Peace and Cake are Lies Chapter Three
(A/N): It seems you guys spoiled me with reviews so here is the next chapter!
The Mandalorian gunman casts a baleful glare back at the droids. "You know, I'd think that no matter where you are in the know galaxy barging in like that would be considered kinda rude." Leveling his T-21 light repeating blaster at the droids, "Oh did I forget to mention this? I increased the cooling capacity to allow for more continuous firing." He smirks leveling the first thirty of the droids as if they are nothing. "Uh, you guys might want to clear this hall you might be caught in the crossfire." He casually addresses the Sekkari.
The natives shrug. "Why should we do a mercenary says? He's paid to do everything."
"Ha ha," Marec laughs sarcastically. "As a girlfriend of mine said, 'If I got paid to fight I'd be a billionaire'." He chuckles as he remembers "I am boracyk (1), meaning penniless. I don't make a penny no matter how hard I fight." He pauses to check to see if the Sekkari have left yet "Gar di'kutla adeta... (2) I told you to get a move on!"
The Sekkari shrug again walking gracefully out the doors towards the back of the building, "I still don't see why we should listen to the metal man."
"No I am just wearing a suit of armour" The Mando'a smirks and charges forward at the droids having discarded his blaster rifle for two WESTAR-34 blaster pistols, again custom modified. "Let's get this party started, Beskar'ad (3)!" spinning the blaster rapidly, he starts shooting and taking down droids left and right. As if in a dance, he spins on his heels. With his back to the droids, he blasts the two droids one on his left and right with a series of simultaneous shots. Turning again, he kneels facing the droids firing haphazardly, the trench coat like armour flowing with the erratic movements of the fight. Seeing his pistols were close to overheating, he activated the custom feature he had requested to be added. "Bralov (4)!" he shouts as the heat generated by constantly firing bolts condenses into a beam. One beam from each of the two blasters charge. He aims the two cannons and releases the blasts, reducing the remaining droids into a pile of smoking bolts. Smirking broadly, he strides slowly and deliberately to where he left his rifle and picks it up again. "Now THAT is how you take out battle droids."
Elias claps at the display of skill "And you managed to keep your head on your shoulders without the helmet" the Sith smirks, "You might make it out of here alive..."
"Oh please I made it through my training in one piece." The black haired Mandalorian smiles "This is nothing."
Elias raises an eyebrow, and approaches the soldier "You might have made through that. But consider this fact, that" he points at the mangled droids "was a taste of their forces. A vanguard. Next they will send in an arm what would happen if this becomes something?"
"I'll have you to help deal with it." The Mando'a shrugs "Two force sensitives will make this all run smoothly."
"And what if we are killed?" Elias challenges.
"Then I will have died first." The young man asserts.
"A-hem! Let's get a move on we need to find the base that launched that attack" Raru speaks up, walking past the other two out the door.
"Go keep her safe. Remember?" Marec suggests.
"Remember what?" Elias asks confused.
"I don't have my Lightsaber." Raru states.
"Huh? Why?" Elias asks, closing his eyes in concentration. He sees the area around him as a desolate graveyard. He snaps his eyes open looking around seeing all the people alive. Yet not a sound from the whole area reaches his ears. Something tells me they do not communicate through thoughts... his mind races to find an explanation. So first, I see a graveyard around me... Then I do not hear a thing... But then why could I hear them in the main hall yet not out here?... Selective hearing? No I don't thinks so... A Force illusion maybe?
"Hey Elias you have been turning about in a circle for a while now, what is it?" Raru asks concern filling her tone. "You might be a Sith, but I still might need you to block a few stray blaster bolts
"I am thinking..." He stop turning and opens his eyes to see Raru waving a hand. "Raru close your eyes and tell me what you see." Seeing her confused expression, he urges her on "Don't just stand there! Close your eyes."
"Gah what was that a vision of the future?" She asks thinking it was the future.
"No more rather a view of what is really here." Elias deduces, snapping his fingers "look right there those two are talking right? Well then why can't we hear them?"
"Maybe it's a telepathic communication." Raru guesses.
"Then tell me this," Elias asks of the brown-haired woman Jedi, brow furrowed curiously. "Why are their mouths moving? Marec, see if you get a thermal scan of the city."
"Alright," he puts on his helmet and looks around "Four life signs detected, but that is you, Fyra, her and myself. None of these things are alive..."
"It was the Force. It was trying to tell us something." Elias explains.
Marec shrugs thinking the theory was good but something crosses his mind that he almost forgot. "Wait though I am not force sensitive. How is it effecting me?"
"The amount of energy here could make anything see these things. The only question I have is what is causing this disturbance." As he finishes talking the bright and cheerful world of the Sekkari drains of life replaced by the graveyard Elias witnessed. "Uh oh, with that amount of energy one could... Bantha fodder." A skeleton rises from the nearby rubble and stumbles towards the group. Raru reaches down and finds her Lightsaber on her hip.
"Huh? I thought I had to leave this on Coruscant. Oh well," she activates the emerald blade.
"Are well all seeing this?" Marec asks mostly rhetorically but some part of it is for the sake of his sanity. As thousands more of these skeletons rise from the rubble stumbling and shrieking, trying to get at the three of them.
Those Sekkari were Force ghosts... They returned to their bodies creating these revenants. Elias deduces "We need to get to Fyra, she could be in a lot of trouble right now."
Marec hails the Icarus over the comlink "Fyra how are you doing?"
"These things are trying to kill me! How do you think I am doing?!" she asks sarcastically.
Marec orders, "Just hang on, Elias, Raru and I are on our way to you."
"Hey I thought she was in charge." Elias argues motioning back at Raru. "The Jedi did make her the leader."
"If you don't notice, I did not cause this. So if anyone is to blame for this it's you Elias." Raru blames the Sith.
"My fault?" Elias asks in disbelief "Oh great first I was guilty of every single crime possible, now THIS gets blamed on me?"
"Yep, it's your fault for triggering this sudden change." Raru continues, "If you had kept your mouth shut, then we would have had no clue."
"Well you two can stand there arguing like an old married couple" Marec jokes and smirks at their reactions. "But I am going to help Fyra. Stand aside."
Elias and Raru stand there for a moment trying to think of a comeback. "He has a point, Raru." He concedes, through gritted teeth, one point to the Mando'ad "We should get moving."
Raru sighs, the tension slips from the atmosphere "Sorry for the argument. I should watch my comments." The odd ball group of characters r slowly advances towards the Icarus taking out any creature foolish enough to get in their way. Elias witnesses Fyra swing a vibro-wrench using it like a hammer. Setting his feet on the landing pad, an epiphany strikes Elias. "I know what our mission is, Marec if you mind could you turn your sensors to pick up force energy?" Elias questions.
"Do I like shooting things? Of course! In fact, Mandalorian sensors naturally pick up force energy sources. Long history, don't ask right now."
"Look for a large concentration of energy." The Sith suggests, "I have an idea. Something is causing this disturbance; I have a theory as to what. And don't worry I know your culture's past with the Jedi."
After scanning the planet's surface, the Mandalorian turns to the Jedi and Sith. "Well I found several sources but this one dwarfs the rest." He brings up the image of a mountain, "the greatest centre of the Force's energy is right there. Why? What are you thinking?"
"What I am thinking is of little concern now. What I know is of more importance." He turns to Raru, "In those caves is what's causing this. I can't go in there." He pauses "My affinity for destruction automatically forbids my entrance. One who is pure in thought and heart. That is what I am not."
Raru breathes in deeply, "Alright just get me back the real Elias."
"Huh?" Elias mutters, I am not fake! How strange was I acting?
"You are acting very strange." Raru mentions. "I'll go down and see what I can do."
"Hand it." Elias demands holding out his hand.
"What?"Raru asks
"The Jedi said make sure she goes without her Lightsaber. The Force ghosts in that cave need to know that you are not a threat." Elias informs, "I am a threat for using the dark side. He a threat for being Mandalorian. No offense intended. And she can't use the Force so they might kill her on sight."
"If being a Mandalorian makes me a threat, then I won't take any offense." Marec informs. "I'd take pride that even ghosts fear me!"
"Yeah I wouldn't know what to tell them anyways." Fyra admits humbly.
"We'll wait outside for you." Marec informs.
"Stay strong Raru. May the Force be with you." Elias encourages her. He closes his eyes and enters a meditative state his breathing drop and his heart beat almost stops. He feels Raru's fear through the Force. I will help you through this and support you. Even to your death, since you saved me from my demise. Elias whispers to her through the Force. Be calm, still your heart and stand up straight. Now face these challenges. He feels her stop leaning on his force presence.
A reply rings through the force Thank you Elias. You saved me, I will never forget that. He breathes out and looks up and around
"You ok there, Vode (5)?" Kote asks the raven-haired Sith.
"Yes." Elias replies. "Just helping Raru."
Fyra looks at him kind of funny "Who are you and what did you do with Elias?"
"Ha ha ha." Elias laughs sarcastically. "I have always been myself." He enters a meditative state this time focusing on Raru's actions and sees a foggy version as if he was looking through a thick pane of transparisteel.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't little miss Perfect Jedi Raru." The version in front of her radiates wrath, rage, and hatred he has never sensed before. "See Raru what betrayal can do to someone?" he motions towards himself "I have become the Emperor! Darth Vrel-jon (6). It seems you have come to meet your fate."
"No you are not real. The REAL Elias would not become you."
"How do you know that? He has always been a Sith Lord."
"I trust him." Raru states
"Then you are a fool." the doppelganger shrugs "Why should I care about you anyway? Its your funeral not mine."
"You don't know what he is like." she holds her ground. "And your last sentence proves it
"You think I don't, Raru?" The apparition laughs maniacally. "It is only a matter of time before he turns his back on the Republic."
"You know what? I have had enough of your Bantha Fodder." Raru spits out "Be gone you spirit." She orders. The fake Elias crumbles away into dust.
As the thing dies and vanishes it manages one last line, "Just wait and see. The future is already written."
"Oh I will but your future will never come." She counters. "Good riddance." Raru walks through the door into the next chamber seeing Marec surrounded by piles of credits and a gold crown on his head. The dead bodies of Elias and Fyra lay at his feet.
"Not that I mind the look, but this is really out of character for me." He pauses to glance down his accessorized appearance "Why I'd slap you if I had a solid hand that is." He reaches down and shows a single credit to the Jedi. "Such a pretty coin, maybe betraying them was a good thing. After all if I did not I would not have gotten such a pretty penny."
"Well were the real Marec here, he'd blast you down to Bantha Fodder then call you a fool and a coward." Raru informs.
"True, true. But still you can't trust him any more than Elias." He informs as he fades away to dust. "The next chamber will be MUCH more difficult to deal with."
"I will face it with the strength of my allies at my back." Raru levels her head and walks into the next section.
"Well bout time ya made it here. Oh what oldie? Not here to play?" a Dark version of herself challenges "Like the décor?" she motions around the room. The ceiling looms over her head reaching certainly a good klick straight up. Adorning this distance are the corpses of the Jedi Order, the senate and last of all her friends. Hundreds of bodies hang from the walls. Some still are twitching in the last agonizing moments of their lives. "Behold the fate of you and your friends!"
To be continued!
(A./N.): He he he! ANOTHER EVILE CLIFF-HANGER MWHAHAHAHAAHAAAA! *cough, cough, sputter, sputter* A-hem on a more serious note: the numbers in brackets are next to a phrase or word that will need translation. So (1) boracyk means more between jobs than penniless. Though it could be implied that because you are between jobs that you are penniless. Number two Gar di'kutla adeta "You stupid people" 'nough said. #3 Beskar'ad literally meaning 'child of iron' meaning battledroids, or Clankers to you clones. [4] 'Bralov' lit. success I mean it more in the context of 'Jackpot!' from DMC1-4. {5} Vrel-jon, literally vessel of destruction or wrath in Elias' native tongue.
Also, I have put some thought into this and soon I will allow OC (Original Character) submissions. I will release the form for the information I need probably in the next chapter and the contact method as well.
"Until next time, PEACE IS A LIE out!"