The Merciful Ones [GR-TJO] (PM First)

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus watched the Nautolan woman carefully as she claimed she'd be doing nothing until he did. Really she had no leg to stand on when she had been among the aggressors and Varus had only been trying to assist the two Knights who were delivering the shipment. These Red Ravens were the ones that needed to do the backing off. From what he could see, though, he didn't need to complicate anything, so he complied.

Slowly, Varus activated the safety feature before raising up the blaster rifle and letting it slide over his shoulder before letting it go to let it drape against his back. He then climbed down from his crate vantage point and started walking towards the group in their standoff, his training saber clicking against his utility belt before he stopped about ten feet away from Corvus and Kana.

He didn't say anything more for now, but he'd complied with their wishes and put away his weapon. For the time being, anyway.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] - [member="Kana Truden"] - [member="Cryax Bane"] - [member="Nei Laa"] - [member="Lisa Ticon"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus kept quiet. The tensions were running high and if Kana works her magic, no blood would be shed. But if this newcomer with the rifle or the nautolan got an itchy finger - or sensed a double-cross, things could get very messy. So Corvus kept herself centred in the Force, trusting in it implicitly to tell her if any action was required.

But for now, she waited.

[member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Nei Laa"] | [member="Varus Shatterstar"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Lisa Ticon"]

 

[Nei Laa]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"] [member="Cryax Bane"]

"Stupid Jedi." Once the masked man walked close enough, Nei holstered her weapons and crossed her arms. "Smugglers always expect to be double-crossed."

She was, deep down, relieved that the man had complied. The Nautolan knew that, even now, their chances of surviving a fight were very slim. Nonetheless, she glared at the man. "I be watching you," she hissed. Let Cryax handle the women -- Nei didn't like this man, and she would be keeping an eye on him.

 

[Cryax Bane]

After a tense couple of minutes during which the Chiss was convinced there was going to be a lightsaber battle or a firefight, the Nautolan and the masked man put their weapons down. Cryax exhaled deeply, his glowing red eyes moving from person to person.

He put his hands out in a conciliatory gesture, his blaster dangling casually off one of his blue fingers. Alright, now that everyone's got their undies unbunched, I think we can take our leave, right?" He looked at Kana and then Corvus. "No harm, no foul, ladies?"

Cryax was too paralyzed to take more than a few steps backwards at this point, but he slowly started to make his way towards the docking bay's exit.

[member="Nei Laa"] [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"] [member="Kana Truden"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Cryax Bane"] [member="Nei Laa"] [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"]

Lisa was still a ways away with her sniper rifle locked and loaded. As she watched the standoff take place she reeled in frustration. They were going to surrender? Blind rage was taking over as she centred her sights on the weakest jedi, the young padawan with the blaster rifle to Cryax's leg.

It was very odd that the Ticon family usually had a great hand in getting Cryax in and out of trouble. As her anger broke the surface of her face she stood exposing her position behind some crates and roared through gritted teeth, sniper ina firm c grip.

"How bout ya'll just give us the supplies like we TOLD you."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Just when things looked like they were on the up - the third member of the group decided not to play ball. And now Corvus was worried about their unknown ally.

Shifting her attention to him, she used the Force to sense who or what he was. She was therefore surprised to find he wasn't only a Jedi - but that he was one she"d trained before. Varus. She'd recognise his signature anywhere. Could he hold his own against an average thug? Probably. Could he deflect a blast from a high velocity rifle with virtually no notice? Possibly, but should she take the risk. If there was any potential he'd come to harm, she'd act as his back-up.

Part of her wanted to step in and protect him, the other half reasoned she should let him fend for himself. But death might be an overly harsh lesson. But then again, it might not come to that. So she waited. And remained silent.

[member="Lisa Ticon"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Nei Laa"] | [member="Varus Shatterstar"] | [member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus had only moments ago disarmed himself by allowing his rifle to slide across his shoulder and rest against his back. To illustrated this, however, Varus raised both hands and showed open, empty palms to the rather flustered and upset Twi'Lek who had her rifle trained on him. "I've disarmed myself.", Varus said, then lowering his hands and sliding them into the pockets of his pants, getting comfortable with the situation and showing confidence.

The next few moments were tense, and Varus was able to tell that was the force drew thin in the area. Corvus seemed to be preparing for the worst, and Kana seemed a bit on edge from the start. That's why, when he chose to speak, he tried to do so with a calm air about him, his head falling to the side a bit as he watched Lisa Ticon with a certain curiosity.

"There's no need for violence, but you can be sure that these supplies are not going with any of you. They are for the refugees. Not for you to profit from.", he stated firmly, his voice still muffle by the breathing apparatus built into his mask. "Please leave."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]
[member="Nei Laa"]
[member="Cryax Bane"]
[member="Kana Truden"]
[member="Lisa Ticon"]

 

[Nei Laa]

[member="Varus Shatterstar"] [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Lisa Ticon"] [member="Cryax Bane"] [member="Kana Truden"]

((Not really mad at you but Nei is, so don't take offense. She's mad at everyone ^_^))

Nei stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Lisa. "What the hell have you been doing, human?! You could have done that a while ago!"

Even with the sudden appearance of Lisa, though, Nei was still not confident with their ability to gain the upper hand again. Especially if the chick decided to shoot. Not to mention, from the pheromones she was picking up from Cryax, he would be little to no help at all. Not that she expected it, really. The man was, in Nei's eyes, the pinnacle of nerdiness.

 

[Cryax Bane]

And the standoff got tense again. Deep down Cryax somehow knew that Lisa Ticon was just biding her time, waiting for the right moment to amp things up. This unpredictability was typical Ticon modus operandi. The other thing the Chiss knew about the Ticons, not only from interactions with Lisa but also with her equally scary cousin, Diego was that they had a dogged need to always have the upper hand no matter what.

Cryax briefly considered making a throat-cutting motion to Lisa, but he knew it was a futile effort. The woman wouldn't stop once she was out for blood. The only thing to do now was to ride out the crazy woman's mood swings.

He once again lifted up his blaster and aiming it at Corvus, shrugged with a grin. "You heard the lady. We'll be taking those drugs after all."

[member="Nei Laa"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"] [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Lisa Ticon"] [member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

Kana slowly raised her saber again and set her eyes on the chiss. A weak leader without enough backbone to tell his own troops what to do. She had read her history and she could only hope he had as well. She let out an audible sigh as her saber’s hum helped instill a weird sense of calm on her. Eventually her eyes set on the woman who had derailed it all. She was the dangerous one, no doubt.

“We’re back to being in somewhat something similar to a Tatooinian Stand-off, it would seem.” Kana darted her eyes over her opponents. “You’re all making a huge mistake and the worst part is that you realize it.”

‘Keep your eyes on the sniper, she’s the wild card.’ Kana spoke telepathically to Corvus and Varus. ‘Let them make the first move. Incapacitate them if they try anything.’

She turned her stance from side to side as she readied herself. For all she knew they would target her first.

[ [member="Varus Shatterstar"] | [member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Lisa Ticon"] | [member="Nei Laa"] ]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Cryax Bane"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Nei Laa"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"] [member="Corvus Raaf"]

Lisa could tell Cryax was in a bad spot. So instead of firing she shifted position switching her sights to the young woman trying to talk Cryax down in the first place. She had a saber, and that was the most immediate threat to her group. As they spoke of refugees she laughed, and evil harsh tittering screech.

"I dont care about refugees, refugees don’t pay our meals fools!"

In the force she tapped Cryaxs mind, seeping in like dark fog.

Move left and backwards towards me, get out of saber range.

Her finger slipped into the trigger guard caressing the weapon ever so softly. Her breathing began to slow as she applied the force to her body, letting it seep into her bones and muscles. A light airy feeling began to entrance her. The second the moment was right she had all the pieces manoeuvred that she needed to drive these fools off.

"Now like I said, we will be taking these supplies, last chance Jedi, leave or get bloody, your choice!"

 

[Cryax Bane]

Lisa's laugh made Cryax involuntarily jump. He had a very bad feeling about all of this. The Chiss could practically taste the violence that was about to erupt, and he flickered his red eyes from person to person trying to figure out who was going to kick it off. He had an inkling about the answer, especially when he started hearing thoughts that weren't his.

Lisa Ticon's presence in Cryax's mind gave him a shudder, but he carefully listened to her strategy. After all, she was a combat veteran and he was a soft target. He didn't know if the Raven merc could sense it, but he let an affirmative thought cross his brain.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see both Raven woman tense and ready to strike. Cryax suddenly sidestepped left and back behind Lisa as instructed. As he did, he accidentally fired his blaster, and the shot rang out wildly in the docking bay. The Chiss's horrible aim made sure the bolt missed anyone by a longshot, instead blasting a hole in a nearby crate.

[member="Lisa Ticon"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Nei Laa"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"] [member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus heard Kana's words and acknowledged them mentally. For now she was worried. There was too much at stake to expect anyone to back down now. Not without getting something out of it. But what to give? The supplies were out of the question. New job? They had nothing to offer. The only option left to Corvus - as she saw it - was to offer them what was in her gift, and try to convince them it was the best deal they'd get. So finally she spoke. Her voice was slow, clear and calm.

"This has gone far enough. There are some facts we need to establish. First, you're not getting any supplies from this ship. Second, you're not getting any supplies from this ship. Technically that's the same as the first point but I wanted to make the fact very, very clear. But our deal is still on the table. You leave now and we don't arrest you. If you don't leave know, we do. And depending on how trigger-happy your friend is will determine how many of you end up in custody and how many end up in the morgue. We are Jedi. We don't lie."

Did Corvus think they would roll over and play dead? No, but it might divide them and that would at least be a start.

Of course, she hadn't reckoned on the Chiss attempting to blow a hole in a nearby crate. She didn't need the Force to tell her something bad was about to happen.

[member="Lisa Ticon"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Nei Laa"] | [member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Cryax Bane"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Nei Laa"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"]

"Looks like your first on the list than little lady!"

Lisa turned her muzzle and lined it up with the jedi womans chest as she spoke. At the last period of her sentence she pulled the trigger, letting a savage grin break out across her face. The rifle bucked into her shoulder, emitting a small puff of smoke and spewing forth a fifty cal slug from the silencer.

Pfft

The fight was on. Even as the slug travelled towards her Lisa was already preparing for a dodge and counter attack. The beast inside her heart finally broke free. Anger and fury that she kept caged for just such occasions came forth and the ground beneath her wept. Dark tendrils of energy began to coalesce around her as she gathered her malice into a tangible form.

She was no swordswomen, but a very adept Telekinesis user. It was an ability she had honed from years of assassinations and robbery’s. The environment was her weapon, the force was her tool....

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus' first mistake was to be too focused on Varus and his safety. He was a Jedi and she was no mother hen. To look out for him was reasonable - but to lose concentration on her own situation was foolish at best, lethal at worst.

The Force was trying to tell her that she was in trouble but she wasn't listening. Or rather she wasn't listening properly. So she read the warning all wrong. Varus was not at risk of imminent death - she was.

At the last possible moment, she realised her error. Throwing up a Force Barrier, she dived to the side - her Teras Kasi training affording her great speed. It was like Alderaan all over again - just without the vomit and burst ear-drums. The slug tore through the barrier - shattering it - but at least it took some of the velocity out of the projectile. And her movement meant it caught her on the upper left arm. Oh there was blood - plenty of it - but no broken bones. Just badly wounded pride (assuming Jedi had such a thing).

Well at least she had the satisfaction of saying that she was right - things were going to escalate.

Rolling into a ball and then standing, Corvus used Force Valor to leap at the sniper, drawing her saber as she did. Her arm was sore, but the combination of adrenaline and the Force kept her focused. She landed close enough to the woman to negate the use of the rifle, but not close enough to use her saber - yet.

[member="Lisa Ticon"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Varus Shatterstar"] | [member="Nei Laa"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Lisa tracked Corvus with her eyes as she came in towards her. The jedi woman was quick and the distance was too short for her to use the sniper rifle any longer. Without thinking she dropped the rifle down to the ground. It landed with clatter of durasteel on the ferrocrete and she squatted, squaring her feet to the opponent.

As usual the Jedi had chosen to draw her saber. Lisa didn't care much for sabers in close quarters, and balked as the blue blade hummed to life. Her reflexes were amped by the force and she drew her twin poisoned daggers, whirling them in her hands. The blur of the blades ceased as they rounded her fists and came to a reverse grip.

"You'll have to be faster than that!" She hissed through clenched teeth.

Lisa assaulted then stepping forwards with a right feint, then sidestepping and stepping again to come left of her quarry. She pivoted on one foot, delivering a force enhanced kick with her booted foot straight towards the jedis back...

 

[Nei Laa]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Lisa Ticon"] [member="Cryax Bane"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"]

"You be a crazy woman!" Nei roared. Though she hadn't really done anything except roll her eyes at Cryax's shot, she'd ducked when Lisa fired.

Recovering quickly, trying to avoid the Jedi who'd gone after the Ticon, the Nautolan ran over to Cryax and began dragging him back in an attempt to seek shelter. In the meantime, her blaster had appeared in her free hand and she alternated aim between the other Jedi and the man. The only things keeping her from shooting anything was that she didn't want to chance hitting Lisa, and she wasn't yet sure about what the other two would do. So, for now at least, she would play Nanny to the slicer until she could get a read on the situation.

"What a fine mess this be," she growled at Cryax. "Any plans?"

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus watched the exchange between Lisa Ticon and Corvu Raaf with a less than pleased look on his face. That, however, would never see the light of day for the armored mask over his face that he had chosen not to remove in case they took to combat. It looked like things were going south, and repeated warnings by the Jedi hadn't done the trick because of a far too bold Twi'Lek with an itchy trigger finger.

As Varus shifted his gaze to the other two Ravens, however, he noted that one was trying to pull the other out of the fight. She wasn't interested in a fight and she was well aware that the Chiss man hadn't much wanted to fight either. They had wanted to win by way of intimidation, but hadn't counter on meeting a stronger or more prepared opponent. That's why when Varus moved he only armed himself by flicking his saber into his left hand. With his right hand, though, he made only subtle movements as he aimed an attack at Lisa Ticon.

The young Jedi tried to envelop [member="Lisa Ticon"]'s planted pivot foot with the force, wrapping the invisible energy around her limb before he made one strong jerking motion, intending to sweep Lisa off of her feet and give Crovus a chance to land a devastating blow.

[member="Lisa Ticon"]
[member="Nei Laa"]
[member="Corvus Raaf"]
[member="Cryax Bane"]
[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

The Chiss winced as he saw blood burst out of the Jedi woman's arm. He didn't have time to see what happened next because the next thing he knew the Nautolan smuggler was dragging him to a large pile of crates. "Hey!" Cryax exclaimed as he was hauled off. It seemed like no matter the skirmish, someone always ended up dragging him around. Once they were safely behind cover, he fired off a few wild potshots with his blaster, but aimed them at no one in particular. They were only meant to disorient the Jedi.

As Nei was hissing at him, he saw that both Corvus and the masked man were advancing on Lisa, and Cryax lost it. "Remember how you're always complaining about not getting to shoot something, Nei? Well, karking shoot something!" He pulled his Datapad out of his pocket and as he started typing, he muttered to Nei. "If you keep 'em busy, I can probably jack some security droids."

[member="Nei Laa"] [member="Lisa Ticon"] [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Kana Truden]

The sound of the shot being taken slowed everything down to a crawl, seemingly. Kana would have tossed a barrier up but it would seem Corvus could remembered their lessons. Good. As the young woman and Varus went for the dark jedi amongst them. She would have joined in but there was no honor in three-on-one. No, she went for the other two instead. She slowly began walking toward the other two. A few of the chiss’ potshot came her way but she reached out to block them.

What would she do when she got to them? She wasn’t sure. Arresting them would seem futile, to kill them unthinkable. She couldn’t think on it as she approached the other two. They were no match so far. A nautolan with a temper and a chiss with a datapad. It was hardly any real opposition but one could never be too sure.

“We’re two knights of the Jedi Order! Just give up and we’ll see about getting you a fair trial!” Kana shouted out at the chiss. “You’re outmatched in any case, give up!”

[ [member="Varus Shatterstar"] | [member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Lisa Ticon"] | [member="Nei Laa"] ]​

(Yes, I am letting the bots come into play unless either of the other jedi act!)​