Topic: Scarred - Havoc in Dockside

Katerrina Hess

Date: 2010-10-14 23:31 EST
Veiled by the mist and smoke of the cool fall air touching the warm waters of the docks, a transport ship landed atop the largest warehouse, one specifically re-designed to support the craft. The doors hissed open, the sound lost in the brawling and boozing of the workers in the various bars that took their incomes as fast as they earned them. The heavy boots of the masked troops went unheard, the hiss and thunk of zip lines being launched went unnoticed, mistaken for the usual noise of the docks.

A crackle, and a muffled voice: "My Lady, we are in position, and await your command."

The Lady Hess remained on the warehouse roof, surveying the entire district, confirming what her Commander said. "Stand by, and wait for my signal."

"As you command, my Lady."

Katerrina smirked, unhooking her lightsaber, igniting it and twirling it in a tight figure-8, once on the left, and once on the right, before holding the purple blade aloft. Almost immediately, an explosion rocked the docks offshore, a plain, almost derelict sloop anchored there was engulfed in flames, which quickly spread to the nearby ships. The fire alarms wailed in the darkness, men shouting for buckets and hoses to snuff the blaze.

A shrill cry of pure, glorified rage pierced the ears of the men, dropping them to their knees in agony, those unfortunate enough to be closest to the epicenter would be permanently deaf, if they escaped with their lives. The ground shook, the cobblestones cracked, and more explosions rocked strategic warehouses across Dockside. Chaos erupted, and within seconds, panic set into the people, and they were easy marks for the troops fanning out from the burning buildings.

Still screaming, she leaped from the building, her saber slashing through a burly sailor who happened to be in front of her when she landed. Her eyes glowed blood red as the Force raged through her. Nothing would stand when she was finished.

Iron Tom Flint

Date: 2010-10-15 08:18 EST
Well...not quite nothing.

He'd just been dropped off by the launch of a ship called the Wandering Wolfsbane, whose captain had had a rather...interesting proposition for him to consider. After informing the man that he would need some time to consider and talk to Silvs, they had parted.

And he had been dropped off just in time to watch all hell break loose.

Of course, he's a pirate. In the ordinary, logical course of things, this sort of event would be right up his alley - in fact, he'd be applauding the havoc, or perhaps even helping to cause it.

He doesn't really care about the ships catching on fire.

Or the people running around in panic, fleeing for their lives.

It's the scream that really gets his attention. The hypersonic fury of it would have dropped most men to their knees, and in fact he sees several that do just that, clutching their heads in agony. Even he winces at the sound of that unholy rage, but where the effect is excruciating for them, it's only fingernails on a chalkboard to him.

Then again, he's not just any sailor...he has a few secrets of his own.

And then there's this flame-haired beauty that drops out of seemingly nowhere with a glowing red-white blade and slices a sailor in half as easily as a knife cutting through butter.

Chaos he has no problem with. Destruction doesn't make a difference to him.

It's the scream, and the woman landing nearby, that he has a problem with.

Yes, he's a pirate. Yes, he's been doing similar things for a living most of his adult life.

But he knows the difference between what he does and what?s truly evil...and a good example just landed not four meters away.

He can feel the heat surge through him as he grasps the hilt of the blackened blade, the oni's presence filling him as he pulls it from its place at his side and raises his voice loud enough to be heard over the screams and shouts of men and women.

"Hey, you. The b*tch with the blade." He gives her an upnod of his head, his eyes showing a faint pulse from within of silver-white light. "You wanna try it with someone that can fight back?"

Antonia

Date: 2010-10-15 13:44 EST
She was in her bunk dozing. The last run had been a bit hairy so she was taking a brief bit of rest before plunging into the next mission. That was until the sounds of explosions even reached her ears in that odd looking vessel.

She slapped a wall comm link as she donned her equipment, "Mr Hanson, Report." She barked

"The Port has come under attack." There was worry in his voice, "Captain we have report of fighting and destruction all over the city."

There was a time when she would have had her vessel defending the front lines. Now, not so much. "Send an alert to the Demon and prepare to Dive."

"Aye, Aye Captain."

The vessel looked like something out of a science fiction story. Then it started to sink beneath the waves. She moved for the bridge and her first mate. She pulled then the main tube for the Periscope and surveyed the scene.

"Take us out of port, Mr. Hanson. Head for the rendezvous point. She was sounding grim, "I'll be in my office. The Demon is to be patch through no matter what."

As the orders were being relayed, The vessel disappeared from sight.

Silver Starblade

Date: 2010-10-15 19:19 EST
Thank the Gods she barely slept or she would've awoke to a disaster. Instead, Silver witnessed the first explosion light up the sky, followed quickly by dozens more that tore apart the docks.

Sh*t.

They were under attack.

Who the hell attacks the entire dockside" The Captain's boots thudded across the planks of the deck, lost in the thunder of the boots around her and the sounds of the ports coming alive with screaming, shouting and ear ripping thunderous explosions that seemed to be unending.

"TY!" She yelled over the din of the ship. Every crew member was wide awake and manning the ship.

"Captain." Came the bellowing response as the large man moved up behind her.

"Get the ship out to sea. You know where to go until you hear word it's safe again to come back."

"Aye, Captain." He nodded, knowing better than to ask questions, yet the worry was apparent in his eyes. By her giving this order it meant she was staying behind.

"PATRICK!" She yelled again, moving quickly toward the gangplank. The gangly young man ran up behind her and followed her off the ship. The duo watched as the plank was raised and the sails dropped. Within moments, the clipper lurched slowly from the docks, heading toward the open ocean.

She didn't bother to watch it pick up speed or see it safely off. There was no time.

"Go find Race and Pslyder. I'm going to the office." Both of her hands gripped the boy's skinny shoulders. "and DON"T GET KILLED."

Patrick nodded, his face red from adrenaline and from the heat that washed off the blazing ships and docks. Silver spun, surveying the destruction for mere moments before noticing the troops heading into the ports.

Who the hell was this and what were they up to"

The Minister turned and ran through the chaos, keeping to back alleys and making sure to stay out of the way of anyone that looked peculiar".which was damn near everyone. The wooden door to the Ministry of Trade and Commerce was missing a few chunks, no doubt from projectiles that had battered it after the explosions, and the door was slightly warped undoubtedly from the heat. To her relief, the building next door, her warehouse, looked the same, still standing. Silver unlocked the door, shoving it open and ran up the stairs to her office, pushing all the buttons she could to see if she could get this computer thing going or figure out how the phone worked to connect to the governor.

Something was going terribly wrong in the city.



Katerrina Hess

Date: 2010-10-15 21:38 EST
The Apprentice turned her head, the light from her blade casting a purple glow over her face, lips twisted in a smirk. There was always one. Her eyes gleamed blood-red, her left hand suddenly coming upwards, flinging a shower of broken bits of stone at the man, adding to the poor visibility.

As the debris raced for the man, so too did Katerrina, using a sudden burst of speed to accelerate faster than he might expect, her blade coming down in a vicious slash that if it landed, was likely to cleave the interloper in two just like the sailor. As she attacked, she let loose another scream, which made the ground beneath their feet quake. She was used to fighting on uneven terrain. Travanix made sure of that personally. Whether the man was, well, she would soon find out.

Iron Tom Flint

Date: 2010-10-15 22:13 EST
He's not sure what to expect.

Certainly not the debris flying at him, forcing him to close his eyes as he's pelted with rocks to avoid being permanently blinded.

Certainly not the hellish scream that makes the very earth under him tremble, threatening his balance.

But then, he had been trained to fight blind...and with not only his senses but his strength and coordination enhanced by the ancient spirit filling him, he has no trouble sensing her closing with him, the direction of her strike.

The blackened blade comes up to meet hers even with his eyes closed, a brilliant crimson flash from it as her energy blade meets his steel and repulses it. A growl fills his throat as he takes the weight of that impact and absorbs it, using the energy to fuel his muscles, rebounding like rubber and pushing back at her with surprising strength, knocking her blade up and away.

He wastes no time in whirling the blackened katana around in a startlingly fast slice as he steps in towards her, sensing each motion of the ground, feeling where she is through the other four senses as well as the oni's whispering in his soul, slashing the blade down and across, seeking to slice her open from shoulder to hip.

Katerrina Hess

Date: 2010-10-15 23:04 EST
The katana came in with surprising speed, more than what she expected from a simple man. Unfortunately for him, Katerrina had been trained to expect the unexpected. She also no longer treated anyone as if they were defenseless. There were winners, and there were corpses.

The Force revealed the path the blade would take to her, and she used it to launch herself in the air, the tip of the blade grazing down the front of her unitard, opening a thin cut in the fabric.

The microsecond her feet touched the ground behind him, she feinted a slash with her saber, flicking it so his attention would be caught by the purple light, while driving the heel of her left hand for the back of his neck. And all the while, Katerrina was smirking. He had talent, this one. Such a shame he wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time.

Aquilonius Skywalker

Date: 2010-10-19 12:36 EST
((Wrong name))

Iron Tom Flint

Date: 2010-10-19 12:38 EST
The feint works well enough, his attention gravitating towards the violet light of her strange energy blade, causing him to turn towards it with his own blade moving to intersect it...

...and even as the oni's spirit within him screams that he needs to move he catches the heel of the woman's hand to the back of his head.

Light flashes across his vision, an illusion caused by the impact a split second before the pain gets his attention.

Fortunately, he had been struck heavy blows by an old man repeatedly for most of his young life, and he had not forgotten the lesson of those moments. Pain is nothing, if your will is strong enough.

Most men would have been knocked over onto their faces with that kind of blow. He would be no exception save for so much training and the oni's strength.

He uses the impact to propel himself forward and away from her, tucking his head and shoulders to roll and come back up to his feet. As he gains his balance back he whirls in a graceful motion, the oni within him now guiding his actions, the blade of the blackened katana slicing through the air in a horizontal motion towards the flame-haired woman.

He is, of course, too far away to hope to land the blow...but it is the oni within him that acts now. From that blade comes a wave of roiling, invisible telekinetic energy that sweeps towards the woman like the fist of the gods themselves.

Katerrina Hess

Date: 2010-10-19 15:33 EST
Even as her blow sent him reeling forward, she was already in motion, her eyes veiled in a blood-red haze, her movements guided by the Force. His blade met nothing but air, for she was already over his head, landing behind him. The shockwave generated took the building that had been behind her down to the foundation, adding to the uneven terrain in which they fought.

With a scream of rage, Katerrina pointed her left hand at the man, and blue-white lightning crackled over her fingertips, racing for his lower back, aiming for kidneys and other soft places. She advanced on him, the lightning surging, that purple blade raised for a killing slash, a wild, manic grin on her lips.

In the meantime, the troops under her command continued their destruction of the docks, some falling to those who fight to defend their livelihoods. But the majority still continued to set fires and slaughter those who tried to run away from the carnage.

Iron Tom Flint

Date: 2010-10-20 20:23 EST
He's not expecting the sudden surge of electricity through his muscles, and the resulting agony makes him buckle to his knees. He hears an animalistic scream rend the air, and somehow - dimly - realizes it is his own voice as the lightning surges through his muscles, making him convulse over and over again as he curls into a ball on the ground. But even as he lays there, being electrocuted by this strange woman's powers, his hand clenches the blackened blade even tighter...

...and he does not realize, until it's too late, as the darkness takes over his vision, that he hears the laughter of the oni within him.

Free. At last, after so long - interminable centuries - he is free.

The power surging into him is his fuel, his food and drink, and the more that this flame-haired b*tch pours into him, the more he feeds on it.

It is not long before the human host succumbs to the agony of electrocution, not long before there is enough power to provide him strength enough to break his bonds and free the demonic entity from the bonds he has endured for millennia.

And as the power surges within him, he stores it. Gathers it.

Builds it.

Even as she continues to pour lightning into the once-frail human form, he moves from the fetal position and gets to his feet, turning to face the woman, his shape growing brighter, until he's almost blinding to look at...

...and at that moment the energy is released, in a massive wave of electrical feedback, back in the direction it's coming from.

Katerrina Hess

Date: 2010-10-24 13:45 EST
So focused was Katerrina on making the man suffer, she only felt the surge of dark power coming from him at the last microsecond, so that the feedback of energy struck her full in the chest. The Dark Jedi flew backwards, through one wall to impact the one behind it. Stone and wood buckled and splintered as she hit with a sickening crunch, hard enough to kill any lesser mortal.

But Katerrina was far from a lesser being. The blow only stunned her momentarily, the Force already whispering to her of the raw power that now poured from the man, more than a man now she realized. That knowledge had the Apprentice first chuckling darkly as she moved to her hands and knees, then laughing outright as she stood, swaying on her feet, her lightsaber all but forgotten off to her right, having flown from her hand to disengage when it hit the broken ground.

With a rattling breath, betraying the injuries to her ribs, she raised her right hand, and a section of the wall she'd broken with her body was flung for the man, her laughter growing more manic with every passing second, walking towards him even as the wall threatened to hold him powerless.

"Such power, such darkness. It would be a shame to waste the talents you possess by killing you outright." She took another breath, leaning in as her voice lowered, heard more in the Dark Force that surrounded her than by ears, that Force pressing the wall ever tighter.

"Join me. Together we can wreak such havoc on the Docks as they have never seen before. Battle at my side, and power and glory will be yours."

Iron Tom Flint

Date: 2010-11-04 11:23 EST
Were it the man speaking that had formerly occupied this body, he might have been tempted to tell her to kill him.

That man had been a warrior of honor. Yes, a pirate. Prone to many of the less honorable acts of his brethren. But despite that, still a warrior of honor.

But the man isn't in at the moment. Thanks to that sudden surge of electricity, coupled with the dark power behind it, the oni that had been imprisoned and enslaved so long ago had been given enough power to break free of the bonds set upon it.

Black eyes, full of rage and hatred and dark glee, stare back at the flame-haired vixen who is - seemingly by sheer force of her will and whatever power it is she controls - holding in place.

With just about half a building.

The dark laughter that comes from him still sounds human...and yet, at the same time, doesn't. Something darker, more primal in nature, colors its tone.

"The little witch with the strange sword wants to recruit me...how strange, when there had been a time our roles would have been reversed, were we to meet." Another chuckle, full of dark amused cheer.

"Such power you possess...you could crush this human body I wear like an insect, if you so chose, even despite my inhabiting it." The dark eyes wander around the docks, a cruel smile lighting up his features. "You will have to promise me the destruction does not end here...this will not be enough to keep me satisfied for long."

Katerrina Hess

Date: 2010-11-12 12:38 EST
Katerrina smirked darkly, her hand still holding the thick chunk of building against the body of the man, pressing her body in against the stone and wood, close enough to touch. Her voice again was more felt in that Dark Force around her, rather than heard with the ear.

"Join me, and I promise you not only the Docks will be yours to destroy, but the rest of this wretched city as well. In the end, it will be ours to do with as we please, and the river and the sea will run red with the fire and blood of our combined power." She raised her left hand, and her lightsaber flung into it, her face bathed in the glow of that strange purple blade.

"So, Dark One, do we have a deal?"

~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, the Commander's voice crackled into the helmet comms of the troops still running rampant through Dockside. Though some had fallen, about 3/4 of the original attack force remained.

"Alpha squad, disengage and return to the transport for deployment across the harbor. All others, continue with the Havoc our Lady has ordered."

A crackling reply hissed in the Commander's helmet. "Acknowledged. Rendezvous in 5 minutes."

"Excellent. Out." The Commander headed for the warehouse where the transport sat, its shadow a looming menace in the dark night. Phase One was underway, and was a success. Now, it was time for Phase Two.

Blaster fire echoed in the Docks, leaving scorched holes in the smoldering, ruined buildings. Screams and shouts still pierced the night, though the unholy shrieking that had caused the worst of the terror was silent.

For now.

Iron Tom Flint

Date: 2011-03-24 18:06 EST
"First rule when dealing with the devil...don't."

The oni smiles as the woman makes her promise - a promise of power, of freedom. Things the ancient demon wearing this human skin like a suit has craved for too long, since its spirit had been forced into its prison.

Behind the solid wall pinning him at the chest, the ebon blade is still warm, that heat maddening and at the same time comforting. The sword had been its prison for millenia, and yet - like many prisoners that have spent a long time in their cells - he cannot seem to envision letting it go.

Free, and yet not quite.

And still, those dark eyes look around the docks.

Flame. Blood. Death. Destruction. Chaos.

Such fond memories.

Most looking on this demon might be tempted to kill him rather than try to keep him on a leash - such a thing would be rather akin to grabbing a tiger by the tail and hoping it won't suddenly turn around and try to maul you when you let it go.

But he won't be the one to tell her that.

Turning his gaze to meet that woman's gleefully mad, rage-filled gaze, the oni smiles with the man's lips. The expression is predatory and cruel.

"We do indeed have a deal. Release me, dark woman, and let me show you the meaning of wrath and destruction."