Hiss, pop, zap!
The training sabers smashed together in an electric rhythm. Two Jedi circled in the cargo bay of a small transport ship. Both of them were wearing their tight under-robes. Their steps were light, almost silent, on the metal floors. The older of the two, older by nearly two decades, lunged forward. His posture was that of control, calm, calculated. His strikes were rapid and used no motion that was not required. The younger, a woman, slim and lithe, danced backward with an inhuman grace. Her training saber swept from side to side, pushing each of the quick strikes to the side. Her counter attack was sudden. A counter thrust up the length of one of the deflected blows. As she leaned into the srike her long light brow hair trailed behind her, a small braid flashing forth from her loose ponytail. The older, and much taller, man cocked his head to the side. The dodge did not engage his feet at all. He gave no ground. The lightly electrified rod that served as the training weapon's blade passed so close to his face that the unkempt hair of the man's beard and head rose and stuck to it. With his blow only barely deflected he swept his weapon low and drove the mock blade into the woman's waist. A crackle was heard as the electricity flared. The young woman staggered to the side with a curse.
"That was a fine use of the counter thrust. You must remember, Kyra, your true foes will not be relying on only their senses to fight." the older man said as he switched off the power source of his training blade. He ran a hand up and through his graying hair, pushing it from his face.
"Yes, Master H'ruda." Kyra replied, rubbing her side lightly as she turned off her own saber. Her green eyes moved over to the form of her master with a touch of awe. She felt unworthy to be student. It was a thought that often passed her mind. He was the greatest Jedi Sentinel in the order. He had slain what seemed like countless Sith in his time with the Jedi. H'ruda often told her that she was his student because he could see the talent in her. As far as she could tell, it was true. She had sparred with other padawan in her time and had been by far the best of those she had faced. She had even assisted H'ruda in facing down the agents of the Dark Side, some true Sith among them. They had been victorious so far. However, in the presence of someone who seemed so connected to the Force she often felt like little more than a child. Her braid was to be cut soon, H'ruda said she was becoming more than a competent Jedi. Yet, stil by the side of what seemed like a father she had never known, she always seemed to find more lessons to learn. Lessons were good, and, the Force taught them to everyone. Kyra only worried that a lesson being taught through the red of a Sith lightsaber would not be one she could afford to learn the hard way. "Meditation?" Kyra asked, though, she knew what the answer was. She did not need the Force to predict their daily routine.
Master H'ruda nodded to his padawan, a small smile touching his aging face. The two Jedi placed their training weapons on the rack and sat across from each other on the metal floor. They folded their legs under their bodies and closed their eyes. H'ruda could feel Kyra's extension into the Force. Another smile crossed his lips as he extended his own mind into the Force. The Master pushed his mind outward. He could feel the pulses of the inner workings of the ship. He felt the navigation computer making minor corrections to their course as it received information from the galaxy navigation system. He pushed out beyond the ship and into the void that surrounded all life. His mind reached far into that void. The Master's mind touched those of another ship. This other ship was not like his own. It was smuggling vessel. He did not know why he knew this, he only accepted that the Force would inform him. The Force had never led him astray before. In that ship he felt three shadows. One was faint. He could not sense it all the time, either. That one was full of darkness. It sought out pleasure in destruction and found joy in the suffering of others. One was too connected. It could not let go. It obsessed over details and made poor choices just to avoid loss. It's weakness was its connection to the third shadow. The last was a pathetic thing. It was ravaged by desire and need. It was barely held togther by something that it could not control, and, it craved control. There was another on this ship as well. It was not as consumed as the others. It was a man. A man who would do anything to survive and keep its needs filled. It was an animal that wore a thinking thing's skin. H'ruda had seen countless souls like his. "Do you sense it?" the Master quietly asked his padawan.
"Yes, Master." Kyra nodded, even though she knew they both had their eyes closed. "We are two threads, Master. We have been tied together with the three. Our paths are to cross, it can not be changed. That is good. They will not avoid us this time." Kyra felt a cold anticipation for that moment when their paths would indeed cross. These three were not only tied to the two Jedi. They were connected by the will of something far darker than these three. It was a looming shadow over the Galaxy that sent out tendrils to force its own will. It was the way of the Sith. They were fearful. They feared reprisal and hid themselves in manipulations and secrets. It was why the Jedi had to fight them. Their connection to the Dark Side was only a symptom of their mentality. The jedi acted in the light and were part of society. They would serve the good of all and do so in plain view. The Sith sought to reshape the Galaxy in their own image, yet, they hid themselves and destroyed peace so that they could profit.
"I can sense your dislike for the Sith." H'ruda said in his rough whisper.
"I know Master. I just want to protect the Republic."
"Seek them out because they refuse to see reason and wisdom. If they devoted themselves properly they could be a stable force in the Galaxy just as we are. Feel no negativity toward them. They are manipulated children. Twisted by the will of those who want more power than their place in the Galaxy would afford them." H'ruda spoke with true belief. He did not hate the Sith, that would be what they wanted. It was what they thought about the Jedi. No, H'ruda felt sorry for them. They were all just people once. They had been taken early and turned into weapons for a cult of personality. The one who made them needed to be disarmed. If that could be done by making the poor souls he had corrupted lay down arms that was always the best solution. However, all too often these people had been turned into weapons in truth. The lightsaber did not ask to be switched on, it merely complied with the will of its wielder. It was a shame and a waste of life.
"Yes, Master." Kyra breathed as she cleared the negative thoughts from her mind. This task was one she had been attempting for some time. This time, it seemed to work. Her need to stop the Sith was replaced with a sad compassion for them. She finally saw them for what H'ruda did. Just poor souls that needed instruction, but, were often to far gone to see wisdom. Her mind was drawn to the alert that would soon echo through the ship. They were nearing the target and would need to assume manual control of the ship. Kyra's eyes slowly opened, seeing her Master's almost gray eyes looking back at her. "We are nearing our destination." she whispered to the aging Jedi. He nodded in response to her.
"You have made progress. I think there is little more I can teach you. This will be your final task." as soon as H'ruda finished speaking the alert lights came on in the cargo hold. A robotic voice echoed over the small ship's intercom. 'AUTOMATED NAVIGATION TASK COMPLETE... MANUAL CONTROL REQUIRED
Kyra stood. "I will see to the helm, Master." H'ruda nodded as his padawan stepped form the hold and into the small connecting hall of the ship. He stood, stepped over to his dark brown robe and plucked it from the rack. His slid his slender arms into the flowing garment and exhaled a long breath. He could feel a powerful shift in the Force. This would change both of their lives forever. H'ruda clipped his old green saber to his belt and moved to join Kyra in the cockpit.
As Kyra brought the ship into the atmosphere she was struck withe beauty of Korpus V. It was long stretches of untended jungle dotted with small outposts. The padawan turned the ship downward and the Temple came into view. She felt her breath catch at the sight of it. Her time in the academy on Dantoine was a pale imitation of what she saw here. It had steep walls of gray and white stone, perfectly polished and gleaming in the warm sunlight. "It's beautiful." she muttered. H'ruda placed a large thin hand on her shoulder, "It is indeed, Kyra. It is a symbol. It is the rise of the Jedi. It must be protected. More students reside here than in any other temple." his gray eyes scanned the building. It was defensable. He saw a number of small anti-air towers and a few small barracks sitting near the temple complex itself. The Galaxy had been at war, yet, it had never come here. The peace here was about to be shattered. H'ruda reached out for the comm panel just before the light that signaled an incoming call illuminated. He tapped the accept button and a voice came over the channel.
"Master H'ruda." the calm voice on the other end of the line said. "We have you cleared to land on bay 3. I have also began the preparations you requested. The towers are armed and the men ready. We await your arrival."
"Thank you, Master Yaldorn." H'ruda responded. He knew the Jedi Guardian well. They had been in the same class of students long ago. He was a Twi'lek, quick to smile and laugh. He enjoyed the Twi'lek's company. Not only that but he knew the man was a powerful duelist. The two had sparred many times. H'ruda had found he could win the majority of their bouts, but, they were always close. H'ruda credited this to his use of Makashi, a style designed to face down foes with lightsabers and Force affinity. Master Yaldorn favored defensive art of Shien and Sorressu. They were effective forms, but, H'ruda had faced down many foes with sabers in bouts that would have ended in his own death if he was not careful. He had also developed an interesting technique where one switched the blade of your saber off and back on again. It was one of the only weapons you could do that with. He called it Vanishing Blade. He had taught it to Kyra and she had taken to it well. Her instincts were peerless in any Jedi he had met. The padawan seemed to have a connection to the Force rather rare. One H'ruda had and had cultivated. He knew she would be a force for Light just like he had, maybe even more than he had.
The familiar hiss of the rear hatch opening sounded all around the two Jedi. The pressurized air of the cargo chamber rushed from the opening hatch, rustling the brown robes of the young woman and her Master. Natural light poured into the dim chamber as the two stepped from the small ship. The day was mild and sweet with the scents of the surrounding jungle. Everything seemed so peaceful. Kyra walked across the small landing pad with her Master, to her left and slightly ahead of her. He was a good deal taller than she was and often out-strode her. She had learned quickly that walking slow was almost always out of the question though. She had longer legs than most her size, but, that mattered little compared to her towering master. He seemed to float forward with the calculated grace that can only exist in one utterly connected to the Force. Kyra, quickly pattered after him.
A small number of rather surprised care takers approached. One of them, an old man, held a data-pad and kept darting his eyes down to it and then back to the two Jedi. "Excuse me, Master H'ruda?" it was less a question of who he was, but, more of why are you here. "We received your messages about a threat coming to Korpus V, But-" the old man was cut off by a voice from the stairs to the landing pad. "Helon, this Jedi is not one to question when it comes to the presence of the Dark Side." H'ruda's were drawn to the form a smaller human man with flowing brown robes that were a smaller version of what H'ruda and Kyra wore.
"Knight Geoff." the Master nodded to him. The Jedi knight that had entered stepped onto the pad smiled in greeting at the two other Jedi. "I did not know you would be here. Teaching the children now?" H'ruda stepped past the small group that set were starting to set about their work on the shuttle. He extended his hand to Geoff who clasped it tightly.
"I wish we could meet less often though. You always seem to arrive just as I need some significant help." the Jedi Knight laughed lightly before he looked over at Kyra. She had a smile to match his own. He extended his hand to her and she took it, "I see you are still trailing our illustrious Master as well. Nearly done with your training now, aren't you?"
Kyra nodded eagerly to the short man. He was just a tiny bit shorter than her. Kyra liked Geoff. She had met him a few times before. Each time the Consular seemed to have gotten himself in over his head. "Yes indeed. Once we are done with helping you, again, I should be a full Knight, like you." Kyra emphasized the word 'again' in a playful manner causing the Consular to laugh.
"Hopefully you do not end up with my luck though." he released her hand flexing his hand. He forgot how strong the girl was. They had sparred before and she had bested him in every bout. He figured that was what would happen when you were trained by one of the greatest duelists the Galaxy had ever seen. His command of the Force was potent, but, even that seemed only just barely exceed this young woman's command of it. She was a prodigy. Handed to a legendary Master. Her destiny was for great things indeed.
H'ruda looked on the exchange of the two Jedi and smiled slightly. He wanted things to be like this for them without change. Yet, just as quickly as the thought entered his mind, he let it go. Things were going to change no matter how this day turned out. H'ruda only wished that he could warn Jedi Consular that he saw death in him. He knew the idea would only worry him more though. He would face down his fate with the training and practice he had been given. It was all any of them could do. "Your padawan is here as well then? He is nearing the end of his training if memory serves me."
Geoff turned his attention back Master H'ruda, "Still sharp as ever Master. He is with the children now. Preparing them for the coming storm." Master H'ruda nodded to him in appoval, and, felt the pride that exuded from the younger Jedi from the simple gesture. "Come. I will take you to Master Yaldorn. He is seeing to the defense forces now." Geoff turned and began to walk down the stairs he had acended earlier. H'ruda and Kyra followed after the Consular.
The door of the temple complex hissed open with responsive alertness as the three Jedi neared it. "Kyra,"
"Yes Master?"
"Lock each door we pass with Jedi code Zeta."
Kyra complied, turning from the group and quickly locking the door with a standard Jedi cipher. It would not be anything that a student or Jedi could not unlock with ease. However, to an intruder the code would take even a skilled slicer some time to overcome. It was a delaying measure. Kyra could feel the anticipation building in her. She knew this battle would not go well for them. She could feel it looming in the Force. They would need every advantage they could get. Kyra quickly turned and hurried to rejoin the two other Jedi. As soon as she had arrived H'ruda spoke again."Go to the children. Assist Geoff's padawan with getting them ready. Take them to lowest dormatory in the temple."
Kyra looked over to her Master, now sensing his own anxiety about the coming battle. She wished she could speak to him about it. Kyra did not ask any questions though. She knew time was short already. "Yes, Master." she said before stepping away from the group and following her drawing through the Force. She locked every door she passed on the way to common hall.
Geoff and H'ruda walked in silence as they stepped from hall to hall. The sense of impending danger had crept into the minds of both the Jedi. Geoff was nervous. He felt much better now that H'ruda had arrived. Before the Master had shown up Geoff had spent more time than he needed in meditation. He used it to calm his nerves. He could feel the darkness H'ruda had warned them of in his mind. It was a small thing, like a whisper from across the room. Now it was all he could think about. The front door of the atrium opened up, filling the room with the humid air of the outside jungle. H'ruda looked down the long stair case of the Temple and saw a line of defense soldiers being spoken to by a familiar green and red skinned Jedi. His moist skin caught the golden light of the sun and shined. The Twi'lek Guardian had both of his head tails tucked under his chin and flowing backward over his shoulders, crossed over his throat.
"The foes you will face will be Force Adept. They will use trickery and overwhelming force." Master Yaldorn said to the group of assembled soldiers, "You have recieved training to face these kinds of enemies. Use it. Keep your support teams at a safe distance and use them to provide support fire. Keep them distracted and use your explosives. Do not worry about saving them for armored targets. This will almost certainly be a strike team. Refrain from using your blasters if you can. Some of our foes may be able to deflect them. Leave that to the support teams. Focus on flanking them and putting them down with single shots from the side, or, use your thermal detonators. You have the force of justice and protection on your side. We will prevail. May the Force be with you." the Twi'lek turned from the men as his old friend H'ruda stepped down the last step. Yaldorn's thick lips pulled back into a needle=tooth filled smile. "Old friend." he said stepped forward to meet H'ruda.
"No need to remind me of my age, Yaldorn." H'ruda said with a forced smile. He wondered if the Guardian could not sense the impeding danger. No, that was not like Yaldorn at all. He could sense it too. He just had the good sense to keep a confident face on in front of the soldiers. H'ruda respected the Guardian's skill when it came to leading and understanding soldiers. Sentinels often worked alone, hunting the Dark in the shadows. Yaldorn specialty was what most people saw. The Guardians were the face of the Order. They fought side by side with soldiers. They served as generals and officers in the Republic in times of strife. The Sentinel kept his face as a mask of confidence for the men around them.
"Our age you mean." Yaldorn said clapping H'ruda on the shoulder, "Do not forget we were both in the same class back in those days on Dantoine." Yaldorn turned back to the men he had assembled. He took a step to the side and pointed one of his thick and powerful arms out at H'ruda. "You see here? This is my old friend, Master H'ruda." the men straighten slightly. They had heard that name before. They only knew small things about the elusive Jedi Sentinels. They did, however, know H'ruda's reputation as a master Sith hunter. "This man sensed the coming threat through the Force from lightyears away. He gave us ample warning and now, now, he stands with us against this threat. H'ruda has slain scores of Sith. This will pass and we will all laugh about how foolish they were to strike against the Republic by dinner time. The Force is our ally..." Yaldorn paused for a moment and awaited the return call. He smiled as the men bellowed it out.
"And a powerful ally it is!"
Yaldron turned back to face his old friend and took a deep breath. The three Jedi began to ascend the steps again. "Is this battle going to go as I feel it?" Yaldorn asked, hoping for H'ruda to assuage his doubts. The Master had always done that for him. They had known each other for many years now. H'ruda had always been a rock in the storm for him. The one man who never seemed to bend no matter how fiercely the wind ripped at them.
"We have preparation and foreknowledge on our side, Master Yaldorn. We have done all we can. Now, the Force will work and we shall be victorious." H'ruda spoke quietly and seriously. He believed that. He knew the fight would be easy, or, without loss. However, he could sense their eventual victory. The Force promised that to him. they would have victory. If only he could figure exactly what victory meant.
"Yes." Yaldorn nodded. "I will see to the defense of the inner temple. Geoff and his padawan will be imbedded in the temple defense forces. We will be victorious. What will you do, H'ruda?"
"I will send Kyra with the children and have her guard them, she is good with children and stalwart of will. I will walk the halls. I will lock every door I come across with Code Zeta. I will seek out our most dangerous foes and engage them. With their center crushed the weaker among their number will flee. Did you send communication to the garrison? Will they send support?" H'ruda looked over at Yaldorn as they climbed the steps.
"I did. They assured me they would send support if their scouting vessel spotted any trouble. I think they will be seeing plenty of trouble indeed." The Guardian touched his hand to the double sided blue saber he had on his belt. The touch brought some measure of peace to him as they reached the door to the temple.
"Then we have done all we can. The Force be with you." H'ruda said, extending his hand to the Twi'lek.
Yaldorn clasped the Master's hand in his. Glad for the touch of an old friend. He could feel the power of H'ruda radiating outward in the Force and took strength from it. "May the Force also be with you, Master." his tone had a reverence in it that H'ruda had not expected. It was almost as if the Guardian was speaking to the Counsel of Masters.
The three Jedi moved off in different direction. They all had their tasks in mind, focusing on the battle that was to come. It loomed closer and closer as each moment passed.
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