Eager Demonstration
He had walked towards where the vessel lay, and he couldn't help but smile. It was a large freighter, shaped almost as if it were a whale. It's two wings—or fins—carried quadruple engines at the tips, where the turbines were pointing down towards the ground. Somehow, the Jedi could imagine his old friend Sekula making a wisecrack at the vessel's expense.
He sighed as he realized he would be traveling back to Coruscant without the aid of the Miraluka. He appreciated her company, but he also knew she followed the call of the Force. He would have expected no less, and for that, he was especially grateful she allowed him the use of the vessel.
As the cargo hatch at the rear opened, he walked on board, clad in his usual black attire. He walked up it, only to feel an increasing presence of the Force—the presence of only one other person on the planet. He turned around to see Visas racing towards him. He rushed out of the vessel in time to watch her make it to the rear, gasping for breath.
"Visas!" He called out.
"I'm…coming…with…you," she mustered, in between breaths.
He could only chuckle. "Well, come on board."
An hour later, the old vessel took off, its engines whining and arcing around by 90-degrees as it gave a large boost and left Katarr.
The vessel landed in Coruscant, near the Galactic Senate chambers. Without so much as attracting attention, the procession of 13 figures left the vessel and made their way towards the Senate building. The declining daylight did nothing to dampen their resolve—they had a mission to carry out. Soon it would be evening, and soon, the Republic would find itself torn to pieces, as thousands of systems would begin to secede from the withering Republic.
Deus led the procession as they entered the building, only to come across two guards.
"Sir, do you have identification?" One of them said. Both were human, light skinned and bald.
Deus replied with a growl and both guards began to gasp for air, bringing their hands to their throats as their eyes bulged and they gurgled one more time. The procession of Dark Jedi continued, killing anyone that got in their way.
Several guards began to race towards them, only to find themselves crushed or find their throats constricting.
As they entered the doorway, they heard the voice of Chancellor Dodonna.
"The Republic will continue on stronger than ever! The Jedi have begun to rally support and will once more resume their mandate to serve and protect the public!"
A loud cheer of applause resounded throughout the large dome-like structure.
Deus glanced at his companions, and nodded.
Suddenly, in the Senate, the snap-hisses of crimson lightsabers could be heard along with the screams of people being cut down and maimed.
Several of the Senatorial 'chairs' were sent flying into other levitating discs, as senators and other members were sent flying away, many of them falling to their deaths.
Deus walked into the center of the chamber and leapt high into the air, rising onto the center disc; the one that carried Chancellor Dodonna.
She gasped as the tall daunting figure stood before her, clad in black robes and wearing goggles of a sort.
With a casual gesture, Dodonna's aides were sent flying away from her—flying to their deaths. Amid the ensuing chaos, a sensation of unerring calm rang out.
The Jedi had come.
Deus ignited his crimson blade and stood before the Chancellor, holding her close to him as he gazed out at the handful of Jedi—seven of them—engage against the procession of Dark Jedi.
Two of the Jedi, both human males, one old, the other one relatively young, fought side by side as their emerald lightsabers parried the crimson ones of their enemies.
Somehow, Deus instinctively recognized them—Ash Merrick and Tarn Seethes. He let out a low growl as he felt their strength in the Force. Before he could leap out to fight them, he noticed the others.
A wookiee and a dark coloured old human male fought side by side as well—he recognized the man as Jolee Bindo. Somehow he felt the old man pause and look at him. They stared at each other for a moment before the old man ran his emerald blade through the chest of a Dark Jedi.
He tightened his grip around the back of the woman Chancellor's neck, keeping her paralyzed as he looked around at the other figures. He saw Len Vizta, fighting wildly, tearing through two Dark Jedi and forcing a third back on his heels. Sneed Ze continued to fight behind the Nautolan, covering his wilder comrade as they pushed their way towards Dodonna.
And further away, one specific Jedi blocked a crimson strike and spun about, slicing through one Dark Jedi as he made his way towards him. Cyrin Jace was on the move—he and that purple lightsaber of his.
Deus continued to look around and couldn't help but smile at the ensuing chaos around him. Like the other Dark Jedi, he wore a facial mask, but he wore no hood, allowing his wavy and unruly raven hair to run about the bottom of his neck. With careful precision, he angled his lightsaber away, deflecting several crimson blaster bolts into the crowd, from the Republic soldiers who entered and were trying to pick him off. He spoke into the comlink in his wrist. "Converge on the Jedi and rendezvous at the coordinates."
He took pride in watching the others follow his order, as the remaining 8 engaged the 6 Jedi—Cyrin Jace was coming for Deus.
The dark coloured, brown-robed Jedi Master leapt from one disc to another, reaching ever so closer to her. He wouldn't let any harm come to her—he would see to it that these Dark Jedi would come to an end, before that would happen.
He leapt to the center and stood tall and proud, his violet blade gleaming and pointing towards the lead Dark Jedi—who seemed far more powerful than the others. "Get away from her," he said calmly.
"I've been looking forward to this," Deus said, his dark voice being projected through a vocoder. He had lost the ability to speak with his actual vocal cords a long time ago.
Without so much as a second warning, Cyrin kicked out, knocking Deus in the face and sending him flying down. He looked at Dodonna and brought one hand to caress her. "Forn, are you okay?"
She nodded to him, gasping. "I'm fine—I'm just a bit shaken up."
"It will be all right, Forn—no one is going to hurt you," he said, his resolve firm.
"Get him Cyrin. While you still can," she gasped. "I'll be fine."
With that, he leapt down, eager to confront the Dark Jedi that tried to harm the Chancellor of Republic—but not just that, the woman that had turned the darkest times of his life, to the best.
"Be careful," she whispered as she saw him leap into the fray. Republic officials in discs caught up to her, pulling her away from combat as senators continued to leave the building frantically.
Cyrin landed, as he saw Deus waiting for him, poised to strike.
"Now we get to see who is the better swordsman," Deus said.
Cyrin felt a familiarity about the figure, but he couldn't quite place it. It was similar to Rena—but the hard-as-nails Jedi Master would have to put it aside until after the event.
Deus thrust out with his crimson blade, only to crash into the violet blade of the dark coloured Master.
Both figures were Masters in their art: Form V, an aggressive fighting style that seemed to fit both men perfectly.
Raising his blade over his head, Cyrin brought it down on Deus, only to find it crashing against the crimson blade. In an instant, the violet blade came down, then across the face of the Dark Jedi, only to be blocked.
Both Jedi were evenly matched as they continued a flurry of strikes and parries, eagerly blocking and striking to kill.
Meanwhile, Ash and Tarn brought their blades to bear on the last of the Dark Jedi as they noticed the commotion on the floor of the Senate. Needless to say, Ash was slightly worried about Tarn, but he kept him close, ensuring he could keep his former Apprentice safe. Old habits had a tendency to die-hard.
"Cyrin," Ash whispered.
"We need to aid him," Tarn said.
"Not yet," the older Master pointed towards Len and Sneed, who were now aiding Frreral and Jolee. "They need our help."
"Right," Tarn said as they both leapt through the discs and made their way to bolster the Jedi Masters who were severely outnumbered.
Jolee blocked two thrusts from two Dark Jedi, as Frreral deflected a strike and impaled one of the assassins.
The wookiee spun about to aid Jolee when he felt a searing pain drive through his shoulder. Groaning, Frreral turned back and slammed a fist into the face of a Dark Jedi, who was skewered with the emerald blades of Tarn and Ash.
Cyrin parried a thrust from Deus, as he spun about and locked his hand and blade with the Dark Jedi's.
Both figures grunted and formed feral expressions as they continued to wrestle with one another.
Seizing an opportunity, Deus angled his lightsaber down and jumped, hitting the Master in the face with his head.
Cyrin fell back and was thrown on the defensive as Deus slashed high and low, trying to find a break in the Master's seemingly flawless defence.
As soon as Ash had beheaded the last Dark Jedi, he looked at his companions and looked at Cyrin. Without saying a word, he gathered the Force into him and leapt towards the two fighting figures.
Deus continued to push the Jedi back, only to find his blade deflected and shoved away, as his face was connected with the heel of Cyrin's right foot. Now it was his turn to be shoved on the defensive.
Cyrin arced his lightsaber towards the Dark Jedi's shoulder, only to find the crimson blade there.
As both swordsmen continued their evenly matched fight, Ash came down and thrust out behind the Dark Jedi.
Deus spun about and blocked the thrust, angling it away from him, as he continued his spin and deflected Cyrin's thrust.
Cyrin had fought beside Ash and both had known each other for a long time. Their assault on the Dark Jedi was coordinated and efficient as they made thrusts and parries and slashes at Deus, forcing him back.
Knowing that this fight would end in a stalemate, Deus brought his lightsaber around, to take both lightsabers onto his single blade and with the Force, he pulled a senatorial disc towards them, forcing both Jedi to leave the fight and prevent the disc from smashing into them. Seizing the moment, Deus leapt high into the air, towards a platform and sent two Republic soldiers falling to their deaths as he raced through a hallway and smashed through the window, flying out towards freedom.
Forced to abandon the fight, both Masters turned about and extended their free hands and stopped the spinning disc in mid-air, causing it to land as they extinguished their blades. They sighed and looked at one another before they gazed at the wreckage and carnage wrought in the Senate.
"So much for the golden era of peace," Ash said softly, gasping for some breath.
"Are the others all right?"
"Frreral was injured in the fight—he'll need medical attention—but other than that, everyone else is all right."
"The Sith are continuing their assault—this will only lead to a new war." Cyrin looked at his companion with something akin to sadness.
"We'll have to promote Rena to a Knight."
"For now, that Dark Jedi will escape."
"I don't think this was a planned assault—it was more of a demonstration."
"Of their power?"
"The Sith outnumber us far more than ever," Ash said, "we've seen that today. The Jedi Order is going to be hard-pressed."
"I think Director Tamar has something to do with this—and I sense a plot to destroy the Republic."
"I agree, old friend," Ash said, clipping his lightsaber to his belt. "For now, we must attend to our wounds—and hope that Dante is still alive. I fear we will need all of the Jedi Remnant—and that will barely be enough."
As both Jedi began to leave, Ash pulled Cyrin back.
"Do you think their intention was to kill the Chancellor?"
Cyrin looked away, clenching his jaw and after a few moments he faced his old friend. "No. It seems too likely. Besides, that Dark Jedi appeared intent on getting us to show ourselves. I sense another reason behind their appearance."
"Nevertheless, perhaps you can talk to Forn and ensure that her safety becomes a priority."
The dark skinned Jedi nodded.
"And Cyrin," Ash said, in a much lower tone, "regardless of the past between the both of you, there is something much larger at stake."
"I know—and the past is the past."
"But don't let it become too much in the past."
"What are you saying?"
"I am saying, sometimes things happen for a reason. I know how much she means to you, Cyrin."
"Ash," he began, "we're Jedi. The Code forbids attachments."
The silver haired Jedi took a deep breath. "The Code brought us to war," he reminded his friend before he left. He paused for a moment and then turned back to face Cyrin. "She may also know more than she's telling us, Cyrin. Keep that in mind."
Cyrin looked away and then he clipped his lightsaber to his belt as he proceeded to join his companions. "Easy for you to say," he muttered, knowing full well the secret his best friend kept.
