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Author Topic: Schisms: The Vhal'Dan Civil War  (Read 77423 times)
TheDutchman
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« Reply #60 on: April 03, 2018, 11:10:12 PM »



Chapter 8: Contact

Even before the door had fully opened, Ari ran into the apartments.  Kicking off her boots, she slowly rubbed her bare feet on the syncloth carpet of the Atrium as she slowly stripped herself of the carbon-nano armor that she wore, tossing the pieces seemingly haphazardly on one of the chairs in the brightly lit room, plants of all colors creating a beautiful panoply of colors that seemed to belong in a natural forest setting.  Combined with the pleasant piney aroma, the apartment’s Atrium was truly a marriage between “indoor” and “outdoor” décor.  Saani had designed it for Ari as a surprise for her 16th birthday over a year ago.

While Ari luxuriated in comfort, she pulled her long red hair down out of the ponytail she’d travelled with on her journey from the Karideph System, truly feeling like herself for the first time since she’d had to help Kazic manage the trade of Galtean foodstuffs for the servo-neuro motors that Karideph exported.  It had been as boring a trip as it sounded.  But she knew why Kazic had asked for her to go with him and she didn’t begrudge him his caution…although she’d missed the Swoopduel between her friend Ishara D’ahn and that sleemo Xyxxin Ckrwal.  Inhaling and then slowly letting out her breath, she waded into the aether as she projected outward, just like she’d learned from Saani.  Feeling the Twi’lek woman on the third floor, Ari joined her aura with Saani’s in the intimate ritual that she’d learned from her foster parents.  It also evinced Ari of memories of Home, of the communal shared mind within the aether.  Smiling, Ari was happy to be back in her home.

“…Damned ridiculous procedures…” Kazic muttered under his breath as he finally entered the apartments, having contacted the Kage informing him of their success as well as to receive any further updates concerning their latest itinerary.  Thankfully, the Council had given Kazic a 66-hour liberty as a reward.  “…Thank the Maker we’ve three whole days to our own devices…”  The tall Anzati Master began to divest himself of his own armor, carefully hanging the pieces on the mannequin in the large foyer.  Not even looking at Ari, his amused voice carried through the atrium.  “Dear One…please don’t leave your kit in the Atrium again; you know how Saani prefers we keep them ‘on the ready.’”  And almost right behind the last word, Ari felt Kazic join Saani and herself in the aether, his strong, reassuring presence comforting.

“Ah, K’ompo, Dear One, I’m so glad you’re back.”  Saani walked down the central staircase joining the two of them within the Atrium.  She must have recently returned from her own assignment as she still had on her utilities.  First kissing Ari upon her cheek and then Kazic on his lips, she gathered them both to her.  “Guess who has a three-day pass and three tickets to the new Science Holo-Exhibition projected straight from the Corellia Coronet City Convention Centre?  I’ll give you both three hints: she’s incredibly intelligent, astonishingly beautiful, and sublimely humble.”  Winking a purple eye at Ari, Saani reached up to pull at Kazic’s topknot, releasing a cascade of thick, black hair.

His own face breaking out in a broad grin, Kazic laughed, turning to Aresaea.  “Dear One!  I hadn’t realized that you’d gotten us tickets!”  His tone dripped with amusement while Saani slapped his shoulder good-naturedly.  “But I think that we should still ask Saani to tell us so we don’t ‘steal her thunder.’”  They all walked up the flight of stairs heading towards their respective sleeping quarters.

Ari, for her part, was thrilled; she’d been anticipating the next showcase from the Corellia Science Institute out of Coronet City but knew that she’d have to wait for the Holo-Exhibition.  Vhal’Dan Law had restricted such extra-curricular productions in that they required Congressional approval prior to presentation.  But—as Saani was wont to say—“Rank hath its privileges.”  Instead of having to wait the usual six-month interim period that Galtean citizens normally had to endure, Saani’s position as Speaker allowed for her to cut that time in half.  Regardless, Ari couldn’t wait to see it.  “I’ll be ready in an hour!  Thanks Saani!”  She hugged the shorter Twi’lek woman before disappearing in her own rooms.

Kazic chuckled as he and Saani entered their own bedrooms.  Taking off his own utilities, shirt, and trousers, he headed towards their own bedroom-adjacent refresher.  “I’d heard en-route to Galtea that you’d been successful with the Karideph Trade negotiations.”  Saani’s voice came from behind him.  “But I’ve been out of the loop as far as Galtea is concerned.  What is the latest news, K’ompo?”  Her words were momentarily muffled as she drew her small-shirt over her head as she passed him, disappearing in the adjoining closet.  Kazic programmed the shower, the hot, nearly scalding water inundating him almost immediately.  While the hot water didn’t matter particularly to him, thanks to his Anzati heritage, Kazic knew that Saani would absolutely love the heat.

“The latest news, Kanp’a, is that Anson’s most recent attempt to implement the Ident-Mandate was a stalemate, broken once again by Arkady’s ‘No’ vote.’”  The steam from the hot water began to rise, obfuscating the room beyond.  “Anson even tried to argue that your ‘No’ vote in absentia wasn’t valid so you know that he’s getting desperate.”  Kazic quietly laughed at the memory of that particular…argument.  But he quickly sobered; it had been close, damned close…

Kazic suddenly felt the soft touch of his wife’s arms around his waist as she silently joined him in the shower.  Just as he’d suspected, the hot water helped to relax her.  He turned towards her, enveloping her in his arms, her blue skin glistening in the water.  Almost coyly, she looked up at him from underneath her eyelids.  “…Ari did say that she’d be an hour or so…and I can’t think of a better way to start our ‘liberty’ than…”  Saani’s voice cut off as Kazic kissed her deeply upon her dark blue lips, clearly of like mind with his wife…

            <<<<< >>>>>

As they’d made the circuits around the Holo-Exhibition, Ari’s behavior reminded Kazic of the first couple months that they’d been together: everything held such…wonder.  And like that (comparatively) wide-eyed girl he’d come to love, teenage Ari kept them all at a frantic pace as she attempted to consume all of the displays within the exhibition.  And, Kazic had to admit, she was making a herculean effort in doing so, smiling across at Saani whenever the two stole glances at one another whenever they came to another shared hobby.

From the ancient Alderaan Abstractions to Corellian Realism to Mak’Tor Aural Compositions, the Holo-Exhibition ran a wide range of Art.  There was even a collection of pre-Migration Miralukan Tapestries that caught Ari’s full attention.  “…All of the weave is patterned after the artist’s aura in the Force…”  Ari explained, feeling a kind of…kinship.  After all, the eyeless Miraluka had heightened senses in the aether, reminiscent of her own People…

Feeling Ari’s nostalgia, both Kazic and Saani enveloped her in a hug, buoying Ari while their collective feelings surrounded each other in the Force.  Saani gently stroked Ari’s back while Kazic held both women.  After a moment, Ari nodded her thanks.  “…I’m OK, really Saani, Kazic…”  Clearing her throat, she stared straight ahead, her eyes suddenly focusing on…something.

“…By the goddesses…”  Ari pulled away, walking hurriedly away.  Saani and Kazic looked at one another, more than a little concerned.  They could feel Ari’s emotions spike, eagerness surrounded by astonishment…with just a slight undercurrent of fear.  They both quickly moved to follow.  As they came to stand next to Ari, Saani had eyes only for her ward; Kazic scrutinized the display.

Comprised of 120 sculptures, many of them rather…explicit (some conservative groups threw around admonitions such as “pornographic”), half had the visages of different women but the other half was clearly the featured subject of the presentation.  And above the vast selection was the holo-banner reading “The Arts of Aphrodaea.”

Aresaea knew what such entailed; she knew it to be a message, one from her People, one for her People.  “Ari…that is a…familiar naming convention of yours.”  It was not a question that Kazic asked, his red eyes shrewd and piercing.  Nodding, Ari turned her head to look Saani directly in her eyes.  And she saw in them understanding…and mitigated joy.  …Saani knows… Ari’s thought came unbidden.

“…Ari…we’ll help you contact them.  Even if it takes the authority of the ‘First and Second Speakers’ to give us travel authorization, you know that Kazic and I will do everything that we can to help.”  Saani’s purple eyes were full of compassion and love.  She put her forehead against Ari’s while squeezing her shoulder.

Ari laughed, cutting it off abruptly.  “No Sa…I mean, thank you.  But you don’t need to do that; we don’t even have to leave Galtea.  I was young, very young but I…remember a way to contact my People through the Force.”  Briefly, Ari looked at the art display, wistful yet…eager.  Kazic spoke from behind her.

“…Would you like to see the rest of the holo-exhibit Ari or…”  His gray lips were turned up in the corners.  He already knew what she wanted, what she needed.  Hugging the tall Anzat, she put her arms around both of her foster parents’ waists, her voice almost pleading.

“Please take me home; I’ve got to prepare.”

            <<<<< >>>>>

Having taken Ari home, Kazic was suddenly pinged on his comm, calling him to the R&D Department at the University.  Saani stayed in the apartments, looking over some of the other Initiatives on her datapad that were the purview of the Second Speaker, leaving Ari to her own designs.  Alone in the conservatory, Ari saw Galtea’s sun setting upon the horizon, the ruddy disk turning the cloudy, blue sky into a deep purple.  …It’s going to rain tonight… She thought, aware of the high percentage humidity.  Shaking her head, she playfully admonished herself.  What did that matter?  Her People were out there, the message as clear as the transparisteel wall of the conservatory.  Why was she hesitating?  Of course, she already knew the answer as she asked herself.  Two reasons: the first that she was reluctant to leave Saani and Kazic; and second…

…What if…there was no answer?

She shook her head.  …Well, sometimes you’ve got to roll a hard twelve… She thought to herself, using one of Kazic’s sayings.  She hadn’t really appreciated what he had meant by that until now.  …And you’re still stalling… Smiling wryly, Ari closed her eyes, fully enveloping herself in the aether.

As it always was, she could feel the ebb and flow.  There was no “destiny” in the aether…but there was a legacy within the tides, inexorably pulling them all, leading to a future, one for her People, the Vhal’Dan, Saani, Kazic.

Her.

As much as she could remember (she’d been so young when she’d lost Uncle, younger still when he had taught her the ways of the aether), she projected…outward.  There was no length, no width, no depth in the aether.  There was no space, no time.  The aether allowed for her to be heard across the galaxy, for there were no barriers within the aether.

And so, Ari focused on establishing contact, for her People to hear, to see her message.  [I am here!  By the three goddesses, I am here!  Aresaea, of the People!]  She repeated, over and over again.  [I am here!  By the three goddesses, I am here!  Aresaea, of the People!]  She could feel herself wading deeper into the aether; she had to be careful now, else she…lose herself.  [I am here!  By the three goddesses, I am here!  Aresaea, of the People!]  

She knew that she should not go any further but she was desperate for an answer.

[I AM HERE!  BY THE THREE GODDESSES, I AM HERE!  ARESAEA, OF THE PEOPLE! PLEASE!  I AM HERE!!]  

But nothing happened.  There was no voice answering her, no confirmation of her sending, no response of her inquiries.

Nothing.

Slowly, she curled into a fetal position, the pain of defeat, the loss of hope, and the anger of frustration inundating her as Ari slowly beat her closed first on the floor.  And even as her tears washed over her cheeks, sobs racking her body, her repeated blows upon the syncloth began to show wear under the strain of her enhanced strength and genetically denser tissues.  

Even as Saani entered her room to investigate the booming sounds that Ari’s repeated strikes upon the floor made, Ari continued to cry, her aqua eyes watery, red, and full of pain.  

Wrapping her in her tender embrace, Saani said nothing, only pulling Ari close as she sobbed ever harder.  Quietly, Saani began to sing a Twi’leki lullaby, rocking Ari gently in time with her singing.  And slowly—slowly—Ari’s sobbing stopped, her face relaxed, her fist stopped pounding on the noticeably dented floor.  Exhausted, Ari slipped into sleep, Saani ever vigilant by her side, repositioned herself to get as comfortable as the floor would allow as the Twi’lek woman settled in for the night.

            <<<<< >>>>>

“…So once again, Ari was correct?”  Kazic’s tone was equal parts proud, amazed, and frightened.  No, not frightened; terrified.  And, for once, the appearance of the daen nosi were not to blame, or at least, not all to blame.  He, Maenowan Jorol Qui-Xot, and Sire Tsarvung Xot-Qui were standing over a small, black stone plinth with ancient Massassi writing adorning every square centimeter.  It was about 25 centimeters tall, shaped like an obelisk.  Aside from that, it was absolutely unremarkable and innocuous.  

And one of the most dangerous weapons in the galaxy.

Messer Subiah Fuqua had done the initial translations:

      “Carelessness of the Offspring,
      Our Sith Master Naga
      Present to Him this
      Toy of affectation and
      Fire of the Void.”


From this, Professor Fuqua had postulated that the plinth was…nothing more than a child’s offering to one of the ancient Massassi deities.  Even in CorSec Collegiate institutions (whose curriculum in Humanities was severely deficient), Professor Fuqua’s conclusions were taught as gospel.

Until Ari had gone over the interpretations, finding that almost all of it was out of context.  And while it had taken her the better part of a week (versus Fuqua’s timetable of years), Ari was able to provide a concise translation:

   “Incautiousness will spawn,
   Lord Naga’s dowry
   Within the Mind
   Agate, Power of
   Destruction in Nothingness.”


And despite the archaic composition of the Massassi language, Ari had deduced that it was instead a weapon, one that—upon further investigation with Jorol—brought shivers down Kazic’s spine.  And Jorol and Tsarvung had finally confirmed, calling Kazic immediately…and the reason for his presence there, now.

The device was a Thought Bomb.

“Who else knows about this?”  Kazic quietly inquired as his fingers stroked his black goatee, his eyes focused on both men.

“Outside this room?  The Kage, the Arbiter, the Council, and Professor Fuqua.  And, of course, Aresaea.”  Tsarvung’s deep voice intoned.  Unconsciously, he placed a large hand upon his husband’s dark fingers.  Jorol looked up, smiling assuredly at the taller man.

“Assume Saani is aware as well, knowing Ari.”  Kazic unconsciously ran a hand through his hair, slightly pulling on his topknot.  “Let’s keep it that way.  Give this to Arkady and ask him to lock it up in the Kage’s Vault.  That should keep it as safe as possible.”  Kazic’s quick response belied the consternation that he felt.  The Kage’s Vault was one of the most secure depositories in the galaxy but…Kazic knew that nothing was foolproof.  And if a Thought Bomb should fall into the wrong hands…

While there were many reasons that the Ruusan Reformation was enacted, a large part of the Act was a direct result of the Thought Bomb that all but destroyed Ruusan.  The daen nosi recalled Kazic from his ruminations.  All he knew is that he would be damned before he allowed such a device to be used on the Vhal’Dan.

He just prayed to the Maker that he hoped that his caution would be enough…

            <<<<< >>>>>

Inhaling swiftly, Ari awoke with a start.  Her senses quickly focused on her surroundings as she willed her body to relax.  She could feel Saani’s comforting touch, her arm around Ari as she still slept upon the floor that they’d both passed out on.  The Galtean sun was just peaking over the west horizon, the morning rays sliding across the far wall as the sunlight began to illuminate the room.  But that was not what had woken Ari up.

Not wanting to wake Saani, Ari did not stir, even as her heart continued to hammer within her chest.  Taking assessment of the situation, Ari noticed a couple of abnormalities: in addition to her increased heart-rate, there was sweat upon her brow, and yet she felt chilled.  Normally, her body was better adapted to atmospheric conditions, better than even Kazic’s.  But the environment had had nothing to do with her body’s reactions.

It had been her dream.  Or rather, what came directly afterwards.  It had been three words, soft yet relentless in their persistence, ringing within her head and throughout the aether.  And again, she felt the anticipation that she’d felt as soon as her eyes fell upon “The Arts of Aphrodaea” Holo-Exhibit.  Three words.

We are coming.
Logged

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Cataphract Triarch of the Vhal'Dan

My sabers:Zearic's Aldrnari, Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, AS; Zearic's shoto, Apprentice v4 w/Obsidian, AS; Graflex SE w/Obsidian, GB; Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, CG; Dark Sentinel v4 w/Obsidian, BR; Sentinel LE v4 w/Obsidian, GB; Initiate v5 w/Obsidian, AS; Sentinel LE v4 stunt, EG; Aeon LE v4 stunt, FO; Dominix v4 stunt, BR; Aeon v3 stunt, SY

Karmack
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Light side points please.


« Reply #61 on: April 04, 2018, 12:22:24 AM »

So...   The passionate Arbiter, in possession of a thought bomb, is faced by a potential invasion by extremely powerful force users...

Oh yeah.  Nothing bad could POSSIBLY happen...   Shocked
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Illyiss
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There are shadows darker still...


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« Reply #62 on: April 04, 2018, 02:18:12 AM »

Tears.  This has an ending of tears written all over it.  Lots of tears.  Probably more blood than that. 
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Darth Pandæmis

Peace is a lie...

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TheDutchman
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« Reply #63 on: April 04, 2018, 02:40:10 AM »

Tears.  This has an ending of tears written all over it.  Lots of tears.  Probably more blood than that. 
If I ever make a book of "Schisms"  THIS^^ is what I'm going to put on the inside jacket where the brief synopsis goes  Wink

So...   The passionate Arbiter, in possession of a thought bomb, is faced by a potential invasion by extremely powerful force users...

Oh yeah.  Nothing bad could POSSIBLY happen...   Shocked
...Annddd THIS^^ on the back  Cheesy

But...yeah
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Sig courtesy of DarthScrub

Cataphract Triarch of the Vhal'Dan

My sabers:Zearic's Aldrnari, Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, AS; Zearic's shoto, Apprentice v4 w/Obsidian, AS; Graflex SE w/Obsidian, GB; Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, CG; Dark Sentinel v4 w/Obsidian, BR; Sentinel LE v4 w/Obsidian, GB; Initiate v5 w/Obsidian, AS; Sentinel LE v4 stunt, EG; Aeon LE v4 stunt, FO; Dominix v4 stunt, BR; Aeon v3 stunt, SY

Lord_S_Gray
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« Reply #64 on: April 04, 2018, 07:08:18 AM »

This was great...I love the little details, that is your greatest strength i think - the 66 hours of freedom which indicates just how strict things are...not say 3 days...exactly 66 hours...and i'll bet they are being timed...
Anson trying to twist the vote for the ident-mandate shows his desperation.

And yet...and here is the best part that integrates all the threads...Anson has just all but been completely justified as Aresaea has just invited in the very thing Anson was afraid of through the front door.  Not only that but by fixing the translation she had identified the vry weapon that could cause Ansosn vision of oblivion for the Vhal'Dan to come true in an instant what else was his vision but beholding  Power of/Destruction in Nothingness..  Its just such a brilliantly done twisted situation that justifies and condemns all of them in some way.

This is a slow burn culmination of so many threads, but they remain twisting and writhing, don't need big battles for a massive pay off this is the kind of unpredictable twisted stuff i love to read. 
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Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Karmack
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Light side points please.


« Reply #65 on: April 04, 2018, 01:18:51 PM »

This is a slow burn culmination of so many threads, but they remain twisting and writhing, don't need big battles for a massive pay off this is the kind of unpredictable twisted stuff i love to read. 

Ditto!  Dutchman, you've got the touch!  :-)
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Taegin Roan
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« Reply #66 on: April 05, 2018, 06:56:17 AM »

Agreed. Out of all of us, you integrate details the best. And you can describe things so vividly, it is incredible. You feel what they feel, hear what they hear. And most of all, you are drawn in to the story until you become one with it. Well done.
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TheDutchman
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« Reply #67 on: April 09, 2018, 05:59:41 PM »



Chapter 9: Menace and Misunderstanding

Now…
The purple blade arced through the air, stopping bare centimeters from Kazic’s face.  Once again, he was amazed at the strength of the blow, the speed of the swing.  He knew that if he wasn’t wrapped in the Force, his opponent would have quickly bested him.  But his biggest surprise had not come from any physical attack.  He’d felt the pressure against his mind, deluging him with first illusions then a brutal form of Force Suppression and, when those were not effective, simultaneous metaphysical attacks as he defended against the small girl’s viper-quick saber assault.  

He knew that he was among the strongest mental Force-users that he’d ever met.  It was taking everything for him just to defend, to blunt the attacks meant to sear his mind, to effectively lobotomize him.  And her strength in the Force was…astounding.  But he was holding his own, if barely.

Suddenly, he saw the red haired girl smile, as if reading his thoughts.  “Oh so you’re done with me playing with you?  Good…”  Her smile turned predatory.  “I’ve seen A LOT of things lately that I thought were disgusting—Aqualish erotica, Herglic food fixations, even hairless Wookie grease-wrestling, but I’ve never seen something as revolting as your face!”  She seemingly (and effortlessly) redoubled her efforts, her purple blade in five places at once, his defenses sorely pressed.

He knew that she was taunting him, toying with his emotions while distracting him.  Kazic discerned that he would have to do something…drastic.  But…everything that he’d lived for, everything within his entire being was against doing…that.  No, he would rely on the Force as his ally.

His Ataru was virtually flawless…but it seemed as if this girl had mastered the Form, incredible as that was.  Kazic had been alive for more than 400 years, most of that time training, studying, absorbing from as many battlemasters and saber practitioners as he could.  And, he could admit without ego, that he’d accomplished much, certainly he could be counted among those celebrated warriors, even besting several of them.

This girl was better, stronger, and even more…savage, able to extemporize seemingly at whim.  Her assault suddenly penetrated his defenses, her blade connecting with his armor while concurrently attacking his mental safeguards.  Thank the Maker, both his armor and his mind held but…if he hadn’t been wearing his armor…or mentally prepared… Kazic knew that he would have to change things up, and quickly.

Back flipping, he switched to a Niman variant that he’d learned from Master Stryka.  Very few of her apprentices had even attempted to learn it, such was its complexity.  He flowed into the offensive forms that Master Stryka had taught him, telling him that—aside from her—he was the only one to gain mastery in it.

“Good!  I was beginning to think that this would be over too soon!  Now I see that you’re more than just a barely-trained, unimaginative gormin like the rest of these Jedi!”  If the girl’s smile had been predatory before, she practically beamed with brutal voraciousness now.  

As their blades met, blue on purple, the air began to hum from the violence of their combat.  Kazic didn’t sweat, such was the legacy of his Anzat ancestry.  Additionally, his resilience was far beyond that of a human’s.  But even he was beginning to feel the effects of prolonged saberwork, the toxins in his body becoming too much for even his superior physiology to compensate for.  Again, he tried a desperate attack, one that he normally would not have even contemplated, much less attempted.  Hoping to distract, Kazic’s offensive became a furious flurry of strikes, seemingly leaving an ever-widening opening to exploit.  But it was not so much an invitation as it was bait.  One that the girl saw and took.

As the girl’s saber came within reach, he quickly switched hands with his saber, using his now empty hand to grab the girl’s wrist, arresting her swing and creating a small opening.  Her eyes widened in surprise while his saber had a clear path towards her exposed body.  But even as his saber arced towards her, she broke free of his grasp.  …How in the hell…?! His saber hissed through the air, “merely” burning through the clothes that she was wearing, although the plasma blade must have connected against some tissue as he could smell burnt flesh as well as seeing a momentary spasm of pain in her face.

She was no longer smiling.  All humor left her demeanor.  “That…hurt.”  Her lips spread in a rictus grin.  “I haven’t felt that kind of pain for…quite some time.”  Her stance changed, something resembling Juyo but more…aggressive.  “Let me show you now, you frellik-faced farbot!”  And she attacked.  Her saber seemed a solid cloud of plasma; her punches and kicks felt like a gorog’s; her metaphysical attacks those of brute, crushing force, not the subtle, piercing assaults she’d been continually using.

If Kazic had been hard-pressed before, he was completely inundated now.  In just under a minute, the girl had struck his armor no less than three times.  Worse: she’d scored a glancing cut across his forearm, shattering the vambrace and burning his arm.  And his head felt as if it were stuck within a vise.  Again, he tried a desperation attack: Electric Judgment.  

The yellow Lightning surprised the girl, coalescing as a plasma cloud that surrounded her, dancing all along her face and skin, scorching burns forming where the arcing contacted the skin.  But then, she smiled.  “Lightning, eh?  So that’s the way you want to play it, Frellik-face?”  She didn’t sound pained; she sounded angry.  And it was then that Kazic knew that he had run out of luck.

Closing down her purple blade, blue Lightning began to surge from her hands, up her arms, sheathing her upper body in a bluish-violet hue.  And with speed that even Kazic’s Force-enhanced eyes couldn’t fully track, the girl hurled the Lightning at him.  First, it overwhelmed his own (comparatively) meager Lightning, subsuming the electric cloud surrounding him and absorbing it, his aura going from yellow to violet.  He’d been hit by Sith Lightning before; this was nothing like it.  Every single fiber, every individual cell felt as if it was being flash-boiled, energy coursing through his body causing his muscles to violently contract, micro-tears forming along soft tissues as the girl poured her Lightning into him.  And while he was able to stand under the onslaught for a short time, he was soon on his knees, now eye-to-eye with the girl.  And as the violet glow from her Lightning played across her face, turning her red hair almost black, her eyes held an almost sadistic humor in them.

“Wow Frellik-face!  Every time I’ve done this, it just usually vaporizes the kriffing bastich that I use it against!  For as ugly as you are, your skill with the aether is not insignificant!”  She punctuated the last with a concentrated blast of Lightning causing Kazic to go from one knee down to all four limbs.  And as she did, she stepped forward, standing almost right on top of the Anzati Master.

Overcome by pain, the crushing weight of the girl’s rage fueling her metaphysical assault, and his own desperation, Kazic’s primal instincts overrode the logical side of his mind.  Pure impulse driving him, the Anzat (who’d forgotten the name Kazic) sprang up from the ground, enveloping the girl, completely ignoring the Lightning passing through his body.  His red eyes had gone completely black, all signs of sapience gone.  His hands latched onto the girl’s arms, bringing her face-to-face with him.  And even though she was still stronger than the Anzat, the girl could not shake him off.

Mindlessly, the Anzat put his face nose-to-nose with the girl’s, real concern finally showing upon her face.  And, for one of the rare times in his life, Kazic’s tentacle-like proboscises extended from his cheeks, slathering across the girl’s cheeks, searching out her nostrils and mouth.  Disgust and fear replaced concern causing the girl to inadvertently scream out, her strong hands and legs attempting to shove the Anzat away.  Meanwhile, she redoubled her metaphysical assault…but for naught; for all intents and purposes, “Kazic” was no longer there.  And while she managed to do significant damage to Kazic’s body, her efforts to remove him were futile.

If the cognizant parts of Kazic’s mind and personality were in control, the girl would have easily divested herself of the Anzat.  But pain and the Anzati threat responses had stripped Kazic of such; in his place was a monster, the likes of which had spawned countless stories of terror told across countless planets and cultures.  And all told of the relentless, inexorable dreaded beast that fed upon the brain of its victims, the so-called “soup.”

It was this that Kazic’s proboscises sought now.  And as one of them slowly found the girl’s open nostril, the other quickly followed suit.  Panicked, the girl let out a primal scream of anger, defiance, and fear.  But it was too late.

Suddenly, Kazic was pulled off of the girl, thrown bodily against the far wall, colliding with the transparisteel wall with a sickening crunch as several of his bones broke.  He didn’t so much as grimace, the pain not registering as Kazic had succumbed to the Anzati mindlessness in the pursuit of the soup.  And even as he slid to the ground, his bones were reforming, his tissues healing.  He attacked the man he faced now.

He was shorter than Kazic by about 10 centimeters, his light hair short, framing a face seemingly sculpted of adamantium.  Even as he helped the girl up, he kept his eyes on Kazic, not even blinking when the mindless Anzat attacked.  The man sidestepped in a flurry of motion, too fast for the eye to see, grabbing Kazic’s outstretched arm, pivoting and throwing him down to the ground.  Kazic’s arm broke in three places, half a dozen ribs shattering, along with his jaw as it connected with the ground.  Both of his scapulas then broke in two as the man projected a crushing weight with the Force (not that he thought of it in such terms).  Furthermore, the man kicked out with his heel, pulverizing Kazic’s femur in multiple places, the fractured bone ripping through the flesh of his thigh.  Finally, the man kicked with his other boot, splintering Kazic’s pelvis.

Still, the Anzat fought on.

Face impassive, the man clouted Kazic with a powerful Force Push causing his head to snap to the side.  The suddenness and ferocity of the motion caused the blood supply to momentarily restrict itself from reaching the Anzat’s brain, finally knocking him unconscious.  All the while, the man’s face had remained completely expressionless although he slightly exhaled a sigh.

He ignited the lightsaber in his hand, the green blade casting shadows all along the apartment’s walls creating a labyrinthine array of silhouettes.  And just as he was about to cleave the Anzat in two, a powerful voice shook the entire room.

STOP!

            <<<<< >>>>>

Then…
“…And so we have a stalemate.  In such an event, I, Kage Arkady Cyne, shall cast the deciding vote.”  The short, gruff Kage looked around the Council as he made his pronouncement.  “I vote against the measure that all non-Vhal’Dan citizens of Galtea must either swear the oaths or submit to monitored biometrics.  This session is adjourned.”  As Arkady stepped down to retire to his Office, Anson approached Kazic and Saani as they were quietly speaking.

“Kazic, this is a mistake.  We need to safeguard the Vhal’Dan against those whose allegiance of which we are uncertain.”  Anson’s deep brown eyes weren’t angry, just…intense.

Kazic sighed before answering, stroking his black goatee while the muted light within the Hall of Balance cast soft shadows across his armor and atop his brow, making his red eyes appear to glow.  The physiological effects were one of the reasons that such myths persisted regarding Anzati possessions, devilry, and bewitchment.  Still, the look on Kazic’s face would have done little to dispel the myths; indeed, the ferocity of his visage would have only added to it.

“No Anson.  At best, the measure is a slippery slope that would serve to alienate and stir unrest.  At worst…wholesale fascism.  I will never endorse such.”  Kazic crossed his arms, the armor of his vambraces making a dull noise as he did so.  “Not now.  Not ever.”

Anson took a step towards Kazic, seemingly looming over the Anzat, quite a spectacle given that Anson was almost 15 centimeters shorter.  The handsome Arbiter’s tone was quiet, almost genial but his eyes told another story.  “I know what you’re really about.  Aresaea.”  He didn’t quite smile.  “She is not one of the Vhal’Dan.  She’s never been inducted into our Order; never even considered it.  Yet…we have amongst us a…person of dubious loyalty.”

Just as Anson was wont to flare hot, his anger a raging furnace, Kazic’s temperament went in the opposite direction.  Icily, the Anzati Master spoke softly.  “She is not only loyal—as you say—to the Vhal’Dan, Ari is family.  And you do her a disservice to suggest otherwise.  Say what you will but know this: I will never question my ward’s fidelity.  Ever.”  Kazic’s eyes had adopted a half-lidded look of indifference, however, he felt anything but: he wanted to release the storm that Anson and his faction had induced in the Anzat…but he was still in control of himself.  Barely.

Anson’s smile hardened.  “Perhaps.  But know this: one day, one day very, very soon, don’t be surprised to find that we’ve come for Aresaea, for the good of the Vhal’Dan.  Maybe later…or possibly even today.  But I will be coming.”  He moved to join his confederates but turned his head to the side, pausing for a moment.  “Sometimes Kazic I wonder if you truly have the best interests of our Order at heart…”  And without a backwards glance he gathered his retinue and walked from the Hall.

For once, Kazic’s collected nature was washed away by the fury of Anson’s threat.  He couldn’t care less what the Arbiter thought of him; let Anson question his loyalties all that he wanted.  But to threaten Ari…

K’ompo, let it go.  You’re better than this.”  Saani’s quiet reassuring tone echoed her demeanor as she grasped his big hand, holding it in hers.  “Look, I have to join Corvus at the Ship Manufactory in the Inez Commercial District but I’ll join you at home later tonight.”  She told Kazic, gesturing at the Fifth Speaker.  She briefly kissed her husband.  “I love you.”  Then she turned to join the Devaronian Speaker.

“Love you too, Kanp’a.”  But, try as he might, his anger not only persisted but intensified.  All the way from the Hall of Balance, the ride on the hyperloop, and even as he approached and entered the door of his apartments, Kazic’s fury would not relent.  Upon opening his door, he almost expected to see Anson already there waiting for him.

He knew something was wrong the moment he entered his apartments.  As the Force flowed from him, he didn’t find anything amiss.  But Kazic had learned long ago to trust his senses.  And, frankly, he was too angry to let anything go.

“Come out now you cowards.  I know that you’re here.”  He had his saber in hand, ready to ignite.  And even as his Force-enhanced senses told him of the various minutiae in the environment, he still had difficulty locating the lone intruder.  …There… Kazic was finally able to lock onto the figure.  Incredibly, he was still having difficulty tracking the intruder, as if they were…deliberately obfuscating his efforts.  That in and of itself was amazing; Kazic’s mental Force abilities were among the strongest of the Vhal’Dan.  Nevertheless…

He ignited his lightsaber, the blue blade washing the apartments in cold illumination.  And for the first time, he saw that the intruder was a small girl.  He started; he should have been able to easily sense her this close.  At worst, his infravision should have seen her body’s ambient heat in the dark but her body didn’t register at all differently from her surroundings…

“I’m taking Aresaea.  You will give her to me.  Now.”  Her voice was playful, imperious, and contemptuous.  She had a saber in her hand that had yet to be ignited but the girl’s eyes gleamed with provocation.

Kazic shook his head, incensed at the girl’s tone.  “The hell you will.”  And with that, he attacked.

            <<<<< >>>>>

Now…
Something in the voice made the man stop.  He turned his head towards young woman who’d yelled.  Immediately he knew, his questions flooding through the aether and receiving answers in kind.  He closed down his lightsaber.

“Aresaea.  This is Kiraea; it was she who found you here.  I am Valens.”  His face relaxed a little but it still looked as if carved from durasteel.

Ari ran forward but not to either Kiraea or Valens, as he’d suspected.  Instead she quickly kneeled in front of the unconscious broken body belonging to Kazic.  Ari began to direct Healing flows into Kazic but she knew that her efforts were too minor, her skill not up to the task.  “…Guardian…I…I’m sorry, he didn’t know!  Please, please help him!”

Both Valens and Kiraea exchanged glances, an entire discussion passing in a single look.  Desperate, Ari instinctively joined them in the aether, showing the two everything that she’d encountered, and not just on Galtea.  Everything.  Nodding slightly understanding that there was much more here than met the eye, Valens bent over the Anzat.  And—to his eyes—he could easily see the splintered lines, the Shatterpoint almost completely ruined.  Expertly, he smoothed the broken lines, joining the fractures and straightening the pattern, rebuilding it and once again making it whole.  And when he was finished, Kazic lay before them, still unconscious but now restored, uninjured, and healthy.

“Kiraea, you should be more careful next time you wish to play with your opponent.  They might end up surprising you.”  Valens’ tone was quiet yet compelling, the red haired girl smirking as she took the rebuke without comment.

Meanwhile, Ari grabbed Kazic in a fierce embrace, her eyes wet with tears.  “Thank you!  Thank you Guardian!”  She put her head against Kazic’s forehead.  “Kazic!  It…it’s ok!  Please wake up!  Please…”  Slowly she rocked the Anzat as she held his body to hers in her lap.  And slowly, Kazic’s eyes opened, blinking as he focused first on Ari and then on Valens.

“…Ari?  Dear One?  …I…I would not let him take you.  Anson… No matter the cost…you…I… I will never let them harm you…”  The Anzat quieted, drifting in and out of consciousness, sometimes speaking.  Every time Kazic talked, Valens listened intently, his piercing eyes taking in everything.  Making a decision, Valens kneeled by Kazic, gently Delving him.

And Valens saw, he saw everything.  Letting out a breath, he stood looking down at Ari as she cradled Kazic in her lap.  And he knew.  He had not attacked Kiraea to dissuade her from taking Ari with them; rather Kazic had thought that Kiraea was going to convey Ari to this…Anson.

Her eyes still red with tears, Ari looked up at Valens.  “Guardian…will, will he be OK?”

And—as he had for many lifetimes—Valens knew with conviction that what was required was something…more.  Only this time, Valens hoped, this time…he would not have to fight.

He looked at the young woman, her aqua eyes pleading and he knew he was right.  “Yes.  Yes, he will be.”  He knelt by Ari, his face relaxing.  “And I will make certain of it.”
Logged

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Illyiss
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« Reply #68 on: April 09, 2018, 06:56:13 PM »

Twists, turns, surprises, OH BOY!  Kazic stood up to Kiraea, for a good bit, and the Aethans, who seem ready to do what they believe is the good, and right thing.  Oh I fear that what happens next will be exactly the event Anson will sieze upon...
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« Reply #69 on: April 09, 2018, 11:47:54 PM »

Bad timing….
That was a brilliantly vicious fight - really pushed Kazic past the point of rationality…the effect of his primal survival and soup seeking instinct laid bare was intense and horrifying…that’s gonna have some serious personal repercussions for him I reckon…I’m not sure what’s going to worry him more…that he lost control or that even after losing control he still got smashed.

But yeah Kazic was lucky Valens was there…had he not been Kiraea wouldn’t have felt safe enough to ‘toy’ with him and gone straight for the kill…a curious question as to whether she would’ve won that…probably by hammering him down with lighting from the get go…and then she always had her fire to fall back on…but not as easy a win as she might’ve thought (and know doubt she’ll wear her helmet next time…)

Nonetheless Kazic is in a dangerous situation when the most level headed person he has to ‘negotiate’ with is Valens – who has just watched him no doubt very carefully give his all in a fight…and then healed him...then delved him...umm yeah not a strong platform to speak from...

But yeah if Ari just showed them everything too…Anson + Thought Bomb + Kiraea...
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Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

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« Reply #70 on: April 11, 2018, 05:52:22 PM »

Yeah, my thoughts as well, LSG.  Valens knows about the Thought Bomb.  And frankly, that's maybe the one weapon that could really decimate the Aethans.  They will feel compelled to take it away from the Vhal'Dan.  And Anson will try to use it.

This is not going to end well....
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« Reply #71 on: April 11, 2018, 06:31:44 PM »

Yeah, my thoughts as well, LSG.  Valens knows about the Thought Bomb.  And frankly, that's maybe the one weapon that could really decimate the Aethans.  They will feel compelled to take it away from the Vhal'Dan.  And Anson will try to use it.

This is not going to end well....

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« Reply #72 on: April 18, 2018, 09:00:06 PM »



Chapter 10: Negligible Senescence

Saani knew that something was immediately amiss as soon as she’d entered the apartments.  However, this time Ari was ready to answer at least some of the questions that invariably arose.  And while Saani trusted her ward implicitly, she was nevertheless wary concerning the two…guests that Ari named as “her People.”  

Upon first glance, Kiraea could have easily been mistaken as Ari’s sister, so alike in appearance were they.  Indeed, even as the evening wore on, Saani noticed Kiraea’s almost singular attention towards Ari; they could have been long-lost siblings the way that she carried on.  Ari, for her part, was no less determined: she was practically welded to the other young woman, speaking so quickly that Saani could only pick out every word in five…reminding the Twi’lek of when Ari first came to live with her.  It was as endearing as it was bittersweet.

Saani knew that the borrowed time that she and Kazic had had with Ari was swiftly coming to an end.  But she also understood that now Ari would finally have—feel—a home that being among one’s people could provide.  And, for that at least, Saani was thankful for Kiraea.  But there was another reason for her growing trepidation, one that her husband inadvertently gave voice to as he walked into the conservatory on slightly unsteady legs, interrupting the two young women and their speed-talking.  Pausing to hold Saani, Kazic then turned his attention to the only other person in the room with them.

“…You…you’re…him.  The…warrior…Kimar’s…murderer…”  Even as he spoke, Kazic’s weak voice gained strength, an odd look in his red eyes.  His tone was not accusatory, merely…matter-of-fact.  “…Jedi Knight…Valens.  But…not just a Jedi…”

Standing like a statue off to the side along the transparisteel wall, Valens’ face was hidden in the shadows.  Against the backdrop of the dancing lights of the Aurora Austrinas in the sky, he appeared to be bathed in the magenta hue, giving his features a decidedly…preternatural quality.  And although Kazic was taller, Valens seemed to loom large over even the Anzat.  It was quite the trick, Saani had to admit…except that she could feel the presence of the man radiating off of him.

“I was never a Jedi.  And I did not murder Kimar.  He deserved death.”  Valens’ quiet voice broached no argument.  He stared at Kazic with eyes that held no anger; like the Anzat, Valens’ tone was matter-of-fact.  

Kazic’s face was impassive.  “…While I can’t pretend to know…I cannot say that I’m surprised.”  Kazic offered one of the large viewing chairs to Valens, taking a seat opposite it.  The two men looked at one another with interested eyes.

“…What did you do to me?  I have…some idea of what occurred…” a look of disgust briefly flashed across Kazic’s face, indicative that he was aware of the implications of the events, “…but I…well, let’s just say that…this is not what I expected to wake up to.”

“I could not allow you to…attack…” only the briefest of pauses signaled that Valens knew exactly what Kazic was referring to, “…Kiraea the way you were and I stopped you.  But before I was about to kill you, Ari intervened.  She told me about you, what you’d done for her, and what you meant—mean—to her.  I was able to repair the damage.”  Valens back was completely rigid even sitting.

Kazic lowered his head, exhaling slowly.  He turned towards Kiraea.  “…I…apologize for attacking you absent cause.  When you said that you were here to take Ari, I thought that Anson had sent you.”

Kiraea’s face split in a smile.  “That’s alright Frellik-face.”  She looked at Ari and then focused on Saani.  “Ari tells me that you’re quite the swordswoman.  I’d like for you to show me.”  Kiraea’s hint to leave Valens and Kazic alone was about as subtle as a Hutt’s laugh.

K’ompo I’ll show our guest our training salle.  Ari, would you please make Kiraea some of that…delicious drink that you made for us?”  Kazic inwardly smiled.  Ari’s “drink” was so sweet that it was cloying, so spicy that it made Saani’s eyes water.  Kazic suspected that Kiraea would love it as much as Ari did.  After a moment, the women left, leaving Kazic and Valens facing one another amidst the display of the Galtean Southen Lights.  

Kazic looked at Valens, unable to discern…anything regarding the man, except one.  Even used to Ari’s strong presence, this man was of another order of magnitude stronger… Kazic was a tall and broad man, experienced and strong in the Force; still he felt terribly small compared to Valens.  Yet this was not intimidation, this was a relaxation of concealment, being as he was rather than hiding his presence as he had been at first.  Kazic trembled at the thought of what Ari’s people might be capable of were they to turn that power to war.  His ruminations were cut short as Valens surprised him by speaking.

 “Thank you for everything you have done for Aresaea.  I have not met many people who…I did not have to fight or consider an enemy.”  His face was hard, not from anger or emotion, just from life’s experiences.  “I would offer you a reward as recompense.  Would you like credits?”  His voice was steady, all business.

“There is no need; having Ari here as our family is more than reward enough.”  Red eyes met blue.  Almost imperceptibly, Valens seemed to shake his head.  And although his body did not relax, his tone became more congenial.

“Again: you have my thanks.  I can see what Aresaea means to you and your wife.  And that’s before even taking her own accounts into consideration.  Imagine my surprise when she told me that she’d found family not of the People.”  Valens’ face looked haunted, the shadows that played across his face having nothing to do with the cosmic display in the darkened sky.  “She’s the first we’ve found that was not…had not been…they were in…bad shape.”  His voice was soft but his intonation was passionate, almost vehement.  “We’ve found so few…and there are so few of us left to begin with…”  His eyes stared straight into the past, the horrors that he’d witnessed and experienced painting his face with the agony of remembrance.  He suddenly locked his eyes onto Kazic’s.  “I don’t know why I tell you this now…I’ve never spoken of it to ‘Others.’”  Kazic caught the deliberate delineation of those whom were not of his People.  “…Perhaps I trust Aresaea’s choice of ‘Family.’”

“Perhaps you’ve just carried it so long that you’ve found one instance where you can relax.”  Kazic offered.  Valens stared, suddenly grinning after a moment.

“It’s possible.  Regardless, Aresaea was right: she is among ‘Family.’  You have done for her what…very few others have done for our People in my experience.”  Valens’ face turned inquisitive.  “Have you met Jedi Master Soryu or Kage Odjina?”

Kazic started at the names.  “I’ve never met the man but I’ve heard of Kage Odjina.  Extremely powerful Singer of the Mak’Tor.  But Master Soryu…I met him almost 60 years ago on Coruscant.  Even then I was amazed at his strength within the Force, eclipsed only by his strength of character… You knew them?” Kazic inquired.

“I did…many great men and powerful warriors have fallen in recent years Kazic…” Valens replied, his gaze suddenly shifted to the Anzat’s red eyes, though a head shorter he seemed to stare down at him.  “We must be careful not to join them…”

Kazic sat back, introspective.  He thought of everything that Valens had said, everything that he represented…everything that he’d done.  As if reading Kazic’s thoughts, Valens spoke.  “You…disapprove of my actions on Coruscant?”

Slowly Kazic inhaled.  “Honestly…I…don’t know what to think.”  He squared his shoulders.  “And with neither condemning nor condoning, I am no one to judge you; I have lived long enough to know that I do not know everything.”  Slowly, Kazic gave a small, sardonic smile.  “Besides…would it matter?”

Valens remained impassive.  “No.”  Still, he seemed to accept the rest at face value.  For long moments, neither man spoke, both lost in their respective thoughts that, perhaps unsurprisingly, virtually mirrored the others.  Sensing this, they both stood having come to an understanding that only two people who had gone through their Trial by Fire could feel.  They looked upon the interplay of light as the solar particles interacted with Galtea’s magnetosphere, producing a soft green hue.

“Valens…please keep her safe.  As you said: she’s family.  I would suggest that we keep your presence…quiet.  Others will not have such…Olympian views.”  The Southern Lights changed from green to an almost violent purple.  “And far too many will be afraid of you and Kiraea…”  Valens nodded, the look on his face suggested that Kazic had just told him that “water was wet.”  Nevertheless, as the night wore on, they spoke of the necessary finalizations that Ari would need for her departure.

And—at least another few days—for Saani, Ari, and Kazic to make their goodbyes.

            <<<<< >>>>>

In the Vhal’Uhladv Crystal Processing Station where the raw kyber crystals from Lus’phor were refined, Kazic was engaged in a conversation with Third Speaker Pytir Danisen when the Anzati Master finally saw Anson.  More and more, the Arbiter had been busy across Galtea with planetary security, if not completely off-planet altogether.  It was the first time that Kazic had seen Anson outside of a Congressional Meeting and, remarkably, alone.  Making his excuses to Pytir, Kazic approached the human Arbiter.

“Anson.  A moment, please.”  Kazic’s quiet voice was almost drown out by the drone of machinery.  The shorter man paused, clearly uncertain as to what he was being addressed for.  Anson turned, squaring his shoulders while he casually hooked his thumbs in the belt of his armor, the light playing off of the surface of the nano-carbon plating.

“Kazic, I don’t have a lot of time for whatever tedium you want to yammer at me concerning—”

“You were right.”

“—your precious freedo… What?”  Anson’s brown eyes squinted, his head wanting to look around as if to see if he was being ambushed.  Kazic’s posture mirrored his calmness, his armored arms limp at his side.  The Anzati Master’s gray face was completely composed, his eyes half-lidded.

“I want for you to know that you were right.  About Coruscant.  About the Jedi.  Maybe even about the Vhal’Dan.”  Kazic stared at the floor.  “You were right.”

Anson stood stunned, his jaw working but no words forthcoming.  “…But…what…”  He suddenly focused intently on Kazic.  “…Why now?  After all of this time, why—”  But he was cut off.

“You were right…and it made no difference whatsoever.  Nor would it, regardless of how much you prepared.  If they came, intent on killing, you would be dead.  You.  Me.  Everyone.”  Kazic barked a humorless laugh.  “Oh, no doubt there would be casualties, perhaps even heavy losses but…it would not matter.  At all.”  He said the last as if speaking to himself.  Kazic’s eyes lost the glazed-over look that he’d adopted, suddenly piercing and raptor-like upon Anson.  “You need to reinstitute the freedoms that you’ve suppressed in the name of ‘safety.’  Every.  Single.  One.”  Kazic pivoted as if to leave but halted, turning his head, exposing the left side of his face.  “For what it’s worth, brother…I’m sorry for having disregarded your concerns.  That is my burden to bear and one—now among several—that I will have many a sleepless night contemplating…”  He looked as if he were going to say something more but then slightly shook his head and strode off joining Sire Maanikx Brohmi, the plant manager.

            <<<<< >>>>>

Alone again in his Meditation Vestibule, Anson sat kneeling upon his heels, the weave of his hakama almost coarse against his skin.  His torso was shirtless, the muscles of his well toned and tanned body in perfect symmetry, tense and corded.  Inhaling slowly, Anson felt himself wade into the stream of Time as he opened himself to his Flow-walking.  Master Varel’Zo had taught him well.

As the current of Time carried him forward, he witnessed new sights that his previous Walk had not shown him…but one and all, they were different iterations upon the same event.

A cataclysm.  The surface of Galtea was rent in explosive scars, scorched with fire, drenched with blood.  And, at the end of his Walk the same, black horrific aftermath that had haunted him, fueling his nightmares, waking or otherwise.

The Void.

Anson’s eyes shot open, his body drawing in great, deep gulps of breath, his body drenched with sweat.  ...Still…!  Even now…?! He thought.  But his mind was drawn to earlier, to the odd conversation that he’d had with Kazic.  He had not thought as much of it before, just that the Anzat was trying another tactic…enough to bother, like a small splinter, but now…

…Now…could his focus have been wrong?  Was that Anson’s mistake?  He’d been so engrossed with the threat from without…what if he’d…ignored what he had secretly suspected for years now?  What…what if that…girl…was somehow…involved with those two dangerous Force-users that had been the cause of Coruscant’s Night of Madness as it was now known as?  

Anson calmed himself, making plans.  He knew what he needed to do, the proof that he sought.  He didn’t smile; he took no pleasure in what he planned to do.  But, unlike the Jedi on Coruscant, Anson would do what was necessary.

The Vhal’Dan deserved to survive.
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Karmack
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Light side points please.


« Reply #73 on: April 18, 2018, 09:23:57 PM »

An excellent entry.  I loved the way Kazic and Valens shared a moment, born in the Fire they had both experienced.  And the fact that Valens is able to recognize the gift of the way Ari was treated warmed my heart.

And Anson...   More and more he's creating the very thing he fears.  In his attempt to end a war before it starts, he's creating a war that didn't exist.  He's the very thing he fears - the real cause of the destruction of his home.

Dutchman, this is amazing.  Well thought out and detailed.  Thank you for sharing it!
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Lord_S_Gray
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« Reply #74 on: April 19, 2018, 12:53:36 AM »

I can only echo Karm, a very poignant moment of two galaxy weary soldiers...they both fought, killed, made a lot of mistakes...yet somehow both know they will make many more.  Yet Kazic interaction with Ansosn was the most interesting, we was right, completely right, yet completely wrong at the same time...this is the painful irony at the heart of this story encapsulated.


Valens warning (prophecy?) about great men falling - “We must be careful not to join them…” might've been better suited to Anson at this point. Faced with Kazics admission he sees it as a trick and tries to look ahead again - As Yoda cautioned always looking to the future, never on where he was and what he was doing.
 
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Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

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