Borleias

[ObliviousKnight]

”œPreparations for one, at least. We've seen what the Empire's done in this war. They've been trying to use us as cannon fodder, and now”¦”

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian grinned, knowing his comment might earn him a punch, but regardless. It was good food for thought.

 

"And you don't believe in necessary evils? Like taking a life because they threaten another? Sounds to me as if he's not so much trying to find an excuse to murder, but proactively looking to prevent a potential threat to the people under him...which wouldn't make him a bad leader, but a very good and strong one. Morally, it is wrong. So is taking a life. But wouldn't you rather take that life if you were forced to than watch other die in front of your face? Eventually it reaches a point that no matter what you do, no answer is morally correct. Taking a life is wrong, just as much as through action as deliberate inaction. I mean, sure, there's other factors that roll into it, other things you've got to think about...but when it comes down to it, our lives boil down to choosing the lesser of two evils. And before you get started on my opinion of him, weren't you just proactively trying to prevent a potential threat to our Order?"

 

He sighed, still looking at the sunset, reaching an arm up to stroke her cheek.

 

"Every day that goes by the difference between us, between Sith and Jedi dissolves like dust in the breeze. The only true difference left is the one philosophy we cling to, Sith want for themselves...we want for others. Our methods may also traditionally differ, but that doesn't mean that if both orders suddenly swiched tacts it couldn't be...'justified'. Hell, we can't justify half the things we do anymore. This marriage is unjustified. But...I'm glad it happened. I don't know. I want to get away, Armiena. Away from Orders and organized structure and traditional laws and all that nonsense, and just live life like it was meant to be. No chains, no bars, just me and my conscience...and my family. Sure...I'll always have friends in the Order, I would fight to defend those I care about and trust any day. But I want away from the Jedi. From the name. The ideals are and have been a part of me...but I'm not Jedi...I haven't been."

 

He grunted, blowing a few strands of hair out from in front of his eyes, relaxing, taking in the atmosphere of the place.

 

"I want out. Whether you follow is your descision...but you know where I stand."

 

And like that, he was free. So simple, yet so complex. So easy...yet so hard.

[ObliviousKnight]

The intent behind the words was obviously innocent, not calculated to wound me, but it was irrelevant where incoming fire came from. So what if it came from a friend, a lover, a companion? His words had simultaneously wounded ideas that I clung to””needed to believe in””and formed the core of my ideology. The Jedi were not even comparable to the Sith, not under my leadership. The Empire had brought nothing into this galaxy save corruption and atrocity””and often state-sponsored terrorism, occasionally committed by its own leaders.

 

And our marriage”¦ perhaps I had never told him when, or why I had followed him””that was a secret that I held very closely, with perhaps two people in the know””but he was an playing with disaster, to assail our relationship in even the slightest manner.

 

”œDon't touch me. Explain. Now.”

[Ary the Grey]

He groaned. Figured she'd react this way. He wished he knew her better. He wished he had the time to really get to know her...but all he had at the moment was the bond between them, and her thoughts. Which was quickly shutting off as mental pain forced her to shut him out.

 

"Look...I didn't mean to upset you. I'm not trying to compare us to the Sith, or the Alliance to the Empire. There is a difference between good and evil, and right and wrong, but that's mostly found within the motives of the person harnessing those ideals. I've killed stormtroopers before, Armiena, and I know you've killed a few troopers at one point or another. What about them? Some of them had families. Parents. It doesn't justify them doing what they were trying to do, nor does it justify the actions of the people commanding them. I'm not trying to. What I am trying to say, is that by killing that trooper, the man who wanted to kill me, you, and others I care for, I hurt him and I hurt those that cared for him. Isn't that evil in its own right? To hurt his loved ones that will no longer be able to see him or feel the warmth of his laughter? Was it justified by the fact that if I had not killed him, he would have gone on to kill others, people I might care about, and through my inaction, I have caused others to be hurt, the very same evil?"

 

He sighed, knitting his eyebrows, knowing how this must have sounded.

 

"I'm not trying to justify evil either, so quit thinking that. I am trying to say that war is a horrible thing, and eventually it doesn't matter who started what, someone somewhere has to tear a huge scar and end it...the only way wars were ever won is to make them so horrible people no longer wished to fight them. I don't know about you, but for me that would be losing you. Losing...him. I couldn't stand to live with myself if that happened. I mentioned our marriage was unjustified...well, it is. To everyone else. To all those who see the Jedi as they have seen them for eons before, even some in our own ranks. It isn't to you and me, we love each other, but those people expect us to act like we have acted for the past generations, to shun love and connections for fear that such emotions were dangerous and could lead to the Dark Side. I disagree. But it doesn't mean those people do as well. That's what I mean by wanting to get away from the Jedi. I want to get away from the stereotype typecast holier-than-thou wizard who is mystic and wise. I'm Aryian, and you should know me better than to ever act that way. I'd hope you'd believe I'd do anything and everything possible to love you, protect you, and make you happy, just as you feel for the Order. You want to prepare for a preemptive strike in anticipation of protecting the Jedi. I'd do the same for you if I felt anything was threatening you, hell, I practically did on Coruscant."

 

He shrugged, a simple gesture, but also one showing that he had no problem doing anything for this relationship.

 

"And that's what I mean. I want to get away from the Jedi as a concept. Their fundamentals are already burned into my conscious. I want freedom to accept my consequences of my actions as my own, and the peace of mind that when I do something for the greater good or for you, someone won't point at me and say, 'But you're a Jeeeeedi. You can't do that.' Technically, if that were true, I'd never have killed a single stormtrooper or Sith, and we'd have a much bigger enemy to deal with than we do. I'm not trying to say the ends justify the means, we've already been over that. I just want to be calm and resolved when I choose a course of action that resonates with my conscience, I won't have to worry about it affecting others, or being held to a bunch of traditions that I've never practiced anyways."

 

He looked her straight in the eye, his mind completely foused on hers.

 

"All it would mean is relying on my conscience rather than the code. Do you trust me?"

[ObliviousKnight]

I began to calm down when Aryian started talking, my breath gradually returning to normal and my previously wounded eyes obscured by my closed eyelids. My purposefully slow breath and peaceful posture was not an indication that all was well, however. Sincere though our love was, it was a decidedly unhappy thought to know that it was built upon an unsteady foundation. We hadn't dated or flirted with each other much before we decided to get married. Our duties left little time for what constituted a vaguely normal relationship””we'd enjoyed no time to talk and really get to know and understand each other, and we were suffering for it.

 

”œYes, I trust you and I can understand what you mean, but I can't leave the Jedi. They need me here; everyone needs me here. I've become a person that people trust, and if I were to suddenly”¦ resign from the Order, people will panic.”

[Ary the Grey]

"Shh."

 

He got up, moving to embrace her, her mind calm once more. He knew she wouldn't just up and leave the Order...she couldn't, how could she as their Grandmaster? It would be an injustice to them, and a deep one at that, in their time of need. He understood, and so did she...so the time for words was over. Words that had meaning, anyways...thoughts and emotions flickered between them as he turned her, moving behind her to wrap his arms around her and rest his chin on her shoulder.

 

And the last few rays of sunlight lazily painted a trail of shadow over their faces as the sunset marked the birth of night. Another day, another war. Who could have known that the war would be between them? Sometimes he wondered if the Force was really as good as those who could use it thought it was...after all, for all the blood that had been shed over it, it didn't seem like it. All he could do was trust himself to make the right decision, the decision that put others' needs in front of himself.

 

And another day passed.

 

((This marks the absent spot, OK, Aryian's all yours.))

[ObliviousKnight]

Some time the next morning, I eventually woke up in an unused cell, in precisely the same position I had fallen asleep in: curled up against my husband's back so that our bodies were nestled together like living spoons, my right hand over his, which was still pressed to the smooth skin of my burgeoning abdomen. I felt a smile forming somewhere behind me and a few inches above my forehead, so I turned to receive a good-morning kiss. Amazing, that in spite of my intents when I had first met Aryian the previous day, I was still fully clothed and exultant for it. The entire night had been spent largely in conversation, discussing nothing more than our son.

 

We had decided on a name, a title for the heir to my husband's throne.

 

Aidan. Aidan Darkfire.

 

It felt more natural, somehow, to be able to attach an identity to the little one beyond that of ”œour son.”

[Skye Organa]

An encrypted comm comes in for Armiena.

 

It was good to hear from you Armiena. I'm currently on Yavin IV. I'll wait here until you arrive.

 

May the Force be with You

 

Skye

[ObliviousKnight]

Having received Skye's response, I got the Ghost Breath ready for flight and quickly departed from the planet.

[Slicer]

The coordinates were all too familiar in his head as his ship erupted from hyperspace. His ship gracefully parted through the air as if it were slicing the atmosphere in two with its motions.

 

He decided he would go in the same way he had last time since he wasn't too sure just what had caused the red flag to begin with. Giving his ship directions, he soon found himself falling in free fall down toward the former Jedi Dojo.

 

To say he was apprehensive would be an understatement. If anything, he was troubled by what he gathered through the force. However, he wasn't expecting any confrontations, just a quick assessment on why his programs had been shut down. It had been enough setting up his monitors; however, those had failed him. Something he would have to correct in the small trip he would have here.

 

With a sudden spurt from his pack he slowed his decent down just enough that he could land on the roof with out attracting noticeable attention. Given how his route last time had been a workable route, and given how he didn't since anything wrong with it. He slipped in again through the same method.

 

Coming to a rest in an abandoned dojo room, he had little need to look around at his surroundings. He knew where he was, as last time he had gained a map of this place. Add the actual walking time he had put in and he was more than comfortable moving around in here navigation wise.

 

Something however was nagging at him. A feeling or presence he had confronted in a while. He did however get the distinct feeling that the Jedi woman grandmaster was or had been here. It was rather hard for him not to detect since it was rather hard for him to forget her.

 

Anyone who would crack his visor and send him into the vacuum of space was a hard face to forget. Sure, he did not take it personally as he found himself able to work with her on Ryloth. However, it was still a hard event to forget.

 

Though he was in an abandoned Jedi Dojo, he still felt the need to carry about a weapon of some sort. Especially with the feeling that seemed to persist around this place. So un-slinging his A-280 rifle, he figured the place that would give him the most access to happenings in the base would be hanger control. There he would be able to see what came in, and what went out. Perhaps even reboot a few droids. For all he knew he had waltzed into a trap. The best way to determine how many Jedi hidden or otherwise could be in the base would be to simply take a quick look at what had come in here.

 

Only then could he truly investigate why so many red flags had gone up at once.

 

Stealing his way to the hanger, he slipped into the flight control booth. He thought about booby trapping the door way, thought better of it and simply shut down his awareness and self in the force. Becoming nigh undetectable. He could compensate for such a loss however simply using his helmet alone, which is what he did. As he began reviewing what had come in and recently left the hanger, he kept an eye out through his ability to see as far away as two rooms even through stone.

 

 

-------edited may 16th 08---

 

A combination of his data breaker and electronic uplinks, as well as various cross checks by observers that controlled the public Airspace and documented travel when they could, allowed him to pierce together what had recent come and gone.

 

The good news was of course, according to the traffic controllers and what had matched up through electronic sources, there had been no large troop deployment.

 

So this base wasn't being geared up again for some sort of Jedi use. well, well, well. What do you know. The Blur is here.

 

He pursed his lips, letting his head rest on the back of the chair. Whenever the Blur was around things never went well for him. This he remembered. He had analyzed what reports he could after the various incidents had finally had an interlude and the building of the imperial fortress on that world had been completed. Coinciding with the time he felt the powerful arrogant presence that had spoke to him across the vast distance disappear, a ship was tracked leaving at an extremely high velocity away from the system. All they had been able to do was track it, and so all he had ever gotten was a name.

At the battle of Harrun Kal the Blue was the only ship he had ever heard of having crates of explosives attached to it. Ready to disengage and blow up at a moments notice. It was around that time he began take a specific notice of the blur and when it showed up.

 

He normally pored over battles he had participated in. After all he did record everything. Even at the present moment he was record what would later be categorize as either time consuming or useful. Perhaps in later reviews he would find something else later. Only had Harrun Kal had he not recorded so he was forced to draw on memory.

 

Where there was the Blur there were Jedi, powerful jedi. It wasn't hard to pierce together the situation. Two Jedi had been here at least. One had departed. As evidence of the fact the Blur had not been seen departing. Since he had come to associate the Blur with Aryian Darkfire, who was married to the current Jedi grandmaster. Holonet was a useful thing after all. As well as since there had been at least two Jedi, either they were on some sort of salvage mission or he had inadvertently interrupt something private. Which was fine by him since they went through the trouble to tamper with what he had set up.

 

Wait a minute”¦.

 

He took a look at what was before him again. With a suddenness that was surprising even to him he called his ship to him. Things were clicking in his head as he was quick though very through to back out of what he had been doing leaving no trace as to what he had been doing. He was being far less subtle about it than he had been it would be evident some one had been here if there was a very good inspection the problem was it was data he had taken or copied and that was easy enough to disguise since it was always hard to track to begin with. His own ship ready to go allowed him to board as he passed, through a carefully timed jump into its cargo hold. Then he blasted away in order to dissect this new information.

[Ary the Grey]

((You forgot me, Slicer. Even though absent, you practically walked right past me.))

 

Eyes snapped open from disbelief. The master sleeping in his ship had missed the presence by seconds as he heard the ship nearby blast off. More felt it than anything else.

 

"Blur! Full tactical security now! Lockdown the temple!"

 

The computers snapped to life around him, interlinking to the Temple's security systems that had just been upgraded with the similar near unbreakable software his ship now carried. Even now, it was far too late to chase after the ship, it was gone. High above the planet, he could barely feel the presence wink out of existance, jumping at speeds above the speed of light towards a very distant location. But still, it had been here, and might have left something behind. Readouts began to pour into the computers around him, the most intriguing of which were holocam displays from the interior security system showing the intruder. Tactical analysis from the main Jedi database identified the man a few minutes later, but Aryian was far more interested in what he had been after, tampering with the hangar traffic terminal.

 

It was obvious what he was after, but there was no way to track where the outbound ship had gone from the terminal, only thatit had been here. Which was useless...after all, this was a Jedi base. Jedi did come here from time to time. But it was also fairly obvious that the security here needed to be upped. Three constructon droids were still in the base manifests from its original construction, and they laborously started up, being tasked by Aryian to create additional defenses and booby traps, hidden within the walls, floors, and hallways in various manners so as not to be seen until it was far too late. Pop out lasers, grenade traps, gravity traps, tripwire localized emp pulses...Borleais was going to be a fortress in short order, protected by a firewall program constructed specifically by the Blur's AI to work on a rotational algorithmic basis, the lengthy keycode sequence changed every ten seconds with over a thousand flagger codes that would automatically arm and set off every trap in the entire facility for at the least 72 hours, which would happen anyways if the security system detected an anomaly anywhere near the outpost that hadn't transmitted the proper code. And fail all else, the computer would overload itself in the event of anyone trying to access a terminal without the codes, rendering all information contained within, the only remains being a small backup designed to house the security protocols only.

 

It would be a significant defense in case there were more unexpected guests. Aryian carried the access code with him personally, transmitting a highly encrypted comm to the nearest Jedi base that Borleais Dojo was now off limits to anyone not asking the permission of the Grandmaster.

 

Hours later, after everything was said and done, Aryian departed Borleais, heading for deep space.

[Ary the Grey]

((Double post, but the last one was made forever ago, and I'm sending this here because I'm not sure where to post it, I assume they're mid-trasit))

 

A message arrives for the Grandmaster, lightly encrypted.

 

Hey there. I heard from someone on Helix that the talks with the Imperials are over. As much as I'd like to know how that went, you should probably tell me in person. Don't forget to decontaminate - remember Jida Geki used to use nanites for everything, and there was word he's shown his ugly face around the galaxy now. Maybe they did something similar at the meeting, I don't know...I just care how you've been. I bet Aidan's getting bigger, I'd love to hold him in his arms and do the things only a dad can again. I'm going to meet up with you soon so I can do just that. I took on another Padawan, this one's a Mandalorian, and you know I'm probably the only one suited to train him. Well...maybe you, but you're busy enough with a padawan of your own as it is.

 

I miss you.

 

- Aryian.

[Arlan Vass]

The Ghost Breath exited hyperspace, coming to a near-abrupt stop as it neared Borleias. The ship had picked up a transmission from somebody on the planet, reminding them that it was off-limits to those without the permission of Armiena first. However, Arlan spoke for Armiena, who was in a different room, and told the man on the other end what ship it was that was requesting clearance to land. The man greeted him, his tone much more at-ease than it had been at first, and he gave Arlan the coordinates to where the ship would dock. It was an outpost near smack dab in the middle of a large mountain range, the 'outpost' really a Jedi Dojo.

 

Entering the planet's atmosphere, the ship's thrusters were activated, the auto-pilot steering the ship towards the area where they were told to land. Arlan looked out of the window, casting his gaze over the planet's landscape.

 

The terrain was mostly rainforest, but there were large bodies of water sprawling across the land as well; oceans and lakes alike. Like Courscant, the planet resembled a gigantic, single terrain. But unlike Courscant, Borleias looked more like a giant rainforest than anything else.

 

Soon, the Ghost Breath's thrusters slowly died down. They were nearing a large, ancient stone structure. The ship lowered itself down, and soon it was hovering near the entrance of the dojo. It slowly settled onto the ground, and when it did, the thrusters were shut down, and loading ramp was lowered.

 

Arlan stepped out of the cockpit and went to find Armiena, who had changed her outfit. She was now dressed in a tight-fitting jumpsuit, having discarded her other clothes after they had left Courscant.

 

((OOC: I was given permission to post here.))

[ObliviousKnight]

Arlan would find me in the cargo hold, taking out my frustrations on a half-dozen training remotes. The travesty on Coruscant had left me with an inescapable desire to leave something expensive in ruins, and I had spent the last portion of the journey hammering the tiny droids until they could barely fight, their systems were so ruined by deflected fire.

 

”œArlan, I need a few minutes alone. I'll meet you in the courtyard when I'm done.”

[Arlan Vass]

Arlan had followed Armiena into the structure, but he stopped following her after she turned the corner, heading in the opposite direction of the courtyard. He did as she instructed and stuck around the courtyard, casting an occasional glance into each of the adjoining rooms. He spied the training room, which was like the one back in the temple on Gala; shelves in one corner of the room, holding the weapons and equipment that were used in sparring matches between Jedi students and masters alike. The chamber was rather large, and several pillars rose up from the ground, presumably there to meditate upon.

 

He went into the room, surprised to see a small, steel crate pushed away into one corner. He walked over to it and opened it up, spotting two training remotes, a set of robes, a datapad, as well as several datacards to go along with it. Curious, he pulled it out of the box and stood back up, turning it on.

 

The screen flickered to life, and when it did, he noticed a thin crack in down the side of it, probably from neglect. After all, he was sure that the dojo hadn't been visited in some time. Everything was covered with dust, and had probably been un-attended to for some time. This datapad was no exception. The screen was caked with dust, which he brushed off with the sleeve of his robe. The interface that was now shown was a list of different selections for him to choose from. He counted them silently as he read his options.

 

-1. Lightsaber Construction

-2. Meditation, Relaxative, and Refreshing Techniques

-3. Lightsaber Combat Techniques

-4. Basic Matter Manipulation

-5. The Jedi Code

-6. Touching Upon the Force

 

He selected the sixth option, hoping that it would give him a better understanding of the Force. Armiena, of course, would help him with this more than the datapad ever could, but it was somewhere to start, and his Master was currently in a different part of the dojo.

 

So, he started to read the information that had appeared on the screen. He started to read it, able to comprehend most of what it was saying.

 

”

[ObliviousKnight]

Lost in thought””none of it pleasant, I failed to notice the buzzing at my waist until the chirping of my datapad reached a staggering crescendo. Plucking it from my belt, I read Aryian's message and sent a reply with a smile on my face.

 

Aryian,

 

I know about the nanites, but Geki didn't come close, no weapons fire, nothing. It was Ar-Pharazon's representative that I'm almost certain attempted to place a homing beacon on me””the bastard copped a feel as he left and had the gall to pay me for it. Ended up spacing that set of robes, so”¦. in all likelihood, the Sith got to watch me commit suicide.

 

Don't get too angry. That scum is mine.

 

My initial impression: the Sith and Empire seem to be at a split. Emperor was respectful, at least””the Sith are the same, but even more belligerent than usual. Still no word of who's taken the title of Dark Lord””might be Ar-Pharazon. As ironic as it may be, we may end up having to protect the Emperor in the future, if there's actually been such a split between the Sith and Empire.

 

I love you. I miss you. Aidan probably does as well, but he doesn't have words for it yet.

 

How to be a good mother for Aidan, a good wife for Aryian, and a good Jedi for the galaxy? Some had already said that accomplishing all three tasks was an impossible balance, and I was finally understood the magnitude of the challenge before me””in other words, it was quite impossible. Not merely impossible in the sense that a lesser being would collapse under the strain, but physically undoable.

 

The solution to this dilemma was very simple.

 

To the hells with the Jedi””them, and the Sith. The Jedi must have been nuts to name me their leader, a woman that had become disenchanted with the supposed ”œJedi ideal”

[Arlan Vass]

Editing... delete this post, please.

[Arlan Vass]

Startled at the sudden sound of Armiena's footsteps approaching the room, Arlan jumped a mile high. He stood up and turned around to face her, about to apologize for having gone into the sparring room, but was interrupted by a single request from her.

 

Your lightsaber. Take it off your belt and lay it on the floor. Lift it with the Force.”

[Darex Trevelian]

A comm comes in for the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order.

 

Armiena,

 

I'd love to talk in person, but, as always, our paths seem to lead us in different circles. I need your advice, and your help, if you're willing to give it to me.

 

My padawan, Aerec, has been captured by Faust. We were unaware of the status of Mon Calamari and tried to land there. We were warned off by Imperial troops, but before we could act, Faust arrived and made up our minds for us.

 

The Jedi's tone was grim as he proceeded with the message.

 

Darla and Aerec were taken by Faust, but I was drugged and sent back to Gala. They could be anywhere in the galaxy by now. So here's the part where I ask for your advice. How do you think I should proceed? With the new rumors I've been hearing of the outcome of the recent peace conference, it seems like I won't be able to travel to any Imperial-held worlds. Is that correct?

 

Time is critical...and your reply would be most welcome.

 

I hope you and Aidan are well and safe. May the Force be with you, my friend.

 

~Darex

 

End transmission.

[ObliviousKnight]

Success, for such a novice Padawan, was the exception. The best I had expected was a great deal of concentrated frowning and squinting, perhaps culminating in a frustrated outburst. Even hearing that metal hilt vibrating against the floor like an out-of-control centrifuge was sufficient to cause me to life my eyebrows in pleasant surprise. For all I knew, my green eyes might have bulged slightly.

 

”œSettle down. I'm not disappointed at all. In fact, I would have been astonished if you succeeded in lifting that hilt. No matter””we have nothing but time here, and I owe you a bit of a lecture while you recover.”

[Arlan Vass]

Exhaling deeply, taking in everything that Armiena said to him, Arlan's outstretched hand hovered about three feet over his hilt. The cylinder remained motionless on the floor. He faced it and locked his eyes on it, recalling his previous experience with the training remotes that Armiena had set up for him back on the Ghost Breath.

 

How had he felt”¦ or what had he done while defending himself against the bolts of energy that the remotes sent at him? Had he acted a certain way? What was he thinking about while he trained against them? From what he could remember, he wasn't really thinking about anything. He just concentrated on the remotes and the remotes' movements, and let his instincts take over from there. He didn't think that he was using the Force during all of that.

 

Or was he?

 

Armiena was the Grandmaster of the Jedi, but more importantly ”“ to him, at least ”“ his Master. His teacher. His friend. He would treasure whatever knowledge she shared with him, and would take anything and everything she told him with gratitude. To that very day, he considered himself lucky to be under the watchful eye of such a powerful Jedi; even more-so to be receiving training from her!

 

He exhaled again, then closed his eyes. He opened his outstretched hand and let his instincts take over from there.

 

Unbeknownst to Arlan, his hilt didn't roll from side to side this time. It didn't spin on the ground, or get pushed into the corner of the room.

 

It ascended towards his hand.

 

Within the blink of an eye, his hilt had soared into his outstretched hand, which quickly closed around the weapon. His eyes opened and widened in shock. He stared at it, bewildered. He was sure that he hadn't done a thing to retrieve it from its place on the ground. What had he done?

 

He looked back down at Armiena, who was sitting on the ground. He let his arm hang loosely at his side, keeping a firm grip on the hilt, still amazed by what he had just done.

[ObliviousKnight]

”œWell done.”

[Arlan Vass]

The lightsaber still in his hand, he ignited it. The crack of the dark blue blade as it was ignited put an abrupt halt to the silence that had filled the room. In one swift, yet clumsy motion, he managed to knock away two large, wooden sticks. One of them spiraled out of control and caught his leg. He was thrown off balance by this for a second, but managed to regain it, just in time to dodge another oncoming stick.

 

After realizing that Armeina was the one who was causing this to happen, he disignited his lightsaber and clipped it back onto his belt. He caught a glimpse of a wooden club soaring towards him. Without thinking, he raised his hand towards the direction of the weapon. Concentrating on every last ounce of his strength, his thought, his willpower, he unknowingly unleashed a strong wave of the Force at it. To his amazement, the club seemed to pause in mid air, before it was thrown into the wall. He had used the Force again! He nearly cried out in delight, though he managed to remain calm. More of the weapons from the rack were careening in his direction. Could he disrupt their paths, all at once, by using the Force?

 

He decided to give it a try.

 

He raised both hands out in front of him this time, separating his feet, so it looked as if he was pushing on a heavy object. Before he knew it, one of the weapons nicked his shoulder. He clenched his teeth, ignoring the pain that would surely turn out to be a bruise later on, and did the exact same thing that he did with the club. He used the Force to repel the weapons, which were all pushed into the wall opposite him. They fell to the floor, clanging loudly against the stone. He then turned his attention to the rack, which was hovering in front of him menacingly, about ten feet away.

 

Armiena was obviously still controlling it. He had no chance to use the Force against it; he was forced to throw himself out of its path, so he was behind it. He snapped his attention back to it, and in one, fluid motion, he unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it, then cut through the rack, dividing it into two near-equal pieces, both of which fell to the floor. The clang of metal upon stone rang through the once again silent sparring chamber; the only noise that could be heard now was the hum of Arlan's lightsaber.

 

Finally, after it was over, he touched his shoulder. It was bruised, alright. Still, having a bruised shoulder was nothing compared to what might have happened if he wasn't able to avoid the objects. He was lucky that he got out of that without suffering a more serious injury.

 

However, he didn't care about his shoulder. He had used the Force! After only a couple of months as Armiena's Padawan, he was finally able to use the it. This excited him, and made him even more curious as to what else he could do with it. So far, he knew that he could push things away from him, pull things towards him”¦ but what else? What else could a Jedi do with the Force?

[ObliviousKnight]

My errand complete, I returned to the sparring room to witness a positively laureate expression on Arlan's face. In spite of the crisis that was occurring in one of my friends' lives, I couldn't help but share his grin.

 

”œIt's a good thing that no one's here. I imagine they wouldn't be very pleased with your work on that rack.”

[Arlan Vass]

Being fairly quick himself, Arlan obeyed. He found it interesting that one could use the Force to run faster. He remembered how he had felt something as he both lifted his hilt with the Force, and faced off with the Force-controlled weapons that Armiena had thrown at him. He didn't know how he'd done it, but knew what he did to make it happen. He would do the same thing again as he ran, hoping that somehow, he would be able to channel the Force into his legs and run faster.

 

He had followed Armiena into the courtyard, and watched her as she took off into a sprint, en route for the other side of it. Without warning her legs started moving faster. She was gaining speed, and fast. He watched as she called upon the Force to expedite her running, and within seconds, she was already near the other side of the courtyard.

 

He blinked. She had been by his side only a second ago, and she was already near the other side of the courtyard now! He knew she wanted for him to do the same thing, so he did. He braced himself; he leaned forward, set his index finger on the ground, and took off into a full sprint. The air seemed to almost smack him in the face as he started his run. He took off with such power, that he was already thirty feet away from where he had started.

 

After at least ten seconds of running, he started to focus on every movement he made. From his legs to his arms, he gritted his teeth, concentrating as best as he could. Unknowingly calling upon the Force, he was able to put an extra boost of power into his legs, which were now moving faster than before. He felt no exhaustion; he was alive, with adrenaline coursing through his veins, and the Force surrounding him”¦ guiding him. His legs were suddenly a blur, as was everything else. The foliage in the courtyard became a bright green blur, and now, there were no limitations to what he could do. The Force was a part of him. It called to him. It aided his every action, voluntary and not.

 

Before he knew it, he was approaching his master. And fast. He planted his feet down onto the ground, and forced his legs to come to a halt. Surprisingly, he stopped without much difficulty. His hair was disheveled, and he was breathing hard. He looked at Armiena with another big smile on his face, anxiously waiting to hear what she would say.

[ObliviousKnight]

((Better.))

 

Arlan was certainly having a good day””after an initial struggle, all other concepts came to him with relative ease, accomplishing enough to make the delays of the past few months a minor setback. It had to have been exhilarating for him, to suddenly experience the preternatural power that his parents had known and had inexplicably delayed in teaching to their son. Force, don't allow me to let them down. I just want to make him a worthy heir to the Jedi tradition””no, to make him his own man, complete even without the foundation of the Order.

 

It was fortunate that I hadn't yet drilled him in sensing the emotions of others, otherwise he might have realized that under that wry grin of satisfaction, I was thinking about the tremendous burden his parents had left me.

 

”œAnd”¦”

[Arlan Vass]

Not only was the tree tall, but the branch that Armiena had landed on was thin, and surrounded by askew twigs and leaves, which would prevent him from even hosting himself up from the branch, so he could stand next to her. Instead of choosing that branch to jump on, he scanned the tree, looking for another branch that he could use.

 

Ah, the perfect one. It was thicker than the one Armiena was currently standing on, and he would have enough room to stand on it, since the leaves and other smaller branches and twigs were not clustered around the it. There would be enough room for him, he was sure. He would need to time his landing just right, and also make sure that he didn't topple backwards once he was on it.

 

He took a deep breath and relaxed his muscles. He was nervous about falling to the ground and hurting himself if he failed to preform the task, though there were other branches around the one he was aiming for. In case he actually did fall, he could grab hold of another branch to catch himself, though it would be at the cost of scratching himself up pretty well.

 

After several moments of determining the velocity at which he would have to jump, and how high he would have to jump, he knelt towards the ground, and used the Force to propel himself from it. There was a sudden energy that coursed through his veins as he flew through the air, one that he really couldn't describe. The feeling of absolute power... of invulnerability. He felt this way when he was facing off with the objects that Armiena sent at him back in the sparring chamber. He couldn't help but force a grin as he neared weightlessness as he soared through the air. He felt rejuvenated, as if somebody had told him that he won one million credits. Though the the feeling of the Force running through his veins was a much better gift than an endless supply of money. With it, he was free. He was powerful. He was alive...

 

He was nearing the branch, though before he started to come back down, he braced his legs, so the impact of him landing on the tree wouldn't throw him off balance. The last thing he wanted to do was end up, face-first, on the ground. A broken arm or leg wouldn't serve him well during his training.

 

A thud. The creak of the tree branch under his weight. He was fairly light, though he must have underestimated the true stability of the tree limb. It groaned slightly, though it held him. He held his arms out to either side of him, barely managing to keep falling forward or backward.

 

Finally, after a couple of seconds, he had found the angle at which to hold the entirety of his weight, so he wouldn't lose his balance again. He looked up at Armiena, who was about five feet away from him, and grinned. He was a pretty fast learner, but he knew that she still had much to teach him before he could hold up his own in an actual fight.

[Slicer]

Like a blade tearing through the fabric of space he cut through that of normal space by emerging from hyperspace. A calm cool hand did not betray the slightly level of anxiety that seemed to be creeping up on him.

 

Jedi, always wanting to stab first and ask questions later.

 

At this point this was as much of an old haunt of his as it was of a JedI, given how many times he had arrived in this system. Anticipating the need for a quick get away if all things went sour, he opened up his cargo hold, and allowed quite a few crates to escape his craft. When satisfied he turned his attention to the task at hand. It was never good to keep to much around from an old bounty anyway, plus those crates were taking up space, and were to no benefit to him inside of his ship anymore anyway.

 

No doubt they have beefed up their security since the last time I was here. I better check before I even show up. Me setting off every alarm with one hundred miles from here would do me little to no good.

 

Leaning back in his chair he opened up various embedded files and scanned through them. Looking over a fully detailed lay out of his destination, as well as the rather new surprises that seemed to be lying in wait for any unknown intruder.

 

Hmm that would be tough to negotiate if I was charging in. The most interesting part are the EMP additions. Perhaps they were expect a return from me, and though my suit wasn't emp shielded. No matter, I will have to assume they are expecting me at some time or another.

 

He slowly shook his head, wondering if he could hear the crates cracking open outside in the vacuum of space. Scientifically he knew this to be impossible. Yet still it was an interesting thought to entertain briefly, as he went to go fetch his bag. Before he had even come, he had spent a great deal of time, making sure he would have all he needed before descending down.

 

Shouldering his bag and his rifle, he plotted a course, that would basically give him a fly by just above the temple's airspace. In his new analysis of the temple's defenses, this should be doable, as it would not be registered as an anomaly but more as the general slow moving traffic that briefly comes into the area. While secluded, there were still a few small villages in the area, and his ship would be inbound on a vector to one of those, should for some reason the temple computer's wish to determine a destination. He would be flying high and fast, and should in no way alert the temple to anything out of the ordinary. Not that he was too worried about his ship.

 

A subtle shift was detected as he felt his ship alter course just slightly. He briefly caught sight of the crates splintered open, revealing the goods they had inside, before his ship took off on his pre programmed vector. Walking up to the cargo hold he mentally counted down his moments until he was free falling again.

 

It seems hotdrops are my way of entering the temple more often that not. Heh.

 

Suddenly his eyes opened wide, as he felt a presence on world”¦ one that he had last felt back on Courscant. He quickly drew inward on himself hiding himself in the force. In essence any probe back toward him would have yield that not even a sentient being was in the area, much more a force user.

 

Hiding in the force, another one of my more useful talents.

 

He really did not want to alert her to his presence. Every single time he could recall that she knew where he was, things ended up going down hill. Still he would need to draw onto the force if briefly, to allow for his passive power to work. A small hitch in his plans to be sure, but one that was easily accounted for given his destination..

 

His fist slammed onto the release button, and with a sudden roar, the air whipped past him, sparkling into the atmosphere, as frozen moisture began to line the sky. He counted to ten, before receiving his mental green light, double checked it on his helmet scanners, and then took the leap.

 

Some say that man's first dream was to fly. That he wanted to be as free as the birds. If that was the case, then falling from the sky in free fall, was about as close as one could get with out wings. A small man sized object such as himself, tumbling through the sky would only draw the attention of those looking up, not any scanners, attempting to spot a problem. However, he knew the level of sophistication that some factions went to, and so in that moment he opened himself to the force, allowed his passive aggressive power to activate once more, blinding the scanners from seeing him.

 

As he neared his entry point the unclipped a light saber, activating the bright cyan blade, while still in the sky, before activating his jet pack and slowing his decent considerably. Adrenaline pumping due to the fall , he made a nice neat cut, and settled in directly over top of the room adjacent to where he needed to be. Slicing through he dropped rolled, and allowed for two proximity mines to find residence in the area, lest some one wish to follow him the way he came in, before quickly accessing the control room with his security and electronic lock breakers.

 

I been here too often, I may not know the codes, but It isn't like they changed the locks. I still know how everything works.

 

Once inside the set up quickly began. He waste no time, setting up the adhesive glue, two spots by the door and a spot for each wall and ceiling too. Two plasma charges made it on the ones on either side of the door, while sonic emitters found their place everywhere else. Muting his helmet and stripping himself of all external sound, he activated the Sonics thankful that his own concentration wouldn't be disturbed.

 

Left only with the sound of his breathing, he was mentally tracking the loop his ship would soon be making, among other things. With the room bathed in the disruptive sonic energy, he settled down to get to work. His goal was of course to strip this place of power staring with the communications dish. Being the expert slicer that he was, he found himself having no trouble, shutting down the communications array.

 

So far so good, a completely silent entry, no raised alarms and-

 

With a suddenness that surprised even him, every single trap and alarm seemed to go off at once.

 

Crap what did I do, did I set of a flag I didn't notice?

 

He leaned back in his chair. He was essentially trapped inside of this control room, unless he could figure out a way to complete shutting down the power to the area.

 

Well when life gives you lemons”¦

 

He activated the cameras placed in the station. If he was setting off alarms and traps. Chances were Jedi knew he was here. In particular that women. It would be a far better idea to keep some sort of monitor on her progress than to let himself become so engrossed in his work, that he failed to notice her coming.

So he decided to taunt her. Opening himself up to the force, he reached out searching and feeling out the jedi in the base. With only two to worry about, he decided it would be funnier to touch upon the padawan than the master.

 

Boo

 

His taunt completed, he began to bombard the system with data. If he couldn't shut down the temples power, perhaps he could gain control of the defense, keep the jedi at bay while he finished up in this area.

 

((And yes I ran this post over a mod first before posting.))

[Arlan Vass]

”

[ObliviousKnight]

”œDidn't hear it””I felt it. Another Force User, probably a Sith.”