Haruun Kal

[Enigmatic]

Revan saw Nom's ship leave and all that could go through Revan's head was one simple question.

 

"What's on the planet Illum?"

 

Revan didn't hesitate any longer, he immediatly hopped into his ship as he slowly took off into hyperspace leaving Haruun Kal behind and the beginning of his training in the past.

[Scorp Jedi Knight]

Scorp touched his ship down in what used to be a bustling Jedi ... Base for lack of a better term. He hopped out of his ship taking care to lock it down before he began to explored through the remains of the place. Things were littered on the floor and walls had caved in from the battle that had force the Jedi to flee from this world.

 

With each step it seemed he could feel ghost from the past. Moments of high tension as well as deep peace. Silently he passed from room to room and roamed the halls as if a specter trapped forever in these walls. To the small creatures the moved about in the darkness he was an object of curiosity one that barley registered in their minds. With simple glances they looked at him as he was careful to not disturb their activities.

 

Soon however he determined what he was looking for was not to be found inside this place. Leaving his ship he ventured into the Jungle.

 

He had coated his lightsaber as well as other metallic items with a goo that keep the metal eating bacteria away from his objects as he quietly roamed through the forest pausing at times to inspect his surrounding in greater detail.

 

Soon however he came to a familiar spot. It where he had first met his padawan. Grief tore through him and he took a moment to pause and reflect before moving on.

 

Soon he came to the remains of a small village. Long ago burnt up by a fire and to remains retaken by the Jungle. It was here he felt the swirling force he had felt before. The force had called him to this place. This time it seemed as if it had been a much stronger calling then the first time. Scorp suddenly began to feel buffeted despite the fact their was no wind stirring the humid air. Taking a deep breath he approached the dwelling that he had identified as his own.

 

It seemed as if the closer he got to the burnt out structure the harder it was for him to focus, to concentrate. It was almost as if he was in a hurricane. Something was pushing him back with great force. Yet still he surged on ahead.

 

Then suddenly as he reached the dwelling all the pressure stop. His ears however were still ringing and blood had leaked from his eyes. With the back of his hand he cleared his eyes surprised to find that it was blood that coated the back of his hand.

 

He took a step into the dwelling before feeling a presence. Looking around he could see nothing. Which bothered him. But not too much.

 

Scorp quickly then began to explore the place before suddenly being frozen in place. It was as if he was stuck. Suddenly the images he had, had on Korriban returned to him.

 

”œAre you sure he is force sensitive?”

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*Plans for going to the temple to announce his return, were squashed by the ongoing battle that raged at the Jedi temple. Had he been alone, K'munee would have surely continued on and engaged the Jedi attackers, but he would not risk the life of his padawan after Bryan had so narrowly escaped the first time. He decided that it would be in his best interests to go some where remote, away from the death and destruction. He replotted his previous course to a jungle planet that pretty much makes up the Al' Har system located in the Mid Rim territories inbetween Malastare and Sullust on the Gevarno Loop. Just off the Rimma Trade Route. A remote planet called Haruun Kal.*

 

*His ship landed in a man made clearing close to a broad mountain range. The place was abundant with life. The force was strong here. K'munee exited the ship first.*

 

"So what do you think Bryan?" DJK said.

[Azrael]

The Force semed to wrap itself around Haruun Kaal in a strange way. It snaked across the planet towards the darkness that radiated from the jungle.Bryan watched through the Force as every creature, and plant sent out beacons of light through the Force.

 

"This planet is alive with the Force. I can feel it flowing through me. And for some reason I can not explain, I feel the need to call the jungle my home."

 

Bryan knew the native people of the planet lived in the forests, but he did not know why he would be compelled to join them. It seemed strange that a city guy like himself, would want to call the jungle his home.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*K'munee closed his eyes, inhaling the rich jungle air into his lungs, then released it forcefully back into the environment from which it came. He ran up a nearby rock formation that only stood maybe 4 feet of the ground and stared into the thick foliage of the jungle. He turned and looked down on his new padawan. He always got the same queesy feeling before he initiated the training of young Jedi. He dismissed it and walked down the slope to stand beside his padawan.*

 

"Alright Byran. Let us begin. First thing we will cover will be is the Jedi philosophy. Many will tell you that the Jedi are keepers of the peace, guardians of the light, etc., etc. They will also say that a Jedi is a diplomat first and a warrior second. All these things are true to some extent. Or at least they were, back in the golden age of the Jedi. Times are different. There are beings out there, not just the Sith, who train tirelessly in the art of killing force users. Even those who would call themselves are allies, will hold us at arms length due fear of out gifts. Our powers set us above them and that is why it's our duty to use our talents to help maintain order in the galaxy."

 

"There will come a time when you may have to do something that is considered out of character. Or do some things that are considered paths leading toward the dark side. When the time comes, what will you do?"

[Azrael]

Almost as if an animal itself, the Force seemed to send a calling through the planet of Haruun Kaal. Surely augmented by the strong flow of the Force through the planet, the native animals had become stronger and more deadly than they nature had planned. And in all likelyhood, some had even developed a connection tothe Force.

 

As his Master spoke to him, Bryan payed close attention. As K'munee spoke of acting in a way that was not the normal for a Jedi, Azrael began thinking back to his fight in the Jedi Temple. Surely a Jedi would have no need to enact that kind of mpain on someone. Only the will of the Darkside would call for such bloodshed.

 

"If I was required to act in a way that would promote the strength of the Dark Side, I would listen to the will of the Force, and attempt to find another way. If there was no other way, I would do what was necessary to keep peace and justice, without becoming corrupt like the Sith."

 

Bryan turned to face K'munee. All the young Jedi's senses were attuned for signs of danger. He could feel something strange through the Force, something that seemed to hint at the Dark Side. Something that seemed to be the most basic of all evil.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*K'munee raised an eyebrow to his padawan's remark. As he was about to speak, something moved out of the corner of his eye. He saw or thought he saw something red quickly dissappear into the nearby jungle. He reached out with his feeling to try and sense whatever it was that go his attention, but found nothing.*

 

I am glad to hear you say that, Bryan. I once heard a Jedi say, "only a Sith deals in absolutes." Though the same can be said for most Jedi. You will learn this yourself....in time.

 

Enough of this old man's ranting, let's start on your force abilities. I guess it is safe to assume that you have done the basics; levitation and force perception. I know that you already know how to tap into the force because you use it to see. I wander.......what the world looks like percieved through the force?

 

As you progress in your training you will develope common force powers and some uncommon ones. For example, my brother and I can absorb energy. My brother perfected the technique by learning to drain life force as well as energy from a ship or buildings power cell. We will begin with something simple. How about force speed?

 

*As soon as the syllable of the last word he spoke left his lips, DJK was standing at the far side of the clearing where his ship landed. Then he seemingly disappeared from that current spot, to reappear standing behind his student.*

[Azrael]

In a matter of seconds, Master K'munee had darted from the rock in front of him to his back. If Bryan had been able to see the Jedi Knight, he surely would have been puzzled by this manuever. To one who could not touch the vast mystery that was the Force, it would appear that K'munee had become one with the Force, only to reappear in another spot.

 

Bryan turned to face his Master puzzled. The Jedi Padawan knew he could use the Force to strengthen his muscles, but to allowe him to move that fast, he had no idea. It seemed the Force had many things to teach him. Azrael called upon the Force to strengthen his leg muscles, hoping to feel the positive flow of energy that was the essence of the Force. He could feel the strength of the Force flowing through him, and knew he could do it.

 

Trsuting the Force with his life, Bryan took a step forward. He could the feel the energy of the Force pulling him to a precise spot, a spot where he could reach in a matter of seconds if the technique worked correctly. As his foot left the ground, he felt it pulling him forward with urgency. Allowing the Force to work through him, Azrael moved towards that same spot with a speed he did not know possible. Like he previously thought, he was there in a matter of seconds.

 

As his reached his destination, Bryan felt a wave of exhaustion washing over him. Using the Force in a new way used more of his energy than he thought it would and he began to breath heavily. His arms hung loosely at his sides as he waited for his energy to return. He would have to keep practicing this technique if he wanted to become a master at its use.

 

Stretching out with his feeling, Azrael searched for his Master, finding him 30 yards away. Although the Jedi Knight could have reached him in less time than it took Bryan to reach the sanme spot, he sensed K'munee approaching at a regular pace. Standing to his full height, and breathing deeply he spoke.

 

"Why did this technique tire me so?If I had run this distance normally I would be in perfect condition. Although it would have taken me longer, I would have been able to do it."

[DarkJedi K'munee]

"I think you are exhausted due to the manner in which you use the force. You naturally use it to percieve your surroundings, so when you shifted your influence toward another force ability it drained you. Only the most skilled Jedi can use two force abilities at one time. You did well for your first try Byran. The next lesson will be combat training, so get some rest. We will continue in the morning."

 

*K'munee patted his padawan on the shoulder. He had alot of respect for him. It takes a special kind of person to live with a life altering handicap. Life had dealt him a bad hand but he was making the best of it. DJK watched his padawan walk up the ramp of his ship to turn in for the night. A cool breeze blew over the now darkening clearing in the jungle. The sounds of the wildlife seemed to get louder as the night set in. For a long time, he gazed at the stars. It always calmed his troubled mind to stare out into the darkness. There was a strange peace that came with the emptyness out there. The air had suddenly gone cold. Ice cold. K'munee turned to go inside the ship, but was caught of guard by the errie silence that surrounded him. The creatures of the night were quiet. The white pokadot quilt that was the night sky was now pitch black. There was no wind. It felt like time had frozen. A feeling of fear and uncertainty sank into his very being. And then he saw it. In the darkness it wasn't hard to find. Two glowing green eyes that pierced his very soul. DJK stood motionless. His heart threatened to beat a hole through his chest. When he tried to move his feet, they didn't respond to his mental commands. A voice, as loud as thunder, hissed to him from the edge of the abyss.*

 

It said, "Seeeeek meeeeeee. Find meeeeee."

 

*K'munee fell to the ground unconscious.*

[Azrael]

As Bryan slept, images of an evil world filled his dreams. Each sight seemed darker and more evil than the last. A world built around a seed of evil planted by a single entity. While Azraels connection to the Force grew, he began to feel the presence of others without realizing it. Aa he watched this world of evil, he felt the dark aura of that entity. The Dark Side of the Force was growing stronger and Bryan watched the night sky fill with green stars. As he began to question this phenomena, the stars began to merge together, until only two remained. In one fluid motion the stars became open eyes. As this world went black, the young Jedi could hear faint whispering in the background.

 

As Bryan woke, he could hear the faunt sounds of the jungle echoing through the ship. Sitting up, Bryan realized he had fallen asleep with his clothes still on. Rising from the bed, Azrael disrobes and activates the refresher. The young Jedi stretches out with his feelings, searching for his Master. Finding his K'munee Force presence outside the ship, Bryan turns off the refresher and finds a new set of clothes. Although not a Knight of the Old Republic, Bryan dons a copy of the tunics worn by these powerful warriors in their golden age.

 

As Bryan stepped onto the moss covered ground of Haruun Kaal, he once again feels the call of the jungle, even stronger this time. Connecting his mind to K'munees, Azrael reels in horror as he finds the Jedi Knight unconscious on the ground. Falling to his knees next to his Master, Bryan places his hand about the older mans wrist. Although he had only used this technique once, Bryan began to use his healing techniques on his Jedi Master.

 

"Please work."

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*Darkness. It was everywhere. His eyes were wide open, yet still shrouded in shadow. His body was motionless. He felt petrified and helpless. He was in a prison of his mind that was devoid of all sensory perception. It threatened to drive him mad. So he did what anyone on the brink of insanity would do. He screamed. Well he tried to at least. The response he got was no what he expected. The darkness wasted no time flowing into his open mouth and down his throat, choking him. He fought with everything he had to force it out of him, but it was a losing battle. A realization dawned on him. That this moment in his existance was going to be his end. K'munee stopped fighting it and let death take him. There was a certain peace that came with excepting your fate. Out in the distance.....was a faint glimmer that he could actually see. The glimmer grew into a ray of light. The light transformed and took the shape of a hand, which wrapped itself around the Jedi master pulling him upward.*

 

*K'munee's body sprang into action, rolling backwards from his supine position to his feet. His lightsaber, guided by the force to his hand, snap-hissed to life. The Jedi's eyes were wide with fear and confusion. He fell to his knees coughing up black water from his lungs. The smell of the grass being burned by his lightsaber's yellow blade, brought him back to reality. He staggered as he slowly rose to his feet.*

 

"Bryan. (cough,cough)Thank you."

[Azrael]

Darkness seemed to surround K'munee as the young Jedi apprentice helped his Master to his feet. Although Bryan could not see through his own eyes, the Force gave him the sight to see through the Jedi Knights appearance. Within K'munee was a darkness that seemed to haunt his very soul, and that darkness scared Azrael.

 

"Master, I sense the darkness within you. Will you be alright?"

 

Bryan knew his Master would lie to keep his spirits up, and so theycould move forward in their training. But how would this darkness surfvace later on, when the pair of Jedi were confronted with a lesser evil.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

"I am fine, for now. I can't explain to you what just happened to me. When I understand it for myself, I will fill you in. There are no secrets in this partnership."

 

*DJK could see the bewilderment left on his padawan's face. He read Byran's mind easy enough, but it was his facial expressions that asked the question. K'munee's looked down at the dark liquid on the ground beneath his feet that he had coughed up....seemingly out of his nightmare. His lightsaber's yellow blade hung low and away from his body. It was among one of the first lessoned he learned while mastering the elegant weapon. The somewhat calming sound of it's signature sound had eluded the Jedi's attention for a few moments. He turned and looked up into the trees that lay on the outside of the clearing. He focused on a particular branch that was hanging by a strand of thick bark and summoned it to him. he held it in front of him, then sliced some of the pertruding peices away. When he was done the former branch was now a humble boken or practice sword. He deactivated his blade and telekinetically positioned the boken in front of Bryan's face. He released his hold over the boken and it fell, and to no surprise, Bryan caught it.*

 

"I promised you some combat training. I hope you are ready? When you are ready, I want you to attack me with your wooden sword. I am unarmed and will try to defend myself."

[Azrael]

Darkness had quickly founds its way into the partnership of the two Jedi. While both Jedi had beaten darkness back before, it seemed that this darkness would consume them both if it was not dealt with soon. But where was this darkness located. There were thousands of planets where evil lurked. But for now, Bryan and his master would simply train.

 

The young Jedi felt the wooden blade through the Force and reached out to catch it.The wood felt smooth and formed, certainly not natural. The only conclusiuon he could come to was that K'munee had carved this weapon. Bryan twirled the blade through the air getting a feel for the new weapon, while also allowing the Force to flow through his body. His body felt like the shore of an old river, one that had been formed over time to provide a fast current for the flow of water.

 

Using the flow of the Force, the blind Jedi leapt to the air with his blade abgled down to spear through K'munees shoulder. As he fell, the wind seemed to whisper to him, and caress his cheek. Although lifeless, it felt as if the wind had a soul and was using the air to cradle him. If only the light could cradle those touched by darkness.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*The attack came swiftly and was excuted with precision. DJK side stepped as his padawan descended from the air above, putting Bryan directly beside and slightly behind his master. DJK grabbed his wrist, pulling his arm back toward himself. With his free hand, he pushed down on his weapon arm, on his shoulder around or near the ball and socket joint. Using his hand that held Bryan's wrist, he applied pressure to the back of the palm his hand, causing a slight surge of discomfort which resulted in the release of his wooden sword.*

 

"Never begin an attack by leaping through the air at an opponent. For one you never know what to expect. I could have had two blasters behind my back or a collaspable spear, etc. Two, your balance is hindered after the attack, from defending whatever counter I used to defend myself. I will release you now. Pick up your weapon and try again."

[Azrael]

Bryan smiles as he kneels down to grasp his weapon. Before this, he had never been instructed in how to fight, just told to fight. And he had always fought with his instincts, and now he was being told to remold his instincts. Surely this would take some time.

 

The Jedi apprentice wrapped his wingers around the smood wood, grateful that K'munee had created this smooth weapon for him. Otherwise he would have received several hundreds splinters by now. Rising to his full height, Azrael spun the wooden blade through his hands, getting a better feel for the weapons manuvers.

 

Realizing his postion at K'munees side, he decides to attack from there. It would surely benefit him to gain knowledge of fighting at all angles. The young Bryan swings hid blade to his right hoping to at least nick the older Jedi.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*This attack was faster the previous one. Bryan had adjusted his tactics slightly. He swung the sword without thinking about it first, letting go of himself and allowing the force to guide his hand. DJK jumped backwards, barely able to evade the sword when it came close to connecting with his lower right side. The wooden sword did snag the inner lining of his Jedi tunic, leaving a few splinters behind while slightly unraveling the part of the seam.*

 

"Time out! This is or was a new tunic. You do know you don't have to kill me to impress me don't you? Your attack had greatly improved, though it was still flawed. When in battle you try to anticipate what your opponent will do before he or she does it. When you nearly struck me, there was an opening for another attack. Perhaps an upward slash or lunge? What if I would have counter atacked and not evaded? Things that should constantly circulate through your mind as you engage your enemy."

 

*K'munee walks over to a fallen tree. With the heel of his boot he kicks at the base of a protruding branch, breaking it. He examined it, pulling of the smaller branches until it was similar to the makeshift sword he had fashioned for his padawan.*

 

"Let's change up. Now you will fight an armed opponent. Keep your guard up and remember what I told you."

 

*DJK inched forward with his sword out in front of him. He kept his movements slow and precise so there would be as little sound as possible. He changed his grip on the wooden sword from two hands to one hand, to give better versatility. He shifted his weight from his left foot to the right then lunged forward, bringing his sword in an upward arc, that would slice Bryan from right kidney to left shoulder.*

[Azrael]

Bryan winced as K'munee spoke to him about the tunic. As the young Jedi apprentice listened to his Masters words, he felt the wind shift slightly and sift through his hair. His head tilted slightly toward the jungle feeling the Force pulling him toward the darkness that was contained by the brush.

 

Bryans body slighly shuddered as a slight pain throbbed in his kidney. Bringing his attention back the Jedi Knight, he watched through the Force as the blade sped toward him with a speed unknown to Bryan at that time. Acting with Force guided instincts Azrael leapt into the air bringing his own blade behind his back. Grasping both ends of his blade he drops his body onto K'munees blade. Using his weight to counteract the power in his masters swing, he pushes down the weapon and thrusted his feet out.

 

A smile graced Bryans lips as his feet made contact with K'munees chest. As he felt his Master move away from him, he rolled back to his feet and lunged forward, the tip of his blade aiming straight toward his Masters chest.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*The wind was slightly knocked out of the Jedi master, while he stumbled backwards, trying to get his footing back. He looked down at the the footprint on his chest, then brushed away the the remnants of the dirt from his tunic. He steadied himself as his apprentice held his guard up in front of him, preparing for his next move. K'munee determined that he was being reckless y choosing to duel Bryan using only one hand. He applied his other hand at the bast of the hilt, onder his lead hand. He tightened his hold on the wooden sword, bringing the sword from over his head to directly out in front him. He moved forward allowing his blade to make light contact with Bryan's. DJK parried the blade to the left, causing bryan to counter. DJK spun his sword around his padawan's sword in slow circles. The result was a swirling motion that gradually sped up, causing Bryan to constantly readjust his grip on his end. In a final move, DJK pushed hard to right, sending Bryan's sword away to the left, leaving his midsection open. K'munee took the opening by slamming his shoulder into his padawan, then executed a low spinning sweep.*

[Azrael]

Although Bryan had been schooled in the use of a blade, he had been taught how to merely defend himself and keep someone from beating him. He had never focused entirely on the fight itself. As K'munee pressed his blade against Azraels, the blind Jedi began to smile. He was enjoying the duel. He reveled in the knowledge that a single mistake could be the end of the duel and he could emerge the victor.

 

As he felt his blade swing to the left, he merely fell in that direction. As he fell, the wind rushed past his face, and through his hair. Planting his blade hand on the ground, he felt pressure of gravity against his fingers as his body weight was supported by his hand upon the hilt of his blade, which was supported by his fingers. Bringing his feet, around he sailed over his masters attack, smashing them once again into K'munees chest.

 

As the young apprentice lands on his feet, he swings his blade around and lunges forward. He could feel the Force flowing through him as his feet manuvered to keep their balance. It seemed to be speaking to him much louder than it had before, almost guiding his body to fight at its peak.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*The game was growing lengthly now. For the second time Bryan had landed a lucky kick to his chest. His padawan was finally begining to understand and apply what the old Jedi had been stressing since the start of the lesson. DJK had to try harder now. The attacks came faster and were coming closer to finding their mark on his already battle worn body. Time for a change in strategy.

 

Bryan came at him guided by the force. K'munee moved to respond calling on the force to aid his reflexes. The will of the force made him release his wooden sword, then assume an offensive unarmed fighting stance. The lunge from Bryan came within inches of K'munee's sternum before he caught it with both hands. His body trembling from the strain of his padawan's continued push on the opposite end of the wooden sword. Just when he thought he could hold it back no longer, a spark of strength and a tremor through the force caused him to react accordingly. He pushed the tip of the wooden sword up, close to his face. with his right hand bracing the sword, his other hand was a fist. A fist that could have been a ball of mandalorian ore, shatterering the majority of the wooden weapon(the blade portion) into countless splinters.*

[Azrael]

The Force seemed to be an infinite energy source that kept Bryans body from failing him. His muscles did not tire, nor did his mind falter. His focus was entirely on the battle. Although his eyes produced nothing, his mind watched the fight minutes ahead. Even before his current attack or defense had been executed, his body was setting itself up to carry out the next move.

 

As K'munee put pressure on his blade, Azrael felt the wooden tighten in his hand, and through the Force, felt the blade shatter before it actually happened. Feeling the future, Bryan raised his arms to block the spray of splinters. As his arms protected his face, he felt the Force compelling him to move. The blind Jedi took a small step to the side and delivered a sweeping kick to K'munees legs.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*DJK fell hard on his back, but quickly recovered by rolling onto his stomach, then springing back up off his hands to his feet with a force assisted push against the ground. Bryan was already advancing once again with his next move when DJK sent him a force suggestion.*

 

Ok, I know when I have had enough.

 

"I feel like an old man. You are a natural. I have never had a student catch on as fast as you have. My intuition tells me that it has something to do with your blindness. The force can guide you easier because you have no preconcieved ideas as to how something should be, but just accept the will of the force as the way it is."

 

"As soon as you are done cooling down, pack your things. We have another matter that demands my immediate attention. It should be quick, but do not fear. Your training will continue. You already have the soul of a Jedi, Bryan. You have started down a path to many greater things. Now, let us prepare for our departure."

[Azrael]

With his blindness, Bryan had been givena great gift. First of which was underestimation. Everyone who fought him or dealt with him had underestimated his abilities merely because he could not see. But his mind was quicker than most. He could deal with complex decisions and problems quicker than most people. Secondly was his ability to fight. Everyone who fought him tried to use his blindness against him, except for K'munee. He was the first fighter Bryan had gone against that treated him like a regular fight.

 

"Yes Master."

 

Bryan bowed to the older Jedi and stretched out with the Force. Checking the surrounding area for anything that he might have dropped. Coming across a broken piece of his blade he grabs it in his hand and an idea forms in his mind. Slipping the piece of wood into his tunic he boards the ship and heads toward the cockpit. Starting up the ship, he awaits K'munee. A smile graced his face as he remembered his masters compliments. He was progressing alot faster than he himself though.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*DJK surveyed the area around the ship where he and his apprentice trained in the Jedi arts. There was a lingering presense. An unmistakable aura, left behind. His voice began to sound like an echoe, while the world around him became incircled in darkness. K'munee kneeled, then touched the ground with his hand. The grass peeled back and ground beneath gave way to deep hole. From the darkness, a glimmer of light slowly came into view. He reached out for it with the force, willing it up from the depths of the planet and into his hand. The object was small in size, but sharp to the touch. DJK found this out after unconsciously grasping it to hard. Now a light trickle of blood trickled form his palm.

 

The sound of the Svelte-class shuttle's engines roaring to life, brought him back to reality. The object that had intranced him, now lay firmly in his hand. He shook off the lingering feeling that seemed to accompany force trances, then made his way up the loading ramp and into the ship. K'munee could feel the ship lift off, as he walked toward the cockpit. He took the pilot's chair and strapped himself in. A complex series of coordinates were entered into the navicomputers, then a course correction to the jump vecter and they were on their way.*

[Darex Trevelian]

A Jedi Transport arrived in-system. Jedi Knight Darex Trevelian brought the ship closer to the jungle planet. He had never been there before, but he knew there was a hidden Jedi base on the planet...the perfect place to keep the hopefuls safe.

 

After identifying himself and his passengers to the automated defenses, he was granted permission to land. Darex slowly landed the ship and looked to the side in time to see his X-Wing land beside him. Good...I forgot to tell R6 to follow us...I see he did it on his own. The astromech droid was very handy to have around sometimes.

 

Darex stood and exited the transport. He was greeted by a droid. "Welcome, Knight Trevelian," the droid said. "What brings you to Haruun Kal?"

 

"War," he replied. "The Jedi Temple has been attacked, and I have brought the hopeful evacuees here."

 

The droid expressed it's sympathies, and then almost began to bubble with excitement. "Well, it's been 6 standard months since we've had anyone here. We will gladly accept your company."

 

Bemused, Darex said nothing. He simply waited for the hopefuls to get out of the ship. He had a few instructions for them before he returned to the city-planet...

[Cheetor]

Ki stepped out of the ship and saw lush trees all around him, he stared in awe as he had never seen a tree before except for what was planted at the temple. Yet another turn in the plot of this story called life He spotted Darex and he heard over the intercom earlier that each hopeful should speak with him when the ship landed. Ki walked over and said, "You wished to speak with each of the hopefuls, right? I am Ki."

[Ulos Rolan]

Ulos slowly trudged out of the transport. He was in no particular rush to survey the area that he had landed in and was too worried about the jedi back at the temple. What would happen if they couldn't repel the threat? Would the jedi be able to even survive the threat? What if the entire planet fell?

 

Doubts and worries flooded his mind and continued to do so without relent. The hopeful took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves.

 

It will be okay. Their jedi. This order hasn't fallen yet, and I don't think it will now.

 

Ulos Rolan walked out to find a droid and the other hopefuls standing around. He had overheard the droid say that they hadn't had any visitors in 6 months...or something to that extent. It would appear that this jedi base most likely wasn't well known. It was also safe to assume that this planet wasn't exactly a tourist attraction either, although Ulos couldn't see why it couldn't be. The jungles were a magnificent site to behold. The human took a second to take in all the nature.

 

Ulos looked around to see what was happening. Somebody named Ki had approached the jedi knight that had taken them there. Suddenly, the human remembered seeing this man. He was a hopeful, just like Ulos.

 

There was also an X-wing close to the jedi transport. The hopeful tried to make out what type of model it was, and guessed it was maybe an R-5 or R-6. He was never good with droids, and his estimation was based more on the fact that he knew that those two names were models of droids than it was his actual observations of the droid.

 

Ulos walked up to the jedi along with the other hopefuls. His figure shapened into a slight bow of respect for the jedi and then he returned to his attentive posture with his arms in front of him and his back perpendicular to the floor.

 

"Hello. My name is Ulos Rolan, a hopeful. I await your orders.

[Lt. Seraphim]

OOC: Sorry for taking so long. -Marc

 

IC:

Seraphim was surprised by the alarms and almost as if time without alerting him, he found himself sleeping awake onboard a Transport ship without knowing his destination or the reasoning behind the assault. Only the calm whisper of a Holonet feed and a feel of sadness over those watching alerted him to the disaster that was wreaking havoc upon his homeworld of Coruscant.

 

"How could this be happening?"

 

He asked, quietly, choking with the thought of watching all he knew turn to rubble, reports showed Imperial and Alliance blood feuds raging and a screenshot captured a Jedi Knight fighting off a freakish Trandoshan-Human hybrid being with a force-pike, as well as the same freakish "Super-Troopers" taking down a battalion of Alliance troopers. Explosions raged over the entire scene and then Imperial Walkers and Imperial Shock Troopers engaging Alliance Lancer suits, finally a scene changed to that of Alliance troopers shooting on sight Coruscant citizens infected with the Plague.

 

Tears welled in his deepset eyes and erupted, the young boy's mind was confused as the images he was taking in conflicted, showing both the Alliance and the Empire as ruthless murderers... it was then that he shrieked, "THEY'RE KILLING THEM! THEY'RE JUST AS EVIL AS THE EMPIRE!"

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex nodded to both Ki and Ulos as they came forward and introduced themselves. They were both very unique individuals, and very promising Jedi hopefuls. "I'm Darex," he said. "Darex Trevelian."

 

Just then, the third hopeful approached, clearly overwhelmed by the holo-reports of the battle on Coruscant. He was broadcasting his emotions directly into the Force, and they were almost overbearing to the Jedi Knight. He could feel the conflict and confusion in the boy, and he went over to him and put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

 

"It's okay..." he said soothingly, using the Force to send calming feelings into the boy's mind. "War is never a pretty thing. The reports you have seen are first of all exaggerated. They don't tell you the whole story. The Empire attacked Coruscant, killing thousands of innocents, as well as Jedi Knights, in the process. The Republic had to react in order to protect more lives. However, what you see of Republic soldiers shooting civilians...I do not know the whole story, but I heard a rumor that the Empire released a plague of disease on the city, and frankly, I wouldn't put it past them. They have done so many times--every time they fight over the city-planet, in fact."

 

His voice was grim, and his words were for all three hopefuls, not just the young boy in front of him. "I know the nature of these diseases...and believe me, the Republic is, in their own minds, doing them a favor by ending their lives quickly and painlessly. There is no cure to these pestilances, and I have seen firsthand how rapidly they spread and kill. For the Republic soldiers, they believe that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few in times like this."

 

He paused, not knowing if his words were making sense to any of the men around him, but determined to finish. "This is not to say that thier lives are not important. They have friends, co-workers, mothers, brothers, spouses, and children. They have a life and some may have had bright prospects for the future. But the Empire has taken all of that and in one simple stroke, made it all worthless."

 

Darex sighed. "The Jedi see the worth in every living being. Murder is the most horrible thing in the galaxy. This is why Master Kaipi was at the Faust funeral in the first place--because she regretted his death at her own hands. She knew there was someone who loved him, someone in the galaxy who cared that he was dead."

 

He shook his head. "I don't neccessarily know all the details. And I'm not saying that every move the Republic makes is absolutely one the Jedi should support. But I do know that there is nothing good in war...and that it costs the lives of many innocent civilians."

 

He fell silent then, waiting to see the reactions of the three around him. He didn't know if his words made sense, but he had to try to make sense of something that never did make sense, even to the wisest. He left his expression open, inviting any questions or comments. He would answer to the best of his ability.