[Aftermath] Team Jade

In the aftermath of the Warhost’s attack on Agua’tah, there is the need to solidify their hold on the planet and mope up the last of The Dominion resistance… Locke has entrusted the Sons and Daughters of Sadow to lead the missions in the hope to bind them closer to the Warhost and the newer members of the Clan.

The team leaders & their missions are as follows:

• Shikyo will lead an assault on the main settlement of Agua’tah to bring it under Warhost control.
• Jade will lead a covert strike team to track down the escaped captain of the Hammer of Chakota.
• Macron and his team will investigate an ancient archaeological site and discover its hidden secrets.
• Locke will lead a team to liberate minor settlements across Agua’tah.
• Sang will lead a team to help rescue those in need across Agua’tah and work to liberate and befriend the natives.

Entries will be judged using the standard fiction grading rubric, with how well you involve others in your team being included in the story part of the grading rubric.

Top three placements will earn crescents.

All posts must be 250 words minimum and all participants must complete a minimum of 2 posts to meet the requirement for potential placement.

Team members:

Jades A Sadow #164
Quo-Wing-Tzun #11274
Darkhawk #264
Dolash #7854
Maelous #13447

Jade looked at the message on her data pad then rubbed her eyes, tossing it across the table, taking slight pleasure in the clinking noise as it skidded across and landed on the metal floor. “Idiots!” She leaned on the table, talking to the emptiness of the room. “How could they be so stupid and let him just slip through their security?!” She flexed her fingers, letting her claws extend and retract as she did. The data pad beeped, glowing as another message came through, its flight across the table and onto the floor not destroying it. Using the force she picked up the device, letting it float inches away, she could could easily grab it, but was tempted to send it flying again. As the beep rang out again, she sighed and took the data pad from the air.

“Jade, Daughter of Sadow. I would like you to lead a team in finding and dealing with the escaped captain of the Hammer of Chakota. Please respond. Locke.”

Jade looked at the message and thought about it. Part of her would like to deal with the those that allowed him to escape in the first pace. A smile crossed her face as she realized Locke hadn’t specifically said to bring him back alive. Figuring that it would be far more fun to go get her hands dirty then sit around training, she wrote back. “I’m in.”

Before she put the data pad down it instantly lit up with requests and pledges to join her. She smirked, looking at the names as they popped up on the screen: Quo-Wing-Tzun, Darkhawk, Dolash, and Maleous.

“This mission just got even more interesting.” She wrote back simply quadrants for them to meet her at, nothing more. She would be able to better judge their readiness for the fight by how quickly they responded. Though she had no doubt others might show up.

Planet Surface
Agua-tah System

Jade kicked the ground then looked at the slightly secluded area. The others would be arriving soon. Rumour had it the Captain of the Agua’tah had come back to the planet, to either hide or retrieve something he didn’t want the Sadowians getting their hands on. Whether he was still on the planet or not, was another story. Part of her wondered why he would come back. If the rumour was to just hide, the captain was either a complete fool, or a hidden genius. Coming back to the surface might provide some cover, after all, it was the captains home ground, which would give the slight advantage. But it would also be a foolish act, as it wouldn’t leave room for much of a further escape, not with the Naga Shadow fleet hanging around. Which made her wonder if perhaps there was something worth hiding, something worth the captains life. Jade shrugged, either way, it was going to be a fun hunt.

The sound of a shuttles engines whirling made her look up. “Ahh good.” She grinned, the tips of her fangs showing beneath her ruby lips. They had gotten her message. It was time to go hunting.

Planet Surface
Agua’tah

Quo stepped out of the shuttle onto the golden sand of the beach followed by the three others. He strode out without hesitation towards the brush that fronted the smooth slope down to the waters edge leaving his foot prints in the soft damp surface. The heat more than he had expected and although not unpleasant the humidity could be felt on his face as his skin reacted to the moisture held in the warm breeze.

The others on board followed along even though they out ranked the young Zabrak they let him lead the way, he hadn’t offered much in the way of conversation on the way down and the silence continued now as they covered the open ground towards the lush vegetation of the island.

Quo wasn’t one for sight seeing either, the beauty of the beach and jungle was just background to him, the sounds merely a passing interest in that he could mask out these natural noises when he needed to. That way he could concentrate on any noises out of the ordinary and hunt them down. He was here to do a job, and he would do it efficiently, although this time he would be part of a team, even though he preferred to work alone. Nonetheless the Clan needed him to carry it out and he would, it didn’t mean he had to like it. Pushing past the first of the forestation he dived into the forest. Time to get this show on the road.

Reaching out with his feelings wasn’t necessary, he could see the camp ahead in a semi cleared area, the signs of the set up squad’s progress through the jungle obvious even to an amateur, they had been sloppy, inept, negligent! Quo’s bad mood didn’t improve with their incompetence, he saw it as a dereliction of duty on their behalf, and made his displeasure evident by his smashing aside the fronds of the plants as he moved through them. There was little reason to keep their position secret any more after the hash that the squad had made of the camp, he was sure that any of the opposition forces around were fully aware of their position already through their sloppiness.

Approaching the central tent he pushed aside the insect screen, letting it fall behind him. “Intel?” he snapped at the feline human before him before she had time to look up fully from the data pad in front of her.

“And good morning to you too, Quo,” her eyes took in the yellow and black Zabrak as he stood watching her, he gave little away to her. “The others with you?”

The flap to the the tent swished as the three equites entered the command centre, the sunlight cutting a beam of light across the field table that Jade was using as a desk, a table, a command briefing area, in fact everything that she needed it to be, and contained all the information that they currently had on the target.

Standing from her seated position she began to brief them, the latest information was vital, and the time constraints were tight, there was no time to lose.

Planet Surface
Agua’tah

DarkHawk listened to his team leader, Jade was very smart and formidable. She stated that the team was in search of an escaped captain of the Hammer of Chakota. You could sense the urgency in her voice, that this man needed to be apprehended at once. The equite was in the back of the room scanning the premises as always. He seemed much calmer knowing his surroundings and being very aware of them. “DarkHawk, I will need your expertise in tracking this scum down”, the Battlelord said almost politely to her warrior. “I need him alive, but how you get him to me, I leave to your own accord.” Jade said with a bit more enthusiasm in her tone. DarkHawk bowed to his commander and with almost a slight whisper, replied “As you wish.”

“DarkHawk, you and Maelous sweep the streets and look for this Jorgan Rit, he is a native who apparently took our dear captain to his hiding place. Use him to extract the information we need, then decide his fate.” Jade said that with a small smile on her face. “The rest of us will sweep the bars looking for any trails of this menace.” replied the Battlelord.

DarkHawk and Maelous exited the tent and commandeered a couple of speeders. “The village is not too far off, we can hide these on the outskirts and make our way inward on foot.” Maelous told his newly acquired partner. DarkHawk nodded and replied to the Battlemaster “After you Sir.” Both men tore off into the dimly lit jungle.

DarkHawk followed Maelous closely, the Battlemaster was quite adept to handling that speeder. Most would not attack the jungle landscape with such ferocity without knowing the terrain a bit better. DarkHawk almost smiled and was looking forward to this mission with his new partner. Before long a faint glow of light was in the horizon ahead of them. The jungle trails almost circled around the town and infiltrating it did not seem to pose any sort of deterrence.

The two equite’s parked their speeders in deep brush, they would have to be tripped over to be discovered. The brush was think and dense and they planned to use that to their advantage. They made their way to a clearing northwest of where they came out of the jungle. DarkHawk pointed to the two guard towers in front of them. DarkHawk hit a button on his gauntlets and switched his cowl’s vision to infrared. He held up three fingers to his partner, two to the first tower and one in the second.

Maelous whispered to the young warrior “Let’s see what you got kid” as he pointed to the first tower. DarkHawk smiled and nodded to his Battlemaster. He slipped into the jungle almost becoming one with it. Maelous made his way around and positioned himself directly in front of the second tower. He would time this with DarkHawk’s strike so there would be no chance for anyone to call for backup.

Planet Surface

Jade watched as DarkHawk and Maleous left, heading further into the city to find Jorgan Rit. She smirked as she thought about how she had gotten the name. After the message from Locke came through she had arrived, waiting for her team, but she had gotten a bit bored, ok so a bit “claw happy.” She need to feel flesh being torn slowly inch by inch by her claws, as her victim begged for mercy. Knowing it would take the others a bit to arrive she had wandered into a pub within the city outskirts. A dang dingy place, that even though it was further from the water side, and was filled with creatures who hadn’t bathed, in who knows how long, it still smelled of ocean salt. Then again, that might have been the smell she tried to focus on. The drink she had ordered arrived just as she spotted the man glaring at her from the corner of the tavern. She didn’t drink, just stared back at him. He looked back at her, as if knowing his death could be waiting for him at her table, but he was willing to take it on. She liked that. Would make it all the more fun to torture him. He had stood up and moved to a back door, looking at her over his shoulder, daring her to follow him, so of course she did. Once out into the alley way she could still see the towering volcano across the ocean, even as they were surrounded by buildings. He started at her.

"What do you want Darksider?" It was almost a hiss, which made the Cathar in her chuckle at the poor attempt.

Jade put her hands on her hips. “You know who I am?”

The man shrugged. “I know you are against the Dominion, and I know you deal in dark arts. But who you are doesn’t matter to me.”

Jade smirked. “It should, after all, everyone should recognize death when it comes for them.”

The mans eyes flickered with fear but he choked it back. “Who knew death would come in such a pretty package.”

Jade laughed. “Flattery will get you no where.” She took a step towards him, watching how his right foot trembled as though he wanted to take a step back, but he just stood there. “With all that you seem to know, you must know what I am looking for.”

“I might.”

“And it might save your life if you do…but no promises.” She rested her hand on her saber. The man thought about it, he was looking over her shoulder down the alley way, trying to judge if he could make it by her. Jade knew there was no way he could, but part of her hoped that he would try it.

“I do not know where he is.”

“Hmmmm, where who is?” Jade took another step towards him, this time his foot did step back. She smiled as he cursed himself for the movement.

“You seek the one that came back, the one that escaped your armies and held victory in what you consider the Dominions defeat.”

Jade took another step towards him. “Who might that be?”

“_The Captain.” The man looked towards Jade right and decided to make a dash for it. He ran low, hoping to knock her off her feet and catch her off guard. But as he neared her, Jade took a step to the side and used the force to through a near by crate into the back of his legs, knocking him down. She walked up slowly to him, swaying her hips as she went. Putting her boot against his back and leaning into her step. _

“Nice try. Where is he?”

“I don’t know.” His voice was quivering like his foot had done not long ago.

"You lie." She took her foot off his back and kicked him, forcing him to roll over, before she squatted down and wrapped her hand around his neck, her claws extending to press against his exposed flesh. He choked under her hold, and as he brought his hands up to try and knock her hand free, Jade put a knee on his chest, placing her weight against the middle of his chest and his diaphragm, making it even harder for the man to breathe. “Tell. Me. Where the Captain is?!” She hissed the words, her purple eyes almost blackening from something soulless deep inside of her begging to come out. Something that had been hiding and waiting to take control of her. The mans eyes went wide and he tried to scream, but her hand closed even tighter around his neck. “Tell. ME!” She loosened her grip.

The man cough and sputtered. “Ask Jorgan Jit.” Jade stared at him. “He met the Captain and helped him to escape.”

"Escape where?!" She kept her hold on his neck firm, pressing her knee deeper into his chest and shaking his neck a bit.

“Ahhhhhhgggggggrrrr…” His eyes started to roll back into his head. His hand desperately moving against her hold on him. “Volcano…”

As he had whispered the word, Jade ripped his throat out, feeling her claws rip through his skin and pull the windpipe clear from his body, blood and muscle tissues stringing from her hand as she pulled, before letting it drop back in a sickening thud against his chest. She stood up and looked at the volcano, a plume of ash being blown by the planets’ wind, creeped over the alley way, as if trying to point out the dark act that just happened. That, or try to cover it up. Her eyes staring into the black cloud as though daring her to follow it. And she might have, if she hadn’t sensed the shuttles near by.

A hand landed on her shoulder. “Jade?” Quo looked at her, a fleck of dark shadows swirled in the purple irises that stared back at him, before they faded as quick as he saw them.

Jade nodded. “Just thinking.” She would have told Dark Hawk and Maleous about the possibility of the volcano being a hiding spot, but she didn’t really know if the man could have just said it in hopes of being let go, or even to throw her off. He had obviously supported the Dominion and if it had been her, she would have said something to throw the person off the tracks of Naga Sadow. But if it were true, then why did the Captain come back and hide there? Was he hiding something? If he was, they were about to find out. “Quo and Dolash, ready to see if we can’t find out any more information?”

Quo nodded, and headed out of her mini outpost. Dolash looked at her then nodded, following Quo outside.

Jade stood in the doorway and looked off towards the Valcano. Watching the eruption cloud tower higher and higher. Taunting her. Taunting them. She had no doubt there was more to the story then she had been originally told.

Bar interior
Planet surface
Agua’tah

Standing in the centre of the bar Jade looked very imposing as she scanned around the faces of the patrons. She had full confidence that the person she was looking for was in here, and was equally as determined that he would not escape her, or her interrogation of him. Dolash looked just as determined as the team leader, one hand holding a drink of the local fruit juices mixed together in a cocktail of sorts, his other hovering over the hilt of his blade on his left hip.

The Human-Cathar hybrid’s eyes were leaping from person to person seeking out her quarry, her focus total. Her eye sight and hearing were far more sensitive than any of the others in the group, and her reflexes were lightning fast. Every so often a movement was attracted by a sudden burst of activity, her eyes arrowing towards it almost before it had happened, but leaving it when her brain registered that this particular event was not part of the objective that she was seeking.

For twenty minutes they had been staking this bar without so much of a hint as to the whereabouts of the target but something deep within her told her that this was the place. Vigilantly they stuck to their task watching for their prey among the clientele.

A movement at the back of the rectangular room attracted her. From within the shadows her eyes spotted a movement, a flurry of fabric as whoever it was attempted to shield themselves from unwanted intrusion. The brown blur of a hooded cloak flashed against the shadows for a split second then receded into the background as the wearer hunched himself over, the cowl of his cloak shielding his face from even Jade’s keen eyesight.

Fluidly she moved out from the bar, making her way through the crowd, her gentle pushes moving patrons who were blocking her path to the target. Like a warm summer breeze she wafted through the clamour, closing the distance to the retreating figure as Dolash worked his way around the throng towards the back door of the bar in an attempt to cut off any chance of escape to the rear of the building.

The fleet figure saw the mercenary as he made his way around the periphery of the drinkers, seeing that the back door would be well covered before he got there, turning abruptly to his left. Ducking as he went Jade momentarily lost sight of her prey as the sheer numbers of people congregated, sensing immediately that there may be a chance that this person of interest could escape through main entrance. Drak!! Doubling her efforts to break free of the crowd and reacquire the target.

A brown blur passed within two meters of her staying low and moving fast. Circling her own route through the mass of bodies she needed to stop their flight, and stop it quickly before this descended into a fiasco.

The fleeing form broke free of the edge of the crowd before Jade could untangle herself from the press of life forms around her, she could see the target making his way unencumbered by the revellers, their path clear to the door. Breaking free herself of the last few drinkers she put on a spurt to try and stop their escape into the street beyond, and possibly into the great unwashed masses of the general populace. To chase them through the streets would attract attention, and that was the last thing that was needed.

The figure got to within three feet of the door. Without warning, and with the speed and accuracy of a striking cobra a fist whipped out a perfect three inch punch to the head of the runner. The feet kept running even though the head was now moving backwards from its initial direction of travel whipping the body around at the hips, the feet rising up to the level of the shoulders of their attacker.

Suddenly, and as a total shock to the target, a Zabrak had appeared as if from out of fresh air. One minute freedom, the next pain and blackness. A searing pain across his face, starting from the bridge of their nose as the knuckles smashed into the running figure. From then on consciousness was an option open to only one of the people in the door way, and if you weren’t yellow and black in colour, then you weren’t the one who would be awake.

Quo rose slowly from his stance, his fist snapping back to his centre line to protect it, although the speed and power of the punch had removed the need for any defence. Standing to his full height he readjusted his tunic, a smug look in his eye as he took in the look on his leaders face, her own flight being halted as soon as the target was in the levitation position and heading for the floor. Looking at first down at the recumbent body between them, then at the Sith before her a wicked smile crossed her lips, the fang tips glinting in the light spilling in from outside.

“Neat trick that,” she chuckled as she spoke, “the disappearing man thing. Very handy.”

“Needs must.” Quo replied, dead pan but with a glint in his eye.

“Let’s find somewhere private,” Quo’s eyes lit up, Jade’s merely rolled in dispair, “so we can get some answers.”

Quo hefted the unconscious form onto his shoulder, chuckling as he did so. Turning he walked out of the bar followed closely by the other two.

“Tasha’Vel said you were incorrigible! How little I knew!!”

Quo’s laughter came as a belly laugh. His Master would be so proud!

Village Outskirts
Agua’tah

Maelous’ yellow eyes watched through the darkened lenses of his helmet as the human move into to position about twenty meters away. He glanced up at the tower before him. The placement of these structures was close, enough to be able to watch one another, but there were no others in sight. His eyes narrowed as he left the let his body fill with the Dark Side energy that always hovered around him like a ghost.

”Ah,” the voice in his mind cooed, ”It is good to feel its touch again. Like the embrace of a mother who wanted you dead.”

Maelous smirked under his armored helm as he glanced up estimating the distance, “Thankfully I got to her first,” he whispered.

There was a soft pop followed by a whizzing sound off to his left; it was almost inaudible to his Force enhanced senses. The Sith looked over and watched as DarkHawk streaked up the grappling line he had deployed. It brought the man to rest just below the lip of the wall around the guard post. The Warrior grabbed hold of ledge, looked down at the Battlemaster and nodded.

Maelous gathered the full power of the Dark Side and leapt. His Force infused muscles powering him up to ledge about twenty meters above. He landed sending a blast of the Force from his hand striking the guard in the back and sending him tumbling over the edge. He turned to catch the other man on his team cut down the second guard in his tower. The two exchanged nods and checked the crows nests they now occupied.

The former Aedile found nothing and gave a glance out the front of the tower. The small village lay mostly unprotected except for the two towers that they had just taken. He shook his head as he stepped on to lift and made his way to ground.

DarkHawk walked over as Maelous watched the lights of the village.

“We should go try and find who put of these towers,” Maelous rasped as his kicked the corpse of the man he flung from the tower, “These uniforms indicate a mercenary company.”

“Maybe the Captain hired them,” DarkHawk said as he played with the idea in his mind.

Maelous’ Dark Side tainted eyes narrowed behind the dark glass, “None of this makes sense. See if we can find out what company they belong too. In the mean time let’s head into the village.”

Dolash had enjoyed the time spent in the shuttle with his new comrades. Each one seemed dangerous, cold and calculating, all of them brimmed with an unbridled killer’s intent. When he had first heard of the dark Jedi his curiosity was piqued, but to sit within the same shuttle as them sent chills down his spine. To Dolash, tension filled the ship like a gas that choked the air out of him despite the functional filtration system installed within his helmet. He dared not use it though, fearing that even breathing could perhaps invoke the wrath of these unnatural beings.

Landing on Agua’tah was a welcomed relief. A relief that melted the tension into a stoic sense of focus on the mission at hand. He surveyed the surroundings as he stood on the beach, taking note of the jungle that seemed to swallow up the island in an oppressive combination of greens and browns. Numerous screeches, long, drawn out howls and fierce roars harmonized together in a deadly chorus that reminded Dolash of his time on Dxun.

He smirked inside his helmet, Almost feels like a homecoming…

Bar interior
Planet surface
Agua’tah

Dolash had the poor sod pegged from the moment he saw him. You could call it mercenary’s intuition, an unexplainable phenomenon where once he had a target, he always found them no matter what. That was never the issue for him. He walked behind the man and with an unsurpassed draw speed honed over years of backstreet scuffles and failed negotiations, he placed the deposited slugthrower he had retrieved against the man’s back. No scene, just a nice hold-up and a discreet signal to his partners.

“You feel that? That’s one of two pieces of metal sticking you in the lower back. I see that one of them is the metal handle of what’s attached to your belt right now. The other is a barrel attached to a slugthrower with my finger on the trigger. Now if you’d be so kind, you could use your free hand to take the one from your belt and place it in my free hand. Try anything else and then the slug in that barrel cuts through your spinal column and you’re paralyzed from the waist down.”

The man sighed before taking a deep gulp from his drink, “Huh, you finally made your move then.”

“Your paranoia didn’t exactly make it easy, but you weren’t hard to find,” Dolash pushed the barrel of the gun deeper into the man’s back, “That last drink dulled your senses.”

“So you’ve been watching me, are you sure you know who I am, boy?” The man intoned with poison dripping from the last word. The alcohol in him must be giving him some unrealistic sense of confidence despite the gravity of his current situation.

“I can’t see your face, I don’t know who you are, but I can guess what you are.” Dolash was getting aggravated. “Come on, let’s go. Nice and slow.”

The man sighed before repeating, “Nice and slow.”

It happened so quick, Dolash didn’t even realize he was now laying on the floor, his helmet lazily bobbing just out of his reach. “Wait, what?!”

He quickly grasped the situation, reached for his helmet and motioned towards Jade who was already working her way through the throng of people basically stacked on each other. There were too many people between her and their lead. Dolash equipped his helmet hastily and began pushing his way towards the back door. If he could get around and cut the guy off, just maybe they could catch him in time…

Comand Centre
Planet Surface
Agua’tah

Another fist smashed across the face of the unfortunate beings face. It wasn’t the first strike, and it surely wouldn’t be the last if the stocky Zabrak before him had anything to do with it. Fastened securely to a tree trunk that had been sunk into the ground some three feet the lashings dug into the flesh of his wrists, ankles and neck as his body was thrown by the force of each blow. Blood flowed freely from several open wounds on the head of the Clawdite suffering the interogation. Another fist smashed into the cheek of the bound being, the bone crunching beneath the skin, the tissue flushing with blood below the surface, swelling and reddening as the seconds past.

“Where is the Captain, and please be so kind as to give us specific details, otherwise my friend here will become more disappointed with you… and you know how he can be when you do not please him.” Jade purred the speech, softly, without any signs of anger or insincerity. “You know, I can only restrain him so long before his rage gets the better of him.” Walking behind the Zabrak she ran her exposed claws over the fabric of his black tunic, her eyes reflecting the pleasure she was gaining from playing with her prey.

Quo’s arms folded over his chest as Jade continued her monologue to their subject. She moved slowly and gracefully around the small temporary structure, her feet barely making a noise as she crossed behind the Clawdite’s tethering post. Her voice was breathy and with a hint of melancholy as she narrated the procedure to their captive audience.

“You see my problem, don’t you?” A claw extended ran beneath the chin of the captive, stretching the skin as the point applied pressure to it, “my superiors want results, and my silent friend over there doesn’t have much patience, and his sense of decorum is sadly lacking, he doesn’t have the finesse that we would expect from a sentient, intelligent being. He’s more of a,…er… how would you describe it? … a more… primordial approach to gaining knowledge.”

Looking into the Zabrak’s eyes she smiled, a predatory hunter’s smile, full of evil intent. Turning her face towards the side of the Clawdite’s, ensuring that he could see her eyes and sense her fangs close to his skin. Almost whispering, her voice full of venom and hatred, “and I’d hate to think that you disappointed my yellow and black friend, it could get so very messy.”

Before the Clawdite could respond Quo stepped in and delivered another three inch punch to the nose of the bound victim. Blood sprayed out in all directions from the shattered remnants of the Clawdite’s face.

“Now see what you’ve done, … you’ve upset him,” turning away she stroked the fine fur surrounding her face before standing again behind the Sith Zabrak, peaking over his shoulder, “now shall we start sharing?”

Village Outskirts
Agua’tah

DarkHawk could feel the Battlemaster’s mind swirling around the notion he just presented.

“My Lord, it would only make sense for the captain to hire these mercs to protect his whereabouts” the equite said.

Maelous, eyes still squinting under his helm, paused for a moment before turning to his teammate. “DarkHawk, your reputation for being a keen detective precedes you, I believe you are correct. Now what are we going to do about them?” Maelous said with a small smirk over his face.

DarkHawk saw the smirk on Maelous from under his helm. Even for a brief second, the Warrior knew he had to comprise a plan that was both feasible and acceptable.

“Thank you my Lord, if I may suggest that we should get a better view of the village and see if we have any more of these mercs patrolling the area. The last thing we need is to draw attention to us and the other team” DarkHawk said.
“And your suggestion is….Warrior?” replied the Battlemaster.

“The towers my Lord, the towers are high enough for me to jump and circle the village and I can pinpoint where the others mercs are positioned. If you can keep to the shadows I can guide you in for each of the kills” DarkHawk explained almost enthusiastically.

“Circle the village?” replied Maelous, “How?” Maelous followed up from his last statement.

DarkHawk smiled as he climbed the ladder up to the tower. “Easy my Lord, head North as planned and stick to the shadows, I will give you coordinates as I see them” DarkHawk told the Battlemaster.

Maelous, somewhat confused, but could feel the confidence flowing though his young equite. Maelous covered in the shadows and watched as DarkHawk climbed the top and with one fluid motion flipped up to the roof of the tower. Maelous watched carefully, DarkHawk simply extended his wings from his glider pack and launched himself off the tower. In a swoop the equite dove towards the ground and with slight body movements soared high above the village. DarkHawk came over Maelous COMM unit, “My Lord, you are clear to proceed, I will check ahead.”

Impressive, is all the Battlemaster could come up with.

Maelous made his way silently closer to the village, scanning the area. Nothing was near, the faint sound of the jungle was behind him. The murmur of village sounds was coming into focus. Maelous draw to the dark side, heightening his senses. Hand on hilt, it would only be a matter of a blink of an eye to draw and cut down what came at him.

DarkHawk, circling the village outskirts, could only make out small lights from huts and shacks that lined the village outskirts. He pushed a button on his gauntlet and switched his cowls vision to night vison. There things became more apparent. He made out two more towers on the opposite side of the village. He turned his body such so that he lined up on a direct path for the towers. There, on the side street, right in line with Maelous path, six armed men patrolling. As he circled back, another two-man patrol was covering the adjacent street. eight men, DarkHawk thought, now why do you think the need for all this?

Maelous was maneuvering himself from shadow to shadow, his movement was flawless, embodying the night as it camouflaged him from sight. The Warrior came back over Maelous COMM unit, “Two patrols directly ahead of you, one two-man team to your left, and a six patrolling the main village path. There are also two more towers we need to tend to as well.”

Maelous stopped in his tracks, “I will deal with the patrols Warrior, take out those towers” said the Battlemaster. “As you command” replied DarkHawk.

DarkHawk continued on his path and let the steamy jungle air carry him closer to his pray. Got to make this quick and as silent as possible, the equite thought to himself.

Maelous was maneuvering himself throughout the village, flanking the two-man team. I must line this up to kill them both in one blow, said the voice in his head. Again a small smirk came across the Battlemaster’s face. As the two men swept the street Maelous silently countered their movements and was just a matter of an arm’s reach away. Maelous had positioned himself at the corner of what seemed to be a storage shed, directly in front of their path. Saber drawn and ready, the two men turned the corner and within a mere instant the Battlemaster drove his saber to the hilt into the first patrol man. Spearing both men in one blow, Maelous smiled as he read the expression of the first man’s face. Good kill said the voice in his head.

DarkHawk dove for the ground and landed without a sound. The Warrior balanced his range and channeled the dark side to guide him. He carefully and silently made his way up the ladder. Just as he neared the top he swung his body over and scaled the ledge of the tower. Two men circling the nest and scanning the village. Either the captain is here or they are protecting this Jorgan Rit he thought. Time to make an impression. DarkHawk swung his body, fluidly and leaped to the platform, his massive body landing like a feather. He grabbed the patrol and snapped his neck like a twig. The man’s body slumped and the equite rolled him over the edge of the rail letting him fall into the night. Immediately the Warrior dropped to the prone position and drew two throwing knives from his utility belt. He maneuvered to the corner, listening to the footsteps, as the distance themselves he rolled out from his position throwing the knives at his assailant. Both landed their mark and the patrol slumped, lifeless.

DarkHawk once again found himself on top of the tower, extended his wings and dove into the night. The second tower was only two klicks away at best. This will be a fast kill he thought. He lined up on his target and one of the patrols was standing at the corner of the tower, perfect thought the Warrior. DarkHawk went into a small dive gaining speed. He tucked his wings back and the air rushed passed him. The patrolman was staring out into the village, just as he broke his concentration and turned all he saw was a massive figure with wings. Before the patrol could even scream DarkHawk drove his entire body momentum into the center mass of the patrolman. In one graceful move he rolled with his landing and extended his claws from his gloves and shredded the second patrolman’s throat. Blood flowed off the nest and into the night of the jungle. DarkHawk surveyed the scene and made sure he saw no stragglers. Now let’s help deal with that other patrol.

Maelous watched the second patrol, this may be a bit more of challenge, the voice in his head spoke again. “Nothing I have not dealt with before” said the Battlemaster.

Bar Interior
Planet Surface

Jade stood behind Quo, impressed with the force and vivacity he had in carrying out his interrogation tactics. The Clawdite sputtered on blood.Glaring first at Quo then over his shoulder back at her. “I’m still waiting for an answer but I’m not so sure my friend here is as patient as I am.” She grinned. “And judging by the state of your face right now, I would say that he definitely isn’t.”

The Clawdite spat out blood, it just missing Quos foot, but both Quo and Jade figured it was due to bad aim, not that he had actually tried to miss Quo. “Like I’d tell you anything dark jedi. You brought the fight here.”

Quo delivered a swift blow to the Clawdites neck, knocking the wind out of him. “I’ll be happy to finish whatever fight you think we brought here.” He sneered as the creature choked on blood, trying to get air.

The Clawdite gasped as air returned to him. “I don’t know anything!”

Jades eyes narrowed as she stared at the creature. The force shivered down her spine and she looked towards Dolash. He was hurriedly putting his helmet back on and motioning towards the back door. Quo threw another punch at the Clawdites face. Jade put a hand on his shoulder. “Wait.” She motioned with her head towards Dolash who was making a beeline for the back door. “Maybe he is telling the truth, or maybe he just doesn’t know everything.”

The Clawdite laughed, “I wouldn’t worry about the Captain, I would worry about what he has.”

Quo looked back at the creature. “I think he knows more then he is letting on.”

Jade didn’t like leaving Dolash running out of the bar himself, especially since he seemed hell bent on chasing whomever it was and had sent a message through the force that it could be important. "I’m going after Dolash, can you bring this…"She looked at the clawdite and hissed, “This thing?” Quo nodded. Jade danced on the balls of her feet, a graceful predator as she jumped over a down table and headed towards the back door. A loud thud followed by a scream and some grunting had her turn around. Quo had managed to grab a rope of some sort and attach it to the chair the Clawdite had been restrained too. Knocking it on to the back, he was now dragging the creature screaming towards the back door. Jade smiled.

The back door swung open before her as she raced out into the back alleyway. Dolash as waiting in the middle of the alley looking around. “Damn it!”

Jade looked at him, staying close to the building, hiding in the small shadow next to it as she moved along a couple feet from the doorway, as Quo came bursting out. “Shhhh,” She looked at Dolash and made a motion for him to come closer to the building.

“He got away! I thought I could catch him in time.” Dolash’s head was still spinning from the surprise blow." Jade gave him a little glare and he quickly moved closer, looking around the alley way and the various crates, boxes, and even surrounding building shadows that filled it.

Quo smirked. “Whomever, or whatever, you were chasing is still around here…we just need some bait.” He looked at Jade who grinned, knowing what he had in mind. It was obvious the clawdite and the one that fled had information, and likely were working together. Quo grabbed the restrained creature and tossed him into the middle of the alleyway like a yo yo. “It is a good thing we have such bait ready too.”

Dolash watched as the Clawdite screame

Alley way behind the bar
Agua’tah

“Shut your whining!” Quo was secreted in the shadows of the alley, the darkness shielding all of the group. His order was hissed in the direction of the captive Clawdite, not loud enough to raise the awareness of any watcher, but loud enough to carry to the ears of his victim, “and act natural, remember I have my throwing knife aimed directly at your sensitive area, and you would hate to become a eunuch, wouldn’t you?”

A look of terror crossed the shape shifters face at the mere thought of its most delicate area being rearranged by the Zabraks blade. He’d already felt the anger of the Sith warrior and was not inclined to welcome its embrace again.

“Or I could do it with a flick of my claw.” The threat from Jade carried as much weight as the Dark warriors had. Quo could hear the happy ‘chuff’ noises coming from her direction, the thought of playing with her victim striking a pleasing chord within the heart of the feline cross Human. Just on the edge of hearing the Clawdite heard a rhythmic purring noise, quickly suppressed by Jade, although it took more than a little mental fortitude to overcome her natural response.

Waiting patiently the Clawdite made to look as if it had lost something, its head spinning from one side to the other, eyes squinted as if to search the gloom. Even with his back to the alley entrance he felt the atmosphere change. The air grew tense as a new shadow appeared at the lit end of the narrow passageway, the Sadowans tensing as their trap closed in on their target. The rope that had been secured around his waist pulled tighter, Quo letting him know that any foolish attempt to either warn his compatriot, or to flee would be met with repercussions. Glancing he caught the red and gold eye of the Zabrak reflecting the light, his gaze piercing into his skull. Almost imperceptibly he nodded, resigned to being the spring in the trap.

Watching the shadow figure make his way down the alley Quo waited, ready. Dolash was the one who had marked the target, it was only right that he should take him down. Quo and Jade were only here as support, both were alert and wound up ready to jump in should it turn pear shaped, but the Equite had the honour of this one. Darkness flowed over them like velvet.

Village streets
Agua’tah

Maelous stood next to an opening that let down a shadowed pather. His senses flooded with Dark Side energy, could feel the presence of a group of beings around the corner, though there seemed to be less than he had anticipated.

The Battlemaster keyed into his comm link, “DarkHawk, are your sure on the number?”

There was a pause that made Maelous wonder if he would respond, “I am currently seeing four. The others may have gone into a building.”

The former Aedile reached into his pouch and produced three of the small durasteel pyramids and held them in his off hand. He pulled the hood of his cloak up over his helmet and slowly stepped into the pathway and began making his way down the alley.

He eyed the lone figure as it appeared to dig through the refuse at against the wall.

”Draw them out,” the voice in his head boomed.

He bit back the command to silence the voice out loud and extended his palm. He wrapped the three pyramids in Force energy and they hovered for a moment before firing forward. One stuck the hunched over form in the leg, another in its side. The Clawdite screamed in pain as Maelous lept into the air igniting his saber as if to come crashing down on the creature. As he expected figured moved within the shadows, what he had not expected was for lightsabers to begin igniting.

The Sith tumbled and rolled to his feet just in time to bat away a one of the blades. Maelous spun and clashed sabers with Quo. They growled at one another as their blades locked.

“Maelous, Quo, enough!” Jade commanded.

Maelous’ eyes narrowed behind the lenses of his helmet. He jumped away from the Zabrak, gave a flourish with his saber that burned marks into ground then clipped it back to his belt.

He keyed his comm link again, “DarkHawk, area clear. You can land.”

DarkHawk watched the short scuffle from high above the village. The cold air felt good as it rushed against his face. When he saw his partner Maelous enter the fight with the shadow, DarkHawk poised himself for a dive attack. He was getting quite used to the aerobatics of his wings and how he used them in combat. As fast as it started the skirmish was over, DarkHawk saw more figures exit the buildings of the village. If the equite was not so adept to his surroundings he would of instantly went into an air attack to aide his BattleMaster, who was clearly outnumbered at the moment.

Jade was the last one to enter the village street. DarkHawk memorized her walk when she entered the makeshift briefing room when this mission first started. Just then he heard his BattleMaster Maelous come over his COMM unit. “DarkHawk, area clear. You can land” Maelous instructed. DarkHawk obliged his lord. Silently the Warrior landed himself in the middle if his entire team. Jade was piercing her eyes right at the young Warrior. His skills will definitely come in handy down the road, as she made a mental note to herself.

“Did you see any other opposition DH?” Jade asked. DarkHawk was staring at his BattleMaster, assessing him to see if he was ok. Quo watched as the equite scanned his partner, “All good DH, just a miscommunication, letting some steam off is all” Quo said with a smile. Maelous nodded to his equite in agreement. “DarkHawk!” Jade said sternly “We don’t have time for this school boy crap!” Jade was obviously not in the mood at the moment. Tensions were a bit high, we needed to end this quick.

DarkHawk turned to Jade and bowed, “Ma’am I scouted at least eight suspects flocking to the large building on the left at the end of the village. They moved in flanking patterns to get there, trying to confuse us, but they did not count on me watching from the air. I believe that is where they are holding the captain.” DarkHawk told his BattleLord. Jade just looked at her equite, DarkHawk could see her plotting the teams next move.

If he is in there, I am almost sure they are dug in. “Perhaps a more stealth approach first, before we go in heads up on them.” Quo stated. The team looked at Quo, the young Knight was standing there with his arms crossed with almost a bewildered look upon himself. “Actually that’s not a bad idea.” Jade replied. “We can split the team up, take two of us to stealth in take out as many as we can then let the main team in and take the fight to them.” Jade said with a smirk on her face, DarkHawk saw that small expression and felt out with the force, Jade enjoys this, she enjoys the fight. The young equite felt good about that.

“It has to be quiet and fast so we do not let the others know we are on to them. Once we take them out we can grab the captain if he is there, if he is not someone in there knows his location so keep one alive for me.” Jade spoke strongly, “I want this scum to suffer for what he has done” she spoke somewhat softly. “Maelous, you and DarkHawk are back up, get in take them out, get us in. If anything goes astray, COMM me in and we will hit the front to draw their fire. Keep an eye out for runners I do not want anyone escaping us!” Jade stated enthusiastically.

Maelous, looked pleased at what was about to take place. He walked assed his young partner put his arm on his shoulder, “Killing is good for all of us, young one” Maelous said with a smile. Quo slapped DarkHawk on the back and laughingly said “Save some for me!”. The team dispersed, Jade, Quo and Doolash took defensive positions at the front perimeter of the building. DarkHawk and Maelous circled around back taking some cover in the outlining jungle that was near.

The building separated itself from the others in the village just on its sheer size. It stuck out like a sore thumb. DarkHawk felt uneasy, a faint hum could be heard from their cover. DarkHawk switched his cowl’s vision to thermal, the outline of the building was giving him no indications of people inside. “Master, I have no indications of personnel inside at the moment.” DarkHawk told Maelous. Maelous looked at his young equite, smiled “They are hiding like rats” Maelous said. DarkHawk continued to scan the area. There at the northwest corner, about ten klicks into the jungle line. A nice ventilation stack. DarkHawk pointed to the ventilation stack and Maelous eyes thinned, they are underground the voice in his head said. DarkHawk got onto COMM’s, “Master Jade, we may have a problem………”