The Shifting Sands (Exploration of Jakku\Open to All)

[Er'in Tenel]

Er'in cast one single long glance at Mirvak. "Unlike some, I understand the Sith Code and claim no dominion that is not mine." She stated quietly, then stepped forward and straightened her back as she walked round the corner towards the hovering light source.

"Hey there!" Her accent shifted, still aristocratic, but not nearly so cut-class mock-Imperial. "Listen... we don't mean you any harm. There's plenty of relics down here for all of us unless anyone's on a specific contract." She kept her hands easily visible as she walked forward, her gait light and her tone open, but she couldn't hide the glitter of the dark side in her soul - still, where others are black flames, Er'in might best be described as a burning rune. "And I think given we all know who this used to belong to, fighting before we even get in is just going to get us all killed - or worse."

She paused for a moment, then turned her head slightly to pitch her voice backwards.

"That goes for you behind us too - you can sneak in after us if you like, but... any guarantees or agreements go out the window."

She kept walking calmly until she rounded the corner to see who was creating the light, not removing the goggles that eased her night-blindness in this dark environment, just another tan-robed figure wrapped in desert travel gear, with an obviously wrapped sword on her back and no apparent blaster.

"And if someone does have a specific contract... say for a certain Black Holocron... then we can discuss that, because I'm pretty sure my employer can offer a better price."

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Beltran watched as the young man manipulated a random spark into a flame and send it down the hallway. As he watched, his head cocked a little to the side but he gave no further reaction. He’d heard much of the Force, but he’d rarely seen it in use. He imagined that out here, far from the streets of his home, such things would quickly become common place to him. By now he could hear the voices of the others approaching fairly clearly. They were clearly deciding how they wanted to deal with Beltran and the man named [member="Edric Vanyan"]. The female voice seemed to be the more reasonable of the two, and silently Beltran willed the other voice to listen to reason.

Better to share a prize, then become fertilizer, friend. He thought silently in the direction of the growling voice.
Out loud, he responded to Edric, his voice remaining even. “And you would be right, I have not heard of you. Though it would seem that you are not without skills.”

His instinct, as he waited for the newcomers to finally turn the corner was to tighten his grip on the rifle he carried, but he fought against it. Too tight of a grip made for slow response, and Beltran suspected that if things went sideways, he would need to react quickly.

@Er'in Tenel [member="Alba Talatheen"] [member="Mirvak"]

 

[Theo Vereen]

Sand every direction sand. Theo looked down and sand was getting into everything. Well he wasn't one to complain loudly but stepping off the ship to where the last known location of the Jakku Observatory it's entrance inviting him in.

There were others already here though the wind was busy wiping away their foot prints but the wind and sand had not yet hidden their transportation. As a Ranger for the Coalition he didn't have much of an investment here but as someone who was hoping to join the Explorer Corps of the Coalition he wanted to show his metal and investigate the Observatory.

There were so many things to be found in there, that is if someone had not already made it to it. Ships, relics, ancient texts it was a treasure trove! He smiled adjusting his goggles and raising the covering over his mouth. Time to dive in, Theo headed towards the entrance.

[member="Laira Vereen"]

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Jakku, Ancient Imperial Ruins, Unknown Time

---

Alba briefly cringed as she heard herself being addressed by the well-spoken one, picking up speed in her approach behind the pair. Evasion was out the window now, and if they had to parley about this, they might as well do it right. Soon she would have stopped only a few feet behind the wolf-like creature and the woman in the apex of the crossroads, clearing her throat and speaking with a slightly rasped tone, "Not after a 'holocron'. All yours."

"Just looking for anything that might get a good price." She followed up, glancing at the turned backs of the two, from one to the other. The other woman certainly felt... Marginally better... compared to the one who had clearly done a number on someone's speeder outside. What else could cleave through something like that in one strike, but a lightsaber?

After clearing her stance on things, she looked past them to the flame and into the darkness, just making out the outlines of two or more people, possibly. It's a true party now. Hopefully, the diplomatic one would be able to talk them down otherwise Alba just threw her cards to the wrong side of things.

---

---

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

@Er'in Tenel [member="Mirvak"] | [member="Beltran Rarr"] [member="Edric Vanyan"]

 

[Mirvak]

Mirvak played his role well, despite how much he hated it. He stood behind @Er'in Tenel, a massive brute of an alien who's battle scarred features could barely be made out in the dim light. His predatory gaze, his sallow eyes that shone in the light, regarding [member="Beltran Rarr"] and [member="Edric Vanyan"] with a dead cold glare. He turned his head quickly to assess [member="Alba Talatheen"], giving her the same silent gaze, gauging her quickly, before looking away. The beast's rage was just boiling just underneath the surface, seeing now that he had agreed to diplomatic measures with a few mere weaklings. Despite his anger swelling within him, he said nothing, just standing by Er'in's side.

 

[Edric Vanyan]

Edric was amused by the scene that began infront of him as a woman came forward with a hulking beast not far behind. His focus immediately drawn to the creature that was behind the woman, staring at it for a few moments and willing the flame to come from the corner in the hall and float till it was to the pair's right, giving him a better view of the two. Its flame licked the air, flickering and acting like a leashed dog trying to get away from its master. He could let it do so or cut out the flame then and there and plunge the area into darkness again. He knew they would have ways to return the light, but a few seconds before those alternatives activated would give him enough if he had to make for an escape.

For now he would entertain the one that wanted to speak and see if there was some way to resolve this. He had been prepared to simply ignore them but then something she said caught his ear. He smiled, looking at her in the eyes and wondering if she was trying to trick him. He had not even thought about there being a Holocron here, and was even more surprised that someone would know who's owner it was if there did happen to be one. For all his research into the place, he had simply understood this to be a weapon of some sorts that the old sith lord's followers had failed to activate.

The fact that there was a holocron here made his options far less diverse. Normally he would simply wait and let someone find what he was looking for long before he attempted to get it from a tired and weakened group, but this time he wondered if he could get her to help him instead. So rather than put himself as this quiet and unimportant person, he straightened up and spoke.

"A Holocron you say? I can't say that I am on a contract for anyone actually, and I was here for myself entirely. If you do not mind my inquiring, who is this benefactor of yours. I can't help to think that you are wasting your talents looking for it at the behest of someone else. I myself would seek such an item to improve myself and guard that knowledge until I had made use of it. Surely you are just as ambitious to do so yourself? Atleast, that is my experience when it comes to women of your caliber."

Edric fought to not break character, his hands still crossed behind him and eyes focused on @Er'in Tenel. For [member="Beltran Rarr"], who had had a short conversation with Edric it might be a bit more clear that this was an act. But for the others like [member="Mirvak"], [member="Alba Talatheen"], and [member="Theo Vereen"], there was no way to be certain if he was acting or just normally that way.

 

[Er'in Tenel]

"Oh, I'm here for a few other things myself, I assure you. I wouldn't question a girls ambition on a first date." She winks, a sultry gesture that entirely lacks anything but threat. "It's not polite, and might her riled."

Er'in looks from person to person, casually strolling to one wall so she's out of an immediate crossfire. Her every bit of body language confident in the extreme.

"But since my friend Mirvak and I are the only people here with... direct ulterior motives other than getting rich. I sense we might be able to make a bit of a deal. I know who this old ruin used to belong to, and at least a couple of the supposed contents. From that, I can infer the hideous deaths the deceased owner has waiting for us deeper in and forewarned is forearmed and all that."

She crosses her arms, leaning back against a wall.

"I'm one hundred percent certain we can all make it out of here one of two ways - rich or dead, I prefer rich - in credits or in knowledge. So I propose a deal, we open up just a little, then we destroy the frikking traps, droids and whatever else the old owner left. Then we split the loot - and if we're going to fight, we do it then. To sweeten that deal, I'll pass on what I know to people who agree. I don't think I need to describe the stick, do I? Don't think of us being trapped in here between you three. You're in here with Mirvak and I."

It's a talent the rich and noble develop well, to deliver a threat without so much as changing tone or posture, except to stress one word. She might be bluffing - maybe she even is about herself, although she seems strongly competent. But she's not bluffing about the worgen. She's quite convinced he can take any two or three of the people in the room.

[member="Edric Vanyan"] | [member="Mirvak"] | [member="Alba Talatheen"] | [member="Beltran Rarr"]​

 

[Beltran Rarr]

As the two beings, [member="Mirvak"] and @Er'in Tenel, rounded the corner and finally came into view, Beltran’s eyes were immediately drawn to the hulking creature. A sudden, but intense, wave of primal fear thrust its way into Beltran’s mind, shattering the focus that he worked so hard to maintain.

Demon.

A single word that held, for Beltran all the nameless terrors that a mind as broken as his could summon. He hadn’t expected to see Demon here, but then again he never expected to see Demon. That, he supposed, was exactly the point. If Demon could be predicted, he would lose much of his power.

As if frozen in place, Beltran steeled himself from the mental onslaught that he was sure would come and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

But nothing came.

His consciousness remained his own and after what felt like an eternity, though was very likely only a few short seconds, he realized his mistake. Grotesque as he was, Mirvak wasn’t Demon at all. He was real, and though his body language belied that he was exceptionally dangerous, he wasn’t about to invade Beltran’s mind.

As quickly as his faculties had left him, they did return. The man in front of him, [member="Edric Vanyan"] as he’d introduced himself, was speaking to the woman accompanying the monster. They were discussing, what was it? Ah yes, a holocron.

Beltran wasn’t entirely sure what that was, though he thought that he’d heard the word at least once sometime before in the past. He kept his mouth shut for a moment and continued to survey the scene as it unfolded. The woman’s body language matched somewhat that of Edric’s. Both were attempting to convey a sense of confidence, though he suspected the woman’s feeling was far more genuine than the man’s. That made sense, she had an ally here in the form of the wolf creature and he didn’t quite know what he had. He listened silently to the woman's offer. Now that his sudden fear had dissipated, he found that her threats didn't carry the same weight as they might have. Still, she definitely had an advantage.

Both were obviously very interested in this holocron thing, which led Beltran to believe that it was likely very valuable. It was about this time, as Beltran was musing, that another voice spoke up in the darkness. It was slightly raspy, but sounded feminine to his ears. She stated her intentions, which were essentially the same as his, find something worth selling. Unlike her, Beltran decided to make something of a gambit and see what came of it.

[SIZE=11pt]“As a matter of fact,” He spoke up when the conversation lulled. “I have been contracted to find the item you speak of.” He lied, addressing the woman with an even tone, all the while hoping that nobody had caught his momentary lapse a few seconds earlier. “My client has offered me a tidy sum to acquire it. He was even so generous as to pay a twenty-five thousand credit deposit. That being said, I am above all else as businessman. I see no profit in standing between you, and your bodyguard,” He glanced at the hulking creature. “And the object of your desire. So if you would consent to simply match my client’s modest deposit, I would be more than happy to lend my services to aid you in your [/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px]endeavor[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt].”[/SIZE]

[member="Alba Talatheen"]

 

[Beltran Rarr]

OOC: Bah! Sorry for the double post!

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Jakku, Ancient Imperial Ruins, Unknown Time

---

The scrawny, underwhelming scavenger simply shifted to the opposite side of the girl and her wolf, looking further at the armed merc and the other one as everyone began to hash out the details. She would wait to the end until speaking up again, tone a little more direct than before, "I like her terms." Before jerking her head towards the well-spoken noble, black hair barely rustling from the sharp movement. It seemed they had similar goals... And she had no intention of being trapped with them.

Alba turned her gaze then towards the other two, an unreadable expression of contemplation across her face as she seemed to be assessing them, though it was doubtful she could gather much. She didn't come off as a dominant figure like the others in this debacle. And certainly not the smartest.

---

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Spoiler: Interacting With

@Er'in Tenel [member="Mirvak"] [member="Beltran Rarr"] [member="Edric Vanyan"]

 

[Theo Vereen]

Sand was hot he could feel the sweat begin to roll across his skin he didn't know how the inhabitants here survived like this. He was a bit spoiled by green valleys and cool breezes but here even the air was hot. One breath in and it stole every bit of moisture, Theo stopped to take a drink. He had to make it last.

The entrance had been cleared further indication that someone had been there before him, and could still be there. Theo ducked down and slipped from the heat into the the sweltering remains of the observatory.

He looked about and couldn't help but pause. In its own way it was beautiful, scary, and frail looking. Sand poured through openings cascading downwards like the waterfalls back home. The ceiling which had once been so elegant with it's circular lines showing the pathways through the heavens were faded and broken. This was just the upper levels there was more to this place with it's hidden dangers.

Theo felt his heart begin to pound with excitement as adrenaline pushed through his veins urging him forward unaware of what or who else had wandered inside the Observatory.

Theo wished he had brough a droid to record everything but he had not thought that far ahead, well in truth he had expected ruins. Broken buildings, covered in layers and layers of sand that no one wanted to dig through he didn't expect this.

The light filtering in through the breaks of the old building bathed the room in a golden light that hinted at unknown treasures. The frame of what was once a tree stood silently guarding. Whatever it's purpose had been in the past it was now to be the guardian of sand and memory even in it's dry aged form its branching dipping down in silent resignation. The leaves dry as the sand slowly drifting down in silent tears for what had been. Guess even Imperials deserved tears sometimes.

 

[Myles Davorak]

Myles and his team landed not too far from where the Observatory entrance would be located. Tucked away behind a few sand dunes, The Tempest engaged its landing gear and touched down on the hot sand, the thrusters threw sand in every direction. As Myles got out of his chair on the bridge, he relayed his usual routine to the other three men.

"Hawkins, monitor comms and scanners for any movement. Parker, your on ship duty, make sure The Tempest is ready to go in a moments notice. Hale, set up a defensive perimeter outside the ship in case you guys catch small arms fire. I'll proceed alone, too dangerous to bring you all with me."

The men somewhat hesitated, they heard of what dangers could lie in a place such as this. A stronghold that could contain the Emperor's darkest secrets. Parker shot Myles a curious look before prompting him "You sure the Queen is okay with this?"

Myles nodded and smiled "Aw, you gonna miss me?....Yes, I know she would approve of this....Theo is here so I have to make sure that each member of the Coalition is accounted for. Theo just happened to be closer in our travels."

Raven Squad nodded as Myles covered his head in a earth tone wrap that would shield his head from the elements. He put on goggles to shield his eyes from the airborne sand that could buffet his vision. Raven Squad got into position as Myles departed from the gangway on his ship.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Lying down behind a rather tall sand dune, Myles peered through the scope on his carbine to do short recon of the structure. Multiple speeders could be seen in the distance from where he was looking. Looks like we have a decent amount of company he thought to himself.

Shuffling down the sand dune he heard Hawkins over the commlink "Broadsword to Dagger, I got full video feeds coming in. Everything is looking nominal, be careful down there sir, over and out."

Approaching the entrance, he could hear nothing but darkness being emitted from the entryway. Flipping a switch on his goggles, he activated low-light vision which should help him in a situation like this. His carbine was at the ready at all times as he progressed through the ancient structure. Friend or foe....what's it gonna be today? He mused.

The time came when he could hear chatter between multiple people. He would stay put and listen in to determine the threats (if any).

[member="Theo Vereen"] [member="Alba Talatheen"] @Er'in Tenel [member="Mirvak"] [member="Beltran Rarr"] [member="Edric Vanyan"]

 

[Akabane Jarvik]

Searching for one little girl was harder than he originally thought. While he had no plan in mind and knew it wouldn't be easy, he expected some luck to be on his side. One time they met by pure coincidence after all. He just had to have that kind of luck. Unfortunately, life never went his way, it threw all of his good fortune away before birth. First came loss of both parents and all other relatives, Akabane's villages burned to the ground, and now Aevan. There were many more occurrences of misfortune but those struck him the hardest.

Despite being so unlucky, Akabane wasn't someone who used that as an excuse to stop trying his best. He would do anything in order to reach Aevan, including abandoning his work. And guess what, that's exactly what he did. When he thought about it, not showing up to complete the tasks master gives him might become an issue. Although he could always make it up by bringing back something interesting or maybe someone interesting, that someone being Aevan. Yes, he thought about encouraging her to become a sith. Akabane wasn't proud of it but it'd be nice having her close by instead of far. He hated not knowing where she was.

The primary goal was to find Aevan while on his little vaca. He often didn't get any information involving her, so looking around all day and night exhausted both him and his wallet. Living expenses weren't much of an issue thanks to his ship. The drinking habit is the thing that broke his wallet. Experiencing failure after failure put him in bad moods but liquor working its magic helped. Akabane was aware of his unhealthy habit and had no intent to stop. Well, until he basically had no choice.

Akabane landed on Jakku one day prior to today. A cantina was his destination and where he heard of the observatory. Coming here for a drink was his reason in coming here, as one could assume. However it soon got replaced by asking these men about this observatory. The numbers were small inside, either age or the planet took a toll on the locals. Though there were small in numbers Akabane tried to get information out of them. He saw no harm in doing something else while taking a break from searching.

One man was old and short, he spoke first. "You must be a greedy bastard." the whole room erupted with laughter and then stopped. Akabane grinned, "Are you implying theres something of worth in an old observatory?" all of the men looked at him for a moment before looking back. "You must not be from here, boy. A building that old defiantly has some goods in it." Akabane was intrigued and forced the old men to explain where this observatory rested. It took some time but he eventually found out the location and planned to go the next morning.

He headed towards the building as soon as he woke, there was no reason to wait. Akabane's ship hovered above the structure, he scouted the area to see if anyone was outside. Of course they weren't. Even a corpse would hate to be in this weather. The observatory appeared to have other people interested in it. Perhaps some fighting had broke out too as seen by the freshly sliced speeder bike with another nearby. He wanted a closer look so he opened the ramp and on the edge. "Droid, keep her in the sky until I return." he dived off of the ramp headfirst aimed at the ground.

The wind came slowed his falling allowing a soft landing. Akabane now stood beside the sliced speeder bike in his favorite outfit. "A device capable of cutting through metal in one quick motion, a lightsaber most likely." he concluded as he analyzed the destruction. Someone wielding a lightsaber was inside there. The masked Akabane moved forward.

Once inside, he could feel that other people were certainly here. How many of them? Are they working together? Sith? Jedi? He wasn't sure how to approach this. Akabane tried to make a flame like a kind woman taught him, but he was unsuccessful. His lightsaber was probably the only light source he had at the time. Unlike the others he decided he would stay back. Knowing too little bothered him too much. He sat down and leaned against a wall in a hallway, darkness consumed his figure.

There was a Jedi that taught Akabane many things. She did this thing where they aligned mentally. Remembering this gave him an idea, hopefully the idea meant he'd get some information. He wanted to use telepathy so he could talk with someone further into the observatory. The person can tell him whats happening and he promises to be nice. Or worse case scenario, he helps them get out of trouble if there really was a fight here. Akabane tried it out, he'd continue sitting in darkness anyways.

Feed me. No, down here. he said joking at first. Sorry, I was being silly. I'm not sure if you can hear me... but uhh anyways, I'm Akabane and I've come for the treasure. I don't know your status but unless you cut your own speeder bike in half, I'd get out of there. If your interested however, we can become partners and work together. My droid is piloting my ship for an emergency escape so don't worry about getting away if things go bad. hopefully the attempt would be successful and reach [member="Edric Vanyan"]

Something outside had made a noise, a vehicle? Men made their way inside the observatory after some time. He stayed out of sight and moved in the shadows. Being a ghost would make it easier than starting a conversation about how he came here for treasure like everyone else.

[member="Er'in Tenel"] | [member="Mirvak"] | [member="Beltran Rarr"] | [member="Zesiro"] | [member="Theo Vereen"] | [member="Myles Davorak"] | [member="Alba Talatheen"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

Edric waited for @Er'in Tenel to finish before grinning a bit wider and leaning against the wall now, drawing the flame away from the others and back to his hand. He closed his hand, letting the flame die slowly and watching them before it was little more than that of a candlelight. It cast a soft glow over Edric's face, and barely illuminated the others, etching long shadows down the hall. He twisted the candle like flame between his fingers and finally spoke again while focused on it, letting his voice carry down the halls in a calm and low toned voice.

"You are certainly confident..." He started, eyes focusing on Erin in particular this time. "So much so that I almost believed that you thought you were that strong. While I am certain you are impressive madam, your very appearance is striking and all too clear about that fact, you are not stronger than me and we are definitely not trapped in here with you. First, I would be certain that the 'creature' to your right is the one I should even consider a threat, and that is because of his purely physical stature. Something that in these tight spaces will do far more damage to all of us, than an enemy. You are more than likely a manipulator, one who is very good at her craft, through use of her beauty, honeyed voice, and eyes that catch one's attention and focus... In short, you are not worth my worry."

He now changed his view to the newest one, letting a genuine smile return to his face as he gave her a quick bow.

"You are quite true to believe in this woman miss, but I would say that it would only end in you making far less of a return on your adventure here. I can almost certainly assure you that this one will only use you as a disposable minion and instead I can offer you far more of a return in allowing myself to lead this little expedition further. While I am certain you or the other miss are more than capable, I would prefer that such beauties made it out of here with less injuries." He had made no attempt to discredit Erin's idea as to them working together, instead he was focused on turning potential allies to his side in the confrontation that was certain to happen sooner or later. @Er'in Tenel was interesting to him, and [member="Alba Talatheen"] who he had just addressed would be useful in removing one more from the side of the dark side woman. The next would be [member="Beltran Rarr"], who was obviously focused on the money.

"As for you, Mister Beltran, If payment is your issue, I am certain I will be able to out pace these two when it comes to your payment. Within reason of course. Though I must say I am slightly disappointed in you not sharing your contract with me, you would have thought something like that would be worth noting if you are so willing to give up the information now." He smiled at the man, fully unaware of Beltran's lie. He did not decide it was an untruth, fully believing the man spoke truly. Instead of worrying about if it were a lie or not, he was mentally taking account of what he could offer this man to draw him under Edric's command and to Edric's side later on.

That left the creature, who Edric had no intention of turning towards his command. [member="Mirvak"] was more of a danger than a help in this place, with the walls tight and the air rank thanks to the hostility coming off the creature. Edric's Empathy was going nuts thanks to the demon, and it took everything in Edric not to be consumed by it and simply attack others. For every emotion that reached his mind it was multiplied twice its original severity, making Mirvak a rather constant annoyance.

Edric was left with another feeling, that of @Akabane. His message came over quick and Edric showed no hint of receiving it on the outside. His mind instead turned inwards and responded in one simple statement. Work with me, and you will find yourself rewarded quite significantly.

 

[Mirvak]

Mirvak's ears flattened against the side of his head as he was referred to as "creature," and snarled silently. His anger swelled up within him, he couldn't remain silent for much longer, playing nice with these weaklings. His fingers tightened into a fist, letting the young man finish speaking. He took an authoritative step forward and spoke at once towards [member="Edric Vanyan"], a low rumbling,"This is no debate." He paused to quirk his head to one side and let a growl slip out,"The Holocron is leaving with us. Purchased with credits, or with blood." He opened his right hand and gestured with a sweeping motion around the ruins,"We allow you to loot the rest." His eyes, shining in the dark, glared down at Edric.

[member="Beltran Rarr"] | [member="Alba Talatheen"] | [member="Myles Davorak"] | [member="Akabane"] | [member="Theo Vereen"]

 

[Er'in Tenel]

Location: Just inside the Observatory
Nearby: [member="Mirvak"] [member="Edric Vanyan"] [member="Alba Talatheen"] [member="Beltran Rarr"]
Engaging: [member="Edric Vanyan"]

Er'in raised one eyebrow and unfolded her arms, letting them drop casually to her side as [member="Edric Vanyan"] spoke, casting one glance over to the armed mercenary, then to the unarmed treasure hunter, before looking back to him.

"That's a really long way of saying no." She remarked casually, the faintest fire in her eyes the only outward expression of her true emotions, but the furious rage that leapt up into her heart could not be tamed so easily, it leapt and crawled - but she was the mistress of her passions, no slave to the dark side she. She swallowed them, settling them down into her limbs as they buzzed with power. Any force sensitive could feel the trouble brewing, even if they might not know what it was.

She reached into one pouch with the casual air of an aristocrat, her eyes now positively glittering - and for those so inclined, considerably more attractive than her cold noble demeanour - producing a small pouch which she threw to [member="Beltran Rarr"], the faintest hint of telekinetic control on it to prevent it being snatched off course.

"Approximately thirty three thousand in unmarked crystals, consider the extra a downpayment for when fethers like this kid..." that said 'kid' was two years older than her was of no account "...try and get you to back out, we'll see what we can agree on to compensate you for continued loyalty."

She turned her head to [member="Alba Talatheen"]. "You seem smart, your pick of the loot, and if no one's ever explained to you why you keep finding the creepy chit, I'll explain that too because honestly, I could use a friend like you. But you might want to duck right about now."

She raised one arm in an almost ritualistic gesture - any force user could see what was coming now. There was no element of surprise, all the guns were already drawn, it was only the type of round fired that remained to be seen. As she moved, her pretense fully dropped and her driven, passionate appearance came fully across her features - it really did do wonderful, perhaps terrible things for her appearance, letting the fake ice fall away.

You see, the thing was - and anyone with empathy could perhaps guess at this - Er'in was more than tired of being overlooked, belittled and treated like a weakling among her peers. Her honeyed words and eyes that catch attention... they were what made her angry. Because she was a feth of a lot more than a manipulative doll. Which had made Edric's words a bit of an error, really, far from swaying her, they'd just provoked the perhaps inevitable conflict early.

"Mirvak? We do it your way. Kinta vejas!"

A howling rush of dark wind and energy left her hand, shaped for a moment like a warped rune before it rushed across the room at [member="Edric Vanyan"] - Sith Sorcery, one of the most common attack spells. The Black Wind. Er'in was moving as soon as she started speaking, twisting away from where she stood to present a smaller target and allowing Mirvak full freedom to... do that thing he did so delightfully and infuratingly well. Kill.

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Location: Inside the observatory, standing on the other side of [member="Edric Vanyan"]
Nearby: [member="Edric Vanyan"] @Er’in Tenel [member="Mirvak"] [member="Alba Talatheen"]
Engaging: [member="Edric Vanyan"]

Beltran listened to [member="Edric Vanyan"] ‘s words as the boy spoke to him. To hear that Beltran had disappointed the younger man by not revealing his intentions (which he had just made up a few seconds beforehand) meant very little to the mercenary. This boy had obviously been raised in luxury, and thusly it seemed he believed that he was somehow owed something by men like Beltran. What did the boy think? Because they had exchanged names, they were somehow friends? Beltran didn’t have any use for friends and even less use for vague promises of rewards in the future, which was all that Edric seemed to offer.

The woman on the other hand ( @Er’in Tenel ), she understood what it took to secure his services. As he watched the pouch flew through air, passing by Edric’s head on its way to Beltran. When he came close enough, Beltran released his stabilizing hand from his rifle and caught it. Obviously the mercenary had no time to count it, but he read enough in the woman’s body language to doubt that she was lying about the sum. From her demeanor, Beltran could tell she was angry almost to the point of rage, even though she was managing to keep it contained for the moment. While Edric’s condescension had merely annoyed the mercenary, apparently it had brought about the full force of her ire.

With a quick motion, he stuffed the pouch inside his desert robes and then with one smooth movement raised the barrel of his blaster rifle toward Edric. “Sorry kid,” Beltran said in response to the young one’s words. “But the lady gets it. Talk is cheap and you talk too much.”

As he brought his blaster to bare, Beltran flipped the safety switch from its original setting of kill to stun. His reasoning for this was threefold. First, his would-be employer for this operation stood just on the other side of Edric, which meant that if Beltran opened fire he would risk hitting her and causing himself a whole host of other problems. Second, as Edric had made note of earlier, the structure surrounding them was very old and far from stable and he’d rather not be the one who triggered a cave in. And third, after witnessing Edric’s trick with the flame he was sure the boy was a Force user of some kind. That meant that the weapon that he was fingering earlier was likely to be a lightsaber. Now Beltran wasn’t an expert in the Force or those who used it, but it was common knowledge that even inexperienced swordsman trained in the Force could deflect blaster bolts.

A stun discharge, however, encompassed a much wider area. It was certainly possible that the boy could deflect some, or even most of it, but even the small amount that got through would hurt even if it didn’t incapacitate him. Eventually, multiple blasts might even be enough to slow the boy down enough to give him a decisive disadvantage against the obvious onslaught brewing from the side of Er’in and Mirvak.

[SIZE=11pt]So, at about the same time Er’in released her spell. Beltran opened fire, shooting stun blast after stun blast at Edric while simultaneously moving as close to the wall as he could so as not to get caught in the woman’s blast.[/SIZE]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

Location: Within the Ruins, after the first turn.
Allies: [member="Akabane"]
Enemies: [member="Beltran Rarr"] @Er'in Tenel [member="Mirvak"]


Edric's hands tightened and a saber dropped from his hand the moment he felt the hostility in the air spike, to where he watched a bag soar past his head. He was not prepared to wait for everyone to be in a situation to strike, having fought enough people in his life to recognize when things are not going his way. Edric smile, the anger spiking and hostility crawling across the hall, Edric drawing it to him as the flame in his hand brightened. His other hand reached out, gripping at the floor panel and his grin stretched wide as he let the force fill him.

All pretenses of peace had been dropped the moment [member="Beltran Rarr"] said "Sorry Kid." And when @Er'in Tenel said "Mirvak, We do it your way." That was enough for Edric to know what was coming and his hand dragged upwards, pulling a floor panel loose and using it as a shield, expecting blaster-fire from Rarr, not a stun blast. It still worked but the moment he heard the distinctive sound he didn't realize how his choice had saved him. It had been done to give Edric less to focus on, as fighting Erin and Beltran with saber and flame would have been hard for him. This was an alternative that saved Edric time, but now had saved him his skin for a few moments. That sheet of metal would not last forever, and it Beltran could easily get around it, which meant that Edric only had a few moments.

That was when he remembered about the dark wind, which slammed into him and cut along his body. Edric had had a minimal level of protection against the force up, but not enough to stop the attack outright, knocking him off his balance and causing him to drop his saber into his hand out of habit.The pain caused by the bolt of energy was enough to make the blue in Edric's eyes vanish in an instant and Edric's facade faded to show quite clearly which side of the force he belonged on.

"Bad Idea." He simply said, the fire snaking its way up his hand and then his arm, until it licked at his face and almost caused damage to the user himself. In Edric's other hand a dark blue blade shot out and remained inches away from the floor. He was livid, though the feelings that Edric felt were more from the others than himself. Edric hated violence, but at this point he was not avoiding it.

So the fire left him and shot out, separating Edric and Erin from [member="Mirvak"], leaving the canine creature for [member="Akabane"] and expecting that man to be able to deal with it. Edric himself would choose to deal with the woman and the other man himself. Which meant dealing with that stun blaster before focusing on the woman who intended for more damage. He can deal with pain and damage, but having his abilities lessened would be far worse if he meant to get out of this fight still able to find that Holocron.

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Jakku, Ancient Imperial Ruins, Unknown Time

---

It went to hell.

Almost as soon as the woman with the words began to cast spells Alba was already pulling back down the corridor away from the initial fight, but the fire and the blaster going off solidified it; There had to be other entrances into the ruins. Perhaps some that nobody else had found. She was more willing to dig around in the sand for an alternative route than be stuck with flame-throwing maniacs.

Even as she turned to make her quick escape back around the corner of the crossroads, something that the woman had said wormed it's way in her brain and kept crooning in temptation. 'I'll explain that too'. She knew. Knew what led Alba to stupid kriffing decisions, more like.

It wasn't worth sticking around to get obliterated by a misplaced shot, though. Answers would come, but not like this. Pulling herself back around the corner away from the ensuing chaos, Alba was heading back towards the ruins entrance -- More than likely charging right towards [member="Akabane"] without a second thought, far more concerned with the danger behind her than what was awaiting her in front. Indeed, so unthinking about what was in front of her that she wound up running right into him, an unstoppable force meeting a direly immovable object. The wind knocked out of her (Ha) at suddenly being stopped she stumbled back after accidentally charging into the newcomer, only managing to wheeze out one, quiet tell-tale word, as if justifying their collision.

"Worgian."

---

---

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Akabane"] [member="Mirvak"] [member="Beltran Rarr"] @Er'in Tenel [member="Edric Vanyan"]

 

[Akabane Jarvik]

Location: In a corridor, near Alba Talatheen
Allies: [member="Edric Vanyan"] | [member="Alba Talatheen"]
Enemies: [member="Mirvak"] (target) | [member=Er'in Tenel] | [member="Beltran Rarr"]


A grin formed on his face when Edric mentioned rewards. I don't want money. What I want is a reliable contact. I'm sure you understand what I mean. he shook his head after sending that telepathic message. No, he cared not for money and he wasn't working for the young man. He was doing a favor for, hopefully, a future friend. Whether they really became friends or not didn't matter. I'll help you now. I expect you to do the same when something comes up on my end, okay friend? he added humor to a somewhat serious situation.

Akabane stopped grinning as sounds came from deep inside the observatory, he hopped on his feet quickly. Waiting for the man's reply wasn't really a concern for Akabane, he planned on helping him anyways. And the sounds were probably an attack by him or on him. There was no time to waste. He stayed in the shadows and started running down the corridor Seeing proved to be difficult but he used wind shaping to feel the flow of the air. That was his guide for now. A turn appeared to be up ahead, some light barely visible from his view.

Then, he stopped. What is that? he heard something approaching him, the running feet of something was coming near. "Show yourself-" he was met with great force against his chest, causing him to stumble himself. The wind changed direction and surrounded the attacker. Akabane was shocked by this, that's what he got for being off guard though. He held a defensive form until she said one quiet word. Worgian? The girl was not the opponent it seemed, however a worgian was apparently the one causing the trouble. That's what he got out of it anyway.

Caring for a lady in distress came first, Akabane could care less about fighting the beast while the victim was hurt. He was truly concerned, asking about her well-being almost immediately. "You're safe now, Miss. Did the big bad wolf hurt you anywhere?" his friend would most likely be unhappy with his thinking, but a good man would leave a helpless girl.