Old Friends (Jericho)

[Lord Nova]

Immediately Jericho could taste a layer of bitter bile in his mouth. So they drugged me... Jericho opened his eyes to the harsh realization he could not see, not only that, he could not hear. You're over reacting. Jabuun has you locked up. Then, like a brick to the face, he could feel the swollen lumps spider webbing his back. As far as he could tell he was lying face down on a cot, in a dark and empty room.

So he reached out with the Force, outside his room he could sense many life forms. Most of them were huddled around a particularly large life force, Jabuun. From his knowledge of this little Palace, he summed that his room was full of traps. Another glance at his hands confirmed it. Small wires were looped around his wrists, obviously meant to shock him if he tried to escape. He didn't doubt they were on his legs. He pulled testily, hopefully it wouldn't shock too-

...Jericho awoke an hour later. The hair on the back of his head was standing up, and he could feel the lumps in his back bleeding. I guess he means business... Jericho rested his mind, the best thing he could do was recuperate. If Jabuun was foolish enough to allow him to live then he would not waste the Hutt's idiocy on an escape attempt; not yet anyway.

[Lord Nova]

In the hours of darkness, before Jabuun had him transported to a newly built arena outside his palace, Jericho spent his time centering himself in the darkside. He used his hatred and anger over Jabuun's cunning to fuel him. And, however painful, he found it necessary to reflect on prior events in his life. Such as the day when he had inadvertently caused his mother's death all those years ago.

Through his hatred he felt a sense of renewal. With this empowered dark aura, the true bile in his mind became apparent. He could feel any restraint he may have had for life easing, until the point he simple could not contain himself. He wanted, seemingly as much as he ever had, to slaughter these people. Who were they to capture him? Who were they, these non force using parasites to use him all those years and want to kill him for leaving? By the time the men had come to get him he was literally glowing with an evil power.

And now, he stood perched atop a high rising Pillar in the center of the arena. His wrists chained heavily to the wall of the cylindrical pillar beneath. Even now, as Jabuun stared testily from his loft south of him, he was gathering his strength. Eyes closed, face pointing absently toward the sun, he could sense a large life force entering through the north gate. Because of his limited abilities in deciphering the force, he knew the thing must be pretty big-a flash of familiar hatred, and pretty .

The massive gate lifted ominously, the shadows within harboring their monster. Jabuun had spared no expense in the Arena's creation; even from here he could see Cortosis bars within the gate. Cortosis... He had already calculated three escape plans, and seven methods of killing Jabuun before he too would be killed, and now he formed another. He would escape, and take the Hutt out in the process. However, he decided again focusing on the shadows, there is still an X factor in this equation.

"Keel-ee calleya ku kah Nova..." Boomed a mighty voice in Huttese. Jericho turned his head, "I will escape again Jabuun. When I do, I promise you this, I will kill you." Jericho adjusted his vision just slightly enough to look at the man standing by Jabuun "Both of you..." Jabuun took an embarrassing notice in his guest's discomfort. This man had finally brought Jericho in, he didn't deserve to be threatened.

"Ateema, Cha skrunee da pat Dopa meekie Dopa maskey Peedunky!" Jericho sighed and faced toward the creature emerging from the shadows. For a second his heart stopped, then immediately it began beating very quickly as the Rancor stepped wildly from beneath his blanket of shadows. Its powerful green arm swiped furiously at the Men trying to corall it toward Jericho. It soon got the picture though, and charged madly toward the bound Dark Jedi.

[Lord Nova]

"Bona nai kachu!" Howled his former associate. But to Jericho, the world was mute. He had already discounted all other distractions, until the only sound he could hear was the steady clambering of the lumbering beast as it charged him with an animistic drive. If his timing was off by a fraction of a second, he would die a very painful death. The Rancor ran to a halt several feet from his pillar and drew back so hard it nearly lifted itself off the ground, and swung. The Rancor was quick but Jericho was quicker. Jabuun's guards had made the mistake of not chaining his feet. Well, his men had, Jabuun on the other hand had counted on it. Through the Force he could sense his old Employer, and he wasn't surprised when Jericho kicked his feet skyward and arched his back enough so that when the Rancor swung, his powerful claw met only the chains clasped from his wrists to the holsters below.

But with a power even Jericho hadn't conceived, the thrust from the slashing of his chains sent him flying through the air at his already elevated position. Jericho was dripping with power though, his hours of seceding into his anger had left him submerged in dark energy. Back flipping in mid air and kicked with the Force he was flying wildly back toward the Rancor. Landing was awkward though, his right knee, the fake one, contorted with Jericho's inability to control the Force he used. The tremor rattled the limb but it still felt intact. The Rancor, however, did not take time to notice Jericho cringe and analyze his leg. Instead he decided to make a meal of the tricky creature.

Dodging a right swipe of the beast Jericho barrel rolled in mid air, he had came back to grab what was left of his chains. The piece he picked up before leaping was roughly ten feet long, with a blunt end to which it used to be implanted in the Pillar. "This should work... I think?" he voiced lightly as his right hand welled up with power. He could feel it, as he hung suspended there seemingly in slow motion, he could feel that same dark power he had when he had blasted his father with Force lightening. But his questioning of its effectiveness was dulling his power.

[Lord Nova]

Before he could doubt his power he effectively unleashed a more latent anger. Lightening exploded from his right hand, the chain sparkled with power. As the metal crackled it was severely burning his right hand. He used this pain to generate even more power into the chain, and as his world gained speed once again, his somersault came full with him slamming the charged change into the face of the Rancor and momentarily igniting him. The Rancor sparkled brilliantly before howling in anger/rage. He had made his mark near the right eye but wasn't sure if it had actually hit it.

Jericho did not hesitate to register the pain in his hand. Instead he lepta to the sandy arena below and bolted passed the beast. It wouldn't take it long to recover, and a lot less time to devour him. "Keepuna!" he heard Jabuun yell as Jericho bound toward the Cortosis bars. But like an unwanted epiphany he was suddenly noticing his weariness and his damaged hand. "That Force lightening really takes its toll if not kept in check. There has to have been an easier way to have escaped. That was reckless..." Suddenly realizing he hadn't escaped yet, stopped before the towering gate.

Behind him the Rancor had recovered, its right eye swollen shut but in all it was searching for the little beastie that had struck him. Jericho turned his attention back to the bars. It would take quite a bit of strength to break on down, let alone enough to take down a Rancor. But he came too far to give up now, and walked calmly to the gate and placed both hands on a single white bar. It was about fifty feet high but only about six inches in diameter. He did not have to worry about not having enough skill in the force to pull it off. For this, he mused, all his body building would come in handy.

"Tah-koh tee womp rat e’nachu, skrunee da pat!" Spat the Hutt angrily. Jericho ignored him and began pulling on the bar. His face turned red as he exerted a ridiculous strength, the veins coursing through his muscles bulged as oxygen was trying hard to reach them all. He could feel the bar sway ever so slightly "ARRRRGGGHHH!" he yelled, releasing some dark energy into his rolling muscles. The mercenary beside Jabuun spoke "He's a fool. Nobody is that strong." Jabuun did not shift his gaze when replying, (No my friend. He can and he will.) Almost on cue Jericho felt the bar snap from the pressure.

(You see Captain) Jabuun mused lightly as Jericho whirled on the charging Rancor, the Captain stood there with his mouth wide open. (Nova was an associate of mine. One of the best. I have personally seen the boy do things I believed immpossible.) The Captain faced the other "He is Jedi? They don't use lightening." (He is dark Jedi. And he could have had a future had he not abandoned me. Nova could have been the best.)Spat the Hutt angrily, turning his attention back toward Jericho. The best tool... The Captain thought, also turning back on Nova.

Jericho on the other hand wasn't as casual. The Rancor was only several meters from him. I barely have time to turn around, and this bar is too darn long! Desperately calculating some options he came to one he hoped the Rancor would be dumb enough to fall for. Spinning quickly he brought the bar in a Horizontal motion around to brace it against the wall just as the Rancor struck. Aiming with instinct greater than any normal human being he lifted the back so it would impact right through the torso. It all happened so fast Jericho was nearly squashed as the limp creature pushed the bar through the concrete wall the Cortosis was braced against.

The Captain looked sharply to the other "Should we send the men in?" He asked, disregarding the strange sense of admiration he had acquired for Nova. "Stoopa, Soong peetch alay!" Jericho knew he could have made a break for Jabuun but in his condition he doubted he would get to him in time. So he slipped away under the shroud of dust and into the vast Forests of Taris. Jabuun was sure to have men stationed around here. Not to mention the Security boost that would follow his escaping. You won't die today, he decided cautiously making his way deep into the foliage.