RPG - Stolen Bride (Page 5 of 8)

(Sounds good to me.)

The Masked One must die.
The command had spread quickly throughout the whole of Sadask'ha, announced in the vidfeeds on the giant holoscreens in the upper district.  Pontiffa, the face of clan Gherilijic to the populace, had called for the head of the Masked One.
The bloated Hutt's face filled the holoscreens, spittle flying from his blubbery mouth as he spoke.
" Kajidic Gherilijic will offer the substantial bounty of 150,000 credits..." The holoscreen cut to a feed from the Exchange battle, showing the Masked One force his lightsaber through a Rodian's chest...
"For this foul crimminal, an individual known as Hu'Deka Sol...The Masked One! Dead or alive!." 

From the ramshackle cantinas and abandoned streets, every manner of sentient being, garbed in ragged clothing and bearing improvised weapons, began to rise. 
The alleyways were soon filled with bounty gangs, clusters of haggard aliens and greedy eyes.  Blasterfire rung out where mistaken individuals exchanged fire with red-cloaked sentients, yet the dark tide continued to rise....

HUN and his compatriots stood on the edge of the third level, staring down at the districts below, superimposed against the Smugglers Moon filling a quarter of the twilight sky. 
Moa gripped his Vibro-Pike closely, and turned to face Kane. "So...it seems our assignment has changed."
Kane did not reply, instead reloading his weapon and keeping his eyes on the streets below, slowly filling with the bounty militia.  He turned to face HUN.  "Why are the Hutts opening the bounty for everyone?  I thought we were exclusive."  He cocked the weapon loudly for empathis. 
"The Masked One---signed his death warrant by crossing Tussok.  We still have exclusive rights to any other Forcer in Sadask'ha."
A sudden wind rose, billowing HUNs trenchcoat out behind him.
"Well...as long as they don't get in the way."  Kane replied.   
Moa grabbed Kane by his arm and pulled him off to the side. HUN and Tal Rith did not move. 

"Look," Moa growled, jabbing his finger into Kane's chest for empathis.  "I don't like being left out of the circle here...how exactly are we getting ANY closer to finding our bounty by following this guy around?" 
Kane sheathed his weapon, and was silent for a moment.  Finally, he replied.  "Moa, something's not right with the Hutts...there's something much, much bigger going on."
"Huh...look, I understand why we're working for Tussok."  Moa spun his Vibro-Pike casually. " But...krif, why are we hunting Jedi when we should be focusing on finding the bounty?" 
Kane stared out towards the distant spaceport docks, barely able to make out the shape of their vessel. "Hmm...right now, we don't have the slightest clue where she is."  Kane thought for a moment. "...I guess it's time for Glith and Tanuka to earn their shares."
He pulled a holocomm unit out of his jacket, and dialed for the ship.  Moments later, a Verpine visage flared to life, glowing faintly blue in the darkness. 
Glith sighed.  "Finally...we were beginning to worry about you.  Te'dac is recovering well, he should be up in a day or two. What's the situation?" 
Kane replied. "Alright...This bounty is going to take longer to pin down than we thought.  There's some kind of...faction war or something going on with the Hutts, behind the scenes.  Nobody on the streets seems aware, but...it could get ugly pretty soon.  At least, that's what my impression is."  He paused.  "Right now, Moa, Tal Rith, and myself are working with HUN to....more or less, gain favor with the Trandoshan.  And possibly pick up some good credits on the way."  He grinned solemnly. "right now, you and Tanuka need to use your connections here and figure out what the krif is going on.  Figure out who actually has our bounty." 
Glith laughed, a harsh, alien sound. "So much easier said than done, Kane.  But we'll get right on it.  I know a few people....who know some people...heh.   Give us a while.   Glith out."
The hologram sputtered and dissappeared. 

Tal Rith stood on HUN's right, his mask dissapating vapor into the cold night.  They both watched the slowly growing crowds below, fanning out across the city in search of the Masked One.  Tal Rith sighed, turning to face HUN. 
"I hope you don't mind me asking...but what exactly are you?"
HUN slowly lifted his head, and Tal Rith felt a cold shudder as two faintly glowing photoreceptors turned to face him.  "You---are not the first to ask.  And will not be---the first to know."
Tal Rith was persistent.  "I have heard rumors about you...that you slew 12, well-trained bounty hunters that had you cornered, that you...killed dozens of mercenaries in Kubba's Palace."  He grew sober.  "That you could kill all of us so very easily."
HUN punched in some characters.  "Appearances---can be decieving, Kel Dor.  Yes I am---very much capable of rending you---meatbags apart, but I am not---invincible." 
Tal Rith stood silently for a moment.  "...are you a droid, then?"
"---What?" 
"You called us meatbags...heh.  So you're a droid. An assassin droid, I would guess."
HUN turned to face him fully, towering about the Kel Dor's masked face.  "You cannot even BEGIN---to understand what I am. Do not---so quickly rush to conclusions, bounty hunter.   You are so very, very limited in your knowledge of this universe---be content to know, that there are things beyond---what you see.  Spirits.  Unseen darkness.  Ghosts.  The things that go bump---in the night.  Angels.  Daemons.  War and destruction on higher planes---dimensions of thought, of space, of reality---the nature of the Force itself."
Tal Rith stood silent.
"You are limited.  You know nothing---of the universe."  HUN turned away, and approached Moa and Kane. 
"It is time---I have found our targets." 

Even amist the growing chaos of the bounty militia, the roaming gangs of hunters taking the opportunity to settle old vendettas, the violence filling the streets...everything stopped for the four Bounty Hunters. 
They walked down the avenue side by side, HUN's dominating form, Kane's cool detachment, Moa's bloodhungry eyes, and the grim silence of Tal Rith, forcing the gangbangers and scum aside.  An epic sight, with the moon still superimposed against their intimidating outline...four hunters with Jedi in their sights.

I think we may as well say this thread is dead. Which sucks...

Do people want to continue?

The others seem to be busy of late. I miss SciFi... oh well such is life. I'm happy to continue, I just don't want to be the only person carrying the Jedi, Arcuse & Sathik plus Karbil. Makes writing a little uninteresting when the other are unable to add their bit. *sigh*

Heri moved as The Fist's presence was fading. She felt Mia nearby and some familiar others she had not seen in a long time.

Heri adjusted her lightsabre as Mia ran towards her. "Who was that?" Mia asked.

Heri shook her head, "I've only heard of him. He's known as 'The Fist', I know nothing else other than he's pure evil."

Mia looked even more unsettled. She glanced back at Kar'bil, "Should we move him to a safer area?"

Heri shrugged, "Where do you suggest?"

From the shadows appeared Sathik looking worse for wear, he shifted his shotgun into view. "No ones safe unless they carry one of these." He grinned.

Heri smiled, glad to see that the battered hunter was still around. She also felt Arcuse's presence although she could not see him yet. "I see you're still having fun." She walked towards him and put a hand of greeting on his shoulder, unfortunately the hunter nearly fell to the ground.

"I see you're in need of my abilities again." She said as she summoned the Force to heal the hunter who was known as a walking plague.

With Heri's concentration on Sathik, it was Mia who picked up on the angry mob heading their way. Their voices chanted in rage seeking 'The Masked One'.

Tresh'san, daughter of Oot'ag of Holmesk, sat bound and gagged in a dark room. Sweat beaded on her lilac forehead as she continued to wriggle her wrists in a desperate attempt to escape. She could feel the binding loops cutting into the flesh of her wrists, but the Twi'lek princess was desperate to be free.

She had heard the guards outside talking, they had rebelled against their Hutt master and now she feared that they would simply kill her.

As hunger pangs made her stomach lurch, Tresh'san heard the distant mutter of voices. "The new leader is coming." She heard them say. She strained to hear more but that was all that she could detect.

-

Heri was almost done with her healing to Sathik when the crowd noticed that the dieseased hunter wore a mask over the lower half of his face. "Hey! That could be him." Shouted a rather greasy looking human, who was missing the lower half of his left arm.

Heri was coming of of her trace and as the first thug lifted his blaster she had her lightsaber ignited and deflected the bolt meant to hit Sathik through the eye.

Of course Sathik was already rolling to the side, he lifted his shotgun and fired, he blasted a hole through the nearest enemy. Sathik didn't bother watching him go down, he was already targeting his next mark.

Arcuse was quick to follow suit. It was only then that Heri realised that Dash was beside her. She didn't have time to wonder why, but she was conforted in knowing that the hunter was still alive.

Mia and Kar'bil moved to the opposite flank and worked together in perfect unison to bring down a large Bothan that had threatened to behead them with a vibro axe.

Blink stayed in the shadows, but had other abilities that could aid them.

-

Tresh'san was fighting her drooping eyelids when she heard the heavy footfalls in the corridor outside her cell. There was a large group heading in her direction. Her blood chilled as she heard them stop outside her door.

She blinked as the door opened, light streamed in and almost blinded her. She'd become accustomed to the dim lighting. The sudden brightness made her feel as though she were looking at a sun.

A figure stepped into that glare, he was tall and handsome for a human but there was a residing cruelty in his eyes and evil seemed to eminate from his very form. "So you are the Princess causing so much chaos."

Tresh'san knew it wasn't a question, for she couldn't answer with the gag in her mouth.

The human leaned in closer and took her chin in his hand, making sure she looked him in the eye. She tried not to flinch at the coldness she saw there. "The Hutt is dead. You are now in my custody." He dropped her chin and walked to the tiny window in the opposite wall. "I suppose I should introduce myself. I am know only as The Fist. But you shall address me as Master."

Tresh'san shuddered, a Twi'lek of her breeding would call no one master. Every part of her being defied the idea. She would not yield to such a horrid creature.

The Fist smirked as if he knew her every thought. "Your will may be strong, Princess. But it won't last. Believe me I have ways to make you obey."

He walked to stand before her again. He knelt down to eye her on level ground. "I'll leave you to ponder my words." With that he stood and left.

Tresh'san chewed her gag and wished that someone would save her. She also hoped that she'd see Kar'bil again. The thought of her betroved kept her strong, but even so Tresh'san knew the boundaries of her strength were growing ever closer.

Kane kept on walking, randomly firing the stolen blaster into the crowd as he went. Not even aiming, they were all the same kind of scum. His compatriots did the same, slowly but surely, thrashing their way towards the goal. Finally breaking through the horde, bodies littering the streets. Their prey had had fun before running off, big haul of skin right there. Moa caught a glimpse of them running towards the Hutt's abode.
"Do we know about any other entrances? Obvious exits?"
HUN nodded, or that's what it looked like. Typing.
'Four others' the message was more optimistic than he'd hoped. He threw the fire arm away. Loading his 05, snapping the action closed with a sickening grin. You always got such a nice rush from hunting Jedi. His comlink blinked on.
"Alright, I just got done proccessing the info. We're heading out as auxilary, don't die before we cash in."
"We're at the Hutt's residence, yes, the obvious one."
He flipped the link off, hurrying to catch up with the others. Just a game of tag was all it summed up to, just a dark sadistic game of tag.

Mia blinked, her whole body crawled at the overpowering darkness. Such evil had to be removed from the galaxy, yet she felt an impelling need to run.

As the thought entered her mind, The Fist appeared. He grinned evilly but said nothing, instead Mia felt herself being lifted off the ground. Her throat constricting as she struggled, she tried to free herself with the Force but it made no difference.

Heri threw her lightsabre at The Fist, he moved with such speed, his blood red sabre was ignited and deflected Heri's without a second though. He even managed to slice the handle in half, rendering the lightsabre useless.

Heri felt Dash's hand in hers, "Take my lightsabre." He whispered. She took it with a nod of thanks.

Sathik and Arcuse were already circling around their new apponent seeking the best way to attack.

Blink suddenly appeared beside Kar'bil. "Get inside the building and find your love. We'll try and hold off this beast while you do so."

Kar'bil nodded and moved out of sight from The Fist, his attention was still targeted on Mia who suddenly became limp as her lips turned blue.

Villimar, it's a little late to join this RPG, but thanks for the enthusiasm.

Dash rolled to the side and drew one of his two remaining weapons. The battered DL-44 BlasTech. Funny how a gun was like his best friend at certain times.

His actual friends weren’t doing so well at the moment.

Fear was overtaking Mia; Dash could see the hands gripping her weapon trembling. Heri walked up and gave her fellow jedi a look. In the few seconds that passed between them, Mia somehow seemed to regain strength and inspiration from her master and straightened up to stare defiantly at their attacker.

With a triumphant battle cry, the Fist leapt into action. Heri quickly sidestepped the lunge and parried the assailant. Mia stepped in and rapidly made cuts at the enemy from the opposite side. The dark agent was able to fight them both off with seemingly no effort. His lightsaber was a swirling blaze of fury. Heri's face revealed nothing but deep concentration. She moved Dash’s saber expertly around her person in a purely defensive stance.

Clever girl, thought Dash helplessly. She’s finding a weakness before taking the offensive.

Dash ran over to where Sathik, Arcuse were standing.

“Where’s Kar’bil?” he asked frantically.

“To rescue his dearly beloved no doubt,” rasped Arcuse not completely familiar with the concept of love.

“He just had to be a hero,” put in Sathik shaking his head.

“We can’t let him go in there alone,” Dash remarked distress apparent in his voice. “C’mon! Let’s go after him!”

“Well you definitely can’t do any more good out here,” Blink said seemingly appearing out of nowhere causing the three bounty hunters to jump in surprise. “And if you’re going to assist the prince I suggest you make your decision quickly.”

Dash gave one final look at Heri fighting with Mia against the Fist. “She’s right,” he said softly more to convince himself than the others. “Let’s go.”

“Agreed,” answered Arcuse starting to follow Dash into the palace.

“Wait-” Sathik called after them making the two stop dead in their tracks.

In the horizon, the four could clearly see the approaching figures of Moa, Tal Rith, Kane, and perhaps most frighteningly the glowing blue receptors of HUN.

Dash screwed his eyes shut as his body began to uncontrollably jerk and twitch. Rage like none other flowed distinctly through his mind. It burned the one answer in his mind: death. Death must come. It was unbearable. The rogue clasped his hands to his temples in pain. Then all was still. He glanced wildly around his heart dropping into his stomach.

It was the hate for the HUN being. Not for the droid’s unfeeling fighting style, but for its ability to destroy something so beautiful. He still clearly remembered the jedi at Kubba’s Palace.

Did that activate it? he thought clutching a sweaty palm to his head. No, it can’t be. Not again.

Thankfully his companions hadn’t seemed to notice his strange movements and fearful expressions.

“Yeah,” Sathik continued. “I think they know one of us is the Masked One.”

In unison, the four unlikely comrades turned and began sprinting off towards the palace firing back at their four comrades. Arcuse with his E-11 sending a constant stream of blaster fire at the attackers. Sathik holding his shotgun that nearly blasted him forwards as he blew shell after shell behind them. Dash firing his trusty DL-44 in deadly spreads that their enemies could barely dodge. And Blink struggling to keep up with the hunters, but consistently reading everyone in the square like an open book.

As they passed the duel between Heri, Mia, and the Fist, Dash could feel Mia’s strength fading. She wasn’t weak; she’d just never known the dark side before. The power must be overwhelming for her.

She’s not weak, he kept thinking to himself as his nails dug into his palms. She’s not weak… she’s not weak… I’m not weak… I’m not weak…

Of the four hunters, Tal Rith was perhaps the most unexperienced in combat...as such, it was necessary for him to take cover behind the towering figure of HUN as the wave of combined blasterfire reached the entity.
Fortunately, the fog cover was still thick and their forms barely visible...but the sun was rising slowly in the distance.  Any advantage of cover would be negated...for either party.  The only refuge in the massive space was the signal towers scattered about, behind which Arcuse and Dash took cover, while their companions moved to flank.

The four hunters did not return fire.  HUN walked at the lead, absorbing any direct shots into his frame, which appeared to have little affect on his movement.  About seven yards seperated them now. 

-----
It's been a long time.
-----

As his compatriots moved for cover, HUN stopped in the center of the arena.  Blaster bolts continued to pour from his assaliants, but each blast seemed only to pass through his trenchcoat, peppering it with holes, while the figure of HUN remained unmoving.

As Sathik and Karbil paused to reload their weapons, temorarily alleviating the bombardment, HUN stretched out his long arms...revealing the durasteel claws on each hand. 

"Valiant warriors---all."  HUN intoned quietly, yet loud enough for all to hear.  "I give you---this honor."
He reached for his tattered trenchcoat with one arm.
"That you should look upon---the 89th body of Hun'ussai---before your lives are taken."

He tore the cloak away.

Karbil found himself shaking.

He was tall...draped in filthy bandages and rusted chains, with armored plates bolted onto portions of his frame.  His arms ended below the wrists, into droid claws stained with alien blood.  And his face...hidden behind a mask, darker than the blackness of space, lit only by brilliant blue flames against the void.   
He flexed his long claws, and slowly walked closer....

(Somebody needs to die...Tal Rith and Moa are cool with me. ^_^)

Tal Rith fell back, Kane didn't even go to the effort of walking to see the body, heading over past the stray shots. Sure enough, his breath mask had been punctured. Dead...Kane took the chance, grabbing a cortorsis trench knife and taking cover behind a stray bunker.
HUN still taking quite a beating, The dark Jedi gone, Kane flipped the back open. Emptying the chamber and sliding in an ice blue shell. The defining click soundless, too much background as it was. In that moment he went partway into the open, firing straight into the air. The dark blue blast seperating and falling back down. Pieces of it floating in the air like blue flames all around them.
It was harmless-Kane had passed his hand through one taking cover- to non forcers anyway. Force perception would be harder for anyone in the area capable of it. Not so much crippling them though, but it was giving him a headache as little perception as he was capable of. It had been the only one in the package the Trando had handed him, Kane didn't even know how long it would last or how powerful it was. Chances are though, it would have been a higher problem they wouldn't do anything, not that he'd even thought about till now.
A lightsaber flashed past his eye, he flipped around. Forcing the trench knife inbetween them, Kane trying with all his might not to let the blade slip off the edge. The blast had slowed them down a little, the difference between speeds would have killed him otherwise.
05 empty...he couldn't very well reload with one hand. Not against a Jedi. He forced the knife down the shaft of the saber, using that to send him backwards. The blade coming down a hair's width away. Keeping hold of the knife, he slid the weapon into its holster, placing a shell in his mouth, grabbed the handle again flipping the action open in the process. The shell falling, barely making it.