Everyone that was looking for a good show, which
was pretty much every single being in the bar, crowded around to gape at the two
men scrambling to get a good shot at each other. Their shouts and cheers
resembled those of people watching a blob race on Ord Mantell.
The smell of testosterone was so thick in the air that Brodey almost gagged on
it, focusing instead on delivering a good strong kick to Kyp's midsection. The
jedi master exhaled forcefully as the air was knocked from him. Before Kyp had
time to regain his composure Brodey followed that blow up with an elbow to the
back of the neck, sending the older man to the floor.
"I warned you not to mess with me, Durron," Brodey whispered callously as he
circled like a mynock around Kyp, who was struggling to right himself. "Now
you'll understand why."
Concentrated fury flowed through his veins like icicles and he allowed himself
to stop fighting it and become absorbed by his own darkness. In the back of his
mind he could almost hear his uncle's words of praise as he picked Kyp up with
the force and threw him across the room into a table.
"Lieutenant, stop this at once," Gavin ordered, reaching out to grab Brodey's
shoulder but then recoiling as Brodey slashed at him, eyes blazing with rabid
fury.
"This is my own fight, Colonel," Brodey warned. "Let me finish."
"Brodey, you can consider your days with Rogue Squadron over as of now," Gavin
said simply, turning on his heel and pushing through the crowd on his way out
the door. Brodey watched him leave but became aware of a rise in the crowd's
excitement.
'This Kyp is stupider than I thought,' Mused Brodey. 'He just doesn't
know when to quit.'
Brodey feigned inattention and waited until the crowd's anticipation reached a
peak before spinning around with a skull-crushing backhand. His fist slightly
missed its mark and landed above Kyp's jaw on the side of his face. Inaccurate
or not, it still served its purpose as the jedi master hit the floor
unconscious.
"What's going on in here?" Asked an impatient voice. Brodey turned to see a very
small woman wearing a flight suit that matched Kyp's push her way through the
crowd. She took one look at the unconscious man on the floor and frowned,
crossing her arms in front of her chest and giving Brodey a look he'd seen many
times on the face of his own father.
"Who gave you the permission to assault one of my men?" She asked harshly,
walking up to him and sticking a finger in his face.
"You might want to remove the finger if you don't want to lose it, Commander,"
Brodey said condescendingly, looking down at the tiny woman who had the nerve to
push him around.
"He's no longer under our jurisdiction, ma'am," Wes said nervously. "Colonel
Darklighter relieved him of his commission just a minute ago. It would be wise
if you removed your finger. He really is one crazy son of a Hutt."
Brodey glanced in Wes's direction as the Major was pushed by an invisible hand
back against the bar.
"Did I say crazy son of a Hutt?" Wes groaned. "I meant really nice, funny guy!"
"I don't care if you're not in a squadron anymore," Jaina hissed, now fuming.
"You just beat up one of my closest friends and I don't allow people to get away
with that sort of thing."
"And just what do you think you're going to be able to do to me, sweet stuff?"
Brodey taunted. "Challenge me to a bake-off?"
A hush came over the crowd as Jaina removed a sliver cylinder from her hip and
ignited it, bathing all the surrounding faces in an eerie violet glow.
