Star Wars: Eradication

[rhoenix]

In a large, currently uninhabited area, Corvin gave a mental nudge to Aserak, and slowed to a stop. He felt the darker presence following behind them, just as they'd hoped. In fact, the fact that the presence followed them directly without creating a mile-wide aisle of mayhem hinted at some interesting possibilities.

He removed one of his lightsabers and held it, but did not ignite it yet.

Corvin waited for the other presence to arrive, keeping his breathing calm and slow.

[LadyTevar]

As Trysana had hoped, there had been a bar that deep-fried everything they served, and offered a couple local brews that weren't too horrible to wash the food down with. She'd finished her plate and her second brew when she felt she was being watched. A casual glance around showed there was someone in the back, under a robe and goggles, ghostly white where the robe didn't cover. For a moment Trysana wondered if the being was focused on her, but no. The robed being was watching everyone, over-cautious, either waiting or expecting something to happen.

It was a little off-putting to be honest. Gave her the willies. So when he got up and walked towards the stairs, Trysana watched out of the corner of her eye. A white Rodian? now I've seen everything she thought to herself, unconsciously turning to look full on as the bouncer looked the other way and let the Rodian walk right past and up the stairs.

Must be a local, Trysana thought, turning back to her drink. Usually guards like that want a tip.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Aserak stopped alongside Corvin, and moved off to the side by 5 meters to make flanking maneuvers easier should it come to violence. He was not a lightsaber specialist. He would need to be armed with saber ignited to have a chance should he be rushed by someone with preturnatural speed, so he got himself into a defensive stance. Knees bent, trailing foot back and splayed to the side, lead foot forward and pointing toward the most likely direction their new friend would approach from. His saber hilt was in a one-handed neutral position. Arm down 45 degrees, saber extending up at an approximately 45 degree angle, ready to be deployed for attack or defense, but currently in neither position. His left hand was free, and ready to engage in the flagrant use of telekinesis.

[Cynical Cat]

They were waiting for him. They had dragged him into the killing grounds of the slums where only the most expendable of the city's residents lived. One human male, the other a reptilian biped of indeterminate gender. They had left space between them so they come at him from different angles without getting in each others way. Not bad coordination for Sith, but murder did tend to be their strong point. That was fine. Murder was his strong point as well.

They were in battle stances with their sabers in their hands but their blades had not been ignited. He smiled. He could feel the Force ready to crash onto him and through him like a tsunami. Every nerve was alive. He flexed his fingers. "I hope I'm not late to the dance."

[rhoenix]

"Didn't know there was a party," Corvin replied calmly, the way he stood giving him an air of relaxed calmness, as he leaned against a nearby lightpole with his arms crossed. One of his lightsabers was still in his right hand, though resting relaxedly in his palm, still un-activated. "What I do know is that you, a recent arrival and apparently strong with the Dark Side, followed us here without carving a trench. Moreover, you knew we were there at the junk shop, and followed us here without attacking the shop owner in any way."

At which point Aserak interjected, "Which is not to say that everyone who has embraced the Dark Side are reaving maelstroms of indiscriminate killing, but enough are needlessly destructive in our experience to risk... precautionary location changes. Particularly if violence should ensue. Better to avoid needless civilian casualties." His posture, in stark contrast to Corvin, was not relaxed. Confident, yes, but not relaxed. His saber was not on, but he was in a neutral Niman guard stance, ready to defend himself but not actively seeking a fight either.

Corvin let that hang in the air a moment, before tilting his head to the side slightly, and smiling in a calm, and friendly way. "As a Jedi, that makes me think that we might be able to have a conversation. My name is Corvin, and this is Aserak. What is your name?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Jedi," Mylus sneered. "Go home. Go home and stay there at the feet of your masters until you've learned enough to be out here." He turned around and walked away. "You've spent a lot of words convincing me that you're fools. Run. The Sith and their hunters will not be as merciful as I am."

[rhoenix]

"Jedi," Mylus sneered. "Go home. Go home and stay there at the feet of your masters until you've learned enough to be out here." He turned around and walked away. "You've spent a lot of words convincing me that you're fools. Run. The Sith and their hunters will not be as merciful as I am."

Corvin chucked at this. "Fair enough. You don't interfere with our business, some of which involves keeping the civilians here out of risk of danger, and we'll stay out of your business."

He turned to Aserak, moving away from the lightpole he was formerly leaning against. "Let's get back to the shop, and get those speeders fixed. Hati will need them completed fairly soon."

[Comrade Tortoise]

What. The. Sarlacc. Pit. Aserak could not help it. He tried. He TRIED to correct the stupid. To do damage control. A precautionary relocation makes sense even if you dont assume that every single Sith is a whirling dervish of pain. But what can someone even say to that? There is not much.

Then Corvin doubled down, giving away his own name which was bad enough. But Aserak's name as well, which was not acceptable. This was not a social call, people give their names or dont as they feel is necessary and prudent. Corvin thinking he could give his away was something Aserak expected. He made no effort to obfuscate his identity when he started fixing random speeders. So much so that Aserak got his name by dumpster diving in the proprietors short term memory. He knew the Corvin was not subtle, which would have been just fine for his original plan of luring the Sith into this encounter. The Sith just advanced the time table

He did not know Corvin had no sense. He should have.

But it got better. So much better. When the as-yet-unnamed Sith suggested they return home to their masters, Corvin decided to compound his stupidity by agreeing to the proposition and suggesting they go back to returning speeders like menial labourers.

The resulting facepalm was a non-localized phenomenon. It did not happen in physical space or time. It was simply the feeling that someone somewhere had smacked their face into their palm.

"Foolishness not-withstanding, I have no need of Mercy. Yours or otherwise."

his eyes glanced over at Corvin.

What in this vast universe makes you think those speeders are important in the scheme of things at the moment? The moment we left, the shopkeep knew what we were, and no longer expects our assistance. He will hire someone else. We have more pressing matters.

Then he spoke again.

"Ask yourself: 'why, on this backwater of a settlement with 70 thousand people, are there so many Force Sensitives?'. I have been here for six months, and until recently, I was the only one I could detect. Either something has been blocking my Perception, or there have been a number of new arrivals. You two arrived recently. The other or others I cannot determine yet. If you reach out with your senses, you will be able to detect the foreboding in the currents of the Living Force. Think on that before you make various choices."

[rhoenix]

Corvin said nothing out loud to either being, merely smiling slightly as he watched them both.

He could feel Aserak's agitation, which inwardly surprised him - he had thought the former Sith in front of them would have lost patience and reacted first. He sent a quiet mental reply through the Force to the other Jedi. "All of that is true. However, our new friend here doesn't know that. How he reacts will tell us much about how he thinks, and perhaps what his plans are here. He already told us quite a bit about himself with his supposed insult, after all - perhaps more than he planned to."

[Comrade Tortoise]

Conversations at the speed of thought were wonderful

One need not pry into his mind for that. In point of fact, one need not show weakness and make a fool of oneself in order to do that. One can use simple logic.

Dark Jedi/Sith detects force sensitives. Becomes happy. Interrupts other activities. Lays pursuit, most likely intending violence.

Said same finds out they are Jedi. Is disappointed, holds them in contempt for reasons that are beyond the grasp of mortals, but has no violent intention.

Conclusion: Dark Jedi/Sith hates and wishes to kill other Dark Jedi/Sith. No doubt as a result of encountering some result of their otherwise kind and gentle natures, or because it is simply part of what it means to be Sith and he is a very focused individual. However, he has no particular intention to hunt down or interfere with Jedi, provided they do not interfere with him.

He has revealed enough about himself without you undercutting any logical purpose to engaging in conversation other than to induce him to hold you and I in further contempt and refuse to make himself useful in any way shape or form.

[White Haven]

Awake, Corac's ability to read the shifting currents of the future is...focused, intensely visual (as much as that even has meaning for a Miralukan), and definitely not abstract at all. Asleep...asleep that same tightly-disciplined technique relaxes and runs amok. Vivid dreams, occasionally of things in the past or future, almost always too chaotic and confusing to parse at all, much less in advance. Some things, however...some things are unambiguous.

Like the sudden storming flash of personal threat from a Sith picking up a lightsaber in the same room.

For all that Corac's distrust of his own reflexes and instincts leaves him with indecision, those same keenly-honed reactions are still in place, still in existence, and with his consciousness still a work-in-progress after such a rude awakening, they come to the fore. Bedsheet tossed away by some mix of a scything arm and an outstretched will. Free hand diving under a pillow, fingers curling around a familiar shape. Arcing hand impacting the firm mattress, rebounding with enough Force-assisted force to catapult him upright. A callused thumb caressing a familiar stud. An old, even more familiar hissing sound.

Corac comes to full consciousness staring out across a stilled beam of blazing present at a figure moving through the future...but only to draw, not to attack. For now.

[rhoenix]

Corvin forced himself to remain looking impassive, and not reacting outwardly as he watched the Sith begin to walk away. However, his reply to Aserak had a tinge of amusement. "That's a fairly impressive series of deductions, but I'm afraid you missed a few things. Given his attitude toward other Sith, and his reaction to us, he works for his own purposes, and not the greater purposes of the Sith.

"Therefore, to continue as he has been, he has a vested interest in not drawing attention to himself without explicitly planning to, lest his plans be interrupted by the Sith he despises, let alone Jedi. He was prepared for a fight when he arrived, expecting from our stances at first that we were Sith. When he discovered that we were Jedi, he attempted to be insulting and dismiss us, expecting that we would either act like Padawans and get all ego-hurt about being so easily dismissed and therefore be easily dispatched, or that we would not, and therefore bear further watching.

"With all of that in mind, I gave him a casual dismissal in return, which is a retort to his actions, if you will. Either he will simply ignore us, assuming from my reaction that we aren't serious threats - in which case we can keep an eye on him easily, as he will believe we are not a threat until we prove otherwise; or he might get angry at being so easily dismissed in return, attacking me or us in an effort to be taken seriously, in which case we take care of the problem; or he will choose to do nothing but continue to walk after saying his piece, revealing his level of patience and self-control, and therefore giving us a warning to be careful, as he will be watching us as keenly as we will be watching him.

"In short Aserak, I have no problem with any potential enemies of mine underestimating me - and that Sith apparently feels the same way. As I said, how he acts, or reacts will tell us much. I find it always unwise to proceed with any plans without studying the players and events involved, and observing how someone reacts to various circumstances can be very informative," he concluded, giving Aserak a significant look.

[LadyTevar]

Trysana cocked her head towards the ceiling as a loud thump filtered down, and absently wondered if it was the Rodian. Then, with a shrug she went back to her brew. Buildings in a place like this were generally not made of the best quailty materials. Thus, any loud noise upstairs could be heard below. Sometimes, you could get a good night's entertainment judging the performances of the couples upstairs, rating it by wall thumps, passion of the cries, length, and so on. She'd been in one bar where the regulars kept score between the ladies, and placed bets on who'd win that solar month.

[General Havoc]

It all happened so fast.

He was ready, or he had thought that he was ready at least, for the Jedi to do something incredible. Jedi were famous for such things, famous at least among the whispered tales told by Acolytes when they imagined their masters weren't looking. It was only prudent to assume the worst, and the worst, when it came to Jediwas very, very bad, or so the rumors told.

And yet for all that, he was not ready.

He was not ready when the Jedi exploded off the bed, as though it had thrown him up as unworthy of repose. He was not ready when the Jedi reached beneath his pillow and in one move produced a lightsabre, another lightsabre, one that he should have suspected might exist, and had not. A blade of glowing blue, lighter than he had imagined it would be, but otherwise just as the stories told. It served to rivet his attention nicely, the novelty if not the danger forcing his compound eyes to fixate upon it, at least for a dangerous moment.

But fortunately, even as all these things happened, Ryassek let loose his tight control over his own actions and emotions, and the rest happened more or less automatically.

He stepped back, turned slightly to one side, his fingers sliding to the activation switches of his ligthsabres. His own he ignited only moments before finding the unfamiliar grip of the one he had purloined, both sabres erupting into his peripheral vision and filling him with the surge of triumph and confidence that they always did. He was Sith, whatever else, his emotions trained to the razor edge, and he was armed and with freedom of choice to act or kill or not as he saw fit. Power was his, and he would display, should it be necessary. And it was in the midst of all this, as he eyed his potential opponent with a practiced look, hood thrown back to expose his ears and antennae, that he finally realized that both of the sabres he was wielding were red.

It took a moment for the implications of that fact to set in.

A trophy, was his first thought, taken from some Sith that this Miralukan had bested in battle, and the thought gave him pause, both because of the power that would be necessary for such a thing, and from the thought that if this sabre was in his traveling case, it could well have been newly won. Were there other Sith on this planet? His force scans had detected only the seething cauldron of emotion that permeated a place as riven with suffering and crime as this, but perhaps a Jedi had other means. And as to the Jedi himself, if he had bested Sith, then he was a danger. But then if he had bested Sith, he was also more likely to be just what he needed.

But now he had to act with caution. He had to walk a tightrope between provoking the Jedi to violence, and appearing weak enough to be slain. And he had to do so on a tightrope he could not see, not having before met one of this Miralukan's order.

The challenge was exhilarating, whatever else it might be.

He gave the situation a moment to sit, the Jedi and himself a moment to consider the position they were respectively in. And then he spoke.

"Tell me, Jedi," he said, his tone as even as he could make it. "Did you permit me to enter this room so as to confront me head-on? Or have I managed, against all hope, to surprise those past all surprising?"

[Cynical Cat]

Mylus turned and sneered. "Do not mock my mercy Jedi. If I was not capable of it, I would still be Sith and you both would be dead. I am a tiger and this is my jungle. I've been here less than an hour and I've already found you. A Sith assassin squad would be much, much worse."

"Now run. While you still can."

[rhoenix]

Corvin maintained his relaxed-appearing stance, watching both Aserak and the former Sith. He could feel a pulse of someone drawing on the Light Side elsewhere in the city - not only did that mean there was another Jedi in the city, it also meant that the Jedi in question had felt the need to draw strongly on the Force, which indicated other events going on.

However, he couldn't very well check it out just yet - his own predilection for playing his sabacc cards close to his chest had run afoul of Aserak's apparent impulsiveness in this situation, something that could get them both killed in the future if it was not corrected. A proper discussion on the matter would have to wait until the present situation was resolved.

In the meantime, he continued to observe both of the others present. Aserak had spoken his piece, making this his situation to deal with now - Corvin wouldn't interfere at this point unless he needed to.

[Josh]

"Buy you a drink?"

The man sat down next to Trysana and gestured at the bar. The flickering lights reflected off the metallic implant seamlessly fitted around the perimeter of his skull, fringed by neatly cropped dark hair. His clothing was impeccably local and impeccably seedy, as if selected from a menu.

"They don't have gennitz here, a shame. My favorite drink."

The reference was no passing whim of taste. It was the identification phrase she'd been given for her client. He turned toward her, his facial muscles pulling in something resembling a smile.

[LadyTevar]

Trysana had put up her guard as soon as the man had slid into the booth. There were some beings that thought a female along should have company and did not take "no" for an answer, unless matched by a blaster in the face. She relaxed a touch at the code phrase. "I have a taste for it as well," she replied, returning the smile. Sign and Countersign, now they could try to get down to business.

[Josh]

Flat, empty eyes pointed at her, devoid of the social awkwardness possessed by most species. Rather, this man's eyes simply pointed them wherever he directed them until such time as he directed them elsewhere.

"There are complications regarding the transfer of the cargo," he said simply. "There will be a hold while the local situation is assessed and compensated for. Your payment will be accordingly adjusted as per your previously-negotiated daily rate."

[White Haven]

...

A Sith.

A Sith?

Here?

Fuck!

With the overlapping hums of three ignited sabers in the same modest apartment, 'silence' can never really be expected. Still, in the wake of the words, that familiar mingled, warning purr dominates the room. Other sounds can be heard, harsh, adrenalin-spiked breathing, slight scuffs whenever one or the other shift position, a quiet whuff as the disturbed pillow finally slides off the bed altogether.

This is bad, this is so b--

The tension and fear building behind Corac's mostly-controlled expression evaporates in the face of a flash of realization and a sudden surge of anger. That, in turn, is hammered down by a maul of guilt and self-consciousness...but nevertheless, his saber shifts to point at the far, FAR too familiar saber in one of the Sith's hands. His voice shakes slightly at first, although whether due to uncertainty or anger or fear some other emotion...well, that would take a properly-practiced empath to tell for sure. "That..." he pauses long enough to firm up his voice into something that at least sounds resolute, "That is not yours. Extinguish it and place it on the floor. Now."

Even seeing his old saber ignited threatens to bring a wall of poorly-buried memories crashing down, something that Corac simply can't afford right now, and doesn't really want to sort through at the best of times. At the same time, the anger that the provocation keeps triggering causes spikes of fear, guilt, and contrition in turn, all of which make it harder to focus on the matter at hand. Hiding them is even harder, something he can only hope he's succeeding at.

Sith tend to pounce on perceived weakness.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Aserak was dumbfounded. Was Corvin insane? Clearly he does not live in the same reality that everyone else lives in. He seriously considered temporarily shorting out the speech centers of his brain.

"I am not mocking your Mercy. Your apparent capacity for it does you credit. I can however take care of myself. Taking care of this one however" he said, hooking his thumb at Corvin "is perhaps beyond my capacity. I dont know what your skill at telepathy is, but I hear his thoughts and they are no better than what comes out of his mouth. I met him moments before you detected us with the aim of using him to lure you here so we could have this conversation. You pushed up the timetable, which is to your credit as well. So, can the two of us please stop the posturing and treat eachother as adults?"

[rhoenix]

Corvin chuckled quietly at this, and shook his head, though he didn't take his eyes off of either the former Sith, or Aserak. "Far be it for me to interfere with such distinguished and eloquent diplomacy. I wish you both a good evening - I'm sure I'll see both of you again soon."

With that, he slid his lightsaber back into his pocket, and walked away. His Force presence muted itself to obscurity, and his mind went completely silent. Within moments, he was gone from all view, each step of his barely audible, even for trained ears.

[Hotfoot]

The Force was pulsating, filled with currents and eddies that caused Kio Joon to pause a moment, his hand moving to his head. “We are, I am afraid, later than I thought. Captain, if you please, we must be going. You may need a weapon, I am afraid, but I must insist on your company. Seetoo, see to the ship.” Without waiting for a response, the robed Kel Dor hurried out of the Landing Bay, feeling for where the disturbances would be. He followed his senses to the sources as best he was able, but then paused, his head tilting to the side.

***

In his mind’s eye, he saw two conflicts of light and dark, two collections of opposed natures, both on the tipping point of violence and pain. He meditated, briefly, on which seemed the most likely to cause the largest disturbance, and then continued on his way, giving Henrik more than enough time to catch up.

***

Within minutes, he came across a tall human with brown hair, moving away from the turmoil ahead. The eyebrows above Joon’s goggles raised slightly as he gazed at Corvin. A deep voice resonated from his mask. “The turmoil ahead is as much a reflection of your own conflict as it was affected by it. How we interact with the Force is an extension of who we are. You can leave, but you will never escape. Come, if you will, and continue your training.” He moved his gaze to the other two force users down the road, his aura of tranquility flowing through the Force.

[rhoenix]

Within minutes, he came across a tall human with brown hair, moving away from the turmoil ahead. The eyebrows above Joon’s goggles raised slightly as he gazed at Corvin. A deep voice resonated from his mask. “The turmoil ahead is as much a reflection of your own conflict as it was affected by it. How we interact with the Force is an extension of who we are. You can leave, but you will never escape. Come, if you will, and continue your training.” He moved his gaze to the other two force users down the road, his aura of tranquility flowing through the Force.

Corvin hadn't gone far from the altercation between Aserak and the former Sith, but enough to be out of immediate view of the two. He and Aserak may have rather different views of how a situation would be resolved, and he was trying to release his irritation into the Force about the other Jedi's actions and words, but he wasn't simply going to abandon him to a potentially deadly foe. In fact, he was now bait for the former Sith to act, which seemed fitting. He was now out of view from all pathways, enough to not gain notice for the immediate future.

However, another being arrived as he was walking, moving as if following the currents of the Force, rather than with ordinary senses - and directly toward him. Corvin regarded the stranger thoughtfully, and felt the gentle ebb and flow of the Force around the newcomer, and felt the light and airy flows of the Light.

This was certainly a Jedi, and a pure one at that.

The Jedi came to a stop in front of him, and spoke calmly. Every word rang true, as clearly as sunshine.

He nodded thoughtfully to the other Jedi's words after a moment of consideration. "Being a student of the Force is indeed a the work of a lifetime, and you are right. I would be honored. My name is Corvin Meviello - may I have the honor of yours?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Then stop posturing and listen," snarled Mylus. "I found you in less than an hour and I wasn't even looking. It was that easy. This place is small. Get you and your friend off world. There is darkness here that is not mine. Your friend is under the impression if someone can go fifteen minutes without torturing someone then he is not Sith and dropping the names of people who can be used to find him. Think about people he has already put in harm's way and get him off world Jedi!"