Prying Eyes (KartoffelFogel and 999)

[kartoffelfogel]

OOC: This is just a private little chit-chat between an NPC and Sorsa 'Xirsasai. It's character development, not a real mission.

Pharak 'Nekob
The Drunken Doarmir
High Charity

Pharak 'Nekob had not been doing well. After having one of his investigations closed from on high, he had gotten rather paranoid about conspiracies and Special Operators. He believed that they ran everything, did whatever they wanted, and would be out to get him if he was worth the trouble.

Turned out he was right.

He hunched over a mug of hot cider--he had quit hard drinks after he wound up ranting all of his theories out at a bar on Sanghelios. He had a lot to be depressed about--losing his job on one of the greatest ships in the Fleets--being demoted back down to a Minor--and eventually being slung out of the Covenant military altogether.

Now, he was a private eye. Well, in actuality, he was more of a bounty hunter.

Still, he was good at it. That's another reason he never drank too much. It would numb his senses. Prevent him from noticing--

That Sangheili--the one in the doorway--he's bearing the crest of the Xirsas!

He wheeled around and squinted. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock.

He stood up--the brown leggings and tunic he was wearing snapping with the sound of canvas. His cloak swirled around him, the once velvety black now gray with wear.

Pharak 'Nekob drew his Plasma Pistol--the only weapons civilians could have--and shouted at the figure in the doorway.

"Sorsa 'Xirsasai!"

[Spartan 999]

Special Operations High Inquisitor Sorsa 'Xirsasai

Sorsa walked into the Drunken Doarmir tavern, his thoughts elsewhere. He had hoped to see his wife, Fria Jirasee, here before she had shipped out. But, judging from what he could see, he had missed her. The last time he had even heard her voice in a holo-chat was almost three years ago.

Unfortunately, the Special Operations division did not take lightly to handing out breaks. That was a curse he would have to live with for the foreseeable future.

His thoughts were shattered when he heard his name being shouted at him from the bar. He glanced at who it was. He didn't recognize the other Sangheili, but he did see the plasma pistol being drawn.

Acting on pure instinct, Sorsa rolled behind an empty table. He cut the base with his energy dagger, then pushed it forward to the ground in order to give himself some modicum of cover.

[kartoffelfogel]

Pharak stared in stupefied shock. At long last he had found the person who had inadvertently ruined his life.

And it wasn't as if he had even meant to do so. Before such a high ranking Sangheili, Pharak's life was pocket change.

Doesn't that mean it's not really his fault?

Then Pharak remembered what Sorsa had "inadvertently" done to that poor Minor's skull.

And then the old rage came back.

Pharak raised his Pistol--and then realized just how useless the thing probably was against an Inquisitor. He threw it to the ground.

"You'll pay, Sorsa 'Xirsasai." He shouted. "You've never had to account for anything you did before. You've always gotten away with it. Justice is meaningless to a Special Operator..."

Pharak strode over to where Sorsa was cowering behind a table.

"But vigilante justice? Hah. I'll beat its meaning into you!"

[Spartan 999]

Special Operations High Inquisitor Sorsa 'Xirsasai

Sorsa listened to the unknown Sangheili's rant as he approached. He heard the sound of the plasma pistol hitting the floor; strange for someone to do when they were threatening to kill another.

When the Sangheili was almost able to peer over the edge of the fallen table and see Sorsa behind it, he shoved the table at the attacker. Using the table as a distraction, he rolled to the doorway and leapt out.

[kartoffelfogel]

The table hit him in the midriff--the air was crushed out of his lungs. Pharak hauled in a deep breath, just in time to see his quarry rush out.

Not again. They always get away with it. Always.

Pharak looked down at his discarded Plasma Pistol. Well, maybe not this time.

Pharak swept up his Plasma Pistol and holstered it before rushing out of The Drunken Doarmir. Opening the door to the crowded streets of High Charity, he cursed. Many times had his quarry escaped him in the warren of streets and alleys of this portion of the holy city.

Of course, this time, his quarry was another Sangheili. Sorsa 'Xirsasai stood head and shoulders above the crowd.

"Sorsa 'Xirsasai!" He bellowed. "You must answer for your crimes!"

[Spartan 999]

Special Operations High Inquisitor Sorsa 'Xirsasai

Sorsa slid to a stop in front of an Unggoy fruit vender, his eyes roving quickly over the wares. He grabbed a fairly large, circular fruit that had a rigid skin. He spun it in the air, satisfied with its weight.

"I'll pay you later..." He grunted to the Unggoy. He looked around to see the one Sangheili who had attacked him standing outside the Drunken Doarmir, once more shouting his name.

Sorsa gripped the fruit, then hurled it at the Sangheili's head. He followed up by charging through the crowd at the aggressor; he made quick progress, as no one wanted to stay in front of one of the largest Sangheili who was sprinting as fast as he could.

If the other Sangheili shot at him, he would use one of the passing Unggoy's or Kig-yar as shields before entering melee with him.

[kartoffelfogel]

Pharak opened fire--into the air.

The shots sizzled out, and the crowd melted away. He bellowed at them for good measure: "away with you all! The fight is between and that High Inquisitor." he snarled. "I have no quarrel with you. So begone!"

The bounty hunter hurled his Pistol away, and stood squarely in front of the rushing Inquisitor, daring him to charge. He then stepped forward with his left foot, angling his body to reduce the target. He raised his left hand defensively, while keeping his dominant right hand at his hip, ready for a power punch.

He spread his mandibles wide and roared, his brown robe fluttering and exaggerating his movements.

[Spartan 999]

High Inquisitor Sorsa 'Xirsasai

Sorsa skidded to a halt a few meters away from the other Sangheili, his previously concealed plasma pistol now aimed at the aggressor.

"Who are you and why do you wish to kill me?" Sorsa rumbled, crimson eyes narrowing slightly.

[kartoffelfogel]

Pharak looked baffled for a moment, and then broke out in rueful laughter.

"You do not ever remember, do you? Very well. I remember you clearly. Tell me, do you recall Sino 'Baiyonee? No? I didn't think so."

"Needless to say, he does not remember you, either. He's been comatose since the day you caved his skull in."

The bounty hunter maintained his stance, but began to shift his weight slightly from front foot to back foot, in the classic combat stance he had been taught, like all other warrior Sangheili, at the War Academy.

"I have discarded my pistol so as to fight you with honor. Do the same, Sorsa 'Xirsasai. Regain some of that honor you discarded when you became an Inquisitor, and thought yourself above the law."

[Spartan 999]

Special Operations High Inquisitor Sorsa 'Xirsasai

"I surrendered my 'honor' long before I became an Inquisitor or even a Special Operator." Sorsa responded. He tossed the pistol to the side, not even hearing the clatter as it fell to the floor. He drew an item with each hand, then tossed one of them at Pharak. An unlit energy sword.

Ultraviolet light flared as Sorsa activated his sword and went into a fighting stance.

[kartoffelfogel]

A sword?

Pharak looked down at the handle he held in shock. He had never...been close to one...let alone touch one...until now.

"I--cannot. I have not yet earned this...and unlike you, I have not yet surrendered my honor."

He activated the Energy Sword--and threw it at Sorsa. The blade swirled, cutting through the dark right at his opponent. He timed his movement just as he shifted his weight onto his forward foot--using it to anchor himself, he sent his right hoof into a hip-powered roundhouse kick, aimed right at the Inquisitor's head. The blade would distract him--not much, but perhaps enough to score even a glancing blow at the Inquisitor's head.

[Spartan 999]

Special Operations High Inquisitor Sorsa 'Xirsasai

"Too bad, then."

Sorsa beat the hurled sword aside with his own. His left hand grabbed Pharak's leg, and he used it to pull the other Sangheili closer as he stepped forward, deactivated his sword, and attempted to punch him in the abdomen.

[kartoffelfogel]

The idiot grabbed his leg and pulled. Had he never been taught anything at the War Academy? Pharak reveled in his good luck--Sorsa was large, but apparently, he was also stupid. He twisted in Sorsa's grip, as his enemy pulled--the punch glanced off his midriff, connecting but not winding.

He took advantage of Sorsa's own strength by using his pull to power the knee he drove right at his gut, as he used his two free hands to simultaneously block and strike--both hands moved in hammer punches, straightening at the elbow, as if to knock on Sorsa's head the way one would knock on a door.

OOC: Tip; in a real fight, NEVER grab an opponent's leg unless you're 1) twisting it to unbalance them or 2) going for a sweep. Most people will just kick you AGAIN, and chances are their leg is going to be stronger than both your arms. Unfortunately, Sorsa made another blunder--NEVER pull an enemy straight onto you.

[Spartan 999]

Special Operations High Inquisitor Sorsa 'Xirsasai

(OOC: Gee, thanks, you noticed I don't know the first thing about real fist-fights.)

Sorsa ducked back to avoid the blows, his left arm throwing Pharak's leg up high so as to unbalance him. As he leaned back, he kicked at the other Sangheili's lower body with both hooves before rolling back to a crouching position.

[kartoffelfogel]

OOC: Now why the FUCK did I tell you what to do correctly? I'm sorry, let me rephrase that--if you grab someone's leg, the correct defensive maneuver is to lie down on the ground face-down, with your legs splayed apart.


Pharak loosened his body, and took advantage of Sorsa's push. As his opponent cranked his leg skyward, he moved with the motion and flipped over, snapping his rear leg just out of the way as Sorsa rolled beneath him.

Seeing his opponent crouched before him once more, Pharak pressed his momentum, staying on the offensive. He burst at Sorsa, using light and fast fist movements that were aimed to sting and disorient, while keeping his weight on his back foot, primed for a front kick.