Jedi Insurgency 156

Bane’s blaster shot cracked through the cantina with a high pitched whine. The ruby bolt lanced toward the back of Corvus’s head, striking his beskar helm with a sharp, ringing PING! A shower of sparks flared off the metallic surface, and dozens of patrons ran for cover as several other shots-meant to account for any dodging-went wide. 

The concussive force of the powerful bolt pressed Corvus forward. Using this momentum to his advantage, he retaliated just as quickly as he had been attacked! 

Spinning from the barstool in a single, fluid motion, his hands flashed as a pair of blaster pistols spawned into his grasp. Thanks to dual weapon mastery, any pair of weapons would be handled as if he was a decades old professional! The pistols took a bead on the alien, and he fired two rapid shots toward the attacker before his boots fully touched the floor.

Cad Bane was already rolling behind an overturned table, making the red bolts go over his head. His laughter cut through the rising screams. Corvus’s return fire carved smoking holes in the wall where Bane’s head had been a heartbeat earlier.

Then the cantina erupted into a flurry of motion. Patrons stampeded in every direction. A Rodian gambler shrieked as his credit chips scattered across the floor. Twi’leks dove beneath holo-tables. The Ithorian waiter ducked behind the bar, his tray flying skyward and rattling against the ceiling. The musicians fled mid-melody, leaving their instruments to squeal with feedback. A bouncer tried to shoot him in the back, but thanks to his paranoia-aka Pause buffering-he was well prepared, dodged the bolt, and aimed backwards. Sniping the goon's head clean off, he never once took his sight off of his primary foe.

Dodging ever so slightly, another bolt whizzed past Corvus’s shoulder, scorching a line across a glowing Gravball screen and sending the large TV-like device slamming down on top of a table, scattering chips in a shower of sparks. Corvus vaulted over a table, landing behind cover as blasterfire erupted like thunder between him and Bane.

The bounty hunter popped up from behind a shattered booth, twin pistols blazing. His aim was surgical, each bolt either landed with the intent to kill, or goad him into exposing himself. Casting [Energy Resistance] from cover-a place where it was more likely to be seen as an energy shield, and not some Jedi Wizardry-he began to be more bold in his attack. Although Beskar was great, who was to say Bane couldn't find some gap in the armor, or strike the same place in rapid succession?! He was the foremost bounty hunter alive at this time after all! 

Ducking beneath a streak of red, he returned fire with disciplined bursts, driving Bane back step by step. Thanks to the energy shield coating his form, he was able to exchange fire more frequently, and take bolder actions.

Chairs splintered, bottles exploded, and liquid sprayed all over the place as kegs of ale suffered gruesome injuries. Sparks showered from ceiling panels as stray shots tore into wiring. The air thickened with smoke, and the smell of ozone mixed with Spice and that heedy alien musk. 

“You hide behind a mask, but I recognize a Jedi when I see one! Your reaction to that slave auction only confirmed it!” Bane's voice came from behind a bar. 

Instead of speaking back, Corvus’s reply was a hail of blaster bolts that forced Bane to hit the ground hard. The bounty hunter slid across the floor, hat flying off, before snatching it mid-roll and using it as a decoy, tossing it high. Corvus’s reflexes twitched, firing at the silhouette, but Bane was already dashing to a new position. 

Bane’s boots hissed, then roared to life, the small thrusters at the bottom of his shoes were bright blue, and generated a great deal of force. In no time at all, he shot upward through the cantina, towards the third floor. Several shock grenades slipped out of a satchel, clanking along the floor towards Corvus. He shot four out of the air, but they were tiny-no bigger than marbles-and seemed to descend towards the floor with the help of magnetism. Seconds later, a mini EMP exploded from them, in an inescapable net. The damned Duros thought he could break his shield! Unfortunately for the crafty bounty hunter, even if he had experience against Jedi, they were of the saber monkey variant! Corvus was more Space Wizard Assassin! As such, the [Energy Resistance IV] barrier barely flickered at the oncoming shock! 

‘This shit can probably block turbolaser fire from a capital ship! And had already defended against starfighter turbolasers! What are you going to do next blue boy!’ Corvus jeered to himself. 

During his inner monologue, the patrons on the upper floors-the ones who had yet to evacuate and thought they were watching a show-screamed and hit the floor as tables, walls, and whatever unlucky soul stood too tall took the blasts meant for ‘the Jedi.’ Several aliens convulsed, and foamed at the mouth, passing out on the spot as they took the heavy electrical charges. 

The EMP wasn't Bane's only trick, as with four decisive shots, he severed several thick durasteel cables supporting a massive holoprojector. Sparks spat wildly from the sundered line, and the projector groaned, twisted, then plummeted directly onto Corvus’s position! 

‘Of course! If you can't break the shield, then simply brute force your way!’ Corvus swore to himself, and despite the almost certain death scenario-for a non-Jedi-he found himself beginning to respect the famed Bounty Hunter. 

Diving to the side, he was mere feet away as the colossal device crashed into the bar with an explosive burst of shrapnel and broken circuitry. A wave of glass and light washed across the room, forcing Corvus to dodge on his belly, like a seal. Meeting a gushing tub of alcohol, he slid forward under several tables, dodging a follow up set of blasts. 

Bane landed on the balcony railing of the third floor, and seemed to be intent on blasting every last bit of cover into smoldering pieces! The power of his guns had to be modified by the best in the galaxy, because their output, and damage were outstanding! Knowing he couldn't remain hidden, and confident in his shield, Corvus rose from cover. With a smooth, practiced motion, he plucked two grenades from his inventory, and hurled them upward. 

The hunter’s aim was impeccable; both grenades were struck mid-air, and they never got close. However, these grenades weren't meant to kill! They erupted just as the bolts reached them, the twin explosives didn't deliver a thermal package, or a dense fog of shrapnel, instead they bathed the upper floor in blinding brilliance! 

“Flash bangs! Impressive!” Bane said, staggering back. Yet despite his words, and seeming ‘drunk’ appearance, a cold glint was in the corner of his eye. 

However, whilst every witness at the scene was temporarily blinded, Corvus had ducked beneath an alcove, and then [Shadow Hopped] onto the third floor! Emerging from the darkness, a gauntleted fist went straight for the Duros’ chin! 

The punch cracked against Bane’s cheekbone with enough force to send him tumbling backward. A tooth spun from his mouth, glittering like a tiny white comet as it fell through the lights. The bounty hunter dropped toward the floor, but despite Corvus’s sudden, unexpected appearance, he still had his wits about him! 

From one boot, a hidden switchblade snapped out with a vicious metallic click. He kicked upward as he fell, angling perfectly for the smallest gap in Corvus’s torso armor. He was so close, and Bane’s speed was surprisingly fast, he had just enough time to tilt his body an inch. As a result, what could have been a dagger to the kidneys, was instead a mere scrape across the chest! However, the knife was impossibly sharp, scoring a deep cut!...which meant it had to be a beskar weapon, or some other material! 

Corvus was briefly stunned, as beskar weapons were in extremely short supply, as most Mandalorians refused to produce a weapon that could spill Mandalorian blood! 

That brief moment of surprise was all it took for the Duros to recover. Bane hit the ground hard, rolled, and rose in a crouch. His tongue ran across his missing tooth, and he spat blood onto the sand-dusted floor. The twin blasters he had attacked with earlier had fallen during this tussle, but that hardly meant he was harmless. 

Reaching to his side, Bane drew a vibroknife. 

It gleamed dangerously within the multi-colored lightning of the club. Corvus sensed a danger from it no less than that of the boot-blade. Fortunately, he also had a beskar weapon, and something better! 

Bane lunged in for the kill, his speed was fast. So much so, that he had to have cybernetics, or chems boosting him! To take on Kenobi, one had to have that much! 

Corvus rolled his eyes at the knife wielding man, and opened fire with his twin blasters. What, just because Bane lost his guns earlier, he was supposed to engage in melee?! 

Just as the expected charred corpse was about to collapse, Bane grinned, and a shimmering bubble of crackling blue energy snapped to life around him. Of course. It was a bloody personal deflector shield! The second Corvus’s bolts struck the energy barrier, it rippled in place, like a sloshing bathtub of water, yet remained intact! 

“Some Jedi.” Bane snarled, stepping forward. “Not much honor, hiding behind toys and tricks. Your kind is supposed to be better.”

“Please. All you've faced are idiots who only know how to attack head on with lightsabers.” Corvus dismissed. 

Bane lunged forward, his knife was closing in, and would arrive within seconds. But now it was Corvus’s turn to smirk. From within his robe, he pretended to draw a weapon. Instead of a knife, he withdrew the Force Sword that had been stolen from the Anzat during his Galactic Bank heist. To deal with a pesky personal shield, melee was the only option! 

Opening with a diagonal quickdraw, intending to end the fight in one slice like the samurai of old, Corvus swore as the Bounty Hunter tilted his chin back, barely stopping his momentum in time. Using his thrusters, Bane skidded backwards towards his pistols. 

Corvus flourished the sword in a taunting gesture. 

“Mine’s bigger.”

Bane smirked, and pressed something on his wrist vambrace. A second later, a hole was blasted into the ceiling, and a craft no larger than the Slave I came hovering into view. 

“You were saying?” Bane laughed as turbolaser fire began to rain down into the cantina. 

Forced to dodge, Corvus ran to an angle where the ship couldn't easily target him. 

“We shall meet again, Jedi!” Bane held out a hand, and his hat mechanically whirred before landing in his hand. Flourishing his cap, he grabbed onto a cable that was coming from the ship, and began to ascend skyward. 

“Remember this day! As this is the one you almost bested Cad Bane!” 

Corvus watched as the ship began to go higher and higher, and Bane’s self-satisfied smirk grew wider and wider, the shadows in the cantina curled around him, and he disappeared. 

Boarding the cruiser, Bane opened the door to his cabin with a hiss of air pressure, and came face to face with his masked foe! Only, this one wasn't the same Oni from the cantina, no! It was the most notorious war criminal of the century, it was: !!! 

Bane tried to raise his hands, but his entire body convulsed as blue forks of [Force Lightning] lethally bypassed his shields. 

Bane unwillingly took a knee, and watched on in shocked disbelief as his cowboy hat was snatched, and firmly placed upon his hated foe's head. 

Upon the head of: 

“Revan!”