One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

[Athena Heron]

Adumar

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

There was talk of an insurgent on a sith world. Rumors of someone causing trouble. The Sith uppity-ups didn't think it was worth their time so they sent a minted class of sith acolytes to go investigate with two sith knights. Athena was paired with a pale-skinned acolyte and one of the knights.

The streets were mostly cleared. People knew it meant trouble when the sith academy students left their campus. They scurried into their midtown homes off the lake.

"Spread out grunts." The knight's command echoed off the buildings.

Quick movement on light feet and taking advantage of her taller form, Athena made it to a rooftop. She narrowed her charcoal eyes and scanned the vicinity, going for a bird's eye view.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Athena Heron"]
Adumar…another nice place ruined by the Sith. Now they were clearing the streets. Fear of the Sith made no one want to get in their way. It was worth considering just how exploitive the One Sith had been to make this happen.

Watching from a rooftop in cover, Nantaris marked the movements of the Academy students and the movement of the creature climbing to a nearby roof. He smiled, his team was ready. In hushed tones he gave orders into the commlink.
“Scindia, take out the groundlings. There’s one on the roof here I can deal with. Myr, take out the student down there. When you’re done, head back to the extraction point.”

That done, and the NPC duel which could take place off screen, Nantaris looked across at the other roof where the other Sith had gone. A monster most likely, a creature of evil, a twisted abomination.

Drawing his blaster pistol, he took careful aim, and when the firing began on the ground targets he fired at the Sith, hoping to catch them by surprise with two quick bolts aimed at the chest.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

A dangerous tingle within her fingertips and toes. The scent of a man along the wind. With inhuman speed, she quarter turned her body. The red-blaster bolts sailed past her torso, singeing the fabric of her shirt. A cool-cylindrical hilt hit her hands.

Hawk-like gaze narrowed on the shooter. The feathers mixed with the natural charcoal-hair on her head ruffled. Her attention was fully on him.

"You do not belong here, insurgent."

NPCs could fight other NPCs, yo.

Pushing off the soles of her feet, she ran toward him, a magma-colored blade erupting to life in her blue-tinted fingers. In a few quick, bounds she would be within striking distance, aiming to slice that blaster arm right off.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Athena Heron"]
Nantaris cast aside his blaster pistol so it skidded into a corner, and drew his own blade. The emerald green beam emerged and he parried her first slash.
“And nor do you, Sith. Your kind are a plague, a sickness, and I will help lance the boils which infect this planet.”

Moving forward in the classic Shien counter attack, he attacked heavily, cutting down at her, pulling back, then slashing in from the side in order to defend himself, but also to strike.

The Rogue was experienced in duelling, and he wondered what tricks this strange, avian Sith would have up her proverbial sleeve.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

She was seemingly forced back as he made his attacks. The strikes that connected with her own blade jarred her entire arm down through her sternum. But she was fast and light and tried simply to step out of the way. Where she lacked in physical strength, she made up for in snazzy-footwork.

She seemed to lose ground, backtracking across the roof. Her positioning seemed to be random or guided by the power of this...jedi? But Athena had a very specific place she was leading him toward. There was a corner of the roof that was weak due to poor tenants. She felt it when she first landed on the roof and there was a good chance her lighter bone structure wouldn't fall through. But he might.

"Athena, grandpa. We have names in this century," she grunted as a sheen of sweat began to coat her body, sticking to her feathers and clothes from the constant parry and evade sequence of their dance. "And you think yourself good ol' man?" A bitter laugh escaped her windpipes. "Good is an illusion."

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Athena Heron"]
Nantaris laughed. “Oh indeed it is, especially for you. You are not even adequate…Athena.”
He pressed the attack. He had noticed that despite her avian look she did not have wings. If he could push her to the edge….

The danger came to him just a heartbeat before the roof began to give way. Reacting instinctively he launched himself backwards with the Force as the roof gave way beneath him. His blade switched off as he landed on a safe section of roof, rising to his feet.

“Not bad. Now let’s see if you fly, birdie.” Calling on the Force he hurled a heavy telekinetic push at her. Due to her being on the edge of the roof he was hoping she’d be knocked flying and crash down to earth.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

"Making judgements without knowing a girl," she batted her feathered eyebrows in mock disdain right before the roof collapsed. "I'm shocked, gramps."

She stepped back further to avoid falling as well when she was hit with an invisible force. Lightsaber went flying, below, switching off as soon as it left her hands. Arms tucked in as she positioned her body the right way. She knew the details of falling intimately, lots of practice before her wings were sawed off from the slavers. Using her momentum, she reached out for a plumbing line, bounded off a windowsill, and landed in a light crouch.

Palms were lightly scraped. The pain made her feel alive. Scooping up the lightsaber hilt, she pushed open the door of the dwelling inside and disappeared.

With the force, she began to pick at Valien's mind, letting her singsong voice echo inside his head as she felt him out. "Come trespasser. Did you know your mission would turn into a nightmare? Show me your fears and I'll show you mine."