[ WP ] `` What does n't kill me has made a tactical error . ''

`` Is there a Tomess Ghast in this place?'' 
 
 The occupants of dimly lit bar turned towards the open door and to the two humans in it, sweat soaking their clothes. 
 
 `` What's it to you?'' came the tired reply from the back of the room, a shadowy figure nestled deep within the shadows of the booth he sat at. 
 
 The voice leaned forward in the pale light of the glow lamp to reveal the features of a human male in his mid-twenties, his short cut hair as white as driven snow. He wore the clothing made popular in the hellishly hot and humid conditions present on most of the planet, reinforced pants made out of waterproof but breathable cloth, a loose fitting shirt with its sleeves rolled up. Canvas webbing consisting of a belt and Y-suspenders. Two large pouches were clipped to either side of the belt's buckle, a slim canteen behind the right one. An emergency medpac was fixed to the left shoulder strap while a vibroblade was sheathed in the small of his back. A secondary gunbelt held a massive handcannon of a blaster, a half dozen scattergun shells in leather loops on it. He looked very much the soldier of fortune, a professional killer through and through. A half finished pint of ale sat in front of him, beads of dew dripping down the cold glass. 
 
 The two men at the door drew blasters from their, aiming them at the lone figure with the white hair. 
 
 `` We can do this the easy way or the really easy way. Your choice, Ghast.'' 
 
 The figure known as Tomess Ghast said nothing as he drained his glass, tilting it up to the sky to finish the last dregs. Still clutching it in his hand he asked, `` You know what I think?'' 
 
 `` What?'' 
 
 `` I think you should have vaped me when you had the chance.'' Ghast stated, throwing the solid glass at the uncovered glow lamp. 
 
 The weaker light fixture broke in a flash of electricity and burning gas, plunging the dim room into even greater darkness. He kicked the table over on its side as he drew his heavy blaster pistol out of its holster, ducking behind the thick old-growth wood with a grin of self-satisfaction. They always talked too much. 
 
 The two inept hitmen shot at where they last saw Ghast, missing him by a full meter to scorch the back wall in a hail of blaster fire. Ghast leaped over the table, slamming his shoulder into one of the would-be assailants and driving him clean out of the twin doors, the force of which knocked one off its hinges. The light of a early afternoon sun blazed into the dark room, sending most to raise hands or paws to their eyes to shield them from the blinding glare. The second attacker blinked surprise before charging at his white haired target. Ghast half spun and threw a boot up and the man's face, a spray of blood and bits of tooth as his head was rocked back. As the man fell down to side Ghast drew his vibroblade and shifted his left hand to stab at the collapsing attacker's throat. A look of astonishment flashed across his features before his throat was torn out, bright red arterial blood spilling out on the floor of the bar. 
 
 `` Anson!'' cried the original foe, stumbling into the bar with blaster leveled. `` You kriffing bastard... I'll kill ya for that!'' And he shot, the scarlet bolt scoring a graze across Tomess Ghast's flank. He took it silently, dropping the knife and leveled his massive *'' Dragoneye Reaper'' * at the foe and fired once, then twice. The twin bolts caught him in the chest and he fell backwards, the tremendous damage nearly equivalent of a blaster rifle in strength. Ghast sprang forward, clutching at his side with his free hand as he landed knee first on the dying man's chest. 
 
 `` Who sent you? Who owns your leash?'' 
 
 `` Kriff you-'' Ghast dug the tip of his blaster into one of the wounds, drawing out a agonized scream. `` Ferroson, An agent of Moff Ferroson hired us out. Said you knew too much.'' 
 
 Ghast snarled both in pain and in anger. 
 
 `` Now I certainly do!'' 
 
 `` Please...'' The man said. `` Let me go. I swear, I wo n't see you again.'' 
 
 Ghast smiled, but not in any way warm or kind. No, this was the feral grin of some vicious predator with its prey exactly where it wanted it to be. 
 
 `` You're right. You wo n't.'' He said flicking a switch of his blaster. 
 
 `` What?! No! Pleas-'' Ghast pulled the trigger once more, this time the attached underbarrel scatter-gun threw a storm of small steel pellets at the man's head, completing evaporating his face in a mist of bone and bits of bone. 
 
 Ghast winced as he rose, bending down to pick up his fallen blade and sheathed it, meekly saying, `` Sorry about the mess.'' 
 

