To Redemption [Djonas]

[Aeron Zambrano]

Ryl0th
Mid-Day

The Fungus Pit.

It was a...less than charming name, but Asaak had her start in the less than charming Underworld of the city of Coruscant. Something named after fungus wasn't going to deter her. She was thirsty, tired, and more than ready to return to the Silver Jedi after her mission to Ryloth. Even in the middle of her Knighthood trials she was assigned missions. She didn't truly mind, and this one had been interesting - investigating rumors of slavery, as always seemed to be the case with Twileks.

Just one drink before she got herself home to report to the Council...

A cantina was, in all honesty, a strange place to see a Jedi but some habits died hard and Asaak didn't truly appear as one either. She wasn't wearing the robes of her Order for obvious reasons and appeared for all intents and purposes as perhaps a merchant trying to make her way on the planet. But regardless - maybe it was the way she carried herself or simply that the regulars didn't know her face - they watched. Alright, a quick drink then. She ordered something light, starting to feel that being anything less than on her toes was a stupid idea. She was no more than ten minutes in her cup before she finished and passed credits over the bar, hopping off her stool and heading back outside in to the close alleyways of Ryloth. The nagging feeling of being watched hadn't left her the entire time she'd been in the Pit and it wasn't leaving her now.

She took a left, choosing an alley with a little more foot traffic, hoping it might discourage whoever it was that might be watching. Her instincts were rarely wrong and --

She stopped as a huge, lumbering beast of a Twi'lek male slithered between two others going about their business - both of whom looked up to tell off the rude stranger who'd pushed between them only to go wide-eyed and slack-jawed, scrambling away without a word. Asaak glanced over her shoulder to see at least five or six more burly looking Twi'leks gathering behind her, and to top it off a few above on the terraces lining the buildings.

The one she'd seen first, blue-skinned and almost freakishly muscular, spoke. "Couldn't help but notice you walking around all day," he said in a way that suggested it wasn't because Asaak was good-looking.

"Just visiting a few friends here, about to be on my way," she said. She was a Consular and therefore used to using her words to get herself or others out of trouble, but this excuse was even more believable due to the fact that she did have a few friends within CIS' Templars who would be at the Sanctum.

"Not what it seems like to me. Seems like you're snooping," he said, menacing a few steps closer. It was then Asaak started calculating her chances against so many. Good if none of them had blasters which was highly unlikely. She was a little scrapper of a fighter in hand-to-hand and she'd started perfecting using the Force to defend herself. But...her saber skills were close to poodoo and deflecting the bolts from so many? Kriff...

"I got lost a couple times. Everything looks the same - sometimes I got turned around and had to retrace my steps," she offered, her voice still even, calling on the Force for calm and connection.

"Why don't you just come with us, real quiet..." the Twi'lek advised, starting to close the distance.

"I really do think I'll just be on my way," she offered in reply, pushing back a fold of her robe to reveal the hilt of her lightsaber in warning. She didn't want to kill if she didn't absolutely have to, and most trouble was avoided with a flash of her weapon. But, as she expected - it didn't deter this particular group.

"Ah, Jedi? This will be even more fun than I thought," he laughed before raising his hand, every Twi'lek who wasn't part of the group watching her seeming to know right at that instant this wasn't something to hang around for, beating it quickly out of the alley.

In the ten seconds between his comment and his men preparing themselves Asaak had been gathering all the Force energy she could muster, releasing it just as most of them moved to pull their blasters from their hiding places. A repulse of energy bounded from her, knocking the majority of them flat on their backs and giving her a moment to think. Just a moment. The leader was back on his feet almost instantly, dazed but intent, a knife glinting in his meaty hand as he came at her. Thinking fast she lifted one hand and used an ability taught to her by her Master, altering the air around the Twi'lek's head to put pressure on the small cavities around the parts of his brain stored in his lekku. It wouldn't hurt him but it would be incredibly painful -- aaannd there, he fell to his knees, clutching at his head.

She turned as the group behind her was on their feet and running again, lifting a crate of melons from a merchant's stall down the alley and hurling the entire thing - crate and fruit together - towards the group, fruit splitting open and spraying everywhere as the crate exploded on their heads.

The real trouble came when the Twi'leks above started blasting at her. She yanked her saber from her robes, its green blade humming to life as she started sprinting down the alley, hoping to get back to her ship before anyone got caught in the crossfire - or a blaster bolt went straight through her head - dodging some bolts and deflecting others though the last few had been dangerously close to hitting her. One went whizzing right past one of her montrals, and she could hear the shouts of the fruit-covered, bruised group once more chasing behind her.

How did she always get herself in to these things?

[member="Djonas Vile"]

 

[Djonas Vile]

The planet of Ryloth was a notable asset to the Confederacy, providing the Confederacy with many strong soldiers, brilliant scientists and engineers, and bountiful harvests. The Confederacy always cared for the protection of it's people before anything.

Djonas was there on a goodwill mission to the planet to ensure that the established Confederacy bases there are providing the people with the protection they so rightfully deserve. Djonas was visiting the last station when a trooper had a conversation with him.

"Yes, sir. Right in Bashka. Nice little cantina called the Fungus Pit. The name is a little misleading. The locals seem to love the place." the trooper told Djonas. Bashka, like the rest of the Twi'lek villages, was built into a cavern within a mountain. The Fungus Pit was a normal cantina, but since it was the only one in Bashka, it was fairly popular.

"Thanks, soldier. I'll check that out after I'm through here." Djonas replied to the soldier. He did his last rounds of the station before leaving on his speeder bike. The speed of his bike cause his cape to ripple in the winds. He managed to reach Bashka before sundown. He hung his hood on his head and proceeded into the cantina to sit at a booth. A waitress approached him minutes later.

"What'll you have, sweetheart?" the Twi'lek waitress asked flirtatiously, hand resting upon her hip. Djonas' templar armor was hidden by his cloak so he wouldn't attract any unwanted attention.

"Some Jeru tea, if you have it" Djonas replied. The sweet calming taste of Jeru tea was becoming one of Djonas' favorites.

"Comin' right up." the awfully bubbly waitress replied before walking off.

Djonas sat at the booth, hood atop his head, and scanned the cantina's many patrons. The music was rather dull compared to the tunes Djonas was used to. He was so used to the deep bass and and fast beats that the cantina's music almost put the Templar to sleep. But, something caught his attention. Something that was alluring enough to jolt him awake. A togruta girl, no older than him, was in the cantina. He watched her for a moment before rising to speak with her, but she left before he could say one word. He followed a few meters behind, trying to not appear to be a stalker.

Something else had count his eye has he tried to speak with her. Another was following her. And he wasn't alone. Djonas immediately inferred their intentions weren't good. He decided to blend in with the crowd to wait and see where things would lead. He didn't want to create a panic so he would wait to engage them until they proved to be hostile.

Djonas hid around a corner and listened in on the conversation. "I knew it..a bunch of punks." he muttered to himself. Djonas continued to listen in on the exchange between the togruta and the Twi'leks.

Then...blaster fire.

Djonas acted quickly. He reached for his lightsaber and activated the silver blade and climbed onto the rooftops to engage those who were firing at the togruta from above. Some turned their attention towards the Templar and fired upon him. Djonas was becoming a master at Soresu, his stamina was incredible. Blocking the blaster fire was a cinch for him and deflecting it was just as easy. His lightsaber didn't even have to touch them The accuracy of his deflections did the job. Once they were dispatched, Djonas continued across the rooftops, following the togruta close behind.

[member="Asaak Tey"]

 

[Aeron Zambrano]

In the back of her mind – that part that was always dreaming, never necessarily completely present – she was wondering if it could get any messier. She was being chased by murderous Twi’leks on a planet within the Confederacy. If slavery was present it was their slice of space to fix should they see fit. Asaak was only there because the Jedi had heard rumors of something…darker. She was just to see if the rumors were true. She could only imagine standing before the Confederacy's leaders, trying to explain why innocent people had been shot in the crossfire of an accident she had somehow catalyzed.

Except that person might be her.

Just when she was starting to think of something really drastic she heard a second hum like someone had ignited – she looked up, her eyes catching on a silver blade wielded with more prowess than she could ever hope to possess. She had only a second to glance at him – really only long enough to register it was a man – before she looked forward, lifting another crate and throwing it behind her to stop the oncoming pack.

She was running out of alleyway and just as she came to a turn a brutish Twi’lek more familiar with the labyrinth of buildings jumped out in front of her, fist curled and flying towards her. This however was where she excelled – she was nasty scrapper, a hold-out from Coruscant where it was fight or be killed. She fell back on instinct, spinning outwards to avoid his swing and grabbing the attacker’s arm, driving her free elbow in to the junction of his and registering a nasty ‘snap!’ as she increased the speed of her movement with the Force. Just to make sure he was down she carried her momentum to swing her leg behind his, taking him off his feet in his distraction so he was howling in pain flat on his back.

But just as she was about to make her escape, the cold muzzle of a blaster pressed right beneath her lekku. “I don’t know whether I should kill ya, or take you back with me…” She didn’t know where ‘back’ was, but she recognized the voice as the leader who’d used the advantage of her fight to sneak up on her – and she was sure he would just choose to kill her.

[member="Djonas Vile"]

 

[Djonas Vile]

The chase seemed to go on forever as Djonas leaped from rooftop to rooftop, trying to end this altercation before any more innocent blood would be shed. It was getting completely out of hand at this point. He started feeling responsible for allowing this uproar to escalate as high as it has. He knew that all participants would have to be arrested for their crimes. Any who'd resist, would be killed. Even the togruta, if necessary.

He did his best to keep up with the togruta and the twi'leks chasing her. More and more of the thugs tried killing Djonas, but his swift moves were too much for them and he managed to cut through them with his lightsaber. Djonas chimed into his communicator, trying to reach the nearby by Confederacy station. "Captain, I need backup. Got a situation here at Bashka." Djonas messaged the droid captain at the station. "Roger roger." the droid replied. The few squads in Bashka began to move to Djonas' position. More than enough droids to quell this problem.

Meanwhile, DJonas continued jumping from rooftop to rooftop. "Stop right there!" he called out as the chase reached a halt with the togruta at gunpoint at the hands of a large twi'lek. Djonas leaped down from the roof into a crouched position. He stood up, silver lightsaber in hand, and stared down the twi'lek. "Put the gun down and I won't add 10 years to your already long sentence." Djonas stated coldly to the twi'lek. The faint sound of approaching droids could be heard from their position.

[member="Asaak Tey"]

 

[Aeron Zambrano]

Asaak was counting down the seconds, thinking of the myriad ways she could get herself out of the situation – she was a creative girl, she’d think of something – when the Man From The Roof (as she’d already taken to thinking of him) was suddenly not on the roof anymore and instead threatening the Twi’lek standing behind her.

The big blue Twi’lek with a gun to her head turned his own to look at the man suddenly threatening him. A sardonic smile peeled across his face, an expression that could almost be termed cheeky were he not so hideous. “You think I’m sc—” he began but didn’t finish as Asaak ducked down and then elbowed backwards, knocking him on his feet and quickly kicking the blaster from his hand. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll stay here,” she said down at his bewildered face, stepping back to allow the droids to pick up his lumbering body and wrestle him away.

She watched as the droids did their work for a moment or two, letting the adrenaline in her system run its course before she turned her head to look at the man who essentially saved her life. Asaak was not too proud a creature to deny that sometimes she might need a little help…or a lot. “Thank you,” she said, allowing a bit of a smile to tug at her lips. “I think I had it handled though,” she said, clearly joking but unwilling to admit his skills with his lightsaber far surpassed anything she would ever be capable of.

[member="Djonas Vile"]