Facing Demons (Open)

[Evelyn Swann]

The devastating pain cursing through her body made every step she made torture, the pieces of metal shrapnels from the exploded canisters that had embraced her flesh, even though they weren't big and life threatening, they caused enough pain and damage to keep her wounded and unable to run. This, Evelyn knew wasn't good in any way in the long run. It slowed her down and made her fighting abilities more inaccurate. The gunfire they had been able to hear previously aboard the ship had died down as if they now were upon an abandoned ghost ship. The vibes young Miss Swann recieved through the Light Side of the Force were quite troubling. So much death, so much darkness surrounding this place now, it was almost suffocating Evelyn through her connection, but she thankfully knew how to control it. Tion had given her a good lesson regarding that, an important life lesson. Something she was happy about was the fact that, Abigail was still alive and hopefully Varn had her somewhere safe, as she couldn't see her anywhere near him. Miss Swann could only sense that she was close to them now.

As the Jedi Padawan slowly came closer to Varn for each step she took, she brought up a soft smile even though her being was filled with pain. Of course it was Varn. Evelyn guessed that Ben hadn't had a say in him looking for her. She knew Varn was too protective for that and the good friendship created between the three of them back on Tion was not build in an easy manner. They had all gone through many challenges and life threatening situations.

When the Dashade called out to her before taking aim, she could only guess that the Zabrak woman wasn't that far behind. Looking over her shoulder, it wasn't only her and her fiery eyes. From all kinds of hideouts and covers came forth new people whom Evelyn felt was really bad news. What kind of sick hunt was this to them all? What did they want with her? So many questions ran through her mind until her connection to the Force gave her a small heads up, sensing the grave danger from these people emitting like a big beacon. Blaster shots from rifles and pistols started flying all around her, as she moved closer to the metal walls for some kind of cover. The young lady called out to the Force to help her and guide her through this. So much of this didn't sit well with her and she had no idea what to do other than create a defense, until they all could get away from these trigger happy individuals. By the help from the Force, Evelyn concentrated the best she could and deflected many of the shots aimed at her and the others with her vibrosword, but unfortunately a few passed through towards Adar and Varn. She herself was hit once by a shot that kissed the flesh of her left shoulder holding her blaster.

Bloody brilliant! Why do I get a feeling that these guys mean serious trouble from the Sith? They are good, very good. Almost as sneaky and dangerous as an operative from SI...(Sith Intelligence) They weren't Sith soldiers like the ones she and Varn had been up against on Tion. No, this small handful of people carried themselves another way and handled the situation in a completely different manner than what a mere soldier taking orders would do. Crouching, the instant jerking pain throughout her nerving system in her legs was so painful that she cursed them and cried out. By the Force, it was painful! Knowing Varn was a good shooter and that he almost never missed his target, she knew he would buy her a bit of time, even if it only were precious seconds to get closer to her allies. How good their foes were, the young brunette guessed she was about to find out. They were four against three at the moment.

Getting closer to Varn and Adar, she hid behind some metal crates a bit further in front of where the two were at. She was now within earshot range. "Thank the Force I am glad to see you Varn. This is Adar. He has helped me get this far. I don't know who they are, but they seem to be after me." Taking a deep breath, Miss Swann tried her utmost to not let the pain take over, but her next words came inbetween wincing and a bit of painful groaning. "As you can see, I have had better days, but regardless... I need you to help us out of here and take us back to the Jedi Coalition. Adar has a brave and good heart, as well as a connection that needs to be taught to him how to tame." Smiling gently and reassuringly at Adar, she knew he understood what she meant, and that he would remember what she had said to him thus far on their dangerous path to here. If he remembered to speak honestly to the council once they were there about how he felt and what she had told him that she thought of him and his actions and resolve, the Jedi Padawan knew he would do alright.

The Force had brought her here for a reason, one she was yet to still fully understand. Her hazel coloured eyes looked over at the big Dashade, trying to give a bright and calm smile as well. "If something should happen, I'm not saying it will, but if it does, promise me to take Adar here to the Jedi and keep my sister safe... she is not well. I'm afraid the Dark Side of the Force has corrupted her soul and she needs to be redeemed..." Her left arm was now wounded to the extent that she was unable to fight properly with it. Sighing almost resignedly at this fact, she chose to put the blaster back in its holster attached to her belt at the side of her hip. She could use her vibrosword still and would fight with all she had until they could get away safely.

[Emic Lai]

The blaster fire rang out toward Emic, but she could not be stopped. Two bolts grazed her shoulders, but there was no hope that she would falter. But she still had barely enough awareness of the situation behind her rage that she decided it would be better to take cover and move with her unit to encircle the others.

"Chief, Karlisle's been apprehended. She took a stun round earlier and we couldn't get to her in time," Acre reported through the comlink.

Emic hissed into her wrist. "Keep closing in, the target's not to safety yet."

They continued to surround the hovervan, keeping in cover to avoid its mounted laser, as Emic continued to push the young Jedi into their trap. She appeared and disappeared like a specter behind the girl. She could have just tackled the Jedi at a full sprint, but why spoil the fun? Fear is the best weapon, after all.

And finally, as the still-living inhabitants of this boat gathered on one side of the top deck, the trap sprung.

[Varn Badaash]

The young man introduced himself as Adar while he dove for cover near the Dashade, it was clear the man was not a trained combatant. Varn gave him a nod as he reactivated his shield and kept his eyes on Evelyn and the encroaching hostiles. She was hurt and Varn needed to reach her to get her to safety. She called out to him in the heat of the battle, laser fire burning the air around the three of them. While she showed confidence and hope in her expression and words, Varn had been around her long enough to know she was not in good condition. Her body was covered in blood, several scorch marks and signs of shrapnel damage, she needed medical attention.

“You have my word,” the Dashade’s gruff voice replied over the blaster fire. He didn’t like that she was making him promise to save the others and not her. It was a very Jedi thing to do and as an Antarian Ranger he was committed to follow the Jedi in their selfless acts.

The enemy was beginning to squeeze in as the hover van lowered itself to just under a meter from the railing. The side door slid open with a hiss and a silver droid stood just inside the main hold. Varn looked to Adar, “get aboard! I’ll go for Jedi Swann!”

He barely gave the man a choice as his large hand grabbed Adar by the shoulder and shoved him towards the railing. His black eyes looked to where Miss Swann was taking cover a few meters away. The gap was to far and both of them would be torn to shreds by the laser fire if they moved across it. “Evelyn! The Silver Mynock is inbound, we just have to hold out!” Varn knew they wouldn’t be able to hold their ground for long against these trained operatives but he couldn’t bring himself to just simply abandon his friend. He popped up from his cover and loosed several bursts from his rifle before dropping back down. For the briefest moment he looked to the powered mace hanging from his belt, he could charge the one who seemed to be leading this group, potentially causing the enemy to split their attention. Things were just happening to quickly and MC couldn’t keep the hover van sitting under fire for to much longer, Varn would have to make the choice. His eyes locked with Evelyn’s, frustration filled his alien face, this was not a happy Dashade

[Adar Bolner]

The conversation between Varn and Evelyn sounded absurd to Adar. All they needed to do was pull her a few meters more and they would all be to safety. Adar, at that moment was unable to visualize the enemy forces closing in, with barely any fear or intention to give up. He kept shooting towards some of them, and a few of his shots did hit their targets, but aside from one or 2 rounds they barely wounded the enemy. It was, after all, his 3rd time firing a blaster, while the enemy were military level combat experienced.

Still, they were all so close to safety. Adar wanted to, no, felt obligated to help Evelyn. She had been nothing but kind to him. She invited him to the Order. She was as kindhearted as Adar wished he was. She saved him before, when Emic held her blaster in his head. He had to save her now. And to that extent, with his emotions raging on, he steped forward, blinded for the first time in his life to the danger he was putting himself into. At that moment, Varn yelled "get aboard! I’ll go for Jedi Swann!".

The hovervan had finally reached the railing and its door opened. Adar was not aware of this, as in him mind, there was no escape without all of them getting to safety. But the Dashade did not give Adar a request, but a command to board the van and get out of there. He was confident in his abilities, and Adar was putting himself in danger for no reason. And so, Adar felt Varn grab him by the shoulder and shoving him towards the railing. And that came as a surpise, because Adar was no weakling. Three years of factory work, lifting heavy objects and machine parts, had made sure of that. But the Dashade's strength was outstanding. Adar fell flat on the ship's railing, looking down towards the hover van. Looking back at him was a silver droid, signaling for him to drop down. "Varn, you better be right about this." he said to himself, and jumped the railing in order to hang from it, facing towards the ship. What he saw horrified him. The operatives... they were not just closing in. They were moving in intentional ways to corner Evelyn,himself and Varn to one place. Only then, with an open perspective and a clear-ish mind did he see what was happening.

And for that, he felt guilty. Guilty of not being able to save the day.

[Evelyn Swann]

Her wounds were getting worse by the seconds passing by and she watched as Ranger Varn shoved Adar closer to the hover van near the railing, as the small group of enemies came closer and closer. They were truly facing their inner demons today. The hard struggle and inner battle of sacrifice, humility and understanding of what to do in this horrendous situation. The gnawing thoughts trying to have them doubt themselves and the difficult choices that needed to be made. Miss Swann could only hope that both Varn and Adar could control their inner demons and not allow them to burst through. Evelyn still did not know what the Force itself was trying to tell her regarding all this, but she still trusted fully in the Light Side and its guidance. She was to learn something along this challenging path she was on. In due time, she would be taught the reason why. Her journey was long and she still had so much to learn from the Light Side of the Force itself.

At the given moment, young Evelyn was stuck at her current position behind the metal crates just a few metres too far away from safety. And with the constant fire between them, she could not do anything. If Varn used his shield to jump closer, it would be shut into oblivion in a very short amount of time and then he himself would be stuck as well. Which in the young Padawan's mind meant further casualties. Her friend knew her well enough, that this was just not an option if she could prevent it. Which she knew she could, even if it meant she had to wait longer for rescue. If the Silver Mynock was inbound it meant soon, but the hover van couldn't keep up the current attack towards it as well as them. It had to get away.

All she had to do was to get just a bit further away from the present blaster fire while the others got away. She could maybe wait for them to get closer and then fight them off one by one. Her trusted vibrosword, it had yet to fail her in life threatening situations. Her mind tried to come up with a plan, and so far, that was the only solution she could think of. Her hazel orbs met Varn's black ones. His features showed her, that he knew what she was thinking and that he did not approve. Getting a sense of his frustration, Evelyn could only look at him with a facial expression showing understanding and compassion to what he must be feeling. "If they are inbound you two need to get the hover out of here before it becomes scrap! I'll be fine and wait for the Silver Mynock! There is still time, now go! Ranger Varn, don't let me give you an order here! Go!"

She began to move further away from Varn and behind the next pair of metal crates even further away, which she knew the enemies hadn't seen. If she could keep her ground there until the Silver Mynock arrived, then things would be dandy. With her vibrosword drawn, she waited for only but a moment until her sense of danger kicked in and she could sense the presence near her. Young Miss Swann looked around her, but nothing. Squinting her eyes she trusted in her ability through the Force. "I know you are there... show yourself! Who are you, and what in the galaxy do you want from me?" Her grip got tighter around her weapon as she patiently waited for the Zabrak to move or tried to attack. The brunette kept herself calm but could feel herself getting slightly uneasy. This was a really really bad situation she had gotten herself into this time.

[Emic Lai]

Emic had her fun with stealth, but that would not be the path to victory. She leapt from nowhere, and presented herself to her Jedi prey. She cracked her knuckles, wordlessly, and pounced. Batting aside the blade, she closed in with fists, and settled in for a duel with palms and knuckles.

Her unit continued to open fire on the van and its occupants, feeling more to force a retreat than to explicitly kill. Not that another notch on the blaster would be unwelcome.

[Varn Badaash]

Varn spit out a curse in his native tongue before finally giving Evelyn a nod. “We’ll be back for you, we will not give up on you!” He spoke, his voice holding strong under the current pressure. The large Dashade slowly stepped back before turning, activating his shield and rushing towards the van. His right arm raised towards the hostile fire and unleashed a burst from the armors built in Flechette Rifle. It wasn’t much but it would deter the hostiles long enough for Varn to make the jump. His right leg stepped onto the railing and with a grunt he shoved himself from the sea vessel and right into the open door of the hover van. The vehicle rocked as the large alien slammed onto the floor, laser fire causing his shield to ripple around him.

“MC, get us back to the Mynock, now!” His guttural voice ordered the droid.

“Yes Ranger Badaash,” the droid responded as it rushed back into the pilot’s seat.

The hover van pulled away as Varn rose to his feet and gave one last look back towards the ship and Padawan Swann. “I won’t fail you Miss Swann,” he muttered quietly to himself as his hand reached over and activated the closing mechanism. The heavy door slid shut, briefly darkening the interior hold before the lights flickered on.

Varn’s dark eyes looked to the three prisoners slumped on the floor and then finally turned to Adar. Without a word the Dashade motioned for the young man to take a seat before turning and stepping into the door way between the cockpit and hold where he’d just stare over MC’s shoulder till the reached the Silver Mynock.

[Adar Bolner]

As the hover van went further and further away from the ship, Adar could only thing of worse and worse things. He did not utter a single word to Varn, or to MC. He didn't really know what to say. Right now, he felt... sad, angry, disappointed in himself. Things could have gone better. Things should have gone better. He had hope that Evelyn would be fine, but even a Jedi could not face so many enemies at once, let alone a Padawan. But he also worried about his own path forward. He too would face challenges.

But for right now, he closed his eyes, a let a few tears come out.

[Evelyn Swann]

This thread is now officially closed. The story continues in:

A rough first day

Unsafe Grounds