Star Wars The Shadow War - Times End - Two new factions opened up! - Legacy: War spoilers!

IC: Alisha Tano
Location: Medical Ward

Alisha nodded an affirmative to the medical droid once it finished her examination, and ran a hand across her bandaged wrist. "Of course...th-thank you." She continued to look down at the bacta wrapping, and bit her lip to keep from crying again. She was barely injured, compared to the rest of the Jedi Knights in here, Master Dareagen especially! It's almost embaressing to be in here now...

"W-what a role reversal..." she muttered, half-joking. Thrace was stuck in here so many times, and now she was the patient! She had yet to utter a word about Lacie, and didn't think she'd be able to even get her name out with a straight voice. Sooner or later, he'll ask me... she thought, and when he does, I'll have to tell him... he'll hate me for sure...

Alisha lowered her head, resigned to that fact when a soft voice made her look up. "..." she couldn't stop her eyes from widening for a second, and dropped her head again. The last thing she needed was a Knight blaming her, she blamed herself more than enough! She lifted a shaking hand, and forced herself to speak. "M, Master Dareagan... I was with her. L-Lacie, I mean, we were patrolling the upper levels with Masters Sherland and Letali."

"Master Letali is fine..." Her throat tightened again, but she softly continued, "B-but Lacie, she...was shot." Alisha tightly shut her eyes and pressed a fist against her chest, and her voice refused to steady itself. "One minute, she was walking...right in front of me. And the next... we're in the middle of a War Droid ambush. I tried to... deflect the blasterfire, I wasn't fast enough!" She felt her shoulders start to shake as she tried to cover her eyes, and weakly finished, "I... I'm so sorry..."

Even though Master Sherland insisted that it wasn't her fault, Alisha couldn't fight off the feeling of guilt. She had been right behind Lacie, the blaster would probably have struck her if it had missed... Was it really between her life and mine? She didn't deserve that!

TAG: Gotab, Tim Battershell, Bardan_Jusik, Skywalker_T-65, galactic-vagabond422

 

IC: Tim Battershell
MedBay - Temple of Light, Saridona Prime.

Tim took stock of a fairly crowded MedBay as he and Ian waited to hand Padawan Abyo - he'd finally learned Stupid Boy's proper name - over to Serjon. Most seemed but lightly wounded, but not Knight Dareagan, who was flat on his back in bed with an ominous-looking bandage over his chest area and Miss Lenea who was in a Bacta Tank. Daniel had no obvious physical injuries, but looked completely 'out of it'.

"Padawan Tano, the old 2-1B Droid was saying; "You're free to go now, but I implore you to take it easy over the next few days."Serjon looked pointedly at Ian before continuing; "I would not want to see you become a permanant resident of this facility.".

"Padawan Tano if you are able,"; an Ithorian said, then looked over at Ian and Tim; "and you two as well. I could use your help in looking over the patients for now.... Kai especially.".

Concentrating, Tim found he could just sense his Master's Force-signature, apparently on one of the Temple's upper levels. Probably uninjured, then, thank the Force. Of Knight Letali and Padawan Lacie there was no sign.

Knight Dareagan spoke, his voice weak and obviously wracked with pain; "Excuse me.... Uh.... Are Knight Letali and Padawan Lacie alright, did they get through ok?"

Tim listened as Miss Tano haltingly explained the circumstances of Padawan Lacie's passing. A tragic waste of a young life, but not one that could be blamed on anyone but the Sith. It was the wrong time, he felt, to talk to Miss Tano about it - and he was probably the wrong person to do so, anyway.

What he could do at present was to attempt to get Daniel out of whatever dark place his mind seemed to be wandering in. Crossing to his side and, somewhat daringly, firmly squeezing Daniel's shoulder and hoping the words would register, Tim said, in a voice intended to carry only to the two of them;

"She's a fighter, Daniel. Even if you feel you can't trust the Healer or the MedBay Droids or the Force, trust in her fighting spirit.

She saved us, Daniel. Maybe you don't know, but barely a second after she got the power back on, two or three Heavy Turbolaser salvos hit the Temple's shield.

The Guardians need her, they also need you. I know nothing about Grandmaster Zey but I have learned a few somethings about you. Like, how you took a non-spacefaring planetary population and built a highly efficient Space Navy out of it in a very short time. That took leadership. In my opinion, leadership is one of the things that's needed here.

We also need your tactical expertise and experience. Our response to the Sith has been, to my mind, muddled and unfocused. True, the Council ordered a buddy-system into operation; but was that sensible measure applied to all personnel? I think not; otherwise the infiltrator would have faced a much more difficult and dangerous environment to operate in.

We need you back in the Council Chamber, Daniel, giving sage advice and getting it fully implemented. If Lenea's condition changes, for good or ill, you'll only be a ComLink call away.".

Turning to Knight Dareagan and removing his hand from Daniel's shoulder, he said "Don't speak if it hurts you, just blink once for no, twice for yes; but the infiltrator was the being we knew as Knight Larod, wasn't it? Kriffer fooled me properly until he gave himself away. Even then I wouldn't have had any evidence, but it would have been worth trying to trap him with six little words.... It's all over.... I know!". The word 'know' carried an extra emphasis.


TAG: Gotab, Bardan_Jusik, Padawan4687, galactic-vagabond422, Skywalker_T-65.

 

IC: Kasumi
Council Chambers, Temple of Light


Kasumi had changed into Endor Guardian robes as they knew she was a Jedi. Her pants were dark brown, with her dark brown boots. Her tabards were similarly structured as her vest. The Ewok village had taken her torn cloth tabards and made her ones out of leather. Her outer inner tunic was a dark forest green, her outer tunic dark brown. Her belt had been tooled as well by the Ewoks, and her buckle on her belt was an image of their sacred tree. On her belt hung her medicine pouch, her lightsaber, and at her back in a specially created horizontal lightsaber holder was her first Master’s saber.

Kasumi sat and listened to the casualty report, and began to wonder if this is what is was like for the council each time there was a new report during the clone wars, is this what is it was like for the military during the rebellion? How could it be anything but the same? She heard the introduction of who she was in name only and then heard how many Sith there had been, and that there were more. When she had been frozen the rebellion was over, Luke Skywalker was the only known Jedi….even though there were more. Something had changed, something had returned to the way things were before…before the Sith had been defeated….before they had gone into hiding......before the rise of Vader. Sure, she had studied everything from the wars and battles before, but why would the Force choose her to not only freeze herself, but to have her wake up here….where ever here was…and in what ever time here was. She had tactics that maybe they were unaware of, she had knowledge of the old ways that may have gotten lost, and she had her powers to help. But before she could do all that, she should introduce herself to the counsel, but how? If they had the old files and if they looked back into them she would have “died” in the medical ward due to her injuries from her Trial of the Flesh. Well, she would cross that bridge when it came. For now, it was time for the initial introduction. Kasumi stood to address the council.


“My name is Kasumi. As a few of you have seen, I was frozen in carbonite, only to be recently released from my self induced prison. I have been travelling in hibernation for what appears to be way longer than I thought I would be, so I ask that the council allow my R2 unit and me access to the history of the Order so that I can catch up. I want to be at my best to assist in the mission that is being proposed, but I have a lot of catching up to do it appears before I can be my absolute best for the council, the Temple, and this mission."

Tag: Bardan_Jusik, Falcon, Ananta Chetan, Mitth_Fisto, Rebecca_Daniels

 

IC: Kasha Sherland
Location: Council Chambers

Kasha sat back and listened to what Taab had to say, she noted the Master had warmed up to her idea of getting the codes from this Sith Lord then launch a rescue mission. She also heard of Zoey's master being killed. She had a feeling deep down, the Sith were speaking just to spread mistrust among the group. It even got to her a little. Taab explained their options about the paths to get to the Sith camp. It appears they choose a difficult place to get too. The Hellfire would see them coming from the air and the Sith on the ground would hear the ships before they reached the camp. She didn't see much of a choice. What if they flew the assault shuttles just low enough not to be spotted by the scanners?

The Master named Kasumi stood up telling her story. Frozen in carbonite? She blinked in surprise as the name sounded familiar. She read her name in Fress Colias's profile, but how is that possible? It can't be the same one, can it?

She planned to approach the master in private but for now they had the Hellfire and the Sith army to deal with first.

"Welcome Master Kasumi, to the Temple of Light," Kasha gave a warm welcoming smile. "I would like to help you get settled, if that's okay with you? Are you okay with that Grandmaster?"

Coffee_Ninja, Bardan_Jusik, Ananta Chetan, Mitth_Fisto, Rebecca_Daniels

 

IC Ian Thrace
Location: Medical Ward

Helping Padawan Abyo along, Ian entered the bustling Medical Ward. It was so much busier here than usual, Ian should know, it had become his home away from home since joining the Guardians of Light. With Padawan Battershell's help he set Abyo down in one of the free beds and looked around. Knight Sandstrider's sister was here, looking to be in rough shape, as was Knight Dareagen, the Jedi assigned to hunt down the evil Sith who had caused all of this craziness. He saw too that Padawan Tano was here, though her injuries didn't seem to be life threatening. Seeing that Padawan Abyo was going to be in good hands he sidled up closer to the Togruta Padawan.

He was clean now, having taken a quick sani-steam after returning the repulsor-pallet to the Life's Illussion. Padawan Battershell had been right, it had made cleaning up the wreckage of the War Droids much easier. Ian still couldn't believe he had once though the helpful Padawan had been the Sith Lord.

"W-what a role reversal..." Padawan Tano said quietly. Ian was pretty sure she was joking, but there was something bothering her. Seeing the state that Lenea Sandstrider and Knight Dareagen were in it wasn't hard to figure out what it was though.

"Excuse me.... Uh.... Are Knight Letali and Padawan Lacie alright, did they get through ok?" Knight Dareagen's voice was weak, but his concern was very real. Ian didn't know how real though until Padawan Tano answered.

"M, Master Dareagan... I was with her. L-Lacie, I mean, we were patrolling the upper levels with Masters Sherland and Letali."

"Master Letali is fine..." She seemed to be getting more upset now, but why? She had been with them, she knew they were okay. "B-but Lacie, she...was shot." Ian's jaw dropped at the news, he didn't trust himself to speak though. Alisha tightly shut her eyes and pressed a fist against her chest. "One minute, she was walking...right in front of me. And the next... we're in the middle of a War Droid ambush. I tried to... deflect the blasterfire, I wasn't fast enough!" She started to tremble, was she reliving recent events? "I... I'm so sorry..."

Battershell seemed to be at a loss, he didn't respond and instead went to console Knight Sandstrider now. Ian looked at Padawan Tano though, Alisha, his eyes misting up slightly. He couldn't blame her for the loss of Padawan Lacie, they were both stronger than he was. If Alisha couldn't protect Lacie, then there was no way Ian could have done any better. He wanted to hug the younger Padawan, to share in her grief, but couldn't bring himself to do so. All he could think about was himself right now.

Just an hour ago they had all been goofing off, making a mess in Battershell's ship. Now Lacie was dead and Alisha and himself were still alive. If he had been the one out there, he would be dead instead of Lacie. Just dumb luck had been the difference between life and death.

He balled his hand into a fist. He couldn't accept that, he couldn't accept that he wasn't in control of his own fate. Not long ago, in the middle of his fun with Lacie he had determined to trust in the Force, but where had that trust gotten Lacie? The answer made his shudder. It had gotten her to the morgue, next to her best friend. He wouldn't let that happen to him, not now, not ever. He was going to take control of his own fate, his own destiny. Somehow.

He looked back at Alisha again, the tears in his eyes under control once again. He reached out to her and held her in a compassionate embrace for a moment. "It's okay Alisha, It's not your fault." He let go of her and looked around the room, feeling his anger rising. "It's not your fault."

TAG: Bardan_Jusik, Skywalker_T-65, Padawan4687, galactic-vagabond422, Tim Battershell

 

IC: Alisha Tano
Location: Medical Bay, Temple of Light

Alisha hid her face in her hands, by now her tears were flowing quietly but freely. She was braced to feel another burst of anger in the Force from the older Padawan beside her, or an accusing glare or some form of aggression. How could you miss?! She was depending on you! Lame excuse for a Jedi...

The last thing she was expecting from anyone in here was an embrace.

A pair of arms went gently around her shoulders, and her eyes flew open in an instant of pure shock. She faintly realized that it, it was Thrace. He was...actually hugging her? Didn't he hate those? Actually, didn't he hate her?! "Y-you...you don't think so?" she asked, hearing her voice catch. "It... it feels like, if I'd been just a bit faster...!" Maybe I could have saved her. "I couldn't do anything, I felt so..." As even as Ian moved away and insisted that she wasn't to blame, she felt herself starting to sob again. A shred of it was in relief, but it was quickly swallowed by grief. ...so useless..."

"But why...?" she whispered, "It could have, easily been me instead of Lacie, why was she...?" Suddenly this was sounding familiar. Master Battershell, hadn't he said something about feeling this way over his mentor's death? The conversations on the Life's Illusion felt like they had happened weeks ago now, instead of just a few hours before. Alisha stopped talking then and attempted to wipe her tattered sleeves against her face, silently wishing she had more control.

TAG: Gotab, Bardan_Jusik, Skywalker_T-65, galactic-vagabond422, Tim Battershell

 

IC: Kai Dareagen
Temple of Light, Saridona Prime, med ward

"M, Master Dareagan...” Kai raises an eyebrow, he is nowhere near a Jedi master, he had so much to learn before he’d earn that rank. “I was with her. L-Lacie, I mean, we were patrolling the upper levels with Masters Sherland and Letali." Kai stares intently at the Padawan, "Master Letali is fine..." a short painful sigh escapes his chest. He can still make up for his mistake. The young woman stopped speaking, it is only for a moment, but, Kai can feel the sadness in her voice "B-but Lacie, she...” He tries to sit up but, the pain is too great, “was shot." The young knight’s heart sinks, he’s failed, the Sith killed Lacie, just like he promised. If he hadn’t already killed the spawn, Kai would do it after hearing this news. "One minute, she was walking...” Tano continues, the pain wracking her voice, “right in front of me. And the next... we're in the middle of a War Droid ambush. I tried to... deflect the blasterfire, I wasn't fast enough!" Kai knows this feeling, it is the same feeling he had right after finding Zoe, this heavy weight of guilt, "I... I'm so sorry..."

Kai opens his mouth to speak but, the pain closes his mouth in a hiss. He takes a breath and grips the sheets of his bed, he knows this was going to hurt but, he knows it needs to be said. Before he could open his mouth again, Padawan Battershell, Tim, interrupted him.

"Don't speak if it hurts you, just blink once for no, twice for yes; but the infiltrator was the being we knew as Knight Larod, wasn't it?” Kai grits his teeth looking up at the older man blinking twice in confirmation, Kai is saving his words, he isn’t getting many out. “Kriffer fooled me properly until he gave himself away. Even then I wouldn't have had any evidence, but it would have been worth trying to trap him with six little words.... It's all over.... I know!" Kai gives a weak smile, it wasn’t until Larod, showed up brandishing a lightsaber that Kai, knew he did it. And by that point he’d more or less already revealed himself by force pushing Grandmaster Zey into a wall.

The knight turns his attention back to the Padawans Trace and Tano. He can see that they both had been crying, Tano still is,

“...so useless..." Another feeling Kai knows very well, Jedi were dying left and right around him and he couldn’t find one Sith.

As Padawan Tano wipes away more tears, Kai grips the sheets tighter. “Not your fault…” he says his jaw setting itself trying to block out the pain, “Not anyone’s fault…” He takes another breath, if anyone was to blame for all of this, it was him, if he’d caught the Sith when the case was first handed to him, Zoe, Lacie, and Aroon would still be alive, those deaths are a crushing weight on his heart. But, he has to let go of that guilt, it wasn’t his fault. “The time for tears has passed…” his toes curl as each word compounds the pain, “It is a time for living, for restoration…” These are the same words his master spoke to him, during one of Kai’s nightmares of the Purge. “Put sadness and pain away…their era has passed.” With one final deep breath Kai finishes with, “Now is a time of action…now is a time... to take back what is yours.” He lets his body go slack, sweat dripping down his forehead, and rests his head back on the pillow, he’s said his peace, he only hopes it can bring some comfort to those assembled. He doubts it would. He is not his master, his words don’t carry the same weight but, maybe in some small way, he’s helping.

TAG: Padawan4687 Gotab Tim Battershell Skywalker_T-65 Bardan_Jusik

 

IC: Tim Battershell
MedBay - Temple of Light, Saridona Prime.

There, Knight Dareagan blinked, then blinked again! Tim gently let out the breath he'd been holding. Suspicions confirmed! Dareagan gives a weak, pain-filled, smile on hearing Tim's proposed test; but it should have worked - a variation of the old, possibly apocryphal, practical joke where a man sent an urgent anonymous message of "All is known.... leave at once" to six of his friends; causing five of them, so it was said, to take the next Starship to anywhere!

"Not your fault.... Not anyone’s fault...."; Dareagan gritted painfully out through a set jaw; "The time for tears has passed.... It is a time for living, for restoration.... Put sadness and pain away.... their era has passed.... Now is a time of action.... now is a time... to take back what is yours.". Having said all of that, his head fell back onto the pillow with sweat from the effort running down his face.

"Certainly not your fault; you did everything right, from what I've heard."; Tim replied; "I grew up listening to a senior Agamar Security Force Officer telling us, his son and me, all about old ASF cases. They were our bedtime stories when I had a sleep-over there, which was about half the time. Investigators have to play for the breaks unless the perpetrator has either left loads of obvious clues behind or has simply walked in and wept a puddle on the counter while confessing to the duty-staff! Must say, though, I was surprised that 'Larod' confirmed his existence so soon, by attacking Zoe; I would have thought delaying and letting the uncertainty ratchet up the tension and finger-pointing would have been much to his advantage.

If you two want someone or something to blame,"; Tim addressed Ian and Miss Tano; "Blame 'Bogan', that's how the ancient pre-Jedi referred to what we now call 'the Dark Side', so I understand. Perhaps they were wise to personify it, like they personified the path they followed and revered as 'Ashla'. I read a lot,; he added apologetically.

"As for the Sith that have invaded our home, I pity them. I have to. Agamarians are too good at hating for me to do otherwise; besides, certain Sith removed the need for me to exact personal 'retribution', for which read 'revengeful honour-killing', a couple of times in the past. Sith can be of some use, you see!

'Bogan' has deluded most, if not all, Sith into trading-in the immortal part of themselves, that oft-quoted 'Luminous Being', for quick and easy access to a form of power; leaving them with no hope of merging with the Cosmic Force as and when they pass; unlike Zoe, Lacie and all our other losses. Unreformed Sith simply become nothingness. That's additional to them usually exploding when the absorbed Dark Power is released on death. Often wondered which did the most damage to the second Death Star's reactor, the Falcon's Concussion Missiles or one detonating Sheev Palpatine!".

Sheepishly remembering he had neglected to turn his Lightsaber's output down to 'Point-Five', he now rectified the omission as casually as he could.


TAG: Gotab, Bardan_Jusik, Padawan4687, galactic-vagabond422, Skywalker_T-65.

 

IC: General Hector Zey/Master Piim (NPC)
Council Chambers, Temple of Light

Zey arched an eyebrow at Taab's final statement before the Mandalorian left the Council Chamber. He looked over to Master Piim who only shook her head wearily. The constant conflict was getting to her, though Zey felt she had the strength to see things through to the end. Fortunately Master Kasumi lightened the mood somewhat with her introduction.

“My name is Kasumi. As a few of you have seen, I was frozen in carbonite," Frozen in carbonite! Zey's mind raced. Was she one of the Jedi these Sith had captured and were holding aboard the Hellfire? "...only to be recently released from my self induced prison." Self induced, she answered his unasked question, dashing any hope of gathering more intelligence there. "I have been travelling in hibernation for what appears to be way longer than I thought I would be, so I ask that the council allow my R2 unit and me access to the history of the Order so that I can catch up. I want to be at my best to assist in the mission that is being proposed, but I have a lot of catching up to do it appears before I can be my absolute best for the council, the Temple, and this mission."

It did seem a prudent measure, she would have to be brought up to speed. It occurred to him how quickly he trusted her now that the threat of a Sith in their midst had been dealt with. He nodded his assent to her.

"Welcome Master Kasumi, to the Temple of Light," the Knight Sherland gave Master Kasumi a warm smile. "I would like to help you get settled, if that's okay with you? Are you okay with that Grandmaster?"

Zey gave an agitated look to Master Piim, who only smiled mirthfully in response. They had bigger things on their plate than ensuring a Jedi, even a master, was settled in at the moment. "In due course Knight Sherland, in due course." He stood and began pacing the room. "First we must decide on a plan of action, how are we to strike at the Sith base? How are we to get to the caves?"

His pacing quickened, his last question had almost been a shout. Suddenly aware of how...unhinged...he looked he sat back down in his seat swiftly before looking at Knights Archisa and Trevalus along with Eira Dryn. "Did you three discover anything new, anyting at all of value, in your last discussions with our prisoners?"

TAG: Falcon, Ananta Chetan, Mitth_Fisto, Rebecca_Daniels, Coffee_Ninja

---

IC: Beskaryc Taab
Corridor outside the Council Chamber, Temple of Light

After delivering his briefing, and his final warning, Taab left the Council Chamber behind. It had been made very clear to him by the General (Hector Zey) that Taab was here to support the Jedi, not help them in their decision making process. The Mandalorian had planned on heading back up to the TCC, to check in on the Negotiator (Elim Rand) and Grumpy (Vomkoju) but there was someone unexpected in the corridor just outside the Chamber itself. That someone looked like he had been waiting for Taab.

"Voj," Taab said simply, nodding his head in acknowledgment. Voj Velkin was one of only two beings in the Temple who Taab called by name. The respect Taab held for the Journeyman Knight had forged in the heat of battle, and was not something that would be easily dismissed. Still the sudden appearance of the surprised Taab. "The Council is deciding what to do next, I expect an attack on the planet bound Sith, but with them, who knows?" Voj was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of him, his right leg was raised and bent, placing the sole of his boot on the wall behind him. All together it gave the impression of a relaxed individual, unconcerned by his surroundings but Taab knew that wasn't true. Despite the casual air Voj was putting on this was a man always ready for war, as Taab was. The force using Mandalorian knew everything going on around him right now, and probably more.

Taab looked out through his T-Visor more closely. Voj's distinct armor had a few more score marks on it than it had before. It seemed he had done his part too in repelling the most recent droid assault. "You've been busy," he nodded again to the Council Chamber, "but what brings you up here?"

TAG: Journeyman1

OOC: Welcome back to the game Journeyman1!

 

IC: Serjon, 2-1B Medical droid (NPC)/ Healer Susruta (NPC)
Medical bay, Temple of Light

Susruta allowed a small smile to form on his Ithorian face. The Jedi here were doing more than addressing their physical wounds, they were helping to salve each other's emotional wounds as well. There had been so much emotional pain wrought since the revelation of a Sith in their midst, and while Knight Dareagen and so valiantly ended that immediate threat, the wounds that Darth Praedator had caused still festered. Here in the medical bay though, the Jedi were moving beyond that.

The Ithorian healer couldn't help but be surprised as padawan Thrace threw his arms around padawan Tano in a gentle hug. "It's not your fault," he said, absolving her of any guilt he may have assigned to her. The way he said it though suggested he did blame something, or someone.

"Y-you...you don't think so?" her voice caught, there was so much emotion now. "It... it feels like, if I'd been just a bit faster...!" She still blamed herself despite Thrace's actions. "I couldn't do anything, I felt so..." She began to sob again when padawan Thrace let go. "...so useless..."

"But why...?" she whispered, "It could have, easily been me instead of Lacie, why was she...?"

It didn't seem like padawan Thrace had any immediate answer for her, so Susruta stepped in quietly. "It was the will of the Force." It wasn't much consolation, but as a healer he had seen death many times, sometimes he could hold it at bay, and sometimes he couldn't. The only answer he could ever give himself was the same he had just given to the young Togruta.

Knight Dareagen seemed to agree. “Not your fault…” he said through the pain. “Not anyone’s fault…”. There was something in his voice that said maybe he didn't quite believe that himself, though it was difficult to tell for certain. “The time for tears has passed… It is a time for living, for restoration…” Susruta was taken in by the Knight's wise words. He was more than just a warrior then, able to confront grief and sadness as well as blasters and blades.

“Put sadness and pain away…their era has passed.” He took in a deep breath that Susruta knew must have been painful for him in his condition. “Now is a time of action…now is a time... to take back what is yours.” It was inspirational, and Susruta found even himself standing a little taller.

"Certainly not your fault; you did everything right, from what I've heard," it was padawan Battershell's turn to chime in, and hopefully alleviate any lingering guilt Dareagen might feel. "I grew up listening to a senior Agamar Security Force Officer telling us, his son and me, all about old ASF cases. They were our bedtime stories when I had a sleep-over there, which was about half the time. Investigators have to play for the breaks unless the perpetrator has either left loads of obvious clues behind or has simply walked in and wept a puddle on the counter while confessing to the duty-staff! Must say, though, I was surprised that 'Larod' confirmed his existence so soon, by attacking Zoe; I would have thought delaying and letting the uncertainty ratchet up the tension and finger-pointing would have been much to his advantage."

Padawan battershell turned his attention to padawans Tano and Thrace. "If you two want someone or something to blame, blame 'Bogan', that's how the ancient pre-Jedi referred to what we now call 'the Dark Side', so I understand. Perhaps they were wise to personify it, like they personified the path they followed and revered as 'Ashla'. I read a lot," Susruta smiled again at the padawan's admission. there was nothing wrong with being well read, and in this case it hopefully served to help the others.

The Ithorian looked over to Knight Sandstrider. Perhaps out of all of them, he needed this emotional healing most of all. He had still not said a word as he watched over his sister with the 2-1B droid close nearby. The droid had been listening in as well and chipped in. "It would behoove us all to heed the words of Patient Dareagen. From what I have gathered from patient 'chit chat'", the droid seemed almost proud, if it could be, of "bettering" its bedside manner. "There is still a huge force of combat droids waiting to kill you all outside the Temple." Susruta couldn't believe the droid was bringing this all up now, Dareagen had been inspirational, the droid though was simply fear mongering, though probably unknowingly. Susruta should have switched it off as soon as everyone had been stabilized, but he hadn't so the droid prattled on. "The time for action may very well soon be upon you, in which case I shall be very, very busy."

TAG: Skywalker_T-65, Padawan4687, Gotab, galactic-vagabond422, Tim Battershell

 

IC: Tim Battershell
MedBay - Temple of Light, Saridona Prime.

"It would behoove us all to heed the words of Patient Dareagen. From what I have gathered from patient 'chit chat'.... There is still a huge force of combat droids waiting to kill you all outside the Temple.... The time for action may very well soon be upon you, in which case I shall be very, very busy."; Serjon commented.

"There is some truth in your observation, Doctor Serjon"; Tim quickly replied, hoping he could undo whatever damage had been done; "But you may be underestimating the ingenuity of Organics. You, I believe - and this is not a threat - have an 'Off Switch' somewhere about your person, do you not? Logic would suggest they do too. The task will be to find it. I didn't notice anything externally, either when Ian and I took out four of them or when we transported the debris to a storage area; so it could be software-controlled on receipt of a certain Comm Signal. If the Healer is willing to spare you from your duties here and you'd like to assist me in performing an autopsy on one of them....?

Then, again, we don't really need to fight our way through them, or even fight them at all. Our real targets are the Organic Sith they look to for orders and tactical control. Take those out of the picture and their Droids can probably be safely left to run out of power and/or corrode into junk!

Personally, with the caveat that I don't have full information on the situation, I'd be tempted to drop whatever mountain they're hiding under right on top of all of them! If we have enough explosives, that's certainly possible. If all the Jedi here put their minds to it, it might be done with the Force alone. 'Size matters not. Numbers matter not', as Yoda said.... Wasn't there an incident at the Yavin IV Praxeum where an attacking Imperial Fleet was moved parsecs away and suffered heavy damage? Only a few, a relative handful, of Jedi did that!

In any case, thanks to Miss Lenea Sandstrider we have power for the shield and local defence weapons and thanks to Knight Dareagen the Sith agent-in-place has been dealt with; so we have no immediate need, as far as I know, to do much of anything at all. Except come up with a good, workable, plan.

Another difference; any Team that may get sent out to fight will probably be mainly composed of fully-trained Jedi Knights, in sufficient numbers to be effective. No more of half-trained children, or Padawans who aren't quite ready, having to go up against the Sith War Droids because they're the only personnel available.


TAG: Gotab, Bardan_Jusik, Padawan4687, galactic-vagabond422, Skywalker_T-65.

 

IC: Kasha Sherland/Fress Colias
Council Chambers, Temple of Light

Kasha glanced at Zey as he threw a agitated look towards Piim causing her to frown. She knew it would have to wait until after the dust had settled. She glanced at Kasumi as Fress Colias appeared behind the master and smiled placing a hand onto Kasumi's shoulder.

"In due course Knight Sherland, in due course." He stood and began pacing the room. "First we must decide on a plan of action, how are we to strike at the Sith base? How are we to get to the caves?"

Kasha couldn't help but notice the glare Fress sent at Zey causing her to frown. She wondered what that was all about as her grandmother disappeared. She thought back to Fress's profile, remembering the laugh her and Anakin shared upon discovering the alias.... Fress had taken on the name of Kasha Sherland shortly after order 66 was executed. She wondered if her parents named her after Fress's alias, the first name anyways.

"Did you three discover anything new, anyting at all of value, in your last discussions with our prisoners?"

Kasha turned her attention to the three Zey had addressed waiting for an answer.

tag indirectly Ananta Chetan, Mitth_Fisto, Rebecca_Daniels, Coffee_Ninja, Bardan_Jusik

 

IC: Suraya Archisa
Council Chambers

Rewind...she remembered smiling to herself. That's what some of her friends and fellow Jedi had called her back on her homeworld, owing to her obscure ability to recount conversations word for word. But that was a name now she had not heard in a long time...a long time. Even though the Council had observed her before in practice, she decided to discreetly pull one side of her headdress over her face modestly to cover her eyes and then tapped into her lesser Force skill, her lids blinking rapidly.

If you will allow me, she said still speaking partially from behind her veil...I initially asked Sixtus: Imagine for a moment that you and your fellow Sith accomplish all that you have set out to do by coming here...now try to visualize your place in that scheme...say in one, two or three years time....what do you see? To which she replied: Why I'll... I'll be sharing love, with all of you that are willing to accept it...With all of you that survive. During her reply though, Harbinger warned her by simply saying her name, which altered her response. The male Sith then went on to say, alluding to Master Trevalus: My place will be at his side. Beyond that, it is difficult to see.

Suraya swallowed hard to herself wondering what or if any effect this last bit of information might have on the Kubaz being so publicly revealed, but she dismissed her sense of caution and continued, given to the plight of the present situation and the request of the Grand Master. Clearing her throat again...Trevalus then asked the Sith about surrender to which Harbinger responded: The Sith out there will not surrender. Darth Zelus knows nothing but conquest and death, and she will not stop until she wreaks her vengeance on you all....Likewise Cavillous will not surrender. He will stay and keep you cornered here until he finds a means of killing you all... You will either have to kill them all, or be killed by them. That is your choice, one of the very few you still have left.

Allowing her mind to follow to its end the linear memory 'tape', she recalled one last comment...Harbinger closed by prophesizing to Sixtus about our return...Yes, they have to come back. They need us as much as we need them. Saying this Suraya released the corner of the cloth covering her face and turned to face the Council in silent reflection as well as awaiting any recollections of the others.



TAG Bardan_Jusik Coffee_Ninja Mitth_Fisto Rebecca Daniels Falcon

 

IC: Kasha Sherland
Council Chambers Temple of Light

Kasha listened to what Archisa had to say about their further interrogation with the Sith. If Zelus was set on Vengeance, then that was something she could see them using to their advantage. Going by foot or assault shuttle, it didn't matter which route they took. Zelus would sense their presence or hear the ships before they reached the destination. "If she will stop at nothing to bring about our destruction, then perhaps we can use that to our advantage of getting her to come to us instead of going to her. If we go by foot, she'll sense us before we reach their camp. If we use shuttles she'll hear us before we get there. If she knows Predator has failed, she may come to us to finish the job herself. I suggest sending some Jedi by assault shuttles to the camp and have a welcoming committee waiting for her to show at the base of the mountain and the Temple. If she gets the impression we've left the Temple, she may make her move then. It's a long shot but if we play our cards right, we may have a shot of her coming to us instead of going to her."

Bardan_Jusik, Coffee_Ninja, Rebecca_Daniels, Mitth_Fisto, Ananta Chetan

 

IC: Hochner Trevalus
Council Chambers

The time after leaving the dead and counting the blaster burned walls passed in surges and waves. It was not long, or was too long, until he stood before the Council. The Masters and the Grand Master began their speaking, passed wisdom and words like rain causing small ripples to echo in the Force. Each one reaffirming who we are, green for the Counselors, Blue for the Guardians, and Yellow for those who stood between, and in all of this he passed his silence, his stillness into the Force.

The question was asked and time seemed to jump, the waggle like a dragons ball turning in upon itself as the Jedi beside him spoke. Relating the interview with the Sith. Hochner merely raised his head and looked upon the Jedi, upon his family. "I feel they spoke honestly if not transparently. If we take prisoners they will be unwilling, but I doubt we have long to wait. Sith do not sit still well unless they have chosen their lair, and the cells and the caves are not their chosen lairs. They are redoubts and forced stays, and passions do not sit idle well. Any missions plans should keep that in mind."

TAG: Bardan_Jusik, Coffee_Ninja,
@Rebecca Daniels @Falcon, Ananta Chetan

 

IC: Kasumi
Council Chambers Temple of Light

Kasumi nodded a thank you to Zey for allowing her the access. She would use Buddy, her R2 unit, to help turn a long history into a more condensed version to help with the mission if need be. She smiled to Knight Sherland as she offered to help her get settled. The offer was from the heart, and….wait….Kasumi sensed someone she knew through the Force. But this was someone who wasn’t physically there. A Force Ghost perhaps. She had been perfecting her ability to communicate with Force Ghosts. She knew there was one there, but her abilities were a bit off still. In order to get them back to full strength, she would need to meditate for a bit. But, for now, it was time to learn as much as she could from this meeting.

Kasumi was hearing so much discussion on the Sith. What she was gathering was there was atleast one spy or double agent, that there was discussions that had happened with others before, and that they think an attack was on the horizon. However, in order to get to the “enemy” they needed to not be seen from above.

“May I clarify what I am hearing? I am hearing that there already has been a breach in security and safety in the Temple, and that the movements that we are wanting to make to see what the sith are up to need to not be seen from the air. If I am correct with what I have heard and seen, then I have a suggestion. Turn their own attempt at deception back on them. They already know there has been an infiltration, they have already seen that they can get into the heart of the Temple. Why not use that to our advantage, and do as Knight Sherland suggests…..allow them to come here. However, add in the illusion that maybe this spy did more “damage” than originally thought. Make them think that the Temple is in such disarray, such disorder, and there is so much chaos within the Jedi that the Sith will think they have won…and come with their guard down.”

Tag: Bardan_Jusik, Falcon, Ananta Chetan, Mitth_Fisto, Rebecca_Daniels

 

IC: Voj Velkin
Corridor outside the Council Chamber, Temple of Light

“Su cuy'gar, Vod.” Voj just stood there with his arms crossed and simply answered, “I was just out and about.” He knew Taab would not pry, even though his armor betrayed that he was doing more than taking a walk. Ever since his cousin’s departure and his fellow Journeymen obeying his last orders, he felt very alone in a temple filled with new occupants. He was a man without a home and a family. So once practically everyone he knew had departed the planet, Voj hopped into the Maurader and took off for the opposite side of the planet. He had needed some time to clear his mind and find the answers to questions yet to be asked.

In his solitude he felt it… the growing shadow that threatened to bathe the whole sector, if not the whole galaxy, in darkness. That was what brought him back to the Temple of Light. He knew, no matter how distraught he might be, this was the place to which the Force was calling him.

So after a period of solitude he returned to the Temple and was approached by the only current resident that he would even remotely consider be family. “I might have been busy, but, by the looks of things, it seems like you guys had even more of a good time without me here.” Voj pushed himself off the wall and walked right over to Taab with his right hand extended. “I’m only here because this is where I was led to.” He knew the old warrior did believe in the hookie religion and mystical energy field, but Voj knew he would be able to figure out what he was implying. “Burc’ya vaal burk’yc, I guess.”

Having been away for so long Voj was going to need to be filled in a little bit.

“Me'vaar ti gar?”


TAG: Bardan_Jusik

 

IC Ian Thrace
Location: Medical Ward

"It would behoove us all to heed the words of Patient Dareagen. From what I have gathered from patient 'chit chat'.... There is still a huge force of combat droids waiting to kill you all outside the Temple.... The time for action may very well soon be upon you, in which case I shall be very, very busy." Ian did not take the medical droid's comment well.

"If they're out there, I'm staying here," he muttered under his breath. "Where it's safe."

Padawan Battershell was the first to reply directly to the droid. "There is some truth in your observation, Doctor Serjon," Oh great, we're kriffed."But you may be underestimating the ingenuity of Organics. You, I believe - and this is not a threat - have an 'Off Switch' somewhere about your person, do you not?" Ian laughed to himself, it sure sounded like a threat, and one he was more than willing to follow through on at the moment."Logic would suggest they do too." Logic, the man was talking about logic? They were talking about the total destruction of the Guardians of Light. Why that...* "The task will be to find it. I didn't notice anything externally, either when Ian and I took out four of them or when we transported the debris to a storage area; so it could be software-controlled on receipt of a certain Comm Signal. If the Healer is willing to spare you from your duties here and you'd like to assist me in performing an autopsy on one of them....?"

It was true that Ian hadn't seen any evidence of an off switch, but he hadn't really been looking either. What if they could all be told to power down? Or better yet to attack the Sith! Then the Jedi would have an army of droids at their disposal. They wouldn't have to be afraid of anybody.

"Then, again, we don't really need to fight our way through them, or even fight them at all. Our real targets are the Organic Sith they look to for orders and tactical control. Take those out of the picture and their Droids can probably be safely left to run out of power and/or corrode into junk!"

Easier said then done Ian thought. Besides, didn't they have to go through those droids to even get to the Sith?

"Personally, with the caveat that I don't have full information on the situation, I'd be tempted to drop whatever mountain they're hiding under right on top of all of them! If we have enough explosives, that's certainly possible. If all the Jedi here put their minds to it, it might be done with the Force alone. 'Size matters not. Numbers matter not', as Yoda said.... Wasn't there an incident at the Yavin IV Praxeum where an attacking Imperial Fleet was moved parsecs away and suffered heavy damage? Only a few, a relative handful, of Jedi did that!"

That sounded great, if they could pull it off. Somehow though Ian thought it wouldn't be that easy. The Great Maker, never made things that easy on anyone. Sometimes Ian thought the Great Maker saw him as just a character in a story, or a player in some game. To do with as he pleased and be discarded without notice. He had yet to see any evidence that he was wrong, and he knew deep down that things would never be that easy. Maybe they needed to gather more information first...

"In any case, thanks to Miss Lenea Sandstrider we have power for the shield and local defence weapons and thanks to Knight Dareagen the Sith agent-in-place has been dealt with; so we have no immediate need, as far as I know, to do much of anything at all. Except come up with a good, workable, plan."

That was all true, they were safe here, safer than they had been before this crisis had begun. The Sith in their midst had been taken care of, and the Sith and their droid minions couldn't get in here. It was just a matter of time before the Council came up with a plan.

"Another difference; any Team that may get sent out to fight will probably be mainly composed of fully-trained Jedi Knights, in sufficient numbers to be effective. No more of half-trained children, or Padawans who aren't quite ready, having to go up against the Sith War Droids because they're the only personnel available."

Now this was the best news of all to Ian. If Padawan Battershell was right, and he probably was, that meant he could stay here when the time came to attack the Sith. He would be safe and cozy behind the shields when the order came down, he certainly wouldn't volunteer to go out and fight. He would miss out on the glory, and that bothered him a little, but at least he knew he wouldn't also be missing any of his limbs, or worse.

TAG: Bardan_Jusik, Skywalker_T-65, Padawan4687, galactic-vagabond422, Tim Battershell

*inspired by Dr. Leonard McCoy in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

 

IC: Daniel Sandstrider
Medbay

Daniel had not moved from Lenea's side, since the last of the droids had been dealt with. Even when she had moved to a bacta tank, he had not moved. If anything, the move- that he had insisted to do himself -had just made the situation worse. He had seen the wound in her chest, close and personal. His sister had come within inches of dying, and there wasn't a kriffing thing he could do about that. Or had done about it. If he had just gone with her, instead of with Tim. But he hadn't. Nor had he insisted that she wait until an escort could be formed to go down to fix the power.

Intellectually, he knew it wasn't his fault. He had done everything he reasonably could.

But emotionally? Daniel couldn't convince himself of that. The hole in his mind where his sister had always been would not go away. Seeing the rise and fall of her chest did little to change that. No matter that she was alive, no matter that she would be fine in the long run. He couldn't convince himself of that, there was little chance anyone else could do the same. The hole...the pain...would not let him think about anything else. And so, he sat. Watching his sister. Trying to convince himself that she would be okay, and that it wasn't his fault she was in this position in the first place.

"The Guardians need her, they also need you. I know nothing about Grandmaster Zey but I have learned a few somethings about you. Like, how you took a non-spacefaring planetary population and built a highly efficient Space Navy out of it in a very short time. That took leadership. In my opinion, leadership is one of the things that's needed here."

It was a sign of just how focused he was, that those were the first words to register in his mind. Daniel, even through his emotional draining, recognized Tim's voice. Though the words only managed to get a soft snort. One so soft it was doubtful anyone would notice.

Leadership...no. I failed here. I couldn't see what was right in front of me. I lost in orbit, and because of that, we're under siege and nearly died. I couldn't recognize the danger quickly enough to save those who were killed. To save...Lenea. My 'leadership' has been nothing but failure after failure here.

"We also need your tactical expertise and experience. Our response to the Sith has been, to my mind, muddled and unfocused. True, the Council ordered a buddy-system into operation; but was that sensible measure applied to all personnel? I think not; otherwise the infiltrator would have faced a much more difficult and dangerous environment to operate in.

We need you back in the Council Chamber, Daniel, giving sage advice and getting it fully implemented. If Lenea's condition changes, for good or ill, you'll only be a ComLink call away.".

Did they really? He couldn't even stand in there when they interrogated the Sith. Daniel was not fit to be leading, not now. His place was here, keeping an eye on his sister. If he tried to lead, he would fail again. And then where would they be? They couldn't afford another failure. And he was likely as not to fail. So...he would stay here. Helping in the medbay. He knew enough to be of use here, and there was no chance of his choices leading to yet more death and pain.

You're hiding, is what you're doing!

Daniel's head snapped up, looking at his sister. There was no change in Lenea's movements. Nor in the medical readouts. But the hole in his mind...it was still there. That said...a subtle hint of anger ran through the shattered link.

Lenea?

Stop hiding Danny! I know you better than this. Who would have survived fighting a stronger ship in orbit? Who was the one who actually did something when looking for the spy? Who was the one who wrote the kriffing book on lightsaber combat? You, you kriffing moron! Stop moping, and get out there!

I...but...I can't...

Now you're lying to both of us Danny! You moron, they need you. Find a way to get off planet and call in the kriffing navy if you have to, just do something! Staying here isn't doing anyone any good, and you know if I could I'd be kicking you senseless!


Despite himself, Daniel felt a small smile cross his face. He didn't know if that was actually Lenea talking to him, or if he was imagining things. Regardless, it was exactly what he would have expected from her. It was...so typically Lenea that he could believe it really was her. Or his subconscious had developed along her personality, one of the two. Either way...

Well, she was right. He hated to admit it, that he couldn't stay by her side. But she was right. He had to work. He hated leaving, but that was the fact of the matter. And so, Daniel sighed heavily and got to his feet. He walked over to where Tim was standing, putting a hand on the older man's shoulder to whisper where the others hopefully couldn't hear.

"I'm...I'm going to try and contact the Redemption. See if they've made enough repairs to deal with that Pelly. Or, at the least, act as a relay. I've got...friends in the Alliance. Maybe they can send reinforcements. Maybe they can't. If nothing else, I can get in contact with home. I need to at least try and get help, no matter where it is from. But..."

Here, Daniel turned to look at his sister.

"Can I trust you to let me know if anything changes with Lenea? I...hate leaving her here. I trust you though...please, don't let anything happen to her. I...I..."

The Knight trailed off, not able to finish his sentence.

TAG: Tim Battershell Bardan_Jusik , Gotab , Padawan4687 , galactic-vagabond422


(OOC: I RETURN)

 

IC: General Hector Zey/Master Piim (NPC)
Council Chambers, Temple of Light

General Zey listened (and watched) with rapt attention as Knight Archisa recalled the pertinent information gleaned from her last discussion with the the Sith prisoners. The information was disconcerting to say the least. It was clear that the woman wanted to convert them all, though she had to know that was impossible. The male's response was even more troubling. What did he mean his place was at Knight Trevalus' side? Zey highly doubted the Kubaz knight would betray them, but did that mean that Darth Harbinger was prepared to betray his own dark Master?

He looked to Master Piim, who took everything in with pursed lips. The Sith spoke in riddles, but at least they spoke. Some information was better than none. At least they knew that the Sith they were opposing now woud not surrender or negotiate, they would have to be taken by force. Master Piim looked crestfallen at that, she had still somehow held out hope of a peaceful solution to their problem.

"If she will stop at nothing to bring about our destruction, then perhaps we can use that to our advantage of getting her to come to us instead of going to her." Knight Sherland spoke up, going through their options. "If we go by foot, she'll sense us before we reach their camp. If we use shuttles she'll hear us before we get there. If she knows Predator has failed, she may come to us to finish the job herself. I suggest sending some Jedi by assault shuttles to the camp and have a welcoming committee waiting for her to show at the base of the mountain and the Temple. If she gets the impression we've left the Temple, she may make her move then. It's a long shot but if we play our cards right, we may have a shot of her coming to us instead of going to her." It sounded like it could work, and Knight Trevalus seemed to agree.

"I feel they spoke honestly if not transparently. If we take prisoners they will be unwilling, but I doubt we have long to wait. Sith do not sit still well unless they have chosen their lair, and the cells and the caves are not their chosen lairs. They are redoubts and forced stays, and passions do not sit idle well. Any missions plans should keep that in mind."

Zey nodded, though Master Piim seemed to be growing more and more alarmed as the conversation wore on. No, not alarmed Zey thought to himself, but certainly concerned.

“May I clarify what I am hearing?" General Zey nodded to Master Kasumi, bidding her to continue. "I am hearing that there already has been a breach in security and safety in the Temple, and that the movements that we are wanting to make to see what the sith are up to need to not be seen from the air. If I am correct with what I have heard and seen, then I have a suggestion. Turn their own attempt at deception back on them. They already know there has been an infiltration, they have already seen that they can get into the heart of the Temple. Why not use that to our advantage, and do as Knight Sherland suggests…..allow them to come here. However, add in the illusion that maybe this spy did more “damage” than originally thought. Make them think that the Temple is in such disarray, such disorder, and there is so much chaos within the Jedi that the Sith will think they have won…and come with their guard down.”

Zey stroked his beard as Master Piim stood. "The Temple is safe now, in order for our own deception to work, we would have to compromise the safety of the people here." Zey nodded along in agreement. The last time the Temple had been vulnerable, the Sith had nearly vaporized it. They couldn't allow even a moment of weakness to show. "The Temple has already been a battle zone for these Sith on two occasions, I don't want there to be a third." He sighed, still there was a great deal of wisdom that went into fighting a battle on ground of your own choosing. He shook his head, not when that battlefield was to be their own home. They had the advantage now, the opportunity to take the initiative, to take the fight to the Sith. It was an opportunity that Zey wasn't going to let go.

"The Sith are reeling, by now I am sure they have felt the death of their comrade, they have to know that their plans have been torn asunder. Their morale is low, ours is high. I think the time has come to exploit that." He nodded to Sherland, "If we can get the Sith to come out into the open, we can try to deal with them there, but I have my doubts as to whether they will leave their fortified positions, even if given the proper bait." He mulled things over some more. The mission would be a risky one, only experienced Jedi would be assigned. He thought it over quickly, certainly those Knights here in the council chamber would be assigned to the assault. Knight Dareagen would also be an excellent addition given his obvious skill with a blade, if his injuries allowed. Perhaps Knight Sandstrider as well. Better that only volunteers would be taken, but if they didn't have enough then assignments would have to be handed out.

They would also have to leave enough strength here at the Temple to defend it should the worst happen. "Major Taab is sending out probe droids now to scout the overland routes, but from what Knight Sherland says perhaps the better route is to go over the mountains via the shuttles." He too was considering that option, the land routes seemed far too easily blocked, and they could get bogged down far from their objective. "Would you all agree?" The question was for everyone in the room, whether a member of the Council or not, though it was Master Piim who spoke first.

"I believe that padawan Battershell," she too nodded to Knight Sherland, Battershell's master, "has some ideas regarding scouting out the Sith position. Perhaps he should be summoned to speak?"

TAG: Falcon, Ananta Chetan, Mitth_Fisto, Rebecca_Daniels, Coffee_Ninja

---

IC: Beskaryc Taab
Corridor outside the Council Chamber, Temple of Light

"Been better, but nothing the Jedi can't handle once they get off their shebs and decide to do something." Taab was often aggravated at how long it took the Jedi to take action. They seemed far more content to sit and meditate on the meaning of their belly button lint rather than take charge of a situation and deal with it.

He went into more detail. "There's a Sith Star destroyer up there keeping us all bottled up down here. Blockade, comms blackout, the works. There's also a combined force of Sith and droids, mostly droids, holed up a few valleys over to our southwest. One of those Sith has the access codes to disable the shields of the Star Destroyer up in orbit, we need those codes to board the Destroyer and rescue a bunch of Jedi the Sith have frozen in carbonite up there." He paused, that last bit of information regarding access codes and Jedi prisoners had come from their two Sith prisoners, he had to wonder at the veracity of their claims, but they had confirmed that the one killed by Dareagen had been Darth Praedator, so maybe they were telling the truth. Still he was sure they had ther own agenda, the Sith always did.

"The Council is in chambers now, deciding how best to conduct that attack. I'm on my way to the TCC to check in and send out a pair of probe droids to recon potential approach routes." He nodded in the direction he was going and started walking, Voj walked with him. "We had a Sith come in back after that little adventure Spoonbender (Josch Decinchi) led to the ruins, just snuggled right in and pretended to be a Jedi." Taab shook his head. As head of Temple Security, he should have been more careful in vetting those Jedi out as they arrived, but with the number of new arrivals and all that was going on there just hadn't been time. Still he took it as a personal affront that they had managed to sneak one passed him.

"Had one hell of a time finding him, he had everyone ready to point fingers at everyone else. Even brought the shields down for a minute allowing a small force of droids to get in." The droids he knew had spread out and caused some minor damage to the Temple, but they had been dealt with. "Those are all scrap now, but Darth Praedator managed to kill several Jedi before he was found out and Knight Dareagen clipped him." It wasn't that long ago, just an hour or so, and the kill was still fresh in Taab's mind. He smiled behind his faceplate at the thought of it. "I showed the head to our Sith prisoners, they had no problem confirming that it was their pal, though they wouldn't tell me anything else." He realized he had left something out now.

"Oh yeah, we have a couple of Sith prisoners cooped up down in the stockade, a man and a woman. They got nabbed during their first attack on the Temple." He shook his head. "They won't talk to me much, but they seem to enjoy talking to some of the jetiise." he shook his head as if he didn't understand that one. "Frankly I advised the Jedi to kill them, but they seem to be a decent source of information for now." They arrived at the TCC, but didn't head in quite yet. "Things have pretty much stabilized now, I figure I'll be a part of the attack once the Jedi decide what to do." He looked through his T-Visor at Voj's own faceplate. "And I sure wouldn't mind someone else out there with me who has the sense to wear proper armor."

TAG: Journeyman1

 

IC: Serjon, 2-1B Medical droid (NPC)/ Healer Susruta (NPC)/ Knight Letali (NPC)
Medical bay, Temple of Light

"If they're out there, I'm staying here," Susruta heard padawan Thrace say, sotto voce. "Where it's safe." The Ithorian healer didn't blame the padawan, he too would rather stay behind than go out into open combat, but his role was as a healer, not a warrior. Perhap's young Ian's talents lay along the same path?

He listened in as padawan Battershell spoke out as well. He was a good man, who had come to training late, his master should be proud of him. He also noticed how Daniel spoke to him, quietly now so as not to be overheard. Good, hopefully that will help him.

There was a slight knock at the doorway and Susruta looked over with a kind look on his face. "Excuse me," the Mon Calamari knight who had knocked started. "I'm Knight Letali, is Kai...I mean Knight Dareagen able to take visitors?"

The healer smiled, gesturing for her to enter the medbay. He answered her before Serjon could say anything. "Medically he is able, but if he wants to see anyone, that is up to him."

TAG: Skywalker_T-65, Padawan4687, Gotab, galactic-vagabond422, Tim Battershell

 

IC: Kai Dareagen
Temple of Light, Saridona Prime, med ward

"Certainly not your fault; you did everything right, from what I've heard." Kai's mind is still a little pain addled but, Tim's words help take some of the guilt off his heart but, he's still finding it difficult to absolve himself. The older man explains that he has more than a little knowledge of regular criminal investigations and how successful they sometimes are. Afterwards he gives a short speech on the origin of what we now call the darkside. It was a history told to Kai by his master, insisting that he learn their history to understand their present. Kai always found it boring now; he was focusing on every word. He does this to keep his mind here, in the present moment.

A corner of his mind wants to retreat, go back to his room in the temple on Ossus, and return to his friends. The medical droid began speaking, Kai finds himself tuning in and out, struggling to keep focused. "There is still a huge force of combat droids waiting to kill you all outside the Temple." The young knight summons the hardest glare he can at the droid. He knows it's just trying to help but, it's only making thing worse. As it continued, Kai gave more than one thought to throwing an active lightsaber at the thing. He resists, mostly due to the fact that he lacks the strength to do it but, also what example would that set for the padawans in the room. His brush with death, and the darkside, had him thinking a lot about his feelings towards training and how he should have taken his more seriously.

Tim makes a very well worded rebuttal mentioning that droids have an off switch, which organics lack. The darker parts of Kai's mind tells him that organics do have off switches, the heart and the head, destroy those the body falls. He continues on mentioning more history, the power of a collection of Force users focusing on a single object. Kai notices Knight Sandstrider whisper something to Tim, the young man allows himself to close his eyes, he needs rest.

"Excuse me," His eyes snap open at the words, he knows that voice, it's a voice he has a lot apologizing to do to. "I'm Knight Letali, is Kai...I mean Knight Dareagen able to take visitors?" Kai takes a deep breath subtlety calling on the Force to help block the pain he is about to feel. He moves to sit up, pain flowing from his wounds, he lets out a grunt as his back rests against the cold wall. He isn't going to just lay there and apologize.

"Medically he is able," Susruta says, "but if he wants to see anyone, that is up to him."

"It's fine," the patient replies giving a weak wave to the Mon Cal. Kai wants to ask for some privacy, he doesn't want to admit that he made a mistake in front of everyone. Unfortunately it didn't seem like he is leaving the med ward anytime soon, and asking everyone to leave seems to him to be a little impolite. Once Letali got a little closer Kai spoke again, more pain tightened the muscles in his extremities. "I'm sorry. My paranoia got to me." He takes his time, using as few words as possible to keep his pain manageable. "Should have never suspected. Too blinded by guilt…Sorry." More guilt stung his heart, thinking back to Lacie's death, he might not have pulled the trigger but, he is the reason she's dead. He screws his eyes shut, he had to let go of that, his guilt had gotten him nowhere, it is time to accept and move on, "Sorry about Lacie…" he says opening his eyes again, "Lost many friends…never easy."

TAG: Bardan_Jusik Tim Battershell Skywalker_T-65 Padawan4687 Gotab

 

IC: Kasha Sherland
Council Chambers, Temple of Light

Kasha leaned back and listened to everyone. Zey did make a good point, the Sith most likely knows Predator has failed and would've sensed his death. On the other hand, if she was really that ambitious, it may not take that much to bring her out of hiding. She was almost certain of it.

"I believe that padawan Battershell," she too nodded to Knight Sherland, Battershell's master, "has some ideas regarding scouting out the Sith position. Perhaps he should be summoned to speak?"

"Very well, Master," Kasha agreed as she took out her comlink and punched in Tim's number. "Padawan, can you please come to the council chambers?"

Tim Battershell, indirectly Bardan_Jusik, Coffee_Ninja, Ananta Chetan, Mitth_Fisto, Rebecca_Daniels

 

IC: Tim Battershell
MedBay - Temple of Light, Saridona Prime.

"I'm...I'm going to try and contact the Redemption. See if they've made enough repairs to deal with that Pelly. Or, at the least, act as a relay. I've got...friends in the Alliance. Maybe they can send reinforcements. Maybe they can't. If nothing else, I can get in contact with home. I need to at least try and get help, no matter where it is from. But... Can I trust you to let me know if anything changes with Lenea? I...hate leaving her here. I trust you though...please, don't let anything happen to her. I...I..."; Daniel said.

Before Tim could reply, his Comlink went off; "Padawan, can you please come to the council chambers?" came his Master's voice over the instrument.

"On my way, Master!"; Tim said in reply; then, jokingly to the company in general; "Reckon I'm for it now!"; then more privately to Daniel; "You see what a Padawan's lot is like, Daniel.... always being called hither and yon! I'm sure Miss Tano is trustworthy enough to watch over Lenea if you want to come with me.... besides, I'm not exactly sure how to get there!".


TAG: Falcon, Skywalker_T-65; Indirectly, Gotab, Bardan_Jusik, Padawan4687, galactic-vagabond422.

 

IC: Suraya Archisa
Council Chambers

Count me in...the words coming spontaneously from her lips to the Grand Master's tentative plan. The Temple had been like a sanctuary upon first arriving from her captivity, but now, now she was beginning to feel as though the former walls of her prison cell had only expanded, as they sat holed-up and waiting. I won't be of much use with my blade against a Sith...but my proficiency in Soresu makes these War Droids...well, my spec-ial-ty...(the last word said with a heavy out-of-universe Scottish accent) she said with a wink.



TAG Bardan_Jusik Coffee_Ninja Mitth_Fisto Rebecca Daniels Falcon