((Continuation of the story started here and continued here, here and here))
In a word, it is pandaemonium. The spaceport is rocked with explosions. The Force shields me and those closest to me, but the blast wave knocks me down. The air is clogged with smoke and debris. The smoke stings my eyes and makes me cough when I inhale it. The old injury in my leg flares up when I rise. But I do nonetheless. It does not matter. I close my eyes, and push the smoke away. My vision clears. Before the delegates, journalists and so on can be shepherded out, the enemy strikes. Their black armour is nondescript and bears no insignia. Doubtless it has camo of some form. Maybe Reflec coating. Hunter rallies the Firemane soldiers on the premise and they return.
I'l admit, the attack has made this engagement a bit more interesting. It also reveals a colossal screwup on the part of security for letting them get past the perimeter walls. When I'm done here, heads will roll. Possibly literally. For now, I must deal with whoever is shooting at us. The air is filled with blaster and slugthrower fire, as well as cries of pain. Guests and guards have fallen. Their blood drips out onto the ground. I draw Rebirth and its purple blade ignites with a hiss.
My body is not as strong or fast as it once was, but my motions are still seamless. Rebirth slashes blaster bolts out of the air, deflecting them away from guests. But whoever these attackers are, they have enough sense to realise blasters are a poor weapon against Force-Users. So they have brought slugthrowers - special ones, as it turns out. I realise this when, on instinct, my blade cuts through a round shooting towards them. The metal inside it seems to explode. Shrapnel cuts me, and my face feels like it has beeen puched with hot metal. My ears are ringing. Blood drips down my cheek from a cut. I grit my teeth at the pain. It is just weakness leaving the body. My dress has armourweave, but that only offers negligible protection. Lightsabres are poor against slugs and these seem high-calibre, so I use the Force.
As the attackers hurl slugs at me, I stretch out with my senses and expand my focus. The Force is not a cosmic entity dictating my actions. That is just superstition. It is the inner flame I can tap into. It is through my will that I use it to shape the world around me. I feel a slug graze my left forearm. There is a burn. The Force flows through me and the slugs stop, hanging in mid-air as if frozen. The slugs fall to the ground.
My willpower wraps around several of the rifles to crush them, and shooters start dying. Some die when shrapnel is driven through their neck joints. In the case of others, I crush their windpipes or send them flying with enough force to break their bones. I can see Hunter coldly and efficiently dispatching attackers with his Magnetic Repeater as I advance into the fray. My blade hums a song of destruction when I carve through assailants.
Is this really all? It is almost insulting.
Then the Force screams and I see her.
The Togruta is holding her crimson sabre inches away from Harmony's throat. Her eyes are grey and her gaze is fierce. She is clad in robes that appear to incorporate some armour. Harmony looks frightened. My blood burns with rage. "Let her go before I crush you," My words are ice. It is no idle threat. If she hurts my friend, her death will be agonising. A weak-kneed Jedi would spout platitudes about how no on needs to get hurt. Maybe even put her sabre down - and thus get everyone killed. That is why they get purged all the time. I am no Jedi. Hunter pings me. I sense he is close. Doubtless he has a shot lined up. But is it a clear one?
Her answer is not what I expect. "Where is Leonina?"
What does she want with her? It doesn't matter. My face is carved out of granite. "Not here. You got her boss. Identity yourself."
She seems to scrutinise me. It is like a predator sizing another one up. Her aura radiates power. A Sith, no doubt. Whatever, she will suffer. "Then you will do."
"Ma'am?" I hear Hunter. Get Harmony, kill the minions. I'll deal with the Sith, I respond in his mind. A queen is no queen if she does not have the strength or will to protect her subjects.
"You will face me honourably, or your pets will pay the price and know you for the fraud you are." Ere I can respond, it all happens in a blur. The Togruta pushes Harmony away towards a minion, and charges with an animalistic howl. She launches herself at me, moving with near blinding speed and swiftness.
Lightning bursts from my hand. Tendrils of brilliant blue energy cross the distance and surge across her skin. Some of it is caught by her lightsabre and reflected back at me. I wince as I feel it dance across my body, but I ramp it up. She grunts and her limbs convulse. A normal sentient would have experienced cardiac arrest right about now. But the Sith keeps coming. The storm of lightning does not slow her down for even a moment. Her scarlet blade sweeps towards me in a powerful slash, coming for my hand. I draw back and Rebirth rises to meet hers. Fortunately, a crossguard sabre is better at protecting your hand. I intercept her blade and the energy of the Force flows through me to strike...
And I feel a searing burn for while I was occupied, she drew a shoto and thrust its tip towards my abdomen. Movement and the armourweave inside my dress has deflected it somewhat, but her stab has penetrated. Smoke coils from my dress and I smell barbecued flesh. In my moment of distraction, she rams her boot into my knee. Maybe she has a way of sensing the injury, but the Force kick happens to go for my bad leg. This is not pleasant, to say the least.
The strike sends white-hot agony through my leg. It also ignites rage inside me. I stumble and fall to the ground. Her strike is not long in coming, but I roll away and strike. The storm of rage inside me explodes, and I slam my power into her. The telekinetic blast knocks her off and her feet and sends her flying - with the force of a speeder collision.
I get to my feet while she crashes against a wall, causing it to crumble when she falls through it. The bricks fall, and smoke rises. I breathe heavily, and sweat drips down my brow. My leg feels shaky, but I stand. Distance is my advantage, and I cannot let it go to waste. Reaching out with the Force, I wrap a gigantic telekinetic hand around her torso. Then I squeeze - very hard. I want to snap her bones like twigs and see her broken and humbled before me. She screams in agony. I hear a rib break. My grip around her tightens, constricting her movement and breathing. Another rib breaks. She drops down to a one knee. I lift her up into the air, and then slam her back into the ground.
She roars like a cornered, wounded animal. Then suddenly her eyes start to glow and twin beams shoot from them. What manner of power is this? The beams shoot towards me at tremendous speed. Even from afar I can feel the sheer heat emanating from them. Hastily, I summon a barrier. But there is not little time. The beams hit the barrier. It is not enough. It is too weak. The barrier explodes, and I burn.
In a word, it is pandaemonium. The spaceport is rocked with explosions. The Force shields me and those closest to me, but the blast wave knocks me down. The air is clogged with smoke and debris. The smoke stings my eyes and makes me cough when I inhale it. The old injury in my leg flares up when I rise. But I do nonetheless. It does not matter. I close my eyes, and push the smoke away. My vision clears. Before the delegates, journalists and so on can be shepherded out, the enemy strikes. Their black armour is nondescript and bears no insignia. Doubtless it has camo of some form. Maybe Reflec coating. Hunter rallies the Firemane soldiers on the premise and they return.
I'l admit, the attack has made this engagement a bit more interesting. It also reveals a colossal screwup on the part of security for letting them get past the perimeter walls. When I'm done here, heads will roll. Possibly literally. For now, I must deal with whoever is shooting at us. The air is filled with blaster and slugthrower fire, as well as cries of pain. Guests and guards have fallen. Their blood drips out onto the ground. I draw Rebirth and its purple blade ignites with a hiss.
My body is not as strong or fast as it once was, but my motions are still seamless. Rebirth slashes blaster bolts out of the air, deflecting them away from guests. But whoever these attackers are, they have enough sense to realise blasters are a poor weapon against Force-Users. So they have brought slugthrowers - special ones, as it turns out. I realise this when, on instinct, my blade cuts through a round shooting towards them. The metal inside it seems to explode. Shrapnel cuts me, and my face feels like it has beeen puched with hot metal. My ears are ringing. Blood drips down my cheek from a cut. I grit my teeth at the pain. It is just weakness leaving the body. My dress has armourweave, but that only offers negligible protection. Lightsabres are poor against slugs and these seem high-calibre, so I use the Force.
As the attackers hurl slugs at me, I stretch out with my senses and expand my focus. The Force is not a cosmic entity dictating my actions. That is just superstition. It is the inner flame I can tap into. It is through my will that I use it to shape the world around me. I feel a slug graze my left forearm. There is a burn. The Force flows through me and the slugs stop, hanging in mid-air as if frozen. The slugs fall to the ground.
My willpower wraps around several of the rifles to crush them, and shooters start dying. Some die when shrapnel is driven through their neck joints. In the case of others, I crush their windpipes or send them flying with enough force to break their bones. I can see Hunter coldly and efficiently dispatching attackers with his Magnetic Repeater as I advance into the fray. My blade hums a song of destruction when I carve through assailants.
Is this really all? It is almost insulting.
Then the Force screams and I see her.
The Togruta is holding her crimson sabre inches away from Harmony's throat. Her eyes are grey and her gaze is fierce. She is clad in robes that appear to incorporate some armour. Harmony looks frightened. My blood burns with rage. "Let her go before I crush you," My words are ice. It is no idle threat. If she hurts my friend, her death will be agonising. A weak-kneed Jedi would spout platitudes about how no on needs to get hurt. Maybe even put her sabre down - and thus get everyone killed. That is why they get purged all the time. I am no Jedi. Hunter pings me. I sense he is close. Doubtless he has a shot lined up. But is it a clear one?
Her answer is not what I expect. "Where is Leonina?"
What does she want with her? It doesn't matter. My face is carved out of granite. "Not here. You got her boss. Identity yourself."
She seems to scrutinise me. It is like a predator sizing another one up. Her aura radiates power. A Sith, no doubt. Whatever, she will suffer. "Then you will do."
"Ma'am?" I hear Hunter. Get Harmony, kill the minions. I'll deal with the Sith, I respond in his mind. A queen is no queen if she does not have the strength or will to protect her subjects.
"You will face me honourably, or your pets will pay the price and know you for the fraud you are." Ere I can respond, it all happens in a blur. The Togruta pushes Harmony away towards a minion, and charges with an animalistic howl. She launches herself at me, moving with near blinding speed and swiftness.
Lightning bursts from my hand. Tendrils of brilliant blue energy cross the distance and surge across her skin. Some of it is caught by her lightsabre and reflected back at me. I wince as I feel it dance across my body, but I ramp it up. She grunts and her limbs convulse. A normal sentient would have experienced cardiac arrest right about now. But the Sith keeps coming. The storm of lightning does not slow her down for even a moment. Her scarlet blade sweeps towards me in a powerful slash, coming for my hand. I draw back and Rebirth rises to meet hers. Fortunately, a crossguard sabre is better at protecting your hand. I intercept her blade and the energy of the Force flows through me to strike...
And I feel a searing burn for while I was occupied, she drew a shoto and thrust its tip towards my abdomen. Movement and the armourweave inside my dress has deflected it somewhat, but her stab has penetrated. Smoke coils from my dress and I smell barbecued flesh. In my moment of distraction, she rams her boot into my knee. Maybe she has a way of sensing the injury, but the Force kick happens to go for my bad leg. This is not pleasant, to say the least.
The strike sends white-hot agony through my leg. It also ignites rage inside me. I stumble and fall to the ground. Her strike is not long in coming, but I roll away and strike. The storm of rage inside me explodes, and I slam my power into her. The telekinetic blast knocks her off and her feet and sends her flying - with the force of a speeder collision.
I get to my feet while she crashes against a wall, causing it to crumble when she falls through it. The bricks fall, and smoke rises. I breathe heavily, and sweat drips down my brow. My leg feels shaky, but I stand. Distance is my advantage, and I cannot let it go to waste. Reaching out with the Force, I wrap a gigantic telekinetic hand around her torso. Then I squeeze - very hard. I want to snap her bones like twigs and see her broken and humbled before me. She screams in agony. I hear a rib break. My grip around her tightens, constricting her movement and breathing. Another rib breaks. She drops down to a one knee. I lift her up into the air, and then slam her back into the ground.
She roars like a cornered, wounded animal. Then suddenly her eyes start to glow and twin beams shoot from them. What manner of power is this? The beams shoot towards me at tremendous speed. Even from afar I can feel the sheer heat emanating from them. Hastily, I summon a barrier. But there is not little time. The beams hit the barrier. It is not enough. It is too weak. The barrier explodes, and I burn.
