Private Nothing Beside Remains

[Jacen Nimdok]

As the pirates caught on to the betrayal of the two ghouls and turned their weapons upon them, Nimdok leaped into the dwindling fray, ripping and tearing them apart with a cool efficiency. The guards had all either fallen or fled in terror. The shade stalker turned to face the ghouls, returning once again to the shape of an ordinary pointy-eared archaeologist so that he could speak to them.

“Where is Dr. Dixon?” he demanded.

“She got hit,” the Weequay replied. “She stayed behind and sent us to follow you.”

Nimdok frowned. While he had noticed her absence, he hadn't seen the shooting occur. “How badly is she hurt?”

The two ghouls glanced at each other, then shrugged their shoulders. “She’ll regenerate over time.”

Nimdok peered down the hallway, looking around, then tried to operate the lift. Something or someone had disabled it. “Can either of you get this working?” he asked, pointing to the control panel. “I’m going to go check on Eli—I mean, Dr. Dixon.”

The Weequay nodded and stepped forward to start taking apart the control panel. Nimdok headed back toward the entrance of the base.

“D’you think he fancies her or somethin’?” the Human asked once Nimdok was out of earshot. "I mean, given his abilities, he could probably take the whole lot of 'em down on his own. Why bother going back for her?"

“Of course he does, who wouldn't?” the Weequay replied distractedly. "Though you'd think a shapeshifter would pick a more attractive human form than that..."

The Human looked at him funny. “I thought you said humans were ugly.”

“I hadn’t been bitten by one yet.”

"Huh..." The Human pondered the vast number of changes that must have occurred in their brains as a result of their enslavement, then sighed and dropped the subject. “Y’know, it’s getting kind of chilly in here.”

Though both were clad in clothing appropriate for autumn weather, it wasn’t enough to warm them in the rapidly falling temperatures. The Weequay started to work faster, the Human bending down to help him.

Meanwhile, Nimdok reached the entrance to the base, skidding to a halt as he spotted Elise on the ground outside. “I heard you got shot,” he said breathlessly. “Need some help?”

Elise Ike Ravenous Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Pain. Pain was nothing more than an evolutionary cry of alarm. Warning. An indication something had malfunctioned in the body that might threaten its survival. Left to its own devices this pain could compound upon itself as more and more nerves were affected -- in essence paralyzing a subject. An evolutionary short that evidently insufficient sentients had perished from to have it bred out of the genetic pool. Zlova felt pain. In her ankle. Through the core of her body. Clutched around her heart.

Oh, yes, she still had a heart. No one believed a Sith Lord did after slaughtering a few million people. It shocked people to learn that the blood-pump of the body didn't mysteriously vanish because you slaughtered the innocent. Metaphorically? Metaphysically even? Yes, she possessed that one too. Dark as it might be, the Twi'lek did not enjoy senseless slaughter. She'd done it because it had been 'necessary.'

Necessary. Like pouring the energy she had left into killing the man -- man? -- woman in front of her. Kalil, you should know when you kill a Sith Lord never to miss. If you failed to cut them to the quick, they would always come back. Perhaps not immediately, but one day -- perhaps just before you grasped that which you sought most -- they would return and repay the favor. Only in that dark moment of retribution they would be sure their hated foe was stone cold dead. Perhaps the body would even be incinerated to prevent a Witch or Sorcerer from reanimating the remains.

Incineration. Yes, that's what she would do. Scatter the ashes on a barren world. Use Dark Arts to find if the Spirit remained and then bottle it to be stuck on a shelf where Zlova could look at it from time to time and smile.

Ravenous darted through the killing field with some intent in mind. Zlova didn't know or care what that was. Merely that he -- Kalil -- refused to die.

The red Twi'lek's lips parted as sought to scream at the creature that would not die, but the sound did not come from her throat. Instead, a bolt of lightning from above crashed down upon the world as it sought to utterly destroy the one that enraged Darth Siron so. The armor diverted the heavenly blow, fortunately, from striking Ravenous true. It pierced the land between the combatants with a concussive crack and blistering heat.

Zlova was knocked back from the blast and back onto the ramp of the vessel they'd arrived in.

Her lips peeled back as her eyes shot open, the ringing of her ears another pain that gnawed on her mind for a moment before she shoved it deep inside along with all the rest. It took effort to force her upper body up so that she could look across the field to where the enemy should be; but the darkness inside refused to claim her. The bliss of unconsciousness would not come as the rage brought forth fueled her body in a way the natural laws of the universe would not. That did not mean it was pleasant nor enjoyable, but in these past few moments there was no thought of Summer days and parties; only the drive to see Kalil dead for what she had done.

Tag: Ravenous | Jacen Nimdok | Elise Ike

 

[Elise Ike]

Pain continued to run through her body as she laid against the wall, smears of blood pooling around the ground where she sat. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow, this brings back many memories". Not very pleasant ones, war wasn't often a very flowery experience, but having been away for so long, wounds she would have shrugged at proved to be quite a hindrance.

The focus upon the slowly healing wounds shifted to that oh familiar sound,. Her brown gaze drifted up to her accomplice in crime, a sly smile crossing her slightly blood stained lips. "Seems my new delivery services is working as intended... and yes, you heard right, I took a few rounds when the door opened.... not my brightest moment today". After all, she would know more then anyone else how fearsome a rat could be when backed into a corner, hopefully the others wouldn't hear about this mishap.

"You heal is appreciated but I will be fine, just give me a hand standing up, leg took a decent round, new muscle needs stretching and time to adjust". Elise reaching her hand up for Nimdok to take, the holes in her clothes showing the wounds close up to form new tissue. "How are things going on inside? smells like you had fun in their? It certainly smell like it", her nose easily picking up the potent scent wafting from the alliance base entrance.

Jacen Nimdok Ravenous Zlova Rue

 

[Ravenous]

In an attempt to shield himself from the ethereal blast of energy coming from above Ravenous ducked to the ground and curled up into a ball hoping to save himself from the ensuing explosion. Ravenous gritted his teeth as an intense burst of heat followed by shrapnel rolled over his mostly exposed back cutting it and sending him skidding across the ground. Everything went black leaving Ravenous drowning in the depths of his mind. There was nothing to save him as a sea of black rose around him determined to strand the Dark Jedi in his own inner darkness. There was no sky, no clouds, no sun, no moon nothing. He looked around frantically but found nothing leaving fear as his only companion.

As the water reached his chin Ravenous opened his mouth to take a deep breath before he submerged...but he drew no breath. In fact, the pain he felt earlier had left him along with the hunger and thirst he had before. The darkness around him rose until his whole body had been submerged in...nothing. Ravenous to his surprise stood alone on a gray floor with a deep void surrounding him. His clothes had been repaired and his injuries had healed without any scars or markings. He touched the left side of his face and immediately yanked his hand away in shock and horror...his face had been fixed.

"Hello? Anyone? Where am I?" He shouted receiving no reply in turn. "Welp only one way to figure out." He said before breaking into a wild sprint no destination in mind. He looked around as worry settled into his body his eyes unable to see anything other than the endless void around him. Did he die? Is this hell? If it was hell should he not be suffering? No this had to be something else, something he couldn't remember..."Argh!" Ravenous fell to his knees as a surge of pain lit up his nerves engulfing him in a torrent of agony. His eyes were blinded at the presence of a massive golden light that pierced the darkness and seemed to summon forth grey clouds that filled the area he was in.

Golden eyes burrowed into Ravenous he rose to meet their hate-filled gaze. "Seems I'd forgotten about you..." Ravenous's eyes snapped open his gaze scanning the ruined landscape before him. Black smoke rose from the smoldering crater where his armor had been along with what he would have hoped was Zlova. His hopes were dashed as his skin crawled before the scrutiny of Zlova the hate filling her soul almost overwhelming to the Dark Jedi.

"Still alive missy? Then it seems my hopes were misplaced. Still, it gives you recourse to killing your friend Kalil." Reaching for his belt Ravenous clenched his crossguard in his hand its trio of indigo blades hissing as rain and ash dared to touch them. "But, if you want retribution you have to go through me." Saluting Zlova with his blade Ravenous broke into a sprint determined to finish this duel and kill Jacen Nimdok afterward. Adrenaline now flowing through his bloodstream Ravenous began to hop gracefully upon the rubble before him gaining altitude over his adversary. With ferocious speed, Ravenous began to descend towards Zlova his primed for a wide sweeping motion.

Meanwhile...

"Hey, Ari...Those guys are about to break in and to be honest, we're more likely to die of hypothermia before they even get here!" Teeth clattering and frankly freezing her ass off Arizelva turned towards her associate her face beginning to turn a grayish color due to the cold. "Trust me it worth it. You see to shapeshift into those beasts that guy has to alter his molecular structure so if we freeze the place he won't be able to shapeshift because his body will simply condense once its shape is malleable enough to change.' The Twi'lek folded his arms as skepticism plastered on his face. "And YOU came up with all this?" Arizelva snickered "No I got it from our good friend Ravenous. He told me about it when he smuggled a blaster into that bar using his stomach as a pouch." The Twi'lek cringed. "Yeah...I remember. I also remember when he opened his stomach like a Meiloorun and shot that guy with the gun." "Oh yeah and the way the skin curled up around the wound." Arizelva teased knowing full well the Twi'lek wanted none of it.

"Play no games with me, Ari. Just because your the bosses favored lowlife doesn't mean accidents don't happen." Just as Arizelva was about to respond a group of men rolled in several crates drawing Arizelva away from her conversation. "We stocked every single explosive we had into the box, whatever you plan on targeting is gonna get blown to hell that's for sure." "Good send them down the elevator shaft hopefully the explosion will kill them. If not the caved in entrance will prevent them from following us." Carrying the crates over to the elevator shaft the men activated the bombs and sent them down.

"Alright everyone get your stuff ready were leaving! Make sure to get the data before we leave." With those orders, the crew began to gather their things in a huge hurry to leave. Hyperspace routes, ancient burial sites, Forgotten techniques, a true work of history in the form of the alliance base. One Ravenous coveted from himself...

Elise Ike

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Nimdok helped Elise to her feet. She was clearly regenerating, but her clothes were full of scorched, painful-looking holes.

“It’s not so much ‘fun’ for me as it is a job that must be done if we are to get inside the base,” he replied. “Your, uh, servants are trying to get the elevator working. The pirates have shut everything down in an attempt to halt our progress…”

While Elise stretched her new muscles, Nimdok began to launch into a detailed description of the events that had followed their entrance into the base, putting his eidetic memory to use.

Meanwhile, the two ghouls had managed to hotwire the elevator doors into opening. The Human peered inside the shaft. “The lift is way up there,” he said, pointing. “How are we gonna get it down?”

As if on cue, there was a whirring noise as the lift began to descend. The Human quickly ducked out of the way, looking at the Weequay in puzzlement. “Did you press a button?”

“No…” the Weequay replied, shrugging his shoulders.

When the elevator reached the bottom, the doors opened, revealing numerous boxes filled with explosives and the telltale beeping noise of a countdown. The Human and Weequay glanced at each other, before the latter pressed the button to close the elevator doors. Both then turned and ran.

The fleeing ghouls were knocked off their feet by the blast, which sent them flying across the hallway. The elevator and most of that section of the base completely caved in, the foundations destroyed.

Outside, Nimdok’s vivid, verbose explanation concluded with the ground beneath their feet trembling. The archaeologist turned, his eyes widening as the base began to collapse.

“An explosion?” he muttered. “Are they trying to kill us all?”

Sighing, he looked back at Elise. “I’ll be back in a few minutes—I want to see what these idiots are up to.” With that, he began to shrink, becoming a small brown bird, one of the less impressive species native to Odessen. Fluttering his wings, the bird took flight, heading for the other side of the base, where he found a decent view of the escaping pirates by perching in a nearby tree. He had several questions he hoped to answer via reconnaissance. They were clearly dragging loot from the base, but what sort of loot was it, and where was their ship? Did they intend to leave without Ravenous? How much time did he have left to stop them before they departed with the goods?...

Moments later, the Human and the Weequay staggered out of the base entrance, stunned and covered in dust. Upon seeing Elise, they stood up straighter.

“Master!” the Weequay exclaimed, before breaking into a coughing fit. The Human patted him on the back while the alien hacked up all the dust and ash in his lungs. When he was finally able to continue, he said, “They sent explosives down the elevator shaft.”

“But we got away in time,” the Human added with a grimy smile.

Elise Ike Zlova Rue Ravenous

 

[Zlova Rue]

The lethargic, even mind-numbing pain soon subsided as her suit's medical subsystem kicked into gear. Much as she would rather fight under her own power, Zlova had to admit the extra physical boost was welcome given the amount of Force power channeled so far. Only so much you could conjure in so short a time. Technology gave a woman some breathing room. Sure, it was tantamount to 'cheating,' but she was raised as a Sith. Who cared so long as you were the victor? Ultimately it all boiled down to those that survived and those that did not. Short sighted, but let a Lord sleep like a baby at night.

Zlova reached over with one hand to tap a control on the opposite bracer. Damn rogue apparently didn't know when to quit, she seethed. Rogue? Wasn't that Kalil? The medicine seemed to temporarily intrude upon the rage as the chemical balance was fought to heal the injured and exhausted warrior. Either way, the Twi'lek had resolved to bury her enemy on this planet.

"If you stand between me and Kalil," Zlova growled, "you die." It was that simple. What about walking the line between the Light and the Dark? What about the Confederacy's grand ideals about Sith able to effectively manage the trash of the galaxy without resorting to unquestionable terror? In the end, all of it -- all of it -- didn't matter. Presented with the opportunity to strike the traitor down Darth Siron would take it, and cut down anyone or anything that got in her way. Some grudges were worth burning down the galaxy.

Ravenous' target hadn't moved from the ramp of the vehicle from where she'd landed earlier. Hadn't even reach for her sabers as the man sought to descend upon her from the air. No, she waited until he threw himself upon her. Only when he struck would the molecular shield flare to life from her armor to deflect the lightsaber strike, and then her hand would summon one of her own blades and ignite it to assail Ravenous from behind if he enjoyed standing over his foe.

"Put your back into it this time. Don't leave a Sith Lord wanting," Rue snapped before her lips peeled back in a mirthless grin.

Time to resume their dance; Zlova would happily hop back to her feet so the man wouldn't feel lonely for long. Two spent warriors on the field of battle. Lightsabers clashing as the heavens wept. Pity there wasn't someone around to write the tale.

Tag: Ravenous | Jacen Nimdok | Elise Ike

 

[Elise Ike]

Elise dusted herself off a little upon standing fully up, continuing to stretch her arms and legs while listening to Nimdok. "One hell of a job, I'd expect to be fighting a Sith lord when excavating a tomb on Korriban, but that along with a merc army in this place". Things had certainly escalated much further then anticipated, kids these days. "Well it is good to see them at work.. perhaps I'll keep them around for a bit if they live", some temporary help around the mansion back home.

Once further words were put on hold with the sudden explosion that rang from the base, almost knocking her down again. "I would suspect they would want to plaster our insides across the wall, after all we both seem to be almost immune to their small arms". She replied, getting her footing as she waved away the smoke and dust seeping from the door, eyeing over her thralls while Nimdok once more melded into something else.

"You'd make the perfect magician partner, anyone told you that"? Even with the impressive feats of the force some things were just simply baffling to watch. She casually shook her yeah, grasping her saber again, making sure the weapon still worked as her new servants wandered from the shaft. "Yes I noticed, quite the desperate move, if only they were as obedient as you two, anyways, grasp what weapons and equipment you can, I have a feeling the fight is only just beginning".

"Also see if their is any armor around my size, I don't want my clothes to be in tatters by the end of the day".

Jacen Nimdok Ravenous Zlova Rue

 

[Ravenous]

Brown eyes stared intently into the endless Golden Abyss of their opponent as rain and brimstone cascaded around them in a torrent of fire and destruction. After a brief moment of silence Zlova Rue decided to break the silence...by trying to break him. His focus bow now garnered behind him Ravenous grabbed Zlova and jumped away from the oncoming Saber. A sly smirk formed on his face.

"I don't believe I got your name beautiful..."

Rising to his feet Ravenous surveyed the area the rain of ash and water heavilly obscuring his vision. He smiled to himself as the object he was searching for presented itself. The hilt of one of Zlova's twin sabers laid dormant on the ground waiting for input...his input...

This wasn't boding well for the Dark Jedi. He was well past his limit in terms of his usage of the Force and his already corrupted connection was suffering as a result. Still limits were meant to be broken, maybe not to this extent but nevertheless.

Still driping with blood from the numerous cuts it endured Ravenous raised his arm towards the hilt his mind and ears ringing as he forced his will on the Force around him. Geez it was like he was back in the Academy, barely able to move a pebble. The crystal inside the hilt tried resisting his pull as though it knew he wasn't his master, kind of sad that a waepon had more loyalty than himself.

Meanwhile at the soon to be reabandoned alliance base...

The roar of ship engines and used oil tore through the air almost as hard as Ravenous when he's had too much to drink. Crates and other ordnance were rushed onto ships as the ones that had FINALLY been filled began to take iff relieved that they would get to leave this hell hole.

Her palms sweaty beyond belief Arizelva anxiously watched the central holomonitor as it INCREDIBLY SLOWLY downloaded the alliance base files.

Old terminals always take forever to do ANYTHING. Opening tabs, connecting to the holonet and...oh no...

"By any chance have you guys been clicking the download icon MULTIPLE TIMES?!"

The technicians and Arizelva exchanged blank stares the realization of how screwed they were dinning on their hopes of escape. Everyone knows that clicking more than once only makes things worse and well...they were gonna be here a while.

"Get the last of the ships outta here, and get Mr Dark and broodings ship ready for takeoff."
Jacen Nimdok | Elise Ike

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Nimdok observed the pirates from afar, hearing the rumble of the ship’s engines flaring to life as they scrambled to load up the loot. There was some commotion and panic coming from inside the base. Something was being delayed. There was time, though not much. The small bird left the branch where it had been perched, feathered wings swooping down below the forest canopy.

"What the hell is going on in there?" one of the pirates asked. "Shouldn't we be leaving?"

"We are," his companion replied. "Arizelva and the technicians are staying behind. The computer's taking a while to download all the files. Something about pressing the button one too many times..."

"Well, if we can go, let's go!"

The two made haste loading the last few crates aboard their ship, eager to escape.

Meanwhile, another one of the thugs, a hapless blue-skinned Twi’lek technician who had only survived the ordeal because he could run faster than his peers, was lovingly carrying a box overstuffed with antique electronics into Ravenous’ ship. His route required him to pass by the edge of the woods.

A clattering noise drew the attention of his comrades. They rushed over, calling out to him. “Are you okay? What happened?”

They found their Rutian friend sitting in the grass. The box lay open beside him, the contents spilling out. He shook his head, his lekku bouncing as he sheepishly replied, “I tripped.”

Their worried expressions were swiftly replaced by scowls. “Be more careful!” one snapped as the group returned to their hurried work.

Once they were gone, Nimdok stood up, glanced toward the forest's edge to make sure the body of the real Rutian was not visible, then began replacing the items in the box. There was nothing of any use to him inside. He carried it onto the ship, deposited it with the rest of the booty, and peered out the window as the final companion ship departed.

If Arizelva was still struggling with the central computer inside the Alliance base, and Ravenous' ship was the last one out... he could lie in wait here. But then there was always a chance that the Sith Lord would finish with Zlova and reach the ship before his crew did. A one-on-one showdown with Ravenous was not especially appealing to the archaeologist.

Leaving Ravenous' (actually quite nice) ship, he headed inside the base, intending merely to see how bad it was. If there were only a handful of people left inside, he could deal with them and take the files. Otherwise, he'd have to go back to Elise for help...

***

Elise’s two thralls left to do their mistress’ bidding. Scrounging up weapons and gear from the numerous dead bodies littering the front of the base, they prepared for the fight ahead.

The Weequay returned carrying a vibroblade in one hand and the body of a Nagai female who had been bitten fatally on the neck by the rampaging voxyn on his other shoulder. She had been wearing electromesh armor. “Best I can come up with,” the Weequay said, dropping the bloody corpse with a lifeless thud at Elise’s feet.

The Human meanwhile was wearing every weapon he could find. A blaster pistol was holstered at his belt, a rifle slung across his back, and three rows of various grenades were strung across his chest.

“Hey!” the Weequay yelled. “What are you, a walking armory? C’mon!”

The Human was in the process of installing two energy shields, one to block blaster fire and the other designed for absorbing kinetic impacts. Scrambling to configure them, he rushed back over to Elise. The two awaited further orders.

Ravenous Elise Ike Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

"Rue." The Twi'lek replied as her abdominal muscles flexed to pull her body upright while her legs were slid beneath her. Oh, it hurt. Everything hurt. A little trickle of blood from the corner of her move to reflect the internal damage. Drugs dulled the pain enough to think. Stimulated the body enough to move. The Darkness clawed at her soul eager to coat the planet with Ravenous' blood. While the Light tried ever so dearly to warm her heart and keep the abyss from devouring her whole. Same song, same dance, different music hall. Reminded her of 'home' in the Empire.

Slowly, the red woman descended the short ramp to the planet's surface. Every step was like walking across glass, but a Sith Lord didn't pay attention to such things. No, indeed, from her learning malice and disregard could save you from death itself -- so long as your will endured. A perilous existence, which Zlova would rather not share. Still, there was great power in the galaxy to those that sought it. And despite its shortcomings and self-defeating premise, could Rue ever say the Sith were completely wrong in their beliefs? After all, how many Jedi would have managed to rise one last time?

The hiss of rain on an ignited saber heralded her approach. "How many worlds have you subjugated, Ravenous? How many people have you crushed beneath your feet in order to survive? I'll show you mine, if you show me yours."

Ravenous' touch on the saber intensified as the Force reached back across the connection. The twin blades resonated with their Master's will, and she willed the man to witness the sounds and the sights of unrelenting domination. Wherever they needed someone put in their place, Zlova was in their ranks. Perhaps not its Commander, but her red flesh made for an excellent means of unnerving many species -- red, the color of blood, the sign of danger, the coming of death. Likely, this would not break Ravenous; might not even solicit a grimace. Still, a man should know who his killer was, shouldn't he?

The Twi'lek's pace quickened as her grasp of her saber tightened. One clean sweep through the neck would do it. Or the torso. Or up the center. So many delightful ways to end the day, long as he held still.

Tag: Ravenous | Elise Ike | Jacen Nimdok

 

[Elise Ike]

Elise casually wanderd around the old alliance base, finally having time to more properly look around at the old structure. Well old compared to most present. To herself such a building was quite new but history was still history and it would be good to document the place a little while her thralls went about. Sadly her little searching didn't really bring up much, she'd need more time and better equipment to do a full run of the place. It was a shame she had left her supplies back at the staging area where no doubt the two dark side users where still battling.

Fortunately her little pets had done better relatively speaking, Elise glancing down to the weapon and light armor worn by the pirates. "Good work, these should prove useful if that Sith returns". "Hook up the blasters remotely in some way if you can, if not some strings around the triggers will do, I want anyone coming through that front door to get a nice present". It would also serve to give a warning should Ravenous return but if he was as strong as he said slowing the man down would probably be all it could do.

"I'll take that Elecromesh off your hands, while I change upgrade yourself as much as you can with what's left, I intend to have you fight a little more". "Aslo see if you can find Nimdok, though considering what he has been doing don't be surprised if you cant". She casually replied, shifting into a small side room to get more properly outfitted.

Jacen Nimdok Zlova Rue

 

[Ravenous]

Rue. It was debatable whether or not that was her real name or just an alias of hers but to Ravenous it was all the same. Either way learning his enemy's name was of no real importance to Ravenous what WAS important was that he was now holding Zlova's weapon reducing her tactical options by 50%. It was far too early to declare victory but bringing his opponent closer to their inevitable defeat was somewhat comforting to Ravenous, whether he had earned to right to feel that way or not.

Igniting twin blades Ravenous brought them against each other in front of himself viciously taunting Zlova Rue . This one had a quick temper and even worse coping methods, not only was she a powerhouse of relentless fury but she was one with magic powers and a laser sword which easily placed her in the top five of people who have tried to cut him in two. Definitely top three. "How many worlds Rue? Trying to boast about the massive loss of life on your hands? Zero. The answer to that question is Zero. Got any idea as to why? Because unlike you I know what war does to people. I know what it's like to lose everything and have to build up yourself without anyone around to help you. I don't know about you but I know how much damage I've done to this galaxy and I know that if war continues to burn away peoples lives then sooner or later everyone will end up like me."

"Self-loathing. Demented. Filled with endless rage with nowhere to outsource it. Literal torture on both the mind and body." His words now becoming incoherent mumbling Ravenous fell into a daze his senses and cognitive abilities impaired for the moment. The sounds of battle...the smell of smoke...the searing heat of fire on his flesh...And as if that wasn't strange enough he was pretty sure these weren't even his memories...Zlova...all of her abilities were manifestations of the past and all of them were fueled by will power alone. Her unwillingness to let go of the past was an inherent weakness...one he would exploit. You see to project her will onto Ravenous Zlova will have had to open a connection with her weapon and subsequently, Ravenous giving her access to his thoughts emotions, senses, everything.

The catch is...the door to the user's psyche is left wide open. "You've made your last mistake Rue. You can't beat me with these meager skills of yours because unlike you I let go of my past." When Ravenous's mask and the rest of his armor were vaporized the Void's presence in his body was weakened to an extent but what's left is more than enough to deal one final blow to both of them...hunger. The void's hunger was eternal and abysmal to the mind which made it the perfect tool to take both of them out. "We won't die but this battle is over...let go and allow yourself to rest, its all the relaxation your going to get before what's to come." Tightening his grip on Zlova's saber Ravenous expelled every ounce of force energy in his body and then some leaving no crevice in either of their minds uncovered. The endless void in the back of Ravenous's mind could not resist such an invitation a feast spread before it.

A cloud of death and pain rippled through the Force burning away anything in its path leaving only devastation in its wake. The void was weakened they couldn't die, but they would be comatose for a good while. Memories, emotions, all fell victim to the void's hunger as it fed and fed until there was nothing left to nibble on but any empty husk of a brain desperately trying to piece itself back together. Despite the horrors being wrought on his body Ravenous couldn't help being filled with glee being relieved of all his atrocities and strife over the years. For the first time since he was seventeen, he was carefree, in every regard. It might've been the fact that his entire body had gone numb but Ravenous couldn't find it in his heart to give a shit about the indigo saber that cut across the left side of his face, maybe he was too tired to care, or since the left side of his face was already burnt Ravenous thought it didn't look as bad...hell it's entirely possible he just didn't care.

THUD Ravenous collapsed on the ground finally delivering his intense duel to its end...

Meanwhile...

"COME. ON." Arizelva whined her anger and frustration reaching unhealthy levels. "It's been on 99% completion for five minutes now! What is wrong with this thing?!" "It's old as hell..." One of the technicians replied his hair turning more and more gray by the minute. Everything was going well....too well...

Why haven't Jacen Nimdok and Elise Ike made a move yet? They were just...wait...where was Nimdok? Arizelva frantically flipped through the security camera's desperately hoping she had too much to drink. Now she wishes she had a little more...Nimdok was gone leaving his vampire companion alone to..."Ack! I did not need to see that today!" Ignoring whatever that was Arizelva scanned what was left of the crew trying to detect any discrepancies. Usually, this sort of thing would be easy but when pretty much EVERYTHING everyone did was wrong it was hard to tell what was wrong and right.

Then Eiron walked in carrying the last of the supplies in his hands. The two of them talked to each other from time to time but Ari wouldn't say they had any real connection, She doubted that Nimdok would know any of that but the fact was if Eiron was acting strangely she wouldn't notice, which made him the perfect person to slip under her radar. "Kass, nimrod eyima kor files! let'ku blow thiku schutta hole!" (Hey nimrod we got the files lets blow this shit hole!) "If your interested in keeping your face you won't call me a nimrod again! Now let's go!"

Not giving a second thought towards the possible traitor in their mist Arizelva raced towards Ravenous's ship relieved she might actually get to leave Odessen with both of her horns still on her head.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Within moments of walking into the base, “Eiron” was walking out again, borne along by the excited crush of technicians and pirates determined to make their way to Ravenous’ ship. Ah, so he might as well have stayed there anyway.

Catching up to one of the techs, he asked, “Did you make extra copies of the files, or is it all on one disk?”

“Extra copies? Are you kidding?” the tech replied. “We could barely get it all at once!”

“But then if something happens to the disk, you’ll lose everything!” the Rutian hissed. He was staying within the bounds of what a random technician would be upset about, but genuine anger belied his words. “As soon as we get inside, you better make copies. Otherwise, all it will take is a bump in the hyperspace lane to make all of that chit we went through completely pointless!”

“If you care so much, why don’t you make the copies?” the tech snapped. He promptly flung the box into “Eiron”’s already full hands. The Rutian immediately dropped what he was holding in order to catch the container.

“Watch it!” a female tech grumbled as she nearly tripped over the spilled contents. “Dammit, Eiron! This is the second time today!” She paused, her nose wrinkling. “Have you been drinking?”

Now that she mentioned it, the people around the Rutian could smell the pungent odor of alcohol hanging like a cloud over their comrade. It wasn’t real, of course, but the Shi’ido can affect how others perceive them in many subtle ways.

“Sorry,” the Rutian muttered. Stumbling with the crowd, he staggered forward—only to bump into the person in front of him, once again dropping what he was holding.

“Hey! You did that on purpose!”

With a flushed face and a tipsy grin, “Eiron” stooped to clean up the mess—and deftly slipped the disk into his clothes, where he drew it into his body out of sight. But two other technicians pushed him out of the way.

“Get out of here, man! You’re drunk! Get on the ship and try not to break anything while you’re at it!”

“Or we’ll throw you out the airlock!”

“Eiron” gave a drunken salute, then spun around and lurched toward the waiting ramp of Ravenous’ ship. Glancing over his shoulder, he made sure the technicians were focused on picking up the pieces or carrying out other frenzied duties, then quietly diverted his course, heading for the front entrance of the base.

Elise’s two thralls had just finished hooking up the blaster trap when Nimdok suddenly appeared, turning the corner. “Oh hey,” the Human said. “We were supposed to look for you once we finished with this. Where’d you go?”

“I got the files,” Nimdok answered cheerfully, reaching into his pocket and producing the disk. Glancing at Elise, now clad in the dead pirate’s armor, he smirked. “And I see you’ve made yourselves at home here.”

“We had a look around for spare gear,” the Weequay replied, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “Hey, if you got what you need, does that mean we can finally leave?”

“Provided we can make our way back to the ship without being killed by the Sith Lord,” Nimdok replied. Sure, he had obtained the disk, but now he had no clue how they were going to escape Odessen. “As far as I know, Zlova Rue is still fighting him over by our ship. We could try and overpower him together... but I'm no Jedi or Sith, and neither are you.” He was of course referring to the two thralls. Elise was another animal entirely, but he didn't think she would want to get into a duel with Ravenous either if she could help it.

Elise Ike

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova laughed as Ravenous claimed the ravages of war on the soul. "Aren't you a darling? Enjoyed living your life by your own rules out here in the muck? A Lady of the Sith isn't afforded that 'luxury,' Ravenous. There's always someone higher than you in the food chain unless you become Emperor, and then all you're left with is a galaxy full of people that want nothing more than to tear you down. You know what war does to people? I know what people do to people."

People was, she liked what she did. Worse, she knew objectively she probably should not. It was why she'd masqueraded as little more than a Twi'lek dancer on Nar Shadaa and then decided to play 'Gray' in the Confederacy when it was self-evident just how black her soul was. Zlova wanted to see if there was something else she could do given everything had been torn away from her. She was 'free' and yet shackled all the same. And this little spat between them? The red Twi'lek's toothy grin and burning, golden eyes belied how much the monster she'd been trained to become enjoyed it. Ravenous could wax philosophy all day long, but their actions had steered this confrontation to its natural conclusion.

"Let go of the past?" A hot snort raged from her nostrils. "Ignorance is nothing but an excuse, Ravenous. A demonstration of a coward unwilling to face what they've done. I'm not ashamed of what I am. Are you?" A trivial matter for her to correct by lopping his pretty head off his shoulders, which is precisely what she'd aim to do so Ravenous could 'rest.'

Ravenous seemed eager to throw a great darkness over her mind, but Zlova would not be so easily deterred. Even if he obfuscated her vision, her grip on the saber tightened before she swung it at his head. The red woman sailed passed, and came to a stop six feet behind him.

She heard the man drop to the ground behind her. With pain that shot up her back, the Twi'lek turned and extended her hand out to tear the other saber from Ravenous' grasp. Instead of igniting its twin, however, both sabers had gone silent. Soft pants of breath punctuated the woman before Zlova felt the energy expended from her form. Her knees hit the ground before she toppled over to the side and onto her back on the moistened soil.

Exhaustion had limited her thoughts and focus to a single task of retrieving the other part of herself. That her strike had not severed the man's head didn't even register to the Twi'lek's eyes. Nor would Rue think herself a clear victor in the duel. There'd be enough suffering that consumed her physical shell later to reflect on the battle, and how to emerge from their next fight as the undisputed champion. For now, there was only darkness.

Tag: Elise Ike | Jacen Nimdok | Ravenous