Talon

No matter how hard Talon seemed to strike, the rogue Jedi Knight just kept going. Where others would have given in long ago to the relentless assaults that Talon unleashed, Andon simply endured. Resilience was important in a duel- Talon knew well enough, but this was not Andon's only strength. He was adaptable, proficient, and enjoyed a strong connection with the Force. Based on his performance so far, he had already no doubt earned his right to the rank of Master. Now, it seemed, the duel was simply about bragging rights- neither companion wanted to be outdone. Andon retaliated from Talon's strike with a simple but effective distraction, and once again returned to close quarters, where he was quite effective at shutting down Talon's swift and elegant movements. Andon's attacks were strictly offensive in nature, and he struck out again and again with unrelenting energy. Talon was willing to play the defensive role for a moment, deflecting and countering a good many of Andon's attacks. But Talon was not a fan of the defensive style of swordplay. It was too conservative. Conservative was conventional, conventional was predictable, and predictable was bad for business. So Talon waited for the opportune moment, playing Andon into a perfect counter-position. And then he struck out. Stab. Talon's blade went right for Andon's exposed face. The Jedi Knight sidestepped and brought his blade to push Talon's away. The Jedi Master's attack did not hit it's mark, but it did temporarily change the advantage. Step Duck Slash. Talon evaded one of Andon's powerful strikes while unleashing one of his own. Spin Slice Feign Slice. Again Andon's blade deflected his own, but Talon spun in close to Andon into a position where it would be difficult for Andon to respond to Talon's moves, simply due to a restriction of space. Kick Dodge Uppercut-swipe. Talon's low placed kick was a successful attempt to trip up his opponent, but Andon performed a very impressive counter, and Talon was forced to perform his own to keep even, in which his opponent was pushed back from a powerful upwards cut. Down-swipe Back-step Twirl-around-slash. Talon's high blade fluidly came back down, but he was forced to backtrack or suffer a painful piercing through the midsection. From his range he could easily swing back in for a reinforced attack. High-deflect Punch. Talon deflected Andon's block high and out of the way. Then, with just the right position, he placed a powerful strike into Andon's jaw, with the hand that held the hilt of his saber. This knocked Andon back a bit and disoriented him for just a moment. However, when he looked back down, he seemed to be seeing multiples. There was now many Talons, and they had surrounded him. It was, of course, an illusion”¦ but it was quite effective. All at once, each of the individual Talons closed in. Andon rolled past the first, blocked a strike from a second leaping overhead, and then sliced clean through a third that moved to slow. It was hard for Talon to control all five of the illusions at once, so this one abruptly disappeared. This one provided enough distraction, however, for the real Talon to place a slight cut in Andon's gut, before he was again replaced by another diving illusion. As this progressed, it became easier for Andon to distinguish between real and imaginary. The real difference was with the blades. The illusion's blades held enough substance to repel Andon's blade if struck, and at least hold a slight semblance of a real blade, but they were dimmer, and more transparent. So Andon more and more ignored the fakes, and concentrated more on the real. The fight progressed, and Andon defeated another of the illusions. Finally, he could pick out the real with no difficulty. It moved faster than the others. Its movements were more precise. There was a certain rigid awkwardness which the illusions possessed but the real Talon lacked. It was in this moment of enlightenment which Talon moved in for the ”˜kill'. All at once Talon ignited the air particles around the two combatants. There was an ensuing bright flash of light. Talon moved in the blink of an eye towards his blinded and disoriented enemy. And then, just as things materialized back into darkness, Talon's blade struck the ”˜kill' spot. Only, this Andon which had Talon's blade hovering inches from its neck was not the real Andon, and Talon realized this only too late. Things were not always as they seemed”¦ and it appeared now that Talon was not the only one skilled in the art of illusions. (([yoda voice]A spectacular duel, this fight has been. End it well, you must, or suffer, you will. Hhm! [/yoda voice] ))

And so the Jedi Warrior Talon found himself on his back, with a sore jaw and a robe that was slowly soaking up blood from the opened wound in his side. For the most miniscule of moments, Talon's gaze was not in the realm of the real, but in a realm somewhere beyond. He saw only a bright haze, and a figure which had appeared to him only twice before”¦ The first time he saw it, he was deep within the grottos of Ilum, when he sought out crystals for his dueling sabers. The second time he saw it, he was locked in combat with the fearsome Dark Lord, Kakuto Ryu. Talon was never quite sure as to the origin of this apparition, but he had thought about it much in the past, and had come to the conclusion that it was similar to some sort of spectral guardian angel. Now it slowly approached him. He was enveloped with bright light, but Talon was not blinded. Rather, he saw more clearly now than he had ever before. As the figure knelt beside him, Talon could see directly into his clear, unwavering blue eyes. This ”˜guardian angel' appeared in those critical moments in which Talon was most vulnerable. In his duel with Kakuto, it was when Talon was spent. Now it was Talon's shock which induced its appearance. Andon's skill had progressed tremendously, and now he was making sure Talon knew it. Presently, the apparition spoke- always in those short phrases. It said only what Talon needed to hear, and nothing more. ”œYou're not done yet.”

”œWe both know it's only arrogance if you boast your abilities beyond their actual capacity. You and I are well aware of the fact that I never boast”¦”

”œOnly a few? Andon, I'm disappointed.”

Talon grinned. ”œDon't flatter yourself, oh remarkable rogue. First you must prove you are worthy”¦”

”œYah know, I don't think I'll ever quite understand what happened to you and John. It's true, something in your Force aura is different. It's like you're here but not here at the same time”¦ light but dark”¦ full but empty”¦ One big paradoxical being- even more so than you were before.”

Talon rose from his spot on the ground and took a brief moment to dust himself off. ”œAll shall be revealed in due time, my old friend”¦”

As Talon read, he became dimly aware of the presence of several other Jedi in the area”¦ most specifically Darla. It was no doubt the investigative commission sent to look into the recent happenings, but as he was here on other business, there was no need to contact them and present other distractions. So instead he turned back to the old book in his hand. The old-fashioned book was bound in a hard leather jacket, but was dilapidated, and it barely held together. The Jedi Master had found it in one of the older rooms of the Jedi Library on Coruscant, actually quite by accident. At any rate, most of the information within was, while perhaps entertaining, very close to rubbish. It described glorious, ancient civilizations and cultures that were now very much extinct, presented ancient star-maps and hyperspace routes, depicted primeval forms of combat, and the like. While most of the information was today irrelevant, there was one bit that was quite valuable to Talon. In one of the later chapters regarding ancient civilizations, there was a reference to a secretive, hidden chamber buried beneath the sands of Ossus. This passage originally sparked very deep interest with Talon, and now he was reviewing it, looking for more detail on the matter”¦

Talon's small Eta-2 Interceptor descended quickly upon the planet Corellia after it escaped from hyperspace. The Jedi had recently gained news of some happenings dealing with the chaos gods, but Talon was not the head of that particular mission. While he could do some investigating if time allowed, he was here on other business. Instead of heading towards one of the major establishments, Talon piloted his ship into the wilderness. There would be no need to draw in unassociated business or unwanted attention. A remote mountainous region would serve the purpose well, and it took less than an hour to find the right spot. The Jedi Master spent the next half-hour setting up a makeshift camp next to his ship. He built a small shelter using his ship as support, and got a fire going, over which he boiled water he got from a nearby stream. While pollution was a major problem in some of the more urban areas, Talon was higher upstream, and the water here was more pure. With a proper place to relax for the time being, Talon withdrew an old paper book from his ship which he had recently acquired, and began to read. All he could do now was wait, and he might as well do himself some good and study up on a few things while he did”¦

A tiny wink of light indicated a newcomer to the system of Haruun Kal, and to prove the point, a lone Eta-2 interceptor descended shortly afterwards upon the Jedi base. Unquestioningly, the small ship was granted access to the hangar- as it had been there before when the base was still the main temple. With a sense of urgency, the one-man fighter landed, and its two occupants (man and droid) proceeded forth. The droid was a small, white and maroon astromech, and the other was unmistakably the Jedi Master Talon. His clothing was practically shredded, his blood still oozed from major wounds, his breath was ragged from multiple broken ribs, his walk was short and limp, and his pulse was quite faint. All in all, he was in pretty bad shape. The only good news was that his pain had dulled since the beginning of his journey into a quiet and steady throb. Only half supported by his trusty droid, Talon unknowingly stumbled into the first two Jedi he came upon, which happened (by coincidence or not) to be Darla and Fynn. His voice rasped out- barely perceptible and quite wispy. ”œSo sorry to interrupt”¦”

Talon's interceptor dropped through the thick, humid Dagobah atmosphere, homing in on the signal of his droid and his ship, Excalibur II. As he descended, he noticed his sensors were gathering some strange readings, but he thought nothing of it, but instead proceeded straight to the site of his landed assault shuttle. Through guidance of the Force, the Jedi was able to land his ship safely on the soft, boggy, Dagobah turf. Immediately, the sight of his R2 unit brought a feeling of great content to his heart. The pair had been separated for too long. Apparently, in Talon's absence, Zee had rigged up a nifty computer for the assault shuttle that allowed it to operate without either the Jedi or the droid. Now, Zee would not have to take extended leaves of absence just to pilot or protect the Excalibur, and instead stick with Talon himself in his Eta-2. The Excalibur II would now, in effect, be little more than a mobile home- traveling randomly through space and making itself known only when Talon or Zee called upon it. Retrieving his droid and his possessions from his ship, and exchanging them for the R7 that he had traveled to Dabogah with, Talon was finally ready to return to the Temple on Coruscant. The trip back to the hyperspace ring in orbit was a short one, but Zee, apparently, had a quite interesting story to tell the Jedi Master, outlining a quite important discovery. The story would be told in the trip back, however, as Talon had docked with the ring, and the stars faded to streaks of light”¦

After the brief stop at the gunshop, Talon moved forward with his greater plans. He had some unfinished business that he needed to take care of- beginning with the reunification of himself and his droid. This required a trip off-world, and so Talon wasted no time maneuvering his ship to the outer edges of Coruscant's gravity well. At this particular spot was the hyperspace ring required by the Eta-2s for interstellar travel. The merging of the two components was a relatively quick and easy process, and in no time, the small ship was lost among the stars. As Talon's interceptor traveled the lanes of hyperspace towards Dagobah, the pre-determined rendezvous point, the Jedi warrior was willed (seemingly by the Force itself) into a deep, almost unnatural sleep. It was in this doze that something quite extraordinary happened. Talon was, and always had been, a champion of the Physical Force, and aspects like the Living Force, or even the Unifying Force, were not quite as familiar to him. It was, then, an unusual occurrence for the Jedi Master to receive visions of any sort, but this particular slumber had occurred for a specific reason, and now the Force revealed itself to Talon. After awakening sometime later, the Jedi Master could not quite remember what this dreamlike vision had entailed, but a single name rested on his lips. Esrever A powerful signature in the Force had become realized, and though the Jedi Master was not quite sure what it meant or what it was about, he was quite sure it was of great importance- important enough to devote his time to. At the present, however, Talon had little time to worry about it. The dream, as magnificent as it had been, had taken up most of the trip, and Talon had to refocus his attention on finding his trusty droid. As streaks reverted back to pinpoints, and the ring clicked free of the interceptor body above the green, misty planet, Talon was immediately distracted by the hailing comms of his trusty astromech. Immediately, Talon opened a direct line of communication. It appeared the droid had descended to the surface, and was waiting for his master there”¦

((Andon can take care of himself”¦ )) Talon proffered a grim smile to Ara. ”œThanks for the offer, but my ship is just on the other side of the hill.”

As Nasu-Ryu forged the way back to their ships, the group riding the dragon passed by the segment of battlefield where Talon and the Dark Lord had previously fought, and a glint of shining metal caught his attention- his fallen secondary lightsaber. Talon stretched out his hand, and having had some of his strength returned to him by Ara, summoned the lightsaber hilt and the rib next to it to his hand. As the dragon bounced up and down along their journey, Talon attached the hilt at the back of his belt with its twin, and slid the rib in between his belt and clothing- securing it for a later time. Abruptly, however, the two-headed beast stopped, and Talon was nearly flung off. It seemed Ara was checking on Isolder- another injured Jedi...

Raziel understood Talon's wish. Quickly leaving Ara and Nahstaa behind, the Jedi turned and ran back towards the rubble of the Jedi Dojo. Talon couldn't see it yet, but he could sense the crucified Hou-Jo Poleb's final resting place- centered on the peak of the Dojo ruins- where he seemed to be standing tall over battle, like the general of some ancient and forgotten war, surveying his troops from afar. Rizzy's running was quick but erratic, as if there was something troubling his thoughts. Talon's eyes slipped closed and the tendrils of his mind stretched outward, searching Rizzy's thoughts and emotions. He was worried about Nahstaa and Ara. While he spoke no actual words, he communicated with his Jedi friend. ”œCalm down, Rizzy. Do not fear the road ahead. When we go back that way, I anticipate Nahstaa will find himself too preoccupied to worry himself with us.”

The continuous bouncing into Raziel's back brought the Jedi Master back to. He felt... better- as if he had received some professional Jedi healing. A glance at Ara through Raziel's robes and Talon understood that she had given him a little bit of extra help. With each passing moment, the Jedi was more and more in touch with his surroundings, and as the blazing forests and the deep black smog overhead came back into focus, he finally noticed that they were traveling in the wrong direction. They were slowly heading back to the ships, but Talon still had unfinished business”¦ He whispered up to Rizzy, his carrier and fellow Jedi. ”œTo the crucifix”¦ I must go to the crucifix”¦”

((This post is somewhat time-warped, as I've been absent for a while”¦)) Surprisingly, the Dark Lord was able to fight his way out of Talon's submission. Strong was this warrior- strong in the Force. But even profound strength could be undone, so Talon and Kakuto both pushed forth one final time. Both Jedi and Sith had found that essence in their souls in which they were most comfortable, and even while plagued by fatigue and injury the two fought with unparalleled passion. In a spectacular climactic fashion, both blades and eyes locked in a last standoff. And then the Sith gave up. His grip on his saber relinquished, and the silver blade fell away to provide the perfect target for the Jedi's own blade. As Talon's own, brilliant flaming sword advanced upon the Sith and began a slice through Kakuto”˜s armor that would end his life, a solitary but demanding question rang through the Jedi's mind. Why did he concede the lock? The Jedi Master did not realize the answer until it was too late”¦ Talon's concentration broke as Kakuto's war hammer pummeled into his thigh. Lightning from the alchemized weapon shot through the Jedi Master, charring flesh and tissue. The warrior could feel the bone in his leg crack and then shatter under the immense pressure, and the initial shock nearly knocked the Jedi unconscious. His nerves, however, were shot- and feeling in his extremities, and then his leg, slipped away. If he couldn't feel it, it couldn't hurt him. By his logic, he could finish the fight. But he couldn't regain focus. His vision was blurred. He could barely see Kakuto's grin as he raised his hammer one more time- to deliver the blow that would end the fight. But Talon's resolve was unfathomable. This was not how it was to end. He couldn't see, but he reminded himself that he didn't need to. As the hammer twitched into its fall, the corner of Talon's mouth slightly raised into an all-knowing smirk. Checkmate. Talon waited. The hammer was only moments away. His grip on the lightsaber hilt, which had only slightly relinquished in Talon's glazed state, tightened. Just before the hammer again impacted on the Jedi Master, Talon- using his good leg- sprung upward into the air. The hammer passed underneath, and its wide arc provided a clear shot. Talon's flame like weapon- a portrayal of the Jedi's very soul- moved forward in a stab that impaled the Dark Lord of the Sith through his lower chest. The Sith Master's eyes widened, and then he was gone- disappeared from the battlefield. Some dark magic had whisked him away from Borleias, but Talon could feel Kakuto's essence- somewhere between life and death. This day, the fight was over- but their war was not”¦ And so Talon again fell to the ground. He released a muffled grunt as his broken leg fell onto hard rock. He had lost much blood, and he was spent”¦ his eyes closed and his mind drifted into unconsciousness.

((Regardless of the outcome, it's been a pleasure yet again. )) Pain- there was only pain. Talon's body freely flew through the air. His dark cloak, wreathed around him like a shadow, began to blend into the dark world around him”¦ his vision was beginning to blur. The seconds slowed to a crawl- dragging by like hours, and there was only the air whipping at the Jedi's face and the blood churning from the hole in the Jedi's chest. His eyes grew heavy, and as the moments slipped by, he lost the strength to keep them open. As his eyes flickered shut, the pain dulled. A great, bright light filled his vision. A being he had seen only once before- in his dreams in the caves of Ilum- materialized out of the mist in his ethereal form. He was bathed in white light, and his white robes fluttered about him as if disturbed by an unfelt wind. Am I dead? Though Talon had spoke no words, the ghostly apparition shook his head. His piercing eyes looked directly through Talon, and he spoke only two words. ”œFight harder.”

Talon's inverted-saber fighting style was unique in its own right, but no saber form was without weakness... even Talon's. Kakuto was a veteran warrior, and it was not long before he was able to discern and take advantage of the Jedi's weaknesses. With the combination of several well placed attacks, the Sith had delivered a throbbing bruise to Talon's ribs and cornered him against the wall. When Kakuto's hidden saber sprung forth from a secret compartment in the Sith's mechanical wrist, Talon's eyes flared in mild surprise. While years of experience had taught the Jedi to be prepared for anything, this was not a typical move he had encountered before. Talon, however, was not without tricks of his own. The eyes that had displayed momentary shock milliseconds before narrowed, and a wry smile stretched the Jedi's cheeks”¦ With his back to the wall, the Jedi's mobility had been greatly reduced. He faced an attack on two fronts, and- only being armed with one saber- there was no way he could defend both. Instead, he leapt. His flame-like blade moved to intercept Kakuto's platinum blade aimed at his shoulder, and the blue blade aimed at his thigh passed in-between Talon's legs. Kakuto's blue blade flicked upward in an attempt to castrate the Jedi, but Talon was again one step ahead. His feet pushed off the wall to his back for extra height and momentum, and Talon flipped over the top of the Dark Lord- parrying the platinum blade yet again as he went and landing nimbly on the other side. As his feet connected with solid ground, the Jedi's free hand stretched outward only slightly, and with a summon of the Force, three burning orbs (approx. the size of bowling balls) of Talon's Force-plasma moved to raze Kakuto's flesh. The distance between the two combatants was minimal, and nothing short of Kakuto's Force-enhanced reflexes could have saved him. Nonetheless, the Sith immediately rolled to the side, and two of the three orbs passed by without harm. Kakuto's rapidly moving twin blades dissected the last to a non-lethal size, but even so, even the Sith could not escape several painful burns to the face. Yet again, the wounds were relatively minor, but the attacks had served a greater purpose- they bought time. While the Sith was distracted by the fast-moving Force attacks, Talon reversed his saber back to the traditional grip and twisted. Several internal gyros clicked into place, and the dual-phase lightsaber blade grew pale silver in color and nearly doubled in length- putting the Jedi back on an even ground with the doubly-armed Sith. Again, Talon charged. As the Jedi rushed forward, his grasp on the Force grew. With every passing moment, he ensnared himself more and more in the direction and guidance of that one mystical energy field. Every fleeting moment the Jedi could feel his muscles grow stronger, his agility grow quicker, and his instincts grow wiser. His eyes, reflecting the burning forest outside, seemed to be ablaze themselves- giving the Jedi an otherworldly appearance and showing Kakuto his intensity and focus. Thus was the difference between foes. Kakuto moved forward to meet the Jedi, and blades clashed once again. Talon's longer saber gave him more range. It offered a larger cushion of defense and a greater margin of error... so even with two sabers, the Dark Lord would have to work to advance upon the Jedi. With the saber gripped in both hands to make the elongated blade more wieldy, Talon's movements and attacks were more quick and precise than before. Kakuto, however, was able to hold Talon at bay with a series of parries and counterattacks, and even force him to yield several steps. When a thrust from Kakuto forced Talon to evade, the Jedi flipped and twisted in midair. As he came down, his saber descended at an awkward angle, and as it passed through the grooves of Kakuto's defense, it delivered the first ”˜serious' injury of the battle- a deep gash in the Dark Lord's already semi-bruised left side that may or may not have struck any organs. Though the lightsaber had cauterized the wound on impact, such a cut was slow to heal, and a trickle of blood oozed from Kakuto's armor and littered the soil. Unfortunately, Talon's maneuver had consequences- the Jedi found himself landing face down on the musky floor. He was able to roll over onto his back, but then Kakuto's blades were upon him, and he was forced to temporarily fight from the ground.

((Finals... )) ((Also, please note that this is a 1v1 duel. Feel free to interfere, but be advised that you do so at your own risk. )) "The time has come, Talon. Let's fight." In a moments notice, Cineon was gone- fleeing for his life like a field mouse away from a hungry hawk. The prey had escaped this time, but his retribution would still come... With the departure of Cineon, however, came the arrival of Kakuto- the Dark Lord. This was the real prey, and Talon had been anticipating the hunt since he first arrived. As Talon's knees bent into a slight crouch, his hand maneuvered his lightsaber hilt so the blade pointed out the bottom of his hand instead of the top. The fiery blade was leveled to the ground. In his ready position, the Jedi Master's center of gravity was lower and more centralized. His feet were evenly spaced, but he was on his toes- ready to move in a moments notice. Originating from somewhere deep in the core of his soul, Talon felt a relaxing calm- one that was familiar to him only in the midst of battle. With his eyes focused on the enemy, Talon was prepared”¦ Both warriors stood, each waiting for the first move. The Jedi way was of the defensive- let your opponent make the first move. The Jedi Master, however, found this typical defensiveness to be too restrictive for his own style. With his saber still poised behind him, he struck forward first. With the aid of the Force, the sudden burst of speed closed the distance between Jedi and Sith in a single moment. Talon whipped his saber around from behind in a wide, upper-cut style arc- a move that would split any lesser man in two in the blink of an eye. Kakuto, however, was no lesser man- and Talon expected nothing less. As the Sith's own lightsaber parried the blow, Talon released the hilt of his lightsaber for the briefest of moments to switch back to the more traditional grip. Now with his hands and saber up high, Talon slashed back down. The Jedi's momentum from his initial burst forward gave him a slight advantage, and the Sith was forced to give way. As Kakuto stepped back, Talon became a blur of motion. His Form IV training kicked into high gear, and with profound grace, Talon spun past the Sith”˜s blade, rolled to his opponent's opposite side, and- as he rose from the ground- planted a firm elbow and Force Blast in the Sith's side. Kakuto yielded quite a few more steps as he flew backwards from the attack. While he had a bruised and beaten left torso from the attack, the Sith managed to land on his feet after sailing through the smoky air, and moved back with surprising speed to retaliate”¦ ((1))

The skies were heavy with smoke and ash. The crash of several drop ships had all but destroyed the Dojo, and the surrounding forest that had been set ablaze now cast a glowing, fiery light upon the field of battle. On the highest peak of the Dojo rose a crucifix- a crucifix on which was set Jedi Master Hou-Jo Poleb. It was from this peak that Dark Lord of the Sith Kakuto Ryu unleashed his undead army upon the Jedi. This confrontation had become like a scene out of some twisted nightmare. But while there was still blood pumping through Talon's veins, the Jedi would not be undone. Talon would show Kakuto justice. The Jedi Master and Knight walked coolly towards the numerous duels. Talon's destination was on the peak with the Dark Lord. It was on their approach, however, that Talon got side-tracked. As the pair neared the Dojo, both Talon and Andon received a message from the Force. His head turned, and he saw Zane Arclyte- Dhan-Jaroe's apprentice. The boy needed help, and he called to the two Jedi to help him. Kakuto would simply have to wait”¦ In a flash, both Jedi were upon the Sith, and Andon delivered the ultimatum that would spare Cineon's life. Too wrapped up in his own rage, the Sith chose death. "You were saying?" ”œA fool”¦ nothing more and nothing less. He offered you life, and you spat it in his face. Now you must face the consequences.”

High above the raging carnage on Borleias came the two ships, riding the stellar winds like ancient pirate ships of forgotten lore. Sitting at the helm of one was Talon, the Jedi Master infamous for his skills with a lightsaber, and at the other was Andon Colos, the Jedi Knight of Naboo known far and wide not only for his combat prowess but his extreme piloting skill. They were coming to join the fray... Talon's hands played over the controls of Excalibur II, moving as fast as lightning. The assault shuttle he piloted was of extreme caliber, but it had seen better days, and recent disrepair meant that a rapid descent would require extra effort than usual. Fortunately, the ship was as familiar to the Jedi as the back of his hand, and Talon could tell on instinct how much the shuttle could handle. Presently, it could handle more... The nose of the shuttle dipped ever so slightly. To his right, Talon could see Andon following suit. A contest, it now was. Who would be more daring? Ahead the battlefield grew. Waving blurs of light were soon accompanied by the dark shapes wielding them. Even though the battlefield soon approached, Andon beside him willed his ship faster. Talon, grinning, would not be outdone. The shuttle lurched even further. Finally, both Jedi pulled back to slow the ships in an avoidance of collision, but Andon cheated death only slightly further to the ground than Talon. The Jedi Master would not doubt his counterpart's piloting abilities henceforth... Now out of their dive, both the Excalibur II and the Renegade II roared over the chaos below, announcing the arrival. Each ship kept low, and finally nestled onto the hard and rocky ground on the far side of the battle. In moments, the Jedi Master appeared at the top of his lowering ramp. He had abandoned the crimson trench coat he had picked up on Coruscant for his own older, dark grey cloak- under which he wore his light battle armor. As he descended the ramp, he grabbed his old lightsaber hilt from its spot on his belt, and turned his head to Andon, who was similarly exiting the ship. The two's minds connected. "Best kill wins..." Talon smirked, and then turned to face the conflict.

As the Excalibur II ripped through hyperspace towards Rafa V, Talon intercepted a series of comm bursts from his droid, Zee, who was currently controling Talon's fighter. Without him, the trip so far had been rather lonely, but his current urgency pressed all matters of personel emotion out. ------ :THE JEDI HAVE MOVED AWAY FROM RAFA V BACK TO HARUUN KAL. MOST ARE NOW OCCUPIED ON BORLEIAS IN BATTLE WITH THE SITH. HOW SHOULD I PROCEED?: ------ Talon was happy the droid had commed him. That's why he had kept the little booger around, after all... ------ "Stay away from the action Zee. I don't want to risk two ships. For right now, just keep where you are. I'll rendevous with you after the battle." ------ Zee's affirmative popped up on the screen, and then he was gone. The droid's news was interesting. Battle on Borleias? How did the Jedi get involved there? It was only fitting, however, that the 'Secretary of War' join the fray. Talon's hands played over the controls, and the ship's course was readjusted to move to Borleias. During the brief escape from hyperspace, Talon also used the opportunity to inform Andon and the others. The group did, afterall, work well as a team. Whether they came or not, however, did not affect Talon's destination...

Excalibur II dropped out of hyperspace high above the blue planet of Mon Calamari. The trip from Wayland had been short and uneventful, and now the forest dweller's journey was near an end. Talon gained clearance to land on one of the larger Mon Calamari floating cities, where Entreri would have better luck finding what he was looking for. As the ship nestled onto the duracrete pad, and the boarding ramp in the back was lowering, Talon moved to bode farewell his acquaintance. As the forest dweller moved down off the ramp, Talon spoke one final piece of advice. "If you don't find what you're looking for here, I again urge you to go to Coruscant. You'll find what you need at The Last Call. Until we meet again, may the Force be with you." And then the ramp was closed, and Talon was free to head back to the temple. He moved back to the cockpit, and as soon as Excalibur II had come, it was gone.

At the forest dweller's remark, Talon smirked. "What can I say? Me and my droid are efficient at what we do." As Entreri settled in, Talon moved to the interceptor and gathered the various weapons he had collected since his return. Upon his return to Excalibur II, he added the weapons to the small armory in the back of his ship. Meanwhile, Zee double-checked the hyperdrive of the shuttle and made sure it was functionally operating. Once the job was done, Talon ordered Zee back to the interceptor. Someone had to pilot it back to the Jedi Temple. And then they were ready to go. Talon moved back to the cockpit of the shuttle and settled into the pilot's seat. He flipped on an announcement to the back of the ship as it lifted from the ground. "This is your pilot speaking. Please buckle in and remain buckled until we reach a steady hyperspace course. Due to the lack of an attendant droid, there will be no refreshments served, but feel free to use the mini-bar to your left. Most importantly, keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times." The intercom shut off, and Talon raised a hailing frequency with the Jedi ship that had followed him here. ---Comm Open--- "I've located the Excalibur II, and its again up and running. I'm heading back to the temple, but am making a brief stop at Mon Calamari along the way- as I seem to have picked up a hitch-hiker. I won't be long." ---Comm Closed--- Several moments later, both Excalibur II and Talon's interceptor were gone in hyperspace. Wayland was long behind.