Try and Stop Me (Verrin)

[Placeholder 0123]

Things had built up to this. A final, true test before the real mission began. Maybe now, after succeeding, Graxin would be pulled out of this fake world. He only ever saw it when Krag allowed, the monster.

The monster Graxin had to please. The monster that had raised him. Father.

The wookie homeworld was a proud member of the Republic. It was wild and untamed; something Graxin had never seen before. He strolled down the wooden walkways of one Wookie village which happened to house a Republic Embassy. It was here that the defector was supposed to show up. It was here that he would execute the traitor. It was here he would find another piece to the grand puzzle.

This puzzle being the key to Krag's galactic domination, and Graxin's freedom. One day he would have it, but not now. Deals had to be made.

There was word of Jedi being near the outpost, though Graxin paid it little mind. He had never met a Jedi, but he had executed Sith easily enough. From the tales he had been told, Jedi were close to the same in skillets.

Night as fallen, and the faint sounds of people going about their business mixed with the planet's natural sound to create a soothing background noise. Graxin was dressed in a plain, hooded gray coat, blue pants, black combat boots, and a white undershirt. His hands were in the jacket pockets as he weaves between wookies and many other species. This was a hub of trade with many other worlds, and settlements such as this were quite lively.

The boy approached a throng of hutts, and closed his eyes. He reached out with the force, a skill he had taught himself through many hours of trying, and felt the small ebb and flow many living beings.

One stood out.

Derx Noran. Tall, blue skinned Duros. Likely armed.

He began to make his way toward the huts, feeling inside his jacket for the compact rifle strapped to the inside. His expression was stone cold.

This man meant nothing. He wasn't real, and failure was not possible.

Graxin's force signatures sky rocketed as he approached the defector's hut, a swirling storm of guilt, a passionate need to succeed, and a tinge of worry creating a volatile mix for any who would sense him.


@Verrin Ris'To

 

[Verrin Ris'To]

Kashyyyk, long had Verrin dreamed of visiting the Wookiee world, and he had not been disappointed. It was beyond beautiful but, along with the beauty, the world held a certain primal rage. The small village he was staying at while he and some republic officials were waiting at for a defector to come was situated high in the trees, and it was something he had never expected. From what little he was able to gather, Verrin was no expert in the Wookiee language, they lived up there because the creatures on the surface, the shadowlands, were far too deadly thus it was safer to stay up high and out of their reach. Another time, if he was not on a mission, he would have loved to brave the Shadowlands and find out more about the dark abyss that was beneath him that beckoned his adventurous soul.

Among the excitement, the nerves that ran through the other republic officials at the embassy fearing a betrayal, there was a sudden spike in the force. One of guilt, passion, worry... Normally, Verrin would have ignored it, but the spike was large as if whoever gave it was also attuned to the force and was about to do something they would regret. Verrin pushed off the rail he had been leaning against and started to walk along the top balcony of the embassy looking and feeling with the force for the source of the spike. The more he felt it, the more his instincts told him he needed to be ready... for what? He didn't know.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

A faint tingling sensation in the back of Graxin's mind told him to move quickly. He was beginning to learn to trust such feelings.

He broke into a brisk walk toward the hut, made sure no one was looking, and unclipped the rifle from the recesses of his jacket. Without a word, he slammed a boot through the wooden door.

A flash of blue was all he saw. Derx was on top of him, the door was flying closed, and his rifle was rolling across the dirty floor. The Duros slammed a fist into his temple, making Graxim see stars. The infiltrator wrapped his legs around the alien's midriff, making it spit out a curse in its own odd language as he span to position himself overtop it.

The Duros could to little but try to block as Graxin's fists collided with his fragile face. Bone cracked, and the defector whimpered. The infiltrator brought down another punch that sent a shock up his arm, and sent the Duros's blood all over the floor.

It lay still, though its chest still rose and fell. It's eyes were squeezed shut. "Your death was necessary to preserve the lives of other." Graxin mumbled quietly as he drew a small vibroknife from his pocket and drew it across the Duros's neck. It gurgled and sparked, then lay still.

Graxin stared at the still bleeding
corpse for a moment, before retrieving his rifle, and pulling up a chair to the defector's private console. His fingers danced along the control pad as he accessed private logs: accounts, transport logs, important names, everything of note, and transferred it to a small thumbdrive.

The transfer would wait a moment, though Graxin assume he had a few minutes before anyone came. By then, he would have taken off on the Duros's speeder bike, and made his way toward his ship at the other village before anyone was the wiser.

It wasn't like the Duros mattered anyway. He was just another part of Graxin's training program--data formed into a person. Not real.

 

[Verrin Ris'To]

The sudden emotional spike turned into something new, aggression. Raw, pure aggression. A loud slam snapped his attention to the floor below him, and he vaulted over the balcony not liking the sudden pit in his stomach that told him something was wrong. He bent his knees calling on the force and his natural physical ability to absorb the small fall, the door was knocked open, nearly off it's hinges. But as he feared, he was too late. The Duros was dead, still bleeding out onto the floor. His murderer standing on top of him playing with a small device, probably taking the information that the turncoat was going to bring them.

It was... mindless violence. Why? What point was there in this? What information could he have that was worth killing another in cold blood for? It was senseless violence that served no real purpose. People were not tools or toys to be thrown away like this, reaching to his side, he pulled off his curved-hilt lightsaber and activated it, the blade coming out and giving off a soft hum as the green light painted him in it's glow.

"Why?" Verrin said looking at the dead duro then to the man covered in blood, "He was no true threat to you... you did not need to do this. Come with me, and I will do my best to ensure you receive a fair trial."

He was making an offer of peace with one hand, but his knees were bent, and he was preparing to call on the force to send the man flying if he tried anything. The man was a trained killer that much was sure, and Verrin was not about to let the murderer escape. Not without some answers.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

He was no true threat to you.

You did not need to do this.

Graxin stared at the man, undoubtedly a Jedi, in silence. He quickly clicked the console off, and shoved the datachip into his jacket. A wracking guilt shook through him, one that should not have been there.

It took only a moment for him to bring himself back under control. The Duros was simply a test, and the Jedi was another obstacle in his way. None of it really mattered. Why would you feel distressed over things that don't exist?

Graxin slipped his rifle back into his coat, and held his hands up high. "Please don't kill me." He pleaded, his expression one of a very distressed individual.

He approached the Jedi slowly, hands still held high, his lip quivering. "I'm...I'm so sorry...he came at me and..and..--" Something akin to a sob escaped the Infiltrator.

Once he grew close enough, he would try to drive his knee up between the Jedi's legs. It was all an attempt to trick the noble warrior, and open up for escape. His hands would stay in the air during the act, as of he were sill surrendering.

 

[Verrin Ris'To]

The man was... oddly pleading, but he felt almost calm. It was... an odd mixture one that made his hair stand on end. Verrin was going to tell him to drop the weapon, but he kept walking towards him apologizing, but how could the Duros have come at him if he had the gun, and he entered the Embassy? Maybe he was lying to try and get a better sentence? But it didn't explain the almost... droid like feel he got from the man. It was almost as if part of him wasn't there.

Whatever confusion Verrin felt over the man wasn't enough for him to hurt him if he was going to give up. Verrin kept an eye on the mans hands, but it wasn't his hands he should have been watching as the man lashed up with his knee, and despite being ten inches taller then the other man, Verrin didn't see the sudden knee or feel the spike of aggression until it was too late. The knee smashed into the fork of his legs and knocked the wind out of him, his training, instantly kicking in as subconsciously called on the force to strength his body and numb the pain, but it would by the man a second before Verrin could recover fully.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

It seemed luck was on Graxin's side. The Jedi hasn't bothered to make sure the Infiltrator wasn't going to try anything with his legs. Yet, the guardian did not topple over, and even Graxen, raised by the savage Graug, knew a man who could stay standing after a knee to the baby makers was no one to be trifled with.

He wasted no time gloating or attacking. His goal was completed and he wasted no time bolting out toward the walkway. The guards were already moving toward the hut--the sound of a light saber snapping to life wasn't something you ignored. He was almost done, almost free.

"Alright, Karl heads." Graxin mumbled under his breath; turning toward the mess of brambles next to the hut. He quickly pulled the covering away, revealing a dirty, dusty, yet operational speeder bike.

Graxin threw a leg over the metal thing and flicked the ignition alive. The bike lifted a few feet, and readied to shoot off into the forest.

It would take a few moments to fully activate first, however.

Hurry up. Hurry up!


@Verrin Ris'To

 

[Verrin Ris'To]

Rage. The emotion flashed through his mind as the pain settled in and the man bolted. The deeper part of his psyche, the part he kept leashed and repressed, wanted him to chase him down, to tear his hand into his back, and rip out his spine. To feel flesh and bone break away before his power, to feel the blood run over his hands, to feed. But, he fought it down. His hard earned control re-establishing itself over his primal instincts.

Verrin shot off after the assassin, his saber deactiving to ensure he didn't cut anyone as he bolted between them using the force to empower his legs and reflexes. Getting close to the speeder bike the man was trying to get on, Verrin launched himself into the air, but he knew he wouldn't be able to make it on time, so he reached out and pulled on the bike. He didn't intend to move the bike so much as increase his speed towards the Bike.

Drawing his saber once again, he slashed at the bikes stabilizers; he would send them both into the shadowlands laying beneath the village.


[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

(You and I had the same idea. You get 20 amazing points my friend.)

Shab.

There was a bit of...what was it? Oh, yes; dead weight on the speeder bike. It's stabilizers exploded into sparks, sending the vehicle screaming for the forest floor. Graxin tried desperately to pull up, but only succeeded in partly slowing it descent.

"Cipher, start moving to extract. Just follow the comm signal." He hissed into his personal comm as he and the Jedi descended. This was not what was supposed to be happening.

He tried to turn and look at the Jedi--that is, until he noticed the flames rising from his shoulder. The man yelped, and began to dust desperately at the fire. "No, no, bad fire. Get--fierfek!" The infiltrator just managed to dust the fire out, when the bike decided it wanted to go left.

The vehicle veered off at a sharp incline toward the forest floor, though its speed was greatly reduced from earlier. Graxin turned to stare at the Jedi; yelling loud and angry over the whine of the speeder's engine. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO NOT DO THAT BATHROBE!"

It was then that Graxen lost his grip. His hand slipped, and his whole body went with it. Down into the darkest forest in the galaxy went Graxen, hitting soft earth and rolling across the dreary forest floor with a thud.

He reached up and grabbed his forehead, a pained groan forcing its way past his lips. "Kriffing-karking-sleemo-AI. You enjoying yourselves, priests?!" He roared up at what he thought to be the people observing his ongoing training session. This fake life was nothing but entertainment for his Graug overlords, he was in cryo somewhere, hooked up to a machine. He just knew it.

"Gah!" He grunted, holding his midriff a he pushed up to his feet. Where was that damned Jedi?

 

[Verrin Ris'To]

(I can't be on Kashyyyk and not go in the Shadowlands. )

Of course, the second his lightsaber passed through the speeder; he encountered the problem he had tried to not think about during his attack. The hundreds of feet from the village to the ground, and his now near straight plummet down. He tried to keep an eye on the assassin, but the coming ground had his attention, while it was incredibly dark; his kind had natural low-light vision, so luckily he was able to make out the details in the ground. Unlucky, it also made him able to see the ground coming towards him.

A sudden yell caught his attention, and he turned to look at the descending speeder and the assassin who was screaming at him for being a 'bathrobe'... something was... off about that man. He knew some people were fearless, but this guy... even they felt a level of fear; they just controlled it, but the man on the bike; it was as if his mind didn't think he could die.

Looking back to the ground, Verrin prepared to test the 'theory' of Force Push to slow down a fall. Calling the force to him, letting it flow through his body, he shot his hands out in front of him unleashing the telekinetic wave that smashed into the ground and flattened the grass. The sudden residue force smashed into him, and it felt like his arms were going to snap from the force, but it did the job, slowing him down just enough that when he collided with the ground he was able to roll and absorb most of the fall. Rolling to his feet, a sudden sharp pain flared in his mind as he reached up to touch his left shoulder, the push force had jarred it. The pain in his shoulder was noticeable when he tired to move it too much.

Verrin snapped his head up as he heard a shout, something about an AI? What? Had he been hearing things? There was no way he would be screaming about an AI. Crouching down, he trusted in his sense and his low-light vision as he moved among the tree branches intending to spy on the Assassin and formulate a plan. Hopefully, they wouldn't attract any large monsters with their smells.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

Now was the time for professionalism, though, Graxin wasn't feeling especially professional. He reached for his rifle; only to find that the blaster pack had been knocked out of the weapon during the drop. He no longer had any ranged capability.

"S'alright. I can do this. It's just another test." Graxin reached up over his shoulder, and slowly drew the three foot long, folding vibrosword from its sheathe. The weapon had a faint cortosis weave--enough to slot some hapless Jedi.

He closed his eyes, and did his best to reach out in the force. Something strong and powerful was moving alarmingly quick through the forest, though it wasn't the Jedi. It sent a chill down Graxin's spine. Something was coming for them--coming for him.

He darted off into the bushes. He could barely see through the thick underbrush as he chopped through with assistance of his sword. Birds cared and shot off into the sky as that foreboding, monstrous presence drew closer. Graxin carved and cut, eventually exploding out into the clearing that the Jedi had made

He eyed his opponent, and have his blade a quick spin. "You almost soured the mission." He called tauntingly, silver blade gleaming in the dim light. Hopefully, the ship would arrive before whatever that monster was did.

He held the sword two handed, and set his legs at the same width of his shoulders, ready to charge. "You wait for your ship, I wait for mine. We go our separate ways."

He raised the blade up over his shoulders as if he were going to cleave something in half, only succeeding in sending a wracking pain through his ribs. "You don't have to be hurt, bathrobe!"

 

[Verrin Ris'To]

Something was coming. It wasn't the Assassin, he could feel the Assassin, and for the first time since it started, something akin to fear seemed to lace the Assassin's feelings. But there was no way the Assassin could feel... whatever it was that was coming was it? The man hadn't used any real force powers, none that he could easily see. The assassin came into the clearing he made, but Verrin stayed off to the side, hiding in the tree roots intent on watching when the assassin turned to look at him taunting him.

From the man being able to see well, Verrin assumed he also had low-light vision, but more then that... could he use the force? On some level? Verrin emerged from the tree and drew his lightsaber, "I can't let you do that," he said putting the hilt in front of his face and igniting the blade before doing the common Makashi dueling flourish, saluting Graxin on reflex.

He folded his left arm behind his back as he didn't trust his shoulder to hold out on any blows, his right hand would have to do. It wouldn't effect his sword form as Makashi was meant to be one-handed, but... it did severely limit his force usage, "You murdered that man in cold blood. I don't know what is wrong with you... but once you are in cuffs, I will figure it out."

The... thing out there was getting closer. He could feel it, and he was now sure it could smell them as it's pace had quickened. He would need to end this soon and get them higher into the trees. Verrin rushed forward, using the force to enhance his speed as he lashed out at Graxin's exposed right thigh, but the blow was a feint as he rolled handle around in his hand mid swing and turned the slash into a quick thrust at his left thigh by gripping the elbow of the hilt.

((Wanna fight a Minstyngar? [member="Graxin Rade"]))

 

[Placeholder 0123]

(Yes, yes, and yes. )


What's wrong with me?

The Jedi intended to take him prisoner it seemed. Graxin wouldn't give him the opportunity. He eyed the glow of the green blade; the only source of light in the dark forest. He reached out the best he could with the force, though roughly trained he was, and felt for his opponent's movements.

His blade dipped to catch the strike, and moved all too slowly in reaction to its redirection. The lightsaber skidded across well wooden metal and then through vulnerable flesh. Hot, firey pain shot through Graxin as he fumbled back desperately to escape the bite of the lightsaber.

"I do what I have to do." He growled through grit teeth. "And you can't judge. You aren't real."

Despite the searing burn on his left leg; Graxin pressed the attack. With most of his weight on the right leg, he swung swift and strong to cut through the Jedi's midriff, only in mid-swing did he notice something awry.

The trees to their east had exploded open, and the road of a monstrous beast made his blood chill. Even as his blade sliced for the Jedi's blood, a massive, monstrous beast resembling a huge hairless primate was bearing down to claim theirs.

 

[Verrin Ris'To]

Wasn't real? Was he delusional? Or was he confused? Or was he in a drug-induced delirium? What was going on with this man? He seemed so out of it. Verrin stepped back and moved his saber to redirect the tip of his sword when a sudden roar and the crashing and shaking of ground snapped his attention to the left as the huge beast, twice as tall as Verrin who was nearly seven feet himself charging at him.

Surprised and caught flat-footed by the monster, he didn't finish moving his lightsaber, so the blade knocked it away and the tip of his sword tore through the side of his hip splashing his blood onto the grass staining it red. If he had time to think, he would curse himself for letting his control slip, but they had more pressing matters... like the large monster bearing down on them. Since the other man's leg was injured, Verrin did what he felt was best, pointed his hand at the assassin and unleashed a small force push to knock him out of the way of the charging beast.

While his hip now had a good size slash in it, and his shoulder was wounded; he could still move better then the other man, and would try to attract it's attention... hopefully the other man wouldn't try to attack him during this as they would need to work together, or at least, not kill each other in order to survive.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

The sight of the man's blood spilling into the ground only helped to confirm Graxin's idea of victory. He had lifted his now crimson blade to deal a killing blow, confident he could kill this monster alone, only to be thrown onto his backside by an invisible movement.

His sword clattered against the damp soil and his leg pain began to flare up. The Jedi had wounded his bad leg. It had once been severed completely, and then reattached with crude Sith alchemy. That was certainly going to slow him down.

Graxin watched as the monster went after his opponent, and let a small grin slip. Now was his opportunity to slip away. He pushed up to his feet, his blade held firmly in both hands.

What if it's a test? What if there are no other clearings for the ship to land in?

The thoughts creeped at the back of his mind, and despite the pain, Graxin had to admit they were logical. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to fall to a giant ape.

"I've got you bathrobe." He snapped, charging forward, though slowed, to drive his blade through the monster's back.

It screeched, and sent a massive fist careening into Graxin. It's blood spilled unto the ground and coated the infiltrator's blade as he rolled across the forest floor, bruised but certainly not dead. He worked his way to his feet, whining as the beast charged toward him, fists raised.





@Verrin Ris'To

 

[Verrin Ris'To]

Verrin slid under the monsters arms and stabbed his lightsaber into the beast knee, trying to hamstring it if possible. The large monster roared and swung his large, meaty paw back at Verrin. Moving to the left, he would have dodged it if his legs hadn't buckled from the twisting of the new wound he had on his hip. The paw caught him on his bum shoulder and sent him flying and twirling in the air to crash back down on the grass. Placing his hands on the grass in front of him, he tried to push himself up, but he wasn't sure if he could get up in time.

Then, he heard it. Bathrobe. Why Bathrobe? Verrin looked to his right in time to see the assassin stab the monster in the back and get swatted, just as Verrin had, and get sent flying back. Looking right and left, he finally saw his lightsaber laying a few feet away, but hte monster was charging the assassin, and he had to do something fast otherwise the assassin would be painting the ground red, reaching out with the force, he aimed for the monsters right leg, the same he had wounded before and yanked back with the force sending the beast tripping and crashing into the ground, buying the assassin some time.

Pushing himself to his feet, Verrin called his lightsaber back to his hand. This was not what he had wanted to do when he visited the Shadowlands.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

The Jedi had, admittedly, saved Graxin from a rather brutal demise. He pushed the immense pain in his chest and leg out of his mind for the moment. He pushed up to his feet, and gave the monster a quick once over.

It was bleeding from his strikes, and burned from the Jedi's precise slashes. Still, it moved. It's massive hands thrashed about as it began to push itself up to its feet, only to have the Infiltrator's blade bite deep into the flesh of its forearm. It toppled forward, and let out an ear piercing scream.

Graxin did his best to ignore the painful ringing in his ears as he shifted around the beast, drawing another red line into its back leg to keep it from clambering back up to its feet. The sword cut through its hide like butter, but it refused to simply die.

It twisted and turned; limbs flailing about as it tried to stand and swat its assailant at the same time. It made its mark more than one time, bruising and battering the young
man. He couldn't reach it's head while he tried to keep it from standing, and so he called out.

"Slit its throat while I have it pinned!"

 

[Verrin Ris'To]

The assassin was keeping the beast down, but it didn't look like he could inflict any serious or mortal wounds on the monster from where he was. But it seemed he and the assassin had the same idea, if he could keep it from getting up then he could finish the beast while it was on the ground, it would be dangerous, but it was the best chance they had.

Running forward, Verrin mentally prepared himself to kill the beast; while normally, he would regret it as it was a powerful beast that he would have loved to study and watch... he had to save sentient life before all other kinds of life. Verrin jumped with the force once again, and landed on the beast back. The beast bucked and swatted at the Assassin, and it was near impossible to keep his footing, but bending his knees and moving his torse back and forth; he managed to stay standing.

Bringing his saber up, Verrin thrusted it down towards the beast skull intending to impale it through the brain and end its life. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of its paws coming up to grab him, but he had to risk it all for the blow. It was their best, and with their wounds, probably last chance to end it. His saber pierced its skull, the smell of burning flesh assaulting his nose as he went all the way down to the hilt, the bottom of the saber emerging from the creatures jaw.

Verrin mentally prepared himself to feel the last, dying blow of the creature as it's meaty fist got closer and close to him.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

Graxin was no Sith. The animal's death was simply a necessity, another obstacle, another test. It needed to die, and Graxin felt no pleasure in the act. Nor did he feel any guilt for ending the life of a predator such as this; magnificent as it was, it would be forgotten.

The beast lurched in its death throes, and it seemed the Jedi certainly had a competence to him. That is, until Graxin saw the paw flying up to crush the monster's attackers and bring him with it.

Normally, the infiltrator would have just let it happen. However, the Jedi had assisted him, and he would assist the Jedi.

Stabbing his crimson soaked sword into the damp earth; Graxin held up his hands, the bloodied knuckles glistening in the faint green light of the lightsaber. His power within the force was vast, his control an understanding of it was slim. With a disgruntled roar, Graxen halted the powerful fist mid-air. It felt as if the infiltrator's very soul were being torn to shreds, such was the effort he had to exude to hold back such a powerful monster.

The paw suspended for a moment, and then fell to slam against the earth as the animal went down. There was a loud crash, and then nothing other than the hum of the Jedi's lightsaber.

Graxin slumped against his sword's hilt, and forced the weapon up from is earthy sheath. He wobbled slightly as he took it in the same stance as before, hazel eyes fixed on the Jedi.

Not a sound came from him as he waited.

 

[Verrin Ris'To]

So, he was force sensitive. Verrin watched the Assassin in silence, his lightsaber still within the beast's skull. He wasn't sure what to do about the assassin now. He felt he could defeat him as the assassin looked more exhausted and wounded then Verrin did, but the Assassin had helped him when he did not need to for whatever reason.

Then there was his mental state to consider. The assassin... something was wrong with his mind of that he was sure of. He wasn't quite sure what was wrong, but it wasn't quite... all there. When he had been screaming about AI, it had truly thrown him off, but while the Duros was a murderer himself, it still didn't give the Assassin the right to murder him in turn.

"Give me the device you took from the duros," Verrin said coming to a decision, "And I will let you leave in peace."

[member="Graxin Rade"]