Gallis Iscander
XXX
"YOU!"
Magnus threw a look at Gallis, then the unhooded man, then at Lysander. Gallis, for his part, felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. They were stopped before the great tree they had met Vynus at and where the man seemed to live, the tall Crist all around them
The unnamed man gave a sigh, then turned to Lysander fully, Vynus's enormous body still in his arms; Gallis wasn't quite sure the other was ally, but he thought he saw his chest moving. Lysander, don't do anything stupid-
"What is it?" the man asked loudly. The entire Crist population had stilled once more, observing the confrontation.
Lysander glanced behind him, and perhaps gaining reassurance from Adelia and Cecilia behind, straightened. "Wh-whatever you're going to do with Gallis and Magnus, don't even try! You just leave them alone!" He dropped his voice slightly and made eye contact with Gallis. "Guys, come on over here!"
For a moment he considered it, then Magnus budged his way forward. "No, what the hell! This guy- do you even know what he is? We don't, but he's not evil! He's help-"
"He's twisting you, Magnus!" Cecilia shouted. Gallis felt a pang of worry as he saw she was on the verge of tears. "Don't listen to anything he's told you!"
"Children, please!" the man said, exasperated. "I'm just trying to help your friends here, nothing more. I'm not gonna… uh… carve out their insides?" he added lamely, giving his best impression of a shrug.
His tone didn't help, but Gallis was sensing rising danger. He looked about, but the Crist were all remaining still. Magnus didn't seem to be detecting anything; he was shouting back at Lysander. "You didn't just see what he did! He's some sort of magician! And he has something to show us!"
The explanation was as poor as it felt. Lysander took a step forward, shaking his head. "No, he's tricking you!" he pleaded. "Magnus, Gallis, come on- a-are you really going to take his word over ours? We're your family-"
"You aren't my family," Magnus scoffed. "Gallis is. And we both trust this guy. Just let him talk."
Both Lysander and Cecilia flushed, but Adelia pointed over at Gallis. "Do you really trust this man, Gallis? Or are you just letting Magnus choose for you?"
"I-"
"Look, I just want to show these kids what's going on," the man explained, holding his two hands up with the palms towards the Lysander and the others. Vynus's body trembled dangerously and he leaned to adjust. "Come on, you guys can join the talk now-"
"Gallis, what do you think?" Adelia insisted, orange eyes wide.
The danger sense was growing, but there was nothing around except the man with his hands before him, just as he had done to rise Vynus-
"Just come over here guys," Lysander pleaded.
"He's fine!" Magnus insisted.
"Magnus!" Cecilia cried.
"Just listen!" shouted the man, dropping Vynus-
Gallis shoved the man away as a green light blossomed from behind and shot like a bolt of lightning through the dark space of the village. The blaster bolt shot between a started Lysander and frozen Cecilia to lodge itself into the tent they'd come from.
"Sithspawn!" the man spat out alongside a mouthful of dirt. "Wha-?"
Another green blaster bolt shot out from behind the great tree, the flash illuminating the leering face of Thurst. "Dance, magic man, dance!" he cackled. "Teach you to mess with me!" Gallis rolled away as one landed too close for comfort, but the rest thudded into the dirt about the man, who was dodging the blasts as best he could.
"Stop, stop!" Lysander shouted. "Enough, Thurst!" But the pirate either didn't hear or listen; he shot blast after blast, and finally one connected and burned a hole in the man's leg. He roared and this time Gallis' danger sense flared truly.
The blaster pistol blew up in the man's hand, the repulsion slamming him into the tree where the pirate collapsed, but was still conscious.
"Enough!" Lysander shouted again, but Thurst shook his head as he got back up. "Not when I'm this kriffing close, Cody!"
He drew a foot long knife of the same material as the Crist's weapons, then closed the gap. Gallis tried to get up, but Magnus put a halting hand on his shoulder. "Why?!" Gallis cried incredulously.
"I want to see what happens," his brother murmered, and Gallis shuddered as he looked back-
"AGHHHH E CHU TA- AHHHHG!"
The unnamed man was still on the ground, the wounded leg being held by one hand. But in the other, a blue bar of light was ignited from a metal hilt in his hand, waving threateningly about him. Thurst was kneeled on the ground right next time, his right arm tucked into his body. His whole form was curling about it, and Gallis couldn't understand what had happened until he saw the long knife on the ground-
Still clutched in his hand.
"Anyone else?" the man said furiously, looking at all of them in turn. "Thought so- now, someone help me up?"
Magnus's hold slackened, and Gallis ran over to the other and helped him up. Two Crist sauntered up to them, spears towering, and Gallis moved over so they could help with the man.
They strolled past to where Thurst lied, still hissing and spitting expletives in what sounded like many languages. They pulled him up by his jacket and he roared, trying to shake them off. However, they simply clutched him harder and dragged him before the man.
Who was still on the ground. "Uh, here," Gallis said awkwardly, leaning down so the man could wrap his arm around him. He turned off his strange weapon and allowed Gallis to pull him up; he was heavy, but he managed to pull him upright. The man said something in the Crist's natural tongue, and they hauled Thurst away.
"W-wait, hey!" Thurst cried. "Let's talk about this-"
"I've had enough talking to you for today," the man grunted, then turned his back as the pirate was pulled away. Two more Crist approached, speaking quietly to the man. Gallis waited patiently, still supporting.
Lysander, Adelia, and Cecilia came up behind him, the former lending support on the other end. Adelia knelt down and from her side withdrew something from her side. "These will help take the pain away," she said hesitantly. "You… you are human, right?"
The man finished speaking to the Crist and they left their side. "Yes, I'm human," he muttered. "By the stars, am I going to lose my leg? Of all the things I was willing to give up coming here, this was not one of them."
"You won't," Adelia assured. "It's a big wound but it didn't burn past the muscle. You won't be able to walk on your own until it's healed, though."
"Thanks, that feels better. Won't help that you just tried to kill me, however."
Gallis threw the man a look, and got a look at him. The brown eyes were slanted to look down at Adelia. Blue, dashed lines similar to what the Crist and Thurst had dripped down to his chin, looking similar to artificial tear black beard was dirty from when Gallis had shoved him to the ground. However, it merely covered up how young he looked; Gallis wouldn't have guessed him over twenty-five.
At his words, Adelia backed up slowly, and Lysander's grip weakened. Cecilia clung to Magnus, as she had done as soon as Thurst had been herded away. His brother remained stock still, silently observing.
"You three conspired with Thurst to try and kill me," the man said flatly, wincing. "That's… not very good, honestly. Pretty shit."
"We-"
"But." The man held a finger up. "But. It was to save your friends from an unknown man, of unknown origin, of unknown… anything. I can appreciate that, and it tells me that the Force drew you here for good reason."
"What?" Magnus inquired, leaning forward. "The what?"
The man smiled. "First, maybe who I am." In Gallis and Lysander's grip, he seemed to straighten with pride, to stand over all of them. "My name is Joran Rus, a Jedi Knight in training to the reborn Jedi Order under the hero of the Rebellion Luke Skywalker, and while it wasn't why I chose to come here in the first place, I see now the Force has drawn me here because of the presence of Gallis and Magnus."
He looked about expectantly at all of them, but they all had blank and confused looks. "A Knight?" Adelia said carefully. "Like in armor from the children's tales?"
"Jedi?" Magnus scoffed, his shoulders drooping noticeably. "Oh, please. This has to be a joke. They're dead."
Gallis looked at his brother. "What are they?" He felt left out; Magnus had known what they were, but never told him? It didn't even begin to register with him.
His brother only had eyes for Joran, however. "You aren't a Jedi," he challenged.
"Well, while I'm kind of sad you guys don't know what it is," Joran said, sounding irritated. "I'm more surprised you're so skeptical. What do you know of the Jedi?"
"They were traitors to the Republic," Magnus said nonchalantly, shrugging Cecilia off him. "They attempted to kill then Chancellor Palpatine, forcing him to make the Empire. They used all sorts of magicks and parlor tricks to get what they wanted, and they were put down and hunted at the end of the Clone War for their crimes." He held a fist before him. "They still cropped up under the Empire, but they were all dealt with at the end."
Joran rubbed his chin. "Well, I'm no historian, but anyone with a few brain cells know the history the Empire put out is indecipherable in truth and reality, sooooo I can only say you were wrong on one account."
"Yeah? What one?"
"The Empire didn't wipe them all out. In fact, it can be said one Jedi wiped out the Empire." He smiled. "Luke Skywalker. My Master, and the one who's trained me to be a Knight in turn."
"And who I hope I can take you to so you can both join his Academy and train."
The silence engulfed them, and finally Lysander gave an awkward laugh. "Y-you're not serious, are you?"
Joran extended a hand towards Thurst's fallen blaster pistol, and it slithered to him as if being drawn by a rope. It lifted off the ground and to Lysander's free hand. He hesitated before grabbing it. "It feels normal," he said uneasily.
"That's because it is normal," Joran replied, groaning. "I only used the Force to call it over. With it as my ally, I can do all sorts of things."
Magnus crossed his arms. "An Gallis and I can learn this, can we?"
Joran licked his lips. "In time, yes. But not anytime soon; I'm no Master, after all."
"Why not now?" Adelia asked. "Why only them?"
"The Crist aren't liking what the remains of the Empire are doing to their stones," Joran said, putting a leg forward and urging Lysander and Gallis to move with him. "They are stocked for war; they already ran a preliminary strike on the closest town. This place is about to become a hotzone."
"Thurst's ship!" Cecilia said, nearly pleading. "We can use it to get off-planet-"
"I did not come here to abandon these people," Joran said shortly. "Would you all do the same, after what they've done for you? Taken you in from your lost journey?"
As if to compliment this, Vynus stirred on the ground; Gallis had quite forgotten about them. And I can't forget what he did for us, either. "Okay, so what happens if we stay?" Gallis intoned. Magnus and Cecilia looked thunderstruck, but Joran gave him a warm smile.
"We fight for the Crist. And maybe, we can restore balance here. For now, however, I will speak to you and your brother. As I said, it's time for all to be revealed."
"And to see if this planet's future matches what I saw… or what Master Skywalker did."