The Price of Freedom

[Lord Gaius]

Members:
[member="Cambria Zadira"] | [member="Erek'Ard Wagvar"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"] | [member="Axle Sourn"]

Information:
The Silver Order has received reports of a growth of slavery in Geonosis, typically in their gladiatorial arena's. The Kaadu Clan have been dispatched by the High Council to rescue the slaves. The Sixth Battalion, Juliet Company have come to assist with a single squad; Fireteam Pool. A sole LAAT has flown to Geonosis, alongside a new member of the Kaadu Clan who wishes to prove his worth before the leader of the Kaadu; Hasjo Hallu.​

Flight Officer Trayton called over the intercoms "LZ is hot, troopers. Get ready to come out swinging'" The grinding of doors screeched in the air as the bay opened up, the bowels of the ship lightning up with natural sunlight. Hasjo stood, shouting over the rough winds and deafening propulsion drives to Fireteam Pool "You heard him, get tactical, marines!" Before the ship lay open wastelands of constant dry, sandstone desert. A solitary sandstone dome stuck out from the surface of the planet, thousands of spectators could be heard and seen, all Geonosians. In the arena, tiny ant-like figures stood being chased by much larger creatures. They were getting slaughtered down there. "ETA 30 seconds" Trayton informed them from the cockpit of the LAAT gunship. Hasjo ignited his double-bladed Lightsaber Pike with a hiss of cerulean plasma. He glanced to Axle, knowing he had asked the council to join the Kaadu, and this mission would determine if he was fit to join them. He shouted to him "Just try and remain calm, and everything else will sort itself out." Hasjo swept his gaze to the troopers and Jedi alike that were with him "May the Force be with you."

 

[Axle Sourn]

Axle stood near the open starboard hatch of the LAAT as it made it's hot insertion to the LZ of the rescue mission. Axle knew that this was a interview of sorts. An assessment of his skill as he had requested to join the order of the Silver Jedi's clan 'Kaadu'. He definitely wanted to perform well on this evaluation, but more importantly, the freedom of the slaves below was paramount to Axle.

As the neared the domed building that was the arena, the First Officer announced that they were approximately 30 seconds from touchdown.
Axle nodded at the Knight Hasjo, who was his evaluator and leader of clan Kaadu. Axle appreciated the words of encouragement. But unfortunately, this wasn't Axle's first combat encounter. He was a soldier first before he began his training to be a Jedi. He had seen a lifetime's worth of blood and death.

30 seconds passed in an instant. Their gunship came under fire immediately.
Axle drew his lightsaber and ignited it just before they touched down. The blue blade shot out of its hilt and Axle went to work deflecting the incoming fire. [member="Hasjo Hallu"]

 

[Lord Gaius]

Hasjo had been taken by the Jedi Order at the tender age of four, and since that age, had trained ever since. To become the powerful war beast he was today. It was clear that the Jedi Guardian was a foe to be reckoned with in close combat. It was no hidden fact that Hasjo was not powerful in the Force, but he carried a series of exotic weapons that made him an extremely versatile opponent, and his natural anatomy only further served this. The almost-thirty year old had a decade long history of military service. From his first years in the Coruscant Security Force as a Jedi Peacekeeper. To a commander of the Republic Navy, and now, General of the Sixth Battalion. He was well regarded in all affairs military within the Silver Order, and on occasion, even Jedi Masters had heeded his words and followed his command. Not as a fellow Jedi, but as a soldier revering an officer. The Nautolan seemed to hold a deep respect amongst the troopers of the Sixth Battalion, and it showed in the way they looked at him.

Geonosis was home to over one-hundred-billion. The CIS had done their best efforts to reduce crime to an almost non-existent rate, but such planets as these, with tremendous populations - even the greatest could not quell crime. It was a cancer that would always find a new way to return. You can root it out as many times as you like, or stampede it. But it would always return. The slave bloom had occurred after a several year stint of slavery being nigh non-existent on the planet. Though crime would always find a way, and so the Silver Order were here to stop it. The LAAT rocked with blaster fire, circular turrets returning it back to them. Fireteam Pool piled up, ready to unload. Hasjo stood before them. They landed with a thud, slugs tearing through the vessel. Catching Corporal Atravim in the shoulder. Hasjo signalled the charge with a roar. Fireteam Pool piled out at the command of their Sergeant, "Go, go, go!"

Hasjo sprinted across the open field, his Lightsaber Pike twirling through his hand as though it were an extension of himself. It seemed so natural. The thousands that had been watching the illegally show, fluttered into the air. Fleeing before they could be arrested - not that they had the manpower or authority. The Silver Orders presence was here purely to save the slaves. A few Geonosians belonging to the slave ring stayed behind, continuing to fire upon them. Bounty Hunters burst onto the playing fields between the slaves that had been forced to fight for their lives and Fireteam Pool, and the Kaadu Clan. Hasjo charged one, allowing the other Jedi's to deal with the others. Hasjo recognised the bounty hunter before him as Luminous. A wretched sniper from the Mid Rim territories. Luminous fired off a barrage of slugs, the Nautolan moving his blade with absolute fluidity to redirect each bolt.

The Jedi Knight cleaved Luminous' marksmen rifle in two, before twisting his body in a way that would make a Twi'lek dancer envious. The Nautolan moved without human vertebral restraints. His torso leaned down, his hip twisted and he feet kicked through the air. He delivered a powerful boot to the helmeted Luminous, knocking him to the ground. The bounty hunter curled his armoured hands around the Nautolans calf and yanked, hard. He hadn't been prepared for that. He lost the grip of his Lightsaber Pike, the hilt rolling out of his reach. The Nautolan became engaged in a heated wrestling match with the bounty hunter as each one tried to obtain a steady grapple on the other. Until finally - Hasjo had him. His powerful arms were wrapped around Luminous' throat, his legs clutching the mans waist. The amphibian wouldn't let go easily. The man shrieked in desperation as the Jedi began to choke him out.

@[member="Axle Sourn"]

 

[Axle Sourn]

The LAAT touched down and Axle charged out of the gunship with the others. There was a mixture of blaster fire, and sonic blasts raining down on the rescue team. Many Geonosians were fleeing, but several stayed to protect their investment, along with a motley crew of bounty hunters.

Axle went to work deflecting the blaster fire from the advancing troops. Lightsabers could could deflect blaster fire easily depending on the skill of the wielder, but the sonic blasters used by the Geonosian warriors couldn't be deflected, the only option was to dodge the shot....or get hit.

Axle was in it now, his body defaulted to his training, both his military training, and his more recent Jedi training. He deflected, he dodged and he charged forward.
[member="Hasjo Hallu"] had engaged one of the bounty hunters, but had lost his lightsaber pike in the process. Axle charged forward and took up a sentry position over the wrestling duo, deflecting fire away from the distracted Silver Knight. Fortunately, Hasjo seemed to have the upper hand.

 

[Lord Gaius]

The man became limp in his grasp, his fingers that had been digging in the Nautolans flesh gently released. Hasjo pulled himself from out under the unconscious bounty hunter, retrieving his Lightsaber Pike with an approving nod to [member="Axle Sourn"]. The large amphibian moved to the Jedi's side, joining him in combat. He shouted over to him "Following my lead. I'll distract them, you take them down." The Nautolan was a master of both Shii-Cho and the Lightsaber Pike. He was capable of taking on many opponents at once. He launched himself towards the bounty hunters, the cerulean plasma whining as it swept wide, keeping them at bay. They became distracted by the Nautolan who found himself engulfed on all sides by the cutthroats-for-hire.

 

[Axle Sourn]

Axle nodded at [member="Hasjo Hallu"] command. It was a sound plan.
As the Nautolan launched himself at the advancing bounty hunters, Axle closed his eyes and reached out with his mind and felt the force swirling around him. He felt the very powerful presence of Hasjo, but he also felt the bounty hunters as well. Axle was no master of the force by any means, but he trained constantly to hone his skills.

Geonosis was not a place that most sentient life forms ever wanted to be. It was hot, mostly barren, it was a desert. Which worked out perfectly for Axle. Through the force he began kick up the sand around the bounty hunters. The sand slowly began to whirl at their feet, then it began to increase in altitude and ferocity. It did nothing to harm the bounty hunters, but it significantly hampered their vision.

Between Hasjo's distraction and Axle's minor sand storm, the hunters were completely unaware of Axle. Until he was among them, slashing, spinning and stabbing.
The first three seconds found five of the hunters dead. Before the other could pin point Axle's location, he had launched himself into the air, using the force to boost his altitude. He landed in another group and continued his deadly dance with the blue blade of his lightsaber slashing and stabbing. He gave himself over to his instincts, letting the force guide him.

He spun and grabbed the hunter in front of him and turned him to the side and directly in front of Axle just as incoming blaster fire came in and peppered it's new target rather the it's intended target. Axle let the now dead hunter fall to to the sand and rushed forward towards the gunman who squeezed of a few more shots. Axle used his momentum and rolled under the shots as they whizzed past, right where his head would have been.
He came to his feet just in front of the gunman, and Axle brought his saber up in a diagonal slash, causing the gunman to fall back onto the sand, in two pieces.
fifteen seconds had passed, and Axle stood with his lightsaber in both hands, and a number of bodies littering the sand around him. He looked over to Hasjo who was dispatching the last hunter in the group "Where to next?"

 

[Lord Gaius]

Hasjo released himself into the force. His movements were absolute fluidity. The Way of the Sarlaac. The form was considered ancient and outdated, but in the way the Nautolan harnessed each successive strike, it was a beautiful dance of singing blades. There was a distinct difference in Hasjo and [member="Axle Sourn"]. The Jedi Knight held back, where he could cut down his foe he chose to disarm. When his life was in danger, he did not choose to kill but maim. He was removing the threat whilst keeping them alive. The Nautolan placed himself in greater jeopardy for this, and Hasjo seemed to acknowledge that as he moved. His moves were randomised and unpredictable, the bounty hunters finding few scant purchases against him.

He became a martial hurricane. His body twirling with the whining of the cerulean plasma. He moved in a way that was unrestrained by human vertebral. He moved out in two, three directions at once. Those he touched went down, and those that went down stayed down. Finally, the storm subsided and Hasjo deactivated his blade. The different was now all too noticeable. Those he had engaged fled weaponless or sat on the ground nursing their injuries. Whilst the others were dead, or dying. Form Shii-Cho was different from the others, his goal was not to kill. He acknowledged this and led him towards one of the many gates. He spoke to him "We have to free them from the dens."

 

[Axle Sourn]

The drastic difference between his victims and the Hasjo's wasn't lost on Axle. He was a soldier, and his tactics were very brutal due to years of being in combat. It was default setting that he wished to change.
There wasn't time to lament on his actions, but [member="Hasjo Hallu"] would be able to sense the turmoil in Axle through the Force.

Axle stepped forward to the gate and addressed it occupants. "Stand back, e are going to get you out."
His voice was authoritative, but kind. His blue blade sliced open the lock and the gate swung open and the slaves began to rush out.
He continued the same act on every gate until they were all open and it's occupants were running towards freedom.

Turning to the Knight, Axle said "We will need more ships to evac them all."

 

[Lord Gaius]

Hasjo turned his back to [member="Axle Sourn"]. He hailed the LAAT/i that had delivered them into the dome. Fireteam Pool, the Sixth Battalion troopers regrouped. He was organising an evac for the former prisoners and slaves. They would catch the next ride out of the hell hole. Until such a time, they would be sitting ducks. The slaves began to crowd around them, many were unsurprisingly Twi'leks. The race was notorious for having a large chunk of their population being enslaved. The Jedi Knight would have to report this incident to the Confederacy of Independent Space. An ironic name, he thought. He heard Axle call to him, "We will need more ships to evac them all."
"I've organised an evacuation for them. F.O Trayton will be here seen to pick them up. We got to sit tight until he can come back for the rest of us." Speaking of the devil, the gunship swooped low, performing a low oval around the arena, before coming to a final landing. Fireteam Pool took the initiative and began to direct the slaves into the ship. Hasjo signalled the wave, and the gunship took off. The bowel doors closing, the slaves were crammed in shoulder-to-shoulder, it would be their last hardship, he hoped.

 

[Axle Sourn]

[member="Hasjo Hallu"]
Axle felt a surge of relief as the free'd slaves climbed into the LAAT. The gunship took off, leaving the liberators behind to fend off the remaining hostiles.
Axle tried a new tactic. Before, he would have been the first one to press the attack, the body count would have meant nothing to him. But he left his soldier's life behind for a reason, something had to change. Now, he placed himself on the front line, not to press the assault, but to protect Fire-team Pool. He put his saber to work deflecting blaster fire away from the troopers. When the Geonosians fired their sonic blasts, he used the force to pull boulders in front of the troopers to absorb the damage.
He pushed himself despite the fatigue that was beginning to overtake his body, they just had to hold out till the Evac arrived.

 

[Lord Gaius]

Hasjo turned swiftly. His loose silver robes fluttering in the wind. His Lightsaber Pike came to stance, but before he could activate it a blaster bolt came directed for him. He raised his hand, palm open. The energy slammed against his hand where it seemed to dissipate - leaving the Jedi Knight unharmed. It was a technique taught to the younglings of the Coruscant Jedi Temple. He swung his pike, his thumb sliding down the shaft to activate the cerulean plasma with a familiar hiss. His eyes glanced [member="Axle Sourn"]. He moved towards him, joining his side to help him redirect the blaster fire. Hasjo's skill was different. Rather than individually moving to redirect each bolt, he spun the blade faster and faster. The plasma of the lightsaber forming a sort of deflector shield before them. Each bolt that whizzed their way was instantly shot back. Fireteam Pool took up firing positions, kneeling and laying beside them. Their fingers on the trigger, eyes downrange. "Axle, attention" he called to the Jedi. He wanted him to follow his lead, it would be harder for him without the double-bladed lightsaber. He nodded his head downwards to how he spun the hilt in his hands. Between thumb and index finger, around and around. He wanted him to follow his lead. He planned on surrounding Fireteam Pool using the technique he was trying to teach Axle, it was called Su. Together, with the right speed, they could create an encompassing lightsaber-equivalent deflector shield to surround themselves in. They would box themselves in, but it would also potentially save a life or two from the Fireteam.

 

[Axle Sourn]

Axle took a beat to watch what [member="Hasjo Hallu"] was doing then nodded. He took up his position and began the same spinning motion. It was more difficult to do with a single blade, but Axle made do.
Axle stretched out with the force and found the rhythm that Hasjo was moving at. Axle matched it and together they formed a somewhat crude shield for the fireteam.

 

[Lord Gaius]

Together they formed a crude deflector shield around Fireteam Pool. The troopers fell to one knee, resting with weapons raised. It was a rhythmic motion, Hasjo found it. The whining of plasma was heavy and loud in the air, but was overthrown by roaring propulsion drives. High above them, Flight Officer Trayton piloted the LAAT/i in a circular motion. Streaks of laser fire tore a path through enemy ranks. Swaths of them were going down, and soon they relented. Between the Jedi's deflector shields formed by the utilisation of Su, and the attacking LAAT, they were hopeless to win. The gunship veered down low, coming to a grinding halt beside them. Bay doors slid open and Fireteam Pool made a run for it. Hasjo looked to [member="Axle Sourn"] and motioned for him to go next.

 

[Axle Sourn]

One by one, Fireteam pool ran towards the gunship. Axle ran behind them, deflecting as he moved. They made it without any casualties and Axle stood just outside the bay doors to provide cover for [member="Hasjo Hallu"]

 

[Lord Gaius]

Hasjo placed a firm foot on the floor of the gunship. He raised himself into the ship, standing beside [member="Axle Sourn"] as the bay doors closed. The Nautolan was shorter than Axle, the Corellian stood at 6' 2", whilst Hasjo was a meagre 5' 7". He returned his Lightsaber Pike to his hilt, having disengaged the plasma. The transport made lift off and began it's return to the fleet. The Jedi Knight looked to Axle, "You did good out there. You belong with the Kaadu, if I had any say in it. If you ever need someone to train you, I'm available."