Ask Roll in Peace

[Elias Ryn]

Dantooine still needed assistance than just dealing with the smuggler camp. Each of the cities on the planet was more independent than unified and that would be a problem. It left them open to attacks and it was something that would have to change if the city-states didn't want to continually be under pressure and left exposed. That's why the Jedi were there, to help secure those lines and make it so the people could support themselves without the constant interference of them or other forces.

Elias was outside of Dantoo town, multiple means of transport were being loaded with supplies and weaponry. It was a sort of offering and a possible trade negotiation if it was proved successful. It would travel between different cities, offering a connection that could hopefully be strengthened in time. He walked around to the very front of the transport line as he inspected each one he passed. There were a limited number of guards but that would be made up by the presence of the Jedi. "Does everything check out alright?" The driver gave a quick thumbs-up, "We have quite a distance to travel but our only problem should be the things we face on the road. Hopefully, that won't be too many." Yeah, hopefully, there wouldn't be too many obstacles.

Elias made his way back to the end of the line and he spotted the fellow Jedi that was accompanying him, Indy. The two of them had explored a ruin on Jedha together and he had first-hand experience at her skills and knew she could take care of herself. "You doing alright?" He asked as the last time they had seen each other had been a few weeks or even a couple of months. The passage of time wasn't something he could easily keep track of anymore. "This could possibly turn out quite boring. So, don't be surprised." Elias actually hoped it would turn out to be boring, which meant everything would happen without a hitch and that wouldn't be so bad to experience for the first time.

@Killa Ree

 

[Indy Sati]

When Elias came closer, she gave the Knight a friendly wink, lips stretching to a light grin. "Everything'd fine on my end. Nervous?" she teased the fellow Knight, golden eyes glittering. She knew he was being considerate, but truth be told she was prepared. Even though the likelihood of assault wasn't great, she was prepared for attack if it came, and defending the precious cargo.

This was something she needed to work on, she reminded herself. To show the galaxy what the Jedi were truly made of. To prove they were there to serve and protect, not anything more or less.

"Thanks for checking, though," she added on, a hand on her blaster. "It's good to have you in our order; you're a good man, Elias, and it's never failed to be good working with you." She knew the man had her back ever since Jedha; he was fast becoming one of the few people she could truly trust in the Order.

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

Elias was glad to see the grin coming from Indy. There hadn't been much of a reason for him to smile lately and it was a good reminder for him to loosen up. She asked if he was nervous and he shrugged his shoulders slightly, "Good to hear and nothing to be nervous about, at least not yet." This should be a smooth operation but there was always something in this galaxy that made things somehow flip on its head. He's seen it enough when he flew with his dad when they were supposed to do a simple retrieval mission or another mission along those lines.

He was about to turn and make his round again to the front of the convoy but then Indy thanked him for checking in on her. When she told him that she was glad he was in the Order, he paused for a moment as his amber eyes met hers. Surprisingly, he didn't really have anything to say at first and was more speechless than anything else. Kessel was still fresh on his mind and her words helped ease a weight that had been on his shoulders for a little while. "You too, and thanks." Elias turned back around but before he walked away, he turned slightly so the corner of his eye caught Indy, "I mean it." He didn't know how else to word what he felt so he strode off afterward.

As he walked the side of the convoy, he placed two fingers in his mouth before letting out a piercing whistle. The drivers of the transport knew what that meant and each one started to start their vehicles. When Elias reached the front-most transport, he slapped his hand against the hood a few times before he hopped onto the outside of the door to speak to the driver, "You stay on the road and keep tight with the rest. Get spooked by anything, let us know and we'll handle it. These supplies need to reach the other towns and villages." The driver gave a nod and when he inched forward with the transport, Elias hopped off and waited for the last with Indy.

When it started to pass, he hopped on the flank of the last transport and grabbed onto a handheld as he hung off the side. Elias pivoted to face Indy as he gave her a nod, "Stay vigilant."

 

[Indy Sati]

The grin softened at Elias' own reply; the Order was under stress, immense pressure, and with recent failings, the words of truth were often hard to swallow. But it was true; the path of the Jedi was the path of most resistance. There was so much to go wrong, so many reasons to fall. But she knew Elias tried hard to remain true to the code. She nodded once as he walked off, gripping onto the handheld on her side, golden eyes panning the jungle.

Seriously. What was it with Jedi and jungles?

She nodded once to Elias' words, peering around the edge of the moving hovertruck to the front of the line, golden eyes narrowing.

"Trust your senses."

Because at the end of the day?

Those senses were the only reason she lived this long. Speaking of... as the rumble of trucks began spearing through the jungle, she felt a tingle of awareness. Something that hummed in the back of her mind. And if she focused long enough...

She knew there would be eyes on them, and not just those of the local fauna.

"We're being watched."

And with that, she set her hand on the Fallen Blade, unclipping it but not activating it yet. Perhaps they were waiting for the perfect moment... but if they were, they were bound for a nasty surprise.

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

The convoy moved, not too fast and not too slow. It was just a steady pace and one that gave them an opportunity to scan the area around them and to be scanned by the things that we're watching them. Elias trusted Indy in the fact that they were being watched but he didn't make a big scene out of it and instead just gave her a nod. If they were, whoever was doing it would reveal themselves in due time and the two of them didn't need to put the entire convoy's nerves on edge right when they started.

"We will make occasional stops along the road, set up scanners and other equipment. That's when whoever is watching us will most likely reveal themselves." It meant that most of the convoy would be a sitting duck but he wasn't going to have either of them rush off into the wild and deal with the possibility of being captured or worse. Elias slowly raised his forearm with his comm as he made it look nonchalant and was just grabbing the roof of the transport that he was on. It was connected to the lead vehicle and he voiced his concerns quietly, "There may be something out there. When we reach the crossroads, get ready to leave if need be."

Elias didn't reach for his lightsaber yet but his hand rested near it. The convoy would eventually reach a fork in the road and come to a stop. It was part of the plan and he would jump off the side as would a few guards and technicians. They would start to place their equipment down before starting to implant either in the ground or in the trees. It would be cameras, scanners, microphones, everything, and anything to help them in the future if they faced another attack. One of them struck a sort of pole in the ground, a red light at the top of it that silently blinked. It would be a marker for where they would set up a watchtower for the next convoy that comes through.

Elias watched it all and after a minute, he finally turned to face Indy, "Do you still sense something?"

 

[Indy Sati]

She nodded along with Elias' words, but truth be told it was to be expected. This was a new journey, such precautions were necessary. But as it was, it was both good and bad that there would be frequent journey stops. But it was good he alerted the lead vehicle first. She stayed with the convoy as he continued to help, and scanned their surroundings again. Visual was unreliable. A few feet in, and the jungle knotted too close to determine anything non-sentient from sentient.

But when she closed her eyes briefly, she could sense it. Nostrils flared subtly as lips parted, and the eyes became more than just eyes, but movement.

Almost a perfect circle of ambush, bisected by the road.

"Soon, they'll make their move if we don't move," she replied calmly, eyes opening to scan the fork. "I'm not sure there could be traps set ahead of time, but they're waiting for something. A signal, maybe."

She glanced at Elias, nodding once.

"Let's move on, and when we draw them out we can better divide and conquer. Just like before." A smile touched the corner of her lips, and she gave him a teasing grin. "Bloody pirates, eh?"

And with a lumbering groan, the convoy continued. With some hesitation, it seemed... they took the left path, into the less vegetation-crowded area. It was to be expected, but it wasn't without its' dangers.

She could bide her time, scanning the horizon and ahead. And with her companion, she knew they would be ready to face whatever came on.

Anything to keep these hovertrucks rolling still by the end of the day.

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

Indy revealed that she could still sense whatever was out there and watching them. Apparently, they could have set traps up the road and he wouldn't have been surprised if that was the case. They couldn't really see anything through the tall grass and he was starting to not like their situation more and more. Elias didn't say anything at first as he instead just scanned the surrounding area quietly, clearly thinking of what to do.

But when Indy suggested that they move, he gave her a half nod in agreement. They were in a sticky situation but maybe they could keep this controlled. "You take the back vehicle. I'll take the front. You spot anything, you tell me and the others immediately." The only important thing was the supplies and they couldn't have people attempting to be heroes and put that all at risk. But before he went up to the front, he gave her a slight grin, "Bloody pirates." They always had a knack to get involved in situations where they precisely weren't wanted.

As he walked to the front, the rest of their engineers and guards had finished theirs and made their way back to the vehicles. When he reached the front of the convoy and hopped on the side of the vehicle, he opened the door to talk to the driver, "Proceed forward but at half speed. We're already being watched." The driver gave a nod and waited for everyone to climb aboard before driving forward. Elias remained outside of it and holding on to a handheld to make sure he didn't fall off. The entire time his gaze was locked outward and diligent as ever.

As they inched forward, a movement was caught out of the corner of his eye and his gaze locked on it. That's when he heard a whistling sound above them. Elias recognized it immediately, "GET DOWN!" All of a sudden, an explosion rocked a few feet in front of the first vehicle as the impact knocked him off and made him roll along the ground. It was a mortar and the whistling sound would become more numerous as more explosions popped up all around the convoy.

Men started to pour out of the forest, stun sticks in hand as they out a scream in unison. Before they could close the distance, Elias quickly activated his comm and brought it to his mouth, "Don't kill them! Incapacitate!"

 

[Indy Sati]

The shouts of alarm from the convoy ahead of her were only a verification of what she had been expecting since the moment they left the compound. But at Elias' words, she chuckled once, shaking her head slightly.

"I know, Elias. The Force be with you."

She was calm. Centered, sure in the Force and in her abilities, the purified Fallen blade humming to life in one hand, keeping the other free.

As three men charged towards her front, she stepped down from the hovertruck and sent a Force Push towards their torsos, forcing them to stumble backwards. Three more sprang towards the truck, two to her left, one to her right. "Don't stop the convoy!" she called back to Elias. "We're sitting targets if still. Shotgun drivers, protect the sides! I've got the rear."

One baton buzzed near her head, the other closer to her midsection. She swatted the second one away, jerking her head to avoid the first and Push him back as well. Twisting to reverse her grip in one fluid maneuver, she used the sudden shift in momentum to push the second attacker's stun stick away, and then her free hand pulled his wrist, forcing him to stumble and knock hard into the third.

Her mind was cool, clear, as those that were initially pushed began to slowly recover from the initial assault. She could only hope Elias was handling his own end of things. But if they were to continue sitting here, they would become an easier target for future mortars.

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

Indy responded back to his callout but it wasn't met for her as he already knew she could handle what was thrown to her. It was meant for the others and guards that had come to accompany the Jedi quickly set their blasters to stun and remained in position. If they were the smugglers, there couldn't be deaths on both sides of the conflict. Elias stood up and activated his lightsaber and gave it a twirl so that it was positioned in front of him. Stun bolts came in and he quickly swung his saber at them so they dissipated in mid-air.

The passengers in the trucks listened to what Indy said and braced their weapons on the open windows of their doors, lining up their shots when the attackers closed the distance in order to make sure they hit. The mortars continued to cascade down on their position as their ears would constantly ring from the explosions they caused. It covered Elias in dirt and other muck and hopped onto the side of the lead transport once more. One of the transports tried to peel away and drive off but he quickly used the force as resistance for the vehicle and pushed it back into place with a grunt. "Stay in formation and keep going. We need to get into that town."

The driver didn't need more motivation than that and began driving down the road to get them moving. The stun bolts from the attackers would harmlessly strike the side of the convoys while Elias continued twirling his lightsaber to prevent him from being stunned. The mortars continued as more explosions made the ground rumble and one of them struck luckily enough to hit a tree, causing it to groan in pain before falling over and onto the middle of the road. The driver was about to stop but Elias put up his hand, "Keep driving."

He held onto the top of the convoy and lifted himself up slightly to put his feet on the door and kick himself off. Elias ended up on the ground but rolled out of it as he sprinted straight ahead to the tree. When he drew close enough, he sliced his blade right down the center of it before jumping on one of the pieces and using the force to move the other. He waved the truck through as more attackers flooded out from the bushes. Elias jumped down and ducked under a strike before kicking the man in the stomach and forcing him to stumble back and get off the road. He would keep them from blocking the path until the convoy got through.

 

[Indy Sati]

She was confident in Elias' capabilities to manage the front. He was far more capable of leadership defensive tactics and offense maneuvers than she was. She trusted him to keep the front moving as she kept the rear guard. Especially where those that could have weapons on hand couldn't quite reach that angle.

Stun bolts whizzed close as the line continued to move slowly. She heard the groaning of a tree behind her, and glanced back. A shell landed close; she felt the impact judder the ground beneath her feet and she grunted, staggering, as dirt and mud flecked over her. She almost didn't feel the graze as a pebble struck across her cheek, blood dribbling down her chin almost like a tear.

Another three of the pirates attempted to sprint past her to assault the truck, but she Pushed them back with a twist of her fingers, gritting her jaw as another tried to slam into her side again with the baton, barely blocking with the front guard and then pushing them back.

But the line kept moving. And that was the important part.

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

Another attack charged directly at him and he spun to face him. The man did a stabbing motion with his stun baton and Elias slid his left foot inward to thin his frame as the weapon just went past him. He immediately dropped his left hand and grabbed the base of the stick to push it away from him and give space. He then stepped forward into the man's personal space as he struck out with his right elbow and connected with the man's jaw. The attacker began to wobble backward and before he could get his bearing, the Jedi spun away as his blade ended behind his back and his other hand outstretched.

A concussive blast released from his fingers and slammed right into his opponent's chest, getting him off the road and sending him flying back from where he came from. The transports had their path clear and they didn't require a neon sign for them to understand they had to move. As the first one began to lurch forward, he sprinted toward it and hopped on the flank of it once more. Instead of just hanging there, he climbed to the very top and onto the roof so he actually had a solid foundation to stand on.

The convoy moved ahead in a straight line, the passengers firing out of the windows to provide cover. Elias continued on deflecting stun bolts and eventually, they would make it through as they could hear shouting coming from behind them. He dropped onto one knee as he let out a sigh as the mortars still went off but clearly behind them as they began to gain distance. He lifted his comm to check in on Indy as he stood up to look behind him, "You make it out alright?"

But as he gazed down the line of transport, he could see some type of shapes coming in from behind. "We got company, coming in fast." Speeder platforms broke into view, two in total in the back and two more popping out in front. Each one carried a small squad of smugglers as they jawed at them. They weren't going to give up until they actually crossed the border of the town and there were still a few miles to go.

 

[Indy Sati]

It was getting harder and harder to justify not maiming others, or to kill them with her lightsaber. It would be self-defense, true, but in so many ways those that came charging towards the hovertrucks had made their choice to assault and pillage those that needed the supplies within. One thing she hated more than liars were thieves... though hate was too strong a word. Perhaps saying she disliked it was also putting it mildly; it stood against all she upheld as a historian and Jedi.

At Elias' words, she grinned and also alighted on her own truck, giving a short wave.

"Just fine. Be safe, El."

And just like that, he was granted a nickname.

At the words 'company coming', she had to suppress a sigh.

Did they ever give up?

Two coming up, three on each speeder. There were indiscernable shouts as they charged, and she gripped her lightsaber with one hand, focusing. From ahead thrummed the engines, the core of the vehicle. She could feel the speeders, the brush of air as they whistled along... and something that rattled.

Just on a guess, she gave it a yank.

One of the speeders suddenly bucked, and the other speeder's occupants watched in mounting horror as the speeder flipped, tipping its' occupants to the ground in wails of fear, surprise and anger. One down at least.

Speaking of angry... the other speeder was pulling in fast. And they looked armed to the teeth. She gripped her lightsaber, and sighed.

"Let's dance, then."

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

The speeders approached fast, the smugglers riding them jawing at the convoy as they readied their weapons. Elias readied his stance and his lightsaber as the vehicles came in from each side. He glanced to his left and then to his right, catching the one on the right came in a little slower than the other. Without hesitation, the Jedi flung his saber straight into the engine block of the one that was coming in the fastest.

It penetrated through the metal easily and the vehicle sputtered loudly as the driver began to lose control. Elias didn't intend to lose his weapon and he called it back with the force before the speeder caught in the dirt and came to an abrupt halt, throwing everyone on board off and taking them out of the chase. The right speeder pulled up on the side of the truck, all of the occupants but the driver hopping onto the truck before climbing to the roof.

There were three in total with a different assortment of weapons and they charged instantly. Elias ducked under the first strike from some type of polearm and took a step to the left as he did so. His occupied hand shot out as he slammed the hilt into the nose of the attacker before grabbing his collar with the other hand and throwing him to the ground. The second jumped other his associate and came in with a knife, the first slash grazing his arm as he stumbled back before simply throwing a blast of force into the attacker and sending him off the truck.

That left one more and the man only carried a sword as he charged in. When Elias raised his blade for the weapons to meet, his opponent's weapon was simply cut in half with the pieces clattering to the floor. The man simply gasped and the Jedi just simply used the force once more and threw the man off the truck and into the speeder that he had arrived in. The driver saw enough and peeled away instantly, stun bolts hitting the body of his speeder.

Elias looked forward and could see the edge of lights from the town as they crept into the darkening sky. They were close and their hot arrival would happen in a few more minutes. He glanced toward the rear of the convoy as he raised his comm, "We're approaching the town now, they'll back off if they haven't already."

 

[Indy Sati]

The last speeder was beginning to close in fast. Whether it was lunacy or desperation, she could only guess, but at her comm crackling about the town coming up, she nodded once grimly, gripping her lightsaber tightly. "Almost there," she replied quietly. The speeder zoomed closer. One of the men raised his spear, and seemed to be calculating the distance to strike the Jedi.

She focused herself. The rattling, rumbling whine of the hovertrucks faded, as did the snarling group ahead of her.

The spear sailed forward in a graceful arc.

When it seemed to hit their target, the man let out a triumphant yell. But it soon turned to confusion when there was no body. Where there should have been a pinned Pantoran, bleeding out her last moments...

Was instead clinging to the side of the hovertruck, the illusion buying her enough time to leap back onto the truck with a grim smile.

"Sorry. Not today."

With another Push, the pilot grunted, his hands forcefully shoved from the wheel. Like its' predecessor, the speeder bucked under the sudden change in piloting, dumping its' contents onto the dusty tracks with cries of pain and shock.

However, the spear had come close. A gash had sliced across her side, and nearly dropped the illusion. That time was lucky. The next time wouldn't be as fortunate.

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

With the speeders taken care of in the back and in the front, their path to the town was clear. Elias let out a relieved sigh as he deactivated his lightsaber and slipped it onto his hip. The gate of the town was approaching quickly and would mean relative safety once they were inside. He turned to find Indy still standing and breathing, a good sign for him that she would survive whatever damage she suffered.

The guards on top of the gate spotted the trucks and waved their arms to signal others. A few moments later, they would hear a small alarm that at least wasn't meant for intruders. The gate itself opened slowly and men spilled out from it, blasters at the ready as they waited for the convoy to enter. They had already stopped the smugglers but it was better to be precautious than not to be. Each truck found a location to pull in and they neatly parked beside each other, the men getting out and stretching before greeting the others for the hearty welcome.

Elias hopped down from the top of the convoy, shaking a few hands of the people who approached, and thanked them for helping protect the supplies. He eventually separated himself to spot Indy and approach her, "Not a single truck lost. Good job, that will help us and this town a lot." Each truck had been important and if one had been lost, it would have been a huge dent in supplies or munitions.

He glanced to her side as he saw the gash and the blood that had been collected there. Elias gave a quick point towards it before turning slightly the other way, "We should get that checked out for you. I'm sure there is a local doc in town. After that, we can speak to the councilmen and set up the other trade routes that need to be established." With the supplies and munitions delivered, the convoys had a much better chance of protecting themselves and most likely won't need their involvement. Elias asked a nearby worker for the direction to the doctor and he pointed in the direction as the answer. The Jedi waved Indy to join as he began to lead the way.

 

[Indy Sati]

It was over. Finally over. She sagged down for a moment against the top of the truck, sighing, then chuckled. They succeeded. She managed to get down, and when she did hands reached out to shake hers, happy voices lifted, and she gave a tired smile. At seeing Elias, she gave the man a sideways grin, which turned into a slight wince. She could protest, but there wasn't much point to it, so instead, she merely nodded.

"Yeah... that was fortunate it didn't hit as badly as it could have," she replied quietly. "But it's not that bad. You alright?"

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

Elias walked with Indy, noting the number of people that rushed over to the convoys. Most of the towns had been in isolation by nature but a resupply of food and other supplies was always a welcomed sight to sore eyes. He turned his head as she asked him if he was alright, "Only a few bruises here and there. Nothing too harsh." It was noticeable that her injury didn't cause her to be slowed and didn't appear to be too uncomfortable for her besides the occasional wince.

He was probably being protective over her because of what happened on Kessel and how a few Jedi nearly got captured there. "We can just head to the councilmen if it's not bothering you. If it does, I can take care of the meeting while you get checked on." Elias commented before turning the other way as he led them to the administration building. All of the buildings in the town were small in structure and it stood out by only about a level. They approached the front door and the guards greeted them quickly and with ease as they were allowed to pass through. A lady at the front desk greeted them before acting as their guide to where the council room was.

When the door opened to the designated room, there was a half of a round table, three men sitting on the opposite side in chairs that reached above them slightly. At their presence, they immediately got up and walked over to the Jedi, one of them sticking out his hand for a shake, "Thank you for helping to get those supplies delivered to us. We have felt the effects of the smugglers as well as they slowly suffocated us." It was the same story with Dantoo town and there were most likely more towns that were suffering the same fate. Elias shook the man's hand as he gave a slight bow as well, "It's our duty to help those that need it, no need to thank us."

When their hands separated, he drew his hand back and crossed his arms over his chest, "Will you need help with the delivery to the next town?" The lead councilmen shook his head, "No, we should be more than fine. With your involvement, we have men to lend to the defense of the next convoy and freshly equipped." Elias gave a smile and then another firm shake of the hand, "Then please see to it that these towns receive the same relief."

 

[Indy Sati]

She shook her head at the mention of healers, giving a wry smile. "Believe me, this is far easier to manage than falling high up in a sandstorm. I can manage until we get back to our ships. But if it worries you..."

Her hand brushed over her injuries, then his own. A light, feathering touch, the faintest glow of the Light healed abraded flesh, knit together the wound to her side to a red, sore-looking line. Meeting the village elders and bleeding out never ended well anyways; after this, she would have to treat Elias to a drink or two, possibly even a vacation.

That was if Jedi would ever again have time to have a decent vacation.

She offered a bow to the council members there, golden eyes warm. Elias spoke well, but if she allowed him all the talking it would seem arrogant. "If there's ever a need, never hesitate to reach out. The Order is always willing to aid." But still, there was a niggling thought in the back of her mind as the politicians continued to speak.

For smugglers and raiders, those that attacked seemed decently stocked, and she doubted it had anything to do with raiding convoys. Perhaps there was more to this picture than presumed, but for now, she wouldn't say anything but give a polite smile. When they would depart from the room, she lightly nudged Elias with an elbow, giving the man a grin.

"You'd make a good spokesperson one day," she murmured, but even a stone could tell she was proud of the Knight. He was good-spoken and fair-minded, traits she felt she was lacking in. However, she glanced about before her voice once more murmured to his, nonchalantly looking at the life around them.

"Something seems off about those assaults. They were almost too simple. And very organized. What do you think?"

@Orbit