Log:Knights of Ren: One is better than None
A mission to bring back a former Knight of Ren ends up in the acquisition of a potential new one.
OOC Date: November 6, 2015 (Optional)
Location: Undercity
Participants: Sebek, Domino Graystorm, Syrus, Erisi Auslese, Knights of Ren
[Erisi]
THE UNDERCITY.
It's gross and damp down here, slimey and oozing. Sebek and Domino were sent a missive by Erisi to come down to Ko Hentota and the undercity, given a rough sense of where she and Syrus were going after the pair got a line on a fugitive of the KoR, and by extension the FO. Why are they going after this individual, when countless others had been allowed to 'retire' after the last Big Event? Because this is a force user, former Knight of Ren Danicca Redbrow.
Eri had given period updates via her datapad when the connection would hold to update them on the coordinators of where they were. The last one was sent out about 10 minutes ago, but luckily for Sebek, and maybe Domino when she arrives, Syrus and Eri are doubling back because some Big Creature is hunting them, one of the many living things down here that shouldn't exist.
Out from an old concrete corridor the pair emerge, which was built long ago as part of a hospital complex and one of the many underground tunnels staff used to get around the hospital at large. A large section of the wall had crumbled, allowing the pair to exit out into the relative openness of an old parking lot from a completely different level, the beast three more sections higher on a cross-bridge of ancient freeway, lighting sparse.
It likely has the drop on them, but waits for the time being, content to follow them and corner them when it suits the beast.
"...I both love and hate the undercity ..you know, people think nothing lives down here, but this place is riddled with all sorts of unholy people and beasts .." Their previous conversation is put on hold, Eri flashing her tiny light around to try and spot dangerous things as she slowly ventures forwards as Syrus takes his lightsaber off his belt. The soft unhinging of it alerts the banged woman to do the same, also leaving her own unlit for the time being, tongue poking out into the corner of her mouth before she offers a soft, "Do you think they got my missives to meet us here? The connection is so spotty down here .."'
[Sebek]
The first rule of the hunt is to be the one hunting. Sure, the other two Knights were in trouble of some sort via big creature, but not Sebek of the Desert. For He Who Hunts was hunting. Warned ahead by missives, and feeling the danger in its presence, the Falleen had forgone his giant wookiee pelt and come armed with drawn sword and muted weave armour. Silent, separated from the other two, he sniffed. Hm. "Beast," he growled quietly. For was this not his old stomping ground? This was where the detritus and the scum of Nar Shaddaa washed and this is where Sebek came here often in the past to relieve stress. Cardinal rule, do not eat what you find, for it will fight on its way down. The blade of his sword was laid across his arm, and his middle fingertip was touching the thumb of the hand holding the grip. He sniffed again. Where do you hide, beast?
[Domino]
Domino is like any other prey item in a very dangerous ecosystem. She scuttles along hoping to avoid drawing attention and tends to loiter near hidey holes and cover "I don't get why anyone comes down here. There's nothing down here but fermented sewage, vermin, and psychopaths." there's a pause just long enough to be awkward before she adds, "Present company excluded, of course."
[Erisi]
The creature is a Coromon Headhunter. The undercity is dangerous, as Domino has presented to the group, not only for the psychopaths, vermin and fermented sewage, but also for all the animals that have been abandoned or that have escaped from their owners, generations allowing to interbreed and mutate.
Slowly, but surely, with it's focus on the big Kiffar and the short human, the beast makes it's way down rebar and cables from long gone bridges and other structures, Sebek able to clearly see it hopping and traversing across nimbly, front double-dew claws expertly kept from clacking against materials to keep it's descent mostly silent. It's body is long and sinuous, writhing with increased speed as it keeps it's body low to the surfaces it move along.
From behind the pair it is about to pounce, but Domino makes her presence known and it lets out a howl of annoyance, a loud and piercing sound which means the whole group is alerted as it jumps down into the broken space behind them within the cooridor of the long dead hospital, tail swishing behind it as it lets out a low growl after the first howl, haunches readying to launch it at the now trio , intent on decapitating and eating their bodies, bones and all. Mmm, yummy.
Erisi turns with a jump, half-scuttling in behind Syrus out of pure instinct, her eyebrows wide, "What in the hell is that! Domino, tell me that's your pet!"
[Syrus]
A red lightsaber jumps to life, growling as Syrus begins running at the beast. It's...much to big to be very fast, right? Wrong! The Kiffar tries his best to dispatch it, but its tout, sinewy muscles bow it out of the way of his attacks. Sy raises his blade in a defensive stance, whipping his cape back behind him. "Vile creature," he remarks through gritted teeth, the light of his blade reflecting off of the Headhunter's own.
[Sebek]
The loping monster was in a perfect position to strike, and perfect for Sebek to strike it. The issue was, in his head, the distraction presented by two glowing beams of doom. Sometimes things don't work out. Oh well, time for the Falleen to pounce.
"BEHOLD!" bellowed He Who Hunts as he burst from the shadows, blade singing in the air like the galaxy's most terrifying aria. Mistiming his strikes, the initial slash and the follow-through went above and over the creature's head. The third, a sweeping diagonal motion, missed only because of a twitch in the monster and succeeded in shaving the tip of one of its shoulders. Sparse hairs scattered and Sebek twisted to renew the assault!
[Domino]
There's momentary confusion from Domino before a high-pitched, muffled shriieeeeeeeeek issued from her helmet and she tries to find a path towards the others while she wildly shoots at the terrifying creature "Erisi! Get it! Get it!"
[Erisi]
Cripes all mighty.
Domino screeches, Sebek jumps out of nowhere, which means Erisi is caught off guard AGAIN, her eyes going wide as she tries to cover her ears as shoulders go up to protect the delicate vessels of sound. Meanwhile Sebek and Syrus go wild in their dance around the beast which seems to glide over the ground in and around their blades like it had been doing this since birth with both the men, most sweeps of the lightsabers missing the creature by a large margine, howling hissing growls yowled out from it's throat as it hisses and spits, double dew-clawed hand raking out at Sebek since he singed the creatures fur despite its best efforts to twine its body around his legs and out of the way.
The attack misses by a large margine because Sebek for all his crazy swinging and darting is quicker in this moment as it's caught mid-jump to try and curl it's body around mid-air to get him. BUT IT MISSES.
Erisi, goaded on by Domino, tries to collect herself long enough to rake a hand away from her own face to send the beast into the fires, the fur swiped by Sebeks' attack set alight, which means not only is the beast lunging and attacking with it's claws, there's fire damage to be had depending on whom it decides to attack, "Ah, cripes! Get it, Syrus~ Get it!" Oh, and Seb, too. You go, Meg. You go.
[Syrus]
The beast's attention on Sebek, Syrus pulls his blade-arm back, spins around to the headhunter's front and, while it's booming out a bestial roar, jams the blade of his saber into its maw before he deftly spins once again to its side, bringing the saber up and over his head. A vocoded yell bounces off of the crumbling duracrete around them as the lightsaber is brought down swiftly, the headhunter's head having been hunted. With a loud, meaty smack it thumps onto the ground followed shortly thereafter by the rest of it, Syrus's blade lifted in a low guard as he scans for more attackers in this infested underworld.
"Is everyone alright?"
[Sebek]
BLAST. He Who Learns had taken the kill. Still, now was not the time for insults, after all, Sebek still owed him defeat and he did not want to increase that tally today. Instead, he pointed the blade at the creature and said, in his velvety accented voice, "we must not partake." Was he talking about eating again? "Beasts of Ko Hentota are Those Which Poison, in action, in defeat. Unpalatable." He tilted his head left, regarding the corpse in front of him, reaching out with the Force to see if it still intended harm, and being returned a flat zero. Either it was dead or his read was off, but being Sebek, he assumed it was because it was dead. Seeing as it's head was... over there. "Some beasts fight faster with no head," he explained.
[Domino]
Domino sprints over to join Syrus and Erisi, lowering her pistol but keeping it at her side "Well at least we've seen the top of the foodchain down here so as long as we stay behind the scary people with the lightsabers we should be fine-right?" No heros here. Nope.
[Erisi]
The sudden sound of clapping erupts into the air, two sets of hands, one which follows the other a moment after it begins, "Bravo, bravo ..I thought if we set that ugly beast upon all of you it would do the job for us. I see I was mistaken." A tall lithe Twi'lek, a lovely shade of jade green with squiggled striped along her form, steps out from the shadows, dressed in a pair of robes not too dissimilar to what the Knights of Ren wore previous to Kylo abdicating the throne to make kissy faces at another. Beside her an average sized human with beautiful chestnut colored hair cut into a pixie cut steps out with her, skin a beautiful burnished bronze and eyes of chocolate brown. The is a delicious shake of darkness.
"Look. Malik Rens puppies doing his bidding ...and the fallen Jedi. Amazing. I didn't think to see one with my own eyes." Danicca Redbrow says, voice dripping with disdain and ire, though she gestures at Syrus with some astonishment, gaze shifting to the others, "Do you mean to kill me?"
Erisi will look to Domino a moment, "...These people also have lightsabers, at least one does, I don't know the other." Said quietly, Eri stepping forwards, "We're to bring you in, unless you decide you'd rather not."
"I'd really rather not, if I'm being honest." Danicca notes as her lekku twitch creepily over one shoulder, her lightsaber hilt drawn off from her belt, "Freedom has been wonderful to me."
[Syrus]
"Your freedom is soon to come to an end," Syrus says, his saber held aloft with one hand and pointed in her direction. "Your folly in betraying our order will have it turn to poison in your mouth," he says, standing up straighter and cutting an imposing figure over the corpse of the fallen headhunter.
"Sebek. Detain her."
[Sebek]
"Order me again, invertebrate, and you die as you slumber," countered Sebek with a growl and a baring of sharp teeth. Menace aimed solidly at Syrus traversed to the two who called themselves "JEEDAI!" as he stepped forward, schwinging around his non-glowy blade of less murderous death. "Weaklings! Fat in ego, fat in stupidity. Cast off your fat! Join your liberators!" He levelled the sword at the pretty woman, the one who seemed edible despite the environment. "Or you will find there is worse than being Those Who Die."
[Domino]
Domino groooans and makes a her shoulders slump "Ooooof course they do. Well, that's why you're here right?" She wonders lowly to Erisi "So we don't care about about anyone but the one? Cause you know Sebek's still pekish." and with that she begins to slinks along the side, trusting the dark dankess of the forsackey hovel to ceal her along with the darkness of her armor-maybe she's no hero but she is a coward and of course creeping is one of her skillsets.
[Erisi]
"You want to give me your lightsaber." Erisi says, waving a hand in front of her like she's washing a window pane, Danicca eyeing the woman with a brief glint of amusement, "Oh, I do. I do do, I want to give you my lightsaber, //right// through that small chest of yours, flick off those cutesy bangs, and then splatter your entrails around in cursive, 'idiot woman died here'." A giggling laugh, hand going up to her mouth as she bends forwards slightly, clearly mocking the Knight of Ren, so charismatic as she does so. Her companion laughingly clutches at her stomach, not noticing Domino coming 'round her way, so focused is she on the trio.
"That is rich, don't tell me, the former Jedi there taught you that." Said as her hilt is raised and her own red blade ignited as she points to Syrus who's just been dominated by Sebek, "I think he just called you spineless. Odd time for a lovers tiff, but if you'll curtail the domestics, I think it's time we took the time to secure new dance partners, don't you, Green One?" She clearly sees Sebek as the leader, given his INTIMIDATING methods against an underling.
"Oh. In case you dull idiots didn't understand that, we're going to fight now. And I'm going to kill you all." Said as she brandishes her weapon between both hands and runs forwards to begin swinging that saber of hers around Syrus as her apprentice, Cyline, goes after Domino, swishing and swinging her own lightsaber through the air. Fwoom, fwoom.
[Syrus]
"Time and place, Sebek," Syrus offers by way of rebuttal as the woman starts swinging at him. Her strikes are batted aside easily before he drives his own blade straight through the meat of her thigh, pulling it back and whipping it across her belly. "You fight about as well as every other Knight I've faced, Danicca," he says, blade waving slowly in front of him idly.
[Sebek]
"Do not compliment the Jeedai!" interjected Sebek, who should really be saving his complaints for the needy seeing as he was SWINGIN SWINGIN SWINGIN FOR THE FENCES and missing every single blow on this lightsaber wielding miscreant. Syrus's words were an insult, to them, to him, and perhaps that was why he suffered. "Hold still, Jeedai, and your death shall be swift." If not merciful.
[Domino]
IT is likely pretty fortunate that 1) no one can see the look of surprise and pure panic as Dom-who thought she was neigh invisble-is suddenly attacked adn 20 That this armor, not unlike a spacesuit, has a bio collection system because as Domino issues another panicked SHRIEEEEEEEEK and twists and flings herself away-it's almost certain she's peed herself in terror instinctively she turns and fires at the far less menacing. Whe she misses she shoves her weapon into it's holster and yanks out her vibro dagger.
[Erisi]
"Oh good--" Danicca pants after being cut by Syrus TWICE, left arm clutching at her abdomen as she limps along, bleeding not as badly as she could, given the cauterizing nature of lightsabers, but she's lucky he didn't stab her through and through her abdomen and chose her leg instead, because not many people could survive that without needing a whole new method of going to the bathroom, or you know, living, "-Then you ..then you'll enjoy it even more when I take your other arm--"
SURPRISE ATTACK! ON ERISI. Because Danicca is either seeing doubles or triples of Syrus from the sudden shock her body is in, or she just really hates the bangs. It has to be the bangs. Cyline takes the cue from her master to also go after Erisi, both blades swinging at the banged one rapidly as Eri tries to dodge and dart out of the way, getting a nick of a hit on her right wrist, a papercut as it were, but enough to sting, "Myrtle /damnit/, woman!" Said with a wiggle of her hand as she tries to wheel back some more as the two ladies ramp up for another attack at him as they fight for their lives. Erisi's very lame attempt to set Cyline on fire misfires, and her own cybernetic fingertips ignite briefly, searing the metal and little sensors which sends 'ouchies' to her own brain as warning. It's hot, Erisi, it's hot. Move your hand away.
Danicca laughs a throaty laugh as she hunches over a little more, beginning to slowly step around, "You hold still, I'll get to you soon enough, the Big Dark One isn't done complimenting me, yet." Her dark green lips curve wide into a smile as lekku continue to crimp and squiggle, communicating things to her apprentice who stays silent, but tries to be deadly. Look at her stalk opposite her master. They're doin' something menacing.
[Syrus]
There was a time when bringing up Syrus's defeat and maiming at the hands of Oran Arcantael would not have gotten to the man. He would've shaken his head in disregard and gone about his merry way to discuss the finer points of deep-space dogma over a cup of yarba in the park. Those times are fleeting faster and faster these days. Sy's mechanical hand snaps out towards Danicca as she turns her attack on Erisi, clutching her by the scruff of her neck and throwing her onto the ground, his heavy, booted feet pinning her saber hand to the ground as he lifts his own into the air. What follows is a quick series of three slashes, and the resultant sounds of the harsh searing and splitting of flesh. One. She feels as the blade lops off a chunk of her. Two. The world goes dark as it clefts her skull in two. Three. It misses altogether and digs a harsh rut in the duracrete beside her.
Breathing heavily and still standing atop the dead erstwhile Knight, Syrus deactivates his lightsaber and looks down at the hilt for a long few moments. A deep breath is taken in and his head tilts back, visor focused on one of the trickling beams of light shining in from the city above. His foot is lifted from her body and he turns to march away, cape whipping behind him.
[Sebek]
Swing swing swing! What the hell! This Jeedai was far more nimble than Sebek had ever anticipated. The colour started to rise in his skin, green giving way slowly to lime as he commenced the unravelling process. "No no no no NO!" The swordplay became less nuanced and more direct, discarding subtlety and elegance for SMASH SMASH SMASH. Twitch. Shiver. Control? Fading. "DIE, SHE WHO DIES! I WILL FLENSE YOUR SPINE AND CONSUME YOUR ORGANS!" Flickers of oranged danced around his face, his amber eyes jammed open, his mouth abnormally wide and hissing-screaming. Spittle flew as he talked, sweat dripped off the base of his topknot and into the ground. "I WILL PARTAKE ON YOU, AND YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR FRIENDS!"
[Domino] Domino is still running on adrenaline so she keeps on the offensive rather than slink off and hide. This does not give her any noticeable advantage. In irritated exasperation "SEBEK! Less Ranting more STABBING!" her blade whizzing and whining ineffectively in the air as she knife-flails at her target.
[Erisi]
Cyline watches her Master get snatched out of the air by the big Kiffar, eyes widening a little as she watches the mans complete disregard for life as he slams her down and cuts her down like she was nothing more than bit of newsprint beneath Syrus' feet. Already she's starting to panick, watching the slow river of blood extend its way from beneath those lekku out onto the duracrete, Danicca's lifeless body betraying only the vaguest of twitches as her body miscommunicates as her brain dies. Syrus' dramatic exit has Cyline taking a half-step back, questioning Danicca's stories of how weak and pitiful the Jedi were, seeing this former Jedi so thoughtlessly take a life.
And then what the hell is THAT. Sebek swinging and color changing has Cyline forced to raise her blade up to clash with his own even as Domino tries to stab her, the apprentice indeed quick on her feet and nimble with the blade, parrying every slice by the color-changing man, more horrified by that transformation than she is his swordwork.
"I YIELD, I yield, I yield, I yield --" Despite Domino's calls she raises her hands up above her head, unigniting her lightsaber and dropping down to her knees, head bowing to remove Sebek from her field of vision, chest rising and falling as she pants heavily, "I yield ...my master /lied/, she said you were /weak/. I yield. I will go with you, please." Hands raise a little higher as she leans forwards in her kneel, trying to show she has no intention of continuing the fight.
"Domino." Erisi breathes as she watches Syrus stride off, "Cuff her and take her lightsaber." Hell, they didn't even know there were _two_, "Sebek ...you did good, you all did good." She did not. But that's okay. Lightsaber is set back onto her belt, lips licked as beads of sweat drip down her cheeks and nose, a nudge given of her chin, "One is better than none."
