Asking Help from the Enemy

[René]

Ji'Kel Vizsla, Mandalorian Commando and ex-Jedi traitor, was doing the one thing he had never thought he would do after murdering his master and leaving the order; traveling to the Jedi stronghold on Dantooine in a borrowed freighter to ask the Jedi for HELP. The word was not a common one in his vocabulary, and even worse was that the Chiss had had a personal vendetta against the Jedi for years. He was not completely alone however; coming along to help him in their own way and provide much needed moral support was his best friend Athena Jurir and her adopted daughter/sister Aileen Jurir.

Ji'Kel used his current alone time in the cockpit to meditate on the happenings of the last few days. He had begun to experience unprovoked aggression and urge to kill, coupled with horrific visions of his father, mother, and especially Athena dying at the hands of a Jedi invasion of Mandalore, with a Dark Voice in his head telling him it could be prevented if he gave in to the Dark Side. As much as the 22 year old hated the Jedi, he felt no other option than to go to them for assistance. After 3 weeks of the persistent temptation, Ji'Kel had called the Jedi on Dantooine and promised to stop attacking Jedi if they aided him with his issue.

To his utter amazement, the Jedi, probably after much deliberation, had accepted his offer and told him to meet a Jedi Knight named Emerald at a smaller establishment on the planet's surface. He had elected to leave his 4 DP-09 pistols, gauntlet attachments, and jetpack in his personal quarters on the ship; he did not want to look hostile but if the Jedi had deceived him and attempted to arrest him for his crimes, the Chiss would utilize his lightsaber to defeat them. As the freighter exited hyperspace in front of Dantooine, Ji'Kel summoned the two Jurirs to the cockpit over the intercom and began the decent towards the planet's surface.

On the way down he would discuss details of preparation with the girls in case a fight erupted and try to ease their concerns. After that he would exit the landed ship to meet with this "Emerald" on the landing platform. He could just hope everything went smoothly.

[OOC] Just as an FYI both Aileen and Jalen have received some training at this point, although it won't be necessary to use. I have also tagged you in posting order.

@TheCalmOne @Aileen Jurir @Undine @Jalen Kron

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

Athena Jurir sat in her quarters of the small freighter which the three Mandalorians were using. Her helmet resting in her lap, her face reflected in it's clear visor. It was one of the few times in which Athena didn't have her helmet on, one of the few times she ever let herself truly think.

She knew Ji'kel was tortured by something, what he was being tortured by she would never understand. Eventually, he had decided to seek out the Jedi for assistance, despite her arguments against doing so - but ultimately Athena trusted Ji'kel to make the right choice, not only for himself, but for Athena and Aileen as well. She wanted to do everything she could to help him out of his predicament, and thus agreed to accompany him on this journey.

She put her helmet on when she heard Ji'kel call for her,
It's not the time for thinking anymore. It's time for actions.

She stood up and exited her room, heading for the cockpit and examining her gear along the way. She had her usual weaponry with her, the family blade remained at the household - she didn't feel worthy enough to use it yet. In addition, her pistol and grenades were resting comfortably in their usual positions. Athena hoped it wouldn't come to a fight, but she would be ready for one if it came to it.

Entering the cockpit, she spoke up,
"Is it futile to try to convince you otherwise again?"

 

[Aileen Jurir]

Aileen fiddled with her new vibroblade for a while in her quarters. She practiced some of the moves Athena had taught her along with a few of her own that incorporated the second blade for more deadly slashes. She quickly grew bored however, but she was saved by Ji'Kel's voice on the intercom requesting her and Athena's presence. When she arrived the two commandos had already begun to discuss what was about to happen.

"Is it futile to try to convince you otherwise again?"
"Yes. Unless you wish for me to become a monster like the ones that slaughtered your Clan, this is the only way to put an end to my torment."

Aileen flinched at the mention of the Jurir massacre; she still had vivid nightmares about it. She watched in a somewhat strained silence as the two Mandos sighed and the ship touched down on a landing pad. She quietly followed behind Ji'Kel with Athena to the actual pad. She only stopped when she got a glimpse of the massive cat-like Jedi and the young Kiffar Jedi with it.

 

[Undine]

Emerald, stood next to Jalen, the young Kiffar boy a stark contrast to her intimidating stature. Her arms crossed, her lightsaber on her hilt, and as always her robes barely hiding anything of her fur covered body. The Horansi Jedi Knight offered a greeting to the arriving Mandalorians, it wasn't everyday the Jedi were presented with an olive branch from some of their oldest rivals, second only to the Sith themselves. "These Jedi greet you Ji'Kel of Clan Vizsla, as well as your companions. This one's name is Emerald, this one here is Jalen." Her words offered more warth then her body language, which betrayed her obvious anxiety.

Emerald had spent many hours debating whether to allow Jalen to accompany her or not, he seemed to eager to go though, and had relented. Now however, the Jedi Knight wished more than anything she had refused the boy. Ji'Kel's lightsaber did not escape her gaze, and the two Mandalorians accompanying him meant the Jedi were outnumbered, if their meeting turned violent Emerald wasn't sure she could protect Jalen. Trust was not an easy thing to acquire from Emerald, she trusted Jalen's intentions but knew he didn't yet possess the skill required to face multiple adversaries, at least not ones as skilled as the Mandalorians before them.

With one last look at Jalen, one last thought of doubt about bringing him along, the Jedi Knight began. "Emerald is aware of your troubles, Ji"Kel, how is it you wish for this one to help you? Why is it you turn to the Jedi now?" Emerald's gaze broke from the Chiss as she spoke, eyeing the Mandalorians accompanying him. Despite everything the Jedi Masters had told her, the fact was, she was a lone Jedi Knight faced with a lightsaber wielding opponent and two Mandalorian warriors, with only a Jedi Initiate to aid her, her adopted son no less. The slightest sense of danger, and the Horansi would pick up Jalen and run. No further questions asked.

For now though, there seemed to be no reason to run, neither of Ji'Kel's companions seemed too eager to attack, and Emerald sensed no deception from the Force sensitive Mandalorian himself. "If this one may speak freely, would your companions mind removing their helmets? Emerald would meet their gaze before she trusts them around her son." It was a simple request, and a reasonable one. At the very least, having to hold their helmets would give Emerald an extra split second to flee before any blasters could be fired. On the other hand, it made it clear how Emerald would react should Jalen be put in danger, it was one thing to attack a Jedi, it was another thing to attack a child in front of their own mother. Horansi mother in particular, had a rather infamous reputation of being vicious to those who would so much as near their young, much less seek to do them harm.​

 

[René]

Jalen took in the sight of 3 Mandalorians exiting the small freighter. Two of them were armored and helmeted, while the third was much younger and wore less extensive armor and an undecorated helmet. Standing beside him was his adopted mother, her massive form dwarfing his own. After days of eagerly asking, Emerald had finally let him come along, but only on the condition that he spend more time training in lightsaber combat afterwards.

The young Kiffar took a very quick inventory of his possible opponent's weapons, a skill he had almost perfected in his thieving days. The other Commando beside Ji'Kel was fully equipped with a jetpack, gadget-equipped gauntlets, pistols, grenades, and a vibrosword. The youngest one carried a single, uniquely designed vibrosword and a small pistol with lighter armor. Finally, the purpose of the meeting, Ji'Kel, carried two lightsabers only. If a fight broke out, he and Emerald would be severely outmatched.

The situation was clearly tense; Jalen noticed Emerald's fur bristling and the commandos with their hands hovering by their weapons, knees ever so slightly bent in preparation for movement. The Mandos nodded to his mother's greeting and listened to her following questions and requests. They didn't take the helmet request that well, as Jalen observed the second commando stiffen, the young one take a step back, and Ji'Kel's annoyance radiated through the Force like a bomb going off.

"Hey Emerald," he whishpered, "Should I be ready for a fight?"

 

[René]

Ji'Kel adjusted to the sunlight as he exited his borrowed ship, scanning the area for any other Jedi besides the Knight and padawan before him. Signaling the two Jurir's to stop at the edge of the entry ramp, he called out to the Knight in reply.

"Greetings Emerald and Jalen. Who already know who I am; my companions are Athena and Aileen of Clan Jurir."

The Commando was tense, muscles wound up and ready to fight should he have to. After he killed his master, the Jedi had always been his #1 enemy, and yet here he was begging for help from them. His annoyance flared when the Knight requested for the group to remove their helmets. Athena would really hate that. He removed his own helmet, revealing his scarred face as he spoke.

"I am removing my own helmet but my companions will not. We come in peace; as a symbol of that, I will place my weapon before you."

The Chiss extended his hand, his two hilts floating up from his belt. They landed between him and the Jedi Knight, a symbol that he was not here to fight.

"As for my--affliction, I think it would be best to discuss that in more detail somewhere more comfortable. I turn to the Jedi now to prevent a turn to the Dark Side."

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

Athena didn't know what to expect.

Her only interaction with anything remotely related to the Jedi and the Force had been with Ji'kel and the Sith, both of which Athena assumed were inaccurate representation of how the Jedi actually behaved. She didn't trust them, not after what they did to Ji'kel, but she wouldn't judge them too unfairly... she hoped.

Nonetheless, the tension was palpable in the air. It reminded Athena of the duels that had often occurred to resolve disputes in her family before the massacre.

It was a feeling she had learned in the past to dislike. She still did.

The feeling was only made worse when one Jedi, presumably the one in charge, asked the Mandalorians to remove their helmets. Athena stiffened. Most people that knew her would never ask her to do such a thing, but she had to keep in mind that the Jedi was most likely only trying to be friendly, and had no knowledge of Athena's... preferences.

Thankfully, Ji'kel found a peaceful way to resolve that little point of conflict without much effort, taking off his own helmets and disarming himself. That was good... probably. Only if the Jedi were actually here to help him. If otherwise, Athena had to be doubly ready to respond to any attack.

So she resolved on a slight compromise. Unsheathing her sword slowly, she stuck it, point first, into the ground, leaving it there. Hopefully the Jedi would see that her intention was only to protect Ji'kel if conflict arose.

She stepped back a few paces from the sword and crossed her arms. Hopefully this would be over with quickly.

 

[René]

Aileen couldn't help but start shifting back and forth with unease. The tension in the air was so high that she was getting extremely nervous. The Jedi who seemed to be in charge seemed quite anxious, and Ji'Kel had a noticeable frown on his face when he removed his helmet.

Aileen was going to do the same before she remembered about Athena's problem with losing her helmet. She sneaked over a glance at her only surviving family member, and noticed how stiff she was until Ji'Kel found a way around the helmet issue. When both Athena and Ji'Kel disarmed themselves, Aileen followed their lead.

She removed her special vibroblade from her back and placed it not to far away from herself on the ground. She backed up a little, but Athena's earlier words rang in her ears.

"If a fight breaks out you run OK? I don't want to risk losing you. Run at the first sign of fighting alright?"
"Yes Athena. No fighting for me, I promise."

 

[Undine]

Emerald watched the warriors before her like a Nexu waiting for something to pounce at her cub. As Ji'Kel spoke, the Jedi Knight remained silent. She decided it wasn't all that necessary for the two female Mandalorians to remove their helmets, though it would have ease her mind to put faces to voices and names. Emerald watched the former Jedi, Ji'Kel place his lightsaber down with cold glances towards his two companions. It was obvious neither of them liked how this meeting was going so far.

Placing her right paw on Jalen's shoulder as if to answer his previous question, Emerald faced the former Jedi before her and spoke. "Very well." She paused as she turned, her hand still on Jalen's shoulder, keeping him about a foot in front of her so that she might shield him if need be. "We have procured private accommodations at a local tea house, we can speak openly there." Emerald didn't wait for a response, she knew she was leaving herself open to attack from behind, but she hoped the Mandalorians would have some sense of honor about murdering a mother from behind while her only child watched. Hopefully, they also saw it as an invitation to trust her a little, by showcasing that she was willing to trust them.

It wouldn't take long to get to the tea house, it was a small restaurant, few patrons, and it was close to the starport, just down the road actually. If the Jedi and Mandalorians managed to make it out of the starport without fighting breaking out, it would be a miracle. "This one does not doubt that you two are sisters, but I've never heard of a Clan Jurir, what is your clan know for?" Emerald attempted to allow the two Mandalorians the chance to speak about themselves, Mandalorians loved to boast about their exploits and their clan prestige. It also provided Emerald the chance to learn more about them, and whether they would prove to be a threat or not.

She and Jalen walked toward the starport's exit, there wasn't a large amount of people moving about on the streets, which was good. Emerald didn't like the idea of bystanders getting hurt is the Mandalorians proved dangerous. Then again, she felt no sense of deception from them, Ji'Kel seemed to be honest and genuine in his desire for aid. It forced the Horansi to evaluate herself, Emerald knew the Dark Side called to her as well, but she had her fellow Jedi to rely on if it became to much of a burden. The fact that Ji'Kel was here, asking for help from the very people he betrayed once before, it meant he was desperate. It was Emerald responsibility to aid him if she could, she would try, but what would come to be of it was still unclear to her.

Emerald stopped at the entrance of the starport, just outside. No gate or door blocked entrance, the space was kept open so as not to slow foot traffic. As far as the starport security were concerned, if a Jedi was escorting you, then they wouldn't stop you either, though the Mandalorians weapons and armor didn't keep wondering eyes from taking notice. "Jalen, why don't you get us a transport, our destination might not be far, but no reason to walk the entire way there." Having Jalen distance himself from the group also served the secondary purpose of allowing Emerald to speak frankly with the Mandalorians without Jalen to close to hear. Without turning to face them, Emerald watched her son step up to the curb and call out for a taxi to stop. "Emerald might be a Jedi, but she is also a mother. If conflict does arise, leave Jalen out of it. This one asks as a mother, not as a Jedi." With that out of the way, Emerald moved to stepped up behind her son, once again holding him close by the shoulders, a short glance behind her towards the Mandalorians. Her eyes echoed her plea with them silently. Any sort of tension would most likely fade at this, as the Mandalorians would know combat was the last thing the Jedi Knight wanted.​

 

[René]

"Very well" replied Ji'Kel.

After a 2 hour long conversation inside the tea house, Ji'Kel came to a decision. The Chiss warrior requested that the Jurir's return home; he was safe here. He would stay for another 3 months, learning from Emerald the ways to prevent himself from becoming a monster without honor. During this time, he would also come to peace with his hatred of the Jedi Order, but not apologizing for his betrayal and murder of 3 Jedi.

[End of the Story]
OOC: Sorry, I've been taking a break for working on my creativity. Sorry about the rushed ending. I've also updated Ji'Kel's profile page with his post time-jump information and backstory; tell me what you think! I will complete Jalen's next, but I would like @Undine to help me with that (send me a PM for additional info). Also thanks to @TheCalmOne for participating! I hope to explore Ji'Kel's connection with Athena more after the time-skip. I'm officially back now!