Springing a Leak

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

"Perhaps we will have to continue to walk." The suggestion did not thrill him, especially here on Athiss.

The environment on his homeworld was not much better than it was on Korriban or Tatooine. Desert, canyons, and ruins was all that one could really find on Athiss. The cities and sprawling estates that dotted the world were all hidden, and most of them were so far apart that it took an entire day just to reach one from the other. It was why shuttles were so important.

"Either way." He said quietly. "You have done well."

It was another small complement.

Vrak new that recognition of talent was one of the key points of fostering loyalty. The idea that beating ones servants, breaking them was somehow beneficial was something he had never quite understood. It was better to be loved than hated.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"That would be unsafe as much as unpleasant," she said. Her tone was clipped. Not due to the displeasure, but more to mask that she was more than partial to his compliment. Sitas often told her that her performance had been acceptable, but that was as far as he typically went.

Night was a dangerous place out in the Athiss wilderness, but she would take it over day time. The scorching heat and shuttles overhead that could spot them at the glance would have made the journey impossible.

The path started to curve upwards, evident in the burn that started across the front of her thighs. That slow ascent up from the depths of the catacombs seemed the match her spirits lifting. They had missed the opportunity to ambush Siedra, but had made the best of a bad situation. Up they went, closer to escaping her clutches and getting back to the safety of Sitas' estate.

But everything came crashing down when a familiar laugh echoed down off the walls to meet them.

"Kriff."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

"Unexpected." The word was said in a neutral tone, almost as if he had already accepted his fate.

Beneath the surface however Vrak was bubbling with rage. Anger and hatred came to the surface almost in an instant. That wench. That schutta. How had she found them? His eyes looked towards Neesa, a thought crossing his mind.

Traitor.. The idea wasn't a difficult one to grasp.

Neesa had been the only one who'd known about the catacombs. She was the one that had lead him here, and now she was the one that had brought him to Siedra. His lips curled into a sneer, his lightsaber came out and instantly the blade ignited.

"Did you do this?" His voice was cold as ice. "Did you lead her to me?"

He would ask only once.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"No," she replied plainly. His logic was sound of course. Which left her with few options. The easiest of which was abandoning him to his fate and making her way back through the catacombs. She doubted Siedra would waste effort chasing her when she had Vrak. But she was tired of this game. The ripple of anger that spread through her was entirely real.

"I led you here or she has a way of finding us. You try and kill me, then she kills if you win. We go and try and get past her and you take the risk that I am a traitor and we both kill you. Last one has a chance we get out of this, maybe kill her on the way. But I'm not going back down."

Hands on her blades she turned back towards him. There was nothing but determination on her features, but he would feel the raw anger radiating off her.

"Choose."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

Her logic was as sound as his was.

There was still the slight pinch of anger to him, but he was smart enough to realize that she was right. Either he killed her here and went to face Siedra on his own to die, or he walked up there with Neesa. There wasn't really much of a choice, at least not a good one. His lips thinned and briefly he glanced towards the exit of the cave.

"What's the matter Vrak? Scared?"

The voice came echoing down. "If you betrayed me."

Vrak began as he stepped forward.

"I will make sure you fall." That was all he could say to her, that was really all he could think of. No matter what happened up there, no matter what blood was spilled, if Neesa had betrayed him he would make sure she ended up as dead as him.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

She didn't reply, she merely kept abreast of him in case he was lying. A bolt of lightning to the back and a finishing strike would end her with minimal effort. There was only so much attention she could devote to planning for that eventuality. Siedra was ahead.

They came to a wide open hall. One exit on the far side. Several massassi blocking the others. Neesa wasn't even sure where they went, or if they came out on the surface at all. Two tanks deep and shoulder to shoulder. She could get past that but not easily. Not at all.

Eighteen massassi in all. More than she imagined they could take on in the environment. They didn't block the passage behind them as they stepped forwards. Did Siedra deliberately leave them the chance to crawl back underground?

"Give me what you took and I just kill Vrak swiftly."

At least it out to rest the possibility of her already being a traitor, Neesa mused. But there was no idle thought when she felt something brush against her mind. There was a glint of light as Sorrow and Thist twisted in her grip.

"Stop it," she growled back.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

Vrak didn't feel the press against his mind, Siedra knew well enough that she wouldn't succeed in entering his thoughts. Instead she simply glanced at him, a wide smirk on her face. She knew that she had won, confidence reigned within her eyes. "You disappoint me."

The Pureblood told his rival.

There was an almost immediate tightening of the skin around Siedra's eyes, the other Pureblood staring daggers down at Vrak. The two of them had fought for so long in one way or another, him sending assassins after her, vice versa. They'd played political games, deadly ones, whatever came their way. It was all that Vrak could do to keep up. Once, long ago when they had both been children she and Vrak had been friends, but that seemed like a lifetime.

"Disappointed in me?!"

"Indeed," Vrak said as he glanced at Neesa. "This little show is pathetic."

He kept goading her. "All of this? For me? The Council will have your head after you have mine. A little bit sad really."

Vrak was stalling, mostly because there was nothing else he could do. He had no plan, no plot. He and Neesa couldn't take on Thirteen Massassi, and he could see no way out...so all he could do was talk, something he was rather good at.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Neesa could at least feel that probing this time. Before it had just been a scratch at the edge of her perception. This time she could map the subtle assault back to Siedra.

The most basic of plans formed in her mind. Painfully simple, but it was all she had. What did Siedra truly know about the nagai after all? She let down her walls enough for those tendrils to take hold. It was hard to resist. Suddenly Vrak was a hateful creature, not worth her time. Siedra was a thing of beauty, deserving of a place on the council.

"Just what we took?" Neesa asked.

"Just those and you go. He won't suffer," Siedra confirmed. Her incredulous cry transitioned into almost a purr. Neesa felt the grip tighten, felt the urge to cut him down. She turned towards Vrak. The eye away from Siedra winked. Painfully simple.

As her foot moved towards him the splinter knife launched from her belt, telekentic propelled towards the sith. Neesa planted the foot and pushed off, darting towards Siedra and hoping for the small chance of catching her off guard.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

Vrak didn't need a signal to follow up on Neesa's attack.

The Pureblood was not so foolish as to need the death of Siedra to be on his hands. If Neesa managed to kill the witch, then all the betters. He saw the assassin move as fast as she could, and The Pureblood took this as a cue to attack the Massassi.

The creatures would swam Neesa in an instant unless he stopped them, so if she would have a shot Vrak had to help.

His lightsaber blazed to life, twin blades erupting with a loud snap-hiss. He rushed forward, his blade biting into the first Massassi within a heartbeat, catching the creature by the leg and slicing through the appendage before it would even register the pain. Vrak moved swiftly and efficiently, slicing at the next beast before the first had fallen.

Neesa needed time.

He could provide that.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

The splinter knife was thrown off course by a wave of Siedra's hand. For a fraction of a second Neesa thought she had her. The scarlet blade snapped into life as both scimitars cut in for the neck.

"Fool."

Neesa broke away and burst into a quick offensive routine. Short jabs and low swings to try and use the momentum of her swords to push her back. The sith retreated step by step, but her saber work was near perfect. Neesa thought once more she had an opening but felt a gathering in the Force.

She tried to meet the telekentic strike head on and failed. Thrown back her swords clattered against the stone floor. Massassi swarmed towards her before a stun mine in their path went off. Arcs of electricity reaching out to all four of them. Almost like arms gasping tugging and pulling them down.

Even this didn't bother Siedra. She canted her head, almost in appreciation and stalked forwards. Neesa rushed to meet her, but the sith was no long on the back foot. The Nagai tried to keep that red blade at bay, but her eyes were on the exit behind Siedra.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

Vrak had the same thought as the assassin. The Massassi outnumbered them, Siedra was strong, there was no point in staying. His lightsaber flicked forward and cut through the neck of one of the creatures, a kick landing square in it's chest to knock it to the ground. There was a loud thud as the third creature fell, a wisp of smoke rising into the air. The Pureblood swiveled his head, watching Neesa clash against Siedra. He frowned for a moment, then glimpsed another Massassi charging him out of the corner of his eyes.

He shifted and rolled to the side.

The great lumbering hulk smashed his blade into his fallen ally, a grand spurt of blood erupting from the Massassi warrior as Vrak moved away from the carnage and towards the exit. He bounded over a boulder and landed to the other side of the cave, turning back to block the blade of an Incoming Massassi.

His lips thinned, and then the back of his saber-staff kicked out.

Vrak cut through the Massassi's legs, forcing the creature to it's knees so he could impale it's skull.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Siedra's technique was flawless. Every time Neesa tried to use her footwork to get closer to the stairs she was blocked off. Every routine to try and find an opening was either thwarted with a few counter swipes or she was pushed back by another telekentic wave.

Neesa started to get desperate. She channeled her frustration, lashing out wildly. Her heavier blade slapped a saber away and the second cut through the air an inch from Siedra's chin. Neesa tried to press it home, to push past. But that scarlet blade was unnervingly fast and accurate.

It slipped through Neesa's defences and cut her from hip to sternum. Needs stumbled away. Her back was now towards the exit, but she was on her backside, swords on the ground. The pain twisted her features into a pained grimace.

"Could have been usef..." Siedra started. Then she looked down at the weight hanging from her robes. The stun mine latched to them. A withering look was all she managed before it went off.

A horde of massassi stopped Neesa from thinking of anything but fleeing. The pain was incredibly, hot shooting tendrils from the year to every corner of her body, but she turned it into a focus, drew on it.

She would have called for Vrak to run if she could have. The last she saw of Siedra was the woman keeping to her feet as blue arcs surrounding her. One fist trying to absorb it all.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

Vrak didn't need to be told.

By the time Neesa played her little trick Vrak was already half way out of the cavern.

Some might have called him a coward for that, some might have even gone so far as to do it to his face, but his logic was simple. One did not sacrifice a King. In the game of Chess, one so rarely played, it was not the leader that you sent to his death, it was not the mastermind.

It was the pawn.

Neesa in this situation was the pawn. If she survived Vrak wouldn't be displeased, but if she had to give her life in order for him to survive another day? Well then that was more than fine with him. As he rushed forward however his gaze drifted back, the explosion erupting for half a second as he spotted a pale figure lurching into a sprint behind him. A small smile crossed his lips just as he bounded out of the threshold of his cave, his body turning.

"Brace yourself!" Vrak called to Neesa as he spun on the ball of his heel.

His saber-staff was suddenly thrown in the air, sent spinning towards the ceiling of the caved. It sliced through rock and stone, digging deep and loosening the already crumbling cliffside. At the same time the Pureblood extended his palm, wrenching Neesa off her feet and sending her flying out of the cavern just as it began to collapse.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

No self control could keep down the scream that escaped her as she went rolling along the ground. A raw, primal thing as the wound was battered and pulled as she went rolling. The front of her tunic was a deep brown, but it didn't do much to hide the fresh line of blood from hip to sternum. Still that stubborn resolve kept her going and spidery whiite fingers splayed out on the floor and started to push herself up. Her lips were curled back from her teeth, her eyes full of rage.

On instinct she drew her blaster. No time for messing around now she opened fire on the two massassi guards who charged towards her. Her eyes were still adjusting to the light as she managed to haul herself back up. She could hear the whine of a shuttle nearby. She could only manage a jog towards the light. Every step and twist was fresh agony.

She explained - sparring no detail - exactly what she was going to do to Siedra. The explanation would make most modest individuals blush.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

Vrak turned as the cavern collapsed behind them, rocks falling and crushing the two Massassi that Neesa had just shot. He scowled slightly, and then pulled back his hand. The force wrapped it's invisible chains around the broken rock, and half a heartbeat later the stone began to fall.

The earth itself seemed to shake and shutter as the cavern collapsed in on it's, the rock falling until the cave was sealed shut.

The Pureblood let out a deep breath, his eyes half glazed over, sweat dotting his brow. "Shuttle."

It was the only word that he managed to get out. The only thing he could think of. The loud whine of engines reached out behind him, the shrill buzzing sound bursting through the air loud enough to catch his attention. He frowned slightly as he turned back, spotting the tiny black spec on the horizon. He smiled slightly, and then nudged Neesa who was busy uttering expletives of just what Siedra had sowed on this day. He shook his head slightly.

"The holocron." He asked as the shuttle neared. "Do you still have it?'

He had managed to hold onto his.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Black spots marred her vision. She involuntarily took a knee. It seemed a good opportunity to check on the prize. She felt it through her clothes, not having the will to even pull it free. Her fingers felt around the outline, gave it a good squeeze. Nothing gave beneath the grip, it seemed to be intact.

"Yes," she replied. She tried to gather the rest of her strength. The question gave her a suspicion that Vrak might be considering finishing the job Siedra had started and taking the holocron.

Get back to your feet.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

"Good."[/color[ Vrak said simply as he turned his eye towards the distant shuttle.

The Pureblood didn't seem to suspect Neesa anymore, or at the very least he didn't seem to say it out loud. He glanced towards the assassin for a few moments, looking at her before redirecting his attention back towards the buried cavern.

"Off-world." Vrak said simply. "Not to the estate or fortress."

It wasn't safe.

"We won't be safe." Not with his servants compromised. Not with everything he had learned today.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Was he trying to find out from her where Sitas' off-world operations were now before? The pain and lightheadedness was making her a touch paranoid. More so than usual.

"You have... somewhere in mind?" she asked. She had managed to get her right foot planted, but her left knee stuck stubbornly to the ground. The sound of the shuttle was growing louder. So was something else. A crunch, a crack. The ground shook. Siedra was trying to get out. Neesa was in no condition to continue the fight and she suspected Vrak couldn't handle her on his own either.

"Not to be a bother," she grunted through clenched teeth. "By I might need some medical on the way."