Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Private The Soldier, The Assassin, and The Android

Wearing: The Morpheus Chitin

Armed with: Antique Imperial Lightsaber

Momentary Discomfort

Crime Hunter's Pistol


Objective: Bring punishment to the cannibals / Make new friends.

The Hypergate was badly destabilized now. Laertia's previous efforts to disrupt or damage the hypergate via freezing were slowly bearing fruit near the top of the gate where she lay.

Unfortunately all the cannibals she had pissed off were not taking the hint. They had clambered to the top, where Laertia required absolute concentration to focus the power of the Lightsaber Crystal that gave her saber spear an icy sting, using it to freeze the internals of the hypergate itself. The energy discharges of the active gate made the ground tremble and any who were struck by the discharges died, burst open or turned to ash or both. They were nearly upon her when the internals of the gate froze completely. The resultant energy burst cracked part of the hypergate itself as the portal died, throwing both her and the others off of it. The insanely powerful saber crystal was teleported to her hand as she fell, knowing she could not afford to lose it.

She let herself hit the ground with the other cultists, a lifetime of surviving on the street making her get up as the mass of angry cannibals, enraged at the fatal disruption of their ritual, swarmed her.

The indigo blade of her Lightsaber switched on and Laertia swung the heavy, powerful blade into a chest, then a face. The last things her victim's saw was either the energy of her blade or the somber, silvery visage of her helm.

Now they were panicking. With the gate frozen, that meant no amount of sacrifice, on either their part or others, would mean anything.

Ferocity and fear now fueled their attacks rather than fanaticism. It meant nothing to Laertia, intent on punishing these evil people for their hideous acts. She went full hack 'n' slash, her blade buring through flesh and normally saber resistant armors without pause or effort, her armor taking hits, but nothing she could not ignore as she cut into these despicable heretics...

Meanwhile...

Melissa made good time with Beltran Rarr Beltran Rarr via a speeder she had acquired. The blonde Android looked anxious as she sped to the village piloting, eager to reach her sister. She looked relieved to spot Laertia in the distance, a trail of dead left in her wake as she rampaged through their ranks with pure ferocious saber skill, picking some up and smashing their heads violently into buildings, making them burst on impact.

The Biot got out of the speeder, walking calmly to the melee.

"You think this is bad? You should have seen her reaction to how Season Eight ended!" Melissa joked, knowing he could guess which holonet show she was talking about. "C'mon, still plenty left for us to dish out a headache or two ourselves!"

One cannibal went flying through the air violently chucked by Laertia onto spiky debris, impaling him.

Melissa beheaded a cultist of her own when he noticed her.

"Sister!" Melissa called out sweetly.

"Hi Melissa!" Laertia called out, crushing a cultist's skull, flinging his corpse into five others and gaining 120 XP for her trouble. "Whooz dhat wyth yooz?"

"Oh, this is Beltran! We met at the spaceport!" Melissa called back, fending off the saber dueling attempts of four different opponents who tried to engage before the dizzying blur of her blade and deadly combat protocols allowed her to shear through them like paper.

"Hi Beltran!" Laertia called out, pulling out her double barreled laser pistol and freezing the head of a cultist that tried to rush him. "I'mm Laertia! Nyce tuh meetz yooz!"

Four dog piled her only for her to channel her inner hulk, and flung them off violently, using one screaming cultist as a club against his fellow cultists, his screams continuing as he was continually bashed against them until he was a bloody pulp himself, her saber then being used to slice through a dozen more.

"So wut bryngz yooz too Seline?" Laertia called out after decapitating another cultist while Melissa charged into another small group to duel, leaving Beltran free to engage the rest (which were a lot) at his own discretion.
 


Beltran jumped into the speeder with the woman-droid who'd identified herself as Melissa and within a few minutes, they were arriving on the scene at the North hypergate. As the vehicle came to a stop and Melissa jumped out, Beltran couldn't help but be impressed by the amount of carnage that Laertia Io Laertia Io had apparently already wrought.

He counted perhaps dozens of dead cultists, maybe even hundreds. "Maybe she doesn't need our help, after all." He muttered to himself.

It was at this point that the droid-woman Melissa made the statement: "You think this is bad? You should have seen her reaction to how Season Eight ended!"

Beltran really wasn't one for holo-dramas, so he simply shrugged and followed after Melissa as the she waded into the throng of cultists like she was swimming through water. Pulling his lightsaber from his waist, he activated the blade and began to swing at the nearest cultist. Though Schii-Cho generally favored a two hand approach to blade work, Beltran wielded his blade one-handed.

It cut down a little on precision, but Schii-Cho wasn't really a precise art anyway. It was made for just the kind of melee scrum they were engaged in right now, where the enemies outnumbered you and nobody was firing blasters. With a couple of wide arc cuts, Beltran decapitated one cultist and severed the arm at the shoulder with another. With his off hand, he cross drew his Reaper Blaster Pistol and began to fire-delivering powerful blaster bolts to another pair of cultists at center mass.

Over the din of battle, he could hear Melissa talking to her sister, explaining his presence.

"Hi Beltran! I'mm Laertia! Nyce tuh meetz yooz!"

The woman had a somewhat strange way of speaking, an accent perhaps that Beltran didn't recognize. It didn't matter though, Beltran understood her fine.

"So wut bryngz yooz too Seline?"

"Oh you know," He replied casually, speaking softly but using the Force to amply his voice so that it was easy to hear. "Came because my hyperjump motivator malfunctioned, stayed because these guys are trying to kill me. How about you?"
 
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"Ohh, I heddedz heerz cuz ov duh evul godd dhat wuz tryinz tuh eskaypez and rezcuez suhvylliannz..." Laertia answered, decapitating another cultist, her armor having taken multiple nicks but still in full condition. The indigo claymore saber swung slow but in deadly, wide unpredictable arcs, chopping apart these vile cannibals. Melissa fought them with her own fast moving version of the Strong Style, her blade, pink cored with a red aura, finding skulls easily, blending punches and kicks with saber attacks, sending dismembered body parts flying everywhere.

Laertia never stopped moving.

"Allso...gottaz figgurrz dhere'z att leest a feww parrtz frumm dhiss playce worrth sallvvaging for duh trubbull." She added, grabbing one cultist by the head and executing a violent sawing motion through his body with her indigo blade (GLORY KILL!!!!).

It was at this point a whole mess of them started to run away but the Black Knight of Nar Shaddaa, just like at Yurb, refused to allow the heretics to escape her clutches. These evil people were to be put to the sword. Their crimes were belligerent, sadistic in the extreme, and could only be reconciled through their execution.

Laertia had no problem killing them especially when one considered how their savagery reminded her of her Arch-Enemy The Amalgam. Same cruelty. Same callous disregard for sapient life.

Was Laertia being cruel in how she killed them? Certainly. But she had no tolerance for those who consumed the flesh of the innocent for power. As far as she was concerned, if they could dish it out, they could take it.

Between the three of them, the hoard was eventually whittled down, either by Laertia's strategic but vicious attacks, the calculated strategy of Beltran Rarr Beltran Rarr , or the combat programs of Melissa. They could not see whatever Beltran was doing, each was fighting their own fight and surrounded by too many to get a good look. But eventually they were all slain. Laertia was covered in Cannibal blood, while Melissa had taken 007 more shots to the chest she had healed from Her saber shut off as she surveyed the carnage.

"I do not wanna be the person who has to clean this up..." Melissa admitted.

"Anny civvz, Sisstuh?" Laertia asked.

The Android's X-Ray mode spotted injured prisoners in a stone building and went to cut out the door lock.

"Ten. Drugged. Scared. We'll have to be careful moving them." Melissa answered.

With the danger gone at the moment, Laertia hit a release switch. Something on her armor clicked and the back split open in multiple segments, allowing Laertia, clad in a black body glove to help her fit in the armor, to hop out. Her tombstone colored face was a vision of cut marble beauty marred by facial scars, her dark gray eyes looking about at the scene.

"Syck Canniball fethz. I'dz duhstroyz emmz allz iff I cudz..." she grumbled as she walked to Beltran.

"Yoo hanndlez a sabuh pretti wellz...yooz gotz myy thanx fer whenn yoo showwed upz...I wuz gettinz a tadd swammpedz dherez..." she chuckled nervously, wind blowing about her raven black hair and revealing the trench scars on her scalp for a split second. Shrapnel wounds.

"Sister!" Melissa called out, walking out with the wounded still able to stand. "They say the Cannibals have an outpost not far from here!"

Laertia sighed, took a seat on a nearby, crumbled fountain.

"Chit...Letz caatch ourr breathz foyst. Dhat wuzz alottz, evun fir meez..."
 


Beltran helped Laertia Io Laertia Io clean up the rest of the remaining cannibals, listening to her explanation as he did so. It seemed that most of the fight had gone out of the beings, so it was only a matter of a few minutes before they were the last ones standing.

"Thank you," Beltran replied. "I'm just starting to get a feel for it. I had some sword training beforehand, so I think that helped a little, but I'm looking to learn more." As he spoke, he remembered facing down the Bryn'adul tyrant, Tathra Khaeus on Yurb and how little he'd been able to do to stop him. The fight had nearly killed Beltran, and had killed the vast majority of his unit. Maybe if he'd been a better swordsman, he might have been able to stop him...

Beltran shook his head, pushing the guilt that welled up inside of him away. It served no purpose other than to distract him from the situation at hand. Keying his comlink, he called out to Lupewaurreg and Jost Cal Dayne. "Gentlemen, how are we coming?" He asked.

"Uhh, pretty good actually." Cal Dayne came back after a moment of silence. "Waur says he needs about ten more minutes and we'll be good to fly."

"Good," Beltran responded. "We've got ten civilians here, heavily drugged and probably injured. Once the Imperialis is up and running, I need you to fly over here and start getting them loaded up in the med bay."

"Got it. I'll let you know when we're off the ground and headed to you."

Closing the channel, Beltran look to Laertia. "My ship has a pretty advanced medical bay. Perhaps your sister and my crew can get these people loaded up while we chase down the rest of these cannibals and finish this?"
 
"Dhatz a vewy sounndz plannz fer duh momennt..." Laertia agreed. She looked to Melissa.

"Sistuh? Cannz yooz hanndullz duh Cyvz?"

The Android nodded. "I'll guard them as I guard you, Sister."

Melissa then asked the most coherent one for coordinates, which were quickly obtained, along with a request to make the cultists suffer.

Melissa quickly ran over with the written down coordinates. "Take care."

Laertia smiled, nodded. She teleported her spearshaft to her hand, removing the glowing blue Gemstone from a pouch on the armor, The Heart of Lysandra. A Cold, Cold Heart of a Lightsaber crystal. It numbed her hand from its icy cold as she grasped it. The only thing left of her mother. Her actual mother.

She had tried to find some hint of her larger than a few impressions, but nothing. Just a sense of grim duty and determination. She hadn't turned out much different from her, it seemed.

Laertia gently set the enchanted crystal into the chamber of her hilt, and the flat bladed saber spear went active, the very air chilling around it. She put it in the gauntleted grasp of her silver power armor before slipping back into it, the armor openings sliding shut. The silvery armored Jedi turned her helm's grim visage to Beltran Rarr Beltran Rarr and speaking. The grim looking but ornate armor was completely at odds with the pale, scarred creature underneath, as was her speech impediment, which had been with her since she could talk and always would be thanks to Themis.

"I gotz duh locayshun. Followz meez. We'll worrkz outz a soluushun on duh wayyz."

Laertia found her slightly damaged BARC Speederbike and climbed on, pointing to the speeder Melissa and he had arrived in for his own transport.

"Iff yooz lookinz fer advyce att duh sabuh, I'dz bee happpy tuh showz yooz a feww poinntuhz..." Laertia offered. "Yoo gotz gudd instynktz, butz yoo needz morr fowkuss. Forrm Wun cannz bee jusst az deadlee att wun-onn-wun az ittz iz att wun-on-menny. But itt rekwyrez duh strongest, mosst endurantz boddy too maykez full uze, annd ann eyez fer strategemmz annd cheaatingz."

Laertia started her vehicle and piloted slowly, both so they could plan ahead better as well as get to know Beltran more. Laertia knew a frightening amount about the lightsaber, and nearly all of it had not been gained in safe training rooms, but by actively hunting and slaying Sith in Knightly Combat. So many had been ripped and torn until it was done by her that the survivors had sworn revenge to this very day, only to be hunted down and killed anyway by her after the revenge attempt failed. The group of elite mercenaries known as The Gentleman's Club was still reeling from the loss of their entire branch on Kintan after an assassin of theirs had nearly hurt one of her rabbits while trying to kill her. Their deaths were quick but brutal, delivered with the aid of a heavy iron club. Laertia never fethed around after her loved ones were nearly hurt.

"I'vez haddz a lonng tymez tuh getz reelee gudd att Formm Wun. Assk mee annytingz yoo wanna knowwz..." she offered as she piloted.
 
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Beltran nodded, walking over to the speeder that he and the droid-woman had taken to get here and got in. He pulled it around easily and quickly flew into formation with Laertia Io Laertia Io . He listened quietly as the woman critiqued his form. Beltran wasn't a man who got defensive when criticized. He simply listened to her and mulled over her words for a long moment before answering.

"Yes, focus can be a bit of a problem for me." He replied, agreeing with Laertia's assessment. "I have a difficult time centering myself when things are quiet, so training during my off time is problematic. I also maintain a pretty grueling operational tempo, which doesn't leave much time for training even if I could stick with it." Learning on the battlefield was good, but the inherent chaos of the battlefield made it difficult to master the subtleties of saber combat.

When she asked him if he had any questions, Beltran found that he actually did. "You say that Form One can be adapted to single-opponent combat, but I've always heard that other forms-like Form Two, are better adapted to such. So how exactly can Form One work in single combat?"
 
Laertia listened carefully to the problem Beltran Rarr Beltran Rarr was having.

"Summ peopullz lerrnz bettuh inn quietz...and summz don'tz. Yurr wunnz ov duh typez dhat worrkz annd lerrnz bestt unduh presshurr. Don'tz fytez ittz. Emmbrayce ittz. Treetz evry battul az a lessunn. Evry fytez iz a newwz lerrnyngz exxpeereeince. Each mystayke iz a dryllz innstruktor. Evry bloww yooz innflykt maykez yooz duh teecher inn a fytez. Evry bloww receeved maykes yooz duh taughhtz. Yoo musst taykez duh presshurr ov duh feeldz ov kombatz annd maykez ittz wurrkz fer yooz inturrnullee. Ittz musst flowwz throo yooz lyke watuh, a streemz dhat cannz bee dyrektedz wyth supreem dysciplyne. Dhis iz achievvedz byy rekognyzyngz dhat all forrmz ov warrfayrez arr lyke navygatynz ann oceannz..."

Laertia spotted cultists in the distance, trying to escape via their own speeder, which itself was trailing behind a dozen more, plotting to flee from the silver garbed demoness that had slashed through their ranks with all the subtlety of a particularly hammy Patrick Stewart monologue. Laertia had other plans. Her helm's telescopic mode spotted the driver, and she took out a throwing card knife from her belt.

"Holldz onn a sek, Beltran. I gottaz naylez dhese chitheddz..."

Laertia kicked into top speed. She waited until she was right behind them, tailing them by half a dozen meters.

"Heyy, Vynnie! Itz yurr Unkle Byngoz! Tymez tuh payyz duh chekk!" (HE STOLE MY BALLOONS!: 89 XP)

She flung the card and it teleported to in front of the speeder directly in front of the one she was chasing, hitting the driver in the face. He cried in agony as his eye was pierced, swerving in reflex, causing the one she was chasing to crash into it and careen violently out of control, killing everyone in the first two speeders while the remaining four split off, two attempting to flank her, the other two attempting to flank Rarr. Laertia wasn't having it. Her spear extended, and she waited until the ones trying to flank Rarr were just about at the right angle during the attempted flank. She fired the continuous secondary laser, smacking into the engine exhaust of one and making it ice over, causing it to lose control, accidentally hitting the speeder full of cultists behind it, killing everyone in both vehicles. Two left, and they were firing. Laertia conjured a doppelganger in the Force of herself atop the hood of both trying to attack her from her left and right. The moments distraction as they panicked at seeing her atop their vehicles proved fatal, as they opened fire on her illusions, both vehicles to her sides losing control and bursting in flames as they crashed. Laertia got back in formation with Rarr.

"So sorreez. I haytez tallkyngz durring distrakshunnz." Laertia apologized before continuing as if they had never been interrupted. "So annywayyz, Whennz yooz tinkz ov all kommbatz, both wythinz anndz wythouttz, az ann oceannz tuh navygatez, itt all starrtz tuh opennz uppz fer yooz. Formz Wunnz iz muchh duh saymez. Praktycedd attz ittz hyyest forrmz, ittz iz az watuh. Summz mayy beez morr speshullyzed...but evry syngull move dhey haz comez frumm sumting adappted frumm Forrm Wunn, anndz all Forrm Wunn iz comez frumm ancienntz lonngsworrdz anndz rapierrz fytingz. Iffz yooz cannz wynnz againnst a rapierrz wyth a lonngsworrdz, yooz cannz wynnz wyth Forrm Wunn againnst Formmz Twooz. Summtymez annuthuh forrmz just taykez a sympull mattuh annd maykez itt complycatedz. Itt izz allso not gudd too relyyz onn rotez masstuhree. Forrm Wunn iz Dedduhkayshin, Deeturrmynashun, annd Wyll, all gathurredz tuhgethuh. Wunn cann dyrekt duh floww ov itz powuh inn wun innexxorrabul pathh, orr lettz itt flood evrytingz, az wunn dyrektz a rivverz...orr letz ittz ovuhflowwz. Lettz itz verry naychurr guydez yooz inn sinngull kombat, but do notz lettz duh passhunn inherrantz too duh stylez ovuhwhellmz yooz."

Laertia spotted more speeders full of cultists, this time armored and racing towards them.

"Lookk Sharrpz!" Laertia exclaimed, speeding ahead to confront the latest delay...
 


Beltran nodded, easing back on the speeder as Laetria dealt with the first of a new wave of cultists. As he watched the other woman make quick work of dispatching them, he mused on her words. At it's essence, Schii-Cho, form one, was the foundation upon which all subsequent lightsaber disciplines were built. Many Jedi, as he understood it, moved on from form one before achieving anything close to mastery. Perhaps that was impatience, or perhaps it was prudence. Beltran wasn't really sure, but for the time being he decided that he was going to dedicate himself to mastering this form as best he could before moving on.

As one of the speeders, filled with cultists made to get behind him Beltran drew his Handcannon and leveled it at the vehicle. Using the Force to sharpen his senses, he fired a single depleted baradium slug into the vehicle's power core. He then pulled the controls over in a hard turn and skidded around the now drifting, flame-engulfed vehicle.

The cries and screams of the cultists as they burned to death were as music to the Lorrdian.

Locking his gaze on the next speeder, he gunned his own vehicle forward and pulled behind it. One of the cultists in the back seat turned and began to throw what looked like a spear at him. Beltran deftly avoided the oncoming object and moved closer, aiming his cannon back at the cultists head and firing. There was a spray of blood and brain as the body of the now decapitated being fell from the the vehicle.

Another shot would put the driver down and send the uncontrolled craft careening into a nearby tree.

"Lookk Sharrpz!"

Beltran's head came up and he turned the speeder about to meet the new thread. Holstering his cannon, he drew his lightsaber as he gunned the throttle and raced toward the first of the newly arrived armored skimmers. He was on a collision course, playing a deadly came of cock-hen with the driver of the other vehicle. From behind his mask, Beltran narrowed his cold green eyes and waited for his moment. He drew the Force to him, using it to strengthen his body and increase his speed.

A split second before his speeder was about to hit, the other skimmer swerved to avoid the collision. As the two vehicles passed each other, Beltran leapt from his seat and hopped onto the roof of the skimmer. Activating his lightsaber, he cut a small hole in the vehicle and then dropped a single thermal detonator down it. The terrified shouts of the occupants were nearly instantly muffled by the internal explosion, as Beltran jumped into the air and landed on the ground in a perfect somersault.

Coming up in a smooth motion to standing, he would turn to the next speeder and point his bright orange blade at he as he walked purposefully toward it...

"Time to die."
 
While Beltran Rarr Beltran Rarr took out a number of speeders, Laertia had only a short time to marvel at his acrobatics. She simply couldn't replicate Force Acrobatics without assistance--she had paid a price for such a powerful form of Force Teleportation--she seemed unable to learn body enhancing Force Powers like Jump or Speed, and also prevented her from learning most offensive Force Powers. Teleportation took the place of both.

Laertia focused on her targets, firing her speeder bikes cannons as she was fired on herself, reaching a hand out with telekinesis and ramming one of the speeders into other speeders, driving the tip of her spear mercilessly against the hulls of their vehicles, freezing the internals and making them careen violently out of control. Laertia had no pity for her targets, their acts of torture and cannibalism offending her personal code of Honor, which was slightly separate from the code of the Jedi. Even if she had been still merely a street criminal she would have been honor-bound to decapitate them, like she had just done with one unfortunate victim as her vehicle shot past his. She spun, firing her cannons, totally determined to kill these freaks who ate others, blasting their powerful shots into the back of speeders that erupted in flame. The last one jackknifed onto the desert grounds.

She saw Beltrann and raised an eyebrow. There was a man who took his work seriously.

Laertia got off her own bike, walking to the overturned vehicle...

"Leavesz att leest wunnz alyvez for innforrmayshun" she advised, tearing her own victim out the vehicle, breaking his arms on sight. His shriek was immense...
 
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"Leavesz att leest wunnz alyvez for innforrmayshun"

Laertia Io Laertia Io 's voice found its way to Beltran's ears, even over the din of battle, screams of pain from the wounded and crackling of roiling fire. The Lorrdian still marched toward one of the remaining speeders, blade ignited and murder blazing in his eyes, but he let out a small sigh. "If I must," He replied, his quiet voice somehow amplifying itself to be easily heard over the background noises.

The speeder in question seemed to waver a little and slowly it came to a stop. Several of the cultists got out, each carrying some kind of melee weapon. There were a couple of axes, an actual maul and several swords-all of which had strange looking markings engraved on them. The fury in the cultists' eyes also matched Beltran's own.

It was clear both sides were out for blood.

Beltran's adversaries spread themselves out as the Lorrdian came close to them. Beneath their billowing robes, Beltran got a sense of powerful musculature. These weren't the basic frontline peons that he'd been dispatching with such ease up until his point. These beings knew how to move, and they hefted their weapons with a familiarity that betrayed hours, if not years, of training.

Slowly, they circled him.

Closing his eyes, he let out a long breath and spoke. "I will give you one chance to leave this place." He warned. "Take your weapons, leave your prisoners and go and you may live. Fail to do so and you will die."

There was no egotistical scoffing at his words that Beltran would have expected from lesser beings. Neither was there a rumble of fear. They simply ignored him. With a loud cry, three of them charged at him with their weapons raised. Beltran kept his eyes closed and extended the awareness of his other senses. With the first of them reached him, Beltran leaned out of the way of his downward strike and turned to face the second attacker, swinging his blade up and under his attempted thrust.

The sunset orange blade made it through the being's guard and skewered him through the chest. Without pulling the blade from the body, Beltran simply cut through the being's left shoulder and turned to face the first attacker. With the miss of his swing, this cultist momentarily found himself unbalanced and stumbled forward leaving his flank exposed.

With a quick turn of his wrist, he cut off this being's leg at the thigh-reducing him to a squealing pile of pain on the ground. The third cultist, by this point had come up behind Beltran and was swinging his sword overhand, trying to bury the blade in Beltran's brain. Without looking, the Lorrdian reversed his grip and met the sword's swing just before it connected with him.

As the metal connected with the lightsaber blade, the strange markings on it glowed blue and somehow, the weapon maintained it's integrity. With a fizzle of sparks, however, Beltran's own saber deactivated. He tried to throw himself out of the way of the sword but only managed to get far enough to the side that it embedded itself halfway into his shoulder.

The pain of the blow made the Lorrdian's knees buckle and he hit the ground. Squirming on the ground he turned so that he could face the attacker that now stood over him. Raising his foot he kicked out hard, connecting with the being's gonads and sending him to the ground as the breath left him. Beltran wasted no time pulling the vibroblade from his boot and rolling himself on top of the cultist, using his considerable body weight to keep the being in place as he stuck the blade into the being's throat.

He then rolled off the man and came to his feet, a little unsteadily to face the remaining four cultists. His left arm screamed in pain any time he tried to move it, but for the moment at least he seemed to retain his range of motion. "Laertia," He said, his voice raw with the pain. "I could use some help over here."
 
Laertia had watched as Beltran Rarr Beltran Rarr engaged them, securing her own prisoner. She studied his technique. Product of military training. Keen. Practiced. Structured. Too structured. He'd made an error not studying their weapons closely enough. He relied much on proven training but less on feeling his immediate surroundings.

"Yooz fytez lyke a yunngurr mannz, wyth nuthinnz helldz bakk. Admurrabullz, butz muhstaykynn..." she called out as his weapon failed.

He called out for assistance. Knightly honor compelled her to teleport behind one, impaling him on her spear, freezing him solid and smashing him to pieces on the desert ground. However, she left him with three remaining warriors, teleporting away before they could strike back.

"Battullz arr nevuh fayr, Beltran. Itz wudd dooz yoo no guddz nottz tuh konnstanntlee fayce unnfayr oddz. Stopp relyingz soo much onn pure traynyng. Feelz duh battull. Feelz duh konntrast inn duh Foyce. Lettz pure instynct guydz yooz. Yorr boddy will followwz yorr harrt..."

Of course, Laertia had no intention of letting him die. If she really thought he had no shot even in his present state they would all be dead. But the Jedi who could not hold himself while injured badly and bleeding against mere cannibals needed to immerse themselves more in the Force, lest they become one with it early.

"Lookz passt yorr payne, annd emoshunn, annd fynd yorr playce inn duh Foyce."

Meanwhile...

Melissa helped Beltran's friends treat the captives. Many had suffered extreme psychological shock from the horrors they had witnessed and had fallen silent. It broke the Android's heart at how badly they had suffered. Even her psychologist form would have written them off as all needing years of personalized therapy they likely could not afford. Not on their own. Melissa had loads of creds though. She had so many creds she didn't know what to do with it except help people. She would help them as much as she could.

After she helped treat the former captives once the Imperialis arrived she began looking around.

"You guys have a nice ship!" She called out to Beltran's friends as she explored it. "Should we head back to the space port now? The faster we are away, the better it it is for the captives. Besides, plenty to scavenge in that place."
 
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Beltran fought to find focus in the midst of his pain. This was not the first time he'd fought while being wounded, but pain had a tendency of throwing him into a crazed fury. Sometimes, that raw aggression had been just what was needed to win the battle. Other times it had nearly killed him, and lately it seemed that things were tending to go the way of the latter rather than the former.

As he listened to Laertia Io Laertia Io 's critique, he thought back to his duel with the Bryn'adul Titan, Tathra Khaeus. His raw aggression had been met with sheer power and in the end, he'd made a mistake that had nearly led to his death. Though the battle had been a victory in the end, Beltran had paid a terrible toll. On top of his injuries, he'd lost nearly his entire unit.

Even those who'd survived were little but husks of their former selves. He doubted that any of them would ever fight again. Perhaps he hadn't charged forward into the midst of the Bryn'adul advance, his men would have retreated when they'd been ordered to. Maybe if they'd done that, more of them would have survived.

Guilt wasn't something Beltran was accustomed to. He was used to taking care of himself first, but being an officer was something different. So too, was being a Jedi, he was learning. Laertia was right, he needed to stop forcing battles when tactics demanded a more measured approach. He also needed to stop relying on himself solely, and start relying more on the Force.

With a breath, Beltran straightened himself and reached for his lightsaber hilt, which lay on the ground where he'd dropped it. He hadn't given much energy into learning telekinesis, but he knew enough that the dented metal cylinder came to his hand easily enough. Igniting his blade once more, he stepped into the midst of the three remaining cultists.

Rather than striking first, he waited for them to attack him. He watched them through the Force, rather than with his eyes. He sensed the slight changes in their stances, the tensing of their muscles before they struck. This time the battle was quick, a whirring of an orange blade and the falling of each enemy in quick succession until he was the only one left standing.

Slowly, he turned to Laertia and nodded. "Thank you for your wisdom." He told her, his tone soft but filled with resolve.

***

Lupewaurreg growled something in Shyriwook in response to Melissa's question. A second later, the voice of Jost Cal Dayne called from somewhere within the ship. "Waurr says that's a good idea. Looks like we got all the survivors we're gonna get. Make sure everyone get's strapped in. Waurr will lift off in a few minutes and I'll let baldy and your sis know what's happening."

The Imperialis would lift off a few moments later, turning due south to make for the spaceport once more.

***

Over the coms, Beltran would hear the slightly nasal voice of Jost Cal Dayne. "Hey baldy, we got all the survivors bundled up and are heading back to the spaceport. You guys just about done over there?"

Beltran looked around. Any of the cultists that had remained seemed to be in full retreat. It seemed likely that any hierarchical structure they'd had no longer remained in place. "Copy," Beltran replied. "I think we're just about finished here." He said, glancing to Laertia for confirmation. "We should be back at the spaceport soon. Be ready to go."
 
Laertia went to Beltran Rarr Beltran Rarr , the man was still bleeding, even as he got a call from his squadmate. She confirmed his assertion with a simple nod of her armored head, the stern visage of its helm reflecting Beltran's face.

"Dhat sworrdz bitt deepz..." she remarked before focusing and extending her healing field around Beltran, drawing on her connection to the Light to stitch shut the wound, but left the scar that resulted.

"Allkymyzedd wepunnz cannz summtymez 'bweak' a lytesabuh. Dheze arr onlee loww ennd exammpullz..." she explained, pointing to the enchanted sword of one of the fallen cannibals.

"I'dd starrt thynkynz reel harrdz aboutz studdyingz suchh tyngz. Allkymee izz becominngz morr annd morr kommonplayce." she advised. "Butz yoo diddz rallee att duh lasst momennt."

She moved away to one of the other swords then activated her spear saber, the field of cold it generated just by being active chilling already chilly night air kissed by moonlight. Slowly she destroyed each sword one by one, freezing them solid then stomping on them and shattering them.

"Dhey werr duh wepunnz ov fylth, unfytz fer salvajyngz..." she explained. "Letz go noww...dhat spayce porrtz haz monnsturr levulz ov inntrusst..."

Forty Minutes Later...

Laertia, once making sure their respective landing area was secure by setting up more Blaster Turrets, had gone back to her ship, gotten out of the somber, stern gazed power armor and into her spiky biker leathers, equipped with her black and green lightsaber as she helped her sister Melissa treat the injured. At one point a migraine and a phantom limb pain episode hit and she had to sit a moment to let it pass before deciding to work with the materials that had been salvaged by Melissa.

It was in a working meditation of sorts as she assembled the parts. Ancient Schematics she had come across over the years due to both their records in The Marksmen, her criminal life before the Jedi, and simply the sheer amount of old caches she had raided or earmarked for her own use.

The tech of yesterday was far from useless. Even very ancient tech that had been invented thousands of years in the past.

She then headed to Beltran with what she had built in a long box and opened it...

(Zelda Acquisition Theme Plays)

(Beltran has acquired new weapons!)

Weapon: SPEAR BLASTER (CORTOSIS WEAVE)

Once a preferred weapon of Mon Calamari Warriors. This model is a cortosis weave variant constructed from spare parts by Laertia. Possesses a heavy blaster rifle in the shaft, enabling use as ranged and melee weapon. Suitable for upgrades.

Weapon: DARKSTICK

Lethal black knives with light absorbing cells that decrease light around the user to near pitch black levels. Preferred weapon of The Kerestian People. Suitable for upgrades.

Weapon: BULLDOG RLR

Hand held rocket launching heavy pistol with lock on capabilities. Deadly in volleys. Suitable for upgrades.

Equipment: ADVANCED GRAVITY GENERATOR

Unregulated arm mounted device built by Laertia to cause a gravity swell, slowing multiple opponents down. Requires five minutes to recharge after a single use. Suitable for upgrades.

"Beltran..." she trailed... "I maydez yooz a feww tyngz yooz myte fynd usefullz...also...howw wudd yooz feelz abboutz studyingz unduh meez? Yooz gotz a lotta potennchull, anndz I tynkz I cudd showwz yooz quitez a bittz..."
 


Once back at the original landing site, Beltran set about tending to his wound. The cultist's sword had bit him deep, but not deep enough to sever any of his ligaments or tendons. It took awhile, awkwardly holding the pieces of flesh on either side of the cut together and running his dermal regenerator over it, but finally he was able to get the wound to close. He then applied a bacta patch to it and bandaged it with some gauze. He would get it checked out when he returned to Silver Concord space, but it would do for now.

Walking out of the ship, he had just been about to go find Laertia Io Laertia Io to discuss their next step when the woman came out of her own ship carrying what appeared to be a couple weapons and an emitter or some kind. He accepted the gifts, giving the woman a rare smile as he did. "Thank you, Laertia." He replied. "And thank you for your wisdom on the nature of force combat. I suspect I will be thinking on your words for some time to come."

At her next question, Beltran considered for a moment before nodding. "I would be honored to learn more from you," He told the Jedi honestly. "But you should know that my duty to the Rangers will have to take precedence. It's only a matter of time before the Sith try to take advantage of the lull in battle or for the Bryn'adul to make another strike against us. So if you could abide a part-time apprentice, I accept."
 
Laertia lit up at the answer Beltran Rarr Beltran Rarr gave her.

"Dhatz...dhatz wunndurrfullz!" Laertia said, grinning from ear to ear. She had never had even a part time apprentice. It was new territory for her.

She was actually training someone! Personal-like!

"I gotz a greatz ideaz! Yooz annd meez goez scavvengingz dhis here spayceporrtz anndz az yurr foyst oyffyshul lessun, I teech yooz tuh uze Makashi inn duh process?"

Melissa then walked up and found them talking.

"Sister? I detected heightened levels of audible excitement."

"Beltran jusst agreedz tuh beez myy parrtz tymez apprenntyce!"

"That's wonderful!" The blond biot said with a smile to Beltran. "You're a very formidable fighter, Beltran. I wish you the best of luck and welcome you to the team, so to speak. We should make you a team shirt."

"Dhatz goingz too weirdz, Sistuh." Laertia replied jokingly with a roll of her eyes. "Dhough I addmittz...he cudz doo wyth summ armorr."

"If we make him a domino mask we could fight crime together! I could be the hot lady behind the computer! He could run around yelling at people that they have failed their city before punching them!"

"Dhat wud ownlee bee appropryatz iff hee wuz full tymez."

Melissa giggled at the joke. "I should come with you. This place had a freaking hypergate. Who knows what other threats are here? Beltran's friends can take off with the survivors, and then we bring Beltran back to them on our own ship."

"Wut doo yooz, tink, Beltran?" Laertia asked. Melissa's idea was pretty sound...
 

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