Wookiee Jedi

Kirlocca smiled as he deactivated his lightsaber and put the hilt upon his belt. The spar was very refreshing for him, as he had not done so since well before he was given the role of Grandmaster long ago. And how grateful I am to not hold such a title and role now. The thought of how much work he had to hold was not really him. He was a teacher, a duelist and a fighter. While he was a leader in many ways, he was not that type of leader. 

He allowed for space for Alcmene to teaching Keenava. The two seemed to have quickly formed a strong bond, to which he was very well pleased to see. And the fact that Keenava was well aware of her own instincts brought a smile to him. He turned upon the Twi'lek finishing her comments on the spar towards Alcmene and gave her a nod. 

<< You have done well in training thus far. Spars like this are good every so often. It for sure helped me- both of you honor me with your time. >>

The swirling emotions that any form of battle or duel always stirred up the need for control. It was something he found to be true even within spars with padawans, that emotions rose and it was within those emotions that, while more strength and sense of purpose could lend a person, rarely if ever allowed for one to see the entire field at play. 

Alcmene deployed her shield in a strong array of a defensive maneuver that protected against the kinetic energy that blasted off his lightsaber. A true defensive form, one that kept her pinned to defend. It would break up the rhythm temporarily of a one on one on one and change the field to two on one. Not entirely surprising though, as he would expect for a master to protect their padawan, if Keenava was the padawan. 

The move for a new or younger padawan would be slow to come around to make a counter. But Keenava was neither of the two, so he narrowed his focus onto the energy that could surround her, which he had to assume whom he was feeling out behind the shield deployment of Alcmene. The Twi’lek sprang almost immediately upon the wave blast finished, making use of the saved Force energy not extended to protect herself. He quickly positioned himself against the charge, only to pick up that such defense was wasted and predicted. 

The quick strikes to his left arm sent tingles and waves of sensations through, having him quickly change to his right hand as the one to hold his lightsaber- a move that only worked through the fact that he was holding the hilt with both paws. Had he not, it would have dropped his lightsaber. It was a very good move by Keenava, and even better by her quick movement to accelerate out from him, moving well past any defensive saber move. She was good, and there was a small sense of pride in the fact she was as good as she was. 

His turn to follow her was very much wasted through his inability to keep her close with a saber swing. But she was not out of reach from being tossed even further away from a Force push- to which the Jedi Master used so easily. Not with great force, not enough to hurt her, but enough to either expend Force energy to resist and stop, or to let it aid in her already movement away from him and take her out of any counter strike position. A move though that he almost regretted as he realized his sense slightly dropped to make the move and he had turned fully away from Alcmene.

Kirlocca found himself grinning rather lightly at the start of the spar. Movements made within the Force spoke clearly to all, and the joining of the presences made the warmth even more so enjoyable. With Alcmene blocking the very first strike and holding to a strong defensive form, made him almost fully engage against her. Keenava on the other hand tumbled and weaved, making the arc strike with more force and locking into Alcmene's shield. The Twi'lek then jumped, or kicked off his back leg. He wasn't sure which one she attempted to do, but the result was a quick pain in his calf muscle. In response, he pulled his blade away from Alcemene and went for a wide swing towards the Keenava, to which failed, as she was out of range. The movement gave him a moment to readjust between both. 

Taking a small side step, he brought his blade downwards towards the ground and not within any striking distance of either. But as the Jedi Master began to bring his blade back up, somewhere in between the two, his focus poured onto the blade, feeling it's energy buzz and humm with life. As the blade rose, he pushed on the blade with the Force, creating an arc of kinetic energy that seemed to ripple off the blade and outward. He raised awareness of the two, knowing that the energy could do damage if either was not fully expecting it or knew how to defend against such an attack. His breathing seemed to go quiet as the spar went on, something he was told he always tended to do, and it was eerie to those not used to it. 

Kirlocca offered up a smile to Keenava. She, like so many others whom have walked away from the Dark Side have had very traumatic experiences. Another reason why slowly training was a good practice for Jedi to carryout. That and lots of grace. They would help her in a manner that suits her. Opening himself to the Force, he pushed his presence, thoughts and emotions into the flow. He wanted for Keenava to fully trust the process of the training exercise. 

<< We will keep things simple. Do not do anything that could exhaust yourself, no put yourself in any harms way. >> 

The Jedi Master made sure to look at Alcmene for the last words, as it was easy to put yourself in a bad position when you attempt to care for another in these duels. He didn't want either to come to harm from an accidental misstep. With his words lingering in the air, the Wookiee lunged forward at a good speed, but no where near as fast as if his life was on the line. He made a sweeping horizontal arc with his blade, his long reach able to force a reaction from both ladies with him. It was a very basic move, one that he was sure both would feel within the Force coming and have nothing but plenty of time to move. 

Kirlocca moved his body around and tossed up a lightsaber hilt from his belt. Not one of his own, as he had yet to recreate and build one for himself since his return. This one belonged to Tobias, an orange hue of a blade with a hilt that felt small even within his paw. He slowly turned down the setting of the blade as to not produce any harm to his fellow Jedi. He then moved to stand with his blade downward, yet still defensively positioned, along with hold his body at an angle. The typical opening stance he had developed for his own form, Wru'torr. 

The words from Keenava though broke his stance ever so slightly, as the last thing he wanted to do was to move forward into a training sessions without her if she wanted to participate. He took a moment to search around himself to see if perhaps he had a spare, or even a training saber on him, but it was to no avail. He turned a quick glance over at Alcmene to see if she had something for their friend. 

<< I would hate for Keenava to miss out, but I do not have a spare. >>

Kirlocca took a moment to take in everything before him. The large ship, the group that quickly formed out of need or proximity. Either way, he understood that the Force had moved those who needed each other to become close. It always happened that way. The Force was a will that moved in ways that always fascinated him. Looking from each person present, he let out sigh of relief. 

<< Fate is rarely at work without aid from the Force. But maybe a spar duel would be very beneficial to all. A reminder that the Force is still at work and it is our guide. >>

Kirlocca offered up a smile to everyone. The Jedi Master had not sparred in a very long time. In fact, his own training regime was dropped since his return to the living. A quick movement of his paw touched the crystal where Raven's soul was captured that sat around his neck before he turned to find a spot to drop off his own robe. He picked up the lightsaber hilt off his belt, to which reminded him that he needed to craft a new one again. The Wookiee turned to face the group. 

<< Perhaps a quick one on one on one? Or we could all take time to go one on one. >>

The welcome for Kirlocca was enough to bring forth a smile to his own face. As he came closer and those around Keenava turned around, he saw Alcmene. He knew of her through stories and short proximity only. The galaxy upon which he travelled now felt like that would become a more common occurrence rather then a rarity. It appeared that they were in the middle of training to some degree. Although it was hard to tell which one was doing to learning versus the teaching. He wondered for a moment how much he could learn from both if he remained around them long enough to observe. Returning a formal bow, he turned to directly answer Keenava's question to him. 

<< Most of my travels these days weigh upon me-for random assortment of reasons too. But I would say that the Force is starting to heavily guide my footsteps. So there is always comfort within that. >>

The Wookiee moved his position to become fully relaxed before them. There was a sense of warmth and purpose around Keenava and Alcmene. A soft echo within the Force let him know that it may even be something neither of the two were aware of. Perhaps there was something he could impart to them if he hung around for a while. Or perhaps maybe even they would impart wisdom to him. He made up his mind rather quickly to stick with them for a bit until the Force moved him elsewhere. 

<< What brings you to Ylesia? >>

Kirlocca felt the wind slowly move through the air, carrying with it a freshness of the tropical atmosphere along with a slight hint of glitterstim, which the planet was well known for exporting. As he moved, he could feel almost the heartbeat of Raven, as her soul was still tied into the crystal like gem. But he wanted to assume that it was due to the fact of the planet being so close to Nar Shaddaa, the last place he got to interact with her. His movements around the spaceport were designed to observe and see what sort of state the population was in, and who had taken refuge in the wake of the destructive war. Mostly at first glance one might assume that it was left rather untouched or changed. A few smaller pockets here and there, but overall no major adjustments. 

But even as the Wookiee walked, he was reminded that it had been such a very long time ago that Raven was lost. The battle that took place was well long and done and many locations such as this one had moved on past it. It seemed like only he was stuck in a loop of constantly thinking upon it. It wasn't until very recently that he had even been able to let go of his own grief. But the words of his Master rang within his mind. The mission of the Jedi is the one thing that moves us from from ourselves. The phrase seemed weird to him when she first told him, but as time would pass and he would indeed carry out the will of the Jedi Order, he found that there never were such truer words spoken to him as a padawan. 

Stopping for a moment to let out a breath, he could feel the Force actively guiding him towards one of the starport areas. Understanding that the Force never did such a thing without warrant, he followed the prompting and headed that way. As he neared, he could begin to make out Keenava, the Twi'lek whom he had now served alongside a few times within the past few months it would seem. A smile came to the Jedi Master's face, as it was good to see her still around. He decided to throw out all caution and walked up towards her and the group around her, of whom he could not make out yet who they were. 

<< It is good to see some familiar faces. >>

Kirlocca took in a deep breath as he helped maneuver his ship towards the surface of the planet. He marveled at the planet's beauty, and was astonished at the fact in his very long life had never once placed a foot on the surface before. As he landing his ship, he made his way into the surface of the planet and allowed for the Force to flow through him. He could feel much of what had transpired before on this planet. Slaves and their agony, along with a heavy lingering smell of spice hung within the air. Letting the currents fill him, the Jedi Master understood why the Force would call him here. 

Letting a moment pass before he began to walk around the streets, letting the Force guide him in his movements. With each step he allowed for his own presence within the Force to be pushed out and felt. He had hoped that there would be any sort of healing from the Force aura that he was emitting. This planet held lots of suffering. He would be here to do what he could. 

With himself fully seated before the lad, he watched him from the corner of his eye as he raised his paw to flag down a server to get himself a drink. The Wookiee kept his eyes upon the boy for a moment as he fumbled into his chair and apologized to him. Kirlocca raised an eyebrow out of amusement alone. He waited to respond, instead taking the time to order his drink upon the waitress arriving and taking orders at the table. Once she left, he returned to looking at the boy, letting an awkwardness of silence sit for a good forty seconds before he cut into it. He used every bit of that time to let the Force speak to him of what was occurring underneath the surface. 

<< Your emotions are everywhere-I'm not going to kill you, you can relax. >>

Kirlocca leaned back into his chair, both arms upon the table in a relaxed state, almost inviting the boy to speak. He could sense the Force flowing through him, yet it was fully untrained. But the Jedi Master could tell that the kid knew he had the Force. He was just simply waiting for his moment to get pulled in. 

Kirlocca stood just inside the entry way near the bar for a slight moment to observe the best place to sit for a drink when someone ran past him. He couldn't tell who it was, but felt like he should maybe attempt to slow to person down. Lifting his paw, he began to stretch out within the Force, only to have someone bump right into him, having his lose his concentration. In the mists of everything, he saw the man leave immediately out the back. The Jedi Master then made a slow turn around to look upon the person who had bumped into him. The local authorities were already quickly moving to detain the lad. 

The Wookiee narrowed his eyes to gaze upon him, only to feel something within the Force around him. It made him pause for just a moment before he lifted his paw again to stop the law enforcement from removing the lad. 

<< Let him be for the moment. He's within my care. >>

Kirlocca used the Force on the last part to let his influence change the minds of those seeking to detain him. Not waiting to for them, he used the Force to have the cuffs drop to the floor, and then proceeded to indicate for the lad to follow him. The Jedi Master then moved to find a seat within a booth that would accommodate him the boy. 

The Oracle came out of hyperspace and made its way towards the surface of the planet. Kirlocca felt strangely at home as the ship broke through the atmosphere, heat already breaking through the viewport of the cockpit. He let the Force flow through him, letting every moment become something that he had missed. He felt currents and ripples constantly move throughout the surface and galaxy wide. Taking up what cues he could, he followed a small beckoning within the Force towards one of the smaller ports of Tatooine. Not many had mooring towers, which his ship needed. Odd that Anchorhead was one such port.

After docking and paying the fees, he walked the small city. He couldn't quite figure out where he should be, as the Force was not a direct pinpoint machine. He wished it was at times, heavily more so ever since Raven died. But it was now something he was slowly getting used to. He needed to fully get back into the swing of doing things the way he used to before raven. It was the only way he would ever fully be at peace with his death. Deciding that he needed to find a starting point for why the Force lead him to the sand filled planet, he headed for the local cantina. Where drinks flowed was always the place to learn and uncover many things. And that alone, was something that felt way too familiar to him. 

Kirlocca literally just stood amidst those who now flooded the docks of the spaceport, slowly taking in everything that just transpired. Life was chaotic, as it always has been. Movement of Jedi, survivors and Sith all seemed to move rather fluently like a current of a river set upon its course to the sea. From his perspective of everything that had transpired, he wondered what new purpose the Force would hold for him. He took a small glance up at the ILH-KK currently docked at the mooring tower. His mind then turned towards Tarvo, the imperial who accompanied him on this journey. He looked around for a moment to scan the crowd, but after waiting for a good ten minutes and reaching out into the Force, it was clear to the Jedi Master that his friend was no longer with him. Letting out a sigh, he turned to head towards the mooring tower. His own feelings began to swell up slightly at the loss of his friend, the one who started the movement of his recovery from grief, or rather, his path to walk alongside it. But such was the way of life, and even more so for a Jedi.
 

**********

Sitting in the cockpit of the yacht, the Wookiee closed his eyes to allow for the Force to speak to him. He wanted off the planet, that much he was sure of. But where to, he did not know. He was still slightly lost from the death of Raven. But he knew that he could not travel with Sandy or even Leena. He needed to travel on his own. Opening his eyes, he turned on the holonet and went through some of the new reports. He decided that he would follow the devastation and become a beacon of hope, as it would be what Raven wanted to do, and she would have heavily encouraged him to do the same thing. 

Having the ship begin to pull away from the mooring tower, Kirlocca quickly changed the name of the ship, as it had yet to be done. Oracle felt like a good name for the moment. He didn’t know why, but he felt it would soon be needed. After he changed the name and beacon, he had the ship pull away from Falleen.

Kirlocca was truly amazed at the healing that he got to witness from a fellow Wookiee. He'd never thought he'd live to see such a thing. To even know that the ancient and revered Tree Carers were still very much involved in their craft was a small relief to him, as his home planet has been the target of so many attacks over the past two decades or even longer meant that there was always hope. Always would be. To release such wounds and pains gave him even more comfort in knowing that he made the right decision in letting Raven's killer free. Peace could still be made out of the chaos. 

Letting a breath out that he was unaware he was holding in, he felt Leena through the Force. She was beginning to heal the planet they were on. He found it even more comforting to know that there were such great Jedi healers and many still found it worth specializing in. He wouldn't lie, he thought when Skye disappeared from the galaxy that the craft would die out, leaving room for more pain and sadness. Yet, the Force always wills it's own path and direction upon the galaxy, to which he was very grateful for. 

His own comlink went off, as Leena spoke about what she was doing, and what she wanted the other Jedi to do in joining with her. Letting himself fall into a more natural state, he closed his own eyes and reached out into the Force, pouring himself into it, allowing for his own light to radiate more strongly within the Force and pushing against the Dark Side energy that remained upon the planet. The cold and icy tendrils of the darkness that remained would soon be drowned by the collective lightside that was now beginning to grow. 

Kirlocca offered up a smile at Sandy's words over the blade and death. While there may have been words worth noting or even speaking comfort, he decided against it. His smile was enough to let her know that he valued her and her actions. Turning towards the other Wookiee upon Sandy introducing Kerriwarr, he offered up a slight head bow in return to his fellow Wookiee. Although the words spoken over him seemed too lavished for someone of his position. And yet again, words he could respond with felt somewhat hollow, he pushed them aside for the moment. In many cases, Kirlocca had found that words were not always as useful as one might assume. Actions always spoke much louder regardless of words. 

The Jedi Master instead choose to focus and observe Kerriwarr in his healing process. He had the chance over the years to watch many Jedi Healers perform and do some great work within the Force. Skye Organa was the first to come to mind in this instance. But what he watched from his fellow Wookiee was something different than what he had ever seen before. Words spoken felt familiar as if he should know them, yet he did not. He wondered for a moment if Kerriwarr had studied ancient Shyriiwook and learned Xaczik. Granted, even then some of the words were not very familiar to him if that was also the case. As Kerriwarr finished, he leaned in and looked over Sandy's wounds that were very much on the mend. 

<< Very impressive Kerriwarr. Where did you learn such skills? >>

Kirlocca felt Sandy's touch through the Force and followed the currents it presented to where he could now clearly see her. She was with another Wookiee, which meant his ears did not deceive him when he heard the language of his people spoken. Too many had withdrawn over the years due to the rampant attacks upon the his homeworld. Those that did travel tended to remain closer to the Core or the Outer Rim. As he neared, he noticed that there was a small child with them. And to add confusion to what he was feeling, he could also tell that the Wookiee was also a Force User. 

As he slowly walked up to the group, he took notice of how much larger the other Wookiee was. Granted, he was on the smaller side, the other stood almost a good foot over him and out weighed him by a lot. He quickly blamed it on his old age and extended the lightsaber hilt that Sandy gave him back to her, yet never taking his own eyes off of the other Wookiee before him. 

<< I must thank you Sandy, it came in handy. Helped me rescue myself, along with Raven's soul... >> 

He paused as he looked over the entire situation. He was still beyond flabbergasted to even see another Wookiee who also wielded the Force. He didn't know why. Gantroiss was one who came before him, so it wasn't like it was something new. He did finally break his eyes away from the fellow Wookiee and looked down at Sandy. 

<< You're cut. >> 

The acknowledgement of her injuries was one that others might find ironic, since he himself was still bleeding from many scars of his own duel. But for him, he just simply did not remember that he was even bleeding or cut. The adrenaline had fully kicked in and had yet to die down since his duel. 

People were moving all around the space port. Some panicked, others fleeing, while a few were still coming. Kirlocca walked through the streets of the port and watched the chaos unfold. It was not his first time watching such aftermath a battle turns. He could feel Falleen had turned, much like the Sith Lord had felt. The tendrils of the Force ahd changed around, releasing the planet from it's Dark Side tight grip. Death had taken a few, and it was enough to send the rest who remained loyal to the Sith cult fleeing from the planet. Now there was the short clean up work to be done. But not for the Jedi Master. 

Kirlocca was on a mission now, to find Sandy. He had not come to the planet to join in with the other Jedi. He had come from the beckoning of the Force, as he was too blind from his own grief over losing Raven. But now that he was in possession of a crystal that held her soul, the fight he had with the grief consumed Sith Lord had changed him. The duel helped him to overcome his own grief and to see why he had never held onto it in the past. His own life was a testament to surrendering his own emotions to the Force. To feel them, then release them. 

As he turned a corner, he both felt within the Force the presence of Leena, the Mon Calamari Jedi who was a healer, who might be the perfect one to help release Raven's soul back into the Force. He could feel Sandy, whom he trusted as a friend and fellow Jedi. But upon feeling those two familiar presences within the Force, he could hear the sound and words of Shyriiwook, to which he knew he wasn't crazy enough to be hearing his own thoughts like that. No... there was another Wookiee in the area. His eyes quickly darted the street to see what he would spot first. One of his fellow Jedi or the Wookiee he could clearly hear speaking...

Letting out a breath as his opponent hit the ground and didn't move, Kirlocca suddenly felt tired. With blood dripping off of him in a few places and a great amount of Force energy spent, he could do nothing but stare at the body of the man before him. Emotions stirred deep within him and an urge arose strongly within him. This man was a Sith. He had killed so many over his time, even boasting about it before their duel. The most recent victim that he knew of, Raven. The one whom he would say he loved. To take this man's life would be well within the norms, even for a Jedi. But the urge was so strong, that the Jedi Master felt like he should resist it. Sweat and blood slowly dripped from his body as he stared down and wondered what he should do. 

Closing his eyes, he reached into the Force and attempted to feel out what it was urging him to do. And as he did, he began to calm himself down in the process. The Dark Side energy was still present, but it was slowly rinsing away, like rain clearing dirt from a road. He could feel Raven still upon him, within the crystal; to which again felt distorted and untrue to how he remembered she felt within the Force. Slowly, he took a deep breath in and opened his eyes. He was now aware of the surrounding situations taking place in the city. He glanced around and could feel most of what was transpiring today. He then had another feeling rise within himself, and he knew what his next course of action was to be. 

He walked over to the body of Darth Mavanger, the Sith who sought great power through his anger and vengeance. He slowly turned the body over, to observe that he was still indeed alive. From the looks of it, and from what could be felt within the Force, he was simply knocked out. If any injury beyond his own physical sight could be seen, it would be paralysis from the blow. There would be no way of the Wookiee knowing that information. He leaned down, picking up the lightsaber hilt that Sandy gave him, followed by the tall Jedi leaning into the tower over the body. He placed his left injured paw upon the man's chest while the other held the hilt. He locked eyes upon the unconscious face. 

<< ...Your grief is great... but as I told you before. It is blinding you. Consuming you. Yes, our battle here showed it is feeding you great and strong power. But it is also blinding you. Handicapping you. I have faced far more death and despair, and have given into such emotions in the past. But they do not aid me. They never have. And that is where the two of us have greatly differed. I do not have any desire to gain power. I do not need more strength, and the focus it gives grants me the wrong focus that I need. >>

Kirlocca now turned and sat beside the Sith. Letting his body relax more, as some blood still slowly escaped his body through the many cuts and wounds he received. Although, none of them were at all life threatening. He took a glance around the city before looking back at the man laying next to him. 

<< I know that you'll most likely never hear these words I'm speaking. But truth be told, they're not for you. They're for me. Raven's death set me upon an all too familiar path, one that could have led me back to the Dark Side. But I was not brought back to life to just simply be another Jedi in the fold. My path has walked me through such pain and hurt many times, and for many more years than everyone else. The curse of a long lifespan. But it has shown me that others need to learn to walk that path. They need someone to show them how to do better. And I had a warning of where my path was taking me. You were that warning. >>

Kirlocca withdrew the crystal that contained Raven's soul out of the Sith's armor and looked at it. There was a part of him that wondered if he should even take it. Would it continue to plague him with grief? Would him parting with it help? He understood though that he just simply couldn't let any part of her remain with the Sith. He then took some of his fur off his body where he had already been cut, followed by tying it up together. He then yanked the crystal from the Sith and put it to the side, followed by him tying the fur to replace the crystal for the Sith. As he finished, he slowly put the fur behind the man's armor and held the crystal.

<< I know that you may feel disrespected that I did that... but I feel that our paths will cross again. Perhaps maybe in knowing that I do not exterminate Sith will have you second guess yourself. But I want you to know somehow, that even within my own pain and grief... I can grow beyond it. And I know that you can too. Maybe our next meeting will be a point in which you let go of your grief and anger. The sorrow is heavy and drowns us. Letting it go allows for us to rise above it. >>

Kirlocca then stood up and attached the lightsaber hilt to his belt. It was about the only thing left upon him since having his cross belt taken off. Luckily, there was a pouch on the belt that could hold the crystal. Upon having everything secured upon his body, he picked up the Sith and began to walk him towards the port. Upon arrival, he found a transport looking to get off world. Paying for their trouble to transport him to wherever, along with medical attention, the Jedi Master watched as it took off. With it left a man that Kirlocca now pitied. His anger and grief took him down a road, one that the Wookiee almost walked down again. It was his grief that saved Kirlocca, as it acted as a warning. And now, he watched knowing that there would be a second time he would see the Sith again. His anger in being defeated, and most likely being left alive and fully taken care of would further spur on hatred towards the Jedi. There was a chance that it would not. But it was beyond his control now. He trusted the Force that he made the right decision and left it at that. 

Turning to walk back towards the city, he would find Leena and Sandy to make sure they both were okay. And hopefully, one of them would know how to release Raven’s soul, her essence back into the Force. It would be his way of releasing her and fully setting his grief free. 

The few steps that the Sith had taken backwards from his attack was enough. The lack of power driven into the attack was also sufficient enough to maintain his own energy. The Sith carried with him a great sense of pride and position. His tactics like one who had waged war many times, his presence assured of knowing he carried the momentum for the battle. The slow security he needed the Sith to have, as he knew for a fact that he never once faced the form of Wru’torr. But how could he? None of his apprentices ever mastered the form, save one. Dahar. And Dahar’s death was a premature one. So long as the Sith kept charging with blind focus and creating pain, he was playing into the form’s hands. 

The next flurry began quickly, with a wild swing of one of the swords towards his shins. A sweeping blade that carried with it some momentum. Being such a large creature that he was, a simple step backwards avoided the blow altogether without having to involve his lightsaber. The fast spin from the Sith warrior off his momentum also brought with it a side swing again, a threat of catching him midsection. A step backwards would end up resulting in himself losing the ground he needed to disarm the Sith. So he took a half step in towards the Sith again, dropping himself on the lower side to catch the blade. A bit of precognition kicking in. 

The precognition from the Jedi Master proved to be spot on, as the follow up swing by the Sith was an overhead one from his other blade. Catching the first swing on the lightsaber, Kirlocca ended up placing both paws upon the hilt, and swung it upwards to defend against the downward strike as a fast follow up. The defense shot pain through his left elbow of the strike against it, along with pain that shot across his shoulder blades from one of the first strikes of the Sith to even land. The pain felt like stretching a muscle that just wasn’t ready to be pulled as fast as it was. It gave the immediate reaction of longing for withdrawal. 

Kirlocca surrendered to the withdrawal feeling, taking a step backwards as he stood up to bend over slightly to provide relief for his shoulders. His slight withdrawal proved to be a small saving grace from the wild swing at his midsection again, this time catching some of his flesh in a steady cut from one rib to the other. The cut went without any defense as his lightsaber remained a bit to the side from his own withdrawal away from the Sith. The pain felt like fire across his midsection, with fast stinging from his own blood and sweat that almost immediately entered the cut. It forced him to take another step backwards. The step backwards was met by a wild swing from one of the swords that went nowhere. Clearly the Sith had expected for the Wookiee to step up and use his lightsaber, but the cut forced a different option. 

It was then that he saw it, a driving downward blow. Instincts told him to step backwards, but the Force whispered for him to step into it. It was what Wru’torr was built around. Using the momentum and energy of the opponent against them, whilst saving your own only for when it was needed. nNd he could feel it, the moment he had to end this conflict. Placing both paws upon the hilt, he stepped into the driving downwards blow, catching it head on. But upon meeting the blades, Kirlocca released his hilt and spun towards, not alongside the Sith. The false catch he hoped would carry the Sith’s own momentum downward, leaving him exposed to what was coming next from the Jedi Master.  

As his body came around, that’s when he unleashed it. His right paw went downwards towards the Sith’s neck, with every bit of energy and Force strength he could muster, as he used very little of it thus far. The strike upon any normal person would have separated their head from their neck, even with armor covering it. He knew the Sith would be able to prepare for it somewhat, so the blow would not be lethal. It would however still have very devastating consequences.

((3))

(Fun duel! Loved writing this story with you. Thanks Mav!)

The atmosphere was charged with emotions, fueled by the Sith. Kirlocca held his own in check, as they were clearly not serving the Sith, at least not in a way that he could see. Yes, the emotions in the air were allowing more adrenaline and power to be pulled from; But the mistakes of the big picture were being missed. The Jedi Master made no illusion that he wanted the Sith to keep charging recklessly at him, and that seemed to be okay with the Sith to keep on charging and playing into his hands.

The one who killed Raven made a loud cry after recovering from the blow, or simply feeling it, and began to charge again. A small inhale of breath quickly allowed for him to center himself as he prepared for the next flurry of attacks, all of which seemed to be coming from a dark place from the Sith. Even darker than perhaps anger. He could feel it due to the blood ritual on his wrist from the priest in the cantina earlier. 

The flurry of attacks came like rain during a hurricane. Intense, rapidly and misleading in the damage that they could deal. The Sith first stepped to his left, which began the dance of the two. One of the swords came at his arm, a small yet simple move, to which Kirlocca was able to move a bit toward the Sith, allowing for him to spare his lightsaber for the next move, which he could already feel within the Force. But as he moved to block the other sword, the one aimed at his left cut into his elbow, sending a very sharp pain echoing through his arm, which changed the direction of how he wanted to avoid the swinging wild sword to his right. 

With the pain, he managed to barely get the lightsaber in defense of the second sword and kept it from doing as much harm. The slightly weakened state had the blade of his lightsaber push back just slightly enough to burn some of his fur, but not enough to make a cut. Luckily though, it forced him to truly step into the Sith attacker, putting himself almost on top of him, which then would aid heavily in the defense of follow up attacks from the Sith, as he just simply would not have enough room with two blades to make anything effective enough against someone being so close and with a lightsaber defending. 

As he then stood almost on top of the Sith with him thrashing about, causing now strong flurries of attacks that couldn’t truly hit or find a mark, Kirlocca decided to get more offensive in his nature, lifting his knee into the gut of the Sith. As he did, he quickly lifted his blade, bringing it in a downward motion, while simultaneously lifting his leg through his knee. The double pronged attack potentially would make Raven’s murderer choose between being forcefully kicked backwards and away, having to recharge at the Jedi Master again, or having a blade take him clean out.

((2))

Even as he spoke the words, Kirlocca began to understand why the Force led him to this planet. The crystal echoed Raven, but it felt off. Perverted beyond a sense of what he knew. Or maybe it was the Dark Side surrounding her through the Sith is more of what he felt. He held it out for a second and spoke to prove his point, only to prove his own. But such reasoning the Jedi Master understood was beyond reaching at this moment. What he held and placed back inside his armor was not at all who Raven was, nor could she ever be from such a thing. 

But even as he fully placed the crystal away, Kirlocca felt something in the Force, a rise in Dark Side energy. It was familiar, the rage and anger felt within the Force. And then it happened, the Sith Warrior charged at him with reckless abandon. With calmness in his mind, and readiness with his body, he fell into the default position of Wru’torr, allowing for a very slight moment of preparation to the coming onslaught. The Sith, wielding swords instead of lightsabers, would prove to be a step onto Kirlocca’s final path, but one that was beyond the Jedi Master’s own vision and mind. The rage and anger that came with each coming blow gave insight and wisdom, even more so with the Wookiee pushing his own presence into the fray, making the strikes telegraphed a bit more than usual. 

The first sword went directly at him, a blow with strength, but even for the most skilled warrior would know such a blow would never land except against a novice. It was the second blow that Kirlocca sought to seek out, one that came upwards on his back, as the Jedi Master turned to avoid the first blow, only barely using the lightsaber he received from Sandy to move it away. The upward one took a long cut into his back, but not deep. It cut enough to have his ceremonial battle cross belt off. 

The positioning of the defense left him open to the next landing blow, a knee into his gut. The air inside his chest left for a moment, which was replaced by pain. Had the Sith Warrior been stronger, bones or ribs could have been broken. It was a brute move, one that he had not seen in a long time, but almost as he bent from the pain, knew to turn to look for the next opportunity. The face turn helped him in only catching part of the pommel of one of the swords, cutting into the corner of his left eye. As it struck, the Force whispered to him to make his move. 

Using the momentum from the Sith, along with his own, he made a quick spin, making a move with his left foot, but at the last minute dropped his foot and kicked at the the other knee of the Sith with his right foot with enough force to break the shin. His foot went down in such a way that he was moving forward and going through something regardless. The kick was designed around the movement of protecting the other foot, the only reason to strike the way he did. Upon planting his foot, he used his right paw to punch at the gut of the Sith, bringing to bear his natural brute force, along with Force energy. He would get the Sith to back away slightly through the strike, or the energy of the Force behind the strike would push him backwards. Either way, Kirlocca would get some space. 

As he finished the blow, he took a small step backwards to reset himself into the default starting position of Wru’torr. A small smirk came to his face, blood dripping from his left eye and his back. He knew at this point what his tactic was. Keep the Sith angry, and keep him charging at him. He would play to the strength of Wru’torr. It was the way that Kirlocca would show both Raven and the Sith why he was brought back. 

((1))

The words spoken by the Sith Warrior brought forth memories to his mind. The time when he plunged his lightsaber into the back of Adi-wan Tinova, the chance to retaliate for being purposefully held back. His time serving under Ar-Pharazon since his killing of Adi-wan, and later fight against Sly Stevenson and Mes Tisserand. And then his memories of his fight with Hou-jo Poleb, which lead to his temporary exile as he watched helplessly as Hou-jo lead the Order to their slaughter. The darkness he felt during such times, to focus with clear purpose. Yes, his own anger was a tool, but one like he had already said, caused blindness to the whole picture. Adi-wan's death at his hands proved to have more consequences overall for the Jedi Order. His anger in fighting other Master's with Ar-Pharazon in the aftermath caused a downward spiral that he still wasn't sure that even now the order has recovered from. His anger blinded him against the better moves to make against Hou-jo. 

No, the Sith Warrior was indeed wrong. And yet somehow, the words being spoken were beginning to set his grief stricken mind free. Slowly, he lifted he narrowed and locked his eyes upon the Sith before him. With the others being dismissed and sent away, Kirlocca moved to stand square with the lone remaining person before him. The words spoken seemed to recall even more memories that really cemented his own security in what he knew to be true. Keeping the lightsaber hilt unactivated within his paw, he tilted his head just slightly to the left. The Sith before him now truly revealed his own overall weakness. Lack of Wisdom. There was much wisdom in understanding the history and past. To know of what came before you. He did not know who he was, nor how long he had actually lived. 

<< Losses far greater than you. My Grandfather, my father, my adopted daughter and son. Perhaps I could include my Master, Mari or my mentors, Ara-lai Kappi, Tares Vortex and Lei-Kim Ness. Friends and peers like Andon Colos, Jaina Jade Skywalker, Aryian Darkfire, Kitt Fitt and Skye Organa. Or my many padawans, too many to even name. >>

Kirlocca now turned his body slightly by letting his right foot take a step backwards. Even as he spoke the names of all of those whom he had lost, the weight he felt in loss with Raven began to lift, knowing that she joined so many others. He could almost feel her presence near him, giving him more quiet strength. He paused for a moment before continuing on. 

<< Or maybe you don't know history enough to know such names. It's easier to think you know the weight of loss and anger when you can sit within your own small world. But you cannot even begin to offer anything that I would want with what I lost with my last one. Raven Nasra. Her death hit the hardest, but her death also carried vision, hope and the future. What could you even possibly offer up in regards to regain those things? What could you offer up when no one else has within my entire life? >> 

Kirlocca lifted his left paw just slightly, almost coming to a full ready stance for Wru'torr. He refused to activate the lightsaber though. 

<< My life has seen so much disparities and loss, that the most anyone can offer is temporary but would never fill me. But that is indeed where we are fully separated. My life goes to a much higher purpose. I know that full well. Through the Force Raven brought me back to inspire hope and a way out from the darkness. So even within her death, when the night is the darkest... >> 

Kirlocca then activated the blade of the lightsaber, fully standing in the ready stance of Wru'torr. 

<< ... I can be the light for others. >> 

Even as the Jedi Master observed the Sith before him, his heart spun emotions quicker than a spider could ever weave webs. He was having his own emotions stirred so easily by the Sith, as the words spoken out loud about this Darth Akheron whom Sandy knew and was engaging, was something very true to himself. But the line… the line he was now hoping was there and true for him, was that Jedi don’t focus their anger as a tool. They let it pass and be, like rain upon a mountain. 

The inner heat from his anger was rising within him as he began to realize that the Sith before him was present at Nar Shaddaa. He was one of those presences in space when Raven had passed. Was he connected to her death? The thought of avenging her dripped into his mind and heart, and even with himself pouring the Lightside into the Force around him, the darkness remained upon those thoughts. He re-adjusted his grip upon the hilt, but did not ignite the blade. A moment of strength for himself to resist. But it may have to be just that, each moment by moment. 

<< Anger clouds. It can be used to focus inward and use it like a tool. But when that happens, one only sees narrowly. Passion and strength from it provides blinders. A hindrance in battle as much as any physical hindrance. >>

Kirlocca let out a breath, slowing himself down. He had to resist as much as he could his own emotions, so as to not get provoked into making a mistake. But maybe here is where he could just as easily get the Sith to make a mistake before the battle even begins. The battle of words as it were. 

<< Interesting use of the word extermination. Jedi do not exterminate. And even if we did, extermination is for the lowly pests. You do not walk or talk like one who is lowly amongst the Sith. But perhaps it is within your fighting skills is why you assume such extermination is imminent? >>

There was indeed a noise, a voice that called out to him directly. Not one that resounded within his own mind, but an actual physical voice. The confusion of the streets and what was happening stirred with darkness, yet not consuming. His eyes darted from one person to the next, until he saw a lone man walking up towards him. Dark Side energy radiated from him, yet not so much that would be overwhelming. He was clearly a master of the Force, much more so than the others around him. With the Force also flowing through him, he knew the man understood what was before him, a Jedi Master. Strangely, he did not choose to address him as one. Letting his paw grip the lightsaber hilt given to him by Sandy, he turned and stood upright and locked his own position to be square with the man.

The questions presented were ones that didn't provoke a straight up fight. They were all hypothetical in some regards. Maybe even an attempt to break the lines, or to test him to see if the Jedi before him was indeed one he may have heard of from stories of old. Yet he didn't think any of those options were the reasoning behind such strange questions. No. The Sith was simply bored. He felt it. The one before him was a warrior. A familiar presence he had felt before, but could not place as to where. If the Sith was seeking either a psychological debate or a philosophical one with a Jedi Master who was also a warrior like him... Such words offered up would only show age and wisdom gained. 

<< Anger is rooted in the feelings of being wronged. But such a thing is an emotion. All emotions are personal and cannot be universal. Perhaps something about this place has personally wronged him. Therefore, through a lack of control over the emotion, has let it consume him. But then again, don't we all have a driving emotion that could potential drive us? Could not anger, grief or maybe something worse take us on a blinded path? >>

Even as the words came out, he felt his own grief over Raven rise up within him. Kept calm and cool due to his own center now based within the Lightside of the Force. But how long would that hold under the circumstances?

Even before the two made it out the door, a shiver ran down his spine, erupting both arms to have the fur stand up from the suddenly strong pull of the Dark Side. It reminded him of the time when Ar-Pharazon tainted him to kill Adi-wan, yet somehow even stronger with it's suddenness. He managed to stay focused despite this wave crashing upon him. He knew without question that Sandy also felt it, as she fell into his arms. He did his best to make it look like it was on purpose, as he did not want to blow their cover yet. But something told him that time was ending, and fast. His fellow Master handed him something familiar, a lightsaber hilt. Not his, as he did not have one yet since his rebirth. He had instead relied upon others as the time to create one just hasn't been presented to him yet. 

The hilt felt familiar, as if the crystal inside knew him, or his spirit. Touching it gave him some more clarity then before. A glance at Sandy also gave him purpose in remaining focused, whereas he might not have. She needed him to be strong. For the Wookiee, he knew that outside appearance could remain, but internally is where the battle was already waging. Dark Side nature fighting against his already weakened grief stricken mind. Holding on to his center, he dug down into the Force, allowing for himself to extend himself further in, only to push himself out. He began to use what Lightside calm within himself that he could to break away the fog of the Dark Side, pushing forth a strong aura. One that he had hoped Sandy would be able to find refuge in. 

Leaving the cantina, he closed his eyes and reached out. The very presence of Leena could be felt, if only barely. The tendrils of the Dark Side were indeed strong upon this planet, choking it out. To him, he wondered if they were provoked into tightening like a noose around the people. Upon a moment passing, he opened his eyes and looked around. Movement from all sorts of people moving around caught his eyes. No longer heavily Falleen like when they entered, but now resembled much closer to the spaceport, where there was a mix of all sorts of species. But it was when he looked in the direction away from the spaceport, where more people seemed to be coming in from... that's when another strong chill ran down his spine. Dark Side presence, but not connected to the tendrils of the planet that they had already felt. No longer whispering, he spoke somewhat loudly to Sandy, as he was sure that the Force urged her in advance, hence the reasoning behind handing off a lightsaber hilt. 

<< ...We are no longer alone...>>