Not Like This...

[Eddak Manod]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFawgUfNXP8[/youtube]​

Eddak was at his desk, sitting comfortably as he was reviewing security reports. His men had just came to him with a critical report, it was about King Arenais. Eddak didn't know what to think as the man he bowed to and promised to serve would.... do such horrible things. He was thinking over what to do. The full report laid on his desk, yet his private Keep truly showed his initial reaction. Every station manned, doubled. Electronic security systems were put in, knocking out stone for room. But it seemed tonight, those security systems would not be enough. Eddak wasn't the smartest man, but he did his best to be prepared. It was unfortunate someone was one step ahead of him.

He dropped his writing utensil as he heard something, it came from the sitting room. But it was outside, as if on the balcony, the one with the glass door. Many have sat in that room, so it wouldn't be an unlikely choice by some wannabe attemptors. That's Eddak for you, always with his cautious, superstitious behavior. He stood up and grabbed the saber by his desk. He had forged a generic blade from his private Forge after the Mandalorian Auction, having lost his sword because of a child, and then not even winning said auction. He stepped towards the sitting room and slowly pushed the door open with his saber, calling out, "Oi, who's there? Come out."

 

[Eddak Manod]

It was quiet, that kind of eerie quiet when someone says it's too quiet. Because you get a feeling that you're being watched, that someone or something is going to strike. Eddaks holocomm was in his bedroom, with his jacket. He was only wearing an unbuttoned button-up shirt and some trousers, he was in no position to fight. His bedroom was on the other side of the Keep, away from the public rooms, like the sitting room. Unfortunately, he didn't have internal comms built in along with the security systems he ordered, but somehow he felt trying to use the comms wouldn't do any good. As he stepped into the room, he noticed the glass sliding door was open. The building closed up over an hour ago, known by 'round the clock security checks. Someone was in Eddak's house.

"I said come out, now, dammit. I'm not in the mood for playing games," he shouted, taking another two steps into the room. He heard a creak and stopped, holding his saber out. "You've been King for a long time, Eddak," a voice whispered. Eddaks head twitched as he tried to look around for the sound. "What is this, some prank? Show yourself, you coward!" Eddak said angrily as he looked around the room. It was dimly lit by a candle, which was flickering from the wind blowing in from the open sliding door. "You're getting old," a cloaked figure appeared from the doorway on the other side of the room. It was open, but the room beyond was shrouded in darkness. Eddak had an uneasy feeling as he squinted at the cloaked individual. Something didn't feel right. "Who are you?" Eddak whispered in a stern voice, "and what are you doing in my home?"

 

[Eddak Manod]

There was an awkward silence as the two stood in their places, it was cold, and Eddak didn't think this would be just a chat. "I don't have to kill you, just tell me who you are," Eddak explained calmly. He thought by now his guards would have heard his shout earlier, but no one came. Eddak took a deep breath as his nerves shook slightly, trying to see under the hood of the cloaked figure. "I've come to kill you, Eddak Manod," the voice spoke in a soft tone. A weapon was suddenly drawn and Eddak jumped back, screaming, "What do you want?! To die?? Will come and have your death!" The wind knocked out the flame of the candle which dimly lit the room, and Eddak's eyes took a mere second to adjust. His Umbaran abilities saving him as he quickly reacted to the cloaked figure lunging towards him. He blocked with his blade as the two clashed swords.

Eddak pushed him off, "you think you can best me? Some would be assassin?? You've just faced off with the best swordsman in Galderra, Mudlicker!" Eddak took the offensive, showing off his skills with a blade as his arm lunged forward and his body turned flat. "You've become old, King. Don't you think you should take it a little easy on those old bones?" the cloaked figure spouted at Eddak, attempted to kill his ego. "Why don't you stop playing games and tell me why you're here, so I can figure out who I need to kill," again they clashed blades, their faces coming so close to each other. "I've no importance except being King and the Protector of the Commenor Royal Family. And if you're target is someone in the family, I assure you, You Won't Have Them!" Eddak raised his voice towards the end of his sentence as he rapidly pushed off with his blade, making the figure unsteady. He took a great breath as he was tiring himself, but quickly spun around to give himself momentum at even such a short distance. He sliced the side of the figures abdomen and drawing blood. Eddak had a smirk on his face as he panted, raising his sword to the cloaked figure and happy that he made such a quick strike so quickly into the fight.

 

[Eddak Manod]

Eddak laughed at the figure as they grasped their side, the blood pouring from them. "Look at, at you! Bleeding like a, a stuck Gornt! Pahahahahaaaa!" another gasp, keeping himself from running out of breath too much. "And you thought you could best me, Savior of Wann Tsir. I'm the god damn Royal Protector of the Royal Family you invalid!" Eddak had become cocky into his old age, unfortunately letting his guard down thinking the fight was over, but prepared to raise his sword should the figure raise theirs. The cloaked figure shook their head, slowly raising their blade. "No, you do have skill, King. But your skill blinds you," the cloaked figure made a half-assed swing at Eddak, which he saw coming. Easily deflecting it, it wasn't the primary attack at the moment. Four poisoned darts had struck Eddak in the back and neck, which threw off his deflection. He skirted to the side to dodge the rest of the figures blade as he looked at the figure and back to his study. Someone else was inside his keep. "You, damn you!" Eddak yelled out. He struck again at the cloaked figure who jumped back, dodging the strike.

"What's the matter old man, skill not enough for you anymore?" The figure spoke, goating Eddak along. The adrenaline pumping through his veins would make the poison course through him much faster. Eddak had collapsed, falling on a knee as he felt the poison. He gritted his teeth and thought for a moment, in anger. Another two poison darts hit him in the back. "Dammit, stop!" He yelled, standing up on shaky feet as he looked over to the figure, "I will not be.... be bested by cheap tricks! Ah, oh sod it!" Eddak rushed the figure again, but this time with a more steady breath. His entire tingled, but he wasn't done. They clashed swords, and began fighting again.

 

[Eddak Manod]

"I'm going to walk out of here," Eddak started spouting, their swords clinging together as they deflected each other, "I'm going to put you on that noose with my own hands," another two darts struck him in the leg and the arm, "and I will watch you hang." Eddaks movements were becoming sluggish, but he would not give up. He pulled every art form of the sword he could. Another deflection, and Eddak tried to go for a remise. But the figure feinted his strike, and it left Eddak open. The figure stabbed Eddak in the gut with his blade and then, as quickly as he stabbed him, pulled it out and jumped back again. Eddaks eyes opened wide as he grabbed the figures blade, staring at the hidden face. His teeth clattered as he tried to breathe, but each breath feeling like pain. "You rat bastard... y-you," Eddak said in a hushed tone as just before his hand forced open, no longer grabbing the blade after it pulled out, slicing his hand up, "k-kark...."

"It didn't have to be like this, Eddak. You could have stayed in your little village, whatever did happen to that rule of hiding out from the galaxy, anyway?" The figure question, watching Eddak as he slumped to the floor. Eddak was already out of breath, and couldn't muster another, as with each breath he bled and felt excruciating internal pain. He held his wound while his other hand held himself from slumping to the floor, staring down. "Doesn't matter anymore. You should have known this would happen when you got involved with the galaxy at large, anyway. You ended up no different than your ex-lover." And with that, Eddak snapped. "No!" his left foot pulled forward so he could gain balance, and then pushed off of it, "you do not talk about her!" The figure was caught off guard as Eddak pulled his dagger, and jabbed it into the upper torso of the figure. It stabbed between his ribs and punctured his lungs. "You do not say a word, about.... her."

 

[Eddak Manod]

Eddaks ex-lover was someone he met when he was very young, and she was slaughtered, along with other women when Eddak chose to defy Neldar Poska. This was a long time ago, when Neldar the Pirate King had enslaved Wann Tsir and sold the people as slaves. Eddak eventually got his revenge, and through that entire campaign, he promised he would make Wann Tsir safe again. It was one of the solidifying reasons the people of Galderra made him King, but in the end, it just wasn't enough. As Eddak stared into the darkened hood, he felt he almost saw a face, it was.... familiar? It was over. The other assassin who had been shooting poisoned darts had come in and stabbed Eddak in the back. There were no more words. Eddak was pulled off of the cloaked figure and thrown to the floor, where he sprawled out and stared at the door which was the entrance to the sitting room. The fine seats which Lady Kay and others had sat down, gracing their presence in Galderra, were stained with blood and tore up.

The other assassin grabbed the near-death assassin and helped him walk. As they were about to walk through the opened glass sliding door, the fighter who had been stabbed spoke, "goodnight, Eddak Manod." But that was it. They stepped out into the balcony and disappeared into the night, not a single patrol knowing anything had happened, or even seeing them trying to escape. The only evidence they were even there were blood trails leading to an empty field, probably where a ship was landed. Eddak was losing clarity as he remembered his past, losing strength as he realized he would be leaving everyone he cared about behind.... "Lady Kay..... I'm sorry...." he groaned as his vision became blurry.... "Jair.... please, forgive me...." were his final words until he had no more breath to spare.