MachineSoul

Star Wars - Jedi Exile - Knights of the Last Republic

@SepThonks! Will do my best!

Star Wars - Jedi Exile - Knights of the Last Republic

Well, it's about time I get out of Hyperspace and do something about myself.

My post will arrive by Friday, I've got a couple of essays to finish and one last exam.

[Zamokra41] - Avalon Empire - [MachineSoul]

Day 2

The knock drew his mind from the darkness into reality; he immediately pushed himself up and peered at the door, not knowing who required his attention that early in the morning. Still confused about the world and time he was living in, he sprung to his feet and stretched over the armchair to grab something to put on his torso, when, something cracked and sprawled at his feet. He winced and covered his face, knowing that he had just ruined his book about longsword fencing. There was nothing that he could do about it, though, so he simply threw a shirt over his furred torso and cleared his throat. He was about to ask who was at the door, when a woman had voiced her intentions. He swallowed the sour taste in his mouth and rubbed his eyes all throughout a low sigh, remembering that he wasn't in a village anymore. The second day of his "new task"; of his new identity, rather.

"Come in." He replied to the woman.

She had brought breakfast for him. He nodded slowly at the goods she had placed on his desk and scratched his scruffy cheek.

"No wonder lords end up fat and arrogant with this sort of treatment." He commented, bearing a mostly half-asleep smirk, unaware to the rather un-lordly way he addressed to an underling. "You have my thanks."

Once he was alone once more, he took the time to make a tidy dog out of himself. Only when he saw his snout in front of the mirror did it occur to hims how many times he was called a wolfling, when in a matter of fact, he had very little ties with wolf anthros; he was, quite surely, a White Shepherd. Unlike his family of feline anthros. He had all the traits to be tagged as halfling, with less feral facial features that harmonized his visage to the charming, odd being he was; he curled his lips in disgust as he saw the bags under his eyes. Two days in and you look like a seasoned king. You'd better gain your strength, mutt, you are responsible about an entire nation. He mentally pelted himself as he cleaned his teeth. He headed back to the desk and immediately grabbed the butter knife to spread some of the butter on a croissant's surface, out of which he immediately took a wolfish bite; soon after, two entire slice of oranges, peels and all, went down the hatch. He was about to chow down another piece by the time he noticed the folded paper; he crassly grabbed for it and opened it up, his eyes narrowing at the long list of names. They did bulge back open when the realization hit him in the chest. He placed the paper down and read between rows and columns, spotting the eventual odd name in there that would have been an orc, or a human. He blindly reached for some bacon to nibble on as he thought of a proper way to pay respect to these men, when something did cross his mind. He pulled another sheet of paper from the desk and dipped the tip of a quill in some ink and immediately started to copy all the names on the second sheet of paper. It took him some time to complete, but he had his breakfast to keep him company as he worked on the second list. Once he was done, he dressed himself back up in his better looking clothing, taking both lists with him as he left his room, knowing that he had to visit the map and the council chambers for more counseling and planning.

In the council chambers, he indeed noticed that the dark elf had remained in her seat, her mismatched eyes seeming glaring at him with no shame of her staring. He could feel his neck barely able to swallow a sip of cold water, her gaze making feel rather nervous about something, as if he had done something and that she had to soon scold him over that hypothetical incident. In the end, she did approach Aleko, his attention fully drawn to her immaculate visage. He only managed to let a small smile brighten his expression before she threw her first question to him.

“Simply judging by your appearance and current demeanor, one can tell that you are new yet not inexperienced when it comes to both military and political affairs. I understand you were previously an officer in the Anthro military yet that alone does not explain your…experience…”

Aleko frowned, not really knowing where she was trying to poke with her inquiry; unless it was a subtle compliment, he did not see this was a valid question, so he lightly lifted his shoulders.

"That's my entire background, I'm afraid." He stated with a frank attitude. "There's no deep secret about my experience, if that is what you wish to discover, Lady Shroudmyr. Well, I suppose you are familiar to the fact that I am of noble anthro descent, where I did learn most of what I know about politics and etiquette. Everything else I do is just what feels best for me to do, I do not know how else I could describe."

“Are you aiming to be a benevolent ruler who lends an ear to the every whim of the people, or perhaps one to be feared and never crossed or questioned?”

He smirked. "Why choose white or black when there are an infinite shades of grey in between the two extremities. I find moderation and balance to be the answer, adapt to the situation and act accordingly. Rigid leaders and regimes often end up collapsing."

"Assuming the campaign ends in our victory and you will seat the throne of the Empire, what plans would you have for the future?”

Aleko raised an eyebrow, feeling just like in teenage years, when girls would ask him Oracle questions about him to determine if they wanted to date him or not. "That's an assumption I'm trying to push back. I suggest we focus on our first steps and once the end is in sight, we will think about the future. Mind in the past dies in memories, mind in the future dies of worries; mind in the present, alive it is."

“If you would have to sacrifice everything that you hold dear for the good of the Empire, would you have the strength to do so, I wonder?”

"At the moment, I've nothing to sacrifice, thus, there's nothing for me to lose." He stated bluntly, his voice turned a little sour at her poke. "I am leaving for combat in a few days and I will lead the scouting party, then, the infiltrating squad. What does that tell about me, if not recklessness?"

She had made her remark as she left, the door closing behind her. He took a few moments to pass before he could chuckle to himself and shake his head. You're not my friend, no one is. You're my asset, I'm your key to wealth and power, he sourly thought to himself as he stood up, finished the glass of water and headed out, wanting to visit the smithy; he was interrupted by the human envoy, one of the noblemen whose presence he enjoyed. He smiled to him and nodded in respect.

"Master Gwynpath." He addressed to him with proper etiquette. The title of Emperor didn't feel too bad after all, he felt as if he could draw some enjoyment from it.

“Milady Shroudmyr is a lovely woman, isn’t she?”

Aleko simply smirked, holding back the need to scoff. "First things first, it is my lady, you're of noble descent too. And, well, I'm convinced she is lovely, especially when asleep."

“I hear that such grace and elegance is rare, even among her people. Perhaps it is due to her… origin, meaning no disrespect, sire.”

You like her, don't you Marcus? Aleko thought to himself as he listened to the human envoy as he kept him company to the smithy.

“I don’t mean to sound suspicious or uncouth, but you should perhaps consider, sire, that along with the comely appearance she may have also inherited the cunning and slyness of both races… and frankly, one side had more than enough, if you beg my pardon. Have you encountered many Dark Elves before? Out of all races I always considered them to be the most… let’s say, suspicious. From what I hear, it is considered complementary to bring your finest poison when attending a dinner party with their nobles.”

"If you don't trust the Dark Elves, what is there left to be said about the Undead, master Gwynpath? I've heard about that saying before, even though I can't say that I've met many Drow-kin in my short life. I say, pay no mind to her shady origins and presence, let her actions and decision speak in her name; enjoy the view while at it, after all, we're both males." He added in a hushed whisper, followed by a coy smirk.

But again, the envoy implied carefulness with picking who to trust and who to mistrust. Aleko felt the taste again in the back of his throat, feeling rather disappointed about his attitude; it was clear to him that there was already some competition among them, most likely seeking whoever had the Emperor's best regards. Those who didn't enter were confident they would be immediately picked by him. I'm not like you, milk-drinkers. A soldier has a different heart, his soles dirty with mud and engorged hands with cuts and bruises. Silver tongues don't impress him, but a golden heart in darkness is what he seeks in his comrades.

To end the day, Aleko had made his way to his desired location, where he handed the second list to the specialist, offering him very clear instructions: make a large plaque to bear the names of those that had fallen for him. What he would do with it was his own idea, but he needed it done as quickly as possible. With not much else to do, he headed to sleep, but he was haunted by nightmares that stole his chance to properly rest.

Day 3

Dull was the day indeed, but it was a day he could spend in peace in the comfort of a castle, instead of having to ration his food and try to organize half-witted peasants. He acknowledged the physician's regards and followed his old wizard to his own quarters, where he discovered a full plate suit of armor standing in the middle of the room. He took a moment to inspect the finish, the polish, the interlocking mechanisms, the joint work, the flamboyant decorations; he inspected the chain mail too, then, the tunic, which reminded him that he had to wear completely different colors from now on. He scratched his chin as the wizard blabbered on, but the genuine laughter drew a chuckle from Aleko too, not knowing what he was laughing about.

"Until my sword bends and my rifle explodes, I will keep them. The armor, though, looks good. Too good to ruin it in battle, I'll use it during ceremonies. Until my own Elite Ranger suit breaks its first chain or lock, I'll wear that one; I mean no disrespect to this man's work, but at heart, I am a Ranger. My armor is my hide and until I break it, it stays on me. If I take it off, I'm as good as a turncloak." He sighed at the end, his ears drooping.

"Which reminds me, I should start wearing crimson red more often, shouldn't I?"

But the wizard had a very different matter in his old mind.

The Scepter of Sefnir… it is probably the oldest relic of the Sendrakon family, said to have been used by Arkturious himself. Mmmmm…. According to some texts, it is even older, predating Unity all the way back to the Ancinet Times, though it sounds rather exaggerated if you ask me.”

“Sire… uhm… Sir, if I may ask, how do you… feel, when holding it?”

Aleko took a moment to describe the odd sensations he had, the familiarity of the handle, the weight, the texture, everything about it; as familiar as his own weapons, in facts. A sensation the wizard found peculiar too, describing Aleko's would-be ancestors and their own experience with the same object.

“Ah, forgive me. Old habits die hard. After all, it us the duty of us Wizards, Mages and Sorceress to seek knowledge, no?”

The halfling smiled to him and rested a hand on the older man's shoulder. "No need to apologize for delving into your passion, Master Cyrus. Honestly, it pains me to know someone had made you apologize for showing your appreciation for knowledge; after all, knowledge is the true power, it separates us from the common rabble."

Then came the feedback from the envoys. He carefully listened to them, frowning heavily to Weissnoat's remark. Pup? Let me see you sleep on ice, hide from searching parties and take over an entire castle with four friends, you puffed-up, milk-drinking, sweet-tooth, tail-wagging, green-as-spring mongrel. He agreed with everyone else's opinions, especially those that wanted to see him in action. Bulkwyn did worry him, though. For the same reason, Aleko spent the rest of the day training, knowing that the day of his departure to the front lines drew near; his drills grew in intensity as the day progressed, his body tensed to the maximum as he pushed his musculature to maximum performance. That night, he slept like a boulder, the strange bed becoming the most comfortable place the entire Avalon had.

Day 4

Sore all over his body, he really was glad he had one more day to relax and prepare his mental fortitude for cold weather and the same conditions he lived through The Sacking of Castle Kyrm. The most challenging two weeks of his life. But he could look back at it fondly and boast he went to the operation a young lad and returned a seasoned man, young as he were. He had to go for it again, but this time, he was on a limited time frame; he had to reach the camp, sleep the night and come dawn, start the search. Hopefully, he didn't have to storm the castle in an assault and instead, work his way over to the steward and female nobility left behind to rule over the keep and force them to forfeit their strategical location to him and his troops. It all depended on his efficiency of finding the secret back door, and also, on the inside work of the infiltrators. Most of the day, he chewed on his worried and doubts, most of the other lordly tasks being ignored as he was focused on his military task ahead; he did know that his focus on that aspect was unhealthy for the nation he had to lead, but he needed to vent the frustration he accumulated during his stay in the small city and his captivity on board the flying castle. He managed to get some sleep before the day of his departure arrived, dreaming of sneaking, battling and for some reason, eating olives on the top of a tower while sniping flaming dwarves.

Day 5

Clad in his Elite Ranger suit of armor and the tabbard of the other set held in place by several belts and locks, Aleko fitted his helmet last with the help of a few squires eager to help the Emperor don his Ranger Pelt. With his longsword slung at his right hip, the sidearm in its holster on the right, the dagger in its sheath on the front of his chestplate and the rifle slung on his shoulder, the halfling Shepherd met with the wizard in the study.

“Good morning, sir. Prepared for today’s events I see… Nervous?”

"Like a blushing maiden." He commented with a small smirk mostly hidden by the bascinet fitting his canine snout. "Can't help it, though. Every operation in the field is potentially deadly, but I keep my wits about. Maybe it'll work out in my favor again."

“I will transport you to general Bulkwyn’s location now. Are you prepared, sir?”

"Transport me how? Ah." He nodded. "Forgot. Well, let's not stall and keep our men waiting for me in the field. Take care, master Cyrus. I'll try not to be long."

“Good luck, sir. May you return victorious!”

"For Av-" Before he could finish his sentence, he was instantly ported in the field, the sickening sensation getting to him again, although not as strongly as the first time.

"-alon. Hm." He inspected his surroundings, the chilly weather instantly freezing his wet nose. The location was completely unknown to him, but nothing odd there, he was in a completely new location he had never had the chance to explore. The temperature did feel comfortable for him, since he had layers upon layers of protective gear under the plates of armor, save for his exposed face. He took a deep breath and exhaled, steam rolling out from his snout. I missed wearing this he told himself as he rolled his shoulders in the suit of armor this feels a lot better than being trapped up there. He then heard the distinctive clattering of armor plates, so familiar that he nearly jumped when he saw a fellow ranger approach him in a jog.

“Sire! Good to see you. Please follow me, I am to escort you to the camp.”

"Wooh-ah." He replied before he put his own feet to work, the jog deeply etched in his muscle memory as he followed his underling through the forested area. He loved every aspect of this sort of life, the danger, the camaraderie, the respect. Everything. Just by following this one individual through the forest, he felt nostalgia wash over him, as armor clanged, scabbard slapped and breaths echoed against the faceplate. They reached the camp, which looked as if it was made hastily. No wonder, they had to move as soon as his own white bottom would appear. He met with the general, whose salute he returned with perfect execution.

"At ease, general." It felt so weird to address to a General like so, when just almost a week ago he was but a Lieutenant.

“We are at the edge of the province of Coldshire, sire.” The general informed Aleko. “We will be departing on your command and should reach the fortress from Northspark tomorrow. If we are careful we should be able to travel unnoticed. If not…well let’s hope your prediction is correct and the Stainless will assume that these were troops from Coldshire, thinking that they could mount an attack upon the town only to discovered it still under heavy protection.”

"Then, let's not waste more time and pack up. We leave now." He ordered with a stern attitude, feeling far superior to the older woman who, after all, had a lot more experience than him. Her behavior still made him question her prowess, but it definitely made it easier for him to order her around.

The march started. Aleko was in the center of the marching party, general Bulkwyn keeping up with him with noticeable ease. A true General that is active on the field. I may like you a bit more, Bulkwyn Aleko told himself as he glanced at her presence with the corner of his right eye. As soon as he heard her muffled voice, he turned his whole head to her, as his hearing was a little impaired by the bascinet and the sound of clattering steel.

“This must seem all to familiar to you, no?” she inquired.

"Familiar?" Aleko snorted and took a deep breath of the chilly air again. "This is my life, General. This is what I truly know and love."

“I for one am more comfortable out here in the field than inside that floating building. I only wish we could have all that fancy food with us."

Aleko chuckled with her and slowly nodded. "I always get the feeling that I will fall out the window. I've been kept like a lion in a cage; I get to stretch my legs and get my soles wet. This is the life here, General. But caviar, salmon and bacon-wrapped roasted beef can replace gruel and rat stew every day, I agree." The same sort of relaxed pose and attitude floated around Aleko, finding himself in his natural habitat.

“You mentioned you fought in the War of Tulips, right? I knew I heard that name before we officially met, though if memory serves right, you were called ‘Frosty’ back then, huh?”

"Well, fought as in: I snuck around a castle for two weeks, his under rocks and mounds of moss. Then some fighting occurred, sure, but I never fought in open battlefield. Small run-ins and skirmishes, yes, I have quite a few on my belt." He then groaned at the nickname. "Yes, among 'Snowflake', 'White Death' and 'Winter Bunny'."

Judging by her head movement she inspected Aleko for a moment “I can understand that nickname”

Even so, he smirked and shook his head, preferring to be called by his nickname than 'sire' or 'my lord' or 'milord'. They arrived at the next campsite, where he offered to help building up the tents, rather than sitting on his hind and watch everyone else work. The familiar feeling of ravaging hunger hit him in the stomach, which was covered by the sludge his portion of gruel turned out to be. He listened in as she repeated the plan, nodding at the key aspects of the briefing by the time she was done, he could still feel the rather unprofessional attitude in her; it slowly became obvious to him why she had adopted such an attitude and why it was permitted: she loved her life as military. Aleko also had the chance to take off his own helm and face plate to enjoy the biting temperature of the night, now finally being able to ignore his own heartbeats and breathing patterns.

"The plan sounds very familiar to what I dictated, save for a small, rather important detail that you have overlooked, general. I understand that you must be concerned for my well being, but I AM taking a team of scouts and I WILL search for an emergency exit to break open and infiltrate the castle. I don't want to sit and watch the fortress while we have agents working inside. Three teams of three circling the castle for as long as needed. If anyone finds it, they will report at the rendezvous, or, receive the signal from the infiltrators. Hopefully, we won't have to storm the damned place."

“Mmmm… do you think they will surrender?" she inquired once the strategic talk was over “I mean, they are from the Old Empire. They must be more reasonable than those from the Stainless right? And if they surrender, do you really think we can convince them to join our side? What if they don’t?”

"I- hrm." Aleko did look like he was pondering what she had just brought up. "We will offer them the option, under no circumstances are we to outright slaughter them without giving them the chance to surrender and drop their weapons. If they don't join, they become prisoners. Prisoners are to be kept around for forced labor. Sounds like a reasonable contract, no?" He asked in a half-joking manner, but only a few moments after he realized that her casual attitude had imprinted on him. Curses.

Then came a very interesting twist about the General, which caught Aleko completely off-guard. He knew that she was excited about him, but for her to speak so highly about a complete stranger, albeit him an Elite Ranger, it made him feel his cheeks swell; he didn't know if they were already red from the biting chill, but he sure hoped that she wouldn't notice him fluster like a little maiden. He nervously chuckled and waved his hand in a dismissive manner.

"General, the Wizard's task was to find the last of the Sendrakon. It happened to be me, there wasn't really a choice there. Still, thank you for your kind words, General. I'll try to do my very best." He declared, keeping his composure even though he could feel himself warm up to the irreverent rodent halfling.

He agreed with her about sleeping, he did need to rest his legs after the march, as he yet readjusted to the gritty lifestyle of being on the field. Her last remark caught him off-guard once more, being merely able to mutter a confused "What?" as she implied that he'd try to make a move on her. He couldn't complain, rebuke or retort as she immediately left for her own tent, leaving him with her bold words. If he flustered before, the deep red in his cheeks and the warm in his chest and between his thighs should be evident enough of his impression about Bulkwyn's attitude.

Did she just invited me to her tent? She invited me to visit her tent. He thought to himself as he headed to his own, where he slacked the knots and bolts holding the armor tight on his body, giving him a bit more comfort to be able to lay down and rest. He looked at the sky through the tent, the fabric rippling as the wind blasted by. It is cold here. I will get used to it, especially with this blanket. But with a woman on my side- he soon shook his head and rolled on his side. An FSC, no less. But a damned passionate officer. She's... she's into me. Is she? I haven't felt the warmth of one for so l- no. Get yourself together. You'll deal with your loneliness once this task here is done. Grab this territory and you can have her. Sleep tight, tomorrow there's leather-stomping to do, Frosty.

And there, his mind drifted into a dreamless slumber, his body and mind achieving the much needed rest for the mission ahead. First, Castle Kyrm. Next, Castle Northspark.

Star Wars - Jedi Exile - Knights of the Last Republic

@Sep I'm here too, sort of drifting in hyperspace indefinitely

Star Wars - Jedi Exile - Knights of the Last Republic

As with the great Jedi Purge.

I too will be doing a purge. A lot of you seem unresponsive to prompts, and some of you aren't willing to post as are waiting for others.

Me and @Gowi are trying to push on through the temple so as such, I shall post a prompt up within the next two days (For sure, as I have already worked on most of it) and give you a couple of days to respond.

Those that don't...

I'm sorry but your characters will fall to the fire.

@Sep

Hrm, should I also try to come up with something?

Star Wars - Jedi Exile - Knights of the Last Republic

Half-assed attempt at whatever, posted. I will crash in bed and sleep 50000 hours now.

Star Wars - Jedi Exile - Knights of the Last Republic

CT-1372

With every passing moment the weather worsened, what started as a typical Hothian snowfall turned into blizzard. Visibility was drastically reduced within a very short time span, leaving him and the four other Snowtroopers waiting for the captain to return with the other half of the squad and with the body of a Jedi. He knew that the knight had been a troublesome demon to capture, as the captain cursed and yelled desperate orders to catch up with the target and neutralize it. Comms went silent for over five minutes, the clones outright refused to respond to all calls. They did not reinforce the other half of the squad mainly due to having to deal they had their own troubles: CT-1388 was grievously wounded by the female twi'lek during her attempt to escape, leaving him crippled and broken. CT-1900's leg was disabled by a deflected blaster bolt, but he was functioning at an optimal level, albeit having an obvious limp. They had two wounded on their side, one of them with slim chances of survival, and five men gone AWOL, including the captain. He wouldn't know how risky it would be to search for the fire team, fearing that the knight managed to either escape or decimate them all. With three clones against one of the better Jedi of the Order, the odds would be against them; even with the limping one tried to participate in the fight, chances would still be rather slim, since none of them had the experience and reflexes of the captain.

Just as unrest almost reached the peak, the clone spotted movement through the thick curtains of falling snow. He dropped on one knee, shifted his weight and took aim at the approaching silhouette. The other two active clones dashed behind cover, one took the corner of the LAAT's cockpit while the other dropped on his belly next to one of the fighters the two Jedi used. Tense moments crept past at a painfully slow pace, the only sounds left were the constant roar of the wind, their muscles clenching under the weight of tension and a few moans of pain coming from inside the transport gunship. The silhouette was a strange one, looking far from being a humanoid figure; their first, dreadful thoughts were of a famished Wampa risking its life to fetch something to eat, and in this weather condition, there's no telling how far it would go to get what it wanted. But the figure wasn't as tall as the dreaded, white furred beast, instead, it was a clone carrying another one on his shoulders. As soon as CT-1372 figured out what was actually going on, he dropped his blaster into the snow and dashed at the wounded comrade to help with the body he was carrying, but as soon as he identified the red markings on his helmet, CT-1372 took the downed infantryman by himself on his own shoulders, allowing Dagger to regain his composure.

"Sir! We've been unable to contact you, what in the stars happened back there?"

In response, Dagger shook his head and knocked the side of his helmet with his armored knuckles, suggesting to 1372 that his transmitter was busted. He then leaned in to the trooper so that he could yell over the roaring winds and through the helmet.

"That piece of snot tore us up! I'm- I'm the only one left."

CT-1372 lifted his head a little, as to let the bad news sink in and turned his gaze to the other two infantrymen, which had approached their leader in the meantime. The fourth one, wounded and limping, tried to drag himself closer. The captain then lifted his right hand, his fingers articulating in a wavy pattern.

"Go fetch the bodies, but look for the Jedi first. Don't come back until you have the rest of our men AND the Jedi scum, and make sure he's dead. Go, GO!"

"Roger! We'll fetch the Jedi first, then the bodies!" The three said in unison before they stormed the snowy dunes beyond the veil of frost, the fourth one lagged behind but made due.

---

Alpha-39, Captain "Dagger"

The captain watched the troopers as they disappeared in the harsh weather; once they were gone, he turned his attention to the gunship and limped towards it, raising his right hand high above his head. He made a quick gesture with his fingers, which drew the pilots out of the two-seat cockpit.

"Sir, did you need help?" Asked one of the two identical humans, the other quickly caught up.

"Yes, I need your help" the captain stated, raising both of his arms, the left one trembled significantly "I've been rolled hard." Indeed, his armor looked burnt and cut, the result of a lightsaber passing through the material.

Before the two pilots could lay their hands on Dagger, the captain wrapped the fingers from both of his hands tightly against the helmets of the pilots; with a loud grunt, he brought his arms together, the two pilots headbutted each other with their helmets. Their unconscious bodies sprawled on the snow, some blood dripping through the crack in both helmets added a grim vibe to the monotony of constant winter. Dagger stepped over the them with nonchalance, his wounded leg regained vitality instantly as he approached the LAAT's cargo door, where he spotted a clone trooper squirming in a corner; it would seem that he did not notice what his captain had just done, as he was rather busy concentrating on his own debilitating wounds. Dagger squatted beside him to inspect the CT closely, instantly recognizing the very specific molten trail a lightsaber cut would leave behind. There was nothing left to be done for him, but maybe to end the suffering with a swift strike, a twist of the neck, a bolt to the head. But no. There was no release for him.

He stepped back up and walked outside, greeted again by the winds that brutalized his armor pads with icicles; the short, white cape hanging from his back fluttered violently to the storm's unending rumble tried to shove his body down in the snow. He fought against nature as he approached the two fighters parked next to each other on a flat portion of terrain; a sizable coat of snow covered the top side of both space ships, as well the landing gears. But there was a small, brown heap of linen lightly fluttering with the wind, the wings of the Cutlass-9 offering some protection from the blizzard. Dagger's pace slowed down significantly, showing some reluctance with every step he drew nearer to the linen wraps; once he had it at the tips of his boots, he turned sideways and knelt beside it, his left hand trembling heavily as it clumsily grabbed a corner of the linen and fold it over. Whatever was beneath the several layers formed a distinguishable humanoid shape. He froze in place for an entire minute, but his left arm trembled still, sending painful throbs up to the cortex through the intricate peripheral nervous system. He tugged at his own helmet with his functioning hand until it came loose, revealing a distraught expression on a face that did not belong to a clone.

---

Aleko

He couldn't muster the courage to pull the layers of linen off and gaze upon her young face one last time, he could only sit there and gawp through her. With the evidence at his knees, his world slowly deconstructed around him until there was nothing left but for his miserable self, the cold that stopped hurting his exposed face and the unquestionable truth waiting to be unwrapped and absorbed. Left only with his own destructive thoughts, Aleko closed his eyes and frowned, deep wrinkles creasing his pale face in an expression of pure pain; he rarely allowed himself to express any emotion at all, but he knew he would explode if he didn't give in to the overwhelming suffering that fell upon his shoulders.

Confusion. Sadness, pain. Fear, anger. The mix was a volatile one, it quickly caught on fire and burned wildly through him. It hurt him to the point he had to clench his teeth until his gums turned pale, but the ache in his left arm was completely gone; the physical pain could not be compared to the revulsion every cell in his body felt. Salty trails pouring from the lower lids of his eyes instantly froze on his cheeks after he raised his gaze back up; while there was no courage left, he found some strength within the debilitating pain to use as a fuel to stretch his arm and pull the final layers off her face. But there was no face for him to look upon. What used to be soft, blue skin, turned out a repulsive combination of steaming brown and black flakes of leather, with teeth hanging loosely from them. The only objects that were left intact were some of the clothing she wore for the mission and the one foot long metallic rod thrown against her body. She wasn't Tasha. She was gone. Dead.

There is no death, there is the Force.

No. There's nothing left.

He caressed what was left of her skull, trying to remember how it felt when she was still among the living. But nothing came to his mind, no sensation, for he couldn't picture her absence. There was no way Aleko would know the tragedy of losing a child felt like, since he had chosen a path that exercised chastity; from what he had seen during his life as a peace enforcer, he knew what kind of despair a family would go through after losing a child and, while he felt empathy for the family members back then, now he experienced the same kind of emptiness and sense of unfairness. A sort of emptiness that not even the Force seemed to fill.

Where is everyone? He asked himself, still looking at her.

He could feel it now. There was a morbid silence within the Force and it felt as though the silence grew deeper and deeper with every passing second, voices that would hum and whisper and keep the network alive had been cut off. There was, instead, fear. Pain. Confusion.

Master Koon. He couldn't find him.

What have they done?

It was a nightmare come true. Tasha, his Master, the whole Force-using populace, they were all gone. All victims of the treacherous clones, he suspected. Aleko could not find a reason as to why the clones would just outright shoot her instead of trying to apprehend her, or try to approach any other kind of non-violent method of capturing both him and her. Instead, they just raised their weapons and started shooting. Clearly, this was not a decision on their own accord, it was a directive from high above that set such a heinous act in motion; he did not know where to point the finger first, but he did know that he had to find any survivors and help rally them to someplace safe. His best chance was to reach Coruscant as quickly as possible, thinking that any other Off-World Jedis would do the same. The distance between the Outer Rim and the Core Worlds was a great one, so, there was no more time to lose. He had to leave her there. He couldn't understand how other knights or masters did not even flinch at the death of their own apprentices while he was going through the darkest moment of his entire existence, as Aleko had just turned his back at the corpse of his Tasha and walked to his own Cutlass, a saberstaff dangling from his belt clip. Maybe he had grown weak due to the emotions that plagued him during his entire knighthood; that issue had become much less important, as, the entire Order was in grave danger.

Minutes later, one of the fighters lifted off the ground, made a 180^o turn and darted off in the storm, following a plotted course set to escape Hoth and the frigate orbiting the rock, final destination set to Coruscant. The knight did not care about the dangers he will expose himself to, he was ready to die for his order while attempting to rescue it. He couldn't bare loneliness, so should he meet his end, at least he will have someone dear to him waiting for his arrival.

Star Wars: Opposing Forces

The Jedi turned his head back to see Huleez pop up behind him, then, glanced at an approaching Fiona. Here they were: a ragtag Jedi Order, a small project still under heavy construction. The Kashyyykian was rather impressed by the cultural difference between all members of the Order and how everyone wanted to work together under the same code. The Order itself was nowhere near as big and important is had been thousands of years before the great battle over Yavin. From those glorious years to the modest rebirth today marked a dark chapter in the history of the Galaxy, but the chapter had finally ended.

Aleko's eyebrows arched when he saw the wound, his face transfigured into a frown when David revealed the details of the encounter. It visibly troubled him as it seemed that their area of expertise had just gained more depth. Playing police was one thing, but facing against other Force users with malevolent intentions raised a very important issue: the Dark Side was much easier to comprehend than the Light Side, since all living beings within the Galaxy face strong emotions from which they could draw power, rather than trying to empty their spirit and allow the serenity within the Light Side to give them strength. They needed more recruits and fast, which meant Aleko also had to improve quickly so that he could be of great use to his Master.

"That alien sounds much like a Gungan to me, judging by the description. I suspect that he or she was nothing but a puppet, since it brandished only a vibroblade. If they were a true Sith with a hand-crafted lightsaber, I suspect your wound would have looked completely different, maybe the outcome would have been drastically different too." He lowered his head as to inspect the wound closely as Huleez Force healed it.

"Adventure", Aleko echoed, a small smile finally contorting the stern look on his face, a smile that revealed a more playful side to the relatively young Jedi "I don't think the word "adventure" is written in our contract. But seen as you are the Master and I am your apprentice, I am forced follow your trail and get in your way a lot. Like it or not."

"But seriously, I think that this Sith hunt is risky business. I like that." His smirk turned into a coy grin. "You have my saber, Master."

Star Wars - Jedi Exile - Knights of the Last Republic

Fix'd

Star Wars - Jedi Exile - Knights of the Last Republic

Powergaming is when you force a reaction out of someone, I.E. If you were to detail in your post that Worror stabbed himself in the face.

@Sep

That sounds terrible. But hilarious!

Also Machine I believe @Gowi had a comment on your post but he noticed it first so I'll let him make it.

@Sep

Uh oh. I dun goofed, didn't I?