Bespin: (Black Sun's) Cloud City

[Kakuto Ryu]

"My, my, aren't we brave? Do you honestly believe you can win?"

 

*KR finished his taunt about the time he realized that this truly was to be cake. He had often wondered what a Jedi's insides looked like, and he intended to find out. KR went to his back and took down his enormous hammer. Slowly Ryoo began to understand the gravity of the situation, as he began to see the incredible size and weight of the hammer, seeing the inhuman amount of strength it would take to wield such a weapon; and with one hand no less. KR held in his left hand his lightsaber, A six inch wide bladed terror, and in his right he held his hammer, nearly five feet long with a head bigger than most children. His hammer he held at just under half way down the handle, giving him enough control to use it with one arm.

 

If KR wasn't menacing before, he certainly was now. He ran straight for Ryoo, swinging his platinum lightsaber out to strike Ryoo violently and powerfully. Ryoo had only the option of blocking with his lightsaber, but it was of almost no use. KR was too strong, and he was all but thrown into the air. KR struck again, this time with his hammer. That is when it truly became bleak. KR swung with all his might and Ryoo turned his saber to defend, reasoning that the hammer would be chopped in two if it was forced through the blade. The blade flickered, then the hammer head slammed against Ryoo's ribs with unholy force. This time he really did fly through the air, crushed from the blow. KR stood staring at him and laughing as Ryoo looked in awe, wondering how it had happened. KR raised up his hammer and pointed to the head with his lightsaber.*

 

"Cortosis alloy; renders lightsabers approximately as effective as a glow lamp..."

 

*KR took off his robe as his opponent tried to regain his footing. It was a dark night, and it was getting darker. When Ryoo had effectively gotten back up, he looked to find KR was gone. Through the force he felt only an aura of pain and misery and what seemed like fire, KR was clouding the area with a Shroud of Chaos. Discerning a man, even one with an obvious force signature of KR, would be far harder than before. He was effectively blinded. KR appeared from nowhere it seemed, whipping his lightsaber at Ryoo then rammed his hammer into his body, slamming him like a Mack truck. Ryoo's ribs made a horrible crack as KR drove it into him. Ryoo stumbled, then KR disappeared as fast has he came. Again he hid amongst the Chaos and the Darkness, and slowly the Chaos got darker, soon one could almost hear the voices of tortured souls calling for mercy, then screaming in pain. KR waited for Ryoo to stand just enough to raise his saber again, then slammed him in the spine with the immense hammer; driving him to the ground. He disappeared once more, keeping silent as the grave...*.

[handofthrawn]

ShadowFett leaned back in his seat. He may have to wait, but it would be worth it. Worth valuable experience.

[Tares Vortex]

As Reagan spoke, Tares felt though the force, sensing an odd distrubance close by. Unable to put his finger on it, he turned to Darla, "Take a look around and keep an eye out for trouble. There is something that isn't right here. We will speak of the situation once things settle down." He said with a smile.

 

Turning back to Reagan he sighed, "Money has much power among the mind, specially a bounty hunter. Although I don't totally disagree with you in wishing to speak with this Rane, but I do feel that its a major risk, one that invites both great success and great failure all in one. Personally I don't believe hiding is the answer."

 

He walked over to his fighter and leaned on it, thinking for a few seconds, "Personally, I feel you should go the council with your information. The bounty on your head is more than enough to prove your story is real, and the greater number of people that you what you know, the harder it will be for those after you to accomplish their goals. Not only would you be dealing a great blow to them, but also you would be rendering the purpose of a bounty on your head virtually useless...."

[Guest]

The Soldier of Fortune emerges out of hyperspace. The freighter, with RS-3 at the controls, descends through the clouds and heads to Cloud City. When two cloud cars emerge out of nowhere to confront the freighter, RS-3 identifies the freighter as Heaven's Own. The two cloud cars escort the freighter to landing pad C-112, and then depart. RS-3 arms itself with a blaster rifle, and then exits the freighter. The droid heads to the set meeting place ”“ a seedy casino.

 

Back in the Soldier of Fortune, Rane Scando floats in a bacta tank.

[handofthrawn]

ShadowFett stood up. He handed his untouched drink to a passerby and left. He boarded the Night of Vengence and took off for Last Call.

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan looked at Tares and shifted her weight from leg to leg. She knew he was not going to like what she had to say..."Tares you know I have only ever trusted two Jedi...You being one and cause you were a friend before you were a Jedi. The other Jedi is dead. And Airleas goes without saying as she is family."

 

She was getting antsy staying in one place for too long, she wished that Rane would hurry it up. "I don't know when you forgot your roots Tares, but I bet you haven't spoken to your brother in forever. Do you even know what he is up too? I actually think you would finally be proud of him if you did. Besides, Rane and I have always been a bit more then just "co-workers". I have never had a reason not to trust him, except the time that he was paid to bring me home, but I did shoot him. so we are even. Besides, if he proves to be untrustworthy, I'll just shoot him again."

 

She smiled at him more then a bit mischieviously...

[SithAcolyte]

Darla listened to Tares' advice. So she had a mission....Find the disturbance. Knowing that Tares was trusting her enough to go out her own she felt priviledged. If there was trouble could she handle it? She was not yet a fully trained Knight. But neither was Luke Skywalker when he had fought Darh Vader in this very city.

 

But Skywalker lost his hand!Dalra realised. Good piont.

 

She didnt want her hand cut of by a sithlord. Her hands were something she kinded needed. Darla longed for some action, but she usually bit off more than she could chew. It was a bad habit and one that would be the death of her.

 

If someone was in trouble though she would have to help. She wasnt afraid of danger, just failure.

 

Whats going on here thats got Tares spooked?Darla thought as she opened herself up to the force.Imagesrun through her mind, combat, danger....To people ocked in a battle. Both jedi, one light ,one dark.

Darla could feeel a crushing pain coming form the light one. He was hurt.

There was something familiar about the light jedi, he was someone she had seen on Dagobah. The images began to fade but the impressions and feelings stayed.

 

Im getting good at this! Darla thought. She was finally learning to see what the force wanted her to see. The found the more she tapped into the easier it became.

 

With a definate Force signature to lock onto Darla began to follow the Jedis' prescence. Hopefully she could help him.

[Ryoo Jaxxon]

Lucky for Ryoo, he had set up somewhat of a temporary force shield around him right before he was hit in the back. It still hurt like hell, but it didn't break anything.

 

Now, he thought I must wait. Noone is perfect.

 

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Ryoo saw an image flicker. He wasn't sure, but it was worth a shot. With the force aiding him, Ryoo slashed out into the darkness with his saber. Conecting with something, the Chaos of Darkness dissapeared, but Kakuto was fast. He slid out of the way just in time to save his life. Instead he got a horrid gash down the side of his face, completely taking out his left eye and rendering his mouth useless. Now was his chance...

 

 

OOC-Beren, you will know what to do.

[Kakuto Ryu]

*KR rolled from his dive and fell to the ground. His face burned like hell and he couldn't think except to run enough to get out of kill range; making sure that he did not take any more damage in this small failure. KR's hatred grew quickly, and soon he reached that level so rarely seen. KR's mind slipped out of the realm of rational thought, and slipped into a state of sheer madness. KR became like a berserk animal, and as such he would fight. KR turned and looked at Ryoo, his good eye filled with an insanity that was completely unrivaled. He came back and began to swing violently, intent on murdering the hell out of him. KR's saber swings were fast and strong, but Ryoo was able to hold it off well enough. The hammer became more wild, but uncalculated enough to dodge the attacks. It became like a dance, no side clearly doing better than the other, until KR began to loose it further. Slowly it became clear that KR wasn't going to win at this rate, and that was only fueling the fire. He became furious, and bided his excess energy for just a few moments.

 

KR lashed out quickly, his fury now stronger than ever, and he struck with one strike that was as the culmination of all that he had worked for, all that he wanted, and off came Ryoo's hand; along with his lightsaber. KR twisted around and kicked him in the stomach, knocking Ryoo to his back. KR stood a few feet away, his features were hidden by the shadows and all that could be seen was a silhouette. All was dark about him except for his eyes, smoking and glowing with a red light that KR created unknowingly.*

 

"...time to die..."

 

*KR threw down his weapons, planting his hammer in the ground and his lightsaber disappearing into his robes. KR's technique for hiding his location was disabled, and now he even seemed to try to make everything as obvious as possible. He wanted everyone to see what he was going to do to the misfortunate Jedi. KR leapt on top of the Jedi like a wild cat on it's prey, unafraid of the weaponless foe. He grabbed him by his good arm, and with two screams, one from of Triumph and one of incredible pain from Ryoo, he ripped the arm cleanly from the socket. He threw the arm behind him, flinging blood in every direction and horrifying Ryoo's apprentice. Then KR tore into the Jedi with his bare hands. His fingers burrowed into Ryoo's chest and stomach, ripping apart and removing the hunks of the Jedi's body; then flinging it in every direction, soon covering the area with blood and gore.

 

KR's eyes showed only hatred and madness, as his bloodlust got stronger. Ryoo was still alive and screaming in pain by the time KR had reached his heart. Ryoo's body was trying to pass out, but KR's influence was too great. No matter how hard he tried, Ryoo remained completely aware of it. KR ripped out his ribs one by one putting them into a pile on the ground, then looked upon what he had made. He had found what the insides of a Jedi looked like, and it was not the best part. He watched Ryoo's heart pulse weakly, clinging to the life already lost, though it did not know it. KR waded through the misery and pain like it were water, and just the same he soaked it up. With the grip of madness holding on him firmly, KR put his hand on Ryoo's heart and laughed the laugh of utter insanity and cruelty.

 

KR's hand clamped on and he continued squeezing for what seemed like days to the man who at this point could only hope for a mercy killing. In a few seconds it popped like a balloon. Ryoo's life was extinguished and with it blood went flying in every direction. KR was soaked with it. He was finally having fun. He took the blood from his hand and painted two smears on his face, then an emblem on his chest. He stood over the defiled corpse and breathed heavily and triumphantly, the apprentice a small ways behind him, watching in complete horror. A small storm accumulated on Bespin, and a bolt of lightening flashed in the distance. KR's freakish and horrifying appearance becoming fully visible for a few seconds.

 

Blood dripped from his fingertips and on to the ground. He grinned insanely then bent over and put his hand on Ryoo's lifeless head, then put his foot on his throat. KR pulled and in another gruesome display the head was separated from the rest of the body. KR held the head with his left hand, then turned around slowly to look at the padawan who had watched the whole event. Any attempt to walk away would have been foiled; KR was binding him to the ground. He walked right up to him and then touched the Padawan's face with his blood soaked hand.*

 

"This is not your time, my very disturbed victim. No, I have a better use for you."

 

*KR whipped the blood of the man's fallen master in lines across the padawan's face, in his hair, on his neck, and so on.*

 

"I want you to take you master's hand and his lightsaber and his ship and go back to the Jedi base. I will not make any attempt to follow you. You will take it and go to your home and tell the Jedi about what I have done to your master. Tell them every gruesome detail, tell them that death is coming, that Kakuto Ryu sends his regards."

 

*KR put his hand on Baren's chest and pushed him backward, leaving a bloody hand print on his behind. With that final gesture KR turned and headed for his ship. Loki came down from the building and landed before him, allowing KR to pick up his hammer and board in a few seconds. Blood soaked the ground, and even if they could get the stain out, the force would still tell what had happened (and if KR had anything to do with it, make any force user passing by shit his pants). KR's ship lifted off, leaving the planet as quickly as it had came, leaving behind only death; for that is all that an Angel of Death could do...*

[Guest]

RS-4, the Soldier of Fortune's appointed medical droid, presses a button on the bacta tank's controls and stands back to watch the results. At once, the thick fluid begins to drain away ”“ it flows through the ship's recycling system, and then back into the storage container at the side of the bacta tank. Inside the bacta tank, Rane Scando struggles to stand on his own two feet. The bounty hunter had been through a lot ”“ but his body was now healed, and the physical scars would soon fade. RS-4 pushes another button, and a gate opens on the side of the bacta tank. A few seconds later, Scando sits on the edge of a small metal cot. RS-4 takes the bounty hunter's temperature and does a quick blood test, and when it is positive everything is fine, leads Scando to the Soldier of Fortune's sole cabin.

 

Rane Scando stares across the small cabin ”“ the bounty hunter stares at the suit of Mandalorian armor which rests by the door. It was not Scando's old armor ”“ this armor was a different shade, and was in noticeably worse shape. But it would do ”“ it would definitely do. Scando tears his eyes away from the armor, and gazes at his own two hands ”“ not his own two hands. These hands, like the armor before him, are not his own. Peering more closely, Scando notices strange, rather thick scars running around each of his elbows ”“ someone else's arms! Clenching his new fists, the bounty hunter rises, and crosses the cabin to where his armor rests.

 

Rane Scando heads to the Soldier of Fortune's controls. His third droid, RS-5, sits in the pilot's seat.

 

"Where are we?"

 

"Cloud City, Captain Scando."

 

"Bespin!"

 

"Yes, Captain Scando."

 

"Where is RS-3?"

 

"Meeting with Captain Reagan McGreggor, Captain Scando."

 

Rane Scando exits his ship, and heads to the casino where RS-3 sits waiting for Reagan McGreggor.

[SithAcolyte]

Darla could feel pain bursting through the force presence that she had been following. The dark presence seemed to grow stronger and the lightside one seemed to blink out of exsistance in a momnet of pure agony.The pain was so intense that she had to fight it to stop her body from falling to the ground.

 

With a concious effort she pushed herself onwards.On her arrival she stopped her eyes filling with horror,her heart speeding up. It had been a massacre. She was too late and there was nothing she could have done even if she had made it there sooner.

 

All that was left were the dismembered remains of the jedi she had felt and another who stood looking utterly lost and distressed.

 

She rushed over to the survivour."What happen?" She gasped the look of horror still staining her face.

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan looked at her watch and turned to Tares and YH..."I have to go and see if Rane made it. If he is not there, then i will be going. I can't stay in one place for too long."

 

She headed out and down the corridor to a seedy little bar. Entering the darkened room, she let her eyes adjust for a few moments and noticed that YH and Tares had followed her. "You two grab a table and keep an eye out for trouble please. I am going to look around and I'll be back."

 

Pulling her cap down, she moved through the crowd and spotted Rane. Walking up to him, "Ahem, is this seat taken?"

 

She waited for his answer.

[Yuusuke Hakusho]

OOC: Sorry, thought we were still on Naboo

 

Yuusuke had been strangely silent during this period. He took a seat across from Tares. As a former law officer, he had mastered the art of speaking, while noticing every single thing that happened in the room.

 

"It is nice to meet you Jedi Vortex. I am glad you are helping us. To be honest, I do not like our chances of survival. Especially since I fear this Scando character will do her more harm than good. I tried to tell her that enlisting the help of a bounty hunter is not the wisest move. Keep an extra eye on him."

[Ryoo Jaxxon]

OOC-Damn. Are you sure you arn't a Dark Jedi? Ohwell. And Darla, Beren all ready knows what he has to do, but if you want to help him that is fine. Damn.

[SithAcolyte]

OCC: Just here to aid a fellow jedi in their time of need. Must be traumatising to witness that happen to your master.

 

Darla could feel the shock of the horrific events still flowing through the force around her. Someone of great dark power had been here. The presence, although nothing but an echo, made her tremble.

 

She waited for the jedi to talk. There was little she could do to comfort him but she would do whatever she could. Then man was covered in blood but it was not his own. She sensed no injury from him.

 

Who had died? She knew it was a jedi, probably a master, but from his remains there was little else that she could tell.

 

"It'll be ok." she said putting her hand on the mans' shoulder, a little of the blood staining her palm. "If there's anything I can do...."

 

She could think of nothing else to do except stare at the bloody mess before her.

 

If Id arrived faster that could have been me....

[Tares Vortex]

"Agreed, I have a bad feeling about the bounty hunter, however I feel that the path follows Reagan's judgement." At that moment, he felt a wave of emotion fall upon his apprentice.

 

Standing up, he turned to YH, "If you excuse me, I must find my padawan."

 

Excusing himself, he quickly found his way over to Darla, keeping a close feel of his saber hilt at hand. Turning a corner, his gazed revealed her standing over a bloody mess, and an other padawan covered in blood.

 

Rushing over Tares quickly knelt down to Darla's side and began to look at the young padawan, "What happened?" He asked....

[Rane Scando]

A strange being, clad all in black, stands in the corner of the hangar, staring at the Soldier of Fortune ”“ Rane Scando's ship. The strange being disliked the ship very much, and disliked Scando even more. Why was Scando here at Cloud City anyway? Shouldn't he be out looking for that smuggler? Unless, unless the Scando was tracking her now ”“ maybe Miss Fifty Million was here at Cloud City too! The strange being, not a bounty hunter, rushes out of the hangar ”“ the strange being had a few calls to make.

[Guest]

"The seat looks empty to me, sweetheart."

 

Rane Scando leans forward as Reagan McGreggor sits. Next, the bounty hunter pulls his blaster pistol free and places it on the table, the business end pointed at the beautiful smuggler. Scando then takes off his new helmet and places it next to the blaster ”“ his face is worn and tired. Not far away, RS-3 looks on, ready to pull a blaster if anything turned messy.

 

"You've got guts. You've also got fifty million credits on your head, sweetheart."

[Yuusuke Hakusho]

Yuusuke bristled when he saw the blaster come out. The macrobinoculars on his helmet allowed him to see the barrel pointed at Reagan, but it wasn't too threatening yet. He slowly reached his hand down, adjusting the setting on the blaster cannon, that fit over his arm.

 

Come on Scando, just give me an excuse. Please give me an excuse.

[SithAcolyte]

Darla stood up and threw her arms around Tares in an embrace. She was still distraught and almost in tears.

 

"I felt them battling. Two strong forces...One of the light...One of pure darkness. I wanted to help I tried to get here as fast as I could. I was almost here when I felt it. My knees became weak and I could feel his pain coursing through my body. Then in a moment of pure agony his presence went. Blocked out by the darkness....Destroyed. I felt him die Tares." Darla was weeping now. "It was like I was dying too. I opened myself up to the force so I could find my way here. I was open to his death. It was horrible. Ive never felt death like that before. Ive shot people down but Ive never felt a life being destroyed like that...It was awful. If only Id gotten here faster...."

 

Darla was weeping on Tares' shoulder uncontrolably. She had never tapped into death in such a way. She was horrified, upset and angry. The emotions ran through her mind in a confusing torrent.

[Reagan McGreggor]

As Reagan sits, she moved her own blaster to point at him under the table, she may like Rane, but she was not a stupid woman. She leaned back in her chair and smiled at him from under her cap, a few of the long fiery red strands hanging in her face.

 

"Yeah, I know...funny I always thought I was worth much more then just 50 million, but eh...the guy has no taste." She pulled out the message that she had decrypted, and handed the data pad to Rane to read. "I believe that message is why I am so valuable."

 

She watched as Rane read the message, he kept a good sabac face, but she could see the change in his eyes as he read it. "Well, now that you are all caught up on why I seem to be important, and since you are one of only three others that know, if something happens to me, it is your responsibility to get that to someone...I have no idea who though."

 

She took a good look at him and smiled, "I have to say, you look a hell of a lot better then you did not to long ago. And still as good looking as ever. I hope that I don't have to shoot you. And um...Just so you know, I am not here alone babe. You don't think me stupid enough to come without back up now do you?"

 

Sitting forward in her seat, she brought her face up close to his, "I can't stay here much longer Rane, and you are not the one that will be keeping me here either. I waited around long enough to see you as you are one of the three that I trust with this information. If you can't help me, then I must get going. I have too many others to worry about."

[Tares Vortex]

Tares took his hands onto Darla's shoulder, "Its alright, just calm down. Try to focus on the present, we are here and now. There is no more death."

 

Still trying to calm her down through the force, Tares kept attending to the other padawan....

[Kakuto Ryu]

There will always be more death.

[Guest]

RS-3 moves around the crowd, and finally stands behind Yuusuke Hakusho. The droid taps the smuggler on the back of his head with the end of its own blaster. The droid adjusts its audio output so that only Hakusho could hear its words.

 

"That would be very unwise."

 

Across the casino, Rane Scando empties his glass. The bounty hunter's mind was racing, but on the surface he remained calm and in control.

 

"Well you certainly are in over your head, sweetheart. Is that your pal over there? He looks pretty tame. Looks like you need professional help."

 

Rane Scando's eyes dart around the bar and casino.

 

"What is your plan? Take out this Battle Station? Take out this Thrane character?"

 

The blaster remains aimed at the beautiful smuggler.

[Guest]

The Wookiee Garandos finds himself in a seedy casino, waiting for Ganelon ”“ the man he hoped would be interested in some spice the Wookiee had to sell.

[Tares Vortex]

Looking to Darla, Tares took a deep breath in, "I want you to stay with him until Reagan is done with meeting her new 'friend'." He said.

 

Standing up, he made his way over to YH and looked towards the droid standing above him. Motioning towards the droid's blaster, Tares smiled, "There is no need for that, if your master intends to help us then we are all friends here...."

[Guest]

The droid turns to the Jedi, the blaster remains pointed at the smuggler's head.

 

"You assume too much, Jedi."

 

Across the casino, Rane Scando continues his conversation with Reagan McGreggor.

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan looked at Rane and laughed a bit, "Yeah actually, that is kind of what I was thinking, me, and two others, and maybe you are gonna take out that station, we just need a few really big guns."

 

She used her free hand and took a sip of the ale she had brought over to the table with her. Placing the drink back down, she leaned over real close to Rane's face and spoke softly to him..."You know Rane, you are still hot." She absolutely loved seeing Rane turn red.

 

She looked at him as he tried to move his eyes from her and smiled at him. "So, want to take on the galaxy or just sit here and wait to be cleansed?"

[Yuusuke Hakusho]

Yuusuke felt the blaster tap against his helmet. He didn't think it wise to turn around. Still keeping his eye on Rane he spoke to the droid.

 

"That wouldn't be very smart. I have no problems dying, if I can take Rane with me. As long as he doesn't make a move to hurt Reagan, your master walks out of this alive."

 

Yuusuke was a former officer of the law, he didn't negotiate. If needed he would take down the bounty hunter. That being said, he had no wish to die, despite his words. Vortex's prescence calmed his nerves somewhat. Yuusuke hoped Tares would stop the droid before he killed Yuusuke, if this came down to a fight.

[Tares Vortex]

Smiling at the droid, Tares sat down across from YH. Letting a few moments pass, Tares looked up, "If you are going to be standing there, could you atleast refresh my drink?"