Public Woe to the Vanquished (Slave Raid of Hapes)

[Kyric]

As both Jedi descended, Kyric watched their foe take stock of their advance.

The vahlan was experienced on the battlefield. His great sized moved with certainty, reinforced by an extraordinary strength. When faced with both Kyric and his Padawan, Na-Gerra didn't spare an inch. He pivoted past Corr's meteoric descent and swept out in a guillotine-like slash for Kyric in the same fluid movement. A masterful combination of offense and defense.

Kyric didn't stay in place for long after landing. The threat of immediate death saw him leap up and over the raider's attack, but the kiffar didn't press forward in a counter-assault. His focus shifted to Corr, instead. A telekinetic aura blanketed the Padawan to slow his descent into a controlled landing. Their advantage took the form of a unified front against Hasuras Na-Gerra.

This was the secret of the late Sword's strength, what saw him through so many gruesome battles. Even the mighty lion fell when beset by a colony of ants, and the Jedi before this particular lion were far from the likes of insects.

Kyric circled out to Na-Gerra's side opposite his apprentice. Again the kiffar met the vahlan's will head-on. Telekinetic power writhed around the Sith like a brutal wind, wrenching downward at his legs.

---

Tags: Aurellia | Corr | Hala Adris | Hasuras Na-Gerra | Morrow

 

[Darth Yobitsune]

Darth Yobitsune did not fight like a Jedi as she proceeded through the streets.

There was none of the hesitation in killing. Nor were there calls to surrender or offers to allow to flee.

Yobitsune saw an imperial and they would die by lightsaber.

Her former Master, Darth Xiphos, had taught that death by the blade was preferable, because it communicates the skill of the slayer over the slain. It demonstrates the weakness of the one who loses.

Yobitsune was intent on demonstrating the weaknesses of the invaders. She struck to kill, always dispassionately, yet always in ways that would inflict great pain with the lightsaber. This was not done for her own personal pleasure, but to incite more and more terror at her approach, leading to hopefully more disorganized responses.

Her style was distinct, one handed, in the Niman Stance. Yobitsune had taken to Form Seven and Vaapaad even better than she had the other styles, but those were to be employed carefully and only in specific situations.

So for now, she employed Niman, blending some techniques of all the other styles into her use of it. Yobitsune sought out only the thickest crowds of enemies, because they provided the greatest test for her.

She deflected standard bolts and stun bolts, deflected them back to their source, saber moving as a circular storm around her as she cut down Trooper after Trooper without mercy, the death injuries designed to get at least one or two screams of pure agony from each victim. She didn't bother with beheadings because of this. The screams, after all, did carry.

The sounds of two lightsabers igniting caught her attention. Two Sith warriors waited in the distance as she finished off the last trooper in her immediate area.

"Ah, customers!" Yobitsune taunted in a troll way that , had the long DECEASED Erskine Barran been present, might have reminded him of The Amalgam's ability to troll others. "Which one of you ordered the back rub!? Lemme guess..."

She pointed her burning orange blade at the one in the left, the larger of the two, and a Togrutan.

"You're the one who ordered the back rub. I can tell. Your shoulders are so tense...even from here. Which means you..." she trailed, pointing at the one on the right, a Weequay...

"You ordered the foot massage..." she trailed menacingly.

"You speak only nonsense, you mad fool!" The Togrutan Sith snarled. "What even are you, anyway? You... don't feel like a Jedi..."

"I'm someone with a big 'ol, complicated, lore-related background that you are not worth explaining any of it to." Yobitsune replied, still using her pleasant service provider voice. The ones she used for customers who walked into her shop.

"Now, as the saying so often goes...put up or shut up..." Yobitsune replied, brandishing her blade.

The pair rushed and Yobitsune demonstrated in moments that she was not someone to be fethed with.

Her defense mixed elements of Makashi and Soresu, as she slapped aside their slashes, stabs, and chops, with almost casual parries and blocks, all one handed as she called on Force Valor to lend her additional speed and strength. She viewed Dark Side users as a disease, and her sole interest where they were concerned was to convert or kill them. In this case, she wasn't interested in taking either of them alive for any reason.

The Togrutan, rapidly realizing how dangerous Yobitsune really was, started using his Force abilities, trying to strangle her with the Dark Side. The Robes she wore reduced what got through so she only felt a mild pressure on her throat, parrying a swing from the Weequay's blade so that it's tip was driven into the side of the Togrutan's knee, making him shriek and stumble back, leaving him exposed.

She lunged, using the Force Teleport she had learned from Xiphos to stab from behind, pull her blade out and then behead him.

"Well, that takes care of his back problems...I think I even took care of those neck problems he was having..." Yobitsune trailed, kicking the beheaded corpse out of spite.

"And now...for your foot massage..." She trailed.

He screamed and attacked her fiercely in the Djem So style. He lasted ten seconds and fifteen strikes before she cut his blade in half with a Makashi slice, then cut his feet off at the ankles. The Weequay suddenly understood what she had meant by Foot Massage even as he screamed in pain and humiliation, in too much agony and shock to fight back any further.

Her blade was shoved into his stomach. He would last twenty seconds more based on where he has been stabbed.

"Enjoy your discount..." Yobitsune said casually, walking over him and leaving him to die.

Yobitsune headed into the city center proper, intent on finding more challenges, sensing Daeg Shrovl nearby...


Kyric

Corr

Aurellia

Hasuras Na-Gerra

Morrow

Ben Khal

 

[Mercy]

Koda Fett

"Gonna punch your lights out, little shitbird, if you keep sassing me." She growled over her shoulder, but was mostly smirking as her arms worked like pistons. Each slam into the ground caused the ground to shake, for metal to groan and finally break under the onslaught.

It wouldn't be hard for Koda to see that display and imagine it being his head under her fist.

Not even armor could protect him from that if she got him in the right moment.

Finally the metal fractured entirely and Mercy fell down the sudden hole she had made. Coincidentally she landed right next to the real crown of Hapes, before Koda could be a sneaky little shitbird, she already smashed through the glass and grabbed it again. Holding it tight between those fingers big as tree branches.

"So, what did we say, 50%? Since I apparently just got you the real one and spared you the embarrassment of bringing back a fake replica."

 

[Koda Fett]

Mercy

If, being the operative word. He was nothing if not resourceful in a bind.

"You tried that. Didn't work."

He dropped into the hole with a thunk, seeing the vast riches of Hapes scattered around the room in display cases and a scant few that sat out in the open, able to collect dust and not diminish in value. A countless amount of credits sat in here, he guessed, and still Mercy only found joy in trying to mess with him.

"I have a contract to uphold for the crown. The rest of it," he shrugged, gesturing to the broader room, "All yours."

 

[Mercy]

Koda Fett

"If you thought that was me trying, you are in for a whole lotta misfortune, grandpa." Mercy said dismissively, as if she hadn't shattered marble and steel with punches that had been aimed for his head.

She tilted her head when Koda declared he didn't want anything else from the treasury. A whole smorgasbord of jewels, treasure, scepters and more gold than most people had ever seen in their lives. And Koda didn't want any of it, as long as she gave up the crown. He could see it in her eyes, because she wasn't wearing a helmet.

Still that temptation to screw with him. To deny him, to either break the crown or to make him fight for it. Mercy even licked her lips, slowly shifting subtly as if she was about to lunge for him.

Then suddenly Mercy smirked.

"Sure, why not..." But then that smirk turned into a grin. "You can have the crown after you help me carry all of this out. I might be powerful, but I am not going to break my back with this."

The threat was implicit, she didn't think it was necessary to even voice it. He had seen what she had done to the last crown. Back then both had assumed it was the real one. Clearly Mercy didn't care that much about it or the bounty attached to it.

 

[Koda Fett]

Mercy

"I can play nice," Fett started, a dry voice coming through the modulator. "Not that nice."

She was nothing if not a thorn in his side now. He could see it in her eyes, that need to be a nuisance, like some petulant child. Such is the case when a creature inherits too much power.

"I'm done with the games."

Mercy was going to break it. He knew that much. But with all the treasures in here, he could have a replica made. If there was no true crown, then the replica would do. His word against hers.

 

[Mercy]

Koda Fett

She laughed roughly at his response.

"Oh, I was wrong, you aren't a grandpa." Mercy drawled lazily. "You are the worst kind of man, one who hasn't been broken yet, whose knees aren't using to kneeling to its betters. You don't belong on Hapes..." Lightly running her fingers around the edge of the crown, it was a pretty thing.

"Maybe I will just keep the crown. It will look good on my head."

Tone rather thoughtful now. That was a great idea, wasn't it? It would look even better on a mantle at home, or hanging off the wall. A trophy to conquer all trophies.

"What now then?" She was still on alert however. She had no issue verbally abusing him or trying to kick his shit in, but Mercy knew better than to turn her back to someone as competent as Koda. If she slipped, if she gave up the advantage, a bounty hunter like him could take the opportunity to turn the tables.

 

[Koda Fett]

Mercy

"Can go a couple ways."

His modulated voice was dry, flat. Fett hardly loomed over Mercy, though you might think otherwise in how he spoke. In how he spoke to everyone, for that matter. There was that streak of arrogance that made him all too easy to hate, to want to put down, but this particular set of armour was implacable.

"You can hand the crown over. Intact." The last word chosen with an added knowing emphasis, certain Mercy would doubtlessly break it before passing it off, stating details weren't specified.

"Or," he thumbed the safety of a disintegrator, with it now whirring to life. "I test the limits of Firrerreo genetics, and that arm of yours."

 

[Mercy]

Koda Fett

He'd realize he made a mistake the moment those words came out of the modulator.

Something changed in her stance. She went from playful and thoughtful... to suddenly unfolding herself. Had she truly been slouching before? "I shouldn't blame you." Mercy murmured, cold, quiet, imperious one might say. "The Galaxy has taught you impunity. Going up against Emperors and Grandmasters and living to tell the tale."

There was a new smile on Mercy's face, but it had little of her usual devilish nature.

"I will teach you your place in this Galaxy and I will do so for free."

Then the true Crown of Hapes suddenly shattered in her hand. Jewels, priceless, dropping to the ground. Rolling in every which direction and joining the hoard of a Star Cluster. Mercy did not even react to the true metal piercing her hide, drips of blood falling to the ground.

But the Sith waited... patiently for Koda's next move, that eerie smile still in place.

 

[Koda Fett]

Mercy

"Not interested."

The disintegrator went off, fired low from his hip and a green flash split the space between them faster than any blaster bolt could travel.

Time to test the extent of those Firrerreo genetics and all that Sith alchemy burned into that freakish body of hers.

 

[Daeg Shrovl]

Ta'a Chume'Dan City Center

The Imperial staging ground came into sight as Daeg whipped around a street corner, tearing into the cement with his claws. He approached a gap in between two waist-high metal walls and rose onto his hind legs. Laser turrets were being set up behind the barricades. This same set up multiplied around the perimeter. He stepped through the gap and into the garrison proper. Transport ships were idle as they were being stuffed with Hapan prisoners as Vahlan cultists roared at them with hatred and disgust.

Theirs was to serve and they will be forced into their purpose.

The lupine Sith held a slight look of aversion on his face as he looked upon the Vahlans. Fanatics who so desperately need an idol to revere in order to give meaning to the power they possess. It was so pointless. The only higher being one should seek is the one inside.

"The hunt is coming to an end." he said to himself. "The prey has dried up. To go for more would be futile..."

His ears straightened as he could feel a presence. One blazing with power. He needed to seek it out.

Darth Yobitsune ​

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