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Post by Whill Shaman Nyx on Apr 9, 2013 2:42:59 GMT -8
*The history is currently unknown.*
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Post by Alkor Centaris on Apr 22, 2013 16:18:51 GMT -8
In the midst of chaos aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer "Vagrant Angel," Alkor stood with his arms folded and his eyes set straight ahead. The force was in turmoil, the deck littered with panicked officers, midshipmen and tech-hands rushing about in hurried attempts to stabilize the ship after a heavy volley. The alarm blared over the comm, drowning even the most simple of thoughts beneath whining noise and flashing red light.
And Alkor was watching the offending ship coming around for another volley. Both of his eyes narrowed and his brow dripped with sweat as he searched his mind for an answer, despite the nagging futility of their situation. Screams that held the semblance of orders resonated the room for moments, but quickly died away- "divert weapon systems to shields! We need more power!"
Biting his lip, the one time Jen'jidai felt his eyes close, and he began to clear his mind. He prayed in silence to the force, 'give me clarity. Help me save these men.' The sound of another explosion disrupted him as quickly as he had finished the thought, and his eyes shot open. There was a certain horror that hung around the feeling of imminent death, but Alkor seemed somehow immune to it, in spite of how much of it swam around him and slammed against the walls of his mind.
"Enough." Though the word came firmly from him, it was barely above a whisper. He felt the surging loss of power, the ship beginning to shiver with the first vestiges of defeat, but the battle was far from lost. His eyes locked on the enemy ship, and he raised his voice, speaking above the discord. "Compose yourselves. You are men and women of the Galactic Alliance, sworn in duty to the defense and preservation of society. Get me a comm channel open to that rogue vessel, now," his voice then became a low growl, and the crew became quiet to hear his next words: "the next living creature to scream is getting their vocal cords rearranged so that they won't have the problem ever again. Am I understood?"
There was a murmur of consent as the crew began to subside, their fear still palpating through the veins of the force, still beating against Alkor's conscious thoughts. And yet, when the channel opened, Alkor was nonplussed. His gaze showed nothing of his agitation, and his voice was calm, collected. "Unknown vessel, you are in violation of several ordinances outlined in the Galactic Alliance Peace Act, under section-"
Alkor was rendered silent for a moment by the Star Destroyer coming once more under fire, the ship rocking and lurching cryptically beneath the impact. Alkor slowly blinked, letting a long sigh out through his nostrils, and continued once the act of defiance was finished.
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Post by Alkor Centaris on Apr 22, 2013 16:38:21 GMT -8
"I am Alkor Centaris, of the Jedi Watch," he went on, though he was sure that his words were neither threatening nor altogether being listened to at all. Still, his mandate predicated words before action, lest he fall short of the Code he had been sworn to uphold. To that end, Alkor stifled his proverbial vomit with the concept of mincing words, and continued reciting from memory. "You have fired on an alliance vessel in service to the Jedi Order. Stand down, or be put down by force."
Alkor waited for seven whole heartbeats. Long enough for the vessel to come around again and fire. This time, when the barrage came, he did not wait for the effects to wear off to speak again. He could feel several lives aboard his ship slipping away from him through the infinite currents of the Force. And he was not pleased. "I have your answer; so be it. Here is mine."
The Watchman's eyes narrowed to slits as he turned away, motioning to the Communications Officer. "Close the connection. And give the order for all medics on hand to report to the infirmary. Commander," Alkor added, half-smiling at the young man who turned in response to being spoken to, "never doubt that justice will be done. I understand your confusion at my decision not to engage immediately. The Force is at work, here. We will give answer to these atrocities."
The youth blinked slightly, mouthing the words "yes, sir," and Alkor added, "you now how permission to open fire, Commander. I defer to your command."
With that, Alkor stepped down from his position in the middle of the command deck, and the youth stood once more, looking a bit unsettled. Why had the Alliance placed them under a Jedi's jurisdiction? Who was this Alkor Centaris, and... Jefra Ornix shook his head and dispelled the thoughts as he came back to reality, and the second-in-command asked once more, "your orders, sir?"
Alkor smiled to himself as he walked from the bridge, feeling the ship hum once more with life as the men at the helm reassured their crew with an aura of command. Something Alkor had never had, and would never have. "I am no leader of men," he thought, pulling his robes about himself. "Just a warrior living on borrowed time. These men deserve so much more."
And as he felt the ship rock again, he thought he heard Commander Ornix give the order to suppress oppositional fire and loose a salvo of torpedoes. More than enough to give fitting reprisal to the delinquent frigate. Chuckling, the Corellian bowed his head as he passed by several men headed in the direction he had just come from.
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Post by Alkor Centaris on Apr 23, 2013 17:37:41 GMT -8
Moving slowly through the corridor beneath the sounds of heavy battle outside the ship's hull, Alkor drew a long breath and trudged in the direction where the pain was coming from. The cries coming from the medical bay caused him to wince a bit, his teeth gnashing as he peered around the door frame. He watched in muted reverence as the men spasmed in agony, some of their bodies burned into the third degree. The sight of limbs melted by excruciating levels of heat energy and explosive bursts, tissue blown completely away, patches where skeleton and sinew were torn off and surgeons worked feverishly at disinfecting and closing wounds assailed him with an unholy stench. Alkor struggled to keep his composure against the odor of burnt flesh that caused him to falter slightly.
He touched two fingers two his forehead, massaging his temples, attempting to force out the memories that flooded his mind unbidden. The smell that coincided with the wound from a lightsaber... Alkor's eyes knit shut, images of bodies falling to the ground overlapping reality. Ghosts from his past were coming alive before his eyes, all over again. The Force was not letting him off easy. "Go away, damn you," he muttered, not loud enough to be heard.
He stumbled a bit further into the room, his eyes flickering open as he looked down at the men, barely alive, rasping and gasping for air. Reaching out toward him. And for once, Alkor was unnerved. His wide eyes regarded the broken men with extreme caution, as if at any moment they could reach into him and rip out his soul. Though he had never been superstitious, Alkor had always known that if there were a hell, he was going there. Straight there.
"What's your prognosis, staff sergeant?" Alkor asked quietly, his eyes riveted to the rising and falling chest of the man directly before him. His breathing was erratic, as though if he missed a single breath, he would die. Alkor wondered how far off he was from the truth in that assessment, but only for a moment. He was no healer; he had never been good at doing anything to help anyone. He was just a killer. And so, in a morbid way, he understood death even better than anyone in the room.
The doctor, looking up at him, simply shook her head. There was no point in talking, and Alkor had only asked to comfort himself. He could feel all three of them fading rapidly through the force, their strands of fate interwoven in his tapestry. A long and elaborate web of death. Fitting, that even as a Protector, all he could do was watch those around him die. It made him laugh, a hollow and unfeeling laugh. He could feel the eyes on him as he did, but Alkor wore his facade of indifference in his practiced manner.
"I see," he muttered, placing a hand on the dying man's arm. He felt a surge of panic, but otherwise, no recognition from the man. There was nothing left but horror and suffering there. Like a nerve, pinched and exposed. Alkor knew exactly how that felt. Withdrawing his hand, Alkor sighed and turned away. "Do what you can; if you cannot save them, at least make their last hours as painless as you can."
Alkor felt so powerless in that moment, he did not realize whether the order was acknowledged or not. His whole body felt cold, numb, as if he had been sedates. Was this what it felt like? Knowing the suffering of others? If this was the life the Jedi wanted for him, he was quickly considering asking to be put to death. He wanted none of this. Murder was much more humane.
Shaking his head, Alkor left the infirmary in a haste, looking to send his report in to Adieumus Matango. It had been some time since his last report, and the Arkanian was likely having another of his famous hissy fits over Alkor's "oversight." In reality, Alkor just saw no point in reporting, most of the time. No news was, as they said, good news. But this report?
This report would be grim, indeed.
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Mike Frantz
Member
That Guy
Posts: 721 
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Mike Frantz on Apr 24, 2013 11:55:54 GMT -8
Minutes had felt like hours and hours had felt like days. Combat was one thing, but being stuck in the middle of a ship with no control, was a different story all together. All I had been able to do was shove his way into the engineering section and manage to start fixing everything in sight and basically just holding the ship together through sheer force of will. I ignored the strange looks from the crew and just did what I could to help out. Since I didn't plan on all of this I was dressed in my now oil stained blue robes instead of the multi-pocketed jumpsuit that I would normally wear for this sort of thing. Of course no one on this ship would much care especially not the commander.
I had been asked by Adi to check on all the watchmen and had left this particular one for last. As much as Adi vouched for the man it was hard to forgive him for his slaughter of Corellians, but for the sake of the order he would try.. even if I have to keep a very close eye on him. I take a long drink from my flask as I make my way through the caos in the ship, searching for the troubled presence I knew to be Alkor. I catch him across the corridor outside the infirmary and stand in his path, knowing what must be going through his mind.
It doesn't get easier you know.
It wasn't meant to be cruel or even sarcastic, just pure fact. As much as I understood forgiveness I desperately wanted the man in front of me to understand the pain he had caused others, even if it meant submerging him in pain an anguish. I don't want to break him, I just want him to know, because if he never understands the pain he caused, he can never be truly redeemed. In truth it never does get easier to feel the pain, but it does get easier to cope with it and even shut it out when it becomes too much, but that it something the other Corellian must come to terms with on his own.
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Post by Alkor Centaris on Apr 24, 2013 12:17:36 GMT -8
Glancing up at the new voice, half surprised because he had been so focused on his thoughts instead of minding his surroundings, Alkor blinked several times. He had never formally met the man, but he knew him to be a Jedi. A Corellian Jedi, at that- his accent, the robes, the obvious preference toward machinery- all of these things gave his lineage away immediately. Alkor looked away after a moment, forcing a sardonic smile onto his face. Acting was, after all, all that he had ever been good at.
"Nothing ever does," he replied, adjusting his robes rather than outright fidgeting from discomfort. The man knew him for exactly what he was, and as best as he squelched an obvious disdain for Alkor, the man would never fully be able to hide it. Alkor had come to expect that from people who knew what he had done. And he never once asked for forgiveness. It was more the situation at hand that pressed Alkor to speak further- no one could have expected what Alkor had just witnessed. No one could have expected that much tenacity from a small, seemingly unimportant munitions frigate.
Three men were dead. No words were going to change that. "Just more ashes," he muttered, half disinterested in continuing the conversation about the relative simplicity of watching men die. Of dealing with the burden. Especially since it was his responsibility. "Life is fleeting; men die, and yet, Jedi take this burden of responsibility on themselves. This Code you follow- it screams of masochism." Alkor's hollow gaze moved over a small window that revealed some wreckage- perhaps pieces of the Star Destroyer? His lips flattened into a thin line, and he regarded the Jedi Master with a curt nod.
"I never professed to be good at saving lives. You of all people ought to know that a monster like me plays his best role on a battlefield." He did not discourage the possibility of full opinion from Master Frantz; the man was entitled to any amount of distrust or blatant disdain that he felt necessary. The man's opinion of him was certainly of little consequence, all things considered. "I will be sure to speak with all of their families personally," he said finally, "that's what a Jedi would do, isn't it? After all, they were all under the impression that that's what I was. A Jedi."
What he left unsaid weighed far more heavily on his mind. "Is this what a Jedi is?" If it were, Alkor was certain, this life was not for him.
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Mike Frantz
Member
That Guy
Posts: 721
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Mike Frantz on Apr 24, 2013 12:39:15 GMT -8
It wasn't distain that I felt for the man, but rather distrust. Adi obviously trusted him, and as much as his trust went a long way it would take a lot more thank just that for Alkor to earn his trust. Truth be told there is something I can see about the watchman, something hidden deep underneath a vale of belligerence and apathy. Something caring and conflicted, something... unstable. Of course for a newly "redeemed" jedi those things were always expected, but in a watchman left to his own devices that could be very dangerous. It almost hurts when he directs his frustration at me, dismissing what I say completely as just another pattering old fool of a jedi trying to force goodness and caring down his throat.
I didn't say you were a monster and I didn't want to try to shame you into trying to make up for their deaths. I pull the flask from my belt and take another sip. Besides, you are a jedi, a jedi with baggage, but a jedi. Just the fact that you realize their pain shows you have come a long way. And you may not be good at saving lives, but you can learn. My usual half-smile slowly spreads across my face. And there is nothing that is something a jedi does. Jedi are people just like everyone else, the aren't robots who all do exactly the same thing. We do what we think is right and what we have to do to live with ourselves, and whatever we can to prevent it all from happening again. I leave that last part hanging, the ability to identify your mistakes, correct them, and move on is essential for life, and certainly necessary for being a jedi.
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Post by Alkor Centaris on Apr 24, 2013 13:26:39 GMT -8
"No disrespect intended," Alkor said after a moment of contemplating the man's words; there was merit in them, and veracity that Alkor could not deny or confirm, rather, the Watchmen simply accepted it for what it was: the opinion of this Jedi. There were several things that Alkor found difficult to rationalize, all for various different reasons. The most prominent of which he gave voice to now. "Having robes and a lightsaber do not make a man a Jedi any more than sitting in the Senate building makes one a senator. I am far from being a Jedi, and I suspect I will ever remain far from it. I do appreciate the vote of relative confidence, forced upon you though it may be, but I will not ask you to lie to me."
Alkor had, after all, had enough of lies. Lies from him, from different Orders of Force users, from Jedi, from Sith, from Jen'jidai- he had stopped giving their different voices the faces to go with them. They were all the same. Liars. "You may not see me as a monster now, but I learned the truth of who I was long ago. You can throw a fleece over a wolf and call it a sheep, but it will have fangs and a taste for blood all the same. I may not have killed those men by my own hand, but it was my action- rather, my lack of action- that resulted in their deaths. For that, I alone am responsible. No amount of grief can salvage their ruin now."
"And I'm through with trying," he told himself, pressed as hard as he was to believe his own thoughts. "If a Jedi is trusted to do what he thinks is right, with a great deal of respect, Master, I ask you to reconsider your assessment of me. I do not trust myself to do what is right. Nor do I believe Watch Leader Matango's faith in me is well founded. You would do better with younglings and Padawans than with murderers shepherding over the meek."
Alkor's gaze hardened as Ryloth came into view far below, the planet that was his charge glimmering with the light of life. Resonating with both harmony and chaos in the Force. And he sighed quietly. The man would hear him out, perhaps, but so little ever seemed to come of talking, anymore. There was only one certainty in life, and that was, ironically, death.
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Mike Frantz
Member
That Guy
Posts: 721
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Mike Frantz on Apr 25, 2013 10:08:14 GMT -8
This man was truly a troubled soul. In all honesty I have no idea why Adi left him on his own, troubled souls were better off being watched then left to contemplate their own issues. Truth be told I have no answer for this man, yes many people of the galaxy would consider him a monster, including Alkor himself, but there is something deep within him that gives me hope, probably the same thing that Adi sees. Of course Adi hadn't seen the newscasts on Corellia, hadn't heard the descriptions from his brother, who had been on of the Corsec officers that had gone to investigate. Yet I can't let myself hold that against him. Alkor is what Alkor is, no one can change that but him, but the path he has now chosen was one that made me believe that some part of him wanted to do the right thing.
If you quit trying you will never accomplish anything. If you don't trust yourself, why do you allow yourself to be sent on solo missions and try to do everything yourself. Even a wolf kills only when he needs to. To survive and feed his family. Truth be told I would rather have a wolf at my side than many of the humans I know. My smile returns through my beard and I chuckle a little, even if the subject is quite serious. I take another swig of my flask before continuing.
Besides no matter what you are you can always become something else. There isn't a whole lot to say to a man who is convinced of his own inadequacy and cares nothing about the opinions of others, so really there was no reasoning with him, still Mike was a stubborn old Corellian. but if you don't feel like you can do what you came to, I can always take over here and send you back to Adi.
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Post by Alkor Centaris on Apr 25, 2013 12:27:51 GMT -8
Alkor watched the man, the smell of Corellian ale wafting across his senses and causing hairs on the back of his neck stand on end; he hadn't been fully aware of it at first, but now, his mouth was watering fiercely. The thirst was always difficult to deny, but in the presence of the beast, Alkor found himself further compelled. Still, his gaze did not linger very long on the flask, his thoughts drifting dimly over the Jedi Master's words. Everything the man said seemed halfway forced, as if there were some deeper and more intricate pain involved in how he chose those words. Alkor forced himself to venture no guesses as to the nature of the man's conflict. Sometimes, ignorance was less convoluted- a painful admission, to say the least.
"I cannot say," he began, considering his own words carefully, "that I am incapable of performing these duties." It was true, to an extent; if those duties just needed to be performed, Alkor was fully capable of completing them. His issue came with the manner in which those duties were to be undertaken. Cracking his knuckles and folding his hands neatly behind his back, Alkor stared blankly for a long moment out into the darkness of space.
There was a sort of comfort there, in the conceptualization of oblivion; once, he had considered the blackness of the dark side to be a form of escape. But there had only ever been pain there. But out, beyond that window... there was only death. And death was devoid of pain. Consummate peace. His eyes flickered in contemplative silence as he considered that peace. Death...
No. There was no death now. Not for him. No Peace to overtake this pain he felt now. "None of them are coming back." The words came flatly from him, and it might have appeared he was talking about the three men who had just died, but Alkor's thoughts were plagued by a thousand faceless bodies. None of them were coming back. Ever. Every one of them a link in his chains, their weight dragging him slowly down to hell. "Not one." The last words were far quieter, his gaze sweeping over the floor, then back up to Mike. "I'm asking you to use your better judgment. It isn't about whether or not I am capable of acting. The question is, how long will it take before I kill again? And when I do, can you be certain that I won't love it just as much as I did before?"
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Mike Frantz
Member
That Guy
Posts: 721
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Mike Frantz on Apr 26, 2013 4:52:30 GMT -8
However brief the gaze is, I do take note of Alkor's momentary obsession with my flask. Unfortunately Adi had warned me of Alkor's attraction to drinks of an alcoholic nature and I may be pushing him too hard, but if he can't resist it here how could he ever resist it in any bar setting that his duties might take him. It isn't so much that I'm trying to flaunt it in the other man's face, but more that I am just attempting to get a feel for the man behind the monster, I couldn't allow my preconceived notions about who or what he was, confuse my judgment on the here and now. I cannot condemn the man for opinions based on the ideas of others years past. There was a change however slight, that could not be denied. I wouldn't say I trust the man to walk behind me in a dark tunnel, but I at least trust him enough not to attack me in the open... it's progress.
But then things get interesting. I feel turmoil and genuine pain in the watchman as he comments on the fact that they dead do not return. For some reason I get the feeling that it's not just the three men who's lives ended just moments again, but maybe even the men who Alkor himself killed. Remorse for what you have done is a far step in the right direction. The dead are dead correct, but only their physical bodies, there is always someone to remember them. Switching suddenly to his questions to my judgment about him. Truthfully I don't know the man well enough to decide for him, but I can can give him some thoughts from past experience. I can't say you won't kill again, quite the opposite in fact I know that your duties as a watchman will have you killing again. I can't say how much you will like it or not, in fact I don't think anyone can know that until the moment comes. I take a breath and and another sip form my flask before continuing.
I can't control you or your feelings but what I can do is be there to contain the damage. I hold my arm out to the man as a gesture of support for either a handshake or an arm grasp. It's not that I hold any illusions about what this means, I know that if push came to shove and Alkor did return to his previous activities there was no way I could stop him without losing my life in the process. I know that I am no match for the man unless I accept that to stop him I would likely have to die. So for some unknown reason I was putting my life on the line on the feeling that Alkor had what it took to be a Jedi, hopefully I wasn't wrong, because if I was... I wouldn't live long enough to regret it...
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Post by Alkor Centaris on Apr 26, 2013 7:50:36 GMT -8
Alkor paused for a long moment as he listened to the Jedi speak, and then, in an entirely unexpected gesture of good faith and confidence, the man extended his hand. The younger Corellian's thoughts drifted over the select few times in his life such kindness had ever been extended to him, where he had found some semblance of kinship among men who had called him a friend. Men who had called him "brother." He saw many faces behind that simple gesture, none of them altogether enthusiastic to be looking back at him, and after blinking twice, his gaze moved up to find Master Frantz. The man seemed just as genuine as any other, save for a lingering reticence that Alkor felt, palpable within the flow of the Force.
That feeling alone, unmitigated trepidation and uncertainty, was enough for Alkor. This man lacked the unchecked trust and faith that the others had. His words and thoughts were tempered by years of experience and training, and he had the patience and detachment of a Jedi master. Alkor reached out finally, after what must have been half of a minute leaving the man hanging, and locked arms with him. There were no words to give validation or full meaning to the unspoken promise between them. "I'll do my best not to disappoint you, but if I fail, you damn well better do your best to kill me."
His hardened blue eyes remained steadfast on Mike's for several seconds, and then, he let go and his glance faded away and he remembered what he had been doing in the first place. "I had best get back to my report, I think," he said finally, Matango already wants to hang me up by my toes for delinquency. Besides, this is not something that ought to go without investigation."
Alkor drew hia commlink from his robes and pulled it to his lips, thumbing the channel over to the long range frequency that the Watch used. He began to speak at length, for several long moments, and then, he let his arm fall and returned to staring out the window. "So peaceful," he thought again. And then, he shook his head.
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Mike Frantz
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That Guy
Posts: 721
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Mike Frantz on Apr 26, 2013 19:22:40 GMT -8
Just as I am about to lower my hand Alkor surprises me by reaching out and locking arms with me. I find it almost bittersweet, knowing that this will either be one of my greatest triumphs, or my biggest mistake. However in true Corellian fashion I tossed aside all thoughts of the odds of survival. I truly believe in Alkor, but I do not have blind faith in his goodness that some of my fellow masters may have. Really it comes down to me being a contingency plan to keep Alkor safe from himself, or rather keep others safe from his own self, either by force or by my own death. I would do the duty that I had given myself. Alkor was now my responsibility, for good or bad.
I would really rather not have it come to that, but you better damn well believe that if you return to your former self you will not live to try the path of the light again. The council may have infinite chances to hand out, but I do not. Once and done is how I play it. I usually do not directly disagree so openly with the council in front of other Jedi, but I would never get to Alkor if I wasn't frank with him. Fencing with words would get me no where with Alkor, Troubled Watchman of Ryloth, former murderer, and master of self-loathing.
I stan off to the side slightly as Alkor makes his report to the Watchman leader, discreetly listening in, giving him enough privacy to not intrude, but not enough so that his presence would go unnoticed. Alkor was on a very short leash right now, he could earn more slack, but even if the council decides he is worthy of free reign of Ryloth, for some reason I do not believe that that would be good for Ryloth.. Or Alkor for that matter.
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Post by Alkor Centaris on Apr 26, 2013 21:09:07 GMT -8
Upon completing his report, Alkor turned back to regard the Jedi Master with a bit of sardonic humor. "Would that more Masters among Jedi shared your tenacity, sir." There was little more than the hint of a smile on his face as he said as much, but Alkor left very little room for the subject to be broached again; there were bigger matters to attend, and Alkor needed an outsider's perspective on what had happened. If Master Frantz could help him to glean something unseen...
Alkor just could not understand. From his place at the middle of the command deck, he had struggled to internalize the external conflict, the way he had seen others compartmentalize the Force, attempting to read the subtleties and find the connection. But there was none- at least not one that had become apparent yet. He would have sensed it immediately. No, what was here was thickly veiled by chaos, and he stood upon the precipice.
The wall just felt so... insurmountable. He had never struggled so much with anything than he did now with the senses that he had fought for years to dull or kill off with alcohol, and now, when he let them run rampant, they would not allow him to bend them to his will. He felt like a child learning to walk forthe first time, his parent letting go with lofty expectations. He could not possibly hope to meet them.
As he had looked and looked at that munitions frigate, he had gleaned nothing but its general composition- durasteel, or some variety of civilian grade spaceworthy metal- the designation, and he had felt a very small, isolated crew. But the intentions behind it were lost to him. He had thought to send a team to the planet, to try and unearth clues as to the identity of the men aboard the frigate, or to board the ship itself and slice the data files. But he did not want to overstep his mandate with undue force. The panderings of a man laden with mandates- Alkor could have laughed.
Things were so much simpler when all he had to do was swing around a blade and watch people die.
Weren't they?
"My question is very likely the same as yours- who do you think these men were? And what exactly were they after? I can't imagine they just wanted to attack a Star Destroyer to see what would happen." Alkor frowned as he asked the questions- he hated the gathering of information. He had always left that to spies and military men. Now, having to use his mind, to trust his senses? This was wholly new to him.
And he was not so sure that he liked it.
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Bloodrage Pirates
Member
Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me!
Posts: 758
Affiliation: Piracy
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Post by Bloodrage Pirates on Apr 27, 2013 4:44:19 GMT -8
Arkan had been patiently waiting for his rendezvous when the system had been sullied by the presence of an Allaince warship, this would ruin his plans. The crew was used to the Captain taking his time with decisions, he liked to get them right first time, however this was not the case this time, oh no, action would be swift. He ordered a surprise attack on the enemy vessel, no mercy. The Cutlass shot out from behind the smallest of Ryloth's moons in full battle status and unloaded a full volley towards the engines of the larger ship. They had taken the enemy by surprise and Arkan was confident of being able to escape relatively un-damaged if they used they speed fully. The Carrack-class cruiser then continued the attack run under the belly of the ship, releasing many damaging shot into the hanger and the main reactor.
"Captain, the enemy is sending us a message, open comm channel." said the communications officer, who was clearly unimpressed by what he had heard. Arkan did not even think about listening to it. "Ignore it, continue firing, I want their engines and main power offline, in that order, as soon as possible!" The Echani knew that they would soon return fire, the enemy had already raised shields. The Helmsman of the Cutlass had his work cut out, he was currently in front of the Star Destroyer, never a good place to be but luckily he had huge engines to play with and the pirate vessel was soon looping around towards the rear of the enemy as another volley was targeted at the enemy bridge. The communications officer signaled that they had received another message but the Captain ignored that one too, he needed this ship out of the system as fast as he could, he had business to attend to.
The enemy finally returned fire, not a full volley, sensors indicated much of the weapons energy had been diverted to shields. However there was still a huge amount of destruction that could be wrought. The few energy weapon shots glanced off the shields but the torpedo volley was of much more concern. The helmsman was struggling to get the ship to perform the evasive actions that it needed to but the weapons officer was having a ball. He fired up the point defense cannons and set the computer to target the torpedoes. Even through this impressive display, several torpedoes struck the shields, weakening them significantly and almost concerning the Captain. Arkan had become very cold and remorseless during his take over and he wasn't the warmest of people before. The crew knew the plan and the Cutlass was almost in position for another shot on the engines.
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Mike Frantz
Member
That Guy
Posts: 721
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Mike Frantz on Apr 28, 2013 5:20:10 GMT -8
I am surprised by Alkor's attempt at almost being funny, things were looking up... maybe. Unfortunately I am as blind about the intentions of the the men as Alkor is. Truth be told I am better at understanding machines than I am men. I open myself once again to the force, feeling the rush as I become one with the universe around me, suddenly getting more information that anyone could ever really want or need, sifting through it with my eyes closed, concentrating, but yet, the enemies are still and enigma, there but yet not, I can feel the individual people, but an tell nothing of their thoughts or emotions.
I do not know who they are or what they want, but whatever it is I have a bad feeling about it. It isn't much that makes me worry, but being above a world that already almost killed me once, with a Jedi watchman who could break at any moment, and facing an enemy of unknown intent, just isn't something that makes you feel better about yourself.
The only way to find out is to charge headfirst into the belly of the beast and see what we can find. My half-smile sprouts again. I would always rather jump into the fry than sitting about thinking about it, that was far too boring and took much to much time. I take another sip from my flask as the ship is once again rocked by enemy fire. Damn, this is going to be a long day...
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Post by Alkor Centaris on Apr 28, 2013 7:16:54 GMT -8
As the Vagrant Angel lurched once more and the sound of heavy laser fire sent a high pitched whine through the hull, Alkor let out a snort. "Well, there is one thing to be said for the Jedi life," he mused, "there's never a dull moment." He took in a deep breath, pulling his concentration around his body like a thin web, safeguarding his equillibrium, which had almost been destroyed with that last blow. His hand tapped his forehead impatiently, as if he had been debating something, but he gave no other outward indication of his annoyance.
On the bridge, the crew shifted uncomfortably. "Damage report!" Came the call from the commanding officer, and ten voices answered ten different ways at once.
This was bad.
Ornix looked about, unnerved, and spoke up. "They're coming up on our dorsal side again," he snapped, pulling up the virtual readouts of the real time engagement. "Fire the corresponding Ion cannons, and bring up the tractor beam once they're neutralized. I want a boarding team made ready and armed for a skirmish, immediately."
"Yes, sir!" Came the same voices, with far more confidence this time. And Jefra smiled. That was far more like it. This was about to be over, quickly and decisively. The Ion cannons hummed a low response as they were primed, and as the ship came close to fire again, they cried havoc, and let slip the dogs of war.
Sorry. I just felt like making that sound awesome.
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Crom'nen
Member
Posts: 868
Affiliation: loyal only to himself, working with Ryloth and the GR
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Post by Crom'nen on Apr 30, 2013 6:45:33 GMT -8
The Corellian Corvette Rylothian Gold lurched from hyperspace above the battle.
=Captain=
Sir, there is something going on. Should we join?
=Crom'nen=
No. This is not our battle. Go around, full speed. But monitor transmissions just in case.
The red and gold diplomat ship moved to comply. Not only did Crom'nen not know who was involved and why, but he doubted that his little ship could make much of an impact. Besides, he had work to do. That said, if they needed to pick up escape pods, he would comply if the risk was not too great.
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Mike Frantz
Member
That Guy
Posts: 721
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Mike Frantz on Apr 30, 2013 14:01:09 GMT -8
I almost laugh at Alkor's comment about the excitement of the Jedi life. Well I guess if you are a watchman it can be pretty exciting, but I doubt the archivists have a lot of ecitment I laugh lightly and take another sip of my flask. Since my danger senses arent screaming at me I assume that we may make it out of this fight alive, even without my presence on the engineering deck. Honestly there isn't much I can do until Alkor makes his move, since it is now my job to watch him. We shall certainly see what the future will hold.
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Post by Alkor Centaris on Apr 30, 2013 14:59:29 GMT -8
He felt the presence of another ship long before it passed within visible range, but Alkor paid it little heed- it seemed to be avoiding them, which he gleaned once he was able to see the course it was taking around the engagement. He figured that the Communications officer had already hailed the ship, and so, he decided that this particular situation was best left to the Galactic Alliance crewmen aboard the Vagrant Angel. Folding his arms now that the shaking seemed to have passed, Alkor silently assessed his own next move.
He could feel the negative charge of energy amassing beneath them, his danger synapses exploding with distress- ion cannons were priming for fire, and they were likely- "attention all personnel, assemble a boarding team immediately..."
Alkor glanced upward with a smirk, then turned his gaze to Mike and asked, "would you mind accompanying me, Master? I have an interrogation to perform, and malcontents require a special touch." He anticipated that the man would be holding his words and actions in close consideration, though Alkor himself knew there would be plenty of time for his choice of actions to be chided later. It would do everyone a great deal of good if the Jedi were to handle detaining these prisoners, rather than risking more lives unnecessarily. After all, they were guardians of the Peace, and their job was defending the lives of their charges.
So, Alkor waited briefly for Mike's response.
On the bridge, Commander Ornix hailed the Rylothian Gold: "Civilian shuttle, this is Lieutenant Jefra Ornix aboard Vagrant Angel. Watchman Centaris has asked that we secure this sector before allowing any through traffic, so if it would be possible to ask for your patience and cooperation in this matter, we should have this situation resolved quickly. Please do not make any rash decisions or deviate from your current course- we do not want to risk civilian casualties in the crossfire."
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