Cataan – Jedi Praxeum
"You've done well here," the old swordmaster said as he and Steffan walked along the outer walkways of the praxeum, skirting the courtyard that was used for meditation and commune. "I think your father would be proud, being able to do what he had wanted to do for some time."
"It just took the right time to see it done, I suppose," Steffan Karrde said, smiling and nodding at the thought as they walked. "He had spoken of you several times when I was young. I'm glad you took the time to come here and I'm honored to have you as a guest."
The old man waved that last part off. "It was something I felt I needed to do, especially after your son's visit. It brought some older memories up and I decided to delve into it and see if I might have been able to shed more light on his mystery. It may not be much, but it might help."
Steffan nodded at this once more as they walked. "Any help at all is always appreciated, no matter what."
Marin was back at the praxeum as well, and she heard their voices on the breeze as she walked around the perimeter of the courtyard. Her head came up in surprise, and she walked faster, feeling her braid bounce against her back. She continued on her way towards the training circle, not realizing it would take her right across their path.
And it did just that. Not two minutes later, she plowed right into the old man, her tunics tangling slightly as she tried to backpedal. Her eyes widened and she colored, the heat of embarrassment rising to her face. "Excuse me, Masters..." she said, trying to recover a little dignity as she picked herself up from the ground, bowing slightly.
"Marin," Steffan said as he chuckled from the encounter. "I'm sure you remember our guest?"
She paused to take a breath, and then nodded. "I do, Master..." she said as evenly as she could manage, giving the old man a polite nod, though her gaze lingered for just a moment. She was unsure if she wanted to share their connection just yet.
Steffan nodded and motioned to the older man. "Master Mendas had decided to visit us here, share a bit more information that he remembered and dug up after you and Ryneas left."
"More information...?" she asked curiously, her gaze going back to the old man again. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she realized Steffan hadn't used the old man's last name. Deliberately, it seemed.
"Some old pictures, really," he said as he pulled out a small packet and removed a few prints. "From people in the village that would take pictures when we actually traveled to events and tournaments." He showed them to Steffan and handed one or two to Marin. It was definitely an older picture; the swordmaster's hair wasn't nearly as long or white as it was now. With him with a young lady that some would think would be in a court setting, not in a martial tournament. Steffan looked over the picture closely. "This is Arrin?" The old man nodded softly.
Marin's eyes widened slightly as she looked at the picture. He looked so much like Jarius there... It made a lump rise in her throat for a moment, and she closed her eyes briefly, her fingers tracing his image.
Steffan had made his own connection, looking closely at Arrin in the picture and closed his eyes for a moment, thinking of another image that came to his mind.
"Sorry.." she whispered softly in Cataani as she breathed to calm herself.
Marin's comment didn't even reach Steffan's ears. His own memory had closed around him and he thought long and hard on the face...he'd seen it before.
"Oh my Lady," Steffan said as the photo fell from his hand and he stepped back, almost backing into one of the stone pillars that supported the roof of the walkway.
Instantly, Marin was at his side, reaching out a hand to steady him. "Sensei...?" she asked softly, her voice concerned as she traded a look with the old man.
"I've seen her," Steffan said as he shook his head, coming to grips with what he had just realized.
"What do you mean?" the old man said. "When?"
"Several years ago," Steffan said as he sighed heavily, looking towards Marin. "On a planet in the Outer Rim...called Rhen Var."
Her eyes widened, and she swore softly, gripping his shoulder for a moment. She knew that battle. "Are.. are you certain..?"
"What happened on Rhen Var?" Mendas asked, not knowing what had happened outside of their own hegemony.
"It was in battle," Steffan told him. Mendas drew his own conclusion. If it was battle and Steffan was still here to talk about it.
"I see," he said as he lowered his head, eyes closed. "You did not know."
Marin swore softly, and lifted a hand to rub at her forehead as her other gripped his arm. "Do you think the girl would know about it...?"
"Both her parents being Sith," Steffan said as he straightened up and looked skyward. "Yes, she knows."
She swore again in Mando'a before muttering an apology in Cataani as she pushed to her feet. "Can anything be done?"
"We'll have to see," Steffan said as he looked to the two of them. "In all sense, only she's going to be able to answer that question for us. And it may be a time when its least expected."
Tanagis V – The Colony
Sighing softly, Aran stepped outside of his new home, glancing around at the nearby buildings out of habit as he did so. He'd been living in the Colony with Nau'ul for a while now, but he still wasn't quite used to it. It was, after all, very different from how he'd been living for most of his life. On this particular day, he was foregoing parts of his Beskar'gam, with only his chestplate, shin plates, boots and gauntlets over a fairly worn coverall. After a minute or so, he headed towards the center of the Colony to run a few errands.
Marin was sitting on a bench in the small park which was nestled in the center of the colony. She wasn't entirely sure what has drawn her here, but here she was. She sat on a bench on the park's eastern edge which was shaded by trees. Her attire was... Oddly formal. She wore the tunics of the praxeum with a dark blue skirt and the sash she'd gotten at the festival years ago. Her feet were tucked up on the bench. It was almost as if she were trying to...blend into her surroundings. Even her Force presence was muted.
Even muted as it was, Aran still faintly picked up on her presence upon coming closer. He hadn't talked to her since leaving, nor did he have an idea as to why she was there, so he decided the errands could wait. A few minutes later, he came up behind the bench, lightly resting his hands on her shoulders as he spoke up softly. "Su cuy'gar, Marin...it's been a while."
She started, but only slightly. "Cuy ..." she replied softly as she opened her eyes. "How are you and Nau'ul doing?" She sat up straight and scooted over so he could sit if he wished to.
Shrugging, he moved over to lean casually on the back of the bench next to her. "Well enough, I suppose...mostly adjusting to life here still. And you?"
She sighed. "The last few weeks have been really busy. Trying to make sense of everything that happened..." She frowned, unsure how to explain it, especially her personal discovery.
A nod, and he reached over to rest a hand on her shoulder again. But, he remained silent for the moment. If she wanted to continue, he was willing to listen.
Sighing, she twisted her hands in her lap. "After Coruscant, Ryneas wanted to find out more about the Sith he fought. After a visit to Master Karrde, we were able to narrow down where to start looking. We checked several schools along the way. At the last one, Ryneas challenged their champion. He fought two, while I fended off three. At least until the school's teacher stopped us." She paused. "He... is..was J'oran's brother."
Aran was listening patiently, but at those words, he stopped cold. "He...what?!"
She held up a hand. "Udesii. That was my reaction as well. From what I was told - and I sensed no deceit - his family disowned Danos after what he did. They never supported him after he went to prison for what he did." She sighed softly. "I wish I'd known sooner. He also have us directions on how to find the originator of the style he was teaching. If Ryneas learned new things on this mission, I got the surprise of my life..."
Sighing, he relaxed a bit, though he was still frowning. "I see...what will you do now, then?"
"Not sure..." she answered softly. "And that master was of a personal significance..."
"Lek...?" He inquired softly, looking over at her for a moment.
She was quiet for a few moments. "He... is my ba'buir..."
Frowning, Aran went silent for several long moments as well. When he finally did speak, it was hesitantly. "That...would be rather shocking to find out..."
"Aye..." She whispered, turning over Jarius' tags in her hand
"Anything I can do? Or do you need to talk about it...?"
She shrugged. "I'm not sure, really..."
Nodding, he sighed softly. "Well, if you think of something...let me know. I'll still gladly support you as best I can." A moment's pause, then he continued hesitantly. "And, I know you probably still wouldn't be comfortable around Nau'ul...but I think she'd be willing to help with anything you need, as well."
"You sure about that? I've been trying to give both of you space... " she said softly as she looked up at him.
He shrugged at that. "We're more or less settled in here, and...she's calmed down a good bit. If you need us, we're here."
She nodded and gripped his hand for a moment. "Vor'entye.,"
At that, he smiled warmly. "Least we can do, Marin...you don't need to thank us."
"Even after everything that's happened?"
He nodded, clasping her forearm firmly. "Especially given everything that's happened. Marin, both you and the others with you have done a great deal to help both of us when you really didn't have a reason to. And so, we will help out for as long as you need us to...as far as I'm concerned, we owe you at least that much."
"Well, vor'entye again..." she whispered, turning Jarius' tags over in her fingers again.
"Anything else you need to talk about...?"
She shrugged. "Not that I can think of... "
Nodding, Aran sighed. "I should probably be on my way, then. It was nice talking with you, though."
She chuckled slightly. "Don't be a stranger, me'ven?"
"Same goes for you, you know..." He replied evenly before standing fully and extending his arm her way.
She gripped it firmly and smiled. "I'll do my best..."
Smiling in return, he nodded before turning to head on his way. "Re'turcye mhi, Marin."
Cataan – Karrde Estate
The gardens of his parents home was always a serene place where one could always find peace and solitude. A place that his father often used was a waterfall in the center of the gardens and Ryneas was there now, sitting along the stone wall that lined the pool at the bottom of the small fall. It was coming harder than usual, but he sat there trying to meditate on things.
Marin too had come down to the Karrde estate, but she'd kept her distance at first, focusing more on her own training for the time being. She was still trying to come to grips with the fact she had other family besides Ethan. After a while, she found herself headed to the gardens as well, but didn't bother Ryneas.
It puzzled Ryneas as the images came to him. It seemed familiar somehow, but not something he readily recognized.
Frowning, Marin drew a pair of knives and slowly began working through what Master Mendas had shown them. She sighed, grateful for Steffan's discretion when they'd met at the praxeum. She really didn't want everyone knowing her family connections.
She didn't know what drew her here on this sudden trip she had taken, but something pulled her to come here. Arianna pulled back her hood as she entered, tracing the old rough doors of the building. She looked around, noticing that no one was here. This place felt somehow familiar...but how? She had never been here.
Ryneas saw two vague forms moving around in moves he knew well. The two were locked in combat, that much was clear. Was this a past battle...or one that would happen.
Arianna paused as she looked around the stone collums that lined the hallway of the chapel. There were lines that were in the walls, the collums, even the floor, that did not look as the rest of the building. They didn't look like cuts from the building of this place.
Marin continued through the kata, her moved becoming more fluid as she felt the tension slowly drain away. Even so, she felt a breif spike of confusion from Ryneas.
She allowed her fingers to reach towards one of the cuts in a column next to her, not even stretching out her senses as she did so. She had kept her presence down this entire time, but something told her to reach out to this. When her fingers touched the line, the image flashed into her head suddenly and it caused to draw back just as sudden. She tried to refocus on it, reaching out to trace the cut again. A person had backed against this column, suddenly duck out of the way as a flash of red came across...leaving this cut. 'A flash of red?' she asked herself as she looked over at the other marks. "What happened here?"
Ryneas saw it now. Two blades crashing together as the forms moved around. One red, the other...the other was blue, a hint of silver surrounded by it. 'Father?' he asked himself as he continued to watch the fight.
Her moves were fluid now as she moved through the kata, but after a few more seconds she slowed to a stop and sank down to the grass where she had been standing. She was, perhaps... 30 meters from Ryneas. Even from here, she could sense his confusion and then the sudden recognition.
Arianna looked and stretched out her senses just a bit further to confirm that there truely was no one here. Satisfied that there wasn't, she slid her robe off and draped it over one of the pews and walked around, looking over all of the cuts in the stone. 'This wasn't just a fight,' she told herself as she started to picture the flow of things, 'this was a duel of some magnitude.' Wanting to know more, she would have to risk what she had tried hard to avoid. Arianna had been drawn here and now she really wanted answers. And it was with that mindset that she knelt in the middle of the chapel and started to close her eyes.
Ryneas followed the movements of the two, knowing his father's movements even without seeing the lightsaber blade. It was drawing clearer now and he remembered now where he was and what duel this was. He was only an infant when this took place.
Marin frowned slightly, and slowed her breathing as she too reached out with barely a thread of Force. She was trying not to disturb Ryneas, but to discover what had him so alarmed. She couldn't see what he saw, but from his emotions, she made a guess.
She saw them, but couldn't recognize them at first. The one who wielded the red blade was swinging his blade as he moved in, but the other kept still until it was time. The other fighter met and parried the blow away, reaching forward and grabbing the other man's tunic and threw him against another of the pillars. The red-bladed warrior came up slowly, rubbing his shoulder. He face was becoming familiar to her now, especially the eyes. But it was a voice from so long ago that hit her solidly.
"I'll cut you into parts, Jedi," came the voice, low and menacing...but wholly familiar. Arianna was stunned and surprised by what she was witnessing. 'Father?' she almost asked aloud.
Ryneas saw his father move towards the side, still keeping his guard up.
"You've harmed more than enough, and I will not let it continue," he heard his father's voice tell the other. "This ends tonight."
Marin bit her lip. What little she knew was only what Ryneas and Steffan himself had shared, and she respected their privacy enough not to pry. So, she waited, trying to lend Ryneas some calm.
"On, that," Arianna heard her father say as he got up and started to close in. "we agree!" He charged in, but she saw the Jedi backhand the attack away. Ryneas saw his father turning, following the motion of the backhanded parry. It sent the other stumbling forward slightly. Before he could recover, Steffan's motion, combined with flipping his blade back into a strong-handed grip, came back around and the downward strike cut into Markane's back.
Arianna felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her as she saw her father hit his knees onto the slabbed floor. Her eyes had jerked opened suddenly as she realized that she was in the same spot as well, where she had done her meditation.
Ryneas' eyes had opened instantly at the same time. It took him a moment to reorient himself and realize where he was. He had relived that fight that his father told him about, but he also felt...
"She's here," he said suddenly as he stood up.
An instant later, Marin too was on her feet. "Ryneas, are you sure it's wise to go find her? THey could be tracking her..."
"I don't know," he said as he tried to continue to get his bearings. "But she's here...on Cataan."
Arianna wiped her eyes, shaking her head as she realized where she was. Why in the world would she have been led here? She had known nothing about what happened to her father, only what she had been told by her mother. She never felt the same about it as she had when her mother died on Rhen Var. Now, it was like reliving that all ovr again and she really didn't know what she needed to do now.
She never realized that she had stretched her senses out so far, and was surprised by the sudden presence that was approaching. Arianna spun suddenly, on her feet and her lightsaber instantly ignited as she took her guard stance. Ryneas, who had been running towards the building, stopped suddenly at the doorway and held out his arms to stop Marin. His eyes never left Arianna as he noticed that she was ready for a fight now.
Marin barely caught herself from running full-tilt into Ryneas from behind. As it was, she paused and tried to catch her breath even as her hand slipped towards on of her knives. Why Ryneas felt the need to make a mad dash for the building in the first place, she didn't know. As far as she was concerned, it might have announced their presence to others in the area.
"Don't," he whispered to Marin as he noticed her hand moving to a knife.
With a sigh, and a slight shake of her head, she stood from where she'd gone to a knee to catch her breath. And she waited, trying to get a sense of what might happen next.
Ryneas walked into the chapel, arms held out from him as he entered. He was still in his normal attire for when he was home instead of the Jedi robes, but his lightsaber was still on his belt. A fight wasn't what he wanted, and he fully intended to let her know that.
"Stay back," Arianna warned as she backed a step, her lightsaber still out in front of her.
"You know I won't do that," Ryneas told her as he walked a few steps closer, then stopped to give them distance.
"Ryneas..." Marin tried to warn him. She could see how on edge Arianna already was. But, he was as stubborn as Marin herself. So, Marin decided to occupy herself with guarding their rear for the moment. She took up a spot just inside the entry and shrouded herself in the force as she scanned the area around them.
Ryneas lowered his arms just a little, but kept his stance relaxed. "I didn't come here to fight. Though I'm surprised that you actually came here."
Arianna lowered her blade slightly, not sure what was happening here. "I...I don't know either. I just knew that I needed to come here. Then, I come to this place."
"I know," he said as he walked a bit closer. "Things haven't felt the same since Coruscant, have they?"
Marin frowned slightly, listening as she continued to keep watch. She knew that Arianna couldn't have gotten this far without someone noticing. But right now, she didn't sense an pursuers.
Another tear was coming to her eye as she shook her head. "You've never felt like everything has crashed down around you. You've always had such stability...nothing able to touch you in a way that if feels that everything has been destroyed."
"Haven't I?" he asked as he stopped in front of her. "You know what happened during the battle."
"I have as well..." Marin said softly, though she was unsure whether Arianna was paying her any attention, or even knew who she was..
Arianna was hesitant and finally lowered her blade to point to the ground. "If you were here for a fight, we'd have already been at it." She looked off to the side behind Ryneas to the back of the younger woman who had come with him. "And your friend is?"
With a sigh, Marin stepped forward. "Marin Durza..." she said softly. For the moment, she let Ryneas take the the lead here, as he was more familiar. But, she still was trying to watch their six. She was unsure if the Durza name would have any significance.
"You act as if you expect trouble at any moment?" Arianna mentioned quietly as she shut down her blade and returned her lightsaber to her belt.
Ryneas looked back to Marin and nodded softly with a slight smile. "She's used to it."
Marin shrugged. "It's been rather... normal for such things as far as I know.." she said, leaning against the nearest column and hooking her thumbs into her belt. "I grew up trying to fight off Death Watch... " She was wary, and careful with how much she shared. As much as Ryneas might be trying to win her trust, Marin was still cautious. She'd learned that one the hard way with Aran.
"Lowlifes if ever I've seen any," she said as she turned and walked down the corridor. "The only ones I hate dealing with other than them are the Hutts..." She paused and leaned with her hand outstretched onto one of the columns, several cuts in the stone.
Marin tried to hold back a snort of disbelief. "Tell that to the ones working with the Sith..." she whispered, her left hand curling into a fist. She couldn't help it. And yet, she regretted it as soon as the words left her lips. She murmured an apology.
"I have..." she said softly and she felt a twinge of regret, lowering her head and shaking her head. "Though what role they have played against you I do not know. I only met with them once to make arrangements with them. It was decided after that first meeting that another go."
"Why was that?" Ryneas asked, curious now.
"One thought he might get a bit more from me in the deal," she said as she looked away from them. "He came away with a hand missing."
Marin frowned slightly and traded a look with Ryneas for a moment. "At least you are here to tell of it."
"The others didn't have much to say about it," Arianna told her as she smiled for a moment. "A lightsaber poised to strike a...shall we say, sensitive area, can be very persuasive."
At that, Marin grinned. Oh, she knew that well. "Aye, that it can..." she whispered, finally relaxing, at least a little. Though she did try to keep watch on the entrance, just the same. She'd spent too many years enduring Ethan's training to do anything else.
Arianna turned and started walking around the chapel, pausing at the far end to see a statue in an alcove. Ryneas saw her attention and looked over to Marin. "Could you give us some time, Marin?"
Shrugging, Marin moved back towards the entrance. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of the entire encounter, but it left her wary and a bit on edge. Absently, she traced her thumb over Jarius' tags.
"Ryneas, what is this place?" Arianna asked as she was looking over the statue. "I feel that this was...some kind of holy place."
"It was," Ryneas told her as he sat on one of the benches. "There hasn't been any service here in years."
"Since they fought here," she said as she turned to face him. "Our fathers..."
Still frowning, Marin reached the entrance and leaned against the wall just inside of it, and out of sight from anyone outside. Even so, she was still scanning the area in the Force.
Ryneas looked down at his hands as he tried to think of what to say. "One tenent of our beliefs is that we never fight on sacred ground," he told her as he looked around. "As I've learned, your family hasn't been one for traditions."
"At least the ones we're raised into," she said as she thought softly. "I've been discovering more and more about myself while I've been here. I...find that I can't live as a Sith any longer."
The words brought Ryneas' head up in surprise. She looked at him and shook his head. "I'm so confused, Ryneas, but...I can't follow the path that I started out on."
Marin was trying hard to ignore their conversation. From where she was, she could hear a quiet murmur. And she dug her knuckles into her thigh at the thought of Force-enhancing her hearing. it wouldn't be right. And yet, she found herself curious. Sighing, she bit down on the urge, and instead went back to watching the area. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flicker of motion.
"What?" Arianna started to say, but was cut off by Ryneas holding up a hand and looking out the door. "Marin?"
Marin shook her head at him, and held up a finger to ask for silence before she help up five... no six fingers and pointed out locations around the outside of the chapel.
"Were you followed?" Ryneas asked as he continued to look out towards the door where Marin was, drawing his saber. It could just have easily been ordinary robbers, maybe even Death Watch looking for Marin, but... No, this could only be one enemy.
"No, I..." she paused and then grit her teeth and drew her own lightsaber. "Jenner, you...," she spat out the curse. "Of course they didn't trust me!"
Ryneas' green blade was alive and trying to think about the situation. "Marin, tactics!"
"Kriff it all..." she muttered, pushing away from the wall to face the door. For now, her blade remained on her belt. "They would expect us to go on the defensive..." she said softly, scanning the area carefully as she tried to note any other potential exits. "All I can sense right off are the six... but there is a high probability of more. They appear to have the chapel surrounded. I might suggest trying to fight our way out... though... perhaps surrender...?" she hedged, sharing a look with Ryneas.
"How many do you think you could handle?" he asked her. Looking around the building and up towards the roof, coming up with some kind of plan.
"I know some of them," Arianna said as she turned and looked outwards. "We'll have a difficult time."
"Two... maybe. Three would be pushing my abilities, even.."
Arianna looked over at her with that statement. "I thought you were a bit more battle-proven."
"Not against Sith," Ryneas told her as he looked up again. "One of you, give me a boost to the rafter supports."
Marin frowned. "Against Death Watch, yes. Other force users, no." She nodded then and lifted her hand slightly, supporting Ryneas as she gently lifted him with the Force towards the ceiling.
He gripped the horizontal support and flipped up to rest on the top of it. He looked up again and started to use his blade to cut through the wooden slats that made up the roof. "Dear Lady," he started to speak as he finished making the cuts. "Please forgive me for drawing my weapon in your sanctuary, but I will not let this place be defiled by combat a second time. Alright, you two, I think I made this big enough for both of you to jump through to the top of the roof."
Arianna looked to Marin and nodded that she could go first and turned towards the door to keep a lookout.
Shaking her head, mostly at herself, Marin crouched and then jumped, boosting herself towards the same rafter with the Force. She landed lightly on it, and stared up at the hole he'd cut in the roof. "Once we're on the roof... what then...?"
"I don't know yet," Ryneas said as he looked down and held out his hand for Arianna. "I'm making this up as I go for the moment. But once we're on the roof, we've got more room to maneuver and maybe get out of this sudden mess."
Arianna looked back and saw his hand outstretched, nodded, and ran to position herself at the hole in the roof and jumped through and landed opposite of Marin, looking up towards the end of the building as Ryneas came through the hole. "You..." The Sith stood there, robes billowing against him from the breeze that was passing behind him. Lightsaber was in hand, but the blade wasn't activated yet. He didn't respond, but looked upon the three of them coldly.
"Ah kriff.." Marin muttered as she saw where Arianna was looking. One of the Sith was already on the roof. Likely having anticipated this. Marin shifted slightly and balanced on the balls of her feet.
Ryneas turned at her words and knew instantly that any advantage they had had was gone now. He looked around behind him now and saw the others joining them, all on the outer edges of the roof. "Ladies," he whispered to them. "We're surrounded..."
Arianna's blade was already alive, and she had it aimed at the center of the one that was on the end of the building. The others that were around them hissed in surprise and tensed at the move. The one she had seen remained where he was, eyes still boring into her.
Marin's hands clenched into fists at her sides. "Ryneas..?" Her voice was quiet, and her hands hovered close to her weapons belt, but she didn't draw. Not yet.
"You...dare...to hold your blade against me?" he said, the words almost like poison as he uttered them. "Who helped to train you, took you in when your mother was killed..."
"It was she who trained me!" Arianna spat back. "All you did was try to bend me to your will ever since, Jenner."
"And I find you with our enemies?" Jenner asked her as he started to move forward. "The son of one of our deadliest? Do you even know who he really is? Both of your parents have fallen to his hands."
That caught Ryneas off guard and looked towards the Sith. "What?"
Marin hadn't known that either, and for a moment, she just stared. Still, she tried to keep focused, and turned slightly to see the rest of the group that surrounded them. For the moment none of the others had drawn weapons.
It was the moment of distraction that the others waited for. As one, they rushed in closer as Ryneas had dropped his guard at those words. Arianna, too, had hesitated as the statement sunk in, but gritted her teeth as she charged forward. "Liar!"
"Wait!" Ryneas tried to call to her, but noticed that the others were closing on them now. They were committed, he felt, and he instantly went onto the move. "Marin, back to me!"
"Kriffing..." Marin swore and drew not her saber, but two of her knives. With a flick of her wrist one went sailing across the ever-shrinking gap and buried itself in the leg of the one to her right, even as she drew closer to Ryneas.
Ryneas had trouble keeping his balance after jumping to avoid a low strike and heard a cry coming from off to his right. He turned and saw Arianna down, her lightsaber rolling away and the one she called Jenner coming towards him now. It was enough that he set himself to take on the new threat, but it completely threw him off. The third crashed in behind him with a lunge and both started to roll down the roof. He tried calling out before they dropped, but the force of the tackle took him completely by surprise.
That left Marin facing her two opponents alone. Her fingers flexed for a moment, and she backed up a step, trying to kick the one in the stomach who now had her blade in his arm.
The two suddenly backed off from her, grinning sadistically as one looked past her. Both started to to see about the wounds she had inflicted on them. The low hum of a lightsaber was behind her.
Her eyes widened, and she turned quickly. Her black-orange blade hissing to life in her hands a second later. With her free hand she tried to use the Force to push the other two away before she slashed towards Jenner. She could feel her pulse pounding in her ears.
Jenner blocked her strike single-handed and gripped her by the wrist with his other hand, grunting as he pulled and started to throw her over him to land on the other side.
Gasping in surprise, Marin instantly went limp, trying to twist in his grip. She partially succeeded, using her free hand to drive a knife into his shoulder. She fell hard, and felt the breath knocked from her lungs. The slant of the roof caused her to begin rolling towards the edge. Twisting, she slashed towards his legs, but missed.
Jenner winced and looked down at her before pulling the knife from his shoulder casually. He looked over the blade and, with her watching, licked his blood before he drove the knife through the wooden roof. "You honestly think that small toy would do you any good, mando?" he asked as he held out his hand and instantly had her up in the air like an invisible hand around her neck. "You've never dealt with us before, child?"
Her eyes wide, Marin felt her feet leave the roof, an invisible hand around her throat. Dark spots began to dance at the edge of her vision. She shook her head at him, and hefted her saber again, using the Force to drive it towards his neck. But the lack of air was making it hard to focus.
Jenner caught the hilt with his hand, noting that there wasn't much she had put behind it. He shut it down and looked at her almost slipping away before he dropped her down hard onto the tiles of the roof.
The blackness crept in on the edge of Marin's vision. She couldn't breath. Gritting her teeth, she tried to shove him away with the Force. But it was no use. The last thing she felt was blinding pain as her head struck the roof. Then she knew nothing more.
"Pathetic," Jenner said with a leer as he looked down at the young girl. "Mathos, get our wounded to the ground and summon the shuttle." He looked up at another of his warriors that had taken Ryneas down the roof, holding his shoulder from the fall. "The boy?"
"Knocked out cold," he answered to Jenner as he winced in pain from the shoulder. "Almost wanted to finish him now."
"No," Jenner said as he looked to Arianna's body. "Trayis, collect Karrde. You and Musker take him and Arianna onto the shuttle."
"What about this one?" Jenta asked as he walked up to where Marin lay, looking over her. "I'm sure Kyr'tsad would enjoy our having her..."
"Leave her," Jenner told him as he walked up, calling the knife back into his hand from where he drove it through the roof and contemplated something. Grinning, he knew the message he would leave for Steffan Karrde and knelt down next to Marin. Making sure he used enough force to do the work, he set about carving two symbols into the right breast plate of her armor. Making sure it was well done, he stood and gestured to the others. "Away, we must be off."