The Sewer King

Orion Darkstar · Apr 1, 2018

3 Months...

It had been a solid three months since the events on Zonama Sekot. Since then, the Stigma I had multiple additions. One, [member="Garland Kramer"] the beast master that after time had befriended Orion. The best part about getting along with another intellect was not wanting to kill them. Still, the Sith Knight was more than a capable fighter. The best part of it all was the constant hunt for his next collection. Even so, Orion had his own agendas. Along with his new friend the Stigma I now bolstered over sixty-seven samples of floral. All such samples were carefully tucked away underneath the floorboards of his ship, the cold and damp surroundings made it perfect for preserving most of the plants. Some, like the rare flower from Zonama Sekot, sat in his living quarters, locked away in a glass containment jar. Last but not least was the empty chamber that used to be the cargo hold. Transformed, it held room for meditation of the darkside and a small workbench for scientific practices. Such practices remained secret, at least between Garland and Orion.

Over the course of the three months, Orion had grown smarter in the mixing and progress of his own formulas. It was a matter of time before something big became of it. He truly had a gift and his drive to create quickly became a passion. The intricate delicacy while mixing poisonous and explosive strands of liquid excited him. Hard at work, he maintianed a fragile hand as he began to drip the blue, slippery gel into the glass opening. Reaching for a valve he turned it, a green flame sparked underneath the Borosilicate glass. Capable of withstanding such heat, he leaned toward the glass. Waiting for the results of his test, a ringing interrupted him. The source lingered just outside the room he had hidden himself away in. Bending backward he peered out to see who the message was for. The commlink flashing a bright green.

"Garland!" Orion yelled, turning back to what he was doing. "It's for you!" Tapping on the glass lightly, Orion continued to watch patiently. Another thought striking him as he remembered the invitation. "Also, I hope you didn't forget, we should be closing in on Nar Shaddaa in..."

Just before Orion had the chance to finish a loud robotic voice spread through the ship.

"Arrival time to Nar Shaddaa, Five minutes..." It paused and issued a protocol. "Please prepare for landing."

Orion smiled, he could still feel the churning rhythms of time in the force. It was new to him, he never knew he had such a gift. Recently though, at least, since his nightmares, Orion's powers were growing. The well dressed ghost from before continued to visit him in his sleep. The stranger continued to show him different scenarios of death, over and over. Orion had been keeping it locked away since. Not even Garland knew, though judging by his insightful guidance he knew there was something going on with Orion. Still, Orion hated to be bothered with useless concerns.

Another trace of his finger tapped the glass and before he grabbed the red marker along the edge of the workbench, Orion grinned. The gel refused to react. Another ring sounded, that's when the anger finally set in. Like a hammer of swift frustration, Orion's fist slammed into the metal surface. The rattling of his tools and tubes forced his hand backwards, scared to do anymore damage, if any.

Defeated, he snapped with words under his breath.

"Damn it...another wasted batch." Orion whispered, shaking his head in disappointment. His lab coat was swallowed in different smudges and stains. Overworked and tired, Orion turned the valve off and turned to exit. There were other matters to attend to.

Garland Kramer · Apr 2, 2018

Garland was jarred out of his deep concentration he held while meditating by the sudden ring of the commlink. As he stepped out of his room to check on the status of it, the sound of his comrade, [member="Orion Darkstar"], called out to him from the cargo hold now turned lab, "Garland!" "It's for you!" Garland hadn't quite gotten used to the speed at which Orion handled things in the three months since Zonama Sekot. The young man stayed holed up in his lab most days unless a mission crossed their paths. At night though was another situation entirely, Garland wasn't exactly sure what was going on with Orion but something clearly was. It started out almost immediately after their departure from the Vong homeworld, he started to mumble in his sleep. Garland heard it one night in passing by Orion's room and didn't think anything of it at first, but the situation developed more over time, now it was at the point where when Orion slept, he didn't seem like he was asleep at all. Instead he seemed to hold long conversations throughout the night, Orion appeared to be talking to someone and answering questions that were not being posed to him, even though clearly no one was ever in his room during these sessions. Whatever Orion was holding these conversations with, Garland could only guess. He would scarcely check on Orion in his sleep for fear of being found out, for he knew Orion's wrath upon those who irritated him. He had enough to work on anyway then to worry about Orion.

Garland had taken the time on the Sigma I and used it to hone his skills. His capabilities with a lightsaber had vastly improved, he could use it more as an extension of himself rather than just a weapon. Though most of his training had been with his prize possession, the amphistaff that was currently posing as his belt for the time being. The bond that he held with the beast was incredibly strong now, he could count on his amphistaff to act of its own accord and carry out Garland's will. He allowed his thoughts to be accessed by his amphistaff at all times so that he didn't even need to give out a code word or a command telepathically. It was an odd notion, since Garland, like most Sith, did not like anyone having access to his inner thoughts. His other beast was currently sitting in a small cage atop a shelf in Garland's quarters, it was a Ysalamir, though not as powerful as an amphistaff, it held a great power of its own. It could produce a bubble around the size of 10 meters that could disable the influence of the Force entirely. For Garland, its size meant that he could carry the cage within his robes without it slowing him down and it was easy to conceal. It enabled him to hide his Force identity or protect him from the Force powers of another, anything being used by or with the force would have no effect within the area the Ysalamir emitted. Garland liked being able to force his opponents to engage with him at close range where his amphistaff would be the strongest. Garland made his way to the commlink while thinking of new beasts he could add to his arsenal as well as battle tactics. Now who could this be? Garland wasn't expecting any calls, but he supposed it could just be someone within the Sith network, looking to discuss something.

Garland answered the commlink call and before him appeared the image of a woman. She was short and small in figure, cloaked in dark robes with a subtle purple lining, she had short dark hair and her face, though had grown older in appearance, carried an attitude just like Garland remembered it. Garland's face went pale as he realized who it was. "What's the matter Garland, aren't you happy to see me?" Garland stared off as if into an abyss, his mind became a foggy haze as the woman spoke again. "You're a hard man to reach, though I'm sure I played a part in that, Our last meeting was unfortunate, you have to know that I never wanted for you to get hurt." Garland's emotions began to come to life, a rush of conflicting waves of feelings flooded his entire being. "I would hope that wasn't your intended plan, after all it cost me MY DAMN LEG!!!" Garland's rage appeared to have won the internal battle for his feelings, as he slammed his fist into the console. Though it was short lived, rage will do me no good here. Garland calmed down and got a grip of himself. "What exactly do you want Sanova?" a small sigh escaped Garland as he finished his sentence. "Firstly, I did call to apologize, when I found out that you had survived, I searched high and low for any signs of where you had gone. I finally caught wind of your presence after a raid happened on Oorn Tchis, a man matching your description took part in taking down the Diamond Syndicate, and so from there I tried to follow your tracks, but always seemed to be a step behind. I finally caught a break though and found out about your mission coming to Nar Shaddaa. Don't worry, your master told me, no one else is aware of the situation. So the second reason I contacted you is that I want to meet, I'm on Nar Shaddaa already and really want to see you. I'll be at a hotel called "Nemec Royale", room 439. I'll be here for about a week while I'm conducting some business here. I hope you decide that it's worth your time, I'm looking forward to seeing you. Bye. The call ended, Garland still didn't fully come to terms with what had just happened, almost as if he was in a lucid state. I don't even know where to begin, I can't let Orion know, he won't tolerate a distraction on a mission so important, but if I don't he might sense that something is awry anyway. Internally Garland was screaming as he erased the call history, he was so torn by this new predicament.

This couldn't of come at a worse time, Garland slowly paced back to his room, his mind clearing up and going over the reason Orion and him had been sent to Nar Shaddaa in the first place. They were here for recon, but it was no ordinary information mission, for you see the man they were investigating was a long standing Sith informant, his name was Langdon Couth, his cover was a successful business man that built his enterprise as a Hutt Cartel leader, in reality he was stationed there to keep an eye on the Cartels and pass along information to the Sith. Being neck deep in crime had its advantages, he was told of all sorts of information that the SIth were able to act upon, from weapon shipments to Jedi activity in his sector. The reason they were there though was because as of late, Garland's master and his associates had heard rumors of Langdon possibly turning traitor, they believed that he was informing the Jedi as well as the Sith, trying to take advantage of the lifestyle he was given to get another slice of the pie. Garland and Orion had been instructed to verify this intel and if Langdon was indeed a traitor to the Sith cause, remove him from the picture.

Their way in was an interesting one, they had been given two passes to Langdon's annual Sewer Hunt event. Every year Langdon invited people from all over the galaxy to witness this battle of skill and speed of a great hunt. As the name suggests it took place in the sewers below the streets of the section of Nar Shaddaa known as the Undercity, where criminals were bred and death was far too common. The passes Orion and Garland had however were for them to participate in the event, the SIth always had participants in the event in order to get information from Langdon without drawing too much suspicion from prying eyes. They were to participate and one of them was to win and get to meet with Langdon personally and interrogate him, while that happened the other was to look for any clues or evidence in his residence or office that would prove his disloyalty to the Sith, if all went well, they would leave and Langdon could keep his job and his life, if not, well then Langdon would need to be replaced with a more trustworthy individual. Garland reached his room and pulled out the small envelope from the stand next to his bed. Inside were the two passes for Orion and him, they were just white cards with a small black engraving of a cerberus in the center, the symbol of Langdon's enterprise. The ship's onboard system came through the speaker outside his room. "Arrival to Nar Shaddaa in two minutes, please prepare for landing sequence."

Why are things never easy, I would kill for a simple mission. He prepared his supplies and put his Ysalamir cage on the inside of his cape to keep it hidden. His lightsaber was secure and his amphistaff had made its way to being wrapped around Garland's arm instead of it's usual spot on his waist. Garland figured that being a more crime oriented area, someone might spot his amphistaff easier and he would lose his surprise advantage it gave him. Garland sighed and put the cards back in the envelope, and pulled out a small slip of paper that was the invitation to the Sewer Hunt. He had read it countless times, making sure he knew the process to get to the event, but now only one line mattered to him, he stared at it with some anxiety. The line he was so intently focused on read: Show these cards to the front desk at the Nemec Royale to get your rooms and further instructions.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]

Orion Darkstar · Apr 2, 2018

[SIZE=10.5pt]The twisting tendrils of the darkside infected his dreams. It wasn't long before it had become a common thing. Orion's world of sleep was plagued for months. What started as a world of color, slowly wilted away into a cold dark room. The room contained a old, wooden door. To it's right, a tall, well dressed stranger, in a top hat, patiently waited to greet him. The four walls that surrounded Orion, were cracked and dripping of a foreign liquid in black. Finally, as he drifted closer to the door, the tall mysterious man would smile and motion to enter the decrypted entrance way. The sketches along the pane of the doorway showed Orion, small symbols from his studies. They reminded him of a chapter labeled, [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Corrupted Vessels. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]It was something that stuck with him, after the necrotic phases of his painful experience was done unfolding.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Every time, like clockwork, Orion would reach for the doorknob. The only phenomenon that presented itself was there was no handle to enter with. Instead, in orderly fashion the creepy stranger that greeted him before would simply ask one question. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]"Do you wish to enter?"[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] The voice echoed in a whisper around him. When the sly, dressed up man asked, Orion nodded. The stranger's long arms pressed the door inward and Orion was swallowed into a new world, a world of visceral possibilities. Orion stepped inward, a pitch black spreading for endless miles until suddenly he was warped into a long hallway. A sickly air surrounded him, the putrid smell of death filling his senses. Orion was officially lost to the terrors of his own creation. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]The hallway was well taut with red and gold decorations. The carpet under him represented tiny marks with the face of a lion. The solid white walls stretched for only as long as they could. At the very end of the hall, rested a spiraling staircase that descended to the floor below. Orion examined the closed in area behind him. A window was left open, probably for the scent that lingered like death. The silence that eerily fell upon him caused Orion to raise his brow, all of it was fairly confusing. In a sudden manner, a creaking whistle reached him. A door slowly opened from the inner wall close by, a small child exiting with a smile. The child was a girl with long black hair and a stuffed animal held tightly in her right arm. In the most delicate of ways, she turned towards Orion and stared. Curious, Orion went to speak. [/SIZE]

Silence.

His voice never came. Mute and frozen by the developing syndrome of his own mind, Orion watched. Like a puzzle, pieces were missing. The girl ignored him as if he wasn't there, but could sense him. The child's eyes shifted away and she started down the long corridor. Following in her footsteps, Orion reached the top of the steps. With each step he declined, the ghastly smell of rotten corpses grew worse. Still, the bottom floor was just as pristine as the one above. Losing sight of the black haired girl, Orion looked around. A large foyer opened up to a hotel entrance way. The sleek white marble flooring shined back at him, showing him his unmasked, youthful face. His long hair lingered passed his shoulders in regular fashion. Clearly, he wasn't here for sithly duties. A small crowd of people checking in with the two clerks, made no noise. It was as if the world was forbidden of sound. Truly, something was wrong.

Then like a mystical form of emotion, Orion saw something. The faces of the people around him began to turn to fright. The sudden painting of horror spreading through their ranks. The tiny girl from before slowly reached the center of the lobby, a sinister grin ripping through her cute and innocent act from before. In one hand the child held her dearest friend in one hand, the other a bloodied knife. Orion honed in on the details as the blood slipped off the sharp edge of her weapon and landed on the floor. The drop of blood, broke the curse of silence. A ripple of sound exploding into Orion's ears. The crowd screamed and cried. Others ran for the exit, but all of them were too late. The eruption of a thundering explosion blanketed the lobby for only a mere mili-second, until a swathe of flames engulfed Orion and the others with it.

The jolting feeling of pain left him and his eyes opened to a bright white light. He snapped upward and took a deep breath. The realization that he was alive, relived him. He scanned the area around him, only this time he was in a regular room. The same decorative, gold and red theme matched that of his previous endeavor. The hotel room was fairly large with a personal bar to break apart the kitchen and the living room.

What the hell is going on? Where am I?

Orion asked himself, still confused about the events from before. Lifting himself up from the bed, he made his way to the bar. He grabbed tightly onto a crystal glass and poured a smooth whiskey into the bottom of it. Sighing, he placed the bottle back under the bar. He raised the glass and swished it around, examining the bronze liquid carefully. A slight grin reached him and he went to take a sip. The aroma of bourbon made the grin into a smile. Orion went to take the first sip, but was interrupted with a knock at the door. He turned to stone, unsure of the unwanted guest that resided on the other side. Lightly, he set the glass back down and approached the door.

"Who is it?" Orion asked.

"It's me, let me in." Garland's voice held a lowly tone, unique to his elderly years.

It was about time Orion found comfort throughout his surreal dream. Garland and him had been through several missions in the course of a three month period. So hearing his voice made Orion relax. Unlocking the bolt on the door he yanked the door wide. Only what stood before him was something entirely different than Garland. The cloaked figure held it's head low and as swiftly as they were trained thrusted a long steel blade into Orion. The stinging burn and sharp snaps of muscle forced him to strain with a loud yelp. The swelling pain stunned him, forcing him to fall backwards onto his back. The crashing thud of his body hit the floor like bricks. A small cough crept up from his lungs as he tried to breath. The taste of sappy iron and chlorophyll filled his mouth. Trying not to drowned on his own blood, he forced himself sideways, blood seeping from the side of his mouth.

He was defeated, but by who? The long blade still remained inside him, trying to find the strength to remove it, he failed. He would bleed out, if not attended to. Blinking, his mind wandered for possible solutions, but he was clueless. A tapping sound breached his concentration, as the figure made its way over to him and released the hood from their face. A woman with short black hair towered over him. While older in appearance, her looks were shockingly delicate, except for her nasty leer. Her eyes narrowed on him as she leaned closer. The blackness in her eyes were shared with a hint of violet. Orion could feel the life drain from him. The sicker part was her laughter, the maniacal shriek tortured him. If only he could move, but the cold embraced him and his sight began to fade. He felt the release of the blade exiting his body, a pool of red and green flooding around him. The mistress of death continued her torrent of laughter as she made her way for the door. Wiping her hand along the the door, freeing it from blood, Orion read the numbers on the door painted in gold.

"4...3..." He spat out a large chunk of vital fluid before finishing. "9."

His sight grew dimmer and dimmer. The last key to the puzzle stood just outside the door. The woman that stabbed him, steadily escaped. Following behind was none other than [member="Garland Kramer"], fleeing the scene with her. It was a betrayal. Orion was forced to shut the lids of his eyes, his potential squandered as he bled out on the hotel floor.

The feeling of twisting and spiraling down a hole, forced him to come to. The man in the top hat approached him, the dark room from when it all started taking form.

"I told you, all you have to do is take the deal." The stranger advised. The lanky arms of his swayed back and forth to a soft melody in the background. Orion clenched his teeth. A slight twinge of frustration took form. Orion was tired of the weird stranger inside his head. All it ever wanted was him to say, yes. The refusals had been constant, Orion refused to make a pact with something darker and more mysterious than himself. It gave him an uneasy feeling. Like a sickness that waited to take him. "Don't you get it yet, I'm all you'll ever need."

"Shut up!" Orion snapped. "I've already told you my answer a hundred times. I will not make a deal with someone I do not know." Orion could feel the pressure of the walls closing in on him. It always happened, after every death. he came back to the same dark room. It truly was in all sense of the word, a real Nightmare.

Living Quarters, Present Day...

Orion left the lab moments ago. He left Garland to his current affairs regarding an untimely message, that came in the middle of one experiment, that in the end was a failure. It really wasn't the comm link call that caused such failure, only Orion's own missteps. He groggily took off his lab coat and tossed it to the hamper, his toned body reflecting back at him in the mirror to his right. He turned to look at himself, the deep circles that rested underneath his eyes showed his work ethic. Many nights were spent in the lab, concocting and writing up formulas for future testing. Despite all that, Orion found time to take care of commanding orders from the Empire. His travels brought him great progression, not only in his powers but his attire. Orion had tracked down the Diamond Syndicate in order to procure ancient sith relics for the dark lord. In turn, he received the dark lord's older attire as a reward. It was known as Kaine's Siqsa Battle Armor, but Orion had made it his own.

With a new image, the galaxy would tremble before his wake. The capabilities of the armor allowed him more versatility in combat. When the time came, Orion would show it's usefulness. In speedy fashion he geared up. He felt the shifting motion of his ship sway. They were landing. Orion peered down at the small wooden box next to him. He meant to save the item within for a later time, but its magical properties were wasted in a box. He snatched it up and pulled down his now golden mask. It was a small change from his previous mask, only this one indented his cheekbones. The image that stared back at him in the mirror intrigued him. He felt stronger, just wearing it gave him a sense of pride. It even made him seem taller, if at all possible. Good things were on the horizon, so, Orion thought.

He made way for the center of his ship to find Garland.

"What was the message about?" Orion asked, curious if Garland had another mission from the headquarters of the Empire. "Well, fill me in along the way, we've arrived." Orion cupped the wooden box in his hand firmly, before turning away to exit, he remembered why he brought it. "Oh, one quick thing." Orion smiled beneath his mask and extended the small wooden box to him. With the other motion of his hand he opened it and moved it closer to Garland. "It was on Oorn Tchis, I managed to keep it. The scroll in there explains everything." Orion closed it and handed it to him.

Careless if Garland liked it or not, he made his way through the ship and to the landing ramp. Pressing a thick red button the hissing sound of compressed air lowered the ramp. As he descended onto the criminal world, Orion took a deep breath. The same toxic fumes funneled their way into his mask, only this time the air was crisp. The filtration system was another plus to his new image. The bright and blinking lights in neon colors spread through the entertainment sector, where the Stigma I quietly would wait for their return.

Garland Kramer · Apr 2, 2018

Garland stared at the small box that Orion had given him, a gift from their time on Oorn Tchis. Garland opened the lid and what he saw surprised him a bit. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to be inside the container, but what he pulled out was a pocket watch. Garland admired it's craftsmanship, it was made of smooth sterling silver, no design was on it, but as plain as it looked, he seemed to be drawn to the object like a strong force was enticing him to use it. On the outside edges of the watch were three nobs, he opened the watch and began to toy with it. The left and right nobs seemed to adjust minutes and hours respectively. The third nob however, did not seem to do anything at all. No matter how much he turned it, nothing appeared to change with the face of the watch. How odd, I wonder if Orion knows that it's broken? He and Orion started on their way through the entertainment sector of Nar Shaddaa. They couldn't risk landing in the Undercity and leaving the Stigma I there, the odds of it being taken or stripped of parts was far too likely. Garland blocked out the bright lights and loud music that seemed to be alive in the streets of this part of the city, they didn't interest him, as he had been on here once or twice during his travels and nothing ever seemed to change in this sector. Garland placed the pocket watch back into the box and pulled out the small scroll that had come with it. Upon unrolling the scroll Garland saw that they were some sort of instructions. The pocket watch was no ordinary timepiece, it had been enchanted with old powerful magic. The scroll read that if the wielder of the pocket watch was found to be worthy, its true power would be revealed. Fantastic, my gift is essentially a puzzle box. Garland couldn't help but let a small smile appear at his lips, it was apparent that Orion had not figured out how to activate it's hidden potential, otherwise, he probably wouldn't be giving it away. No matter, the gift was nice all the same. "It really is a nice pocket watch, thank you." He offered sincere gratitude, over the past three months, Orion had become more of a partner of sorts than just an acquaintance. Garland valued his opinion on matters and had come to trust his judgement in dire situations, as unlikely as it seemed, the old sith had made a friend.

Having put away the note and pocket watch into a pocket on his robe, he pulled out the envelope with the passes from the ship. He opened it up and handed one of the passes that bore a cerberus on it to Orion. "These are our passes once we get to the Nemec Royale, where we will be staying for the duration of our stay. We are to present these to the front desk and then we will receive further instructions concerning our mission. Now as you know we are going to participate in the Sewer Hunt, it doesn't matter who wins as long as one of us does, so let the best man win. After that the victor will undoubtedly have a meeting with Langdon Couth in his headquarters. They will interrogate him while the other inspects his residence for any trace of evidence that he is working with the Jedi. If we do find something tying him to our enemy we must eliminate him immediately, although he is a puppet of the Sith, he still has a hoard of resources at his disposal due to his position, and must not be taken lightly. The call on the ship before we landed was one of my master's associates, he said that if things didn't go well that we were on our own, technically this mission wasn't happening and isn't sanctioned." Orion would have no reaason not to believe Garland's lie, after all, he had erased the call from the log, his word couldn't be contested. Garland knew that Orion knew the plan, they had received their briefing a couple weeks back and given time to prepare, still it didn't hurt to make sure they were on the same page.

The two Sith turned a corner and approached a checkpoint station. They were positioned around the Undercity part of Nar Shaddaa as a precaution to keep out uninvited guests and make sure street scum stayed away from the high class individuals that lived here. They passed through with little scrutiny from the guards, since Langdon Couth was expecting them, officially they were there to participate in the Sewer Hunt for sport and check on Langdon's status and get any new information that might pertain to the Sith Empire. He was used to these check-ins and had no reason to suspect them to be there for anything else. Within the walls of the Undercity was like a completely different city entirely. Everything was pristine but at the same time, crime was flourishing all around. Deals were going down on every block, no one feared law enforcement since the Hutts ran everything here. It was essentially a gated community for criminals. The only real danger was if the Cartel leaders became frustrated with each other and began a turf war. More money and illegal goods passed through the Undercity than on some entire planets.

Garland raised his gaze to their destination. In the distance stood a large white building that could be seen from just about anywhere. The Nemec Royale was Langdon's crown jewel in his empire. He had made it a beacon to the Undercity to establish his importance. He laundered millions of credits through it, and played host to dozens of criminals and underground activities. Of course the books for the Nemec Royale were clean as a whistle, law enforcement either couldn't pin anything to it or were on the take and turned a blind eye to the activities that occurred in the hotel. As they walked further into the Undercity, the drug dealers and peddlers seemed to avoid them. Guess our outfits aren't exactly subtle Garland thought, but it didn't matter, they had no reason to hide their intent or identity, in fact being part of the Sith most likely gained them an ounce of fear and respect from those that lived here. They rounded one final corner and they arrived at the entrance to the enormous building. A thought crossed Garland's mind as they entered the Nemec Royale. Overcompensation is a bit tacky Langdon, no need to let the world know what you're packing.

Upon entering the luxurious lobby of the grand hotel, Garland took in the breathtaking view. There was numerous paintings around on the lobbies walls, Elegant pillars stood and gave the sense of exquisite design. Many people were sitting in armchairs smoking cigars and drinking booze while enjoying the sports that played on the large television screens in those lounge areas. It appeared that Langdon went all out in every aspect of the building. The two sith approached the desk and the man that appeared to be running the things on the ground floor smiled and asked them for their reservation numbers. They presented their cards with the cerberus mark etched on them. "Ah, you are here for Mr. Couth, let me check which rooms he has you staying in. The small man faced his keyboard and began to work on his search, all the while smiling. Seems to really enjoy his work, though it probably has to do with the salary. Seconds later the man's fingers stopped the clacking of the keys, he turned back to them, still holding his creepy smile. "It looks like you two have rooms 523 and 524." Decided to come see me after all I see. Garland froze, the sound of her voice echoed in his mind. Not as close as I would like, but one floor up isn't that far either. I'll have you know that I'm here for work, the fact that I'm staying at the Nemec is purely a coincidence. Even better, we can make the most of a good situation, I miss you Garland. That didn't seem to matter to you the last time we were together, now get out of my head. When are you going to forgive me for that, I said I was sorry and I meant it. I never wanted to hurt you. I lost a limb from your decision, not something you just sleep off. If we can just talk, I know I can make things right, I look forward to your visit, remember room 439. Garland sighed, there was little point in arguing, she had made up her mind and he was helpless to change it. He still wasn't sure how he felt about the situation or if he even was going to entertain her invitation. "Sir, your rooms keys." Garland snapped back to the current situation, apparently he spent more time than he realized fighting with Sanova, as the clerk's smile had been replaced with an agitated look, he had been waiting for Garland to take the room keys. "Sorry about that, thanks for your help." Garland turned to Orion and handed him his key to room 524, knowing that his companion surely caught wind of Garland's odd behavior. He would have to think of something if it came up. As Garland turned to the elevators along one of the walls of the lobby, he saw inside one of them, it was Sanova, she did a small wave as the doors closed in front of her. She always did have a flair for the theatrics.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]

Orion Darkstar · Apr 5, 2018

The wide stretch of shops that lingered the entire way became exhausting. The two sith were clearly focused on their destination. They wouldn't be sucked into the stigmatic system of trading and selling with hollering vendors along the way. Instead, their mission was of the upmost importance. The Empire apparently, would have no link to the failure of such an exploitative mission. Orion understood such orders, after dealing with his Master Krest for so long, failure would only fall on their own shoulders. Luckily, Orion had a reputation for succeeding, methodically and unexpectedly. This time would be no different, in fact, he was more improved now than ever. Orion replayed the details in his mind as they continued to walk.

He looked down at the cerberus on his ticket. It was his only way into the Nemec Royale with the influence of Mr. Couth's money, power and time. The man had become a slacker when it came to loyalty to the sith. Orion was curious himself if a tyrant like Langdon Couth went off the deep end. Just the thought of him associating with the Jedi made him pissed. Still, nothing would be dealt with until they participated in his annual Sewer Hunt. According to the monthly reports, it was a vicious game of prey and predator. Every year, several died. The best thing about the entire hunt was how massive it became. The undercity needed something big, something that even brought the richer people to come and throw their money away at. Mr. Couth was clearly a well trained mind when it came to business. Everyone that spectated the Sewer Hunt, would bet on a winner. In the most sickening form, they would often bet on the kill count, but not of the beasts, the participants. The more simpler ones cared for a kill count, betting away their guesses at the lined counters of cash takers. It was truly exciting to think about.

Orion examined the ticket carefully, the bright red and gold shine faded as they descended into the undercity. He slipped it back into his cloak and sighed. It was a trash filled place, scum lined along the floors begging for change as they made way. Orion paid no mind to them. Instead, he was more concerned for the drug addicts that lethargically made their attempt at crossing a large bridge that lead further down below. Many of them would overdose and die in the long tunnels that entangled the world underneath them. The poor found comfort in such large metal pipes, until the rain found it's way in. It was a terrible circumstance, but Orion, understood perfectly. They were weak. The two sith slipped into the dark crevices of an underpass, where two guards patrolled and waited for them. They looked at Orion with intent to stop him, but the sheer appearance of his attire forced them to swallow their own pride.

They careened around one last corner. The shuttered away darkness lit up to a bright white, well maintained building. Spotlights erupted from the frontal sides of it, pointing directly at the entrance. Two large stone made lions rested on each side of the towering door in red. The Nemec Royale was huge. Clearly the Empire was overpaying him if the allegations were true. Orion shifted a glance towards Garland. Orion remembered everything he was told from before. For some reason, they hadn't spoken the entire time it took to arrive. Looking at the magnificence of the Nemec Royale, they entered into the lobby. The large room sucked them in and while Garland approached the counter, Orion froze.

Orion straightened his back like a sturdy nail. The tingle sensation that fluttered through him almost made him faint. The rush of his nightmares engulfed him. The loud sound of an explosion tore through the rattle of his brain. His eyes frantically relayed all the details in the grand room he now stood in the center of. The pillars stretched in a line along the entrance way to the lounge, swallowed by the other half of the wall, that fed into the lower level hallway. The sharp intricate shimmer of gold and red, told him a story he already knew. The screams, the explosion, the betrayal. All of it unfolded right here in the Nemec Royale. His own nightmares showed him the exact depiction, every detail flooding him with Deja Vu.

Trapped, Orion could feel the racing beat of his heart. Sweat poured from his forehead. His fists clenched as he stood in pure shock. The whole reality of his dreams were far worse than he thought. The small ticking of his mind began to curl, asking himself abruptly.

The nightmares....they weren't that at all. I've had visions in the past, but not to this degree. What the hell is going on!? Why didn't I connect the dots before? Wait.

Trying to remember everything his haunting vision showed him, he finally broke free from the shock. His mind processing calmer and calmer. His eyes followed the red and gold patterns to the rug in the hallway, tiny golden lions displayed along the threading of the carpet. The marble floor that rested under him, was the same pearl white as his dream. Orion slowly approached the counter with Garland. He had to keep it a secret for now. Nothing about his current predicament was simple. He watched closely as Garland turned to hand him his key. Orion snatched it in anticipation, quickly he studied the numbers.

Please not 439...

The first number presented itself as a five. After he read it, he sighed.

Does this mean the vision is wrong? Slow down, Orion. Think!

Orion looked hard at Garland. It hit him like a sudden weight of doubt. His eyes shifted to the inner of Garlands cloak, curuous if anything unique stuck out. Orion remembered, Garland betrayed him in the vision, if that's even what he was experiencing. The room number was wrong, so there was no way Garland was here to betray him. At least, Orion suspected. Still, the question remained...

[member="Garland Kramer"]

Garland Kramer · Apr 6, 2018

Garland turned back to Orion as the card he had started to hand him before his attention was dragged away by Sanova was snatched from his hand. Orion was staring intently at Garland's inner cape. What is he looking at? Garland shifted his gaze to his cape as well, Nothing is out of place, so why the staring? Perhaps Orion was deep in thought and his gaze had just settled there unintentionally. Either way, Garland didn't have time to question Orion's actions, he had enough to deal with himself. Garland headed towards the elevator that Sanova had taunted him from and hit the up arrow. Orion came up next to him as the door opened and a group of three men stepped off and into the lobby. The two sith entered the elevator, it had a blue-green marble design on the inside, nothing but another sign that Langdon had spared no expense in creating the Nemec Royale.

The doors closed and Garland hit the 5 button for their floor. If he was going to visit Sanova, he was going to do it alone. It was true that he trusted Orion as a partner, but this was personal, and Garland felt that he should deal with this on his own. If things got out of hand, he would ask Orion for help, but not until then. The dinging sound of the elevator moving up floors seemed loud in the absence of conversation. As the chime rang as it hit the third floor, the doors opened and a family of four entered, the two small boys rushed in and began bickering about who would get to hit the button to their floor. Annoying brats. Garland was not a fan of children he did not know, they were almost always irritating. One of them gained the upper hand and smashed the 4 button on the panel. Garland's eyes grew wide as the doors closed once more. The elevator moved up one floor but it felt like an eternity to Garland, as the doors opened, he held his breath, most likely out of fear and anticipation. The view of the empty hallway lined with doors appeared and Garland let out a sigh of relief. What was I worried about, that she would be waiting right outside the elevator for me? Garland laughed a bit internally, it was a ridiculous notion. Still, the thought had terrified him, he still wasn't quite sure what he was going to do about Sanova. Once more the doors closed and the elevator rose to their destination, this time the doors opened on the 5th floor and Garland stepped off the elevator. He turned back to Orion, he was still standing on the elevator. "This is our floor, you coming?" "No, I have a few things to take care of for the mission before I settle in for the evening. I'll see you later." "Oh, alright, stay safe, there's no telling what could happen here in Nar Shaddaa, we are on our own after all, no one will help if things go wrong." Garland turned and headed to his room, he heard the elevator door close behind him, he saw a maid was making her rounds, and was just getting out of room 524, Orion's room. In the slot for Garland's room was a do not disturb sign. That's odd Garland thought, he turned to the maid, "Why is this on my door?" "I let your wife in, she said she left the key with you, and wasn't sure when you would be back, she put the sign on afterwards." Garland was sure he had a look of a deer in headlights. My....wife!?!? Before even fully processing the situation, he unlocked his door and burst into the room, slamming the door behind him. He drew his lightsaber, ready to strike down the intruder. "I hope you don't mind, I let myself in." The words fell out of Sanova's mouth with a hint of a chuckle at her cleverness.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]

Orion Darkstar · Apr 7, 2018

Those three numbers were his focus, he knew it was paramount to the entire survival of his own at this point. Orion couldn't remiss such detail. The nightmare showed the exact hotel he stood in, worse over, he would be stabbed brutally. Since he knew, now he could change the events. All he had to do was stay away from room 439. The numbers grated against his think process, the shutter of doubt washed over him. Would altering the events lead to the same end result? He thought. In most cases meddling with destiny was a fickle occurrence in the force. Some proficient force sensitives were capable of altering threads of time, Orion could not. It almost bothered him, he had no control over the situation and if he tried the outcome could be far worse. There was only one thing he knew for sure. He looked at the image that greeted him in the steel doors of the elevator. Then, subliminally his arm stretched for the correct floor to visit.

Altering my own path will not prevent it. If Garland really is going to go behind my back, I'll have to rectify that situation if it arises. For now, I need a spare key for his room.

The images of his haunting nightmares slowly pieced together and he grinned. He had forgotten the other outcome. While insignificant to the rest of the world, a small child would be the death of hundreds. Orion cared little for most that would be wiped away and cleanse by the flames of false innocents. Stopping the events would mean saving a criminal empire that facilitated an absurd amount of information for the Sith Empire to utilize. Orion couldn't let all of that go to waste because of the sinister acts of a child. In fact, clearly the brainwashed girl wasn't the only party involved. A larger power was at work behind the scenes. Whoever they were, the best place to potentially find them was the Sewer Hunt. If a target was placed on Mr. Couth's back, in the midst of their entire mission, things could get chaotic. Orion looked down at the lit up button, two letters spelled neatly in gold outlines. LB Clearly it stood for lobby, but something about the button forced Orion into a trance.

The gold trim washed away everything, the same three numbers flooded back to him. The image of the bold gold that encased the numbers on the door in his dream gave him a magnificent idea. On top of staying away from the room 439, someone clearly occupied it. Orion smiled, the inner workings of his intellect slowly pieced the puzzle together. So much ground to cover and so little time was given. If he didn't get a decent amount of rest before the late night hunt, he would preform in unsatisfactory manner. Everything had to be taken care of in an organized way. The doors split open and the large lobby embraced him as he stepped out. The smell of white tea and fig swept through the area. It was a nice touch to comfort the richer criminals that poured in and out of the entrance to the Nemec Royale.

Orion walked across the white marbled floor and leaned against the counter. If he was going to find out who was in room 439, he'd have to do it through their server room. His menacing image made the young woman behind the counter hesitate. "What can I...help you with today?" Orion glanced at her for only a second until he found a small thin wire leading out and around the lobby hallway. Curious enough to find out where it lead, he went against his better judgement and dealt with Garland's room key first.

"I'd like another key to room 523, I misplaced it and my colleague only has his key for 524. Sorry, I'm a clutz when it comes to these things." Smoothly, the words spilled from his mouth. She smiled at him and turned to activate another key for the room. If only she could see the expression under his mask. Unamused with an irritated grin. He had to be quick about the two things, if he spent too much time lingering about, Garland would have questions. It wasn't that Orion answered to his sithly companion, only avoiding unwanted tension until he knew the truth would be best. The young woman typed a few things into the system and handed him the key. Orion lightly grabbed onto it, before spilling another lie from his tongue. "One other thing, could you tell me if my lovely daughter has made it in to room 439?"

"I'm sorry sir, I'm not allowed to disclose information like that to you. You're lucky you got the key, normally we ask for another deposit. Those keys are specifically made to strictly fit those sockets, so do your best to hold onto this one." She said, smiling back at his golden mask. Disappointed, Orion turned in frustration. Lowly whelp, who does she think she is...I'd break her down. Maybe I should let this place go up in flames. Slipping the new key into his cloak, he followed the wire around the corner and into another narrow passage. Carefully he examined door after door. Finally, he stopped halfway through the narrow path. His eyes followed the wire into the other end of the wall. The wire was right behind a secured door, luckily, Orion was good at forcing things open. Making too much noise would clearly cause a scene and blow their whole operation. Instead, he would have to resort to his technical capabilities as he bent down on a knee. Looking to see if the coast was clear, he took a spike and slammed into the side panel on the wall. A series of numbers began to roll quickly through the systems, four numbers clicked in unison and the door unlatched and slid open.

Orion was surprised that something so simple broke the door free. As the metallic door slid wide, a plethora of blinking lights and side panel computers presented themselves. All he needed was to figure out the login and he was set. He rushed to the first panel and preformed a common backdoor trick, common in record based systems. Once the code took, he was in. Now time to see who you are, mistress of death. His lengthy fingers paced across the panel. Reaching the info he needed, he began to read. Naturally the killers clock in time was before their own, but what really was confusing was a small symbol in the bottom left. Unsure of what the foreign symbol meant, he swiped the screen to see her name.

Orion grinned, no wonder Garland betrayed him in the vision. They were part of the same family, or worse, married. Confused and shocked, Orion closed out the panel. Like a ghost he vanished from the server room and made way for garland's room. Confronting him about it, would clear the air. The only thing he was putting at risk was if the vision were true, he would have to kill Garland. It pained him, this whole time Garland had been hiding something from him. The old man was a good liar, his years of silver tongue usage curated a dangerous man, afterall. Orion couldn't just stand by and allow it to happen. Instead of the elevator, Orion made use of the spiraling staircase and touched ground on the fifth floor. In great stride he swam passed the maid, almost knocking her over. He froze, turned perfectly in front of the door to room 523. Just as he was going to pull out the key to unlock Garland's door, another voice reached him. A woman.

Orion couldn't just barge in now, he had to listen. Whatever was going on behind the door could release the truth behind everything. Steady and patient, Orion leaned his ear against the door. He called on the force to weaken his signature, clouding himself in a sphere of concentrated negative energy. Muffled noises began to erupt into words. Intently, Orion listened.

All that was left to hear was the truth.

[member="Garland Kramer"]

Garland Kramer · Apr 7, 2018

Garland's eyes flared with intensity, he turned on the lights and illuminated the room, Sanova sat on the end of bed with a smile sitting on her face. Garland wasted no time and swung his lightsaber at Sanova, the red blade making a loud whirring noise as it headed to his target. Her eyes widened, and a purple blade of light appeared to stop Garland's attack. "What the hell are you doing!" she yelled as the blades connected and the hiss of the energy sparking off of them started. "You snuck into my room and think you get to ask the questions, how bold." Garland was furious, he used the force and threw a lamp from a desk in the room at the side of Sanova's head. She jumped back, and the lamp hit the wall, shattering it into small pieces. "Garland stop it, I just want to talk, calm down." "You have no right to ask that of me, not after what you did. Do you want to see what the consequence of your choice was!?" Garland bent down and lifted up the left leg of his pants, to reveal his mechanical limb. He looked up to Sanova, her eyes were holding back tears as she stared at what his leg had become. He pulled the pant leg down and continued to look at Sanova, his anger not yet subsiding. "Out of things to say, how unlike you." He took advantage of her flustered state, he shoved her into the wall with the force. Her head snapped back as her back hit the room's wall. Her body slumped down into a sitting position, her head hanging. "That is what I get to live with everyday, a reminder of you at your worst." He started to make his way over to the far side of the room where she landed. After a few steps, her head lifted up, tears were streaming down her face, her expression was that of sorrow. "I'm...so...sorry" The words stumbled out between sobs. Garland stared into the violet eyes that he once knew, he raised his lightsaber, but his rage was beginning to subside, other emotions were beginning to take hold of him. In his sudden moment of contemplation, lightning burst forth from Sanova's hands and blasted him across the room, slamming into the door. "I won't allow you to kill me though." Garland slowly got up and he saw the fiery passion in her eyes as she moved to strike again, this time he would be ready though, the two of them let loose force lightning from their hands. Their attacks connected and the struggle for power began. Many bolts were shooting off from the main lightning and striking objects around the room, small appliances short circuited and the television exploded and spit sparks. "I never wanted to hurt you, you have to believe me." "I don't have to do anything, I TRUSTED YOU AND YOU LEFT ME FOR DEAD! Do the words "I'll be back as soon as I find a way out." ring a bell?!"

Garland's rage had returned, in more strength that before. He surged with power and his lightning began to overtake Sanova's. He could see a hint of fear on her tear stained face. "I found a way out, but if I didn't leave right then, I was going to get caught and end up right back where you were, being tortured for information. So I left, knowing that I would come back when I could get you out, I took the chance that you were going to survive. I made it back 2 days later with help. I tore apart that base to get to you. When I found the chamber we were being held at, all I found was a pool of blood under your spot where the chains held you. I lost my mind, I interrogated everyone remaining to find out what had happened to you. None of them talked, so I slaughtered all of the rebels that resided there. Their screams were nothing to the pain I felt, I thought you were dead. I had lost the person I cared most about in this world, I spent weeks in sorrow, and then months in anger, anger that I was the reason you died, so go ahead and blame me for the leg, it's nothing compared to the guilt I put myself through already. It's been 4 years since then, why even bother now? Garland's rage was still growing and he attack reflected that, his attack inched forward as she spoke. I had come to terms with your death, but then as luck would have it, your raid on the Diamond Syndicate caught my attention, since I was an investor. When I found out you were alive, I couldn't contain my joy, I had to talk to you, to explain what happened, to get you back. So I wasted no expense in trying to find you. In between missions I spent all my waking hours trying to find you, where you might be headed. Then a few months ago I got a call from my master, and he had a mission for me here on Nar Shaddaa. He mentioned that you were going to be here with an associate. I couldn't believe it, after having spent so much time looking for you, here was an opportunity that fell into my lap. I was going to find you and tell you that leaving you behind was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and I regretted it everyday since it happened." "So what, you found a way to get over what you did. You still haven't given me a reason to forgive you." Garland had heard enough, the story was sad, his heart was heavy, but his rage was fueling him. His attack was almost in contact with her, her power was weakening and his resolve was stronger than ever, he would close this chapter of his life and deal with the pain after. A large bolt shot out from the surges between them and struck his bed, it caught fire immediately. The room had become a total mess, it looked like a hurricane had come through with the destruction they were making. "You are the only person in this galaxy that I trust, you are the reason I strive to become the strongest version of myself, all because....because..." "because what?" "because i still love you."

Garland was taken aback, his lightning waned a bit his reaction. He knew that their past meant that feelings would surely still linger, but to hear her say those words, he wasn't prepared for that. "What am I supposed to do with that?" He was still partially in shock as his attention was now being split between his attack and his emotions. "After everything we've been through, I know you still have some feelings for me, and I just had to tell you where I stood. What happens next is up to you." She lowered her hands and the force lightning holding Garland's at bay disappeared. To Garland's surprise his lightning came to a halt as well. "What are you doing, fight me." Garland's heart was racing and he was distraught. "COME ON!!!" Garland punched a hole in the wall next to the entrance to the bathroom of his room. The long struggle had exhausted him but still he wanted to fight. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes. "I can't fight you anymore, I won't, if striking me down will bring you peace, then so be it." Garland's eyes were wide and streams of hot tears were pouring down from them now. "When I lost my leg, I wanted nothing more than to make you pay, the feeling of betrayal was overwhelming, it was all I could think about." Sanova slowly moved across the disheveled room, stopping in front of Garland. "Eventually I was able to move past it, suppress the events and feelings associated with it. Seeing you on that commlink though, it all came rushing back, the anger, the pain, but more so, the memories. They stung as they played as if on a compilation reel, but because I felt joy, the happiness that we had was something that I haven't felt since. The reason I didn't want to see you again, it would mean that I would have to realize my true feelings for you. It would mean that as much as I hated you for what you did... I still loved you. There was a hitch in Sanova's breathing as he finished his words. Garland watched as she pulled the bottom of her necklace out of her shirt. On it was a ring, and Garland's attention to everything around him, including the fire that was now a decent size and destroying his bed, was stolen. "Is that?" She unhooked the chain the ring was on slid the gold hoop off of it. She held it in her palm and looked at it for just a moment, before handing it to Garland. "Not a day went by that I didn't look at this and think of the mistake I made." Garland put the ring between his thumb and index finger and turned it, to see the underside of the band. Small words were etched into it. They read "My heart is yours, always and forever." He had them etched in when he had chosen this ring. Garland looked at Sanova once more. "You kept this after all this time?" His words were shaky as the tears were now coming down faster than before. Sanova placed her hands on his, "of course I did, I was Garland Kramer's fiance, the luckiest woman in the world."

Garland's mind went blank as he gave Sanova a deep kiss. His hatred had completely subsided as she reciprocated his action. The two of them were locked in a heated embrace, even the loud beeping of the now active smoke detector didn't phase them. The sprinklers in the ceiling began to poor out water to extinguish the fire that was now almost completely finished burning through Garland's bed. That got their attention, they unlocked lips and Garland let out a laugh. "I guess we did kind of ruin this room." The fire smoldered on the barely standing bed in the room. If anything was where it was when the fight started it had been struck by bolts of lightning and charred in some way, otherwise it had been thrown throughout the room from the force of the attacks. "The maid might still be in the hall, think she'll clean this up?" Sanova now held a smile upon her tear-stained face. "I missed that smile." "You better get used to it, I'm not leaving again." The two of them used the force and put everything in the room that wasn't completely destroyed back in place. Everything else they piled into a corner. When they finished, Sanova hugged Garland tight, he did the same. Due to their difference in height his head rested on hers, like it had countless times before. This is right. Garland thought. They stood there for a few minutes, just enjoying the company of each other again. "Hey, I have someone you need to meet, the man I'm here with, [member="Orion Darkstar"], is assisting me on my mission. Sanova looked up to meet Garland's gaze. "Do you trust him?" "With my life." Sanova nodded in understanding. Garland needed Orion to understand the situation and know that even though this had happened, his focus on the mission was still 100%. The two of them walked out of his room and into the hall, Garland approached Orion's door and knocked. He wasn't sure if Orion was there, or too busy to answer the door, since last he saw was him leaving this floor so Garland called out get his attention. "It's me, let me in."

[member="Orion Darkstar"]

Orion Darkstar · Apr 7, 2018

The suction from pressing his ear into the door forced his head to turn down toward the staircase. The force continued to grant him his own desire. He was insignificant to the other force sensitives that lingered behind or around the hotel. This would give him an edge over a surprise turn. His lips lightly parted under his mask, the cracks of his lips dried from thirst. His wants mattered little as he immersed himself into the conversation on the opposite side.

The voice of a woman bled through. Catching just the end of her words they flowed out like water.

"I had come to terms with your death, but then as luck would have it, your raid on the Diamond Syndicate caught my attention, since I was an investor."

Orion propped up slightly, whoever they were, they had ties with the Diamond Syndicate. An enemy of the sith, criminals that were unaligned in the great war between Sith and Jedi. Still, they were a nusance. Orion shook his head and leaned against the door once more.

"You are the only person in this galaxy that I trust, you are the reason I strive to become the strongest version of myself, all because....because..." "because what?" "because i still love you."

The three simple words that spilled from her forced Orion's eyes to widen. He didn't know Garland had a relationship with anyone. Clearly for personal reasons, the old man wanted to forget her. Orion could tell by the tone that tension was clearly present. He straightened, contemplating if anything that revealed her true plan for being here was. Just as Orion went to lean back in to listen, something else caught his green eyes. A door slipped inward and what emerged was a young child, black hair stretching to her shoulders. The only thing clung to her chest in one hand, a stuffed teddy bear. Warped back into his dream, every motion fit and the girl turned to smiled. Her innocence was painted with the torn and shattered image of his nightmares.

She couldn't be...

Orion peered at the room number before the girl moved quickly towards the steps. Looking at the number 522, he ignored whatever Garland had going on. Orion could address it later, all he knew was that if he let the child get away, this time they would all die. Orion kept his pace as he trailed the young girl. It proved more difficult than he thought. With the hallways empty it should have been easier, but the young girl was fast. Faster than most trained Jedi. This concerned him, letting go of the enveloped sphere of negative energy around him. He focused on utilizing his force sense, the small girl was clearly radiating with sensitivity. With a small clap a large man step out in front of him.

"I can't allow you to go any further, we caught you on camera in the server room downstairs. Mr. Couth would like to meet with you before the Hunt..." The large man cracked his neck and knuckles. "I don't want to do this the hard way." Orion felt something familiar, a dampening in his own connection to the force. The only thing capable came to mind.

Void stones. At a time like this!

Frustration set in, if he couldn't use a powerful enough force power. He had to find a way out. Sneering under his golden mask, Orion responded.

"If you don't let me go, right away, there won't be a Nemec Royale left. I think someone is trying to sabotage Mr. Couth."

"Nice try. Listen, Mr. Couth knows exactly what goes on and when it goes on. I'm not going to ask again, come with me."

Orion tried to find a way out of confrontation, but nothing came to except being brought to Mr. Couth. If he ignited his saber and killed the guard, it would cost the Empire greatly. Not to mention, if the escorted Orion out of the building the explosion wouldn't reach him. Plus, could something the size of a teddy bear reach the fifth floor? Orion had to take the chance. He did the only thing he could do.

Rely on Garland, who could very well be plotting his own death, with a one and only Sanova Kramer. He looked at the guy and sighed. "Fine, lead the way." Orion quietly followed behind as the large brawny man slowly made his way to the elevator. One last thing had to be planted. Like a seed, Orion grew a vine of the darkside, connecting to Garland telepathically. The wave of tingles that spread through his nerves meant they were strongly bound. It could even hint at Orion's own doubts about Garland. It was a risk worth taking.

<< Garland, I'm being escorted to Mr. Couth. Things...How do I say? Transpired in the few short minutes I was alone. I should be fine. Listen, the real threat is in the hotel. A young girl with a stuffed teddy bear is going to blow Nemec Royale up. Stop her! I have to lie dormant for a while, Mr. Couth has sensitives as his right hand. Deal with the threat, I can't explain how I know, just stop her. >>

Like a sudden switch of electricity, the communication went dead. The bulky guy that escorted him pressed the top floor. Awkwardly they stood for a few short minutes. The door slid open and the guard waved him out. Orion stepped onto the 20th floor. The wide open foyer lead to one door straight ahead. Before he could reach the start of his stride, two slender figures in hooded jackets stepped in front of him. They signaled him to stop, one of them raising their hand to knock on the door.

"Mr. Couth, he's here for you."

[member="Garland Kramer"]

Garland Kramer · Apr 8, 2018

Garland knocked on Orion's room door again. "Are you there, we need to talk." Silence was all that was given in response. He turned to Sanova, "Looks like he hasn't come back yet, he was prepping for tomorrow's mission." She looked a bit puzzled, "What more has to be done for a simple recon op?" Garland smiled, she had been told the goal of their mission, but not the method they were using to achieve it. "It's a bit more complicated than that, we are here for information on Langdon Couth, but we are also here as representatives of the sith and are participating in his Sewer Hunt tomorrow." Her face expressed a bit of fear at the sound of their plan. "You know how dangerous the Sewer Hunt is don't you? It's known for the deaths more so than the hunting itself, I can't lose you again." Garland appreciated the sentiment but it was unnecessary, he was a trained sith and beast lord. He had conquered many foes and tomorrow would be no different. "I'll be just fine, and Orion is an even more capable fighter than me, I'm sure whatever Couth has planned, we can handle it. I can count on one of my newest tames to serve me well in battle as well." The amphistaff that was on Garland's right arm came slithering out of his robe sleeve, it was silent, as it felt no danger around the woman, same as Garland. Her eyes grew wide with excitement. "You got one! When did this happen?" Sanova had always been a fan of him wanting to become a beast lord. Garland had told her countless times about amphistaffs and how powerful they were in the hands of a capable master. "A little over 3 months ago now, on Zonama Sekot." She looked at it with childlike admiration. "May I?" She extended her arm out to it. Garland watched as the snake stared hesitantly at the extended limb, unsure of what to do next. Garland calmed his mind as he extended his own arm in order to let the amphistaff know it was ok. The creature slowly slithered from his arm onto her open palm and then up the rest of her arm. It's head sat next to her own, staring now at Garland. "It looks like he likes you. The last person that wasn't me that he attached himself too, let's just say they didn't last too long." Sanova looked at him with a smile still. Though they used to be a in a relationship, they were still sith, and killing for work was always seen as a perk. Suddenly, Garland had a familiar feeling strike him. Someone was trying to speak with him telepathically. There were few that had a connection with him to do so, and fewer were around to exercise it. It had to be Orion, since Sanova had no need to speak with him through thought at this moment. Then, as if on queue, words, not his own, filled his mind. << Garland, I'm being escorted to Mr. Couth. Things...How do I say? Transpired in the few short minutes I was alone. I should be fine. Listen, the real threat is in the hotel. A young girl with a stuffed teddy bear is going to blow Nemec Royale up. Stop her! I have to lie dormant for a while, Mr. Couth has sensitives as his right hand. Deal with the threat, I can't explain how I know, just stop her. >>

Garland's face must've shown his concern for Orion's message for Sanova asked him if he was alright. "No, Orion just contacted me, he as been taken to see Mr. Couth for some reason, but he what's more troubling is that he believes that a young girl with a stuffed teddy bear is here to blow up the hotel." His amphistaff returned to his arm, knowing it needed to be by it's master once more. Sanova looked at him a bit skeptically, "That sounds a bit strange, but if it's true what are we going to do, this hotel is huge, and we have no idea what this girl looks like." She was right, the description Orion gave was vague at best, but it was all they had to go on. "We'll go floor by floor, and search, there can't be that many children in this hotel, and even less with stuffed animals. We might not have much time, so we have to hurry, I'll take floors 2-10 and the lobby, you take 11-19, the 20th floor is Couth's residence, if the child is there, then Orion might be able to do something about it. Meet me in the lobby after you're done, that's where I'll check last." The two of them rushed to the elevators. Garland kissed her as they waited for them to arrive at the 5th floor, "Stay safe." "Don't be a hero." "Please, I'm a sith after all." The doors opened and they each took one, Garland sent his to the 10th floor and Sanova to the 11th. Child terrorist, can't say I've dealt with this before. Upon the elevator reaching the 10th floor, Garland rushed out of the elevator in a slow jog. It was true that time was of the essence, but drawing unwanted attention to himself might only lead to more problems. He reached the door to the stairwell at the other end of the hall and went through it. The sheer amount of stairs he would have to traverse was annoying, but at least he was going down and not up like Sanova. He sped to the landing with a giant "9" painted on it and opened the door, but stood in the doorway this time, there was no need to run down all the halls. After all, he could see the child from his end if they were on that floor. Unfortunately the 9th floor was as empty as the 10th, so Garland ran down more stairs. He began to think about the situation, Orion had told him that he couldn't explain how he knew this information, just that it would come to pass if they did nothing to stop it. He's been acting strange since we got here to the Nemec Royale, something is up, and I will find out what.

Flinging open the 8th floor door, Garland scanned the hallway's occupants, an elderly woman with a walker, two teenage boys, and a Hutt. None of them were his target. Garland was starting to get angry, he was on a wild goose chase and even if he did manage to find this child, he had no idea what to do next, if what Orion said was true, this kid was planning on destroying the Nemec Royale, but with what, a bomb? Garland didn't know the first thing about how to defuse explosives. If I wanted a bomb to do as much damage to this place as possible I would hit the lob....oh no. Garland had figured out where the bomb would be. If the lobby crumbled, the structural support for the floors above would weaken significantly, making them a liable to crash down as well. He raced down the stairs and past the floor numbers as fast as he could. 7...6...5...4...3...2, he felt something as he approached the door next to the giant fading blue "2" on the wall. He recognized it almost immediately. It was the force, but whoever was emanating it was very powerful, there were few that Garland had met that he felt this kind of bond with the force. He had to see who was on this floor, for all he knew they could be a contender of the Sewer Hunt and Garland planned on getting every advantage he could for the event. He creaked open the door barely a sliver, and within the hall was just one thing, a small black haired girl holding a teddy bear. She was facing the other end of the hall, slowly skipping along. That has to be her! She's holding a stuffed bear just like Orion said she would be. Garland yanked open the rest of the door and as he entered the hallway the child turned and stared at him. There was a look in her eyes that knew he was there for her. She turned away and took off in a dead sprint. "STOP, GET BACK HERE!" Garland yelled to the girl as he took off after her. She was fast, incredibly so, thoughts raced through his head in his pursuit on the child. Something's wrong here, she possesses the speed of a soldier and has the force presence of someone who has trained for years. Just who exactly are you? Garland watched as his target disappeared from his sight as she headed down the main staircase that lead into the lobby. Half way down the stairs, he slowed his pace to a fast walk. He knew what it would look like to the many guests if an old man was frantically chasing a small child. He scanned the lobby for the would-be terrorist, he couldn't spot her in the sea of people that were present here. he reached the end of the steps and began to walk through the crowd, trying not to bring attention to himself.

Where did you go now, you detestable brat. Garland quickly devised a plan, he went up to the front desk and got the attention of the clerk who had checked them in earlier. The smile on his face was present once more. "Ah Mr. Kramer, what can I do for you." Garland was sort of shocked that the man had remembered him, but he was a guest of Langdon Couth himself, so maybe he payed special attention to that. "This is kind of embarrassing, but a child pick-pocketed my wallet just a few minutes ago, I followed her down here but I seem to have lost her. She has black hair that runs to her shoulders, about 4 feet in height, oh and she was carrying a teddy bear. Please tell me you've seen her." "Indeed I have, she passed here just moments before you in fact. Let me call security and see if they can get her for you." The clerk picked up the phone and ordered a search of the lobby for the child. Looks like Langdon Couth is a bit useful after all. A couple minutes passed and then a shriek echoed through the lobby from one of the lounge areas. "LET ME GO, DON'T TOUCH ME!" Garland watched as the crowd separated for 2 of Couth's security guards that approached the front desk, the child in between them, screaming and struggling. "Is this the girl you were looking for Mr. Kramer?" Garland shook his head yes and leaned down to the girl. "Where is it, I know it's somewhere in this lobby, tell me where you put it." An evil grin appeared on the child's face. "I don't know what you mean, where did I put what?" Garland knew better than to say what he was looking for and create a bomb scare in the lobby, it would incite panic and cause complete chaos. "I'm not playing around here kid, this is serious." "I have to agree, it is deadly serious." She began to laugh at her sick joke, and Garland had had enough of this farce. He felt his amphistaff coil to the end of his forearm, he was going to strike her down. Something dawned on him though as he looked at his opponent, her bear, it was missing. It wasn't with her when the guards had brought her up. "Where's her bear?" One of the guards looked at him confused, "what bear sir?" "She had a stuffed teddy bear when she entered the lobby where is it?" "She didn't have it on her when we found her." The bomb's in the bear, I'm sure of it. "Find that bear, I think she hid my wallet inside it. Garland watched as once again the man at the front desk alerted the staff to keep an eye out for a stuffed bear this time. The girl was in a state of pure joy at Garland figuring out her plan. Garland began to look for the bear himself, he began on the back half where the elevators were, searching under tables and chairs, behind curtains and pillars. He came up empty-handed though as a new problem presented itself. One of the elevator doors opened and Sanova entered the lobby. She immediately saw Garland in a frantic search and rushed over to him. "Any luck here? There was nothing out of the ordinary on the upper half of the floors." In the pursuit of the kid Garland had forgotten the plan where Sanova would come to meet him down in the lobby. "You have to get out of here now, It isn't safe, I found the child Orion described and chased her down to here, the bomb has to be somewhere in this lobby, and I'm pretty sure it's inside of her stuffed bear." "I told you, I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to help." Just then one of the guards yelled to Garland, "Hey, I think I found it." he was standing next to the front desk in the middle of the lobby, she had slipped it behind there when she first came down. "There's a zipper here, your wallet is probably inside." Garland watched as he began to unzip the bear, his eyes filled with fear. "NO, DON'T TOUCH IT." As Garland's words reached the guard, he witnessed a burst of light come forth from the stuffed animal. He instinctively turned and shielded Sanova from the oncoming blast, the last thing he heard was a loud explosion. Garland stared into Sanova's eyes and saw the fear in hers as the force from the bomb struck his back, launching the two of them away as his vision turned dark.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]

Orion Darkstar · Apr 12, 2018

The sound of the knock reverberated off the thick wooden doors. Orion stood calmly, his eyes shifting to the hooded female that spoke up. She turned and waited for the door to be answered. With a slight creak, the door swung ajar. Standing, tall and thin was a Zeltron. He was well dressed in a three piece suit and slick, shiny shoes. Clearly the size of the hotel wasn't enough of a statement. Orion's eyes shifted to his sparkling wrists, golden galactic watches stained upon his red skin. It was clear that Mr. Couth didn't just have money, he spent it. Living a life of wealth and rarely answering to anyone was a key factor in his success. His empire resting currently at his feet. Mr. Couth stepped slightly forward and examined Orion. Retreating back into his office, he turned around and waved the young sith in.

"Come on now." Mr. Couth said, his gruff voice smoothed over on the last word.

"You heard him, get." The hooded female said, urgently grabbing Orion's cloth and nudging him forward.

Orion obeyed, for now. He followed behind Mr. Couth, careful to pay close attention to the strange things that were littered on the walls. Old images of the undercity were framed and hoisted as high as possible on the entire left wall. Each dated during a different time. As Orion turned his head to find Mr. Couth's large desk, he looked up and gazed at the biggest of all images from the undercity. Framed in a gold trim and glass paned gloss, rested a picture of the Nemec Royale's opening commencement. Catching Orion's interest in the large photograph, Mr. Couth smiled.

"It was a long time ago, probably the best decision I ever made was building this place. Truly is my pride and joy." Mr. Couth bent down to finally take a seat in his leather chair. With a sudden sigh, the Zeltorn sank into the cushions and reached for a drink. "So as you already may know, I have to ask what exactly in the hell did you think you were doing in my server room? Hmm."

"I think there may be a misunderstanding..." Orion was cut off, abruptly.

"I will not take your minuscule excuses into consideration!!!" Mr. Couth slammed his fist into the top half of his desk before fixing his suit neatly in line with his tie. Tilting his head from side to side, he glared at Orion. "One more shot, what were you doing in my..." In turn, Mr. Couth was also interrupted. The soothing waves of a cold embrace ruptured from Orion, the dark side bending to his will. He honed it just as quickly as the words fell out of Mr. Couth's mouth. The Empire gave the man wealth, Orion could just as easily take it away. The cold turned to heat and the friction sparked a new life, Lightning. A warning bolt flew across the room, forcing Mr. Couth to stiffen in fear.

"I'll have you know, Mr. Couth that the Empire sent me hear to retrieve the files from the server, like always. The reason why I've arrived early, was not only for the files. You see...this hunt has become quite the talk of the town." Orion's voice remained calm and methodical. "It would be a shame if the man that hosted it was dead, what would the great people of the undercity have to look forward to?" Orion stepped closer to the desk and grinned under his mask. "I suggest you change your tone the next time you address me."

Orion threw a small square onto the desk and turned away. He stopped before grabbing onto something that caught his eye in a rectangular open-ended glass case. It was a clean wooden bat, the initials on it were unrecognizable. Orion considered a different way, but instead ripped the doors open with a tiny force pull. He spotted the hooded guard from before. Looking over his shoulder at Mr. Couth, Orion wickedly spoke.

"I'll see you at the hunt. First, a quick lesson." Orion's evil smile curled higher and higher. He picked up speed as the guard continued to face the opposite way. Sliding across the floor, the bat was gripped tighter. Pulling backwards with it, the wooden weapon slammed across the back side of the guards head. Splintering and cracking the bat broke. Blood exploded outward as she fell to the floor. "Tell your help to keep their hands off of me."

Mr. Couth refused to move till the image of Orion vanished.

"Damn it! Pick her up! I should have known this was going to happen. I want him dead, tonight at the hunt give him the best we got for tonight's show. Killing Mandy like that won't be tolerated."

Orion walked to the entrance way of the elevator, the thick crevices that began to form around him spelled the episode of an earthquake. Orion was too bright to think of anything else.

He didn't stop the bomb!?

The churning ring of steel and stone broke apart from one another and all that came after was a large crashing noise. Orion tried to balance his stance but the building began to sway violently. The structure buckled and the windows exploded all around them. Sharp shards of glass and metal beams began to fall through the walls and floor. The hallway split apart and tore through the stabilizing pillars below. Like dominoes, one after another gave way. Orion and everyone on the 20th floor were sent into a debris filled descent. As they fell, the building formed a gaping maw of death and disaster. Orion slammed into a few heavy steel beams as he continued to free fall. The pain seeped into him, trying to keep his focus he called on the force, but something else greeted him entirely. Despite falling to his potential death, the sound he heard frightened him more.

"I can get you out of this alive..." The voice dispersed and came back again. "Make the DEAL!!!"

The echoing voice rattled Orion's mind. It almost prevented him from dodging a few sharp edges along the way to his inevitable death. Orion tried to search for a way out, was it even possible? There wasn't much time to spare, they couldn't fall forever. Orion knew the Stranger wanted him to give in. Fighting it would be the hardest part.

[member="Garland Kramer"]

Garland Kramer · Apr 15, 2018

Sanova's eyes opened, even doing such a simple action was painful. Her head was spinning and she could barely keep consciousness. She sat up and allowed her head to regain control of her senses. Destruction, that is the only word that would do the scene before her any justice. The Nemec Royale was in total ruin. Walls were crumbled and debris and stone was scattered on the ground. It appeared that the explosion caused the hotel's structure to get pushed outward, causing the walls to fall and upper floors to collapse. Screams and sirens was all that she could hear, people were shouting for help and crying over loved ones. As more of the remains of the hotel fell, it hit the ground and caused even more debris to fly into the air. The smell of dirt and blood filled her nostrils, the body count from the explosion had to be in the hundreds, so many were staying at the Nemec, maybe more than usual since the Sewer Hunt was happening soon. This had been a coordinated assault, and despite her and Garland's efforts, they had succeeded. She began to stand up, a sharp agonizing pain sat in her side as she did so. Probably broke a rib or two, guess I should count myself lucky if that's all I have to deal with. As she looked around at the chaos all around her, the death and destruction didn't bother her as much as what she didn't see. She spun around, trying to see through the clouds of smoke and dust for any signs of Garland. The last thing she saw before the blackout was his eyes as he shielded her from the oncoming blast. Not going to be a hero huh? She quickly regretted the sarcasm in her thought as she couldn't find any sign of him. Did he already get up? No, he wouldn't have left me unconscious if that was the case. She was sure that he would've made sure she was alright before leaving to do something else. Even in spots where his body might have gotten flung further than hers, was nobody that resembled him. She began calling out his name and slowly moving rubble with the force, hoping that if she did find him under a pile of rocks, he would still be alive. You have to be alive.

Oh, my head is killing me, feels like a bomb went off inside it. Even after everything that had happened, Garland's sarcasm knew no bounds, he knew opening is eyes would hurt, they would be sensitive after getting knocked unconscious from the explosion. Slowly he did though, but to his surprise all he saw was pitch black darkness. What the hell, have I gone blind? Garland tried to move his body but found that he was strapped down to something. Shaking his head made him realize that he wasn't blind, but someone had put a black sack over his head. "Hey, whoever you are, if you let me go right now, I won't kill you, promise." He could hear faint words being spoken from behind his head, along with a siren overhead. Am I in an ambulance? Garland guessed that someone had come in after the explosion and got his body, it took him a few seconds to realize what it meant. "That would be an impressive trick, care to try?" A tingle went down Garland's spine as he recognized the voice, it was the little girl who's bear blew up the Nemec Royale. "What's wrong, you were so talkative just a moment ago." Garland heard a small chuckle from the girl, and he allowed anger to fill his body. "So why'd you kidnap me? Don't tell me you didn't have enough fun with me at the hotel? I'm flattered really, but I must be going." Garland tried to use the force to undo him bonds, but nothing happened. Why isn't it working? The girl laughed again, this time with an evil undertone. "That won't work, between you being exhausted from the blast and this here voidstone, you are powerless to do even a simple task." The hood was pulled off of Garland's head and he saw exactly what she meant. He was indeed inside of an ambulance, and the small girl who he had recently pursued standing next to the stretcher he was on, holding what looked to be a jar containing a small meteorite in her hand. "As long as you are near this, you are weaker. So just relax and enjoy the trip, we're almost there." Garland's confidence had disappeared in a matter of seconds, he gulped as he wondered. Where are they taking me?

"GARLAND! WHERE ARE YOU?" The last ten minutes had been nothing but nerve-racking as she searched for any sign of Garland amidst the fallen hotel. He has to be here somewhere, he couldn't just disappear, right? As paramedics began entering ground zero, she watched as they grabbed people's limp bodies and place them on stretchers and get carted out to ambulances. Maybe Garland was already taken to a hospital. She was trying to stay positive during this disaster. She walked over to the working paramedics, her ribs made it difficult to move very fast. "Have you taken out an older man already, he has white hair, blue eyes, and both a mechanical leg and hand. She placed her hand on the paramedic's shoulder to rest a moment. "We just now started to come in, we had to make sure the scene was safe to work before gaining entry miss. Though I did see someone matching that description getting taken out on a stretcher when we arrived. The first team here must not have waited for the go ahead, his daughter was getting in with him. He looked to be in rough shape." Sanova's eyes went wide. "Thanks for the help, I'll let you get back to work." She turned and walked away from the paramedic, her mind was racing. The only small girl around here is the one who caused this mess. If she was with Garland when he was taken away then.... her mind trailed off, she didn't want to think about what they wanted Garland for. All that mattered is that she found him fast.

"How did you know about the bomb?" The little girl snapped at Garland, barraging him with questions. "Who do you work for?" This made Garland smile, he had some leverage on his kidnappers. "So how does this work, you know a little kid calling the shots? I assume the one driving takes orders from you." He wanted to know about the power he felt coming from her. "They listen to me, because I have something they crave, power, and lots of it, I'm sure even now you can sense it. Now that I answered one of yours, you answer one of mine. The bomb, how did you become aware of it and the plan to blow up the Nemec?" Garland couldn't hide his smirk as he answered. "Hate to break it to you, but I just wanted to play with your teddy bear, didn't know it was a bomb until later." A loud crack hit the air as she slapped him hard across the face. She was clearly not a fan of Garland's humor. "We'll see how long your funny guy act holds up after we cut you up a bit." The ambulance began to slow down, Garland heard what he thought was a large metal door being slid up and the ambulance moved just a bit more. "Into a warehouse of some sorts by the sounds of it." Garland knew what would come next. "We're here, ready to get started?" The smile on her face curled up so much Garland thought it might break. She opened the back doors as the ambulance was shut off. Garland could only see crates, most of them were covered in blue tarps. No indicating markings of where he was, or who these people were. A man appeared from around the right open back door of the ambulance, he looked amazingly average, short brown hair, black pants and tanktop, and goggles that rested on his head. "Oh great, her groupie is here, what fun." A quick hard punch hit Garland square in the chest. He was pretty sure he heard a rib crack. "Now why'd you go and do that, first impressions say a lot, and I have to say, yours isn't going well." Garland couldn't help himself, Might as well, they are going to torture me either way. The man pulled Garland's stretcher out of the ambulance and wheeled it over near a table that had some tools laid out on it already. "I wish you would've told me that you were going to check my teeth, I wouldn't have eaten before I came." The man adjusted the stretcher, making it stand vertically with the leg's now holding it in place. "I'm going to enjoy removing that smile from your face."

Sanova was sitting down, trying to reclaim her thoughts and energy. She was in no position to stage a rescue mission for Garland in her state. She would need help if she was going to save him. Who was the one he came here with again? O..Ori....Orion, that sounded right. He was Garland's partner here on Nar Shaddaa, but more importantly he was the one who had warned Garland about the bomb that had gone off. If anyone knows something about where Garland had been taken, he would be the one to ask. She slowly stood up once more, this time to find Orion, she had only caught a glimpse of the man when he and Garland had entered the hotel. The only thing she could be sure about was that he was wearing dark robes the last time she saw him. She didn't see him from just scanning the room, the smoke hadn't fully settled yet, making it hard to see very much anyway. She began calling out his name to try and get his attention. Garland said he was gong to a meeting with Mr. Couth, so he was on the 20th floor when this happened. There's a good chance he isn't even alive right now, and I'm just searching for a corpse. She had to keep looking though, he was her only lead to find out about the bomber and Garland's whereabouts.

"I won't ask again, how did you know about the bomb?" The little girl was back to demanding answers from Garland. "Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about, when you get to be my age, you forget things." The man who had moved Garland turned around from the table that held the torture tools. "Let's see if this jogs your memory." He held a large knife in his hands. He started to walk towards Garland. "Hey, watch it with that, you could really hurt someone." Garland felt the metal on his index finger of his left hand. "That's the goal." The sound of flesh and bone being torn from Garland's hand was all that was heard in the large warehouse. A small thud indicated that the finger had been completely severed. "Arghhhhhh." Garland held back his yell of pain. "What happened to your humorous demeanor? Don't tell me it's gone already." Garland's forehead began to sweat and the drops of blood from his hand echoed in his ears. "I've lost a bit more than a finger in my lifetime, do try a bit harder will you?" His torturer let out a hearty laugh. "There it is, it's so much more fun when you fight it." Garland's mind drifted slightly, while the man prattled on. Orion, when I get out of this, if you are still alive, we really need to talk. As fun as this is, I really don't know anything they are looking for, and eventually they will either figure it out, or I'll be dead. Garland then felt a small twinge on his right arm, his amphistaff was active. Looks like it finally recovered from the blast, but to attack now would be futile, in my state they would overpower me with ease. I have to create an advantage for myself. Garland then returned to the current situation, the man was still talking. "Are you finished? You talk to much for your profession, actions speak louder than words after all." The man was not pleased with Garland's assessment of his performance. "You want action, fine by me, one last chance, why did you know the bomb was going to be at the Nemec today?" The man went back to the table and put down the knife, he lifted the sheet that hung off the table and pulled up a buzz saw. Garland was fear struck. "This should be action enough for you, might even shut you up for good." The saw whirred to life, the blade spinning fast and emitting a loud noise as he came closer to Garland. "You really want to know how I knew about the bomb at the Nemec?" All Garland could hear was the sound of the blade next to his face. "I'm all ears." Garland sighed, "Mr. Couth is onto you, he told me to keep a look out for your group." He hoped the lie would convince them. "Sorry, wrong answer." He lowered the saw to Garland's 4 fingered left hand. 'Wait, wait, wai...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH." The blade forced it's way through the bone in Garland's wrist, making a loud noise and it powered through. The pain was excruciating, his mind was white with rage as his hand dropped to the floor. He lowered his head and focused everything on his wrist to stop it from bleeding with the force, he would have to keep this up if he was going to stand a chance at living. It took everything he had to keep that active with the voidstone still around. "I'm...sorry...Sanova..."

The man pulled up Garland's head and had it looking at him. 'What was that? Who is Sanova?" He let Garland's head go and it went back down to it's original position. "She's most likely the woman I saw him with before the bomb went off. She must be important to him, seeing how he took the brunt of the blast for her." Garland raised his head slightly, his eyes were filled with hatred. "You leave her out of this, she doesn't know anything." The little girl grew a devious grin, "We'll be the judge of that, Jackson, I'm going to go back to the hotel with Gregory, clean up this mess and be ready when we return." Jackson, the man who had taken Garland's hand bent down on one knee, and spoke only one line. "Consider it done, I await your return." The little girl headed back to the ambulance, and another man in uniform took the driver's seat. It started up and the large door to the warehouse opened, Garland couldn't make out any distinguishing factors about where he might be being held. After they left and the door closed. Garland started in on Jackson. "Wow, never would've pegged you for a Jackson, maybe like a Sue, or a Jessica, but Jackson, just doesn't fit." The man pulled out a silver hilt from his belt, it ignited and a red beam came from within. "I really must say, you are annoying to the last, even after losing a hand, you can't close your mouth. This will serve as poetic justice, you, a lowly sad excuse for a sith being struck down by his own lightsaber. Any last words, I'm sure you have some." The man approached Garland and held the lightsaber horizontally towards his stomach. "I'm going to miss you Jackson." His amphistaff lunged out of the arm of his robe. It caught Jackson on the hand holding the lightsaber. He took a step back and winced in pain. "What the hell is that?" He roared, as he swung down toward the beast that had bitten him. The lightsaber connected but it had no effect, The amphistaff darted and bit Jackson's leg. It then ascended to his mid section, carving him up the whole way. Jackson's screams echoed in the warehouse and the amphistaff sliced him up around his body. He fell to his knees, dropping the lightsaber. The beast then took off both of his hands to ensure he could no longer wield a weapon. Garland watched as the man just looked at the stumps of his arms, clearly not believing what had just happened. The amphistaff came back to Garland and cut off the straps holding him down. He knelt down beside Jackson, picking up his lightsaber with his right hand. "If she does anything to Sanova, I'll find a way to bring you back and kill you again, then you will see what real torture is like." His amphistaff stuck Jackson's throat and blood spewed out, ending his life. Garland placed his lightsaber back on his belt, he reached into Jackson's shirt pocket, he also had a small meteor rock in a glass jar. Garland looked at it curiously. "What a nuisance, so small, yet so dangerous." He tossed it away, deeper into the warehouse, then turned toward the metal door that they had come into. There was a normal door next to it, he unlocked and opened it. His surroundings was more warehouses, lines of them. Guess I'm at a storage lot. He didn't know where he was, having not visited this part of Nar Shaddaa on his past travels, but he was determined to find out. He had to get back to the Nemec Royale as soon as he could. The little girl was headed there to look for Sanova. Garland feared for not only her life, but Orion's as well. If he had survived the blast, he would be weak, but Garland felt he would still fight the powerful child he knew to be the bomber if the opportunity presented itself.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]

Orion Darkstar · Apr 17, 2018

"Do It...You'll die!" The stranger continued to badger him as he fell. "I can get you out of this, Orion!" A light chuckled echoed through his mind. "Without me, you'll never amount to what you truly want to be...Powerful! Bombs would never be a threat to us, think about it. We could rule, you and I!"

Orion held his head and flailed as he continued towards his death. He wouldn't give in. The answer presented itself, instead, Orion ignored the strangers plea. Something that desperate for his final word would never get its way with Orion. He had come too far to allow whatever was going on inside his head, exactly what it wanted. With the visions from his father in the past, how could this not be related. It was too coincidental. Unfortunately, Orion had to think fast in the midst of being bludgeoned by the Stranger's corruption. The descent would only last till the final collapse, the bottom floor would find him and he would be dead. The force would suffer a monumental loss if fate declared such a thing.

However, Orion was a man of will. If he had it, there was always a way out of any crappy situation. Trying his hardest to block out the Stranger, he scanned around. A metal pipe unlatched itself from the side wall and flew through the air. It dropped quicker and quicker to the bottom. Stone blocks filtered inward like a flowing waterfall, piling up to make his death quicker. Orion refused to accept death, not today. He called on it, the force, the tendrils of the darkside gripped onto him. The cold embrace of its touched sent chills through him. The rubble below was only a few hundred feet from him, he had to act or die.

Throwing his hands forward, his palms stretched upward. The swelling of the force concentrated into both of his hands and right before the force bent to his will, an anomaly disrupted his chances of survival. A thick, oversized beam slipped through the air like a bullet and tore through his shoulder. The sudden shock, prevented him from cushioning the landing. A streak of red painted the air as the beam cut clean through the muscle. The sharp burn tainted his strength. The force almost completely withdrawing from his right hand. Untouched, his left hand awaited instructions. More blood gushed up from his right shoulder, now uselessly limp with a large pipe lodged in it.

A few more seconds and death, a friend of his very own, would embrace him. The thoughts in his mind went blank and all that was truly left was the pestering voice of the stranger. With his last attempt, Orion lifted his left arm and unleashed a viscous blast of rippling energy. It jerked him sideways, not quite landing onto spikes and sharp edged stone. Like a bolt of pure darkness, his cloak wrapped around him completely. The ventricular force of his blast shot him against a loose hanging pipe. The metal beam that was lodged into his right shoulder, banged against the pipe and drove clean through to the other end before falling below. Orion's head slammed into the pipe, a sudden hazy world of pure destruction took hold. The taste of iron and chlorophyll reached him. His Zelosian roots becoming more and more apparent. His golden mask from the impact slid slightly off, falling down below.

Almost unconscious, Orion survived. The pipe finally gave and Orion blacked out. His body slouched in a bent position. More of the Nemec Royale continued to break apart around him. The cascading bricks funneled their way into the streets of the undercity. Sirens and screams erupted throughout the entire area. The only thing that Orion could hear was the Stranger.

"Idiot..." The stranger snapped. "I've got you. The great Orion Darkstar..." The Stranger sucked his teeth as he danced along the cold, dark floor in Orion's mind. "Wake up!"

The same old room, a prison he couldn't escape. Orion's eyes opened, a look of distaste reaching him. He hated these nightmares, all facilitated by his mind. Or so, he thought. Groggily, he tried to stand, but he was too weak. Whatever happened in the real world, was affecting him here. He slightly turned his head to see a hole through his right shoulder. Blood seeping out of it like a fondue fountain.

"What?"

"Hush." The stranger said abruptly. "Today is the big day!"

"Every time, the same old nonsense. The answer is still no. Just leave already." Orion said, trying to fix his comfort.

"Oh! You don't know do you? I won either way. I guess now would be a great time to introduce myself!" The excitement in the strangers voice concerned Orion. The only time he ever heard such a high pitched enjoyment from the Stranger was when they first met. It was odd to see such a demeanor from him.

"What do you mean you won?" Orion asked.

Ignoring Orion, the Stranger receded into the darker depths of the isolated room. Trying to see where the sickening man went, Orion tried to consider where he went wrong. He felt a sharp pain resonating from his shoulder. Then, like shadows dancing along the walls a new figure transformed before him. The wavy smoke that crept upward into the air like a spindle of flame took hold. The ashy grey that slowly formed from below glided closer to him. Claws formed out of the gassy cloud, fluttering in constant transition to become as tangible and real as possible. Curled inward the cloud lifted, the once grey hue tainted by a polluted black. What formed next were the most accented slits for eyes. The vibrant hue of a sharp red, sparked to life. It was paralyzing to look at. As the face took shape, the smokey demon towered over him like a king. A slow grumble erupted from the mysterious being, ash pouring from its mouth.

"Hunger." Whispered the frightening cloud. It slowly widened its jaw, a lengthy tongue stretching to lick Orion's cheek. "I won't kill you, if I feed."

Orion could feel the sticky saliva along his cheek and down to his neck. Whatever it was, it was hungry. Orion hadn't experienced such a phenomenon. He watched as razor sharp teeth formed on the insides of his mouth. It was a truly terrifying beast. The wraith-like sculpture that lingered over him sent chills through him. The dampening weight of the air around him spelled, FEAR. Orion thought only water could make him squeal, but images of other things flooded him with doubt and confusion. The sense of lost and helplessness filled him as he started to shiver. Being wounded mentally, was worse than physically being tortured. Unlike the nightmares, Orion was stone. Dead to anything other than fear.

"How rude of me. I said I would introduce myself, did I not?" The demonic tone from the shadow cloud, taunted Orion. Orion was staring off into the distance lost to a perpetual world of fear and anguish. "My name is Fovos Trogon, stranger is no longer necessary." He lightly tapped the stiffened Orion and creased his wicked mouth. A mixture of cold and smoke rushed quickly around Orion's body. The spirit circulated to gain speed. Finally, it turned and the smoke demon entered in through Orion's mouth like a torrent of water. The fear still heavily pouring into Orion's heart. It spread through his veins, splintering off in every direction before it took absolute control, for now. Fovos, warped him into a puppet and just as he reached the very tip of Orion's mind. He awoke, the world of fear no longer played the fine tune of drowning waves crashing over him. Instead, his eyes opened to a decimated Nemec Royale.

The wincing sting of his wound took hold quickly. The small stone ledge provided him with a perfect view. Medics ran and climbed along the visceral wreckage. Orion tried to move his right arm, but the shifting burns from torn muscle and nerves refused to obey. He tried to lift his left arm, but still nothing. Something was wrong. His extremities moved without command as he sluggishly found his feet. It was like someone else was controlling his entire body. As if he were in the backseat of his own mind.

What the?

Ah, Yes finally, you've realized. Boy did you do some nasty damage to yourself. Now that you understand exactly who's running the show, Let us begin.

Begin what?

The feast!

Orion's body corrected itself into a stiffened stature. He stood overlooking the destruction, a wicked smile forming from the control of Fovos. Orion was no longer in control. He felt stitching and pulling in his bleeding shoulder, a wisp of black smoke tightening the tendons together, to prevent more bleeding. His right arm snapped and it swung upright, his fist slightly closing and opening. It was as if, Fovos, was mending his wounds somehow. Orion looked down to see the once wide wound to be fully repaired. It wasn't possible. Or was it?

He still felt the searing pain of his wound, but his arm moved and operated without fail.

Sit back and watch Orion! It's dinner time!

Faster than he remembered, he moved. Jumping and pivoting off the remaining parts of the Nemec Royale. Orion couldn't stop his own body from following Fovos's instructions. He sunk deeper into the pit of his own mind until he was forced to watch. Fovos shifted through the rubble until a woman spotted him. Her small frame was perfect for his first prey. She had long black hair that slithered through the cool breeze of the night air. Orion recognized her, from his nightmares. She was the one that stabbed him. Her Violet eyes stared right at them. Fovos could taste it already. The lingering untapped fear within her resonated with him. The smell of it was putrid of despair. It was Sanova, something about her spoke the truth to the underlying Orion that watched.

"I found you, Listen garland is..." The words meant nothing to Fovos. In the time she broke the awkward stare, Orion's body plunged downward on top of her. The once green irises, now a vibrant red. The strength of his hold forced Sanova downward. Fovos slammed Orion's free hand into the stone below. A light chuckle escaped his lips. Before Sanova was trapped in an endless world of horror. Fovos could feel it with every inch of his body. The taste of the incurring past of Sanova rippled through him. Hysterically, Fovos forced out a hissing laughter. The images of her deepest fears forming around them.

"YES THAT'S IT! MORE! QUENCH MY THIRST!" Fovos's voice projected like a force scream, demonic and ravenous. The more he invaded her fears, the more he became amused. The thundering ripple that exuded from Orion's being forced some medics to start randomly bashing their heads against the walls that remained untouched. A corrupted form of insanity began to infect those around him. Fovos could feel it, everything. He felt alive for the first time in ages, all because Orion allowed it to happen.

Like a movie, Orion watched. Sanova was trapped, isolated and alone. A dark prison painted itself to life as she squirmed under the grip of Fovos. She cried for help internally, afraid to be left alone for eternity. It was one of her most terrifying feelings and Fovos was feeding on it. He held her tightly and sucked in deeply, parts of the past sinking into the heaping, saliva filled mouth, of what everyone around them assumed, was Orion Darkstar. It wasn't. The ravenous hunger of Fovos had taken full vestige in the form of Orion. It was sickening.

With a sharp imaginary claw, Fovos placed it at the temple of Sanova and began the process. She wouldn't be able to resist. No one could. Implanting and forming more and more images of the things that terrified her would allow him to eat more later on. Fovos had to be quick, once Orion figured out how to regain control, they would have to set rules, it was the only way the other could exist now. A small sting of black smoke erupted from Orion's finger as it inserted into the mind of Sanova. The plundering screams and cries of her mind exploded with cold fear. Fovos was fed, to the brim. All her pain and anguish siphoned by the beastly ghost.

Orion watched, horrified by Fovos's actions. There was a way to gain control, he just had to figure it all out. He'd read about spirits being able to take over, but only for a limited time. Perhaps Orion would get full control back regardless, speeding up the process made more sense. Allowing Fovos to just wreck havoc on the undercity of Nar Shaddaa, wouldn't be smart. Plus, it would give the real Orion Darkstar a bad name. He tried to devise a plan, but nothing came to him. The loud horrific screams of Sanova broke his concentration. That was it, breaking the spirits concentration.

Hey Fovos! Let's play a game!

Fovos continued to break Sanova's mind.

Fear, it all comes down to fear...I should have known. Something like you, always replaying those nightmares in my sleep. What if fear didn't exist?

Fovos broke away from Sanova, releasing his grip. Puzzled by the arrogant question of Orion's mind.

It will always exist! Go back in your hole!

So you do have a fear...

Let the games begin.

[member="Garland Kramer"]

Garland Kramer · Apr 17, 2018

Garland squinted his eyes for any kind of sign or landmark to help him know where he was. It was getting fairly dark out now and the street lights had kicked on. He could make out a small building with lights along the fence. That's probably the entrance to this place. There might be a guard still there, they could tell me where I am. Garland's amphistaff came out of his sleeve and formed it's molecules to become a staff. He was pleased that his beast could sense his exhaustion. He used it as a walking stick as he remained concentrated on his left wrist, he would have to do something soon to repair his wound. As he approached the structure he called out. "Is anyone there, I need some help." He stood in front of the door and knocked on the window to try and get someone's attention. A large portly man came from around a corner and looked at Garland. "Who are you? What do you want?" Garland watched as the man slumped down into his chair, bouncing slightly from his weight. "My name is Garland Kramer, I'm looking for some directions, where is the Nemec Royale from here?" The man pulled a map out from his desk drawer and stood up to show Garland where he was. "You're a bit away from that part of town, it's about a 20 mile drive south from here." He pointed on the map to the two locations to show the distance between them. Garland caught sight of the guard's nametag, "Thank you so much Steve, is there any chance you can call a cab for me, I need to get there fast." Steve waddled back to his desk and picked up the phone, Garland could hear him giving the cab company their location, they were in a part of Nar Shaddaa known as the storage sector apparently. Steve hung up when he was finished, and pulled out a cigarette. "It should be here in a few minutes, mind telling me why you need to get to the Nemec Royale?" He obviously knew the reputation of the hotel owned by Langdon Couth and the guests that it held. "To be completely honest, I'm supposed to meet a girl there, she rents a room at the hotel." Steve chuckled as he lit his cigarette up and inhaled, he then released a puff of smoke in the form of a ring. "Pretty fancy place for a date, must be one hell of a girl."

Garland had enough small talk, he needed to act fast before the cab arrived, he pulled the door open with the force and rushed into the guard station. Nothing personal Steve, you just were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Garland's amphistaff took action and sliced Steve in his chest, bringing the man down in one swift action, he didn't even have time to reach for the gun in his holster. After the amphistaff returned to Garland's right arm. he removed Steve's gun and emptied the bullets from the clip onto the desk, there were 6 in total. That should be enough I think. He then reached into Steve's right pocket and pulled out the lighter he had just used for his cigarette. Your bad habit will do me some good today. Garland emptied the bullets of their gunpowder into a pile then carefully with his right hand, he sprinkled and smoothed it out on his left wrist. He then sparked up the small flame from the lighter that Steve had. "Here goes nothing." He winced as he lit the gunpowder on fire upon his wrist. The pain was an intense stinging as it cauterized his wound. A few moments later, the flame died down, the gunpowder was used up and had done it's job. A car horn startled him, as he heard a man shout, "I'm here to pick up someone, a Garland Kramer?" That's my ride, thanks for the help Steve. Garland stepped over the dead guard and made his way out to the cab. He opened the door and slunk into the back seat. "The Nemec Royale, as fast you can go."

The cab took off immediately upon Garland's request. He leaned back and closed his eyes, he couldn't remember the last time he had slept. They had only been on Nar Shaddaa for less than a day, and yet so much had happened. He had dealt with Sanova showing up at the hotel, chasing a bomber, and surviving torture only to be heading back to the hotel to fight his captors. He hadn't even seen Orion since they separated on their floor, he didn't even know if he was alive right now. I'm sure he's ok though, not many have a better head on their shoulders than him. Somehow in the small time span of 3 months, [member="Orion Darkstar"] had made quite the impression on him. It was true that many sith craved power, but not many were willing to do what was necessary to acquire it. Orion had proven many times that he was willing to do whatever was needed of him to further his abilities, even if it wasn't always the most conventional methods. Garland's mind shot from that train of thought to another one while he was resting his eyes. How could you let the bomb go off? You would still have two hands if you had just done your job correctly. Garland wasn't usually one for self pity but in this case, it was a big deal. He had failed in his attempt to stop the bomb that went off at the Nemec Royale. His ex-fiance and comrade in arms were in danger now because of his failure. It was true that most of his missions never went according to plan, but he was able to adapt to his situation and make the best of it. This time had been different, Orion had been counting on him to stop the child while he was occupied elsewhere. If Orion is alive, I wouldn't blame him if he was upset with me, I really screwed up.

Garland opened his eyes and reached into one of his pouches on his waist. He pulled out the pocket watch that Orion had given him, a token of their time together, and the bond that they held. He clicked it open to check the time, it had to be well into the evening by this time. The clock face read 8:40. He clicked the mysterious third middle prong on top of the watch, the one that had done nothing before. To his surprise however, the watch hands cycled around until they landed on 4 o'clock. What happened? Something had allowed the third prong to activate, but he had no idea what it was or what the new time meant. Still a mystery to be solved I suppose. His thoughts changed once more, Why had Orion went to see Langdon Couth? That wasn't part of the plan, he left me with vague instructions and sent me off, and I still don't know why or how he knew that the little girl was going to blow up the hotel in the first place. So many thoughts raced through Garland's head, but one finally took the reigns of his mind. Pure anger, the little girl that had taunted him and been in charge of him losing a limb. She was wholly to blame for everything and Garland would make her suffer. He looked out of the window next to him as he heard sirens getting closer, they had to be nearing the Nemec Royale, or what was left of it. He saw smoke clouds and piles of rubble where the magnificent building once stood. The driver slowed the car around the corner from the explosion site. "This is as close as I can get, they have an area blocked off near where the entrance was. That will be 30 credits, cash or card?" The sight of where the Nemec Royale once stood fueled Garland's anger even more. As the driver asked for payment, he broke his neck with a quick flick of his wrist. He got out of the car quickly, he heard a small mechanical noise coming from the pocket watch in his right hand. The hands on their own once more, this time they settled on the 6 o'clock position. So that's what makes you tick.

Garland understood what made the hands turn now, but he didn't have time to waste on figuring out how the whole thing worked. He put it back into a compartment on his belt He rounded the corner and approached the hotel. The only lights around were those from the surrounding street lights and those from the emergency vehicles that had gathered. He kept his eyes peeled for ambulances, the little girl and her subordinate had surely made it here before him, though they might not have gone in with such a large crowd around. He wouldn't allow Sanova to be taken as he had. The closer he came to the entrance, his feeling of a stronger force presence grew, it was the little girl's, it felt the same as before when he first sensed her in the hotel hallway. If she was already inside, she might be fighting. Garland rushed past paramedics and pushed his way through officers standing at the front. When they tried to stop him, he simply waved his hand and lowly said "It's ok, I have clearance." They released him and went back to their post none the wiser. Nothing would stop him in his pursuit of the little girl, she would die by his hand.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]

Orion Darkstar · Apr 18, 2018

Orion couldn't feel anything, not even the thrum of his own heart. The fact that Fovos, the ghastly spirit that corrupted him, had full control of his own body, deafened his senses. It was like drowning in the waters of his own fears, constantly being thrashed under the rug by the viscous demon. In hindsight, Orion knew that the nightmares were something far worse. It seemed that the ignorance, on his part, brought the manifestation of Fovos to life. It was true, Orion, wielded fear. The very source of his breakthrough, into the world of magic, started with his past. It was an integral part of who he was. It was only ironic to him, to have a spirit latch to his fears. Something about the entire situation, felt disorderly, but perfect, all at the same time. It was an odd feeling to have, but Fovos, only cared for fright. Orion cared for many things. Being painted as a monster or evil to those outside the influence of the darkside, did not mean he was emotionless. The very fact that he was dealing with an eater of horrors, solidified every element of what remained under Orion's persona.

There were very few ways to deal with a complete take over. Kill the possessing spirit and die, or strike a deal on even ground. Orion understood, to survive you had to eat. It was that simple when it came to Fovos. What struck more true than that- was the hypocritical circumstances of Fovos. Orion deduced it based on everything he had studied. In the most powerful of cases, the host would frequently corrode away. Of course, under normal circumstances such fate would have been met. Orion, however, was not a normal circumstance. The very thing that latched itself to him, created and fed on the essence of fear. Thanks to the intellectual concepts of Orion's own mind, Fovos had a weakness. The very thing, Fovos yearned for...was his ultimate weakness. It became more and more apparent. Fovos exuded perpetual illusions, forcing those around him to fall into a mental state of secluded terror. He didn't want it, he needed it. The spirit wouldn't be able to exist without the revolving door remaining. It seemed complex, but to Orion, it was his way back in the game. A game he would win.

In the depths of his head, Orion faced Fovos.

So you've decided to fight it? No matter. I can feel it in you. The twisting branches of everything you truly refuse to deal with. You're father, the slippery clutches of the endless ocean...Hell! Even just a body of water deep enough to drown you in! You can't deny it. It's all here in your brain. I've won Orion Darkstar. Nothing to say for yourself? HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Orion listened carefully as the walls around the dark room broke into an endless world of crashing waves. The flooding waters broke into the crevices of the torn world he was thrown into. It seemed, Fovos would force him to submit. Tossed back and forth by the undertow, Orion remained calm. The constant fear of drowning dissipated from the world. The once crashing waves slowly turned to a solid ice. Orion found refuge on the surface of the chilling surface. He finally had pull here. It was his mind after all. Orion turned to face the ghastly, arrogant demon. Orion pictured the world in his mind with no existing fear. A resounding, guttural roar escaped the gaping maw of Fovos. It pained the spirit to see the shackles of Orion's mind, had turned against him. Orion was slowly gaining control.

You forgot one key thing, Fovos. You are merely a guest here. Your control means little to the host that figures out your weakness. I have to say, you really had me going. I commend you for your triumph over me today, but no longer will you be the proprietor of my body. My fears are mine, not yours. Your afraid too, the very thing you hunger for is what you're afraid of. You're worried, I can tell.

Orion smirked, his words antagonized the smokey assailant. Fovos, knew they were true. He was worried about the next steps Orion would take. If he banished him, they would both die. The spirit of Fovos would dissipate and Orion's soul would rupture causing death. Orion stepped elegantly along the ice, peering into the crimson eyes of what he considered to be a devil. It was exciting to win, but not without survival. Orion gathered that their link was strong. Fovos had fed on his fear for months, banishing him would surely cause the worst of outcomes. It had to be done.

How did you!?

Fovos was surprised, the other hosts were dumb, weak to the very thing staring at them in the face. It was almost enlightening to see. It had been centuries till he found someone capable of harnessing his powers. There was no one better.

Congratulations. Now what? You can't banish me...

Or what? I'll die? Heh, maybe that's the only way.

You wouldn't! Orion!

There it is, the exact thing you fed on. It seems I hold the bargaining chip.

Fovos spit ash toward the icy plane under Orion. He was disgusted in his defeat, but he calmed and listened. There was only one way out alive.

You would risk your entire existence..Just to become what your father always knew you would? Nothing? I can help, I swear. You'll have my full cooperation too. Of course, there's a catch to this...how do you say? Contract?

It was strange to be dealing with something so outlandish as Fovos. Still, the entity had a point, if they both died, what did Orion accomplish? Not much. He was renowned among the ranks of acolytes, but his projects were still unfinished. He would go down amounting to exactly what his father predicted. Stubborn to his own devices, Orion smiled at the ghastly beast.

Help? How?

Easy now, my power. I'll give it to you...But, I have to warn you. There are stipulations. In turn for my power, you must feed me. If you refuse to obey the terms of such a contract, I'll be allowed free reign to feed on your own. What do you say?

Essentially, since we are stuck together...I have no other choice. One other question before I allow this. How frequent will you need to be fed?

Depends on the prey. I trust that you will learn how to harness my power, before long, it will become a natural tool for you to weaken the minds of others. with the very thing I desire, fear. I'll ask one more time, the contract or death, time is running out.

I agree to the terms Fovos, you're all mine.

Orion didn't hesitate, he would deal with the consequences later. The world of ice transformed into a darkened prison. Shackles hung from the depths of the inner walls. Fovos, was detained. The shackles were made of a pure purple energy, binding him to the prison cell. Orion stood on the outside of it. Before he could gain full control, he had to sign the contract. An old tattered scroll was handed to him through the bars from Fovos. It was antiquated, dust filling the cracks of its edges. Orion twisted his wrists backwards as the coffee stained paper revealed itself. The print that resided on it was foreign to Orion. If the spirit tricked him into signing something he didn't agree to, he would have to deal with it later on. If anymore time passed, Orion would lose everything.

Your blood. At the bottom. A necessary sacrifice for something as serious as this.

Orion looked to his right, a desk provided a small knife along the edge of it. Orion gripped it and pricked his finger. The motion of his finger touched the ancient textile line. His signature slowly slithered along the ridges of the parchment. It was done. The scroll vanished into thin air. The sound of barring doors slammed shut in the face of Fovos Torgon. Orion had won. Despite such a victory, Orion couldn't help but feel exhausted.

Sanova opened her eyes, the dark lit sky sparkled back at her. It was truly a beautiful sight, enjoying it would have been the first thing on her mind, had she not been dealing with Orion furiously slamming her into the rubble underneath. Her head felt bruised and a trickle of blood drizzled down the side of her face. She wasn't quite sure what happened other than being assaulted by Orion. She had found him at the worst time. At least, for her own sake. She reached for the sides of the sharp stones jutting out from below. The pile of heap giving her balance as she forced her body upright.

"Karking hell." She groggily complained. Her eyes stretched upward to find Orion standing perfectly still. His delicate face emotionless, like a statue waiting to come back to life. "Ori...Orion?" Confusion remained in her voice. The force spoke to her in tiny broken patterns as her head began to spin. Images of a cold, dark room flashed through her mind. Almost, as if to experience, what Fovos had forced her to go through once more. It crept away into the back drop of her mind. The man that stood before her, had harmed her, blatantly for no reason. The only other thing that bothered her, was Garland worked with the man. Still, her love for Garland came first. If Orion was going to tastelessly remain frozen, she would search for Garland.

Sanova felt a burn down her right arm, something clearly had scratched her. The claw-like marks spread even more confusion, as she helped herself to her feet. She examined her right arm thoroughly. Orion didn't seemed to have such a weapon tethered to his still frame. Instead, all that he seemed equipped with was a large sword at his back. Granted, she knew Garland and many other Sith like herself. They all hid their most prominent of weapons, the Lightsaber. It was clear to her that Orion, couldn't have inflicted such a wound. Whatever transpired over the course of Orion's vicious attack, Sanova remembered nothing. Only the sheltered feeling of loneliness lingered around her. It made her uncomfortable, she always had issues when it came to being alone. Evidently, Orion was out of commission. Her only mission now was to find Garland and tell him.

The force connected back through her, no longer broken in shattered little sparks of condemnation. It agreed with her. Sanova could feel him again. Alive and well. Sanova turned, the sweltering connection between her and Garland grew. He was close. Her eyes shifted to the entrance way. The tingle of relief struck her like a train. There he was the same old man she had fallen in love with, over and over again. garland's deep blue eyes stared into hers. Without wasting time Sanova shouted.

"You made it out alive!"

As quickly as the excitement left her voice, a small child appeared before her. The wicked grin curled higher and higher, until it stretched from ear to ear.

"I wouldn't be so quick to assume, poor lady. Get her Gregory, I'll finish this one off for good."

The tiny girl turned to face Garland. The frozen Orion, took no part in the antics that began to unfold before him. It seemed it would take time for the conversion of his body to kick in. As fate would have it-

The love birds were at it alone...

[member="Garland Kramer"]

Garland Kramer · Apr 20, 2018

Almost immediately after entering the blast zone of the Nemec Royale, Garland felt a calming presence nearby with the little girl's signature, he scanned the room to find the source, he saw Orion and Sanova standing near each other. They survived the blast. A sigh of relief escaped him as his eyes met Sanova's. He had come to find comfort in the violet orbs he now looked into. "You made it out alive!" Her voice was enough to subside Garland's anger for a brief moment. It was short-lived however, as another familiar body appeared in front of her. "I wouldn't be so quick to assume, poor lady. Get her Gregory, I'll finish this one off for good." The little girl had once again shown her face in Garland's affairs. She turned to face Garland, her smiled widened as she drew a silver hilt from her waist and an deep orange beam came forth. The ominous color of her weapon was like staring into intense flames, Garland didn't know what to expect from his opponent, only that she was extremely powerful. "Your fight's with me, leave her out of this." Garland looked past her and at Orion, he hadn't moved or said anything since he had arrived. What's wrong with him? It's like he isn't aware of the situation. Garland mustered some energy and projected a message towards Orion's mind. <Whatever is going on is your head, snap out of it, I need your help protecting the woman next to you, her name is Sanova, she is very important to me. Can you and her handle Gregory, then lend me a hand with this brat?> Garland hoped that Orion had received the message, since he didn't seem to respond to it.

The sound of shattering glass brought his attention back to his opponent. On the floor was the jar that had been containing a voidstone, with the heel of her black boot, she crushed the small rock to dust. Garland watched as the girl seemed to be gaining power, her hair began to rise up and her aura emanated more power than before. "That feels better." Her eyes were crazed like someone who had become unhinged, Garland didn't know how much power she had been suppressing with the voidstone, but he was about to find out. Both of her arms raised towards the sky and Garland watched as a barrier came over them, it was pitch black, as though it was eating all light as it formed. When it finished they were inside a black dome, the only light he could make out was her lightsaber. "No need for distractions, I'm sure Gregory will take good care of your girlfriend." Garland watched as a fireball appeared out of thin air. "Now die." The words fell from her lips like acid as the orb she had created was hurled toward Garland. As it approached with incredible speed, Garland raised his right hand and force lightning erupted from it. It struck the fireball in mid air and caused an explosion. Garland took advantage of the smoke blocking their view of each other and pulled out his lightsaber, the red beam hummed as he prepared for another attack. No sooner had he drawn his weapon did he hear the sound of air whirring around behind the smoke, then shooting through the veil, her orange lightsaber was spiraling towards him, as she did the same. Garland full body dove towards the side, he hit the ground hard as he heard part of his cape singe from her strike. She's so fast! Her small form allows her to fly through the air with great speed. I need to create an advantage, like she has with her dark barrier. The little girl turned towards him. "Impressive old man, I didn't think you'd be able to move that fast. Can you keep it up though, I wonder." She lunged at Garland again, and their lightsabers collided, the orange and red beams sparked as they fought for control. "You shouldn't underestimate me because of my age, after all you possess great amounts of power for such a young girl." She let loose a laugh that sent shivers down Garland's spine. "It's true I look like a child but I am more powerful than you can ever hope to become. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Darth Hargrave, and I'll be the last opponent you ever face."

Hargrave leapt back from Garland, What's she up to now? At the peak of the jump, 3 fireballs formed in a row above her head, she extended her right hand and they were let loose. One after another, they headed towards their target. Garland was ready to defend himself. The first two he blocked successfully, his lightsaber absorbed the blows as he slid back only a small bit. As the third orb drew closer to Garland, he went to block it as he had the others, but something was wrong. His right arm felt heavy, like it was weighted down, he couldn't raise it up in time to block the attack. The fireball struck his chest and erupted, the flames that burst forth sent him flying away and his back struck the dark barrier, sending waves of energy through him. He felt as though lightning was coursing through him from the impact. What just happened? my body feels drained all of a sudden, is this another one of her tricks? The fireball that had hit him inflicted some damage and had burned away parts of his shirt, but the real damage was sustained from his impact with the dark barrier's wall. Garland slowly stood up, Hargrave was standing a bit away her lightsaber was held up and illuminated the smile still upon her face. "What did you do to me?" His body and mind felt tired. It felt as though they had been sapped of energy. "Looks like you can't handle my power after all, pity, I was starting to have some fun." In that instant Garland knew what he was experiencing, he had studied many forms of force powers during his training, one of the more deadly ones was force affliction. It was essentially an amplified version of force slow that worked as a fast acting poison. It debilitated the victim mentally and physically until they would eventually die. She must have done it after the dome was created to hide it's application, giving her a clear upper hand. "Not bad, I haven't faced anyone with your powers before, but they end now." Hargrave's eyes grew wide and her smile that had been taunting Garland their whole fight turned to an expression of anger. "How dare you mock my command of the force, insolent worm, I am a Sith Lord and will not be talked down to." 6 more fireballs formed above her head, this time in a circle. They began to spin around, faster with each passing cycle, until they formed a solid ring of fire. It shot towards Garland with great speed, the heat caused ripples in the air as it moved. He just smiled as the attack approached him. Using the force he held his lightsaber in mid air and with his free hand he snapped.

The ring of fire turned to nothing more than smoke as it got close to him and the barrier seemed to melt away, giving him his sight back. Garland caught his falling lightsaber and put it back on his belt. Hargrave looked stunned at what had just transpired. "What have you done to my darkness?! You shouldn't have the strength to muster up such a counter. Your body and mind should be on the brink of nonexistence." A small laugh escaped Garland's mouth. "Are you sure about that?" He pulled his cape to the side to reveal his Ysalamir's cage, the small creature munched away at it's food, knowing only that it had done as it was told. "This is a Ysalamir, and it has the amazing ability to stop any influence of the force near it, that includes your force affliction and the light show you are so fond of doing." Garland had a smug look on his face as he told Hargrave what had happened to her attack. "For my next trick, I'll make a sith lord disappear." Hargrave's demeanor had shifted to full blown anger. If he knew one thing, it was how to rile up his enemies, no matter who they might be. His amphstaff slithered out of his right sleeve and he readied for another round of combat, his beast hissed at Hargrave almost as if taunting her as it's master would. "You rely on beasts to win your battles, what a pathetic excuse for a sith." Garland's gaze was fixed on Hargrave, his smile had become a stern look of concentration. "If your so confident you'll win, then by all means, strike me down."

She charged toward him, jumping and flipping in the air as she did. Her speed was still very dangerous, even if her powers were gone. Garland blocked the blow, his body once again functioning normally. A loud hiss from the amphistaff occurred as Garland began to lose the upper hand in the struggle, her strength was overpowering his own. His amphistaff turned to Hargrave and a jet of venom shot from its mouth. A scream erupted from Hargrave as it connected. "MY EYES, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!" The venom of an amphistaff was known to blind upon contact with a victims eyes. With an upward leap she backflipped away from Garland. Fireballs formed above her in rapid succession, and flew in every direction, smashing into everything around, causing an inferno. She was lashing out chaotically from her injury, screaming like a violent banshee as she did so. "I won't be stopped by a low level pest such as you, mark my words, I will kill you, and everything you've ever cared about." Her right hand reached out to the ground and she began to hover. Then in an instant, she flew away. Her speed make it hard to see her in the night sky as she retreated. That should keep her down for a bit. Garland knew that there was a chance that the poison killed her, but seeing how resourceful she was and her depth of knowledge, she would be able to stop it from getting that far, though her eyes may not work from this point on. A sense of pride and a wave of exhaustion hit him as the adrenaline exited his veins. He realized what he had just done, it may not have been a full blown victory, but he had faced a extremely powerful opponent and held his own. Normal missions are overrated anyway. He turned his attention to where Orion and Sanova once were, he had been so focused on his fight, he hadn't seen what had transpired with them.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]

Orion Darkstar · Apr 22, 2018

Sanova stepped back, almost falling over the uneven rubble she stood on. The tiny girl was fast, surprisingly so. As quickly as she came, she darted for Garland. As much as Sanova wanted to help, she couldn't, not with a hulking, massive man standing in her way. She could only deduce that the man was Gregory, following orders from the young girl. The large man stood at a height of 6'5 and easily weighed two hundred and fifty pounds even. Most would have considered him fat, if not for the bulging muscles that spread across every inch of his body. Gregory was a behemoth. Shirtless, the only key accessories were around his neck. Two large golden chains hung passed his muscular breasts. Along his bottom half, were large baggy pants. Loose for nothing more than quicker movements in combat. Sanova rose her brow in curiosity.

"Gregory, right?" She paused. "How did you even get that big?"

Gregory grunted, flexing his muscle to scare her. "It doesn't matter, you're coming with me Sanova." Greogry's voice was deep and manly.

"Not so fast, I'm not going anywhere without Garland."

"Then I guess, I'll make you...stupid lady"

Sanova shifted her feet, her battle stance incorporated a unique twist. Her left foot pointed forward, barley touch the ground. She shifted her hands upward, almost as if to fight him in hand to hand combat. Her small frame was built for agile tactics, one of which utilized an ancient fighting style. If the brawn opponent was going to try and beat her down with his strength, she would kill him with speed. Gregory responded, his large feet buried into the ground like a lion. He gritted his teeth and shifted his right shoulder forward, ready to fight. He was a very capable fighter at close range. The force would only be utilized like he was taught, complementing his style of quick and powerful blows.

Without warning Gregory charged forward. His movements were elegant for such a large man. He snapped his right arm backwards and threw the first of many punches to come. The force behind it made an odd whistle sound, almost as if he was breaking the sound barrier. The fast punch erupted from the fore-length of his ribs. The movement was similar to a flicker jab. Sanvoa's eyes widened, he was incredibly fast. Luckily, she was a capable fighter, defending it would cause a broken bone. She twisted on her back foot, pivoting inches from the threatening blow. Placing her hands on the ridge of Gregory's elbow she gripped under and over. With a swift kick, she sent the hulking man backwards. As her opponent lifted to the air, she aimed for his mid section with her elbow, furiously it came to a halt before connecting.

Gregory had grabbed Sanova's elbow, almost growling he swatted it upward. His back slammed into the sharp rocks below, pricks and scratches mattered little to his muscular stature. Seconds after the initial contact with the ground he found refuge on his feet. He spit at the ground. Locking eyes with Sanova, he cracked his knuckles.

"Not bad for a puny one."

Gregory dashed forward, lowering his movements to hide where his next strike would come from. Sanova couldn't allow him to strike true. If he did, she would be in more trouble than it was worth. Careful and patient she waited, ignoring his taunting comment. Her violet eyes scanned for any possible tell, but nothing. Like the rapture, another blow stream lined for, this time it was he left. She stepped into it, but as quickly as it came, the man's left arm fell dead. Instead, a winder surprised her and she only had time to throw her forearms up to block the devastating haymaker. It connected, a ripple in the force sent her backwards. She felt a slight twinge in her bones snap. Sanova planted her feet, but even that didn't prevent her from being sent a few feet away from the impact.

She dropped her arms. Another torrent of punches were already on there way. Shocked, she dodged the first few. The next three, were too unpredictable as she waited for the impact, she winced. Closing her eyes, she was in over her head. Gregory was utilizing the force in a weird way, almost as if on contact a force blast was happening. Whatever it was, Sanova was in over her head. The longer her eyes remained shut, the longer it seemed to take Gregory to end it.

Orion snapped awake, the rushing cold from War's Edge telling him that he regained control. He coughed, his pale face straining as he did. He remembered the whole thing as he took in the whole scene. Destruction. The Nemec Royale was destroyed, their mission a complete disaster. Clearly, the visions Fovos showed him were a bit jumbled. Everything began to piece itself together in his mind. Turning his head, he spotted the same lady that plagued his dreams fighting a large aggressor. He contemplated his options as he scanned the other end of the disaster, then down. Close by, he spotted a missing feature that popped into his mind, seconds ago. His golden mask, he snatched it up quickly. The small woman, clearly needed help and the darkside told him of her allegiance. As for the large man, the tainted aura gave him a disgusting feeling.

Like smoke, Orion slithered across the crumbled remains of the Nemec Royale. Interfering with Sanova's fight, Orion prevented the three deadly punches from connecting. Just before the first initial punch made contact, Orion landed a thick blow right to abdomen, the crunching sound echoed as he made contact. It sent the hulking man backwards. The display was remarkable, at least to Gregory. Orion was utilizing the same force trick as his own. Force Weapon, only this application had more to do with control than anything else. It came down to circulation of the force and at the last minute focusing it back into the knuckles. Instead of an object, they were turning their own fists into weapons with the force.

Sanova's eyes slowly opened trying to determine what happened. All she was met with, was a slightly thinner man, dressed in what looked like a armor set, wrapped in a sith robe. He stopped her from getting beaten to death, whoever he was she owed him, her gratitude.

Gregory let out a menacing growl, before swiping forward. Orion carefully maneuvered, but the application of the force that came after Gregory missed, sent a blast of energy outward. Trying to regain his footing, Orion jumped. He spun in the air before unraveling himself over top of Gregory. At the last minute a precise punch barreled toward the bulky adversary. Only this time the application of the force was electrical. Thinking he could just block it, Gregory placed his arms up. The vicious strike zapped his opponent. The paralyzing sparks wrapped the man still. Orion felt weird, almost like her craved something. Ignoring it, he realized his own predicament. Looking down at his shoulder, a hole still remained. Blood spilled from the temporary suture. If not for Fovos, he would have been passed out long ago. The wound, reopened and the dizziness of blood loss kicked in. He turned to see Garland in the distance.

Sanova watched intently, before watching Gregory finally gain movement again. Before scurrying away, he shouted.

"We'll be back! You're lucky this time lady!"

Orion could feel his eyes get heavy, before his body finally gave out and collapsed forward. Apparently, Fovos strained his body to the very end. Not to mention, Orion's last minute arrival forced him to exude more energy while still bleeding. His body hit the stones and a world of pure black greeted him. For the first time it was comforting. Nothing plagued him, except for the the shackled, fear eating monster he now facilitated. Even so, silence fell on him, bittersweet silence.

[member="Garland Kramer"]

Garland Kramer · Apr 25, 2018

Garland's stomach sank as he saw Orion on the ground with Sanova standing near his downed body. NO NO NO NO NO. Garland ran over to them, his exhaustion having disappeared from the once again pumping adrenaline, and immediately dropped down to his knees at Orion's side. He checked for a pulse, one was present but weak. "What happened?" he snapped, not even looking in Sanova's direction. "No, forget it, just go find some paramedics now!" She took off without uttering a response, he could hear her yelling for help from any available source. Garland slid off Orion's robe, noticing the hole on the right arm as he did. Underneath the robe, centered between his collar bone and shoulder was a huge wound, blood had started to seep out, staining his shirt a deep red. Did Gregory do this to you? The last time Garland had seen Orion, he didn't seem responsive, and now he was badly injured. Garland ripped the sleeve of Orion's shirt off to get a better look at the wound. Blood had pooled under his arm, the puncture had gone all the way through and he had lost a good amount of blood. Garland laid his hand over the wound and leaned into it, applying great pressure to the wound. He would be able to slow the bleeding before help arrived. I won't let you die like this, I mean who wants their gravestone to read "Beaten by a hole in his arm." Garland's ill-conceived humor really knew no bounds but in reality he was terrified that Orion might actually die here.

"He's over here, please hurry." Garland turned to Sanova's voice as she motioned over three paramedics that were following her from a distance. Three men that were covered in dirt, sweat, and blood finally made it over to them, they had clearly been working nonstop since the Nemec Royale met it's fate. Once they caught their breath from the run over, one of them spoke up. "We'll take it from here, you did a good job keeping pressure on the wound." Garland rose up, releasing his grip on Orion's arm as the paramedics went to work. He stood a few feet away, watching as they applied gauze pads to both sides of his wound, stopping the blood loss. Garland looked down at his right hand, it was covered in Orion's blood, this wasn't the first time he had experienced something like this. It has to end differently this time. His mind started to wander when a tug on his robe brought him right back to the present. Sanova's head was on his right arm and she was holding onto it like it was a life preserver. "He'll be alright Garland." Though her soft words were meant to be comforting, Garland was wary to believe them, they offered hope, and that was the most dangerous thing he could have right now. The man that had spoke earlier stood up from his hunched stance and walked over to Garland. "He's stable for now but we need to get him to a hospital to observe him overnight. All things considered, his vitals are looking decent. You two are welcome to ride along in the ambulance with him." Garland nodded to accept the offer and watched as Orion was carefully placed on a stretcher, and then carried away towards the ambulances at the hotel's entrance. Garland and Sanova followed behind them at a fast pace. As they kept up with the paramedics, Garland allowed himself to be selfish for a moment, he allowed himself to have hope for Orion's safety.

One of the paramedic's radioed their vehicle, telling the driver that they were approaching with someone. The back doors opened up and another man in uniform helped the other three hoist Orion's stretcher into the back of the ambulance. Two of them then took the seat on the left hand side and one headed up to the passenger seat of the vehicle. Garland and Sanova got in and took the right side seats. Once the back doors closed they heard the siren turn on and the engine start. One of the workers put Orion's right index finger into a white clip and the heart rate monitor next to his head began to beep. His heart rate and lines appeared over and over showing that he was stable in his condition. Sanova embraced Garland's left arm tried to grab his hand, it took her a second to realize that she couldn't feel his hand at the end of his arm. She pulled up the robe sleeve to expose the cauterized wrist he had recently received. "What the hell happened to your hand?" Her voice was angry but her eyes were holding back tears. Garland sighed as he looked at where his hand once was, he hadn't taken much time since he escaped from Jackson's torture to really see what he had done. "I lost it when I was taken by Hargrave and her goons, sawblades trump flesh, who knew." Sanova's faced shown confusion for a split second before realizing that Hargrave must've been the girl who he fought with at the hotel. Anger returned to the forefront of her emotions as Garland finished making light of the situation. "That's not something to joke about, you could've been killed, and that's the second hand you've lost now too." She was right of course, though he had lost the first one much earlier in his life, he now had had three limbs severed from his body, including his left leg. "Sorry, I know I shouldn't be making jokes at a time like this." A slap struck across the side of his left cheek, pain resided from the force behind it. He turned to Sanova, wondering why she had done such a thing. She raised her voice at him. "The Garland Kramer I know doesn't say sorry, not even to me. No, he does what he deems necessary, and he doesn't let anyone get the best of him." Her words struck his core like another strong slap, she was right again, he had forgotten just how well she knew him in their time apart. I am a Sith, there is only room for growth and power, Feeling sorry for myself when Orion is here in front of me fighting for his life, absolutely pathetic, had I been in the presence of other Sith, I would surely be punished for my lack of focus. I will hunt down Hargrave and listen to her screams as I rip her to shreds. A smile crept onto Sanova's face as she watched his facial expression turned from somber to strong. Her words had reached him, just like they had in the past.

All of a sudden, the paced beeping of the heart rate monitor turned into a single loud screech as it displayed a zero on the screen. The paramedics sprung into action. Garland jumped up and yelled, "What happened? You said he was stable." While powering up a defibrillator one of the paramedics spoke up. "He was stable, now his heart has stopped from the blood loss he's suffered. Stand back please, we can still save him." Garland sat back down as they removed the armor covering his chest and laid it to the side. The pads in the hands of one of the paramedics sounded as if they had been powered up, they struck Orion's chest and his body lifted slightly from the surge. No change occurred on the heart rate monitor. "500volts, charging." Once again the sound of the pads charging up was present, and then he applied them to Orion's body, another surge went through him, this time though, the heart rate monitor picked up a pulse. "There we go, just a little longer and we'll be at the hospital." The paramedics sat down and both gave a sigh of relief as they did. Garland put his head down and began to meditate. His fear and anger had welled up from seeing Orion almost die, while Sanova kept hold of his arm to try and comfort him. The rest of the ride was uneventful and in silence except for the heart rate monitor's beeps.

As the ambulance came to a slow stop, Garland raised his head to watch as the paramedics prepared Orion's stretcher for the next step. He heard the front doors close and footsteps come around to open the back. The two paramedics got out and all four began to wheel Orion towards the hospital, two on each side. One called back to him, "Go and check him in while we get him set up. He'll have to stay overnight at the very least in his state." Garland and Sanova watched as they entered in through a door that had a large lit sign above it that read "Emergency Entrance." Garland made sure to pick up Orion's armor, he wouldn't want it carelessly lost after all the effort it took to retrieve. The two of them headed around to the front of the building, it was late and dark but the hospital was extremely busy, many people were in the waiting room, some hurt, others waiting to see their family. The explosion at the Nemec Royale affected a large number of people, and there were only so many hospitals in the area so they were getting swamped. Garland walked up to the front desk and got a check in sheet from the nurse stationed there. He walked back and sat down in the seat next to Sanova's. After filling out the top of the sheet with the name [member="Orion Darkstar"] he stared at the rest of it. Age, weight, height, date of birth, previous medical conditions, I don't know any of this. It dawned on Garland that even though Orion and him had spent a good bit of time together and formed a bond, he really didn't know much about the man at all. He decided to give the form his best guess, and filled it out fully. He is here for a gouge in his upper body, as long as that is taken care of, the rest won't matter. Upon returning the form to the nurse and sitting back down, exhaustion hit Garland hard. His entire body was tired, it had been after his battle with Hargrave, but now that everything was settled for a brief moment, he felt like he could sleep for a week. "Go ahead and sleep, I'll wake you when something comes up." Apparently he looked as tired as he felt and Sanova offered her shoulder as a makeshift pillow for him to rest. His eyes closed as he took her up on her offer and his mind began to drift away.

"Garland wake up, come on, it's time to wake up." His eyes opened as he was gently shaken by Sanova. He yawned and stretched, the lights seemed brighter from his grogginess. He looked out the glass doors at the entrance, it was still very dark outside. "What time is it?" Without waiting for an answer he pulled out his pocketwatch from his belt, the face no longer displayed it's other weird mode, and showed him the time once more. "4:30am, what time did we get here?" Sanova stood up and pulled him up too. "A little after 1 is when you started your nap, you were out as soon as your eyes closed." Garland was surprised, it felt like he had just started to sleep, and he had been out for over 3 hours. Guess my day is catching up with me. They went to the doorway with a female doctor standing in it. She was on the shorter side with her light brown hair up in a ponytail. She put on glasses that were on her front coat pocket as she looked at the chart in her hand. "For [member="Orion Darkstar"] right? Follow me." They walked through the ICU doors and passed many patients, some looked like they had been at the Nemec Royale, burned badly or crushed limbs possibly from the falling structure. They finally arrived at Orion's room after a short walk. He was laying there, still unconscious. He had a breathing tube in his mouth, and an IV in his left arm. "He's in a lot better shape then when he got here. We got him a blood transfusion for his blood loss and on he's a ventilator to help his breathing. His wound wasn't infected but it did some nerve damage, It shouldn't mess with his functioning though, just a nasty scar when it's fully healed. I'd consider him lucky, not many would make it as long as he did with a wound like that, I'll leave you alone with him now, stay as long as you want, he should be up in a few more hours, once the sedative works it's way out of his system. If you need anything, just ask an orderly for Dr. Tillman, that's me. Dr. Tillman left immediately after her speech, her workload was undoubtedly full with all the new patients they had received tonight.

Garland and Sanova dragged two chairs next to each other on Orion's right side. Garland laid Orion's battle armor on the floor next to his seat. Seeing Orion in this state had rid Garland of his urge to sleep. Sanova however, having stayed up while he napped, was now ready for her turn to rest. She used his left arm as a pillow, same as he had in the hospital lobby. Before dozing off completely she let out a few words. "I'm glad he'll be alright, I never got a chance to thank him for saving me from Gregory. I don't know if I would be here right now if he hadn't of helped me" Garland held back the tears in his eyes as she went to sleep. He gritted his teeth and his right hand had formed a fist. You did hear my thoughts earlier tonight, and what do you get in return, almost dying and a large hole to commemorate the event. Mark my words, I will find a way to repay you Orion. You saved her for me, thank you.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]

Orion Darkstar · May 6, 2018

They were surely left out. Orion had signed the pact, almost forced to. If he banished Fovos from his body, they both would be dead. Well, in Fovos's situation he was technically already dead, so being sent back to the Netherworld wouldn't have been any better. With the little time they each had, they were now one. At least, that's what it felt like. Like every other time, the same dark room presented itself to Orion. His unconscious state brought him back to the same prison that held his new partner, a nasty demon layered with flowing black smoke for its body.

Orion walked along the narrow stone floor as he approached the first of many prisons inside himself. The gleaming eyes of the demon stared back at him calmly. Restrained, Fovos lightly growled in a low grumble. It seemed the events had made him tired. Rightly so, unleashing that kind of energy in one fell swoop was dangerous, not only for him, but Orion as well. Luckily, Orion was capable of gaining full control over the resting entity. It was odd how such a curse could be utilized as a powerful tool. It was unexpected at best, even for Fovos. Who in turn presented the idea, to keep them both alive. Although thankful, Orion wasn't stupid. He made a deal with the devil, there were details that had to be ironed out.

Gracefully. Orion's lengthy, pale fingers tapped onto the metal bars. The loud resounding echo shattered the beasts sleep. It formed claws and slashed violently outward, the calm demeanor dissipating in seconds.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today." Orion joked, waiting for Fovos to realize where he was. The sound of shackles rang through the air as the slash came to a halt. Fovos would never reach the enclosures entrance, not while energy clamps remained on his wrists and ankles. The vibrant source of the energy was Orion's own. Fovos was officially a prisoner to Orion's mind. Perks of a victory against such a vile creation. "Relax there, killer." Orion paused. "Spit it out."

The flowing smoke lifted higher as it leaned in with the same vibrant red eyes. It started to come back, the battle he had with Orion. He got to eat, for the first time in ages. The surging memory pieced it all together. Fovos leaned back, the thought finally striking him, clear as a sunny day.

"I let you?" Fovos questioned, a small form of creasing brows furrowing upward. "I see." Fovos understood now, it had to happen this way. Otherwise, back to the nether. He would never go back and complying with the contract meant things had to be situated. Of course, he held a trump card, that would come later. "Spit what out, Mr. Darkstar?" The inner circuitry of his mind sent exactly what Orion wanted from him. "I can't give that to you, but I can explain something I left out." He lightly laughed. Coughing up a light stream of purple smoke from the back of his throat, he tried to regain control of his laughter. "You just sign.." Taking a breath he laughed again, this time a deeper tone taking over. Then in a mild form of voracity he snapped the shackles holding him in place. "The armor, the further away from it we both are, you weaken in your resolve. I can smell it already, the sea salt of crashing waves. Poor Orion, you better wake up soon. Just a few more minutes and the catalyst to containing me will no longer keep me in here. I'll have free reign whenever. The best part, you agreed to it!"

The rant was impressive for such an ignorant spirit. Orion knew the name of the game, leverage what you have. He stared at the maniacal bastard, the thought of dread crossing his mind. It was just another chore he had to be careful with. Turning away from the prison cell, he heard the taunting words of Fovos.

"You'll be a distant memory!!" Fovos barked. "Nothing about you will remain, except me!" The ill threats continued, until Orion reached the same odd door he came in from. The wooden outline formed impressive designs the closer he got. Pressing open the door it was time to get back. Orion had to reach reality, no matter his condition. Something occurred to him ironically.

The sayings were true. With great power comes great responsibility.

The door shattered into a blinding white light. The cusp of reality burning his eyes as he stiffened in shock. The tense contractions of his muscles began to spasm. He blinked, the corners of his eyes leaking clear tears from the exposure. Numb to everything else, he lightly tilted his chin downward. The muscular physique outlined by a completely white bandage wrapped fully around his abs and back. Along with it, another stained red bandage sat just below his right collarbone. A mending wound he didn't recall, at least, until now. There was so much he felt he missed, but the conversation with Fovos was only a few minutes. The gap in time had to be minimal. Turning his head, Orion spotted the time. His eyes widened, it seemed he clearly remembered when they had arrived. His mind finally clicked on processing everything.

Three Hours!

Observing above the clock he realized he was in a patient's room. Tiny strings hooked into him for vital nutrition, he hated it. He probably looked weak and vulnerable, such was life. Shifting his sight to the left he spotted them. The first person he noticed was a woman, sleeping in the wake of his recovery. The other was none other than a friend, the old man looked distraught. Trying to part his lips, he licked his lips. Thirst struck him quicker than he considered. Even with all the IV's, Orion still needed a little more time to recover. Fovos exerted so much of his body's energy. On top of everything else, Orion had to be near the catalyst that contained him. The separation was causing issues. In time Fovos could potentially break free from Orion's influence. If that happened, things could get far more interesting.

The drink could wait. Orion lightly reached for Garland's hand and spoke.

"The..." Orion said, his voice starting to crack from the effort. Clearing his throat, he uttered the most important words he could muster.

"The Armor."

[member="Garland Kramer"]

Garland Kramer · May 7, 2018

Garland was stunned initially, Orion had opened his eyes after just a short while since Dr. Tillman left them with him. He hadn't expected for him to get to this stage quite so soon. Due to his strong, stubborn will no doubt. Sanova was entirely passed out from the long day they had endured, her head was resting on Garland's left arm. Garland watched as Orion's eyes darted around the room, he was taking in his surroundings, figuring out where he was and what had happened since he went unconscious. After a few seconds of this, his eyes stayed put on Garland. Orion's hand reached out as he opened his mouth to try and speak. "The..." The effort to form even a single sentence was straining him in his state. Orion tried clearing his throat and attempted to speak again "The Armor." Garland looked down to the armor that the paramedics had removed from him during his heart attack. They had retrieved it from Oorn Tchis a few months back, and to Orion, it was his newest crown jewel. Still, it's odd that the armor is the first thing he would care about after waking up in a hospital bed. Does it really mean that much to him? Garland reached down and grabbed the power armor. He tried to sense if anything was off about it, the force showed him no signs of anything out of the ordinary as he laid it on Orion's chest lightly. Probably just feels more comfortable with it within reach in case anything happens, never can let your guard down with our work.

Garland knew better than to bombard Orion with a flurry of questions with him just having woken up. He wanted to ask him how he had known of Darth Hargrave, the girl who had attacked the Nemec Royale. Orion seemed very adamant that the attack was going to occur when it did, yet Hargrave herself seemed sure that no one outside of her group had any knowledge of the bombing they planned. During his interrogation with Jackson, Garland had told them that Mr. Couth was onto their operation and had become aware of the attack, they immediately shrugged his answer off as the lie it was right before severing his left hand. An epiphany dawned on Garland in that moment. Wait, why was that? Garland hadn't given it any thought until now, but his lie to Hargrave's man about Langdon knowing of their plans should have warranted at least a small bit of suspicion, there was only one reason it hadn't. What have you gotten yourself into Mr. Couth?

Garland looked at his left sleeve, he would need to get his hand replaced, so he would be back at full fighting capability. I didn't pay much attention to the lobby signs, but they might have a cybernetics area here, if that's the case, they could get me all fixed up in no time. Garland did not relish the thought that he had lost another limb, but the silver lining as always was that he was still alive. He turned to Sanova, her light and slow breathing as she slept somehow calmed him. Having something to fight for other than himself was something he didn't expect to ever get again. She meant a lot to him, and in their profession, that was a rare but dangerous thing. They both knew it, yet it changed nothing between them. He looked at Orion, his gaze was still on his armor that Garland had handed him. We all have priorities it seems. Garland still couldn't shake the feeling he got from seeing Orion with that armor in his hands, it was like a small warning bell going off in his mind, despite him not feeling the presence of anything dangerous from it. Orion had been in possession of the armor for a few months now anyway, if anything was going to happen, it probably would've already. Stop worrying old man, you have other things to take care of. His inner thoughts were right, and the first thing on his to-do list was find Langdon Couth and squeeze some information out of the man.

Garland mustered the energy to telepathically speak with Orion, it didn't matter if he couldn't respond, but this way he minimized the chance that Sanova would wake up. <First thing, glad to see you're awake Orion, truly. Now I know that you still need time to rest to get some of your strength back, so try not to strain yourself too much for the time being. We can leave when you are ready. Secondly, thank you for taking care of Sanova, she used to be my fiance, it's a long story, but the point is that I owe you big, and I will make good on that. Finally, and most importantly, when you have recovered more, we need to have a talk, there are some things that need to be cleared up between us. For now though, I'm going to see if Mr. Couth was admitted into this hospital, I need to speak with him urgently. Try to get some rest. Oh and if she wakes up, try and let her know I'll be right back.>

Garland slowly stood up, making sure not to wake up Sanova, he guided her to a leaning position on the chair's arms. She'll come looking for me when she wakes up if I'm not here, so I need to hurry. Garland made his way out of Orion's room and went looking for a doctor or nurse he could talk to. After making a couple turns he found his way to the nurse's station, 3 woman in scrubs were working nonstop. They were organizing files, answering the constantly ringing phone, and making coffee to keep them going through their shift. Garland approached the desk and waited patiently for the nurse on the phone to finish her conversation. It was clear that she was swamped and tired from the workload that the explosion at the Nemec Royale had caused. "I'm sorry sir, If you come now, we can't guarantee you will get a room, our lobby is full and the rooms are being filled at a fast rate. There's another hospital just a short drive into the residential district that you might have more success with. I apologize for this inconvenience. Have a good night." She hung up the phone and looked up at Garland bags were fully formed under her soft green eyes, he had no clue how long she had been working, but it was taking it's toll on her now.

"What can I do for you sir?" She struggled to force a smile onto her exhausted face. "I was hoping you could help me find someone, a friend of mine, Langdon Couth. I'm here visiting someone else already and figured I would find out if he had been admitted here also. After the chaos at the Nemec Royale, nothing seems normal anymore." Garland seemed sincere in his inquiry, she should have no reason to suspect otherwise. "Yeah, tell me about it, this whole day has been a nightmare, patients constantly being brought in, all sorts of serious injuries. I've had to use the crash-cart over 10 times today already." She stood up and went to the filing cabinet. The drawer labeled "A-E" was pulled out, and she thumbed through them, looking for Mr. Couth. After shutting the drawer slowly, she walked back over to Garland. "I'm sorry sir, there is no one here by that name, I could try calling the other hospitals around later on today during business hours if you would like."

Garland figured this would be his best bet to find Langdon if he had survived the Nemec's destruction. "That would be helpful. One more thing before I head back, I was wondering if this hospital had a cybernetics division?" Garland used his right hand and pulled up the left sleeve of his robe, revealing his left wrist. The nurse became slightly flustered at the sight, despite her profession. "Oh, oh my, ah, yes we do have a cybernetics office, if you take this hallway all the way down, the door in on the left hand side. Dr. Steadfield should still be in his office, despite the hour, he is working a double today like most of us. Even if Langdon Couth wasn't here, his trip would not be for nothing. "Thanks." That was all Garland left the nurse with as he headed for the cybernetics department office. The hallway eventually ended and there was another to the right of him, heading deeper into the ICU, the door on his left read "Dr. Steadfield, Cybernetic Specialist." Garland knocked on the door to the office and waited, but no one came. He knocked again, and again the door was not answered. Wonder if the nurse could tell me where he might have went. As Garland turned to head back to the nurse's station, he heard the distinctive sound of a loud snore behind the office door. He turned the doorknob and to his surprise, it was unlocked, he slowly opened the door and saw the source of the snoring. A large man was laying back in his office chair, he was bald and had square glasses that hung off his nose that looked like they were too small for his face. Garland smirked at the sight, clearly the double shift that Dr. Steadfield had taken was going to include a nap.

Garland cleared his throat in a loud and very pronounced fashion to get the doctor's attention. Dr. Steadfield opened his eyes and sprung to his feet at the sound Garland made, he looked embarrassed to have been found in such a state. He sheepishly began to speak. "Sorry about that, been a long night for everyone around here. My name is Dr. Steadfield, what can I do for you?" The large man pushed his glasses up his nose to have them fit on his face. Garland showed him where his left hand used to be. "We can fix that, no worries. Did you lose it recently?" Garland watched as the doctor began looking through the shelves that took up most of his office. The system appeared to be labeled by models and body parts. "Yeah, the wound is only a few hours old actually. I stopped the bleeding with cauterization, hope that won't be a problem." Dr. Steadfield looked over and squinted at Garland's wound through his tiny glasses. "That shouldn't be a problem, we'll just equip it with some sensory impulse lines and it will be just like feeling with the real thing again." Dr. Steadfield pulled a box off of one of the top shelves and brought it over and set it on the desk in front of Garland. "This is our newest model of mechno-arm, it's stronger and more durable than older versions, I would say it's even an overall improvement of a real hand." Garland watched as the man opened the box to reveal the cybernetic hand. It was a near identical match to the right hand Garland already had. "If you want I can add synthflesh to this one and your right hand also." Garland had never given it any thought, having synthflesh on his cybernetic replacements didn't really matter to him, he cared very little of what others thought of him. The only real reason to get it I suppose is to keep my condition a secret from enemies. Garland then revealed his left leg to Dr. Steadfield, "If we do the hands, we might as well have it done to my leg as well." Dr. Steadfield chuckled a small bit upon seeing Garland's leg, "That's quite an old model, but a good one, you've had that for some time, but yes I can add synthflesh to it as well as the hands." Garland watched as the doctor added the sensory impulse lines to his new left hand, they reached from the tip of the fingers to the small box at the base of the cybernetic limb. "It will take about 20 minutes to create the amount of synthflesh necessary to cover all 3 of your replacements, you can wait here or come back when it's done. Garland saw no need to head back to Orion's room, as he was probably still slowly recovering and Sanova was sound asleep. There would be nothing but sit in his thoughts there, and it wasn't that long of a wait. "I'll just wait here, no rush for me to get back."

[member="Orion Darkstar"]

The Sewer King

The Rising Star

Character

The Rising Star

Character

The Rising Star

Character

The Rising Star

Character

The Rising Star

Character

The Rising Star

Character

The Rising Star

Character

The Rising Star

Character

The Rising Star

Character

The Rising Star

Character

Users who are viewing this thread