at least not in the normal sense. Images were shown of a dark sky with rain and lightening. Then a world being ripped asunder followed by a whirling black abyss swallowing up the world that was being torn asunder. It was quick and brief but with it came a feeling of complete annihilation and defeat a strange darkness. This was not an act of Tamsin and she wasn't even aware she had done it, it was from the twin soul that resided in her. Tamsin turned her gaze back to the woman she was about to be next in a moment or two. No control of her own body, no way to flee or break away. Here body felt weak, and she was trembling now, pain shooting up her arm from her broken thumb. She couldn't process any of this it was all beyond her but something was keeping her from passing out, she could feel her body wanting to give out but something wouldn't let it. She just saw herself approaching Tella Voland position.

---

Spek Zhio | Darth Nexion | Laphisto | Tella Voland | Kaila Irons

 

[Spek Zhio]

As he reached the center of the disturbance, Zhio immediately noticed people falling down, their bodies as lifeless lumps of flesh, and their necks unnaturally twisted as if by an invisible hand. They were located on a square where, from the looks of the stage and people gathered there, some kind of event had been going on not too long before. The responsible for the demise of those bystanders was an advancing figure, adorned in discordant black and white. Something made evident by his purposeful right hand, if not by the tendrils of kinetic flows through the Force, originating from it.

A Sith, both by action and presence, announcing himself to the rest of those present there. An announcement that Spek considered pathetic, in the least. Like a schoolboy going out of his way to trample ants on the courtyard in an attempt to make himself look tough. An act made despicable, by the fact that those particular 'ants' deserved better. They deserved to not have their freedom taken away from them, in such nonchalant manner.

Snapping necks of non-Force users with kinetic force, was something that the lowliest of Initiates would be able to do, but either chose or were taught not to. If that was supposed to be meant as a display of power or indifference, to Zhio it had the opposite meaning. The man was purposefully killing them, so this was not made out of disinterest. Moreover, the truly powerful don't concern themselves with ants to begin with. Therefore, the Zeltron knew with whom he had to concern himself, at the time.

The full tableau quickly unfolded itself before him, as the rest of the onlookers ran away from the scene. Had that been the Sith's initial intention - to move people out of his way - then there would have been a more effective means of achieving it, other than by placing a series of corpses ahead of his path. The three remaining Force sensitives were near the stage. There was Kaila, as he had felt, alongside a winged and horned near-human - if he could even be called that - exhibiting a more neutral presence. Similar to that of Zhio himself.

The last Force presence belonged to a girl, who seemed to be running away from all of them. To Spek's telepathic empathy, her pain and fright were tangible. A sour tang with a metallic aftertaste on his mouth.

So... Zhio gathered his thoughts. Dino-dude and Kaila are working together to recruit the girl, and mister Edgelord over there is against that. One Jedi already down.

Then soldier-boy spoke about the will of the Force and how it brings people like them together. Being free spirited, whenever Force users elected to talk about that and fate, he became profusely annoyed. However, that lizard-man's proclivity could be an explanation for why he and the female Sith were working together, since they would have that in common at least. If, in fact, that was what they were even doing. The man clad in green armor seemed to possess a moderate disposition, so maybe diplomacy was all it was.

Seeing as both forces were at a standstill, slowly measuring each other, Spek slowed down and approached their middle at a leisurely pace, taking off his coat as he went - By the Void, it's as hot as an oven in here. Neatly folding the red coat, he placed it on an empty table of the nearby cantina's ground-level terrace, now also emptied of patrons and servants. Zhio sighed, panging after a cold drink.

No one drew weapons, so he was not going to be the first to do so. And, as he deliberated on that, the fifth Force presence made itself known again, as the unfortunate and scared girl went flailing into the air against her will. So the Jedi is still alive? Good. He thought, while glancing above and over his right shoulder, tracing the girl's path with his eyes, as she soared overhead. Are there three sides to this, then? Four? Five? Was he a sixth or about to join one of the others?

Things were getting more troublesome by the second.

Not stopping, Spek eventually positioned himself between the two sides on the field. Green tower and Kaila behind him, and Sith murderer in front. Some five meters from the former and twenty ahead of the latter.

"I'm here..." to help? Cause more problems? Do nothing at all? He was uncertain on how to end that sentence.

"I'm here," he repeated, "also."

---

Darth Nexion
Laphisto Tella Voland Kaila Irons Tamsin Graves

 

[Darth Nexion]

Nexion continued to advance, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake as he proceeded towards his target. As he got closer, the large draconic figure and the younger Sith seemed to be protecting the slave girl. His eyes narrowed, but he carried on. However, he came to a halt as both the Jedi who disappeared from his senses for a while reappeared, and the newest face came in front of him.

"I'm here," he repeated, "also."

"Is that all? Truly an underwhelming entrance, good sir. Now, would you kindly move to the side? I have business with the people behind you, and don't feel like wasting anymore time than necessary."

As he spoke, his voice being cold, yet light, as if the events surrounding him were trivial in nature. His right hand unclenched, and began to produce a green mist which spread across the floor and leaking into the bodies of those he just killed. The bodies began to rise, their necks twisting back so their faces looked forward, and their eyes now glowed a vibrant green.

"If you want to interrupt things either go bother someone else, or deal with my friends here. I don't care which."

_____________________________________________

Laphisto
Tella Voland
Kaila Irons
Tamsin Graves
Spek Zhio

 

[Tella Voland]

As everything predictably continued deteriorate in the plaza, Tella focused on her original objective. Thanks to the pull being uncontested and Tella being quite competent in the art of telekinesis*, the girl was soon on the rooftop, with Tella grabbing her and pulling her out of sight behind one of the roof structures, then straightening her up. Speaking quickly, quietly, and calmly to the terrified young lady, Tella's concerned blue eyes met Tamsin's, seeing the fear and confusion in them.

"You are probably wondering what the hell is going on. The long and short of it is you are special and I will explain as we go, but we need to get out of here, now. Are you capable of running? There are things you can do to prevent this from happening again that I can teach you, but they cannot be learned quickly, so our only option is to commandeer a speeder and flee into the desert. From there, I can arrange a more permanent exit. If you do not feel like coming with me, you can stay here, but I do not recommend it. As you can see, those after you are not exactly friendly."

*Under "Move" in her biography

Laphisto
Kaila Irons
Darth Nexion
Tamsin Graves
Spek Zhio

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto watched as Spek Zhio entered the scene causing him to raise a brow and frown with a bit of annoyance " and on the other side of the spectrum. A typical Jedi, who's ambition to do good blinds them"

Laphisto took a moment before clearing his throat and gesturing towards the strange man ", no offense meant" laphisto's hand grasped at the hilt of his broad saber though leaving the blade deactivated he simply pulled it from its mag lock.

His lone ear perked slightly as he caught sight of Tamsin Graves being pulled from the scene by Tella Voland . He knew it was best for the frightened girl to get out of here as soon as possible, he could feel the tension rising and predicted the inevitable sith and Jedi conflict that was about to arise, and so he reached out with the force pushing the girl towards tella to help aid her - granted she probably didn't need the help-

Turning towards Kaila Irons he nodded towards the Jedi " this one of yours?" He half joked though the fact that they decided to stand between him and the girl and in the way of the approaching sith meant something at least. Or if anything it meant he had a grudge against the sith.

When the body's began to rise due to the green mist Darth Nexion began to emmet Laphisto blinked a few times in amusement " now that's now." Leaning his head over towards kaila he gave a chuckle ", I got fifty credits on the Jedi"