“By my calculations, Diyrian, you are going to be five points thirty seven minutes late at the current speed you are maintaining.”
Diyrian Grivna threw up a hand from her yolk and tossed a squint at her ships intercom panel. “Really, Lacie? I think we have other problems to handle first. They’ll understand if the package is a little late, yeah?”
“It would not be delayed if you allowed me to main pilot controls and for you to man…the armaments. I am not programmed to control weaponry,” L4-C1A warbly voice snarked through out the cockpit.
Green streaks of plasma races past the near-orb esque viewports of her KST-100 Kestrel Light Executive Freighter, causing alarms to blare as shields are grazed and the Kiffar to yank away. The long green forward boons of the ship dipped towards the aft-starboard side and acted as a a center for her focus while rolling and weaving away from the squadron of starfighters. Righting the ship, Diy chewed on her options for a few seconds. Her gaze shifted to the torch strapped into the co-pilot’s chair beside her, the ruby crystal fixed on its head pulsating with an orange glow.
Why couldn’t this be a regular karking torch?
“Okay! All yours, Lacie!”
Diyrian let go of the yolk, which immediately was taken over by the droid-brain, and unclipped her flight suit from the pilot’s chair. She ungracefully pulled the torch-possibly-sith artifact from the co-pilot’s seat and…gently wedged it against the control board to keep it from becoming a flying killing agent. Blue light flared to life and danced on the golden clan tattoo on her face, the laser cannons under her thumbs.
“Now let’s get these pirates…or….collective? On second thought, they’re an enemy of ‘me’ right now. C'mon!” .
The Lady’s Flower flew forth. Her flight pattern suddenly became more crisp and orderly, reactions bare minimum and only as much as it needed. Diyrian would voice a direction, a command — ‘get me behind ‘em!’ — and L4-C1A complied, albeit with a bit of snark. They managed, between the spinning and threading through the enemy unit, to take down three of the starfighters.
More seemed to fill in their stead.
They needed a new solution and now.
“That course is plotted to take us perpendicularly through the hyperspace lane! I advise against doing that! As operator of his ship, I can not—”
“– Trust me, Lacie,” Diyrian offered the disembodied droid-voice a small grin of assurance, before full-throttling into the live lane. Oh, spirits please…
The KST-100 Kestrel zipped through and pivoted on a dime in time to see several cloud bursts of sparks and debris. The enemy starfighters obliterated against the hull of a massive freighter. Diyrian exhaled and flopped back in her seat, chest heaving from adrenaline and watched the scene for a moment, the torch safely snugged against the controlboard still.
A brief moment.
“Okay, Lacie, chart us to the rendezvous point. Let’s get out of here before more come or worse, BoSS.”
“BoSS is to be expected to respond to such incident. That transporter likely sustain damage, twenty-three percent —”
Diyrian slowly reached forward and flicked on her stereo…
Archian took the torch passed to him by Diyrian. He carefully held it in his paws while walking inside his Star Commuter through the open hangar doors. Step by step he reached a previously secured holder, standing behind the pilot sit for additional safety.
Red placed it there, strapped it tightly and sat in front of the main steering of the ship. Safety belts clicked, and he was ready for the flight to Arx. Claw pushed the button and the rear doors had closed. No companions were with him on this mission - he couldn’t let any of them to damage the Torch, not mentioning using it as a nest, food, play toy, or the phantom.
The shaded avian glasses were ready at the Shistavanen nose, fully covering his bright yellow eyes. The old sound suppressing headphones plugged to the flight panel were covering his ears - the gift from her. Claw flicked the double button installed just for this occasion. Engine roared, the spaceship lifted off - Livin’ easy, Lovin’ free played from the headphones. Archian lifted his paw up high with two claws at each side of the fist pointing up. “Arx be ready for it, because I’m coming!”
Not long distance till Arx, no disruption in travel, only new fellow travelers met. A huge eyes staring through the steering cabin window with interest staring at booping his head Archian, flickering with electric lights illuminating from their skin. The headphones played We’re going to.. “Arx!” Archian song making herd of Purrgill’s looking almost like they laughed.
Awaiting in one of the bays Majyc was pacing, was it due to impatience? No it was more due to his need to move, a man that was not used to sitting around so he was set to pacing back and forth. Sharp features cast in shadow by the hood of the cloak that he wore, what little was revealed was the lower jaw and the braided beard that fell to just below collarbone while linen wrapped hands slowly rolled at the wrist.
He was warned that this outing could have its dangers so he prepared for that outcome, that was not his way to be caught unaware. As Archian finally arrived that torch was passed from clawed hand to the cloth wrapped hand, a single nod was given when instructions were given on what was needed to be done and the destination, that golden gaze flashed as in those shadows as he gave a flash of a grin.
The wind kicked the robes and cloak up some as he spun on heel of one boot and was moving at a brisk pace towards the waiting Joben T-85 speeder bike that Torch was spun idly in his hand as he moved across the distance before it was tucked into a leather satchel. Leg swung up and over that speeder before he was kicking it into gear and blasting out of the port now that speeder cutting distance as he had the link up destination in mind.
There was a bit of confusion on the orders given from Archian about the drop off point being a park area,..but hey who was he to argue or anything. But when you have your mind focused on things,..sometimes even a trained soldier lets the little things slip,..little things like a thermal detonator on a wall that as he was whizzing by went off sending that speeder flying to the side, the dual front forks hitting the ground and snapping off.
The sudden jolt and jerk of impact and concussive force sent speeder and rider up and over, but there was just a space of time that his mind blanked for a moment, in what could have been a calamity of explosive disaster, his hand shoved out, tapping into that wellspring which allowed that speederbike to be shoved further from him.
Hitting the ground with a roll as his body instantly tucked inward on itself, his arms around that satchel clutching it to his chest in that roll that came from years of practice and training, training his muscles to instantly compress and tighten in that roll with impact. After a few head over heel rolls, and he felt his shoulders connect that final time, his body uncoiled like a snapping serpent, feet shot into the air before his hips popped and his back arched smoothly allowing the leather boots to collide with the ground kicking up a bit of dust as he was sit to instant alertness now. That single mindedness was gone on reaching the target in time, no the forewarned danger had reared its head.
Reaching out briefly with his senses he caught the presence and surface intentions and would turn on his heel now facing the direction that the largest threats were coming from. “You know,..it is cowardly to hide in the shadows correct?” That grin spread across his face, turning just slightly feral a moment as he would await the answer that soon reached his ears, “Give us the torch and you can walk away, otherwise,…well please do go the otherwise route.” AS the words were spoken the two Flamesparker Warriors stepped from the shadows now, as the did the hum of the lightsabers they carried would ignite now, both glowing blades coming to life which had him grinning.
“You want this little old thing?” And with that he was pulling the torch from the satchel looking over the metallic handle and the glowing crystal at the top, “Well,..come and get it.” And with that he was already a burst of movement, no he did the opposite of what the thought. Instead of trying to avoid he was dashing in, the left Flamesparker was moving to intercept, the right was standing back to take assessment now.
At the initial collision, the lightsaber went high as Majyc slid down to a knee and beneath it, that torch was flipped up and over, instead of catching where one would expect to hold it, he caught near that crystalline top and the metal haft of it that served as the handle slammed into the knee cap. A twist of his body on the initial flamesparker had the individual taken by surprise who did indeed drop to one knee due to the surprise of the brutal first assault to a weak point on the bodym and as the flamesparker was dropping to that knee, Majyc was rising and twisted around using that same haft to slam to the back of the neck, there was no kindness or pulling his attack, it was aimed to end things quickly. So that metal haft struck where spinal column meet the base of the skull to sever.
The watching Flamesparker, no longer just a voyer had the hand raised, crackling lightning struck out hitting Majyc from the side flinging him to the side that torch was set to roll from his hands as he hit the ground. Sparks of electricity flowed about his form now for a moment before they were dying out and finally his wrapped hands pressed to the ground, he knew he was on a time crunch and limit so as he was shoving himself up he added a bit of oomph shoving up and spiraling his body as he did. Hand moved catching the cloak and robes clasp letting them fly away in that twisting movement, and as he landed he stood in the sleeveless tunic style top, and leather pants. Eyes narrowed as the flamesparker was bending to retrieve said torch.
Majyc touched that inner well again, his hand shot out and with a clawing motion as if grasping the flamesparker he would give a vicious yank in his direction, which caught the individual off guard and sent them careening back, at the same moment Majyc kicked off his front foot, propelling him forward and a quick vault which had the rear leg kicking forward, not fully extending now, the point of the knee was driven into the spot between shoulder blades.
Working on his distraction of the flamesparker, he stayed on the aggression now, the individual dropping the torch, had Majyc twisting now swiftly a partial crouch from his landing hand him rising into the air with the uncoiling of muscle and straightening of legs now, left hand rose above his head, fingers curled into a claw like formation, before on his descent he would fuel that blow more by tapping into the weave of the force allowing his palm to collide with the side of the head.
A sickening crunch, and collapse of metal protecting the side of the head was heard, as the helmet gave way beneath the vicious blow that was fueled and empowered by the force now. A glance over, he did not have much time, so that torch he moved forward as he left the flamesparkers laying upon the ground. He knew he should finish them off but his time was running short as it was, that torch was scooped up from the ground and he started his run for the park just outside of Eos City.
Without the robes and cloak his movements were fluid, almost cat like as he rushed through the crowds, even at times going over a vendor stall. And just like that he was already gone when the flamesparkers were rising and shaking off the cobwebs of the quick but brutal interaction with the Mandalorian turned Jedi. When the crowds were rushed into, he became just another face in the crowd which was to his benefit as he rushed through to the park.
Reaching the park he rushed in, that golden gaze panned the area before he was told to look for a strange looking tree and well he found it, moving forward he would take that torch, a dusting of it off before checking for any chips or mars upon its surface. One last heft and he would give it a toss up into the tree, still unsure of why such a prize would be basically chucked into a tree,…but orders were orders.
When he was finished he was pulling out one of his datapads and checking the local map and heading for a local watering hole,…yeah a drink was in order!
As the torch flew upwards, it disappeared into the foliage. Once hidden from sight, it began to slowly twist and turn as it moved to a strangely out of place tree a small distance away. While the Force cradled the strange fire stick item, preventing the flames from spreading beyond its immediate surroundings.
‘Alright’, the old Arconan decided. He was on Arx. On the outskirts of Eos City even. He had the torch. Just four hours to get the item to the venue… Hmm, Eos City had been getting gentrified for awhile now. ‘The parks, tree lined boulevards and so on would provide ample cover for a tree out for a stroll right? Time to go … for a walk!’
<30 minutes later>
As a group of pirates wandered past a shop window and looked inside, the store clerk watched as a tree carrying a torch calmly wandered down the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Then threw the artefact into the air, seemingly have it hover up there as the … creature pretended to be a decorative plant lining the road.
<45 minutes later>
A group of armed men seemed to be holed up in front of a park entrance, getting instructions before spreading out. As they left the area, one of the park trees got up and wandered through the gates. With a wide smile, indicating to the two playing children to keep quiet about what they’d just seen.
<45 minutes later>
A tree, reading a newspaper, was sitting on a bench. Seemingly waiting for the next public hoverbus to arrive. Calmly ignoring a pair of ruffians nearby discussing how they’d manage to not find a huge treelike being from a critically endangered species. It wasn’t as if those could hide right? They were way too obviously uncommon…
. <60 minutes later>
Slowly the Neti used the Force to counter his weight as he jumped from head to head, without alerting the pirate crew blocking the juncture of his presence. Not a single hair on their scalps moving. A young Journeyman, standing nearby, watching the mastery of telekinesis at play as the Force prevented even displacements of air from alerting the beings that the Old General was making look foolish.
<50 minutes later>
The cheering masses had gathered in the square. The entire Council, at least those not participating in the event, had gathered on a podium. In front of the Grand Master stood a pedestal with a strange metal contraption on it, seemingly awaiting something. As Lord Dacien started to smile, a few of the stronger Council members began to grin as they sensed something new yet old enter the area…
<9 minutes, 50 seconds later>
As the mass of people started to count down the last ten seconds of the race, it seemed like all was lost. And then, as they reached the halfway point, a person calmly started to apologise as he moved through the throng of councillors before calmly reaching over the Grand Master’s shoulder as he slotted the torch into place.
“You appeared to have misplaced this thing. Hope you don’t mind me returning it to you?”