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May The Invisible Hand Be With You - (Star Wars CK2-Style Quest)

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065tdsa said:
My guess would be he did claim he was Sith, but with so little power and knowledge he was basically taken about as seriously as Ventress' claim when she and Dooku first met. That is to say not at all.

Yeah, people had mentioned Vectivus was a Baneite at one point but I figured that wasn't true for this quest because he just acts too differently than you'd expect. This explanation makes sense to me, the idea some people abandoned the Grand Plan and others picked it back up seems believable.
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Weak? Ignorant? I'll have you know that Darth Flammable was a master of both force disciplines: lifting things up and dropping them on people!
 
Wait...........are there space roombas in starwars?

Can we put a vibroblade on one?

Even a regular knife is fine.
 
Today on "Things I Didn't Realize Were Force Powers": Alchaka.
Wookieepedia. Italics are my emphasis said:
The Alchaka meditations were a rigorous series of highly personal, highly repetitive exercises using both physical and Force skills. Consisting of a high number of repetitions performed in complex positions and dizzying movements spaced between the positions, completing the meditations correctly typically left the practitioner on the brink of exhaustion. The purpose of the Alchaka technique was to clear the mind and attune the body to the strength of the Force...
...Jedi High Council member Obi-Wan Kenobi took the meditations very seriously, becoming slightly upset when Alderaanian Senator Bail Organa witnessed his practicing while aboard the ship ferrying them to Zigoola on a vital Jedi assignment.
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Why does this sound like some form of yoga-meets-date-with-Rosie-Palms (questionably nsfw-ish)?
 
Trollbird said:
Wait...........are there space roombas in starwars?

Can we put a vibroblade on one?

Even a regular knife is fine.
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KILLER MOUSE DROIDS

Barondoctor said:
Today on "Things I Didn't Realize Were Force Powers": Alchaka.


Why does this sound like some form of yoga-meets-date-with-Rosie-Palms (questionably nsfw-ish)?
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Trollbird said:
or maybe it's actually just the chicken dance.
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I'm assuming it's something like the latter case, but whatever it is, it sounds like it's unbelievably embarrassing to see in practice.

Hint, hint.
 
I'm dumpster-diving for techniques that could be done with high skill and low power as omake material. When searching through the list of all known Force powers, I found some really stupid ones (Force Smell!), some repeats (like six assorted "Dominate Mind" powers), multiple powers that I'm not going to mention in-universe because if they exist Palpatine could have them and that would be more or less a lose condition (Force TELEPORT yeah no, came from an unlicensed source and would be game-breakingly OP)

And then I found some neat little tricks.
Force Blinding: always have a flashbang on hand, and/or be able to use the bright light optic-nerve-based-paralysis-weapon from that Tom Clancy book Debt of Honor.
Shadow Vision: always have night-vision goggles, and/or "I bet they didn't know I can see in the dark."
Force Cloak: the fine art of How Not To Be Seen (Monty Python references are the best).

These three tricks are (or could reasonably be) connected with the Disciples of Twilight, a Force organization on Dyspeth (a moon way way in the galactic southwest [search for Needan] settled by isolationists looking to just get away from the Republic) interested in "shadowy justice" -- protecting weaker sentients from the cruelty of the strong.

Might I recommend them as the next organization we make overtures towards? Being able to train Abyss Agents to vanish, see in the dark, and blind their opposition seems like it would be really useful.

I also came across what would probably end up being Riphath's capstone ability.
 
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Trollbird said:
Wait...........are there space roombas in starwars?

Can we put a vibroblade on one?

Even a regular knife is fine.
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You are not thinking like an abyss walker. They must be networked together and given light sabers. If or luck holds true we will over-crit to the point they develop force powers of their own. Then when the Jedi investigate the rumors that we have or own force users Ciaran will have a gay old time trolling them.

Yoda: Disturbing news we are hearing, own order of force users you have, hmmm?
Ciaran: Yes it is true. When we upgraded our Cleansebot series 845k they develop both their own mind/s and forces abilities.
Mace Windu slams his hands down the table.
Mace Windu: STOP making light of us you will tell us the truth and allow the jedi to investigate your operation or...
????: Beep beep buup, You have threatened my master and stained our honor.
The table id force thrown across the room and out from under Mace Windu's hands revealing a cleansebot which activates a lightsaber.
Cleansebot: Their is only one way to 'CLEANSE' this stain. I CB 3h45kd known as The Purifier do hereby challenge you Mace Windu of the Jedi order to a dual. Meet me at dawn in maintenance bay 6cb or be known as an Honor less cur from this day forth.
CB 3h45kd "The Purifier" deactivates his light saber and leaves the room pausing to cleane up a scuff mark left by the thrown table.
Mace Windu: What.... did you see?... huh?
Yoda: Investigation delayed must be. Early rest you should take. Up early you will be.
 
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prince84 said:
You are not thinking like an abyss walker. They must be networked together and given light sabers. If or luck holds true we will over-crit to the point they develop force powers of their own. Then when the Jedi investigate the rumors that we have or own force users Ciaran will have a gay old time trolling them.

Yoda: Disturbing news we are hearing, own order of force users you have, hmmm?
Ciaran: Yes it is true. When we upgraded our Cleansebot series 845k they develop both their own mind/s and forces abilities.
Mace Windu slams his hands down the table.
Mace Windu: STOP making light of us you will tell us the truth and allow the jedi to investigate your operation or...
????: Beep beep buup, You have threatened my master and stained our honor.
The table id force thrown across the room and out from under Mace Windu's hands revealing a cleansebot which activates a lightsaber.
Cleansebot: Their is only one way to 'CLEANSE' this stain. I CB 3h45kd known as The Purifier do hereby challenge you Mace Windu of the Jedi order to a dual. Meet me at dawn in maintenance bay 6cb or be known as an Honor less cur from this day forth.
I CB 3h45kd "The Purifier" deactivates his light saber and leaves the room pausing to cleane up a scuff mark left by the thrown table.
Mace Windu: What.... did you see?... huh?
Yoda: Investigation delayed must be. Early rest you should take. Up early you will be.
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Someone needs to make an Omake of this.
 
Roomba Wars! Those who embrace the Dirt Side of the Force, and those who focus on the Clean Side. One will grant great power and stuff up Clean engines, the other washes away the grime of the world.

Truly it is a most low down and dirty war.
 
Premonition​

I was on my way in to work at the Undercity Relief Clinic when I was stopped by a pair of Imperial Stormtroopers. "Sir. Come with us."

"I'm sorry. I'm a doctor. I'm walking to work at the hospital a klick down the walkway here." I took a breath, drew upon the tiniest bit of the Force to nudge their minds. "Can it wait?"

They looked at each other. "It can wait." They walked away.

I blew out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I was sure they'd pieced together my little project in the sublevel of the Undercity Relief Clinic and things were going to get bad.

I'd managed to make it half a klick through the crowds when they suddenly parted, leaving me face to face with Emperor Palpatine's shadowy enforcer, Darth Debiles.

I knew her instantly. I knew this day had been coming. I had just hoped I'd have more time.

"Riphath Althean, you're under arrest for treason and terrorism against the Empire," her voice processor intoned.

I waved at the crowds to scatter, scamper off. I didn't want them here for this. The fewer civilian casualties, the better.

Eventually the only people remaining were Darth Debiles and a host of troopers on one side of the walkway, some mounted on walkers and speeders...and myself on the other side.

I rubbed the thumb and and middle finger of my right hand together, and a slight wind ruffled my lab coat in the breeze.

"When your master Sidious tore through the fabric of the Force, tore through the fabric of the galaxy, to murder Ciaran, he tore a rip in time that took me with it. I drifted through time and space without any control of it, experienced lifetime after lifetime without end. Some of them were great. Some of them were strange. I'm not sure how many hundred years I lived. One day, I finally reached a point three months before she was murdered. Then I established the Bonfire Protocol," I said. "I won't bore you with the mad science of it. I'm sure by now that you've figured out that the Coruscant Undercity Relief Fund is actually a front charity for the Ciaran Undeath and Revivification Fund."

-----------------------

After visiting the Altisian Jedi Enclave at Tibannopolis on Bespin, I'd learned the secret of essence transfer. Applying that to my understanding of the science of cloning, I'd informed Ciaran that there was a means of ensuring that if she was killed it did not need to be permanent. Project Bonfire was approved and I'd gotten a lab to develop it. It was tested and determined that it worked. That particular Abyss Watcher had been given a pension and an address on Zeltross where he was encouraged to live the rest of his days.

I'd only finished cloning Ciaran when the worst happened. Palpatine tore through the fabric of the Force and teleport-murdered Ciaran. The transfer protocol worked like it had in the test case. There was, unfortunately, one hitch. She came back wrong. When Asajj had tried to convince her that she should figure out this new reality, that she wasn't who she used to be, that she seemed more like an empty shell? Well, Ciaran had insisted she was fine, and that Asajj should try it. We had Asajj's funeral shortly after that. The rest of us ran, hid, or fought after that. It was three days later that Skywalker himself had to slay this hollow version of Ciaran, tears running down his face and a promise to finish what she'd started on his lips.

I purchased the Diamond Deception from the shell company that had held it in trust shortly after that and developed the Coruscant Undercity Relief Clinic, a hospital that served the underprivileged within Coruscant's Undercity. I founded the Coruscant Undercity Relief Fund and kept trying to find a way to bring her back right.

True to his word, Skywalker left the Jedi and headed up the Watchers. Ahsoka had joined him to the public dismay but private approval of the Jedi Council, who appointed Obi-Wan as liason to the new organization.

-----------------------

I paused, retrieved the otoscope from my pocket, removed the viewfinder and replaced it with the removed bell of my "backup stethoscope". I'd taken to concealing my lightsaber that way after we'd all gone to ground. "I'll give you one chance, Darra. Walk away from this place, and I promise that you and your army will be able to go in peace."

"You are an Abyss Watcher. Everything I hate. Everything responsible for everything I hate in my life. Death at my hands is the only fate left for you," she replied through the electronic voice processor.

"I'm sorry. I apologize, in advance, for what I must do." I traced a cartoon thundercloud over my left palm with my left thumb, right hand holding my reassembled lightsaber.

A storm cloud formed out of the satellite-maintained clear sky and it began to rain on the walkway. Lightning struck, striking the engine of one of the speeders and shorting it out.

"I'm not sorry for what I'm going to do to you," the voice processor positively hissed as her lightsaber ignited and she stretched out a hand.

I felt her telekinetic grip start to press against my throat and I waved it away. "This is probably the saddest way for you, in all my lifetimes." I waved a hand and half a dozen troopers were swept off the walkway to their deaths by a telekinetically-enhanced gust of wind. She didn't budge.

"This is the only way left for me," she answered, plodding towards me methodically, purposefully, like the implacable tread of death.

The rain concealed the tear that rolled down my cheek. "It wasn't always."

---------------------

"I'm retiring, Gulan. I have enough credits I can live comfortably on my own private island on Lahn for the rest of my days, and my work here is done, save for one final job that requires my retirement. I'm fixing something the Abyss Watchers broke before my time. Something that requires a doctor's hands. You can close your file on Darra Thel-Tanis. She's coming with me. She told me my limb-cloning project gave her back her life, and I asked that she spend two hours of it in a cafe with me. The rest is history. Which is what I'm here asking for your help with adjusting."

Gulan stared me square in the face. "You were never an Abyss Watcher," he said, deadpan. "You were one of the lead emergency and trauma physicians with the Silver Cross. You were well-compensated. Despite what others may say, you were never here. We certainly won't miss you." Then his face broke into a smile. "At least that's what every electronic record will say. Force be with you, Riphath."

---------------------

I lit my lightsaber, taking a defensive stance. "In at least a dozen lifetimes I was instrumental in helping restore you and your sarcastic wit to the level of athletic grace you once had. In another score, we never actually met, but you were helped in secret by something I'd done. In at least a hundred more, Sidious never acquired the ability to teleport and things proceeded like they were supposed to." I backpedaled as she advanced upon me. "In three of those lifetimes, we were together. Our children were beautiful and brilliant--taking after their mother, mercifully--and our grandchildren were a delight in our old age."

She seemed to advance upon me with increasing hatred. "I would never love an Abyss Watcher!" she raged, her lightsaber swinging down in a two-handed slash.

I sidestepped the blow, counterattacked at her clearly-artificial shoulder only to see her parry. The fight was on. "In those lifetimes, I left the Watchers and you left the Jedi. I was rich enough to never be concerned about money again and you'd realized your Jedi days were over." We fought, back and forth, up and down the walkway, water pooling in parts of it, our blades scorching black lines in the duracrete. As I caught a free moment I continued to dispose of the battallion she'd brought with her, surges of ice from the pooled water scattering or impaling infantry and telekinetic movements destroying vehicles. "In one of them...in one of them you realized that the Watchers were composed of people and some individual people were responsible, but that others could do some good, so I didn't have to retire. Prime Minister Amidala ushered in a new age of peace and prosperity, addressing the grievances of the Outer Rim peoples leading to the Separatist Movement. The former Council of Neutral Systems led reconstruction efforts. There were a lot of reasons that was my favorite timeline. All good things must come to an end, though. Especially this, the darkest of timelines." I made to parry her horizontal slash but then deactivated my lightsaber, forcing her blade to swing wide before I severed both arms. "Run along to your master, the Emperor, Darth Sidious, and tell him I want to bargain."

As I finished pronouncing the last syllable of his title, the man himself appeared in the circle described by scorch-marks before me. "The only bargain I'll accept is one that ends in your death!" His hands began to crackle with Sith Lightning.

I raised my hand, lifted my middle finger in his direction and turned away, burying my eyes in the crook of my opposite elbow. That middle finger served as the focus of a glowing orb of radiant white light that burst forth, blinding both Sidious and Debiles.

By the time their sight returned, I was gone.

=========================

I rolled out of my bed, realized I was in an Abyss Watchers safehouse on Coruscant and stared into the face of Arla Fett. "What year is it?" I asked.

"980 after the Ruusan Reformation. 15 years and three months after the Great Resynchronization. We had a drinking contest...and I'm not sure if everybody won or everybody lost. You passed out around round 10, after drinking your third Reactor Core. I'm not surprised you don't know what year it is. You don't seem the type to drink that much," she answered.

I shook my head. "Apparently not in this timeline. Thank the Force it's not too late."

A/N: I wanted to write a capstone-level Riphath, who apparently likes making a scene, especially in a theoretical "Darkest Timeline". The rest of it...well, between the obligatory Dark Souls reference (allowing for me to excuse any out-of-character Ciaran due to unexpected Hollowing) and an original fiction I read about a wizard who got stuck in a Groundhog Day scenario lasting a month for years on end...it all kinda just happened. I let the characters run. I have no plans, just scenarios and characters and things that happen.
 
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Killer_Whale said:
Which fic is this? I'm interested in reading it.
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https://www.fictionpress.com/s/2961893/1/Mother-of-Learning

(from the TV Tropes Page)
Blurb said:
Fifteen-year-old Zorian Kazinski, a studious, solitary young man, waking on the morning he is to catch the train to his third year of training at Cyoria's Royal Academy of Magical Arts. A man with no idea that in a month's time, he would find himself embroiled in circumstances far beyond the capacity of any fifteen-year-old mage-in-training to deal with ... and then find himself once again waking on the morning he is to catch the train to begin his third year at Cyoria.

The story is presently incomplete — new chapters have been posted every three weeks (and rarely every four weeks).
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There's a reason out plans so often boil down to giving Thrawn an objective, resources, and time. The dude is good at what he does, and he does pretty much everything.
 
Thrawn should not be micromanaged. Same thing with our other lieutenants (e.g. Grievous, Ventress), they can really get things done.
 
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Temple Bombing - Reckoning
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    • Coruscant

    "Are they seriously going to arrest Bulq!?" Ahsoka said nervously to Ciaran as the older woman paced around the room, trying to get her thoughts together. "There has to be something-"

    "There isn't," Ciaran snapped. "There is absolutely nothing we can do right now. All we can do is wait, and hope that no one screws up their job."

    Ahsoka looked at Ciaran with no small amount of concern, causing Ciaran to sigh resignedly. "Nothing against your master or whoever my contact is, but I'm not exactly happy either about not being able to do much of anything at a crucial step like this. I've already gotten several contingencies set up-"

    "Why does it matter to you?" Ahsoka interrupted. Ciaran stopped in place for a moment before throwing up her arms in resignation.

    "It matters because quite frankly in the last couple of years I've had to deal with several issues myself without the help of anyone else, no Republic, Jedi, or anything to deal with what I've had to face. As a single example, if you've heard about the synth plagues that hit the Northern Rim over the past two years, I was the one who had to stop them because no one else could or would." After her rant, she started to calm down and actually faced Ahsoka who had a conflicted expression on her face. "I admit that I wasn't actually alone per se, but at the end of the day the responsibility fell squarely on my shoulders. And events like those taught me that at the end of the day I can only really trust myself and my subordinates, advisors, and so on at times like this."

    "We can trust Master Anakin though, right?" Ahsoka suggested. Ciaran was silent for a moment...then another as her face furrowed.

    "Perhaps..." She turned back to Ahsoka. "I need to concentrate. Leave," she said in a tone that left no room for argument. Ahsoka debated her options before deflating, nodding, and leaving the room.

    As she did Ciaran sat down and began to focus on the connection between her and Anakin that seemed to have strengthened since Mortis. It had been some time since she had tried to use telepathy - she'd gotten so used to communicating with her people through subtle cues and the like that she'd rarely had use for it.

    But now...

    -----------

    "You're sure I'll be safe?" Barriss said to an eerily silent Darra as she slowly escorted her back to her chambers. "Bulq could-"

    "He's being dealt with," Darra said coldly as she placed a hand on Barriss' shoulder. "You're going to stay in your chambers until this is over, got it?"

    "I - I don't know if you could-"

    Darra's grip tightened as a humorless smile came across her face. "I'll be standing guard. So you can rest better knowing you have a good friend by your side to protect you."

    Barriss visibly recoiled before quietly nodding and going into her quarters, Darra leaning against the wall next to the door as she did so.

    Don't think I didn't notice you trying to shift the blame, Darra thought to herself as her eyes shifted towards the door. Once Bulq is arrested I'm going to make sure we have a proper conversation about what you've been doing.

    -----------

    Anakin's heart was pounding as he walked alongside the Sentinel, and with each passing minute it seemed as though another hooded figure would silently join up with them as they marched towards Bulq's location to arrest him on the suspicion of falling to the Dark Side and masterminding the Temple bombing.

    The whole thing would have sounded insane...had he not had "memories" of himself falling and no one noticing until it was far too late. It seemed like the Jedi were just as blind to people falling now as they were in that dark future. Still, all that mattered was bringing Bulq in and hopefully-

    "Anakin?"

    Anakin shook his head, imagining Ciaran's voice in his head at what was probably the worst possible time-

    "That wasn't your imagination."

    Anakin froze in place, only to quickly catch back up to the Sentinels as he processed what he just heard. Wha - how!? he tried to..."think" back? It wasn't exactly something he was familiar with...

    "Telepathy and a Force bond. I haven't had much of a reason to use the former and I only realized the latter was workable about...oh...an hour or two ago? I'm pretty sure the bond's the only reason I can even hear a response from you."

    Is that right?     Anakin replied, wondering how she would abuse this power-

    "Yes it is, and I don't plan on abusing this. Much."

    Please tell me you can't actually read my mind.

    "No, but I know a lot about how you think anyway. What's happening?"

    I'm with the Sentinels, and we're moving to arrest Bulq right now,     Anakin thought back as they began to approach Bulq's location. Why?

    "Wanted to make sure. It's good to hear you have support."

    No kidding...    Anakin replied as the group stopped in front of the room Bulq was in. Turning and nodding to his Sentinel associate the two of them entered...

    To the sight of Bulq looking at them both with a stern gaze, clearly expecting them. To his sides two other people stood that Anakin didn't recognize -

    "Tol Skorr, Kadrian Sey," the Sentinel said to the blonde scarred man and stern-looking female Zabrak respectively, "Please stand aside. We are here to arrest Sora Bulq on suspicion of masterminding the Temple bombing."

    "Dammit, of course he has more people around him."

    Anakin's hand drifted towards his lightsaber, and he quickly noticed that everyone in the room appeared to be doing the same.

    "Surely you cannot believe such accusations, Master Skywalker," Bulq said to him, conspicuously ignoring the Sentinel. "This is-"

    "I'm not interested in your games, Bulq. Put your hands up and come with us."

    "He's desperate. That gambit was practically guaranteed to fail."

    "We have you surrounded," Anakin said calmly. "There are more people outside. Don't resist."

    Bulq seemed unfazed. "I believe you misunderstand your situation," he said darkly, igniting his lightsaber followed by everyone else in the room as sounds of fighting began to come in from outside. "You are the ones who-"

    "What are you waiting for!? Hit him while he's monologuing!"

    Anakin charged forward only to be blocked by a sudden lunge from Skorr. Anakin quickly moved to fight him, leaving his back exposed to Sey though his Sentinel ally quickly moved in to block her strike with speed that visibly surprised Sey. For his part Bulq calmly took a step back, then quickly moved around the fighting and fled the room.

    Anakin gritted his teeth, focusing in on Skorr, who was grinning viciously. "Look at you. The Jedi's golden boy, and here you are fighting me while Master Bulq escapes."

    "Focus. He's just as much of a perpetrator as Bulq is."

    Anakin didn't even dignify Skorr with a response, simply choosing to charge forward, not giving him an inch as it was quickly becoming clear that Skorr was going to lose the duel - Anakin was able to effectively beat down his opponent through relentless attacks that Skorr simply didn't have an answer to.

    "You kill me, you-" Skorr started to say before Anakin quickly seized an opening, knocking him off balance and slicing off one of his legs, causing him to topple over and reflexively grab for his stump as he began to scream.

    "You don't get to die. Not that easily," Anakin said as he grabbed Skorr's lightsaber, turning to see the aftermath of the Sentinel's duel with Vey - and seeing her unconscious body on the ground and no sign of a Sentinel.

    "Looks like your friend is a damn good fighter if they won that fast," Ciaran chimed in as Anakin rushed outside to the sight of what seemed to be dozens of Sentinels and other Jedi fighting off what were apparently the rest of Bulq's followers in an all-out battle within the Temple halls, with more and more Jedi rushing in to try and end the fighting that seemed to be constantly moving as Bulq's people tried to disengage. What was obvious though were the bodies already on the ground; a mixture of people in Sentinel robes and various others - Anakin had no way of telling whether they were corrupted Jedi that were killed in self-defense or-

    "Focus. Worry about what you can do right now."

    This slaughter-

    "Would have happened sooner or later. Focus. Your friend's probably chasing after Bulq and the rest of the Jedi can handle these people. Where's Darra?"

    Guarding Barriss-

    "Alone!?"

    Before Anakin could respond his comlink began to ring...

    ------------

    A few moments earlier Darra was barely doing much of anything aside from standing outside Barriss' door. No one had come by and Barriss hadn't tried to leave yet, so for now she was relegating herself to guard duty.

    She sighed resignedly as she shifted her bad leg into a more comfortable position. Much as she wanted to help Anakin she knew just how much of a liability in battle she would be. Staying here was the best she could do.

    It was all she could do, really. What else could she have done? Valiantly limped her way to the battle that would have ended by the time she got there? Or maybe bravely get torn apart by Bulq as he exploited her inability to fight in any real sense and nobly die in the heat of battle having literally accomplished nothing aside from becoming a casualty?

    Darra leaned back against the wall, gazing listlessly at the ceiling. Then...what was she supposed to do?

    Why was she still here? Just to suffer?

    There had to be some reason...right?

    Before Darra's dark thoughts could go any further, she heard what were clearly the sounds of lightsabers clashing - it was distant, sure, but Darra could tell that if nothing else it sounded like a much larger battle was taking place. In the heart of the Jedi Temple.

    On sheer reflex Darra began to drag herself towards the sounds of fighting, there had to be something she could do -

    Before she stopped in place...and then slammed a fist against the wall as she hunched forward, laughing bitterly to herself. The Jedi needed her now and she-

    She heard the sound of the door behind her opening.

    Quickly turning Darra started to open her mouth and ask what Barriss thought she was doing -

    Only to barely ignite her lightsaber in time as Barriss brought down her blade on her, nearly knocking Darra off balance as she strained to keep herself upright.

    "You traitor." Darra hissed. "Why? Why did you betray the Jedi!? WHY DID YOU BETRAY AHSOKA!?"

    Barriss visibly flinched. "Look around. Look at this war!" she shouted as she reared back before hitting Darra's lightsaber and knocking her off balance, forcing her to stagger backwards as Barriss advanced on her. "The Jedi aren't fighting for the good of the galaxy, only for themselves and their pride!" she yelled out, lashing out with another attack that Darra was only partly able to block, this time knocking her to the ground as Barriss loomed over her, lightsaber pointed at her throat. "The Jedi have lost their way. The Republic has lost its way-"

    "Look around you, you idiot," Darra gritted out, her voice clearly pained. "People are fighting in the Temple halls because of Bulq, and you're here telling me that the Order is in the wrong?" She chuckled darkly, wincing as she did so. "You might have had a point if people weren't dying as we speak because of your 'friends.'"

    Barriss' face darkened. "Master Bulq wasn't responsible for my beliefs, he-"

    "Told you exactly what you wanted to hear," Darra said, locking eyes with Barriss. "And let you fall on your own time. Smart man, there."

    "I will kill you."

    "THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?" Darra shouted suddenly, causing Barriss to step back reflexively out of shock. "I'm not afraid to die, death and I are old friends! And no matter what happens now, everyone is going to know that you're a traitor to the Order." She grinned with the audacity that only a dead woman could give to her executioner. "At least I'm going to die as a Jedi, and as someone who stood by her comrades and beliefs to the bitter end. Unlike you."

    Barriss' face contorted, unable to contain her rage-

    "And for what it's worth...you never deserved to have a friend like Ahsoka."

    As Darra said that, Barriss screamed in fury and swung her lightsaber towards Darra's neck. The world seemed to slow down for Darra as she closed her eyes, waiting for the end.

    Master Antana...Anakin...I'm sorry. At least make my death mean som-

    The sound of a lightsaber blocking another echoed through the area.

    Darra slowly opened her eyes to see the Sentinel standing over her, a blue lightsaber blocking Barriss' own. It almost seemed...familiar...

    "Master?"

    Without a word, the Sentinel quickly twisted their aim, trying to disarm Barriss. Quickly realizing she was now badly outmatched Barriss disengaged and started to make a break for it only for her pursuer to dart in front of her and block her escape.

    In what seemed like only a matter of seconds, Barriss was swiftly disarmed and knocked unconscious by a punch to the face, her body slamming on the ground. The area seemed to go silent for a moment before the Sentinel crouched down in front of Darra, gently offering a hand to help her up.

    "...Master Antana...is that really you?" Darra said quietly, not yet reaching out. The Sentinel was still for a moment before taking her hand back, throwing off her hood to reveal a mask over her face. Without a word she took it off as Darra's eyes visibly lit up for a moment as she recognized her one-time Master...before her face fell.

    "I...I-I'm sorry, I tried-"

    Soara brought Darra into a gentle hug as the sound of footsteps came closer. "It's alright. You did more than anyone would have ever asked of you."

    -----------

    As Anakin activated his comlink he saw the image of a Sentinel, though he was fairly sure it wasn't the same one he had been working with.

    "Thel-Thanis is safe, but our agent had to break off their pursuit of Bulq to protect her. He was headed for Hangar 11."

    "Understood," Anakin said, not even bothering to respond as he took off running in that direction, weaving his way through the battle that was raging around him before taking off in a dead sprint towards the hangar.

    "I have an asset waiting to help deal with Bulq if he makes it out of the Temple." Ciaran said to Anakin as he got closer to the hangar in question. "All I need to know is what he's trying to escape on."

    Hangar 11 is reserved for airspeeders and civilian craft,     Anakin replied. He's probably going to try fading into the traffic of Coruscant -

    As Anakin quickly opened the door to the hangar bay with the Force and charged in, he saw a speeder quickly taking off and flying out of the hangar at top speed. Without hesitating Anakin moved towards one of the other speeders, quickly booting it up so he could chase after Bulq.

    "Don't worry...I was able to see what his speeder looked like." To Anakin's worry, Ciaran sounded excited as she said that.

    -----------

    In the safehouse Ciaran's eyes opened before she quickly dialed in a particular frequency on her comlink. "It's time. Show me what you're really capable of."

    "Statement: I assure you that you will not be disappointed, Master."

    -----------

    The air blasted by Anakin's face as he pushed his speeder as fast as it could possibly go, other speeders around him whizzing by as he would barely miss them as he closed in on Bulq. And the good news for him was that we was in fact getting closer to him as the chase went on; even as Bulq tried to shake him with sudden turns, dives, and just trying to get traffic in between him and Anakin, Anakin was able to quickly compensate for his moves - and more importantly gain ground over him.

    Bulq made a hard left, but lost precious speed as his speeder was thrown in a different direction before taking off again, while Anakin instead eased off on the acceleration slightly and moved into a tighter turn, maintaining his speed before going back to full throttle. He couldn't help but crack a slight smile despite the circumstances; as it turned out his podracing days made him perfectly suited for a chase of this kind.

    The only problem, Anakin realized as he started to reach jumping distance of Bulq's speeder, was that it would be difficult to either fight him or force him down to ground in the middle of Courscant. Scanning the area around him Anakin tried to think of a plan-

    Though his thoughts were cut short when a blaster shot came in out of nowhere that Bulq narrowly dodged, only for a second bolt to hit his speeder's front. Now visibly damaged it began quickly losing altitude, though Anakin could tell that Bulq was aiming it for a landing pad that was several meters below them.

    "Hey Ani, I'm back. How goes it?" Ciaran's voice echoed through his mind.

    Well Bulq was shot down by someone - I'm assuming one of your people - though he's going to survive the landing, Anakin replied as he lowered his speeder, seeing the now burning hulk of Bulq's speeder skid across the landing pad as Bulq deftly leapt off of it. From what Anakin could tell he wasn't even particularly fazed, merely staring Anakin down as he landed on the platform.

    "You might want to disable your speeder. You win if the authorities get here and he can't get away."

    As Anakin landed, he punched through the dashboard and ripped out a cluster of wires, ensuring that the speeder he came in on couldn't be used again. After that he jumped out with his lightsaber drawn, facing down a curiously unarmed Bulq.

    "It would seem that you have more allies than I expected - no doubt that meddling woman wishes to see me dead as well."

    "Guilty as charged~"

    "Now then, if you wouldn't mind, may we continue the conversation we were having before?"

    "Sure. Drop your lightsaber, put your hands up, and come quietly."

    Bulq sighed dramatically. "You are unbearably naive, Skywalker. There is so much more about the Force that you do not understand."

    Anakin's face visibly darkened as his grip on his lightsaber tightened. "Master Bulq. I would consider your next words very carefully," Anakin said in an icily calm tone.

    "You fear the Dark Side because you do not understand it-"

    Without a word, Anakin charged forward, bringing his lightsaber down on Bulq only for him to quickly ignite his own and block the attack.

    "I know damn well what the Dark Side is like," Anakin hissed out as he held the blade lock. "I understand it far better than you could ever imagine."

    "Hmph, is that what you think?" Bulq replied before pushing Anakin away, taking a step back, and settling into a form that Anakin didn't recognize. "Allow me to demonstrate the power you claim you understand. Witness the ultimate lightsaber form, made possible only through the power of the Dark Side - Vaapad."

    Suddenly Bulq moved and the air seemed to be filled with a dozen different lightsabers - though as Anakin moved to block them he could tell that it wasn't an illusion or anything of the sort but rather because he was moving so fast he began to leave afterimages behind as he launched a relentless assault on Anakin with a pair of lightsabers - one of normal length and a much shorter blade. In response, Anakin grabbed the lightsaber he took from Skorr earlier and ignited it, using the extra blade to help him deflect Bulq's onslaught. While he was able to block them through sheer reflexes it was clear that he was quickly losing his ground.

    "Dammit...okay, Anakin, I have an idea. Wanna try to learn a new Force power on the fly?"

    Will it help me not die!?

    "Yes. Try and get some distance -"

    Anakin held out a hand and pushed with the Force, the shockwave knocking Bulq away though he was quickly getting back onto his feet.

    "Alright. Do you trust me?"

    I do.

    "Good. Now...focus the Force     inward."

    -----------

    In the safehouse Ciaran began to unconsciously breathe in slowly...

    -----------

    "Take in everything about your body. Its strengths, its weak points. Do you see them?"

    I...

    Anakin couldn't see anything, but he was able to get the sense that there were parts of his body that were stronger than others, that helped him fight and survive against someone like Bulq...

    I think so...

    "Breathe in, deeply. Then focus the Force on those strong points. Direct it. Channel it, and let it make you stronger. Faster."

    Anakin closed his eyes and took a deep breath like Ciaran instructed, then focused inward-

    His eyes snapped open.

    "Not bad for a first time. Now go kick his ass."

    As Bulq launched another flurry of attacks Anakin seemed to react to the attacks before he even processed them, managing to block the seemingly endless strikes coming from Bulq. With a gain in confidence Anakin started to make a push against Bulq, forcing him to start to react to Anakin's attacks instead of the other way around. Even so, and even though Anakin was able to barely keep up with Bulq, he wasn't able to find an opening in his defenses.

    Running out of options Anakin tried to push Bulq away again only for Bulq to counter it with a Force push of his own, the two blasts colliding and emitting a small shockwave that barely fazed the two men.

    Suddenly Bulq smiled. "I will not lie, your ability to withstand Vaapad is most impressive. But this ends here."

    With those words Bulq held a hand out and the world began to spin for Anakin...

    "Ohhh no. It's not going to be that easy."

    Anakin shook his head as he righted himself, staring Bulq down as he backed away from Anakin, visibly confused and frightened. "H-how!? My illusions-"

    Before he could say another word a blaster bolt flew threw the air aimed directly at Bulq's head. He managed to deflect the shot as he tried to make out any sign of the attacker -

    Only for the distinct sound of a grenade hitting the ground in between Anakin and Bulq to echo through the area. His battlefield reflexes taking over Anakin dove away and shut his eyes as the flashbang exploded, and as he turned back and his ears rang he noticed Bulq stumbling around, visibly disoriented.

    As Anakin readied himself for the attack he heard what sounded like a jetpack before noticing a rust-colored droid hover above the landing pad, a large blaster rifle in his hands.

    "Declaration: Eliminating the target."

    "I was wondering when he'd get here. Relax, he's one of mine."

    The droid suddenly opened fire, and while Bulq was beginning to recover slightly he was only barely able to block the blaster rounds being fired at him. Without hesitation Anakin charged forwards, going in for the kill. Bulq turned to block him as well, but faced with an attacker at close range and another at long range he was unable to muster up a coherent defense.

    It cost him dearly as a bolt cleanly hit his shoulder, throwing him off as Anakin sliced off his hand. Before he could react even more blaster rounds hit him, the droid showing no mercy as he poured fire into the one-time Jedi Master.

    By the time he was finished, the corpse was barely recognizable as that of Sora Bulq's.

    Warily looking at the droid as it touched down Anakin lowered his lightsabers though kept them ignited.

    "I suppose I should thank you..."

    "Introduction: I am HK-47, here to assist you with the termination of the now deceased Jedi meatbag. Clarification: Though at this stage, my duty now falls under ensuring that I am not detected by the authorities."

    "People are looking for him right now and expecting him to be alive," Anakin said, surprising and worrying himself about unfazed he was about what was happening right in front of him. "What am I supposed to say, that some random droid came here-"

    "To silence him, yes. Bulq was far too dangerous to let live. Sith stab each other in the back all the time, you can simply tell the Jedi that the Sith sent an assassin droid in to silence Bulq before anyone could get any more information out of him. It's even an accurate statement! Kind of. Barely."

    "Query: Were you trying to make a point, Jedi meatbag, or did you simply find no objection to my methods? I would naturally assume that it is the latter," HK said, his annoyance easily noticeable.

    "I...think I can work things out," Anakin said nervously, letting the tension leave his system as he turned off his lightsabers. "Just...just go. Please."

    Not even dignifying him with a response, HK activated his jetpack and flew away into the cityscape of Courscant. After that, Anakin breathed out and sat down, trying to process what had been happening over the past few hours.

    Ahsoka. She's safe, right?

    "She's right here Anakin. Once this blows over she'll be back in the Temple like none of this ever happened."

    Right...

    "...I can't stop her from going back, and I doubt you can either."

    I just don't know if...I just don't know.

    Anakin looked upwards dazedly as C-SEC speeders began to descend on the platform.

    AN: We're cliffhanging here because I want to get stuff out, there was a lot of action this update, and this is a great cutoff point.

    And for the record, yes, I did have the Sentinel's true identity in mind ever since she first showed up.
     
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