SWRPF Archive New Jedi Outcasts RP

IC: Major Lance Soltaris

The Past

Lance stood up, clearly shocked. This dark one had some power indeed. Another shock soon followed as he watched his fiancee begin to beat the darkness back. He couldn't fight, true... But he had no intentions of letting her dow, not this far into the duel.

A shadow enclosed him, wrapping him up in darkness and revolving around him with the force of a hurricane. Slowly, it dissipated, leaving not but a ghost of the man's former self, shrouded entirely in white. The spectral figure channeled his energy, casting the light within him into Dinn, as if to ensure that she would not fail in this conflict.

TAG: Jessie
Forest, in the present

A subtle psionic smile, accompanied by a caress of the same nature. "What else? Your well-being is on my mind. I'm still worried about you."

TAG: Jessoie/>

---

Silver walks to his quarters to get some sleep for the day
*Thinking to himself*

<<Why would Murdock, come look for me>>

*keeps walking to his room*

[The Past...]

The Light surrounded Dinn and made her gasp in pain. It was so bright, it burned.

"Don't let it fool you, the Light can't grant you what I have promised you..." the dark woman hissed.

"You have promised me nothing..." Dinn replied. "You have just showed me what I want and how to go the wrong way about it!"

Dinn clenched the hands of her dark clone and leant forward until their foreheads touched, the marks on the dark woman's skin burning against Dinn's.

[The Forest...]

Dinn closed her eyes. I'm alright...I still mourn and I still hurt...but I think I'll be repaired easily enough A small frown creased her face. Faint pink burn marks flushed on her forehead and hands. I don't know about my friendships with people though...what I did when...when Knight died, was pretty unforgivable.

Tag: Jeff

*Earwen had watched silently as the pyre burnt, tears streaming down her face. She listened as loving words were spoken and sank into her memories. Memories of the kindness of her fallen leader. His willingness to let her attend to family issues when they had arose. His care for those within his command. She remembered battles where he had taken out those who would have ended her. She found it hard to believe that he was gone. She watched as his flickering form walked into the woods. She wondered if she would ever see him again. The twins within her remained calm and let her grieve. She was in a trance like state, oblivious to her surrondings and reliving the past. The hurt was deep. She regretted that she had been grounded on the last mission, and that she would remain so for a time. Her sorrow was great and she sank to her knees by the pyre as it burnt away. Lost in thought and consumed with sorrow. She released her greif and let it flow, forgetting that others were around her and would wonder at her display. She remained weeping until the tears ceased. The memories would be bitter sweet for a time, but she would always have them.*

Tag: Anyone

*Tlo walked silently beside ShadowScout as they left the funeral pyre to burn to nothing. Ruja was not there - he was one with the Force. Both she and Scout knew that... and it was some comfort... but the grief would not pass with that knowledge, especially for Scout. The two men had been such close friends...

Tlo gently squeezed his hand and he returned the pressure but he said nothing.*

He's not ready to talk yet...but he knows that I am here for him...

*Silently, the couple made their way back to the Roguish Smile.


TAG: D'nari, you can find me now.

IC: Major Lance Soltaris

The Past

"I never told you about our final duel, oh dark one... Did I? I think it's time you found out."

The scene warped to a twisted view of a time far in the future. Deep in the bowels of an SSD, the Dark Queen lurked, her power steeped in the vile reaches of her own rotting soul. Nobody else inhabited the ship, save for her grisly, cryo-frozen servants: the survivors of the massacre of the Outcasts. The dark woman had triumphed over her former friends, using her great strength in the dark arts to enslave them all to her sadistic will.

All that survived, anyway. Those that had died served no purpose for her. Among the dead were those that had scorned her, insulted her, or been deemed by her to be too weak to carry on in any combative function. Only the strong and select had survived. Oddly, one of the morgue boxes held a man not of this galaxy. His sword, the last vestige of who he was, rested outside of his shelf, the crystal within totally dead. His wife lay beside him, resting in as eternal a slumber.

All was not normal on the ship as the NR boarding team managed to sneak in for one final battle. The security system was slaved to the main computer, and an ion strike had effectively ruined it, letting the team pass to Medical unharmed. It was who they woke up that brought the Dark Queen running.

Hidden in the medical center, lost with his comrades in eternal slumber, the knight of death awaited. His weapon was long destroyed by his new master, her personal handiwork used to bring the warrior a suit of walking death and a sword that matched. Deep within the dark plate mail that covered the soldier's powerful form lay a heart that still beat true to the light, even after all the deception and all the manipulation. Likewise, the hearts of the remaining Outcasts beat with a fervor that could only be possessed of someone of the light.

As if on cue, the team all awoke at once, just in time for the Dark Queen to barge in, her rage at a climax. Her two blood-red blades flipped on, casting their glow of death across the room....

...meeting against a sword of cortosis-titanium-steel alloy. The darkened warrior, repentant to the very death of his soul, struck back with a passion never experienced in all the time that he had been subjected to this torture, hacking and slashing away as if the woman in front of him were not but a marionette.

The battle raged on for very little before the dark knight had his quarry trapped, her blades knocked away and destroyed. "My comrades!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Let the word spread forth, from this point to the end of the galaxy, from now until the end of time... The Darkness is vanquished! ALL HAIL FREEDOM!!" The blade pierced through the air, carving a path through the Dark Queen's back and impaling her heart...

...And sliding through the very same on the dark knight. Both fell to the ground, dead, lying in final repose in each other's arms.

The scene flashed away just as quickly. The vision of this final sacrifice was too much for the dark spirit to bear, and she vanished just as quickly as she had arrived. "I will be back!!" came the horrid echo...

TAG: Jessie
The Forest

"That is where the problem lies, Dinn. Do you seek forgiveness for what you did? If you are genuinely sorry for your deed, the relief will come." There was a mental wink. "You taught me that one recently, remember?"

TAG: Jessie/>

---

*Lank had dozed off, only to be awoken by the commotion of Silver stumbling in. before he could wake up enough to give orders, D'Nari and others were helping him*

Sithspawn, Pavail, you have wrung yourself out. You have to get your head on straight. People are counting on you.

*Lank got up, dusted off his uniform, and headed for the Smile

Tag: anyone

*Lissa sat silently in the jump seat in the Smile's main cabin. She felt weary, but her mind was planning, planning.

I have to pull this group together. I have to make them see that no one of them is at fault...not for Knight's death, not for the destruction that overcame us. We have a galaxy that needs us and people to help. And Hayden! We must somehow find Hayden! And we must work to defend our minds and our hearts...

*Lissa's thoughts drifted to a halt - she felt someone approaching - several someones. Tlo and Scout...D'nari...and Lank. She sighed gratefully. Just the simple thought of his presence heartened her.*

TAG: The above mentioned people

OOC: Sorry about the icon...this was going to be a double post at first.

[The Past...]

Dinn collapsed onto the ground and gasped for air. She could barely move. It took her a while to calm down, for her mind to anchor itself in the present, rather than that horrible future. The visions of her friends and comrades, decayed twisted horrors in the thrall of her own dark powers made her feel sick. Her ragged breaths and tears hurt like she was burnt all over.

"Lance?" she whispered. Her blurred vision could only make out his silhouette, lying further off. Dinn took a deep breath and pulled herself up and onto her feet, whincing as she put pressure on her stinging hands. She walked slowly over to Lance, kneeling down beside him. Gently lifting his head, she cradled it in her lap. Her shaking hands brushed the hair from his face.

"Thank you..." she whispered to him. A smile lit her face, a joking tone in her voice. "And please, whatever you do, don't ever let me get skanky like that...ever..."


[The Forest...]

Dinn smiled and spoke out loud. "I remember...and you're right. Whatever it was that had a hold of me, I have to accept what I've done and let it go. There's nothing I can do to change it." Her tone was sad and tears welled up in her eyes. "I'll mourn what happened for a long time...but so will everyone else. Possibly more than I ever will."

She looked up at the sky. The visions of horror surfaced momentarily, but were washed away by the fresh memory of Knight and Stryke, both one with the Force and at peace.

"But we aren't alone, any of us."

Tag: Jeff

Jim Palso walked cooly away and to the edge of the forest. Finding a fallen log, he sat down on it, taking his black beret hat off from his dress uniform and held it in his hands. He waited for Laine to start talking.

"Go ahead." Jim Palso said.


Tag Laine

***** As they made there way back to the shuttle Scouts mind wandered back to his first meeting with Knight. It was many years ago and the smugglers, whose operation and members I had been systematically destroying in a mission of revenge, had captured me. Knight attempted to locate me after my fathers? death, though it took him a while, his timing was impeccable. The smugglers obviously were not being paid enough to tangle with a Jedi. Knight offered to teach me in the ways of the force and I was eventually able to bury the past, somewhat. After Knight left the order I continued, not understanding why he had forsaken everything he had taught me. But as I was exposed to more and more of the New Republic and the orders bending to them, I began to understand why. Eventually I was able to locate him and graciously accepted his offer to join the Outcasts. His only request was to keep his true identity secret above all else and arrive as an old friend, an equal. *****

Tlo gently squeezed his hand and he returned the pressure but he said nothing

***** I?ll have to tell her, she needs to understand completely what I?m feeling. My master has passed, a loss to us all, hopefully he is powerful enough to continue in the force and guide those that need it. *****

Laine sat down beside him, watched him twirl his beret in his hands.

She took a deep breath and let it out. "Well, I'm not exactly sure where to start. You've been avoiding me since that last battle--I don't know what happened on that Star Destroyer, but whatever it was has turned you against Force-users. I see it in your eyes. You either hate me or fear me, I don't know which. I cannot change who I am, and part of me is my ability to use the Force. I don't fully understand it myself--I was only trained nominally, you know. And I only use my gifts to help people, as I can. That's what my master and my parents taught me to do. Plus, I've been wanting to ask you--you knew AfroMan was coming, didn't you? Why didn't you tell me? Didn't you think you could trust me? Do you think that after everything you told me that you couldn't trust me? I'm a former smuggler, like yourself. Maybe you were in a bigger league than me, but that doesn't matter. The life of a smuggler or a spacer is the same at pretty much any level. Do you not trust because of something I've done? Or do you not trust me because of something I am?"

If there's nothing I can say to convince him, then I'll just have to show him. I don't like being hurt by someone who has become a good friend like Jim has.

It was only then that she looked at him, hoping he would look back and give her a real smile, not one of those weak, 'I'm humoring you' smiles.

TAG: Jim

*Lank crested the hill where the Rogueish Smile sat. He already felt the appraoch of a few others: Scout's strong, steady presence, the unique aura of D'nari, a faint signature, close to Scout, probably Tlo, but he couldn't be sure. What he was sure of was who was waiting at the shuttle. He sent Lissa a greeting through the Force*

Tag: Lissa, the others arriving.

Jim Palso's voice was low, but strong. He didn't look at Laine at first. He kept his eyes on his black beret that he held in his hands.

"I don't hate Force users. In fact, I was never turned against any Force user. And I don't understand why anyone would think that. If I was against any of you, I'd be gone by now, trust me. But I do fear you---all of you. After what happened on that Star Destroyer--it's too painful to talk about--I can't trust anyone but me and the non-Force users aboard the ship. And it's not because I don't trust the person--I can't know that someone more powerful is controling any of you through the Force. And if I had my guess, that is what happened to Dinn and Lance and everyone else here.

"And about Tim...yes, I knew. And the reason I didn't tell you wasn't because I didn't trust you. It was a simple truth of being an officer. If I told you, a person of higher rank, you had the moral and ethical responability to tell your superiors. If the Brass knew...someone could of easily blamed either the Outcasts or the New Republic ship and we would of had two giant ship throwing vollies of laser and turbolaser fire at each other. Thousands of lives would of been lost for no good reason. You had a responability as my superior officer to forward the information to the Brass. I didn't want you to take a court martial if you knew and didn't tell. I was willing to take a court martial for the lives of thousands if need be. I didn't want you to take the same hit because of me."

Palso pasued for a moment. He couldn't beleive he was going to say what he was about to say, but he would say it anyways. It had to be said. He looked at Laine when he said it, and it hurt that much more when he said it. As he spoke the words, tears formed in Palso's eyes. He had said this before to comrades and he had done it before. But to say it to his family...to these people he called friends and who took him in...it hurt that much more.

"I don't hate you. I trust you. I don't trust the Force. And because of that..." Palso had to gather his wits for this one. It would hurt him more then Laine or anyone else that it applied to. "...If anyone who is Force Senstative looks or acts the bit taken over by some evil power--I will not hesitate to defend myself and or defend the best interests of life and of our mission. I hope you and everyone else with the Force understands."

By now, Jim Palso had tears running down his cheeks. Getting up and turning away, he left. He headed for the Hunk of Junk II, boarded, and lifted off to the Stryke.

As he was heading to the Stryke, Jim Palso wanted to be alone. What he had just told Laine--and she would tell every other Force user most likely--was not some big guy statement. Palso and other comrades had done it before---as part of the 120th Tactical Battle Group. And then, none of them were Force Users...


Tag Laine, Everyone


-Jim Palso
"You won?t find him without two things: a look of mischief on his face and his blaster pistol." - Anonymous, talking about Jim Palso

IC: Major Soltaris

In The Past

The dark armor made a clinking sound as the warrior bearing it slowly scooped up his beloved. "I promise, I will be your constant guide in this journey. You will face constant turmoil. Look to the good within you, and you will pull through. Where there is but deceit, you must be your own truth. Where there are shadows, bring light. Where there is sadness, become joy. We will be there to help you, and you must be ready to help in return."

The scene slowly faded away from the darkness and back to the surroundings of the staging room, ending in a gentle kiss.

TAG: Jessie
Forest, present-time

"No, we aren't alone. The way is fraught with danger, and we will all need to help each other. You must stand ready to defend yourself, even against yourself, or against something you cannot stop. Such is the way of the path of Darkness."

A soft smile came from the ex-Sith. "And we are never alone, as long as we have friends to help us steer clear of it."

TAG: Jessie/>

---

*When D'nari located the Chancellor, she wasted no time. It was easier to admit a mistake quicly rather than beat around the bush.*

Chancellor, I've made a mistake concerning the rage that gripped the Outcasts so completely at Knight's death. As I reviewed the events in my mind, I realized that the rage descended before Captain McCallister incanted his spell! He had absolutely nothing to do with it!

*She hung her head.*

I'm so sorry...

TAG: Lissa and everyone who's there...

*Lank came into earshot just as D'nari made her confession*
You mean those who let slip their rage weren't influeneced to do so?

Tag: D'nari, Lissa, Scout, anyone

That's not what I'm saying. I think they were influenced, but by what? I don't know...yet. If you noticed, the ones that were affected profoundly were those with little or no formal training. I think that for those whose shields were strong enough - they didn't get the feeling full force. Something happened... Something I don't understand at this point...

TAG: All

Dinn smiled and kissed Lance on both cheeks tenderly.

"Speaking of friends, we should get back to them." she sighed. "As much as I like being here, just the two of us, there are secrets that need to be shared and friendships that need to be mended." She paused to give Lance a brief kiss on the lips. "Would you mind if I told Earwen about us? I think the news would cheer her up a little."

As they walked out from under the cover of the forest's cool shadows, Dinn noticed that many people were leaving already.

"I guess no one wants to hang around..." she mused, looking about her.

tag: Jeff, anyone

*Lissa felt Lank's touch through the Force, comforting, loving. She smiled, knowing he was very near and she could tell him....

*D'nari practically burst into the ship.*

Chancellor, I made a mistake...

*Lissa listened with all attention, pondering what the Jedi Healer said. Lank entered soon enough to catch the whole story and Lissa sat back as the two asked and answered each other's questions. She held up her hand, palm outward.*

First we must tell McCallister about your findings...and apologize. Second, where did this Dark attack come from? When I was jolted out of it, it seemed as if a fog had suddenly been blown away. It was like a black cloud - a storm cloud...like lightening - or massive fire directed towards us. That's what I saw...

TAG: Lank, D'nari

IC: Troy

"It has been a very traumatic time for the Jedi Outcasts these past few days," Troy noted to himself.

And it had been. At Knight's funeral ceremony, he remained silent and calm as he reflected upon the short time that he knew the great leader. Troy heard stories of many great accomplishments and goals about the beloved man. One thing was obivious -- all the Outcasts loved him. Who could not?

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt guilty for not knowing Knight as well as he would've liked. It almost seemed like a vacancy that would never be filled in his heart. Nevertheless, he hoped and wanted to get acquainted with all the Outcasts and love them like brothers and sisters.

During his 72 years as a being in the galaxy, he never had people to rely upon; never knowing what he had missed. The closest friends he had were the fine soldiers of his patrol during the Clone Wars. As he watched the Outcasts talk with each other, he was astonished to see the camraderie between themselves. For some time, he watched them and overheard their conversations. Then, he realized that he didn't want to be the "odd-man-out"; the one that isolated himself from the rest of the group. He wanted to learn new ideas and establish close bonds between himself and other people.

Then, just as he finished his thoughts on this matter, he walked over to the fire and proceeded to include himself and introduce himself to his fellow Jedi Knights.

"I look forward to getting to know these great and wonderful people," he told himself.

TAG: Anyone

[Skye snapped out of his daze as he realized the truth of their last mission and looked across the pyre to see his wife. He mentally called out to her]

Earwen? Are you okay?

[He didn't get a response, so he probed further. All he could feel was his wife lost in thought, using the Force as an emotional shield. She also was using her abilities to soothe the children. He touched the kids gently too; they were okay, just feeling their mother's sad emotions. Skye mentally touched his wife's heart]

Sweetie... you look miserable. I know it hurts. Why don't you go to the KnightStryke and lie down? I'll find you shortly, but I have to go talk to the Chancellor...

I love you. So much.

[With that, he turned and headed for the Chancellor, feeling her in the Rougish Smile. Grim features set, he entered the ship, silently listening to the conversation. He mentally noted they were thinking of the same problem, but he chose to just listen until acknowledged. Even as the Vice Chancellor, Skye liked to remain a silent ear rather than a overbearing voice]

Tag: Those on the Smile.

Whatever it was also seemed to have an effect upon-*looks up, notices Skye entering*

-The Vice Chancellor, so it's not just a Darkside attack. But who would be capable of that?


Tag: anyone

I don't know. I'm open to suggestions...

TAG: all

*Lissa acknowledged Skye with a nod and a slight welcoming smile. She addressed her words to all.*

Yes, what did this? And more importantly, what can we do to make sure it doesn't happen again? Vice CHancellor, something tells me you have a theory on all of this....

TAG> All in the Smile