First Reply The Dark of Night

[Makko Vyres]

It was months since he had been to Denon. He was far from where he had grown up, but once you'd lived in one urbal sprawl of poverty you had seen them all.

Makko had mixed feelings about the planet. He had fond memories, but all of them had to be viewed through a different lens. The gang that had felt like a home had been using him for their own ends.

One mission and then he would be back to Coruscant. Back to the Order and Cora and his new life.


His implants warned him of the arriving 'convoy' before the Force. Then he heard the scream from swoop bikes.

A street gang, carrying something they shouldn't. An attempt at a diplomatic channel had failed. Now Jedi shadows had to clean up the mess.

Makko dropped down onto his swoop bike and set off. He took a high elevation. Black bike and black armour meant he could try and get close to them from above before descending.

Retrieve the corrupted Sith kyber crystals. Minimise casualties. The shadows couldn't be perfect. They had to weight up the stakes and choose the option that caused less harm.


OOC/ open for anyone for a bit of aerial hijinks and Denon gang warfare.

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DENON
TAG: Makko Vyres

He was passing through the area, in need of another resupply after his latest mission exhausted more of what sparse resources Corin maintained. Whether from the Alliance or the Foundation, he was never fussed. This time, it was the Alliance that answered first. Though as the operatives requested assistance as a form of payment, his heart sank at the mention of the planet's name: Denon.

Part of him wished to refuse, to abandon the planet to what fate might befall it. Yet, recent tidings left him thinking all too much. Thinking of his family, scattered into ash and blown away. Thinking of his friends, unsure if he could call them as much anymore after all this time, all he had done. Thinking of Denon, a most terrible and disgusting planet that he was burdened with knowing as home.

It's just one job, he told himself. Though he knew the past had to be confronted.

Standing on the ledge of a nearby building, overlooking the scene below, Corin had caught eye of the approaching Jedi Shadow. Corin was a shadow, a sentinel, and something between them both. A Jedi that wandered, most of all. If even that.

Strangely, the name Makko was familiar. Then, years ago, the criminal boyfriend of that noble padawan. She drew him, and mentioned a troubled friend from Denon. Now Cora sat on the council, if what word reached him was true. Whatever became of them and their relationship was of no concern of Corin.

"Call it," his voice echoed across the communicator. "You've got the lead on this one."

 

[Makko Vyres]

A drone dropped off the back of his swoop. They couldn't accelerate to these speeds easily but it could maintain pace with the back.

The orb dropped down into the pack of swoops and carried out a brief scan. One of the bike carrier a neuranium lined case.

The drone closed on that bike and fired a tracker into the bike.

One of the swoop riders noticed the drone.

"Call it," his voice echoed across the communicator. "You've got the lead on this one."

"They're going to scatter," Makko called back. "I've tagged a bike. Stay on it!"

There was a green flash. One of the riders had drawn a pistol and fired on the drone. It dropped, self destructing on the way down to avoid causing damage or giving away it's technology.

Makko dropped from above. The bikes scattered.

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DENON
TAG: Makko Vyres

It reminded him all too much of those days as a vigilante.

Corin crossed the distance in a single bound, the tail-end of the speeder bike swung low and swerved with the sudden addition of his weight, and the rider swore in Huttese in response. A blaster was drawn and thrust before him, then swiftly kicked aside and sent skittering into the depths of the undercity below.

The Nikto swore again and as if a form of punishment, Corin gripped him the collar of his jacket and hurled him from the reins of the speeder, and across the impossible gap by way of the Force - crashing into the glass window after a lengthy screeching.

The Jedi slid into the seat, taking the speeder for himself.

 

[Makko Vyres]

He sensed - more than he saw - Corin as he cut through the air. The scream was more obvious. The doppler affect dropping the pitch before he hears the crash of glass behind them.

Three bikes ahead of him dropped. They turned height into velocity and cut towards a construction site. Several tower buildings were being extended by another forty stories, giving the bikes a maze to dart through.

"Stay with them!" Makko called out.

He was struggling to do so. The swoop gang spent hours per day on their bikes. There was no getting around the fact that they were better riders than Makko. He had to find another advantage if he was going to catch up.

He ducked as he almost struck the support of a crane.


Corin Trenor

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DENON
TAG: Makko Vyres

Corin swerved to the side, slipping between the levels under construction. The swoop angled to one side, tilting as he eased through the precarious gap. He was accustomed to swoops from his own time on Denon, although clearly never to the level of these people.

"I'm on them," answered Corin, despite the strain evident across his face and tinged through his voice.

He reached out through the Force and sought to yank one of them backwards, as if to slow them down. He had no way of telling who carried what, sending the carrier tumbling on down was no good.

One of the gangsters reached for his own blaster pistol and turned it around on Makko, firing near blindly as he muttered curses.

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Good idea!" Makko called as Corin yanked one of the bikes. He could provide some covers whilst Corin went at them one at a time.

First he had to keep pace and survive.

Jend-Ro Quill had once taught him the fundamentals of Suerton probability manipulation.

Makko could load the dice in his favor, but it had its limits. He narrowed his gaze and sunk his presence into the Force.

He rolled the dice.

Blaster bolts came so close he could hear them torch the air. He slipped between a crane and a horizontal ladder with just inches to spare.

His bravery could only hold for so long. His faith in the Force was no absolutely.

As they came through the construction zone Makko heard the whine of swoop bikes behind them. He drew his lightsaber and swatted a blaster bolt aside.

The rest of the gang, realising the two jedi were chasing the artifact, were now in pursuit.

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DENON
TAG: Makko Vyres

"That's annoying," grumbled Corin.

Behind them, the bikers settled in and continued to fire upon the pursuing Jedi. Corin ducked aside one bolt, closer to the front and amid the thick of the initial group of swoops. So close that he began to reach out through the Force, attempting to locate the Force-bound trinket. It was not on either of the closest two, at least...

He pulled on the brakes, swiftly, and tightened his palm into a ball and both swoops were pulled into the space he vacated, smashing into each other. Crumbling into pieces of scrap, flailing down below.

"Which one has it?"

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Front rider!" Makko called out.

"I'll stall them!"

The gang was gaining altitude towards several tower blocks. He didn't know if they had an end game plan in mind or reinforcements. The brief suggested they were working alone but even the intelligence provided to the Jedi shadows could be wrong.

Rather than use air brakes, Makko pulled upwards sharply. He traded some speed for height.

Blaster fire rose to meet him, but he made himself a difficult target.

Makko descended suddenly, his lightsaber swinging out as he passed through the group.

It was unpleasant work, but he severed an arm as he passed. It gave the rider a chance to land safely. Better he thought than a bike crashing to the streets below, even if they were sometimes protective measures in place.

Makko turned hard to the right, trying to draw their attention away from Corin.

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DENON
TAG: Makko Vyres

The efforts of Makko had stolen most of their attention, drawn to the flowing lightsaber.

Corin was allowed to slip in low, in turn; his form lowered, narrowed along the stolen swoop, racing towards the lead.

The lead rider, carrying the sought after object, turned and fired a volley of blaster bolts his way. Corin ducked, weaved, but could not stop the bolt that struck his swoop. It cried out, whirring, dying, as smoke and flames began to spout from somewhere in the engine.

The lead flashed a toothy grin.

Corin leapt from his swoop as it began a slow, whining descent. He crossed the distance, catching the rear of the lead rider's swoop. It dipped with his sudden weight, swerved, and there he hung beneath it.

 

[Makko Vyres]

Makko saw the flash of light as blaster bolts struck Corin's swoop. His eyes tracked the scene ahead as the Force guided his hand.

Makko swerved towards the left as bolts lashed around him. He could have accelerated straight forwards to try and catch the lead group, but that would have made him an easy target.

A few moments later and Corin was hanging beneath the lead swoop.

Have to trust him, Makko thought to himself.

He cut thrust and lashed out with his lightsaber. He sheared through the stabilisers of a bike. There were just two bikes now, closing in from either side and firing at him.

Corin Trenor