(OOC - I hope you
don't really mind me hijacking Melanie as Jyvun's apprentice, I realize
it might propel her from apprentice to padawan. But I think it can do
more for the plot this way. Also, forgive any of the paragraphs if they
seem well... off pace. I realize as well, that the master left- but this
post kind of interrupts that leaving. If this is all fine, I hope this
is good for y'all. I also suggest we refrain from time skips in the future so the pacing of the roleplay itself is a lot smoother and less forced.)

 
"Perhaps, you shouldn't be in charge then." and then came upon the voice of another jedi, this one being Renth Jyvun; directed to the leading jedi master's ears. The master's glance to Jyvun was a quick and immediate one and his voice acted in response. "Jyvun, I see. What is it?"

"Remember not to feel like you have to hide your questions and thoughts from me." Jyvun added to his statement. "Besides, you've already come so far." he stated aftewards. Now.... to find Malo, I really hope he doesn't aspire to do anything foolish if I come across him. The thought ended Jyvun's speech for the time being as he began to head towards one of the landing platforms and after that-- forward for where he most suspected Malo to retreat to in an act of desperation or something...

SWINGING BEGINNING NIGHTCLUB

The place was nearly in ruins. The basic foundation was still intact, but everything else was damaged beyond belief. A group of Jedi were busy trying to salvage anything they could in the debris. There was 32 individuals spanning 12 different races. They all had one goal in mind, evidence. "Hey has the number on that ruined ship came in yet?" yelled a red-headed human. He stood outside the front entrance beside an older, bald human. "No, I’m still waiting on a response!" replied the Rodian from last night. He was sitting on a large pile of rubble. The red haired individual turned back to his master. "How long does it take to ID one vessel?" "Patience, Ren‘iol, patience" the bald man replied, "The information will still be the same regardless of whether we receive it now or later. What were the contents of the vessel?" Ren’iol nodded and responded, "Nothing much Master Sylus. Some antique blasters, rare beverages, and some Corellian flight suits. Anything else was damaged beyond recognition." Sylus showed no expression. He just starred at his apprentice with a vacant stare. "Was there any data on the flight recorder?" Sylus asked, covering all territories. "It’s too damaged to get anything from it now. We’ll have to analyze it later in a lab." Sylus closed his eyes, "I see."

"We’ve got it! We’ve got it!" the Rodian yelled down at Sylus and Ren’iol, "The vessel is; Custom YF-77, Alderran special, registered to one Chonai Striken." Sylus closed his eyes, "Striken…" "This is it! This is the evidence we need!" Ren’iol said with faint excitement. "Maybe," the Rodian was approaching the duo, "Striken was apprehended around this location last night, but the club was still intact at he time of his arrest." "No, it will suffice," Sylus interjected, "It is common knowledge that Striken has an apprentice. There were no bodies found within the craft which implies that the pilot made it out alive." "There was also major sith casualties, but not a single corpse was found the next day," the Rodian replied, "Who’s to say he didn’t crawl from the wreck and die in the streets?" "Regardless, we have a Sith vessel and a ruined nightclub. That combined with the soldiers we took into custody should prove enough to make our case. Please contact the council and let them know what we found." Sylus turned to walk away. Ren’iol raised the communicator to begin his transmission when Sylus stopped him. "Do not contact Headmaster Twilon. Given situations in the past, he proves inadequate. We would be better off referring to the other masters, excluding myself, on this particular matter." Ren’iol just nodded as Sylus made his way to the distant Jedi landing craft.

* * * * * * * *

A loud yelling woke Waller from his pain induced sleep. Various articles of refuse (mostly old torn articles of cloth) lay on top of him. He had pulled the garbage over him during the night for warmth. The temperature on Courscant had a tendency to drop sharply after sunset. The battered Wookie began to crawl out of the refuse. His body ached all over now, and he felt lightheaded. He rose to his feet and grasped the wall next to him for balance. He made his way to the alleyway. In the clearing ahead he saw the remains of what used to be a nightclub.

A medium sized group of individuals dressed in Jedi attire were rummaging through the debris. He could hear several of them talking, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Waller shook his head and started off in the opposite direction. With all the Jedi out there it would be foolish to approach any closer. He did wonder how they weren’t able to sense his presence, but tossed that thought aside attributing it to his weakened condition. The Wookie held his injured arm tight as he rested his right shoulder against the wall. The plan was dead now, or at least Waller’s part in it. He couldn’t even remember what he was supposed to do. Now he didn’t now where to go. He was trapped in an unfriendly city, and there was nothing he could do about it. Waller stared at the ground as he made his way down the long alley, his arm sliding across the rough wall beside him. He didn’t know where he was heading, but at this point in time, it didn’t matter.

Jacxx Malo glanced over his shoulder at the craft below him. It was the stranger from last night. ‘Dammit!’ Malo thought. He glanced down below him. He had climbed about a fourth the way down when Talia approached him. It seemed, to him anyways, that he was trapped. He couldn’t trust her. He had no clue she was Jedi, he had passed out before she unveiled herself, but she had gotten in touch with the council last night. That means she has contacts, and most likely knew about his vanishing act. He looked at her then down below him. "Need a hand back to temple you mean? Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not in the mood for one of their lectures at the moment!" It seemed that Malo didn’t have a choice in the matter though. There was no possible way he could beat the vehicle to the bottom, especially in his condition. He looked at Talia then further down below him weighing the options in his head. He took a deep breath then reluctantly said "Fine!" and lowered himself into Talia’s vessel, "Let’s get this over with!" It was at this moment when Malo felt another presence. One that seemed vaguely familiar. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was there nonetheless. It was approaching the platform fast. No doubt it was searching for him. "Someone else is approaching." Malo said calmly. It didn't really matter, he was already caught and would most likely be shuttled back to the temple to get grilled by a Jedi master who wasn't even qulified for the job. What's an escort gonna do other than ensure he got to the proper destination.

(OOC: Holy large text removed, batman! Anyway working on a post to be edited into this square; want to get another one in before Gem replies and you guys take off to fun adventures and such! I think I have an idea that works, in thus as well.)

...he headed for Malo's position, but it was only a matter of time before Malo was gone and he had no trace to go on-- and Jyvun felt it in the force, Malo knew something-- he knew about this business. It could of been a baseless assumption, but he had not acted on such ignorance and arrogance in at least a decade. Not in a decade. 

"Then now would be a good time to leave this airspace," Talia commented in reply before swinging the vehicle through 180 degrees and heading away from the temple at ever-increasing speed. Malo blinked, clearly surprised by this turn of events. "You're not taking me back to the Temple?!" he said, the statement more an exclamation than a question. With a wry smile Talia answered, "your Force-abilites never cease to impress me, Jedi". As she wove the vehicle between the towering buildings she was letting part of her mind focus on the task ahead. She'd realised, when Shaela informed her that Malo had pulled a vanishing act, that he probably wouldn't know that she was Force-trained and capable too. Bearing that in mind she asked, "since you could sense someone else approaching, can you sense if they're still following?" Malo nodded. "Good," Talia replied, "then keep me posted, unless whoever's following you becomes obvious, or tell me if we lose them completely could you?" Malo didn't answer that, but looked at her with suspicion in his eyes. "Just who are you and why do you keep showing up? Are you following me?" he asked. Talia kept her expression impassive as she answered. "If you're referring to last night, that was coincidence- I was tracking down something completely different at the time, that just happened to lead to the district the Sith invaded," she answered, "as for who I am- well, you can call me Twilight for now. And I wasn't following you until this morning, when certain events last night became clear to me". Malo didn't seemto be satisfied with this answer either. "What do you mean, 'became clear to you'?" he asked. "I mean," Talia informed him, "that as a result of events that happened last night, the trail I should be following and who I ought to be following became more obvious". Malo smiled a knowing smile as she finished her sentence, "you're a bounty hunter aren't you?" he asked.

"Not exactly," Talia informed him, "I'm a researcher- an information hound. I hunt information, though sometimes that leads to hunting people as well". Malo grinned a knowing grin, "and now you're hunting me?" he asked. "No," Talia answered, "I'm hunting something else- something I'm being paid handsomely to hunt for. An antique of considerable value, made by the Force-sensitive long ago. It's my mission to deliver it to a private collector. However, there are a number of treasure-hunters who want to get to it first, and one of those treasure-hunters used the mayhem of last night to steal some information that may be vital to the task of finding it". Jacxx frowned, "so where do I come into all this?" he asked. "You tell me," Talia answered, "since the information stolen last night was stolen from your head by the Temple's very own Dr. Doron, using a mind-probing device". Jacxx jerked at that news, and Talia could tell that he was considering whether to believe her story or not. Before he could answer Talia said, "don't believe me? Then ask yourself where the marks on your head came from". Malo's hand flew to the back of his head and his eyes widened as he felt the marks left by the mind-probe. "That still proves nothing," he muttered, "that could've been done at anytime after I passed out last night. You might even have done it yourself! For all I know, you might be a Sith spy trying to trick me!" Talia tilted her head slightly at that, "I'm no Sith spy," she said calmly, "after all, if I were we'd be a lot more like each other". Malo didn't seem to like that remark at all. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "Well, let's see," Talia answered, "the Sith are Force-trained warriors, who kill for pleasure, profit, or other personal gain. Given your penchant for killing people who might one day surpass you in Force-strength, and that you're also a bounty hunter, that description could as easily be used of you. The only difference is that you claim to be a Jedi and hide a number of your killings behind a facade of upright motives, whereas I could list a good number that served no purpose save your own advancement or the advancement of your own agenda- very like the Sith".

As Jacxx stared at her, apparently surprised that she knew so much about his activities Talia said, "I told you I was an information hound Malo- I might search mainly for historic information, but I do keep up to date". Jacxx growled a response. "We haven't lost whoever's following yet," he remarked, "what happens once we do?" Talia shrugged a little. "That depends on you," she said, "you can help me, and maybe get a little help from me in return- not counting the help I've already given you- or you can refuse and I take you back to the Temple before carrying on my mission, while you sit tight and let Doron's associates use your memories for their treasure-hunting. Your call".

"It does not really look like I have a choice in the matter." Jacxx said as he glared out the window watching various craft whisk by, "I think we have briefly lost our pursuers. Though if they're as good as I sensed it won't be long before they pick up our trail." "Pursuers?" Talia asked. With her Force mask up there was now way she could have felt both presences. "That's right, there are two of them, in the same vehicle. Most likely master and apprentice. If we are to have any chance of losing them for good, though it's not definite, I suggest we blast out of the area as fast as we can." "So is that a yes, you will help me?" Talia asked accelerating the craft ever so slightly. A brief silence fell between the two before Malo finally said, "That's a yes, I have a feeling I know exactly what you are searching for." "Very well then." Talia accelerated the ship to it's maximum and in seconds they rocketing across the skies of the Jedi district, high above all the other traffic.

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two as they made their "escape". Malo just stared out the window. They were going so fast he couldn't make out much of the scenery around them. It all seemed like one big blur. The pain still coursed down Malo's backside with great intensity, but he did his best to hide it from Talia. He looked over at her thinking about what she had said. About his actions. About him being a bounty hunter. "You are wrong about one thing miss Twilight," he said breaking the thick air. "That being..." she asked calmly not taking her eyes off the airspace in front of her. "I'm not a ruthless killer. All the people I killed in my life came from situations where it was either me or them. I know the rumours about me nixing anyone who has the potential to surpass me, hell there's actually a fair share of biased evidence to support said rumours, but believe me things aren't always as you read. Those potential usurpers, they had all trained under me." Malo looked down at the floorboard as he recalled past memories. "But you did kill them didn't you?" Talia asked in response. "Yes, but believe me I DID NOT have a choice. They were my apprentices and I cared for them greatly. I could feel their inner strength and it made me proud. Proud to know that one day they would surpass me and become the future leaders of the Jedi order. However, someone had gotten to them. The first time it happened I had thought my student had went rogue. You see he had always had a short temper and he didn't always listen to my teachings. He slowly drifted towards the dark side. I tried my best to intervene and halt his progression, but to no avail. One day he entered my living quarters while I was asleep and tried to kill me. I quickly retaliated and tried to apprehend him, but to amazement he was too strong. He had never been that potent, EVER. I had to draw my saber and counter him. The duel was intense he blocked and parried almost every strike I made. He was battling like he had done it his entire life. He took a quick strike to my head, but I noticed he had left an opening. I took it and seconds later he was on the floor, dead."

Talia looked briefly at Jacxx. She was definitely interested now. "After that," Malo continued, "The council reprimanded me and stripped me of my rank as a teacher. It was later reinstated when they couldn't find any evidence to dis prove my claim. So I took on two more students, and surprisingly enough it happened again, to both of them. The difference this time was that t hey were far more behaved than my last apprentice. Anyways, together they confronted me on the landing docks at the temple as I was returning from an assignment. They attacked before I could even exit the shuttle. Strangely enough, like last time, they too seemed far more deadly than when I left. They were like trained warriors. They knew precisely when to counter and took every opening that came their way. When it was all over I was still alive, and was quickly apprehended. They stripped me of my rank again, this time permanently. The council examined the surveillance camera footage, but it didn't help my case any. The way the camera was angled made it seem as if I made the first attack. That was not enough evidence to hold me, but it was enough to ban me. I was now an outcast. The first thing I did was leave Courscant. The apprentice attacks were to similar to be a coincidence. Someone very powerful was targeting me and I didn't want to hang around to find out who or why. To this day I still have no clue, but my guess is he/she just wanted me out of the order. It's been about eight years, no incident."

Malo felt a spike in the force. It was faint, and could barely be felt. Was it their previous pursuers. Malo wasn't sure, but that was a possibility. The spike vanished almost as soon as it appeared. Malo shrugged it aside and continued on with is story, "The order was a different place back then. Much more strict than it is now. I was lucky they just banned me." Malo smiled a little, "So afterwards I became a bounty hunter. It seemed the best area to get into that would allow me to use my abilities. Yeah I've killed quite a few individuals here and there, but as I said before it was either them or me. These people were not your typical upstanding civilians. Regardless, I guess that ushered in some more bad rep. There was even one time when I was placed on the Republic's Most Wanted list, due to a misunderstanding and the fact they accused me of executing one of their top generals. That was eventually removed, but the rumours still persist. It's my lot in life I guess" He looked over at Talia, "So now that's out of the way, tell me what you need from me."

Talia didn't reply at once, brooding over what Jacxx had told her. In her head she started to see connections, coincidences that weren't coincidences, events past that had shaped the present, all unfolding into one huge and elaborate pattern, a vast tapestry shaped by different people with different ambitions into one huge design; a design that maybe had one common thread holding it all together. She wasn't sure she liked what she saw. "It seems to me," she muttered in response to Jacxx, "that there are too many monsters in this fish-pond, and more arriving every minute. I don't like that at all, and what you've told me- if its true- just reinforces the presence of those monsters".

She continued to weave between buildings and through other traffic at high speed as she continued. "There are entirely too many connections springing to light as a result of recent events for it all to be coincidence," she continued, "we seem to have three concentric circles of connections here. Firstly there's you, Striken and Melanie Blackweller. Melanie is connected to Striken because her murdered her parents, he's connected to you because of a long-standing rivalry. Then we have Doron's nameless group and Flki'jin's and the Jedi. Flki'jin's group is connected to Doron's because they are adversaries and want to destroy each other, and Doron's is connected to the Jedi because he works at the Jedi Temple. Then we have the Sith, the Republic millitary and an unknown & powerful player. The unknown is connected to the Sith because he- or she- successfully manipulated them last night, and maybe has done so before. And the Republic millitary are connected to this unknown because the attack of last night was swept under the carpet easily and efficiently, and the stronghold was overrun entirely too easily. And that's before we go into the connections between each circle," Talia concluded, "it's more like a web than a series of circles. And I for one don't want to walk into a web without knowing where the spider might be. And that's where you come in," Talia informed Jacxx, "because there just might be one particular something at the heart of this web- a common interest, something we're all after. Doron believed whatever you knew about it was worth extracting from your memories with a mind-probe, so I'm going to ask a direct question: What do you know about the Herald's Heart?"

Before Jacxx could answer that, something caught Talia's attention. "Hold on," she said, steering her craft lower, "there's something I need to do here". So saying she steered the craft towards a particular level of the city. Moments later, on a relatively quiet street well out of the Jedi District, the duo had disembarked and Talia had programmed the auto-pilot to take the craft safely back to its owners. As it rose into the skies over Coruscant Malo asked, "you don't think that's going to fool our pursuers for long do you?" Talia smiled a little. "I did instruct it to take an evasive and roundabout route," she remarked, "but no I don't, not if they're as good as you believe them to be. However, since they're bound to realise the craft is empty before it gets back home, that'll keep my employers out of this- which I was particularly instructed to do. In addition to that," she elaborated, as she gestured subtly towards a particular building, "while we're here we can visit a rather more trustworthy doctor than Doron, who can get you patched up a little better and some more effective painkillers- one who's happy to ask no questions. Once we've done that we can go to a bar not too far from here where all kinds of useful and informative characters like to spend their time. While we're there we can discuss what you know about the Herald's Heart and what I want from you, and maybe where we go from there. And if our pursuers happen to show up- well, I'll put it this way, I don't just like the bar because of its friendly atmosphere, but because if I have to fight, I like to let the location dictate the terms of the fight. And this location favours me".       

OOC: Holy crap has it been over two months? I hope you guys are not mad at me, there was a lot of things that fell on my plate, and seemingly all at once, back here in the dreaded realm of real life. I never can seem to catch a break and carry on with a semi-interesting RP. No something always has to happen. It's almost expected! I'm still going to try and carry the torch on this for as long as I can regardless of what happens next in the 'ol RL. I've got nothing right now, but within the week I'll make another IC, I promise.

Awesomesauce! Still up for continuing this RP and looking forwards to your next IC. My sympathies @RL stuff all happening at once- I know what that can be like!

No I haven't cast this aside again. There are some last second things I've got to finish up before I can write another post. No promises this time (heh) but it's a good chance I'll have an IC finished before the end of this week!

OOC: And I'm back! Sorry it took so long to get this IC up. I've had it finished for well over a week now! It seems a little underwhelming too, but at least it gets things going again. I'm going to start focusing more on my characters and less on all the other shadowy NPCs that I have been doing in the past. Hopefully doing this will make the story feel less cluttered, and actually allow me to focus on the story at hand rather than adding new wrinkles and plot holes. I feel doing this will make for a better RP in the long run. Anyways let's get to the main reason I'm here...

IC (again it's pretty short, but I hope that doesn't mind):

Malo  observed the buildings surrounding the duo. He wasn’t quite sure where he was in the city, which was good if they were going to lay low. The JedI didn’t view him as a security risk, so it would not be long until they tire searching for him. He glanced down the vacant street ahead at Talia who was walking slowly enough for the wounded Jedi to keep up. The pain, still making its presence known, had dulled to a low throb. Malo brushed the backside of his hand across his forehead and took a deep breath. He was worse off than he thought. His forehead was drenched in sweat, and every step required a large breath before he made another. Fatigue was beginning to set in. Malo knew he was in no condition to really be doing pretty much anything. How he escaped the JedI temple in this condition was beyond his comprehension.

Malo came to a stop and leaned against a small vacant stand, the kind usually found in market places. He took a breath and called out to Talia who was already approaching the Jedi. “You know the place looked much closer from the cockpit…” he let loose a weak smile and glanced down at the dirt laden street. “I tell you, busting out of there may have been reckless, but it should have been Impossible! I can barely walk as it is!” Talia stepped forward, “It’s just a few more paces. Do you need any assistance?” “Nah. I’ll be fine. This is good exercise! I’ve been in worst shape trust me!” He smiled, “Besides consider this a sort of punishment for my foolish behavior last night!”  Malo stammered past Talia and approached the building up ahead. “Is this the place?” “Yeah,” Talia nodded in agreement, “We can get you patched up in here. Afterwards we can discuss business.” Malo stood off to the left hand side of the door and nodded at Talia, “After you.” Malo began to reach out with the force to see if he could still feel their pursuers. He focused for a brief second before finally giving up. His condition was deteriorating dramatically, and it was affecting his abilities. There was no answer he could draw with any certainty.

(SLOPPY POST BUT HERE U GO! I HOPE ITS OK. But yeah, not only underwhelming-- the pace seems rushed and forced, but it's been awhile so I'll try to muster something fairly soon since its about time I did so!)

"Right, Master Jyvun."

Talia smiled slightly and stepped up to the door, biting back a remark about a Jedi being afraid of doctors that threatened to trip itself off her tongue. Right now Malo was wise to distrust doctors, no matter who they were recommended by- after all, if one who had access to the Jedi Temple could take an involuntary mind-probe, what might a medic recommended by a complete stranger do? In this case however, Talia knew that Malo had nothing to fear. She knocked softly but clearly upon the door, rapping out a coded knock. The nondescript door slid open in response, and Talia stepped forwards, beckoning Malo to follow. As the door slid shut behind them Talia spoke softly to Malo. "Before we go and meet my doctor friend," she said, "there are a couple of things you should know. Firstly, since you've been a bounty-hunter, there's a chance you might see some familiar faces in here. Second, since you're a Jedi, don't talk about that in here, since there might be some Sith-sympathisers or actual Sith in here. Third, never fight in here: Anyone who starts trouble inside this establishment doesn't get any medical attention end of story- literally end in some cases". Malo's eyes opened wider, and he seemed to have gone ever so slightly pale at the mention of rogues and Sith possibly waiting further in. "What kind of business is your doctor running exactly?" he asked.

"Business is the entire point to the rules," Talia explained, "my doctor friend is completely neutral where ongoing hostilities are concerned- be it hostilities between Jedi and Sith or hostilities between one city gang and another. Once you pass my friend's door you're on neutral ground. Whoever you are, as long as you've got the money required, you're welcome to make use of his services; he doesn't take sides- only payments. And generally people are content to honour that rule, and the other rules, since everyone needs a place of refuge now and then- a safe place where they can recuperate without fear of attack should an enemy find them. Once outside the confines of his establishment though, all are fair game," Talia concluded. Malo simply nodded slightly and made what could either have been a grunt of acknowledgement or simply a grunt of pain in response to Talia's explanation and they set off down the short hallway the door had opened onto together. As they approached the end of the hallway, they could see that it widened out into a spacious, sparklingly clean antechamber, decidedly at odds with the dull, nondescript exterior of the building. Noticing Malo's expression Talia simply said, "my friend prefers to keep his premises outwardly inconspicuous, but he makes a lot of money through his trade- you can forgive him for adding a few flourishes indoors surely?" Malo didn't respond, but simply continued to make his way slowly and painfully towards the desk that stood at the far end of the antechamber. Talia accompanied him, brushing a strand of hair from her face as they drew near.

The person seated behind the desk looked up as they approached, just in time to see Talia draw alongside Malo. He was human, of a lean build, and appeared to be in his middle years, with blue-black eyes and a full head of dark, iron-grey hair. A smile appeared on his features as he saw Talia and he rose to his feet, revealing that upright he was very nearly 2 metres tall. "Miss Twilight!" he exclaimed in a professionally-friendly tone, "it's been a while since I last saw you in here! Have you brought me some business?" In response Talia gestured at Malo. "He's the business I've brought you," she answered, "I need you to patch him up enough so that he can become business of mine. I shall, of course, compensate you for your services by the usual arrangement". The tall man's smile increased. "Of course Miss Twilight," he responded, "how well-patched do you need him?" Talia gave the man a brief half-smile as she responded. "Well enough to fight would be best," she informed him, "but failing that, well enough to run would do in a pinch". The doctor tilted his head slightly, "he isn't in some kind of trouble is he?" he asked in a slightly pointed voice. "Not any serious enough that it should affect you," Talia responded, "and he knows the rules of your establishment- I did make a point of filling him in there". The doctor seemed satisfied with this and exited through a door to one side of the antechamber to make the necessary preparations, leaving Malo and Talia to settle themselves in the comfortable seats that were available.

"Looks like we got lucky," Talia remarked as the sat down, "the place is empty at the moment". Malo seemed to have something else on his mind. "If that doctor is neutral, why is he so friendly to you?" he asked. "Protecting an investment," Talia answered, "I haven't needed him to patch me up that often, but I've had plenty of leads and contacts who needed it. He's done some good business with me in the past and he's eager to keep it that way. Plus he knows I'm neutral like him, so he knows I too take payments over sides. All that and I always pay him cash in hand as soon as he's done something for me, that's what gets me preferential treatment," Talia concluded. Malo still seemed preoccupied by something as the doctor came back through. "I can't sense if we're being followed anymore, what if we didn't give them the slip? They could track us here!" he rasped hoarsely. Talia remained calm. "If they do, then I guess we'll find out how truly civil the Jedi are," she mused, "the Sith can keep from starting fights or trouble in here, even when wounded Jedi are brought in- I've seen them do it. Can the Jedi keep from tearing the place up when looking for one of their own though? I'm guessing they can, since they usually prefer peacful methods over pure force. I guess if they do track you here," Talia informed Malo, "we'll have to hope your pursuer is reasonably streetwise. After all, if we get a Jedi smart enough to realise what kind of establishment this is, they'll also be smart enough to recognise the unwritten code of conduct that holds sway here".       

Malo looked over at Talia and gave a weak smile. "Of course. Besides it isn't like I'm priority number one. Eventually they'll realise I'm not worth their time and effort. They will forget all about Jacxx Malo and  focus their attention elsewhere." Malo focused his gaze at the door the doctor had previosuly passed through. A sort of unease was building up inside him. This doctor seemed trustworthy enough, but it really wasn't the doctor he was worried about. It was Talia. He didn't know what it was to be exact, but he felt something about her. A complete stranger, one he had only met yetserday, was sitting right beside him. Furthermore she was getting him medical attention, and that in and of itself seemed suspicious. She wants information, but why go to all this trouble to make sure he was in fighting shape. Malo just shrugged it aside. He was a bounty hunter afterall, and one that had been double crossed on many ocassions. He personality was suspicious by default. Talia really didn't show any signs that she was plotting something sinister. She was very upfront about what she was after, and considering what she was after; that wasn't information you blurted out to just anybody. She knew she could trust him, and most likely expected the same. Still he wondered what Flk'ijn would think. He never liked working with outsiders, especially those who want the heart for-

Malo's thoughts were interuppted as the door in the antechamber slid open. In came the tall doctor with a wide calming smile on his face. Talia stood up as the doctor approached the duo. "Preparations are nearly complete. In the meantime it would be best if the patient follwed me back so we can begin prepartions on him." the doctor said easing his smile just a little. "Very well then," Talia ssaid then turned to Malo, "Whenever you are ready." Malo began to slowly rise from his seat. The battered Jedi could barely feel his legs, but that was soon to be the past now. He staggered towards the doctor almost tripping over his own feet. "Easy there," the doctor said in a errily soothing voice, "There is no need to rush. Here let me give you a hand." The doctor took a step towards Malo, but Jacxx shot his arm out halting the good doctor. "No I'm fine. I can do it myself. This is conditioning. I'm never going to get stronger if I don't suffer a little." The tall doctor gave a stern expression before he went up beside the Jedi. "That's nonsense. You'll do more damage to your body that way and cause me to work longer hours! Come on now." The doctor grabbed Malo's shoulder and hoisted the Jedi's arm around his shoulder. Malo gave an expression of disgust, but there really wasn't anything he could do. His body was degrading every second and there was no possible way he could fight the doctor off. "This will be over before you know it!" At that the doctor, Jedi in tow, headed towards the door once again.

* * * * * * * *

Melanie follwed Jyvun closely looking left and right around her surroundings. It wasn't high class, but it wasn't the slums either. Her mind was focused on their current mission to find Malo. However, the more she thought about it the odder it seemed. She wasn't completely sure what went down yesterday amogst the censored media reports and the sharp divide between the council members, but she knew that it was reported that Malo had thought on the Jedi's side during the invasion last night. "Master," she began still keeping pace with Jyvun, "Forgive me but I am a little confused. This Jacxx Malo that we are after, why is he so imporatant. I mean I've heard of him a time or two from the other members, but in all their stories he is nothing more than a mere exile turned bounty hunter. He doesn't seem dangerous and has never scrapped with thr order in the past, but we're out here tracking him down like the galaxy's most wanted."

OOC: Malo's fate is in the hands of a doctor he never met, oh I hope everything goes okay! I added that last bit after typing up the Malo part last night so sorry if it seems a little rushed. I just felt Mike needed a little bit of interaction. Melanie is still NPC so do with and make her say anything you want! Tootles!

(EDIT: Eggpire gave me clarification so here i go.)
A pair of purple pupils are observing passersby from the shadows in an alleyway nearby. The being that the eyes belong to quietly continues observing, then looks over to the doctor's office. He looks it over, then quietly scales the wall of the alleyway by using ledges and such. The figure eventually reaches the top, and quietly crouches down, watching over the area from above. If you looked, you would have seen said figure wearing a black cloak with a hood, completely masking his appearance other than the purple pupils that can be seen from the shadows of the hood. This strange person quietly reaches within their cloak, and pulls out a small gun-looking object. He scours the crowd, looking for someone, just in case. After a few moments there is a sigh. "Guess it's safe then... i'm going to have to make it across somehow. I've got a feeling there's some pivotal points going on and i can't let anything go wrong, especially not now... I'd better keep a lookout for my mark, just in case he's around..." The said cloaked being slides down an angled gutter and walks through the crowd, drawing few looks as he manages to blend in with the rest of the streetgoers. He quietly retreats into an alleyway on the opposite side, in between the doctor's office and another building. He points the gun-like object at the roof of the building and scales up, then looks over the doctor's office. He then notices there is no cover to hide himself, so he quickly amends his mistake and takes a dive, landing with a roll on the office's roof. The person winces under the shadows of the hood, knowing someone probably heard that. He continues on nontheless, leaping from the doctor's office onto the next building, taking cover behind a gutter vent. He sighs and waits... hopefully things would go right this time.

As the doctor escorted Malo out of the waiting area and into the rooms that lay beyond, Talia mused over the course of events so far, and the strange web that was being woven. Striken, Blackweller, Malo the three were connected. And while Blackweller was a Jedi in training now, or at any rate, a resident of the Jedi Temple she could, along with Malo and Striken, be said to represent three different groups of people. Melanie Blackweller represented the wealthy and powerful- or could be reckoned to- Malo represented the Jedi, Striken the Sith. Each was connected at least at the individual level and maybe more. Striken had murdered Melanie Blackweller's parents and stolen something from them- though what? Malo had an ongoing vendetta with Striken, what were the causes? Perhaps the fact that one was a Sith, the other a Jedi would be enough but perhaps there were other factors too- such as the jealousy Striken had provoked in many with his seemingly effortless mastery of The Force before his fall from grace. Then there was an unknown and powerful player- or group of people. Talia didn't like to that dangerous- and seemingly malevolent- unknown quantity at all.

Even leaving aside the attack from the previous night- swept under the rug as though it never happened- there were some other nasty coincidences that might be traced back to them. Striken had stolen something from the Blackweller family- but who had he bean sealing for? Himself? His masters? Or was it possible that he had been manipulated into stealing that unknown something for an unknown party, in much the same way that Darth Sparrow had- in Striken's own reckoning- been manipulated into the assault the previous night? And was it just coincidence that Striken should have stolen that object those years ago, only months after an unknown and hostile power had removed Malo from the Jedi Temple and Coruscant? Was it coincidence, for that matter, that when his students had attacked him the final time, they had done so in such a location, with the camera at such an angle, that it looked like Malo had launched the initial assault? Who might have gone to the trouble of arranging that? Before Talia could dwell further on the matter or speculate on her own involvement, her musings were disrupted by something unexpected- a thud that sounded like it came from the roof. There was a chance of course that the sound was nothing serious- or nothing at least that she had to worry about. But with a vital lead in the form of Malo being patched up under this roof she couldn't afford to leave things to chance if she could help it. Quietly leaving the waiting area, Talia took a staircase she had used more than once in times past- as staircase that led to the roof.

Emerging onto the rooftop as quietly as she could, Talia cautiously took in her surroundings. At first there seemed to be nothing- but then she sensed something. Although her Force-mask prevented others from sensing anything other than a flicker more Force-presence in herself than was common in the average individual she could, when in very close proximity to others, sense the Force-presence in them through her mask. And at that moment she sensed something...different. It was the only way she could describe it to herself; she had never sensed anything like it before. It was strong, she could tell that but it was also strange- not Sith or Jedi, but something else entirely. Letting the unfamiliar sensation guide her Talia swept her gaze over the rooftop again and spotted its source. On top of the next building, partially hidden from her view by a gutter-vent a dark-garbed figure was hiding. Though such a sight wouldn't hold her attention ordinarily, the fact that such a strange energy seemed to be emanating from it certainly did. Who was this individual? A strange form of Jedi she'd never encountered before? A strange form of Sith? Then another though occurred to Talia. Perhaps this person- whatever they were- served as a set of eyes and ears for the unknown player? Whoever they were, the strange energy and their present proximity to Malo meant she had to check things out. Taking two quick strides forwards, Talia leaped across the space between the buildings and approached her unknown observer...      

Voided per request of Eggpire.
Leaving till i can think something decent up.

( I'll work on a post on my end in the next few days, folks. So, I'm still here. )

Talia blinked, momentarily surprised by the speed with which the stranger vanished. The surprise was soon dispelled however, as her rational mind calmly informed her that she could have expected nothing less. No matter how strange the energy she had sensed, if it was anything like The Force, then of course the stranger would be capable of such feats. She quickly dissembled, opting to give chase on foot rather than take to the wing. Since Malo was probably unconcious at the momment and their pursuers not yet arrived, she could risk releasing her Force-mask. A strong Force-presence on the streets- or rooftops- of Coruscant wouldn't draw much attention after all, but a flying one probably would- not to mention that the act of using her wings might give away her location very effectively to either her quarry or the pursuing Jedi. As she released her mask and her Force-presence spiked, Talia sprang into action, chasing after the retreating, dark-garbed stranger.

Thanks to her avian ancestry Talia was well-equipped for a lengthy chase, with a large heart, efficient lungs and lightweight bones. But she had already determined that she could not let the chase continue for more than maybe 15 minutes. Any longer than that and she would simply have to return to the facility and Malo and acknowledge defeat- for now. But, if she could help it, she was determined to get any answers that might be forthcoming from the stranger. Leaping nimbly from rooftop to rooftop, following the strange energy she rapidly cut the lead the stranger had gained on her. He seemed, she realised, not to be trying to outright run and leave the area, but simply trying to shake her before circling around and heading back towards the doctor's practice. Perhaps he had just been waiting for a mark to emerge from or arrive at that location then? Perhaps Malo was the mark? Whatever the case, the information hound in her needed something to go on and, with Malo temporarily out of comission, this individual was her only lead. No doubt he- if he was a he- could sense her as clearly as she sensed him. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage?

Suddenly masking again as she landed on the next roof Talia caught a glimpse of the dark-garbed stranger darting out of sight. No doubt he'd be searching for her not just by sight but by the strong Force-presence he'd have sensed during their rapid game of chase. Slowly, and keeping to cover, Talia approached the spot where the stranger was hidden...   

Voided per request of Eggpire.

Leaving till i can think something decent up.

( Alarms and lots of quips are blaring in my head, but I'll wait a yarn before I act on them, now... to the post! Pretty lame/tame post on my end, but eh. )

(Well, i've got nothing as it is. I'll have to withdraw from the rp. Make the thump a bird or something... nevermind. I just can't think of this... my mind has moved from this to something else. So, i'm just unable to keep going and it's hard for me to even try to think of something to go along with it. I can't continue so i'm sorry. if i can get my ideas up again, i'll try to rejoin. I'm sorry for dissapointing you all and messing up the flow.)

Talia made her way nimbly back across the rooftops, pondering the strange turn events had taken. The being with the strange Force-presence had turned out not to be either as sinister or as important as she might have expected. It turned out he was a victim of the many conflicts between the Jedi and Sith- had become a victim in fact, before he was even born. The offspring of a female mercenary who had been fighting in one of the many battles that had raged across the galaxy, she had been yet to discover she was pregnant when she was caught in a crossfire between Jedi and Sith, the power of the opposing aspects of The Force searing through her body. She had survived with relatively mild injuries, but all that force energy flowing through her had had a profound effect on the child growing within her. It had granted him prodigious Force-capabilities, but twisted them up badly at the same time, to the extent that he seemed semi-delusional and the only way he could use his Force-potential was to use it in a manner entirely self-taught that manifested it in such a way as to be alien to either Jedi or Sith. But then, Talia mused, some of the most ancient writings of either stated that The Force was like an immense, multi-faceted gemstone, with the Jedi and Sith ways being but two facets, two approaches to manipulating it. Perhaps that poor, tortured individual had found some other way, a way that might have been long-known to other ancient peoples, but forgotten with the passing of ages? She would have to look into it at another time. Apparently the reason her had been lurking at her doctor-friend's facility was that he had wanted some simple pain-killers, but sensing a Jedi Force-presence within the building had opted to remain concealed until the Jedi left.

Talia re-entered the medical facility the same way she had left it. Hopefully, her brief unmasking of her own abilities hadn't alerted Malo's pursuers to her presence. True they might find out soon enough- since doubtless they were tracking Malo's own presence even now- but it always helped to have a few aces up her sleeve. As for Malo himself, he was doubtless unconscious while undergoing the treatment to restore him, so he'd retain no awareness of her using her abilities even if he had sensed it, which suited Talia perfectly at present. As she returned to the main waiting area she asked the protocol droid now behind the desk how long the doctor was likely to be. "He said to inform you not likely more than another fifteen minutes Miss Twilight," the droid responded, "and that the patient should be at least 90% better if not fully recovered". Talia nodded, "thank my friend for his usual trademark efficiency," she said, "and inform him that I shall pay him as soon as he returns my patient to me". As the droid complied, Talia began calculating the number of credits the doctor would require and wondering if the Jedi would arrive before or after Malo recovered.   

Talia had just finished calculating the total number of credits the doctor would require when the images on the surveillance monitor caught her attention. Two figures were at the door to the facility, one rapping out the series of coded knocks that would trigger the opening mechanism. They looked fairly nondescript, and could almost have passed for any of the individuals who might know of and use the facility, but Talia was immediately on the alert. There were two together, exactly the number required for a Jedi Master and a Padawan- those Malo had guessed were trailing him. But it was two distinctive aspects of the girl that confirmed her suspicions. Firstly, although she looked a little older than the images Talia had seen of the sensational Sith murder story from seven years ago, there could be little doubt that the girl was Melanie Blackweller. Secondly, as she turned her head- perhaps to speak with her master- the padawan braid was plainly visible, if only for a moment. It looked like the chase was at an end- what would happen from here?

 Evidently the Jedi Master was quite streetwise, having had the sense to discard his traditional apparel. Hopefully then, he'd respect the unwritten laws against conflict and battle within the facility. Perhaps he and his padawan could be persuaded to talk with herself and Malo at the bar she had mentioned not far from here? Certainly she would be keen to talk to Melanie at least. Perhaps she could shed some light on the events of seven years ago? Perhaps not, she'd probably not want to discuss those at all, but to talk with her regardless would probably be informative. Talia left the reception desk just before the figure on screen tapped out the complete code, and settled herself in a seat in the waiting area. She had donned her Force-mask before she ever got back to the building, so the Jedi would sense only a flicker more than the average Force-presence common to all non Force-sensitive people. Still she did what she could to blend even more into the commonplace, assuming a semi-slumped position in the chair, her head bowed forward, as though weary from much activity, or succumbing to boredom born of an interminable waiting period. Keeping her eyes half-closed she watched carefully as she heard the distant sound of the door opening.

                                                                               **********

As the door opened smoothly, Melanie gazed cautiously down the drab corridor it revealed. Despite the dull and unthreatening interior, she felt some inward misgivings. Nothing that had happened in the last 24 hours made any sense. There had been a Sith attack and yet it was kept quiet. They had asked for her by name, yet no-one knew why. And she was out with her master chasing down another Jedi- a rogue maybe but still a Jedi- like he was the galaxy's most wanted. She hadn't mastered the subtle nuances and whispers of The Force the way Master Jyvun had, but even she knew something didn't add up. Taking another glimpse down the corridor she asked, "Master are you certain this is the place? Why would Malo come here? And if he is here, who else do you think might be here who could leave such a strong presence?"

OOC: Hope that gives Mike a little more to work with!   

The force was present, potent, he felt it-- it was stronger here then the exterior of the building, he took this in mind as Melanie spoke and we took the first steps into the corridor.

"It could mean many things." Jyvun spoke, though at this point it was more of a spoken thought. "The force speaks in many voices and this hallway is... crowded. Many force users of all shapes have been here, if some adepts or sith... it is uncertain. Just that there is many and Malo is one of them. I can feel it. Though, we will have to even more subtle from this point onward, in case there are indeed sith here." he commented, his eyes examining the corridor distinctly before he began to move forward. "As for why, it depends on what he expects to receive here, if I were to assume, I would say healing or information. Afterall, he did leave the temple in a bad state from what I understand." he commented again, easing in his surroundings-- feeling the tremors of each force presence and restraining his own.

I do hope she has enough sense to move her braid behind her ear, between the cloak and her long hair-- it should be enough to avoid suspicion. The thought moved across Jyvun's mind if briefly, though he didn't understand why such a arbitrary thing would come across his mind, he shrugged it off. The jedi master moved into the room ahead, careful and analytical of anyone and everyone in the room-- his eyes glancing between a slew of individuals. Seems like a facility more than a information broker. Though, I can't be sure. Malo is deeper in, either way. I'll wait for him to come out.

From her carefully-chosen seat, Talia could observe the entire room and so keep a watch for both Malo's return and the entrance of the two Jedi. She was impressed at how rapidly the doctor's waiting room had filled during her brief excursion across the rooftops- impressed but not surprised. After all, there had been a fierce battle between Jedi and Sith last night. Many of those here now were probably individuals caught in the crossfire who had reasons to avoid going to other, more open and public facilities. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as the Jedi master and his apprentice appeared on the periphery of her vision. The master seemed calm and untroubled by his surroundings, his gaze drifting across the many different beings now gathered in the facility with apparent indifference. Talia had no doubt though, that he was taking careful note of everything about the place, and especially of any individuals who might be dangerous. By contrast his apprentice- Melanie-seemed considerably less at ease than her master. Not an unease born of fear, but the alertness that accompanies the knowing that you're out of your comfort zone, and amongst people more dangerous than yourself. She had also, Talia noted, corrected her earlier mistake and tucked her braid carefully out of sight. With the apparel provided by her master and her braid hidden, her alertness could easily pass for that of someone who expected to encounter old foes at any moment. From the look of things, master and apprentice were content to mix with the crowd and wait until Malo appeared before taking any action. That was fine with Talia; it would give her more time to prepare to act too. Things might get very interesting from this point on. Talia kept her eyes on the door Malo would reappear through and the two Jedi. She appeared inert but she was alert, watchful, waiting.
                                                                                                      **************************

Jyvun's words about there possibly being Sith inside the building did little to reassure Melanie, in light of their demands the previous night. The Force was strong in here, strong and intermingled. Anyone could be lurking in a crowd like this. She gazed around the room, more obviously than Master Jyvun had, but no less attentively. Here she would have to rely on her master's command of the Force- her own wasn't yet developed enough to read all the layers of difference and separate it out into whatever it might mean. The numerous different peoples gathered in the antechamber seemed for the most part disinterested in the duo, waiting only for their opportunity to do whatever they had come to do, or watching for unwelcome familiar faces. Though crowded the place was calm, free of arguments or quarrels. As they moved deeper into the room Melanie whispered to her master- careful not to use the title should she give them away. "Are we safe to stay in here?" she whispered, "The Force has become a fog to me in here, I can't read what its trying to tell me". 

"So tell me what it is that drives you? What is it that keeps you from snapping, keeps you from giving in to temptation?" the young Jedi said taking a drink from his glass. The club was loud and bustling and the young Jedi had to about scream to get his question across. In the background dancers swayed back and forth atop the giant stage as cheers from the crowd grew louder. "You know," Jacxx Malo began, yelling as loud as he could, looking over at the young Jedi, "You pick the best meeting grounds for a serious conversation!" "My apologies, but it was the best place I could think of free from the Council's influence." The young Jedi nervously scratched the back of his head. Malo just smiled and gripped his drink. "Apology accepted. Besides this place serves the best drinks on all of Courscant!" Malo stood up and placed his arm on the Jedi's slim shoulder, "However, if we are to continue this conversation I think it's best if we go somewhere more quiet." The young Jedi rose from his seat and nodded, "Oh yeah, there's a place we can go in the back. I've got special access." Malo cocked one eyebrow in confusion, "Special access? At a place like this?" "Did a few favors around here, made some friends. Another reason I asked you here. Come." Malo just nodded and followed his friend into the backroom of the club.

The closed shut behind the duo, and Malo found himself in some sort of vacant lounge. There was a bar with three stools stationed out front, three tables positioned at random locations across the interior, and a small holo-machine located in the back. "Wow this is, I mean you..." Malo's voice trailed off as he looked at the Jedi. "This place is mine. A gift from a dear friend. It may be located inside a night club, but as you can no doubt tell these walls filter out most of the noise." The Jedi made his way behind the bar and pulled out a long slender bottle filled with some sort of green liquid."If you though the drinks outside were incredible, you should try an Armanian Spice Cocktail. It's to die for!" Malo just smiled and said, "Please." The Jedi pulled out two glasses and began to pour the thick liquid, "So now that we are somewhere quieter let's return to my previous question." He stopped pouring and placed the bottle underneath the bar. "What drives you and keeps you from temptation?" Malo looked confused, "What do you mean by that exactly. Temptation from what?" "From everything! Have you not looked around; not noticed? We are Jedi. Emotionless soldiers championing peace throughout the galaxy." "Well I wouldn't go as far as calling us emotionless, but I see what you are getting at," Malo said as the Jedi handed him the glass, "You're worried about the council's preachings on outside influence and corruption. We may be conditioned to repress our emotions and feelings about the world around us, but we are not perfect."

The Jedi took a seat and Malo soon followed suit. "It's kinda hard to explain how I handle the pressures that come with the territory," Malo continued, "I feel as if I made a commitment, not just to the Council but to the entire galaxy. I believe that every Jedi is a valuable asset, that we all fight for the fate of the galaxy. If I were to stray from this path, I would feel as if I let everybody in existence down." The Jedi just looked on taking in Malo's response. He put his glass down and leaned back in his chair, "You see I don't feel that way. I feel as if I'm trapped, like there's something bigger that needs to be accomplished, and the Council is just getting in my way. Did you know that I was married? Hen, probably not." Malo nearly jumped from his seat, "Nuh-no! But that's-" "Forbidden by the council, trust me I know the rules. It doesn't matter now anyway she died two years back. Illness" "I didn't know, I'm sorry..." Malo fell silent unsure what to say next. "Of course you didn't know, just like the council didn't know. I'm only telling you this because you are my friend and I trust you."

Malo looked across the table at his friend trying to find the right words, but none came to him. "What was her name," Malo finally said. The Jedi smiled glad that his friend understood, "Her name was Carly. It was when I was with her that I began to feel like my life was being dictated. They thought they knew what was best for me, but I know now that they are wrong." "Whoa, you need to settle down," Malo said worried for his friend, "What you're sayin, what you're thinking... I mean come on!" The Jedi grinned and took a drink from his glass, "I know what I'm saying, but my mind is already made up. It was decided before I even asked you here." "If it was already decided then why did you ask me here?" Malo shoot out, "If you're going to leave, why tell me? Just leave." "Jacxx you are my best friend and it would be very pissy of me to leave without saying goodbye. Truth be told even if it wasn't official, I've been out of the order for some time now. This place is an obvious testament to that. I just wanted you to know before I made it official." "But where will you go?" The Jedi smiled, "Don't worry. I've got plans, big plans." he stood from his seat, "Goodbye Malo my friend. When we meet again we will be friends no more!" Malo jumped from his seat, "WAIT! What do you mean by that!?! Tell me, what are you planning?" The Jedi just grinned. "Answer me dammit! ANS-"

The light seemed blinding as Malo slowly began to open his eyes. He took three long blinks until his eyes began to adjust to the light. He began to look around wondering whether or not he was still dreaming. "Well now, it seems everything went okay. You're good as new!" a voice said. Malo began to sit up taking in his surroundings. He groaned as he looked over at the doctor. "Sorry that I had to put you out, but the procedure was a little more intense than you anticipated. That's okay I hope." "Yeah, fine." Malo said waving the doctor off. He slid off of the table onto his feet. He grabbed his backside as a soreness crept through. "Ah, yeah. You are all patched up, but you will be sore for a little while. It'll work out as you move around. Other than that you are 100 percent." Malo began to put his clothes back on eager to get out of this place. When he finished he approached the doctor. "Good, now if you'll follow me I can reunite you with Miss Twilight." Malo just nodded and followed the doctor out the door.

"Alright here you are!" the doctor said cheerfully as he swung the door to the waiting lounge open. "Oh yeah, I'm feeling better already! Thanks a bunch!" Malo had huge smile on his face as he entered the waiting area, "Well now Twili-" Malo stopped in his tracks as the smile instantly left his face. The Jedi who were chasing him were here, and this time there was no way out.

Talia kept a sharp eye on the two Jedi and on the door she knew Malo would eventually emerge through. Whatever happened in the next few minutes was bound to play a decisive role in the way this whole strange sequence of events- the pattern of which remained tantalisingly close to clarity and yet stubbornly just beyond her comprehension at the same time- would work out. She thought of what she knew of the present Jedi Order, to see if she could match a name to the face of the Jedi Master. It took a few minutes but eventually she remembered one who had borne a similarity to the Jedi under her gaze. Renth Jyvun. Apparently considered rather unorthodox in his outlook and his tendency to discard Jedi robes for other clothing when stealth was required. Talia wasn't entirely certain what might happen when a Jedi rogue and a less than orthodox Jedi encountered each other outside temple grounds, but it could easily turn the situation either favourable or volatile. What this particular Jedi's philosophy might be where situations such as the present one were concerned she didn't get time to contemplate, since at that moment the door she had been watching was opened and the doctor and Malo reappeared.

  "Well now Twili-" Malo began, but whatever he had been going to say- along with his smile- died unfinished on his lips as he noticed his pursuers were also present. At the same moment the Jedi noticed Malo and began to move calmly and unhurriedly towards him through the crowd. Time, Talia decided, to act. Rising smoothly from her seat she crossed over to where Malo was, moving directly into the other Jedi's line of sight and mostly obscuring Malo from view. With her back to the approaching Jedi she calmly counted out the credits for the doctor; making herself a living barrier between the Jedi and Malo at the same time.  The new Jedi wouldn't be unorthodox enough to wound someone who was not only not facing him,but from all present appearances posed no threat would he? She hoped not anyway. As she continued to count out the coins the doctor, noticing the approaching individual, said, "I hope that man doesn't mean to cause trouble for you or your acquaintance here Miss Twilight?" Still calm Talia replied, "I hope so too for his sake- it has been a while since you last had to use your 'special security' isn't it? I'd hate for you to have to go using it on account of me. But to be on the safe side, keep the emergency exit ready and your finger on the switch. We'll see what he says- or does- first. If he's open to business negotiations of a strictly verbal nature, all well and good. If he's not- well, then I apologise in advance for his visit". The doctor nodded, "as you will Miss Twilight," he said, an impassive expression on his face. Turning her attention to Malo, Talia whispered, "I believe that's Renth Jyvun and Melanie Blackweller approaching us. Any diplomatic skills you have for dealing with fellow Jedi would be appreciated about now, plus any insight on their dispositions- I want to at least get them out of here before this turns into a fight".

OOC: Meant to have this up last night but fell asleep! Oh well!

“Don’t worry,” Malo whispered to Tailia as he placed a hand on her shoulder, “I’ve been here before.” Talia looked at Malo then over at the doctor who had an anxious look on his face, unsure of what was about to happen. She nodded and allowed the ex-Jedi to step around her. Malo drew in a long breath, and began to make his way to the approaching Jedi. He instantly took notice of the female at Jyvun’s side. He had never seen her before, but her presence here with the Jedi seemed odd.

Judging from her body language and the way she remained close to Jyvun’s side, Malo could tell that she was still fairly new in the ways of the force. That made her being here all the more peculiar. She had to be at least in her twenties, much to old to be so inexperienced. Malo cast the thought aside as he focused his attention on the Jedi Master before him. Their eyes met as Malo came to stop before Jyvun. Talia stood calm as the two Jedi met, but she kept her guard up. She had to be ready just in case things got hairy. Melanie looked at Malo the up at her master unsure what to make of the situation. She started to speak, but fell silent when Jyvun raised a hand motioning for her to remain silent. “Cute disguise,” Malo said softly trying not to raise draw any more unwanted attention to himself, “So I’m going to assume they set you to gather me?” “Maybe,” Jyvun replied. Malo sighed and glanced down at the floor. “Well then might I suggest we discuss this outside. By your will of course.”

OOC: While I'm waiting for Egg, I guess I'll make my introduction.

NAME: Vendrix
PREFERRED NAME: Darth Vendrix
SPECIES: Human?
AGE: 42
AFFILIATION: Sith
APPEARANCE:
His skin is ashen in color(a bluish grey). his mouth and chin are
covered by a respirator as he is unable to breath oxygen. His face has
several small burn marks, no larger then a penny. The whites of his eyes
are a bloody red while the iris is the standard yellow that most Sith
Masters acquire. His black hair is styled in long and thin dreadlocks
with metal bands holding them together in some places. He wears a suit
not unlike that worn by Boba Fett, only thinner, less bulky, and a
darker green.
LIGHTSABER LAYOUT: He
duel wields two lightsabers. In his main hand is a purple lightsaber
with a cracked crystal giving the blade an unstable look. The second is a
green lightsaber. Both have clasps on their bottoms that allow them to
join as a single lightsaber. He also carries a blaster pistol.
ABILITIES:
Using the dark side of the force, Vendrix knows almost every ability
available to the Sith. He also knows a few available to the Jedi as
well, but has never been able to heal anyone. This is a flaw that he
curses himself for.
PERSONAL BACK STORY:
Vendrix was trained in the Jedi arts as well as the dark side by his
master, Darth Calypso. The woman taught him many things before and after
she defected to the side of the Sith, taking Vendrix with her. Vendrix
was the only apprentice the woman had before she was killed by him. In a
final test to see if he was ready, Calypso challenged Vendrix to a duel
to the death. In her dying breath, she passed on a small holocron,
telling him never to open in and to pass it on to his apprentice when
they were ready. After that, Vendrix took on two apprentices, Mara Shal
and Aura Finia. A Twi'lek and a Togruta. However, the two focus to far
in opposing sides of the force and inevitably slew one another. It was
then that Vendrix took his ship, Crimson Wing, and headed for Felucia,
feeling the force pushing him there. He has lived and waited here for
seven years, waiting for his new apprentice as the Force guides them.

__________________________________________________________________

         Felucia, a planet of fungal growths and grotesque creatures. Beautiful and deadly, all wrapped into one neat package. Amid the caustic fungi were small Gossam cities, spread about like a pox. Life that fed on death splattered upon a dying rock. It was enough to bring a tear to the eye, if only those who lived here could understand what they had been doing for so long. Vendrix sat in the middle of his camp, wishing that an Acklay would devour the whole of civilization on the planet. The pieces of his two lightsabers floated around him as he meditated. He had been here for maybe twenty years, maybe more. He didn't care anymore. Small embers escaped his respirator as he breathed out scorched air. The pieces of the two blades slowly moved closer to one another, almost fusing in an artistic emulation of construction. One piece clicked into another until two lightsabers formed before him.

        He slowly opened his bloodied eyes. The yellow cat eyes on a crimson background was more than enough to unnerve the old Gossam that had come to deliver food supplies to the Sith. Vendrix found the creature repulsive, wrinkled skin, elongated neck, and a narrow and swiveled head. However, they never asked him any questions, which was reason enough for the Sith to ignore them. As the disgusting creature left, the man stood from his spot in the middle of the camp. The Gossam had brought some basic supplies. Just food, drink, and medicine. The camp wasn't large. Just a prefab shelter, a shed that the Sith had made from the local fauna, and his ship, the Crimson Wing. All in all, it didn't really stand out, and that was just how Vendrix wanted it. There was no need to draw any attention to himself.

|OOC| - a personal quip, but, "Using the dark side of the force, Vendrix knows almost every ability available to the Sith. He also knows a few available to the Jedi as well" seems a bit much. I'm not Eggy, but eh... still bothers me a little.

|IC|

"Outside is indeed, preferable." Jyvun said with a careful nod, "We do need to discuss some thoughts afterall. Lead on and lead close." the jedi guardian smiled warmly, but showed no intent through such emotions.

"Very well then," Malo said with a smile, "Follow me." He looked over at Mealnie who was watching the scene with curious intrest the over at Talia. He gave her a reassuring glance before leading the Jedi master amd his apprentice out into the streets. The streets were a little more lively now, but that was of no concern. Most people around these parts paid no mind to other people's buisness, and with Jyvun in disguise and Malo looking even less like a Jedi, they didn't stand out.

"Glad to see you still have level head on them shoulders," Malo halfheartedly joked, "Been hearing far too many rumours of loose cannons in the order."
"Management is not what it used to be," Jyvun responded.
"So I heard," Malo took a puase and looked up at the busy traffic drifteing by overhead, "I guess that can be evidenced in your apprentice over there. She's way to old to be so green. No offesne of course."
"What!" Melanie exclaimed, "I'll have you know that I'm not as "green" as I look! I've been-"
"Control your emotions Melanie," Jyvun interrupted, "He was merely making an observation. No insult was implied."
"Right," Malo agreed before getting back on topic, "Anyways, I can take a pretty good guess why you are here. I felt your presence since we left the temple. It was only a matter of time, and I'm sure that decoy vessel did nothing to slow your pursuit. You're here to take me back to camp, and I'm going have to politely decline. Besides I'm no enemy to the order. I'm really not worth their time and effort. Can't tell them anything they don't already know anyways."

OOC: Sorry about the delay. I'll try and be more frequent in the future. ^^

"Oh, Malo. Do you always assume? or is this a ideology that came from your time away from the order?" Jyvun stated in response, as the jedi crossed his arms. "I am here on my own accord, my own understanding and my own lead. I do not intend to take you back to the jedi temple or at least not for the time, but my true intent is more rooted in seeing what knowledge you want to keep away from the temple so much that you flee so carelessly from your own."

"Do not pretend you do not know anything they do not, because I can feel it within me; that you are holding something and it worries me that this information cannot be told to the orthodox members of the order."

"...as for Melanie, it was not the orders decision to accept her training request but by mine alone."

Malo let out a slight chuckle. "I guess it has been sometime since I was with the order. Something told me that your were no regular Jedi errand boy. However, given my reputation I can't be too sure." He let out a slight breath of relief. Perhaps luck was beginning to turn in his favor after all.

"I guess you can say that there are some things I wish to keep hidden," Malo continued, "But considering a doctor at the temple mind probed me last night I'm not sure how secret that information is anymore. Of course I don't think the Jedi are behind that stunt, but the fact that it happened within the temple bothers me. Since that attack years ago the order has become more and more inadequate on the things that really matter. They would only be a hindrance in my search if I applied for their aid. Besides they are waist deep in a war that may never end. I could tell you what it is that I'm after, it doesn't appear that you are to fond of the order either, but you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you." Malo took a second to think about what he just said. "Then again, everybody seems to know something or other about it these days so maybe you will."

He looked over at Melanie who was fidgeting awkwardly unsure of what to make of the scene. "You said her name was Melanie as in Melanie Blackweller?"
Jyvun nodded. "That's a name that's been going around with shocking frequency. It seems there are various parties interested in her, but forgive me if I don't see the interest." Melanie looked over at the ex-Jedi when she heard her name. She looked as if she were about to say something, but remained silent. "That's all the better for us though," Malo went on, "In any case I recommend we move this conversation elsewhere. There's a woman inside who just happens to be heading in the same direction as me, both in destination and goal. Perhaps you and your apprentice wouldn't mind joining us, as long as we keep this away from official Jedi matters."

Jyvun nodded. "I will take your lead, then; so we can discuss this conversation in... greater depth."

|OOC|

I love how when I can post, I can only muster this baby of crap. D:

Talia had- for the most part- been stood in the corridor of the doctor's clandestine practice, just beyond the still-open doorway, listening as best she could to the conversation between Jedi and rogue Jedi. Although not all the words carried clearly over to her, she could hear enough to follow the gist of it without difficulty. So, the Master and his apprentice were here on his initiative rather than that of the Order? He had an interest in whatever it was Malo knew? Perhaps the situation was more workable than it had at first appeared. Melanie's remark- about not being as green as she looked- almost brought an amused smile to Talia's lips. Did the girl realise exactly how inexperienced and raw precisely that sort of remark made her look? Perhaps not, she was still young after all, and had come late to being trained in the ways of the Force. It made Talia wonder; had she ever looked or sounded like that herself during her own training? She hoped not, but suspected there had been times, even if it had seemed different to her then- it had been a long time ago after all. She might look about Melanie's age, Talia mused, but she was generations older and more experienced. Her attention was drawn back to the conversation between the two Jedi as they began to discuss a course of action.

"In any case I recommend we move this conversation elsewhere..," Malo was saying, "there's a woman inside who just happens to be heading in the same
direction as me, both in destination and goal. Perhaps you and your
apprentice wouldn't mind joining us, as long as we keep this away from
official Jedi matters". Jyvun nodded, saying, "I will take your lead then; so we can discuss this conversation in... greater depth". As Malo and Jyvun finished speaking, Talia came slowly over to join the group.

"I see that you seem disposed to resolve whatever business you have with my acquaintance here quietly and reasonably," she stated, "for which you have my respect. Moreover, since you seem amenable to the suggestion of  conducting conversation- and perhaps business- in greater depth in a location more befitting than this one perhaps you would look favourably upon my drawing your attention to a place but a block's distance from here? There is a place there, called the Distant Star Inn, and it is most conducive to business of all kinds".

         The sith grabbed a plate and placed some of the food upon it. It was nothing more than simple rations, but he didn't need much more than that. He reached up and pulled his ventilator from his mouth, placing a stick of jerky within his ruined lips, before placing it back and putting down the plate. "Inedible swill..." he muttered to himself. Of course, in all honesty, nothing tasted right to him anymore. Not since his confrontation with his old master. Her lightsaber had burned across his mouth and ruined his sense of taste, as well as thrown his lungs into a motionless state. He required the respirator simply to force his lungs into motion, feeling a fire burning within his chest, and even breathing out the odd ember or two.

         He sat down once more, returning to his meditation. He needed to find his new apprentice before his body tore itself apart.

Jyvun nodded, "As aforementioned, I will take your lead if you prefer other steeds for conversation."

Malo smiled feeling a sense of excitement from teaming up with these new companions. He still had his doubts about Talia's goals and if Jyvun would keep these matters off the books, but that hardly mattered. "Well I guess It's settled then!" Malo looked aver at Talia, "I'm not too familiar with this area. I'm guessing we can walk there, but I don't know. We could take a transport if we need to. I still have some credits on me so I could pick up the fare."

OOC: Sorry about the length, but not much I wanted to do at the moment. To the Distant Star Inn now I guess.!

"Walking there is easy," Talia answered Malo, "and, if you stick close to me, should only take a little time. However," and here she directed her words towards Jyvun and Melanie, "if you wish to keep your own craft from theft, vandalism or an untimely dismantling I suggest you either send it back to the Temple or take it to some other secure location. Untended vehicles have a habit of disappearing in this part of town". Jyvun simply nodded in response to this and sent some instructions to his craft's autopilot via a small device on his person, though he gave no indication as to where he sent it- presumably somewhere he could summon it from at a moment's notice if necessary. This done the small group set off at a brisk walk, with Talia leading them and shortly found themselves outside the Distant Star Inn.

In contrast to the private medical facility, which lurked hidden within unobtrusive buildings, behind nondescript doors in a neighbourhood of questionable repute, the Distant Star Inn seemed to be at the very edge of this neighbourhood or just outside it, separated by some intangible but definite border and gave the impression of a respectable inn belonging to a more prosperous locale. And it was precisely that location, Talia knew, that insured its wide cross-section of clientele and the remarkable diversity of business- both formal and informal- that took place there. It was a useful annexe of all manner of news and information indeed. Approaching the doors, which slid smoothly open, Talia simply said, "follow me," to the others. Inside, the inn was revealed to have been built upwards rather than outwards, in a tall, cylindrical tower of a structure. From ground floor to the uppermost floor, an empty space had been left in the very core of the building, allowing a large, circular platform-elevator to freely access every level. A good number of the floors were for dining, although the upper floors contained accommodation for those seeking a place to spend the night. Speaking briefly to the individual behind the counter on the ground floor, Talia announced her intention to take a preferred table and beckoned the others to join her on the platform-elevator.

A short time later the group found themselves seated around a small table on one of the higher levels. Although it was by no means the highest it commanded an impressive view of the world outside. The large windows let in ample light and were in fact glass doors that opened onto an external balcony or platform made of completely transparent materials, that afforded views of the dizzying heights and depths of Coruscant, like gazing upon a vast canyon filled with ever-shifting, active, bustling life. The interior lighting was, by contrast, appropriately muted, allowing for certain forms of business to be conducted quietly and unobtrusively. Tailored perhaps to suit the needs of some the inn's less more secretive clientele. Looking around the group Talia stated, "if you feel the need to order anything, you may order what you wish- I can cover the expense. Now that we are here though, I suspect we should get straight to the matter at hand: We each of us have business of some form or another, that overlaps the interests of at least one or more of the others present here. My hope is that- through discussion or negotiation- we can come to an arrangement agreeable- and hopefully beneficial- to all of us. That said, I believe it is now appropriate to find out what common interests we have and how we might achieve them".       

"Oh absolutely!" Malo said with a comforting smile, "I'm pretty sure I know where to start." He looked over at the bar contemplating if he should order anything before heading into conversation. He thought against it and looked over at Talia.
"The Herald's Heart, am I right?" Talia nodded. "Well I'll start then." He paused briefly before stating,  "I'm going to assume we are all acquainted with the old legend so I'll skip the needless exposition." Melanie had a confused look on her face like she didn't understand what Malo was saying, but she nodded with the other two anyway.

"Okay, as I'm sure you are all aware I am a bounty hunter, and have been one since I left the order nearly a decade ago. During my exploits I came in contact with a man known only as Flk'ijn, or rather he he came in contact with me." Talia leaned forward at the mention of Flk'ijn's name. "He was interested in my unique abilities," Malo continued, "Said he had a proposition. You see Flk'ijin is the leader of an underground anti-establishment militia . He despises the republic, and will do anything to see them fall from power."

"And did you accept this proposition?" Jyvun queried.
"The thing is the whole anti-government stance, it's just a guise. A mere smokescreen to hide what he is truly after. The Herald's Heart." Malo looked over at Jyvun, "When he mentioned this, yeah, I accepted. It turns out that Flk'ijn is the last of a secret organization tasked with protecting the legendary artifact. He uses his anti republic persona to recruit new members to his ranks. After all the republic isn't giving its most popular performance these days."

"But posing like a militia doesn't seem very practical," Melanie chipped in, "I mean how do they expect to operate with the Republic breathing down their necks?"
"Believe it or not, this approach proves very beneficial to his organization." Malo leaned back and grinned, "While he is direct opposition of the Republic, the fact of the matter is he has done nothing illegal. He has never once threatened the Republic senate, or raised arms against their officials. To the republic his actions are nothing more than harmless rhetoric, and in this they are one hundred percent correct. Plus add in the fact he keeps his real name a secret and often times uses ghost commentators to spout his message keeps his group well underneath the radar."

"What about the recruits?" Talia asked, "They come expecting one thing only to get another. How does he work around this?"
"Pretty simple really. He just tells them what they are after. Of course it usually takes more than that to win them over." Malo smiled, "So he ties the Herald's Heart to the Republic. He reassures them that the heart is real and the Republic would like nothing more than to find it so they can continue their tyrannical rule over the galaxy. Considering the republic actually did invest a considerable amount of research into the heart in the past, that point isn't too hard to prove. Especially considering Flk'ijn actually has official Republic documents stating such. Don't know how he got them, but they're legit."

"And how do you tie into all of this?" Talia questioned.
"I was hired to track down several Star Maps that were stolen long before Flk'ijn took command. I'm not sure how many maps there are or how many he has in his possession, but there are five of them floating around out there waiting to be found." Malo paused, "It was no easy task believe me, I never even found the first one. That was when Chonai Striken entered into the mix. When Flk'ijn learned that the dreaded Sith warrior himself was searching for the Herald's Heart he became quite interested. Aware of our previous history together, Flk'ijn sent me out to find and capture Striken. I guess he's going to be the next recruit!"

"That's a very interesting story, but I've got to ask," Talia began, "Why are telling us this? Surely Flk'ijn wouldn't be thrilled to learn you have been going around telling everyone his trade secrets."
"Actually he probably could care less." Malo responded, "The Herald's Heart is a fairy tale to most of the general populace. Hell I'm even sure if Flk'ijn even believes that it exists, but he's honor-bound to protect the artifact, or rather the maps to the artifact. After all it was pretty much all he was taught to do as a child. It's true Flk'ijn may not like working with outsiders, but with things the way they are now, we're gonna need all the help we can get. I'm sure we can works the differences out in the end."

Malo leaned back and yawned as he let the information soak in. He didn't really intend for this to be a tell all session, but once he started he couldn't stop. This was partly due from the fact of the stigma the Jacxx Malo name has received over the years. Mostly, though, if he was going to travel with these individuals he didn't want to have to keep shouldering any secrets that could prove beneficial to their quest. "So now who's next, or are there any more questions?"

OOC: Whew there ya go, a tad bit overbearing in places, but I believe everything worked out. Any questions feel free to ask.

Pain...

It was almost unfair how much pain he had experienced in just a few hours. Almost, because he wasn't dead... yet.

He'd crashed, pushed his injuries beyond reasonable limits, and now... crashed again... and exploded.

Fading back into consciousness, his back ached from how he had landed. Everything was fuzzy; vision, memory, and thankfully feeling, as well. But this made piecing together what had happened difficult as he rolled over and placed weight on his limbs to lift himself up off the dirty surface. The dull soreness increased into psyche searing agony as he got onto his hands and knees. The ground gradually came into focus and he began to think back to what had happened...

He had gone back to his ship to try and get off-planet to wait the assault off; being in no condition to fight any further considering the pain from his injuries were returning, he saw no other choice but to do so. After he had his ship in the air, one of the Sith ships opened fire on him. A shot blasted one of the engines of his fighter and sent it spiraling toward the Sith ship... That was all he remembered. After clearing his mind of this, he noticed several sets of footsteps surrounding him.

Twisting his head to get a better look, he slowly lifted up into a crouch. They were Sith soldiers and a single human Sith wielding a standard red lightsaber, standing a few feet away in front of him. They all were in a wide circle around him, the soldiers all aiming their blaster rifles at his head. "You", the Sith pointed his lightsaber toward him, "are a lucky man. Surviving a crash like that in that junker of a ship."

The Sith lowered the glowing blade back to it's original position next to his leg. "But, it's too bad you still have to die. No real reason except that I don't enjoy having to explain this to my master. So I figure you should suffer, as well."

He sensed with the force for his lightsabers, but he couldn't find them. Stretching his sense beyond his body, he felt the faint radience of crystals... broken crystals. Although he couldn't see them, trying not to move his gaze from the Sith, he felt the countless shattered pieces of the blades that had saved him so many times, sliced down so much opposition, and that he had prized so much. His head drooped a little as his heart sank.

The Sith chuckled a little. "Ah, sorrow. It's so delicious when someone realizes their fate..."

A laugh began to build up, but not from the Sith or his soldiers. His head lifted up to reveal a smile of almost sick humor. His voice was slightly raspy from the pain he felt, "I don't plan on dying anytime soon... In fact, I'm the only one that's gonna walk away from this little scene. And sorrow is not what you will feel..... Only fear..." His laughter increased into a cackle of insanity, echoing throughout the wreckage surrounding them.

"SHOOT HIM!"

All the soldiers squeezed their triggers almost simultaneously, sending blaster bolts flying into empty air and barren street.

A figure swooped down from the air behind one of the soldiers and slammed it's hand into the man's back. "BURN!"

At those words, a scream escaped a helmeted face as the soldier burst into flames. The scorched body fell to the ground as the figure launched a large fireball out of each hand, striking down the two soldiers next to him. A sweep of the hand sent an arc of combustion that engulfed the remaining soldiers.

He rose up to full height to see the Sith sitting on the ground, slowly trying to crawl backwards. The steps forward were painful, so he thrust his hand forward and grip the force around the Sith's throat. He lifted the limp body into the air.

Words choked out of Sith's mouth. "....who.... are you?..."

The question stuck him hard enough to worsen his pain. But an answer rose up from deep within.

"..... For a long time... I didn't know. I even tried to run away from it; leaving behind my name and my past... Don't think I'll do that anymore. So you can call me... Persicus."

Another scream. Another charred corpse.

Persicus sank down onto the ground in exhaustion and intense anguish. He slowly lowered himself to lay back into the position he had woken up in......

".....Didn't burn myself this time..."

His eyelids pulled down as they became heavy...

"....Hope Striken and W... W...... his wookie... are alright..."

The sky became only slits in the darkness...

"...I need some..... rest...."

Persicus' eyes closed down all the way as his breathing became deep and regular...

OOC: Hope this works for a RETURN POST!!!!

OOC: Looks good to me! Also, finally back after weeks of being without a working home comp. If no-one has anything they want to post just yet, I can put in another post soon ^_^