Live and Let Die[Closed,PM to join]

[Jace]

A shadow approaches. An inevitable return. He had not foreseen such a possibility. Yet here it was, almost at their doorstep. Would foresight have made any difference? It was a tricky thing, foresight. There was the ever present question within those who had the ability. Were they to act on what they had seen, or just assume that no matter what, fate had been decided? Fate could change, or atleast so he believed. Thus the future was ever changing based on what occurred in the past and present. There was no use for such line of thought now, no, it was too late for that.

Jace Beleren drifted from shadow to shadow through the streets of Coruscant. He suddenly stopped and allowed himself a small chuckle. His time as a Jedi Shadow was truly ingrained to his very core. Years ago when he had to follow some person or the other. Being discovered was not an option back then. It prevented him from having to kill and from being killed. A little tediousness was a small price to pay to avoid such consequences.

Do I still need to hide in the shadows?

The truth was that he didn't believe that he needed to, yet others thought different. He was now the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. While he was acknowledged as one of the most formidable Jedi in the Order, he was the biggest target for its' enemies. While that fact didn't really bother him, he had to be responsible. The same way the Supreme Chancellor couldn't go take a trip to Korriban just because she fancied it. No, she was restricted just as Jace was by their position.

At least I don't have bodyguards

Some of the more senior Jedi had suggested that if he were to leave the temple that he have a minor security detail. While Jace understood the sentiment he still wouldn't accept it. There was no shortage of tasks for the Jedi, it would be a waste of resources for him to have other Jedi accompany him. Then again, the Jedi Master rarely left the Temple these days. Council meetings had become more frequent and even longer than normal. He was managing to cope with the strenuous task but only just.

He needed to get away from the Temple, just a few hours to clear his mind. So much had happened in the last few days, even normal meditation was not enough to quell his thoughts. In his days as a Shadow, meditation was not always feasible and hence he found a long walk was the best alternative. In fact, he believed that it may have been better than meditation. There was a chill to the night but he made no effort to deflect it other than wrapping up his robe tighter.

The cold was good, it seemed to cut to his very core. A chill which seemed to reflect his current dilemma. It seemed within moments, he had lost two of his closest friends. He knew that was absurd, but there was no denying that they walked two different paths now even if it was to obtain the same goal. Jace had never felt so alone before since the death of his foster father and mentor. First Eris, than Vreem, and finally Rhissai. He had never been a social person, yet he had a deeper connection with the three. They were three who he knew he could trust absolutely. They had chosen to go against the Council, to support what they believed. How could Jace do anything but put his trust in them? After all, were they not the people he believed he could trust explicitly.Yes, he would trust in them as they had always trusted in him. Jace made a note of finding Vreem and Rhissai later on in hope of conveying his trust. It was all he could do until the time came for them to unite either on the battlefield, back in the Temple, or in the Force.

It was safe to say that Jace was quite lost in thought. Usually something he was not prone to doing but it did happen to everyone at some point. Thus he was for the most part unaware that he was being followed. Even an expert in counter intelligence like himself would not spot such a tail unless he was expecting one. While Jace's appearance was common knowledge, he looked like any Jedi at this time of night. The question was, when would the predator strike, and was he prepared to deal with his prey?

[Jace]

[Kaiven,Delta. Good time for you guys to jump in and join the battle]

How long had he been out here? The Jedi seemed to have completely lost track of time. He was being somewhat irresponsible but it was important for him to clear his mind. Now that he had accomplished what was necessary, it was time to head back to the temple. Maybe he could fit in a few hours of sleep before he resumed his Council duties. A Jedi needed to rest afterall. Technically he could just meditate to refresh himself, in fact that was what many Jedi did. Jace's time as a Shadow though had restricted his ability to meditate properly. Thus he had always found actual sleep much more refreshing and no doubt healthier.

The night was in its peak darkness, a comforting yet disconcerting sight. The darkness was prime for hiding oneself but also meant that others could be hidden. It truly was a double edged blade, a dangerous thing to handle. At this point, Jace was starting to get slightly uneasy. His thought process had led him to this disconcerted feeling. The Jedi had learned long ago to not ignore such feelings. Oddly enough, he dismissed them quite quickly and continued with his journey.

Jace had taken one step forward and then suddenly leaned backwards, narrowly dodging a red flash. He quickly regained his balance yet did not make a move to draw his lightsaber. His preoccupation had almost lost him his head, he couldn't afford such carelessness at this time. Multiple forms seemingly melted from the shadows all around him. Jace's brow furrowed ever so slightly at this new development. Had he been so preoccupied that he missed so many evil presences?

No.

There was something else, whoever these people were, they possessed significant ability to hide their presence. To think that they could do it in such close proximity to him, they were powerful indeed. While Jace was a powerful Jedi, even he wasn't sure if he could make it out of this alive. They had hid their presence before but much had changed since then. Jace seemed to be surrounded by a wave of hate and evil.

"It seems you have some business with me, is this not something we can discuss?" He stated calmly

Sensing danger from his right, Jace spun to the left, narrowly dodging another saber. Another one came at him, this time from behind. He nimbly sidestepped the attack and returned to his previous position. They were fast, there was no doubt about that. Indeed they seemed to be toying with him at the moment. A third shot forward to attack him.

Even some toys can be dangerous.

Jace was a blur as he shot forward, his fist racing toward his opponent's face. The man deftly ducked under the punch but right into Jace's knee. A sickening crack was followed by a large spurting of blood from the man's face. Jace let the man retreat, he couldn't leave himself open for too long. The first seemed to have underestimated his abilities, they wouldn't make the same mistake again. Two came at him this time, slashing and swinging with Jace narrowly but carefully dodging their attacks. He spun to the side just in time so he only received a glancing blow from a third opponent.

He could no longer afford to hold back, he would be dead soon if he did. A pale blue light illuminated the night as Jace's fists began to crackle with lightning. Even his opponents seemed to take a mental step back at this sight. Jace launched forward at the opponent directly in front of him. He closed the distance quickly, too quick for his enemy to react. Two lightning charged fists pummeled his torso until he dropped to the ground, battered but alive.

The Jedi rolled to the side, just as a lightsaber struck where he had been moments ago. His opponent, this time a woman, slashed at him multiple times. At the same time two more charged him from the right. This direction caused the last of the woman's strikes to glance his side. He flipped backwards and shot his palm into the ground. His lightning infused palm charged the ground causing a minor explosion shooting up dust and debris before his opponents. He dived through the smoke straight into another, tackling him to the ground. Before he could land a punch, he had to roll to the side to avoid another lightsaber.

He once again stood at the center, surrounded by his opponents. Some had been beaten and bruised, one was unconscious but they were otherwise fine. Jace still hadn't been able to preciscly count how many there were. The Jedi had fought at least five different opponents but he had a feeling that there were more. The lightning on his fists slowly died until they returned to their normal state. Jace reached toward his belt and unclipped his lightsaber. It ignited with a hiss-snap and bathed him in a dark yellow hue. There was no denying it now.....

He was in serious trouble.

[Bones]

The thought of the Grand Master wandering the streets of Coruscant alone concerned him. If someone had been able to slay the Chancellor, guards and all, then one man alone was in far greater danger. Particuarly in an environment that it was so easy to hide in. He sat in the backseat of a hover taxi as it raced through the lower city. He had been told that Master Beleren had left the temple, and the worried Master Te'Baas had decided to go and find him. After all, two council members were more dangerous than one.

He had almost given up on his search, pushing the force further and further away from himself in order to find that familiar force presence. Eventually, however, he managed to pinpoint it. He leaned forwards to the driver, pointing to a street a couple of blocks away from Master Beleren. "Put me down there." He said, his rough voice quiet and grim, although atleast relieved he had been able to find the other man.

He paid the taxi fare as he slid out of the speeder onto the over-crowded footpath. He didn't have to push his way through the crowd, as most looked at him and stepped aside, allowing the master to walk with ease. He could still feel Jace's presence in the distance, and that was his goal. He knew he was gaining on the man, as he could feel the force presence coming ever closer.

He was a block away when he felt it, and his heart dropped suddenly. Was it one exceptionally powerful Dark Jedi? Was it a group? Was it a Terentatek? Either way, he could now feel the powerful light-sided force user suddenly engulfed in the dark side of the force. Things had changed now. Master Te'Baas started running, hoping to make it to Jace before anything could go wrong.

He rounded the corner to see Jace, holding his dark yellow blade at the ready. It contrasted the vast number of red blades he could see in the circle surrounding him. He didn't ignite his own sabre. Not yet. He didn't want to draw their attention. He moved closer, coming in quietly from behind. Had they not been so focused on Jace, they would have noticed him easily.

One near him moved to charge, and Kaiven immediately made his move, reaching out, gripping the hood of the assailant's cloak, making his feet fly out from underneath him, before slamming him powerfully down to the ground. There was a sickening crunch, and Kaiven looked down to see blood oozing from the unconscious Twi'Lek's nose, eyes and ears. In that moment, unfortunately, he realised that his presence was now known. He too stepped into the circle, coming up next to Master Beleren.

"Well, Master Beleren, you sure do pick your sticky situations." He said, stepping so that his back was against Jace's. A purely defensive place to stand, "Now. I have a plan. We fight them all and survive. Sound good to you?"