Like Pazaak [Open]

[Corstar]

The Lightsaber whirled in a dazzling display of color and light. By the calculations of a Bith tech who was watching from a nearby enclosure, the Lightsaber was doing close to 20 deflections a second if not more.

The twelve remotes closed in and went for higher elevations, trying to fire upon the Jedi from above. In the darkness of the sparring room, the only light was that of the blaster fire and the single silver lightsaber. Both of which was lighting the room almost bright enough to read by.

Backflipping, Kieran landed and rolled backwards, turning off his saber as he fell over it. Coming up in a kneeling position his left hand hand was already moving with another lightsaber. A yellow lightsaber snapped to life, followed millaseconds afterwards by the silver. The remotes fired enmasse, cordinating their attacks so close to eachother that it seemed like a wall of stundarts was advancing upon the master. Falling into Jar'Kai, the Corellian jumped to the side, spinning the lightsabers faster than the eye could see. Completely in tune with the force, the man wasn't even in that hard of a sweat.

An alarm blared and the lights turned on. A final dart salvo was fired at the Jedi Master before the remotes stopped, hovering silently in the air. Kieran paused, let the wave of darts pass slightly ahead of his body. If he had kept going, he would've been a stunned pincushion.

A single dart hit his prosthetic wrist, sending a jolt through his body. Letting the energy flow through, Kieran sapped the bolt of all energy and converted it into pure force power. Lifting himself off the ground for a moment with teleknetics.

As he dropped back down to the ground, he disengaged both lightsabers.

"That, is the true effectiveness of a combined stance. Soresu alone allowed me to defend myself from multiple targets with blasters, combining it with Jar'Kai allowed me a chance to go on the offensive if I had wished. Using a blade to defend and one to attack." Kieran wiped his forehead with a towel one of the padawans was holding ready for the Corellian Master.

"Master Eitan, I thought it was said that a Jedi should never go on the offensive."

"True, in anger, hate, etcetra. A Jedi is however allowed to defend himself, as long as he has means and it's within reason. Aggressiveness often will lead you towards the darkside if you are not careful." Kieran looked among the small group who had been watching the show. They were the latest batch of Padawans and Knights who had chosen to show up at his lectures on Soresu. "That'll be all. Dismissed."

Kieran waited until most of the group had filed out before finally clipping the two lightsaber onto his belt. Attaching them both to the rightside of his belt, he motioned for the tech to take care of the remotes before heading towards the door out.

[Regnier]

Aggressiveness...such a crude word.

From the shadows he watched the display, studying the Master's movements, his style. Him. Soresu was too passive for the Knight's taste, usually leading to long, drawn out battles that could be ended within a few seconds by Shien, but it had its uses. Still, the Battlemaster had his reputation. There was a reason he had attained the title, afterall, and as the man many believed was capable of replacing him if he ever fell, Regnier could appreciate his skill far more than many would think. It was the understanding one warrior held for another. The man was skilled, and worthy of respect for it.

A low applaude echoed from a dark corner of the room, before the most notoriously aggressive man in the Temple, if not the entire Order itself, stepped out from the shadow. "Impressive indeed, Master Eitan. I prefer to send those bolts back at the attacker, however. I dislike long conflicts, especially with blasters." He said in a low, contemplative voice as the giant matched strides with the Jedi Master. People often wondered, especially now, why he hadn't been chosen for a brute, but that was something only a select few, one of which was no longer among the living, knew.

"Then again, I can think of a time that could have proven most useful." He said in an almost empty tone, referring to his last trip to Tatooine. But not even that would've saved her, would it have? He mused to himself, trailing the faintest of darkness in his aura as he walked. "But enough of the past. I have heard rumors of a shortage of kolto, and I believe the Council will likely send someone. I have been getting a bad feeling about this. Have you heard anything?"

[Corstar]

"The idea of the exercise was to show the students perfect execution of a form. Or near perfect anyway." Kieran rubbed his wrist. "It's not much harder to hit a remote that's sitting still, than it is to just deflect the shot away into the ceiling."

Kieran led the Jedi Knight through the corridors of the Jedi temple before replying again.

"Yes, I have. I'm supposed to leave tomorrow for Manaan. Hathorn is warming up the Fighters at this moment."

Kieran smirked slightly as they passed through a garden on the way to the hanger. The smell of flaura drifted through the Jedi's senses as he walked along the path.

"Hope you never invested in any kolto stocks. It doesn't look good."

[Regnier]

"True, but a few remotes are nothing like a wall of armed sentients. There are less distractions in a sparring room than a back alley." He said in an almost distant tone, running a hand over his body-suit above the spot a blaster had left its mark so many years ago.

"Indeed? The Council thinks there will be enough trouble to warrant sending a Battlemaster? I had thought it more a task for a Sentinal. Perhaps I am not the only one that has sensed something wrong with this situation." He said, pausing and nodding to a passing Knight as his green robe flowed behind him. "Hmph, indeed not. The stock trade has never interested me."

"If you are the one being sent to investigate, perhaps you would consider taking another along with you. I cannot help shake this feeling. Regardless, even if nothing happens, another would make things move faster. But, take my advice with as much value as you will, I am but a simple Guardian, not even a Master." He didn't add that that was likely only due to his Padawan never having the chance to reach Knighthood. He, unlike many others, believed he wasn't destined for the rank.

[Corstar]

Kieran let his hands fall to his side as he walked, brushing the Jedi Master robe aside. "The Darkside of the force clouds the vision of the masters. They are unable to see Manaan in it's true form. I have also been restless as of late, I personally need a break from the typical duties of the Temple."

Kieran looked towards the other Jedi for a moment. "If you are to come, you must provide your own transportation. I'm afraid, both Hathorn and I both fly Scout Fighters. Single seaters."

"MASTER!" The yell echoed through the hanger.

Kieran looked towards the source of the shout and nodded at the Twilek who was running towards the two jedi.

"Master Eitan, the ships are ready, we can leave whenever you wish." The younger man said, trying to catch his breath.

"Good job. We won't be leaving until tomorrow however. Hathorn, meet Regnier Vakkor. Regnier, meet Hathorn zelam. He's my apprentice."

[Regnier]

"Hnh, as good a reason as any. I do not like sitting around the Temple, letting my dreams gather. I need to get off this planet for awhile. I haven't even any students to teach for some time now; I have given the duty to another for awhile at his request." Regnier said in almost a growl. Sitting idly by in pascifism was not his ideal passtime. "Indeed, I have a vessel capable of making the journey. An old Delaya-class; she's old, but faster than you'd ever guess. Ugliest transport capable of space-travel, though, I swear."

The Onderonian motioned the opposite side of the hanger, in which sat the long, faintly insect-like craft, partially hidden by a small freighter. The ship was indeed a sight to behold, and not in a very good way; while note necissarily the ugliest things afloat, it was definately the most so in the hanger, though it wasn't particularly banged up, just naturally ugly. He paused and turned to face the Twi'lek as he shouted, raising a brow slightly. "H'chu apenkee, booki. Eager and zealous, aren't you? You remind me of another I once knew."

[Corstar]

"That he is, that he is." Kieran looked towards the fighters and looked back at Regnier.

"Meet me here tomorrow at Eight or so." Kieran nodded towards Zelam and then towards Regnier, then spun on his heel and walked off towards the Jedi Council chambers.

-----

The Next Day

Kieran looked at the freighter and made a face as he slowly drifted his Cutlass class Patrol Fighter next to it. The fighter was tiny compairitively, but considerably easier on the eyes. Master Eitan pulled himself out of the cockpit and waved Zelam over.

The Twilek walked over, studing the Freighter as he came closer.

"Suprising that bucket of bolts can still fly, isn't it?" Kieran said with a gesture of his head towards the freighter.

"Yeah. He does have plenty of leg room though, that's where he's got us beat."

"I guess we'll be flying escort. Where is he?" Kieran looked around for the Jedi Knight, not seeing his face among those in the hangerbay.

[Regnier]

"'Bucket of bolts'? I prefer 'flying heap of space junk', myself." Came a low, crass voice from atop the Delaya, followed by a loud thunk, a clank, and a mild curse. The giant Jedi stood from behind one of the aerofoils of the ship, rubbing his wrist. "Just checking one of the HKD's servo-mountings. She was acting up on me the last time I flew her. Seems fine now, though."

With the aid of the Force, he dropped down to the hanger floor in one motion, landing with a graceful, albeit loud, form. He opened the entry ramp remotely and strode up it, making his way into the front of the giant insect, and seating himself in the pilot's seat. He keyed himself into his 'escort's' comm' frequency. "So, what kind of hyperdrive you boys mounting? I'd hate to outrun you, afterall." He queried in an almost blank tone as he powered up the twenty-one ion engines. It was surprisingly quiet for that many engines, but they still left the floor vibrating slightly around it. Several of the engine mounts swivelled so they were facing vertically downwards. "All systems showing green, engines are hot. Red Dawn, ready to go when you two are."

[Corstar]

The Cutlass Scout Fighter hummed as the engines powered up. There was a slight hissing of air as Kieran sat back in the cockpit, pulling on his headset.

"--kind of hyperdrive you boys mounting? I'd hate to outrun you, afterall." Kieran went down the checklist, letting the fighter warm itself up.

"The type that requires a compensatior the size of a small bantha to keep the pilot alive." Zelam replied in a somewhat sarcastic manner. The Cutlass class starfighters were fast enough in atmosphere that only Force Sensitives could fly them safely, into combat.

"This is Master Kieran, changing IFF transponder to Lightning Leader/One." Kieran said into the com to Regnier, Zelam and the Jedi Temple Control Room.

"This is Jedi Knight Zelam, changing IFF transponder to Lightning Two."

"Engine is green, tiers are green. Lightning Lead ready to launch." Kieran clicked in a restraint belt and leaned back into the seat, dialing up the compensator to .99

"Lightning Squadron, Red Dawn, you have permission to launch. May the Force be with you."

Kieran engaged repulsors and lifted off the ground, moving ahead slowly as he tapped the throttle foward. "Red Dawn, this is Lightning Lead, follow me out. Classic escort formation."

Kieran let the Cutlass class Fighter gain speed as it exited the hangerbay. As he entered open tradelanes, he pulled up on the flightstick and engaged the throttle. The engine roared as the fighter began it's ascent towards the clouds.

[Regnier]

"Good. I dislike long trips." The Knight said in response to Zelam, offering no hint of amusement in either wording nor tone, rather just the same flat bass he usually kept. He adjusted a few controls, setting the complex control system to his liking, muttered something about the said control scheme, and dialed his inertial compensator down a notch. "You know, whoever invented this ship had a good idea, but obviously never tried to fly one. I almost pity any non-Force users who try and control one of these things beyond minimal manuevering options."

The Knight set himself in his seat and adjusted his harness as he listened to the voices over his comm' while simultaneously running over his ship logs. Kellick had left a recording in the ship's datalogs, apperantly. Another farewell message, most likely, as it wasn't labelled as urgent. He'd have to check that after he left the atmosphere.

"Copy, Lightning Lead, entering formation." Regnier replied as he adjusted his control headset and gripped the unusual, multi-control twin joysticks of the long craft, and put enough burn into the down-facing HKD's to get the ship off the ground. Once up, he manuevered the joysticks until there was only enough downwards thrust to keep him airborn, and set only a few engines with enough forward thrust to guide him out of the hanger behind the small fighter. He waited on minimal thrust until after Kieran had throttled up, then engaged all twenty-one HKD ion engines with enough forward thrust to keep the Cutlass in sight, sending shudders through the ship as it accelerated. "Formation entered, Lightning Lead. Red Dawn, following your escort."

[Corstar]

[[next post on Manaan]]