Sometimes, a girl needs her daddy....

[Jessica Justice]

Soceras​

​

​

The young woman made a mistake. A horrible mistake. She'd come to the planet in secret, hoping to surprise her father. Mistake one, no one knew she was there. Mistake two, she was horribly unfamiliar with the metropolitan capital. Mistake three, she walked into the wrong establishment.

Slavery was by and large abolished on this world, or hells, in this whole sector.... but, Slavers will find a way. She fit the bill perfectly. Young, beautiful, and entrancing. Curse those Zeltron pheromones. She'd gone in, and began asking questions, sitting at the bar, playful flirtations dancing out just as her father would.

The only thin, slim sliver of hope she had, was one of the more 'honorable' of the seedy folk in the establishment caught her somewhat familiar manner of speaking, and decided to send word on up the line to his boss. A message would reach [member=James Justice], "Oy, boss-man, there's a situation brewing you might want to get your peepers on down here at the Wet Wookie. Pretty thing askin questions about you."

Meanwhile, the girl made her fourth mistake. She place trust where none was ever warranted. Believing this barkeep would be able to guide her to her father, she followed as he lead her to another entertaining room of the bar. As soon as the door closed on the largely sound-proofed room, she realized how bad of a situation she now found herself in. Numbers were not on her side. Two rodian's, the human barkeep, and a couple less appealing races whos names escaped her, stood before her, knives in hand, and sneers on face.

Swallowing hard, she took a step back, bumping into the barkeep. A muffled squeak, as she turned to back towards a corner. "I.... I was jus lookin' for me Da..... Please...." She knew, had the numbers been a bit closer to fair, she'd have had nothing to fear.... But, as it stood, she only had two knives and a holdout blaster, and things.... as bad as they seemed, would become significantly worse for her, if she actually managed to main or kill even one of these menacing males....

"Don't worry little lady. We'll find you a new 'Da'. Won't we boys?" The barkeep taunted, as the others started to laugh, soaking in the fear the girl was now wearing plain upon her face....

 

[James Justice]

James lay back on his throne in the Angel's Den, letting the euphoria of the debauchery wash over him. He was the king in his citadel, the warrior in his castle. Paperwork always washed him out, giving him headaches without mention. As he sank into the plush leather couch he let his eyes half close, settling on the stripper in front of him. A smile caressed his lips as he reached out further with his mind. Ah the sweet goodness of drunken revelry washed over him. Somewhere down bellow there were a dozen men, women, and variations there of giving way to their primal instincts. His mind expanded further, feeling the city at his disposal, his servants, his leaders his--

That was when he felt it. He shot up, his eyes wide open.

No, he couldn't have felt that presence. Not here, that was impossible. She was half way across the galaxy in a boarding school where it was safe, not here in the biggest, most flagrant crime city of the outer rim. His fingers dug into the arms of the couch with anger as he felt it. Yes, it was there. She was here. And she was in danger.

Ever fiber of his fatherly body roared to life with instincts to maim, devour, and ravage anyone who stood in his way. His hand shot out and his blaster leaped to his finger tips. The spacer stormed into the night without a word. The thumping music of the Angel's den carried out into the streets as he broke into a run, following that feeling, following her. His eyes narrowed in slits. "I'm comin' Jess. I'm comin."

He followed the pull into a new bar. He knew this was it. He knew in his heart this was the place, beyond any shadow of a doubt.

"Ay, its Mister Jus--" began the bartender.

James' blaster cut him off, the shot landing in the man's genitals. His screams of pain filled the bar as two of the thugs charged James. The spacer grabbed a beer bottle off the closest table, swinging it and shattering it across the face of the first one. He rammed what was left into the second's neck. A spray of blood filled the room as his jugular was punctured and several tendons were severed. The first swung a wild haymaker at James. The spacer blocked, bringing the bottle shard around, back into the man's throat, chest, and face. Again and again and again he stabbed without mercy, the screams of agony filling the building. Everyone in the building was a dead man. If they didn't know it yet--they were about to find out.

With a Force-strengthened kick, he brought down a durasteel bolted door. Plaster dust sprayed in the air, mixing with the blood that stained every inch of James' body, dripping down his face, hair, jacket, shirt, hands, and pants.

"When I am done with ye," James roared, "Ye will be begging for death."

[member="Jessica Justice"]

 

[Jessica Justice]

As the door was nearly REMOVED by the rampaging parent, the occupants of the room stared in horror. "OH FETH!!!!" was the general cry, as men dove for cover. One either elected the swift, cowards escape, or suffered a bad case of panic stricken clumsiness. His blaster was drawn, but part way through the act of bringing the weapon to bear, it was discharged prematurely, barrel near his temporal region. It was likely almost comical to [member=James Justice], had he not had far more pressing matters to attend to.

One target removed from the equation, Justice would find that his rage had clouded his senses somewhat. Though he KNEW his daughter had been here, he would see that now, she was not. Time for some aggressive 'Interrogation'.

_______________________

Meanwhile, Jessica was being carted away, pinned between two massive Gamorrean brutes. She'd given up trying to cry for help, as her 'honor guard' caused others to turn away quickly.

As she approached a large warehouse holding a large shipping vessel, she felt him. Craning her neck, she saw him. [Member=Ben Corscifine].

"BEN!!!!!" she screamed, the piercing cry of mortal terror cutting through the masses. She'd hoped, prayed it WAS him, as she was dragged, kicking and screaming anew through the entry into the heavily guarded warehouse.


_______________________

As the inevitable bloodbath drew to a close the Wet Wookie, a lone BB unit, one James would recognize as being his daughters, would give a low tone of appreciation, observing the carnage.

Shifting is optical sensors up to James, the BB unit would quickly trill, informing it's Mistresses sire that it witnessed a pair of Gamorreans heading towards the 'bad' part of the shipping district. Having provided said information, the droid took an appropriately submissive and fearful posture. Master Justice was incensed, and enraged, and this BB wanted to process another day.

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Never had Ben Corscifine felt so far from home. Soceras was not Lothal, but lately Ben Corscifine was not Ben Corscifine, so maybe it was fitting.

Ben was drifting through the farther reaches of space, looking for whatever work he could get. He had cut his braid, traded his Jedi robes for less ostentatious garb, and stopped off on one of the most crime-heavy planets in the galaxy. While he had no clear explanation for choosing this system, it seemed like the kind of place where a driven brute could disappear for a while. He had taken up light mercenary work--mostly "persuading" delinquent debtors to cough up what they owed to sundry criminal organizations. Ben had been in the capital for only a couple of weeks, and found himself fairly gifted in the art of armed compulsion. He hadn't even had to break out his lightsaber, though he still kept it close at hand.

On this particular long night, however, Ben Corscifine, amateur mercenary and one-time Jedi, was unemployed.

Ben did not do well without occupation. He sat alone in a smoky bar drinking something cheap and tasteless, pondering his condition. Being lost in the galaxy had come with the upside of not having time to reckon with everything that had been left behind: a master, a code, a home, friends. Ben was alone on Lothal then and alone on Soceras now. But if that were true, why stay here?

Then, a bolt of clarity rushed through Ben-- insight from the Force, one of the first times he had come into contact with his old ally in weeks. Ben had stopped meditating when he left Lothal, and only in the face of this burst of feeling had it become clear to him just how disconnected he had become. He stood up and walked out of the bar, knowing there was something for him just outside. He didn't look around, simply exited and stood in the doorway, waiting for something.

And there she was.

Ben didn't see [member="Jessica Justice"], not at first. He felt her, and then heard her shout his name--loudly and clearly, though over a great distance. Ben turned and immediately rushed through a crowd, breaking through just in time to see a flash of movement as Jess--he knew it had to be her--was pulled into a warehouse on the edge of the street.

Ben took one hurried step forward, and then stopped to think. He couldn't just walk in, there were guards at the entrance, but he didn't have time to waste. He remembered the time on Nar Shaddaa, when he and his friend Dune had tracked a Sith Knight to a warehouse on the outskirts of a city. They had taken the rooftops and entered through a window, hadn't they? Ben began walking briskly, trying to remain inconspicuous, towards the warehouse. He turned into a shadowy alley and looked around for a way up. Spying a drainage pipe that ran along the wall of a nearby building, he jumped.

But Ben Corscifine is not the tallest Jedi in the galaxy, and he could not reach the pipe.

Kark.

Then, Ben remembered Tuguro, who had accompanied Dune and him on Nar Shaddaa. Tuguro and Ben were a lot alike, similar in stature and skills. He had an idea. Without wasting any time, Ben began to jog down the alley. As he picked up speed, he about faced and ran again towards the pipe. He launched himself into the air with a Force Jump, but instead of towards the pipe, he jumped away from it. Feeling his feet against the opposite wall, Ben launched himself again at the pipe. This time, he managed to grab hold.

With little difficulty, his vertical challenge mastered, Ben pulled himself up to the roof. Across the way, he could see the top of the warehouse where Jessica had been taken. He moved quickly and quietly to the roof and peered into a skylight into the warehouse below, hoping his acrobatics had not cost him too much time.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James spread his arms wide and let out a throaty blood lust cry as the man took his easy way out. He was angry, it was one less play thing for him to get to toy with. He opened himself up to the Force as the men began firing their blasters at him. He let the Force absorb the energy, welling around him, charging the air around him. One by one they stopped, quivering with fear. The spacer opened his eyes, pulling their fear in, pulling in their terror their realization--that the legends of Justice Wrath were truly nothing compared to the reality of the situation.

James extended his arms, unleashing the energy at the nearest man. His body seized as the pure heat and force of the dozens of blaster shots engulfed every inch of his body. The smell of searing flesh filled the room, along with his screaming pleas for agony. His skin blistered in burns across every square inch until he collapsed at last, coughing and choking on his own charred lungs. But still alive--and begging for death.

The spacer leaped the two yards between him and the next closest male--a twe'lik. The spacer's hand gripped the man's lekku, seizing it by far too hard. His foe let out an anguished cry, dropping to his knees and grabbing James' wrists. He struggled, trying to pull the crime lord's hands free as their fingers punctured the tender flesh, into the brain tissue and sending a splay of gore onto the man's clothes and ground. Screaming and clutching his skull, the man began to die--very slowly--with out half his brain intact as shock set in.

A blaster shot grazed James' shoulder, seering his flesh. His dark eyes flickered with rage as he glared at the foolish Rodien who dared to challenge his fate. The spacer grabbed a pool stick off the nearby wall, hurrling it like a javlin through the air. Empowered by the Force, its sharp wooden head tore through the alien's stomach, pinning him to the wall and rupturing his left kidney instantly. James grabbed a knife off his belt and stormed to the alien, letting his blade carve a thick, deep line across his foe's abdomen. The alien instinctively grabbed the wound, literally holding himself together as blood gushed from between his fingers.

James gave a sickening smile, "Dun't let go." He pat the alien on its green cheek when the BB unit caught his attention. Yes, he recognized that one. It was Jess's.

Amid the droidspeak he understood--he had eradicated most all of the red district, but still there were some more lingering bits that refused to let go in what was the Warehouse District. He leaned down and patted the metal head, leaving a blood-tainted hand print on the top, "That'll do, droid."

He made a note to upgrade the unit and treat it well. It was good, and deserved its rewards. Before he left, the spacer hacked off the scalps of his defeated human foes and kicked the door down, charging toward the Warehouse district. It was time to make an example of these bastards.

[member="Jessica Justice"]
[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Jessica Justice]

Inside the warehouse, the young woman could feel the depression within the air. Senses of dread, terror, and despair were almost tangible against her skin. In holding-cells she could see others doomed to horrific fates. Mostly young women, though a few young children of both sexes, and across a medley of races, filled these containment spaces. She soon found herself entering an office-space near a large frigate within the warehouse structure. Inside, a pair were in a hushed argument. A blue hued Twilek, and a very imposing Trandoshan.

Upon entering, the reptilian humanoid silenced his partner with a hiss, turning to address the new 'gift' his Gamorrean louts brought to him. With a nod of his head, the young woman was (rather roughly) shoved into a seat, and swiftly bound to it at the wrists and ankles. "What piece of warm-blood treasure has been brought to me now?" He mused, leering at the girl. "One ye'd be best releasin', if'n ye best interest be in mind...." she'd reply with a small amount of bravado.

The Trandoshan scoffed, before glaring at the Twilek. "Hiik'un, why is my ship not warming up? I wanted to be off-world already! You know what will happen if he finds our operation!" to which the blue skinned Twilek, sufficiently cowed, bolted from the room to start the launch processes for the ship. As a new pair of Trandoshan guard's entered the room, Jessica could sense a spike in fear from those outside, and judging by the sounds she heard before the door closed, the containment-cells were being moved, likely loaded onto the frigate.

The 'leader' turned his attention to his newest piece of cargo, examining her much like a farmer examining a head of cattle prepped for market. "What have we here, warmblood? You are young... Strong... and what I know other warmbloods find 'lovely'.... You will fetch a fine profit...." He'd sneer, eyes locked on her intent stare. She was attempting a strong front, but in her heart she was terrified. She was in the heart of this loaded warehouse, she didn't know if her father would get to her in time, or if Ben heard her. A slight tremor ran through her as she attempted to reach out, subconsciously. She felt multiple things suddenly. Firstly, Ben was atop the structure she now found herself in. That was good. Secondly, her father was coming, a roiling storm of rage, wrath, and fatherly devotion. And thirdly, a first against her face, as the Trandoshan grew tired of her glare. "YOU WILL RESPECT YOUR NEW MASTER, WARMBLOOD!" He roared.

Feeling the tissue of her face already starting the bruise slightly, as the force of the impact was so great, she began feeling the stinging of tears in her eyes. But, she did not cry. No.

She laughed.

At first, it was a dark, low chuckle, which slowly grew into a loud, almost maniacal sound. The Trandoshan, perplexed, took a step back. "Why? Why does it laugh!?"

"Because, ye great git, ye be a dead lizard. Me Da is comin'. And he be comin' like a great storm. Ye'll not see another sunrise, lizard."

The Trandoshan scoffed, making light of her words. "And, little warmblood, who is this, 'Da' you speak of?" he'd ask mockingly.

"Me Da? Me father? He be [member=James Justice]."

"...... GET THE KARKING SHIP IN ORBIT! NOW!!!!" The Trandoshan bellowed, the fear almost tangible in the air, as he grabbed Jessica by the hair, dragging her with him towards the ship as the chair's bonds released her. Everyone seemed to pick up the pace dramatically to load the last of the shipping containers filled with slaves. The ship could be heard priming, the whine of the engines slowly building up. Likely only a few more minutes before the ship was prepare to leave the dock....

[member=Ben Corscifine]​

 

[Ben Corscifine]

What Ben saw in the warehouse shocked him to the core. The desperation of the abducted beings radiated through the air all around the warehouse, even the most insensitive Jedi could feel the Force choking around this heinous place. He had been raised on Coruscant, but his parents had been careful to keep him out of the parts of the city where the most crime took place. Once Ben moved to the Jedi Temple on Lothal, the chance to see the darkest parts of existence took a hiatus. Ben wouldn't, in the original course of his life, be around this kind of scum and villainy until it was his duty as a Jedi Knight to eradicate it. On this particular occasion, Ben's motives were more personal.

Ben scanned the warehouse interior for any sign of Jessica. There were holding cells everywhere, but no sign of Jessica. Worse, there were blaster-wielding thugs all over the warehouse. Ben was panicking now. Jessica had done quite a lot for Ben since he left Lothal, and he felt strongly since last he saw Jessica that their time together was far from over. He had to find her.

Ben had had inklings, since meeting Jess, that she, like him, was touched by the Force. And as he stood on the roof of this warehouse, he knew his suspicion to be true. She was reaching out, he knew it. Ben took a deep breath and followed Jessica's pull. His eyes moved to the back part of the warehouse, where he could see through a small window that Jessica was bound in a chair while a Trandoshan thug barked at her. All of a sudden, her captor punched her in the face. That was enough. Ben seized the skylight and pulled at the window with all of his strength, amplified by the Force and by his need to protect Jessica.

There wasn't really anywhere to go. When Ben dropped through, he would be seen by all of the guards.

Still, Jessica was clearly in danger, and Ben's Code compelled him as much as his convictions. He clutched his lightsaber and leapt through the skylight just as an order boomed to ready the ship that was located in the warehouse. Ben knew he wouldn't have much time. This would be a fight both against the clock and against the small army that the slave traders had garrisoned in the warehouse. He felt eyes and blasters turn as his feet hit the ground of the building with a loud thud.

Time to shake the dust off.

Ben's lightsaber burst to life with a loud, familiar snap-hiss. There was a rush of dopamine in the young Jedi's brain.

How he had missed that sound.

[member="Jessica Justice"]
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

"SURPRISE MOTHERF_CKERS!" came a horrendous roar from the wide garage door of the warehouse. If there wasn't a general sense of fear--James' figure, dripping in blood, eyes wild with ferocity, clutching scalps in his hands would have done it. The darkside tore off him in a visible, tangible sickening wave.

A lust for blood.

A lust for vengeance.

A desire to protect.

He grabbed one of the fleeing guards by the neck. James' fingers sank into the flesh, blood poured out over his hands and wrists like a cascade of crimson glory. With a flick of his wrist, aided by the Force, the spacer tore the man's spine out from his body. What was left dropped in a horrific display. As the others fled for their life, James waved his hand, bringing the heavy door down. It crushed the leader, spraying his innards across the three closest to him. The spacer gripped the closest to him by the scalp, driving the spinal column through his chest and out the sterumn. The man gasped, his body spasming as blood filled his lungs. One of the nearby men grabbed a chain off the floor and swung it at James wildly, the spacer pulled the man he held in the way as a meatshield, letting the metal tear through what was left of his ribcage, crushing the bones.

Grabbing the chain, James pulled the thick bodied slaver closer-driving him through the makeshift sword. A Twe'lik grabbed James from behind, putting him in a full nelson. A nikto working with him moved in, pounding into James' face and stomach. The spacer spat the spray of blood from his face, blinding the nikto long enough to plant both his feet on the alien and push, falling back on the twe'lik. The satisfying crunch of the green-skinned alien's nose under James' skull filled the air. The spacer felt the arms slacken around his. He drove his thumb back, tearing into the man's left eye.

"My eye!! My eye!! My eye!!" he howled, gripping his face as James rose to his feet.

The spacer wiped his lip with the back of his hand, spearing more blood than he removed. He could taste the satisfying flavor of his own metallic blood as he chuckled. A glimmer of twisted delight shone in his dark brown eyes, "Ye messed with the wrong damn family."

The nikto charged, his spiked fist coming down in Jame's cheek, tearing off chunks of flesh. The spacer absorbed the blow, bringing his two right fingers up in a hard jap. The tips tore through the hard, taunt, orange skin. James felt as the jaw and delicate inner skull gave way. The body twitched as massive brain hemorrhaging began. The spacer could only image the pain the man was feeling. How it felt to fade out like this, slowly, painfully.

At last the carcass dropped the ground.

"I AM COMING FOR YE, JESS," James roared, bringing the door down.

[member="Ben Corscifine"]
[member="Jessica Justice"]

 

[Jessica Justice]

"Ow! Let go, ye git!" She was still struggling, as the Trandoshan dragged her, kicking and screaming, by her hair. He was double-timing it for the loading ramp to his ship. He knew, even if he released her right now, Justice wouldn't stop until he was dead. But, if they could get into space, jettison her out on a pod in one direction as they jumped to hyper-space, there was a chance, a slim chance, he would go for her and give up the pursuit of the slaver and his crew.

Then, the first intruder entered. As the slaver-crew turned, leveling blasters in the direction of [member=Ben Corscifine], Jessica's eyes widened. "BEN!!!!" She cried out, just as the first blaster bolt exited the rifle barrel. She reached towards him, desperately afraid for him, which was funny, considering her own current circumstances, but still. She unwittingly released an uncontrolled wave in the Force, toppling two of the slavers, and causing a third to stagger off balance.

Blinking tears out of her eyes, she stared, dumbfounded and unsure of what just happened. "Fething hell, a Force Sensitive as well!? Ugh!!! I can't decide if you're worth more to sell, or to send as a decoy to save my life! Damnit!" The Trandoshan yelled, before dragging her aboard the ship. Just as she was about to lose line of sight on the going-ons outside the ship, she saw the blood-soaked mess that was her father enter from the first section of the warehouse. Judging by the gore dripping off of him, the slaver lost several hands in that entry-room. "DA!!!! BEN!!!!!" she screamed once more, as the reptilian humanoid carted her off into the bowels of the ship.

Meanwhile, more hostiles poured out of side rooms, and off of the ship, armed and ready to fight for their lives. Some had vibroblades at the ready to deal with the saberjockey, while most held blasters, rifles, and slugthrowers. One particular Gamorrean, who was quite familiar with tales of [member=James Justice], panicked and threw a trio of thermal detonators in his terror in the direction of the blood-soaked Crime Lord.

 

[Ben Corscifine]

(OOC: Again, extremely sorry for the delay)

Ben expected every blaster in the vicinity to train on him as soon as he hit the floor of the warehouse. As he raised his lightsaber in a (mediocre) Soresu defense, he was surprised when no bolts came his way. The slavers were overwhelmed with surprises as [member="Jessica Justice"] unleashed a Force Push and a bloody [member="James Justice"] forced his way into the room. The Jedi and his emerald blade were no longer the only major concern. Still, Ben was wildly outnumbered, and the slavers quickly recollected themselves.

Ben himself was not completely on solid ground with the nature of the situation inside the warehouse. He had never before seen James, and hardly knew whether to count the blood-soaked spacer as friend or foe in the moment. Still, with blaster bolts coming from all sides, Ben could do little more than focus on the most immediate threats. Ben's Soresu was weak--he could defend himself, but his ability to deflect bolts back at his adversaries was limited. He needed to get up close in order to eliminate the slavers. Unfortunately, the volley of blaster fire left Ben little room to move without lowering his defenses, and he could not forget that his primary goal was to keep Jessica from being spirited away on the slave ship. Ben could only divert his attention to her long enough to see the Trandoshan reach the ship. Ben knew it was time to act, and he broke his defensive stance, sprinting as fast as he could with the aid of the Force. Bolts whizzed by as Ben raised his saber in a makeshift defense, catching a few and sending them in the direction of the guards.

Before Ben could make if far, he was confronted by a hulking Gamorrean wielding a gigantic vibro-ax. Ben didn't have time. If he couldn't get to that ship, Jess would be gone and it would all be for naught. There was only one option, a technique he had not practiced but had seen done--he threw his lightsaber as hard as he could at the loading ramp of the frigate. If he could somehow damage the door, he would buy himself some time.

But now he was defenseless as his weapon whirred towards the ship. He jumped out of the way of a vertical ax swing. A blaster caught him in the shoulder in the seconds that his saber was out of his hand. He could only hope that the gamble would be worth it. He was in more danger now, but hopefully Jessica would be in marginally less.

 

[James Justice]

James saw Mister Saber Jockey when he barged into the room. It was hard to miss something like that. The spacer could feel him like a flicker in the Force, somewhat on the more positive spectrum. Judging by that and the fact that the slavers were going after him as well--James could very well assume he was an ally. For now.

The spacer watched as the three detonators began to fly through the air at him almost in slow motion one by one. He grabbed the first, spinning on his heel and side arming it away. The blast tore a massive hole through one of the walls, sending debris and shrapnel everywhere with a wave of heat. Continuing his wild spin, James brought his other foot up in a half-controlled arc. His foot made contact with the sphere, sending it in the opposite direction and bringing down another quarter wall. The third arced towards him, James didn't have time to react. He lunged, grabbing a charging Twe'lik thug and twisting to use him as a meat shield. The blast seared his flesh into a black, charred mass and sent James flying further ahead like a bullet. He slammed against one of the cargo containers and felt three of his ribs break.

A hoarde of angry slavers descended on him like a mass. James tossed what remained of the burned carcass at the closest Gamorean. The pig swung his vibroblade, swatting it aside. James lunged forward, ramming two of his fingers through its left eye. The pig squealed in pain as it cowered. A slug tore through James' leg, sending a spray of his own blood through the air. The spacer roared in rage and pain, one hand snapping the neck of a human as his other dug the lead out of his muscle. He glared at the shooter flicking his wrist and speeding the bullet along through the Force. The hunk of lead tore through the man's skull, dropping to the ground in a lifeless heap. Breaking through the line of attackers, James willed himself to stumble forward, he had a daughter to save.

[member="Ben Corscifine"]
[member="Jessica Justice"]

 

[Jessica Justice]

She watched, horrified, as the fighting began, then she heard.... no, she felt both men... Ben, and her father, take injury.... Injury, for her.... Ben in his shoulder, and father in the leg. Two men, she cared deeply for, were hurt.... for her....

Something.... broke....

From inside the ship a primal scream was heard. Followed by horrified yells. "WHAT IS IT DOING!? WHAT IS IT DOING!?" came the cries of the Trandoshan. He could be seen, backing into view at the top of the now damaged loading-ramp to the ship. His blaster, once on his hip, curiously missing. Jessica soon came into view, leveling the blaster at him. On a second glance, one would notice the Trandoshan was nursing his wrist gingerly. He considered lashing out at the woman, but she reacted before he could. She kicked him. In the chest. With more force than either of her two saviors would have expected from her. The Trandoshan went careening off the ramp, tumbling and crumpling into a heap.

A lull in the combat would be found in that moment. The slavers stared in confusion, as their leader lay prone, unconscious. Then, when the blaster bolt from the pistol in Jessica's hand pierced the Trandoshan's frontal lobe, all hell broke loose once more. Blasters were firing, seemingly at random, but only because the three individual targets were scattered about, and numbers were far from balanced. Jessica attempted to dive for cover in the ship, to break line of sight of the fighters outside who were firing at her.

A yelp of pain could be heard from the diminutive female by the two men outside.

From where they stood, they only heard that she got hit. They couldn't have possibly seen where she got hit....

[member="James Justice"] | [member="Ben Corscifine"]​

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Ben grunted loudly as the blaster bolt skimmed his left shoulder, burning his skin and tearing through his clothes. Ben clasped his wound tightly as he stumbled away from the Gamorrean. The pain was too intense, however, and Ben could not help but fall backwards. As the brute raised his ax to strike Ben down, a scream followed a loud snap came from the direction of the ship. Something momentous had happened, apparently, because the Gamorrean turned around to look. Just then, Ben's adversary went rigid as a bright green protrusion emerged from his back. Ben's lightsaber had returned to him in the knick of time--impaling the large guard swiftly and suddenly.

Holy feth it worked.

Ben felt the crystal in his saber's hilt--the one he had almost died procuring on Ilum--pulsing through the empty air. Ben reached out for it and the Gamorrean spun as the hilt moved around to meet Ben's hand. Something burned in the young Jedi. This was the first life he had taken. True, it was in defense of someone he cared about--and in defense of himself--but something in the Force was silent now. Ben could feel it in the bones of his hand as he gripped the cloth tied around the hilt. From somewhere, he felt Corvus Raaf. Maybe his master, wherever she had gone to in the vast galaxy, was sensing this and thinking of her last padawan.

The biggest concern, however, was that Ben did not feel remorse. There was an electricity that shot through him at the success of his maneuver. He was emboldened by the battle, and forgot the pain in his shoulder. He remembered Boo Chiyo speaking of this when the small knight taught the Shien Form to Ben. It was dark and dangerous and invigorating. Ben gripped his blade with both hands and stood just as a scream of pain came from somewhere inside the ship. He could feel Jess in pain, and it amplified the energy that killing the Gamorrean had evoked. He was ready to fight like hell.

Ben had managed to succeed in breaking the loading ramp--that gave him an opening to get onto the ship and help Jessica. Ben dropped into a Shien stance and moved quickly for the ship, battling blaster bolts away with ferocious flicks of his wrist. Every counter moved him forward, as if meeting the shots (which had become much less focused) of the slavers were connecting dots to his destination. Every few parries, Ben felt a slaver's pain as his own bolt ripped through his leg or opened a hole in his head. There was chaos all around, but the battle and the whirring of his saber calmed the young Jedi. Ben was so deep in a state of concentration that he had lost sight of [member="James Justice"], who was stumbling towards the ship from somewhere behind.

Finally reaching the ramp, Ben rushed inside to find [member="Jessica Justice"]. He called her name into the corridor and reached out with the Force. He could feel her pain from somewhere inside. He had to reach her.

 

[James Justice]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2AC41dglnM[/media]

James saw his daughter put the trandoshan on the retreat, and he felt a sense of fatherly pride. He knew his daughter could take care of herself, she was a Justice. They came strong, it was just the galaxy they lived in. A fresh wave of rage boiled through him as James heard the blaster shot. If there were any religious beings around they would have sworn that a portal to hell had opened up and its master had possessed the spacer's body. The air around him became dark, shrouded, and twisted with darkness. His eyes darkened, there was no longer any light, any hope, only void. Only destruction.

A visible wave of dark red energy shot out from James' body, knocking back those around him. The sound of their breaking bones could be heard as they slammed against the walls, cargo containers, and parked speeders. James lunged forward at a nearby nikto. The thug tried to swing his vibro blade around in a two-handed strike, James caught it with his left hand. The taste of the alien's blood filled his mouth as James' teeth sank into the meat of its throat, through the rough, tough skin. He twisted his head back, ripping out the windpipe and sending the nikto back, gasping, panting as his life slowly flickered out.

A gamorean caught his eye and did the wisest thing he could have. He ran. James extended his hand towards it, lifting the pig off the ground and catapulting him through three different humans. Their bodies snapped, breaking under its weight. Its flight curved left, the pig's skull cracked open when it made contact with a duracrete pillar.

The spacer clenched his fists, focusing on the pain in his leg from the bullet wound. It built, it grew stronger, infinitely stronger. He compounded it with his pain from his losses. The loss of his wife. The loss of Nyx. The loss of Anara, the loss of his father and his mother. A fiery red ball of the pain built around James' right fist. He compacted it, his now pure black eyes glowered at a wookiee across the room. It let out a noble battle roar and charged at James, blade held high overhead. With a flick of his wrist, the wookiee's body exploded before James in mid stride.

Dark tendrils of energy snaked off James, into the bodies of those around him as he slowly limped forward. The bodies shuttered and shook as their life force was sucked from them, leaving lifeless husks in his wake with sunken eyes and hallow skin. No one messed with a Justice. No one.

[member="Ben Corscifine"]
[member="Jessica Justice"]

 

[Jessica Justice]

"He shot me! That bastard really shot me!" she would be found sputtering as Ben turned a corner in the ship. The anger she wore, had the situation been less dire, would have verged on adorable. Her shirt was scorched, a long tear open across the middle. The flesh beneath was..... healed? There was no sign of injure, other than a strange, faded looking patch of silvery-skin. Her face even, which had been firmly struck by that Trandoshan, showed no sign of trauma.

After staring at Ben for a full second, it clicked that she was really seeing him. She launched up from her seated position against the wall, flinging herself bodily into him, arms thrown around his neck in a quick hug, before she began checking him over for injury. "Ben! Are ye alright? Oh Ben! Yer shoulder!" she winced, seeing the angry, stinging red flesh of the wound. "We need ta get out of here. Especially with me Da on a rampage. It be a bad place ta be!" she'd say, finally tearing her eyes from that obviously painful wound, back to Ben's eyes. She'd nod towards the entrance to the ship, only ten or so paces behind Ben.

When the two got there, the carnage had just settled, a horrific mess all over the hangar, as she just stared at her father. She moved carefully to position herself between Ben and her father, hoping that in his enraged state he'd recognize her, and almost equally important, recognize that Ben was not a threat.... hopefully....

Any remaining members of the slavers crew would likely remain in hiding, lest they joined the dead outside.

[member="James Justice"] | [member=Ben Corscifine]​

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Ben was glad to see that Jessica was relatively unharmed, despite apparently having been shot. Must have been some kind of armorweave that her shirt was made of, or else Jessica had some protective power of which neither she nor Ben was aware. The situation seemingly handled, a moment's pause brought the pain from Ben's shoulder back. The blaster wound burned against his flesh and bone, and Ben found his hand unconsciously shoot to the space between his pectoral muscle and his shoulder. The pressure alleviated some pain, and he did his best to conceal his distress, still more concerned with caring for Jess. When the young woman launched herself at him, the pain of contact was mixed with the joy of her safety and closeness. For a moment, all was well, but there was still more to manage.

Ben turned to see that the skirmish in the hangar had been replaced with utter carnage. He felt [member="James Justice"] as a vibrating, uncontrollable presence in the Force. He was filled with rage and power--more passionate, Dark Side power than Ben had been faced with. Ben assumed the man had no malicious intent for him. This man was not was not evil, Ben could feel that, but his rage had tapped him in to the darkness that Ben had so long eschewed with the Jedi Order--the same power that had flooded the young Jedi when he took the Gamorrean's life. Ben did not know what to do, but attempted to mask his fear as Jessica moved between the young Jedi and the older man.

Feth, I hope she knows what she's doing.

Ben's blade, now deactivated, was still in the young Jedi's hand. Just in case, he widened his stance and placed his thumb on the activator.

[member="Jessica Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

She was ok. She's ok. She's ok.

"F&ck," James whispered, the blood that coated him, trickling over his lips.

He could feel a sweet relief wash over him as his baby girl stood unharmed. All the darkness and rage flowed off him, dissipating into the ground and vanishing through the air. James could feel his body weaken drastically as the rage left his body taxed and exhausted. He could feel the damge he had done to himself and the damage that the others had inflicted on him. The furry was replaced with intense love and the fear that he had felt was suddenly gone. He was so terrified he was about to lose her, but she was safe.

James' lips moved as he took a halting step forward, but nothing came out. He wrapped both his arms around his daughter, all but collapsing on her.

"Jess," he sobbed at last, burying his bloody face in her shoulder. He let a few tears wash down his face on her. She was ok. She wasn't going to die. She wasn't going to be taken from him. "Jess....." he had never come so close to losing his child, his oldest daughter. She was reckless, just like him. She was fierce, she didn't know when to quit, and she had a temper that would get her in so much trouble. All just like him. How could he have been so careless with her?

"I love ye," he whispered, giving a peck on her cheek.

The sound of police sirens could be heard getting closer. Bout time, James thought to himself with a grumble. They were probably tracking him, he was, after all the king of the planet, disappearing without a reason was a danger to millions of lives. He looked over his daughter's shoulder at Ben and managed a smile, "James, James Justice. Good to finally meet ye in person, Ben."

It paid to have a crime network at your beck and call when it came to looking out for his daughters.

[member="Jessica Justice"]
[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Jessica Justice]

She clung to her father as he collapsed on her, easily supporting his weight. Despite her smaller stature than the two men, physically she was stronger than either of them. "I love ye too Da...." she whispered back.

She sighed with relief at the sound of approaching sirens, though her nervousness spiked again when her father addressed Ben. Looking back at Ben, she'd reach a hand back, almost possessively, if not protectively, taking the young padawan's hand.

"So, ye been keepin' tabs then, have you?" She asked, tightening up the grip on Ben's hand, a reassuring squeeze, before helping her father towards the arriving medical personnel.


[member="James Justice"] | [member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

The gore aside, the image of James holding his daughter close was touching. So this was James Justice, fabled king of Soceras. There was something fitting about this rare image of love as Ben's first introduction to the man. He was violent, covered in wounds and the remnants of the wounds that he had inflicted, and yet he was soft with his family. This must be the duality of James Justice that few witnessed, but was clear to Ben in that moment: He was a killer, and a damn good one, but he was a father first. Meeting the father of the woman for whom Ben had developed significant feelings should have been terrifying, especially given the fact that said father had just been on a murderous rampage in front of Ben's eyes, but his love for his daughter put Ben at ease.

And then James turned to Ben, and the terror was back.

Knowing Jess was there to keep him safe helped, although Ben knew he would be alone on Soceras as soon as the group disbanded. Time to make a good impression. He smiled sheepishly and reached his free hand to James as Jessica began to move them toward arriving medical personnel. He felt the pain from his shoulder shoot through his body, maybe he could use some help as well.

"Ben Corscifine. It's great to meet you, too, sir, I've heard a lot about you. Uh...your daughter is really special. I'm glad we were able to be here to take care of her."

[member="James Justice"] | [member="Jessica Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James could think of a lot worse ways to meet his potential daughter's suitors. All things considered, at least he had a chance to get to see what this fella was made of. He managed a brief smile, the lad was sheepish, perhaps a bit on the more frightened side. Good, it meant he had brains enough to realize that James was the, well father.

Police and medical personnel began to pour in. Of course, the police were trained thugs for James Justice. They were basically enforcers, locals who were trained and hired to serve and protect--and to enact James' will. They began to swarm around the trio, James refused to let go of his daughter as they looked them all over for wounds.

"She is very special," James agreed, extending a bloodstained hand for Ben to shake. He looked him in the eye squarely, "I appreciate a man who can help take care of me girls. Thank ye."

He let out a grunt as one of the medics gave him a shot of pain killers before working to mend his leg wound.

"You got very lucky, sir, another inch and you'd have ruptured an artery."

James waved it away. He had a lot closer before, "How did ye get here, Jess?"

[member="Jessica Justice"]
[member="Ben Corscifine"]