Star Wars: Return of the Sith

[Orlanth]

Star Wars - Episode VII: Return of the Sith

A long time ago, in a galaxy far,
far away. . . .


STAR WARS

Episode VII

RETURN OF THE SITH



It is only a year after Luke Skywalker's
death, the Jedi are only a few here and
there through out the Galaxy. The Empire
is still in ruins after the death of Emperor
Palpatine (Darth Sidious). The generals
of the Imperial fleet rule the Empire

The Rebellion did not grow strong enough
to take back the Empire or rebuild the
basics of the galactic republic. The only
hope for the Rebellion is the Jedi.

The Sith, are rebuilding their order and
attempt to take over the Empire. Only the
Jedi can stop them...

To join in, post at the casting call thread and wait to be accepted.

 

[thegenogoths]

Darth Viser

OOC: I hope this is an ok way to start the sith out.

IC:
On the sith home world of Korriban there is a gathering of sith lords from all across the galaxy.

"We know that the Jedi are few and weak, but still as long as one is alive then total victory can not be attained" says a man dressed in a long black robe with the hood totally covering his face...

 

[Kelson]

Kelson could feel the force flowing as a slight breeze all around him...through him. The force was everywhere and everyone. Yet he had control over it, through his long years of study and iron-clad discipline, he had managed to force his will upon the thing...much as the mages in the ancient stories told of.

Ahh, but he was a real and they...well...were they real, they no longer lived. At the age of 36 he was still a considerably young jedi compared to the masters in the council, but unlike a few of them, he could still do whatever he wished. With a smile, Kelson's arms grew taunt, sinewy muscle straining to outdo its countering muscle, and the force welled up around him as might a flock of birds over a morsel of food. His breath slipping out easily, Kelson released directed the energies welling within him and he slowly lifted his apprentice into the air.

"See, young one? It takes no great strain on me, yet I lift 200lbs of man. That...that is the greatness of the mind."

Kelson relaxed his channeling of the force and slowly allowed his apprentice to rest once again on the ground, whispering, "You're turn"

 

[poohlive]

Jedi: Ronag

The entire planet was filled with life. It spewed forth, bringing with it hundreds of emotions. Sadness, hunger, delight, anger, loathing, joy, growth, change. It was felt in the wind. The ground below him also filled with it.
The sun, far away, still beat down it's warmth as well. Life yearned for that warmth, plants strained for years trying to get as close to it as possible.
This was the force, this is what it really felt like. It wasn't a saber wizing through the air, or telepathy, or manipulating people's minds. It was the perfect balance and recognition of every single thing.
On this planet, it was a true harmony.
Ronag finally opened his eyes, looking up to the sky.
"Thank you."
As he stood, a flock of birds flew by before him. They all changed directions, as one. All of them thinking the same, being the same. There was a small pull of the force from them.
He turned, looking off into the far east. What was that? There was a darkness, so huge that he could almost see it. A plague travelling through the universe, a cancer upending the force.
Something was wrong.
Licking his lips, he looked again. There was that same darkness, coming from the same place.
Something is wrong, really really wrong.
Standing up, he decided to walk back to his hut. Perhaps it was time to go back to civilization after all.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Marius Lane (Jedi apprentice)

I took in a deep breath, looking ahead through the trees, feeling within what was around me. Trees; breathing slowly in their own way, unaware of my presence. Birds; high above, watching me, curious but not yet panicked. The other life forms of the swamp; some large and some small, slithering around in the thick mud or climbing among the limbs, floating atop the swamp water or diving beneath it.
I waited, relaxing, trying to control my body and mind. Odd, how one can move items with their mind, how we can feel ones another's thoughts at times, should we look hard enough, how we can often judge an enemy merely by feeling the force as it flowed around him/her, but controlling one's own reactions to these things...
Calm, I told myself. Remain calm, and let the force guide you.
Just as Raine had told me, so many times.
I breathed deeply, listening. I heard it then, but I felt it first, moving toward me at an incredible pace, smelling me out and hunting me down.
She'd found the Biiegnh's path and had me wait, knowing it would come, knowing it was a great opponent and had instincts meant for the hunt. A Biiegnh was a formidable test of my skills, being so large and quick at once. I felt it come closer, but I waited, as instructed.
It bore down on me, coming to be what felt very close. Within ten yards was my thought, but it was behind me. Though, in the warm air, as I felt from within its approach, it seemed as though it breathed down my back. The hairs there stood on end, anticipating the attack.
A moment later, I leapt up not looking back, but merely moving forward, trying to get my feet moving as fast as they would go. The place was almost fifty yards away, where she told me I had to pass before I could turn to face it. Then, I could draw my saber, but not kill it. Master it, as she had put it.
I tried to remain composed, to keep my mind open. I could feel it back there, its mind hungry, stomach growling. I could hear its feet troppling against the soggy ground, sounding like three cows moving at once, and at the speed of a small horse.
The tree. I could see it now, coming into view, the red scarf she'd tied to it glowing in the drab environment.
Focus. Determination. I stared at the scarf, letting my body move as it felt right. I was there before I realized I would be, then I leapt, gripping the lower branches of a tree overhead, letting the Biiegnh race by, feet digging into the soft ground, trying unsuccessfully to stop on a dime. I let myself fall to the ground as it slid past, landing on my feet and waiting as it finally came to a stop almost fifteen feet away, then started back toward me, tusks poised to impale.
Thinking quickly, I concentrated on some vines, pulling them from the trees with hands of pure will and wrapping them around the beast's long tail, bringing it to a halt. It looked back, surprised but still pedaling forward with feet that slipped repeatedly in the mud. All six legs worked to force itself forward. It grunted in its effort, the hair on its body running with sweat. Its body was boar-like, save for its two extra legs and its long tail, and immense size, nearly four hundred pounds they were, on average.
I waited content, relaxing again, proud.
Then the vines let loose, letting it drive forward again, toward me.
"Shit," I spat, surprised.
I leapt, somersaulting in the air as it moved underneath me, landed on my feet as it turned, not moving fast enough to disable its maneuverability, and drove toward me again.
Now I drew my weapon, lighting the saber, the pink blade appearing almost instantly. Pink; I'd objected to that, but she'd won the argument as always. Pride, she said, can be a Jedi's undoing were it in great enough supply. I was a joke to some of my peers for this. Indeed, it was humbling.
I moved to my right, spinning, cutting through the trunk of a fair sized tree and watching it fall toward the rushing creature, landing across its back and trapping it there.
It grunted and struggled beneath the branches, but finally gave in and awaited its fate.
"Very good," Raine said, seeming to appear to my right, though I was certain she was there the entire time. "Did you harm it at all?"
"It appears alright," I replied.
"Good," she replied. "You've done well. Never a disappointment."
She raised one hand into the air and waved her fingers upward, the tree rising and letting the creature go. I expected it to charge again, but it merely waddled away, its tail low, as though I'd hurt its feelings and it was headed off to tell its mother.
"I want to show you something else," she said then. "Follow me."

 

[Dark Warrior]

Jedi: Daelon Eldritch

Daelon looked up into the face of his master. Strange, to call him master; he looked only a few years older than Daelon himself.
"Master... you know I cannot do it." Daelon said, unnerved by how slow his training had been getting lately.
The look on Kelson's face said it all, without the jedi having to say anything. That was well and good for him, sure.
"I'm sorry master. It's just so hard... here, I'll give it a shot." he said, taking in a deep breath.
He began to concentrate on the force around him, trying to direct it around his master. This he tried for half a minute or so, with no results. He could feel the sweat trickling down his face.
He heard the older jedi say something about needing to make myself one with the force rather than to use it as my tool, and it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Daelon's eyes shot open and flared with anger at his mentor.
"I cannot do it, master!" he yelled out, his hand edging towards his lightsaber hanging by his side. He was shocked at how he acted, and as quickly as it had happened, he snatched his hand away. "I... I can't do it." he repeated, sounding more defeated than angry now.

 

[thegenogoths]

Darth Viser

Sitting at a table I rise and speak to the gathered sith lords.

"We are many, and strong. The Jedi shall soon be totally extinct. Then hate, pain, fear shall consume the universe as we take our place as leaders." Sitting back down another rises and speaks...

 

[Kelson]

Kelson the Jedi Knight

"You must have patience Daelon, this will not come instantly. You have the reflexs and speed of a jedi; however, you do not realize that that speed comes from the force. Your body is not that fast, it is the force enhancing it...boosting it you might say. Now, try to focus the same energy into bringing me away from the ground that you did while running...and be patient young one. Anger is the path of the dark side."

 

[poohlive]

Ganor

The upending crowd was small. In fact (let's not overdo it) only five people sat in the room. The lights had been dimmed, upon request, and at the table where they sat, several glasses had been displayed.
Bailen took a sip, listening to the babble. Seemed like everyone was complaining about the Jedi again, but no one was willing to do anything about it.
He waved his hand. Ganor stiffened slightly, feeling the stale air in the room. Things were finally going to happen now.
"The jedi have dwindled, but they are not gone from the galaxy just yet. As we speak, the generals of the fallen empire are taking control of their designated parts. We are still in control, do not forget that."
He paused for a moment, looking around at the figures. All stiff serious people, evil, demented. Many of them uncontrolling. Personally, he would think nothing more than to have them all killed, and go about this by himself, but there was the allegiance to the dark side. Control the universe, than take care of other matters.
"Our only problem now are the remaining Jedi. Now, the plan seems simple, take them all out. We don't know where they are yet though, so I propose a volunteer is chosen to go out, find and infiltrate the rest of the puny Jedi order. Would anyone like to volunteer?"
Ganor moved slightly, shifting from one leg to the other. Unlike the rest, he was standing next to Bailen. Being only an apprentice, he was still under the order. His skills were already becomign exceptional.
Before his movement could continue though, Bailen put up one hand to stop him. Bailen could feel the hate and anger already in his heart. Wherever the Jedi were at the moment, Ronag couldn't be far behind.
Revenge was a dish best served by the sith.
Bailen wouldn't let him on the mission though, at least not yet. He had more training to do before he could defeat his brother, much less any more Jedi. Anger was a very valuable tool, but without the proper training, a calm rational jedi could easily destroy it.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Marius Lane

"Where are we going?" I asked her, after we'd trekked for only five minutes.
"Patience," she replied, ever calm and controlled.
I walked silently behind her for a few seconds, almost a minute.
"When you trained," I began. "Did you get as many warnings from your instructor as I do?"
She merely glanced back, then looked ahead again. "You're learning, and fast. Don't concern yourself with such trivial things. In the end, you will almost certainly become a Jedi Knight."
That was the closest she'd ever come to giving me a compliment. I appreciated it to say the least."Here we are," she said, as the trees gave way to a fair sized clearing, in the center of which a medium sized pond waited. The pond water was green, laced with thick chunks of loose swampweed that floated to the top. of it. It appeared more like slime than anything else. Around it, the mud was saturated with the pond water, making it wet like quick sand.
"I want you to look at you reflection."
I wrinkled my brow.
Reflection? I thought.
"Just look," she insisted. "This is another of those tests you hate so much. This is about getting in touch with yourself, what you hold inside. What even you don't know about. That too, affects your alignment with the force."
I sighed, but did as she said, as always. I stepped closer to the pond's edge, peering into the water, saw nothing, then edged closer. The ground, more water than soil, let loose beneath me, rushing down into the pond and taking my foot with it. i lost my balance and almsot fell.
"Woah," I spat, pulling my foot back and barely gaining my balance before.
I staggered backward, nearly falling again.
I began to get angry, then heard her giggling at my foolishness. I had to smile then.
I stepped forward again, this time more cautious, and looked into the water. Again, nothing.
"Am I supposed to see something?"
"Close your eyes for a moment."
I had an odd feeling that this was some sort of set-up, that she was about to play what might have been her first practical joke and push me headlong into the thick swamp water.
I closed them anyway, realizing how far-fetched that idea was.
"Now, feel the force, flowing through you. Feel it and join it. Let go entirely and trust it to guide you."
I focused then let my mind slump, taken off by the sensation of what was around me and within me and that which was light years away. I felt it, that simply. Sometimes it came easy, sometimes not at all. This was one of those easy times.
"Are you feeling it?"
"Yes, master."
"Good."
Her voice soothing, making me more in touch with everything.
"Now, open your eyes and look into the pond, and remember always what you see there."
I opened my eyes slowly and looked down. It appeared as though some of the swampweed had subsided, leaving a place where the water was clear, though still green. In this water, I saw my reflection, looking back at me with odd clarity, almost a mirror image, monochomatic in green.
The image stared back for a moment, then turned its head away, looking back toward where Raine stood, though I wondered if it was Rainehe intended to look at. When it looked to me again, it grinned, wickedly, and its eyes glowed a deep red, meeting mine for only a second.
I froze, staring back at it, mouth gaping, then its smile faded and it stared back, as if challenging me.
Something stuck the water, something from above. Bird droppings or a twig being knocked from a tree limb above. The water rippled as it struck breaking the image as it did. As it settled, the image looking back was blurry, natural, familiar. The swampweed floated across it, and I realized it was my true reflection.
I looked to Raine.
"I saw..."
She shook her head.
"What you saw does not go any further than here."
Her face was stern, more so thn usual, and I felt certain she'd felt what I'd seen somehow. So in touch with the force that brought the vision to me.
I nodded.
"Come," she said. "Let's go. The Republic is in need of all the help it can get. We've finished here for now."

 

[Khadgar]

Darth Guar

Guar watched from the dim room. all the jedi must die. their sick devotion to good and patience, all it was was a devotion to wasting time. impatience wasn't bad, it ment something had to be done. now. the Jedi didn't see that.

a voulenteer to infiltrate the jedi.... Guar wondered if they would be able to detect a sith amongsth them. thats what he asked. "Would they be able to detect us though? surely a dark ripple throuh the force would be known. unless you mean for us to actually become jedi for some time." Guar grimaced. even the thought disgusted him.

 

[thegenogoths]

Darth Viser

"They would be able to sense a sith, but what if..." Viser looked at the assembled group.

"What if we get controll of a Jedi that is already there?" he asked...

 

[Khadgar]

Darth Guar

Guar was currious, but doubtful. "enslave the minds of one of those knights in shinig armor? they'd throw up the moment you opened your mouth. how do you expect to do it?"

 

[thegenogoths]

Darth Viser

Mabye not to one who is already a jedi, but what about an apprentice. One how is still able to be lured to the dark side? I ask openly to all...

 

[poohlive]

Bailen and Ganor

"The same problem lies as before, Viser. Once we turn a jedi apprentice, the other Jedi will know. The dark side will stink of him. If you truly want to control one of the weak ones, it is your choosing to do so, but then again, the problem rests at out doorstep once more. A jedi will know if one of their own is being controlled."
He sighed, snapping his fingers. At once, Ganor moved, he stood up, leaving the room for a moment. He came back with a small cloth wrapped over several times.
"On my many journies of scavenging the universe, I came upon many artifacts and oracles that were filled with the force. One of these, is the Concealed Eye."
Ganor unwrapped it, revealing a necklace and a clear crystal inside of it. Carefully, he took it out, holding it in front of the group. Despite very little light in the room, it sparkled brightly.
"Feel the force around me carefully gentlemen."
He slipped the crystal around his neck. At once the very aura abou him changed. Ganor felt it, and growled softly as it did. Anyone could feel he was no longer Sith, but Jedi.
The crystal had changed. Hanging from his neck, the once clear and sparkling perfect changed into a pitch black. If one stared at it long enough, they could almost feel themselves being pulled into it.
"This artifact conceals one's identity, and to everyone else, even the strongest of Jedi, can not detect them. The only thing that can give you away is this crystal, which... "he let his robe cover it up, "Can easily be taken care of.
"Now, once you are inside the jedi forces, if you want to control or turn one of the weaker ones, it is your will to do so, but I just want to know where they are, and how many are left."
He took the thing off, feeling himself become evil once more. It was a grateful feeling, and personally he wanted nothing to do with the crystal or the concealment. He had been sith for too long. One of the younger ones could go.
"Now, I ask again, who will volunteer?"

 

[Dark Warrior]

Daelon Eldritch

The young apprentice nodded. He realised that anger was the path to the dark side, and he had no intention of going there. Just the thought sent shivers down his spine.
"Thankyou, master. Let me try it again." Daelon said elegantly, and he closed his eyes once more, letting himself attune to the force. He felt it rippling around him and around Kelson; all he had to do was manipulate the force, to move it to his will...
But then his training came back to him. The force was not something that you had to beat into submission to do your willing; you had to focus, let it become an extension of your body. Daelon tried, putting all his concentration into touching the force, trying to make it feel like another arm of his.
Suddenly, he felt it. How, exactly, he wasn't sure, but he could feel it. In the back of his head. He set his face hard in grim determination, and began to harness the force around his master. Once he was quite sure he had control of it, he urged it to move, to take Kelson into the air...

 

[poohlive]

Ronag

Ronag picked this planet for one reason, and one reason only. It had a small town, mostly bartering and scraps. Nothing at all civilied about it. There would be no advancements, nothing at all that could call attention to itself.
Just a floating ball of dirt on the edge of the universe.
He arrived here on a small ship, which he sold as soon as he could. Truthfully, he didn't think he would ever need it again. He was content spending the rest of his life meditating, and learning what absolute center of the force was really all about.
As powerful as he was, he still didn't know everything. Barely just scratched the surface, there is so much to know, so much to dream.
Now, though, he needed a ship.
There was a small graveyard. It was filled with mostly parts and charred pieces. The few ships thathad crashed here, and some that had the unfortunate pleasure of being torn apart and sold for scrap. What they couldn't sell was in there.
If he searched through the rubble long enough, he'd probably find enough for a ship. Nothing fancy, or even pleasing to the eye, but something just the same.
It wasn't a good chance though. There were too many different kinds of ships from different cultures. Corouscant restrainters didn't work well with Naboo's cooling system. The worst thing is that on average, a person won't find that out until about an hour or so into flight.
Better to just get a ship, or at least hopa r ide on one.
"Hey, excuse me?"
Ronag turned, his cool eyes glancing over at the man.
"I'm sorry to trouble you, but could you tell me if those bots over there are D-29's?"
Ronag glanced behind him, curiously for a moment, and examined the robots. No, they couldn't be. The main system was all wrong.
"Sorry," he said, "These are not the droids you're looking for."
He nodded, walking on.
Ronag walked on as well.

 

[Dark Warrior]

Daelon

Daelon allowed himself a smile as he heard his mentor congratulating him. He opened his eyes and was pleased to see Kelson levitating a couple of feet from the floor. However, as he did, his concentration was broken, and the teached fell back to the ground, landing gracefully.
"Well done Daelon." Kelson said.
"I can't believe I did it." Daelon said, and both of the jedi smiled.

 

[Kelson]

Kelson smiled genuinly...Daelon had been having trouble with controlling the force for some time, despite his promising midi-count. Apparently the long hours of trying out here, which Kelson recalled as bringing to him a fear of breaking the man, had worked their charm and here was proof. His young apprentice had just pulled a trick that, although he would later do it without thinking, marked a milestone in his life.

This milestone would definately help his apprentice who had, more then once Kelson was sure, considered himself a failure for his inability to harness the Force as quickly as some of his classmates had. The true congratulations would come later though, no use distracting his student in his moment of bliss or detracting from his teaching. The warmth in Kelson's eyes and smile would be all the applause the young apprentice would receive.

"Remember exactly what went through your mind as you attempted it. Recall those thoughts? What did you feel? Was it the rush of energy you had always expected...or more of an extension of yourself?"

Kelson's hand lifted as his eyes turned to the side, in a manner that hopefully would bring his apprentice's attention with it. For there, to Kelson's left, was a stream that now flowed over an invisible hill in its path. A small layer of water, hardly enough to cover the dirt, remained flowing against the bottom...enough to sustain the integrity of the stream's passage.

"Do you see that? That river is the force. Imagine it in your mind Daelon," said Kelson, glancing briefly at the grass beneath his feet as an ant crossed his cloth moccasins.

Daelon closed his eyes and began to imagine it. The force was a great river, running strong and deep acros...

"OPEN YOUR EYES," snapped Kelson.

Instantly Daelon's eyes flew open with a quick response, "I am sorry master."

"Do not be sorry, remember your lessons. You must learn to visualize things without closing your eyes or you will never reach your true potential. Now, imagine this river is the Force."

Kelson picked up a long twig (6") and held it in place before the rised area of the river.

"This, is you. You are this stick right here. Right now, the force flows all around you, completely, and also through you...do not forget that. Now, if we move you here..." explained Kelson, moving the stick to the raised water, "then we see a great gap in the Force. That gap is not natural Daelon. It represents something manipulating the force. That is why we may affect other people, we change the flow of the force through them. When you lifted me up, you imagined the force growing under me and around me. However, do not forget in the future to make sure you do not take the force FROM your victim to lift them. Remember the saying, with great power comes great responsibility. We have the marvelous ability to manipulate the force to do our will, but if it is abused, it will backlash...such as..."

Kelson trails off and waves his hand at the water, and the raised water falls back into the stream to cause water to splash over the shore before carrying the twig Kelson had left within out of sight.

With that, Kelson looked back up at his student.

"Now, lift me again."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Raine DuVall (Jedi Knight)

"Where are we going now?"
Marius' voice, through the communicatins link.
"We're headed to Mached V," I replied. "To meet with Daelon and Kelson. It's time for some more sparring. Ready?"
"Always," he responded. "But is Daelon?"
I grinned. Cocky; he'd lose that, especially underestimating Daelon. He meant no harm, and intended no disrespect to Daelon, who was gaining strength in his training in his own right without question, but such an attitude would conflict with the discipline he would need to become a knight in his own right.
"So, what's been bothering you?"
I didn't reply. Just watched as the stars rolled by.
"You there?"
"Yes," I replied. "That's a question for others to answer. Pay more attention to your piloting. You may be learning well in terms of connecting with the force, but this is only your second time flying in X-Wing, and I as I recall, your time in the simulator has left you with several crash and burns."
He was silent, a trait not so common, at least when it was just the two of us. Had i hurt his ego?
In situations where others were present, he was respectful and quiet, save when Daelon and Kelson were there, and sometimes, even Kelson humbled him a bit. I grinned, thinking about the pink light saber I made him carry. That had done some good, but it had also caused a bit of descension among him and some of the other apprentices.
"You're right, Master," he replied, finally. "How long till we arrive?"
"About an hour," I replied.
Silence for a second, then:
"I'll race you."

 

[Dark Warrior]

Daelon

Daelon listened with keen interest as Kelson spoke, but still his sermons made a limited amount of sense to the young Jedi Apprentice. More than once he had considered the fact of abandoning his Learning, to go back to a normal life. But, despite his thoughts, he knew he couldn't go back now; and he knew there was little to go back to.
And now Kelson expected him to do it again. He did not voice his opinions, that he thought he would not be able to do it again, that the manipulation of the force tired him... instead he thought again of his earlier success, and the joy that had come with it. This thought revitalised him, and once more he found himself trying to lift his master, this time taking care to keep his eyes open. He raised a hand, pointing it at Kelson, hoping it would help him to get in touch with the Force.
All around me, he thought.
Through me. Around me. Around him. Around Kelson...

 

[poohlive]

Bailen, Ganor, and Viser

Viser cocked his head to the side, eyeing the crystal carefully. He was doubtful, but the results were easily seen. Bailen's whole aura was Jedi. He had half a mind to take out his saber and cut the man down.
"I'll volunteer," a small smile cracked his lips, "I'll find out where the Jedi are."
"Excellent," Bailen handed him the cloth, with the crystal still inside. Ganor stood by his side, hands behind his back. The feelings passed over him lightly. Revenge would be his; that was a guarantee.
Sooner or later.
Bailen then turned to the rest of the group.
"That is all I have at this time. Is there any more business?"

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Marius Lane (Jedi Apprentice)

I could see them below as we flew overhead, not quite so low as I would have liked. Now and then I had the urge to brush by over their heads, see if I can scare the hell out of one of them. But I don't dare to try. Raine and Kelson would have my ass then. We moved past them, toward the landing pad nearly a mile away, then set down. My landing was a bit rocky; I brought it down jsut a tad too fast again. impatient, Raine would say, is not a virtue, and will not help you gain any discipline.
I climbed out and met my instructor near the hangar. She turned to me, looking me in the eye and saying, "Impatience is not a virtue, if you'll recall, Marius. It will not help you attain any further discipline. You must try harder."
"Yes, Master."
I follow her into the hangar, where a few others await. They stand as we enter, not Jedis or Apprentices, but just hangar workers. They always rise when we enter, as though they feel we are their superiors, to be taken much more seriously than one another.
Raine nods to them, and they relax some, though their eyes never leave us.
"Could you move our Fighters into the hangar? So they won't be seen from above?" Raine asks."Yes, ma'am," one replies, and hurries outside. The others follow him, close on his heels.
We move out of the hangar into a smaller room, where a woman waits us, smiling as we enter.
"Miss DuVal," she begins. "The transport you've requested in ready."
Raine nods and we head to the transport, moving quietly yet swiftly. I follow her, lowering my head as others address her. The planet isn't well populated, but these are representatives of the Republic, sent to train and set up a base here on Mached V.
A few minutes later, we slow to a stop near where Daelon and Kelson had been training.
"We should wait here," Raine says, "until they've finished this exercise."
:Yes, Master," I reply, and we wait quietly.

 

[Kelson]

Kelson felt his associates arriving and inwardly smiled slightly. Good...a challenge the young one can see. It was no matter truly, in time Daelon would learn to channel the force as easily as breathing...or perhaps, as Kelson had found, easier then that action when it was analyzed.

Now was not the time to think of such things though, his apprentice was, after all, working hard despite being tired. So long had they been at work...small surprise his control is wavering some.

Slowly, and with no aid from his master (for stabilizing...Kelson never much enjoyed being flipped upside down from boot-controlling Jedi), the young one's effort paid off and his master lifted into the air.

He is tired...and hungry. Perhaps...no, it will be better for him to fight through it. He does, after all, have to learn to bypass such things. That or he may be destroyed as easily as the past Jedi...

Instantly the thought brought Kelson back to the present, his eyes looking intently at his apprentice's.

"Good Daelon, now place me back down," Kelson said conversationally.

At the touchdown Kelson gave the nod for his student to sit and began to speak again, "That is enough practice today. Now, you will face a more tangible challenge. Marius is behind you."

 

[Arc da Rat]

Kerra Shiran

Kerra types in the her personal journal ... I am final at Mos Eisley on the planet of Tatooine. The place of the infamous meeting of Han & Chewie with Skywalker & Obi-won. If the HoloNet findings are correct, I have also lucked out to get the same docking bay that the Falcon was docked in. Ah, if these old wall could talk. What would they have said about that fateful day. ... She stops & ponders what to type next.

By this time Han has already earn two Corellian bloodstripes. I have yet to the chance to earn my first. The Force willing, I will have one by the same age that Han earn his second one. ... She frowns for a second. ... I sent Mogo to get supplies, he should have been back hours ago. Knowing him, he's probably went over to Mos Espa. I think he enjoys haggling his uncle Watto, out of some more parts to upgrade the Spotted Owl. She smiles at her thoughts.

A familiar flapping sound heading into the ship. "Eh, boss I got the items you wanted. Plus something extra. Come see." Mogo flies in to her quarters. Saving her log, she stands to follow him. "Alright, I am coming." Heading to the entrance ramp, Kerra sees, a D-V9 droid pushing up floater cart full of goods. Another cart holding parts, sits at the bottom of the ramp. "Mogo, where did you get the VeeNine? I didn't give you enough credits for a droid like this one."

He snickers, "I got a great deal on him." His famous words, Kerra unsnaps the holster, making it easier to draw her blaster out. "D-V9, just start unloading the cart." The droid moves to pick up a carton, in a clip accent it speaks. "Very well Captain." She looks to Mogo, "Show him where to store the stuff."

(To be Continued ...)