Comeuppance (Open)

[Placeholder 0128]

The stolen commlink's signal had led him to Nar Shaddaa.

To say that Cedric was unbothered by the events that had transpired was entirely untrue, but he did well to keep his feelings about the matter to himself. Now was not the time to mourn dead comrades, nor was it the time to let his emotions guide his hand.

He needed to be focused.

The signal pinged back to him from the upper levels of the promenade, a section of Nar Shaddaa with which Cedric held particular disdain. The hedonism and general lack of care that went on across the promenade was the antithesis to the code he had built his life upon; walking through it disgusted him. Still, the displeasure he felt being in a place of such abandon was dwarfed by the grief in his heart. Four operatives had gone silent since the butcher had spoken over the alliance's secured comm frequencies.

Four operatives. Four skilled assets. Four friends. Past experience with the entity they had faced told him that there were no survivors. Probing outward with the force confirmed his suspicions. Cursing, the knight honed in on the source of the signal, coming to halt a few paces from a massive crowd that had gathered to witness the performance of a live band.

The knight's fingers fell to the lightsaber at his belt. Touching the hilt eased his troubled heart, and gave him a better clarity with which to hunt his prey.

The monster could hide in plain sight, but he could not shirk away from the force. Closing his eyes, Cedric's mind probed the crowd, honing in on the familiar darkness that was Icarn's mind. Should he find it, the mental assault would be launched immediately - a psychic spear of energy formed for the soul intention of shattering whatever mental guards the Dark Sider might have erected.

The concert began. Cedric continued his hunt.

 

[Mara Lux'stati]

Hidden in the crowd, a woman glanced around the crowd, her face blank and drained of whatever enjoyment she may have had. Cold eyes drifted from face to face. She only could count on so much information. The boss had heard rumors of a man fitting the description of some Dramatic Persona and wanted to know who he was. Sounded nervous the whole time. Whoever this man was, the boss wasn't sure about him. The boss was always sure about these things. It made her wonder what she was walking into. But still, she had gotten wind they were here. So here she worked. Band music rendered all ability to identify by sound moot. So visual confirmation was her go to.

There! Moving around the corner of the crowd. Slowly, she did her best to move away from the stage. Most seemed to let her through easily, as they wanted their chance to get closer. Idolaters to men made to be larger than life. Their chemistry still ran as normal. One imbalance, one little change and they would be as dead as the metal beneath her feet. People were fragile, after all. So easy to disrupt.

The edge of the crowd came into view. She stepped out...

To find her target gone. Curses. Metallic eyes switched through the spectrum, trying to see him. Too much interference. Kark.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Icarn Amonta]

They were coming for him. They said they would, at least. Icarn found himself hoping they'd deliver, too. The hunt for these agents had a challenge in their own right, each individual needing to be found, hosting their own abilities and varied skill sets. A couple of those encounters ended a bit more close than Icarn would've thought. Good. He needed the exercise. The hunt would hardly be fun any other way.

And then that conversation via comm occurred, and the promise of another hunt had the skinshifter absolutely giddy. The last agent, one who'd simply been rendered unconscious throughout the course of the call, had almost found mercy. Almost. Yet with a narrowly missed kick to the face, so went Icarn's inclination to mercy. Whoever unfortunate enough to find the agent's body would be treated to a gruesome sight of a crude attempt at dissection. All over the crime scene, DNA of the agents already previously dispatched.

Perhaps the worst part, the only real downside, of Icarn's job. Outside of a select few, no one would know him as the true culprit. And should someone at last catch him for good, they'd never know the extent of his work. All this effort for no recognition.

Hidden among the droves of people, taking on the form of a woman, clinging to the arm of a man entirely unaware of the situation. Waiting to be hunted was agonizing, making it nearly impossible to focus on the job he was actually hired to carry out, something that seemed dreadfully boring in comparison to the chase he was promised. Yet, Icarn had no intention on making this easy for the Grayson boy.

[member="Mara Lux'stati"] | [member="Cedric Grayson"]​

 

[Placeholder 0128]

He found the body before he found anything else. His feet had guided him to one of the darker corners of the promenade, where few beings dared to tread. It was these corners were the most heinous of crimes took place. Sp long as one was in open view, they were safe here. Once you broke off from the crowds, however, you were a target. Cedric could feel predatory eyes upon him the moment he stepped down the dusty alleyway. His senses extended far beyond himself, and what he found was surprising.

The figures watching had no hostile intent. They were dangerous, yes, but more than that, he felt fear. The men that normally would have pounced upon him were terrified of him. Why?

A few steps further brought him to the source of that fear. He recognized the body from its clothing rather than the face, as that part of the corpse had been mutilated beyond recognition. His gaze passed over the young girl, searching dfor any signs of life, but he knew the force's spark had gone out in her hours ago.

Hatred bubbled within Cedric's heart. He recognized it for what it was, understood its cause and his reasoning for it, and cast it aside. Rage would only lead him to death here.

"I'm so sorry," the youth knelt over his fallen comrade, and fished about in the dead man's coat pocket for something in particular. His fingers wrapped about a silver coin emblazoned with the rebel phoenix. With a quiet sigh, Cedric tucked the object away and rose to his feet.

His fingers curled around the hilt of his lightsaber, The blade brought him peace.

You can't hide forever.

[member="Icarn Amonta"], [member="Mara Lux'stati"]

 

[Icarn Amonta]

Already, he was growing bored with waiting. One could hardly blame him, being promised such fun such as playing with another force user, tormenting them with his previous actions, taunting them with the very large list of things he could do next. It'd be too easy just to start a small fight here, letting the chaos bring his hunter to him. He could make a sport of it, too. See how many of the general populace he could keep under one illusion, or how many would step up to the defense of the poor, defenseless maiden whose form he currently resided in.

So many options, so many ways to exercise his power before even reaching the main course.

Murder them all. The voice was ever-present, whispered in the back of his head, both a comfort and guide (and at times, an annoyance). My hunger grows.

Icarn chuckled, his physical form mimicking the action as some fool at the table spilled their drink. Slender fingers brushed hair out of the face of his target, making play at adoration in such a way Icarn himself often wondered why he never took up a career in acting. The skinshifter could've been a star judging by how these people were so quick to accept him as this form. It was almost laughable.

Tempting, but not yet. And tempting it was. Playing at defenseless, watching others have all the fun, was hardly suitable entertainment, especially not when the 'entertainment' was merely conversation over drinks and gambling. Where were the juicy details? The drama? The assassination attempts? Oh, wait, that was normally his job. You'll know bloodshed soon enough, though. Were the ones before not enough?

The voice was as smooth as the finest materials. Cool, detached, one a person couldn't help but want to please. I hunger always.

[member="Cedric Grayson"] | [member="Mara Lux'stati"]​

 

[Placeholder 0128]

The second body was worse off than the first. Cedric recognized the scaly form immediately. He approached the body slowly, tremors traveling up his arms and legs as he drew close. The stench would have sent others running, but Cedric knew it well. It was not the scent of a corpse, but that of an old friend.

"Shlurk!" The knight fell before the Graug warrior. The massive beast of a creature peered up at him from bloodshot eyes, and his lips parted in a toothy smile.

"Little one," his hand rose to rest upon Cedric's shoulder, "I am happy to see you safe, but you should not have come. It shifts." The Graug warrior waved a clawed hand about. "The beast is a creature of lies. I would have killed it, had it fought fairly." The massive alien billowed with bitter laughter.

"I'm sorry little Grayson," the Graug's eyes closed.

Cedric stared.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCfmkk09GrA​

​

​

​

And then he acted. The force flowed through his fingertips, seeping into his childhood guardian's tattered flesh. It urged the cells to replicate faster than the rate at which they died, but his efforts were in vain. Shlurk's blood stained his hands as he pressed harder, calling upon the deepest reservoirs of his strength.

But Shlurk was forever marked by the Dark Side, and the Light's touch was not enough to save him. A quiet sob escaped the youth as the ancient warrior faded into the inky blackness of the void.

"Icarn," the name was spoken through tears. Grief for his fallen friend filled Cedric's heart - even the urging of his lightsaber did not calm him.

In silence, the Jedi Knight rose to his feet. "I'm going to kill you," he turned toward the promenade, lightsaber in hand. The fabled weapon roared as it came to life as its cyan blade outshone all other light around Cedric. He gave the corpse one final look of regret, before striding out onto the promenade.

I'll tear you apart.

Righteous hate filled Cedric's being. It was a feeling he had never experienced before; one that told him he was right in his actions.

That he had never been more right.

"ICARN!"​

​

A hand rose above the crowds. Flecks of bright golden light flickered at Cedric's fingertips. Onlookers stared, but Cedric did not care. The shapeshifter hid among the crowd; he wouldn't be doing so for long. The knight steeled himself, harnessing that hatred and setting it aside. He did not allow it to rule him, but rather called upon the self-appointed righteousness of his task to fuel his power. Ethereal energies coalesced within the knight's hand, threatening to break forth and scour the crowds for their intended target.

"Step forward, or I let this hunt you down!" He had never conjured up Force Light before; he'd never had the focus.

But in this moment, Cedric was more focused than he had ever been in his life.

[member="Icarn Amonta"], [member="Mara Lux'stati"]

 

[Mara Lux'stati]

There was something to be said for patience. Given enough time, these Jedi types would always reveal themselves.

Mara's cold eyes watched the blade ignite, one of the few in the crowd to not flinch to the sound and ensuing wrathful cries. Something had happened, all pretense of stealth was gone now. Whoever this man was hunting, Mara didn't want to be in the way. No need to step out and blow her cover now. Slowly, she felt the crowd melt back, letting herself follow them, trying to keep an eye on the man as she moved to simply look like another member of the busy crowd.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]. Jedi Knight, Son of Mepherium. Physical identification matched. Personality seemed in line with the previous profile. Eyes drifted to the chaotic ball of energy in his hand. The database had no match for it. Not Telekinesis or Lightning or anything the old man knew. What was he planning?

It wouldn't hit the crowds. He wouldn't dare use it here if it did. Something that would seek the target? Something that would only affect a Darksider? She couldn't tell. She didn't know if it could damage her.

Safest option: Move away, try not to draw attention.

Two seconds after the crowd began to back away, Mara had her decision. Simply try and melt away.

Hopefully, those two seconds wouldn't be telling.

[member="Icarn Amonta"]

 

[Icarn Amonta]

"So I was off somewhere 'round Corellia. You know, dealing with work, the usual, and along comes this punk..." This must have been the third unnecessary story Icarn had sat through. One was fine, the second one had been a bit of a stretch. By the third, Icarn was ready to kill everyone. But no, he stayed quiet, sipping a cocktail as fitting of his current role. Dully, he noted it was far too sweet, no where near enough alcohol to get through another ridiculous tale.

"Out of nowhere comes this Jedi." He stopped listening eons ago, yet every so often another line would find its way back into his consciousness, leaving him to wonder if he'd truly missed an interesting bit of story or if drunkenness had taken the storyteller. He assumed the latter. This was getting absurd.

"And I mean the lightsabers were a-flying-" With that phrase, Icarn had had enough, temporarily detaching himself from his target's arm under the guise of fresh air. Leaving a target unattended was almost always asking for failure, but for this case, for everyone's well being, he'd half to make an exception.

So Icarn toured the area, still in that form meant only to attract others. He blatantly ignored wondering glances, heading straight for the bar and then out to the general crowd. By the time he was a suitable distance away from those fools, he was already well into a new drink. This would certainly be a long evening.

"ICARN!"​

​

When did that name get so common? No doubt, anyone else with that name should've been honored, but still never in his life had he met someone else with - oh. It was that Jedi man, and oh boy, did he look pleased. Icarn felt the beginnings of a wicked grin tug at his mouth as he thought better of it, maintaining a neutral, if not mildly concerned face. What was that thing in Cedric's hand? He had the strangest feeling he didn't want to find out, nor let him continue conjuring that light.

How convenient others shared his opinion.

They wouldn't know it, of course. Better yet, they wouldn't actually see Cedric for what he was. Instead, they saw only what Icarn wanted them to see. And in this case, it was a monster. Instead of the flecks of light gathering in his hand, a child in his monstrous grasp. Truly terrible, indeed, but enough to spark some heroics out of the crowd, inciting the braver folk to engage, all the while Icarn played the spectator, planning his next move.

[member="Mara Lux'stati"] | [member="Cedric Grayson"]​

 

[Placeholder 0128]

No.

The hordes of civilians charged toward him. They screamed obscenities in anger, threatening to tear him to pieces were he not to surrender. They told him to release the girl, lest he face a most gruesome demise. For a moment, confusion flickered across Cedric's features. He was trying to help these people, why were they -

The first man stepped within fifteen meters of Cedric. He continued his charge for a moment, halted, and blinked at the knight in confusion. The handful of other heroic individuals did the same, each drawing close to the knight but never reaching him. The blade held in his uninhibited hand flickered brightly; the individuals had stepped within its focusing aura. It banished the illusory powers of the dark side, along with the rest of its vile forms of corruption.

Cedric smiled.

You're wasting your time.

The flickering lights became a steady stream of radiance. The time in which the crowd had charged Cedric was also the time it had taken for him to gather the ethereal energies to his fingertips. The feeling of power was paramount, but it was judiciary in nature. It did not beckon him for more, nor did it drag him to the depths of his darkest emotions. Cedric wielded this strength with a calm mind and a focused heart. The light had chosen to impart him with its power; he had not stolen it as the Sith did. For that reason, his mind remained pure.

Without a word, the Jedi Knight thrust the hand forward. Bright spears of blinding light surged toward the crowd, though they presented no harm to the civilian population other than a sensation of elation. The spears broke into six individual pieces, and stretched outward to hunt the greatest source of the Dark Side within the crowd: Icarn.

[member="Icarn Amonta"], [member="Mara Lux'stati"]