Nar Shaddaa

[Talon]

Scorp and Isolder were free to do as they wished, but before Talon could get back to his own task, a comm came raining down upon him.

 

Back to K Inc... This'll be interesting, to say the least. Irony came in many shapes and sizes, but it was never foreseen. Ironic, it was, that Talon was now headed to the place he had moments before escaped from.

 

The flight back to the skyscraper was short and uneventful. As he approached, Talon could spot an E-Wing that already occupied a portion of the street. Two beings stood close by, inconspicuous to the untrained eye. Talon, however, immediately identified them as Jedi. He settled his own interceptor next to the fighter, but kept a leery eye on the front doors of the scraper nearby. His ship was most likely red flagged- marked as an unwelcome visitor.

 

After the cockpit hissed open, Talon hopped down to the paved street below. His crimson trench coat billowed behind him. Two lightsaber hilts displayed themselves proudly at his hips. Since he was already marked an enemy of the pirates, there was no point in going unprotected.

 

"You rang?"

[Prince Vegeta Isolder]

The Jedi had been nonresponsive for some time now. And that was making Isolder more and more annoyed. Ara-lai had sought fit to send him to investigate. It was more than a little discourteous for them to not update him as they had promised. Isolder sent a comm to Scorp,

 

"I'm going to Coruscant anyway. Remain here, or follow, I don't care which, just be quick about it."

[Scorp Jedi Knight]

Scorp clearly felt the matter had been resolved. While he didn't truly feel that full Justice has been served he figured it must now be out of his juristriction.

 

Scorp decided to Comm back.

 

"No I will return to the Jedi I feel something is about to happen. Naturally I sugest that you should return as well."

 

Scorp then reved up his ship a bit before blasting of into space.

[Andon]

Closing his eyes, the Jedi Knight centered himself in the Force as the presence of another Jedi danced across the farthest reaches of his conscious extent. Gathering his thoughts, he spoke once more to his apprentice, Ashley Jade Skywalker.

 

"Patience grants you the ability wait for the opportune moment rather then engaging in action by your own assumptions. Only when you're willing to find a means outside of your own perception will your mind be able to accept the first steps of true awareness."

 

Glancing around he saw a small child sitting in the street playing with a set of toy figures...his mother or father apparently here to get their daily fix...a path the child would no doubt follow. With a nod to Ash, she too looked at the child, and with a subtle wave of Andon's fingers the toys began to move on their own. A toy Jedi and a toy Imperial trooper, both moved as if an invisible hand moved them in an epic battle of good against evil, the child easily amused.

 

"Concentration grants us many things, my ability to move the toys and talk to you at the same time for instance. Proper focus can help us achieve many things, but it is only the one thing that holds us back. Concentration interrupts the flow of simply being because you attempt to block out everything around you while you try to achieve awareness on a singular task or object."

 

As quickly as it began, the moving toys stopped...Andon resuming his continuing stare at the area around him.

 

"Concentration breeds logical motives of "I am thinking this" and "I wish to do this". It's incredibly close minded, seeing things from only your perspective instead of seeing them from every aspect and point of view. You must go against your nature of thinking only about the person and instead allow yourself to see the entire picture...so in a sense awareness isn't so much a technique but a state of mind. Only when you let go of what you know and embrace what you can learn will you truly achieve awareness."

 

The roar of a landing ship broke the lesson of Master and Apprentice, the third Jedi of their party finally arriving in response to Colos' comm. Brandishing the full battle attire of the Jedi, he spoke light-heartedly and bluntly.

 

"An event as big as the death of Whyl would have no doubt been kept under wraps by the criminal underworld...though low class they always hide their weaknesses well. How did you go about acquiring this information so soon? If the source can be known then think of what else he may know of...possessing knowledge of all the pieces on the board couldn't hurt us every now and then..."

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

Ashley nodded thoughtfully at Andon's words, weighing them carefully, Andon's previous words drifting through her mind. "This planet is your classroom and all that dwell in it are the lessons from which you will learn." And learning began, as he had reminded her, when one admitted to not knowing everything.

 

She forced herself to break from the instintive habit of observing through only her own eyes, surveyed her surroundings, noticing everything as if it hadn't been there before. Her gaze returned to the child playing with his toys, wondering what he thought as he poked at the toys that only moments before had danced before him without the aid of his small hands.

 

Her thoughts were interrupted with the low whine of a set of engines that could only belong to a ship grew louder behind them. She turned in time to see a second craft set down next to the one she and Andon had just vacated. She gave its former occupant a friendly nod as he approached, noting the dual lightsabers attached to his belt and remembering the comm Andon had sent out just before they'd landed. Same person, perhaps?

[Talon]

As Talon approached the two individuals, he returned the nod to the Jedi apprentice accompanying Andon, and then he proceeded to answer the Jedi Knight's question.

 

"My R2 unit intercepted the information as it was being relayed on a protected holochannel. Keanu- the big head honcho here at K Inc.- is apparently a pretty prominent figure in the criminal ranks of Nar Shadda. An event such as Whyl's death would have been significant enough for him to know about it. If we seek more information, our target'd be him..."

 

Talon's eyes lit up as ideas of storming the scraper flashed through his mind.

 

"K Inc. is not to be taken lightly, however. While not home to the brightest of characters, they do house brute strength, and they do have superior numbers. It may be wise to develop some sort of strategy before attempting to single handedly extract information from El Pirito Numero Uno."

[Andon]

As the Jedi, Talon, spoke of the ringleader of the K Inc building, Andon Colos found his eyes wandering over to the structure as he looked it up and down. He had many impulses at once...one urging him to go about things calmly and rationally...one screaming at him to rush in lightsaber blazing and take the answers by force...the last telling him to let himself go in the moment and take the situation for what it is.

 

It is never the destination that matters, but the journey.

 

It was something he had been told of his whole life, yet he never put that much thought into it. His fingers slowly made their way to the grip of his lightsaber, his thoughts racing as he pictured all that would unfold taking the building. He quickly dismissed them, though, for anticipation was nothing more then a distraction...until it became the present the future was merely a distraction as well. In the end all you have is the moment and in the end it is all you will ever need.

 

"I agree, though it wouldn't exactly be moving into action single-handedly seeing how there are three of us."

 

He paused his talking long enough for a quick smile to cross his face before he returned to the point in hand.

 

"Hasty action would be ill-advised, though. You seem to know a great deal about the establishment, meaning you've been there before or studied it greatly...meaning you'd know how to find your way to Keanu. But in light of recent events our kind will not be welcome and we will be expected. I suggest that one of us creates a diversion while the other reaches the Pirate King. We remain unknown in the complex until our moment arrives and then we will move into action. Now here's the plan..."

 

He spoke quickly but effectively, a plan so simple it was impervious to failure. It was truly amazing how such basic concepts could be the most effective, for the highest form of thinking was none at all.

[Talon]

It was through the plan of Andon Colos that brought the three Jedi to the front doors of K Inc. As the trio approached, Talon reached into the Force. The mind trick he employed was ancient- passed down from generation to generation of Jedi Knights. It had all but been forgotten...

 

A sphere of influence emerged from the Jedi Master, who was slightly ahead of the other pair. The sphere expanded... soon it was large enough to encompass the whole lobby of the building ahead. As the three entered the building, it was not three Jedi that the receptionist saw, but instead Keanu and two of his henchman. Those inside the sphere of influence were deceived.

 

The receptionist was obviously flustered. Keanu rarely came through the front doors- he usually landed on the roof top and entered his suite from there. When he came through the lobby, one could assume something serious was going on. Talon took pity on the girl, and reproduced the space pirate's voice to the best of his ability.

 

"You'd better get out've here, girl. Something bad's going to happen."

 

The receptionist scooted along the wall towards the door, obviously afraid. Talon paid her no more notice. The trio made their way to the turbo-lifts. In a matter of moments, one turbo-lift was going up, and the other was going down...

[Jurha Kahn]

Jurha twirled her lightsaber between her fingers and her hand. She stood with her feet appart and her body tilted back looking up the monolithic tower that was K Inc.

 

"Yikes."

 

It had only taken her an hour to land and track down her fellow Jedi. She was getting fairly good at recognizing Andon's Force signature. Through the dirty maze of Nar Shaddaa her sense had led her here.

 

She scratched her head, "What are they doing here?"

 

Jurha walked up to the front doors the the lobby. It looked like normally there would be a long row of glass doors, but durasteel panels now obstructed all the doors. A door-droid popped out of its box near the door.

 

"Due to current curicumstances we can not allow any one to enter or leave," the droid explained in basic.

 

"Um, why?"

 

"This system is not at liberty to disclose that information."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Can't you just let me in?"

 

"No."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yes."

 

Jurha sighed and held out her hand palm towards the door. "Y'know you should'a just let me in."

 

The thick durasteel door began to bulge inward. The metal groaned as it was ripped from the concrete and flung inside the building.

 

The droid chirped. "Now alerting security."

 

Jurha held her palm to the droid, "Don't do that."

 

The droid flattened against the wall reduced to smashed curcuitry. She walked inside. Everything seemed normal (if lock downs with sealed windows and doors was normal) except for the durasteel door and shattered glass.

 

I wonder what they did...

 

"Freeze! Don't move!"

 

Oops...

[Andon]

Silently the turbolift descended down into the sub-levels of the K Inc building, the trembling sensation of the air rushing upward giving off an eerie serenity. The Jedi Knight stood motionless, eyes closed as he centered himself within the Force and allowed the enigmatic current to wash over his aura and purge him of all doubts and hesitation. There was no future and no past...only the now...only the moment.

 

Before the lift had even stopped, he moved towards the door, the systematic hissing opening the entrance to the sub-level as he stepped forwards into it. Behind him his apprentice, Ashley Jade Skywalker, calmly followed her Master's suit as he idly walked into the darkened hallways. He inhaled and exhaled in a controlled and even manner, his awareness reaching past his conscious self as tendrils of his mind reached outward and crept along the durasteel and concrete walls. He found what he was searching for.

 

This was easy...almost too easy. I've got a bad feeling about this.

 

Slowly his hazel eyes adjusted to the lack of light and he spotted the small metal box that was hanging from the wall. Stepping towards it he drew his silver and black lightsaber hilt, a shimmering bar of green plasma emerging from the emitter. With a single swipe of his blade he removed the safety panel of the box with surgical precision, the Jedi disengaging his blade and attaching it to his belt afterwards. He studied the panel for a few moments before her reached his hand out and placed them it the activation pad. With a few simple key strokes his deed had been done: the building's power had been successfully cut, save for a pair of turbolifts.

 

Reaching out with the Force, he focused his mind on the auxillary wires and relays inside the box, his fingers twitching slightly causing their connections to be severed; the control panel rendered useless. With but a nod of his head, Andon Colos directed his Padawan back towards the turbo-lift, the dim emergency lights the only thing keeping the lift from being trapped in a cascade of total darkness. With the press of a button the lift was in motion again, this time the rush of air moved downwards as they were propelled back up towards the first level.

 

I sense something out of place...another Jedi. So Jurha came in search of me afterall.

 

At that thought he smiled on the inside, his facial features remaining locked in a solemn gaze prominent to many Jedi...though appearances were always deceiving. Though one may not be smiling it didn't mean they had no urge to and at the thought of her he smiled mentally once more. As the lift stopped, the Jedi held the doors in place with his mind and drew his hilt in his hand, simultaneously raising his black hood atop his head. Gazing forward he spoke to his apprentice...this would likely be her first battle.

 

"Relax, let the currents of the Force guide your motions. Remember, some battles are fought from without...all battles are fought from within. Don't allow your emotions to cloud your thoughts in the heat of events."

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

Ashley nodded at Andon's words, finding her right hand had drifter to rest on her blaster. She inhaled deeply, letting her eyes drift shut for a moment as she willed herself to relax in preparation for what was to come.

[Andon]

The four guards at the entrance moved quickly into action, drawing and training their blaster carbines on Jurha Kahn as she forced her way into the building. The five stood starring at each other in the dimly lit halls, the sound of a turbolift approaching deafening the area of silent moments. With a motioning of his hand, Ashley Jade moved towards the end of the turbolift that would provide her the most safety and cover from sight.

 

With a mechanical hiss the door of the lift slid open, its lone occupant standing there in a relaxed stance, shoulders slumping slightly forward, head looking down. Around him his cloak as black as night covered his figure, his drooping hood covering his eyes and nose; the angle of his face allowing only his mouth and jaw to be seen. Underneath the cloak that hid his arms, his right hand slightly moved, the fabric shifting to reveal a cylindrical object clenched in his fingers. Four pairs of eyes watched in a complete state of disbelief as the figure's thumb depressed an activation stud and they watched as an emerald green blade hissed and crackled into existence.

 

Realizing the situation had taken a turn for the worse, the four guards leveled their weapons at the figure; sights pinpointed at his heart and forehead. Slowly he lowered his head further, the hood now cloaking his face from plain sight”¦the four beings twitching with anticipation as others in the room took notice of the event that was about to unfold. Underneath his hood, Andon Colos was smiling”¦

 

Micro-seconds fell away like lifetimes as the Jedi Knight's perception shifted to a plane of understanding that few had the luxury of exploring. He centered himself in the Force, fear and hesitation draining away from his aura as he ceased to be Andon Colos and instead became a living vessel of the Force itself, actions and motives changing from that of his own to that of the divine entity that empowered all in the galaxy blessed enough to harness its bounty. This was the crowning achievement of a Jedi Knight, to be so lost in the Force that in fact you're granted the luxury of being able to let go”¦the Force was him and in return he was the Force.

 

All was still in the hollow darkness of the dim hallway, their four heartbeats echoed like the rumble of a far off thunderstorm, their breathing whispered to him like the water droplets of a waterfall cascading into the natural pool below. It only took an instant, but the fight was over before it began.

 

In a single motion Andon Colos lunged forward, a single diagonal swipe of his emerald fury cleaved the barrels of two of the blaster carbines clean off, the smell of singed metal filling his nostrils. With a flick of his wrist the Force was summoned into the surrounding air and a wall solidified from nothingness as he hurled it forward with nothing more then his will, the fruits of his concentration colliding with the two men and launching them into a wall; both were knocked unconscious. Simultaneously his blade was a whirlwind in front of him as he swung a tight figure eight; two blaster bolts were caught and redirected by the blade's momentum.

 

The first went straight down to the ground, glanced off the metallic floor, ricocheted off an adjacent wall and struck the back of the closest guard's calf, instantly dropping him to one knee. The second followed a similar path, though a more direct one, as it was batted directly into the remaining guard's shoulder causing him to drop his heavy rifle. In the blink of an eye the Jedi Knight was in motion again, drawing his lightsaber back and swinging it downward as he struck the kneeling guard in the base of his neck with the butt of his hilt, instantly sending him to the world of dreams.

 

Once more he lurched forward, the last guard standing drawing his throw down pistol as a last resort, the heinous feelings in this man's heart colliding with Colos's aura like a tsunami of sheer disdain. This man had killed before, it was nothing new to him”¦eliminating the Jedi Knight would be just another notch on his belt. Arrogance would be his downfall; he overestimated his own skills as he faced off against one of the Jedi Order's most experienced Knights. Andon Colos had many strengths, his fluency with a lightsaber showing itself as he cleanly cut off the guard's weapon hand.

 

The Force had always come naturally to him, in his days as a pilot in the Naboo Royal Air force and now as he summoned it within himself to step past the guard at an unnatural speed. Clarity from the Force granted him conviction for what was right and what was wrong, duty outweighing his own needs to be able to commit himself fully to his obligation of protecting billions of innocents. This man had defied the natural order by taking many lives and was a threat to the galaxy as a whole”¦his day of reckoning would come swift and hard as the cold grip of justice clasped itself around his throat.

 

Justice was the inspiration for Andon's movements, his blade thrusting behind him as the energy weapon pierced the man's back and all that could be heard was the sizzling of human flesh and a cry of agony. All these things made a Jedi great, but that alone was not enough to completely fulfill his duty, for the greatest strength Andon possessed was his mercy”¦death was not a gift to be handed out lightly; the emerald blade pierced the flesh but did no damage to vital organs. The searing pain had caused him to crumple over and pass out, but he would live to see another day”¦the Jedi had granted him the gift of a second chance. It a matter of a few seconds the entire fight was ended...

 

Duty told him to do one thing, but his soul instructed him to do another. Andon Colos was here to provide a distraction for another”¦today was not his day to become a murderer yet again. With his head down and lightsaber deactivated at his side he began his walk forward, tremors in the Force warning him that others were on their way to stop him. Those who were in the room had fled, leaving only Jurha and Andon in the main room and as he approached her he raised his head to meet her gaze.

 

He didn't know why, but he hugged her as a sudden feeling of dread overcame him...like the stars themselves suddenly extinquished at once. He could feel his strength breaking, his knees began to buckle underneath of him and if not for the support of Jurha he would have dropped to the floor. Pain...terrible pain and suffering...his soul was in a state of mourning as it was gnawed from the inside out; an unseen phantom clawing away at him. He was numb as nausea overtook him and the world gained a tilted perspective as he struggled to clear his head of the walking nightmares that threatened to rip him in half. With pain filled eyes, he locked gazes with Jurha once more.

 

"Something's happened...so much death. It-it's as if we're all on the verge of being sucked into a hole in the world...the currents have shifted. There's so much agony..."

[Talon]

As Talon ascended in the turbolift, he abandoned his facade of Keanu. While such a trick was helpful, it was quite draining. Talon had no desire to use it when it was not needed. Moments after he had resumed his own shape and form, the lights overhead went out, and the lift seemed to slow to a crawl. Andon had finished the first part of his plan. After the initial slow down, however, his lift resumed its initial speed. Andon had left some of the lifts operational... and by no coincidence his was one of them.

 

Talon continued his ascension in darkness. Sounds of battle echoed up through the silenced building, and announced that Andon's distraction phase was underway. His way to Keanu was clear. The lift slowed, and a quiet ding told Talon it was time...

 

The turbolift doors slid open. It was at this point that the Jedi felt a screaming in the Force. He could sense pain and death elsewhere in the galaxy, but his focus was here. He pushed the feeling to the back of his mind. He would dwell on it later. With no further distraction, Talon stepped forward into the same hallway he had treaded earlier. It was dark. During the lockdown, the gun emplacements in the hall had emerged from their hiding places, but the absence of power had rendered them all useless. The same protocol droid that had greeted him earlier turned to face the turbolift and the man emerging from it. Its glowing eyes were the only thing that provided light on the area.

 

"ALERT. ALERT. ALERT."

 

Talon could hear movement. Metal against metal. Even without the Force, Talon could tell the newcomers were droids. With a mental picture provided by the Force, he could see them forming on either side of the glowing eyes of the protocol droid in the center of the short hall.

 

"Step aside."

 

For some reason, threats to droids just didn't have the same affect as they did on sentient beings. He could hear the clicking of blasters being loaded and readied. All the movement abruptly ended. It was the silence before the storm.

 

"Have it your way, then."

 

A great blast of energy suddenly emanated from the standing Jedi. It expanded outward in all directions... changing the very face of the hall around him. It was mere moments before it found the droids. They were thrown backwards with surprising force. Before they could collect themselves, Talon was upon them, with lightsaber in hand. One battle droid was cleaved in two down the middle, and another was suddenly separated from its head. With one free hand, he let loose two small bursts of plasma that turned the next droid into a heap of smoldering slag. Several laser blasts whizzed by the Jedi Master, but he paid them no heed. Talon leapt into the air, and tackled the next droid with a Force amplified dive. The pair slid across the cold floor, and a Force blast from Talon easily destroyed it head. Talon used the broken body of the droid, and flung it into the next as he rose. The only remaining droid was the protocol droid- now armed with a blaster rifle. He feebly loosed several shots, but they were easily turned aside by Talon's lightsaber. Talon outstretched his hand, and the droid simply fell apart.

 

The Jedi returned his saber to his belt, straightened his collar, and proceeded to Keanu's suite.

[Andon]

You're a Jedi”¦you're beyond this. Carry the memory of their pain with you always, but let it go”¦mourning merely keeps you trapped in the past.

 

Apparently his thoughts had escaped him, for both Jurha and Ashley gave him silent nods of understanding. As quickly as it came, he shoved their sorrow into the furthest end of the most remote region in his mind, the place where he buried many phantoms he wished to forget. He understood the vergance in the Force now, many souls had perished in the blink of an eye”¦their agony would be the Jedi Knight's fuel to right the wrongs as soon as names could be placed to deeds. If anyone would know what would have happened instantly, it would be Keanu.

 

Footfalls amplified by the Force echoed in Andon's thoughts, the thud of steps against concrete and durasteel was mechanical, wholly efficient as each one stepped in unison, electroservers humming to provide movement towards their target. A green bar of plasma once again pierced the darkness of the dim hallway as the Jedi Knight readied his blade and moved to his left, positioning himself in front of his Padawan, Jurha taking a flanking position to his right.

 

”œDroids”¦lots of them. Go for the weak points at their midsections and their necks for the spindly infantry ones”¦a lightsaber to the chest will handle the super battle droids. And for droidekas”¦run like hell.”

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

The battle held a strange sort of peace for Ashley, rather than the almost-choking panic that would seize many in a similar situation. Given cover by both Andon's and Jurha's lightsabers, she squeezed shot after shot out of her two blasters, the bolts finding their marks in the battle droids necks, sending their heads flying away and their bodies to the floor. A moment's slight confusion came when one blaster ceased to work when she squeezed the trigger, the bewilderment clearing when she realized the power pack had run around. A quick swipe dropped the empty pack out, a snap of her wrist holstered it, and one last movement snagged another pack from her belt and snapped it into its place, returning the blaster to her grip.

 

Her circle of awareness slowly diminished, however, as the skirmish drew on, her fatigue gradually growing. She instinctively ducked as Andon deflected a laser bolt into the head of a battle droid right behind her left shoulder, giving her a quick wink in the process. Dropping to one knee, she pivoted to the right, squeezing off a series of three shots into the three droids advancing on them, severing their heads from their skeletal forms. With the crash of objects landing in the doorway and blocking the entrance, the battle was abruptly over, and Ashley stood back up, nodding after Andon spoke. ”œLead on, then.”

Edited May 3, 2005 by Guest

[Talon]

The doors to Keanu's suite were closed and locked. Talon didn't have the access code, but he didn't need it. As he stepped up to the double-door, he placed one hand on each individual door. With his strength amplified by the Force, Talon pushed both doors inward- off their track- and into the room on the other side. Each heavy slab of durasteel crashed onto the floor and slid across the ground. He had announced his presence.

 

Emergency lighting showed Keanu was at one side of the room, fiddling with a keyboard next to a door. The vast far wall that had previously been window was now covered in a durasteel shell. Keanu had trapped himself in his own defense. He presently turned to face the new comer. His jaw dropped momentarily. "You..."

 

The new room was much more heavily defended than that of the first. Between he and Keanu, there stood easily over two dozen droids (of various model) and half a dozen burly bodyguards. Those that didn't know Talon would say a half-sadistic smile appeared on the Jedi's face.

 

"Yes. Me."

 

With the hilts of two sabers sliding to his hands and activating, Talon descended upon the pirate's last line of defense.

[Jurha Kahn]

The group of three entered the remaining turbolift and sent it speeding to the top floor. Jurha caught Ashley's eye and gave her a mischevious smirk and wink.

 

"So, um... It might be a little bit late to ask, but what's going on? Weren't you looking for your apprentice Daz-Ex or something? Where does Keanu," Jurha asked unnessarily drawing out the 'uuu' sound, "Figure into it?"

 

And what was with that chill? It was like a shock wave of despair. Jurha shivered at the thought and hugged her arms around her self. It felt like death, decay, and frost were seizing everything... Including Andon.

 

It had never felt like darkness or violence had been part of his nature at least around her. She would observe.

[Talon]

It took the first droid being mowed down by Talon's sabers for the rest to spring into action. Instantly, the room became a haven of chaos and confusion. Talon- the droids' new target- became lost in a sea of sparks and slagged durasteel as the Jedi Master plowed straight through the first set of droids. One down, two down, three down, four. The first blaster bolt zinged past Talon's head, almost too close for comfort. A second bolt ventured close, but Talon's maroon blade intercepted the bolt and returned to sender.

 

It was here that Talon found a hulking mass of metal slam into his back. He had made his way into the midst of the small platoon, and a super battle droid had decided to get physical. The force of the blow knocked his sabers out of his grip. As the now weaponless Jedi tumbled forward, he reached up and grabbed the arm and neck of his assailant, and as he fell to the ground he whipped the droid forward. The hulk was sent sailing into the air, and proceeded to collide with another 'supe'- making them both temporarily useless. Then Talon hit the ground. The droids surrounding him leapt and attempted an awkward pile-up, but Talon was too quick.

 

He planted one hand on the ground and force-pushed himself away from the ground. His body was still laid out, but as he rose, he spun and placed a firm kick to one of the leaping drones. The kick propelled the Jedi in the opposite direction, and Talon used one of the other droids as leverage to swing up above the crowd. Another leaping droid came face-to-face with Talon's nimble foot, and Talon again used the droids face to leap above the teeming mass below.

 

As impressive as Talon's acrobatics were, the Jedi was not immune to the effects of gravity, and he momentarily found himself being called back to the floor below. Three glowing orbs of burning plasma slagged three different droids on his descent, but one of the flesh and bone bodyguards placed a well aimed shot into Talon's back-shoulder. Again the Jedi found himself in close quarter with the floor, but this time he rolled out of the fall and into a crouching stance near the wall. He came up facing an onslaught of droids, but a strong force push/blast sent each and everyone flying backwards. Disappointingly, only a few didn't get back up.

 

To Talon's further dismay, the door Keanu had been fiddling with suddenly hissed open, and four droideka's rolled out and opened up into attack formation. Talon frowned. His mind connected with that of the Jedi Knight below.

 

"Bring in the cavalry... soon."

[Andon]

Pondering the question, Andon Colos closed his eyes and exhaled slowly through his nose, his thoughts gathering into words. He spoke, his eyes remaining closed.

 

"I tracked Daz-Ex to Coruscant after he fled from Nar Shaddaa. When I found him he was distraught and he vented all the pent up frustrations he had about the way I acted. So he and I parted ways..."

 

The Jedi Knight opened his eyes, letting the memory go of their encounter on the vast city-planet.

 

"After Whyl's death, Talon heard about it through an intercepted Holonet line that derived from this building. Keanu's a major player on Nar Shaddaa, but even so the Hutts would have kept Whyl's death very hush hush...yet he found out about it. We're here to find out how."

 

He glanced at Ashley Jade quickly remembering that the two female Jedi had never met one another.

 

"Ashley Jade, meet Jedi Knight, Jurha Kahn. Jurha, meet my apprentice, Ashley Jade Skywalker."

 

When he turned his head to look at Jurha, he saw something in her eyes that was unsettling. The way she looked at him, he cut him deeply...it was just a flicker, but it appeared like she was horrified by him. He didn't have time to reflect on her body language and what could have caused the reaction, he felt the mind of another whisper across his consciousness as the turbolift neared the top of the building.

 

With a mechanical hiss the lift door opened and the three occupants poured into the room, Andon Colos taking point. With a depression of the activation stud, his emerald blade burned into life as it made quick work of a pair of battle droids "guarding" the entrance. He worked his blade furiously in front of him, blocking the seemingly endless barrage of blaster bolts that headed towards them. Jurha took his flank and the pair of Jedi Knights redirected as many bolts as they could back to the sources to thin out the ranks and give Talon time to recover.

 

"Looks like our plan worked, Talon, it played out exactly like I hoped: with us trapped in a bottle neck. Got any bright ideas about how to take out those Droidekas? I've got one, but some would call it unconventional..."

[Talon]

"Looks like our plan worked, Talon, it played out exactly like I hoped: with us trapped in a bottle neck. Got any bright ideas about how to take out those Droidekas? I've got one, but some would call it unconventional..."

 

The cavalry had come. Two of the droidekas swiveled to the three newcomers. As the droidekas opened fire, Talon saw things by way of Andon. His thoughts were clear, and however unconventional Andon's plans were, they would work.

 

The first blasts from the shielded droids came to meet the Jedi Master. Although Talon's sabers were lost in the middle of the mass of droids, he could keep the destroyer droids distracted. He somersaulted out of the line of fire behind a sofa that was immediately torn to shreds by the following bolts of energy. Before any could cut through, Talon was back up and running... this time charging into the supes at the droidekas themselves.

 

On the other side of the room, Andon was charging in similar fashion. The pair's minds had linked in a Force meld, each knowing exactly what the other was doing and building off it.

 

Immediately, the two's plan became evident. As the droidekas' powerful guns followed the Jedi's paths, they began to wreak their damage upon Keanu's allies. The Force users were using the droidekas against their own army. As Talon approached the first supe, it raised its wrist blaster at the oncoming Jedi. A burst of Force plasma melted the hand and wrist clean off. In two more steps, the Jedi had reached the droid. He grabbed it by the neck, spun, and hurled it with surprising force. It knocked through the droids ahead like a bowling ball turned aside hover-pins.

 

Deadly lances of energy from the destroyers ripped through the supes neighboring Talon. The bolts continued to move with the target. Talon was forced to put up a deflective Force sheild that helped parry the lasers off to the side. Even with this advantage, the Force was no substitute for n actuall lightsaber, and Talon was forced to roll and take cover.

 

He came up face to face with a mercenary hired out by Keanu. The burly guard offered a toothy grin from behind his leveled blaster rifle. Before he knew what had happened, however, Talon had disarmed him with the flick of his wrist and left him gasping for air on the floor with a karate chop to the throat. Now armed with the mercenary's rifle, Talon mowed down several droids. The droidekas rained more deadly spray, but Talon again repelled the attacks by a deflective shield.

 

As Talon approached the next droid, he spotted one of his silver lightsaber hilts on the floor near his feet. With the rifle loosing random shots from his left hand, his right hand called his lightsaber to hand. Again the lightsaber offered its deadly maroon light to the battlefield.

[Talon]

((More than 3 days...))

 

Talon's thoughts were focused on the battle at hand. Aided by the Force, Talon's reflexes were heightened to an extreme level. Time itself slowed down for the Jedi Master. The Force, combined with Talon's lust for battle, proved to be a deadly mix. With much of Keanu's army decimated by its own droidekas, Talon's instinct told him to move in for the kill.

 

With his saber raised high, Talon was able to deflect a barrage of incoming droideka fire. Soon it was enough to overwhelm the Jedi, however, and Talon was forced to duck to the side behind another group of supes. The group of droids was instantly pulverized by the barrage of high powered blasts, and the debris fell upon Talon from above. The Jedi outstretched his hand, and flung the debris through the air toward the destroyer droid. It bounced harmlessly off its shielding, but it obviously confused the deadly opponent. Talon used the opportunity. He called into the deep expanse that was the Force, and leapt to the cieling. He suspended himself in midair, and ran along the ceiling. When he was directly over the droideka, he disabled the droids shielding with a flicker of the Force, and descended onto the vulnerable mass. With his free hand, he grabbed the round section of the droid's neck, and with the other he offered a clean slice that decapitated the foe.

 

Talon redirected the still firing blaster cannons on its arms into its neighbor, and both droidekas that had been focused on Talon were simply gone.

[Jurha Kahn]

Jurha stood infront of Ashley Jade deflecting blaster fire from two Super Battle droids across the room. Jade behind her was firing on the two droids. Jurha was wishing her aim was good enough to deflect the bolts back at the droids but no such luck.

 

The droid on the left dropped to one knee and ceased firing.

 

Huh? Duck.

 

Jurha shoved Ashley Jade down then flattened her own self on the floor. A white light errupted from the end of the kneeling Super Battle Droid's blaster arm and a small rocket zoomed past where Jurha and Ashley had just been standing. The room shook as the rocket connected with the wall behind them. Jurha looked at the sizable crater in the wall that left melted wires and insulation exposed.

 

"Bad programing," Jurha muttered to her self as she leapt to her feet and charged the offending droid. While it was still kneeling she sliced upward taking off the arm and kicked the droid in the center of the chest all in one lunge. She landed on top of the collapsing droid and slammed her glowing saber into its center components. The red bulbs representing the droid's eyes went out and Jurha moved on.

 

Still low Jurha swiped at the shut down droid's partner, another SBD. Her acidic green blade severed the droid at the knees. She left the droid crawling on the ground for Ashley Jade to blast to bits.

 

Ashley Jade called Jurha's name.

 

"Whut?" was Jurha's somewhat dim witted response. Jade was facing the door they had entered firing down the hallway.

 

Jurha jogged to her side. "No! Not more. We've got enough," she cried when she saw two droidikas rolling down the hall infront of three SBDs and numerous regular battle droids.

 

"Keep shooting," she told Ashley in a voice bossier than Jurha would have liked.

 

Jurha reached out with the Force across the room and lifted the durasteel doors. She summoned the bent doors to her and levitated them to the open portal. She slammed them infront of the openning just as the destroyer droids were preparing to roll through. There was a delightful whump sound as the droids rolled into steel.

 

Jurha began summoning every other loose object in the room to her. Droid parts, people parts, and furniture and crammed them all against the barricade she was building. Thanks to Talon the doors didn't really fit any more so Jurha just went about filling the cracks.

 

"Go, have fun," Jurha said a voice that might as well have belonged to a mother telling her children to have fun playing outside. "I can take care of these fellas... gals... Whatever they think they are," Jurha mused desiding now wasn't the best time to devel into droid gender phsycology... Or was it programing, Jurha thought cheerfully as she pressed to Force against the barricade.

[Andon]

With Jurha focusing her attention on maintaining a make-shift barricade, Andon Colos allowed himself to slip further into his battle meditation. The Jedi Knight moved with fluidity and casual flaire, his motions seamlessly flowing into the next as he dodged, jumped and slashed in an elegant dance of never ending movement. To the naked eye he was but a dark cloak and a blur of motion, constantly one step ahead of the droideka blaster bolts that hounded him relentlessly, their random firing quickly decimating Keanu's forces as the Jedi Knight ran circles around them.

 

The droids fell like cannon fodder and a quick flick of his blade redirected any fatal shots aimed at the human grunts into survivable yet incapacitating wounds.

 

Funny, these men wish to kill me and yet I still spare them. Ah, what bittersweet irony the life of a Jedi is, showing mercy when others would only show us death. We're like angels damned by a Kingdom that doesn't want us...

 

Reaching outward with his mind, he centered the Force around the whole being of the sole remaining droideka, lifting the droid into the air and hurling it across the room. Like a clap of thunder it collided with the window, the metallic beast ripping through the transparisteel and falling downward towards the surface.

 

Faster then thought the Jedi was on the move again, the singular hostile presence remaining in the room blaring like a siren throughout the serenity of the Force. Keanu was trying to flee, but a warning shot from Ashely Jade caused him to stop and head into the other direction...right into the awaiting side kick of Andon Colos. The heel of the Jedi's boot caught the "gangster" square in the jaw, instantly dropping him to the ground as he doggedly tried to crawl away...the tip of Talon's blade hovering only inches away from his nose.

 

"Keanu, now is that anyway to treat company? You really should consider working on your people skills, I mean, a hoard of droids is no way to treat welcomed guests and representatives of the Galactic Alliance..."

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

OOC: Working on elapsed time here”¦

 

Thrown back into the thick of battle once more, Ashley found herself working under the cover of Jurha's lightsaber as she fired off round after round into the ever advancing battle droids, dropping empty power packs into a small pile behind her. Without warning, she felt Jurha's hand on her back, shoving her down towards the floor. What the hell”¦

 

Her unspoken question was answered a few moments later as she felt the heat of a rocket pass over them before it collided with the wall. Using the momentum from being pushed over, she tucked her left shoulder in at the last second and turned the fall into a somersault, coming back up shooting on one knee as she hit a pair of droids in two quick shots. Pushing herself back to a standing position, she finished off a droid Jurha had taken down before the hair on the back of her neck pricked and she whirled around to face the door.

 

Well”¦ that can't be particularly good, now can it”¦ The sight of another wave of droids caused Ashley to frown.

 

”œHey”¦ Jurha”¦ Might wanna take a look at this”¦”

[Talon]

"Keanu, now is that anyway to treat company? You really should consider working on your people skills, I mean, a hoard of droids is no way to treat welcomed guests and representatives of the Galactic Alliance..."

 

Keanu mumbled something or other under his breath. Talon could see the sweat beaded up around his eye brows and hair line. The Jedi Master didn't blame him. His entire army had just been wasted by three full fledged Jedi and one trainee. In the most normal of circumstances, one would not consider four people to represent a powerful fighting force. These Jedi, however, had proven themselves not to be "normal". Keanu was unprotected and unarmed, and he had the pointy end of a lightsaber not 2 inches away from his face.

 

"Whadd'ya think Andon? Keanu has obviously proven himself an enemy of the Alliance. This pile of bantha fodder worth keeping around?"

 

His words were in jest... he by no means intended to kill the man, but it was difficult for Talon to keep from tantalizing his prey.

 

Keanu mumbled again. Andon responded with a shaking finger. "Now-now, Talon. You know we wouldn't want to kill the man without a 'fair trial'."

 

Talon nodded. "You couldn't be more right." The Jedi knelt low- to eye level of the pirate- and continued. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" A wave of Talon's hand forced Keanu's head into a nod.

 

"Good. Not too long ago, a certain... character... was murdered on this planet. You know of whom I speak." Talon's hard stare and Force influence melted away the mans psychological defenses. "Why did the Hutts find it appropriate to inform you, when obviously that information would have been highly classified?"

 

Keanu's face was locked in place by a powerful Force-grip. By no will of his own, his eyes were trained on Talon. Keanu hesitated with an answer, and Talon's blade came ever closer.

 

"Alright! I dealt with the Hutts in business. I was alerted because Whyl was one of my major employers involving deals of... questionable legitimacy. I did raids for him in outlying systems and they provided protection. I scratched their back and they scratched mine."

 

Talon rose back to a standing position. "Hm. A pirate involved with Whyl the Hutt... Deals of questionable legitamacy. Sounds like you're quite the criminal."

 

Keanu stammered. "But-"

 

"Are you aware of the number of lives Whyl the Hutt extinguished? How many problems he caused with the Alliance? Do you know how long we've been waiting for him to expose himself?" He paused and turned to Andon, with half a smirk on his face. "I don't think he does!"

 

Keanu tried to speak, but he was again cut off.

 

"The verdict is in. On the account of illegitimate dealing with a dangerous crime-lord, the defendant is found- guilty. On the account of attacking representatives of the Galactic Alliance, the defendant is found- guilty. On the account of contempt of the court, the defendant is found- guilty." Talon lifted his blade. It was positioned to deliver a kill shot...

 

((That's the cue, Andrew... ))

[Andon]

As Talon interrogated the self-proclaimed pirate, Andon Colos stood cross-armed beside him, lightsaber hanging from his belt. He let the Jedi Master play the intimidation game...that wasn't his style...not anymore atleast. The Knight stood watching Keanu's every reaction, his fear washed off of him in waves of murky absolutes as he sat trembling before the lightsaber blade but breathes away from his face.

 

This isn't right...Jedi do not cause fear, we remove it.

 

He pitied him, even the mighty become cowards when the threat of losing their life comes into play. The concern didn't show, Colos's face was solemn and cold...almost empty as he removed all emotion from the situation; as he removed the self from the situation. He reached a place that his Master always told him of, a place where you let go of everything that kept you bound to this plane. A place where there were only the whispers of the Force. A place where he felt Talon's hostility spike as he drew his lightsaber back.

 

In the blink of an eye the actions unfolded, but to the altered perception of Andon Colos every drawn out moment fell away like a lifetime. Incased in a maroon light Talon's saber came downward in a hacking motion, Andon drawing his own saber and igniting the emerald blade; his swing already beginning before the blade fully materialized. With a flash of sparks the two energy beams met, the Knight stepping in front of the Jedi Master and catching his blade in a saber lock faster then thought.

 

Talon fought back, pushing further into his strike with both hands, but Andon's larger stature granted him the strength to hold him back even with only one hand. Talon pushed further but Colos stubbornly stood his ground and didn't allow the blade to move a milimeter closer to Keanu. As the two waged their own struggle, Ashley Jade and Jurha just stared in disbelief...

 

"Guiltly as he may be, he still deserves a chance at life. We are not murderers..."

 

Even as he spoke he felt the ripples that Keanu's sudden movement made through the Force, how his hand clenched into a fist and how his thumb lowered to depress a button on a remote caller in his hand. The Jedi Knight rotated his wrist, redirecting Talon's blade to cleave off the hand that held the remote as Keanu rose to his feet; Andon swiping backwards with his own saber, completely removing the arm he had raised in order to strike one of the Jedi down with. As the pirate cried out in pain, Colos crouched down and picked up the remote caller, examining it for a moment before turning to the stricken man.

 

"Did you think calling your ship was going to help? What were you planning to do...do a strafe run remotely on your office in an attempt to kill us? You've learned nothing...you were too impatient to realize I was pleading for mercy to be shown to you, yet you had to raise your fist in anger. What good did it do you?"

 

Andon lowered himself to the man in order to look him in the eyes.

 

"You fought back because you were afraid of losing all this...you let greed consume you. You are not the building you own, you are not your fleet of ships, you are not the clothes you wear...material objects mean nothing in the end. You've based your whole life on meaningless possessions, placing them all in a building in which I could destroy with but a thought if I so desired. In order to live you must be reborn. This building is no longer under your control...we've infilitrated and taken it...it now belongs to the whores and villains of this planet."

 

The Jedi rose to his feet, turning on his heel and walking towards the barricaded door as he turned his head and called over his shoulder back to Keanu.

 

"With this building gone the only thing you have left is this ship and I'm taking it as well...we've taken everything from you now. You can only be free when you have nothing left to lose. This is your second chance, Keanu, don't waste it. I've got your ship and I've got your comm frequency...I'll be keeping tabs on you. If you're not on your way to getting your life on the right track you'll be seeing me again..."

 

With a subtle nod of his head he motioned for Jurha to move away from the barricade she was keeping steady with the Force. He reached outward with his mind, sensing the battle droids that were trying to make their way through into the main office...the potential for more violence. He raised his hand, summoning the Force within himself as he let it wash over his aura and ease his wearied mind, the tendrils of his mind surrounding the make shift barricade and engulfing it with the the gently fury of the Force.

 

With a twitch of his fingers the structure ripped itself free of its holding place and poured into the hallway, colliding forceful with the droids that waited outside and quickly dispatched them as any sort of threat. Without another word he began walking down the hallway towards the hangar, his new ship needed to be collected.

[Talon]

Talon called his other lightsaber to him with a summon of the Force, and then fell in step behind the other Jedi, bringing up the rear of the crew. Keanu sat dumbfounded on the floor behind them. The smallest of smiles appeared on Talon's face as he gently shook his head. They never learn...

 

As the Jedi passed the threshold into the hall beyond, Keanu finally overcame his shock and screamed aloud. "Hypocrites! Murderers! He said you wouldn't kill me! You've destroyed me!"

 

Without even turning, the Jedi Master spoke back to the pirate. "You'll live."

 

And then the Jedi were gone, descending through the turbolift back to civilization. Talon took the time in the turbolift to reflect. He disagreed with Andon. Keanu deserved a swift reconciliation. Perhaps Talon was treading in dark waters, but if he didn't get the job done, he was afraid no one would. In his opinion, the pirate had taken far too many innocent lives to be allowed to remain. On the other hand, maybe it was for the best that Keanu be allowed to change his ways. For now, he wouldn't worry about it. With Andon retrieving the pirate's comm codes, they'd be able to check back if he got out of hand.

 

Before he knew it, the turbolift had reached ground floor, and the arrival was anounced with the familiar bing.

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

On the way back to the hangar, Ashley had time to reflect on the events she had witnessed just moments before. She'd been sure the smuggler's life was over when Talon had raised his saber to deal the killing blow, but the surprise had come when Andon's blade had met the Jedi Master's, sparing Keanu's life. Why

 

The turbolift pinged as it reached the hangar's level, and Ashley snapped out of her reverie, taking a few running steps that ended with her half a step behind Andon. She paused for a moment, her mind trying to place the question into words before she spoke. "Why'd you stop Talon from killing him?"

[Andon]

Silence was his sanctuary; it was his escape. Separated from the battlefield of self-proclaimed Titans, silence was a place to hide from the rain of ash and brimstone that perpetual noise brought...it was surreal. It was obvious that neither Talon nor Andon agreed with the others actions, mercy was the Knight's top priority while justice was in the eyes of the Master.

 

It is of no matter, a Jedi should be merciful above all else and only kill in self-defense. The fight was over by that point and any fatal blow would have been out of offense.

 

Ashley Jade's uncertainty hung in the air around her and it was quite understandable, she'd gone through a lot since arriving on Nar Shaddaa and been through quite a taxing encounter for her first mission...but the fight was not the source of muddled thoughts. It was Andon and Talon's confrontation in Keanu's office that threw her; the sight of seeing two Jedi locked in a saber lock must have been overwhelming. The turbolift reached its destination and the Jedi Knight entered the hangar, activating the remote caller and following the sound of sub-lights warming up to find his "new" ship.

 

Behind him he heard the rapid thump of footsteps against duracrete and smiled as he felt his apprentice catching up with him. As she spoke he allowed the question to linger in his mind, his hazel eyes locking on the form of a ship in front of him. Andon approached it, running his hand along the refreshingly cold durasteel structure as he walked around the ship inspecting it. The matte-black GAT-12J Skipray Blastboat was a thing of beauty, such power and elegance, it was a pilot's dream.

 

"I stopped Talon because I wouldn't watch a Jedi become a murderer. The fight was over, there was no more need for violence and yet he raised his saber for the killing blow anyway. Keanu has done many wrongs in his time, but I didn't feel like death was our only option."

 

He stopped, leaning against the ship as he turned his head to look at Ashley Jade, his eyes seemingly burdened with the weight of the world.

 

"You will be faced with many things like this in your life...the eternal struggle of which is more important: justice or mercy. For the longest time I could never understand that right and wrong weren't defined, but it was my Master that always tried to instill in me that things are never just right and wrong. You must weigh the consequences of action and in-action."

 

He paused, drawing his unactivated lightsaber hilt in his right hand. He held it in front of him as he slowly placed his thumb over the activation stud.

 

"This is a weapon of defense...not attack. A lightsaber should only be activated when a Jedi is in imminent danger, never for offense. I was taught that and equally I will do my best to teach you that over the course of our time together. Some Jedi pick up on this concept easily and others don't, the determination of right and wrong is always limited to our own perception. Some concentrate of finding out what the right answer for themself is...others search for the what the right answer is for those they serve."

 

Exhaling quietly the Jedi Knight places the hilt back on his belt and shifts his weight, standing to his full height. With the depression of another button on the remote caller the landing ramp to his new ship lowered and he moved towards it, stopping to turn towards her once more.

 

"But enough philosophy for one day, it's time to move further into the art of awareness...perfecting the danger sense."

 

He smiled and though it was for only a moment, a devilish hint of adventure flashed across his face. This was going to be far different from another lecture on perception.

[Talon]

As Ahley-Jade headed through the halls toward her master, Talon stepped quietly through the open turbo-lift doors and into the main lobby. The remains of droids still littered the open space- an indication of Andon's earlier distraction. He nimbly stepped over the empty shells and littered limbs toward the broken in front doors. Several wide-eyed children sat just outside in the dark, trying to get a gauge on the action going on indoors. Talon smiled. "It's all clear. You can go in and explore if you wish..."

 

The kids backed away at first, but once the Jedi had passed, Talon spotted the children dash in. Their curiosity overwhelmed their sense of safety. Not that they'd be in any danger anyway... The four Jedi had seen to that. Now out in the otherwise empty street, Talon sighed. A foul smelling wind rustled his hair. The refugee sector of Nar Shadda was a dreadful place, and the other parts of the planet weren't much better. With his steps slow and deliberate, it took some time for him to reach the Eta-2 interceptor. Zee was waiting, and Talon could see he was beginning to get impatient. He could tell the droid hated waiting with the ship- he was sure Zee would much rather prefer being with Talon on one of his many adventures. Perhaps in the future...

 

As the Jedi made the last several steps to his ship, he stretched out with the Force and called out to his Jedi companion.

 

"Andon... I understand why you wanted to keep Keanu alive- but know that I have endured many conflicts. I can judge a darkened heart, and I do not fear the consequences of action against one."

 

He paused. A Jedi's life was plagued with decisions. Often times the Jedi Master wondered if his decisions were considered kosher with the Council. He had long ago given up trying to please them... He now took matters into his own hands. Perhaps that was why many considered him reckless...

 

"But if you're right about Keanu, I thank you for sparing another death on my account. For now I have business in the Colonies, on the planet Wayland. You may follow me if you wish, or you can meet me back on Rafa V."

 

Talon settled himself into the cockpit. "Come along, Zee. We're heading out." Zee whistled in an exasperated shrill. It was obvious he was ready to get out of here. He was plugged into the socket to the right of the cockpit even before Talon himself was ready. As the Jedi strapped himself in, he smiled. He figured he'd let the droid have a little bit of fun.

 

"Take it on out. We're heading to Wayland." Zee didn't need to whistle for the Jedi to sense his excitement.

 

In moments, the ship was up- and then gone in hyperspace.