Day-Tripping in the Rim (Pre-DotR Character Testing)

[StormWolf]

"You and I seem to remember our bouts of sparring quite differently," Rhonan said to Lealynn with a smirk and a soft quirk of his head. She was by no means a lout when it came to sparring, but she was definitely the defensive sort, where Rhonan had a tendency for battering his opponent swiftly and savagely. Perhaps it was not the Jedi way, but he was no Jedi, not yet. Rhonan had been poised to continue his conversation with Lealynn, but one of the Knights spoke up, his voice quelling the murmuring din of the Padawans.

Watching with studious intent, Rhonan all but gawked at Knight Raz's lightsaber, and lit up like a fusion lamp when the Knight passed the shoto of his saber off to Rhonan. Though the Padawan knew the instrument to be anything but delicate, he handled it as if the hilt were made of Alderaan blown glass. Pupils narrowed to thin slits of black in focus, Rhonan slowly turned the saber in his cubbish hands, studying every aspect of its construction. He swore that he could feel the hilt resonate in the Force, sending a soft tingle down his spine an setting his hackles on end. Only a subtle shift in the shuttle's flight brought Rhonan to notice the discussion going on. Taking a moment to repeat Knight Raz's question, the Cathar formulated his answer,

"I don't believe the Jedi exist simply to combat the Sith, or injustice," said Rhonan, quietly at first, his thumb brushing over the smooth metal of Knight Raz's lightsaber. "A Jedi should focus their purpose on combating suffering, whether it be from natural or artificial horrors and disasters. So many look to the Jedi for guidance, they should be guided with an open hand, not a clenched fist," Rhonan finished, taking a breath as he felt his hackles shoot up again.

Suddenly, the ship sharply rocked, harder than any simple turbulence would effect a vessel like theirs. Klaxons blazed and Rhonen felt his stomach drop as the shuttle fell from the sky, the shuttle cabin suddenly feeling so much smaller. Fear sank its icy fingers into the Cathar, stirring the inky depths of horrific memory. Rhonan clenched his eyes tightly shut and pressed himself into the back of his seat. Still clenching the Knight's saber, Rhonan went stiff as a board, his other hand snapping to Lealynn's, holding it tightly. He had been clenching his jaws so tightly, his gums ached. Impact shook Rhonan to the bone, and he clamped his mouth shut to stifle a cry. Taking a long moment - sever moments, actually - to collect himself, Rhonan slowly opened his eyes, met with the muted red of emergency lighting.

"Is everyone okay?" Rhonan asked with a groan.

 

[Richie B.]

(OOC: Hope it is alright if I say I am outside the ship)

Jaleer was a older Jedi knight, at least for a human, being near 40 years old and already he felt old, definitely not a good sign. Having spent a night out in the wide grassy lands of Lothal, the older knight remembered his youth on Dantooine where he was from and how the two planets seemed so similar. Having a smile the sage got up his hair a mess, not in the usual bun that it would be, seeing as there was no need to be all serious. The sage grabbed his fathers old sword, and lightsaber and began to head to the temple with a smile and a relax aura around him.

Of course that was until he felt the force warn him, looking up the sage stared wide eye, as a ship fell from the sky. Running out of the way the old sage saw the ship crash into the fields. Cringing as he thought about the people who most likely be waking up hours later with a headache, knowing he had to do something being a Jedi healer and all, the sage spirited at full speed. With the wind blowing against his face, the man's relax face turned more serious every second.

Once Jaleer reached the crash ship, he looked at the ship and began to do what he did best, using the force. Pulling the loading ramp down with the force, taking a minute to catch his breath, seeing as it has been a while since the sage had to use the force like that. Beating himself mentally thinking he has gotten soft the sage, put on his more forced smile, hoping to find those still awake and keep them calm.

Though the sage could tell that those in the ship were Jedi, he still needed to do his best as a healer.

"Hello anyone injured I am Jedi knight Jaleer Reulki, and I am a healer if you are awake, remain calm I will help you." Jaleer said hoping to keep those inside calm, walking in and staring a bit wide eye with the damage.

 

[Oreus]

A green blade ignited as Kwanli pulled the wooden lightsaber hilt to his hand. He looked about the now darker cabin a moment before turning in surprise as the landing ramp was seeming torn open from the outside. The Wookiee swiftly moved down it to find it had been another Jedi, just in time to avoid a savage attack from Kwanli he had spoken up.

If not this being, what took down our ship?

A survey of the surrounding area seemed clear. Nothing was coming towards them that he could see and the temple was barely a speck on the horizon already. Most interesting that the shuttle should crash with such seemingly low damage. A force pull of outrageous power? A laser shot? They all seemed unlikely. Mechanical error was possible but such things were usually maintained better for this exact reason.

"Exit the ship. We will walk to the Temple," the Wookiee started, looking back up the ramp.

He knew some may be injured but they needed to move if there was any foul play. Who would hurt a Jedi shuttle out here? The force was abuzz with thoughts as so many Jedi were gathered in one place dealing with their different emotions to this situation. This made it hard to feel what else was out there, especially with Kwanli stubted by his own anger. After some started leaving the shuttle, he saw the dust cloud forming on the horizon. Something was coming for them now.

 

[Lucy Lou]

"Maybe in the past we were evenly matched, but you've gotten stronger since we were Initiates." She said flashing her own grin right back at him. The conversation was interrupted as one of the Jedi Knights started what could be best described as an impromptu lesson, passing his saber to Rhonan before asking what it meant to be Jedi.

Lael leaned forward in her seat slightly, leaning over Rhonan's lap a little in order to get a better look at the saber as well. It was a magnificent. A work of art, like the other sabers that she'd observed. Her own training saber rested at her hip. The training sabers were loans until a student made their own saber. To Lael, creating her saber was important, it had to be done just right. It would be a representation of herself for her entire time as a Jedi. She would be defined by her saber. It would be the only one she'd ever have, so over the recent years she'd begun to study every saber she could. A decision, especially an educated decision, was what she'd strive for. The construction of this one was different, then anything she'd yet seen and as Rhonan turned the weapon over in his hand reverently, she took in every bit of the construction that she could.

Her Cathar friend's voice purring in her ear drew her attention away from the blade and she filed away what she saw and observed to go back over later and to add to her saber notes. Lael was if anything, very meticulous in her methods. Her blue eyes flashed upward toward Jedi Knight Raz as her fellow padawan spoke. She agreed with him. Being a Jedi wasn't about hunting Sith. It was about protecting those who couldn't protect themselves. Saving those who couldn't save themselves.

She opened her mouth to speak her answer, only to be shaken violently as something went wrong and the ship started to drop from the sky like a stone. Lael could feel her stomach move up into her throat. A large, comforting paw gripped at her hand and she squeezed it tightly with the soft worn fabric of her glove while squeezing her eyes shut. She could feel Rhonan holding her hand just as tightly and knew he was likely just as terrified as she.

As the ship hit the ground, she jerked roughly against the seat restraints, suddenly glad that she'd snapped them in. A sharp pain suddenly bloomed across one side of her chest as a rib or two snapped under the pressure against her small frame. A cry echoing that pain before she bit at her lip, her eyes prickling with tears. Then suddenly the ship halted in it's sliding and things were still. Her breathing was shallow, panting.

"Still here." She managed out quietly at Rhonan's question. Then a screeching noise echoed in the ruined space as someone outside pried open the shuttle's ramp. Other answering groans and movement around her indicated that others were still alive. She dangled from the seat pulled by gravity, as the ship sat at a slight angle from the fall. Others were getting up and shuffling from the shuttle, directed by Knight Kwanli.

 

[Aurius]

Cecil groaned from the impact, and unclipped himself from the seat, kicking aside a metal pole that had landed on his left foot. He rose to observe the damage. Somehow, the interior of the vessel remained intact, but the ramp was torn off, and the pilots cabin looked extremely damaged.

As the Jedi, led by Kwanli, shuffled out of the shuttle, he made his way to the cockpit, and immediately regretted it. The pilot had died in the crash, his head smashed against the back of his seat. Cecil checked the control panel to see if there had been an error message, or some sort of system malfunction. It was not so.

What is this? Who would attack a Jedi vessel in a peaceful, neutral system. Not the Sith, even they wouldn't be so bold.

He exited the vessel with the rest of the group, and immediately checked the sides of the ship. As he feared: Scorch marks. It was shot down by something. The mystery, was by what? The landing ramp was bent an destroyed. Had it been destroyed in the crash? Or was that also blasted open?

Cecil immediately walked over to Kwanli, speaking to all the Knights.

"This was no accident. Blaster marks, on the left side of the ship. With all due respect, were sitting ducks if we walk back in the open. Our best bet is to inform the temple of our predicament and maintain our position. Either way, whatever shot us down may come back. Better to make them, or it, think that we died on impact...."

At that moment, he felt it. The cold. A chill that rocked him to the bone. A realization hit him... The blaster bolts where regular blast marks. Nothing that could take down an entire ship. It was simply meant to look like it was done by a blaster...

He felt it. It was ancient, a power that seemed to have been stirred by the high Jedi presence.

 

[Vayate Merrick]

He had heard the boy's remark for what it meant to be a Jedi, and part of him sunk, but still felt pride in the fact that this one wanted to protect the weak. Before he could respond however the ship groaned and rattled before rapidly dropping, crashing into the ground with a loud clamor of metal grinding against rock and earth.

As the dust settled, and everyone was recovering from the crash, Raz exited the hull, and saw the blaster marks as his companion remarked on them. Just great, exactly what we needed, he thought to himself. Turning to see that Rhonan still held his Shoto inside the ship, Raz spoke.

"Hold on to that for now Rhonan, until we figure out what is happening. I trust you know how to use it, at least in the rawest sense?"

Activating his pike, as its yellow blade glimmered into existence with a crackling sound of air immediately diffusing, Raz jumped with the aide of the force so that he was on top of the ship, looking out into the distance for any sign of threats. Pushing out with the force, as best he could, to attempt to see any hidden foes. Whilst searching the area like a ravenous Rancor, he shouted down.

"Knights, surround the Padawans just in case this is more then what it looks like. Those of you who have sabers, protect your group mates, we have no clue what is out there yet."

 

[Richie B.]

(OOC: Sorry if it seems I am doing a lot, but wanted to see test something and hopefully keep this going.)

Jaleer wasn't a man of action many could see that by the way he holds himself usually but now the old care free sage was taken over by the healer who knows his way around a battlefield seeing that many within the ship were injured at least one had some damage in her ribs and was dangling off her seat. Rushing to the young padawans side (@Megilwen ) he gently held her up an with a slight tug with the force, unhook her from the seat, letting her drop into his arms.

Thanks to the force the weight of the young girl wasn't to much for the older Jedi. Looking around he notice others with varies injured and knew that he was going to be a very busy man. Which caused him to mentally groan in frustration and after a moment to calm himself took the young Padawan and gently held her as to not further injury the ribs.

"Padawans help each other and exit the ship in a calm manner. I will look over each and every one of you, do not worry I am a Jedi healer and if you will be patient with me, take away the pain and mend the injuries." Taking the padawan outside he placed her down on the soft grass looking at the ribs which he felt was the cause of her pain.

Looking around at his fellow knights he groan as they were not doing what they should be doing as Jedi. Working together and helping each other, right now one wanted to just leave forgetting that it's just open Terran and would make them easy targets. The other wanted to be ready to fight which isn't a bad idea but it wasn't the way of the Jedi, plus they weren't all Jedi knights many were padawans who wouldn't last a second if the enemy truly wanted their heads. The best path would be one with a peaceful ending but only the wookie seemed to have such a idea.

Opening himself up to the force he connected his mind with the two Jedi knights that has been most vocal (@Bauren @Vayate Merrick ) first touching the wookies mind, an once he turned around the sage signaled for the furry knight to come over, than touching the zealous knights mind and signaling him over. Hopefully the two would be reasonable so that they can work together before actually doing something foolish. Looking around he notice that many still needed his attention which caused him to let out a loud groan.

Looking down at the injured padawan he would give her a goofy smile as he tried to calm her down.

"Breath the pain will be over soon, I will count to 3 than I will heal your injury but be warn it will hurt so be prepared." Not waiting for a replied he gathered the force within himself and placed one hand over the broken bones, using force sense to make sure he was over the wound.

"One.." Using force to drag the bones back to back into their right positions, this alone will cause the young padawan pain but using the force to heal the bones would make the pain nearly unbearable but the sage would not be fazed though it hurt him to sense the padawans pain.

The bones will fuse back together thanks to the force though it would be very painful, the feeling will quickly subside as the injury was healed, though the padawan will still not be ready to get up and the sage made sure she didn't. Placing a hand over her chest signaling her to stay where she was.

"Now don't move your ribs may be fixed but your still not ready for any sort of action." Getting up hopefully the two knights will be near him by now looking at each of them.

An if they had come than the sage would speak softly and quietly hopefully not to cause to much stress for the others.

"We need to talk." Jaleer said with a no joking manner, his goofy smile gone and replaced with a hard look that look completely out of place for the sages character, but desperate time calls for all to change and grow.

 

[Aurius]

Cecil turned to the Knights around him and addressed them directly, igniting his violet lightsaber and motioned to everyone to form a circle. His mind was rapidly thinking of anything he had read that could emanate such a dark aura.

Movement could be seen in the distance, but Cecil was still wary from the crash and uncertain as to it's origin.

"Knights. Can you sense that? The darkness. It... its presence almost hurts..."

 

[Oreus]

Everyone had begun to form outside the ship and he could hear the murmurs from all sides as theories were given. Some thought the Sith were coming, some thought maybe it was mechanical error, and other opinions were spinning through the gathered Jedi. Kwanli maintained his calm and simply watched the horizon as the dust cloud approached. Whatever theories people had, they would find out the truth in mere moments. The Wookiee moved forwards to the edge of the circle, near to the sage who had suddenly appeared and had almost been cut down moments earlier by Kwanli.

"There will be time to talk, now we must face whoever is coming," he said calmly, holding his lightsaber hilt loosely in his right hand. "I do not believe this is pure darkness so much as a sorely mistaken ruffian."

The distance between the crashed ship and the culprits was quickly closing as they could now see three speeders approaching. Certainly not the Sith enemy coming to Lothal. This was a band of pirates trying to catch the Padawan transport that had become a little too regular. After all, Padawans were great sellers on the slave market. Strong yet not too powerful yet. Trandoshan hunters had once treasured Kwanli for similar reasons in his youth. What better hunt than a Wookiee and a Jedi in one? These pirates would be mistaken to think the shuttle had only Padawans. Today they had many knights.

A green blade ignited and sizzled as it burned the ground below it. Kwanli had little patience for this game and would make the scoundrels pay. This was a Jedi world, not a lawless rim paradise. He would show them the force first-hand. As his temper rose, the speeders came within firing range and the front cannons open fired on the Jedi defensive circle. Kwanli redirected a few blasts before separating himself from the group to draw fire.

Now to see what these young Knights are made of. They don't make them like they did during the war.

 

[StormWolf]

Recovering from the impact of the crash, the Cathar's ears rang and a copper taste filled his mouth as an electric pain shot up his back. Rhonan's face scrunched up in a grimace, his head pounding, his breathing coming in tight hisses through clenched teeth. Opening his eyes slowly, Rhonan surveyed the scene around him, his heart feeling a pang of worry as a Knight tended to Lealynn. Thick, stubby fingers fumbled at his restraints until he was free, rushing to his friend's side. She appeared no worse for wear, but Rhonan had little experience with these things. Best leave it to the Knights... Rhonan thought to himself, giving Lealynn a reassuring pat on the leg before turning towards the rest of the shuttle.

It was a complete mess. The light was all but gone except fro a beam of sunlight that plunged through a hole cut in the hull. Panels had flown open, wires hanging in tangles, spewing sparks and filling the cabin with the subtle stench of ozone and burnt rubber. Rhonan doubted anyone other than himself or Knight Kwanli could smell it so profoundly, but it was enough to make the Padawan scrunch up his nose in distaste. Realizing that he was still clutching Knight Raz's secondary lightsaber, he turned to the Jedi, offering it back. Something just short of shock touched Rhonan when the Knight told Rhonan to hold onto it. A Knight is trusting me with a real lightsaber. His own, no less! Despite the situation, Rhonan had to suppress the smile that threatened to cross his face. Instead, he looked Knight Raz in the eyes and gave a resolute nod,

"Stick them with the glowing end, aye?" Rhonan said, letting a smirk tug on his lips faintly, holding the Knight's gaze as the Cathar twirled the hilt between thick fingers with surprising ease. Nodding to Raz, his smile fading as quickly as it came, Rhonan turned to help whatever Padawans remained free of their restraints. Every so often, Rhonan cast a concerned gaze over to where Lealynn was being tended to, and berated himself for not being able to help more. Down his back, a ripple of sensation set hairs on end, the same he felt just as the shuttle had been fired upon. Something cold coalesced in Rhonan's stomach, giving him an involuntary shiver.

Following the others out into the open, Rhonan squinted at the glaring sunlight until his eyes adjusted. The landscape became clear, revealing to him the rising dust trails of speeders coming directly their way... and the report of blaster fire. Flinching as Knight Kwanli deflected the plasma bolt, Rhonan scrambled beside Lealynn. She was wounded, a while she could likely fight, she would be impeded. If the brigands wanted to take them, Rhonan would make them pay for it in blood. Suddenly, the icy fear thawed and burst into a thousand scalding points of anger, like so many irons drawn from a forge. Rhonan could feel the grate of manacles on his wrists, the tightness of a collar that even strangled hoarse weeping in a crate too small to be called a cage.

"Never again," Rhonan growled. Looking to the saber in his hand, the Cathar thumbed the ignition. With a snap and a rumbling hum, the blade blazed into existence. Holding the hilt in both hands in the Kryat Horn guard, Rhonan settled into the stance that had been ingrained into him by his Master's tutelage. Baring teeth in a snarl, a raspy growl thrummed in Rhonan's throat and chest as the pirates drew closer.

 

[Aurius]

From the distance, men where seen running forward. They looked to be pirates, raising blasters in the air and wild war cries. They opened fire on the Jedi. But something was clearly wrong. Their eyes where different, inhuman. Yellow. The Darkness seemed to emanate from the group. Something was not right here.

The groups leader stopped before the Jedi, observing their ignited lightsabers. The pirates circled the Jedi, cackling.

"Hello, Jedi. I would have preferred to appear in person, but these simple vessels will have to do. These pirates had the misfortune of interrupting my ritual, a costly mistake. The game begins, now. I am bound to an object held by these pirates and their crew. You can destroy the object, kill the pirates, or die. Choose wisely"

The dark presence receded, but the pirates still remained under it's control, readying their blasters. Cecil spun his lightsaber forward, preparing to charge.

"I vote die."

 

[Lucy Lou]

Lael could feel the force slow her descent, but it still jolted her ribs slightly causing her to hiss and whimper in pain. The knight's hold was gentle as he picked her up, before giving orders to the other Padawans. She felt Rhonan's paw pat at her leg and she gave a reassuring smile to her friend. It was all just an accident. Everything would be fine with the knights there. She'd be healed in no time for sure. She tried to keep still as he walked out of the downed shuttle, but gritted her teeth as she felt every footstep.

He laid her down in the grass and gave her a goofy smile, as he prepped her for the pain of the healing that she should expect. She tried to take a few deep breaths as she prepared for the realignment and fusing of her broken rips, however that only made her ribs hurt further. Then there was a searing pain that brought tears to her eyes and a scream to her lips. Bright lights flashed in her vision as she nearly passed out from the pain. Then it was gone and everything felt fine. She tried to sit up only to have a hand placed on her chest, pushing her back against the ground, his kind voice telling her to stay there.

"Thank you sir." She managed out before he was gone walking away with two other Knights.

It was only then she noticed the dust clouds coming toward them. So they'd been shot down. Who would want to shoot down a Jedi transport like that? There wasn't much time to continue to consider the possibilities as blaster fire started going off in their direction. The hum of an igniting saber drew her attention as Rhonan moved to stand over her in a defense stance. She couldn't just lay there, despite what the sage had indicated earlier. Lael slowly pushed herself to her feet one hand wrapped around her front where her ribs had been broken. Even though they were healed now, there was still a deep ache emanating from the area. Most likely just an residual ache from the healing. It made her curious having never been so injured before to require force healing, but that curiosity would have to wait until later. Until things were safer.

Standing behind her friend, she removed her practice saber from her belt and held it loosely in her hand ready as the pirates surrounded them. A few taunts being thrown their way as the pirates circled the group and calling dibs on the Padawans that stood together huddled in the middle of the Jedi. In front of her Rhonan growled and mumbled something under his breath. Lael moved her free hand from her side and placed it against his back to reassure him that he didn't stand alone. She knew of his past and knew that he'd probably die first before allowing these pirates to take him alive and back to slavery.

 

[Richie B.]

Jaleer was not happy looks like there wasn't going to be a happy ending after all, which really was going to cause the sage some headache. Looking around noticing many of the padawans still out in the open the sage knew his first propriety was to protect the padawans. Activating his green standard lightsaber looking around the wookie had already ran off which was just causing the sage to be more frustrated.

"All padawans get into the ship right now, I won't listen to any back talk, let the knights handle this. Help your fellow padawans out if they are injured I will take a look of your wounds when the fight is over." The sage walked slowly and with purpose.

A feeling of anger rising up in one of the padawans, @StormWolf hoping to keep the padawan from starting the path that would lead to the darkside the sage knew what he needed to do.

"You young cathar, I need you to gather most of the others and take them into the ship, thats the best way to keep them safe." Trusting that the young padawan can do it the sage quickly knew that action was needed, as healing the injured would be near impossible with all the noise.

Opening up to the force the sage could only hope that the other knights would be ready for such a challenge, and that the padawans would listen to him. But that mattered little the sage extending his consciousness following the path of two speeders feeling as they went around the ship. Waiting for the right time, and when it did present itself the sage grabbed hold of only, a strain in and of itself. Yet one that would allow Jaleer to pull one speeder into another causing them to crash and kill the pirates on it.

Hopefully this will cause the pirates to give them more room as they would need to worry about the same thing happening to them. Keeping in front of the padawans, though unable to protect all just able to keep any blaster fire from hitting a few. But even that was taxing as it took most of his energy if he was to hope to keep up.

 

[Aurius]

Cecil heard Jaleer's command, and immediately back down slightly, cocking his head left to see the knight. Despite himself, Cecil scoffed.

"With all due respect, Jaleer, if we act now we can win without bloodshed. They are holding their blasters easily, and sloppily. We strike now, we have an advantage in numbers and probability of survival. If we go in that shuttle, which is already unsafe, a simply detonator takes us, you and the ship in one fell swoop. With everyone outside of the ship, we can either charge or close in, both an advantageous situation. We are stronger together then apart."

Nonetheless, Cecil stepped back slightly, angling himself slightly behind the wall of Knights, and closing his stance to be defensive. In the situation that they where still demanded to enter the vessel, he could back up and defend at the same time.

 

[StormWolf]

Standing his ground as the brigands pressed closer, Rhonan kept the loaned lightsaber tight against his body, batting away wayward plasma bolts targeted in his general direction. While the Cathar was skilled with a blade for his age, he was still only a Padawan. The markers of form and discipline where there, but stress and pressure made them messy. Muddled by the haze of anger that had settled over his eyes like a sanguine veil. Folding his fur-tufted ears back tight against his head, Rhonan's mouth had twisted into a snarl, his dark lips pulled away from dagger-like incisors. Hearing the orders from Knight Jaleer did little to assuage the aggression Rhonan was feeling. Nothing upset a Cathar more than having their claws pulled, so to speak.

"Master, I mean no disrespect, but what good is our training if we tuck tail at the first sign of danger?" Rhonan shouted over the din of battle. Feeling his hackles rising again, Rhonan snapped his gaze towards whatever was tugging at him. Arching through the air was a thermal detonator, fuse primed. Extending a hand and reaching out with the Force, Rhonan attempted to grasp the minuscule object. Small, in motion, and internally complex, Rhonan grit his teeth at the difficulty of what should have been a simple task. Why couldn't it have been a crate? Or a ridecrawler? Time was growing shorter by the second. If Rhonan didn't do something resembling competence soon, he and his fellow Padawans would be reduced to scattered atoms. Leaning to his strengths, Rhonan focused the Force in a different way, angling a well of gravity much like a ship's deflector shield. Eyes wide and body tensed for whatever came next, Rhonan watched as the detonator continued its arc through the air... then changed its course sharply to the other side of the craft. Seconds slowed to a crawl, rewarded with a deafening boom and a wall of heat and concussive force.

"Khadjak!" Rhonan swore with a growl, thrusting his hand outward towards the pirate who lobbed the explosive. It came like a rolling wave, or a bitter north wind. Cold and strong, Rhonan's push kicked up a modest rooster tail of dirt as it tore through the air with a sound like ripping canvas. An invisible ball of kinetic energy slammed into the pirate's knees, slinging him back like his ankles were lassoed by a stampeding bantha.

"Master Jaleer, the only way we can prevail is by working together. We are only as strong as the weakest link!"

 

[Lucy Lou]

Lael turned her back to press against Rhonan's, defending his back as she knew he'd defend hers. She heard the orders from the sage to the Padawans and particularly to her friend for everyone to get to safety within the ship. The idea of an easier defended position made sense in some ways. However, being surrounded by the pirates made it a bit difficult to get back to the vessel. It wasn't like there was an easy path. Some of the knights were attacking the pirates, others were arguing about the best course of action. Over all there seemed to be little in the way of a real plan as to what to do with the pirates.

From behind her, she heard and felt the sudden explosion more than anything as she deflected a few bolts of her own with her now ignited training saber. Standing in her defensive stance, the heat and the wave of force from the explosion caused her long hair and clothes to ripple in the warm air. The pirates inched closer in the empty gaps of the defensive lines of the knights. There were too many pirates and too few Jedi. Being outnumbered wasn't necessarily something to worry about as Jedi were powerful in their own rights. However, caring for the Padawans would be something that could either work in their favor or against them. Lael hoped to be helpful, versus a risk, a hazard. Already injured though, she didn't feel very useful at the moment.

A sudden idea came to mind, where Rhonan had problems focusing on using smallest aspects of the force, Lael was the opposite. Calling on the force, the young girl lifted a handful of pebbles from the dirt at their feet before propelling them forward like many blunted projectiles. They wouldn't kill anyone, she didn't have enough strength for that, yet, but they'd be like annoying little gnats. Some of the pebbles dinged off the speeder bikes. One dropped a pirate to the ground as it hit against his head. Lael smiled a little for a second, one down....dozens more left.