Theed's Dying Light

[Rom]

Black smoke twisted and writhed in the wake of the shuttles emptying from the Star Destroyer hanging over the city of Theed like an assassin's blade poised above the heart; the growing cloud of smog settled over the Capital staining the now crumbling sandstone architecture an ugly black and blocking out the midday sun, casting everything into shadow. The thunderous pounding of armored feet marching side by side echoed through the maze of twisting side streets and alleys that formed the residential area of the city, screams and the sharp whine of blasterfire sending Nabooan's fleeing for whatever safety they could only pray to find in their once peaceful homes. As the fighting moved further towards the Palace District most of the citizens took their chance and started moving swiftly to the other end of the city where the fighting had been swiftly put down and was being designated as the civilian processing centers by the now Imperial dominated comms network. Three dozen people moved through the press of terrified Nabooans in the opposite direction, a ring of fearful yet determined adults and teenagers armed with old blasters, construction tools, and a pair of glowing lightsabers surrounding a milling group of children moved through the emptying streets towards the bulk of the fighting, and at their head stood a tall grey haired Corellian with a large metal shield strapped to his left arm and a fiercely burning yellow lightsaber gripped in his right hand.

"Keep moving everyone! We're almost halfway to the villa and if the cover keeps it should be smooth sailings from 'ere!" The genial old man smiled encouragingly at some of the children and their defenders before turning forward to lead them, the smile slipping from his face the second he turned out of view. They'd been walking only another minute or two when a lone stormtrooper stumbled out of an intersecting alley, weapon raised and armor singed with the signs of many a near miss. Raising his shield to catch a trio of blaster bolts and send them whizzing skyward, Uriel gestured with his left hand and felt a surge of warm energy roll out from his core before exiting his finger tips in a wave of telekinetic energy, pushing the lone stormtrooper ass over tea kettle down the stairs, wincing at the dull thunk the buckethead made against the ground but pushing away his guilt; a bit of a concussion seemed a small toll for ruining so many homes and lives. The elderly knight brooded on the last times he'd been in a city overrun by the Empire. In many ways the flight from Theed has been terrifyingly similar to the disastrous retreat from Coruscant ten years before, or Corellia at the end of the Rebellion; street to street fighting with terrified civilians behind him and a legion of Stormtroopers between them and the spaceport. His hand itched for the flask at his hip at the thought of the last dying city he had fled from, though the Knight banished the anxiety from his mind almost as swiftly as it appeared.

He had to stay focused; in the present, on the now. The people at his back needed him to stay strong and lead them to safety. He was Uriel Suledin, the eldest Knight of the Jedi Order. The city burned, it's people died, and the Empire's army marched on without pause... but the Force was with him, and that was enough.

 

[GABA]

1023 ABY
2 months before Anoth’s fall

“Why do you have to go back?”

Ebberla stopped fiddling with her clothing and turned around to Thaed; there was a look she didn’t catch too often, but when she did, it struck her as he held a level of concern. He lied on the bed, hands folded behind his head as the sheet left his upper half exposed. She didn’t say anything for a moment, hoping he would move on and accept her silence, but Ebberla heard him groan.

“Because, Thaed, the Jedi are my family.” Ebberla kept her response short; she didn’t want to have this conversation with him. She knew his distaste for the Jedi and he knew the danger she lied in being the Grandmaster with Andraste hunting them down.

“They were not too welcoming for family when I lasted visited.” He replied, his finger traced the backboard of the bed, she knew exactly what incident he spoke of nearly ten years prior, she could still feel her frustration from that time rise again within her. Thaed smiled, knowing he found a rise in her.

The Corellian crawled back up the bed and spoke softly, coming nearly nose to nose with the Zabrak, “I don’t expect you to understand, I love the Jedi as though they were my brothers and sisters, I only want you to accept that, or at least try too…” she let her words trail, a smile forming on her face, “I know that may be a difficult concept for a former Sith assassin to understand, family, love, and all, but do try.”

Thaed quickly scooped Ebberla in his arm and rolled her onto her back and begun to pepper her with kisses, “I think you give them too much credit.”

“So you doubt my trust within them?” she asked closing her eyes, enjoying his attention and Thaed laughed to her question.

“No, I just don't trust them.”

---

There was a slight hesitation in his step as the Wookiee realized who she was; Ebberla stood her ground. Her eyes subtly following the troops who moved to their positions. The Sith flagged them to stand down, and Ebberla smirked, it was a smart move on his part. The troops fell back as the Wookiee paced forward. The Corellian felt the Force turn as she reached out to explore him, there were defense in place, a seasoned warrior also, but it was all Ebb needed to really know about her soon-to-be opponent.

Ebberla took a few steps backwards, keeping a safe distance between her and the wookiee, her eyes narrowed as he mentioned her former title, she could tell the news had not spread as quickly as she believed.

“Doesn’t that make the best encounters though? When one doesn’t expect to find another?” Ebb asked, the tip of her blade trailed along the stone street, sparking and cracking as the stone gave to the plasma beam. “I do admire your courage, you’re still standing here when yet you address me as Grandmaster, I can tell you hold doubt Wookiee, tsk tsk,” Ebb shook her head slowly, “Doubt can be dangerous, but it also can be a tool.” She raised her blade off the ground and stopped, the Force pulsed from her quietly, careful not to reveal her full hand to her opponent.

“So what is your plan Wookiee?"

 

[Clayton]

Rook could have talked about how doubt was dangerous, even more so an utter lack of doubt, but now was not the time for a lecture. Instead he tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement of her words. He moved with practiced discipline, staying light on the balls of his feet, ready to move against any aggression. His eyes drunk in the scene, paying attention to not only Ebberla's movements, but that of those around her. She moved back as he approached, keeping a measure of distance between them. Whether it was a lure or not didn't matter, at range he would be at more of a disadvantage than up close. If they crossed blades, he had reach and strength. With the force, well...best not to think about that disparity too much.

Then she asked him his plan, and he let out a snort. "Yes, let me launch into a cliched monologue while you find a flaw in my defenses," he said dryly. His senses were alive, canvassing the Grandmaster. If she used the force against him, he wanted every warning. But he also needed to get in close, a distraction was needed. And if the distraction yielded answers, then all the better. "As Grandmaster, you must know. Tell me, this Skywalkwer child, was Andraste once...well, a mother?" He kept his body relaxed, though Rook was ready to dart forward into saber range when the opportunity presented itself.

 

[Cortan]

The sound of blaster fire drew Azur's eyes as the kaadu beneath him traversed the streets of the Palace District, having jumped a wall and found itself upon already abandoned fringes. But it was not the blaster fire itself that drew his further curiosity - how could it, in a city besieged by the Imperium? - but by its direction. He saw small red bolts dissipate into the sky above, and he was fairly certain that, despite centuries of jokes and infamy, a stormtrooper's aim was not so poor. The kaadu turned beneath him to point in the new direction, and soon, it rode. A familiar sensation began to creep in his mind, previously unnoticed in all the chaos, death and destruction. Not familiar in personal form, but in the broad feeling... They were right to say that the Jedi were here, but there was something else. He'd never quite felt one of their enemies, or their surroundings in... quite such a fashion.

Closer and closer towards the sensation he came, an idle hand coming to rest at the edges of his lightsaber. It twisted and turned through paths that would have forced a speeder to stop, Azur himself ducking clothes lines, power lines, and all manner of other connections between the buildings. Not only did the presence grow in Azur's senses, but so too did sounds that had grown quiet in his ear on entering the Palace District. The cries of children, and when he turned his senses away from the greater presence, he found... smaller ones. Touched by the light, but not yet crystallised by it. Yellow eyes widened at the realisation that perhaps greater than destroying the current Order, and the Rebels that aided them, the future of their foe was before him...
"Ha!" He urged the beast beneath him to go even faster, forcing him to clutch the reins tightly so as not to be thrown. Closer, closer still...

And then at last, he emerged from a side road, and below him, on the slight incline of a hill, there stood a group of a few dozen. At their heart, children, and then next there was either militia, or very foolish civilians. Lastly, there was the familiar glow of lightsabers, one in the hands of a man who looked like he might have lived half his life in the days before the Sith had taken power. He was the source of the great presence, and Azur measured him as he turned the steed beneath him, making clear that he was not about to simply pass on by.
"And here I thought the appellation of 'Knight' was merely formality." The wroonian remarked on spotting the shield at the Jedi's hands, a curious thing to be sure.
"I am Azur Zaff, Marquess of Corale, heir to the Duchy of Tel." He narrowed his gaze as he gave the last of his relevant titles. "Crusader of Her Majesty's Imperium. I would have your name, Jedi - the last I faced was not so courteous."

After allowing a moment for whatever rebuttal the Jedi might think to give, Azur adjusted himself in his saddle, glancing at the elder man's entourage.
"You cannot escape, Jedi. The city is lost, the planet blockaded. Surrender, and I will guarantee the children's safety. Better that than another member of my Order find them." His words were half sympathy, and half warning. Azur could not think to strike a child, even one upon the Jedi path. They could taught the truth still, even if they did not see it that way at first. But an old man? He might be reasoned with, but Azur doubted the possibility of turning them.

 

[TweedPawn]

Prince of Rabbits

Hero of Tricks

Body Rider

Badger Tamer.

Now, he was just plain Gaunerei. A man made mortal again by a mixture of dumb luck, ignorant galactics, and asshole Jedi. Stupid Ebberla. Where was she anyhow? The Grandmaster had given him clear orders to be a protector, and she managed to strong arm the Snamreg into making a deal that favored her. At least Gaunerei still had his nuts after that ordeal. And his teeth.

Explosions were going off everywhere. The Rabbit couldn't help but have a strange sense of clarity around the chaos. That was fine. He was a being of chaos. Well, more like a ferry-man of it. To claim that one can control chaos would be like trying to rodeo a space slug in a tub of cooking oil. Still, he managed.

He was currently at the employment of the Jedi, though it was known that he was not particularly pinned down as "loyal". But, within the trickster's heart there was a soft side for the underdog. And the Jedi would have his service, in return for helping Gaunerei learn how to reach the "paradise" of the afterlife.

Uriel was close by, and Gaunerei was glad of it. The two had a special trust. Gaunerei rarely spoke entire truths, perferring that lovely murky water of fable and fact. But the old timer had earned Gaunerei's rare honesty. It was an honor reserved only for Uriel, Ebberla Daw and Orlaan Ghess. The rest would be subject to the Rabbit's wicked tongue.

" You guys are doing great!" Gaunerei barked encouragingly to the evacuees he was helping with Uriel. "Keep it up. Keep together! There is safety in numbers!" It was like herding cats. But Gaunerei would not allow the upbeat demeanor to fade. He helped the stragglers stay tight to the group. He kept the rest calm.

Gaunerei's true nature was being a guardian of some sort, even is his presence in the Force was still very dark. He had the experience of protecting his own people from invasions, as well as monsters that tried to consume them. Not to mention ass-hole sith that wanted to play God.

And look what was bounding towards Uriel on a prancy-little mount? Gaunerei overheard the conversation. He was quick to join Uriel's side, keeping a safe distance from the Sith. Mr. Stabby-Stabby wasn't the first sith Gaunerei had to tango with.

"Is that right?" he growled darkly to the sith. His chaotic presence in the Force would wash over the two. His eyes would show his intense nature. It was meant to make one message very clear: Leave. now

 

[GABA]

Ebberla stopped and there was an obvious look of annoyance on her face. She scoffed and let out a sigh, "Out of all things you ask me, you are asking if Andraste is a mother." She took another step and the Force begun to twist to her beckoning, the Wookiee Sith would feel no warmth, but he will neither feel cold, the Force was simply as is as the former Grand Master started a pace, circling the Wookiee slowly, letting her blade drag along the stone road behind her.

"That question is so entirely stupid, I'm going to let you wallow in your ignorance for a moment." Ebb rolled her eyes, "Is she a mother?" Ebb mocked, her steps continued, but as she spoke, a second Ebberla broke off from her and stopped; she carried the same presence as the other Ebberla continued to pace, "Please, Wookiee, its like asking if you're really a Wookiee."

And then another Ebberla seemed to peel off from the pacing Ebb and stop, while the other continued to pace, who then glanced slightly to the Wookiee and gave a wryly grin as did the other two Ebberlas. The Corellian prided herself in illusions and her talents lead to not needing to manipulate the mind in order to see what she wanted her victims to see; she only needed the Force, and the Force was very much still with her.

All three Ebberlas then took off, darting in three different directions away from the Wookiee and into the action of battle.

 

[Clayton]

Rook chuffed. "Only by definition. Or do you think that part of her identity still lives? The part that would put her daughter's needs before her own?" He turned with her, and saw a second Ebberla appear, just as noticeable in the force as the first. And then a third. His eyes narrowed. How ironic that the Dark Lord was a master illusionist, and yet classes on dealing with them were so frightfully rare.

Rook would have no hope of penetrating her dopplegangers with the force. Dealing with illusions of such nature was something he had never done before. So he did not try. He drunk in the air through his nose, his keen sense of smell picking up on Ebberla's unique mixture of sweat and a sweet smell of whatever she had washed her hair with. It was enough to mark her. Though in close proximity, all three would be hard to distinguish.

But then they ran. He let out a barking laugh. Ebberla was tricky. The force pulsed gently from him thrice. Each time bringing a gust of wind from the direction a doppleganger had darted off in. Each gust carried with it the scents of blood, raw flesh, fire, and war. Only one carried Ebberla's scent. He grinned wolfishly, predatory instincts never failed. Until they did. He'd have to not rely on any one capability too heavily.

He took off at a run after the Grandmaster. He could see her ahead, her magenta blade glowing. A trio of troopers raised their rifles, aiming at the jedi. Foolish. They were needed elsewhere. He dipped into the force again and wove it around the morons. Normally he'd let them die as a distraction, but Ebberla was no fool. She would not fail to sense him. With a flick of the force, he sent the troopers tumbling upwards through the air and onto a rooftop that gave them a solid vantage point of the battle. No doubt they were thoroughly shaken and being sent flying by an invisible force.

"Come on Ebberla, you can't be finished warming up yet."

 

[Rom]

Uriel turned gratefully towards Gaunerei as he marshaled the civilians, keeping them wrangled together where fear would scattered them and lifting their hope from the fires engulfing the city. The crooked grin he offered could barely convey his thankfulness for the Tricksters presence, but the brush of thought across the Snamreg's mind promising an endless supply of Corellian whisky and pastries if they made it to the ships probably did it. Uriel turned to offer more encouragement when he froze at the sensation of a frigid presence ghosting over his mind and that of the children in his charge like the cold hands of Death itself. The Corellian unconsciously poured more power into his signature, opening himself to the Living Force and allowing the vibrant energy of the world to pour over and through him; the cold presence flinched at the sudden warmth and power but drew back across the city with a surge of satisfaction and quickly made it's way closer to their party of evacuees and weekend warriors.

They were being hunted by a Sith.

Before he could open his mouth or otherwise warn the others the cold presence was upon them, barreling out of a side street further up the hill to reveal itself as a Sith warrior mounted on the back of a kaadu. He was about Uriel's own height and had an almost noble bearing, clad in a mix of cloth and armorweave with white hair and blue skin. Yellow eyes ringed with the sulfuric taint of the Dark Side stared out from beneath the mop of hair until a blast of wind pushed it back and revealed...

"Stars and spirits! You're just a child yourself lad!"

Uriel's mouth often times worked faster than his own good sense, but here he could not contain himself. The presence of darkness was a child himself, barely out of his teens by his appearance. If he was lucky the crumbling buildings nearby would have muffled his reaction, but it was well known that luck had abandoned the Jedi long ago.

The Corellian looked flatly unimpressed by the declaration of nobility and titles, his lips quirking with amusement before he bowed with uncontained irreverence, the burning orange blade of his lightsaber and the round metal shield extended out at his sides.

"Well... while I don't usually give my name ta murderous sociopaths I suppose that, in the interest of courtesy, I can offer ya that much. Uriel Suledin is my name -- Eldest and proverbial Knight, the Burning Sword, and Watcher at the Crossroads are all names ya might know me as - just never late for dinner."

The old man smiled and drew himself upright and with two steps firmly placed himself between the Sith and the civilians.

"Ya've clearly not dealt with many Corellians if ya think something like a Star Destroyer or a Blockade is going to stop me from getting these people off-planet, lad. But if ya'd be so kind to give me a moment to confer with my friend 'ere, I'll present ya with a counter offer...."

Uriel switched his lightsaber to his shield hand and turned so his back was to the Sith, his senses alive and ready to react to treachery in case the Sith tried to make his move, before placing his hand heavily on Gaunerei's shoulder. "Lad... if this plan of mine works, or even if it doesn't, you need to take these people and go. Follow Padawan Tareyn and Zeke to The Quiet Light and get these people to safety. No matter what ya feel or what happens, ya get them and ya go.... D'ya understand me, Gaunerei?" The old man and the Trickster locked eyes, the Knight asking the Snamreg silently to follow his wishes. Smiling at something said between them, the old Jedi turns and takes his lightsaber into his sword hand and deactivates it, standing before the Sith with his weapon and shield held limply at his side.

"'Ere's the counter offer, lad. I'll turn myself in to your custody with no fuss or problem... and you let these people go unharmed, without calling in their existence to any of your friends. Take the deal, a 50 year veteran of the Order is worth more than some innocent children and Nabooans. I don't want to fight, lad..... just let them go."

 

[GABA]

Ebberla relished in battle, the waves of the Force clashed around her as she weaved in and out of danger. It had been a long while since the Grandmaster could enjoy the feeling, to immerse herself without thinking too much about leading; she could wander where she wanted and take her time when she needed. There was something about a battle she couldn't necessarily describe to the Jedi; a sense of bitter joy that came from those who initiated the fight. She was certain she was not the only one who enjoyed being in the center of the fight, but it was more than that.

As the air burned her nostrils with the smell of ozone from the blasts of weapons, she pulled on the Force, her body rippled in between the waves, feeling for the Sith who turned out to be more cleaver than she had given credit too. His words floated in her mind, his own curious inkling growing into her own curiosity about why he wanted to know.

Ebb snapped around a corner, bringing her to the center of a trio of stormtroopers who thought no better than to raise their blasters. Ebb raised her saber, ready to disarm, however, she watched as they were lifted to the rooftops.

Skidding to a stop, Ebb turned to face the Wookiee and smiled, "Warming up for what? This is everyday routine for me. Only been playing chase for ten good years, I tend to be a master at it." she winked to the Wookiee and pointed her saber at him, "However-" Ebb stopped suddenly as the ground and buildings shook around them from a nearby explosion, the former Grandmaster regained her composure and extinguished her blade, clipping it back to her belt. However, she knew she would not fool the Wookiee as he would feel the Force pulsate from her, warning him she was still very aware of her surroundings.

"To answer your question." Ebb played theatrics and gave a pause, "Yes, I do believe so, in fact before she became Empress, another Jedi showed me this was so." she spoke, her tone more sincere regardless of how much she despised that one Jedi who showed up with the baby on Tython years prior.

The ground shook again and Ebb took it as cue to get out of the area, especially when she felt blaster fire warm her right. Though there was something else she felt as she started to back away from the Sith Wookiee, a presence that was all too familiar and she cursed knowing that they were still on Naboo.

 

[Clayton]

"That's interesting," he said, shifting his weight slightly to steady himself as an explosion shook the ground. "I saw no such trait in that holonet broadcast." Ebberla backed away as blaster fire darted past her. One bolt was on a heading too close for comfort, and his blade snapped down to deflect the crimson blast at a rebel soldier. He matched her steps, wading further into the conflict. Soldiers on both sides instinctively gave him a wide berth, even when they weren't within striking range. Attacking a Sith wookiee wasn't high on their bucket lists, it seemed.

Ebberla's actions puzzled Rook. She had the ability to give him no small amount of trouble in a fight, yet she retreated and stowed her lightsaber. Then it dawned on him. She, unlike the Jedi he had previously encountered, she was "acting like a Jedi?" he said with some amazement. "I mean, that's a running joke among us. You lot act like Sith wannabe's. Any other Jedi would be leaping at me, keen for the glory of exterminating a Sith. Hell, I fought a Jedi on Yinchorr who utilized, of all things, Juyo and Lightning." He had told that story several times in the temples, each time it had been met with mirth and jokes.

But Ebberla was different. She was...Interesting. He jumped, covering the distance between them in a flash. He landed a handful of meters away from the Grandmaster, just outside saber-range. "Draw your blade, Ebberla Daw. You know I can't leave and let you run rampant and cause chaos among my soldiers. Draw your blade, I want to duel a true Jedi."

 

[GABA]

Ebberla, before you are a Grandmaster, before you are a Master, before you are a Knight, before you are a Jedi, you are Ebberla. You are who you were born as. You have been running from yourself for many years now.
​

No, of course she didn’t expect him to understand Andraste, it only took her fifteen years herself to finally accept that Andraste was once human. She understood now why Jhon was obsessed on the woman and why Thaed had resented the Empress and feared for her own sanity. She knew those would not see Andraste as that with all that had been broadcasted; the woman had been a monster since she personally met her years ago, if not told otherwise, she would have continued to see Andraste as such.

Ebberla kept aware of her surroundings, they were in the midst of the battles that took place in the city, however no one had the courage to take on her or her new Sith Wookiee. She narrowed her eyes and then chuckled at the Sith’s confusion. The former Grandmaster shrugged her shoulders, “How ironic you believe I act like a Jedi, since my own Order believed I was the least Jedi of them all.” Her words left her lips like venom, the wound was still fresh and it ached greatly.

The Wookiee leapt forward suddenly, throwing the Corellian into a defensive stance, her hand hovered above the lightsaber hilt. “Who do you think you are commanding me, Ebberla Daw , on what I need to do?” she lifted her chin slightly, cocking an eyebrow, “Me? Cause Chaos? We are truly confused aren’t we?” she asked knowing her question was cryptic, but she also knew she held the Wookiee’s interest. If he was hell-bent on destroying her she was positive he would have attacked her by now. She took a couple steps backwards, her hilt snapping to her fingers once more.

“I cause chaos…” Ebb ignited her blade and the snap hiss of her blade was drowned out by a mortar explosion, “That’s interesting…because we had been feeding into this chaos, for like 14,000 years or something.” She stepped forward, her body twisting, ready to either defend or attack, “I am honored though, you believe I am a true Jedi,” the Force built around Ebberla, “but…I am no longer Jedi.”

Ebb released the Force from around her, emitting a stunning white light, blinding those around her before emitting another burst of the Force through her palm, directed at the Wookiee’s torso.

 

[Cortan]

Azur's mount stepped back slightly at one Jedi's advance, if they were a Jedi at all, and the wroonian could not blame his steed for its uncertainty. He had almost, almost drawn his saber, for there was something strange about this one, more than any other being he had ever felt through the force. He had beheld the Dark Lord of the Sith, been in the presence of the Empress, and conversed with many, many of the Order's most powerful champions. And yet this man... This man felt strangest of all of them. There was no other way to describe it the sensation it its totality other than that. It felt of an age that he had only ever discerned from temples and planets, soaked in the energies of the force across thousands of years. Azur had heard of some sentient beings that lived for centuries, or potentially thousands of years, but this man had none of the look of them. So how...?

Finally realising he had no time to concern himself with the implications and possibilities of the strange stranger, Azur turned his attentions back to the lead Jedi, the most visible threat. His distraction with trying to understand the strange one had led him to disregard the 'lad' remark, but now tune in for their introduction. The list of titles made him wonder how he had never heard of that man, but nevertheless, he gave the same regard that they might draw in other circumstances. Either he had earned then, or he was an egotistical fool, and only time would tell which.
"You have a moment." Azur nodded, knowing that he was giving the old man a chance to connive some scheme. Azur allowed it because he knew where it would likely lead, and thinking on that a moment, he realised what it meant about himself.

Yet, it was the old man who surprised him.

"What you say might be true, Burning Sword..." Azur adjusted where he sat, gazing over the children in particular.
"If perhaps you were a member of the Council, or the Grandmaster themselves, or if I sought a teacher. But in the grand scheme, you are simply another Jedi. Older than most, perhaps wiser and stronger than most, but knowing no more secrets that my Order would desperately desire. Whereas they," he gestured at the young ones in the crowd, "may yet become Sith."
He unhooked his lightsaber from his belt, and held it out so that all could see its red glare as it ignited.
"If you shall not stand aside, then prepare to be cut down. Hyah!" Azur kicked the kaadu into a gallop, and it went barrelling down the street towards the shield wielding Jedi. Azur abandoned the beast mid-run, exerting his will upon it so that it continued its charge without him. He meanwhile, rolled to the floor, and upon landing, leapt in a charge towards the strange one thrusting his saber forward to strike at their heart. For a follow-up, whether the man dodged or deflected his assault, Azur would quickly raise and bring down his foot, aiming for the strange one's knee. If they had a lightsaber, Azur had not seen it ignited, and thus that made them the target of choice!

 

[TweedPawn]

Uriel's plan wasn't one that Gaun liked. But, he had faith in the aging fart. It would keep Gaun's job simple. Keep the civilians protected. It was a job he's always had. A job he probably would continue to seek out, no matter where the crossroads were. Great, he was starting to sound like Uriel. Gaunerei inwardly chuckled. These Jedi really were rubbing off on him.

But there was this asshole.

Gaunerei's brief moment of inner-peace was quickly discarded. Red tribal marking flashed onto the Rabbit's face, a wicked grin to counter their brightness. For a moment, shorter than the blink of an eye, Gaun's presence in the Force would reveal the magnitude of his age. He was the one who introduced the concept of the Force to his people as The Divine Luck, and then proceeded to inform them to be fast, cunning, sneaky cheats. He was rather proud of them.

But this piece of haraka knew nothing of Snamreg and their tricks. And the moron made a dive attack. Gaunerei dodged. He then clasped his hands together into a large fist. With as much weight as he could muster, he sent the heavy blow right to an elbow joint. When the impact hit, Gaun recognized that there was armor on the fighter. Still, his strike was going to really hurt. Already, Gaunerei was ready to regain distance between him and the Sith.

"Bro, the kriff? You chatterin' about how you're so honorable, but you go for the fleeing man? You're a coward, and that's coming from the man who taught his people how to be cowards." He would dodge again if the sith tried to strike.

"And you mentioned the younglings. You piece of scud eating haraka. Your ilk are supposed to be about freewill. Brainwashing and fear isn't freewill, trust me. I have seen people like your Empress many times over. You ever seen a forest fire? You think animals who worship it survive?" Gaunerei's eyes were dark like a beast of the wilds.

 

[Clayton]

Rook felt the force surge from Ebberla and he sprang far to the side. Unfortunately light was rather difficult to dodge. Temporarily blinded, he snarled in jealousy. How many times had he tried to find a teacher for Flash? He may not have been able to physically see, but with the force, nobody was blind. The force pulsed again, this time Rook snatched a nearby soldier, rebel, imperial, didn't matter, and shoved him in front of the blast. He caught the soldier again as he flew back, and tossed him to the side. And he laughed.

"So, the Jedi kicked you out. Vereor's prediction to Sigur came true. The Jedi crumbled under your watch. They punished you for it. Now what?" He approached again, blinking as spots danced in his sight. He flicked his blade lightly at her, almost asking if she was worried about dueling a temporarily blinded Sith. "Or can you not dance and talk at the same time?" The force shimmered as it pooled in his free hand, ready to rush forth if Ebberla tried attacking that way again.

 

[GABA]

Ebb snapped back into a defensive position, her body slightly turned with her saber still raised; her left arm also raised, her fingers twitching subtly as she felt the weaves of the Force between them.

The Wookiee laughed to his assumption and the Corellian smirked to his ignorance.

"Kicked me out? Heh!" Ebb shook her head, "I walked out, they accused me of abandonment, so I showed them what abandonment felt like." Ebb stepped slowly to her right and continued a slow pace around the wookiee as the ground beneath them shook from the larger artillery approaching closer.

"I tore a rift in the Force, just as I'm about to..." Ebb paused again feeling the presence in the Force once more and she cursed in Olys Corellisi realizing who it was and then let out a pouting groan.

Ebb's eyes narrowed and pointed her saber at the Wookiee, a part of her wanted to toy with him and yet the other wanted to go kick Gaunerei in the face a few more times while they were still alive on Naboo.

"Yeah...Annoyed now.." she growled and then with a snap of her wrist, the Force twisted around the Wookiee and brought him straight towards her and her blade.

 

[Clayton]

Rook felt it too this time, and noticed it was the second time she had seemed momentarily distracted and annoyed. "At me, or that...chaos," he said, having no other word to describe the presence, having never encountered the Trickster before. Then he felt the force twist around him and drag him towards Ebberla, and likely an awaiting strike.

He opened himself to the force, defending when you could not see was the most basic of lessons, though it was with an unusual twist this time. Rook's body was tense, still as Ebberla's will dragged him to her. Then his saber snapped out and shunted Ebberla's magenta blade to the side. As that happened, currents of dark side energy lanced out from his free hand in a fell blast. Ebberla's presence in the force shone bright and strong, and aiming the strike at her would be no challenge. Rook shoved Ebb's saber away further, then whipped his lightsaber to strike at Ebb's now exposed left side, his movement was from his elbow, allowing for a quicker blow, and to prevent himself from getting off-balance from a missed strike.

 

[GABA]

The Wookiee didn't resist her pull, moving with the action of her grip towards the former Grandmaster, she was still in control. Ebberla stepped forward and to her left, light and swift on her steps, shifting herself to the Wookiee's right side as he smacked her blade out of the way, but also moving her from the path of his left palm blast. Moving with the Wookiee's offense, Ebb kept her blade locked against his and pulled her blade down the outside of the beam aggressively, slicing through the top of the hilt and through his Wookiee paw.

 

[Rom]

Uriel let out a sad sigh as the Sith began a long winded speech about his value versus that of the younglings, the Force swirling around the aged Knight and crashing against his being like a tidal wave; the warmth of the Living Force ebbing and flowing over him until it was all that remained. The Corellian reached out with his hand and sent a burst of telepathic power through the air towards the agitated Kaadu, thoughts of calm fields and gently flowing rivers flooding the creature's mind and hammering against the Sith's control over the creature. He regretfully waved his hand again and swept the lead leg of the charging reptile sideways and knocking it into the wall and then to the ground; the combined physical pain and telepathic gesture of friendship between himself and the animal hopefully slipping the Sith's control and allowing the creature to escape.

Time slowed for the Corellian as he turned his body, his eyes locking on the crimson blade burning through the air towards his friend and a cry building in his chest that faded as the Snamreg twisted and struck out at the Wroonian. He had tried everything possible to prevent this fight, but the Sith's stubborn arrogance decided his course of action; Uriel would fight. Igniting his own orange blade, the Jedi dashed forward to capitalize on Gaunerei's counter; his shield led the way with the Force flowing through his hand and into the metal, his lightsaber raised and ready to sweep a strike away from the Trickster and the civilians.

The shield swept out in tight arm extensions once, twice, thrice -- battering against the Sith and trying to force him away from Uriel's charges while his body twisted to face the Sith fully from the front, his lightsaber ready to turn the attacker's blade.

"Gaun! GO! Get the children and go!"

 

[Cortan]

"Ngh!" The grunt was all the satisfaction Azur might give Gaunerei after his strike, the knock throwing off his stance, but not stopping his subsequent kick - but that, the strange one dodged. Azur gave his arm a few flexes as he returned to a proper posture, trying to ease up muscles before the strike set them any way strange, and hope for adrenaline to flow and begin numbing the ache. It wasn't the worst hit he'd ever suffered, but it was... dangerous, compared to what most sentients could deliver.
"I spoke nothing of 'honour', and nothing of freewill." Azur answered the accusations of the strange one matter-of-factly, and returned the gaze of the beast with one of a hunter. His world was a forest, abundant in life, and it had been great hunters that made it fit for a second chance at civilisation.

"I was dragged to the Sith kicking and screaming, and emerged as more than I could have ever been otherwise. I will do the same for their sakes, if I must." With a light twirl, his saber was raised once more, ready for another strike.
"And you are in the way!" The wroonian then stepped forth and swung his blade, but was forced to step back in sudden succession as, of all things, the Burning Sword's shield was thrown at his face. The first step was entirely focused on dodging, the second helped regain his footing, and at the third, he was ready for the counterstrike. Their sabers collided once, and then locked at their second encounter, red hot blades of plasma singing the song of a true duel. Azur wheeled out of the saber lock, and stretching out his right leg, suddenly dropped as he swept around to try and bring the older man down by his feet. That right leg, being the prosthetic he'd had installed after his last encounter with the Jedi, was a fitting - and relatively heavy - means of attack.

It was itself, however, a feint. As Azur spun, he had freed a hand, in the second or two he had, was drawing upon the force as best he could manage in such a span. Tightening, squeezing it like a ball between his fingers. He hit that hand behind the ibe that still gripped his saber, until he reached the climax of his spin, and thrust it forth. A wave of kinetic energy, enough toss a man and tumble stone, erupted forth, its roar louder than the sounds of distant cannon fire from the warfare that enveloped the city. His hope was to catch the older knight as he either fell or dodged the leg sweep, but there was another, lesser hope.
That it wouldn't be that easy.

 

[TweedPawn]

The memories of Della Frey rushed to Gaunerei. She had also been in the exact same situation as this Blue-skinned fellow. But there was no glory or triumph waiting for the girl, only a lifetime of incredible loneliness or death. She managed to not only escape her conscription, but would later live to vex one of the Sith Lords. Life was funny that way.

But all of her painful memories were his memories. While Della forgave Geist Weiss for the pain he caused her and her people, Gaunerei had yet to learn that aspect of the Jedi. Oh yes, Sith so proudly considered themselves hunters. Yet, Gaunerei knew many animals lived on a diet of hunters. Gaunerei loved hunters. Their pride was so easy to bruise.

Gaunerei was ready to strike again. This time, he was going to allow himself to tap into the Bogan. He was going to love to see how this moron enjoyed a face full of Chaos.

But then Uriel dived in to intervene. At that moment, it was like Gaunerei snapped out of the plot for petty revenge. He did not waste a moment. He sprung a safe distance away from their fight, scooping a child into his arms and guiding another back to the group of civilians that were still trying to escape with the two padawans.

"Everyone keep going!" Gaunerei could see the ship now. But the darkness that Gaunerei had revealed attracted unwanted attention. A sith charged right for one of the padawans. The padawan was able to deflect the attacks, but was struggling. Gaunerei set down the child into the arms of a nearby father. Then The rabbit charged full speed, pushing with the Force with the same power as a massive beast.

The Padawan jumped out of the way as Gaunerei collided with the Sith and sent it flying several feet and into a wall.

" ANY ONE ELSE WANT TO KRIFF WITH ME?" he roared. The Padawans were quick to try to load everyone onto the ship. They looked at Gaunerei with fear and apprehension. But, Uriel had vouched for the reforming darksider. And they understood that Gaunerei was trying his best. Still, he was acting quite not-jedi. Gaunerei seemed to catch on to what they were thinking as he was loading the children.

"No..." He mumbled.

The Padawans shifted uncomfortably. Their expressions betraying their silent debate.

"No..." Gaunerei said, more aggressively. He stepped forward, ready to teach these rug-rats some respect.

"Please! Don't leave us!" said a voice. It was a father with two little ones. There wasn't enough room for all of them. Unless...

"Kriffing dammit." Gaunerei muttered. He quickly hopped off the ramp to guide the father and his children onto the ship.

"GO! JUST GO! YOU'RE PACKED!" Barked Gaunerei, he watched with feigned calm. As soon as the ship lifted and became airborne, Gaunerei was already trying to worm his way into safety. Crap, this was bad. Ugh, why did he let that family take his place? Stupid Jedi, stupid Light, stupid afterlife paradise.

Another sith verbally challenged Gaunerei.

"NOT IN THE MOOD" He waved a hand, sending the foolish acolyte into a pile of garbage. Where was he going to go now? He could go back to Uriel, couldn't he? But Uriel told Gaunerei to also get on the ship. Something Gaunerei sacrificed by letting someone else take his place. He just had to be a good guy.

But wait...was that? Gaunerei felt the presence of someone he knew all too well..