"Oryon's log. Preparing for phase one of the operation. The interplanetary transporter harness is complete. After extensive testing on nearby planets using droid and volunteer subjects, I believe the harness is safe for practical application." He paused the datapad to write something down in his notebook, and then resumed. "The power consumption of the device is extraordinary. I've managed to link every power generator I could get my hands on together, and I still estimate only enough power a single jump per harness. At its best, the umbilical will only hold for a couple of moments before yanking us back to our home location. Afterwards, it will be weeks before the generators are able to recover for another trip."
Oryon looked at the two harnesses he had made for this operation and allowed himself a moment of pride. "It isn't true teleportation, but it's as close as we've managed to speculate. When activated, the harness will create a temporal bubble around the user. The space inside that bubble can then be transported to anywhere that we can provide exact coordinates for. This will give the user a limited window of time to physically exist in two locations at once. However, the umbilical back to the home location is unstable, and will hold for only a few moments before fracturing, sending the user and the bubble of space around him back to the source location. One of my crowning achievements, imperfect as it may be. The military applications could be incredible if the power drain wasn't so substantive. Still, it should serve our purposes neatly enough."
He turned in his chair and made some final adjustments on the harnesses next to him. "Phase one is really a two-fold point. We will be testing the harness on a long range system, using it to bypass certain...complications to the plan. As a bonus, we will continue to sow chaos amongst the residents of the arrogantly named Halcyon Academy. I think a single thermal detonator in the middle of a class session should do quite nicely."
"Come on, Nila! We are going to be late for class!" Fiachra called from the stairwell for her friend. For the past several weeks since classes had reopened, Nila Om had been burying herself in research. Most nights she was awake at her desk long after the rest of the dorm had fallen asleep, the lights of her lampshade casting orange and red against the temple ceiling, remnants of her homeworld. She had been distant from the rest of the group, and Fiachra had made an effort to bond with the young woman. Nila was kind, of course, but something preoccupied her every waking thought, and Fiachra found it difficult to penetrate that cold outer shell she wrapped herself in.
"I am coming, Fiachra." Her calming voice echoed through the mask she wore. "I would not wish to miss the groundskeepers Bioanalysis class."
Fiachra waited patiently as Nila gathered her bookbag and met her at the stairs. "Do you mind if I walk with you, Nila? I don't like being alone here. I always feel as though a pair of eyes are watching me." She gave a shudder.
Nila nodded. "Of course, dear." She ascended the stairs with a slow, deliberate pace. "I understand your trepidation, of course. It's grown apparent to us all that we are painting targets on our back by continuing to associate ourselves with the Halcyon Clan."
Fiachra held her books close to her chest, thinking about this. She asked, "Do...do you think we'd be better of leaving? Putting all this behind us?"
Nila shook her head. "Not everyone has that option, Fiachra. And I don't imagine I would leave even if I did have the choice. This is where we belong now. We must decide how we choose to approach that fact. With fear, or with dignity."
Fiachra pondered this for a moment. She thought of her friend Bersk, who at this moment was undoubtedly sleeping away a hangover. She knew he had been through much that frightened him, and yet he chose to stay. He knew where he belonged. She felt that was a lesson that she would have to come into on her own. "I wish I was as confident about my future as you seem to be about yours."
Nila turned to the young woman, and a smile could be heard in her voice. "Keep doing what you are doing, Fiachra. You'll get there. I see how hard you are trying, and the kindness you show. You keep on that road, and you'll find your place." She gave Fiachra a quick hug.
Fiachra felt her face flush, and she quickly hugged Nila back and then broke contact. "You...ah, want to get to the class early and hide something itchy under Khalon's seat?"
Nila smiled again. "Yes, I think that should do quite nicely."
"So you see, class, the Cytocidal plant is quite poisonous if ingested. The seeds, however, can be processed into a soothing balm that can be used to treat victims of severe burns, stabilizing them under an appropriate kolto application is available." Asmodeus had brought several specimens from his garden to the terrace where class was being held. He enjoyed the opportunity to teach class as often as Michael would let him. "It is an important lesson to learn, both in medicine and in people. Nothing is ever as simple as you might think. Something that can cause great harm can also do great good in the right context."
It was a warm day, and Nila had been up all night researching the history of the original Halcyon clan. She enjoyed Asmodeus' lessons, but right now she was fighting to stay awake. A quick look around the class told her that the other students were fighting the same battle, and Kaikorero had apparently lost the battle already, snoring quietly into her crossed arms.
It was a lovely, peaceful afternoon. Everything was warm and quiet, and Nila slowly felt her eyes start to droop.
!
A icy stab of dread pierced her heart and her eyes snapped open. Something terrible was about to happen.
Professor Asmodeus raised another plant from his bag to lecture about, and it was promptly blown away by some kind of implosion in the air behind him. There was a loud pop like the sound of a bottle of wine being uncorked, and all the air around them seemed to rush inwards for a moment before flooding back out.
The implosion had staggered Asmodeus, and he fell to his knees. There were two men behind him now, two men who were not there before. And that icy stab of dread pierced her again. For Nila-Om recognized one of the men clearly, though she had never seen him in person before. Oryon
The Chiss sneered at Asmodeus. "Pathetic." He spit the word. He waited for Asmo to get a good look at him, and then nodded to the taller man, a yellow-skinned Togruta. "Finish it." He flipped a switch on the harness he wore, and the implosion of air happened a second time in reverse. First the air flooded away from the spot, and then pulled on her from behind. The air around Oryon seemed to snap out of existence like the termination of a soap bubble, and then the loud pop and he was gone.
The Togruta said nothing, but pulled a thermal detonator out of his pack and armed it. Asmodeus was still dumbfounded by the sight of Oryon appearing out of thin air before him. The Togruta set the detonator on the ground and then reached for the switch on his harness, as Oryon had done.
No! I can't lose my chance now!
With all the speed she could muster, she sprinted forward, vaulting over Asmodeus. She pulled a hunting knife from her pack and somersaulted over the Togruta male, slicing the buckle on the harness and deftly pulling it off of him. He turned backwards in time to see her land on the ground behind him, and then pop out of existence.
beep beep beep beeeeeeeeeep
Asmodeus snapped out of his trance and looked down at the thermal detonator at his feet. He knew what to do. He gave a final look at the students behind him, in shock over what they had just witnessed, and the grabbed the detonator and held it to his chest.
The explosion could be heard for miles.
Back on Tatooine, Oryon heard the pop of the air displacement signaling the return of the other harness. He turned to address Zahavi. "I trust the harnesses are to your satisfaction?"
Yet the person before him was not Zahavi. It was a young girl, clad head to toe in traditional Voss garb, on her hands and knees and gasping for air. He had noticed her briefly as one of the students poor Asmodeus was lecturing before the interruption. "Well, that is unexpected." He gave the girl a sharp kick in the ribs, flipping her over. "You must be fast indeed, to snatch the device off Zahavi like that. I am impressed."
The girl gave her legs a quick scissor-kick and lept to her feet, pulling two shoto sabers from her belt. "Why are you doing this?"
Amused, Oryon took off his outer jacket and placed it gently on his desk before adopting a combat stance. "I have no interest in explaining myself to you."
"Oh yeah?" She snarled. "How about now?" With a single smooth motion, she ripped off the mask she wore at all times, exposing her face for the first time in months. Blue skin. Red eyes. A familiar sneer.
Oryon felt his knees buckle, and his heart dropped. "No..."
Smoke rose from the blast. The force of the explosion had been enough to knock the students backwards, but damage was contained. Asmodeus rose to his feet, his brown robes burnt and shredded to pieces, still on fire in places. His skin was charred nearly black on his chest, smoldering. He had absorbed as much of the explosion's impact as he could, but still took the brunt of it himself.
His chest heaved as he struggled for breath, and he felt a rage inside of him, a lust for violence he had not felt in years. Someone tried to kill these children. Someone would pay.
Zahavi rose to his feet. Having been facing Asmodeus when the detonator went off, he took a fair amount of the blast as well, though his armor was up to the task. Now, however, he was facing the largest, angriest Sith he had ever seen. This was no groundskeeper. This was a warlord.
Asmodeus took a single step forward, and then Zahavi opened his mouth.
"Is everyone okay?"
Fiachra was the first to rise to her feet. She had instinctively created a Force shield that spared the class the worst of it, but they were all dazed and uncertain what was happened.
And that is when they all heard it.
"Kill"
Asmodeus had taken a single step forward, and paused. He turned and looked back at the students, his eye burning with a strange fire as he peered over his shoulder.
Fiachra felt her heart drop. Someone was about to die.