Writer's Challenge 6 - Action

Action! This one I'll have to think on, I'm use to doing simple hand-to-hand fight scenes or parts of a ground battle. Hmm...

 

Here is my contribution. Its from a scene of a story that is still in the works. I was inspired by an ESB scene.

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The ship turned and spinned so wildly the stars appeared as streaks rather then points of light. That is, if anyone had time to look. Salena was bent over her control board feverishly trying to plot a hyperspace jump, keep the rear deflector shields from failing, and try to stay in her seat as the inertial dampers failed to keep up with Trent's maneuvers.

"You've got to plot us a course out of here! Now!" Trent said though clenched teeth as an entire squadron of TIE fighters raced after them.

"If you'd find a way so we won't be hit on our aft shields, I would!" She growled back. "I just need another minute and I'll have a course and heading. So try to occupy their attention else where."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" he said as he sent the True Eclipse through a spin that seem to keep the TIE's shot from hitting home, albeit briefly.

"I don't know. Try attacking them for a change," Salena shouted. She tied not to look out the viewport as Trent spun the ship. If she did she was sure she would be sick.

"Attack! In case you forgot we have no weapons," he countered. The TIE's had now figured out how to shoot at them despite all the rotations Trent was putting the Eclipse through, so he added some up and down movement to keep them at bay.

"But we'll put all power in to the forward shields" she said, warming to her plan. "Then that might just buy us the time to get out of here."

He cast a quick sidelong glance at her "And if this doesn't work we're dead."

"We'll be dead if we don't. Either way it's worth a shot. Besides, do you have a better idea?"

"Well, when you put it that way." Trent suddenly jerked the controls so that the True Eclipse curved back to the way it had come. The TIEs were caught by surprise. Only a few veterans managed to get off a shot. The Eclipse plowed through the enemy squadron and even managed to take one out buy ramming the fighter with the fully charged forward shields. She then rocked as a few shots hit home, but it wasn't enough to stop her. The distraction provided Salena with enough time to get the coordinates from the navicomputer and call out a new heading.

"Are you crazy? That will take us past the Star Destroyer. Need I remind you that the empire doesn't call them Star Destroyers because they haul flowers!"

"Stop being such a wiener. If you want to live, that's the way we need to go."

By this time the TIE's had swung around and were once again behind them. Salena sent up a silent prayer that they some how make it to the safety of lightspeed. Trent once again made another series of twist and turns as Salena held on for dear life. Whether it was her prayer or Trent's flying Salena didn't know, nor cared. They made it to lightspeed just as the Star Destroyer's turbolasers targeted them.

 

Here goes...a Boba Fett vs a Jedi Knight. Feedback always welcome.

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[blockquote][b]Justice is Served[/b]

The tall-grass covering the massive plains whipped to the side against their will as the omnipresent wind brushed against the thin, yellow-green blades. A few pieces of foliage flew randomly through the air, riding the wind to a destination which neither leaf, grass, or seed knew where they were heading. The landscape was almost serene and relaxing to the tall armored figure standing ominously in a patch of thick grass. It would have been if his purpose for being here was not one of violence and death...

And justice.

Looking through the built-in macrobinoculars in his blue and silver, battle-battered helmet he spotted his quarry laying lazily in the field several klicks ahead. After all these years of hunting and searching, he had finally found the man and could not wait to bring justice to this person, even if that person had not committed the atrocious crime himself. But being an accomplice would be just enough for him to justify his actions today.

The armored figure looked to the sky, bent his knees and leapt into the sky just as the jetpack ignited its twin engines and propelled him into the air. He would be on top of his quarry in moments, but he knew he would not have the element of surprise like he normally would have had with more normal prey. This one was special, a rare breed in the galaxy these days and one he was going to make even more rare.

His quarry was a Jedi Knight.

And as he predicted, the Jedi leapt to his feet and had his purple lightsaber ignited and ready. The blue and silver armor adorned bounty hunter did not fire his modified rifle, knowing that it would be futile from this distance, instead he tilted his body so that his feet were heading straight for the force-user first as he descended toward the earth once more. At the last moment he let loose a rapid volley of blaster fire to distract his quarry and saw the crimson bolts be batted away by the violet blade with an unnaturalness only becoming of a trained Jedi.

The bounty hunter cursed as the Jedi called upon the force to hastely move out of the hunter's way just before impact. Booted feet landed hard on the ground, the jetpack disengaging before it could ignite the dry grass blades. He turned his helmeted head to gaze at and study his quarry. The Jedi was dressed in the traditional brown and khaki robes of his dead religion, the cloth blending easily into his light-brown skin. His head was hairless and reflected the sunlight. He almost resembled the man whom the bounty hunter hated, but he could see a difference in the younger Jedi Knight's features. His youth gave him away and reminded the armored figure that he was not the man he truely wanted to bring justice too.

"Who are you and why have you attacked me?!" the Jedi Knight demanded.

The bounty hunter did not reply with words but outstretched his arm and a tinsil of metal wire shot out and wrapped the Jedi in a death brace, pinning his arms in front of him. The Jedi struggled in the wire and attempted to get free with his lightsaber, but the bounty hunter yanked on the wire, sending the bound Jedi to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

"They call me Fett," he finally replied, his voice emotionless behind the mechanical external speaker.

"Fett?! But you're dead!" the Jedi exclaimed in confusion. "You died at Geneosis."

Fett ignited the engines of his jetpack and leapt into the air with his quarry trailing behind him. He kept his eyes on the sky until he was satisfied that they were high enough in the air before he looked down at the Jedi hanging beneath him. "Jango died at Geneosis, I'm here to bring justice for his murder."

"You have the wrong the Jedi, Fett!" protested the Jedi Knight.

"No. I have the right one. Killing the apprentice of Mace Windu will be the perfect justice for my father," the bounty hunter turned his blaster on his quarry but before he could fire a shot, the Jedi had sliced the purple blade of his weapon th

 

This isn't a contest so much as a charge to write outside your norm. I don't believe there's any specific due date, except I'd imagine Kit' will get a new one out next month.

 

No, there isn't a 'due date' as these are more for fun then anything else. Lots of the old challenges pop up from time to time with people still posting challenges.

At the moment the challenges come out on a monthly basis

Kithera

 

Here is my humble attempt...

The Pursuer

Two blasts of energy whizzed past Anakin?s ear in quick succession. They flashed through the dark corridor like lightning, searing Anakin?s eyes. Then the darkness returned, more profound. He ran, with Obi-Wan only paces ahead - and their pursuers much closer behind then he preferred. Their rapid steps echoed randomly in the long hall. Anakin wasn?t even sure what this building was. Obi-Wan had used the force to open the building?s doors in a vain attempt to evade their hunters.

?Anakin!? Obi-Wan grabbed his arm out the darkness. He found himself behind an immense stone pillar. It felt cool to his touch. He hadn?t even seen it - he couldn?t see anything.

He could hear the men approaching - their thunderous footfalls. His heart raced, but it was from the running. He wasn?t afraid.

There was a shout. Obi-Wan flinched beside him, but he didn?t jump. They couldn?t get caught. Were they trapped? He couldn?t see anything. He ran his hand over the cool metal of his lightsaber. If they came, he would fight them - and win. It was about time he stopped being the prey - he preferred being the hunter.

Beneath him he heard a groan. Screeching. What was that?

?Come Anakin,? Obi-Wan?s voice came from below, where the sound had been. Anakin noticed that the floor beside him was a shade blacker than the rest of the shadowed hall. A trapdoor.

He heard Obi-Wan?s soft landing as the older Jedi jumped down. Anakin crouched, ready to follow.

Stone shattered above him. He turned his head in surprise. The energy discharge had temporarily lit the hall, and he found himself face to face with a very dangerous looking man, who held a blaster levelled straight towards Anakin. He froze.

?Hey, it?s the little Jedi - ? Anakin glowered. The corridor was black again - his advantage. The force was with him.

?Other Jedi left without you?? The man had not seen the open trapdoor.

Anakin remained silent. It had sounded like there were other pursuers while they were running. The echo must have been playing tricks. He hadn?t seen any others in that split second and he couldn?t feel the presence of anyone else. Only the one man.

?Don?t move.? He could hear the man shuffling through his pockets as he muttered. ?Gotta get some light??

Anakin wrapped his hand around his lightsaber.

Careful, his mind told him. Or maybe it was Obi-Wan. It was risky using his lightsaber when he couldn?t see. He could accidentally deal a mortal blow. Anakin reached out to the Force, which told him where the man stood and where he would stand in the near future.

The same man who wanted to kill him and Obi-Wan.

In a blur of blinding azure, Anakin activated the blade and swung down at the man.

There was no cry. Only the muffled sound of a limp body hitting stone. He had missed the blaster, missed the arm. In the pale blue light, he could see a clean cut, from the shoulder down to the torso.

With a shuddering breath he turned off his lightsaber and went to follow his Master.

 

Kit', would it be possible to edit the first post to provide links to all the other challenges? Or at least one link to the last challenge before this one, and then a link in that challenge to the last one before it, and so on, so that they're all connected somehow? It'd be nice to be able to find one challenge thread, and then go back and read the others without having to search the boards for them.

 

I'll try Jane

Kithera

Done: All linked backwards and forwards Expect also to see a new thread about challenges soon.

 

That's great, Kit', thanks!

 

Here's a little something I whipped up... (it's also a little link to my real fan fic)

Battle of Polneye

Blasters sang through the air in rhythmic patterns, with each side exchanging fire at an equal rate. The dust of battle swirled, blinding those who were ill equipped and washing away the weaklings of both armies. The Alliance struggled to keep a hold of the Polneye fortress, their only stronghold in the Koornacht Cluster and even then it was the most remote of any within their reach.

The Yevethan troops came in waves of dozens. With each passing, dozens more fighting on the side of the Alliance died, succumbing to the dewclaws that slit their throats or the heat of rapid blaster fire. The numbers dwindled, and it seemed as if though the Yevetha had an endless supply of living troops.

Knowing that they couldn?t hold, the commander issued a retreat, forcing the Alliance to fall back into the command center. The attacking Yevetha screamed, yelling out unfamiliar battle cries. Their morale had only grown with the rise of their new leader and the defeat of the Alliance back on N?zoth. News had spread much faster than top Alliance-Intelligence officials had originally anticipated.

The Alliance soldiers fell back, sealing the blast doors and jamming them. They could hear the Yevetha bang against the thick durasteel doors. The defending soldiers lined up in front of the blast door, knowing that somehow the Yevetha fighters would find a way in.

A snap hiss was heard beyond the lines of troops. Several of the Alliance soldiers looked back to see a scantly-clad female Twi?lek, brightly colored red, with a two hand grip on a lightsaber with glowed with a brilliant shade of violet. ?Just hold out for a while longer. The transports should be ready soon.?

Many of the troopers nodded gleefully, knowing that they would be out of this hell hole sooner than later. The continuous banging stirred uncertainty in some of the soldiers, convincing them that this was the end. If the blast door failed to keep the Yevetha out, it would all over.

The blast door began to glow a faint red at the middle, mixed with a tint of yellow and orange. The banging ceased, but the war cries persisted. One trooper, a chubby, brown haired Corellian, felt the surface of the door, and quickly retracted his hand and covered it with his sleeve. ?It?s hot! They?re burning through!?

?Just hold them for a little longer. Set your blasters to kill.? The Twi?lek ordered, tightening her grip on her Jedi weapon. She saw the lines of soldiers ready their blasters and focus towards their only means of indirect defense, which was melting away right before their eyes.

The door sparked and blew away. Chunks of durasteel couldn?t stop the Alliance troops from firing the first round and mowing down Yevethan rebels. Molten steel flung into the eyes of the front lines, and they fell in pain as the second line fired their assault.

The Yevetha fought back with their own energy weapons, firing upon sight. Their aggressiveness was unmatched and they killed ruthlessly. The second line struggled to repel the Yevethan troopers. Soon they fell to a lack of firepower. The third line began another defensive assault, firing in sequence. Yevethan troopers fell one at a time, after being blasted in the chest. Their brain cages fractured underneath the energy bolts and their bodies became black with burning blood.

The Yevetha differed from the Alliance greatly; they favoured death instead of life, believing that it purifies them and separates them from the ?filth? of the Galaxy. This greatly affected their fighting ability, since they would fight to the death with no surrender in mind.

There seemed to be an endless army attacking the command center. The third line was reduced to scrap after a Bothan trooper became a victim to a blaster bolt. The fourth and last line commenced firing. The tension rose in the Twi?lek?s fingers as she became fixated in a favourite defensive position. She could see the twisted, skull-like faces of th

 

I'll take this challenge, though mine's going to be starfighter action. And anyone who has Rogue Squadron II will recognize the scenario. Sorry also if it's a bit long.

The A-wing cork screwed out of control, turbo-laser blasts flashed past the pilots canopy. The pilot looked up slightly and saw the bulbous deflector tower of the Star Destroyer, with an exertion that was almost beyond the Twi`lek, she pulled back on the stick guiding her ship into the construction, her last thoughts were ?Finally, it?s over.?.

?Green two?s down!? A voice shouted over the com-link.

?Understood.? Major Tegan Aruoda said. ?Three you?re with me.? She dove towards the surface of the Star Destroyer, firing her laser cannons at one of the large ion cannons. A TIE was on her back, she cursed. ?Three get him off me!? She switched to concussion missiles and launched two directly at the cannon. She pulled up in the middle of the explosion, a roll and dive showed her that she had been successful. A turbolaser bolt flashed past, taking her shields with it. She cursed again; A-wings weren?t designed to attack capital ships! She hit her rudder pedal and found herself in front of a TIE fighter; out of reflex she fired her laser cannons destroying the port solar panel. She banked and looked over the hull of the Imperial class Star Destroyer; there were small fires everywhere on it, testament to the skill of her pilots in taking out turbolaser emplacements. Her fighter jolted, another TIE on her tail. ?Three, where are you?! I don?t have shields!? She pulled up and rotated on her axis a bit and then turned the accent into a loop. She broke out of the loop and found herself facing the bridge of an Alliance frigate. ?Boys, helps arrived!? She shouted over the com-link while pulling up, out of the way of the ship, X-wings and B-Wings and other assault craft came in.

?A-wing units, pull back and keep those fighters off us.? A voice said over the com-link.

Tegan could?ve shouted with joy, Wedge Antilles was there, along with the rest of Rogue Squadron. They?d save the Razor. ?You heard the man Green Squadron, pull back and focus on those fighters.? She glanced behind her and saw a red A-wing was on her wing.

?Hope you don?t mind me acting as your wing Major.? A cultured voice sounded.

?No, problem Tycho.? She said over the com-link. Tycho Celchu was Rogue Squadron?s resident A-wing jockey and she would happily have one of the best A-wing pilots as her wing anytime. She returned her attention to the battle where a trio of squints was on the tail of a pair of X-wings. She pushed her throttle open and fired her linked lasers into one of the squints, Tycho took the other. They both exploded spectacularly.

?Thanks for the help.? One of the pilots called out.

?Just ask for help if a Squints to fast for you.? Tegan said joking about the A-wing?s speed compared to that of an X-wing. ?Green Three, you got a TIE on your arse!? She called out as she saw a TIE sinking in behind the green A-wing. She rolled and banked until there was a targeting lock on the ship, she switched to missiles and let one fly. It shot through the top of the ship to explode inside blasting everything outwards. Tegan looked up and saw a squadron of TIE bombers being launched from the Star Destroyer. ?Green Squadron, forget the eyeballs and squints, go after the dupes!? She fired at the first ship launching out of the bay. It exploded, she shifted her fire to the second and watched as it also exploded, she saw green bolts of light travel in front of her, she looked back and saw a squint on her tail.

?I?ve got him Green Lead.? Tycho said destroying the ship.

Tegan sighed in relief and fired at the TIE Bomber in front of her, it exploded and she heard something ?ping? on her ship as she traveled through the debris cloud. She banked and saw the rest of the bombers were destroyed, all except one which was almost in firing range of the cruiser.

?All fighters, the Redemption?s shields are down! Protect the Redemption!? A voice from the cont

 

It seems like it always takes me so long to come up with something. Well, I appreciate this challenge because a fic I'm working on needed an early action chapter to break up some of the 'interpersonal play'.

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[b]Escape from Nar Shaddaa[/b]

Fenton Tuscola leaned against the durasteel wall, panting heavily with sweat trickling down his brow, and wishing that his blaster hadn?t been drained of power. He tried to slow his breathing. [i]I don?t get it. One minute I?m cashing in a bounty for retrieving a stolen data pad and returning it to Garpazzo the Hutt, and the next he has his goons gunning for me. What happened?[/i] As his breathing became less laborious, he noted that he could not detect the sound of approaching footsteps. He dared to peek around the corner, and a blaster shot landed centimeters from his head. His cheek was briefly showered in a fine spray of sparks. His head retreated behind the durasteel cover in a swift jerk. He managed to briefly see his assailant on a nearby rooftop before the blast struck: it was Garpazzo?s favorite bounty hunter, Nola Quamal. Her dark red-dyed hair was tied back tightly behind her head as usual, which echoed the taut muscles that were plainly visible beneath her yellow-toned skin. In her right hand was a blaster, in her left was a cord ? she was about to rappel down the building to get to street level. She was a vicious hunter, who considered Garpazzo a friend almost as much as an employer, but no one knew how that relationship came about. It wasn?t often that a human befriended a Hutt.


He didn?t have far to go to get to the spaceport, where he landed his Corellian freighter under the alias of Tantuso Fencol, which he often used when traveling covertly. He sprinted away as he faintly heard her drop to the ground behind him. ?That was just a warning shot,? he heard as he darted around another corner. He quickly tried to weigh his two options: continue to run as fast as he can, or attempt to lose her. He suspected that Nola knew Nar Shaddaa better than he did, so he decided to drop the second option from consideration; and yet, she was far more lean and athletic - he would never make it to his ship in time if he tried to simply run. [i]There must be a third option![/i] A blue beam buzzed past his head. [i]Stun setting! She?s trying to take me alive. I don?t know what Garpazzo?s problem is, but I can?t allow myself to find out that way.[/i]

?Stop now and I?ll take it easy on you, Tuscola,? she called out derisively. ?I may only break one of your bones.? A second blue blast nearly clipped his leg. He imagined that he felt a weakening of his knee as it passed.

[i]Ah, I?m approaching Chorlitah?s Way ? a main thoroughfare. The commuters and pedestrian traffic has been sparse so far, but once on the Way I should have plenty of cover. Enough for?yes! I almost forgot![/i] Fenton Tuscola managed to avoid two more stun blasts before turning the last corner to Chorlitah?s Way. [i]Now! Before she rounds the corner![/i] Part of his Fenton Tuscola persona involved hair appliqués and makeup. There wasn?t enough time to remove the light-colored epidermal makeup, which covered his somewhat darker olive-colored skin, but he hastily tore off the blonde hair appliqués. What were once blonde eyebrows and beard became jet-black eyebrows and moustache only. Next he quickly removed and reversed his hooded cloak, so that what had been a deep red color was replaced with a drab brown. As he re-clasped the cloak and drew the hood over his eyes, he dropped down against the wall. [i]This was always such a last-resort tactic; I nearly swore to never try it?and that nearly caused me to forget about it entirely![/i]

*****

Tuscola surprised Nola Quamal. Those few times that she was in attendance during Garpazzo?s meetings with Tuscola she had received a different impression from him. He always seemed slow, flashy, and aloof ? as if he came from affluent circles, and that his scheming alone would suffice. He certainly did not seem to be one wh

 

Story got longer and longer until it seemed more sensible to post an extract rather than the entire thing.

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Rahere noted with satisfaction the gap that had developed between the T-wings and the R-41s, it wasn't a vast gap but it was enough to let him concentrate forces for a few moments. One final check of his weapon systems and he opened a comm-channel.

"Beta squadron, concentrate on portside T-Wings," Rahere ordered, "Alpha and Gamma will take starboard, Alphas- be prepared to break off and attack R-41s."

Rahere watched the range to target figure shrink as the two formations of fighters approached each other. The Imperials were maintaining formation on each other with near perfection, long hours of drilling making this so automatic that it required little conscious attention, while the pirates were hardly in a formation at all.

"Break," Rahere ordered succinctly, following his own order and increasing his Interceptor to full speed as he curved it around.

The TIE Fighters and Interceptors blossomed smoothly out of squadron formation into wing-pairs, each one picking a target and moving into the attack without interfering with the others lines of fire. In contrast the pirate T-Wings barely managed to avoid collisions in their disorganised response as their pilots cut across each other's paths and turned onto different courses at different speeds.

Rahere dropped his gunsight ahead of a T-Wing and triggered a burst from his quad cannon, the enemy fighter's shields lit up with yellow as they absorbed this punishment and then collapsed. Rahere pulled up and half rolled to clear the way and signal his wingman to fire, more laser fire streaked towards the T-Wing and took it in the middle of what was probably meant to be an attempt to evade.

Rahere continued the roll and arc as the T-Wing disintegrated what was now "beneath" him and picked another target who was firing without success at one of the Gamma squadron TIE Fighters. Gamma-Six was dancing his fighter around, orange laser fire hissing past him, and blocking the T-Wing from being able to get past him to assist the T-Wing that Gamma-Five was busy reducing to scrap, hampered slightly by only having twin cannon.

Rahere let a long burst fly and cleared the T/Fs tail as the T-Wing went evasive under this assault. The other T-Wings shields and armour finally gave way and as it exploded Gammas Five and Six whipped around to attack their attacker. Rahere felt tempted to join them and finish the target whose shields he had just reduced to almost nothing, but the R-41s were getting close.

"Alphas," Rahere ordered as he curved his TIE Interceptor around onto the new course, "reform on me, secondary break. Repeat, secondary break."

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Rest can be found on the Beyond the Saga board under title of Faith to Believe

 

I just felt like writing about a Dark Jedi for this. And so here's my attempt.

The Last Stand

They wanted to kill him. Jak knew it. But they wouldn?t, he told himself. They couldn?t. It made him smile. Jedi mercy was so predictable.

They circled him, igniting their lightsabers in turn, wearing expressions of utter calm, though Jak did not doubt inside they felt hatred. There were five of them, a company of Knights. Jak looked at them with contempt.

The deserted marketplace was silent for a moment, the gentle breeze and the hum of the lightsabers, the only noise that could be heard. It didn?t last long. One of the Jedi, a male Twi?lek, suddenly launched himself forward with his lightsaber raised, blue blade humming through the air towards Jak, who instinctively rolled away, before he rose up with a hand raised and a Force push released to keep his attackers at bay for a second.

He wasn?t a Jedi himself, no. They called him a Dark Jedi. He used what they called the ?dark side?. He didn?t care much for their names. He used the Force as it was meant to be used.

?You?re cornered,? spat the first Jedi, a young male human, who flourished his yellow lightsaber menacingly. Behind him, another Jedi, a female Zabrak, sent her own Force push towards Jak, knocking him backwards into a wall. It had taken him by surprise, and he lifted himself to his feet slowly, activating his own lightsaber as he did so, the crimson blade coming to life as he twirled it around in his hands. He silently cursed himself for getting into such a situation.

He had killed two Jedi Masters and their padawans here on Onderon. They had been hunting him, but they were so painfully stupid. Certainly blinded by their precious lightside. Jak hadn?t even seen them face to face. He?d set a simple trap for them. Once they were dead, he expected an investigation from the Order. But he hadn?t expected that investigation team to be five fully trained Jedi Knights to come after him. Now, perhaps it was too late. Too late for any cunning traps, anyway. No option but to stand and fight.

He let the darkside embrace him, fill him with dark courage and strength. He stepped nearer to the closest Jedi, the male Twi?lek. Jak moved fast, sending a more powerful Force push than the one before zooming towards the Jedi?s arm, causing the lightsaber to go flying out of his hand. Before anyone could respond, Jak released a short, sharp volley of Force lightning at the defenceless Jedi, blasting him into the air. Immediately two of the other Jedi charged at Jak, sabers arcing towards him. He parried a strike and ducked under another, dancing between the Jedi as they tried to wound him. There was another male human with a green lightsaber who rushed in with an overhand strike. Jak dived underneath the attack and rolled to another wall, pushing himself up against the crumbling yellow stone and switching off his saber.

?I-I give in,? he mumbled, holding his hands up and dropping his lightsaber to the ground. ?You have won, Jedi.?

There was a moment?s confusion from the Jedi. They had obviously not expected this. They just wanted to kill this Dark Jedi murderer. But they couldn?t strike down a defenceless opponent. It went against all their teaching. And was exactly what Jak expected.

Nearby, the Twi?lek still lay on the floor, breathless from Jak?s lightning attack. One of the other Jedi moved to help his wounded friend, and the other three Jedi moved slowly towards Jak.

?You deserve to die,? snarled one of them. Jak put on his most fearful, cowardly face, practically snivelling before his enemy.

?You?you can?t kill me?y-you?re Jedi,? he stuttered, looking pitiful, his hands clasped before them. ??Have some mercy??

?It?s obviously a trick,? growled one of the Jedi. ?Let?s kill him and end this.?

There was a second of hesitation from the group. That was all Jak needed. He had been preparing himself through the Force. A rock came hurtling through the air behind them, guided by Jak with all his focus in the Force, to crash into one of

 

Well, this is me typing in the post window in a hurry! I decided to do something a little less noble...

The alley next to the cantina was dark, filthy and seemingly bottomless. It's murk conrenrs had attracted fetid overspill from the clientele of the bar, ranging from empty flimsiplast food containers to organic waste worthy of an toxi-recyclant plant. Light spilled from the open kitchen doorway, its warm neon glow brushing sickly highlights on wrappers and slicks of muck.

Marcus Antilles, wages clerk of Kalidos Data Supplies, stumbled into the welcoming, sticky darkness of the alleyway and moaned. Never again. Why had he thought that sabacc was a good game to unwind with? How much money had he lost? How much lum had he drunk? Well, most of it was patterning the walls by now. Turning to leave, he came face to face with the tallest Bothan he'd ever laid eyes on. They looked down at him.
"I was hoping you'd be here." the alien had to be male. Marcus dimly remembered him laughing with the guy just five minutes ago, before he'd realised he couldn't pay the money and had left to visit the fresher, escaping by means of a window.
"Uuuuhhhh........" He thought desperatley. The Bothan grinned and raised one huge fist.
"You owe me a lot of credits, human. Almost two thousand. How much do you think each of your legs is worth?"
Marcus stifled a yelp and ducked. Rolling under his opponent's legs, he took a brief guess at anatomy, he kicked upwards and was rewarded when the Bothan crumpled, clutching his groin. Rising up behind him, the scrawny man raised both hands together, balled into a double fist, and slammed them into the back of the alien's neck. This didn't achieve much, but, as Marcus reflected as he fled into the night, it meant he hadn't just won by fighting dirty.

Better not visit that bar again....