The Blazing Claw strikes again

[Nicair Claden]

The man was fast, faster than Nicair had ever seen. It took everything he had to keep up with the slashes, at times he couldn't manage and the knives cut through his armorweave. They weren't large gashes, but they were enough to show he wasn't fast enough. He had to close the distance, grapple with him. The strikes were coming too fast, he was going to wear out in his armor. He could already start to feel a dull ache in his shoulders.

An arcing slash was just the thing he needed. With an almost desperation he reached his left arm up, grabbed the man's wrist, turned his body around, and threw his hips into his upper thighs. He kept his grip on the wrist and used it to pull himself close, in doing so he thrusted his knee onto the side of his foe's neck and tugged up on the arm. Nicair would eventually need to try some form of hold to incapacitate him, but for now he needed a second to readjust to his surroundings. He would have been able to do so had a leg not wrapped itself around his neck. Such flexibility was practically unheard of, he had kept his position, kept his torso long. His foe had to have torn something to get his body to contort in such a way.

The leg around his neck flexed in such a way that his head was being twisted back, he couldn't hold the position, if he tried the other leg would come up and he would be in a choke hold. He collapsed his own base, lifted up his leg from the neck of his opponent, pulled the man's body flat to his back and slammed his leg back down onto his throat. It wasn't meant to be a completely offensive maneuver, he didn't have the power or leverage in his position to do much of anything. But it was something that could be used to get him into an arm bar position. The two quickly became locked up with Nicair's foe on top of him, it was a neutral position, neither had the clear advantage but neither was willing to give up their hold.

Work fast, Jedi.

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla was no slicer. She had no way of speeding the downloading process up, nor know how efficient it was being. She knew the software would be trying to hack in to the system any way it could – oftn via somewhere obscure – where the security was law, then weave a course through progressively more sensitive areas until it could give access to information of use.

She had one ear on the altercation outside. Noise was good. It meant neither party was dead.

Finally, the device emitted a low beep and a voice said, “Please state search parameters.”

Lilla thought quickly and listed the names of the pirates that her armoured friend had shared. Then she threw in the names of the systems and planets the pirates had been known to operate.

‘Take your time, stowaway,’ she thought – she had no idea how long this would take.

[member="Nicair Claden"]

 

[Nicair Claden]

All he had to do was bide his time, he had become aware of that. Thing was he was used to grappling individuals with bones, this one didn't seem to have any. With the same contortion skill as before his attacker was almost able to twist his lower body 180 degrees, at the very least his legs and head were in the same direction. His booted feet were what Nicair had to worry about, one of them was pressing down on his throat and the harder he fought to keep from losing his grip, the tighter it became on his throat. If he lost his grip the worst case scenario would put him on his stomach with his foe having his back. A death sentence. Best case scenario he might be able to slip a triangle choke in if he too could contort himself. In a more realistic perspective, he'd end up losing side control, possibly north-south. neither were ideal for this situation. He had to at least try something. Anything he tried would be a gamble.

His left leg was pretty firmly around his attacker's neck, that would be his leverage and was probably the only thing keeping him alive. His right leg he let drop and straighten out slightly with his foot on the floor. He'd only have one chance at this but if he was able to pull it off he could do some serious damage. Because of the way his opponent's body was contorted, and his own locked up position, he couldn't get a solid knee strike in. He'd have to have the mobility of losing his grip in order to get the needed twist in his body so he could swing his knee around. He didn't know much about this specie's biology, but if they were anything like a human's their kidneys would be in relatively the same place. If Nicair could wrap his legs around him after the strike he'd be in a perfect position.

He took a breath before releasing the grip and pushed off with his right leg. With his left he heaved his leg, and his opponent's torso towards his incoming knee. His own torso he twisted around underneath himself on his shoulder so that the two both had their bellies towards the ground. The knee connected and his foe grunted, he could hear the air leave his body. Kidney shots are killers. He used his arms to hold himself up and looped his right leg up and around. It wasn't the ideal position for a triangle, but it could be done. At the very least he'd probably be able to lock his legs together, whether he could get the choke was to be seen.

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla still sensed two live entities in the corridor outside, and nobody had called for her help – so she applied her not inconsiderable patience to the task in hand – to wait for the data to upload.

The mechanism she was given to use was making what she hoped were appropriately positive noises, with little ‘ping’s every now and then which, she presumed, meant files either found – or downloaded, or possibly both.

Standing here in relative silence, she could hear the sounds of the tussle outside and remained vigilant – especially listening for anyone arriving to unbalance the currently carefully balanced odds.

[member="Nicair Claden"]

 

[Regor Kalanic]

Regor watched the two men battle on his view screen. He was truly impressed. His agent was one of if not the deadliest of his kind. This Mandalorian was holding his own. The woman he was keeping tabs on but not watching consistently. If she kept at it she would eventually find what she sought on their computers. The man was going through his own test, but she, she needed to be coaxed into hers. He turned to the gathered men around him, guards armed with blasters not drastically different than the one the Mandalorian had taken.

"Go and assist him. Let's see what they're made of." He grinned to himself as the echoes of running feet filled the corridors.

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

 

[Lilla Syrin]

The datachip bleeped. Was that to tell her it was complete in its upload, or that it had encountered a problem? Lilla was about to ascertain the most likely reason for the noise when she sensed approaching newcomers.

A few moments later, she heard them — their boots beating a steady beat on the empty corridors. They were military, she ascertained — for they ran in step. Maybe to hide their numbers and perhaps because it was ingrained. Either way, the stowaway needed her help.

So she pocketed the datachip and dropped her cloak to the floor. It was handy for keeping you warm but useless for fighting in. And she kept her saber attached to belt — the corridor was too tight to use one safely. But then she didn’t need it — a Jedi’s training taught them one thing. They — not the saber — were the weapon.

[member="Nicair Claden"]

 

[Nicair Claden]

The approaching boots worried him deeply. His attention had to be focused solely on the man he was currently locked up with. Any more than he and Nicair was going to be at a severe disadvantage. His first step to not dying immediately was going to be to free himself from his position. If he could find a choke point to funnel them in then he had a chance, but he hadn't seen one. He hoped the woman heard them as well, if he remembered correctly she still had her lightsaber. The ignorance of the indigenous population was proving useful.

His enemy heard the footsteps too, and yet, just like Nicair chose to untangle them from their pretzel. This freeing went much smoother once both of them had the same idea, no matter how much it confused Nicair. The two rose to their feet in a defensive stance, both expecting the other to reattain the offensive. Neither did. The agent stood upright and relaxed, a grin on his face. This grin slowly turned into laughter as he threw one of his knives onto the ground in front of Nicair. To call it a knife was a stretch, it was more akin to Nicair's beskad, too long for a knife but too short to call it a sword. In any case, the act was simple enough in its message. You'll need this.

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla emerged and saw what approximated to a stalemate between the two men. Honours even, or was one toying with the other? Either way, it mattered little, given they were about to be joined by a number of newcomers.

Lilla allowed her cloak to drop to the floor. Now she wished she’d crafted that shoto she’d been promising herself, a design ideal for these conditions. But it mattered little – in a confined space, her martial arts training, plus the judicious application of the Force would suffice.

“I couldn’t let you have all the fun,” she said as she noted the two men were now aware of her presence.

[member="Nicair Claden"]

 

[Nicair Claden]

"Glad you could join us." He was speaking to his companion but his eyes never left his proverbial shadow. The man continued laughing while backing up, his eyes trained on Nicair as well. It wasn't long before the feet they had heard coming down the hallways turned into bodies, five of them. Normally five wouldn't be that much of a problem but if they were each as trained or perhaps a solid fraction of what he had experienced so far then they could prove challenging. They leveled their strangely designed pistols at the pair. Once the man he had been fighting got close to their ranks they opened up and allowed him through. Their bodies were bristle and they broke contact with the pair standing across from them to give a swift glance to him. They seemed worried of him. Nervous around him. Interesting.

"Well, ladies first."

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

 

[Lilla Syrin]

“I never tire of saying this, because it is my duty. I ask you to stand down. I have no desire to hurt you, so please, lower your weapons and walk away.”

She turned to her companion. “I tend to say it again, once they understand what they’re up against — in part because they never believe me the first time — either that or too much testosterone. I think that’s par for the course for men with guns.”

Outwardly, she showed no sign of aggression. If anything, she seemed serene — which was because that was precisely what she was. She was now in connection with the Force, trusting it to advise her next move. Such was her faith in Center of Being.

[member="Nicair Claden"]

 

[Nicair Claden]

"Do whatever you have to do to sleep at night." He was surveying those rallied against them, but he kept returning his eyes to the one who was truly concerned about. If he joined the fray there could be complications. Nicair wasn't about to be taken by surprise.

"Give them a push and I follow through? I don't like the look of those blasters."

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla nodded at her companion’s words. She gave the men a few more moments to surrender and before she needed to act, one of them gave a signal and the Force told her they were about to engage.

She raised a hand, faster than the eye could see, and her fingers were splayed outwards, her palm facing the men. A fraction of a second later, before any of them could pull their triggers, they were flying backwards – a few metres each.

“You’re up,” she said, and waited to see what her former stowaway would do.

[member="Nicair Claden"]

 

[Nicair Claden]

He gave her a nod and rushed forward. With little idea of their response time and the constant threat of blasters he would half run, half hop from side to side. It wasn't really necessary in this instance as he could tell their foes hadn't experienced the force before. In any case one of them was regaining his footing by the time Nicair was getting close. Rather than give him a target that could be predicted the Mandalorian jumped up and braced off of the wall with his left foot and arcing the blade downwards.

The long knife hit home across his target's throat. He continued his momentum to drive a push kick into the head of the nearest enemy in his range. Flipping the blade around and crouching down to drive it into the heart in one fluid movement had taken some time to get down correctly. It still wasn't an overall safe maneuver, but he had some cover.

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

 

[Lilla Syrin]

In these close confines, Lilla had to be careful in her use of the Force. Many powers would affect an area, so targeting individuals was a real challenge - and not one she was prepared to undertake.

So she stood to one side and lifted the dead man off the ground with Telekinesis, then she simply threw him at the group of men standing behind his previously prone body. She did not expect to take any of them out, but she would buy her associate time to work his way through their number.

[member="Nicair Claden"]

 

[Nicair Claden]

The Jedi would rather distract than kill, it was almost universal save for a few bad apples spoiling the bunch as they would view it. Nicair enjoyed when a Jedi wasn't afraid to kill. It made them more interesting and far more of a challenge. With all their regal, noble attire and mannerisms they were formidable opponents. Probably why he favored fighting Sith. Then again, he didn't have any room to be picky at the moment.

The throwing of the corpse wasn't meant to do much, he could tell that. It did give him the opening he needed to close the distance. Without breaking his stride he thrust the dagger up under the ribs of the closest. The armor was tough, if he tried to pull the blade out without turning his body he'd be under fire. Much like his companion he chose to use the dead as a distraction. Without removing his blade from the body he tilted around and half lifted, half pushed the man into his nearest compatriot. Nicair's sudden stopping and the weight of the body would give him the momentum he needed to wrench the blade out. The other would be disabled for only the briefest of moments, but Nicair had more pressing concerns.

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

 

[Lilla Syrin]

It was not necessarily that Lilla could not kill - or even that she wanted her companion to do the dirty work. In her mind, in her reasoning, she hoped that the show of strength would dissuade some of their opponents. If even one turned and ran, she could have saved a life.

Not that she was any longer holding out hope. These were loyal. Misguided possibly, but loyal none the less.

And the longer she prevaricated, the more chance they had of sustaining injuries. She realised she was left with no choice but to engage. She would pull punches if she could, but she'd not endanger her comrade for the sake of going easy on the guards.

She drew her saber, or more accurately the hilt. She chose not to activate the blade, but instead use the weapon as a blunt - but none the less deadly - weapon.

It left her hand, not thrown but under the power of the Force. It's pace was incredible and it hit the guard she was aiming for squarely on the throat. He went down, instantly, and she used the Force to recall her hilt, ready for the next adversary.

[member="Nicair Claden"]

 

[Regor Kalanic]

He was getting bored of the game. It was clear to him that the two could handle themselves. The man wasn't afraid to kill, even seemed to enjoy it. The woman seemed to avoid it but could handle herself well without needing to. He'd have to look closer into this power she wielded. He'd started walking towards their little coup once the killing had started. He was a strong and tall man, his legs could carry him with a swiftness beyond his size.

He turned the corner once the tool the woman used crashed into the throat of one of his guards. Slowing his pace he began to clap with a careful and measured rhythm.

"That will be quite enough now, thank you."

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla sensed the additional arrival, but did not allow her attention to waver from the task in hand. Being distracted could easily get you killed – as these men seemed to be playing for keeps.

Soon the imposing figure of their captor arrived and he commanded his troops to stop. The order suited Lilla perfectly well, and she immediately ceased activity, clipping her saber hilt to her belt and stooping to pick up her cloak and threaded her arms through the sleeves as she put it back on.

Did he know what data she’d accessed? Had the device even been able to download what she needed? Time would reveal the answer to both of these questions.

[member="Regor Kalanic"]

 

[Regor Kalanic]

His men did as they were told, even his personal agent stood by his side and ceased his laughter. The man, Mandalorian, was in a low stance, his feet spread apart, enough to decrease his elevation and still give him ample time to spring. The woman was calm and stood erect once her tool and cloak and been place back in their positions.

"Though outnumbered, I'm more than willing to believe you could have killed these weaklings standing before me." The guards in question braced at the words, insults were never left at rest on this planet. Most of them knew better than to confront the figure directly, the one that allowed himself to look back was met by a blindingly fast slash across the throat, the blood on Nicair's grappling partner showed it to be his work. The smile solidified it.

"I'd like to dissect you, woman, to see how your powers work. But I expect neither of you will allow that to happen. As I understand it that hilt around your waist is far more dangerous when it is activated. I have a task for the two of you, come with me or be killed. This hallway can fill up with a gas that will erode the muscles in your body. Maybe not yours, Mandalorian, but yours," He looks to the woman, "would be turned to paste."

His smile stayed on his lips as he turned and walked down the hallway. The guards made a tunnel with their bodies, weapons drawn. A wide grin on the agent's face.

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla waited. Patience was definitely one of her virtues. And calmness was a Jedi trait. It allowed for a better connection to the light side of the Force. Even in a heated battle, a Jedi would seek serenity.

So, she observed as the leader of these men addressed her and her companion – her face not showing the distaste she felt at the show of force exercised towards the dissenter. Fear was an effective ruler, but in the long-term, not an efficient one. Not for an individual at least.

And she was equally impassive at his threat of dismemberment – but he seemed to know better than to hope to use it as a scare tactic.

Lilla remained inexpressive at his latest request. War was not the greatest killer in the galaxy. Not even disease. Ignorance was the most prevalent threat. He could fill the hallway with gas and she could simply throw up a Force Barrier, a bubble to keep air in and the gas out. Then, she could lower her metabolism to remain in that situation for as long as she could go without food. More than long enough to come up with an escape plan.

She turned to her companion, ignoring the retreating man. “Don’t feel obliged to follow him on my account. I can stay here, unharmed, for quite a while.”

[member="Regor Kalanic"]