Star Wars - Tales from the Outer Rim

"Dawn Assault"
By: Rylaa Lyssander - PC
Lani Vissip - NPC+
Lorgal - NPC+
Kurt von Shultz - NPC+
Captain Blake - NPC

Location: Avalon VI
Date: Rheudis 6, 4ABY

***

The day of the assault had arrived. Rylaa's small contingent of men had moved to their designated hiding places on the ridge circling the Imperial camp. The high ground the and thick jungle terrain would mask their numbers well. The PAX-25 Firefoxes would hide deeper in the jungle until they were called. Rylaa himself, along with Lorgal and Lani, would form their own group to find and kill the enemy colonel.

The misinformation they had fed to Dr. Carlyle appeared to have been delivered to Empire. The Imperials seemed to have no idea that they were coming for that had not increased patrols or fattened up their standing guard. None of the crew served weapons they had scattered around the perimeter were manned either.

Rylaa didn't want a single man escaping the camp alive. He would allow nothing to interfere with his exploration of the Jedi Temple. In his eyes, the was an execution not a battle. The Empire had dared to tread where they were not wanted and for that they would be punished.

The death of the couple hundred men here would not weigh on Rylaa's conscious at all, even though he knew they truly stood no chance against his armor. His days of sparing the lives of a few backwater soldiers were over. Now nothing else mattered except his rise to power. He would step on just about anyone to climb to the top.

Rylaa and his group were only about 40 meters from the main entrance to the camp. It was not heavily guarded but they did not want to be seen until the colonel was dead. Once the attack began and confusion set in, it would be a simple thing to sneak past the few guards here.

Standing next to them was Captain Blake, who would be coordinating the attack and making sure every piece of the plan happened precisely on time.

Something suddenly struck Rylaa as odd and he turned to look at the security officer. "Captain... weren't you just a lieutenant when we landed?"

Blake turned his head slightly to acknowledge his boss but kept his eyes glued to the digital map in his hand. "Yessir," he replied simply.

"So how did you get a promotion in the week that we've been here?" Rylaa asked.

"Policy, sir," Blake said with only the hint of a grin.

"Policy?" Rylaa asked in an incredulous voice. "How do you figure that?"

"Easy, sir. Security policy states that person in charge of a mission should be at least of a captain's rank. Since there was no one else around of higher rank in the security department, I gave myself a field promotion."

"Smooth, captain," Rylaa said with a grin. "Very smooth." Perhaps he would make that promotion permanent, the captain was obviously a man with some intelligence to him.

"Standby to begin on my mark," Blake murmured into his comm.

As the first rays of light worked their way from behind the mountains and spread across the valley, the Ares men opened fire.

Crimson spears of energy stabbed downwards into the cluster of tents that had been identified as the primary living quarters for the officers of the Imperial Army. The plan Rylaa had developed called for as much confusion and chaos as possible. What better way to cause disorganization and by eliminating the many heads of the hydra before the body awoke.

The hail of blaster fire stopped after several minutes as the troopers moved to their second positions. After the next barrage, they were to move and fire independently in order to conceal their numbers and make the enemy believe their were actually more of them.

Down in the camp, bedlam had ensued. The officer's tents had been completely demolished and many were still burning. Half-dressed stormtroopers rushed every which way, only a few holding weapons. Without their officers to give orders, they could remain in this state for quite some time. Independent thinking is not something that is encouraged at the Imperial Academy.

The second torrent of blaster bolts rained down on the area where the Empire was keeping their speeders and two walkers. The small arms fire would have very little effect on the heavy armor of the chicken legged machines, but it would be devastating to the unarmored speederbikes. Several of the vehicles exploded as fuel tanks were breached and set aflame. The blast caught a couple of scouts headings towards their bikes and flung the scorched bodies into the middle of a throng of stormtroopers.

Four blasts could be heard along the ridgeline as the Firefoxes lifted up on their jump jets. Two of them fired dual salvos of missiles at the still inert ATSTs. The armor piercing warheads tore through the heavy durasteel as if it were paper and detonated inside. In a flash of light and heat, the Empire's most deadly weapons on-planet disappeared.

The power armor suits landed in the center of the camp and opened fire on everything in sight. The heavy repeating blasters laid waste to flesh and canvas alike as both personnel and tents fell into crosshairs. The shields of the suits flashed occasionally as they absorbed the few shots of return fire aimed in their direction.

***Commander's Tent***

Kurt jerked awake as the first blaster opened fire. The informant had been wrong about the state of the enemy, saying they were fearful and ready to leave at any time. It didn't matter though, for Kurt had seen through the obvious deception. He knew that the corporate suit running the show for the other side was intelligent, and he might have thought that the simple trick would work. But he did not have a military mind, nor did he understand it.

Attacking a force a ten times as large as his own, though, was something the Kurt had not anticipated. Especially when he had his walkers at his disposal. It was a foolish plan that would cost his opponent dearly. The flap to his tent opened as Kurt finished dressing in his uniform. He expected the news to be how the enemy had already been rooted out and eliminated.

"Sir!" the messenger practically shouted. "The officer's tents have been hit badly. We're not sure how many of them survived, but it's not many."

Kurt silently thanked whatever force had told him to place his own tent away from the other, and added a congratulations to his opponent for the masterful move. "It doesn't matter," he replied calmly, no emotion showing on his face. "Get the scouts out right away and bring the walkers online. The bloodflies will not be allowed to bite us again.

The private saluted and rushed out to replay the colonel's orders. Kurt decided that if any of the corporate troops were captured alive, he would execute them personally. The loss of his officers was a devastating blow, but one that he could recover from. His well disciplined stormtroopers would rally quickly and stop this menace.

A series of explosions went off in the distance as Kurt finished tucked his large caliber pistol into its holster. The same messenger as before stuck his soot covered face in and said, "Sir, the motor pool's been hit. Several of the speeders are gone and most of them have been disabled. A couple of our scouts are gone too, caught in the explosion. Lieutenant Gramn is estimating the enemies strength to be about 30 or 40."

"Nonsense," Kurt said to the private. "The enemy could not have concealed that large a force from us for that long. Have lieutenant Gramn gather as many men as possible and send them up that ridgeline right away. I want the enemy flushed out and eliminated!"

The messenger saluted and ran off. Kurt ducked through the opening and stepped into the smoky air just in time to see his two ATSTs explode magnificently. Normally a calm and collected man under pressure, his jaw dropped open. His armor... his walkers! They were the key to the operation, and they had been swatted like flies.

His stunned gaze followed the white contrails left by the missiles and he watched the four suits of power armor land. Flames and shouts of pain soared up from the area they landed in. This was a bad situation, he knew. His most experienced officers had all been killed or injured, his troops had been thrown into almost total confusion, and his armor assets had just been blown sky high. All in just a few minutes. The surprise attack had been swift and ruthless, there was no way he was going to be able to salvage this.

Then the commlink had his belt beeped in a sequence that made a rather diabolical grin spread across his face. The Indefinable had returned early, bringing with her the rest of Kurt's forces. There was no way the enemy could have anticipated the Star Destroyer. With his ship and the rest of his troopers here, he would crush the corporate clowns who dared to play their hand against him.

***Outside the Imperial Camp***

Rylaa and his crew crept through the ruins of the camp looking for their target. They had taken it upon themselves to eliminate the Imperial commanders. If they could remove the last of the hydra's heads, the body might just finish twitching and finally die.

Rylaa crouched down behind the remains of a large tent and poked his head around the corner. Apparently, the colonel was able to organize some resistance as blaster fire was now going both ways. Stormtroopers had hidden themselves behind various barriers and were firing their E-11s at both the PAX-25s and into the jungle. The colonel himself stood in the middle of the ring of the white armored shock troops, directing his troops calmly and with a bit of a smile on his face. He had something up his sleeve, Rylaa's instinct warned, something that would break them if not beaten first.

"Lorgal, hose them down. Lani, the imp brass is right in the middle. You can't miss him, he's the only one in black!"

Both of them nodded and Lorgal stood, brandishing his heavy repeater in one massive hand. Blaster bolts poured from the normally crew served weapon as the babarel swept it from side to side. Most of the stormtroopers hit the ground with well trained reflexes, the slower ones practically got cut in half.

But they had all underestimated the courage of the scrawny little colonel. While the rest of his men either died or ducked for cover, Kurt smoothly drew his huge slugthrower and fire. The massive .75 recoilless shell hit Lorgal in the shoulder, blowing right through his hardened black scales and out the other side.

The barabel flew backwards in a cloud of blood and scales, hitting the dirt with an "Oopmh," and laying very still. Both Rylaa and Lani knew there was nothing they could do for him, not there, now now. Except take a bit of revenge that is.

Lani rose from behind the tent with almost inhuman speed and drew both her custom DL-44s. In the split second it had taken her to find Kurt, she already had her targets picked out. Both guns barked only once. The first of the heavy bolts caught Kurt in his still outstretched hand, taking it off at the wrist and cauterizing the stump. The other skimmed the side of his stomach, missing only because of the way he had been moving.

At the sight of their commander being hit by enemy fire, the living stormtroopers reacted instantly. Three of them jumped to their feet and covered him with their bodies while those on the ground opened up on Lani's position. Kurt tucked his ruined stump into his uniform jacket and pulled out a commlink with his good hand.

Rylaa had dropped to the dirt and rolled out from the flimsy cover of the ruined tent. His blaster flashed several times and two of the stormtroopers died. "Lani!" he shouted. "Drag him the hell out of here!"

Lani nodded and, after snapping off a few more shots of her own, turn to help the fallen Lorgal. Rylaa pulled three microgrenades out of his belt pouch and lobbed them towards a group of stormtroopers. They couldn't react fast enough and the explosion pitched them into the air. Most of the ones that landed whole made an odd crunching sound on impact.

A roar overhead announced the arrival of a Lambda class assault shuttle. The boxy ship landed quickly, the anti-personnel guns on the wings swiveling and firing at anything that moved. The back door came down with a whump and three squads of battle ready stormtroopers ran down the ramp to take up defensive positions.

Kurt had decided that in order for his wonderful Empire to survive and eventually regain its former glory, it would need his continued leadership. Therefore, his life was more important than those of his men. If he had too, he would sacrifice them all to save himself.

Cradling his injured arm, Kurt ran through the hail of blaster fire to reach the safety of the shuttle. As soon as he was close enough, a squad surrounded him and helped him into the ship. The doors slammed shut and the shuttle lifted off on full power just a couple of minutes after it had landed. Several missiles fired from the Firefoxes followed the ship up, but only one impacted with little effect.

The remaining two squads of stormtroopers were quickly mowed down from the fury unleashed by the combined firepowers of the four PAX-25s. Soon, the only sounds that could be heard in the camp were the roar of the fires and the groans of the wounded.

The remaining seven security men came down from the ridge and stood around Rylaa, waiting. Not a one of them had come out of the battle unscathed. He looked at the each in the eye and simply said, "No survivors."

Each of them nodded and then spread out to begin the dirty work. Rylaa watched them for a few minutes with a cold look in his eye before he turned to check on his fallen friend. His execution was finished.

***The Indefinable - Sickbay, several hours later***

Kurt watched the large viewscreen from his bed in the sickbay. The world of Avalon VI turned gently on its axis against a backdrop of stars. Down there, on that world where he had left many of his men to die, was the woman who had taken his hand, who had forced him to mount the hideous metal replacement at the end of his wrist. She would die for what she did. Yes... die very slowly.

He should orders his legions down to the planet, have them lay waste to everything living thing there. He should order his TIE bomber wings with blast the planet into rubble, down to the last microbe! But no, his prize was down there and he wanted it intact. Besides, he would rather they think that they had won. Think that they had escaped punishment for their crime.

When they tried to leave the planet, he would be waiting for them. His ship and its fighters would tear them to pieces. He only wished that there was someway to see the look of fear on their faces when the Indefinable opened fire on them them. Their fates were his to play with as he chose, right now, and the very thought of that much power sent a tingle through Kurt's spine.

Yes, let them try to escape, to run with their treasure. And if they did manage to slip past his elite pilots and gunners, then he would hound them to the end of the galaxy and back! He would have his revenge, at any cost.

"Searching for Wolves in Sheep's Clothing"
by: Vorasha Fydu'op (NPC)

Location: Arcadia, Chimaeria
Date: Rheudis 6, 4ABY

***

Vorasha had remained low key as he moved about the capital city. It had already been nearly two weeks and he had made little contact with his past informants. Some he learned were dead, others arrested for some crime or another. Over all it looked bleak.

He assumed that to a human, one Rodian looked no different than another. In truth, there were enough distinctions that his own species easily could tell who's who. As a result, he stayed where there was less chance running into one of his countrymen and getting recognized.

The city was more vibrant than last time and he didn't consider liberation to have played a significant role in that. Instead, he traveled around by air speeder trying in vain to drum up information and financial contacts to improve his little nest egg.

Beyond the pristine image of a world capital, was the seedy underground. Hardly noticed by those in power, it was the home of the have-nots. It was here that Vorasha trudged through the garbage, passing a Pa'lowick prostitute attempting to solicit him for a night of ultimate pleasure for just short of a king's ransom. There was quite a bit of illegal activity here, including forged New Republic identity papers. With a scanner, he authenticated one of these papers and so bought one for himself.

He found whom he was looking for in a small dispensary that catered to the weird and unusual crowd. Only the bravest humans would dare come to this place less they might end up on the menu. Vorasha saw the tall Whiphid, Fydu'op, eating raw flesh. His table was covered in blood and pieces of meat that were simply ripped apart rather than sliced with a utensil.

"Toothface." Only Vorasha got away with calling Fydu'op by that disparaging name, gained by their prominent tusks.

"I am surprised to see you here, Vorasha."

"Much has changed and I need you to educate me." Vorasha sat down, pushing away some of the meat in front of him.

"Without storm troopers nearby, you seem out of place," boasted Fydu'op.

"I don't need stormtroopers in order to kill you so don't try to amuse me. Back to my request."

Fydu'op sighed. "Always difficult you are. What is it that you seek to know for it will cost you?"

"Do you know of any Imperials still here in Arcadia?" Vorasha leaned closer so as not to be overheard by the other patrons.

The Whiphid didn't seem overly surprised by the question. "Even with the Emperor dead, you still seek his embrace? To each his own. Imperials today don't advertise their allegiances like they used to. Not a healthy thing to do so be advised for your own sake."

"Let me worry about my health, Toothface. Answer me," Vorasha insisted, more than willing to take out his blaster as an added incentive.

"To be honest, I am unsure."

"Make discreet inquiries. I will keep in touch." Vorasha stood up.

"It will be expensive..."

"Just do it," the mercenary demanded then left, leaving Fydu'op to flip out his commlink and make a few calls.

"Still On The Case"
By: Chun Li - pilot and PI

Location: Arcadia
Date: Rheudis 6, 4 ABY

***

Li was again back in the cantina, as she had been yesterday, and the day before. Yesterday Zarrak had been there as well, but Li hadn't followed him. Better go slow on this, as her target was a bounty hunter, and therefore she had to assume he knew something about trailing people. Not as well trained as she was, but he had learned, otherwise he would have been a bad bounty hunter, and a bad bounty hunter quickly became dead bounty hunters.

But she had to figure out where he lived, so tonight she would follow him. It was still stone cold, and that was an advantage, as people tend to move faster and not look around when it was cold. Just getting home was more important. Luckily it also wasn't too late when Zarrak left, and Li, after paying the bill, left as well. She had been going around this hour all three times she had been here before.

She followed the Dug from a safe distance. There weren't too many people on the streets, and following was easy. However, those people who were on the street were dressed for the cold, meaning that they could be hiding blaster carbines under their coats, and nobody would be any the wiser. The same, of course, went for Li, but she only had a standard DL-44 blaster pistol, which should be more then enough.

Zarrak was easy to follow, and didn't really look behind him. As far as she knew he wasn't force sensitive, something dangerous to assume, but she had no other choice. Clearly her other information was correct, as he went in the direction of the palace. She wasn't sure if he lived there, or was on his way to a business meeting, but that was not all that important at the moment. This was only the first time she followed him, and she would find that out later.

She had to let him go as he entered the palace, but she did make a tour around the facility, looking for the placement of guards and cameras, should entry be necessary. Again, only a first quick tour, with more information to follow later. After doing her tour, she went back to her apartment, where she put everything she had seen on a datapad. This would be updated as she went along. She would also try to get floor plans of the palace, but that was also for later.

"Betrayal and Betrayed"
by: Alisson Blair
Jadda the Hutt
Vorgoth
and Jukwon Tallos

Location: Tae'Sollar Desert, Podrace Arena
Date: Rheudis 6, 4 ABY

***

Another profitable day in the Tae'Sollar gauntlet. There were so many ways to profit from a racing arena that it just seemed too easy to set things up. Of course, if not for the fact that the podraces themselves were dangerous and illegal in some systems, it would not be the spectacle that it was.

Jadda was pleased with the profits that he was making. More even, when his own pilot was one of the best and was winning on several occasions. Indeed, things were quite good and calm, and even the other crimelords would not dare to go up against him. It was certain death to go against a Hutt.

***

She viewed the arena. She didn't like places like that. She thought that it was not at all what she liked to remember from her home planet, back before the Empire, before there even was a gauntlet. There were just too many that were criminals now and just a concentration of scum and villany.

But even amidst those who walked the podrace arena, she could feel something different. She knew that Jadda's personal guard would probably be there, and yet there was something else as well. She couldn't quite say what it was, but it was as if she felt a warning.

***

He watched her from above. He despised all that she stood for. To him she was weak, foolish and afraid to use her power. It was pathetic to see that she had so much potential and refrained from using it for her own.

He wanted to go after her and battle. It had been a while since he tested his skills with a lightsaber against someone worthy, and yet, he knew that doing such a thing in front of Jadda would displease him. The people would not be satisfied and would not want to come back on the idea that it wasn't safe.

Well, any place could be unsafe if it depended on Vorgoth. Of course, in the end he would have to think of something else. Jadda wanted to benefit from his own deals and his own money. He wanted power, yes, but not real raw power... And as of late, Vorgoth was not seeing his deal with the Hutt being kept by the large slug. Perhaps it was time for him to play his own cards.

***

"Place that on that shelf," he told the pit droid. Jukwon had just been working on his podracer, making some repairs after the last race. Well, it wasn't exactly his podracer, and he knew that Jadda would never let him have it for himself.

But new times had arisen and it was time for him to move on. The podracing season was over and he would search new goals in life. Perhaps enlist in the New Republic or something...

It was then that someone else entered. He felt as if he knew the woman who came in, but wasn't too sure. She was, however beautiful. He decided to see what she wanted.

"How can I help you?"

"You can't... I'm not sure what I'm doing here. But the Force guided me here for a reason," she answered.

"The Force... You're a Jedi," he assumed, since she didn't look mean. Not at all like Vorgoth. "Well, there's not much here. Only this podracer and the pit droids. I'm the only human," he told her.

"Wrong..." someone spoke as he left the shadows. Vorgoth ignited his blade and moved in closer. "We meet again, Jedi."

Alisson recognized the man. She had first met him perhaps when the High Princess was murdered. She had met him after that as well. She was sure of what he wanted, and unsure of whether this was the feeling she had felt before.

Still, there wasn't much she could do. Igniting her blade, she moved in and motioned for Jukwon to get aside. He had nothing to do with this, and could get in the way, endangering his life.

"You fear for his life... If he can't defend himself, he may not be worthy of having it!" Vorgoth hissed. "I would have killed him before if not for Jadda wanting him alive."

Jukwon took out a blaster and pointed it at Vorgoth.

"Fool..." Vorgoth laughed. "Normally I don't kill unarmed people. It just doesn't feel as a challenge. But you just changed the rules!" he said. And with that he used the Force to plunge a metal spike from a parts box straight into Jukwon's back.

With the surge of pain, Jukwon fired his blaster and the shot went straight at Vorgoth, but the dark one fended it off with his double bladed weapon and sent it back at the pilot, hitting him.

"His life was in your hands... Had you not come here, he might still be alive to see tomorrow..." Vorgoth teased.

"In that case, I will have you join him," she replied.

Her sentence made Vorgoth angry enough to strike at her. He moved with his lightsaber in a circular motion and took her lightsaber out of the way, enough for him to kick her. But she was faster, and kicked him first, sending him a few feet back.

Alisson then moved fast and fended off Vorgoth's attempts to lash out and ducked just before he could cut her head, pushing him back with her torso and pushing out at his leg. She was able to cut him, but only superficially.

Vorgoth ground his teeth and moved again. He jumped at her and struck hard with his lightsaber on her side. She was able to parry the first strike but the second one scratched her arm, burning it a little.

"Now we are even..." he grinned.

She moved fast and took a defensive stance. When Vorgoth came at her, she dodged and pushed his lightsaber to the side. When she had an opening, she stretched out her hand and Force pushed him away, sending him far off into the wall.

"Stop! In the name of Jadda the Hutt!" someone called. It was Jadda's Majordomo. By her side stood the large slug himself.

"Or what?" Vorgoth asked as he got up and got closer to the Hutt. "She must be dealt with..."

"Nopa wata, stupa! Nudcha goola che poonoo!" Jadda replied.

"Business... For too long have I laid down my arms for you to have business and profit. But this deal we had is not profitable for me. I will have what I want, or you will suffer the consequence..." Vorgoth warned.

"Magi...Dopa-Meeky koochoo! Jee wa koona chuba crispo!"

"No... I don't think you will," Vorgoth grinned.

Jadda could see that he was not bluffing. He had never known Vorgoth to bluff anyhow, so he had decided that he should grant Vorgoth his wish. It would certainly keep him alive enough to think of a solution. And yet, there was no time for discussion anymore. Vorgoth slashed through the Twi'lek woman, killing her instantly and then twisted his blade and pushed it through the Hutt's head, killing him also.

"I have no more ties, no more deals... I will kill you next, Jedi, and do things my way..." he laughed.

Alisson turned to him and positioned herself. There wasn't much time, and not much that she could do. It was either kill or be killed, and that was perhaps what she had first felt when she arrived at the arena.

Vorgoth gathered what power he had left and lashed out at her. He gave all he had in one powerful blow, all his anger, all his might, he would kill her and win.

She closed her eyes and let the Force control her hands, her movements, her entire body. When she felt it was right she struck at him. For a moment, there was nothing, no feelings, no sound except for the humming of the two lightsabers, no movements.

Vorgoth had fallen, dead. She looked at his body, cut in a diagonal way and split in two. She then realized that her victory had not come without a cost. She too had been struck at. Vorgoth's blade had trespassed her and it was fatal. She felt herself lose strength and perish, but it was not a bad sense.

There was no more pain, there was only the Force.

"The Revenge"
By Cloud Everblades
Tidus Highwind

Location: Yallder District, New Plouton
Date: Rheudis 6, 4 ABY

***

Cloud motioned through the streets of the New Plouton seeing the traffic of that day. The people worried in their lives, thinking that the rebel group was still functioning, but in the end it was abandoned by the people that they sought for aid, but in the end there was no funds. Each person went to their respect lives, others decided with the money they had left to leave that awful place that some people called a planet, but to people like Cloud and the rebels saw a place of corruption, where villains see that planet as the land of opportunity.

Cloud began to hate its people that would like to be ruled by two tyrants, the Jedi did nothing for the people and the politicians were corrupt and vile. Cloud hated it and he wished to leave that planet and forget that he was ever there, but before he left he had an unfinished mission that made him come to this planet in the first place.

He walked inside the building and saw a lobby, which was a dirty and disgusting place. A few people were sitting on large sofas that Cloud saw needed retirement. In front of Cloud stood the horrible painted balcony with a man that hadn't seen a shower for several months.

Cloud approached him. "Hi, Can you tell me which room Srin Taru is in?"

The man looked at him with a questioned look and then looked away. "He is in room 215."

"Thank you!" Cloud said, he walked to the stairs and began to climb it.

When he arrived to the second floor, Cloud took a look to the writing on the wall that pointed the way to room 215. He took the left like the sign said and began to see the numbers on the door; after few minutes he saw the room he wanted. Room 215.

He took out his blaster pistol and knocked on the door. There was sound in the room and then stopped.

"Who is it?" A voice inside the room said.

"It's room service," Cloud said, disguising his voice.

"I didn't asked for room service?"

"Well sir. I have an order that you did!" Cloud said, continuing with his disguising voice.

There was a walk near the room and the unlocking of the door. Then Cloud blasted towards the door and slammed it. The man that was behind the door was thrown to the floor.

Cloud entered the room, with blaster at hand glancing towards every part of the room Then to the man on the floor that was drawing his blaster. Cloud with a quick move, he blasted the man on the leg and then climbed down taking his blaster. Then another man exited from the next room, Cloud moved his blaster and not taking his aim he fired.

His blue energy ray exited from his blaster and hit on the man's head. Cloud moved towards the room and looked at it and nobody was there and then he went to search the other rooms and it was clean he entered the main room where the man agonizing in pain was.

"Did you think you would get away that easy?" Cloud said, still with his blaster at hand.

"Cloud. Look, man, I followed an order, that is all!"

"Oh really, Srin. So you were ordered to rape her? Were you ordered to kill her in cold blood?" Cloud said with an angry voice.

"Look, I'm honest I didn't rape her that was Tidus, Sergei and Karion," Srin said, with his hand on the wound.

"Then you were there! To see who it was you saw the responsible for my wife's death!"

"Look, Cloud, It was an accident, she tried to escape after the rape and I had to stop her." He paused seeing Cloud raising the blaster towards his head. "She could identify us and if I didn't kill her, she would suffer more horrible death from Tidus."

"You expect me to believe that? I heard the same excuses from Sergei and Karion when I killed them. Why I should believe you?" Cloud said pointing his blaster towards Srin's head.

"Because it is the honest truth," Srin said, scared.

Cloud watched the man in panic, and began to back off. "Now you are going to tell me where is Tidus Highwind!"

"I don't know and I don't care where he is," Srin said, still scared. "He creeps me out man."

"Why?"

"He is been out of his mind ever since his planet was destroyed. I don't know. It all started where we joined to roam the galaxy, ever since Firalag was destroyed. It was all fine, and then a few months later we began to notice some changes in Tidus. He began to order that we attack a cruiser. Some of us refused and he angrily killed in cold blood several of them. The people were scared, but we attacked the cruiser and we killed innocents. Some of the people began to like to be pirates, but others were against, so Tidus gather them up on the cruiser with the rest of the survivors of the cruiser and other his trusted men to fire." The man began to sit on the floor.

"Some of us that was scared decided to maintain our silence and follow his orders. Until the day we kidnapped your wife. At first he liked to intimidate her, but she was a wilder prisoner than Tidus had ever had. So he decided to punish her by raping her. Then his right men were next. When they left orders for me to guard her and I knew the consequences of failure. So that was why when she tried to flee I killed her."

Cloud made a face of anger. "Then what?"

"Then with the death of your wife, he went to a planet where we were stationed and I never heard him since the day you raided and killed Tidus men. I heard that he was now serving some woman in this area that raided several ships, the most recently attacked the Drogen Shipyards. I want your protection, man. He's coming after me."

Cloud got up and tried to get Srin up. "You are going to my planet to be punished according to our laws."

As Srin got up, there was shot heard. Srin fell to his knees, blood began to exit his mouth and second shot was heard that hit for a second time and Srin body fell to the floor. Cloud knew that it was Tidus was behind this attack, he tried to see from here the two shots came, without exposing his head to the shooter.

Then he saw something flying towards him. Knowing what it was Cloud got up ran towards the exit, jumping to one of the sides of the corridor. An explosion was heard, that knocked part of the wall over Cloud. He could feel the heat of the fire and the dissipated.

Cloud got up, seeing what was left of the room was burning he tried to get out of the corridor to the stairs. He looked down and saw weapons firing downstairs. Cloud knew that tidus men had killed the people. The he saw Tidus face down. Their eyes meet and Cloud instead taking his blaster to kill him decided to run up the stairs towards the roof.

Tidus fired his blaster towards Cloud. "Come on!"

Cloud reached the roof and hided towards the side where the sniper where located. He stayed near the entrance waiting for Tidus Men approached, when he heard feet climbing up the stairs, Cloud took out a Thermal Grenade and activated it and threw down the stairs. Then he ran as fast has he could out of there.

Tidus was in the lead and when he saw the thermal grenade being dropped, he ran as fast as he could towards the door of the roof and fast away from the place. When the thermal grenade exploded, he was thrown a few feet high and fell righ on the edge of the roof. He saw the street down below, he drag himself to the roof.

Cloud was also thrown to the ground , he got up and saw the access stairs to the roof had disappeared and part of the roof too. He got up and noticed that he lost his blaster he looked it everywhere and saw Tidus getting up.

The Cloud decided to run towards him and grabbed him just as he was getting up, by surprise. Cloud hit several times in Tidus face, before he reacted pushing with his feet way from him. "You are pain in the butt."

"You are going to pay for what you have done, Tidus." Cloud charged again using his feet and feet to take him out, but Tidus defended and when he got the chance counterattacked.

Tidus began to motion to the center of the room pushing Cloud to the edge that lead to the fire that was erupting in the upper floors. Tidus catch Cloud hands and brought him closer. "How's the wife?"

Cloud made anger face and with movement of his head hit on Tidus face heard, but Tidus was still holding his arms, he hit with his head on tidus head, again and again, until Tidus released Cloud.

Tidus nose was broken in several places and blood covered his entire face. He looked at Cloud and moved with his fist towards Cloud face, he blocked some and then Cloud ran towards him, grabbing and throwing both of them to the ground near the edge of the roof.

Cloud pushed Tidus head to the edge and then Tidus spin and moved Cloud's face to the edge. "Nice view isn't it, Cloud?"

Cloud say nothing, he saw blaster not far from him, near the edge of the roof. He tried to extend his arm to get it, but he barely touched it.

Tidus realizing that the blaster was not far from there he left Cloud alone and grabbed the blaster. He spin around to shot at Cloud, but this motioned and kicked on the blaster that threw a few meters away.

Cloud Now get up kicked Tidus in the face and several times on his stomach. With his face full of blood and wounds from the fight he walked near the Blaster and turned around to Tidus.

Four shots were heard and Cloud saw Tidus imposing a blaster, Cloud's blaster and there was smoke exiting from barrel of the Blaster. Cloud walked few meter to the side and fell of the edge to the street, but before his body hit the ground, he felt his spirit to fly and to see the face of his beloved wife.

Tidus got up, with his face all bruised up and covered in Blood got to the edge and looked down and saw Cloud's dead body laying on the ground has several people came close to him. An then another explosion was heard, the huge fire ball, exited from the windows breaking its windows. The flames were now higher; tidus ran quickly to the side and saw a very old access latter.

He started to climb down the stairs, but began to see that parts that maintain the stairs to the wall was extremely old. The latters began to shiver everywhere and Tidus quicken the pace to get to the ground an another explosion was heard that shook the wall where the stairs where at, and then the stairs began to fall to the ground, stopping a few feet not far from the ground, but the stairs stopping so quickly made Tidus let go and fell to several tons of garabage was located.

Tidus got up and grabbed his arm, he looked at it and saw that he dislocated his shoulder and quickly got out of there before the authorities arrived.

After walking a while, a few blocks away from the burning building, Tidus began to thought that he escaped to tell the tail, when suddenly a van speeder stopped near him and several people exited pointing blasters at him.

"Who are you?" Tidus asked, confused.

"You can say we are friends of Cloud Everblades and his wife and this is their revenge!" The four men that stood there pointing blasters towards Tidus fired at him.

Tidus body shivered being hit by the several energy rays. His body hit the near wall and fell to the ground. The four men stopped firing and approached the lifeless corpse and then finished their rounds, until they were sure that Tidus was dead and that his dead body would be unrecognized, so that in the after life the God of the Underworld would recognize is unrecognized body so that the he paid severely for the crimes that he committed.