Logs

Logs Home

2002 May 22

2002 May 29

2002 June 06

2002 June 11

2002 June 19

2002 June 25

2002 July 01

2002 July 05

2002 July 10

2002 July 14

2002 July 16

2002 July 17

2002 July 22

2002 July 24

2002 July 27

2002 July 28

2002 July 31

2002 August 03

2002 August 05

2002 August 10

2002 August 11

2002 August 12

2002 August 14

2002 August 19

2002 August 25

2002 August 30

2002 September 05

2002 September 15

2002 September 24

2002 October 03

2002 October 05

2002 October 11

2002 October 15

2002 October 17

2002 October 26

2002 October 24

2002 October 31

2002 November 07

2002 November 15

2002 November 21

2002 November 29

2002 December 05

2002 December 17

2002 December 19

2002 December 26

2002 December 27

2003 January 05

2003 January 07

2003 February 21

2003 January 10

2003 January 11

2003 January 18

2003 February 04

2003 February 10

2003 January 30

2003 February 06

2003 February 13

2003 June 07

2003 April 30

2003 June 07

2003 June 14

2003 June 21

2003 July 05

2003 July 12

2003 July 19

2003 July 26

2003 August 24

2003 September 11

2003 September 13

2003 September 20

2003 September 28

2003 October 04

2003 October 11

2003 October 18

2003 October 25

2003 November 01

2022 June 13

2003 December 13

2004 January 03

2004 January 10

2004 January 17

2004 January 25

2004 February 07

2004 February 10

2004 February 14

2004 February 16

2004 February 21

2004 March 02

2004 March 06

2004 March 13

2004 March 19

2004 March 27

2004 April 03

2004 April 10

2004 April 17

2004 April 24

2004 May 15

2004 May 22

2004 June 05

2004 June 11

2004 June 26

2004 July 10

2004 July 17

2004 July 18

2004 July 31

2004 August 07

2004 August 14

2004 August 21

2017 August 18

2017 August 18

These Shattered Stars

Shattered Home

Game Background

Mechanics

Maps

Dramatis Personae

Game Logs

Realms

Realms Home

Dishonored

Goblin Town

Neverneverwhere

The Whole of the Law

Waking Dreams

When The Bough Breaks


One-Shot

Retired

Birthright

Burning Man

Cosmic Guardians

DNAnimals/Tamashii

Fukusei Crystals

Heartwood

Hunter

Idlewild

Indigo

Inizii

Morning Rain

NachtMusik

Oloth

Paradon

Scarred Lands

Shattered Stars

Starfall

Weston


Style Test

Reality Fault

Home

Player

Character

Referee

Programmer

Administrator

Operations


Search RealityFault:

General Info

Glossary

Realms

Events

Credits

Help Files

Help Files (old)


Reality Fault

Realms: These Shattered Stars Logs

Part Seven

The landspeeder is quickly prepared for it's second trip for the day, and in the midst of preparations Colburth comes out of the monastery. "We've just gotten a meswsage from the senior customs inspector," he provides. "Karlitta Shang would like to meet with you first, to help with your investigation. Her home-office is out on the outskirts of the spaceport." He hands over a datapad with a map to the location. "Again, something comes up, you can get hold of me."

Freyja looks at the datapad, then curiously up at Colburth, "Who's Karlitta Shang? Is she the senior customs inspector?"

"Yes, she is. Remember I was talking about how they were so overworked that she had to take conduct some inspections? She should have a good insight into how the Sith got on Marnaas.

Quiet hms. "We'll look her up when we get there."

Freyja nods, hopping lightly into the landspeeder's passenger seat, "Sounds good. I'm ready when you are, Quiet."

Colburth nods, and heads back into the monastery.

Quiet starts the speeder engines. "Let's not waste any time, then."

Freyja nods.

The trip to the home-office takes a little while; Shang apparently likes some modicum of privacy. The area is about the closest thing to a suburb the arid spaceport city has, with some nice, single-storey houses and wide streets. Shang's house is quickly found: a house not unlike the rest of the ones in this area. The flattop plateuas of red stone in the distance add for a rather nice view, at least.

Quiet scratches the back of his neck, pulling the speeder in to a stop. "Why would a customs inspector work out of her home?"

Freyja shakes her head, "A planetary customs inspector? I... don't know."

Quiet shrugs. "No matter, I suppose. Come on, then, let's get this done."

Freyja looks around a bit suspiciously as she gets out of the speeder.

The area is quiet at this time of day. If planetary officials live here, most are presumably at their jobs, or out and about showing the flag. It's extremely quiet, with not a thing making any sort of sound, which is possibly why overstressed government officials like to live here.

Freyja doesn't hear anything odd... in fact, she hears nothing at all, other than their footsteps and the very slight wind. "Um... Quiet... who's that message on the datapad from, please? It's... awful silent in the house...?"

Quiet pulls the datapad from his cloak. "Colburth didn't include the message. Just the--" He looks up. "Hm. These birds are making me nervous."

Freyja gives the Human a perplexed look, "Birds?!" She looks around again, wondering why birds would make Quiet nervous, as she adds, "Well, I was wondering if we could see if the message came from this house and the customs inspector in particular, is all."

Quiet tucks the datapad back into his cloak and finds the grip of his blaster. "Yes, the birds. Haven't you noticed? All the fauna has been deadly silent since we arrived... they weren't like this at the monastery."

Freyja studies the Human, then searches visually for any local wildlife... cat or dog equivalents, perhaps? She murmurs quietly as she looks around, "Back to the speeder, or search the house?" She's never known Quiet to be twitchy without reason.

Quiet says, "Check the house. But be on your guard."

A small animal -- it might be a reptillian cat, or a tame archaeopteryx-analogue or something -- is slinking accross a yard accross the street from the house in question. But it doesn't dawdle, and it seems twitchy. It quickly escapes from view.

Quiet draws his blaster, but lets it hang under his cloak for the nonce. He approaches the front door from an angle, so as not to be directly in front of it when he reaches it.

Freyja follows quietly, and stays on the other side of the door, out of his line of fire. Her lightsabre handle is within reach in one of her sleeves, although she'd prefer not to use it.

Quiet raps on the door with the back of his off-hand, staying to one side.

Rapping on the door has an odd result: a four-inch length of shimmering metal erupts out of the woodlike door with a solid *thunk* and sits there, twitching slightly for a moment, before being pulled back in, most of the door going with it in a shower of splinters. "COME IN!" comes a shout from within, in heavilly accented -- and panicked-sounding -- Aurabesh, followed by a roar that is most certainly not from the person who gave the "greeting."

Quiet blinks, once, then says, perfectly matter-of-factly to Freyja, "Let's go inside. Light it up, Freyja." He steps into what's left of the doorframe, giving the splintered door a kick and leveling his blaster.

Freyja murmurs, "Go left," as she rolls low through the door and to the right, coming up with the lightsabre at the ready. Sure hope I don't have to actually use it... and that the inspector's still okay...

Within, the living room or foyer or entrance room is a shambles, with a Zabrak woman wearing beige-and-white tunic and trousers facing off against what looks to be a very large Kel Dor. Said Zabrak woman has what seems to be a sword with a segmented blade, each segment linked by flickering energy-binders. Said Kel Dor has a heavy blaster pistol and an equally, insultingly large vibro-knife. The woman is just recovering from whatever she did to the door from accross the room, and the Kel Dor fires a shot that collapses the bookcase behind her right onto her. With a cry, the woman is pinned. The Kel Dor turns to see who she let in.

Freyja is a little startled to realize the panicky sounding one was a Zabrak... and wonders what sort of sword that is. However, more important now is to keep from being toasted by the Kel Dor while distracting it long enough for Quiet to blast it.

The Kel Dor sees two Humans, one of whom is wielding a lightsabre. He takes a shot at who he thinks is the more dangerous: Freyja.

Freyja stays low and mobile -- and is relieved when the bug-like alien's shot goes wide and blows apart a Xim-era vase. She smiles coldly, keeping a distracting eye contact if possible with her target as she darts swiftly towards the Kel Dor. She's careful to not get into Quiet's line of fire as she attempts a smooth, low swing, under the hope that it'll be harder to dodge.

The Kel Dor is caught slightly unprepared, and a startled yelp escapes from his breath-mask just a moment before Freyja's lightsabre blade cluts upward, leaving a dark, cauterized slash up the side of the person's body and clothes. He staggers backward, the hand holding the vibroknife falling uselessly at his side, dropping the weapon.

Quiet aims the weapon carefully. "Drop it now. Don't waste your life."

The Kel Dor, as dazed as he is, seems to take the matter seriously, or reasonably so. He backs towards a doorway, letting the blaster drop to the ground -- then he turns and runs through the doorway.

Freyja glances at the bolting Kel Dor, then murmurs, "Yours, Quiet," and powers down her lightsabre so she can go help the trapped woman. She prudently picks up the other blaster and the vibroknife as well.

As the Kel Dor turns, Quiet drops his blaster a few inches and squeezes the trigger, tagging the back of the fleeing attacker's leg.

The Kel Dor yowls with the shot, and crashes into the chair iin front of him, tumbling over it, rolling out of view, where there is the sudden sound of lots of delicate things shattering and crashing.

Quiet holsters his blaster, sprinting after the wounded Kel Dor. The Jedi can hear the murmur as he passes, "Help Shang, Freyja, be right back..."

Freyja grins as Quiet darts by her already moving towards the Zabraki woman. "Karlitta Shang? One moment, please, and we'll have you free..." She leans and shoves, trying to get the bookcase loosened enough that the woman can wriggle out from under it.

The Zabrak woman is dazed and barelly conscious. A few shallow slashes and a carbon burn along her side show that the Kel Dor had landed a few shots in before the two Humans arrived. She seems to drift in and out of consciousness, murmuring, "Glad... could make it... in time...."

Freyja looks a bit worried as she realizes the woman's been injured, "You'll be fine, inspector. Can you help me by crawling out from under there, and we'll check you over?"

Quiet pounces on the Kel Dor, who seems in no condition to do anything other than struggle only a little. The arm which was in the way of Freyja's lightsabre cut flops uselessly.

The woman somehow manages to crawl free, exhausted and fatigued, flopping onto her back when she pulls herself out from under the fallen cabinet, her breathing labored. Her weapon lies on the ground a few feet away.

Freyja kneels next to the woman and pulls out her medpac, checking the Zabrak over carefully. She's still a little wired from combat, so puts her back to the wall as she works. "Relax, inspector." She'll call out, "Quiet, how're you doing?"

Quiet sits up a bit, draws back and strikes the Kel Dor hard between the eyes, just above the breathmask. "Stop that." He calls over his shoulder, "We're just fine in here, Freyja."

Freyja sounds relieved, "Good. The inspector's injured... can you call the monastery, please?"

Quiet says, "My hands are full of Kel Dor here at the moment. The comlink's still in the speeder."

The Kel Dor's expression is hard to read, but Quiet's blow knocks the person's head back with a dull *thud*, followed by a second, slightly more hollow *thud* as the Kel Dor's head bounces off the floor.

Unfortunately, Freyja's medkit doesn't seem to do much to improve the inspector's condition.

Freyja frowns, looking worried, and calls, "Quiet, I'm going to the speeder for it, then. The inspector's not doing well." She murmurs, "You stay quiet here, Inspector, please," then rises and darts out to the speeder, through the shattered door, for the comlink.

Quiet pins the Kel Dor's shoulders with his knees, and finally manages to sit up all the way. "Tell Colburth to bring some binders, too."

Freyja pauses, straightening with the comlink in hand, listening intently. She hears... swoops? Sounds like swoops... security doesn't use swoops around these parts. She glances around, then reaches for something that can be used for restraints. Holding it, she whirls and darts into the house, calling, "Quiet, swoops coming! Here's some rope -- do we think we can outrun them in the speeder, or is holing up here better?" She's already clicking the comlink as she waits for Quiet's answer, so she can update the monastery.

Quiet is still busily convincing the Kel Dor he doesn't want to give the little Human assassin any more trouble. Freyja comes in to hear the tail end of, "...not a Jedi, I'm allowed to abuse you all I want. I swear I'll disconnect that antiox hose." He scowls at the announcement; it's not a pretty sight on his lips. "Damn. I'll bind this one; there's no way we can outrun swoop racers in that heap. Get us some backup now, Freyja."

Freyja nods and drops the rope next to the Human, murmuring, "Am, Quiet, patience..." as she waits for a reaction on the comlink.

The comlik responds immediately: "Colburth here!" He sounds like he's already running through the corridors of the monastery.

Freyja will almost absently hand the Kel Dor's blaster and vibroblade to Quiet also, once it's firmly bound. "Colburth -- at the inspector's house, she's injured, injured Kel Dor attacker, incoming swoops, don't know how many." She grins, "Backup would be nice." She adds to Quiet, "Want to try holding the front room, or this one? We could use the bookcase to block one of the doors?"

Quiet busies himself tying up the Kel Dor as quickly as he can. "Go see if you can find a back door and block it. I'll throw the bookcase in front of the front door."

Freyja nods, "Gotcha." She darts off to see.

Colburth sounds like he suddenly alters course. "I'll... try to grab someone else here. We're on our way!

Freyja says, "Thanks!" She calls over her shoulder, "Backup incoming, Quiet!"

Quiet ties the Kel Dor and rolls him over with his foot, "Remember what I said, now." He sprints back to the living room, and begins dragging the bookcase to the front door.

Freyja finds the house is large -- about what she'd expect for a moderate-level politican. There appears to be a back door... and a side door. Two, in fact. And a basement. She ruthlessly shoves, tips, or throws heavy things in the way of each door she finds, backing herself towards the main room as she does so. She updates Quiet on the bad defensibility of the house once she's back in the main room with him and the two others. If she can, something else gets shoved into that door also, and she asks for one of the blasters.

Quiet hands Freyja the Kel Dor's blaster, grip first. "Check the charge, just to be safe." He kneels down and examines the Zabrak's peculiar weapon, wondering if it might not be more useful than his blade.

As Freyja is blockading doors, Quiet is dragging the bookcase to the front door. That's when the swoop comes screaming past the remains of the front door, a the rather large, scarred, unidentified being on the bike glancing over at the house and meeting Quiet's gaze briefly before the swoop circles around the side of the house. Another swoop comes into view, also circling the house. A flock of birds roosting nervously in a tree nearby erupt into the sky, cackling and shrieking in panic. Down the street, a few people start poking their heads out of doors and windows.

Quiet says, "Oh blast."

Freyja checks the charge. She's not wildly familiar with blasters... but in an emergency, pointing and shooting should clear a doorway pretty well. The Kel Dor's blaster is large, overpowered, and bulky, suited for the large, clawed hand, but she can wield it well enough and it has a good charge on it.

Next she makes sure the Zabraki woman is behind something protective, and not under breakables. Then she finds good cover for herself, so she can guard the front door (since she'd guess they'll try infiltrating through the house, so might as well put Quiet, the good shot, on that door), and settles, the blaster carefully braced and aimed. "I'm ready, Quiet."

Shang's weapon, however, is another thing entirely. There is a one-handed handle, with a comples and ornate quillion arrangement, and a circular pommel. There are some unmarked controls on the handle where the thumb would rest. The weapon appears similar to some primative forms of flail-swords, except instead of chains holding the blade segments together, it is energy binders like what one might find on a pod racer or doublebound staff. The pommell is actuall of interest, though probably not right now: the eight-segment circle of the Bendu symbol claimed by the jedi Order is further bisected by a wide silver band. The Zabraki, for her part, is still too dazed to do anything except fade in and out of consciousness.

Quiet tosses the weapon aside. Interesting. Shame I've no idea how it works. "Get set..."

Freyja wishes momentarily she really could levitate a rock right now... then simply turns her entire focus on guarding the front door.

The sound of roaring swoops dwindles, the engines audibly shutting down somewhere outside. After a moment, three beings of a variety of species -- one unidentified, another a heavilly-scarred Wookie, and an equally-scarred Rodian -- can be seen outside, apparently checking the outside of the house. Each is armed with a heavy blaster.

After a moment, something -- darksider blight -- can start to be felt in the Force.

Quiet's shoulders sag a little. "Wookie," he says. "Take that one down first."

Freyja winces slightly -- could things get worse? She whispers, "Got it, Quiet," and reaches for the comlink, "Colburth? Update. One wookie, one Rodian, one unknown, and Sith lord coming. Hurry, please." She waits until the Wookie is squarely in the sights of the braced blaster -- then squeezes off a shot.

The sound of a landspeeder engine being pushed to the limit almost drowns out Colburth's voice. "We're coming as fast as this hunk of junk can take us! Already told starport securit-- *skshssssss*" And suddenly the comlink erupts into a squeal.

The shot smacks into the Wookie's chest, and he staggers backward with a roar. The others scatter wuickly away from the front of the door, while the Wookie staggers for cover behind the landspeeder.

Quiet raises his weapon, hoping for a shot before the Wookie gets to cover.

The Wookie's last few feet to reach cover are aided by Quiet's blaster shot, and the Wookie stops moving. As the blast's echoes die away, another swoop can be heard, very loud, but not seen, and the feeling of the blight seems to increase even as the swoop engine dies away as well.

Freyja says, "Got him! Good shooting. I doubt we'll get another free chance like that." She resettles the big blaster, then adds quietly, "From the comlink it sounds like we're on our own until the speeder arrives, Quiet. We'll have to handle it on our own until then."

Quiet drops back into cover and says, "Rodian next."

Freyja nods, her voice lowering even as the blight increases, "Got it."

There are some shouts, some exchanged conversation, then silence....

Quiet lowers his head a bit to let his hair hide his face, and shuts his eyes tightly. Damn... I think I'm going to be sick... He braces himself with one hand against the wall as the blight increases.

Freyja notices, out of the corner of her eye, Quiet's growing nausea. She gently touches his shoulder, whispering, "Courage, my friend. Try to ignore it." Then she resolutely turns her attention back towards the front door.

There is a faint glitter of light off of metal, as something small, metallic, and with pretty little yellow lights is lobbed from the side of the building towards the blockaded doorway.

Quiet murmurs, "I'm fine, worry about yourse--" He blinks, and tries to push off from the wall and get to the floor, "Down!"

Freyja, who is already kneeling behind cover, simply lowers herself even more, squinting for the expected rush so she can fire instantly.

There is a flash and a roar, felt more than heard, as the blast-grenade simply rips apart the bookcase and a good part of the doorway. As the tunder dies away, the two can hear outside, "Why'd it take me to figure out to do that? You two stay here, no matter what. I'll take care of this...."

Freyja listens and thinks, Well, blast... I was hoping to get one of the others. Sith lords are something else entirely. She peers through the gently drifting debris, wondering if she can shoot the Rodian (or the other) and panic them into charging after the Sith woman... and preventing any Sith mind tricks in the process.

Quiet pushes himself backward with his heels until he meets a wall, and forces himself upright, then onto his feet. He raises his blaster, hoping the debris cloud doesn't obscure the shot too much.

Outside, there is the sound of metal-on-metal hissing wickedly, and a humanoid figure starts to edge into view. "Anybody still alive?"

Freyja remains silent, waiting for the attacker to burst into the room. Freyja needs all the targeting help she can get. From the hip shots are for experts like Quiet, not her.

Quiet murmurs bitterly, "Not for long." He squeezes the trigger.

The long, slender shape in the figure's hands twitches slightly, but the blaster strikes the wall instead of it. "I see." The figure moves through the haze towards where the blaster shot came from. The haze begins to clear enough for Quiet to see the white-haired human through the visual mire, the ornate brooch at the throat of his high-collared tunic... the Sith sword in his hands... and the slightly manic look in his eyes. "Something you wanted say, greysider?"

Freyja squeezes off a slow, deliberate shot as soon as the figure is clearly in her sights. She's bemused -- is this the source of the blight? Force defend us... another insane Sith lord?! We're hip-deep in them!

Freyja's shot takes the Sith by surprise. His gaze flicks over to her just as she finishes aiming, and he brings the blade around as if to block the shot, but the blast blows cleanly against him, stagering him backward with an ugly grimace of pain... a grimace which becomes something like a grin. "That... hurt." he says, starting to straighten.

Freyja says firmly and clearly, "Leave while you still can."

Quiet coughs a bit and pops up from cover again, thinking briefly, Fantastic shot. I've not given her enough credit. He levels the gun as best he can and squeezes the trigger as the Sith Lord straightens.

Quiet says, "Didn't you hear her? Leave now! There are more Jedi on the way, you've lost!"

Quiet groans softly under his hand, wishing the bloody Sith Lord would at least take a few steps back... the blight's getting oppressive, and the more angry it seems to get, the worse he feels. Worse yet, something is definitely nagging him to get angry, to burst from cover and shoot down the source of his discomfort. He's starting to think it might not be a bad idea.

This time Quiet can clearly see the Sith try to move the blade in time to block the shot, but it skims past the dark edge of the weapon and slams into the man. Snarling, the Sith regains his footing, his gaze flicking between the two -- actually, between Quiet, Freyja, and Shang. "This isn't over," he almost purrs, backing away slowly through the... remains of the doorway, sword held before him.

Freyja takes a slow breath, realizing she can probably squeeze off one more shot... but... somehow that seems just wrong. Maybe... maybe if she could persuade it with Friendship, it'd delay just long enough for her friends to arrive -- and maybe they could help the insane Sith? Her dry inner voice murmurs to her, ...and maybe Bantha will fly... as she tries anyway. Got to do her best, both for herself, for Master Roakkana, and for the poor insane Sith.

The Sith's backward pedalling falters for a moment, and he looks to Feyja with a brief wave of confusion... then the expression disappears, replaced by a sardonic grin and a wagging finger. He doesn't stop his backwards movement.

Freyja grins to herself, but doesn't move.

Quiet tightens his grip on the blaster. He can't help himself, he's got to try and lash out at this thing; it's making him insane! He hesitates, then drops his blaster a few inches at the last moment, forcing himself to aim for the legs.

Quiet's blast smacks into the floor at the darksider's feet. The Sith shuffles his feet a little, though, managing to keep them from being punctured. "No need to rush me," he says with a wry smirk. He glances over to Freyja again, giving her a not-quite-so-sardonic grin and a salute with the tip of his blade, then is out the door and away.

Freyja shakes her head in quiet amusement, but continues to watch carefully until all the swoops have left.

Quiet slumps back down against the wall. "No," he breathes, "Not quite over yet."

Without moving her watchful gaze from outside, Freyja murmurs over her shoulder, "Quiet? You all right?"

A minute later, there's the sound of blaster fire, and the swoop engines roaring off into the distance, replaced by the whine of a landspeeder coming down the street.

Quiet closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "I'm fine. You'd better check on Shang... I'll go meet the speeder."

Quiet says, "And check on the Kel Dor, see if he's still breathing."

Freyja grins, stretching her back muscles slightly but not moving her big blaster from aiming at the door, "Let's let them come to us... just to be sure."

Quiet stands up and steadies himself, wobbling back toward the back room to make sure the Kel Dor's still alive and not escaped.

Freyja worries a bit about Quiet... but determinedly continues to cover the door, to protect her friend and the innocent bystander until she's sure it's safe.

Quiet grins feebly as he leans his head into the back room, "Still with us, ugly?"

The landspeeder's engine hasn't even died away, when there can be heard a familiar thrumming approaching. In a moment, Colburth, looking calm and collected and alert, bursts through the doorway, his orange blade before him as he looks quickly around. When he sees Freyja all right, and Quiet walking and not flying in some attack, he straightened. "Thank the Force! You're both alive!" He glances at the doorway, and frowns. "What happened? Is Shang all right?"

Freyja twitches noticeably... then laughs softly, tilting the huge blaster upwards, "Force save you, Knight Colburth... I almost shot you!"

Quiet calls over his shoulder, "We had visitors. Look, I convinced one to stay and chat." He smirks a little. "Isn't that right, ugly?"

Freyja shakes her head, rising smoothly, "No. She's injured, and I'm afraid I couldn't help her much. There's also the Kel Dor there, who's also injured, and we shot the Sith's Wookie, and the new Sith lord too, so he left." She grins cheerfully at Colburth, "You missed all the fun!"

Quiet holsters his blaster again, and takes a deep breath. He feels his head clearing finally.. it's a bit like the final moments of a bad headache; he can still feel the blood pounding, but the awful pressure's gone. He smiles a little. "He wouldn't be injured if he'd surrendered when given the chance."

Colburth smiles wanly, finally noticing the rather large weapon in Freyja's hands. "I'm lucky you didn't," he notes, then glances back towards Quiet, quizziacally; the Kel Dor only gurgles in response. Then he frowns to Freyja. "What new Sith lord?"

Freyja just grins tiredly, settling on the nearest solid bit of remaining furniture. "Maybe it was just a really good Human apprentice. Spiffy dresser."

Quiet takes a few steps forward, toward Colburth. Under the heavy fold of his cloak, he nudges Shang's weapon under the wreckage of the bookcase with his heel.

Quiet says, "Our guest is a Kel Dor. Big fellow. I should drive back with that one. The Wookiee might be dead, I didn't check."

Freyja says, "Did they leave him?" She sighs softly, "How... Sith..."

Quiet says, "I wonder if they left his swoop."

Freyja grins at Quiet, "I imagine if they did you could reasonably claim it?"

Quiet says, "It might be useful while we're on Marnaas, since the monastery's speeders aren't exactly exemplars of speed and maneuverability. The Jedi can have it when we're done, if they like."

Freyja giggles softly at Quiet's word choice.

Colburth looks over to Quiet, then notices Shang, but not the weapon. He grimaces when he sees her injuries, and nods. "Right. Peitas and I will take Shang to the monastery." He looks up to Quiet. "We saw another swoop left outside. The other three made like mynoks out of the Corellian Hells."

Quiet says, "I'll bring the swoop back. You drive the Kel Dor back, he's bound but not as well as I'd like. Freyja can take Shang... just drive carefully, Freyja."

Freyja looks pleased -- Quiet might enjoy the swoop. "If you'd like, Quiet, I'll drive the speeder back with the Kel Dor, and you can ride high guard on th- right."

Quiet says, "I'd rather Colburth did it, Freyja... he's dangerous and not as well secured as I want. If he got loose... well. Besides, you're better equipped to stay close to Shang. We can't let her die."

Freyja nods to Quiet. She adds tiredly, "Knight Colburth, could you put Shang in the speeder, please, so she's not unduly jostled?"

Colburth thinks for a moment, then nods. "That makes sense." He stands to go into the other room. "How badly hurt is -- Great Alderaanian Heavens, did you do this, Padawan Freyja?!"

Freyja smiles quietly, calling, "One of them, yes." She glances at Quiet while Colburth is in the other room, raising an eyebrow and glancing noticeably at the hidden sword, then back to Quiet. She's not sure why he's hiding it, but figures he must have a good reason, and if he needs she'll smuggle it out.

Quiet says, very, very quietly to Freyja, "I was not as gentle as I might have been with him either." Is that a hint of apology in his voice? No, of course not.

Freyja calls with cheerful zeal, "The shot on the Sith Lord was better, though!"

Freyja smiles to Quiet, murmuring just as quietly, "It's all right. We did what was necessary to keep Shang safe."

Colburth's reply is still sounding a little stunned. "I can only imagine...! Could one of you help me with this fellow? Jedi Peitas is keeping watch outside, and I'd rather not call her in on this...."

Freyja sighs softly, then murmurs to Quiet hopefully, "Could you...?"

Quiet says, "I'll help you, Colburth."

Quiet leans in and murmurs softly to Freyja, "Leave the sword and keep it from Colburth... I think there's more to this than we've been told."

Freyja smiles again, "Thanks, Quiet." She looks a little puzzled at the request to leave the sword, but simply nods. She sits and does some deep breathing while the injured are loaded into the respective speeders.

Quiet helps Colburth load the Kel Dor out to the speeder. "If the Wookiee's dead, we may as well take him too. Can't leave him here on the lawn."

Freyja waits peacefully with Shang, checking her over one last time to be sure she's as stable as can be managed. She idly checks the comlink, to see if it's still squealing -- or if it's better now the Sith blight is gone.

Colburth and Quiet both drag the twitching Kel Dor to the landspeeder. A young Duros knight with a blaster rifle is standing outside, alert and watchful if slightly nervous, one of the consulars from the monastery. The Wookie's body -- he is most assuredly dead -- joins the Kel Dor, who seems mildly distraught at the sight. Not long after, Shang is gingerly placed aboard the other landspeeder. Colburth says, "We'll head back. Keep your comlinks open; I put an extra one in the other landspeeder." Freyja's check of the comlink shows that it's now transmitting clearly now; it's possible that the previous 'music' was due to jamming of some kind; Quiet might know better.

Quiet says, "All right. Roll out, I'll help Freyja get on her way and follow in the swoop."

Freyja nods to Colburth, tapping the comlink she's now wearing, "Got it. See you at the monastery."

Quiet slaps his hand on the fender of the speeder twice, stepping back and heading back toward the house.

Colburth nods, and shortly their landspeeder is roaring off.

Freyja curiously asks Quiet, "So... what's up with the sword?" as she gets into the speeder.

Quiet says, "I don't know, exactly... but Shang seemed very intent on keeping it away from Colburth. And it's marked with a crosshatched Bendu wheel. I've no idea what this means, but I'm going to make it disappear, before I go. We'll get some answers out of Shang once she's up and around again." He grins a little. "They never look sidelong at me. I don't think anyone will notice if I make a little acquisition."

Freyja blinks, "She did? Huh... I didn't even notice. A Bendu wheel... fascinating!" She grins, starting up the speeder, "Well, we can ask her, and show it to Master Roakkana too. Ready?"

Quiet says, "Get going. And don't mention this to anyone until we can get Roakkana alone. Suddenly I'm starting to feel suspicious of the Templar.

"I'll meet you at the monastery. Roll out, and I'll catch up once I get the swoop going."

Freyja can't do anything more for Shang, now, except help her rest comfortably. Fortunately, the Zabrak is starting to be less dazed now. She smiles quietly at the other Human, "He's a Templar. No, let's go together, Quiet. I have no desire for either of us to be ambushed."

Freyja says, "And we've already been warned by the Sith that this isn't over." She checks the charge on the huge blaster again, just to be prepared.

Quiet says, "Their Lord's not going anywhere for awhile with holes in him like that. I'll be along."

Freyja nods, and waits.

Quiet heads back into the house to find the peculiar little weapon.

Freyja says, "He may not be... but his minions still can."

Freyja adds conversationally, while waiting for Quiet, "How're you feeling, Inspector? Better?"

Quiet sticks the weapon as best he can into his harness, then walks to the swoop, checking the controls out. "I'll live."

The woman looks to be the Zabrak equivalent of 'pale' but she nods mutely, reaching up to touch her brow.

Freyja smiles, "I understand. Don't worry... just rest. We'll be back at the monastery soon, and the healer will see to you there." Once Quiet's mounted up, she slowly raises and turns the speeder, then heads at a sedate pace back to the monastery. She grins, watching Quiet play with the swoop... but she continues driving conservatively, and keeping a wary eye out for over-enthusiastic ambush.

The trip back towards the monastery is relatively uneventful. Skirting the edge of the spaceport, towards the hilly road that leads up to the monastery, there appears nothing out of the ordinary. As Quiet and Freyja start up the road, however, their comlinks chirp for attention.

Freyja murmurs, "Freyja," on the comlink.

Quiet slows down to a moderately dangerous pace and touches his comlink. "Go ahead."

It's Colburth. "Freyja, Quiet, watch out, pair of swoops just leaped out of the brush by the side of the road, heading back the way we came! How far behind us are you two?"

As if in answer, two dots apppear up the road ahead of the landspeeder, and start growing in size and proximity. Quickly.

Quiet says, "About two minutes, Colburth. Swing back this way if you can, we'll get off and-- nevermind. Get back here as fast as you can, and if that Kel Dor gives you any trouble... kill him! We'll hold them as long as we can... Satau out.""

Freyja nods, "Got it. Landing." She settles the speeder in as brushy an area as she can, for as much cover as possible, murmuring, "Get down under cover, please, inspector." She unlimbers the huge blaster, settling and aiming for a good shot at the rapidly approaching speeders.

Quiet hunkers down over the bars of the swoop bike and kills his lights, hoping to give as little profile as he can.

Freyja's pleased they're heading relatively straight towards them -- that makes shooting much easier -- no dodging.

Quiet reaches back and finds his vibroblade's grip. "Freyja... I'm going to try and cut one on the pass and switch back for the flank."

Freyja says, "Got it. Take the right one -- I'll aim for the left."

Quiet says, "Got that, Freyja. Watch the Inspector... I'll throw you her weapon when I double back, if she can fight."

Freyja settles firmly. "Thanks!" She sights patiently, waiting until she can see clearly in her sights for a good shot.

Quiet can see the two swoop-riders, now. It's the Rodian and the unidentified species, and both seem hell-bent on driving Quiet off the road. Both unlimber blasters, and begin to fire. There's no reasonable way they can hit at this range, but they try.

Freyja wonders suddenly -- why did the swoops let the previous group pass them by, and see them? She says hastily to the inspector, "Ma'am, could you watch behind us, please?"

The Rodian's shots go wide of their mark, and the second assassin's blaster shots go wide.

Freyja lets her breath out slowly, then squeezes off a blaster shot. Her blaster shot *spangs* into the left-hand assassin's swoop, upsetting it slightly, making the engine smoke, but it's still coming. She frowns slightly. Pity... she'd hoped to take one down to help Quiet. Well... she'll just have to try again. She takes a fraction of a second to be sure the inspector is watching their backs... then goes back to concentrating on the swoops.

The right-hand assassin takes aim and lets loose another volley at Quiet. The shots go wide, and the Rodian shouts something vile in Huttee.

This time Freyja's more careful -- she targets the assassin itself, not the swoop. Swoops can keep going when damaged... but not without riders.

The swoop belonging to the unknown species takes the shot, coughs, splutters, and kicks off it's rider. With a howl, yelp, or screech, the ex-rider goes sailing into the woods. There is a dull *thud* heard before the swoop piledrives itself into a boulder.

Freyja nods once, satisfied, then turns her visual attention to the other swoop. She's listening carefully for the sound of someone floundering in the woods, however. Sheng is about as alert as a woman in her condition can be. Freyja figures the rider of the crashed swoop won't be getting up any time soon, from the sound of that thud. She focuses on the still-airborn swoop. Got to be careful -- don't want to accidentally hit Quiet.

Quiet grins and swings his swoop in to pass the other rider, unlimbering his vibroblade. He thumbs the power stud, bringing the blade to life, and cocks the blade back.

Things move suddenly in slow motion. The Rodian's expression of disbelief at the vibroblade Quiet brandishes, turning to one of horror as he sees that the blade is not going to miss at this velocity. He squeals loudly, moving as if to leap from the swoop -- a sound cut off, literally, as Quiet's vibroblade cuts the Rodian. The body falls, making a wet, oddly doubled crunching sound as it hits the ground, the swoop slowly coming to a halt as it's throttle is disengaged.

Freyja nods again -- last attacker down. She stays carefully mentally distanced from the carnage as she does a slow 360 degree turn, searching for anything else. There is no other immediate threat apparent that Freyja can see. The other landspeeder comes roaring up, and both Colburth and the Duros Jedi leap out; the Human looks properly chagrined and at the same time impressed.

Quiet decelerates the bike, swinging his weight to the rear and swinging the bike around to the rear. He grins a little as Colburth passes, and swings his blade out in a wide arc to clear the blood from it, powering it down as he guns it back toward the others.

Freyja whirls and aims at the approaching speeder, then grins at Colburth, lowering the huge blaster, "You should wear a bell or something! There's one off in the woods. Quiet can probably spot it for you to grab it. It's probably unconscious." She holsters the blaster and checks the inspector again out of habit... then calmly starts the speeder up again.

Colburth shakes his head, stunned, then gets back into the landspeeder, powering it up and heading back to the monastery after he and the Duros knight go to pick up the assassin whose bike Freyja shot out from under him. There is no other incident... except for a brief, brief moment of faint vertigo and nausea about halfway to the monastery, a feeling which passes and is only a memory when it's recognized as darksider blight.

Freyja looks around thoughtfully at the feeling, wondering if she can spot him.

Quiet slows his bike down momentarily, suddenly afraid he might lose the swoop if his concentration fades... but the feeling passes. He takes a deep breath and accelerates again to keep time with Colburth.

Freyja grins a bit embarrassedly to herself, remembering the amused look on the Sith lord's face at her try at Friendship. Well... she'd had to at least try.

She immediately notices, weaving through the woods relatively sedately and heading away from the road, a matte black swoop carrying the Sith from earlier, looking none the worse for wear. She even notices him glancing back in her general direction to perform an odd gesture that looks like touching his lips with his fingertips then tossing off a salute, before the swoop disappears around a bend in the forest.

Freyja blinks a bit startledly, swiveling so abruptly to look that the speeder jolts slightly -- what was that?! She hastily re-centers, steadying the speeder, remonstrating with herself. Don't be silly -- he probably just bit his lip or something! She grins slightly... or not... so, spiffy dresser and he wants to be a swashbuckler? Sith must indeed all be mad! She laughs aloud, and continues driving sedately towards the monastery, singing a cheerful song quietly to herself.

There is a small reception committee at the monastery as the group arrives, with Roakkana at the fore. Colburth is telling Roakkana, "...and the Force knows how they did it, but they held off a Sith, knocked out a gundark-sized Kel Dor...."

Roakkana nods to Colburth, "We'll have to contact the spaceport hospital. The apothecary has already told me we can't fit any more patients in the infirmiry.

Freyja grins cheerfully at her Master, but lets Colburth do all the talking as the injured, unconscious, and dead are unloaded. She helps the inspector in... and pats the holstered blaster with her free hand as she walks past her Master, so he knows how she did it.

Colburth recounts what he knows of the events, noting his own amazement in places, and complimenting Quiet and Freyja. He recounts truthfully -- Colburth doesn't seem to be any sort of glory hound -- and of course he doesn't know the full story. Roakkana arches an eyebrow at Freyja's sharpshooting skills, and one just as high at Quiet's demonstration of high-speed cutlery.

Freyja smiles as she makes a mental note to herself -- Colburth isn't all bad! It's good of him to say nice things about her and Quiet.

Quiet adjusts his cloak as he steps off the bike, carefully concealing the Inspector's weapon in the small of his back. "It seems we're doing better than anticipated."

Shortly, much to the apothecary's stress, the wounded and unconscious are divided up. Because the Wookie is dead, Roakkana contacts the starport security offices to send a team speeder, the coroner, and an ambulance to take the two assassins and the Wookie's body -- and the... parts... of the assassin Quiet cleft in twain. Roakkana nods to Quiet. "Indeed. You both did incredibly well. That the Sith went after the head inspector gives us a clue as to how they got onto the planet. Hopefully, she will be able to tell us something.

Quiet says, "I was thinking the same thing."

Freyja will listen and watch with interest as people talk, rush in and out with injured and bodies, debrief, and generally run around frantically for a while. She's patient... she wants to talk about the interesting sword, but only in front of Roakkana and Quiet.

Roakkana looks curiously at Quiet for a moment, then ushers the group into the monastery. "I have been unable to scry where Methel-ssa is, I'm afraid. It is likely that she has concealed herself...." he rather deliberately manages to arrange it so that Colburth deals with the security forces, and manages to get Quiet and Freyja to his quarters. "Now, then," He says, smiling quietly. "Both of your words hold more than they're saying. You found something more than just an attack on Sheng, I take it?"

Freyja grins happily at her Master, then looks with interest at Quiet, waiting for him.

Quiet reaches back and pulls the peculiar weapon out of his cloak. "Do you recognize this?"

Freyja looks carefully at the sword also, as Roakkana examines it.

Roakkana's eyes widen as he sees the weapon. "Why... yes, actually. A shard-blade. They haven't made these -- that I know of -- in a very long time."

Freyja reaches out and gently touches it with a cautious finger if her Master doesn't seem to mind, curious as to how it 'feels,' in comparison to the disgusting sensation of Sith weaponry.

The "shard-blade," as Roakkana calls it, consists of two parts. On one end is a single-handed grip, with some controls under where the thumb would be and a complex and ornate multi-quillion hilt. Extending out from it where a sword's blade would be, is a series of short, four-inch-long bladed segments, held together by active energy binders much like those on pod racers or doublebound staves. There are perhaps six or seven segments, the last one being recognized as what got shoved through the door of Shang's home. All the blades shimmer slightly, but otherwise appear to be simple steel.

Quiet says, "I suspected as much... you should examine the hilt, then. Perhaps you recognize the markings."

Freyja receives no ill feeling from the blade - it feels "neutral," actually, no sense of either the dark side or the light within it.

Roakkana glances to Quiet, then peers at the hilt. He looks closer, then, and frowns, sitting slowly down. The design on the circular pommel, that Freyja can see, is the eightfold wheel Bendu symbol as adopted by the Jedi Order, but bisected by a wide, silver bar.

Freyja murmurs softly, "Huh... doesn't 'feel' like light or dark... just 'is'..." She leans to see for herself, "What is that, Master Roakkana?"

Roakkana swallows a little. "It means that the Jedi and Sith are no longer alone in this war, child. It is the symbol of the Silver Path, a group whom was believed to have become extinct well before the Heresy Wars." he glances to Quiet. "You did well in hiding this, Zero. The weapon itself would have just garnered some martial interest from Jedi Colburth, but the symbol would have piqued his curiosity, and I daresay the Army of Light would have descended upon Marnaas... and from there would spread out into the entire Galaxy, leaving little but inadvertant chaos in it's wake.

Quiet says, "What? The Army of Light?"

Freyja says curiously, "What's the Silver Path, Master? You make it sound like something bad...?" She looks at Quiet and says just as curiously, "How'd you know to hide the blade, Quiet?"

Quiet says, "I noticed the Inspector trying to hide it from Colburth. In the spirit of serving the Senate's best interests I chose to keep this from Colburth until I have all the information available." He smiles a little sardonically, "Senator Kalatis pays me very well, after all."

Freyja nods and looks back at her Master. Quiet's comments and actions make perfect sense to her.

Roakkana says, "The Army of Light, the collective forces of the Order militant. And at their forefront would be the Templars. In theory, the Army has not been assembled since the Heresy Wars -- even now, there's been no talk about bringing it about again even with the threat of the Sith." He looks to Freyja. "The Silver Path believed in balance. More to the point, in proactive balance. They would go out of their way to stymie the projects and actions of the early Syncretic Assembly, and even those of the few extremist darksider traditions which existed back then. They later simply disappeared, and it was believed they simply disbanded with the rise of the power of the Jedi Order. Many traditions which believe in the Balanced Force held and continue to hold them in high esteem, though indeed sometimes they were almost terrorists in the way they sought to curb the light and promote the dark, or vice versa as the case may be."

Freyja frowns thoughtfully, "Is it truly balanced, though, to meddle in the affairs of others? Then again... I suppose we are...?" She shakes her head, "No. That's not right. We're not terrorists. We don't kill innocent bystanders to prove a point."

Quiet says, "Interesting. It seems Shang is going to have quite a few questions to answer. This gets more complicated by the day."

Freyja adds a little fiercely, "And we saved her behind!" She gently and very lightly brushes the handle, then pommel of the odd blade, still fascinated by it even though she doesn't agree with harming innocents.

Roakkana says, "That depends, child. If -- and this is what the Bendu believe -- you are truly balanced, then you can do nothing to the universe, since doing anything to restore balance makes you unbalanced by neccessity. This is why the Bendu reside in their monastery and have not been seen beyond it's walls in millenia. The Silver Path, an offshoot of a tradition callled the Kono, believed that neither the light nor the dark could be permitted to gain ascendance. I would not say they killed bystanders. They did try to preserve life, after a fashion. But for those who sought to unbalance the universe, or at least this corner of it, they would act in whatever way was needed. I imagine that if they were active in the Sith Empire, they would be doing what they could to curb the excesses of the Sith Lords. Here, in the Republic, with the Order of Jedi Knights and it's devotion to the Light gaining doinance over the Republic...." He gives a slight moderately helpless gesture."

Quiet says, "Oh. I do have one other bit of information for you, Roakkana."

The Wookie doesn't stop Freyja, and looks to Quiet curiously. "Yes, Zero?"

Freyja glances gravely at the Wookie, then says quietly, "Well... now we know how they got here. She let them in."

Quiet says, "I believe the sole survivor of this attack, the Human that escaped, is the primary apprentice. The blight that followed him was extremely intense..."

Quiet pauses and sighs, adding simply, "And as for our other discussion... it's getting worse."

Freyja says, "And they tried to kill her to prevent us learning how it happened." Her voice is quiet... then she looks up, listening to Quiet. She looks puzzled and a touch worried, "What is, Quiet?""

Quiet touches his temple briefly. "It was all I could do not to shoot to kill when it seemed he was weakened. Perhaps I should take myself off this investigation."

Freyja's eyes widen slightly in surprise... then she glances worriedly at her Master. Hopefully there'll be something he can do to help, or teach her to do, to help...?

Roakkana nods to Freyja. "That indeed seems to be how things are, child. Which puts us in a quandry." He looks to Quiet, and frowns slightly. "Indeed. Well. We shan't have that, I think. I imagine we will be interrupted briefly by Jedi Colburth, but teaching someone a way of meditation basic to even padawans violates no code, and is altogether a positive thing for anyone to know. Come; sit, rest, and we will go over the First Centering. I believe Freyja knows this exercize by heart...."

Freyja smiles -- most assuredly she does. She settles as directed, starting the koan as she's been taught, but slowly, so Quiet can learn it too.


Return to THESE SHATTERED STARS

[Previous Log] [Index] [Next Log]





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

All material on this site is
Copyright © 2002-2024 Reality Fault
unless specifically indicated on each document.
All Rights Reserved.
Administrated by Reality Fault Webmaster