Cast Into Crimson

[Koil Solus]

♠ THEME ♠​

Sith were not the only people that had a reckoning coming. The Jedi were to be held responsible and the Silent Badger had plans to make them answer for their mistakes. Actions had consequences. Apathy was not to be rewarded. The Jedi had their own wrongs to answer for. Tonight the sky would not be the only thing cast in the color of blood.

A small fleet had dropped out of hyperspace over Jedha. The War councilor had specifically organized only the fastest ships for this operation. He wanted a hit and run strike against the Jedi Temple before the Galactic Alliance had time for reinforcements to arrive. They would get the word out, but help would come too late.

Several corvettes, with compliments of strike bombers hurtled through the atmosphere. Their own shielding kept the fore to suppress the dangerous forces atmospheric re-entry caused on ships of their size. Only then would they release the much faster craft. Their hangers opened and swarms of bombers bearing heavy payloads began their bombing runs.

Koil knew the Temple would be lacking in defenses. It was why he had chosen this time to strike. The Grandmaster, Arda Breaux, was inside the temple. It was a fortified structure and the amount of fire power needed to level it would be too great. The time was also a factor. Koil Solus was patient, but that did not mean time was something to be ignored. The raid on the Jedi Order's most prominent site would not go unnoticed.

Any anti-air defenses would be quickly quashed. Hosts of warriors would drop from their ships to assault the temple. Even before Koil landed he could see the light from various lightsabers belonging to jedi in their attempts to hold back the tide of baskar clad warriors. It was a losing battle.

The Mandalorian dropped from the corvette without a ship. Immediatly they left the artificial light of the hangar bay and were cast into the setting sunlight of Jedha. Hundreds of meters he would fall atop the back of his basilisk warrior. Streams of rockets and laser cannon fire would permanently silence numerous rebels and jedi alike. The clawed arms of the war machine slammed into the intricately cut temple steps. For Koil it was no different than Korriban. Same sort of feeling, just different grains of sand.

Step by step the basilisk made its way up the front steps. Around Koil's head, like a halo of foreshadowing were his troupe. Rarely did he openly use them in battle. But they served as his auditory heralds of what was to come. It was a dark day when one heard Silent Badger coming. It meant he did not need to hide.

The bestial mount's lumbering gate stepping over the bodies of the fallen. Koil knew once he was inside the war droid would not be as much use. Its size would not fit through as many door ways. A beam of its plasma cannons cut through a column like a lightsaber did through a wooden staff. Once elegantly crafted masonry fell to the ground, crushing some unfortunate rebels. Most Mandalorians would shout a war cry, calling out any warriors that dared to face him. Not Koil. The Silent Badger would find his quarry regardless. It was a matter of time.

@GABAdactyl

 

[Arda Breaux]

]

The temple evacuation was well on its way, it was no longer safe not since the Manda'lor made his declaration against the Jedi Order. She had yet to hear back from Teran and his meeting from the Manda'lor himself, but when she was informed the comm systems were being jammed, it was perhaps too late, the meeting a failure and guilt ate at the woman as she felt she did not do enough to return the Jedi to the prestige and numbers they were once prior their near annihilation. Now, of course, history seemed as though it were to repeat itself, even if they hid, the Mandalorians would hunt them down until every last one of their Order was killed. She wondered if the Manda'lor would be satisfied within this quest and to at what point would he stop when such vendettas would forever have a lust to them.

The bulk of their supplies and even artifacts of the Jedi have been removed by earlier shuttles; she thanked the Force the younglings had been some of the first to leave. However, this temple was far from empty, there were still many Jedi who refused to leave. They owed it to those who resided on Jedha as many committed to the service of the Light and ensuring they fulfilled their duties to others. Even if that meant putting their lives in danger, Arda could not deny them regardless of how much she protested. Following the first wave evacuations, Arda had taken the time to oversee the rest who were present, she still owed it to them to be there, but it was going to be short lived.

Arda moved through the halls, the Force burned brightly within as she cried out for the rest present to get to their transports. She stumbled in her step as the first wave of bombers came through. The stone structures cracked and debris fell from the ceiling, yells and cries from Jedi and rebel alike echoed in the halls as orders were given. Some headed to the exits, in hopes to meet the Mandalorian horde as they tore their way through relentlessly. The Grandmaster felt waves of death and darkside chuckled in its war that it had returned to the Jedi Order finally. The woman inhaled deeply, feeling those who were wounded, attempting to retreat back and a passing Jedi grabbed her arm, calling for her to follow.

"Go! I'll be right behind!" she said, giving a reassuring squeeze their shoulder, there was no protest from the Jedi as they took off to the hangers to finish evacuating. Others had fallen back and were regrouping at the front and she continued forward, letting her brown robe fall to the ground, stepping gracefully and with purpose. Her brow narrowed and her eyes were sharp with focus as she could feel the lure of death ahead of her past the ornate stone doors to the temple's entrance.

Arda took her saber hilt to her palm, the Force guiding her step, it washed a calm through her body. Breathe, trust in the Force...

"May the Force be with us." she softly spoke and with a snap-hiss her green blade ignited as the doors exploded inward. The woman raised her forearm blocking debris that would reach her position. The Mandalorians poured inside, but there was one that Arda knew who he was here for and the woman raised her blade.

@Darasaurus

 

[Koil Solus]

The last time Koil had seen the Galactic Alliance move with this panic was when their bases had been compromised. He had been on Al'doleem working with the officer and Jedi Devrim. This time the Mandalorian was not intending to help the Jedi Order and their associates.

Some starfighters engaged in dog fights overhead. The defending ships buying time for their evacuation to leave seeing as reinforcements would not arrive in time. They would come and retake the temple along with the planet or at least try to. That battle was uncertain for now and yet to even begin. But Koil was focused on making sure the current targets were driven from their dens.

Periodic updates would come to him but for now the work was simple. Drive the Jedi and Rebels from the temple. Kill any lightsaber wielding enemies that put up a fight. Koil was not going hold back. He still blamed them for the loss of Danny during the defense of the Jedi worlds years ago. There plenty of instances that gave him the resolve needed for this. The warriors were here to execute a plan. Koil was not especially taking pleasure in killing the force users. They were the enemy but at the same time he would not lose any sleep over it. Plenty of other Mando'ade felt more strongly about this than he did.

The westar blaster carbine bucked against his shoulder as he fired from the back of his mount. It was small compared to the fire power of the basilisks laser cannons. The rebels, the non-force sensitives were not a priority. But so many of them got in the way. The War Councilor would have shook his head if he were not focusing on killing them before they could counter his troops. The advance of the jetpack shock troopers and the bounding jump boots from various marauders had them quickly overrunning the forward defenses. It was a rush and there would be loses on the but that was a given. This was war.

Another reason the decorated warrior had brought the basilisk war droid was for its utilitarian purposes. He had heard of a technique known as Force Sealing before. It was one among many strange abilities the troublesome Jedi employed. Whether there were obstructions made with the force or of stardestroyer grade durasteel, his steed would cut through it. The Silent Badger was not an immovable object, but he was an unstoppable force.

The front doors had sealed before any Mandalorian could breach. The Galactic Alliance members that were on the front steps were finished, their wounds causing some to wait for blaster bolts in the chest or head to finish them off. Moments would pass as the distant sound of starfighters and bombers along with the evening winds were the only thing heard. Koil dropped from his war droid. His free hand reached over to his arm, activating his bulwark gauntlet shield. Around him the other warriors waited. On cue the basilisk fired its plasma canons into the door. A portion of the door at its center heated and glowed, the smell of slag reaching inside their helmets. And then once it was weak enough Koil gave a whistle and the basilisk fired two rockets into the door causing the opening to burst inwards showering the improvised entrance way with chunks of rock and dust.

The delay of getting through the front door had allowed some of the Knights to rally behind their leader. Rebels were stacked with weapons leveled. With the showering of stone and sand blaster bolts zipped through the space between the two sides. Jetpacks roared with Mandalorians entering both through the open air and on foot. Koil joined them from the front and spotted a face he recognized. The Jedi Grandmaster had chosen to stand and fight. At least she had some guts. Leveling his quickdraws as he circled overhead he would move with other shock troopers to flank them. The Silent Badger specifically fired off several bursts from each side arm towards the skilled woman.

@GABAdactyl

 

[Arda Breaux]

Emotion, yet peace...

To say her Rebels and Jedi were not fearful of what they saw and felt when the Mandalorians entered would have been a lie. It was not just their hate for the Force-wielders, but the satisfaction in the death that trailed behind them as they entered the temple. It poured inside, it was heavy and it was not in any way would bring eternal rest to those at the hand of the Mandalorians. The Mandalorians regardless how they tried to spin their crusade, it was clear this was not a war, it was an extermination. Their weapons and machines made overwhelming odds against their own skills at the saber and the Force. Arda for the briefest moment wondered what Raz Solus would make of the Mandalorian people now, if this was really the end goal and they were just making on borrowed time.

The badger fired several shots from his quickdraws, weapons that seemed like a staple for any Mandalorian or gun totting pirate in this galaxy. Arda stood her ground, slowly turning with the Mandalorian as her saber caught the bolts. The Force flowed through the Jedi woman as she was now an extension of its will. The precision of her blade work rivaled the best warriors in the galaxy, but she knew this one Mandalorian had more than just any marauder.

The fight broke out around her as the Mandalorians moved to flank them, the remaining rebels and Jedi took on the warriors, pulling the fight further into the halls of the temple where many of the halls and rooms would become their tombs. Though there was fear that touched their hearts, there was also courage that would rival the blind passion of the Mandalorians. They would fight for what they believed was right and in the briefest moments, their deaths would not be for in vain and they would not give into their own hatred or anger as the Mandalorians had tried to drive inward not only physically, but mentally also.

He continued to fire, but with each bolt it would either miss or reflect elsewhere, adding to the charring of the stone of the temple. However as he was airborne and focused on firing, he would find it difficult to navigate through the wave of the Force that would throw him off trajectory. She rotated her saber wrist, blocking a few stray shots, watching, feeling for what he would do next. No panic, no urgency, just peace among the chaos that wrapped physically around them.

Peace was something more than just the lack of war, it was acceptance of what was and what is, and what could be. It was the here-and-now of one's own physical, emotional, and mental state and for the Grandmaster, where she was at that moment felt ever so right, she was not to be anywhere else except here.

@Darasaurus

 

[Koil Solus]

She was skilled and tenacious. That much Koil could tell as she was able to avoid taking any bolt. He was going for sheer amount of incoming blaster fire rather than placed shots. The damage was not sent back to him though as the bolts hit around the temple. The sheer amount of combat was immense but despite this the two warriors focused on one another.

Arda was not the only one that was looking at the War Councilor. Her use of the Force made him stray from his originally planned movement. Off balance for a moment he had to find his target again but a blast bolt hit jetpack causing it to sputter on one side. Koil dropped rapidly. With gritted teeth he was able to roll into a crouch. With a practiced motion he quick released his jetpack knowing it would only slow him down. This was not the first time he had fought a force user.

His blaster quickly centered on the rebel that had fired on him, snuffing out his life. But his real quarry was still the Grandmaster. The others were just in the way. He let some of the chaos of battle hopefully distract Arda as he reloaded his quickdraw blasters. The Mandalorian had perhaps two bolts left in each canister when he dropped and he would rather reload early than run dry when in close proximity to a Jedi.

Readying his weapons he left cover and found the Grandmaster again amidst the combat. He fired as he moved closer. The majority of the defensive line was still focused forward. Bodies littered the open ground of the temple. It was a large place meant for many more living beings. Even with the commotion of the battle it still seemed far too devoid of Jedi and other living beings.

@GABAdactyl

 

[Arda Breaux]

Ignorance, yet knowledge...

Life was never as dichotomous as one wished it to be, it was clearly up to the choice of the self and not anyone else to make that decision and for Arda Breaux, she had faulted in her own biases. It was what made them... for lack of a better term, human in a galaxy of darkness. To believe every Mandalorian fighting her and her Jedi in that moment was bad would be the ignorance the Jedi fought to reverse. She watched as the Mandalorian struggled with his jetpack and felt the nudge of the Force to turn as she ejected her palm, sending back a grenade to its owner. She was certain that many of her rebels and Jedi believed the ignorance of the Mandalorians to be at fault, but where did they fault themselves. To be a bad person was a matter of perspective; she could see both arguments for the two fall into war with one another, but it would not be a fruitful one, it would be riddled with death and only further hate. She had hoped her Jedi had learned well to recognize this.

She turned back, keeping a perimeter as she watched the war councilor fire at a rebel, snuffing their life swiftly, there was enough shock and pain that Arda felt it in the Force. In fact, she could feel the light dwindle quickly around her, they were not going to win this, she knew it was not going to be a battle they would win. However, flickers of thought poked through, questioning if she were just a tad stronger, a bit faster, to give into the passion of victory that the Mandalorians have been poisoned with; would it have made a difference, would it have saved an extra life?

Passion, yet serenity...

Koil moved from his cover, his quickdraw firing again at the Grandmaster. She moved from her position, a quick burst of speed to get her out of the direct aim of the quickdraw, its bolts streaking past where she stood as she approached the Mandalorian from his corner. She could sense his hunt was for her, his passion to ensure they would remain victorious was evident by his resolve. She would make him keep moving, to reaim and fire if he wanted accuracy. With a simple flick of her wrist would she send large pieces of fallen columns that once decorated the temple at Koil. She looked to keep him just as busy as he was keeping her, but she wasn't shaken by the odds or by the brutality of the war that ripped the Order apart, she had to meet it with calm, with serenity, with balance.

@Darasuum

 

[Koil Solus]

This was not necessary. The Grandmaster could have tried to flee. Her troops could have fallen back to their ships or locked themselves deeper inside the Jedi Temple. But she remained here to fight. The Jedi was set on dying for her cause. Koil would think back on this moment in the days to come. Many times he had thought if a mission was going to be his last. The man still believed that today he might die.

Bolts flew through the air, missing the blurred image of Arda as she avoided his shots. But she had a ranged counter attack. It was strange to see an inanimate object move on its own. But that was an illusion. Arda's extended arms, her mind was moving the chunks of rubble. Koil dove to the side, rolling as one piece exploded into smaller rocks on the stone wall beyond him.

He squeezed off another few shots at Arda but knew that one boulder sized rock was not going to be the last of it. The second was just barely avoided, the air being pulled past him in the wake of the telekinetically hurled debris. The third was more on target. At least it was smaller but it was still the size of a swoop bike. The chunk bulldozed him and knocked the wind out of him. He was pretty sure that it had also cracked a rib or two. The force sent into the improvised projectile still was enough to send Koil rolling too. A grunt escaped his mouth. One of his quickdraws skidded out of his hand.

His other quickdraw had a few shots left but he knew it was not going to be enough to finish the Grandmaster. The man fired at Arda mostly to keep her from pressing the attack while he righted himself. The War Councilor's free hand drew his Dirk slug pistol and began firing once his quickdraw ran dry. The blaster soon found its place back in the holster though now without any ammunition.

The now open hand pulled the Fallen Blade from the same belt. The Bane of the Jedi, as it was called, hummed out to the side of the Silent Badger. Red and black, it seemed appropriate all things considered. At first Koil had thought that it was strange that Darth Victress had carried three sabers, two that were the same, and the one that the Echani now held in his gloved hands. But after some questions it became clear that the force users had held the weapon in high regard. Plus, it was the weapon Victress had used against him and which he had unceremoniously mutilated her corpse with. Now there was a chance that it would also take the life of Arda Breaux.

@GABAdactyl

 

[Arda Breaux]

Chaos, yet harmony...

Another bombing run shook the temple, more of structure cracking and crumbling over its weakened state and it was enough of a hit for the Grandmaster to stumble in her footing. She ducked and rolled out of more falling debris, coming up to a knealing position before jumping back to her feet in time for more bursts of the quickdraw targeted her. The Mandalorian was slowed, but not out of the fight yet as he recovered the hit, it was clear this was not going to be first and possibly not his last battle with the Jedi. Standing her ground she continued to fall on the defense until the temple shook again, she fell into her senses reaching outward to the others in the temple, but the light was fading, her Knights who were locked in the fight were falling quickly, one by one as their consciousness would return back into the vast folds of the Force.

She felt a physical sting as one of the Mandalorian's slug shots bypassed her defense, snagging her in the side. Her armor took most of the hit, but the bleed through was still apparent. Retreat was not an option for Arda, and though she knew some had begun to find a way from the temple and Jedha, to find their transports and head off world, she had to stay to afford some time. She surely hoped her person would carry some weight, to draw the attention of the Mandalorians as they watched the fight unfold, even more so now as the war councilor drew a blade of his own.

Not one of Mandalorian design, but it was of Sith, its bled crystal was obvious and the cold of the dark side flowed from the Mandalorian regardless if he felt it or not. The saber shriek in the Force, calling for her to submit to her own passions and in reward, she could have him and the blade, a victory that was not possible without payment. The woman shook her head and she shook out her wrist with a rotation of the blade, skirting along the surface of the temple's floor sparking as she brought it back into a defensive position. Her side still stung, but her eyes narrowed in focus as she prepared to entertain the Mandalorian in his fight, in his victory for Jedha.

@Darasuum

 

[Koil Solus]

The pistol remained leveled at the Jedi. Koil's eyes focused beyond the sights of his side arm. The crimson gaze stared out of the V slit visor and saw how Arda readied herself. "Come and get me." she said with her body language and the Silent Badger was about to indulge her.

One step forward then a second. His finger pulled the trigger of the slug thrower once, twice, three times, more. His feet sped up their pace as he emptied the slug thrower towards the defensive form of the Grandmaster. She would probably be able to block each one. Her focus was on him and the Echani recognized a good defense when he saw it.

By the time he got within striking distance his hand dropped the pistol. The left arm swung forward to simply slash across in front of Arda. Some people pressed the attack and feigned defense. But it would be the first attack in the close quarters fight between the War Councilor and the Grandmaster.

As he swung the fallen blade in front. His body twisted enough so that his right arm was mostly behind his body and out of Arda's sight. His right arm twitched to activate the N.E.W.D.A. mounted with a vibro blade on his right forearm. The small weapon entered his grip in a heartbeat. But how the Jedi acted would decide which steps Koil would take in this dance of violence.

@GABAdactyl

 

[Arda Breaux]

The light surrounding her had dimmed, she could no longer feel the Jedi left in the temple fighting with her, they had all passed. The soldiers who fought along side them continued their fight creating an open invitation for the Mandalorian forces to grant them mercy by their blood gods. Jedha was much darker without the Jedi, fear had spread through the populations who called this world home and Arda wished she could soothe their despair, to tell them to continue to trust in the Force, to trust in themselves and the light would not fade. She hoped that her teachings would continue from those who did escape, their ships attempting to break through atmosphere and bypass the Mandalorian cruisers that herald the skyline. She hoped that what she did do for the Order was enough and that her successors would continue to serve and never lose faith in the Force.

The Mandalorian swung his blade across her front twisting his body to hide his right arm out of sight. Arda had met his own blade with a clash of her own, the sabers crackling from contact and preventing him from quickly bisecting the Jedi Grandmaster. As their blades clashed, the Jedi sent a push into his center mass, pressing against his diaphragm in order to send him back a few meters to create distance between the two. He clearly would have out match her in strength and Arda knew she could not beat him in that game. Though she would follow him, her blade raised as she prepared for another attack from the Mandalorian.

There was an inner peace that the woman suddenly felt as death closed in around her, time was indeed short, but she felt as though she had so much more time than she had realized prior. No longer she needed to worry about the Jedi and rebels who still fought in the temple as their fates were now in the care of the Force. Her own faith within the Force ignited hope, this was where she needed to be, there was no where else she had to go, it would be in the steps of her students to carry that torch.

@Darasaurus

 

[Koil Solus]

The woman was ready and his offense was countered readily enough. The push send him sliding back several meters. His boots skidded in the sand and dust causing small clouds to temporarily show his tracks. Legs bent he tried his best to slow the momentum and keep himself from getting too far away from her.

The man was not going to tell her to stop fighting. He was not going to tell her to submit to him and ask for mercy or surrender. The woman was going to fight with her last breath. The Silent Badger did not need to have affinity with the force to know someone's commitment. The Echani people communicated in hand to hand combat and warfare in general was something the War Councilor was well versed. Arda Breaux was intent on fighting to the death. Koil could respect that.

A growl came from him at being denied by the ethereal Force. The booted feet pushed off, sending another puff of dust behind him. A swing high then low. Each time their blades would crackle and zap as they connected. Koil would press against Arda's blade instead of bringing it away for a third strike. Instead he dragged the connection of their respective sabers and pinched the Jedi's sword with his vibro-knife before he yanked it to the side hoping to completely disarm Arda but at least making an opening for him to kick her in her chest. With her saber no longer between her and him her guard was open.

The man kept the Fallen Blade on the Jedi's own lightsaber. His vibro knife left contact as the Silent Badger lunged forward. The deadly weapon aimed toward the center of the Jedi's chest. The force behind it enough to plunge straight through any armor platting, through the ribcage of the woman, and possibly, even into her heart.

@GABAdactyl

 

[Arda Breaux]

He returned with speed and ambition, the warrior searched for justification in his fight as he returned to the Grandmaster with two blades now. He swung and she met his blade keeping him from pressing further into his attack, she parried, a bit of strength aided by the Force to knock back his blade. The waves of the Force were settling, she could feel it with each strike against the Mandalorian. No longer did they seem to be in turmoil, no longer did she feel the urgency, time met nothing now for her at least. His blade came down overhead again and the woman blocked his strike and once more he continued, his blade swinging and the second one pinched her saber, locking her into a vulnerable position and it would be in that moment she knew death had reached her.

The mandalorian's vibroblade slid without resistance into her chest, piercing her heart.

Death, yet the Force...

She would never know what it felt like for her, death brought pain to the living, for the Jedi, there was no pain, just peace as she slip into nothingness and into the vast sea of the Force. Her body fell limp and her saber deactivated as it fell from the grasp of the woman. Her eyes closed and backwards she fell, joining her brethren in the temple turned tomb on Jedha.

@Darasaurus

 

[Koil Solus]

The red and blue contrast of the two sabers turned to only a red glow. The blue lightsaber left the Grandmaster's hand as her grip weakened the moment her heart stopped. It left them both in just the humming presence of the Fallen Blade. The jedi's lightsaber rolled for a moment. She did not fall softly.

The blade had been slammed into her chest, sending her flat onto the ground. The blade remained imbedded in her chest as she fell, the War Councilor having let go of the weapon. Koil raised the lightsaber and took another step over the Jedi. But her eyes were closed and her body completely still. She was dead before she even seemed to have hit the ground. It seemed to have been quick, and relativly speaking, clean. Going out with a face to face fight was honorable even in a Mandalorian's eyes.

The fading sounds of combat continued. The last of the Rebels and Jedi were either dead, dying, or had fled. Smoke and death were carried on the arid winds of Jedha that day. The Silent Badger, among the victorious Mandalorians in the temple walked over to a chunk of the temple that had fallen. He slid onto the edge and let his feet dangle from it. A few meters away he stared at the corpse of the Grandmaster.

Koil had killed scores of men and women over the years. They fought with helmets, with expressions of rage and fear, but few had died with a look of peace. The man was partially jealous. When his time came, he could only hope to be at peace with himself. Dropping his gaze he stared at the Fallen Blade. It had not been a Sith weapon that had killed the Jedi. The Echani had used his own weapon to kill his enemy. Maybe he would write a song about that.

Whatever he was going to do, it would have to be done after the Mandalorians left Jedha. Chances were that the remaining Galactic Alliance was going to form a counter attack. No rest for the wicked....at least not till... Koil slid back off the stone after a few minutes. They would leave the temple. It held little in the ways of actual strategic value in terms of fortifications. A new lightsaber hung on the Silent Badger's belt and the memory of how it had been earned forever added to his memory.

♠ END THREAD ♠​