Fox in the Hen House

[Fennex Zeerda]

Coruscant Undercity: Level 1313
2300 Hours Local Time
​

Poodoo! Fennex spat as burst out of the damp and smelly alley into a wide pedestrian thoroughfare. He searched frantically, sniffing at the air and looking every direction, trying to catch sight of the slicer before he could get too far. The dingus thought he could get away by throwing up a distraction like that? Pah, not likely. Not as long as Fennex had something to say about it. There was a muffled cry and roar of a panicked cry as a blaster shot went off behind him, somewhere inside the cantina he had just left. People started spilling out of the front and back entrances and filling the street, making Fennex's job that much more difficult. There! Fennex spied his target darting into another alley further down the block, and the Fox set off in a desperate chase.

The knight kept a paw on one of the lightsabers hidden in his coat pockets. Drawing them now would only bring him even more unwanted attention, but the slicer- Zero Renelo- had already shown he could be crafty when desperate, and didn't seem too keen to be taken in for questioning. And that said nothing of the flamboyant Exile peacock Fennex had just faced off with inside the cantina either. They had closed in on Zero at the same time, making knowing eye contact with eachother before both looking at their target, Zero. The undercity slimeball had seen the same thing they had- he'd seen it coming, and made a run for it. Before the two Force Users could do anything, there was a crash of glass and the tightly packed patrons swirled in irritation, pushing and jostling eachother, shouting angrily... and making way for the bandits escape.

Fen had made it out the side exit into the alley only a few moments after the slicer, and was in hot pursuit. He needed this lead. The Jedi needed this lead. There was a good chance the slicer had information on one of the missing councilors, and even if that information turned up nothing, it was not something the Order could allow to fall into enemy hands. Fennex had to protect it. The knight skidded on his hind paws around the corner of the alley he'd seen his prey duck into, vigilant and ready for an attack from any direction. The hunt was on.

@Faster Than Light

 

[Zik'ir]

After the peacock-like Rishii exited the cantina roughly the same the runt fox did through one of the shattered windows, taking a different direction. Zik'ir, using his beautiful leafy-green wings, took to the air after exiting the cantina he caught the sight of his target and the little furball of a Jedi, placing himself thirty meters above the Undercity ground level, then started scanning the ground looking for the slicer that the Rishii and the furball are looking for. The Exile then spotted the the slicer go down an alley, losing sight of the slicer at this point from Zik'ir's position. But he then spotted the tiny Jedi go after him as well. The Jedi must not be allowed to get to the slicer first. The slicer is suspected of having some knowledge to the whereabouts of one of those Jedi councilors who have been missing. With one Jedi councilor already dead, making sure they don't find whoever it is would benefit the Exiles; and if the information falls into Exile hands, they perhaps they could make sure that missing councilor shares Vao's fate.

With the slicer spotted, Zik'ir then spreads his wings and begins taking off after the slicer, staying above ground, but following the slicer's path after passing a building overhead to get above the alley. It wouldn't take long for the Rishii (due to his flying speed) to overtake the slicer's lead, and he started lowering his altitude steadily afterwards.

When the slicer went into that corner of the alley, the Rishii alighted in front of the slicer's path as fast as he could, but flapping his wings to control his decent to avoid a rough landing. The Exile stands ten meters in front of the slicer who stopped in place, unable to go anywhere else with Zik'ir blocking his path. Fennex would be skidding around the corner, putting the slicer between the bird and the fox. The Rishii was quick to grab his lightsaber in his right hand. "Sorry there friend! But you are coming with me!" the colorful bird cockily said to the slicer as he chuckled. Zik'ir started gathering the force through his body as he keeps alert for attacks that might come his way as he faces the slicer with Fennex about ten meters away.

@Loco

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

"Grandmasters shriveled balls he is!" Fennex shouted at the garish avian as he went into action.

Fennex darted forward and to his right, the Force coiling its way into his muscles and empowering his body to move swift and strong. As he came even with the terrified slicer- even without the Force, you could tell the poor guy was ready to wet himself and Fennex's sensitive nose told him he probably already had- the little Knight performed a tiny sideways hop, planting his feet firmly on the alley wall as he ignited his lightsabers. Using momentum and his powerful hind legs, Fennex sent himself rocketing at the Exiles legs, mere inches off the ground. As he passed by, the Jedi gave the criminal a single word of advice, confident they would have time to talk later: "Run!"

His focus was now entirely centered upon himself, his opponent, and the swirl of the Force around them. His ears and whiskers were slicked back aggressively. Fennex was moving low enough to the ground that he could easily recover his footing if pressed, and moving too quickly to take careful preparation against. He was hoping the odd angle would work in his favor, but it also limited his targets for attack, and he would not underestimate his opponent (especially since it had already nearly gotten him cut in half once!). His left lightsaber was held horizontally in front of him, while the right was held above him, tip toward the enemy. As the distance between them closed, Fennex would rapidly switch the two, using the right saber to make a downward and right to left swipe at the birds left leg, powered by his momentum- even if it missed, it would leave the blade in a prime position to defend against retaliatory strikes from the saber in the Rishii's right hand, or whatever else the Exile wanted to throw at him from the from (he could feel the force swarming around his feathers). At the same time, his left blade rose to take its twins defensive place above his head, wary against any attacks at his upper body. What Fennex lacked in natural strength, he made up for in being a small target. He only hoped it would work in his advantage here- he'd never fought a flier before.

Behind him the close presence (and pungent scent) of the slicer seemed to be fading away back the way he'd come. Good. Fennex didn't need a drawn out fight to the death in this alley- he just needed to delay his opponent from getting his claws on the only lead Fennex had finding the missing councilor- but he wouldn't hesitate if the beaked fiend pressed him. He had to move on from this quickly before the low-rent slicer got away again. No way he was going to let some preening peacock get in the way of his mission!

@Faster Than Light

 

[Zik'ir]

"Grandmasters shriveled balls he is!" the colorful Rishii heard as the runt shouted, the Rishii was already alert for anything that might be coming his way, but the thing didn't seem to care if gave himself away like that. Oh well. Zik'ir was watching the furball's movements and he could tell what the little fox was going for. The peacock had no time for these games, so Zik'ir cast out his left hand, attempting using the Force to violently repulse the critter just after he rocketed himself off the alley wall. Zik'ir has no intention of letting Fennex do as he pleases. If Zik'ir's force attack works, Fennex's attack would be interrupted and his attack on the Rishii's legs would unable to be executed. The instant Zik'ri finishes with his force use, Zik'ir activates his lightsaber in his right hand with just a simple push of a button with one of his fingers, other than that he would see what becomes of his furry friend where he is standing after his attack before committing to more actions.

@Loco!

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

The birds push thwarted his attack, but the Jedi had still accomplished his goal of buying precious moments for his target to separate himself from this deadly alley brawl. Fennex 's attack faltered at first as the Exiles telekenisis made headway against his Force assisted lunge, but then he slid backwards on his hind paws, tail swinging back and forth furiously to help maintain his balance, lightsabers held in front of him in a defensive triangle as he was forced back. As he felt the pressure exerted against him fade, his nails stopped scraping against the duracrete floor of the smelly alley, and saw the exiles crimson blade spring to life, the Knight sprung back into action. The slicer had his head start. Fen just needed to provide a distraction and get some back up.

Fen feinted another forward lunge, but only took a single step towards closing the few meters between them. With both hands and sabers in front of him, the Fox merely extended his lesser two fingers on each hand, briefly closed his eyes, and let the Force flow through him. The sudden surge of energy sent a brilliant and blinding flash of light through the tightly enclosed space of the alley. Fennex immediately opened his eyes and, sabers still at the ready for defense, used his feinted step to leap away high into the air in what was sure to be the moments confusion. He would land on the "roof" or whatever flat walking surface was available of whatever business or residential building this was next to the alley quickly activating a short range emergency beacon on his belt comlink as he did so. He was braced, both physically and in the Force, ready to defend or strike if the birb followed him immediately, or to chase off after the slicer if he had some respite.

@Faster Than Light

 

[Zik'ir]

Zik'ir was smirking as he saw his force push connected, disrupting what would otherwise be a well-executed attack from the little furball. But however as the Rishii ignited his lightsaber, he observed as the little runt recovered his footing. Zik'ir knows the slicer is trying to high tail it out of here, but the peacock-like Rishii can't do much about it with the tiny Jedi Crusader who dares oppose him standing in his way. Sure since Zik'ir has wings he could fly, but that wouldn't be the wises option, he has to remove the little runt out of his way. Right after Zik'ir's lightsaber blade came to life,

Zik'ir then once again casts out his left hand to use the force to once again in an attempt repulse his foe, although with lower intensity this time around. If the furball thinks the peacock Exile is just going to stand by and let him do whatever he wants he is sadly mistaken. The fox would be already attempting to feint a forward lunge by this time and probably wouldn't be able to defend against his push effectively, and interrupting everything that would after the lunge such such his planned force flash. etc

Should the force push be as effective as he intended in disrupting his opponent's moves, Zik'ir would then proceed to go on the offensive, going after the runt at a running pace, with his crimson bladed lightsaber out in front of him held in both hands with the tip of the blade pointed towards the the little fox's head. The Rishii had not got into striking range yet, Zik'ir wouldn't commit to any strikes, but instead would watch his opponent closely as he closes the distance, and once it's time to strike, the bird will act accordingly.

@Loco!

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

Pluck this guy... Fennex thought as yet another attack was thwarted. The Exile's push caught him as he stepped- luckily for the Jedi it was a feint rather than another full on charge, and so his footing wasn't totally compromised and his defensive shield of sabers helped to mitigate the blow. The blast of energy forced him backward again nearly to the mouth of the alley, his hind paws scrabbling for a hold again and his tail fighting to keep him balanced. This was getting rather obnoxious. The damned slicer was going to get away if this kept up. He was probably out there stealing a speeder or something right now while Fen was stuck here in this alley.

The Exiles attack had disrupted his plans, but Fennex was far from finished as he saw the Rishii rush forward with both hands on his glowing red saber. He was tired of being pushed around, but thus far hadn't expended much energy this fight, with all of his attacks being preempted by the defensive minded bird- perhaps that could change now. He was still just outside of striking range, and Fennex's paws were planted and his sabers were still held in a defensive triangle in front of him, ready to fend off any sudden attack and immediately retaliate. The Exile was watching Fen closely, and would have little time to react as Fennex gestured his fingers, blinked his eyes, and let loose the brilliant flash he had been denied moments ago, lighting up the alley. He immediately opened his eyes again as the light faded, searching for an opening in his likely blinded opponent.

@Faster Than Light

 

[Zik'ir]

The peacock-like Rishii with wondrous green wings was just now getting just outside of striking range and still going, Zik'ir quickly makes a small adjustment to his blade (which was already held out in front of him with both hands and previously pointed at the fox's head), pointing it instead at the furball's chest, a good opening in the fox's admittedly solid triangular defensive stance. Immediately after, Zik'ir then, with a simple quick push of a button on his lightsaber, then utilizes it's dual phase feature to extend it's blade length instantly, with it now being at two meters. This sudden change of blade length when Zik'ir was just outside normal striking range would threaten to impale the furball through the chest where he stood. Zik'ir doubts that the fox would predict that. Zik'ir can't avoid the Fox's force-flash (which would happen roughly around the same time as the Rishii's blade extension) which blinded the Rishii. After being blinded, Zik'ir would slow down to a stop while driving his two-meter lightsaber blade upwards. Zik'ir is blinded at the moment, but ideally the fox would be impaled, as the fox was was commiting to his force flash and wouldn't open his eyes after all the light from the flash is gone.

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

The move was strong one, and unexpected to be sure, but Fennex wondered if Rishii eyes lacked good depth perception. The bird had attempted the maneuver as Fen closed his eyes, but since the Fox was the one timing the flash, he knew exactly when to close and re-open his eyes, and it required little more than a blink- a fraction of a second at most. With the Rishii halting just outside striking range and Fennex's sabers held in front of him, there was no way the meter-ish of length granted by the dual phase function of the Exile's blade would pierce the Jedi's chest, but it was enough to give him a start. His eyes were opening as the exiles blade was extending, and though it stopped well short of his chest Fen knew he needed to act quickly.

All at once he twisted his body and lunged forward with his left side, his left hand blade coming down and across from left to right to bat away the oversized crimson lightsaber. This movement brought Fen's right hand saber over his head, and a reach and clockwise twirl of the wrist would send the end of his right hand blade slicing through the exiles hands (wing-tips?) or wrists. The whole motion happened as one and took only the briefest moment, the strike occurring at the same time as the Rishii's upward raise of the lightsaber, which would serve only to trap the Exiles blade against Fen's and feed the little Jedi's momentum. Blinded and already moving, the Exile would have little chance to react to the attack. Fennex would finish the move inside the Exile's guard with his newfound comically large saber, with his own left blade in between him and the Rishii, and his right blade would finish its twirling strike held horizontal between himself and the Rishii's body.

@Faster Than Light

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

Fennex's sapphire lightsaber blade struck true, slicing clean through the Exiles wrists and bisecting his lightsaber just below the crystal chamber- a perfect sun djem/cho mai disarmament. The red blade snapped off for the last time with a hiss, and Fen could see the flash of shock and rage in the birds eyes as his weapon of terror was destroyed and his wings were clipped, the stench of burnt feathers fillings the air between them. Letting his momentum carry him through, the Jedi wasted no time on the follow up. With both sabers now free and the Rishii practically defenseless, he spun his body clockwise as he continued moving forward. His right saber performed another clockwise spin and slash, and his left saber came across in a strike as well. This would result in a simultaneous strike at both the birds torso and upper legs. Fennex likely didn't have the reach to completely tri-sect his enemy, but unblocked the wounds would be quiet fatal, even if his feathered hands hadn't already been sliced off- a number of vital organs would be punctured in his chest, and his legs would be useless.

In many Jedi texts, this sort of fight ending strike would be considered a "mercy", but Fennex wasn't so sure. The Exile would have time to reflect on his actions, and his life, but in Fens experience few of them used this time well. They raged against the darkness that had taken them in and consumed them. They raged against the universe itself it seemed, oblivious to their own part in all of it. But there was nothing Fen could do about that. His little black eyes would reflect only pity and the shimmering blue of his lightsabers as he struck his opponent down. Whether the strikes were effective or not Fennex would land in a defensive stance once more, back to his starting position- left blade held horizontal in front of his and right blade over head, tip toward his enemy, both readily available to fend off any last reprisals.

If his opponent was dispatched, Fennex was prepared to move on. He would retreat carefully back down the alley, recovering the Exiles ruined blade with the force as he moved, and only at the last moment would he deactivate his weapons and take off at a sprint. He still had a mission here. He needed to find that dingus slicer, and this whole sad and deadly episode was merely a distraction to that effort.

@Faster Than Light

 

[Zik'ir]

Zik'ir couldn't save his once-beautiful and wondrous wings, his wrists, or his lightsaber. The peacock-like Rishii was blinded having taken no measures to defend against it. He couldn't even see the Crusader go for the kill. Although the Rishii's hearing was good, he couldn't keep up and the pain meant he couldn't use the force to sense or see him without his natural eyesight. Zik'ir wasn't completely tri-sected by the furball, but the strike to the torso was good enough to seal his fate. All Zik'ir could see with the Force Flash was the Light he had forsaken when he became an Exile and used started using the Dark Side, and after that, abrupt nothingness as his life was taken by the Crusader.

If only the Rishii hadn't miscalculated with his saber thrust, maybe this could have turned out different. So close, and yet so far...

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

Sad, Fen thought as he retreated back down the alley. He kept a wary eye on the exile to the last moment, despite feeling the birds life force fading away in front of his eyes. Ever since watching Alais disappear during the trial, Fennex felt things much more keenly than before. It was harder and harder to see Exiles as these evil constructs that existed only to ravage and destroy for nothing more than their own twisted pleasure. He suddenly realized that these were living beings, hardly different from the Jedi fighting them. Each of them had fallen, and only they could make that choice he knew- the Knight would never try to excuse their actions and choices- but he wondered more and more how these creatures came to be. What was this beautifully feathered creature like before he fell? What drove him to this? Why did his path lead him to an ignoble death slumped in over in an alley, his lifeblood soaking into the dark under-city of Coruscant. The Galaxy would likely never know now.

The scorched remains of the Rishii's lightsaber made its way into Fen's pocket as he turned away from the grisly scene and made his way back out into the pedestrian thoroughfare. A crowd was starting to gather at the fringes of walkway, and Fennex was glad that the fight had ended before innocents had been brought into it. The muttering onlookers gave him plenty of space as he took off in the way he'd felt the slicer head. It didn't take much effort to pick up his scent. Even down here on level 1313- home of the most wretched hive of scum and villainy this side of Hutt Space- the mans peculiar mix of musky fear and trail of expelled bodily fluids was pungent and distinct. Fen followed the foul odor to a multi-level lot tucked into the industrial district bordering the strip of cantinas and tenements where he'd first laid eyes on his target. The man was now trying to jump-start a speeder in a remote corner of the garage. He must have been here for at least a minute or two, which meant he probably wasn't nearly as good a slicer as his local reputation would lead people to believe.

"You there, you smelly dingus!" Fen shouted at the terrified criminal, drawing himself up to his full three footi-ish hight as he stomped forward, emergency klaxons wailed in the distance, getting closer every second, "Stop right there! You've got some bluthering questions to answer!"

 

[The Storyteller]

Flexal Korda was smelly, he was also terrified. He had never been chased before. His reputation as a brilliant slicer was probably a little over exaggerated but he wasn’t total failure. He managed to make a little bit of a name for himself. He was caught halfway to escape. Flexal had to forcibly remind himself not to wet his pants. The little fox man was terrifying. He looked at the terrifying creature. “Look, maaan. I don’t know what you want but I caaan’t help you.” Flexal wanted to cry. This was awful. “I just want to be left alone dude. Please. Come on. You’re ruining my day.” This really was the worst day of Flexal’s life. @Loco

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

"Uggghhh."

That was all Fennex could really come up with to say at this point. However much parts of this city-planet reminded him of Coronet or his old burrow on Corellia, he had decided he really didn't like the place. Didn't like the noise, the people, and especially the smell. And now here this scruffy looking scrap heap of a human was, making all three of those things even worse. The Jedi decided he really didn't have time for this. He reached out a hand and yanked the criminals feet out from him with the Force, dropping him down to Fens diminutive height. The Fox stalked forward mercilessly, and slapped a furry paw against the slicers forehead, and entered his mind. First, he put the rapscallion to sleep. This usually caused Fennex a struggle, but the man was weak will, terrified, and emotionally distressed already, which made his mind an easy target for an experienced Jedi. That done, Fennex concentrated a bit harder, searching the surface of the slicers mind- a level where he couldn't do much if any damage to the man, scouring for his knowledge of the missing councilor... There. Fennex wormed his way into the memory, half buried among a strange misshapen blob of memery and nonsense. It was like mentally sifting through a barrage of tabloid headlines given mental shape and psychic power- something wholly difficult to describe... Then, Fennex realized what he was looking at.

He snapped free of the criminals mind and reeled backwards, falling to the duracrete pavement. Was it? No. It couldn't be.... DAMN IT. It was... Fennex and the late Exile had both been duped. Fennex felt like a bigger fool than this pathetic wretch was. The source of the Slicers information on the missing councilor was none other than... Spacebook. The man had read an entirely un-fact-checked article published by a Holoblog with dubious reputation, which made wild claims about the whereabouts and activities of councilor Shivaaga. It would have been believable if it hadn't cast the blue skinned Jedi Master as a "baby eating alien wizard" with ties to "the one-galaxy-government-extremists known as the Eternal Jedi Order". The slicer had shared the blog, and spread the nonsense fairy tale with such conviction in the local cantinas, that word had gotten back to both orders. Disgraceful. Fennex wasn't sure whether to be more ashamed of himself, the unconscious wretch in front of himself, or galactic society itself.

This newfangled holo-social-media would be the death of them all, he thought, keenly aware that ths sentiment would make Vin and Alais both regard him as "old".

What a waste of time.


/Thread