The Flight of the Light [Open]

[Corstar]

Darkness

The mist clung to Kieran's cloak. The air he breathed felt extremely warm, as if he was near a hotspring. There was a hiss and a lightsaber swung close enough to nearly take his face off. The Battlemaster was already falling backwards, flicking his wrist.

The silver blade lept out at the attacker, making it fall back a step as Kieran regained his footing. Kieran entered the primary stance of Soresu, moving the lightsaber by his head, the hum of the lightsaber seemed to slow with time as the figure stepped equal to Kieran.

"What do you want?" Kieran asked, looking into what seemed to be a mass of grey and black robes.

The yellow lightsaber saluted him for a moment and the hood's shadows shrinked away as light was cast across the character's face. It melded from Dennis Quinlan's face, slowly to Kieran's.

-----

Kieran shook awake, looking at the cockpit, he quickly moved to action. The fighter had just exited hyperspace and was on a dangerous approach towards Manaan.

"MASTER RESPOND!" A yell rattled his eardrums. The panic subsided as he let the force flow through his body, his reactions quickened as he pulled up and to the left, letting the fighter coast along the atmosphere.

"Lightning Leader, please return to your flightpath or be fired upon." A gravelly voice seemed to come from nowhere. A pair of Selkath fighters had fallen in line with the Jedi.

"Sorry about that. Was asleep at the stick." Kieran shook his head as he followed the beacon back to the flightpath.

"Red Dawn, Lightning Two, form up. Sorry about that guys." Kieran grimaced at the sheepish tone that emerged from his voice. "Red Dawn, go down first. We'll follow you in."

[Regnier]

"Copy that, Lightning Lead." The pilot of the Delaya replied, with just a trace off a cross tone. He manipulated the joysticks, maneuvering the craft through the designated descent path. "You make a habit of drifting off and letting a warrior try and talk the locals out of blasting you into oblivion? Be glad my Selkath is better than my powers of persuasion, else you may have had a slightly more rude awakening."

For nearly the entire time since the Master had left his flight path, the Knight had hailed the Cutlass, and after no response, ordered the Padawan to continue hailing while he lead into an increasingly heated arguement with the port authority in an attempt to delay any...drastic action. He was sure they'd all be getting very warm receptions on the planet after that. Haven't even landed yet, and they already won't trust us. I'm surprised, I thought I would be the one that got us in hot water. Still time enough for that, I suppose.

Regnier pulled the long craft into the assigned bay, pivoted several engines downwards while simultaneously cutting thrust from the rest and extending the landing feet, and gently set the Dawn down. He began powering the ship down, before moving somewhere amidship, collecting his armor, and lowering the ramp. He descended the ramp and strode down it and into the hanger bay while he fastened pieces of armor on. The towering Jedi stood in front of the ramp as it closed behind him, stretching his neck and shoulders briefly as he waited for the other two Jedi. There were already two Selkath making their way towards the old Delaya, and neither looked all that happy. Then again, in Regnier's expereince, they never looked particularly happy.

"Don't even start with me, friends, I had nothing to do with it, and I don't take kindly to being blamed for matters beyond my control. You'll just have to wait for our fatigued leader." He growled before they had a chance to speak. They exchanged glances, but held their tongues, and waited alongside the Jedi Knight. Maybe I should just 'persuade' them and save us all some time and trouble...

[Corstar]

Kieran powered the Cutlass starfighter down as he opened the cockpit and stepped down onto the hanger floor. The Battlemaster's black,grey and white robes were wrinkled, with bags under his eyes, he looked more like a ghost than a human being.

Kieran cracked a smile and shrugged sheepishly. "My most sinscere apologies. My inflight timer failed to rouse me while I was in a trance."

Kieran nodded at Zelam, who raised an eyebrow.

The two selkath looked at eachother for a moment before stepping up to speak. Kieran nodded towards the two and muttered a few phrases to them in their own language, using the Force to enhance the effect. They turned on their heels and walked out without a word.

Kieran gestured for Zelam and Regnier to fall in line as he walked towards the hangerbay door. As he walked into the airlock he crossed his arms. There was a beep and a hologram appeared in the center of the floor. The next several minutes were a dictation of the current laws of port.

When the Selkath had finished and the three Jedi were allowed into the main corridor, Kieran waited for one of the portible cameras to pass out of range before speaking.

"We're going to be watched every step of the way, as we're hardly hiding the fact of what we are." Kieran's Battlemaster robe wasn't as well known as it could be, but was still distinquished. Hathorn's Jedi Knight robe was fairly typical on the other hand, he looked like a normal Twilek Jedi. If they could be considered normal.

"Do NOT draw your weapons unless we are fired upon first. Don't use the force in any noticible ways either unless you are attacked assaulted first. The civvies can defend themselves, we can't afford to get involved in the local politics here more than we are already."

Hathorn nodded. "Respectfully, you need more sleep it looks like. That trance didn't do you much good."

"Just had a few dreams. It was nothing. Regnier, have you been here before? I have no idea where to even start."

[Regnier]

The Knight smirked and followed the Master. "That was subtle. I could've done that." He said, referring to the two Selkath as they walked away. Not that he had a problem with the use of the Force in that manner, like some Jedi had, but he just preferred more straightforward methods. Then again, different methods worked for different people.

He nodded and turned towards Hathorn, glancing over him. "Perhaps we should have considered that before leaving..." His own attire could be in no way affiliated with the Order, save by the lightsaber concealed under his cloak, and even that by itself was not enough to label him a Jedi. Not that it could even be seen, anyways. "Too late for that now, though. We'll just have to be a little more cautious."

Regnier nodded, taking in what Kieran said. He didn't exactly like it, but he'd done a lot of things he didn't like before, and this was necessary. "I have, twice." He paused, and ran a hand across his jaw in thought. "I believe the first place to start would be a kolto shipping shop, or a processing plant. Nearest shop I can remember is along the Eastern sea-edge of the city. Nearest processing plant is clear on the North side, I think, and would be a little harder to get into. We may try listening for loose tongues in a cantina. We may also consider speaking with the court, to announce our intentions. It's your call, I can take you to any of these places, assuming they haven't all moved since my last time here."

[Corstar]

Kieran looked up and down the corridor, it was quite sparse, except for the occasional republic or sith trooper. There seemed to be a fight brewing farther down the corridor. Kieran shook his head as the Republic guard punched a sith trooper in the face. Selkath troops were on the pair in seconds, dragging them both off into another corridor.

"Hathorn, you go to the court, find out what you can. Regnier, go to the shipping shop, see what you can find there. I'll be in the cantina." Hathorn walked off at a brisk pace.

"Keep in contact through the comlinks. Be careful, try to be...subtle. If that's possible still." Kieran turned and walked towards the bar.

----
Five Minutes Later

The Sunblaster didn't taste any better with the rocks added. Kieran ordered a twist and grimaced at the sour/sweet taste that definately would wake up any humanoid being on this side of the galactic core.

"---her neck was broken cleanly in one place, around her voicebox odd---" Kieran turned his head, looking towards one of the speakers in the crowd. He used the force to enter the speaker's mind. The intrusion was rather easy, the man was only a janitor.

Kieran grimaced at the sights. The memories were of a younger woman, her neck broken in one place with an odd tilt. Inappropriate images began to surface and Kieran cut contact. He made a face before turning back to his drink.

"The Jedi supposedly did it, although there's no proof. There's nothing on the cams that we can find, but there was an odd blackout at the time."

Now that was interesting. Kieran dropped a pair of coins on the cantina bar and turned to leave.

[Regnier]

Regnier, unlike his two companions, had the luxury of being literaly no more than just another human in the crowds. At least, to the eyes of any onlookers, save the security cameras, which already knew of his allegiance. His main advantage, however, was that three months on Manaan hadn't been fruitless pleasure trips. He knew people, knew places. Firstly, though, he did go to the shipping shop to ask around. He could talk to some of the useful people he knew later.

And it was looking like it would actually be sooner, rather than later. The Selkath at the shop genuinely didn't seem to know anything. He even probed a few of their minds for hints of more information, or lies. Nothing. No, they were honestly just as in the dark as he was, and a lot more frustrated. Next thing on the Knight's list was the local swoop track. He knew a few less-than-reputable individuals that had at least frequented them the last time he'd visited. Who knew, though, they may have ended up in cells by this point. Firstly, though, he activated his comlink.

"Hathorn, Eitan, this is Vakkor. I've investigated the shipping in the area, and the most I can come up with from them is that the harvesters have simply started bringing in less and less. I didn't sense any deception from them. We may consider finding one of these 'harvesters'. I'm moving to the local swoop-track to try and find an old friend of mine, see if she can come up with anything. You two find anything of use?"

[Corstar]

"I'm still in line." Hathorn's voice came over the com.

"Vakkor, I'll meet you at the swoops, nothing interesting here." Kieran kept a dull tone to his voice. The com channels on Manaan were some of the most widely and strongly encrypted, and also the most hacked.

Kieran brushed past a man and began walking faster towards the swoop jock headquarters. His black and grey robe spredding out behind him. With a glare, he almost could pass as a dark jedi.

It took five minutes to find the bar, even longer to find a seat. The place was filled with racers and admirers.

Kieran looked around the room for a sign of Vakkor.

[Regnier]

There were advantages to being nearly seven feet tall, built like a human tank, and looked like you'd tear the head off of anything that got in your way. Crowds didn't slow you very much. There were a great deal of curses, but none attempted to stop the green-cloaked giant as he plowed through the spectators and swoop-jocks. Wordlessly, he picked a member of the crowd, a Rodian, out of the mass of life, dragged him to a table, and forcefully seated him. The Jedi leaned forward across the table and stared down the Rodian, who was trying his best not to tremble. "Daala Nur." The man said simply. The Rodian blinked, thought for a second, and motioned the door to the racer's lounge. "Good. Wait for my friend, a Jedi in dark robes."

The Jedi dropped a credit chit in front of the Rodian, who sank in his chair and sighed as the large man drove through the crowd again. At first, the door guard simply ignored him, but that was soon remedied upon learning of the man's previous exploits on the planet. He was welcome in the lounge anytime, it seemed. Some welcomes never expired, as long as you didn't piss off the hosts.

-----

It didn't take the Rodian long to spot the Jedi Master after his arrival, even through the thick crowds. The man didn't exactly blend in with the onlookers. After about a minute of dodging through the crowd, he tapped the grey-robed man on the shoulder. "Yous de Jedi? Yous friend in de lounge. Not so easy getting in, dough. Crazy swoop riders only." He motioned the door in the back of the main area, and slipped back into the crowd. He had never liked dealing with Jedi, and one was enough for the day.

Inside the lounge, Regnier was seated across from a female Selkath in a small corner of the room, engaging in a long, and very quiet, conversation. "Anything else useful, Daala?"

"There has been a man, supposedly a Jedi, asking a lot of questions about the kolto problem. There are whispers that he killed someone, that he was the last seen in an area before the sith embassy's receptionist was killed."

"Excuse me, sith embassy?"

"Yes, and he was seen entering it."

"Interesting...I'd like him watched, if he's still here. Usual arrangements, usual payment. I want to know where he goes, who he talks to, and I want to know if he finds anything about about the kolto problem."

"Of course. I'll have someone on it."

[Corstar]

Kieran nodded his thanks at the Rodian before continuing on towards the back of the bar. An humanoid alien stepped in his path, not allowing him to pass through into the lounge.

Kieran waved his hand. "I placed second in the Coruscant Classic. I can pass."

"I saw you in the Coruscant Classic. You can pass."

Kieran stepped into the lounge and looked around. He walked within a few feet of Regnier and waited.

"I have some information,a potential lead."

I wonder how diplomatic he's feeling right now. Kieran thought as he nodded towards the selkath across from Regnier

[Regnier]

"Eitan, Daala Nur, an old...eh, 'business partner' pf mine. Daala, Kieran, one of my friends I mentioned." Regnier said idly, motioning between the two. "Excuse me, Daala."

Regnier stepped off his seat and stood up, stepping a few feet away from the table and closer the the Master. "As do I, and it's not making me feel any better about this mission." He paused, and turned his head slightly, looking over the Jedi Battlemaster's shoulder briefly. "You first, though. This is probably one of the 'cleanest' places on Manaan, so the only way anything we say can escape this room is physically. Speak freely."

Swoop jocks, it seemed, liked their privacy, and had enough influence to keep the authorities' noses out of things. The swoop track brought in a lot of income, and what was the track without the riders? Had to keep the riders happy. At least, that's what most of the swoop jocks thought. The real reason was a little less legal, and not involved in racing whatsoever.

[Corstar]

Kieran closed his eyes for a moment, allowing the Force to flow through him. The voice of the mechanic went through Regnier's head.

"Her neck was broken around the voicebox oddly enough. A clean fracture, as if it had been snapped off surgically."

Kieran opened his eyes. The event took less than thirty seconds.

"Jedi. Or more specifically, a Dark Jedi. It happened at the Embassy of the sith." Kieran crossed his arms and rested his weight on his left foot. "I have several ideas on how to get in, but most of them aren't legal, and Zelam hasn't even gotten to see a councilor of the court yet. So, any ideas?"

[Regnier]

Regnier narrowed his eyes slightly at the images pressed into his mind, but showed no signs of being affected by them. Some things just didn't have the same effect on you after you'd seen things like them often enough, for better or worse.

"So, I see you've heard of our 'friend' as well...yes, I know of the incident. Daala is going to try and have this darksider followed, keep tabs on him."

He turned slightly and rested his jaw on a hand in thought. After a few second, he looked up slightly. "The way I see it, we have three options. One, find a back way and either break or blast our way in, which will likely result in someone's arrest. Two, 'persuade' our way in, but that will only work until we run into someone with either training to resist such endeavors, or has implants, or a security droid of some sort. Three, we knock. The sith do associate with Dark Jedi, don't they? Make them believe one, or both, of us changed sides, and have them let us in. We aren't tresspassing when we've been invited. I can manage the deceit well enough, even if we run into a Force user." He stopped, and cringed slightly. He knew that from experience, and it hadn't been a very pleasant one. Partially because he didn't have to try very hard to make a believable fallen Jedi. "I can think of a great many things that could go awry with such a plan, or rather dire consequences of attempting it."

He paused again and glanced at the Selkath at the table. "We could also try and have false identities forged, and attain security clearance through somewhat more nefarious means, but that's chancy at best. An embassy like that would likely have high security measures, and probably frequently changes codes and such."

[Corstar]

"Hmm..." Kieran looked around and waved his hand, the tinge of the Force that was in the back of his mind flooded through him as he made himself and Regnier simply ignored in the minds of the few that were in the room. The few aliens would believe the two had left.

"Try not to make any sudden movements and don't touch anyone." Kieran took a deep breath. "They'll know who I am if they search their archives. However, if you can somehow convince them that you captured me..."

Kieran placed his hands in the pockets of his robe. "I can go into a trance after a suitable beating. Perhaps we could start a fight at the bar?"

[Regnier]

"Hmm...a bar-brawl, you say? That is something I can do. Follow me." Regnier replied after listening to Kieran. He made for the door back into the main lounge and bar area and a leisurely pace, and stepped through. He grabbed a racer at the bar by the shoulder lightly and whispered something in his ear. The man's eyes and neck bulged before he spun from his stool in a vicous right hook. Regnier ducked it casually and it landed on another patron. Before the racer could contemplate what he'd done, the other patron, a Weequay, threw a punch back, with a deft motion, Regnier shoved the Weequay's punch to the side, forcing it to strike an Aqualish. The Aqualish tackled the Weequay bodily, and took out several members of the crowd.

"This man tried to cheat the race!" Regnier shouted over the sounds of the three-way brawl that was rapidly growing, motioning Kieran with a thumb. Within a few seconds, the crowd turned towards Kieran, and surged towards him, many shouting obscenities.

Regnier turned to Kieran as he leaned against the wall, watching the brawl. "Will that suffice your purposes? Your turn. I'll step in after a bit." He said as he ducked a flying glass badly aimed at the Master.

[Corstar]

Sithspawn Kieran ducked a punch and came under a Twilek, connecting his forehead with the man's chin.

Remind me not to give you any more ideas Kieran thought darkly as he let a punch connect with his jaw. He felt a light pop. He was unsure if it was a tooth or a hand.

Lashing out with his foot, he caught several people in the legs, using a small push from the Force, the fight grew larger.

Kieran turned and felt more than saw the club. It hit across his temple. He let the Force slow the blow, but it still hurt considerably. The Jedi allowed himself to fall away, backwards into the wall. By this time security had entered the room and were stunning the rioters.

Try not to get hit Kieran projected into Regnier's mind before entering the trance. He shrunk his force presence to almost nothing before falling back into the darkness.

[Regnier]

Regnier watched the Jedi Master go down from the spot atop the bar he was now standing. He hopped down, entering a Trakata-style defense as he weaved around a few people, never returning blows, but never actually taking any, either. He grabbed the other Jedi and slung him over his shoulder, slipping back into the racer's lounge and sealing the door. A few of the racers that had remained in the room eyes him warily, but he simply ignored them and went out the 'back' way, made by Daala for such situations.

Once outside, Regnier placed Kieran's silver 'saber on his own belt, and the Knight started for the embassy, sticking to the shadows and corners as he carried Kieran over his shoulder. He actually managed to avoid the local authorities fairly well, only running across a few Republic troopers and civilians who simply gave him odd looks as he jogged past. At the cautious pace he was forced into, it took roughly ten minutes to reach the sith embassy, but reach it he did. Here we go...

The massive Jedi strode casually to the reception desk in front of the embassy, Kieran over his shoulder. This time, the desk was manned by a clean-cut soldier and two battle-droids. The soldier eyed him warily before speaking. "State your name and business..." He said, his eyes resting on the 'unconscious' body.

"And why should I explain myself to you, worm?" Regnier replied venemously, moving just enough that his cloak revealed one of the two lightsabers on his belt, Kieran's silver blade, briefly. "I have a present for the sith: a Jedi Master. Disarmed and unconscious. A gift for my future masters as I join them, and proof that I have no ties to the outdated Jedi and their blind views any longer. Now, I suggest you open that door, because if you don't, I will simply open it without you. You have proven enough an annoyance as it is."

"Fine, fine, go inside. The front desk can deal with you." The soldier said in a tone that said he had dealt with Dark Jedi in the past. The door slid open, and Regnier entered the elevator, accompanied by four battle-droids, and practically radiating anger all the way down. The door opened and the Knight stepped into the reception area to be greated by another four droids, a secretary, and an apperant Dark Jedi.

The secretary started to speak, but the darksider stopped her with a hand. "What is this? A Jedi in here? No...you have the trace of darkness about you...I can feel your anger from here, but I do not recognize you. Come to jion us, perhaps? And what is this other? An accomplice?"

"A gift. A Jedi Master, and the one the Council sent me with on this mission. I saw my chance to leave the Order, and took it. I decided to spare him, however, ad present him as a gift to you, as a symbol of my betrayal. Also, I imagined you could do worse things to the fool than I." Regnier replied, dropping the Master unceromoniously on the floor with a thud. The Dark Jedi motioned the droids and two searched the body of the Jedi Master, but were stopped by Regnier. He knelt down beside Kieran, concealing them both partially with his cloak, and replaced Kieran's remaining lightsaber with his own before standing up. His cloak had concealed his hand as it hid his own blade in the folds of the Master's robes, but it didn't hide him removing the blade from his belt, giving the illusion that Regnier had simply disarmed him. He stood as the droids dragged the Jedi off towards a holding cell, and at the Dark Jedi's beckoning, presented him with both Kieran's and 'his' lightsabers. The two started off down a seperate hallway that led to the Dark Jedi's training and living area, speaking of Regnier's conversion as they did.

Simple as that, the two Jedi were inside, Regnier had established temporary cover, and Kieran had been placed in a cell with no immediate guard, and still armed with Regnier's long-handled grey blade.

[Corstar]

<moving to the Embassy>