The group of people, three Jedi and one Bounty Hunter, slowly made the ascension to the top of the stairs. On the way up, Jan explained the situation. "I am a friend of the Bardoba family," he began. "I have known Sydney since he was a child. No one outside his followers knows him better than I. That is why I was hired." That made sense, and explained everything that Vic had wondered about the bounty hunter. "And recently? I have indeed come into contact with him recently. In this City, Sydney has the power to manifest himself wherever he likes. I spoke to him in person not moments before encountering you three. He told me interesting things. He vanished before I could ask him my own questions. He has something of a habit for that." Vic began to wonder what sort of things the Sith Cultist had explained to Jan that the bounty hunter was not going to reveal to the Jedi. Vic also wondered why Sydney would allow Jan to walk about knowing his intentions...Unless the bounty hunter was a tool of the Sith meant to lure the Jedi into a trap. Vic almost pulled out his lightsaber and slashed at the man, but he resisted the urge. He would be even more cautious with the bounty hunter. He gave off a feeling of suspicion through the Force, which was intended to let his fellow Jedi, Anengy and Kimara of his intentions. "His plans and schemes are not for me to reveal; they may not even be for you to discover. What I can tell you is this: Sydney and Joshua are indeed brothers. There is a great legacy at stake here- and Sydney will not allow his younger sibling to inherit it." Jan smiled for some strange reason. He gave off a hint that Sydney was going to kill his own brother in order to obtain this supposed legacy. That was horrible. Vic had no family, but judging by what he had with his child and deceased wife, he could not even fathom the thought of killing a family member. "But take care not to assume too much, little Jedi. The enemy in this city is not Sydney, nor is it his cultist gaggle." Then, they reached the top of the stairs. Jan reached out to push the doors open revealing the ruined city of Leá Monde. It took a moment for Vic's eyes to adjust, but he was glad to be out of that mineshaft. The natural air was an added bonus to leaving the mineshaft. Though, the sight of the city was horrible, even worse than what he had imagined. The city was in complete ruins, explaining why this place was uninhabitable. "This is a very strange case," Vic said, finally responding to what he had heard, though he was speaking more to himself than to Jan. He wished the Jedi Council had given him more information, he knew he was not hiding his surprise very well. "What sort of dangers will we be facing ahead?" Vic asked, wondering who the true "enemy" was within the City. Certainly something was going on in which the Jedi, not only those on the mission but the Council as well, was too blind to notice.
Rue Vermillion "This is a very strange case," Vic said to himself as the party of four emerged into the daylight and onto the streets of Leá Monde. "What sort of dangers will we be facing ahead?" "A few bothersome obstacles," replied Rosencrantz with a wry smile. "Bloodthirsty cultists, fanatical Imperial Knights, dragons, phantoms, wolves, the undead...all in a day's work for you Jedi, surely?" The bounty hunter stepped forward, surveying the picturesque surroundings of the City during daylight. He cocked his head slightly, as if listening for something on the edge of hearing. "We will work better if we split into two teams," he suggested. "You and I-" he said, pointing to Vic "-will head northwards, to the Snowfly Forest. You two-" he gestured to Kimara and Anengy "-should go south, towards the Temple of Kiltia. I believe the boy we look for will be found at one of these locales, but we must move quickly to outpace the Empire's Knights." Tag: nemisis (Despised, Trimaj) Near the Great Cathedral Kara stepped away from the stone pillar and out of the guards' sight, stealthily following Hardin and Joshua at a carefully maintained distance. The pair moved away from the Cathedral and into the winding streets of the city at a reasonable pace, and the Zeltron Jedi found she could keep up fairly easily, finding cover behind buildings as she went, keeping out of sight and waiting for the moment to surprise her prey. "Ahcrimora!" cried Hardin suddenly and without warning as he rounded a corner. A black fog formed immediately in the air in front of him. He stepped into it, the smoke wrapping around his legs and head. As he let it grasp his body, he tugged Joshua in after him. As the boy was enveloped by the fog, he turned his head around for one look back- and in that moment he spotted Kara. The two locked glances for a single moment that seemed to last forever. Kara felt no fear from the boy at all, but instead was overwhelmed by a warm, reassuring calm. And then both Joshua and Hardin were gone, disappeared into the mist. The smoke remained hanging in the air, inviting Kara to rush through it as she had before in the mineshaft. Tag: Xan
"A few bothersome obstacles," Jan Rosencrantz said with a smile. "Bloodthirsty cultists, fanatical Imperial Knights, dragons, phantoms, wolves, the undead...all in a day's work for you Jedi, surely?" Vic shook his head. Great, he thought to himself. The first dragon and the undead within the mineshaft was enough, but more? Add those to the Sith and the Imperial Knights plus some other things Vic had never encountered in his life, then the Jedi were sure to be up for a very tough challenge. This mission continued to prove much harder than initially expected with each passing moment, and Vic was not sure how much more he was going to be able to take. There was a good possibility he, or any of his Jedi friends, would not make it out alive... The bounty hunter stepped forward cocked his head back as though the man was listening for something. "We will work better if we split into two teams," he finally said. "You and I-" the bounty hunter said, pointing towards Vic, "-will head northwards, to the Snowfly Forest. You two-" he gestured to Kimara and Anengy "-should go south, towards the Temple of Kiltia. I believe the boy we look for will be found at one of these locales, but we must move quickly to outpace the Empire's Knights." Vic hesitated, searching the Force for any signs of danger in this mans intentions. So far, the Force was telling him nothing, but the offer still troubled the Jedi for some reason. "Alright," he finally said, stepping forward towards Jan. He looked back towards Anengy and Kimara, nodding at them. "May the Force be with you," he said. There was no doubt that they could feel his unease, but Vic would do what he had to do in order to complete this assignment and get that boy home safely. The Jedi walked forward until he was standing right next to Rosencrantz. "You seem to know this place very well, Rosencrantz," he said, his wonder apparent in his tone. The statement was said in a way that made it seem more like a question, but he did not wait for a response before saying, "Lead the way." As always, he kept his finger on the switch of his lightsaber, just in case he would need it; either for one of the many obstacles he was about to face, or for Rosencrantz.
Rue Vermillion "You seem to know this place very well, Rosencrantz," said Vic as he walked with his new companion, his wonder apparent in his tone. "Lead the way." Rosencrantz nodded, flashing another of his sardonic smiles, and proceeded into the winding cobbled streets of the ancient city. He did not speak as they went, and his eyebrows were knitted and his forehead creased, as if he was concentrating upon something nearby. "This way," he said at last. The pair continued onwards, and rounded a corner to see a stream running not thirty feet away. A nearby hut had apparently collapsed, and the rubble covered much of the area. Most of note were the two Imperial Knights who were beside a rusty vehicle at the water's edge. The vehicle resembled a landspeeder, though all its panels had been removed. One of the Knights was female, and she was sitting on the floor in what appeared to be a meditative trance, though even at this distance Vic could feel the hurt and fury that was emanating from her. Her face was bruised and her scarlet armour was battered, while blood seeped from her lower lip. The other Knight was male, and was lying slumped on the ground. He was most certainly dead. Vic recognised the corpse as that of Tieger, and the woman as Neesa. "It seems the Knights have already seen one of their number fall," whispered Rosencrantz, turning to his partner. "Perhaps we should try and sneak past." Tag: nemisis Entering the smoke Kara strode forward briskly into the smoke, and it wrapped around her immediately, tugging at her limbs and pulling her roughly into the darkness. Just as before, she felt momentarily as if she was hovering in a space between spaces, a black void in which she could not move. And then she fell out of it, light flooding back into her eyes as she collapsed onto solid ground. She landed heavily, but not on cobbles this time. Beneath her there was short grass and dirt tinged with a frosty white sheen. As she stood up, she saw nothing but trees in every direction, enormous ancient things, dark green and yellow and brown. A light covering of snow sat on every branch, though it was not particularly cold. Birds whistled mournfully somewhere nearby. Leaves rustled above her. Strange glowing flies darted from place to place in luminous swarms, humming softly. Hardin and Joshua were nowhere to be seen. Kara had landed directly in the middle of the Snowfly Forest. Tag: Xan
Vic frowned as the bounty hunter only smiled for a reply, moving forward without giving any explanation as to how he knew this city so well. The Jedi shook his head, not wanting to press anymore questions onto Rosencrantz; he would not want to anger his "partner" so soon, especially when there was things he obviously was not sharing. They turned a corner, and Vic cautiously peered around, only one lightsaber in hand. He knew that there would be all sorts of dangers ahead, and that these dangers would not present themselves openly. As he surveyed the area, moving forward with as much caution as he could while still keeping up with his guide, he noticed a collapsed building and, further on, two Imperial Knights, one of which was definitely dead. The other, undoubtedly the female Knight Neesa, sat meditating near the corpse. "It seems the Knights have already seen one of their number fall," Rosencrantz whispered, noticing the obvious. "Perhaps we should try and sneak past." Vic nodded, recalling the Jedi briefing of how they should try and avoid contact with the Imperial Knights at all costs. "Good idea," Vic whispered back, stepping forward. He wish he could hide his presence within the Force like he had heard that some Force Users were able to do, because if she was concentrating hard enough, Neesa would most likely feel his presence through the Force. Though, Vic thought, if he did not use any powers, perhaps she would not be able to feel him. He decided to take his chances, and began to move forward, his feet touching the ground as lightly as possible. Neesa may be meditating, but it was very possible that she was more aware of her surroundings than ever. Suddenly, he stopped, turning back to Jan. "You lead the way," he said with a half smile.
Tircolas Flow Rosencrantz led the way as Vic suggested, tiptoeing around the corner and into the open space near the river. The Imperial Knight did not stir from her meditation. The yellow-armoured bounty hunter turned around, gesturing for his Jedi companion to stay in hiding for a moment. It seemed the idea was that once Rosencrantz had safely reached the other side of the clearing, Vic would follow, and Neesa would be completely unaware. Unfortunately, the plan was ruined almost immediately. As Rosencrantz shuffled quietly along, he was suddenly lifted up into the air. His feet kicked around helplessly and his hands reached to his throat as he was held five feet off the ground. As he struggled in vain, froth began to form at the sides of his mouth. Neesa had not moved, remaining sitting and apparently still in trance. It seemed that she had been perfectly aware of her surroundings- and was capable of a telekinetic attack without even opening her eyes to see her target. Vic was still just out of view, hiding behind a wall. It was possible his enemy had sensed him already. It was up to him to try and make a quick escape or to assist Rosencrantz. Tag: nemisis Snowfly Forest Kara scanned her surroundings for any sort of tracks that might help her locate her prey. Unfortunately, she found very little on her first sweep of the area. There did not seem to be any sort of footpath on the ground, and no clearings were in sight other than the small one that she stood on. It would be very easy to become hopelessly lost in the middle of such a forest. There was no blood around, no footprints, not even slight disturbances in the mud or snow. This would be a difficult task. As she stretched out with the Force to find her way, the young Zeltron noticed something. A pattern. The glowing mass of snowflies would flutter around her, then gather beside a certain tree, before flying off into the distance. Within a few seconds they would return to her, before swarming towards the same tree once again, and then off into the forest depths. And so they continued. She reached out to them with the Force, and felt only a strange sense of impatience. It was almost as if they wanted her to follow them. And she could not tell why, but she felt a very strong and profoundly unsettling urge to do so...their light was suddenly almost hypnotic... Tag: Xan
Vic watched intently as Jan made his way forward. Then, suddenly, the bounty hunter lifted into the air, his legs kicking wildly and his hands scratching at his throat. It was obvious what was happening: Neesa, the Imperial Knight, had been aware of them the entire time, just as Vic had expected she would be. She demonstrated amazing Force ability, lifting up her foe and choking him without even moving a muscle, let alone looking at the bounty hunter. Now, the Jedi Knight was faced with two options. Ignore this situation, move forward on his own and let the Bounty Hunter die. Or save him. If he were to save him, that would mean he would have to engage with the Imperial Knight, and his briefing told him to stay away from the Imperial Knights at all cost. Though, Vic could not just let the man die, no matter how suspicious he felt. The advantages of traveling with Rosencrantz were just too great to let him die. The man was a good guide so far, seeming to know his way around the city pretty well. Besides, there was no doubt that the Imperial Knight had already felt his presence and it would not be long before the Knights were after him. And, Vic thought, what if Rosencrantz did not die? Then the Jedi would have another problem to worry about. Vic made his decision within a fraction of a second. He jumped out from around the corner, using the Force to propel himself within fifteen feet of Neesa. He thrust his hand forward, sending a surge of Force energies toward his foe. She was sitting by the stream, and Vic hoped his push would catch her off guard and knock her into the stream. The likelihood of that happening was slim, but she was concentrating on Jan Rosencrantz, maybe she would be too preoccupied to feel any immediate danger.
