Within his small, barely decorated and dimly lit room, Rylos sat perplexed upon a cold hard stone bench. He was hunched forward, his elbows resting on his knees whilst his hands supported his head. He, like many others in the Temple, had felt the sudden shift in the force as the Jedi masters fell. If anything Rylos felt it more, as he picked up on the reactions of those around him; what he couldn’t feel himself, he could feel through them. Now however he seemed to be more focussed on the anxiety and fear that surrounded the temple and which seemed to seep into the hearts of even the most seasoned Jedi. It was worrying that so many Jedi were allowing such dark emotions to fester, and for Rylos that was a far greater threat than whatever was approaching. 

[b]“Rylos? Are you there?”[/b] a hazy and whispering voice suddenly interjected the bleak silence, and Rylos looked up to see a familiar face suddenly on the wall-mounted communication pad. The face belonged to Drelos Fry, a young human male that worked for the Senate Bureau of Intelligence. He was a friend and Rylos believed he could trust him – no – Rylos [i]knew[/i] he could trust him. The young Jedi double checked the door was locked before walking over the pad to find out what his comrade had learned. 

[b]“Agent Fry”[/b] he greeted with a small nod, [b]“What news do you have? Have you located Isard?”[/b] 

Agent Fry looked away nervously for a moment, clearly trying to find the right words to say. [b]“I’m afraid I’ve not been able to locate Isard; in fact I’ve not been able to so much as contact my friends in higher places. We received word of some sort of attack at the Republic Executive Building a little while ago and since then it’s like everything’s gone dark… that was until we were given new orders.”[/b] Fry’s eyes once again drifted away from the screen and he seemed to grow even more anxious. 

[b]“What orders?”[/b] Rylos asked, his voice firm. Whatever was happening within SBI, it probably wasn’t good and he knew it must have had something to do with the arrest of Palpatine. 

[b]“We’ve been ordered to begin compiling dossiers on every Jedi and to begin tracking them. Rylos, something bad is happening and you need to get yourself to safety!”[/b] Fry’s voice became more raised than he intended, and he looked around cautiously for any prying ears. 

Rylos on the other hand stood eerily still, completely stunned by the revelation. His agape mouth quickly dried up and he had to clear it before speaking, [b]“Thank you for all of your assistance Agent Fry. You’ve been a good friend. This may be the last time we talk for a while. Keep safe and don’t do anything to get yourself in trouble. Goodbye.”[/b] his voice was flat and robotic, and as his message came to an end he ended the communication, cutting of Fry before he could respond in kind. Right now Rylos needed to consult with Leneer; she was wiser and could make more sense of everything that was going on. He headed out of his room and began quick-marching towards the nearest landing pad, the same pad which his master always used out of convenience. If she hadn’t arrived by now she soon would.

A bitter chill awaited Rylos as he exited the Temple walls and strolled onto the small landing pad, forcing him to wrap his robes tighter. The weather was not the only surprise however, for occupying the entire pad was a republic Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry (or LAAT/I for short). Rylos stopped about half way between the door back into the Temple and the squad of clones, trying to assess why they were there. 

[b]“Who’s in charge here?”[/b] Rylos shouted over wind, prompting a couple of the clones to stroll over. Rylos could sense something off about the squad; they weren’t fearful (they never seemed to show fear), but they all seemed to be filled with a sense of anticipation. Like they knew more about what was coming than the Jedi inside did. 

[b]“Hello Sir, I’m Sergeant Gratton. Please go back inside, the Temple is now on lockdown.”[/b] said the squads leader as he and another approached the Jedi. The two clones had a sense of determination about them and, although very subtle, both of them had their hands placed near their weapons. [b]“We’re here to protect you.”[/b] claimed the Sergeant when the Jedi didn’t follow the order. 

Rylos tilted his head slightly, his face a mixture of confusion and concern [b]“…You’re lying?”[/b]

That was it, the façade was over, the curtain lifted. The two clones quickly reached for their weapons, wishing to quickly and quietly silence the troublesome Jedi. They were not fast enough though, for the Empath sensed their moves before they even made them. He sensed their sudden sense of fear, their peak in awareness and their focus; a combination he had long-ago learned to associate with a sudden attack. Rylos swung his lightsaber up in a quick arc, activating it half-way through the swing, the yellow beam cutting through the clone’s blasters like butter. It was the perfect example of sun djem. Without giving the clones a chance to react, Rylos then sent the two of them flying back with a force push. 

[b]“Stop him!”[/b] roared one of the other clones that had been watching the conversation closely. Within seconds the six or seven other clones began firing at Rylos as he quickly back-stepped towards the temple. The Jedi swung his lightsaber around frantically, utilising Form III to deflect the blaster shots. There was too much fire for him to try redirect the blasts back at his opponents and too much for him to keep up his defence for any period of time. Rylos almost fully exerted himself as he managed to retreat back into the safety of the Temple, using the force to break a security panel and causing the door to enter lock-down mode. It would not hold them for long, but it give him time to move, time to warn the others… or at least it would were it not already too late. Already he could hear fire from other parts of the temple and in rapid succession he began to feel connections in the force become severed.