A Hunt for Sanctions

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum nodded, he gently attached the droid to a magnetic clip on his back as he moved forward. He took a couple steps and then moved his gun back and forth as his sensors noted the first droids coming near. He took aim carefully, before firing the first shot. The droid was far too close to its group. The droid suddenly falling over caused its compatriots to react and begin to close up their formation. There were only four of them, three now, but Ultimatum grimaced to himself nonetheless.

He tried to slowly move towards the tunnel, moving through bushes and behind logs. However this was an altogether useless gesture. The droids seemed to know where he was intending on going. They moved much quicker, for they had no need of stealth, until they stood between the Ultimatum and the tunnel entrance. He stood down at that point, staying hidden and preparing to shoot again. He spoke quietly, "You think you can take one or two of them?" Aiming his question at [member="Lord Zrixtas"].

-----------------------

Hurannes frowned as she listened. Was that even possible? Could the Sith Empire have left her for so many years? How could they have not come to her rescue? This droid said that the Empire she had known was gone, how? If only they had gotten her free, she could have helped stop this eventuality. She felt anger building in her, it was intense like an inferno. She didn't even try to control it.

When Ultimatum stopped and seemed to do nothing, Hurannes jumped over the large droid. She landed wobbly on open ground near the combat droids. She raised the pipe she held as if it were a lightsaber. As the first droid began firing she could feel the Force through her, she used her anger to strengthen it. This helped her preempt the shots and move the pipe to catch the blaster fire. It only worked for the first three shots, then the pipes top melted away. She only stopped for a moment, winding her arm back before swinging it forward and letting go of the pipe. Aided by the Force, the throw was almost perfect, the pipe struck one of the droids in its face and fused there while melting the components. It fell only a moment later.

Hurannes wasn't done however, she used the Force to push one of the droids into a wall while focusing her attack on the last standing droid. But, before she could reach it, the droid fired on her and she took a shot to the upper thigh before hitting the droid and trying to wrench the blaster from its hands. Unfortunately, the droid had a better grip on the weapon and it knocked Hurannes back while taking aim. The other droid that had been pushed recovered a moment later and it too prepared to fire on the Sith.

----------------------

Ultimatum cursed under his breath and then yelled out, "Zrixtas, help her!" He raised his blaster and loosed a flurry of shots targeting the droid that had been pushed. Three of the shots struck the droid in its core and the droid began to fry as the components were burned by the electrical surge.

 

[Lord Zrixtas]

Zrixtas was evaluating the situation that [member="Ultimatum"] had asked him if he could take care of the droids as he was in the middle of a nod and about to answer Hurannes jumped over Ultimatum and went to work on the droids. "Let's just see for a moment how this play's out." He said as he examined how she fought to try and get a gauge of a style she favored or anything of the like. She was certainly impressive but then she overextended herself and was caught as she lay on the ground with a blaster aimed at her.
Ultimatum had barely let go of the word as Zrixtas shot forth, using the jets of the soles of his feet to increase his speed. Hurannes would only see Zrixta's fingers come around the back of the droids head as he crushed it a little in his grip to make it stop focus on her and instead focus on him. Then he fired of the jet in his palm and melted the droids head as it flailed in his grasp. The last droid took aim at Zrixtas with a blaster rifle but was shot three times from the wristblaser integrated in his other hand.
Letting go of the droid in his hand he watched it limply fall to the ground and then looked down at Hurannes, as if he was regarding a cripple. "You overextend yourself fleshbag. You are still weak don't try to play it of otherwise... It's... Unbecoming of you." He said finishing the last of his sentence as he looked to the side towards the entrance and then over the droids.
Moving to one of the droids he picked up a blaster pistol and threw it to Hurannes and then took up the Blaster rifle of the other and checked it's power-cell, twenty shots and three shots a burst. 'Great this will be useful' He thought sardonically as he then lowered it like he was a soldier at ease on a battlefield. Without looking at Hurannes he then spoke once again to her. "Aim that pistol at either of us and it will be the last thing you do." He said no small amount of an open threat in his voice as he then walked towards Ultimatum. "So any more on your sensors? and were to now?" He asked him as he looked around, scanning their surroundings for any other droid squads prowling around.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum shook his head at the organic Sith. He moved from the bushes and towards the group. He spoke loud enough only for [member="Lord Zrixtas"] to hear. "I don't see anything in our immediate area, but I see some farther away. We need to get to the other side of this tunnel. If we move now we can probably be far enough onward to not worry about the droids."

He looked over his sensor readings once more before nodding and walking past. He began walking slowly down the tunnel, about three meters before looking around. The broken lights and cracked walls made for an interesting feeling. He looked back and noted in the lighter area that the walls were lined with a couple of broken computer terminals and the occasional stasis chamber.

-------------------

Hurannes jumped slightly when the droid saved her. When he spoke though, she burned with anger. Unbecoming? What was truly unbecoming was a droid making fun of a Sith. She stood and thought about shooting the droid right then and there, but his quick statement was all too perfectly timed. She took the pistol and stood carefully. She felt herself slightly drained from the exertion in her fight.

She groaned angrily as she stood and said, "So, lead the way then." She put a hand on her leg, grimacing in the pain that emanated from the wound.
------------------

Ultimatum smiled to himself as he asked Zrixtas, "I haven't been around much of the galaxy, in your wanderings, have you met many Sith like this?" This question was yelled out and he could almost see the organic's cheeks burn a violent red through her fur. He watched as the Sith then took painful steps as quickly as she could to try and get to the droid.

 

[Lord Zrixtas]

If he could smirk he probably would be doing that when [member="Ultimatum"] spoke up, he walked to his side as he spoke in the same high tone as him too. "No I can't say that I do, as I only have my former master and that jedi that almost destroyed me to go on force users. Buut I think we can safely assume the reason the sith of her age failed and died is mostly due to such a level of competence." He then said with obvious amusement, he could feel her irritation so palpably that it almost tickled him.
A little lower he said with a playful tone so just Ultimatum could hear him. "Think it's wise to piss her off, after all sith only get stronger the angrier they are." He said it so as to make it sound in a cautionary manner but he was enjoying it too. Hurannes was after all a Sith but a weakened one and without a lightsaber as well, He'd just have to keep it that way.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum stopped for a moment before turning and continuing walking down the hall. "Probably right. I bet you get a kick out of it though." He smiled as he looked over his shoulder to the now obviously incredibly angry Cathar following. Surprisingly she seemed to have her emotions in check, even if just barely. Ultimatum focused on his sensors now, seeing nothing for about fifty meters or so. That was good, hopefully they had left all the really bad stuff behind them.

He put his blaster back into its hiding place as he walked, casually looking side to side, sweeping every nook and cranny with his gaze. He switched through various levels of vision through the spectrum of light. He noted with increasing unease that the walls, floor, and on occasion even the ceiling had large scarring marks. There must have been a massive beast brought through here, or perhaps broke out through here. He wondered if perhaps the legends of an ancient monsters being held in here were true. The Rakata had made an extensive prison, but what was so horrible that they were afraid of it. Ultimatum imagined beings capable of erasing worlds from existence.

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Hurannes was so close to pulling the blaster on these two. Certainly they wouldn't be able to tell until too late. For some reason though, she felt a simple suggestion to obey and not to try anything stupid yet. She couldn't have explained it. So, to try and pull her attention off her leg and alleviate some of the pent up anger she spoke in a somewhat mocking question, "Do you two even know where you are going?" She looked at [member="Lord Zrixtas"] still seeing him as the leader and the bigger droid as the guide slash stupid enforcer droid.

--------------------

The computer might have held its chin at this point, pondering what to do. That Sith had proven her danger in such a short time, it made him question the intelligence of his decision. However, he couldn't change the past, only learn from it. They had outmaneuvered his droids and even managed to take out a few. He decided that he would have to call in his proper droids and set them in areas he did not want these two intruders to get into. The first thing was the ancient horrors and other beasts of importance. Then would come the cells that still held their occupants. Finally would be the open areas of strategic value to hamper their progress. The orders were made and sent out in the blink of an eye. The ancient dangerous droids moved quickly to accomplish their objectives.

 

[Lord Zrixtas]

When Hurannes spoke up he looked back at her and then shrugged a little. "Not really, there haven't been blueprints of this place for over a thousand years at the least... Didn't the holonet crash or something in the passed Millennium?" He asked [member="Ultimatum"] then as he was quite fuzzy on galactic events of the passed and even less interest was held for the galactic events of fleshbags for him. As he walked along he began to notice the scarring marks along the hallway and he began to dread what made those marks.
'I wonder what made those...' He thought as he tightened his grip a little on the blaster rifle in his hands, he felt uneasy for some reason as he looked the marks over. Whatever made them was big and most of the time big meant dangerous if not out right mean and angry. Looking back at Hurannes he narrowed his eyes at her for a small moment. "What were your duties among the sith Hurannes?" He asked but he also wondered why she was a sith given how much he had read the sith of her time were Xenophibic.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum nodded to the question directed at him, he had tried to find out all that there was within the HoloNet. He had found much information, but he had found that there was a large portion of time where nothing happened, he assumed this meant that the HoloNet had become unavailable and that probably meant that it had gone down for a time.

He walked on for a few more meters before he stopped. He looked down, he thought he had seen something. He bent down and scratched at one of the marks in the ground. A few moments later he stood back up, in his hand was a claw, or the edge of one. It appeared to have broken off and was half rotted. Even so, it was a good four inches. Ultimatum looked at it a moment before handing it to [member="Lord Zrixtas"] to take a look.

He continued walking forward, but he felt even more unsafe than before.

---------------------------------

Hurannes thought for a moment before replying, "I was a warrior, sent out to kill Jedi and lead the soldiers. I was good too." She had never had the chance to get far in the Sith Empire, that part was true. She would never made it far anyways, her species was not common and had mostly been used as slave labor. She had only been saved that by her would be master.

She followed quietly, now wondering how this had happened.

 

[Lord Zrixtas]

As he looked over the claw piece, he'd furrow his brow if he could as he looked it over. Then he clenched his fist as hard as he could, almost enough to crush it into powder before he looked back, opening his hand to let the pieces fall out onto the floor.
'So she hunted jedi huh? even less reason to hand her a lightsaber then.' He thought as he then spoke. "Well then I'm glad those skills are now on our side." He said though a thought 'for the moment' finished what he was saying.
"[member="Ultimatum"] did any of your research garner any idea on what that claw might have belonged to?" He asked, his tone urgent and with a hint of worry within his tone.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum wasn't certain, so he had his processors begin scanning his memory banks for information on creatures held on Belsavis. He then took the stats on the theoretical size of the creature given its apparent reach. There didn't appear to be anything, he didn't look around as he replied, "There doesn't appear to be anything on that subject."

He continued walking until they reached an ancient door. It was mostly closed and didn't appear to have power. Light filtered in from the other side, a very slight breeze pushing dirt and dust particles into the air. Ultimatum wondered how other droids might get through. After all, those droids had probably been sent to protect this place from them. Why would it need protection if there was no easy way of breaking through? "We need to find a way through. Lightsaber, plasmatorch, anything."

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Hurannes smiled to herself as she spoke, "If you droids had checked for my lightsaber we might not have been in this problem." She didn't like the way the smaller droid spoke, but then again she didn't particularly like the bigger one either. She again contemplated shooting the two droids until they were nothing but burning parts. She wondered if she could pull it off, but decided against it. There would be a time where their end would be accomplished in a more fulfilling way.

She knelt down, allowing these dark thoughts to fuel her rage and to make her stronger. She was once more feeling the pain of her wounds and the shame of being rescued by a droid did not help. She hoped that they would be at least a little more willing to accept her strengths if she helped. She laughed to herself under her breath thinking how silly it would be to try and gain the appreciation of two droids.

[member="Lord Zrixtas"]

 

[Lord Zrixtas]

Zrixtas shook his head at [member="Ultimatum"] at the mention of a lightsaber, he wouldn't bring out both of his Lightsabers in front of Hurannes. At least not yet. He then moved his hands against the small crack in the door. "For a sith you seem to talk quite a bit about things we can't change Hurannes." He said sardonically as he then poured the force into his arms and legs, to strengthen the metal as he began to use his strength against the door to open it. As soon as there was enough space for his fingers to get inside it, he used the force to telekinetically open the door along with his strength, mostly to ease the strain against his arms for doing it in the first place.
He couldn't open it enough to fully open it but it was enough to pass through it, but his arms were close to buckling when he stopped and leaned against the wall as if he was tired. "I hope I don't have to do that again, I think my arms might break if I have to do that again." He said as if he was making a joke while shaking his hands in the same manner children did if they touched something hot.
"Please tell me that there won't be another door." He then said pleadingly, almost like he was imitating Hurannes, to Ultimatum before he began to chuckle at the whole thing, unable to keep it in any longer.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum smiled a little at the interchange between the two. They were grating on each other quite well, not something Ultimatum had thought possible. He watched in awe as his friend pushed open the door with raw strength, he also guessed that there was no small amount of the Force involved. He stepped forward and looked out the door. It would have almost appeared identical to the area they had left, except it was darker here. The flora was different as well. There was snow right next to what appeared to be tropical plants. Further there were broken ramparts for what appeared to be a prison.

He smiled and replied, "I hope that we will not have to do that again. You did very well."

He laughed when [member="Lord Zrixtas"] pretended to complain. He found it amusing, but he wondered what Hurannes was thinking. He hoped she wasn't taking it too personally. He didn't know about Zrixtas, but he didn't intend on patronizing her too much. He noted a solid map on the wall now that light better filled the tunnel. He walked to it saying, "Let's see where we are eh?"

He looked at the map before gently swiping his hand across it, dust dropped away. He tried to discern where they were, fortunately it was a Republic map so he understood most of the words and symbols. He took note of the name, Section X. There were some notes saying that the area was considered dangerous and that soldiers heading in had to have clearance. He wondered what could be there. "Look at this. What do you think could be in here?"

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Hurannes was only getting more angry now. There didn't appear to be an end to their arrogance, for droids that seemed to be a trait they had down. She was surprised when the droid pulled the door open, she thought she had felt something in the Force. She wrote it off as related to the crystal that the droid had in it. She wondered what sort of crystal it was, perhaps valuable enough that attacking it may be worth it.

She followed Ultimatum to the map and looked around his shoulder at the map. He was a bit too big to look over his shoulder. So this was the place that she had heard some rumors of. Section X, a place that was too wild for either side to really hold, but there were things of value here. She had heard tales of a massive beast that had required many troops on both side to kill it. She wondered if anything was left.

 

[Lord Zrixtas]

Zrixtas looked out the doors and into the area, scanning through it with his optical scanners as best he could before he moved up behind Hurannes to look at the map. His intention with Hurannes and his teasing of her was to find her limit what points he could push and what others he couldn't so as he could push her upon the precipice of exploding on them but not over it. "Hmm section X... can't say I know of that..." He stopped as he looked at Hurannes and noticed a spark of recognition in her eyes. "You know something about this place don't you?" He said as he leaned in a little closer to her, examining her a little closer. He couldn't tell if the Cathar female was going to lie to him and the way he slitted his optical sensors, made sure that wasn't advisable.
[member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Ultimatum]

Hurannes turned to [member="Lord Zrixtas"] and smiled a little. She contemplated simply saying no to spite the droid, but thought better of it. She replied, "This is an old prison area, one that was found by the Republic and the Empire at about the same time. It was much more dangerous than the regular prison, only the best of Jedi and Sith were constant visitors. I never went there personally, but I heard a number of rumors. There was supposed to be a big beast that was at one point kept captive but broke free. I think that both the Sith and the Jedi worked together to bring it down. There was also supposed to be a ship with a large number of droids of unique build."

She looked to see how they would respond.

-----------------------

Ultimatum turned and looked at Hurannes, wondering what else she may know, but not willing to ask. He didn't want to push her at this point. He listened silently, however his processors were most pleased to hear of a number of droids. Perhaps that was area that he would find the AI. He looked sideways to Zrixtas, wondering if he was thinking the same thing.

Ultimatum felt sort of funny, as if all the anticipation was disappearing. Was the journey to end so soon? He had expected this to be a long journey. To have it end so soon was sort of disappointing. He wondered what would it would be like. He looked forward to it none the less. He wondered if the AI was intact or would require reconstructing. It would be interesting to rebuild a program. He had a little experience in reconstructing programs thanks to changing his own occasionally.

 

[Lord Zrixtas]

Zrixtas glanced towards [member="Ultimatum"] when he heard about the droids as if he was about to say something but then he placed his hands around his chin. "That might be what we are looking for." He then said as if he was in deep thought, the puzzles were coming together but there seemed like it was too...easy?
"It's at least worth a look, even if it isn't the one we are looking for... We might learn a thing or two after all the droids of that time sometimes had an even higher craftsmanship than even some of the newest models today after all." He then said as he took a few steps away from Hurannes and Ultimatum. He stood at the very edge of the doors and stared out into the open area. "We'll have to be careful in here." He then said as he kept his blaster rifle a bit closer to his chest, looking over to Hurannes, he began to wonder if he shouldn't just hand her one of his Lightsabers to her if the section was as dangerous as she said it was.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum nodded as he checked his pistol again, already knowing it was fully loaded. He closed his eyes and looked through his sensors, however there appeared to be nothing that stood out against the plant life and surrounding area. He wondered if anything that had once been here was still alive. Or had they all perished in the hostile environment?

He looked at the map again, this time looking for anything representing a ship. He couldn't see anything of the sort, but he noted where the Republic compound was located and a small medical and stake out team. It was strange that that smaller group so far away. The area didn't seem to have any tactical superiority and there was a Imperial team nearby. Logically it was a strange thing to do when there appeared to be nothing of value. Unless of course there was something there.

He pointed to the place. "Perhaps right here for a start." He looked at [member="Lord Zrixtas"] to see his response.

-----------------

Hurannes looked around. She was actually somewhat excited about this. She would get to travel through an area that few Sith had been able to back in the day. She wondered what would be found. What exactly were the droids looking for? They had said a unique AI program, what sort of program? One that attacked organics? She had heard story of well known individuals taking down a massive AI called Directive 7 she thought it was. Were these droids planning to do that as well?

She tightened her grip on the blaster and felt all of the sudden much less safe. As if that were possible.

 

[Lord Zrixtas]

Zrixtas chuckled a little as he looked to Hurannes and then towards [member="Ultimatum"], he made sure his rifle was charged and ready. "Might as well since we have no clue on what the area will hold or were everything really is." He said as he zoomed in and snapped a photo of the map to keep for later should they need it. "So then shall we? I'll go first so just watch my back." He then said as he gestured with his rifle towards the exit and then took point as he aimed the rifle forwards and began to step forwards.
His sensors were on high output as he surveyed the area as he moved a few steps out of the entrance and aimed his rifle at whatever movement he'd perceive.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum followed suit, however he allowed Hurannes to take middle between the two, he wasn't certain whether she could be trusted yet. He wondered what it felt like to have been sent through time and to find that everything one had known was gone and changed. He wondered how he would have reacted.

This thought was broken when he stepped outside. There didn't appear to be anything alive, even the plants were mostly dead, frozen husks. The bones were probably buried beneath deep compacted snow that they were walking upon. It seemed that all signs of life had been muted by the lack of people for so long. Was there any danger left? Well the cold was a start, he noted that Hurannes' body temperature was beginning to lower slowly. It would probably not be noticed for awhile yet, he decided that in an hour or so he would let her know.

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The journey was only about five minutes in before a single interruption occurred. It appeared to be a young Drouk, only two meters tall. It didn't seem to be comfortable with the whether, as it was running from behind one large rock to the next, keeping itself out of the wind. All the while it seemed to be looking for something, sniffing around and scratching at the ground. It didn't see the group of three five meters away. The wind was beginning to pick up and snow was falling quickly now. Ultimatum guessed that a blizzard might be incoming, he would have to check his whether sensors for more information on that.

[member="Lord Zrixtas"]

 

[Lord Zrixtas]

At the sight of the Drouk, Zrixtas aimed his rifle at the creature but as he noticed it wasn't moving towards them he moved his rifle down and looked around for a better look. When he looked behind him at Hurannes, his sensors showing that she was getting colder and colder. He moved his hand to the small satchel on his lower back and pulled out an all terrain cloak. "Put this on, would be embarrassing for you to wake up after so long and then simply freeze to death." He chuckled as he then turned to [member="Ultimatum"] and gestured with his head towards the Drouk. "What do you think it's looking for?"

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum shook his head as he replied quietly, "I don't know. Maybe food? I bet there isn't much here. If we can, we should stay downwind and try to avoid it."

He didn't see much on their species when he looked through the HoloNet, they apparently had been missing through much of galactic history. He wondered what one was doing here, well that was obvious, it was probably one of creatures trapped in the prison here. Why though, this one appeared almost too young looking, at least compared to some of the old images he found on the Net about Drouks. Where had this one come from then? Were there more? "Best keep on the lookout."

He pulled his pistol's current ammo and slid in a new set of stun bolts. He doubted that any single one would knock out the creature, the size and weight would probably require a few shots.

--------------------

Hurannes silently mouthed a thank you to [member="Lord Zrixtas"] before wrapping herself in the cloak. She was beginning to feel better, her headache was lessening and she could focus a bit easier now. She was grateful for being rescued, but understandably she was feeling insecure and was angry. She was trying her best not to take out on the two droids right now, the better to hold it in and gain strength from it.

She brought her blaster up and took aim at the beast, wondering if its hide was blaster proof. She didn't pull the trigger yet, though she could feel her finer on it and ready to pull at a moment's notice. She noticed that her aim wasn't as shaky as before either, she was really glad to not freeze to death.

 

[Lord Zrixtas]

Zrixtas moved to the side as he looked around over the rocks and then got an Idea. Taking Hurannes by the hips he raised her up on his shoulders and then told her to wave her hands while he walked towards the Drokus letting his vocal modulator shriek and roar to make them seem like a larger monster to try and scare the thing away. 'I hope this works.' He thought as he tried to add a bit of the force into his vocal modulator to try and make the fear more palpable.
Part of him hoped that [member="Ultimatum"] would try and add a little bit into the show, if not and the Drokus would attack then he should be ready at least.