Topic: RPG - Stolen Bride

Kane hadn't botthered to think about where they were going, not that it mattered seeing as how he had a blaster barrel attached to the side of his head. Tanuka being held back by two gamoreans. Shen had found him, maybe that just made it easier.
"You're making a mistake."
"Oh course I am, I should have fired sooner. Too bad for us I'm not allowed to."
And this was his problem all of a sudden? Kane eblowing the man in the gut, taking the extra time to pull his 05 out, reloading and pointing it to Shen's head. Who stood there clutching his solarplexis. A little bit of blood flowing past his lips. An old war injury Kane had remembered.
"If you kill me, the pigs kill the girl."
Kane looked back for a moment, Shen butting his head into Kane's chest sending him back. Placing the barrel back on his head. Kane resetting his at Shen's stomach.
"You know what happens next?" Kane
"Yea, I think I kinda do." Shen
Kane didn't fire, instead bringing the barrel up and striking the underside of Shen's head. Firing back at the pigs and freeing Tanuka's right arm. The one that held the heavy repeater. Blasting the other gamorean away. Kane opened the action, placing another shell in. Stopping down on Shen's stomach, a little more blood spillling out.
"Why's it so important you don't kill me old chum?"
"You think I'd actually tell you? You're still so damn naive boyo."
Shen started laughing hysterically. Rolling his left arm out onto the permacrete floor. That's when everyone noticed it.
"That's right, all I have to do is drop my thumb down and we all go bye bye!"
"Then I'll just have to force it out of you in the next life!"
Kane rested the barrel against the side of Shen's head. Firing, same time the buttong was tapped. Tanuka bracing herself, Kane standing there, bead of sweat running down his forehead.
"You know, you should be more careful next time."
Te'dac walked gallantly down into the underground chamber. A small package of something in his hand.
"It was wired to destroy the arch above the stairs and trap you in here. Of course, I couldn't help but follow along through the back door of the cantina."
Kane couldn't move hardly, still expecting the place to explode in a mighty gail of hell fire. And for some reason, Shen was sparking. Te'Dac walking over to the corpse, examining it with the utmost of curiousity.
"Android, seems they did a good job on the bio specs. even a bit of blood still left in the cartridge."
The pigs had been real though, he didn't need an inspection to tell. The stink too obvious an example there'd once been a living creature there. Three of them walking back up the stairs and into the den of an old living quarters. The door barely worked, squealing as it opened.
"Seems someone is interested in that gun of yours. Never seen another one like it." Te'Dac
"Before we consider that, how about we leave before more goons arrive to see if the job was finished?" Tanuka
"I can agree witht that." Kane
They ran off back toward the cantina, forced to stop halfway there by one of the smaller groups of Jedi Hunters. Who were less than interested in them, forcing them out of the way as they continued on. Never actually making it back, Kane stopping them from going any further. The force aura was all too obvious, they'd be stepping into someone else's grudge fight.

(lol, since when did I tell anyone HUN's backstory? ^_^

(You can kill HUN, as to expedite the resolution of this story (I'll just pick up with Tussok), but don't mess with his mask...that's all he is, really.  He'll come back, just not as strong.)

(Trying to work on a Photoshop piece of this fight...^_^)

Mia was cutting her way through more of the dead Hutt's guards when she felt Heri's presence return. She felt soothed to know she was no longer the only Force user trying to save Tresh'san. Though Kar'bil's efforts were matching her own currently.

Sathik and Arcuse had scouted out the other passageway and their progress could be heard by the screams echoing with each of their kills.

Mia extinguished her lightsabre as the last enemy before them fell. Only then did she look up to see Heri coming towards them, her robes billowing. It was only until Heri grew close that Mia saw the nasty wound on the senior Jedi's face. "Are you okay?" Mia asked.

Heri touched her face as if she had forgotten the wound temporarily. "I'm fine." Heri said, seeming a little distance as though something were on her mind.

"Did you find Dash?" Mia queried.

Heri blinked as she thought a moment about the handsome rogue. "Yes, we found each other." She cleared her throat. "He's got business of his own to attend to now."

Mia nodded. "Do you know the way to Tresh'san's cell?"

"Yes," Heri said with a renewed clarity and took the lead. Kar'bil and Mia followed. They stopped before a blast door. "This looks to be the place."

Mia frowned, "How are we going to get this open?"

Kar'bil smiled, "Allow me, ladies." He said as he pulled a small detonator from his pocket. The he rummaged around his other pocket and produced a booster.

The two Jedi looked at each other and quickly evacuated as Kar'bil set up the explosives, then he two got out of the way. There was a boom that wasn't nearly as loud as Mia had thought it would be. The door was heavily dinted and hung precariously from its hinges.

Kar'bil heaved it to the side revealing the captive princess within the cell. "Tresh'san." He gasped with relief and longing. Her head immediately turned in his direction, she tried to say something but her gag didn't allow it. Kar'bil pulled it free as Heri cut the bonds that held Tresh'san to the chair.

Tresh'san stood and threw herself into Kar'bil's arms. "I knew you'd come for me."

Kar'bil held her and stroked one of her lekku in a soothing manner. "I had to come. I'm just glad I wasn't too late."

It was then that Sathik and Arcuse appeared. "We've got trouble, someone's let a Rancor loose."

Sathik smiled excitedly, and pointed sideways at Arcuse with his left hand, “He did it.”

The armored, faceless bounty hunter seemed to cringe without moving at all, “...Sathik.”

“Hey,” Sathik put up his black gloved hands and then casually folded them across his chest, “I wasn’t the one who tripped onto the door opener.”

Arcuse angrily took in a breath and explained through his barely audible,  rough and grating voice, “I was pushing you out of the line of fire.”

“Sure, yeah.” Sathik turned his head slightly toward the others and shook it with an absolutely wicked  smile, and gleaming lethal eyes. He tapped Arcuse on the side of his arm, “Tell-tell them the other good news.”

Arcuse turned his head and stared the fellow killer down, until Sathik nervously looked away and scratched the back of his head. The Ubese hunter then explained, “...It appears the creature is... nesting.”

“And what does that mean?” Mia asked, afraid of the answer.

Sathik unslung his shotgun cockily, and began putting in new shells. His voice took on a darkened tone of lethality, “It means Rancor Steak for everyone.”

He pumped a new shell into the chamber of his rifle, “Medium or well-done?”

Arcuse scanned the surroundings for the force-sensitive hunter through the tactical visor of his dark warrior’s helmet, “Where is Dash?”

// Wow. I managed to  miss out on some excellent RPGing. Hey all! :P //

**Glad to have you back, Gojan. Sathik and Arcuse need you ;) **

Heri felt a slight blush touch her cheeks at the mention of Dash. "He had some unfinished business."

Arcuse shrugged, "Fair enough. We can back him up when we get out of here."

Heri turned to Mia, Kar'bil and Tresh'san. "You three should get out of here. I'll stay with Sathik and Arcuse until the Rancor's down. You should get to the ship and wait for us there."

Kar'bil opened his mouth to protest but Mia silenced him with a pat on the chest. "Will we do as you ask. Just don't be long."

The two Jedi gave each other a nod of respect then they parted ways with their respective parties. Heri ignited her lightsabre as she turned back to the two bounty hunters. "Let's get this over with."

Sathik grinned. "Never fear, we'd never make a lady wait." With that the dieseased hunter took the lead.

-

Mia took point of her party. Kar'bil took the rear making sure that Tresh'san was safely placed between himself and the Jedi. He was so relieved to find his betrothed alive and relatively well.

Though a part of him felt a touch of sorrow, once Tresh'san was safely home he'd be parting ways with Mia. He'd found an odd connection to the young Jedi and he would miss her company.

Kar'bil's thoughts were broken as the HUN crossed their path. "Not again." He growled.

"Maybe he won't notice us." Tresh'san said hopefully.

Kar'bil smirked, "I seriously doubt it, we're just not that lucky."

Sure enough, HUN slowly stopped and turned to face Karbi'l and Tresh'san.
The creature had donned a new trenchcoat, devoid of the blasterholes and blood that had covered the old one.  The only difference now was a noticeable void where the lower right arm should've been, as that sleeve flapped emptily in the faint breeze.  HUN aproached the two lovers as Mia moved into position behind him, preparing to attack at any sign of aggression.
"The bounty..."  HUN intoned softly.  "I had almost forgotten."
Kar'bil pulled Tresh'san behind him, then shouted. "Where's Dash?  What did you do to him?"
"He...earned his life, and his livelihood reclaimed.  That is all to say."  HUN lifted his empty arm towards Tresh'san.  "Now, if I were to arrive at Ryloth with...your fiance in tow, the bounty would yet be mine, correct?"
"Don't even think about it." Kar'bil growled. "Just get out of here.  You lost this round."

The wind picked up, trailing HUNs trenchcoat out into the breeze.
"Not yet I haven't."

Kane grabbed Tanuka's repeater from her hands, forcing it out with a jerk. Rushing in between the two parties. 05 at HUN, repeater at the other.
"This isn't getting us anywhere HUN, keep this up and we'll kill our employer. Don't think I'm some worm, just like I destroyed a lightsaber I can do the same to your core system. Of course the blast pressure at this range...it'll probably kill both of us one way or another."
Kane stood there, breathing harder than should have been possible. Waiting.

HUN slowly turned to face Kane, as if suprised that his former comrade had dared to come between him and his prize.
"Hmmm...I see now."

Kane's heart pumped rapidly as he began reaching for his weapon.

With grim purpose, he moved towards Kane, who had now trained the 05 on HUN's chest.  HUN walked right up to the barrel, until it clanged against the armor and chains beneath his trenchcoat.
"Do it.  We'll see who walks away."

The two dark bounty hunters stalked down the shadowed and grime stained corridor with their firearms ready and the golden haired Jedi close behind them. Several times Heri had to step over the sprawled and mutilated corpses of various guards in the employ of the now dead Hutt.

Sathik turned his head to look over his shoulder, at Heri, “So, Jedi Master now, huh?”

Heri opened her mouth slightly to say something but Sathik explained with smile, “It’s okay, we don’t hate you for it.”

Before she had a chance to respond they reached the grim end of the corridor. Ahead lay the immense area that had held the court of the now very dead Hutt. Mangled bodies decorated the floor in a fashion even too elaborate for the two hunters to create on their own.

Arcuse made a twirling motion with his fingers to signal Sathik forward. The dark haired killer narrowed his eyes at his partner and moved into the hallway opening with a quick and insincere comment of “Thanks.” The dark killer quickly and efficiently scanned the area and turned to the others.

“Come on.” Sathik gave the ‘all clear’ wave and seemed to wander without purpose into the main audience chamber.

The expansive floor of the wide space was designed at the foot of the throne to lower downward, and let unsuspecting victims to slide unexpectedly in the black, reeking pit below. However, due to poor planning and a complete lack of foresight, when the floor had been lowered, the enraged beast underneath had clawed at it and wrenched the flooring off one of the reinforced durasteel hinges and created a ramp out of the blackness of the bone-littered pit.

Strangely, the creature was nowhere to be seen. Arcuse looked curiously down into the dark pit, wondering if the monster had simply retreated. Heri turned so fast the movement hardly seemed to happen, “There!”

A rancor is enough of a monster to paralyze weaker sentients in fear.

A female rancor defending her  nest of offspring…well that’s something else entirely.

The furious rancor let out a deafening roar and charged from the darkness of a huge corridor to the entrance of the palace, and lunged forward in thunderous steps. Sathik whirled around and fired an explosive round from his slug thrower into the enormous creature’s outstretched hand. Blood and rank flesh went flying and splattered across the tiled floor and the bounty hunter.

The female rancor lifted it’s head and mangled claws to out a shriek of immense pain, but before it got the chance Arcuse lifted his firearm and gave the beast a few more injuries to think about. Two successive shots from his blaster and suddenly the rancor’s eyes burst in tandem and rendered the creature sightless.

The following cry of excruciating pain shook the entire palace. The now blind and even more ferocious monster struck out at everything in a mess of uncontainable rage, and roared angrily at the top of its huge lungs.

// Oh...they don't show edits as updates anymore...very interesting. ^ Look up for the new post. ^ Sorry! //

(I have no idea what to write next, You mind going ahead of me Balancesheet?)

((I was just reacting.  ^_^  I'll write something this evening.))

Kar'bil saw the HUNs distraction as the perfect time to escape he grabbed Tresh'san by the hand and backed up slowly. He tapped Mia on the shoulder and she nodded, knowing what he was planning. They'd let the two creatures kill each other.

Once they were a fair distance away they made a run for it.

"I don't think we'll be safe waiting on a ship. I say we get out of here." Kar'bil shouted over his shoulder to Mia.

She didn't look impressed. "I hate to agree, but you're right. What ship did you come on?"

Kar'bil shook his head. "Not an option, I came with Arcuse and Sathik."

"Very well then. Let's hope they give Heri a lift home." Mia said as they made their way to the Jedi's ship.

Unfortunately it was guarded by three burley Trandoshans. Mia ignited her lightsabre and threw it, decapitating two in one strike. Kar'bil took out the last one while he looked on stunned at this dead companions.

Mia ran up the ramp and shut the hatch as the two Twi'leks stepped aboard. Heri rushed to the cockpit and initiated start up. "Shouldn't take long." Mia shouted to them. "Buckle up, this could get bumpy."

Kar'bil helped Tresh'san with her seatbelt and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to man the turret, I have a feeling we'll be followed."

Tresh'san nodded, "Be careful."

Kar'bil gave her a soft smile and turned back to Mia. "I'll man the guns, where do I need to be?"

Mia pointed to a map of the ship, "Take the top turret, You can shoot all ways up there."

Kar'bil gave her a mock salute with a smile and made his way to the turret.

"Is this what you wanted, Kane?"  HUN intoned softly.  "Our bounty is gone...how will we claim the female?"
Kane lowered his weapon slowly.  "I was thinking more along the lines of intercepting them en-route....potentially with Tussok's assistance, if we might let it slip that a certian Masked One is aboard that vessel."
HUN turned away, walking back towards the ship.  Kane began to follow, until out of nowhere HUNs arm came back, striking him full in the chest and landing him two yards away. 
"Next time...do not leave me out of the loop."  HUN whispered. As Kane pulled himself to his feet, HUN reached into his trenchcoat and pulled out a holocomm, activating it in a flare of light...Tussok flickered on the display, his arms crossed and looking impatient.
"Tussok...he is leaving Sadask'ha." 

From the Citadel, a full squadron of uglies, various fightercraft of different make and models ranging from Z-95s to Cloakshapes and TIEs, departed in a flurry, roaring across the green sky in the direction of the Jedi's vessel...

"Pardon me if I just thought of it. But who knows what would have happened if you'd started thrashing people! It's not like we can still make any money stealing her from him. This makes it look more like someone else's idea. And if they're still alive when Tussok gets done..."
Kane couldn't breathe too heavily, but luckily he hadn't broken anything.

Suddenly the entire street shook violently with a deafening roar. The foreign sound was followed with the irregular sound of thundering footsteps growing louder amidst the rising chaos of the city.

Kane looked up from his labored breathing to see a Heri, Sathik, and Arcuse run from around a corner and turn into the street. The three stopped quickly at the sight of the others. The lean, black haired bounty hunter shifted the weight of a giant egg-shaped object in his arms and smiled, “Hey there.”

Heri’s lightsaber ignited in an instant. A blaster clicked in Arcuse’s hands as he pulled it quickly from the holster at his thigh, too fast for normal eyes to see.

Heri stepped forward, a hard and firm look in her eyes, “Where’s Dash?”

Heri's question left her lips quickly. She looked around with equal speed but saw no trace of Dash. She wasn't going to have much time. The angry female Rancor was coming and she was screaming for blood.

Sathik grinned and threw the egg at HUN, it shattered and the liquid goop rain over the strange creature's body.

Then the two bounty hunters and their Jedi friend moved away from where they'd come. It was just in time as the Rancor emerged and bellowed furiously. She eyed her surrounds and saw the HUN dripping with her shattered egg. She roared and changed.

((Sorry x 1000, I totally forgot this was here. *sigh* if anyone cares))

Dash awoke sprawled messily upon some crates in an alleyway.

No! he thought panicking. I can't have lost. I was winning! Okay, maybe I wasn't winning, but I wasn't losing... was I?

Then he sensed something on his right side. Not sensed as in the force, but actually felt something. He actually felt life. He looked down to see his arm, his own flesh and blood arm. A little bloodied and scratched of course as it had just been amputated and reattached, but altogether not too worse for the wear. A stitch lined with a welding kind of burn ran in a ring around the upper arm attaching it; a little messy, but the fingers moved just fine.

And yet it felt different, Dash couldn't help thinking as he slowly got to his feet. His head had stopped burning so he must've won in one way or another. He raised his arm cautiously to his face rotating curiously. Without warning the previously severed area burst into blue flames.

"Interesting..." he muttered to himself.

That meant he probably hadn't dreamt it. Then, almost as quickly as it had come the flames were gone.

Well, plenty of time to figure all that out later.

He stepped out of the alleyway to hear the bellow of something he'd only heard once before. And if he remembered correctly it was big and it was ridden by a Rodian. Come to think of it, it was killed by the booming shotgun that was on this very planet.

He rushed off to see if he could be of assistance.

Heri ran as fast as her legs would carry her. The female rancor was still after them, not realising that her egg now covered the HUN. Heri pivoted around and swung her sabre releasing it in an arch that spun towards the rancor. The beast was only grazed but it stopped her long enough to sniff out her destroyed egg.

It was then that the rancor spied the HUN. She roared and charged.

Heri reached out her hand as he lightsabre returned to her. She slumped to the ground, taking a moments rest. Sathik and Arcuse were already flanking the rancor, ready to fire at the HUN.

(Sorry, I've been busy...college and whatnot. )

Primeval rage still burned in the empty eyes of the rancor as it tore down the street towards the trenchcoated figure.  Its child was dead....and now, everything must die with it, cold logic in the monster's brain--starting with the one dripping with her baby's corpse. 

HUN had not moved an inch, and only turned to face the rancor directly as it approached, as the monster dug huge craters into the duracrete street with every step, tore out windows and walls from nearby buildings, and mouth dripped with saliva, as the distance between them closed to nothing.
Then HUN moved.

Leaping in a blur of movement towards the rancors head, leg coming up impossibly fast, colliding with the rancors face in a surreally slow impact, stretching the creatures jaw in a bone-crushing movement that lifted the massive beast for one unreal second, coming down on the creature's back in a crouching position, digging his durasteel claws into the leathery skin, as the beast recovered and roared in pain, arms flailing in a desperate attempt to pry HUN from his back.  HUN dug deeper, a ring of dark side energy expanding from the growing wound, as he burrowed further.  The rancor crashed into the side of a cantina, scraping it's back along the wall to dislodge the entity, but HUN was undettered.

"What the KRIF is he doing?"  Arcuse shouted, lowering his weapon as he and Sathik watched. 
Heri came up alongside them, extinguishing her lightsaber.  "I wouldn't know any more than you. HUN doesn't fight like we do."

The circle of blue energy expanded to cover most of the rancor's back, leaving dark, burnt, metallic skin in it's wake, as greenish blood erupted from the creature's mouth and it stumbled to the ground, whimpering pitifully.  HUN was no longer visible, only smoke rising from the burning hole he had dissappeared into.  Finally, the blue ring passed over the rancor's face, sizzling the leathery skin and burning into the mouth in an explosion of bloody steam.  The rancor gave on final, defiant roar....then its head collapsed to the ground, jaw cracking on the impact. 

Sathik and Arcuse looked at each other, confused expressions on their faces. "....now what?"
"We find Dash, and meet the rest of our team on Ryloth to claim our share of the bounty."  said Heri, pulling her Jedi robes around her and walking back down the street towards downtown Sadask'ha. "Assuming Dash is still alive..."
A squadron of uglies tore through the air above her, sonic booms echoing down the alleys. 
Arcuse ran up beside her.  "Those had clan Gherilijic markings....someone must've tipped Tussok off on our bounty, they're headed towards the spaceport." 
"Forget about Dash, Heri.  Our bounty's in danger, and Dash can handle himself."  argued Sathik. 
Heri sighed, and all three began running in the direction of the spaceport.  "I hope you're right about that...."

The bounty hunters froze suddenly in the middle of the filthy street. Arcuse turned to look over at Sathik with his ever blank expression,"...What?"

Sathik inhaled with a confused look and put his hands through his thick black hair with frustration, trying to comprehend what he had actually said out loud. He turned toward his partner smiling sheepishly, and the armored hunter quickly responded by grabbing hold of one of the holsters over the other bounty hunter's shoulder and pulled him furiously to look him in the void-black eyes under the emotionless gaze of his visor.

"Sathik!" Arcuse grated like cold gravel with complete irritation, and tossed his partner away angrily, "You have a concussion."

"Are you serious?" Sathik demanded with angry protest, "There's no way I got his that hard!"

Arcuse made a motion with his helmet that could have passed for an eye roll and held up his prized firearm, "How many blasters am I holding?"

The black-haired, masked hunter gazed down at the ground and scratched the back of his neck.

"...Two..." Sathik started, unsure, and then slowly added,"...many."

Arcuse turned quickly to Heri, without having to actually say, 'That's what I thought" out loud. He spoke with cold determination, "Here's what we're going to do. If the bounty hasn't gotten away by now, then there's little chance of us retrieving them anyway. So we go and find Dash, then leave together. No one gets left behind."

(((XDDDDD rotfl, nice one Gojan.  ^_^)))

  Two years?.....a decade?.....only blackness.....and cold, chilling fire. 

The old man had returned to visit, the third such occasion in Tal Rith's stay in the Tunnel...an eternity punctuated only by brief moments of searing, unimaginable agony, and the long hours onto weeks, onto years of regret, self-loathing, and suffering the growing void inside of him....

"Good!  Very good...you're progressing much faster than the rest, favorite student."  The old man's face was lost in shadow, but the yellow teeth stood out against the darkness, the only light in Tal Rith's world.

------

The lightning had quieted to smaller bursts, erupting from Tal Rith's skin to impact the duracrete streets and dirty sidewalks, frightening still the braver sentients into fleeing down vacant alleys away from the approaching nightmare.  His face, once covered by the mask required of Kel Dor to breathe in standard atmospheres, was an open maw, a bloodied, ragged hole punctuated only by what was left of his eyes, glowing dimly in the murky light.

So this....is the Force one sane thought punctuating the madness throbbing his brain.  Guess the old man was telling the truth...wish he were still alive, so I could kill him again.

Memories long forgotten fought against the persona he had embraced; the last twenty years of his life before becoming a bounty hunter....was all a lie.  Now things made sense.  He just wished his head would stop burning.
He retched, a bloodred bolt of force lighting pouring forth from his face and digging deep into a cantina down the street, electing screams of terror and a burst of dark fire that began enveloping the shattered building in an eerie glow.
Tal Rith's face smoked and burned.  He could no longer move his hands, they had locked into fists, charred and mutilated by the Force energies he had directed there.  Every step hurt more than the last.  As dark energy continued to pour out in ragged explosions, Tal Rith began to feel...that his death was not long delayed.

Now....I'll never know.  Never find it.

Visions began floating in his head as he slowly came to a halt, falling to his knees.  Jedi and Sith, locked in mortal combat...twin suns directed by the Force to vaporize pursuing ships...temples proud against the jungle, and a people long extinct within...a chamber deep beneath, a massive device powered by the pure essence of the dark side...and heartwrenching, terrible loneliness and pain. 
HUN stood before him, trenchcoat gone.  Tal Rith jumped to his feet, as another burst of lighting came against his will, striking out from his chest to pass through the figure of HUN as through a hologram.

What is this?....What is he?

HUN stood unmoving.  Tal Rith had never seen him up close like this; the bandoliers holding twin carbines adapted into pistols, the Enforcer at his side, the bandages and bits of rusted armor poking through, his durasteel claws stained in blood, the emptiness where his right arm should have been, and the mask....deeper than a black hole in unrelenting darkness, punctuated by faintly glowing orbs of blue like cold suns burning an eternity away.

"You are the first."  HUN spoke, an ancient, cracking sound.  "In all my wandering, I have never seen a true Aen'atl revealed."

Tal Rith struggled to speak, yet his vocal cords had been obliterated.  You know what I am?

"Of course."

Tal Rith was surprised, yet questioned again.  Then you know...I am about to die.

HUN moved a step closer. "...I am offering you a way out."

To cheat death again? Tal Rith would have laughed if he still had a mouth. Thank you, but I think I'd rather embrace the inevitable.

"No.  No you won't."

What makes you so sure!?! Tal Rith thought angrily.

HUN stepped closer again, and Tal Rith found himself craning his neck to look the entity in the eye. "You are Aen'atl, a disciple of the darkest Tunnel, endured to claim this power burning you from inside out...do not think that I am so ignorant.  You are a seeker, in pursuit of something greater than your limited mind can fathom.  And I....I am your teacher.  Your new master."  HUN grabbed Tal Rith's shoulder with his hand. "I told you...you still have much to learn."

Tal Rith stood for a moment, contemplating.....And you can....cure me of this blight?

"Instruct you to control it, and give your shallow vessel the capacity to hold it."  With his one hand, he began unwinding bandages from around his neck and torso, tatooed with ancient hyroglyphics.  He soon had a large stretch of the wrappings free from his body, revealing only more darkness beneath.  "Wrap these around your arms, then your chest."

Tal Rith obeyed.  The bandages clung tightly to his skin, and the hyroglyphics glowed briefly, as Tal Rith felt the lighting finally subside.  His hands broke free of their frozen grips, regenerating slowly to their old yellow pallor.  The lightsaber wound up his chest slowly began to close, yet his face remained a burning maw.

What of my face?

HUN seemed to laugh.  "You are Aen'atl, and a Kel Dor above that...what need have you of a face?" 

true....we will talk more of this later.

"Indeed. I have need of you.  My physical body is detained at the moment, and our bounty is soon leaving the planet...if they have yet to escape, I need you aboard their vessel, a pleasant surprise for the journey to Ryloth." HUN's form began to waver and dissapate. "This is your first assigment...do not fail me, Aen'Atl."

My name is Tal Rith. 

HUN dissapeared, leaving Tal Rith alone.  He flexed his newly regenerated arms, and tenatively coughed a small blast of lighting forth from his face.

I could get used to this....

He began running in the direction of the spaceport.

Kane must have lost his mind. Tal Rith...maybe it was a delusion but a good enough one. Rattled. he didn't really want to know anymore. Watching the dead walk a little much. Slowly he walked down a charred street. Tanuka a good pace behind. Following more because of the fear of being alone, no normal being would stalk the streets single, not anymore. Not after seeing all that. Direction became hazy. The desire to keep going meant more.
A Verpine was missing, silently parting ways would be a joke. Kane refused to believe he was dead. Some things stayed constant. Kane kept on moving. His hand burned. It's strange, how a being changes its mind so suddenly. Forcer hunting was over, bounty hunting was over, maybe everything was over. And he found both of them sitting there, in a rust colored restaraunt. Shen the Hailfire still alive.
"Go ahead Shen."
Shen sat down. 'Cold night' was Kane's last thought. Or it should have been. Shen didn't fire, lowering his disruptor.
"You must enjoy getting paid."
"I've made more money chasing you then anything else."
Boss dead. Shen was harmless. Always next time.
"All those credits gone though..."
"Listened to the radio lately?" (Couldn't think of a SW equivelant)
"Nope."
Shen stood up.
"Then move, seems we've ignored the fat lady up to this point."
At least Kane knew what he could expect from Shen the Hailfire. Battle was just a nice place to die. Sounded like a plan. Sounded real nice indeed.

Heri was relieved to discover that Sathik wasn't thinking straight. At least Arcuse was. Heri herself should have picked up on Sathik's condition, but her mind had been clouded by thoughts of Dash. It was somewhat worrying for a Jedi to be so distracted by another.

Yet Heri cleared her mind and reached out with the Force to find the other Force user. It took her a moment and she found the familiar presence of Dash, yet there was something different. Her brow farrowed slightly. She looked at Arcuse. "What's wrong?" He asked picking up on her confusion.

"I felt Dash's presence, but it doesn't seem right." Heri told.

Sathik wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Does this mean we go get our bounty?"

Heri shook her head and rolled her eyes. "No Sathik. You really did get a hard knock to the head didn't you?"

Sathik shrugged, "I've had worse."

"Enough with talking, let's find Dash." Arcuse said, priming his weapon.

Heri could tell that the bounty hunter wasn't taking her lightly. He was ready in case Dash turned beserker. "Okay," Heri said. "Let's find him." She took the lead and they weaved their way back through the alleys. Dash was running towards them, ducking through the shadows examining his arm.

"I know I'm a little confused at the moment, but didn't Dash lose that hand?" Sathik asked.

Arcuse shouldered his weapon. "What's the story, Dash?"

Heri felt an encroaching sense of darkness, her hand lingered near her lightsabre, she just hoped that she wouldn't need to use it.

Dash came to a halt before them.

"Clueless as you are," Dash said between gasps of air as he saw his friends staring at his blackened bloodied arm. "Okay what'd I miss?"

"Sathik's had a concussion," explained Heri. "We were looking for you."

"Well looks like you've found me," he said glancing sideways at a dazed Sathik. "Where'd the oth--"

He broke off as a haunting presence burst into existance nearby. This was different, it was like his force sense had increased dramatically. But the darkness in question was a mishapen void unlike anything they'd ever encountered.

"What is it?" rasped Arcuse raising his blaster rifle.

Dash screwed his eyes shut and focused trying to get a fix on whatever it was.

"Hard to say," he replied.

Heri looked around.

"I can't sense anything," she informed them confused.

"But this is different..." Dash insisted.

"We can unravel these mysteries later," said the Ubese. "For now our friend needs medical attention."

"I'm fine," slurred Sathik nearly falling forward on his face.

Dash and Arcuse hefted Sathik back to his feet and the three companions rushed towards the spaceport as a shadowy figure crackling with blue energy silently stalked behind.

Heri dropped back to cover the rear as the bounty hunters charged on. She could have healed Sathik where they were but it wasn't safe. She'd do that when they got to the ship.

They were almost to the spaceport when Heri's com crackled to life. Heri had forgotten she had it, she pulled the small com from her belt and listened as she ran.

"What is it?" Dash shouted over his shoulder.

Heri held up a hand, "I'll tell you when we get off this rock."

**Will write more later, got interupted**

**I shall now continue...**

The three bounty hunters and the lone Jedi quickly made their way inside the hanger. The Morbis Ferre sat silently awaiting its master's return. Heri looked about in search of Dash's ship but could not see it. She wondered how he had gotten to the planet. She had decided that she would travel with Arcuse and Sathik. It was quiet obvious that Sathik need medical attention and they didn't have the option of going to a local facility.

Arcuse activated the hatch and the party of four boarded the ship. "You're coming with us?" Heri asked Dash.

He shrugged, "Why not, I'd hate to miss the party."

Heri smiled, "Fair enough."

Arcuse shrugged free his hold on Sathik. "I'm going to get the Morbis Ferre warmed up." He looked at Heri, "Tend to Sathik."

Heri nodded, Sathik grinned. "Ah time for the Jedi to get her hands on me."

Heri chuckled, "You certainly put yourself through a lot of pain just for that."

Sathik smirked, "As long as it's worth it."

-

Meanwhile Kar'bil, Tresh'san and Mia had made it back to Ryloth's orbit. Mia was preparing to pass into the planet's atmosphere when they were fired upon.

Kar'bil snorted, "I thought we'd left our trouble behind."

Tresh'san shivered nervously, "Apparently not."

"I'll gun the turrets," Kar'bil told Mia as he ran off.

Mia smiled, "And now we see just what this baby can do."