Gala - Jedi Praxeum Ruins

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar looked deep into Adenna's eyes. He reached down to her core and caught a glimpse of her soul.

 

In a booming voice he sternly exclaimed, "Do it... NOW!"

[Adenna Alluyen]

Dahar's sudden command startled Adenna greatly. For a split second, she was back in the dark streets of Thalassia and in danger. Instinctively, she jerked her hands in front of her including the one with the lightsaber hilt. Her mind registered only after the fact that the lightsaber was not activated and was practically useless.

 

With eyes widened from shock and surprise and her jaw dropped a centimeter or two, she took a few steps back away from her teacher keeping the unlit lightsaber between them.

[Dahar Raikanda]

"Adenna, you need to let go of your fears! You're not a scared little girl on Thalassia anymore, you are training to become a Jedi Knight."

 

"You must learn to put your trust in the Force."

 

Dahar relaxed his face and spoke in a more empathetic tone. "Nobody said this would be easy Adenna. In fact, this will be the hardest journey you'll ever experience, and it won't be over until you are dead."

 

"You must learn to trust me Adenna, and you must also learn some discipline. Now activate that lightsaber and swing.

[Darex Trevelian]

He knew what he should say. He might need to leave at any time, depending on how the war went and how many new hopefuls arrived during the fighting. He was responsible for them, even for providing group training if enough of them arrived.

 

But as he looked into Darla's eyes and saw the plea there, he couldn't refuse her anything. "I'll come with you on the Serenity." If he needed to get off Corellia before the rest of them were ready to leave, then he'd find transport. But he hoped that wouldn't happen. With all the Jedi leaving for battle, the Jedi Temple would be empty. All the current hopefuls appeared to have been taken on--or, in Emily's case, taken in--by other Jedi, and his duties didn't require anything of him at this point.

 

Besides, there had been something in Darla's tone when she asked the question. Some niggling doubt or fear that Darex wanted to speak with her about. They really did need some time just to talk, he thought. He was beginning to toy with ideas in the back of his mind, and he knew what they really needed was just some time alone. In that way, this trip to Corellia seemed like a godsend.

 

He just wished there wasn't a war going on to threaten to interrupt it all.

 

When Nishant and Emily began to board, Darex and Darla followed. Darex stuck his small traveling bag in the room he normally used while onboard, then headed to the cockpit.

[Scorp Jedi Knight]

And so a sense of silence began to settle upon the temple, as many strong able bodied jedi departed from Gala. Departed to join a fight, he knew he had no place in. Which is why he stayed behind. After all there were many still at the temple, those who had not yet left, others unable to. Until all had gone, it would be unwise, for him to depart and leave them all.... defenseless.

 

Uncurling from his grueling position, more enlightened and aware than when he had arrived, he made haste to the temple. There was no urgency needed but, the pace brought a calming measure to the young Jedi. Boots on temple ground his tempo slowed.

 

He would be on the defensive side. Devoting all of one's forces in an all or nothing battle was unwise. Even if the rumor was untrue, the amount o forces willing to flock to the flame was great and a battle would no doubt erupt regardless, if they arrived at the same place at the right time.

 

So he could not join his Jedi brethren as he had a different role to play. It was something he had learned in his time as a Jedi. That everyone had their role to play, no mater how big or small.

[Adenna Alluyen]

He was right, Adenna's inner mind admitted to herself. If she were to ever become someone who could help others in trouble and stop oppression, she would have to learn to fight and possibly kill. Failure to fight would mean that those who were evil would win and many people would suffer. As much as she would hate to have to kill people, she would hate innocents being killed as result of her inactivity even more.

 

Though she wasn't eager or determined to do so, she did ignite Dahar's lightsaber and got into a very basic combat stance mimicking what she had seen others do. With just a trace of hesitation, she advanced a step and swung at her teacher.

[SithAcolyte]

Darla smiled up at Darex and she felt a weigh leave her mind. Despite what was going on with the rest of the Galaxy, Darex was coming with her. The both of them needed a vacation. When they were there and they were relaxed and comfortable, then they could speak. What Darla had to tell Darex would change both of their lives forever.

 

Now that she was by his side she didn't want to be away from him. When she had been alone with Skye she had been worried about seeing him again. She had been a bag of nerves, but now she felt at ease. 

 

There may have been terrible things happening elsewhere, but none of that mattered to Darla. As long as Darex was with her, she knew things would be alright.

 

When they entered Serenity Darla realised that it was the first time the two of them had travelled aboard Skye's ship as a couple. They had travelled together many times, but had separate rooms. 

 

Instinctively Darex headed to his usual room. Darla followed after him. It was the room that she'd been staying in and her stuff was already in her own room. She wasn't sure if she should move her stuff. Did it really matter? 

 

Darla thought that perhaps Emily it Nishant many want the fairly spacious room that she had grown accustomed to. She moved her meagre belonging into Darexs' room. It was funny to see their two small bags next to one another. They were both used to travelling so light with the life that they had led the past few years. Darla didn't really have anything of value, a few bits of clothing and a blaster pistol. 

 

Not even a lightsaber anymore.

 

She made her way to the mess hall and put on a pot of caff for anyone who wanted some. Darex was in the cockpit taking care of preflight procedures so there was nothing important for her to do. As she sat down with a cup that she had poured for herself she wondered...

 

Should I be drinking this?

[Skye Organa]

With everyone coming along, Skye paused just inside until Emily and Nishant approached. Once they entered, she spoke to them as she showed them around the immediate area of her ship, pointing as they went along. "You'll find the main bathroom through there, the living area and kitchenette are at the end to the right of this thoroughfare, to the left leads below to what used to be the main hold though was converted to my hospital ward and here are the rooms in which you'll be staying." The rooms were only small though had been her children's rooms.

 

"The one you'll be staying in Emily, used to be my daughter Morgana's room. There are still some of her clothes in the wardrobe if you want something to change into." Turning towards her new padawan she continued, "This one used to be my son's Amon and Krishna's room. You'll find a set of robes on the foot of the bed." Skye smiled at both of them before speaking again, "I'll leave you both to settle in and get us underway. I've a patient I have to see on the Golden Link Casino so that will be our first stop. Once we're on our way we can get to know each other in the living area." With that, Skye turned and headed towards the cockpit.

 

A grin formed on her features as she caught sight of Darex in the cockpit, "I should have known you'd beat me here. I-Nine should have inputted the co-ordinates for the Casino and prepped the ship so we should be ready to go." Thanking her droid, Skye slipped into the pilots seat and double checked the boards, as was her nature. With everything in order, she took off, the ship soon clearing the planet and disappearing into hyperspace...

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar stood his ground as Adenna came towards him. He held the branch in front of him as the lightsaber made contact. The branch did not split but held its own against the lightsaber. Dahar pushed in and held still, staring into Adenna's eyes as she took in the exercise. He pushed forward just enough to push her out of balance.

 

"You can relax, Adenna." He said lowering his stick. "This was an exercise in misdirection. I wanted to show you how the force can aid you in self defense. Whether you have a lightsaber or not."

 

With a slight tug from the force, Dahar summoned the lightsaber from his student's hand. The hilt flew through the air and came to rest in the waiting hand of its creator.

 

"Remember what I told you about the force. It is created by life. The force surrounds us and binds us. I tapped into the aura of the force that surrounds the stick, applying that same principle. Since the stick was a branch that was no longer a part of a tree, I had to combine some of my own life force into the stick, to strengthen its force capabilities."

 

Dahar threw the branch above his head, watching it twirl in the air. Igniting his lightsaber, he sliced the stick in half as it came tumbling back toward the ground.

 

"See, without my added force influence, the stick doesn't have an aura strong enough to use against an energy blade. Understand?" The violet glow from the blade faded away, followed by the trademark sound of a lightsaber powering down.

 

Now that Adenna had held a lightsaber Dahar felt it was time for her to learn some basic combat. He presented her with a padawan lightsaber from the temple. Over the next few weeks they practiced basic fighting skills. Dahar made sure to remind Adenna to feel the Force around her and allow it to guide her movements. They also practiced meditation and worked to open Adenna's mind to the greater secrets of the Force.

 

The two sat in the courtyard under the shade of Dahar's favorite tree. Dahar had instructed Adeanna to close her eyes and attempt to feel the space around her with her inner eye. It was during this time that Dahar received a transmission on his comm requesting all Jedi to report to the Double Helix space station. After listening to it silently he played it again for Adenna to hear.

 

"Well my apprentice, it looks like our presence has been requested. We will be leaving right away. Gather your things and meet me in hangar bay 517. I will be waiting for you with my ship."

[Adenna Alluyen]

During the weeks of practice, Adenna worked harder physically than she had ever done in her life. While she wasn't physically unfit before, she was far from being considered athletic or fit. Early on, she lost some of the weight she had managed to gain by eating proper meals, but as time progressed, she replaced the lost weight with muscle mass.

 

It would be impossible for her to develop into an athletic body or have a warrior's build in that short time, but she was working toward that goal. She had more natural stamina and had learned how to tap into the Force slightly to generate more. She learned to rely on quick impulses through the Force to guide her body and lightsaber. Most importantly, though, she had learned how to rely upon the Force for multiple things, not just when she was concentrating on it.

 

She was no match for Dahar or any of the knights and many of the Padawans were better than her, but she could block a few blaster bolts and would probably cause a problem among any soldiers they came across. She was not deluded enough to think she would be a worthy soldier against any Sith or experienced Imperial soldiers, but she was willing to do her part in the upcoming situation.

 

She still wasn't happy about killing, but through talks with Dahar and others as well as reading from the Library, she came to grips with the fact that sometimes it was unavoidable. She realized that when it came down to killing or being killed in a battle, there were few other options. Sometimes, their attackers could be subdued non-lethally, but in a large battle, doing so would either be impractical or would result in the death of many Jedi or other allies.

 

Adenna was so concerned about the prospect of killing, she even looked into tuning the lightsaber given to her into a training saber that would shock the nerves of her target instead of severing limbs. She reasoned that she could disable a target with a quick swipe across the neck or chest just as easily as she could kill them, but hadn't tested this in combat or against armored units. Because of that, she resigned herself to using a normal lightsaber for the upcoming battle and would research non-lethal lightsabers afterward when it came time for her to build a proper lightsaber for herself.

 

To her delight, she had managed to find a set of beautiful blue robes cut in an alternative Jedi style. When she had seen those, she quickly rushed back to her quarters and gathered the small amount of money she had brought with her. Using that money, she bought the robes and wore them proudly wherever she went. It was a symbol of her growing confidence in standing out instead of just fading into the background wherever she went. She had grown a lot in the two and a half months since she came to the Temple, but she was far from fully matured as a Jedi.

 

When her teacher let her listen to the general summons of Jedi to the Double Helix station, she knew the time had come. For months, the Republic and Jedi forces had been preparing for a new round of fights. Apparently, they had now found something to fight over and would be going at it once more instead of relying on small skirmishes to sate their appetite for battle.

[Dashel Illioni]

Dashel sat listening to a recording of the debate between Grandmaster Kitt and the Jedi whom had joined him on the Double Helix. He sat silently through the recording and meditated on what he had seen and heard.

 

His initial reaction to the recording had been one of excitement. Something sang in his veins and in the Force whenever he meditated on the subject. The song was a joyous one, one that celebrated a brave and noble decision. Being a Jedi meant that he could not simply be excited and run off to join the rest of his brethren, which was why he found himself working deep into several nights working through the ramifications of what the Jedi master had proposed.

 

There were quite a large number and the effort was more than a little enlightening. He found himself carefully researching everything that was reflected in the decision and came to the conclusion that the Grandmaster's reasoning was fairly sound in reasoning and in well guided by the force.

 

He still did not agree with it, nor did he found himself guided by the force to join his fellow Jedi in what lay ahead.

 

Figuring out what action to take was his next step. His research here was at an end, and the head librarian had asked him to take a delivery of several sensitive artifacts and original manuscripts to the reopened Jedi temple at Tython prior to the courier arriving from the council meeting.

 

Tython offered him a place to further study and meditate on the force, and more importantly, a place of refuge from the galaxy temporarily.

It also felt right, both in the force and in what he personally believed.

[Dahar Raikanda]

The two Jedi boarded the ship around dusk. The Fireflight had been specially designed for Dahar, as were most Blade-34 Superiority Fighters. This was the ship of choice for those with money back on Adumar. The Blade-32s were the standard while the 34s were still individually manufactured for the buyer. It comfortably could hold one person but had room for two with a special second seat fitted to the back of the cockpit. This allowed for better control of rear firing weapons. They had to rearrange the cargo bay a bit to accommodate both of them, but this wasn't much of a challenge as Adenna didn't have a lot of belongings. Dahar still held on to the envirosuit he had acquired at Haruun-Kal just in case he ever needed it. There was also a large crate of thermal detonators that Dahar had recovered from an abandoned ship in the woods. He always kept a few with him. He wasn't going to force her but suggested that Adenna carry at least one as well.

 

The two of them made an interesting looking pair of Jedi. They were both fairly young, although Dahar's face had been hardened by his life experiences. His attire was black and hers was blue which made them look rather different then the typical master / apprentice pair in brown Jedi robes.

 

They were both strapped in and ready when Dahar spoke to Adenna. "I do not know what the future holds for us Adenna. We can only trust that the Force will guide and do our best fo follow its will."

 

The Fireflight slowly lifted out of the hangar and made its way away from the temple. Within minutes they had left Gala's atmosphere and were in orbit above the planet. It wasn't long before Double Helix was visible on the monitor.

[ObliviousKnight]

Without warning, Armiena Draygo collapsed in the hangar. It took all the control that she had to avoid slamming her head against the armored deckplates. Out of instinct, her arms flailed out to protect her skull from the impact, and the side of her head managed to find shelter in the crook of her elbow rather than a sharp collision with high-grade steel and ceramic. Other than that solitary mercy, it was by all indications a wholly-unexpected event””her black-clad body was sprawled over the hangar deck in all directions.

 

Jedi were unusually prone to these strange fits and bouts of unconsciousness, but even still, the hangar crew summoned a team from the sickbay without delay.

[Ulan]

Birds of all sizes and shape filled a quaint, tranquail garden near the temple. Ulan had made his way to this garden from the archives, and for days had rested in the foilage. Now he sat in a sheltered green hovel, covered by large bannana like leaves, warmed by the soft sun light penetrating the thin skin of his shelter.

 

Among the many things passing through his mind, Wayland had been first and foremost. He had spent a hundred or more years living in the forest on the backwoods planet, and after months spent in concrete, mechanical environments, the aging padawan wanted nothing more than to simply relax in a familar place.

 

"Hello," he said to a large, colorful bird that landed on the ground next to his leg. The bird stood nearly as tall as Ulan, and was black with many colorful stripes down its back and in its wings. The most striking feature, however, was the red, beady eyes that twitched back and forth, penetrating Ulan's own green globe like eyes. He stared back at the bird, both parties freezing in their movements.

 

The life of the Force flowed majestically through the grove of trees, through the bird, into Ulan, and out into every other organism in the garden. Ulan could feel the bird's curiosity and smiled at its youthfulness. It was a fully mature bird, but anything to Ulan seemed young.

 

"Understood one of my kind never before have you, hmmmm?"

 

Ulan chuckled as the bird relaxed and pecked at things on the ground. Inside the grove Ulan could feel the tension building in the galaxy. He had known that over the past weeks many prominent decisions had been made by his order, and he knew that he was missing out on an important conflict, but life was not about conflict, and now was not the time in his life for action. He needed this rest and period of meditation. His body was in a state of rejuvination, and he was at peace.

[Gavin Ryaro]

Gavin leaned back in the chair and grimaced as the seat began to conform to his body. The Jedi Temple had many things like the chair that were meant to make the lives of the Jedi who inhabited its halls easier but even after hours of searching through the incredibly extensive Archives of the Jedi Order he still didn't have a definitive answer to his question or a solution to his problem.

 

As he sat there resting his eyes he began to get, for lack of a better word, antsy. His body began to fidget and he started to become uncomfortable in one of the most comfortable places in the known galaxy. This continued for a few minutes until his discomfort vanished and was replaced by a noticeable and unexplainable pain in his lower back. He winced and twisted his torso in the chair, trying to pop his spine in an effort to relieve the pain. When this plan failed Gavin tried to use the Force to isolate the source of the problem and thereby extinguish it.

 

He closed his eyes and began to explore the inner workings of his body, starting at the point of the pain. He could sense something extremely familiar and malicious there but couldn't figure out what it was. As soon as his Force sense began to investigate the pain the familiarness vanished, moving into other parts of his body taking the pain with it.

 

It was a game of cat and mouse. Every time Gavin came close to pinpointing what was plaguing his body the pain would vanish. He began to get frustrated with his apparent failure. He could feel his rage building as the source of his pain began to become harder and harder to track down. It was almost as if someone standing before him was becoming invisible. His rage began to grow stronger and he knew that he needed to stop, but he couldn't.

 

Now his anger was overflowing. He tried to contain it within but knew that his efforts would be futile. Soon it was reaching it's boiling point and he knew that he couldn't hold it in any longer. His rage exploded from his body in a wave of Force energy. Had he not been able to gather himself and throw up a Force shield then he would have had some very angry Jedi Librarians on his case. As it was, the release of energy did little more than cause Gavin to slump in his chair, exhausted.

 

The outbursts had now transformed from physical to emotional. Gavin knew that he had to solve this problem as soon as possible or he wouldn't be the only one to suffer. How could he train his apprentice in the ways of the light side of the Force if he was shooting dark energy from his body unexpectedly?

 

Gavin closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, reverting back to the most basic of Jedi meditations. Every so softly he began to utter the Jedi Code, letting its words run through his mind and calm his soul.

 

There is no emotion; there is peace...

 

That particular line spoke to him. It resonated within his head allowing its simple wisdom to give his weary soul rest. He could feel his heartbeat begin to slow as his breathing returned to its normal rate. As he meditated his mind wandered to thoughts of his padawan, Ulan. It comforted him to know that even in this dark time his apprentice would stand by him.

 

Unfortunately, with this comfort came the return of the dull throb in Gavin's lower back. It seemed like any time that he was close to achieving the peace that he longed for, the dark taint would show itself. He knew that if he decided to investigate any further then he might not be able to to contain any outburst that might result from the exploration.

 

He resolved to simply ignore the pain and continue on his journey through the Archives, hoping to find the answer to his dilemma. He accessed the computer and began his search where he left off.

 

A few hours later was when Gavin finally saw a brief glimmer of hope. He came across an article pertaining to a Jedi Master by the name of Luke Skywalker and an incident on one of the moons of the gas giant Yavin. It appeared that the Jedi Master had had his soul sundered from his body by the spirit of the former Dark Lord of the Sith, Exar Kun. The Sith's spirit had possessed many beings in it's time on the jungle moon and was only vanquished by the combined power of a dozen Jedi. The dark taint that it left on the planet was removed when a Jedi by the name of Corran Horn destroyed the temple in which the spirit had resided.

 

Gavin leaned back in his chair again and pondered what he had read. He knew that cleansing his soul wouldn't be as easy as cleansing Yavin IV. He couldn't very well destroy his own body with proton torpedos, but there had to be another way. He was deep in thought when suddenly he remembered his former master. Damon had finished training Gavin and moved on to study to become a Jedi Exorcist. A rather unknown sect within the Order, the Exorcists were claimed to be able to remove the dark side from a Sith, so perhaps they could remove the dark taint from Gavin.

 

He immediately returned to his computer and searched for a list of known Exorcists. He was disappointed to discover that everyone who had been known to practice he ancient art was either deceased or hadn't been heard from in some time. That meant that he would need to teach himself their ways in order to remove that which was holding him back, but that would have to come later. He had a duty to his apprentice.

 

Gavin reached out with the Force and searched through the Jedi Temple for the familiar presence he knew to be his padawan, Ulan. He lightly touched the older being's mind so as not to disturb him if he was deep in meditation or in the middle of something important.

 

Ulan, whenever you're ready I'm waiting for you in the Archives.

[ObliviousKnight]

As suddenly as she had lost consciousness in the hangar, Armiena Draygo woke up in the sickbay, surrounded by the neutral-blue was of the medical ward and the warmth of a cot's sheets. A medic peered into her partly-opened eyes, searching for signs of concussion or any other injury. However, the Jedi Master didn't seem to be quite”¦. there””her eyes were firmly focused on a point approximately a kilometer from her face, and her brow was fixed in an expression of mild concentration.

 

She took in a deep breath, and spoke with a heavy, dramatic voice.

 

”œI have felt a great disturbance in the Force, as though thousands of voices cried out ”˜Look at the size of that thing!' and were answered with a ”˜That's what she said' joke.”

[Ulan]

Gavin's voice rang clearly through the grove of trees carrying with it a vision of the Knight's face. Ulan's master and friend brought a sense of safety and warmness with him, but even from a distance Ulan could still sense a pecularity in Gavin. Time would tell the true damage of Bespin on both padawan and master, but for now Ulan was eager to resume his training.

 

"Good day," he said to the bird that did not move, and rose to his feet, allowing them to carry him to the archives.

 

He had not wandered far from Jedi library. It was a short walk to his master's side, and when there the green man nodded politely.

 

"Discover anything new have you?" Ulan asked Gavin, knowing it was not his place, but not caring either. Old creatures have a way of not caring about formalities.

 

"A peaceful rest I enjoyed, and ready to continue am I, as long as well with you things are."

[Kenneth Trekina]

Kenneth awoke with the dawn. The light from the sun gleamed brightly into his room illuminating a patch on his bed. He stared in wonder at the various specs and bits of dust that floated through the air, visible only in the right circumstances. He was reminded that everything comes from something. Those scattered bits of particles were once part of a whole, just like we all are. They too once belonged to something bigger, but just like the galaxy, remained in a constant state of change.

 

After a light breakfast Ken decided to go for his usual hike through the woods. He didn't consider himself particularly stronger than any of the other padawans but made an effort to stay in good shape. It also gave him the opportunity to spend some time in his favorite place on Gala, the large forests that surrounded the temple. It was there he felt most peaceful. The lush vegetation took in the sun and poured out oxygen in a continuous give and take with the world. With every breath Kenneth would pull in and exhale the very Living Force that connected all things.

 

Some times the birds seemed to follow him, and today was one of those days. As he kept moving through the woods an arrow of birds overheard followed him like a shadow. He came to rest on a large fallen tree. The birds scattered. Kenneth placed his hand on the wood and could feel what once was of the tree. It had stood for centuries providing shelter, oxygen, and shade to the things around it. But just like everything else, it had to die. Kenneth felt sad for a moment and then decided to head back.

 

The temple wasn't nearly as busy as usual. Many of the Jedi had been called away on some important mission leaving a minimal presence here. Still there was always something to learn or be done. Kenneth decided some quiet time in the library would be nice. He enjoyed reading old paper books, he felt he could focus better with them, and hoped he'd share in the lessons learned by previous readers. Today he decided to read about the Jedi of old and the adventures they'd participated in. After all what is the future but a reflection of the past?

[Lusef Aryan]

As Lusef steers his padawan's ship for a landing at Gala after the short jump from Helix, passed mostly in silence as he mentally plans out his next move, Lusef decides it was time to play his final hand and go all the way.

 

"I've been thinking hard about how to augment your katana," he concludes, speaking in earnest. "I can make it a proper Force users sword and show you how it's done. The sword will be a formidable weapon, able to match any blaster or lightsaber, but the art I learned is from the Sith, not the Jedi."

 

Lusef brings the ship to ground on a landing pad by the Temple, turning to face Kari, motioning for her to follow him off the ship. His Jedi robes flit in the wind, almost bellowing behind him.

 

"It was no coincidence that Tori sought me out. She knew what she was doing when she sought me out to train you. It was our plan all along," he lies smoothly. "It was what she gave her life for. She wanted you to be strong and to follow in her footsteps..."

 

Lusef's eyes, brown behind his contact lenses appear honest and sincere, though the softness slowly fades as he decides to throw the cards on the table. Standing before the Jedi Temple, he quietly takes the katana and balances it in his hands. He summons his Force energies to him, intent on maintaining his shield to hide his dark side energies. He wanted those in the temple to have no warning before he and his apprentice struck.

 

"...our footsteps," he states softly. "My name is Lusef Aryan, Kari, but it's sort of a play on words... My correct name is Luciferian, Darth Luciferian. I was never a Jedi, and indeed have even been a Dark Lord of the Sith. We have been grooming you to have a new chance at life as a Sith and augment what you learned as a Jedi. To bring peace, to bring order, and to wield the dark side for those ends."

 

He hands the katana back as a dark shadow seems to literally pass over the sun. "Your test will be to stain this katana in blood here. You will learn to dip into the anger and hatred for your mother, the one who ruined your life and your sisters lives. When that blade runs red, you will be ready to be a knight of the dark, a lord of the Sith. Your power will forge it into the instrument you desire. Then, you can bring justice to this galaxy."

 

Behind his brown eyes, a blue fire shines through, Lusef's ruddy face hanging in an unnaturally cold and expectant visage. While Lusef Aryan's.... Luciferian's metaphorical mask had fallen, the real one had yet to.

[ObliviousKnight]

There was a whisper of robes, a shade of almost silent movement that could have only belonged to one person, Armiena's mother. Misal had been lurking in one corner, quietly meditating under what looked like the entirety of the equipment that she had borne under that disastrous mission to Nhagathul. How Mother had managed to secure that gear””how she'd managed to smuggle all of it into the Jedi Temple's sickbay””was a mystery to her, but she was a notoriously resourceful woman.

 

”œI felt it as well. Armiena, you and I need to have a heart-to-heart.”

[Jedi X]

Kari's initial shock was devastating. Her stomach churned, causing her to feel heavily the urge to regurgitate. Her palms and face perspired heavily in her disbelief at what he had just revealed to her. And almost all at once, she wanted to do nothing but curl up and forget what was said. How could he be what he just told her he was? Why would Tori do such a thing? Why would she do such a thing? It was all she could do besides faint from his words.

 

"Wha..Wha..What?" Kari finally managed to speak, her skin unnaturally pale and horror filling her face. "Your not a Jedi? I'm not a Jedi? You've lied to me?!"

 

The last question came out more as a shriek, compelled by her emotions and sudden shock. But beneath it, anger filled her drive, and she was not pleased in what he now asked of her. As Tori once revealed to Lusef, Kari would never fall, her very being unable to chose wrong over right. She could never spill innocent blood even if she was forced to, the trauma of it would destroy her, haunting her like the ghosts of million planets. She tosses aside the blade, darkened with his taint.

 

Never said you couldn't piss her off though. Though her nature prevented murder, didn't mean it prevented her from making her opponent to wish for it.

 

"You dare think i would kill for you?" Kari speaks, her fist growing clenched and her teeth revealed. "You think i would slaughter innocents just to gain power through their deaths? To become a Sith, who by the way, are the very beings i chose to fight? You still haven't figured it out yet, have you?"

 

Kari chuckles briefly, unnervingly like Ventra.

 

"There was a reason why i hate the Sith more than my mother, a reason why Tori considered herself above the Sith." Kari stares coldly at Lusef, hurt within her eyes, yet her face flushed with anger and disbelief. "Our father was Sith, my mother's owner and the one who bastard us. He was one of your kind."

 

The Force begins to emit within Kari, pulsating like rain upon a still pond as the ripples begin to join and become one, revealing her presence and emotions for all to feel. Her gaze remains upon Lusef as her hands fall upon her tonfas. Within her eyes, one can see her reluctance to engaged him. Yet even deeper, one could see the determination she held that she would protect those inside with her life.

 

Springing to life, the blades join in unity with her, humming along with her own steady heartbeat, it's indigo haze revealing the tears streaming down her face. Her eyes close for just a singular moment, Kari taking in a deep breath to settle herself. Spinning the Tonfa, she readies, opening herself up to the Force and awaiting his first move in what could only be described as a primitive version of the Aing-Tii Fighting Sight. But even though she grew ready for a fight, she offered him one last chance.

 

"Leave now Sith. I do no wish to fight you."

[Lusef Aryan]

Darth Luciferian steels himself for the moment that would be do... to lord his apprentice... or die... for her at his hands if she failed to come around.

 

"Of course you're not a Jedi, Kari. Tori and I wished to train you as a Sith. Granted," he lies with careful practice, "the two have much more in common than propoganda by the Jedi would like you to believe, but your training is fundamentally ours. You can use the light and the dark, it is strong within you. You have just to embrace it."

 

At that he tsks softly. Though a paternal smile fills Lusef's features, there is no warmth radiating from it.

 

"Kill for me? Really Kari, child, I thought you knew better," his voice is admonishing and dripping with a hint of paternal sarcasm. "You should be killing for yourself. While I'd not object to seeing the halls of this place run red with blood, you need to do it for yourself- to prove what you can do, to seal yourself on the path you wished. The Sith can be weak, they can be pathetic, but even they have the alphas, the wolves who run ahead of the pack, shaping the galaxy. I offer you the chance to be one with them."

 

Luciferian deliberately turns his back to her. Though his back is turned, his senses are still keenly aware of her- aurally, olfactory, tactile, Force sense, and even a cybermental vision, eyes there not far off. His hands, ostensibly clasped together in front of him, ready with a lightsaber in the sleeve of his robe.

 

"This is your last chance. This is what Tori wanted for you and what we planned. You can join us here, or you can perish with this temple. It will fall and all who oppose us will die." Though his face is turned to Kari, the change in his voice all but perfectly imparts the cruel smile on Luciferian's face. "You made that choice once before.... you know it well...."

 

At that, his voice changes, perfect to tone and inflection with memories Lucifierian sifted from Kari: Angela's voice, repeated perfectly with Luciferian's cybernetic voicebox- though harsh and mocking.

 

"You made it once before when you killed me, dear sister, to save yourself! Can you do it again?"

[Jedi X]

Kari looks upon Lusef as he speaks, every muscle upon the young Togruta's form flexed and stiffened with irritation. Her anger flowed forth similar to a kettle boiling over, the force willed by her venting like it's steam. Though his words would have normally had it's intended effect on a weaker mind, he himself had said it, Kari was indeed strong. She simply could not believe Tori had had any part in his betrayal. Kari's gaze shifts off to her right momentarily. Even if Tori had, it didn't matter.

 

"I have nothing to prove to you, Tori, or anyone else." She speaks as her gaze shifts back upon him. No longer did tears remain, nor did any emotion for that matter. Her face remain motionless and cold. " I know who i am, and i know my strengths... Nothing else matters. My path has been laid out for me, and i suppose i have you to thank for that, Master."

 

"Now i say to you again. Leave this temple in peace." She grips tighter upon her hilts, the Tonfas long bars imprinting themselves upon her forearms. "I do not wish to fight you. What's done is done and i have chosen. There stands no reason for either of us to die here."

 

But Kari grows mentally torn by his next attempt at persuasion, completely unnerved by Angela's voice as it escapes his lips, her gut wrenched by the unnatural occurrence. It tears at her very soul, part of her unable to comprehend what was unfolding before her, the rest of her bent on his utter destruction for the trick he just attempted. And as the conflict within resolves, all that seemingly remains is an empty husk.

 

Nothing emits from within her, her will to use the Force subsiding like the seas after a storm. She simply looks toward Lusef's location, but not directly at him. She steps forward, as if broken. She bears no will of ill toward him as she continues, her blades still lit as her gaze seems to focus upon the door before them. It's almost as if she had completely cut herself off from any thought or comprehension. Only the thought of Angela's death remained upon her mind.

 

"Fine." Kari speaks as she steps beside him, her conscious returning. Her gaze does not shift, her brown eyes still fixated upon the door before her, her hands still tightly gripped upon the Tonfas' forward hilts. Her muscles rapidly flex as her forceful aura grows again, her anger fueling the very power she wielded. But yet as she stood there, it seemed to completely oblivious to his presence. "You win. My destiny awaits me."

 

With that she steps before him, her path laid before her by him. She would kill this day, just as she did all those years ago, just as she did the first time she lived. Lusef had succeeded in his plans to shape her to his will and create an Apprentice worthy of her power. There stood only one obstacle in their paths. But it was not the Jedi nor their Temple. And as she turned to face Lusef once arriving at the Temple's door, it became apparent.

 

Lusef would be her trials. He would be her final test. She held no ill will toward him personally, this much was true. And her anger, that which fueled her, found it's self directed not at him, but herself. Anger that she allowed herself to be drawn in by him, anger that she had trusted him, anger that she had attempted to believe that he deserved to live. As dust kicked up around her, her brown sash waving against the white of her pants, and the orange of her sweat glistening skin blending beneath the white of her top, Kari simply smirked.

 

"You were right about one thing, Master." Kari said, reaching out in front of her with little thought as she tightly grasped upon his throat with one of the very skills he had taught her. Her gaze is cold and unwavering, as if she reveled in the very thought of his demise. Yet it was not he that she sought to kill. Only the evil and deception he stood for. Squeezing tighter, she cackled. "I am able to use both."

[Vladimir Faust]

Luciferian slowly faces her, feeling the inner conflict. As he suspected, the child's self-hatred was fueling her, making her strong. Such hatred as able to fuel no less than the likes of Darth Vader. Win or lose here, this was a victory. Now all he had to do was draw it out and-

 

At that, an iron grip fixes itself around Luciferian's throat, clenching him. Not the expected line of attack at all, but a good sign. She was willing to use the Force directly for offense. For a moment a smile flashes on his face.

 

"Good... work.... Not... good... enough..." he hisses. The smile breaks into an angry growl and with that, all hell breaks loose.

 

Once more it seems the shadow passed over the sun- this time though, there was a shrill whirling as something shot past through the air at speeds breaking the soundbarrier. Behind Luciferian, the Jedi Temple errupts into a brilliant ball of flames from the impact of a diamond boron missile. Walls, floors, and ceilings collapsed and cracked as fire seethed through the structure seeking out life to end, flesh to burn and rend, and blood to boil and spill. Somehow, he sensed none of the masters within were snuffed by the attack, but it would be a nasty wake up call.

 

If the sudden conflagration errupting behind Luciferian and sending his Jedi robes billowing and before Kari were not enough to break her concentration, Luciferian pushed back in a mighty roar of Darkness, sending out clear signals to any surviving Jedi his presense and Force signature, breaking the grip at his throat and sending Kari reeling, literally head over heels.

 

Luciferian acts, his lightsaber flaring to life in his right hand and the microblades in his left hand rending his disguise. The Jedi robes fall apart, as does the mask of Lusef's face, split in two.

 

With ease, Vladimir Faust removes the contact lenses and puts them into a compartment in his trenchcoat, hidden under the robes previously, leveling the tip of his lightsaber at his apprentice's throat. His features are of disdain and dissaproval, his eyes cold as glaciers.

 

"A good opening gambit, not lethal enough, child," he states flatly. "If you want to kill me, you'll need to do better than that." His mouth opens into a wolfish grin, flashing his all too white teeth, shining like his armor. With that, he lunges, intent of driving the blade through her throat.

[Jedi X]

Kari can feel her grip steadily tightening around his throat, air beginning to find severe resistance as it tries to escape or be taken it. Strangely enough, she finds pleasure in this feeling, knowing she is holding his pathetic life within her hands. Focusing more, she tightens her grip even more, his words but mere gargled whispers.

 

Just as Kari readies herself to extinguish his life, the screeching echo of an approaching engine engulfs them as it passes by, the shock wave of the explosion behind Kari quickly sends her to her knees and releases the beast. Screams of pain, death, anguish - all ripple through the force as it reaches her mind just moments before Luciferian's attack sends Kari back. Her form slams against the scorched door, painful spasms pulsating through-out her back as she falls forward.

 

She isn't gravely injured, bruises upon her form quickly appearing along with some cuts from her rolling. But Lusef had made one mistake, and as she gathered the force around her, Kari began to accelerate her body's healing abilities. It wouldn't do much, but she was at least capable of closing the cuts before Luciferian approached. Attempting to rise, Kari remains on he knees, looking up at her Master as his blade finds aim at her throat. She chuckles at the sight.

 

"Fair enough." Kari speaks just as he draws back his blade, an recently arrive Ghost, who Kari happened to be chuckling about, sending a shocking wave of electricity through Luciferian's body. Kari quickly gathers what energy she could, and just as Ghost releases the charge, the Sith finds a large boulder sending his own form reeling. "I will."

 

Kari rises, finding herself weakened by her use of the Force, her energy almost completely depleted. If help was not able to arrive soon, she too would fall and the temple would be freed for him to destroy completely. She could not... would not let that happen. But despite her weakened state, Kari would not give up yet. She would push herself beyond whatever limits her mortal form could take, determined to succeed even if it drained her very life. Luciferian would not leave this planet alive.

 

"Are you still breathing, Master?" She calls out to him, her form weary and weakened as she sways, trying to keep on her feet. "I'd hate for this to be over so quickly. I mean, we've barely had time to say goodbye."

 

Calling her blades to her hands, the indigo hue once again springing to life and enveloping her form. She would defend this Temple with every drop of her life.

[Vladimir Faust]

The flow of electricity takes Faust by surprise, only getting a second of a prescient warning before the blow landed- not enough to block it, but enough to mitigate it's damage- somewhat. The shock flows through his coat, then through his metallic armor- hurting like hell and causing his left arm to temporarily short up. A few memories flash back of his infamous shield collapse when he sent Coruscant's planetary shields through the midlevel towers- though it destroyed the planet and killed billions and billions of sentients, the backlash of energy fried him.

 

How... How DARE YOU!

 

Roaring, Faust's leg kicks back with his enhanced strength, solidly connecting with the droid's mushroom capped head with a sickening crunch and sending it spinning off like a frisby. The second he connects with the droid, he leaps forward, meeting Kari's boulder head on, activating a second lightsaber in his still shaking left arm. There is a shriek of sonics and a flash of light, as several energies- sonic, Force related, as well as the heat and light of the lightsaber as Faust slices the boulder in quarters with a cross strike, driving the shards of the rock forward into his apprentice with a might Force push.

 

"You will submit before the power of the dark side, child!" he roars, his eyes blazing with cold fire. He swings his lightsabers at his apprentice, no longer using the blades, but instead a full burst of twin sonics- knowing full well how that trick worked on her sister- not to only subdue, but subdue in a manner as painful as possible for the Togruta. "Submit or perish!"

[Arlan Vass]

Mere seconds before the diamond boron missile struck the Jedi Temple, an unidentified YT-664 light freighter popped out of hyperspace. Arlan spent a few moments admiring the beautiful planet, sitting with his ankles crossed and peering through the viewport. It was here he was made an official member of the Jedi Order. It was here the Grand Master of the Jedi took him under her wing and sought to train him in the ways of the Force. Needless to say, he didn't know what to expect the moment he disembarked. Would he find Armiena here? Possibly. She had sent for him, hadn't she? Or perhaps the ship was sent by somebody else. He was certain he'd find out once they landed.

 

As a Jedi Guardian, Arlan's skills and talents laid mostly in combat. However, there was no mistaking this sudden ripple in the Force for anything else. Something was happening. Whatever it was, it was intense and seemed to be emanating planet-side. He scanned the sensors, then opened a line of communication straight to the temple. Whatever was going on, surely, the Jedi would be called forth to investigate.

 

But then he saw it. A thick plume of smoke rising up from the trees. Namely, the very area in which the Jedi Temple was located.

 

"Sithspit."

 

He looked closer. There seemed to be a skirmish taking place outside, but he was still too far away to see exactly what was going on. Reaching out with the Force one last time, he grazed upon the Force signature of one of the figures. There was at least one light-sider a part of the fray. The other person emitted neither a light nor a dark presence, which led Arlan to believe that they played a part - somehow - in this attack.

 

He wasted no time issuing another set of orders to the two R2 units. Rising to his feet, he made his way to the exit ramp and prepared to disembark.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Vladimir Faust. Arlan didn't know the man on a personal level, but he would have recognized that tuft of blonde hair and white trenchcoat anywhere. He was an infamous bastard, and his record was enough to unsettle the Padawan. He knew he was no match for an individual of this caliber, but he'd be damned if he stood by while he unleashed his carnage on the Order.

 

"Let her go, Faust!"

 

The steeliness in Arlan's tone surprised even him. His hand tightened around the hilt of his lightsaber, which was ignited to reveal a bright cyan blade. He maintained a distance of about twenty feet between himself and the former Dark Lord, striving to buy time for the Torguta, himself, and every other Jedi who took it upon themselves to join the imminent battle.

Edited August 16, 2010 by Guest

[Scorp Jedi Knight]

Sometimes, rare as it was, he despised being right. Moments before he came to this realization, he was forced into a rather rude surprise. A sudden explosion, and he felt many pass on and become one with the Force. The emotion swelled within him, action was needed now, and so such things flowed through him accepted but not able to impede the actions he now had to commit.

 

The first and foremost thing, was securing the Jedi temple. His orders went out, and confusion began to shape into order. Men and women quickly began to bond together, working to make sense of this meaningless attack. Attempting to discern, how it had happened and, how they had been taken by surprise. The Jedi temple did indeed have defenses beyond that of just Jedi, and it was those that sought out the source of the attack now. Medics and medical droids began to arrive at the scene of the impact moving the dead and helping the wounded. It was an area Scorp had practice in but, no true expertise.

 

Yet as the Jedi began to form up Scorp felt the primal roar of the dark side. Primal and yet the source he felt was controlled, it was also one he had felt before.

 

His padawan reached out to him, and Scorp calmed him down. As fire retardants were deployed, Scorp made haste to the one area he felt that he was needed most. Expedience was the mission he had, and so he ran. Ran boosted by the very Force that flowed through all things ran until he reached a sight that to anyone else would seem hopeless beyond measure. Two beings, one with a cyan blade the other bathed in an indigo light faced off against a man he recognized immediately. It seemed that former Dark Lord of the Sith Valdimir Faust was facing off against Padawan Vass and an unknown padawan, who seemed far more conflicted than one who walked the path of the Jedi. Common sense and survival of the fitness, dictated the opposite action that he took. At the moment he laid eyes upon them, he took them to be the charges under his care, and that they were being attacked made it all to clearly what he had to do.

 

Yet to have stopped and paused would have been a foolish mistake. Instead he took in the situation as he moved to defuse it. Some would say it was a fool charging into battle, which was the image to be perceived. Yet it was instead the result of careful meditation and self examination that caused his course of action to be so apparent to him.

 

His lightsaber was in his hand, a single end pointed toward Faust as he unmercifully used sonics to subdue the chaotic Tortuga. Three darts each aimed at the man were fired, not at Scorp's behest but instead through the actions of his padawan. Scorp simply held the aim true, while he followed up with jets of his freezing goo. Grand standing aside, he needed all attention away from both padawans, if he wanted everyone to be able to walk away.

[Ary the Grey]

A small yacht, registered under the name Fat Empress, pulled out of hyperspace above the planet Gala. Upon initial query from the traffic controllers, Aryian gave his real credentials, giving him priority transit to the surface. Afterburners in overdrive, the yacht plummeted through the atmosphere, pulling up nicely into the surface traffic streams, easily headed towards the Temple. As they neared, he opened an unsecured wideband comm to those in the Temple.

 

"This is Master Aryian Darkfire, requesting landing access and supplies. Also request to meet with the highest ranking Jedi present once we land."

 

But as they pulled closer and closer to the Temple, a feeling began to twist in his lower stomach, a feeling he hadn't felt in a while, yet one that rang crystal clear in his mind.

 

Faust...

[Xanatos]

Xanatos, relaxed back in his ship, a nice newer class X-wing, bought with the money he had received from his father's will. It was nice to have rich parents, even if they had made money on the backs of slaves. Still though, business was business. And when Xanatos had found that he did have force potential, he had ruled it expedient to utilize that resource.

 

And thus,

 

He was here, and as the R5 unit stated, without his disengaging the hyperspace engines within the next 5 seconds, he would plow his way into the planet of Gala. What a way to arrive that would be. Plowing an x-wing into a city at the speed of light. Definitely the way to start off a Jedi career.

 

Xanatos grinned as the seconds ticked down, and at the last possible second he disengaged the hyperspace engines.

 

The planet filled the entire cockpit's view-screen. Very Epic.

 

He activated the subspace transceiver, "This is Xanatos Thal-Corun, requesting an audience with the Jedi Order."

 

Hopefully they would accept him, and if not...then well other horizons stretched out across the galaxy.