Bridging The Gap

[Teynara]

A barely discernable bump concussed it's way through her seat as the shuttle descended and made contact with the firm ground beneath it's lowered landing gear, though in truth, Teynara inferred it more than felt it, her mind elsewhere. Probably not a good move, considering what we are taught about being in the moment, she noted in the back of her mind, but in truth, she felt more reflective at the moment than usual, and that wasn't all a bad thing. That they had arrived at their destination at all only dawned on her as the other civilian passengers started unfastening their crash restraints and stood from their seats, ready to disembark. So, here we are, then.

It wasn't exactly a planet she'd planned on visiting, and certainly not where she'd imagined herself being a few days ago. It was just me, a bevy of components and the ice back then, she mused reflectively. There had been plenty of time there for contemplation and thought: Ilum wasn't a planet you went to if you were looking for action, adventure or anything more exciting than a simple meditation session. Simpler times, and probably better ones compared to what's in store today, the blonde noted with a soft sigh emerging from between her lips. Ah well. If the milk is spilt, the cat will drink it, as they say.

She'd actually been on her way back to Coruscant for the first time in over a year when the call had come through. HNN had told her about it first, her casual browsing of the latest news bring the ugly shadow of a threat into full focus. Seclude yourself in a place of peace and quiet, and the Galaxy conspires to shock you from that state thereafter, or so she'd concluded. But there it was, whether she wanted it or not: news from Bellassa. State of emergency: a simple declaration from an unknown terrorist group. Explosives placed at key places around the capital, to be detonated in event of...what? Teynara shook her head with a flutter of her long blonde hair, unbound for a change, resting across her shoulders. It's crazy. No names, no demands, no idea what they want or why they'd threaten lives. The absurdity of it all shook her from her pleasant mindset, a jolt back to a reality she'd left behind for a while.

Why she'd been given instructions to look into it, she couldn't say - the Council were rarely inclined to explain their reasons for such things, and she hadn't asked them to elaborate. I probably don't want to know, she thought. Maybe they just want someone on scene in case an explosive goes up and they need Healers on the ground. So far, only one explosive had been found, and that only by virtue of the debris it left behind. A warning, a threat, a clear implication. This is just the start. If only the details had been less sketchy. If only there had been details.

Still, there it was. Assignment: find out what's going on and put a stop to it. Sure. Absolutely. She could do that. Probably get blown up in the process along with a city block or two, but that's what we're here for, right? It was a cynical thought, true enough, but unavoidable all the same. Another sigh, then she moved to unfasten her crash webbing and reach for the backpack that served as the grand total of her luggage. Change of clothes, a few credits, commlink, lightsaber, medipac. Not much, but enough to be going along with. Pity I don't have a crystal ball. Could do with seeing the future now, working out where this leads.

The boarding ramp had lowered, the passengers descended in that odd scramble that came in moments of tension when one was worried about where they were but didn't want others to know it. That strained stride that moves quick but says you don't want to look like you're hurrying. Or fleeing. She wasn't going to match it, and only reluctantly walked down the metallic ramp onto the firm soil beyond. The stage is set, and likely to blow up after Act One, but I suppose I still have to say my lines before it does, she thought in resignation.

Now where did one start? Unknown perpetrator, tension everywhere, only details to be found were that nobody knew anything. It's gonna be one of those missions. She could just tell.

 

[Gaja]

Bellassa, a nice and peaceful world even as far as 1000 years ago. Leaning against the surface of a black speeder a certain man had anticipated the arrival of an old friend. They had not seen each other in quite some time, and with time came change. And this one was quite the big one if he could say so himself. When the news broke he had took it upon himself to investigate but then he remembered that there was a certain Padawan with blond hair and a sharp tongue that he wouldn't mind doing this with. It was only appropriate to try and make up for the last time they went on a mission somewhere.

All that needed to be said was Dxun. What a disaster that was, shootings, missiles, space pirates, crash landings and Sith that used to be Jedi. Looking back at it, it kind of sounded like fun actually, though some might disagree with that statement. One person in particular was the blond haired woman he saw leaving the shuttle just some twenty meters away. Through the force she would sense him as he smiled, she would sense that old aura of his though with time it too changed slightly but at its core it was the same. While he carried a new lightsaber, a new title and position within the Order he was still that same man that discussed with her life and galactic history all those months ago.

Surely she would be able to sense the man. Guhoo Armstrong, the newly appointed Jedi Battle Master leaned against his speeder awaiting the arrival of Jedi Padawan Teynara Jeralyr. He had no doubt that with her wits she would quickly come to the realization that it was due to Guhoo that she was here. His big smile welcomed her as he separated himself from his vehicle and made several steps in her direction wearing that old dark outfit of his with the beige trench coat, this time minus the bandanna.

 

[Teynara]

Teynara spotted him quickly, almost unsurprised to find that he was here, and half wondering what had taken him so long. There were a few times in the past when it was a wonder he wasn't standing right behind me, tracking me down simply because he hadn't heard from me in a day or two, she noted, her pale blue eyes shifting to focus on the one separating him from the crowd. She sighed softly. Trust him to make the effort to stand out, the blonde thought with a slight touch of resignation embedded in the thought. Some things never change. Not that she'd expected that they would, but hope wasn't an entirely useless emotion. So they'd been taught, anyway.

She walked over to where he was waiting, her steps short and not exactly speedy. Although she had always tended towards haste in the past, recent events had persuaded her that such probably wasn't the best course. Events happen in their own time and unfold as the Force sees fit. Rushing towards them means you'll either shoot right past them and be left to take a step back to catch up, or just demonstrate an impatience that no Jedi should rightly display. Neither option was particularly appealing to her, and a little patience was always a good thing. Especially when dealing with Guhoo, she added mentally.

"You see, it is possible for someone to land a shuttle without breaking it into pieces," she said mildly by way of greeting, her left hand waving backward towards the ship she had just disembarked from. Guhoo was reknowned within the Order for having a tendency of leaving behind wreckage - one reason Teynara had never considered him overly diplomatic - and it didn't hurt to remind him that she knew that every once in a while. Try and play the wise and detached Jedi with me, and I'll bring out a list of times when you've nearly gotten us all killed, shish-kabobbed or outright battered, she thought, a touch of a smile curving her lips.

She came to a stop just infront of him and offered him a traditional half-bow, not quite offering as deep an obesiance as she would for, say, a member of the Jedi Council. That would seem really awkward, she filed away mentally, though Guhoo had probably hoped for a different greeting. Besides, I don't want to mess up my hair. She eyed him critically as she straightened up, looking for changes. Looks a little older, though knowing him, that just means he's broken more stuff and carries the care of considerable debts to the insurance companies, she thought wryly. He still dressed oddly for a Jedi, but at least he wasn't wearing that ridiculous bandanna of his. That thing always made him look like he was some sort of bandit out to steal your purse.

"I take it this is the Council's way of setting up some balance in the Jedi presence here?," she asked abruptly, all business again. Have to stay focused on the larger priorities, since we're standing in a capital supposedly rigged with a rather large number of explosives, she noted. "Bring you in just in case heads need breaking, and have me here to make sure you explore other options first?" Even though she was slightly joking with that - Guhoo wasn't as reckless as she was making out, at least, not all the time - she wouldn't have been too surprised to discover that this was the case. "Or are you just here to balance out my training wheels?", she teased.

Guhoo had been elevated to Knighthood shortly after the troubles they'd run into on Dxun, and in truth, she hadn't seen him much after that - obviously he had assignments of his own to get to, and Teynara was still working her way through her own training, so the separation had felt natural enough. Still, the irony in the Council's choice there was rather considerable. Good example to send me on that one...

 

[Nevermore]

It pervaded the air, a lone red bolt streaking across the sky.

The outline of a lone figure, his silhouette an ink blank from the blazing sun eclipsing his form, stood triumphantly atop a hill in the distance. The figure unleashed several more shots into the air, effectively gathering the attention of the crowd below him. Some cowered in fear, fleeing at the sudden disturbance while others simply turned their heads to look. An eerie silence hung in the air as the figure raised his arms to the heavens, as if he were bathing in the glory of the moment. Little did the Jedi below know that their reunion was about to be abruptly cut short, and he was the sole reason.

"Take me into your heart," he cried, his voice reverberating between the sea of hills. "Accept me as your savior!"

The skies above a section of the city adopted a blood red hue, a deafening explosion rocking the very earth underfoot. Flames spurt from the ground, dancing in the horizon like majestic acrobats competing for a prize—total annihilation. Hysteria consumed the masses, civilians fleeing hither and yon at the sudden cascade of destruction. Maniacal laughter poured form the hilltop, the anonymous figure reveling in sadistic glee of the power at his fingertips. He raised his arm again, leveling the blaster pistol with the people below that were scattering like cockroaches. The weapon discharged, taking the life of a woman too petrified with fright to flee.

"The Jedi have abandoned you!" Bolts continued to spew from the hilltop, a rain of death consuming the land below. Civilians fell screaming to the ground like so many pebbles tossed down a well, an obvious disregard for life dominating the situation. "You've nothing left except what you can take!" he bellowed as the cell went dry, the man tossing the expended weapon to the ground.

 

[Gaja]

She sure took her time walking towards him, enough so that Guhoo actually made a few steps towards her. He was certainly glad to see Teynara after all this time, though just to be clear he didn't exactly expect hugs and kisses from her, more along the lines of awesome sarcastic comments. It was their little thing that only Guhoo and she seemed to enjoy and get, though as things were at this moment most people would be shocked to hear a mere padawan talk in that fashion with a Jedi Council member.

Most people might mind but not Armstrong. As the words about the landing came so did his smile grow. She had finally returned! He thought to himself as he looked at the blond in front of him. "It's nice to see you too Teynara. Though to that I just have to say some people don't know how to land in style." He figured she wouldn't find his comment very funny given that they almost died the last time Guhoo was put in the role of the pilot, but in his defense he hadn't crashed a shuttle since then! Though the fact that he now had an astromech droid to basically fly the ship for him most certainly did not have anything to do with that.

It was certainly never dull with Teynara around and that was why Guhoo pushed for her to join him on this mission on her return from Ilum. And while Master Olivieris protested and wanted Teynara to return to Coruscant before going on a different diplomatic mission altogether it would appear that Guhoo's word now meant quite a bit inside the Order. He was surprised by it as well, as you probably are as well... Finally reaching each other Teynara offered a half bow, which surprised Guhoo a bit. She was always in to that, Guhoo himself was more of a handshake kind of guy but being a jedi he honored the tradition and bowed as well.

But now that the niceties were done with Guhoo figured he would update her about the current situation when he heard the blond in front of him mention the Council which just brought out a sly smile from Guhoo. "Oh? She doesn't know..." It would appear that her time away from the galaxy or this mission had a positive effect as well for Teynara had no idea that Guhoo had been promoted to Master and eventually Councilor, earning the title of Battle Master and following in the footsteps of Darix Talohn and Iril'dor Rai, both of which were the previous Battle Masters of the Order.

"Well there's somethi..." And that was when he felt it, a shift in the force and malice in the air. His polite and happy expression vanished and was replaced by a much more serious one as his blue eyes sought out the source of the malice. Even in this mass of people he could feel it stand out like an iceberg in the sea, it just did though it was easily missed by those less attuned to the force. Had this been Coruscant though it would have been much more difficult to sense and pick up on.

Destruction followed as explosions went of behind the man and he released several blaster bolts in to the crowd, gunning down several people before the Jedi could even get there from where they were. Looking over to Teynara Guhoo made his way against the wave of people, with everyone running away from the mad man he was one of the few that ran towards him. If Teynara chose to join him once they were past the large group of people Guhoo would take a shot. "Time for some diplomacy."

The rugged Jedi had pushed past the final civilian as he now finally came within distance of the man who had just dropped his blaster. "You are under arrest!" He'd always wanted to say that! But to bring some authority to his words the man unveiled his lightsaber and activated it, the orange blade appearing with the familiar snap-hiss sound. It seemed that whenever Guhoo and Teynara went on a mission together destruction, chaos and mayhem tended to follow...

 

[Teynara]

...That chaos and mayhem was more often than not Guhoo's doing, too, or so Teynara noted as she watched the events unfold, her expression concerned and more than a little worried. This is hardly the best way to meet an old friend, she thought, but truthfully, her concerns were mostly for those who were now being affected by the terrorism that they had come here to put a stop to. She saw several drop from the rapport of a blaster, severe burns on their faces, chests and limbs as they collapsed into the cold embrace of death. And we were right here and couldn't stop it. That thought more than any other caught her cold.

Guhoo had already leapt ahead with full intent of putting an end to things here and now. She would have shaken her head at his little quip had she not been fairly certain that he was trying to be sarcastic - there had been several times when she'd rebuked him for the absence of diplomatic action, since his preference had always been 'slice to pieces first, then try to remember if you'd had questions later'. It was fairly predictable, but given what they were witnessing, perhaps not the worst approach one could take. Even if it isn't exactly the most peaceful approach.

She followed him with ever-predictable consistency, her tread light as she ran on the balls of her feet, moving through the crowd that was now surging outwards in all directions in a bid to escape injury and death. Teynara heard no further shots from the blaster that had initiated the commotion, but that didn't stop the crowd running directionless away from the fear of another. Whoever decided to spark this clearly has a better understanding of mob mentality than most, she thought. Few things worked better to spark off paranoia and fear than the threat of further violence. Even when the true danger is over...

The snap-hiss of a lightsaber caught her attention and she looked upwards, her gaze turned away from the ground beneath her feet to the rapidly-accelerating figure of her fellow Jedi in front of her. An orange beam of energy extended from one hand, his lightsaber clearly brandished and no doubt ready in the belief that it might yet be needed to put an end to matters here. Somehow I don't think it's going to be that simple, Guhoo, the blonde woman thought with a sigh, knowing fully well that anyone reckless enough to expose themselves and their violence here was probably just one of many. Perhaps even intended as a sacrifice, to lull everyone into complacency so that with his arrest, everyone feels safe, the threat removed.

The explosion that had rocked the capital just beforehand was doing more than it's fair share of damage and, in truth, was the greater threat compared to a simple spread of blaster bolts. She prayed that Guhoo would think it through before he acted - killing an overt threat like the gunman wouldn't provide them with answers to their larger questions. Who was doing this? Why? Were there more explosives planted around the city? What would stop the violence here? She hoped her partner was thinking this one through.

"Guhoo, stop!" she called out, racing rapidly towards the other Jedi, as quickly as her legs could carry her, though in truth she was still tired from her inbound journey and was nowhere near her peak at present, so her speed was no match for his, and she knew it. Just take a moment before you do anything rash!, she thought. The crowd rapidly thinned the further she moved, and it wasn't long before it was just her, Guhoo and the gunman, with a few civilians dotted around them looked uncertainly at the Jedi. Friends or foes? she wondered, noting that it might not have been so wise to announce their presence as Jedi so damn fast. We don't know if this guy is alone, after all...

She came to a skidding stop beside Guhoo and placed a hand on his arm, seeking to restrain him. "We've got more important things to worry about than one guy," she said sharply, motioning backward to the chaos they had rapidly left behind them as they had sought to cover the distance. "There are a lot of injured back there that could use our help," she reminded him, hoping to refocus the other Jedi's priorities. Though it's all going to depend on what our distant friend does next, she thought, her pale-blue eyes flickering over to the man some distance ahead of them that had rather ostentatiously discarded a weapon.

 

[Nevermore]

The man giggled in unrestrained excitement, his body quivering in a stationary dance as the two approached.

"Ooh, how exciting!" he hissed gaily between teeth clenched in a wide, maniacal smile. "I didn't think there would actually be Jedi here!" he announced, giggling again. He made an 'ooh' sound of admiration, the steady sound interrupted with the rapid contraction of his lungs as he laughed quietly. As Guhoo announced that he was under arrest, the man threw his hands up in the air, his eyes wide.

"Oh! No, please, don't hurt me!" he begged, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Big, bad Jedi has a hard-on for justice!" he cackled as he turned to the burning city in the distance. His laughing ceased as he scratched at his chin with one hand, the other display dominantly on his hip. He was in control of the situation—the Jedi just didn't know it yet. He began to sway from side to side, humming a cheerful melody to himself. He raised his arms in the air and began intricately waving them, as if he were directing some sort of imaginary orchestra. His eyes snapped open as a sudden realization donned on him.

"Do you like music?" he asked as he turned his head to the Jedi. His arms began to move more fluently, and jolted up in the air for the imaginary crescendo. It became quite real as another explosion shattered the horizon, fire belching out of every window of the demolished building. It began to collapse under its own weight, story after story falling down on top of itself. He man cocked his head back and cackled again, louder than before.

"Listen to the cacophony of screams! Death, destruction, and nothing—" the man yelled, turning to the two Jedi, his arms waving once again as if he were in the middle of a magic trick. "—you can do about it. You take one more step, and poof!" he exclaimed, his fingers shooting outward to display his palms. "Bye bye to another building, and oh so many miserable lives just begging to be set free!"

 

[Gaja]

The situation had turned from bad to worse in a split second. Standing at the foot of the hill with Teynara just a few feet behind him Guhoo looked up towards the top where the man had just detonated another explosion. His eyes shifted back to Teynara who called for him to stop his advance and reminded him that there were quite a few people here that needed their help here. Despite both of them being Jedi Guhoo and Teynara had different views on how to go about things.

If the man responsible for the explosions was a snake and jut "bit" several people Teynara would first tend to the victims while Guhoo himself figured that it would be better to get the bad guy and stop him from causing any more harm than he already has. In a way, cut of the head of the snake, but the way things were shaping up that wasn't exactly a possibility at this point in time. Looking up towards the man the Jedi Master decided to obey and lay down his weapon in an attempt to show that he was no threat to the man, in hopes that the man wouldn't detonate further charges. Unless he came here with the intent of blowing up everything in the first place...

"Whatever happens. Stay close to me." Having been to Utapau with Teynara and several other Jedi Guhoo had already shown his ability to create barriers with the force, and he fully intended to do the same should the mad man attempt to throw any more harm their way. However he wouldn't be able to erect one just anywhere so for now they would have to play his little game. "You wanna handle talking with this guy? Maybe he has a thing for blondes?" Disliking the individual standing further up the hill quite a bit Guhoo thought about whether or not there was a detonation switch in the man's hand or it the charges were set to go by timer...

Either way the man focused his attention at the man who threatened to blow up yet another building so Guhoo with his deactivated lightsaber took a step back, awaiting to see what would happen next... Needless to say that they would need to be very careful in this one. For their little friend didn't seem like the most stable of people...

 

[Teynara]

Stay close to me? There were times that Teynara was honestly sure that Guhoo couldn't possibly get more cliche, and then he came out with something like that. The temptation to shake her head with a touch of exasperation came to mind, but that he was predictable to her was one of the things she rather liked about him. Even if in that predictability he does some seriously crazy stuff, she mused. Luckily they'd learned some time ago to listen to each other, so he backed off when she asked him to - something she was fairly certain he might not have done before. Maybe things do change, eventually.

The suddenness of the other explosions that followed that other man's madness made her flinch, sending a jolt of fear and nausea through her, knowing well enough that even if she was in no danger, others were. If we were the ones at risk, we'd have known before the explosions went off, she knew, that being how the Force tended to work among the Jedi. Sensing harm to those around us, though, is never so simple. She shuddered as she felt the bright lights of the lives nearby flicker out and fade, diminishing into nothingness as death claimed them. She felt tears touching her cheeks, unrestrained but unbidden, her composure cracking under the psychological assault. Damn you, she thought viciously, her pale blue eyes glaring at the terrorist, anger mixing with the sorrow.

Reason was a moment in returning, and for a brief moment, there was a sense of something a little more aggressive that shocked even her. Perhaps it was that which returned her mind to some semblance of calm, that state of mind she'd been trained for: the realisation that anger was enveloping her and that it wouldn't take much for her to be caught by it. Oh, yes, I can restrain Guhoo, but the temptation to just let this one taste the pain and death he has reaped on others... Teynara recognised the nature of that thought and remembered all the warnings of the Masters to stay away from it. Acknowledge your feelings but do not act upon them unthinkingly, they had said, oh-so dispassionately. That way lays darkness. They weren't kidding.

The blonde Jedi exhaled a deep, heavy breath, gaining control of herself and restraining the temptation to just reach out and squash this one like a bug. I wouldn't gain anything from that, she realised. A mote of satisfaction for the taint of murder - and how would I be any different to him? Righteous anger doesn't make it any less wrong. She was in control of herself now, she knew - the emotional shields back in place, the conditioned serenity returning, smoothing away the anguish and rage that had marred her expression a moment ago. Stay calm.

"We won't move any closer," she promised, her voice cold and dispassionate, as far removed from her usual gentle tones as she was likely to get without deciding to just pick the madman up and slam him into a building. "You've got our attention now," Teynara added, raising her hands palm outwards in a gesture designed to placate. "We'll listen to you. Just take it easy."

A multitude of other statements went through her mind: You don't need to hurt anyone else, which she rejected as absurd, given that it wasn't as though he'd needed to hurt these innocent people in the first place. We won't hurt you if you surrender was equally useless: it was fairly clear that this one had no disregard whatsoever for his life, and if he was just one cog in a bigger machine, like as not his death would simply create a martyr and harden the resolve of his compatriots. Have to let him take control, let him think us helpless and at his mercy, she decided. He might be inclined to an act of magnanimity on us lesser beings and give us an opening. She sure hoped so - it was certain that he wasn't doing this alone.

"What makes you want to do this?", she asked, gesturing to the rapidly degenerating situation around her. Buildings were collapsing on unsteady foundations, dust and rubble covered an area that a moment ago had been serene, pretty, exuding a sense of civilised peace. Teynara could feel pain, agony and the cessation of life with each passing moment, something she had to push out of her mind in order to keep her anger at it all at bay. No doubt there'll be a reckoning for this yet, she asserted inwardly, but first we'll make sure you can cause no further harm. "We just want to know why you'd do these things. Surely there are better ways to get what you want?"

They just had to hope that he did want something other than the chaos that was now becoming all the more apparent around them. If he doesn't, we're screwed in what amounts to a Guhoo Special, she thought.

 

[Nevermore]

A sneer of disapproval scrawled upon the man's lips, his brow furrowing in frustration.

"Oh, you're good," he said after a momentary silence. "You—you're trying to trick me. You're very clever, but it's—it's not going to work," he continued, shaking his head as a demented smile assumed the place of the brief sneer. He clapped his hands together cheerfully, performing another stationary dance of delight as the two Jedi in front of him gave him their full attention. He had no intentions of being fooled by their words, but he would surrender on one condition.

"Why do I do this? Well, my lovely, I just want to play a little game!" he exclaimed. "Have you ever had an epiphany, Jedi?" he inquired, beginning to pace back and forth. "Some sort of sudden realization, and you want to tell someone, you don't care how, but you want to tell someone. But everyone you tell thinks you're mad! But you know that you're not mad, you're—you're just smarter than everyone else and still they shun you for it!" he ranted, his steps becoming infuriated strides. He stopped in place and attempted to steady his heavy breathing, running his fingers through his untamed hair in an attempt to flatten it out. After a momentary pause, the man turned to face the two Jedi again.

"You may call me Azamgil," he told the two. The man now named Azamgil took either edge of coat in his hands, pulling it back to reveal a network of wires, detonators, and motion sensors rigged to his torso. Also adorning his body were a number of small explosives rigged in the event either of the Jedi charged after him, ensuring an explosion large enough that would take Azamgil out himself and his attacker. He was unarmed, save for a lightsaber adorning his hip. He had made no motion to go for it, nor had he shown any indication that he was a Sith, but there was no true way of telling with him.

"I'm going to ask you a question, a riddle, or give you a puzzle," he told the Jedi in front of him. "For each one you get right, I'll give you a detonator that has the location of a building rigged with explosives on it," he instructed. "For each one you get wrong, well..." The same sadistic grin streaked across the lips of Azamgil, his eyes straying over to the horizon of destruction and death.

"This is how I decided I would share my revelations! You can either agree, and maybe save some lives, or you can disagree, I'll detonate the last three rigged buildings, and you can take me without a fight!" he challenged. He had turned death into a game, hinging on a right or wrong answer from the Jedi. His conscious was completely consumed by selfishness, only desiring to be noticed whether or not dozens, if not hundreds, of people died in order to make it happen.

 

[Gaja]

He felt her emotions, they were actually very hard to miss as they for a brief second exploded and seeped outwards and the older Armstrong twin picked up on it easily. He made no actions upon sensing them, his body stayed in the same position, his eyes were set on the man in front of them but his mind briefly shifted back and felt what Teynara felt and then it hit him. Was this war influencing him in a bad way, was he losing sight of who he really was by doing what he was doing.

Things the Jedi Master for the briefest of moments wondered before he heard their friend, Azamgil, introduce himself and suggest a game so to say. It was by no means a traditional game but rather one that both Guhoo and Teynara were forced to play if they had any hope of saving as many lives as possible. Calming himself he sensed all the malice the man emitted, it was so easy to see...

But more importantly what else could they really do in this situation. Fighting was always an option but all those lives that were at stake and with no immediate way to evacuate them without alerting Azamgil. Turning towards Teynara the recently appointed Jedi Battle Master spoke first. "Guess we don't really have a choice, I can't get a location of the buildings out of him." He really should travel to Empress Teta and learn how to restrain crazy people using the force, because more and more crazies seemed to pop up every day.

Turning back towards the man who introduced himself as Azamgil Guhoo observed the man, looking for subtle hints, openings that could help them in this situation. They needed to outsmart their opponent in this one before the end of this game somehow, but so far it would appear that the only choice they had was to play his little game...

 

[Teynara]

Trick you, am I?, Teynara thought, biting back the retort that immediately sprang to her lips. That one wasn't among her arsenal of weapons - in truth, Guhoo was more likely to attempt trickery than she was, and he was as straightforward as they came. Even when that seems a legitimate tool of statecraft, it still leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Besides, as a rule, you couldn't deal with the suicidally desperate via trickery - they just had to decide you were even trying to do that and your life was suddenly made more difficult than you could have wanted. Better to be straight about this.

That Guhoo was now prepared to accept this 'Azamgil's' game spoke volumes about how desperate they truly were now - he wasn't the one to back off or to let the fate of others ride on words or mind games. No, he'd kill you right now if he thought he could do it without sacrificing those lives, the blonde woman noted mentally. Maybe I would, too, she amended, a touch of her earlier anger stirring there for a moment. Luckily that one wasn't an option, so they wouldn't need to find out if she actually could do such a thing.

One good thing had come of their conversation, though: their lightsaber-wielding terrorist had revealed that only three more buildings had been rigged with explosive devices, so that at least rescued them from that uncertainty. Unless he's lying to us, which would be the least of his sins, she noted with a soft sigh. But what choice have we? Gesturing towards her companion, she introduced them both, believing that it might at least clear the air a little. "This is Jedi Guhoo Armstrong, and I'm Padawan Teynara Jeralyr," she said softly, only a faint hint of her resignation seeping into her tone. "I'd say it's a pity we have to meet under these circumstances," the Jedi added, and meant it.

The real question now was whether or not they could pass this man's test and hear the revelation he wished to share. Sure, I've had my share of personal revelations over the years, but nothing that made me so desirous of attention that I felt the need to kill for my voice to be heard, she thought, but then again, she never had been the violent type. Or that ridiculously impatient. Still, there was plenty about this situation that she found abhorable, and that wasn't likely to change as time passed them by. When the milk's spilt, the cat will drink it, as they say, she observed inwardly. See the positive in every situation. He's at least talking to us now.

"We'll play your game, but only because you hold the lives of others at risk if we don't," Teynara remarked, her voice calm and even, which was about as cold as those tones ever became. If they ever get the point of sounding angry, I think even I'd run, she thought. "Though had you come to us in peace, we would have listened to you all the same," the young woman added, a slight frown curving her lips downward and furrowing her brow slightly. "All life is important, even yours, so to listen would have been no burden," she remarked. "That you brought us to this is...wasteful and unnecessary," she finished, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Too late, alas.

 

[Nevermore]

Azamgil shook his head vigorously as Teynara attempted to tell him that they would have listened.

"No," he replied quickly. "No, no you wouldn't have. The only reason you even came here was because I made those threats," he said angrily, his voice rising with every word spoken. He felt his heartbeat race, and the blood in his body began to boil. He felt as if it threatened to melt the very skin off of his bones, but he showed no signs of the pain er felt—only the immense rage. His hands clenched tightly into infuriated fists, and for the briefest of moments he had the fleeting consideration of detonating another building. He decided not to; they had agreed to listen to him, to play his game, even though he had to browbeat them into doing so.

"You wouldn't have listened to the 'ramblings of a lunatic', as everyone seems to so fondly call me," he reiterated. "But I digress, let us move on and speak no more—no more of frivolous things that could have been. You Jedi are taught not to dwell, right?" he inquired, cocking his head to the side.

"So don't dwell!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, a few locks of his sweat-dampened hair dangling in front of his face. Azamgil took a deep breath and smoothed the wet mess of hair on top of his head, beginning to pace back and forth as he pondered what he wanted to share with the two Jedi. So many things whirled within his mind, and he knew not which one he wanted to share first. He wanted it to be difficult, to give the Jedi an actual challenge. He would have to be careful not to betray his thoughts to them, lest they be able to glean the answer. Then again, the mind of a madman was difficult to penetrate.

"I've got it!" he exclaimed joyously as he turned to the two.

"Eve and Bob get married," he began. "They have three children—Elle, Hannah, and Anna. What is their last name?" he asked, concluding his riddle. This was one of his favorite ones; the answer was tricky, but not impossible to answer. He kept his mind blank of the answer, and the locations of the last three buildings rigged with explosives, and instead filled his mind with things the Jedi would find highly irrelevant to the situation.

Kittens, rainbows, and unicorns.

 

[Gaja]

The blond haired Jedi could only agree with Teynara, her words really showed that the woman was wise beyond her years and rank. And fortunately one of those things Guhoo could change on his own. Looking at her and then at their terrorist friend the man remained silent for the most part though deep inside he would have preffered not to share his name with Azamgil, regardless of whether or not he was going to jail or not. The man wasn't one that inspired trust, though then again it wasn't like Guhoo's name was some big secret if one bothered to look it up. Focusing on the matter at hand and dropping the subject of name sharing Guhoo simply figured that by doing so Teynara was hoping to accomplish something with the villain.

Guhoo tried to get a sense of where the other three bombs were by reading subtle signs in the head of the terrorist, but the man didn't betray his thoughts, not even for an instant. And with that time moved on and the two Jedi were faced with a riddle, and Guhoo despite the horrible situation and the panic that the man caused remained calm and thought about it. His mind listen the names Azamgil named and a pattern became visible.

"Eve, Bob, Elle, Hannah, and Anna." Calling the names in his mind once more Guhoo envisioned the letters of the individual names and it quickly became apparent to him that the names could also be read backwards... That was the answer! With a subtle turn of his head the man looked at Teynara for confirmation and a second later he turned towards the man who introduced himself as Azamgil.

His voice was loud and clear as he shared his answer. "Palindrome!" The Jedi Battle Master called out. It was a clever one, and easily missed if one didn't study the words. And in case you wondered what Palindromes were, they were words that sounded the same when read backwards...

 

[Teynara]

Teynara glanced sharply at Guhoo as he spoke, nodding her head as the word he had spoken settled over her and she recognised exactly how he'd come to that conclusion. Damn, that was fast, she thought, shaking her head in admiration. There were moments when she was pretty sure that the other Jedi thought mostly with his lightsaber, or at the very least in fairly straight lines, preferring a direct path over the subtle and patience means available to them, but his mind was apparently perfectly sharp despite that, and he'd gotten the answer before she had. So ridiculously simple, but even so, I think that's the answer we're looking for. It sounded right, anyway.

What concerned her more was the man in front of them, the one answering all their questions. She was sensitive enough to pick up the emotional turmoil that was coming off of him - the rage concealed beneath a sharper, more whimsical sense of enjoyment, his emotions shooting off in every conceiveable direction. There's a lot going on in there, but he's definitely unstable, she thought. As if the explosions around us weren't going to give us a clue there. It seemed odd: he was very clearly suffering from some sort of psychological disturbance, and even admitted that others thought as much, yet doing this, while clearly absurd and reckless, nonetheless spoke of a clear mind, capable of forward planning. He did just trap two Jedi into playing his game, after all. Something wasn't right here.

Still, there was something else he'd said: each answer to a puzzle would be his means of sharing part of his revelations. Was there some importance in the notion of a Palindrome, then, the notion that something could be perceived the same backwards as it could forwards. He's carrying a lightsaber, too, so maybe that's a piece of our puzzle, too? Maybe he saw himself as their equal in some way, so that even though they were clearly on a divide - the two Jedi lined up against this one - they were the same? No, that doesn't work, but it may well be that he sees himself along those lines. Or her thoughts might well have been completely off the map - she really couldn't tell. And that probably annoys me more than this idiotic game, at present, Teynara thought, a hint of that old anger threatening her again.

"That sounds right to me, Master," she said softly, certain to refer with deference to Guhoo given the circumstances - he did outrank her here, so it was he who would be taking responsibility for their conduct when the Council no doubt called for a report later. Provided we survive this mess, anyway. No doubt Guhoo was very much regretting that he'd ever become a Jedi Knight now. At least an Apprentice gets to fall back upon their training, and can always go ask their Master for guidance, she thought. He's on his own, even with me here. "All those names are palindromes," she remarked, turning her cool blue eyes towards the lightsaber-wielding Terrorist, raising a pale eyebrow inquisitively, wondering what his response would be to that.

Better hope it's the right one, or we've just let him kill more people, she thought, the very idea of it catching in her throat slightly. We'd really better be right.

 

[Nevermore]

An eerie silence befell the trio, Azamgil neglecting to confirm nor deny that they had the right answer. A few tense moments passed by before he moved, his arm reaching into the folds of his coat. He pulled out a detonator, holding it as if he was going to set it off. His thumb rested on the trigger to the detonator, his eyes piercing into the souls of the two Jedi standing before him. Suddenly, his thumb moved.




It flipped a switch on the detonator, causing the device to chirp as it deactivated. He threw the device in the direction of Guhoo, the one who had answered the question correctly. Taped to it was a small piece of paper, the name of a street scrawled on it. It also listed the floors and specific locations of each explosive that Azamgil had prepared, and how to precisely disarm them. It seemed that even though he was mentally unstable, he was a man that was true to his word.

"Go," he told Guhoo. "You got the first answer, now it's her turn," he said sternly. Another unexpected twist had yet been presented to the Jedi, and Azamgil expected them to follow through with it. He had planned to have one of them answer the first question, the other to answer the second, then both of them for the final, and hardest, question. Was there a method to the madness, though? Did he have a reason for asking the questions he did, or was he simply doing it to play a game with a couple of Jedi?

Only time would be able to tell.

 

[Gaja]

For a few moments Guhoo could only look on and realize that despite all the Jedi training he too was only a man. A man gifted with the power to move boulders if he wished to but a man nonetheless. And he looked on as he had no control over what was happening here. He never placed much value on his rank before, never considered himself above anyone else in life but this experience... It was humbling if nothing else...

The recently promoted Battle Master wished he could simply use the force to grip the man and restrain his every movement, but he couldn't risk it. Not if he wanted to save those people. But he couldn't be sure that Azamgil would actually stay true to his words so when the madman pulled out the detonator Guhoo could only watch as what would happen next. He hoped the man wouldn't activate the charges! Had his answer been wrong? Would he have time to cut him down before he could activate another charge...

Quite a few questions whirled around his head at that time, yet the man stood there and looked on. Waiting to see what fate, or the force, had in store for them. And much to his relief the man who called himself Azamgil stayed true to his word and threw the detonator in front of Guhoo. The blond haired man used force pull to quickly seize the little device and his blond eyes set upon it. A piece of paper had been attached to it, direction to deactivating the charges?

At that moment Guhoo's eyes returned to look at Azamgil as he told Guhoo to leave. But aside from the thought of leaving Teynara another one crossed his mind. Had the madman anticipated all this happening? Had he anticipated the Jedi reaching him and could the Battle Master afford to attempt a sneak attack from behind? With people still around there was the possibility that Azamgil had spies, or accomplices who would monitor Guhoo's actions and report on them...

And with so many lives at stake the blond haired man just couldn't risk attempting any heroics at this point. He was perhaps the fastest Jedi inside the Order and he was sure that he wouldn't need more than one attack but he couldn't risk all those lives, for now they had to play this game of his. For hope shinned through as the first answer was correct and they received the first detonator...

So as his gloved hand gripped it the recently promoted Battle Master turned around to face Teynara. It seemed like they didn't have much choice in this matter. "I'll be back quickly." The bearded individual said as he allowed for a few moments to pass ad Teynara to offer some kind of sarcastic reply how Guhoo wasn't her father and to get to it already. And indeed he did, his speed could only be described as inhuman as he sprinted away utilizing the technique Force Speed to reach his target as fast as possible...

Time wasn't on their side in this one...

 

[Teynara]

The young blonde had watched almost dispassionately as Azamgil removed the detonator from within the long coat he wore, tossing it to Guhoo with a sharp movement that she barely watched. It's wrong to detach yourself from the potential for death and loss, but how else can I stay objective here?, she thought, having recognised that others could die here and, worse, her actions and those of Guhoo might contribute to that. But not cause them, no - that lays at the feet of the ones who enacts them. Teynara stared at that one with a calm, sorrowful expression, but she made no move to act against him, or to do anything more than she had already. It was clear enough that words weren't going to sway him, so they were just going to have to see this game through to the end.

That Guhoo had now been separated from her was something of a surprise, but it struck her that this was perhaps what Azamgil had intended through handing over a detonator: a Jedi separated from their brethren was a vulnerable Jedi, and she had no way of being certain of her own safety even now. And there's little doubt that this lightsaber-carrying madman could easily overpower me, she thought. Her role as a Healer and occasional diplomat had always precluded her from being a person predicated towards acts of violence, and she knew well enough that the isolation now pressed upon her was dangerous enough. And yet I've accepted that, too.

"By my count, that's one of three," she said softly, her voice barely audible, her pale-blue eyes never leaving the face of the one that had orchestrated this entire situation. "Is there to be another, then? I'll hear your riddle, and solve it, if I can," Teynara added, without much enthusiasm. There's more to this than has been revealed, so I suppose the only question is when will the other boot drop? She had a suspicion that things would get worse right at the moment when everything seemed to be going well. That's usually how it works these days.

She wasn't entirely sure where the pessimism had sprang from, and had she not cast her senses outward and sought to remain alert for deception or illusion, she might have imagined that some external force was trying to suppress her usual sense of optimism and cheer. But, no, it wasn't that: it was, perhaps, the hopelessness of the situation they were in. Deaths caused without any opportunity to stop them, and no direct solution available to prevent more. Just two Jedi, and one game. Not good odds under any circumstances.

"Let's hear this next riddle of yours," she said, a little more clearly, the volume of her words increasing slightly to be above that of a whisper, strengthening slightly only perhaps to present a confidence she didn't entirely feel. "As they say, let's get this over with," the blonde added, knowing that there could well be a few more deaths in the next few moments, depending on which way this went.

 

[Nevermore]

Azamgil watched intently as the first Jedi took off, and the one he was left with declared defiantly to hear his riddle. No doubt she thought it would be a simple matter, but the terrorist had no intention of letting things stay easy. He could tell by the way she stood, the way she spoke, she was relatively certain that she would be able to solve this with the same ease that Guhoo had solved the first. He didn't know, and he didn't particularly care either. He just wanted to get his message out, and he had at least two people right now who were going to listen. No doubt they would spread the word whenever they got back to wherever it was the Jedi lived.

"One day, the entire family dies," Azamgil began bluntly. "Who killed them is irrelevant, but a family friend named his son Arumat in their honor. Why?" he inquired. This one wasn't as easy as the first one, but it help the same principle. A play with words, but would the Jedi be able to figure it out? Even if she got it incorrect, it was of no consequence to him—he would detonate a building, give her the correct answer, then move on to the third and final piece of his puzzle.

It was a message, and one that would not soon be forgotten.

 

[Gaja]

Damn it, he had to go faster! Calling upon the force Guhoo sprinted through the streets at speeds that were nothing but inhuman, however he still wanted, he needed to go faster, this whole situation required him to. And the Battlemaster did his best to do just that, pushing towards his absolute limits as he saw the building in question come closer and closer. His eyes wanted to look only at the building and the entrance as it became visible but the blond haired man had to look in front of him as not to crash in to something. If he did regardless of what happened her Teynara would never allow him to hear the end of it.

Slowing down greatly the man reached the entrance to the building and spotted a man in the hall. "You there. There is a bomb in this building, alarm everyone inside and get them out until I can deactivate it. Go!" He yelled at the elder man as he ran towards the first flight of stairs, utilizing the force to jump over a dozen stairs up the man did that same thing two more times before he saw a small electrical box on the wall. "There." His eyes narrowed as he breathed through his mouth and approached the box, feeling his heart beat as he put his hand on the metal surface.

Staring at it he gathered his courage and opened the small door, and true enough he saw an explosive device inside. "Alright how..." would he do this now... Reading the instructions that Azamgil provided the Battlemaster had to trust that what the man was saying was true and had to do it, otherwise these things might go of and hundreds of people would surely die. And now Guhoo was one of them... Nice gig, this guardians of the peace, protectors of justice... Hours were long, pay sucked, but at least they paid for the fuel.

Through the force Guhoo did as he was instructed after about twenty or thirty seconds the first device started beeping and seemed to shut down. A massive sigh of relief followed by the man as he looked at the location of the second bomb inside this building, and just like that he went to follow it. Leaving the disabled bomb behind Armstrong figured that local law enforcement would be able to handle that much... He had another bomb to get to... And Teynara to get back to...