Mandalorian Wars: The Jedi Torn

[JasraLantill]

"Nah i've already seen one today." Castov replied walking with Geonar to the shuttle. "Once you've seen one you've seen them all."

Lake had to grin at the comment. If all went to plan, the destruction of the Arcadia Raider would take out several other Mandalorian ships that she had sent to her 'traffic jam' area. "Oh, this one should be one of the better displays, Jesp," she said as they boarded the shuttle. "And, it should put a damper on the Mando manueverability as well."

 

"And ours, too, if we don't get out of here soon," said her sergeant. He nodded respectfully to Castov and his guest. "Welcome aboard, General. Have a seat there next to the boys," he said, pointing to some empty seats in and between the rest of his squad. "Be sure to strap yourselves in though. It might be a rough ride."

 

"As long as we get this data to the Admiral's flagship," Lake said, taking a seat at the nav station and securing herself in it, "and don't get blown up or injured in the process, then it can be as rough as you like, Sarge. Now let's get moving."

 

The shuttle's pilot, one of the marines, lifted off and soon they had left the hanger of the Arcadia Raider and were heading back toward the Republic lines and the Admiral's flag ship.

 

"Just try to keep us nice and steady on this heading," Lake said to the pilot, "and in the shadow of the Arcadia Raider until the very last minute. Remember, the less erratic and evasive we are, the more likely the Mandys will ignore us as nothing important. But when you see the Raider start to blow, then punch it and get us as far away as possible. I don't want to have come this far and fail our mission only because we got caught in our own trap."

 

She looked behind her as Jesp. "Sorry...I mean, don't want to fail both our missions," she added. "You two comfy enough back there?"

[starmark2k]

As the shuttle left the through the hangers energy field Castov made sure Geonar was secure and then moved to the front of the ship. He tapped the marine who was on the comm station and replaced him at the position allowing thje marine to take a seat next to Geonar. Castov straped himself in and placed the comm headset on and positioned the Mic infront of his mouth.

 

She looked behind her as Jesp. "Sorry...I mean, don't want to fail both our missions," she added. "You two comfy enough back there?"

 

"Well Geonar has been in a mandalorian cell, so this is a step up." Castov replied fiddeling with the comm consoles controls. "and i sleept on the beds in the Jedi Enclave... after those anything is comfortable."

 

Castovs fiddeling with the controls allowed him to open up a secure signal direct to the admiral in the flagship. "Admiral To’Knel This is Castov Jesp I've rescued Priority 1 and have rendevoued with Commander Lake Kiel and her squad on the Arcadia Raider. We are all currently on route to The Pride of the Core"

 

"Copy that Castov, We won't be able to roll out the red carpet but your arrival will be appreciated." The admiral replied.

[Rogue Nine]

Lux and Anya stepped out of the turbolift with their lightsabers lit and in hand, both golden blades casting a pale yellow sheen on the drab gray walls. Lux reached out with the Force, trying to sense for any Mandalorian threats, but he found none. Stalking cautiously down a narrow corridor, he put a hand out and dragged it slowly and deliberately against the wall. Flashes of action appeared in his vision. "Someone was chased down this hallway," he said, withdrawing his hand.

 

"Let's find out who," Anya said, taking out her comlink. "Bethesda to Pallasyndra, do you copy?"

 

The reception crackled for a moment, then Pallas' soft voice came through. "I copy, Anya."

 

"What's your location?"

 

"En route to the medical bay with my troops, we have General Tyneka here and he's badly wounded," came the static-y reply.

 

Lux's brow furrowed. "General Tyneka?" he repeated. "What's Kastul doing on this ship?"

 

Anya shrugged and turned back to her comlink. "We'll meet you there. Bethesda out."

 

Now it was Lux's turn to take out his comlink. Thumbing it on, he said, "Vanas to the bridge. What is our status?"

 

There were a few moments of silence, then the voice of the captain rang loud and clear. "We have all Mandalorian presence on the vessel contained," the crackling voice stated. "The enemy capital ships are all in disarray. Admiral To'Knel has ordered all remaining ships to form up in order to drive off the enemy force."

 

"Thank you, Captain. Vanas out." Replacing his comlink at his belt, he looked at Anya. "Well, looks like we're almost done here. Let's go check on Kastul."

[Corinthian]

Kastul's body thumped onto the table, his deeply set eyes glassy with pain.

 

"Geez, this guy is a wreck. I'm counting several shattered ribs, his exoskeleton is cracked in three places, blaster burns, major blood loss. Prep five ccs of Comaren. Get the Kolto tank ready."

 

The doctor picked up a laser scalpel and cut a path through Kastul's exoskeleton, then the needle was inserted into his veins, easing the agonizing pain.

 

"Alright, we need to get the burned flesh off, and remove the crushed sections of exoskeleton. Hold on, General."

 

"We need a xenobiologist, I don't know anything about Givin physiology."

 

"Well, then we better hope he's not allergic to Kolto, because the nearest xenobiologist is on the planet, so unless you're planning to hand him over to the tender care of the Mandalorians..."

 

The Doctor's voice trailed off as he began slicing off the charred flesh and shattered sections of exoskeleton surrounding the massive blaster wound.

 

"Kavlia, we've done everything we can, but if he doesn't go in the Kolto, he's as good as dead."

 

Doctor Kavlia switched the scalpel off. "Alright, put him in. We'll have to do this in stages."

 

Kastul's repulsor stretcher was shoved over to the tank. "Alright, put him in. Gently..."

 

They slid him into the top of the tank and attached the breath mask, then closed the hatch.

 

"There's nothing more we can do for him. Come on, people, move it, we've got more wounded incoming, there's more people on this ship than Jedi!"

[JasraLantill]

Castovs fiddeling with the controls allowed him to open up a secure signal direct to the admiral in the flagship. "Admiral To’Knel, this is Castov Jesp. I've rescued Priority 1 and have rendevoued with Commander Lake Kiel and her squad on the Arcadia Raider. We are all currently on route to The Pride of the Core."

 

"Copy that Castov, We won't be able to roll out the red carpet but your arrival will be appreciated." The admiral replied.

Lake raised an eyebrow. "Priority one, huh?" She glance over her shoulder at Geonar, then to Castov. "So, who is she?" she asked.

 

There was no time for an answer to her question as through the corner of the view window the first fireballs could be seen starting to explode from the doomed Arcadia Raider. "Everyone, hang on!" yelled the pilot. "Here we go!"

 

The shuttle lurched as the pilot gave full throttle to the engines and changed the ship's course to make a beeline for the Republic lines. So far they had been lucky in remaining unnoticed by the Mandalorian fighters, but now it was more important to outrun the impending cascade of blast waves that the Arcadia Raider had started. And strobing flashes of bright light told them that it was on its way.

 

Lake kept a watchful eye on the scanners, searching for any signs of rogue Mando fighters that might have thought to engage them. The shuttle they were in was fast and heavily shielded, but at the expense of being lightly armed. If they were selected by a fighter as a target, their only real defense was to outrun it. And in the close quarters of battle, that wasn't a great option.

 

Blips streamed across her screen, but none of the enemy fighters seemed to be interested in them, either distracted by the large explosion that was happening behind them or still intent on strafing the larger ships or going head-to-head with the Republic fighters. Never seeing the big picture and always after their own personal glory, Lake thought. Typical, predictable Mandy mindset. Good.

 

"Still no sign of enemy fighters. Pride of the Core straight ahead," Lake said to the pilot. She began to relax a bit. "I think we may have just pulled this off, boys." Then a flash of red on her screen and an alarm sounded off. "Concussion Missile, locking on!" Lakes said to the pilot.

 

"Launch countermeasures!" he replied.

 

She flipped open the cover on some red switches, then pushed one. There was a swooshing sound and then a brilliant red flash streamed in through the view window as defensive flares were launched off to the side of the shuttle. "Countermeasures launched."

 

The shuttle spun and rocked precariously as the concussion missile exploded near them and the pilot fought to keep control. "That was too close," he said. "Where did that come from?"

 

Lake's eyes searched the scanners. "Must have been a rogue," she said. "We're well away from any... wait a sec. Got a Dantooine Dung Beatle off the port side," she said, describing a Mandalorian Battleship. "Doesn't look like it's pursuing us though. Might be disabled in some way and just a one-off...." Her screen was flashing again. "Scratch that. Incoming missile again." Her finger poised on the countermeasures button.

 

"Taking evasive action," the pilot said, and he started to move the control stick.

 

"No," Lake ordered, using the Force to hold the controls in place. "Hold your course! I don't want them to think we are cowards or have something to protect." The missile drew nearer, and at the appropriate time, Lake launched the countermeasure flares again.

 

They worked, but the ship rocked again with the blast wave. "I hope that's the last of them," she said. "This is getting real old, real quick." She checked her scanners once again. "Pride of the Core coming into view." She let out a sigh. "Let's aim for a soft landing."

[starmark2k]

Castov looked out the window as Lake’s plan had worked brilliantly, with a single ship sabotaged she wiped out more than half a dozen Mandalorian vessels in her traffic jam. The Mandalorian flagships had fallen the battle had been won, all the Republic had to do was destroy the stragglers.

__________________________________________________

 

It has been two hours since the Mandalorian had fired their last shots, they did as expected and fought to the last man. It’s not in the Mandalorians nature to surrender or give up, the last fighter even attempted a kamikaze run against the flagship but had been taken care of by the turbo laser battery. Admiral To’knel ordered all ships to keep a safe distance from the planet and not to enter orbit, he also called a briefing to be attended by all Jedi in six hours.

 

Castov had spent most of the lat couple of hours in the ships infirmary having his eye seen to. Although the doctors could heal the tissue around the eye, the eye its self was damaged beyond repair and now he donned a black eye-patch.

 

Jeap was now in one of the ‘Jedi rooms’, some of the republic vessels had them installed when Reven’s followers joined the war, they were really just an observation deck or crew training room that had been stripped down and had some mats placed on the floor. The rooms were put on the ships so the Jedi could practice Lightsaber techniques or just meditate.

 

Castov was the only one in the room and he decided that he needed to practice his unarmed combat skills. After the tussle he had with the exceptionally large Mandalorian that did not go entirely to plan. He never really trained for combat back at the enclave, he never had any cause to, the galaxy was at peace the Sith had not been seen or heard from for years so the need to fight was not important. Now the Mandalorians begun their war on the republic and all those Jedi who chose to follow Reven were now expected to fight.

 

((OCC- OK now's the time to start selecting the ground objective you wish to take on in the discussion thread.))

[JasraLantill]

Mission complete and battle over, Lake had decided that she needed some meditation time, and had entered the training room. She was one of a handful of 'masterless' Padawans, and so keeping herself focused and proving herself to be every bit a competent Jedi was paramount to her. But seeing Castov Jesp pummelling a training dummy, she couldn't help but comment.

 

"You know, it's always more challenging to attack something that hits back," Lake said to him. "I came in here to meditate, but given the choice between the two, sparring wins everytime." She looked him over. He seemed perfectly content to practice on his own, but she'd ask anyway. "If you feel like having a live opponent, just let me know. I'd be glad to be of assistance."

 

She sat down cross-legged on one of the mats in the corner, then took a cleansing breath and closed her eyes. "Nice patch, by the way," she commented. She wasn't trying to incite him or be mean, but rather to acknowledge that she was aware that he had lost his eye and understood that he was training now in order to test his skills without the benefit of binocular vision. He'd have to make use of the Force more now that before--not a difficult task, but one that he wanted to be prepared for. "Be careful, though," she added lightly. "You might start a fashion trend."

[starmark2k]

"Yeah." Castov replied Continuing to practice on the dummy. "Well I was thinking about getting a peg leg and a hook hand... You know space pirate look.”

 

Castov always looked for the funny side of any situation, all his friends back on Dantooine found this both relaxing and infuriating. He remembers his master used to tell him ‘No one like a funny Jedi my young Padawan’. He had many fond memories of his master from his training and how they kept intact after he was knighted. Castov’s master was killed when the Mandalorians attacked Irodia while they attacked planets outside of the republic. Castov mourned his masters death and celebrated how he had become one with the force at the same time. His master taught him well and although many would believe CJ chose to fight the Mandalorians because of his Master’s death they would be incorrect. He chose to fight solely because he felt it was the right thing to do.

 

“I read the reports from the marines you commanded.” Castov announced. “They say your command was the reason for the success… You showed great skill, I’m surprised you haven’t taken your trials yet.”

[Rogue Nine]

"Ugh," Lux muttered as he extracted himself from the twisted heap that had been his starfighter. After the battle, he'd gone with Anya to check up on Kastul in the medbay and after receiving the decidedly good prognosis, transferred over to the flagship to await further instructions. He'd also gotten his fighter transported over, though he was quite unhappy with the shape it was in.

 

Hopping down onto the deck, he wiped his hands off with a rag, then stared dejectedly at his mangled fighter. A mechanic came up alongside him and joined him. "Looks like you put this thing through quite a ringer, sir," the kindly older man said.

 

"You can say that again," Lux agreed, running a hand through his short red hair. "I think I'm going to need a new one."

 

"That's no problem sir, I'm sure we can find one to suit your tastes."

 

"Thanks, Sarge," Lux said gratefully. Sighing, he tossed the dirty rag onto the broken heap that was his starfighter and moved off and out of the hangar.

 

****

 

Letting himself into the training room, he spotted two of his fellow Jedi already availing themselves to the facilities: Castov Jesp was sparring with a training dummy and Lake Kiel seemed to be meditating. Meditating? Lux thought to himself. When did she become a Consular? Not wishing to interrupt her in any case, he trotted over to where Castov was. "Nice eyepatch," he greeted his fellow Jedi, noticing the black cloth in place on Castov's face. "What'd you do to get that?"

[JasraLantill]

“I read the reports from the marines you commanded.” Castov announced. “They say your command was the reason for the success… You showed great skill, I’m surprised you haven’t taken your trials yet.”

 

“Master Kai didn’t think I was ready,” she said calmly to Castov.

 

Lake breathed in deeply as she began to connect to the Force, allowing its cleansing energy to surround her, wiping away the pain she had felt from taking lives today.

 

She believed in everything the Jedi and the Republic stood for: justice, freedom, peace—and the defence of those too weak to stand on their own when those things were threatened. So she had felt confused and betrayed when the Council had outright refused to help the Republic. She couldn’t understand why the Jedi were abandoning the Republic, even though it was quite obvious that the Republic would fall without their help. And she felt even more confused when her master had denied her taking the trials for the third time, even while those she felt were less qualified than her had passed them with ease. She had watched helplessly as Jedi Masters she knew and respected left the Order one by one to join Revan and his cause, some taking their padawans with them, other leaving their padawans in the care of others. She had thought then that perhaps her Master would allow her to take the trials, if for nothing else than so he could take on another padawan learner himself. But, in front of the Council, he stubbornly refused her for a fourth time.

 

It had been the proverbial straw that broke the bantha’s back. Disillusioned by the Jedi Council, she had decided then and there that she would join Revan and fight for what was right. She had packed her bags and, against her Master's wishes, she left the Enclave—condemning herself to be a padawan forever. She hadn't regretted her decision, but she did feel a sense of loss at never being able to attain the rank of Jedi Master, no matter how skilled she became.

 

“And,” she continued, “without a Master, or the approval of the Jedi Council, I’m not likely to ever take them now.”

 

Lake took another deep breath, this one to try and rid herself of the feelings of inadequacy that had been rekindled by the thought of her former Master, Lo Kai. She could still picture his face when she had defiantly told him that, padawan or not, she was leaving to join Revan. Always so very serious, Master Kai had always had a permanent frown on his face, but that day his wrinkles had become deep trenches across a reddening forehead. She had never seen him so angry. And, after the argument they had had then, it wasn’t likely that she would ever see him again.

 

“But thank you for the compliment, Master Jesp,” she said. “Perhaps I’ll have a chance to demonstrate my skill for the Admiral again. And, have an opportunity to thank whoever recommended me to him for the mission in the first place.” She opened her eyes and looked at him askance. “You wouldn’t happen to know who that might be, would you?”

 

Just then Lux entered the training room. "Nice eyepatch," he greeted his fellow Jedi, noticing the black cloth in place on Castov's face. "What'd you do to get that?"

 

Lake couldn’t help but sport a small grin. "See?" she said to Castov. "Told you you'd start a trend if you weren't careful."

[starmark2k]

“You know a battle scar.” Jesp replied to the fellow sentinel. “But I got off lightly compared to all the sentient who lost their lives today… on both sides.”

 

Castov did what he had to do, even if that meant taking the Mandalorian Lives to prevent the deaths of millions more Republic civilians if the Mandalorians went unopposed.

 

“I was with the admiral when he was assigning Jedi.” Jesp replied stopping his training for a second and walking over to the Padawan. “But your assignment was a based on a recommendation by Reven.” CJ lowered himself on to one knee in front of Lake. “As or the Trials, your success in the battle and the battles to come will be the greatest test any of us… Padawans, knights and even master will take.”

 

Castov smiled and rose back to his feet walking back over to the dummy and Lux grinning. “I hear you and me have something in common… We both trashed our fighters.”

[JasraLantill]

Revan? Revan recommended me? Lake was pleasantly surprised. She'd only met Revan twice since she'd joined up with him, and even then their meetings had been brief. She must have made some kind of an impression on him though for him to recommend her for a covert mission, she thought. Still, better not let that go to her head. Like Castov had said, the upcoming battles would be a test for everyone involved--Masters and Padawans alike. She needed to keep her edge.

 

She respectfully nodded to him, a gesture of silent thanks to him for the advice and the compliment.

 

She remained seated as Jesp spoke to Lux, but grinned as he mentioned that he and Lux both had trashed their fighters. She found it slightly amusing that the only person in the room that hadn't trashed a ship, was the one that wasn't a pilot--her. Nevertheless, she kept her thoughts to herself, not wanting to unintentionally disrespect either Jedi Master.

[Rogue Nine]

"Yeah, but I still racked up my fair share of kills," Lux said, settling into fighter-jock mode. "Stopped a half-squadron of bombers from making their attack run, then vaped about four Mandy fighters before I decided to run head to head with two at the same time." He grinned cheesily. "Probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but hey, it got the job done. I also took out quite a few Mandys when I crash-landed inside the hangar bay, though I suppose those count as ground kills."

 

He stretched his arms up over his head, feeling tendons popping satisfyingly, then cast a glance over at Lake, who sat serenely in meditation. "Lake," he called to her. "How'd you make out in the battle?"

[starmark2k]

Castov laughed at the gloating the knight was doing, and then ask what the padawan had done. How he would have loved to be the one to bring him down a peg by telling him that lake was responcible for the destruction of all those ships she sent into a trap. He held his tongue as it wasn't his place to say but was sure that if Lux looked at him he would see the large grin across his face.

[JasraLantill]

Lake opened her eyes again. "Me? Oh, not bad, Master Vanas," she said casually. She shot Master Jesp a quick look, but then averted her eyes so as not to smile outright. "Infiltrated a captial cruiser, commandeered it, stole some plans, set up a gridlock with some misdirection over the comm, then sent the cruiser to self destruct in the middle of the fray while we picked up Master Jesp and ferried him and his Priority One passenger back here." She held back a grin. "Nothing as exciting as dogfighting or crash landing, but it all went rather well I think."

[Rogue Nine]

Lux arched an eyebrow at the young Padawan as she rattled off her string of accomplishments. When she had finished, he was silent for a few moments, then offered her a small smile. "Rather well, yes, but is that all you did?" he said, mirth creeping into his voice. "I mean, why didn't you fix Kessel's shape, figure out how to make Hutts un-slimy and bring balance to the Force while you were at it?" His eyes twinkled. "Surely you could've found time to do those in between all your various forays."

[JasraLantill]

Lake grinned tongue-in-cheek. "Well, I did have a squad of marines to look after," she said. "But I'll keep that Kessel reshaping in mind, Master Vanas. Might come in handy one day to know how to reshape geological features through the Force."

 

She stood then and stretched. "So, what happened with your Priority One passenger, Master Jesp? She must be integral to the Admiral's briefing."

[starmark2k]

"I never found out after we landed she got taken to the bridge by a security team." Castov replied. "I would have accompanied her but i was told to have my eye seen to before i did anything else. The Admiral's been studying tactical data he want's to see me before the meeting so i suppose i'll find out then."

[JasraLantill]

"Suppose we'll all just have to wait and see what's in store next," Lake said. "I suppose I shouldn't say this, but... I'm sort of apprehensive about going down to the surface. I'm Corellian by birth, but... I barely remember it. Still, there's something inside of me that draws me there...." She looked at both Jedi Masters. "Is it wrong to feel Corellian first and then a Jedi?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Just because you're a Jedi doesn't mean you have to lose your sense of home." Anya said, having stepped into the room just as Lake voiced her last question. Having removed her cloak once more, her single bladed saber hung visibly at her hip, her black-gloved hand seeming always ready to grab it. "I think both Lux and myself can vouch for that."

[Rogue Nine]

"Indeed, Lux agreed. "You could say that we carry a bit of home with us wherever we go," he said, absentmindedly stroking the dark tattoo on the side of his face. "And even though you may not remember it, it is always nice to return home. Admittedly, I'm sure you'd like to come back under better circumstances, but that's not the way the Force works." He flexed a black-gloved fist. "I just hope we can get down there in time to make a difference. I never was one for waiting around."

[starmark2k]

"It's hard to tell how the Mandalorians on the planet will react to the defeat." Jesp announced. "We've jammed all communication so they're not getting any orders from Mandalore..." Castov stopped and took a deep breath. "Before the war you could trust they'd fight to keep the spoils in tact, but since Serroco..." Castov Sighed. "Well let's just hope they want this world intact."

 

((Note- If you are unfamiliar with the KotOR Comic Series, *Spoiler alert from Kotor #15*

 

Serroco was Nuked by the Mandalorians destroying most of it's surface.

))

[Rogue Nine]

Lux unzipped the collar of his flightsuit down to about the middle of his chest. "This is Corellia," he stated matter-of-factly, glancing at Lake. "Something tells me the 'natives' of this planet don't take kindly to invaders. I'm sure that even if the Mandalorians try to tear this planet up, they'll be met with fierce resistance." His eyes grew distant as he felt the tug of the living Force. "I can feel it."

[Quist]

"Lieutenant, is there anything you aren't good at?" Pallas asked, flicking her pazaak cards back at him across the table.

 

"Well, I don't dance very well, General," Gardevoir said, grinning slightly as he gathered up the deck and shuffled it. He'd just beaten her soundly for the fifth round in a row and Gardevoir didn't need Jedi abilities to figure out that it made Pallas a little irritated. "One more round for the road?" he asked, holding up half a deck in each hand.

 

"No thanks," she declined, standing up out of her seat. "I'm all pazaaked out." She looked around the mess hall, then up at the large chrono on the wall. "We only have a few hours before our next briefing. Best get some rest."

 

"I hear that," Gardevoir agreed. "Make sure you take it easy, General," he told her. "Don't be doing any crazy Jedi flips or what not and re-aggravate your injury."

 

Pallas gave him a small, easy smile. "Yes, Doctor Gardevoir," she said turning towards the door. "Oh, Lieutenant," she called, cocking her head around.

 

"Yes ma'am?"

 

"Do you know where the Jedi meditiation room is on this vessel?"

 

"Erm, Deck Three, I think,"

 

"Thanks." She waved at him. "See you at the briefing."

 

===== ===== ===== ===== =====

 

Pallas entered the room, not expecting there to be too many of her comrades, but instead finding four of them. "Greetings," she said quietly as the doors slid shut behind her.

[Rexraptor2000]

Having assisted in the elimination of the Mandolorian stragglers and overseeing the startup and continuation of the repairs on his vessel, Truth boarded the ship in which the briefing for the next mission was that was to take place. Now having been told that it would not be for a couple of hours, he decided to go to the meditation room aboard the vessel, though not for the purpose of meditation. The dissection of the battle was what was on Truth's mind. That however, would have to wait as it appeared when he found that the meditation room was not empty. That was to be expected, since Jedi generally meditate in their free time as he had observed. There appeared to be three Jedi already in there talking when he had walking in, which was conveniently aligned with the arrival of the Jedi from opposite doors.

 

Analyzing...

 

Visible Sentients in Current Proximity: Generals Castov Jesp, Lake Kiel, Caelux Vanas, Anya Bethesda, and Pallasyndra

 

Current Apparent Activities: Conversation and Entrance Greeting

 

Current Visible Main Weaponry: Lightsabers

 

Current Threat Level: Minimal

 

Continue with Current Objective? Continue

 

Truth nodded a greeting in the direction of the rest of the Jedi and went to sit down on one of the chairs, pulling out a datapad from his robe with which to study.