Star Wars The Continuing Adventures of Canes and Invadator

Welcome to the Continuing Adventures of Darth Canes and Darth Invadator! Say hi! Have a drink! Watch the show!



DISCLAIMER:

So, I sought permission from Sinrebirth to create this thread and I think this should be okay, though modify it by all means if it requires.

What is this thread about?
Well, since Reiis wouldn't die like she should have, and I didn't want to keep dragging all the non-dueling details through the dueling forum, I started my own thread so that we could continue the RP without hogging the dueling forum, some of which I expect to stray more into the RP elements than purely combat.

Can I post in this thread?

Absolutely. Anyone can post here, and there's no attempts made to restrict anyone. The only thing I ask out of courtesy is to not use the boldened colors for myself and Anakin.Skywalker so that it doesn't cause confusion for us. I will still use the whole bold name at the top/tagged member at the bottom format as in the duels, so that should help.

Red: Reserved for Moderator use (if they see a need to interject)
Light Blue: Canes/TwoWolves
Dark Blue: Invadator/Anakin.Skywalker

So as long as you don't use these colors, there shouldn't be any confusion for anyone.

What kind of RP is this?

Well, I read @Saintheart's post and I think this would fall under the Fanfic RP category as we're not really using hard and fast rules, rolling dice, etc, and it's more for me and her at this point just to see where the RP will go between our characters. Plus, I figure it's a way to stretch my RP muscles now, here in a thread that is more forgiving by nature until I am more confident in my own abilities here on the boards. It's more about the storyline than the mechanics at this point.

Can I join in?

At this point, I will have to say no only because I don't have the time to run a game of my own, and that would require more set-up and work than I can pull off now. That doesn't stop anyone from posting, though, and most importantly:

ALL FEEDBACK POSTS WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED!!



I can't say this enough. If you, the public members, see something you like, or think of something I could have done differently, or just a tip to improve my RP-fu, and you post it, I will respond, usually with a thank you, and serious consideration. And it's always nice to hear that someone else is enjoying the adventures right alongside as I work it out in this thread.

For the Moderators...

I'm not 100% sure I did this right, so feel free to modify/change/edit this in anyway. The only thing I ask is you don't lock it without giving me a chance to change it so that it fits within the rules so that you don't have to lock it.





And with that out of the way...


@Anakin.Skywalker, I believe the first post is yours to make...

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

"The Tsil?" she laughed. "Oh, I can assure you that's the last think I'll be giving you." Now caught up in breath, Reiis could fully analyze her situation. She hardly saw them as partners...that would be a ridiculous notion. He might kill her if he got ahold of the Tsil, so she let up neither her determination nor her Force Sever. Part of her wanted to make him suffer for all the hell he caused, or even just for his snark, but another part of her didn't want anything to do with him. She hated him, surely, but now she had to deal with him, even if it was in the form of tormenting him.

"You never answered what you came here to prove." She said. "Did you come to kill me? That wouldn't surprise me. You're by far not the first." She grinned as if confident, belying her lack of a plan. Perhaps something he would say would give her direction as to what to do with him.

TAG: twowolves

 

IC: Darth Canes

Sighing, he rolled over onto his back, his leg throbbing in time with the pounding in his skull. He laughed scornfully. "You think the Tsil is going to magically allow me to break your Force-sever? It doesn't work like that." He coughed and propped himself up and he managed to force a grin. "If I had wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have said a thing as I stood behind you."

What was she going to do with him? he wondered. A part of his mind frantically gibbered--he really was at her mercy, for the time being.

"You never answered what you came here to prove," she said, glaring down at him from behind the safety of her mask. "Did you come to kill me? That wouldn't surprise me. You're by far not the first." She grinned.

He wasn't fooled. They were in a stand-off, of sorts, though she could certainly kill him and be done with him without much fuss. Yet, her curiosity was clearly getting the better of her. "You can't maintain the Force-Sever forever, Reiis, and then what?" he laughed. "Either we spend the rest of our days fighting, or you can give me the Tsil and cease wasting your efforts on trying to restrain someone who is clearly no longer a threat, with or without a Tsil." He wasn't about to tell her that the Tsil barely brought him up to the Force-strength of a novice. If he could get back to his ship for a day of recovery in a bacta tank, he might be more of a threat to her; but as of now, he was focused on surviving.

Tag!

@Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis considered Canes' words, not really believing him but not finding a hole in the logic just yet. She watched him as the Force Sever began to take its toll on her. He was right about one thing...this wouldn't last forever.

Pushing the Tsil out of his physical reach with the Force, Reiis released the Sever. She wanted to kick him, literally physically kick him for not answering her, but then he'd just get a hold of the Tsil as she approached and gave him more room on his "leash." She didn't know how much it helped him, and she wasn't going to risk it.

"I will spend the end of my days fighting anyway," she said. "Though I'd certainly be disappointed if I were stuck fighting you." She ended with contempt dripping from her words. She really did hate him.

He was just a novice, really. As pretentious as he was, he wasn't much of a challenge for her in a lengthy duel. But perhaps he could be of some use....

"Tell me Canes," she said as she stood firmly in place. "Where do you come from?"

TAG: twowolves

 

Darth Canes

She released him from the sever, and suddenly, the Force came rushing back through him. He quickly utilized it to speed his healing and dull some of the aches. It amused him how afraid of the Tsil she was, as if he was going to suddenly become as powerful as the Sith who'd just been kicking her butt across the arena. He was no longer interested in fighting with her. He wanted to get back on his ship, crank up his jukebox, and have a nice cold Hoth Ale.

He listened to her boasts, and then her insult. He chuckled. "Reiis, you can relax. I no longer wish to fight you." He struggled weakly to his feet and swayed dizzily. "My head is pounding like a turbolaser."

"Tell me, Canes," she said, standing there with her arms crossed and undoubtedly glaring at him through the lenses of her mask, "where do you come from?"

The Tsil was still out of his reach, and he sensed she might finish him off if he reached for it. He would just have Iggy get it for him. Grinning at her, he very subtly tapped the comm in his pocket, sending an alert to T.C. to bring his ship around. "Which time?" he scoffed. "Before old Palps took over? Or after?"

He looked up as he heard the approach of familiar-sounding engines. He shook his head. "The Republic is dead, Reiis." He stared at her hard. "And I have no interest in serving Palps. My ride is here."

The whine of engines grew overhead until the Glory Days appeared, touching down in the center of the arena not far from them. She was a heavily modified YT-1500FP, built by the best starship company in the galaxy, CEC--much better than the cheap crap churned out by Sienar. No wonder TIE fighters were so delicate. The ventral turret spun with a whir as the quad cannons aimed at Reiis.

He held out a hand at Iggy in the turret, stopping him. He could barely make out the shape of the IG-86 through the canopy bubble. Iggy had been acting more and more aggressive lately, and seemed to have found a knack for snarky comments.

The ramp on the front of the ship popped open, and he could see T.C. disappear from the cockpit canopy up top. Moments later, the FA-4 droid appeared at the base of the ramp. "I got your summons, sir, and--am I interrupting something?"

"Go get my crystal over there," he said, pointing. "Reiis isn't worried about that anymore, is she?" He looked at her pointedly.

T.C. trundled down the ramp towards the crystal.
TAG!
Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

"I no longer wish to fight you."


What the kriff?!?!? Reiis glared, but said nothing as the quad cannons were aimed at her and the droid descended the ramp. If she so pleased, Reiis could send any cannon blast darting away like toy darts.

Her only response to any of his statements was a scowl. She wasn't about to let him just walk away. Reiis had never approached a duel light-heartedly, and she'd be damned if anyone did it to her. Her reputation, as well as personal pride, demanded to be maintained.

"You do realize you can't go anywhere, right? And as for that quad cannon there....merely an inconvenience to me."

What she didn't tell him is that she'd die too if his implant exploded.

TAG: twowolves

 

Darth Canes

He looked down at his leg and the blood. "Yeah..." he said, trailing off. He'd been in much stickier situations before, like the bridge on Cato Neimoidia--no! That needed to stay buried along with the rest of it, though the dogtags he wore around his neck in remembrance still were as heavy as a mountain. "Look, Reiis, if you want to hang out in this arena, go right ahead. As for me, I'm taking my Tsil, I'm walking up that ramp," he said, pointing to the ship, "and I'm flying away. The question is, what are you going to do about it?" He was willing to call her bluff; let's see how far he could push the limits.

T.C. returned a moment later with the Tsil, but he didn't take it. "Go put it on the ship. Leave it on the table by the engineering station," he told the droid, who turned and headed up the ramp. He didn't need it anymore, he didn't think. He felt no threat from her, and wanted only a few hours in a bacta tank followed by a long, hot soak in the sani-steam. He allowed her to believe she could just wave away the quad cannon blasts, and while she might get one or two, Iggy was engineered to be a crack shot by none other than the Bright Eyes--the hermit outlaw tech living in Smuggler's Run--and had been known for picking off TIE fighters at ranges that bordered on the ridiculous.

He felt her glare--actually felt it--intensify. He sighed. The last time he'd done something like this had been with Taja, and Reiis looked like no Togorian he'd ever seen. "So I guess that means that either you are coming aboard, or we're both dying here in this godforsaken arena." He stepped towards the ramp. "Besides, I'm hungry and even the Force cannot sustain mortal life indefinitely without food."

TAG!

Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Her eyes widened as he threatened to just walk to his ship. Was he mad?! Probably. But then Reiis didn't have an amazing grip on sanity, herself.

She could do several things...three obvious things.

1. She could kill him. Right there and then. But, where was the fun in that?
2. Reiis could stay in place, and most likely Canes would too....but then again he might not. Even if they didn't die, Reiis didn't want to stand there for all eternity.
3. She could go with him.

Ugh.

Reiis didn't particularly like any of these options, but she didn't exactly have anything better to do. Unfolding her arms and rolling her eyes, Reiis followed Canes reluctantly into his ship, making sure to show her utter disgust and hatred. Despite this little bit of trust, Reiis isn't about to take the implant out. She'd just have to make sure he didn't stray too far...even if that meant trailing behind wherever he went. She would have liked to think that would mean him follow her lead, but part of her -- a large part of her -- suspected it'd be the other way around.

"Fine, weakling," was all she was going to say right now.

TAG: twowolves

 

Darth Canes
Making sure his back was to her fully, he allowed himself the tiniest breath of relief. He wasn't sure if the implant would warn him when he came close to proximity or not, and he figured he had about ten feet tops, but that still wouldn't have been enough for him to make it to the ramp. He wasn't sure she'd follow at all, but logically, what other course was there? He was tied to her, now. His medical bed on the ship wouldn't be enough to remove an implant like that. It would take a specialized set up. And that cost money, money he didn't have at the moment thanks to several debts he'd accrued to a certain...persistent...Falleen, and her blasted organization...

"Good," he said carefully, keeping his tone neutral. To the right is the lounge, but we're not going that way," he said, abruptly turning to the left. He heard her boots on the deck behind him and the hiss of the ramp closing. Inside, the recessed lighting along the bulkheads at head level was soft and comforting, warming the tones earthen tans and muted silvers. The crashpad rings were upholstered in worn but cared for bantha leather, and while the exotic wood paneling had a bit of scuffing, it also showed his efforts at restoration. Some panels were off and next to the wall where he was fixing several minor electrical issues with lighting, but the deck-plates were clean.

"This door," he said, pointing to the left, "is the starboard cargo hold. It's also where Sneak and Peek like to hang out. Across the hall is a junction panel that's locked," he said, emphasizing the word. "Stay out of engineering on either side, but especially on the starboard side." He continued to the next door on the left, and into a sparse, but well-kept crew quarters, and he proceeded down and over to the bed opposite of the door, where he lay down. The medical bed hummed to life. "I'm going to get stitched up, if you don't mind," he said. "Why not take a rest?" He took the comm out of his pocket. "T.C., get us to the Rock."

The droid's voice, tinny on the comm, replied, "Yes, sir. Setting a course for alpha--"

"T.C., can the naval chatter. Just get us there."

"Yes, sir," the droid said, sounding rather contrite.

He looked at her with one eye. "Don't mind the moochers. They're harmless," he said, as he saw Sneak and Peek, the two furry pets he'd picked up on Abregado-Rae awhile back, about to barrel past her. They stood about a meter tall, tops, and were covered in soft, white fur. They ran on their hind legs and had long tails with oddly non-descript faces. He named them Sneak and Peak because of their amazing ability to get into everything they shouldn't.

TAG!

Anakin.Skywalker

Edit/Retconn: Yep, first official retconn. Sorry ladies and gentlemen. T.C. is an SP-4 Analysis Droid, not an FA-4. I apologize.

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis reluctantly followed Canes up the ramp and into the ship, though that's not to say she wasn't curious. She looked about silently as they walked through the ship. It had seen some use, but it was clean and obviously well-cared for. As if she cared about being rude, Reiis kept her hands close to her side and tried to be as non-intrusive as possible, saying nothing as they continued walking. She almost laughed when he told her sternly to stay out of engineering. It would have done him more good to say "Feel free to explore engineering!" Reiis would make sure that was the first place she inspected, partly wondering what he was hiding and partly because nobody told her what to do. Danger did not concern her at the moment -- she'd deal with that later.

She watched him carefully, still scowling as he lay down on the medical bed, ignoring his offer of rest -- Reiis didn't rest. This room was the same as others, worn and sparse but well cared for. She wondered absently what the Rock was, but she was sure she'd find out soon enough.

"Don't mind the moochers. They're harmless."

Reiis frowned, but her mental queries were explained as two little furry creatures ran past her. They were little furry creatures, so naturally a part of Reiis wanted to kick one across the room, but she showed some restraint and merely observed. Apparently they were the Sneak and Peek he had previously mentioned, and she wondered which was which. When she finally did speak, however, it was concerning more important matters.

"What are you hiding in engineering and why is the junction panel locked?"

TAG: twowolves

 

Darth Canes

He could sense her unease, and her sudden curiosity when he'd told her to stay out of the engineering bay. There was nothing in there she needed to worry about, nor in the circuit bay, and he didn't need her tinkering with things that were already teetering on the brink of breakdown because of all the modifications he'd done. Kriff! he swore to himself. He'd forgotten to purge the degaussing coils after the last jump to hyperspace--the last thing he needed was stray electromagnetically charged particles interfering with the subspace bubble around the ship during FTL travel.

Sneak and Peak came bounding into the room moments later, making soft chirping noises as they pawed at him, checking his pockets for sweets. "Go on!" he shouted, scattering them. He was in too much pain to be bothered by their antics right now.

The ship hummed to life as T.C. took them up, and the ship groaned and creaked as the coldness of space made the metal contract and pop.

He sighed. "I'm not hiding anything in engineering, and the circuit bay junction panel is locked because I don't want you touching the delicate systems I've put into space. Haven't you ever heard of the Glory Days?" Who hadn't? It was the ship that couldn't be caught, and a damned good thing, too, with all the stolen Imperial equipment he'd crammed into this ship. "If you don't want to rest, then go get something to eat in the galley." He grinned at her insouciantly, then threw an arm over his eyes and let the medical bed finish patching him up. "The head is right your right," he said, waving in the direction of the door next to the berth, "and the ship has a full sani-steam on the left, if you prefer to clean up."

TAG

Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

"No," came her flat reply. "I've never heard of it. Not sure why I would." She left it at that. It seemed all pilots thought their ship should be known, though that wasn't to say Glory Days wasn't worth being known. Reiis hadn't heard of it, but she was just one person in the galaxy.

Before long, they were in space, Canes' ship popping with the decreased temperatures. Reiis had never heard a ship pop, having been used to TIE fighters and Star Destroyers, and she sarcastically wondered if the damned thing was even airtight. But then Canes opened his mouth and all concerns of a falling apart shift drifted away.

"If you don't want to rest, then go get something to eat in the galley."

Either he was stupidly unobservant or he was doing his best to insult her. Considering his previous behavior, Reiis automatically thought the latter. Her jaw dropped, her eyes burned brighter in anger. It seems self-evident to Reiis that she was little more than a machine, having lost all but one limb and not to mention the use of her lungs to a Dark Lord's fury. Did he think she was wearing this because she wanted to, that she wasn't trapped to live as a machine the rest of her life?! She almost snapped something back when he continued.

"And the ship has a full sani-steam on the left, if you prefer to clean up."


That's it. Reiis stalked dangerously toward Canes, who had stupidly covered his eyes. She reached for his throat to grab him in a chokehold.

"Either you're some kind of stupid or you want me to walk away and let you and your little ship explode," she snarled. "I will not tolerate your insults, Canes. I don't care if I'm in your ship or not!"

TAG: twowolves

 

Darth Canes

He felt her approach, sensed her anger, unsure of what set her off, but he quickly called upon the Force to defuse the situation, attempting to calm her emotions. "Insults? Why would you think I was--ohhhhh," he said, understanding suddenly. "I didn't think--" How was he supposed to know she was welded to her suit? "And besides, killing me won't help." He was suddenly curious as to what she looked like without the suit, then shook his head. What in the flaming void was he thinking? "Look, I'm so--urk!"

Her Force-choke fell on him with a fury, and his anger kindled, giving him strength to fight back. He focused on calming himself, and then attempted to turn her power back on her. How in blazes was he supposed to have known about her flaming suit? Kriff, he was so bruised and bloody that his only thought had been not dying, and she's worried about flaming insults? It was high time to establish the pecking order on his ship once and for all.

TAG!

Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

His Force attempts at calming her were futile. He genuinely seemed to not get what he had said, but he'd pay for the insult regardless. She increased the Force choke, easily fighting off his redirection of her power. Perhaps if he hadn't been so banged up, he could have made a decent effort.

And just as quickly, she let him go, but didn't remove her hand until she tried a quick jerk to pull him off the medical bed and onto the floor. She would enjoy watching that.

Turning on her heel, Reiis walked out of the room...

...and stopped.

10 feet.

"Are you KRIFFING kidding me?!" Reiis was more ticked off at the situation than anything else, but she directed it at Canes regardless. Igniting her Darksaber, she advanced back towards Canes. "It's coming out...NOW."

TAG: twowolves

 

Darth Canes

The metal of her prosthetic limb dug into his flesh as she closed the distance and turned her Force-choke into a real one instead. He gripped her wrist, his efforts at calming her falling away like cobwebs.

And then, she released her grip, but not before dragging him out of the bed and dropping him unceremoniously onto the floor. As he lay there, his head spinning, he grinned slightly when she hit the range limit, and his leg began to pulsate. "Going somewhere?"

"Are you KRIFFING kidding me?!" she raged, turning back to him, and igniting her darksaber. "It's coming out...NOW."

A shiver of fear raced through him. "No," he growled, pulling himself up. "It may have a safety, and considering we're in a pressurized cabin, that may not end so well." He sat on the edge of the bed and thought. "Has to be a way to boost the range..." Most implants operated on a normal radio frequency, and in places like Coruscant, it had to be line of sight because of the way the buildings messed with the signal.

He stood up. "Come on, I have an idea." He rubbed his neck as he limped past her, grumbling about foolish women. "How in the flaming void did you wind up stuck in that damned suit, anyway? How do you eat? Bathe? Meditate?" He shook his head. He couldn't do it; he'd be spending every waking moment figuring a way out of that suit if their positions were reversed.

He had an idea of how to extend the range that might provide a stop-gap solution for the time being...

TAG!

Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis stopped abruptly as he pointed out the obvious. It very possibly did have a safety, and Reiis didn't wan to die....certainly not with him.

She listening impatiently as he continued on about increasing the range. That would be nice. Then, when they landed, she could walk off and leave him to explode. Perfect.

"That sounds like a good idea," she replied in her best calm voice. The goal was to sound the same...but not discourage him from trying it. Anyone listening could say, with little doubt, that it sounded obvious. Very obvious. But Reiis was never known for being able to fake anything. Painfully blunt and often inconsiderate of decorum when it came to speaking her mind, Reiis alienated as many people as she befriended.

Now he was asking about the suit, something Reiis didn't really talk about. Still...perhaps he's stop looking at her weird if she explained. She answered the questions backwards, cutting to the chase. "Meditation isn't difficult, really. It's just a matter of focusing. I'm sure that doesn't come naturally to you." He was so easy to insult! Reiis continued. "Bathing....is no longer required. Eating...intravenous." She paused again. Now came the hard part.

"It was punishment."

TAG: twowolves

 

Darth Canes

"Punishment?" He stopped and turned to look at her. "What in Palpatine's name did you do to deserve that punishment?" He shook his head. "Why aren't you trying to fix yourself?" He turned and proceeded back down the hall and into the main galley, which lit up automatically as soon as he entered.

In the corner opposite of the entrance was a round, corner dining booth he'd snagged on Ryloth from an estate sale when his favorite cantina went out of business. In front of that was a holo-table set up for several games, including dejarik and Aces Over Coruscant. In the corner to the left of the booth were four floor-to-ceiling bubbler tubes filled with algae--part of the backup life support system, and the door between them and the booth lead to the port-side engineering bay and the cargo elevator. Immediately to the left of the tubes was the dark corridor that lead to the belly turret and the cockpit up above. To the right of the booth was a water-bubbler jukebox he'd purchased on Adarlon back when Taja was still aboard.

He turned on the neon Corellian Blue Ale neon sign above the jukebox, then headed to the engineering bay. "Stay here," he said, disappearing into the bay and returning moments later with a crate of what looked like junk parts and circuit boards. "I think I can boost the signal by building a repeater. Come on," he said, leading her to the engineering station, which lit up softly with recessed lighting from above, creating an island of warm light in the dark corridor. As soon as she stepped across the threshold of the corridor, the lights in the galley dimmed.

The engineering station had a small table area in front of the console, and was one of his favorite spots on the ship. It was warm, quiet but for the hum of the engines, and very comfortably cozy. He sat down and gestured to the seat next to him. "Would you care to sit, or stand there all night?" He turned his attention to the box of parts and began sorting through it, pulling the parts he needed and taking a soldering iron out of the drawer under the engineering station. "And I don't think I have intravenous food aboard, but we can stop for whatever you need."

His ears detected the subtle whine of the hyperdrive right before it wound up and the ship pierced the light barrier. Well, they were definitely stuck together, now. "And the name is Kryss."

TAG!

Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

His questions were difficult to answer. Had she deserved it? No, she didn't think so, but someone had. A very powerful someone at that.

"I failed a mission....and as for fixing myself, well, the damage was extensive. I don't think there's a fix. Besides," she paused, grinning. "It elicits more fear than how I used to look." That had been the one good thing about the mutilation. Nobody was inclined to fear a "short little girl," and the mask gave her an intimidation factor that she wasn't all too willing to give up. Still...

Banishing the thought of being human again, she followed Canes and waited as he retrieved the parts. The repeater idea was a good one, but Reiis wasn't sure how they'd try it...or test how much it amplified the signal. He offered her a seat, and before she could say something polite, Pride answered. "I can stand for hours...probably days." Not a lie...it wasn't even an exaggeration. Pride stepped down and Reiis responded as Canes offered to stop for what she would need to survive. "Thank you." Grimacing at her own politeness, she stepped close enough to get a good look at what he was doing. Ugh...a soldering iron. Not fun.

"And the name is Kryss."

Reiis thought for a moment. Kryss Canes -- it had a ring to it. "Reiis Invadator, nice to meet you," she replied, adding a touch of sarcasm to her words. "Where are we going, anyway?"

TAG: twowolves

 

Darth Canes

"Kryss Andano, nice to meet you as well," he said absentmindedly, focusing on soldering a recalcitrant capacitor onto a circuit board. "Ow, damn it." He sucked on the finger he'd just burned. He was sure the repeater idea would work, he would just have to figure out what the frequency was. He took an EMF detector out of another drawer under the table, and ran it over his leg until it beeped, returning the correct carrier frequency for the implant. He scribbled it down on a piece of flimsi-plast.

"And what are you going to do if this repeater works?" He figured she'd probably run, just to see what happened. However, after a short visit to the Rock to pick up fuel and money he owed to a certain Hutt on Tatooine--thank the gods it wasn't Jabba--he would go visit that same Hutt's majordomo for a quick medical procedure, and then it would be good-bye implant. "Not like you can run anywhere, yet."

Up above the engineering console were two shelves, on which were numerous manuals and references. He pulled one down and quickly looked up voltage ratios for the oscillating diode, which would allow him to tune the distance either closer or farther. "Once I get this thing working," he said, holding up the small, fist-sized circuit board he was tinkering with, "I'll be able to get some shut eye, and I suggest you do the same. After we stop at the Rock, we're going to Tatooine to visit an old friend."

Would he be able to sleep at all with her around? He doubted she'd try to murder him in his sleep--she could have just ducked behind a rock in the arena to shield herself from the blast that would undoubtedly render him into a fine mist. He quickly tried to recall if everything vital on the ship was locked; satisfied that she wouldn't be able to get into too much trouble, he returned to the task at hand.

TAG

Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Oh, Andano. The Force alerted her that something about that was false, but it wasn't an issue that Reiis cared to deal with at the moment. She didn't need his name.

"If this repeater works," she answered. "I'm going to wait until blowing you up isn't going to kill me." It was meant as a macabre joke, but she wasn't sure if he'd take it that way. Either way suited her fine, and Reiis merely listened as he continued.

But no way was she sleeping. Not in her opponent's -- and yes he was still an opponent -- territory. "What's the Rock," she asked? It sounded like one of those names the locals gave it, and outsider knew only the official name. Chances were better that Reiis had heard of it's formal name. She was surprised that he didn't appear to show a similar concern about being off-guard, but then again he might have something in place for that.

As soon as he fell asleep Reiis would make sure she explored both the engines room and especially the locked junction panel. After that she'd...

Kriff.

She'd have to stay within 10 feet until they could risk a test. Damn. It appeared she'd be getting some rest, after all, though hers would be in the form of meditation rather than sleep. Disgruntled and defensive as ever, Reiis watched and planned.

TAG: twowolves

 

Darth Canes

The life support fans kicked on, rattling in the vents above the hum of the hyperdrive. He enjoyed the quiet moments like this, here in this little island of light in the heart of his ship; it was very zen. A wave of exhaustion washed over him as he worked, waving aside the acrid smoke from the solder. That should just about do it, he figured, looking at his jury-rigged signal repeater. He carefully turned the tuning crystal until the green LED on the circuit board lit up brightly and steadily.

"There it is!" he said, grinning and holding his creation up proudly. "It's locked onto the frequency of the implant, and by turning this," he said, turning the single dial on the board up, "the range increases. No idea on how much a quarter of a turn will increase it beyond to say a few feet. The max range is probably about ten meters." He turned it all the way up, then tucked it into his belt pouch. "And besides, I think I'll hang onto the repeater for now--that should keep any ideas you have about running to a minimum." She would never know exactly what the distance would be, so could never really run without some risk involved.

He sat back and studied her with an insouciant grin. "The Rock?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's a very large asteroid I towed into the middle of dead space and use as a base. It's in the middle of an asteroid field near the Arkanis Sector, right off the Corellian Trade Spine. Very cozy. I promise." He'd never taken anyone to the Rock before; it was a well-kept secret from his days at CEC, back when he worked for the Corellian Underground...

Still, what was the risk? The hypertransceiver relay he'd set up there was secured by enough firepower to lay waste to a squad of Stormtroopers. Not to mention the mag-shielded blast door. There was enough incriminating evidence of his smuggling runs and shady dealings to put him away at Star's End.

"The Rock is not like this ship," he warned her. "Don't wander there; there are automated defenses that even I tread lightly around. And yes, I designed it that way on purpose." He stood up and moved past her. "Time for a nap. You can pick any of the berths you like. The sani-steam and head can be isolated on the life support grid, so if you want, just close the door and crank up the oxygen." He grabbed a cold Hoth Iced Ale, and the latest copy of MechTech Illustrated, then headed to bed. It would be a few hours before they reached the asteroid field where the Rock was located, and then it would take an hour or so of careful piloting to reach it. He kept going down the corridor, and his implant didn't so much as twitch with a warning. At least the repeater was working.

He had time for a nap, and as for Reiis, Sneak and Peek would keep an eye on her.

TAG!

Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator

Reiis leaned over slightly to get a better look at the repeater. It certainly seemed to be working, but Reiis knew she was trapped until they could get to a place with more space...and air. To his explanation of the Rock, she raised a hidden eyebrow. "You towed an asteroid?" she asked, slightly impressed but not letting it show. "Interesting. You're a smuggler." It wasn't a question.

A "thank you" was the only way she responded to his offers, but she wouldn't use them. He walked down the corridor to his bunk, Reiis following behind to stay within the ten feet but trying to keep her distance. This left her in the middle of the corridor. If she wanted to be safe, she could stay there....or go further in. She still had her Darksaber, after all. She slid down the wall silently, drawing her knees to her chest when she reached the bottom, arms wrapped around her knees. Now was not the time.

Reiis waited for a very long time before she moved. Creeping silently, slowly, she approached the room containing Kryss and his bunk. Her head pivoted to look behind her. Neither the droid nor Sneak and Peek were behind her, so she advanced.

And then she was there. Standing over him, Darksaber in hand, not a single puff of her respirator reaching his ears, courtesy of the Force. She lifted an arm, seconds away from bringing it down upon him as she ignited the saber.

No.

The Force....it stopped her.

Not physically, no...she could have gone through with it. But Reiis listened to everything the Force would let her see, and she didn't take its warnings lightly. Withdrawing as silently as she came, Reiis returned to her position in the corridor.

She would wait, and see.

TAG: twowolves

 

Darth Canes

The droid popper went off too close, destroying the helmet's HUD and nightvision capabilities. "Kriff!" he swore, ripping the helmet off. The sounds of battle enveloped him, and the smells--charred flesh, burnt plastoid armor, and the acrid odor of ozone from the sheer amount of blaster fire slicing through the air.

He ducked down farther into the crater. "Blaze! Get your choobies over here and raise the Vergent on the comm!" he yelled over the sound of rockets exploding fifty meters away. Debris rained down on them. "And tell Ripper to get off that damned ridge!"

Ripper, a Clone Trooper who had specialized in hand-to-hand combat, was up on the ridge with a vibro-axe, slicing through B1 battle droids and swearing at them with creative epithets between swings.

Blaze, his armor emblazoned with a red stripe Kryss had put there himself to help locate him at distances better, slid down the side of the crater next to him and tossed him another helmet. "Here you are, chief. Its owner won't be missing it anytime soon." He began trying to raise the Venator-class Star Destroyer above them on his wrist comm. "Air support needed over delta sector, bearing three-three-one-niner, over!"

"Sierra team, you are ordered to stand down and wait for support. ETA in 4 minutes."

"Say again?" Blaze shouted. "Are you out of your bloody mind? We're surrounded!"

"Sierra team, repeat, you are ordered to stand down and wait for air support. Raiders have been launched." The comm went dead.

Kryss put the helmet on and breathed a sigh of relief as the HUD came up and his ability to see through the smoke and darkness was restored. It was ridiculous, their situation; what had supposed to have been a simple job of sneaking in and taking out the shield generator around the depot complex had turned into a muddy, bloody grudge match because the geniuses up top decided they wanted to move the timetable for invasion up. And the worst part about it was that Kandammas' only redeeming feature was the ammo depot built into the side of a mountain; the rest of the planet was lichen and boiling springs.

This was going to wreck Sigma Squadron's perfect record, and he would be damned if he'd just sit idly by, waiting to be ground under by these flaming droids while the brass sat up there with their thumbs up their backside. "Idiots," he fumed, picking up his carbine and peeking over the ridge. At least thirty B1 battle droids were on their way towards him, along with a Hailfire droid rapidly bringing up the rear. "Oh, kriff," he swore, squeezing off several rounds and picking off a few of the droids. "We got company!" he shouted. "Boomer! Get rid of that Hailfire droid!"

The fourth member of their squadron, Boomer, was a demolitions expert who took a little too much joy in his work sometimes. "Sure thing, sir!" he said enthusiastically--how in blazes could anyone be enthusiastic in the middle of a firefight?!-- and pulled out his mini-rocket launcher. "Fire in the hole, you kriffin' clankers!" he yelled and fired.

The rocket spun drunkenly, managing to take the head off one B1 droid right before it impacted into the Hailfire's right tread, blowing it off it's balance and making it plow into a droid transport that had been approaching. This resulted in an even bigger explosion that scattered droid parts across half the battlefield.

"Did you see that idiot clanker?" Boomer laughed, sliding down next to him.

"Can it," he said, in no mood for Boomer's humor right at this moment. "We have a shield generator to destroy. Let's go!" He jumped over the ridge and began running for the base of the mountain, firing at anything that moved as he ran. He could hear his squadron behind him, and dared hope they might actually make it out alive. They were going to make it--only another five hundred meters!

Suddenly, two CEC Raiders went streaking past, their silhouette looking like someone had welded the YT cockpit between the mandables, and cut them off the freighter, strapped engines to the back, and called it a fighter. They were deadly effective, though, with ion bombs and a quad ion cannon belly-turret that made short work of droids. Clone troopers all over the battle field cheered at the sight of them as they took out several of the AA cannons and scattered the larger groups of B1 battle droids. One mortar position got a rocket off right before being consumed in a blast of laser fire.

He heard the whistle of the mortar, and everything went white.

He sat up in bed with a gasp, drenched in sweat, his breath ragged. A coldness stole over him at the memories from Kandammas so long ago. He reached up and touched the plastoid dogtags hanging around his neck. There were five of them, and they were as heavy as neutronium. He shook his head and let the dream go; that was from a long time ago, in a different life.

He stood up and was going to head to the cockpit when he saw Reiis, squatting in the corridor outside the crew quarters. "What are you doing out here? You can move beyond the ten feet, now, you know." He offered her a hand to help her up. "We should almost be there."

TAG!

Anakin.Skywalker

 

IC: Reiis Invadator​

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She could hear it. ​

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Not well, but it was there. Kryss was dreaming about something....a battle? It certainly sounded like it, but she wasn't going to jump to conclusions. He awoke with a start, and Reiis could hear the rattling of the dogtags as he gripped them. Someone...more than just one someone...had died. ​

​

He got up, and began to head to the cockpit, but she didn't yet move, instead watching him carefully as he walked back down the corridor. So much to figure out with this one...​

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"What are you doing out here? You can move beyond the ten feet, now, you know. We should almost be there."

He offered her his hand, and she likewise swatted it away as she stood up and moved toward the cockpit. "Tell me when you'd like a 50/50 shot at your implant detonating and I'll gladly walk off." She turned back to look at him. "How much longer?"

TAG: twowolves

 

Darth Canes

She swatted his hand away, and he shrugged. "In less than a day, that won't be a worry." He turned his back to her and walked off down the corridor, heading for the cockpit. He climbed the ladder quickly and entered the cockpit.

Inside the cockpit, the red lighting was dim and muted, leaving much in shadow. T.C. sat behind the co-pilot's seat, monitoring comm chatter. "Greetings, sir. Systems are nominal. ETA to the asteroid field is approximately four minutes."

"Good," he said, ducking his head and sat in the pilot's seat. The purple-black swirls of hyperspace rushed past outside the canopy. He began checking things over, making sure nothing was amiss, and satisfied it wasn't, he relaxed and looked around the cockpit. It no longer resembled the original CEC design, instead resembling something akin to the cockpit of an ARC-170, even down to the control yoke which he'd actually salvaged from an old one he'd found rusting in a junk lot, as he had for many of the other components in the cockpit. The commanding view over the prow of the ship, though, had been what had really sold him, and a great many other customers, too.

Without turning around, he said, "Reiis, if you're going to follow me around, then at least have a seat so you aren't hovering over my shoulder." If she wanted to remain aloof, let her, he thought to himself; they were most likely going to be stuck together for the foreseeable future, or at least, the Force seemed to hint that this was the case, so she might as well learn to accept that their fates were now entwined for better or worse.

He began plotting the approach vector on the drift chart of the asteroid field; he didn't feel like scraping the hull on any stray asteroids, and wanted to live long enough to be able to say to her that he told her so.

TAG!

Anakin.Skywalker