SWRPF Archive It's all about the credits (a bounty hunter/asassin RPG)

Sheen calmly strode along the walkway of the rooftop. Not long had passed, 5... 10 minutes the most. He had trained himself for times like this, times of anticipation and waiting in the worst of places. In fact, Sheen had once waited for 2 and a half days on top of a roof top... waiting for his pray to rear his ugly head.

He was quickly snapped out of his thoughts. The earpiece in his ear buzzed with excitement. Sheen stood straight... someone was here. Calmly, he cocked his blaster... the real blaster. By the loud buzz of it, it was large... humanoid at least. Anything from a Jedi to another thief. Great, Sheen thought... MORE of them. Sheen took one small breath, and continued his stroll along the walkway. He would not let them know he was ready.

Unbeknownst to Sheen, a creature shrouded in shadows stirred. A small yet elegant blaster held firmly in his hand, moving effortlessly across the roof top. As he soundlessly hopped onto one of the walkways, a slight smirk slid across his human face. What he didn't know, however, was that he just walked straight through one of Sheen's many traps. A small and wireless sensor ray had been erected minutes ago... one that just informed Sheen of the new assassin's presence. He moved clumsily for an assassin. Sometimes he stood in the light, at others he glided through the shadows... he was giving his presence away.

Sheen never missed a step. A fully loaded blaster now occupying his right hand, he continued his patrol just as he had a minute ago. In the corner of his eye though, he saw it. To an untrained eye, it would have looked like nothing. But Sheen's life was spotting odd things such as that and he knew that the creature, whatever it was, was ready to strike. His face remained neutral, yet inside he was smiling. He doesn't know who he's messing with.

The assassin took one last breath. He once again peaked around the corner, catching the lean figure of Sheen standing not too far away... overlooking the marvel of the Coruscant skyline. The assassin was ready to get caught... and ready to get exposed. He threw his body around the corner of the small building that undoubtedly housed some sort of electrical terminal, and cocked his blaster. "Don't move or I'll shoo..." His jaw dropped midway through the sentence and his elbows gave way. Sheen was no where in sight.

The assassin... the trained assassin, struck from above and from behind. He caught the lesser assassin in the back of the head with the back of his blaster. They both scrambled across the rooftop, Sheen having more then enough of an advantage. The outcome was predictable... Sheen came on top, a blaster pressed firmly into the assassin's face. Shock and freight washed off the man's face.

"Who sent you!?" Sheen yelled into his face, pressing the blaster even more harder.

"I don't know man, it was just a job!!" the man replied, his voice cracking under the pressure.

"I unlike you have the skill to kill... and make it hurt. Tell me, or the last thing you will see is the bottom of Coruscant rushing toward your ugly face." He scooped the assassin up, and pushed him toward the edge of the roof top... the blaster now pushing into the back of his head.

"Alright alright!! Just don't kill me!!" Sheen pulled his back from the edge. "Thane!" He cried "It was Thane. He didn't trust you, so he sent me to kill you. I swear that's the truth!" Sheen threw the worthless assassin back into the building. He set his gun onto 'stun' and shot a single bolt into the man's chest.

Anger filled him like a bursting dam. So Thane was trying to pull a fast one over him. Oh no... he wasn't going to get away with this. Not by a long shot.

 

When Thane pulled out the little orb, Tahsh suspected what it might be. Not from knowing the plan, but from past experiences. She closed her eyes and turned away so she would not be blinded, and shortly after it went off, there were two other things rolled into the room.

I have to get out of here. she thought.

As Trella's 'goodies' went off, Tahsh lept and rolled out of the room, leaving Heracious and Kahdi behind. She didn't like that, but knew they would be okay. What she didn't know was that Heracious called for backup the moment the smoke cleared.

Tahsh chased Thane and Trella through the Jedi Temple, but they had a good head start. She didn't want to catch them right now, anyway. She had given her word that she would help out, and she had to stick with the plan.

When she saw a Padawan get in the way, Tahsh felt fear for the child. He was no match for Thane, she knew. And she was right. Trella rolled a ball with sleeping gas to the boy, who soon fell to the floor, asleep. Tahsh decided to pick up the pace. When she got to the boy, she checked on him briefly, just to assure herself that he wasn't harmed. Kahdi managed to catch up to Tahsh at that point.

"The boy's okay." Tahsh told her. "We've got to stop Thane from hurting anyone else."

Kahdi and Tahsh ran faster through the hallways, gradually gaining on the two theifs.

 

Thane glanced over his shoulder and saw the two Jedi approaching rapidly from behind. Trella turned down a corridor that led back to the walkway and the roof entrance. He turned a corner just as a third Jedi, dark skinned, appeared from another corridor with a purple lightsaber lit.

"GO!" He yelled to Trella and tossed his remote guantlet. "Call the speederbike, I'll slow them down some."

He turned just outside the walkway door and sent several shots of blaster fire after the three Jedi. The dark skinned one with the purple blade pressed forward blocking the shots and sent some back at Thane that narrowly missed him.

The thief turned his back to the Jedi to make a break for the emergency ladder but he was tackled by the dark skinned one. Thane sent the butt of his blaster against the man as he punched and finally pushed him off.

 

NO! Tahsh thought. Master Windu was ruining everything! But, there was nothing she could do about it. If she stopped the other Jedi from going after Thane, she would be under great suspicion, and trust, once broken, was not easy to gain back.

Just as Tahsh and Kahdi got nearly to Thane and Master Windu, the thief punched the Jedi Master, and pushed him off.

"Master Windu!" Kahdi called out, rushing to the Master. She could not believe what she had seen.

Tahsh decided to continue to persue Thane. Perhaps if she was the Jedi closest to him as he escaped, she could keep anyone else from getting hurt. But she would have to make a bit of an effort to stop him. No problem.

 

Thane ran through the walkway for the emergency ladder. He paused once to make sure Trella made it up to the roof and provided covering fire by firing his blaster at the Jedi. He recognized Bender and sent a couple shots her way.

 

Tahsh saw Thane heading for the emergency ladder. He fired a couple of shots at her, and in a flash, she pulled and ignited her lightsaber, the green blade deflecting the bolts away from her and harmlessly hitting the walls, leaving tiny flames in the walls. She continued following Thane.

Kahdi caught up with Tahsh, her own lightsaber lit.

"Master Windu will be okay." she told Tahsh, though she didn't need to be told.

"Don't let worry about him distract you, Kahdi." Tahsh told her, continuing after Thane.

She knew it would be over soon. Soon, Thane would be away and free, if the plan ended the way they planned.

 

Thane snarled and fired a couple more shots at the two Jedi before his blaster suddenly was yanked out of his hand by an invisible grip. The device sailed through the air and into the waiting hand of the one named Windu.

"That's two blasters you owe me Jedis!" Thane shouted as he began climbing the emergency ladder. Suddenly, to him, time seemed to slow as he raced up the ladder. In the back of his mind the memory of a shadowed figure waiting at the top flashed across his vision just before the blaster bolt had filled his vision as he was shot in the face. The feeling of dread returned to him again as he had done in the dream.

This was the part where the assassin was to come in and pretend to kill him and the Jedis would be witness to his "death". But something told him that he was not going to live through this.

Artemis Thane popped his helmeted head and shoulders through the emergency hatch unware of the fact that Sheen planned on killing him for real the moment he appeared.

 

Thane took a few more shots at Tahsh and Kahdi when the blaster flew out of his hand and into that of Mace Windu.

"That's two blasters you owe me Jedis!" Thane yelled at the Jedi before going out the emergency hatch.

Tahsh felt danger outside. Something was wrong. She rushed ahead of Kahdi to the emergency ladder and began to climb after Thane. She didn't know what to expect when she got to the top and outside, but she knew that something was definately not right. Not going as planned.

 

"GO!" Cat yelled to Trella and tossed his remote guantlet. "Call the speederbike, I'll slow them down some."

TK grabbed the gauntlet, and continued to run, avoiding most of the Jedi. They seemed to be homing in on Cat. She used the remote to call the speederbike.

She shot into the aea where they had come into the walkway. As she started up the ladder, she heard the sound of blaster fire.

FRELL!! Those sounded TOO close. And the humming of a lightsaber didnt help. She threw down several small mines, designed to go off, when someone came close. She knew Cat could avoid them with his eyes closed.

As TK climbed up the ladder, a dread filled the back of her mind. This is where it would be getting deadly serious. She hit several small buttons on her bracelet.

As she came to the top of the ladder, she paused for a moment, before jumping clearing the rest of the ladder, and coming up to a roll on the roof.

She pulled out a small device and set it near the opening where anyone chasing Cat from below would come up. She had the remote. She would use it to slow down anyone chasing them, if necessary. As she did, she heard, "That's two blasters you owe me Jedis!"

She quickly looked around, wishing the speeder would get here quickly. She scanned the area, seeing no one. She wanted to wait near the ladder opening, but she moved, darting into nearby shadows. She had to, in case the Jedi has sent others to the roof.

She waited in the shadows, for the speederbike, and Thane to emerge. She saw movement.

Cat's head showed through the emergency hatch.

"Cat."...she called softly.

TAG

 

Sheen paced around the exit hatch of the Jedi Temple. Any minute now Thane's head would pop up... waiting for Sheen to 'kill' him. Boy, would he get an unpleasent suprise.

It happened. Cat's head showed through the emergency hatch... and Sheen made his move. His head, like the rest of his body, was armored. That, however, did not stop Sheen. Calmly, filtering the anger and rage that had swelled up in him these past few minutes, he put the blaster - the loaded blaster - to Thane's head... and shot.

 

Thane saw Sheen and saw the anger and hatred in the mans eyes. No...this can't be happening! He thought as the blaster leveled in front of his face. Like in his dream, his vision filled with a blaster shot but this time for real.

Artemis Thane Visptuin lost his grip on the ladder and fell downward. Thane fell past Bender on the ladder and landed with a hard thump on the ground. His faceplate visor was damaged and charred. The art theif did not move, his body had landed awkwardly and no doubt if he survived the blaster shot he would have a few broken or sprained bones.

 

Trella froze in shock.

She watched as Sheen paced around the exit hatch of the Jedi Temple. But something seemed diffrent. Then It happened. Cat's head showed through the emergency hatch... and Sheen made his move. His head, like the rest of his body, was armored. Sheen put the blaster to Thane's head... and shot.

Trella's jaw dropped. She knew the plan. But she didnt think he was going to shoot at point blank range. She knew Cat's armor was ment to take several shots..but she wasnt so sure about such a close shot.

She saw Cat's head dissapear from view. She knew he must have fallen. But was he.....?

Thane's speaderbike was here...but she wondered what to do. If he wasnt...hurt...maybe bender could fake his death..but too many Jedi were around now...and if he was dead....

Pure panic struck. "cat?" she called softly thru the comlink....straining to hear any noise at all...even breathing.

She pushed the remote setting off the device near the hatch.

A bright flash of light went off...and an invisible force field snapped over the opening, and the device.

Sheen still stood over the entrance. She moved for the bike.

TAG

 

Sheen inwardly smiled. He watched as Thane fell into the darkness of abyss... into the hell that awaited him below. If - and that's a big IF - the point blank bolt had not killed him, the Jedi below would have captured him. The end of Thane had drawn and it looks like the Cat had used up his last life. He needed no one to help him take down the Blood Pack after all... the assassin could take care of his own business. Keeping a close eye on the TK, he hopped into his own speeder and flew off... the thief, the stunned assassin, Thane and the Jedi all finished in one foul swoop.

For so long he had hunted him and such pleasure had come to him knowing that Thane was no more.

 

Once on the bike, TK watched as Sheen watched Thane dissapeared. She saw Sheen looking in her direction as he hopped into his own speeder and flew off...he was gone.

TK thummed the remote, killing the force field.

If Cat's comlink was still working, she would be able to hear...if not...the tag she had placed on him eariler, would let her hear. She moved off.. appearing to have left.

She listened intently for ANY sounds. She could hear the muffled sound of someone else in the room.

She sat in the darkness, and waited.

 

This wasn't supposed to happen!

Tahsh thought as Thane fell back into the Jedi Temple. She knew what had happened. She could not believe it had happened. In a split moment, she reached out in the Force and caught Thane, lowering him to the ground so if he survived, he would not be hurt worse from the fall. She jumped back down to the floor where she gently put him down.

Already, Master Windu and Kahdi had gathered around, and began checking him for signes of life. And Heracious Cahn was coming down the hallway.

I should have acted sooner. Tahsh thought. I should have been more in tune. I knew there was something wrong, I should have been able to stop this from happening.

She ignored the other Jedi and knelt by the theif.

"Thane, can you hear me?" she asked, hoping to get an answer, and not caring what the others thought.

 

He was barely breathing when the Jedi had gathered around him. He did not respond to their calls, he could not respond. Thane swam in a dark realm trying to find his way back to reality and resisting the urge to relax and let the peaceful blanket of darkness wrap around him. He knew what that meant and was afraid to accept it.

But as time passed he was slipping faster and faster into the grasp of the tranquility of the darkness. The art thief did not awaken for the Jedi and his vitals were slowly fading away. The shot to the head appeared to be a mortal wound and would be if something was not done to help him.

He was losing the internal battle to survive and without help he knew he would die.

Thane did not want to die.

 

"Thane, can you hear me?" TK heard Bender asked through her comlink. She could barely hear anything.

TK thought about it. If they did catch her, so be it. She didnt want to leave Cat. Especially if he was......

TK didnt think about. If it was an act..it was a Frelling GOOD one.

She flew his bike near the opening. She clipped on her repelling gear. It had a very faat uptake reel...She cliped it to Cat's bike.

She jumped, head first, throwing several 'sparklers' as she did. Her shield over her eyes, allowed her to see. Her tag told her where Cat was.

She dropped down, hanging upside down, next to Thane... "Cat!" she whisipered into her comlink. She reached out, and grabbed him.
She hit the return switch. "Dont you DARE die on me." She whispered to him.

TAG

 

The 'sparklers' she sent down made the Jedi take cover. While they were blinded, Trella grabbed Thane and took off. Tahsh closed her eyes and accepted the brightness that had temporarily blinded her, and willed her sight to return to normal, which it did quickly. Following the Force, Tahsh realised that they were out on the roof. She climbed the ladder again and locked the door behind her, trapping the others inside the Jedi Temple.


"Trella!" Tahsh called out, hoping to find them, and help Thane.

 

Hmm...who am I with now?

He had felt something somewhere as he faught against the Angel of Death. He knew not what it was, just that it seemed to strengthen him in his battle. He held on to the last strings of his life even as he was being wisked away from the Jedi Temple, for a while longer.

"M...mouse." He murmured in the trance like sleep of healing.

 

The 'sparklers' she sent down made the Jedi take cover. While they were blinded, Trella grabbed Thane and took off.

"M...mouse." He murmured. Mouse hung over him, on the rooftop. She brought the bike down, landing it on the roof. "CAT!"

She gently pushed up the visor on his helmet. She craddled his head on her lamp.

"Trella!" Tahsh called out.

Trella jumped, hearing Tahsh call out her name. She looked as she approached...but she didnt see any other Jedi following. She re-activated the shield.

She looked up at Tahsh..hoping she could do something.

 

When Trella pulled his helmet off a terrible sight would greet her. The helmet had failed to absorb the energy of the blaster bolt and thus his face was partially burnt. Some of the ruby-quartz visor had shattered and imbedded itself into his face, a few shards had found its way into his eyes. Blood dripped down his temples and face from his eyes and nose.

He was a mess.

"Help...me." He whispered in a too quiet voice that would make people strain to hear.

 

Tahsh found Trella with Thane. He seemed to be with it, partly. His helmit was still on, but Tahsh knew that when it was removed, it wouldn't be pritty.

"Trella, I locked the other Jedi in the Temple. I can help him." she said, pleading in her eyes. please, let me help him. her look said.

 

"Trella, I locked the other Jedi in the Temple. I can help him." she said, pleading in her eyes. Please, let me help him. her look said.

Trella just nodded at the Jedi. She was busy holding on to Cat's head. She gently removed some of the glass on his face. She reached down, and gently kissed the uninjured side of his face.

"Hold on, Cat!" she said, so only Cat could hear her.

She drew her blaster and kept it near her. She leaned forward and whispered. "Someone might be watching us...help him...at least to make it back to his place...If anyone IS watching...Im going to have to leave you as well..."

TK kept an eye out on in case the Jedi found another way to reach the roof. Soon, TK's speeder also caugh up with her.

 

He heard everything that was said and wanted to disagree with Trella. "No...the plan...stay here." He murmured and then relaxed as he fell unconcsious again.

 

Tahsh nodded and took Thane's hand.

"While I do this, we will be vulnerable. I have to focus completely on him, or I may not be able to heal him." she said to Trella before starting. "If an attack comes, we could both be killed."

Having said that, Tahsh relaxed into the Force, trusting Trella to keep an eye out for any danger. She focused the Force around Thane, into Thane, willing him to heal. Everything around her was blocked out. There was only Thane and Tahsh.

She focused mainly on stabilizing him so he could travel without risking his life. She had to get his heart rate and breathing normal, she knew.