We Feed Children So That Makes It Ok... Right?

[James Justice]

James bit the cap off the bottle and spat it across the cockpit--it slapped against the bulkhead and left a scuff mark with a satisfying pink. He took a swig from the bottle, the burn of the alcohol on his throat felt like a familiar, satisfying companion.

"Suit ye self then. No offense taken. I got a couch back in thar," he jerked his thumb at the cabin behind them. It was his private quarters, a bed, a couch, some shelves, and a desk that was also mostly littered in bottles, butts, and dirty laundry, "Should 'ave clean spot on thar for ye. I generally read on the trips. And drink--and smoke. Passes the time, educates me mind, and gives me somethin' to do."

Of course, coming from a guy with the linguistic skills of a chimp--that was a real irony. And of course, who would have thought "beers and books" was a good combo? Not most people. He tapped the co-ordinates in on the console when they reached space and watched as the stars turned rapidly into streaks of light.

He looked at he from the corner of his eye with an impish grin, "Of course, I got a nice bed too. The best that money could buy. I make it rock like no body else ye ever met."

he gave her a wink before taking another heavy swig from the bottle. His Zeltron pheramones began to hum through the air softly, a subconscious reaction to--well, James being James. His free hand fished out a cigarette and lit up a smoke--the first of many in the chain smoking that was to come.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

I rolled my eyes as James mentioned the bed. He wasn't subtle but at least he was honest about his desires. I muttered a thanks and walked to his quarters and after using The Force to completely clear the couch I sat cross-legged and closing my eyes I immersed myself in The Force. Looking inwards I thought back to the utter darkness I'd felt from James and began looking deep within myself. It was still there...the darkness I'd unleashed on Coruscant with the inter-species traffickers. Crackling like the coals of a raging inferno that had burned down low. I knew though that it would only take a small amount of fuel to bring that darkness back into a dark, blazing, inferno.

I felt myself elevating off the couch but I wasn't on the couch anymore I was in my own mind now. On one hand I'd been more in control while I'd been executing the guards and the leaders of that ring of inter-species traffickers. Cold, calculating, in control. On the other hand I now was afraid of hurting the one I cared most for Aria. I'd been contemplating proposing to her recently but we'd had one official date. Master DragonsFlame knew as did Master Gan and if I were to marry her I knew I'd want to have my Mother there. But honestly I wanted several people there. Selene my Miraluka Echani combat instructor, Zara, Arja and Master Gan. I knew that it hadn't been long with Aria but I needed her in my life and I loved her. I was afraid of losing her but as a Jedi I knew it was something that was always possible. I wanted her to know that I wanted her and nobody but her for the rest of my life.

Aware of the ship and James in the cockpit smoking what I noted was his third and drinking heavily I wondered what his past was. I'd caught a glimpse of a photo with what appeared to be him and his family. He'd looked grim there but happy as well. Perhaps that was why he drank and smoked so much. The laundry, bottles, and butts all spoke of a man who'd had caring and love but either lost them or had them taken from him. It would explain the darkness in him...Now he was counting cards in the cockpit. Extending my legs beneath me I stood in his cabin and opened my eyes. I understood why the Sith looked inwards now. I'd been cautioned against meditation of this nature as it brought your thoughts about the darkness inside to the forefront.

Grabbing a broom from the corner I began sweeping out the cabin and feeling around with The Force I found the empty bottles throughout the ship and levitated them into the hold in a cloud of glass. By the time I'd gotten all the way to the refuse dump there was a medium sized pile of cigarette butts and a large cloud of glass. Holding the field of glass afloat with my left hand and The Force I guided the glass cloud down into the now open refuse dump. As I finished that I again using The Force guided the cigarette butts into the refuse dump before kicking the hatch closed and spinning the latch with a flick of my right hand in a circular motion with The Force. I heard it click closed and walking back to the cockpit I saw James having grabbed a small blanket I layed it over him before heading back to the couch.

I'd just stress cleaned. His life although chaotic didn't deserve to be utterly trash filled, hopefully he wouldn't be angry that I'd cleaned up a bit. There were far fewer bottles around but something told me he'd replace them soon enough. He deserved someone to show him kindness even if I wouldn't sleep with him I wouldn't allow him to just be surrounded by filth while I was here the blanket and my cleaning was an attempt to show him some kindness...

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

As the woman busied herself cleaning, James did what James did best--drown all his problems in alcohol. And a lot of alcohol. At one time, drinking had been a hobby, something he did just for the fun of it. Now--well, now, like smoking and women it was just something he did to try and quiet the monsters for a little while. Brutal murders, lost loves, lost hope, broken dreams and shattered hearts had left him a shell of a man that he had once been. His mind and heart were shattered mirrors and alcohol--well it made the pain tolerable when he wasn't dishing it out to someone else.

Curling up in his worn red leather pilot's chair he held the bottle close to his chest. His eyes drooped closed, slowly. He saw the image of his dead wife, Leighlah dance in his mind. His first love. His only real love. The woman who had meant everything to him. The woman who had shattered him when she died. The woman who had died too soon. The woman he measured all of them against--and the woman that the others could never measure against. He could still smell her perfume; the sweet scent of peaches and Atresia roses. He had met her as a boy, she had held him steady when dad died. When mom abandoned him. When the blasters were blazing. She had always been his lighthouse to return him. Then she was ripped from his hands, leaving him a tattered man.

Then there had been Sasha. She had been his dark tempress. The redhead who had fought hard to keep him on his toes. She had been more fiery than any other he had meet in years. She was dark, tainted with the evil that flowed so naturally through Dark Jedi. She had shown him what it meant to mix darkness with pleasure, and for a time he was happy. Then she vanished, one night just up in a puff of smoke she left him. He would never know why, and he would never have a chance to appolgize.

Anara had been his Sith tempress. She had been the one he ever came closest to loving after Lieghlah. She knew his hurt, not just as a fact but a reality. She had loved him unconditionally, unlike any other before. Yes, there had been others. She knew who he was, and she had loved him enough to fight for him through it. The darkness wasn't who she was--it was a tool in her hands. She was good, even with the evil that had flickered in those golden, tainted orbs.

Nyx, his seductress of crime. They had fought together against hoards that others wouldn't ever fathom. She had shown him what it meant to love the gun, to love to fight, to press through the darkness and bend it to his will

Brooklyn--his daughter who would never see him again. The girl he had pushed away to keep her pure. There was hope in those eyes, there was the belief that there could be good in this world. There was goodness, purity. But everything James touched turned to dust, so he pushed her away too. She was too good to become like him, angry hurting and devoured. The Jessica, he pushed away because she was his daughter and was becoming too much like him. He loved her too much to let her go rogue too. Calvin he found and abandoned again--the kid was better off without him too. God alone knows what the spacer would have made of him with him as an example. The boy had balked at the first time he saw James take a life. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he saw what else he did.

The spacer woke up to the familiar beep of his ship's alarm. He sat up and the famililar feeling of a hangover washed over him. He shrugged the blanket aside and for a moment stared at the console, dumb, mute and savoring the brief seconds before he once more became aware of the endless pain that surrounded him.

And there it was. The agony. The twisted wreck that had become of his life. He sighed and tapped the console, bringing the ship out of hyperspace. His home, Soceras came into view.

James gave the viewport a grand sweep of his arm, 'Welcome to my kingdom. Soceras."

They rapidly began the descent to Dal'Bor, the Vice City that served as the capital.

"Brace yeself," James warned as they landed, "The looks ye gonna get, the 'oh-he-got-ye-too' statements. It be a rare thing for a lass to ride along with me and not be--well--had by me."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

"I could care less what people think of me James, I know who I am. Though as we're headed down there's something I'd like to try if you'll allow it." I'd read about this and studied it extensively I'd also practiced this on soldiers coming back to the Sanctum from combat. Here was the possibility to do what was done to Revan albeit in a different way. Revan had been reprogrammed by the Jedi. I only wanted to allow James peace, his darkness would remain his. I couldn't change his past, nobody could but I could Isolate the darkness and pain in him into one side of his soul while moving whatever was good in his life to a separate section of his soul. He'd be able to visit whatever side of his soul he wished but they'd remain separate so that when he was alone he could focus on the good and not constantly be in pain.

I explained this to him as we were coming in and awaited his permission to proceed. I would not do this unless he asked, I had the power and ability but it was still his choice I wanted him to at least have some small measure of peace. I'd felt his turmoil as he'd slept. It was impossible to escape with my connection to The Force. He didn't want the darkness all the time but it was his choice...

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James listened to every word with a nod of his head. He heard the explanation, he understood the process fair enough. It was a Forcie-trick. One that was a viable out. The thought had crossed his mind. After the dark cave on Degohbah, watching the vision of his wife die before his very eyes--the internal truth of his very darkness with the insanity it had all but produced in him he had lost the will to live. It was hard to find it again.

And it wasn't the first time. He had thought of outs before--many a lot more lethal than this one. He figured there was some sort of a force user's way to get him out of this hell but--he wasn't going to take it.

"The pain I am in is mine," he said leaning back on the console, "Me burden. Me weight. Mine to carry and mine to bear. It be me problem. I dun a lot of bad things, ain't gonna deny it. And I do more e'ry day. Sometimes for the right reasons. But it still requires a punishment and that--that is the pain I carry with me. I have been chosen to burn. That be the point of me life. I burn to make tomorrow brighter. This be me punishment."

He pushed off his console and jerked his head toward the loading ramp, "Come on, we got to get ready for this."

At the base of the ramp was a delegation of guards, warriors, paper pushers, and strippers. The later gave [member="Celiana"] a critical eye, like she was competition. They connected the dots. James was a known lady's man before all these freakin' fakes decided to have to lame out using the LFG group to RP a romance he did what any good character would do he just made it happen to tell a good story. But--anyway, writer's pet peeve.

The spacer led her through the crowd, who formed around him and her to the building they had landed on. The infamous Angel's Den, the biggest club in the galaxy (per its almost 200 post opener thread) that also served as the unnofical capital of Dal'Bor the city and Soceras the planet. Inside it was a madhouse of pure hedonism that would hit any force user like a massive hammer. Here any pleasure a being could think of was happening. Yes, anything.

James led her through the mazes of the heavy thumping base, the lounges of ecstasy into a hidden armory. Here there was pretty much any weapon you could think of; from shoulder rocket launchers to exotic Ecchi double vibro blades that were compact and slid out into place, it was here.

"Suit up, drop capsule will be ready in a few minutes," he said waving his hand, "We are going in for stealth, but be ready to slam hard and fast. Dinner later. I'll pay you when we got this mother fraker with a slug in his head."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

The look I got from the crowd was...challenging. Following after James into the bass-filled club I noticed multiple beings taking action upon the lust-filled desires. James told me to suit up and get ready to board the the drop-pod. Rapping my right fist against my chest I made sure that my suit of Beskar'gam was still there. Unclipping my helmet from my belt I placed it on my head and grabbed a DC-17m Blaster rifle and sidearm. Holstering the pistol on my left thigh I engaged the magnetic lock on my right thigh securing the blaster rifle to my thigh. Pulling on a black riding cloak I nodded to James and leaned against a pillar feeling the bass as we waited for the drop-pod.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

The spacer didn't waste any time slipping into his Astraea Armor. Sure, he loved the freedom and style of his leather jacket but on the battle field there was nothing better than the good old Armor. He tossed is worn, classic gunbelt on the table, buckling on his M.E.A.D. "Vader Swipe" Glove and Phantom fingers. They hummed to live with a satisfying glow. Satisfied, he began strapping pistols to his belt; twin classic WESTAR 34s, his favorite 2 434 Deathhammers, a pair of throwing knives, an assortment of grenades, twin slug thrower pistols, and a sub machine gun. Yes, it was a lot, but the spacer was quite used to it.

On his back he strapped a plasma cannon launcher with a quick swivel-down mount. It never hurt to carry the big stuff. He pulled rocket boots over his feet, that frankly, with all this weight would do little more than slow his descent to hell. But that was that. He facined his helmet on and gave a thumbs up, leading his companion forward with heavy clomps.

"Like I told ye, Theta is heavily guarded," James said as they walked, "So the drop pod we be using," he chuckled, "Ain't exactly a pod. It be more like a hollowed out asteroid with anti gravs to slow the fall enough so we dun't die."

They came to the "drop pod" waiting for them on a landing pad. A crane was preparing to load it to be literally launched from a cannon at Theta. It was in the same system as Soceras, just under a different rule.

Yep, true to James' warning this thing was Spartan with no heating, no ac, no air units or onboard life support. James waved for her to go in first. It would be cramped--and by cramped he meant standing room only. But it would get them in undetected and that was a miracle in itself.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

Looking over at James through my helmet I entered into the pod. The moment we had landfall the real fun would begin, as far as crazy plans went this was the most insane I'd seen so far. But it'd give me a chance to christen my Beskar'gam armor. There was a saying among mercs, A sentiment that the Mandalorians heavily agreed with...Any battle you could walk away from was a battle won. The dark cloak I wore would probably be shredded in battle but it gave me the opportunity to remain stealthy for a time.

Glancing down at the magnetic locks on my left and right thighs I tugged on them both to ensure they were locked in place. My twin razor whips were coiled and magnetically locked onto my right breastplate and left hip while my sabers were both magnetically locked along my ribs on the cuirass of my armor. As I'd moved into the pod the tail of leather cords had tinkled with the saber crystals I'd threaded into the strands of leather. My Mandalorian gauntlets I triggered with The Force and both sets of blades sprang free. The serrated blades along my forearms and the hidden blade along the bottom of my wrists. Tapping the pressure plate in my gloves with my middle and ring fingers I reloaded them. The HUD in my helmet was functioning reading Oxygen levels, weapon identification, and comm channels.

Noting there was one coming from James' suit I blinked with my left eye opening the channel. "So, James what kind of opposition will we be facing and since we're coming in as a stealth approach how are you wanting to play it? I'd vote for taking the silent and deadly approach until we find this Cyborg we're hunting and even then keeping things quiet if possible it'll keep us from getting into unneeded firefights. After we take this cyborg out what's our escape route?"

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James heaved his body into the small space. With the extra gear on his person he felt even heavier than before. He braced himself against the opposite walls. Yes, it was cramped, there was standing room only. The pod lurched as it was moved into place. A half a second later there was a bone shuddering lurch, sending the disguised pod hurling towards Theta, through the atmos into space. The G's were intense, they were real, and it was enough to make those less seasoned in the art of space travel and smugglery black out. The freezing chill of space took over as momoentum sent them hurling forward through the void. There was no artifical gravity as they spun end over end. It was a good thing they were too close together to be tossed around and stuff.

"Theta has two main forces," James said, his helmet with the built in comlink establishing a connection to her's, "The first are the Rangers. They are a politico to themselves. Powerful buggers, not one to frell with. Warriors without equal, cyborgs trained from birth to fight to the death. Whole planet before of the metal skins;" he of course was referring to cyborgs, "metal skins be everywhere on Theta. Cultural or somethin'. We can be glad there ain't many Rangers around, and that most be busy across the galaxy

"The second force will be private guards of the nobles. They wun't be as tough as the Rangers but ye can bet ye can some serious buggers for sure. Minimal casualties, minimal damage. Exit strategy? I'll find one when we be ready to exit. Dun't worry about that. I got out of harder traps than this world with less than what we be going into."

He began to feel the tug of gravity on his stomach as the were entering the planet's pull, "Brace yeself, miss. This is gonna hurt. A lot."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

Listening to Jame's explanation of the security we'd be facing I made sure all my weapons were locked and loaded. The fact that he didn't already have an exit strategy in place was a tad worrisome but I figured if needed I could hot-wire something in an emergency. Then there was the tug of gravity and James said, "Brace yerself miss. This is gonna hurt. A lot." I wasn't fond of the idea of a lot of pain befosre we even began this mission. So as soon as James spoke I threw up a Force barrier to protect us. I'd been practicing that and my last attempt had kept a girl trapped in a fighter that I'd been able to shield from the vacuum of space alive and breathing. I hoped this would shield us somewhat from the pain of landfall...

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

The inertial dampers in the makeshift drop pod were enough to slow it down to make the landing livable, but not---comfortable. They came in close and hot, bouncing on the desert landscape once with a hard hit that still jostled every bone in James's body. Gravity was a b!itch, especially after re-entering atmos. Sure the force shield helped too--it was why there were no broken or cracked bones. They spun head over heels for several hundred meters before slamming into the ground again. They bounced hard, going high and spinning at a different angle before a third skip and a fourth. To the scanners that picked it up, it looked like another meteor landing harmlessly. The military and the government was clueless about the lethal cargo within.

James managed to shove the door open and climb out. He was terribly dizzy as he lay on the ground and recovered from the g's and the spinning. If he wanted to, he couldn't have gotten up. It was just physically impossible. After his body had recovered enough he pulled himself to his feet in the twilight. The local time said they had three hours before dawn and a lot of ground to cover before then to get to Safe Haven, the capital city. He began clunking along on a jog, his armor rattling with him in the wastelands.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

We hit land and James would've been right it would have hurt a lot. As we came to a stop I released the Force barrier. Emerging from the wreckage I stood there while James pulled himself back to his feet. We started making our way across the sands of this desert world James at a jog and me quickly walking. His armor was clinking noisily which slightly bothered me, we were after all here on a stealth assassination job. I had to admit it'd been a very long time since I'd used these particular skills of mine. The Dha Werda Verda. Rage of the shadow warriors. I'd brought several things along with me, my Artemis brand Verpine sniper rifle, my Mandalorian hidden blades and garrote wire.

I hadn't expected to use them in this capacity ever again but here we were. I wondered how much this cyborg was worth, and who would be dumb enough to try hunting James down in such a way. I'd heard of and read of some of his no doubt vast exploits but one thing had been true through the tales... His cunning. We continued making our way through the desert to the city of Safe Haven and I was eager to begin. Though the city was named Safe Haven this cyborg would find nowhere safe, and no haven in that city while we were there...

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

Hope Major ((Sorry I got the name of my own City wrong... I should have looked at the Sub *sigh*)) was the capital of the planet. It was massive, sprawling across several square miles of the surface, all of it was covered by a biodome as old as the city itself. In its day it had been a grandeur of wonder, and even today it was still a thing to behold. The Thetans were not one to adhere to sentimentalism, and were more focused on change and productivity than the past. As a result, the biodome was anything but outdated.

Considering the massive storms that ravage the surface of Theta, there was no surprise that the city was all but isolated in its transportation to the outside world most all days. And all transports in and out were heavily searched. This was not a planet to feth with, they took security very seriously. He watched as a storm brewing on the front began to roll in towards them. It was fast, three times faster than most planet's stormfronts ran. He looked back to the city and let his helmet's magifier zoom in on the biosphere to the max. There was a target, it was small but he could probably hit it from here if he tried hard enough. And, well, with the storm it would legitimately look like an act of god.

He pulled his shoulder rocket launcher to bear, "Here be what is gonna happen, Miss," he swung and pointed back at the storm, "The moment that storm be on the city, it gonna rain down lightening. When it does, I am gonna fire this here missile," He fished out a projectile from one of his pouches, "and blow the hell out of one of the units closest to us on the biodome. It will short it out bout 90 seconds. Ye are gonna run ye sweet arse that far, and if ye gotta call on the Force, then ye do it," he watched as the haze of the rain and the winds carrying dust filled around them, 'Make sense? Good."

He swung around and looked at the biodome as the storm began to envelop it. He slowed his breathing and prayed that the old saying about miracles was true.

"Ready."

His finger tensed on the trigger.

"Set."

He squeezed, watching the trail of smoke form as the gorgeous blossom of the rocket screamed towards its target.

"Go, go go."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

James briefly outlined his plan. It made sense with the storms approaching the missile he'd fire would seem like an act of nature. My job would apparently be to book it to the place where he'd fired on and secure it until he joined back up with me. Then he began to count down. Ready.... I fully immersed myself in The Force and prepared to move. Set.....I said Good luck to James and crouched in the desert sand. Then go, I sensed him pulling the trigger and I began running before the missile had even cleared the tube.

I ran and even though I was fully armored I was flying with the aide of The Force. I was vaguely aware of the HUD in my helmet counting down the distance but it made no difference I was running too fast for my helmt to be acccurate as I ran I saw the explosion and not even thirty seconds later I'd made it to the impact site. The bio-dome. So that was James's plan to infiltrate the city via the bio-dome. As I reached our entrance I looked at my HUD and saw James approaching after me. Glancing at my weaponry readout in my HUD I spoke into my isolated helmet comm and said, "Release security locks on all weapons and prime them. Unlock rifles designated Omen and Artemis as well as pistol designated Reaper."

There was a hissing as I saw my DC-17m blaster rifle being loaded on my right thigh the locks were released but they'd still keep my weapons holstered more or less. The magnetic locks on my back released and simply held my Verpine rifle in place while I drew my silenced reaper pistol from my left thigh and after looking at the readout I saw there was one in the chamber with a full clip in place. I figured that if we were trying to keep quiet I'd try to avoid using my blasters or sabers if possible. Kinda the point of carrying weapons like my Verpine rifle and Reaper pistol. I waited for James to rejoin me and reaching my right hand down to my left hip I pulled my one of my Echani honor blades free of its magnetically secured sheaths and pulling it away from me I spun it out and away from myself. blade down. Now to wait for James to rejoin me....

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James let the pain of the past flow through him. He let is agony, his rage, his pain surge through him like a wave of pure, untainted suffering. And he let it motivate him, propelling him forward in the Force faster than any foolish lightsider every dreamed. Raw, primal power of the Force pulsed through him. His steps sprayed up a set of dirt in his blurred wake, along with the snaking tendrils of darkside energy.

Some days it paid to be a knight of the darkside, trained not by foolish masters, stoic lords, or out of touch generals but personal experience and innate suffering. He crossed the barrier into the city, with still 45 seconds to spare.

He stored the rocket launcher and flexed his hands testingly. He was still in control of his body, for now. "Come on, we gotta get away from the barrier here, they gonna run perimeter check in a few seconds."

James began storming away towards a nearby computer terminal post. It was transmitting highly encrypted data from this part of the city and taking in more from other parts, just one link in the city's chain of espionage. It was all but impossible to crack, and all but impossible to break into. But, it was pretty easy to give a diagnostics test and listen/look in.

The spacer plugged a wire in from his gauntlet into the port. His HUD was flooded with figures and transcripts of conversations. Some were--well, not really conversations, unless you counted grunts and moans of ecstasy as conversations.

"Looking for our target," James said, "This city is notorious for people spying on each other, everyone is always gathering more dirt on the other. If he be here, we will find where and what he's doing."

He gave a satisfied nod after another two minutes. "Almost there. See if ye can do something to keep us hidden from that patrol, we got a seconds before they pop in."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

So he actually did have a plan...The rocket was to take out key system and provide us a way in and now the computer terminal was being tasked to look for our target. James mentioned that he still had some time to go and that a patrol was inbound. Time to go to work checking my HUD I saw that there was a small patrol of six troops headed this way and they were moving quickly. Ducking back behind the initial impact at the bio-dome I tracked the movement of the squad approaching and waited until they were right on top of my position.

A trooper came around the corner and as he did I clapped my left hand over his mouth and ran my sword up through his jaw and out of his skull. Pulling the body back behind the corner I watched the rest of the soldiers make a loose perimeter as the guards closest to me turned around I sheathed my blade and pressed the pressure plate on both my gauntlets ejecting both the hidden blades and serrated blades along the sides of my forearms. Sneaking up behind them I wrapped my arms around their necks and jerked my arms back the serrated blades tearing through their throats silently.

Three guards remained and just as I began approaching one of them turned and saw me and the bodies behind me. Before he could shout anything I pulled my silenced pistol and placed a round through his head. As his body hit the earth the other two began to turn and I did the same thing a round through each of their heads. The patrol dealt with I gathered up their ammo and made my way back to James. Taking a handful of various clips and mags I deposited them in the pocket he'd fished that rocket out of and with the rest I placed them at various points on my armor and engaged magnetic points to hold them there. Looking at James I said, "You almost done James?"


[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

The spacer was almost there, he was shifting through a plethora of data in a rapid amount of time. He isolated a thread of information and followed it, listening in.

"..... we don't know how well things turned out, one way or the other. Its been done," said one voice.
"But if he fails, you know what the consequences will be," said a familiar voice, the voice of their target, Hermes. 'Not just death, not just for me. But for you, and your family, and mine too. We will all suffer at the hands of--"

"Are you sure you wanna say that name? He told us never to do that, and you never know who is listening in."

"You are right, we have to go underground, the Vault under the palace."

'Are you mad, if the prince finds out--"

"It will be better than if he gets to us, now come on!"

James unplugged just in time to see Celiana doing her work and calling out and asking if he was done. He felt a wave of--well, anger. It was going to be hard to make this look covert, it was going to be hard to cover this up. And the moment the government got hold of this, things would go on super lock down, even worse than the Hapans would. They would have no ability to maneuver.

James watched as he saw two of the guards circle around behind her, backs to him. The spacer reached out, his hand pulling one of the guard's rifles to his hands. He leapt between her and them, popping a series of shots in each. They slummed down, unconsious and slowly bleeding out.

"What the bloody frells do ye not understand about high security?" James hissed, trying not to loose his temper. He jut his hand out, 'Gimme those goddamn knives."

When she had complied he planted them on the two soldiers he had killed and began spraying fire all over the area. It would look like an internal affair, man on man, Thetian on Thetian. But why?

He glanced at the dogtags of the two dead troops before sending an encrypted message back home, "I need anti-gov evidence planted on Gregoton Beremth and Pholton Phasma. Now.'

The spacer clicked the line dead, they would get the idea, he knew it. They were his professionals. From visored helmet, James sighed, "These ain't no local easy street fools. These ain't ye local goons or a semi-strict government. These fools are so intense they make the One Sith's hold on Trip Zip look like a free market," he pursed his lips and stopped suddenly. He knew he was being too hard on her, he had given her an order, and she had done it. He should have been more specific in his request.

"Come on," he said half-apologetically, "We gotta cut him off afore he gets to the palace. He be on his way from a hotel north of 'ere, the Golden Crusade. I bet we can cut 'em off along the side roads."

He began moving through the shadows of the side streets, leading the way, a tingle of guilt on his mind.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

There was no way those men should have still been breathing. I'd made sure. Blade through a skull, all of the arteries in the necks severed and clean shots through the head. Yet there was no denying two had been preparing to fire on me. James went off on me and per normal he made sure to not only kill them but butcher them. Then he mentioned that the person we were hunting was on his way from a hotel to the north.

Uncertain about my next move I looked at the HUD in my helmet and winking my left eye I activated the helmet to helmet comms. "James, I'm sorry. There was no way any of those men should have still been breathing...." I let the statement hang there before I continued.

When I did I said, "In any case you mentioned that our target was on the move from a hotel yes? Well if that's the case then we could simply get to roof levels with a view of the street and eliminate a sentry preferably one with a rifle. Then we set up and either you or I will use my Verpine rifle to take out the target. Doctor up some evidence on the sentry and plant it on him then fire a single round off and make it look like a suicide after having assassinated this person. Rig up a noose and kick his corpse off the building. It'd look like infighting among their ranks, especially with the soldiers you planted evidence on just now. The sentry will be the assassin and we make a clean escape. Your thoughts on this plan?"

We continued moving through the secluded side streets and I noticed we were quickly approaching the hotel James had mentioned. If he agreed to my plan then we'd need to make our way to the roofs and I had a line launcher in my left gauntlet as well. We could ascend quickly and take out the guards quietly then make it look as though one had discovered the "assassin" and had fired on him I'd take them both out then slice up the second guard to make it look like a fight had taken place then make several cuts on the second and kick him over the edge as a "suicide" This would go well with the doctored and planted evidence so far. I hoped James would agree cause we were coming up on buildings with views of the street...

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

It was a good plan, and if things had been different he would have taken it. But--well--

"Plan's been tweaked," he said shifting through the shadows, "Listened in on the conversation, things been changed. There be something else at play here, and that be who or what we need to get in touch with. That be who we need to go after."

Of course, James was still going to kill Hermes when he was done questioning him, but that wasn't what mattered right now exactly. They had to get their hands on him first. And that was the fun part. He kept track of their location using his HUD's map. They were close, they were getting exceptionally close to the intercept course. At last they came to one of the skylane roads. Here in the massive city of Hope Major traffic ran in lanes like they did on Couruscant. James watched as a massive, stylish black luxury speeder started to turn down the road and head their way. James pulled out an anti-grav mine from his pouch and prepared to toss it under. The speeder would spiral out of control and crash, but, hey they'd catch them man.

But something was still very very wrong. And James could feel it in his gut. He couldn't sense what exactly, but it was very wrong. As the luxury speeder hit the nearest intersection, a sports-car like speeder came roaring through, shattering into to it headlong. James felt the Thetans inside the luxury speeder die on impact--before plummeting down hundreds of meters. The sporty speeder managed to crash-land into a nearby appartment complex. James saw a dark figure pull out of the wreckage into the building.

"Get him," James shouted, "Get that mother freller!"

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

I saw the explosion and wondered if we'd gotten the target. Then James yelled, "get him!" Flicking my eyes over I saw the dark figure running. I took off after him and set my HUD to track that particular bio-sign while also looking for things to disable him. Raising my left hand I triggered my line launcher and quickly pulled myself ahead then I around. Drawing my Echani blade as I moved I also triggered the pressure pads on both palms of my gauntlets releasing the twin hidden blades and the serrated blades along my forearms.

Using The Force I crushed the lights ahead of him and swung into place above him. The runner came under me and I dropped down behind him and sliced through the tendons in his legs preventing him from running. James needed him alive for now and it was him that wanted this man. So as much as I hated this hut'unne right now I funneled energy into him to stop the bleeding but left him unable to move I'd keep him at blade and gunpoint until James caught up. He was looking at me with a look of utter hate and holding my blade to his throat I said, "You shouldn't move around or otherwise try to run. It'll end badly for you if you do I promise you that." He looked up and spat on my boots before saying, "Fiefeck'la queen!"

Sighing I said, "You're not Mandalorian and therefore...." I stomped down on his knee cap crushing it before curb stomping the other. "My language is off-limits to you Hut'unne. Now shut the hell up until my associate arrives to deal with you." Stomping his hands to make sure he wouldn't be trying to draw on James I tapped the pressure points on my gauntlets retracting the blades that lined them. Then I pulled a piece of fabric and gagged him. Last thing we needed was him shouting for help. Blade at his throat and gun trained on his head I waited for James to catch up...

[member="James Justice"]