Corellia

[Ary the Grey]

Silently, Aryian observed the chaos that occurred around him, analyzing every little speck, understanding and becoming one with it. It was a glorious plan, but it had a few fatal flaws. One major question remained for him, but it would be answered soon enough. If they could track down Faust again, of course. As the crowd outside dispersed and emergency response teams came onsite, Aryian followed his senses, finding something of what he expected on the ground. A mask, what looked like it, completely saturated in Faust's presence. Studying it, he opened a comm through his implant, contacting Armiena.

False alarm. Faust was here, but it seems his plans didn't quite account for us. He's gone now, you can stand down. Recommend we rendezvous off-world at a safe location. Any ideas on where?

Aryian turned back towards the entrance, bending the minds of the police officers nearby to make them believe he was their superior, and the Cathar his aide, so they wouldn't bother the two as they secured and investigated the scene. He made his way to her ((Azhani)), looking her over.

 

"You're an interesting one. Do you make it a habit to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

[Azhani]

Heart pumping, blood surging and muscles pounding at the beat of her adrenaline drum; Azhani lept from kiosk to kiosk and followed the guards with her predatory eyes as they marched out of the building. She had to avert her gaze in order to resist pouncing on the guard trailing behind the rest, but the smell of their exertion lit her nostrils ablaze with sensation. Fury, rage and desperation trailed in their wake and she could feel it on them like palpable cologne - the rate of their hearts beating under their metal cocoons. They were all angry and irritated, but they rushed out like a unit, orderly and promptly.

 

Azhani was a little put off at their sudden departure, but quickly revised her stance when she realized that she was actually starting to enjoy hunting them down. She liked hunting when it came to providing and protecting. She didn't like mindlessly killing things. It wasn't in her nature, or so she thought.

 

The large Cathar yawned, her mouth opening large and wide, exposing sharp white fangs, and jumped down from her perch to the cold metal ground. The leathery pads of her feet reacted sharply with the sudden drop in temperature and the hairs on the back of the Cathar's neck stood up. She shook it off and paced back and forth scanning the chaos, or what was left of it. She wandered toward the entrance when, to her dismay, the Emergency teams started to swarm the area. She didn’t really know how emergencies were handled on this planet or what these men were capable of, but she had a feeling that a large white Cathar standing in the doorway would be just a tad bit out of place if taken out of context.

 

"You're an interesting one. Do you make it a habit to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

 

The voice was a surprise, but the intonation was very similar. Azhani avoided jumping out of her fur, barely, but her muscles tensed, her ears turned and her eyes shifted to greet the other man from before; the hooded man that smelled interesting. To be honest, he kind of smelled like mothballs.

 

“Not really. Though, it seems that I am falling victim to that more often these days.” Azhani said, allowing her ears and muscles to relax. “If I may ask, who vas that man? The one from before?”

[Ary the Grey]

"He was a Sith. Or, rather, a decoy of one. The reason why he was here, or I should say, his decoy was here, is still a tad unclear."

 

Aryian studied the mask a few moments longer, capturing several holographic images via his implant before tossing it aside for the proper authorities to find. Besides, they needed a bone every now and then when it came to the bigger cases. Not all of them understood the Force and how it helped or could affect case work.

 

"You're not exactly the safest person to be on the premises, either. I mean, you are sensitive from what I can tell, and you don't tend towards the dark side. Initially, anyways."

 

He figured she wouldn't recognize some of the phrases he used, but still left it up to her curiosity to string her on. It wasn't often these days someone just ran across another who was full-blooded bursting with potential. It was a foot in the door, at least. Something to pique her interest while he waited for a response from his ex.

[Azhani]

"He was a Sith. Or, rather, a decoy of one. The reason why he was here, or I should say, his decoy was here, is still a tad unclear."

 

• Sith…

 

The word was not entirely unfamiliar. The sting of loss clung to her like an unpleasant odor that couldn’t wash away. She growled a little under her breath at the memory of her village’s destruction. The ‘hooded man’ was still a vivid imprint on her mind. Just before she blacked out, his menacing face imprinted in her mind.

• The day before the disaster was something less taxing and more meaningful and in the breath between her newfound, “acquaintance’s” thoughts, she was able to remember what she felt hours before the event.
   
  Azhani had just finished her afternoon hunt when a visitor approached their town.
   
  
  • Her town was a decent jaunt away from one of the smallest cities on Cathar. They were in touch with some technologies from the city, but they enjoyed living a rustic life and kept well enough alone out in the Savannah. In times of dire need they would send for supplies from the City through a pre-established barter arrangement, but ultimately they had very little contact with the city as a whole. That said, they still enjoyed the company of visitors from time to time as nomads would make their way across the vast wilderness that comprised most of Cathar’s open land. That is how Azhani knew some things about the world beyond her village.

 

The visitor that arrived that afternoon though, was a strange one. Azhani couldn’t tell who or what he was by his smell or the way he carried himself. His or her odor suggested human, but he or she carried himself or herself like a much larger man or woman, possibly someone that carried a great deal of muscle. However, the man or woman stood about two feet shorter than Azhani, and even with his or her powerful stature, there was a small stoop to the visitor’s gait. It was a conundrum to be sure, but not something that Azhani seemed to mind, at the time.

 

Asking to stay overnight, the visitor used the hours following their arrival to talk and interact with influential members of the community. It was suspicious, and when approached about it by Azhani, the visitor denied all malicious claims and refused to comment as to why their conversational partners were so specific. When Azhani’s watch was up that night, the visitor came to see her and sat down beside her and shed the hood of the robe, which he hadn’t done the entire time he was there.

 

• The creature, as Azhani could plainly see at that point, was grizzly. It was scaled in a pattern she didn’t recognize and it seemed more like a lizard than a human, but it walked on two legs as the humans and Cathar did. The lizard looked at her with large red eyes and stared inquisitively. His voice, which was apparently not modulated before, came out in a series of hissing noises accenting broken common.

 

“You fight like them, but you don’t look like them. Why do you protect them?” He asked, looking deep into Azhani’s pale blue eyes.

 

Azhani shrugged “They are my kinsman. No matter how disfigured I am, they are still my family”

 

“Yesssss, but don’t you want to leave this placsse? Explore your potential?” He said. His tone was calm, but something about his accent seemed to have an edge. Each word bit into Azhani like a small thorn against her already scarred cheek.

 

“No, I do not desire to leave.” Azhani said almost immediately, but something in his speech seemed to pique her curious interest. “Vhat potential do you speak of?”

 

“You apparently do not ssssee beyond yourssself yet. You can become the mossst powerful and beautiful creature in the galaxy, to be envied and loved by everyone and you don’t even know it.” His intonation was slimy and he looked greedy beneath those immutable red eyes.

 

“What nonsense do you speak creature? I have no desire for beauty, and the power I have is all I need to protect my village. Now please, leave me alone.” Azhani’s face contorted into something portraying her irritation.

 

“No”

 

The answer was so simple and small that Azhani almost didn’t even notice. “What did you say?”

 

“No. I will leave with you or without you. The choice is yours. I will warn you however, your choice may have grave consequences.” His tone suggested a great deal more arrogance now than it did then and it sparked such anger in Azhani at that time, that she could scarcely believe it now.

 

“I do not wish to leave.” Azhani stood to her full height and looked down on the small lizard. “And you can’t make me.”

 

“Oh… Shame…”

 

• With a sweep of his hand Azhani was flat on her back. A concussion swept across the brush and knocked a couple nearby houses down. The large Cathar was already on her feet preparing for another bout when she lunged at the target and was summarily knocked unconscious.

 

The blackout only lasted for a few minutes before she could see again, but what she saw at that point, made her regret opening her eyes. Houses were burning, clansmen and cubs were yelping and howling in terror as their village was being destroyed by the hideous creature. Azhani attempted to get up once more, to protect her people, when she was knocked unconscious again and didn’t wake up until she was in the ship that brought her here.

 

Azhani had heard of Sith and Jedi before in old folktales and visitor stories. She heard of their war, their way and the acts that they committed under their respective banners. She even knew that they were capable of terrible things, but she didn’t know much about the force itself. She could swear that the lizard creature was what she came to know as Sith, but the lizard creature never professed to be of any order. He seemed so beyond her understanding that she felt powerless to stop him.

 

The man in the building – the one that was supposedly a decoy – felt the same way as the lizard creature. There was a heavy power on his shoulders, but it was a confusing feeling. She couldn’t quite understand what it was. The only difference this time was that the decoy reeked of death and decay.

 

"You're not exactly the safest person to be on the premises, either. I mean, you are sensitive from what I can tell, and you don't tend towards the dark side; initially, anyways."

 

This drew an odd expression from the Cathar, who actually took a moment to look at the man that stood beside her. Silence clouded the seconds between his statement and her awkward look. Then, after a minute of quiet staring, she answered back. "I don't know vat you mean by sensitive. Sensitive vith feelings? I also don't know vat you mean by dark side. What does this have to do with the man you were speaking of?"

 

Azhani shrugged a little bit. She noticed the silver in the man's hair underneath his robe and was curious if that was due to age or some other effect due to an over use of some type of substance. Regardless, this was the only person that had talked to her during this whole ordeal, let alone the only person within a mile of the spaceport that wasn't mildly terrified of her, so she figured he was worth a shot.

 

"I see," Azhani said, after another period of static silence. "Is therre any possible vay that his rreal form was herre as vell? If you arre a prredator, typically you vish to stay close to your prrey even if you vant to trrick them."

Edited January 19, 2014 by Guest

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian looked up, realizing he was talking in riddles again. Summoning the Force to him, he lifted the mask out of his hands, sending it to slowly levitate in front of the Cathar.

 

"Sensitive to the Force. Those who are strong in it can learn to perform incredible feats with its help. There are those who use it to help others, and there are some who choose to only help themselves. As for the Sith, I have no doubt he was here somewhere. It won't help us now, though. He's gone. This act of the play is over, and he's had to hastily start the next part. The bad news is we don't know where he's gone, but the good news is he's off-balanced by what happened, and that means there's an opening for him to make a mistake."

 

He turned, using his implant to call his ship from where it was parked on the outskirt slums of the city. Waiting for it to arrive, he again addressed the Cathar.

 

"You want to come with? Might be fun. I could show you stuff about things and such. The way of the Force is an interesting path to walk."

[Azhani]

The Cathar's eyes widened at the site of the man's trick. She put her paws out and waved them above and below the floating mask, trying to cut what she imagined were invisible support beams or strings, but there was nothing there. She felt a tingling sensation when her paws passed over the invisible energy that hung in the air, but they ultimately came back with no definitive result. Apprehension swam briefly in her pale blue eyes at the site of the energy, due to the resemblance it bore to the destructive power that destroyed her village. Yet, when the Cathar thought about it, if this man had similar powers and didn't use them to kill her or her people or random bystanders. Then there was something about him that she was missing, or he was truly a better man than that scum lizard creature-thing.

 

She took his words about the force and mulled them over in her head for a few seconds before answering his follow-up question.

 

She cocked a playful brow at him and let half a smile cover her previously confused expression, exposing a row of sharp pointy teeth. "If you do not mind trraveling vith me. It vould be much betterr than sitting herre on this planet vithout a vay to go. Thank you."

 

She paused. Her smile vanished, but her face still seemed a little playful. She looked off into the distance for a long second and then shrugged. "Also, if ve arre going to be trraveling together I must know yourr name. Mine is Azhani of clan Aketh."

[Ary the Grey]

"Aryian."

 

He turned as he began to hear the soft familiar whine of his ship's engines as it circled the area, setting down in front of the building. They needed to leave, but to where, the Grey Master was uncertain.

 

"And I don't mind at all. I'm actually rather fond of your people. Never traveled with one before, so it's something new I suppose, but in a good way. Ship can be a little cramped, but it's not terrible. I have all the seasons of Two and a Half Corellians on holodisc, so at the least it won't be boring."

 

Aryian walked up to the Blur, up the ramp, and into the ship, telling it via his implant to be nice. The AI never did like to play nice with other beings Aryian brougt aboard. As soon as Ahzhani boarded, they would be spacebound.

[Azhani]

Aryian, that is an interesting name...

 

Azhani's ears adjusted a little toward the whine of the nearby ship's engines. It touched down a little down the way, but Azhani's ears were still ringing a little from the high-pitched whirring.

 

When Aryian mentioned that his ship could be a little cramped, Azhani took that to mean that she wold have a little room to manage, but she truthfully had no idea. She winced internally, picturing herself crammed into the side seat of his cockpit with not but an inch to shuffle her body parts around in. Also, what was 'Two and a half Corellians'?

 

Azhani followed Aryian and walked behind him into the spacecraft. She could hear the acknowledgment of a computer system and all of the whirring magnifying as she got closer to her seat. When the Cathar made it to what she assumed was her seat, she nodded to Aryian and started to try and belt herself in.

[Ary the Grey]

After giving her a moment to acquaint herself with the ship (which mostly consisted of the cockpit and one small room with two sleeping alcoves), Aryian signalled the AI, and the ship took off. It was mere moments before the ship had broke the atmosphere, then the gravity well. Stars turned to starlines as the ship jumped to hyperspace, though they wouldn't go very far.

 

((Continued in the Space thread))

[ObliviousKnight]

Again, Faust had outmaneuvered her. That man’s most valuable asset had always been his talent in deceiving his enemies and misdirecting them into a trap. At least this didn’t turn into the kind of disaster that had ensued when he had succeeded in misleading Ara-Lai and most of the galaxy into believing that he was dead. Even though his recklessness had bordered on a search for martyrdom, Aryian had succeeded in averting that kind of massacre. Still, as Armiena jerked her interceptor away from its planned strafing run and back into a course that would take it into orbit, her hands shook and her teeth ground with frustration.

 

“Hold up, Aryian, got a comm…” Armiena glanced to port and noted that one of CoreSec’s paramilitary snubfighter’s, alarm strobes blazing, was keeping pace with the Switchblade. “Should take just a sec…

 

It was the local CoreSec station chief. Apparently, the locals were not at all impressed by the stunts pulled off by the two former Jedi. Between triggering an evacuation of the Corellian Stock Exchange through a fraudulent disaster drill, demanding (coercing, more accurately) CoreSec into establishing a no-fly zone around the commercial sector, and sending the Switchblade zooming all over Coronet like an ominous reminder of the devastation which Corellia had miraculously evaded despite the recent war, their actions had not gone over well with the local security forces.

 

“Hold on, chief, hold—spast!” Armiena cursed as one of CoreSec’s E-Wings streaked across the flight path of the Switchblade, forcing her to send the interceptor into a dive that caused her to nearly “red-out”. “You trying to get your people killed? Call off your patrols and… let’s say that I’ll owe you a favor. What kind? The kind where you send one former Jedi Grandmaster into a situation instead of your own people, no questions asked. Situation resolved, none of your officers hurt, and you get to blame any collateral damage on a prodigal Jedi that half the galaxy thinks has gone unhinged. Sound acceptable? Great, now, Aryian and I have an ex-Imperial war criminal to hunt down…”

 

As Armiena cut the outraged bureaucrat off, the pilot noted that Aryian’s Blur had just entered hyperspace. Sighing, the Alderaanian instead sent an encrypted message to Darex, who was presumably still on Dantooine.

 

“Darex, it’s Draygo. We’ve… made a bit of a mess of things. We can confirm that Faust is involved somehow, but he’s managed to get away. No civilian casualties that I know of, but… you know how it is. I suggest we meet up on the Eternal Vigilance and make our plans before he rears his head again. Oh, and I think I might have an outstanding warrant on my head for coercing a public official into establishing a no-fly zone. Yeah, if you could keep CoreSec from boarding the EV, just in case, that would be great.”

 

And, having one more competitor to play comms tag with, she sent another message to her ex-husband. “Aryian, Draygo. We’ve left a mess on Corellia. I’m heading to Coruscant, the Eternal Vigilance. I suggest you not talk to CoreSec for a while. They’re… less than pleased with us. I’ll see you there.”

 

Her path finally cleared of interference from CoreSec, Armiena made one last course correction and sent the Switchblade into hyperspace.

[Onderin Starlisk]

A shuttle bearing four occupants of extremely varied galactic views appeared from hyperspace over Corellia and began its approach.

 

Onderin was surprised how quickly traffic control reached out to him--"Jedi shuttle, state your intention."

 

"This is Master Onderin Starlisk, here to investigate the aftermath of a potential terrorist attack," he answered.

 

"Oh! Uh, I'm sorry Master Starlisk. You may proceed. It's just that there was some trouble with some other Jedi and CoreSec wasn't too happy. I'll make sure they don't bother you."

 

"I appreciate it, control," Onderin said as he descended toward Coronet City. There was a lot he liked about Corellia. His name was pretty commonly known all around the galaxy. In some places like Kuat and a lot of other formerly Imperial holdings he would be considered a villain by most households. He had done a lot in the war visible to the public eye, and while not all the negative press was deserved, some of the things he had done were definitely questionable. But on other worlds, like his homeworld of Corellia, he was regarded with pride for his part in what ultimately led to a politically stable and unified galaxy. Corellians looked out for their own, and when one made a big mark, they made sure everyone knew about it. While he was hesitant to take advantage of the deferential treatment he got here, in times like this it could only aid in his investigation.

 

It only took a few questions for him to be directed to where the incident had taken place. It seemed that Darkfire and Draygo had left a bit of a buzz. "Anyone who wants to can come with me, but I don't think we'll be here long," he said to Ads, Qaela, and Arleigh. Then he set out and started to investigate, quickly finding out that there had been a building under threat and a fire alarm, but no actually destructive event. Heading inside that building, he started the old investigation routine that reflected his own brief but well-trained CorSec experience.

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust's remaining agents regrouped at a warehouse within the edges of Coronet. Though their master was lightyears away, his will was still felt, and within that warehouse, his presence could be felt in a physical sense. Parked within was the Bhelliom, left behind when Faust exited off-world. Orders were to sit tight, and Faust, ever the cautious one, left an imprint of his consciousness within his ship.

 

The warehouse was stocked with weapons of all kinds, enough to arm a small army. More telling, there were a handful of boxed artifacts that were in transit from Dxun and Onderon, telling signs of Faust's previous expeditions there into that world's Sith heritage.

 

Upon the news of further Jedi back at the exchange investigating, left by an operative posing as a news reporter, they received explicit directions. The AI in the ship recognized Onderin and his three apprentices. The Jedi were on to the trail already, and Faust's power was not yet full enough to challenge the lot. Throwing them off or ending the trail with a cold mass of bodies would have to suffice.

 

Capture the Jedi and bring them here, alive, if reasonably possible. If not kill them quickly.

 

Four force cages, and a wall lined with implements of torture enough to make even some of the Hunter's followers lined the walls. Death might truly be the preferable alternative...

 

*****

Walking in, dressed in the uniforms still of Corellian police, the same as they'd slipped out in, a half-dozen of Faust's operatives enter, each carrying standard issue blaster rifles, currently set to stun, followed by three non-descript men wearing official looking uniforms. These three replaced the garish white royal robes and helm and their force pikes for a stokhli spray stick. The last carried a small device at his side that scrambled most short range comm systems.

 

"Master Jedi," one of the "officers" calls, striding up to Onderin Starlisk. "I've been sent by headquarters to help you. We're receiving word that there was serious financial damage by the terrorists. We've received word there were other Sith involved. Some say Geki, others say Ar-Pharazon, but they're locked up or dead, right?" As he speaks, the remaining operatives draw a careful circle around the Jedi, as if surrounding them, fingers silently disengaging the safety on their weapons. "Do you really believe Faust is behind this?"

[Ads-Gop Flif]

((Sorry, I didn't realize we'd switched threads))

 

Ads was glad to be on his birthworld. He hadn't really lived on Corellia for a long time, but he still had a few memories of his hometown and a trip or two to Coronet. As Ads disembarked behind Onderin, he looked around, taking in the city with a childish delight. It was a cool day with a light drizzle but that hardly damped his spirits. A team of police officers confronted the Jedi. They had come to help with the investigation but their knowledge seemed to be...seriously lacking. They seemed entirely unproffesional, not speaking with the respect most police seemed to give ordinary citizens, let alone Jedi. The men didn't stand in any typical order. They surounded the Jedi. Something was seriously wrong. Perhaps it was only due to the fact that he had just constructed it, but Ads felt his hand being drawn to his lightsaber. Ads could feel himself drawing the Force in toward himself as he shouted at the men surrounding the Jedi.

 

"STOP! Onderin," obviously calling to his master wasn't necessary after yelling from just behind him, but he needed to know something was wrong. The side of Ads' hand lay on his thigh, inches from his lightsaber, ready to engage with just a twitch of his wrist. Ads could feel himself losing control, his body becoming more and more an instrument of the Force, ready to flow through him. The Flow was readying to lash out..

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin nodded at the officer. "I'm afraid so," he said. "Maybe you should report on what you learned from the preliminary investigation, officer..." He started to turn to head deeper into the building, but his danger sense flared and the men stepped to surround him. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt the Force whisper around him. He felt the men, their positions, their intent. He could sense their training, their preparedness. Their belief that they could take down a Jedi Master. He sensed Ads as he closed with them and watched the battle play out in his mind, drawing on decades of combat planning experience and some very intense training sessions in which he had taught Alliance soldiers how to combat Sith.

 

Then, just as they began to draw their weapons and Ads called out, he struck. One of them had half turned to regard Onderin's apprentice, so he disregarded that one. He spun as his lightsaber lit and he cleaved in half a blaster as it was drawn. With his offhand he threw a Force punch at a second assassin's knee, which buckled.

 

He knew they could overwhelm his defenses if they had enough fire, so he strafed, placing the half-collapsed man between himself and the others, and the whole group between himself and Ads. With limited lines of fire, he would have precious moments to strike with his blade once again.

[Vladimir Faust]

Order 66 was an almost flawless move involving covert ops that all but wiped out the Jedi order, showing that a bit of training and planning could allow troops to take out Jedi Masters. Through surprise, numbers, and the cloak of the Dark side of the Force, Palpatine's soon-to-be stormtroopers, then mere clone troopers were able to catch the Jedi off guard and destroy them. Though not as battle hardened through years of warfare and of possibly equal training, Faust's handpicked troops should have pulled this off as effortlessly.

 

Alas for Faust's men, not today.

 

There was a spluttered oath from the agent with his blaster cut in half, discarding the weapon. Backing away hastily, he watches the agent next to him go down. Not hesitating, he gives the order to fire from the stokhli spray-sticks. A veritable wall of liquid stun webbing springs up from the three elite troops, wide enough to capture the whole group. Ignoring Qaela and Arleigh, the stun blasters focus on the two Jedi perceived to be immediate threats: Onderin and Ads.

[Ads-Gop Flif]

Ads's lightsaber was sticking out the back of one of the officers before he even realized he'd actually grabbed it. He could still feel the Force ravelling around him, waiting for its moment. Not even pausing to withdraw his blade, he ripped it through the man, cutting into the one beside him. Using the force more than his own strength, Ads pulled his lightsaber out of the second man's torso, a look of fear on the man's face. Ads leaped back, moving away from the men; at the end of the maneuver, the group was between him and Onderin. A few men had separated from the group. As Ads rolled back toward the bulk of the group, the men sprayed liquid nets to capture not only the Jedi, but their own men as well. The Force flowing through Ads acted of its own accord, blasting out from him. The mist spraying from the Stokhli spray sticks was batted aside by the force shockwave. The shockwave, travelling apart from the laws of physics ((as implied by the fact that it travels faster than the speed of light yet still interacts with everyday objects)) did not suffer any momentum loss as it swatted the mist back on the attackers. Their screams could be heard as the men in the main group hit the floor. They had, of course, been knocked though the air as well. As the men with the shock sticks passed out, Ads jumped up to the ceiling to attack the men from above.

[Onderin Starlisk]

Clever, Onderin thought as his danger sense warned him of a new development and his eyes confirmed. Stokhli spray sticks were the perfect weapon for capturing Jedi--a lightsaber would be no use in deflecting the stun webs that the weapons spun. Realizing this, he reacted with startling speed and leapt clear of the barrage even as Ads redirected others with the Force back into the ranks of assassins.

 

Producing in his left hand the small blaster pistol he liked to carry, the Jedi Master discharged the weapon as he moved, singling out the few agents that were using the spray sticks. Between his shots and Ads' quick work returning the stunning spray, that threat was quickly neutralized and he went back to work with his lightsaber, the Force flowing through him and he weaved through the stun fire. When Ads leapt clear of the small crowd, Onderin threw a concussion grenade and followed suit.

 

There only having been nine agents in the first place, the detonation quickly brought the fight to a close. Concussion grenades were touted as nonlethal in most reasonable proximities, and now Onderin hoped that a few of their assailants were alive.

 

As he landed, however, he realized that he was quite dizzy. Between the stun spray and the grenade detonation he hadn't quite come out unscathed, and he just wasn't quite as fast as he used to be. Shutting his eyes for a moment, he gestured with his blaster to some of the fallen. "Well fought, Ads. See if we have any survivors. We need to learn where they came from and confirm that they're working for Faust. Maybe we can get a clue as to his whereabouts."

[Ads-Gop Flif]

Even as Ads leaped up the fight was finished. Landing where the concussion grenade had been moments ago, Ads heard his master tell him to find survivors. Reaching out through the Force, Ads felt that four of the men were still alive. He quickly identified them. Two were unconscious, and one seemed quite woozy but the other one was in bad shape. "Master, there are three others, but this man needs immediate medical attention."

[Vladimir Faust]

The two remaining operatives of Faust who were conscious, realizing how badly they botched the attempt, stared balefully at their captors. Whether from a desire to serve his master to the end or for fear of punishment for not only failing, but letter their number get captured, the wounded one, lucid enough to act gives a vicious grin and violently bites down on his own tongue with enough force to sever it, sending a crimson spray out of his mouth.

 

Eyes widening at the dying man and his dead and wounded comrades, the stunned and conscious operative trembles, knowing he should follow the other into oblivion. But there were the others who were captured... They could talk regardless. Perhaps...

 

"If you spare me," he wheezes, "I'll tell you everything!"

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin gestured to Ads urgently. "Go for help. CoreSec should be all over this place," he said.

 

The Jedi Master did a quick sweep of the area, collecting weapons from the fallen men and tossing them well out of reach with a quick application of telekinesis as his apprentice ran off. Then he went over to the critically wounded agent and sat down on the ground next to him. There was very little blood due to the cauterizing effect of lightsabers and the shockwave of the concussion grenade, but the man was in bad shape. "Help will come," he said. "Your master led you to ruin, but you will find that the Jedi are merciful."

 

He then reached into the Force and filled the man with healing energy. Healing had never come to him as naturally as it had to Sabian or Aira, two of his former apprentices, but in a way he had been able to learn from them. Sabian had spent countless hours tending to wounded soldiers during the war; Onderin just hadn't had the compassion at the time. He had been too focused on fighting, on killing the enemy. But now that he had turned from that path he found reinforcing life was preferable to taking it.

 

Soon the man's life signs stabilized. He would still need real attention, but he would be more comfortable until then.

 

"What do you know of Faust's designs?" he asked softly.

[Ads-Gop Flif]

Ads only had to round a few corners before finding an officer. Of course Ads didn't want to bring back more enemy operatives so he had the officer identify himself and answer a few more questions. Being sufficiently satisfied that the man was who he said he was (at least given the time constraints), Ads brought the man to the scene of the fight.

[Vladimir Faust]

The conscious agent shrugs, watching the Jedi Master heal his wounded comrade-in-arms. There's an unreadable look on his face as he watches the exchange. The Dark Side was powerful, and while the agent was far from being remotely Force sensitive, he was awed by his master's control of it. But watching the Jedi heal like that...

 

"Faust's designs.... He keeps us in the dark on the details." That was true. He knew the Jedi would sense any falsehood and needed to limit his words carefully. "Nothing short of overthrowing the Galactic Alliance and putting and end to your order. He-"

 

As if on cue, video feeds of Faust's announcement to the Galactic Senate appeared on several screens in the exchange's lobby, showing his grand declaration of war, followed by his poisoning of the senators. By the time the cameras cut away, the sounds of enraged screams and fighting can be heard as chaos erupts among the Galaxy's leaders.

 

"That," the agent continues in a low voice, staring at the black screen with a shudder, "sums it up better than I could... He's going all out, and the Galaxy will burn. He's present at a base here on Corellia even now. If you keep a low profile, you may be able to catch him before he moves or destroys evidence." It was a partial truth about Faust's presence on the planet, though the latter was certainly true. He glares at the CoreSec officer, and then the Jedi who summoned him. Thinking how Faust would play this situation, his response was of course obvious.

 

"I'm more than willing to go with the officer there," he states brightly. "You can take whatever precautions you need." With a deliberately, and admittedly clumsy execution, the agent gives the CoreSec officer a wink and a nod.

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin remained silent a moment, considering the many possibilities and paths that lay before them. Faust's message was that of a madman. It was almost absurd to think any one individual could be responsible for galactic change via his own agency. He had no fleets, no armies. After his announcement, every law enforcement officer and bounty hunter in the galaxy would be looking for him. Despite his penchant for survival, he was mortal... by all appearances just a man making bold but unsubstantiated claims.

 

And yet, Dantooine was evidence that he did have the power to take many lives. There were stories of ancient Sith consuming entire worlds to feed their power. A fleet could not combat a single man, and all the firepower in the galaxy was insignificant next to the power of the Force. The dark side gave credibility to Faust's claims, and Onderin realized that this could be a significant galactic event. It would be a handful of Jedi Masters against Faust and his agents, and the stakes were high.

 

There wasn't time to wait for Faust to strike each location. Onderin was dubious that the agent was telling the truth by saying that Faust was still on Corellia, but having access to wherever he had been holed up might just provide a clue as to what his next target was. As long as he remained a step ahead, there was no telling what kind of destruction he could cause.

 

CoreSec officers were now arriving on scene with medical support for the wounded but living agents. The Jedi Master spoke once more to the conscious one. "You will lead me and a team of officers to Faust's base."

[Ads-Gop Flif]

While the senate was seemingly going crazy over Faust's announcement, Ads wasn't completely sure what to make of the announcement. Of course the HoloNet was hijacked all the time, probably more often than regular programming aired and it was usually raving madmen or personal messages that did not need to be viewed by quadrillions, if not more. Why should Ads be concerned about yet another unstable man calling for the downfall of the Senate and for his own glory? And yet Onderin seemed to take the message seriously to some degree, so perhaps there was something to it. Either way, if Faust was where the agent said he was, it didn't seem like the conflict would end quite so soon. If he was not there, thenat least the Jedi had a lead.

[Vladimir Faust]

The agent simply nods. "As agreed." While not up to Faust's level of cunning, his field agents, former mercenaries or even Imperial guards he worked with were far from dullards and knew how to play these circumstances to their advantage, and that the best lie was two parts truth, one part falsehood, stirred, not shaken. "You'll need to be careful. The master is paranoid. Too large of a force, or too many Jedi, and he will sense you coming and flee." Both true statements under normal circumstances, and also sound reasons to limit the forces brought to bare in this circumstance. "If you want to move, you'll need to move now. CoreSec's usual channels may not be secured."

 

The agent senses his words were met with skepticism. While still hiding his truest intentions, truth again would be his ally. "The master's already caused millions, if not billions of dollars in financial damage, aiding no one, and he nearly set the Galaxy's senators into tearing each other's eyes out in a maddened frenzy. I do not know what his next target is, but if you do not hurry, these will just be an opening act."

[Onderin Starlisk]

((Sorry I'm so slow. Lots going on.))

 

Onderin found the CoreSec captain. "Pick your three best field agents and send them with us. Even if Faust isn't there, I don't expect this to be safe. And if he is, well, may the Force be with us."

 

Once they had a few assigned, the Jedi Council member went back to Faust's defected agent. "Let's go--there's no time to lose. There's no doubt that our window will close if Faust learns of your failure."

[Qaela]

((Going to state that this was my initial reaction upon first reading that Faust's agent "surrendered" and that had I been here, I would have done this sooner. I am not following any sort of hints or OOC clues from Faust's subsequent posts: Qaela would have killed him moments after he "surrendered."))

 

Qaela was incredulous that Starlisk was being duped so easily. To be fair, she shouldn't be so surprised considering that he was willing to accept her so quickly, but to take the word of a being serving such as who they were facing was beyond folly: it was dangerous. This wasn't some random rampaging Sith they were dealing with. This Faust was on a level she didn't even pretend to be at, and unlike her, he had no goals but destruction. Even though this slave's attempt to attack them wasn't successful, they were foolish to attempt to take anything this man said as truth. She didn't react immediately hoping that Starlisk would come to his senses, but he didn't.

 

If Starlisk was going to be such a fool, she would have to rescue him. It wouldn't do for him to lead them all into a trap nor be led around by the Sith once again. Like their late grandmaster, would let himself be led around by the Sith and get himself and possibly many more killed in the process. It wasn't that she minded other Jedi being taken down a notch, it was that she didn't want to see Starlisk fall into that web.

 

Without effort, she reached out into the Force and applied a sudden, violent pressure to the captured agent's neck until three of the vertebrae shattered and the man fell dead. There was no more remorse in her than if she had squashed a bug. She didn't attempt to hide what she did and would accept whatever anger Starlisk had toward her, but not without explaining herself. "This man was useless at best, and dangerous at worst," she said blandly. "You may not be able to discern anything, but there is nothing near the level of darkness needed to do what was done on Dantooine present. If this man knew anything at all, he was leading us on a wild chase to throw us off Faust's scent or into a trap that might have been better planned than their last one. Faust is a master planner. Anyone who is capable of pulling off what he has so far is likely multiple steps ahead of us: well far enough to leave misleading agents to sow chaos."

 

She flung her arm outward and said, "Can't you feel the Force! The darkness is not here, it is somewhere else. I am astonished you cannot feel it erupting just like it did on Dantooine. It is calling to me, drawing me towards it, almost crooning for attention. We are following this one and he is leading us on a merry chase. It is pointless to continually react to his moves: we need to take the initiative.

 

"I know too little of this Faust, but you clearly know of him. You can't win if you only follow because he can strike wherever he wants and be long gone by the time we arrive. What are his traditional hideouts? Who were his friends, allies, or lovers? What did he fight to acquire or protect? What planets did he build his fortresses or temples on? What lands did he consider his own domain? We need to stop playing his game and go on the offensive. Hit hard and fast, without warning or mercy. Put him on the defensive and make him chase us or lose his backing. If he has no planets, strike at whatever Sith targets can be found. Sooner or later, he take interest in our challenge and come after us instead of leading us on a pointless chase around the Galaxy."

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin whirled around when the agent suddenly fell dead. "What are you--?" he began, his lightsaber flying off his belt and into his hand. There stood Qaela, clearly the perpetrator of the sudden murder, and she began to rant about how they had to stop reacting and start being proactive. Immediately, of course, the CoreSec officers around them drew their weapons and pointed them at the Nightsister, as she had just killed a man in plain sight with no attempt to hide her misdeed.

 

"Couldn't you see that he was under my influence?" Onderin shot at her. "That man was our best lead to finding out anything about Faust's whereabouts. You want me to guess at his 'traditional hideouts'? Do you have any idea who we're dealing with here? Faust does not keep traditional hideouts, lovers or friends. Any ties he has to the Sith, Empire, or Black Sun are merely conveniences, people he has bending over backwards for him; he will not risk himself for them or anyone else. We had absolutely no chance of guessing where his next move would be or luring him out without access to one of his hideouts which may offer some glimpse of his strategy, and this man was our lead."

 

He let out a frustrated breath. "I had thought you were capable of restraining yourself from your impulses, but now you have committed murder without a second thought in the presence of law enforcement officials. Furthermore, you have set my investigation back by hours or days while we revive another one of the attacking agents," he said accusingly. "Officers, it is your responsibility to take this woman into custody."

 

Onderin shook his head at the Nightsister. "I had rather hoped it wouldn't come to this, but if you resist arrest I will side with the law." His lightsaber remained deactivated in his hand, but he put his thumb on the activator stud.

[Qaela]

The icy spear of betrayal was almost a comforting familiarity to Qaela by now. Starlisk was angry at her delaying them? She already knew that Faust wasn't here and told them as much. Could they not sense the great darkness erupting somewhere else in the Galaxy?

 

The man whose body now lay at their feet was going to betray them and lead them even more astray, and the Jedi would have fallen for it and gotten more people killed. It would not have surprised her if the man had a poison capsule somewhere on him or in his body and was waiting for the opportunity to kill them all. She had seen it before when dealing with Sith. In all likelihood, she had saved lives by killing the slave before he could activate whatever trap he had waiting for them, and now Starlisk was turning against her.

 

Several arguments sprang to mind, but with the tension coming from the CoreSec officers and the Jedi, she doubted it would work well. She swallowed the anger and indignation at being betrayed like this and turned it into a frosty core of fury. Clutching her spear in both hands and slowly backed up a few steps. She wasn't under any illusion that she could prevail in a fight like this, not with a Jedi Master, a knight level Jedi, and the CoreSec officers opposing her. That didn't much matter, though, because she wouldn't go down without a fight and there would be casualties. The officers were simply too vulnerable and weak to protect themselves in any protracted battle.

 

With a low, dangerous voice she had not ever let Starlisk hear before, she said tersely, "I am not going to be arrested for killing that worm, not when I am trying to help you. It isn't murder if he already tried to kill me. You can try to kill me, but I guarantee you, Master Starlisk, that I will not go out alone. I did what I did to help you and am not your enemy, but if you try to arrest or kill me, I will not hold back and people will die. You know that if there was a fight, some or all of these officers and perhaps other innocents will die. I suggest that you either accept what I did was to protect you and other lives and move on or you let me go."

 

She glared at him and added, "If you turn on me, I have nothing to live for. You know how dangerous that makes a woman, so the choice is up to you."

[Ads-Gop Flif]

Ads was certainly shocked by the death of the agent. To say the least, he wasn't expecting the man to suddenly drop dead. There wasn't much that needed to be explained but Ads could tell by the wave of dark energy how the man had died. He turned toward the woman to see what was going on. Qaela went off on the Jedi, giving them one of her famous monologues. Ads didn't really have any idea what to make of what she was saying. Of course Onderin wouldn't let her just give a speech and be done. He had to return the speech. And she really didn't give him any choice but to have her arrested. She had murdered a man in front of not only Jedi but security officers as well. Despite the inevitability, the decision greatly upset Qaela. Seeing Onderin do the same, Ads grabbed his gently-used lightsaber (only one previous owner!) from where it hung by his side. It disheartened Ads that it had come to this. While Ads did not particularly like Qaela--people as blunt and harsh as her always left a bad taste in his mouth--he didn't want to have to fight her and he certainly did not want to kill her. Even more, he hoped you guys haven't noticed how often I use the word "certainly."

 

"Qaela..." he pleaded, not knowing quite the words to say or if it was even his place to speak. Onderin knew Qaela better and surely knew that Qaela didn't stand a chance in that fight as well as Ads did. If anyone would be able to calm down the Nightsister it would be him.