Captive Audience

[Alkaios]

Equipment: Doom Bringer Armor, BRP-003, Charric Rifle, 1 Cryoban Grenade, 2 EMP Grenade, 3 Sonic Detonator

Corellia, god how I hate this planet. It’s a cesspool, you’d think that being nearly destroyed in its entirety would’ve been a sign, not the fools on this planet. Alkaios thought as he reached over to the BRP-003 pistol that sat on the desk before him. Along with it was a charric rifle which was perched at the edge of the desk, just within arm’s reach where Alkaios could snatch the weapon up and fire without a moment’s hesitation. There was an array of other weaponry and tools spread out but none more important than the pistol and rifle. Placed in the center of the desk was a datapad set to record a voice memo.

“I know who you are, I know your family’s bloody, disgusting, cesspit of a history, one to rival the corruption of Corellia’s worst. In fact, it is your family line that was the bedrock of Corellia’s corruption. Of course none would admit this, why would they? Corellia puts on the appearance of any other core world, it preaches this grand dream to those uneducated enough to spot the deceit. That Corellia was a free world, that the rampant crime, acts of depravity, and violence on the outer rim doesn’t exist here.” Scoffing Alkaios flipped the pistol over in his hand right eye closing as he examined it closer. Sliding a magazine home, the personal rail gun came to life.

“That’s nothing but a pile of Bantha poodoo that the rest of the galaxy is blind to… I’m not. Corellia is a swamp that needs to be drained, while your family may not have been the ones to initially create the swamp they were certainly a major player in expanding it… Isn’t that right Keira?” Pausing for dramatic effect Alkaios chuckled, months of research had led to this. The hunt of his life, on this day he would either live or die, there were no two ways about it. Keira Ticon was not only the heir to one of the most infamous crime families to have ever sauntered their way into Corellia History, but also a major influence in Mandalorian circles. Even if he survived Alkaios knew that he’d forever be looking over his shoulders for the day a Mandalorian came calling.

“You may be listening to this wondering why am I judging you based off what your family did? Who is this psychopath, how did he get my information? I know you are, don’t deny it. Just know that I know the true you, the monster you keep buried within, the acts you aided in, the lives you’ve destroyed. For that you won’t… No you can’t be forgiven. I am the right hand of Arhikos, I will ensure justice and order is brought to the galaxy and the unjust are punished for their misdeeds. So come, meet your fate Keira… Blue Sector, you’ll know the place… Your family did own it after all.” Ending the voice recording Alkaios sent the message off a smile touching the Hellyni’s lips at the idea of how Keira would react to it. Yet there were still more preparations to be made, most of all he had to be armored and lay out the welcome mat.

Alkaios had indeed set up shop in an abandoned Ticon warehouse, it hadn’t been used in decades nevertheless it was still in the Ticon’s names, when Alkaios had stumbled upon it there had been a few chem dealers who’d set up shop inside. Looking to the wall on his right where the corpses were piled Alkaios shook his head. They were beginning to stink. Their bodies littered with holes, and beneath the corpses a large pool of blood which had begun to stain the duracrete floor. They had been peddling chems and stims to children, perhaps if they hadn’t Alkaios would’ve let them live. Who am I kidding? No I wouldn’t.

How I wish I had some Ysalamir, damn Mandalorians… Alkaios thought as he examined one of the Z-6 rotary blaster cannons that was kept in the far corner of the facility aimed at the entrance and the area where he and Keira would be standing when they met. Installed in the ceiling, shrouded by darkness was a second aimed directly down on the staging area, and the last right above the entrance. “Let the games begin.”

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

Music
Gear in signature, minus Ash Eater

The message had been replayed once, then twice as Keira tried to discern some sense of familiarity from the voice that spoke of a long-dead criminal empire as if it still posed any sort of threat to the citizenry of Corellia or the galaxy as a whole. The name Ticon had stopped meaning anything a long time ago, but this one didn't seem to quite recognize that. Either he had a score to settle and was intent on wiping out any remnants of that particular legacy, or this was about more than just what business her family had been involved in those decades in the past. Regardless, she couldn't deny that whomever was responsible had gone about things rather well, laying out what was no doubt a trap with the assurance that she would follow after with only this single recording as a prompt. To their credit they weren't exactly wrong, and she supposed it was worth a trip back home to neutralize the threat, if just so this wouldn't happen to one of her siblings instead.

Standing from where she'd been listening to the message, she began the process of donning her armor, the act nothing short of meditatively soothing, a sort of recompense before the eventual storm. It was her pistol she took up first, holstering it at her right side. Next came the tomahawk at her waist and the dagger sheathed horizontally at the base of her spine, and finally the EE-3 slung across her back. Her arsenal was fairly mobile, and honed to her fighting style above all else. If the one that had come calling had the gettse to leave her a message personally, then it was safe to assume that he was prepared with weaponry that perhaps outmatched her own, if he was serious about this business of wanting her dead. Not many seemed to take that task seriously anymore, and this wasn't the first time of late that she had been sought out personally.

Her arrival on her homeworld was just as nondescript as it had been those other instances, except this time her destination wasn't a familiar bistro or the graveyard. No, she was heading to a part of Coronet City where at one point she would have walked the streets with a self-sure confidence that was dangerous for anyone to hold, let alone a twelve-year-old kid with no real idea of how the greater galaxy worked. But back then it hadn't mattered, because her family controlled a good majority of the Blue Sector, the only thing standing in their way being the upstarts that called themselves the Eclipse Syndicate, though she and the rest of the Ticons knew who was really behind it, no matter how good the Stargos were at keeping up a face. Back then her last name had meant something, and back then she didn't have a reason to be afraid.

For a long moment all she did was stand at that highway that at one point had been the single most notorious boundary that separated east from west and north from south. Not only that, but it had separated Ticon from Stargo, and it was this line that had been the source of most grievances between the two families. There had been one night where her older brother had crossed it in order to set fire to a Stargo warehouse, and he'd been shot and wounded as a warning that any further trespassing wouldn't have a happy enough ending to warrant survivors. At that point in her life it had been the first time violence had hit so close to home, but little had she known that it was only the beginning of what would grow to be nearly two decades of losing those close to her until the only thing she could really be sure of was the family she'd been born into, as nothing else seemed to stick around quite as long.

Eventually her steps carried her to that old warehouse, the graffiti that had once marked the place as Ticon long since painted over with new loyalties that would never carry quite the same weight. From the outside nothing seemed out of place, but twenty-one years ago that hadn't meant much, and it was even more meaningless now. "Thalia, scanners. Make a general sweep." As she waited outside the building she took up her EE-3, pressing herself against the wall just to the side of the main entrance. The report that scrawled across her HUD didn't amount to the worst odds she'd ever faced, but that didn't mean she liked them either. There was only one organic combatant in the room that the scanners picked up, but the thermal readings picked up what looked to be three blaster cannons. Well, it would be an eventful day, at the very least.

Taking a breath to steady herself she flicked the safety off her blaster rifle while at the same time activating the overcharge setting, ducking around the corner to fire a three-round burst at the blaster cannon in the back corner, turning back into cover just as it began to presumably return fire. Charging into battle headfirst was only so profitable, and strategy had its moments.

[member="Alkaios"]

 

[Alkaios]

Equipment: Doom Bringer Armor, BRP-003, Charric Rifle, 1 Cryoban Grenade, 2 EMP Grenade, 3 Sonic Detonator

She’s coming… I do this in your name All-father, watch over me Arhikos… Give me strength. Alkaios thought, the palms of his hands pressed together, head bowed low. It was his prayer to the God of the sky and justice, the Ticon family had been the stuff of legends once upon a time, committed vile deeds, unforgiveable ones, and while she may have been younger, possibly even a completely different woman when she participated in the criminal acts of the galaxy it didn’t mean she was worthy of forgiveness. This would be Keira Ticon’s reckoning. Rising from his feet and slapping the helmet home there was a faint hiss as the armor sealed itself. Keira would possibly notice the armor from her encounter with a dark jedi long ago, though Alkaios knew nothing about that. He’d simply received the armor in preparation for a hunt in the past and decided to keep it.

The HUD snapped to life, life scanners revealing the woman was approaching, in his peripheral vision was the cams of the rotary cannons programmed to let loose when Keira drew close enough, Alkaios took this time to exit the office that overlooked the floor below and walked out across the walkways ahead. Each step slow, calculated, akin to a nexu stalking its prey. Freezing as Keira peeked around the corner and fired her own shots at the rotary cannon in the corner, Alkaios saw the destructive potential of the weapon she held. The first shot struck the mounted weapon instantly disabling it while the next two knocked it off the wall and turned it to slag. Her file said she was headstrong and prone to charging in… Kark! The hard way it is.

The issue of Keira firing on one of the turrets drew the attention of the other in the opposing back corner. Turning the rotary cannon open up with a volley of fire that hammered into the wall Keira shielded herself behind. The whine of the blaster cannon was thunderous as the automated weapon sought to cut the woman down. It would shroud Alkaios’ next actions, and act he did. Leaping off the walkway he activated the Grav boots installed in the armor which caused Alkaios to come to a stop in the air above the entrance and out of sight. The sound the boots emitted were no louder than a whisper which was easily drowned out by the rotary cannon. With the charric rifle in one hand and an EMP grenade in the other Alkaios was ready for the fight of his life. Never before had he attempted to hunt a master of the force, if he wasn’t on his toes the fight would be over before he could fire a single shot.

Tossing the grenade towards the entrance Alkaios watched its progress always hanging just outside its effective radius and just as it passed the entrance it would detonate, a wave of disruptive energy that would hopefully disable all the electronics and weapons that Keira had come equipped with. Acting Alkaios used the boots to propel him out the warehouse doors the charric rifle in both hands and braced as he released three shots at Keira. Over time he’d be getting lower to the ground where the boots would deactivate dropping Alkaios into a crouch as he continued to unload on the Mandalorian.

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

From the moment she fired the first shot Keira knew the other rotary cannons with a line of sight on the door would open fire, and it was evident even before her attacker appeared that this particular warehouse was a kill zone, and there would be no changing that. The most viable option at this moment was a tactical retreat, and once she established herself in a defensible position she could think about returning fire and causing real damage. Just as the cannon began tearing the wall she hid behind to pieces she took off at a dead sprint towards the next closest warehouse, the ticking of the grenade before it detonated behind her barely registered, though she certainly felt its effects. That she'd been caught by the edges of the field was a mercy, and that her cybernetics still functioned was a miracle by itself. That didn't, however, mean that additional internal components weren't damaged beyond repair, but a proper damage assessment would come later.

The initial three-round burst caught her in the back, the sheer kinetic force as the bullets impacted knocking her off her feet. To her credit she managed to turn the fall into a somewhat graceful roll that carried her into the next warehouse, though she barely registered having ran that far. From there she positioned herself behind one of the crates within, being certain to allow herself a clear view of the entrance while obscuring herself from view. It was her cybernetic arm that she looked over first. The repulse hand seemed to be in working order thus far, but it was no surprise that the shielding was shorted, meaning that the whole arm would need to be taken apart in order to fix it. Reaching up she pulled the EE-3 from her back, finally bothering to flick off the overcharge switch, though that didn't seem to elicit any typical response from the rifle. Chit. If the heaviest piece of her arsenal was down, then no doubt the pistol was disabled for the time being as well.

That left with her with the tomahawk and dagger as far as immediately viable weapons, along with the wrist rocket and knuckle-plate blade built into the armor itself. None of them were particularly viable for the sort of combat she'd been thrown into, but as always she would make it work. It was her surroundings that would be the weapon, this time. To the right of the door from her view - and the left of anyone entering - there was scaffolding set up against the wall with durasteel boxes stacked along a good portion of it. This continued along to a portion of the backside of the building, and on the other side there was more scaffolding, though fewer boxes adorned it. There were a few more crates similar to the one she found cover behind scattered about, which would provide some form of protection when it came time to move again. At the moment the most she could do was watch and wait for the one hunting her to make his presence known, and her next strategy would arise from his actions.

[member="Alkaios"]

 

[Alkaios]

Equipment: Doom Bringer Armor, BRP-003, Charric Rifle, 1 Cryoban Grenade, 1 EMP Grenade, 2 Sonic Detonator

And when the beast closes in on the prey, she flees. Alkaios thought the Charric Rifle held in both hands, braced against his shoulder, he had been expecting much more, a better fight and yet here Keira Ticon was attempting to flee. He had most likely disabled a majority of her weapons and equipment with the EMP so her decision was warranted, the only issue was that a soldier should know to never turn their back on an enemy. The one thing Keira had done, with the three charric shots striking her back, Alkaios was almost disappointed the fight had ended so soon… Of course, he was wrong, Keira’s armor was far too tough for the shots and she’d survived, not even a few droplets of blood. “Keira… I’m coming for you.” The words were no louder than a whisper inside his helmet, but the annunciator amplified it the words were cold, emotionless, and it simply made the whisper sound more chilling.

Soon enough Keira was out of sight within another warehouse, Alkaios hadn’t planned for such an engagement, he would’ve preferred the woman to charge directly into his trap, but that’s what improvisation was for. Lifeform scanners activating Alkaios was able to locate Keira and overlaying the lifeform scanners on the map granted to him by the sonar mapping, Alkaios was more than prepared to enter the warehouse. Jogging at an even pace, his breathing calm Alkaios felt the thrill of battle surging up within him. A boy born to a warrior race and wished for nothing but peace, one born to fight yet despised doing so… That boy had grown into a man who’s life now revolved around combat and bringing justice to a galaxy shrouded in chaos, a battle that would never end, but what if it did? Even if Alkaios somehow rid the galaxy of the Jedi, all the Sith, the crime lords there would be more problems that arose. It wasn’t just an issue of individuals but of sentient society as a whole. They let this happen. Grip tightening on the weapon and teeth gritting Alkaios repressed the thoughts, that was for another day.

With the lifeform scanners reporting on Keira’s location, Alkaios dived into the warehouse the charric rifle in one hand braced against his ribs and in the other a sonic detonator. Using his shoulder Alkaios hit the duracrete floor rolling over and up to his feet in a crouch. Finger pressing against the trigger Alkaios let the charric rifle go the rounds hammered out in full-auto bright flashes of blues and greens flying free. The screeches of each shot as it left the barrel cut through the air. At the same time Alkaios activated the sonic detonator throwing it set on a timer to explode directly between himself and Keira, while there was no true explosive damage from the detonator it made up for it in the sonic screech it released to incapacitate or even disorient enemies. Alkaios was protected from the sound due to his sonic dampeners but didn’t think Keira would have the same benefits due to the effects of the EMP. "Is this the warrior I heard of?! Where's the monster?! I know it's there! Show your true face in your final moments!"

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

By the time he entered the building Keira had already decided on a strategy for the coming moments, her wrist rocket primed the target already designated. From the moment he stepped inside she was given no breathing room, his rifle opening to full-auto directly on her position. The crate she hid behind would only protect her from the damage for so long, and she could already feel the heat as his shots continued to impact her cover. She likely had roughly another minute or two before she would have to move again, but that was all she needed. This time the grenade he threw was registered, but instead of the explosion she had braced for, there was...nothing. "Sonic weaponry. You're welcome, by the way." It was nice to know the dampeners within her helmet still functioned, and the AI was still online as well, meaning she had an extra pair of eyes.

From her position she had a clear line of sight on the scaffolding stacked high with the durasteel boxes that stood behind her adversary, and it was that she locked on to with the targeting system for the wrist rocket that was linked to her HUD. Bracing herself against the crate she raised her right arm, checking that the target was calibrated properly before firing. "Secsa'ali mem." The second the metaphorical trigger was pulled there was a bright flash and a deafening explosion as the rocket impacted with the scaffolding, and from that moment on everything happened almost too fast to process. There was an impossibly loud clanging of metal-on-metal as the durasteel boxes lost their support and tumbled downwards, inevitably careening towards the one currently doing his best to end her life. How he chose to deal with it was relative, but she was hoping that at the very least it would serve for a proper distraction.

Almost immediately after the boxes began falling she was on the move again, cloaking herself behind the next piece of cover and then the next, being certain to keep a close watch on his movements on the chance that he regained his wits sooner than anticipated and began firing again. Should she be allowed to continue unimpeded, however, she would eventually make her way out of that particular warehouse the same way she entered, keeping close to the edge of the building until she had to make a break across open ground to reach the next warehouse, this one roughly the size of the last. Again she located a suitable piece of cover and waited, checking her pistol and cursing quietly upon discovering it was still unable to fire. She'd been told it would be disabled for five minutes upon being hit with EMP, and that time had to be running out soon. It was when she was able to return fire that things would become truly dangerous.

[member="Alkaios"]

 

[Alkaios]

Equipment: Doom Bringer Armor, BRP-003, Charric Rifle, 1 Cryoban Grenade, 1 EMP Grenade, 2 Sonic Detonator

Looking into what appeared to be a gauntlet Alkaios felt his blood chill, every instinct of his told him to dive for cover but the gauntlet wasn’t aimed at him. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as a rocket fired from the gauntlet a stream of flames and smoke trailed behind it as the missile flew straight and true striking the scaffolding with a large fiery explosion. Shards of metal turned into shrapnel that pinged harmlessly off Alkaios’ armor, that wasn’t the issue. The sounds of stressed metal filled the warehouse followed by a large creek with the scaffolding topping. “Son of a Bith.” Alkaios grumbled. The large metal containers began to tumble along with the scaffolding intent on burying Alkaios alive.

Jumping Alkaios activated the grav boots once again, the repulsor field activating, not to make Alkaios hover in the air, but instead to propel him out of the scaffolding and containers range. They crashed to the ground with a raucous boom making it sound like a bomb had gone off. Turning the leap into a roll Alkaios hit the ground using the forward momentum to roll up into a crouched position his left arm holding the Charric rifle, hand tilting down and giving his wrist a clear path Alkaios activated his own MM9 wrist rocket, not the same as Keira, no there was a large variety of ammo that could be used in the wrist mounted launcher. Having settled for a plasma rocket, Alkaios felt the slight kick as the weapon fired a hissing sound as it was shot free. Two could play at the game of misdirection, instead, the missile would strike the wall near the entrance. It exploded with an eruption of orange flames that consumed the entrance spreading far and wide to trap them both in while the warehouse doors slammed shut from the rocket striking the wall panel.

“There is no escape… You’re already dead. On my world, there were tales of the Mandalorians, what great warriors they once were, how they could possibly be a match for my own people. I’m starting to think that was but bluster, rumors of old. You’re not the Keira Ticon I heard about. The warrior, the soldier, the oncoming storm. You’re nothing more than a little girl running from your past.” With them both trapped in Alkaios clipped his rifle onto a shoulder mount and drew a vibrodagger from a sheath on his waist. “Come, lets at least make this interesting, since your weapons will still be out for a bit we can have a bit of fun. Don’t disappoint me little wolf.” The vibrodagger was held in the palm of his hand in a reverse grip blade pointing out and away from his body. A lot of people ran around holding knives and daggers in such a manner because they believed it to look cool, make them seem threatening. No, Alkaios truly knew how to use the weapon in this form. Strolling across the warehouse to where the lifeform scanners located Keira, Alkaios had his arms spread.

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

The heat from the explosion was something Keira could feel even within her armor, but to her credit she did manage to find cover that, while not shrouding her in the extent she would have liked, allowed her to make preparations mostly unseen. Unfortunately fate wasn't kind enough to grant her access to a firearm just yet, but she had other means that hearkened far more closely to the brutality one anticipated when combating a Mandalorian. All that was left to do was wait for him to get close enough to employ them, and by the way he was walking towards her position she wouldn't have to wait long at all. The insults he spoke so easily did little to truly provoke her, and instead she found amusement more than anything in the sharp edges of his words. The worst thing a warrior could do was underestimate their enemy, and just because she wasn't charging in didn't mean that he wasn't about to catch hell.

Her left hand tightened about the grip of her tomahawk, and she waited until he was within a scant few feet of her cover before she moved. Fast. The tomahawk was thrown with a speed unnatural thanks to her cybernetic, its intent to distract just as much as it was to potentially cause damage to the chest-plate of his armor. In the same moment she moved from cover with her dagger having taken the place of the tomahawk, and giving him no quarter she rushed forward, her target the center of his chest. While the blade may have been a rather typical combat weapon at a glance, in truth it was capable of piercing through even beskar, its only true use being a stabbing weapon. What she was ultimately counting on, besides a delayed reaction time thanks to the weapon thrown beforehand, was his underestimation of the second armament and its ability to do any true harm to his armored shell.

[member="Alkaios"]

 

[Alkaios]

Equipment: Doom Bringer Armor, BRP-003, Charric Rifle, 1 Cryoban Grenade, 1 EMP Grenade, 2 Sonic Detonator

On his approach Alkaios was slightly disappointed that Keira had yet to reveal herself and accept his challenge. Each step brought him closer to her position and the lifeform scanner showed her to still be there. Prepared to go with a different strategy Alkaios was caught offguard as the woman rose tomahawk in her hand and hurling it in his direction. The sound of Alkaios clicking his teeth was audible and was a way of the man scolding himself due to his foolishness and arrogance, he had thought that Keira would rise up to the bait. Not throw one of her weapons at him. He had significantly closed the distance and with the strength the woman hurled it, it was impossible for Alkaios to dodge. Bracing himself for impact Alkaios felt the heavy thud as the tomahawk met the Beskar metal. It was a loud thud followed by the sound of metal being cut through. The axe hadn’t gone in deep enough to do anything damaging to Alkaios’ body due to the thick Beskar plates but the kinetic force was enough that if it wasn’t for the Therma Gel liner Alkaios would’ve possibly been winded or knocked off his feet. The Therma Gel absorbed a majority of the kinetic damage though what made it through would certainly be leaving a large bruise.

Wincing Alkaios acted leaving the axe buried in his chest for the moment as he had a far more dangerous threat approaching and that was Keira who had finally decided to join the fray. She came from her place of hiding a dagger in hand and intending to end the Hellyni’s life with a stab to his chest. Left hand reaching out Alkaios would seize Keira’s wrist the crushguants their crushing might amplified further by the armor which made Alkaios as strong as a wookie. Alkaios would bring all this might to bear in the crush of the crushgaunt while his right still wielding the vibrodagger would sweep to his left in a carving motion across Keira’s torso.

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

It was the fast pace of combat that had been seemingly lacking up to this point, but now that the fight had been joined properly everything happened nearly too quickly to process. Suddenly things ended with her tomahawk buried in his chestplate and her left wrist in the grip of his crushgaunt that was on its way to cracking and shattering the phrik plating in some places along the cybernetic limb. When his knife came sluicing through the air towards her there was little she could do to avoid the blow, and so she settled for shifting her body to reduce the extent of the damage, though the mesh that covered her torso was still compromised, and she could feel the blood spill. However, it wasn't a devastating wound, and she was still on her feet. In the moment, that was all that mattered as far as ending things was concerned.

Her next move came just as quickly, right hand darted towards his unarmored throat in order to close her fingers around his windpipe, pulling sharply outwards should she succeed. If the strike proved effective he would choke to death, but even if it didn't the damage done would no doubt be unpleasant.

[member="Alkaios"]

 

[Alkaios]

The difference between a real fight and what one saw in the holofilms was just how fast the fight actually moved. Each move was done in the span of a few seconds if not less, each blow felt horrific, and for the people in the fight everything seemed to move in slow motion. Adrenaline pumped in Alkaios’ veins as the fight went on. Keira was unquestionably skilled and managed to keep herself from being disemboweled by twisting her body. The armor is great against energy weapons but horrid against blades… Noted. Alkaios thought noticing the blood that coasted down the woman’s core. Alkaios devoted his upper hand in the bout due to his armor, without it he would’ve been dead from the tomahawk still embedded in his chest.

Now the woman’s right hand came around in a clawing motion at his throat which was still armored, not in the conventional way of having plates but due to the Beskar mesh weave that was utilized in the creation of the armor. It’s what gave Alkaios the strength to match a wookie while wearing the armor, and what aided in the armor being vacuum sealed. With the height difference between the two and how close Keira would have to be to grasp his own throat Alkaios head shot forward. He could feel the woman’s hands on the beskar mesh but before she could pull back he’d deliver a massive headbutt to her own helmet. The beskar helmet was tilted down to compensate for the height difference and sadly wouldn’t be aimed at the nose like it should instead aimed at Keira’s forehead which would be just as disorienting but also leave him with a slight headache.

Simultaneous with the headbutt Alkaios’ right arm would twist around Keira’s cybernetic one utilizing the crushguants and the strength provide to him by the armor to rip the limb free of its place the momentum from the headbutt aiding the pull.

[member="Keira Ticon"]