Even enhanced by the Dark Side, Krassus blasts them to death with an accurate spray from his blaster rifle after Sho Larn crushes them together with the Force. They crumple to the ground, their bodies nothing more than consumed brittle husks. Both holocrons hum with power, some sort of circuit of light between them. One is clearly of Sith design, the other of Jedi. Both appear ancient, with untold secrets surely hidden inside. They are both plugged into the power source of the hidden academy, with tiny wires and cords seemingly sprouting from both into the pedestal.
"You'll have to cut the circuits after I suppress the energy caused by the link. Be delicate, though. This is why we are here." speaks Sho, motioning to Urirawa.
"Call, Raal. Can you watch for General Kota and his troopers while we do this?"
Upon confirmation from the others, Sho makes a motion and concentrates on the link.
Sho Larn reaches out with the Force, feeling the ebb and flow of power between the holocrons. The Dark Side holocron is much stronger, likely because of the years of exposure to the planet's corrupting forces. The Light Side holocron barely holds on to its power, a small light in the sea of Dark Side corruption. He gently separates the two, pulling their energies away from each other. The Light Side holocron grows stronger as he does so until it its aura is of equal strength. He holds them at perfect harmony, nodding at Urirawa to disconnect them as he holds them at bay.
Urirawa works as quickly as he can with the devices that he doesn't understand all their workings. He does understand basic crystal power flow and is able to work to disconnect the devices.
Urirawa gently pulls the holocrons free, holding them delicately as they are ancient. He quietly murmurs its completion to Sho Larn, who slowly releases the energy from the space between the holocrons until it safely dissipates. With both the objective items retrieved, it is time for them to leave. If General Kota is still outside, he is certainly being quiet about it.
"Sirs, if we have the objective, we must leave. The Jedi is still out there and we cannot allow him to gain the prize."
"Sirs, if we have the objective, we must leave. The Jedi is still out there and we cannot allow him to gain the prize."
"Agreed. Let's depart. You lead and I will follow. Urirawa, what's the best route?"
Raal's expression darkens as the holocrons are handled, shifting his feet he glances about in agitation. "Yes. Come on, let's hurry. We need to get those things to command immediately."
Urirawa taps some keys and draws out a map which he has set to feed to the standard HUD displays inside the helmets of the troopsers.
d20+9
Urirawa taps some keys and draws out a map which he has set to feed to the standard HUD displays inside the helmets of the troopsers.
"Good work trooper." offers Sho as he follows the lead of the troopers out of the room and towards the exit of this accursed place.
Their objective complete with minimal casualties, the Imperial squad makes their way back to the surface as quickly as possible. There is no sign of General Kota, though the scene of carnage remains fairly impressive. Krassus leads the way with his powerful blaster cannon scanning for potential threats. Sho Larn and Raal each handle one of the holocrons, using the Force to maintain their integrity. Urirawa leads the way out with the map, quickly and efficiently moving through the academy while calling for the droid piloting their ship to pick them up.
Fortunately, the droid must have found a courage protocol in its memory bank and pilots the ship so that it is waiting for them when they exit. Rushing up the loading dock, the squad straps in for the jump to hyperspace and the return to Coruscant. The holocrons are a great boon for the Kensae, but the capture of Darth Starkiller by General Kota is information that the leadership needs to know about as soon as possible.
Call breathes a sigh of relief as they enter the ship safely. That many Force wielding opponents in one place scares him. Clearly he's going to need something special if he's going to be tangling with Jedi in the future.
To the best of his ability, and asking Urirawa to help, he's going to see if he can find a gun that Jedi can't deflect or block. Preferably a rifle, but he's open to pistols, too.
Sho warily approached the waiting ship, certain a strike from General Kota's team was inevitable. He waited in vain, as the team boarded and departed without relative incident.
"Good job team. I'm putting you all in for field promotions as I complete my report for command." utters the laconic Kensae. "I am proud of the work you all have done."
Sho settles in and finds a quiet place to reflect and submits himself to the Force. Times have been trying lately. Competing loyalties and factions had his head spinning. The various Force groups vying for control of the universe was unsettling, to say the least. Discovering factions within factions was even more so. Sho had always seen things as black and white. There was no gray in his world. That was beginning to change and it bothered Sho more than anything they have come up against yet. He let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and settled into a Force trance. He let go his feelings of fear and uncertainty. He let go his feelings of frustration. 'I am one with the Force. The Force is one with me.' he recited as a calming technique.
He was simply glad to be a participant in the chess game that was evolving with the likes of Starkiller, General Kota, Tarkin, Thrawn, Jade, the Prince, and even Vader. He just worried that he was simply a pawn, recklessly abandoned or sacrificed for another's ulterior motives or desires. That he would not allow. He vowed to push himself to his limits and train harder, longer, better. He would be nobody's victim.
With that he relaxed enough to settle into the bureacracy of filing reams of paperwork for the military. 'More cultists would be better than this.' he muses as he enters in their mission summary along with the recommendations for everyone on the team to recieve both promotions and commendations.
Glad to be onboard and heading back to Coruscant Raal quickly straps in and eagerly waits the jump to hyperspace.
As the stars enlongen and the ship sails toward their destination Raal goes and turns on the holo-net and establishes a link to command. As Katarn's image resolves on the display plate Raal nods to his master and gives his report.
"Master, mission success. We have two, I repeat; two holocrons. One light, one dark. We encountered both Starkiller and General Kota, their battling each other alowed us to get past them and secure the holocrons, but master. Kota has Starkiller. He defeated him and carried him off somwhere. We are en-route to base. Orders, sir?"
Lieutenant Katarn's image appears on the display as he listens to Raal's report. He sits back, shocked by what he has heard. "That's clear. Return to Coruscant to deliver the holocrons, but prepare for immediate departure after tending to any wounds you might have. I will make things clear when you arrive. Katarn out."
"Copy, return to base. Raal'orn out." Raal waits to the count of three and then disconnects from the holo-net. Leaning back in his chair he takes a breath and goes over the mission in his mind, reflecting on decisions made and options taken, envisioning the battle between the two master force-users and the awsome power of the two holocrons joining. Did he make the right choice in rejecting the holocron outright? Might he be mistaken in refusing it's power? Didn't the kensae use all weapons at their disposal, was he refusing to vield one becouse he was afraid of it?
Lieutenant Katarn is standing in the hangar when the Imperial squad arrives with the holocrons. When they disembark, he sends a pair of Kensae to gingerly take the holocrons into custody. "Don't be tempted by their power. The Emperor has ordered that they be brought straight to him, as he has the strength to harness their power through balance." Katarn turns to the squad. "The Emperor extends his thanks to you for retrieving both of them. This is quite the boon for the Empire. However, he's unavailable with the Senate Defense Committee as they select a course of action. Just a few minutes before you connected to send your report, the following holo went out over the Holonet."
A R2 unit (the same R2 from their trip to the Death Star) plays a hologram with its projector. It is General Kota, looking just as he had a few hours earlier when he defeated Starkiller. "I am General Rahm Kota, loyal member of the Republic and Jedi. This message shows the depths that Skywalker will go to in his mad quest for power. A few minutes ago, I subdued one of his agents, a Sith Lord! Skywalker was not fighting Palpatine, just overthrowing his master!" The hologram cuts to Starkiller's prone form, suspended in a number of flexible but powerful cables. They are likely equipped with powerful electric diodes capable of shocking him into submission if he attempts to escape. "I say this now to Skywalker in front of the whole galaxy: you want your apprentice, Skywalker? Come and get him! I will be transporting him to Freedom Station in the orbit of Yavin 4, where he will be tried for his crimes and yours. For freedom, and the Restoration of the Republic!" The hologram ends with no further transmission.
Katarn motions for them to walk with him. "As you can see, we've had our hands full while you were in transit. We have issued a strong denial of the charges, with the Emperor himself going on record to say that he is not, nor has he ever been a Sith. The Crown Prince and the Princess are working to reassure the populace that Starkiller is not in league with the Empire. It's going to get ugly, though, since the Emperor isn't going to want to waste the opportunity to hit the Rebels and knock their station out. The question to ask is what level of response we are going to take. Gavin is heavily defended with orbital stations, or so our intelligence tells us, so a major battle could break the entire Rebellion here and now. We run the risk of losing the battle, which would all but hand Coruscant over to the Rebellion. A surgical strike is less risky, but less likely to succeed in destroying it." He stops, their destination reached; it is the medbay, bustling with activity. "I suspect we will know in the morning. Get some rest, or some medical attention if you need it. Tomorrow's the day everything changes. Be prepared."
Sho listens to Katarn during the debrief but he was somewhat distracted. The search for 'answers' has only provided more questions. Black and white is fading to gray. Diehard loyalty remains but not quite as fervent. 'Is this what experience brings? Is this what it is like to get older?' muses the Kensae.
As the meeting concludes, Sho excuses himself and excuses himself to his apartment. While there, Sho reaches out to the one woman who may have some answers - Mara Jade.
He waits patiently for her reply before being called away to fight the forces arrayed against the Empire.
Call snaps to attention and salutes Katarn as he leaves. "My life for the Empire, sir!"
Once dismissed, he begins pondering the issue of neutralizing Jedi. He'll comm his Uncle on Tattooine.
"Uncle, I need wisdom. We're going up against Jedi, sir. I need to know what works against them. Is there a weapon or a tactic I can use? Also, sir, I just wanted to tell you: I've done my best sir, and you and my other uncles, you taught me that, sir. Thank you."
As night falls, as much as it can on Coruscant, a familiar presence shows up at Sho Larn's apartment. Just as mysteriously as last time, Mara Jade's knock likely brings more questions than answers. Sho opens the door for the mysterious Emperor's Hand. She walks in, pulling her hood down. "You called?"
-------------------------------------
Jagilar Krassus laughs a bit at some memory, bitterly and without humor. "Hit them when they don't expect it, Call. That's the best advice I can give you. Jedi are tough, they're fast, and they're smart. At the same time, they're usually unimaginative and trained for single combat. Most of them just fight fair, which you can take advantage of. Hit one with superior numbers from behind if you can. If you're fighting a Jedi on their terms, nothing beats a surprise blast from a sonic pistol. Can't block it, and they're usually not prepared for it." Jagilar's creased face shows a lot of worry for his nephew. "You fight a Jedi, just remember that fighting dirty is your only shot. You planning on fighting a Jedi?"
"Yes master." Raal bows slightly to his master/commander and heads in for a check-up before going to his cell to clean and stow his gear, taking stock and making a mental list of what he might need. 'Sugical strike. A small companie heading into the station? Thermal detonators, ammo, grenades, restock the utility belt...'
-------------------------------------Jagilar Krassus laughs a bit at some memory, bitterly and without humor. "Hit them when they don't expect it, Call. That's the best advice I can give you. Jedi are tough, they're fast, and they're smart. At the same time, they're usually unimaginative and trained for single combat. Most of them just fight fair, which you can take advantage of. Hit one with superior numbers from behind if you can. If you're fighting a Jedi on their terms, nothing beats a surprise blast from a sonic pistol. Can't block it, and they're usually not prepared for it." Jagilar's creased face shows a lot of worry for his nephew. "You fight a Jedi, just remember that fighting dirty is your only shot. You planning on fighting a Jedi?"
Call nods. "It may come to that, sir. I figured it's better to have and not need, than need and not have. There's something big coming down the pike, sir. It looks like I might be in the thick of it. Quick insertion, long objective situation. Can't say much more, sir. Your advice may be a life saver."
As soon as he's off the comm, Call will head to the quartermaster and put in a requisition for the follow:
Sonic Rifle (or heavy sonic pistol if that's not readily available)
3 frag grenades
2 thermal detonators
4 power packs
4 medkits
After that he'll head back to his quarters to polish his armor and get his kit ready. As soon as that's done, he'll give his Sergeant a call and see if she's free.
Sho invites Mara Jade into his apartment politely.
"No doubt you've heard of the latest infomation circulating about Starkiller. What is your take on this?" begins Sho.
"Jedi are active but so are the Sith. We stand to bridge the gap as Kensae but things are no longer black or white. We've had accusations that the Black Sun is working directly with the Empire. We now have accusations tha the Emporor is a Sith Lord, or at least in league with the Sith. I struggle with these dilemmas. What guidance, if any, do you have to offer?" concludes the Kensae as he draws his hands behind his back in a pensive manner, staring into the unknown depths of space.
Mara Jade throws back her red hair at his question. "I heard. I had seen the reports of your previous run-ins with him. A few of the other Hands tried and failed to take him down, so we were most impressed that you survived multiple encounters with him." She puts her hand on the Kel Dor's shoulder from behind, offering some attempt at sympathy. "I know what you're going through. Every Kensae does, at some point in their career, but we see it more clearly than anyone else. There are sacrifices that we have to make for the greater good, sacrifices that we make so that the Emperor doesn't have to. The Empire can bring peace to the galaxy, a peace that it hasn't felt for hundreds of years. It and the Emperor must remain incorruptible. This is the purpose of the Emperor's Hands. We make the hard decisions, do the unfortunately necessary so that the Empire can remain good. When someone accuses the Empire of working with the Sith or the Black Sun, they're wrong. The Emperor hates them. Stang, he killed Palpatine, the Dark Lord of the Sith, in single combat! What more proof can you ask for?"
-----------------------------
Krassus spends most of the evening cleaning his new sonic rifle and blasting away at the range with it. He is pleased by its strange lack of recoil, though it clearly won't lay down nearly as much firepower as his heavy blaster. Its value is not in its stopping power, but rather in its usefulness against Jedi. He sets a droid up with an active lightsaber so that it spins in a near-solid humming circle. A blaster wouldn't be able to penetrate it, bouncing back after being caught in the fanning motion. Once he fires with the sonic rifle though, he knocks down the droid through the lightsaber shield. Pleased with his new acquisition, he grins as he reloads for more practice.
Sergeant Garo ambles up to the soldier, politely nodding to him. With superior officers around, it is best to keep things professional. She leans up close to whisper to him. "I hear that we're going to Yavin. You know the Emperor and Grand Admiral Thrawn will take the aggressive, risky option. I'll bet you dinner, hero."
-----------------------------
Raal sits in his small, spartan room alone. His blue skin shines with a sheen of perspiration as he calms his mind, driving back the lingering taint of the Dark Side using the meditation techniques as he recovered from his infection. The room is dark and cool, much like his home on Csillia. The quiet is interrupted by a familiar voice: Master DeWry. 'Raal, I am proud of you. You've come so far from that young man I found and trained. You couldn't make me any prouder to have taught you. You're going to be tested tomorrow, tested in ways that you can barely imagine. I know that you will succeed, that you will achieve your destiny."
"Master?" Raal's eyes flutter open at the sound of DeWry's voice, "Master DeWry? Is that you?" Getting up Raal's mind comes back to his body as he stands up and looks around for the source of the voice.
DewmWry, now a Force ghost, stands before Raal, looking just as he did in life. He stands tall and regal, quite dignified and glowing with an otherworldly light. [I]'It is, my student. I hope that I taught you enough, made you ready for what's to come. Tomorrow is when everything changes. You and the others will rise so far, towering above the rest of the Kensae, but you have the potential to fall if you are reckless.'[/ooc] His voice fades as he speaks, as does his image.
Mara Jade throws back her red hair at his question. "I heard. I had seen the reports of your previous run-ins with him. A few of the other Hands tried and failed to take him down, so we were most impressed that you survived multiple encounters with him." She puts her hand on the Kel Dor's shoulder from behind, offering some attempt at sympathy. "I know what you're going through. Every Kensae does, at some point in their career, but we see it more clearly than anyone else. There are sacrifices that we have to make for the greater good, sacrifices that we make so that the Emperor doesn't have to. The Empire can bring peace to the galaxy, a peace that it hasn't felt for hundreds of years. It and the Emperor must remain incorruptible. This is the purpose of the Emperor's Hands. We make the hard decisions, do the unfortunately necessary so that the Empire can remain good. When someone accuses the Empire of working with the Sith or the Black Sun, they're wrong. The Emperor hates them. Stang, he killed Palpatine, the Dark Lord of the Sith, in single combat! What more proof can you ask for?"
-----------------------------
Sho looks at Mara incredulously. "Proof? Do you think I would be in the service of someone I suspected as being a Sith Lord?" he states with indignity. "I am willing to do what is necessary to ensure the Empire survives. It is my duty." he offers, relaxing somewhat.
"What I have are merely doubts that are eroding my confidence in having chosen the right path. Untruths that have festered and grown malignant in my mind. I have power in the Force, yes. It can calm me, true. But it knows nothing of right and wrong. It is the wielder who is fallible. The wielder who follows blindly. I simply don't want to walk into a situation having been duped into doing something against my morals. Certainly you can understand that. Count me in, Mara Jade, as one of your Hands. That is, unless the truth is not as it seems." he concludes.
"Thank you master." Raal says bowing for DeWry, "Your words give me hope, yet they fill me with pride. What do you see master? What does the future hold?" Raal asks quickly of the fading force ghost, fearing that he will fade to nothing only too soon.
Sergeant Garo ambles up to the soldier, politely nodding to him. With superior officers around, it is best to keep things professional. She leans up close to whisper to him. "I hear that we're...
"No bets out of me! I'll take you up on dinner, though."
The night goes on quietly. Mara Jade leaves Sho Larn with something akin to determination and hope. Call enjoys the company of his commanding officer. Raal waits for his Master's reply, but finds that he will have to face this next challenge alone. Urirawa is off somewhere, probably recuperating from his wounds. Morning arrives with each receiving the same message, one that is disseminated far and wide across the military: the Emperor is going to give an address to the Imperial military in the public square of the palace. They are expected in formation at 0900 hours.
When they arrive at the Imperial Palace, tens of thousands of military troops are getting into their formations. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Kensae wearing their formal uniforms, while the stormtroopers of the Marines line up efficiently and in greater numbers than any other branch. Specialized units like theirs are separate from the main platoons, but still part of the formation. It is a testament to Imperial military efficiency that such a large group can be organized at all, much less organized well. By the time the Emperor arrives, they are fully assembled in the square.
Emperor Anakin Skywalker, flanked by the Crown Prince, the Princess, the entirety of his Honor Guard, and dozens of high-ranking officers, strides confidently to the rail of his announcement balcony. He is dressed in the full battle uniform of the Kensae Grand Master, a royal purple robe over intricate armor with a dramatic cape floating behind him. His voice is clear and loud, despite having no electronic amplification. Simply hearing him start to speak is enough to send an electric wave through the crowd. "Loyal soldiers of the Empire, I thank you for your service. We have an opportunity, one that we cannot waste. The Rebellion has moved its ships to Yavin, along with the Death Star responsible for the murder of billions on Alderaan. We have the chance to crush the Rebellion where it stands, to finally bring peace to the galaxy. Together, we will smash their ships and destroy their mechanical monstrosity, bringing this Rebellion to a close. The entire military might of the Empire will move as one, with one will and one purpose. Think of what you fight for. I fight for you, for all citizens of the Empire. We can achieve such great things for so many when we work together, things like freedom and prosperity for all. These are things worth fighting for. For the Empire! May the Force be yours!"
The stormtroopers move in unison, slamming their fists on their chests and joining in on the Emperor's battle cry. The Imperial military is ready to go to war.
Call joins in the chant, feeling the pride of service rise in his chest. His life for the Empire!
Sho also joins in the chant. His opportunity to serve has resulted in unprecedented experience and power in such a short time. Were he to survice this war, both he and the Empire would be better for it.
"For the Empire!"
Standing in line with his comrades and fellow kensae and soldiers fills Raal with a buzzing sence of imence pride. 'Thers no way this can ever end. The emperor protects.' he thinks as he stares lovingly at the emperor, moisture in his eyes.
Listening with rapt attention to the emperors every word Raal shivers as his pulse quickens. he joins in, pumping his fist in the air, tears now openly streaking down his face.