These Shattered Stars -- Logs

Freyja sits crosslegged near Master Roakkana in the monastery dojo. Zero's gone to wash up after his first lightsaber workout. Freyja has been debriefing her recent, extensive research for her Master, making sure both that he's up to date and that she's got the various sects and theories sorted out correctly in her brain. Once she's done she sits silently for a while. It's a lot of confusing and contradictory information... she's still mentally digesting it.

Roakkana is quiet for a long while as he digests the information himself. He nods, smiling quietly. "Well done, Freyja. You've found connections and information that I've forgotten or simply never made before. But there is more you wish to add, I think?"

Freyja looks pleased, and then nods, "Yes, Master Roakkana, although it's not about my research. It's... about something else; an experiment I'd like to try, if you allow."

The Wookie arches an eyebrow. "An experiment?"

Freyja nods slowly, working to put words to what is, so far, just a vaguely conceived concept to her, "I... the darksider blight has been described to me as the Force being mangled and distorted around darksiders due to their manipulation of it. I want to see if I can maybe 'smooth' the Force out some around them... ease it back into its proper, unmanipulated state."

Roakkana makes a thoughtful sound. "What you propose has possibly been done in the past, child, though I am unaware of it being done. There may be good reasons why not... but I honestly cannot think of them. I would be uncomfortable if I did not attend you while you performed this experiment."

Freyja beams happily, "Thank you, Master Roakkana, I would be honored!" She adds with obvious enthusiasm, ""It's a bit of very interesting data, Master Roakkana -- to see if the Force can be helped back to normal. If it can be, then a whole range of questions pop up. For example, does this lessen darksider blight, and if so, does it also lessen the abilities of the darksiders somewhat? Will it encourage them to convert? After all, why are most Sith lords mad? Could it be the constant, now-unnoticed pain of the Force (in effect) screeching at them -- like someone driven mad by an impacted molar with no anesthetic? Once I had that happen to me, due to a lack of planning on my part during a primitive hiking trip. Getting anesthetic for my impacted molar was like a HUGE and formerly unrealized weight off my shoulders. I was vaguely surprised at how horrible I'd been and felt -- all without really realizing it! So... is it like that for darksiders? or is it something else? And if it can be smoothed out around a Sith... can the insides of a Sith be affected at all? Are there Force knots blocking abilities in the canid's mind, for example? Why can't he heal folks? That's just the sort of thing I could see a Sith lord doing to drive one of their pupils mad. And most of all... can we use it to help the still-unconscious guardian of this monastery?"

She adds more slowly and thoughtfully, "In effect... are the darksiders antisocial due to constant choice... or due to an inability to even conceive any more that they have a choice? If the latter, given a choice -- would they choose NOT to be Sith any more? Would they choose not to live in fear and insanity any more? If that's possible... how can we NOT try our best to try to give them that choice?"

Roakkana stands, to let Freyja lead the way towards where she wants to conduct her experiment. "It is interesting reasoning, child, but is darksider blight a cause or an effect of the Sith's antisocial tendencies? Most philosophers agree that undertaking the Dark Side is a conscious choice, but that once down that road it will forever dominate one's destiny. They are always responsible for their actions, wether as Jedi or as Sith, or any other tradition. If by 'smoothing out' the Force around a darksider, you bring them from the path of the Dark Side... at what point is their choice made from free will overruled by this?"

Freyja paces along swiftly next to her much larger Master, looking up at him with lively interest in her bright eyes, "I don't know yet, Master, but I'd like to try and find out. I don't want to take away their freedom of choice, definitely... but if smoothing out the Force around them allows them to make an informed choice, without pain or madness... isn't that worth it, to allow them that option?" She heads for the land speeder, adding cheerfully, "I was thinking best to try this, at least initially, someplace away from people. Would the location of the Sith ambushing the Sith be acceptable?"

Roakkana nods, "Indeed, child, yes. We shall see just what happens. What did you propose to do?" He arches his brow again. "It might, at that, actually. The land itself is blighted.

Freyja says, "Once there, I thought I'd try 'feeling' for the Force, and see if it's um... 'smoothable,' if that makes sense? Or unknottable, or whatever?"

Roakkana settles himself into the landspeeder. "Any metaphor is appropriate to the Force, child," he says wryly. "Any and all, and some we don't even know yet."

Freyja grins, "Excellent!" She'll drive the land speeder with her usual care, and shortly thereafter they're at the blighted location.

The location has not changed much from the day before, though a road crew and security detail from the spaceport was here briefly to take away the landspeeder wreck, the bodies, and to check for any additonal concussion mines. They were there very briefly. Neither the police nor the workers felt any desire to be there for very long.

Freyja hops out of the landspeeder and stands for a moment, concentrating first on centering herself. The blight is vaguely stomach-churning, if one doesn't prevent it from intruding on consciousness. Once she's sure she's mentally focused, she looks around a little sadly... all the death, fear, pain, and misery this spot saw, so short a time ago... and it was almost all for nothing. She sighs... then paces out to the center of the blight, calling to the Wookie, "I'll try the center first, then if that doesn't work, the edges. If I'm lucky, the center will 'give' and it'll ripple out smoothness all around. If not, I'll try, uh... I'll try evening out the weave, or whatever it visualizes as, out on the edges. That'll probably take longer, but it might work more easily... I don't know yet. Is that acceptable?"

"Certainly, child." He steps from the landspeeder, wary but not visibly discomfited. "I shall watch you through the Force from here....>"

Freyja smiles and nods. Then she'll sit crosslegged in the center of the blight, as best she can tell. She takes a deep breath... then closes her eyes and tries to 'see' or 'feel' the Force and its condition, around her.

She begins to "see" the patterns of the Force in the area. "Blight" doesn't seem to do it justice. Tight, ugly, swollen knots of energy cling to the very rocks like cancerous lesions, seeping horridly into the natural life of the place. The gouges where terrifying bolts of power scored the ground seem to pulse blackly. The place where the female Mandragolan and the Massassi met their fates seem to writhe and twist with black tendrils of some vital essence, some remnant of the beings who died there. The threads and cords of tightly-knotted, churning dark side energy chokes out the Living Force itself, an overabundance of entropy that Freyja can feel chewing upon her even as she sits there. She winces, but determinedly holds her position in the Force, building a mental framework to try working within. She is of the Living Force... energy needs clean lines to move along, and she is one of those clean lines, along with the planet itself. Blockage is unpleasant and icky looking... but like disease, it can be unblocked, and clean health regained. She just has to figure out how to loosen the knots and undo the blockage... she hopes.

She starts with the knot nearest her. She examines it thoughtfully... then tries gently touching the sore spot with an extended tendril of Force thought, checking for reactions.

This is a level of perception of the Force that Freyja has only achieved very rarely, and then only after long meditation. Perhaps several hours have in fact passed; it is impossible to tell. All she can sense is the Force, and the awful blight surrounding her. Yet even entropy falls victim to itself; the natural way of things is to be born, then live, then die in their own time. Anything unnatural is resisted. With her subtle touch Freyja sees the center of the nearest, and also the largest, node of the blight, or at least her perception of it. The blight has an oddly familiar sense to it, actually, even as she touches it. It resists the touch, giving slightly yet resisting, even as it's natural, slow unravelling seems to accellerate a very slight bit, though at the same time it seems to be re-knitting itself, twisting the new lines of the Force which impinge upon it.

Including the tendril that Freyja touches it with.

Freyja is both impressed and confused. Why would the blight feel familiar to her? Why is the blight both starting to unravel, and yet also trying to re-knot itself, including her tendril in that re-knotting? She lets the tendril go, not wanting to draw blight into herself, and sits and considers for a few moments, watching the knot to see what transpires now.

The node roils and boils, folding in upon itself as Freyja releases her touch from it. It seems to give one last spurt of pseudo-motion towards her, then settles in as it was. It's then that Freyja realizes why it feels familiar: it feels vaguely like Valsha's mind did, when she touched the young wayward, frightened padawan earlier. It is Valsha scared, fearful, and devastatingly terrified.

Freyja sighs quietly... poor girl. She hopes Valsha recovers this time.

She considers for a bit, then decides to try again, but with a few changes this time. To prevent blight on herself, something grounding... earth should do. To try to drain off the fear and terror, the same koan that worked so well for Valsha. She mentally starts the koan, envisioning herself shielded by earth; the earth will be her tendril this time. She tries again to gently pull the knot of terrified blight apart with 'fingers' of earth and stone, letting the calm of the koan wash over it. On some level she knows it's not really there -- it's all in her head -- but if she can visualize it strongly enough, why shouldn't it work? It is all part of the Force, after all, as is she herself... and healthy things desire to return to their natural state of health.

Instead of unwinding, unknotting, the blight spliters and shreds, falling into numerous smaller little nodes of blight. With each separatation there is a tremor felt through the unwholesome mass of energy, perceived as an almost ultrasonic shriek of something unpleasant. Unfortunately, the blight still remains, and it tries desperately to cling to the fingers Freyja uses, despite the grounding, though it sloughs off fitfully.

Freyja sighs softly, wishing she could figure this strange stuff ouf... if only someone who knew more about it were here... if only Fhazil Taas wasn't mad. Her inner voice notes dryly, Why not wish for the Corellian moons, while you're at it? She tsks in mental amusement at herself, and considers the data she now has. She is rather impressed as she mentally looks around. Valsha did all this? Amazing what terror can accomplish... and sad.

She considers for a longish while. The blight is in smaller pieces now, where she touched it... but there's no less of it, and it doesn't seem to be decaying any faster due to size. On the other hand, it is a bit less intense feeling in small bits... and who knows? Maybe it will decay faster and she just can't see it yet. She nods quietly to herself. She's no expert at this, but she can at least make the place a bit less unpleasant for other sapients. Someone with more skill in moving through the Force might know what to do with it once it's in smaller pieces, too... so she spends some time first just spreading calm and reassurance and peace around -- can't hurt to counter the terror a bit that way -- and then breaking the blight up into smaller pieces. Her attempts to instil some peace and harmony into the surrounding area bear some fruit -- the trick apparently is not to attack the blight directly. However, the blight still remains, though it is countered somewhat. The light and dark will be in contention in this area for some time to come, but it seems like the light will win out sooner than not. "breaking up" the blight doesn't seem to do too much towards that, however.

Shortly after embarking on this, Freyja feels her Master's gentle, insistent touch through the Force, urging her to return to his plane of consciousness. She is a bit surprised, but brings herself back to the physical plane. She blinks, momentarily disoriented as she looks around. How much time has passed?

When Freyja emerges from her meditation, she finds it's very late indeed -- by the stars and moons, well past midnight. She has been here six hours. "Child, are you all right?" Roakkana's voice in the darkness carries strong concern and worry. "I felt you through the Force. You almost surrendered your very essense to this area in trying to cure the blight."

Freyja blinks again, still surprised and realizing she's exhausted, "I did? Uhh... I didn't realize." She looks around a bit wistfully, "Did it help any?"

Roakkana comes near, kneeling down beside her. "You did, yes, child. What you were doing has indeed been written of in some few Jedi records. Your very essence, the light of your life, used to counter the blight, to wall it off or oppose it. I feared, though, that you would unwittingly attempt to counter the entire blight, which would require far more than you can give, and you would surrender yourself to the light well before your time."

Freyja sighs, leaning tiredly against the Wookie as she looks around, "So... it did help at least a little then?" She stifles a yawn, then adds tiredly, "I'm toasted. I have to figure out a better way to do this." She considers, then muses, "It was Valsha... most of this, I think, was her, in terror. I wonder... I can see the knots and blockages. I wonder if there are any in Vakkal." Unless the Wookie objects, she rests against him for a few more minutes. True, others might feel rather strongly that it's not the most dignified way for her to treat her Master... but if no one else is around and he doesn't seem to mind... she doesn't care what others might think. Plus... he feels wonderfully warm and relaxing.

Roakkana smiles quietly, helping Freyja up and not at all perturbed. "Come, back to the monastery and to sleep with you. I should not be surprised; you very nearly made yourself one with the Force and you ask only if it helped! Yes, child, it helped some, but much happened here, much of the Dark Side. Yes, I know it was Valsha; I felt your sense of her. Little Vlasha did a very, very terrible and powerful thing here, more, I suspect, than simply immolating Dhassul's sister's body. I doubt that most knights could, even if they had the time, properly heal this place."

Freyja nods, rising with slightly less than her usual grace. Her voice is a little draggy, "Really? Oh... good... then I didn't fail... it really is hard to do... can we try looking at Vakkal too?" She adds a moment later, in the same tired tone, "Uhh... hey, can two or more Jedi working together that really trust each other heal stuff like this any better? Like... like a unified not-shattered Force thing? She wonders blearily if that made any sense...

"Yes, of course, child, but not now. That will have to wait for the morning." He blinks, then chuckles softly. "Jedi working in concert? Yes, they can. The Templars are not the only ones capable of that. Many knights in the militant companies and many student-healers at the Academy, forge bonds of trust, friendship, even love, in which they may perform actions with synergistic results. Other Jedi do not spend enough time with the same companions, however, to be able to bond so closely with others to do that. Sadly, in the Unified Force, they are already bound together closely enough...." His voice trails off, and Freyja sense him looking amusedly at her. "Come, now. The landspeeder is this way, as is sleep."

Freyja blinks bemusedly up at her Master, "What? Why'd you laugh? Did I forget something?" She blinks again, adding a tad more alertly, "What's the Unified Force?"

"No, child, you forgot nothing. I was chuckling in that even exhausted and in such a state you are in, your curiosity is insatiable."

"And the Unified Force is the Force as it is taught by the Jedi, binding us all together, our lives and our destinies."

Freyja says, "Oh." She wanders slowly along next to the Wookie... convenient having a Wookie Jedi Master; they're easy to follow... then looks up again, "Doesn't everyone want to know?"

"People will learn at their own pace, child. Sometimes their interests might not lie in that direction. I am sure that guardians, while they respect the musings and debates and ponderings on the nature of the Force, spend more time focussing their will and their mind and body on working with the Force to accomplish their deeds."

Freyja says, "Oh." She clambers slowly into the landspeeder, "Okay. Seems odd not to want to know though..." She curls up in the passenger seat, marveling at how comfortable and relaxing it is, and mumbles sleepily, "Might help someone if you knew, y'know?"

Freyja has a deep and dreamless sleep, and awakes soon after dawn's light refreshed and awake. Quiet -- Zero is up and about at around the same time, as the residents of the monastery begin the day's work and a quiet summons from Roakkana calls Freyja and Zero to the conference room.

Roakkana, for his part, has not slept at all, though he does not show it. Colburth hasn't either, but he does, somewhat. His tunic is mussed and his hair in some disarray, as he sits with Roakkana. Their voices are audible to the two -- padawan and quasi-padawan -- as they approach.

Colburth says, "I can't imagine why they want this, either, Master. It would seem easier to just send some Watchers in their own ship."

Roakkana gives a wry sound. "Unless they have some reason for this summons that we do not know, obviously. I can only imagine that they wish to get the affected persons out from any possible influence by the Sith, but the ones they have requested are the stable survivors of the Oath. And Valsha...."

"They seemed rather perturbed by that particular news."

"Do you feel vindicated, Jedi Colburth?"

"...No, Master. I'm... disappointed. I had hoped I was wrong. The... existence of the Oath of Fire raises a lot of questions for me."

"As with me. And as with the Council, apparently...."

Freyja hears the conversation as she approaches the room with Zero, still wrapping the tape around her wrists. She'd felt much better after a good night's rest, although no less bemused by what she'd seen at the area with the blight. She's not sure what to try next... maybe ask Valsha to return there and face her fear? Maybe that would help lessen the blight, if it's (in effect) vanquished by the person who'd created it? At the quiet voices she glances at Zero with a wryly thoughtful smile. Looks like they might be heading back soon. She wonders what the newly Force sensitive Zero will say to his probably former employer.

Freyja's eyes are striking, a thoughtful and disconcertingly direct ice blue. Her serene face is framed by a thick, soft brown mane cropped pragmatically short but for one long, thin braid in the back. Long legs and well-tanned shoulders and arms reveal the strong, supple musculature of an athlete. The sturdily practical clothing on her tall, eye-catching form consists of snug breeches, a cropped athlete's top, the taped wrists of a swordswoman, and well-worn, sure-footed, soft leather boots.

Zero is still pulling on his jacket when he enters the conference room, brushing the sleep from his eyes. He keeps his face impassive as he catches the last snippet of conversation. Well... This doesn't sound good. He gives Freyja a brief expression that communicates that sentiment.

Standing straight and wiry, this is a pale-skinned Human, maybe in his early twenties, with a strong though not bulky build. His left cheek is marred by a long, straight scar that crosses his lips just alongside his nose, and his hair is a mass of short, choppy white spikes, swept back from his forehead. His features are sharp, his expression calm, although his wide, almond-shaped eyes hold back something akin to wry amusement in their violet irises. He wears a pair of soft, loose black pants, cut just a little wide for his frame and belted close at the waist, and a black jacket with a close Mandarin collar above, over a close-fitting white shirt. In the sash tied around his waist is stuck a long-handled lightsabre, three-pronged at the hilt. A pair of soft-soled black shoes muffle his steps. His bearing is collected, his posture easy, loose, and the hint of a smile on the corner of his lips softens the incongruous lines of the scar.

Freyja steps into the room and nods politely, "Master Roakkana, Jedi Colburth." She moves to sit out of the way and listen.

Both Jedi look up as the two enter. Colburth nods pleasantly in greeting, and Roakkana smiles, though it doesn't entirely reach his eyes. "Ah, good, here you are. The Council received our reports late last night, and apparently spent the better part of six hours in debate. They are probably still deep in session. They have insisted that Jedi Colburth and Padawans Talmon and Valsha return to the Temple on Coruscant immediately. They predictably gave no further information. They had originally wanted Jedi Kuuna, Jiosch, Dhaasul, and the Sith Oather to come as well, but all four are in no condition to be moved."

Colburth's eyes are inevitably drawn to Zero's sash, and the Templar frowns in concernation at the sight of the large lightsabre of clearly Wookie make. He glances to Roakkana but says nothing to interrupt the master.

Freyja nods slowly, listening... then says quietly, "Will Valsha's Master be with her?" She hopes the poor girl isn't frightened to death by the Council. It's a shame, really... some peace and quiet seems more what Valsha might need than an inquisition.

Zero doesn't give any indication that he notices, but does clasp his hands in front of himself; his wide sleeves conceal the sabre grip in his sash.

Roakkana continues: "To that end, we must get them to the ship we used to arrive on Marnaas a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, we are very short on guardians and other Jedi militant. This means that we will have to escort them to the Starbird, movement which will surely go noticed by Methel-ssa and Fhazil Taas.

Freyja adds slowly, "Are we summoned too, Master Roakkana?" She looks consideringly at Colburth, wondering if he'll keep his promise and support Talmon.

"We are not, child. While the Starbird could accomodate us, the Council has not yet found a master to take formal abbotage of the monastery."

Zero says, "Back to Coruscant, then. Well, I suppose that's for the best. I have some business there myself, anyway. Though I don't like leaving with Taas and his mistress still at large. I hate leaving a task unfinished..." He brushes a hand back through his hair. "Ah well. Everything in due course, I suppose. I'll make preparations to leave immediately."

Freyja notices Colburth's glance at Zero, and considers for a moment. Ordinarily one doesn't find Jedi masters giving lightsabers to just anyone. Lightsabers are sometimes in the possession by non-Jedi, true -- it's just extremely rare and will probably raise a lot of questions. Her master won't get in trouble; it may be looked upon as nothing mroe than another eccentricity, though Zero's reputation as Kalatis' catspaw might make people wonder why a respected if not especially revered Jedi master gave his ligthsaber to a common bodyguard. She smiles and leans towards Zero, "I don't think we're going -- we're just escorting, Zero. So... is that hilt repaired now? May I have it back if so, please?"

Zero starts to say, "Someone's got to prep the ship--" He pauses. "Hilt?"

Freyja nods, holding out a hand, "The lightsaber hilt, yes." She's still smiling, hoping Zero's graceful enough to just give it back and not alert Colburth that something's up.

Roakkana says, "That's all right, child. If nothing else, it may stand Zero in better stead against a Sith lightsabre today than his usual vibroblade."

Colburth seems dubious of the explainations being thrown around him, but takes it rather blase. "I would agree, for what it's worth, Master," he says. "There will be a need for many Jedi sabres today." He sounds vaguely discomfited when he says it, however, casting a brief glance at Zero, but it is more of a look of inner concern than not wishing to be contrary to a Jedi master.

Zero says, "Might be asking a lot to hope for a smooth ride, yes."

Roakkana continues. "As it stands now, there will be two landspeeders. Jedi Colburth and Padawans Talmon and Valsha will be in one, we three will be in another. Starport security will have a squad speeder and some guards riding with us. If we are fortunate, there will be no interference by the Sith. I do not think that we shall be smiled upon in quite such a way today, however."

Freyja raises a faintly surprised eyebrow at Roakkana, then shrugs and concentrates on the issue at hand, "All right. Who will be protecting the monastery while we are gone, Master?"

Roakkana says, "Master Mynas and Jedi Kallos will have that duty. Unfortunately, the wording of the Council's orders made getting the three aboard the Starbird the 'highest priority.' They left unspoken the implication that their safe departure was more important in the long term, and after reading their missive, I cannot argue with their line of reasoning.

Freyja adds thoughtfully, "Might it help Valsha to have her Master accompany her, Master Roakkana? She is still struggling with fear, after all... or at very least to have her in the landspeeder with you -- someone she knows is dependable and trustworthy?" She remembers, but does not mention, Jedi Colburth's loss of emotional control around Jiosch. She shudders to think how poor Valsha might have reacted had she been awake at that point.

Zero says, "Sounds like a good idea to me. Is the master able to travel? I know the past few days have taken a lot out of him."

Roakkana is very slow in answering the question of Valsha travelling with her master. "Padawan Valsha has... been removed from tuteledge under Master Mynas, and if found innocent by the Tribunal will instead be placed under the... responsibility of Master Ooroo, on Ossus.

Freyja says, "Oh." She considers for a moment, then says curiously, "Who's that?" She wonders why Roakkana phrased it that way. It almost seems to imply that Valsha won't be Ooroo's Padawan learner... nor Ooroo her Master.

Roakkana's reply is almost automatic. "Ooroo is one of the most ancient and respected masters of the Order. There are few as learned in Jedi lore as he. And he is, actually, and old friend and comrade of mine, though we have not had opportunity to meet physically in well over a decade."

Freyja nods politely to her Master's explanation. Sounds like Valsha's going to get extensively studied... poor girl.

Zero says, "Master Roakkana, I'm going to go prep the speeders. Jedi Colburth, why don't you come with?"

Freyja says, "Er, hang on. I want to know why we're, in effect, putting all our eggs in one basket. If Master Roakkana is the only Jedi that's trackable by the Sith due to his movement through the Force... why are we making it easy for the Sith to find the folks we want to get to the Starbird? Why aren't we sending them and the guards on some round-about distracting route, and having Zero speed the folks that are actually going on the ship quietly and quickly to their destination -- since none of them can be tracked by the Sith?"

Colburth looks to Roakkana, who nods a little. "A fair enough question, child. The Council was... perturbed... by the news of the Oath of Fire."

"More like 'terrified,'" Colburth murmurs.

"Indeed. Terrified. They want to know, first hand, what they are dealing with. And for that, they want Talmon and Valsha to stand Tribunal immediately, resolve that, and then question them. Valsha, however --"

Coblurth gives a bit of a start, but at Roakkana's deliberate pause as the Templar opens his mouth, he instead closes his mouth, a bit of a resigned expression.

"As I was saying... Valsha has caused concernation amongst the Council, above and beyond that she was, however briefly, a member of the Oath. What she did in the ambush by Methel-ssa, and what she nearly did to you, child, along with... certain incidents during her testing, have caused the Council to want her drawn away from any possible... what is the word...?"

"Distraction?"

"Capture. By the Sith. That is, however, an intriguing idea, child. However, it seems that the Sith can track at least one person of that group."

Freyja says, "Who? Jedi Colburth?"

Roakkana shakes his head quietly. "No. Valsha."

Freyja sighs resignedly, "Hela take it. Oh, well. I was wondering if she also healed herself... and threw the other person into the tree. Well, if we're going to advertise where we'll be, I guess moving swiftly would be adviseable." She looks at Zero wryly, "Can I help at all?"

Zero grins. "Watch my back. I'll have my eyes on the road."

Roakkana stands, sighing. "It was a good thought, child, and I would not have hesitated drawing Methel-ssa away. Even now, however, Methel-ssa may be sensing the changes though the Force that are bearing down upon us all. I know I certainly feel destiny rousing itself."

Freyja nods a tad grimly. She adds unhappily to the two Jedi, "Do the two former Padawans know what's in store for them? And can we at least put Valsha in the same landspeeder as you, Master Roakkana?"

The Wookie nods. "Talmon does, and he was unsurprised. I have told Valsha, and she accepted it, but a part of me wonders if she doesn't know more than what the Council has told us."

Zero says, "In the two monastery speeders, space is gonna be a little tight. You want me at the stick, or should I do outrider duty on the swoop?"

Freyja looks puzzled, then says to the Wookie, "Um... may I ask her about that before she goes, Master Roakkana?" She glances at Zero, adding, "I think you're the best driver we have, Zero."

Roakkana considers for a moment. "I would be pleased to travel with Valsha. And you may certainly do so, Freyja. Hmmm. Colburth will need to be one landspeeder driver. You may need to be the other pilot, Zero, unless Freyja feels she can handle a landspeeder in whatever might happen. I regret that my own skills at driving one of those things evaporated sometime in the last two hundred years."

Zero grins. "Just like riding a bantha, you never forget. I can handle the speeder if Freyja would prefer."

Roakkana says wryly, "I always used to fall off of banthas."

Freyja looks apologetic, "Um... I can drive one, but I tend to land when attacked, so I can defend better. If that's all right with you, then I can drive it... otherwise I'd think better to have it be Zero?"

Zero says, "Consider it done, then. They'll be safe with me."

Freyja nods, looking faintly relieved, "Thanks, Zero," then bounces lightly to her feet, "Then... I better hurry! I'll be ready when it's time to go. Excuse me, all!" She nods politely, then dashes out the door to find Valsha.

A Jedi knocks on the door, announcing the arrival of the security team from the spaceport. Colburth nods, and stands. "I'll go meet them." And with that he goes out the door.

After the Templar leaves, Roakkana looks extremely apologetic. "I am sorry that you both have been involved in this. This is discomfiting business, and the missive from the council revealed strongly suppressed panic. Unfortunately, they cannot be ignored, and they have foregone the usual politely-worded requests to state their desires as specific instructions."

Zero nods. "I think I'd best go to the hangar now. I want to make absolutely sure those old machines don't leave us crippled halfway there. I'll see if Colburth doesn't want to come as well, when he's got a moment." The Human pauses, and shakes his head to Roakkana. "I've been in this up to my neck since I agreed to take this assignment. And Freyja's your padawan. We both knew what we were getting into." He grins reassuringly. "Don't worry so much. We'll handle this."

Roakkana says wryly, "The padawan instructing the master? Well, as I have told Freyja, it is the master's role to learn as much as it is the padawan's. I have faith in you both, Zero."

Zero smiles. "I've never failed a mission, Roakkana. I'm not about to start now. Not with these kinds of stakes." He brushes back his hair. "I'll get us there. You just worry about the in-between." With that, he heads for the hangar.

Freyja dashes past the Infirmary, glancing in and seeing no Valsha. She flashes a grin at Talmon and Dhaasul if they're awake, and continues her search, heading for Valsha's master's rooms. She peeks in to see if the girl is there.

Mynas's other padawan answers the door, and lets Freyja in. The atmosphere is quiet and subdued. Master Mynas is clearly holding himself from being too overtly distraught, but it's also clear that Valsha is not fooled. "It's all right, Master Mynas," she's saying. "I'll be with Master Oo... Ooro. Ooroo, I mean, on Ossus. Maybe then the Council won't be afraid of me...." She turns her startling silver eyes to Freyja as the padawan enters, and while she doesn't smile she isn't overtly emotional at the parting. "The Force be with you, Padawan Freyja. Is it time to go?"

The Sullustian bubbles something, which the other padawan translates: "Master Mynas greets you in the Force, Padawan Freyja, and... er, he notes that he isn't very happy with the Council's decision..." Her brow furrows as she tries to make out the master's continued, agitated words. "And he says... that if he had a choice, Valsha would not be sent to Master Ooroo, no matter how wise it might be."

Freyja bows politely, then glances at the translating Padawan, then back to the Sullustian Jedi Master. She nods once in agreement to the Master, saying softly, "I, um... may be just a Padawan, but... well, I think you're right, Master Mynas." She hesitates, then adds, "It's not yet time to leave, no. I came because... well, because I'd like to ask Valsha a question, if I may?"

The Duros padawan translates: "Of course, Padawan Freyja." Valsha blinks up to Freyja curiously, tilting her head to the side.

Freyja nods politely again, then flops gracefully cross-legged in front of the human, pushing her bangs back. She's glad to see Valsha appears calm and unafraid... a bit resigned, but not fearful. Freyja's tone is earnest, "Valsha... what happened in the attack? I went and looked at it yesterday, and... there was just too much blight there for one single attack. Also, when we found you, you had a huge gouge in your clothing -- but your skin was completely unmarked! So... what happened?" She also wonders, but does not say, Why is the Council so afraid of you?!

Valsha looks down, guiltilly. "I was scared," she murmurs. "The Mandragolan girl, she went after me. Qatto Verg cut her with his sword but she still came after me. She cut me, and I hurt badly. I... I just wanted her to get away, but since I couldn't run away, I had to make her go away."

Freyja reaches out and gently touches the girl's hand. Her tone is reassuring, "Valsha... I'm not angry or anything. I'm trying to understand, that's all."

The girl nods shakilly, and she sniffs a little, though she still doesn't look at Freyja. "So I... I pushed her away with the Force, but I was so scared, I pushed really hard. And then I was still hurting, and I hid inside. When I came out, I saw you, and I was so scared I almost pushed you away, but you didn't try to hurt me. I'm glad I didn't hurt you, Padawan Freyja."

Freyja smiles reassuringly and sincerely, "You didn't, Valsha. Don't worry about it, please... things are getting better now. You just have to have confidence in yourself. Here, want a hankie?" She offers the girl a handkerchief, still wondering, and waits for her to use it... despite all the questions thundering around in her head. Why were there gouges in the earth blighted by Valsha's terror? What does 'hid inside' mean? Why can the Sith track Valsha? Does this have anything to do with Valsha's ability to read minds? If Valsha went back to the ambush location and tried calmly remembering, would that help her face her fear and dismiss it? Would it help clear the blight? Did the other, impaled person get the fringe edge of Valsha's push? She tries to remember the layout of the ambush area, seeing if the scarring of the earth, the pile of ashes that was the remains of the Mandragolan, and the impaled body, were all in approximately the right positions for that to have occurred. Her thoughts are puzzled and accompanied by an earnest desire to learn... she truly doesn't blame Valsha for her terror.

The Human girl accepts the handkerchief gratefully, and wipes at her eyes with it. "Thank you...," she murmurs, still not looking up. Then, "The other Sith Lord, not Verg, saw what I did to the girl Mandragolan, and I've been seeing her watching me since then."

Freyja blinks, "Really! Ah... I understand." For a moment she's oddly relieved she's not as talented as Valsha... she'd think it would be incredibly creepy to have a Sith lord staring metaphorically over one's shoulder. She considers, then decides to not be rude to the poor girl, "May I ask one more question, Valsha? Why did you go with Jiosch?"

Valsha is quiet for a little while longer. "I was scared of the Sith. They took over my home. I was so scared. Then we came here, and Jiosch was here, and he started to teach me to not be afraid. Then he joined the Sith and I got scared. But he told me not to be afraid, I could use my fear instead of... just suffering it. But I got more scared the more I was near Verg. And I made him scared, too, and I didn't like that."

Freyja looks suddenly fascinated, "Valsha, you scared Verg? Goddess!" She grins, "And you healed yourself -- that's pretty wonderful! Not that he was scared, but that apparently you can do amazing things like heal or protect badly injured people! That's really impressive... just think what you could do with training in your abilities that's not based on fear and hurting others!" Impulsively she gives the young girl a quick hug, "I wish you the best of fortune in the Force, Valsha. I think you're going to become someone amazing and respected in the Jedi." She grins, "And I can say I knew you when!"

She smiles a little more calmly, adding, "Just have faith in yourself, Valsha, and don't be afraid. I think you can tell what's the right thing to do... you just have to listen to your instincts."

Valsha looks mildly embarrassed, and surprised at Freyja's sudden hug. "I... I will try, Padawan Freyja. Thank you...?"

Freyja grins, "You're welcome, definitely. The Force be with you."

A few minutes later, as Zero is setting up the landspeeders outside the monastery's doors, Colburth finishes his conference with the armored security guards at their equally-armored landspeeder. He comes over to Zero. "That's that, then," he says. "Unless we have better plans, the PortSec guys will ride point with their sensors -- might not help against the Sith, but it might be enough against the hired guns, at least until we reach the city."

Zero stands up from where he was examining one of the speeder drives. "Yeah," he says softly, almost distractedly. "Before we go," he turns, and says levelly, "There's something I want to get out of the way."

Colburth arches a brow, and nods warily, facing Zero. "All right. What's on your mind?"

Zero says, "For a spy, Colburth... you're not very good at concealing your attention. Look. I know you don't trust me, and in truth I can't say I blame you. But if the last few days impressed anything on you... it should be that allegiances can change. If you can't trust my judgement..." He draws his arm back a little, exposing the pommel of Roakkana's lightsabre. "At least accept his.""

Zero turns back to the speeder engine. "That's all I have to say."

Colburth says, not testilly, "That might be, Satau, because I'm not a spy. I was never trained as a Watcher, only a Templar. Let me have my say: I have the utmost respect for Master Roakkana, despite or maybe because of his unorthodox views. Why he gave you his lightsabre is his business. I'm not about to question his judgement. It's clear that he's placed his trust in you. Just don't wear it like a personal shield. And that wasn't a threat of any kind." He shrugs a little, and moves off to make his own preparations for the convoy.

Zero laughs softly to himself. "Yeah... neither was I."

Within half an hour, mid-morning, the three landspeeders are prepped and ready to depart. Roakkana exchanges a ritual parting with Jedi Kallos, and Master Mynas again bids his former padawan good-bye and good fortune, chafing at the fact that he's to remain at the monastery. Colburth helps Talmon into the lightspeeder, handing a concussion rifle over to the somewhat surprised Trandoshan but making no more mention of it. He checks the comlink in their 'speeder. "I think we're ready here."

Zero is busy muttering into his comlink while he warms up the speeder. "Com check-- test... yeah. Okay, I gotcha." He nods to the two other speeders, "We're ready to roll out when you are."

Freyja smiles at Talmon and Colburth, "Take care of each other, please?" She'll squeeze into the other landspeeder next to Valsha, so the big Wookie can have the front seat. She checks the charge on the big blaster she took from the attack on the Inspector, and settles. She considers for a moment, then says curiously, "Hey, Valsha... can you tell if the Sith are approaching?"

Zero stands up behind his controls and signals the Port Authority security force to roll; waiting a moment for them to clear the gates he turns back and signals the other speeder pilots, beginning to file out after the security detail.

Roakkana has squeezed himself into the passenger's seat in front, and nods his readiness. At Zero's signal, the security speeder in the front pulls out, it's well-tuned engine purring, the small sensor array on the roof tracking ahead and to the sides of the road. Zero's speeder follows along, and the rear is brought up by Colburth and Talmon.

Valsha looks up to Freyja, her silver eyes glittering in the mid-morning light. "They see us," she says simply.

Roakkana makes a quiet sound. "I sense Methel-ssa's attention as well. They are still preparing, however. Anything they do will be hasty and ill-prepared, which fits in our favor."

Freyja nods to Valsha unworriedly, "I know they see, Valsha. Can you tell if they approach yet, though? Can they, for example, hear what we're saying, or just tell roughly where we are, or something else entirely?"

Valsha shakes her head slowly, hugging her legs to her chest. "No. They just see us. They're coming. But they know Master Roakkana and I know they're watching, and now they're trying to hide from us."

Zero settles back at the controls and watches the horizon. He touches his comlink and adds to the security detail, "If you get so much as a blink, let us know. Let's keep this tight."

The comlink clicks. "Roger that, Lead. These are the best sensors in the Mid Rim. If anything's up ahead, it'll pick it up."

Zero grins. "I hear that, Security." He turns and says to Valsha, "Don't worry. They are not going to get anyone today."

Freyja smiles, touching Valsha's arm lightly, "Then don't watch. Let Master Roakkana do it. You concentrate on what's important for you -- staying calm and centered." She adds a moment later, "If you like, we can say some koans together. That always helps me."

She grins... and calmly settles back for the ride. She intends to stay relaxed for as long as possible, scanning occasionally and occasionally telling off calming mantras to herself. She wonders thoughtfully how Fhazil Taas will behave. He may be almost a Sith lord... but he did lose five thugs and fail his previous mission. She'd expect he'll be pretty assiduously obedient to his lord's will on this one. Pity, in a way... it's harder to distract someone who's trying to show their trustworthiness to a cranky someone else.

Zero licks his lips absently, lingering a moment on the line between scarred and unbroken flesh, and keeps his mind blank for the time being. He wants to be able to react instantly when something finally goes down and not waste even half a second deciding... although one stray thought does keep floating past. They are not getting anyone today.

Freyja alternates between keeping herself calm, scanning the area alertly, and concentrating on the three individuals that are leaving... making sure Valsha stays calm and relaxed, and that both Colburth and Talmon, behind them, seem fine.

There is no ambush or attack or even a peep from the PortSec's sensors, even as the convoy trundles most of the way to the ship, entering the starport city. The comlink clicks. "We're starting to get a lot of pedestrians and bystanders on the life-sensors."

Valsha tenses a little, and says, "They're waiting for us. It's the boy Human. I can't see the Sith lady anymore...."

Freyja looks interestedly around, "Really? By the ship, or what?" She glances at her Wookie Master, to see if he can tell where the Sith lord is.

Zero touches his comlink and says, "Just watch for something unusual... I think something's up."

The comlink crackles softly for a moment, and the PortSec officer replies, "We're not picking up anything unusual...."

Freyja straightens suddenly in her seat, "Wha- up ahead! There's something dangerous, right up ahead!" She draws a breath, then adds worriedly, "Master, can you feel it? The blight's still distant, right?"

Zero runs a hand back over his head and the back of his neck; suddenly he feels his hair standing up. "Freyja... do you feel...?" He touches the comlink, "Stay on it. There's something serious going on here. In fact, pull back a little and stay close to us."

Freyja is pulling her blaster free as Zero speaks, glancing around with it in a steady two-handed grip.

Interesting, she thinks, the boy's the distraction in the distance, I guess. I guess she doesn't trust him that much!

Even as the PortSec speeder is slowing down, both Freyja and Zero can see a pair of beings -- of no readilly identifiable species but clearly one of the thousands that make up the Republic -- setting up what looks like a long, wide-bore tube atop a three-story building, the weapon pointed right at the armored landspeeder.

Freyja glances back at the speeder Talmon is in, with the rifle, and points at the impending attackers. She'd guess he's got the best chance of successfully shooting them, considering the range.

Freyja adds hastily, "Tell them to speed up, Zero! Hurry -- moving targets are harder to hit!"

Freyja says, "At least until we're out of line of sight of that thing!"

Zero looks up just in time to see the weapon, and jinks the speeder hard to the side, barking into the comlink, "Scatter! Concussion gun! Don't give them a straight line of sight!"

Freyja arghs, clutching the side of the speeder, with her free hand, the blaster in the other. "Hold on, Valsha!" Why'd it have to be scatter -- separating us is what they want, isn't it?!

The PortSec speeder isn't quite fast enough; the armor, despite the powerful engine, makes the landspeeder's reaction sluggish, and the officer has enough time on the comlink to shout, "What the--?" before a tremendous blast from the tube reaches out and slams into the armored speeder, almost physically smashing it into the pavement and making it bounce, the armored carapace cracking like an eggshell.

Freyja sighs, her voice almost too soft to hear, "Too late."

Zero tries to keep the speeder moving evasively. "Damn it all-- Just keep heading for the spaceport! The wounded are our priority!" He hopes that breaking up their formation will give them the best shot at getting as many as possible to the ship... but someone's got to deal with that thing! "Talmon! If you're still alive, shoot!"

Freyja glances around to see if they're locked in here by the wreck, or if they can dodge around it and flee. The Sith want Valsha, so they're unlikely to shoot the big guns at her... if the little group can flee together, they might still make it past.

Roakkana grimaces, but keeps silent, clutching his cane. He knows that there's nothing that he can do right now. "I didn't see that attack coming, blast it!" he snarls. "Methel-ssa... she's clouding the Force...."

Freyja keeps an eye out for other attackers. Talmon will either shoot or not; the landspeeders will either manage to stay together or not; the other soldiers will hopefully call in help for the damaged landspeeder they're dodging around... there's nothing she can do about any of that. Instead, she just smiles and murmurs calmly to Valsha, "Well... things seem to be getting interesting, hm?"

Zero keeps the speeder moving as unpredictably as he can, switching from pattern to pattern occasionally in mid-maneuver, throwing every trick he knows into throwing the gunners. "Someone want to throw some suppressing fire up there?"

Freyja says conversationally, "Isn't covering fire if we can't reach them, Zero, sorry. My blaster's not got the range."

Zero says, "Where the hell is Talmon?"

The other landspeeder roars past the flaming wreckage, keeping close to the other. Over the comlink, Colburth can be heard calmly calling Port Security for more backup, as the staccato growl of the concussion rifle in Talmon's hands, poked through the 'speeder's window, stiches craters in the edge of the wall. He misses the gunmen up there, but his shots make them dive for cover.

Freyja says, "In the landspeeder behind us, which..." she cranes a moment to look around in the wildly jinking speeder, "uhh... apparently is also being driven defensively, which means it's awful to shoot accurat- ah, there he goes...""

Zero exhales deeply, "That a boy."

Freyja watches as long as she can without getting whiplash, hoping the huge missile launcher kind of thingie gets hit. She hms quietly to herself. She saw only three thugs up there... so she'd guess one more attack like this before the spaceport, to soften them up. She expects the Sith are waiting by the ship itself. Well... maybe just Fhazil Taas is. Curiously she says, "Master Roakkana, does Methel-ssa have to be close to cloud the Force to you like this?"

And at that moment, there is the rapidly-growing roar of swoops, and from each of two sidestreets comes a swoop, moving to flank the lead speeder and each carrying a dark-clothed, scarred Rodian tough, already unlimbering blasters. "E chu thotta!" one shouts in Huttese, barely heard above the roar of engines.

Roakkana's voice actually sounds a little strained as he answers Freyja. "I would imagine she needs to at least be in the city, child. Arrrgh.... She's... being rather insistent that Valsha and I not see her." His tone indicates that he's putting it mildly.

Freyja nods, murmuring mutedly, "Sorry... I won't interrupt then..." She glances with some sympathy at the girl next to her, who probably isn't as well trained as the Wookie in blocking something like this -- and then she sighs, looking up and bringing the blaster to bear, I hate being right about stuff like this... She focuses on the thug on her side of the speeder, trusting Zero will take care of his side.

The Rodian off to Zero's left actually brings his swoop rather close, and lets loose a point-blank shot onto the engine cowling with the surprisingly high-tech blaster. The weapon shrieks and impacts the 'speeder, doing some little damage but nothing to the engine yet, most of the blast being absorbed and ablated by the hull.

Zero sits up in his seat, reaching into his sash, and pulling Roakkana's sabre free. He ignites it, and mutters somewhat irritably, "Back at you, friend." Zero's slash with the sabre catches the swoop-rider unawares. A black-clad arm goes sailing off the squealing Rodian, and the swoop drops back immediately, the Rodian cursing loudly (something to the Hutt equivalent of "I'm not being paid enough for this," presumably) barely being dodged by the other landspeeder, within which Talmon is trying to pull himself through the window in order to get a shot out.

Freyja, remembering her previous experience with shooting at swoop riders, is leaning to brace against the window's edge, to shoot the rider. She takes a slow breath, sighting on the Rodian.... She lets her breath out slowly, squeezing off a blaster bolt as she does so. It barely hits, tagging clothing more than anything else that she can see. She swears softly under her breath and focuses for the next shot.

The swoop swerves a little as Freyja clips the Rodian. With what must be a look of sheer malice, the Rodian aims his own blaster at Freyja. "Soam pe-ta-lay!" he snarls, firing. The blaster shot just misses, skimming the roof of the landspeeder.

Colburth finally gets the landspeeder under some semblance of control, after dodging a flaming wreck of the armored PortSec landspeeder and a rapidly-decelerating swoop, much to Talmon's gratitude, as he finally starts to be able to get a shot with his rifle lined up.

Zero grins, extinguishing the lightsabre and tucking it back into his belt. "Grab hold, Freyja, I'm about to make this one pay for slipstreaming us..." He tips the control yoke and side-slips into the other Rodian's swoop, catching it between the speeder and the wall briefly as it bounces. Zero sways visibly as he keeps the speeder on course following the impact. "Teach him to shoot at a speeder full of wounded..."

Freyja hastily draws in from the window, putting a bracing hand on Valsha too.

The Rodian shouts something, as his swoop is hit and starts to roll out of control. It veers off and plows neatly into the side of a warehouse.

Freyja murmurs quietly to the girl, as she looks alertly around, "You all right, Valsha?"

Zero grins and sits up to touch his temple and wave as he powers the speeder on. "Now all we have to do is deal with the Sith Lord and her apprentice." He grins lopsidedly. "Hey, it's something."

Valsha is about to respond, weakly, that she is, when Roakkana raises a hand to his forhead, and gives a rather empained groan. "Blasted witch...! Zero... look out...." Then Valsha screams, pointing out the front window, just as darksider blight assaults everyone within the landspeeder.

Up ahead, even from this distance, he can be seen to have a wild smile on his face. Fhazil stands in the middle of the street, his lightsabre at his waist and an odd, long, narrow tube held in one hand. He holds it at some apparent neutral position, in the middle of it's length. He simply stands there, making a half-mocking "come hither" gesture to the approaching landspeeder.

Roakkana mutters softly, wincing, "Your wish has been granted, Zero."

Freyja's eyes widen but her voice stays calm, "Can you run him down, Zero?"

Zero smiles grimly and gets both hands on the yoke. "Had to happen sometime..." He doesn't look green at all this time, simply focused. "Let's finish this."

Freyja nods, and leans out the window again. She'll start aiming now.

Zero pushes the throttle forward, "You read my mind."

Roakkana starts to brace himself against the forward dashboard. "I am uncertain that this is a good idea. What is that he's carrying...?"

Freyja murmurs, "Stay wide if you can, Zero, and let Talmon have a shot too. This is the best weapon we've got, Master Roakkana... might as well use it. If Fhazil uses that thing, he risks blowing yet another mission."

Zero says, "Or, we might all die. Either way, we're committed now..."

Freyja grins, her reply quiet, "True." She adds equally quietly, "Get down, Valsha."

Valsha tucks herself back against the side of the seat, sinking down into the old, stiff upholstery, her silver eyes fixed forward as if she can see everything even with Roakkana in the way.

Zero swings the speeder just a little wide, and braces himself to swing the speeder around diagonally, just in case he can't make this count, Talmon'll get his shot... he knows he doesn't have much ground to make requests, but he finds himself hoping the Force is with him for this one...

He says, "Take him down, Freyja!"

She waits for Zero to finish the set-up for her... then squeezes off another carefully aimed shot. The young Jedi padawan has a moment for a fleeting sense of regret that Fhazil Taas is so obviously mad...

...and then it's gone, and she's watching for damage, hoping he's hurt enough that Talmon can get a good shot off too, and setting up for her next careful shot.

Fhazil manages to move slightly, just barely dodging the aim of Freyja's blaster enough and quickly enough to narrowly miss having her blow another hole in him.

Freyja murmurs, "Excellent... keep it steady, Zero, please..."

Zero says, "I'm with you. Hang tight, I'm going to put this one on the windshield."

Freyja grins tightly, but doesn't let her careful aiming down the short, stubby barrel of the heavy blaster waver.

The chittering yowl of Talmon's concussion rifle then joins in the cacophony, the concussion blasts sailing past the passenger's side of the landspeeder.

The stream of concussion blasts traces a hasty stich of craters along the pavement, a trail which leads right to Fhazil. The bolts pump into the surprised Human, unable to dodge them all immediately, a trickle of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth. There is just enough time to see Fhazil spit out blood, and bare reddened teeth, when Zero's speeder is about to strike him. Fhazil makes a sudden gesture, clutching his fist to his heart, his lips moving slightly. There is a sudden flux within the pattern of the Force, a flow of dark side energies.

All Zero can see is Fhazil's eyes snapping open after the short, sharp, strong rush of dark side power, power that is almost visible as a rippling cloak or robe that wraps itself around the Human; and then Fhazil moves, leaping upward.

Freyja has a slightly better view. Fhazil leaped upwards into the air, just barely clear of the landspeeder's headlong rush, clutching the tube oddly. He is actually managing to do a backflip, the dark energies of the Force enfolding him and carrying him, guiding him as if a shroud of desperation and vainglory enfolding a bizarre core of bravado, an end-for end flip added to his leap, probably just for show.

Zero slams his palm against the speeder yoke, "Damn!" He quickly tugs the throttle back, sliding the speeder to a halt several meters away as it burns off its considerable momentum. He grabs his blaster, hopping out of the car and squeezing off a shot without waiting to find out what Taas' new toy can do. Zero's shot tags the mid-air darksider, and with an audible shout from Fhazil throws the Sith off-balance and against a wall, where he falls to the ground amongst a pile of refuse.

Zero walks to a halt, lowering his weapon. He pauses a few moments, then walks closer toward Taas, weapon raised... just to be certain.

Colburth's speeder gives a loud *whoomph!* as it's airbrakes engage, and it skews dangerously, swerving a bit as it finally stops right beside and in back of Zero's vehicle; Colburth is just visible in the driver's seat, eyes wide as he calculates just how much impacting the other speeder is going to hurt, even up until his own vehicle finally stops. Talmon is leaning out a window, and is looking just as wide-eyed, clutching the roof with one hand, the other still gripping the concussion rifle.

Freyja gasps, "Valsha, stay with Master Roakkana, yes?" as she leaps from the still-slowly-moving speeder. She darts swiftly back towards Zero, who is facing the insane Sith alone, and waves the other speeder on towards the stopped one, yelling, "Keep them safe!" as she runs. She looks back towards Zero just in time to see his shot knock the Darksider hard into the wall, and winces at the crunching noise -- but doesn't slow her run. Instead she continues until she's near enough to see Fhazil Taas clearly, her heavy blaster forward and warily aimed, carefully out of arm's reach. She'll kick the slender tube weapon away from him, if she can.

The padawan approaches the spot where the darksider fell. There is a brief rustle from within the pile, and a rather battered hand reaches out, followed by a stifled groan. "I hope nobody saw that," comes a somewhat wry mutter. In a moment Fhazil's head pokes out of the debril. He looks severely beaten, with a cut over his temple and a smoking blaster wound on his shoulder; that arm he holds tightly to he chest. He coughs a little, a bit of blood touching his lips as he gives a mildly sardonic smile to Freyja. "Merry and well met again, Lady."

Zero doesn't say anything. His expression is perfectly blank, Quiet once again. He just holds the blaster on Taas and lets Freyja do the talking.

Freyja studies the apprentice impassively over the stubby barrel of the heavy blaster. Her tone is very dry, "Not that merry, neh... and I am Padawan first, Lady second." She considers for a slow, thoughtful moment... then, without taking her eyes off the mad apprentice, she murmurs, "Lay flat, face down. Move very slowly. Keep your hands clasped behind your head." To Zero she murmurs, "Cover me. I'm going to see if I can patch up the worst of this." She waits until the apprentice has followed instructions before she'll try approaching at all.

Zero nods, once, and keeps the blaster level.

Freyja wonders for a fleeting second if Fhazil Taas knows her parentage -- then discards that thought as useless. She'll keep her intended purpose -- patching up the damaged Sith -- but she's not above knocking him out first with a very strong dose of anesthetic first!

Freyja moves slowly and carefully around to about Fhazil Taas' area, neither wavering her blaster aim nor getting in Zero's line of fire. She's visually searching for any sign of the slender weapon tube as well -- that needs to be removed from Fhazil Taas' reach soonest.

Fhazil coughs, blinking a little in surprise. "Padawan?" he splutters, though he winces. "I thought for certain you were a knight yourself with those blaster... wait." He manages to look accross at the landspeeders, espying Roakkana within one. His gaze widens. "You're... his... padawan...?" He shivers a little, then laughs out loud -- a laugh cut off by wincing, albeit mirth-filled grunts of pain as he grips his side again. "Oh, ow, ow, ow...."

This close to him, the darksider blight is more than noticable. The last vestiges of the dark side energy he called to him are dissipating, evaporating into nothingness.

Freyja frowns slightly, but doesn't say anything. She's not sure if that was an insult or a compliment... and right now, doesn't care.

Zero's eyes widen. He turns, reflexively, to look over his shoulder. "It's coming... I can feel it. She's coming."

Freyja spots the slender weapon tube almost 20 feet away from the apprentice, deep in the refuse, not at all near his ready grasp. Excellent... she and Zero could easily take him out before he co- she frowns again, "That's too bad," and in a smooth move she flicks the blaster to stun.

Fhazil coughs a little, which elicits more wincing, and he turns his head a little to spit out some blood. "Sorry, Lady. Urk... just that came as a surprise to me to hear you say that...." He blinks as the blaster kicks up in Freyja's hands, and he has just enough time to say, "Oh, now, that's unpleas--" And then the whine of the stun blast drowns out any more words he might have, toppling him over backwards, unconscious.

Zero says, "If you want to keep working on him, go on. I'll cover you."

From accross the way, Roakkana's voice comes loudly. "Freyja, Zero, hurry! She's coming!"

Freyja is already moving, grabbing up the unconscious apprentice, "No! Go, go, maybe we can outrace her! Get Valsha and Roakkana there -- I'll ride with Colburth!"

Zero nods. "I like that idea better." He skids over to snatch the tube up out of the refuse; no point in leaving a weapon for the enemy... then sprints full-bore for the speeder.

Freyja looks relieved that the more lightly laden Zero grabbed the weapon, but focuses on getting Fhazil Taas moved as swiftly as possible, "Colburth, to me, please!"

Zero says, "Start the engines, Master, I'm on my way!"

Freyja is momentarily guilty feeling about what she's doubtless doing to the rather crunched insides of the apprentice with such rough handling -- then she remembers what he intended for them, and tosses him unceremoniously into the back of the speeder, climbing in on top of him if necessary, so Colburth can get moving as rapidly as possible.

Colburth is halfway out of the speeder, looking bizarrely at Freyja as she manhandles the unconscious Sith. It's clear that, to him, the intensity of the blight approaching is making him nervous. At her request, he moves quickly to help her bring Fhazil over to the second landspeeder. "Force around us," he says, "here's hoping you know what you're doing. Tal, quick, start the landspeeder up!"

Freyja says, "NO! No, don't help me, start the damn speeder!"

Colburth skids to a halt, turning back around with a grimace as he dives into the landspeeder. Talmon, however, has already started the engines.

Freyja crouches over the Human apprentice once they're in the speeder, trying to stay braced even as she hastily pulls out her medpac and gets an anesthetic shot ready. Talmon can cover them for a bit, and she can't help Colburth drive... so might as well be sure they won't have an attacker in their midst.

Zero practically vaults into the speeder cockpit and hands Roakkana the tube weapon. "Careful with that, Master, I expect it's loaded." He gets the speeder up and moving, and bears for the spaceport. Groping for his comlink he tries to raise the Port Authority again.

The two vehicles are shortly roaring to live, then screaming through the streets at high speed, sending pedestrians leaping out of the way. The sense of the approaching blight that surrounds Methel-ssa seems impossibly incongrouous for such a bright and sunny day; somehow, it feels like it should be coming in roilling clouds, blotting out the light of the sun, and yet the only evidence, besides the increasing tension in those sensitive to the Force, is the fact that no animals at all are visible now, outside the madly-dashing landspeeders.

Within the front speeder, Roakkana seems to be grimacing, his hands clutching his cane tightly and relenting enough only to gingerly settle the tube into the 'speeder. In the back, Valsha is curled into a ball, eyes peacefully closed. The comlink clicks shortly; in the background over it can be heard shouting. "This is PortSec! What the HELL is going on, Convoy Lead?!"

In the last landspeeder, Colburth's eyes are narrowed in deep concentration as he focusses on following the other 'speeder. Talmon is almost preternaturally calm as he loads another clip into the concussion rifle; his calm is almost palatable, and Freyja can hear him murmuring a mantra against fear under his breath.

Zero sighs and touches his comlink, "It's all gone to hell, PortSec, the Sith are here. Get as much security as you can to the port, she's coming and we have her apprentice, she's not going to be happy."

Freyja breaths a small sigh of relief once she's sure Fhazil Taas is truly knocked out... then quietly murmurs the mantra along with Talmon as she continues working. Thoughts tumble through her head as she works, Come on, PortSec, don't be stupid... listen to Zero, get the ship's engines warmed up, let us get our friends out of here safely...

Freyja works swiftly, bent over the unconscious Human, not wanting to lose him to death due to carelessness, What did he mean back there about me being Master Roakkana's apprentice? A touch indignantly she thinks, He better not have been being rude about my Master! and then, more eagerly, Ooh, Raven's blood! If he survives, I wonder if I'll be able to ask him all the questions I have about the Dark use of the Force?!

The voice on the other end of the comlink is almost hysterical. "You're telling me she's unhappy?! We already had a freighter topple down out of the sky onto the commercial district! Gods of my fathers damn it, the situation board's lighting up like a nova! We'll spare what we can, Lead, but it's a madhouse here!"

Zero coughs, "She toppled a what--" Then he catches himself. "Do what you can, PortSec, we're gonna end this one way or the other."

Freyja murmurs calmly, "Talmon, tell Zero on the comlink to tell them to warm up the ship's engines, please? It should be ready to leave before we arrive, so She can't keep stopping us." She continues to try to patch up the limp apprentice... keeping a wary eye out for him to somehow manage to recover. Her blaster's still set to stun, and she's pretty sure she can't miss at this range.

The odd thought occurs to her, I hope Valsha's okay...

Talmon, grateful for Freyja saying the mantra with him, looks over his shoulder as she speaks, then nods. He clicks on the comlink. "Padawan Zero... Padawan Freyja asks that you have someone in Port Security start up the engines on the Starbird. That might expedite our departure."

Zero says, "I assumed they'd have figured that themselves, Talmon, but I'll make damn sure we're off the pad as soon as possible." He touches his comlink, "PortSec, tell the Starbird to make it hot, please, we're gonna move the wounded off as soon as possible and try and end this quick."

Freyja grins quietly up at Talmon for a fleeting second, "Under normal circumstances I imagine they'd think of it, hai... but these aren't really normal circumstances. Thank you." She pauses, still working on Fhazil Taas, then adds with almost startling cheer, "Well, so far so good!" and starts the mantra again, in defiance of the roiling dark sickness she can feel building around her.

PortSec replies: "We'll try, Lead. Sending techs there, now." After a moment: "Gods, what in the name of--" Static suddenly fills the comlink. From accross the skyline, barely visible through the rushing sidestreets, a roiling fireball, perhaps from a fuel dump, leaps up into the sky."

She glances up sideways thoughtfully, then nods, "Ah... she'll be waiting at the ship. If we're lucky she won't destroy it first."

Zero stares. "This isn't a woman, it's a force of nature. What's going on here?"

Freyja settles back once she's done patching up the unconscious Human apprentice, patting him lightly on the shoulder, "She must really like you. Remind me never to have a Sith decide they want me." She sets the blaster back on normal bolt, rests it across her folded arms, and waits. Then she adds calmly, "Jedi Colburth, do we have a backup ship available?"

Colburth's eyes barely flicker in that direction. "Corellian hells," is all he mutters. Louder, "We don't. I'm thinking that commandeering one might be a good idea, but we won't have time to slice into the control systems."

Roakkana also looks in the direction of the blast. "A more apt description I could not have thought of, Zero." He swallows, and shakes his head. "At least her assault upon Valsha and myself seems to have abated. Offhand... I would say she's very upset, and has lost control of herself. In most enemies, a good thing: they are off-balance and easilly defeated. In a Sith Lord... not quite so good a thing."

Zero says, "Can you fight, Master? I'm going to need some help keeping her off the wounded... I don't know if Colburth and Freyja and I can do it alone."

"Before yesterday, I had not needed to do so in a long time. But, oh, yes, I can fight."

The Human smiles, a little relieved. "Good. Hang on, Master, we're gonna roll up to the Starbird in a hurry... after that it's just us and her."

Freyja says, "Don't worry about slicing -- Zero's an excellent pilot if worse comes to worse, and if the pilot is aboard, I imagine we can persuade it to lift off anyway. Who'd want to stay and face this, after all?"

Colburth swerves around a gawking crowd, not even sparing the concentration to mutter an expletive. "The problem isn't piloting them, the problem is breaking into them. But if a pilot is there, that would be a good idea.

Freyja nods quietly, "That's fine." She smiles reassuringly at Talmon, checks Fhazil Taas again, and starts another calming koan.

Unfortunately, it's hard to tell from the ground level which berths are occupied by ships. And, more importantly, which ones have ships and pilots. Up ahead, though, sooner than expected, is the berth containing the small ship Starbird Twelve, a Port Authority technician van parked haphazardly outside it, heat plumes rising from the berth indicating engines running and ready.

Freyja wonders if a space ship needs a space port to land... could they all just drive into the ship, take off, circle the planet a bit, and drop some of them off some distance away with the landspeeders? Or wait... the Starbird can't accomodate landspeeders. Hm... she doesn't think they want to stick around to meet Her, though... no, wait. They can't abandon the folks here to Her wrath. Still... what the Hela do they do with Fhazil Taas? She doesn't want to just shoot him... but she doesn't want Her to get Her apprentice back either...

Zero says, "Never been so happy to see Republic livery. Hang on, Master, we're going to unload in a hurry." He touches his comlink, "We're here! Talmon, Freyja, get the wounded aboard as soon as possible and get back here, we're going to have to figure out what to do with Methel-ssa... we've gotta stop her before she demolishes the spaceport! Roakkana thinks she's lost control... we might have to put her down.""

Freyja sighs softly. Maybe the best thing would be to shoo the space ship off, then she, Zero, Master Roakkana, and the unconscious Fhazil Taas take off in the landspeeder towards the monastery. The Sith lord should be able to tell where they're heading... and that way maybe they'll draw her away from the helpless city.

Zero slides his speeder up onto the ramp and begins to decelerate to a stop close to the gangramp.

Freyja is already scrambling to the controls, "Colburth, take Talmon and go! Talmon, leave the rifle, please?" She touches the comlink, "Master Roakkana, do you think we can draw her away from the city if we speed out with you and Fhazil Taas in one speeder, after the ship has left?"

Roakkana gets out of the 'speeder, after Zero parks it, opening the back and taking up Valsha hurriedly. Talmon looks about to complain, then swallows, and nods. "The Force be with you, Jedi Freyja!" he says hurriedly, the best compliment he can utter, before Colburth quickly and surprisingly gently takes him up and helps him up into the Starbird.

Roakkana leans over to the dashboard. "It depends, child. She may want Valsha more than she wants her apprentice."

Freyja says, "Then let us make sure the ship escapes first, hai?" She grins after Colburth and Talmon, "And you both! Take care of each other, hai?"

In the distance, repeating concussion-rifle and wave-gun fire can be heard.

Zero jumps out of the driver side, holding the unignited lightsabre grip and grins over his shoulder. "Talmon, I was wrong about you! You've got more guts than I ever will! Now both of you get out of here!"

Freyja blinks as she suddenly realizes what Talmon said. She beams -- that's sweet! -- then focuses on the issue at hand, sliding the speeder over next to Zero, "Here, take the controls -- we can try outrunning her again once the ship has left!" She slides back next to Fhazil again, drawing the blaster and aiming back towards where the gunfire is coming from.

Wait, what's she thinking?! She carefully lays the blaster next to her and takes up the rifle instead.

Zero touches his comlink and barks, "Starbird 12, get the hell out of here!"

Freyja calls, "Hurry, Master!"

Colburth appears outside the Starbird a moment later, gingerly accepting Valsha's unmoving, tiny form from Roakkana, before gently setting her down inside. Roakkana comes up quickly to Freyja and Zero. He scans the sky worriedly. "What would you two do in defiance of my instructions," he says wryly, "if I told you both to get aboard the Starbird?" Colburth appears again at the doorway, looking clearly unsure as to wether to leave the three there to face a Sith Lord.

Rather too close for comfort, there is an oddly modulated whine-*splat* of a wave-gun, a loud explosion, then even the concussion fire starts to become intermittent.

Freyja grins, not looking away from where she's aiming, "Master, you wouldn't abandon me. I shan't abandon you." She snaps, "Colburth, GO!"

Zero says, "Master Roakkana, I've spent the last thirteen years of my life running away from responsibility. I'm not going to start again, not now."

Freyja says, "Oh, Zero! Get that slender tube gun thingie, would you?" She continues her steady sighting down the rifle.

Colburth clenches his hands, and really does look about to complain, when Roakkana simply looks at him. All defiance evaporates from the Templar's face, and he nods. "The Force be with you, Jedi all!" he shouts, before the ramp to the Starbird raises and seals.

The Starbird's engines come to life, rising in pitch until they become almost ultrasonic. With a roar, the repulsorlifts engage, and the ship begins to rise.

Give them to me.

They... are... mine.

The voice comes from everywhere, and nowhere. Is it shouted? Is it telepathy? It is hard to tell. It seems to reverberate through the Force itself, a wall of ethereal sound that has almost physical impact.

Zero takes a breath, then grabs the tube weapon out of the speeder. "Dunno if this thing'll help at all, but any port in a storm-- ah." He freezes, hearing the voice, looking to the sky.

Freyja winces slightly, but holds her position. Liar! is the only distracting thought she allows herself... and then she's focused again. She is unwittingly murmuring a soft prayer for steadiness and resolve under her breath. Aside from that she's still, waiting...

Zero takes a deep breath. I'm not afraid. This is what I'm here for. He begins to calm his thoughts, and forces himself to center, to invoke the battle-calm.

Freyja is first to see it, then shortly Zero's eyes land upon it. Crouched on the tip of a flagstaff atop a nearby building, a bundled, ia s cloaked form that should not be there, platinum hair dancing in the wind. From within a cowl comes the flicker of deep, fathomless eyes flecked with gold. Slowly the figure moves, and a wicked length of black steel appears in it's hands as it straightens, standing fully, balanced seemingly not at all precariously upon it's perch. The Sith seems cloaked in malevolence, energy crackling around her, licking hungrilly at the blade of the sword.

Freyja whispers softly, "There... on the flagpole..." as she sights the Sith. She continues aiming... every second improves her chances...

Freyja says, "Zero... on the count of three?"

Zero spots her, then something clicks behind his eyes and he finds the center... He raises the tube and holds it. "Let's end this now," he whispers. "One."

Freyja nods.

Roakkana nods quietly and imperceptibly. "I see her." His voice actually, for the first time she has known him, quavers a very tiny bit. "On three, then," he murmurs, the cane dropping to the ground, folding his hands together in a curious mudra, eyes focussed completely on the Sith Lord.

Zero says, "Two."

Freyja takes a slow breath, then starts to let it ease softly out from between her teeth...

Zero says, "Three-- end it now."

Freyja fires.

The concussion rifle bucks in her arms... and she can see they've both failed to hit. She's incredulous, That's not FAIR!, and then she sighs and keeps her eye on the mad Sith. Come ON, Colburth -- GO! For the first time she wonders if she's going to survive this. Determinedly she thinks, Well, if I don't, I'm going to do my best to take Her precious apprentice with me!

The Sith's blade barely flickers. Freyja's blasts crack harmlessly against the sword, the actinic beam of fire that leaps from Zero's captured weapon licks through the Sith's cloak but seems to do no other damage to her.

Zero licks his lips again absently, and lowers the tube rifle. I won't die for nothing. You're not getting them until you come through me.

There is a powerful, warm, yet gentle surge in the Force, then, and Roakkana's soft murmuring becomes louder, much more audible. Small objects, debris and stones and bits of metal from the Sith's ravages leap up into the air and seem to coalesce around the Sith in a whirlwind of matter. There is a mental scream of rage and pain, felt as shuddering black rolls in the Force, as the Sith becomes the center of a whirlwind, pummelled by the detrius of her own devastations.

And over the scream, heard by physical ears, the roar of Starbird's ion engines scream as the red-trimmed ship leaps up into the midday sky for the safety of the stars.

Roakkana stumbles a little, breathing heavilly. "That... that may hold her, for a few moments," he gasps. "But she will be very, very irritated when she frees herself. If we are going to move to draw her away, we must do it now."

Zero says, "If she's lost control she may just go berserk... is it wise to run now?"

Freyja whispers fiercely, "Yess!" as the ship draws away, then nods without losing her aim on the mad Sith, "Get in the speeder, Master, please, and Zero can drive so we can draw her off. Would it help any if I kept shooting at her?"

Freyja grins, "If you were mad, wouldn't you chase the thing shooting at you, Zero? Let's go!"

Zero says, "I'm worried about what else she might to do the spaceport... Master, it's your decision, stay or run?"

Roakkana glances up to the whirlwind of energy, considering for just a moment. "Well...," he says, taking up his cane, "let's ensure she follows us, as suicidal as it might be...." He holds the cane upwards, then simply lets go of it. A moment later it rights itself in mid-air, and seems to direct itself towards Methel-ssa. It arrows towards the whirlwind, plunging into it. With the mental howl of rage that follows, Roakkana winces and then, somewhat hurriedly, gets into the car. "Not the wisest thing I have ever done," he says confessionally. "Let's hurry, and hope that her apprentice and the heads of three Jedi who annoyed her are enough to draw her away. And I think she is irrational enough to be so lead."

Zero says, "Understood." He sprints to the speeder and jumps in, firing up the engines. "I'll get us as far away as I can. Freyja, use the tube instead of that rifle, it's got to do more damage."

Freyja grins a little manically, laying the rifle down next to the unconscious apprentice. A moment to give him another shot of juice to ensure his continued unconsciousness... then she takes up the tube, and starts sighting with it.Two hours... maybe only one and a half if Zero really pushes it... still, even if we can't stay ahead of her, we can get her out of the city -- that's worth it. She examines the weapon. It's... very odd. There's a grip, and a trigger mechanism, but apparently no specific way of bracing it. There is a small flashing red light on the grip, and a number of small warning labels here and there, all apparently in Aurabesh. "Um... Zero, just press the red button?"

Zero says, "Just press the red button. And hold tight." His voice is somehow faraway. He's found his center and is completely locked into focus... he holds the speeder rock-steady even as debris comes down and pelts the roof.

The landspeeder takes off, screaming out of the berth. Less than a minute later, there is a titanic, malefic shriek through the force, a sound that can only be explained as an explosion, then scattered little bits of debris and detrius hail down from the sky.

Freyja says, "Ah, thanks." She looks at the unconscious apprentice, then sighs softly. No... he wouldn't help against his own master. She absently murmurs a very old prayer from her childhood, almost unwitting, "Bright fierce Lady, guardian of warriors, be with us now in our hour of need..." She settles, braced, and focuses on her own calm. Things are too insane and unreal just now for her to be afraid.

In his frame of mind, Zero has no problem at all with evading the pedestrians that now run in sheer panic, and the random bits of wreck and ruin. True to form, the dark malevolence of the Sith Lord's blight seems to just barely keep pace with the landspeeder. Once in a while, Freyja sees a dark shape flitting along the rooftops, and every so often the wicked gaze of eyes as black as night and glittering with pyrite rage.

Freyja will ride steady, not shooting unless she has a good line of fire.

Zero murmurs, "We'll be clear of the city shortly. After that it's up to you."

Freyja nods, not realizing Zero can't see her, and continues her quiet murmur. She's on koans about lack of fear in the face of death now, although it's all automatic at this point.

Roakkana seems to be concentrating or meditating, but he does say, quietly, "I admit, I had not expected us to face her, at least so soon, and with so few."

Freyja's eyes brighten at a thought, "Master -- can you call the monastery for back up?"

Zero grins, very faintly. "Best idea I've heard all day..."

Roakkana opens his eyes, and nods. "Yes... yes that might be a good idea." He opens the comlink, contacting the monastery. The best that Master Mynas can provide, however, is to have one of the older consulars take him on the swoop to rendezvous with Roakkana.

Zero says, "Good enough. Tell him not to open it up all the way, it goes fast enough without flooring it, and it gets temperamental."

The landspeeder explodes out of the city limits, roaring through the neighborhoods of the outlying residences. At the very edge of the spaceport, however, the blight pauses, seething in apparent frustration, and does not pursue any further. It sits there, simmering, becoming a cold thing that weighs heavily upon the fabric of reality, before starting to move off, to fade into the distance. Freyja feels it garnering some slight pleasure in the chaos it had caused within the city, before even that fades, and it distances into a dark speck of brooding anger, moving somewhere else.

Freyja blinks, straightening slowly, "Um... do you all feel that too? I think... I think she's stopped?"

Zero says, "Why...?"

Freyja shakes her head in slow wonderment, "I... don't know...!"

Freyja looks at the Wookie puzzledly, wondering if he did something somehow, "Master...?"

Zero decelerates the speeder slightly, then blinks and shakes his head. "Rgh... damn. I lost it..." He rubs his eyes with one hand, feeling his focus slip, and suddenly very tired. He straightens up again, shaking his head. "What was that?"

Freyja gives Zero a worried glance, "What was what?" She automatically checks the apprentice again, careful not to let him wake.

Zero says, "Maybe she spent her anger finally..."

Freyja considers that, then shakes her head, "She's still angry... but she stopped at the edge of the spaceport. Maybe... maybe there's something there that powers her?"

Faintly, very faintly, the impression -- no, the voice, is again heard, delivering a succinct, cold message to the three Jedi: This is not over. I will have my apprentice. And the Scion of the Red.

Roakkana blinks as well, casting a glance over his shoulder at the spaceport. Dark plumes of smoke rise from the urban sprawl, casting a cowl over the blue-green sky. "I... do not know, child. There is nothing preventing her from pursuing us. Marnaas has no nexus of the light side but for perhaps the monastery, and we are far from there." He closes his eyes. "I... I can still sense her, distantly, a cancer on this world... but quiescent for the time being, no longer such a whirlwind of rage." He opens his eyes. "Yes, I believe you are right, Zero. Even a Sith cannot remain angry for so long, and perhaps she realized her strength lay greatest when she was angry."

Zero says, "Scion of the Red? Tch. More and more complicated every day... we'd best get back to the monastery and try to recuperate... I don't think we're done yet."

Freyja blinks, then unwittingly speaks aloud, "Who's the Red?" A moment later she sighs softly... no fair that bad guys get to do telepathy so much better than she's ever hoped for! She grins with tired rue at herself... then realizes she's exhausted also. She holsters the blaster, carefully lays the tube and the rifle down on the floor, and stretches out as best she can next to -- partly on top of -- the unconscious apprentice. Her voice is weary, "Well... whatever... can we go home now...?"

Zero nods. The blood's thumping in his temples. "Yeah. Let's go home. I've had enough for today."

Roakkana closes his eyes, sighing. "Yes. Please, take us back to the monastery, Zero. We can rest assured that Colburth, Talmon, and Valsha are safe." He looks outside at the speeding landscape thoughtfully. "Valsha...?" he asks, almost more to himself, before going quiet, and closing his eyes again.

Return to THESE SHATTERED STARS

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Last modified: 2002-Jul-16 16:14:54

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