Vendettas And Arrivals

~~~(POV: Adren Saydra)~~~

~~~(Location: Desik's Hideout, Red Light District, Nar Shaddaa)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 16 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 569 BBY)~~~

"SOMEONE STOP HIM!!!"

ZRRRAAAAKKKK

Desik jumps into his elevator before my Force Lightning reaches him. The red bolts dance around the room and impact some of his guards. Throwing them against the walls and killing others.

He's a slick one, more than I thought he'd be for a prideful Zygerrian. All of them consider themselves higher than other races hence why they're Slavers.

"Open fire!"

Some of the hired help stop hiding behind cover as my Force Lightning comes to an end. My lightsaber flies into my hand, and the purple blade ignites. As the bolts come my way, I send them back in the direction they came.

Scum suckers are falling dead all over the room the more they shoot. Too stupid to realize this isn't working.

I reverse my grip on my saber hilt and throw both my hands forward. All the cover, people, and objects in the room slam against the back wall.

CRUNCHH

SLAACHH

SPAAASSS

As I deactivate my saber and start walking toward the elevator. The blood from the bodies that were just crushed starts leaking out from under the various objects used to crush them.

The camera in the corner of the room zooms in on me, and my hood hides my identity. Pressing the button to open the elevator doesn't work, and a small sigh leaves my lips. Desik's stopped the elevator from working.

A simple movement from my hand breaks the camera and cuts his view of me off. I lift my left hand and Force Grip the elevator door. Crushing it partially and then pushing it through. Letting go of my grip, it falls down the shaft.

He went up, that much I know. Which floor he got off on remains unknown to me at this time. I'd rather not waste time and risk him escaping by searching every floor.

I focus my hatred for Desik and spread my senses through the entire tower.

"Hiding on the 112th floor..."

I'm on the 58th.

After following him to this floor, he rushed to this specific elevator. Meaning it's a private one. I hang off the edge of the inside of the elevator shaft and look up. Markers show which floor I'll be on as I pass them.

The Force channels through my body, and I leap up the elevator shaft. Covering a 20-floor range in a single bound. Bouncing off another ledge and continuing this until I reach the 111th floor. One below where Desik has decided to run.

Another push of my hand and the elevator doors fly off and scream down the hall. There are more men above me, and I'm going to ruin any hopes of a plan they had.

I stand in the center of the hall on the 111th floor, and Force Grip every pillar within sight of me. Lifting my hands as I get a grasp of them.

CRUUUUUUUUUU

The building groans in protest. The moment I close my fists and destroy the metal pillars, all the floors above 111th go down a whole level. Avoiding harm by wrapping myself in The Force, I'm now on the 112th floor.

There are bodies around me. Dead and crippled. I move down the destroyed and nearly caved-in hallway and reach a barely intact room.

As I walk in, Desik is at his desk. Bloody wound on his forehead, and trying to make a holocall.

I throw out my hand, and he struggles by his neck. My fingers are open and unstiffened, and my Force Choke is already nearly killing him. My saber flies into my hand once again. Not wanting him to get a message out, my saber spins from my hand in purple fury.

Destroying the terminal and coming back to me. As I pull my arm and hand to my side, keeping my wrist level with my ribs. Desik floats in front of me. His eyes rolling into the back of his head.

He drops to the ground with a hard thud as I let him go, and he gasps for air. Zygerrian fur and looks are covered in dirt and fresh blood.

"What... Do you..."

ZRAAAAAAKKK

"AAAAAGGGGHHH!!!!"

Instead of letting him finish his question, Force Lightning races across his body. Burning off his fur and causing his body to smoke.

"RAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!"

His agony reaches no one except for me. Before killing him, my channeling of Force Lightning is stopped, and his body is shaking in trauma.

I crouch down next to him and grab his temple. Forcing him to look his green eyes into my red ones.

"Where is the list."

He can barely register what I'm saying. Seeing I won't be getting anywhere with this, it only leaves one option. I lift him off the ground, and he floats before me as I hold out my hand. Time to see what's in this guy's head.

Tearing his mind apart to find where he keeps his list of customers and contacts will be an easy task. Zygerrian mental toughness or not, I'm not planning to leave his mind in one piece, to begin with.

~~~(POV: Jedi Padawan Taylor Azure)~~~

~~~(Location: Personal Room, Jedi Temple, Coruscant)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 16 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 569 BBY)~~~

[SOMEONE STOP HIM!!!]

[*ZRRRAAAAKKKK*]

[Open fire!]

[CRUNCHH]

[SLAACHH]

[SPAAASSS]

[What... Do you...]

[*ZRAAAAAAKKK*]

[AAAAAGGGGHHH!!!!]

[RAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!]

[Where is the list.]

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

The whole room shakes as I jump out of bed and head for the corner. Releasing a terrified scream. My body shakes as it remembers the feeling of the vision. The anger and hate. It was overwhelming.

Never in my life have I felt something like that. Not when I was a kid, and not from the other visions I've had about the growing Darkside.

"That voice... That voice..."

I know it.

I don't know how or why, but I know that voice. I've never heard it before, but I know it. My hands unclasp, and my nails have dug into my palms so deeply their bleeding.

The fast-approaching signature of my Mom forces me to turn my head to the door. As it opens, she looks around the room and sees me in the corner. Rushing to me and wrapping me in a hug. Rocking me side to side, helping me calm down.

"I know... I saw it too... I felt it... It's okay..."

It was like I was the one killing and hurting all those people... It was like I was there...

"What's happening, Mom... I don't understand..."

I've never read anything in the Archives such as this. Maybe it's above my rank to know. Visions this powerful aren't something I'm used to. I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

"It was just The Force showing us what's going on... Helping us see what the Darksider is doing... I know it was vivid, Taylor. But that wasn't you."

She went through the same thing, and she's handling it so much better than me... After a few minutes, the panic and fear I'm feeling fade away. Feeling exhausted as it does.

We're supposed to leave for Onderon when the sun rises today... I was hoping to get more sleep and meditation in but after that... I don't see myself doing that today...

Mom helps me to my feet, and we talk out of the room. Heading for the washrooms. Helping me inside. As my body and clothes are cleaned from the sweat, my mind starts to wander. Speculating about what's going on.

We leave the washrooms and walk to the Meditation Gardens. There are several Masters and council members already here when we arrive. Meditating. Some look a little haunted, and others look hardly affected.

I'm definitely the worse out of everyone here that's experienced that. On approach, Grandmaster Zana and Haden look toward us in concern. Mainly just me.

As I'm set on the fountain edge, Haden takes a seat next to me.

"What happened to her?"

The concern is appreciated, but I'm unsure of how to feel or act. I'm so out of it that I can't find something to say to anyone or about anything. All my mind does is go back to those moments. The things I saw.

"She experienced the same vision I saw. Judging from how everyone is here, you've all sensed or seen it too."

Mom answers Haden's question, and I shift on my back to look at the dark night sky of Coruscant. Trying to think about anything besides what I experienced just now.

~~~(POV: Jedi Master Krayla Azure)~~~

~~~(Location: Jedi High Council Chambers, Jedi Temple, Coruscant)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 36 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 569 BBY)~~~

Everyone that's a part of the council aside from Dysare is here. We're unable to reach him at the moment; interference from hyperspace is sometimes a problem when they're far from Coruscant. They're going all the way to Hutt Space.

Taylor was given a sedative to help her sleep, and she's recovering in medical. She wasn't strong enough yet to experience something like that.

"I'm worried about Dysare and Tayda. They'll be reaching Nar Shaddaa shortly and will be investigating this person."

Master Hendi isn't the only one worried. We all are. They've allowed me to sit in Dysare's seat so I can rest. It's not something I'd do unless I had to.

I think they need to know...

"It was a male... Human... It felt like I was him... So much anger... Never-ending hatred... It was near suffocating..."

People shut their eyes and search through their feelings about this. Taking and processing information, they've learned through the vision.

"I concur with Krayla. There is no mistaking it. That voice at the end was definitely a man."

This is the first time we've been able to confirm the gender of the Darksider that Dysare and Tayda are after.

"We need to warn Dysare and Tayda. They should know what they're walking into."

I don't want any harm to come to them. They're my friends, and the sooner we inform them of what's happened, the better. The sun is starting to rise on the Temple, and that's my sign Taylor, and I must leave for Onderon.

Giving my farewell to the council and leaving them to talk. I make it to medical. Waking up Taylor and taking her to our ship. Getting off Coruscant is something we both need. Funny, a little more than a day ago, I was thinking the opposite.

Taylor is sitting silently next to me, deep in thought. My hand reaches over, and I gently rub her shoulder. She leans into the comfort and takes a breath. Seeing her struggle like this is hard for me, but it happens.

The Force does things that we don't anticipate and can't prepare for.

"Want to talk about it?"

I'm unsure if she's ready to discuss it, but bottling it up doesn't improve it. That kind of emotion isn't something you can suppress.

It's impossible.

"Will this happen a lot..."

Not having the answers to my daughter's questions isn't something that happens often. This is one of the times when I don't have the answers she's looking for.

"I don't know, Taylor. It's hard to say since it's The Force at work. It's showing us all for a reason."

I watch as her eyes start to water, and that's when I bring her into a hug and let her cry into my shoulder. The ship enters hyperspace with Onderon as its destination. My girl cries and does so until she can't anymore.

She's still so young, and having to go through that without the training to deal with it is hard. I'll have to do what Roland did for me. When I went through a struggle similar to this. It was one of the best lessons I ever had.

~~~(POV: Jedi Master Dysare Izok)~~~

~~~(Location: Jedi Transport Ship Lightrider, Exiting Hyperspace, Corellian Hyperroute)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 65 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 569 BBY)~~~

The enchanting light of hyperspace ends and the worlds of Nal Hutta and Nar Shaddaa appear in the windows. As soon as they do, the holoterminal behind us starts going off. We stand up and approach.

As I press a button to receive the call from the Jedi Temple, Aleya and Tezor appear before us. The severe expressions for their features are evident; we're about to discuss something important.

"I'm glad we could reach you before you landed on Nar Shaddaa. There is something you must know about what's happened."

Tezor begins explaining what happened at the Temple on Coruscant. Tayda looks to the ground with a thoughtful expression as she pinches her chin.

This is indeed something to be wary about. However, it doesn't change our mission objective. Find information regarding this male Darksider. What his objectives are with Desik's list, and whose names are on the list of clients and contacts.

It's nice we've got a gender assigned to the person we're looking for. A male. At this point, it's a tremendous break in the search.

"Master, if we got into a fight with this individual. Would we come out of it alive?"

A question that's come across my mind, as well. If what they say is true, it'd be foolish for us to engage. This man is obviously incredibly powerful and has had extensive training in the Darkside.

What I'm curious about is who taught him... It's hard to think about the possibility he's self-taught. That'd be almost impossible. There are alternatives to learning about The Force.

"I think it's best we avoid a confrontation with him. Knowing his power has grown so much over the last eight years is a warning of his talent."

That's the best course of action I can come up with.

"Thank you, Masters. I'll update you on any new developments I find on Nar Shaddaa."

With that, I turn off the holocall and reach the pilot's seat. Tayda helps me bring the ship into the hangar bay near Desiks slave auction house. The moment we step out of the ship and enter the streets.

A pillar of smoke in the distance makes itself known. The building looks like it's about to fall.

"Do you think that's the building from the vision they had..."

It's not really a questioning tone in my old padawan's voice. More of a mixture between observation and confirmation.

"We don't have time. I know that a confrontation is something we want to avoid, but if we can get his identity, should we take it?"

Tayda is no longer a padawan and must also ask for her opinion. She's as much a part of this as I am.

She takes on a deep thinking look. Internally debating the pros and cons of going after this man. There is a good chance we'll get into a fight.

"I'm sorry, Master. I disagree. For now, we'll stick to the original plan of finding Desik's list of clients and contacts. It'll give us a safer insight into who he is. We don't need to die today."

Great wisdom from my old student.

"Wise words, Tayda. And I agree. Let's start looking for Desik's competitors and get a copy of that list."

We'll not die wastefully today. We have time and a white-hot lead. We'll follow where it goes.