Deux Ans Après - An Untold Tale
Deux Ans Après - An Untold Tale
Location: Procopia, a world in the Tapani Sector of the Colonies Region.
Timeframe: 52 ABY, precisely 3 months before the New Mandalorian War begins.
Two Years Ago, Jedi Masters Jago Pulastra and Ksandra Mallan assisted a friend of the latters in a small altercation in the Tapani Sector: a region known for its old-world elegance, impressive cultural and artistic contributions, and deadly House Politics. Though they originally arrived for a simple misunderstanding, the Jedi's presence on Procopia, the capital of the Sector, quickly ushered forth a shadowy plot to dominate all Tapani under the reign of the ambitious House Mecetti and her allies, a mysterious group of Dark Jedi.
Though on the run from assassins, corrupt officials, and even treacherous friends, Jago and Ksandra managed to unite several major Houses into exposing House Mecetti and her villanies, stopping them from gaining control over the region. All was thought well.
Until now.
The Galactic Federation of Free Alliances has called upon Masters Dav Man'Sell and Jago once more, with disturbing news of a civil war that has devastated the Tapani Sector in the aftermath of the "peace" secured by the Jedi previously. Not willing to directly intervene in the delicate affair of internal politics, the Alliance asks The Order to mediate a settlement that is to end the war and bring balance back to the Tapani Sector once and for all.
However, not everyone agrees with the idea of peace ...
Re: Deux Ans Après - An Untold Tale
The two stepped out of the small shuttle to the sight of crowds, the sound of silence, and the feel of acceptance rather than hope. It left a sour taste in the younger-and-shorter’s mouth as he considered the wide array of emotions. The cobblestone streets were traveled with no haste, his icy blue eyes taking in the sights and recalling a time past.
“ Not much has changed since last I was here. The attitude, though ... It’s different.”
” Hrm?”
The taller of the pair did not turn his head, instead focused on scouring the city square with a trained eye, marking out in his mind what, exactly, he would do in this situation if he were playing from the opposite side. Decades of experience had left him more than apt at deducing and foiling such plots before. It was more than just skill and instinct that guided his thoughts and hands, though.
“ Can you feel it? Somberness. This is Capital Day, the happiest day of the year, and everyone around us looks like they’re attending a funeral. This is not how I left Estalle.”
” Considering why we’re here, I’m sure you can empathize, Jago.”
“ I can, I can, it’s just ...”
He shook his head, his white hair whipping lightly in the breeze as he released a defeated sigh, boots stepping over a breathtaking mosaic depicting a blue phoenix perched atop ribbons of fuschia, indigo, and violet, rising into a golden sun. The symbol appeared to be hopeful, joyous even: a scene of triumph. Briefly, Jago almost equated the Emblem with the Alliance Starbird, noticing the similarity in the way the avian’s wings were positioned.
His shoulders relented.
“ It’s strange. Seeing it one way, then another in only a few short years.”
” War tends to do that to places.”
“ You don’t have to be so dry about it, Dav.”
” Dry?”
The elder’s eyebrows raised just perceptibly enough, almost shocked that his long-time friend would ever accuse him as such.
” There’s a difference between being callous and merely realizing that certain things are the way they are. But that’s why we’re here, is it not?”
Jago Pulastra nodded, still a bit weary already as people turned away from the approaching Jedi, giving them a wide berth as they made their way through the Capital City of the Tapani Sector. It was not often that Jedi were simply ignored. Welcomed, mostly. Sometimes despised and hated, or they were feared, yes. But ignored? That was a new one.
“ I don’t think they like us very much.”
” We’re two strangers here to oversee this people’s internal affairs. How would you feel if a Moff from the Fel Empire came to Yavin to tell us to make nice with an enemy of ours?”
“ Point.”
They continued their conversation, their jackets swept behind them as their pace remained unchanged. Dav’s characteristic naval greatcoat seemed to be right in line with the rustic, almost archaic charm of the Tapani Architecture, noted for its extended usage of columns, actual brick and stone instead of the more common duracrete, and a heavy emphasis on working flowers and foliage to accent important features. Color, color too was simply everywhere, heaped in volumes upon every building. As they neared the center, the hues began to segregate a little: both Jedi noted that the ring of abodes they had walked themselves towards were hanging proud, regal banners with crests of various Great Houses emblazoned arrogantly as if to declare their superiority to the sky and stone itself.
Six bridges rested over a waterway below the stone, one connecting each of these structures to a larger one in the center that maintained a rather neutral and dull scheme of grey on grey, making Jago thrust his chin gently towards the centerpiece.
“ That’s our stop.”
” Kind of hard to miss.”
Two Jedi Masters had been called to the city of Estalle, on the planet Procopia, to deal with a matter most unsettling. At the end of Jago’s last tirade on the Tapani Capital, alongside Ksandra Mallan, the duo had uncovered a vicious plot by House Mecetti, a long-time antagonist to most of the other Great Houses, to try and finally crush its rivals in Pelagia and Cadriaan once and for all. With the aid of the Yavinite pair, House Reena joined Pelagia and succeeded in stopping Mecetti from ruling the Sector with its iron, Dark-Sided gauntlet, but nothing could have undone the damage. Pelagia was in ruins, but with Reena and Cadriaan assistance, Jago had hoped that the worst crisis had been averted.
It appeared that he was wrong. Something he had learned to accept a multitude of times in his short tenure as a Jedi Master. In fact, things had only worsened: with an alliance of Pelagia, Cadriaan, and Reena, a war engulfed the Sector as a whole as the trio took on House Mecetti, Melantha, and Calipsa. The Tapani Sector, though its military forces as a whole were rather small compared to the might of the Federation or previous Republics and Empires, had still done a number on itself. It appeared that Procopia had been the only world to escape the flames due to its inherent neutrality.
Power could be felt in the building the two friends approached, an unassuming appearance offset by how pristine the finish was, the way the morning light struck white marble and made it glow. A small series of whistles and beeps from behind Dav and Jago caused the dark-haired one to chuckle quietly, nodding in agreement.
” Yes, Dirty, it does seem that the Tapani have something to compensate for.”
The structure was massive, easily the dominant spot on the skyline (not that many of the other buildings rose tall enough to even make an attempt at graduating to skycraper status). Outside were stationed guards bearing all manners of uniforms and crests, and all looking increasingly more tense with each other. Jago took this in silently for a moment, before using subtle gestures with his eyes and head to point things out.
“ Pelagia and her allies on the right,” he said, marking the men and women garbed in proud, dashing dress. Military-style jackets the likes of which hadn’t been scene in thousands of years, the ranks rife with epaulettes, sashes, high boots, and ornate, beautiful hilts strapped to their sides (yet no blade appearing from the basket).
“ And that would be the Mecetti Alliance on the left.”
The counterparts to the Pelagian Hussars, the soldiers opposite them wore dour, dark uniforms: double breasted coats of black with thick, military boots, gloves and helms that cut off at the brow and swooped backwards down the neck, all adorned with a line of feathers running the center. They, too, wore the curious weapons: hilts with no swords attached.
All displayed medals prominently upon their chests, none had ever heard a damn word about a “crew cut” or clean shave, and by and large they were giving mixed feedback on the approach of the Jedi. Pelagian guards nodded and smiled warmly as Jago and Dav ascended the steps, flanked on their sides by imposing statues of past leaders of the Tapani, but the Mecetti gave cold shoulders and heated glares.
In particular, they seemed to direct the most of this hostile attention towards the white-haired wonder, causing Dav to lightly nudge his younger brother with his elbow.
” Friends of yours?”
“ Must still have a grudge from the last time I was here. Probably blame me for the war in the first place.”
” I thought you and Ksandra stopped a war?”
Jago’s tone and expression went completely deadpan.
“ We did.”
Dav pondered on that as the tall, impressive doors leading inside the Council Hall were opened before them, revealing a cavernous entryway that would have put the Yavin IV Praxeum’s Hangar to shame. Pictures, actual oil paintings made a staccato marking between the columns, each positioned so that it could be viewed perfectly between the marble towers beside them. Once more, the reflection of reverence that these people placed on their past Lords and Barons was quite clear, making Jago muse aloud.
“ Reminds me almost of the memorials back home. For the Battle of Yavin.”
” Everyone should take the time to honor the people that came before us,” Dav agreed indirectly, ” Remind us what we’re doing. Give us something to look up to.”
“ Why, then, does it disturb me that these people are looking up to aristocratic elite who carry themselves no better than dictators?”
” You may not like it,” the older one said, ” But this is their history. It’s how they’ve gotten by for thousands of years.”
“ Shame, that.”
” Necessary, more likely. The Jedi Order is somewhat similar, wouldn’t you think?”
Jago shot a puzzled look at his comrade-in-arms, Dav elaborating as Dirty’s dome spun this way and that, the little droid taking in as much detail as it possibly could. It seemed to be quite impressed at the pomp and circumstance around it.
” Did you never wonder why Master Skywalker brought back the High Council, when he clearly had the chance to change the Jedi Order to just about whatever he wanted it to be? Or why our own traditions and customs have lasted for the better part of over forty thousand years?”
“ I’d imagine it’s because change is hard,” Jago answered as they approached yet another set of doors, “ Change means thinking outside the box. People like the box, though: it’s comfortable. Relatable.”
” And billions of people don’t agree with The Jedi Order, even though we’ve been here for that long,” Dav continued.
” It’s the same here. They’ve been here so long that I don’t think they see their form of government the way you do. To them, this is normal: we are the strange ones.”
“ Seems ... Counterproductive. To be so set in their ways.”
” If it isn’t broke.”
“ You may not notice a ticking hyperdrive until long after you’ve been left adrift.”
” And in turn, you may be left cursing the ‘deal’ you got from that Merchant on Abregado-Rae when you replaced it with something you weren’t familiar with, but it looked better.”
The two stopped for a moment outside of the large, regal doors, Jago giving Dav a soft smile.
“ Well, I guess this is why I’m the student here.”
” Don’t kid yourself,” the elder chuckled lightly, ” In the grand scheme of things, neither of us rates above any more than Petty Dabbler in terms of knowledge, wisdom, and insight. All that matters is that you’re able to see the other side of things, rather than shut your mind to them. It’ll do you a lot of good by the time you’re my age.”
“ If I ever get to your age,” Jago retorted with a roll of his eyes, both of them sharing a quiet laugh as the doors were pushed open.
” Now. Let’s see if we can get some people to leave their box briefly.”
“ Not much has changed since last I was here. The attitude, though ... It’s different.”
” Hrm?”
The taller of the pair did not turn his head, instead focused on scouring the city square with a trained eye, marking out in his mind what, exactly, he would do in this situation if he were playing from the opposite side. Decades of experience had left him more than apt at deducing and foiling such plots before. It was more than just skill and instinct that guided his thoughts and hands, though.
“ Can you feel it? Somberness. This is Capital Day, the happiest day of the year, and everyone around us looks like they’re attending a funeral. This is not how I left Estalle.”
” Considering why we’re here, I’m sure you can empathize, Jago.”
“ I can, I can, it’s just ...”
He shook his head, his white hair whipping lightly in the breeze as he released a defeated sigh, boots stepping over a breathtaking mosaic depicting a blue phoenix perched atop ribbons of fuschia, indigo, and violet, rising into a golden sun. The symbol appeared to be hopeful, joyous even: a scene of triumph. Briefly, Jago almost equated the Emblem with the Alliance Starbird, noticing the similarity in the way the avian’s wings were positioned.
His shoulders relented.
“ It’s strange. Seeing it one way, then another in only a few short years.”
” War tends to do that to places.”
“ You don’t have to be so dry about it, Dav.”
” Dry?”
The elder’s eyebrows raised just perceptibly enough, almost shocked that his long-time friend would ever accuse him as such.
” There’s a difference between being callous and merely realizing that certain things are the way they are. But that’s why we’re here, is it not?”
Jago Pulastra nodded, still a bit weary already as people turned away from the approaching Jedi, giving them a wide berth as they made their way through the Capital City of the Tapani Sector. It was not often that Jedi were simply ignored. Welcomed, mostly. Sometimes despised and hated, or they were feared, yes. But ignored? That was a new one.
“ I don’t think they like us very much.”
” We’re two strangers here to oversee this people’s internal affairs. How would you feel if a Moff from the Fel Empire came to Yavin to tell us to make nice with an enemy of ours?”
“ Point.”
They continued their conversation, their jackets swept behind them as their pace remained unchanged. Dav’s characteristic naval greatcoat seemed to be right in line with the rustic, almost archaic charm of the Tapani Architecture, noted for its extended usage of columns, actual brick and stone instead of the more common duracrete, and a heavy emphasis on working flowers and foliage to accent important features. Color, color too was simply everywhere, heaped in volumes upon every building. As they neared the center, the hues began to segregate a little: both Jedi noted that the ring of abodes they had walked themselves towards were hanging proud, regal banners with crests of various Great Houses emblazoned arrogantly as if to declare their superiority to the sky and stone itself.
Six bridges rested over a waterway below the stone, one connecting each of these structures to a larger one in the center that maintained a rather neutral and dull scheme of grey on grey, making Jago thrust his chin gently towards the centerpiece.
“ That’s our stop.”
” Kind of hard to miss.”
Two Jedi Masters had been called to the city of Estalle, on the planet Procopia, to deal with a matter most unsettling. At the end of Jago’s last tirade on the Tapani Capital, alongside Ksandra Mallan, the duo had uncovered a vicious plot by House Mecetti, a long-time antagonist to most of the other Great Houses, to try and finally crush its rivals in Pelagia and Cadriaan once and for all. With the aid of the Yavinite pair, House Reena joined Pelagia and succeeded in stopping Mecetti from ruling the Sector with its iron, Dark-Sided gauntlet, but nothing could have undone the damage. Pelagia was in ruins, but with Reena and Cadriaan assistance, Jago had hoped that the worst crisis had been averted.
It appeared that he was wrong. Something he had learned to accept a multitude of times in his short tenure as a Jedi Master. In fact, things had only worsened: with an alliance of Pelagia, Cadriaan, and Reena, a war engulfed the Sector as a whole as the trio took on House Mecetti, Melantha, and Calipsa. The Tapani Sector, though its military forces as a whole were rather small compared to the might of the Federation or previous Republics and Empires, had still done a number on itself. It appeared that Procopia had been the only world to escape the flames due to its inherent neutrality.
Power could be felt in the building the two friends approached, an unassuming appearance offset by how pristine the finish was, the way the morning light struck white marble and made it glow. A small series of whistles and beeps from behind Dav and Jago caused the dark-haired one to chuckle quietly, nodding in agreement.
” Yes, Dirty, it does seem that the Tapani have something to compensate for.”
The structure was massive, easily the dominant spot on the skyline (not that many of the other buildings rose tall enough to even make an attempt at graduating to skycraper status). Outside were stationed guards bearing all manners of uniforms and crests, and all looking increasingly more tense with each other. Jago took this in silently for a moment, before using subtle gestures with his eyes and head to point things out.
“ Pelagia and her allies on the right,” he said, marking the men and women garbed in proud, dashing dress. Military-style jackets the likes of which hadn’t been scene in thousands of years, the ranks rife with epaulettes, sashes, high boots, and ornate, beautiful hilts strapped to their sides (yet no blade appearing from the basket).
“ And that would be the Mecetti Alliance on the left.”
The counterparts to the Pelagian Hussars, the soldiers opposite them wore dour, dark uniforms: double breasted coats of black with thick, military boots, gloves and helms that cut off at the brow and swooped backwards down the neck, all adorned with a line of feathers running the center. They, too, wore the curious weapons: hilts with no swords attached.
All displayed medals prominently upon their chests, none had ever heard a damn word about a “crew cut” or clean shave, and by and large they were giving mixed feedback on the approach of the Jedi. Pelagian guards nodded and smiled warmly as Jago and Dav ascended the steps, flanked on their sides by imposing statues of past leaders of the Tapani, but the Mecetti gave cold shoulders and heated glares.
In particular, they seemed to direct the most of this hostile attention towards the white-haired wonder, causing Dav to lightly nudge his younger brother with his elbow.
” Friends of yours?”
“ Must still have a grudge from the last time I was here. Probably blame me for the war in the first place.”
” I thought you and Ksandra stopped a war?”
Jago’s tone and expression went completely deadpan.
“ We did.”
Dav pondered on that as the tall, impressive doors leading inside the Council Hall were opened before them, revealing a cavernous entryway that would have put the Yavin IV Praxeum’s Hangar to shame. Pictures, actual oil paintings made a staccato marking between the columns, each positioned so that it could be viewed perfectly between the marble towers beside them. Once more, the reflection of reverence that these people placed on their past Lords and Barons was quite clear, making Jago muse aloud.
“ Reminds me almost of the memorials back home. For the Battle of Yavin.”
” Everyone should take the time to honor the people that came before us,” Dav agreed indirectly, ” Remind us what we’re doing. Give us something to look up to.”
“ Why, then, does it disturb me that these people are looking up to aristocratic elite who carry themselves no better than dictators?”
” You may not like it,” the older one said, ” But this is their history. It’s how they’ve gotten by for thousands of years.”
“ Shame, that.”
” Necessary, more likely. The Jedi Order is somewhat similar, wouldn’t you think?”
Jago shot a puzzled look at his comrade-in-arms, Dav elaborating as Dirty’s dome spun this way and that, the little droid taking in as much detail as it possibly could. It seemed to be quite impressed at the pomp and circumstance around it.
” Did you never wonder why Master Skywalker brought back the High Council, when he clearly had the chance to change the Jedi Order to just about whatever he wanted it to be? Or why our own traditions and customs have lasted for the better part of over forty thousand years?”
“ I’d imagine it’s because change is hard,” Jago answered as they approached yet another set of doors, “ Change means thinking outside the box. People like the box, though: it’s comfortable. Relatable.”
” And billions of people don’t agree with The Jedi Order, even though we’ve been here for that long,” Dav continued.
” It’s the same here. They’ve been here so long that I don’t think they see their form of government the way you do. To them, this is normal: we are the strange ones.”
“ Seems ... Counterproductive. To be so set in their ways.”
” If it isn’t broke.”
“ You may not notice a ticking hyperdrive until long after you’ve been left adrift.”
” And in turn, you may be left cursing the ‘deal’ you got from that Merchant on Abregado-Rae when you replaced it with something you weren’t familiar with, but it looked better.”
The two stopped for a moment outside of the large, regal doors, Jago giving Dav a soft smile.
“ Well, I guess this is why I’m the student here.”
” Don’t kid yourself,” the elder chuckled lightly, ” In the grand scheme of things, neither of us rates above any more than Petty Dabbler in terms of knowledge, wisdom, and insight. All that matters is that you’re able to see the other side of things, rather than shut your mind to them. It’ll do you a lot of good by the time you’re my age.”
“ If I ever get to your age,” Jago retorted with a roll of his eyes, both of them sharing a quiet laugh as the doors were pushed open.
” Now. Let’s see if we can get some people to leave their box briefly.”
Re: Deux Ans Après - An Untold Tale
” Inexcusable. The Mecetti Alliance would never submit to such outrageous terms. You might as well have asked for our necks.”
” The thought occurred. But House Pelagia has decreed mercy to be shown in this situation, as much as I advised to have you all hung during Capital Season for these crimes.”
” The only crime here is the treachery your own house displayed, Faber. How much did they pay you, hm? What rights to our lands did ‘High Lord’ Reesa promise you?”
” You’ve a lot of nerve talking to me like that, Morgan. After what you did to my son, after my wife’s death. I only wanted to see justice done for once in this Sector, without you and your dogs mucking about in everyone’s dish.”
” Please, are you going to blame moi for Lukas’s injury? The boy attacked Cain. Unprovoked. Your son is lucky he even has his life still.”
” He was angry for his mothe-!”
” Who died of sickness, need I remind you. Unless your family is now calling me a wizard capable of bringing plague down upon people.”
The two men went back and forth, trading barbs and barely-concealed insults, not even stopping when the Jedi finally entered. The nobles could not have been more unalike: the one on the left was garbed in regal blues and oranges, his dress elegant in form. A dashing coat, fine jewelry hanging from his neck, ears, and fingers, thick and curly blonde hair, and a clean-shaven face that showed off the wrinkles of a life spent in worry. Now, however, his expression had been contorted into nearly seething rage.
Across from him sat a tall, lean man, his poise perfect while patiently and calmly turning aside the more portly gentleman’s attacks. A simple, purple cloak seemed to serve as all he needed for fashion, his fingers steepled with elbows resting on the table. Upon seeing the Jedi, his darkened eyes flashed at Jago for a brief moment, leaving him running fingers through his well-trimmed goatee as he stood.
” Master Pulastra. What a surprise it is to see you again.”
Jago stopped in his tracks and leveled his eyebrows. He gave a small, curt nod with the barest amount of respect. Then, seemingly remembering that he was here on a diplomatic mission, Jago straightened out and bowed in the way a Jedi would. In the way an ambassador would.
” Baron O’Connaill. I wouldn’t pass up a chance to see beautiful Procopia.”
” Marquess O’Connaill, now. And hopefully your stay will be less … eventful.”
” Likewise. And congratulations on your promotion.”
” It was well earned in the aftermath of your consequences.”
Before Jago had a chance to retort, the other noble was standing and moving towards the two Jedi, certainly more jovial at this point than his counterpart.
” My dear boy! I had heard the Jedi were sending advisors, it is good to see you again!”
Their hands shook firmly, Jago smiling with a bit more warmth now.
” Korvas, it’s been much too long. How’s Lukas, has he ..?”
” Fully recovered, and Vandesca imprisoned. If I had known what he was teaching him, I …”
He paused through the memory, shaking it from his head and thoughts and greeting the taller Jedi with just as much eagerness.
” And you are?”
” Dav, Dav Man’Sell." he introduced himself, loud for both Lords to hear, “ A pleasure, Korvas was it?”
” Yes, or Count Faber, whichever you prefer. Lord of House Reena, and very proud to be so.”
” Ah, yes; I do believe Jago told me about helping your family through some tough times when he was here last.”
Dav’s tone grew a touch somber, inclining his head in a minute gesture of respect without drawing attention to himself.
” My condolences for your wife. I have heard she was a remarkable woman.”
The Count, too, seemed to lose a bit of his energy, but remained smiling nevertheless. Just a bit more stiffly than before, however.
” She was. She certainly was. Lukas and I were glad to have her. But come, we’re here for more important things than the past of one man, yes?”
” That we are, Faber,” came the reply from Morgan, still standing by the table as if unwilling to budge from it, ” And if our honored guests could do well to begin mediating, perhaps we can finish this with little more fuss.”
” Well, I’m all for a job done right, so I’m inclined to agree. Marquess O’Connaill,” Dav repeated the name he had heard, giving the man yet another small nod. A subtle way of showing that he regarded both nobles as equal, but also that he did not consider himself subservient or beholden to either.
It made him wonder why Jago had shown such deference to the one called Morgan. Jago had told him of his little adventure here with Ksandra, of discovering House Mecetti’s ties towards a Dark Side Cult, the suspicions that the O’Connaills and the Fabers were trying to cloak and dagger one another into ruin, and he could understand why Morgan would certainly hold a grudge against the Jedi that nearly brought down his entire House.
Come on, mate; You know better. Bowing and playing nice to them isn’t going to accomplish anything for us or the Tapani.
He watched them all in his quiet, eagle-like way. Studied the way that Korvas Faber glared with utter hatred at Marquess O’Connaill. The way the former actually spoke with prideful inflections when speaking of his son, Lukas. How Morgan was trying hard not to give in to an emotion that was boiling beneath the surface, but the way his nose tightened, the errant twitch of the corner of his lips … was it anger, or contempt? Disgust?
The Jedi Master knew that he would have more to work with.
” Will you two be the only representatives for these discussions?”
” These are merely preliminaries, Master Jedi. More should be joining us shortly. I am merely trying to convince my esteemed colleague that House Reena should abandon any claims it has to Mecetti worlds, or this call for peace will only be a single, wailing flute rather than a resounding chorus.”
” And I was trying to impress upon the Marquess that such worlds were given up by House Reena to secure an allegiance with the Mecetti in ages past. Before they nearly plunged the entire star cluster into tyranny. We’ve no reason or justification to return those worlds just so we can face a stronger force from Obuliette in the future”
” High Lord Arach would not be the one to break the treaty. I think your own hostility towards my esteemed House deserves a look or two as to a possible cassus belli.”
” Gentlemen, please; the war is over. I doubt either of you want to carry it on much further.”
Both looked towards Jago, whom had approached the table and ushered Count Faber to take his seat opposite Marquess O’Connaill. The young man nodded gently towards Dav, who silently encouraged his friend to continue.
In the back of his mind, however, Dav gave one ear towards the current conversation, and the other seemingly to the air. Something was … happening. Something. He could feel it.
” I understand there’s bad blood between the two of you, but you’re not here as yourself. Korvas, you represent the entirety of House Reena; likewise, Morgan, your words carry the weight of Mecetti all the way from Obuliette. Your High Lords expected both of you to come to some sort of agreement today. Are neither of you of the chivalrous mindset to do so? Or are your personal disputes now more important than the honor and privilege of your House?”
There was a moment of silence as the idea was considered. Interestingly enough (to Jago), it was Morgan who spoke first.
” House Mecetti would only like the safekeeping of her people in these troubled times. High Lord Arach will want a military presence within the disputed sector. To ensure that her citizens are not being mistreated.”
” You’d place warships nearby and expect our efforts to feel safe? What of our mining companies seeking to rebuild these worlds? Would their efforts merely be taken when they were done?”
” Then perhaps we should govern together. House Reena and Mecetti were once allies, after all. Would it be out of line to have both of us place Planetary Defenses within the Disputed Sector? Mecetti will even help contribute to your precious ‘mining companies’ in the reconstruction efforts, but only if they are not in turn flooded with only workers and managers from Reena.”
Faber seemed to consider this, to ponder if there was a trap in here somewhere. He was interrupted, though, as Morgan turned towards the door with a smile.
” Footsteps. Ah, the rest of the Lords must be arriving now. I’m sure they could help us settle this miniscule detail.”
The Jedi, too, heard the muffled steps. They did not take solace in them, however: they sounded rushed. Heavy.
Someone was running.
Morgan’s grin dropped when a Mecetti Guard threw the doors open to the chamber, shock and horror still upon his face from whatever sight he had borne witness.
” My Lords, Master Jedi! We must leave, immediately!”
” What is this!? Why?”
” Calm yourself,” Dav asked of the young soldier, stepping swiftly towards him and laying a hand on his shoulder.
He could already smell it on him. That coppery, heady scent.
” The High Lord of Pelagia has been killed! Shot dead on the streets! The High Lady and several others are wounded, we must get the rest of the Lords to safety within the basement.”
” Go. Take the Lords and go, quickly now.”
Whatever it was about the way the Jedi inflected those words, it seemed to calm the panicked Guard down immediately. As if the world had its clarity restored in seconds.
” Right away.”
” Jago?”
” Already with you.”
The two Jedi did not turn back, leaving the dumbstruck nobles as more guards, both Pelagian and Mecetti, rushed into the Council Chambers, more nobility behind their secure phalanx. They hurried away from danger as quickly as they could.
Dav and Jago rushed towards it, with all haste.
” The thought occurred. But House Pelagia has decreed mercy to be shown in this situation, as much as I advised to have you all hung during Capital Season for these crimes.”
” The only crime here is the treachery your own house displayed, Faber. How much did they pay you, hm? What rights to our lands did ‘High Lord’ Reesa promise you?”
” You’ve a lot of nerve talking to me like that, Morgan. After what you did to my son, after my wife’s death. I only wanted to see justice done for once in this Sector, without you and your dogs mucking about in everyone’s dish.”
” Please, are you going to blame moi for Lukas’s injury? The boy attacked Cain. Unprovoked. Your son is lucky he even has his life still.”
” He was angry for his mothe-!”
” Who died of sickness, need I remind you. Unless your family is now calling me a wizard capable of bringing plague down upon people.”
The two men went back and forth, trading barbs and barely-concealed insults, not even stopping when the Jedi finally entered. The nobles could not have been more unalike: the one on the left was garbed in regal blues and oranges, his dress elegant in form. A dashing coat, fine jewelry hanging from his neck, ears, and fingers, thick and curly blonde hair, and a clean-shaven face that showed off the wrinkles of a life spent in worry. Now, however, his expression had been contorted into nearly seething rage.
Across from him sat a tall, lean man, his poise perfect while patiently and calmly turning aside the more portly gentleman’s attacks. A simple, purple cloak seemed to serve as all he needed for fashion, his fingers steepled with elbows resting on the table. Upon seeing the Jedi, his darkened eyes flashed at Jago for a brief moment, leaving him running fingers through his well-trimmed goatee as he stood.
” Master Pulastra. What a surprise it is to see you again.”
Jago stopped in his tracks and leveled his eyebrows. He gave a small, curt nod with the barest amount of respect. Then, seemingly remembering that he was here on a diplomatic mission, Jago straightened out and bowed in the way a Jedi would. In the way an ambassador would.
” Baron O’Connaill. I wouldn’t pass up a chance to see beautiful Procopia.”
” Marquess O’Connaill, now. And hopefully your stay will be less … eventful.”
” Likewise. And congratulations on your promotion.”
” It was well earned in the aftermath of your consequences.”
Before Jago had a chance to retort, the other noble was standing and moving towards the two Jedi, certainly more jovial at this point than his counterpart.
” My dear boy! I had heard the Jedi were sending advisors, it is good to see you again!”
Their hands shook firmly, Jago smiling with a bit more warmth now.
” Korvas, it’s been much too long. How’s Lukas, has he ..?”
” Fully recovered, and Vandesca imprisoned. If I had known what he was teaching him, I …”
He paused through the memory, shaking it from his head and thoughts and greeting the taller Jedi with just as much eagerness.
” And you are?”
” Dav, Dav Man’Sell." he introduced himself, loud for both Lords to hear, “ A pleasure, Korvas was it?”
” Yes, or Count Faber, whichever you prefer. Lord of House Reena, and very proud to be so.”
” Ah, yes; I do believe Jago told me about helping your family through some tough times when he was here last.”
Dav’s tone grew a touch somber, inclining his head in a minute gesture of respect without drawing attention to himself.
” My condolences for your wife. I have heard she was a remarkable woman.”
The Count, too, seemed to lose a bit of his energy, but remained smiling nevertheless. Just a bit more stiffly than before, however.
” She was. She certainly was. Lukas and I were glad to have her. But come, we’re here for more important things than the past of one man, yes?”
” That we are, Faber,” came the reply from Morgan, still standing by the table as if unwilling to budge from it, ” And if our honored guests could do well to begin mediating, perhaps we can finish this with little more fuss.”
” Well, I’m all for a job done right, so I’m inclined to agree. Marquess O’Connaill,” Dav repeated the name he had heard, giving the man yet another small nod. A subtle way of showing that he regarded both nobles as equal, but also that he did not consider himself subservient or beholden to either.
It made him wonder why Jago had shown such deference to the one called Morgan. Jago had told him of his little adventure here with Ksandra, of discovering House Mecetti’s ties towards a Dark Side Cult, the suspicions that the O’Connaills and the Fabers were trying to cloak and dagger one another into ruin, and he could understand why Morgan would certainly hold a grudge against the Jedi that nearly brought down his entire House.
Come on, mate; You know better. Bowing and playing nice to them isn’t going to accomplish anything for us or the Tapani.
He watched them all in his quiet, eagle-like way. Studied the way that Korvas Faber glared with utter hatred at Marquess O’Connaill. The way the former actually spoke with prideful inflections when speaking of his son, Lukas. How Morgan was trying hard not to give in to an emotion that was boiling beneath the surface, but the way his nose tightened, the errant twitch of the corner of his lips … was it anger, or contempt? Disgust?
The Jedi Master knew that he would have more to work with.
” Will you two be the only representatives for these discussions?”
” These are merely preliminaries, Master Jedi. More should be joining us shortly. I am merely trying to convince my esteemed colleague that House Reena should abandon any claims it has to Mecetti worlds, or this call for peace will only be a single, wailing flute rather than a resounding chorus.”
” And I was trying to impress upon the Marquess that such worlds were given up by House Reena to secure an allegiance with the Mecetti in ages past. Before they nearly plunged the entire star cluster into tyranny. We’ve no reason or justification to return those worlds just so we can face a stronger force from Obuliette in the future”
” High Lord Arach would not be the one to break the treaty. I think your own hostility towards my esteemed House deserves a look or two as to a possible cassus belli.”
” Gentlemen, please; the war is over. I doubt either of you want to carry it on much further.”
Both looked towards Jago, whom had approached the table and ushered Count Faber to take his seat opposite Marquess O’Connaill. The young man nodded gently towards Dav, who silently encouraged his friend to continue.
In the back of his mind, however, Dav gave one ear towards the current conversation, and the other seemingly to the air. Something was … happening. Something. He could feel it.
” I understand there’s bad blood between the two of you, but you’re not here as yourself. Korvas, you represent the entirety of House Reena; likewise, Morgan, your words carry the weight of Mecetti all the way from Obuliette. Your High Lords expected both of you to come to some sort of agreement today. Are neither of you of the chivalrous mindset to do so? Or are your personal disputes now more important than the honor and privilege of your House?”
There was a moment of silence as the idea was considered. Interestingly enough (to Jago), it was Morgan who spoke first.
” House Mecetti would only like the safekeeping of her people in these troubled times. High Lord Arach will want a military presence within the disputed sector. To ensure that her citizens are not being mistreated.”
” You’d place warships nearby and expect our efforts to feel safe? What of our mining companies seeking to rebuild these worlds? Would their efforts merely be taken when they were done?”
” Then perhaps we should govern together. House Reena and Mecetti were once allies, after all. Would it be out of line to have both of us place Planetary Defenses within the Disputed Sector? Mecetti will even help contribute to your precious ‘mining companies’ in the reconstruction efforts, but only if they are not in turn flooded with only workers and managers from Reena.”
Faber seemed to consider this, to ponder if there was a trap in here somewhere. He was interrupted, though, as Morgan turned towards the door with a smile.
” Footsteps. Ah, the rest of the Lords must be arriving now. I’m sure they could help us settle this miniscule detail.”
The Jedi, too, heard the muffled steps. They did not take solace in them, however: they sounded rushed. Heavy.
Someone was running.
Morgan’s grin dropped when a Mecetti Guard threw the doors open to the chamber, shock and horror still upon his face from whatever sight he had borne witness.
” My Lords, Master Jedi! We must leave, immediately!”
” What is this!? Why?”
” Calm yourself,” Dav asked of the young soldier, stepping swiftly towards him and laying a hand on his shoulder.
He could already smell it on him. That coppery, heady scent.
” The High Lord of Pelagia has been killed! Shot dead on the streets! The High Lady and several others are wounded, we must get the rest of the Lords to safety within the basement.”
” Go. Take the Lords and go, quickly now.”
Whatever it was about the way the Jedi inflected those words, it seemed to calm the panicked Guard down immediately. As if the world had its clarity restored in seconds.
” Right away.”
” Jago?”
” Already with you.”
The two Jedi did not turn back, leaving the dumbstruck nobles as more guards, both Pelagian and Mecetti, rushed into the Council Chambers, more nobility behind their secure phalanx. They hurried away from danger as quickly as they could.
Dav and Jago rushed towards it, with all haste.
-
Dav Man'Sell
- Jedi Battlemaster
- Posts: 342
- Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 12:18 am
Re: Deux Ans Après - An Untold Tale
The scene that greeted them beyond the great doors at the front of the Council Hall was manic, a cacophony of noise, the cries of panic, drowning out everything. Security guards and military men crowded around a group of extremely wealthy looking, prestigiously dressed individuals, a number of which were collapsed to the floor, sporting darkened patches thick with blood that flowed from large wounds. One lay definitively dead, the back of his head open to the sky, a wound large enough to leave no uncertainty that the brain within was thoroughly destroyed. A pool of crimson surrounded the head, a stream of splatter extending many meters up the staircase.
As Dav and Jago cleared the hall, bounding down the steps towards the gathered crowds at their base, Dav's eyes were already drinking in information, categorising the drama unfolding before them and bringing order to the chaos, turning a mess of sensory inputs into facts and possibilities.
Dead man - the High Lord of Pelagia, presumably - shot in back of head. That's the entry wound, so the front is going to be even messier. None of the wounds are cauterised. People still bleeding, bleeding a lot.
Slugthrower. Large calibre.
They were a third of the way down the steps now, Jago barely a pace behind the taller Master. Both Jedi had their Lightsabers in hand. Dav's eyes lifted to the crowd, the security forces of each of the houses, and their reactions.
The injured means that they can't move, so they're setting up a perimeter, waiting for incoming support vehicles that could transport the injured away.
They've got no focus on a direction of fire. They don't know where the shots came from. Surprise attack. Long range.
Sniper?
The two Jedi Masters were now reaching the bottom steps. As they bounded past the definitively dead High Lord, Dav turned, focusing his attentions on the dead man. A quick glance gave him a good estimate of the man's height. The blood splatter and positioning told Dav that the man had been carried a meter or so forward from where he had been standing when the slug impacted.
And about a meter up the staircase from where the man lay, surrounded by splattered blood, on the face of one of the steps facing away from the hall...
Impact point.
The taller Jedi Master turned as he reached the bottom of the staircase, his run coming to a stop near the dead High Lord's feet. He was aware of Jago throwing him a glance as he ran past where Dav had stopped, but the White Haired Jedi continued his own movement, moving into the crowd, allowing Dav his moment of analysis.
Dav's head turned. The bullet hole in the step. Gaze passing through where the shot had hit the man. Sweeping up, an approximate path. He looked back at the impact point, repeating the process.
A building caught his gaze.
Around seven hundred meters. Facing directly on to the square before the Council Hall. Wide flat roof. High up windows. Sniper. Either on the roof or on the top floor, right hand side.
He opened up his senses to the Force, drawing it in around him, his intention to enhance his eyesight, to see if he could spot the attacker.
His danger sense blared before he got the chance.
Move!
He twisted, whipping his head around and away from where it was. There was a high-pitched whistle, and a momentary flicker of heat that he felt on his cheek, and somewhere behind him, the sound of a projectile blowing another chunk out of the steps. His twist continued, drawing his body away, and another bullet pounded into stone, a round that would have blown a hole in his chest. In the moment after that, his Lightsaber leapt to life, its verdant blade springing forth with a snap-hiss. He turned his twist into a spin, taking three long strides, and snapped his gaze and his blade up in the direction of the building.
Top floor, forth window from the right.
No more rounds whistled past, and he took the moment's respite to his advantage, breaking into a hard-run, diagonally to the incoming line of fire.
"Dav?”
"Sniper high! Get these people moving!"
He was moving too fast to catch Jago's response, but was dimly aware of his friend's resolve strengthening, Jago's voice shouting to the others around them. At last, one of the repulsor vehicles coming to the injured's aid rounded the corner, a long, heavy looking armoured speeder, sweeping in from a side street. Dav leapt, landing atop the speeder, leapt again, the Force granting him height and distance enough to find the roof of a low building to the right of the square. He sprinted the full length, cutting left around a steam-vent, and leaping again to traverse the gap to the next building. His left hand came to the back of his waist, grasping onto his grappling launcher. The next building was lower, meaning his jump carried him further onto its roof. He landed, rolled, came up sprinting, Lightsaber blazing and buzzing loudly at his side. His eyes scanned the path ahead, confirming what he had expected. He calculated his best path to his destination.
Wondered why no other bullets had come his way.
He's moving. Retreating. It's what I'd do if I saw... well, me closing in.
Faster, must go faster.
The next gap was larger, and the building opposite far taller. He launched himself, whipping his left hand around; the grappling launcher fired, it's point digging into the building opposite just slightly lower than the lip of the roof, and his feet came up to catch his weight against the wall opposite as his leap turned into a swing. He hung from the line, just for a second, lifting his waist high enough to clip the grapple to his belt, and then, hitting the retract switch, begun walking up the wall in long, purposeful strides. He scaled the side of the building quickly, deactivating and reattaching his lightsaber to his belt as he went, and leaning in to the line as it shortened the last few meters. With a kick, he vaulted up the building further, his left hand detaching the grapple, his right hand grabbing the lip of the roof and propelling himself over the edge and onto the roof. He crouched for a moment, broke into another sprint - the long building would be his last roof-run, his destination was in sight.
The Lightsaber returned to his hand. He tapped into the Force, feeling his speed surpass anything any normal mortal could attain. The end of the building was a matter of a few strides away. His path turned, aiming for the corner of the building he was on, so as he could pass directly through the very window that the sniper attacked from.
He leapt.
The space between this last building and the window was vast, but the immense speed that the Force had granted him propelled him rapidly and easily across the space. The glass shattered upon his impact with it, scattering razor sharp fragment across the room. The Jedi Master came to a landing inside of the room, Lightsaber igniting as he did so, and he snapped upright to standing, turning to put the whole room before him.
An empty room.
Whoever had fired those shots had gone.
As Dav and Jago cleared the hall, bounding down the steps towards the gathered crowds at their base, Dav's eyes were already drinking in information, categorising the drama unfolding before them and bringing order to the chaos, turning a mess of sensory inputs into facts and possibilities.
Dead man - the High Lord of Pelagia, presumably - shot in back of head. That's the entry wound, so the front is going to be even messier. None of the wounds are cauterised. People still bleeding, bleeding a lot.
Slugthrower. Large calibre.
They were a third of the way down the steps now, Jago barely a pace behind the taller Master. Both Jedi had their Lightsabers in hand. Dav's eyes lifted to the crowd, the security forces of each of the houses, and their reactions.
The injured means that they can't move, so they're setting up a perimeter, waiting for incoming support vehicles that could transport the injured away.
They've got no focus on a direction of fire. They don't know where the shots came from. Surprise attack. Long range.
Sniper?
The two Jedi Masters were now reaching the bottom steps. As they bounded past the definitively dead High Lord, Dav turned, focusing his attentions on the dead man. A quick glance gave him a good estimate of the man's height. The blood splatter and positioning told Dav that the man had been carried a meter or so forward from where he had been standing when the slug impacted.
And about a meter up the staircase from where the man lay, surrounded by splattered blood, on the face of one of the steps facing away from the hall...
Impact point.
The taller Jedi Master turned as he reached the bottom of the staircase, his run coming to a stop near the dead High Lord's feet. He was aware of Jago throwing him a glance as he ran past where Dav had stopped, but the White Haired Jedi continued his own movement, moving into the crowd, allowing Dav his moment of analysis.
Dav's head turned. The bullet hole in the step. Gaze passing through where the shot had hit the man. Sweeping up, an approximate path. He looked back at the impact point, repeating the process.
A building caught his gaze.
Around seven hundred meters. Facing directly on to the square before the Council Hall. Wide flat roof. High up windows. Sniper. Either on the roof or on the top floor, right hand side.
He opened up his senses to the Force, drawing it in around him, his intention to enhance his eyesight, to see if he could spot the attacker.
His danger sense blared before he got the chance.
Move!
He twisted, whipping his head around and away from where it was. There was a high-pitched whistle, and a momentary flicker of heat that he felt on his cheek, and somewhere behind him, the sound of a projectile blowing another chunk out of the steps. His twist continued, drawing his body away, and another bullet pounded into stone, a round that would have blown a hole in his chest. In the moment after that, his Lightsaber leapt to life, its verdant blade springing forth with a snap-hiss. He turned his twist into a spin, taking three long strides, and snapped his gaze and his blade up in the direction of the building.
Top floor, forth window from the right.
No more rounds whistled past, and he took the moment's respite to his advantage, breaking into a hard-run, diagonally to the incoming line of fire.
"Dav?”
"Sniper high! Get these people moving!"
He was moving too fast to catch Jago's response, but was dimly aware of his friend's resolve strengthening, Jago's voice shouting to the others around them. At last, one of the repulsor vehicles coming to the injured's aid rounded the corner, a long, heavy looking armoured speeder, sweeping in from a side street. Dav leapt, landing atop the speeder, leapt again, the Force granting him height and distance enough to find the roof of a low building to the right of the square. He sprinted the full length, cutting left around a steam-vent, and leaping again to traverse the gap to the next building. His left hand came to the back of his waist, grasping onto his grappling launcher. The next building was lower, meaning his jump carried him further onto its roof. He landed, rolled, came up sprinting, Lightsaber blazing and buzzing loudly at his side. His eyes scanned the path ahead, confirming what he had expected. He calculated his best path to his destination.
Wondered why no other bullets had come his way.
He's moving. Retreating. It's what I'd do if I saw... well, me closing in.
Faster, must go faster.
The next gap was larger, and the building opposite far taller. He launched himself, whipping his left hand around; the grappling launcher fired, it's point digging into the building opposite just slightly lower than the lip of the roof, and his feet came up to catch his weight against the wall opposite as his leap turned into a swing. He hung from the line, just for a second, lifting his waist high enough to clip the grapple to his belt, and then, hitting the retract switch, begun walking up the wall in long, purposeful strides. He scaled the side of the building quickly, deactivating and reattaching his lightsaber to his belt as he went, and leaning in to the line as it shortened the last few meters. With a kick, he vaulted up the building further, his left hand detaching the grapple, his right hand grabbing the lip of the roof and propelling himself over the edge and onto the roof. He crouched for a moment, broke into another sprint - the long building would be his last roof-run, his destination was in sight.
The Lightsaber returned to his hand. He tapped into the Force, feeling his speed surpass anything any normal mortal could attain. The end of the building was a matter of a few strides away. His path turned, aiming for the corner of the building he was on, so as he could pass directly through the very window that the sniper attacked from.
He leapt.
The space between this last building and the window was vast, but the immense speed that the Force had granted him propelled him rapidly and easily across the space. The glass shattered upon his impact with it, scattering razor sharp fragment across the room. The Jedi Master came to a landing inside of the room, Lightsaber igniting as he did so, and he snapped upright to standing, turning to put the whole room before him.
An empty room.
Whoever had fired those shots had gone.
Re: Deux Ans Après - An Untold Tale
~ The scene was pure chaos.
Lady Pelagia was wailing above the din, crying out in torment for her slain husband even as other members of the House were desperately trying to get her into the one evac vehicle that had shown up. To Jago's horror (but not quite surprise), he noticed that the Lords and Ladies were being loaded into the armored transport, not necessarily those that had been shot.
He bit back a wave of righteous fury and did his damn job.
Sirens in the distance indicated more vehicles coming. Good. A medical shuttle would be a blessing right now, but he'd take anything he could get. A small bump against his leg caused him to briefly check down and see the red dome of R2-D30, Dav's loyal, mechanical friend. His droidspeak was heavily accented but Jago was able to separate the 1s from the 0s well enough.
" Yes, Dirty, I need you to ..."
He scanned around their position. The bridges leading towards their tower were being sealed off. A good security measure, but it would stop emergency speeders from getting anywhere near them. Acute ears picked up the sirens, and his senses expanded. He followed the thread of sound through the air, allowing The Force to touch across the vibrating currents to give him a better idea of their distance, and where they would likely approach from.
" Broadcast on Critical Band Three-Seven-Gamma-Two-Rho, Royal security frequency clearance Delta-One, Kappa-Four, Sigma-Seven: Clear the Northwest and Western Bridges for incoming medical speeders, have security shift their attention towards Dav's last heading and begin a sweep of that district."
A thoughtful pause.
" And track the armored carrier they're using to get the Lords out, but do it quietly, neh?"
If the little astromech could salute, Jago assumed he would have as he locked in place and raised a small antenna, sending out the orders of the Jedi.
When he fully devoted his attention to the rest of the panic, Jago was at least relieved to see that medkits were being deployed as quickly as possible to stem the damage. One was particularly injured: damage to the arm, from what he could see. Jago fought his way through the guards, flashing his saber hilt where necessary in place of any sort of badge, until he came up to the person's side.
" Oh no."
It was cain. Marquess O'Connaill's son. One of the shots must have clipped him, but even such a glancing blow had removed a large chunk of flesh. The guards were having a hard time abating the bleeding.
" Move, move! Out of the way," he demanded, shoving through as necessary and only leaving the one Mercetti soldier who was keeping pressure on the 20-something's shoulder to try and cut off the blood flow.
In a flash, Jago's lightsaber was lit, the guard watching him carefully. Cautiously. Cain was going into shock, and couldn't focus on the Jedi at all.
" It's okay, it's okay - I've got you, kid. You're not dying today."
The sage blade flickered and crackled, a lightning bolt frozen in time. The guard continued to widen her eyes as Jago moved its tip carefully towards the boy's injury, but the Master paid her no mind.
" It's safe, I assure you."
Energy touched flesh, producing a sharp, burning stench and a jerk from Cain. The saber was immediately sheathed, Jago placing a hand on the trooper's shoulder.
" Get his legs elevated, keep him warm. He's going to lose the arm. Medivac is sweeping in towards your left, be ready to move him."
He stood and went on without waiting for the reply.
Clearly the shooter didn't care what they hit. Morgan's kid is going to be prominent in House Mecetti some day.
Was he just a victim of wild fire? Or was someone targeting both Pelagia and Mecetti?
Ambulances arrived at just the last second. The scene started to calm as no more shots rang out, and the dying were finally transferred under the care of those that could reverse the process rather than just stabilize. As Jago oversaw the stricken loaded into the vehicles, he saw that his theory panned out a bit.
Pelagia and Mecetti. They both suffered. Mecetti didn't have anyone killed outright, however, just injuries. The High Lord of Pelagia is dead, as is two of his Royal Knights. More injured.
He didn't have much time to truly ponder this further, though, as shouting had now broken out. His eyes sharply focused in on a group of assorted guards screaming into each others' faces.
" Mecetti DEVILRY! You hounds can't be trusted!"
" The Marquess' own son lies in critical condition, you motherless cur! How can you possibly blame us!"
" You'd murder your own if it meant finally moving off of that backwater, Obuliette! Devilry! Trickery! Murderers!"
" Silence your knavish tongue, lest I offer it to my hawkbats!"
Suddenly, the blade-less hilts of the Pelagian and Mecetti sentries came out and sprang to life in a rainbow of colors, both sides splitting down the middle and staring one another down, ready to both give and receive the first blow.
Jago threw himself between them, keeping his own weapon at his hip.
" Stop this madness! Pelagia and Mecetti alike were struck today! The blood is barely cool on the ground and already you're prepared to shed more!?"
" They never wanted peace!"
" They lured us here! We come in good faith that they may pin this horror upon us! Slander!"
" Lies! Murderers! Traitors!"
" To Arms!"
" ENOUGH!"
The surrounding skirmish was thrown to the floor with the thunder of Jago's voice. A blast of pure energy swept away from him in a strong, but ultimately cautionary push, knocking the two groups further apart and accentuating that he was not some Tapani Baron that they could just shout over. All around him, the glares continued, but instead of being focused on House forces they now all centered upon the Jedi.
That's a little better.
" A High Lord is dead. Many others are injured. This is a grave development and you will treat it as such, unless the Great Houses now employ squabbling children to protect them."
He did not give them the satisfaction of any opportunity to retort.
" You will sheathe your weapons. You will behave like the upstanding men and women of Tapani birth. You will continue to secure this area, and you will stay behind until I release you so that we can protect this city."
He turned around slowly, this Jedi. Laying his azure eyes into the assembled crowd, slapping them with that gaze to make sure he had their full, undivided attention. That they understood that if ever they wanted a fight, it was him it would be with, and there would be no winning.
" This is tragedy enough. Do not add to it. Separate yourselves and expand the perimeter to the closest, adjacent districts. Contact your superiors upon discovery of anything - do not involve yourselves directly. If anyone actually saw the assassin, now is the time to come forward."
No movement.
The Jedi uncurled his clenched fist.
" Very well. Keep your pride in check and remember that honor comes before it. Do not disgrace your Houses' wish for peace. We will catch this killer and get to the bottom of this, I assure you."
He waved them off and watched, with no satisfaction in his heart, as his words were heeded and the long job ahead commenced.
Finally, he allowed himself to sigh a heavy breath. A small touch to his ear activated his Comm.
:: Dav ol' buddy, you read me? I've got two groups of soldiers ready to tear eachother to pieces over this. Two dead, other than the High Lord, looked like bodyguards, high up on the totem pole. About a half-dozen or so more injured, bad. Looks indiscriminatory, but ... I can't be sure. Funny feeling about it. Please tell me you have better news. :: ~
Lady Pelagia was wailing above the din, crying out in torment for her slain husband even as other members of the House were desperately trying to get her into the one evac vehicle that had shown up. To Jago's horror (but not quite surprise), he noticed that the Lords and Ladies were being loaded into the armored transport, not necessarily those that had been shot.
He bit back a wave of righteous fury and did his damn job.
Sirens in the distance indicated more vehicles coming. Good. A medical shuttle would be a blessing right now, but he'd take anything he could get. A small bump against his leg caused him to briefly check down and see the red dome of R2-D30, Dav's loyal, mechanical friend. His droidspeak was heavily accented but Jago was able to separate the 1s from the 0s well enough.
" Yes, Dirty, I need you to ..."
He scanned around their position. The bridges leading towards their tower were being sealed off. A good security measure, but it would stop emergency speeders from getting anywhere near them. Acute ears picked up the sirens, and his senses expanded. He followed the thread of sound through the air, allowing The Force to touch across the vibrating currents to give him a better idea of their distance, and where they would likely approach from.
" Broadcast on Critical Band Three-Seven-Gamma-Two-Rho, Royal security frequency clearance Delta-One, Kappa-Four, Sigma-Seven: Clear the Northwest and Western Bridges for incoming medical speeders, have security shift their attention towards Dav's last heading and begin a sweep of that district."
A thoughtful pause.
" And track the armored carrier they're using to get the Lords out, but do it quietly, neh?"
If the little astromech could salute, Jago assumed he would have as he locked in place and raised a small antenna, sending out the orders of the Jedi.
When he fully devoted his attention to the rest of the panic, Jago was at least relieved to see that medkits were being deployed as quickly as possible to stem the damage. One was particularly injured: damage to the arm, from what he could see. Jago fought his way through the guards, flashing his saber hilt where necessary in place of any sort of badge, until he came up to the person's side.
" Oh no."
It was cain. Marquess O'Connaill's son. One of the shots must have clipped him, but even such a glancing blow had removed a large chunk of flesh. The guards were having a hard time abating the bleeding.
" Move, move! Out of the way," he demanded, shoving through as necessary and only leaving the one Mercetti soldier who was keeping pressure on the 20-something's shoulder to try and cut off the blood flow.
In a flash, Jago's lightsaber was lit, the guard watching him carefully. Cautiously. Cain was going into shock, and couldn't focus on the Jedi at all.
" It's okay, it's okay - I've got you, kid. You're not dying today."
The sage blade flickered and crackled, a lightning bolt frozen in time. The guard continued to widen her eyes as Jago moved its tip carefully towards the boy's injury, but the Master paid her no mind.
" It's safe, I assure you."
Energy touched flesh, producing a sharp, burning stench and a jerk from Cain. The saber was immediately sheathed, Jago placing a hand on the trooper's shoulder.
" Get his legs elevated, keep him warm. He's going to lose the arm. Medivac is sweeping in towards your left, be ready to move him."
He stood and went on without waiting for the reply.
Clearly the shooter didn't care what they hit. Morgan's kid is going to be prominent in House Mecetti some day.
Was he just a victim of wild fire? Or was someone targeting both Pelagia and Mecetti?
Ambulances arrived at just the last second. The scene started to calm as no more shots rang out, and the dying were finally transferred under the care of those that could reverse the process rather than just stabilize. As Jago oversaw the stricken loaded into the vehicles, he saw that his theory panned out a bit.
Pelagia and Mecetti. They both suffered. Mecetti didn't have anyone killed outright, however, just injuries. The High Lord of Pelagia is dead, as is two of his Royal Knights. More injured.
He didn't have much time to truly ponder this further, though, as shouting had now broken out. His eyes sharply focused in on a group of assorted guards screaming into each others' faces.
" Mecetti DEVILRY! You hounds can't be trusted!"
" The Marquess' own son lies in critical condition, you motherless cur! How can you possibly blame us!"
" You'd murder your own if it meant finally moving off of that backwater, Obuliette! Devilry! Trickery! Murderers!"
" Silence your knavish tongue, lest I offer it to my hawkbats!"
Suddenly, the blade-less hilts of the Pelagian and Mecetti sentries came out and sprang to life in a rainbow of colors, both sides splitting down the middle and staring one another down, ready to both give and receive the first blow.
Jago threw himself between them, keeping his own weapon at his hip.
" Stop this madness! Pelagia and Mecetti alike were struck today! The blood is barely cool on the ground and already you're prepared to shed more!?"
" They never wanted peace!"
" They lured us here! We come in good faith that they may pin this horror upon us! Slander!"
" Lies! Murderers! Traitors!"
" To Arms!"
" ENOUGH!"
The surrounding skirmish was thrown to the floor with the thunder of Jago's voice. A blast of pure energy swept away from him in a strong, but ultimately cautionary push, knocking the two groups further apart and accentuating that he was not some Tapani Baron that they could just shout over. All around him, the glares continued, but instead of being focused on House forces they now all centered upon the Jedi.
That's a little better.
" A High Lord is dead. Many others are injured. This is a grave development and you will treat it as such, unless the Great Houses now employ squabbling children to protect them."
He did not give them the satisfaction of any opportunity to retort.
" You will sheathe your weapons. You will behave like the upstanding men and women of Tapani birth. You will continue to secure this area, and you will stay behind until I release you so that we can protect this city."
He turned around slowly, this Jedi. Laying his azure eyes into the assembled crowd, slapping them with that gaze to make sure he had their full, undivided attention. That they understood that if ever they wanted a fight, it was him it would be with, and there would be no winning.
" This is tragedy enough. Do not add to it. Separate yourselves and expand the perimeter to the closest, adjacent districts. Contact your superiors upon discovery of anything - do not involve yourselves directly. If anyone actually saw the assassin, now is the time to come forward."
No movement.
The Jedi uncurled his clenched fist.
" Very well. Keep your pride in check and remember that honor comes before it. Do not disgrace your Houses' wish for peace. We will catch this killer and get to the bottom of this, I assure you."
He waved them off and watched, with no satisfaction in his heart, as his words were heeded and the long job ahead commenced.
Finally, he allowed himself to sigh a heavy breath. A small touch to his ear activated his Comm.
:: Dav ol' buddy, you read me? I've got two groups of soldiers ready to tear eachother to pieces over this. Two dead, other than the High Lord, looked like bodyguards, high up on the totem pole. About a half-dozen or so more injured, bad. Looks indiscriminatory, but ... I can't be sure. Funny feeling about it. Please tell me you have better news. :: ~
-
Dav Man'Sell
- Jedi Battlemaster
- Posts: 342
- Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 12:18 am
Re: Deux Ans Après - An Untold Tale
~ Jago could only scowl further as Dav relayed the insights of his own investigation. Apparently, the grimace was enough to make those approaching him turn away.
A dead end. At every turn, it seemed.
Will there ever be a day when the bad guys are actually open about how scummy they are, like in the holofilms?
He shook off the feeling: They had done what they could, for now, and the Jedi’s work was certainly not concluded. Jago knew they were going to be staying within Tapani Space for some time, now: he would not let what he and Ksandra went through last time be undone.
His mind flickered briefly towards that memory. Pondering. It had been almost a year since she had left. Was she okay, out there?
Well of course she was. If not, he would have heard about it, certainly.
Then again, he had not heard of all Lita had went through until it was far too late. And she had left again, too – Gone to places he did not know where, all because of what he had told her.
Not now, Pulastra: figure your love life out on your own time. People need you.
The area around the Hall was calmer, now. Emergency Speeders had carried away the injured and dead, and regular patrols were expanding out from the epicenter. It probably wouldn’t help, but Jago did direct several towards where Dav had found the murder weapon, and had called in the assistance of a forensics team to see what they could uncover in that building that Dav could not with his heightened senses.
The last to be loaded was Cain O’Connaill. Funny, that, Jago mused – The boy was the heir to one of the more powerful families for House Mecetti. Did the medics deem his injury nowhere near as severe as some of the others, to be loaded so late? He was about to go over to inquire about this when a rough arm tugged him around by his verdant jacket.
” This is all your fault!”
So unfocused was Jago that he didn’t even raise an arm to deflect the fist crashing into his cheekbone. It sent him reeling, triggering a surge of adrenaline that left him grappling with Morgan while a small crowd sprinted over to break them up.
” I saved your son’s life, Marquess! Weren’t for me, he’d be bled out on the karking streets!”
Jago roughly shoved the nobleman back away from him, the strength enough to send Morgan to the stone ground. The man glared dark eyes up at the Jedi, which only caused the Yavinite to shake his head and move closer, offering a hand.
” Marquess. Morgan. Your son is alive. And I am not your enemy – I’m here to fix this.”
The Mecetti liege batted Jago’s physical and verbal offer away, shooting himself upright and patting down his cloak to get the dirt off. He afforded the Jedi nothing in the way of calmness.
” You started this two years ago, Jedi. If you and your little winged schutta had just stayed away, none of this would have happened. The O’Connaill family is in ruins financially, and now my boy … My Cain …”
Ruins? Mecetti may have lost the war, but to admit in public that his Family is going bankrupt ..?
That was something new. Wasn’t like the Tapani to notate their weaknesses.
Maybe Morgan was just overemotional? That certainly was not how he remembered the man.
” Then go with him – He’s being loaded up now and I assure you, he will live. He’ll need a prosthetic, but I’m sure he can count himself lucky in that regard.”
” Do not patronize me, Jedi. Cain wouldn’t have needed anything had you let Tapani business be Tapani business.”
Jago threw up his hands and turned his back to the Noble, ignoring the sudden outburst on how disrespectful it was that he did such a thing. He didn’t quite care – The teen was alive and Jago had more important things to do than get into an argument with someone who blamed him for the entire atrocity.
Although …
No. We stopped a war. We did not cause this.
His thoughts were again broken as Dirty came up to the White-Haired Wonder, warbling and chirping excitedly with his dome spinning back and forth. He made a circle around Jago, clearly insistent that the human pay attention.
” Woah, woah, slow down buddy – They took them where?”
The little ‘droid let out a low-toned beep, the equivalent of an exasperated sigh, and then continued again, this time making each intonation slowly and precisely. Jago could have sworn the astromech was talking down to him.
” They took the injured to the local Pelagia Manor? All of the injured?”
A few more whistles and hoots, this time a bit more worried-sounding.
” Just the ones on that tracked speeder, than. The important folks.”
Curiouser and Curiouser.
While it was no doubt that one of the Great House Manors would have the best medical staff and tech onsite, it was certainly strange that they had gathered some of the more important folks, like the Mecetti heads and Her Lady Pelagia, together under one roof.
” So soon after an attack like this, that doesn’t seem right, now does it?”
Dirty tweeted twice to agree with Dav’s friend, and Jago was already off into the crowd.
” Keep tracking that signal – I’m going to borrow a speeder, tell Dav to meet me at the North Bridge here. See if you can’t get some sort of signal from that Manor, too – audio, visual, biometrics, anything.”
Would it be proper procedure to put them all together? Makes them easier to protect, I guess, but doesn’t it also make them easier to find? ~
A dead end. At every turn, it seemed.
Will there ever be a day when the bad guys are actually open about how scummy they are, like in the holofilms?
He shook off the feeling: They had done what they could, for now, and the Jedi’s work was certainly not concluded. Jago knew they were going to be staying within Tapani Space for some time, now: he would not let what he and Ksandra went through last time be undone.
His mind flickered briefly towards that memory. Pondering. It had been almost a year since she had left. Was she okay, out there?
Well of course she was. If not, he would have heard about it, certainly.
Then again, he had not heard of all Lita had went through until it was far too late. And she had left again, too – Gone to places he did not know where, all because of what he had told her.
Not now, Pulastra: figure your love life out on your own time. People need you.
The area around the Hall was calmer, now. Emergency Speeders had carried away the injured and dead, and regular patrols were expanding out from the epicenter. It probably wouldn’t help, but Jago did direct several towards where Dav had found the murder weapon, and had called in the assistance of a forensics team to see what they could uncover in that building that Dav could not with his heightened senses.
The last to be loaded was Cain O’Connaill. Funny, that, Jago mused – The boy was the heir to one of the more powerful families for House Mecetti. Did the medics deem his injury nowhere near as severe as some of the others, to be loaded so late? He was about to go over to inquire about this when a rough arm tugged him around by his verdant jacket.
” This is all your fault!”
So unfocused was Jago that he didn’t even raise an arm to deflect the fist crashing into his cheekbone. It sent him reeling, triggering a surge of adrenaline that left him grappling with Morgan while a small crowd sprinted over to break them up.
” I saved your son’s life, Marquess! Weren’t for me, he’d be bled out on the karking streets!”
Jago roughly shoved the nobleman back away from him, the strength enough to send Morgan to the stone ground. The man glared dark eyes up at the Jedi, which only caused the Yavinite to shake his head and move closer, offering a hand.
” Marquess. Morgan. Your son is alive. And I am not your enemy – I’m here to fix this.”
The Mecetti liege batted Jago’s physical and verbal offer away, shooting himself upright and patting down his cloak to get the dirt off. He afforded the Jedi nothing in the way of calmness.
” You started this two years ago, Jedi. If you and your little winged schutta had just stayed away, none of this would have happened. The O’Connaill family is in ruins financially, and now my boy … My Cain …”
Ruins? Mecetti may have lost the war, but to admit in public that his Family is going bankrupt ..?
That was something new. Wasn’t like the Tapani to notate their weaknesses.
Maybe Morgan was just overemotional? That certainly was not how he remembered the man.
” Then go with him – He’s being loaded up now and I assure you, he will live. He’ll need a prosthetic, but I’m sure he can count himself lucky in that regard.”
” Do not patronize me, Jedi. Cain wouldn’t have needed anything had you let Tapani business be Tapani business.”
Jago threw up his hands and turned his back to the Noble, ignoring the sudden outburst on how disrespectful it was that he did such a thing. He didn’t quite care – The teen was alive and Jago had more important things to do than get into an argument with someone who blamed him for the entire atrocity.
Although …
No. We stopped a war. We did not cause this.
His thoughts were again broken as Dirty came up to the White-Haired Wonder, warbling and chirping excitedly with his dome spinning back and forth. He made a circle around Jago, clearly insistent that the human pay attention.
” Woah, woah, slow down buddy – They took them where?”
The little ‘droid let out a low-toned beep, the equivalent of an exasperated sigh, and then continued again, this time making each intonation slowly and precisely. Jago could have sworn the astromech was talking down to him.
” They took the injured to the local Pelagia Manor? All of the injured?”
A few more whistles and hoots, this time a bit more worried-sounding.
” Just the ones on that tracked speeder, than. The important folks.”
Curiouser and Curiouser.
While it was no doubt that one of the Great House Manors would have the best medical staff and tech onsite, it was certainly strange that they had gathered some of the more important folks, like the Mecetti heads and Her Lady Pelagia, together under one roof.
” So soon after an attack like this, that doesn’t seem right, now does it?”
Dirty tweeted twice to agree with Dav’s friend, and Jago was already off into the crowd.
” Keep tracking that signal – I’m going to borrow a speeder, tell Dav to meet me at the North Bridge here. See if you can’t get some sort of signal from that Manor, too – audio, visual, biometrics, anything.”
Would it be proper procedure to put them all together? Makes them easier to protect, I guess, but doesn’t it also make them easier to find? ~
-
Dav Man'Sell
- Jedi Battlemaster
- Posts: 342
- Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 12:18 am
Re: Deux Ans Après - An Untold Tale
It was less than five minutes later that Dav, standing by the side of the road on the North Bridge, watched Jago pull in to the kerb before him in a chunky speeder, scuffed, in a patchy, faded lilac. Dav stepped forward without prompting, opening the door, slinging the bundled rifle into the backseat - where, lying haphazardly across two seats, Dirty was also situated - and climbed in. He shut the door, and Jago started the speeder moving wordlessly.
It was a full twenty seconds before either one of them spoke.
"Lilac?"
"I didn't exactly have a showroom to browse."
"Sure, but... lilac? Really?"
Jago, shot the elder Jedi Master a sideways glance.
"You've seen Ton recently, haven't you?"
Dav gave a small, wry smile.
"What makes you say that?"
"You two always encourage each other's sarcasm."
"And our awareness of questionable colour choices."
Jago sighed.
"It was the first one I could lay my hands on. I was going for expediency, not style."
"Well, evidently."
There was a chitter from Dirty on the backseat, a wry comment about the craft not being practical for the transportation of an Astromech droid, either.
"That, too."
Jedi Battlemaster was vaguely aware of the other Jedi shaking his head, though Dav could detect at least a little amusement in the Force. Jago had obviously decided, though, not to respond, remaining tight-lipped as he wove them around other speeders.
"What's the latest? I'm guessing we're headed somewhere important." He turned his head, watching another speeder, headed in the same direction but at a slower pace, race past. "And in a hurry."
Jago had accelerated the speeder up to high speeds, and was deftly cutting across the lanes of traffic, his azure eyes fixed on a particular exit off of the main highway. His hands moved with the assured confidence that came only with the very highest level of piloting expertise, managing to wring quicker responses, tighter turns, and higher speeds out of the boxy repulsorcraft than Dav would have thought possible.
"So, three dead including the High Lord, others injured. All the ladies and lords and people of importance, injured and otherwise, have been bundled up into speeders and transported to a nearby Manor house. A Pelagia Manor house."
"Wait, all of them? Both sides of the negotiations, at the same house? Whether injured or not?"
"As far as I can surmise."
A frown tightened on Dav's brow. He turned his head, studying the traffic around them. A pair of local security cruisers raced past in the opposite direction, headed back towards the council hall, lights strobing dramatically.
"Well, what a lovely, obvious target that paints for anyone looking to finish the job."
"Mmm, doesn't it just." Jago turned them sharply into the side street, lining up perfectly on the traffic lane, and punched the throttle up again. "Do you think they might try?"
Dav's frown deepened.
"I don't know. Maybe. But..."
There was a second of silence, Jago throwing a glance in Dav's direction for just a moment.
"But what?"
Dav gave a grimace of uncertainty.
"Well, only three dead, only one major lord, but a lot of other indiscriminate injuries, right?"
"Right."
"But then the shooter took two shots at me, in quick succession, shots that would have killed anyone who wasn't powerful in the Force. More than that, the second shot might even have been a reaction, to me ducking my head away. That kind of speed and accuracy, pairing a head shot with a heart shot? That's professional shooting. Hell, that's the kind of shooting that requires Alex Owains' skill. Plus the quality of the rifle, the cost, the specialism... This isn't likely to be an idealist nutjob. A professional hit is more likely. Someone who knew exactly what they wanted to achieve."
"So you're saying that if he'd wanted to kill anyone else, he would have? Anyone else is just collateral, not important?"
Dav shrugged.
"Maybe. Either that or he's not as good at moving targets. But I'll wager the first three hits were the three kills. Statistically speaking, that's most likely. If so, the fact that he took his second and third shots at bodyguards makes me think that he got his target with the first shot. If he'd really wanted to kill multiple people, the second and third shots would have been for the people he wanted dead, before panic set in and people scattered."
Jago whipped them through another tight turn, the kind that most people wouldn't think would be possible at the speeds they were moving at, in the vehicle they were moving in. Dirty slid across the rear seats, warbling a complaint as he extended a grasping arm to brace himself.
"So he wants the High Lord dead? Why shoot the others, if this was a professional hit?"
Dav worked his jaw, thoughtfully.
"Add to the panic? Try and disguise the intended target? I'm not sure. We're still missing something, I'm just not sure yet what that is."
"Ok, so, a professional. One thing doesn't add up, though - he left the rifle. Left it right there for you to find. If he was a pro, why would he do that? Based on what you said, he clearly wasn't panicking..."
"No, not with that stride. Definitely walking, not running."
"Right, so - Damnit, what's this guy doing?" The white-haired Jedi had been forced to apply the breaks, hard, and was now swerving to drive around a small speeder. "Some people shouldn't be given pilot licences - so why was that rifle not gone? Why just take the cartridge-catcher? Why leave you any evidence at all?"
"Well, it'd be harder to smuggle it out after the shooting, than in before. Leaving it behind would solve that problem."
"But why not at least hide it elsewhere in the building? Chuck it down a garbage chute? Slow us down at least a little bit?"
Dav lifted his chin, staring into space. Said nothing for a long moment, as he turned the facts over in his mind.
"We'd find it eventually. A pro would have to know that. Could be he was confident enough in his escape that he wasn't bothered about how soon we found it. Or maybe... maybe they wanted us to find it. To send a message. Or..."
"...or as planted evidence. Send us in the wrong direction."
"Yeah. Exactly."
Jago shook his head again, lips pressed thinly together.
"So at this stage, we've got more questions than answers. Great."
Dav gave a tight lipped smile.
"Isn't that always the way?"
They turned a final corner, and a mansion swept into sight ahead. Jago exhaled in a long sigh, slowly letting his foot off the accelerator.
"Well, here we are. Maybe we'll get a few answers in there?"
Dav said nothing. He had a feeling, though, that they'd get more than expected, but less than they might hope.
Now that really is always the way
It was a full twenty seconds before either one of them spoke.
"Lilac?"
"I didn't exactly have a showroom to browse."
"Sure, but... lilac? Really?"
Jago, shot the elder Jedi Master a sideways glance.
"You've seen Ton recently, haven't you?"
Dav gave a small, wry smile.
"What makes you say that?"
"You two always encourage each other's sarcasm."
"And our awareness of questionable colour choices."
Jago sighed.
"It was the first one I could lay my hands on. I was going for expediency, not style."
"Well, evidently."
There was a chitter from Dirty on the backseat, a wry comment about the craft not being practical for the transportation of an Astromech droid, either.
"That, too."
Jedi Battlemaster was vaguely aware of the other Jedi shaking his head, though Dav could detect at least a little amusement in the Force. Jago had obviously decided, though, not to respond, remaining tight-lipped as he wove them around other speeders.
"What's the latest? I'm guessing we're headed somewhere important." He turned his head, watching another speeder, headed in the same direction but at a slower pace, race past. "And in a hurry."
Jago had accelerated the speeder up to high speeds, and was deftly cutting across the lanes of traffic, his azure eyes fixed on a particular exit off of the main highway. His hands moved with the assured confidence that came only with the very highest level of piloting expertise, managing to wring quicker responses, tighter turns, and higher speeds out of the boxy repulsorcraft than Dav would have thought possible.
"So, three dead including the High Lord, others injured. All the ladies and lords and people of importance, injured and otherwise, have been bundled up into speeders and transported to a nearby Manor house. A Pelagia Manor house."
"Wait, all of them? Both sides of the negotiations, at the same house? Whether injured or not?"
"As far as I can surmise."
A frown tightened on Dav's brow. He turned his head, studying the traffic around them. A pair of local security cruisers raced past in the opposite direction, headed back towards the council hall, lights strobing dramatically.
"Well, what a lovely, obvious target that paints for anyone looking to finish the job."
"Mmm, doesn't it just." Jago turned them sharply into the side street, lining up perfectly on the traffic lane, and punched the throttle up again. "Do you think they might try?"
Dav's frown deepened.
"I don't know. Maybe. But..."
There was a second of silence, Jago throwing a glance in Dav's direction for just a moment.
"But what?"
Dav gave a grimace of uncertainty.
"Well, only three dead, only one major lord, but a lot of other indiscriminate injuries, right?"
"Right."
"But then the shooter took two shots at me, in quick succession, shots that would have killed anyone who wasn't powerful in the Force. More than that, the second shot might even have been a reaction, to me ducking my head away. That kind of speed and accuracy, pairing a head shot with a heart shot? That's professional shooting. Hell, that's the kind of shooting that requires Alex Owains' skill. Plus the quality of the rifle, the cost, the specialism... This isn't likely to be an idealist nutjob. A professional hit is more likely. Someone who knew exactly what they wanted to achieve."
"So you're saying that if he'd wanted to kill anyone else, he would have? Anyone else is just collateral, not important?"
Dav shrugged.
"Maybe. Either that or he's not as good at moving targets. But I'll wager the first three hits were the three kills. Statistically speaking, that's most likely. If so, the fact that he took his second and third shots at bodyguards makes me think that he got his target with the first shot. If he'd really wanted to kill multiple people, the second and third shots would have been for the people he wanted dead, before panic set in and people scattered."
Jago whipped them through another tight turn, the kind that most people wouldn't think would be possible at the speeds they were moving at, in the vehicle they were moving in. Dirty slid across the rear seats, warbling a complaint as he extended a grasping arm to brace himself.
"So he wants the High Lord dead? Why shoot the others, if this was a professional hit?"
Dav worked his jaw, thoughtfully.
"Add to the panic? Try and disguise the intended target? I'm not sure. We're still missing something, I'm just not sure yet what that is."
"Ok, so, a professional. One thing doesn't add up, though - he left the rifle. Left it right there for you to find. If he was a pro, why would he do that? Based on what you said, he clearly wasn't panicking..."
"No, not with that stride. Definitely walking, not running."
"Right, so - Damnit, what's this guy doing?" The white-haired Jedi had been forced to apply the breaks, hard, and was now swerving to drive around a small speeder. "Some people shouldn't be given pilot licences - so why was that rifle not gone? Why just take the cartridge-catcher? Why leave you any evidence at all?"
"Well, it'd be harder to smuggle it out after the shooting, than in before. Leaving it behind would solve that problem."
"But why not at least hide it elsewhere in the building? Chuck it down a garbage chute? Slow us down at least a little bit?"
Dav lifted his chin, staring into space. Said nothing for a long moment, as he turned the facts over in his mind.
"We'd find it eventually. A pro would have to know that. Could be he was confident enough in his escape that he wasn't bothered about how soon we found it. Or maybe... maybe they wanted us to find it. To send a message. Or..."
"...or as planted evidence. Send us in the wrong direction."
"Yeah. Exactly."
Jago shook his head again, lips pressed thinly together.
"So at this stage, we've got more questions than answers. Great."
Dav gave a tight lipped smile.
"Isn't that always the way?"
They turned a final corner, and a mansion swept into sight ahead. Jago exhaled in a long sigh, slowly letting his foot off the accelerator.
"Well, here we are. Maybe we'll get a few answers in there?"
Dav said nothing. He had a feeling, though, that they'd get more than expected, but less than they might hope.
Now that really is always the way
Re: Deux Ans Après - An Untold Tale
~ The Pelagian Manor was not the only home of that particular House in Estalle. It just happened to be the biggest: the residence of the now-deceased Lord Pelagia. As one of the most powerful and well-respected families in the entire Sector, it was little wonder that no expense was spared on the building.
She shone brighter than the sun itself, all polished stonework decorated with mosaics built right into the rockfaces. Gardens of rare and exotic flora filled the grounds, carefully cultivated by workers who didn't outwardly seem to care about all the traffic congregating at this mansion. The building's lines were smooth and sleek, giving off an elegance that reminded Jago almost of the lines on a Mon Calamari starship: no hard, jagged edges here, no need to invoke power and fear. Just ... quiet regency. A subtle statement of just whom it was that the two Jedi were in the presence of.
They wasted little time hopping out of the speeder, Dav grabbing the covered rifle and Jago handing off the keys and a word to a valet that came sprinting up to them. Hopefully they'd be able to return the vehicle to its rightful owner, although Pulastra was not quite sure he'd particulary want people to know he owned such a model, were it him. Dirty chatted away while the Jedi made the climb up the steps towards the main doors, the R2 unit taking the winding ramps on the sides of the staircase. The little 'droid seemed to be pleased at how the building looked, though Jago thought he was comparing it to Coruscant. Or was it Corulag? R2-D30's Binary accent was always a tad difficult for him to translate quickly. A quirk, he imagined, that Dav fostered in the 'droid.
" Nothing came back on those scanner checks, then, Red?"
The astromech replied in the negative, adding quickly that the Jedi shouldn't be identifying him by the color of his chassis.
" Hey, sorry buddy; Just figured you'd get tired of being called unlcean all the time."
" He chose the name, if you'd believe it."
" Well I do now."
The door itself was guarded, two men in the sky-blue-and-indigo uniforms of House Pelagia stepping between the Jedi Masters and the entryway. They eyed the long, concealed object in Dav's hands warily, but made no moves towards their weapons.
" Morning, Gents. Jedi Man'sell and Pulastra. I've evidence on the shooting that just occured, and we'd like to see to the safety of the House Nobles."
At the mention of the word "Jedi", their demeanor relaxed a bit but Jago still spotted that one's hand drifted towards his ear before replying. A comlink, most likely.
" Her Lady Pelagia has you two cleared. She requests that the 'droid stay outside, however."
" What? Our Artoo Unit?"
The guard could only offer an unhelpful shrug.
" Her Lady asks as such, and respectfully wishes that you three comply."
For his part, Dirty seemed to take the message well. Dav bent down low to the Astromech, whispering a few lines that not even Jago caught. When he wanted to be covert, the younger mused, Dav certainly had his ways of doing so. Even in plain sight.
" Shan't be a problem. May we come in now?"
The sentries stepped back from the door, and Jago and Dav were able to make their way inside with little more impeding them.
The scene inside the Pelagian Manor was dour, to say the least. The injured were in a secure Medbay, being looked over by some of the finest doctors in the Sector, while the rest of the families appeared to have gathered within a large common area, furnished with the highest in Estalle tastes of finery. To Jago's surprise, food was laid out in abundance, as was drink.
" You'd think they were prepping for a wedding," he mumbled under his breath.
" It's actually quite common. Corellian funerals are just one big feast, days on end. Scones and champagne are much better to talk about, after all."
It seemed ... odd, to Jago, but he trusted in Dav's word. The older had seen far more of the Galaxy, probably more than Jago had ever wanted to. Most of the assembled were talking softly, sitting in comfortable furniture and attended to by servants who barely needed to be told what was necessary; Not a glass was ever empty, not a hand not filled with a handkerchief, a plate, or some other useful trinket. Guards lined the entire room, and Jago made a special note that there was only one doorway into this particular area, with no windows leading to the outside.
Smart. Yet also very claustrophobic. Meant for defense, or meant for a trap?
" Jedi: we are honored to have you in our home."
Dav and Jago both looked towards a small gathering in the center of the room where a woman sat rigidly on a simple chair. She was tall, though not as tall as Dav, with auburn hair woven into an intricate and complex series of twirls and knots on the sides and top of her head, flowing towards the back into a full mane. She wore a simple, stately dress of rich mauve. Jago's eyes caught flecks of dark crimson still staining it, hidden beneath a small cloth that the lady kept on her lap.
She was older, yet, beautiful. Well-maintained, not a dolled-up appearance like many of the other noble ladies in the room. The lines on her facial features tried to fade away into a smile for the guests from Yavin IV, but in this one instance she could not muster up the ability to placate the Jedi. She was not okay, would not be okay, and she no longer cared to hide it.
" My Lady Pelagia," Jago greeted her, both Jedi bowing in the formal way of The Order.
" You have my condolences. I assure you, Jago and I will not let what happened today repeat itself."
" Do not make me promises you cannot keep, Master Man'sell."
Her tone was not harsh, not in the least bit, but there was a sadness to her words. The sound of a life shattered, and not in any shape concerned with putting the pieces back together.
" Our guards tell me you may have a clue as to who did this."
" I do, Your Grace," Dav confirmed, gently patting the wrapped package in his hand, " And with any assistance you can provide, I believe it may help us identify the shooter."
She nodded in reply, almost eager to get this over with as soon as could be done.
" I'll call for one of our own to escort you down to the lower levels. The Manor serves as a security station for our own, and includes a laboratory as necessary. I believe it should be adequate for your needs."
" We have the analysis, but you're not going to like it."
" That was rather fast."
" Pelagia rarely spends frivilously. Those drakes have a habit of going towards the important things."
" Like Security, I see. This is a rather impressive operation you have going on here."
Jago was inclined to agree. The lab for the Pelagian Manor was much more advanced than even some of the Seccer HQs in the Core. Droid bays, rows of computer banks, a full medbay and several gadgets and tools even the white-haired wonder didn't know the name for. Spectrometers and Centrifuges and Scanners, oh my.
" Thank you, Master Jedi. His ... His Lord Pelagia was fascinated by such things. What science and study could teach us."
Her name was Cala Leina, and one of the first Nonhumans that Jago had seen since they had landed. Pantoran, he recalled, by the yellow facial tattoos. Similar to the Mirialian culture. Her accent shone through, which was a staunch difference from the Tapani dialect, making Jago wonder just how long she had been in the service of House Pelagia to begin with.
" Well, then, Cala. What is this news we're not going to like?"
" Well, the rifle was certainly made in the Tapani Sector. Whomever the shooter was, he was very careful not to leave any markings on it. No fingerprints, and it looks like it was flashed with a low-intensity laser just prior to its discovery by Master Man'sell."
" So that would have burned away any extra fibers or genetic material."
" Yes, unfortunately."
" What about where in the Sector was it made? Do we know that?"
" Well... Yes and no."
Both Jedi raised a brow. Cala could have sworn they had planned that ahead of time. She smoothed down her lab coat and continued.
" The metal of the barrel and inner mechanisms are clearly from House Reena - they're the only known source of terenthium in the area."
" House Reena? But they're allies of Pelagia."
" Yes, but they did not make the weapon. Manufacture appears to be of Mecetti Origin. The machine marks come from tools on Obulette that were imported from Dac. Only the Mecetti have extensive trade with the Mon Calamari."
" So ... House Mecetti provided the weapon."
" Well ... Possibly. The barrel was coated in lubricants not made locally, as was the firing pin, which is also not of a design common to Tapani-made slugthrowers. They both suggest an origin of Thyferra. The scope, though it was made to look Tapani, is also not domestic: The lenses are tooled from material mostly seen in the Abregado System, as was the targeting matrix. It's what gave the weapon such accuracy at those ranges, though I'd wager it was difficult to use. The matrix appeared to be calibrated for someone with an abnormally high control of their weapon - the slightest movement seems to throw off the entire computation."
" Where in Chaos would something like that come from?
Scientist Leina pondered, rubbing the yellow marking on her otherwise-blue chin thoughtfully.
" My best assumption would be imported from along the Shapani Bypass. It cuts through House Cadriaan territory."
" Shapani ... You mean the Bacta Run?"
" Yes, House Cadriaan makes quite a tidy sum off of the trade that flows through it. If anyone was going to procure parts and tech from the Vratix and the Gados, it would be the Cadriaans.
" Whom, like Reena, are also friends of Pelagia."
" That would be correct."
There was a moment of silence as the two Jedi looked at one another. Dav worked through the details slowly, trying what he could to piece this puzzle together.
" So we have a weapon that was clearly built for this one purpose, one might even say it was specially ordered just for this assassination. And nearly every necessary step of its manufacture was provided by three different areas of Tapani Space, two of which are long-standing allies of House Pelagia?"
He shook his head, pushing off the wall and frowning tightly.
" No. Something's off here, we're missing something key. If this entire sector was embroiled in war, there's little chance of parts and materials being shipped from one enemy to another to make a weapon. It would have had to have been low key. Smuggled, or otherwise arranged in private."
" So you're saying we're not looking for a House to be complicit."
Dav nodded, finishing Jago's conclusion for him.
" We're looking for something much smaller. A group, possibly even just an individual. Someone or Someones who can move between all these factions like this to get what they want, when they want it. Question is, how are they doing so undetected, and what do they stand to gain?"
" Well, with Lord Pelagia dead, I imagine the Sector won't be stable for much longer," Cala proposed, " What if they want the war to continue?
" It won't."
Dav's dark eyes fixed on the Pantoran Scientist, flashing through with grim confidence.
" Even if that were their purpose, Jago and I are not going to allow that to pass."
Before he could get much further, however, Dav's comlink began to chirp. Jago tilted his head curiously, while the senior Jedi opened the commband. Clearly, whatever it was on the other end, Cala was allowed in on it by this point.
" Glad to see you're safe: What do you have for me?" ~
She shone brighter than the sun itself, all polished stonework decorated with mosaics built right into the rockfaces. Gardens of rare and exotic flora filled the grounds, carefully cultivated by workers who didn't outwardly seem to care about all the traffic congregating at this mansion. The building's lines were smooth and sleek, giving off an elegance that reminded Jago almost of the lines on a Mon Calamari starship: no hard, jagged edges here, no need to invoke power and fear. Just ... quiet regency. A subtle statement of just whom it was that the two Jedi were in the presence of.
They wasted little time hopping out of the speeder, Dav grabbing the covered rifle and Jago handing off the keys and a word to a valet that came sprinting up to them. Hopefully they'd be able to return the vehicle to its rightful owner, although Pulastra was not quite sure he'd particulary want people to know he owned such a model, were it him. Dirty chatted away while the Jedi made the climb up the steps towards the main doors, the R2 unit taking the winding ramps on the sides of the staircase. The little 'droid seemed to be pleased at how the building looked, though Jago thought he was comparing it to Coruscant. Or was it Corulag? R2-D30's Binary accent was always a tad difficult for him to translate quickly. A quirk, he imagined, that Dav fostered in the 'droid.
" Nothing came back on those scanner checks, then, Red?"
The astromech replied in the negative, adding quickly that the Jedi shouldn't be identifying him by the color of his chassis.
" Hey, sorry buddy; Just figured you'd get tired of being called unlcean all the time."
" He chose the name, if you'd believe it."
" Well I do now."
The door itself was guarded, two men in the sky-blue-and-indigo uniforms of House Pelagia stepping between the Jedi Masters and the entryway. They eyed the long, concealed object in Dav's hands warily, but made no moves towards their weapons.
" Morning, Gents. Jedi Man'sell and Pulastra. I've evidence on the shooting that just occured, and we'd like to see to the safety of the House Nobles."
At the mention of the word "Jedi", their demeanor relaxed a bit but Jago still spotted that one's hand drifted towards his ear before replying. A comlink, most likely.
" Her Lady Pelagia has you two cleared. She requests that the 'droid stay outside, however."
" What? Our Artoo Unit?"
The guard could only offer an unhelpful shrug.
" Her Lady asks as such, and respectfully wishes that you three comply."
For his part, Dirty seemed to take the message well. Dav bent down low to the Astromech, whispering a few lines that not even Jago caught. When he wanted to be covert, the younger mused, Dav certainly had his ways of doing so. Even in plain sight.
" Shan't be a problem. May we come in now?"
The sentries stepped back from the door, and Jago and Dav were able to make their way inside with little more impeding them.
The scene inside the Pelagian Manor was dour, to say the least. The injured were in a secure Medbay, being looked over by some of the finest doctors in the Sector, while the rest of the families appeared to have gathered within a large common area, furnished with the highest in Estalle tastes of finery. To Jago's surprise, food was laid out in abundance, as was drink.
" You'd think they were prepping for a wedding," he mumbled under his breath.
" It's actually quite common. Corellian funerals are just one big feast, days on end. Scones and champagne are much better to talk about, after all."
It seemed ... odd, to Jago, but he trusted in Dav's word. The older had seen far more of the Galaxy, probably more than Jago had ever wanted to. Most of the assembled were talking softly, sitting in comfortable furniture and attended to by servants who barely needed to be told what was necessary; Not a glass was ever empty, not a hand not filled with a handkerchief, a plate, or some other useful trinket. Guards lined the entire room, and Jago made a special note that there was only one doorway into this particular area, with no windows leading to the outside.
Smart. Yet also very claustrophobic. Meant for defense, or meant for a trap?
" Jedi: we are honored to have you in our home."
Dav and Jago both looked towards a small gathering in the center of the room where a woman sat rigidly on a simple chair. She was tall, though not as tall as Dav, with auburn hair woven into an intricate and complex series of twirls and knots on the sides and top of her head, flowing towards the back into a full mane. She wore a simple, stately dress of rich mauve. Jago's eyes caught flecks of dark crimson still staining it, hidden beneath a small cloth that the lady kept on her lap.
She was older, yet, beautiful. Well-maintained, not a dolled-up appearance like many of the other noble ladies in the room. The lines on her facial features tried to fade away into a smile for the guests from Yavin IV, but in this one instance she could not muster up the ability to placate the Jedi. She was not okay, would not be okay, and she no longer cared to hide it.
" My Lady Pelagia," Jago greeted her, both Jedi bowing in the formal way of The Order.
" You have my condolences. I assure you, Jago and I will not let what happened today repeat itself."
" Do not make me promises you cannot keep, Master Man'sell."
Her tone was not harsh, not in the least bit, but there was a sadness to her words. The sound of a life shattered, and not in any shape concerned with putting the pieces back together.
" Our guards tell me you may have a clue as to who did this."
" I do, Your Grace," Dav confirmed, gently patting the wrapped package in his hand, " And with any assistance you can provide, I believe it may help us identify the shooter."
She nodded in reply, almost eager to get this over with as soon as could be done.
" I'll call for one of our own to escort you down to the lower levels. The Manor serves as a security station for our own, and includes a laboratory as necessary. I believe it should be adequate for your needs."
" We have the analysis, but you're not going to like it."
" That was rather fast."
" Pelagia rarely spends frivilously. Those drakes have a habit of going towards the important things."
" Like Security, I see. This is a rather impressive operation you have going on here."
Jago was inclined to agree. The lab for the Pelagian Manor was much more advanced than even some of the Seccer HQs in the Core. Droid bays, rows of computer banks, a full medbay and several gadgets and tools even the white-haired wonder didn't know the name for. Spectrometers and Centrifuges and Scanners, oh my.
" Thank you, Master Jedi. His ... His Lord Pelagia was fascinated by such things. What science and study could teach us."
Her name was Cala Leina, and one of the first Nonhumans that Jago had seen since they had landed. Pantoran, he recalled, by the yellow facial tattoos. Similar to the Mirialian culture. Her accent shone through, which was a staunch difference from the Tapani dialect, making Jago wonder just how long she had been in the service of House Pelagia to begin with.
" Well, then, Cala. What is this news we're not going to like?"
" Well, the rifle was certainly made in the Tapani Sector. Whomever the shooter was, he was very careful not to leave any markings on it. No fingerprints, and it looks like it was flashed with a low-intensity laser just prior to its discovery by Master Man'sell."
" So that would have burned away any extra fibers or genetic material."
" Yes, unfortunately."
" What about where in the Sector was it made? Do we know that?"
" Well... Yes and no."
Both Jedi raised a brow. Cala could have sworn they had planned that ahead of time. She smoothed down her lab coat and continued.
" The metal of the barrel and inner mechanisms are clearly from House Reena - they're the only known source of terenthium in the area."
" House Reena? But they're allies of Pelagia."
" Yes, but they did not make the weapon. Manufacture appears to be of Mecetti Origin. The machine marks come from tools on Obulette that were imported from Dac. Only the Mecetti have extensive trade with the Mon Calamari."
" So ... House Mecetti provided the weapon."
" Well ... Possibly. The barrel was coated in lubricants not made locally, as was the firing pin, which is also not of a design common to Tapani-made slugthrowers. They both suggest an origin of Thyferra. The scope, though it was made to look Tapani, is also not domestic: The lenses are tooled from material mostly seen in the Abregado System, as was the targeting matrix. It's what gave the weapon such accuracy at those ranges, though I'd wager it was difficult to use. The matrix appeared to be calibrated for someone with an abnormally high control of their weapon - the slightest movement seems to throw off the entire computation."
" Where in Chaos would something like that come from?
Scientist Leina pondered, rubbing the yellow marking on her otherwise-blue chin thoughtfully.
" My best assumption would be imported from along the Shapani Bypass. It cuts through House Cadriaan territory."
" Shapani ... You mean the Bacta Run?"
" Yes, House Cadriaan makes quite a tidy sum off of the trade that flows through it. If anyone was going to procure parts and tech from the Vratix and the Gados, it would be the Cadriaans.
" Whom, like Reena, are also friends of Pelagia."
" That would be correct."
There was a moment of silence as the two Jedi looked at one another. Dav worked through the details slowly, trying what he could to piece this puzzle together.
" So we have a weapon that was clearly built for this one purpose, one might even say it was specially ordered just for this assassination. And nearly every necessary step of its manufacture was provided by three different areas of Tapani Space, two of which are long-standing allies of House Pelagia?"
He shook his head, pushing off the wall and frowning tightly.
" No. Something's off here, we're missing something key. If this entire sector was embroiled in war, there's little chance of parts and materials being shipped from one enemy to another to make a weapon. It would have had to have been low key. Smuggled, or otherwise arranged in private."
" So you're saying we're not looking for a House to be complicit."
Dav nodded, finishing Jago's conclusion for him.
" We're looking for something much smaller. A group, possibly even just an individual. Someone or Someones who can move between all these factions like this to get what they want, when they want it. Question is, how are they doing so undetected, and what do they stand to gain?"
" Well, with Lord Pelagia dead, I imagine the Sector won't be stable for much longer," Cala proposed, " What if they want the war to continue?
" It won't."
Dav's dark eyes fixed on the Pantoran Scientist, flashing through with grim confidence.
" Even if that were their purpose, Jago and I are not going to allow that to pass."
Before he could get much further, however, Dav's comlink began to chirp. Jago tilted his head curiously, while the senior Jedi opened the commband. Clearly, whatever it was on the other end, Cala was allowed in on it by this point.
" Glad to see you're safe: What do you have for me?" ~
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