Star Wars Star Wars: Episode IV: Twilight of the Force: A Father’s Legacy - Game is now OVER!

Mace Windu
Above Mimban...

Windu felt it before it happened - an enormous explosion rocked the moon-sized weapon, destroying the Jedi aboard. All the Jedi. All that was left of the Order, except for Obi-Wan. If only he'd been aboard, maybe...or if he'd been part of their group instead of insisting on an advance team to Naboo...

He clamped down on the guilt and the loss. With enormous pain, he shunted it aside. It was useless, now. And yet.

The dark side beckoned. Vapaad demanded that you balance on the knife's edge.

Windu directed all shield power to rear and road the shockwave, hoping it would bring him closer to the kyber crystal behind the dish. He looked past the enormous focusing dish to the space station beyond. His thought was grim.

One down...one to go...

He could feel the deaths in his chest.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

Chaotic combo fun-time with Sinrebirth, Jerjerrod-Lennox, RachelTyrell & JediMasterAnne

IC: Pascale Rouser, Han Solo, Feyna Organa, Boba Fett, Qi’ra/Ananke, & Various Others
Takodana

Pascale went back to his cockpit to do a quick check of what was going on. The Separatists and the Rebels were having a good ding dong up above. He now had o hope the Separatists won out, if not he no longer had an employer, well until someone decided they would lead the Separatists.

As nothing grabbed his attention he headed back into the main cabin and towards the ramp where Han and Lando were hopefully still there. And they were, however Boba Fett had decided to come out to play. As he moved up alongside Solo he inwardly smiled, his asset had decided to take the initiative and kick things off so to speak. Rouser outwardly meanwhile raised his hands like Lando and raised his eyebrow at the Mandalorian.

“Well if you think grabbing it is easy, you are wrong, because I don't think anyone else will hand it to you on a plate” which was true in fact, Solo probably wouldn't take this lying down.

Then an escape pod landed and Fett decided now was the time to take no prisoners getting some shots off and injuring two people who came out of the pod. Then a young kid emerged decided to mouth off about how his father was the Emperor and that he would probably pay a lot of money for Fett to return him back. Pascale nearly smirked your father may have the Empire, but I wonder if he has the credits I now have.

Something then decided to make an entrance out of the forest, Fett making it clear that Pascale basically had dibs on the bounty. And then Solo’s former flame arrived making her grand entrance. And then it kicked off.

By the time Ananke reached the castle, she was alight with a darkness so deep and restless that the air visibly simmered around her – like looking out upon a stretch of duracreet and seeing the heatwaves on a hot summer day.

Before stepping out of the forest line and revealing herself, she had felt then physically seen the arrival of the pod carrying Aryan Graul’s son, of all things. He announced himself clearly and began making demands, pompous little thing. Like father like son, she mused with a knowing smirk. She would snap him like a twig, marking some satisfaction in not doing the same act to the man who had created him. Once another matter was dealt with, of course…

Her eyes traced the scene quickly, intending to handle all of them in one manner or another so that she wasted no more time trying to cultivate her path. This was her path, destroying any obstacle that demanded she stop and tearing down anyone who stood in her way, taking what was owed to her. They were weaknesses that had no place nor value.

Ananke counted a Mandalorian that was not of Death Watch, a large yacht that looked to be ready for use at a moment’s notice, several additional faces she didn’t care to take the time to know, but then there was Rouser… the man with the crystal and the one she had come here for. Curiously enough he was wrapped tightly in a shadowy blanket of the Force that she easily detected at close range, as if he had been marked somehow…

Feyna paused only as long as it took to grab Irenez’s fallen blaster before she shoved Arek and Irenez out of the path of Fett’s rocket and dove for cover herself, hoping Erso had also avoided further injury. Evidently the bounty hunter wasn’t interested in Arek’s offer—Feyna hadn’t liked it anyway, but at this point, she was winging it, so any idea was better than none.

Ananke moved along, lastly locating the one and only Han Solo. There was a brief moment where she looked into his eyes as he looked towards her, the smallest of flickering recognition passing between them. To that she smiled - it was not a kind gesture.

Enough waiting.

Ananke grasped her sword hilt, yanking it free from the sheath on her back and activated the blade-lining micro laser with the flick of her finger. Out she marched into the fray, for now only having eyes for the archeologist. The unknown Mando fired up his jet-pack and launched skyward just as another man had raced towards him, raining a volley of blaster shots on his position. As the former’s feet left the ground, he opted to get off a shot at her and fired a wrist rocket towards her location.

All hell broke loose, as agents from every faction arrived to claim the crystal: the bounty hunter had been hired by Black Sun, who were tied to the Separatists; Feyna herself with the Rebellion and Republic; and the newest arrival—wasn’t that Graul’s Vizier?

Feyna was currently the only one of her group who was armed, so for now she kept on the defensive, covering herself and the others. Keeping the pod between herself and Fett, Feyna moved to where she could see the smugglers’ ship. “Who’s got the crystal?”She called out. “And what are you planning to do with it?”

Han saw Q'ira leave her shuttle and Boba Fett, still totally the brute he knew him for ... started firing at her and another group arriving ... also the second group looked less like a danger.

Q'ira had changed. She had changed a lot actually. Looking at Rouser, Lando and then at Boba Fett he decided it was time to end this. A young girl that had a royal attitude of sorts demanded some kind of status report, Rouser was hot for taking of and ... had he shot at their allies in the castle? This was getting all too messy.

With a sudden grimace, the Dark Lord lunged forward and broke into a Force-aided sprint, the minor but notable explosion landing behind and giving Ananke a soft boost at her back that she controlled without issue. Battle droids had trickled into the area and she made quick work of the ones in her way, slicing through their parts like a knife cuts warm butter. All the while she noted an additional pair of mandalorians joining the party and she managed to dodge and duck out of shot range as only one with her skills could.

Fett went full attack mode trying to hit the pod and Qi’ra as well as two Mandalorians joining the fight. Pascale knew his main job was to protect Fett but he also had to protect Solo and the crystal.

He pulled his small blaster out of his holster underneath his jacket and began to fire at the Mandalorians. He had an inkling there was no chance he could attack the Qi’ra and live to tell the tale. However he could keep the rest at bay and get Fortuna off the ground at least. And perhaps protect Fett’s backside.

“If you have any ideas” he said glancing to Han “This might be a good time to hear them. Otherwise it might be time to at least get my yacht off the ground”

Han was not the kind of man who had a problem shooting a maniac bounty hunter from behind. So there was probably a good start. At this distance he could hardly miss.

Drawing his blaster he fired two shots at the Manadlorian's backpack. It would hopefully set the thing off. Maybe it would kill him. Not really that important. He then stepped next to the button closing the hatch and breathed in. Q'ira wasn't here to rekindle old stories. She was here for the crystal.

Her first task nearly complete, she had worked her way to the yacht as everyone was distracted elsewhere, springing forward with a leap and brandishing her crimson lightsaber in her free hand while airborne. Ananke came down hard, the earth beneath her blowing out a few feet in all directions as she ran the last few steps beneath the ship’s hull. She shoved her blade upwards to carve deeply into its center mass, sparks flying and a constant metallic hiss emanating from the wiring the heat of her weapon rapidly melted. She did this several times over in quick succession, aiming to fatally wound the vessel and keep them all grounded.

No one was going anywhere until she got what she came for.

Watching Graul's Vizier ignite a crimson lightsaber and proceed to tear into the smuggler' ship, Feyna was suddenly flashing back to the Dark Jedi attack on Alderaan (had it really just been yesterday?), when Sedriss had nearly killed her and her father. She's one of them.

And this time, Feyna didn't think Anakin or Obi-wan would be swooping in with a miraculous last-minute rescue.

She'd hoped to arrive before the Empire or the Separatists, but now she was outnumbered and out-gunned. She didn't know how much damage the pod had taken, so there was no telling if they could escape, and even if the pod was still functional, this Dark woman probably wasn't about to let them leave. Coming here was a mistake.

"I don't think we can win this one," she murmured to her companions.

The bolt glanced off his jetpack as Han took the shot, but it nonetheless sent him tumbling away from the battle. Arek placed a hand on Feyna’s shoulder to pull her down as debris shot overhead, Fett’s random fire resulting in a glancing shot.

Irenez was trying to, one-handedly, open a bacta bandage for Dr Erso, who was still alive. She tore open the flimsi with her teeth and applied the bandage to his chest. He winced in pain, then fainted, but he was still conscious.

YOU BROKE MY BLOODY SHIP!

That was Pascale’s thought as he watched Qi’ra lightsaber and sword in hand hack away at his beloved yacht. His beloved lady was now grounded and either would have to be repaired or he would have to get a new one. Which he definitely didn't want to do.

He sighed, his options were now quite bad. He could let Han go and the crystal and trust Fett to track it, which also wasn't looking good at the moment either. Or he could provide a distraction, but he wondered whether his seductive charm would work on this dark woman. The only other option was to abandon Fortuna and escape, but he didn't want to leave his yacht. She was his and was more than a home, it was the ship he had earned and spent hard credits for.

It’s only a ship most people would say, but it was different when you traveled around in it all the time.

Goran shouted at Rouser, diving away from the fire. “We’re on your side, di’kut!” Lando caught Rouser by the arm.

“Whoa there, wrong target.” But he eyed the woman hacking away at the ship. “Any ideas? Han, old buddy?”

Lando caughter Rousers arm explaining he had the wrong target but he couldn't explain that he was defending Fett. Pascale decided he would let Han lead on the ideas front as he was fresh out of them. With Fett now out of the game for a bit. He couldn't contact the Separatists for help as it would essentially give the game away.

He was well and truly stuck.

Han tried not to sigh as Maz plan did what he had predicted from the beginning ... it went wrong.

"Blasters to stun and we try to take her out first." He hissed to Han and Rouser and switched his blaster to stun. Actually stun bolts were not focused and therefore not so easy to deflect for space magicians. Han only revealed half his plan, as he began firing running as he made his way to the only defensible option left ... the fortress. He ran past his potential allies and into the court, the heavy backpack unnecessarily slowing him down. Anyway, everybody else was busy fighting.

Medrit looked to Goran, shrugging. “Isn’t beskar supposed to be lightsaber proof?” Goran sighed.

“Didn’t really want to test it this way.” They moved between the ramp and darksider. Armoured up, Goran readied his sword.

More explosions rocked the castle, and from a corner came a woman that looked all too much like Leia, but Feyna would recognise her as Winter. “Princess, I’ve been sent by Bel Iblis to meet you.” She pulled at Feyna’s arm to follow her. In spite of the circumstances, Winter looked happy, her eyes were wet, for they had both survived Alderaan. To end up here.

At first Feyna thought she was seeing things, and it wasn't until Winter took her arm that she realized that she was real, she was here. Tears of relief flooded her eyes, and only the urgency of the situation prevented her from tackle-hugging the other girl then and there.

Feyna grabbed her bag from the pod and handed the blaster over to Arek. "Watch our backs," she told him.

Erso was barely conscious, and probably couldn't stand on his own. And Irenez probably couldn't support him. But Feyna didn't want to leave them behind. "Help me with him," she implored to Winter.

They needed to move, and quickly.

A call came over the shared channel. It was Hera. “Why aren’t you taking off? We need to get that Crystal away - more droids are making their way through the forest. As missed a dropship -“

The Mandalorians whom he had shot had would help some he hoped. He heard Hera comm over the channel and replied taking his comlink into his hand.

“Fortuna is grounded, repeat Fortuna is down. Grand Vizier Qi’ra has decided to use my yacht as a bit of target practice. Need immeidate assistance if you can provide it. Or maybe get the Separatists to fly past and have a little fun”

He shifted his blaster arm up and held it in position. If Qi’ra got distracted enough hopefully he and Solo could get some shots off…

His also focused his gaze into the dark lady and focused all of his ire at her with all of his might putting all of his energy into that gaze and thought.

You will pay for grounding my ship.

In the flurry of activity happening on all sides and from all angles, Ananke cut the last of her innumerable gashes into the yacht and considered it a done deed. Next. She spun about to face back where she knew Rouser to be, her lightsaber humming with ferocity in one hand while her left still held her sword, the laser-lined edge sizzling when disrupted. Pausing for a beat, she lowered her chin and stared down the barrels of several blasters that were currently pointed at her.

Her victims had realized she was an actual threat, it seemed. Finally.

Though, it was also too late.

“Try to stop me, and you will die,” she growled, her heart racing, the blood pumping through her veins burning her from the inside and leaving her with a sensation that was both pain and pleasure. The hunger for vengeance was always savagely consuming to Ananke, and it was eating away at her control with no sign of slowing. Which was exactly what she wanted.

You will die regardless.

A shriek from somewhere deep in her chest shot up her throat and past her lips as she sprung back into action, striking first upon the miscellaneous Mandalorians that meant little more to her than two pieces of trash. She had the element of surprise though one managed a shot or two, she guessed, paying them no mind other than seeing that they were extinguished. A feint between them to move them apart and then she slid into that gap she created to whip around, her weapons fanning out on either side of her horizontally. Her crimson saber struck true, carving fatally into an abdomen and nearly bisecting the soon-to-be corpse. Her sword only glanced off the armor of the second at the same time, though she came back at him with a storm of brutality only darkness could manifest.

Gathering the Force, she shoved out with both weapons at once and aimed a chaotic burst of dark energy at him from extremely close range. A leg folded backwards unnaturally and his neck snapped, twisting nearly the entire way around. The body was dead before its feet even left the ground, careening back like a ragdoll to collide with the dark-skinned man that stood close to Han and Rouser that she belatedly recognized as an old 'acquaintance', Lando Calrissian.

The entire sequence took place over seconds, and she didn’t stop there.

She deactivated and resheathed her sword in one single, fluid gesture and thrust out towards the men with her now free hand. Han had made a break for the castle, but she managed to yank Rouser's blaster from his grasp to sail back through the air to Ananke and drop down by her feet. Her arm was still held aloft and she clenched her fist, focusing wholeheartedly upon the man's neck - the muscle beneath skin, bone beneath muscle and the airway protected by it all. She envisioned it tightening.

“Give it to me,” she demanded, chocolatey eyes shading over with dark orange and yellow, glancing across to Han's retreating form only once.

Winter nodded, helping Feyna support the wounded Dr Erso. Arek hesitantly lifted his blaster towards the woman he’d seen standing beside his father after they destroyed Alderaan. If she was on his side -

He gave a look at Feyna and as she struggled with Dr Erso leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Sorry, Feyna.” He turned away and made his way forwards.

Lando, for his part, shoved the dead body off him and grimaced. Han was gone, and Rouser looked like he was about to lose his throat. The smuggler-gambler took a deep breath and stood up, shakily, pointing his blaster at Ananke and firing stun bolts, hoping that logically the woman couldn’t block them so easily. However, Rouser found his throat protected, and a familiar presence, but weak, so, so, so weak, rise up inside him.

Where is my Crystal?

Oh NOT good…

With the Mandalorians basically dead and Lando down it was looking even worse now. Solo had run off and it looked like help wasn't coming over the nearest hill. Pascale had escaped many scrapes namely through dodging traps and escaping fiendish puzzles and mazes all so he could grab a priceless artifact. His blaster had been ripped out of his hand leaving only his vibroknives and a thermal detonator.

I think I might be about to die……

Lando was firing now but Pascale thought it was no use, he couldn't defeat her. As she reached out for his neck he readied himself to be choked to death to feel the constriction. But it never came.

And a familiar presence emerged protecting him and demanding where his crystal was.

The beast was back.

Good timing he thought It seems you have been in a bit of trouble my friend there was a wry smile inside I think you would have been safer with me despite the fact you had business elsewhere.

Unfortunately Han Solo has the crystal but I have a plan in place to keep an eye on it, meanwhile this Dark Lady wants me dead, so I might need your help here if you can. You seem weak, but you detected something within me. Perhaps you can use it for yourself.

Perhaps you can unleash it….

Meanwhile to Qi’ra he said “I don’t have it i’m afraid my dear, your ex seems to have run off with it. So instead of trying to kill me, perhaps you should turn your anger to him instead” he gave her a charming smile despite the situation.

A firefight then started up, Pascale immediately retreating to the safety of his yacht, moving behind inside but looking out to see what was going on as Fett avoided shooting Solo but with the battle droids and Qi’ra at the other end.

He pulled out the thermal detonator and place his thumb near the trigger.

He hoped he didn't have to use it.

Ananke pressed her advantage all the while knowing that at any moment someone could attempt to come for her and thus, she'd be forced to break her concentration and let Rouser go. Still, for that brief spell she was connected to him and the dark side had its hold, pressure wrapping around his throat and squeezing. Slowly. She wanted nothing more than to rip his head from his body but she must have that crystal, she must know where it is...

But there was something else going on here, that same coldness she had detected before in this man was much more prevalent now that she was attempting harm on him. It peeled her proverbial fingers away from his neck one by one, with startling ease. She sneered, doubling her efforts and yet, it did nothing. What was this?

Peripherally the Force surged suddenly, painful prickles running up and down her back and neck and she twitched, her eyes darting just to Rouser's side. Lando had recovered and just as she locked her gaze on him he had his blaster up and fired a shot.

Of course. Abandoning what little hold she still had on her prey, she raised her saber and deftly absorbed his stun bolt, and the subsequent others that came after. Then, she threw her blade out at the annoying distraction, using her mind to carve an arc around Rouser to come back at the other man from the side, cleanly decapitating him before the hilt sailed back into her outstretched hand.

Done.

Amidst this, she heard Rouser confess that Han held the crystal and watched him retreat to the confines of his broken ship. She let hi go, turning her thoughts to her old flame. Would she have to kill him before he'd hand over the treasure? Stalking forward towards the courtyard, she knew she would. And in some deep, dark place, that pleased her...

“Hey! Vizier! I’m the Emperor’s son!” Arek ran away from Feyna and the others, shooting at Ananke. His shots were not to stun; they were to kill. “Don’t you want to kill me like you killed Alderaan?” Winter winced and tried to drag Erso away, as Irenez stood between the Princess and Ananke as they dragged Erso the way Han had fled - intending to shield Feyna with her own body, even if she was unable to really help.

"Arek, don't!" Feyna called after him, but he ignored her and began taunting the Vizier. A sense of dread filled her, a terrible certainty that the Dark-sider was going to kill him, or if he was very lucky, take him captive. But she couldn't help him, she and Winter were still supporting Erso, and Arek had taken the only weapon. So far the Vizier had ignored Feyna and the others (perhaps not realizing who Feyna was), and Arek was putting his life on the line to keep it that way, to buy them time to get out. Force protect him...

She hated herself for doing it, but she forced herself to turn away and keep moving.

Shots came at her from her side and she deflected them as she had the dark-skinned man, staring down that little brat with a ferocious glare. With a sequence of movements and gestures, Ananke disarmed the child and called his entire body to her with the curl of her fingers, the boy's neck fitting securely into her grasp as she brandished her blade and aimed to run him through. Face first, should his father get to see the body he would always be haunted by a disfigurement that would be nothing of the son he so-called loved.

Before, she pulled him close and growled low, both bathed in the crimson glow of her weapon. "Alderaan is nothing compared to what I will do to you," she threatened, preparing to melt the skin from his skull. "Shame daddy isn't here to watch."

Han didn’t get very far - skinny battle droids began to pour into the corridor, and just as suddenly a firestorm was unleashed from Fett, standing at the other end of the corridor, carefully firing around Solo and the Crystal-box. A T-junction of death - Fett one end, droid horde the other, Dark Lady of the Sith the other.

A sound beneath Han’s feet. Maz. “Down here!”

Han was almost used to it by now. While everyone else seemed to be on top of it, for him everything went wrong. Maybe Chewie was his lucky charm ...

At least one more escape route opened and Han leaped down the corridor below where Maz was hiding.

"That was the worst plan ever. Get us out of here and from now I do the planning ..."

Above, however, Hera was fighting her way through the droid swarm, half her A-wings missing. The Ghost had taken damage, but Wedge in his miracle X-Wing was there and everywhere, constantly saving her, even with a full Squadron of droid fighters on his tail.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth @Jerjerrod-Lennox @RachelTyrell @JediMasterAnne

 

Obi-Wan Kenobi
Korriban or Moraband

Obi-Wan Kenobi felt the presence of the planet below him. Moraband. Korriban as the Sith called it. The ancient birthplace of the dark order of the Sith and many of it's incarnations. The history books where full of tragedies spawned by this place.

Darth Maul had returned home. There was no place in the galaxy in greater need of light than the darkness of this planet.

A light that would hopefully guide Luke back, before he drowned in the evil of this place.

The boy had lost his mother and twin sister. He had faced the anger of Anakin, but for Luke it had to be much worse. The boy was probably lost in his rage, but he was good at his heart. Like his father he was stumbling, but hopefully he had not fallen yet.

Obi-Wan knew where they would be found and set course for the ancient burial grounds called the "Valley of the Dark Lords". He would find them there. He would face them there. Not only Luke, but also his new mentor. Darth Maul. A relict of the Sith, fallen, outcast, betrayed and abandoned. Now finally he had returned and probably done something far worse than he even understood himself.

The power of a Skywalker dedicated to true evil ... that was a terrifying thought.

He had to be stopped. Tonight here it would end one way or another. The fate of this age was probably decided here, far away by all the battles raging.

Obi-Wan gently set down his Y-Wing and climbed out of the cockpit. His senses were sharpened yet dimmed by the darkness of this place. Pulling his hood over his head he patiently awaited his hosts. They would come to him.

Tag: @Sinrebirth, @LordTroepfchen, @SirakRomar

 

IC: Senator Feyna Organa
Battle of Takodona

We shouldn’t have come here.

They’d located the crystal—at least, Feyna was fairly certain this man had it, seeing as everyone seemed to be chasing after him—but otherwise, things were not going well at all. The tunnel shook as something smashed into the surface above; when they came back up, it was revealed to be Wedge’s X-wing. He’d probably died on impact. They’d lost Irenez somewhere, too, so she was probably dead as well, given the proximity to the crash. Erso had briefly regained consciousness, only to pass moments later.

And Arek…

If he and the Vizier hadn’t both also died in the collision, he was still stuck with the Dark-sider, and now Feyna was cut off from his position.

She’d done precisely what she’d hoped not to: she’d gotten everyone with her killed. She had chosen to come here, with hardly any weapons and no solid plan, and her companions were paying the price. She’d found Winter and the crystal, but it was small comfort.

She let go of Erso; there was no point dragging his body, he would just slow them down. Grabbing Winter’s arm, Feyna looked to the man as she started toward General Syndulla’s ship. “You’ve got the crystal, right? Can you fly that?”

TAG: @RachelTyrell @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Pascale Rouser
Location: Fortuna…..then not, Takodana

Things were turning violent.

Lando was now dead thanks to Qi’ra deciding she had had enough and didn't want to play anymore. Now the Emperor’s son was in trouble after Qi’ra set her sights on him. He spotted her holding the child close with her saber right up close. Pascale shivered.

She must be really monstrous if she wants to kill a kid. Her heart must be full of darkness.

Although he could talk having a beast residing in him. Again.

The beast would probably love this death and destruction but thankfully it was still staying quiet. It had not responded to Pascale’s information regarding the whereabouts of the crystal which was either a good or a bad thing, Pascale did not want to find out. He resolved that if the beast did decide to come out that he would not be turning into that monster again. Meanwhile the Sepratist droid army were still making their way through the forest, hopefully making things difficult for Han at least.

He noticed Hers, the Twi’lek Rebel had begun to land her ship within the forest, no doubt ready to pick up Han, the royal looking woman, Maz and the others. He resolved to make some problems for them so the crystal could be snatched.

His ship wasn't going anywhere so he decided while Qi’ra was distracted to get his spare blaster out of the weapons locker. After all, he felt better with a weapon than none at all. Even though against Qi’ra as shown by all the dead bodies outside it would be useless. With thermal detonator back in his trouser pocket and blaster back securely in his holster he made his way back to the ramp to see what was going on.

A ping from his datapad alerted him to a message. As Qi’ra was otherwise occupied he decided to take a look.

If this is the Separatists asking where the crystal is again I may send a rather rude message back….

It wasn't, In fact it was a rather large data packet and his blue eyes widened at what he saw. It was a hell of a lot of information, the entire workings of Black Sun. Accounts, ships, agents, assassins and bounty hunters on the payroll, secret caches (which to Rouser’s delight including some priceless artifacts, one which he recognized as one he had procured from a rival) and even some juicy details on the Vigo’s his own cadre of lieutenants.

And it was all his.

The Shadow was now the Dark Prince, Underlord of Black Sun. Leader of one of the most powerful crime syndicates in the galaxy. Pascale thought he might as well enjoy it while he could.

Guess I can officially use that title now. However temporary it may be. To the beast he said well we made it to the top of the tree thanks to you. I may not have the crystal, but I have the assets now to seize it. Unless Qi’ra, the dark lady you no doubt have sensed gets her hand on it first. We must not let her.

He decided to back that information up as he did with all of his archived material and sent the whole lot to his private archive which was within a secure data vault. Well they said it was secure when he asked them...

He reappeared back at the ramp his datapad now in his other trouser pocket. He looked around trying to see what had gone on whilst he had been busy. And out of the sky, coming down like a meteor was an X wing. Heading straight for Qi’ra and the courtyard.

Yes, I think this now might be temporary thought Pasale as he closed his eyes and waited for the fireball to consume him. The fireball did come but Rouser was once again saved by the beast as he felt a protective bubble flare up around him.

His ship wasn't saved though.

Pascale flew one way, Fortuna the other as his prized yacht went flying up in the air before coming down with a rather loud crash and crushing some droids. Rouser himself landed unceremoniously on the ground the air rushing out of his lungs as he hit the ground with a thump. Not even the bubble could spare him from that or the heat which Pascale could still feel all over the place.

A battle droid then arrived next to him as he began to gingerly raise himself from the ground. "Underlord Rouser? Where is the Crystal, sir?".

One good thing about droids, at least they don’t get upset when some of your comrades get crushed by a yacht…..

Pascale stood upright, dusted himself off, straightened his jacket and looked at the battle droid immediately pointing towards where Hera’s ship had landed. “That ship in the forest, a man named Han Solo has it. I want the crystal snatched back, I don’t want him dead, but wounded will do. The rest you can wound too, I don’t want anyone on that ship getting that crystal. Damage the ship if you have to as well, it goes nowhere.If it gets off the plane try to track and follow, I hopefully still have an asset in play”.

Let’s hope Boba Fett is as tough as he looks.

He pulled his comlink out “Fett this is Rouser. If you are still alive to hear this message there is a ship in the forest that looks like it may be about to pick up Solo. I have asked the Separatist droids to try and grab it back off him and damage the ship if possible. If not, it’s up to you to track and follow and to grab it back if possible. I don’t need to explain the rest i’m sure you will have it all in hand”

He put the comlink back and then decided to turn around and have a look at what happened to Fortuna. He wished it hadn't.

Like Mon Calamari cruisers, Baudo class yachts were all different. Each Baudo was created to each owners specifications. They all had the flat and smooth exterior but each one had different modifications and extras that were added on. His yacht looked a shadow of what it was.

Fortuna looked a wreck. As well as Qi’ra hacking it to bits the smooth lines were now jagged, the gray and white paint looked charred and it seemed the landing struts had collapsed. Pascale didn't even want to know what the interior looked like. His beautiful yacht was in ruins, and Rouser didn't know whether to roar in rage or feel sad. He settled for the latter, it was a shame to see his home and his beautiful ship basically massacred.

His weapons, tools and even his wardrobe could be replaced. However he did have some artifacts on board he had decided to keep for himself, now they were probably dust.

I wonder if Baudo will make me a new one, might have to ask rather nicely again. He knew Baudo never took an order without a reference, perhaps his brother, who also had one might try and get him one again. Pascale knew his brother owed him after he saved his skin from some rather nasty bounty hunters who were collecting a debt. His other choice would be something Nubian, he always liked the chrome...

He shook his head sadly and turned back around again. The more pressing matter was Qi’ra, whether she was still around and whether she would be causing trouble for him again. Perhaps he could do the moral thing and try and see if he could save the kid from her clutches. He knew he couldn't get to Hera’s ship in time so it was time to do some investigating.

He pulled his blaster out and decided to take a look around.

TAG: @Sinrebirth , @QueenSabe7

 

Han Solo
Tokadano, Fortress

They were dying. Maz and Lando and a good portion of his allies he did not even know by name. All dead for this damned thing on his back.

Han looked at the new arrivals. The young girl and her "court". She was clearly some royal breed. Organa she was briefly called. Wasn't that Alderaan?

He ran up the ramp of the ship and waited for the others to join, having his backpack right on his back. So far everybody had failed to take the price. At least they had not died for nothing.

"Syndulla get us out of here!" He yelled and turned to Maz. "Will do." He sighed to the dead body of one of his oldest friends and hit the button to close the ramp of the ship.

The girl approached him, she had this look. This look like she had payed a price here too. She asked him about the crystal and if he could ... fly? Why would he fly ... only now he realized the panic by the droid in cockpit.

"Yes your highness. We got the crystal and yes your highness ... I can fly a little!"

Han quickly made it to the cockpit and obviously a console had hit Syndulla. He gently put her out of the chair.

"Make sure she is secured!" He yelled to the royal passengers. Then he sat down in the pilot seat.

"Nice ship." He commented. The droid was probably the only one listening.

Han nodded. "A bit too fancy for our taste is it?" The engines were running. He opened internal comm.

"And someone needs to take the gun." He added and turned to the droid.

"Shields? Weapons extra power? We got options." Han looked at the skies and the hurling masses of droid fighters.

"I need speed. As much as you can give me." He said and turned to the controls. He would not go up there. He needed to do this his way. Droids were crappy pilots. He wanted to stay in atmosphere and see how they did between the mountains. At least that would buy them some time ... until the super-weapon finally showed up.

Accelerating he speed off right through a wave of droid fighters. Rotating the ship he pulled it up. "Fire at everything that moves. Sensors show only unfriendlies."

His hand touched the backpack with the box. It was still here. Many had died for this box. Many had died for his plan. He would not have it fail. No Rouser or Q'ira would stop him.

Tag: @Sinrebirth, @JediMasterAnne

 

OOC: Going off of Wookieepedia in terms of how many cannons the Ghost has.

IC: Senator Feyna Organa
Aboard the Ghost, Battle of Takodona

General Syndulla was unconscious, but the man could pilot, so at least they still had someone who could get them and the crystal out of here—provided they managed to get past the swarm of Separatist droid fighters that were rapidly closing in; as the man had pointed out, they were surrounded by enemies, and the remaining A-wings were being overwhelmed.

From what Feyna had glimpsed as they boarded, Syndulla’s ship had two laser cannons, one in its nose and another on top. Feyna turned to Winter. “Can you get Syndulla strapped in, then take the nose turret?” She gave Winter a slightly apologetic look; she really was glad to see her, but this was far from the reunion she’d hoped for, and she felt like all she’d done so far was boss Winter around. Probably Winter understood, though. At least, Feyna hoped so.

Feyna herself headed for the ladder to the top cannon. She would have liked to try to wake Hera up, but they didn’t have time for that just now. Unless the Rebel general came to on her own in the next few minutes, she’d have to wait until they were out of the battle and out of the system.

Feyna had never fired anything bigger than a blaster rifle, so these controls were completely new to her, but she could figure it out as she went. Even as they were lifting off, she managed to take out one of the droid fighters.

Part of her wanted to ask the pilot to do a pass over where Arek and the Vizier had been, to see if he was still alive, if maybe, just maybe, they could still get him out, but logic told her that was the exact opposite of what they needed to be doing right now. And common sense said that Arek was probably dead, anyway, as much as she wanted it to not be true.

She felt horrible. All the contempt she’d felt toward Lyz for abandoning Arek during the attack at Delaya, and yet here she was, essentially doing the exact same thing. And if he died, Feyna didn’t doubt that Lyz and the Emperor would find a way to blame it on her. On the Republic, on the Rebellion.

He knew he might die. He knew full well that woman would probably kill him, and he stepped up to face her anyway. It was his choice.

She could keep telling herself that, but it didn’t make her feel any better.

Feyna took out her frustration on another Separatist fighter, then pulled on a headset and spoke to the pilot over the comm. “So what’s the plan?”

TAG: @RachelTyrell @Sinrebirth

 

Darth Maul
Korriban, The Valley of the Dark Lords

Maul had left Darth Zorn alone to meditate, gather strength and focus for the coming confrontation.

He felt the death of the Jedi scream into the force. Fools and martyrs. Dead to justify there obsolete philosophy. Not many were left now. A foolish old man called Windu. Some kids probably, left behind by the heroic Jedi Order. Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Jedi Master who had bested him when he was merely a Padawan. The man who had trained Anakin Skywalker, the slayer of his Master. Of his tormentor. Obi-Wan Kenobi had made him the last of the Sith.

Now there were two again. As it had always meant to be. A Master and an apprentice. One to hold power and one to crave it.

Facing him would bring an end to the ancient struggle between the orders. Of all the remaining Jedi he was the only one true to the code. Windu was broken by his failures. Anakin Skywalker had left the Jedi behind. But not Obi-Wan Kenobi. The old man had the will and focus to train a new generation of Jedi. He would resurrect the Jedi, if he prevailed.

What would remain of the Sith? Q'ira who had failed to challenge her Master for the right to consider herself a Sith? No, she was nothing. This fallen warrior who he felt within these ruins? Nothing but another Jedi giving in to his fear. The heritage of the Sith was his apprentice. He was their future. If Obi-Wan Kenobi would turn him or even kill him the Sith had failed. Finally and absolutely failed. If the killed Obi-Wan Kenobi the Jedi would vanish from the galaxy. There would be nothing left of them but those who had failed their code.

This confrontation was their final battle.

This confrontation was the end of their war.

Two Sith against one Jedi Master.

And then he felt his arrival. His presence appearing from hyperspace. He did not hide himself from Obi-Wan Kenobi. For the first time in many many years he allowed his presence to be felt.

Welcome to Korriban, my oldest enemy. I see you received my message.

He whispered the words into the force and summoned Darth Zorn through the inseparable connection now created between them.

Tag: @Sinrebirth, @LordTroepfchen, @Lawbreaker

 

Combo with the always masterful Sinrebirth

IC: Arek Graul & Darth Ananke, with the Holocron
Takodana

Ananke's strength was unyielding upon the Emperor's little brat, her petite frame buoyed and bolstered by the storm that roared within her. Her fingers clenched in earnest, throttling the boy's throat to the point that she could feel the ridges of his windpipe, even through her glove. She savored his panic and terrorized eyes that began to bulge from their sockets, belatedly recognizing the distraction her pleasure was becoming. Han and the crystal were getting farther away and that meant a lengthier chase. She gnashed her teeth and dropped Arek to the earth, glaring at him as she regained control of her desires.

Playing with your food only prolongs the hunger.

She came down on him, death itself, her saber swinging back overhead and the reverse momentum bringing it forward on an arc. Everything appeared to slow for that space in time, when her weapon became an extension of her will - a tool to enact her vengeance. So, in that span she was able to pick up on several things at once with clarity and without doubt. The first being Arek, sprawled out and nearing his end, an anomaly within and around him suddenly manifested, bright and blinding her train of thought. Similar to unwillingly staring into the sun, this was nothing actually seen, this was mental... emotional. A particular current that so few were tuned too.

Her lightsaber still continued its path even as her attentions shifted with curiosity. Could it be...

Ananke wouldn't have the time to ponder any further, as the next event came in so quick and hard that the only thing she had time to do was cut off her attack, grab the boy by his arm and toss him into the forest line close by. A small leap and she was right behind him, coming to land at his side and behind tree cover as no more than a second later a thunderous explosion crushed all other noises in the area - a pluming fireball erupting from within the castle courtyard. Exactly where her former lover had just disappeared with the crystal.

Arek slammed into the foliage with a cry, but most of his mind was seared, that woman’s murderous expression burned into him. Fear, and rage, and all of it filled Arek.

Whereas before he would have wondered happily why he was still alive, now he was even more full of fear than anything else. There was no relief

He should be dead, but Arek knew he couldn’t be still. He had to go. He scrambled to escape from the tree, panicking - and falling out. With a thrust out of his hands, he actually stopped his fall, staring at the ground - and then he thought about it, and whatever hidden force held him vanished, and dropped to the grass with a grunt.

He did not have time to think about it. Arek had to run to survive.

She was fire, palpable rage and malevolence pumping through the Force that fed her and flowed from her. Arek, that disturbance she wished she hadn't took note of... he was water. Threatening to douse her flame.

He ran, like his father would have. A coward, self-serving and single-minded. Ananke flicked her head around, watching his meaningless attempt at escape - she couldn't let him go now. She turned fully and swiped a hand across horizontally, unseen energies kicking the boys feet out from under him like a strong wind.

"Leaving so soon?" She called, her tone taut like a wire ready to be severed. "Come now, child. You know leaving is not an option for you..." Ananke still held her saber hilt in a hand, though now the blade was deactivated, as she stalked towards him, inwardly torn as to which direction she needed to take; what lead her here in the first place - the crystal, or what held her focus now - Arek Graul.

Arek rolled to the ground, cursing as he disengaged himself from a bush. “I don’t need to escape, do I?”

Taking his newfound confidence, he shoved out his hands at her, and was surprised again to discover that he had shoved out with some other power - the Force, albeit a childish gesture with that cosmic power.

Perhaps he would distract her enough to buy himself some more time. Perhaps he would catch her off-guard and kill her on something sharp.

Perhaps...

Ananke raised a brow at his defiance, keeping to her path even as his weak attack reached her. It was more like a sudden gust of air than anything that would have pushed her off balance or harmed her in any other way. Still, it was there. He had harnessed the Force whether on purpose or by accident, he had managed. And her brief wonderment before was proven correct.

She smirked, a knowing one. "What do you know of the Force?" she asked casually, stopping a close, but cautious distance from him and replacing her weapon to her belt.

“It’s used for evil more often than good,” Arek snapped. “The Jedi used it to enslave the galaxy, and the Sith use it for their own ends. So I guess that makes you Sith - though the Jedi said that Palpatine was the last.”

He backed away, looking around none-too-subtly for a plan, but trying to keep an eye on the advancing Ananke. “Does my father know what you are? Everyone’s trying to convince me that he had no idea about the Death Star - but you’re a murder weapon too, aren’t you?”

“So how is that any different than using a superweapon?” Arek grew angrier, his hands clutching as if clawed. A spark of energy darted between a finger and a thumb.

"I am a Sith, yes," she admitted easily enough, watching the boy, examining his response and reading his rage. "And I am a weapon."

Ananke caught his heightened emotions at the mention of his father, her discolored eyes narrowing at Arek as his anger grew, along with it his newfound powers. "Of course the Emperor knew exactly who I am. Your father..."

She paused here, choosing her words carefully. A push in the right direction was all he needed, teetering on the edge as he was. "If you think it is the Sith that are self-serving, what would that make Aryan Graul? Your father is far more concerned with ruling the galaxy and seeing to his own needs than he ever was with caring for his family, don't you think? How easily he shoved your well-being and safety to the side for his own gain, how easily - and publicly - he betrayed your poor mother..."

Ananke shook her head slowly, trailing off and preparing for a reaction should one come.

Arek couldn’t contain himself when she said the last about his mother. “Shut up!” He opened his hands and a blaze of lightning emerged; a brief blast, but enough to send his eyes momentarily yellow.

There was a Dark, Dark, Dark, heritage to Arek Graul, it seemed. He looked at his smoking hands, and gasped, throwing himself backwards as if terrified of his own skin. He choked, and gasped. “Stay away from me!” He hissed. “Or I’ll kill you!”

Ananke settled into the surge of darkness that welcomed Arek with open arms, a new member of the elite. If he claimed his place. He was raw, untamed, and incredibly immature, but he was also a clean slate - pliable and uncomplicated to mold. Han and his crystal momentarily took a backseat to yet another path that she previously saw as nonexistent, but now appeared to be the only path she should travel.

"Would you like to kill me, Arek? Would you gain satisfaction from seeing me dead? Pleasure, even?"

She stepped closer, aware of his unstable state but drawn in regardless. Her stare didn't waver even under the crackling pressure of the Force that had coalesced around the boy. "This hatred you feel, this desire for understanding, vengeance, it weakens you only if you suppress it. Release it, own it, and you can become something so much more than you can fathom yourself to be."

“I hate you all!” Arek spat. “You, Mum, Dad! All of you!” He couldn’t contain it. He couldn’t hurt her.

But he wanted to.

So, so much.

He wanted to kill her.

He’d sat and listened to everyone theorise that his father was not what Arek saw him as; an opportunistic liar. He would take the reins of the galaxy because he could, and nothing else mattered to Dad apart from the fact that he could.

His hands began to illuminate with electricity again, and he released the discharge - into the foliage they had been traipsing through. It ignited, bursting into flame, and he threw his hands to the left, trying to pull down one of the trees upon her.

Ananke smiled - a wicked, wicked smile as leaves and bits of bark exploded in flames around her. Arek's strength was great, something so shadowed that it even caused her to react, though in an unnoticeable way.

"Good!" she called as he yanked a nearby tree from its roots, pulling it down upon the space she stood. Using a similar skill to counteract his own, fueled by the energies of both herself and him, red spires of fire danced from her fingertips as she shot out of the way, past him to end at his back. Like heated plumes, Ananke showered the falling foliage and burnt it to ash before it hit the forest floor.

"See how your hatred aids you? See how it gives you focus?" In return, she dropped to a knee and flung her hands to the earth, fingers digging into the upturned dirt. At her touch a quake emanated out from its epicenter, tearing like a shockwave and uprooting everything in its path. Arek would certainly be hit if he wasn't paying close attention, she expected he would be.

Arek flew into the air, legs kicking, seeking purchase on the particles of oxygen themselves. He found none, and thrust out a hand, yanking at a branch, which dutifully slapped into his grasp. Grabbing it, he pulled himself up, glaring down at Ananke.

A glint of metal caught his eye, and he risked a glance. A ship. Ananke’s ship. He looked back to her, hungry. “Playing with your food, Sith? I’m not for you!”

He swept his hands together, seeking to cause a confluence of burning trees to crash down on Ananke from multiple directions - and then he leapt off, bounding towards the ship, a feral, fire-lit glean to his eyes.

Arek was letting go of his timid nature and exposing power. What his father always sought but what Arek now had.

Ananke rolled her eyes as she remained kneeling, never-minding the inferno that was beginning to rain down around her. "Tsk, tsk," she seethed, having come to her limit with his foolishness. She stood and ran forward before he could bury her, full steam ahead towards Arek as he recklessly made for her shuttle.

As she closed in she reached for him in the Force, tendrils of malice lacing through the space between them, this time not aiming to simply trip him up. Rather, she forced her way inside his mind to keep him from strengthening, knowing he wouldn't be skilled enough to stop her. The dark side threads breached his deepest mental recesses and she applied pressure in just the precise area, snapping him into unconsciousness without much effort. He would remain this way until she woke him, or he somehow managed to wake himself. She had full confidence the latter wouldn't happen.

He collapsed mere feet away from the open ramp. Convenient, she mused, slowing as she came upon his prone body. Nudging him with the tip of a boot, the impulsive drive to kill him here and now returned overwhelmingly and uncertainty reared its ugly head once more. She peered back over a shoulder, through the burning forest to see the outline of the castle and the assault that was still raging upon it.

A voice curdled in Ananke’s mind. Braata.

The Graul bloodline is strong with the Force. You could do worse, Ananke. But it’s all show with them; no substance. Braata sniffed. I should know.

It startled Ananke, to which she grew frustrated with herself. "You should?" she called out, feeling the heat of the holocron against her back hip where it sat within a pocket. "How do I know what you speak is the truth? Messing with my mind and my time without any explanation as to why..." She hovered over Arek still, freeing the holocron and holding it over him as she stared directly into the glowing blue pyramid.

"Tell me now, Braata, for all your cryptic words and 'sage' advice... which is it you advise I pursue? The crystal, or the boy? Because I cannot manage both." Her tone was largely sarcastic and mocking, knowing she was talking to ancient presence, not a flesh and bone being. For a flash she felt unhinged, but that dissolved in the heat of her growing ire and impatience.

The Holocron image shrugged. "The Crystal is connected to the plot of the Dark Man... there is always one, somewhere, somehow. But I am out of my depth - I can only tell you that there is always one, though who I cannot say. Something has changed." She sounded genuinely surprised. "The Dark Man has manipulated everyone, and everything - so if you want to face that, then, truly, pursue the Crystal."

"But if you want to take power, and hold a hostage, then the child is useful. You came to power via Crimson Dawn, no? So you stepped into the threats and blackmail and secrets and it made you able to do whatever you wanted... within reason. An apprentice will enable you do that all the more..."

"The Crystal will make you a target of a mastermind..." She spoke truth, in that respect, and a great deal truth. Braata eyed the boy. "I know his ancestor, long ago. I knew the Force ran through his family line. It runs through other lines, secret ones, lost ones, protected and hidden ones." She paused. "When the dust settles, and the Force has decided who is the victor, where will Ananke stand? On screen, ruling Coruscant, and defending all she holds, or in the shadows, deciding who rules Coruscant?"

There was a soft rebuke in her tone. As if she was suggesting that in stepping out she had limited her effectiveness. That she had chosen wrong. But who was Braata to dare to do that?

"I never wanted to rule," Ananke replied through clenched teeth, the none-too-subtle implication that she had made an error along her way was not lost on her. "Control, yes, but not rule."

She chewed her lip, lowering the holocron and returning her eyes to Arek. This 'Dark Man' was a curious lead and one she wouldn't soon discard, but what the presence had said - "target of a mastermind" - was a role she knew she would prefer not to take on. All in all, was she going to trust this device and what it was telling her? Certainly she had not expected this much in reply, nor for it to be so... useful.

An irritated huff and her free hand began to rise, palm up, along with it Arek's unconscious form. She twisted her wrist and he turned upright, leveling at chest-height for her. "You're going to be a problem," she whispered, her voice a deadly calm now. "But you will learn you are for me, one way or another. You will learn."

With the swipe of her hand, Ananke began walking up the ramp of her ship, bringing the boy along with her.

TAG: @Sinrebirth ( @HanSolo29 , just because )

 

Anakin Skywalker
Rebel Base, Yavin IV

Less fighters than expected, he realized and broke through. They had probably left quite some behind over Alderaan.

But the ship felt like it was picking up speed. Then they began to eject pods. Collision course. They were going on collision course.

Anakin turned his head and reached it with the force ... he felt them ... he felt their dedication to a lost cause. He almost smiled how easily they broke once their feeling of superiority was taken from them.

Yet, they would destroy much of the Rebellion if this was allowed to happen. So Anakin could not allow it to happen. For all his power, ... he knew he could not stop them once they went to hyperspace. He could keep the ship afloat probably even if it fell on planet. But he could not stop it once it entered hyperspace. So he had to stop it before they had a chance to it.

The Red Squadron had probably by now ravaged the batteries on the top and Gold Squadron where probably starting their attack run. Eventually without fighter screen the Star Destroyer would be destroyed. Too many torpedoes and no way to defend themselves against them.

So hyperspace was probably the best option the commander had as he felt she was never going to give up.

Yet he men would not have the same willpower she had. If she did not give that order, the ship would float into orbit and eventually be shred to pieces by the atmosphere and proton torpedoes.

It was the commander of it he had to stop.

As a soldier he knew it was her he had to ... kill.

Obi-Wan Kenobi would not have liked it, but Anakin was probably not ready to sacrifice a few million innocents, but an imperial soldier? A murderer of his daughter and wife? It was not a decision he really felt he needed to contemplate upon.

Reaching out he raised his hand and then slowly closed his thumb with his index and middle finger, representing his grip on her throat. It was difficult to focus over this distance without even making eye contact, but he was powerful in the force and he dived deep into this power. There was still an anger buried deep inside of him, that helped him focus as he strangled the woman through the force on her bridge.

He did not let her suffer, but simply killed her.

"Gold Squadron, fire at will. Bring the Star Destroyer down." He ordered, knowing even the most disciplined command chain would be a mess when the surprisingly lost their commanding officer.

Tag: @Sinrebirth, @Lawbreaker

 

(A Collaboration between myself and @TheSilentInfluence @Sinrebirth)

IC: Ka'rta, Madelyn Linnett, Zey
Concordia

Madelyn made a face when Master Zey called her Madelyn. Shysa. She wanted to correct him, but realised that it was probably too late. There goes our cover. Madelyn saw Lelia watching them with a curious expression; then a frown.

"Shysa is my middle name." Madelyn corrected quickly. "I just wanted to sound more Mandalorian." She reached up and scratched the back of her own neck as Lelia approached and forced Madelyn to look up at her. "You look like-" And then she shook her head, voice heavy as she rested her hand on Madelyn's shoulder. "We should cut your hair before you go. Sit down." She motioned to a large rock nearby and Madelyn sat down and looked back up at Master Zey.

"Once we get the darksaber we can decide where we go from there." She tilted her head back as Lelia started cutting off her hair.

Ka'rta looked away, looking down at the dirt. Against her better judgment she was contemplating taking Zey up on his offer. Just leaving Madelyn up to him and washing her hands of it all. These weren't her people, weren't anything to give her life and die for. She was foolish, stupid to think the empty space would be filled by someone else to share her name. Not if it was only going to be pulling her more and more into conflicts that would get her killed for no reward. A unified Mandalore how long would that last, a defeated Empire, how long would it be until a successor took its place. She should have just left the girl to die, left her to the dark presence in the temple.

She was smarter than this, better than this. She let her emotions and loneliness get to her. She saw a chance a possibility of some companionship and she took it with both hands. She let her heart warm when it needed to be cold. That was the only way to survive now. You couldn't let yourself care, couldn't allow yourself to be compromised by emotions. She walked quietly solumenly to her ship, wrestling with what she should do. Part of her was screaming to leave, find a dark corner of Hutt space and just hide there. She could make a living in a darker galaxy, could survive with a cold heart.

Zey brought up that moment, the moment she chose to fight back, to fire upon the spirit that threatened to take Madelyn's body. The biggest mistake of her life. Would have been better to let her become possessed, and reap a payday. She forgot her Mercenary creed. Myself above others, my contract is my bond nothing else.

If she left they would be fine, Zey was still a jedi and Madelyn had skills enough. They would be fine they would have as much chance of succeeding as they would with her. They didn't need her, no one needed her. She didn't need anyone else either. Owen and Jerrod were dead, of that she was sure. Though she still tried to send messages none of which were answered. Making her way to the cockpit she dropped into the pilot's chair.

She could do it, just rush through her checks and be off planet before anyone could stop her. It wouldn't be the worst thing she'd done. She was a merc, morality was for other people. Credits were her morals, whatever got her the most. Wasn't that what she wanted? Enough money to live comfortably away from the rest of the galaxy someplace where no one would ever bother her. Wasn't that her dream? Or dying in some glorious charge with millions of credits on the line? Not fighting for the Darksaber, or the Mask of the Manda'lor. This wasn't her.

But, she had given her word, had adopted Madelyn into her clan. Could she really turn her back on all that? Could she?

Zey was looking at Ka'rta, mainly. "We need to get going, either way."

Alfred was not paying them a great deal of attention, thankfully, but they were going to have a narrow window. That is to what Zey referred to. The Mandalorian was quite inscrutable, as opposed to Linnett, who was throwing herself into quite a commitment just because it was the right thing to do.

The Jedi Master looked at Linnett, sitting with Lelia, while Albert gave orders to marshalling men and woman. For a brief moment, Zey and Ka'rta were alone.

"I can release you from your word if you wish, Ka'rta. If you cannot cope with this, then I can wipe your memory. If you want." He paused. "But I have a good sense of Owen, because of, well, that mad flight out of Mimban. He is alive, but I cannot say anything about Jerrod. I do not know if that helps you decide or not."

Lelia leaned forward to whisper to Linnett. "What's up with them two? He seems overly serious, and your mentor, she seems like she wants to be anywhere else but here..."

Ka'rta put her head in her hands. Could it be that easy to just erase her memory. Of everything and go off unfettered, not bound by her word. In the back of her mind she could feel a voice pushing her to just forget. It would be so easy, no more regrets, no more worrying over whether or not it was the right decision, she wouldn't remember it. It would remove the burden from her, erase the weight she carried in her chest. The ease of it all was tempting intoxicating. A return to normalcy, to her life before all this. It would all be so easy...so so easy.

"We do not take the easy way Ad'ika." Her father's voice echoed from her early lessons. "We will never take the easy path. For what glory is there in ease, what fame in simplicity? We do not shy away from challenge, we never will. We are warriors we thrive on conflict, on battle. How can we do our life's work if we fear challenge. Embrace it, accept it without hesitation. That is how we live. Never think, I cannot. Think I can, and I will. Meet the challenge with a smile, and a knife in your hands. You only truly fail if you give up. And not even trying, that makes you a coward. And we are not cowards."

Was she being a coward, running from a challenge set before her. Looking for an easy path when the one ahead of her was difficult and challenging. Every fiber of her being was telling her to run, to just leave everything behind. But, she was still held in place by her Ironclad word. Leaning her head back she let out a breath. Her mind and body still at war and her spirit unwilling to continue the fight.

"It's complicated. Zey used to take care of me but I got injured pretty bad." Madelyn touched the bacta on her ear. She frowned and let Lelia keep cutting her hair. "I got adopted into a clan even though it's not the one my father was apart of." She shrugged. "I guess they both want to watch out for me."

Madelyn looked at Alfred, giving out orders. "He seems like a good leader. I hope I can lead like that one day." She finished shyly.

Lelia nodded slightly. "You’ve already a good head on your shoulders, honey. If you think you can do it, you’ll need support of Alfred, and a fresh face may go down a long way..."

Zey, for his part, listened to Ka’rta. She was in agony... because she was afraid. With a sigh, he lived his hand, gathering the Force. He suspected that she needed him to force the issue, no pun intended.

Make her choose.

As whatever had in the Mimban Temple, not two days ago, had made her decide.

Still in her thoughts she noticed Zey raising his hand. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end the air around her felt colder. He wasn't. That was her choice to make not his. If there was one thing she would do is make her own decision and not let them be dictated by someone else. In a flash she drew one of her pistols, her other hand gripped his raised arm and forced it down. With a growl she pressed her pistol to his temple.

"I will make my choice. Not you. Understand."

"Do you think I could be Mand'aor one day?" Madelyn asked as Lelia finished her hair..it was shorter, but she liked it. She looked back at Lelia and smiled. "Do you think Alfred would want to be instead? Or you?"

Zey met Ka’rta’s gaze evenly. "Then decide." The Force swirled around the two of them, a moment, a decision, a choice, that would undo the cosmos. "You know that Madelyn is not ruthless enough to rule."

He whispered the latter sentence, softly, so silent that it may as well have been projected into her ears.

Lelia wondered with Zey. "Alfred wants it to end. The internal violence. We’ve for years just expected to come together as and when needed. But we haven’t. We’ve just carried on fighting, but now as puppets in a proxy war."

All of a sudden there was an explosion on the edge of the camp, and someone shouted. "Clan Kast! They’re attacking us!"

Zey wanted to look for Madelyn but he kept his gaze on Ka’rta. Gun against him, his hand outstretched but his hilt still not in the grasp of his other.

Madelyn jumped up quickly and looked in the direction of the explosion. She glanced around for a weapon and quickly found a blaster rifle leaning against a rock. Madelyn picked it up and looked back up at Lelia. "We should go and help."

Madelyn turned in the direction of the explosion again and moved through the crowd. She thought briefly of Ka'rta and Master Zey, but pushed those thoughts aside. She had to help the situation at hand.

Ka'rta snarled under her faceplate finger tensing on the trigger of her blaster. It seemed fate wasn't giving her time to decide. With an explosion at the edge of camp it seemed there were no more time to waste. With a growl she roughly shoved Zey away. Marching towards where Madelyn was she caught sight of the other woman moving towards the explosion. With a shake of her head she caught up to her putting a hand on her shoulder.

"We need to go now. What we will do is bigger than two clans fighting. We will unify them. But, we can't do that if we get bogged down dealing with this...look at the bigger picture." She was imploring her sister to let this go, just this once. The longer they waited the more chance someone else acquires the darksaber, the more chance that their mission will be a failure. "Please. We don't have time to deal with one squabble. Our window to end all of them is closing."

Madelyn shut her eyes and nodded. She frowned slightly at Ka'rta. "Then we need to grab that darksaber." She turned to Lelia and handed her the blaster rifle. "I'll be back with the darksaber. Be careful." Madelyn smiled at her.

Zey nodded. "We’ll need to take our ship to the planets surface. Concordia will be blockaded before long."

He raised his head. "Shysa - time to go!"

Madelyn nodded at Master Zey and waved goodbye to Lelia. She got on the Osik and took her seat, waiting for them to take off. We need to end this. If Mandalore can come together…

Their fate was sealed, Ka'rta never wanted to be even this close to Mandalore, never wanted to fight for it. They had cast her family out, declared them no longer of this place. Now, she was putting her life on the line to save it, a planet that never wanted her, all for a woman that couldn't remember her storied past. Zey was right, Madelyn didn't have the ruthlessness to rule alone. Ka'rta would have to take that role. She doubted Madelyn would give up on the dream of unifying the Mandalorians. Ka'rta would be her hand, she never wanted to be in the spotlight anyway. Working in the shadows was what she did best. Up the ramp she finished the pre-flight checks she'd nearly finished as she was wrestling with herself and took off. She didn't say anything else. She didn't want to talk herself out of it again. With Madelyn back on board she completed her checks and took off.

She moved with all due haste toward the remains of the tower, hoping to slip underneath the battle raging around it. They didn't have time to get caught in it.

TAG: @TheSilentInfluence @Sinrebirth

 

Han Solo
Tokadano, In the air tonight ...

Han was used to Falcon, but he had to admit this wasn't a bad ship at all. He turned it as he broke through the first wave of droid fighters, surprising them by shortening the distance.

It worked with droids. He immediately took a dice and heard the princess or whatever she was speaking over comm.

"You would not like the plan, your Highness. Let's just say we are not yet ready to leave." He accelerated the Ghost to make it to the mountains before the fighters catched up to shooting distance. Just in case he began his evasive maneuvers.

The plan?

The plan had not been so many people would die. The plan had been the super weapon was here. The plan had not worked. Maz had over-rated her hand and had payed the highest price. Like so many others. Lando. The old scoundrel had not deserved to go like this.

"Meanwhile let's make sure they don't get the crystal. You could start by shooting the droids, your Higness!"

He yelled into the comm and he wished Chewie had been here. He never wanted to die alone, if he was honest. Even when Chewie died and was resurrected on Mimban, at least Han was there. Han was there.

Don't die. How does that sound as a plan?

Not bad actually. Not bad at all.

Tag: @Sinrebirth, @JediMasterAnne

 

ooc: Combined by LordTroepfchen, SirakRomar and me.

Post 1 of 3, all going up within the next 24 hours.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul and Darth Zorn aka Luke Skywalker
Korriban, Valley of the Dark Lord

Through the waves of dust hurled up by the icy wind the two hooded figures approached. One was walking on his mechanical legs, while the other was all to familiar to Obi-Wan Kenobi and yet so strange the same time.

"Luke. Lord Maul." Obi-Wan Kenobi opened his eyes and looked at the men in their dark gowns as the approached.

"Long time no see, old friend ." Darth Maul hissed.

"Not long enough. I was hoping you had died in some dark hole you had crawled into." Obi-Wan Kenobi nodded at his old enemy. Then his attention turned to Luke as he slowly began to walk circling the Sith and his apprentice. They did the same.

"Did father send you? An old man? Had he not the courage to face me himself?" Luke hissed at Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Jedi Master answered with a serene smile. "Your father had the strength and bravery to abandon the dark path you are stumbling on, Luke."

"He has again abandoned his destiny." Luke hissed.

"Quite the contrary. He has finally embraced it." Obi-Wan Kenobi replied and his hands unfolded. "Unlike you. You have chosen the easy path. You have betrayed what your family stood for."

Luke stared at the old Master in contempt.

"The time of the Jedi is over. They are all dead. You must feel it too. The future will belong to the Sith, to my apprentice." Darth Maul snarled at the old Master. He had waited so long for this moment.

Obi-Wan Kenobi looked at him and sighed. "How many Sith have said this? I guess we could count. They are all buried here. Their tortured souls haunt this place."

Luke smiled. "They were not me." He simply stated. Darth Maul smiled at the reply. How true.

"No, they were not. Young Luke. They were evil and vile creatures consumed by their ego and lust for power. You are Luke Skywalker, son of the Chosen One."

Luke shook his head. "I am the Chosen One." Luke replied.

"Is it that what he promised you? Lies." Obi-Wan replied. Darth Maul began to circle him like prey.

"Luke, he poisoned your mind. That is what the Sith do." Obi-Wan eyed the boy and through the force he tracked Maul, preparing for the Sith inevitable attack.

"He showed me power. The true power of my bloodline. My true destiny." Luke hissed back.

"Power? This power comes at a terrible price, my boy." Obi-Wan raised his hands to show his peaceful intentions.

"I am NOT your boy." Luke hissed at the old man. How could he dare to call him that?

"He is mine now, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He is a Sith now." Maul whispered from behind his apprentice.

Obi-Wan ignored Maul and began to slowly circle Luke and his dreadful Master again.

"Luke, can't you see what he did? He whispered promises into your ear and dark secrets and with every promise you forgot a little more who you are, what you stand for." He had reached his father, he could reach Luke.

"What do I stand for, Obi-Wan Kenobi? What is it you have done to help me embrace my destiny." Luke demanded to know.

"You are our hope. You are our future." Obi-Wan sighed.

"I am HOPE. I am the FUTURE. You are here to take that from me. You are here to make me a slave to your useless code!" Luke's anger was burning in the force.

"I am here to save you from the Dark Side and it's false promise. You think your mother would approve? You think your sister would?" Obi-Wan stopped again and so did they. He felt Maul's amusement in the force. His certainty of Obi-Wan's defeat. He was not certain Maul was entirely wrong. Had Luke fallen?

"We cannot ask them, can we? They died after you and Dad abandoned them on Alderaan and they are gone!" Luke spit out the words.

"Luke, I was on my way to you. She approved me helping you." Obi-Wan felt the pain about his failure. Maul grinned how skillful his apprentice had identified the Jedi Master's weak point.

"I need no help!" Luke yelled out.

"More than you can even imagine. This dark path of you will destroy anything you treasure. Everything your mother stood for!" Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped closer to Luke now. "It will consume you."

"A small price for what I will achieve!" Luke said and his grin vanished.

"What is that? What do you think the Dark Side can give you? Peace? Darkness knows no peace." Obi-Wan felt the boy slip beyond his reach.

"Revenge. Power. The power to shape the galaxy as I see fit." Luke's eyes glowed with anticipation as the words were spoken.

"Another Empire? Is it that what you want?" Obi-Wan shook his head. Had the boy fallen so deep?

"My reign will be just! I am Chosen! Do not stand between me and my destiny."

"Luke ..." Obi-Wan shook his head.

"I am not Luke Skywalker anymore. Call me by my true name. Darth Zorn!" Luke demanded angrily.

Obi-Wan Kenobi stared at Luke and Maul grinned. "You see it now? Do you? You have failed, old man. Finally your failure is ... absolute." Maul hissed the last word and turned to his apprentice. "We have to destroy him." He whispered.

The boy looked at him. Then he turned to Obi-Wan Kenobi and nodded. "Leave." Maul grimaced at the words as if they hurt him. Weakness. There was a weakness that remained in his apprentice.

"Not without you." Obi-Wan Kenobi calmly answered. Luke only stared at him.

"So be it, then this shall be your journeys end." Luke ... Darth Zorn replied.

He ignited his blade, now bristling in brilliant red. Maul grinned and ignited his own blades ripping his lightsaber from his belt. The moment ... the moment he had waited for for so many years ... had finally come.

Obi-Wan Kenobi stared at the two, Master and Apprentice ... and unclipped his own lightsaber. "We shall see." He simply replied. His blue blade hissed out of the hilt and hummed in the darkness of Korriban.

Tag: @LordTroepfchen, @SirakRomar, @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Ka'rta
Between Concordia and Mandalore

"No." This wasn't reply to Zey or really anyone in the cockpit. She didn't want to lose this ship. It was her home, her transport, the closest thing she had to a constant companion. It'd been with her for years her blood her in it, it stained the deck where she couldn't get it out. It represented everything she owned in this galaxy. The weapons, the knick-knacks, the stuffed squall she kept in her room, all of it was going up in smoke. And for what...for what! A blade that was never hers, that would unify the squabbling mandalorians for nothing more than a few years at most, a month or two was more likely.

Was it to save the galaxy? Did the galaxy matter? It could burn for all she cared. In the dark in the light it didn't matter, she could still work. And what had it given her? A life on the fringe, fighting tooth and nail for her next meal, putting her life on the line for people that never cared. What worth was the galaxy to her? She was sacrificing everything for a people that cast her out, and for a girl she didn't even know two days ago. She was insane, mad to keep doing this. There was no reward, no reason to be doing this. Fate was using her like a puppet, pushing her this way and that and damn how she felt about it. There was a story for her and she didn't have any control over it. The chain of history dragging her kicking and screaming towards something she never wanted. She was no Champion, she was no Hero, she was a merc, a criminal, an awful person that in another life would never do any of this. Fate an unseen hand was driving her towards this. And now she had no chance of turning this around. Not with her engines gone, fire all around. Fate was having its fun jerking her around by the chain it held her on and was taking everything from her in the process.

Somewhere someone was laughing at her taking sadistic pleasure in this torture. Enjoying her struggles and when she wasn't playing ball it forced her into the worst decisions she has ever made.

Now it was forcing her to sacrifice the only thing that truly matter to her. All of the memories she had before this madness, the time things were normal. They would never ever be again. If she survived.

With a shout a scream that could be felt if not heard throughout the galaxy, she slammed on the emergency release. An aftermarket modification she put on the ship. The cockpit broke away screaming, much like it's captain, away from the burning hulk of what was once her home, her real home. She turned her gaze to Madelyn, anger and vitriol in her hidden eyes. She was the cause of all this, the reason she was now leaving behind everything she ever loved.

"This Force damned crusade had better be shabala worth it di'kut." This was the untamed rage of a woman sacrificing everything for something that deep down she didn't truly believe in. Screaming at a woman that had never sacrificed anything in her life, not knowingly. Madelyn didn't have to push the button on her mind wipe, never had push the button that would destroy her own life. Now she was playing at being a mandalorian, with visions of being Manda'lor. What did she know about the galaxy, about loss. Nothing...and Ka'rta was giving up everything for this?

She had truly gone mad. Living only on instinct and a will to survive, being pushed around by fate and who knows what else. Being put in situations where she has two terrible choices. None of them what she wanted to do. Maybe it was time to give up and let fate take its course. Or fight against it with everything she had.

Though the thought of fighting was well behind her. She had to land the small piece of what is left of her life, she had to do it through her tears that fell from her chin onto her lap.

TAG: @Sinrebirth @TheSilentInfluence

 

IC: Madelyn Linnett
Between Concordia and Mandalore

Madelyn felt her stomach lurch as Master Zey protected them in the force. She reached forward and grabbed the back of his chair, terrified and yet exhilarated to be in the middle of the battle. Madelyn winched inwardly as the ship was shot clean through and glanced sadly at Ka'rta. She's right to be angry, but I know we can stop this. Stop all the fighting.

As Ka'rta yelled at her Madelyn turned away, closer to Master Zey as if by instinct. She gave her a hurt look but didn't say anything until they were falling towards the city below. "I'm sorry." Madelyn said quietly, and then she turned away; wondering just how they were going to end up finding the darksaber down there.

"Can you sense the darksaber? Lightsaber's can hold parts of the force right?" Madelyn asked Master Zey. I wonder what I was like as a Jedi. Master Zey must really care about me if he's stuck around this long.

Tag: @Sinrebirth @galactic-vagabond422

 

2 of 3

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul and Darth Zorn aka Luke Skywalker
Korriban, Valley of the Dark Lord

Maul attacked first. One leap towards Obi-Wan Kenobi and his blades began to dance. It was a lifetime away, the moment where Obi-Wan Kenobi had first fought the Zabrak Sith. Back then on Naboo, where he had taken his Master from him. The memory resonated in the force as they once again crossed their blades.

Kenobi's blue blade effortlessly blocked the red blades. Darth Maul had become more powerful, but Obi-Wan had become a master of both the force and the blade. He stepped back, blocking both blades as they hurled through Korriban's night. Then the force screamed with danger and Obi-Wan Kenobi ducked and brought his blade up just in time to block Luke's ... or was it Darth Zorn's ... attack. The boy now had yellow gleaming eyes and grinned as he extended his hand to unleash his dark power. Obi-Wan Kenobi extended his own hand and summoned the force. The effect of Luke's attack just vanished. Even here in the heart of darkness he was no match for a Master of the Force. Not yet. A single well aimed attack made Luke stumble back as Darth Maul approached for another furious approach. He attacked in a merciless series of stabs and slashes. Luke immediately jumped to his Masters side. His own attacks were controlled and well aimed, as he tried to circle into Obi-Wan's back. The Jedi Master began to retreat, turn and twist as he defended against strikes by all three blades. The two attackers were coordinated, changing sides, changing rhythms and speed. Luke had become a student of Darth Maul's way of fighting. Unpredictable and fast, precise and always applying pressure. But this was not any opponent. It was Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Obi-Wan allowed the force to guide every move of his blade, blocked and dodged, stepped out of reach and then closed in again and parried the attacks masterfully. Even when he retreated he applied pressure on both opponents with well aimed counter-attacks wherever their aggressive style of fighting opened their defenses. Finally he stopped retreating, he stopped defending and his blade began to strike at both opponents at a rapid speed. Darth Maul hissed out and Luke tried to overpower Obi-Wan Kenobi with one powerful swing. The Jedi Master stepped aside and the red blade missed him. The anger had made Luke sloppy, it had unbalanced him. A simple wave of Obi-Wan's hand and an equal wave in the force send Luke to the ground. Darth Maul used this moment to attack, just as Obi-Wan had predicted. The Jedi Master turned and his blade entered the Sith's machine leg. Sparks were flying. His blade missed the elder Jedi. The Sith half collapsed and a second strike cut his double bladed weapon in half and left a glowing mark on the Sith's chest. Maul screamed out in pain and before he could summon the Dark Side to defend him another wave of the force was directed from Obi-Wan's hand into the Zabrak's body. It hit him unprepared and he was jammed into a rock several meters behind as his body was hurled away. He collapsed immediately, feeling the pain of the Jedi Masters attack. The bitter taste of defeat spread. So simple and masterful Obi-Wan Kenobi had bested him. The pain spread with his fury in the force.

Calmly Obi-Wan Kenobi turned to the still lying Luke. He felt the boys fear, as his illusion of superiority was taken from him.

"You see how the Dark Side deceived you?" Obi-Wan asked him and stood over him, not attacking him. "You see that it is not stronger than the light?"

Tag: @Sinrebirth, @Lawbreaker, @LordTroepfchen

 

3 of 3




Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul and Darth Zorn aka Luke Skywalker
Korriban, Valley of the Dark Lord

Maul attacked first. One leap towards Obi-Wan Kenobi and his blades began to dance. It was a lifetime away, the moment where Obi-Wan Kenobi had first fought the Zabrak Sith. Back then on Naboo, where he had taken his Master from him. The memory resonated in the force as they once again crossed their blades.

Kenobi's blue blade effortlessly blocked the red blades. Darth Maul had become more powerful, but Obi-Wan had become a master of both the force and the blade. He stepped back, blocking both blades as they hurled through Korriban's night. Then the force screamed with danger and Obi-Wan Kenobi ducked and brought his blade up just in time to block Luke's ... or was it Darth Zorn's ... attack. The boy now had yellow gleaming eyes and grinned as he extended his hand to unleash his dark power. Obi-Wan Kenobi extended his own hand and summoned the force. The effect of Luke's attack just vanished. Even here in the heart of darkness he was no match for a Master of the Force. Not yet. A single well aimed attack made Luke stumble back as Darth Maul approached for another furious approach. He attacked in a merciless series of stabs and slashes. Luke immediately jumped to his Masters side. His own attacks were controlled and well aimed, as he tried to circle into Obi-Wan's back. The Jedi Master began to retreat, turn and twist as he defended against strikes by all three blades. The two attackers were coordinated, changing sides, changing rhythms and speed. Luke had become a student of Darth Maul's way of fighting. Unpredictable and fast, precise and always applying pressure. But this was not any opponent. It was Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Obi-Wan allowed the force to guide every move of his blade, blocked and dodged, stepped out of reach and then closed in again and parried the attacks masterfully. Even when he retreated he applied pressure on both opponents with well aimed counter-attacks wherever their aggressive style of fighting opened their defenses. Finally he stopped retreating, he stopped defending and his blade began to strike at both opponents at a rapid speed. Darth Maul hissed out and Luke tried to overpower Obi-Wan Kenobi with one powerful swing. The Jedi Master stepped aside and the red blade missed him. The anger had made Luke sloppy, it had unbalanced him. A simple wave of Obi-Wan's hand and an equal wave in the force send Luke to the ground. Darth Maul used this moment to attack, just as Obi-Wan had predicted. The Jedi Master turned and his blade entered the Sith's machine leg. Sparks were flying. His blade missed the elder Jedi. The Sith half collapsed and a second strike cut his double bladed weapon in half and left a glowing mark on the Sith's chest. Maul screamed out in pain and before he could summon the Dark Side to defend him another wave of the force was directed from Obi-Wan's hand into the Zabrak's body. It hit him unprepared and he was jammed into a rock several meters behind as his body was hurled away. He collapsed immediately, feeling the pain of the Jedi Masters attack. The bitter taste of defeat spread. So simple and masterful Obi-Wan Kenobi had bested him. The pain spread with his fury in the force.

Calmly Obi-Wan Kenobi turned to the still lying Luke. He felt the boys fear, as his illusion of superiority was taken from him.

"You see how the Dark Side deceived you?" Obi-Wan asked him and stood over him, not attacking him. "You see that it is not stronger than the light?"





Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul and Darth Zorn aka Luke Skywalker
Korriban, Valley of the Dark Lord

Luke ... Darth Zorn crawled backwards as Obi-Wan Kenobi stood above him. His blue blade bristled in the dark. Zorn's own weapon was lying nearby.

"You do not even have the strength to kill me, do you old man?" Luke ... Zorn hissed.

A meaningful question. Obi-Wan Kenobi knew the danger that the boy posed and yet he also knew the danger that killing him was. Such decisions resonated in the force. One fallen hero was more harmful than a thousand bragging Dark Jedi.

"I have the strength to spare you, despite what you have become." Obi-Wan calmly replied and stepped back.

Zorn extended his hand and his lightsaber returned to his hand. He leaped back to his feet pointing it at Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Then this shall be your end, Obi-Wan Kenobi." He gasped. Obi-Wan smiled sadly and nodded. Yes, he was aware of that.

"There is no death, Luke. There is only the force." He brought his lightsaber up before his face offering Luke the perfect opportunity to strike him down.

Darth Maul gasped and watched this moment. Triumph! At last he would see his enemy fall!

"Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can imagine." Obi-Wan Kenobi said and looked at the son of Anakin Skywalker as he approached him.

"Do it! Kill him!" Maul hissed slowly rising to his feet. He felt more angry than ever before. Obi-Wan Kenobi had bested him again. But the Jedi fool was beaten, not by a blade but by an attack far more brutal and painful. He had lost Luke to the Dark Side.

Luke ... Zorn ... looked over to his Master and then back to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Uncle Obi-Wan. He remembered meditating with him and Leia in the gardens of Naboo. It had been peaceful. He remembered Obi-Wan telling him for the first time about the force. The energy field that connected it all. Lies. Half-truths to hide the true nature of the force. He knew now.


Did he?


Slowly he stepped closer to Obi-Wan Kenobi and saw the calmness of the old Jedi Master. He felt his power. Like a beacon. A beacon of light in the darkness of Korriban. The Master had bested them, yet he had spared Zorn's life.

"I will do it." Luke hissed. Zorn hissed.

"I know." Obi-Wan smiled at him and in his smile was the pain of his defeat. Not yet complete, but so close ... yet in this defeat he had to find victory. In letting go he would rise above the pain, the darkness. Luke might fall, but Obi-Wan Kenobi would not. Not even a little bit. None of his fear or doubt ruled him now. With the certainty that the force was his ally he prepared for the inevitable.

"Strike him down and your journey to the Dark Side shall be complete." Maul screamed out and glared at the two men with feverish eyes. Zorn did not look at Maul. He ignored his screams. His eyes stayed focused on Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan Kenobi looked back. Nothing else.

"This is your end, old man." Zorn whispered and saw another smile on Obi-Wan's face. Forgiveness. He realized Luke was hesitating. Not Darth Zorn, but Luke Skywalker. The boy. And whatever remained of the boy, he forgave him for that.

Luke knew it too. The boy had to die. Darth Zorn knew the boy had to die. Obi-Wan Kenobi knew the boy was still there. Not strong enough to resist probably, but still there. It stood between the two men for an eternal moment.

Nothing ever ends ... the voice of Obi-Wan's old master whispered into his ear.

"Nothing ever ends." Obi-Wan Kenobi said.

Darth Zorn winced. He felt his hands tremble and his grip tightened around the cold steel of his weapon. He knew there was only one way to end this ... fear.

Obi-Wan Kenobi watched Luke and felt how the battle was lost. The battle for his soul was finally over. He nodded to Luke Skywalker and awaited the inevitable strike by Darth Zorn.

With an angry scream Darth Zorn brought his lightsaber to the side and the red blade bristled through the night as his swing aimed at Obi-Wan Kenobi's undefeated torso.

The Jedi Master did not show any reaction. He stood still there, his blade before his face with nothing but a forgiving smile on his features as the blade cut into him and ... he vanished.

He simply vanished.

His lightsaber and cloak fell to the ground and he was gone. As if he had never stood there accepting his death.



Zorn gasped in surprise. What had happened? What? Then he smiled. It was Darth Zorn smiling. Darth Zorn the murderer of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Luke Skywalker was gone.

"Your journey is complete." Maul said with satisfaction. A smile, a broad satisfied grin appeared on his face. It looked monstrous.

Slowly Darth Zorn turned to his Master.

"Yes, it is complete. You had your vengeance. I did what you were too weak to do yourself." Zorn smiled. "Master." The last words had mockery in them.

Darth Maul stared at the boy and nodded. He was rising above his Master. Slowly, but certainly he understood his path to power.

This would not be the last Jedi to die by Darth Zorn's hand. The Jedi ... no matter how few ... would not forgive him this act. Even if they did ... Darth Zorn no longer cared about forgiveness.

"A good beginning." Darth Maul hissed and gave his apprentice another truly wicked smile.

Not yet. Zorn whispered to himself. He had still much to learn and some of those lessons Darth Maul could teach him.

But it was clear now, he was not truly his Master. He only served a purpose.

Darth Zorn returned the wicked smile of his Master. In the force he felt something in the Zabrak Sith. Not power. Nor joy over his defeated enemy. It was fear. Darth Maul felt the fear the inevitable brought to the heart of even the most wicked men.

It was only Darth Zorn left smiling, standing over the remains of his slain enemy.

Tag: @Sinrebirth, @SirakRomar, @Lawbreaker

 

Mace Windu
Mimban...

The shockwave fried Windu's systems as it tore through his ship, buffeting it forward across the weapon's massive protruding backside, towards the dish, towards the Sith ship towing it beyond.

Mace Windu was aware of his systems failing, but knew, somehow - a tingling power in his thumbs, perhaps - that the blaster canons were online, and when he passed over the kyber, the world faded away save one bright shining target, and he depressed the triggers.

As if the Force willed it, the bolts found their mark, and the dish and crystal vanished - a huge detonation which consumed the ship dragging it towards the Separatist superweapon, which vanished into hyperspace.

The explosion passed, but not before wracking Mace’s fighter with even more damage, the weapons systems crumpling and the ship being thrown end over end backwards, towards the Death Star wreckage.

Success through sacrifice...

Dead in the water, as it were, Mace Windu watched the lights flash and sputter in the blackness, and other shockwave of concussive force buffeting his ship. An unfamiliar voice skipped across Windu's mind like a stone in the Force: Great shot, kid! That was one in a million! Windu allowed a smile to twist his face for a moment before closing his eyes and sinking into a meditation, slowing his breathing, making himself aware of the cold, of the small sounds of systems dying, of his elbows against the armrests of his skiff. There was a sadness settling in his stomach - the Jedi were truly gone. But this wouldn't be the first time. It may not be the last time it happens, either. The same voice, gruffer and older, like an echo: One boy, an apprentice, turned against him, destroyed it all.

There was brightness beyond it all.

The white enveloped Master Windu, once and for all. He crossed over, hearing voices that he never should have done, or maybe, voices that never should have been.

Or perhaps not.

The light resolved itself into searchlights, and a ship, and a tug upon his ship. He was drew into the bay of the ship, and she stood.



Windu allowed his head to fall back against the rest behind him. He snorted simply:

"You."

And then he slipped from consciousness.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

Anakin Skywalker
Rebel Base, Yavin IV

He felt the darkness and he knew it had been wrong. It had saved the Rebellion, but it had tainted him. He could anhabe tried more risky things, like ramming his X-Wing into the bridge or confuse the commander. Instead he had used his power ... his great power the force has bestowed on him ... to kill someone.

Darkness. It was still there. It was what this day had shown him. It would always be. Only be not giving in to it he could prevail and fulfill the silent promise he had given his old Master.

"This is General Skywalker of the Rebellion. Surrender accepted. We hereby accept command over your ship. Your men will not be harmed, you have my word." Anakin replied to the commander and reached out in the force to sense any deception. He did not.

"Gold Squadron stay in position. Blue you take the rear and prepare to take out the engines of the shield goes back up." He opened a comm to General Dodonna.

"As our men are already in the transports I need a tech crew and all infantry we have on the Star Destroyer. They shall meet me there." He smiled. A victory. "Then prepare to get everyone else on board."

He accelerated his X-Wing again and made his way to the hangar.

"Captain, I am coming on board. Meet me at the Hangar."

Tag: @Sinrebirth

ooc: Will have Anakin feel Obi-Wan's demise in my next post.

 

IC: Qi’ra/Ananke
Shuttle, Takodana forests

Leaving the still-unconscious Arek in the passenger hold, heavily sedated and thoroughly restrained, Qi’ra had moved to the cockpit of her shuttle and began prepping the engines for takeoff, not yet knowing where it was she would go next. She did know that her ship wouldn’t be discovered but she would remain careful nonetheless, being cautious and vigilant kept her from making mistakes. Most of the time.

The Dark Lord had taken the intel on the fleeing ship carrying Han and company off-planet and cast it aside. She had made her choice and would stick to it, only hoping her roundabout way of arriving here, at this moment, hadn’t been filled with too many errors on her part. She had to admit, releasing herself from the idea of the crystal had lifted a noticeable weight from her shoulders that she hadn’t been previously aware she was carrying. Braata’s ominous warnings – the Dark Man and receiving his unwanted attentions – seemed to be carrying at least part of the truth she was hoping it would.

And now, after all the chaos she had just been through, Qi’ra was suddenly annoyed that she had not heard any news from Arb. Considering what she had just learned of the disaster of the Death Star and the fortuitous deaths of so many Jedi along with its destruction, surely he would have something to report by now, if not before. She keyed in their encrypted channel on her comm, signaling him to contact her immediately. Her only thought on his silence was that the dear Emperor hadn’t taken to him being left behind as a watchdog, possibly disposing of him the second she had turned her back. If he was still alive, she wasn’t worried about possible interrogations… Arb was a special breed of lackey; he would not crack, no matter how much pressure was applied. Regardless, as she continued to thumb through the various reports she had received while gone, a forced inability to communicate would make the most sense seeing as it appeared Aryan Graul had managed a coup on her control over most of Death Watch and she hadn’t been warned of his plans.

“Clever,” she remarked dryly, baring her teeth. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she narrowed her stare at the boy she held captive. His father thought himself a smart man, but he would soon be reminded he didn’t hold an ounce of the power he thought he did. This time, she had a hunch he would actually listen.

Returning to her datapad, she centered in on the line of information passed on by ‘Patches’. She read along, sorting and prioritizing quickly, the most poignant of his messages falling in line last. Qi’ra’s eyes crawled over a name she loathed to even give thought to, her hands beginning to tremble as a feverish rage swept down upon her, its venomous hatred saved for one individual only – Maul.

Qi’ra had sensed him for a while now, though she had confused it with lingering loose ends. Seeing proof that he had managed to escape from Malachor, where she had abandoned him for death, it became much clearer what she had actually been feeling. The bond an apprentice builds with their master does not simply vanish, even when severed, and the Force had been peppering her with warnings through that empty thread this entire time. That he was on the move, that he was as calculating and devious as ever.

And with an apprentice of his own, a replacement, Luke Skywalker of all beings.

It became oppressively hot inside the small cockpit and she curled in on herself, leaning forward in the pilot’s chair to press her forehead to her knees. Her breathing came heavy as Qi’ra, Ananke, took the time to fully grasp that she was now without some of her most reliable and effective connections. Arb and Death Watch, both she had to assume were no longer hers to command lest she waste the time fighting for either. She was still the Lady of Crimson Dawn, however, and her vast network of spies and operatives would continue feeding her secrets, as evidence by all of what she still had to decipher within her most encrypted channels. Also by the sheer amount of knowledge she was in control of. But, Maul, the zabrak Sith she had bested before but foolishly chose not to kill when she had the chance, now encroaching on what was hers… what she had created and built… her final Master before she broke those chains herself.

A scream erupted from her throat, only partially muffled by the fabric of her slacks. A few alarms chimed from several panels on the walls around her in response to the pressure released by her outburst, the majority of which she had the focus to rein in. It would do her no good to rip apart her only means of getting off-world, and she desperately needed to regroup. Sitting up slowly, she accessed a hidden program on her datapad and entered in a code only she was privy to. In doing so, she sent out a remote call to her ship – the Aurora – to lock down all controls and go on cloaked auto-pilot to the coordinates of her choosing. Even if someone other than herself had gained access to the vessel since she had been forced to abandon it on Coruscant, they wouldn’t be able to stop it from answering her call.

Once that was accomplished, Qi’ra set to finishing the takeoff sequence, grateful for having something mindless to do as a reprieve from the onslaught of emotions she was dealing with. She didn’t care for this feeling of not having a handle on the things that were hers, and it was impossible to ignore the strange new sensation that was coming on over Takodana like a black cloud. Its weight was palpable upon the Force and its malevolence reached ahead like a spider intending to ensnare a victim in its web. It could be assumed this was the work of the mysterious Dark Man, the Force telling her to get the kriff out of there, or the unfortunate combination of both. Either way, she intended to do exactly that.

A last flick of a switch and she leaned back on the throttle, bringing the shuttle up to hover briefly before accelerating up through the tree canopy and into the skies above. She had a ship to catch.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth ( @HanSolo29 & @SirakRomar , for mentions)

 

Han Solo
Tokadano, Fortress

Han had not have a chance in orbit, so he had finally made the jump. Breathing out he smiled as he knew at least those on the ship were in safety now.

"Okay, we made it." He announced over comm. Meet me at the lounge." He leaned back and allowed a moment of exhaustion. Then he picked up the backpack and took out the fancy box. He smiled at it. The price was still save.

Finally he got up and went to the lounge to meet his passengers.


The white haired woman was explaining the situation they were in. The Rebellion was Lead now by one Anakin Solo. Even Han had heard of the dude. Legendary Jedi Master and great warrior. When he asked for the big guns, that was pretty much what he had in mind. Another space wizard, certainly. But one who was known to beat the odds. Quite much what they needed now.

Then she asked him where they were going.

"Nowhere really." He sighed. "We are letting them chasing us around. With this ship we should stay ahead of the game. At least long enough for you guys to come up with a plan." He folded his arms. "First stop is Tattoine, after that maybe Subternell. Karideph. Finally we go to Mandalore. That is where we need your guys ready to pick up a fight." He put his hand not off the fancy box Maz had provided. Poor dead Maz and her miserable brave plan. "They will follow us as long as we have the box. Which means we got everything we need to lure them into a trap and keep this thing from blowing up any more planets. Besides the super-weapon we can expect Black Sun, a notorious bounty hunter called Boba Fett and crazy Lady called Q'ira to follow us. The latter one is the one with the red lightsaber." He sighed. "We got a history." He sighed.

Tag: @Sinrebirth, @JediMasterAnne

 

IC: Senator Feyna Organa
Aboard the Ghost, Hyperspace

Coming out of a life-or-death situation, coupled with a bittersweet reunion, no one could blame the two young women for getting a little emotional after what the last couple of days had put them through. Throw in another dose of guilt over the deaths of Arek, Irenez, Wedge and Erso (yes, even him), and it didn’t take much to set Feyna off.

But she and Winter would have to console each other later. As they dried their eyes, Winter turned on her “Take-Charge-Voice” and asked the smuggler where they were headed. Tatooine, first, he answered. Eventually, Madalore.

From the sound of it, the idea was to lead the Separatists (and/or the Empire, Feyna guessed) on a wild bantha chase across the galaxy until they could rally the Rebels to destroy the superweapons.

On the plus side, now they had Anakin leading the Rebels at base. But so much of their resources had been lost at Alderaan. And so far, the Separatists seemed to be closest on their tail, and they still didn’t know how to destroy that superweapon. Irenez had sent the Death Star plans to the base, but they couldn’t assume that the CIS weapon carried the same fatal flaw as its Imperial counterpart.

But the Separatists still didn’t have the crystal yet, the final component to make their weapon functional, so at least it was the lesser threat. The box containing said crystal was sitting nearby. Feyna didn’t plan to let it or the smuggler out of her sight now that she’d found it, but she didn’t like being near it, either, having the destruction these crystals were capable of.

He’d pointed out that Black Sun, Fett, and the Vizier would also be coming after them. “Assuming they didn’t die when Wedge’s X-wing crashed,” Feyna noted, in regards to Fett and Qi’ra. She might have been suspicious of their pilot after he mentioned having a past with the Vizier, but evidently it hadn’t ended well, so Feyna let it go for now.

“Do you know if General Syndulla has already contacted the base about this plan,” she asked, glancing to the unconcious Twi'lek. “Or do we need to?”

TAG: @RachelTyrell @Sinrebirth