Ask You the Jedi?

[Aranmir]

As Aranmir had expected, the Trandoshans weren’t able to remove the rubble. Their path back to Zeffy and his friends was completely blocked. They would need to find another way of finding the others. The Tiefling only hoped that there wasn’t any other surprise for them.

With the Zabrak woman’s arm immobilized and with a Trandoshan acting as a crutch, the group proceeded through the stairs. Aranmir was in front of the others, his lightsaber activated and illuminating the place with its purple light. It seemed that the explosion had left this part of the building without energy.
In the Tiefling’s opinion, it was too much like a horror movie.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Aranmir saw that the next room was illuminated. It seemed that someone had forgotten to change the light bulbs, rather than the explosion being responsible for causing damage in the energy system. Even if it was the case, the Padawan decided to remain with his lightsaber at his hands, but deactivated.

There were strange howling sounds coming from here, after all.

The new area that they arrived in seemed to be some type of office area. It could be a normal place if it wasn’t for the table with food there. However, more strange than it was the creatures below the table and the skeleton-like guy that seemed to be cooking with a lightsaber.

A lightsaber that screamed help through the Force. Aranmir immediately thought that there were high chances of the weapon being the one used by Mallox.

Besides the lightsaber, the Force also warned him about the man cooking. There was danger coming from him, but he wasn’t sure why the other planned. The creatures under the table also had an abnormal presence and the Tiefling didn’t trust any of them.

“Before we take a seat, I think that we deserve to know who our host is.” Aranmir said, while smiling at the man. The TIefling was nervous, but he needed to remain calm for the civilians there. “So we can thank them for such a fine dinner.”

@Nefieslab @Zay @LadyRen @Logan

 

[Zeri Adasca]

Everything was beginning to escalate around them and Zeri wasn't quite sure what to think about it all. All of this was definitely not what she had expected when she'd first decided to take on this task, but she was resolute enough to know there was little else to do but continue to press on.

Following behind Liana, Zeri had to do her damnedest to hold in a gasp as they entered to the horror movie morgue and her eyes caught the children quietly whimpering in their cage. Anger and shock stirred in Zeri's gut as she struggled to comprehend why anyone would do something so ghastly to innocent kids.

Before she could come up with any kind of plan on what to do with captain meat-whack, Liana activated her lightsaber and charged headlong into battle. Biting her lip with worry, Zeri knew that she couldn't dawdle long. Despite how much she wished they'd at least talked about what they were going to do, she just wasn't afforded that luxury.

Reaching out with the force, Zeri would try to stop the Besalisk from doing too much to avoid Liana's attack. She had no idea if she would be able to, but Zeri would put as much of her zeriussy into it as she could.

 

[The Storyteller]

Small Bites
Liana & Zeri​

The Besalisk was facing away from the entrance, allowing both Liana and Zeri to approach him from behind without issue. As they waited, as they thought, they would hear the Besalisk man humming to himself as he worked - the picture of calm and collected while doing horrible things. Instead the only pause in his amusement was when he caught the sound of the lightsaber igniting and caught sight of a dangerous emotion entering the eyes of all three of the children he had locked away in front of him.

Immediately the Besalisk struggled, trying to turn around and find himself entirely incapable of doing so - for about two seconds before his powerful frame would manage to overcome the hasty use of the Force by Zeri. His body turned, Liana would be able to see the creature grinning even as his arms were folded in front of him.

The variety of knives, vibro and regular, held in the air by his mind through the Force. It was the only real warning the young padawan would get before two of the drawers came flying out of the side wall, aiming to ram into the side of her mid-charge even as he forced himself to move despite Zeri's tenacity. The lightsaber's forward thrust would lance through the air just in front of his gut as he had spun side-on to face the two Padawans.

"Oh what fun! More protein!"

The Chef
Leon & Zeffy​

Zeffy didn't even give Leon's concern a moment to breathe - she didn't have time to bleed and neither of them had the time to waste. Instead they were surrounded by flames as someone addressed as "the chef" stared at them with his stolen saber. Even Zeffy wasn't sure if the blade had once been the one owned by her Jedi Shadow ally or if it was one stolen and corrupted earlier.

In the end she didn't think it much mattered.

Her own lightsaber came up as she scowled across the room at their enemy. She had a feeling that Leon was right about their enemy's ability to control the flames. It made sense, why else would he surround himself with such intense flames?

"Stay back, kid."

With that single warning, Zeffy launched herself forward with her lightsaber buzzing as she swung it down toward the Chef in a leaping vertical slash even as the lightsaber flew from his hands towards Leon. The Chef tutted aloud even as he threw himself backward, Zeffy's initial strike falling short of him as he backed up, flames beginning to crawl up and down his arms as he focused on the Sith for a moment, launching a whip of fire at her throat, intending to wrap the flames around her to both choke and burn her.

The lightsaber had had been playing with was abandoned, soaring across the distance to land firmly in Leon's free hand with a satisfying smack. As the young Jedi's hand instinctively closed around the lightsaber hilt to hold onto it, his nerves would catch up to the pain as he grabbed tightly onto a metal cylinder burning hot enough that it would stick to his skin.

Entree
Aranmir & Parents​

At the words from the man carving meat, the animals seemed to calm down - but Aranmir would be able to sense fear interwoven with the submission. They obeyed because they had been conditioned to accepted the skeletal man as their Master and it was embedded with fear. Still, the man tore a strip of meat free before tossing it to the creatures when they obeyed - they quickly snatched it out of the air and gobbled it up as he turned to regard the Padawan and the parents.

Tilting his head to one side slightly, the man seemed to nod. His smile seemed almost unnaturally wide, stretching across his overly gaunt face like a cavern of perfectly white teeth.

"It is gratifying to see that the Jedi Elders still teach their young well." he bowed his head shallowly, "You may call me Actavion, I am but a humble member of the Family. As you can see, I am responsible for the Table."

Though polite, Aranmir would be able to pick up that certain comments were given far more importance than others within the same sentance. Two of the Trandoshan parents exchanged looks before raising their blaster pistols to aim at Actavion. The man's smile didn't waver even as the creatures beneath the table began to growl low in their throats, the sound seeming to warble as flames licked around their barred teeth.

"Jedi this is one of the ones who has taken our Young - we must find out why!"

Actvaion gestured to the table.

"Why? Because they belong on our Table of course." his smile remained static, "After all - veal is much sweeter than venison."

@Zay @LadyRen @Logan @LouJoVi

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Baudelaire sucked in hot air as the searing metal tube hit his outstrectehd hand. Leon wailed in pain as he flung the blade to the ground. His hand felt terribly cold and then the searing pain hit. He looked down and gasped as a large chunk of his palm bubbled and smoked. He could smell cooked meat and it turned his stomach as his mouth began to water.

Leon snapped out of it. Zeffy’s attack had missed and she was in danger. He couldn’t let this firebender get the best of them. Baudelaire used the pain in his hand to galvanize himself into action. This was real, the danger was real, and if he kept fucking up he’d be dead.

Leaning into the force, Leon moved with superhuman speed, closing the gap between himself and The Chef. Baudelaire would feint left with his lightsaber, when sweep low aiming to cut the cultist legs off.

@LadyRen @Logan @LouJoVi @Nefieslab

 

[Liana Mason]

Liana's life had changed throughout the years and she had learnt that there were never such thing as full, unrestricted safety. While the anger and determination having washed over her, she had been confident that she'd slay that terrible beast that wasn't even humanoid in her eyes any longer, but little did she know the Besalisk was a capable force user himself.

In a split second after the Besalisk broke free from Zeri's grasp, he commanded the Force to hurl the drawers at the incoming padawan missile, but after having overcome her initial fear, Lia was filled with an incredible rush of adrenaline that his attacks did not go as planned.

The Force seemed to be on her side as she jumped and landed on the first flying drawers, her left foot actually using it mid-air and leap onto the next before she actually used it as a launch pad. With a determined cry the tiny padawan precisely corrected her thrust so that it did come down as planned, carving right through the Besalisk's right arms with herself fully unscathed and right in meele range for the next strike. She felt like she was ready for anything and the prospect of getting the children out was her fuel.

@Nefieslab @Logan @Zay @LouJoVi

 

[Aranmir]

Aranmir was using all his willpower to stay calm, but the situation was becoming creepier with every second. There was something very wrong about that man, his pets and the food on that table. The food was probably what left the Padawan more uncomfortable. Without any doubt there was something bad about it.

Rather than feeling good and proud with the man’s compliment, the Tiefling could only feel shivers running down his spine. During his time living in the streets, Aranmir had met several creepers and learned to avoid them. However, the Padawan couldn’t leave this time. He still needed to save the children.

While his mind tried to understand what was Family and what was Table, the Trandoshans accused Actavion of being one of the people responsible for kidnapping their children. Aranmir strengthened his grip on his lightsaber and stared at the creepy guy. He was prepared to act.

However, what Actavion said made the Padawan stare at him. Did this man really do what the Tiefling was thinking? "Are you cooking the children?" He asked, looking seriously at the guy.

@Nefieslab @LadyRen @Logan @Zay

 

[The Storyteller]

Small Bites
Liana & Zeri​

The Force blared a blinding note of joy to those who were trained to sense it as Liana was able to turn the change in terrain against her enemy - the Force was with her and the Besalisk screamed in rage and pain as two of his arms flew through the air in a short-lived spray of blood and the lasting scent of charred flesh. Again, through the Force, Liana and Zeri would be able to feel the swelling of hope that came from the trapped children at the sight of their tormentor being so dismembered.

Almost blinded by the rage that consumed him, the Besalisk threw a punch aimed at Liana's head with his upper left arm - the force behind such a blow would likely shatter the young Jedi's head entirely should it hit. The size and strength difference between the Jedi and the Besalisk Butcher were so vast as to almost border on unfair.

At the same time as the wild haymaker, the Force responded to his need and a trio of vibroknives came flying from Liana's right side, beckoned by his last remaining hand. The trio of deadly objects would fly the short distance from the table towards her unprotected right flank at speed even as he threw his punch.

The Chef
Leon & Zeffy​

The whip of flames lashed out and Zeffy was not able to block the attack that was barely physical in nature, instead throwing herself into a rather acrobatic backward flip to avoid it. Instead of wrapping around her neck, the flaming lasso ended just short of the Sith as Leon rushed ahead to try and capitalise on the Chef's attack, almost missing the way that the Devaronian seemed almost unbothered by the way the young Padawan launched himself at him.

Drawing a vibroknife in his left hand, the Chef eyed Leon and caught the feint in time to throw himself down to his knees, catching the edge of Leon's lightsaber against him blade even as he pulled with his right hand - the flaming whip that was still extended coming rushing at Leon's back as his blade was blocked.

"Padawan - move!"

The warning came from Zeffy even as the air seemed to take on an electrical charge, enough to cause the hairs on the back of Leon's neck to rise as the Sith held her free hand out ahead of her. Arcs of electrical energy lanced between her fingertips as she gave Leon a moment to evade before she launched the attack, lightning lancing out toward the Chef and Leon's position. If the Padawan didn't move, he would be able to ensure that the Chef couldn't either but he would assuredly suffer from the same pain, even if he did manage to evade the returning flame whip.

Perhaps he had it in him to time it just right as to evade both?

Entree
Aranmir & Parents​

Actavion's smile was just as fixed as it had been before - and was no less horrifying for it.

"Yes."

Such a simple, brutal, answer delivered without hesitation, shame or remorse. The two Trandoshan parents at the front hissed in surprise and even the Zabrak woman choked back a cry of dismay as the skeletal man made his clear admission. Without looking away from Aranmir, Actavion gestured idly with the shoto saber.

"We consume those with the blessing of the Force - and in consuming them, we consume their strength. Their connection to the Force becomes ours. They become part of us."

A flash of danger through the Force came too late as Aranmir was focused almost exclusively on what was playing out in front of him. Pain and death lanced through the Force as the Trandoshan that had been holding up the Zabrak woman fired his blaster pistol right into the back of the skull of one of the other Trandoshans, gunning the father down with a grin. Jamming the pistol into the broken limb of the Zabrak woman, the betrayer grinned wider and wider as it's skin and scales began to shift, forming not the shape of the Trandoshan but of the Clawdite Family Member who had been with the parents since before the bar.

Suddenly the excitement that had been felt from that same person in the Force made sense - they hadn't been nervous about rescuing their child because they never had one. They had been excited to betray the group.

Actavion's smile never waivered.

"Give us your flesh, child of the Force, or we will kill these insignificants and take it from you by force."

@Zay @LadyRen @Logan @LouJoVi

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Baudeliare was nothing if not a fighter. His senses and mind were open and aware of his surroundings, he wasn’t filled with rage, panic, or fear. He was doing what he’d been trained to do. The swirling vortex that was the force undulated around the space radiating from himself and The Chef like an open door to a stove. The unconcerned expression on the cultists face was like the rattle of a snake's tail, even before Zeffy’s words rang out, Leon was moving on the defensive.

Daybreak collided with The Chef’s vibroknife. But their meeting was short lived. Leon had fallen for the darksider’s trick before, but wasn’t going to be burned again, so easily.The Adumarian had honed his blade work with the passion of a sculptor, hours of relentless drilling turned his lightsaber into an extension of himself. Which was why he was able to reach out with the force and coil the omnipresent power around the Chef’s knees, seeking to lock them in place.

Just before the flaming whip licked the exposed flesh of his neck, The Padawan moved. He disengaged, slipping around to the Chef’s exposed left flank, just out of knife reach, while cinching the force with all of his ability around The Chef’s leg.

“Padawan - Move!” cried Zeffy as a mosaic of deep purple electricity exploded from her palm. The hair standing on end across his body told him he was still in the danger zone of the attack, but he’d taken a hit of Sith lightning from a Sith Master and lived.

Saber in the proper defensive stance, Leon kept his concentration solely on restraining The Chef until the last possible moment and then would shift to sight to draw any outlying energy into his blade.


@LadyRen @Logan @LouJoVi @Nefieslab

 

[Liana Mason]

After Liana had used her enemy's attack to her advantage to sever the Besalisk's two arms off, it was the adrenaline that still kept her going. Never having mutilated an enemy like that, the little padawan hadn't even fully processed what she had done as the only thing that drove her was still the prospect of saving the helpless children that had been abducted from their families.

The immediate swelling of hope of the kids in the cage was the light she needed. In this very dark, terrible terrible place it was exactly what she needed to proceed. Still being in melee range meant that the punch - fueled by his rage and pain- he threw at once sped in her direction as this ethereal sense of threat also tickled at her right side.

She was seemingly caught in a cross fire between the blow and incoming knives, however as she still had the advantage of the close distance, she was hoping that Zerri could at least do something against the knives if her attack didn't hit in time. Ducking down to avoid the punch that was coming its way, Lia attempted to ramm the lightsaber that was still in her right hand into the massive Besalisk's torso, intending to break his focus with the immediate forward stab and release its invisible grasp around the vibroknives while simultaneously impaling this horrible person, ensuring that he would never ever harm anyone again. The close range was her advantage, allowing for her to stab without even having to move while he still had to bring the knives over.

@Nefieslab @Logan @Zay @LouJoVi

 

[Zeri Adasca]

It was becoming increasingly evident that among the two of them, Liana was by far the more useful. She'd lept headlong into trying to take down the Butcher and well, Zeri was kind of just standing around doing nothing. Well, no more of that. It was time to start actually pulling her weight.

Zeri could see the vibroknives lift from their places and based on the direction they were aimed, had a very good indication that it wasn't Liana doing the lifting. It was the Butcher and Zeri wasn't going to let him just impale her friend like some stuck bantha.

With a swift movement of her hands, Zeri would send a strong force push at the flying knives, looking to send them wildly off course and have them smash harmlessly into a nearby wall. Far away from both Liana and the kids.

Thinking of the kids, Zeri wondered if leaving them in the cage for now as actually safer for them overall. Then again.. letting them out would at least give them the opportunity to escape. Biting her lip, Zeri decided to reach out with the force to open the kid's cage, and if they were able to, to usher them over to her so that she could stand between them and whatever ended up being left of the Butcher after Liana was done with him.

For the first time, Zeri pulled her lightsaber hilt into her hand but didn't ignite it yet. Not wanting to frighten the children, Zeri simply gripped her lightsaber and kept her focus on Liana and the Butcher, ready to do whatever she needed to to keep the kids and her friend safe.

 

[Aranmir]

After hearing Actavion’s words, Aranmir was overcome with disgust. These people were completely insane, even worse than the Sith. Kill a children and then proceed to eat them was something that he never thought that a civilized individual would do. To be honest, the Tiefling didn’t believe that even primitives would do something so vile.

The Padawan was so distracted by the disgust that he didn’t notice that one of the Trandoshans was pulling a weapon. Only when the shot was fired and the body of one of the parents fell to the floor did the Tiefling finally noticed that they were in more trouble. The person that had fired changed into a Clawdite.

Now they were in more trouble, because the Padawan would not be able to fight two of them plus the monster dogs, while trying to protect the survivors. He would need to improvise or wait for the others to come and help him.

The good thing was that Aranmir was always good at improvising.

“Ok, I’ll give myself to you.” the Padawan said, before walking until he was close to the Clawdite. Then, he turned to look at Actavion and his dogs. “However, the fact that you absorb the Force connection from others makes me think.” he paused, while looking at the dogs and opening his connection into the Force until it touched the creatures and the two maniacs.

“Are you two going to eat each other? After all, if you absorb the connection with the Force by eating others, it means that you already have it.” he hoped that his use of the Force would influence them to think in what he was saying and see logic in it. “Even if you prefer young meat, food is food. You never know when such an opportunity like me will appear again.”

If his influence worked, they would be feeling hungry and contemplating turning at each other. The animals would also be thinking the same. Aranmir only needed a bit of lucky and the necessary distraction to act.

@Nefieslab @LadyRen @Logan @Zay

 

[The Storyteller]

Small Bites
Liana & Zeri​

Despite the Butcher's efforts, Zeri's sudden inclusion into the fight caught him off guard and he was unable to do anything to properly counter her sudden use of the Force. The large creature hadn't actually even clocked that she was present - after all, he had much more pressing concerns with the sudden lack of two arms at the blade of Liana as she took up as much of his attention as she possibly could.

As the blades were no longer coming to his aid, the Butcher spun to keep Liana in front of him and cursed loudly in his native tongue as she lunged for him with her lightsaber.

With a wet hissing sound, her lightsaber sank into the gut of the much taller opponent even as his lower hand came to grab her wrist, wrapping around it even as she hilted her blade inside him. The Butcher slumped, his weight threatening to tip forward as Liana impaled him on her lightsaber - to Liana's perception it appeared that she had skewered him in a vital area and he was in the midst of dying... when his grip on her wrist tightened.

As a Besalisk, the Butcher's brute strength was far beyond Liana's and she would feel it as he began to squeeze, attempting to squeeze her hand and lightsaber hilt together as his mouth split into a savage snarl and his upper arm would keep moving, covering her face with his palm as he started to squeeze with his upper arm as well. In his overly angry, pained, state, he cared little for Zeri or for the trio of children slipped free from their cages and started crawling across the floor towards Zeri.

He focused entirely on crushing the Padawan that had walked herself into his grip.

The Chef
Leon & Zeffy​

It was quick but Leon was able to see the mask of indifference slip slightly once the opponent tried to make a lunge for the retreating form of the Jedi and found his knee locked in place. The slash from the vibroknife coming very short of actually catching Leon as he found himself restrained by the knee-locking in a way he had not expected.

The Chef's indifference made way for anger but it was quickly smothered behind more indifference, carefully sculpted to appear natural even as the Devaronian thought of his next move. With the blast of lightning inbound, The Chef was honestly confused - did the Sith intend to hit them both in an attempt to get at him?

The mask fell away again as Leon moved to protect himself from the lightning with his lightsaber, refusing to leave the melee range and tilting himself to catch some of the lightning. As he moved, still focused on locking the knee in place, The Chef reached out with the Force - and moved Leon fully in the path of the lightning blast, twisting the boy to face the blast head-on as he focused on the Chef's knee.

The young Jedi's defence would work perfectly even against the full front of the lightning blast and as Zeffy's eyes widened in alarm, The Chef was already surging forwards and up. His vibroknife flew forward, thrown with precision to impale Leon right in his right kidney from behind as the Jedi was effectively used as his shield, his field of vision tilted away from the Chef and his attention on blocking the lightning or else being shocked.

Leaving his blade behind, the Jedi's concentration surely broken now, the Chef would thrust forwards with the Force as a Push, pushing Leon forward with his aim right on the handle of the vibroknife as the Jedi would travel forward.

Reaching out with the Force, the Chef would pull his tortured lightsaber back to his hand and bow his head slightly to Leon and Zeffy both as it burst into life once more.

"Don't worry... when I kill you, not a single part of you will go to waste. My Family and I? We consume the whole carcass."

Entree
Aranmir & Parents​

Actavion and his revealed ally seemed so supremely confident but in the Force, Aranmir would be able to feel that the Clawdite was more nervous energy than confidence. Actavion, as expected, was cool, calm and collected - through the Force he felt like a man in control. As the Padawan began to speak, the nervous energy of the Clawdite would settle into one part of that equation - nerves.

Enough that their grip on their hostage slackened slightly and they turned to look to Actavion. The confident leader in the room, Actavion caught the look his ally was giving him and frowned. He didn't say a word, instead focusing on establishing the dominance once again with a look - it was enough of a chance for Aranmir to worm his way into the minds of the canines, to get a feel for them and what he might be able to coerce them to do.

"The Family only consumes one another when no other suitable food is found." Actavion decided to answer at length, "After all, as I'm sure you know - Force Sensitives fight back. Makes the taste all the sweeter though."

He seemed to find his easy smile again, even if the Clawdite still seemed less than certain.

"Drop your lightsaber on the ground and we'll be away from this awkward moment."

@Zay @LadyRen @Logan @LouJoVi

 

[Aranmir]

While Actavion was an example of confidence, don’t feel any doubt when Aranmir had questioned his ideals, the Clawdite wasn’t so secure. Through the Force, the Tiefling could feel that they were struggling with the situation and finding logic in what the Padawan was saying.

If he wanted to survive, Aranmir would need to exploit it.

Aranmir’s attempt in reaching the dog-like creatures also proved to have some success. While he couldn’t turn the two against Actavion, it seemed that it would be possible to at least make one of them come to his side. The Padawan focused on the one on the right. It was the closest to the crazy man, trying to make a bond with him.

“What makes you think that you’ll soon have more food?” Aranmir said to Actavion, while once again spreading the Force in the room. “Even if you take a bunch of Padawans, there is no guarantee that any other Jedi will come back here or that you even find more Force sentives. I think that you already plan to eat your partner here. Or perhaps even your dogs, as many desperate people do in times of hunger.”

“He will eat you. Fire at him before he has the chance and you’ll have a Padawan and him to feast upon.” Aranmir nudged the Clawdite telepathically, before turning to influence the dog in also attacking Actavion. If he could establish a bond with them, he probably would have a good ally while trying to find the exit.

@Nefieslab @LadyRen @Logan @Zay

 

[Zeri Adasca]

Zeri watched with bated breath as she kids scurried from their cage and made it around the Butcher. They were scared so they were quick, getting behind her as Zeri's attention was drawn back to her friend and the extremely unfortunate circumstance that Liana found herself in.

Zeri knew that she needed to help, though her brain spun its wheels a little as she tried to figure out a way to do more help than harm. The Butcher's grip needed to be loosened, and Zeri could really only come up with one way to do that. She was going to have to kill him. Something she secretly hoped she'd never have to do, but her friends life was worth a great deal to Zeri. And she wasn't going to just sit by and watch her get murdered.

With her left hand, Zeri would reach out with the force and grip the Butcher's head, attempting to yank on it hard, looking to pull it back like she were grabbing a fistful of his hair and wrenching on it.. so that his neck was very open and very exposed.

Spotting one of the numerous slicey and choppy instruments strewn about, Zeri used her other hand - three fingers, all she could spare without dropping her lightsaber - to lift a nearby meat cleaver into the air and send it spinning straight for the Butcher.

With any luck, it would cleave straight into his neck and lop his head clean off. If none of that worked, Zeri would probably try to move into melee distance with an activated lightsaber, though she would only do that if she had to.

@Zay @LadyRen @Nefieslab @LouJoVi

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Time slowed. Seconds stretched into minutes as the darkside power ripped from Zeffy’s hands. Leon’s concentration was on holding The Chef in place, until he felt the force begin to slide him against his will. As it did, the fires in the altars around the perimeter flared up, and Leon released his hold on The Chef’s knee, while plunging his lightsaber into the force. No padawan should know how to deflect sith lightning, but Leon Baudelaire did.

The Lightning slammed into his saber, but the collision didn’t dissipate the incoming power, it collected it. If Zeffy had been a trained Sith Master there would have been no way in the galaxy he’d have been able to do this, but intent and the force have a funny way of intermingling.

Even as the Chef committed to his throw Leon turned, swinging his lightsaber toward the Daveroninan, he felt something punch into his side, but there was no stopping him now, he had to stop the Deveronian no matter the cost. The fire’s along the perimeter flared as the Chef’s hand came up and lightning burst from the tip of Daybreak aimed at the Daveronian’s center mass.

Then Leon was flying. He somehow managed to keep his lightsaber in his hand as he crashed to the ground. The fire’s in the altar he landed closest to were just dimming as the Daveronian’s lightsaber returned to his hand.

Leon’s breath was heavy; there was searing pain in his abdomen. “Zeffy the fires around the perimeter, they’re key,” he projected into her mind. Leon was tired… so tired, but he had to stand up. There was a tug in his stomach and looked down and winced. It hadn’t felt like a blade biting into him, it had felt like a punch to the gut, but there was no denying the truth as the hilt of the blade protruded from his abdomen.

Baudelaire was hurt, and hurt bad, but he still forced himself on to his feet. He flexed his burned hand, the raw mottled skin screamed in protest, but the pain only drove Leon forward. He would die before he allowed this wanna be darksider to walk away. He called his second lightsaber to his hand. Alton Vari’s lightsaber. The saber that had nearly killed them all on Berchest. The source of Leon’s burden. The force swirled around Baudelaire like a tornado preparing to take form.

Even now as he drew the omnipresent power into him he knew his target wasn’t the Devil before him. It was the details surrounding him.

To Zeffy he said, “You go left, I’ll go right.”

He began to edge to the side body and blade trained on the Chef.

@Nefieslab @LadyRen @LouJoVi @Logan

 

[Liana Mason]

Liana's strike landed and she found her lightsaber stuck in the Besalisk's massive torso, pretty sure she had just pierced any vital organs, but somehow, she was neither relieved nor extremely happy. It already dawned her that in his enraged, painful state he was still deadly and even if he was dangerously hurt, this fight wasn't over.

There was not even time to gulp as the beast reached down and grabbed both, her wrist and face in an attempt to crush her right where she was in two unprotected areas. The adrenaline kept pumping through her veins as pain filled her. An agonized cry escaped her as she felt the first bone snap, her grip on the lightsaber loosening, yet still able to hold on.

He made sure her kept her wrist in position with his powerful grip and her vision was taken away from her as his falm covered her face, the pain was soon threatening to overwhelm her. She shrieked loudly, falling back, hoping that this unexpected backwards movement would allow her to somehow pull out of his grip around her face and while she kept one leg on the ground, the other left leg shot right up and in between his legs, hoping that this last kick together with Zeri's attack she could sense through the Force would end him before he would end her. To withstand the immense pain, she was drawing from every last tiniest fling of light the children were offering through their newly sparked hope. Zeri and Liana were all they had left in this dire situation.

@Nefieslab @Zay @Logan @LouJoVi

 

[The Storyteller]

Small Bites
Liana & Zeri​

In their struggle against the Butcher, Liana and Zeri were exposed to some of the harshest realities in the darkness of the Galaxy and yet they did their best - they remained strong. Even when in pain, even when debating doing something that they had never thought they'd do. This was the essence of being a Jedi, though, facing the darkest elements of the Galaxy with Light and determination.

And they weren't afraid to play dirty against people who didn't play fair either.

Alone, Zeri's Pull on the Butcher's head would have rocked his head back but he would have been able to regain control in time to deflect the knife that she was sending his way with the Force. But, she wasn't alone and the Butcher's instinctive attempts to wrest control back from Zeri were cut off as his concentration was cut by blinding pain from the kick from Liana. Instead the Butcher's eyes widened in pain and he was able to pull his head down just enough to spot the knife but too late to do anything.

Liana wouldn't see it but she would feel it as hot, coppery, blood splashed onto her front and began to gush all down the front of her body as the grip on both her head and wrist loosened. The hands stayed where they were, however, in a death grip, but they didn't tighten at all as the Butcher's strength fled, bled out of him.

Zeri was less lucky - she got to watch as the knife she had thrown carved through half of the Butcher's neck, tearing through flesh and several major blood vessels which burst like water pipes under pressure. Half the room was splattered to one degree of another and Zeri was able to watch as the Butcher seemed to realise what had happened, only after staring down at all of his own blood, before slumping backward against the examination table, eyes blank and staring at Zeri from across the room.

The Chef
Leon & Zeffy​

The lightning hissed and spat as it arced from the tip of Leon's lightsaber, guided by a desperate use of the Force. Typically, Sith lightning was countered by a lightsaber by the blade drawing the energy in and neutralising it itself. But with a deft flick and the luck of the Force, the young Jedi was able to direct the energy along the length of his lightsaber at his enemy as he was thrown from the melee.

Unable to really defend himself, the Devaronian roared in pain as the blast of lightning impacted him right in the chest and he was sent skidding backward as he tried to brace himself. Black burns crossed half of his torso from where the blast impacted and he seemed to wince for a moment before adopting the calm expression once again.

"Well played... but not good enough."

Reaching out with his free hand, flames began to rapidly cross the room from one of the bonfires to the edges of the room. Draining the fire entirely, the burn marks on his chest began to flake off, revealing perfectly healthy skin underneath. The Chef ignited his lightsaber in his right hand, holding his off-hand in a tight fist as flames began to circle him, drawn from another of the bonfires to the sides of the room, draining another for to form a swirling vortex of flames that circled him.

Zeffy nodded to Leon and began to circle the opposite side as Leon, forcing the Chef to turn his head from side to side regularly in an effort to keep them both in his sight. As he was turning his head towards Leon, Zeffy made a lunge forward, catching his attention before pulling back as the feint drew the Chef's attention, leaving his blindside to Leon, protected only by a wall of swirling fire.

Entree
Aranmir & Parents​

As Aranmir assumed control of the creature closest to Actavion, it was clear that the other two creatures seemed to notice something was different but they were curious rather than alarmed and instead just sniffed at their fellow canine. Actavion didn't seem to actually notice at all, instead focusing on the Jedi as he spoke. It was becoming readily apparent that the skeletal man was growing tired of the talk as his eyes narrowed and his smile seemed to stiffen. His grip on the stolen lightsaber tightened.

"I can't help but notice that you haven't dropped your lightsaber as I asked, Jedi." the cultist replied, ignoring the issue of future food sources to press home a point from his own concerns, "You must really not care if these parents live or die if you're being so flippant as to waste their lives just to run your mouth. Brother - kill the Trandoshan father."

The clawdite, however, was thinking more about what had actually been said - and what hadn't been said but felt like his own thoughts. Aranmir hadn't been too subtle with his telepathy but the clawdite cultist was already concerned so the Padawan's comments resounded within the man's head as something akin to his own concerns.

"Hey... hey yeah, where is the next meal coming from after these Padawans, brother?"

The clawdite's grip on the zabrak woman loosened and his blaster hovered, still aimed in the general direction of the trandoshan - but also in the same general direction as Actavion. He didn't fire upon his 'brother' but he was considering his worries far more and they included the fear he held for the skeletal man. Actavion, for his part, turned on the clawdite with a flash of anger so intense that it would vibrate through the Force as he glowered at the clawdite.

"What was that you pitiful whelp? Were you questioning me?"

A heavy feeling would settle on the room as the clawdite's eyes widened and he immediately seemed to rush to bow his head to Actavion, as if cowed into submission by the sensation and the associated history behind it. The two cultists focused entirely on themselves and their issues in that moment - it was in that moment that the canine attacked, spinning in place and clamping its jaws around the man's right Achilles tendon, tearing into his flesh with ferocity as he let out a surprised, pained, cry.

@Zay @LadyRen @Logan @LouJoVi

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Zeffy’s attack collided with a resounding: CRACK!

As the lightning slammed into The Chef. The indifferent mask he’d been wearing was blown away as he spoke. Leon’s patented mischievous little smirk settled in on his lip. Sweat beaded across his brow under the effort of standing. Both of his sabers hummed in his hands as he adopted an Adumarian fencing stance.

“Oh good, I can do this all day,” quipped Baudelaire.

Leon’s expression didn’t falter as he watched The Daveronian drain one of the altars and recover from the attack. Leon slowed his breathing. Each beat of his heart sent shockwaves of pain through his body, but the pain paled in comparison to The Living Force’s siren call. Baudelaire’s eyes burned with purpose, verdant eyes reflecting the lapping flames, as he and Zeffy began to circle their adversary.

The fire summoned by The Chef flickered like a candle burning brightest before it’s snuffed out. The flames appeared thin almost like they lacked the intensity from before. Leon’s smirk widened into a wolfish grin as the force enveloped him. He channeled the power into his legs as The Chef brandished his strange saber and empty hand. Their head whipped back and forth like a lion being set on by hyenas.

Leon let out a sharp whistle catching The Chef’s attention, and just as the Daveronian looked his way... The trap was sprung. Zeffy lunged, the flames on The Chef’s blind side raged, but an image of fingers passing through the flame of a candle rippled through Leon’s mind as he launched himself forward.

Never in his life had he moved so fast. His intent was perfectly aligned with the force as he shot forward. The flames raged, but their fury was no match for Baudelaire’s determination.

Leon brought his arms up in an “X” covering his face as the fire drew near. He moved so fast he barely felt the heat as he punched through The Chef’s defense. Leon’s blades struck with blinding speed aiming to bisect the Dark Sider.

The irony of The Chef’s last moments weren’t lost on The Adumarian. A being so consumed with flame only to be cut down by two blades that mirrored a rising and setting sun.

@LadyRen @Logan @LouJoVi @Nefieslab

 

[Aranmir]

Aranmir watched the Clawdite rush in an attempt to bow to Actavion. The Tiefling didn’t understand why the shapeshifter could have so much respect for a man that treated them like something inferior. The Padawan wondered if he could use this fact to continue with the manipulation.

And it was exactly what the Tiefling did. “How can you call him brother if he treats you so badly? Like a underpaid servant? He probably thinks that you don’t deserve to eat anything. Servants never eat in the table of their masters. They only eat the scraps." Aranmir never thought that he could be good with manipulation, but so far it was coming so easy for him."Show him that you are worth of the food! Fire on him! Do it!” the Padawan once again used his telepathy, this time putting more of his will to influence the other.

While he tried to influence the Clawdite one last time, the canine creature decided that it was the perfect moment to attack Actavion. The two cultists became distracted by this sudden attack and Aranmir decided that it was the moment for action.

Independently if they fired at Actavion or not, Aranmir would activate his lightsaber and stab the Clawdite in the back. Then, using the Force, the Padawan would throw the shapeshifter at the man.

@Nefieslab @LadyRen @Zay @Logan

 

[Liana Mason]

Liana had never killed anyone before and while she had always wanted to avoid such a violent act, she had also never been sure about whether she could do it. It had been her one and only doubt in being a Jedi. Would she be able to overcome those inhibitions when needed?

In order to fight for good, would she be able to kill the evils that were out there? Never had she been forced go step onto a battlefield so far and while she had surely seen terrible things when she had been captured by the Rodian Preef Callo, never had anyone ever died by her hands and never had she found herself in a situation that was so unbelievably dark and terrible as this one.

She had gained clarity now though. Through hope and determination she had mananged to do what had to be done: The beastly butcher had been slain with her lightsaber blade through his guts and the blade steered by Zeri through his throat. There was not much she could see as she was suddenly almost drowned in the explosion of deep red blood that gushed down her whole front as she was also still caught in the downwards movement of her kick.

The padawan simply dropped down as her hand slipped out of the death grip with the Besalisk's last strength faded. The throbbing pain had her paralyzed, just like the dreadful things she had just experienced. She managed to use her free hand to wipe the coppery blood of her eyes so that she could at least blink, but for a moment she was simply overwhelmed. Her heart was still racing and the adrenaline overshadowing the pain of her shattered wrist and the realization about how they had made it hadn't yet hit her.

@Nefieslab @Logan @Zay @LouJoVi