Shadow routes & Navigators (Open)

[RC 212]

[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

Jack nodded. He'd had his own share of run in with Pirates. Most of the time he hid below decks in the smugglers hatches, and then popped up and surprised them once they had boarded and let their guards down. Even sold one or two he captured once.

"Alright well the ships being loaded right now, so I reckon ten minutes till I fire her up. Gotta go get Dak up to help fly. Pleased to meet you, glad to have you. If I can help with the pirates in any way I;d love to, meanwhile make yourself at home while you're aboard eh?"

Jack picked up is cup, slinging his dirty spacers jacket over his white shirt and moved towards the cockpit, slamming on the door of Daks cabin as he went. The kid didn't need to be tpld twice, he knew every nuance of Jacks expressions by now. As he slid behind the yoke and harnessed up he fired up the main power and then the engines, letting the drives whirr slowly to life. A Hologram of the local starcharts came up, and he leaned back, scratching his chin in deep thought.

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

"Thank you Jack" said as he sat on the couch. De-attaching his armor wasnt a big deal, as he had to cut parts, creating plates that would be easy to take off. After putting the armor and his hood on the table in front of him, Acaleus looked more of a fresh adult in his twentys. He wore a simple white shirt and black shorts. It bother him to wear jeans "Do you have any repair tools? My weapons had better days..." said after approaching to Jack. His wrist lightsaber looked a little dirty, and that could provoke a malfunction if it was turned on. His submachine gun had a hit in the center of it, meaning that he had to change or repair the damaged part.

After all, he wasnt a bad beginner engineer for what he know. He could use the force and fix it, but it was nice to feel like a normal human every now or then. He wanted to be sure that he could maintain himself even without his powers.

[member="Jack Raxis"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

"Yeah got some tools in the back hold on!"

Dak emerged from his cabin and Jack finished the last little bits of his preparations. The Kessels Pride roared plumes of smoke billowing through the atmosphere. They reached orbit, ascended and pushed off travelling on their way. Jack closed his eyes, breathing deep behind the yoke, letting his gut guide the next jump. There was no starcharts in the dimensions of space where they were going. The lower planes were relatively unmapped.

A similar scene played out as it had so many times before. Jack entered the jump, Dak slammed the lever and then they were gone....


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

Twenty minutes later.

Jack was on the couch now, brown eyes watching as the strange man tinkered with his devices. Jack had furnished him the tools he had asked for and he looked to be hard at work. He kicked both booted feet up on the table, resting an arm on his head. The lightsaber, now that was an ancient weapon. One he'd only read about and seen fewer than five of. His curiosity was burning however and he leaned in.

"Tell me about the lightsaber Acaleus? What's the point of it?"

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

He was disarming the submachine gun, reparing the blighted part with the tools given. He heard Jack talking at him and raised his head, stopping what he was doing "The problem of using a hilt lightsaber is the moment when someone pull it away from your hand" said Acaleus as he left the parts in the table inspecting his wrist lightsaber "Its more of a stealth weapon and it let me move and attack faster without having to use my hands. I could use them for force using while in battle. Creating force shields, pull or push things. The list go and go"

He sighed, as a memory of a fight in his early years of freedom "Of course i cant fight a force user with a traditional lightsaber. It can make more slashes than me and from a long distance. But i wouldnt let them turn on their weapon so i dont experience the weakness of it" he wasnt a fat, nor tall. The perfect height and weight for the job of being a stealth mercenary in this universe.

[member="Jack Raxis"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

"I was actually more curious to see it in use. I'd be interested to learn how to make one two."

Jack rose, setting down his gunbelt and stripping off his Jacket. He had an idea to test this weapon and the companion he was travelling with. Dak peeked around the corner, barely awake and smirked. He knew Jack, all of his nuances and subtle tells. He knew he was about to challenge the guy.

"Tell you what, I'd like to challenge you to a friendly spar, in the tradition of the Mando'ade. Show me what this thing can do. Does that thing have stun setting?"

They had a few hours to kill before they hit their waypoint. The beacons were ready and Jack was hungry for some exercise to shake the nasty meal of the night before from his body.

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

"This will be fun. But i didnt build them with a stun setting. Maybe..." he stood up fast and went to the tool box "I can take out the crystals and use a lighting device. It wouldnt harm you in anyway, but of course go easy on me, as i dont think that it can stop strong blows" Acaleus force lift the two wrist lightsaber and separate them parts. Then he change the crystals and put the lighting mechanism. It was hard for him, because if he make one mistake in re-attaching the parts, the weapon could explode. And he wouldnt make that mistake while being a passanger on a space ship.

"It should work" he wore the wrist lightsaber in his arms and turn them on. A stable lighting appear from the tip, and formed the blade "You ready?" the only fights he won were the ones when he was a slave, a couple of bar fights, a battle against Sith monks and against a zombie jungle rangor... and he was on his twenties... He stood on the middle of a room on the ship. Big enough for a one versus one battle.

[member="Jack Raxis"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

"Sounds good enough."

Jack assumed the Sabers would still stop a blade, so he drew his Besk'ad and let the tip extended, holding it straight out and shifting his weight. His knees bent, the elbow of his right hand locked out, and he turned sideways to present a smaller target to the man. Even if it didn't block his Besk'ad, he wouldn't go lethal, he knew how to pull back a strike at the last minute so you didn't pierce flesh.

"Your move then, come at me."

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

He took a deep breath. A sword like that would be a problem to evade in a low stand. He thought that someone like Jack wouldnt be the type of swordman that make a single hit with a blade. It would be a great challenge defeating him using his wrist lightsaber. (in stun setting dont worry <3)

A stabb to the center of the chest with his left hand, raising his right hand with a force shield in the forearm as a defending his side. He was inspecting his foe. Analizing his opponent could decide the fight, as it would discover the weakness and strenght. Only if the fight would level up to something more difficult, Acaleus could use his ace under his sleeve.

[member="Jack Raxis"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

Jacks eyes tracked the stab and he stepped back. his footwork was perfect, having studied among the Mando'ade for several years. He was a natural with blade. The distance gave him just enough space to keep the enemy’s blade at the tip of his own. A quick flourish knocked it out of line and Jack stepped in, left foot leading.

It slid between the vulnerable man's legs and he attempted to lock it behind his left ankle. A set up for the next strike. The right arm cocked back, elbow bent and Besk'ad poised to thrust. But it was a clever diversion. Jacks footing was set, the feint set and then he launched his surprise attack, slamming his left hand towards the fellow warriors abdomen.

The palm was flat with the fingers curled inwards in a classic Teras Kasi strike. All of his two hundred pounds of muscle channelled into the point of his palm as his left leg slid back towards him, attempting to trip and slam the warrior to the decks in one swift move.

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

The blade going for a full blow, that misleading foot, position itself between his legs and the hit of a palm coming towards him. He needed to evade or stop everything in a second, or just receive all... Acaleus used his free right hand to make a quick force push into the arm of Jack. But he run for a stab, so trying to dodge something from his position would be imposible.

He bent his left elbow, bringing it closer to his chest and formed another force shield. It wasnt resistance enough against a blow but it was better than nothing. He closed his legs trapping the knee of Jack, in an effort to unbalance him.

[member="Jack Raxis"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

The force shield was something Jack could feel. As his blow connected he pulled back, snapping his fingers and palm flat. Now they were curled, and the sword arm was still cocked back. His attention was shaken and he felt Acaleus lock his leg, trying unbalance him.

There wasn't much left to do in such close quarters. The stab was a diversion, he was tumbling towards the man. He needed to rebalance and regain the initiative before the other could strike.

Jack's abdomen muscles coiled and he leaned back, offsetting the fall, and then slammed forwards, launching a head butt up and under Acaleus chin. At the same time his weight came crashing against him, and his knuckles now aimed at Acaleus solar plexus, aiming to impact it with twin strikes and knock the air of out the man as they tumbled.

No air disrupted focus, and focus was essential for the force.

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

Close and ranged combat, winning a fight against him wouldnt be simple. Two punches would easily knock him out "I love and hate this guy" though the moment Jack went for a full comeback with that combo.

As the force shield broke with his left arm close to his chest, he slash the air between him and Jack, turning on the wrist lightsaber. He was going to receive the blow from the head, but both hands would be electrocuted. The effects would leave the arms a little numb for an hour. His right arm wouldnt be quick enough to make a move. It was the best trade he could make under those circumstances. Leaving his opponent without the usage of his hands was equal as winning in a real fight. The hit in the head would hurt him more than Jack...a sacrifice he was willing to make.

[member="Jack Raxis"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

Acaleus was able to get one hand, and Jack backed up as he went numb, ripping hard with his left leg still locked behind Acaleues ankle. If it worked, he would stumble hard, and after taking a disorientating blow to the head. As his hand went numb he retracted it, and ducked low, bulling into Acaleus with full strength of his legs.

If he wasn't tripping, he'd be slammed with Jacks full two hundred pounds of solid muscle. The right hand was out of the game, but his left was still functional, and launched two strikes with razor precision at the crook of Acaleus' arm while he smashed into him...

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

He backed up, releasing Jacks foot. The punches were too fast for him, as he tried creating a force shield around it. Acaleus tried to position his legs to stop Jack body. The first hit blow away the shield, the second went directly to the arm. The hit almost pushed Acaleus to the back, but he put strenght in his foot, braking the movement "You need to chill for a second" he raised his leg as his knee pointed to the chest. His right arm was burning in pain so he got it close to himself

[member="Jack Raxis"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Acaleus Thorn"]

That was far enough, Jack pulled back, taking a deep breath. Sweat was glistening on his brow, and his own hand was still numb. He grinned, looking Acaleus in the eye and nodding.

"You can fight pretty well Acaleus. Anyone else would've gone down under that barrage."

Twas then they felt a thump, and a lurch. Jack whirled to poke his head in the cockpit, where Dak was already taking a seat and grabbing the yoke. There was something odd about the way they reverted, real odd.

"Report?"

"We got hit by a grav mine, looks like local patrol, two small fighters."

"Alright strap in, we gotta shake em before we can land."

Jack was already moving, strapping into his seat and taking over flight controls from Dak. They couldn't fire on them, no they had to go low and slow, and hope that whoever it was was a worse pilot than a hutt. His hands pushed the yoke left, rolling them hard wing-tip to wing-tip. The fighters were hailing them over the comms, but Jack shut them down. This planet wasn't known for it's hospitality.

"Shields at half, give more power to our engines. Standbye for micro jump."

"To where?" Dak asked, as klaxons blared, warning of missile lock on.

"Right outside the northern pole, but first we gotta get rid of these grav mines. Torpedoes at the ready!"

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

"Dude i know that in real life i would have cut your right hand but i feel my arm numb..." said when the ship shaked and a stomp was heard. He grabbed to the near wall as Jack went to the cabin "Dude what was that?" "We got hit by a grav mine, looks like local patrol, two small fighters" Acaleus whistle. Those thing could explode in an instance and in space that meant dead, and Acaleus like being alive "Alright time to be more useful than an astromech droid" A datapad was in the desk that was showing the places where the mines were attached.

He run to the room where the first mine was positioned and raised his hands, after using the force to strap his feet to the ground. Force pushing those things that were outside the ship while two fighters were pursuing them was an easy task...except that his right arm hurt like hell when he lifted it up "If i dont receive an extra payment after this..." he closed his eyes and sensed the machine outside the ship, just a few meters away, between metal that separated Acaleus from the space. Breath. Exhale.

His hands tremble, in his attempt to separate the mine. Force pushing something that could only be sensed was like moving a crate in the dark. You dont know if you are doing a good work or will end up crashing with something

[member="Jack Raxis"]