Thrall
After dispatching with the group of troopers and mercenaries, who had planned to ambush Dante and the others, Sekula landed the freighter just before the cave's entrance, blowing sand and dust everywhere. The engines running and the ramp open, Sirry, Flin and Hex climbed aboard and shut the ramps. After he made sure they were secure, he brought the Thunderbolt to move closer towards the rendezvous point to pick up the rest. Dante, Lon, Simon and Rin had moved towards the encampment of Sith, eager to capture any enemy soldiers and find out what they could about who was spearheading the Sith operation.
In that particular moment, the krayt dragon they were hoping to avoid came out of its hole. The Jedi had dealt with the Terentatek and now it only seemed fair the commandoes deal with the krayt dragon. The creature had moved towards the freighter, eager to feast on its canned food. As the Thunderbolt began to lift off, its cannons firing rapidly at the dragon, the creature noticed that it had a banquet prepared for it. The heavy blasters shrugged off the dragon,giving the creature scrapes and some minor wounds, but most of thebolts hit the sand around it.Ignoring the threat-- after the cannons had stopped firing and the Thunderbolt fled--, thecreature moved towards the corpses of the dead mercenaries and soldiers, eager to feast on them-- the freighter would only have to come back another day.
Dante leaped into the air with his sapphire blade spinning around him, deflecting blaster bolts and cutting down Sith Troopers. Lon and Simon had fought back to back against a group of Sith commandoes and grenadiers. Rin had already began fighting two other Dark Jedi, keeping them at bay and from running into their makeshift headquarters. After Dante sliced through the arm of an unfortunate Sith soldier, he made his way into the sheltered headquarters. Walking cautiously, he peered around a corner and saw a Dark Jedi speaking to a mysterious figure. The figure was clad in complete black armour that was barely discernible from the blue-hued image. Suddenly, the image faded and the Dark Jedi stood erect-- possibly contemplating his dire fate or realizing someone else was in the room, Dante couldn't be sure. In one swift movement, the Dark Jedi spun around with a crimson blade burning angrily at the Jedi, who was quick to block the slice across his midsection.
Suddenly, the Dark Jedi had given in to her frenzy and rage-- it appeared that the figure denied the Dark Jedi's request-- and use the Force to push herself into what was considered the Force rage. The Dark Jedi, apparently a Sith Disciple, had become far more vicious and dangerous than Dante had initially anticipated. Continually striking at the Jedi, in an almost juggernaught-like fashion, the Disciple had Dante fighting on his toes. The young Knight was hard-pressed and couldn't manoeuvre in such a closed space.
Quickly, using the Force, Dante shoved the Sith away from him, and darted towards the exit of the headquarters and spun about in time to deflect a thrust that would have impaled him through the chest a moment later. He shoved his blade away from the Sith, who had spun about and sliced the shelter's entrance-- missing the young Jedi-- and let out a primal growl as she leapt out of the tent to join the Jedi. She was in an open space and would not be deterred by some Jedi. Dante had brought his blade around himself and spun it towards the Sith, connecting his blade with his fallen counterpart's each time the young Knight made a strike.
She arced her crimson blade upwards, attempting to cleave Dante's face in two. Jumping back, Dante had to block the second shot with his left bracer and flipped his lightsaber around and butted her right across the face with the base of the sword. He threw her out of the Force rage and had caused her a momentary lapse, where he took full advantage of the opportunity that had presented itself. Pressing the attack, he brought his lightsaber to face her at each and every angle, arcing his weapon to her left, and slashing at her downwards from the right. He quickly spun about, slapping away her lightsaber and in a backhand upward slash, he sliced her in half, cutting through her back and cauterizing the wound instantly. She only grunted, "ungh!" as she fell to the ground in two pieces.
She had fought out of desperation, he didn't. She was stronger than he was in the Force. She didn't account for two things: he was much better trained and he was calm. He silently ushered a moment of silence after she had fallen. May the Force be with you as you leave this body, he silently prayed. As he turned around, he found that Lon and Simon had taken care of the group of Sith soldiers that had hounded them, while Rin had managed to eliminate the two Dark Jedi she had been fighting with, as well as the other 3 who had decided to join the fight. All in all, there were a handful of survivors-- most of them missing a limb or two-- and there was a sheltered headquarters intact. Their questions about who was spearheading the Sith operation would be known in a few moments.
Suddenly, Dante peered up at the sky and saw a familiar sight-- the Thunderbolt. The hum of the engines had caught the Jedi's attention first and he couldn't help but be thankful to be on the ship and eager to get himself into the refresher and take a nice shower. Even nanosensored clothing couldn't protect a person from all the changes in temperature. As the ship landed, he moved towards the tent first and began to look around for any information. He went towards the holoimager and cycled through the system, finding numerous holoimage records at a ship whose identification read: Inferno. Thankful he didn't have to slice through the system, he played back the images and paused at the final entry. The mysterious figure had a name: Darth Seth. And Darth Seth happened to be the one who was commanding the mission. The image of the Sith Lord had burned itself into his mind. Darth Seth, he thought to himself. I'll be meeting you soon enough.
He downloaded the files to his comlink and grabbed whatever important information and gear was within the tent and made his way towards the Thunderbolt.
After he had stored everything he could, the Jedi went to the cargo bay where the three Sith soldiers were supposed to be located and had found out from Flin, that Phaete had interrogated them and released them. "He what!" The young Knight exclaimed as he heard the news. Obviously, Dante was not pleased at the fact Phaete had interrogated the soldiers and released them-- into the middle of nowhere. By this time, the Thunderbolt was on its way towards the city. "Oh no, this is terrible. Those soldiers may be the enemy, Flin, but they're still people. Did he give them any supplies?"
"No," she replied. "Master Phaete had thrown the Sith soldiers out of the ship and informed them that it was in their best interest to make it back to Mos Eisley before nightfall. He told them that the Sand People were not their only problem." The young Kiffar woman had gone through many trials and tribulations, but she had known that Phaete's methods were unorthodox. Her time with Dante had shown her that Jedi are not as mysterious as everyone made them out to be. Phaete had single-handedly contradicted that lesson. Dante stormed out of the room and made his way towards the port dormitory, presumably where Phaete could be found. He felt the vessel shudder slightly, as well as rumble. They had landed close to the city.
As he entered the dormitory, he didn't find the Iktotchi Master nor did he find Tun. Oh you gotta be kidding me, he thought to himself. As he walked out of the dormitory, he made his way towards the main hold and found that the ramp had already been open. "Ah, sithspit," he muttered to himself. He ran out of the ship and found that Phaete had left to the local cantina. He'd have a chat with the enigmatic Jedi Master later. For now, he had a promise to keep.
"Hey there," called Rin, "you want some company?" He looked up at her and noticed her eyes were pleading, while at the same time she was smiling. He nodded and she came down, her lightsabers swung on either side of her hips. "Glad to have you with me," he said to the Twi'lek, grinning at her. Suddenly, her expression grew serious noticing some preoccupation on the Knight's mind. "Credit for your thoughts?" She asked the young man.
He looked at her and once more she was smiling, but this time it was sincere. "Yeah. That Master Phaete is certainly a piece of work. I am beginning to see why many Jedi don't like having him around." She nodded, realizing that he had heard what the Jedi Master had done. "I know we're at war, but that was uncalled for. I would have handed them over to the authorities." He looked at her, and his tone and expression softened. "Let's go, Rin. We may be at war, but we've got some principles to uphold." With that, both Jedi left towards the area they had found those children.
Entering the dark corridor, the Jedi found the same group of children, but they were sleeping inside a large rustic cage. "This is what freedom to the galaxy brings us," the Jedi muttered to himself. As he continued towards the children, he found what he had expected was the owner: a round, balding human who reeked of the back end of a bantha and drank nothing but cheap ale. The older man, muttering to himself, got up, spilling his bottle on himself so as to make it seem like he had wet himself. Annoyed, the old man looked at the two Jedi-- especially Rin, in particular.
Grinning a near toothless grin, the older man said. "well well, what have we hear? Prospectors?" He chuckled with an almost devil-like grin. He continued to stare hungrily at Rin. "What is it that you would like?" Came his gruff voice. "Perhaps a ride on the Srin's serpent? Hehehe," he continued to chuckle. His nausea-inducing scent caught up to the two Jedi, who calmly pushed it aside, focusing on what was important.
"Do you own those children?" Dante asked the old man, Srin. The old man, looking irritated, glared at the young man.
"Perhaps," he replied. "What's it to you? You looking to buy? They ain't cheap, you know."
"Oh I know," Rin answered. "And yes, we are looking to-- shall we say, acquire those children." Her eyes were still bright, but to those who didn't know her, there lay a terrible message behind those eyes: Don't even think about it.
The old man licked his lips and rubbed his hands. "Well, would you like to talk price, then?"
"Free," came the cold reply of Dante. The older man looked at him and suddenly his face turned dark and red with anger-- though it could have just been the alcohol rushing to his head.
"What is this? Some kind of joke? No deal. Give me the Twi'lek and I'll give you the brats," he hissed.
"Oh you don't understand, this isn't negotiable," Dante answered, about to wave his hand inconspicuously. Suddenly, before he could speak again, Rin stepped closer and interrupted him.
"All right." When the words had left her mouth, Dante and Srin had dropped their jaws. "But you have to free the children first," she said to the old man.
The old man nodded and smiling he merely said, "ok, I'll give you the dumb bunch of brats." As he opened the lock, he quickly ushered the kids out, shoving them and kicking them. They moved towards Dante, wary of how he was going to treat the children. "All right," he said, "you got the brats, now give me the broad."
Walking towards the slaver, Rin lightly said, "ok." As she walked towards him, she ushered him into an open building-- presumably his-- and within a handful of seconds walked out again. Dusting her hands off, she looked at the Jedi Knight. "What?"
Amazed, Dante asked her, "what happened to old Srin?" She smiled at the Jedi and winked at him.
"Oh, he got tied up." With that they started walking away, but Dante ran back, if only to feed his curiousity. What he found couldn't have made the slaver more deserving of his fate: he was bound in stuncuffs and was inside a Force cage, sleeping like a baby rancor. It would be a shame if someone had found him all vulnerable.
After arranging transport for the children to be sent to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant-- since they developed a sudden bout of 'Force-sensitivity'--, Dante and Rin had made their way back to the Thunderbolt before night had descended on the planet. With everyone on board the ship, Sekula set course for Ryloth, the Twi'lek homeworld, and made the jump to lightspeed. No one had bothered them on the way up through the atmosphere.
As the ship had left inner space, Sekula saw something he had hoped he wouldn't, for at least a little while longer-- a group of Sith fighters awaiting them. "We've got company!" The commando yelled into the com, alerting everyone's presence. Suddenly the ship lurched with the impact of energy fire, but it wasn't from Sith fighters alone; a Sith cruiser had seemed to be pursuing the freighter as well. He would never have noticed it, if he weren't flying headlong into it. The ship had been rigged for stealth running. They had just been outgunned. "Hold on!" He screamed as he pulled the freighter around and came to bear head-on with the leader of the flight of Sith fighters. Suddenly the freighter began to shake with blasterfire from both sides, as the Thunderbolt was caught between the crossfire.
The freighter barrel rolled through the myriad of starfighters, before pulling itself into a loop that brought the crew far away from their pursuers.
As Sekula brought the freighter around, he noticed the shifting of power towards the weapons that were mounted on the ship. The commandoes had dropped into the turrets and were ready to fight for a way out. Suddenly, a warning dial had flashed-- the deflector shields were falling fast from the Sith cruiser's relentless blasterfire. We can't seem to catch a break, he thought to himself exasperatedly. Dodging an array of red energy lances aimed for the freighter, Sekula brought the Thunderbolt closer to their mark, the jump coordinates were locked in. As the cruiser continued to open fire on the freighter, it had slowly begun to lose its squadron-- one by one-- of Sith fighters that had accompanied it. The Thunderbolt was in the clear.
Sekula checked the gauge-- noting that Sirry had gained the most kills-- and found energy returning to the deflector. Sirry, I could kiss you, he thought once more, grinning widely. As he rerouted his power distribution on the ship, he pulled a lever that engaged the hyperdrive. Suddenly, the stars streaked and wrapped around itself, forming itself into the blue spiral that was hyperspace. They were on route to Ryloth.
As Dante began to meditate, he couldn't help but find himself drawn to several thoughts since the mission had resumed. Alec had died and could never reach him again; Master Phaete had alienated everyone, including his apprentice, Tun-- which was quite disturbing--; and most especially, he found himself thinking about Rin. There was something about that Twi'lek that made him feel... what? It was the closest to home he had ever felt. In fact, Jade had been just as close. Surely Rin was attractive, but clearly she had no interest in him. Right?
She's a Jedi, he thought to himself. She took the oath and devoted herself to the Order, just like any of us. He tilted his head as he heard a faint voice.
Not that it stopped you or Jade, my former Padawan.
Opening his eyes, he looked around. He could have sworn that another voice, one very familiar and comforting, had spoken. "Alec?" The young Knight asked softly. He shook his head. No, Alec is gone, he thought once more. He's gone. It was just my imagination. He sighed. Dante hadn't thought about the death of Alec in a while. He hadn't slept in two days. He found himself thinking about the Master often. He had even found himself dreaming of days long since past. Why did you have to die?
It was the only way to ensure you survived, Dante, came the faint voice again.
Dante jumped as soon as he heard the voice of his former Master. He looked around and found that the rest of the ship was in a surrounded in a dark, hazy mist. It was almost as if no one was on board, except for himself. The low hum of the ship had gone dead silent. Dante spun around, looking all over. He left the cargo bay and began running through the ship, calling out for anyone. "Sekula? Rin? Frreral? Anyone there?" There was no answer. He ran towards the cockpit, eager to check the internal sensors on the ship. As he slammed himself into the pilot's seat, he noticed a large mist surrounding the cockpit. Ignoring it, the young man searched on the sensors, eager to find anyone. Almost instantly, he jumped up. There was a signal. It was in the starboard dormitory, where Alec and Dante had resided initially during the mission. Feeling his hip for his lightsaber, Dante cautiously moved towards the dormitory.
What he saw startled the young Knight even more. It was Alec sitting on his former bunk. A blue aura surrounded the late Jedi Master.
"Hello Dante," came the wistful greeting of Alec. "I'm sorry I couldn't reach you earlier. I'm new at this, so please, bear with me." The Master only smiled warmly at the young man. "You must have many questions, hmm, Dante?"
"G-greetings M-master," stammered the young Jedi. He could only gape at the presence of his Master. "You're alive?" He finally managed after a few moments. He felt himself overflow with emotions.
Alec shook his head, smiling grimly. "No, I am gone, Dante. But I've found a way to come to you through the Force. It's taken some time, but the Force netherworld has been most kind." He chuckled softly.
"Where am I?"
"On board the Thunderbolt, of course. You're deep in a trance. You've been meditating for 30 minutes right now."
The young Knight looked puzzled. "I've been in meditation before. Why is this so different?"
"I've actually reached out to you. You've found yourself listening to the hum of the ship. I felt you broadcast yourself into the Force, so I let my essence meld to your trance for some time. I couldn't have picked a better time, actually," the Jedi Master answered.
Dante looked at Alec, who appeared the way he was when he first trained the young Knight. He was quite baffled about Alec's appearance. "What is it that is going on? Why are you here, Master?"
Alec sighed. He knew that Dante obviously wasn't taking his death well. The young man had certainly repressed it, but he had definitely not come to terms with it. "The woman, Lotus Xa, had to kill me. I had the key to unlock the second gateway. As careless as the Sith tend to get, they didn't realize that it is you who really has the second key to opening the doorway of the artifact. The 'Unifier' requires three keys, Dante. The first key is a Jedi-- or Sith. The second key is the ability to become one with the Force and see the possible futures. Few Jedi ever learn of this technique. Master Vandar is one of the few. The final key..." the old Master had drifted off his train of thought. He looked at the young Jedi. Dante had no clue of what he seemed to have in his possession.
"What is it, Master?"
"I do not know what the final key possesses. The second key, you will have to learn through the holocron you find on Ryloth. The holocron you found on Tatooine was the guideline. It tells you where to go. But it does not tell you where to find the object. A Shaman will be able to help you find it and teach you the first wobbly steps towards seeing the greater picture. After you achieve the second key, you will have to make haste to a station. It's called Gateway station. It is in a secluded sector of space. The coordinates, you will learn at a later date. Be wary, Dante. I do not need to tell you that the Dark Side is everywhere. The 'Unifier' is the key to uniting both groups of Jedi. I believe that, this artifact kept the Jedi together until the Great Rift." Immediately, after the Master's tone had become grave and serious, he looked around and felt something too subtle in the Force for someone such as Dante or most living Jedi could feel. He looked back at the young Jedi. "I must leave soon. I am still a slave to the will of the Force. There is a darker presence here than I had originally anticipated. Dante, remember, I had to leave in order to make sure that you had survived. This information is vital to you, the Jedi and...," hesitated the Master, "the future." With that, the Jedi had faded and the mist had dissipated.
"Master! Alec!" He called out. Suddenly, he found himself shaken and he found his world fall apart once more.
"Hey, Dante," echoed the voice of a familiar light voice. "We're here. Come on," she called to him.
Eyes shooting open, he found himself sitting in the cargo bay. The low hum of the freighter had stopped and the sound of hissing from the coolant systems had taken precedence over the engines. As he looked up, he couldn't help but smile at Rin. "Right," he replied. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up."
"You sure?" She asked the young man. He nodded and she turned around and left towards the opening ramp.
As he got up, he stretched and looked around. There was no mist. There was no sparkle of aura. In fact, the only coming "dark presence" Alec had described, came from Phaete, who walked towards the ramp. Dark presence, the young man thought to himself. Was he referring to Phaete? Or Rin? He continued dwelling on his thoughts for a few more moments before he went to the ramp and realized that he hadn't felt more in tune with the Force than ever before. He could feel the flow of life from his comrades all around him. He even felt the miniscule ripples through the Force from Master Phaete, who hid his Force abilities and power through sheer mental discipline. Ostensibly, Dante was fine. However, the Jedi felt much stronger through the Force and had found that meditation had rejuvenated his tired body. 1 minute of meditation equals 3 minutes of sleep. Or so the old saying goes. Dante could only smile.