[IC] You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

[freedomliveson]

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he could surmise a guess when they were herded onto the planet's surface. Cruisers screamed above their heads leaving trails of engine exhaust that glimmered in the sun's rays, towers jutted up in the distance beyond the dense treeline that they were slowly headed towards thanks to their Sith captors. The finishing touch was the singular skyscraper that towered above all the other buildings on the horizon, the wide base narrowing up to a point at the very top. The Saber, one of the largest Republic command posts in all the Core worlds had played host to several young Jedi knights who were selected to accompany elite squadrons of troops into the field. One of those knights had been a wide-eyed twenty year old Yerbol who had been awarded the title only a few days prior to his send-off.

We're on Rendii. There's a Republic outpost in the distance, but that's about it. Actually a pretty convenient place to dump us. They probably want to infiltrate the compound somehow. That's after they kill us, of course. Efficiency, right?

He could feel Aria's consternation bubble up right after his statement, his companion informing him that they didn't have their weapons. That made sense. Why on earth would the Sith leave two marked enemies of their order with their weapon of choice?

The rest of her plan, although idealistic, was as solid as it could be. Executing it would be difficult, but they were on their feet, so the sedative had to be wearing off slowly. As they got closer to the forested area which would serve as their potential resting place, the young Knight placed his left foot(it could move freely!) in front of his right, effectively tripping over himself. One of the two Sith behind them hissed, shouting:
"Help me get the big one up! No way am I going to do this by myself." The ebony haired Sith continued walking forward, confident in the ability of her underlings to secure a drugged Jedi. Yerbol pushed against the ground, smirking as he felt blood pulsating throughout his extremities. He and Aria's meditations must have cleared most of the sedative out of his system.

Oh he was going to enjoy this.

"Come on, up!" Both of the Sith grabbed Yerbol by the arms, dragging him from the ground to standing. What they didn't expect were both of his elbows smashing backwards into their guts, blood spurting out of one of their mouths as they stumbled backwards, fumbling for their sabers. He spun, striking the assailant on his right with an open palm to the nose followed by a resounding jab to the chest, a sickening crack echoing through the clearing. Black-haired Sith turned, scowling as she drew her saber.
"I wanted to bury you both in the forest, but I suppose this will have to do." She ran towards the upstart Jedi, hand thrusting forward with a projection of energy following that blasted Yerbol past both Aria and the other Sith, who had ignited her blade and held it at Aria's throat with a sly smile.
"Don't think about moving. We want you to see your friend die at the hand of our Master." The black-haired Master leaped into the air, aiming downwards only to plunge her weapon into the dirt, Yerbol rolling out of the way a millisecond before her blow connected. He stumbled to his feet before having to dodge a strike to his left, then to his right, then again to his left. The third blow left her midsection exposed, which Yerbol promptly attacked with his right fist, knocking the wind out of the brash attacker. He followed up with another blow to the midsection, this time from his left knee before a solid forearm blow to the sternum. Sinking to her knees, the Knight couldn't help but chuckle.
"Hand to hand not a way of the 'True Sith', eh?" As he raised a fist for the finishing blow, the black haired woman extended a leg, sweeping Yerbol off his feet before sliding her other leg around his mid-section, squeezing as tightly as he could around his waist. He could feel his muscles contracting under the pressure, arms attempting to separate the grip she had.

Ok, so maybe he needed SOME help...

[The Elvenqueen]

Rendii? she'd never heard of it, but if it was a Republic owned planet then that was no surprise. They passed under the tree canopy, and Aria felt a looming sense of dread that this would be the place where the True Sith would end up finishing them off for good. It was now or never. She managed to throw a glance sideways at Yerbol in time to see him plummet towards the ground, only to be heaved back to his feet by two of the Sith guards, the Knight choosing that moment to turn and fight back against their guides. Her head was clear and her limbs nimble enough now that Aria could follow suit, though she froze momentarily when the saber was placed at her throat. Of course, merely waving a lightsaber in her direction wouldn't be enough to deter Aria, she simply had to pause and give a moment's further thought to the predicament while Yerbol and the dark-haired Master scuffled not far off.

Despite their apparent broad skillset in every other aspect of combat, without her weapon it seemed that Yerbol had the advantage, a series of powerful blows to the woman's torso quickly overbalancing her and knocking her to the ground. As Yerbol stopped to gloat over the victory, she caught him off guard and soon the duel turned back in the Sith's favor. Cringing in apparent dismay at the beginner's error the Knight had made, Aria decided she couldn't bear to watch any longer as Yerbol struggled frantically to get out of the Sith woman's grip. Aria sucked in a sharp breath, bringing one arm back to drive her elbow into her captor's ribs. The woman yelped, balking under the impact which allowed Aria to turn sharply and wrestle the lightsaber from her hand.
She tried to run the blade through the woman's chest immediately afterwards to finish her off, but the swing was clumsy; somehow the weapon felt heavier and altogether unco-ordinated in Aria's grip. Gritting her teeth, she compensated by putting more force behind the blow, a second try slicing cleanly through the woman's midsection. The lightsaber blade crackled loudly at the contact with its owner's flesh, as if in protest, the hilt suddenly becoming white hot so Aria had to yelp in discomfort and abruptly drop it to the floor beside the lifeless body.

"Ow, dammit!" she hissed, patting her singed palm against her vest until the stinging abated enough for her to return to freeing Yerbol from his predicament. Aria thrust out a hand, eyes narrowed as she focused her attack on the black-haired Master's throat, wasting no time in constricting it as much as she could. The Sith's eyes widened, a strangled cry of agony escaping her as she released her hold on Yerbol's torso, unable to maintain it with the amount of pressure Aria was exerting on her windpipe. She gurgled uncomfortably, rolling onto her side as she tried to right herself but instead ended up doubling over again and coughing up a mouthful of blood, before her eyes rolled back and she fell still.
Aria skirted around black-haired Sith to offer a hand down to Yerbol, her lips pressed together in a tight, thin smile.
"Don't the Jedi teach you to keep moving your feet when you brawl someone?!" she snapped at him, though there was obvious concern in her tone and her voice quickly softened as she asked, more calmly. "You okay, Bol? Did she break anything?" She couldn't feel any obvious sensations of pain through their bond, but that wasn't to say that he had no injuries at all, perhaps he had managed to mask them while they were focused on getting rid of the Sith that had been charged with their execution.

"Our sabers are probably back on the shuttle, we shouldn't hang around waiting." she added quickly after helping to pull Yerbol back onto his feet. "Soto's probably way ahead of us already."

[freedomliveson]

He returned the smile weakly, shaking his head at her questions.
"No, not that I can feel anyway...and to answer your question, yes, they do. I just got carried away." The smile disappeared upon mention of the shuttle, nodding.
"Maybe, BUT we have the element of surprise. Being thought dead can be very helpful for sneaking into a super secret meeting that will probably change the course of history in the galaxy forever." He took a step forward before he felt a pinching in his lower abdomen which grew worse on another step.
"Probably did do some damage, then." He grunted, placing his hand on the affected area as he tried to keep up with his companion in their rush to the shuttle. As he climbed onboard, he couldn't help but look back at the military complex that appeared to be oblivious to the Jedi genocide that had occurred just a few hours away. Were there True Sith operatives in Rendii as well? Were they brainwashing new recruits to reject the Jedi and embrace a world without Force users attempting to wrestle control from the "real government" established by the Republic? A small part of him wanted to forge ahead into the outpost and root out whatever operatives were there in a righteous crusade against injustice. But they had bigger things to worry about, which was accentuated by the bay door closing. Right.

He stumbled ahead towards the cockpit, situating himself in the pilot's chair before finding the navigation unit. Coordinates popped up on screen along with a star map that projected from a center console on the dashboard.
"Odd..." He checked the coordinates, then traced the projected route.
"The coordinates are for...Manaan?" Befuddled, he turned to Aria.
"Why on earth would the True Sith have any concern for a planet filled with neutral Selkath who-" His eyes widened.
"Oh...oh that would make sense, wouldn't it?" He turned his full attention to the shuttle dashboard, talking as he punched in destination coordinates and prepared for take-off:
"The Selkath would LOVE this, wouldn't they? They've never had any love for the Jedi OR the Sith thanks to the checkered history both our Orders have had with the planet. If the Republic and the Empire asked for a secret, quiet place to meet to talk about a peaceful union before placing a target on every Jedi and Sith's backs? They'd probably break their own bloody 'neutrality agreements' in order to make sure every Force user was either imprisoned or buried." The shuttle rose, Yerbol inputting hyperspace coordinates as he asked:
"Think you can forage around the shuttle, see if we can find any clue as to where the meeting is being held? I have a feeling that if we touched down on Manaan's surface without some direction, we'd get a very colorful welcome involving blaster rifle fire."

The nav unit predicted only three hours between Rendii and Manaan, which meant they had very limited time to come up with a plan AND recover from their latest skirmish. Yerbol had taken up to laying on one of the three row/benches in the passenger area, stretching out his back and torso as much as he could. He then realized that in the past three days, he remembered only laying down once.

This was nice. Not getting thrown around by a vicious monster. Or getting vice gripped by a True Sith with the leg strength of a thousand humans.

"You know, you ought to try this whole 'laying down' thing. I forgot how wonderful it was." He closed his eyes, breathing deeply to hopefully stimulate some kind of healing energies within his body.
"Also, any luck on the foraging bit? If we have to hit the ground running, that's fine, but I sure would love a crumb to go on."

[The Elvenqueen]

She nodded, keeping up the brisk pace as they returned to the shuttle, while Yerbol shouldered his way through into the cockpit area, Aria cast her gaze around for their discarded weapons as the door thudded gently shut after them. Finding them wrapped up in a spare cloak, she returned hers to the clips on her belt and hurried to join Yerbol as he inspected the recent inputs on the navigation unit. The grid co-ordinates for Manaan flashed up on the display, causing a moment of confusion between the duo. Aria was still thinking about it when the perplexed expression left Yerbol's face and the Knight promptly offered what sounded to her like a very reasonable justification for the Selkath allowing the True Sith to use their homeworld as a meeting place.

"No kidding, I bet those fish-faces have been itching to get rid of both Orders for centuries." she scoffed in agreement, hovering at Yerbol's shoulder while he worked with the shuttle's controls. "What better way to maintain an outward appearance of being 'unbiased'? Nobody would ever suspect the Selkath of condoning mass genocide, after all." she threw the question over her shoulder as she turned to head back to the main compartment when he mentioned looking through the craft for clues about the chosen meeting place.
Initially, there appeared to be very little evidence left for the duo to work with, leading to a few muttered expletives as Aria sifted through the storage compartments in a desperate attempt to find something, anything, to point them in the right direction.

The shuttle clattered into hyperspace, knocking her off balance and sending Aria tumbling into a footlocker beneath a row of benches that she hadn't spotted at first. Sitting up again, she flipped open the lid to investigate its contents. At first glance, it was just as much a red herring as every other crevice she had checked, if not for the key cards tucked quite discreetly beneath a stack of holodisks.
A relieved grin spread out across her features, Aria snatched the stack of cards out of the footlocker and turned to re-join her companion in the cockpit only to find Yerbol had stretched himself out on one of the rows of seats in the main seating area behind her after putting the spacecraft on autopilot. She chuckled in amusement at his suggestion, settling herself on the row opposite him so she could stretch out her legs. Despite the metal surface being hard under her head, they had spent such a considerable amount of time on their feet in the past few days that it didn’t matter. Just having the chance to relax without worrying about who or what was going to be coming after them next was satisfying in and of itself.

When the topic was directed towards her luck in her search, Aria rolled onto her side to face the young Knight, waving the plastic cards in his direction.
“These look like military-issue security passes to me. They must be using an old military compound somewhere on the planet.” she paused, lips pursed together in thought, before adding on. “I know the Sith used to have an old complex on Manaan quite a few decades ago, it was abandoned after Revan killed Malak, though. We could look there first.” she suggested.

[freedomliveson]

"And how would you know that?" He gave her a teasing smirk as he added:
"Then again, should I really be surprised? I have a feeling that your tenacity has enabled you to discover a number of things that the Sith would have wanted to hide from a rising Acolyte." Yerbol chuckled, sitting up and stretching his arms overhead, wincing at the pain that flickered up his obliques. He would have to use some of the time they had remaining to fall into a healing trance and pray very, very hard to the Force and any associated deities that whatever the Sith woman had done to him would at least be mediated somewhat. He wouldn't be very effective in a fight if he had to stop every few moments and bend over in agony. To distract him from the pain of the stretch, he followed up on Aria's discovery:
"Well, if they are using an abandoned complex, then it would more than likely be out of sight, right? We can assume that the holonet announcement was more of a public awareness thing more than a 'come and watch us make history!' declaration. That would mean..." He sighed.
"Please tell me that we won't have to go underwater. There's something about descending into a world mainly composed of water that frightens me. You hear about some of the nasty things that are rumored to live down there? Sharks the size of banthas, Wookies that can breathe underwater and use the sea floor as their eternal hunting ground and...well, you get the point." He quickly added:
"Not that I won't be able to fend them off or anything...cause you know, Jedi powers and all that." The Knight laid backwards once more, relieving himself of the stretch that was beginning to threaten his mobility even further.
"Assuming...ASSUMING that we can get there, ASSUMING that we can fend off any True Sith that get in our way and ASSUMING that we wind up in front of this council, what on earth are we going to tell them? We tried presenting the same evidence to the Jedi council and they shooed us out with vague promises. How do you think THIS council, convened by True Sith who will more than likely be in the room when we get there, will respond? I know the Republic would probably dismiss, then arrest us for trespassing and who knows where we go from there, but the Empire? We'd be lucky if we managed to slice two of the imperial guard before we were either gunned down, run through or sliced open." His head turned again, betraying the wave of worry that manifested itself in his face.
"We need a plan, Ari. Something that'll actually give us some hope as to whether or not we're going to see tomorrow." Pausing, he chuckled.
"That was...awfully melodramatic. Lysa always told me I had a flare for it." Lysa. That was a name he had buried in the midst of hopping from battle to battle. His feelings were still mixed on the subject, but discussing it with Aria would be for another time. They needed to focus. No, HE needed to focus.
"Right, planning, so how do we do this? I'd prefer stealth. We are DEAD after all." An idea came to mind...
"So this...this is going to be one of the more daring ploys I have, but I would assume that there would be information about this in the Republic embassy, right? Probably in the Imperial one as well. I'm not comfortable trying to go for both, seeing as it'll double our chances of discovery. Which one do you want to risk?"

[The Elvenqueen]

She grinned back at him, feigning innocence as she leaned back against the backrest of one of the seats. "Hey, it's not MY fault if I just HAPPENED to see some stuff my dad left lying around!" Aria protested, letting out a quiet breath as she tilted her head up towards the ceiling, her thoughts wandering towards what might happen once they landed on Manaan in the next hour or so. She considered the possibility of the True Sith brethren wanting to keep the gathering itself hidden from the general public. It made sense. Couldn't have a Jedi or Sith lord accidentally stumbling upon them mid-conference and interfering now, could they?
It was a good tactic for building up the hype amongst the citizens as well, everyone would be chomping at the bit to get in on the final verdict coming out of this meeting. Indeed it would seem that resentment towards Force sensitives by those who didn't feel the Force themselves was actually quite common in the galaxy, from the reactions that were being broadcasted all over the HoloNet.

Aria flipped her head sideways to look at him, dumbfounded, for a moment as Yerbol made mention of various underwater horror stories...then proceeded to crack up laughing.
"Really, Bol?!" she snickered, wiping away a tear from the corner of one eye as she finally calmed her laughter enough to speak again, "REALLY? You know that the whole underwater Wookiee thing is complete and utter bollocks, right?" although, from the look on his face, it told her that he DID actually believe there were Wookiees stalking around under there. "The sharks, I could believe...but Wookiees? Think about that for a second, Bol. They need to breathe air just like we do, they'd never survive properly underwater. Not with having to come up to breathe, those giant sharks'd make a meal of 'em in minutes."

She snorted, falling quiet as she tried to think up a plan as well. This was going to be much trickier than presenting the evidence back to the Jedi Council had been...She fought down the crippling feeling of guilt as his sister's name entered the conversation again, now that they had spent more time getting to know each other and learnt to get along, it made coming to terms with what she had done so much harder. Her father had been right, ending someone's life was so much easier when it was impersonal, without concern for the relatives who would have to cope without them. Swallowing awkwardly, she banished the thoughts to the recesses of her mind (hopefully before Yerbol would pick up on them...) returning to the predicament at hand.

Aria knitted her hands together, resting them over her torso as she listened to Yerbol's proposed strategy, piping up to offer her own additions to it. At least it seemed they could agree on one thing: stealth, while they still had the opportunity to use it, was of paramount importance.
"I think you're right, it's important to make sure people keep thinking we're dead for as long as possible, I mean...nobody's going to come looking for us that way so I think we should make the most of it." an almost childish grin flickered across her features as she added. "I always did want to be a ninja at least once before I died for real." Now, as to which of the two embassy's was more easily infiltrated, she could only make a vague guess. "There's a good chance Lord Bracknell might make an appearance at this conference, if he's hanging around the Sith embassy then his personal guard will be too, and believe me, if we run into them we WILL be dead." it wasn't a chance worth taking, in her opinion. They were far too skilled, and would likely cut the pair to ribbons or Force choke them before they'd even know what had happened.

The navcomputer in the cockpit blipped loudly to announce their drop from hyperspace, the blue watery world of Manaan looming in the distance as their small shuttle trundled towards it.
"I say we take our chances at the Republic embassy, troopers are easier to deal with, right?" with a reluctant groan, Aria hauled herself up into a sitting position, giving her muscles a few last-minute stretches before getting to her feet once more. "I'll get us landed and docked, if you want." she offered with a weak smile. It was hard not to miss his discomfort, with the connection that now existed between them. Whatever damage had occured when that True Sith woman had his torso in a lock was clearly more serious than simple muscle cramps and he would need all the rest he could get to recover from it. Even though it would only buy him a few more minutes at best, she hoped it would still make a difference.

They would need to be as limber and fast as possible to get through this without being spotted.

[freedomliveson]

"You're a gentlewoman and a scholar." He mumbled at her suggestion, raising his right arm and jutting his thumb up in the air. At this juncture, any and all assistance from her would be greatly appreciated.
"Going to slip into a weird trance. I'm probably to mumble, maybe flail a bit. Just ignore me." He closed his eyes, focusing as much as he could on allowing his body to sink past the cold metal of the bench, to focus his mind on the rejuvenation that comes from only being one with the Force, one with the entirety of the universe. His Master's words lilted through his consciousness, telling him to relax, to allow the Force flow through every fiber of his being, to give into the softness, the serenity of what it can provide. Already he could feel muscle fibers in his abdomen and upper thighs unwind, knots that were once bound up releasing. Microfractures were repairing themselves and-

You should not be here, young one.

Blood chilled in his veins, the once comforting silence replaced by a crushing presence, one that would threaten to wipe his entire essence out in one fell swoop.

Who...who are you? A few beats of silence.

They will carry out the necessary functions. You are not to interfere.
Answer me, who ARE YOU?!
You will know, young one. They will know. And they will bow.
Bow to someone that hides in the shadows?
To someone who will open their eyes. Your eyes. The Force will die, young one. It will all die. There will be harmony...at a cost.

He sat up violently, the pain that had once inflicted him completely gone, but in it's place was a throbbing emptiness, a void that couldn't be identified or filled. It was terrifying.
"Ari...are we..." He rose, stumbling over his feet and recovering by pushing off the other bench that his hands had landed on, gritting his teeth at the sharp edge that dug into his hands.
"Are we on the ground yet?" He felt the ship's landing gear touch down gently, the shuttle rocking back and forth before settling.
"Right, ok, we're here." He swallowed hard, running a hand through his hair before placing his hand on Ari's shoulder in an unconscious gesture.
"Did you feel that? Hear that? What I just did?" His eyes drifted from her gaze to his hand, which he withdrew quickly with a slight flush in the cheeks accompanying the withdrawal.
"It sounded so sure of itself. About the Force and death and-" He shook his head, attempting to clear away the mental fog that had formed.
"Probably just effects from spending so much time at the Sith temple, right? Not actually happening." Yerbol turned back towards the shuttle bay door, pressing the release button. He took a deep breath, saltwater and lavender filling his nostrils, prompting a slight smile. This was his first time on Manaan, but the stories of how pleasant the general ambiance of the planet seemed to materialize as reality almost instantly.
"This isn't too bad." He commented, stepping onto the blueish-white steel floor of the hangar before turning his head to the right, spotting the distant buildings looming on the horizon separated by crystalline blue waters that sparkled thanks to the rays of the sun that hit the tides at just the right angle.
"You know, I wouldn't mind spending a couple of weeks here. Maybe in a small cottage, seated just outside with a book, strong cup of espresso, basking in a lack of responsibility..." Clicking came from their left, Yerbol spotting a Selkath garbed in a turquoise colored robe moving towards them with a datapad in hand. When the Selkath came within a few feet of the duo, he bowed slightly at the waist before extending a left hand(fin? claw?) that contained two translator units, Yerbol gratefully situating the device in his left ear before the Selkath spoke:
"Welcome to Manaan, travelers. Your shuttle ID matches up with our expected arrivals, so there will be no additional paperwork to fill out." The Selkath caught sight of their sabers and added:
"Please remember that our planet is one of peace. If either one of you is caught committing an act of violence, you will be penalized according to our legal system."
"Of course. We're here to see our ambassador in the Republic embassy. Could you point us in the right direction?" The Selkath gave them easy enough directions to follow before leaving.
"Right then." He looked to Aria.
"Let's find our way there, scope the place out before we make our move, shall we?"

[The Elvenqueen]

At his thumbs-up gesture, Aria smiled in return and disappeared off into the cockpit to carry out the necessary landing functions while Yerbol slipped into his 'weird trance' that she could only assume would help him to heal by allowing him to focus more closely on chanelling the Force than when he was awake...or something like that anyways. She tried to shut out most of Yerbol's thoughts to give him some measure of privacy (or at least, as much as they were able to have from one another) while she angled the shuttle's nose downwards and pressed the required buttons on the control panel to deploy the landing gear while the craft made the descent through the planet's atmosphere; but it was hard to ignore the sheer magnitude of the presence that had invaded the young Knight's mind.

Aria froze in her seat, her jaw set in place and her fingers in a white-knuckled grip around the control cluster. That voice was so frighteningly familiar she could have sworn that, like Yerbol, her blood had turned cold if that had been physically possible. If the jerking motions of the shuttle settling onto the landing pad didn't jolt her back into reality, the sudden and unexpected contact of Yerbol's hand closing around her shoulder did. Without a sound, she whipped around in her seat to face him, eyes wide, forcing her tensed muscles to relax and not strike out at him out of reflex when she realised it was only him. Their eyes remained locked for a few moments longer before he quickly retracted his hand and looked back towards the shuttle's door.
She managed to nod in response to his question, shakily getting to her feet to follow behind him. "Y-Yeah, I heard it." she confirmed, the words sticking in her throat, "I thought I knew that voice..." she shook her head abruptly, Yerbol was right. It was a side effect of being in that temple for so long. "It couldn't have been...they all think we're dead. There's no way he would have known that we gave them the slip." she concluded firmly, as if trying to convince herself of the truth behind the statement.

With a nervous chuckle, she mumbled her agreement. "Yeah, if you can get past the fishy undertones it's not too bad. Relaxing, even." she smirked under her breath, careful not to say it too loud to avoid offending any nearby natives. Turning towards the approaching Selkath, Aria half-bowed back at him (her? she never could tell...) and placed the translator unit into her ear, the strange clicking language now processed into clear Galactic Basic that they could understand. She noted with relief that there was no need to produce the passkeys as of yet, he seemed perfectly happy with the data provided by the shuttle's ID code. As expected, the Selkath eyed the weapons at their belts dubiously and spouted a warning that they would be arrested for any actions of violence within the city.
"We promise we're not here to cause trouble, we'll just be attending the meeting and then be on our way again." she re-iterated, falling into step with Yerbol as they followed the given directions to make their way to the Republic embassy building.

With the building visible in the distance, Aria slowed her pace so they could discuss their plan a little further while they were out of earshot of any potential adversaries. "It'd be a good idea to try and figure out a layout, for one...unless you happen to have a map or floor plan of the place stashed away in a pocket that you're not telling me about?" she tried, smirking in amusement. "We also need to know numbers, how many troopers with blasters especially, cause if we get caught they're the ones that are gonna be coming after us." Pausing again when they were about a block or so away from the embassy building, Aria's eyes narrowed thoughtfully before her hand shot out to bring Yerbol to a stop. Motioning down an adjacent alleyway, she whispered.
"That's pretty close to the main entrance, probably give us the best view of inside from the front, unless they tint the windows in which case...we're gonna have to sneak in the back way and find a terminal where we can access a floorplan of some kind."

[freedomliveson]

Walking through the pristine, shimmering complex of Ahto City was borderline awe inspiring. Everything was so well maintained, so well kept that it made the most beautiful gardens on Tython look like a field of bantha droppings in comparison. The Selkath natives didn't seem to be in very much of a hurry, but most of the visitors were hurriedly moving from one destination to the next, some carrying datapads talking loudly into their earpieces while others stood at observation points conversing in hushed tones with one another.
"So turn right at the salvage...shop..." He looked up at a sign with two gears overlapping, the universal symbol for scrap peddlers, complying with the directive from the Selkath receptionist. They strolled through yet another sterile, off-aqua colored hallway before emerging into a densely packed area with taller buildings and foot traffic of all types of species. About two hundred yards off, a large eggshell colored building stood with the banner of the Republic proudly waving in front. Yerbol felt a knot growing in his stomach as Aria mentioned schematics, fully aware that the two of them had no access to any of those necessary components for a stealthy romp through the Republic base. The duo moved forward to within about a hundred yards before Aria halted his progress and encouraged him to follow her down an alleyway that presumably led to another portion of this sector. When she brought up the potential of breaking in from a rear entrance, he nodded.
"Best way I can think of at the moment. Problem is we would have to get around the sides of the building first and..." Yerbol poked his head out of the alleyway, noting that there were several street sweepers vacant, tucked up against the backs of the buildings on this street. In the distance was the left most edge of the Embassy. Flanking all of this was a barrier of about five feet that allowed for partial viewing of the ocean and other parts of Ahto City while still protecting those who wanted to view from tumbling over.
"We've got a couple of options." He motioned to the sweepers, which were about four feet in length with circular buffers underneath and an uncovered seat on top.
"We can play the role of maintenance workers hired on by the Embassy, ask for the service entrance and get in that way...or we can try to bluff our way in as Jedi that need to speak to the Ambassador, then break off from the main entrance." He resumed eye contact with Aria before continuing:
"It wouldn't be hard to get some clothing from a vendor that would look a bit more...maintenance looking than what we've got on now...or we can just try to see if they'll be duped by our bluff. We have the sabers to prove our affiliation and the Republic, whether or not you knew this, doesn't actually log Jedi into their database. They say it's a 'sign of respect' that the Order can take care of their own. We can easily exploit that...or if you have any other ideas, I'd love to hear them."

[The Elvenqueen]

She felt his apprehension at the thought of trying to hack into the building schematics and smirked wryly, turning her attention to the large machinery as he gestured towards it. She paused a moment to think about the options presented to them. While posing as Jedi might be considered the easier option (they were dressed for it already), it wasn't necessarily the BEST option.
"Somehow I don't think going down the Jedi route would be too smart...they could have people in the Embassy still watching around for Jedi or Dark Jedi...it's not worth risking our necks by giving them extra reason to follow us. We want them to think we're dead for as long as possible, right?" she pointed out, chewing on her lower lip. "I think it'd be much safer to pose as run of the mill maintenance workers and just hide our sabers somewhere." there'd be far less people in the corridors, presumably, if they managed to get in through the maintenance entrance as well.

With their plan now in place, the duo had to backtrack to find a vendor from whom they could purchase more ordinary-looking clothing that would allow them to pose as maintenance workers. On the corner of the previous block they found one such alien, a particularly chatty Twi'lek who was waving and babbling away at them in his native tongue several yards before the pair had actually stopped to address him. After explaining their requirements (omitting the part about the clothing being used to help them illegally break into the Republic Embassy, of course), the jolly green skinned vendor was gladly able to present them with suitable garbs. Afterwards, it was a simple matter of finding somwhere to change, and a safe place to store their usual outfits so that they could come back for them later. It was unwise, undoubtedly, to leave their lightsabers in the same place purely at the risk that someone may still stumble onto the stash. And aside from that, Aria was loathe to part from her only means of defense, given that the pair seemed to attract trouble wherever they went despite their best attempts to avoid it. She didn't imagine Yerbol felt too keen on going in unarmed either.

Instead, for Aria at least, it was a simple matter of shifting her weapons to the leather strapping around her forearms that served as makeshift holsters, which she had made for the specific purpose of hiding her sabers from view when surprise (or stealth) became necessary. While Yerbol appeared to lack any such kind of pre-prepared way of concealing his weapon from sight, it was simple enough to get hold of scrap leather with which she could help him to fashion something similar. As prepared as they could possibly be for their attempted infiltration, the duo then returned to the sweepers Yerbol had picked out earlier and slipped into the maintenance roles. She had to admit she was quite apprehensive about being able to pull the bluff off as they approached the service entryway, so to be on the safe side she kept her mouth shut and let her companion do the talking. Despite her concerns, however, the security officer on duty had no problem with letting them through.

The inside of the Embassy, as expected, was just as immaculate as the outer appearance suggested. She had to hand it to the Selkath, they had a talent for maintaining near-sterile levels of cleanliness in Ahto City. At least the floors were so clean that they'd hear anyone's shoes squeaking on the tiles long before they got anywhere near the ambassador's office. Naturally, it was the first place Aria and Yerbol would look for information. The guy was the center of every Republic negotiation attempt on Manaan, of course the True Sith would want him in on the whole endeavour. When they reached the hallway where the office was situated, Aria paused to glance back in Yerbol's direction.
"I know it'd be quicker if we both searched, but I still think it'd be a good idea if one of us goes in and the other one stands watch, just in case we DON'T hear someone coming before they see us." she suggested. What she didn't want to acknowledge out loud was the niggling sense of doubt that was gnawing at her gut. This seemed almost TOO easy...nobody had questioned them or asked to see their credentials since they had gone in, and they had passed more than a few people on the way up here.

[freedomliveson]

"Fair enough." Yerbol folded his arms across his chest, leaning against the wall a few feet away from the door to the ambassador's office. It had been easy to get the location from the ambassador's assistant, who had more than happily directed them to "ensure that all of his floor was buffed this time!". This directive was given when they arrived on the fifth floor by the assistant who labeled her as such upon seeing them and scolded them for not arriving sooner, seeing as the Ambassador "deserved much better treatment" than playing "second fiddle" to the other government buildings on Manaan. After another couple of minutes of derision, they were pointed down to the middle of the hallway before the assistant stomped off to presumably boss some more people around. Thankfully those "other people" didn't seem to be on this floor. In fact, it was rather quiet for the middle of the day at the only Repubilc embassy in Ahto City. Was this a trap in disguise? No, no it couldn't be. They were left for dead on Rendii, two less rebels for the True Sith to worry about. To ease Yerbol's suspicions, an office door opened near the elevator, two women chattering about the horrible smell that Selkath emitted after a good rain before entering the elevator.
"I'll keep watch. I feel like people would believe me as a maintenance worker more than you. You know, cause I lift weights." He winked mischievously, nodding towards the door.
"Now go on. I've got your back. Just don't spend too much time in there, ok? I want to get out of this jumpsuit as fast as possible." They hadn't been able to take the street sweepers up to this level due to their girth, but they had been directed to a maintenance closet where Yerbol had grabbed rags, a broom and a bottle of something dark green labeled cleaning solution on the outside. He got to work by getting down one knee, spraying the floor before wiping it in a circular pattern. Thankfully he was able to simulate the action rather well, seeing as he had the practice when he was much younger at the Temple. He and Lysa had been tasked with cleaning the floors on more than one occasion(not out of punishment, but rather to teach young ones how to serve. He always hated that bit.)

A few minutes passed and Yerbol hadn't sensed any incoming trouble, but the hallway had once again become extremely quiet. He looked ahead, spotting a half circle jutting out of the other end of the hallway and swore vehemently on the inside. That was more than likely a camera, wasn't it? Of course it was a camera, why WOULDN'T they have cameras on the same floor as the ambassador's office?! His head returned to looking at the floor, berating himself for-

The elevator doors cracked open, three armored Troopers pointing their rifles down the hallway.
"Stand up, slowly, hands in the air!" One of them barked.
"This has to be some kind of joke, right?" Yerbol tried to make his voice crack for added effect, but failed, standing upright with his hands in the air as directed. The troopers clicked forward, the same trooper responding:
"We normally shoot people who commit treason on the spot, but command says we've got to take you in."
"Command?"
"Just tell us where your partner is and we can get on with this." That voice they both heard on the shuttle! It must've been one of the True Sith on the planet! The ambassador? Republic general?

Who cares?! They needed to leave at any cost necessary...well, except for killing the troopers. He wouldn't stoop to that level. Not yet.

Yerbol threw his arms forward, summoning a burst of energy that knocked the guards on their heels before tearing the left sleeve off of his long sleeved jumpsuit, retrieving his saber strapped to his wrist and ignited it just as blaster fire rained on his position.

TELL ME YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING!!!

[The Elvenqueen]

“A quick in and out, sure.” Aria promised, punching him lightly in the shoulder before she sauntered past him into the ambassador’s office, which was almost as pristine as the hallway outside but for the thin coating of dust that had begun to settle on the desk and windowsill. They’d have to polish that off before they left, just to keep their cover up to snuff. She headed straight for the desk, sliding into the chair as she flicked through the saved holo recordings on the communicator one by one. In an attempt to get out of there as quick as possible, she sat forward and popped open the nearest drawer, rifling through it as she listened to the recordings, occasionally glancing up to make sure she wasn’t missing anything visually important in the holograms. The holocommunicator turned out to be a bust, her impatience growing with each passing second as she flicked more frantically through every drawer and cabinet she could find. Until, at the bottom of a filing cabinet stuffed to the brim with boring trade policies and other political jargon, she discovered a datapad containing a detailed diagram of a nearby facility, the path to the meeting place marked out in bright red, and instructions to the nearest dock. So it was underwater after all (man, Bol was going to LOVE this one...not).

It couldn’t have been longer than five minutes later when she heard the elevator ‘whoosh’ to a stop on their floor, spitting expletives under her breath, Aria fumbled to shut the cabinet and return everything back to the place it had been when she had first entered, looking up as Yerbol spoke out, attempting to come across as innocent and diffuse the confrontation though from the reply the trooper gave they clearly weren’t believing the act in the slightest.
TELL ME YOU’VE GOT SOMETHING!!! Yerbol sounded pretty desperate. Guess it was time to go, then.
Stuffing the datapad into the pocket of her jumpsuit, she yanked one saber out of the sleeve, darting out into the corridor to drop in beside Yerbol just as the troopers began to pepper them with blaster bolts.
I’ve got a datapad, but you ain’t gonna like where it wants us to go! She snorted, slowly inching her way across the gap between the duo and the elevator. At least if they made it that far, they could get to a different floor and hopefully a window they could jump out of...or something.

She wasn’t really sure how to get them OUT of the embassy per se, but one step at a time. Lose the troopers. As soon as Yerbol ducked in beside her, Aria slammed her hand down on the nearest button, leaning back against the cold metal as the doors slammed shut and the elevator shot off towards the specified floor.
“Okay...maybe this was a bad idea.” she admitted, realising that there would probably be an armed ‘escort’ waiting for them by the time the doors opened again. Hey, they could always hope the security force wouldn’t know which floor they were headed to, right?

Well, it wasn’t troopers waiting for them when the doors opened at least. She never thought she’d say this, but she wished it HAD been Republic soldiers. Tall (but then again, EVERYONE was karkin taller than her….Yerbol certainly could have looked them in the eye, if their eyes had been visible through the visors), imposing figures decked out in jet black armour from head to toe, formed a barricade between Aria and Yerbol and the only way out. Most held vibroblades at the ready, but a few nearer to the back had rifles trained on the pair, ready to fire at a simple command.
“So, the little womp rats aren’t dead after all! What a surprise!” the barricade of Ubese parting to allow the five foot eight man to step forward. He had always dressed more extravagantly than some of the other Council members the few glimpses she had caught of him during training sessions, but the delicate silver stitching that embroidered the sleeves and torso of his charcoal grey tunic was even more flashy than usual, even for Lord Bracknell. A half-length black cloak hung from his narrow shoulders, standing out in stark contrast to his short-cropped straw blonde hair. Sharp eyes framed by heavy brows studied the duo with a cold and calculated gaze.

She shot a frantic look at Yerbol, fumbling for her sabers again, but before they could be activated, they flew from Aria’s grasp right into the man’s outstretched hand. Yerbol’s lightsaber followed soon after, and they were discarded into the charge of one of the black-suited troopers. Aria squared her jaw, standing up to attention as she met his gaze.
“Lord Bracknell.”

Then Bracknell’s voice echoed in her mind, the sinister edge it bore making the hairs on the back of Aria’s neck stand on end in apprehension.
Daddy’s not here to save you now, is he, Aria?

[freedomliveson]

So THIS was Lord Bracknell? A smirk crossed his face.
"I expected one of the Sith Lords to be a bit...taller." The Ubese trooper behind the young Knight raised the butt of his vibroblade, but Bracknell held out a hand, the weapon lowering as the Lord approached the duo, looking them both over before he spoke, a quiet assurance resonating in every syllable:
"You both have proven to be harder to dispose of than I imagined. A testament to your respective characters." His right hand clenched into a fist, prompting Yerbol's airways to close suddenly, a crushing weight exerted on his ribs. The Knight sunk to the floor, convulsing on the gleaming floor.
"A shame you have to waste away. We could have used your power." Bracknell smiled at Aria, eyes almost twinkling before his fist uncurled, Yerbol gasping for breath.
"I will make sure your father receives a swift death. No use in prolonging the inevitable, is there?" Before either one of the upstarts could react, the Ubese looming behind them delivered thundering blows with the hilt of their vibroblades at the base of their necks. As their bodies collapsed, Bracknell commanded:
"Take them to the holding cells. Ensure that they are engulfed by what is come."

______________

When he finally regained consciousness, he was greeted by a ceiling composed of jet black metal with two lightbulbs emitting an apathetic yellowish light a few feet away from his direct line of sight. Groaning, he sat up, a throbbing wave of pain snaking down from the top of his spine to his tailbone. He waited for the pain to pass, then cast his eyes around the drab surroundings he found himself in. He was encased in a dark metal room with a thick door at the southern end and a porthole in the west corner. Clambering to his feet, he slowly ambled over to the window and saw thin streams of light hitting the sandy floor, finned creatures flitting across the vast expanse of submerged land. To the left was a gargantuan dome lined with tinted, heavy windows along with cylindrical passageways that connected the dome to other, smaller buildings.
"So we're underwater." He mumbled, sighing to himself as he turned around.
"Ari?" He called out gently, wondering if sound could even travel through the cell he was placed in. Waiting for her response in passivity wouldn't satiate his desire to be free, so he began to feel the walls with his hands, hoping to find some sort of structural weakness or flaw he could exploit. Of course, if he DID find one, who's to say it would lead to a part of this assumed base? The door might be the only safe way out.

When he reached the door in question, he pushed as hard as he could, swearing at the top of his lungs. It was thick, too thick for his utilization of the Force to even make a dent in it. There was no key hole, no slot for a keycard or even a slat under the door to peer under. He could only hope that his companion was in a better position than he was...

[The Elvenqueen]

Aria grimaced slightly as Yerbol made a quip in Lord Bracknell's direction, unsurprised when the young Knight swiftly paid the price for the actions. The former Sith lord then swiftly ordered the duo to be taken to holding cells, whereby herself and Yerbol were both quickly dispatched with a heavy blow to the back of the neck.

When she came to again, Aria was greeted with a monotonous grey-black ceiling and matching walls that looked suitably heavy-duty. Groaning quietly, she carefully pushed herself into a sitting position in order to get a better look around. Remaining there for long enough to allow the pounding at the base of her skull to subside, she heard Yerbol calling out her name. His voice was muffled, but close by. Good...at least they had a shot of trying to talk to each other and figure out a plan together. "I'm here!" she called back, heading in the direction of the wall which his voice seemed to be travelling through. Leaning up against it, Aria called again. "Got any bright ideas for getting us out of here?" Bracknell was at least confident enough, apparently, that they would be unable to escape their imprisonment that he hadn't had the pair sedated. "No drugs, means he's either got Ubese watching us or the place is full of traps in case we DID get out before he wanted us to." she mused out loud.
The door to the holding cell she was in looked awfully strong, far too strong to simply break down even with use of the Force. Loud cursing from the other side of the wall confirmed the suspicions as Yerbol tried and failed to accomplish such a feat.

By reaching out carefully with her senses, Aria was able to confirm that there were in fact Ubese stationed outside each of the holding cells. Overpowering them would not be easy, given the duo's current skill level with Force manipulation. If only their guards could have been easily tricked...
"...I've got nothing." she admitted at length, a loud snort betraying her frustration at her own lack of ability to come up with a solid escape plan. She craned her head back to glower at the ceiling while she waited and hoped Yerbol would have something to add that would get them out of this mess. "Come on, you're good at this whole 'idea' thing." she teased the Knight, smirking slightly.

Fortunately for the duo (or not, as Yerbol might have looked at it), they didn't have to wait long before rescue came to them. After several long minutes of bouncing possible escape attempts back and forth (and the reasons why they would NEVER pan out properly were flung between them just as quickly), they had fallen into a broody silence when the sound of doors opening could be heard from outside. Aria's muscles tensed in preparation, the Force presence that entered the corridor was strong enough in magnitude to have been Lord Bracknell returning to tie off loose ends. She couldn't get a good enough read to identify the person what with the thickness of the door impeding her senses, but the visceral growls that echoed through the room gave her a pretty good idea. The Ubese guards fumbled for their vibroblades as footsteps pattered quickly into the passageway, a sharp, pained scream sounding from the prison warden soon following. The cry was abruptly silenced before it had the chance to spread further throughout the facility, replaced by a sickening crunching sound as they were dispatched by whatever creature had made such noises. Resounding thuds could be heard as the remaining guards outside both cells were dropped in a similar fashion.

Aria scrambled back to her feet as the door to the cell groaned on it's hinges and caved inwards, allowing her to slip out into the narrow area that joined the cells to the next hallway or room. Aria darted past the jet-black beast crouched in the doorway of the adjacent cell to check on Yerbol, though thankfully the Knight appeared to be none the worse for wear despite their recent ordeal.
"Come on, Bol. Get up, let's go." she muttered urgently under her breath, grabbing hold of his forearm with the intention of pulling him along.
"Jeeeedaii." its glowing crimson eyes fixed hungrily on Yerbol as the Tuk'ata prowled further into the cell, tongue lapping at the spittle and Ubese blood that still flecked its jaws. Eyes narrowed, Aria put herself between the Sith hound and her, she couldn't believe she was calling him that... but it was about time to admit it, newfound friend.
"Hold your breath!" she warned Yerbol, barely getting her own hand over her mouth and nose in the brief delay it took for the overpowering stench of rotting meat to hit the pair as the Tuk'ata thrust its muzzle towards them eagerly

The heel of Aria's boot connected with its nose, sending the beast skittering backwards and snorting in protest.
"Get outta my face, stinkbag!" she hissed sharply in retort, thankful for the tall figure that then appeared in the doorway, a sharp command calling the dark creature back to his side. The Sith lord scowled sternly at the pair, any of the natural pigmentation in his irises long obscured by the yellowed tint that was common amongst manipulators of the dark side of the Force.
A man of few words, it seemed, because there were no introductions or otherwise fanciful vocabulary as had been the case with Lord Bracknell, just a simple order as he gave them both a hefty shove towards the exit.

"Move! We haven't got time for dawdling!"

______________________

Bracknell waited in the nearby atrium, his gaze fixed on the door to the conference room where representatives from both Empire and Republic had recently entered. One hand rested just above his belt, at the ready for the exact moment he would need to push past the door and dispatch the 'assassins' he had planted amongst the political representatives earlier in the day. A few of them had yet to be swayed to the True Sith's ideals, but this scenario was bound to make them see reason. The plan, if he thought so himself, was rather flawless and guaranteed to end with every Senator and other political personality on their side. If only he could have anticipated that his two prisoners would use the very same moment to cover their escape.

No-one in or around the conference room heard the Ubese guards dying screams over the chaos that followed as Bracknell's plan was orchestrated, as always, precisely on time.

[freedomliveson]

Yerbol could assume that the beasts responsible for he and Aria's newfound freedom were being controlled by someone, although Aria's swift kick to one of the hounds was a surprise to him. Not to her, it seemed. Maybe she was familiar with how to deal with them due to her time on Korriban, but still, there was a missing piece to the equation...which then appeared, cat-like eyes examining the duo for a brief moment before barking a command. He thought that it could be a rebellious Sith Lord who decided to buck against the True Sith after having dealings with them, but a strong surge of emotion suddenly emanated off of Aria upon seeing their savior. Could it have been a relative? A loved one? What Sith would be willing to risk their neck for another? other than someone very close to them? Questions abounded as the trio forged their way out of the holding cells into a much wider hallway, albeit possessing the same drab decor of their holding cells. Without a word, the Sith stormed to the left, leaving the duo to follow along at a brisk pace.
"So...we going to get an explanation of who you are?" Cold silence followed as an answer, the Sith rounding a corner at the end of the hall.
"No? Ok, fine, but-" The Sith held up a hand, hissing:
"Guards made their way into the hangar. Ubese." He looked at the steel doors a few feet away.
"Destroy them, then get inside the craft."
"What about the summit?" The Sith's eyes narrowed.
"A lost cause."
"That's all we get? A lost cause? The True Sith are about to dismantle the galaxy and all you want to do is run?" Their rescuer turned around and thrust a hand forward.
"Stay or leave. Your choice, boy. But Aria will come with me." The doors slid open, four Ubese troopers patrolling the vast hangar that only had one submersible situated inside. Upon seeing the escapees, they sprinted forward, rifles spurting bolts of concentrated, crimson colored energy barraging their location. The Sith charged forward, throwing up a barrier of energy that deflected the bolts and gave the younger Force wielders a chance to decide on their course of action.
"I assume you trust him, right?" Yerbol's shoulders tensed, hands curling into fists. Once the Sith passed by the Ubese, they would be easy targets unless they moved. But he had to ask, he HAD to make sure that at least one of them had confidence in the person that broke them out.
"Because if you don't, we're going back to that summit." Just a couple of seconds now...

______________________

"And that is exactly why we must do something about Tython." Chancellor Saresh nodded at the end of the assertion of one Lord Kynsgrove, Saresh adding:
"I completely agree. The Jedi have been trusted allies for centuries, but the devolution of their moral character is troubling. Our troopers are on the ground now trying to contain the situation and will attempt to figure out what's caused this uproar."
"And we too will put the flames on Korriban caused by the horrific divisions within the Dark Council." A much softer looking Bracknell chimed in, a smile creeping onto his lips before continuing:
"It appears that this summit has not been the waste of time that-" The doors flung off their hinges, the guard who once occupied the space replaced by a group of armored saber-wielders, their faces masked. One of them hurtled towards a Republic senator, saber extended. Just before the blade connected, a flock of Imperial and Republic forces plunged into the chaos, swiftly eliminating the threat in a matter of moments. As dead saber hilts clattered to the floor, Bracknell spoke over the chaos:
"This was a calculated attack, it must've been!" The Senator that had almost gotten an energy beam to the chest nodded vigorously.
"Someone must've tracked us here using the Force!" Another Senator piped up, shooting up from his chair.
"Something must be done!" A Sith chancellor added. Saresh held up both hands, quieting the raucous room.
"We can't react in haste. This might have been an independent force, one that-"
"Saresh, can't you see what's going on here?!" Deputy chancellor Kyle Mansfield cast a look worthy of murder in her direction as he followed up:
"Those who use the Force cannot be trusted! You've seen the reports! We SHARED most of them here at this summit! We NEED to reign these Force users in before they overthrow both our governments!"
"I concur." Bracknell nodded in Mansfield's direction, pointing at the bodies now being dragged out of the room.
"We have come to use the Force as a crutch for true diplomacy. The Force has divided us, made us weaker. With our combined efforts, we can ensure that future generations will see the labels 'Republic' and 'Empire' as relics of history. They will know one government dedicated to the preservation of peace for all of mankind."

And they will all kneel

[The Elvenqueen]

Every syllable of Yerbol's protests and questions was punctuated with a visible grimace from Aria as she jogged along at his side, having to move at a slightly faster pace to keep up with the two taller men. Yerbol's attention turned to her as her father made his way across the hangar towards the submersible, the streamlined Sith hound hot on his heels.
"I assume you trust him, right?" Yerbol demanded, prompting her to swallow and jerk her head in the quickest nod she could manage. 'Trust' was probably the wrong word. Know to do as she was told, when she was told? Yeah, that was accurate. Besides, her father usually knew what he was doing...the fact that he was here to spring them out of their predicament precisely when they needed the help the most should have been enough testament to that.
"Do as he says. Don't backchat." she whispered back, sprinting to catch up with the Sith Lord before they lost the protection provided by his energy shield. The trio reached the submersible with very little effort, the Ubese guard able to do very little to stop them from boarding it unless they could get closer, which the barrier (and the snapping jaws of the tomb beast) did an adequate job of deterring.

The remainder of the blaster fire glanced harmlessly off the craft's hull as the engines started up and their rescuer made the necessary checks to begin getting them back towards Ahto City. The hatch remained open for a fraction of a second after Aria and Yerbol had passed through, long enough for a second Tuk'ata to drop down, the pair's sabers dangling from its slimy maw. The jet black creature swung itself around in the narrow space, dropping the respective weapons into their wielder's empty laps as the craft lurched off the platform and into the water, climbing upwards to the surface.
"Uh...thanks." Aria muttered wryly, her nose wrinkling as she used the edge of her cloak to wipe away the excess drool that still clung to the hilts. If the creature had appreciated the praise, it gave no such gesture to indicate it, simply standing patiently beside its counterpart to await their next orders as they approached the city once again. "Can't you at least brush their teeth?" she complained to the man ahead of them.
Without looking at her, the Sith Lord responded in an equally long-suffering tone. "You want to try sticking your hand in their mouths to do it?" the young Force user remained tight-lipped, unable to respond with a reasonable retort to that question.
"I didn't think so. Keep moving, we're getting out of here before Bracknell locks down all the hangars."

"But, father-" there was the answer to Yerbol's enquiry as to who this person was, at least. Before Aria's protest could be finished, the Sith Lord's lengthy stride had placed him nearly at the intersection to leave the docks.
Priority one, it would seem, was getting off this planet. Where he planned to go after that, Aria could only guess. Probably Korriban. They met very little resistance on the way through the pristine hallways back to the hangar area, likely down to the fact that whatever had caused the utter pandemonium to engulf the underwater facility hadn't quite broken the surface of the planet. Yet. They had little more than a few minutes, before it would. Better make the most of it. They breezed past several closed steel doors, a simple glance apparently all it took to evaluate whether a usable ship was on the other side, finally coming to a stop at one of the last bays in the row.
"But...what about...Bracknell?" puffed Aria as the pair caught up to him again, wasting no time in making their way towards the spacecraft. Glancing back towards them, his features contorted into a smirk that might have bordered on the maniacal variety.
"He'll get his eventually. The bastard tried to bury me alive in Sadow's tomb before he came here, he's going to pay for that."

____________

His suggestion was answered by a chorus of mumbles and exchanged glances amongst the remaining diplomats. Slowly, each one began to nod in agreement until it seemed that every representative in the circle, regardless of their former allegiances to Republic or Empire, was in accordance with the plan the True Sith delegates had come to Manaan to put forward. The difficult part of their battle was over, now all that was left was to get the Selkath's help in order to implement the bounties on any surviving Force sensitives from the former Orders. As he called their attention back to declare that they do just that, a trooper from the facility burst into the conference room, stopping abruptly in the tarnished doorway.
His eyes were wide in apparent shock or fear, sides heaving with the effort of each breath as he called out. "Lord Bracknell, sir...the prisoners! They...They're gone!"

[freedomliveson]

Bracknell's jaw clenched, muscles visibly tensing.
"Who's gone, Lord Bracknell?" One of the Imperial delegates asked, her eyes narrowing at the obviously agitated Sith. Mansfield looked to Bracknell, their eyes meeting for a few moments in silence before Bracknell turned to the delegate and answered her question:
"We had captured a young Jedi and aspiring Sith acolyte who had apparently put their differences aside to try and disrupt the summit. They were quickly apprehended at the Republic embassy, but apparently their resourcefulness was sorely underestimated. I will send a squadron of our best special forces to apprehend them."
"We'll second that motion...with the Chancellor's permission, of course." Mansfield turned to face Saresh, whose lekku was twitching in desperation. Her alliance with the Jedi, her vision of crushing the Empire, everything she thought she knew was crumbling in front of her...she wasn't fit to make decisions now.
"Yes...yes, scramble whatever troopers you can find. I'll defer to your judgment for the time being." Mansfield graciously nodded.
"Of course, Chancellor."
"Before we leave..." Bracknell motioned towards the assembly as he continued:
"Let us all agree that we must make our move swiftly. Both Jedi and Sith will naturally be hostile towards our goals, so we mus act decisively. If they agree to limitations on their jurisdiction, so be it, but be prepared for conflict. We do not want to start a war, but if that is what must come, then let it be so for the good of the galaxy." Mansfield nodded vehemently.
"Let's take control of our galaxy. Finally."

__________________

Father.

Ok, now it makes sense.

As they boarded the small starship, Aria's father swept forward to the cockpit, commanding Aria:
"Get to the co-pilot's chair. I need you to input coordinates." The ship's engines roared to life, nearly knocking Yerbol to the ground. To think that such a small ship could produce such power...then again, Aria's father was a Sith Lord from the looks of it. They probably didn't want to travel around in a hunk of space debris. Not a good look for pulling up to a meeting with the Dark Council. A slight chuckle escaped his lips as the young Knight sat down on one of the four seats in the cabin, the ship launching into Manaan's azure sky. It wasn't long before they were in hyperspace, Yerbol internally sighing heavily in relief. Their escape attempt was far too easy in effort, but he could assume that a Sith Lord was crafty enough to slip past the notice of his fellow compatriots. A few minutes of silence passed before Aria's father sat in a seat across from him. Words weren't exchanged for the first couple of seconds, the Sith's callow eyes boring into Yerbol's skull before a few words were spoken quietly:
"I'm forced to acknowledge that you had some hand in keeping my daughter alive. Although she should have killed you in that tomb, your allegiance has allowed her to stay alive." A pause, which Yerbol filled by adding:
"She kept me alive as well. Without her, I wouldn't have survived."
"Of course you wouldn't. You're a Jedi." He turned his head, calling for Aria:
"This concerns both of you." Once Aria joined the conversation, he continued:
"You both know of the power these Sith wield. I can sense their mark on you even now."
"Mark?"
"Their power is a rotting stench that one can't wash off. You've both been in contact with them extensively, going so far as to complete their initiation trials, which bodes well. They know of your strength, they know of your potential and you are threats that need to be eliminated. Even now, Bracknell is mustering a force to come after you." Yerbol had a feeling he knew where this was going, but allowed the Sith to speak. No need in irritating their rescuer.
"We need to get you both into hiding and let the chaos these True Sith want enacted to pass by."
"So we do nothing to stop them? To allow them to commit genocide against any who have the Force?" He couldn't help himself.
"You two haven't developed your powers. You're raw, inexperienced. You need training, guidance. You won't get that fighting a war you'll lose."
"And how would you kn-"
"Enough of your idealism, boy. Your masters are ripping themselves apart on Tython and Korriban is no better."
"Wait...what happened on Korriban?"

[The Elvenqueen]

Aria shifted uneasily in the seat as the topic abruptly returned to herself and Yerbol, and what they were going to do now that the True Sith's war effort appeared to be in full swing. This could get ugly, real quick.
"What do you think?" her father snorted, answering Yerbol's question with one of his own, which was quickly followed up with: "The Dark Council's in complete shambles. Divided between Bracknell's cronies and the rest of us that saw through his pompous speeches. It's no better than Tython, and certainly not a safe place to be running around trying to play the hero." another pointed glare was shot in Yerbol's direction. "You need to be somewhere Bracknell isn't going to find you. This will blow over sooner or later, and by then your abilities will be better trained." something about the tone of his voice told Aria that he would not be convinced otherwise on his current viewpoint. Of course, Aria was of mostly the same opinion...despite everything they had been through together since their fight in the tomb and their apparent bond, sticking her neck out for other people wasn't something she was used to nor something she wanted to make a habit out of.

Clearing her throat, she turned to face the young Knight again and supplemented the statement. "He's right you know...I mean, what are the chances any of the Masters are going to make it off Tython alive anyway?" she cringed, realising how callous the comment seemed after it had already come out. "This entire chain of events is OUR fault, if we hadn't found that star map..." she trailed off, hands knitted tightly together in her lap. "Bracknell had us imprisoned before we could even blink, never mind have a chance to fight back!" Aria's gaze hardened slightly, her shoulders tensing as she declared firmly. "I'm not gonna die for them, Bol."

[freedomliveson]

Rationally, Yerbol could understand his plan. He was Sith. Compassion, duty, honor...they were all trite, nonsensical phrases that meant nothing in their pragmatic, soul-sucking vortex they called a way of life. It was disgusting, really. To see how quickly he would turn and run, to hide from doing ANYTHING to preserve sentient life. But again, he understood. Rationally, it made sense. Why bother trying to take on an entire army of True Sith that commanded the full force of both Republic and Empire resources?

Aria then spoke, agreeing with her father, which would rationally make sense, of course. But then she brought up the "chain of events" that prompted them down this path, a chain that Yerbol hadn't realized would lead them to the brink of mass extinction. True, they had been imprisoned, but they could still do some good...but Aria would have none of it, would she? He should have expected her reaction. The Knight took a slow breath, pacifying the swirling hurricane of emotions and thoughts for a brief moment. He wouldn't want to have this debate in closed quarters, especially in front of Aria's father. No, they needed to be alone for this so there wouldn't be his influence to counteract.
"I understand." He curtly responded, meeting Aria's diamond hard gaze with his own before resuming eye contact with her father.
"So what, we flee to the edge of the galaxy and hope no one finds us?"

______________

It turned out that was almost exactly what he had in store for them. He explained that they were headed for a desolate outpost abandoned long ago by Imperial troopers that he had a faster, more "practical" ship that would carry them further towards a small moon orbiting around Kashyyyk that apparently had been used as a training ground for aspiring Sith Lords. There, he explained, they would stay until the majority of the chaos passed them by, all the while "harnessing their power". Yerbol could barely contain himself, waiting for the right opportunity before bursting with thoughts that he wanted to make known. It took a couple of hours, but they made it to the outpost, the cold, metal hallways only softened by the occasional ray of sunlight that peeked through holes in the ceiling and walls. Once they arrived, Aria's father promptly told them to stay in the bunker until he returned, storming through the hangar bay doors and leaving them alone for the time being. Yerbol had asked Aria if they could talk, escorting her out of the hangar before finding a room that was reasonably intact. Once situated, he finally exploded:
"You're going to go along with all this, then?! Hiding like cowards until every single person who has an inkling of a connection to the Force is wiped out?" He paced on the right hand side of the room, gesturing with his hands as he continued:
"They WANT to hide because we represent the greatest threat to them out there. We can spread the word to whoever's left on Tython and Korriban, get SOME kind of contingency to Republic and Imperial governments and present the info we have, show them the things we found on the Sith homeworld! Their plan would backfire and out of fear, those True Sith would expose themselves and the galaxy comes back to center again. But no! Instead, we hide." He leaned against a wall, arms across his chest.
"We hide from people who NEED our help, people who could help us stop the Sith before their efforts get too entrenched." He snorted a derisive laugh.
"And all you can think about is not dying? Saving your own skin? You can't solve your problems by squirming away from your problems and hiding in the shadows like a rat!" He shook his head, knowing that was a tad...low.
"You were by my side in that temple, Ari. We fought together, risked our lives for each other and even formed a bond that most people could never even dream of achieving. We overcame SO much in only three days together...could you imagine the kind of things we can get done if we keep working together towards stopping these guys instead of running?"

[The Elvenqueen]

Aria's eyes followed Yerbol's movements across the room as he paced back and forth, gesturing wildly with his hands. Her stare was almost glacial as she let his tyrade of words come to an end, the moment's pause she took to collect herself almost making it seem as if she'd thought better than to start yelling back at him. It would not be so, however, the former acolyte soon throwing her own arguments into the mix as well. "Well, rather them than me! Help us stop the Sith? Would you LISTEN to yourself! You sound like a karkin' lunatic!" she hollered back at him, hands balled into tight fists at her sides to keep them in place. "Here's a newsflash for you: your Masters were setting us up to DIE on that planet! We weren't supposed to get back! Surviving all that bullocks has gotten us into this mess AND they weren't listening to a word we said then, why would they do it now?!"

She took a few long strides across the room, having to stand on her toes to get high enough to jab a finger in his direction. Her voice went up another octave as she added on before he could get another word in: "You Jedi have such a damn superiority complex! You think you're better than everyone and everything! Get off your pedestal for once and WAKE UP," low blows were apparently on the table now, so Aria threw a few of her own in there for good measure, "we could have DIED today if my father hadn't showed up when he did for Force sake! I'm not putting a target on my back for people that pretty much tried to get us KILLED, so if you want to prance around on a suicidal 'quest of justice' rescuing all your old Masters, then that's on you! If this is the kind of thing they teach you on Tython, then no wonder your sister got herself karkin' killed!" maybe that was a step too far, but in the heat of the moment Aria wasn't thinking about whether or not she'd hurt Yerbol's feelings with the comment, in fact it was probably accurate to say she wasn't really thinking about what she was saying at all...not that it would make any difference to how he might have received the statement, of course.

Aria hadn't realised how tightly she'd been clenching her fists until she felt the sharp sting of her nails digging into her palms. Her hands were shaking, her legs were shaking and so unsteady that before she knew it she'd sunk down onto the floor, back pressed up against the wall. Her jaw clenched in anticipation of the rebuttal that was no doubt coming her way, already throwing up barriers to try and block the young Knight out of the swirling vortex of thoughts and emotions that occupied her mind as she drew her knees up to her chest. This was all wrong, this wasn't how this was supposed to pan out....