Post by Rugs on Aug 2, 2009 22:22:08 GMT -5
Name: Locke Nemsee
Race: Human
Age: 28
Birthplace: Nar Shaddaa
Allegiance: Jedi Order
Status: Jedi Knight
Rank: Jedi Investigator/Blade of the Order
Height/Weight: 5’10”/159 lbs
Appearance:
He wears standard Jedi utility belt, and keeps his lightsaber on his left side, and a blaster pistol in a holster behind the saber. Over all of this he wears a dark brown hooded cloak.
His attire shifts when he goes undercover, depending on the situation and what's called for.
As for his physical appearance, Locke is of average height. He is slender, though in very good shape, with a very lean build and muscles that are lithe and dense, rather than large. He has olive-colored skin. His hair is dark brown, and hangs freely around his face, and to his shoulders. He has a beard, though he keeps it shaved short. His eyes are a stony grey. He has a jagged scar that runs across his back from his right shoulder to down on the left side of his back just above his hip. Locke is also ambidextrous, though when fighting with a saber, he is much more inclined to use his right hand than his left. His left his often used for his pistol, and he's known to use both weapons at once.
Mmk, so I've had a few people ask if I have an image in mind or a likeness for Locke's face. If I had to go with anything, the closest thing by far to what I have in my head would be this. That's right, Locke'sthe prince of persia Jake Gyllenhaal.
When Locke moves, he carries himself briskly. He usually holds himself up tall and moves in a manner that oozes self-confidence, almost arrogance.
Personality: Locke is a smartass. He's sometimes quite rude, and won't hesitate to make an insult or snide joke when the opportunity arises. On top of that, he has quite the problem with profanity. And, depending on the mission, has no problems with using bribes or coercion to get the job done. But other than that, he's affable, and fairly easy to get along with. He likes to laugh, and to enjoy life. He's a good person to have on your side; once he's devoted to a cause he'll pursue it with the utmost devotion. He's not someone you'd want as an enemy for the same reason. When he's afraid, or very stressed, he has a habit of talking to himself.
Ships/Vehicles: N/A
Equipment:
Strength - Average
Agility - Superior
Intelligence - Superior
Charisma – Above Average
Lightsaber Training:
Shii-Cho- Master
Makashi- Master
Soresu- Adept
Force Stats:
Telekinetic- Expert
Telepathic- Expert
Body- Apprentice
Sense- Adept
Protection- Adept
Healing– Novice
Destruction– Untrained
Combat Training:
Pistols – Expert
Rifles – Adept
CQC/Broken Gate – Adept
Force Training:
Comprehend Speech – Master
Force Concealment – Master
Other Training:
Impersonation/Disguise – Expert
Drinking – Expert
Languages:
Basic (obviously)
Huttese- fluent
Smuggler's Cant- fluent
Durese- beginner
Rodese- moderate
High Galactic- fluent
Bio:
Locke was born into poverty. Extreme poverty. The kind of poverty that would make a songwriter weep and even a Wookie cry out in anguish. Okay, so maybe it wasn't that bad, but his family had a very rough life.
Allow me to explain.
You see, Locke was born to Aza and Gevon Nemsee. His father, Gevon had, at one time, been a fairly well to do merchant who traveled the galaxy, selling mechanical things. For spaceships and speeders and such. He eventually met Locke's mother, Aza, and the two settled down on Nar Shadaa. For a time, all was well in the family. However, after a while, the dealings and scheming of Gevon's chief competitor, a Twi'Lek named Cos'te So'nyell, forced Gevon to abandon his business. In an effort to buy time, Gevon and Aza sold a great deal of their worldly possessions, their starship, jewelry, family heirlooms, anything to keep them from being forced out of their home. At least until Gevon could find another source of income. They were only delaying the inevitable. Another job was never found, and they were forced out onto the streets of the Smugglers' Moon. It was then that they first realized that Aza was pregnant with Locke.
So, in a desperate attempt to secure some source of income to support the coming child, Gevon turned to beings that should have been left alone. He turned to a group called the Fists of the Stars, an up-and-coming gang fighting to make themselves known on Nar Shadaa. He struck a deal with them. He could borrow money from them as long as he sold their drugs, using some of the drug money to pay back a ridiculous amount of interest. He knew it was a bad deal, but desperation ruled is mind, and his heart. So Gevon toiled away, selling the wares of his new masters, and the birth date of Locke moved closer. But, as Locke's birth date moved closer, disaster struck. Gevon had not been able to resist the temptation of the drugs he was forced to sell, and became addicted. Maddeningly, hopelessly addicted. Aza and Gevon could barely afford to keep themselves alive with the money gained from the Fists, and they didn't have a clue how they'd pay back the loans, let alone the interest.
So this is the world Locke was born into. Two parents that could barely support themselves, one of whom too addicted to drugs to be of any real help. Locke's mother did the best she could to keep Locke happy, and the simple lack of understanding that sheltered Locke at his young age shielded him from the worst. Things continued as they were for about a year.
So, this is the point where things started to take a serious turn for the worst. Aza, aware that Gevon was starting to pull more and more from the Fists to support his own habits, knew should would have to do something to get a little bit more money flowing to the family. Locke was growing, and was becoming more of a drain on the family's scant resources. So, a decision would have to be made. She could confront Gevon, and risk tearing the family apart, jeopardizing the well being of her child in the process, or she could do something herself to try to add another source of income. She opted for the latter. And while the love of a mother is surely one of the strongest forces in the universe, in the case, it may have blinded her, and forced her down a road of shame.
You see, for a few months, Aza tried, very hard, to find a decent, somewhat respectable line of work. But she could find nothing. As time went by, and the situation grew more and more desperate, her choices narrowed. And even then, one choice loomed, darkly and silently in the back of her mind. The infamous (or famous, it's a matter of perspective, really) Red Sector of Nar Shadaa. As all other hope faded, it stood, steadfast and unmoving in her subconscious. Eventually, every other option failed. And so she did what she had to do. As a mother, for the love of her son, and the desire to give him a better life, she did what she felt she had to do, her burning love giving her over to shame. And what hurt her more than anything was the knowledge that her husband was too far gone into his addiction to care. Or maybe too far gone to even notice.
And that's all that will be said about that.
For another year, things continued on like this, until finally, so many unaswered prayers seemed to finally be heard. But, it would also be the end for Gevon an Aza.
When Locke was a little over two years old, some fortune finally came to the Nemsee family. A Jedi Knight, an Iktotchi by the name of Tiino Xeis crossed their path. He was on a mission to Nar Shadaa to investigate reports of an attempt on the life of a Senator. His search had brought him to the lower levels of Nar Shadaa, the cesspit that the Nemsees resided in. While he was investigating, he was led by the Force to the abandoned warehouse the Nemsees had taken up residence in. Gevon was gone, as he often was, but Aza was there with Locke. Tiino informed Aza that her son was Force-sensitive, and with training could become a Jedi. Aza cried. But for the first time in years, she cried for joy. She told Tiino that she would want nothing more than for her child to be a Jedi, and to be able to have access to a better quality of life than they could give him. She wanted Tiino to wait with her for a little while, so that Gevon could know when he returned from his time out. But, after a few hours, it became appartent he wouldn't return, so Aza sent of Locke and Tiino with her blessing.
That was the last time Locke and his family were ever together, and not only because he would become a Jedi. You see, Gevon had been gone longer because he was desperately trying to appeal to the leader of the Fists to have mercy on both him and his wife. Gevon's addiction had grown stronger over the years, and eventually, he started stealing from the supply of drugs the Fists gave him to sell. Needless to say, when the leader, a Trandoshan named Tekt, found out he was not at all pleased. The stealing, in addition to the credits being loaned out to the Nemsees without repayment, pushed him past the breaking point. He had Aza dragged before him, along with Gevon and demanded repayment. When it was apparent they had no way to do this. He had them killed.
And that was the end of Aza and Gevon. However, it would not be the end of the affairs between the Nemsee family and the Fists.
Now, once Tiino finished with his mission, Locke was taken to Coruscant, the heart of Jedi power. Locke was tested, and approved to become a youngling in the Order, and thus was the real beginning of Locke's story.
The first few years of his time with the Jedi were nothing remarkable, he learned to touch the Force as other Younglings do, began learning how to use a lightsaber. He was average, for the time being, neither a shining star, nor an obviously troubled student.
When he Locke reached the age around seven, things started happening. Or perhaps changing would be a better way to phrase it. Up to this point, he had been a fairly quiet boy. He kept to himself, didn't cause trouble, stayed away from trouble be caused by other students, etc. He was well liked by older members of the Order for these qualities. But at around seven years old, he started changing. His real personality started to emerge, one that hasn't really changed (some say it's only gotten worse)up to the present time. You see, Locke started to become... well, a smartass. Unrepentantly. In the beginning it just surfaced as a sudden streak of insubordination, and faded back into silence after a while. But it would return.
His learning continued, with relatively little disturbance, not counting the occasional rearing of his bad sid, until the age of thirteen, when he became a padawan.
Locke was apprenticed to the Jedi Knight that found him, Tiino Xeis. Tiino was a Jedi Investigator, and this, as one would expect, would have a great effect on Locke and the role he would want to play in the Order. But more on that later.
From the beginning, Locke and Tiino were a great pair. Locke was always very inquisitive around his master, asking him seemingly anything and everything that popped to into his head. About the Jedi Order, the Republic, life, the Sith, criminals, bounty hunters, it didn't matter.
Tiino was not what one would expect when told of a Jedi. He was very blunt, more than a little rude, and had a horrible profanity problem, all things that only encouraged the hidden "bad" side of Locke to come out. However, the Knight had a strong sense of justice, and would never hesitate to help someone in need, also things that would influence Locke later. The two would also develop a habit of occasionally pulling pranks on each other.
So, after spending a few months getting used to each other, Locke's real training began with Tiino. Tiino started daily lightsaber drills with Locke, to help him get to the point where he could master Shii-Cho, and start learning other forms, "real" form, as Tiino called them. He would randomly quiz Locke on seemingly any subject as the two traveled the galaxy, and if Locke's performance was poor, he was usually given some rather devious punishment. Nothing harmful, mind you but the sort of thing that would make a 13 year old boy cringe, cleaning work on Tiino's seemingly perpetually filthy vessel, reading assignments into the histories of the Jedi or the Republic, things like that.
Years passed, and Locke steadily grew. He assisted Tiino on many of his missions into the world of crime. He steadily moved closer to mastering Shii-Cho, he learned how to pilot a fighter, how to deal with the ne'er do wells of the galaxy, or how to deal with Senators and nobility. It was during this time that Locke started to show his intelligence. Now, it wasn't an academic intelligence per se, though Locke wasn't stupid; it was more of a... cleverness. He was cunning, and had a knack for figuring things out instinctively. As Long as it wasn't anything mechanical, but I digress, more on that later. Tiino also started showing Locke how to use a blaster because if Locke wanted to go down the path of becoming a Jedi Investigator, as he had expressed interest in, there were times, where, as Tiinno put it "running around waving a lightsaber about like a loony" wasn't the best idea. But one thing had yet to be done. He was 15, gaining on 16 and he had yet to build, or even be allowed to attempt to build a lightsaber. Now, to a young teenage boy, rash by all accounts, this was an outrage. Surely his master had forgotten. So one day he brought it up to Tiino. The Iktotchi just laughed and told Locke he'd get to try when he was ready. Over the next few months though, Locke continued to pester his master until Tiino finally gave in. He took the lightsaber that he let Locke use apart and set all of the components before the boy. He told Locke that if he could reassemble it, he would be allowed to build his own. The word 'failure' can not even begin to describe the results of Locke's attempt. He somehow got wires twisted on the power cell, causing the power to loop back into the cell improperly, and almost made it explode. Not to mention the numerous pins and screws that should have been in the lightsaber that Locke somehow managed to forget to put in. Needless to say, he didn't question his master's instruction (at least with regard to lightsaber construction) again.
Time contiued to march onward, and Locke's training went well. He didn't really show an extreme amount of talent in either combat or the Force; that's not to say he wasn't good, but he was balanced between the two. Now, if there is one thing to be said about a strength of Locke's it would be his speed. He was fairly average in terms of strength, a bit weaker that some of his peers, in fact, but he had fast hands and was quick on his feet.
By the time he was 17, his master decided that, though he hadn't completely mastered Shii-Cho yet, it was time for Locke to start learning another lightsaber form. Tiino was a master of Form II, Makashi, and also was pretty good at Form III, Soresu, so those would be the forms Locke would go to learn. Tiino started by teaching Locke Makashi, in addition to his Shii-Cho lesson. A few years down the line, when Locke had mastered Shii-Cho, Tiino would replace those lessons with groundwork for Soresu. Tiino had a very classical style of fighting, very much like fencing, and this is echoed in Locke's own fighting style. One method that he used to teach, which Locke became very fond of was to fight in a tempo, if possible, and settling in to it. Then, once the opponent had started to get used to it, abruptly change the tempo to throw them off. Just a slight pause to throw things off by half a beat or so was usually enough to throw someone off enough to break through their defenses, though it obviously depended on the skill of the foe. Locke's natural speed and agility went well with Makashi, and Tiino's training helped him develop that natural speed even more.
Constructing a Lightsaber Year 18
Finally, as Locke's nineteenth birthday approached, Tiino informed him that he believed Locke was ready to construct a lightsaber. So Locke's instruction on the construction of a lightsaber began. One thing you must now about Locke is that he is by no means a mechanical person. He struggled through Tiino's lightsaber construction lessons more than almost anything else his master ever taught him. But eventually, he was able to get enough of a grasp on the subject that his master allowed him to take on the challenge.
He took Locke to Dantooine, to the famous crystal cave on the plains of Khooda. He escorted Locke in, to make sure the way was safe; the cave was known to be inhabited by Kath Hounds and Viper Kinraths. The way was clear however, and when they reached the entrance to the crystal chamber, Tiino went a ways back out, patrolling the path to and from the chamber to make sure Locke would remain safe.When Locke entered the area with all of the crystals, his breath was taken away. An almost nauseating array of crystals bloomed before him, each of them seeming, to him, to almost pulse with energy from the Force. He stood there, dumbfounded for so long that he lost track of time, awed at the majesty of the crystal array. As he stood there, wondering how he was supposed to go about selecting one for himself, he felt it. A pull, in the Force. It was very faint, and for a while, he didn't even notice it. But when he did, he meditated, trying to focus in on the pull. Once he had a better sense of it, he followed it. It led him down to a small orange crystal formation, by the side of a small pool of water. He knew that this formation would be the one that his crystal came from. He reached out to take a crystal from the formation. However, the edges of the crystals were sharp. Very sharp. He cut his fingers on the crystals. After a few tries, and few more bloody fingers later, he was able to free a one of the light orange crystals from the formation, and exited the cave. When Tiino saw his bleeding fingers, he inquired into what had happened in the cave. Locke told him about the sharpness of the crystals, and Tiino laughed, saying it suited Locke's sharp tongue. Locke responded by making a ribald joke about the Iktotchi that shan't be repeated here. Tiino got a huge kick out of it, though. After the crystal was aquired, Tiino would have Locke meditate over it for several hours a day, for a bout a week and a half, to imbue the crystal with the Force, and to develop a bond with.
The next step for Locke would be the actual construction of his lightsaber. Tiino let Locke use the meditation room on his spaceship, and once more left Locke alone with the pieces he would need to build his saber. Since his bandaged fingers were beyond useless at this point, Locke used the Force to fit the pieces together, for the first few days, though the process was still about as frustrating for Locke as it would be with his hands. As I have said, Locke is not a mechanical person. At all. This was compounded by the fact that he wanted to build a lightsaber with a slight curve to the hilt, a common practice for practitioners of Form II. His first 3 attempts, spread out over the course of about a month and a half were failures, usually followed by a stream of profanity that would be a great amusement to his master(after all, Locke had certainly never heard such language from him), who could hear them through the door. But Locke is nothing if he isn't tenacious, so over the course of about two months, usually spending almost the whole day in the small room without food or drink (he almost passed out once, but that's neither here nor there), he was able to fumble his way through construction, and build his lightsaber. When he stepped from the room, grinning from ear to ear, with the oragnge blade gleaming in his hands, he informed his master that building a lightsaber is easy. "You just have to keep pounding all of the parts until the damn thing works," he had said with that smile on his face.
The Gold Horizon Year 20
Shortly after that, Locke would accompany his master on what seemed to be a routine mission. A well known, wealthy merchant would be sending his fleet from Corellia to Manaan. Locke and Tiinan were to be extra security, in addition to the merchant's own small security force, which consisted of hired mercenaries. A simple, easy mission. The merchant fleet made a planned stop in deep space, halfway through the journey to rendezvous with another part of the fleet. But the fleet never came. Instead, they were greeted by a horde of pirate vessels. Tiino called for aid from a small Republic fleet in the area, but it would be a long while before they would arrive. The few hired mercenaries in fighters were easily dispatched by the pirates, and the merchant ships were boarded. On the merchant fleet's flagship the Gold Horizon, where Locke and Tiino were stationed, a fierce battle broke out. The ship was laid out so that there were two long wings out in front that led back into the bridge, with the cargo hold in bottom of the two wings. The pirates landed a boarding party in each wing, and the defending force was split in two. Each half of the defending force was led by one of the two Jedi on board. The battle went well on Tiino's side, but Locke was faced with more problems. He had to face a larger boarding party, and his force of defenders was smaller than Tiino's. They held out bravely, but ultimately, they were overrun. Even with the amount of help Locke was (being a Jedi and all) there were simply too many pirates. Locke and what surviving security team members there were fell back, hoping buy enough time for Tiino's group to finish their fighting and come to aid them. But everything went wrong first. One of the more careless pirates, still wet behind the ears, threw a thermal detonator at Locke's group. Locke was able to deflect it back in the direction of the pirates with the Force, but it exploded in between the two groups. Locke had turned to run back, away from the explosion, and a piece of hot metal thrown by the explosion hit him in the back, cutting him from his right shoulder to the the left side of his lower back above his hip. The pain was excruciating, and Locke blacked out.
He awoke later in a hospital on Manaan. The three men left alive in his group had been the able to drag him to safety, and had sealed of the starboard wing of the Gold Horizon to contain the fire started from the explosion. They had to eject evertything in that wing into space, debris, pirates, fire, cargo. Everything in that half of the ship that hadn't been bolted down was floating out in space. Tiino's group had been able to fight off the boarders on their side, of the ship. The Republic force had arrived shortly after, but it was too late. All of the other merchant ships had been taken by the pirates, and were long gone. The Gold Horizon was the only merchant ship to survive the encounter, and was escorted to Manaan by the small Republic fleet. Locke had been put on one of the Republic ships, under the care of a medical crew. The laceration on his back wasn't fatal, though only barely. Had the cut been any deeper, it would have gone through his spinal cord, and that would have been the end of Locke Nemsee. As it was, he was left with a scar across his back, but that's much better than being dead. The mission had been a complete disaster, by the way.
Time passed, and Locke finally started closing in on mastery of mastery of Shii-Cho, so Tiino started teaching him the foundation of Soresu. Locke's main form was Makashi, and his style of fighting echoed his master's in that it was very fluid, and nice to look at. He was also decent enough with a pistol. Not a master marksman by any stretch of the imagination, but he could hold his own with gun in a hot spot. He was also getting better in his use of the Force, and was showing a particular knack for manipulating objects with the Force. He was also getting better at the fabled Jedi Mind Trick, a necessary power to someone who would want to work in the seedy underbelly of the galaxy.
Finally, the time came for knighthood.
When Locke was 22, almost 23, the his master informed him that the time had finally come for Locke to face the trials. He asked Locke if he felt he was ready, and when Locke agreed, a date was selected.
When the date arrived, Locke went down into the Trial Chambers, alone. When he reached the the entrance to the first chamber, a small holographic projector that had been jammed into a crevice in the roof projected a message before him. It read: "Abandon hope all ye who enter here." Locke could only smile. It was one last joke from his master, and as Locke had learned over the years, his way of wishing his student luck.
The first trial was the Trial of Skill. This involved two parts. The first part consisted of Locke facing a lightsaber-wielding training droid set at a much higher level than a padawan would ever face. He had to use both Shii-Cho and Makashi, and even what little he knew of Soresu to best the droid, but in the end he was able to do it. The second part of the trial involved putting together a double bladed lightsaber. The parts themselves were fake, but if they were assembled incorrectly, a microphone on the power cell would emit the phrase "Failure, please reconstruct." Locke heard that phrase many times. It took him hours to get the lightsaber together, and he almost quit in a fit of rage, but he held on, and was able to stumble his way through it.
Next was the Trial of Courage. This trial involved Locke stepping into a room filled with holographic projectors. As soon as the door closed behind him the projectors flashed to life. The scene was set. He was on a space station orbiting a gas giant. The station a was a research station, with no real security personnel other than himself. It was the site of research being done by the Republic into a new weapons technology, which under no circumstances was to fall into the hands of the enemies of the Republic. The station was assaulted by pirates. They came from everywhere. Locke, thinking quickly found a weapons Locker, and armed what scientists he could, and set about defending the base. Locke didn't need to be told there would be no reinforcements to save him this time. They fought strategically, letting certain nonessential areas fill with pirates, and then spacing the pirates. Things were going well; they were seemingly winning without a shot being fired. But the pirates started getting smart. Not every walkway was... spaceable, and some of the pirates had combat suits that would allow them to move around in space. These pirates just went through the areas that had already been opened, blowing their way through the barriers. Locke sent some of the scientists to defend areas where the pirates were breaking through, but it was only to buy time. They contiued to empty all of the walkways that could be emptied, but the pirates kept coming. Eventually, Locke and his small group were trapped in the heart of the station, with a angry pirates swarming around them. They prepared for one final fight. The pirates came surging into the room two sides. The scientist, were being killed, and eventhough Locke was killing a good number of pirates himself, he was sustaining injuries, and there was no way they could win against all of the pirates. So, he fell back to the control panel, the scant remaining scientists providing cover, and set the station to self destruct. It was the only thing he could think of to keep the pirates from gaining the technology that was held there. But the sequence would take time: five standard minutes. Locke oragaized his 3 remaining defenders to take cover at a chokepoint, on the stairway up to the control panel, which was only wide enough for one person at a time to go up. He put them at the top of the stair case, and positioned himself on the stairs. The pirates came, and they were shot down by the scientist or cut down by Locke. They were able to hold, though Locke was gaining some pretty bad injuries and was also being pushed back up the stairs. He was at the top of the stairwell when he started to think hope was lost, and then the world erupted into a wall of light and heat...
...and he found himself standing alone in the room, his clothes soaked with sweat. He went on to the next room.
The final trial Locke would face would be the Trial of the Spirit. The room for this was empty, no holoprojectors, no computer, just a room. He sat down in the middle of the room and was taken by a vision of the Force. In the vision, he witnessed the things that happened leading up to and after his birth. He watched his father be driven to addiction by the wares he was forced to sell. He watched his mother sell herself to the aristocracy in the Red Sector. He then watched them be killed like animals by Tekt, their blood pooling around the Trandoshan's feet. After this, in his vision he was taken to the present, and the Trandoshan stood before him. He (somehow) knew that the police body of Nar Shadaa was en route to the location, but he also knew he was very capable of killing the Trandoshan. But he also questioned the motives that he had for killing Tekt. He didn't know about the countless other lives Tekt and his gang ruined. He didn't care about justice. He just cared about what Tekt had done to his family. He wanted, more than anything, to hear the Trandoshan scream, to howl in pain as his parents had when Tekt had them executed. He felt a white-hot rage unlike anything he had ever felt before swell up inside of him.
"Do it," the Trandoshan had said. "Strike me down with your anger." The words struck something inside of Locke. He very nearly did kill the Trandoshan, but he knew it would be out of the urge for revenge, not for the want of justice. So he did the only other choice he could. He simply turned his back and left the Trandoshan. He passed by the Nar Shadaa security force on his way out of Tekt's compound, as they were making their way in. He didn't say a word, he just walked.
He came back into himself in the Trial room. He noticed that he was visibly shaking, and he was physically and mentally exhausted. He didn't know how he'd make it through the Trial of the Flesh. He stood, resolute to get through the Trials, and left the room.
The next room he stepped into was smaller than the others, and brightly lit. His master, Tiino Xeis stood in the center of the room, flanked by some of the members of the Jedi Council. Tiino's next words would stay with Locke forever. They were: "Well, it looks like the order has gained another Jedi Knight." Locke almost cried. His old master beckoned him forward, to kneel before him. Then, Locke was knighted, and rose a Jedi Knight. After he stood, his former teacher draped a cloak around his shoulders. It was dark brown, with the symbol for the Jedi Order embroidered on the back. A gift, from teacher to student (Locke would later have multiple copies made of this cloak, because it was dear to him as a gift from his master, and it was his only real worldly possesion, not counting his lightsaber of course. He keeps the original cloak in his quaters in the Jedi Temple). Locke asked why he didn't have to take the Trail of the Flesh, and Tiino told him that he counted his injury during the Gold Horizon mission as the Trial of the Flesh. He asked Tiino Tiino about the message at the entrance to the Trial Chambers, along with the lightsaber construction in the Trial of Skill. Tiino responded with a knowing smile; Locke swore vengeance. Locke got Tiino back a few month later, as the Iktotchi was doing some routine maintenance on his ship. The night before, Locke had been tinkering with the engine, and when Tiino went to work on it, it spewed a geyser of oils and lubricant all over the Jedi Master. When Tiino asked Locke if he'd been responsible Locke's reply was simply: "I told you I'd get you back." The two had a good laugh, as they always did after one of them fell to the other's pranks.
Locke chose to follow in his master's footsteps and become a Jedi Investigator. It was the path he had always planned on walking, but his recent enlightenments into his past only strengthened his resolve. He was sent before the Council, and after some deliberation was allowed to become one. He began to work on his own, starting with simple jobs investigation into crime syndicates and gangs. Locke became very good at hiding his ability to touch the Force during this time, after one mission was ruined by a rogue Jedi that had fallen in to collusion with a crime syndicate.
A Destined Confrontation Year 24
As fate would have it, Locke was issued a mission by the Council aid the Nar Shadaa Security Force in an infiltration mission into a gang called The Fists of the Stars. Locke accepted without hesitation. When he arrived on Nar Shadaa, he met with the officer that would be over the mission, Captain Dan Fewn. He told Locke that his job would be to infiltrate the Fists, and then to get into their hidden base. Once in, he was to alert the NSSf to the location of the base, and then to assist them in the capture of Tekt. Tekt was wanted alive. Locke agreed and the infiltration began. He started by finding one of their drug dealers, selling Crude, the same substance that had ruined his father, and made inquiries into gang membership. In order to get in, he'd have to prove himself by fighting in a raid against the rival gang the Dark Suns. He agreed, and participated in the battle, tipping off NSSF so that they would avoid it and his cover could remain secure. He proved himself in the fight, and was accepted into the gang. But, as a new recruit, he could only have access to the smaller, commonly known bases the Fists had around the planet. The NSSF had tried to infiltrate the Fists numerous times, and they had grown wary of future attempts. Locke continued to work for the Fists for months, doing as he was told, even if it violated his own code of right and wrong to gain access to the hidden headquarters. He just told himself it was for the greater good. After a few months of service, he was allowed into the headquarters. It was hidden in the lower levels of Nar Shadaa, under the guise of a shipping business. Locke waited a few weeks before calling for the NSSF. He was waiting to see Tekt. Then one day, he finally saw the him. Tekt had been offworld, negotiating a deal with one of the gang's suppliers. When Locke saw him, that same white-hot rage briefly arose within him again, but he quickly suppressed it. The time to act had come. He went to a quiet place in the base, and send an encrypted message to the NSSF with the base's location. About an hour later, the NSSF arrived, and Locke finally revealed himself. While the NSSF was busy pushing through the grunts of the gang, Locke went after Tekt. When the Trandoshan saw Locke, lightsaber burning in his hand, he bared his teeth and drew a vibroblade. The two fought, and Locke found out the Trandoshan had a blade with a cortosis weave in it. It didn't matter, though. Locke was the better duelist, and cut off Tekt's hands, leaving the Trandoshan to crumple to the floor in pain. It was then that Locke found himself in a familiar situation. Tekt was before him and there was nothing that could stop Locke from killing him. But this time, he spoke to Tekt. The conversation played out as follows:
"You don't know who I am, do you?" Locke looked down at the Trandoshan at his feet, feeling the anger rising inside of him once more.
Tekt spat at Locke, struggling in vain to try to sit himself upright. The pain from his cauterized hands was too much, though, and he slumped back down to the floor. "You are a Jedi," he spat, his voice dripping with venom. "What else is there.. ow... to need to know?"
"A little over twenty years ago, a man by the name of Gevon Nemsee came to you," Locke said flatly, keeping any emotion out of his voice. "Do you remember him?"
"Yes, yes." Tekt seemed to be struggling to remember, with his mind split between an almost blinding pain and the hatred of the man standing over him. "He was some stupid merchant that thought he could play on the Smuggler's Moon. He was run out of business by a Twi'Lek. He came looking for money, he was a fool. Why do you-"
Locke kicked Tekt in the ribs. Hard. As hard as he could. The Trandoshan closed his eyes in pain, but, to his credit, didn't scream or make any other noise. When he opened his eyes, he simply glared at Locke, his eyes burning with hate. "That 'fool' was my father," said Locke, his voice quivering from the effort of holding back his anger, "and you will not disrespect him, or I swear by whatever gods you pray to I will kill you." He took a deep breath, to calm himself. "He came to you in a time of need and you took advantage of him. He did your work for you and you killed both him and my mother. You knew they didn't have a way to repay you, you could have shown them mercy. But you didn't. You killed like animals, and then dumped them out into the streets of Nar Shadaa." Locke could feel his cheeks heating up and anger rising in his voice. His hands were clenched, and his lightsaber had exploded back to life. "I should kill you. I should kill you the same way that you killed them, laughing at you as you beg for mercy."
"Well," Tekt cut in. "Perhaps if your mother had been better with her whoring-"
Locke didn't remember slamming Tekt against the wall with a wave of the Force. He didn't remember putting his lightsaber to the Trandoshan's throat. "If you say another damn thing about either one of them, I. Will. Kill. You. I will-" he released Tekt, and stumbled back, realizing what was happening. If he killed Tekt, he would give in to the anger, the rage that lurked inside of him. That path could only lead to darkness. He looked back at the Trandoshan, who had crumpled to the floor, but still looked at him with that same glare, and suddenly he knew. He couldn't kill Tekt. Well, he could, but he wasn't going to. He would leave him for the NSSF to deal with as they saw fit. He grinned at Tekt. "You know what, pal? I'm sorry. I was very rude just then. Look, the truth of the matter is, I won't kill you." His grin deepened at the sudden hopeful look that came to Tekt's eyes. "I want to. I can't even begin to describe to you how badly I want to throttle you right now, but I won't. No, I think, I'll leave you for the NSSF instead." The look of hatred returned to Tekt's face, worse than before. "Hey, don't give me that look," Locke said innocently, raising his hands up in front of him. "It messes up your pretty face. Besides, I've heard they have wonderful prisons, where you can rot away the rest of your life in peace." Locke paused for a moment, suddenly serious. His gazed turned inward, as if he was reflecting on something. "Although," he said slowly, "I guess I should, in way be sort of thankful to you." He chuckled bitterly. "If it wasn't for what you did, I might never have become a Jedi." He paused again, thinking once more. "It's funny how our actions set can set of chains of events with such interesting outcomes, huh?" Locke didn't say this mockingly. He said it slowly, carefully, as if he had never really thought about these things before. Or perhaps realized would be a better word. His master had certainly told him, numerous times, but he actually got it now. He gave Tekt one last look, pity plain in his eyes and turned to go.
With that Locke left Tekt in the small backroom of the Fists' base. He told the NSSF, as he said, he never saw the Trandoshan gang leader again.
After the successful completion of the mission, Locke wandered the galaxy for a time, to let himself come to peace with what had happened to his parents. He then returned to his work, continuing his service to the Order against types like Tekt.
An Apprentice Year 26
When Locke was 26, he decided to take on an apprentice. It was more of a spur of the moment decision than it should have been, to be honest. You see, Locke had been thinking about taking an apprentice under his wing, but it had always been something to do later. Then, one day, while he was looking through a list of eligible padawans, he came across the profile for Jazen Solari. Jazen had lost his first master, who had mysteriously disappeared without leaving any hint as to why, or where to. In a rare moment of compassion, Locke decided to take on Jazen. The request was submitted to the Council and approved. During the two week period between the Council's decision and actually meeting Jazen, Locke started to have second thoughts. He was used to working alone, and other than the informal lesson with Tey Shaak, had never really taught anyone anything. Even more, he feared that his own weaknesses would hinder Jazen's progress, and he did not want that. As the date to meeting his student grew closer, Locke's anxiety grew worse. But it was too late to back out; the course had been chosen and there was nothing left to do but follow it.
The day finally came when Locke and Jazen met, and despite Locke's fears everything went well. The two got a long fine, and now Locke's fear has turned into eagerness be off across the galaxy on missions with his new student.
Lightsaber:Single blade, single phase Image Link
Color: Yellow-Orange
Locke's original lightsaber, and his main one
Lightsaber: Shoto, single phase Image Link
Color: Red
This shoto saber originally belonged to Vorxere, one of the Dark Ladies of the Sith. It was thrown at him in an attack during the battle in Delspoden Stadium on Druckenwell. Locke decided to keep it and has since taken to using it as a backup saber, despite its red hue and the connotation that comes with it.
Note: Neither of these pictures are mine. All credit goes to their artist.
Locke's Blaster Pistol
Practiced Lightsaber forms:
Shii-Cho: 5
Makashi: 4
Soresu: 2
Ataru: N/A
Shien / Djem So N/A
>>Sub-form Backhanded N/A
Niman N/A
>>Sub-form Jar-kai, or Dual Wield N/A
Juyo N/A
Double Bladed CombatN/A
Force-Sensitive Abilities or practices: N/A
Telekinetic: 7
Telepathic: 6
Body: 3
Sense: 5
Protection: 6
Healing: 2
Destruction: 0
Specialized Skills:
Comprehend Speech
Force Concealment
Languages spoken:
Basic (obviously)
Huttese- fluent
Smuggler's Cant- fluent
Durese- beginner
Rodese- moderate
High Galactic- fluent
Attributes:
Physical Strength: 5
Intelligence: 7
Speed: 7
Leadership: 5
Unarmed: 6
Melee Weapons: 4
Ranged Weapons: 6
Force Attunement:+4
RP Sample:
Thoughts are italicized, speech in teal.
Locke Nemsee walked confidently up to the door of an infamous cantina in Cloud City on Bespin. He needed to get in to arrest a wanted criminal, a Twi'Lek by the name of Ger'nest Rezves. Time was of the essence, however. His sources claimed that a Ger'nest would be fleeing the bar through a secret exit, and Locke had sunk too much time into this to let him slip away. Locke was dressed in his undercover attire, lightsaber hilt hidden away up his right sleeve. The sky was the brilliant orange of sunset in Cloud City, with a brisk breeze blowing across the walkway that led to the cantina.
"Wait, " the bouncer, a Rodian, said in Rodese. "You got reservations?"
Locke eyed the Rodian quickly. They were about the same size, though the Rodian was a little on the fat side. He ran his hands through his dark hair in mild irritation, before waving dismissively at the Rodian. "I don't need reservations", he said, employing the famous Jedi Mind Trick.
"Yes, you do."
Locke simply stared at the Rodian, dumbfounded. You've got to be flippin' kidding me, he thought. Not now, of all times. He tried once more, waving his hand at the Rodian and said "You want to let me in."
"No," the Rodian said. "No, I don't." This time the Rodian spoke in Basic. "You're not from around here, are you, buddy? Cause no one gets into Jeer's without a reservation." The Rodian tilted his head a little, as if sizing up Locke. "Now, screw off before I break your legs."
Locke was once again dumbfounded. Not only was the Rodian not falling for the mind trick, he was too stupid to get that Locke was a Jedi. Locke stared at the Rodian, his jaw working as he tried to think of something to say. I don't have time for this. I should just throw him over the side and break in. But I bet he has a key. His temples started throbbing, the headache he had from earlier in the morning that had left him in a foul mood returning. Well I guess there's no easy way to do this, so I might as well get it over with. He looked around to make sure there weren't any observers. When he saw that they were alone, he pulled the Rodian to him with the Force, turned him around, and ignited his lightsaber, placing it across the Rodian's throat. "Break my legs, you said? That's funny." He started walking both of them toward the door. "Listen. I am, incase that stupid brain of yours hasn't figure it out, a Jedi. I have seen men die in more horrible ways than you can imagine." He stopped the Rodian in front of the door to the cantina. "To add to that, I'm in a really bad mood. So you're going to open this door and let me in because I have very important business to attend to, and if the person I'm supposed to be meeting is gone when I get in there," he paused. "Well, then i guess I'll call fire and lightning from the sky and kill you. Then I'll split you open and dance in your entrails in the middle of the street, got it?" Locke grinned wickedly, though he knew the Rodian couldn't see it. "So open this door, before I kill you." Locke was pleased with his deliverance. He had sounded convincing enough. Not that he could actually call fire and lightning from the sky, but the Rodian probably didn't know that.
"Of c-c-course J-Jedi." The Rodian was quaking with fear. He reached out and ran a card key over a scanner next to the door. "There you a-a-are."
Locke let the Rodian go, and held out his hand. "Give me that card key." The Rodian handed it to him without question. "Now," Locke said, once again employing the Mind Trick, "you are going to get very drunk and forget you ever saw me, got it?" He pressed a decent amount of credits into the Rodian's hand; they would convince him if the Mind Trick didn't. "You are going to get very drunk in any cantina but this one, got it?"
"Yes, Jedi, of course." The Rodian's stuttering had been cleared up by the presence of fresh money in his hand. At a motion from Locke he scurried off into the city.
Locke turned and went through the now open door into the entrance hallway, running a hand over the short brown stubble that coated his jaw. All of that trouble to get into a damn door, he thought. He rubbed his temples, his headache was growing; the throbbing felt like someone was beating a drum in his head. All things considered, his mood had only grown worse since arriving at Jeer's. "This Twi'Lek better make things easy, or there's gonna be a whole lot of trouble," he muttered under is breath. With that, he stepped into the cantina.
Edit note:
3/3/10, Added lightsaber picture
Race: Human
Age: 28
Birthplace: Nar Shaddaa
Allegiance: Jedi Order
Status: Jedi Knight
Rank: Jedi Investigator/Blade of the Order
Height/Weight: 5’10”/159 lbs
Appearance:
Well, I found this and I was like, "I can see Locke in that!" Or at least the coat. Perhaps the armor when needed, but when not, I'm just gonna say his in a robe that's the same color as that dark-ish brown non-armored part of the outfit. It should be noted that this is just for his clothing, not the face. And the sword and earpiece thing are not there. Obviously, this is not my picture
He wears standard Jedi utility belt, and keeps his lightsaber on his left side, and a blaster pistol in a holster behind the saber. Over all of this he wears a dark brown hooded cloak.
His attire shifts when he goes undercover, depending on the situation and what's called for.
As for his physical appearance, Locke is of average height. He is slender, though in very good shape, with a very lean build and muscles that are lithe and dense, rather than large. He has olive-colored skin. His hair is dark brown, and hangs freely around his face, and to his shoulders. He has a beard, though he keeps it shaved short. His eyes are a stony grey. He has a jagged scar that runs across his back from his right shoulder to down on the left side of his back just above his hip. Locke is also ambidextrous, though when fighting with a saber, he is much more inclined to use his right hand than his left. His left his often used for his pistol, and he's known to use both weapons at once.
Mmk, so I've had a few people ask if I have an image in mind or a likeness for Locke's face. If I had to go with anything, the closest thing by far to what I have in my head would be this. That's right, Locke's
When Locke moves, he carries himself briskly. He usually holds himself up tall and moves in a manner that oozes self-confidence, almost arrogance.
Personality: Locke is a smartass. He's sometimes quite rude, and won't hesitate to make an insult or snide joke when the opportunity arises. On top of that, he has quite the problem with profanity. And, depending on the mission, has no problems with using bribes or coercion to get the job done. But other than that, he's affable, and fairly easy to get along with. He likes to laugh, and to enjoy life. He's a good person to have on your side; once he's devoted to a cause he'll pursue it with the utmost devotion. He's not someone you'd want as an enemy for the same reason. When he's afraid, or very stressed, he has a habit of talking to himself.
Ships/Vehicles: N/A
Equipment:
- Lightsaber:Single blade, single phase Image Link
Color: Yellow-Orange
Locke's original lightsaber, and his main one - Lightsaber: Shoto, single phase Image Link
Color: Red
This shoto saber originally belonged to Vorxere, one of the Dark Ladies of the Sith. It was thrown at him in an attack during the battle in Delspoden Stadium on Druckenwell. Locke decided to keep it and has since taken to using it as a backup saber, despite its red hue and the connotation that comes with it. - Locke's Blaster Pistol
Strength - Average
Agility - Superior
Intelligence - Superior
Charisma – Above Average
Lightsaber Training:
Shii-Cho- Master
Makashi- Master
Soresu- Adept
Force Stats:
Telekinetic- Expert
Telepathic- Expert
Body- Apprentice
Sense- Adept
Protection- Adept
Healing– Novice
Destruction– Untrained
Combat Training:
Pistols – Expert
Rifles – Adept
CQC/Broken Gate – Adept
Force Training:
Comprehend Speech – Master
Force Concealment – Master
Other Training:
Impersonation/Disguise – Expert
Drinking – Expert
Languages:
Basic (obviously)
Huttese- fluent
Smuggler's Cant- fluent
Durese- beginner
Rodese- moderate
High Galactic- fluent
Bio:
Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man
But as sure as God made black and white
What's done in the dark will be brought to the light
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man
But as sure as God made black and white
What's done in the dark will be brought to the light
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Childhood
Years 1-13
Locke was born into poverty. Extreme poverty. The kind of poverty that would make a songwriter weep and even a Wookie cry out in anguish. Okay, so maybe it wasn't that bad, but his family had a very rough life.
Allow me to explain.
You see, Locke was born to Aza and Gevon Nemsee. His father, Gevon had, at one time, been a fairly well to do merchant who traveled the galaxy, selling mechanical things. For spaceships and speeders and such. He eventually met Locke's mother, Aza, and the two settled down on Nar Shadaa. For a time, all was well in the family. However, after a while, the dealings and scheming of Gevon's chief competitor, a Twi'Lek named Cos'te So'nyell, forced Gevon to abandon his business. In an effort to buy time, Gevon and Aza sold a great deal of their worldly possessions, their starship, jewelry, family heirlooms, anything to keep them from being forced out of their home. At least until Gevon could find another source of income. They were only delaying the inevitable. Another job was never found, and they were forced out onto the streets of the Smugglers' Moon. It was then that they first realized that Aza was pregnant with Locke.
So, in a desperate attempt to secure some source of income to support the coming child, Gevon turned to beings that should have been left alone. He turned to a group called the Fists of the Stars, an up-and-coming gang fighting to make themselves known on Nar Shadaa. He struck a deal with them. He could borrow money from them as long as he sold their drugs, using some of the drug money to pay back a ridiculous amount of interest. He knew it was a bad deal, but desperation ruled is mind, and his heart. So Gevon toiled away, selling the wares of his new masters, and the birth date of Locke moved closer. But, as Locke's birth date moved closer, disaster struck. Gevon had not been able to resist the temptation of the drugs he was forced to sell, and became addicted. Maddeningly, hopelessly addicted. Aza and Gevon could barely afford to keep themselves alive with the money gained from the Fists, and they didn't have a clue how they'd pay back the loans, let alone the interest.
So this is the world Locke was born into. Two parents that could barely support themselves, one of whom too addicted to drugs to be of any real help. Locke's mother did the best she could to keep Locke happy, and the simple lack of understanding that sheltered Locke at his young age shielded him from the worst. Things continued as they were for about a year.
So, this is the point where things started to take a serious turn for the worst. Aza, aware that Gevon was starting to pull more and more from the Fists to support his own habits, knew should would have to do something to get a little bit more money flowing to the family. Locke was growing, and was becoming more of a drain on the family's scant resources. So, a decision would have to be made. She could confront Gevon, and risk tearing the family apart, jeopardizing the well being of her child in the process, or she could do something herself to try to add another source of income. She opted for the latter. And while the love of a mother is surely one of the strongest forces in the universe, in the case, it may have blinded her, and forced her down a road of shame.
You see, for a few months, Aza tried, very hard, to find a decent, somewhat respectable line of work. But she could find nothing. As time went by, and the situation grew more and more desperate, her choices narrowed. And even then, one choice loomed, darkly and silently in the back of her mind. The infamous (or famous, it's a matter of perspective, really) Red Sector of Nar Shadaa. As all other hope faded, it stood, steadfast and unmoving in her subconscious. Eventually, every other option failed. And so she did what she had to do. As a mother, for the love of her son, and the desire to give him a better life, she did what she felt she had to do, her burning love giving her over to shame. And what hurt her more than anything was the knowledge that her husband was too far gone into his addiction to care. Or maybe too far gone to even notice.
And that's all that will be said about that.
For another year, things continued on like this, until finally, so many unaswered prayers seemed to finally be heard. But, it would also be the end for Gevon an Aza.
When Locke was a little over two years old, some fortune finally came to the Nemsee family. A Jedi Knight, an Iktotchi by the name of Tiino Xeis crossed their path. He was on a mission to Nar Shadaa to investigate reports of an attempt on the life of a Senator. His search had brought him to the lower levels of Nar Shadaa, the cesspit that the Nemsees resided in. While he was investigating, he was led by the Force to the abandoned warehouse the Nemsees had taken up residence in. Gevon was gone, as he often was, but Aza was there with Locke. Tiino informed Aza that her son was Force-sensitive, and with training could become a Jedi. Aza cried. But for the first time in years, she cried for joy. She told Tiino that she would want nothing more than for her child to be a Jedi, and to be able to have access to a better quality of life than they could give him. She wanted Tiino to wait with her for a little while, so that Gevon could know when he returned from his time out. But, after a few hours, it became appartent he wouldn't return, so Aza sent of Locke and Tiino with her blessing.
That was the last time Locke and his family were ever together, and not only because he would become a Jedi. You see, Gevon had been gone longer because he was desperately trying to appeal to the leader of the Fists to have mercy on both him and his wife. Gevon's addiction had grown stronger over the years, and eventually, he started stealing from the supply of drugs the Fists gave him to sell. Needless to say, when the leader, a Trandoshan named Tekt, found out he was not at all pleased. The stealing, in addition to the credits being loaned out to the Nemsees without repayment, pushed him past the breaking point. He had Aza dragged before him, along with Gevon and demanded repayment. When it was apparent they had no way to do this. He had them killed.
And that was the end of Aza and Gevon. However, it would not be the end of the affairs between the Nemsee family and the Fists.
Now, once Tiino finished with his mission, Locke was taken to Coruscant, the heart of Jedi power. Locke was tested, and approved to become a youngling in the Order, and thus was the real beginning of Locke's story.
The first few years of his time with the Jedi were nothing remarkable, he learned to touch the Force as other Younglings do, began learning how to use a lightsaber. He was average, for the time being, neither a shining star, nor an obviously troubled student.
When he Locke reached the age around seven, things started happening. Or perhaps changing would be a better way to phrase it. Up to this point, he had been a fairly quiet boy. He kept to himself, didn't cause trouble, stayed away from trouble be caused by other students, etc. He was well liked by older members of the Order for these qualities. But at around seven years old, he started changing. His real personality started to emerge, one that hasn't really changed (some say it's only gotten worse)up to the present time. You see, Locke started to become... well, a smartass. Unrepentantly. In the beginning it just surfaced as a sudden streak of insubordination, and faded back into silence after a while. But it would return.
His learning continued, with relatively little disturbance, not counting the occasional rearing of his bad sid, until the age of thirteen, when he became a padawan.
Padawan
Years 13-22
Locke was apprenticed to the Jedi Knight that found him, Tiino Xeis. Tiino was a Jedi Investigator, and this, as one would expect, would have a great effect on Locke and the role he would want to play in the Order. But more on that later.
From the beginning, Locke and Tiino were a great pair. Locke was always very inquisitive around his master, asking him seemingly anything and everything that popped to into his head. About the Jedi Order, the Republic, life, the Sith, criminals, bounty hunters, it didn't matter.
Tiino was not what one would expect when told of a Jedi. He was very blunt, more than a little rude, and had a horrible profanity problem, all things that only encouraged the hidden "bad" side of Locke to come out. However, the Knight had a strong sense of justice, and would never hesitate to help someone in need, also things that would influence Locke later. The two would also develop a habit of occasionally pulling pranks on each other.
So, after spending a few months getting used to each other, Locke's real training began with Tiino. Tiino started daily lightsaber drills with Locke, to help him get to the point where he could master Shii-Cho, and start learning other forms, "real" form, as Tiino called them. He would randomly quiz Locke on seemingly any subject as the two traveled the galaxy, and if Locke's performance was poor, he was usually given some rather devious punishment. Nothing harmful, mind you but the sort of thing that would make a 13 year old boy cringe, cleaning work on Tiino's seemingly perpetually filthy vessel, reading assignments into the histories of the Jedi or the Republic, things like that.
Years passed, and Locke steadily grew. He assisted Tiino on many of his missions into the world of crime. He steadily moved closer to mastering Shii-Cho, he learned how to pilot a fighter, how to deal with the ne'er do wells of the galaxy, or how to deal with Senators and nobility. It was during this time that Locke started to show his intelligence. Now, it wasn't an academic intelligence per se, though Locke wasn't stupid; it was more of a... cleverness. He was cunning, and had a knack for figuring things out instinctively. As Long as it wasn't anything mechanical, but I digress, more on that later. Tiino also started showing Locke how to use a blaster because if Locke wanted to go down the path of becoming a Jedi Investigator, as he had expressed interest in, there were times, where, as Tiinno put it "running around waving a lightsaber about like a loony" wasn't the best idea. But one thing had yet to be done. He was 15, gaining on 16 and he had yet to build, or even be allowed to attempt to build a lightsaber. Now, to a young teenage boy, rash by all accounts, this was an outrage. Surely his master had forgotten. So one day he brought it up to Tiino. The Iktotchi just laughed and told Locke he'd get to try when he was ready. Over the next few months though, Locke continued to pester his master until Tiino finally gave in. He took the lightsaber that he let Locke use apart and set all of the components before the boy. He told Locke that if he could reassemble it, he would be allowed to build his own. The word 'failure' can not even begin to describe the results of Locke's attempt. He somehow got wires twisted on the power cell, causing the power to loop back into the cell improperly, and almost made it explode. Not to mention the numerous pins and screws that should have been in the lightsaber that Locke somehow managed to forget to put in. Needless to say, he didn't question his master's instruction (at least with regard to lightsaber construction) again.
Time contiued to march onward, and Locke's training went well. He didn't really show an extreme amount of talent in either combat or the Force; that's not to say he wasn't good, but he was balanced between the two. Now, if there is one thing to be said about a strength of Locke's it would be his speed. He was fairly average in terms of strength, a bit weaker that some of his peers, in fact, but he had fast hands and was quick on his feet.
By the time he was 17, his master decided that, though he hadn't completely mastered Shii-Cho yet, it was time for Locke to start learning another lightsaber form. Tiino was a master of Form II, Makashi, and also was pretty good at Form III, Soresu, so those would be the forms Locke would go to learn. Tiino started by teaching Locke Makashi, in addition to his Shii-Cho lesson. A few years down the line, when Locke had mastered Shii-Cho, Tiino would replace those lessons with groundwork for Soresu. Tiino had a very classical style of fighting, very much like fencing, and this is echoed in Locke's own fighting style. One method that he used to teach, which Locke became very fond of was to fight in a tempo, if possible, and settling in to it. Then, once the opponent had started to get used to it, abruptly change the tempo to throw them off. Just a slight pause to throw things off by half a beat or so was usually enough to throw someone off enough to break through their defenses, though it obviously depended on the skill of the foe. Locke's natural speed and agility went well with Makashi, and Tiino's training helped him develop that natural speed even more.
Constructing a Lightsaber Year 18
Finally, as Locke's nineteenth birthday approached, Tiino informed him that he believed Locke was ready to construct a lightsaber. So Locke's instruction on the construction of a lightsaber began. One thing you must now about Locke is that he is by no means a mechanical person. He struggled through Tiino's lightsaber construction lessons more than almost anything else his master ever taught him. But eventually, he was able to get enough of a grasp on the subject that his master allowed him to take on the challenge.
He took Locke to Dantooine, to the famous crystal cave on the plains of Khooda. He escorted Locke in, to make sure the way was safe; the cave was known to be inhabited by Kath Hounds and Viper Kinraths. The way was clear however, and when they reached the entrance to the crystal chamber, Tiino went a ways back out, patrolling the path to and from the chamber to make sure Locke would remain safe.When Locke entered the area with all of the crystals, his breath was taken away. An almost nauseating array of crystals bloomed before him, each of them seeming, to him, to almost pulse with energy from the Force. He stood there, dumbfounded for so long that he lost track of time, awed at the majesty of the crystal array. As he stood there, wondering how he was supposed to go about selecting one for himself, he felt it. A pull, in the Force. It was very faint, and for a while, he didn't even notice it. But when he did, he meditated, trying to focus in on the pull. Once he had a better sense of it, he followed it. It led him down to a small orange crystal formation, by the side of a small pool of water. He knew that this formation would be the one that his crystal came from. He reached out to take a crystal from the formation. However, the edges of the crystals were sharp. Very sharp. He cut his fingers on the crystals. After a few tries, and few more bloody fingers later, he was able to free a one of the light orange crystals from the formation, and exited the cave. When Tiino saw his bleeding fingers, he inquired into what had happened in the cave. Locke told him about the sharpness of the crystals, and Tiino laughed, saying it suited Locke's sharp tongue. Locke responded by making a ribald joke about the Iktotchi that shan't be repeated here. Tiino got a huge kick out of it, though. After the crystal was aquired, Tiino would have Locke meditate over it for several hours a day, for a bout a week and a half, to imbue the crystal with the Force, and to develop a bond with.
The next step for Locke would be the actual construction of his lightsaber. Tiino let Locke use the meditation room on his spaceship, and once more left Locke alone with the pieces he would need to build his saber. Since his bandaged fingers were beyond useless at this point, Locke used the Force to fit the pieces together, for the first few days, though the process was still about as frustrating for Locke as it would be with his hands. As I have said, Locke is not a mechanical person. At all. This was compounded by the fact that he wanted to build a lightsaber with a slight curve to the hilt, a common practice for practitioners of Form II. His first 3 attempts, spread out over the course of about a month and a half were failures, usually followed by a stream of profanity that would be a great amusement to his master(after all, Locke had certainly never heard such language from him), who could hear them through the door. But Locke is nothing if he isn't tenacious, so over the course of about two months, usually spending almost the whole day in the small room without food or drink (he almost passed out once, but that's neither here nor there), he was able to fumble his way through construction, and build his lightsaber. When he stepped from the room, grinning from ear to ear, with the oragnge blade gleaming in his hands, he informed his master that building a lightsaber is easy. "You just have to keep pounding all of the parts until the damn thing works," he had said with that smile on his face.
The Gold Horizon Year 20
Shortly after that, Locke would accompany his master on what seemed to be a routine mission. A well known, wealthy merchant would be sending his fleet from Corellia to Manaan. Locke and Tiinan were to be extra security, in addition to the merchant's own small security force, which consisted of hired mercenaries. A simple, easy mission. The merchant fleet made a planned stop in deep space, halfway through the journey to rendezvous with another part of the fleet. But the fleet never came. Instead, they were greeted by a horde of pirate vessels. Tiino called for aid from a small Republic fleet in the area, but it would be a long while before they would arrive. The few hired mercenaries in fighters were easily dispatched by the pirates, and the merchant ships were boarded. On the merchant fleet's flagship the Gold Horizon, where Locke and Tiino were stationed, a fierce battle broke out. The ship was laid out so that there were two long wings out in front that led back into the bridge, with the cargo hold in bottom of the two wings. The pirates landed a boarding party in each wing, and the defending force was split in two. Each half of the defending force was led by one of the two Jedi on board. The battle went well on Tiino's side, but Locke was faced with more problems. He had to face a larger boarding party, and his force of defenders was smaller than Tiino's. They held out bravely, but ultimately, they were overrun. Even with the amount of help Locke was (being a Jedi and all) there were simply too many pirates. Locke and what surviving security team members there were fell back, hoping buy enough time for Tiino's group to finish their fighting and come to aid them. But everything went wrong first. One of the more careless pirates, still wet behind the ears, threw a thermal detonator at Locke's group. Locke was able to deflect it back in the direction of the pirates with the Force, but it exploded in between the two groups. Locke had turned to run back, away from the explosion, and a piece of hot metal thrown by the explosion hit him in the back, cutting him from his right shoulder to the the left side of his lower back above his hip. The pain was excruciating, and Locke blacked out.
He awoke later in a hospital on Manaan. The three men left alive in his group had been the able to drag him to safety, and had sealed of the starboard wing of the Gold Horizon to contain the fire started from the explosion. They had to eject evertything in that wing into space, debris, pirates, fire, cargo. Everything in that half of the ship that hadn't been bolted down was floating out in space. Tiino's group had been able to fight off the boarders on their side, of the ship. The Republic force had arrived shortly after, but it was too late. All of the other merchant ships had been taken by the pirates, and were long gone. The Gold Horizon was the only merchant ship to survive the encounter, and was escorted to Manaan by the small Republic fleet. Locke had been put on one of the Republic ships, under the care of a medical crew. The laceration on his back wasn't fatal, though only barely. Had the cut been any deeper, it would have gone through his spinal cord, and that would have been the end of Locke Nemsee. As it was, he was left with a scar across his back, but that's much better than being dead. The mission had been a complete disaster, by the way.
Time passed, and Locke finally started closing in on mastery of mastery of Shii-Cho, so Tiino started teaching him the foundation of Soresu. Locke's main form was Makashi, and his style of fighting echoed his master's in that it was very fluid, and nice to look at. He was also decent enough with a pistol. Not a master marksman by any stretch of the imagination, but he could hold his own with gun in a hot spot. He was also getting better in his use of the Force, and was showing a particular knack for manipulating objects with the Force. He was also getting better at the fabled Jedi Mind Trick, a necessary power to someone who would want to work in the seedy underbelly of the galaxy.
Finally, the time came for knighthood.
The Trials
Year 22
When Locke was 22, almost 23, the his master informed him that the time had finally come for Locke to face the trials. He asked Locke if he felt he was ready, and when Locke agreed, a date was selected.
When the date arrived, Locke went down into the Trial Chambers, alone. When he reached the the entrance to the first chamber, a small holographic projector that had been jammed into a crevice in the roof projected a message before him. It read: "Abandon hope all ye who enter here." Locke could only smile. It was one last joke from his master, and as Locke had learned over the years, his way of wishing his student luck.
The first trial was the Trial of Skill. This involved two parts. The first part consisted of Locke facing a lightsaber-wielding training droid set at a much higher level than a padawan would ever face. He had to use both Shii-Cho and Makashi, and even what little he knew of Soresu to best the droid, but in the end he was able to do it. The second part of the trial involved putting together a double bladed lightsaber. The parts themselves were fake, but if they were assembled incorrectly, a microphone on the power cell would emit the phrase "Failure, please reconstruct." Locke heard that phrase many times. It took him hours to get the lightsaber together, and he almost quit in a fit of rage, but he held on, and was able to stumble his way through it.
Next was the Trial of Courage. This trial involved Locke stepping into a room filled with holographic projectors. As soon as the door closed behind him the projectors flashed to life. The scene was set. He was on a space station orbiting a gas giant. The station a was a research station, with no real security personnel other than himself. It was the site of research being done by the Republic into a new weapons technology, which under no circumstances was to fall into the hands of the enemies of the Republic. The station was assaulted by pirates. They came from everywhere. Locke, thinking quickly found a weapons Locker, and armed what scientists he could, and set about defending the base. Locke didn't need to be told there would be no reinforcements to save him this time. They fought strategically, letting certain nonessential areas fill with pirates, and then spacing the pirates. Things were going well; they were seemingly winning without a shot being fired. But the pirates started getting smart. Not every walkway was... spaceable, and some of the pirates had combat suits that would allow them to move around in space. These pirates just went through the areas that had already been opened, blowing their way through the barriers. Locke sent some of the scientists to defend areas where the pirates were breaking through, but it was only to buy time. They contiued to empty all of the walkways that could be emptied, but the pirates kept coming. Eventually, Locke and his small group were trapped in the heart of the station, with a angry pirates swarming around them. They prepared for one final fight. The pirates came surging into the room two sides. The scientist, were being killed, and eventhough Locke was killing a good number of pirates himself, he was sustaining injuries, and there was no way they could win against all of the pirates. So, he fell back to the control panel, the scant remaining scientists providing cover, and set the station to self destruct. It was the only thing he could think of to keep the pirates from gaining the technology that was held there. But the sequence would take time: five standard minutes. Locke oragaized his 3 remaining defenders to take cover at a chokepoint, on the stairway up to the control panel, which was only wide enough for one person at a time to go up. He put them at the top of the stair case, and positioned himself on the stairs. The pirates came, and they were shot down by the scientist or cut down by Locke. They were able to hold, though Locke was gaining some pretty bad injuries and was also being pushed back up the stairs. He was at the top of the stairwell when he started to think hope was lost, and then the world erupted into a wall of light and heat...
...and he found himself standing alone in the room, his clothes soaked with sweat. He went on to the next room.
The final trial Locke would face would be the Trial of the Spirit. The room for this was empty, no holoprojectors, no computer, just a room. He sat down in the middle of the room and was taken by a vision of the Force. In the vision, he witnessed the things that happened leading up to and after his birth. He watched his father be driven to addiction by the wares he was forced to sell. He watched his mother sell herself to the aristocracy in the Red Sector. He then watched them be killed like animals by Tekt, their blood pooling around the Trandoshan's feet. After this, in his vision he was taken to the present, and the Trandoshan stood before him. He (somehow) knew that the police body of Nar Shadaa was en route to the location, but he also knew he was very capable of killing the Trandoshan. But he also questioned the motives that he had for killing Tekt. He didn't know about the countless other lives Tekt and his gang ruined. He didn't care about justice. He just cared about what Tekt had done to his family. He wanted, more than anything, to hear the Trandoshan scream, to howl in pain as his parents had when Tekt had them executed. He felt a white-hot rage unlike anything he had ever felt before swell up inside of him.
"Do it," the Trandoshan had said. "Strike me down with your anger." The words struck something inside of Locke. He very nearly did kill the Trandoshan, but he knew it would be out of the urge for revenge, not for the want of justice. So he did the only other choice he could. He simply turned his back and left the Trandoshan. He passed by the Nar Shadaa security force on his way out of Tekt's compound, as they were making their way in. He didn't say a word, he just walked.
He came back into himself in the Trial room. He noticed that he was visibly shaking, and he was physically and mentally exhausted. He didn't know how he'd make it through the Trial of the Flesh. He stood, resolute to get through the Trials, and left the room.
The next room he stepped into was smaller than the others, and brightly lit. His master, Tiino Xeis stood in the center of the room, flanked by some of the members of the Jedi Council. Tiino's next words would stay with Locke forever. They were: "Well, it looks like the order has gained another Jedi Knight." Locke almost cried. His old master beckoned him forward, to kneel before him. Then, Locke was knighted, and rose a Jedi Knight. After he stood, his former teacher draped a cloak around his shoulders. It was dark brown, with the symbol for the Jedi Order embroidered on the back. A gift, from teacher to student (Locke would later have multiple copies made of this cloak, because it was dear to him as a gift from his master, and it was his only real worldly possesion, not counting his lightsaber of course. He keeps the original cloak in his quaters in the Jedi Temple). Locke asked why he didn't have to take the Trail of the Flesh, and Tiino told him that he counted his injury during the Gold Horizon mission as the Trial of the Flesh. He asked Tiino Tiino about the message at the entrance to the Trial Chambers, along with the lightsaber construction in the Trial of Skill. Tiino responded with a knowing smile; Locke swore vengeance. Locke got Tiino back a few month later, as the Iktotchi was doing some routine maintenance on his ship. The night before, Locke had been tinkering with the engine, and when Tiino went to work on it, it spewed a geyser of oils and lubricant all over the Jedi Master. When Tiino asked Locke if he'd been responsible Locke's reply was simply: "I told you I'd get you back." The two had a good laugh, as they always did after one of them fell to the other's pranks.
Knighthood
Years 22-26
Locke chose to follow in his master's footsteps and become a Jedi Investigator. It was the path he had always planned on walking, but his recent enlightenments into his past only strengthened his resolve. He was sent before the Council, and after some deliberation was allowed to become one. He began to work on his own, starting with simple jobs investigation into crime syndicates and gangs. Locke became very good at hiding his ability to touch the Force during this time, after one mission was ruined by a rogue Jedi that had fallen in to collusion with a crime syndicate.
A Destined Confrontation Year 24
As fate would have it, Locke was issued a mission by the Council aid the Nar Shadaa Security Force in an infiltration mission into a gang called The Fists of the Stars. Locke accepted without hesitation. When he arrived on Nar Shadaa, he met with the officer that would be over the mission, Captain Dan Fewn. He told Locke that his job would be to infiltrate the Fists, and then to get into their hidden base. Once in, he was to alert the NSSf to the location of the base, and then to assist them in the capture of Tekt. Tekt was wanted alive. Locke agreed and the infiltration began. He started by finding one of their drug dealers, selling Crude, the same substance that had ruined his father, and made inquiries into gang membership. In order to get in, he'd have to prove himself by fighting in a raid against the rival gang the Dark Suns. He agreed, and participated in the battle, tipping off NSSF so that they would avoid it and his cover could remain secure. He proved himself in the fight, and was accepted into the gang. But, as a new recruit, he could only have access to the smaller, commonly known bases the Fists had around the planet. The NSSF had tried to infiltrate the Fists numerous times, and they had grown wary of future attempts. Locke continued to work for the Fists for months, doing as he was told, even if it violated his own code of right and wrong to gain access to the hidden headquarters. He just told himself it was for the greater good. After a few months of service, he was allowed into the headquarters. It was hidden in the lower levels of Nar Shadaa, under the guise of a shipping business. Locke waited a few weeks before calling for the NSSF. He was waiting to see Tekt. Then one day, he finally saw the him. Tekt had been offworld, negotiating a deal with one of the gang's suppliers. When Locke saw him, that same white-hot rage briefly arose within him again, but he quickly suppressed it. The time to act had come. He went to a quiet place in the base, and send an encrypted message to the NSSF with the base's location. About an hour later, the NSSF arrived, and Locke finally revealed himself. While the NSSF was busy pushing through the grunts of the gang, Locke went after Tekt. When the Trandoshan saw Locke, lightsaber burning in his hand, he bared his teeth and drew a vibroblade. The two fought, and Locke found out the Trandoshan had a blade with a cortosis weave in it. It didn't matter, though. Locke was the better duelist, and cut off Tekt's hands, leaving the Trandoshan to crumple to the floor in pain. It was then that Locke found himself in a familiar situation. Tekt was before him and there was nothing that could stop Locke from killing him. But this time, he spoke to Tekt. The conversation played out as follows:
"You don't know who I am, do you?" Locke looked down at the Trandoshan at his feet, feeling the anger rising inside of him once more.
Tekt spat at Locke, struggling in vain to try to sit himself upright. The pain from his cauterized hands was too much, though, and he slumped back down to the floor. "You are a Jedi," he spat, his voice dripping with venom. "What else is there.. ow... to need to know?"
"A little over twenty years ago, a man by the name of Gevon Nemsee came to you," Locke said flatly, keeping any emotion out of his voice. "Do you remember him?"
"Yes, yes." Tekt seemed to be struggling to remember, with his mind split between an almost blinding pain and the hatred of the man standing over him. "He was some stupid merchant that thought he could play on the Smuggler's Moon. He was run out of business by a Twi'Lek. He came looking for money, he was a fool. Why do you-"
Locke kicked Tekt in the ribs. Hard. As hard as he could. The Trandoshan closed his eyes in pain, but, to his credit, didn't scream or make any other noise. When he opened his eyes, he simply glared at Locke, his eyes burning with hate. "That 'fool' was my father," said Locke, his voice quivering from the effort of holding back his anger, "and you will not disrespect him, or I swear by whatever gods you pray to I will kill you." He took a deep breath, to calm himself. "He came to you in a time of need and you took advantage of him. He did your work for you and you killed both him and my mother. You knew they didn't have a way to repay you, you could have shown them mercy. But you didn't. You killed like animals, and then dumped them out into the streets of Nar Shadaa." Locke could feel his cheeks heating up and anger rising in his voice. His hands were clenched, and his lightsaber had exploded back to life. "I should kill you. I should kill you the same way that you killed them, laughing at you as you beg for mercy."
"Well," Tekt cut in. "Perhaps if your mother had been better with her whoring-"
Locke didn't remember slamming Tekt against the wall with a wave of the Force. He didn't remember putting his lightsaber to the Trandoshan's throat. "If you say another damn thing about either one of them, I. Will. Kill. You. I will-" he released Tekt, and stumbled back, realizing what was happening. If he killed Tekt, he would give in to the anger, the rage that lurked inside of him. That path could only lead to darkness. He looked back at the Trandoshan, who had crumpled to the floor, but still looked at him with that same glare, and suddenly he knew. He couldn't kill Tekt. Well, he could, but he wasn't going to. He would leave him for the NSSF to deal with as they saw fit. He grinned at Tekt. "You know what, pal? I'm sorry. I was very rude just then. Look, the truth of the matter is, I won't kill you." His grin deepened at the sudden hopeful look that came to Tekt's eyes. "I want to. I can't even begin to describe to you how badly I want to throttle you right now, but I won't. No, I think, I'll leave you for the NSSF instead." The look of hatred returned to Tekt's face, worse than before. "Hey, don't give me that look," Locke said innocently, raising his hands up in front of him. "It messes up your pretty face. Besides, I've heard they have wonderful prisons, where you can rot away the rest of your life in peace." Locke paused for a moment, suddenly serious. His gazed turned inward, as if he was reflecting on something. "Although," he said slowly, "I guess I should, in way be sort of thankful to you." He chuckled bitterly. "If it wasn't for what you did, I might never have become a Jedi." He paused again, thinking once more. "It's funny how our actions set can set of chains of events with such interesting outcomes, huh?" Locke didn't say this mockingly. He said it slowly, carefully, as if he had never really thought about these things before. Or perhaps realized would be a better word. His master had certainly told him, numerous times, but he actually got it now. He gave Tekt one last look, pity plain in his eyes and turned to go.
With that Locke left Tekt in the small backroom of the Fists' base. He told the NSSF, as he said, he never saw the Trandoshan gang leader again.
After the successful completion of the mission, Locke wandered the galaxy for a time, to let himself come to peace with what had happened to his parents. He then returned to his work, continuing his service to the Order against types like Tekt.
An Apprentice Year 26
When Locke was 26, he decided to take on an apprentice. It was more of a spur of the moment decision than it should have been, to be honest. You see, Locke had been thinking about taking an apprentice under his wing, but it had always been something to do later. Then, one day, while he was looking through a list of eligible padawans, he came across the profile for Jazen Solari. Jazen had lost his first master, who had mysteriously disappeared without leaving any hint as to why, or where to. In a rare moment of compassion, Locke decided to take on Jazen. The request was submitted to the Council and approved. During the two week period between the Council's decision and actually meeting Jazen, Locke started to have second thoughts. He was used to working alone, and other than the informal lesson with Tey Shaak, had never really taught anyone anything. Even more, he feared that his own weaknesses would hinder Jazen's progress, and he did not want that. As the date to meeting his student grew closer, Locke's anxiety grew worse. But it was too late to back out; the course had been chosen and there was nothing left to do but follow it.
The day finally came when Locke and Jazen met, and despite Locke's fears everything went well. The two got a long fine, and now Locke's fear has turned into eagerness be off across the galaxy on missions with his new student.
Lightsaber:Single blade, single phase Image Link
Color: Yellow-Orange
Locke's original lightsaber, and his main one
Lightsaber: Shoto, single phase Image Link
Color: Red
This shoto saber originally belonged to Vorxere, one of the Dark Ladies of the Sith. It was thrown at him in an attack during the battle in Delspoden Stadium on Druckenwell. Locke decided to keep it and has since taken to using it as a backup saber, despite its red hue and the connotation that comes with it.
Note: Neither of these pictures are mine. All credit goes to their artist.
Locke's Blaster Pistol
Practiced Lightsaber forms:
Shii-Cho: 5
Makashi: 4
Soresu: 2
Ataru: N/A
Shien / Djem So N/A
>>Sub-form Backhanded N/A
Niman N/A
>>Sub-form Jar-kai, or Dual Wield N/A
Juyo N/A
Double Bladed CombatN/A
Force-Sensitive Abilities or practices: N/A
Telekinetic: 7
Telepathic: 6
Body: 3
Sense: 5
Protection: 6
Healing: 2
Destruction: 0
Specialized Skills:
Comprehend Speech
Force Concealment
Languages spoken:
Basic (obviously)
Huttese- fluent
Smuggler's Cant- fluent
Durese- beginner
Rodese- moderate
High Galactic- fluent
Attributes:
Physical Strength: 5
Intelligence: 7
Speed: 7
Leadership: 5
Unarmed: 6
Melee Weapons: 4
Ranged Weapons: 6
Force Attunement:+4
RP Sample:
Thoughts are italicized, speech in teal.
Locke Nemsee walked confidently up to the door of an infamous cantina in Cloud City on Bespin. He needed to get in to arrest a wanted criminal, a Twi'Lek by the name of Ger'nest Rezves. Time was of the essence, however. His sources claimed that a Ger'nest would be fleeing the bar through a secret exit, and Locke had sunk too much time into this to let him slip away. Locke was dressed in his undercover attire, lightsaber hilt hidden away up his right sleeve. The sky was the brilliant orange of sunset in Cloud City, with a brisk breeze blowing across the walkway that led to the cantina.
"Wait, " the bouncer, a Rodian, said in Rodese. "You got reservations?"
Locke eyed the Rodian quickly. They were about the same size, though the Rodian was a little on the fat side. He ran his hands through his dark hair in mild irritation, before waving dismissively at the Rodian. "I don't need reservations", he said, employing the famous Jedi Mind Trick.
"Yes, you do."
Locke simply stared at the Rodian, dumbfounded. You've got to be flippin' kidding me, he thought. Not now, of all times. He tried once more, waving his hand at the Rodian and said "You want to let me in."
"No," the Rodian said. "No, I don't." This time the Rodian spoke in Basic. "You're not from around here, are you, buddy? Cause no one gets into Jeer's without a reservation." The Rodian tilted his head a little, as if sizing up Locke. "Now, screw off before I break your legs."
Locke was once again dumbfounded. Not only was the Rodian not falling for the mind trick, he was too stupid to get that Locke was a Jedi. Locke stared at the Rodian, his jaw working as he tried to think of something to say. I don't have time for this. I should just throw him over the side and break in. But I bet he has a key. His temples started throbbing, the headache he had from earlier in the morning that had left him in a foul mood returning. Well I guess there's no easy way to do this, so I might as well get it over with. He looked around to make sure there weren't any observers. When he saw that they were alone, he pulled the Rodian to him with the Force, turned him around, and ignited his lightsaber, placing it across the Rodian's throat. "Break my legs, you said? That's funny." He started walking both of them toward the door. "Listen. I am, incase that stupid brain of yours hasn't figure it out, a Jedi. I have seen men die in more horrible ways than you can imagine." He stopped the Rodian in front of the door to the cantina. "To add to that, I'm in a really bad mood. So you're going to open this door and let me in because I have very important business to attend to, and if the person I'm supposed to be meeting is gone when I get in there," he paused. "Well, then i guess I'll call fire and lightning from the sky and kill you. Then I'll split you open and dance in your entrails in the middle of the street, got it?" Locke grinned wickedly, though he knew the Rodian couldn't see it. "So open this door, before I kill you." Locke was pleased with his deliverance. He had sounded convincing enough. Not that he could actually call fire and lightning from the sky, but the Rodian probably didn't know that.
"Of c-c-course J-Jedi." The Rodian was quaking with fear. He reached out and ran a card key over a scanner next to the door. "There you a-a-are."
Locke let the Rodian go, and held out his hand. "Give me that card key." The Rodian handed it to him without question. "Now," Locke said, once again employing the Mind Trick, "you are going to get very drunk and forget you ever saw me, got it?" He pressed a decent amount of credits into the Rodian's hand; they would convince him if the Mind Trick didn't. "You are going to get very drunk in any cantina but this one, got it?"
"Yes, Jedi, of course." The Rodian's stuttering had been cleared up by the presence of fresh money in his hand. At a motion from Locke he scurried off into the city.
Locke turned and went through the now open door into the entrance hallway, running a hand over the short brown stubble that coated his jaw. All of that trouble to get into a damn door, he thought. He rubbed his temples, his headache was growing; the throbbing felt like someone was beating a drum in his head. All things considered, his mood had only grown worse since arriving at Jeer's. "This Twi'Lek better make things easy, or there's gonna be a whole lot of trouble," he muttered under is breath. With that, he stepped into the cantina.
Edit note:
3/3/10, Added lightsaber picture
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