Araon An'mar {Pass 4}

[projectsunfire]

Name:Araon An'mar
Race:Near-Human
Age: 26
Height: 5'11
Weight: 180

Appearance: The first thing you notice about Araon An'mar, are his eyes. A shade of blue with green edging, they appear very gentle, and honest when looked into. Yet, something haunts those eyes, like there is a darkness only he can percieve. He stands upright, slouching only when exhausted. Dirty blonde hair covers his head in a, hand brushed, almost tauny matt. His muscles are lean and taught, like a Vornskr. His voice, a baritone, has been remarked as having a gravelly quality. He wears a brown Jedi Robe, Black knee high boots, and a Dark brown gee. He wears black skin tight gloves over his hands, to improve his grip on flight controls, as well as his lightsaber.

Birth place: Zeltros
Faction: The Jedi Order
Rank: Jedi Knight

Current Equipment:Issued- Robes, and Gee, Duel Phase Djem So style Lightsaber "Daywing", hard leather boots, and a Leather utility belt-containing: Breather, Hush-9 comlink, food capsules, energy capsules, and a filliment wire and hook.
Personal Items:Sith Holocron Splinters.

Bio: Araon An'mar was born to an "Entertainer" on Zeltros. Though he never knew his father his mother was always a loving and guiding force in his life. When a rogue Mandolorian calling himself "Spart" and a Jedi Co-hort of his bumped into him one night while Araon was up to his usual mischief, the Jedi emmediately sensed the force within the young boy. The Jedi was a wandering mystic, not really adhereing to the temples rules, or laws. Though he felt it was wise to send Araon to the temple.w

Araon's mother Luciel was presented with the difficult decision of weather or not to let her son be taken to the Jedi Achademy for training. At first his mother refused, but the after much gentle persuasion the Jedi made his reasons very clear. Luciel then felt it best, that Araon be taken there for training.

Araon was taken to Coruscant Where he was trained to become a Jedi. It was hard work, and he was stricken with a lonliness for home. Though he was almost always happy. The students around him would all report a strong sense of good will about him. Often explaining that he would impress his good feelings upon them. Though not entirely unpleasant or unwanted, his Jedi instructors deliberated this fact often. Debateing how such a Jedi could impress fear and other emotions on his fellow students potentially turning them down the dark path.

Finally being tested of the Jedi Code, the Enigma of Araon surfaced again when it came time for him to finally make his Lightsaber. He named it Daywing, after the ruby- or sapphire- colored insects native to Quilura.

It was a single bladed lightsaber, built to aid in the fighting form of Djem So, or Shien style of combat. When the saber was complete he was taken to Ilum with Master Fann, where he used the force to locate a rare blue Pontite Adegan crystal. He placed this in his saber, which ignited with a gentle hum.

Upon returning to Coroscant, he discovered a fellow Padawan of his had left the temple comandereing an Aurek fighter of the Republic Navy. Araon had been told he was nearing the time of his trials, yet he requested to go and bring back his fellow Padawan.

Secretly he felt personally responsible for the Padawans brush with the darkside. Feeling that it had been his empathic abilities that had pushed her toward the edge.

The council agreed to allow him to go, and to take whatever equipment he felt he needed. In an attempt to relate to his quarry, Araon adopted many of the methods in which Tichi had left the temple.

The council did not tell him that she had stolen a rare Sith Holocron from the Jedi Archive Vaults.

He trailed his friend Tichi for several days finally arriving on the planet Wayland. Discovering his friend had been seduced by a Sith Witch within the Holocron, Araon fought with Tichi, and destroyed the Sith Artifact. Upon bringing Tichi home, Araon was told he had passed the Trial of Skill. He kept the splinters of the Sith holocron to study its inner workings.

Not long after Araon recieved a comm, from his homeworld of Zeltros. The message was dire indeed. His mother had been stricken ill with some off world disease. Araon, knowing his mothers line of work, was not surprised, but requested many times for permission to take leave of his studies and visit his mother before her death. After much debate, and difficult persuasion, the council decided he could go.

When arriving Araon was tempted with many delights of the flesh, though he kept to his task. When he found his mother in the last days of her life, she asked him if what she had done was right. Araon meditated upon her passing for many long hours. Finally reaching a philisophical conclusion involving the nature of the force.

"Tell me Padawan, what it was."
"Master?"
"The conclusion you reached? What was it?"
"Well, the more I thought on the nature of the force, the more I came to realize that my mother was part of it. I feel the force, and in that right, even though my mother may have died. She will always be a part of me, and through the force I will always be a part of her. Is that foolish of me master?"
Araon's master laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and smiled.
"No Padawan. It is a great truth, not many Jedi ever realize. Keep that truth with you always. It will always serve you well, as will the force."

Araon returned to Coroscant where his master congratualted him on passing the second trial. There was no time to celibrate though, Master Fann and Araon were to carry out a mission to the planet Ryloth to investigate a Sith presence there.

Indeed there were Sith. A small cult uprising had formed, yet Araon's master had ended their insurgency single handed. Araon had reported his non-involvement in a comm to Coroscant before they left for home.

When the Hammerhead reached orbit, a Sith Interdictor lay in wait for them.

The battle was fierce, and it appeared that the ship was lost. Master Fann ordered Araon to input the self destruct code and leave him behind on the ship. Araon disobeyed in order to save his Master's life. Araon did manage to reach his Master, though in their attempt to escape together he was shot in the back by a blaster. Araon had managed to drag his Master's body to the last remaining escape pod, and jetison. The ship exploded in a dazzelling display.

He and the remaining crew were picked up by Republic forces and he was taken home. He lit the fires of his Master's pyre on Coroscant in the ancient ritual of passing, and was without a Master.

When asked if he was ready for another mission, a few weeks after, Araon was appauled, yet after meditating over the situation, he flet he was ready. It was supposed to be a blue milk run. Araon was to return to Ryloth and seek out any possible returning sith presence. It was like returning to the scene of the crime. Every old haunt, every little reminder of his old master cut him deep. Yet he pushed on.

When headed back to Ryl-space he was waylaid by a squadron of Sith Interceptors. Araon managed to take down two, but the last three hearded him into an unknown area of space dubbed "The Cloak of the Sith" This unnavicable cloud of space dust saved Araon's life, though When travelling through. He discovered something far more problematic. The planet Roon a Sith stronghold.

The moment he had passed beyond the cloud a Sith Interdictor cruiser openned fire and took out his engines. After being tractor beamed aboard the ships cargo bay he was taken planet side for... "Interogation".

After enduring weeks of torture, hunger, and unrelenting darkside energies, Araon remained passive. He found himself delving deep into his own memories searching for a piece of calm.

Finally the Headmistress of the Sith Achademy there on Roon arranged a visit for him. Her attempt to seduce Araon to the darkside, presented him an opportunity to retreive his Lighstaber, and make good his escape.

It wasn't easy and when Tichi finally found him, Araon was a wreck of a Jedi. Tired, but in good spirits she flew him home with an unusual relic. He had pilfered a new Sith prototype fighter, of unusual design. When she delivered him to Coroscant, he was greeted by the Council. When he finished his report and debriefing the council, told him they would summon him back after deliberating his actions.

Araon meditated on his failed mission to Ryloth and waited for his summons.

When he was brought before the council, they told him to kneel, and they gave him the rank of Jedi Knight. They expressed to him how proud they were of his difficult Journey. Araon went back to his quarters and packed his meager possessions and moved to his Knight quarters. Which he found to be much quieter, and more comfortable.

As a reward, and as a rest. The council charged him with studying the new Sith Starfighter.

Not long after archiveing the new Sith Vehicle, sending schematics to the Republic Navy, and finishing his research into the Vehicle. Araon was summonned yet again to the Council of the Jedi Masters. He was to be given a Padawan. It happenned that such a Padawan was found, and Araon began his training of the young boy, named Scylla. Their were problems unfourtunately. The Child was killed by a spacial anomoly during their flight to Alderaan, where Araon, intended to begin the boy's training.

It was a hard thing for Araon to swallow, but with the help of his friend Janis. He was able to move forward.

Additional powers and skills: Due to a racial trait passed down from his mother, Araon can sense emotions, and can impress his own upon others to a point. Araon's empathic ability is on par with his Mothers. Being a native of Zeltros Araon craves emotions like happiness, joy, satisfaction, and contentment. The calm and passive emotions of many of the Jedi masters he has met in his earlier years have left him feeling a bit bland. Yet he can't complain about the atmosphere of relaxation he always feels when surrounded by meditating Jedi.
This ability is fairly weak, making Araon unable to control people with his emotions, yet capable of letting others know how he feels without speaking.

Being part Zeltron Araon has a weak pheromonal ability equivilent of constantly wearing an odorless, yet attractive cologne. I would put the strength of this at half or even one fourth that of a full blooded Zeltron. This would give him a stronger influence over the weak minded, specifically of the opposite gender.

Araon has a great love of tinkering. He is often spending what little time he has playing around with fighters in the Jedi Hangar bay, and a mockup of his lightsaber in his Quarters.

After a few years of service and study in the temple, Araon was saddled with a Jedi Apprentice. A spiritted and impatient youth. Unfortunately the child was killed in an accidental encounte with a large astronomical phenominon and was killed before Araon had begun to evaluate the childs skill.

[projectsunfire]

The Trial of skill...Rescueing Tichi...

Araon had spent a week tracking his fellow padawan to the world of Wayland. Amid mysteries of the why, and tales of lost souls, and dangers, Araon had stood fast. 'Why did Tichi want to come here?' He thought to himself.

Araon An'mar stood stock still, observing the old stone structure. He felt cold and empty. Yet, all around the small ruin the jungle had been teeming with life. All sorts of creatures hooted, and whooped.

Slowly he ascended some stairs. His booted feet tapped out a soft beat, as they met with the chipped stone of the ruins. Araon noticed a healthy growth of moss on areas of the temple. A light wind ruffled the soft light brown robes he wore.

The force whisperred to him softly. 'Danger' it whisperred. Araon halted his ascension, and he listenned. No bird sang, no animal tittered. All was quiet. He looked around warily for the source of the disturbance, yet he saw nothing. If Araon was in danger, so was Tichi.

He unhooked his lightsaber and strummed his fingers against its grip, letting it get comfortable in his hand.

Turning back towards the threshold of the ruins of an old doorway, Araon began his walk anew, this time treading softly. He crossed over, and in front of him lay an old stone door that had been moved. The small room was dimly lit by windows carved into the structure. He walked over to the door touching the edges. He kneeled and inspected the floor. All had freshly been scratched, and places moss that covered the rest of the ruin was disturbed.

Araon looked into the darkness that lay within the doorway. He reached down to his belt pouch and pulled out a small glow rod. He tapped the button on the end and extended his hand in front of him. Hopeing that the rod would illuminate his path.

A stairway descended down into the earth beneath the ruin...

Araon strummed his fingers on his lightsaber again, a sense of un-easiness lurking in the recesses of his mind.

He calmed himself and attempted to steel his spirit for whatever lay ahead. With his heart prepared he descended the stairway.

After a while, the stairs ended and Araon An'mar turned back to see if he could see the entrance. The glow rod could only illuminate so much and the entrance was out of site.

The painful whine of a lightsaber's emergency ignite brought Araon back to where he was. Behind him in the darkness Tichi stood illuminated by her blue lightsaber held in one hand. In the other, she held a small red Holocron.

Araon did not ignite his saber. He only stood and observed Tichi's hesitance.

"Tichi..." He said softly. He let his empathic abilities reach out to his friend. Only to recoil when he felt the sickenningly frozen fear eminating from her. "What-"

Tichi rushed forward with a burst of force, cutting Araon short. Araon hit the emergency stud on his lightsaber and brought it between them, meeting Tichi's with his own blue blade. The crackle of their lightsabers echoed through the cavernous room they stood in.

Araon pushed Tichi back with a strong shove, backed by the force. Tichi slid and leapt back. Araon watched her put away the holocron she had been holding, into her belt pouch. After closeing it she took the classic Ataru openning stance.

Araon adopted the Djem so stance and the pair lunged for one another. Araon didnt need his empathic skills to sense the fear and anger emminating from his friend.

Their blades flew humming through stagnant tomb air, ending with a bright flash of light, and the smell of ozone. Araon quickly over powered Tichi, and she switched from Ataru to something different.

It was ferocious and wild. Wide desperate swings, quick retreats, and sudden surges of aggression.

Araon switched forms to Soresu mid counter and blocked a stroke that would surely have sliced him in half.

"Whats happenned to you Tichi!" He shouted, shoving his fellow padawan's lightsaber away.

The two circled eachother like a pair of dogs fighting over a piece of meat.

"I've become stronger. I've learned so much from my new friend." Tichi hissed, almost as if in a dream. "She tells me much of the force, and has shown me a better path, than the ones our masters on Coroscant would feed us!" Her next strike seemed backed by unatural forces. It knocked Araon off his feet, yet he recovered useing the force to assist his backflip. "SHE IS FAR BETTER THAN ANY OF YOU!!! Weak, worthless Jedi!"

Araon thought back to his days training with Tichi in the Jedi temple. Remembering a conversation they had had once, he prepared to try and reason with her. Yet he wanted to find the identity of her new master. 'Information first, saving Tichi from herself later.' He thought.

"Who is better?" Araon said softly.

Tichi lashed out at him again. Her full swings met with strong close to the body defenses.

After realizing that her opponent was not weakenning Tichi retreated. She breathed heavily. 'Her new form weakenned her focus.' Araon thought. Tichi's eyes flicked uneasily from Araon to the doorway leading to the stairs.

"Tichi!" Araon said firmly. "You don't have to run, talk to me. Tell me your visions." Araon lowered his saber into a position of readiness and watched Tichi stew. "I'm your friend Tichi, remember? We sat under the towers on Coruscant together. We went through the gruelling Velocities of the forms together. You know me." Araon's voice became gentle, and soft.

Tichi looked at him unsure of what to do. "It doesn't matter what you say Araon, she knows more than either of us, she's shown me the truth about the Jedi." She said, her fear returning, replacing the anger Araon had felt.

"You know me Tichi." He said his honest eyes lighted softly by the glowing blue of their lightsabers. "I am always interested in the truth, but my concern is for you right now."

Tichi seemed taken back slightly, though her Lightsaber never wavered. Its blade seemed centered on Araon.

"Since when did you ever care for me?" She said. Her fear seemed broken now, replaced by something hard to feel.

Araon didn't like emotions he didnt recognize, but he continued.

"I've always admired you Tichi. You, have many talents." He whispered. Araon began to impress weak emotions of security upon Tichi.

She lowered her lightsaber, slightly and stared at Araon.

"She told me I would have to kill you, Araon."
"Then you will be alone here, again." Araon's words struck home. Tichi stepped backward.

"No, I'll never be alone again. Jumaya will always be with me! She's a better mother, she's better than all of you!" She said, her voice crackling with rage.

Araon brought his saber back up as Tichi lunged forward. Wide swing, and oddly angled strike after strike was met by Araon's blade. Araon could feel her exhaustion, both in the force, and in her strikes as they grew weak. Finally waiting for Tichi to bring her saber in for a wide slice, Araon knelt and grabbed her belt pouch. Tichi shrieked and Araon swiftly unhooked her belt pouch and leapt backward.

Tichi leapt after him as he dodged behind the pillars holding the ceiling up.

"GIVE IT BACK!!!" Tichi screamed, as she made a rather long and desperate dive for Araon's legs.

Araon was mid jump when she grabbed hold of him. The pair unignited their sabers in an attempt not to impale themselves and landed somewhere on the floor in the dark with a winded thud.

"Ooof!"
"Blast!"

The soft plink that the holocron made as it bounced out of the puch and onto the floor got their attention. It's red glow grew, and illuminated the pair. From it sprang a woman that Araon knew to be a sith lord. She had a veluptuous figure, and stood glowing in the darkness.

"Come, now Tichi, slay this fool, we have things to accomplish!" She said.

Araon looked up at Tichi, and in a desperate attempt to confuse, he reached up and kissed her. When her emmediate reaction was to recoil. He held her face to his, while impressing the strongest emotions of love upon her. Her recoil lessenned and she began to relax.

The sith lord sighed in frustration.

When Araon had finally let go of Tichi and looked into her eyes, she seemed exhausted. Feeling that the time was right, Araon ignited his saber, and struck the red holocron.

The sith lord cowered as Araon's lightsaber came down sliceing the Holocron in half.

Tichi's shriek of sorrow and tired desperation was agonizing. He grasped the tired wrist that she held her lightsaber with. She ignited it and struggled weakly to strike at him.

"Stop Tichi," he said as she writhed against his grip.

She kneed him in the crotch, causing him to release his grip on her wrist.

Through pain squinted eyes he saw her straddle his chest, and bring her saber down to strike him. Araon brought up his saber and caught her downward stroke. He carried the block of her strike away from him and onto the floor. The shock of the blade against the floor made Tichi drop her lightsaber.

Araon brought his saber up to her throat in a swift motion.

"This rides over. Get off." He said.

She rolled off of him and sat on the floor. He stood up and pulled her lightsaber to his free hand. He clipped it to his belt.

"What now." Tichi said, a look of complete exhaustion and submission on her face.

Araon shrugged visibly. "That all depends on you." Araon said cooly. He extended his hand to her, with his lightsaber lit.

She looked at him, unsure. "Can I trust you Araon?"

"You can trust me to take you home." he said his eyes watching her carefully.

Tichi reached up and took Araon's hand. He turned off his lightsaber, and in the dark he helped her to her feet. She leaned against him.

"Alright that won't do. How are you going to make it up all those stairs?"
"I don't want to go back to the temple Araon. Just leave me here." Tichi said tiredly.
"Now what kind of friend would I be if I didn't take you home Tichi?" Araon said.

Looking at her exhausted face he smirked and lifted her onto his back.

Useing the force to help carry her, Araon made his way back toward the entrance, letting the force guide him.

[projectsunfire]

The Trial of Flesh...Pleasure and Pain

Araon An'mar had heard his mother had been sick. A new transmission from Zeltros had come every week for a month. Finally, his instructors had agreed to let him go.

"Master, if they won't let me go, I'll leave on my own."
"You will be expelled from the Jedi Order."
"Master, this is important."
Araon's master looked at him calculatively.
"Alright, I will speak to the council of it. Let me know when you are ready to come home."

***

Araon had hopped onto the next shuttle for Zeltros, finally arriving, he stepped off the shuttle.

Three Zeltron woman emmediately acosted him bathing him in feelings of joy, and... "Friendship." Araon smiled, and impressed his own emotions back upon them, much to their delight and curiosity.

"An Exotic!" one cried. While the other two clapped their hands in excitement.

Araon only grinned.

"Unfortunately I'm not." He said smileing. "I'm actually here visitting my mother." The womens sudden dis-interest was obvious, yet they didn't cease their batheing of him in warm emotions.

Araon thanked them for their "Kindness," to which he recieved a spank on the behind.

The sun began to set as he made his way to the shuttle dock.

Near the shuttle dock he found a young man selling flowers. Eyeing them, he considered his already meager budget for the trip. The young Zeltron man eyed him and picked up a bouqet. He handed it to him, and winked.

Araon not wanting to burst his bubble took the flowers in his arms. "How much?"

"For you sweety, free." The man said. After inspecting Araon's Jedi robes, he leaned forward and touched them. "I bet their lots of fun to take off."

Eager to leave, Araon thanked him and took an air shuttle to the hospital complex. Seeing everything again with a very different eye, brought Araon all sorts of feelings of nestalgia. The eager urge to go chaseing other Zeltron's down the streets, was almost laughable at his age. He walked inside and took the lift to the floor his mothers apartment was on.

He walked up the short flight of steps and into the medical facilities. After shareing a pleasant, yet, brief conversation with the lady behind the information desk she told him what room his mother was in.

He rode the lift up to the third floor and made his way to his mothers room.

"Mother?" He said as he openned the doorway.

His mother lay resting on her bed. Araon silently crept inside and sat down next to her bed. He impressed his feelings of warmth and love onto his mother who smiled in her sleep, though he could sense a great sadness from her.

"She's a lovely creature isnt she?" Came a soft voice from the doorway. Araon turned to see a sunset-red skinned female nurse, leaning against the doorframe.

"Yes, she always has been." He said softly continueing to impress his feelings of love upon his mother. "Why is she so sad?" He whispered.

"Your Araon?" She said walking over to him, and sitting down next to him.

"Yes." He said, looking over at the nurse.

"She's afraid she'll never see you again. She's been steadily becoming more and more afraid for you. She says you stopped writing to her about a year ago." The nurse said.

"Yes, the order keeps me very busy." Araon explained.

The nurse turned her attention to her patient. She also began to impress feelings of love onto Araon's mother. Something which Araon felt.

It was moveing.

Luciel's eyelids flickered slighty before she openned them weakly. They turned to look at her son. Her smile did not fade, but grew. Araon reached over to grasp her withering hand in his.

"My lovely boy, when did you get here? I thought you'd never come." She said.

"Just arrived mother. I was just talking to your nurse." Araon turned to look at the nurse.

"Elana, can you give us a moment?" Luciel said.

The nurse stood up, and nodded. After checking a few medical monitors, she stepped out the door and closed it softly behind her.

Luciel looked at her son now, a great swell of sorrow emminating from her. "My boy, did I do the right thing?" She said, a look of worry on her face?

"What mother?"
"Did I do right to let you go to the achademy?" She said.

Araon considered this a moment, "Yes, I may not be a Jedi knight yet, but I have brought alot of good to the galaxy."

His mother nodded. "I read about your involvement with the Blockade of Manaan. You were among the Jedi listed as to have brought back all that Kolto to Ryloth during their horrible burn season."

"I was involved, but I wasn't responsible mother." He said unconciously mixing a feeling of embarassment with his impression of love.

"You were responsible, if you were there my little love." She said reaching out to stroke his face. Araon held her hands, and smiled. "I'm getting tired my boy, tuck me in?"

Araon stood up and plumped his mothers pillow. Turned her sheets up, and straightenned things out. She rested her eyes and before he knew it, Luciel was asleep again.

Araon, for the first time, felt genuinely afraid. He didn't want his mother to die.

After a long moment of consideration, he sat down on an ottoman in the corner of his mothers room and began to meditate.

Many things went through his head. He considered the nature of the force. The energy field that binds the galaxy together. He considered his mothers place in that entity. For hours he sat their. When the nurse entered, she did not tell him to move, or disturbed him.

When the dawn came, his eyes openned and he relaxed. He had finally reached a conclusion that calmed Araon beyond anything he'd ever felt before........

***

"Tell me Padawan, what it was."
"Master?"
"The conclusion you reached? What was it?"
"Well, the more I thought on the nature of the force, the more I came to realize that my mother was part of it. I feel the force, and in that right, even though my mother may have died. She will always be a part of me, and through the force I will always be a part of her. Is that foolish of me master?"
Araon's master laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and smiled.
"No Padawan. It is a great truth, not many Jedi ever realize. Keep that truth with you always. It will always serve you well, as will the force."

[projectsunfire]

The Trial of Courage...No man left behind.

"Master?! Their boarding the ship!" Araon shouted as he desperately punched information into "The Bright Star's" guidance computer. "The distress signal is being jammed." He said quickly.

"Padawan, take the bridge crew to the escape pods, I will go and hold them back. Contact my comm unit when they are away."
Araon's master made all haste into the port side of the ship.

"Yes Master!" Araon said gathering up the remaining bridge crew and shooing them toward the starboard escape pods. Araon unclipped his saber and lead them forward. They rounded a corner and found the door to the escape pod bay had been damaged.

"Oh no!, what about the escape pods on the port side?!" One of the crewman said.

"No good, the sith landing party is over their. They will have boarded by now, and they'll be making their way to the bridge." Araon explainned, igniteing his lightsaber.

"You sure you know how to use that thing?" The captain teased.

"Better than you might think captain." Araon said stabbing it into the right side of the door to the escape pod bay. Slowly he carved a hole in the door. Sweat beaded on his forehead as the carved hole began to take shape.

Useing the force, Araon ripped the chunk of door away with a wave of his hand. "Go! Now!" He shouted as he turned off his Lightsaber.

The remaining bridge crew climbed through the hole and got themselves to the pods. Araon tapped his comlink.

"Master, bridgecrew are away. What now?" Araon said quickly.

"Good work Pada- *Blaster* Get to the bridg- *Thermal detinator* *Static* When, you get there activate the ships auto destruct code, and get back to the pods!"

"What about you Master?"

"I will stay behind, and cover your esc- *multiple blaster shots*"

Araon flipped off his comlink and used force speed to get back to the bridge. A huge explosion somewhere in the engine section of the ship rocked the vessel. Araon steadied himself on the console and began to type in the silent self destruct code.

His finger paused just a moment over the entry key. His thoughts made him hesitate. Araon reset the timer for five minutes. Pressing the entry key, he bolted through the door to portside.

Araon made his way carefully passed the port side escape pods and into the main hallway to the engine compartments. The blaster fire ahead let Araon knew his master still stood.

He turned the corner to see his master holding off six sith assault troopers. Igniting his saber he joined the fray. The pair's elegant lightsaber skills cut down the Sith easily.

Their bodies littered the floor. The sound of more boots down the hallway made them forget their brief victory and they turned tail and ran for the port side Escape pod compartment.

They reached the pod compartment door, and as it slid open with a hiss. The two were taken by surprise. Within were a platoon of sith assault troopers. They marched slowly through the door blasters raised. Araon and his master backed away slowly, adopting the Soresu stance. Keeping a small distance between them and the sith in front of them. When they heard the blasters behind them cock, Araon moved to his masters back. When he saw the rows of sith there blocking their escape he glowered.

"Well, what now Padawan, I told you to start the Self Destruct. Why aren't we blowing up?!"

"Apologies Master, I didn't really feel like blowing you to space dust today, I was far more interested in trying to bring you back to the escape pods and letting the Sith have all the fun." Araon said a small smile forming on his face. "I'd say we cut our way to the starboard side. The Sith have the port side escape pods. Standard procedure is to jetison remaining pods, to prevent escape."

"How many pods are left in the starboard side?"

"One, Master." Araon said. This time it was his masters turn to smile.

"Go!" His master said, and Araon launched himself at the sith on his side of the defensive ring. Switching immediately to Ataru form, he slashed three of the sith standing too close together. Useing force push when he landed he launched 3 more backward over themselves. The dominoe effect was laughable. Useing Force leap, Araon and his master vaulted the remaining troops and made their way to the ships central doorway.

As Araon and his master turned a corner, his master slipped slightly, and Araon reached out and steadied him.

When they got to the central doorway. Araon began to cut a hole in the door. The sith turned the corner and began fireing.

"Hurry, Araon."

Araon finished the hole and blasted it inward. "Master! Come on!"

When Araon's master stepped through the hole, a blaster shot caught him square in the back. Not even thinking about it, Araon, grabbed his master's shoulders and dragged him the last few meeters to the escape pod.

He hit the launch button and the pod blasted out of its socket.

Not twenty meters from the ship, the reactor began to explode. The pod was buffetted, but Araon saw "The Bright Star" explode, taking the sith warship with it.

Quiet finally settling upon the escape pod, Araon held his master in his arms. He was quite still. Araon heaved a heavy sigh and held his masters body to his chest.

[projectsunfire]

Araon An'mar looked at the transparisteel of his dormatory room window. Outside a warm rain had begun to fall. Washing the temple district clean of dust, and dirt. His own reflection stared back at him. Little trickles of water ran down the outside of the transparisteel.

A soft musical note rang out and he turned toward the doorway.

"Come in, please." He said waiting to see who it was.

The doorway openned with a soft hiss and Tichi stepped through.
"Hey, you doing alright?" She said, as she wandered over and sat down on the end of his roomates bed.

"mmmm" Araon's gravelly voice rumbled.

"Not in a talking mood eh?" She watched him closely as he turned back toward the window. "Thinking about Master Fann again?"

Araon sighed, "He loved it when it rainned here. Wasnt a day I knew him where he wouldnt go out and walk through the rain."

"Well, he was the Watchman of the Tatooine system for a long time. I suppose he missed it alot." Tichi said looking out the window at the rain.

"Yes," Araon said, his brow furrowing.

"How...are you feeling Araon?" Tichi said looking at the back of his neck.

"Tired, hungry," He mumbled to the window before turning. "But these are just feelings."

"Feelings can lead to the darkside, Araon. I know that better than many." Tichi spoke, a frown on her face. "I can sense sorrow within you."

"mmmm." Araon said, realizing that he had been betrayed by his feelings.

"Why do you hide it, Araon?" Tichi said looking at him calculatively. Her face appeared so much like Master Fann's, Araon had to suppress a smile. After a moment Araon sighed.

"It's hard. Zeltrons might have the goods on emotions, and empathy, but they are very superficial. Something I didn't think about till I got back to the Temple. During the visit I took to my mother I found that many Zeltrons give off false emotions. Almost like everything they feel is fake. They can be a fake people, yet they are excellent at tricking themselves into believing it for themselves that they are feeling the way they act." Araon paused a moment and sighed.

"Kind of like you?" The moment Tichi said it Araon could feel the guilt she had. He sighed at her comment and nodded. "You don't want to be a fake sentient. I find that to be slightly ironic."

"The fact that I'm a Jedi?" He said.

Tichi nodded.

"Hmmm," Araon said as he rubbed his chin.

Tichi smiled at him. "Lets go walk in the rain, Master Fann would have liked that."

Araon's thoughtful expression slowly dissapeared from his face as Tichi took his hand and lead him out of his dormatory and down into the grounds where the rain spattered their Jedi cloaks.

***

In the darkness of his cell, Araon felt water drip down and patter on his face. He shifted his position to one of slightly less discomfort.

He couldn't mark time down in the sith prison. He could feel the darkside all around him. Anger, Fear, Aggression, Passion. So much emotion, and with them the emptiness of loneliness. They all felt so real. Was this what Araon had been craveing for so long. To be real, like this? Would it be better to be a sith?

His thoughts wild, he attempted to meditate. He emptied his mind of all things, and dwelt upon the living force.

His cell door openned with a creak, and a hiss.

"Like our accomodations Jedi? The walls are Mandolorian Iron." The dark jedi said motioning for him to get up. He chuckled cruelly as Araon struggled to stand. His muscles had grown cramped and tired sitting in such a small cell. His stubble was growing into a prickly beard.

The Sith shoved him ahead of him. "Keep walking weakling." He taunted.

Araon actually was glad to be outside the cell he had been kept in. Knowing that the Sith could probably sense his use of the force, Araon let his empathic abilities reach out and pick at the emotions the Sith carried within him. Hatred, some of the most pure, and un-thought out hatred, Araon had ever felt before. He withdrew his empathy into himself and shudderred at the unclean feeling he had gotten from the Sith.

After walking the distance of the prison, and out into the main area of the training achademy. After being taken through some of the grounds, he was brought to the private quarters of the headmaster.

"My dark Mistress, the Jedi has been brought to you." The Sith said.

'Or headmistress' Araon thought. The doorway slid open, and the Sith behind him shoved him inside. The door slid shut with a hiss, and locked.

Araon looked around the room. Its decoration seemed a simple motif of blood-red swathe cloth, and large pillows. On a table near the center of the room was a bowl. Within it, lay fruit.

Araon had not tasted a blumfruit in what seemed like forever. He seemed uncontrollably drawn to the bowl. He could smell the plump segments of it, and the juice within. He could remember the muffins served in the dining rooms of the Jedi Temple. As his hand slid over the edge of the bowl, Araon halted himself. Shedding a desperate tear he withdrew his hand.

"Is it so hard for you Jedi to induldge yourselves?" Came a voice from the massive pile of pillows.
Upon them lounged a Lethan Twi'lek. Her Lekku lay out next to her. She wore a tight leather jumpsuit similar in color to the cloth she decorated her room with. Its neckline plumetted low, revealing a tight line of cleavage.

Her brown eyes watched him seductively as he stood feet from the bowl of fruit. "You must be hungry young Jedi, I've been informed that you havn't eaten in days." Her emphasis on the word hungry seemed convenient.

Araon's gravelly voice struggled to work. Finally a scratchy dried up wheeze was all he could muster. "That's not true. You have a healthy supply of small rodents here in your lovely hotel."

The Twi'lek laughed. "You don't talk like a Jedi. All the Jedi I know are always so humorless." She got up from her pile of pillows and approached him with the grace of a sludge panther. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around him, letting her Lekku flop againt his chest. She pressed her body against his causeing him to buckle against her un-exhausted frame.

He turned away from her with grit teeth.

"Oh, you don't feel like playing with me Jedi? Too bad, I would have made it memorable." She said withdrawing from him. As she turned she took, a dricklefruit from the bowl and bit into it. The wet, crunching sound made by the way she bit it tugged at Araon's belly.

"Come, now you were so pleasant moments ago, why the silent treatment?" She said.

Araon wheezed again, "How about some water?"

She smiled at him and Araon could sense a feeling of triumph in her, through his empathic abilities. With a slender hand she motioned to a brown jug near a wash basin, to which he stagerred.

"What else do you want young Jedi?" Araon used the force to search the water for impurities, finding none he lifted its contents to his mouth and drank. The water was so sweet, he gulped till he felt his gutt might burst. Useing the remainder to wash some of the grime off his face.

The Lethan lay back down on her pile of pillows where she pulled out a lightsaber. She twirlled it casually in her hand while Araon watched. It was his.

"I like your lightsaber. It reminds me much of my first." She casually ignited it from her supine position. "Your of the age, where you'll be needing to make a new one arent you?" She grinned at him slyly and turned off his Lightsaber. She clipped it to her belt and positionned her arm to outline her figure.

"Perhaps I should be asking you what it is you want?" Araon said finally breaking his silence. His voice was leathery, but returning.

"I want you, young Jedi."
"Get in line." Araon retorted.
The Sith raised an eyebrow. "Just how many are in this line? Who must I remove from my path? The Sith militia have no jurisdiction in our affairs, there isnt another Jedi within three jumps of this achademy. The other Sith Lords within these walls answer to me. There is nothing in between us. Just you and me young Jedi."

"and what about what I want?" Araon said trying to buy time.

"Ahh, yes." She said, her smile growing. "What might that be?"

Araon tried to hide his feelings, but it was too late. Her coaxing had brought it out of him. Yet, not all of him wanted to keep it hidden.

"You want to feel, young Jedi. To feel true emotions. The highs and lows of a life devoted to flesh." Her facial expression was one of hunger. "I can give that to you young Jedi, and so much more. I can make you feel things you've never imagined before." She climbed off of her pillows and approached him again.

Araon closed his eyes as she came close. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, feeling his back with her hands. She leaned in close to his ear, and nibbled it. Her body pressed up against him.

The temptation of such delight tore at Araon An'mar's resolve.

"Join me, Padwan, and I will give you every delight imaginable that the force can give." With her wild promises spoken, she grabbed the back of his head and kissed him.

Araon did not resist, instead he let her in. He had to admit, it wasn't unenjoyable. The adrenaline rush was exactly what he needed. He impressed upon the Sith, an overpowering feeling of lust, acceptance, triumph, and satisfaction.

She breathed heavily through her nose as she continued to kiss him, enjoying every moment of pleasure she was experiencing.

Araon slid his hand down her side, to her belt, where his Lightsaber hung.

Pulling it lose from her belt, she pulled away from him and stared into his eyes. In the split second she realized what had happenned, Araon force pushed her in the chest with his free hand.

The Sith flew across her room, and landed in the pile of pillows.

Araon clipped his saber and bolted for the door. The door slid open with a hiss, and Araon kicked out his leg, and slid across the floor to a grating. He lifted the grateing and squeezed down into the heating system.

Araon's bulk could barely fit inside, but he slithered and squirmed his way to the main junction. The shaft openned up, and he followed the force. He clunked along, at a leisurely pace. Finally turning a corner, where he saw an enormous fan. He ran up as close as he dared, and looked for an access shaft.

To the left of the fan was a small hatch. Araon walked over to it and openned it. He slipped inside and crawled.

***

"How did you escape?" Tichi said looking at Araon's slouching form in the flight chair next to her.

"I slipped through their access system, and cut my way through a bulk head near the entrance to their fighter hangar." Araon croaked tiredly. Tichi eyed their cargo. A prototype Sith fighter lay under a sheet in their cargo bay. "Who gave you permission to come and rescue me anyway?" Araon mumbled, his eyes closed.

"Actually, I am supposed to be on my way to Neimoidia." Tichi smiled.
"Just taking a slight detour?" Araon managed to say sarcastically as his muscles began to relax. He passed out.

Tichi smiled at Araon's collapsed figure and headed for Coroscant.

[projectsunfire]

The Battle of Kuat...

Aftermath-

A bolt of lightning streaked across the darkenned sky in an intermitent flash, temporarily lighting up the landscape. Below the darkenned sky, rain pelted down on a massive graveyard... At least it may as well have been. Bodies lay strewn everywhere. The hulls of vehicles lay broken, some of them still smokeing from where they were hit. A temultuous boom of thunder pushed through the air.

Araon clawed through the mud, and the blood, toward a wrecked Crawler that had been downed by a missile. He could barely draw breath. His site was blurred in one eye from the blood that was flowing from a head wound. He gripped his lightsaber almost as if it were a life line. The wet ground was slippery against his gloved hands. His muffled grunts were concealed by the carnage around him as he lifted himself up into the shattered hull of the Crawler. It was somewhat dry inside. Aside from the dead pilot, everything seemed pristine. He clawed his way into one of the deployment chairs and cradled his wounded leg.

With great effort he quietted his mind, and entered a state of meditation. He focussed on healing, drawing the force into himself. Gently he persuaded his midichlorians to respond, which they did. Slowly his bone mended, and his wound began to close. With the hard part over he thanked the force that the mortar that had exploded next to him had only injured him, rather than kill him. He made an empty resolution to himself that when he got back to the temple he would learn to heal himself during combat. Spend a few years with the Healers at the temple. They'd be fascinated that a guardian would go through the trouble of learning such things.

Then again. Learning was the life of a Jedi.

A noise outside broke Araon's concentration and he quietted his breath, and focussed.

[projectsunfire]

Araon, squeezed himself into the shadows of the wrecked crawler and looked out into the wet and broken landscape. He listenned tentitively to the force. He let his feelings stretch out, almost like he was made of water. He could sense everything in the landscape. The Wet earth. The dead bodies. The shattered vehicles. And then, there they were. He could sense them. What felt like, twelve soldiers.

Suddenly the force screamed for him to evacuate the tiny shelter he had found for himself. With a great surge of the force bolstering his jump, Araon leapt out of the crawler just as it was pelted by blaster fire. The deadly bolts of excited energy seemed to follow his glide as he dived behind a burm. He heard the blaster fire patter against the silt, and slush, like large drops of water.

Tired, but focussed, Araon ignited his lightsaber, which hissed in the gentle downpoor. As the blade arc caught it made a loud hum, and stablized. He could smell the Ozone, and it axilerated him. With his weapon in hand he vaulted over the burm at his enemy. Who openned fire again.

Araon swung his saber mid air deflecting the blaster shots away from himself. As his arc came down, his saber burried itself in the closest soldier to him. 'How could they have amassed such a military force, Republic counter intelligence must be slipping' He thought as he brought his lightsaber out of the corpse in front of him and deflected three more bolts of energy away from himself. One flew directly into the left eye of the man forward and to his right. The rest took cover and began taking precise shots at him. Araon calmed his mind. It was like the vast emptiness of space. So sound, no pain, even he did not exist. It was almost as if his arm, wrist, and fingers swiftly guided themselves as he deflected each bolt of energy away from himself.

He channelled the force toward his nearest enemy and the cover he hid behind. A shout of surprise and horror sounded as the remains of an anti vehicle turret collapsed. His attack only reinforced their resolve to kill him, yet Araon remained calm, his mind focussed into that empty vastness. He Tugged on the power pack release leaver on one of his enemies carbines, which sprung the gas chamber catch into his enemies chin. Araon could hear him curseing.

Araon could not maintain such a state of calm for long. His enemies would have sent for backup. And then it would be a whole new situation. Araon, dropped them a little present and used the force to increase his speed. For a split second he was there, and then, a vapor trail. Leaving behind nothing but a bit of charred cloth, and a small, ticking, blinking box.

<<<<BOOM>>>>

[projectsunfire]

The rain had finally let up. Araon gently raised his hood over his head to discover it had a large burn hole in it. Probably from one of the Blaster Bolts or plasma arcs from a disruptor had gone through while he was dodgeing. He let it fall back over his shoulders with a sigh of released frustration. He calmed his thought and moved on. Up ahead a large explosion rent the air with smoke and flame.

Araon bolted forward. I hope there are a few of them left.

>>>>>>

Blaster fire flew everywhere. Shattered light travelled across the landscape from cover to cover in dazzling blues, reds, greens, and the occasional white. Araon slithered his way through the mud, keeping his saber safely clipped in his belt. He used the force to divert a missle off course from the Republic soldiers who were dug in a few yards away. When he could no longer crawl he climbed through wreckage and broken buildings.

The Insurgency at Kuat had turned into something unbelieveable. He could still not fathom how the damn thing had started.

Padawan! Araon heard in his head.

Master! He thought back. I'm coming, east slope. Keep those trigger happy militia off me while I find a way in.

Araon found a busted grating and tore it off its last two bolts useing the force. It tore free with a small wrenching sound of metal. He crawled through the damp, darkness. A small rodent scurried ahead of him desperate to get out of the way.

Up ahead he heard an officer barking out orders to his men. Araon watched as the grateing ahead of him was pulled away and Master Faan's hand reached down into the drainage pipe to pull him out. He gripped that filthy hand with a grin.


>>>>>>

[projectsunfire]

Approved

[projectsunfire]

Practiced Lightsaber forms:
Shii-Cho (Highly Skilled)
Makashi (Basic)
Soresu (Basic)
Ataru (Basic)
Shien (Skilled)
Niman (Skilled)
>>Sub-form Jar-kai, or duel Weild (poor)
>>Sub-form Backhanded (Basic)
Juyo (Highly Skilled)
Double Bladed Lightsaber Combat (poor)

Force-Sensitive Abilities or practices:
Sense (Youngling and up)
-----------
1 2 3 [4] 5
Telekinesis (Youngling and up)
-----------
1 2 [3] 4 5
Force Leap (Youngling and up)
-----------
1 2 3 [4] 5
Force Speed (Padawan and up)
---------
1 [2] 3 4
Healing (Padawan and up)
---------
[1] 2 3 4
>>Healing Trance (Knight and up)
-------
1 [2] 3
Farsight (Padawan and up)
---------
1 [2] 3 4
Affect Mind/Mind Trick (Knight and up)
-------
1 [2] 3
Force Camoflage (Knight and up)
-------
[1] 2 3
Telepathy (Knight and up)
-------
1 [2] 3

Attributes: (Be reasonable)
Physical Strength
--------------------------
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] 10

Intelligence
------------------
1 2 3 4 5 6 [7] 8 9 10

Speed
-------------
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10

Unarmed
-----------------------
1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10

Melee Weapons
-----------------------
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10

Ranged Weapons
-----------------
1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10

Leadership
----------------
1 2 3 4 5 6 [7] 8 9 10

Force atunement (Have you been following the light path or the dark path?)
-------------------------
0 1 2 3 [4] 5

[Jenno]

Moved to Inactive.