Inquisitorius

"Vorsha. Lieutenant Colonel Vorsha, General Sarna. Unfortunately I cannot speak to the full list of charges as the investigation is still ongoing, but at the very least dereliction of duty and theft of Alliance property. There will be no trial, only a sealed hearing, but someone of your rank would be welcome to make a statement when the appropriate time comes. Good day, General." With that, the group turned and left.

((Posting some of Aidan's actions here for dramatic effect and flavor seeing as both accounts are mine, and from here to the end of this narrative Aidan's actions may be described on both unless combat occurs at which point Aidan will revert fully back to his own account. Aidan should and will still have the majority of his actions described in his posts.)) "Lieutanant Aidan Darkfire. By order of the High Inquisitor, you are hereby under arrest pending further investigation. Please surrender your lightsaber and come with me. I will not ask again." Aidan turned to see two very large human guards flanking a blue-skinned Twi'lek woman, all of whom wore the armor of the Imperial Knights. Her rank marked her as the equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel, and she looked rather out of place as high ranking persons didn't usually conduct these kinds of issues. As Aidan opened his mouth to speak, the woman held up her hand. "Save your explanation for the record. I am here as a courtesy to the Grandmaster, you already know very well what would happen were you not related and you need to realize this courtesy is running thin. For your own sake, lieutenant, just come with me." Aidan was rather speechless. He knew this was something that was coming, but he didn't expect it nearly this soon. He nodded, turning to the others with concern on his face, but it was clear he wasn't going to fight this. Slowly he handed his lightsaber hilt to one of the guards. "Frond, Sandy knows the door lock combination to my room, you're welcome to borrow the holocron." The Twi'lek spoke up immediately as he was finished. "Unfortunately your personal belongings are subject to this investigation and are at this time under lockdown. Your room code has changed, and access cannot be granted until after the proceedings." This hit Aidan rather like a gut punch. It all felt surreal, like he was in a dream, but this was simply the reality he'd created for himself. With a sigh, he turned and left with them, still processing everything. His journey would end in a holding cell...for the time being.

Failure. The Sith noticed the trap at the last second, and Hunan had sacrificed his knee for nothing. The terrible sound of the heavy turret ripping through the deckplates and plummeting downward only echoed a cacophony of chaos, not an overture of triumph. It was strange, here, at the end of things, even despite the ruthless pain of his shattered knee, Hunan was at peace. This was the will of the Force. As the Sith charged, Hunan lowered his guard with arms outstretched, and closed his eyes. Instead, what rang true was the unexpected sound of a heavy repeating blaster canon, the same one mounted to the exit ramp of the shuttle he'd landed on, meant to give the troops covering fire as they disembarked. In an instant, it was over. There was no winner, only the brief turbulence of war, two dancers separated on a crowded dance floor, two ships passing in the night. Aidan's hand was the next thing Hunan felt, as the young man braced the Lasat on his smaller frame, helping him hobble back to the shuttle. More reinforcements from both sides were on the way, it was time to leave. This fight, their fight, was over. Silence hung in the shuttle on the return flight, save for the low moans and groans of the injured. It gave Hunan time to think, to reflect on the skirmish. He wondered if he would ever see that man again. He imagined it would be very different the next time they fought, if there was a next time. As they left the shuttle back on one of the medical frigates near the fringes of the fleet encounter, Hunan told Aidan something very important, something the young Knight had been waiting to hear, but was prepared to wait much longer to do so. "I absolve you. Go, rejoin the ranks of your brothers and sisters. Join the fight only if you desire, there is no shame in tending the wounded, and my report will be filed after regardless." This time, Aidan didn't say anything. He gave Hunan a smile, not particularly wide or exuberant, but content. War was ugly, but in its fires fine warriors were forged, and today Aidan was tempered. He helped Hunan to the medical ward, and began healing him like Sandy had once taught him. ((I have enjoyed writing Hunan immensely, but now it's time to jump back to Aidan's story. For the time being, Hunan is now an NPC, and Aidan is back to being a PC. In the future, I may bring Hunan back to a full PC, but for the duration of this battle it would be unfair.))

((3, Good fight)) This was it. Everything came down to this one moment, strategized from the outset of their melee. The strikes had served to distract and focus the Sith on Hunan rather than his surroundings, and as far as he could tell, it had worked perfectly. The obvious danger in the hangar was the shuttle with its repeating blaster emplacements, but there was another large hazard: the slagged automated turret that now hung from above by a single cable. As his opponent lunged for his heat, Hunan blocked, fully aware of what would need to come next. As the Sith dove deep in the Force to injure him, Hunan dove into the Force to reach out and snap the cable at the same time as he sacrificed his own knee, his leg twisting sideways with a blindingly painful POP as he limped backwards a half step. His tonfas remained close, guarding his body from what would likely be the Sith's final strikes. Light-tonfas excelled at blocking, and Hunan relied on his knowledge of Soresu to keep him safe in these final moments. The turret fell.

((2)) The Lasat's assumption was confirmed: this Sith was not ignorant to saber combat. Wisely he struck out at the larger framed Lasat's legs, an area a larger creature would naturally have difficulty protecting. In response, Hunan lowered his stance, catching both thrusting blades as he could, the lower with a reverse block, the upper managing to graze his unprotected neck before Hunan parried it off, cooking the purple skin to a charred black. The wound stung, but Hunan knew pain, and it was a flesh wound. There were larger concerns, bigger machinations at play. The Force would see him through this, as it had many times before for much worse injuries. The swipes at his abdomen were easy enough to meet with vertical blocks, the yellow blades carving the air with delicate but meaningful thrumms, only to meet in a crash with his opponents'. Hunan maintained his economy of movement, never letting his gaze leave his opponent, even though he saw with more than just his eyes. This Sith would wear himself out quickly attacking in such a frenzy. Yet even before that happened Hunan knew that it was strategy, not perseverance, that would win the day here. Hunan backpedaled as his opponent pressed the attack, knowing that he had total control over where to lead his opponent in the expansive room. The tonfas lashed out for the first time, whipping around in blindingly fast arcs, striking at unorthodox zones on his opponent. The upper left bicep, the right kidney, the forehead, the right calf. As fast as they leapt at their opponent, they seemed to be back to a guard in the very next instant. Nothing fatal except for perhaps the forehead, nothing incredibly powerful or strong, each strike coming as Hunan fought on the retreat. But they all had their purpose. The pieces on the board were poised, the music of combat began to swell. All that was left of this fight was the finale, and after, the victor would simply walk away from the corpse of his once-rival.

It wasn't a guaranteed plan, but Aidan was glad it had worked. A man had died to save his brothers, and his death was not completely in vain. Few Rebel troops, living or dead, could lay claim to downing a trained Sith. As the other rushed from the gaping maw left by the breaching charges, he hung back, watching, like he was supposed to. This was Hunan's fight, now. ((1)) Hunan met the oncoming storm with both eyes open. The yellow blades of his tonfas danced, singing a dangerous duet with the Sith's own, punctured only by the grunts and huffs as the two went at it. Physically, Hunan was bigger, but the Lasat knew well that meant nothing in the chaos of battle. An enemy with a weapon was dangerous, a trained one was deadly. Size mattered not. This Sith was driven, but Hunan was steadfast. As the Sith moved in to strike at his left shoulder, Hunan blocked with his left saber, spinning right to avoid the next cut, which skittered across his pauldron in a shower of sparks. Finally he met both of the sabers in the overhead strike with a crossed block, reversing his tonfas to catch both blades. At the right moment, the Lasat drew back just enough to unleash a savagely powerful forward kick at the Sith's torso, aiming to knock him back from the saber lock. But more than that, Hunan had steered them both with his footwork to where directly behind his opponent was sharp debris left over from the initial assault into the hangar. It was an introduction of warriors. Each was sizing the other up. It was far too early to move in for the kill, instead this would lay the groundwork for the crescendo yet to come.

Tulq gave the signal, and with military precision the engineers took cover, detonating the charges and blowing the door open. Two squads formed up behind him, waiting on his word to proceed into the dust and smoke filled hole. A moment passed, stretching far longer than it should have. The squad leader nearest the Gunnery Sergeant finally cleared his throat, wondering what Tulq was doing. But Tulq didn't respond except for a barely perceptible shiver. About that time the squad leader noticed a narrow drop of blood tracing its way down his ear, growing slowly but steadily into a trickle. "What the-" Suddenly and violently, Tulq's head turned an unnaturally rapid 180, his face now clearly visible to the squad behind him. The whites of his eyes were stained a crimson red and rolled back in his head, and from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth blood oozed out from him, as if he'd been squeezed like a sponge. There was a slight moment of hesitation, of horror rippling through the men, as Tulq's corpse still stood there. Finally something released its hold on the body, allowing him to drop unceremoniously to the deckplates. As lightsaber blades ignited from the abyss of the breached door, the men panicked, half of them running for cover while the squad leaders began barking orders. Aidan knew it would be bad, but not quite this bad. Force lightning erupted from the hole, chaining between a few of the soldiers who had hesitated, the amperage ricocheting through their nervous systems and cooking them from the inside out. They were all dead before they fell. Meanwhile, in cover behind nearby large cargo containers, Aidan wrestled with what to do next. This was the moment, and he would not allow Serenno to repeat itself. "You," he pointed at one of the soldiers, "I need you to go out there and grab onto that as tightly as you can." He indicated a piece of deck plating that had been pulled up. This was a suicide mission, and both of them knew it. "The rest of you are to fall back to the landing shuttle and man its guns. If it looks bad enough, take off without us. There's no point to losing any more of you." There was a brief pause as the men all understood what he was asking of them. The soldier he'd tasked with the deadly mission took a deep breath, saluted, and ran out of cover. The rest of the men executed their orders, falling back. Force lightning once again shot out at the one man, but as it poured through him in terrible fury it was also directed into the ground point he held onto for dear life, a grounding point that ran back towards the blast door. At the speed of light, the deadly lightning raced back towards its origin through the deckplates. As for Hunan, he simply waited. This was all going to happen. It needed to happen, even, for reasons he couldn't explain. But now, he knew, it was time for his test. The Warden would not falter.

The assault shuttle flight was quiet, except for the flashes outside the viewports and the occasional subdued boom of a stray shot splaying across the shuttle's shields. The men were anxious. Hell, everyone in the system was anxious right now, but Aidan was sitting here, now, with them. Truth be told, he was rather anxious too. He tried to put Serenno out of his head, but he couldn't, not after Tulq had brought it up. Moments later, they offloaded into the hangar under heavy fire. Two of the first wave shuttles had already been destroyed, but a third held a beachhead while they landed and joined the fray. As they disembarked, Hunan handed Aidan his lightsaber, making brief but meaningful eye contact with him. This changed nothing, it was merely in case of an emergency. Aidan clipped the staff-saber hilt to his belt, ducking his head as he ran with Hunan to the cover Outcast Company had secured behind several larger cargo containers. Tulq barked orders, and four of the men began to split off, running around to flank the defending forces. But what Tulq missed, Aidan had sensed, an automated repeating blaster emplacement swinging into position higher up in the hangar. "Hunan!" he shouted, but the Lasat was already in motion, the Force propelling him beyond mere mortal speeds to the four, twin yellow blades erupting from his tonfas with a ssshRAAKKkssssummm as Hunan whipped them about, neatly intercepting and deflecting the withering fire. Seconds later a rocket fired from the original position trashed the gun, but it was already too late, the flanking maneuver needed either the element of surprise or more men. After a bit, Outcast Company endured several casualties, but had managed to mop up the defending forces. Two Sith troops held out in a corner of the hangar, but they were of tertiary importance. Tulq quickly barked orders to push further into the rings and the men set to work. Aidan pulled him aside, warning him they should reinforce here and wait for the inevitable reinforcements, but Tulq wasn't having it and told Aidan he could wait in the hangar for all he cared. As four of the men began setting up breaching charges on the main sealed blast door, Aidan's stomach sank. Something felt wrong. "Gunnery Sergeant, pull your men back from that door!" He was met with a rude gesture. Hunan reignited his sabers, eyeing the door as he stood next to Aidan. The Lasat had felt it as well, and knew what was likely to happen. His soft bass voice held no hint of tension, but Aidan knew better. "Take cover. This is not your fight." Aidan nodded, moving back towards a cluster of cargo containers near the bulk of the platoon, waiting for the worst. They may have survived the fire, but the frying pan was on its way.

Without a tactical readout from various types of sensors, the naked eye wouldn't be able to see the machinations of battle beginning high above Kuat. But neither Aidan nor Hunan needed sensors, they counted on something far more powerful to guide them: the Force. And what the eye couldn't see, the sixth sense could feel. Hundreds of thousands of troops, soldiers, pilots, and especially civilians, all experiencing a gathering anxiety. It was never an easy feeling for a practitioner of the Force to face. Yet both Imperial Knights were trained to handle these emotions, and they endured. From across the room where several soldiers were donning armor and checking weapons, one of them came over to where the two were standing, addressing Aidan. "Darkfire, right? Gunnery Sergeant Tulq, Outcast Company. You're the one they sent to lead my men?" Aidan didn't shift his gaze from the viewport as he replied. "Knight Darkfire." He let it hang in the air like he was going to say more, but he didn't. "Right. Knight Darkfire. I took the liberty of reading your file. Let's get one thing clear: I'm giving the orders. I'm not going to let Serenno happen to my men." Aidan didn't so much as flinch. The irony of being assigned to Outcast Company hadn't been lost on Darkfire, but at the moment he had bigger fish to fry. "Fine by me, Sergeant." "Gunnery Sergeant." There was another pause as Tulq expected a reaction to throwing Aidan's own crap in his face, but he only found disappointment. Aidan's concentration was elsewhere. Tulq left with a disgruntled huff, moving back over to his men who were gearing up for combat nearby in the ready room. Soon, they would all be on Kuat's rings, and then the real fighting would start. Hunan, ever the silent observer, noted all of this. He'd felt what Aidan had, knew what lay ahead for them. This wasn't the Lasat's first foray onto the battlefield, and Force willing it wouldn't be his last. His concern was for Aidan, not just his ward, but his brother-in-arms. However, Hunan's calm was much stronger than his compatriot, and he accepted things would be as they were. There was a chaos to war, but a skilled warrior could navigate it and even to an extent turn tides. There was no doubt in his mind of his skill, nor of Darkfire's.

Hunan nodded in respect to the Jedi Master as she took her leave. He could feel the turmoil inside his younger ward, Aidan wanted to say something more, do something more, but was emotionally conflicted that he couldn't. No matter what Darkfire thought of himself, he was not as together as he thought he was. Overconfidence was a poison many Jedi choked on, it was a weakness that took Hunan himself a long time to rid himself of. Being at peace with life was not the same as being numb to it, but there were many similarities, differences Aidan would need to learn on his own. Briefly, the Lasat considered chiming in, adding his opinion that Master Sarna was correct, but it was something Aidan wouldn't want to hear. Not coming from him anyways. Patience. Aidan wiped his forehead from the slight slick that had formed there from their jog as he watched Sandy walk off. He wished things were different. He wished he was different. But right now this was just what it was. With a brief sigh, he began walking back to his room to grab his go pack, keenly aware of the Lasat following behind him. Half an hour later Aidan boarded his transport, picking a seat where hopefully nobody would bother him. Mercifully, Hunan allowed him his space. After all, there weren't many places he could go. As the transport rose through the atmosphere, Hunan reviewed the details of Aidan's assignment, something the younger Knight had yet to do. Interestingly, he had been attached to a ground assault platoon, and while he was not the assigned commander he would be the ranking officer with them on the ground. Considering the events of Serenno Hunan was a bit surprised they would give him another command so soon. Perhaps the Rebels were hurting for good officers worse than they preferred to let on. Perhaps someone had pulled strings. Regardless, the upcoming conflict would prove to be...interesting. For both of them.

For the first time since Sandy had seen Hunan, the Lasat finally spoke up. His voice was a surprisingly deep bassoon for how softly he spoke, with a timbre that reflected wisdom and only carried as far as he allowed it to. "This is not a matter the Jedi have a say in." There was a soft undertone of regret rather than confrontation, Hunan was fully aware of the nature of the relationship between the Jedi and the Imperial Knights, and the history that had led to their departure. Aidan came to a stop after a few steps to catch his breath, looking plainly at Hunan in simple acceptance of the situation before returning his attention back to Sandy. "He's right. And I doubt they would kill me, they only do that in dire circumstances, but they may attempt to exorcise me or even cut me off from the Force should I prove to be too unstable." His tone turned to mockery toward the end out of irritation at the split between reality and the politics of the situation. His meditation with Sandy had purged him of much, but after his failure at Serenno he was again unsure of himself. Failure was part of life is something the Jedi would say, but Aidan always had a hard time forgiving himself when he knew he was capable of so much more and still fell short of the mark. He flashed an insincere smile, not out of deception, but because he really was trying to make the best out of a sour situation. "It'll be okay. It's only temporary, or so I've been told. I'll be glad when it's over to tell you the truth, because all Hunan here does is gossip, gossip, gossip." Aidan shot a grin at the Lasat. Hunan did not return the look. Instead he looked to Sandy, knowing what her next question would be: when? "I have been entrusted to determine Knight Darkfire's fitness for duty." Noticeably, there was no timeline, no concrete finish point, no light at the end of the tunnel. This was an ordeal, and Aidan would endure. Or he wouldn't.

"No," Aidan blurted out, getting the feel of talking between breaths, "you haven't." He waited until they passed a maintenance crew working on one of the many starfighters in the bay before continuing. "The Imperial Knights are...kind of worried about me, you could say. I have a feeling I've been allowed special treatment because I'm the Grandmaster's son because they've sent Inquisitors after other Knights for less. Imperial Knights don't worry about their own, they remedy the problem. Still, I'm not really uncomfortable. The first few days were awkward, but once you get used to him you barely notice him." There was a slight pause as Aidan let her mull that information over. He was more irritated with Hunan's presence than anything else, but rather lightly. If anything, the Lasat's presence was simply a reminder that the Imperial Knights had their eye on him, and not in the best way. "I'm not supposed to engage in combat. Since we're in a bit of dire straights I've been allowed to advise a commander, but I'm expected to keep my use of the Force rather limited. Hunan is here to monitor me, but also defend me in a worst case scenario. He's very...professional about things. Quiet, too, almost in a scary way." Four meters behind them Hunan plodded along, keeping pace with the Humans. A slight grin crossed his face momentarily at Aidan's last comment, but that was all he allowed himself.

Aidan looked to Hunan, who nodded. "Sure. Maybe not a full run though? Go pretty fast and you start breathing hard and speaking just...sucks." Aidan stood from the table, walking over to Sandy. Hunan stood a moment later, and in addition to his tonfas strapped to his sides, Aidan's saber also noticeably hung from the Lasat's belt. Aidan neared the door and pointed down the hall. "Maybe a few laps around the hangar? It's not far away." Aidan picked up a brisk jog with Sandy. Hunan began jogging a short distance behind them. Out of respect he didn't stay immediately behind them, but he wasn't about to let Aidan out of earshot. Meanwhile, Aidan turned to Sandy. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

There was a slight ripple of the Force and Aidan's door slid open for Sandy. Inside she was met by a strange sight: Aidan's room was much neater than it typically was. Spotless, even. Sitting at the small table just inside was Aidan and a Lasat she had never seen before clad in the armor of the Imperial Knights, both of whom were engaged in a game of Dejarik against each other. But while Aidan's eyes were firmly fixed on the game board, the Lasat's eyes were firmly fixed on Aidan with a serious look as if Aidan had just made another small infraction. But while the Lasat remained silent, Aidan spoke, still focused on the board. "It's a bit frustrating, but I suppose it's a good test of patience. Fifteen games and I haven't won a single one." After a brief pause, Aidan reached for the controls, moving one of his pieces, after which the Lasat moved his, seemingly cornering the younger human on the board. Aidan muttered something under his breath, something about he knew that was going to happen. Finally, Aidan broke from his concentration and turned his attention toward Sandy. "Hi. I know I haven't exactly been personable recently, but...there were...reasons for that." His gaze shot back to the Lasat, who was already back to staring at him. Aidan gestured vaguely at the third wheel across the table, "This is Hunan." The Lasat briefly averted his yellow-eyed gaze, looking at Sandy fully with a respectful nod. "He doesn't speak much," Aidan continued, "but he's a bit of a necessary evil right now." Hunan's disapproving look soured even more at the remark, but still he said nothing. This assignment wasn't the best for Hunan, but deep down he understood why it was necessary. It was more than internal politics, more than a grace to a grandmaster's son. Hunan had the wisdom and experience that Aidan lacked, not because he was better but simply because he was older. Right now, they didn't quite enjoy each other's company, but Hunan intimately understood and agreed with Aidan's assessment of it being a necessary evil. Still...it was a rather rough way of phrasing it.

HUNAN BALEFOR'S CHARACTER SHEET Identity Real Name: Hunan Balefor A.K.A: "The Warden" - a nickname he abhors and prefers to not use Homeworld: Stalsinek IV Species: Lasat Physical Description Age: 57 Height: 7'3" Weight: 315 lbs Hair: Mix of purple and spots of brown Eyes: Yellow Sex: Male Equipment Clothing or Armor: Armor of the Imperial Knights minus the gauntlets Weapon: Two light-tonfas, yellow blades. The tonfas are larger than expected to match the larger frame of the Lasat, with a longer blade. The 'inside' of the tonfas where the blade might touch the forearm has an extended blade guard that leaves the 'outer' edge exposed to effectively block lightsaber strikes and blaster bolts. The hilts are mostly comprised of reinforced cortosis alloy to protect them from direct strikes from a saber, however the handles are wrapped in a treated leather that provides a good grip but also lets Hunan whip the tonfas around as the style dictates. The short part of the tonfas past the handles end in rounded domes of metal that allow for quick and effective nonlethal thrusts to disorient and disrupt an opponent, though this is merely a fraction of what Hunan has proven himself capable of with these versatile weapons. Common Inventory: Comlink, credit chits, food rations, cleaning kit for armor and weapons Faction Information Force User, Force Sensitive or Non-Force User: Force User Alignment: Lawful Good Current Faction Affiliation: Imperial Knights Current Faction Rank: Knight Inquisitor History Force Side: Light Trained by: Jooran Sol Trained who: N/A Known Skills: Telekinesis, telepathy, Force jump/speed/strength, most techniques common to a Jedi Guardian type. Hunan emphasizes in Soresu lightsaber combat with a few Djem So principles. While he borrows some of the aggressiveness from Djem So when he needs it, he has learned to make use of nonlethal counterattacks and opening an opponent to submission moves rather than lethal strikes and absolute domination the form strives for. Background: Hunan was trapped into slavery as a young boy, separated from his kin during a hunting expedition and rite of passage. Because his species was rarer throughout the galaxy, he caught the eye of a wealthier Hapan woman on Charubah who liked to "collect" things. However, when Hunan refused to obey his new master, he was sentenced to execution per Hapan law. When the time came, and he was shot with a gun of command, a weapon that was supposed to override his thoughts so he would take any order given to include shooting himself with a provided blaster (considered by the Hapans to be a humane method of execution), Hunan resisted through an incredible feat of willpower, drawing the attention of a nearby undercover Imperial Knight. Hunan was rescued from his captor, and after discovering he had talent with the Force eagerly began his training. Years later, now an Inquisitor within the Imperial Knights, Hunan has held the honor of handling some of the most dangerous prisoners the Imperial Knights have ever kept. His demeanor is quiet, and though soft spoken Hunan is no slouch on the battlefield. He has focused his studies into fighting with light tonfas, using them to great effect to dismantle and disrupt his opponents with nonlethal strikes and unorthodox parries. One tradition he maintains, known only by a few, is to keep the weapons of those he has defeated in combat. The room he maintains in garrison with the Knights is filled with them. Ship Registration Name: Oncoming Storm Class: Multirole transport Model: Upsilon-class command shuttle Manufacturer: Sienar-Jaemus Fleet Systems Length: 19.1m Armaments: 2 Twin heavy laser cannons Armor: Military grade standard hull Anti-Personnel Defenses: Biometric lockouts Modifications: Interior comfort readjustments to accommodate Hunan's larger size, a refresher and private room built into the cargo hold's space Appearance: Picture