Ask A Knife in the Dark

[Alexandria Voran]

New Alderaan glimmered. An impossible jewel set in the darkness of space, a reminder of perseverance. The few souls who banded together after their home was destroyed had managed to create a powerful symbol of hope. Decades and decades later, New Alderaan stood proudly on the galactic stage. The symbolism was not lost on Alex as she slowly walked the streets of the Capital. She was being asked to fight on when her own world had been nearly destroyed. Stand tall, face forward, keep going, even as she struggled to stay upright.

She had sworn she would wander the paths they walked together while searching for the President’s lost droid. She would not continue to be morose. Here she was walking those same steps. Her eyes lingering where their bond had grown stronger. What are you doing, Alex? She could almost hear his voice. What was she doing? The Force offered no clear path. There was no one way to mourn. She had only known she would lose her mind if she spent another moment in that Temple.

That was why Alex had come to New Alderaan. Before his death, Max had been searching for allies. Anyone who would offer safe harbor to the Jedi and stand beside them. He had grand plans for a Temple on New Alderaan. They had come here to take those first few steps together. Max would never see that dream realized. Alex could not explain why she felt this was how best to honor his memory. Build what he never had a chance to start. She had to do something…anything.

Unfortunately, she was far less well known and politically connected than Max. The Morellian Jedi Master had come here on a whim, hoping, praying for a sign. She felt utterly foolish. The Force did not work that way. She knew the Force did not work that way. Yet, here she was, wandering the street of New Alderaan waiting for some bright flashing lights to lead the way. There was a path to getting what they needed. She simply could not see it.

Her hands ran through her short hair. At least she was not alone. Alex had asked Sevrin to meet her in the Capital. She barely knew the Jedi Knight, but at her lowest he had been an anchor for her to hold. That was all she needed to know. The Order needed to bond together. That started with her.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin had never been to New Alderaan before, most of his time spent away training padawans on backwater planets. The events on Denon had pulled him and many other Jedi back from the backwater planets. It was time to rebuild and attack the Sith problem a different way. The Jedi Knight had met Knight Voran at the funeral, and he had since been in brief communication with her. They had decided to take this particular mission on as a result.

The Sephi was easy to pick out in a crowd as he made his way over, his tall and daunting frame always towering over others. He moved with grace that was a testament to his noble upbringing, something he seldom realized he was doing. Others often gave him a wide berth, the striking eyes and the stoic expression not exactly a friendly combination.

He came to a pause near the Jedi Master, nodding his head in a polite greeting. His gaze lingered on hers for a moment, taking in sight of the dark circles under her eyes and the general emotions that clung to her even now.

“You dwell on it still,” He said flatly, the silver eyes softening slightly in how they looked at her, “Pain is involuntary….suffering is not,” He said quietly, letting her consider the words before he turned to regard the Capital. Sevrin had only been vaguely briefed on the background on the mission, but he would need to be brought up to speed.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The familiar calming presence heralded Sevrin’s approach. It was the same stoic signature she had felt on Yavin. She clicked her tongue in thought. Too many Jedi had retreated into bundles of raw emotion with the failures of the past months. Herself included. It was comforting to see a Jedi still standing tall. Alex turned to watch her partner approach. Well…they certainly would not go unnoticed. Sevrin bore the look of a man from a storybook. Tall, well built, piercing eyes, and a walk that one could only be born with. She almost laughed. At her best, Alex might be able to put on a vaguely similar show. Of course, she was not at her best.

And of course, the Jedi Knight noticed.

“I do.” There was no point in lying. “And you are right, I choose to suffer because of the guilt I still carry.” She had made small progress in overcoming that sinking feeling. “I know it is foolish to dwell on what cannot be changed…I know dredged up memories are self-inflicted.” She shrugged while meeting his eyes. “But I fail to stop myself.” A fault. “I’m working on it.” Part of wisdom was admitting your flaws. Alex knew she was far from perfect and that was the start of the battle.

The mission at hand was one small step towards healing. “We need allies and safe heavens.” She gestured all around them. “Max began to lay the groundwork for a Temple here in the Capital, but the people are unsure…we must change their minds.” This was the struggle of the Jedi of late. They were dangerously unpopular in the galaxy. “We are surrounded by beauty but with rot in the middle, there is some gang terrorizing local business.” She shrugged again. “The usual ruffian garbage. If we put a stop to that we would endear ourselves to the locals...hopefully” She prayed it would not come to violence, but violence found her often these days.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin silently listened as she spoke, the cracks in her resolve growing to become fissures. He didn’t give her a judgmental look, didn’t make any jabs, didn’t pontificate or lecture. He simply listened and let her reflect and vent. He had long since learned that part of healing was to acknowledge that the wound was there to begin with. It was a simple, obvious notion, and yet so many rushed the process. He simply gave a nod when she stated she was working on it.

“You are an asset to the Order,” He stated frankly, “That you are here today to help guide it matters more than any scenario that would see you in a pyre right there next to Max and Talak,” Sevrin paused for a moment, gazing into her eyes, “Always remind yourself of that.”

He didn’t linger on the topic beyond that, turning away to begin walking and inviting her to join him. The Sephi had long since learned to take smaller strides to allow those shorter than him to keep up.

“An entire neighborhood if I recall correctly,” He said regarding the gang. They had grown in number and had enough local police in their pockets to prevent any action, “Our first course of action may actually not be taking out the gang,” He glanced her way, “But unearthing enough evidence to remove the local governor in power. It’s quite obvious that things have been going unchecked largely due to him turning a blind eye.”

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

And that was that. Alex did not need every interaction to be tinged with pain. Her life could not be all wallowing in despair. There was something comforting in acknowledging the ache in her heart but moving past it. Sevrin did not treat her as some broken thing. She struggled some days. Today was certainly not her best. Alex was still a Jedi Master in her own right. She nodded her head, straighten her robes, and calmy assumed serenity in the Force. They had work to do. Not the easy kind.

“Yes, they’re shaking down the entire neighborhood.” Her boot clacked on the walkway. “The darkening landscape of war brings out the worst fears…they are offered protection and before they understand it becomes extortion.” The dregs of the galaxy preyed on that fear. It was a plague that would only spread. “It becomes all too easy to look away.” Alex frowned slightly. “For the right reasons.” Her companion was almost certainly right. There was no political group that would needlessly turn a blind eye. There must have been an explanation. She could only imagine in was a terrible one.

The pair of Jedi barely made it another block before her senses spiked in the Force. She kept her heart beat steady, her face calm, as two sleek black speeders ripped up towards them. The Force carefully began to pool in her left hand. Just in case. An impossibly polished black and gold protocol droid stepped from the front speeder. The accent was a perfectly clipped Coruscanti. “Masters Jedi, the governor was not alerted to your arrival.” The droid bowed. “We do apologize for the oversight and the governor has cleared his schedule to welcome you into the city properly…please allow us to take you to the offices.”

Well, she had thought they were being inconspicuous. The rot may have run deeper than they thought. Alex shot one quick look at Sevrin. They really had no choice. She allowed a broad smile to spread across her face. “Of course, please…lead the way.” The droid motioned for them to get into the speeder. Alex nodded in thanks, stepping forward to take a seat in the first speeder. This was probably fine.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin nodded in agreement and was about to suggest some ideas when the black speeders pulled up next to them. The Sephi’s face betrayed no surprise or emotion, always a mask of calm resolve despite a rapidly evolving situation. Once the droid finished speaking, however, Sevrin turned to look at Alex, only to catch her looking right back at him. Clearly this was not part of any plan.

The Sephi grimaced slightly as he got into the second speeder, having to hunch down and scrunch himself up like a pretzel to fit his very tall frame. He had to do some internal meditation to at least keep his mind comfortable during the horrible ride to the Governor.

Alex would notice Sevrin getting out with some difficulty once they arrived. His normally almost regal appearance was thrown off by hair that looked suddenly disheveled. He fixed a few errant strands and smoothed it out as much as he could while they walked, the first hints of almost dignified irritation on his face.

Sevrin’s silver eyes gazed up as he looked at the building they arrived at. It looked unmarked and not at all like a diplomatic office he would expect from a politician. The Sephi exhaled slowly, turning to look towards one of the droids.

Naturally, it had a blaster trained on him.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The speeders whipped through the streets of the Capital. Alex spared one last glance for Sevrin as he piled into the second speeder. They were being split up…great. She carefully kept her face neutral, her heart steady, and breathing slow. The Force continued to gather in her left hand. She did not sense any immediate danger, but that meant little given they were being whisked away by droid. A flesh and blood henchmen she may have been able to ferret out. The inner works of the metallic mind were another story entirely. So, all they could do was wait.

Thankfully, the ride was short. Not so wonderful was their final destination. The Jedi arrived at a location that looked anything but a government office. Alex chanced another look at Sevrin. If they weren’t in an increasingly distressing situation, she may have laughed. Watching the tall regal Jedi unfold himself from the speeder was borderline comical. The look that started to form on his face…she almost smiled. One small crack in the polish.

Alex returned her focus to building. Not a good sign. She turned at the same time as Sevrin to inquire if they were at the right location. Blasters. Delightful. The protocol droid was flanked by four seemingly retrofitted 501-Z Police Droids. They bore the same black and gold coloring. Of course, the protocol droid began to speak. “Unfortunately, your unannounced presence here has created some difficulties the governor would rather avoid.” The droid cocked its head. “I am certain if you were to return to your Temples…all of this unpleasantness could be avoided.” Alex should have known. Nothing was ever as easy as it appeared. Her eyes quickly scanned block. They were in a relatively quiet part of town. She could not sense any civilians in the immediate area. Still, it would not be a particularly good look for the Jedi to be seen attacking the dooly appointed Governor’s guards. She opted for some semblance of diplomacy. “I am certain there is a peaceful solution to our little problem.” The Force continued to build in her left hand. It would be obvious to Sevrin in the event they needed less diplomatic options.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin cast a curious look towards Alex as she tried to find a diplomatic solution. The only thing that came from that was one of the droids firing a shot by her feet. The Sephi didn’t care that it was a warning shot, and he didn’t care that the droid prepared to make another threat and offer another chance. He unleashed a concussive blast from his palm, sending two of them flying back and crashing into a speeder.

The Sephi fluidly moved back and leapt backwards and clear behind one of the speeders for cover, “Get over here!” He called out to Alex. Sevrin peeked over one side of the speeder and coiled the Force around one of the droids, sending a powerful surge of ionic energy to overload it. The droid sparked and collapsed, but a bolt just barely grazed his shoulder as a result.

Sevrin winced in pain, still crouching behind the speeder as he glanced at Alex, “How did this happen? We’re usually better prepared than this,” He couldn’t help but quip at the absurd situation they found themselves in. A quick glance revealed that there was a row of speeders and other vehicles in the way. They would have to strategically move back and use cover till they could run into the warehouse.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Well…that went about as swimmingly as she should have expected. Alex’s attempt at a diplomatic solution resulted in blaster fire. Sevrin was much less inclined to wait. She felt the use of the Force the split second before the blast burst forth. The Jedi Master was already moving as the droids went flying into the speeders. She landed just a moment after him, crouching behind the speeder. The Force was still gathering in her left hand. Her mind briefly expanded again. She could not sense any immediate reinforcements, but they had to be coming. A sharp pain blossomed in the Force. Sevrin had disabled one of the retrofitted 501s at a cost. There was always a cost.

She quickly peeked around the corner before answering. Two of the droids were removing themselves from the crumpled speeder. At least one seemed to be moving disjointedly. Of course, blaster fire continued to rain around their cover. Alex flashed a smile. “Really?” The Force continued building in her hand. “I often find myself in these situations…hmmm…must be me.” She quickly stood and outstretched her hand. The Force ripped forth in a powerful torrent. The protocol droid and nearest 501 went tumbling back until they slammed into another speeder. The protocol droid easily broke apart, the head tumbling a few meters away with the eye sockets still lit. The 501 stopped moving. That had to be a good sign. Alex immediately felt the pull in her chest. Energy used to command the Force. Yes, everything had a cost.

She immediately ducked down as the remaining 501s advanced. They needed to get to the warehouse. “Come on.” She stood again casually waiving her hand to send a smaller speeder tumbling towards the droids. Alex prayed there were no cameras on them. There was another larger speeder about halfway between them and the warehouse. She took off running as the Force tossed speeder neared the droids. It was barely enough time for her to slide behind the cover before blaster fire started up again.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin cast a sideways glance as she casually remarked she found herself in these situations often, “Just my luck,” He muttered in return as his ears twitched from blaster bolts peppering the speeder they hid behind. Sevrin rose up when Alex did, focusing the Force to unleash a stream of electricity to fry one of the droids. There was a shrill screech before it exploded and short circuited.

The Sephi leapt over the other speeder, waiting till Alex was near him before he hurled the entire thing back at the droids. Sevrin quickly made his way to the door, applying a Force push which….did nothing. He also kicked it, which also did nothing, the door almost a foot thick and heavily reinforced, “Oh no..” He muttered before he remembered that he was a Jedi.

Silver eyes flicked up to spot a ledge and he used the Force to jump up to grip the edge and hoist himself up. Sevrin glanced down at Alex, “Come on!” He shouted, waiting with an extended hand to help her up. If she came over without incident he would crash through the window as the blaster bolts kept peppering towards them.

Sevrin dropped into a crouch on the other side of the window. The warehouse was pitch black and there was a horrible stench in it. The Sephi couldn’t see anything immediately, his eyes still adjusting to the darkness. He looked towards Alex, grimacing at the smell, “What is this place?”

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The two Jedi worked nearly seamlessly as they moved back towards the warehouse. Alex nodded approvingly when speeder went sailing towards the droids. At that moment, her lightsaber hilt snapped into her right hand, the blade igniting within seconds. She easily batted away the few blaster bolts directed towards them. The bolts were sent harmlessly into the ground. Alex stood between Sevrin and the remaining droids while he fiddled with the door. Oh no? What could possibly be stopping them? She deflected a few more bolts into the street.

She felt Sevrin jump more than she saw it. His voice carrying down from the ledge above. Well…it was time to set that fear aside. She needed to trust her fellow Jedi. Alex did not wait a moment longer. The Force propelled her towards the ledge. She batted two more bolts away as she flew skyward, her saber deactivating just before her hand joined with Sevrin’s. They crashed through the glass rather spectacularly. As they fell, she wrapped the Force around herself, landing slightly in dark warehouse. It all made for a rather heroic scene. That feeling evaporated when the smell struck her nostrils.

Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. Light from the broken window was the only illumination. Large durasteel barrels were scattered about the floor of the warehouse. She resisted the urge to light her hand with the Force. She a sinking feeling that would be unwise. Bodies were scattered around the barrels in various levels of decay. She shook her head slowly. There was no fear in her heart…she had seen horror in her time, but unease grew. “Sevrin.” Her grip on her saber hilt tightened. Her voice soft. “I fear I have walked us into something I did not fully understand…” Alex immersed herself more deeply in the Force. “This goes beyond mere shakedowns.” She heard a rustling the dark. She swore it sounded like groaning. “We need to leave.” The governor was in far deeper than she could ever have imagined. This was a particular madness.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin regretted asking his question as soon as the words left his mouth. It became abundantly clear this was a twisted and forsaken place. It had been the governor’s plan all along to bring them here. He could hear that groaning getting louder, and Sevrin looked over to Alex.

“The droids are still out there,” He stated as the groaning got closer. The stench of decay drew near them, and the warped and grotesque face of an infected emerged. Unlike usual, it moved exceptionally slow. It was obvious it had been here for a long time, and it still wore remnants of clothing usually adorned by politicians. This had been someone that once held a respectable title.

Sevrin stepped backwards, looking around for another way out. The way they came would have blasters trained on it. He glanced over at Alex, noting that she was having a tough time with this, “Find us an exit,” He said, “I’ll hold them back.”

One by one the infected began to realize there was fresh meat here. The groaning and shuffling grew louder as they slowly moved. Sevrin didn’t ignite his saber yet, fearing the excess attention that would draw.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex fought the urge to ignite her lightsaber. Like Sevrin, she knew the bright lights would only draw further attention. She had faced all manner of terrors in her long life. The Force was her constant ally. There had been few things that made the Jedi Master truly afraid. As the breadth of their predicament became obvious, the cold hard pit of fear formed deep in her stomach. Alex smoothed her face and fed that fear to the Force. It would not have her. A small part remained.

Her eyes swept back and forth at the shambling masses. She knew too well the droids would pour bolts at any expected exit. The window above or the doors below. Her mind raced through options while the groaning grew louder. The infected moved slowly…their bodies in advanced decay. Still, they had no idea how many were locked in the warehouse. She grimaced slightly. It all rang horrible wrong in the Force and she was wasting time. There was not a single chance she would leave Sevrin. Besides, it was unlikely to do them any good.

“No.” Her voice was still quiet. Her mind reaching out with the Force. Those were burn barrels scattered throughout the warehouse. She could feel the vibrations in the Force. Infected too decayed to continue…burned to a crisp. There were at least a dozen barrels scattered throughout the warehouse…she could feel each of them. “There’s only one way out…together.” The Force filled Alex. Rarely, did she display her true strength, her hands outstretched at her sides. The molecules in the burn barrels sprung to life, igniting the combustible materials. In a flash, the barrels were alight, the flames leaping out of them. The warehouse was suddenly bright revealing the extent of the infection.

Flames began to roar forth from the barrels in tall pillars. The infected screaming as they drifted away. “What does the body do when face with infection?” Her face was a passionless mask as the pillars of flame began to move throughout the warehouse. “Burns it out.” Her mind reached for Sevrin. She could not hold this long enough to burn the infected alone.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin prepared to bodily launch back the infected that came his way when he sensed the despair from Alex. He paused what he was doing, stepping closer to her when he heard her speak. When she said no, Sevrin turned to look at her, noting how she had gone silent and felt fear welling up in her. It was almost tangible, and it was there for the infected to feast on.

“Alex..” Sevrin said very quietly, reaching a hand over to place on her shoulder. His focus was entirely off the infected, and he knew bringing the Jedi Master back into the present was highest priority. Sevrin nodded at her next words, “Together.”

The Sephi gazed ahead, feeling a renewed sense of determination from Alex as she ignited the barrels. The immediate reaction was for the infected to screech and run towards the noise. Sevrin called the Force as he drew from the fires already set by Alex. There was a raging inferno as the entire warehouse became a lake of fire.

Sevrin felt the heat against his skin, his face quickly perspiring as he whirled and spiraled the fire around to spread it across all the infected. There were a few recently infected, unfortunately, and two of them came charging towards the Jedi. They were melting from the fire, sending globs of burnt flesh towards them as they rushed.

"Well it seemed like a good idea!" Sevrin called out as he used the Force to launch them back. He grabbed Alex and pulled her back to get her out of the trajectory of a chunk of melted skin. The stench was unbelievable and even a stoic like him had to bite his fist to stop the dryheaving.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The smell of burning flesh. She had completely forgotten the horrid stench of bodies burning. Alex swore there was an application of the Force that could block the assault of nausea. It did not spring to mind. She shrugged at Sevrin, the infected were burning, just not at the rate she hoped. The desire to gag welled up…she just managed to push it down. The warehouse was filled with the screams of the infected, the found of roaring flames, and burning bodies. Most of the shambling infected were melting heaps. A few of the spryer creatures still managed to move forward. This was not going to work.

Alex moved her hands in a circular motion, pumping the flames up. She pulled her hands in and the flames followed. A ring of fire quickly sprung up around the Jedi, flames licking towards the ceiling. Her eyes intently focusing as she worked to maintain the barrier. It would hold the infected at bay while she held firm. She was uncertain how long she would last.

“We both know not a single infected can leave this warehouse…one mistakes and New Alderaan is overwhelmed.” The AMS infection could sweep over a planet in days. Any hopes of a new Temple would be gone the moment the first infection was reported. Worst of all, there was no magic cure. There would be nothing the Jedi could do. Alex knew the mission was suddenly twofold. They had to destroy whatever infected packed the warehouse, and they must expose the governor. Any being willing to bring this danger to their city, their planet, had to be removed. “If there are any brilliant plans knocking around, now would be sharing time.” She extended the circle just slightly to give them a little more breathing room. The Force pouring out of the Jedi Master to maintain the heat and height of the flames. Sweat began to drip down her forehead. The stench continuing to assault her senses.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

The two Jedi were now stuck running around in circles inside the warehouse to avoid the quicker infected from catching up. It was a matter of staying a few steps ahead to give them time to burn and fall apart. Sevrin assisted Alex with the Force, expanding the bubble that protected them and allowed them to breathe.

“I assure you I’ll be significantly more helpful without you panicking at me,” He said rather calmly as he ran, glancing over his shoulder to see if they were being followed. After a moment, he paused, looking around, “That being said, our options are nil. We have to go back the way we came.”

Sevrin jumped back up towards the ledge where they came in. He knew there would be droids with their blasters trained, but the alternative was to stay in the warehouse and suffocate. The Sephi already coughed a few times, feeling himself tax from all the inferno and barrier.

He leaned next to the open window and slowly peered outside. The remaining droids were standing in a line with the blasters raised and prepared to shoot. Sevrin called the Force to himself and lifted one of the speeders, hurtling it towards them like a bowling ball at a set of pins.

In that case, it was a strike as all of the droids were comically slammed and thrown back with the speeder, the vehicle landing on two. Sevrin didn’t stick around to watch even as he launched the attack, using that moment to leap down. He only hoped Alex would follow up with attacks of her own to get rid of their droid problem once and for all.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The Force allowed for truly spectacular feats, but there were limits to what even a skilled Jedi could accomplish. There was no magic handwave that would simply solve your problems. Alex’s strength was quickly diminishing from holding the barrier around them. She had perhaps pushed herself a few steps too far. Still, she was stronger than she had been upon returning to the Order. The Jedi Master was not about to falter while they burned a warehouse to the ground. Unfortunately, Alex had still not quite figured Sevrin out. She was not exactly completely herself, but she would break through that frosty exterior.

Now wasn’t the time. They moved quickly towards the side of the warehouse near their original entry. The Jedi landed on the ledge together. She frowned as she took a quick look outside. There was no point in hoping the droids had left. The governor knew exactly what the Jedi had been walked into. Sevrin wasted no time in their escape. Alex felt the Force moving just before she saw the speeder moving. A moment later, the tall Jedi was moving towards the ground. As the droid were once again hurled backward, Alex reached out in the Force.

It was time to end this particular part of their journey. She could feel the electricity flowing through the remaining functional droids. That was enough. She reached out racketing up the pressure, flooding their parts with electrical energy. The air suddenly filled with loud pops as the remaining droid fried in rapid succession. Alex released a sigh of relief. Her body beginning to protest her uses of the Force. She jumped lightly from the ledge, landing close to Sevrin. He was covered in soot and ash. She imagined she looked much the same. Smoke contuined to pillow from the warehouse.

“See, all according to plan.” As if on cue, they could hear sirens growing closer. All the commotion seemed to have finally drawn the attention of authorities hopefully outside the governor’s control. They could almost see the flashing light approaching. Alex quickly smoothed her face, putting on her best Jedi Master look, despite the burned and tattered robes.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin was pleased to see the remaining droids quickly addressed by Alex. He said nothing in response to her sarcastic remark, his face always fixed with a stoic expression that often made others wonder if they entertained or offended him. His padawans often attempted to tell him to ‘lighten up’, but no one understood that this was simply his face.

He heard the sirens, his pointed ears twitching from the shrill noise that assailed his senses. Sevrin glanced over to spot Alex quickly cleaning up the soot, “Wait, we want to look like the victims here, not people that casually just caused a lot of property damage,” He cut in, gesturing towards the governor’s speeders and droids that were completely trashed. Oh and the burning building with infected screeching behind them. Sevrin didn’t bother cleaning up the soot on himself as the speeders finally arrived. His face was fixed with a grimace from the sirens, his sensitive ears in pure agony.

The speeder parked and a uniformed man stepped out, immediately drawing his blaster.

“County Rangers! Hands in the air!”

Sevrin stared at the man, raising his hands, “We are Jedi. We mean no harm. We were nearly killed by the Governor’s droids and the infected.”

The man's eyes widened as his gaze flicked to the building behind the Jedi. He looked back at the two, gripping his blaster harder, "W-What reason would he have to do that? And....that building is full of infected?"

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The cacophony of noise was distracting. Sirens blaring, the flames, and the screeching infected. Alex’s ears were ringing, she could only image how a species with more sensitive hearing felt. She did pause brushing off the soot while the sirens grew closer. “Right.” Rapidly, law enforcement did arrive. They were predicably not pleased with the scene around them. The County Ranger shouted as his backup climbed from their speeders. Sevrin rightly identified them as Jedi. The mention of infected and murderous droids seeming to give the Rangers momentary pause. Alex carefully kept her hands in the air. She debated using their name, if the encounter went poorly, it would be easier to leave. Unfortunately, that was not her style. A small voice in the back of her mind whispered to use the Force but she disliked weaponing her mind against civilians.

“Please do not open the warehouse doors.” They were rattling. “But confirm what we say is true.” Her eyes shot towards the destroyed droids. “I am Jedi Master Voran, this is Jedi Valtiere.” She kept her hands up but nodded towards Sevrin. “We had a meeting with the Governor but were taken here instead.” Her voice was calm and even as she spoke. She very slowly pointed to where the protocol droids head still lay in the middle of the street. “The droids memory banks will confirm the truth.” The lead Ranger was clearly struggling with the decision.

The inhuman screams from the warehouse were undeniable. The droids were clearly those belonging to the governor. “Don’t move.” The Ranger started doling out instructions to plug in the droid head, get someone up to the busted window to investigate the warehouse. Alex kept her breathing and heartrate steady. There was no reason to push the Rangers farther than they had to.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin remained silent, hands still in the air. Thankfully, Alex’s words got through to the man at least enough to pique his curiosity. He stood there the entire time as they confirmed the infected. The footage was also viewed which resulted in visible shock in the Rangers. The blaster was lowered at last.

“Are….are you truly able to help?” The Ranger spoke after a long while, his expression completely changing. His voice faltered when he talked, emotions clear on his face, “It has been a dictatorship,” He said quietly, looking around nervously as if he would be attacked any moment.

“Anyone that ever opposes the Governor just d-d-disappears,” He audibly gulped as his eyes flicked towards the warehouse. One of his fellow rangers had spotted a former diplomat when he peered through the window.

Removing the man from power sounded more and more difficult. If he ran things like a dictatorship, it would take nothing short of a coup or means to overthrow him from power. Sevrin paused for a moment before he turned to look at Alex.

Could they take this on?

@Valen Pelora