Ask Coruscant In Search of a Taco

Zerath Eblon

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Zerath Eblon didn't leave Yavin IV as much as he'd liked- his duties to the Order kept him busy on the jungle moon- but from time to time he was able to leave the home of the Jedi and serve the galaxy at large. His mission today had brought him to the lower levels of Coruscant; a place where he felt the Jedi could be doing more of their crucial work. Already he had healed a stabbing victim, shepherded a lost boy home, mediated a potentially violent dispute, and assisted an offworlder with navigating the Coruscant public transportation system.

He could've spent the rest of his life on this level, assisting its peoples, but eventually he had to concede that his mission needed to take precedence and that there was a distinct possibility that he was late. On orders from the Council and following good intel from an informant, the Mirulakan/Zabrak had found where he thought the Force-sensitive Twi'lek to be, only to be told that the teen had already been picked up by a Jedi. After getting physical descriptions of the Twi'lek and the mysterious Jedi, Zerath politely apologized to the woman for disturbing her evening and wandered out into the street in order to collect his thoughts.

He was certain of 3 things:

1. Zerath did not know of a Jedi on Coruscant matching the woman's description; not yet cause for alarm, given the size of the Order, but curious nonetheless.
2. There was a disturbance in the Force that indicated something was amiss concerning the young Twi'lek's current whereabouts
3. He had a bad feeling about this

Zerath tightened the blindfold that covered his eyes- like many with Mirulakan heritage, he relied upon Force sight to "see"- and began asking around to see if anyone could give him clues as to which direction the Twi'lek and the Jedi had gone.


@Die Shize
 

Kayden Skyler

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It wasn’t every day that Kayden managed to find stray cats worth his time and affection. Taco wasn’t really one of them, wasn’t really anything, but the Twi’lek would serve well enough before his services would no longer be required.

Force-sensitive. I felt it before. His demonstration proved it. There wasn’t much that could slip past Kayden Skyler. The Force, he felt, was meant for those who deserved to know how to wield it. Was Taco the Twi’lek one of them? He might surprise me yet. We’ll see.

“That’ll be a thousand credits, buddy,” the greasemonkey told the Sith. He’s robbing me. He doesn’t know what I can take from him with one wave of the hand. Such was the game.

“I can afford that.”
Kayden handed the mechanic what was due. It was an arguable enough expense, given the required repair on the speeder bike, and at least his Silence was a lot more safe and sound back at the port.

“D-DANG dude, this your bike, hey!?”
Taco ogled that bike like it was a bag of spice all over again. He looked this way, walked over that way, touched this and that, got his hand slapped by the mechanic. Kayden would permit that. They were in a chop shop after all.

It wasn’t every day that Kayden went to this kind of establishment. This one was a little out of the way in the lower levels. Best way to get to it through bumper-to-bumper traffic was to walk, pass passersby, try to ignore an annoying teenager on the way. The Sith was here to pay for more than his ride to be fixed.

“Kid needs a fix,” he spoke hush-hush to the greasemonkey. They both grinned. “I’m willing to pay higher if you can sweeten the deal this time.” So began the haggling. And the hanging if I don’t like what I hear.



@SlagathorTheUnknown
 

Zerath Eblon

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On some worlds, finding a Twi'lek accompanied by a human would be easy. Not so on Coruscant; and especially not so on the lower levels... although the fact that this Twi'lek happened to be male did improve his chances. Slightly. Zerath did his best to narrow his search, sweeping in the general direction of public transportation services and the pathways they straddled that would lead towards the upper levels.

The most promising clue would also turn out to be the most troubling; a man and a Twi'lek matching the description Zerath had been provided had been spotted with a speeder bike in tow. Zerath was now confident that he was at least moving in the right direction, but given the fact that this Jedi had personal transportation would make them almost impossible to track once they got it up and running.

As he dutifully moved over to let a swoop bike past, Zerath pondered why the duo hadn't simply taken off, eventually coming to the conclusion that they were either out of gas or in need of repairs. Zerath headed towards the nearest charging station a couple blocks away. As he turned down the street leading to the station, his commlink chimed; the Jedi liaison on Coruscant had messaged him back with confirmation that no other Jedi (save perhaps the Shadows, who worked incognito) were on in the area. An uneasy feeling settled in Zerath's stomach and he picked up his pace despite himself; if the Twi'lek wasn't with a Jedi, who was he with?


@Die Shize
 

Kayden Skyler

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For all his irritable antics, Kayden was growing a little fond of Taco, though he would never admit it to his face. The Twi’lek, stupid, spiced up, was no less amusing. Frankly, hearing the wailing of women and the moaning of men day after night got a little irritating all on its own.

After all, it wasn’t Kayden’s fault that some fool found himself flayed while dangling from the ceiling of Silence. Who got themselves in that position besides fools and morons? This kid might. He thought about that while steering his bike from the shop with a fresh supply of spice in his track suit jacket.

“Ya-Ya like the m-music, m-mister?” Taco asked in the seat behind, arms around his master’s waist, holding tight.

“Eh, it’s all right,” Kayden admitted. Taco was taken to it after hearing it in the chop shop so insisted on the bike’s radio emitting it. His master didn’t really care.

“My d-d-d-d-d-didd-d-daddy was an architect, d-did I tell you that, h-hey?”

“Nope.”

“Get away get away get away get away get awaaaay!” Taco sang.

“Good voice, kid, not bad at all.” Not bad at all.

“Hey, a-are you my dad, by the way…hey?”

“Yes.”

"YAY!"

With that, Kayden halted his bike down the street not far from the chop shop. There was a red light on account of a nasty traffic collision. Teet-sucking sons of bitches. They picked HERE to die?


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Zerath Eblon

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Zerath continued towards the nearest refueling station, a run-down place that was located across the street from an equally seedy chop shop. Normally, the Jedi Knight was all smiles, happy to share his good mood with others, but given the apparent time-sensitive nature of his mission, his face remained a polite neutral. His robes for this mission had been carefully chosen to not scream "Jedi!" at first glance, and his lightsaber was hidden from prying eyes. He'd even discarded his blindfold to attract less attention to himself, although if one watched him for long enough they would notice that he never opened his eyes. Zerath's use of the Force to examine his surroundings gave him excellent situation awareness, but unfortunately made telling something like a Twi'lek's skin color impossible.

Zerath's senses, already on alert, were kicked into overdrive as he heard a loud crunch followed by the acrid smell of smoke in the air. The Mirulakan/Zabrak turned the corner and sensed distress and pain in the intersection just ahead. The lower levels of Coruscant were rife with both emotions, but these was more concentrated and recent; a violent crash, from the looks of things. Two landspeeders had collided in the middle of the intersection, and one had clearly come out worse for the wear. A fire had started at the rear of the vehicle, dangerously close to where the fuel tanks were located on most models. A humanoid form was slumped forward in the seat while a passenger struggled to exit the burning vehicle.

Despite his concern for the Twi'lek's safety, Zerath accepted that a more immediate problem had just presented itself. The fire needed to be extinguished ASAP lest it reach the fuel tanks; the ensuing explosion would level the block. Emergency crews would be slow to respond to this level, but fortunately the nearby refueling station would have something capable of putting out the flames- even the worst of the worst had to respect the threat of fire.

There was also the injured driver to deal with; Zerath was too far away to tell if the man was unconscious or dead, but it rarely helped to be pessimistic so he chose to assume the former. At least the traffic lights had sensed the accident and had stopped traffic, which allowed the Jedi Knight to rush into the intersection and over towards the burning speeder. The dazed passenger had managed to extract themselves, leaving just the unconscious driver in the speeder. Up close, the smoke seared into his lungs and the heat from the fire at the back of the vehicle raked across his face, but Zerath was able to open the shallow door and haul the man from the burning wreck.

That solved one problem, but Zerath knew that if the fire wasn't extinguished that he soon wouldn't have any problems anymore. After pulling the man clear from the wreckage, he called over towards a pair sitting on a speeder bike nearby the refueling station. His voice was calm and confident; both important qualities in an emergency, and carried over to where the human and the Twi'lek sat. "The fire must be put out as soon as possible. Bring me the extinguisher from the refueling station, please."

@Die Shize
 

Kayden Skyler

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It was all Kayden could do to sit back and shake his head, boots on the ground to help keep the bike steady as the Twi’lek behind him started shaking it. “OOH OOH will there be f-f-f-f-f-fireworks?”

“Shut your mouth before I make you sew your lips together.”

“Huh hey?”

“I said shut your mouth before I whip you glistening.”

“Ohhhhh will there be fireworks?”


Taking a deep breath, Kayden blew it out for all the idiots in the universe as he watched one of them approach the crash instead of getting away from it. Screw this. I got a bike. Time to weave through the fools. He could make it in time before the vehicle exploded and by then it would be someone else’s problem.

With that, Kayden’s boots found the pedals as Captain Coruscant called out for some help to put out the fire. Here’s my finger. The bike gave way just as a teenager’s voice did. “T-T-T-TACO TO THE THING WITH THE STUFF WAHAHAAAAA”

The Twi’lek shook the bike even more violently as he hopped off, halting his master. Dumb. Ass. Kid. The kid took off running for the filling station, yelling incoherently while flapping his arms. Is he trying to fly?

“NABBA-ZABBA-DEE I GOT IT I GOT IT I GOT I GOT IT” Taco grabbed the fire extinguisher and headed back. “I GOT IT I GOT IT I GOT I GOT IT I G—GUBBA-DOO!—” He tripped, caught the extinguisher with some unnatural deftness, regained his footing “—GOT IT GOT IT GOT IT here you go sir.”

The kid was brave, some spicy courage for sure, twitching as he danced around the would-be hero to help him put the fire out or get shoved away in the attempt.

All the while, Kayden sat back and watched, boots on the ground once more, taking in the music with a lit cigarette. Not bad at all.



@SlagathorTheUnknown
 

Zerath Eblon

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Zerath received a salute from the bike's pilot, but not one that affirmed the suggested course of action. A moment of surprise gave way to grudging acceptance that he couldn't control others' actions; and he was on the lower levels of Coruscant, after all. That still left a major problem, however, but today the Force was with him in the strangest of ways.

The bike's passenger, a Twi'lek apparently high out of his mind, leapt off the bike and heroically tottered his way towards the refueling station, returning moments later at full volume with the requested item. The youth even managed to avoid dropping the extinguisher on the way back, despite objections from the laws of physics. In a calmer situation the Jedi Knight would've noticed the boy's use of the Force, but the current circumstances didn't allow for such scrutiny of his surroundings. Zerath shook his head in amazement at the boy's antics, wrinkling his nose at the unmistakable scent of spice that accompanied the youth.

"Thank you." Zerath wasted no time in gently taking the fire extinguisher from the Twi'lek and mentally ran through the acronym for using it; P.A.S.S.

Pull the pin out.
Aim at the base of the fire.
Squeeze the nozzle so the foam comes out.
SHIT did the Twi'lek just call himself "Taco"?

Zerath had thoroughly read the case file on Tacovean Delminar, the Force-sensitive Twi'lek he was supposed to be bringing to the Jedi Order. While some of it had read like a bad dating profile and some of it sounded like a tall-tale, the boy had been referred to as both "Tacovean" and "Taco" throughout the file. Either by sheer luck or by the will of the Force, Zerath had managed to find a needle in a haystack as Taco danced around nearby in a spice-addled haze.

As he began putting out the fire, Zerath internally processed a turbulent series of emotions as only a Jedi Knight could; disgust for the Twi'lek's current state, dismay that he would be responsible for bringing the loopy boy safely back to Yavin IV, surprise that he'd managed to find him, anger towards the strange man on the bike who was likely responsible for the teen's current state, and finally calm as he soothed his emotions. By the time the fire was out, Zerath's smile had returned and he decided to see if he could get any information from the Twi'lek as to who the man on the speeder bike was.

"Thank you for the help, my friend" Zerath said to Taco, choosing not to reveal himself as a Jedi just yet and conscious that the speeder pilot was likely wanting "his" passenger back. Hopefully the spice high would conceal the unusual follow-up question he was about to ask. "Who are you travelling with today?"

@Die Shize
 

Tacovean Delminar

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Taco couldn’t believe it. There he was, just a lone little Ewok in the middle of a rusty pond, trying his best to navigate the realms of hee-haw-seesaw, when all of a sudden some dude named Dorothy helped him put out a fire on Won-Won-Hooga-Buh.

I DID IT I GOT IT I DID IT I DID IT GOT IT GOTCHA LOL. Taco thought, struggled to think, wondered why every time he blinked he saw a giant star the size of Osmosis Jones or whateverthesomething what. Hmm, yes, these trees are made of trees.

Oh well who cares at least this guy in robes who never opened his eyes had brought a fire extinguisher from the filling station, hey?

“WE DID IT WE DIT ID WE DID IT OH MAN I’M SO GLAD, HEY HEY”

Taco wanted to dance. He remembered that night club from yesteryear. Was it two days ago? Am I a century or a potato? How old is twenty-two? Anyone got any dynamite?

Really, ultimately, all in all, Taco could just hear this Jazzy Funky Sweety music playing in his head like an echo from Dantooine or something whatsuch hey.

“YOU’RE W-W-W-W-W-WELCOME HEY HEY HEYYY HEHEHEHEH” Taco thanked the blind guy with the moustache on his feet.

He looked left, looked right, pointed at the guy on the bike. “HM’WHAT HIM Oh.” The Gammorean blinked, wait, the Twi’lek, yes, Taco was a Twi’lek, not a Sith. He blinked some more, his eyes stinging. Or are they made of sausage frost?

“Th-Th-Th-Th-tH-th-that’s Jack! Y-Yeah! DUDE ON BIKE GUY PERSON THING is Jack! HE’S A JEDI KNIGHT LORD AND I’M A PADAWAN BUILDING!”

The longer he looked, the more he blinked, the more Taco saw Jack tilt his head with a look like I’m Gonna Eat Your Eyeballs for Brunchfast.



@SlagathorTheUnknown
 

Zerath Eblon

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Zerath should've known better; Taco's spice high was making discerning what was truth and what was falsehood incredibly difficult. It also made any responses come at full volume... so much for a discreet inquiry. The alleged "Jedi Knight" could be anyone, but now they would be aware that Zerath had asked.

Once again, Zerath was torn between two duties; the needs of the crash victims, and his mission to bring in one Tacovean Delminar. The driver still hadn't regained consciousness, which was concerning, and the passenger was sitting on a nearby curb in obvious pain. Sirens sounded far away, quashing his hopes for quick relief in the form of emergency services to take over their medical care.

Perhaps he could still stall for some time without the would-be initiate wandering off. "Padawan... did you call yourself, 'Taco'?" Zerath asked, hoping for confirmation while pulling out a small medpack. "Can you keep an eye on that speeder for me? I'm going to tend to this man's injuries, but if the fire starts up again I need to know."

Physical Force Healing had never been a strength of Zerath's, but for this man's sake he had to try. Choosing a cut on the man's left arm, Zerath began awkwardly bandaging it. To anyone watching, it would look like an attempt at rendering first aid, but those cognizant of the Force would sense its heightened use as Zerath reached out to try to partially heal the man's most serious injuries. Immediately he sensed their severity and knew he wouldn't be able to fully heal the man, but if he could just save his life...

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Kayden Skyler

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Techno boomed from the bike beneath cigarette smoke. As fond as he was of the reggae, Kayden needed something a little faster to get him through the dreadful ordeal of watching his Twi’lek friend pretend to be a firefighter.

Taco nodded in confirmation of whatever the doctor was telling him, for better or worse. Two tentacles too short for brains, that one. Wait. Huh? Oh. What...What's that?

Kayden felt it as surely as the wind against his face, the tracksuit against his skin, the smoke in his lungs. That…sensation… He kicked his bike forward and skidded to a halt in front of the other three, addressing the Force-user. "Fair weather, friend," he bowed from his bike, an unlit cigarette between a smile. "I changed my mind and decided to help."

"HELP HELP IT RHYMES WITH YELP" Taco hypothesized.

With that, the Sith tugged the air like strings and the marionette was a box of band-aids as it glided toward the captain fighting the good fight. “For the Twi’lek’s mouth. I couldn’t find any tape.”


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Zerath Eblon

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With his concentration fully on healing the unconscious man, Zerath barely noticed the arrival of Taco's "Master", turning only when he sensed the Force being used in close proximity. It took every ounce of willpower not to whirl around and confront them, and Zerath managed a shaky smile underneath a bead of sweat trickling down his face as he calmly turned to face the new arrival. The Force Healing had taken a lot out of him, but at least it would do until proper medical attention arrived.

A box of bandaids floated nearby, but Zerath's Force Sight focused on the man in front of him instead. The human was a little taller and a little bigger than him, but wasn't carrying any obvious weapons. Zerath was now certain that he'd not seen this man at the temple on Yavin IV, and the casual disdain with which the man treated Taco only heightened the Jedi Knight's suspicions.

The Mirulakan/Zabrak quickly ran through his best-case-scenario guesses for who this strange man was, and why he didn't think they were likely.

1. Jedi Knight: Zerath had to admit that he wouldn't recognize many Jedi in the Order, but the fact that the planet liaison had ruled out other Jedi in the vicinity made it likely.

2. Jedi Shadow: Shadows were secretive, clandestine, and very good at keeping their identity a secret. Given that this man had told a loose-tongued Taco who he was and now was publicly using the Force poked all kinds of holes in that theory.

3. Former Jedi: Not everyone who joined the Order stayed with the Order, a decision Zerath didn't understand but did respect. A former Jedi might sense the Force in young Taco, but why pretend to be their master?

4. Independent Force User: Similar to #3, independent Force users tended to have minimal training in the Force- usually only what they'd managed to figure out themselves. This outcome also brought into question why Taco saw the man as his "Jedi Knight Lord", although by now it was really proving difficult to trust anything that came out of the Twi'lek's mouth.


Regardless, Zerath had a mission to fulfill and a mystery to solve. He accepted the container of baindaids- which in this situation were about as useful as dumping a spoon of water on a housefire- and spoke pleasantly to the human standing before him. "This young man says that you are his Jedi mentor. Thank you for your assistance, Master...?"

@Die Shize
 

Kayden Skyler

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Kayden turned the music down on his bike’s stereo so that he could hear himself speak. “Nightwalker,” came the answer. “Master Jack Nightwalker.” He smiled graciously. “Yes, as the young man claims, I am his mentor.” He figured the kid couldn’t have been older than sixteen anyway, so old enough to get thrown out of the airlock if need be.

Taco,” the master called.

“Y-Y-Yes, Mr. Madam, I was paying attention but the only time I can text my g-grandfather is in c-c-class, m-mister, madam, mister, mah, hah, heh!” The Twi’lek told the sky.

“C-C-Can you please tell this eyes-closed individual how good to you Jack Nightwalker is?”

“HI I’M PIE AS HIGH AS A KITE AND SMOKED OR SWALLOWED SPICE LIKE DIAMONDS IN THE SKY?” Taco asked the doctor’s patient while levitating a pair of surgical scissors.

“I do so loathe seeing a young man’s potential go to waste…" Kayden sighed. "Boy's as bright as a broken bulb but should be properly trained. Show him the way...like those Mandalorians say or...something...wouldn’t you agree, uh…Sir Whozit of Wherezit?”

All so droll. Pinching air between thumb and finger, the cigarra came alight between Kayden’s lips, though its substance wasn't terribly too different from whatever Taco the Twi'lek had stumbled upon. Having a puff just seemed like a good idea as Kayden watched the Jedi Paramedic do…whatever it was that Jedi Paramedics did.


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Zerath Eblon

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Zerath's suspicions grew as the man claiming to be "Jack Nightwalker" doubled down on his lie. A Jedi Knight or Jedi Master would've likely also addressed Zerath as "Master" instead of "Sir", but in order to be sure Zerath decided to try one more tack.

The Knight's face cleared and broke into his trademark smile as the man identified himself and began talking of training Taco. "Well met, Master Nightwalker!" Zerath smiled, nodding his head agreeably. "I don't believe we've met; I'm Zerath Eblon. Did Councilor Herman send you here, too?" With just a few words, the subtle trap was set. There was no Councilor Herman, but Zerath was banking on the fact that an outsider to the Order wouldn't know all of the Councilors by name.

Even if "Jack Nightwalker" passed the test, there was still much to be suspicious about. Why was Nightwalker here, when it was Zerath's mission to bring Taco to the Jedi Order? Why had the man taken Taco as his apprentice when the Twi'lek hadn't even been accepted into the Order yet? Why was he so casual about his "apprentice" being higher than the upper levels of Coruscant? Although "Jack's" falsehoods were becoming clearer, the man's motives were not.

At least the injured driver was out of the woods and was breathing easier than when Zerath had pulled him from the wreckage of the speeder. One crisis was averted, and a far more tantalizing mystery was quickly occupying Zerath's attention.

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Kayden Skyler

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Kayden felt like the two men were getting off to a rather good start here. “Herman?” He stroked his chin and searched the clouds. “Was it Herman? Maybe it was Helmann? Was it even an H?” He shrugged. “So many names with so many needs, the Jedi especially, it’s hard to keep track of...who they are.”

He searched Zerath’s eyes now, wondering what someone like a Mirulakan could see when they looked upon Jack Nightwalker. Really, having stolen it from some silly skinless swooper, Kayden was just as much interested in what people thought about his bike, with its new black and red paint job trimmed with gold.

“Here's what I know, Master Eblon. Our mutual Twi’lek here had a run-in with a street gang outside a nightclub. A well-to-do officer saved the day, caught onto Taco’s gifts, what few there are, and I got the call to pick him up. Good thing too, hey?”

Taco just stood there blinking, first at Kayden then at Zerath, then at his own fingers.

“Some jackass clearly spiced the boy up. It’s not his fault he’s an idiot, after all.” Kayden took a long drag from his cigarra, another look at those clouds, glaring through a sea of sky traffic. “But, as the Force would have it, it sent you to save...whoever this driver is...but picked me to be Taco's new daddy.” I won't need a belt, either. One look at the hold and he'll piss himself before I even hand him the mop.


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Zerath Eblon

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Internally, Zerath sighed as Jack Nightwalker weaseled out an answer that was as vague as it was unconvincing. The man was an accomplished liar, that was for sure, but by now Zerath was convinced that Nightwalker was no more of a Jedi than the injured speeder driver was. It also made him increasingly concerned for young Taco's safety. As Jack waxed eloquent about the will of the Force, the Jedi Knight pondered his next move. Some type of confrontation was inevitable now, but Zerath was still optimistic that a peaceful solution could be arranged. However, he quickly took stock of his surroundings in the event of a fight; the injured driver was prone on the ground two meters behind him. Nightwalker was sitting on his swoop bike while Taco was off to Zerath's left, staring up at the sky as if it held all the secrets in the galaxy. The Twi'lek would likely be very confused by what came next.

Zerath waved away the last of Jack's words, his hands resting on his hips while also drawing aside his robe to make accessing his lightsaber easier if needed. The Jedi Knight had no desire to resort to violence, but it never hurt to be prepared for an attack. When he spoke, Zerath's voice was calm and level, carrying with it the authority of his rank and stature as a member of the longstanding Jedi Order.

"And here is what I know, Mr. Nightwalker" he said, purposely dropping the titular "Master" from his address as he shed his pretense as easily as he'd shed his blindfold earlier. "I know that I have been tasked by the Jedi to bring Taco to the Jedi Order. Despite your claim, I know that there are no other Jedi besides me on this level of Coruscant. And I also know that you have been lying to me for quite possibly our entire conversation. So I am going to give you a choice; leave the boy with me and go on your way peacefully, or take your chances and see whom the Force favors today."

Zerath disliked ultimatums- there were always more than two choices in any given situation- but there was no threat in his words; just a quiet confidence in his purpose and mission that signaled his intent to see it through.

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Kayden Skyler

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The man was brave and the Sith could respect that. Finally, the two men could stop pretending and actually play together. Mr. Nightwalker measured a laugh at the Jedi’s ultimatum. Zerath didn’t know the half of it but knew enough and that was all that Kayden needed to know.

“Oh, you caught me, captain. I am a liar, but not all of what I have told you today is a lie.” He blew more smoke and flicked the cigarra. A few puffs weren’t enough to glue him to his seat but he would have to be no less alert for what the future held. “The Force, you see, favors the strong. Does your precious Order?”

Kayden rolled his shoulders, hands on bike handles, one near a hilt beneath his jacket’s waist. “There is no choice and there is no chance, not in this game we play. For souls like us, there is only the force of will, and the strongest decides who wins.”

Nodding to his bike’s stereo, Mr. Nightwalker could appreciate some background music for the inevitable. “So, you want the first move? Is it mine?” He spread his lips at an idea. “Or should we let Taco decide?” The weakest can just as often decide who wins. Kayden didn’t mind either way.

“Fond as I am of taking this kid under my wing, letting him become a Jedi Knight does sound droll. Then I could take him.”

“M-Maybe I could flip for who takes me to the moon?” Taco offered. Kayden considered that option too. Fight for him, flip for him, let’s just get this over with.


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Zerath Eblon

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The more that Nightwalker spoke, the more concerned Zerath became. Jack's words whispered of the Dark side of the Force, with their focus on strength and power. There is ignorance, yet knowledge the Jedi reminded himself, careful not to let the man's words lead him to doubt his conclusion; whatever the man's claims about truth or lies, the more Nightwalker spoke, the more Zerath was convinced that he could not let Taco leave with this man. The Twi'lek was... impressionable... and would be a powerful Force-user regardless of who he trained under. But as much as Zerath wanted to let Taco choose, the teen was clearly not in the correct mental state to make such important decisions.

"Taco has already stated his desire to become a Jedi" the Jedi Knight responded. "And since I am the only Jedi here, then you are correct that there is no choice to be made. And you are also correct that there is no chance." At this, Zerath would summon his lightsaber hilt from his belt to his right hand. "No chance that Taco trains under you." If Nightwalker respected strength, then Jack would find that Zerath possessed plenty of that... but deep down the Mirulakan/Zabrak hoped that violence could be avoided.

@Die Shize
 

Kayden Skyler

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Maybe it was the cigarra, maybe it was the fact that Kayden didn’t want to be a public enemy just yet, but his dueling posture betrayed how mellow he felt on the inside. He didn’t have high intentions of attacking unless attacked. After all, there was a reason he had taunted the Jedi with the first move.

“I respect your position, Sir Knight, and now I respect your resolve. But I don’t want the world coming after me if I throw down with you right here and now over some Twi’lek. If you make me ignite my saber then, Force forbid, I might get nervous and slice away at these fine citizens around us, maybe set some on fire... It is kind of crowded."

Was Zerath the kind of Jedi to risk such collateral damage? Kayden was not the kind of Sith to risk waving his red sword around for everyone to remember and recognize the face of a kidnapper, unless he was forced to.

Sooner or later, the authorities would arrive, and the longer negotiations went on the more Zerath risked the lives of peacekeepers in Mr. Nightwalker's way.

"You want the kid, you can claim him from my corpse, but not here. I know a place. Underground warehouse that nobody uses. You can follow us there and we can let the fates duel over who's the better guardian. Deal?"



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Zerath Eblon

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Zerath internally grimaced as Nightwalker laid bare his greatest concern- the lives of those around them, the kind of innocent bystanders that all too often were caught up in the battles of the Jedi and their enemies. The man's words also triggered alarm bells in the Knight's mind- Jack was apparently armed with a lightsaber, which instantly made him a much bigger threat. Lightsabers were rare enough within the Jedi Order that Jack's possession of one all but confirmed his worst-case scenario: "Jack Nightwalker" was more than likely a Sith. That realization alone was enough to shake Zerath to his core- a Sith? Here on Coruscant? The Council would need to be informed about this.

Zerath also grappled with the question posed to him by Nightwalker: Jack made it clear that only death would pry young Taco from his clutches, and while Zerath was getting the sense that the galaxy would be a better place without Jack Nightwalker in it, he wasn't certain that he possessed the ability to take another's life. You haven't won the duel yet, a small voice inside of him nagged.

"Very well" the Jedi answered, accepting that in this case his hands were tied. "You can lead the way, but Tacovean and I will walk. Don't want you speeding off with him." He wouldn't put it past a Sith to just ride off with the Twi'lek, and besides; he wanted to get to know Taco better.

@Die Shize
 

Kayden Skyler

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Changing the song to a tune more relaxing, Kayden laughed. “Oh I do enjoy negotiations! Fair enough. But I don’t want you two sneaking down an alley with my back turned. So, the warehouse is about ten blocks away, a ten- or fifteen-minute walk, here are the coordinates.” He offered the GPS address from his comlink. “I’d park my bike if I wasn’t worried it would get stolen so how about you two take the sidewalk and I’ll hug it right beside you with said bike.”

He searched their faces, mainly Zerath’s on account of Taco’s looking confused. “We can clear our heads along the way, talk favorite movies, make sure neither of us calls for backup, head into the warehouse and sever each other’s limbs off. Well, more or less. I plan on keeping mine where they are. Not sure about you, Sir Knight.”

Kayden hoped he was being accommodating enough under the circumstances. He wasn’t a huge fan of the whole meet-at-high-noon showdown nonsense but if he flashed his saber for comlink cameras then all of Coruscant would have some immediate questions.

“Sound good? Good. Let’s mosey.” With that, Mr. Nightwalker twisted a handle and made to coast his bike beside the path made for walking. The three would look like just your everyday cityfolk. But we are so much more. You people have no idea of the show about to take place beneath your tiny city.


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