Talon

As Kirlocca took his leave, Talon approached the sitting Ara. At first there was a wide smile across his face, but when he stopped in front of her, he erased it and adopted an amusing ”˜serious' look. ”œI know my smashing good looks have quite an effect on people, but there's really no need to get all weak-kneed and faint about it. I promise I don't bite.”

Talon was almost surprised: at first, he was not even sure if he had heard Kirlocca correctly”¦ His Shryiiwook was not exactly excellent. A life debt was a serious obligation to be offered by a Wookie, and it was not handed out at leisure. ”œYou honor me, Kirlocca. But I did merely what any good Jedi, or even friend, would do. There is nothing to be repaid.”

Talon let Kirlocca speak. And then he gently smiled. ”œKirlocca, I did what I did because I saw a friend in need. I noticed before your capture that you were confused about certain things, and I wasn't sure if you could handle an Imperial prison. They would have either broken you or executed you for some crime you did not commit.”

Talon smiled at the cheerful mood in the air. This was a good day- a good day in the midst of many bad ones. Aryian and Armiena reminded him, once again, that in dark times there was always a shimmer of hope. And whether or not they knew it, it comforted him deeply. The troubles he had been feeling earlier had been pushed aside, not just because of the marriage announcement, but also because the Order was headed in a good direction”¦ After the others had taken their turns, he too congratulated the couple, though slightly less enthusiastically as Ara. Like Aryian, however, Talon was interested in talking to Kirlocca. He reached out through the Force, opening a mental connection. ”œYou wanted to speak to me after the meeting?”

((EDIT: I noticed that I am a bit late with this post, as several others were posting at the same time. Just insert my post into the appropriate position. It'll fit.)) A wookie hug was an experience unlike any other. While seeing Ara again had indeed rejuvenated the Jedi Master a bit, it was nothing compared to Kirlocca's wookie embrace. It brought a smile to his face, and by the time the discussions started, the usual glint in Talon's eye had returned, even if it was a bit muted. He enjoyed this company. Yet, while the pleasantries were nice, the Jedi Masters of the order had congregated for a reason, and now it was time to get down to business. It was Admiral Onderin Starlisk that officially started the meeting. A little background information was exchanged, and the real purpose of the convention- choosing new leadership for the order- was revealed. Several names were thrown into the air, including Aryian, Armiena, and Ara. Talon inwardly chuckled at the coincidence that all of the nominees' names started with the letter ”˜A'. If any of the others noticed the same, they did not share his sense of humor in the matter, or they did a very good job of hiding their emotion. A few did, however, pass him inquisitive glances, showing not only that they were powerful enough to sense his amusement, but they were also curious. Talon exuded a strong sense that it was inconsequential, and that was enough for the moment. He turned his focus to the nominations. Both Aryian and Ara turned down their nominations, leaving Armiena the unanimous decision. Armiena seemed to be the favorite regardless. Talon remained silent until it was apparent that no one else was going to speak. ”œI want it known to all that if she had accepted, Ara would have received my wholehearted support. She did a terrific job before, and I think she would do an even better job now. However, I also believe that Ara's wisdom far surpasses her years. We do need some fresh blood.”

In the blink of an eye, one of the miniscule Eta-2 interceptors dropped out of hyperspace. His trusty R2 unit Zee was plugged into the droid socket in the left wing, and he was the one piloting the craft. Talon was still in a bit of a stupor, and was still deep in meditation- still trying to comprehend the events on Haruun Kal. On the one hand, there was the Black Dawn. Not only had they become a surprisingly formidable foe in an equally surprisingly short time, but they also were somehow able to find a way to nullify the Force on an entire planet. If Talon hadn't felt it, he would have thought it impossible. The whole concept of it still weighed heavily on his heart. On the other hand there was the Jedi. Hou-Jo Poleb destroyed the Jedi Temple on Haruun Kal- killing everyone inside, including a number of Jedi. Not to mention, almost all of the Jedi resources were destroyed- including Talon's own assault shuttle, Excalibur II. It was this act which stunned Talon more. How could such an act be justified? He was fighting to come to terms with it. It was wrong. There was no way around it. But what really racked his brain was that if he hadn't been whisked away by Amon and his brother, he too would have been consumed in the explosion. Talon had experienced death before. It was not new to him, and he was not afraid of it. Yet what happened on Haruun Kal could not have been a coincidence. There was a divine touch. The image of his ”˜guardian' briefly flashed into his mind. And then it was gone. A beeping message from Zee brought the Jedi Master back to the present. A translation flashed across the screen. ::I'VE LOCATED THE JEDI MASTERS ON THE SURFACE. WE SHOULD BE THERE IN TEN MINUTES.:: Talon nodded, and collected himself. ----------------- Ten minutes later, the Eta-2 was settling into the Ossusian soil, and Talon was crawling out. He lacked the usual glint in his eye- it was replaced by a sad, weary lull. While he was not old, he felt if he had lived many millennia, and was old and frail. When he reached the seated arrangement of masters, he hardly acknowledged them, bowing indifferently to each. Until his eyes found Ara's. A smidgeon of his former passion returned. ”œAra Lai-Kaipi! It's been too long”¦”

Talon watched passively as the events in the council room unfolded. Inwardly, he could not suppress a laugh or two. Outwardly, his face was set in stone. He was not quite sure what Kirlocca, Aryian, Damon, and the others were hoping to accomplish with this little show. But he did know that he did not always know everything. Apparently he had been gone longer than he thought, and he felt it would be best for him to remain neutral in the conflict. Of course, he would see to it that there would be no ”˜aggressive negotiations'. Something very big was going on, and the last thing the Jedi needed was a divided front. Luckily, it never quite came to that. Kirlocca got angry with himself and stormed off. Without him, the rest kind of seemed to lose heart in the matter. When all had left, Talon turned back to Hou-Jo. Now that the tension in the room had died down, the Jedi Master was not afraid to voice his concerns. ”œHou-Jo, I traded myself in for Kirlocca, because I believed in him. It's true, I saw the same tapes you did. Faust showed them to me. But you have to realize that when he said that, he had already been through hours and hours and hours of torture. A mind is not itself under those circumstances. You'll say whatever you can, just to make the pain go away. Do with Kirlocca as you best see fit, but I still have faith in him.”

Talon's Eta-2 interceptor dropped out of hyperspace as close to Haruun-Kal as possible. Usually the Jedi Master would take time to enjoy the descent, but not this time. Now he was in a hurry. He needed to see Hou-Jo Poleb. The shuttle landed and Talon departed without fanfare. The Jedi Master paused for only a second to issue instructions to his droid. ”œFind Cal. Let him know I'm back, if he hasn't already sensed it”¦ and let him know I will speak with him as soon as possible. First I must talk with Hou-Jo.”

An Imperial shuttle dropped out of hyperspace and descended upon some wayward moon, remote and out of the way of everything. Piloting the shuttle was Jedi Master Talon, and his trusty companion Zee was already waiting for him at the rendezvous point. It took only several moments for the Jedi to switch vehicles, as Talon carried nothing with him. In a measure of security, the Jedi abandoned everything in the shuttle: the security card, the blaster, even his clothing. Zee had a fresh pair of clothes waiting for him; Talon slipped them on as the ship disappeared into hyperspace, this time heading towards their final destination.

((Since you neglected any information specifically regarding me...)) Talon was sitting alone in his cell, meditating after an extended work-out session. He had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Without the full potential of the Force to aid him, he really had no idea what it meant. He simply knew something was amiss, and it had to do with the Jedi back home. They were”¦ anxious. Then the alarm klaxons started blaring in his cell. Talon's eyes opened with a start, and he rushed to the bars of his energy cage. People outside were rushing to and fro, in a general state of chaos. One of the higher ranking Imperial officers that was running past, however, took note of the Jedi in his cell. Apparently trying to gain brownie points with his superiors, he ran off his initial course towards Talon, whereupon he shut down the energy field containing him, and instructed the Jedi Master to stand against the wall, olding both his hands visibly on the wall above him. He approached the Jedi Master from behind, brandishing a pair of electrobinders, and he reached up to slot one around the Jedi's left wrist. Talon, on the other hand, would have none of it. Just as the binders were about to slip onto his wrist, he dropped his elbow in a crunching blow to the officer's chest. The man took two steps backwards, gasping for air. Talon spun, grabbed the man's wrist holding the binders, and broke it. There was a scream of pain as the binders slipped from his hand, and the officer dropped to his knees, begging for mercy. But Talon could not stop now. His life depended on this man. With his free hand, Talon reached into the man's vest and retrieved his security clearance card and his personal blaster pistol. For the moment, he tossed them both to the side. He grabbed the officer's arm with both hands, and spun, using his momentum to fling the man through the air. There was a sickening thud as the wall kindly stopped his short-lived flight, and the man instantly fell unconscious. Talon proceeded to slot both the security card and the blaster pistol into his utility belt. Before he could leave, however, he bent down over the unconscious officer to check his vitals. Taking pity on him, he reset the man's wrist, and using the electrobinders and a flat piece of plastisteel, he made a crude splint. As he did this he spoke aloud, as if the unconscious officer would hear him. ”œI have decided that I have served ample enough time as outlined by my agreement with Faust. Therefore, all conditions of my stay here are now null and void.”

So far, the Jedi Talon's little ”˜trip' had been pretty unexciting. Instead of the whole torturing bit that was usually awarded to such prisoners of war, Talon was simply left pretty much alone in his cell. That was not to say, on the other hand, that he was treated with more or less value than any other prisoner of war. He was less than adequately fed, having meals of only bread, some strange meal-like pudding, and water. He was provided a wool blanket that was about a foot too short and nothing more to sleep with. And every once in a while, a couple of Imperials would come in and give him a little 'electro-shock therapy'. Furthermore, he was kept constant watch over, with security cameras, guards, and other assorted measures. But there was really no dire action against him. He somehow doubted he was in some position of amnesty, the Empire would not doubt see him as little more than a particularly pesky rebel. This could mean a variety of things”¦ Either he was being reserved for something more extreme than simple torture, or his enemies were just unsure of how to best handle him. Or perhaps they were just trying to psych him out. Talon was not sure which one he preferred. But there was little he could do about it, so he simply pushed all thought of it to the back of his mind. To keep himself occupied, Talon would do push-ups, or sit-ups, or other physical activities- to keep physically fit if for no other reason. He would also sit and meditate, or do other mental exercises. Just because he was sitting in a cell was no excuse for him to lose his edge. Once or twice he attempted to reach out to his padawan and convey some sense of reassurance that he was still alive, and also guilt for having to leave him after so short a time. However, the various masking fields and force nullifiers about the complex probably annulled his attempts anyway, so Talon did not press the matter. Instead, he kept a wary eye and a sharp ear- watching, listening, and waiting.

Talon's first reaction was one of revulsion. However, it was only a momentary lapse in judgment. Talon did not believe it. He knew Kirlocca too well. True, Faust had shown the holo-recording, and it only showed what its objective little lens saw. But Talon was not disturbed. Faust had a notorious reputation for things like this; he twisted events to fit his perspective- taking things out of context to make things seem like something they weren't. Talon was not so easily fooled, and he would not play this game. Kakuto, however, tried to bear down on his already attacked mind. It was a powerful technique, attacking something so delicate. In the end, there were few who had the ability to withstand it. Most of ”˜em were looney. Talon, on the other hand, was strong willed. While perhaps unorthodox among the Jedi views, he was very headstrong. ”œNo, Kakuto. There is still hope.”

When addressed by the Dark Lord of the Sith, perhaps one of the most powerful men in the entirety of the galaxy, it was customary to show some sign of respect, loyalty, fear, honor, or any or all of the above. Faust did so by kneeling. Talon, on the other hand, did nothing. He simply stood in his cage, indicating his defiance to the end. But he betrayed no signs of his emotions on his face. In fact, his Force presence had grown so small that he barely seemed to exist in the Force at all. When Kakuto spoke, there was little change in Talon's demeanor. Whereas Vladmir Faust was coldly (and perhaps a bit manically) civilized, Kakuto Ryu was a savage beast. He was now as much machine as he was a man- he had changed so much since their first encounter. During their first fight, Talon would have said there was not much difference between them, save their views on the Force. The concept of power, however, had corrupted him beyond recognition. Now the pair was like polar opposites. ”œI assure you, good Kakuto, that I am the real thing. I willingly turned myself in in exchange for my comrade. It seemed”¦ the decent thing to do.”

The Imperial transport that contained the Jedi Talon was a morbid place, to say the least. The shrieks and wails of slaves and prisoners filled the air, muting the thrum of the energy field holding him in place. A heavy layer of dust and grime and perhaps even dried blood covered the floor. Worse than the sound or the filth, however, was the stench. A mix between a rotting tauntaun and a pile of bantha dung would have smelled better. If this part of the shuttle had ever been cleaned, it had been a very long time ago. Unfortunately, Talon was powerless to do anything about it. It was”¦ distracting, if nothing else. The arrival at Cardia was a welcome change- not because the company was better, but because he was finally outside the range of that wretched ysalamiri field. While Talon had no intentions of escape, he was glad to be able to access the Force to center himself. It was a good start in terms of focus. The ”˜parade' through the main streets, however, was anything but pleasant. The danger sense that formed a knot in his stomach grew tighter with every step forward. Of course, that was to be expected. He was in the heart of the Empire. There were no allies here- only a million ways to die”¦

Talon felt the steely grip of the stun-cuffs locking his wrists together. ”œAs I said before, Mr. Faust, I will willingly endure the fate that awaits me.”

Talon almost flinched at the sight of his Wookiee companion. There were large, shaved sections of fur interspersing his body, a network of scars interlacing his flesh like a jigsaw puzzle, and the tongue in a jar at his bedside indicated he had been to ”˜cheeky' with his captors. However, the steady, rhythmic beeping showed Talon that his friend was at least stable. Hold on just a little longer, my friend”¦ Under normal circumstances, Talon would need only too reach out into the Force to inspect the severity of his friend's wounds. However, Faust had led the procession into a section of the base that was apparently separated from the energy field. While this would be a shock to many Jedi, who had on a whole become too dependent on the Force, this came only as a mild surprise to the Jedi Master. There had been a time when he could not remember how to use the Force, and he had gotten along quite fine then. Things would simply be a little more arduous. At any rate, an ample supply of ysalamiri was all that was needed to create the sort of environment they had entered, and the Empire was notorious for its over-harvesting of the rare creature. The Jedi Master surmised that this was the case here. Regardless, Talon could not access the Force, and so, as allowed by the hunter, Talon stepped forward to inspect the Wookiee's body. Despite his segregation from the Force, the Jedi was surprisingly deft at analyzing the damage done. While he had little to no actual medical training, especially without the Force, Talon had been in enough battles to know if a wound was crippling or life-threatening. And while some of Kirlocca's wounds were especially severe, none would necessarily kill him. Satisfied, Talon turned back towards Faust. ”œHis condition is good enough.”

The Jedi Master appeared unfazed by Faust's sudden display of anger. Instead, he quietly took a moment to review the terms. They were not unreasonable, and Talon's main concern was getting Kirlocca back with the Jedi and away from any Imperial or Sith controlled area. Talon's wookie friend was going through a rough time. His mind was”¦ ”˜fragile', to say the least. ”œYes. We have an accord. Kirlocca will be taken to the neutral location of Ilum, where he and his escort will be met by other members of my order. Your message can be delivered to them, and it will in turn be delivered to the Jedi Council. As long as there is no foul play, your stormtrooper will be allowed to return home safely. When I am confident that Kirlocca is in safe hands, I will willingly endure whatever fate awaits me.”

As Talon and his droid are escorted, the Jedi Master makes a mental note of his surroundings. While he gives no sign of noticing, he senses several hidden troopers stationed along their route, waiting for the ”˜guest' to make any sudden moves. Aside from these snipers and guards, the short halls are also tightly patrolled by squads of grunts. Instead of revealing the danger sense tickling his spine, however, Talon kept his face emotionless, and instead focused on the route the troupe followed. Finally the group filed into some sort of makeshift banquet hall. Sitting at the end of a long, white-cloth table in the center of the room sat Vladmir Faust himself. Magna guards lined the sides of the large room, looking forward with a steely gaze. As instructed, Talon took a seat. However, it was customary for a Jedi to politely refuse any kind of offered food in such a situation, and so Talon did. ”œWhile the capture of the agent known as Slicer is a concern of the Jedi Order, it is not the concern to be addressed today. We both know that I am here on behalf of the Jedi Kirlocca, and unfortunately, I think we both know there is little that you will accept for his release. Drastic times, I believe, require drastic measures. Therefore, in addition to a substantial sum of credits, I am willing to make an exchange of prisoners. If you patch Kirlocca up and let him leave this planet unharmed, I will take his place.”

It was some time before there was a reply from ”˜higher authorities' on the other end of the line, but Talon was, in all actuality, not expecting the person who answered. It was Vladmir Faust- perhaps the most feared bounty hunter in the whole galaxy- rivaling even such names as Sing and Fett. Yet, despite his reputation, he was quite hospitable, even if in that strange, cold way. Talon reminded himself, however, that they were holding a friend prisoner, and that though Faust appeared to be chillingly convivial, things were hardly ever what they seemed. Still, the flight plans mentioned by Faust began to display themselves in the lower right-hand corner of the ship's main screen. Talon spoke back into the comm. ”œAcknowledged. I am receiving the flight plans now.”

Just as the comm stations shut down after the sending of a message, a lone Eta-2 interceptor dropped out of hyperspace high above the planet Ryloth. The coordinates that Slicer had broadcast over the holonet pointed onward, toward the small orb before him. Ryloth was an imperial controlled world. Going into such a place with an entire army would have been considered bold, but going alone would be just plain foolhardy. As such, it would not wise to draw attention to himself. Using his limited knowledge of the ”œArt of the Small”

Talon nodded in return, and turned back to the temple. He found his trusty droid right where he had left him, and the pair started back through the base. ”œZee, I need you to get to the ship and get it ready for me. I need to go to our quarters and get a few things, but I'll meet you there.”

Talon was awoken in the middle of the night by his trusty astromech. This rarely happened- the droid would only do this when he found something that warranted the Jedi Master's attention. On this particular evening, it was a something being displayed on the holonet. This ”˜something' turned out to be a call of surrender to the Jedi, and it featured a shaven Kirlocca as a hostage. The news did not end there, however, as a message from Hou-Jo followed soon after, announcing that the Jedi Order did not deal with terrorists. Actually, it almost seemed as if Hou-Jo was insulting the guy. Typical. Talon rolled over to the edge of the bed. ”œThanks for showing me, Zee.”

Talon's walk back to the room was quiet and uneventful. Talon's mind, however, was stuck somewhere in fast-forward. The Jedi Master was quite pleased with the performance of his padawan. Unfortunately, most of Talon's own training was part of a forgotten past. He remembered an academy, and he remembered certain people, but he could not remember the ”˜curriculum' of his training. In this regard, he was on his own. Yet, Talon was not daunted by the task. He had semi trained several other apprentices before, and he understood the responsibilities of instilling the Jedi philosophies in another, so he was quite confident. It was not long before Talon made it back to his own room, and he was delighted to find his trusty R2 unit there waiting for him. The pair had been through too much, yet the droid seemed to share Talon's own fearlessness and longing for adventure. Perhaps Talon just had that affect on others”¦ The droid piped a welcome. Of course, there was no way Talon could tell exactly what the astromech was saying, but he had become so accustomed to the beeps and boops that usually he had a pretty good idea. ”œNo thank you, Zee. I'm worn out. I'll probably just catch some z's.”

Talon's words of advice went well heeded. When Cal re-advanced, he came with a re-energized serenity. He was a quick learner, and that was a skill considered very valuable among padawans. While the apprentice's strikes were not quite on par with the Jedi Master's level of mastery, Talon could sense Cal's comfort and ease in the Form. He had reached that one intangible level where he was truly relying on the Force- where he was ”˜in the zone'. He had achieved balance. That was a critical asset in a real life combat situation, and it was the one place where Talon truly felt at home”¦ that indistinct longing for action and adventure buried deep underneath years of Jedi calming exercises and meditation techniques. It was perhaps not the standard ”˜Jedi ideal', but it was where Talon served best. To add to his building momentum, Talon's padawan gave Talon a little taste of his own medicine. Just when the smallest of breaches opened in Talon's defenses, Cal unleashed a Force wave in similar proportions to Talon's own. The Jedi Master's danger-sense peaked in just the previous instant. Calling upon an ancient and rarely-used absorption technique, Talon was able to absorb the slightest bit of energy from the attack. Unfortunately, he was just too little too late, and the rest of the blast caught him straight in the chest, and was enough to send him sliding on his feet several meters backwards. When Talon finally skidded to a stop, he raised his hand. ”œGood. You adapt quickly. You will find this to be a very helpful trait.”

Talon's Force push knocked Cal off guard, sending him careening through the air. Just before collision with the far wall of the room, however, Talon's padawan halted the movement of his body with the Force”¦ bringing himself to a hover almost like Talon had been doing before the spar. Then he simply lowered himself back to the ground, and Talon's brow rose ever so slightly. Impressive”¦ Following a brief recession, Cal further impressed his teacher by adopting the stance of Form II. Makashi was an excellent form in saber vs. saber fights. It was a fencing style, and its precise, staccato movements allowed for maximum saber usage with minimum energy expenditure. It was an elegant style of combat, one which Talon could tell Cal was already quite versed in. His padawan's quick foot movements and even quicker saber strikes were surprisingly true. Unfortunately for the padawan, Talon had had too much experience against the fencing form to be daunted. He met Cal's blows time and again with his own defensive blocks and counters. Finally, Cal became too exasperated with it, and unleashed an uncharacteristic power slash in frustration. Talon raised his own blade to intercept Cal's, stepped to his side, and expertly tripped the padawan onto his back, upon where the Jedi in training found the wind mildly knocked from his lungs. ”œPatience is a virtue, my young apprentice. While the sudden power attack can very often be a useful technique, it must be carefully administered. When you strike in frustration, you lose focus. When you lose focus, bad things start to happen.”