What The Force

[Ferre]

The hologram flickered to life once more, filling the ship with the repeated message of their mission. The Jedi had listen to it at least twice since they had been assigned to visiting the Tyus Sector.

"Please help" the young woman in the hologram pleaded, the emotion strained behind her eyes as she tried to keep herself calm. "surely he's too young... I know it's a better life... please just let me have a little more time with him"

And then the transmission ended.

The woman in question was a young Zelosian from the planet X, the location in which their ship was currently headed. Messages like this were not common, but there have been times where a parent had regrets about leaving their child to be taken to become a Jedi. This was natural, however, the force-sensitive child in question "Corax Nul" was not registered to the order.

"So you're telling me there is a rogue Jedi using his relationship with the force to gain a religious following on a small city?" Bast inquired incredulously, inferring to the man who was their prime suspect in taking the force sensitive child. The young Arkanian, still not quite trained in the ways of the Jedi much himself yet, was having trouble grasping that someone who was trained in such an organized order was able to stay under the radar long enough to accomplish such a task. He was half amused and half impressed that someone would- or even could go that far off the path.

Succeeded in this path however, the "Jedi" had. After the troubling message appeared from the mother, the Jedi did a preliminary investigation, but found communication to the city to be rather tight. The Jedi known as "Orion Tershin" was apparently a not only a savior to some in the city but a terror to others. His climb to power occurred not less than two years previously after having come and "rescued" the town from gang violence (albeit substituting his own) , and then rising to power under the protection of X's senator Xim Reese. His name was never registered to the order, however it was always a possibility he changed it. Either way, this planet was outside of the Jedi Order's jurisdiction, and their interference would seem indelicate. Instead, the council set two Jedi to investigate the matter further. It was not their place to take down this "Jedi" based on his corruption alone, however if they were to find evidence of the kidnapped force child, they would have reason to be involved.

 

[e_black162_2]

"So you're telling me there is a rogue Jedi using his relationship with the force to gain a religious following on a small city?"

*sigh* "Seems that way, man..." Merrik muttered lazily. The informal knight was supposed to be going to a beach party on Spira with some cantina dancers he'd met a few weeks ago, but he was stuck investigating stupid rumors on a backwater planet instead. His disappointment was palpable, and the look on his face said he really didn't want to be here right now. But, none of this was Bast's problem so he tried to keep his feelings to himself and to be as productive as possible. "I don't believe the rumors, but if something is going on there, we'll figure it out and see if we need to get involved." With that, Merrik kicked back in his seat, his hands folded and placed behind his head, and stared at the ceiling of the ship, wondering what kind of dumb explanations there could be for the rumor. Perhaps some creepy old man put on some old brown robes and kidnapped the child? Maybe the child isn't force sensitive at all and the mother's message was a recording of the first day of school? Merrik wasn't sure, but he was certain about one thing: No self respecting Jedi would come to planet X to start their cult. IT'S JUST STUPID...or so he thought.

 

[Ferre]

Bast swallowed a groan, himself for once completely in agreement. Which was rare for him and most knights he worked with. But it just didn't seem right that a Jedi would be there, and surely a Mr. Force, a he lovingly nicknamed the members of the council, would have felt it.

None the less, the padawan got up and walked to the cock-pit with the same lazy-stride that he had originally come from it. Now that he had a few trips under his belt, piloting wasn't half as bad besides a few bumps in the road he encountered. The image of asteroids still would randomly appear in his mind, jolting him from whatever his task was. Apparently you can't suppress a memory permanently.

Sending in their clearance code -they would be tourists for the time being-, Bast awaited acceptance before their flying them through their luckily smooth descent. Landing the ship at the proper docking platform, Bast checked on the ship on last time; making sure all the control were in place and nothing needed to be tweaked in case for some reason, they needed a quick escape. In the Jedi world, it was a reasonable assumption.

 

[e_black162_2]

As Bast finished his last-minute check on the ship's systems, Merrik grabbed his lightsabers and gun, and exited the ship. The town was small and quiet. There were only a few people out and about this morning; twenty five? maybe thirty? Merrik didn't really care though. He was more interested in the recent happenings in town. As far as he could tell, the town was peaceful. There were no signs of street gangs or Force Zealots anywhere. Just like I thought, the rumors are fake... the young knight thought. But, because he was a jedi, he felt obligated to continue the investigation, even if it seemed pointless. He awaited Bast just outside the ship so the two could formally begin the investigation. After all, maybe the kid could see something he couldn't?

 

[Ferre]

The world outside the cockpit was bright. Squinting for a moment, Bast allowed his vision to adjust.

The town seemed normal. Small and dull really. The padawan felt dismayed. Sure he shouldn't want a jedi to be an occultist leader, but he had flown all the way here and on the way developed almost what could be considered intrigue. Truth be told, he was rooting for the guy.

"Well..." Bast looked at the knight with an eyebrow raise. "...information comes easily with food, lets try the diner."

Hardly considered a proactive Jedi, Bast was eager to negate or affirm the rumors solely for the purpose of getting back on the ship and going home. If this was all the town had to offer him, it wasn't much.

 

[e_black162_2]

"...The diner it is." Merrik muttered after some thought. He figured that if they were going to do this investigation, they should do it on a full stomach. "Good call Bast."

The young warrior began marching down the dirty road toward the restaurant with a focused look on his face. To bystanders, he probably appeared to be a man on a mission, a guy with serious business to take care of, but in reality, he was just really hungry and his mind was sifting through the images of possible meals he would order once inside. He was so focused on the food, he didn't even know if Bast was still following him.

Just before Merrik reached the door to the diner, a large man came tumbling out of the alley nearby, as if he was drunk. The man tripped and fell into Merrik's arms. Upon closer examination, the jedi noticed the man was injured, badly. He was covered in bruises; some on his face and arms and a large one surrounding his neck. He'd been beaten viciously by some unknown entity, but when Merrik looked up to see the assailant, there was no one nearby.

"What happened?"

"The Jedi...*cough* *cough* ...The Jedi is... going to kill us all...." As he hacked out that last warning, the poor man's heart stopped. Bewildered, Merrik laid the man down gently and stood up again, examining the fresh corpse. "Damn..."

 

[Ferre]

Merrik was certainly on a mission. The padawan trailed behind him, careful not to fall too far behind as the Knight paved his way forward through the street.

The glorious door of the diner came closer into view, and only then did Bast realize how hungry he even was. The diner was shabby looking, a little old and a little run down. The sound of happy patrons and clanging dishes gave way every time the front door opened, contrasting with the rather muffled atmosphere of little chatter around them.

Reaching the door, Bast had hardly taken a step inside when he saw a man fall into Marrik's arms out of the corner of his eye.

Nope. Bast decisively turned his head back to the diner almost with a speed to give him whip-lash. Not right now, old man. The padawan disappeared into the diner, the door shutting behind him as the doors to life shut on the man.

Shortly after Merrik stood back up, Bast returned through the doors. His absence long enough to order two Number 5 Specials, but short enough that it would be hard pressed for the distracted knight to have missed him. It was the local specialty bowl of seasonal ingredients and spices. What a time to be alive.

 

[e_black162_2]

Merrik turned toward Bast with a stern look on his face and said with a deep sigh, "Well, looks like the rumors may be true. Looks as if this guy was beaten and choked from a distance, and he even said ' The Jedi will kill us all.' Looks like we've got a rogue to hunt down."

He paused. Why would anyone start a cult on this worthless planet? The leader couldn't possibly hope to stand up to the Order, all Jedi knew they were nothing compared to the combined strength of their brothers in arms. Hell, even the republic fleet could wipe the planet out with a single bombardment, so why even try? *sigh* this is going to be a long day... he thought.

"Bast, you go back into the diner and start questioning the people, see what they know about our rogue Jedi. We need names, places, events, and any other leads you can gather. And don't tell them what you are, they're liable to kill you. Just say you're a Sector Ranger or something." With a suddenly serious tone, he gave Bast his orders and turned back toward the corpse. "I'll search the surrounding area and see what I can find out."

With that, Merrik marched off toward the alley the stranger stumbled out of and began his search.

 

[Ferre]

"But-"

"There-"

"Food-"

The padawan tried to interject that he had already ordered them food, but it was in vain, the knight clearly on a mission as he spoke and then walked away with purpose.

Bast groaned.

He turned his head to glare at the corpse. "Thanks" he muttered sarcastically.

Walking into the canteena, Bast sat down at the bar, declining the second #5, but anticipating his own. Food first, mission second.

The canteena was bustling with life at high noon, patrons of all ages and species chatted loudly. Utensils clattered against plates, and the roaring of fire and steam from the kitchen added to the overall ambiance with enthusiasm. For Bast in his quite contemplation and eating alone on a stool, he seemed the eye of a rambunctious storm.

What even is a sector ranger? Plagued the majority of Bast's thoughts.

Calming his mind, Bast tried to listen to the conversations around him. Most talked about life, quite a few talked about things Bast really didn't want to tune into. Some thing he found interesting. More than once person thanked the Jedi they were looking for, in a benevolent fashion that made it seem as though his mere existence was the reason that rain fell. In fact, that was the conversation he had heard if he wasn't mistaken, that this Jedi had claimed responsibility for making rain fall for the farmers and the farmers believed it. Though apprently it was a two way street, if something terrible happened, like a sickness, it was because the citizens had done something wrong and the Jedi was punishing them.

Having heard enough, Bast had an idea.

Turning his head to survey the canteena, a young Falleen waitress was balancing a number of trays, almost dancing as she weaved past table to table.
With a small smirk and a slight hand, Bast pulled at the energy by her feet, causing the woman to trip.

With a quick expression changed from cocky to over-the-top concern, Bast reached out his arms in a grandiose gesture to halt the waitress's meetup with the floor with one arm, and with the other freeze the treys in the air as they fell.

He did try to think about being a sector ranger.

"JEDI!" A man accused. The crowd of the canteena turning a mixture of fear and anger. The waitress attempting to stumble to her feet, but still in Bast's grip, forcing her downwards."

"Jedi? No-" Bast replied in the most innocent voice of naivety he could muster. "Help- I don't no how to control it-" the padawan sounded like he was in pain "I can't hold them much longer-" he groaned

"WELL DO AS HE SAYS DAMM'IT" The waitress barked, a handful of patrons rushing to get her and then the trays.

Good citizens, Bast thought relaxing his grip. He then stared at his hands in shock, turning them over in front of his face.

"He-Help" He stuttered "I-I heard the was a Jedi who could help-"

"There ain't no Jedi who can help your kind. One is enou-"

"Shuddap-" The waitress barked at the man, "Can't you see he's just a boy? Ain't nuthin' like what Master Tershin said."

She knelt down next to Bast, "Now dear, you're lookin for Master Tershin ain't you?"

Bast looked up, "Ye-yes" he trembled, "The force GUIDED me here."

An old man who had been previously silent stood up, gathering the attention of everyone in the canteena. "A'right. I'll take you to Master Tershin."

 

[e_black162_2]

The alley was dark and filthy, even in the bright light of high noon. There were no windows on the walls, no doors, and no ladders. The only things in it were dumpsters, each overflowing with putrid waste smelling of bantha crap and vomit. The pungent ordor was greater than any other filthy smell Merrik had ever experienced, even during his days in the slums of Coruscant. Though the thought of it disgusted him, he had to delve into each dumpster and search for clues, and so he did.

Hmph, a dead end...

After what seemed to be an eternity of dumpster diving, the young knight stumbled upon something interesting: A pile of corpses, all with bruises around the neck. By the looks of them (and the smell), They'd been there for at least a month, maybe two. There was mold and fungi growing on each corpse as well as clutches of maggots wriggling around in their orifices. One even had a large rodent feeding on its exposed intestines. It was a gruesome scene for sure, but Merrik's experience as a mercenary taught him not mind the rot and gore too much. What really got to him was the Force awful smell; It made him sick to his stomach t breath in the rotten fumes. Even breathing through his mouth disgusted him, as he could taste the filth almost as well as he could smell it.

Merrik continued to examine the bodies from a distance, but found no new clues. He did notice however, that the victims were all beaten and choked to death, without so much as a lightsaber burn.

Why not use your saber? It'd be much more efficient...

Merrik had seen enough. He stood at the entrance to the alley and looked down, contemplating the possible reasons for such harsh executions.

Was he trying to make them examples? No, that was way too many people for just trying to prove a point...But why do such a piss poor job hiding the bodies if it wasn't to show off?...

The more he thought about it, the less it made sense. Why would a Jedi resort to such barbaric tactics after all those years of combat training? This looked more like some ignorant brute's handiwork rather than that of a trained Jedi. Merrik continued to wonder with a focus so intense, he didn't see the large man approaching him.

You lost, tourist? the man said in an angry tone with a sinister look on his face. This place is off limits, pal. Looks like I'm gonna have to punish ya.

The brute of a Falleen man stood 7 feet tall and had muscles as big around as Bast was wide. The man reached his burn-scarred hand down to his waist and came back up with a large, club-like weapon. It was a large rock tied tightly to a thick, metal rod that shined brightly in the sunlight. The beast grinned and slowly approached Merrik, his smile growing ever more sinister with each step. Merrik smiled back.

Off limits, huh? You guys should really put up a sign, or something! His own smile grew as he folded his arms and retorted.

I AM the sign! The man yelled with glee.

Is that right? Well who are you protecting this place for?

For the Jedi o'course! I Hide the bodies for him and take out the witnesses, like YOU! GWAAAAAHAHAHHA-huh?!

Merrik quick-drew his D238 Rancor Blaster Revolver in blur as he pulled back its hammer, and placed the gun in the brute's exposed chest. Thank you for sharing! The Jedi pulled the trigger, blasting a 10 cm hole into the thug's chest. Blood and molten flesh poured out of his back as he lay dead on the ground. Merrik holstered his gun and went back to thinking as if nothing happened.

Huh, guess I shoulda asked him where his boss was before I... It didn't matter though. He'd gained an explanation for the bodies and for the way they'd been executed, as well as a direct link to the suspect. The brute was killing people that came down the alley and spotted the previous person he'd killed to keep his "secret." Merrik took out a holocam and recorded the corpses in the alley, the brute included, to use as evidence in the Rogue Jedi's trial. As he did so, he noticed Bast leaving the diner with a stranger.

 

[Ferre]

Was the old man a Jedi? Trailing slightly behind him, the old man and the padawan's footsteps eventually fell into the same rhythm. Bast eyed the old man suspiciously while the old man stared straight ahead, clearly not in the mood for conversation. It was at a time like this that Bast slightly wished the Jedi Knight was here, Knights seemed to have this uncanny ability to sense the Force and all it’s glory in others, yet all Bast could sense was subdued crankiness. Though perhaps that was just because the old man seemed to wear a permanent frown that was only barely visible beneath his gray mustache. Perhaps the old man should've also ordered the #5 special back at the canteena instead of a salad, but we all can't always make the right decisions.

After winding the streets from the slums of the city, the roads became cleaner and the sounds became cheerier. The direction of their travel becoming obvious as a giant green house, immaculate built from what seemed to be the entire town’s resources stood tall and rather out of place. A massive gate blocked out the citizens that gossiped at the front door.

“The gate will test your ability. Try to open it with the force.”

Bast stared at him incredulously, the lie being easy when all that had to be done was nothing, "I can't control my powers"

"Try" The man encouraged once more.

Sighing with a very real annoyance, Bast raised his arm towards the gate, closing his eyes, Bast counted silently for a few seconds before giving the gate a small rattle. Opening his eyes, Bast looked over at the old man in mock defeat.

It seemed however, that the old man was no longer looking at him, but at the gate. Meters behind it, a new figure had appeared covered by a thick cloak and his arm outstretched. Yet, instead of a practiced steady hand, Bast took immediate note that the figure instead waved his hand up and down. None the less, it seemed to work as the gates opened with ease.

"I've been expecting you, my padawan"

The old man nodded in reverence as Bast did a hap hazard bow and feigned shock at the display of power. "Master Tershin, your...what...? Will you teach me?"

"Yes" the low voice responded, distant but warm beneath the cloak. "But we must talk inside, there is much work to be done."

With that the cloaked figure turned on his heels and headed towards his strange house, ushering Bast to quickly follow, and opening the grand door with the same strange gesture. The old man who had led him here, stayed behind.

 

[e_black162_2]

Merrik followed Bast and the old man from a distance, as not to arouse suspicion. Every so many steps, he would stop following and go off on a different road to make himself seem less suspicious. Once he'd been off of their trail a while, he used the Force to sense Bast and get behind the padawan again. Eventually the old man stopped at the gate and Bast faked an attempt at opening the gate with the Force.

so, the kid is posing as a new student for our so-called jedi...clever boy.

Merrik was impressed with the boy's craftiness and continued to watch the padawan work. Eventually another man came from behind the gate, swinging his arm in an awkward fashion. Merrik was unsure of how the man opened the gate, but he was positive it was not with the Force. No force user moved that clumsily, especially when doing something so simple as opening a gate. Perhaps it was a motion sensor? Or, maybe a button hidden in his cloak? Merrik was unsure, but he moved in closer to hear what the old man and padawan were saying.

"I've been expecting you, my padawan"

"Master Tershin, your...what...? Will you teach me?"

"Yes, but we must talk inside, there is much work to be done."

Is that old man really falling for this? Merrik thought skeptically. There was no way this stranger was a jedi. Merrik couldn't sense any force presence greater than Bast's or his own. Even worse, he fell for Bast's poor acting! Something wasn't right and Merrik was going to figure it out. The knight walked to the side of the building and jumped into the second floor window, which had presumably been left open to take in the fresh morning air. He hid inside and awaited Bast and the impostor.

 

[Ferre]

Walking inside the building, he was greeted by a rather lackluster foyer. He had to admit he was disappointed. Coming from a world of wealth himself, he could recognize good taste perhaps on a most basic level; not to insult this man's culture, but his "decoration" seemed to be a clash of donated objects of differing values placed all too offensively in view. It was as though 27 different designers with various ideas we're allowed to run free without consulting the other in a very confined space. Or like some-

Bast had to draw his mind back from the unnecessary, hoping his disgusted up-down of the room hadn't taken too much notice.

It hadn't.

Master Tershin stopped a few feet ahead of Bast. Removing his hood with far too much dramatic flair for Bast's taste, he turned and gestured to a door on his right.

"Please, wait it there. I will come speak with you in a moment."

"Alright." Bast nodded absent mindlessly before remembering his cover "...sir."

"Master will do fine"

"Master" Bast over pronounced slowly, taking every fiber of his being not to show his amusement at this response. The padawan then hurried into the door, closing it behind him just as swiftly.

Waiting for the pronounced click of full closure, Master Tershin lifted his wrist to his lips, a comlink evident.

"Are you sure?" The old man whispered.

"Saw it with my own eyes. He is strong with the force for one so unpracticed, but unpracticed he is." a hushed buzzed reply responded.

"Fantastic. You serve me well."

Switching off the communicator, the room fell silent once more as he turned to join Bast in the adjacent room.

 

[e_black162_2]

Hiding in a closet in the foyer, Merrik overheard everything Tershin said to his accomplice.

There's no way this guy has ever been a jedi, especially with all of the theatrics. And that guy on the comms, he's the "jedi's" servant? Bantha shad, all of it. If anything, this guy's a sith...

His thoughts collected, he waited for the "master" to meet up with Bast in the next room before emerging from the closet. Silently, he leaned against the door to hear the rest of what the poser had to say.

 

[Ferre]

If anything would speak to the character of the man called Master Tershin, it was the massive portrait he had of himself hanging above a fireplace. The art wasn't half bad, particularly in comparison to some of the other things Bast had seen upon entering. Besides that, the room was sparse. An ornate desk and chair stood to his left and to his right was a grand open space. Marks on the floor indicated that a living room had been present, but at some point had been removed.

By far the most interesting thing of the room that Bast could gather was the heat. Not in the mundane, can you open a window type, but rather the Arkanian ultraviolet spectrum vision of 'your walls are positively beaming with red spots'. It didn't take Bast mechanical prowess to ascertain that the heat within the walls came from different types of machinery and electrical energy. Yet, none of the spots connected to the lights, nor a fan, nor to a door, nor to anything Bast would normally associate blotches of normal red room energy to connect with. That would mean-

His thought process was interrupted as the door opened; Tershin walking in with his hood down and a smile on.

"Young man, what is your name?"

"Lu" Bast said instinctively, giving the name of his younger sister. At least he thought it was her name. Either way.

"And how is it that you managed to come to our-"

Eager to both demonstrate that he was a zealous young man and to cut to the point, Bast interrupted him "My parents were nomads in Arkania, in the international city someone spoke of your greatness..." he struggled for a moment to remember the conversation at the canteena "Of agriculture...helping the farmers."

"Yes" Bast added more confidently "the force showed images of me...with a man...though he was just a shadow, working together to help...farmers...that must be you right?"

"So you did not go to a jedi temple?" Tershin replied simply.

"No...my parents did not want me to join the order" Bast replied with a rather serious manner that nearly broke his act, the statement being not far from the truth. However, he quickly regained himself and continued "But ever since that day I knew I had to find you. Will you take me to one? Will I become part of the order?"

"Patience, Lu"

With a slight twitch of annoyance the padawan immediately regretted using her name.

"You are not my only padawan. I will train you both, and when you are ready to be knighted, then I will send you to the temple. But it will take years. First you must complete tasks that I ask of you and prove yourself loyal. Then I will call the Jedi Lord himself."

Bast forced a look of amazement.

Finally, this was what Bast had been waiting for. He had mentioned a second padawan. Perhaps this was the child the woman spoke of. However, he would remain playing his role until he knew where the child was.

 

[e_black162_2]

(OOC: sorry again for the wait. I've been busy and uninspired lately... Anyway, I'll try to keep up with the posts, but they may be kinda short for a while.)
A second padawan, huh? Yeah right...He claims to teach control of the force, yet can't even sense my presence while only feet away? That tears it. I'm dealing with this fraud now.

Growing impatient, Merrik springs out of the closet and charges into the room with the poser and Bast, his silver lightsabers ignited.

"Alright, Master Jedi, your under arrest for impersonating a knight and ordering the murder of countless civilians. Surrender peacefully. I really don't feel like fighting."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Tershin yelled in surprise. After some quick thinking he turned toward Bast and ordered, "attack this Sith with the Force! This will be your fist training exercise!" As he spoke, he waved his hand awkwardly, opening a window behind the two and began back pacing toward it. "Come to me when you've defeated him!" He jumps out of the window and begins running up the street.

"Damn, I knew I shoulda just nabbed him!" Merrik bolts past Bast to the window to spot the runaway poser. Using the force, he lifts the poor fool 10 feet off of the ground. "Gotcha." With a slight grin, he takes the man and smacks him against a nearby brick wall, then brings him back up to the window. "We aren't done talking to you yet. Bast, grab a chair and something to tie him up with would ya? We need to question him. Find out who he's working for, who he's sending his 'padawans' to, and where the kidnapped boy is."

Merrik realized it probably would've been better to wait this out, but his gut told him something bad was going to happen soon, and that he needed to find out what ASAP. Something sinister slept nearby, and it was coming for them all.

 

[Ferre]

A quick sidestep was needed as Merrik rushed the room demanding the arrest of the fraud Jedi.

Bast raised an eyebrow

Chair?

A surge of energy channeled through Bast's hand, slamming the old man against the wall and holding him there. The padawan let out a yawn, the act quite a long time coming considering Bast hadn't used a drop of his force energy the whole time he had been there.

The man had a strong will. They would probably have to work together to-

"Please! I'm helping this town! I'm only trying to help!"

Bast whipped his head from Merrik to Tershin

"Please! Please!" The man groaned "I'm an inventor- they needed me, they needed someone to believe in! You should've seen this town before I came. Horrible, fruitless, overrun by gangs and misery- you can't let them know!"

Tershin broke into a horrible sob.

 

[e_black162_2]

"How are you helping them? By uniting all the gangs under your rule?" the jedi asked sarcasticly. "I found that requiem of yours in the alleyway as well as your executioner. You're not helping anyone but yourself." With a disgusted look, Merrik approached the fraud. "But that's not what we're here for. Where's your other 'padawan,' hm? I know you plan to pass him off to some sith, but we're not gonna let it happen." Merrik wanted to end the fraud's reign of terror over the town, but the mission had to come first, especially when there was a sith involved.

"I don't know what you're talking about! There's no other padawan! only him," he shouted, nodding toward Bast. "I lied to him about the other one!"

"That so?" Merrik asked skeptically. Suddenly, Merrik swung his arm, launching an espensive looking vase at Tershin's head with the Force.

"NOOOO! That was worth 1000 credits, you nerf herder!" The imposter wailed, tears welling up in his eyes. It was obvious that Merrik had struck a nerve. Tershin seemed to be deeply attatched to his material possessions... Merrik cracked a smile.

"Ready to tell us now?"

"I told you I don't kn-"

*Crash!* A large trophycase is lifted, crushed and thrown through the window.

"AAAAARGH! YOU BASTARD! *sniff* THAT WAS WORTH 10,000 CREDITS! I HAD IT CUSTOM MADE!!" Tershin's face grew red and twisted with fury and despair. The captive squirmed and kicked, trying to free himself from Bast's grasp. As Tershin struggled, Merrik lifted a large oil-painted portait of Tershin off the back wall.

"NO! NO, NOOO! NOT THAT ONE! I'LL TALK I'LL TALK!" Tershin fell silent, gasping for air.

"Well, you gonna answer? Cause I can feel the painting slipping..."

"Okay okay! The kid is at the old manor just outside of town! North side! He was supposed to meet milord today!"

"A Sith?"

"No, but he is a force user! I swear!"

Hmm, a force user after kids that's not a Sith...could it be a jedi after all? Is Tershin lying to us?

After some thought, Merrik turned to Bast. "Tie him up, we're taking him with us in case he's lying." He smashes the painting, then continues speaking. "We're going on a field trip."

 

[Ferre]

Tershin's body relaxed with a sudden release as Bast dropped his arm. Panting, Tershin didn't try to escape. Perhaps this was out of fear, perhaps out of realizing there was no point in trying. After all, jumping out a window had led to him getting dragged back into the room like he had an invisible leash.

A visible one wouldn't hurt though.

The padawan half-assed a waist swept bow, "Yes, master" he melodramatically replied, still not over the fact that he had to call the previous man such.

Ever one to use his immediate resources, the padawan simply removed his own woven belt and prodded over to the old man and stood expactantly. With a rather unhappy, but accepting of his fate grimace, Tershin clasped his wrists together behind his lower back as Bast wrapped a knot that would make a galactic scout proud.

He then stifled a yawn, the use of the force earlier having drained the padawan ever so slightly. Hopefully Tershin wouldn't notice and simply believe Bast to be bored. None the less, Bast would follow the knight out of the room and manor with Tershin in tow.

The manor that they sought was not too far, and with the sun having set during their time inside Tershin's humble abode, there were not many on the street to inhibit their path. In fact there were none. With the dark night air wrapped around them, the young Arkanian's sensitive ultra-violet vision slowly came into formation. Sources of heat, though none of sentients became clearly visible in red glowing forms. The details of such figures only visible by the grace of a large moon.

Small towns were odd like that. To a kid from the city, even one raised almost entirely within one the white-washed walls of one medical research center, any area that had the streets clear of all activity by dusk was stranger than a man pretending to be a Jedi to kidnap force sensitive children.

 

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The trio approached the manor, eventually reaching the front door. The building was run-down and the door was rotten and rusted, a stark contrast to Tershin's place. "What a dump..." Merrik whispered to himself, disappointed with the villain's lair. In his mind, he'd envisioned a large estate with accents of gold and silver lining it's edges, but what he found was a dusty shack reminiscent of a spice house. Not wanting to touch the doorknob for fear of contracting a disease, Merrik turned toward Tershin and spoke.

"After you, Master." Merrik said with a chuckle as he directed the prisoner to the door.

"Tch. Fine." Reluctantly, the old man opened the door and stepped inside, with the two jedi following closely behind.

Ironically, the manor was beautiful on the inside. The rooms were immaculate and the decor was elegant. It was even nicer than Tershin's home, a fact reinforced by the envious look on his face. The three walked through the golden halls on a beautiful red and gold carpet into a large chamber in which a hooded figure sat in deep meditation.

Merrik impatiently shouted at the figure, asking, "You Corax Nul?"

The figure snapped out of his trance and sprang to his feet, suddenly on edge. "Who are you? What do you want?" Before Merrik could answer, the boy's eyes darted to Tershin. "M-Master? Y-you're kidnapping him?! Then... You're here for me too, aren't you!?" The boy drew a vibrosword that was much too big for him, and continued, " I won't go easily, villain." The boy charged forward slashing wildly at Merrik. As he did so, another figure appeared from the door they came in from and said in a raspy voice, "So you've come for my flock, have you? Well, I'll just have to exterminate you, warmongering filth." The second figure ignites a purple light saber and charges toward the trio too.

"I've got the adult, you take care of Tershin and the kid," he commands Bast as the two close in on them from opposite sides. Both the kid and the man were strong with the force and seemed skilled with blades, so the two were in for a dangerous fight.