Still Breathing

[Leo Vandermolen]

Drip... drip... drip... brief respite at the water congregated together, gathering as it prepared for its next decent toward the cold, concrete floor below. Drip... the droplet splashed into the small puddle that had formed under the man's feet, dispersing as it once again become part of a whole. The man raised his head slightly, groaning against the pain of his restraints, the pain of his recent torture. His arms were shackled, steel chains binding his arms to the back wall of a large, barren room. His feet bare, his hair shaggy and matted, stubble strewn long and grimy across his chin, creating an unbearable itch that would never be sated. Drip... drip...

The man gritted his teeth as the door opposite him swung open, the metal clanging against the wall without a proper door-stop to halt its advancement. His attention was drawn away from the rhythmic pattern of the water, its perpetual motion from ceiling to floor as a man walked in. No, not a man. Scales. That whining voice. Drip... It was a Transdoshan, kark, he hated Transdoshans. "Well, well, well." The creature attempted a menacing tone, but it came off more annoying than anything else. "The boss' givn' me some alone time with ya, do as I pleas' so long as ya not dead... yet. And I heards about your reputation wif Transdoshans." He growled as he carefully played with a slender knife in his scaly claws, eyeing his newfound toy. The man grinned through a mat of jet black hair. It was more so out of habit then spite, he was ever the cocky one, not even weeks of torture had broken that.

"And here I was thinking you were more sophisticated then that. More inventive then to use a plain ol' butcher's knife." He spat some blood out from older wounds that had been left, unattended. He wasn't in the best of shapes, "I once descaled an entire Transdoshan for crossing me, you can't even begin to imagine the plans I got saved for you." His imprisonment had revitalised his ruthlessness, the primal instincts and lack of control he used to permit, and he was looking forward to unleashing it all upon those whom had wronged him. His comment appeared to have agitated the thug as he started forward, knife in hand. The reptile plunged the dagger cleanly into the man's side, a fresh stream of crimson liquid pouring forth through his rags as the knife was removed. "Let's see ya talk all 'high an' mighty' now as ya bleed out!" He responded, almost too gleefully.

"Oh, you have no idea..." the man finally uttered, wincing as he closed his eyes and focused on the pain. A low, guttural grow emitted from the ragged man, almost primal in nature. The room grew colder as the Transdoshan backed up in a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. The man was uncertain too. He had been held captive for what had to have been weeks now, the days and nights blended together in such an isolated room, but this was his only chance, the best he was going to get.

"Here goes nothing." He spoke, pulling with his newfound powers, focusing everything he had into this one, single action. And with that, the chains binding him snapped cleanly off, the shackles still cuffed around his wrists, "Whaa?" Was all the Transdoshan could stutter out before the man was on him, leaping forward and ripping the knife from his grasp, turning it on him. His death was not slow, nor did it need to be. But he man made sure that the killing was quiet. He had learned stealth his entire life, growing up on the rough streets of Coruscant. However this new power, the force as it was known throughout the Galaxy, was new to him. A power he had never felt until it was needed the most. A power most beautiful.

The man stood and strode towards the door, he noticed a dusty, worn trench-coat dumped at the entrance, his dusty, worn trench-coat. At least they had the courtesy to leave him something, although they probably thought that fencing it wouldn't yield much in return. He grabbed it from the ground and turned it over, a name. Leo Vandermolen. His name. He slung the coat on and prepared to leave. And so here he was, free, but in the belly of the beast. With nothing but his wits, the untrained knowledge of the force, and a kitchen knife. Drip... drip...

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Leo Vandermolen"]

It had taken some doing for the Underground to locate their captured associate. More importantly, it had taken some time. One week to determine that a capture had taken place. One week to identify those responsible. One week to track down their hideout. One week to plan the attack, gather resources, and get there by hyperspace.

Ion fire crashed down like brilliant sleet, waves of blue light that left darkness behind them. The facility's lights went off -- all of them. So did the automatic defenses. So did the cell doors. So did just about freaking everything.

The Underground assault cutter D'Lessio landed hard atop the facility with a reverberation that anyone down there would feel in their teeth. Ragtag commandos streamed out, and Vendetta boarding droids bobbed in their wake. Fusion cutters bit through blast doors.

 

[John Shepherd]

Landing his ship "The Eagle" he looked around around the top of the facility and over at the commando's chuckling softly and strolling towards a entrance with his dual blasters raised as he shoots into the spots where fire was raining down upon him. He casually walked without fear his steps falling one foot in front of the other as the blaster whizzed by him and he continued his way to the entrance. He gave a sly grin until his cigarette he had previously been smoking was shot from his mouth and he immediately and without looking aimed his pistol and shot the fighter dead between the eyes before moving forward in their assault on the base. In his mind the image of the first time he met Leo flashed into his mind with a slight smile he continued his way to the entrance of the fortress... waiting for the real fun to begin.

 

[Bryce Bantam]

Bryce was one on the first ones in, Commando from the D'Lessio close behind. With a pair of night vision goggles placed over his bright green eyes he ran through the dirt covered halls of the facility armed with a pair of stun pistols. As the team approached first intersection the Vendetta combat units had already found their first prey and were mowing them down with the exotic munitions they carried.

The team hurried past, knowing the meager resistance would soon be handled so to pause to help would have been a waste of time. Instead Bryce focused on his life scanner, homing in on their lost friend.

[member="Leo Vandermolen"]

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

The room shuddered around him, something was happening. Leo took the moment to pause and inhale slowly, resenting the stale air he had been so accustomed to during his captivity. With a small push, he slid through the door, making as little noise as possible, as he surveyed the area before him. More concrete rooms. Great. At least they were clear of any hostiles. He cracked the chinks out of his neck in three concise movements as the lights shut off on the third, did he do that? Apparently not, as the sound of blaster fire and low, guttural yells reverberated through the hallway. Well, at least their timing was precise.

With that, Leo was left in the dark, feeling for the walls to trace his way along the edge of the rooms and using the occasional scream to direct himself towards his old friends. A few rooms further and he came to a startling halt. Ahead, moonlight was seeping in through small windows that lead outside, the light illuminated a squad of thugs, crouched and ready to ambush anyone planning on entering the room on the opposite of Leo, where his rescue team was coming from. An issue had presented itself.

Leo crept forward, his feet not even making a pitter-patter as they planted themselves upon the ground, one after another. He had perfected this technique as a kid, forcing himself to be a ghost as he stalked the neon streets, it had saved him on many an occasion. He approached the group from behind, they were positioned in a traditional breaching formation on this side of the door, lying in wait to unleash their ambush upon the unsuspecting men outside. Little did they know that their biggest threat was behind them...

Leo darted towards the big Twi'lek, eliminate the biggest threat first. He skewered the unsuspecting criminal in a second, having barely a chance to choke a word before Leo swiveled, plunging the knife into the man's heart and grabbing his blaster. As he did, he twisted behind his receding body and used it as a shield, turning the blaster on the others and firing three shots in quick succession. He dropped the body, standing up once more only to realise that the feat had cost alot to his physical state. Leo leaned against the wall for support, hammering the door open with his spare hand as a rush of air gusted in. The sounds of shouts grew ever nearer, he was getting closer now.

| [member="Bryce Bantam"] | [member="John Shepherd"] | [member="General Beyyr"] |

 

[Aithne Charr]

"Hmm... someone is doing my job for me..."

Solan looked at the scene with a small ashlan wolf perched on his shoulder, seeing the assault on the facility that he had been planning to have some fun with. A bit disappointing but not all too unfavorable. For one thing this would make his getting into the facility far easier now that there was enough chaos from one direction that the others might not be so keen. Once inside, life will be much more difficult though considering that the occupants are likely less than happy about the situation. He wondered who was busting into this criminal cesspool but that was something he could find out once he was in.

For now he stood, starting to walk towards the door he had been planning to use. His hand reached into his pocket and withdrew a code cylinder, something he had borrowed off one of the people who are on guard around this place and his body let out a sigh. Infront of him was two people, hopelessly trying to get the lighting back on from the earlier Ion barrage. Solan wasn't too worried about them, his hand reaching out and in a snap of his fingers the ammunition at their belts blew and consumed them in fire, burning them while he walked past the wailing bodies, careful not to step on them as he came to the door. Almost absent-mindedly he stuck the cylinder in its place before sighing. He had, somehow, forgotten that without power the door would not open by way of codes, or by any normal means for that matter.

His hand left his pocket and beckoned for the saber to leave his sleeve and enter his hand, activating its dark blue blade and pushing the plasma into the metal, working on creating a hole while he listened to the sounds created by those on the top of the facility.

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

The sensation rushed over Leo's body as he left the room. A delicate 'tug' that almost begged him to pursue. A feeling he'd never experienced before. His curiosity got the best of him as he turned away from the sounds of battle and instead decided to take an alternate route, one following his instincts. The corridors lead further and further towards the back end of the compound, less thugs panicking at the pitch darkness. Until in that darkness, light. Leo squinted in mild confusion as a dark-blue hue lit up the passage before him, illuminating the surrounding hallway.

It took him a moment for him to hear the dull humming, a sabre. Leo stopped himself as he realised that the 'tug' was leading him to whatever, or whoever, was past that door. He could almost taste the power, radiating as the sabre cut a clean circle through the paneling, the metal sliding off from the door and clattering to the ground. A dark figure stood behind it.

| [member="The Librarian"] |

 

[John Shepherd]

The fighting seemed to subside as he entered the corridor looking for where to go, but before he could make a decision he could spot Bryce running by him with a scanner on. He shrugged as he ran after him using his pistols giving both him and Bryce covering fire as they moved room by room Bryce running towards Leo while he made sure they both made it.

The place seemed almost endless with so many twists and turns he lost track of how many times they had turned down another what seemed like endless corridor looking for their lost friend. His blaster packs running low he conserved his ammo to one blaster, but now with less and less resistance the deeper they went in the less he worried about running out as he still had his blaster and more then enough ammo to sustain that as well. A nagging thought kept in his head as they searched but he put it in the back of his mind to not discourage him.

[member="Leo Vandermolen"] | [member="The Librarian"] | [member="Bryce Bantam"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Leo Vandermolen"] [member="John Shepherd"] [member="Bryce Bantam"] [member="General Beyyr"]


Solan looked through the hole he had created, staring into it and pushing its blade through to create a bit of light for him. He in truth could simply surrender his eyesight to the force like his mother had shown him but he preferred to see the world he would be walking into if the rumors about this group were true. What he found though was a ragged man who looked at him, staring at him and not in fear. It made Solan cautious and a tinge weary at first, glancing past the man and trying to make sure there was no danger before then sacrificing a glance at the two he had killed just a moment before. Was this man one of their fellow Criminals? It was possible but there was different about the one in front of him as compared to the former two.

Solan's legs bent as a voice spoke in the back of his mind, placing his free hand on the ground and letting the dark blue fur of an Ashlan wolf jump through the hole and then crawl up his arm and place itself on his shoulder. The fur of the creature wet but also seeming to lightly glow, almost like its fur was bioluminescent.

"Who are you, and are you one of those... creatures." He motioned with his head to the bodies he hand burnt to a crisp, careful to associated with them as sentient beings worth his compassion. He had none for criminals, especially slavers in particular. He wanted to gauge how the man answered, rather than what he said as he knew well enough how easy it was to lie.

 

[Bryce Bantam]

Bryce followed the sounds of blaster and saber in full combat. He knew both all to well and hoped none of those screams that had now gone silent were Leo. As he ran a familiar feeling came over him one he had not felt since... no the man was dead. Bryce had not been able to visit his late master's funural but he had visited where they lay him to rest. It was beautiful as was everything Solan did and he remember the lose he had felt that day.

Running hard Bryce turned the corner to find a ghost greet him. His face was different but with the force illusion he used that was never a good measure of the man. No Bryce could feel the presence of his master, even with the vail of disguise he knew the truth.

"Who are you, and are you one of those... creatures."

Bryce was in shock now at seeing his master seemed to be very much alive and with what looked like a glowing animal on his shoulder. Lowering his weapons to he side Bryce could only muster the word, "Solan..?"

[member="The Librarian"] | [member="John Shepherd"] | [member="Leo Vandermolen"]

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

Leo had to stifle a chuckle at a question that seemed so outlandish to him. "Me? I'm their gorram prisoner." He replied, "Was... their prisoner." He corrected himself. The tense moment was interrupted by the sound of footsteps as they echoed across the empty corridor, ending as an old friend rushed around the corner, stopping dead in his tracks as his eyes also settled upon the strange person facing them.

"Good to see you too, Bryce." Leo croaked, craning his head to the first friendly face he'd see in a long time, but he knew that Bryce's attention had already drifted from Leo. Bryce recognised this person, and by the looks of things, this went back far. Leo returned his gaze to the man beyond the door, attempting to make out his features, "And who, might you be?" He pondered aloud, curiosity getting the best of him.

| [member="Bryce Bantam"] | [member="The Librarian"] |

 

[Dax Perl]

Dax had followed in, close behind [member="Bryce Bantam"] during the initial assault, but had quickly gotten lost in the labyrinth of tunnels and hallways. Only the light of his sabers illuminated the dark passageways as brief flashes of red or green or blue streaked toward him only to be swatted aside, those who fired the shot falling moments later. The Rogue doubted any communications would work in here. Too much duracrete. And so the man forged on, all in hopes of finding his lost friend.

[member="The Librarian"], [member="Leo Vandermolen"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Bryce Bantam"] [member="Leo Vandermolen"]


Solan's hand reached up to his head, scratching at his hair while he watched the form of an old friend appear behind the other one in the hall. He had been avoiding people like Bryce for quite a while on purpose. In truth the only one that should know about him remotely being alive is a certain Zeltron he has kept a careful eye on and made sure that she and her child were still in good health. They were still his friends, even if he did not approach them anymore, which is what made him so frustrated now that he had been seen by Bryce. It was bound to happen sooner or later considering his barely hidden path of corpses.

"Hmm... this is unfortunate. To answer you I am Solan." He glanced off to the side of the hall while he thought about the situation, his hand still scratching his head.

"Well, I have work to do. I suggest you both make your way out of this place." He waved his hand at the two and started to continue walking, no change in his expression at this point.

As Solan passed Leo though, he paused and looked at the man for a moment, curious about why the man had been in this spot anyways. He had been their prisoner, and instead of heading for where the assault had come from, he had appeared where Solan had entered. It was intriguing and something he wanted to explore if he had time after this.

For now though he continue walking and started to whistle, his saber still on and barely creating a glow around him.

 

[Bryce Bantam]

To answer you I am Solan.

"Seriously after the whole deathing thing I am? Feth man you better find me again after this. Like in a bar over a few frosty ones so we can talk. You hear me old man."

The last part was in inside joke between the two of them. Solan in turth was only few years older than Bryce, still with the master, student dynamic Bryce liked to... push his buttons a bit.

"Leo, come on, lets get our collective backsides out of here. While we do you can fill me in on how the feth you got yourself into this mess."

[member="The Librarian"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Leo Vandermolen"] | [member="John Shepherd"] | [member="General Beyyr"]