Public Sands of Time

[Trayze Tesar]

CURRENT MISSION - So Some Sith Walk Into A Bar...
Immediate Goals -
1: Investigate areas connected to the bygone Disciples of Ragnos
1.1: Investigate why the kark everyone is here?!

BLUFOR - Sith Affiliates

OPFOR - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Tamsin Graves || Kaila Irons || 17-KR7 "Enigma" || Diarch Reign || Laphisto || Quinn Varanin || Eira Dyn || Open Frequency

---

"Well I came here for personal reasons." Trayze announced, "Boring self-enlightenment reasons, no jilted lovers or climactic showdowns, sorry." he spoke aside to the two apprentices. The Force had a nasty habit bringing him into awkward places at the worst of times, and so he needed to think certain thoughts.

I wish my family was dead, my future wife a queen and a whore, my home an impossibility, and that I die alone. He willed sarcastically into the Force, before adding ...And that Quinn Varanin and Her Grace kill me fer grabbing her chest under medical duress. He then let a beat pass, allowing burgindy eyes to asses and addressing the gaggle of girls before him. "What of yerselves? Business or recreation for y'all?" he inquired, before politeness compelled him with an "Ah, th' name's Trayze. Trayze Tesar." he gave a winsome smile, and a smaller flare of dark side energy to assuage his peers that they were in good company.

While politely listening to whatever answers they gave, and wisely noting and avoiding the clear history these two duos had with one another, he focused his mind's eye outward to the two Force users that weren't accounted for. Were they mercenaries? Passerbys? There were seldom coincidences in his line of work...

 

[17-KR7 "Enigma"]

Location: Zonju V
Tags: Tamsin Graves Kaila Irons Diarch Reign Trayze Tesar Laphisto Eira Dyn Tarasynora Quinn Varanin

The cantina hummed with the chaotic energy typical of Zoronhed's neutral grounds. Music blared from antiquated speakers, blending with the laughter and shouts of patrons, the clink of glasses, and the occasional crash of a dropped mug. Gang members, smugglers, and mercenaries milled about, their movements calculated yet casual. Beneath the surface, however, a razor-sharp tension coiled like a predator ready to strike.

In the shadowed corners of the room, Enigma's Commando Droids blended seamlessly with the crowd. Their photoreceptors dimmed to a soft, unobtrusive glow, and their bodies cloaked in hooded garments to obscure their identity. The droids' internal systems hummed with precision as they calculated every angle, every contingency. Each unit was synchronized to Enigma's neural core, sharing a real-time flow of data that allowed them to operate as a single, fluid entity.

In the cantina's back room, concealed by the bustle of patrons and noise, a holo-display flickered to life. Enigma's image appeared, her pink and reddish-pink chassis glowing faintly as she addressed her agents via secure comm channels. Her voice was calm, detached, and utterly controlled.

"Phase one: Disrupt and confuse," she commanded. "Isolate the targets from potential allies. Ensure no one escapes."

A subtle nod passed between two human bounty hunters stationed near the bar. One of them slipped a small, innocuous-looking device under the counter—a makeshift signal jammer programmed to disrupt personal comms within a fifty-meter radius. The other hunter casually spilled a drink on a particularly volatile biker, igniting a shouting match that threatened to escalate into violence.

The distraction worked perfectly. As the comms jammer activated, patrons pulled out their holopads and datapads, frowning as they realized their devices were malfunctioning. Meanwhile, the escalating argument at the bar drew attention away from the entrance, creating an air of chaos that masked the true threat.

At the cantina's entrances and exits, Enigma's secondary teams moved into position. Each bounty hunter was armed with precision tools tailored to the environment. Sonic grenades, tuned to incapacitate without damaging the cantina's fragile infrastructure, were subtly concealed within their gear. Net launchers designed to entangle targets in high-tensile mesh hung at their sides. Blaster rifles, carefully modulated to avoid collateral damage, were at the ready.

The Commando Droids took point, their programming ensuring every movement was calculated and deliberate. One droid silently adjusted a concealed grenade launcher mounted beneath its blaster, calibrated to detonate with pinpoint accuracy. Another activated a scanning array, mapping the cantina's interior and tracking every heat signature. They didn't need to identify the targets yet; their directive was simple—lock down the space.

"Phase two: Containment," Enigma's voice rang in their auditory receptors. "No one leaves unless I allow it."

A hunter near the door engaged the locking mechanism, sealing it with a subtle flick of a wrist-mounted slicer tool. At the same time, the windows began to darken, the external lighting systems overridden to obscure any visibility from outside. To the average observer, it seemed like a malfunction or a power surge, but to Enigma's forces, it was a signal that the trap was fully in place.

Above the cantina's main floor, two Commando Droids had scaled the rafters, their movements silent as they positioned themselves for overwatch. From their elevated vantage points, they had a clear line of sight to every corner of the room. One droid trained its blaster on the main entrance, while the other aimed at the bar, ensuring that any resistance could be neutralized instantly.

 

[Tarasynora]

Location: Barracks Cantina, Zoronhed - Zonju V
Tag: Tamsin Graves Kaila Irons Trayze Tesar Laphisto Diarch Reign Eira Dyn Quinn Varanin 17-KR7 "Enigma"

"Hm."

"Dutiful as ever." Kaila hummed, giving her companion a respectful dip of the chin.

Tarasynora gave a slight frown. Given the context, she could not help but to perceive her ex’s words as something akin to veiled complaint or insult. A passive-aggressive reference to the very reason their relationship, short-lived it had been, had failed. Deep in contemplation, the Elzeri was briefly left behind by her companions as they entered the bar. However, she followed them inside a couple seconds after, at which point a shout assailed her senses, causing her ultrasensitive ears to twitch with equal parts frustration and self-consciousness.

"Hey, we don't serve kids here!"

Tarasynora was keenly aware of the fact that she was short, but her build certainly wasn’t waifish. Or was it? Had Kaila lied to her? In that regard, the Elzeri swallowed, suddenly feeling compelled to find a mirror. However, upon seeing the rugged gangers, mercenaries, bounty hunters, swoop thugs, and other potentially dangerous individuals occupying the cantina, she shook her head again. Another distraction, when she was supposed to be working.

Still, the bartender’s comment lingered in the back of her mind.

Nevertheless, Tarasynora made her way towards the counter, her helmet turning transparent to reveal her full features in the process. She did not dare take it off in a venue as questionable and potentially dangerous as this.

From there, Tara observed the conversation as Kaila approached a pair of women who were at the bar, her mouth briefly forming an O before she forced it shut.

At this point, Eira decided there was no point in hiding things. "Kaila is the woman I allowed in and burned me." Eira admitted, hating herself, the situation and just life in general. "So, might be best that we avoid training." Eira stated bluntly, unsure if her heartache would ever fade but knowing that right now it was still too much.

“Oh.” Tara muttered softly, a frown manifesting on her features. She casted a quizzical glance towards Tamsin then, to mouth a question regarding how many exes Kaila had and how exactly they had run into one seemingly at random at a cantina in the middle of nowhere!

However, at that point, something else seized Tara’s awareness, causing her pointed ears to twitch with stimulation. It was the soft, mechanical whirring of servos. Servos that she was acutely familiar with owing to previous experience. It was a model that she recognized from just the sound, which Kaila favored for use in her forces.

Commando droids.

Her eyes went wide then, as the light began to fade, shrouding much of the cantina in shadow. At the same time, her ears registered the click of a lock, compelling Tara to cast her gaze towards the entrance, which was now sealed shut.

“I think we’ve just walked into a trap.”

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit Mk. II
  
  • Boots
    
    • FAE/A-14 Energized Foot Gear
      
      • Jetboot Thrusters Removed
  • Helmet
    
    • FAE/U-06 Collapsing Mirrors
    • Tinted Visor
  • Aesthetic
    
    • Black and White Coloring
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
• Gun Works Shock Pistol
  
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
  • Ammunition
    
    • Power Cell (5)
• Netrunner Vibroshank

 

[Trayze Tesar]

CURRENT MISSION - ...And The Smartest One Ducked
Immediate Goals -
1: Eliminate the ambushers!

BLUFOR - Sith Affiliates

OPFOR - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Tamsin Graves || Kaila Irons || 17-KR7 "Enigma" || Diarch Reign || Laphisto || Open Frequency

---

Movement. Movement in the physical but not in the Force - that was the first indication that something was going to become even wronger. In his time as a detective, he had had to preside over a few awkward social spats, jilted lovers, estranged families, particularly jealous coworkers, and the tension present between certain members of the Sith present was just the big neon sign that things would not be easy.

Next was what the sound of that movement was, something far too familiar to Trayze in his command of several frigate-loads of droid personnel: servos. One droid would be enough to cause the patrons of this bar to personally disassemble it - several meant that this was -

“I think we’ve just walked into a trap.”

The Sephi-like girl who's ears tingled along with Trayze's at the servos jinxed this while the lights went down, and the Force billowed out. Under the rising tension of the barroom, the tendrils of Trayze's inner eye scampered through the crowd to find silhouettes in the Force.
"Commando droids." He exhaled. "Two, in the rafters."
With that, he pulled his hands out, not yet grasping any weapons, but mimicking the guns complete with trigger discipline. With a twitch of his finger, the pressure around two droids were registered too late as their necks snapped - but for whoever commanded them, this was done intentionally. Whoever this Kiffar was knew how to dissect a droid in such a way that would allow him to recover the data for later - to discover who their attacker was.

But now, chaos erupted, with so many rats caught in a trap with the snipers still providing overwatch, it was going to be a bloodbath.

 

[Diarch Reign]

​

Location: Zaronhed | Cantina
Tags: Laphisto Tamsin Graves Quinn Varanin Trayze Tesar

---

“No doubt, so much trouble for such a small being”
He replied to his friend and ally, and remained silent while he watched what appeared to be a reunion of sorts unfold.

As the lights dimmed and the Kiffar announced and subsequently dispatched the two commando droids, chaos erupted.

The Diarch lit his blood orange blade, and slid into a defensive position, unsure how many attackers there were just yet. But he would not be taken down in a paltry ambush.

 

[Tamsin Graves]

Sands Of Time​

Location: Zoronhed, Zonju V
Equipment: GL-13 blaster | Combat Knife | Multi-Tool | Inquisitorial Saber | Circlet of Projection
Tags: Kaila Irons | Tarasynora | Quinn Varanin | Eira Dyn | Laphisto | Diarch Reign | Trayze Tesar | 17-KR7 "Enigma"

Kaila Irons hand came down on her shoulder, and a small bit of calm washed over the anxiety ridden Tamsin. They moved towards the bar where and met the princess part way there, Tamsin still unsure of what to think of all of this, she clearly knew it was the making of entity inside of her wanting an audience for whatever the hell this. Yet after Susevfi and the Demon preaching the need to accept she was alone in this Galaxy, why did it need an audience for its plans?

Lost in her thoughts she managed to her parts of the conversation between, and she winced noticeably as Quinn Varanin called Darth Anathemous, Kaila. They weren't on a sith world but still among so many people and being so close to the border even Tamsin knew better then to call Kaila by her name in public especially when there were other sith present. It was one of the few rules Kaila imposed upon Tamsin, and it was one she had not broken.

Then Eira was introduced them like she was some stranger to the group. Tamsin was about to let out a heavy sigh as she could feel the palpable tension between the too clearly ex-lovers now. Tamsin gave Eira Dyn a nod of acknowledgement, even if the woman looked like she might try to kill both her and her master. Then again Eira always looked ready to kill so it was hard to tell. Still Kaila had a pension for making enemies and new friends often times in same setting.

She watched how Quinn and Kaila stared at each other all googly eyed and she knew then those two were a thing now. Then she looked to Tarasynora , three of her masters lovers in in one room, she had to wonder maybe this was all a set up by the Demon to knife Kaila to death to show she could take everything from her. She watched as Tara mouthed how many people Kaila had been with; Tamsin's eyes went a bit wide as she glanced down at her hands and tried to count them off on her fingers.

Lucky for her Tara got distracted cause she ran out of fingers fast. Then the lights dimmed and the blast shutters on the windows began to close. Chaos started to erupt around the bar on the verge of rioting. Tamsin looked towards where Laphisto and Diarch Reign seeing both go on the move and Reign drawing his saber. Her eyes shifted to the weird guy in the bar who had clearly been eavesdropping on the love triangle as he too moved into action.

"I think we've just walked into a trap."

"It's the water tower all over again." Tamsin muttered towards Tara as she looked up at the lights that had gone out seeing droids lurking up in the rafters. "Master, Princess, and Eira…. ahhhhh" Oh shit the crowd started pushing and Tamsin got pulled in vanishing into the sea of people starting to riot getting separated from the group. She looked around as she got pushed and pulled further into the crowd frantically looking but only catching glimpses of what she thought was Tara, Kaila, Laphisto, and Eira as she got shoved around.

She tried to reach for her blaster but as she got it pulled from her holster it got knocked out of her hand and fell to the ground and started getting kicked around lost in the sea. She tried to push back against the flood, but her diminutive stature was no match for the much bigger ruffians in the bar. "Kaila! Tara!" She screamed out hoping one of them might hear her among the very loud crowd. She called her master by her real name for brevity that and it didn't seem to matter after the princess used it the whole bar already knew.

She managed to pull her saber from her belt loop and thankfully held onto it, but she still hadn't ignited it not sure if she should just start cutting down people. She could easily just start swing but what if she hit one of her people or worse the princess, god damn that demon and its love of pure chaos it could feel it growing stronger and it knew this was all its fault. "Kaila! Tara!" She yelled again. She could sense Kaila but she couldn't get to her so yelling seemed the best bet.

 

[Kaila Irons]

Location: Zoronhed, cantina
Wearing: Armor + Mask
Tag: Quinn Varanin Eira Dyn Tamsin Graves Tarasynora
Nearby: Trayze Tesar Diarch Reign Laphisto 17-KR7 "Enigma"

Kaila was taken aback to see her love here. The only reason she'd not been by her side ever since Susevfi were those horrid days when the princess was taken by imperial bureaucracy and private meetings with people deemed too important to the empire to allow the young Darth to linger at her heart's side. And it was during those busy days when she reluctantly parted to attend her own duties.

Really she they ought to make her title as Quinn's bodyguard a formal thing so that she could stay.

So why was she here now, and with only-

"...Eira."

She dipped her chin the barest inch, hoping that the acolyte would simply pretend not to know her so that they could keep to the mission, keep it formal, professional even.

"Kaila is the woman I allowed in and burned me." Eira admitted, hating herself, the situation and just life in general. "So, might be best that we avoid training."

Now there was no hope of it.

"You used me." she pointed an accusatory finger wreathed in black leather.

"All while keeping me at arm's length. Do not pretend I meant anything to you."

No one could see it behind the mask or the bitterly serpentine hiss that was her tone, but Kaila still hurt for it. In fact Eira had been one of numerous causes for the coup soon after their break up, for it had been the last straw in a spiraling paranoia; Kaila could not trust sith. Even those supposedly close to her, and it was for this reason she no longer had qualms killing her own kind.

One had to wonder if she would have even given herself the chance to love again, were Quinn a sith.

"Quinn, what on earth are you doing here, with this-"

“I think we’ve just walked into a trap.”

Anathemous turned sharply, trusting Tarasynora's ears more than her own.

She hadn't even noticed the state of the crowd. And by the time she did, it was already too late. Tamsin was swept into the crowd, and though she could sense her through their mysterious bond, Anathemous could not see her calling apprentice.

Even as she pulled one of the gangers away, breaking his nose with an iron-boned fist wrapped in flesh, she could not spot her.

"Tamsin? Tamsin!"

She growled then, summoning a lightsaber in hand, boots beginning to lift from the ground.

There had been too many close calls, too many deaths on her watch. And as the warrior-sorceress began to hover above the crowd, her violet blade now alight, and the cold presence of numerous souls creeping across the darkened bar, she planned to make one thing clear; She was no longer that little girl, gripped by passivity.

And they would get but one warning.

"STAND. DOWN. NOW."

​

 

[Tarasynora]

Location: Barracks Cantina, Zoronhed - Zonju V
Tag: Tamsin Graves Kaila Irons Trayze Tesar Laphisto Diarch Reign Eira Dyn Quinn Varanin 17-KR7 "Enigma"

The crowd consumed both of the small-statured women before Tara could raise her voice. As Tamsin was drawn into the crush, the Elzeri was knocked over, nearly being trampled before she managed to dive beneath a nearby table. At that point, she drew a deep breath and locked her gaze onto a trio of passing gangsters—a hulking Kajain’sa’Nikto, a black-furred Shistavanen, and an Warthog—before pushing herself up from under the table.

“You three,” Tarasynora pointed out the three rogues, immediately drawing their attention towards her as their eyes glazed over with the force of compulsion.

“Defend me with your lives!”​

The gangsters sprang into action without delay. The Nikto and the Warthog moved towards Tara’s side and guarded her with their bodies, brandishing their weapons as they did. At the same time, the Shistavanen drew one of his disruptor pistols, a low growl on his lips as he vaporized a hapless Gamorrean with contemptuous ease.

Shaking her head, Tara took a deep breath as the Nikto and the Warthog escorted her to safety behind the bar while the Shistavanen provided cover. However, it was only then that a familiar snap-hiss rang out, drawing the Elzeri’s gaze up towards the ceiling as Kaila hovered above the crowd and shouted a warning.

"STAND. DOWN. NOW."

And just like that, the spell Tara had brought over the three gangsters was broken!

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit Mk. II
  
  • Boots
    
    • FAE/A-14 Energized Foot Gear
      
      • Jetboot Thrusters Removed
  • Helmet
    
    • FAE/U-06 Collapsing Mirrors
    • Tinted Visor
  • Aesthetic
    
    • Black and White Coloring
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
• Gun Works Shock Pistol
  
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
  • Ammunition
    
    • Power Cell (5)
• Netrunner Vibroshank

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Kaila Irons //: Eira Dyn //: 17-KR7 "Enigma" //: Tarasynora //: Diarch Reign //: Tamsin Graves //: Trayze Tesar //: Laphisto //:
//: Attire //:

Once more, Quinn found herself in a situation she had not seen going wrong. As Eira mentioned and explained to her who Kaila was, the Echani pursed her lips tightly, and her eyebrows rose in surprise. It was just her luck that the Master would find the one person her apprentice had vented about, causing her colossal distrust of other Sith. Before Quinn could break the two apart, Kaila responded to Eira with the same venom the Acolyte spat. Seeing as her idea had backfired, the Princess unknowingly felt terrible at the discourse she had caused.

Looking back to Kaila, the moment the woman had addressed her, her eyes looked back to Eira, for whom she could already feel the rage burning in the Acolyte's chest. "Well, she's my apprentice." Quinn smiled sheepishly as she shrugged. Nothing could have warned her about the tension between the two.

As much as Quinn hoped things couldn't get any worse, they did. Before she could react to the other woman's comment about them walking into a trap, the lights were cut, and the enemy descended upon them. Quinn looked to Eira, knowing the woman would enjoy the opportunity to do what she did best. Through a quick mental connection, she reminded her apprentice of their goal and who their allies were. << Behave, and only attack those attacking us.>> The Princess let the Force swell within her as she listened to the pull of the Force. The enemies were organic and mechanical; she couldn't do anything about the mechanical targets without potentially putting Kaila in danger.

Her mind drifted to their spar on Echnos, remembering what the lighting-infused kick had triggered. Shaking the thought from her mind, Quinn focused on what she could deal with. Exhaling softly, the woman's mind began to meld with the minds of three bounty hunters. They convulsed as she ripped into their minds, removing their control and becoming their new Master.

Quinn knew she was disadvantaged, having her whole focus on mind control, but she hoped there was enough between her and the other hunters. Using her new puppets, the Princess turned and charged with their stun batons, their once allies. One of the bounty hunter puppets turned and fired on one of the other bounty hunters, causing the man to flip over the bar. Kaila had jumped into action, and the shout caused Quinn to flinch, but she could still maintain control over the simple-minded goons. She stopped their fire but waited to see what the others did - if they continued, Quinn would have them continue to fight their allies.

With Kaila further into the bar, Quinn didn't know who was around her enough to protect her. The worst that would happen is a stray bolt or one of the bounty hunters getting wise to her being the puppet master of the poor bounty hunters.

 

[Eira Dyn]

Location: Zonju V
Outfit: Training Gear
Equipment: Practice saber, daggers, blaster pistol
Tag: Interacting with Quinn Varanin | Kaila Irons | 17-KR7 "Enigma" | Nearby: Tamsin Graves | Tarasynora | Trayze Tesar | Diarch Reign | Laphisto

Eira knew that her comments were not going to be left hanging in the air without a rebuttal from Kaila. If anything, she was interested in seeing how Kaila would respond to the fact she had told her side of the story to Quinn and had done so without mentioning names. Allowing Kaila to have the relationship with Quinn without attempting to taint it with how Eira felt Kaila had treated her so poorly. Up until this inevitable meeting, Eira had planned on never stating Kaila as being the woman she had the trouble with.

She might have hated how things ended and that they ended before she wanted them to, but Eira wasn't unsurprised that they did end. Eira was not someone who felt comfortable giving her all to another being. It felt too vulnerable and clearly Kaila needed someone who could do that from what Eira had heard about the woman Kaila had dumped her for and then moving on with Quinn.

Eira was not someone who loved easily or in a traditional way. And with what Kaila was spouting with such venom in her tone, clearly the way she gave affection was just not good enough. That was something Eira knew was a possibility, it was what happened with her family, her sister and many others before she found herself here at the Order.

It was something Eira knew she would have to deal with more often.

"You enjoyed the attention I did give you, you wanted more. I did not want to give more." Eira stated in her cold tone. Not wanting to expose how it was more she did not know how to give more. That Kaila was showing her slowly how to be healthier in giving affection then stepped away and left Eira feeling hollow. That even now, Kaila was blinding herself with false hatred towards Eira that she did not see the hurt that Eira was hiding so that she would be the villain that Kaila needed.

Since being the villain was what Eira did best it seemed.

Before she could ask to leave to the ship as to keep things from getting overly dramatic, things got even more intense and dramatic. Chaos ensued and pirates and droids started firing upon the group. Eira knew she needed to keep her Master safe, moving to help Quinn get back into some form of cover and away from danger. She threw a dagger charged with her Force Lightning towards a droid. Recalling the dagger into her hand once the droid was down. Hearing the communication from Quinn, Eira smirked since her Master was trying to say that she needed to focus on those attacking them physically right now.

<<You know your statement is vague enough to include Kaila right now since she emotionally attacked me just now.>> Eira's voice telepathically was softer, more feminine than the voice she had when speaking aloud. It alluded to the idea that Eira purposefully deepened her voice when talking. Something she couldn't hide when communicating telepathically.

Lancing another bolt of Force Lightning at a second droid that approached them, Eira figured it would be smarter for her to focus on the droids since her Master could mentally take care of organics with ease.

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto winced, his sharp intake of breath turning into a low growl as he clutched the bridge of his nose. The sharp tang of his drink lingered on his tongue, but the chaotic torrent of visions made him forget its taste. Images surged into his mind, vivid and unrelenting, as if he were being hurled into the future without his consent.

The bar descended into chaos. Droids poured in from every entrance, their blasters firing indiscriminately as patrons screamed and dove for cover. In his vision, he saw Tamsin Graves dragged into the crush of the crowd, her cries swallowed by the cacophony. Kaila Irons was lifted into the air, her form illuminated by the glow of her saber, a fierce, protective determination on her face. Trayze Tesar moved like a predator, snapping the necks of droids with practiced precision, his movements fluid and deadly. From the corner of his eye, Tarasynora darted behind the bar, using the hulking forms of mind-controlled gangsters as cover, their weapons raised in her defense.

In stark contrast to the chaos, Quinn Varanin stood tall and poised, her expression calm as she wove her influence through the minds of the bounty hunters. They convulsed briefly before turning on their allies, striking with brutal efficiency under her control. Eira Dyn entered the fray with her trademark ferocity, hurling a lightning-charged dagger into a commando droid. The weapon discharged a deadly surge of electricity, causing the droid to convulse violently. As it collapsed, a few bolts fired erratically from its rifle. One bolt found its mark, striking Laphisto square in the back of the skull. The pain was instantaneous, a blinding flash that stole his breath and sent him crumpling lifelessly to the ground.

Then, with a sudden jolt, the vision snapped away, leaving him gasping for air. His chest heaved, and he realized he'd been holding his breath, his talons digging into the bar's smooth surface. Around him, the bar remained eerily quiet for now. The moment of calamity hadn't yet arrived.

He remained seated, motionless, listening as the events from his vision began to unfold in reality. Every sound, every movement matched what he'd seen. The moment the bolt that would end his life streaked toward him, he shoved his chair back, drawing his broad saber in a single fluid motion. The weapon ignited with a low hum as he brought it up just in time to deflect the deadly shot into the ceiling. Sparks rained down, and a scorch mark marred the metal above. A low snarl rumbled from his throat, his tail lashing behind him as his taloned feet dug into the floor for balance.

He scanned the room, his sharp gaze catching the chaos as it erupted. Patrons screamed, diving for cover or drawing their weapons. Others froze, hoping to avoid attention. But Laphisto didn't wait for the ruckus to calm like some of the more hopeful bystanders. The pale woman's warning echoed in his mind: This is a trap. She had been right. The mercenaries might listen to reason, but the droids? They were programmed to follow their commands, no matter the cost.

"No sense in bargaining with the damned," Laphisto growled, his voice sharp and agitated His gaze locked onto Kaila, who was already moving into action. "Get your apprentice, Kaila, and let's get out of here."

The bar erupted into full-blown chaos as the mercenaries and droids pressed their assault. Laphisto's saber hummed with lethal intent, its blade a beacon of defiance amidst the storm. Whatever plans their enemies had, they would learn that not all traps were sprung without consequence.