Open Coruscant CAPITALIZE on Chaos

[Amun Seti]

Coruscant​

Coruscant was on fire.

The city planet was in chaos. There was a Killik Joiner in the seat of the Supreme Chancellor and the people didn't know who to trust. Unbeknownst to everyone, a trio of Sith had just corrupted the force nexus that lay underneath the Jedi Temple of old. The combination was...

Exquisite.

The doubts and fears of the citizenry, stoked by the sudden shift in the force as darkness fell over the city. The people had taken to the street in protest, the fire of their rage and distrust with the authorities fanned by the paradigm shift that had taken place driving the city to riot. Criminals clashed with security forces as they took advantage of the general chaos. And within it all lurked another.

Jeset stalked the streets, lurking among the shadows and crowds of protestors. He wore a simple black sweater, hat, and mask, not unlike the myriad of protestors who had taken to the streets dressed to protect their anonymity. Unlike the protestors however, he had a trio of small, razor sharp knives on his person, one up each sleeve and a third in his boot. A garrote line rested in his pocket, and a lightsaber sat in a custom holster that kept it hidden under his sweater at the small of his back. Hopefully he would need none, but it paid to go prepared.

Jeset lingered among a large crowd who bore signs and shields and bricks, their cries rising to the towering heights of the city. Many of the neons that normally lit the streets were smashed, but the streets remained lit nonetheless by a towering pillar of flame, a skyscraper that burned and poured putrid smoke into the sky. Nearby a security forced speeder had been flipped, a pair of protestors lighting a molotov that they smashed against the bottom of the vehicle, cheering as it went up in flames.

Jeset soaked it all in. He felt elated, high off the sensation of power he had felt during the process of corrupting the nexus. The experience had been soul shattering, his mind still felt fractured and split as he neglected to pull the pieces of himself back together. But in the chaos and the fire light, his purpose had never felt more certain, his resolve in the path he walked absolute. His silver eyes peered from under the brim of his dark cap as he lurked, seeking an opportunity to capitalize on the chaos.

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra was visiting Coruscant to pay some of his private school friends a visit. Since he chose to become a Jedi, he was met with mixed responses. Some of his friends thought him to be a monster and untrustworthy, removing themselves from his sphere. Others, his closer friends, simply thought it was ‘cool’. They were all too thrilled to meet with him and hear stories about being a Jedi.

Since the war was in full swing, the Jedi ban on Coruscant had been loosened. Ezra used this as an opportunity to visit his old stomping grounds. He had fully expected this to be a social visit only, and he didn’t bring any weapons on him. He was dressed in a button down, with a sweater on top and some jeans, sporting a chrono on his wrist and a kyber crystal shard necklace. Of course, his clothing was form-fitting to his physique that was slowly putting on some muscle thanks to following his father’s routine.

Ezra was texting people on his NalPhone when the protests began to break out. He was on a sidewalk, staring ahead as people began to topple over speeders, shout and bring out their signs. Ezra stopped in his tracks, staring at the droves of mobs flocking the streets and the chaos all around. It was beyond this - something was off. He couldn’t see it, but it tugged at him in the way the Force often did.

For now, he tried to keep a low profile, contacting his master to tell her there was a crisis happening.

@Arcangel

 

[Raphael Valtiere]

Coruscant. Raphael had visited only a few times but none worth recounting, even privately. The true purpose for his pressence was because of his own doing. His absense for months had led to his own personal goals becoming derailed and created a problem he never thought he would run into. Funding. Even though he was born from a wealthy family and his father sent off him off with suitable finances, that account was beginning to empty and a subtitution was needed. That meant Coruscant. the metal jungle it was, and chasing his own leads.

Raphael sat in a private balcony of a resturant, dressed in his regular black formal attire, his long coat that proudly displayed his house colors. This high above, there was a certain serenity that surrounded him as he stabbed a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, enjoying the flavor that exploded across his tongue. But even as high up as he was, the expensive peace he paid for would be shattered from down below with the sound of screaming, crashing, and explosions.

When the Sephi peered over the side, he was able to spot the large masses that marched through the street. If anything refused to join the crowds, then they would be considered the enemy as a path of destruction continually followed the citizens. Normally, Raphael would have ignored this as waiters and waitresses filed in attempting to calm the patrons by explaining they weren't in any danger.

While the rest of the customers glanced around in shock, the Sephi continued to stare down below, the gears in his head turning. There was opportunity everywhere if one managed to spot it. He wondered what this crowd could produce for him and he immediately paid for his food before departing.

Entering onto the street, Raphael straghtened his clothes as people completely ran past and ignored him. His piercing silver gaze would track them silently before he offered himself a slight roll of his shoulders. His lightsaber was tucked underneath his clothing, hidden but easily within reach. Without saying anything, he would take a lone step off the doorway before beginning to follow after the crowds.

@Arcangel @Sreeya

 

[Amun Seti]

The darkside lay as a lingering smog in the air that settled over the protestors, rioters, and security forces alike. Jeset moved like a phantom through the lines of screaming citizens as they yelled and chanted without any form of unison. Whatever myriad of distresses and complaints these people held, none of it mattered to the errant Sith Acolyte in their midsts. The only thing that mattered here was the building sense of power and looming chaos.

Blaster fire rang out from the upper levels where some street gangsters had taken opportunity to break into some stores and were making off with whatever goods were of interest to them. They had come afoul of some of the disparate security forces that were scrambling to bring order to the streets and a running gunfight had broken out.

The people milling about in the protest seemed momentarily disconcerted at the suggestion of greater violence, until a line of security officers in riot gear, carrying shields and batons arrived to block the traveling riot off from entering more critical areas of the city. To keep them pinned down in the residential and commercial districts, out of the districts with more critical infrastructure until the riot hopefully ran out of steam.

All it took was a chunk of well thrown debris to ignite the powder keg that Jeset swam in. A stoop down to the ground to pick up a chunk of duracrete. A swift throw and a quiet whisper of the force in guidance, masked by the myriad of anger, despair, fears, and doubts that swirled in the mass of people.

An officer downed by a thrown object that struck him in the throat caused the security officers to charge, attempting to lock down the riot. The riot responded to violence with violence. Simple improvises weapons came out to combat the officers, backed up by the strength of numbers as the mass of people crushed into the shield wall. Jeset grinned madly under his mask behind it all as he savored the charged chaos that was stirring among the crowd in the darkness of the nexus, drinking it all in.

@Sreeya @Orbit

 

[Ezra Thorne]

It didn’t take long before violence erupted. Ezra’s first instinct was to simply turn the other way and run. However, that was when his sensitive ears began to hear the screaming of children and other civilians caught up in the chaos as they were trying to pass. He was debating with himself, entirely displeased with this new desire he began to have since going Jedi - one that reminded him that he was no ordinary civilian. That he could make a difference. It clashed harshly with his self preservation desires.

Cursing to himself, Ezra decided to meet his compulsion halfway by picking up the pace and moving towards a group of individuals that was clearly at the wrong place at the wrong time. He spoke to them calmly - a group of families with small children. Ezra began to guide them towards an alley and out of the main street. On his way he accidentally shoulder checked some guy in a mask (@Arcangel ), but he thought nothing of it as he kept walking.

With luck, he would usher the groups into the alley and find them a way out of the mess entirely.

@Orbit

 

[Raphael Valtiere]

Raphael walked calmly through the streets, his arms folded behind him as his silver gaze slid from left to right as he simply spectated. His height made him tower above all and let him truly get a three-hundred-sixty degree view around him of what destruction unfolded. Citizens rushed past him, either to run away from the violence or to help participate in the chaos, he couldn't care.

Even though the streets almost flowed and became mired in anger and revenge, the Sephi felt the opposite. The mayhem reminded him of his home and how much of an antithesis that it was. His father had trained him well, preparing him for the galaxy and teaching him to fend for himself. While it wasn't done in a loving manner, that fact didn't subtract that he was more equipped than most could say for themselves. Even if he was trained to thrive in these situations, it didn't prevent Raphael from feeling a deep pang of homesickness and his desperation to return.

Where there was order and control back home, the Sephi was surrounded by utter depravity that was displayed openly and without shame. It was a harsh reminder of how far he actually was and how much he was sacrificing for his father. Raphael was naturally patient but he was practically counting the days until he could return back to where he belonged.

As he continued further, he saw the riot reach a critical mass as the police and the citzens came to blows. Weapons were involved and that meant it became bloody with the authorities allowed to use more force. Once again, the Sephi remained in the back, his height giving him a perfect angle to watch.

As more blood became spilled, his ears couldn't help but catch the sounds of screaming, uniquely women and children. His hearing made it easy for him to track and only to find a young man attempting to lead them to a nearby alley. But, as he was about to tear his gaze away, he caught sight of a familiar color. Raphael's head would snap back to the boy but only to find him and the women in the alley already. The Sephi swore he saw them, the trademark of his house, their silver eyes. His mind had to be playing tricks on him but they were recognizable from anywhere.

Almost without his control, he began to walk towards the alley.

@Arcangel @Sreeya

 

[Amun Seti]

Jeset was just there instigating the riot, pushing it to newer and more violent heights, minding his own business... When a mountain of a man shoulder checked him as he passed through the crowd. There was little Jeset could do about the surprise impact other than have the breath knocked out of him as he was knocked rudely to the ground.

He scrambled, trying to get back up, trying to get eyes on the asshole who knocked him down when a foot flashed across his vision and he felt a vicious impact to his face. Blood burst from his nose, soaking into the mask as more impacts rained around him, the hurried feet of angry and panicked rioters making little to no distinction between the ground and the slight echani boy who had been knocked down.

Jeset took a few more blows before he managed to grab onto a leg and trip the owner, climbing up over a rodian and back to his feet as he left the alien to receive the same punishment he had. His head whipped around, trying to find the culprit so he could enact some street level vengeance but he had no luck. Pinching his nose, he raised his mask to spit blood for a second before letting it fall back in place.

Silver eyes turned to the front line of the riot where security officers barely held the rioters at bay with a shield wall. He couldn't get back at the guy who had knocked him over, but he could take his anger out somewhere. Approaching the front line, Jeset found a position where a large group of people were pushing against the shield wall.

Starting with a gentle pressure he pushed them forwards with the force, the pressure building until they all collapsed into a tumble down pile that was swiftly overrun as the riot poured behind the security officer lines, breaking their discipline and sending them running as they found themselves vulnerable to the wave of massed citizens.

@Sreeya @Orbit

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra was only vaguely aware of the fact that he trucked someone as he passed. His initial thought was to simply keep moving and not give a shit. However, now that the family he was ushering away was safe, he sighed and cast a glance over his shoulder. The moron he ran into was on the ground and actively being stepped on and trampled.

He shoved past a few people to find the guy amidst the crowd. Before he could trip the Rodian, Ezra reached down and grabbed the Echani by the arm, yanking him up to his feet. The guy looked a little dazed as Ezra pulled him out from the suffocating crowds. Ezra was tall and slightly broad, so he had an easier time shoving people out of the way.

He looked at the guy, who appeared to be a lanky teen. He almost did a double take, catching another set of silver eyes. He didn’t often run into eyes like that, “Hope I didn’t interrupt your nap,” He said with a scoff before releasing his arm. Ezra turned away to go back to anyone that needed assistance.

@Arcangel @Orbit

 

[Amun Seti]

Jeset hit the ground after being shoulder checked by a man much larger than him, the breath knocked out of him. He tried to twist, to catch sight of his assailant. Instead he took a boot to the face. Blood sprung from his nose, filling the inside of his mask. Several other blows rang down as the crowd failed to distinguish between the ground and his body.

He reached for something to drag himself up only to have someone drag him up by the arm with a firm grasp around his arm, pulling him out of the thick of the crowd. Jeset found himself almost dumbfounded for a moment, shocked by the help of the very man who knocked him down and even more shocked to be looking straight into a pair of eyes that seemed almost a mirror of his own in hue.

Glancing down, or rather, straight ahead, Jeset's eyes settled on a crystal that lay on his attacker turned rescuer's broad chest. There was no mistaking that it was a kyber crystal, hanging from the man's neck on a thin chain. His eyes shot back up to meet the guy's double take, catching his scoffing words which only left the Sith more confused as his rescuer released the tight grip he held on his arm and turned to walk away.

Jeset pulled his mask slightly off his face to spit blood on the ground, intending to turn back to the crowd and ignore what had just happened. He glanced back towards the riot line but something tugged him away. Damnit. He turned and chased after the guy, curiosity overwhelming him in the depth of the chaos. The rush of power that had been fueling Jeset had been knocked firmly out of him in the midst of the trampling crowd, leaving him alone in his mind that was still reeling with the trauma of the nexus. He had to know.

"Hey!" He shouted over the crowd as he caught up to the guy, attempting to grab his arm to stop him from rushing off. He had to know. "Why did you save me?" The question blurted out of his mouth without the moderation of his brain. Why would anyone save him? The concept after years spent in the depths of the Sith was so... foreign to him. He needed to know why someone would just... help people.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

It was chaos all around, people shoving, pushing, punching. Ezra was still picking up the basics of being Jedi, but he had been taught martial combat by his father. It was mandatory for both him and his sister to know self defense from a young age. He was on high alert, making his way through the path and where he could spot more of an altercation. Ezra heard someone call out, but assumed it wasn’t for him. There were lots of people shouting.

As he felt someone grab his arm from behind, Ezra whirled around in the blink of an eye, yanking the arm off himself. He moved abruptly and fluidly, the arm suddenly held behind the culprit’s back. Ezra lightly shoved him into the alley wall before he realized it was the guy he accidentally knocked over. Ezra quickly released him and spun him around to face him. His eyes were slightly wide with surprise.

“My bad, I thought you were trying to jump me,” Ezra explained sheepishly, glancing back at the raging crowds. He was entirely caught off guard by the question, blinking a few times. In fact, he had considered not helping. His first instinct had been to ignore him and just walk off. However, he couldn’t deny that being a Jedi started to give him a new sense of purpose. He knew he had a strength, a gift, that could be utilized to do things far beyond himself.

Ezra was deep in thought for a moment, but he kept his eyes trained on the Echani’s, “Because no one else was going to,” He answered flatly. That was all there was to it. It was as complicated as it was simple, but he knew it was what it meant to be a Jedi.

@Arcangel

 

[Amun Seti]

Jeset didn't know what he was expecting. He definitely wasn't expecting to be put into an armlock and shoved into an alley wall. That was exactly what happened however as his rescuer moved with a practiced fluidity that spoke of years of training. It took the young Sith completely off guard, as unfocused as his mind was in that moment.

If the guy had meant to shove Jeset into the wall lightly, he underestimated his own strength and Jeset found himself slammed into the wall before suddenly being released and manhandled around to face the guy. He blinked in a bit of a daze as the guy seemed almost embarrassed. To be fair, Jeset had thought of jumping him when he had been under the boot of the crowd, though that thought had rapidly fled after being rescued.

Jeset didn't have much choice but to stand there and hold the stranger's stare, growing slightly uncomfortable as he could see the thoughts running through the guy's mind. It was a long moment and Jeset thought he saw several different ideas flit through the guy's eyes before he finally answered. The answer was like a flick to the forehead and Jeset just stood there and blinked for a moment.

Because no one else was going to?

He searched the man's eyes, trying to find something. Some sort of ulterior motive, some sort of gain. What did he get out of rescuing Jeset from being trampled by the crowd. He was just going to walk away after the deed. It didn't make any sense. Jeset's eyes flicked back to the rioting crowd, the primal darkness that drove them. The anger, the fear. The base emotions of passion that fueled every deed that sentients did, or so Jeset had thought.

"Because no one else-... What are you some kinda Jedi or something." Jeset said with a laugh as he turned away slightly to release another gush of blood from under the mask onto the street before pinching his nose. "Nobody just... Helps people." He said incredulously as he talked while pinching off the blood flowing out of his nose, his voice somewhat nasally. He was beginning to feel a little light headed. How long had he been bleeding for?

@Sreeya

 

[Raphael Valtiere]

The streets had turned to anarchy, smog almost overtaking any breathable air as wrecks and fires raged on. Despite the situation deteriorating, Raphael pressed onto the alley at his own place, every step becoming heavier uncontrollably. Each thought that came was as quickly replaced by a new one but a snapshot image of that one boy's eyes replayed over and over in his head.

Closing in on the alley, the density of people grew thicker. A couple of people even bumped into him, quickly earning a physical yank to the side or into the back of someone else. For the one that had been thrown into another, he had recovered and stepped forward, ready for a fight until he saw Raphael waiting there patiently. The man had first stared at the his arm, expecting his head to be there before his gaze had slowly risen to already find the Sephi peering down at him with his silver gaze. There was an icy intensity to them that only House Valtiere could produce. Quickly, the man backed off for his own good before Raphael continued on without a word.

As he neared the alley, his sensitive ears were able to pick up bits of the conversation between Jeset and Ezra. Under normal circumstances where he could have understood every word perfectly, the screaming and clanging the riots were producing was mind splitting. Raphael had tried to withstand the pain at the first but it was almost unbearable at this point. Even though what was basically comparable to being front row at an orchestra, he was able to make out one word that he thought was at least one of the kids he saw, "Jedi"

Instead turning into the alley, he waited at the mouth of it and behind a wall, one hand against the flat surface to steady himself. It was a chance to eavesdrop but also give him a moment to collect his breath. The conversation could produce nothing and the sound causing him to act paranoid but he knew what he witnessed earlier.

@Sreeya @Arcangel

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra’s face remained impassive as the guy blew out bloody snot rockets. Was that a result of bumping into Ezra? The Thorne stayed silent at the incredulous reaction to being saved. He quirked a brow, crossing his arms. He didn’t flinch at the mention of Jedi, nor did he give any reaction to the term, “A simple thank you would be nice, but I guess I’m the reason you were on the ground,” He shrugged vaguely.

He took out a medpac he had on him - a habit he picked up from always being stuck on terrible missions. Ezra took out bacta patches and handed it to the guy to help staunch the flow and ease the pain of any other cuts he had, “Use that,” He said flatly, “Or you’ll pass out before you can give a speech on anarchy,” Ezra said with a faint grin.

He glanced over towards the tall guy standing at the mouth of the alley. Those eyes were incredibly familiar, and they were very different from the Echani eyes. Ezra caught himself staring at the man, brows furrowing a bit, “Do I know you?” He asked before quickly looking back at the guy in front of him. He seemed the type to pickpocket people when they weren’t looking.

@Orbit @Arcangel

 

[Amun Seti]

Jeset shot a glare at the much taller man as he shrugged in a non apologetic manner, asking for a thank you before realizing exactly why that was stupid. He was about this close to telling him to fuck right off when he pulled out a medpac and handed some bacta patches to Jeset. Jeset stared at them in the man's hand for a moment as if he were handing him poison before snatching them from him.

"Yeah well I wouldn't have gotten kicked in the face if you hadn't knocked me over." He said with venom in his voice as he took off his mask, though he couldn't help the slight grin that threatened to break across his face at the little joke about anarchy.

The mask was a bloody mess along with his face under it, he probably looked like he had taken a piece of raw meat and slathered it all over his face beneath the nose. He was about to discard the mask on the ground, before thinking better of leaving his DNA behind, instead stuffing it into his back pocket as he set about patching up his nose.

He saw a certain irony in being pissed at the guy for knocking him over, considering he had basically pushed the riot into its present state, both with his actions at the Nexus and now with aggravating the crowd and police. Looking out of the alley he could see that things were still progressing nicely, there were more fires burning and bodies on the street.

The dark side was thick in the air and gave whatever hint of darkness his own aura held a perfect camouflage.

That didn't stop the shiver that crawled down the back of his neck as he spotted the tall, dark haired man who was lurking at the edge of the alley. Jeset glanced between him and his 'savior', eyes narrowing for a moment as he spotted similarities between the two of them. Most notably the silver eyes that were so unlike his own echani silvers.

"Who's this your uncle or something?" Jeset asked at the same time that Mr. Medpac asked his own question that confirmed the other man was not in fact his uncle, before looking back at Jeset in an accusing manner, as if he were about to catch him redhanded lifting something off of him. "What?" Was all Jeset could muster as he finished stuffing his nose with bacta patches and trying his best to clean the blood off his face with another.

@Sreeya @Orbit

 

[Raphael Valtiere]

Raphael had been more affected then he realized as he misjudged how far the corner had been. He half stumbled past it and out into the open mouth of the alley. There was little he could do to the hide once he had been exposed and the other two quickly spotted him, especially given his size. While this wasn't exactly how he planned this encounter out, his stumble gave him an opportunity to fully study Ezra. Jeset would notice that the Pure Sephi's attention was mainly focused on Ezra only and specifically his eyes.

There was no denying what origin they came from, House Valtiere. If it couldn't have been made more obvious, the fellow kid has his own pair of silver eyes but they were still completely different. Both Raphael and Ezra's would have similar qualities, their optics containing a depth that was as deep as an abyss. A tinge of blue, almost a sheen, infected both of their eyes, as if passing the notion they were almost oceans of silver themselves, ones that could be calm or as tumultuous as they came. At that moment, any headache or noise was completely pushed from the Sephi's attention as he realized he was standing in front of a distant relative.

With that truth, the second came relatively quickly and it was that Ezra was not a full Sephi. A Valtiere was once more out in the galaxy, mingling their House's blood with lesser ones. If they were anyone else, Raphael may have reacted differently but being out in the open and assaulted from all sides by sound, he was in no position to act out. The two kids would even be able to see his ears also permanently pushed backward as they attempted their best to cope.

Despite his difficulty, Raphael still perfectly picked up Jeset's half rhetorical question and answered, "You are possibly not that far off." Inhaling slowly, the Sephi would begin to walk forward slowly, mainly to contain the splitting ache in his head. When he was at a respectable distance, he came to a halt with his naturally hard gaze locked on Ezra. "My name is Tharon and it's obvious why I wanted to introduce myself. Would you mind sharing yours?" Raphael thought quickly on his feet and the lies slipped out with practiced ease.

His voice held the political smoothness he was trained to have but there was no emotion to his words. No warmth or cold, really any indication that he was lying about who he was. But, if Ezra stared into Raphael's eyes, he wouldn't be able to doubt the sense of familiarity that emanated from him.

@Sreeya @Arcangel