Galaxy's Edge Space Bar

[Aluminator (Kit)]

Salem remained in a low stance, and nodded at Parker as the soldier entered the smoke cloud and came close enough to see. He was a bit annoyed by Jocun and Parker's interference- Rathien wasn't dumb enough to try and fight them all, and they might cost Salem his chance at ending this.

His attention was very quickly recalled to the situation at hand when the beeping in his head suddenly began decreasing in frequency. No! Rathien was retreating! He barely had time to be annoyed, however, when the ground beneath him began to lift upwards and explode outward.

Instinctively, he loosened his knees and rolled to the side, down what amounted to being a fountain of rising earth. He struggled back to his feet- difficult to do, now that his right arm was all-but-useless. It seemed he'd twisted his knee during the fall, as well. It could have been worse, he thought, as chunks of gravel rained down around him.

Parker and Jocun were both already firing shots off in the direction Salem guessed most likely for Rathien. Where did they get off? This wasn't their fight. If they killed Rathien before Salem could get to him, he'd have a few... choice words to share with the two of them.

He simply stood, his right arm limp, favoring his right leg. His smoke cloud had been mostly dissipated by the Entroper's blast, and there was no sign of the smoke grenade he'd used. Even so, he was convinced he could take the Ildari, should he make a move. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the area, trying to ignore the darkness beginning to cloud the edges of his vision.


Al blinked. He wasn't entirely used to dealing with people who were so uncomfortable around him, but he could guess what was happening- Ewa, like Larry, earlier, just didn't seem at ease with the idea of an artificial being.

"Hey, I don't bite," he said jokingly. "Not usually, anyway. I'm still the same guy, promise. I'm just a bit more metallic than you realized." He smiled at her, "I thought you were okay with the idea of alien cultures and all that. How's an android all that much different?"

[AmberKatira]

Her lips thinned into nonexistence, but Ewa was physically incapable of glaring any harder than she already was, so instead she closed her eyes--slowly, deliberately, and with an insulting air of condescension.  She breathed in again, using the moment to really concentrate all of her disgust with the situation and bring it to the fore.

"Fine."  She reopened her eyes and unclenched her jaw just enough to speak.  "This how you want to play it?  Fine.  That's fine then, just fine.  Shall I play along again?  Would you like that?"  Her voice took on a sickly-sweet tone one might use to insult children.  Or especially intelligent dogs.

Ewa took a single step back, ran her eyes down and up Al's form once.  She met his eyes just for an instant to let him know that there was nothing about him that she did not find disgusting in that moment, then all of her body language changed.  The tension relaxed several degrees and her body half-twisted away from Al, uncertainly.  One arm dropped down near her waist while the strayed up towards her hair in a self-conscious gesture.

"No no no, it's not that--I mean, well, I was a little--not that there's anything wrong with being an android, no, of course not, just--" She kept running her fingers through her hair and bit the corner of her mouth, her mind searching for words while her eyes looked anywhere but Al's face.  "I'm sorry."  With an effort she forced her eyes to meet his.  "I didn't handle that very well, did I?"

Her expression was embarrassed and apologetic, but she kept a few of the muscles around her eyes tightened--just enough for the ghost of her previous expression to whisper in the background.

[Terenia]

"A parrot, eh?" Chris asks, tilting his head to consider. "I dunno, you think Reven'd approve of having a bird on base? Hm...looks as though I'll have to do some dumpster diving on the next supply run. A long coat and boots I can manage. The eyepatch might be more difficult."

He takes a cheerful sip of his beer, much more relaxed than his Yeerkish counterpart.


Zorish listens to the hazy, indistinct sounds of battle from outside his ship, unable to do anything but hope that a stray shot will not find Tamora where she is lying unconscious.

<<You know, you just need to wake up a little,>> Zorish says to his unhearing host conversationally. <<Just long enough for me to reach the medical supplies and inject us with a stimulant - get this poison out of our body.>>

No response. Zorish is stuck waiting for Tamora to work off her drunkeness the old-fashioned way.

[Shenmue654]

Keshin grits his teeth upon noticing Parker. That gun-toting moron had completely ruined their last bounty, and he didn't expect the man to be any more helpful this time. Their eyes meet, but Keshin hears a note from Salem telling them to stay low. Keshin attempts to stay out of the range of the group, watching in surprise as a bizarre fight breaks out. With nothing. Definitely this Rathien guy. <What do you make of it?>

<We can' take him if we can' see him. Gimme control and I'll wait until I know where he is.>

<Got it.>

In the middle of the fight, Rathien lets loose some kind of smoke grenade. Joanne coughs, attempting to get her bearings, scanning the area for Rathien. He had to be here, and the bounty hunter's instincts for this kind of thing were second to none. The problem was she got nothing, and she couldn't exactly fire blind. Joanne swore and attempts to push the haze out of her vision, although she wasn't really sure that would help. There had to be a way of figuring out where Salem's target was. 
**********************************************************************************************************************************
Mar frowns, glancing up from his work. Odd---many of the auras he'd grown accustomed to were clustered about in the same spot. Salem for one, and where the trader was involved Mar had learned to expect trouble. It wasn't his concern, however---he had a War-Prince to save. Mar slowly re-involves himself in the process, attempting to help Ossanlin draw the shards of his consciousness together. <You need to come back, Ossanlin. There are those that miss you. I require you. Ignore what the Highest says about me---it does not matter to you. Follow my trail out.>

[RAFrukh]

Kaleb continued looking around at the bar and the immediate area...he'll just have to act like he knows whats happening...and where he is.

So he walks back into the bar, stiff as a tree-trunk and sits down at a table.

[Myitt]

Myitt grins. "A parrot would be...difficult to keep alive, hah," she says, her eyes blanking as she considers the merits and difficulties of having pets. "I rather think that Tara would prefer a cat, honestly. They are such independent little creatures. Besides, she has no need for her fingers to be intact and without horrible scratches."

She wriggles the fingers of her free hand, letting the hand touching Daniel's to rest there gently.

[Terenia]

"I had a few cats growing up," Chris says. "They're great. All you have to do is make sure food stays in their bowl and the litter box is clean and they'll love you forever. Some catnip never hurt either."

Keslin seeps into control again, Chris' eyes tightening with worry. "Are we certain that it is safe here?" he murmurs. He thought that he had heard shots outside. "I came here so that Chris could have a drink, not get us killed." In an afterthought, he adds, "Or lose limbs, despite Chris' most desperate attempts to portray himself as a pirate. Tess would probably be unhappy if I returned him without a leg."


Finally, after what seems like an interminable amount of time, Zorish's prodding is successful in getting a shuddering internal groan out of Tamora. Her body slips into just enough of a hazy consciousness that he is able to seize control and force her eyes open.

<<Dapsen, Tamora,>> Zorish hisses, as the bright cabin lights sear their eyes and a pounding headache makes itself abruptly, and unpleasantly known. Groaning himself, Zorish pulls his disobeying body onto its knees and, after some consideration, opts to crawl over to the small room that has been set aside for medical purposes.

It takes him some time, and an unnatural amount of effort, but eventually he manages to pull a small syringe from its container, which is carefully labeled in Yeerkish. It takes even longer for him to fill the syringe correctly and use his host's bleary eyes to find the correct vein, but finally he manages to empty the syringe into Tamora's bloodstream and lean back against the wall in exhaustion.

That should do it, he thinks, closing his eyes against the piercing light. Just a few minutes and we'll be back to ourselves. In the meantime, our front door is hanging open like a damned invitation.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

~Ossanlin~

Ossanlin's moans become more and more coherent as he finally clears the fog.  He blinks suddenly, looking around the medbay at Claxter and Mar.  <I...am...on the Mirage.  What...what happened?>

Ossanlin remembers actions taken now...away from the GESB.  Even though he knows he's been at the GESB the entire time, he can remember conversations...Efa en...memories....Er toran being uncooperative.  Efaen had done something...terribl e...and something terrible had been done back.  He furrows his brow, not certain if the memories are from some other Universe or some sort of byproduct of whatever had just happened to him.  He looks questioningly at Mar.  <Did I collapse?>



___________________ ___________________ ___________________ _________________

~Rathien~

Rathien growls to himself as another controller, or so he assumes, joins the fray in favor of Tobias.  His wrist indicator gives a warning...he had been too long in the camouflage.  The energy field had unfortunate effects after a time.  The radiation emitted from the field could not be detected from the outside, but it was certainly present, even somewhat amplified within.  Oh Rathien could spend as long as he wanted inside the cloak, he just preferred to avoid the slow radiation poisoning that would occur if he did.  Suddenly the armored human's weapon fires explosion-powered projectiles...primi tive yet dangerous.

He grimaces and curses to himself, performing another series of flips spins, but a series of bullets manages to catch one of the shoulder guards of his upper-body armor, marring the scroll-work and pushing him into an unintended spin as they glance off and up.  No clear shots, and things looked more and more bleak for his chances.  No guidance from fate.  He could get himself killed in this setting.  And yet Tobias was weakened.  He performs a forward flip out of his new position, whirling his blades as he closes the distance with Salem quickly, whirling, aiming for the gun hand, the hamstring, any debilitating cut that would hinder his performance, yet would leave him well within the realm of the living.



___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ _

~Raile~

Raile's chin raises up as he allows his thoughts to be guided by Garreth.  He feels the Force seem to catch within him..to pull at him.  Tears begin to flow down his cheeks from pure anger and bone-deep grief.  The Force vibrations around the two increase and small pebbles begin to jump and leap into the air.  Larger rocks, clumps of sod, objects the size of a fist or a head begin to levitate unbidden.  Raile begins to lift off the ground as well.  His breathing is staggered as he allows himself for the first time in a very long time to feel the true depths of his emotional reserves.  A sound something between a snarl of rage and a wail of sadness escapes his lips as the Force runs rampant around him.

[Chad32]

<I am glad to see you awaken, Prince ossanlin.> Claxter said. He had directed his question to Mar, so claxter wasn't sure if he should go ahead and answer. <How do you feel?>


Missed again. Jocun was becoming frustrated at the enemy he couldn't see or hit as it continually tried to kill Salem. He felt helpless, really. The only idea he had left was to call his ship. He sent a massage on his communicator, as difficult as it was with his big hands and long claws. The ship lifted off the ground, and started making its way over. Of course he couldn't just blast craters in the area, but it would help to project a shield and get Salem inside. Maybe even catch that thing in the shield.

[Myitt]

Myitt snorts in amusement. "Of course it's not safe here, what's the fun in that?" she says with a sharp grin, pouring another glass of liquor. "What about you, Serid? Did you ever have any pets back at home, wherever home was?"

She pauses, considering. "I never did. Although it wasn't unheard of, on the homeworld."

[Darth Revan]

Garreth concentrates further, drawing on the light within him. He knows working through these emotions all at once can take a toll on one's constitution. He pushes as much energy as he can toward the grieving Jedi, and the light emanating from his hands brightens further. The light is now no longer a faint shine like a torch, but a bright white like a beacon. The light bathes Raile and continues past him. This light will allow Raile to feel his emotions and work through them without the fear or side effect of leaving any dark taints behind. Any corruption or darkness within him should begin to break down.

To ensure Raile hears him over his own thoughts, emotions, and trembling, Garreth continues to speak to Raile using telepathy, <Now, Jedi Knight Raile, remember your master. The Jedi you fought along side for so many years, suddenly gone. No longer around to offer advise or answers to any questions you have. He is dead, and has left you alone.>

Garreth wanted to save the memory of Raile's master for last, because he knew it was the strongest and most potent of injuries done to him. Hopefully after Raile allows himself to feel these emotions, Garreth will be able to begin healing them, and show Raile another view of the situation. Hopefully, he can offer Raile a different way to channel his emotions so that he can expel them immediately rather than storing them.

[KitsuneMarie]

Illim smirks at the idea of Myitt snuggling up to some space-dwelling feline, and he squeezes her hand gently as he watches her. "I never did have a pet, but Daniel had dogs growing up," he butts into the conversation before Serid has a chance to respond. "And... oh, huh. Squibbles. The gerbil. Daniel hadn't thought about that little guy in years," he murmurs thoughtfully, eyes turned ceiling-ward.


Serid watches Illim, his face expressionless, although he seems patient enough with the intrusion of the Yeerk who used to live in his head. When he is done speaking, he says, "I never had a pet, either. My parents thought such things frivolous, but that did not prevent me from wanting one."

[Myitt]

Myitt snorts. "Squibbles?" she laughs. "That's...that's so adorable, I don't even know where to begin."

She turns her attention to Serid. "What sorts of pets do Andalites have?" she asks curiously.

[Darth Revan]

Parker heard one of his shots ricochet. He hit something, but his motion tracker was still showing movement, impressing movement. This cloaked assailant was definitely armored. Parker wished he had withdrew his shotgun so the scattershot would find better purchase, however this gun was better since the assailant liked to keep its distance. Parker watched the movements on his tracker and noticed it moving forward. He immediately corrected his aim to its assumed path and shot two more dispersed bursts. Two adjacent triangles of bullets flew to where the motions were heading.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

~Raile~

A cry of pure agony rips out of Raile's throat almost unbidden.  He thrashes as floating stones and clods of dirt and sod are either pulverized or hurled outward from Raile's body with extreme force.  He opens his eyes, tears still bathing his cheeks, the bright whiteness of Garreth's light blinding in intensity.  He reaches out with the Force for his old Master's lightsaber.  With so much of the Force in him, it is simple to pull the saber from his belt with the Force.  It begins whirling around the pair not more than five feet out and Raile watches Garreth seated on the ground as he levitates himself further and further up, spreading himself out not wholly dissimilar to the Vitruvian Man.

In an instant, Raile ignites his old Master's lightsaber with the Force and it orients on his chest, becoming and arrow pointed at Raile's own heart.  It flies with blinding speed.  Raile had thought he had the strength just a moment ago.  The strength to carry on, and the resolve, but this exercise had shown him how far he had fallen.  He would hold to one thing though...he would not fall to the Dark Side...he would die first, and by his old Master's lightsaber as was appropriate.