A Jedi's Best Friend (Jedi Mission)

[Ush]

Sullust

1,023 ABY​

Maria Gerfa looked out over the Sullustan town of Annub, a small lava-refinery based town with a population of barely two thousand. At least, on the surface. Underground it reached about seven thousand. What was above ground was basically a slum, complete with roaring spice and other illegal drugs trade. Maria wasn't a fan, personally, but some of the other members of the team were.
'Team'. Maria snickered at the word. They were hardy a team. When the call had gone out looking for trained Force Sensitives to help hunt Jedi, or the mess that this job actually was, Maria had signed up. For several years she had been a Squire in the Imperial Knights, but had left when the Sith had returned. She had hoped that wouldn't have been held against her, and it hadn't. She'd been pushed into this little group of rejects that the Sith couldn't find another job for and told to kill any Jedi that came calling. That was her personal mission, shared by one other on the team. Others, such as the two behind her, had the job of attracting them. One overseer and one man to cover their tracts so the Sullustans, or any other interested parties, wouldn't be able to find them. This was a Jedi funnel, effectively.
But whatever was being funneled was stuck in the jar it was being poured from. Nothing had showed up yet, even though the two behind her had said they'd caught whiff of something poking around at them. Their cover told them that it wasn't Sullustan, which meant it was probably Jedi. So, their overseer had told the bait that they needed something special to lure the Jedi in.
Easy. Seven thousand people below ground, right next to a near active volcano... If done right, six hundred people on the very lowest level would be killed. This would not be enough for the Sullustan authorities to take notice, but any Jedi watching would pick them out instantly.
Maria wasn't too fond of the idea. Six hundred people? That's a lot of blood to have on one's shoulders...

Behind her, Tariak and Faltron-Dur were working on what they had nicknamed The Bomb. This sparkling wit was reflected in their conversation and actions. Tariak was a trandoshan, larger than average and mean to the core. They'd had to keep him away from the civilians to maintain the illusion they were Jedi. His right arm was slightly smaller than his left, having lost it only a few months ago. He regenerated quickly, even for a trandoshan. He and Faltron-Dur had met before, in the battle -well, brawl- he'd lost the arm in. Faltron-Dur was just using the lizard to lift heavy objects around and put them into place. The small human had a mind constantly on the go, usually for things as cruel as this. Unlike Tariak, however, he could maintain an illusion of kindness. Maria had no fault with Tariak, he hadn't hurt her and was almost innocent in the way he hurt people, but Faltron-Dur was the only thing she had come to fear here. It was the way he walked, the way he talked, the leering smile he constantly had. She tried not to be caught alone with him. She was afraid of what he'd do.
The Bomb was more of a massive lazer. The idea was that it would burn a hole straight through one of the barrier engines that helped to cover the underground. This would cause a momentary glitch, which Faltron-Dur would fix quickly, therefore weakening the colony's supports while also gaining good publicity for themselves. The lava caused from the glitch would kill several hundred of the native Sullustans, the only real problem Maria had with it. But it had to be done. Twenty thousand credits for a live Jedi Padawan, forty for a Knight and eighty for a Master? Considering that Jedi usually traveled in groups of two, they were looking at anything between forty and sixteen thousand credits... Divided by five, there was still enough to justify the deaths. Maria's mouth watered at the prospect.
"Well? What are you two doing back there?"
She looked behind. Tariak answered.
"I'm nearly done. I'll head back."
Maria nearly shuddered at the thought.
"No, I need you here in case something goes wrong."
Tariak looked conflicted for a moment, but shrugged.
"Fine."
He lifted the last block into place, patted Faltron-Dur's shoulder and moved to sit down. Faltron-Dur just kept working, and Maria returned to watching. The only sounds soon to be heard were the clicking of Faltron-Dur's screwdriver, his grunts and the bubbling of the lava pool about thirty feet to the left. Maria was quite happy with the silence. She'd always been that kind of person.

 

[The Kyzer]

Something was happening on Sullust. Jedi Master and Master Explorator Von Raythe knew that. Her few contacts on the planet had informed her of such. Rumors had spread of a group of Jedi holed up near a small town. She herself had doubts regarding the veracity of the rumors, but Larik had sent her none-the-less. It was too big a "maybe" to be left to chance. Still, Von had brought back-up in the form of the tall, broad man in the co-pilot's seat next to her. Arkantos Rajax, Shadow Infiltrator and colleague, was a newer associate of the Master Explorator, but an accomplished one.

"Well, Arky," Von said with a slight smile, inwardly laughing at her own jest, "Let's hope this isn't a wild nerf-chase. Exiting hyperspace in 3...2...1...mark."

The aging HWK-290 light freighter lurched as the stars blurred into lines then finally back to little pinpoints of light. The volcanic planet Sullust loomed in the distance. The light freighter had only barely been cleared for flight-readiness when Von had decided to take it on this mission. Luckily, the ship had been retrofitted with deploy-able dual laser cannons on the dorsal and ventral sides.

Hopefully we won't need them, Von thought with a slight frown.

"Check the sensors, Arky," Von then ordered, "Can't have anyone getting the jump on us in this rust bucket."

 

[Insoulent]

Arky. A small smirk crawled up on his cheek, a nickname he hadn't heard in many years, too many years. The Mandalorian kids he grew up often called him that, and he hadn't heard anyone call him that since joining the Jedi, it was a nice change, but he then remember how much he loathed that nickname. Still, he stayed silent as the Master continued to speak. Von Raythe; Arkantos often researched those he went on missions with, but hadn't had the chance as he was on a tight schedule to return to Abra from a Bounty he had just finished for the Cartel. The life of an Infiltrator was tedious, long hours spend traveling between the two, but he tried to keep his interactions with the Jedi minimal, to focus on his tasks with the Cartel. Still, he made time for missions that the Jedi needed done, especially ones given to him by his old friend Larik. He was instructed to go along with the Master Explorator, his Boss, sort of, and was kind of eager to see her skills.

While he was sure of his skills, and was confident in them, he was curious of the woman he was accompanying as they'd never worked together before, but given her title Arkantos knew he'd more than likely be impressed. He had brought with him a plethora of weaponry he rarely brought a long for such a mission, but was rather sound considering it was two verses... well, a group. Upon his left hip, his trusty Mandalorian Ripper could always be found on him laying in it's holster, while on his right hip, was something he almost never used: his lightsaber. It had been years since he had used such a weapon on the field, preferring his blaster weaponry thanks to his new role as Bounty Hunter for the Hutt Cartel. Upon his hip, lay his Taskmaster carbine, while not ideal for a marksman of Arkantos' caliber, it opted for stronger firepower and rate of fire rather than long-ranged shots, preferring to be up-close and personal to his targets, and made it ideal for helping disperse enemy groups. He adorned his light Jedi armor, something he hadn't worn since the days of the destruction of Coruscant, and fit rather tight across his torso and hips, but kept it to himself, as it didn't hinder his already good movement. That, and he figured it'd loosen up as the mission went by, at least he hoped. He had no intentions of going in guns-blazing, but was smart enough to be prepared for it all.

"Sensors are clear, no signs of danger, Vonny." Arkantos quipped, returning the favor of the nickname with a hint of pleasure in saying the name. He tapped some buttons on control console, and stood up as he placed the strap of his carbine over his shoulder, and placed it behind him. He looked down to the Master, "Tunnels. The Sullustans use tunnels, they live underground." the Jedi muttered outloud, in case she didn't know. Arkantos enjoyed studying popular planets, knowing a few tidbits occasionally, but like before, enjoyed to study what he didn't know, beforehand. "We'll need rebreathers if we're going to be on the surface. Unless they operate underground. Do we have any other intel on this group?" the Knight mused, as he looked at the aweinspiring rivers of lava that cracked the surface.

 

[The Kyzer]

Von's spine straightened subtly when she heard the name Vonny. No one had ever called her that, or been brave enough to do so. Well, other than Padawan Ilyusha, and Von had suitably put her through the chase of her life for it. Then she chuckled slightly.

"I suppose I deserved that," Von replied, "And reports say that they're in, or at least near, a village near the surface."

The Jedi Master quickly ran her hands over the controls, micro-managing several of the normally-automatic systems to ensure they properly functioned. On a ship as old and run-down as this one, she would not trust it farther than she could throw it. Of course, now that Von thought about that, she might be able to throw it pretty far. That thought brought another grin to her lips.

"Either way, we have some rebreathers in the primary cargo hold," Von then told her companion, "And an extra Thinsuit if you want full-protection with an hour's worth of oxygen."

Von didn't say that her own Battle Harness was already equipped with the necessary materials that she'd need to survive on the surface. She just simply checked her armor's straps for the sixth time and began to initiate the necessary procedures to make land-fall.

The aging freighter slowly veered toward Sullust and began slowing down to allow for an easy landing.

"Hey Arky," Von said in a more serious tone, "Could you plot our course to the town of," she halted a moment while she recalled the name, "Annub, I think? That's our possible location."

"This is the private freighter Hop Skip," Von said into the comms unit once establishing a link with Annub's meager spaceport. Well, it wasn't so much a spaceport as a few landing pads and a control building.

"We are requesting landing clearance," the Jedi Master continued.

 

[Insoulent]

Arkantos looked at the village, rather small but still, it was a start at least. The thought of taking the thinsuit but decided against it ultimately, as they were already near landing, and wanted to waste no time in finding this group to make contact. He then listened as the Jedi Master had asked him to make their way into town, as she spoke to the flight control building.

"We read you Hop Skip, you're cleared for landing in Dock 1." an automated droid voice escaped through the ship's AP system, as Arkantos took over the controls, taping in some commands into the ship's engines. He easily descended the ship into the docking bay, a public spaceport filled with other minor ships, but it was all they needed, they had no plans to stay extensively on the planet.

Annub was a small town but one of the few towns that held a landing bay for ships to be used by space travelers, connecting them to the deeper cities of Sullust. Arkantos had began to turn the ship's engines down, and the rest of the ship's systems turned off. "I'll do some recon on the area if you want. Maybe you can ask the locals on some information on where to look? Or who to look for? Or any information, really." the Knight said, as he tied his robing tighter to make it easier to move in. He was well prepared to move quickly, as they still had the element of surprise if the Jedi they were after weren't actually Jedi like the Intel suggested.

 

[The Kyzer]

After the Hopskip landed, Von quickly ran through the post-flight checklist, shutting down the reactor, balancing the external and internal atmospheric pressures, etc.

"That sounds like a good start, Arky," Von replied, "but we must keep our presence very low-key. Establish a cover, and quickly. I'm thinking traders who are scouting the area for potential contracts. Very small-time though. I think I've got some corresponding forged-trader's licenses somewhere around here."

The Jedi Master fished in her rucksack and produced a pair of small datapads. Each one possessed a trading license, but the pictures were blanked out. The tall Zeltron-hybrid produced a larger datapad and linked up all three. Suddenly the blank photo slots were filled with Von and Arkantos' photos respectively. Von drew in the Force slowly and subtly, so she didn't draw any other Force Sensitive's attention. Her body then began to morph into a human female, along with a matching trader's outfit: light shirt with mechanic's pants and a vest. Then she reduced her presence in the Force to that of a non-Force Sensitive human.

"Shall we begin?" Von announced with a smile. She put on a rebreather to keep up her disguise and exited the craft via the exit ramp. Moving quickly she paid the

 

[Insoulent]

He nodded simply as he agreed with the Jedi Master's plan to travel through the planet, as he took the forged licence. He was a bit surprised in her ability to change her look, but he supposed that's how she was so valuable to the Shadows. Arkantos had little knowledge on the technique, but recognized it, at least it must of been some form of Alter Image. He himself was rather talented at alter powers, but he was not at the level of the Jedi Master, not but a long shot, so he was glad he was working with her. He placed the datapad with his licence against his utility belt, after grabbing the rebreather and placing it on his mouth. Bitting the mouth guard, and it suddenly attached to his face, concealing the bottom of his face, it was a crude and simple way to conceal his image, it was still effective.

Walking out from the spaceport, he looked around, as the Port authorities walked to the Jedi Knight, "Welcome to Sullust; we don't have you scheduled on our logs, what's your business here on Sullust, little too many guns don't you think?" the Sullustan Officer spoke curiously at the human. Arkantos simply smiled, "We're here on behalf of the Jarrod Trading Family of Yag'Dhul. I'm Derrick Loas, I work security for the company, I'm here with Asshy Jarrod. We're here to look for potential trading posts, Sullust seems to be quite the venture." the Knight said enthusiastically, he needed that enthusiasm to sell it a bit. The Sullustan suddenly gasped, and nodded wildly. "Oh yes, the Jarrod's! Feel free to ask us if you need anything in regards to the planet, I'll get you guys a clearance to stay on the planet." the Sullustan said, as the Knight simply nodded to him, as the Officer walked away. Arkantos chuckled, he had become quite the theatrical actor since his life as a Bounty Hunter.

He turned to his partner, "Well, I'll look out in the outskirts of the town, maybe I'll find something. If I was you, I'd look for a Hutt connect on the planet, I'm sure they'd know something about potential Jedi around here, they're a threat to business, hell maybe they bought something from them." he said as he looked at the slums that surrounded them on the planet surface. "The Force be with you, Master Von." he muttered, as he quickly rushed through the slums.

He looked above the town. On the way down to the spaceport, the ship had found a small odd anomaly some meters away from the town. There was only mountains and laval surrounding the landscape, but he knew it was somewhat South of his location. The planet was rather hot, but not as hot as he thought it would be, considering all of the lava. It was arid, and the air even felt like it could burst into an explosion, but it came in waves, the winds of the planet pulling the thermal heat back and forth every so often. He made his way running South of the city, some sort of cave opening, maybe even a facility on the face of the mountain would be of great help, but if this group had been here for a while, he was sure he wouldn't find them as easily; they certainly had a good spot to hide. Still, it was only natural for them to slip up. Arkantos had an odd feeling in his heart, while he couldn't exactly put his finger on it, he knew it wasn't good but it was a disturbance in the Force. Some time passed, Arkantos was now deep in the middle in between the Sullustan town the Jedi had arrived in and the area where the anomaly originated.

"I've yet to find any sign of anything out here, but I think I can a better view ontop of the southern mountain overlooking the town. You found anything?" the Jedi spoke into his comlink to his partner. Hopefully she was able to find some kind of information on their targets, if only their names. Arkantos could even find more information with his own contacts, though he didn't want to alert the Cartel of his current activities, as he was there for a covert mission, but if it could help find these Jedi or pretenders faster, he'd sleep much more easily.

 

[The Kyzer]

To be honest, Von really thought her cover name was quite ugly. None the less, "Asshy Jarrod" exited the freighter with her companion and put on a slightly dignified air, not deigning to answer the Sullustan's questions. She merely nodded here and there before continuing on into the town.

"It's highly questionable if the Hutts would really care about this little town," Von answered, "But I'll see what I can come up with. May the Force be with you, as well, Arky."

Leaving Arkantos' side immediately after her parting shot, Von made a quick beeline toward the descending turbolift. She went to the first sub-level to find the town's only cantina. Walking in, Von noticed only a few other spacers among the throng of Sullustans. She slowly made her way to the bar and ordered a drink. The music was provided by a small Bith band, thought Von didn't really care to listen to it. What she did listen to were the conversations of the bar patrons around her.

"Yeah, well I heard they can walk through walls and disappear," a husky voice said a few meters from her. The bartender approached Von and asked her what she wanted. A single part of her mind acknowledged this and answered "Lominale" while the rest of her mind focused on the previous speaker.

"What about that Imperial bounty, eh?" a Sullustan next to the first speaker asked, "Twenty-thousand creds for just one live Jedi at least?"

"Yeah, yeah," the first speaker replied, "Like any of us could catch a Jedi."

A third speaker, a Rodian, then piped in bravely, "Well, my forefathers were all great hunters. I could pull it off."

Von merely accepted the lominale from the bartender and drank it slowly. She knew her twin livers would process it faster than she could drink it, so becoming intoxicated wasn't a problem. However, the Jedi Master had to will herself to not shake her head at the Rodian's stupidity. It was clear that he was very intoxicated, and it was unlikely if he could even hold a blaster up, let alone fire it correctly.

 

[Ush]

Faltron-Dur was a genius. He knew this, and the Empire knew this. His handler then, in turn, knew this. That meant that the handler had to go. And the girl, Gerfa. But the reptile would live. Tariak. Not Sith material, which was why he was here. Just child-like malice to him. None of the gritty stuff. No real hate. Hate was the reason Faltron-Dur wasn't in the Sith full time, or off in one of the great colleges. Hate had driven him to kill thirty other students in the Galactic Alliance's school for the gifted and then disappear, returning only to take his intellect and refine it into a weapon worthy of the greatest kings. This was just the first example of it. There would be many more. Many, many more...
"It's done."
His voice was soft, little more than a whisper. Focusing on the beauty of the thing he had created. His hands traced it, eyes dancing.
"The trigger, who will use it?"
The madman turned, eyes dancing. Gerfa looked at him with open disgust. Tariak with a low-intelligence level stare. Faltron-Dur smiled and pressed the button.

Immediately, the colony would feel it. A shaking, little more than a tremor. Most would put it down to a bomb being blown up deep in the mines to get at something else. But after about ten seconds, the shaking returned. Fiercely this time. Chairs would be knocked over, people thrown. Everyone would feel it.
Then the real event began. On the very bottom of the colony, cracks appeared on the floor. The right half of the colony dipped, and then snapped off. Three hundred souls, gone in an instant.
"SHUT IT DOWN!" Maria shrieked, watching the colony sink. Faltron-Dur pressed a button and the colony froze, suspended. Safe. But over four hundred people would be dead, half the upper-class and a hundred or so from injuries when the colony sank.

Von Raythe's bar had collapsed around her, she would find. While she herself would survive, thanks to Zeltron strength, very few others would. Arkantos Rajax would be fine, probably knocked down, but fine. Maria spotted him, though.
"Woah, down there. What is it?"
Faltron-Dur raised his binoculars, a grin etched on his face.
"Target practice."
Maria nodded and raised her sniper rifle to her shoulder.
"Tell me when."

 

[Insoulent]

Rumble.

That's all he could remember feeling before the pain seeped in. The Death of so many people struck him like an arrow through the chest, as he stopped in his tracks. The loss was tremendous, and the shake of the planet's crust was more than enough to make the Jedi Knight stumble onto his back. It was only momentary, as it stopped. "Master Von!" he shouted into his comlink, "Please tell me you're alright. We have to help the Sullustans." he continued into his comlink. "I think I'm close, I'm sending my co-ordinates to your datapad, if you can, help evacuate whoever you can." he muttered. His anger wasn't as prevalent outwardly, but inside, he was containing quite the anger.

Whoever they were dealing with, had to be stopped -- at all costs. These group, whoever they were, would be brought to justice, even if Arkantos had to do it alone. He hoped the Jedi Master could aid the Sullustan's quickly, as best she could, anyway. Their ship wasn't a rescue vehicle, nor did he hope she could reverse everything that had just transpired, but if they could help, if only a little, he'd be happy. Another way he thought he'd help, is to bring down those responsible. The panic of hundreds of Sullustans crowded the mind of Arkantos, but he could feel something else, even under the panic the Sullustan's pain and fear -- guilt. A shriek escaped as an echo from the mountain range, as Arkantos looked up to the direction of the yell. "Turn it off". Arkantos quickly sent out his co-ordinates to the Jedi Master, then pulling his carbine infront of him to turn it on, as he moved, the co-ordinates would change in real time, giving the Jedi the advantage of finding each other. He quickly ran to the direction of the shriek, using a speed he'd rarely use to cut the distance between his opponents and himself, with the aid of the Force. His movements were much faster, and the world around him felt slower.

One leap. Two leaps. The Force, it was such a marvelous thing, his body being propelled through the air, from one part of the mountain to the next. The third and final leap, he landed above the opening of the mountain where the group surely must of been at. He was situated in a crevice above the opening, just enough to lean on and he aimed his carbine down, slowing down his breathing, whoever would poke their head out, would probably end up with a few shots in them. He'd have to plan his next moves quickly. A few blaster rounds, and maybe switch to his Lightsaber to move on the defensive. He had no intentions of dying today, and could only hope that the Jedi Master could make it in time before the group could overpower the Jedi. He didn't know their skills just yet, so he'd have to be conservative, and not underestimate his opponents. He was sure of his skill, he only hoped it'd be enough.

 

[The Kyzer]

A sudden rumble was the only warning before the world seemed to fall apart. At least, the cantina did. Von leapt to her feet, pushing away from the bar as she did, just before a massive slab of the duracrete ceiling landed where she had sat. However, this did not save her from the entire roof caving-in. Her super-dense bones and muscles were her salvation, but the rest of the bar patrons were not so lucky. An even larger feeling of pain and loss echoed through the Force, and it originated from below her.

Arkantos' desperate call via commlink brought her out of her momentary stasis. She lifted the rubble from her, and used the Force to check for survivors. Sadly, this only confirmed her feelings. They were all dead.

"I'm alive," Von said softly in her commlink, "and on my way."

The Jedi Master drew the Force within herself and set her body moving toward her comrade. She would arrive a few moments later than Arkantos, but not by too much. However, while her fellow Jedi would arrive wielding a firearm and blasting away, Von would arrive much more subtly. Cloaking herself in the Force and from sight was a trick her mentor had taught her several years ago, and she'd practiced it extensively since then. Lightsaber in hand, though not ignited, the Jedi Master readied herself for combat.

 

[Ush]

Faltron-Dur let out a strange hissing sound when the Jedi moved. "Shoot him!" the human roared, grabbing his own slug-thrower. Maria complied, shooting a slug at the man. It missed and hit the rocks, splitting them in two. Faltron-Dur screamed and started firing randomly from the fully-automatic sub-machine gun. While the shots went wild, it would show the Jedi they knew where he was. When he went over them, Tariak picked up his near-by shotgun like weapon and fired upwards. An obvious miss, and it showed the Jedi what weapons they had. The three slammed their shoulders against a nearby rock to hide from him.
"Tariak! Get back to base and tell the snake what happened!"
Tariak nodded and began to stand up. Faltron-Dur raised his hand with the gun over the rock and fired widely, trying to keep the Jedi's head down while Tariak ran. Maria then popped her head up and got a good glance at where he was hiding, judging from where he must have landed in his jump. She aimed her rifle there, ready to squeeze the trigger if he decided to come back up. Tariak, seven feet tall and charging, was obliviously heading straight for Von.
________________________

Back at Annub, a togruta male moved throughout the damaged streets, looking distraught. A sullustan official ran up to him.
"Mr. Horano! What happened?"
The togruta gulped and shrugged helplessly.
"Someone attacked the supports. My friends must have stopped it, we sensed it being messed with. What was the most recent ship to land here?"
The Sullust pulled up a holographic interface.
"Em... Representatives from the Jarrod Trading Family!"
Horano nodded shakily.
"It must have been them. Where are they now?"
The Sullustan shook his head. He didn't know.
"Check the supports. You know my friends, anyone else must be the culprits."
The sullustan nodded and began talking to his superiors via his comlink. Horano put his hand on his right montrail and sighed, his act hiding his true emotions. Which, of course, were of victory. Their mission leader had sensed the Jedi enter. This was perfect timing.

 

[Insoulent]

"Well armed, that's for sure. At least we know they're not Jedi." he thought as the slugthrowing weaponry narrowly missed the Jedi. With everything happening, Arkantos was sure of what he had to do: stop them. The group rushed out to hide behind a giant rock, a mistake from the beginning. He then saw a hand escape from the top, shooting a bit at the direction of the Jedi.

He jumped back yet again against the slope of the top of the mountain, suddenly using the Force to wrap around the boulder. He began to focus around the area of the giant rock, as it began to shake, Arkantos focusing his grasp upon it. He grunted for a minute, the Force was a challenge for him now, such things required patience. After a short grunt, it suddenly began to shift, being pushed rather fast against the people hiding behind it. It would shove them back, leaving them exposed, and would give Arkantos the moment he needed.

Prr. The Jedi released three shots, not well-aimed, but aimed well enough to go in the direction where his opponents would of been behind the giant rock. He'd only hope at least one would work. If not, he was in close enough range to switch to his Lightsaber, still dangling on the side of hip. The switch in tactic, and proximity, would give the Jedi the advantage, especially given the surrounding area. He'd only hope Von wouldn't run into any trouble while she came to meet with him...

 

[The Kyzer]

The Jedi Master watched with slight amusement as the hulking Trandoshan charged her. Normally, this would have caused a degree of fear and/or terror in any other sentient being, but Von Raythe wasn't just any sentient. Plus, she knew that he clearly did not see her. She did know that he might able to smell her soon, though, as the Trandoshan species has superb olfactory senses, which meant that she would need to deal with him quickly and efficiently.

After running through a short list of options, Von chose the simplest and most direct. She grabbed one of her twin-paired lightsabers and threw it, using the Force slightly as guidance. She ignited it mid-flight, it's peaceful blue blade maliciously slicing through the grim atmosphere. Unlike many practitioners of this technique, Von threw her lightsaber in an underhanded-javelin throw. As such, the blade and hilt would beeline at their target on a level plane, rather than twirling end-over-end. It would strike the Trandoshan's upper chest if/when it hit, then twirl in a gruesome fashion, arcing the blade up through his neck and skull, then prepare for its return flight.

The Zeltron-hybrid knew of the downside to her technique, however. While brief, her presence in the Force would flicker like a bright spark in the night. They would know she was there...but not exactly where. Wrapping herself in stealth again, Von moved in a parallel direction of her enemies, and her single comrade.

If you die before I get there, Arky, Von thought to herself, I will be most displeased.

 

[Ush]

Tariak fell with a scream, the lightsaber severing and cutting parts of him that would lead to his death if untreated. However, Trandoshans could survive a great deal and Tariak was infamous for his absolute desperation to survive. He held onto the lightsaber's hilt as he fell, crushing it under his body and not letting Rayeth get at it without using the Force again.

Faltron-Dur wasn't hit at all, thankfully, but he had to jump away to get out of lightsaber range. Snarling, he turned and bolted away. Faltron-Dur was a coward. There was no glory in getting your head chopped off, no point to it other than not having to deal with the shame of losing. But they'd already won, hadn't they? The Jedi had exposed themselves, and if that dam Togruta did his job, were absolutely and positively kriffed. Tariak was probably dead and Maria would soon follow. But the others, back at their base and in the town, they'd have felt the Jedi use the force. And if they didn't, Faltron-Dur would soon tell them...

Maria screamed as the blaster shot hit her shoulder and dropped her rifle. Not even bothering to try to run, she put both of her hands on her head and knelled. Sighing, she watched Faltron-Dur run. She knew the Jedi wouldn't kill her(or very much hoped) and she also knew she wouldn't be able to beat them. Her shoulder was in agony and now that Faltron-Dur had run... Well, one day she'd get her own on the bastard.
________________________________________

Horano watched as the three Sullustan hovercars pulled off. Each had a driver and an armed Sullustan inside. The Jedi would have to run or fight. One would mean leaving anything they had captured behind, the other had a risk of killing any of the Sullustans. Horano hoped that one of the three had gotten away. Not all three. With every death on their side came a significantly greater cut for the survivors. He allowed a small smile. No one was watching, after all, and when another piece in a carefully laid-plan stumbled into place it always, always felt good.

 

[Insoulent]

Arkantos was a bit surprised as the woman, his companion, arrived. Her blade impaling was quite well-aimed, and Arkantos was glad to see she was alive and well, despite the most recent events on Sullust. As the body of the Trandoshan fell to the ground, he noticed the other male companion of the three enemies running away. "Don't think so." he muttered under his breath, as he lifted his rifle to his eye to get one last aim.

The computers on his carbine's auto-stabalizers didn't even finish before he released his ringer from the trigger. From this distance, it was ideal shooting for Arkantos, especially given that the man's back was to Arkantos' eyes, which were almost too keen for a Jedi. But these skills he didn't learn from the Jedi, these were skills he perfected as a Bounty Hunter, and skills that were given to him by the Mandalorians. The Force only boosted these honed skilled. In all, his range was killer. But his shot wasn't a lethal one, but something to incapacitate his target. Although he aimed for his heel, Arkantos knew the slight maladjustment the carbine had, so the shot would actually pierce his achilles tendon, rendering him unable to run, or stand for that matter. He even attributed his fast moving feet, which wouldn't help much against a carbine from that range.

After he shot, he looked down at the cowering woman who seemed to have given up fighting, a wise choice on her part. He leaped from his spot above the slope, and inbetween Von and the woman who was on her knees. He pulled the weapon of the woman closer to him with his foot, while aiming his carbine still at her. "Glad you're okay Master Von." the Knight said, as he picked the woman's weapon up, tossing it to the Jedi Master. He used his foot to turn the trandoshan from his smaller arm, he figured it'd be weaker, and easier to defend against just incase he was still up. He quickly pulled the Lightsaber out and deactivated it, tossing the hilt to the Jedi Master. "We need to find out what the Hell just happened, and why." the Jedi Knight said, stating the obvious, but by the looks of things, it was needed.

 

[The Kyzer]

"Same to you, Arky, but please call me Von for the time being. Can't be giving our enemies any more information."

Von caught the saber and clipped it back on her belt in one quick move. She felt a little bit more secure with it restored to her person.

"Sadly, I get the feeling that this is all one big nasty trap, Arky," Von replied with a slight nausea forming in the pit of her stomach, "And we're the prey."

The nausea tried to grow, but Von suppressed it mentally. She knew it's root cause was not physical, but emotional. If she was right in her hypothesis, it would mean that several hundred lives had been lost to trap her and her comrade.

"That said," Von continued, "We need to keep moving. We can't afford to let them fully spring their trap, nor disappoint those who laid it in the first place. If they wanted Jedi, then they're going to get Jedi."

The entire time, Von had monitored the status of the massive Trandoshan. His vitals were weak, and it was doubtful if he would survive his injuries...but Von never trusted a Trandoshan to be dead unless it's head and limbs were either removed or vaporized. If he DID move, however, Von would unleash a burst of Emerald Lightning upon the wounded sentient. It alone would not be able to kill, but it would render him unconscious again.

"Let's have a little chat with the one you clipped," Von added, "Maybe we can learn something there."

 

[Ush]

Sullustan cruisers tore across the plain, not flashing their sirens. They moved low, attempting to hide detection and used their mirror-like plating to blend into their surroundings. Horano watched them go with a wider smile. Things were going well up on the mountain-side, it seemed. Tariak was probably dead, Maria captured and Faltron-Dur crawling his way away. All was going to... Approximate plan. The death toll had been a little higher, and they hadn't thought the Jedi would be here so soon, but it was bearable. They'd find their ship locked in the confinement area Anuub used, being held until further notice. Which meant that if the two Jedi, as Faltron-Dur was telling him over a mental link, were Knight level, they could be captured. And if they could be captured, they could be sold. And if they could be sold... Well, Horano knew where he was putting his credits and they certainly weren't with the Jedi.
_______________________________________________

Faltron-Dur let out a scream that made Maria wince as he was shot. The bullet went into his ankle, tearing a trail of wreckage down through his foot. Maria had to admit it brought a certain feeling of satisfaction, listening to that sick bastard in agony. Hell, with that damage he'd be lucky to walk again unless he got implants. Again, Maria nearly grinned at this. And yet despite it all, the ****er still tried to crawl. He had rolled as he fell and had barely missed a beat, tearing up the distance between him and cover despite being on his hands and knees. He left an obvious trail of blood, though, and his whimpers were audible. Maria muttered under her breath about how he should just take it, but he managed to get behind a rock. It was here he stopped, pushed his back against the thing and started to sob in agony. Rolling her eyes, Maria glanced over at Tariak to make sure he was still alive.
While he was, he was definitely on the way out. His chest had been torn open by the lightsaber but he was still breathing. Maria couldn't help but feel a small amount of pity for him. He had an I.Q of 64 and they hadn't told him what was going on. He'd probably cry if he was told. His eyes were flickering, his heartbeat weak. He could probably survive that, though, in time. But he wouldn't get it. They couldn't give it to him. It would be up to the Jedi to help him. Maria didn't feel any ill will towards the Jedi in particular. She just needed credits. And if they helped the mentally retarded Trandoshen, then they moved up a step in her books. She looked at the alright looking male, and then the one whom he'd called a Master. Eighty K, right there... But no, Tariak first.
"We didn't tell the Trandoshen. He didn't know. He's not smart enough for that, he's innocent of everything but helping his friends."

 

[Insoulent]

A trap? For only two Jedi, it was beyond unfair to the loss of so much life. Anger built inside him, a rage almost, as he looked around trying to filter his thoughts. His breathing even increased, as he went to reach his arm to scratch the brow between his eyes. "You're too nonchalant about the lives you just took, you know that?" the Jedi said to the woman on her knees, and then turned to view the Jedi Master who was hovering over the Trandoshan. "We should move them in and tie them up. Trap or not, there's Sullustans that will need our help, we can't entertain these people right now." he said, a complete change from before. Arkantos' rage was now more tuned to helping those who would perish now because he and the Jedi Master were on the planet.

"Some kind of friend you are then, making him a part of a plot for mass-murder. No amount of credits was worth this amount of pain and suffering." the Jedi said, looking to the direction of the one he shot in his leg, who had now found himself a home behind a rock. He jogged quickly, following the trail of blood, as he stopped some metered behind the rock. The Jedi held his hand out, using the Force to feel out, sensing the presense of the figure behind the rock. The Force wrapped and enveloped itself around the body of the man, as it suddenly flew behind the Jedi, being propelled and pushed by the Jedi's manipulation of the Force. His body slid some feet, before stopping, his weapon falling from his grasp. While Arkantos didn't want to harm the man any more than he already did, the anger he felt was a bit too much, and he wanted to release it somehow. He simply couldn't let go the fact that hundreds of beings died because of his choice. Arkantos was on Coruscant when the millions if not billions of life died instantaneously because of the Dark Lord's final attack.

It was...an uncomfortable feeling, and he hated that people saw that as empowering, brute and senseless killing was beyond what the Jedi would allow, and these criminals were no better than the Dark Lord of the Sith. Arkantos walked to the man known as Faltron-Dur, as he dragged him back up the slope and to the direction of the Jedi Master. "You're going to tell me everything, right now. Or by the Force I will drop you from this cliff." the Jedi bluffed, though a part of him wouldn't think twice about it.

 

[The Kyzer]

The woman's words hit a nerve with the Master Explorator. She had been fooled once upon a time by those she had considered close to her. They had planned to use her as a weapon of chaos and destruction, just as this poor fool had been used. Normally, Von would have dismissed the woman's words as that of a desperate liar, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the scum was telling the truth.

"Just know that I am doing this for him," Von stated in a low growl, "And if you even think of moving, I will literally rip your head off with my bare hands."

However, despite Von's angry tone, her mind was calm and clear. She knew exactly what she needed to do. Drawing the Force within herself, she quickly transferred healing energies to the downed Trandoshan. It wasn't enough to revive him, or even bring him out of unconsciousness. In fact, it would still take some time for him to be able to breath correctly or move around without large amounts of pain, but he would live. His vitals stabilized, Von stood up and approached the wounded woman.

"He'll live," Von declared as she approached, "Now let's get down to business. Why did you lay this trap for us, and what else lies in store for us?"

The Jedi Master stopped a couple meters from the wounded woman, and pulled the woman's dropped rifle with a tug with the Force.

"If you tell me what I need to know," Von continued, "I swear to let you live."