Wolf in sheep's clothing (Apillis)

[Dire Wolf]

A lone freighter slid out of the beautiful motley of purples and blues that were hyperspace, and rushed into the deep dark void of real space with little fanfare. "Sting" was strewn across the starboard hull of the vessel in brilliant crimson letters, a fitting name if one was aware its occupants. Both looked unassuming, the only real attribute of note being their almost breath taking beauty. The type of beauty that didn't just call for merit and attention, but called for it. Indeed, both of the only two crew members aboard were women, just as they were both Jedi Knights. Their lone cargo ship made its way to one of the more barbarous patches of space not for the purposes of trade or wealth, but to do nothing more than smite the pirates that had caused so much grief throughout the sector.

One of the two Jedi aboard activated the 401 distress signal, and promptly laid her fiery haired head against the headrest. A protocol 401 distress signal was one of a critical engine malfunction, leaving the ship nigh defenseless. "Now the fun begins." Knight Tahlia rolled her head back towards her friend and gave a little smile. Tali had known Rin since before she could recall, though there was a rather big gap inbetween when she simply hadn't seen the woman. All of their teens, actually. Tali still couldn't quite get over how beautiful the brunette had become, and let it be known that her musing wasn't made out of lust or envy... but almost pride. Like one sister would look to the other, prettier one.

The woman twisted her chair around and stood with a huge strech and an even bigger yawn, looking as if she were some kind of great feline after it awoke a long nap. "Bored already," she said at the tail end of the yawn, her closed fist held before her open maw as if to hide it. Not long after that Tali realized that she'd spent most of the duration of the hyperspace transit in the pilot's chair, either lost in the deep recesses of her mind or checking the systems for smooth operation. So what did she do, you ask?

Tahlia walked out into the common area of the ship, flopped down on the bolted down couch, and sprawled out like an indolent cat. Her dull grey eyes scanned the interior of the ship, noting its spartan comforts and decorations. This ship was obviously meant for pirate hunting, or being hunted by pirates rather, and she found herself hoping that the pirates didn't think the exact same things. "At least there's a couch," the woman mused to herself in passing, before allowing her head to settle on the arm rest.

In truth, Tali didn't like this mission. At all. Not because it was dangerous, or it gave her the wrong feeling, or even because it was just wrong to put two "helpless" women at the mercy of brigands. The woman didn't even bat her last at either of those thoughts-- she could defend herself just fine, should their hands drift to where they shouldn't. She doubted they would anyways: they were posing as nobles. Nobles sold for considerable amounts of money, and even more if they were... "untouched". No, she didn't like this mission simply because she would be without her lightsaber for a great deal of it. It would be the first time that she solely relied on her prowess in protection to fully protect herself, and not only that... but Rin, too. Something deep within her was unsettled by that, but it was likely Odin's training. He scarcely liked the idea of protection, and was quite vocal about it.

The plan? Oh, the plan was lovely. Rin, Tali, and another knight (Elsie, or so Tali thought) were assigned to eradicate the insidious 'Sword of Angmar' pirates. They were large, successful, and very wealthy because of both. The group operated out of a simply massive asteroid in one of the bigger belts in the universe. The problem, you ask? Well, sizeable republic warships couldn't quite get to the field... as their repulsor fields couldn't quite repel asteroids of that magnitude. Or any, for that matter. And to make things worse, the pirates hadn't spent a great deal of the easy earned loot to fuel their addictions to rum, women, and more rum. Instead, they put money into a rather intricate defense network that would vaporize any republic (or otherwise) vessels that got close enough.

Due to the nature and location of their base, however, the Angmar pirates couldn't effectively operate a ship larger than a hyperspace capable dropship. Their solution was simple, if not ingenious: a swarm of modified fighters brought down the small ship's shields with ion cannons, and a dropship boards the ship. Quickly taking it over, and piloting it to a fence. Fixing was a necessity, of course, but in the black of deep space you didn't have to worry much about the authorities.

The solution came in the form of a trio of pretty girls, and enough power to level a city. They posed as a pair of high nobles (with an echani handmaiden in tow) on something of a diplomatic venture to the outer rim, and their spartan ship a disguise. Rin and Tali would then be captured, and hopefully brought back to the asteroid-base where they could then raise all kinds of hell with their powers in the Force. It was simple enough.

Tahlia gave another great sigh, and allowed her eyes to slide shut. While she didn't allow sleep to take her, she simply took in the quiet of the ship. It was enjoyable, really... but soon that serenity would be broken.

[sparrow]

Elsie Therin sat cross legged in one of the bunks of the crew quarters of the ship, eyes closed. Hyperspace was always quiet, a calm before the storm. Soon they would be exiting back to real-space, entering the asteroid, waiting for the pirates to make their move. They would see two noblewomen, sisters, and their Echani handmaiden.

Elsie would have to put up a fight. They would expect her to, as they would expect the handmaiden to double as a bodyguard. She would have to give them a little show, but pull her punches, keep her real skill hidden until the pirates could take them deeper into their base. It was all about playing the role.

It would be a dangerous role. The "noblewomen" would have to be untouched in order to fetch the highest possible ransom, but their servants would receive no such security. But it was a necessary role to maintain the illusion. Nobody would believe that a pair of pampered noblewomen would be flying around asteroid fields with at least one servant.

But Elsie was a Jedi Guardian and an Echani warrior. She had been learning how to punch and kick since the day she had learned how to walk. She could take care of herself and pull her own wait.

She felt the ship exit hyperspace, opened her eyes and got up, heading towards the common area of the ship, where Tahlia flopped down on a couch. Elsie didn't know the woman well, but she had a reputation as being of a capable sort. Besides, she trusted the council's judgment in sending those it had chosen for this mission.

"Does my Lady require anything? Some tea perhaps?" She smiled slightly as she curtsied. Just playing the role.

[Apillis]

Pirates... lowlives... scum...

With an unamused, dull expression on her face Rin stood with her arms crossed under her chest, tapping a finger on her elbow. Behind the veil of apathy she wore, she was a bit eager to move the mission along to the point she have the pirates under the heel of her boot only before she can find a patch grass to wipe their kind of scum on after she has stomped them. These pirates had been known to swing through the Abron system on a couple of occasions given the romoteness of the area. While they never truly caused any problems within the system, nevertheless one less pirate group going through the Abron system the better in her eyes.

What she disapproved of about the mission was really only one thing. The damn dress. Sure it is a nice one piece of a fine, silk fabric that conformed easily to her lean figure, and it is black to boot, but dresses are not meant for combat and are never comfortable for fighting in or in the least bit practical; and the damn heels were not helping matters. Yes, there is a facade to be upheld, but her dislike of the outfit was nonetheless present.

Her posture remained unmoving, but her eyes gradually turned to the Echani Jedi Knight, she could not help but wonder what was going through her mind. Beyond the Echani's composure, was she as eager to break a pirate's nose as well? Likely just pent up energy on her own part she dismissed within her mind. Rin could not help but wonder what it meant from the Echani's perspective to throw a fight like Elsie may have to in this mission. She never did learn much about the Echani, a shame too considering their master of martial arts. Though, Rin's concern did not lay with an Echani being able to handle themselves or not, from what little she did know of the Echani, she knew one trained within the Jedi arts undoubtedly could.

Her concern truly lay within Tali, though Rin refused to show it to maintain her outward veneer. An idle glance with only the turning of her eyes to look upon her old childhood friend. The girl has grown up much since she had last seen her. A sisterly worry lay behind Rin's cold mask. Such feelings had always been there, such was the nature of the bond they shared; regardless of whatever apathy Rin attempted to hide such affectionate feelings behind.

"Does my Lady require anything? Some tea perhaps?"

She heard the young Echani say to Tali whom is lounging on the couch. The young Watchman only sneered, "Hnng...", this whole playing 'noble' bit put her off entirely...

[Dire Wolf]

Shortly after Tali ran her mouth off with random musings the girl realized Elsie was there with them. She had always been uncomfortable and someone awkward around people, Rin included from time to time, so she quickly retreated into her insular shell as the Echani Knight approached. "No, thank you," her voice was just above a whisper, though Tali believed it to be louder than it was.

A fine blue silk dress was lightly draped across the girl's form as she lie there on the couch, not particularly caring if the vibrant hue was sullied by the couch. Her chest had been emblazoned with the small golden visage of her "house", which looked not unlike a wolf as it raced across a blue lake. A pair of sparkling look-alike rubies made up his eyes, and others had been sprinkled along her dress as well. Tali didn't mind wearing a dress, especially one so soft and smooth as the silk that shrouded her form. It was always good to play the part, at any rate.

Her gray eyes flicked up to Rin as she stood there, arms across her chest. Tahlia couldn't stop her lips from spreading thin at the look on the woman's face and the feeling she got through the Force. "Having fun yet, Rin?" The girl asked after that smile turned into a sly one.

No sooner did she speak than the clamorous screech and bang of metal on metal. The woman had sensed them coming, but didn't see any point in pointing that out. Or even really thinking about it. Her companions were Jedi as well and she seriously doubted that they couldn't sense new life in the celestial void. Even the dullest and most desensitized to the Force shone like a beacon at night in the depths of space.

It was a dropship that was attached to their little ship, with no more than twelve men aboard. Tali could take them all single handedly with both hands tied behind her back. They would be no trouble for the trio of Jedi Knights. Yet... it wasn't their mission to defeat them, but rather to submit.

So Tahlia stood and huddled close to her sister as they came crashing in, feigning fear as best she could. Stoney grey eyes watched the rabble as they pointed guns at her and her friend, and the girl wrapped her arms around the brunette in what seemed to be a vein attempt to seek shelter. "Please don't take us. We-... we have money!" she grew bold at the "realization", "our family would pay you all handsomely if you let us go! I swear!"

She smiled, though it wasn't a smile of hope. These men would all likely be dead by week's end. Evil men deserved no less, and would see no mercy from the fiery haired sorceress.

[sparrow]

Elsie quickly stepped between the boarders and Rin and Tali, hands raised in a defensive position. "Stay back, mistress," she said softly. And please don't smile. "I won't let them touch you." One of the pirate took a small step backwards, muttered a few words that she did not hear as his hand moved towards the pistol strapped to his belt. But the leader of the bunch quickly stopped him. "You're going to let a little white-haired girl in a dress scare you? The other two are worth a pretty penny. What if you miss and damage them?" He raised a hand, motioning to his subordinates. "Take her down."

The first one, a somewhat skinny twi'lek male, stepped forward, slightly hesitant. That hesitance was his undoing as Elsie clocked him on the side of the head. Quickly, she sidestepped a punch from a second pirate, human this time, pushing his fist to the side with one hand, other hand grabbing his shoulder, and using his own momentum against him, tripped him over her leg. He attempted to get back up, but a boot to the face stopped that.

Three and four came in together. She ducked the first swing, stepped out of range of the uppercut, stopped a low kick with her foot. A fist flew towards her head. She wanted to block upwards, pushing the arm above her head as her other hand speared the throat, but remembered that she needed to throw the fight, and throw it convincingly. She moved her hand as if to block, but moved it too slowly. Those knuckles seemed to move towards her in slow motion. She wanted to stop it. She was physically capable of doing so. But that just wouldn't do.

Crap. This is going to hurt.

[Apillis]

"Having fun yet, Rin?"

Rin just side glanced at Tali with an idle glare. Fun does not enter the equation here, nor does even the idea fancying about playing as if they are nobles remotely even sound like entertainment to her; nevermind actually doing so as they are. Rin maintained her silence for any number of reasoning. Running the gambit from not having much to say to her displeasure of posing as some hoity toity noble to be captured as if she were some damsel in distress. She being of the mind and sort of woman who much rather cast aside this sort of subversion for something far more confrontational.

Though, she knew that time would eventually approach once they were within the pirate's lair, but that time could not come soon enough as she was stuck in this damned-able dress. What perhaps grated her the most was posing as a helpless girl, she had been helpless in the past in another form; and feeling helpless was something she never wants to experience again. Even posing as the helpless girl felt like an afront to her. In the end, all she could do is wait and keep the facade running to fulfill the mission. Next time... she is reading the damn mission details before accepting them.

When the pirate vessel eventually took hold of their ship, and the scum boarded them, Rin to remain unwavering in her stoic disposition. Standing with an intense, hard gaze through those grey hued eyes, and her arms crossed. To the pirates she must have appeared as the "strong, upright" one of the pair of noble girls. Though, a shiver of absolute disgust ran up her spine as a couple of them looked upon her with lewd and obscene staring and gawking. But there gazes were met with only a cold glare.

As Elsie fought the pirates, a tinge of guilt tugged at Rin from behind her distant facade, for having to let her throw a fight to such lowly scum. For the mission it may be merely to uphold appearances, but still, in Rin's mind they did not deserve even a false victory from Elsie, despite not even really knowing the girl. It was a matter of years of honed skill versus pathetic men in her mind, and they deserved no such favors.

[Dire Wolf]

Tali watched her "handmaiden" as she proceeded to beat the crap out of the few men that charged her. Obviously she was to throw the fight, but it had to look realistic... and she still had to hold some sort of Echani pride. Watching the Echani work was something of a marvel to the woman... though martial arts had always enthralled her. Not enough to actually work at mastering one, of course... but she had other things to do. Like get better at throwing things with her brain. That still enthralled her, even after two decades.

That said, it got harder and harder for Tali to not unleash that power on the pirates when she heard the loud crack of a fish against Elsie's face. Tahlia had to work to keep herself from launching all of the men around the room in a storm of bodies and inanimate objects. Instead she simply clenched her fists and released Rin. The girl was pissed anyways... no need to augment that with an angry ginger hug.

She watched Elsie get pushed, or fall, out from between them and the pirates, and from there one hardly had to guess what would happen. One of the bigger corsairs, a trandoshan, pulled Tali away from Rin's side and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Now not only was she enraged, but it was within the part to hit and scream and protest.

Which is exactly what she did.

Until the subject of her very hard hammer-fists to the back and sharp stiletto kicks to the chest had him all but throw her to the ground and growl out a threat, one that promised pain (and worse) if it continued. The noblewoman only gave a cold glare at the reptilian thing as he moved to pick her up once more, but she slapped his hand away. That hand pulled back to strike her. One of his superiors, presumably, caught his arm before he could launch his fist, saying that she was worth more without bruises. "I can walk," she said in one of the most obstinate tones a woman could have.

The trandoshan only growled in response and motioned for her to get up. When she did, he made sure the other man wasn't looking before striking her gut. She saw it coming from a mile away, and actually needed to lock her muscles to not send it away and throw him across the room with the Force. When it struck her, the combination of pain and instincts doubled her over, but the trandoshan kept her from falling over entirely. Tali found it difficult to breathe as they led her onto their own dropship. "What'ssss the matter? You can walk, can't you?" the reptile hissed in her ear as he practically threw her down to her seat, wheezing. A few minutes later she had her breath back, and she vowed to make that "man" pay.

------
Three hours later
------

The three had been separated, which was probably the smartest thing that the pirates had done all day. Though it didn't matter, each of them could escape their force field prison with ease. All it would take was a little intellect... some cunning... and a swift wave of energy that sent the pirate's unprotected face into the bulkhead. Which was done again and again until he lost consciousness. When her objective was complete, the mage used her powers to slip the keycard out from his belt and through the slot on her cell.

It was harder than it sounded.

Tali never had trouble with overt displays of telekinesis. Throwing boulders, sending three dozen shards of glass into a merc, or even brewing up a miniature (and shortlived) sandstorm on one occasion. But fine manipulations were harder, and required insane amounts of focus to effectively complete. The tiny card missed time and again, either because she put too much power into her manipulations or too few.

When she finally heard the slick! of the card sliding through the machine her heart soared with pride, and she burst out from the cell with the widest of smiles on her face. As much as the woman wanted to seek out Rin first, Elsie was the one that would need the most help. Her Echani companion may have been a Jedi, but she also had to play along with whatever game the pirates wanted to play... as her part was one that had next to no worth in this little game.

And so she ran, or tried to in stiletto heels before kicking them off, towards Elsie's presence.

[sparrow]

"Boss said the two ladies aren't to be touched so as not to spoil the ransom. Said nothing 'bout this one though."

"Looks like she's waking up."

"Good. I want to see the look on her face when..."

With a groan, Elsie slowly opened her eyes. Her head was in pain, and her vision seemed to be wobbly. She closed her eyes, tried to squint. No, that didn't feel good at all...

She was in a small room, no doubt somewhere deep in the pirate base. Her hands were held together by metal shackles, as were her legs. There were two of pirates in the room with her. One was the man she had stomped on earlier, easily recognizable by the red marks that were still on his face. The other was large humanoid feline creature. Cathar? Trianii? Catuman? She wasn't sure which one it was, and she didn't want to spend time trying to puzzle it out. Both were armed with sword and blaster, the weapons hanging from their belts.

The man with the footprint on his face knelt down over her. "Payback time, " he whispered, his hand brushing a strand of her hair over her ear. Her nose crinkled at the smell of his breath. He made a few motions to his feline friend, who left the room to stand guard just outside the doorway. "Now, just the two of us..." He grinned evilly.

Just the two of them. That was her chance.

She slammed her head forward, a crack of cartilage as her skull hit his nose hard. With a yell he stumbled backwards as she twisted her body, lifting her legs upwards, moving her feet quickly, the chain connecting them wrapping around his neck. She pulled him closer, his head trapped between her feet.

"You should have used tighter shackles," she said. "Do you know how easy it would be for me to break your neck right now?" He tried the yell for help, but the sound never made it past the metal links constricting his windpipe, and only a little gurgling sound came out.

She looked him straight in the eye. "If you want to live, you'll reach for that key on your belt and unlock these shackles." She shifted her foot, giving the chain a little tug for emphasis. "Now."

[Apillis]

Shackled by the wrists, Rin did not resist in the least when she was taken to a Force Cage aboard the pirate vessel. Separated the from the others, she remained silent, and merely waited for when the time would be right to make her move. The moment she had been eagerly awaiting, inwardly chopping at the bit for. The second it was just she and a single guard standing near her Force Cage, that is when she struck without a seconds hesitation.

She is not very powerful with Telekinesis, but she is strong enough to pull a man who is a mere few feet from her to her. Albeit, with the Force Cage's field, for her guard proved to be an uncomfortable experience as the electric energy field begun to burn him. Gritting his teeth in agony as he cried out in pain, "Insert the pass key bringing down this barrier, and it all ends... if not... this continues... attempt to overload it... you die before you get the chance to input the sequence. Savvy?", his wide, pained expressed eyes looked to Rin only to met with her cold glare. With a trembling hand as his left side remained pressed against the Force Cage's field causing him to suffer burns up and down that side of his body, he slipped the pass key into the Force Cage's control console bringing down the field that imprisoned her.

The very second the field fell, she released him from her telekinetic grip that pulled him toward her. But, it was also in that very moment he felt to his knees exhausted from the pain he endured, yet as he fell Rin delievered unto his an unforgiving kick to his head causing his head to fly back giving a vicious case of whiplash before he completely hit the floor. With a clumsy flop to the metal floor, he lay there unconscious. Though, Rin following up with a merciless stomp upon his cranium, crushing his skull and the brain matter within it, she made his eyes remained closed forever. Kneeling down beside the guard's corpse, she rifled through his pockets fishing out the key to her shackles that bound her wrists, and wasted no time to use the key and unbind her hands.

Upon the shackles hitting the floor she heard someone at the door about to enter. Swiftly Rin took the vibroknife off of the guard's belt, and with her swiftness backed with her power within the Force became little more than blur as the latest entry into the scene walked into the room. Though, to Rin's surprise it was merely a GG-series hospitality droid carrying a tray with a mug of juma juice on it. Clearly one of the pirates serving droids, but Rin did not want the thing informing its masters, thus within the split second it took Rin to traverse the span of the large room, she rammed the vibroknife into the base of the droid's neck, and using the blade as a lever popped the droid's head right off sending it flying through the air with a couple bounces and roll upon the floor, disabling the machine.

Though... something still bothered Rin... the dress. It was too contrictive at the legs, it was a dress for hoity toity fancing about, not running at great speeds or fighting in. So she immediately too the knife to the dress at halfway down the thigh, cutting off the excess length of the dress, and then high cut up the remaining length at either side of the dress giving her legs plenty of free movement to mobilize in. Pulling back her long dark hair she tied the length into a large knot making it a make shift ponytail to keep her long hair out of her face, only using this method because she did not have any hairties on her person at the moment. But, with all of that out of the way, she immediately sped off to deal with the pirates... percisely what she had been waiting for...

[Dire Wolf]

The mage rushed down the hallway with a reckless abandon, trusting in her own powers to sense any enemies before they show themselves. Such a threat blipped into her awareness and shortly after that rounded the corner to see the a beautiful ginger in blue silk-samite dress. Tali skidded to a stop and threw up her hands to push him back, but the man was too quick. By the time her telekinetic push had crashed into his legs with enough power to throw them out from under him, he had already leveled his blaster and sent a pair of barely aimed shots towards her.

Tahlia's palm flashed out as if to strike the first bolt, but instead of the beam of concentrated particles was sent back as if it were hit by a lightsaber. His second of the "controlled" pair went wild, and so Tali ignored that as she sprinted forward after her deflected shot. Pebble grey eyes watched as it crashed into his shoulder, searing a hole through his armor and throwing half of his body back as if he was kicked by a mule.

With a loud stream of curse words, the pirate aimed at her once again as he stood. Tali only stopped, let a heavy sigh deflate her shoulders, and shook her head lightly. Her look was incredulous as the man struggled to hold his heavy blaster pistol up with one hand, the other arm hanging limply at his side. Didn't he realize that she blocked a shot with her hand? As he shot once more, Tahlia lazily swept her hand out to block the bolt. This time it was sent back just past his ear.

Again, he ignored the obvious. The fiery haired woman sighed one final time and slammed him against the wall far wall with a flick of her wrist. After standing shaking his head and aiming at her yet again, she slammed him into the opposite wall... and then into the original wall. Then her wrist bade him to slam into the ceiling, a brilliant mark of crimson staining the plate where his head struck. "Such a waste," she said as she stepped over the limp and lifeless corpse. After stuffing the body into a maintenance room, she continued on.

Her approach slowed to a walk after that. While not quite as fast, it seemed to be easier to pick up on pirates when she wasn't barreling down the hall in a blur of red hair and stupid girl. Tali had to find Elsie or Rin quickly. She didn't have the martial prowess that either of them did, and if she ran into a large group of brigands it would be all she could do to create a barrier that would hold them off for a trice. Nothing more. One or two may have been slain at sneaky applications of force deflection and telekinesis, but no more.

A growl in the back of her mind told her of danger from behind, but not the nature. Time itself slowed to a crawl and every last detail was viewed in perfect clarity. Vaguely, she wondered why there was a huge red snake dancing about the edge of her vision, not realizing it was her hair, as she ducked into a roll just as a flurry of blaster shots flew where her back was just a minute ago. After whirling around at the end of her roll, she saw that there were four armed men.

Cursing loudly, the woman marshaled all her strength and cast it out in a powerful wave of the Force. It crashed into the men with the force of a small gale, and threw them back against the wall before they could get a second salvo discharged. Before they could get up, she vaulted herself down another corridor and waited on the corner for the first few men. Her back was pressed against the cold steel bulkhead and she found herself praying to the Force that they were as dumb as the first. Though it wouldn't help... if only she could have brought her lightsaber, or was clever enough to hide it somewhere on her person.

Sensing more men approach to reinforce the one's she'd thrown, the girl readied herself for another flight that would hopefully take her random steps to one of her companions. If not, she was as good as cooked.

[sparrow]

He fumbled clumsily at the shackles, trying to operate the lock, which after a number of trembling attempts finally clicked open. His neck free, he attempted to run, but Elsie's foot hitting his temple knocked him out cold, and he hit the ground with a thump.

Quickly, Elsie dove for the key that the pirate had dropped, so that she could undo her hand shackles. However, the Cat-man outside must have heard the noise from inside, and poked his head in. No time to mess around with the key, Elsie leaped forward, grabbing the feline by the ears and dragging him instead, where her knee met his groin. Down he went.

But in the scuffle the key had seemingly disappeared. And there was no time to search. As luck would have it, her pulling the Cat-man into the room had been observed by two other pirates who just happened to have turned into that section of hallway at the time. A pair of blaster bolts streaked down the length of the narrow hallway. Elsie dropped to the ground, landing on her bottom as the first bolt flew over her head. As for the second bolt, if she could block a blaster bolt with a lightsaber, then...

She raised her hands, stretched the chain connecting her wrists taut, got the positioning just right and with a crack and a flash of light, blaster bolt met chain, splitting it in the center as the middle link was simply vaporized. With her hands now able to move independently once again, Elsie leaped back on her feet. They were in trouble now.