Fifty Shades Of Fear

[Stephanie Swail]

Hearing the cry, a familiar voice - the coward who left them on Ession. Asterion looked to the sky and pursed his lips, welcoming the oncoming slaughter.

He looked out to Felicity, but pretty much ignored her as he felt the approaching figures who had everything about their aura including fear, anger, pride and determination.

"I'd leave now, kid. Go to your family and don't look back. Just remember what I taught you in these short hours and I will do the same with what you taught me."

Stepping out of the overhang, he reached over and took his lightsaber hilt in hand and knelt down, pushing his free hand into the dry earth and felt the Force flow between him and the nature around. It was both peaceful and powerful. He closed his eyes and just...breathed.

[member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Owain"] [member="Keter"]

 

[Keter]

He strode towards the only building in the area the sensors had picked up. A simple bunker. His sabers were in his hands, ready to light up at the slightest provocation. He moved in silence, approaching his daughter. But it was only until he could see her himself that he noticed there was someone with her. ALmost kneeling, one hand out, still and waiting. Dressed in dakr robes, this lad couldn't have been more Sith-looking without painting himself red. Keter continued walking until he was a dozen feet away from the pair, and stood with his feet shoulder width apart, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Felicity," the blond stated flatly, his red eyes fixed on the stranger, his mind whirring through explanations and options. "Explain," he ordered in a flat tone, the one he reserved for situations she had gotten in trouble in. At least his little girl didn't seem to be restrained or being held as a hostage. Maybe she had an implant for all he knew. Maybe she was a prisoner. Or maybe this was something else. Keeping his whirlwind of emotions in check, he reached out as best he could to his daughter through the Force, drawing upon their link born of blood.

Are you alright?

[member="Asterion"] [member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Owain"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Another warning to leave. He was right. She should just leave. Walk away in any direction, leave him and the nightmare behind. She could go on. Her wounds were temporary. Everything was temporary. Except what she learned. That was forever. She took a step, just as her Father appeared. His voice, cold and flat as it was, could not have been sweeter to her ears at that moment.
She ignored his question and without even looking back at [member="Asterion"] again, she ran to her Father, arms out to embrace him before he could even consider attacking her kidnapper.

"I'm alright," she said, choking back a sob, "I'm okay. I'm okay now."

She buried her face in his shoulder. She was such a crybaby and she knew it too. And she couldn't seem to get out a full comprehensive sentence. She just kept repeating herself now.

"He's letting me go now. It's okay. It's okay. He's letting me go home."

She tried to hug her father tighter, but the pain in her broken hand made her hiss and let go.

[member="Keter"] [member="Owain"] [member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Owain]

The Fury banked hard and finally killed all it's speed, Owain finally managing to gain control of his breathing. "What the HELL WAS THAT?!" he yelled at his uncle, glaring daggers at the back of the older man's head. "Your so-called mate just nearly got us killed! And for what?!"

Elliot Barnabus ignored his nephew and he began deploying the landing gear, and cycling the engines down to their lowest output, read to roar back into action at a moment's notice.

"No, seriously, WHY are we here?" Owain asked, unbuckling his restraints and wobbly standing up from his seat, peering out the cockpit at the...building they were landing in front of.

His uncle continued to ignore him, too focused on the developing situation. Sabers hadn't been drawn yet, but things could still go south, really quickly. "Owain...go to the ramp. Take your weapons with you." He loathed having Owain provide the covering fire in case of an emergency, but the boy certainly couldn't fly the Inferno Duo, and Keter would need some sot of support.

[member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Keter"] [member="Asterion"] [member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

Felicity was safe. The relief that cooled his flaming heart was indescribable. Graxin wobbled a bit as he caught sight of the girl running into her father's embrace.

He stood back a respectful distance. Keter did now know him. Graxin had been careful to avoid the man. Not out of disdain or ill repute, but to rather avoid an awkward situation.

Graxin was his wife's bastard child. A little secret that Keter didn't need to stress himself about.

The Sith was something else entirely.

Silently, Graxin began to stalk toward the entrance of the bunker. He lingered at the entrance, observing the proceedings before making a move.




[member="Keter"]

[member="Asterion"]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Standing his ground, Asterion watched Felicity run to her father. However that was the least of his cares now, he simply wanted to make sure she got the chance to get back to her life without seeing any more bloodshed, especially between more family.

With the masked man holding the girl, and the coward on his left starting to move in– what IS it with this family and masks? – Asterion held out his left hand, palm outward in simple “Stop” gesture that would also serve to channel a Force blast through should he need it. The warm lightsaber hilt was still gripped in his right hand.

”I would really think about coming any closer – really, think if it’s worth it, pal.”

Eyes flicked to the father.

”I will explain only that I saw more potential in this kid than you as a parent could ever have letting her life a sheltered, deluded life. She deserves the chance to be something great rather than live in the shadows of a failed family.”

His senses were teeming with activity and he could feel everything shared between this almost dysfunctional family.


[member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Keter"] [member="Owain"]

 

[Keter]

A hand was raised to slowly push on Felicity's shoulder. "It is good to see you alright," the blond said, already processing the words, the body language, everything currently on display. His daughter had bruises and minor bone breaks. Simple torture techniques, or Sith training. He had heard how rough the darksiders could get in their methods. He himself employed such tricks from time to time to help a lesson stick. Still. He freed himself from Felicity's embrace with a smile before swinging his red gaze onto the Sith. No. Not a Sith. his smile turned colder.

"Oh I do think it's worth it. You may be letting her go, but what kind of message would I be sending as a father if I didn't rough you up first? What you should have asked yourself was whether any of this was worth it before you began," the blond stated, beginning to spin the hilts of his sabers in his hands. It had been too long since he had had a good fight. Throwing Owain about in the name of training didn't count. "My daughter is a spark that will light the galaxy...but she is my daughter. There is nothing greater than that," Keter stated flatly, his humor coming and going like the storms of Immeria.

Keter laughed as the man before him spoke. "Tell that to her mother. I was taking my little girl walking in the wilds when she hit her tens. I took her flying and let her fall a year after that. I do not protect her, boy. I prepare her for this," the blond explained, throwing out his arms as if to embrace the scene they had set about themselves. "A failed family? Felicity is the start of our family's chronicle. The Masons are nothing, and may remain so if that is my girl's wish, but I am forced to ask, who are you to declare such things?" the renegade demanded, beginning to approach. "Who are you, to take my daughter? Who are you to think you know anything of potential when your own has been squandered?" With each step his voice rose.

"Who are you, who did not even bother questioning, studying, spying, learning...EVERYTHING before committing yourself to action?! What kind of villain are you when you pose no threat?!" the blond growled, igniting his lightsabers. Oh this boy had angered him. He wasn't a Sith, he wasn't even a monster. So what part did he play in the story of his daughter? It was time to find out exactly what he was capable of.

If nothing else, he had ambition and daring. That alone would be enough to spare his life if he proved competent.

[member="Asterion"] [member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Owain"] [member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Dropping his hand to the coward, Asterion knew he wasn’t going to try and muscle in on the father. Listening to his words and watching his steps, it was clear that the veil of the Sith deemed Asterion’s actions to be something more than they were. But what hurt was he was right about potential – oh how he had the potential before history repeated itself and tore it away from him.

A weary breath left his mouth at the sign of the ignited lightsabers; so predictable.

”I’m not a villain and I’m not acting as a threat – but if your daughter is a spark to light the galaxy in wake of the other cowards in your family circle, I feel sorry for it. I’ve felt nothing but weakness around her; weakness and fear I wanted to eradicate, because you as parents certainly haven’t.”

His thumb glanced the hilt and ignited the crimson blade with a violent snap-hiss, almost an extension of his body.

”All you prepared her for is to expect Daddy to come running when she gets into trouble without any fight to help herself. Perhaps I should have broken her in for you and left her body as a reminder of your family’s failure in giving her a chance.”

The thoughts of his own blurred family seeped into his head; dangerous ammunition that caused the amber corruption of the Dark Side to bleed into his irises. A father who raped and abandoned his mother, who in turn loathed and abandoned him – family. What was family? Nothing but pain and disappointment.

”Turn around, take her, and go.”

His foot moved to enable him to act fast.

[member="Keter"] [member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Owain"] [member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Felicity let her Father carefully untangle her arms away from him, returning his smile before stepping back to let him face her kidnapper. Much as she had wished to avoid a fight, Asterion had dug his own grave by insulting her and her family just now. She could not help him anymore. Daddy was going to teach a lesson.
Her eyes swept past her Father, twirling his lightsabers in his hands, to her Sith captor, slinking in the shadows with the still-fresh slice on his face. She was disappointed that he seemed to forget about it. She wasn't weak. He should have known that now.

"Graxin!" she whispered excitedly, noticing her brother by the entrance at once. She wanted to run to him now, but that would have been an awful idea with the two about to fight. She grinned, waving with her good hand, while she kept her injured hand close to her chest. She thought she had sensed him earlier. She was so happy to see that she was right. Everything could go back to normal. Graxin could take her back to Ession and train her after this... or after she healed, at least.

She tore her eyes away from her brother for the moment, sweeping between her Father and the Sith again. There was no helping it now. She shrugged and mouthed 'I told you so', to the Sith, knowing that at this point, nothing she said or did would stop it.

[member="Asterion"] [member="Keter"] [member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Owain"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

The girl moved, and it caught his eye like a predator. His emotion already coated by darkness and out for blood, seeing her wave excitedly and grin like a Nexu had had the cream only enraged him further and almost made him feel…betrayed?

Yes he had hurt her, but it was for her own good – he thought she had something, but now she was simply flitting between two sides, not speaking up to simply stop an escalating fight.

And then she seemed to move in slow motion and the world around him went deathly quiet – her carefree shrug and the mouthing of belittling, smart-assed words when moments ago she was trying to understand him through her sobs.

With the focused anger from Daddy aimed at the Sith, Asterion knew what he had to do.

Pushing out his left arm and summoning the might of the Force around him, fuelled with the crackling activity between them all and his embrace of his hurtful emotion, he saw his grip wrap around the girls’ body in his mind’s eye and summoned her to him.

Pulling back hard, he took the girl of her feet and down sideways to the jungle floor below and dragged her over to him, lurching forward to viciously pull her up by the black robe she ware, regardless of her appearance. He snarled, eyes a sickening amber as he crossed the blade before them both, the crimson illuminating her panic stricken face.

”I warned you – love turns around and stabs you in the back. I WARNED you,” he hissed as his hand and arm gripped her body, eyes piercing out to her family.

[member="Felicity Mason"] [member=Keter] [member="Graxin Rade"] [member=Owain]

 

[Keter]

The blond laughed as he approached, his sabers flashing red in the air as they spun in his hands - twin circles carving up the dirt beneath his feet as he approached the man. "You are blind," he stated even as the man moved suddenly, reaching out, past him, to Felicity. Keter didn't have the power to halt the trick as his daughter was dragged back into the wannabe Sith's arms. "If you are not a villain and not a threat, then what are you? A hero? A sidekick? We all have a role to play boy. What is yours?" he demanded.

The blond shook his head in disappointment. "You lack even the conviction to stand by your own choices. First you would let her go, now use her as a shield? Your words are worthless if you do not stick to them. Let me show you how it's done - I will make you a promise. Everyone here will walk away alive. That is what will happen. No matter what you or Graxin may wish," he declared, sabers spinning faster and faster.

"Why fight a losing battle? Why not conserve strength for when it's needed? Why not lead those who can crush your enemies and save yourself the bother? You only believe in raw strength lad. Seems you have much to learn when it comes to scheming and plotting," Keter observed, idly launching a set of stabs straight at Asterion. He knew he wouldn't hit his daughter. She was his blood and flesh. And he always knew the locations of his blood and flesh. Especially at this range.

"My family may have been weak. But there is nothing that is weak that cannot be made into a strength. You are blind," he repeated. "Now let me make you SEE."

[member="Asterion"] [member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

Cursing old people, Owain made his way through the ship, pausing by the weapon rack to punch in a code and pull out a pistol, a rifle and a shotgun. Stupid uncle Elliot and his cryptic orders. Stupid Keter Mason and his 'oooh I'm a scary ex-Sith don't question me' bull. He would make his displeasure ot being left out of the loop like some little child clear to the two men after whatever this whole mess was was resolved. Grumbling and cursing under his breath all the way, he made his way down the ramp, kneeling at the bottom with the blaster rifle drawn, taking in the details.

He blinked.

Uh...what the hell.

Keter had his sabers out, and was attacking someone else with a red saber, and Felicity was between them. The stranger was holding the girl in something resembling a lover's embrace, making Owain's eye twitch in annoyance. Ohohoho, THIS was what was going on? Songbird found herself a Sith boyfriend and daddy didn't approve? THIS was the great emergency?

Owain didn't know whether to shoot Keter for wasting his time or the Sith holding Felicity out of jealousy.

Well, at least she broke the promise first, he took some measure of comfort from that. HAH, who was the better one now, eh?!

[member="Keter"] [member="Asterion"] [member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

The girl didn't have much time to mouth 'sorry' to the Sith before she was dragged across the dirt like a childs doll. Honestly! Being tossed back and forth like the ball in a game was getting tiresome. She didn't immediately feel annoyed, however. At first, she was frightened, the way his arm wrapped around her again was making her stomach churn. Like a lover, if love was destroying someones fingers and using them as a shield.
Once the fear wore off, anger took it's place. She struggled, glaring straight ahead.

"Let me go! You promised to let me go!"

Red. Red was the next thing she saw. Dad was not holding back. Was he crazy! He could hit her! She screamed and on instinct, slammed her foot down right over his foot. She doubted it would do much to hurt him, considering she had no shoes on and he had boots, still, she wasn't thinking logically now. She had no idea that some distance away, Owain was watching her, and coming to exactly the wrong conclusions. As always.

[member="Owain"] [member="Keter"] [member="Asterion"] [member="Graxin Rade"].

 

[Placeholder 0123]

The low rumble of Shlurk's disapproval shook Graxin to the core. Blades were being drawn, and the Graug wanted to hunt.

Graxin did as well, but now was a bad time. The Sith, whose name Graxin had never learned, still had Felicity. Furthermore, Keter was already assaulting the man.

What was the right course here?

"We would like Felicity back." He rumbled despite Keter's antagonistic movements.

"Let her go, and I have no problem leaving without your head. Otherwise..."

Graxin's finger tightened around the hilts of his lightsabers. He made sure to keep them inactive, for now anyway.

[member="Asterion"]

[member="Keter"]

"

 

[Stephanie Swail]

3 figures were now up ahead - the coward, the Daddy and the lover. Felicity, shouting and struggling in his grip, was as loud and prominent as ever.

"Shut up, and know your place!" Asterion shot down at her.

Looking up at Daddy with his swirling lightsabers, hearing the call of the coward and seeing the boyfriend with his blaster, Asterion snapped them both down and to the right with the sudden stab of the blades from Daddy, searing close to his back and the heat of the weapons was unmistakable.

Spinning around, now closer to Owain, Asterion moved his hand and held Felicity by the collar. He frowned and pointed his saber towards the blaster wielding youth, pushing the Force through his body and up across the jungle floor, kicking up earth and rock as it bore down on Owain to knock him off his feet and do nothing but annoy and frighten him.

"You want the girl, coward, you call off Daddy before he kills his own daughter, because if he tries that again then I will do it for him!"

[member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Owain"] [member="Keter"]

 

[Keter]

Hostages only had value if they were important. And Felicity was important, the most important thing in his life right now. He would never harm her - his attacks would never even come close. Asterion was not under such duress though. But the man had lost a long time ago. Keter followed the Sith, blades stabbing and slicing expertly around his daughter, not even touching a stray hair of hers. "If you wanted to hurt her, you already would have. You already did. But you limited yourself. You have a code, a stnadard," the blond said as he continued to attack, smiling slightly. "So let her go and face me with honor. Prove to me the worth of your existence in this story!" he demanded.

[member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Asterion"] [member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

Owain watched the Sith leap up, away from the vengeful Keter who was doing a good impression of a food blender with his lightsabers. All show and no bite as long as Felicity was in the way, the boy was sure. The raven haired boy blinked as the SIth confronted him. "Wait, vengeful father, over-protective brother, and you PICK ME AS THE BIGGEST THREAT?!" the teenager screamed in outrage. Was this guy insane or stupid?! The hell could he do to anyone here? Everyone out here but him was a Force user! His thoughts were interrupted as the wave of energy Asterion unleashed hit him, sneding him tumbling back up the ramp, swearing all the way.

Damn Sith boyfriends and their over-protective tendencies.

[member="Asterion"] [member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Keter"] [member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Know her place. Did he seriously just tell her to know her place?! Her face turned a lovely shade of pink as she tried to once more stamp on the Siths feet. Still stupid. Still pointless. But she didn't care. Who was he even talking to now? Someone off in the trees? Did Daddy bring uncle B with him? That had to be it.

"You aren't this mean!" she yelled at him over the chaos of whirling blades, "I know you aren't. I know you! Let me go and they'll let you go!"

But she somehow doubted he would now. If he didn't he would be sorry. This was his last chance to listen to reason. She could only be nice for so long.

[member="Owain"] [member="Keter"] [member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Asterion"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

The boyfriend was temporarily out of action - the last thing he needed was a hothead with a blaster taking lucky shots.

Now just the two Force users; Daddy and the coward.

"You cracked my emotional state, Felicity - now we all deal with the consequences."

Feeling holding her was useless, Asterion threw the girl forward by the scruff of the neck and advanced towards Daddy. If he felt so little regarding the safety of his daughter, let's see how she felt about the safety of her father.

With his saber arm back in Soresu form, Asterion stalked forward.

"I have no Order - no Master, no place! I have nothing to lose, unlike the girl!"

With a roar of anger - rage - disappointment - Asterion swung the blade around to strike at the neck of Daddy.

[member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Owain"] [member="Keter"] [member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Keter]

Ah Soresu. So he had some training. Keter let his grin spread over his face. His daughter was out of the way. This was between him and Sith-boy now. The blade flashed out towards his neck, a clear opening he had left. His left hand crossed his chest, the saber in it flashing up dangerously close to his own face to block the blow as the weapon in his right hand swung up from a stab towards his opponents midsection to an uppercut aimed at his hand.

"Then you are like me! Nothing to lose, everything to win! No ties! No loyalty!" declared Keter, smiling broadly. Maybe he had finally found a kindered soul?

[member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Asterion"] [member="Owain"] [member="Graxin Rade"]