Just big business (Nima)

[Goros the Hutt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPnTe2EVm6g​

Tadietti had stood slightly out of reach of his view, knowing where their cameras were. With smallest of press along her wrist their large metal door opened, zeltron-boy was about to say something, but well... heads were threatened to be popped by her glance. #Natoline Kerrigan style, only with explosives. You might also think Tadi and her had been in cahoots about something if you’d seen them both at their worst, more on that another day.

Aboard his oversized hoversled, Goros barked something in huttese about their intrusion, nobody realising how the door had opened or who opened it! As expected there were five million guards in the way. Well realistically maybe twenty of varying descriptions on his payroll in his inner chambers, Noghris, Rodians, Trandoshans, Invisible Defels, a noticeably quiet armored Houk by his side, carrying the largest mandalorian iron axe you’d ever see. About a dozen slaves feasting him and someone he was doing a deal with, business on top of business, that was Goros. Food the motivator of the day!

Their queen obviously wouldn’t be able to walk very far without being stopped. A couple of burly looking guards standing in front of her. Face to Face to Goros meant, about two hundred meters away. Getting to him was like climbing a mountain! But she was almost at his fatness’s summit! That came out worse than our narrator intended. On with the show!

This was her chance, but where was Tadietti? She’d vanished! Behind her, only those three from before stood. All eyes were on her, her moment to stop this, to stop him. Surely however she could see though with all the games he'd played, nothing was as simple as it seemed!

“What are your terms?” The Zeltron behind Nima said. Goros stopped eating, only for a moment, looking down to his hoversled. While Tadi's fingers began to work magic elsewhere, silently away from their scene, a throat was cut, then another. Feeds to the chambers they were in went quiet from the rest of their ship, monitors going down.

[member="Nima Tann"]​

OOC:

Spoiler

Sorry for the slowness on this!

 

[Nima Tann]

After Lady Blue opened the door behind her, one could see the Hutt and his Zeltron friend in the room being all cowardly and like. She was glad that Lady Blue was still on her side, when she turned to her to nod, she was already gone. And she could feel the auras in the area getting distracted, almost some of them lost their presence entirely. Whatever Blue was doing, the situation slowly turned to their advantage. The electricity flickered, and then started to lose its power slowly as she felt the whole room was getting more and more silent each second. The security was indeed very much, Nima felt that it would be pretty difficult to reach Goros from here, but she was a skilled one of course and wouldn’t mind a little challenge. So, as the Zeltron wanted to learn what she wanted in the name of [member="Goros the Hutt"], there was a smile on her face that shouted, “it’s the time.” She was so tired of games, it wasn’t her style. And now, it was turning into her style. Yet, one last act would be required as it would be rude not to answer the Zeltron’s question.

“I don’t have any terms, but I have a question for the mighty Goros.” She said with the queen voice as an answer to the Zeltron, then her voice turned back to herself. “How fast can he run?” It was very cold and serious, probably shocking the people around her so she would get the advantage over them. And then she, with a quick handwave closed all the doors around them shut, one would have a hard time reopening them if Goros was a paranoid one and ultra-secured them all, and activated her lightsaber immediately. Her whole body was slowly starting to burn with adrenaline, and her cover as the queen disappearing slowly, revealing the purple Twi’lek Jedi Master inside. “I think he should start right about now.” Then sending a quick Force Push towards the Zeltron to get the annoying one out of her way, as she knew him from the paegant and didn’t like him a lot, she enhanced her speed and started to run towards the huge army of mercenaries that was between her and her target, her stance was quick and defensive until she reached the enemy.

And one would easily recognize the difference between the normal Nima and this, if one would know her well, even in the battlefield. She felt different too herself as she felt like there was an outside force, getting her angrier and angrier each second that she spent here, with the same familiar aura that she felt in Lady Blue as well. Maybe that outside force sensed something familiar within Lady Blue too and was reacting according to that? But who knows! Nima assumed it was because of the adrenaline and it was probably like that. There was no way that some unknown spirit was doing it all now, was there?

 

[Goros the Hutt]

Act 2.
And now the conclusion.

Darkness, his fatness was startled. Beginning to shout through the black mass of bodies. “Roooooooooo!” His tail flapping around in confusion. Several dozen of his best came at Nima. The largest Houk at the back was waiting for last. The huge hulking brute with his mansized axe dragging along the floor, one of the strongest species you were likely to see in the galaxy. Before him bounty hunters and tougher alien mercenaries of all description, and some very well trained Noghri’s all sprung to life. Some moved with rifles, some with swords, all knowing how to use them, and moving to attack from the back, from above or from behind cover. Struggling to see that much, but a few of them had the ability to see in the dark or night vision.

In short. All hell broke loose.

“BUT What is happennnnniiiiggggg.....!” The Zeltron called as he flew backwards, crawling off to save his own neck, to be fair so did anyone without a gun, slaves and others following suit. Food went up in the air, trays went flying and chains were pulled to get people out of the way, most of them pushed by armed guards looking for a clear shot in the chaos. Nima's speed was key here, and her aggression had her closing on some of them before they had a chance to fire. There was a mass of bodies in the way to start with, and not all of them were hostile. One or two slaves were taken as hostages of course, nobody here was going to be playing fair, two Rodians pointing blasters over their snatched slave's shoulders and firing at Nima for a start.

A more honorable Noghri raised his vibrosword into a guard, whereas another Trandoshan mercenary just tossed something. Fair. Nope. Least of all the tossed sticky grenade that had just landed behind her. She was brave, and this was one heck of a fight to take everyone on and bring down the illusive Goros single handed. All his scheming behind his many agents and faces could come to naught right here today, caught in the web of another.

“You have noah hope. Come um nee choo Jedi.” You have no hope. Come and die Jedi. Goros growled from behind them all. He had nowhere to run or did he? The large hoversled he sat on looked strangely well designed, and the shield generator aboard for starters wasn't the only surprise. But Goros was there, so close now. By far the closest anyone had ever gotten to the crime lord. Just twenty of his best and a sea of slaves between him and Nima. Somewhere in all of this confusion was a veiled blue Twi’lek named lady blue who wanted control of it all, moving through the crowds herself. Her own agenda as yet to be played out.

Nima's Move.

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

It was at that moment that Nima understood the grim reality of the situation. What was I thinking, the thought came to her mind. Why was she acting so reckless? Why didn't she inform people if things went wrong? This... feeling. This foreign but welcoming aura... This anger... It didn't belong to her. It was something she had to meditate and understand afterwards, but for now, there was no time. The lights went out and all hell broke lose after she pushed the Zeltron out of the way. Not having much time to prepare, Nima closed her eyes and focused on the environment. Nothing. No covers. No blindspots. Lots of movement. Someone slowly pressing the trigger. Someone throwing something. It was like the time slowed down for the Twi'lek, as she felt her energy multiplying every second. Breathe in, breathe out.

Her primary target was Goros. She had to reach him. She had to be fast.

She had to be fast.

Heartbeats getting quicker and quicker. Boom.

By the time the sticky bomb landed just behind her, Nima let out that energy and suddenly launched towards the sea of enemies, deflecting the bolts coming towards her. Relying on the Force, she let it guide her. Every limb in her body was working way faster than intended, so it was difficult to detect her movements, especially since all the lights went out and there was quite the commotion already. Of course, it had disadvantages even more than its advantages since she was going to tire herself out quite quickly, one hit from the blasters could do more damage to her because of the speed, there were also non-hostiles in the area so she had to be precise and it could even made her faint if she pushed her limits, however this was a necessary move if she didn't want to die here. Letting out a cry of pain as blood came from her mouth, she pushed on.

Extending her hand, she sent a Force wave towards the two above her, one Rodian and one Trandoshan, and with the opening created from that, jumped towards the ones using the slaves as shields. Calling the other lightsaber, the red one 'gifted' by her mother, to her left hand, she swung them left and right to get rid of the two. The now freed slaves tried to run away, unfortunately one was killed from the crossfire and the other was wounded pretty badly. Nima had to move on. 4 down, 16 to go. Coughing, she once again launched. The enemy wasn't being fair, but since when the battles were? One of the grenades was coming right towards her. Nima suddenly felt sick, but barely managed to throw the grenade back. It seemed that her speed boost was starting to affect her. Trying to regain concentration, now the Noghri welcomed her with a swing of his vibroblade. Too close. She blocked with her lightsaber and swung back with her other weapon, but it seemed the Noghri was experienced enough to deal with fast attacks.

She was losing time. There were still too many enemies. Breathe in, breathe out.

The two exchanged blows as time went on, Nima was slowing down but still kept up with a good amount of speed. No time to lose. At one point, Nima forced the Noghri for a bladelock, then suddenly deactivated her lightsaber and ducked, and reactivated her sabers once more and went for a low swing. The attack connected and unbalanced the Noghri, who took the hit and fell to the ground with a painful screech. One more down.

Nima was getting closer.

Goros's move.

[member="Goros the Hutt"]

 

[Goros the Hutt]

Her speed had really caught everyone off guard, and the way she was throwing herself into it although dangerous had turned the tables, literally, as many of them were lopsided with people behind them taking shots. Above Nima the darkness gave her no visual cue, just maybe the feeling that a sniper was taking aim from a hole in the wall above. Lining up a shot…, zzzzCRACK, another Noghri fell over clutching the back of his head, someone was giving her a hand or shooting at her, or both?

To the left side of Goros, two of the more cunning mercenaries took cover. Large eyed, triangle headed Arcona behind an overturned, thick durasteel table. The pair were taking pot shots as and when it suited them, staying in cover, but that was not the real threat.

The next real threat let out a gigantic. “SQUUEEEEEEEEEKKKK,” worthy of any Hutts palace.

Seeing one of his friends shot. A chunky green Gamorrean started a large weapon spinning, bracing it to his hip. Firing 1,500 bolts a minute indiscriminately with a heavy blaster chaingun, the rate of fire was incredible, lighting up the entire room ahead of him with a loud whirring, and spraying out wildly in Nima’s general direction. The reds bolts were going everywhere, some bouncing off walls and going elsewhere or hitting bodies or people. The gun FFE had hoped would make blasters viable again, regular blaster fire dialed up to 11 in a multi barreled hell. The OS-GG1.

Below. Another feeling perhaps might jolt Nima. Danger around the fallen bodies... That invisible Defel laying prone among them. The only reason you could see its furry figure at all here was because there was so little light down here, and even then it’d be so difficult to spot. Lying in wait for Nima to walk right over it before it struck. Ahead and stomping forward, the massive Houk with the huge axe picked it up in both hands, pointing it toward her, calling out a mocking challenge and slamming the weapon down to crack the metal floor.

Shields up, Goros had *ahem* started his large hoversled for a tactical retreat. Moving his sizeable bulk around the left side of the room, edging behind that guarded table, was his fatness actually going to make a break for it? You better believe he was. Just a very slow one. "Hagwa let cheekta get neechu. Mee'll be bata." <Don't let her get away. I'll be back.>

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

She was losing speed.

Goros was getting away.

No.

No...

Not yet! She had to push her limits. She had to keep going. If she lost concentration right now, it would be her death, especially since the amount of the gang members didn’t seem to decrease. One hit, if even one bolt managed to hit her and slow her down. She wasn’t going to let one rash action be the end of her. There were going to be consequences, a few days very painful and restless as she already pushed her body enough, but what other choice was there? So she continued running, clearing her head from flying thoughts to sharpen her senses and concentrate on the battlefield.

She was under fire from all sides. Blaster shots came from left to Goros’s position by two mercenaries who seemed to take cover behind a durasteel table. She didn’t have much to do but to defend herself from their attacks at least for now, as they were out of the Twi’lek’s reach and there were a lot of people between them. In front of her, a Gamorrean approached slowly, carrying a huge gun. To the right, the huge creature with a huge axe, mocking her, calling her to a fight. A feeling of unseen danger, getting stronger and stronger. CRACK... The strong voice of which Nima thought belonged to a sniper, yet couldn’t determine where it was coming from. It was also a disadvantage that there was so little light, though it worked for both ways. The Force was her biggest ally in this situation, and the training she put herself through every day.

And then, everything was set in motion. As she passed through the corpses of her enemies and was getting closer to the Hutt, she felt a sudden movement right behind her, and heard the click of a trigger, which she determined that it was coming from the Gamorrean with the huge gun thanks to her enhanced senses. Barely, she jumped to the right, towards the debris created by several grenades, before the extremely fast blaster bolts managed to hit her. That was a close call for her, but not for the one waiting right behind her to strike since it was too late to change directions. The damage it caused to the body was almost scary, Nima had to be careful to stay out of its range. In that case, she wasn’t going to be able to get in close combat.

Luckily for her, the ground was like a weapon shop. Pistols and rifles of those who have fallen were scattered, waiting for someone to use them. Nima only had basic training for ranged weapons, but it wasn’t rocket science, really. Press the trigger and aim at the direction of the enemy! The debris protected her to a degree against the less powerful weapons, but she had to stay mobile. It wasn’t going to be so easy, the Gamorrean had armor and she saw no openings. So she called a pistol to her hand and took a deep breath, then started shooting.

It was no use. The bolts weren’t strong enough to pierce the armor. Unfortunately for the Twi’lek, the counterattack wasn’t as weak as her shots. As the aim of the minigun approached her way with destruction following, she immediately rushed to find another cover. It didn’t make it any easier that the ones out of her reach were also attacking, so it gave her little time to find openings for the immediate danger. However, she noticed the arm joint with a big enough gap. If she could land a hit there, it could be the opening that she was looking for.

Time to do that.

The next time she had to leave the cover, she ran to the debris in the further opposite direction to give her enough time to aim, and pressed the trigger. First shoot, missed. Second, hit just a little above... If she got out of here alive, she needed to learn how to shoot properly the next time. The clock was ticking... Holding breath, she once more pressed the trigger... and that hit! With a painful screech, the Gamorrean moved a few steps back as he almost dropped the weapon. It caused enough problems for him to drop his defenses and let Nima get closer. But before she could do that...

CRACK

A loud sound was heard, not coming from her weapon.

And one of the mercenaries behind the table got shot right in the head. Even though Nima still didn’t know there was a helping hand, it was suspiciously good timing. The other mercenary left the cover in panic and threw a grenade, which was a perfect opportunity. After the grenade was thrown, the sniper quickly got rid of the other one as well. Was it all according to the sniper’s plan? Using the confusion, Nima concentrated on the bomb and redirected it towards the Gamorrean using telekinesis. Unfortunately for the Gamorrean, it was a sticky bomb. The grenade got stuck on his body, and despite the efforts of the Gamorrean to get it unstuck, it exploded, taking him out of the game.

Now it was Nima’s turn to move towards the big obstacle to her right. A melee fight, her specialty. He was looking extremely strong, but as long as she didn’t get hit, she could overwhelm him with her speed. Yes. It was a good plan. She just had to... keep on. Only another obstacle. One more to get rid of. There was something funny with her breathing. She felt lightheaded and nauseous. It was already starting, huh? Her body was starting to reject the energy. She wasn’t done yet. She had to take care of this huge obstacle first. So, she activated her lightsaber and started running and jumped, lightsaber ready to strike.

Suddenly, her body stopped. She couldn’t even move a single muscle. No no no no no no no why wh... An immense pain. Sudden urge to puke. Can’t breat... Can’t breathe... Can’t breathe! Tears. Coughing. She suddenly found herself on the ground.

‘I have to get up.’ The thought repeated in her mind, still in pain. Not a single muscle moved. ‘Come on come on come on come on!’ The Houk was coming closer with an evil grin, preparing his huge axe to land a finishing strike. “Concentrate... Concentrate...” She muttered. Now she could directly see his face, lifting the axe. Was this the end?

Click.

The minigun suddenly got activated, aimed directly towards the Houk. Nima’s senses returned at the last second with the strength adrenaline and the fear of death brought her, and she managed to activate and aim the minigun by using the Force. Tore apart by the sheer strength of the weapon, the Houk dropped the axe, and Nima crawled away from the danger, still trying to understand what just happened.

That was a close call. Close call indeed.

[member="Goros the Hutt"]

 

[Goros the Hutt]

Not close enough for our Lord High Fatness! “Noahhhhhh Kava dare u!” <No how dare you!> Goros actually had an attachment to that Houk, that was expensive property, his tail slammed down!

Halfway around the side of the room. The first of three small guns popped up from the hoversled, and fired. A small wave, which seemed to pass over people harmlessly in the room, those that were still breathing anyway. A surviving mercenary from around the table stood up, and then fell over, banging his head on said table. The pulse a very low damage, disorientating pulse of sonic wave energy. Something Goros had intended to develop for wider use. A high ringing in the ears of those it touched.

The second sentry gun popped up on the other side. Gravity weapons. Something the recent galaxy had only seen to his knowledge on his own tensor guns. Another form of weaponry Sere Reene would soon mass produce in different, creavituve ways. Not so much a turret as a gravity generator, everyone in the room would feel a crushing pressure trying to crush the life out of them against the ground. Thankfully he was on a hoversled, behind a shield, though he certainly felt pancaked by it. It might feel like a hutt was sitting on her.

“Ho Ho Ho.”

Goros wasn’t one for boasting too long, much like his former dead associate Kelon Amadis, Goros was one for turning tail and running. Helping keep him alive. She was losing him! Slowly but surely still as he moved toward the far door. Heavy gravity pushing down upon any around him was just the setup, the final third gun appeared from his hoversled. That cherry on the top of a hoversled's dessert for death. “Mee jewz ju jedai” <Goodbye Jedi>

A burst of three small explosive micro missiles flew toward her. There was no fair here, no honorable combat. He was trying to sucker punch her when she was down. The sniper above them started firing at the rockets. You could feel her fear as she struggled to get all of them.

BzzzCrack

Missing.

BzzzCrack

Missing.

Our sniper got a lucky hit, one of three explosives going up in flames, did she get the others, she couldn't see? They were so fast. The constant muzzle flashes gave away her position in the darkness. Goros turned the rocket launcher upward toward that sniper near the ceiling and fired three more...

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

Breathe... breathe... breathe...

Slowly but surely, Nima crawled back to a cover, as she had no strength left to stand up by herself. He was getting away, and it was all because of her carelessness. She was disappointed in herself, angry even, but there was nothing she could do about it. If only she had more time. If only she had another plan, a plan to begin with. If only she didn’t let the huge creature land a hit. If only she could just manage to control her emotions. If only she didn’t meet this Lady Blue. If only, if only, if only...

Taking strength from the debris, she pushed herself to stand up. Trying to even move a step forward made her feel like she was about to faint. Her balance was completely gone. She felt all dizzy and nauseous. Meanwhile, she watched the Hutt slowly move towards the exit with his hoversled, laughing and mocking her. But it wasn’t the only thing he did. Suddenly she was hit with an excessively high-pitched sound. Not only that, but then she felt extremely heavy. The two combined, in addition to how she was feeling already, if she had any room to think she would wonder how she was still conscious. Leaning to the debris certainly helped her not to fall, it would be a game over if she did.

No, the battle wasn’t over just yet.

A villain’s moment of overconfidence was the perfect time to strike back. The missiles, the ammunition that the Hutt just gave her. Her last chance to stop him from running away. She extended her hand and tried to concentrate. She had to concentrate. In order to stop him. In order to save herself.

CRACK.

One of the missiles exploded prematurely after the sound was heard. Then a few more followed.

“No no no no, what are you doing! Stop! Stop it!” She thought. She heard another sound after then. This one sounded more like the missiles coming her way, yet they weren’t directed towards her but upwards.

No time to waste.

With the flame of hope still alive, she closed her eyes and focused on the missiles, coming closer and closer. Collecting the Force in front of them in order to stop them in mid-air and reflect them back, she then sent the missiles back to Goros, aiming the floor under the hoversled.

Meanwhile, compromised and also affected by the attacks of the Hutt, the sniper couldn’t manage to hit any of the incoming missiles, so she proceeded to move away from her spot, which was soon destroyed. Did she survive, or did she also share the fate of the room? Who knows!

[member="Goros the Hutt"]

 

[Goros the Hutt]

Explosions above! Part of the wall came away and the room lurched, a twi’lek rolled out of the sniper’s nest, laying prone and dead with the bodies below… whoever it was had not fared so well. Was it someone she knew? Well?

As for Goros, he saw his mistake too late. The shield took the first hit, a pulse crackling across its blue surface loudly, then the second missile broke through. The explosive collided with the hoversled in a small explosion, knocking out a repulsor lift on one side. Into a spin his lord high fatness went, the oversized Hutt rotating, holding on for dear life. The corner of his hoversled hit the corner of the wall in another loud bang which rocked the freighter, and Goros ended up in a heap. The underside of the hoversled smoking and the mighty illusive Hutt cornered. The gravity field went dead and so did everything else he had, far too fat for his own legs to pick him up, though his tail was still very deadly.

Nima had precious moments, not too long but long enough to make it to him or escape, perhaps not both. Any reinforcements were a ways off. A minute maybe two. Goros crawled under the wreckage of his hoversled trying to get free, sparks from the machine bzzz’d out above him, spitting and crackling.

Danger was coming. Nima’s time was ticking down...

Goros crawled forward and if she attacked, a huge tail looked to simply crush her, a tail she’d find was armor plated, swinging madly and clinging to life. He did however have the controls for every single slave collar on this ship in his tiny hands now. “Stay back Jedi!” He wasn’t above using their detonators as bartering chips, holding it up in the air. “How does one million unmarked credits sound?” Speaking in basic for once, the Hutt bargaining for his life, “or the death of everyone on this ship!”

His laugh was almost about to start up again, but he was in too much pain to give it.

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

ACT 3- The Finale

With the relief for her successful “plan”, she got to watch the Hutt fall from his hoversled and hit the wall, which resulted in him getting stuck under the big chunk of debris. She would have found his struggle to get out funny if she wasn’t about to faint herself, instead she just wanted to be done with it. Unfortunately for her, the fight wasn’t over yet as the Hutt started to madly slam the ground with his armored tail. They were not precise and Nima would get around them if she wasn’t that tired, but she could barely stand by taking strength from the debris and using Force to enhance herself further was not an option. Even if she could, there was another problem.

The Hutt suddenly raised his hand which was holding a detonator and threatened to kill everyone if she moved a step further. He also offered her money which she immediately ignored. These kind of criminals thought they could always solve their problem with credits. Anyway, she had to think about this, and she had to be fast before the Hutt managed to free himself and press the button. Fortunately, the Hutt’s ego was his undoing. Considering that he was buried in debris, the size of his hands and the fear she could sense from him, holding the detonator up in the air was a bad idea as his grip on the detonator would not be too tight. “One million credits, you say?” She tried to sound interested in order to delay him. Meanwhile, trying to look as still as possible, she slowly raised her hand and started concentrating on the detonator. “You know, I am extremely tired. You have bested me, I admit... so perhaps... I shall take on that offer.” Here we go.

If her distraction worked, suddenly the detonator would be yanked from his hands and be thrown to the ground by an invisible force. Good old telekinesis, simple yet effective.

“I’ve had enough of these games, Goros. Stand down. It’s over for you.” She said afterwards. There was still the huge armored tail to be worried about, but he was also tiring himself out. A few more minutes like this and he wouldn’t be much of a threat anymore. Did she have a few minutes?

Meanwhile, she sensed someone approaching. She couldn’t tell if the aura she sensed was hostile or not but still she had to be careful. Perhaps it was her masked “ally”, as it would be the perfect time to show up.

[member="Goros the Hutt"]

 

[Tadietti Tann]

That time? Yes that time was up. Angry Trandoshans were at the door facing a tired, hurt Jedi. Was Nima done for? Goros wheezed a low laugh and then just stopped struggling, he was clearly in a lot of pain. All his cards played out but this.

The three guns were raised. Aim. Point. Click

...............


BLAST BLAST BLAST

...............

Smoke. Noise and then three bodies on the ground. Confusion from the door. Nima was spared dealing with anything else, someone else had seen to that.

Lady blue walked out from behind the cloud, a few other former ‘slaves’ started looking over those that had fallen, blue shot one of the struggling men where he lay, walking right past them. She wore a brand new lace blue veil, this looked even more expensive. As well as a very fine blue lace dress that had a long back and a shorter front up to her knee, accentuating her movements and falling down behind her. CONFIDENCE. There so much confidence, like she owned the room because she DID now. There certainly was armor underneath her dress in a weave form, and shielding energy which flickered as she walked. There was also a rifle over her shoulder, which she’d assisted Nima at times with.

It was like blue had gone and tidied herself up for this crowning moment, cleaned herself up and straightened her clothes. She walked forward and tried to pickup the force-thrown detonator before Nima did, strangely stopping to make sure Nima was not hurt. Either way Blue then went to her fallen sniper friend, there was some emotion there when she bent down to check on his cold body, she breathed out, and her cold composure returned.

The room was a mess. A real mess. There were groans, people crawling. Some were being assisted, and others left to rot depending on their allegiances.

Goros was struggling for what to say, obviously in serious pain and discomfort. It was at that moment, blue spun on her heel and leveled her silver pistol, about to fire. But her target was not Nima, she walked towards Goros. Nima’s move. Did she let him die? He probably deserved it, but did she feel who was holding the trigger now, and what all this killing meant for her? Was it just one crime boss swapped with another, and all of this was for nothing? The other three Twi’leks in the room were not directly looking. Lady Blue was getting closer, and now there might be something very familiar about Blue. Especially with the angle Nima was at, and that new veil, she could maybe just see enough to realize the real truth and horror confronting her eyes.

This was her little sister.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lonMmgnSi-Q
Tadietti, looking right down the barrel of a gun.​

 

[Nima Tann]

Tick, tock, tick, tock...

From the doors three silhouettes appeared and unfortunately for the extremely tired Twi’lek, all were aiming their guns at her. It wasn’t over. Not yet. Nima took a deep breath, and proceeded to put herself in a defensive position taking strength from the debris she was holding on to stay up... “Breathe... You can do this... Just three of them...” She repeated in her mind over and over to hype herself up, she always would do this whenever she was in a situation that looked grim.

But then, something happened.

Three gunshots were heard and the Trandoshans’ lifeless bodies dropped to the ground just as quick as they appeared, and an elegant silhouette escaped the smoke shortly afterwards, killing her way in and walking towards them with an aura of confidence. Lady Blue. The new boss of this gang. She even had the time to dress properly for her “coronation”. If she wasn’t in a ship full of criminals, that would be the time to sigh out of relief since she saved her, however that wasn’t the case so instead what she felt was uneasiness. After all, she wasn’t needed anymore and she didn’t have the strength to fight the rest of the gang and... there was something else, a feeling.

When she was about to pass by her, the veiled woman suddenly stopped and looked at her. What was that about? Was she threatening her? It was quite difficult to read because of the veil. Whatever her intentions were, Nima stood her ground and looked at her directly in the face, blood still wet on her face and only a small portion of it was hers.

The tension broke once the veiled woman moved on and went for the detonator. “So much blood was shed today. So many unnecessary deaths.” She commented before she could grab it, as there wasn’t much else she could do. The aggressive approach wouldn’t work here, as she was outnumbered in a lion’s den. She didn’t know if talking was going to work, but it was worth a try. “Don’t add more bodies to the pile.”

Unclear if Nima’s persuasion skills worked or not, she then moved on to the sniper who met a tragic end by the missiles he was trying to protect the Twi’lek. She didn’t know his criminal history, but he died because of her. All this needless destruction was because of her. Many of the slaves lost their loved ones or suffered wounds because of her. She was responsible because of her lack of planning and rash decisions. She was responsible for the situation she found herself in, handing the crown from one criminal to another and having no plans to stop that from happening. Or get herself out if things went wrong. Regardless, there was nothing she could do at the moment but to stay calm and play along.

Speaking of playing along, Nima continued watching the veiled woman’s movements. Her silence brought more tension to the already tense situation, and it suddenly hit the fan as she made a sharp turn to aim her silver gun at the Hutt struggling to free himself from the debris. That gave Nima a good angle to see her from behind, especially some part of her face behind the veil. With curiousity and an intention to memorize her face in order to capture her later, she looked at her. And once she did, her heart suddenly skipped a beat and her jaw loosened out of shock. Suddenly the strength she was preserving to stand left her, if it wasn’t for the debris she would fall. “No...no...it can’t be...” She could only mutter to herself before she could regain her composure just a bit.

It was at that point she stopped caring about her current situation, her exhaustion, the blood she spilled, playing along, her mission. Everything. No. She had to be sure. She just had to be sure. Why? The question repeated in her mind. How? Was it even real or was it just the exhaustion? She couldn’t conceal her shock any longer.

“I want to talk to you. Alone.” She spoke out loud, a bit too loud in fact, pointing at Lady Blue. Perhaps the emotional intensity in the Twi’lek’s tone made her stop before pulling the trigger. Perhaps she sensed a familiarity in her voice as well. Or perhaps she was going to decline, considering that she was a crime boss now and the one who wanted to talk to her alone was a Jedi, no matter how exhausted and wounded she was. Nonetheless, each passing second felt like an eternity.

Please don't be her.

[member="Tadietti Tann"]

 

[Tadietti Tann]

Detonator still on the floor to one side of her, Nima to her other. She’d not picked the device up with Nima’s warning but was standing in the way of the Jedi doing so easily.

Blue took her share of the credit for their deaths too, not as the sword but as a catalyst. She wore their lives within her masked veil. As Ice. Ice cold staring towards her crown. Her neck still blinked with her slave collar, Goros’s grip around all of them. Till now. One of her Twi’leks took a small device from the Hutt as he lay unconscious. Codes were entered, and Blue’s neck stopped blinking. Codes that were being spread around to those loyal to her reign, not unfortunately to his other employees.

Blue’s gun barrel lowered, she knew now something was off, she’d recognized Nima like a childhood dream from ten years ago. “What would you s.say.” Tadietti’s voice softened, briefly. A decade apart from a happy memory. What was there? Blue raised her gun back, Goros still prone under the rubble. What? There was just this. Her grip on her weapon tensed and she breathed out.

It can’t be? “It isn’t.” Lady blue took a step forward, exposing the detonator behind her, but taking her dangerously close to the prone Hutt. “I am not. N.not.” Nima could probably reach the detonator, but not for long as one of the gang was about to pick it up. She could also maybe disarm Tadietti, push the detonator, or something fancy. Could she give one last burst of energy?

Goros’s tail twitched beneath her sister’s feet, was he really unconscious?

“Please.” Her head turned toward her sister admitting who she was, her veil failed to cover up her uncertain expression, or the tear that had run from her eye. That stutter, that voice was not blue, not Tadietti, it was both voices coming together. Two tones bound together in a new voice. Blue was getting really close to Goros like she wanted to see it in his eyes when he squirmed. She had waited "so long."

Choices. Choices for one shocked Big Sister, finally reunited and like this. Watching her little sister killing, killing and now about to kill again. In front of Nima, within reach, looking right at her. Blue’s trigger primed itself, the sound of it ready to fire. Goros tail shifted back, their nearest twi’lek mercenary reached for the detonator, with all the lives that would mean ending across the ship and maybe beyond.

Nima’s move?

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

It seemed that her emotional outburst also affected the veiled woman in front of her as she stopped aiming her gun at the Hutt to look at her. The confidence radiating from her got its first crack as she suddenly started stuttering her words. Then another followed as her grip over her weapon loosened. Then, tears started running from her eyes, visible even behind her mask. The glass was shattering one crack at a time and then, Lady Blue was no more.

It was her.

Nima’s vision went blurry as her eyes welled up with the realisation that the veiled woman right in front of her was her little sister. Lady Blue, a former slave to the Hutt lying unconscious under the debris. An ice cold killer. The new boss of this gang which reeked with crime. A suffering woman who had to wear a veil to conceal her true self. An amalgamation of two personalities. Her little sister, Tadietti. The person underneath the mask.

“Please.” Tadietti said, with such a tone and a different voice that made the tears gathering in Nima’s eyes drop to the ground. “So long.” She then moved closer towards the Hutt and aimed her gun towards him once again. Nima couldn’t do or say anything as she watched her sister about to press the trigger. It was as if paralysis took over her entire body. Time slowed down as thoughts started invading her mind.

It was her fault.

It was her fault that her sister was suffering.

It was her fault that she turned into Lady Blue.

It was her fault that she turned into a killer.

It was her fault. She wasn’t strong enough. She couldn’t protect her. She wasn’t there for her. She should’ve done more. She was the reason why her sister got abducted. She shouldn’t have abandoned her search for her. She shouldn’t have broken the promise she made to her. Why? Why Tadietti? She didn’t deserve this. She was a sweet, shy little girl. What did they want from her? Did they torture her until she had to wear a mask to conceal her pain? She wanted them all to pay. She wanted the Hutt to die.

Emotions got stronger, they wanted to rip her chest and get out. She couldn’t endure the thoughts any longer. Her breaths turned rapid. Her vision darkened. She sensed a panic attack coming. She was losing control. Her entire body started shaking. She wanted to scream but there was no sound. Her strength started leaving her body. She was going to faint...

No.

Not yet. It wasn’t over yet.

She had to take back control.

Breathe... Breathe...

She was here now.

There was still a chance.

She could fix this.

She could fix everything.

She had to stop her. She couldn’t let her kill the Hutt out of revenge. Once she did that, once she killed someone not out of necessity but satisfaction, there would be no turning back. As she calmed down a bit, she mustered all the energy she had left and pushed herself from the debris to start walking towards her. Calling her lightsaber to her hand, she activated it. “No.” She finally could say, Tadi could sense the anger her tone contained, mixed with concern and fear. “You don’t have to. Let me be your sword. Let me do it for you. Just as I promised.” People on Tadi’s side probably didn’t understand what was happening. They’d see her as the Jedi who was getting dangerously close to their new boss. But she didn’t care and kept moving.

Extending her hand, she concentrated on the gun Tadi was holding and pulled it away from her, throwing it towards the lekku of the Twi’lek merc she saw out of the corner of her eye who was reaching for the detonator. Once it connected and the Twi’lek merc was out of it for a while because of the pain, she then pulled the detonator to her free hand, and then put it to the side of her belt. “I am sorry. I am sorry I failed you.” She said, this time a lot calmer. “I’ll fix this.”

[member="Tadietti Tann"]

 

[Tadietti Tann]

Descending? Falling. Bumps, bruises, and thuds. Was everything falling?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjlu9RRHcbE​

The Sisters​

Her voice. A protector's sacrifice. “Doesn’t matter,” Blue said looking around the room. The gun raised a fraction. “D.doesn’t.” It did, it mattered a lot. It was the heart of a lioness. To Tadietti but not to Blue.

She lost her gun. The twi’lek lost the detonator. Then she had her sister

Her voice. The Promise “I” There were bodies everywhere. A tip of an iceberg, a huge wake crashing right through her, “N.Nima. I’m. I’m.” She was clearly crying.

Tadietti turned to Nima, and removed her veil. She put her arms around her. Putting her head on her shoulder. Staying. Staying. Staying. Rocking. Rocking. Rocking. “Thank you. For all the times. I wasn’t dead. For all the moments I had that weren’t just on my own.” Smoke and bodies all around them, debris, and the past laying its face bare. Family . There wasn't lot else the Twi'lek could do at that moment, but hold on to it. For a few more seconds.

Goros's tail seemed to settle and the moment of possible danger passed, how close it was to ending differently for all of them. The other mercenaries were scratching the backs of the neck, fiddling with their armor. "Boss? Erm Boss?" One said awkwardly. Tadi didn't want to lose that moment, it could only last for a second. What a second. She ignored them and continued to ignore them. Ignore the bodies, ignore the damage, ignore the fact she hadn't hugged her in 10 years or however long it had been. They could have been on an asteroid hurtling toward the sun and Tadietti wouldn't have cared. Tadietti. Tadietti.

Reached for the veil.

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

With each step closer to her sister, she felt like someone was pushing her head under water, painfully slow. The tension was there, the fear of drowning, but she never drowned and the tension never went away, ever increasing. What was she expecting to happen? Why was she... scared? Was it because of all those years that she blamed herself for her disappearance? Was it because she thought she won’t ever forgive her just like Nima didn’t forgive herself?

“Doesn’t matter.”

Her heart shattered hearing those words from her, her fears realized. When she opened her mouth once again, she expected her to lash out, tell her how much she hates her, tell her it was all her fault, but instead she heard another voice. This one was more familiar, shy. Calling out to her with no sign of the indifference she has shown moments ago, or hate Nima expected her to show.

Then she removed her veil, her little sister all grown up, all those years lost, all those years away from each other, looking right at her with tears in her eyes. In her tone, where she expected hate, she found forgiveness. It didn’t feel right. Not right at all. She feared that she would hate her, expected and prepared herself even, but hearing now that she forgave her, and even thanked her... She couldn’t contain her emotions any longer. Tears fell, and the only response she could give to her was “I’m sorry.” over and over again.

10 years. 10 huge years.

Her embrace was so warm, so loving. She didn’t want to let go. She wanted to stay like this forever. Everything was unimportant except this very moment. But everything had an end, and the reality showed its ugly face once more when Tadietti moved away and Nima came eye to eye with the Hutt. Intense emotions shifted from happiness, to sadness, to anger.

Then something clicked inside her head.

Her hand extended, she concentrated on his tail, moved it around his throat and squeezed, squeezed and squeezed. She wanted to see the fear in his eyes. She wanted him to suffer for what he did to her little sister.

This pathetic creature, who was now out of all the cards he could play, did not deserve mercy.

[member="Tadietti Tann"]

 

[Tadietti Tann]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORLBgaxB2fU​

The Might Goros did not last long under the wrathful assault of a rightly vengeful sister, Tadietti had the veil in her hand, walking over with heavy steps on her small feet. He was dead, she needed to see. She pulled back the rubble of the hoversled beside Nima, and stood hunched over for a long time as her sister choked the life out of him. Watching.

There was a turn of the head from Tadietti, not a shaking but a soft hand on Nima’s arm. “T.Thank you s.sister.”

A smile. A real smile. Validation. Feeling vindicated. Sometimes seeing what tortured you burn, brought closure with it.

Then the veil was replaced. The emotion was hidden. Lady Blue turned around and made a throat-slitting sign, several more shots echoed out, to finish off any men who were injured, her own allies taken care of by now and moved to safety to be treated.

Turning back to her captor so long ago. “He had been my captor. But I held the keys for a long time.” Admitting her manipulation. Blue took a step apart from her sister. She said the words calmly and in a cool composed voice to Nima. Everyone had turned to them, their hands in front of them. Calm and Cool. Emotionally dead. The room felt clinical.

“Thank you for helping her.” Blue said to Nima. “She left you this.” Given the moment, and the level of emotion, a male twi’lek gingerly walked forward and extended a small pad to Nima. Blue continued to walk from her sister over the rubble, over the corpses, to talk over the entire ship speakers, his small fleet and beyond to his holdings.

“Goros is dead. You now serve me. You have one chance. Then you have nothing.” She told everyone who might still oppose her. She’d given Nima that respect. In her own way, her sister had given her a bit of light, the smallest bit of tolerance for her enemies.

The pad. For later, it would read

Spoiler

An ode to someone who died a long time ago.
If you ever see this sister.
If by some chance I am not dead outside.
You were never to blame.
Nobody was, we accept who we are.
Life continues.
We are in it before we know why, and then somewhere else.
Don’t cry for me. I died years ago.
But I carry us with me, times gone by.
Remember when. Remember me then.
For you.
Tadi

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

She looked at the Hutt in the eye as he struggled to breath, watching him slowly perish helplessly, buried in the debris. Not so long after, the Hutt breathed his last breath and Nima finally let go of his tail, looking at what she has done with regret now that it was over and the anger left her. She let her emotions control her once more, acted without thinking, which she promised herself not to do ever again. And the worst part is, she did it right in front of her sister, became the tool for her revenge which she wanted to prevent. When she felt her hand on her arm, the regret became even more intense. She thanked her. She was smiling. “I...” What was she going to say? Her actions made whatever she was going to say irrelevant.

However, it was the least of her worries. The veil was replaced and her sister disappeared once more, with Lady Blue, the cold and emotionless new boss of this gang, taking back control. Without even blinking an eye, she gave the order to kill the injured men of Goros. Shots were heard, along with the painful cries. No emotion. Not at all. She looked her in the eye, searching for the smallest indication of doubt, mercy. There was none. The room suddenly turned cold, unlike moments ago. And all she could do was to watch what her sister has become. Who Lady Blue truly was.

Silence.

Watching eyes.

Her sister, slowly moving away.

“I want her back.” She said.

A datapad, given to her hand.

Tadietti moving away and away, from Nima, from herself.

“I want my sister back. I can’t lose you now. Don’t move away from me. We can fix this.” She wanted to follow. “Please. It’s not you.”

Two mercs were standing in her way. “Lady Blue’s business with you has been concluded. We are to escort you to the shuttle.”

“Get out of my way!” She tried to push them and move past, but was grabbed by the two. “Please do not resist. Lady Blue ordered us not to hurt you.” Struggling, struggling, struggling. It had no effect. She had no strength left to let herself free. But surely she wasn’t going to give up trying. “Let me go! I need to talk to her. I have to! Get your hands off me!” No response. Dragged away, as her sister walked away and away. She extended her hand, trying to reach her. “It’s not you! You can fight her! Don’t let her win!” She shouted, a desparate attempt that she hoped her sister beneath the mask could hear.

Tadi disappeared into a room.

Was it too late?

Did she fail?

Was she ever going to see her again?

Her, no, Lady Blue’s voice echoed all around the ship. With the same coldness she was declaring herself as the new boss, threatening everyone who opposed her authority.

Heartbroken. She felt heartbroken. And she stopped struggling as tears once again fell from her face, the strength to fight back drained from her body. Soon, they arrived to the shuttle and the exterior doors slowly closed, and the ship took off shortly afterwards.

The only thing that remained from her was the datapad in her hands, the last words she left to her. She read them, out loud.

“An ode to someone who died a long time ago.
If you ever see this sister.
If by some chance I am not dead outside.
You were never to blame.
Nobody was, we accept who we are.
Life continues.
We are in it before we know why, and then somewhere else.
Don’t cry for me. I died years ago.
But I carry us with me, times gone by.
Remember when. Remember me then.
For you.
Tadi”

“I will find you again, sister. I will bring you back. That’s my promise.” She said, as she watched the ship leaving from the window.

--Fin for Nima--

[member="Tadietti Tann"]