Far From the Dig

[TAC]

The man smiled and chuckled a little bit.

"The nightlife is not at all dark, Jillian," the man said, looking over to her. He stood, as the convention was winding down, and it was just about time for them all to head to bed. "There is artificial light in the downtown section, to reduce crime at night. It's more of.. a party scene. Nothing too crazy here on Naboo, but there is still some."

The man tried not to laugh. This woman was full of knowledge, practically overflowing with it, and yet there was so much she had missed out on. The Jedi Master grabbed his cloak, putting it back on. "I try to get out when I'm not serving. Helps relax you." The man was certainly Corellian. He was also, however, a Jedi. And he ensured that he never got too crazy on these "nights out."

"I'm staying in the Hotel d'Williams a few blocks down. Can I at least walk you back to your hotel?"

 

[Galavant]

"Oh I thought you meant the more literal kind of nightlife," Jillian replied, blushing a little and mentally beating herself with a very large stick for not catching that. It gave scientists of all stripes a bad name (or at least lived up to a cliche) to come off as being so socially ignorant. "I'm not much of a late night party person," She continued, although that was probably obvious by now. Her idea of relaxation was curling up somewhere warm, quiet, and sun drenched with a good novel or holoflick on a datapad.

"I'm staying in the Hotel d'Williams a few blocks down. Can I at least walk you back to your hotel?"

"Of course thank you for the kind offer Master Novan," Jillian answered with a smile. She stood up, and pushed her seat in. Leaving with the Jedi Master, Jillian wondered how many more peaceful moments like this there would be. The war continued to drag on, and from what Novan had said it wasn't going all that well. Even though she was an optimist by nature, even Jillian wouldn't bet on there being a whole lot more moments as nice as this one for a while.

 

[TAC]

The two Jedi walked together through the quieter parts of Naboo. It was peaceful. Although here it was darker, the lighting not as bold as in some of the other districts, as it was quite residential. The hotel Jillian was staying at was a few blocks down, and Larik's beyond that. Their walk was quite, intrusive, the thought of each of the Jedi their own as they enjoyed each other's company.

A little itch suddenly seized the Jedi, though. Realizing exactly what it was, the man's lightsaber left from his belt to his hands. The long, grey, murky blade erupted from the opening, cutting the air with a shriek as it came to life. From an alley off to the side, a red lightsaber followed suit. Stepping forward into the half lighting, a Sith Assassin moved forward.

"Step back, Knight Nur Ghazi," the Master ordered. He stepped between her and the Sith, his lightsaber coming up to attention. He knew that the dim lighting would be problematic for her and didn't want her to risk the situation. The Sith's lips spread, revealing his white teeth as he smiled. "How fortunate I am to have stepped in upon your date, Jedi," he said. "Unfortunate too little Jedi should be walking around without supervision."

The Sith took a few steps forward, an advance of sorts. Larik's force sensitivity was constantly under question, as he was constantly applying the force to mask his ability within the force. Hence the Sith undoubtedly thought himself in for an easy fight- an architect and a mediocre Knight. It would prove quite the opposite for him, though. "Stepping back won't help you much, Ghazi. You've been tampering with Sith artifacts, and we'd rather keep those for ourselves, thank you."

 

[Galavant]

Jillian did step back, but ignited her own lightsaber, and spun to face the opposite direction of Larik and the Sith should any more hostiles try to surround them. While the sun like glow of her lightsaber was nice, it certainly wasn't enough to see in the dim lighting for her. Larik and the Sith were visible to her, but not in detail. She instead reached out with the force to sense what was around her. She didn't sense much beyond what she already knew and saw. But that didn't necessarily mean there weren't other Sith out there considering how this one had come out of nowhere.

As the Sith blathered on, Jillian turned back around, keeping a grip on her lightsaber with both hands, angled upward and slightly away from her. Her entire stance was aimed around being ready to put a barrier between Novan and the Sith should she need to, although the Sith was a doing a fine job of trying to distract her mentally. Great the Sith think we're dating, I bet the Padawans are already gossiping in the meditation rooms, She thought before focusing back on the situation at hand.

"Stepping back won't help you much, Ghazi. You've been tampering with Sith artifacts, and we'd rather keep those for ourselves, thank you."

"Stepping back might not help me, but those Sith artifacts won't be helping you either," She replied sweetly. Some Jedi liked to stay stoic, not even engaging their counterparts in conversation during combat. Jillian couldn't shut up when she was in the theater and dozens of people were screaming at her, so not talking in any given situation was weird to her. She was going to have to figure out how the Sith tracked her down, she tried to keep as low a profile as possible. But not many people were visiting Sith sites, so on a certain level it made sense. Still she'd have to figure it out before heading out again, lest she run into an ambush worse than this.

 

[TAC]

The Sith seemed to content to exchange a little banter between the two Jedi, though. He was either toying with them or waiting for something... or someone. While Master Novan was confident in his own abilities, such a conflict was not anything he was interested in. Seeing as he had a bit of time, he carefully took off his outer cloak, letting it fall behind him as he kept his eyes on the Sith and his wits about him.

The Assassin was a Crusader. Obviously skilled, according to what Larik could siphon from his confidence and aura within the force, but perhaps too confident. The man was looking for a full on fight. Smiling, Larik came up into his full ready position, completely neutral. Then, calling the force to him, the Master's signature suddenly fluctuated within the Force. His mild aura turned dark, heightening and widening in it's power. The man had worked hard on his ability within the power Force Stealth, and this would be an interesting game to play.

As the aura of Master Novan flared darker, his demeanor and stance changed, becoming more open and aggressive as he pointed his lightsaber to the ground. "You've made a grave mistake," he said. He walked slowly, but in a very determined fashion, towards the Sith. The man's face changed, his eyes turning wide as the seeming mediocre Jedi turned into what appeared to be a Sith with the abilities of a Dark Lord. Larik's lightsaber flicked up, and the man half heartily blocked it. Realizing he had no other choice, though, the Sith gave a quick flick to Larik's left. His hand came up, and the weak lightsaber attacked as Larik caught the blade.

The man's mouth fell open. Larik's face contorted into what appeared to be extreme anger, although in reality it was intense concentration. With a flick of his blade, the Sith's saber was cut in half. No longer utilizing Ray, Larik called upon the Force and threw the Sith a few feet into the nearest building. The man gasped as he hit, putting his hand on his belt.

"I wouldn't try," Larik said, simply staring at the man. Letting his intense usage of the Force ebb away, he returned to his normal force aura. To the man, it would appear he was re-masking himself, when in fact Larik was actually resting. "I'm going to give you an hour, Assassin. If you're not off of Naboo by then, you'll be returning to Imperial space as a corpse, instead of a live body that stands a chance at explaining why he tried to attack a Sith Master." The Assassin's mouth closed. His eyes spoke fear- to die hear, or stand a chance in either hiding or running from the Sith back in Imperial Space.

Making up his mind, the Assassin again became invisible within the Force. He glared at the "Sith Master" for a moment before turning and sprinting down the dark passage way from where he had come. As soon as he was gone, Larik's lightsaber blade crackled as it returned to it's place of rest. The man hooked the weapon onto his belt, grabbing his cloak from the ground and replacing it.

 

[Galavant]

Jillian watched, the Jedi Master bring the Sith Assassin down. She thought about doing something to help, but Larik looked to have things in hand, and she had a feeling that she would just get in the way. So while the two dueled on, she kept an eye on the surrounding area, and concentrated on putting a shimmering green barrier between them and everyone else. It was a rather large barrier, and so wouldn't hold anything at bay if it were hit very hard, and Jillian didn't have the strength to keep it up for longer than a few minutes in the dark. But at the least it would serve as a warning for anyone approaching for the duration.

When Larik cleaved the Sith's lightsaber in two, Jillian dropped the barrier and came closer observing the exchange.

"Are you sure that was the best idea," Jillian asked after a few minutes, putting her own lightsaber away as the Sith hide himself, to undoubtedly scamper away to a safe place. She asked in a tone that suggested it should be taken as a more philosophical question, rather than questioning the Jedi Master's choice and judgement. She kept her voice low, although she wasn't really sure why. If the assassin believed he was a Sith Master, than naturally he would expect, her to not believe he was a Sith Master and that he had just lied. "He's going to figure out you're not a Sith Master eventually. Probably.....well maybe. I guess he wasn't that bright in the first place, but still."

She was a little unnerved that someone could sneak up on two Jedi like that. She was used to detecting traps, and the presence of the darkside of various objects, but had never focused on someone trying to sneak up and potentially kill her like that. It was definitely unsettling, and something she resolved to practice on, at the next chance.

 

[TAC]

Larik watched down the alley after the Sith. His attention no longer distracted by Jillian, he was quite attune, and he ensured that the Sith did scamper away. His fellow Jedi voiced her concerns, and at first he didn't respond. The Master simply looked down the black alley, into the quietness, the darkness from where the Sith had come. "Lets get out of here, first," he responded, without answering any of her questions.

The two of them again started strolling down the street. It was as if, for a few moments, nothing had happened. The city made the same noises, the stars and planets in the sky made the same glow, and the two Jedi walked together quite simply. It was different all the same, though. It was obvious each of the Jedi were brooding over what had happened. Larik had his own reasoning, which he was trying to put into reasoning for his fellow Jedi.

"I could have killed him," Larik said, "that much was obvious." He paused a moment, then, reflecting on his choice. "But there was a better option. And there often is." The Jedi Master let the sit between them for a few minutes. "That Sith was sent to kill you. Ordered, then, to kill you. And if a Sith Master was defending you, and he yielded to said master, that would mean he was wrong." Another pause as the man glanced over to the Knight as they walked. "Which would mean, by chain of command, that his superiors were wrong."

Larik nodded to himself, as if he suddenly knew how to articulate himself. "He felt my presence in the force. Unmistakable as a powerful Dark Side User, and so that is the reality that he accepts. But he's not going to go back to the Sith Lords and tell them they were wrong. So he's stuck in between a rock and a hard place. And obviously, the Sith have a long reach. So if he can neither complete his mission nor report to his Lords, there's only one option left to our new friend." Glancing over at the woman, the Master smiled.

"Run."

They neared the Knight's hotel, now, and as they were moving closer and closer to the "night scene," the lights were brighter. Larik noted that Jillian was safer and safer all the time, as she could now see. "Killing him would have been against everything I stand for, and in effect everything the Order stands for. It is hidden sometimes, Knight Nur Ghazi, but there is almost always a better option when compared to death. Rarely easy, and definitely not without their own doubts, but the Sith do not deserve death. They are sentient as well." Finally, the two Jedi stopped in front of the doorway to the hotel. They faced each other, and Larik smiled at the woman.

"You knew that already, Jillian, I'm sorry for lecturing you. A simple explanation of my reasoning would have been good enough, but the Master in me has a tendency to come out." The man grinned as he regarded the significantly shorter woman.

 

[Galavant]

Well duh, Jillian thought resisting to urge to say it out loud and roll her eyes, when he got to the part about "everything the Order stands for" which would have been highly disrespectful. She knew he meant well, and she knew she had a tendency to be long winded and preachy as well, but it always felt like a drag to hear someone say something you've heard over and over again.

"It's no worry Master Novan," She said aloud with the smile. It might be drag to hear something over and over again, but oftentimes it also necessary. It was good to be back in the light, as they stood in the entrance to the hotel. It would also be nice to get some rest, it had been an interesting day to be sure. She hadn't done anything that physical, but she'd been up for hours already, and was mentally exhausted from all the chit chat, science chat, and now philosophical chat.

"But what about capturing him," She had to ask before turning in. "Shouldn't we try turning him back the light? Or introduce him to it, as something more than what he's been taught if he's been with the Sith from the start? And what if he had."

Saying it out loud sounded it sounded a little cheesy, but she was too tired to really think of a better way to say it. "And what if he'd decided to strike you down instead? That's sometimes how one advances in the Sith Hierarchy, if I remember correctly."

 

[TAC]

Perhaps, then, the lesson had been more for the Jedi Master than it had been for the Jedi Knight. There was no arguing that Larik had spent a significant amount of time on the front lines, doing nothing more than fighting tooth and nail to ensure the survival of himself and his Order. Hearing himself speak about these delicate matters seemed a bit hypocritical to him, but also served a reminder to himself that he could still show mercy. Still find that alternative to the final solution. It was comforting, but at the same time odd to see how combat oriented he had become.

"Perhaps we could have done that," he responded. "And I've done it before. But you need to have a willingness to turn, in order to truly pursue a more appropriate usage of the Force," the man replied. Smiling, he grabbed the glove that covered his left arm. Pulling it off, a strong mechanical arm was revealed. "If you get too trusting or too noble, though, you can lose your arm or worse." Carefully replacing the glove, Larik couldn't help but chuckle at her final question.

"I am quite sure the Sith would appreciate the vote of confidence, Jillian." His smile turned to a grin, "I was not aware you had so low of regard for my combat abilities." Without a lightsaber, it would have been very difficult for the Sith to overpower the experienced Master Jedi. Especially seeing as the man was trained, and quite likely significantly more skilled at, the art of the shadow. Without something extremely dramatic, the Sith would've had a hard time besting the Master. Much less the Knight included.

Coming out of the grin and chuckle, the Master Jedi bowed to the Knight. "The evening was quite exciting, Jillian. Thank you very much for the company! I wish the best in your studies."

 

[Galavant]

"I am quite sure the Sith would appreciate the vote of confidence, Jillian. I was not aware you had so low of regard for my combat abilities."

"I could say the same you, telling me to get behind you," She replied with a chuckle. Seeing the mans mechanical arm had been a shock, she hadn't realized the man had been injured in such a fashion. It definitely drove home what he'd said though. Lightsaber combat was difficult enough without trying to subdue your foe in a way that could possibly lead them back to the light. No doubt the Sith suffered from the same, Jillian didn't know for certain, but aware of the fact that the Sith liked to turn Jedi as well. For some it wasn't just enough to defeat an opponent, to them a true victory came from showing their foes that they were wrong to oppose them in the first place.

"The evening was quite exciting, Jillian. Thank you very much for the company! I wish the best in your studies."

"Indeed and I hope you stay safe on the frontlines," Jillian said with a bow of her own, and a big smile. Turning, she left the Jedi Master in the entrance to the hotel, with a small spring in her step. The hotel had very nice beds, free access to premium holonet programs, and a very nice to sauna to use in the morning.