The Battle of Coruscant: Jailbreak (Bac and GABA)

[Brandon Rhea]

The apocalypse had come.

Bastele knew it would. He had warned of it for months. Ever since that day with the Jedi Masters, after they had rescued him from the Mandalorians, he warned that the armies of evil had one goal in mind: Coruscant. He didn't know how they would arrive or when, only that they would. Part of the Chief of State wanted to feel the sweet release of vindication, and to say "I told you so" to everyone who said he was wrong. But he couldn't. His world was burning.

Everything was bigger on Coruscant, even the explosions. Every time a plume of fire erupted from a building, he knew that meant hundreds, perhaps even thousands of people were dead. That's why he stayed here. His staff begged him to leave. Even Congress wanted him to fly to safety and take refuge from what was coming, but he couldn't. Leaders don't run away as their people are slaughtered. If they are to die, then he will die with them.

His advisors told him it was to maintain a functioning government. It was an absurd notion. By the time this battle was over, there wouldn't be a government left to function. This was the end of the Galactic Alliance, a government forged by war. He may have chewed out the Jedi Council for fleeing, but the truth is, deep down, he couldn't blame them. The Old Republic had survived numerous attacks on Coruscant before, but this time would be different. These Sith can't be repelled. These Sith didn't travel all the way here to make a point. This Empress and this Dark Lord would burn down the whole world if they could rule over the ashes.

So he just sat at his desk, watching out the window as the world burned around him. Star Destroyers slowly made their way down from orbit, hovering over the city and releasing thousands upon thousands of fighters into the traffic lanes. Innocent civilians, just trying to make their way from one place to another, were being cut down like flies. He could just barely make out the ground below his executive office, where he watched as Sith forces began to move into the Congress Hall, but he knew they were coming. It wouldn't be long for him, and he didn't think there was anything he could do.

That's when it hit him.
​

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Twenty minutes later, Bastele was underground, beneath the Congress building where the government kept a high-level prison facility for only the most high profile and important detainees. It's where they would keep a rogue soldier, a corrupt politician...and a Jedi Master.​

The lift doors opened and the Chief of State bolted out, sprinting down the short flight of stairs towards the prison's entrance. He swiped his keycard and the door slid open, revealing the massive jail guards that were employed to watch over the prisoners. He had to admire them. Bastele knew that they could hear the bombs falling all around them, but they stayed at their post. All 20 guards were lined up along the cell block, manning their stations. He had half a mind to tell them to leave, but he knew they wouldn't. Not when they knew he was there and would need protection.

That didn't mean any of the other people here needed to stay. He turned between two of the guards and punched in a command code in the keypad, releasing the forcefields around every cell. "You're all pardoned," Bastele shouted to the prisoners, knowing that was probably his last official act as Chief of State. "Get the hell out of here!"

As he stepped forward towards the last cell in the row, he said, "That's everyone but you, Master Vainikainen. It may surprise you to hear... but I need your help."

 

[GABA]

There was a great disturbance in the Force and Sigur understood who and what it was. He had been sitting in his cell, meditating, his thoughts drifting upon the what ifs and should haves, but there was a purpose for everything ever done, whether or not its purpose would be revealed now or later. He knew Bastele was doing his duty, and he, his own, though he couldn't help to think if or how things may have been differently if the two of them had gotten along instead of this power playing they seem to both hold.

The building shook, forcing Sigur to open his eyes, revealing his cell is still intact, the guards still stood, but there was still a weariness in the air, mostly that of from those who were in their own cells. The Grand Master stood from his spot as the building shook again. A dark wave hit him, the Sith had made it into the Congress Hall, it would be soon before they would make it to the lower levels where he sat locked up and it left him curious to how they would take this, seeing the Grand Master in a jail cell.

A familiar presence rippled through the Force as he heard the taptaptap of shoes hitting the floor at a quickened pace down the hall. He moved as close as he could to the cell barrier to get as good as a look to as why the Chief of State was still here as well as down here in the holding cells. There was a ring of synchronized beeps as the cell's barriers were released, Bastele had released them, announcing their pardons.

The Grand Master stepped outside his cell, the other two prisoners running past him and the Chief of State as Bastele approached him asking for his help. Sigur gave him a disapproving look more so of why he was still on Coruscant and not off world, to somewhere safe. He quirked an eyebrow though, he surely was surprised by Bastele's request. Another explosion rocked the building's structure, the illuminators now flickering.

The Jedi looked around, reaching out with his senses, "My duty still holds to serve, even if those asking did lock me in a cell." Sigur replied lightly , "What can I do for you, Your Excellency?"

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Sigur’s look felt more than disapproving. It seemed like an icy cold glare of disappointment and indignation; disappointed that the Chief of State hadn’t left Coruscant, and indignant over the fact that the Grand Master was in this cell to the begin with. Bastele didn’t have time for that now, though. As the building shook from the explosion, he reached behind his back, his hand grasping for a metallic hilt on the back of his belt.

“I’m sure there’s a way you could get off this planet now. You can run with the Jedi, as you intended to do, or you can take this,” he said, as he unclipped the Jedi’s lightsaber from his belt and handed it to him, “and you can come with me and do your job.”

 

[GABA]

The Chief of State revealed a metallic cylinder. The Grand Master felt it in the Force, his lightsaber and received it from Bastele. Though given choices, Sigur knew which choice he had to pick. He gripped the hilt and glanced towards Bastele, the Force streaming through his body.

"Lets go then." he said taking a step in the direction of the exit. Sigur took another glance to the Chief of State, "Care to explain why you haven't gotten yourself to safety?" he asked.