Chapter 47
Jarys
“This is Tiiko’s most ‘beautiful code’” he said as he sliced into the Jedi archives through the chief librarians terminal…the chief librarian himself an old Cerean apparently called Ha’Siri’Kum based on the log in details lay in four pieces on the floor.
It had been a bit of fun killing him, Jarys had tried out the Fallanassi illusion Valens had taught him while Valens had used a subtle aetheric suppression technique to reduce suspicion, the old fool thought he was Master Soryu right up until the point his head hit the ground.
“there…the access to the back-ups as well…going back…let’s see thirty odd years…” he assessed the record storage summary data,
“Good, Take a complete copy, then set the criteria to purge all current and the next three or four updates with a tracer,” Valens advised,
“I’d go five…” Jarys replied as he keyed the list into Tiiko’s program, it detailed all the key words and dates to be garbled, every detail about Aethas, Aethan biology, the events on Nar Shadda 20 years ago turned to useless false facts, and re-writes of Valens and Milaea’s details and missions…a full purge of the archives would’ve raised suspicions, so they kept it tight.
“Do it,” Valens hopped off the desk he was sitting on,
He hit the purge button.
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As they left the library they came face to face with six Jedi, cloaked, seething in the aether, armed not just with regular lightsabres…but other types as well, pikes, batons.
“Kirkut, it’s about time,” Valens addressed the tallest one, the Jedi stepped forward into the light, though obscured by the white and gold helm Jarys recognized the flow of its mind as a Lasat…a strong and powerful species biologically.
“By your crimes Valens you have condemned yourself already, On behalf of the Temple Guard I sentence you to death,” he ignited his blue sabre staff,
Nine more sabres lit up, yet the six Sentinels wielded only eight, at the far left one of then drooped down, the green blade that pierced its chest staying in place as it fell, cutting it into a hideous flower like split of cauterized flesh,
Jarys smiled briefly as they surged forth, some opening fire with projectile and energy weapons. His brother raced ahead into a mon calamari on the far right as he felt the familiar touch of the battle meld he had created with Valens as children reform…yet his brothers attacks seemed in effectual…and he didn’t think he had two lightsabres…it was then that Valens actually appeared, leaping out behind the Mon Cal daggers ripping its flesh to pieces as the alien fought an illusion...all in the time Jarys had pulled his blaster and tossed a grenade…
It was then he realised just how much his brother had exceeded him…two Jedi in twenty seconds….He would relish the challenge of catching up!
He moved in time to the rhythms and prompts of the battle meld, energy blades, knives, all tried and failed to make their mark upon him, in return their lightning, fire, blades and sabre tore apart the Sentinels robes, found every shatter point in their armour, every gap between the plates.
The Lasat, already naturally faster than a human seemed to cope better, getting off glancing blows, he was focused on Jarys. He didn’t mind, a challenge like this would be invigorating. The sabre staff moved with unsettling speed, followed by booted kicks, and armoured elbows, their armour clanked with each collision, aetheric blasts and grips traded freely, nerve disruption and mental attacks traded back and forth. A Nautolan tried to get in a hit from behind, but through Valens eyes he could see the attack, swivelled and landed the butt of his rifle on it skull with bone shattering strength.
The Lasat landed a searing slice into his right thigh armour, repaid with a downward slash into its shoulder pads, his sword stuck in place, he abandoned it to drive his fists into the creature’s chest, guided by Valens more precise shatterpoint the left chest piece broke and fell away. It was as though he were back home, the two of them practising against their grandfather…using each techniques the other had perfected, each view point to try and get a hit in…it had taken them years to win together…years to match Andis alone…
He backtracked dodging the Lasat’s heavy swings and occasional aetheric stab, as the beast tossed out his stuck sword. Jarys caught it in the aether and sent it right back at him as Valens shot one of his glass ‘shikkars’ at the creature from the other side. It deflection was fast and perfect, a sign of its biological and aether enhanced reflexes that even a human force user could not match….but Aethans were not biologically human.
He was beneath the Lasat before it even noticed, it quickly kicked and hit Jarys in the right shoulder, he rolled back, the Lasat moved forward then stopped as it suddenly realised…it looked down to see a sabre-baton and shoto burning through its torso from behind in the grip of Jarys mind.
It dropped heavily,
“Keep it alive,” Valens said tossing two more broken but living figures beside him,
“For now…”
Jarys nodded lifting the three corpses above with the aether, pressing their wounds closed just enough to keep them alive in thought rending pain.
“You right taking the Grand Master alone”
Valens smiled,
“I’ve been planning it for a long time…remember what I told you about Soryu…take care brother” .
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He strode down the halls unchallenged, it was largely empty with the Jedi all over Coruscant, toward the white lit stairs that surrounded a garden feature, the near dead Jedi hovering behind him.
The large doors at the top of the stair case hissed open, he raised the three Sentinels higher in the air, strengthening his grip at their throats and major organs in the aether.
Two Jedi stood at the top of the stairs, one he knew…Soryu now Valens had told him just who he had fought on Santooine…he felt conflicted about it…the other by Valens description, Yoren.
He used the aether to project his voice
“I am Jarys, son of Lyssia, son of Marten, Grandson and student of Andis the Unyielding, husband of Cilina of the Mountain Village, their stories I carry with me.”
He drew his sword in his left hand and his rifle in the other.
“You Jedi sought me out, but I have come to you, ravaged your world, broken your defences now…” he paused for dramatic effect…he would never normally do such a thing as announce his intention…but he wanted to buy Valens as much time as he could,
“Face me alone Keishar Yoren, Master of the Jedi, member of their council, not with an army of your servants,” he used the aether to fill the room with his confidence and pride in his people and heritage…combined with the imbalance Valens had created with the crystals he hoped it would be enough to push the Jedi to face him alone…even still injured Soryu was threatening.
To add fuel to the fire he snapped the necks and crushed the organs of the Jedi above him, then flung their corpses into the stairs, skin splitting and blood jetting as they met the uncaring corners with pitiless force.
He could feel the shock, the anger in the aether fuming off them both, Soryu was quicker to control it…his humility a blanket on the flames…Yoren’s pride only stoked it.
“You’re sick,” the Jedi spat, “a sick, a crazed Rancor that needs to be put down!”
“Yoren,” Soryu grasped his arm, “Steady yourself,”
“Enough, this is the…the beast…the animal that killed Gurrlum, the creature that attacked the Hangar…and now has the audacity to come in here and just…just massacre Jedi in front of my face,”
The imbalance Valens had set in motion was truly a thing to behold Jarys thought,
“No more, you die right here right now!” His blue sabre sprung to life as he leapt over the stairs straight toward him.
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Even after decades of constant battle draining on his spirit, it was still so invigorating.
Jarys raised is rifle and opened fire, sending his two knives in long arcs behind him and into the foliage of the garden feature for later. The Jedi bounced the shots back at him as Jarys deflected them into the ground and leapt up to meet him mid-air still firing. To face an opponent this skilled, to rise to the challenge energized him.
Sword sparked against sabre as Yoren used the force to push the rifle out of aim, the impact brought them down onto the steps, both masters of combat, they landed with grace and fought with brutality. Yes, he thought, this was living…the heart of battle, two men with nothing but their will to survive to separate them.
Yorens sabre slashed divots in the beskar, his aetheric grips slowed Jarys genetically enhanced reflexes, his aetheric blasts pummelled his back and legs, bruising the skin and muscle beneath with invisible impacts. He cut through the rifle, a shower of sparks flew in the Jedi’s face searing welts into the once noble features. Jarys blade sliced through the flowing robe, his elbows and knees impacting ribs, thighs and side.
This was a true master, like the Gado had been, a rival that brought out the best in him, set his heart pumping with hormones…if only the Jedi had more like this one….The blue sabre rained upon him, the light of its movement melded into a burning circle making it impossible to see with his eyes where the actual blade was amidst the traces of its light.
His left gauntlets was seared through, the unarmoured gap between thigh and hip burnt through, the plasma fire eating into his flesh. An aetheric blow simultaneously to both sides of his helmet set his ears ringing. The Jedi’s nose was bleeding from an elbow to the side of the head, a red laceration trailed from shoulder to elbow on his right arm, his left foot uncomfortable on the steps after a heavy booted stomp.
They were ripping each other apart, stalking for any slim opportunity to be the sole survivor, it was exhilarating, he wondered if he had stayed on Aethas, would he ever have been satisfied with the life of a normal Guardian, father, husband…or had decades of war addicted him to the brutality, the taste of his own blood as he hammered his fist forward into the increasingly fatigued Jedi’s wrist blocking another slash.
A heavy blow to his chest plate brunt through, he responded with a slash that cut into the Jedi’s hip, his armour was slick with the Jedi’s blood and smelt of cauterized flesh and burnt metal. The aether grasped at his head, he pushed it off and followed it with a heavy aetheric grip on the spine, Yoren pushed it off as Jarys knee smashed into Yorens hands as they gripped the sabre, off balance he lunged his helmeted head forward to crack against his forehead.
The Jedi’s eyes swam back in his head, he brought his blade through for the kill…
It sparked against a green blade.
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