BenRan Chapter 2: Dark Jedi?
Tiberius BenRan removed his lightsaber from the chest of an imperial officer and switched it off. The green blade waned, and disappeared from sight, and Scylla, his Padawan, did the same with hers. Using the Force, they lifted three floor sections and maneuvered the bodies and weapons under them.
"Let us try not to do that again," said Jedi knight to his Padawan. "We shall be using stealth from now on."
Scylla looked up at him from where she was still tucking bodies and weapons into the floor, "I agree. I hate to kill these poor bastards, even if they are the enemy."
"Come"
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The pair moved silently and deliberately, never making steps in haste. Tiberius moved like a serpent, sliding up walls and sinking into the shadows. Scylla had to rely slightly more on mind tricks. She caused distractions and slipped around corners, passing unwary guards.
With Tiberius slightly in front, the two proceeded towards suspected cloning facilities. Suddenly, he stopped.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Something is not right... I feel a disturbance in the force. But it is warped. It feels similar to the reborn from the time of Kyle Katarn, but I am not sure if they are the same." he replied concernedly.
"Well you were there, weren't you? Is the aura the same? Maybe some of them survived their encounter on Yavin IV." Scylla sounded as if she might be mocking her master, impatient with him, but Tiberius knew better and he allowed the humor.
"Well, if we do run into some dark Jedi, do not wet yourself as you did last time." He smiled. She was an incredibly gifted Jedi, but sometimes she just didn't know when to keep her mouth shut.
Scylla smirked. "As I recall, it was you who dropped your lightsaber into the gutter, leaving me alone to fight two of them at the same time in the streets of Bespin."
"That's right Scylla. That's exactly what happened." Tiberius replied, sarcastically, but warmly. "In the meantime, if we can put aside our quarrel and discover the cause of this disturbance, it may unfold the mystery that causes us to remain here."
They continued walking again, more cautiously this time. Tiberius and Scylla kept their eyes sharp, their ears perked, and their Force senses wary. Tiberius led the way into a ventilation shaft, allowing them to survey the rooms from the ceiling. As they crawled through the tunnels, stopping to look now and again through the vents above ceilings, Scylla leaned forward so she could whisper in her master's ear.
"If we're heard up here, we'll be stuck. They can just shoot us out of the- " She stopped suddenly and looked at the floor of the shaft, sensing the powerful condensation of Force beneath her.
"I feel it too." Tiberius said shortly. "Let us move forward towards the next vent so we can see our eyes as well as with our minds. The pair of Jedi moved more quietly than human ears could percept, moving millimeters per minute. As they approached the vent, they heard the faint conversation of several imperials, growing steadily louder.
".You saw what happened to the expeditionary platoon we sent down their over the video cameras just the same as I did. That was slaughter! We couldn't beat those Jedi even if we took every soldier in this base! I say we lay a trap. Besides, I'm the highest-ranking soldier in this base. What I say goes."
"Shut up. Just shut up. We can take the Jedi, and I believe imperial officers rank above any soldier. So what I say goes. Now, just get those turrets up and running and the intruders will never leave this outpost with their lives. I want every soldier in the base armed and ready to go. We will have no more surprises. If you slack off, I'll blast you myself!"
A knew voice entered the argument. He spoke in a smooth beguiling voice and Tiberius could almost see the Force dripping from his words. "The Jedi are not an issue. Proceed with the cloning as planned. Just leave them to me."
"I'm just going to leave the Jedi to you." said a voice, obviously belonging to the imperial in charge. He sounded as if he had been drugged and Scylla wondered to herself silently, "What kind of Dark Jedi uses mind tricks on his own soldiers?"
Tiberius used his telepathic force bond to answer her mentally. "One who is controlling a base that is cut off from the rest of the empire. How else would he stay in control? What I am more worried about is who their cloning and why. If they are making clones of the Jedi, it is very possible that he could have the Desann/Fyyar complex."
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After several more minutes of "persuasion," the Jedi told his pawns to leave him alone. He sat down in a chair with his legs crossed and his eyes closed, muttering to himself. Tiberius turned his head towards his Padawan but stopped as the Dark Jedi stood abruptly. His hand flew to his lightsaber and he drew it, its pulsating ruby blade, glowing menacingly.
"I feel your presence, Jedi."
Tiberius BenRan removed his lightsaber from the chest of an imperial officer and switched it off. The green blade waned, and disappeared from sight, and Scylla, his Padawan, did the same with hers. Using the Force, they lifted three floor sections and maneuvered the bodies and weapons under them.
"Let us try not to do that again," said Jedi knight to his Padawan. "We shall be using stealth from now on."
Scylla looked up at him from where she was still tucking bodies and weapons into the floor, "I agree. I hate to kill these poor bastards, even if they are the enemy."
"Come"
________________________________________________________________________
The pair moved silently and deliberately, never making steps in haste. Tiberius moved like a serpent, sliding up walls and sinking into the shadows. Scylla had to rely slightly more on mind tricks. She caused distractions and slipped around corners, passing unwary guards.
With Tiberius slightly in front, the two proceeded towards suspected cloning facilities. Suddenly, he stopped.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Something is not right... I feel a disturbance in the force. But it is warped. It feels similar to the reborn from the time of Kyle Katarn, but I am not sure if they are the same." he replied concernedly.
"Well you were there, weren't you? Is the aura the same? Maybe some of them survived their encounter on Yavin IV." Scylla sounded as if she might be mocking her master, impatient with him, but Tiberius knew better and he allowed the humor.
"Well, if we do run into some dark Jedi, do not wet yourself as you did last time." He smiled. She was an incredibly gifted Jedi, but sometimes she just didn't know when to keep her mouth shut.
Scylla smirked. "As I recall, it was you who dropped your lightsaber into the gutter, leaving me alone to fight two of them at the same time in the streets of Bespin."
"That's right Scylla. That's exactly what happened." Tiberius replied, sarcastically, but warmly. "In the meantime, if we can put aside our quarrel and discover the cause of this disturbance, it may unfold the mystery that causes us to remain here."
They continued walking again, more cautiously this time. Tiberius and Scylla kept their eyes sharp, their ears perked, and their Force senses wary. Tiberius led the way into a ventilation shaft, allowing them to survey the rooms from the ceiling. As they crawled through the tunnels, stopping to look now and again through the vents above ceilings, Scylla leaned forward so she could whisper in her master's ear.
"If we're heard up here, we'll be stuck. They can just shoot us out of the- " She stopped suddenly and looked at the floor of the shaft, sensing the powerful condensation of Force beneath her.
"I feel it too." Tiberius said shortly. "Let us move forward towards the next vent so we can see our eyes as well as with our minds. The pair of Jedi moved more quietly than human ears could percept, moving millimeters per minute. As they approached the vent, they heard the faint conversation of several imperials, growing steadily louder.
".You saw what happened to the expeditionary platoon we sent down their over the video cameras just the same as I did. That was slaughter! We couldn't beat those Jedi even if we took every soldier in this base! I say we lay a trap. Besides, I'm the highest-ranking soldier in this base. What I say goes."
"Shut up. Just shut up. We can take the Jedi, and I believe imperial officers rank above any soldier. So what I say goes. Now, just get those turrets up and running and the intruders will never leave this outpost with their lives. I want every soldier in the base armed and ready to go. We will have no more surprises. If you slack off, I'll blast you myself!"
A knew voice entered the argument. He spoke in a smooth beguiling voice and Tiberius could almost see the Force dripping from his words. "The Jedi are not an issue. Proceed with the cloning as planned. Just leave them to me."
"I'm just going to leave the Jedi to you." said a voice, obviously belonging to the imperial in charge. He sounded as if he had been drugged and Scylla wondered to herself silently, "What kind of Dark Jedi uses mind tricks on his own soldiers?"
Tiberius used his telepathic force bond to answer her mentally. "One who is controlling a base that is cut off from the rest of the empire. How else would he stay in control? What I am more worried about is who their cloning and why. If they are making clones of the Jedi, it is very possible that he could have the Desann/Fyyar complex."
________________________________________________________________________
After several more minutes of "persuasion," the Jedi told his pawns to leave him alone. He sat down in a chair with his legs crossed and his eyes closed, muttering to himself. Tiberius turned his head towards his Padawan but stopped as the Dark Jedi stood abruptly. His hand flew to his lightsaber and he drew it, its pulsating ruby blade, glowing menacingly.
"I feel your presence, Jedi."