Posts: 7918
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Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:33 am
Re: Capital City/Spaceport
*The patrols continue to go out, they're pissed that the guy got away.*
Capital City/Spaceport
Posts: 7918
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Tue Aug 23, 2011 9:18 am
Re: Capital City/Spaceport
*More patrols go out, but everything is calm. For now...*
Posts: 1098
Affiliation: Core Galaxy Systems
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Sat Sep 24, 2011 2:14 pm
Re: Capital City/Spaceport
*In an underground bunker deep beneath CGS headquarters, a dark ceremony takes place. On a stone alter lays the cloned body of Darth Invisus. Surrounding the alter twelve sith lords, necromancers, chant in the ancient language of the sith. Doctor Eliza Halesey looks on from an observation room above. This was her brain child, it would be her greatest achievement. To bring the dead back to life. This time it would work, she knew it would, it had to. After dozens of failed attempts this time she had left nothing to chance. The most up to date cloning processes had been used and only the most powerful sith necromancers had been hired to perform the ceremony. She watched the life signs monitor with great eagerness. She jumped slightly when the first beep was heard. Brainwaves detected, then a heartbeat, now respiration. It was working! It was really working. The ceremony ended just as Invisus’ eyes popped open. He gulped down air in big deep breaths then went into a violent seizer as his muscles spasmed out of control then went limp. He sat up and looked around the dark room. He was alive and in a new younger body. He cursed the sith for bringing him back. Later he cursed Dr. Halesey and later still thanked her for the same. He had been giving another chance at life. This time things would be different.*
Posts: 1098
Affiliation: Core Galaxy Systems
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Sat Sep 24, 2011 2:23 pm
Re: Capital City/Spaceport
To: James Hefre, acting CEO, Core Galaxy Systems
From: Director/Dr. Eliza Halesey
Re: Lazarus Project
Invisus shows only one ill side effect, cause is unknown. Sever Bi-polar disorder has manifested itself. Severe, often violent mood swings make him unpredictable to say the least. One moment he is calm and then someone says or does something he doesn’t like and he turns into a raving lunatic. He has killed one nurse already simply because she got his lunch order wrong.
I’ve prescribed a number of drugs that should help stabilize his mood. The drugs seem to working to some degree but you should still watch your step around him.
Well, at least we have him back.
Eliza
From: Director/Dr. Eliza Halesey
Re: Lazarus Project
Invisus shows only one ill side effect, cause is unknown. Sever Bi-polar disorder has manifested itself. Severe, often violent mood swings make him unpredictable to say the least. One moment he is calm and then someone says or does something he doesn’t like and he turns into a raving lunatic. He has killed one nurse already simply because she got his lunch order wrong.
I’ve prescribed a number of drugs that should help stabilize his mood. The drugs seem to working to some degree but you should still watch your step around him.
Well, at least we have him back.
Eliza
Sat Feb 04, 2012 7:16 pm
Re: Capital City/Spaceport
OOC: For reference to the origins of the storyline, beginning now, please view the events occurring on Jabiim, in the Eastern Outer Rim, within the city of Choal, time-stamped for February 3, 2012. Thanks, and happy reading.
*"You're type of scum doesn't belong here." Templus muttered. His body, almost instinctively, began to assume battle position, both of hands finding grip on the blue saber shining in his hands.
"Petty insults: a Jedi's best defense against the power of the Dark side." Darth Aquios replied with a slight smile, letting the condescension drip from his eyes. The Sith's irises shined in the half-shadows, and Templus' stare was matching in intensity if not clarity. He knew of the art of Dun Moch, he knew it was a Sith's best weapon, and he knew Jedi could garner risky, if not rewarding results from participating.
"Not our best defense, but the only we need." Templus replied with a cocky grin. Darth Aquios' eyes flared brighter for a moment, and the emotions roiling below the Sith's surfaces spiked. Had he actually scored a hit? The Sith Lord seemed to tense, "We'll just test that theory!"
He punctuated the statement with a speedy raising of his hands, firing lightning -- How typical, Templus thought -- at Templus, who angled his blade into the center of the stream, catching the lightning. It buffeted him something fierce, but it did not hit him. His lightsaber was a match for the power behind the attack, and his strength was sufficient.
It was under the duress of this assault by Darth Aquios that the pall of the Dark side lifted off of the two infiltrators. Templus did not realize how much invisible pressure had been placed on his shoulders by Darth Aquios' Force Fear, which had clearly been resisted by the Jedi Knight, and was the reason Ana was rendered useless. But now, she was rising quickly, having been given an abrupt reprieve from the assault her mind had been subject to. Templus could only pay attention to her given a cursory glance through the Force, but her brightness was palpable against Darth Aquios' darkness, despite its unrefined quality.
She quickly took sight of the situation, took stock of the Sith Lord, and then ran to Templus, despite the lightning barely being held at bay. Behind the barrier that Templus erected with just his lightsaber, Ana was whispering in Templus' ear, "A saber, you have two, don't you?"
At this Templus understood: she had no weapon available to her that would have any true effect against a Sith Lord. And despite her lack of training, if Templus could keep the brunt of Darth Aquios' power focused on himself, then she had a chance of utilizing the advantage of numbers. But only a chance.
As Aquios cut off the stream, seeing its lack of effect on the Jedi, Ana was able to slip her hand within Templus' cloak and take his second saber from his belt and then hide it within the sleeve of her own cloak. She backed away as Templus lowered his blade back to a standby position, glaring across the distance at the Sith once more.
"No dice, Sith. It was nice of you to provide my eventual victory with a light show, though." Templus spoke almost cheerily. This Dun Moch business could be amusing, even in the worst of times.
"You're insults will be met with due retaliation, fool!" Aquios spat. His hands, crackling with the last vestiges of his lightning, flew within his own cloak, and Templus knew he could win this before it began if he acted now!
The Knight launched himself across the space, lightsaber held high and a battle cry on his lips, and he tried to bring it down like a cleaver on Aquios, but the Sith took a bracing step back, and had his red saber out and held horizontally high to block Templus' attack. The sabers met with a jolt of conflicting kinetic energy and sparks, and Templus pressed Aquios just nearly to the breaking point, hoping to force the Sith's lightsaber back on the blue-skinned individual.
With gritted teeth, the two fought with pure strength, hoping to overpower the other. And as Templus held Aquios fast, Ana began to move with her natural grace through the shadows in behind Aquios, circling around. She wanted a quick and one-chance shot. It was all she needed.*
*"You're type of scum doesn't belong here." Templus muttered. His body, almost instinctively, began to assume battle position, both of hands finding grip on the blue saber shining in his hands.
"Petty insults: a Jedi's best defense against the power of the Dark side." Darth Aquios replied with a slight smile, letting the condescension drip from his eyes. The Sith's irises shined in the half-shadows, and Templus' stare was matching in intensity if not clarity. He knew of the art of Dun Moch, he knew it was a Sith's best weapon, and he knew Jedi could garner risky, if not rewarding results from participating.
"Not our best defense, but the only we need." Templus replied with a cocky grin. Darth Aquios' eyes flared brighter for a moment, and the emotions roiling below the Sith's surfaces spiked. Had he actually scored a hit? The Sith Lord seemed to tense, "We'll just test that theory!"
He punctuated the statement with a speedy raising of his hands, firing lightning -- How typical, Templus thought -- at Templus, who angled his blade into the center of the stream, catching the lightning. It buffeted him something fierce, but it did not hit him. His lightsaber was a match for the power behind the attack, and his strength was sufficient.
It was under the duress of this assault by Darth Aquios that the pall of the Dark side lifted off of the two infiltrators. Templus did not realize how much invisible pressure had been placed on his shoulders by Darth Aquios' Force Fear, which had clearly been resisted by the Jedi Knight, and was the reason Ana was rendered useless. But now, she was rising quickly, having been given an abrupt reprieve from the assault her mind had been subject to. Templus could only pay attention to her given a cursory glance through the Force, but her brightness was palpable against Darth Aquios' darkness, despite its unrefined quality.
She quickly took sight of the situation, took stock of the Sith Lord, and then ran to Templus, despite the lightning barely being held at bay. Behind the barrier that Templus erected with just his lightsaber, Ana was whispering in Templus' ear, "A saber, you have two, don't you?"
At this Templus understood: she had no weapon available to her that would have any true effect against a Sith Lord. And despite her lack of training, if Templus could keep the brunt of Darth Aquios' power focused on himself, then she had a chance of utilizing the advantage of numbers. But only a chance.
As Aquios cut off the stream, seeing its lack of effect on the Jedi, Ana was able to slip her hand within Templus' cloak and take his second saber from his belt and then hide it within the sleeve of her own cloak. She backed away as Templus lowered his blade back to a standby position, glaring across the distance at the Sith once more.
"No dice, Sith. It was nice of you to provide my eventual victory with a light show, though." Templus spoke almost cheerily. This Dun Moch business could be amusing, even in the worst of times.
"You're insults will be met with due retaliation, fool!" Aquios spat. His hands, crackling with the last vestiges of his lightning, flew within his own cloak, and Templus knew he could win this before it began if he acted now!
The Knight launched himself across the space, lightsaber held high and a battle cry on his lips, and he tried to bring it down like a cleaver on Aquios, but the Sith took a bracing step back, and had his red saber out and held horizontally high to block Templus' attack. The sabers met with a jolt of conflicting kinetic energy and sparks, and Templus pressed Aquios just nearly to the breaking point, hoping to force the Sith's lightsaber back on the blue-skinned individual.
With gritted teeth, the two fought with pure strength, hoping to overpower the other. And as Templus held Aquios fast, Ana began to move with her natural grace through the shadows in behind Aquios, circling around. She wanted a quick and one-chance shot. It was all she needed.*
Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:49 pm
Re: Capital City/Spaceport
*Templus' arms began to shake, the exertion was not exhausting, but his strength in this one act was coming to a peak. It was the end of the line, at least for the amount of distraction Templus could afford. Aquios hissed, "Not enough! Never will be enough!"
Despite his desire to prove to the Sith he could be overpowered in this contest of strength alone, Templus knew it would be foolish. He did not know the true bounds of the Sith's strength, but he knew his well enough. And besides, the Sith would be taunting regardless. Maybe some false hope was exactly what the physician ordered. Templus backed off in a hurry, and the Sith obviously tried to catch the Jedi on the back swing, but Templus expected as much and batted the slash towards the ground.
Aquios could not help but taunt, "I do like to play with my prey..."
He decided to bring the next attack at Templus, coming at him with a lunge and his blade moving in an uppercut at Templus' left hip. Templus blocked with both hands attached, strongly keeping the blade from coming inside his guard. The Sith switched in a beat to a slash coming high and from the opposite direction with just a swivel of his wrist. Thanks to his training and the style's his own master was familiar with, Templus recognized this as the signature maneuvers of Form II, Makashi. And with this knowledge, he could keep Aquios at bay.
Instead of a simple vertical post-block, which would lead to Aquios switching vectors again, Templus rammed his blade forward near the emitter of Aquios' saber, going vertical, so to cut off the red blade's angle early and prevent the full force of the momentum. In turn, Aquios, worried for the continued existence of his lightsaber, gave ground and retracted his saber. Templus pursued. Trying a crude slash to open up the Sith Lord's gut. But he was quick; it was given his form. He brought his hilt low, his blade angled away, and the slash traveled up the red blade, causing a multitude of sparks.
While the two continued to strike and parry each other in that mystical dance that was lightsaber combat, Ana was successfully approaching from the rear. Aquios had been so busy dealing with Templus, he had no time to extend his aura outwards and find her approaching from behind. But what of that sense all Force-users were had, the very one that had saved her and Templus from the raid of her hideout? The danger-sense, as Templus had called it. Would it alert Aquios? Or would he truly be too distracted?
Ana shook her head. If she was going to get away with this, she had to stop doubting! They were in a seriously tight spot here, and she knew that she could very well end up dead whether she tried or not. In the end, Ana was completely sure that to not intervene now would mean certain doom. Sith were evil beings, and they required whatever method of extermination available, no holds barred. She readjusted her grip on Templus' lightsaber, and advanced, trying to ignore how much her palms were sweating. Only 5 meters to go...
Templus could just barely see Ana approaching between the flashing of the red and blues of the opposing lightsabers. He tried not to even think about her, because that risked alerting Aquios. Perfection was required. And Templus almost believed that he would need to push the envelope just to keep the Sith engaged. Fate was not on his side right now.
Aquios was successfully holding off the most powerful strikes Templus could put together with minimal effort. And what was worse was that the nature of his close combat was that that Templus did not have the chance to gain maximum momentum. His hardest hits, and therefore quickest victory, was impossible. And he was the one growing tired, Aquios was an expert at conserving momentum. He just had to bide his time another minute or so.
Ana approached. She angled the hilt in the right direction. She knew the lightsaber would alert Aquios the moment it activated as it had that activation noise, so she would hold on until the last possible second. Aquios back was so close...*
Despite his desire to prove to the Sith he could be overpowered in this contest of strength alone, Templus knew it would be foolish. He did not know the true bounds of the Sith's strength, but he knew his well enough. And besides, the Sith would be taunting regardless. Maybe some false hope was exactly what the physician ordered. Templus backed off in a hurry, and the Sith obviously tried to catch the Jedi on the back swing, but Templus expected as much and batted the slash towards the ground.
Aquios could not help but taunt, "I do like to play with my prey..."
He decided to bring the next attack at Templus, coming at him with a lunge and his blade moving in an uppercut at Templus' left hip. Templus blocked with both hands attached, strongly keeping the blade from coming inside his guard. The Sith switched in a beat to a slash coming high and from the opposite direction with just a swivel of his wrist. Thanks to his training and the style's his own master was familiar with, Templus recognized this as the signature maneuvers of Form II, Makashi. And with this knowledge, he could keep Aquios at bay.
Instead of a simple vertical post-block, which would lead to Aquios switching vectors again, Templus rammed his blade forward near the emitter of Aquios' saber, going vertical, so to cut off the red blade's angle early and prevent the full force of the momentum. In turn, Aquios, worried for the continued existence of his lightsaber, gave ground and retracted his saber. Templus pursued. Trying a crude slash to open up the Sith Lord's gut. But he was quick; it was given his form. He brought his hilt low, his blade angled away, and the slash traveled up the red blade, causing a multitude of sparks.
While the two continued to strike and parry each other in that mystical dance that was lightsaber combat, Ana was successfully approaching from the rear. Aquios had been so busy dealing with Templus, he had no time to extend his aura outwards and find her approaching from behind. But what of that sense all Force-users were had, the very one that had saved her and Templus from the raid of her hideout? The danger-sense, as Templus had called it. Would it alert Aquios? Or would he truly be too distracted?
Ana shook her head. If she was going to get away with this, she had to stop doubting! They were in a seriously tight spot here, and she knew that she could very well end up dead whether she tried or not. In the end, Ana was completely sure that to not intervene now would mean certain doom. Sith were evil beings, and they required whatever method of extermination available, no holds barred. She readjusted her grip on Templus' lightsaber, and advanced, trying to ignore how much her palms were sweating. Only 5 meters to go...
Templus could just barely see Ana approaching between the flashing of the red and blues of the opposing lightsabers. He tried not to even think about her, because that risked alerting Aquios. Perfection was required. And Templus almost believed that he would need to push the envelope just to keep the Sith engaged. Fate was not on his side right now.
Aquios was successfully holding off the most powerful strikes Templus could put together with minimal effort. And what was worse was that the nature of his close combat was that that Templus did not have the chance to gain maximum momentum. His hardest hits, and therefore quickest victory, was impossible. And he was the one growing tired, Aquios was an expert at conserving momentum. He just had to bide his time another minute or so.
Ana approached. She angled the hilt in the right direction. She knew the lightsaber would alert Aquios the moment it activated as it had that activation noise, so she would hold on until the last possible second. Aquios back was so close...*
Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:36 pm
Re: Capital City/Spaceport
*Templus strong-posted a block and spun on his right leg for a backhand swing that would crash into Aquios' left side. The Sith half-rotated and slid his left foot back so that his front was facing directly at the incoming blade. With two hands on his saber for the first time, Aquios' took the block on strong, flexing his arms and thighs to maintain his ground. But as Templus prepared a follow-up strike to Aquios' neck, he realized Ana was just about out of position now, and in danger of being spotted. In fact, it was rather lucky Aquios had not realized she was no longer a part of the action earlier. Templus realized he had done well in keeping the Sith distracted up until this moment.
Now, there was about to be a big problem. Aquios blocked the high slash to the right side of his neck and stepped back with his right foot now. It was interesting, because Templus was actually forcing the Sith to the defensive. In fact, Aquios was just in range of being skewered by Ana from behind now. Maybe one more strike to force Aquios backward and end this fight.
The blue lightsaber swung in hard from above, coming at the crown of Aquios' head. The Sith raised a two-handed block high, taking a single step back to steady his block, and angled his blade to send Templus' sliding off the side. As this motion happened, Ana stepped forward, jabbing her hand forward with the lightsaber. She was just about to activate the green blade and plunge it hard into Aquios' back when...
Aquios drew his lightsaber back behind him, as if he were preparing to throw it like a disc at Templus. But what he was really doing was bringing the saber back to full recoil so that he could plunge it into the Jedi's chest with a single stab because Templus' balance was off and his saber against the floor. Instead, however, when the red blade whipped back in preparation, it cut cleanly through Ana's outstretched arm, severing it halfway between the wrist and elbow. When this extra drag was placed on Aquios' motion, he became aware of Ana, and just as she was gasping in shock, he changed his maneuver and swung around fast, throwing his free hand out and Force Pushing her away in preservation of himself. She was sent sliding across the floor, and she dropped Templus' other lightsaber in the process.
It rattled away from either her or Aquios. As Templus saw this transpire, he could only gape in shock. Ana had been injured! And in that moment, Templus suddenly moved with astounding vigilance. It was not Rage he had lapsed into, but a sense of purpose. Aquios was dangerous, and Templus silently berated himself for believing that utilizing a harmless civilian to defeat him would work. He had been reckless, and now he was paying with Ana's well-being. Templus then promised with unbreakable conviction to right the wrongs of his judgment. This was his fight, and his alone. And so it would end that way.
With the Sith's back turned, Templus slashed upward with his blade, using the entirety of his strength in the one attack. Aquios was able to nimbly about-face and bring his saber up in time to send the attack glancing by. The force of the strike however, was that Aquios had no choice but tot stumble back in hopes Templus would hesitate before pursuing. But it was not so. Now at full height and balance once more, Templus advanced, bringing his saber down in a two-handed drive at Aquios' right shoulder. It would have been too easy to aim for the Sith Lord's head, as that would have allowed both arms to take the brunt of the attack equally, but this put an uneven load on the Sith.
Aquios responded with another horizontal guard, with the blade angled away to his right and away from his body as the first time, but Templus hit the blade too high to glance off, and Aquios, at the risk of his saber being wrenched from his grasp, was forced to squeeze away and backpedal once more. It was these heavy hits that Form II was weak against, and now that Templus was on the assault, he would have the advantage. This time, Templus advanced slowly. And without even looking, he reached his left hand towards Ana and summoned his second saber. It landed satisfyingly in his palm and Templus activated it, the green blade coming to life. Sure, he was sacrificing the super-strong two-handed strikes, but with enough muscle in each arm and the use of two blades, the power he could generate would still be plenty of a challenge for the Sith.
"Two is not necessarily better than one, Jedi." Aquios hissed. It was clear in his eyes though, that he was shocked with the way he was being outmaneuvered. As Templus advanced, both sabers wobbling through the air to keep their true trajectory hidden, Aquios realized he could use the woman he had dismembered to his advantage...
The Jedi caught his glance, however, and shook his head, "Try it, Sith. I dare you. You so much as move towards her and I'll have you packaged as raw fish in less time than it will take you to blink."
Aquios then focused his ghastly eyes on the Jedi's. The eyes were hard, but a fire glowed beneath their surface. His voice was menacing in this moment, unlike the way he was before. The Sith only smirked. He would never know out of desperation or excitement. The woman was the weakness here! But how to exploit it with the Jedi pressing the attack?
The Sith Lord sprang forward onto the attack, aiming a slash at the right thigh, but changing with a slight rotation of the wrist to attack the hip instead. Templus rotated his blue saber down to take the initial attack, and his green saber swung through before the blue saber to take the red blade and force it away. He followed it up with a sideways slice at Aquios' left pectoral. The Sith was able to get his saber up and barely knock the attack back. It seemed, though, that Templus was simply not pressing the attack as he had been before. Was he allowing him the easy block?
Jedi or not, Templus pressed the attack. Bringing his green saber in his left hand down at Aquios' right shoulder, Templus anticipated the sliding block and advanced with the right side of his body, bringing in a slash from outside and coming at Aquios' left ribs from below. The Sith tried to spin away, but Templus was already after him, using his green saber to hold the Sith's saber in his guard. The front of Aquios' cloak was sheared off by the blue saber, but he remained uninjured. The Sith knew than that he had underestimated the true ability of this particular Jedi. This had gone from a boredom-breaking bout to a true life-or-death situation for the Sith. It was time to escape, or call for assistance.
Aquios heard the woman moan where she lay cradling her severed stump of an arm. Or maybe, he thought, the answer was the endanger the woman, and possibly enrage the Jedi further into making mistakes.
With a flourish, Aquios tried to circumvent Templus' green saber and stab at his shoulder, but Templus knocked the saber high with his blue blade swinging from below. Aquios began to pace sideways, rotating the duelists, until he had his back to the woman. Templus pursued with the same fiery determination, successfully driving the Sith back with fierce combinations that the Sith could not help but retreat from. He really had no other options. Templus' lack of foresight, even when he was functioning near his highest level, would be putting Ana at risk a second time in a matter of seconds.
Aquios had to keep from just backpedaling at full speed, for to do so would tip the Jedi off assuredly. Even then, the blocks were not coming easily. The Sith Lord fully believed, if he were to truly try to resist the Jedi's onslaught, he would be picking up nicks and minor injuries in the process. But victory could come in many ways in any given battle, and endangering the woman was the answer.
Templus forced himself forward. It was when a piercing moan reached his ears that he faltered. The Sith, expecting his slash to finish, had no immediate riposte and had to stretch and change his momentum to make contact with the Jedi's green blade. But that was enough. The Sith had been leading Templus on! He was nearly within range of striking Ana, and possibly fatally! He stopped dead, while keeping his saber in contact with Aquios'. Keeping the pressure applied to the Sith to prevent an opening for him to break away. Aquios' smiled, but this was nothing portraying amusement, it was of malice, "So you see the writing on the wall, Jedi."
"Aquios, it's over. Surrender, and you'll be simply arrested. Otherwise, I will destroy you." Templus said, the fire in his eyes slowly waning. He was not about to lose his drive, but his better reason was returning, and he knew he would have to pay more attention or risk losing Ana to the Sith. It took strategy, and not just strength to turn victory and avoid a total loss of everything.
"Ha! You can't apprehend me! I urge you to try!" Aquios barked. He was hoping to spur Templus into any rash action. Just one.
"Then die." Templus had Ana in his peripheral vision. She was now grimacing, but sitting upright. Aquios could not hear the scratching of her cloak on the floor thanks to their dialogue and the humming of their lightsabers. She was actually sliding towards Aquios from behind, the pain seemingly subdued behind fierce determination. It was then that she looked into Templus' face with pain-glassed eyes, and propped herself up on the elbow of her maimed arm. She held her remaining hand up towards Templus. It was then that he had spoken.
He attacked, and in the magnificent twisting of the three blades in parries and attacks that ensued, Templus allowed his green saber to be twisted from his grasp, so that it deactivated and twirled behind the Sith Lord. From then, Aquios' confidence spiked. He thought the Jedi's mistake was now, and that if he pressed forward, he would be able to defeat Templus and then deal with the wounded woman. Aquios' struck nimbly and sharply, putting Templus on the defensive. But the Jedi did not dare lose even a step. It was dangerous, with the length of Aquios' blade passing behind the Jedi during some strikes even. The sparks that flew burned his cloak and left marks on his exposed skin, but he would not even give a step. If he dared moved, then it was to be even harder for Ana to succeed. For, as was the plan, Templus' lost lightsaber had landed in her outstretched palm. She held it ready, and then got into position to attack Aquios as was her original intent.
Templus then stopped the action. Aquios' blade was mere inches from his neck, barely stopped by the blue saber Templus held blocking his opposition. Aquios smiled venomously, his mangled eyes burning with triumph, "No, Jedi! You shall die now! You have failed!"
It took everything to keep this blood-lusting Sith from severing his head, but it was in that moment that Ana made her move, pushing off of her mangled arm with a silent gasp to raise her elevation just enough...
But the pain got the best of her, and as the green blade shot out anew, returning to life, Ana slipped and fell away. Her slash, intended for Aquios' waist, went into his right leg, cutting it almost completely off just below the hip socket. Aquios' strength was suddenly sapped from his limbs as the shock of the unexpected hit coursed through him for the barest of moments. His eyes froze in pain, but to a Sith, pain was life-blood unequal to anything else. If Aquios had been allowed another second, he would have been able to use what little support his leg gave to drive Templus' saber into his own neck, and win.
But Templus did not give the Sith Lord that chance. He pushed the saber away, and drove forward in a flash, having expected the attack all along. His blue blade sank to the hilt, and out the back, of Aquios' upper torso, right through his sternum. The Jedi locked the saber on, and then released his grip on the hilt stepping away from the Sith. Aquios' saber fell from his hand, locked in the throes of death, and Templus deftly caught the hilt as he stepped away. Aquios' harsh yellow eyes were fading as he locked them on Templus. His lips moved, and a strangled spill of words came forth, "I...I...have never seen such a cut-throat Jedi..."
Aquios' leg gave out then, and the Sith fell away, landing on his left side, and staying there as the Force rushed from his body. Templus was numb, he found out with some surprise. Was what Aquios said the truth? Templus stood there, staring into sheer nothingness, and a thought lanced into the din of his mind. Why did the Sith's saber feel so right in his hand?
This spurred Templus into a frenzy of motion. He tossed the Sith's saber hilt to the ground and went to Ana, laying half-conscious with the green lightsaber still in her remaining hand. He took the saber, returned it to his belt, and then cradled her in his arms. Life seemed to return to her features, "Ah, Jedi, did we get him?"
"Yes, Ana, and all thanks to you." Templus replied, his voice hushed. She smiled, "Yeah, I guess so..." She passed into unconsciousness. Templus nodded, knowing she was more or less stable, and he went to the Sith's body, retrieving his other lightsaber from the lifeless corpse. The battle was won, but this war was not yet over. There was still loose ends to be tied up.*
Now, there was about to be a big problem. Aquios blocked the high slash to the right side of his neck and stepped back with his right foot now. It was interesting, because Templus was actually forcing the Sith to the defensive. In fact, Aquios was just in range of being skewered by Ana from behind now. Maybe one more strike to force Aquios backward and end this fight.
The blue lightsaber swung in hard from above, coming at the crown of Aquios' head. The Sith raised a two-handed block high, taking a single step back to steady his block, and angled his blade to send Templus' sliding off the side. As this motion happened, Ana stepped forward, jabbing her hand forward with the lightsaber. She was just about to activate the green blade and plunge it hard into Aquios' back when...
Aquios drew his lightsaber back behind him, as if he were preparing to throw it like a disc at Templus. But what he was really doing was bringing the saber back to full recoil so that he could plunge it into the Jedi's chest with a single stab because Templus' balance was off and his saber against the floor. Instead, however, when the red blade whipped back in preparation, it cut cleanly through Ana's outstretched arm, severing it halfway between the wrist and elbow. When this extra drag was placed on Aquios' motion, he became aware of Ana, and just as she was gasping in shock, he changed his maneuver and swung around fast, throwing his free hand out and Force Pushing her away in preservation of himself. She was sent sliding across the floor, and she dropped Templus' other lightsaber in the process.
It rattled away from either her or Aquios. As Templus saw this transpire, he could only gape in shock. Ana had been injured! And in that moment, Templus suddenly moved with astounding vigilance. It was not Rage he had lapsed into, but a sense of purpose. Aquios was dangerous, and Templus silently berated himself for believing that utilizing a harmless civilian to defeat him would work. He had been reckless, and now he was paying with Ana's well-being. Templus then promised with unbreakable conviction to right the wrongs of his judgment. This was his fight, and his alone. And so it would end that way.
With the Sith's back turned, Templus slashed upward with his blade, using the entirety of his strength in the one attack. Aquios was able to nimbly about-face and bring his saber up in time to send the attack glancing by. The force of the strike however, was that Aquios had no choice but tot stumble back in hopes Templus would hesitate before pursuing. But it was not so. Now at full height and balance once more, Templus advanced, bringing his saber down in a two-handed drive at Aquios' right shoulder. It would have been too easy to aim for the Sith Lord's head, as that would have allowed both arms to take the brunt of the attack equally, but this put an uneven load on the Sith.
Aquios responded with another horizontal guard, with the blade angled away to his right and away from his body as the first time, but Templus hit the blade too high to glance off, and Aquios, at the risk of his saber being wrenched from his grasp, was forced to squeeze away and backpedal once more. It was these heavy hits that Form II was weak against, and now that Templus was on the assault, he would have the advantage. This time, Templus advanced slowly. And without even looking, he reached his left hand towards Ana and summoned his second saber. It landed satisfyingly in his palm and Templus activated it, the green blade coming to life. Sure, he was sacrificing the super-strong two-handed strikes, but with enough muscle in each arm and the use of two blades, the power he could generate would still be plenty of a challenge for the Sith.
"Two is not necessarily better than one, Jedi." Aquios hissed. It was clear in his eyes though, that he was shocked with the way he was being outmaneuvered. As Templus advanced, both sabers wobbling through the air to keep their true trajectory hidden, Aquios realized he could use the woman he had dismembered to his advantage...
The Jedi caught his glance, however, and shook his head, "Try it, Sith. I dare you. You so much as move towards her and I'll have you packaged as raw fish in less time than it will take you to blink."
Aquios then focused his ghastly eyes on the Jedi's. The eyes were hard, but a fire glowed beneath their surface. His voice was menacing in this moment, unlike the way he was before. The Sith only smirked. He would never know out of desperation or excitement. The woman was the weakness here! But how to exploit it with the Jedi pressing the attack?
The Sith Lord sprang forward onto the attack, aiming a slash at the right thigh, but changing with a slight rotation of the wrist to attack the hip instead. Templus rotated his blue saber down to take the initial attack, and his green saber swung through before the blue saber to take the red blade and force it away. He followed it up with a sideways slice at Aquios' left pectoral. The Sith was able to get his saber up and barely knock the attack back. It seemed, though, that Templus was simply not pressing the attack as he had been before. Was he allowing him the easy block?
Jedi or not, Templus pressed the attack. Bringing his green saber in his left hand down at Aquios' right shoulder, Templus anticipated the sliding block and advanced with the right side of his body, bringing in a slash from outside and coming at Aquios' left ribs from below. The Sith tried to spin away, but Templus was already after him, using his green saber to hold the Sith's saber in his guard. The front of Aquios' cloak was sheared off by the blue saber, but he remained uninjured. The Sith knew than that he had underestimated the true ability of this particular Jedi. This had gone from a boredom-breaking bout to a true life-or-death situation for the Sith. It was time to escape, or call for assistance.
Aquios heard the woman moan where she lay cradling her severed stump of an arm. Or maybe, he thought, the answer was the endanger the woman, and possibly enrage the Jedi further into making mistakes.
With a flourish, Aquios tried to circumvent Templus' green saber and stab at his shoulder, but Templus knocked the saber high with his blue blade swinging from below. Aquios began to pace sideways, rotating the duelists, until he had his back to the woman. Templus pursued with the same fiery determination, successfully driving the Sith back with fierce combinations that the Sith could not help but retreat from. He really had no other options. Templus' lack of foresight, even when he was functioning near his highest level, would be putting Ana at risk a second time in a matter of seconds.
Aquios had to keep from just backpedaling at full speed, for to do so would tip the Jedi off assuredly. Even then, the blocks were not coming easily. The Sith Lord fully believed, if he were to truly try to resist the Jedi's onslaught, he would be picking up nicks and minor injuries in the process. But victory could come in many ways in any given battle, and endangering the woman was the answer.
Templus forced himself forward. It was when a piercing moan reached his ears that he faltered. The Sith, expecting his slash to finish, had no immediate riposte and had to stretch and change his momentum to make contact with the Jedi's green blade. But that was enough. The Sith had been leading Templus on! He was nearly within range of striking Ana, and possibly fatally! He stopped dead, while keeping his saber in contact with Aquios'. Keeping the pressure applied to the Sith to prevent an opening for him to break away. Aquios' smiled, but this was nothing portraying amusement, it was of malice, "So you see the writing on the wall, Jedi."
"Aquios, it's over. Surrender, and you'll be simply arrested. Otherwise, I will destroy you." Templus said, the fire in his eyes slowly waning. He was not about to lose his drive, but his better reason was returning, and he knew he would have to pay more attention or risk losing Ana to the Sith. It took strategy, and not just strength to turn victory and avoid a total loss of everything.
"Ha! You can't apprehend me! I urge you to try!" Aquios barked. He was hoping to spur Templus into any rash action. Just one.
"Then die." Templus had Ana in his peripheral vision. She was now grimacing, but sitting upright. Aquios could not hear the scratching of her cloak on the floor thanks to their dialogue and the humming of their lightsabers. She was actually sliding towards Aquios from behind, the pain seemingly subdued behind fierce determination. It was then that she looked into Templus' face with pain-glassed eyes, and propped herself up on the elbow of her maimed arm. She held her remaining hand up towards Templus. It was then that he had spoken.
He attacked, and in the magnificent twisting of the three blades in parries and attacks that ensued, Templus allowed his green saber to be twisted from his grasp, so that it deactivated and twirled behind the Sith Lord. From then, Aquios' confidence spiked. He thought the Jedi's mistake was now, and that if he pressed forward, he would be able to defeat Templus and then deal with the wounded woman. Aquios' struck nimbly and sharply, putting Templus on the defensive. But the Jedi did not dare lose even a step. It was dangerous, with the length of Aquios' blade passing behind the Jedi during some strikes even. The sparks that flew burned his cloak and left marks on his exposed skin, but he would not even give a step. If he dared moved, then it was to be even harder for Ana to succeed. For, as was the plan, Templus' lost lightsaber had landed in her outstretched palm. She held it ready, and then got into position to attack Aquios as was her original intent.
Templus then stopped the action. Aquios' blade was mere inches from his neck, barely stopped by the blue saber Templus held blocking his opposition. Aquios smiled venomously, his mangled eyes burning with triumph, "No, Jedi! You shall die now! You have failed!"
It took everything to keep this blood-lusting Sith from severing his head, but it was in that moment that Ana made her move, pushing off of her mangled arm with a silent gasp to raise her elevation just enough...
But the pain got the best of her, and as the green blade shot out anew, returning to life, Ana slipped and fell away. Her slash, intended for Aquios' waist, went into his right leg, cutting it almost completely off just below the hip socket. Aquios' strength was suddenly sapped from his limbs as the shock of the unexpected hit coursed through him for the barest of moments. His eyes froze in pain, but to a Sith, pain was life-blood unequal to anything else. If Aquios had been allowed another second, he would have been able to use what little support his leg gave to drive Templus' saber into his own neck, and win.
But Templus did not give the Sith Lord that chance. He pushed the saber away, and drove forward in a flash, having expected the attack all along. His blue blade sank to the hilt, and out the back, of Aquios' upper torso, right through his sternum. The Jedi locked the saber on, and then released his grip on the hilt stepping away from the Sith. Aquios' saber fell from his hand, locked in the throes of death, and Templus deftly caught the hilt as he stepped away. Aquios' harsh yellow eyes were fading as he locked them on Templus. His lips moved, and a strangled spill of words came forth, "I...I...have never seen such a cut-throat Jedi..."
Aquios' leg gave out then, and the Sith fell away, landing on his left side, and staying there as the Force rushed from his body. Templus was numb, he found out with some surprise. Was what Aquios said the truth? Templus stood there, staring into sheer nothingness, and a thought lanced into the din of his mind. Why did the Sith's saber feel so right in his hand?
This spurred Templus into a frenzy of motion. He tossed the Sith's saber hilt to the ground and went to Ana, laying half-conscious with the green lightsaber still in her remaining hand. He took the saber, returned it to his belt, and then cradled her in his arms. Life seemed to return to her features, "Ah, Jedi, did we get him?"
"Yes, Ana, and all thanks to you." Templus replied, his voice hushed. She smiled, "Yeah, I guess so..." She passed into unconsciousness. Templus nodded, knowing she was more or less stable, and he went to the Sith's body, retrieving his other lightsaber from the lifeless corpse. The battle was won, but this war was not yet over. There was still loose ends to be tied up.*
Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:04 pm
Re: Capital City/Spaceport
*Moving through the shadows was easy for One with the Force. Be it Sith or Jedi, they always had a predisposition for such action. It did help that, as a child, before being discovered and offered Jedi training, Templus was a street urchin of sorts in the dangerous Underworld of Coruscant. The ability to sneak, so to speak, was inherent in this particular Jedi.
Ana had been brought to the medical facility housed near the very place Aquios had encountered the pair. It was rather interesting that the Sith had chosen such a location for the battle. Had he planned on simply incapacitating the both of them and then preparing them for transfer? It seemed logical, considering that was the entire nature of the Sith Lord's plot here on Abregado-rae. This whole situation carried a lesson in it, given the Sith's actions concerning the duel that took place; Pride is the rot in the structure of power.
Now, Templus was searching for a single object that could end this grizzly task. Considering this Sith was, well, a Sith, Templus believed in his gut that there had to be some high grade explosives somewhere within this complex in the case that everything was found out. It would make well for the Sith Lord to escape in a hurry, and instead of having to take the time to erase any and all files concerning the operation here, it would be immensely easier for Aquios to just destroy everything, and possibly cause collateral damage to the surrounding area at the same time, making matters that much more complicated for the new occupiers.
A baradium charge would do nicely, Templus thought.
To destroy everything would be beneficial. And naturally, the last thing on Templus' mind was the damage this would cause to the area this compound was housed in. It went to reason though, that it was quite possible most of this entire city was pretty near uninhabited by now, given the length of time the Sith seemed to have spent here.
The Jedi rounded a corner, lightsaber unlit in his hand, but his thumb on the activator the entire time. It was empty here as well...had Darth Aquios intentionally cleared the area, in case the battle had expanded out of that one chamber? Entirely possible, considering the surety with which the Sith had revealed himself to Ana and him. Templus also found the majority of these doors to be unlocked and unprotected in any way.
He entered into a room marked 'C.I.' and found a treasure trove --not of weapons-- but other things entirely. Row upon row of computer banks stood with the barest of hum and blinking lights before Templus. The Jedi suddenly had a plan formulate in his mind. Could it be information regarding the shipping of all of the harvested Force-adepts was contained within this facility, and right in front of Templus now? This information could prove invaluable if delivered to the Jedi Order! He sped forward, and found himself at the closest terminal. These were simply massive information banks...and could be accessed at random to have the entirety of the information at one's hands.
Upon accessing, Templus began to pull up files that seemed recent...but none of them were of any true value. The man decided to attempt a generalized search, but when he saw the magnitude of the data available, such a search would take days, if not months! There had to be a better way of going about this, and extracting the data!
"Let's try...earliest files..." Templus muttered as his fingers flew through the menus. Simultaneously, Templus brought a datapad from his belt to the server face, and plugged it in, so that he could download files to it as he went. He chose the original manifest and a document titled "Relay X-1" which was flagged as top-priority. His comlink beeped almost cheerily when the files were successfully copied.
And so on it went for the next fifteen minutes. Templus skimmed various sections of topics, including multiple samples of "Batch Manifests" which Templus found to be compressed files of monthly shipments of Force-sensitives. He did note that the destination of such shipments was rather ambiguous, but unbelievably, it gave proper coordinates to somewhere. This slight bit of information was the most important part. And it was near the end of this period of hunting that Templus stumbled upon a file denoted as "Relay X-42-F" that was ranked of a priority marker higher even than "Relay X-1" was. Templus downloaded it, and in that moment, a sense of foreboding crept over him. His datapad was in the process of its accomplishment tone when a window appeared on the terminal screen...
"Tag marker 12.c.X.Error. Emergency shutdown protocol initiated."
Templus ripped his datapad from its terminal port in a flash as the screen of his terminal blinked a harsh red, and then shut down. The entire row of terminals did likewise in quick succession, and it was that the entire room of terminals had followed sit. It hit Templus that the nature of that final file was so confidential that the entire system had a safety net protocol for its release. It was wonder, Templus realized, that he had not viewed the file's contents first, because with his rudimentary knowledge of computer coding he understood that to do so probably would have initiated the same protocol and he would have been kept from obtaining the file.
As Templus moved to leave, stashing the datapad, he suddenly sensed a spike in the Force. He sent his Force awareness out in ripples, and felt, besides the peaceful presence of a recuperating Ana, that the level of emotion among the other inhabitants of this compound was heightened to a sense of emergency. It meant that everyone was now aware of his intrusion into the database of the compound, and that now he would be hunted.
What was worse, Templus still did not have the baradium charge he wanted. The Jedi had a checklist compiled in is mind as he shut the CI room door behind him: 1)Avoid capture. 2)Retrieve sufficient ammunition. 3)Retrieve Ana. 4)Escape with the data.*
*It would not be easy.*
Ana had been brought to the medical facility housed near the very place Aquios had encountered the pair. It was rather interesting that the Sith had chosen such a location for the battle. Had he planned on simply incapacitating the both of them and then preparing them for transfer? It seemed logical, considering that was the entire nature of the Sith Lord's plot here on Abregado-rae. This whole situation carried a lesson in it, given the Sith's actions concerning the duel that took place; Pride is the rot in the structure of power.
Now, Templus was searching for a single object that could end this grizzly task. Considering this Sith was, well, a Sith, Templus believed in his gut that there had to be some high grade explosives somewhere within this complex in the case that everything was found out. It would make well for the Sith Lord to escape in a hurry, and instead of having to take the time to erase any and all files concerning the operation here, it would be immensely easier for Aquios to just destroy everything, and possibly cause collateral damage to the surrounding area at the same time, making matters that much more complicated for the new occupiers.
A baradium charge would do nicely, Templus thought.
To destroy everything would be beneficial. And naturally, the last thing on Templus' mind was the damage this would cause to the area this compound was housed in. It went to reason though, that it was quite possible most of this entire city was pretty near uninhabited by now, given the length of time the Sith seemed to have spent here.
The Jedi rounded a corner, lightsaber unlit in his hand, but his thumb on the activator the entire time. It was empty here as well...had Darth Aquios intentionally cleared the area, in case the battle had expanded out of that one chamber? Entirely possible, considering the surety with which the Sith had revealed himself to Ana and him. Templus also found the majority of these doors to be unlocked and unprotected in any way.
He entered into a room marked 'C.I.' and found a treasure trove --not of weapons-- but other things entirely. Row upon row of computer banks stood with the barest of hum and blinking lights before Templus. The Jedi suddenly had a plan formulate in his mind. Could it be information regarding the shipping of all of the harvested Force-adepts was contained within this facility, and right in front of Templus now? This information could prove invaluable if delivered to the Jedi Order! He sped forward, and found himself at the closest terminal. These were simply massive information banks...and could be accessed at random to have the entirety of the information at one's hands.
Upon accessing, Templus began to pull up files that seemed recent...but none of them were of any true value. The man decided to attempt a generalized search, but when he saw the magnitude of the data available, such a search would take days, if not months! There had to be a better way of going about this, and extracting the data!
"Let's try...earliest files..." Templus muttered as his fingers flew through the menus. Simultaneously, Templus brought a datapad from his belt to the server face, and plugged it in, so that he could download files to it as he went. He chose the original manifest and a document titled "Relay X-1" which was flagged as top-priority. His comlink beeped almost cheerily when the files were successfully copied.
And so on it went for the next fifteen minutes. Templus skimmed various sections of topics, including multiple samples of "Batch Manifests" which Templus found to be compressed files of monthly shipments of Force-sensitives. He did note that the destination of such shipments was rather ambiguous, but unbelievably, it gave proper coordinates to somewhere. This slight bit of information was the most important part. And it was near the end of this period of hunting that Templus stumbled upon a file denoted as "Relay X-42-F" that was ranked of a priority marker higher even than "Relay X-1" was. Templus downloaded it, and in that moment, a sense of foreboding crept over him. His datapad was in the process of its accomplishment tone when a window appeared on the terminal screen...
"Tag marker 12.c.X.Error. Emergency shutdown protocol initiated."
Templus ripped his datapad from its terminal port in a flash as the screen of his terminal blinked a harsh red, and then shut down. The entire row of terminals did likewise in quick succession, and it was that the entire room of terminals had followed sit. It hit Templus that the nature of that final file was so confidential that the entire system had a safety net protocol for its release. It was wonder, Templus realized, that he had not viewed the file's contents first, because with his rudimentary knowledge of computer coding he understood that to do so probably would have initiated the same protocol and he would have been kept from obtaining the file.
As Templus moved to leave, stashing the datapad, he suddenly sensed a spike in the Force. He sent his Force awareness out in ripples, and felt, besides the peaceful presence of a recuperating Ana, that the level of emotion among the other inhabitants of this compound was heightened to a sense of emergency. It meant that everyone was now aware of his intrusion into the database of the compound, and that now he would be hunted.
What was worse, Templus still did not have the baradium charge he wanted. The Jedi had a checklist compiled in is mind as he shut the CI room door behind him: 1)Avoid capture. 2)Retrieve sufficient ammunition. 3)Retrieve Ana. 4)Escape with the data.*
*It would not be easy.*
Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:52 pm
Re: Capital City/Spaceport
*Without incident, Templus glided through the twists and turns of the compound, lightsaber still in hand. In restrospect, he thought, it may have been more prudent to leave Ana with one of his lightsabers, in case the security detail discovered her in the medical bay. However, there was clearly no time to think about this now, he had explosives to find, and data to abscond with.
Finally, Templus realized the sounds of the rushing security detail were coming from all around him, and growing louder. Whether or not they had actually zeroed in on him, or they happened to be catching him at the wrong time, Templus was unsure of. What he did know was that a fight was not something he was hoping for, despite his aptitude for battle, his Jedi instincts tried to keep him from bringing death upon everyone he met with.
But...
It was then that Templus realized an explosive of the magnitude he required was just that. It was unnecessary loss of life. It was wanton destruction with no true cause. He could not destroy this facility, but...he could destroy all of the information within it.
Maybe, just maybe, it would be within the galaxy's and his best interests to simply destroy the contents of the CI room where the intelligence of the compound and the Sith's entire operation was stored. Templus stood still for a while, thinking over his new strategy in his head. It was sure that he could not access the terminals and implant a destructive virus, seeing as emergency protocol had deactivated them. However, a smaller level of explosive could wipe out the terminals themselves, without too much damage to the facility at large. That could work.
Templus prepared to proceed along his random course through the facility to continue his hunt for explosive ordinance, when the first of the security dispatched after him rounded a corner behind him. It was obvious that they were unaware of him previously, because they all stopped in their tracks, there was no instant recognition, and not a shot was fired until Templus spun around, activating his blue lightsaber.
Then, everyone of the lightly-armored soldiers raised their rifles and began pouring red bolts at him, in a rather concentrated spread. These were no strom soldiers, but they sure were experienced...and non-Force too...which was odd given the earlier encounter with a Force-sensitive patrol that pursued Ana...
Templus was forced to scatter these thoughts as his battle senses took precedence, and he began blocking laser bolts into the walls, floor, and ceiling, he proceeded to backpedal through the hallway, moving in his originally intended direction, while keeping the soldiers at bay. It was when the soldiers realized the ineffectiveness against his defenses that they began to spread their firing net, trying to hit him in the most obscure places a soldier should not be aiming for . But this was anathema to Templus' survival. One lucky shot would be all it took to bring Templus down or break his focus, and he'd be dead.
It was then decided to employ the more prominent portion of Form V lightsaber combat: the unique deflection techniques. Templus focused his gaze on his attackers, all eight of them advancing in a staggered line, and began taking each bolt with precision, deflecting it backwards at a soldier, picking one after the other without ever missing the most dangerous of the bolts. Three of the soldiers wer taken down with a single fatal shot, and at that point a wide bolt glanced off of Templus' left side, searing through his robes and torching his skin. He grimaced, and responded with a determined angled sweep of his saber that took out another two soldiers with multiple deflected bolts.
The last three soldiers went to ground then, seeing their comrades fall so quickly, using recesses to side doors as cover. Templus took the chance as they dove to turn tail and sprint, the blasterbolts soon returning to chase him. Anything that he sensed was coming for him directly, he batted away with a backhand swing of his saber. The soldiers moved to pursue, realizing that they tactically could not get the upper hand on their quarry, when another squad of soldiers appeared in the hallway before Templus, clearly responding to the sound of a battle raging inside the complex. These soldiers were prepared and fired on sight, but Templus was able to wing three of them by expertly deflecting a single volley of bolts into the soldiers. The remaining soldier was lucky enough to have received but a very light graze on his upper arm, as Templus couldn't extend the range of the return volley well enough in the confined space of the hallway.
But that still left Templus in a virtual crossfire. As he tried to overtake the lone soldier ahead of him with a leap, a blasterbolt from behind seared across his thigh, and Templus managed to convert his faltered leap into a forward roll that brought him under the firing arc of the first soldier, where Templus proceeded to relieve the man of his arms at the elbows. The final three soldiers were tracking his movement, but when they began firing anew, Templus had wheeled around on one knee and deflected the last volley back into the soldiers, finishing them off.
There would be more, Templus knew, and he still needed to complete the sabotage he felt was necessary before he would be allowed his escape. The question burned in his mind as his thigh burnt from the hit, Should he abandon ship now? It would be hard enough with the facility on high alert to escape with Ana and get them both out alive. Could he risk taking more time in destroying the data the facilit carried?
Templus shook his head, the implications and possible destinies before him giving him a headache. Despite Avei's wisdom on matters such as these, Templus had never taken a knack to the strategy behind life and the Force. Sure, that dream had been received with astonishing precision, but that was an application of the Force, not so much...
The Jedi Knight cursed under his breath as he forced himself into a canter, still following the path he had been originally moving along. The Force held all of the answers, and without it he would surely have died by now. In order to understand one's path, all one needed was to give himself up to the guidance of the Force. Templus, in mid stride, despite the pain and fatigue creeping upon his body, began to tune in with the Force, and let his mind run with the current as his Jedi Masters had taught him during his training. The Force would lead him in the way he was supposed to go.
It was then, when Templus believed he had achieved a workable oneness with the Force, that a piercing sound floated out of the energy flow. It sounded of Ana's voice, as if she were screaming. This brought Templus to a full hault, where his thigh protested and he fell to one knee. Templus was unsure whether he had actually received a cry from her, whether it was the Force's beckoning, or a prediction of the future, Templus could not know. But what he did know was that it was time to leave.
Regaining his feet, the Jedi Knight sprinted off, conviction in his step and resolve holding his mind.*
Finally, Templus realized the sounds of the rushing security detail were coming from all around him, and growing louder. Whether or not they had actually zeroed in on him, or they happened to be catching him at the wrong time, Templus was unsure of. What he did know was that a fight was not something he was hoping for, despite his aptitude for battle, his Jedi instincts tried to keep him from bringing death upon everyone he met with.
But...
It was then that Templus realized an explosive of the magnitude he required was just that. It was unnecessary loss of life. It was wanton destruction with no true cause. He could not destroy this facility, but...he could destroy all of the information within it.
Maybe, just maybe, it would be within the galaxy's and his best interests to simply destroy the contents of the CI room where the intelligence of the compound and the Sith's entire operation was stored. Templus stood still for a while, thinking over his new strategy in his head. It was sure that he could not access the terminals and implant a destructive virus, seeing as emergency protocol had deactivated them. However, a smaller level of explosive could wipe out the terminals themselves, without too much damage to the facility at large. That could work.
Templus prepared to proceed along his random course through the facility to continue his hunt for explosive ordinance, when the first of the security dispatched after him rounded a corner behind him. It was obvious that they were unaware of him previously, because they all stopped in their tracks, there was no instant recognition, and not a shot was fired until Templus spun around, activating his blue lightsaber.
Then, everyone of the lightly-armored soldiers raised their rifles and began pouring red bolts at him, in a rather concentrated spread. These were no strom soldiers, but they sure were experienced...and non-Force too...which was odd given the earlier encounter with a Force-sensitive patrol that pursued Ana...
Templus was forced to scatter these thoughts as his battle senses took precedence, and he began blocking laser bolts into the walls, floor, and ceiling, he proceeded to backpedal through the hallway, moving in his originally intended direction, while keeping the soldiers at bay. It was when the soldiers realized the ineffectiveness against his defenses that they began to spread their firing net, trying to hit him in the most obscure places a soldier should not be aiming for . But this was anathema to Templus' survival. One lucky shot would be all it took to bring Templus down or break his focus, and he'd be dead.
It was then decided to employ the more prominent portion of Form V lightsaber combat: the unique deflection techniques. Templus focused his gaze on his attackers, all eight of them advancing in a staggered line, and began taking each bolt with precision, deflecting it backwards at a soldier, picking one after the other without ever missing the most dangerous of the bolts. Three of the soldiers wer taken down with a single fatal shot, and at that point a wide bolt glanced off of Templus' left side, searing through his robes and torching his skin. He grimaced, and responded with a determined angled sweep of his saber that took out another two soldiers with multiple deflected bolts.
The last three soldiers went to ground then, seeing their comrades fall so quickly, using recesses to side doors as cover. Templus took the chance as they dove to turn tail and sprint, the blasterbolts soon returning to chase him. Anything that he sensed was coming for him directly, he batted away with a backhand swing of his saber. The soldiers moved to pursue, realizing that they tactically could not get the upper hand on their quarry, when another squad of soldiers appeared in the hallway before Templus, clearly responding to the sound of a battle raging inside the complex. These soldiers were prepared and fired on sight, but Templus was able to wing three of them by expertly deflecting a single volley of bolts into the soldiers. The remaining soldier was lucky enough to have received but a very light graze on his upper arm, as Templus couldn't extend the range of the return volley well enough in the confined space of the hallway.
But that still left Templus in a virtual crossfire. As he tried to overtake the lone soldier ahead of him with a leap, a blasterbolt from behind seared across his thigh, and Templus managed to convert his faltered leap into a forward roll that brought him under the firing arc of the first soldier, where Templus proceeded to relieve the man of his arms at the elbows. The final three soldiers were tracking his movement, but when they began firing anew, Templus had wheeled around on one knee and deflected the last volley back into the soldiers, finishing them off.
There would be more, Templus knew, and he still needed to complete the sabotage he felt was necessary before he would be allowed his escape. The question burned in his mind as his thigh burnt from the hit, Should he abandon ship now? It would be hard enough with the facility on high alert to escape with Ana and get them both out alive. Could he risk taking more time in destroying the data the facilit carried?
Templus shook his head, the implications and possible destinies before him giving him a headache. Despite Avei's wisdom on matters such as these, Templus had never taken a knack to the strategy behind life and the Force. Sure, that dream had been received with astonishing precision, but that was an application of the Force, not so much...
The Jedi Knight cursed under his breath as he forced himself into a canter, still following the path he had been originally moving along. The Force held all of the answers, and without it he would surely have died by now. In order to understand one's path, all one needed was to give himself up to the guidance of the Force. Templus, in mid stride, despite the pain and fatigue creeping upon his body, began to tune in with the Force, and let his mind run with the current as his Jedi Masters had taught him during his training. The Force would lead him in the way he was supposed to go.
It was then, when Templus believed he had achieved a workable oneness with the Force, that a piercing sound floated out of the energy flow. It sounded of Ana's voice, as if she were screaming. This brought Templus to a full hault, where his thigh protested and he fell to one knee. Templus was unsure whether he had actually received a cry from her, whether it was the Force's beckoning, or a prediction of the future, Templus could not know. But what he did know was that it was time to leave.
Regaining his feet, the Jedi Knight sprinted off, conviction in his step and resolve holding his mind.*
Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:07 pm
Re: Capital City/Spaceport
*Sirens, the sounds of distant mayhem, and the strange throbbing of the Force awakened Ana abruptly. She was pulled from a dreamlike state of recuperation in an instant. There was no grogginess, no blurred visions or the desire to yawn and stretch. It was as if Ana had simply been switched on like a glowrod, and here she now sat. She blinked once, taking in the surroundings: uniform walls, very little decoration, and strange equipment everywhere. It smelled rather sterile overall, and Ana concluded she was in a medical facility of some sort.
She moved to slide from the cot she was sitting upon, covered in a thermo-sheet, putting her right hand to help her pivot from the bed. When she shifted her weight, she suddenly fell on her back, not supported in the slightest. She glanced at her right arm, or more correctly, what was left of it. Seeing the bottom portion of her arm missing suddenly brought the memories of the events that had just occurred. She recalled the battle with the Sith Lord, and how he had severed her arm by sheer luck, and then Templus slayed the Sith with help from her. Templus!
"Templus..." Ana murmured, clearing her head of the entire ordeal bouncing around within. She slid out of her cot on the left side, and was happy to see she was still fully clothed. The aches and pains of the battle were largely gone, but there was a faint throbbing in her maimed arm. She shook it off, and began to find her way about the medical bay. As she did so, she examined her arm, which had been fitted with a bacta cuff, a device meant to soothe and rehabilitate a dismembered limb such as hers. It would make reattachment of a limb or in the case of lightsaber injuries, a cybernetic implant would be easy to bring to bear.
Now where had her Jedi partner gone to? Maybe, just maybe, she could locate him with her Force powers...she had managed to transmit her dreams and desires to him over lightyears, how far could he have gotten in such a short time?
Ana stopped as she tried to focus on what little grasp of the Force she controlled, her eyes closed halfway and she began to sway slightly in concentration. She felt a little seed of the strangest sensation ever in her mind, and she tried to feed it, pull it to bear, make it grow. She began to make progress, and soon the seed had blossomed into a full-on rush of the Force. It was not very perceptive though, and Ana was left trying to grasp at it. She could not delve very well into her awareness of the Force, and the chance of her consciously finding Templus where ever he had gone with the Force was slim...
There was a disruptive thump coming from further along the medical bay corridor. Ana's eyes snapped open, and the nape of her neck tingled like mad. Without her realizing it, she had not lost her sensitivity she had just bred with the Force, and it assisted her in realizing something dangerous was coming her way. Moving quickly, Ana slid her slight frame in between to supply cabinets, grabbing a few surgical tools as she did so before trying her best to appear no more than one with the shadows.
There was another thump, and then the sound of a door sliding away. Light streamed into the shadowy medical bay from a doorway further down the corridor. There were two shadows in the rectangle of light that stretched along the floor before Ana, who tried her best to identify them. Without her understanding, she became aware that these two were searching as a precaution, not because they knew someone to be within the medical bay. She once again did not realize the Force was still at her aid.
The two shadows moved forward, and they spoke in very low voices, so low that Ana could barely hear them. But she picked up from them that there was a state of emergency in the complex, and that they were quite tense. Had they located Aquios' body? Had they captured Templus? Ana's fear and anxiety seeped into her, and the Force blossomed further, fed by this volatile emotions. The two moved along the corridor, and Ana heard the strange thumping start up again. She suddenly understood what it was: they were checking every available crevice, opening cabinets and machines to check for hidden items! They would find her if they searched thoroughly! Ana's fear turned to an icy resolve in her chest, and she did not realize that the tingling in her limbs and sharpening her thinking processes was due to her subconscious tapping into of the Force. With fear as her guiding light, the Force was becoming easy for her to control. Of course, the level of control she could actually exhibit over the Force would vary, if she actually had control at all...
The two guards, presumably, moved closer, checking cabinets as they moved forward. Ana took stock of the surgical equipment she had grabbed on impulse as she hid. She held a syringe, and a laser scalpel. They would do. The guards moved on until they came right up to her hiding place in the shadows. Both guards carried heavy-duty rifles, and the one closest to her moved to poke his into the gap where Ana hid. Spurred on by adrenaline and the resolve given her by the Force, Ana leaped from her hiding place with both of her tools held high in her good hand. The closer guard was startled and stumbled back, but his partner was ready and swung his rifle to bear. With speed Ana did not even know she possessed, and a strange light-headed sensation coursing from her cranium to her limbs, she ducked under the blaster of the second guard as he fired, missing her head by a good foot. She sprung forward in her crouch and drove the syringe upward as she stood, sending its long needle through the lower jaw of the soldier and presumably up into his brain. Either way, he collapsed with blood pouring from his mouth, but Ana was already darting to the other soldier who had barely recovered enough to bring his rifle down towards her.
Ana let out a yell as she activated the laser scalpel and jammed it into the barrel of the blaster rifle pointed in her direction. She used her momentum to roll past the soldier as his rifle discharged a blast into the surgical tool, causing it to explode in his hands. Ana was spared any shrapnel because the soldier's body was between her and the explosion, and consequently the soldier toppled forward, dead.
She stood upright, and felt the strange tingling feeling leave her. Her head swam for a moment, but as she arrested her fear, things seems to return to normal. The tingling feeling at the base of her skull disappeared to. The Force had left her for the time being. Ana looked at the two guards she had just killed within the space of a second, and blinked. How could that be possible? She had dodged a shot at point-blank and killed two men using one-hand and two surgical implements. The doubts were pushed from her mind. She had not survived against the Sith and his henchmen as long as she had alone without her wit, which she still possessed. It was time to get moving. Ana, in a decision she figured was prudent, relieved one of the fallen guards of his sidearm, seeing as the blaster rifles were impossible for her to yield with only one hand.
She had to find Templus, or make she he found her. It was no longer safe in this complex.*
She moved to slide from the cot she was sitting upon, covered in a thermo-sheet, putting her right hand to help her pivot from the bed. When she shifted her weight, she suddenly fell on her back, not supported in the slightest. She glanced at her right arm, or more correctly, what was left of it. Seeing the bottom portion of her arm missing suddenly brought the memories of the events that had just occurred. She recalled the battle with the Sith Lord, and how he had severed her arm by sheer luck, and then Templus slayed the Sith with help from her. Templus!
"Templus..." Ana murmured, clearing her head of the entire ordeal bouncing around within. She slid out of her cot on the left side, and was happy to see she was still fully clothed. The aches and pains of the battle were largely gone, but there was a faint throbbing in her maimed arm. She shook it off, and began to find her way about the medical bay. As she did so, she examined her arm, which had been fitted with a bacta cuff, a device meant to soothe and rehabilitate a dismembered limb such as hers. It would make reattachment of a limb or in the case of lightsaber injuries, a cybernetic implant would be easy to bring to bear.
Now where had her Jedi partner gone to? Maybe, just maybe, she could locate him with her Force powers...she had managed to transmit her dreams and desires to him over lightyears, how far could he have gotten in such a short time?
Ana stopped as she tried to focus on what little grasp of the Force she controlled, her eyes closed halfway and she began to sway slightly in concentration. She felt a little seed of the strangest sensation ever in her mind, and she tried to feed it, pull it to bear, make it grow. She began to make progress, and soon the seed had blossomed into a full-on rush of the Force. It was not very perceptive though, and Ana was left trying to grasp at it. She could not delve very well into her awareness of the Force, and the chance of her consciously finding Templus where ever he had gone with the Force was slim...
There was a disruptive thump coming from further along the medical bay corridor. Ana's eyes snapped open, and the nape of her neck tingled like mad. Without her realizing it, she had not lost her sensitivity she had just bred with the Force, and it assisted her in realizing something dangerous was coming her way. Moving quickly, Ana slid her slight frame in between to supply cabinets, grabbing a few surgical tools as she did so before trying her best to appear no more than one with the shadows.
There was another thump, and then the sound of a door sliding away. Light streamed into the shadowy medical bay from a doorway further down the corridor. There were two shadows in the rectangle of light that stretched along the floor before Ana, who tried her best to identify them. Without her understanding, she became aware that these two were searching as a precaution, not because they knew someone to be within the medical bay. She once again did not realize the Force was still at her aid.
The two shadows moved forward, and they spoke in very low voices, so low that Ana could barely hear them. But she picked up from them that there was a state of emergency in the complex, and that they were quite tense. Had they located Aquios' body? Had they captured Templus? Ana's fear and anxiety seeped into her, and the Force blossomed further, fed by this volatile emotions. The two moved along the corridor, and Ana heard the strange thumping start up again. She suddenly understood what it was: they were checking every available crevice, opening cabinets and machines to check for hidden items! They would find her if they searched thoroughly! Ana's fear turned to an icy resolve in her chest, and she did not realize that the tingling in her limbs and sharpening her thinking processes was due to her subconscious tapping into of the Force. With fear as her guiding light, the Force was becoming easy for her to control. Of course, the level of control she could actually exhibit over the Force would vary, if she actually had control at all...
The two guards, presumably, moved closer, checking cabinets as they moved forward. Ana took stock of the surgical equipment she had grabbed on impulse as she hid. She held a syringe, and a laser scalpel. They would do. The guards moved on until they came right up to her hiding place in the shadows. Both guards carried heavy-duty rifles, and the one closest to her moved to poke his into the gap where Ana hid. Spurred on by adrenaline and the resolve given her by the Force, Ana leaped from her hiding place with both of her tools held high in her good hand. The closer guard was startled and stumbled back, but his partner was ready and swung his rifle to bear. With speed Ana did not even know she possessed, and a strange light-headed sensation coursing from her cranium to her limbs, she ducked under the blaster of the second guard as he fired, missing her head by a good foot. She sprung forward in her crouch and drove the syringe upward as she stood, sending its long needle through the lower jaw of the soldier and presumably up into his brain. Either way, he collapsed with blood pouring from his mouth, but Ana was already darting to the other soldier who had barely recovered enough to bring his rifle down towards her.
Ana let out a yell as she activated the laser scalpel and jammed it into the barrel of the blaster rifle pointed in her direction. She used her momentum to roll past the soldier as his rifle discharged a blast into the surgical tool, causing it to explode in his hands. Ana was spared any shrapnel because the soldier's body was between her and the explosion, and consequently the soldier toppled forward, dead.
She stood upright, and felt the strange tingling feeling leave her. Her head swam for a moment, but as she arrested her fear, things seems to return to normal. The tingling feeling at the base of her skull disappeared to. The Force had left her for the time being. Ana looked at the two guards she had just killed within the space of a second, and blinked. How could that be possible? She had dodged a shot at point-blank and killed two men using one-hand and two surgical implements. The doubts were pushed from her mind. She had not survived against the Sith and his henchmen as long as she had alone without her wit, which she still possessed. It was time to get moving. Ana, in a decision she figured was prudent, relieved one of the fallen guards of his sidearm, seeing as the blaster rifles were impossible for her to yield with only one hand.
She had to find Templus, or make she he found her. It was no longer safe in this complex.*
Sun Feb 19, 2012 2:54 pm
Re: Capital City/Spaceport
*This was suicide.*
*Templus was pinned down now, barely being shielded by the ruined portal that had stood between Templus and an entire platoon -- or so it seemed -- of soldiers. The durasteel of the door was holding, but just barely. Templus, on the other hand, was growing tired and haggard from this madcap chase through the complex, through which he could not seem to return to the auditorium where he had killed Aquios. It was then, finally, when a blasterbolt glanced off of the top edge of the door, spraying him with molten metal and sparks and nearly glancing off of his left ear, that Templus palmed his secondary lightsaber. Jar'Kai was not necessarily the best form of combat for deflecting blasterbolts, but when coupled with the strategies of Djem So, Templus felt he could break through the platoon and anyone else.
When the green blade lit, Templus took a deep breath, then another, and counted to three as he did so. On three, he utilized the Force to leap free of his battered boundary and charge headlong, lightsabers swinging like a whirlwind around him. He was no longer quite as close-minded as before. Everything seemed to lose superior significance over any other thing, and the scream of the blasterfire became the drumbeat to his rush at the platoon guarding the atrium that stood beyond the threshold. The soldiers poured shot after shot in his direction with brilliant flashes of crimson light, but his nearly unwatchable blades deflected each and every shot, sending the entirety of the barrage in reverse, peppering the walls, ceiling, floor, and soldiers full of energy, mowing down soldiers in the blink of an eye.
The bulk of them began to get smart, after realizing a good portion of their number were falling now that the Jedi had gone on the offensive, and began to stay clear of the center of the room. When a gap opened up, Templus switched the focus of his defense to his sides as he broke through the defensive perimeter established by the platoon, and knocked down even more soldiers as they began to fall behind him. The remaining blasters followed with their typical screams and the smell of ozone and burning metal, but Templus was outpacing every stray shot, and deflecting randomly every threatening strike. He was through the next portal with a telekinetic burst and on his way, not daring to slow for fear of having to deal with the soldiers lest they catch up.
Templus began to return to the trappings of his normal human mind, having transcended to the near omnipotence of the Force's embrace for the most crucial of times. But he was slick with sweat and feeling the few injuries he had sustained all the more. A random though bounced through his mind: What if escaping the complex was not enough to escape the soldiers? The Jedi Knight, with training brought on by years of work, pushed away all thoughts of the 'ifs', focusing solely on the now. The future could never happen if he faltered in the now, and Templus simply pushed on, letting his rapid footfalls become the anthem to which he moved closer and closer to Ana, and then to escape.
During this next mad dash, Templus felt a weak surge of the Dark side swirl somewhere in the upper levels, and he had to wonder what was the cause. Were there acolytes here that Aquios had kept for himself? Either way, going up was the answer to everything, seeing as the auditorium was somewhere near the roof anyway, so Templus skidded around another corner, hearing the platoon of soldiers thundering down the hall he had just vacated. Their shouts were frantic and almost angry, but Templus wondered if their allegiance was firmly with the Sith.
With both lightsabers swirling above his head now, Templus sawed a portal into the ceiling, cutting wiring and metal alike away with sparks and small bouts of rogue electricity. Yes, it was obvious, but Templus had a hunch none of these soldiers could ascend through the hole in the ceiling in any quick time. He could put some distance on the remainder of this platoon and maybe buy enough time for a clean getaway.
With a disk of metal and wiring falling to the floor, and the sound of the approaching troopers roaring all the louder, Templus tiredly called upon the assistance of the Force one more time to leap clear through his hole, and then he took off at a run, despite his protesting legs, for his goal. How many floors remained between him and Ana?
~~~~
Ana was jogging through the empty corridors of the upper reaches of the complex, her blaster pistol always ready to shoot at the slightest hint of danger or the glimpse of anyone not Templus. She had descended a floor or two from her starting point, and was sure she could feel something tingling down below, but close, on the edge of her perception. It was a strange nagging feeling, as if there was something vying for her attention, but she just could not place her finger on it. It annoyed her, but she persisted, wondering that the nagging feeling was drawing her in the direction she needed to go.
Ana suddenly heard the sound of rapid bootfalls, and froze, sliding up against the wall of the corridor she had been proceeding down. There were clearly soldiers coming towards her from around a turn up ahead. She caught a snippet of the conversation between the two of them before they came into her line of sight.
"Units P-34 and P-75 have not reported in. Their comlinks are not online."
"We need to get a lock on their status, MIA soldiers does not help the chaos this Sithspit-hole has come to."
"Hold your tongue, man, the Dark Lord may catch wind of talk like that."
"Sure he will, don't you think he would have--"
It was then that both soldiers came around the corner, and saw Ana standing there. Their eyes grew wide with surprise as they stood staring down her blaster's barrel, pointed at the shorter soldier on the left. The words died on his lips, but Ana was more than happy to finish his thought, "--contained the situation? Yeah, I'd think so too, but he's long dead now. You're such good security, you know?"
Before either soldier could reply of raise their rifles, Ana had, with pinpoint precision, blasted a hole in each of their heads, sending them toppling to the ground. She grinned, knowing that if she could break the chain of command and communication around here, then the soldiers would be that much more ineffective in stopping her and Templus' escape. The maimed woman proceeded past the fallen soldiers, continuing on her way.*
*Templus was pinned down now, barely being shielded by the ruined portal that had stood between Templus and an entire platoon -- or so it seemed -- of soldiers. The durasteel of the door was holding, but just barely. Templus, on the other hand, was growing tired and haggard from this madcap chase through the complex, through which he could not seem to return to the auditorium where he had killed Aquios. It was then, finally, when a blasterbolt glanced off of the top edge of the door, spraying him with molten metal and sparks and nearly glancing off of his left ear, that Templus palmed his secondary lightsaber. Jar'Kai was not necessarily the best form of combat for deflecting blasterbolts, but when coupled with the strategies of Djem So, Templus felt he could break through the platoon and anyone else.
When the green blade lit, Templus took a deep breath, then another, and counted to three as he did so. On three, he utilized the Force to leap free of his battered boundary and charge headlong, lightsabers swinging like a whirlwind around him. He was no longer quite as close-minded as before. Everything seemed to lose superior significance over any other thing, and the scream of the blasterfire became the drumbeat to his rush at the platoon guarding the atrium that stood beyond the threshold. The soldiers poured shot after shot in his direction with brilliant flashes of crimson light, but his nearly unwatchable blades deflected each and every shot, sending the entirety of the barrage in reverse, peppering the walls, ceiling, floor, and soldiers full of energy, mowing down soldiers in the blink of an eye.
The bulk of them began to get smart, after realizing a good portion of their number were falling now that the Jedi had gone on the offensive, and began to stay clear of the center of the room. When a gap opened up, Templus switched the focus of his defense to his sides as he broke through the defensive perimeter established by the platoon, and knocked down even more soldiers as they began to fall behind him. The remaining blasters followed with their typical screams and the smell of ozone and burning metal, but Templus was outpacing every stray shot, and deflecting randomly every threatening strike. He was through the next portal with a telekinetic burst and on his way, not daring to slow for fear of having to deal with the soldiers lest they catch up.
Templus began to return to the trappings of his normal human mind, having transcended to the near omnipotence of the Force's embrace for the most crucial of times. But he was slick with sweat and feeling the few injuries he had sustained all the more. A random though bounced through his mind: What if escaping the complex was not enough to escape the soldiers? The Jedi Knight, with training brought on by years of work, pushed away all thoughts of the 'ifs', focusing solely on the now. The future could never happen if he faltered in the now, and Templus simply pushed on, letting his rapid footfalls become the anthem to which he moved closer and closer to Ana, and then to escape.
During this next mad dash, Templus felt a weak surge of the Dark side swirl somewhere in the upper levels, and he had to wonder what was the cause. Were there acolytes here that Aquios had kept for himself? Either way, going up was the answer to everything, seeing as the auditorium was somewhere near the roof anyway, so Templus skidded around another corner, hearing the platoon of soldiers thundering down the hall he had just vacated. Their shouts were frantic and almost angry, but Templus wondered if their allegiance was firmly with the Sith.
With both lightsabers swirling above his head now, Templus sawed a portal into the ceiling, cutting wiring and metal alike away with sparks and small bouts of rogue electricity. Yes, it was obvious, but Templus had a hunch none of these soldiers could ascend through the hole in the ceiling in any quick time. He could put some distance on the remainder of this platoon and maybe buy enough time for a clean getaway.
With a disk of metal and wiring falling to the floor, and the sound of the approaching troopers roaring all the louder, Templus tiredly called upon the assistance of the Force one more time to leap clear through his hole, and then he took off at a run, despite his protesting legs, for his goal. How many floors remained between him and Ana?
~~~~
Ana was jogging through the empty corridors of the upper reaches of the complex, her blaster pistol always ready to shoot at the slightest hint of danger or the glimpse of anyone not Templus. She had descended a floor or two from her starting point, and was sure she could feel something tingling down below, but close, on the edge of her perception. It was a strange nagging feeling, as if there was something vying for her attention, but she just could not place her finger on it. It annoyed her, but she persisted, wondering that the nagging feeling was drawing her in the direction she needed to go.
Ana suddenly heard the sound of rapid bootfalls, and froze, sliding up against the wall of the corridor she had been proceeding down. There were clearly soldiers coming towards her from around a turn up ahead. She caught a snippet of the conversation between the two of them before they came into her line of sight.
"Units P-34 and P-75 have not reported in. Their comlinks are not online."
"We need to get a lock on their status, MIA soldiers does not help the chaos this Sithspit-hole has come to."
"Hold your tongue, man, the Dark Lord may catch wind of talk like that."
"Sure he will, don't you think he would have--"
It was then that both soldiers came around the corner, and saw Ana standing there. Their eyes grew wide with surprise as they stood staring down her blaster's barrel, pointed at the shorter soldier on the left. The words died on his lips, but Ana was more than happy to finish his thought, "--contained the situation? Yeah, I'd think so too, but he's long dead now. You're such good security, you know?"
Before either soldier could reply of raise their rifles, Ana had, with pinpoint precision, blasted a hole in each of their heads, sending them toppling to the ground. She grinned, knowing that if she could break the chain of command and communication around here, then the soldiers would be that much more ineffective in stopping her and Templus' escape. The maimed woman proceeded past the fallen soldiers, continuing on her way.*
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