Shouting, flashes of blue and red, cries of agony. A horrible wail of evil. All went dark after a flash of crimson.
Ana shot up in her bed, looking around the room is shock. 'What was that dream..?'
Shaking off the fear she had from the dream, she got off her sleeping platform, and did a small stretch. It was then she remembered that she was receiving her first lesson today. She hurried to get ready, and dashed out her door.
'Oh well, I bet today is gonna be exciting!'
- TJO -
A man in a dark hood walked through the halls of the Jedi. An old man, an elder of the Jedi. As old as the rebuilt Order, he looked no older than sixty, despite being far older. His cloak billowed around him, and an ominous wind swept through the hall. The man walked into one of the many elevators of the Jedi, and went up to the highest floor, the Jedi High Council chambers.
The man crept in at a slow pace, the high council being in a meditative discussion at that moment, when they turned to see the man. They knew this Jedi, and were struck with unease. This Jedi held no formal rank, but was known as the leader of the Order, commanding even above Grand Master Zenthio. The figure spoke, a horrible rasping making his voice.
"I was unaware that the Council was making decisions without my knowledge..."
Master Zenthio stood up in response, keeping his saber in his sleeve, speaking briefly. "We are allowed to meet when we want, Decius."
The now named man, Decius, walked over to the window, looking out it for only a moment, sighing. "It takes no pleasure in doing this, but my spies have reported things... things I cannot allow to happen!"
Decius spun around at that moment, firing lightning at Master Zenthio, who blocked it with a wall of the Force.
"Lightning, Decius? I never took you for a Sith, but I suppose your recent actions have made that obvious!" Zenthio drawled at him, pushing the wall of energy at him, pressing the man into the window.
The rest of the attending High Council stood, with exception of one person, the heavily armored Master Kuu'noi. At seeing this, Decius broke through the grip that was holding him back, firing lightning at them with extreme anger. "Traitors, all of you!" This lightning had the standing members pinned down. Decius laughed, "You will all suff—"
It was at this moment that he found he had a massive armored hand around the back of his neck, Master Kuu'noi's emotionless helmet looking at him. "For the Jedi." Master Kuu'noi threw him at Master Zenthio, who readied his blade to end it.
"Enough!" Decius exploded with energy, his pain fueling the might push, the glass of the tower shattering. "Die, worms!"
The High Councilmen were launched out the windows, plummeting to the rooftop far below. As they fell, they heard only laughter, and felt only pain.
- TJO -
As Ana walked through the halls to get to the meditation room she was told to meet Master Geer in, she passed a large squad of over a dozen Temple Guards, all marching seriously. 'What happened that could need that many Temple Guard?' She thought this as she walked into the chamber, seeing an odd sight within.
Master Geer was meditating as normal, using man advanced meditation technique to float while objects float around him. It's just, she had never seen someone float several pieces of food around them, and occasionally into their mouth, while they meditated.
"Master Geer, what are you doing?" She asked questioningly.
"Ah, Anastasia, I'm meditating on my hunger."
"What..?" She tilted her head in confusion, raising an eyebrow.
"I am focusing on improving my state of being. I was hungry, now I am not. These are 'leftover thoughts' I suppose," he said, chuckling to himself. "Now, sit. I assume to ate a food bar on the way here?"
Ana nodded, and sat down, meditating opposite of her Master. "So, Master Geer, what are we learning today?"
Master Geer thought for a minute, setting down the snacks, before he heard a knocking on the door. The door opened up suddenly, revealing a Temple Guard behind the door.
"Master Geer, you are to be taken to an emergency evaluation."
"On whose authority?" Asked the diminutive Master.
"Lord Decius'." Responded the Temple Guard. Upon hearing this, Master Geer twitched his hand up, bashing the Temple Guard into the top of the doorframe, knocking the man unconscious.
"Today, my Padawan, we are going to learn why this Decius fellow has control of the Temple Guard, and how to evade authority!" Master Geer jumped through the door, Ana close behind, walking over the Temple Guard, who was lying there, groaning.
'What is going on here?' Ran through the heads of both Master and Padawan.
- TJO -
'Ouch... falling from over a dozen stories is not fun... thank the all maker that I can cushion my fall...' Master Zenthio sat slowly, looking at the bodies of his fellow Councilmen. Several of them got up slowly, while three merely laid there... Dead.
The bearded Grandmaster stood, his bones creaking in protest. "Decius has gone too far this time... we need to leave the temple, now."
"I'd be inclined to agree with you, but where would we go?" Asked Master Shan, a blue haired, human male.
"We can go to the Devaron Temple, though Decius may have that planet under control..." said Master Draay, brushing her blonde hair back. "He will have likely put the temple on lockdown as well..."
"I will have the Temple Guard secure an escape..." Master Pragus spoke out, standing. "But we cannot go to Devaron."
"I may know a place, I had it constructed a while ago, Decius does not know of it." After saying this, Master Sergio stated, a grim smirk appearing on his noble face. "On the planet of Alderaan, Master Thixtus and I had a small compound made, it could hold the Jedi for a while, until we get the resources to expand..."
"Good. Everyone," Zenthio said, "in exactly twelve hours, we are to meet at the landing platforms, where we will take all the ships we can get, and take random jumps through hyperspace, eventually meeting on Alderaan. I hope to see you again."
The other Councilmembers nodded to each other, and sped off, as fast as they could with wounded bodies. They had to warn everyone. They had to escape.
- TJO -
If Ana had seen anything so impressive as Master Geer fighting off several war droids and Temple Guards at once, seeing dozens of different Temple Guards locked in combat with each other, indistinguishable from each other to an outside perspective.
"Duck!" Master Geer threw his saber at her, and she ducked to avoid it, the blade impaling a droid behind her, which she then telekinetically lifted and threw at what she guessed was an enemy Temple Guard.
"What's going on here?!" She shouted over to Master Geer, who had grabbed her and pulled her further through the hall.
"It appears as if the Temple Guard are split, by this Decius fellow... why the Temple Guard would do such a thing, I do not know..."
An explosion was heard, and they heard a "Sundina!" from their right. Upon hearing this, Ana turned and saw her friend Balt.
"Balt, what's going on?! Everything's chaos!" She looked around, the group of three retreating behind a pillar.
"I don't know, but several Guards just burst out into a rampage, some tried to grab some Masters, but other Guards just stopped them, and they started fighting! Then some war droids came out of nowhere and started firing!" The Nautolan teen gripped his saber roughly. "My Master said that a message came over her comlink, and that all Jedi are to evacuate to the landing platforms, and to avoid and Temple Guard that they see..."
Master Geer looked at him intensely. "Speaking of her, where is your Master, young one?"
"Ah, she suggested we split up, and that I take the back halls..."
"Smart woman. Cmon, we need to hurry. The landing pads aren't that far away." Geer stood at his full height, still barely reaching their waists, before dashing off in the direction of the platform, dashing through anything in his way.
"Let's not keep them waiting!" Balt grabbed Ana by the hand and dashed off with her, following the orange and green blender that was Master Geer.
- TJO -
As the Jedi got into the evacuation ships, several friendly Temple Guard stood to guard the escape, deflecting blasts and pushing enemy Guards off the platform. They saw Master Geer approach, and made way for his flurried form. Watching through the hall, he saw a cloaked figure with a legion of droids behind him, just as his Padawan and her friend passed him.
"So, this is the one I've heard about..." he felt several of his fellow Masters preparing to fight, but sighed. They were no match for him, not if they attempted to escape...
"Everyone, I will handle this!" With all the power of a war veteran in his voice, he ignited a second saber, an this second blade being a pure white shoto blade, with a hilt just like his orange shoto.
"Master?!" Ana cried out for him, but Baltus and the other Masters pulled her away.
Geer sighed again, walking inside the temple, only two friendly Temple Guard remained. They removed their helmets, revealing two human faces.
"Officer Fannel, Officer Relath, you may leave."
"I'll have to stay and protect the temple, and I know Relath feels the same." At this, they both nodded, activating their Guard sabers.
"Very well." Geer charged, his blades igniting and immediately meeting another... this blade was crimson, with an orangish core... this one was held by the cloaked man, Decius.
"Traitors, leaving your Order with the traitor leaders. I will hunt you all down to the ends of the galaxy, there is no escape!" he shouted as the transport ships flew away in different directions, all with one endpoint in mind.
"You will never win, evil one." Upon saying this, Geer turned and saw that the two Temple Guards had stabbed themselves, Decius twisting his hand cruelly.
"I have already won, for I am the master of this Order now, as I always have been!" He pushed Geer into a pillar, and laughed, firing lightning at Geer, who held back a grunt of pain, lifting his hands up.
Decius laughed at the feeble attempt to hit him, he never even felt the pathetic push! "Is this all the strength you can muster? If so, then perhaps it's good I rid the Jedi of you all!"
"Heheh... you underestimate me, as I did my Padawan... look up..." Geer shut his eyes at this, as more traitorous TG surrounded him, as Decius turned his view upwards.
There, he saw two things. Both pillars were cracked, and straining under pressure. Then, even more importantly, he saw cracks along ceiling, right across the symbol of the Jedi.
"Thanks for the idea, Anastasia" Master Geer coughed, grabbing hold of all the Guard with his telekinetic grip, as Decius dashed out from under the collapsing roof. As the roof fell, Decius felt the deaths of many loyal guard, but more importantly, heard one small phrase. A phrase that made him fill with anger.
"There is no death, there is the Force."