Vicinity is an Issue

[Tathra Khaeus]

​A massive crimson hand crashed into the metal floor, its ribbed detailing deformed by the residual heat of the explosion. The dark crimson hand was scorched with small signs of melting skin, however mostly untouched. The arm of the creature was the only part of him visible. The upper floor of the building had collapsed, crushing those within its vicinity.

​The rubble shifted, collapsing sporadically as the massive hand dug into the ground - its arm pushing itself upward as the titan within freed itself. Walking two steps before collapsing, Tathra fell with his rocky elbow slamming into the ground. The titan's teeth parted, a short sigh escaping its mouth as drop of black blood fell from its nostril. Tathra's face twitched, agitated by the black blood running down across his mouth from his nostril.

​The Titan pushed himself up slightly, his movements restricted as smaller protruding parts of his armour and weapons singed red hot, glowing with heat from the sheer power of the explosion. Glowing orange eyes flickered open as Tathra's free hand felt across his chassis, examining himself for wounds as his feet brought him to level.

​Once more composed, Tathra calmly previewed the area; seeing that the majority of the building he had resided within was destroyed, the side he stood within having taken the worst. All within had been killed, blackened skeletons surrounded him. Both on the sides of those Extant hosts that accompanied him, and the dealers he had arrived to meet. The giant anchored to his left, turning around to see the source of the explosion. A high rise building not more than half a block away, its upper half had been completely obliterated.

​Tathra had a clear view of the destruction, the upper halves of the high enough buildings to be caught in its radius were almost entirely destroyed. It was strange, he was unaware the criminals in this area had that calibre of destructive weaponry. He would reprimand his dealers here on Dredd, they had not been honest with him.

| [member="Shakti Sweet"] |​

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Dredd - Nova City
Tags: [member="Tathra Khaeus"]

poodoo.

The building around her was still shuddering as it settled from the blast, dust showering down from the floors above and causing her chest to heave in a silent coughing fit. Her fingers were splayed against the glass of the window she'd been watching from, and her eyes narrowed as she waited for the rubble and resulting plume of black smoke to settle. If the building hadn't fallen completely then she would need to move immediately - and as she waited with her teeth tightly clenched she thought back to the previous week.

She'd paid a decent amount of credits for the information regarding where she could locate Datka - and learning he was operating on Dredd had been a relief. The planet wasn't as highly monitored as some of the others she'd been run off of lately, and it seemed the ideal spot to get what she needed. It hadn't even taken her very long to track him down and sort out where he was operating out of.

She'd tracked him by following a young human boy with tattoos identical to her own, watching as they'd entered one of the massive towers near the centre of the sprawling city. She'd set up a base of operations down the block and kept an eye on the building for nearly a week. After watching them accept a massive shipment of explosives late one evening she got an idea.

Sneaking in, she'd rigged the explosives up to detonate remotely - and she'd only needed to wait another few hours once she'd arrived back at her hidey-hole before she watched his retinue enter the building. She'd given them enough time to head up to the penthouse suite she knew they'd been using before she detonated the explosives.

This whole endeavor would be for naught if the building hadn't come down though... Her heart was racing inside of her chest as the dust and debris finally began to clear the air; and there it stood. The building had fallen in on itself, the top floors collapsing down nearly three-quarters of the buildings total height - but still a portion stood.

Her fingers jerked against the glass as her eyes flared, a heat starting at the base of her skull and cascading down the rest of her body. Gentle tremors wracked her form as her entire body tensed, slowly straightening and grabbing up the canvas bag at her side. She threw the remote detonator into her bag and turned to hurry to the buildings internal lift system. She slammed her hand into the pad to call the lift, but found that the system wasn't currently operational... The blast must have damaged the building she'd set up in as well.

Damnit.

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

​Tathra raised a gauntlet, checking to see if the built in communications equipment still functioned. A small dial sat just below the Flail attachment, his large blackened finger ran across a small metallic dial and a slightly distorted holographic interface appeared. Damaged but still functional.

​With some resistance, Tathra manually activated an open com channel to the Bryn'adûl forces above - no doubt curious as to what had happened to their Chieftain, and if he was alive.

​"[Draelvasier]: Bryn'adûl Forces hold off, I remain unspent. I will deal with this myself." Tathra was unaware if the communication had gone through, however still he would pursue.

​Tathra's boiling titian eyes fell on the closest building, observing the damage done from the explosion. The heat had done most of the damage rather than the contents of the explosion. The metal foundations of the building remained in place at this distance, however some had bent and melted. No doubt, under its own sheer weight the building would collapse. But perhaps Tathra would be quick enough to move between it and the next. He would've used his thrusters, but he had no idea who or what was watching. Vigilance was key.

​Taking a step back, the titan leaned back on his right foot - an uneasy pain shot up from the middle of his foot, damaged by the explosion no doubt. Still, he had to move. Moving like a flash, Tathra was a blur of motion as he leapt from one building to the other, crashing through one of the other buildings openings, knocking down a few pieces of metal. Landing upright, Tathra quickly moved forward, leaping upward and onto the upper floor - searching for a gap to the next building.

​Lurch

​That was when Tathra heard a large metal pillar give, snapping as a massive sheet of concrete foundation came funnelling toward him like a spear. Tathra's arms raised instinctively, both hands outstretching as his left foot jutted out, his left hand forming into a fist as the concrete collided with his gauntlet, his right hand a size too small to grasp the concrete slabs as his fingers dug in. It was nearly four tons of concrete, Tathra's eyes widened slightly as the concrete forced his arms back, straining the ligaments of his arms.

​Tathra's gauntleted wrist grinded against the concrete whilst his right hand held for a moment, straining to hold the wait as his left arm moved with his upper half of his body, striking with his left forearm into the middle half of the concrete - the kinetic force of the strike splintered the concrete, allowing Tathra to slid the concrete that rested against his right arm aside. The rest collapsed against his left shoulder, pressing him down. Tathra thrashed, his left arm wildly striking out and knocking the slab aside. Another came, unable to react - the slab cut into his jaw and knocking him to the ground as it blundered over him, falling from the construction site building down into the streets below.

​Tathra wiped a smear of blood from his chin, quickly recovering as he stood to his feet, not hurt by the incident. Tathra used the whole the slab had created, moving between the gaslights that covered the lower levels of the buildings, drawing closer to the collapsed building.

​| [member="Shakti Sweet"] |​

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Dredd - Nova City
Tags: [member="Tathra Khaeus"]


As she realized the lift wasn't going to be her way down, she hefted the canvas bag across her body, tightening the strap at her shoulder and swinging it around to lay against the small of her back. She eyed the small exit hatch beside the lift and clenched her jaw tightly. She stepped to the side and grasped the handle against the door, cracking it hard once downwards, causing the door to fall inwards and clatter against the floor. A narrow set of metal stairs stretched down the length of the building, leading down to the main floor. She stepped forward into the tight stairwell and started to hurry downwards, taking them two or three steps at a time.

She'd managed to make it nearly to the ground when she felt the building shudder once more, the sound of the metal stairs rung in her ears as they twisted a fraction many floors up. Her hands clenched tightly at one of the pipes that lined the walls of the internal stairwell, waiting with baited breath until the building stilled once more. She took one deep breath, then another, and released the pipe, dashing down the last few flights of stairs and finding the hatch at the base of the tower.

She grasped the handle and jerked downward, side stepping quickly as the door swung back into the building and clattered loudly to the ground. A burst of musty, polluted air spilled into the stairwell as she reached back and tugged a massive cowled hood up over her spill of red hair. Her clothing was nondescript and simple, all blandly coloured and hiding her shape well.

Shakti hopped over the small lip from the hatch. landing on the street proper and glanced up and down the street wildly, getting her bearings and turning to sprint towards the building she'd just bombed. Her flowing clothing whipped around her legs, her hood billowing a fraction as she hurried toward the site of what she hoped was a murder.

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

​Tathra's journey towards the building was swift, but tedious. Many trivial obstacles made themselves known, caused no doubt by the explosion. However further incident was avoided as the massive Drael darted from derelict to derelict. It was far now, Tathra didn't have to make it all the way to the foundations of the building. Rather just to a high enough spot to move to its wrenched upper body, dangling off toward the sky at an awkward angle.

​As he was moving through one of the nearby skyscrapers, Tathra's gauntlet buzzed gently - he was being contacted. Raising the gauntlet, he accepted the transmission. A small orange frames of several gang members appeared on his holographic terminal. His thudding footsteps clear to those who were now listening, waiting for the Titan to start.

​"[Basic]: Who knew this deal was transpiring?" ​Tathra spoke with a calmness that betrayed his temperament, his fingers rolling into his fist as his eyes tolerated the putrid faces of his underlings, ​"[Basic]: The first to speak will not be punished."

​A few seconds transpired as one of the Gang leaders piped up, the tension in the room building as some of the others turned to him with looks of surprise, feelings of betrayal. "It was Dik'stra and Saphia, Chieftain!" Tathra stopped as he drew close to the elevator that lead to the top level. It appeared to be broken, ​"[Basic]: All of you will isolate yourselves to your held Sectors and freeze your assets. Otherwise, all will die."

​Tathra ended the transmission, opening up another channel to his own people, ​"[Draelvasier]: Be prepared for Skirmishes, it appears I've been too kind to Dredd." ​Tathra finished his transmission quickly. His people would receive the message.

​The Titan entered the elevator, and to his surprise it appeared to function - Barely.

​| [member="Shakti Sweet"] |​

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Dredd - Nova City
Tag: [member="Tathra Khaeus"]

Her breath came in short, barely audible huffs as she sprinted towards the building she'd just managed to destroy. Thankfully the streets were filled with any number of the planet's inhabitants, some running towards, others running from - the chaos she'd caused would make for perfect cover as she hurried towards what was either going to be the best thing or the worst thing she'd done in a long time... She could hear people starting to scream, and assumed that was a good sign - if there was carnage then perhaps she had gotten lucky.

As she rounded a corner a block or so from the building she skid to a halt. Her eyes widened a modicum as she looked up the street to see something she had not expected. The massive creature that was entering the building was not one she was familiar with - and based on it's size she most certainly wasn't about to volunteer to get close enough to find out either. Her fingers tugged gently at the fabric strap of her bag that rested across her chest, her eyes darting from the gaping maw of wreckage the creature had entered through to any other possible entrances.

After a moment Shakti snapped her teeth together audibly and started off running once more, heading in after the massive red... Whatever it was that had entered the building ahead of her. The damage to the exterior of the building was such that the only entrance she could see without spending time she didn't have was going to be the one he'd used. As she neared the rubble she slowed however, using what small mastery of the Force she had to amplify her hearing. She could hear the constant clatter of still crumbling rubble, and also the sounds of lift doors gliding closed. She raised her eyebrows at that and chanced a glance into the lobby of the tower. Whatever that thing was, it was gone.

She hurried inside and to the same elevator bank, pressing had palm against the infopanel to call another of the elevators. As the doors slid open she hurried inside and glanced at the listed floors. Everything above perhaps a quarter of the way up was unlit, and she assumed inaccessible. She hit the highest floor she could and stepped to the centre of the elevator, glancing upwards at the ceiling of the small metal box as it began to whisk her upwards.

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

​The elevator came to a halt, reaching the highest level available. The door stuttered, opening but a few centimetres. A impatient growl escaped the bottom of his stomach, slowly leaving the small gaps in his firmly shut jaw. Two hands moved forward, prying the door open with momentary resistance yet the metal parted as Tathra exuded additional force, both sliding aside as he moved through the doorway.

​Ahead of him was a large open space, the remnants of walls and pieces of equipment dotted a small area that lacked a ceiling with a outer area that sat with a staircase down toward a circular landing platform, the area was lit by small blue lights. The open half was blown apart by the explosion. Ahead, Tathra saw a spiral of lights as two ships made their approach. The titan recognised the sigils of both Dik'stra and Saphia's gangs on either transport. Both were large, their shuttle-doors opening as they descended, both carrying a complement of thirty troops at least.

​He could smell their fear and, they were close to the edge of the platform. The handle of Tathra's mace jutted upward, the magnetic holster adjusting the weapon into the reach of Tathra's left hand. The Mace's head had a faint vacuous red mist gathering around its head - the kinetic generator was activated, and the sizzling red spikes delivered vapours.

​"[Basic]: Saphia, Dik'stra. You've disobeyed me, and brought troops. Are you two the co-conspirators the others claim you are?!" ​Tathra's voice was more felt than heard, his deep barratone voice swelling deep within his gut, erupting toward the sixty-two humans ahead, Tathra stood unmoving - his eyes carefully aware that the elevator behind him had begun to lower.

​Perhaps it was a trap.

​| [member="Shakti Sweet"] |​

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: Dredd - Nova City
Tags: [member="Tathra Khaeus"]

The elevator trip up was uneventful, thankfully. She reached the highest floor possible in a matter of moments and winced a little as the lift dinged softly while the door glided open. She took a brief moment to let her eyes sweep the devastation that was the now top floor of the building before she crouched low and moved carefully out of the lift. She kept herself low and as quiet as possible, her entire body going rigid as she heard shouted words ahead of her. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she lifted her hands and carefully wrapped her fingers around the twin hilts of the ryyk blades strapped across her back. With a sharp shrug of her shoulders, the blades slid free and she flipped them in her hands to have the blades running parallel to her forearms, glinting in the hazy light that filtered through the settling dust and debris.

She carefully pressed herself tightly against a wall, and scooted to the edge of it, peeking around the corner and immediately being grateful that she had no voice to gasp with. There was that thing - that red monstrosity... And it had backup. She squinted as the air and dust kicked up from the two cruisers buffetted what was left of the top floor of the tower. Carefully, as to not be noticed, she leaned back against the steel slab that was her hiding space and took a deep breath. She was unsure about how she'd ended up with this much heat so quickly.

Shakti kept her low stance and her back plastered to her modest hiding spot. Better that she keep herself hidden here and her ears trained on their conversation while she waited to sort out what was to be done next.