Sergeant Blueblood's Lonely Hearts Club Band

[Glaze Starchaser]

If the soldiers in the lovely Imperial camp in the middle of Tauntaun territory on Hoth had looked up at the ice shelf above them, they'd have seen a flash of a slightly brighter blue than the rest of the icy landscape. Of course, the wampa attack that Glaze had watched this lot fight through hadn't exactly been the most energizing of experiences for them.​

​

The smell of tauntaun meat made the ice shaper's stomach growl, and he knew he'd have to get back to his own camp soon. He was tired, as well as hungry, and he'd had to fight off a few of the furry monsters without the benefit of anybody backing him up. In fact, one of the wampas was still standing upright where Glaze had impaled him with a gigantic shard of ice from the ground. He had a feeling it'd probably become a permanent part of the landscape within the next month or so.​

​

Giving up his search for the blue-skinned Chagrian lady who led this particular group, he sighed and sleepily trudged back to his shelter. The cold didn't bother him, but the wind sure as hell did.​

​

[member='Kerstas']​

 

[Kerstas]

[member="Glaze Starchaser"] [member="Sawa Ike"]

The Chagrian shivered slightly in the cold, which still managed to permeate her tent's inside despite the transportable heater sitting next to her. In front of the girl was a wash bucket, already tinted pink with the wampa's blood she was attempting to remove from her gloves. Her men (and women) were either sitting outside or resting in their tents, no doubt recuperating from the wampa attack.

When Kerstas had first suggested (alright, more like ordered) that they travel to Hoth, she'd been met with a few complaints, and Leon had drawn her aside to question her logic.

"We need to practice working in harsh environments, and I'm not talking about warfare. I'm talking about bitter cold and withering heat. Otherwise, we're indistinguishable from any other squad, and that, I find, is bothersome."

The sergeant still was not happy with her lack of respect for the co-leadership that the Sith exhibited, but no one could claim she worked well with others.

"Tavil," she called over her comm. "Disengage with what you are currently doing and see me in my tent."

"Cavpact'tar," came the reply. "I will be on my way."

Seconds later, the Chiss came in and stood at attention. Even if she hadn't been a Force Sensitive, the Chagrian would have been able to sense the disdain radiating from the medic. Despite all that the One Sith had done for Csilla, there were still several Chiss who...disliked what the Sith had done. Tavil was no different, though he managed to put his personal feelings aside in order to get the job done.

The Sith.... Ever since the One Sith had declared total war on all members of the Covenant of the Black Rose, the Chagrian herself had managed to escape persecution. Most would have chalked it up to her young age, but the truth was that despite her Master (whom she'd seen hide nor hair of) being a member, Kerstas herself never outwardly showed any type of allegiance to anyone but the Sith.

"Outwardly" being the key word. Kerstas was still uncertain which way she would fall.


The girl waited a moment before speaking. "What's the status report on everyone?" she asked, drying her hands.

"Scratches and abrasions, mostly. The worst injury thus far is Corporal Isali's broken rib, though that in of itself should heal enough that it is not a hindrance."

The Acolyte nodded, pleased that no one had been lost. Not because she cared for them; their numbers were already small, and anyone who didn't survive the wampa attack was of no use anyway.

"Very good, Tavil. Notify me if anything changes, and let Sergeant Leon know that I will be taking the first watch." She glanced down at her gloves. "Once I manage to clean my gloves, that is."

"Of course, ma'am."

 

[Glaze Starchaser]

Glaze felt himself yawning as he ate. That wasn't particularly surprising. No matter what kind of badass ice-shaping supercommando he was supposed to be, he was still just a twenty-something year old dude. He was tired, and he was ravenous. The wind outside was picking up, so he shut the door on the semi-permanent building a bit more tightly.​

​

The 'camp' he'd set up was, in fact, an old settlement for the Republic's Talz scouts. Those big, furry, creatures had served as the last resort troops when snowtroopers just didn't cut it. Wandering around the open wastes and snowy deserts of Hoth was not something most organic beings could do.​

​

But thinking about all that made Glaze sleepy... And so, he slept with his hand on his gun and the one pillow that had been left intact.​

​

[member="Kerstas"]​

 

[Kerstas]

[member="Glaze Starchaser"] [member="Sawa Ike"]

Well, at least the blood was out of her gloves. But now they were sopping wet, and Kerstas did not want to waste energy using the Force to dry them a little faster. At least the blood is no longer under my nails, she thought, briefly admiring the black paint. At least, trying to; the cold and the fight had caused the polish on one nail to become slightly chipped. How bothersome; I will have to redo that when we get home.

Standing up, Kerstas donned her cold-weather gear again and went out of her tent, taking a moment to focus on the Force. While she might be against using the Force to dry her clothes, she was not against using it to make the air around her at least a little warmer. The Chagrian closed her eyes, and within seconds she felt herself become warm enough to notice, though if she went for to long it would start to exhaust her. No matter; the whole point of this is to strengthen us. And that means me.

That done, the girl stalked over to the small fire that one of her soldiers had started. Boom Boom, probably; the others looked up at the Sith, begged pardons, and walked into their tents. Corporal Isali, Sergeant Leon, and Boom Boom (who shot a glare at the Acolyte) remained.

"Corporal Isali." The woman snapped to attention -- or tried to, anyway. She winced from the pain of her rib, but kept her salute.

"Ma'am."

"I heard your rib was broken. I suggest you go rest before we move again."

"Of course, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am." The mousy corporal beamed at Kerstas, but was put off a little when it was not returned. Acting like it was no big deal, Izzy nodded her head at Boom Boom and Leon. "Sergeant. Private." She then went into her tent.

"You too, Boom Boom. I wish to speak with Sergeant Delgado alone."

Boom Boom muttered something under her breath, prompting Leon to give her a stern look. "Go on, Ani'ta. You heard Acolyte Amidas."

Again, the blonde looked like she would be stubborn, but one look from the older man and she, too, went to her tent. As soon as she was gone, Leon took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. "Blue tells me you want first watch."

Kerstas sat down across from the man, watching the ember glow. "I sensed a presence, when we were fighting the wampa. While I have not yet searched for it, I am inclined to believe that the presence is somewhere nearby -- and might have even been following us."

"That could be problematic." He took another drag on his cigarette. "But what you're telling me -- and our men -- is that you don't trust them to watch. Radio's been scanning the wavelengths for anything, and Junior could always use the cold air." Leon leaned forward, the cigarette hanging from his lip. "We aren't just here as cannon fodder; we do have some skills, you know."

The Chagrian looked at him coldly. "I am aware of that. But if this is a Force User, as I suspect, I would be able to sense him, or her, first."

The sergeant dipped his head in acknowledgement. "I'll give you that." He then sat back and made no move to leave.

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Kerstas"] [member="Glaze Starchaser"]

There were sensations all around and the energy vampire was sitting on the ship. All the different energies were coming from somewhere and she could feel her apprentice as one hands raised up. The food she had been feeding on was sitting there while her attention was on the different things as she licked her lips in anticipation. She wasn't radical and jumping to attack everything but she had some nice thoughts in mind though for dealing with so many of the small things she was setting the course to where she felt her apprentice with more of the feelings leading her to the world. "Set course and lets go and find my darling apprentice, she has oh so much to do."

 

[Glaze Starchaser]

Glaze woke with a start. His rather pleasant dreams had abruptly turned into something about a fanged woman sucking the jelly out of a donut. Not the most unpleasant image, but a rather strange and sudden turn for his dream to take. The chill down his spine made him almost miss sitting in the blizzard and spying on the Chagrian girl and her squad.​

​

So that was what he did... and was completely disappointed to just see her huddled up in a heavy jacket with her lightsaber. It almost made him feel bad for her. Then he smelled the roast tauntaun again. Okay, maybe he didn't feel that bad for her. But it was enough that his spying now had less of a sinister edge to it and more of a "make sure she doesn't collapse before you have enough intel" edge to it.​

​

Sometimes it really took a lot to justify his stupid, misplaced, feelings of altruism to himself.​

​

[member="Sawa Ike"] [member="Kerstas"]​

 

[Kerstas]

[member="Glaze Starchaser"] [member="Sawa Ike"]

She was growing impatient with this human.

"So," Kerstas said, attempting to press her point, "The only one who should be out here is me."

The sergeant let out a puff of smoke, leaning forward to turn the meat on the fire. "Look, Acolyte, I know what you're doing -- and I'd be a damned fool to think it's altruistic." When the Sith began to bristle, he held up a hand. Years of dealing with uppity folks in the Imperial Remnant, and then again with the One Sith, had given Leon a confidence that demanded respect. "Don't get offended, Acolyte. You know I'm telling the truth."

He gave her a dry grin. "You're not used to teamwork. I get that -- most Sith aren't. They'd much rather run in like an idiot and act all big 'n bad. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But you, and me, and everyone else on this team -- we need you as much as you need us, now that we're a team. And we are. So before you go and cast us aside, treating us like servants who should only come scurrying out when you want, remember that we have more experience than you. Well, I don't know about Junior; you two are about the same age. But for the rest of us, we do have something valuable to offer. And--" Again, he stopped her from speaking. "It's more than simple knowledge. Tauntaun?"

Kerstas did not like to be put in her place, as the sergeant had skillfully done, so with a scowl affixed to her face she reached forward to get a piece...when something made her look up.

"Hmmm...." The Chagrian narrowed her eyes slightly. For a moment, she could have sworn... "Sergeant, keep an eye around us. I need to think."

He simply gave a grunt, though she could tell he was even more alert. She, meanwhile, turned her thoughts first inward and then expanded outward, using the Force to heighten her senses. There was something there, something on the ice shelf. It didn't seem intent on harming them, not yet, but still--

A sudden chill swept across her body, and the girl realized that she'd dropped the warm bubble she'd formed around her body. Even so, she had what she needed.

As nonchalantly as possible, the Chagrian again leaned forward, this time ripping a piece of meat off. Before she put it in her mouth, though, she said, "There's someone on that ice shelf, above us."

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Glaze Starchaser"] [member="Kerstas"]

Sawa looked from where she was laying in the ship, the view port showing the world below as she raised her hand up and held out two fingers. Squeezing and popping the world like a small game but getting a small laugh while she readied herself for heading down to the planet with a smile on her face. "Perfect, have my shuttle ready." The sisterhood troopers within the room taking her armored bodyglove and sliding into it while she took the twin alchemical blades running fingers over some of the things. "I am going to have some fun." She was up and going into the shuttle with two troopers but not going to waste more on her apprentice. The girl was talented but still had much to learn and shapers had an advantage on the worlds with elements as her silvery eyes turned to the window to watch themselves approaching the world.

 

[Glaze Starchaser]

A sudden sense of awareness from the girl made Glaze smile. So she knew he was up here? Good. Whatever he ended up doing, at least he wouldn't feel like he'd killed somebody at random. Abandoning his hiding place, he simply sat on the icy outcropping and watched the people in the little camp move around. It was fun to do this when he could - just watch people. She was eating something- probably the tauntaun he'd smelled earlier- that made his stomach growl.​

​

For a moment, he toyed with the idea of just jumping straight down there and outright stealing some food. Maybe shock the Chagrian lady a little bit. A few surprises were good for people. Instead, the blue-haired Atrisian just sighed resignedly and sat on his perch, but then chuckled as he imagined the expression on her face if she looked into her binoculars and saw a guy in a t-shirt and heavy jeans sitting comfortably in this weather.​

​

The thought made him so happy, he began to whistle.​

​

[member="Kerstas"] [member="Sawa Ike"]​

 

[Kerstas]

[member="Glaze Starchaser"] [member="Sawa Ike"]

The sergeant took out his binoculars and casually pointed them up at the ice ledge, frowning as if there was some ice on the lens. He held it up to his eyes, then swiped at it with his sleeve. "So there is, Acolyte. And it seems he's dressed for the wrong weather -- though I sure as hell wouldn't mind bein' able to get away with wearing just a t-shirt in this weather." He sat the binoculars down and snagged a piece of meat. "Of course, if it means getting as fethed-up a hairdo as it seems he has, well, then I'd have to say a big fething no to that."

Kerstas raised an eyebrow at him. "Hairdo?"

"Blue fething hair. And it's almost spikey looking. Damn fething kids and their weird-arse trends these days. Almost makes me glad I don't have any of my own."

The Acolyte sensed the little spike of melancholy that struck Leon, but she ignored it. Unlike the Jedi, she wasn't trained to be a flower-loving hippy. Instead, she reached forward for another piece. "So what do you suggest? I do not know how strong he is, or even who he is. And it is...a bit difficult to concentrate in this weather."

"So the cold's a weakness to ya. Just say it, girly. If you'd ask Boom Boom or DS, they'd say blow him sky-high. 'Course, in this instance a little fireworks would be fun to see. And we'd get to test out his defences."

"Or we could wait him out. Let him make the first move." Kerstas paused, thinking. "That would set us on a defensive we might not be able to hold, but it would still allow us time to analyse him without much loss."

The sergeant gave her a dry grin. "Now you're thinking like a soldier, Acolyte. Let's give him a couple of minutes, see if he invites himself over or if we'll have to send an engraved envelope."

The Chagrian didn't respond, merely leaning forward to get another piece of meat. She almost couldn't taste the flavour, but her stomach was growling and she'd left her nutritional reader in her tent.

A noise came to her through the wind, and she tilted her head sideways. "Is he...whistling?"

Leon listened for a moment too, and then snorted in disbelief. "He is. Damn idiot."

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Glaze Starchaser"] [member="Kerstas"]

There was something coming from the planet now as she was heading down and it was right there on the edge of her hearing, on the tip of her tongue and the energy vampire tapped her tongue against her fang while moving down. They arrived and she stood on a small hill looking down when something came, in the snow as it swirled before she was moving and one hand came out slicing into the white fur of a wampa. The beast howling while crimson sprayed around her but she was gone running and chasing her apprentice. The feeling of the blue woman with those little head tails had more of her interest before she crashed through a section of ice to get in and stood up tall brushing herself off.

 

[Glaze Starchaser]

Glaze heard the sounds of a roaring wampa and stopped whistling. Had somebody gone and caused another stampede of them? Apparently so, because there were two more running towards him. Wonderful. He encased himself in that ice armor again, watching the two huge beasts come closer and closer. He realized, with a small noise of disgust, that they had cut open his earlier kill and let the blood drip from it. Ew.​

​

When the two wampas came close to the ledge, Glaze leapt backwards off it. Even with the ice armor on, the landing still hurt quite a bit. Whatever the Sith were doing, he ignored it in favor of summoning up a gigantic ice spike for the angry creatures to fall on and die. And, being the stupid wampas they were, they fell on the spike and died. Yay.​

​

[member="Sawa Ike"] [member="Kerstas"]​

 

[Kerstas]

[member="Glaze Starchaser"] [member="Sawa Ike"]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF7ROkpzQ1c[/media]​

Both Kerstas and the sergeant jumped into action, with the Acolyte immediately activating her lightsaber and Leon's blaster practically leaping into his hands. The others, alerted by the ruckus, came rushing out with their guns already in their hands. All except for Zakk, who was simply donned in his armour and winter clothing. He wisely stayed behind.

"Who are you?" both Kerstas and Leon barked, neither one reacting to the scary unison of their thoughts. The others, meanwhile, all had their guns pointed at the blue-haired man. The girl could feel their apprehension at the sight of the wampas skewered on giant ice spikes, but a quick glance revealed that they all had their helmets on, hiding their faces.

She then turned her attention back to the stranger. It did not take much to figure out he was a Force User, and one that seemed to have a strong affinity with the elements. Enough so that Hoth's frigid temperatures did not bother him. A spike of envy wisped through her heart, but she quickly dashed it. One day, she promised herself. One day I will be powerful enough to force the elements to obey me fully. For now, though, she had to focus on the here-and-now.

Like the fact that this Force User could prove troublesome, especially if he was not with the One Sith.

But I am ready. I have been practicing, Master, though you left me for the traitors.

And, as if her very thoughts had summoned the vampire, Kerstas felt, on the very edge of her senses, that same dead, repulsive, powerful presence. That would make things interesting. Tilting her head to the side, the Chagrian quipped, "And it seems you brought a friend."

Come to me, Master, and see how much I have progressed in your absence.

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Glaze Starchaser"] [member="Kerstas"]

The feeling of prey was there as she stopped and stood in one of the small alcoves. hearing the heartbeats of them as she crouched lower feeling her apprentice. Licking her lips with anticipation going forward and unsheathing a blade while the flame on it became larger. She could smell her apprentice in the distance and hear that heartbeat while shaping the ice into a pathway she could move through to catch up and get to them as she was walking and spoke into the force. "Apprentice, always following that cold sliver down your spine... now who are you playing with?"

 

[Glaze Starchaser]

Glaze held up a finger to stop all the questions as he caught his breath. The icy armor cracked and fell off him to reveal his lanky form and the rock n' roll t-shirt and jeans that covered it. Then, when his breathing finally slowed down, he grinned at the armored people aiming weapons at him. Fun, fun, fun.​

"Call me Starchaser, I guess. Or Glaze. Whatever."​

He stood there and shrugged with his hands in his pockets and looked at the huffy-looking Chagrian lady... Interesting.​

"Might ask you the same question. Taking a vacation, too?"​

[member="Sawa Ike"] [member="Kerstas"]​

 

[Kerstas]

[member="Glaze Starchaser"] [member="Sawa Ike"]

Her eyes went wide, though not at recognition of Glaze's name or anything. Rather, it was because of her Master's voice in her head.

Kerstas's face became pale. She had not realized that her Master was able to speak in her head...for it was her master, and she didn't need the Force to confirm it. Even so, she stilled her heart and replied likewise through the Force, That cold sliver has yet to disappoint, Master. She glanced at Glaze. And he is someone who shall learn I don't play well with others. Where have you been, Master? The Chagrian might not have been overjoyed with Darth Shojo reappearing, but the girl was smart; Shojo had taught her to understand the value of things, and Kerstas was far from useless...so long as she still showed she was loyal.

During this exchange, Sergeant Leon picked up on the fact that Kerstas was not currently all there. So while the Chagrian was thusly occupied, he moved in closer to her, so as to better protect the Chagrian girl. Blaster still up, he ignored the man's question, though his thoughts held something like, Goddamn weirdo.

"What're your alliances, Glaze?" he barked. "Sith? Jedi? Independent?" Sith, he could deal with. After all, they were technically on the same team. Jedi? Same -- Jedi didn't kill without provocation, and most of them seemed to have a soft spot for young Acolytes, trying to bring them to their side as much as the Sith tried to bring the Padawans.

Independents were another thing. Independents could play for anybody, and weren't restricted by alliances.

Hence, why the blasters stayed up.

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Glaze Starchaser"] [member="Kerstas"]

Sawa listened as she was moving and there were more heartbeats as she arrived, in a small explosion of ice and snow letting her emerge as she stood off to the side looking at them. One hand coming out as the closest soldier with his blaster raised aimed as her and seemed to stop. Her gasps coming while she spoke. "Now now, lets point that somewhere less dangerous." She pushed and shaped the air in his lungs. Inflating them as his chest almost seemed to puff up and turn him while he was gasping.

Blood and air escaping before the blaster was pointing down looking at some of the things they had there as she tapped the blade looking at the apprentice. "Oh I have been around but my dear it has been boring, infighting and petty thoughts or attempts at power grabs instead of tying to do something fruitful. All those sith choosing their ego and endangering the future for the fleeting chance to say they are stronger." She stayed there for a moment letting the man fall down and shifted her silvery gaze to look at the man but then her gaze went back to her apprentice as she raised her hand.

"Come my dear." She moved quickly looking at the man with her apprentice and her face remained unmoving before she stood still with a tight lipped smile on her face. "Let me look upon you and see where you have been corrupted, it isn't the power thoughh. I can't stand the thought of you killing your fellows when there are millions of enemies wanting all of you dead. It is a waste to send resources and effort infighting or going after a rival instead of simply letting them be killed by your enemy while taking down as many of them as they can." She kept her hand out for her. "Bow."

 

[Glaze Starchaser]

Glaze looked away from the two Sithy-looking women and shrugged at the guard with the gun. It'd never even occurred to him that his lack of labels could be troublesome up until right now. But he figured that this lot was just going to have to deal with it.​

​

"Independent, I guess. Don't even need to ask to see that you lot are Sith."​

​

He spun his finger, and a vaguely chair-shaped block of ice rose from the ground. With a satisfied smile, he sat down on it.​

​

"I'm not here to hurt you, though. The wampas certainly don't need my help there."​

​

[member="Sawa Ike"] [member="Kerstas"]​

 

[Kerstas]

[member="Sawa Ike"] [member="Glaze Starchaser"]

Though her appearance remained neutral, the girl's innard bristled as the Darth used the Force to injure Junior. It wasn't that she cared about him as a person -- the boy was highly annoying, and if he didn't have his uses Kerstas would have killed him off ages ago -- but the vampire was damaging something that was hers. Each person on the Lion Squad was hers, and nobody else was allowed to hurt them.

Except her.

The girl's orange eyes met Tavil's red ones, and without speaking he moved over to tend to the fallen soldier. She then turned her attention to her Master, confident that Leon could handle the third Force User for now.

Walking forward, slowly, the Chagrian mulled over her Master's words before carefully answering. "Know that I am loyal to you, Master...but I will not bow. Not yet." Her lightsaber flew up to point at Glaze, who was conversing with Leon. "Let us take care of him, first. I don't like him."

Meanwhile, she ignored all of the other questions that Shojo's words had brought up. If the Sith were so concerned with infighting and pettiness, as the vampire stated, then why did they continue to gain territory? Why did they continue to gorge themselves on planets like a Hutt at a buffet?

Or were the One Sith destined to collapse like any other civilization of old -- doomed to repeat history by collapsing at their highest pinnacle of achievement? Did Darth Shojo see that, and vanish because of it?

Questions for another time. They were distracting right now, as Kerstas had to worry about whether or not the Darth would see her words as loyalty, or as insubordination.

Meanwhile, Leon hadn't fully relaxed around Glaze, but he wasn't likely to straight-up shoot him yet. "Wampas also can't make ice chairs, idiot." He spared a glance at Junior and Tavil. The kid looked rough, but the Sergeant had faith in the Chiss's healing abilities. "And unless you're truly on this forsaken planet for a weird-arse vacation, what's your business here?"

 

[Sawa Ike]

[member="Kerstas"] [member="Glaze Starchaser"]

Sawa looked at her apprentice and as the girl looked towards her and spoke. She could feel it and see it, There was thoughts going on and on within her head.and the gears were turning. She had seen it, some sith were discontent, some fought each other, others branded allies traitors and wanted everyone to kill them instead of doing it themselves. So many things happening as she raised an eyebrow at her apprentice not bowing and shrugged it off. Moving forward and looking at the others in her squad while she turned to see the other. "Well he is boring but what did I teach you about killing before something or someone had outlived their usefulness? Does killing him do anything more then make your boredom or annoyance go away for a few minutes?" She didn't say not to kill him but the energy vampire had always wanted her apprentice to find the use in everything around her and exploit it. She held up her dauntless blade while grinning now with her fangs. "Though I admit I am rather hungry."