Post by Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm on Feb 25, 2009 15:15:23 GMT -5
Faction: Republic
Department: Navy
Rank: Grand Admiral
Name: Kiquan'Pide (Common form: Kiqua Anpide)
Race: Twi'lek
Age: 42
Height: 6ft 3in.
Weight: 130lbs.
Personality: Rather straight-to-the-point, the Twi'lek naval commander puts her priorities with people and their individual feelings lower down. Kiqua tends to distance herself from most people upon first meeting them to prevent being hurt, though this tends to fail when pressed in quick-thinking situations. She is used to men staring, but that doesn't mean she doesn't call them up about it, and can get very defensive if she feels threatened by it too much. She can be supportive depending on the type of person she's supposed to be helping, offering advice where applicable but limiting it to her perception of the learner's knowledge base. She values the hunting down of pirates over the Republic for personal reasons, though she values the Republic over the Sith any day. She doesn't trust the Republic to handle the pirating problems, which she learnt many of her superiors shared when she was ascending the ranks. Having many bad run ins with Jedi, she values her own men above them when she gets the chance to choose between. Her attention tends to be split between her soldiers and one soldier in particular whom she has certain 'feelings' for and is rather attached to.
In a battle situation she feels the most pressure towards the end when things seem to be going her way. She regularly expects a great change in the situation but is fully capable of handling a split second decision by herself most of the time. The main problem she suffers from is the lack of ability at venting her frustration which tends to grow to a shorter and shorter leash as problems arise. Flirtatious when necessary, the slender woman knows full well how to apply her natural graces to a situation that would benefit far more from a woman's touch rather than the heavy hand of an officer. She is charismatic and knows how to make herself felt in a small area or to a large audience. Crowds of people unnerve her slightly, but depending on the situation she can find it easy or difficult to speak to them all.
Appearance:
^I don't own the above image^
Possessing extremely pale pigmentation, and standing tall and lean, many could mistake Kiquan'Pide of being spectral in nature. Light gold markings spiral around her lekku, which are long and fabulous, often with one wrapped seductively around her neck and the other laying down her back. Furthermore, fine tattoos embrace her skin, usually hidden by all but the more revealing of clothing, in wealthy displays that light up when stimulated with light. The tattoos seem an extension of her natural gold spirals and present her body as some sort of magnificent artwork. She is highly athletic, thoroughly flexible and naturally beautiful, as Twi'lek females tend to be, but there is something in her bronze eyes which can switch from being adoring and seductive one minute to battle hardened and intimidating the next. Her uniform is tailored to drape rather than to constrict, and is elegant without being overdone or hindering. Fine grey materials were used to make it, and her boots are some of the finest Rycrit Alpha hides available on any market. She has no visible marks or scars on her skin, and many would say she was too beautiful to be an Admiral.
Other clothing styles she tends to employ include a seductive red loungewear that allows her the comfort of a civilian attire with the expensive materials and classy appearance of a highly ranked military figure. She also has a personally requested outfit following her Grand Admiral promotion which is a bright white top with a bare naval, and cloth strips which hand loosely down at the sides and some of the back like a jacket. The sleeves are rather loose, and flare out at the edges. The trousers similarly are good looking, white and loose enough to give her flexibility of movement without verging on inappropriately loose. A fine, black leather belt marks her waist and her multitude of medals hang ceremoniously from her chest, taking a large amount of space from her left side. The outfit includes, of course, a hat which she rarely wears, and several more sets of Rycrit Alpha skin boots in both white and black. Her blaster is holstered faithfully by her right side and a communication device is constantly in her ear whilst on duty.
Birth place: Coruscant
Attributes:
Physical Strength: 4
Intelligence: 7
Speed: 5
Leadership: 8
Unarmed: 3
Melee Weapons: 4
Ranged Weapons: 7
Alignment: +3
Bio:
Her parents could hardly have been more different. He was a lowly street urchin who lived in a state of confusion and scavenging, with an amnesia from childhood accidents leaving him with only the nickname his 'gang' had given him, which was Schutta. None of this 'gang' had particularly pleasant names to be fair, and to call them a gang would give them undeserved credit. Pickpockets and hustlers would be more appropriate. They made up the majority of not only the poverty in the area but also most of the petty crimes, both successful and, mostly, failed. The larger portion of their time was spent in groups together planning for their 'big break', as they called it, which was supposed to come in on the next shipment. Everyone, of course, had to be ready for their window of opportunity which seemed to never close. The members of the gang just missed it from time to time and had to reorganise themselves in order to prepare for the next chance at what would be built up over coming days, weeks or months to what would be spoke of as a great chance, and prove to be a great disappointment.
She, on the other hand, was a senator's assistant who resided in the upper areas of the planet, and went by the name Joyna'Pide. She was younger than the scavenging lowlife in the city's lower regions, and it would be a fair wager to bet the two would never meet. But they did, during a ceremony in which a very important person was returning to Coruscant. So important that a large event was organised. Only the top senators and such folk apparently knew who this person was and why they needed such commendation, but for the rest of the people it was a chance to celebrate. A chance to make money for Schutta, and a break for Joyna. Joyna herself didn't know exactly who the person was, being just an aide and not anyone trusted with such information. Schutta was told that, of course, as the gang laws went, this important person was relevant to their 'big break' and that by extorting them through their mere presence they would be able to influence the figure into the transfer of a large sum of money.
They met at once during a game of chance, which many seemingly intelligent men seemed to be doing appallingly at. But of course, it was mere chance. There was no way a simple Twi'lek could rig the game, could there? However when a beautiful red-skinned Twi'lek turned up and played, the odds seemed better. They talked after a few more games. Talking lead to celebrations. Celebrations lead to games. Games lead to drinking. Drinking lead to the evening, which lead to enjoyment, and in the morning disappointment. Schutta was gone before the Sun broke the horizon, and Joyna was alone. Alone and finding she had more responsibilities than calendar times and dinner dates. Two months after the celebration night she discovered her pregnancy, offering her resignation which was declined. The senator was understanding, though of course she did not tell him it was a random street hustler she had met, fallen stupidly in love with and been heartbroken by. No, she of course told of the mate she had been able to visit for the first time in months, who had arrived at Coruscant many weeks ago, and had left her this parting gift.
The pregnancy was not easy, but it was steady. The birth was uncomplicated, and the baby healthy. Cradling her child in her arms, Joyna pushed away the memories of the scum who had used her like a tool and focused on the beautiful life before her. She named her Kiquan'Pide and loved her as a mother would. She would tell her daughter of all the things she could grow up to be. She could be a singer, a dancer, a senator, a leader, or whatever else she set her mind to. Problems arose when the child was 5 though, when the dreaded question arose about a certain father. Joyna lied, for probably the first time in her daughter's life, and told her of her father, the great Republic hero who fought in many wars and saved hundreds of lives. Who fought off entire fleets with his men behind him, who was handsome and strong, and quick and smart. Every night she would want more stories, and her mother would tell her them, each more exciting than before. One night she asked finally where her father was, and her mother told her about how he had been killed in a space conflict by pirates. Kiquan cried herself to sleep that night, but Joyna knew it would be the best way for her to believe of her father - a hero, not vermin.
Since that night Kiquan could almost see the conflict above the blue planet, with pirates streaming out of hyperspace. Her father at the head of the fleet, confident and ready for them, issuing orders that would end the lives of the pirates in their dozens. And then his ship being destroyed, but he stood firm to the end, ordering crew to their evacuation posts before his end. She did not want to be a singer, dancer, politician, jedi, farmer or even a queen. She would be a leader. She would be an admiral. She would live up to her father's legacy. Although the stories were the same or similar now, the young girl still requested to hear the story of her father, the great Republic hero and the exploits of his life, and how he and her mother had met upon Coruscant. He had dropped down in a transport shuttle and she had been there when he stepped onto the solid ground, at the side of one of the political leaders who was greeting him. They exchanged glances, stealing looks at each other, and he had finally asked her out to dinner.
Her early teens were spent in all manner of schooling and exercising she could find to tone her body and mind. She could not get enough information about the space conflicts of the last century - her father could have been leading one of them, emerging victorious against impossible odds. She never found a name that would be like his though, unless he was using something unconventional or was hiding from someone dangerous, or maybe the history records were wrong. She finished school with high honours in both sports and academia and instead of following the path suggested into politics like her mother, she enrolled at the academy for naval officer training the day she turned 17 after consulting thoroughly with her mother and career advisor. They both agreed with her decision, despite her mother's early recommendations for a less dangerous career choice. The girl had a huge base of knowledge on ship designs, star charts and had already begun showing proficiency at strategy planning. She even knew how to address large groups, though much of this was based on manipulative techniques native to her species.
Training was tough, but she was determined to make it. The academy was pleased to have such dedication within their ranks as well as physical prowess and mental stamina. The men were quite happy to have the attractive Twi'lek with them too. By the way they looked she often thought many of them had never seen a female before. She ignored them though, despite their rude jokes, insensitivities, crudeness and foul behaviour. She would be an admiral while they were struggling for lieutenant promotion. She knew this. Running training session after training session, her mind was mentally exhausted and at times made her consider quitting for a more contemporary occupation. The strategies she employed in simulations were effective to a high degree, fazing her opponents at just the sheer efficiency of her maneuvers as the digital ship fleets marched their computerised way across the boards towards the enemy main base. In both galactic and small-scale conflicts her plans were lethal and she even set up considerably well thought out traps.
Her first chance at actual action came with an Admiral of a Republic fleet, Admiral Kyt - a Nautolan who was aged but maintained his youthful spirit. Whether it was her charms or her record she was not sure, but her officer training was finished and she was ready. Ensign rank was appointed to her and she came on board the flagship of the fleet, a cruiser, Benediction it was called. She liked it. It was strong, powerful, fast, sleek. The crew were dedicated, loyal and competant. The officers were civil and good company, and the admiral was intelligent and kind. Three years passed aboard the ship as an ensign. They were good times, with the typical alternating of time passing slowly and quickly. Combat was infrequent, but often intense when it did happen. Although her place was, by request, at the bridge by the Admiral's side, she did see her fair share of combat. Twice they had lost shields and boarding parties had came across. Twice she had joined the crew in repelling invaders. Only once had she taken any sort of injury, but it wasn't anything that had left a permanent marking.
Following the second boarding she was promoted to Junior Lieutenant by the Admiral since several men, including a few officers, had perished in the attack. There was a feeling of remorse on the ship for several days, and although Kiqua shared in the sadness she was also partly, though not proudly, glad of it. She was another step closer to Admiral, and was following in the steps of her father. The ship was taken to Kuat to get repairs at the shipyards, and extra crew members were already awaiting there to join the ship. During the next few months Kiqua practiced more with weapons and combat technique, gaining skill in the vibro-sword but excelling at using the blaster pistol. Her physical fitness also increased, but her spare training time began to get less and less as more reports came in, mainly from confused transmissions, which seemed to be indicating something about enemy fleets. The information was too vague for them to have any idea of how to proceed with the data received. The information was a difficult puzzle for the Twi'lek, who was frustrated over the problem. The answer was provided to her several months later, when a distress call came matching a sender ID of the transmissions.
The distress call from the ship in space came through during a patrol, and Kiqua was selected to lead a squad of soldiers onto the ship to find out what had happened. Boarding the ship the party found signs of combat but no survivors. In the last room, at the ship's helm, they encountered a lone man. The group could almost feel the anger eminating from him. He turned silently, smiling, before igniting a blood red lightsaber. Kiqua and her men immediately opened fire, but to little effect, before making a steady movement back towards their starship. The Dark Jedi followed, smirking wickedly, before lunging forward and taking down one of the soldiers, and then another. Kiqua ordered a full retreat as she continued to fire. They had nothing they could take down a Jedi with realistically. The enemy didn't want to let them go, or so it seemed, and barred the exit by slamming the door ahead shut. The men stopped, backs against walls, and fired with good accuracy at their attacker. He continued to block, seemingly making their blaster bolts useless. It was a losing battle as he reflected the blaster bolts back at the soldiers, killing several until there was only Kiqua and one other remaining. With a flick of his wrist he sent the other soldier hurtling across the room, coming to a sickening stop on the end of a protuding piece of metal.
It sickened her to see, but she could not focus on the dead right now. This Dark Jedi seemed to have the intention of sparing her - maybe hoping to take her into slavery or use her as a bargaining tool. She fired once more, and on his face she saw a scowl of anger. He darted across the room, coming around in Kiqua's direction. She managed to pull her vibrosword up with one hand just in time to make contact with his lightsaber. The force of contact knocked her backwards, but not before she fired off a shot with her pistol in the other hand. The Dark Jedi took the shot square in the chest and fell with a thud to the ground. His lightsaber rolled out of his hand across the corpse-littered floor. She noticed after a few seconds she was sweating, shaking. Her heart was beating faster than she could ever remember, and her knees suddenly felt extremely unsure. Falling to the ground she was immobile for several seconds as crew members on the other side of the door managed to unlock it. The fight had not lasted more than a few minutes, but she felt drained as though it had been a long campaign. She took the lightsaber with her back to the Admiral and he gathered from the fight description she had fought a Dark Jedi Padawan - he would not have been well trained enough to see past his anger-fuelled tunnel vision and so could not see her blaster pistol when she brought the vibrosword to bear. She was the only survivor of the mission and she felt terrible afterwards, a sense of despair and failure washing over her that night.
Returning to the bridge a few days later she found the Admiral has promoted her to Lieutenant in her absence. She perked up quite quickly following this, and was in a very good mood. She even blushed slightly with everyone congratulating her. They seemed to believe she had done something amazing when all she had managed to do was survive. Surely it was nothing her father hadn't done a hundred times before. Adjusting to life as a Lieutenant was a lot more difficult than her other promotions. She seemed to feel like an actual officer now with actual responsibilities. She wore different clothing too. Previously she had been wearing a simple figure-hugging leather outfit, but now she had a looser, smarter grey cloth uniform. She felt slightly more important but tried not to let it cloud her mind. She would need a fixed gaze ahead in order to reach her goal. She spent most of her time following her promotion wandering around decks keeping an eye on the crew and their morale. The rest of the time was either training or remembering the stories her mother had told her.
She was not a Lieutenant for long, as an older Rear Admiral retired at the age of 64. It was sad to see him go, for he was a veteran of many conflicts and was one of the Admiral's good friends, but he deserved a quieter life. He left with the respect of the crew, and in the reshuffling of command posts Kiqua was almost passed up for a promotion to Lieutenant Commander in favour of another candidate, but an inspection of his quarters prior to promotion revealed several items that would be interest to port authorities. Kiqua was promoted and he was removed from the ship, disgraced. This promotion was much longer lasting than the previous ones. She was slightly content with the position she was in, finding it a good position with plenty of benefits, but of course wanted more. During this time she held good rapport with the Admiral, spending a lot of time discussing past experiences with him. He was a survivor of many battles, and he had seen many things - things she found impressive and sometimes terrible. She also found they had a greater frequency of Jedi contacts during this period. She was not particularly trusting of Force users since her boarding party had suffered from the one she had encountered as a Junior Lieutenant, and simply endured their company.
Preferring to remain in the background while they discussed with the Admiral, she rarely spoke. Many of the matters were of little interest of her, and in fact the only time she ever communicated with a Jedi during this period was with another Twi'lek, and the conversation consisted of simple a few twitches of the tchun-tchin. It was little more than a greeting, but the familiarity of this communication made her miss the presence of her own species. She was not dissatisfied with her Republic company, but there was a certain lack of variety. Still, she could manage to stay here and continue through the ranks as long as it would take her. She was content enough - the promotions and action were fair tradeoffs for her lack of familiarity. Admiral Kyt called her to the bridge late one night unexpectedly. He did not drag out the conversation, promoting her to Commander, though she was unsure why exactly she had been promoted as she had hardly done anything since her last promotion worthy of particular note. She had merely done her duty, standing attentive and ensuring work got done. She had kept a cool head during a clash with pirate raiders a few days ago when they had investigated a mining colony but that was hardly a special feat. She discovered at a later date that several officers and crew members had in fact defected, leaving the ship and joining some form of rogue crew, taking several items of the ship's inventory with them.
A few days later they encountered a pirate vessel which attacked their ship, assumedly thinking they would catch the Republic off guard. Kiqua was on watch at this point, as many of the crew were in their sleeping quarters. Although she did not notice she pirate vessel initially, or at least until it began firing at them, she did get the men organised into getting full shields up and weapons firing. The Admiral arrived several minutes later to find a full-fledged fight had broken out and other pirate vessels emerging from hyperspace. Ordering the retreat, they entered the nearest hyperspace lane and began damage assessment, though Kiqua was not content with having escaped, as she believed all pirates deserved to be eradicated. The Admiral acknowledged Kiqua's leadership before he went to send a report. Over the next few years they were assigned to taking out pirate vessels in that area, which was very pleasing to the Twi'lek. There was far more combat this time, and many men died in every contact on each ship. Though the Republic often had the bigger ship, the pirates could never be trusted and would often resort to irrational tactics such as attempting to ram them. Many pirate ships fell, many crews were arrested and many more Republic staff had to be sent in to assist. But by the age of 30, after a long campaign against piracy, the Republic agreed with Admiral Kyt on his promotion of Kiqua to Captain.
Resignation was soon to follow as regrettably Admiral Kyt retired after a long, outstanding career filled with memorable battles and respectable leadership. Kiqua said her goodbye to him more privately, as they had developed more of a friendship than a working partnership. He told her that she was a good member of the team and that she would make a wonderful Admiral if she wanted to go that far. He could see her intentions, which were apparently borderline obsessive. On his departure she was transferred from the Benediction to a ship in the Outer Rim. The Anvil was a massive ship, bigger than any she had been on before, with more crew, more weapons, and more responsibility to get things right. Their chief task in this region was to intercept smugglers, which Kiqua would have thought was a rather menial task considering the size of the ship involved. The extent of the smuggling ring was greater than she had considered, however, and it was apparent that such a large ship was needed because of the amount of data to be processed and individuals to interview. A hanger almost half filled with non-Republic craft was an odd thing to see, but not rare according to the new Admiral.
He was a human, short and not particularly fit. He stared at her with green dilated eyes and she was reminded of the academy boys once more. After all the combat and service she had done for the Republic was this how she was to be thanked? She decided against the urge to request another position aboard a different ship, instead preferring to take this opportunity to learn more and be promoted closer to the goal she had coveted for so long. The Admiral seemed to request a lot of his new Captain's duties to be on a similar watch as himself. She found herself repeating things very often when dictating to the Admiral, and took to standing on the other side of railings and chairs to him whenever she got the opportunity. She performed her duties to the letter, helping to acquire a massive wealth of illegal items over time. Two promotions of Rear Admiral came rather quickly, and she felt the Admiral may have been pulling some strings to try and get her places. She had a feeling where one of these places might be however, but tried not to show it.
At 36 when a disease broke out among the crew, almost a third of the men were sectioned off in quarantine. Of these around 10% died, including the Vice Admiral, three Commanders and over a hundred other crew. The disease was apparently linked to an exotic plant one of the smugglers had brought aboard his ship when confronted by the Republic as he left Tatooine. Kiqua was promoted to Vice Admiral to effectively bridge the gap. She was competent enough - most of the crew knew this by now and in fact deferred their requests to her rather than the Admiral. The ship was eventually moved from the Outer Rim to varying other places to perform various duties. On Coruscant it acted as a diplomatic relations vessel, whilst on Corellia it took part in a riot dissuader. Moving around so much let Kiqua finally see more of the galaxy - to see more planets, and to enjoy herself more, even with the Admiral staring at her like an animal hungry for meat. A long time passed. It seemed the Admiral was not intending to recommend her final promotion, which she found was rather problematic. If he did not recommend her then who would?
Her answer came, once again, with pirates. Not a ship this time, but a bounty hunter. It turned out the Admiral had unpaid debts to a certain Hutt on Tatooine, and had been selling off some of the smuggled contraband to the Hutt to try and pay back his debt. It seemed it had not been enough though, and the first anyone was aware the Admiral was dead was while most of the crew was sleeping. An explosion from the Admiral's room - forensics placing the reason as being a small droid filled with high explosives. The Republic effectively promoted Kiqua to Admiral several days later and took the ship back to Kuat for repairs. Another, more experienced Admiral took command and gave her orders to return to the Republic Naval Centre on Coruscant in order to receive further orders. The jump to Coruscant felt like it took forever, but it was worth it. She was granted Admiralty at 42 years, and looking back regretted none of it. She was happy that she was just like her father at last, and could now lead her own crew of men on missions to prove she had what it takes.
She took the ship initially to Corellia to get men from the barracks there to form part of her ground forces. When it emerged that a pirate was on the loose she endeavoured to help catch the scum with the help of a pair of Jedi who also happened to be on the scene. Whilst the Jedi did little more in her eyes than give her a headache, the rogue was apprehended and stored aboard the prison decks of the Eminence awaiting transfer to Coruscant to stand trial. Hardly a few minutes after landing and depositing the prisoners to the local officials, however, she was approached by a man who brought her under the sway of the dark side of the Force and sunk his teeth into her, manipulating her into travelling to Metellos to search for his pupil, Kiela. On the surface they were met by the Dark Jedi pupil who slew her once-master and used the rescue of the injured Admiral to her benefit, joining the ship as it travelled away from the wretched place.
With a pounding headache, and having suffered anything from lightsaber duels around her medical chamber to live fire in the hallways and a light fixture crushing her chest, she returned to duty in time to receive a distress call from a Jedi. With several members of the Jedi order locked up in Force chambers while they travelled. When she ordered the ships across, with Captain Cody taking the task force to acquire the Jedi, she waited intensely aboard her ship as the reports filed in from multiple sources. With a dysfunctional droid and a dark Jedi wandering around the pirate ship which had abducted the Jedi, she was at wit's end as far as her stress levels went, only receding once the escort ships were travelling back to hers. Coruscant was her next destination, and they travelled finally back to the city planet at full speed in time for the Supreme Chancellor's party, which she attended.
Several days later she was brought to a ceremony held by the Supreme Chancellor who appointed her with the title of Grand Admiral in response to the Sith threat which had actively attacked the Republic worlds. Taking the title tentatively, she was informed that over the coming days her men and troops would be transferred from the Eminence to a new ship designed uniquely, named the Praetor. Hardly even used to her powerful ship, she accepted without a hesitation, not wanting to spoil the atmosphere, and continued the time after the ceremonies, enjoying her new position of power. With the wheels turning in her favour she awaited the next movement of troops, and a military council to help her catch up on recent events that would allow her to shape the course of the war fronts. Ships needed mobilising, troops needed carrying and planets needed protecting.
RP Sample:
The ship rocked as another blast struck the shields. The pirates were not going to let the Benediction off easily this time. Crew ran up and down corridors with engineers assessing damages and sending droids for parts to fix ruptures. On the bridge, everyone was bustling about checking monitors and sending reports through microphones, headsets or radio. Two figures stood motionless however, in the centre of the room. Two non-humans observing the pirates through the windows.
"Sir are you certain you would not prefer me to go help coordinate the batteries?" Kiqua asked, looking at the Nautolan. His tentacles flickered slightly, but, his posture remained the same. Another barrage struck the shields.
"No, Ensign, I'd like you to remain here with me for the time being. You,' he pointed at one of the men focusing heavily on a monitor, 'What is shield status?" The man tapped his monitor rapidly before looking back at the Admiral fearfully.
"Shields are at 7% sir, they'll be down in a few seconds." The Nautolan's hand wrapped round into a fist. He clenched for a second and then released. He took a step forward, eyes focused on the pirate vessel.
"Order all crew to prepare for boarding parties. We'll have a different kind of fight on our hands in a moment. Red lights began to flash as the ships were out of power, and the next barrage of fire striking the ship caused most people to fall to the ground or grab something to steady themselves. A bright blue blast followed a few seconds later, causing computer systems to crash or freeze. Disabled, the crew began preparing for the fight that was to come. The pirate vessel moved closer, looming over the Republic cruiser as if preparing to engulf it.
"Come with me, Ensign. We're going to get these pirates off our property." The Admiral pulled out a blaster pistol and began to march towards the side of the ship. Kiqua did the same, also ensuring she had her vibro-sword hung at her belt. The lights in the corridors were dim or flickering, and the whole scene caused a twinge of fear for the Twi'lek. She stayed close by the Admiral, who seemed unphased by this. Surely this was a dire situation? Arriving at one of the relaxation areas, it was apparent the pirates were just about to arrive. Soldiers took cover behind tables and walls and a hole in the wall was forming. The two officers took cover behind a table together.
"Sir I really must suggest you return to the bridge and..." The Admiral cut her off - he knew what she was going to say.
"My duty is with my men, Ensign, as is yours. I'll not have them fight without me, and I'd hope not to fight without them." Kiqua nodded, raising her blaster as sparks flew from the wall above them. A thud indicated the pirates were through the door. The firefight started almost immediately. Blaster bolts poured in and out of the door and it was a while before the pirates began emerging through.
Kiqua steadied her pistol and fired rythmically, missing on odd occasions but getting a few good hits - one of them right between the eyes. She tried to remain behind cover as much as possible as the returned fire flew around her head and struck the strong table they were behind. The battle continued in this way for several seconds before it appeared the pirates had had quite enough. They stopped appearing in the hole and it was silent for a moment.
Admiral Kyt stood up, and Kiqua followed suit. They stared at the hole but it was almost as though the pirates had given up, if it had not been for the buzzing they could hear from their ship. Kiqua opened her mouth to comment but a pain suddenly gripped her as she was dragged backwards. Some of the pirates had apparently gotten around the side of the defense area and came in from the same corridor the Admiral had used earlier. Now one of them had her lekku in each hand and was holding them tightly.
"You's gonna give us dis ship, Admeeral, or we'll be 'urting dis pretty one 'ere." He squeezed a little with one hand and she let out a whimper. She dared not move for fear of even more pain, but the Admiral would not be threatened.
"I'm afraid you'll not be getting this ship, and I'd advise severely against hurting a member of my crew, pirate." Kyt's voice was stern but less coherant than his usual calm self. The pirate paused for a moment, then smiled. He ran a finger along the tchun and she shuddered, closing her eyes and trying not to focus on what was happening. There was a grunt and she felt a release of tension on her brain tail. Breathing, she looked around and saw what had happened. A group of soldiers had came up behind the pirates, disarming or disabling them. She sighed of relief, before steadying herself against a wall and rearranging her lekku.
Ship:
Praetor
Star Dreadnought
i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk313/DireWolf2008/Dreadnaught_2_0_epura_final_by_Nym1.jpg
Department: Navy
Rank: Grand Admiral
Name: Kiquan'Pide (Common form: Kiqua Anpide)
Race: Twi'lek
Age: 42
Height: 6ft 3in.
Weight: 130lbs.
Personality: Rather straight-to-the-point, the Twi'lek naval commander puts her priorities with people and their individual feelings lower down. Kiqua tends to distance herself from most people upon first meeting them to prevent being hurt, though this tends to fail when pressed in quick-thinking situations. She is used to men staring, but that doesn't mean she doesn't call them up about it, and can get very defensive if she feels threatened by it too much. She can be supportive depending on the type of person she's supposed to be helping, offering advice where applicable but limiting it to her perception of the learner's knowledge base. She values the hunting down of pirates over the Republic for personal reasons, though she values the Republic over the Sith any day. She doesn't trust the Republic to handle the pirating problems, which she learnt many of her superiors shared when she was ascending the ranks. Having many bad run ins with Jedi, she values her own men above them when she gets the chance to choose between. Her attention tends to be split between her soldiers and one soldier in particular whom she has certain 'feelings' for and is rather attached to.
In a battle situation she feels the most pressure towards the end when things seem to be going her way. She regularly expects a great change in the situation but is fully capable of handling a split second decision by herself most of the time. The main problem she suffers from is the lack of ability at venting her frustration which tends to grow to a shorter and shorter leash as problems arise. Flirtatious when necessary, the slender woman knows full well how to apply her natural graces to a situation that would benefit far more from a woman's touch rather than the heavy hand of an officer. She is charismatic and knows how to make herself felt in a small area or to a large audience. Crowds of people unnerve her slightly, but depending on the situation she can find it easy or difficult to speak to them all.
Appearance:
^I don't own the above image^
Possessing extremely pale pigmentation, and standing tall and lean, many could mistake Kiquan'Pide of being spectral in nature. Light gold markings spiral around her lekku, which are long and fabulous, often with one wrapped seductively around her neck and the other laying down her back. Furthermore, fine tattoos embrace her skin, usually hidden by all but the more revealing of clothing, in wealthy displays that light up when stimulated with light. The tattoos seem an extension of her natural gold spirals and present her body as some sort of magnificent artwork. She is highly athletic, thoroughly flexible and naturally beautiful, as Twi'lek females tend to be, but there is something in her bronze eyes which can switch from being adoring and seductive one minute to battle hardened and intimidating the next. Her uniform is tailored to drape rather than to constrict, and is elegant without being overdone or hindering. Fine grey materials were used to make it, and her boots are some of the finest Rycrit Alpha hides available on any market. She has no visible marks or scars on her skin, and many would say she was too beautiful to be an Admiral.
Other clothing styles she tends to employ include a seductive red loungewear that allows her the comfort of a civilian attire with the expensive materials and classy appearance of a highly ranked military figure. She also has a personally requested outfit following her Grand Admiral promotion which is a bright white top with a bare naval, and cloth strips which hand loosely down at the sides and some of the back like a jacket. The sleeves are rather loose, and flare out at the edges. The trousers similarly are good looking, white and loose enough to give her flexibility of movement without verging on inappropriately loose. A fine, black leather belt marks her waist and her multitude of medals hang ceremoniously from her chest, taking a large amount of space from her left side. The outfit includes, of course, a hat which she rarely wears, and several more sets of Rycrit Alpha skin boots in both white and black. Her blaster is holstered faithfully by her right side and a communication device is constantly in her ear whilst on duty.
Birth place: Coruscant
Attributes:
Physical Strength: 4
Intelligence: 7
Speed: 5
Leadership: 8
Unarmed: 3
Melee Weapons: 4
Ranged Weapons: 7
Alignment: +3
Bio:
Her parents could hardly have been more different. He was a lowly street urchin who lived in a state of confusion and scavenging, with an amnesia from childhood accidents leaving him with only the nickname his 'gang' had given him, which was Schutta. None of this 'gang' had particularly pleasant names to be fair, and to call them a gang would give them undeserved credit. Pickpockets and hustlers would be more appropriate. They made up the majority of not only the poverty in the area but also most of the petty crimes, both successful and, mostly, failed. The larger portion of their time was spent in groups together planning for their 'big break', as they called it, which was supposed to come in on the next shipment. Everyone, of course, had to be ready for their window of opportunity which seemed to never close. The members of the gang just missed it from time to time and had to reorganise themselves in order to prepare for the next chance at what would be built up over coming days, weeks or months to what would be spoke of as a great chance, and prove to be a great disappointment.
She, on the other hand, was a senator's assistant who resided in the upper areas of the planet, and went by the name Joyna'Pide. She was younger than the scavenging lowlife in the city's lower regions, and it would be a fair wager to bet the two would never meet. But they did, during a ceremony in which a very important person was returning to Coruscant. So important that a large event was organised. Only the top senators and such folk apparently knew who this person was and why they needed such commendation, but for the rest of the people it was a chance to celebrate. A chance to make money for Schutta, and a break for Joyna. Joyna herself didn't know exactly who the person was, being just an aide and not anyone trusted with such information. Schutta was told that, of course, as the gang laws went, this important person was relevant to their 'big break' and that by extorting them through their mere presence they would be able to influence the figure into the transfer of a large sum of money.
They met at once during a game of chance, which many seemingly intelligent men seemed to be doing appallingly at. But of course, it was mere chance. There was no way a simple Twi'lek could rig the game, could there? However when a beautiful red-skinned Twi'lek turned up and played, the odds seemed better. They talked after a few more games. Talking lead to celebrations. Celebrations lead to games. Games lead to drinking. Drinking lead to the evening, which lead to enjoyment, and in the morning disappointment. Schutta was gone before the Sun broke the horizon, and Joyna was alone. Alone and finding she had more responsibilities than calendar times and dinner dates. Two months after the celebration night she discovered her pregnancy, offering her resignation which was declined. The senator was understanding, though of course she did not tell him it was a random street hustler she had met, fallen stupidly in love with and been heartbroken by. No, she of course told of the mate she had been able to visit for the first time in months, who had arrived at Coruscant many weeks ago, and had left her this parting gift.
The pregnancy was not easy, but it was steady. The birth was uncomplicated, and the baby healthy. Cradling her child in her arms, Joyna pushed away the memories of the scum who had used her like a tool and focused on the beautiful life before her. She named her Kiquan'Pide and loved her as a mother would. She would tell her daughter of all the things she could grow up to be. She could be a singer, a dancer, a senator, a leader, or whatever else she set her mind to. Problems arose when the child was 5 though, when the dreaded question arose about a certain father. Joyna lied, for probably the first time in her daughter's life, and told her of her father, the great Republic hero who fought in many wars and saved hundreds of lives. Who fought off entire fleets with his men behind him, who was handsome and strong, and quick and smart. Every night she would want more stories, and her mother would tell her them, each more exciting than before. One night she asked finally where her father was, and her mother told her about how he had been killed in a space conflict by pirates. Kiquan cried herself to sleep that night, but Joyna knew it would be the best way for her to believe of her father - a hero, not vermin.
Since that night Kiquan could almost see the conflict above the blue planet, with pirates streaming out of hyperspace. Her father at the head of the fleet, confident and ready for them, issuing orders that would end the lives of the pirates in their dozens. And then his ship being destroyed, but he stood firm to the end, ordering crew to their evacuation posts before his end. She did not want to be a singer, dancer, politician, jedi, farmer or even a queen. She would be a leader. She would be an admiral. She would live up to her father's legacy. Although the stories were the same or similar now, the young girl still requested to hear the story of her father, the great Republic hero and the exploits of his life, and how he and her mother had met upon Coruscant. He had dropped down in a transport shuttle and she had been there when he stepped onto the solid ground, at the side of one of the political leaders who was greeting him. They exchanged glances, stealing looks at each other, and he had finally asked her out to dinner.
Her early teens were spent in all manner of schooling and exercising she could find to tone her body and mind. She could not get enough information about the space conflicts of the last century - her father could have been leading one of them, emerging victorious against impossible odds. She never found a name that would be like his though, unless he was using something unconventional or was hiding from someone dangerous, or maybe the history records were wrong. She finished school with high honours in both sports and academia and instead of following the path suggested into politics like her mother, she enrolled at the academy for naval officer training the day she turned 17 after consulting thoroughly with her mother and career advisor. They both agreed with her decision, despite her mother's early recommendations for a less dangerous career choice. The girl had a huge base of knowledge on ship designs, star charts and had already begun showing proficiency at strategy planning. She even knew how to address large groups, though much of this was based on manipulative techniques native to her species.
Training was tough, but she was determined to make it. The academy was pleased to have such dedication within their ranks as well as physical prowess and mental stamina. The men were quite happy to have the attractive Twi'lek with them too. By the way they looked she often thought many of them had never seen a female before. She ignored them though, despite their rude jokes, insensitivities, crudeness and foul behaviour. She would be an admiral while they were struggling for lieutenant promotion. She knew this. Running training session after training session, her mind was mentally exhausted and at times made her consider quitting for a more contemporary occupation. The strategies she employed in simulations were effective to a high degree, fazing her opponents at just the sheer efficiency of her maneuvers as the digital ship fleets marched their computerised way across the boards towards the enemy main base. In both galactic and small-scale conflicts her plans were lethal and she even set up considerably well thought out traps.
Her first chance at actual action came with an Admiral of a Republic fleet, Admiral Kyt - a Nautolan who was aged but maintained his youthful spirit. Whether it was her charms or her record she was not sure, but her officer training was finished and she was ready. Ensign rank was appointed to her and she came on board the flagship of the fleet, a cruiser, Benediction it was called. She liked it. It was strong, powerful, fast, sleek. The crew were dedicated, loyal and competant. The officers were civil and good company, and the admiral was intelligent and kind. Three years passed aboard the ship as an ensign. They were good times, with the typical alternating of time passing slowly and quickly. Combat was infrequent, but often intense when it did happen. Although her place was, by request, at the bridge by the Admiral's side, she did see her fair share of combat. Twice they had lost shields and boarding parties had came across. Twice she had joined the crew in repelling invaders. Only once had she taken any sort of injury, but it wasn't anything that had left a permanent marking.
Following the second boarding she was promoted to Junior Lieutenant by the Admiral since several men, including a few officers, had perished in the attack. There was a feeling of remorse on the ship for several days, and although Kiqua shared in the sadness she was also partly, though not proudly, glad of it. She was another step closer to Admiral, and was following in the steps of her father. The ship was taken to Kuat to get repairs at the shipyards, and extra crew members were already awaiting there to join the ship. During the next few months Kiqua practiced more with weapons and combat technique, gaining skill in the vibro-sword but excelling at using the blaster pistol. Her physical fitness also increased, but her spare training time began to get less and less as more reports came in, mainly from confused transmissions, which seemed to be indicating something about enemy fleets. The information was too vague for them to have any idea of how to proceed with the data received. The information was a difficult puzzle for the Twi'lek, who was frustrated over the problem. The answer was provided to her several months later, when a distress call came matching a sender ID of the transmissions.
The distress call from the ship in space came through during a patrol, and Kiqua was selected to lead a squad of soldiers onto the ship to find out what had happened. Boarding the ship the party found signs of combat but no survivors. In the last room, at the ship's helm, they encountered a lone man. The group could almost feel the anger eminating from him. He turned silently, smiling, before igniting a blood red lightsaber. Kiqua and her men immediately opened fire, but to little effect, before making a steady movement back towards their starship. The Dark Jedi followed, smirking wickedly, before lunging forward and taking down one of the soldiers, and then another. Kiqua ordered a full retreat as she continued to fire. They had nothing they could take down a Jedi with realistically. The enemy didn't want to let them go, or so it seemed, and barred the exit by slamming the door ahead shut. The men stopped, backs against walls, and fired with good accuracy at their attacker. He continued to block, seemingly making their blaster bolts useless. It was a losing battle as he reflected the blaster bolts back at the soldiers, killing several until there was only Kiqua and one other remaining. With a flick of his wrist he sent the other soldier hurtling across the room, coming to a sickening stop on the end of a protuding piece of metal.
It sickened her to see, but she could not focus on the dead right now. This Dark Jedi seemed to have the intention of sparing her - maybe hoping to take her into slavery or use her as a bargaining tool. She fired once more, and on his face she saw a scowl of anger. He darted across the room, coming around in Kiqua's direction. She managed to pull her vibrosword up with one hand just in time to make contact with his lightsaber. The force of contact knocked her backwards, but not before she fired off a shot with her pistol in the other hand. The Dark Jedi took the shot square in the chest and fell with a thud to the ground. His lightsaber rolled out of his hand across the corpse-littered floor. She noticed after a few seconds she was sweating, shaking. Her heart was beating faster than she could ever remember, and her knees suddenly felt extremely unsure. Falling to the ground she was immobile for several seconds as crew members on the other side of the door managed to unlock it. The fight had not lasted more than a few minutes, but she felt drained as though it had been a long campaign. She took the lightsaber with her back to the Admiral and he gathered from the fight description she had fought a Dark Jedi Padawan - he would not have been well trained enough to see past his anger-fuelled tunnel vision and so could not see her blaster pistol when she brought the vibrosword to bear. She was the only survivor of the mission and she felt terrible afterwards, a sense of despair and failure washing over her that night.
Returning to the bridge a few days later she found the Admiral has promoted her to Lieutenant in her absence. She perked up quite quickly following this, and was in a very good mood. She even blushed slightly with everyone congratulating her. They seemed to believe she had done something amazing when all she had managed to do was survive. Surely it was nothing her father hadn't done a hundred times before. Adjusting to life as a Lieutenant was a lot more difficult than her other promotions. She seemed to feel like an actual officer now with actual responsibilities. She wore different clothing too. Previously she had been wearing a simple figure-hugging leather outfit, but now she had a looser, smarter grey cloth uniform. She felt slightly more important but tried not to let it cloud her mind. She would need a fixed gaze ahead in order to reach her goal. She spent most of her time following her promotion wandering around decks keeping an eye on the crew and their morale. The rest of the time was either training or remembering the stories her mother had told her.
She was not a Lieutenant for long, as an older Rear Admiral retired at the age of 64. It was sad to see him go, for he was a veteran of many conflicts and was one of the Admiral's good friends, but he deserved a quieter life. He left with the respect of the crew, and in the reshuffling of command posts Kiqua was almost passed up for a promotion to Lieutenant Commander in favour of another candidate, but an inspection of his quarters prior to promotion revealed several items that would be interest to port authorities. Kiqua was promoted and he was removed from the ship, disgraced. This promotion was much longer lasting than the previous ones. She was slightly content with the position she was in, finding it a good position with plenty of benefits, but of course wanted more. During this time she held good rapport with the Admiral, spending a lot of time discussing past experiences with him. He was a survivor of many battles, and he had seen many things - things she found impressive and sometimes terrible. She also found they had a greater frequency of Jedi contacts during this period. She was not particularly trusting of Force users since her boarding party had suffered from the one she had encountered as a Junior Lieutenant, and simply endured their company.
Preferring to remain in the background while they discussed with the Admiral, she rarely spoke. Many of the matters were of little interest of her, and in fact the only time she ever communicated with a Jedi during this period was with another Twi'lek, and the conversation consisted of simple a few twitches of the tchun-tchin. It was little more than a greeting, but the familiarity of this communication made her miss the presence of her own species. She was not dissatisfied with her Republic company, but there was a certain lack of variety. Still, she could manage to stay here and continue through the ranks as long as it would take her. She was content enough - the promotions and action were fair tradeoffs for her lack of familiarity. Admiral Kyt called her to the bridge late one night unexpectedly. He did not drag out the conversation, promoting her to Commander, though she was unsure why exactly she had been promoted as she had hardly done anything since her last promotion worthy of particular note. She had merely done her duty, standing attentive and ensuring work got done. She had kept a cool head during a clash with pirate raiders a few days ago when they had investigated a mining colony but that was hardly a special feat. She discovered at a later date that several officers and crew members had in fact defected, leaving the ship and joining some form of rogue crew, taking several items of the ship's inventory with them.
A few days later they encountered a pirate vessel which attacked their ship, assumedly thinking they would catch the Republic off guard. Kiqua was on watch at this point, as many of the crew were in their sleeping quarters. Although she did not notice she pirate vessel initially, or at least until it began firing at them, she did get the men organised into getting full shields up and weapons firing. The Admiral arrived several minutes later to find a full-fledged fight had broken out and other pirate vessels emerging from hyperspace. Ordering the retreat, they entered the nearest hyperspace lane and began damage assessment, though Kiqua was not content with having escaped, as she believed all pirates deserved to be eradicated. The Admiral acknowledged Kiqua's leadership before he went to send a report. Over the next few years they were assigned to taking out pirate vessels in that area, which was very pleasing to the Twi'lek. There was far more combat this time, and many men died in every contact on each ship. Though the Republic often had the bigger ship, the pirates could never be trusted and would often resort to irrational tactics such as attempting to ram them. Many pirate ships fell, many crews were arrested and many more Republic staff had to be sent in to assist. But by the age of 30, after a long campaign against piracy, the Republic agreed with Admiral Kyt on his promotion of Kiqua to Captain.
Resignation was soon to follow as regrettably Admiral Kyt retired after a long, outstanding career filled with memorable battles and respectable leadership. Kiqua said her goodbye to him more privately, as they had developed more of a friendship than a working partnership. He told her that she was a good member of the team and that she would make a wonderful Admiral if she wanted to go that far. He could see her intentions, which were apparently borderline obsessive. On his departure she was transferred from the Benediction to a ship in the Outer Rim. The Anvil was a massive ship, bigger than any she had been on before, with more crew, more weapons, and more responsibility to get things right. Their chief task in this region was to intercept smugglers, which Kiqua would have thought was a rather menial task considering the size of the ship involved. The extent of the smuggling ring was greater than she had considered, however, and it was apparent that such a large ship was needed because of the amount of data to be processed and individuals to interview. A hanger almost half filled with non-Republic craft was an odd thing to see, but not rare according to the new Admiral.
He was a human, short and not particularly fit. He stared at her with green dilated eyes and she was reminded of the academy boys once more. After all the combat and service she had done for the Republic was this how she was to be thanked? She decided against the urge to request another position aboard a different ship, instead preferring to take this opportunity to learn more and be promoted closer to the goal she had coveted for so long. The Admiral seemed to request a lot of his new Captain's duties to be on a similar watch as himself. She found herself repeating things very often when dictating to the Admiral, and took to standing on the other side of railings and chairs to him whenever she got the opportunity. She performed her duties to the letter, helping to acquire a massive wealth of illegal items over time. Two promotions of Rear Admiral came rather quickly, and she felt the Admiral may have been pulling some strings to try and get her places. She had a feeling where one of these places might be however, but tried not to show it.
At 36 when a disease broke out among the crew, almost a third of the men were sectioned off in quarantine. Of these around 10% died, including the Vice Admiral, three Commanders and over a hundred other crew. The disease was apparently linked to an exotic plant one of the smugglers had brought aboard his ship when confronted by the Republic as he left Tatooine. Kiqua was promoted to Vice Admiral to effectively bridge the gap. She was competent enough - most of the crew knew this by now and in fact deferred their requests to her rather than the Admiral. The ship was eventually moved from the Outer Rim to varying other places to perform various duties. On Coruscant it acted as a diplomatic relations vessel, whilst on Corellia it took part in a riot dissuader. Moving around so much let Kiqua finally see more of the galaxy - to see more planets, and to enjoy herself more, even with the Admiral staring at her like an animal hungry for meat. A long time passed. It seemed the Admiral was not intending to recommend her final promotion, which she found was rather problematic. If he did not recommend her then who would?
Her answer came, once again, with pirates. Not a ship this time, but a bounty hunter. It turned out the Admiral had unpaid debts to a certain Hutt on Tatooine, and had been selling off some of the smuggled contraband to the Hutt to try and pay back his debt. It seemed it had not been enough though, and the first anyone was aware the Admiral was dead was while most of the crew was sleeping. An explosion from the Admiral's room - forensics placing the reason as being a small droid filled with high explosives. The Republic effectively promoted Kiqua to Admiral several days later and took the ship back to Kuat for repairs. Another, more experienced Admiral took command and gave her orders to return to the Republic Naval Centre on Coruscant in order to receive further orders. The jump to Coruscant felt like it took forever, but it was worth it. She was granted Admiralty at 42 years, and looking back regretted none of it. She was happy that she was just like her father at last, and could now lead her own crew of men on missions to prove she had what it takes.
She took the ship initially to Corellia to get men from the barracks there to form part of her ground forces. When it emerged that a pirate was on the loose she endeavoured to help catch the scum with the help of a pair of Jedi who also happened to be on the scene. Whilst the Jedi did little more in her eyes than give her a headache, the rogue was apprehended and stored aboard the prison decks of the Eminence awaiting transfer to Coruscant to stand trial. Hardly a few minutes after landing and depositing the prisoners to the local officials, however, she was approached by a man who brought her under the sway of the dark side of the Force and sunk his teeth into her, manipulating her into travelling to Metellos to search for his pupil, Kiela. On the surface they were met by the Dark Jedi pupil who slew her once-master and used the rescue of the injured Admiral to her benefit, joining the ship as it travelled away from the wretched place.
With a pounding headache, and having suffered anything from lightsaber duels around her medical chamber to live fire in the hallways and a light fixture crushing her chest, she returned to duty in time to receive a distress call from a Jedi. With several members of the Jedi order locked up in Force chambers while they travelled. When she ordered the ships across, with Captain Cody taking the task force to acquire the Jedi, she waited intensely aboard her ship as the reports filed in from multiple sources. With a dysfunctional droid and a dark Jedi wandering around the pirate ship which had abducted the Jedi, she was at wit's end as far as her stress levels went, only receding once the escort ships were travelling back to hers. Coruscant was her next destination, and they travelled finally back to the city planet at full speed in time for the Supreme Chancellor's party, which she attended.
Several days later she was brought to a ceremony held by the Supreme Chancellor who appointed her with the title of Grand Admiral in response to the Sith threat which had actively attacked the Republic worlds. Taking the title tentatively, she was informed that over the coming days her men and troops would be transferred from the Eminence to a new ship designed uniquely, named the Praetor. Hardly even used to her powerful ship, she accepted without a hesitation, not wanting to spoil the atmosphere, and continued the time after the ceremonies, enjoying her new position of power. With the wheels turning in her favour she awaited the next movement of troops, and a military council to help her catch up on recent events that would allow her to shape the course of the war fronts. Ships needed mobilising, troops needed carrying and planets needed protecting.
RP Sample:
The ship rocked as another blast struck the shields. The pirates were not going to let the Benediction off easily this time. Crew ran up and down corridors with engineers assessing damages and sending droids for parts to fix ruptures. On the bridge, everyone was bustling about checking monitors and sending reports through microphones, headsets or radio. Two figures stood motionless however, in the centre of the room. Two non-humans observing the pirates through the windows.
"Sir are you certain you would not prefer me to go help coordinate the batteries?" Kiqua asked, looking at the Nautolan. His tentacles flickered slightly, but, his posture remained the same. Another barrage struck the shields.
"No, Ensign, I'd like you to remain here with me for the time being. You,' he pointed at one of the men focusing heavily on a monitor, 'What is shield status?" The man tapped his monitor rapidly before looking back at the Admiral fearfully.
"Shields are at 7% sir, they'll be down in a few seconds." The Nautolan's hand wrapped round into a fist. He clenched for a second and then released. He took a step forward, eyes focused on the pirate vessel.
"Order all crew to prepare for boarding parties. We'll have a different kind of fight on our hands in a moment. Red lights began to flash as the ships were out of power, and the next barrage of fire striking the ship caused most people to fall to the ground or grab something to steady themselves. A bright blue blast followed a few seconds later, causing computer systems to crash or freeze. Disabled, the crew began preparing for the fight that was to come. The pirate vessel moved closer, looming over the Republic cruiser as if preparing to engulf it.
"Come with me, Ensign. We're going to get these pirates off our property." The Admiral pulled out a blaster pistol and began to march towards the side of the ship. Kiqua did the same, also ensuring she had her vibro-sword hung at her belt. The lights in the corridors were dim or flickering, and the whole scene caused a twinge of fear for the Twi'lek. She stayed close by the Admiral, who seemed unphased by this. Surely this was a dire situation? Arriving at one of the relaxation areas, it was apparent the pirates were just about to arrive. Soldiers took cover behind tables and walls and a hole in the wall was forming. The two officers took cover behind a table together.
"Sir I really must suggest you return to the bridge and..." The Admiral cut her off - he knew what she was going to say.
"My duty is with my men, Ensign, as is yours. I'll not have them fight without me, and I'd hope not to fight without them." Kiqua nodded, raising her blaster as sparks flew from the wall above them. A thud indicated the pirates were through the door. The firefight started almost immediately. Blaster bolts poured in and out of the door and it was a while before the pirates began emerging through.
Kiqua steadied her pistol and fired rythmically, missing on odd occasions but getting a few good hits - one of them right between the eyes. She tried to remain behind cover as much as possible as the returned fire flew around her head and struck the strong table they were behind. The battle continued in this way for several seconds before it appeared the pirates had had quite enough. They stopped appearing in the hole and it was silent for a moment.
Admiral Kyt stood up, and Kiqua followed suit. They stared at the hole but it was almost as though the pirates had given up, if it had not been for the buzzing they could hear from their ship. Kiqua opened her mouth to comment but a pain suddenly gripped her as she was dragged backwards. Some of the pirates had apparently gotten around the side of the defense area and came in from the same corridor the Admiral had used earlier. Now one of them had her lekku in each hand and was holding them tightly.
"You's gonna give us dis ship, Admeeral, or we'll be 'urting dis pretty one 'ere." He squeezed a little with one hand and she let out a whimper. She dared not move for fear of even more pain, but the Admiral would not be threatened.
"I'm afraid you'll not be getting this ship, and I'd advise severely against hurting a member of my crew, pirate." Kyt's voice was stern but less coherant than his usual calm self. The pirate paused for a moment, then smiled. He ran a finger along the tchun and she shuddered, closing her eyes and trying not to focus on what was happening. There was a grunt and she felt a release of tension on her brain tail. Breathing, she looked around and saw what had happened. A group of soldiers had came up behind the pirates, disarming or disabling them. She sighed of relief, before steadying herself against a wall and rearranging her lekku.
Ship:
Praetor
Star Dreadnought
i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk313/DireWolf2008/Dreadnaught_2_0_epura_final_by_Nym1.jpg
Didn't want it too high because of her leadership and intelligence ^.^