Click here for lightsabers
  • Home
  • Help
  • Login
  • Register
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 ... 20   Go Down
Author Topic: Fate of the Aether  (Read 72799 times)
TheDutchman
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 1106
Posts: 4131


Avatar courtesy of For Tyeth


« Reply #30 on: July 13, 2018, 04:07:51 AM »

A chapter full of the expected AND unexpected: from Sofa and Valens' inner problems and relationship dynamic to Kiraea and Jarys' obvious AND surprising imperative.  And contextually it makes PERFECT sense...at least logically.  And I know that the Aethans are a "bred" society but...no one can completely shut out (or off, as proven by Valens) their feelings.  Speaking of...

Valens' self-castigation and the vicious circle that has created his inward spiral makes for AWESOME tragedy; worse as it also involves Sofa... And for all of his power, he seems ill-equipped to deal with the conflicting ramifications of his choices...and what is expected from him.

And seeing this softer side of Kiraea!  VERY engrossing...this is the kind of characterization that the Sequel Trilogy fails to establish.  I really, REALLY would like to learn more about how she's dealing with the "new normal."  Make that: ALL of the Aethans  Wink

But the one that I feel most for is Soryu; he's lost almost EVERYTHING: his surrogate daughter(s), his faith in the Order, even questioning his past (lack of) conviction.  I would LOVE to read more from his POV.

As always: the younger Yoda POVs are a study in development.  This is a Yoda VERY much aware of how much he's messed up, either by omission, inaction, or simple compliance.  THIS should be canon for the Yoda we see in the movies because it TRULY gives the character a depth that goes beyond "wise old mentor."  Sigh...so many possibilities... Disney should call and get you (hell, ALL of us) to write the next Saga...
Logged

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
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #31 on: July 13, 2018, 04:58:15 AM »

Another awesome entry.  :-)  The Kiraea - Jarys and Sofa-Valens matchups are amazing studies in interpersonal relationships.  Two very different relationships with motivations almost in direct opposition to each other.  I am greatly intrigued.

A chapter full of the expected AND unexpected: As always: the younger Yoda POVs are a study in development.  This is a Yoda VERY much aware of how much he's messed up, either by omission, inaction, or simple compliance.  THIS should be canon for the Yoda we see in the movies because it TRULY gives the character a depth that goes beyond "wise old mentor."  Sigh...so many possibilities... Disney should call and get you (hell, ALL of us) to write the next Saga...

Thanks Guys, really wanted to get in deep with the characters during down time....
And yeah Yoda was a focus, he is too often just the 'Wise old Mentor' as Dutchman noted, I wanted to look at where that came from and how he got there with a focus on a certain line from The Last Jedi....
Logged

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."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #32 on: July 17, 2018, 10:37:14 PM »

Chapter 9 — Roads Less Travelled — Destination
Part 1

Valens
“What the frell is that thing…”  Sofa said leaning on the back, he caught her reflection in the transparisteel, hair tied back only wearing her one piece slip.

It had taken six days of painfully slow travel to get there…but there it was…he could feel the energies…the dead within it…

“Is that like Centrepoint Station?” she asked referring to hyperspace tractor beam device that likely pulled the worlds of the Corellian system together in ancient times.

It looked similar, but this was older, smaller, rusted and dented amongst the black holes of the Maw.

“Sinkhole Station…” Valens answered.

<<<<>>>>

Jo Set Mack

Even for Nar Shadda this place was sordid…oily metal walls, rusted catwalks…strange fetishes of small animal and sentient skulls hanging from dried intestinal cords…what else could be expected from a Night Sister exiled from Dathomir for being too perverse.

He had contemplated going to Dathomir itself…but for buying services discreetly Nar Shadda was a safer bet.  It had taken only a few hours on the local holo-net to find exactly what he needed.

Passing through a screen of beads into the main room he was transported to a pre-space flight age room decked out like a caverns hearth, huge bubbling pot that stank of vitae in the centre surrounded by actual fire torches and dangling obscenities marked with disturbing runes.

“Welcome maleling…” the shade behind the cauldron greeted,

“A token?”  she asked in silken tones,

He threw a credit chit of 100 across the room…a sign of respect.

It vanished into black replaced by a pale human face,

“And what is it you wish to buy…curses to boil your enemies blood…potions to stoke a lover’s desire…”

He produced the medi-plas bag with the blood stained pad inside. 

“I need someone found,”

She smiled hideously,

“That is different…usually its blood on a fist or sheet brought by a jilted lover”

He wasn’t interested in her opinions,

“Can you do it or not,”

“Pass it here,”

He stepped forward only now noticing two burly Zabrack Guards, one took it, quickly inspected it, then passed it on.

The witch opened it and sniffed…

“A few weeks old…difficult…but not impossible…”

“Name your price,” he said sternly,

“hmmm….this will cost more than credits Gray…”  he supressed his shock at being identified,

“Oh yes…I can see what you are…your stance, your walk tells me you are Jedi…but your presence here…” she gestured to her surrounds,

“Tells me you are not a dogmatist,”

“How much…” he repeated,

“Very well two things…first 15,000 credits,” that was pricey…he could afford it…just…

“And second,” she stood and walked over to the slightly larger of the two chattel, stroking his hulking muscles,

“Call me old fashioned…but I prefer my own kind…and it’s not often I come across a male with the arts,” she cast an odd glance at him…

“Let alone one so strong….” Jo didn’t like where this was going…

“Defeat my chattel to prove yourself worthy and then…give me a child, and I’ll find this lady of yours…down to the system at least…..”

She leant over the cauldron as he chewed on his response…he looked over the two brutes…difficult but not impossible…and the rest…she was about his own age it seemed…it was just biological material…just a physical act…not different from donating blood….or so logic parried emotion.

“Decide quickly Gray…that blood you brought won’t stay viable for much longer…and my own time is coming soon…”

He closed his eyes…for you Ha’Ona…

“Let’s get this over with,”

<<<<>>>>

Jarys

Dr. Tawrryn - her truncated name - was head of Chiss Xenobiology Field Research for the Chiss Expeditionary Defence Force, currently stationed on Myrkr following Valens advice some eight months earlier. 

The Dark haired Chiss woman had a stern look, but lively intelligent eyes.

“I usually deal with Valens…but you’ll do,” she said by way of introduction,

“I have sufficient samples already en-route for the majority of species we agreed to, however we will require your…” she turned away from the holomap to regard Jarys and Kiraea,

“Talents…to acquire the rest,” the essence of their alliance was men and materiel for credits and intelligence and dealing with ‘unusual’ threats to the Chiss - but there was also strong research link, Valens provided them with details on where to look for unique flora, fauna and minerals as well as porotypes and designs from Republic military firms.

“Alright what are we after,” Jarys chimed in pre-empting Kiraea…feeling her disdain for the Chiss he pushed a firm ‘let me do the talking’ mingled with a softer ‘it’s not you, its them I don’t trust’ feeling.

“Vornskrs mainly, some Gyvar Yruts and Scera Hawks here this will give you the nav points where our satellite trackers last picked up large concentrations, for a stable population we’ll need 30 Vornskr females, 10 males, 35 Scera Hawk females, 40 males, and at least 8 Yrut herds.”

Jarys mouth twitched into a smile as he looked over the details of the animals physical statistics and typical behaviours…how Yruts used the aether to climb mountains, Scera hawks pinned prey telekinetically…with the Technocracies Memory Orbs and the Blackstone genetic conversion they could enhance them even more –perfect Aethas ecosystem – so much to learn -  a Time to Live.

“Oh is that all,” Kiraea sarcastically commented,

“Yes, we shipped out ninety Oblio Trees and seven Ysalamiri flocks yesterday,” Tawrryn replied either ignoring or not understanding Kiraea’s mockery.

“We’ll get it done,” Jarys said as Arxis and his pack trotted up behind him in response to his silent aetheric summons, Tawrryn typical Chiss didn’t show any visible panic at the eight teeth baring creatures that had just entered her research tent, but flooded anxiety in the aether.

“I brought the best trackers I could find.” He smiled glancing to Kiraea.

<<<<>>>>

Valens

The hangar was filled with a variety of ships form all eras, some covered in tarps, most simply sitting covered in dust.

“We really shouldn’t be here…this place…it’s just not right…” Sofa commented as he opened a crate…inside was an oblivion black jagged square of Black-stone…the ultra-dense mineral the Altar was made of…capable of holding tremendous amounts of aetheric energy…or a soul….

“What is that for,” she asked not even looking around to see it, she was gradually adapting to her new Aethan level perception…he lifted it gently up…

“pfft be that way,”  she cut off realising we wasn’t going to answer as he used the aether to cover the Chiss ship in a layer of dust to make it looks as old as all the others.

They trailed through mouldy rusted corridors of alien design toward the fulcrum of the aetheric energy…up an elevator to the main control room…there were no guards, no locks…not barriers…the Maw was itself barrier enough, requiring precise aetheric senses and a genius for piloting to find this speck in a sea of black holes. Few Jedi Masters would manage…he suddenly thought of Odjina…no lesser aether user than he could find this place.

The abandoned ships showed many people came…but few left. The main control room was replete with abandoned pieces of kit - helmets, nutrient packs…other devices whose function even he couldn’t guess.

“Frell me sideways…what is this place the bloody Centre of Galactic Weirdness?” Sofa exclaimed as she looked through the control rooms view port to the centre of the station…

The main chamber was a huge roughly circular area, edged by catwalks and gantries, surrounding a deep blue light that made an odd wispy sphere in the centre, around which floated…bodies…perhaps three dozen…a few species he had never even seen in the most obscure texts of the Jedi archives…

He reached out to sense them…all dead…starved and emaciated…mummified rather than decomposed…one an insectoid like creature had a flicker of fading animation…That could be him.

Sofa suddenly grabbed his arms, “What the frell are we doing here Valens, blow your bloody sulking out your exhaust port and tell me!” she said frantically…

Free of Jedi proprietary she was freer with her emotions now – just a woman not a Jedi Master even if still unhappy.

He gazed into her blue eyes feeling the draw she had on him…he liked her this way, free, open…to be honest he liked her every way…but he had to try…he glanced back at the floating corpses…

“Looking for Shilea,” he said simply.
<<<<>>>>

Jo Set Mack
One on one it would’ve been easy enough…but both of the brutes at once in the dust and oil choked air of what could only be charitably called a store room was more challenging.

The Witch sat on a crate scrawled with graffiti in a dialect of Aureabesh almost a hundred years old that indicated a good time could be had by calling “Bobo the Bith’ - All tastes catered for”. 

The hulking Zabracks flexed their muscles to impress their mistress taking up position to his left and right.

“Well what are you waiting for?” she called and they pounced. 

Left went low, Right went high, he dodged backwards letting the force flow through to his limbs Left pressed forward and Right circled.

First contact - his forearm blocked a heavy right jab, pivoting into the opening to land his left elbow on the brutes other arm as it shielded it’s face.  Swiftly pivoting down into a low kick the Zabrack shifted and shin hit bone searing the thin skin on his leg with burning pain.

Rising as Right came in from behind the fight was truly on.  Meaty slaps and bony knocks rebounded off the dank metal walls as he ducked and wove between the pair, they had a touch of the force about them, not enough to overwhelm, just enough to prove a nuisance and take the edge off his advantage. 

Having to fight basically naked but for his underwear left his skin bruised and purpling as a spiralling elbow smacked into his left pectoral – in response Jo hammered a palm into a rock like shoulder.

He took another blow to the ribs, returned a knee to the gut, grabbed from behind by Right he kicked out into Left chests, broke the lock and stamped onto Rights foot, the heavy impact on the grated floor cut into the foot eliciting the first pained grunt as he drove his elbow back into the Zabrack then leapt forward. 

Left was just recovering as he came upon him - Jo wrapped his arm around the creatures neck, Left grasping at his arm as the blood and air was cut, Right recovering but limping on his bleeding foot as Left began to slip into unconsciousness. 

Now it was time to end this, he threw the limp Left forward into Right then charged shoulder first, a meaty slap kicked droplets of sweat off all three bodies as his shoulder hit the already pummelled back, pushing with the force he rammed the pair straight into the indifferent steel wall with a bone cracking thud.

“Enough,” the witch called as the Zabracks slumped down coughing blood,

“You’ve proven yourself…against fairly poor competition it must be said…but you’ll do,”

<<<<>>>>
Logged

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."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #33 on: July 17, 2018, 10:38:34 PM »

Chapter 9 — Roads Less Travelled — Destination
Part 2
Kiraea

They paced slowly through the Oblio, Billaam, and Mabari trees, the air humid and steaming in the dawn light as dew not captured by scurrying insects began to evaporate only to be trapped beneath the thick foliage creating a grey fog.

The Vorynx were twenty metres around them in a loose circle while Jarys led the way though the ever shifting aether - pockets of null zones created by ysalimiri, areas of frenetic aetheric white noise where termites communicated across the trees they were hollowing from the inside out, and the subtle hum of shrubs making ‘deals’ in the aether to share the sun light that pierced the canopy.   

She plodded through the thick undergrowth, slowed by her pack filled with animal stun collars, and uncertainty. It was rare for her to be unwilling to speak her mind directly, especially to People…but today she was worried.

Jarys pushed through a thin gap between Oblio, his grey utilities staining with moss and sweat from the three day hike, armour would be too constricting, and taking a speeder would frighten off animals they were trying to capture.

 As he came out the gap she just blurted it out.
“I like you”
 He kept on going
“Great I like you too”

She scowled, couldn’t he feel her intent…a quick glance at the aether nullifying reptilian ysalimiri reminded her that here he couldn’t…perhaps it was better that she say it plainly it rather than aetherically.

“No I mean…I want to strip off your armour pin you to the ground and ride you till you pass out Like you….” was that too explicit? Or not explicit enough?

At that he paused,

“I thought you liked girls?” he said not turning to look at her, rather checking his surroundings.

“I can like both.” She replied

“True enough…” that was an empty a response

“So”

“So what?”

“So…do you want to have sex with me every few days?” she stated bluntly

“Won’t Ada and Lya get jealous?” he slowly turned toward her as the Vorynx slowed into a defensive pattern.

“No…that’s not how the Rites of Aphrodaea work.”  She couldn’t blame him for not knowing, only Aethan women were taught the Arts and practiced the Rites, a response to the gender imbalance that plagued the People.   

He slowly turned and paced toward her, keeping his posture deferential.

“That is…part of why I wanted just to two of us to come here”

“So yes?” excitedly licking her lips, blood flow increasing in anticipation…it could be exciting, here in the middle of the jungle…

He stepped up before her and held her arms gently,

“Yes.  This is a time for us to live, to enjoy our life, to create…and be our true selves,”

His excitement, his hope was so strong, almost carrying her away…after years of War he was finally returning home…she shifted forward but he pulled back.

“We should…spend some time together first before…much has changed…we have changed…and don’t you need to wait for the Right Moon?”

She sighed as her blood flow ebbed back, it made sense, even if it didn’t get her the quick gratification she wanted…perhaps that was just the kind of thinking she needed.

“Fine, how about as soon as we’re done here?” she replied forcefully demanding a time frame – she wouldn’t delay any more than necessary, they needed babies and she…needed to prove her worth through her fertility, be a good mother – the mother Yorna should’ve but could never be…if she had survived instead of…

Kiraea had to do something to make it – no - it would never be right….

He smiled softly seeing her melancholy but not sensing its true source in the ysalamiri null bubble

“Let’s not rush -” he glanced up to the wispy sky, he hadn’t been so cautious as a teenager…that alone told her he was right to suggest they reconnect first.

She nodded as the ysalamiri passed by, flexing her hand to create miniature Yruts, vornskr and Scera hawks in aetheric fire, pushing out the budding guilt over Yorna with the flames – bad things happened if People felt guilty.

“Alright then….so do you want to get the Vornskrs, the Yruts or the hawks?”
<<<<>>>>
Jo Set Mack
The witch wasn’t unattractive, gaunt with the upper edges of her pelvis just visible under pallid skin…not getting as much to eat as she needed.  She sat over him painting her queer symbols in a thick brown syrup on his chest. 

He stared up at the ceiling orange with rust, focusing only on the physical requirement of what he was doing, he could worry about the moral implications later…even just feeling his basest desires it was hard to muster the energy needed.  He glanced at her breasts and tried to imagine doing this in a more comfortable situation with a more desirable person…it wasn’t much but it was enough. 

She lowered herself onto him and moved with slow, dutiful precision.  He kept his eyes on her torso, her face would only make him feel sick, and mind purely on the physical sensations…the pain of his bruises form the fight…pleasure was there…but empty…mechanical…perhaps this was how it felt for prostitutes.

It was over soon enough, she slid off and quietly chanted some Dathomiri invocation of fertility whilst rubbing herself all over with the brown syrup.  He just stared into space mind as empty as possible contemplating the rust stains.

After a time she got up and went to the workbench where their clothes lay and rifled through his jacket. 

“Switch that on,” she pointed to an old chipped datapad. 

He obliged as she sat on the side of the bed opening the medi-bag that held the blood stained pad.  She took the datapad as he sat up, flicking across to an interactive galactic map, then stared straight at him.

“Hold this in front of my left hand, that will point to where she is on this map, hold my right side down…it might react oddly.” 

He positioned himself just behind her holding the datapad out in front, pressing his other hand on her right shoulder.  She breathed deeply then licked the blood stain, once, twice…three, four, five times.  She fell back into him - he was glad he wasn’t in front of her fearing what the expression on her face as her breathing became ragged.

A strange liquid wormed in the force about him, a trail of sorts flowing away, thin, but distinct….Her left hand flicked on the screen pointing here then there, from the core to the deep core then further….

“yeehhhhhhh”  she droned, right arm shaking. 

“SORYU” she blurted as her left fingers twitched to zoom in on a region of space,

“CHEAP…SLUT” her tremors were getting much stronger, the rickety bed squeaked in contrast to its silence as they’d had sex.

“SABRE…NAKED….ALONE….YOU THINK ABOUT THAT” her finger trembled on a black patch between systems…he knew that region of space but had never been…few had - fewer still returned…

This was not good.

She seized up suddenly and fell back unconscious.

“Frell,” He lifted her onto the bed, “Can I get some help in here!” he yelled, The two bruised Zabracks rushed in and attended to her with a mangy looking water bottle as he held the datapad. 

He glanced over her prone, naked, dirty malnourished form as a dagger of sickening guilt twisted in his stomach - whatever had driven her from Dathomir…surely she didn’t deserve a life like this…After what they had just done together he felt he should look after her a while at least…he had no doubts the witch had conceived…she was too adept not to have timed it perfectly…what kind of life would the child have?

No - he couldn’t let the trail get any colder, it wasn’t his child, it was hers, he just supplied some constituent parts in a commercial transaction…for Ho’li, Odjina …this was for them, whatever it took he would see their killers punished…he had come this far.

Still his stomach remained sunken. 

“You have what you need,” Left said flatly,

“Yes,” he replied equally lifelessly,

“Then go, we can attend to our Mistress”

He went to drop the datapad but paused…he took it over to his pants and pulled out his credit chit, slid it into the slot and transferred an extra 5000 credits to her…her convulsions were dying down…it was worth more than 15,000 credits to suffer that aftereffect…if he had more he would’ve given it. 

As he finished pulling on his clothing the datapad beeped, he glanced reflexively…pausing when he saw the headline of the auto-alert…

[BOUNTIES – 0600 – SEARCH PARAMETER > 500 000 CREDITS
>>>RESULTS
>NEW Posting>>
>>>Target(s)
>>Valens – Male – Human – 1.8M 85K Est.
>>Milaea – Female – Human – 1.75M 70K Est.
>Hiring Party  :Anonymous
>Instructions: Wanted Alive.  WARNING – JEDI HIGHLY DANGEROUS.  Deliver to Iathar Palace Nar Shadda.
>Payment:  10,000,000 Per Target Plus Expenses Up to 1,000,000.  Bonus 2,000,000 if both delivered.  Bonus 1,500,000 if delivered within 2 Core Standard Weeks from Issue.]]]

“Frell,” he whispered as he left.

<<<<>>>>

Valens

Sofa pouted sitting on top of what might be a fork-lift at the base of the main chamber.  He didn’t know how long it would take, so he set up intravenous drips to ensure he didn’t become too emaciated…though he doubted Sofa would let it go that far.

The annoyance she was emanating rivalled the strange energy of the aetheric vergence he was planning to enter…she knew she couldn’t stop him…but that didn’t mean she had to approve.  He glanced over at her and she quickly looked away. 

He just didn’t know what to do with her…he firmed his grip on the black-stone…he had to try to bring Shiela back…yet how could he abandon Sofa…he had to redeem himself…try to undo just a piece of the damage he’d caused.

“Redeem!” Sofa called out, voice echoing off the struts in the vast chamber. 

“Redeem from what,” she leapt down and stormed over,

“No one is asking you to prove anything Valens…the opposite…look at what you’ve done…you’ve started rebuilding your world,”

After letting it be destroyed twice

“You’ve brought your people back together,”

After letting them be enslaved and killed

“Crippled the only possible enemy who could match you,”

After wasting twenty years working for the Jedi

“And started rebuilding the population”

After letting them fall below a sustainable level…

She placed a hand on his cheek,

“You don’t need to redeem yourself…you’ve already proven yourself to your…our…people…it’s all in your head,”

Shilea, lying broken searing blade through her breast wasn’t in his head, Cilina dead and tortured…

Sofa shook her head…she was getting better at picking up his thoughts…not quite reading them directly.

“I know why you’re doing this…I know you’re hurting but…Promise me something…if this doesn’t work…that will be the end of it…” she leaned forward to kiss his other cheek,

“Come back to me…”

She knew he couldn’t make that promise…he looked down, then up to the floating bodies…it was time.
<<<<>>>>
Logged

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
Forumverse Loremaster
Master of Ceremonies
SaberForum.Com Moderator
Knight Commander
************

Force Alignment: 1152
Posts: 5602


Light side points please.


« Reply #34 on: July 18, 2018, 08:53:15 AM »

Wow...    As always I am impressed by the character development and I love the juxtaposition of the three "couples".   Jo'Set is probably more stubborn than most Macks, but he's in deep even for a Mack...   

What strikes me is how driven by guilt the Aethans are.  Valens has taken the guilt of his people's failures onto his own shoulders, guilt that is not his in any way.  Also his quest to save his wife has eerie echoes of Anakin's attempt to save Padme'.  Or rather, I guess this would be a foreshadowing, as its 560 years prior...   And Kiraea is also driven by her guilt, her need to be the mother her own mother never had the change to be, the need to do her part to create life rather than just end or exploit it.

And Jo'Set...  His hatred and rage are fueled by his guilt at not being able to protect Ho'Li and Ha'Ona. 

So much guilt....    And like matter and anti-matter the players are headed for immolation....
Logged

signature picture by DarthScrub

Master Singer of the Mak'Tor

Karmack
Forumverse Loremaster
Master of Ceremonies
SaberForum.Com Moderator
Knight Commander
************

Force Alignment: 1152
Posts: 5602


Light side points please.


« Reply #35 on: July 18, 2018, 08:55:33 AM »

I have to admit ... this:

"...there were no guards, no locks…not barriers…the Maw was itself barrier enough, requiring precise aetheric senses and a genius for piloting to find this speck in a sea of black holes. Few Jedi Masters would manage…he suddenly thought of Odjina…no lesser aether user than he could find this place."


...feel like a hint...   ;-)
Logged

signature picture by DarthScrub

Master Singer of the Mak'Tor

TheDutchman
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 1106
Posts: 4131


Avatar courtesy of For Tyeth


« Reply #36 on: July 19, 2018, 04:57:26 PM »

Jo'set certainly is a man on a mission.  I mean...that Dathomir witch must have twisted his arm mighty hard  Wink  Of course, I'm not sure that I would want to have to brawl with two Zabraks in their prime so there is that...

I really like the glimpse of character introspections that we're getting for Kiraea, Jarys, Valens, and Sofa.  So much of what they are IS genetic imperative BUT the constituent parts of what makes them "who they are" is as similar as any human's.  On that point...

Karm, I kind of like what you said inasfar as "foreshadowing" Anakin.  And, yes, while it isn't canon, here is another example of WHY these stories SHOULD be.  Aside from the xenophobia, seeing the Aethans like this is why we're so invested in them.

Heh.  I wonder what the Aethans would say if they knew just how much alike Jo'set is to them.  Eh, probably chalk it up to another "Outsider" with clarity or some such.
Logged

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
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #37 on: July 23, 2018, 03:21:09 AM »

Chapter 10 — Roads Less Traveled — Intersection

Jo'Set'Mack
>>[In Pursuit of Sith – The Maw]<<

Was the entirety of the message to M’Tzigon.

Four-Eight was burning through energy computing navigational routes through the labyrinth of black holes…

Jo was burning through his force stamina straining to use a ‘tracing’ motif Odjina had taught him, picking up the tendrils of the signature song of his prey in the force through the twists of the Maw’s jump points. 

Even though the trail was fresh his head throbbed at the strain, the only consolation was he had a good chance of catching up as Valens or Neirai had done the bulk of the work plotting a course through the gantry wells for him.

But where it was headed…a shadow in the force…at the centre of the voids.

Across four days he napped during jumps, none lasting more than a few hours.  Pausing only twice semi-stable regions to give the hyper-drive a break and once over.

Keeping busy and on task didn’t remove the nagging guilt of what he had done on Nar Shadda - the churn of hyperspace outside the viewport added to the malaise.

Four-Eight beeped at the course he was plotting,

“I know it’s getting more dangerous…but we’ve come this far and if that’s where this Master Neirai is…she’s not on holiday…either one or both of the targets are likely with her” 

A sad subdued booping,

“Doesn’t matter how I found out where to go…now stop asking that must be the millionth time!”

Another long draw out series of solemn beeps

“Fine the 83rd time in four days…still too many…I’ll think about that after this is over…I…I can’t think about it now,”

He swallowed the bile back down, felt his sabre at his side and stared straight into the pit of black before him.

If the Sith wanted to hide somewhere this was the perfect place…no sane person would try and travel through here…

He only just realised what that made him….

<<<<>>>>

Kiraea
Her fingers found purchase on the next jutting rock as she made her way up the cliff.  She was more used to scaling buildings, factory intake towers, whilst acquiring things for the reconstruction, climbing something natural took her back to her childhood…days with Karintha and Yorna climbing the South Western Mountains near their home, the cool of the snow flecked air from the peaks…

Looking over the dense green the canopy dotted with strange flowers that bloomed over 30 metres high to scatter pollen to the atmosphere…yellows, blues and rich pinks…such colour and life…another beautiful view Yorna would never see…

Perhaps it was some of the pollen, perhaps something deeper but she sniffled returning to her task tracking Scera Hawks.  The plan was simple, stun the beast, put on a stun collar, pile them up then call in an aerial pick up. By moving in on foot they avoided the scattering that would inevitably occur when wild animals were exposed to the unusual rumble of engines. .

A handful of loose rocks dislodged beneath her feet as she pushed up to the top of the cliff.  Only a few dozen metres across it was one of a score of odd rocky towers across this region, mottled green as creepers spread their roots up the cliff faces offering some extra hand holds.

A smattering of Scera Hawk nests dotted each cliff top, they were large birds when fully grown, a metre wing span for the males, slightly smaller for the females, with green mottled feathers on top for camouflaging by covering themselves, and a sky blue under plumage to avoid being seen from below.  Yet it was their hunting method - using the aether to pin smaller birds and animals from up to two hundred metres that made them attractive.

She was in luck, the nest had a few eggs, but they were no use without adults to rear them. Setting the stun traps in the dry twig and bile bound nest she felt excited - the more unique animals they could integrate back home the better. 

Kiraea had always found the stories Valens told them of the Jedi so funny, how they peered and poked around ruins for ancient knowledge and powers, studied and devised new techniques in their Temples and enclaves – foolish.

It was in the jungles, plains and seas, amidst the never ending war that was Natural Selection that the most powerful and unique abilities were developed, not by old men in musty rooms bent over parchment.  The ingenuity of life out did all their pontifications – some like the one named Soryu and Yoda looked - but not as deeply as they should. 

It was from the Goslam, the perfected version of Ysalamiri, Guardians learned how to create null fields, blood tracking from Kreleaches, illusions from gobrils…once the Scera Hawks were genetically perfected into ‘SnowHawks’ they would learn long range aetheric stasis from their new avian companions. 

Kiraea had loved chasing gobrils as a child, learning by play how to track and sense with the aether and her physical senses, feeling the squelch of mud between her toes when she ‘lost’ her shoes…she always ‘lost’ her shoes…and Yorna always made her a new pair…Yorna loved their animals even more than she did…

Determined to get even more than the target as tribute to Yorna she flipped from pillar to pillar setting traps before the adults retuned at twilight before setting up the Chiss homing beacon which would ping the location once the traps started triggering – all neat and easy. 

Jarys was keen on this project – always saying how this was a ‘time to live’…hopefully it would impress him too, show some maternal qualities of task focus and organisation.

Reaching out to find him in the aether her mind spanned across verdant jungle…until…something that didn’t belong…moving fast…intent, purpose…planning, strategy…no wildlife had that level of focus over primal instincts…Someone was headed this way.

Clamping her aetheric presence down her options were few…three days from the Chiss camp – no chance to run. A black shadow flying too straight for a bird in the distance…too exposed on the cliff top she flipped down and began descending the rock face into the jungles, traversing the roots and crags as her senses brushed the intruders…seven beings…strong…

Very Strong

Only one group could be this strong in the aether…

She might finally get a chance to fight a Jedi.

<<<<>>>>

Soryu
Soryu knew why he was here…

Yoda didn’t trust him.

Didn’t trust him enough to leave him at the Temple, and he didn’t trust him enough to take on the mission…of two bad options Yoda chose to keep Soryu close.

So now he was on Myrkr hunting Milaea and Valens…hoping he wouldn’t find them.  Before the first squads deployed Yoda had given a stirring speech about the pursuit of ‘justice’, the reality of ‘sacrifice’ to achieve it, the need to ensure the ‘law seen to be done was’. 

Soryu was past all such self-deception, this had nothing to do with Justice and everything to do with Yoda’s need to feel vindicated and get back at Valens.  The tragedy was it had official sanction and popular support amongst the Jedi, the only thing they would reap was more death. 

A sudden cold drop of rain struck his hairless head through the jungle canopy, he looked up into the shield of leaves above, marvelling how a drop could get through.

A low rumbling growl from Yshrrk up ahead,

<Rain…increase pace> it translated roughly from what little Shyriiwook Soryu knew.

They were on the trail of the second of two people that had visited Dr. Tawrryn a few days before.  Yoda had pointed fiercely at their map in her small tent on the edge of the jungles,

“Their location provide me,” he demanded, using the force without any preamble to force the Chiss Doctors compliance,

“Yoda!” he had called in warning,

“Silence,” Yoda had snapped back as the glassy red eyed Chiss had pointed where she had sent them. 

He shook his head in sorrow…at all that had happened…and all that was yet to happen.

Yoda was not facing the truth, he was chasing his fears.

Yoda had never been so defeated and betrayed by another Jedi, and instead of introspection he was externalising – Soryu could do nothing – under a cloud of suspicion from Jarys healing and his opposition to sequestering Kimars files. 

It was not unfounded, he had betrayed the Order already by giving files to Li Mack and the Vhal’dan Jorl’Taf…

He felt no regret – by serving the Truth he acted as Jedi…this entire mission was emblematic of the growing difference between the Jedi and the Order – a Jedi did not care for victory or defeat – Life was their goal, and learning a facilitator. But the Order sought Victory, and that required another’s Defeat.

Pushing through another cluster of branches, large triangular ones to his left, oil coated round ones on his right that slicked his armour, animals he could only hear by rustling scurried away.

Yshrrk lead this team, Yoda the other…in a way Soryu was glad he wouldn’t be there if Yoda were to find Valens…but if Yshrrk did...

What would Soryu do if he came face to face with him…what would he say to a man he had once considered the next leader of the Jedi…to whom he had implicitly entrusted Sofa by ignoring their relationship…

He knew what Yoda - the Order - would want him to do…but was that what a Jedi should do?  All he knew was they shouldn’t be here…they had no moral high ground from which to accuse the Aethans of treachery and murder, for they had not reflected and admitted their own failings. 

“Let he who is without Sin himself,” the adage Odjina had taught him long years past “Cast the First Stone in judgment.”.

The trees went on forever as their group of seven plodded along in rain that made silent movement near impossible amidst squelching organic matter underfoot. 

As hours passed the rain increased, the rustling of mammalian animals diminished as they sheltered, insects replaced them using the droplets as incubators for their spawn on leaves and flowers.  The Jedi kept a rough circle, defensive and quiet. 

This was a road to nowhere, there would be no resolution for the Jedi in Valens or Milaea…the Orders problems were within.

Twigs snapped with his thoughts, they had arrived.  The area was known for large packs of vornskrs…so far they had seen none of the force sensitive predators. 

Yshrrk held up his fist, stopping them dead, the others reached out to the surrounds. The jungle was so full of life… he would’ve loved to explore the living force here with Sofa and Milaea…

Yshrrk made simple signs and they closed in, more leaves rustled around them…all around them.

“I hope this is a horrible coincidence Soryu,” a whisper came in his ear…no not his ear…his mind…a master of telepathic communication…male but not Valens…familiar….

No….

Yellow eyes began to peek from the foliage, one pair, four, eight, sixteen…

No…


<<<<>>>>

Jarys
It had been easy enough to accumulate all the vornskrs he could desire, he found one pack, had Arxis defeat the vornskr Alpha in battle to assert dominance, then a little aetheric prompt to solidify his control.  Jarys had accumulated three packs, some forty Vornskrs, before he had sensed Them.

He hated…HATED…what this meant…he had come here to build up his people, restore and renew their world with new animals and plants…develop his relationship with Kiraea…start to put War behind him…this was a time to LIVE.

But War would never leave him it seemed, so it became a time for death once more.

Tracking them with a chain of quick running vornskr scouts for three hours, he now had them surrounded. There were seven, the leader a huge Wookie, a smattering of other races, and Soryu.

“I hope this is a horrible coincidence Soryu” he projected from his hiding place on an Ibira branch as the vornskrs closed in.  He couldn’t control them directly, they sensed he felt threatened but not quite mortally afraid of the Jedi.  Their instinctive drive to attack these strange animals that had entered their territory was strong, but Jarys could keep it in check…for now.

“They want Valens and Milaea,” Soryu’s thought reply came back…

“They aren’t here…” he replied mentally…not that it mattered the fact the Jedi were after them was all he needed to know, they wanted to continue the war they had started by attacking him on Cygrat, then Santooine.  Only on Coruscant had he and Valens finally retaliated, killing dozens including their War Chief Kimar - Not enough it seemed to dissuade them.

“If they see you…they’ll recognize you and attack any way,” Soryu went on as Jarys repositioned leaping silently across branches as wide as hover cars.

“You can’t win this war Jedi,”

Jarys could see them all now, in a defensive circle eyeing off the vornskrs that surrounded them, sending out cautious aetheric probes to work out how to calm the beasts.

“We lost when we Exiled the Mak’Tor…this battle…just shows how far the Order has fallen, and for that…I’m sorry” the older man replied - his slouching and tired posture how dejected and genuinely reluctant Soryu was.

It surprised him, Jarys didn’t know quite how to respond, Soryu didn’t want to be here, Jarys didn’t want them here…and yet here they both were.

“I’m tired of fighting…I came here to make something, to live…not destroy,” he thought across to the Jedi Master, “Just leave, before this gets any worse”

Soryu’s head turned to look up toward him, the other Jedi oblivious to the conversation.

“I’m truly sorry Jarys…but it’s not my decision to make…”

Jarys simply hung his head as War reared it’s once again.

<<<<>>>>


Jo'Set'Mack
It was like a miniature Centre point Station…well miniature in comparison…but still enormous…there was no hail…no sign of life on the thing…the only lights came from what appeared to be a hangar…though he doubted that was the original purpose of the huge square cavern…

It was sprinkled with ancient and odd ships…

Four-Eight beeped and gestured toward one…thermal readouts indicated this ship had flown sometime in the last week…the others were as cold and dead as the structure around them. 

He exited cautiously, he couldn’t sense and Four-Eight couldn’t detect any movement…Jo kept himself primed, armoured and ready in a modified version of M’Tzigon militia riot armour.

“Put a tracer on that ship,” he told Four-eight gesturing noting it foot prints going to and from it in the dust.

“Then wait here, protect the Rain Song…if I’m not back in six hours…activate sub-routine Light Box.”  This was his trump card…worst came to worst he would have Four eight overload the drive core on the Rain Song and blow the Sith to pieces.

The force was odd here…dead but…swirling…as if…something hid just beneath the surface of the whirlpool wishing to pull him under should his mind wander.

Crouching through the corridors following the force like a thread…along the path were odd things thrown away over the eons…and one set of footprints going back and forth in the metallic dust…either a slightly below average height male humanoid or above average female…Neirai?

The force grew…stranger as he got closer…a voice…echoing in a cavern…and…music…familiar

A blue and yellow light spilled out of a large rectangular opening down the hall, he crept to the corner and pulling his blaster peered in.

“I’m on fire for you baby!  Woo Woo Woo yeah!”  Shouted a woman with loose, long black hair, dressed in a padded utility outfit undone to the waist, a white undershirt beneath, dancing and singing along to a ten year old hit by the Blazing Comets….

“Burning through the galaxy…yeah you’re love sets me alight Hey Hey Hey!!”

His mouth dropped in utter shock…behind her was a vortex of blue force energy with dozens of…bodies floating around it….

By the Maker what was going on!!! It was the most embarrassing and confusing thing he had ever seen…he felt ashamed to be watching this…her singing was atrocious…her dancing was worse…and she was doing it under floating mummified corpses!  He didn’t know whether to laugh or scream.

“Light me up, light me up I’m ready to go…oh…oh…what” she suddenly stopped, he immediately pulled back but felt the force tug on him…he stepped out hands open,

“Who are you” she called, her face slightly red from…attempted dancing…holding a blaster in one hand a lightsabre in the other.

He looked her over…

“Master Neirai?” He asked

Scanning him visually and with the force…

“Hey…aren’t you…Jo…Jo from the Mak’tor?”

Ok this was good…he could work with this…

“That’s right…Sofa, Soryu’s apprentice…”

“Hey yeah,” she replied lowering her weapons, “what are you doing here,” he kept his presence calm and unthreatening…

“I’m here on a mission, just…investigating,”

Why was he slurring his words? Sofa briefly thought…till she realised it was less him talking slow than her new ears hearing fast.

In between that brief moment of realisation she had paused…yet now realised to him the conversation was still uninterrupted…

She snorted, “Well you’ve found it, the weirdest place in the galaxy…” 

He couldn’t agree more

“It’s got good acoustics though…” she went on - that he couldn’t disagree with more,

“Yeah, well…what brings you here a mission for the council?” he probed,

“Something like that…” she replied, zipping up her suit…as he moved closer he noticed she looked…the same as he remembered her…but that was nearly sixteen years ago…she should be about forty, a few years younger than him…she looked all of nineteen…some kind of illusion…make up?

“Hungry?” she asked sitting beside a half empty crate of rations,

“Sorry about before gets boring waiting around here…have to make my own entertainment…We’re both luck you didn’t come hour earlier….”  As he accepted her invitation by sitting he decided he didn’t want to know how she had been entertaining herself an hour earlier…

Jo had to play this carefully…she didn’t seem to feel threatened…yet still there was something odd going on with her - unusually youthful looks, speaking in quick bursts of words, hand movements too fast…like she was on some kind of drug…a Sith control narcotic perhaps?

“So how long have you been here?”  he asked unsure what she was waiting for or why,

“Nearly 3 days…” 

“That’s…a long time,”

She shrugged and handed him a ration bar…it had odd script he had never…or rarely…seen before…Chiss?

“Who knows…” she glanced up at the bodies, “Centuries might not be enough…”

He took a brief mental stock…just her, one ship, only her footprints,

“So who are you waiting to meet, it’s an odd place”

She gave him an odd look, “Just waiting for a…friend,” the force between turned from congenial to tense.

He was about to speak when they both sensed it…

She stood up so quickly he hadn’t even seen her move, let alone notice the blaster and sabre come to her hands.

“Unexpected visitors,” Sofa snapped.


<<<<>>>>

Logged

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
Forumverse Loremaster
Master of Ceremonies
SaberForum.Com Moderator
Knight Commander
************

Force Alignment: 1152
Posts: 5602


Light side points please.


« Reply #38 on: July 23, 2018, 01:52:01 PM »

Oh....

I have a feeling that Soryu may be coming to a very critical decision point...

And Jo'Set and Sofa fighting together against another "unexpected visitor"....    Hmmm......   

Love the way you're weaving this together, LSG!  There are interesting plot lines and twists, all heading to a finale of some kind, but there's enough misdirection and obfuscation that I really don't know what's coming!  :-)

I really feel, of all the characters, for Soryu.  I kinda wish he'd just run off to the Mak'Tor ... or been able to force his own leadership on the Jedi.  *sigh*
Logged

signature picture by DarthScrub

Master Singer of the Mak'Tor

TheDutchman
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 1106
Posts: 4131


Avatar courtesy of For Tyeth


« Reply #39 on: July 23, 2018, 06:55:17 PM »

Karm is very much correct.  Again I'm reminded of how for for every expected consequence there is at least one that is unexpected.  Jo'set's very appearance is testament to that.  And with Sofa fully Aethan (except in her thinking), there's another factor to consider...

For me, Soryu represents what the Jedi should have been.  Now he's thrust between his own "Scylla and Charybdis" moment: Jarys and Yoda...

With events coming to a head fast... Let's not forget that the Sith have their own agenda...

This is going to be GOOD  Cool
Logged

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
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #40 on: July 24, 2018, 06:44:36 AM »

Chapter 11 — Roads Less Traveled — Co-operation
Part 1

Valens
The Aether was the universe…the universe was the aether…

Outside they seemed distinct…in here the truth of the oneness was plain…the ‘barriers’ dissolved as the illusions they were – reality was the Whole.

The Oneness was in him and around him…astounding, infinite, amazing, eternal…he gazed, thought, felt in awe of it for…Time…Time which had no meaning to the eternal…

But he had purpose…intent to be here beyond this…he needed anchors…

Vision…

The visual cortex made up much of sentients cognition…

That would work…a body…he formed a visual body…the streams of pure aetheric energy about him turned to lines…visual recognition centres would interpret the aetheric energies as sights…the hearing ones sounds…so he could…understand…find his way…

But it took more…Time…to form the infinite into something his limited mind could comprehend…

He was here because…he was here…reason…memory…he needed memory to direct…emotion and memory…emotion strengthened memory…strong emotion would guide him…warmth, love, compassion…yes
Sofa…Sofashameguilt…betrayal…ShileafailureweaknessCilina…yes those were the two he needed to find…Shilea and Cilina….

Currents swirled around him a draining sink of colours began to twist into an image – he stepped, or thought toward it.

<<<<>>>>

Co-operation

“Ubese!” she yelled over the blaster fire pinning them in the corridor
“How did they get here!”
Jo peeked round the corner to fire off another bolt,
“They must’ve followed me from Nar Shadda…”

Either the Night Sister had figured out who he was hunting, or more likely she’d just sold the name of a ‘Jedi’ to the Ubese…probably both…

He snapped his face back as a bolt hit the metal causing an acrid smoke to fill his nostrils…he couldn’t blame the Witch on the edge of survival as she was…

“What the frell were you doing on Nar Shadda,” she called back

She didn’t really sense any danger from him directed toward her specifically…but he was clearly here for a less than noble reason…but with Ubese swarming through the labyrinths of the stations walkways she didn’t need another enemy.

She could sense even more of them coming in from a hangar like area on the opposite side of the station to where her ship was…there were…forty six of them…she knew precisely…where they were…new abilities and senses gave her so much…just…power…but even so there was only her and Jo to hold them off.

“Head up the ladder two rooms back and come down from the top!” she called out…she had explored as much as she dared over the last few days and the cognitive improvements gave her a precise memory…integrated seamlessly with her force senses of where they were…she should be able to deal with them.

He looked across at her with a curious frown, she peeked out and fired a shot from Valens rifle blasting a burning scar in the metal and taking off an Ubese arm and half their torso…she really should use blasters more often.

Jo finally nodded and headed back the way they had come, ducking and rolling to avoid the incoming fire, the back of his riot armour picking up another series of shallow black divots.

He didn’t fully trust her…so far she hadn’t made any obviously violent moves, but then he hadn’t challenged her mind control directly yet…he glanced behind hoping he wasn’t’ hit in the back by her brutal rifle.

She peaked out to provide covering fire as Jo skidded away - she didn’t fully trust him…but Mak’Tor were not known for being deceitful…and she had little other option…no matter her new powers…she was still just one woman.

<<<<>>>>

Valens

He was seven for a moment…his first life…The Director of the Aethenaea project looking over his charts as Valance sat in the corner

“40% beneath Aethena’s results at the same age…disappointing…barely above a normal child’s average…,”
High Director Varance looked at him warmly, but there was no hiding the disappointment in the aether.


<<>>

He was twelve for a moment, the ball bounced off his shin and landed just in front of his foot…they were coming at him…should he pass it to the side…or try and boot it over their heads…he weighed up the various options, taking into account the wind speed, likely responses of the…

Too late, Karan shouldered him onto his butt and took the ball with precise steps.


<<>>

He was thirteen…they were handing out prizes for best in class…history, biology, mathematics, martial arts, marksmanship, piloting…he won none.

From behind the podium Aethena looked bored, a few years older than him, annoyed at having to present the awards…she glanced across with a vicious smile…looking upon him she saw how perfect she was.

He was meant to be her match, yet could barely make the grade in anything…he tried so hard…but couldn’t…couldn’t work out how best to write his sentences, how best to allocate targets……he lost time thinking and ended up rushing…making bad choices, opportunities slipping by as he remained lost in hesitation.


Valens needed to push past this…this was too far back…the figures were fragmented…and he didn’t need to be reminded of his failings…he knew them all too well.

He was sixteen, High Director Varance trying to instil upon him the need to act more decisively…he said he was not disappointed but the aether did not lie…

“I know it’s hard…to have so much going on inside your head…so many thoughts coming so fast…try…try picking the first one and going with that…no matter your doubts thereafter just go with it…”

He watched Siphaea, her cool hair less red than blonde, eyes light and clear, a purplish grey, smile board and welcoming as she put her arms around HIM. 

Bitterness filled his heart as Siphaea and Karan danced together…fists balled, nails digging into his palm…Varance noted his adoptive sons growing frustration…he realised this was what Valance had needed - he was built to kill…he needed an enemy…that was the key to unlocking his power.


<<>>

Eighteen…his first tour in the Guard…he exceeded all expectations, all records apart from those set by Aethena herself…whatever he had to do to show he was better than Karan…then maybe, just maybe Siphaea would pay attention to him…for he couldn’t speak to her…his tongue tripped on itself…she scared him…the Sith before him for all the shrunken heads of fallen enemies on pauldron spikes was nothing compared to the terror her beauty inspired…Maybe if he took this one’s head…then the next…then the next…

Dozens turned to hundreds, hundreds to thousands as his blade spilt rivers of his enemy’s blood – Siphaea still didn’t see past Karan…

But Aethena looked upon him now with curiosity and trepidation.


<<>>

Twenty Four…his heart churning as he sat around the table at their wedding dinner…Siphaea and Karan…

“Just take her…you know you want to…” Aethena whispered in his ear though she sat on the opposite side of the wide circular table
“You have the Power…”.
He wanted to…yet his indecision cut him to the quick once more…he could plot precise tactical manoeuvres in an instant – but dealing with People left him stilted.

“Let me help you…” she crooned across the room “I’ll make Karan walk straight over and kiss me…she’ll never forgive him…she’ll be all yours…”

No…this as too far back…this part of his past was dead…and needed to stay dead…

He was here for Shilea…

“Are you…are you really…” Aethena asked with her blood red grin.

<<<<>>>>


Sofa
Seventy Eight in total…on three large ships…organised into six man teams that kept all angles covered…stalking quietly through the cat walks looking for chances keeping to the shadows crawling under heated pipes to avoid thermal detection.

It was ‘Jedi Master Neirai’ time…she needed to make sure they didn’t reach Valens…he may acting like a sulky stubborn nerf…but he was her nerf.

Ubese hated Jedi, blaming them for making their home world a toxic dump, so any attempt to calm them down with the force would be met with maximum hostility…

Six were just ahead covering all points in a T junction, two moving carefully up the corridor she was hanging over…she hadn’t had much time to train with the other Aethans…only some basic history and techniques…she had hoped Valens would teach her…she felt like a padawan…uncertain, feeling her way through strange new parts of herself….

Slipping her sabre off the force glided between their helmets sweeps as she positioned herself to the side of the catwalk prone and aiming…but she could also use the pistol…

One of the weirder feelings was co-ordinating her new mind of roughly six streams of conscious thought all at once…one positioned the sabre, one aimed the rifle, one aimed the blaster, one kept a check on the other Ubese, one on Jo, and the other…was looking at what the other five were doing…

No wonder Valens looked confused sometimes and Milaea excelled in every field of study.

The closest Ubese stepped forward - she fired.

The pistol bolt seared through the helmet, the rifle punched the other through the chest, sabre ignited and spun like a wheel slicing the remaining four to cauterized pieces before they could even react.

Two more behind one of the voices of her mind called to the other five.

Rolling off the catwalk she pivoted firing two shots - one wide the other took a knee as she hugged the wall for cover.  Redirecting her sabre straight toward them – even telekinesis was faster and stronger – the kneecapped one lost his head, the other miserably failed to shoot the Guardian blue sabre down before being skewered. 

Another two squads inbound…she fell back…for now.

<<<<>>>>

Valens

The Wedding party dissolved into rotting corpses as Aethena strode forward.

“Did you miss me?” she crooned softly as the whole space flooded white against her red,

“Aethena…please…help me get them back…you promised you would…” he said quietly

“Only if you got me out of that altar…but no…you took my power, what you judged my best qualities…then destroyed the rest!”

In an instant she was right in his face…her skin exuding the primordial heat of a star as the scene changed to the blazing conflagration that caused their worlds Collapse – a reminder of how impotent he had been, trapped in an infant’s body as Aethena struggled to destroy the Sith fleet.

“Why shouldn’t I just keep you here with me…” she wrapped her arms around his neck…

“We can fade away together…we were always meant to be together…” lips brushed his with painful intensity

“Or you could forget about those little girls and take a real woman back with you….”
 
He could that see her face, whilst not as translucent as the others he had seen, was hardly as opaque as his own…she was already fading…of rather being drawn away to…somewhere.  There was not enough of her left…and if there wasn’t enough of someone as strong as her…

He had failed once more…

“Spare me the self-pity…” she vanished from beside him to take up a dark throne, beneath her feet lay Shilea and Cilina…
 
He stretched out to grab at the prone form of Cilina…but it was…hollow…emptying out by the second, parts of her body fading into the aether about him…

He had failed them…failed everyone…it was too late….

They had died in pain and suffering, their last moments torment and horror…and he could do nothing to repair it.

‘What good is all this power and knowledge’…he thought…or spoke…there was no distinction between the two in this place…if he could not save them…they were lost and in pain…how many more hundreds of People with them…

All of them…all of them he’d failed…twice…once for allowing them to die…and secondly for not bringing them back…

This is it...If I can’t even do that much…what use am I…

Aethena grinned - at last he saw…

“Come back to me Valance…” she stretched out her hand as the room twisted into her white draped harem
“You can’t help your people any more…they don’t need your failures…join with me again….”

“I am a failure…I’ve failed my People…” he looked down…or up…or sideways…in the strange miasma of darkness slowly sweeping over the white…

His eyes switched from their normal grey to blazing blue energy

“But you are not Aethena,”

<<<<>>>>
Logged

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."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #41 on: July 24, 2018, 06:57:14 AM »

Roads Less Traveled — Co-operation
Part 2


Jo'Set'Mack

They were hard pressed.  After nearly four hours of fighting through the station he was weak and hungry…The trip here had drained him - physically inactive too long in the pilot’s seat the sudden shock to the system left him struggling to keep pace. 

They were in the corridors just outside the main chamber, bolts flashing past and scoring the ancient metal, three Ubese lay dead between their cover points, sliced by their lightsabre throws.

According to Sofa’s unnatural ability there were thirty nine of them left, anyone else would have fled but Ubese after Jedi were like a rancor with a bone. Sofa was opposite snapping shots blindly, carbon scoring, smoke and small cuts across her tactical suit, oil and rust smear on her face. He doubted he looked any better.

“Any Mak’tor magic?” she called across,

“Any Jedi Magic?” he called back,

“Not that they aren’t wise too,” she called over another burst

They had done well so far, picked them off as they could…but now…they couldn’t cycle out fresh men like they were doing…and the Ubese could tell they had them in a corner, their confidence and greed mingled with bloody thrill of killing Jedi and expecting a 10 million credit payday for Valens or Milaea. .

He poked out and fired off another round hitting only an already honeycombed column.  He had been mostly awake for nearly 35 hours…there was nowhere safe to rest in the Maw – he had perhaps another hour left in him.

Sofa seemed to be fare better…yet there was something…unnatural about it.  She flipped out and hurled a massive blast of force energy down the passage, battering a few of them, but they were mag-locking their boots to the platform so didn’t fall over…that trick had scored them four kills the first time, no more since.

He peeked out and took four shots, two grazing armour, Sofa’s follow up shots hitting the poking out barrel of a rifle.

“Kark it,” he said sensing movement, “they're circling around,” Sofa did not want them in the main chamber for some reason…he suspected Valens and Milaea were amongst the bodies floating up there in some kind of trance…Maker knew what they were doing to the force…but hopefully they would be even more drained, or still unconscious when the Ubese were gone and he could end them swiftly…Sofa…he would deal with after…if she killed him…fine – so long as she didn’t sing again…

They stopped firing…never ever a good sign, Sofa shrugged…a muffled explosion…then a tingling…static…from…

He leapt away from the wall he had been taking cover on as it lit up with electrical current…they were going to flush them out by electrifying the whole metal structure around them.

This was not how he would die, hiding in cover waiting to be knocked out.  He filled himself with the force and charged.

Bolts surged toward him, he knocked them back with furious precision, sent grenades tumbling backwards as they retreated from the insane charge…it was an old trick to make a random charge when they least expected it…

Blaster fire started to come from behind, but no bolts got past Sofa’s blade…if they could break them now…terrify them into running…

They were retreating back, their fire kept him from getting into melee range, helmet distorted language screamed from the Ubese as they started tossing more grenades…he sent one back…

It exploded in a blinding flash…more came but detonated mid-air sending electrical sparks to the edge of his suit…stun grenades…something had made them change tactics…energy from the floor started to course through his boots as they electrified it

Shock energy bounced against his sabre as he relied on the force to protect him when his eyes couldn’t see…

It was a futile effort against so many…more blasts got through fraying his nerves and sending him to his knees…the static from the floor frying what was left of his consciousness into darkness.

<<<<>>>>

Equilibrium

Quicker than she had expected a flaming beam of energy erupted from him blasting the skin she had effected away.

Reverting to her more common form she stood somewhat surprised by his sudden shift in emotion…this was not a normal human she realised…this was a being whose emotional range and reaction was beyond her experience…

How did he know…how did he realise she was only effecting a disguise.

“Because you counselled surrender” he replied the luminosity of his being growing with each second as he prepared for battle.

“Aethena would never willingly slip away into oblivion…you took her form but not enough of her personality remained for you to copy effectively” - that determination…that will to survive still lived in Milaea.

A strange form resolved before him as the dying flecks of his first blast billowed off like ash in wind. 

A barely-female being with deeply-sunken black eye sockets – eyes like pinprick stars in the veil of night…a sick mouth that crossed her entire face full of sharpened teeth and disgusting stubby tentacle like arms.   

He knew what she wanted…a companion to join her, adore her…a replacement for those she had lost – in a way he felt a pity for the creature, disgusting as it was, to be torn away from your People was a pain he could empathize with, Valens understood only too well no Outsider could ever be a substitute – perhaps that was a piece of wisdom this being was yet to possess.

Abeloth realised she needed a new strategy…if appealing to his despair would not work, perhaps hope might,

“You want those two back…I can show you how…the Font can give you anything you desire and the Pool…” the world shifted around them till they were on opposite shores around a bubbling clear yet muddy pool of blue-yellow water.

“Together we can rebuild your people…together we can make the galaxy our own….”

She didn’t understand…to be given a future was to have no future but as a slave to a greater master, they forged their own – the Aethans took the knowledge of others, their abilities, their strategies…but that was to adapt them in their own way – they would succeed or fail by their own merits - That was Natural Selection, that was the way of the universe…that was the fight between life and death. 

“You offer what is not yours to give,” Valens retorted “With the intent to trap us…”

“Intent…” Abeloth mused “Who says you are not already trapped,”

“You wouldn’t offer me incentives if I were…your power if great…I can sense that…but it is finite…you’ve seen Aethena and that scared you…and you do not scare easily….”  He loosened the pure energy that was manifested as fists slightly,

Abeloth found herself in a quandary…she could not manipulate or tempt this one…and as she was now she could not be certain she was strong enough to control him…destroy him yes…but to tame him would take all her effort…

She needed to feed upon more beings…yet so few came…If Abeloth tried to feed on him he would resist…he would damage her and drain himself in the fight - there would net a net loss of energy for the attempt….and if his People – this Milaea - then came for retribution she would be too weak to win. 

Yet for all this she wanted someone…anyone to be with her….

Worst of all he could see her parsing through these options….

Know the enemy and know thyself and victory is never in doubt…as it stood neither knew the other enough to be assured of victory - the only option that they could both live with was simply to walk away.

“You are correct Valens the Aethan, Slayer of Masters…I do not scare easily…but nor do you it seems…”

It was as close to a concession of respect and neutrality as either would give.

Feeling out his real world surrounds she saw an opportunity…

“Perhaps even if you do not wish to bathe in the Pool of Knowledge…you may find something of interest in a glance.”

Flicking one eye down an apparition rose softly from the waters…Sofa…injured…tied…figures around her with death on their minds

”If you hurt me…” Sofa said clearly

<<<<>>>>

Sofa

Jo was out…his body flickering with stun energies.  Now she was in big trouble…she could feel the numbness seep up through her clothes…Jo hadn’t been able to resist it, her new body could - if only just.

Hammering at her form both sides her versatile Niman deflected the obvious shots…but the electrified walls and floor left nowhere to run but straight through them…

Yet that wasn’t her main problem. 

She could feel her new heart less pumping than spinning blood through her, muscles taught and strong, her breathing deep and quick at the same time…the new sensations of her new body were unsettling…powerful yet destabilizing, her vision was starting to blur…she didn’t know how to handle her own body in a stimulated state.

A tension was building up behind her eyes that she didn’t know what to do with, her shoulders twitched with pent up force she was scared to unleash for the simple fact she didn’t know what would happen…from between her legs up through her spine a strange pleasure at the fight, an excitement stimulating her to keep killing – an animalistic mindset to hunt and survive then mate and reproduce.

Darting as best she could between the blue bolts, white flash from her sabre knocking them into the walls…her legs moved with unstable speed forward…she felt like she was running on an ice treadmill switched to maximum - she could move but was in constant danger of slipping.  Some instinct kept her out of the way of the blasts as her hands began to fumble with her own sabre.

Reaching the end of the hall the Ubese fell back into a rough V to greet her charge…she knew she was beaten…legs unruly, arms twitching demanding orders she didn’t know how to give…

Peripheral vision caught Ubese switching weapons, pulling out launchers arrayed with bunched thin wires…

The first she slashed in half, the second ducked under…the third stun net slammed into her back as relentless momentum smacked her straight into the blunt end of the T junction. 

<<<<>>>>

Valens

This was a dangerous being…he was outmatched – had rushed into the situation unprepared…another failure to add to the list…but she was trapped here…

A paltry few lives a reasonable offering for this beings neutrality...If he or another Aethan were ever to reach a point where this creature was no longer a threat…he first had to inform them of its very existence.

“Very well…” he agreed to the unspoken compact driven by mutual distrust of their own abilities. 

“I won’t bar your way,” Abeloth noted as it descended back into the mists beyond the lake, “But they might…”

“Justice…” Kimar echoed behind him

“Balance” Odjina beside him…or rather some twisted potion of what remained of them…pieces that their spirits had shed…the very worst of their personalities…

Kimars figure was stronger as the lake vanished replaced by a darkened room that was both and neither the Council Chamber and the caverns of Vyth…

Odjina’s was more transparent, the remnants of his less noble side that seeing an opportunity for revenge split off from his truer soul.

Behind them his true body was floating in the purple-blue energy field, what looked like Ubese wandering around beneath.

Whether Abeloth had summoned them up, or they had been drawn to his presence beyond the shadows he would never discern – it didn’t really matter. 

Sofa was in danger, his mate was in danger, a primitive strength filled his soul, he could not – would not lose her – and there was nothing that these shades, the Abomination or a thousand more could do ever do to keep him from the woman he loved.

He charged.

A battle of the pure aether was a churn of energies, wave hitting wave, frequency countering frequency, a twisting equilibrium that was turned by his visual and pre-frontal cortex into a physical fight – it may appear that Odjina’s fist was smacking into his shoulder, or his foot slamming Kimar’s sternum – the reality was energy on energy.

They were as fast as him in here, death the great equalizer. 

If his technique was better their numbers offset the advantage, the once enemies fought with a level of co-operation in death that would’ve been unthinkable in life. There was something ironic to that he would consider later.

Twisting and pushing, elbows, knees and fists in a tumult, Kimar the tallest used his reach, Odjina the faster kept Valens from breaking out into the infinite space around them.

The dead were strong, but they had a weakness.  They fought as well as their best in life – but no better – they could not learn, change or adapt – the living could.

He allowed himself to take a number of minor hits, pain was not localized to a body part - it was an effuse build-up of red within him. The prize for the pain was seeing their tactics, they were finite and increasingly trite, a deft sidestep from a kick, ducking under a hammer like punch, he came round in a spinning upper cut to smash Kimars jaw, gripping the amorphous body to ram it into Odjina then kick home into the chest.

The bodies sprawled off seeming to coalesce into one strange two headed figure,
“Justice, Balance” both voices echoed in eerie synchronicity as it approached

“Find the balance and justice in what was done to my People,” Valens snapped

“And then you can find it for yours!”

The motely creatures charge stopped befuddled by his challenge, there was more than one way to fight in this place beyond the shadows where emotions were as real as blades.

The shades of the two men had no more knowledge than when they had died, no more answers or way to retaliate against such an impossible question – what balance or justice was there in killing and enslaving anyone, and how then could they judge by their morality the responses the Children of that action took…it paused.

And in that pause Valens unleashed, hands like pistons pummelled the abominable chest and separate heads into broken shards of energy that melted away into the aether as he leapt past the wreckage and back into physical reality.

<<<<>>>>

Jo'Set'Mack

Pain…if you were in pain you were still alive

Opening pained eyes to the central chamber, hands painfully tied he was propped up against some alien tractor.  Sofa was a little way ahead surrounded by Ubese…she looked fierce…but he could feel her fear.

“Where are they!”  what he could only guess was the Ubese clan leader said in guttural basic, holding a holo of Valens and Milaea

He couldn’t have been out for long, they were still fixing her ankle restraints,

“Trust me you don’t want to find either of them,” she replied

The Ubese pointed up at the floaters,

“Here?” the Ubese asked, his hate was boiling off him…he wanted nothing more than to kill the both for the crime of being Jedi…amplified by the losses they had inflicted the leaders rage was epic.

The Ubese shoved the barrel of his blaster to her forehead,

“Where!” they hadn’t seemed to notice Jo had come to yet…but his options were limited against twenty of them…he could bring down some catwalks, use the force to detonate some blaster power packs…but no matter what he did there were too many…

“If you hurt me…” she said with the serenity of a Jedi Master

“They’ll find you…” he could feel her using the force to add a cold edge of inevitability to her words

“Your clan, your people...you’ll bring destruction ten times what you’ve already suffered upon yourself,” 

A split appeared in the Ubese Aura’s…half were indignant the others worried based on what they had already seen…the strange sight of the floating bodies was tipping the balance to fear with every second.

The leader suddenly spied him, issuing commands in Ubese’, what looked like a lieutenant dragged him forward.

“Where are they!” the leader yelled through his helmet,

Jo was about to speak when he sensed something…

Bright…

His eyes stung and held the after image of the lighting flash that erupted around the room.  As he tried to blink the exposure out he sensed everything…EVERYTHING in the room expect himself and Sofa die.

A body floated down from the swirl above him, a male…wearing dirty trousers, medical tape strapping intravenous drips to his chest along with a black rock…gaunt eyes as if he had been awake as long as Jo had, lighting crackling from his hands…Valens.

The other Ubese around the station echoed shock in the force…no doubt their squad status indicators had just flared…it didn’t last –

They too vanished from life as Sofas bonds….dissolved was the only word he could use for it and she rushed to Valens.

Jo used the force to break free, this was his chance…if he could kill Valens fast it would break the mind control he had on Sofa so he wouldn’t have to fight them both.

“HO’LI” he shouted and leapt forward summoning his sabre from a fallen Ubese.

But he didn’t land…didn’t move…he just froze in the air as they stared at him.

Valens had a vicious predatory look…and…Jo’s own blue sabre in his hand…Jo hadn’t even seen it fly or felt it leave….No! He would kill Him for Ho’li for Odjina for Ha’Ona!

Sofa looked at Jo and shook her head slowly as Odjina had at times…like he was a teidowan who had just disappointed his master.  Save your pity Sith bitch!

Blue energy flared in the Sith’s hand,

NO he wouldn’t be beaten, he trashed against his confinement…pushed in and out in the force…something…something must work!!!

“NO” Sofa yelled, a cracking blue light flickered just in front of Jo’s eyes as she jumped in front of Valens

A distraction...if he could just break free…just move…

“Don’t kill him…for me” the manipulation this thing had inflicted on that poor woman only incensed Jo more…he would scream but he couldn’t move his mouth!

The lighting vanished into blue sparks that burnt his skin superficially as they walked past, Sofa helping Valens along as he absently summoned the body of the Ubese leader to float behind him.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

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
Forumverse Loremaster
Master of Ceremonies
SaberForum.Com Moderator
Knight Commander
************

Force Alignment: 1152
Posts: 5602


Light side points please.


« Reply #42 on: July 24, 2018, 07:39:24 PM »

First thought:  "You should have let me kill him in the core..."

Whoa.

LSG, loved the details!  The Ubese, Abeloth...   Amazing.  And even while Valens continues to struggle with his own sense of failure he was forced to make a choice for Sofa.  Not a bad choice, either.

I am feeling a bit for Jo.  He's on a fools errand and frankly deserves whatever he gets (bloody Mack clan idiots) but at the same time you gotta feel for a fairly adept Jedi who gets man-handled like that, then gets the back turned on him in contempt, not even dangerous enough to warrant killing.

But I suspect he won't take the hint and give up.   Darned Macks are always punching above their weights.  Jo just forgot to bring his magic crystal collection to the party...  ;-)
Logged

signature picture by DarthScrub

Master Singer of the Mak'Tor

TheDutchman
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 1106
Posts: 4131


Avatar courtesy of For Tyeth


« Reply #43 on: July 25, 2018, 01:05:43 PM »

I have to echo Karm: WONDERFUL details LSG!  And introducing Aboleth like that?  BRILLIANT!!  But once again we get another glimpse of Valens that reminds us that despite his power, his genetic imperative towards war, he's still a flawed emotional (super) being.  But even better is the duality between his duty to Shilea & Celina and his sincere love towards Sofa. 

Jo'set... How did Karm put it? Ah: "Darned Macks are always punching above their weights" indeed  Wink.  But can Jo also look beyond what is driving him?   Or like so many of us, doomed to follow a script of his own making?  Personally, I think that Jo could really end up being a fulcrum for the Aethans and their xenophobia... Just not sure for which result  Wink

Oh, and I love the thumbnail images for this chapter!!
Logged

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
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #44 on: July 31, 2018, 03:05:27 AM »

Chapter 12 — Roads Less Travelled — Attrition
Part 1
Kiraea
The ship hovered as the Jedi descended, seven in all, mostly aliens, of note was the small green one.  Valens had warned her about this one.

She kept herself concealed behind a rocky outcrop atop one of the pillars as they expanded their awareness looking for her on another outcrop some forty metres away.

It couldn’t be a coincidence they were here, one poked around and summoned the small green Yoda toward him, gesturing toward the traps she had set minutes before.

There were too many to fight alone…she wasn’t equipped for a fight, only a few weapons and light utilities for jungle travel…and she couldn’t risk signalling Jarys with the aether for help.  If she was cautious she might take one or two by surprise, but Valens had been very clear “avoid Yoda”.

There were no good options, they knew someone was here, likely had thermal scanners on the ship…she took what she hoped was the less risky path - leaping onto the large rocky outcrop they were positioning on.

“Nice day for a hike!” she said warmly as they turned grasping their weapons but not igniting them…yet.

“Yourself Identify,” Yoda said sternly, he was positioned just under the hovering ship on a jutting rock higher than the others.

“Identify Yourself!” She replied jovially hands on her hips,

“Yoda, Master Jedi, in pursuit of dangerous fugitives, for your safety, yourself identify,” Yoda replied broking no argument.

In any other situation, against hundreds of others beings what Yoda added to his words – a simple burst of Force Compulsion to gain compliance and subdue resistance – would be innocuous.  Jarys or Valens would’ve simply dismissed the attempt and thought no more of it.

But they were mere males.  To try and impose ones will on an Aethan female was sacrilegious, an affront to the Divine Feminine every woman represented and embodied. It stirred offence and vile hate in Kiraea, her mind instantly interpreting the act in light of what Outsiders had forced upon her People in their enslavement - there was only one possible response. 

Kiraea kept her cool for the moment despite the outrage.

“Why do you speak funny?  Did school you got to not? Or head blows one too many receive?” she taunted while keeping her aetheric presence diminished as she ran through options before they ganged up on her, utterly convinced Yoda’s mental push was the probing precursor to an attempt to enslave and abuse her as so many of her People had been.

“Attempts to mock me your own insecurity betray, Yourself Identify immediately,” Yoda pressed very hard, his expression betrayed annoyance at her near invisible presence. 

A concealed aetheric presence was not, however, an idle one.  The circuitry, the capacitors, the real space conversion ionizer…going into the details of machinery was her speciality, usually reserved for locks and security systems, it worked just as well on hyperdrives.

“Geez talk about little man syndrome…” she went on as the Jedi shifted to a ready stance with movements so minute only a fellow aether warrior would notice.  Now, secondary fuel line emergency resistor cut…bridge status warnings cut….

“Fine,” she huffed, “My name is…”

CREEEEKBKBKBOOOM

The ships engines imploded into a blue and yellow ball of energy, patches of dirt and nests flew from the outcrop, lesser rocks worked loose by rain zoomed off at dangerous speeds, three of the Jedi fell forward taken by the shock wave, the others including Yoda were quicker to use the aether to steady themselves.

The Jedi Master raised his arms instinctively to keep the wrecked and burning ship from falling on top of them.

“Ohh that’ll be hard to fix, later Greenie,” Kiraea smiled as she leapt into the foliage below.

<<<<>>>>

Soryu
The jungle so still became a circus as insects, birds, reptiles and mammals fled the boom of a distant explosion.  Yshrrk barked for them to close in pushing a force bubble around them to keep from being knocked or bitten by the frightened fauna.

All manner of creatures were pushing past their tight group…the yellow eyes that had surrounded them gone…vornskrs bolted to and fro in the confusion, leaping on smaller creatures and gulping them down with hideous chomps, it all seemed random…but to the edge of the swarm of animals in the clearing was one far bigger than the others, with an odd pearl like protrusion between its eyes making a show of running randomly….

“AIEEEH” The Phindian Go-Sem across the rough circle screamed as a vornskr leapt from the melee to take a vicious bite into the armour plates on his lengthy arms.

The Whiphid Sentinel Hrmin beside him ignited his two sabres to frighten off the creature, unwilling to kill the wild animal who was just looking for food. 

There was nothing random about it, the other animals began to scurry off but the vornskrs were still there, their fur wet and slick as the rain kept beating down.

They howled at the light sabres. Yshrrk roared back and it began.  At least a dozen of the beast leapt and charged toward them, the Jedi here were some of the best in the Order, their sabres and blasters quickly up, the force alive with the push and pull of telekinetic combat as the beasts unleashed their own force attacks. 

Soryu flourished defensive routines to keep the animals from coming near him…they were not responsible, he didn’t want to hurt them. Behind him the others were less concerned about the wildlife, the wet air carried the scent of blood and charred flesh.

He kept his eyes on the larger beast toward the edge of the clearing, his mind alert for when Jarys would strike.  Attacks petered out, he extended his awareness to the nearest animals mind, it didn’t seem obviously effected by anything, a connection to the rest of its pack to be sure…somehow Jarys had them thinking he was their pack leader.

“Yearrgh!” came another scream from behind as human sentinel Arlec Tri wrestled off the jaw of a vornskr off his forearm, Yshrrk surged forward grabbed the beast by the neck in one huge paw and crushed its throat, the limp creature slid off as the Wookie pushed the human inside the circle to join the injured Phindian.

“There is one of them out there!” Soryu yelled, he could no longer remain silent about Jarys…less than two minutes since he had mentally spoken two Jedi were already injured.

The Vornskrs backed off into the trees, the large one, the leader, kept a vigil as they retreated, some with limps or cauterized scars, leaving five dead behind them.  It gave a hideous resonant bark then lunged into the jungle.

“Should we pursue?” Asked the Kel Dor Sentinel Baran Tha through his breather.

Yshrrk shook his head grunting in low Shyriiwook rumbles – <That is what they want>

Soryu pushed past the two injured Jedi in the centre of their circle, grasping the wookies gigantic arm,

“We can’t win this fight, even alone Jarys is too dangerous, with packs of Vornskrs…if we leave now we might be safe,” Soryu pleaded,

The wookie remained silent regarding him then let out a cool questioning growl as the rain slicked and matted his fur,

<How did you know it was the one Jarys that is here?>

<<<<>>>>

Yoda
He had to use the force to keep himself elevated above the ground here, the rain turned half decomposed leaf matter of the jungle floor into a slurry would sink him up to the hips.

They had descended from the outcrop, leaving the ship to crash upon it.  The pilot killed in the implosion.

300 years old and still making silly mistakes rushing to where he could sense a strong force presence…he should’ve waited for the full Strike force to deploy.  He opted to hit hard and fast with the small team – strategically sound, but still whatever losses they suffered were on him. 

He was angry that for all his foolishness he had not even found Valens or Milaea…he had no doubt this woman was Aethan, but nominally he had no cause to pursue her, indeed he could not even prove she had destroyed their ship. 

They had found little to trace her with, no obvious trail, and the force here dead amongst Oblio trees crammed with null generating Ysalimiri feeding off the saps - whilst other wildlife had fled the explosion, they remained staunchly attached. 

Yoda kept a measured pace, two groups of three Jedi behind him, one left one right.  If she were to attack in the null field they would have no chance, Aethan reflexes and strength were far beyond his capacity to counter without the force.  At least spread out a little she would have to risk choosing only one target at a time.

Howls erupted deeper in the jungle, vornskrs…even the fauna was against them…thin sounds of movement behind - he glanced back to see the Hapan D’Alya crouched observing some bent fronds, the Twi’lek Sintat and Lasat Rwh’an behind her.  Rwh’an motioned him over.

“Found something have you?” he inquired quietly,

“Tracks, boots, light footed recent….deeper here, likely landed from the trees, should we….”
SLAP
D’Alya’s eyes went wide as Rwh’ans hand gripped a dagger millimetres from her forehead, the Lasat’s superhuman reflexes the only ones capable of averting such an attack without the force.

“This girls not playing,” he growled sniffing the air, “Perhaps we should…”

Thwump,
“Urrckkkm” Hummu the Chagiran groaned from the other group.

“Defensive formation, prepare for attack!” Yoda called as Sintat struggled to pull a hastily made wooden spear from Hummu’s chest.

Blades lit up hissing against the rain as they formed a defensive triangle around Hummu, his aura was strong, the armour had taken the brunt of the spear throw, but in a jungle like this the wound could easily become infected, Yoda glanced over to see the tip of the spear wet with blood and swampy brown water.

<<<<>>>>

Jarys
He had no desire to fight seven Jedi at once, especially not the gigantic Wookie.  But whatever had happened with Kiraea elsewhere forced his hand.  Jarys raced with the pack as quietly as possible through the jungle, the other vornskrs had died to give the rest of them a head start. 

He couldn’t let any more be hurt, he hadn’t come here just to see these beautiful animals suffer, still leaping and sprinting he summoned Arxis mentally.

“You keep the pack together, I’ll draw the enemy pack away from here,” he skidded to a halt, the pack followed suit

Kneeling Arxis came up and licked at his face, he pressed his head to the Vorynx’s.

“I might be gone a while, keep the Yruts safe, only eat the ones you need, draw in all the packs in the surrounding area while I’m gone.  I will be back.”

The Vorynx blinked a few times, then genuflected understanding his intent, with a short bark Arxis communicated the temporary change in leadership and they sprinted into the West.   

He needed to find Kiraea and get off planet.  He felt the movements of the insects and birds behind him, the leading edge of the ripple…the Jedi were onto him.

<<<<>>>>

Kiraea
The Ysalimiri provided the perfect cover…the Jedi had no clue where she was.  Without the force, in the rain, in a strange jungle…they were her prey.

She had spent hours playing with Yorna, Jarys and Valens in the forests back home, even if the species colours and names were different, all ecosystems this similar by virtue of convergent evolution were easy to understand. 

She could feel the living heart of this place beat as easily as she could her homes - knew how to move without disturbing the animals, hide in the crooks of the trees roots, which leaves and mud to camouflage with.

The main danger was the Lasat, their reflexes even without the force were impressive, senses acute. But she hadn’t spent years sneaking into and out of highly secure corporate buildings without picking up a thing or two.

Slidding gently forward, slow and smooth as Maynard always said.  She grasped her shikkars, dipped in mud to ensure they wouldn’t glint, and hopefully add some microscopic nasties into any wounds to boot.

Speaking of boots, she lined up her target and stabbed.

<<<<>>>>

Yoda
Rwh’an screamed and toppled over. 

Yoda spun as a mess of water splashed up as the Lasat splashed down.  While the leaves and dirt continued to fall a black limb flew out and smashed into Karmins face, he flopped back toward into D’Alyaa as the attacker used his chest as a spring board to leap back from the group.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl, Sintat and Arnora sluggishly moved to intercept, Yoda leapt high and forward - the only being that seemed to move at normal speed was the Aethan woman.  She ended on the trunk of a tree, her momentum pushing her down into a crouch, which she turned to spring back up straight at him.

Surely she wouldn’t meet him mid-air while he had a lightsabre lit!? Inch by painful inch he tried to reposition his leap and his sabre in the slowed time that signalled his brain rapidly processing information.

She twisted mid-air hand on hip un-clasping something that dropped with an arc following her vector…it would land right in the middle of their defensive circle.  Her other hand bringing forward a dark muddy short sword right toward him as the dropped object sent off a slow red light.

It all happened at once.  She jolted momentum cut, Yoda over shot completely, both blades cut only air.

Rwh’An on stumbling haunches had grabbed her leg, his claws piercing her light armour.  Sintat twirled to smack the grenade away from them. 

The Aethan balled up and sliced through Rwh’An’s wrist forcing him to relase as the grenade detonated, the shock wave knocking Yoda further through the air, he recovered to only lightly bang into a tree trunk as the Ysalimiri fled the violence, but only to the next tree on keeping them in a null bubble.

As yellow flames from the explosion made a doomed effort to find purchase on wet foliage he saw the silhoutte of the Aethan in the lighsabres glow, her reflexes able to limit all the Sentinels slashes to glancing scores as she leapt and spun her way out of the ring of Jedi she had found herself in.  As Yoda leapt forward she elbowed Sintat’s right shoulder and crashed through, the air booming with displaced air as she sprinted away.

Sintat and Arnora moved to intercept as D’Alyaa helped Karmin up, Hummu clutched his chest while looking over Rwh’ans ruined ankles, a glass like dagger protruding from each one.

He had to decide, pursue now while understrength or retreat. He could not lose this chance, the sound of another battle in the distance made his choice to continue strategically viable.

<<<<>>>>

Jarys
There was no getting away, he could feel their determination, they would not retreat, they would not allow them to escape – these Jedi could not be reasoned with.  This was two tribes at war. 

He had come here to live, but if for him to live others must die –

So be it, Jedi.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

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."

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 ... 20   Go Up
Send this topic | Print
Jump to: