A New Hope

[Roth Tillian]

Roth tilted his X-Wing to get a better picture of the ground. The Jedi team had breached the temple and had begun to plumb its depths. The Force surged through him and he yanked the controls to the left, sending it rolling to port as an unexpected surface-to-air missile shot up past him. He pushed the accelerator down and the craft shot forward away from the ground skirmish. He was sorely tempted to go assist them, but the freighter was still up in the sky.

"Ground teams are deployed. Shield 4 and Shield 5, stay behind to secure the battlespace. Keep an eye out for the rest of the anti-air defenses. Destroy all enemy forces found," Roth paused to study his controls. His shielding was slowly dropping. That was bad. He switched channels. "M1, get those shields back up."

He listened to the response before switching to his team. "Rest of you on me, we're going up to hit that freighter and ISD if we get the chance." He pulled back on the stick to lift the nose and the other fighters fell in behind him. "Shields to front once we get out of range. Set course for the freighter."

"Roger that, Shield One," The call came back. Roth nodded and resettled himself in the Force. Who else was up there? Blue Squadron. "Blue Leader, this is Shield Leader. En route to join your assault on the freighter. How's the party up there?"


[member="Karen Roberts"]

 

[Jsc]

Dat Party
w [member="Roth Tillian"]

The party was going quite well. Blue Squad had run out of torpedoes early and was having to help the fighters with guns alone. Which, worked just fine. The Heavy Freighter was burning up nicely.

~ "Roberts?"

~ "I heard him. I'll break radio silence and send it. Keep pounding the engines until they surrender."

~ "Roger."

Karen flipped her com back on as she came around for another pass.

~/ "Shield Leader this is Blue Leader. Heavy Freighter is burning up and that ISD is coming down on us hard and fast. Link up with the rest of Hope's Fighter Squadrons and pull some of those FO bombers away from our capital ship. We'll finish up here. Blue Leader out."

Her wingman pulled back into position and they dived again. Ripping apart shielding and hull plating alike. This Freighter was toasty. However, that ISD? Yeah. She was still doing just fine. Not a oxygen fire anywhere on her hull either. Much too white and shiny for Karen's taste. That ISD was next.

 

[Relit Vandal]

The telekinetic push ended with the disruptive shot from the dissuader. As the slug connected with cloth and flesh of the right shoulder of the lower Adept, the pressure was swept away and Relit felt the freedom that one might have when not so readily oppressed. As an adept jumped across the chasm, the one touching the sarcophagus now wounded, Relit acted in kind. "Find the artifact...I will be right behind you." He said to [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] and [member="Cyril Grayson"]. Calling the force to his aid, another favor among an endless list, Relit cleared the distance of the chasm in one fell swoop. Across from him, the two remaining darkside adepts stood in midst of the spiritual alignment upon the platform.

He nearly knelt upon the impact, his left shoulder facing the two who were suddenly bemused by his presence. Standing up, he reignited the purple beam and exhaled, freeing him from the qualms of necessity and selfish acts. He wasn't here to enact some sort of vengeance, some sort of reckoning - no, these two were helpless pawns in the grande scheme. "Drop you weapons, come back...You can feel the light once more..." He showed the violet beam in a frontward defense. "Or fall here forever."

The first moved forward, the path nearly too narrow for both to tread. The diagonal swing was met with a similar dodge, the crimson blade found air as the Jedi Master stepped back from the blow. He made the universal symbol, swatting at the air slowly with his unarmed hand, as if to remove the noxious air of such an impotent act from his nostrils. He was a humble man in most situations...except for the practice of sabers and melee weapons. In these cases, he was a snob that knew no other caliber. And by the act of this darkside adept, he was hardly impressed, as he stepped back on his left foot, swinging outwards towards the wall to scar it. With his left hand held forward, he tilted his view towards the ground. "We are what you could have been ...we are Jedi." The words spoken were a surprise, but certain. Not the identification, but more the notion that he wasn't alone here. That for the first time in his life, beyond his Master, he could call other Jedi among him, comrades. Comrades, the thought rolled smoothly across his mind.

Racing forward with the surprise and aid of the force, he anticipated a stab and stepped right, cleaving upward and to his left with a reverse grip. The saber hand of the adept flung out in the abyss as he stepped forward, kicking the darksider into the adept behind him. They tumbled together, one incapacitated by the act as he was flung into abyss beneath. His body was idle, chasing his lost saber and hand, as he bounced off the sarcophagus. The other would stand in defiance, igniting the scarlet saber in favor of the fight.

Behind the darkened spectacles, Relit looked towards Jacen and Cyril. His shoulder hurt, unused currently due to a favoritism of Form II. Looking back towards the last of the adepts, Relit exhaled and breathed heavy, preparing to engage once more. He withdrew the dallorian alloy kukri from his lower back and prepared for Jar'kai, favoring a shorter blade for a shoto.

 

[Adele Adonai]

TO ALL ALLIANCE FORCES NEAR THE FLEET AND THOSE ON THE GROUND.

Beads of sweat went rolling down the Iridonian's temples, saturating the white fabric of her cowl. The strain was starting to wear on her, so many life forms and auras in the web of her mind. Yet now there was another. A darker presence. What was it?

Adele wasn't quite sure what it was, but there was a taint to it. A familiarity. Could it be from those they were combating? What dark presence in the Force was this?

Whatever it was, she could feel it sweep over with the probing fingers of a spider. Getting closer.

Yet the Zabrak Jedi Knight did not move. Not a single twitch of her fingers or a flutter of her eye lashes. As maws of the Darkside presence sending , A'dele kept her focus, the mantra of the Jedi Order keeping her concentration constant. Firm.

Unfaltering.

For those who were unfamiliar to the seiza position, it was the Atrisian from dubbed 'proper sitting.' To sit seiza-style, one must first be kneeling on the floor, folding their legs underneath their thighs, while resting the curve of their bottom on the heels. The ankles are turned outward as the tops of her feet are lowered into a slight 'v' shape, allowing the tops of the feet flat on the floor. The back is kept perfectly straight, although not unnaturally stiff, with women sitting with their knees together.

Those unfamiliar with this style of sitting for meditating would find that maintaining it for more than a minute or two tends to lead to a loss of circulation, with the accompanying 'pins and needles' feeling, followed by painful burning sensations, and eventually complete numbness in the legs.

However, for one with a wealth of experience in meditating in this exact style day in and day out, the circulation of the blood improves. An experienced seiza practitioner like her could maintain this posture for forty minutes or more with minimal discomfort. In the stillness she was a tower of strength. For in the discomfort she was brought to focus, to her center.

But her limbs were trembling now. A fine shake. It was getting wearying. And with the new dark presence, the trouble it took to maintain the moral up would have a negative consequence on her own ability to shield herself.

Closer and closer still, those probing fingers would search for her.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Relit Vandal"] [member="Cyril Grayson"] [member="Adele Adonai"]

The Dark Side adapt besides the casket raised on outstretched hand from the ground. Jacen brought his hand across his body and forcefully deflected the telekinetic strike. In turn he fired his Occluder at close range. Even at stun setting, that would hurt. For the adept who had already been shot several times by Relit, it was probably a relief.

As he stepped towards the artefact however, he was almost laid low by the sudden spike in dark energy. His emotions were all peaked: anger; fear; sadness, jealousy, regret. Jacen stumbled back away from it.

Had it not been for the calming influence being exerted upon his mind by a friendly party, he would have collapsed on the crypt floor. Instead he managed to rally, recalling Adele Adonai’s instructions on shield one’s mind from external influence. He probably could not send gratitude back down that mental connection, but he felt it.

Reaching out with one hand, with renewed purpose, he gathered the Force around the artefact. As he lifted his hand, the object came free from its mountings. He decided it would be unwise to place his hands on it. It would need to go into the nullification resin casket they had installed on their shuttle as soon as possible.

 

[Placeholder 04]

Cyril would not get in the way of Vandal's efforts. Converting some of the adepts to their own dogma? Good. The NJO needed a larger force; more protectors meant more lives saved. That, and Cyril had a strong distaste for killing, even if it was the murder of a Sith. He followed after Voidstalker, intending to provide the man whatever support he could manage.

Then he lifted the artifact.

Something awoke within the Jedi Master.

"Hello boy." the creature snarled, "It's been some time since we last spoke. How do you fare?" Cyril turned to face the source of the voice. The creature was enormous, as wide as the hallways and as tall as the ceiling. Jagged teeth poked out from fat reptilian lips. Eyes burning like a dying sun peered down at him. Long robes cascaded down its monstrous form, covering its upper arms, torso and legs. Cyril could not see its wounds -- the gash on like its midriff, the thin strip of muscle that kept its right arm attached to its shoulder, the blackened flesh borne from its own arrogance, yet, he knew they were there.

The creature was not real. Its words, its very form, were intangible to Master Vandal and Voidstalker. This was Cyril's own demon. One he'd locked away deep in the bowels of Korriban. He'd thought the spirit was dealt with; chained to its own hell for all of eternity.

Unfortunately the artifact had broken its bindings.

"So it has," he replied, resolute, "I've no time for you father. Go away."

And the spirit did. Eventually Cyril's will would waver, and it would be back. It always came back. Drawing in a deep breath to center himself, Cyril turned to Voidstalker. "We need to go. The longer we stay here, the more pilots die up there," he pointed up to the ceiling to indicate space.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"], [member="Relit Vandal"]

 

[Spark Finn]

Blue eyes widened considerably at [member="Rook"]'s flippant pregnancy joke. The slicer's ears burned red. Socially, she ignored it all, refusing to make eye contact with Rook OR Coren. Especially [member="Coren Starchaser"].

Then, the plan changed. She would trust [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] to let them know if they needed help. In the meantime, they could get the shuttles ready for a quick escape. The Jedi sounded like they would need one.

Reaching out with her thoughts, she plugged remotely into the shuttle with the force, the same one she had charged out quick on Rook and Coren's heels not so long ago. With a rumbling whir, she sky outside the temple became active with their hovering ship. It hovered low enough so they could climb in.

"All aboard!"

Datapad went first. Then her gangly-limbed self went second, disappearing over the lip of the loading ramp.

 

[Relit Vandal]

The Zelosian master stepped and bent back, the scarlet saber passing over his chest and smacked into the wall. The scorches tore across the alabastrine walls, painting the ivory black in it's upward path. Relit stepped to his right as the saber came down, pushing his violet blade forward to intercept a side swipe. The left handed kukri would slice downward, crossing the thigh of the adept. A flick of the wrist, the sharpened dallorian alloy carved a path through cloth and flesh. The adept stepped back, the grimace and clench could be heard even beneath the polished stone of his mask.

"Redemption..." The man spoke quietly, sheathing the kukri. "Lies that way..." He pointed towards the sarcophagus but his aim was at Voidstalker and Grayson. But where resolve should have faltered, it only fortified, as the robed figure limped forward and Relit brandished the white of his teeth. He sensed something in this figure, a purpose beyond his disarmament, and that purpose deserved discovery. The stab came towards the mid abdomen, Relit stepped to his left and flicked the blade outward, cutting the emitter from the lightsaber. With a speed not particularly descriptive of his age, he grabbed forward with his left hand at the collar of the robe. Dragging him forward, the Old man dropped this youth to the ground with a headbutt to the bridge of the nose.

That thump, Relit winced as he leaned down, lifting the unconscious body over his right shoulder. Extinguishing the blade, the man called the force to his aid as he leaped down towards Grayson and Voidstalker. Hearing the last words, Eli nodded as he gasped at the air.

"Agreed. I fear we have worn out our welcome..." A colloquialism, he looked towards the artifact, unmoved by it. It was dark and menacing, but alone it held no sway. It was a weapon that demanded a user. The man held over his shoulder was breathing softly, asleep for now, but the blood would trickle from his wound. He was in need of care, only the type an arresting officer could provide.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] | [member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

It took every ounce of Voidstalker's will to keep those probing tendrils from his mind. But as he stepped out into the light of the sun, he finally felt hope. The artefact as carefully lowered into a casket of nullification resin, and the moment it was closed it felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his chest.

He let out a long, slow breath. His shoulders slumped and he allowed an edge of weariness to creep in. Holding it back indefinitely with the Force would only lead to pain down the line. Whilst he eyes the casket suspiciously as he took his place in the shuttle, he felt no further intrusions as he strapped himself down.

The Hope had already jumped out of the system. It was time they made the escape before the Impstar closed in.



ooc/ Cracking job everyone! Hope you all enjoyed that.

 

[Adele Adonai]

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

That fine tremble would turn into a visible shake. Her temples were now drenched in her sweat, beads of liquid tricking down over her face and saturating her cowl. There was visible strain upon her brow, and it was obvious that the Iridonian female was at her limit. Every second that she would attempt to continue to encourage and raise the moral of the Galactic Alliance troops, she was herself facing the over looming dark forces that would pick at her own mind.

Like writhing maggots waiting to devour her flesh, she could feel whatever entity was there scratching at the door. Searching and digging for a way in. Just, a little bit longer. Just a little bit...

With the Hope jumping out of the system, the pressing force of whatever entity would wane, but by then, the Jedi's Knight's body had enough.

Vertigo took her. Consciousness waned. Everything went dark.