First Reply A Distracted Jedi

[Braze]

Tags: Gario Galahad

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Now that was an actionable plan Braze could get behind.

He bounded up the nearest wall and scrambled onto the roof, taking off along its edge before hopping the next gap. At the far side he dropped into a loose somersault, using the Force to bleed away the worst of his fall before his boots touched down and carried him westward again.

Braze spared a quick glance behind him, checking that the MagnaGuards were still following. That was one thing he liked about droids: once their processors settled on a directive, they tended to stick with it. Excellent for kiting.

"Copy that," Braze relayed between short breaths. "I'm sure you'll hear this, so be ready to move."

The perimeter fence came into view soon enough, along with the fuel drums Gario had mentioned. Braze skidded across the rain-softened grime, sending a muddy spray from beneath his boots as he turned toward them.

He drew the smaller lightsaber from his belt and ignited it before sending it forward in a spinning throw, borrowing one of Ko Vuto 's favored techniques. Braze kept the hilt under telekinetic control, guiding the violet blade toward one of the drums and attempting to rake it across the metal, hoping whatever fuel or fumes remained inside would make enough noise to draw every eye westward.

He was already moving again before the saber completed its path, intending to break away from the blast site while the guards/and, hopefully, the droids/had something louder to worry about.

 

[Gario Galahad]

The explosion went off with a heavy thud, rattling the metal air duct right against Gario's chest. Down through the grate, the Quarren captain jumped out of his chair, shouting orders over the sirens as red lights flashed against the walls.

"West perimeter! Get out there!" the Quarren said, waving a thick hand toward the hallway. The guards took off running, their heavy boots pounding down the hall. Out in the yard, the two MagnaGuards from earlier moved across the mud. Their long metal limbs springing off the side of a cargo container and flipping clear over the chain-link fence without losing their balance.

The purple sparks from their electrostaffs left bright streaks in the rain as they hit the ground running straight for the smoke to chase down Braze . Gario watched them go from a small window nearby, shaking his head. "Kid wasn't kidding about those two." Once the office was empty, Gario kicked the metal grate free and dropped down. He landed hard on the floorboards, his knees giving out a bit from the drop before he caught his balance against the desk.

He reached over, yanked the data-pad out of the glowing terminal port, and shoved it into his tunic. Heavy boots started coming back down the hallway outside. Gario pulled his lightsaber from his belt, thumbing the switch as he backed toward the open window. He pulled out his com-link with his other hand, keeping his eyes on the door handle as it started to turn.
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[Braze]

Tags: Gario Galahad

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Braze braced against the wave of heat fanning outward from the ruptured tank and reached up, catching his saber once more. He bounded up a nearby wall, catching the roof’s edge, and hauled himself atop the building. There, he drew a second saber: a short blade wielded much like a parrying dagger, with three prongs forked around its hilt like a sai.

He positioned himself beyond the steep incline of the roof and waited, intending to force the two MagnaGuards through the narrow approach rather than grant them room to surround him. The moment one appeared over the edge, Braze thrust out his hand and attempted to drive it backward with a mighty Force push, preferably into the guard climbing behind it.

Anything to bottleneck their advance and keep from fighting both at once.

The second would be charged and head on with a flurry of sharp prodding attacks from the raipier styled blade.

 

[Gario Galahad]

The office door burst open, but instead of rushing into the room, the guardsmen ducked behind the heavy doorframe for cover. Red blaster bolts from heavy carbines flooded the office forcing Gario to bring his lightsaber up to defend himself as he deflected the first few shots into the walls and ceiling.

The sheer volume nearly overwhelmed him as one shot slipped past him, hitting him in the left shoulder. The rounded pauldron took most of the hit but the impact of the high-powered weapon sent a sharp pain down his arm and causing him to stumble. Gario grunted as he reached out with his off-hand, grabbing a heavy wooden packing crate resting near the desk, and shoved it across the floor with a hard Force push.

The crate crashed into the doorway, smashing into the lead guardsman and blocking their line of sight for a fraction of a second. He leaped through the doorway into the corridor, deflecting two incoming bolts back into the metal walls, sliced through the barrel of the nearest carbine, and brought his blade across to take down the remaining two guardsmen before they could clear their jammed weapons.

Out by the west perimeter fence, the two MagnaGuards closed in on the rooftop with terrifying coordination. As the first droid topped the incline, the heavy Force push from Braze caught it mid-climb, hurling its metallic frame backward over the roof's edge to crash into the mud below.

The second MagnaGuard sprang off the roof gutter, doing a tight flip through the air to bypass the bottleneck completely. It landed just a minute later, spinning its purple electrostaff to defend itself before launching an aggressive counter offensive.
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[Braze]

Tags: Gario Galahad

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Braze was worried about how well the old man was doing on his end of things. He hadn't heard back from him, but he couldn't let his thoughts linger on Mister Gario as the second MagnaGuard pressed him aggressively toward the nearby ledge.

It wasn't merely attacking him, either. The steady advance was deliberate, each step stealing away another sliver of room until Braze realized the machine was actively herding him toward the drop.

He dashed off to the side, dropping into a low roll as he swept his smaller blade toward one of its legs. Severing the limb would certainly solve the immediate problem, but even forcing the MagnaGuard to shift its footing or interrupt its advance might buy him enough room to slip away from the ledge.

The last thing he needed was for the first one to get back up and catch him in a pincer attack. Being trapped between the two of them would most certainly be bad. Apparently, dealing with one murderous droid at a time was simply too much to ask of the little guy at present.

 

[Gario Galahad]

The MagnaGuard intercepted the low leg sweep with its electrostaff, the metal clashing as the droid used its leverage to push Braze's short blade aside. In one smooth motion, it turned on its heel and aimed the crackling tip of the staff directly at Braze chest. Below the roofline, the first droid emerged from the mud. It drove the butt of its staff into the ground and vaulted into the air, landing right behind Braze.

The two droids immediately went for a coordinated attack, one delivering a heavy overhead strike while the other protected its side, using the hum of their purple staffs to trap the kid between them. In the muddy yard, Gario sprinted across the wet gravel. He turned just as three guards charged through the side exit behind him, blasters drawn. Gario extended his hand, forcefully slamming the heavy blast door shut with a force push.

The thick metal door hit the lead guard's face, causing the other two to stumble. The remaining guards tried to aim their carbines, but Gario moved in quickly. The curved hilt of his lightsaber fit comfortably in his hand, allowing him to adjust the angle of his blade with slight wrist movements. He flicked the hilt, sending two red bolts back into the guards' chests before they could escape.

Gario turned off his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt, brushing wet gray hair from his eyes as he glanced up at the west roof. Through the rain, he spotted the bright purple flashes of electrostaffs pinning Braze against the edge. The kid was holding his own, but he was quickly running out of space.
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[Braze]

Tags: Gario Galahad

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Braze was sharply shoved back as the staff caught across his shoulder, sending a jolting shock through his body as he tried to move. He answered by shifting into a blend of Ataru and Makashi, putting both blades to work through a Jar'Kai style adaptation.

Fortunately, each electrostaff could only threaten so much space at once. Unfortunately, the MagnaGuards seemed well aware of that limitation and compensated through coordinated attacks, one committing while the other guarded its opening and threatened whatever avenue Braze might use to escape. He couldn't allow himself to be caught squarely between them.

Braze yielded ground little by little, redirecting one staff with the longer blade while the shorter worked close to guard and probe for openings. Every retreat surrendered another precious measure of rooftop, and there was precious little left behind him.

With a touch of focus, Braze hurled himself deeper into the Force. His movements blurred as he poured everything he could spare into sharpening his thoughts and accelerating his body, desperately searching through each shift of stance, each tightening grip, each and every minute change in the MagnaGuards' timing for something he could exploit. He needed a flaw, or even just a small hesitation leaving some measure of space before they closed him down completely.

 

[Gario Galahad]

Gario didn't wait around for Braze to fall off the ledge. He bent his knees and launched himself into the air with a Force jump, clearing the roofline and landing behind the nearest droid with a heavy splash of rainwater. He flicked his curved lightsaber to life and drove the blue blade toward the droid's back. The machine picked up the movement, turning on its heel to catch Gario's blade on the center of its staff just inches from its body.

Gario kept his footwork simple and grounded, stepping back into a wide stance to keep his balance on the slick roof tiles. He didn't try anything fancy. He let the curved hilt do the work, using small wrist turns to slide his blade along the electrostaff, parrying the droid's heavy counter-swings without wasting his strength. The MagnaGuard pressed forward, raising its staff for a heavy overhead strike.

Gario ducked low beneath the swing, letting the purple glow pass right over his wet hair. As the droid's arms came down, Gario thrust his curved hilt upward at an angle, plunging the blue plasma straight through the center of the droid's chest plate.

The machine froze, sparks showering from its chest as its red eyes went dark. Gario kicked the dead frame off his blade, letting it crash onto the roof, and turned toward the second droid still pressing Braze.
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[Braze]

Tags: Gario Galahad

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The little Echani continued to do his best, putting forth every scrap of effort he had left, burning hot as he counted a few carefully timed breaths in his head with each exchange of blows.

Braze didn't look away from his opponent even as Gario joined the fray at his side.

"I'd complain about the wait," Braze began between a pair of fast counters, "but I've been occupied~!" he chirped, the words broken between measured breaths as he kept careful track of each inhale, supplying his straining muscles with precious oxygen throughout the burning exchange.

Still, he did not need to look toward the Jedi to appreciate the impressive footwork and practiced handling of an experienced Makashi user. Braze was already putting his perception through his sphere of influence to good use as he fought, keeping Gario's movements within that broader awareness without allowing his attention to abandon the MagnaGuard before him.

And, truthfully, he was rather grateful for the much desired relief; With Gario drawing away some of the pressure, Braze no longer needed to divide his attention between two converging threats. His focus narrowed sharply upon the remaining MagnaGuard as he drew a sharp, quick breath in.

Braze slipped backwards beneath the next exchange, allowing the violet blade to give ground rather than contest the electrostaff outright. The shorter weapon turned in his opposite hand, its blue pronged guard angling toward the staff as though he meant to catch it between the forks and wrench its line aside with mild leverage aptly applied.

Then he moved terrifyingly fast as the smaller figure suddenly stepped into the MagnaGuard's reach as his slight frame dipped low, one foot planting as the other swept around behind him. The motion coiled tight before driving through his hips and releasing upward, carrying him into a close twisting vault along the MagnaGuard's flank.

The violet saber rose beneath the droid's arm, its point angled with exacting precision toward the narrow mechanical seam where shoulder met torso. His shorter blade remained nearer the electrostaff, poised to catch, bind, or redirect the weapon while Braze slipped around the machine's reach. What strength remained was poured into accuracy, each thrust and narrow cut seeking the minute vulnerabilities where armored plates parted around moving joints.

His footwork carried him around the MagnaGuard's outside in a tight circuit, constantly altering the angle from which his blades approached. The violet point withdrew from beneath the shoulder only to dart toward the mechanisms of the elbow, then lower toward the articulation behind the knee, while the shorter saber threatened neighboring seams from the opposing side. Every shift of his feet brought another angle, and yet another attempt to slip a blade into some minute opening necessary for the machine to bend, turn, or bear its weight.

Braze kept moving around it, drawing the larger droid into following his position and forcing it to continually adjust its footing to keep him within reach as he perforated it's vulnerable points with mean nasty little jabs that required more of his focus for timing. He watched those adjustments closely, waiting until its weight committed itself to the next turn before opening his palm and releasing a short, concentrated burst of the Force along the same direction the MagnaGuard was already moving, attempting to catch it during the transfer of its balance and drive it sharply off-kilter before its footing could settle.

"Glad you're on my side," he said finally, between a few heavy pants watching the second one fly off the edge of the building with enough force to slam in to the wall across the way.

 

[Gario Galahad]

"Keep your complaints to yourself; I'm not the help desk." Gario stepped forward after confirming the second magnaguard was disabled, his boots beginning to slip on the wet roofing tiles below. He held his lightsaber close, skillfully moving his blade to block any swings from the electrostaff as the droid attempted to turn toward him.

He wanted to observe what Braze could do independently, nodding in silent approval at the boy's impressive footwork. It was clear he had been trained by the New Jedi Order, but likely by an unconventional master. The Magnaguard adjusted its position to defend against the strikes from the twin lightsabers, swinging its staff to protect its side.

It shifted its stance to respond to any quick movements, but as it made another attempt, it was thrown back by telekinesis. As the droid began to slide across the roof, Gario seized the opportunity and drove his curved blade through the machine's upper body.

Sparks erupted from its core as he anchored himself on the roof and pushed the damaged droid onto the other one below. Gario turned off his lightsaber, secured the curved hilt back to his belt, and wiped rainwater from his face.

"Less chatter, more action, kid," Gario said, patting his tunic to ensure the stolen data-pad was still in place. "Every guard in this area heard that commotion. We got what we needed, so let's retreat for now and plan our next steps." He turned and jumped down from the roof to the building he had been on earlier, barely finding grip on the puddles but managing to land. He glanced back to check if the Echani was following, and once satisfied, Gario leaped down again and made a dash for the river docks.
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