Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Private Knight in Shining Armour

Castor Azari

Guest
C
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With the aid of locals, the Knight, and the Padawan that accompanied him, found themselves stood in what appeared to be an old church which had been reclaimed by nature long ago. Information from those who lived nearby had led them to believe this seemingly abandoned church may not be as abandoned as believed. Peculiar noises at night had left the locals fearful but they were ill-equipped to handle the situation and despite the Jedi being present for an entirely unrelated matter, it was their job to put the locals' minds at rest if possible and as their own case was running dry, Castor thought it best they did something useful when they could before returning to their original mission.

Although the building seemed very abandoned, both Jedi would be able to sense the presence of life-forms within the church, though their hostility could not be determined. The Knight had wanted to come alone as he didn't feel comfortable having the responsibility of a Padawan but it seemed it had not been his choice to make on this occasion so he would protect the apprentice as best he could. He approached a dark and shadowy entrance beneath the stairs, cautiously, as not to startle anyone who may be within. "Hello?" He called out, hoping the matter could be resolved with an exchange of words - it could just be some anti-social youths after all.

It remained silent for a few moments before Castor took another step towards the archway at which point a short man, from a species he couldn't recognise, appeared in a hooded cloak and looked the two Jedi up and down. He shouted something over his shoulder in an unknown language and a handful of others appeared before them, all seeming very excited. Castor exchanged a puzzled look with the Padawan but his attention was quickly diverted back to the creatures who had now begun tugging on the sleeves of both Jedi. "Is everything ok?" Castor asked them but it quickly became apparent that they didn't understand Basic.

They began tugging them inside but were reliant on the Jedi complying as they weren't strong enough to drag them in and since Castor couldn't sense any negative intentions he allowed the creatures to lead them inside so he could try and gain an insight into what kind of cult this seemed to be. Within the walls of the church seemed to be a complex system of caves where these creatures lived and as they were spotted, they drew more and more attention from the others there. Once they were in the heart of the system, they were lead towards a large room, lit by candlelight, and sat cross-legged in the centre was the missing Knight.



 

Cas didn't want to be here. Not really. Not because of the mission, no this seemed like a fun time... something to do at least but - it wasn't with his Master, Sakadi. It was with a Jedi Knight Castor Azari, he wasn't bad, he was just different - different from Sakadi at least... more stoic and less talkative. It was a cosmic joke at this point, someone as talkative as him would always be paired with quiet people.

Cas and Castor arrived at an abandoned church that had been taken back by nature - however, he remembered something upon setting his eyes on this old church. Cas had seen it in a dream a few days prior... which meant this was important and it was the Force telling him something... but what? "Master Azari... I've seen this church in one of my dreams..." he announced, still unsure of what it meant, the teen elaborated to the Knight "I think we should stay alert." feeling slightly uneasy.

Despite still trying to find his footing with the Force, he could sense the presence of others... although very faint. Entering deeper within the church, Castor called out to the individuals they sensed in hopes of a response, a grin formed on his face and Castor nudged the taller Jedi "Reckon nobody's home, pal." he said in a lighthearted manner and hoped Castor wouldn't take his joke too seriously like so many Jedi do. Cas was then quickly startled and tugged at Castor's robe in surprise when a small man of an unknown species seemingly appeared out of nowhere and shortly after, more of them appeared after being called. Cas and Castor were then led to an unknown area.

"Master Azari, I have a bad feeling about this..." he whispered "How do you know they won't eat our faces off? They look pretty damn excited." Cas continued to whisper, growing more and more uncomfortable and uneasy as they were led deeper inside. All he knew was, that if Castor would get them both killed - Cas would haunt him in the netherworld forever. Finally, they stopped inside a large dim candlelit room surrounded by many of the hooded creatures... and in the centre of it all was the 'missing' Knight, looking pretty damn comfy. "Well I'll be... it's Master Koh. For someone who's supposed to be missing, you look pretty damn cozy - with all due respect." he said, sounding slightly annoyed.

He was cloaked and with his hood up, but a smile could still be seen on his face. Master Koh said nothing and simply motioned for the Knight and Padawan to seat themselves - this was getting way too weird, way too fast.

Castor Azari
 

Castor Azari

Guest
C

The Knight heeded the Padawan's warning and nodded in response to show he had heard the other. Although he didn't know a lot about the Padawan as they hadn't met before that day, he knew that he was a Kiffar and that some Kiffar were naturally gifted with some abilities so such a declaration wasn't a shock. Being called Master however felt foreign to him as he had never had a Padawan nor intended to get one. In the year following his brother's death, he had not been on a mission where he had been responsible for a Padawan, his own or otherwise, and he was very uneasy about the prospect.

The Padawan didn't seem to be wholly serious about the situation which Castor didn't mind so long as his younger counterpart didn't endanger himself because of his inability to remain serious when needed. For now, however, they were relatively safe so he would not reprimand Cas for his flippancy but would not indulge him in it either. He didn't answer Cas, partly because he couldn't but also because the Padawan would need to trust him if they were to work together.

Upon encountering the Knight, Castor couldn't even react as the situation was incomprehensible yet. When Cas spoke, Castor held a hand out to the Padawan to signal him to be quiet but didn't so much as look at him. Now was the time for treading carefully. Despite the other Knight gesturing for them to sit, Castor remained standing as he was uneasy with the situation, even more so now the Knight was here - this didn't feel right and he didn't trust the other Knight yet.

"Why are you here, Zak?" Castor asked the Knight who he vaguely remembered from training they had briefly shared together, though they were not friends by any means. Again, they were gestured to sit, at which point Castor shook his head in refusal. "No, answer me first." He responded. "Fine." The other Knight sighed. "I'm being held captive here and now you are too so please, sit, make yourselves at home." He told the two Jedi.

Castor glanced around at the crowd around them but didn't dispute the Knight this time and sat on the floor until he could gain a better understanding of the situation and motioned for the Padawan to do the same. "Why? What do you mean?" He asked. "This is a cult of some sort and they seem to value Force sensitives for one reason or another, for protection perhaps, or worship? I don't know... We can't exactly communicate." He told his 'rescuers'. "Surely you can escape this?" Castor scrutinised his peer at the seemingly easy circumstances. "You'd think, but..." He glanced behind the pair at the creatures behind them. "They look harmless but believe me, they're armed and they have strength in numbers, and-" He shook his ankle which rattled an old, rusty chain attached to the wall behind him.





Cadere Cadere
 

Cas rolled his eyes at being motioned to stay quiet by the more experienced Jedi, thus he was forced to watch the two Knights' exchange. From the way they talked to each other, it seemed as if they had a past... or at least knew each other. The teen followed the Knight's order to sit down and continued to silently watch their exchange, all the while formulating his own opinions in his head.

As the two exchanged words, Cas remembered that during his dream and seeing the church - he remembered feeling a sense of fear and... danger? Something wasn't right with all of this, and he knew Castor felt the same, but he couldn't really voice these concerns right now.

When Zak motioned to the chain attached at his ankle - Cas couldn't help but laugh, which he quickly silenced by placing his palm over his mouth. Regaining his composure, a grin stayed on his face "How'd you even let it get to this point? You're a Jedi Knight." he asked in complete disbelief that something as small and unassuming as these creatures could capture a trained Jedi Knight.

"You'll see." Zak retorted, almost sounding... eager? The creatures' friendly and meek manners shifted quickly as the hooded creatures pulled out staffs and began slowly approaching the Knight and Padawan menacingly. Brave... or stupid, the line blurred, Cas stood up quickly and ignited his cyan lightsaber and held it defensively, ready to fight his way out. It was a stand-off between Cas and the hooded creatures - but Zak's voice stood out "I told you. They want your lightsabers. If you hand them over, they won't harm you." he assured.

Still not okay with any of this, Cas' eyes shifted to his partner as he looked to him for answers on what they should do.

Castor Azari
 

Castor Azari

Guest
C

Castor shot Cas a disapproving look at his comment, though the question was valid. How had they managed to get a Jedi Knight trapped here? They seemed to be doing the same now only the Jedi duo had willingly walked into the lion's den but both were still armed, though it seemed not for long as soon they were being demanded possession of their lightsabers, though it still didn't make sense how a Knight had come to be in such a place as this.

The Padawan, understandably, got defensive but Castor doubted that these people were the most intelligent of creatures so he thought it best to at least pretend to comply. The standoff that the Padawan had created could turn nasty if they weren't careful and wary that the Padawan might not comply, given his sassy attitude so far, Castor held a hand out and deactivated the other's lightsaber through the Force with ease before standing up to join him. "Give it to them." He told the Padawan, his gaze lingering before he mouthed the words trust me. The Knight similarly handed over his own lightsaber from his belt, although he had a second hidden, unbeknown to the others.

This still didn't explain how the other Knight had come to be captured; had he actually complied with what had been asked of him? Although it seemed like Castor had as well, they would soon find out otherwise. "You just complied with them?" He asked, looking back at the Knight. "No, it was thirty versus one." Zak responded, giving a slightly clearer scene. "Try and leave, go on." He challenged them since they seemed to be challenging him so often. "Soon." Castor replied.

Most of the people began congregating at the entrance to the cave after all was said and done and there seemed to be no sign of conflict and once they had all left, a large metallic door clanged shut, leaving the three alone. Castor felt no need to justify his actions to Cas, though he had little doubt that the Padawan would have some remarks about what had just happened. "Before you say anything, I have a second lightsaber so just don't." He told the Padawan before walking over to Zak and sitting in front of him, gesturing for Cas to do the same so they could formulate a plan. "Wait until night and then escape, right?" He asked plainly. It seemed like their best bet.





Cadere Cadere
 

Cas shook his deactivated lightsaber aggressively "Stupid thing..." he muttered to himself before realising it was Castor who had deactivated it through the Force. Neat trick, he'd have to get him to teach it to him one day. "What?!" he hollered at Castor who had ordered him to stand down and give the creatures his lightsaber, as he watched Castor hand over his own lightsaber "There's three Jedi, man!" he argued. However, the Knight told Cas to trust his judgement... strangely, the confidence displayed on his face brought him to ease slightly.

Groaning like a moody teenager, he handed over his lightsaber and as the creatures began to exit the room, the Kiffar called out "Hey! Make sure no one messes with my lightsaber!" and with that, they were all locked in together. Turning to face Castor, the Padawan was about to make a snide remark on how he planned on getting them out of there but he was quickly stopped, seems like Castor knew where this was going. He grinned smugly, at least the Knight had a second lightsaber.

Cas folded his arms as he waited for the more experienced Jedi relay his plan - and his heart immediately dropped upon hearing it. "That's it? Well, it was nice knowing you all" he said, lazily saluting both Castor and Zak. Sighing, Cas slumped his shoulders over and walked to the corner of the room and sat down, cross-legged. In an attempt to meditate, the teen got bored and ended up falling asleep - although, the two Knights wouldn't be able to tell.

As soon as he fell asleep, the Padawan began dreaming. It was a chaotic dream, filled with only flashes and images of the hooded creatures, a crimson lightsaber and a lightsaber duel, the images occurred too fast for Cas' mind to take a mental note of - but from what he could make out of it... he was seeing the future again, it was their escape in action and at some point... and it was going to go horribly wrong.

The teen jolted awake, clenching his chest and practically spun his head around the room to recollect where he was. It took him a moment to remember, however, he wasn't sure whether it was nightfall or not but still, he needed to inform the others of what he had just dreamt of. "Guys... I think... I think they have a Dark Jedi here..." he revealed, devoid of all humour and an expression conveying urgency.

Castor Azari
 

Castor Azari

Guest
C

Castor was unperturbed by Cas' annoyance at having to hand his lightsaber over and simply gave him a stern look. The Padawan needed to remember that he was here to learn, not to make his own judgements; he would need to trust that Castor had a plan and he wasn't willingly allowing them to get captured with no hope. He paid no attention to whatever the Padawan spouted next, they seemed to be out of the danger zone so if he wanted to air his grievances then Castor didn't care enough to reprimand him for his attitude. "It's not the end of the world if you lose your lightsaber. It's certainly a hindrance but they can be replaced." He told Cas with a rather lax attitude.

As Cas began walking away from the two Knights, Castor considered calling out for him but instead let out an exasperated sigh and left him be. "Is he your Padawan?" Zak asked, to which Castor shook his head. "I don't have a Padawan, nor do I want one." He replied. "I hear you." The other Knight chuckled. Granted they had all been Padawans once but some were more manageable than others and Cas was shaping up to be one of the less manageable ones.

"So how are we going to know when it's night?" Zak asked the other Knight. "Well I know it was late evening when we found this place so if we wait a few hours, find out when there are less people about, then we make our move." He clarified, gaining a nod of understanding from Zak. The pair remained mostly quiet after the plan had been established and didn't engage in small-talk as neither were particularly talkative but both were startled when Cas suddenly spoke to them after hours of silence.

"A Dark Jedi?" Castor repeated, puzzled. "No, I would've felt it." He replied dismissively. "Do you feel anything?" He asked the accompanying Knight who shook his head. "No, nothing." He confirmed. "Maybe it was just a nightmare, Cas." He told the Padawan. "Are you ready to leave?" He asked, looking at both Jedi in turn to confirm the start of their plan as everything would happen very quickly.






Cadere Cadere
 

Cas felt slightly insulted at how easily Castor waved off his dream - annoyance caused his face to scrunch up as his eyes shifted to both Knights. "With all due respect, Master Jedi." he said, referring to both Castor and Zak "My dreams of the future are rarely ever wrong - and I know all about the Fall of the Old Republic." Cas stated, brushing up on his knowledge from the Jedi Archives "The Jedi's arrogance couldn't let them sense the presence of a Sith Lord right under their nose, then look what happened."

The teen hung his head low and sighed "Look, all I'm saying is: just don't be so quick to wave this off. Keep an open mind, Masters." he said in a calm tone, attempting to convey maturity in hopes of at least having the two Knights heed his advice. With that, the young Kiffar got up to his feet and approached the now sealed door and placed his palm on the door, attempting to sense anything on the other side. "I don't sense anything, do you?" he asked knowing his senses weren't as attuned as the other Jedi in the room.

Castor Azari
 

Castor Azari

Guest
C

The two Knights shared a look of of surprise at the Padawan's outburst and while Zak simply shrugged, Castor took a more direct approach and placed his hand on Cas' shoulder. "I'm sorry, Cas. I'll keep an open mind." He told the Padawan in an attempt to put his mind at ease and let it be known that his input was valued. It seemed hard to believe but as Cas had said, the arrogance of the Jedi had led them astray before so it wasn't too far-fetched to believe.

Castor closed his eyes to focus on what he could feel through the Force and shook his head in response to Cas. "No, I think we're good." He told the other Jedi. "We have to be quick. Get the lightsabers back as soon as possible because once more of them start waking up and catch on to what we're doing then the harder it'll be." He told the pair, though it was obvious, he wanted to make sure they were all on the same page. He approached Zak and ignited the lightsaber, observing the green blade in his hand for a moment before taking the chain in his hand and slicing it with the saber.

He helped the other Knight to his feet before walking to the door and after ensuring that there was no one on the other side, he stuck the lightsaber through the door and ran it around the inner edge of the door before kicking it away with his foot and stepping through. "Quickly!" He urged the other two before running left, in the only direction the cave allowed. Towards the end of the tunnel, there was a small room with two guards who were immediately alarmed at the presence of three Jedi and as one began to sound the alarm, Castor deactivated the lightsaber he was holding and threw it behind him towards Cas with little warning other than "Catch!"

With his hands free, he used the Force to push the two guards into the wall, disabling them. He carried on into the room where, as expected, their lightsabers were being held but upon reaching for his own lightsaber, all three of them flew off the table behind him and into Zak's hands. Castor whipped around to face the other Knight. "We're capable of getting out own lightsabers." He told the other Knight who didn't respond but stood in front of the doorway. "Zak? Give the lightsabers back." He ordered as he held a hand out to receive it.




Cadere Cadere
 

Cas watched Castor cut through the door with the emerald blade, he pondered for a moment why his lightsabers were different colours but quickly dismissed them as Castor kicked in the sliced door, following him through it with Zak close behind. The Padawan swiftly followed the Knight through the tunnels that only seemed to lead one-way, finally arriving in front of two guards guarding a small room. Everything happened too fast for Cas to process but he was quickly alerted when Castor ordered him to catch his lightsaber.

After juggling the hilt for a few moments and by the time he had caught it, Castor had dispatched of the two guards before the alarm could be sounded. A smile formed on his face once he saw the sight of his prized lightsaber on the table, only for it go flying off and straight into Zak's hands. Castor demanded them back only to be met with silence from the other Knight, prompting Cas' own response "These guys bonk you in the head at some point? Or?" he remarked.

However, Zak clipped his and Castor's lightsabers to his belt and a small, menacing chuckle from Zak alerted Cas. "Sorry I strummed you along for so long, boys." Zak stated, voice deeper than normal as he undid his cloak revealing his bare chest covered in otherworldly tattoos. Confused at what was happening, the Padawan raised an eyebrow "What're you talking about...?" he questioned, now putting the pieces together and realising that Zak was betraying them. Zak continued, "The issue is, I like it here... and I can't let you both ruin that for me!" raising his voice as he activated his crimson lightsaber, rushing towards Cas. The Padawan quickly activated Castor's blade and blocked the incoming attack, only to be knocked off of his feet from the sheer ferocity of the attack - Cas blocked another attack from the ground, engaging in a blade lock with Zak.

Zak used the opportunity to remove one hand from his lightsaber and used the Force to sound the alarm. With everything transpiring so quickly, Cas turned to Castor and called out to him "Our lightsabers! Pull them off of his belt!" in a panicked tone.

Castor Azari
 

Castor Azari

Guest
C

Castor watched as the situation unfolded before him but showed no change of emotion on his face, although he was growing more and more angry the clearer the situation became; angry with Zak more than anything but also angry with himself for neglecting to take action on Cas' warning earlier and now he had put the Padawan's life in danger - the one thing he had sworn not to do.

The Knight watched in horror as the Padawan locked lightsabers with the former Knight and though this was no time for arguing, that seemed to be what they were doing. "Cas, no! He'll kill you before I could do that." He shouted at the Padawan but before they could waste any more time squabbling, he force pushed Cas into the wall so he was out of the line of attack and Force pulled the lightsaber into his own hand to meet Zak's blade in a matter of seconds. He pushed into the lock so that his opponent's blade neared his own face as Castor proved himself to be the strongest of the two.

A duel ensued between the two but they wouldn't have long before the creatures came back and could likely overwhelm them. The blades clashed a number of times but for now the attention seemed to be off Cas so all Castor had to do was kill the opponent and they could escape with their lightsabers. It was proving to be more difficult than anticipated, however, as he had believed himself to be the better duellist but he began getting pushed back and suddenly strength didn't matter any more.

Castor feigned an attack, only to swipe at his opponent's waist and cut his belt off which made Zak angry as shown by his increasingly aggressive attacks. "Cas, take your lightsaber and run!" He shouted to the Padawan - determined not to be repsonsible for the younger Jedi's death. The duel seemed to settle into a stalemate but fuelled by anger, Castor began to take the high ground again.




Cadere Cadere
 

Cas felt his whole body propel without his own movement, quickly after realising it was Castor using the Force Cas was knocked into a wall and temporarily dazed. After coming to his senses, he rose to his knees and watched the two Knights engaged in their ferocious duel - the blur of green and red light was mesmerising. It was as if the two were faster than light, reminding Cas that he was but a novice and had a long way to go before reaching this level of skill.

He was quickly snapped out of it when Castor called upon the Padawan to take his lightsaber and run. Heeding the older Jedi's words, Cas reached out and used the Force to pull his lightsaber into his hands - for that brief moment it felt good to hold his weapon, his life, once again. Remembering that Castor had told him to flee, the teen turned his back to both Knights and was ready to escape but upon taking one step with his left foot... he stopped in place and turned to look at the green and red blur once more. He couldn't leave him. With Castor so willing to put his life on the line for him, he refused to outright abandon him.

"I'm with you, Castor." he said confidently, referring to the Knight by name only as a way of showing his own form of respect for the experienced Jedi. Entering a Form V stance, he readied himself for the onslaught of the creatures that, apparently, served Zak, Koh, whatever the hell his name was. "Hey, maybe if you defeat their leader they'll serve you instead." he joked... but then realised it may very well be a possibility, the least he could do was hold them off until Castor did so.

With the many footsteps of the hooded creatures approaching, Cas took a deep breath and summoned the Force, placing both arms out in the direction of the oncoming creatures - as they came into view, Cas exhaled and pushed all the Force he could muster unto them. The first few rows were knocked back instantly and were down for the count but that wasn't all of them, the rest continued to push forward and Cas was ready to meet them head on. He needed to remember, all he had to do was hold them.

Castor Azari
 

Castor Azari

Guest
C

The Knight could respect the willingness of the Padawan but at the same time he was deliberately disobeying what he had been told to do, though Castor was in no place to argue so he said nothing more to Cas and allowed the Padawan to make himself useful, no matter how unsettling it was for him to know that Cas still wasn't safe. "I'd rather they didn't." He called out in response.

When the blades locked again, Zak took advantage of the fact that his opponent was unlikely to kill him and struck out at the Padawan behind him but with sharp reflexes, Castor just about caught the blade with his own and struggled to gain control of the blades until he managed to push them away from Cas. The battle raged on but Castor knew he had to do something radical to end it before Cas became overwhelmed but it was proving to be difficult. Upon realising that his own lightsaber was still on the floor, the Knight held a hand out to pull it into his hand but as did the former Knight.

The pair struggled for control of the lightsaber on the floor before suddenly Castor released and swiftly cut through the former Jedi's outstretched hand and held the tip of his lightsaber under his opponent's chin. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you!" He shouted at Zak who simply threw his lightsaber hilt away in response. "Because I'm unarmed." He replied, knowing that the Jedi could not kill unarmed people. Castor glanced over his shoulder for a moment to see how Cas was faring and to see if it was likely that he could hear the exchange behind him as Castor was aware he was about to break the Jedi Code.

"Not good enough." Castor hissed quietly as he drove the lightsaber through Zak's chest and stepped away as the man fell to his knees and dropped his lightsaber, shocked. "The Jedi are too soft on people like you." He told the former Knight before turning, picking up his own lightsaber and walking over to rejoin Cas, showing no emotion on his face, though he was seething with rage.




Cadere Cadere
 

The remaining creatures that made it through immediately attacked Cas with their spears which the Padawan quickly dispatched with his lightsaber. Slicing through their arms and removing them as threats, all the while he remained stood in place, standing his ground. However, the amount of them became overwhelming forcing him to back up slightly to create space between him and them.

While still on the defensive, Cas turned to Castor to make a joke about him hurrying things along - only to see the Knight plunge his blade through Zak's chest which resulted in fear and shock from the Padawan. What Castor had just done... was against the Jedi way right? They didn't kill unarmed prisoners right...? This trail of thought was quickly interrupted when Cas quickly intercepted an incoming attack to the side of his head with his lightsaber, cutting off the spear and then proceeding to slice through their legs.

Once Castor had rejoined Cas in their defence, although the Knight didn't show it, the teen could feel the negative emotions radiating off the Knight - it was like an invisible blade cutting through him, it was horrible... and intense. He couldn't let that get to him though, not right now, they had to survive this. Through gritted teeth and an awkward smile, Cas turned to Castor and made a halfhearted joke "Uh... ready to claim leadership over these guys yet?" he said through an awkward laugh.

Right now, the teen was feeling a lot of emotions. Fear and distrust of Castor, after witnessing him execute someone unarmed... stress from the seemingly endless waves of hooded creatures slowly chipping away at their defences. Right now, Cas felt hopeless... something he rarely ever felt.

Castor Azari
 

Castor Azari

Guest
C

Once at Cas' side, Castor said nothing and gave the Padawan no instructions. The aim seemed clear: get out of there alive. If the younger Jedi had seen what had happened then the Knight would be ready with an explanation when he was confronted because despite what the code told them, he didn't believe that he had done was inherently wrong. If he had just saved both of their lives, then why regret it? His ignorance had led him blind before but this time he could prevent the same outcome from happening again.

"Let them in, then they'll know they're not protecting him any more and we can escape." He grumbled as he stepped aside to allow some of the creatures to pass and once the first few did, they raised the alarm and suddenly everything went still as the next move was being planned. "Run." Castor told Cas suddenly before breaking into a sprint and using the Force to push the remaining creatures in his way over. Once they reached the entrance of the church, the Knight didn't stop and continued through the way they had entered the overgrown building until they were back out in a field.

Castor quickly scanned the surroundings for somewhere to hide and settled on the exposed web of tree roots so he crawled into the space beneath and beckoned for the Padawan to follow. There was enough space for the pair to lie flat but not sit up but it was a decent place to lie low, in every sense. It was indeed night so they had that advantage but for a while they would have to wait out the creatures. He placed a finger on his lips to signal to Cas that he must remain quiet but after around half an hour or no sign of the creatures, Castor finally spoke. "You okay?" He asked Cas.





Cadere Cadere
 

Cas obliged with Castor's command to allow the creatures to pass them and followed suit when the Knight stepped aside. In doing so, the creatures halted their attack and passed through to see their dead leader's body on the floor - Cas simply watched as they inspected the body, images of Castor killing him running through his mind as he watched them. The teen clenched his eyes shut and shook his head to get the memories out of his head but was interrupted when he heard Castor tell him to run.

By the time he had turned his head, Castor had already broken off into a sprint. Reacting quickly, Cas did the same and hauled it out of there and took only one glance back at the shrinking body of Zak as he trailed further and further away. Images of the killing plagued his mind as they made their escape. Finally coming out of this damned church, the pair continued their escape until they reached a barren field.

Cas followed Castor once more into a hiding spot in some exposed tree roots. As they waited for things to calm down, the Padawan kept replaying the events in his head over and over again, completely traumatised of what had transpired - his worldview almost shaken, in his mind the Jedi Order were a pure force of good... but he had witnessed one break the code... Cas was afraid and confused...

Once this all died over, Castor asked if he was okay to which the teen quickly lied "Y-yeah, fine." as he stroked his forearm for comfort... however, he quickly changed his thought process "No... no, I'm not fine. I saw what you did." he revealed, sitting up ever so slightly "He was an unarmed prisoner, Castor... it's against the Jedi way!" he said with a raised voice, before groaning in frustration "We should have disarmed him and brought him back to Silver Rest for punishment!" he argued, growing increasingly frustrated and confused at the situation

Castor Azari
 

Castor Azari

Guest
C

The outburst that followed wasn't wholly unexpected but prompted a sigh from Castor who didn't seem too concerned by the matter. It was a risk to kill Zak with Cas present but he wasn't unintelligent, he knew the Padawan was there, it was simply a risk he had been willing to take because it allowed him to prevent, with absolute certainty, the most undesirable outcome which ended with Cas getting killed - though he would not remind the Padawan how he saved his life as Cas had been his responsibility.

"He was manipulative! He knew the Jedi way and he threw away his weapon to save himself but the Jedi don't account for that, they don't account for traitors who manipulate the Jedi Code to their own gain." He replied to Cas, truly believing that he had acted correctly in the situation, regardless of what the Order might think. "You would be foolish to think he was surrendering, no, he was trying to buy time so he could attack us later or lull us into a false sense of security." He told the Padawan.

Castor pushed himself up off the ground and crawled back out the way they had come, waiting for Cas to join him so they could leave. His anger had cooled into a quiet bitterness towards Zak and even the Jedi but he said nothing more on the matter. His mind began to wander to the events of the previous year but he quickly shook off such thoughts and led the way to their ship after muttering "Come on." to Cas. He hoped the Padawan would accept his explanation without much fuss, the Knight wasn't lying to him after all and truly believed what he was telling the younger Jedi but it would depend how freely he could think for himself.





Cadere Cadere
 

Cas listened to Castor's reasoning for what he did with a scrunched up facial expression. He didn't agree with a word of what he was saying, they were Jedi not Gods... what gave them the right to be Judge, Jury and Executioner? Cas was all for justice, and believing that evil should be punished but not this way... hearing Castor's reasoning caused Cas to lose some respect for the Knight. However, the teen would stay silent regardless and debate whether to report what Castor had done to the Council once they returned.

Cas followed the Knight after they had exited their hiding spot and made their way to return to the ship. Cas stayed uncharacteristically silent the whole way back, and even when they stopped off at the village for Castor to inform the locals on what the noises they would hear at night were. Now at the outside of the ship they travelled hear with, Cas stood outside as the docking ramp lowered and Castor stepped on. Finally breaking his silence, he looked up to the Knight with a firm expression.

"I'm..." he paused, averting his gaze to the ground for a moment. He proceeded to take a deep breath and returned his gaze to Castor's intense hazel eyes. "I'm going to report this to the council, man." he stated in an apologetic but fearful tone of voice, unsure of what reaction he would receive from his revelation.

Castor Azari
 

Castor Azari

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The tension between them was evident to them both through the Force which only meant that Castor's words had not had an effect on the Padawan who still seemed unconvinced and the silence between them echoed the same sentiment. The Knight was unsure what else he could say to convince the Padawan that his decision had been correct and possibly saved them their lives; if the Jedi were raising him well then he was bound to be taught ignorance until he could learn to think for himself.

"Oh thank goodness, did you find out what it was?" A woman rushed up to the Jedi with an expectant look. "It's a cult of some sort. They shouldn't give you any trouble but if they do then contact the Jedi again." He offered reassurance. "Thank you." The woman replied, prompting a bow of the head from Castor to show he had received her thanks before continuing on their way.

The pair finally reached the ship after a long, gruelling and rather awkward day but when Castor heard Cas speak to him, he stopped and turned to face the Padawan. What he said next was unexpected and put a look of surprise on Castor's face but it was soon replaced with a frown. Did the Padawan care more for rules than common sense? The former Knight had been fighting them with the intention of killing them, he showed no remorse and was trying to manipulate them into doing what he wanted because he knew he could exploit their weakness of following rules, how could the Padawan not see that?

After a few moments of deliberation, Castor simply replied with "Ok." Before turning and continuing on board the ship. He doubted the Jedi would do anything radical anyway so he wasn't particularly afraid and if things truly did go downhill then he could leave before they got too bad because there was nothing tying him to the Jedi and after today, his feelings of bitterness towards them only grew. Besides, he truly believed he had acted in the right and hoped the Jedi would see that too - he hoped they could see beyond their Code.



Cadere Cadere
 
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Cas wasn't sure what to expect regarding Castor's response but his simple 'Ok' was farthest from what he had expected. With their conversation over, Cas boarded the ship and accompanied Castor to the cockpit, sitting on the co-pilot's chair as the Jedi Knight booted up the ship and proceeded to take off and jump into hyperspace. As Cas stared into hyperspace through the cockpit's window, he took the time to ponder to himself.

The Padawan was always a rebellious soul due to his upbringing but deep down he still had a moral code - good must be preserved and evil must be punished. What he had witnessed today not only went against the Jedi Code but the sanctity of sentient life itself - to Cas, there was nothing worse than taking another sentient life without just cause. While Castor was right about the things he said about Koh, he didn't have the right... and Koh, he had a right to a fair and just trial... the fact Castor couldn't see this continued to worry him.

He just hoped that one day... the Jedi Knight would change his view on things...

Castor Azari
 

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