NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: This thread is open only to the following:

1. All participants in First Clan Invasion (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=539131)
2. New Dornalia, by request
3. Orthodox Gnosticism, with an understanding that the Colonial refugees on White Diamond are watching with big bags of popcorn in their hands.
4. (edit) Godular, to provide certain logistical support which will become apparent. (/edit)

Also, read First Clan Invasion (linked above) to find out more about what conduct spawned all of this angst...

----------------------------

Six million refugees randomly showing up at Great Woody City. The Coredian Government confessing that it had deployed a singularity Weapon of Mass Destruction in the middle of a densely populated city of Kobal. Konoha getting nuked by Cylons. CoreWorlds effectively surrendering to said Cylons.

All within a single day. Indeed, this day just happened to be the busiest news day since the ruinous civil war ended...if not even busier than that.

So when more breaking news reached White Diamond, news anchors pretty much rolled their eyes in unison. However, when they read the dispatches from Caligula, they hurled in disgust, also in unison. Some vomited in disgust even upon those very dispatches. While Rock Lee fought a Trial of Possession to keep Caligula under Coredian control, Woodian news anchors changed their clothes and cleaned themselves up to break these most disturbing revelations...

"We interrupt our breaking news about the Kobal refugee crisis and nuclear disaster on the Coredian secondary capital of Konoha to bring you more breaking news from Caligula," frazzled news anchors on various news networks reported, more or less in unison. Amazing how yesterday could be so dead and today crammed in more breaking news than the day Master Whitfield defeated Darth Ebolus in a Trial of Annihilation. "Admiral Zhukov bid away an attack from the...you are hearing this right...Clans against the Coredian colony of Caligula, only to be Force-crushed by a Coredian 'Jedi.' Early reports indicate that Coredian defense forces were fully engaged against the Clans when Admiral Zhukov arrived, whereupon Zhukov bid himself against any Clan warrior in hand-to-hand combat, control of the planet to be decided by a Trial of Possession. Both Clans and Coredians stopped firing, apparently out of shock. Bailey Kipper, an alleged Jedi Knight, demanded a Trial of Grievance, asserting that Zhukov had no right to bid away a Coredian possession..."

"We are now receiving recordings of the bidding process...can we air those please?"

*some technician plays the recordings*


BAILEY: "Very well. Hand to hand, no weapons. The terrain will be right where we land."
*AIDAN switches to closed comm
AIDAN: "A Jedi never truly bids to fight unarmed. You have completely sidestepped that issue, forceborn. You have not completed your bid."
BAILEY: "You fear my powers, knave? You cannot compete without handicapping a Knight, it seems. It would be only right to tie up your hands as well."
AIDAN: "Very well, surat forcebirth. I assume that is a bid to use any Force-augmentation you wish. Immobilize me and tear my trachea in a thousand different directions. Send a million volts through my body. Admiral Riordan somehow survived it. Freeze my brain and trick me into sepukku. Stop my heart and rupture my lungs. Crush every bone in my body. Bring down a cliff face upon my head. You simply make it clear that you cannot hope--or are afraid--to fight 'unarmed' without these abilities, forcefilth. I suppose you cannot fight without your lightsaber, either. Nor do I care."
BAILEY (mutters): "What is it with these people?"
*BAILEY cuts transmission

"Apparently the Sithling refused to bid away even the darkest powers. Bailey proceeded to Force-crush Aidan when it became clear that Aidan might actually win the duel."

*plays footage of Admiral Makaryk cleaning Aidan's blackened corpse, along with the Clanner who had helped him*

"The Sith responsible then proceeded to appoint Jounin Rock Lee in his place to fight the Clan designee in the Trial of Possession," the anchor seethed. "Just in: Rock Lee certified victor. To summarize for those just tuning in: Admiral Zhukov bids a raging space battle down to hand to hand combat. Coredian Jedi demands Trial of Grievance. Coredian Jedi turns Sith and Force-crushes Aidan. CoreWorlds proceeds to keep Caligula system, at zero military cost, for which Admiral Zhukov is a martyr--Force-crushed for Coredian military expediency."

For most of the day, Woodians had shrugged off the news. Even news of the nuking of Konoha attracted the attention of mainly medical personnel, several thousand of whom were now actually enroute to Konoha to assist in the treatment of civilians, especially given that the Cylons had probably irradiated (or worse) a fair amount of hospitals. Given this bombshell, however, the only doctors volunteering would probably be those already gone, and thus ignorant of this latest breaking news. Indeed, if one wished to make enemies of the Woodians, training in the use of the Force, only to come upon a Woodian citizen, feel out his life signature, hold it in the palm of the hand and crush it like a wad of paper was exactly the way to do it...

That it had happened in the context of an honor duel mattered not. Too many Woodians had seen too many victims of Force Crush. Too many Woodians had survived too many immediate relatives that were victims of Force Crush. Indeed, a few Woodians had the nerve to wonder why Admiral Makaryk had not yet demanded a Trial of Grievance to redress this atrocity...

Then more news came. Admiral Makaryk had demanded such a Trial of Grievance. Lowbacca, representing the Jedi Council, had refused.

Immediately upon learning of this refusal, Woodians marched in the streets and surrounded the Coredian Embassy, demanding redress. "HEY HO, HEY HO, HOW MANY DID JEDI CRUSH TODAY!?" seemed to be the chant of choice. The shouting, in unison, of at least a couple million people registering their discontent right outside the Coredian Embassy could most definitely be heard through the embassy walls, soundproofing or not. And bullhorns. Don't forget the bullhorns. Not even the consulates were spared from spontaneous protesters.

The families of Darth Ebolus' victims were not stingy with their pocketbooks either. Within two minutes, a mother of three children, all dead before the age of ten thanks to the vile sorcery that is Force Crush, emptied her entire life's savings--that is to say ninety-four thousand standard credits--into posting a bounty on Bailey Kipper's head on a Holoforum hosted by one of the Woodian news outlets. Within five minutes, other aggrieved survivors had pooled together a hundred million credits. It took less than a half hour for the bounty to reach a billion credits as Woodians pooled their resources to correct this atrocity. That bounty hunting was considered dishonorable in EWT, and that bounty hunters were often run out of town, tarred and feathered, and whatnot, did not matter. Force crush was the greater evil by far.

All of this, the Coredian Government could have shrugged off but for one slight problem. Woodian cable networks were broadcast all over CoreWorlds...in fact, Admiral Makaryk, having just gone to quarters, having just given up on prodding Lowbacca into actually doing something other than shielding the Sith Bailey from the just consequences of his actions, was able to watch from Caligula, the very spot where this had occurred. He wondered when Lowbacca would do the same, and thought that Bailey should be required to do the same.

His ears perked up when the news anchor mentioned the words "Parliament" and "emergency session" in the same sentence...

Adding to the trouble was the fact that several hundred New Dornalians had been living in Woodian lands, ever since the Workers State had graciously given aid in helping them to rebuild after a devastating conflict. The Dornalians in country saw the events unfolding with only the greatest worry. They knew well about the events involving Darth Ebolus, and how he and his troops had used the Force crush as a tool of terror against the Woodian populace. They knew that Bailey Kipper had probably gone overboard. And, it was to no surprise to the Dornalian expats in country that the Woodians did what they did.

But there was another complication. The Dornalians also happened to be friends of Coredia. Indeed, for a long time, Coredians had been portrayed in Dornalian media as plucky underdog figures, heroic revolutionaries that were fighting the good fight in the name of True Liberty and Freedom against incredible odds. The idea of Kipper's action was quite shocking, to say the least. But to them, it was just one man, who probably didn't know any better.....

With that in mind, they began sending word to their friends and families back home in New Dornalia. It would have stopped there, would there not have been letters to an employee at the Commissariat of Foreign Affairs, and had the bounty on Kipper not been issued on the Holonet.

--------------------------------

Lazy-E Ranch, New Mexico, Earth SSR

The New Mexico sun beat down on Junko Tadanobu, Grand Sensei of the People's Acolytes as she rode down the High Plains and into the Lazy-E Ranch, her own trusty reserve where she could get way from office politics. Growing up in Sao Paulo as a little girl before moving to Los Angeles, she had seen old Westerns and had been fascinated with cowboy culture--hence, when she became Grand Sensei, she bought her own ranch. Her trusty horse, Belisario, was a tough animal but a fair one, and he was giving her a rather challenging journey today.

She pulled on the bridles and then called out, "Woah, boy! Woah!" to calm Belisario down. And yet he wouldn't.

"Must be a bad sign," she thought. And indeed, at that moment, her Force sensitivity began tingling. She sensed anger, feelings of slight and grave offense and needless to say confusion on an epic scale, more than she could control, and had to prevent herself from falling off of Belisario.

Her fears were about to come true, as a messenger on a Konarmiya motorcycle pulled up to her, and then got off and saluted, saying, "Grand Sensei, I have a message for you."

Junko then held her hand out and said, "Hold on a moment." She then whispered to Belisario, "Calm down boy...its okay, its just a friend....." That seemed to get Belisario calm, and then, she was able to get off, holding his bridle to keep him from running off.

She then turned to the messenger and then said, "Now what?"

The messenger handed a piece of paper to Junko, and she read it. It was the post from the holoforum, detailing the bounty on Kipper. She frowned, saying, "Those thoughts....this must be why I sensed them. And yet why?"

The messenger then said, "Well, Grand Sensei, it's part of a general uproar. Apparently, the Jedi in question in this document, during an honor duel of some sort, a ritual known to the Woodians as a Trial, had used a Force Crush upon a Woodian officer--a grave offense in their culture. It has sparked a major international incident, and it is threatening the Woodian-Coredian alliance."

He then pulled out a PDA, and then played some archived Woodian news footage. Junko winced at the talking heads, feeling the rush ofanger through the Force again; she stumbled a bit, and then Junko then told him, slipping into Portuguese, "Bastante. Apague-o." She then insisted, more firmly, "Turn it off." The man did so, somewhat frightened at the loss of composure.

Junko then said, recovering from her stumble, "Well. This is going to be interesting. And I thought Belisario was tough."

She then asked, "What of the civilian government?"

The messenger said, "The Commissariat of Foreign Affairs knows of this as well. And not just by the Kipper Bounty and the Woodian news. Apparently, a relative of one of their employees has written a series of letters to him, informing him of the events occurring in EWT between the two countries. Their estimates of the situation are bad. Very bad."

Junko then said, "Thank you."

She then dismissed the messenger, and hitched Belisario in his stable before rushing to the hangar, boarding a shuttle, and flying to Los Angeles....

----------------------------

Los Angeles

"Son of a bitch."

MacIntyre facepalmed his head, sighing and expressing his frustration in the best way he knew. The Coredians seemed to be good people, but people alas accompanied by very bad luck. In this case, here was a situation that threatened to consume the long-standing relationship between two nations over what some would percieve as a misunderstanding.

"Can't we tell the Woodians something? You know, get them to calm the fuck down?"

Carla Baileygates, the Commissar for Foreign Affairs, simply said, "I'm afraid not; the situation looks rather serious. If these news feeds are correct, if this letter is correct....we could be seeing a rather nasty divorce in these next few weeks."

MacIntyre leaned back in his chair and grumbled, going, "Humph."

Carla then said, sighing, "Some of my men say they don't see why we need to intervene. It is strictly a matter between the two of them. None of Junko's men Force Crushed that officer of theirs. Of course--"

"--Of course, then if they go into a divorce, then the United Front against the Galactic Empire is weakened. How can we put up a united front if two factions on the good guys side turn on one another? It's rather terrible. Never mind the fact that it puts the New Dornalian state in an awkward position. We wouldn't be able to help either side without looking like we would be committing favoritism, and I do not want the Dornalians accused of doing that," MacIntyre said, waving his hands rather exasperatedly.

Carla then nodded saying, "True, true. But we might make things worse if we intervene. Believe me, history has shown interventions can make things a lot worse if done improperly."

MacIntyre then said, "Right. Well, fuck history. I'm going in." He then got up to get a pen, when a messenger knocked. MacIntyre then said, "Come in!"

The messenger came in with an eerily calm Junko in tow, saying, "Junko Tadanobu here to see you?"

MacIntyre then said, "Ah, Junko! Come in, come in." Junko walked into the room, and sat down in one of the chairs before grimly handing the Kipper Bounty copy to the Premier, without a word. Reading it, MacIntyre then said, "Jesus. Now we really have to get involved."

Carla then said, "What?!" Rather anxiously, she turned to Junko saying, "Junko, what did you show him?"

Junko said, with a nervous twitch that contrasted with her calm, "A bounty on the offender. Apparently, the Woodians would rather seek vingança than think of the big picture."

Carla was unnerved by this. She had known Junko for a while....when she slipped into Brazilian Portuguese, a language she hadn't spoken since childhood, Carla knew right away she was nervous about something. She could never put it down to anything in Junko's life, her parents seemed quite normal and they seemed to be a loving family. Maybe it was the fact she was teased for her powers? Junko would never say, but the fact she did it and it obscured her words was somewhat unnerving.

Carla then said, anxiously, "We know of the bounty on Kipper. Why is it angering you?"

Junko then said, keeping her twitching under control, "Well, senhora--er Carla, I am not angered. I am however concerned. I had visions at my ranch before this message arrived. Visões escuras. Feelings of anger, confusion, agitation. Like a whole people were getting fed up over something, and demanding blood and justice--but not the kind you get in court."

Carla sighed, and then said, "I can tell. You're agitated. I mean, sheesh, you never slip into Portuguese unless you're agitated. But that's not the point. The point is we can't be rash...."

MacIntyre took the opportunity to interrupt, saying, "Right. Can we get them together for a conference? I want to hear both sides of the story, and see if we can't do a little marraige counseling."

Baileygates did her own facepalming now, saying, "It's not as simple as marraige counseling.....marraiges falling apart don't usually involve Force-using nations with battlehardened veterans and war machines!"

MacIntyre then said, "Now look. For now, we can issue a statement. We can deal with it later."

Baileygates then said, "Agreed. For now, we will issue a statement...and maybe a letter to both sides."

Junko nodded, and agreed only.

----------------------------------

A Public Statement was issued over the News:

"The Government of New Dornalia is frankly shocked and saddened at the turn of events occurring between the nations of Evil Woody Thoughts and the Imperial Republic of Coreworlds. We will refrain from Moral Censure at this moment. We only urge these two nations to adopt all necessary and mutually (and we mean mutually) beneficial measures to prevent war from breaking out and to keep the common peace. A misunderstanding is no, repeat, no reason to have a divorce.

--Commissariat of Foreign Affairs"

A private message was sent to the Woodian Governments and the Coredian Governments as well.

"We would like to meet with representatives from both the nations of Evil Woody Thoughts and the Imperial Republic of Coreworlds in Los Angeles or perhaps on the battleship Rock 'N' Roll Damnation to discuss the current matter now unfolding in our midst. Premier MacIntyre and Grand Sensei Tadanobu is very, very concerned about this matter and would like to ascertain what exactly is going on from both sides."

Breaking News from GNN!

"Hi! I am Terry Williams, reporting to you live on GNN. Today, we have several items happening on the same day. The first, the Battle of Caligula has ended with a victory in an honor duel between Jounin Rock Lee and the entity known as the Clans. It pleases us to inform you that the Battle has ended with Caligula remaining in Coredian hands. On another note, Konoha has been burned by the race known as the Cylons and in less than an hour, the Cylons has forced the High Council to agree to a peace treaty. The Senate is now in an uproar over the situation, and many protesters have spilled out into the streets, calling the High Council quote, unquote 'surrender monkeys' and we have a live video from one of the thousands of crowds all over the nation. David?"

http://www.help-for-you.com/news/Jan2003/Jan01/_38881429_effigy-afp-203body.jpeg

*Live video of crowds chanting 'Death to the Cylons!', 'Death to the Centurions!' 'Surrender Monkey!', 'Remember Konoha!' and burning effigies of various Cylons and High Council members in outrage. Even Daniel Masaki wasn't exempt. Approval ratings of the Masaki Clan dipped below 50% for the first time in decades.*

David the correspondent nodded as he was bumped and jostled by the edge of the crowd. "Thank you, Terry. As you can see behind me, the people of the nation have expressed their displeasure at the High Council's decision to make a peace with the race that has obviously made enemies of the Colonials and the Coredians both. The Council, I believe, made a statement that this peace is to prevent the total destruction of the nation of Konohagekure, but as you can see, as far as the Coredian people is concerned, the Cylons have only made a more powerful enemy than the military. It would definitely remain to be seen if the people would ever accept the Cylons walking free on the Coredian streets."

"I doubt it very much so, David. Not after what the Cylons have done to Konoha. There were two billion people on the planet. It will be a long time, if ever, for the Coredian people forgive the Cylons." Then Terry pressed a finger to his ear. "Hold on, we have another breaking news statement, from our affilates in Evil Woody Thoughts. Let's tune to them now. Kef'rey?"

The Bothan's fur was rippling in nervousness. Woodian crowds were in the background, chanting "HEY HO, HEY HO, HOW MANY DID JEDI CRUSH TODAY!?" "Thank you, Terry. From what I understand, there's more to the honor duel, or Trial as the Woodians call it at Caligula. It seems to me that before Rock Lee defeated the Clan-member known as Amelia, there was another Trial, one that has been confirmed as between Combat Knight Bailey Kipper and Woodian Admiral Aidan. Let me get you the facts from our friends at the Woodian News Network:

"We interrupt our breaking news about the Kobal refugee crisis and nuclear disaster on the Coredian secondary capital of Konoha to bring you more breaking news from Caligula," frazzled news anchors on various news networks reported, more or less in unison. Amazing how yesterday could be so dead and today crammed in more breaking news than the day Master Whitfield defeated Darth Ebolus in a Trial of Annihilation. "Admiral Zhukov bid away an attack from the...you are hearing this right...Clans against the Coredian colony of Caligula, only to be Force-crushed by a Coredian 'Jedi.' Early reports indicate that Coredian defense forces were fully engaged against the Clans when Admiral Zhukov arrived, whereupon Zhukov bid himself against any Clan warrior in hand-to-hand combat, control of the planet to be decided by a Trial of Possession. Both Clans and Coredians stopped firing, apparently out of shock. Bailey Kipper, an alleged Jedi Knight, demanded a Trial of Grievance, asserting that Zhukov had no right to bid away a Coredian possession..."

"We are now receiving recordings of the bidding process...can we air those please?"

*some technician plays the recordings*

BAILEY: "Very well. Hand to hand, no weapons. The terrain will be right where we land."
*AIDAN switches to closed comm
AIDAN: "A Jedi never truly bids to fight unarmed. You have completely sidestepped that issue, forceborn. You have not completed your bid."
BAILEY: "You fear my powers, knave? You cannot compete without handicapping a Knight, it seems. It would be only right to tie up your hands as well."
AIDAN: "Very well, surat forcebirth. I assume that is a bid to use any Force-augmentation you wish. Immobilize me and tear my trachea in a thousand different directions. Send a million volts through my body. Admiral Riordan somehow survived it. Freeze my brain and trick me into sepukku. Stop my heart and rupture my lungs. Crush every bone in my body. Bring down a cliff face upon my head. You simply make it clear that you cannot hope--or are afraid--to fight 'unarmed' without these abilities, forcefilth. I suppose you cannot fight without your lightsaber, either. Nor do I care."
BAILEY (mutters): "What is it with these people?"
*BAILEY cuts transmission

"Apparently the Sithling refused to bid away even the darkest powers. Bailey proceeded to Force-crush Aidan when it became clear that Aidan might actually win the duel."

*plays footage of Admiral Makaryk cleaning Aidan's blackened corpse, along with the Clanner who had helped him*

"The Sith responsible then proceeded to appoint Jounin Rock Lee in his place to fight the Clan designee in the Trial of Possession," the anchor seethed. "Just in: Rock Lee certified victor. To summarize for those just tuning in: Admiral Zhukov bids a raging space battle down to hand to hand combat. Coredian Jedi demands Trial of Grievance. Coredian Jedi turns Sith and Force-crushes Aidan. CoreWorlds proceeds to keep Caligula system, at zero military cost, for which Admiral Zhukov is a martyr--Force-crushed for Coredian military expediency."

For most of the day, Woodians had shrugged off the news. Even news of the nuking of Konoha attracted the attention of mainly medical personnel, several thousand of whom were now actually enroute to Konoha to assist in the treatment of civilians, especially given that the Cylons had probably irradiated (or worse) a fair amount of hospitals. Given this bombshell, however, the only doctors volunteering would probably be those already gone, and thus ignorant of this latest breaking news. Indeed, if one wished to make enemies of the Woodians, training in the use of the Force, only to come upon a Woodian citizen, feel out his life signature, hold it in the palm of the hand and crush it like a wad of paper was exactly the way to do it...

That it had happened in the context of an honor duel mattered not. Too many Woodians had seen too many victims of Force Crush. Too many Woodians had survived too many immediate relatives that were victims of Force Crush. Indeed, a few Woodians had the nerve to wonder why Admiral Makaryk had not yet demanded a Trial of Grievance to redress this atrocity...

Then more news came. Admiral Makaryk had demanded such a Trial of Grievance. Lowbacca, representing the Jedi Council, had refused.

Immediately upon learning of this refusal, Woodians marched in the streets and surrounded the Coredian Embassy, demanding redress. "HEY HO, HEY HO, HOW MANY DID JEDI CRUSH TODAY!?" seemed to be the chant of choice. The shouting, in unison, of at least a couple million people registering their discontent right outside the Coredian Embassy could most definitely be heard through the embassy walls, soundproofing or not. And bullhorns. Don't forget the bullhorns. Not even the consulates were spared from spontaneous protesters.

The Bothan continues over the howling of the Woodian crowd. "From what I understand, the first Trial was something called a Trial of Greviance between the two men. We have more information now from the Coredians that were at Caligula that Aidan had actually forced the Fifth Fleet Admiral Easton to agree to the Trial of Possession between him and the Clans, overriding the Admiral's concern for the fact that it was possible for Coredia to lose the system over a one-on-one duel. Here is a statement from the planetary governor:

"I am glad to say that we managed to keep Caligula in our hands thanks to the efforts of Rock Lee. However, I am not so glad that the Woodians have decided to take the matter of Caligula's sovereignity out of our own hands and into theirs. Had Aidan lost the duel against the Clan's champion, we would have been forced to hand over an entire system, my system to an enemy nation. I'm sure you would agree that it the height of foolishness for a nation's representative to take upon himself the fate of his ally's system. Bailey may have gone overboard in his actions, but as far as I am concerned, he was in the right to keep the fate of Coredian systems in the hands of Coredians, Force Crush or no Force Crush."

"Governor Matthews, a question. Did the Woodian commander offer compensation in the event Caligula was lost?" Terry asked.

"Actually, yes he did. But the point is, he never actually consulted with his allies before going ahead with the Trial. Had he lost, it would have been a slap in the face of Coredian honor to give the system over simply because of the results of a one-on-one duel, when it was clear that with the Third and Fifth Fleets supporting Caligula's planetary defenses, the enemy would have been chased away. Yes, we would have incurred casualties, but that's the wages of war."

"Thank you, Governor." Kef'rey nodded. Then she pressed a finger to her own ear. "This just in, a large number of Woodians have decided to put a price on Bailey Kipper's head for his use of the Force Crush technique on Admiral Aidan. It has already grown to a billion credits and continues to grow."

"That is quite absurd!" The Governor exclaimed angrily. "In my opinion, Bailey Kipper is a hero for saving Caligula and is being made a scapegoat just to appease the bloodthirsty nature of the Woodians. They even call him Sith when he is far from one! If the Council had any sense, they would exonerate him and stop this madness with all their power! Now if you'll excuse me, I have duties to attend to."

"Thank you, Governor." Terry said, inwardly sighing as he believed that the Governor's words would make an even bigger backlash. "And thank you, all of you, for a very interesting day. We'll keep you up to date on the latest from Coredia and around the galaxy. This is GNN, with your host, Terry Williams!"

=====

As some of the crowds began chanting 'Free Kipper' and 'Bailey is a Hero' and 'Woodians are Sith; Bailey is not!' and other crowds chanted 'Bailey must die!' and 'Bailey is a Dark Lord' and 'Kipper must be Klipped!' and similar themes, the High Council met to deliberate on Bailey's fate.

"He did WHAT?!" I yelled over the holoconference with the High Council to debate Kipper's fate. "Does Kipper even understand how much of a disaster he's caused?"

"<I do not believe so. The fallout has only caused him to be further driven towards the Dark Side. It's only a matter of time before he falls completely.>" Lowbacca replied sadly.

"Then we should make sure that we act decisively. We cannot afford to have him among us." Tsunade said. "Neither can we afford to have him free to cause harm to the Woodians. We should either contain him or banish him away from their presence."

"Unfortunately, a number of Coredians appear to love him." Katrina said ironically. "How ironic that the one who the Woodians call Sith be so loved."

"But Katrina, dear, think about what the Woodians have undergone. I've seen the results of Darth Ebolus' Force Crushes for myself when I went there. It wasn't pretty and the Woodians have every right to be angry." I shot back.

"I know that! But I really think everyone's going overboard over all this. The Woodians should know better than to pull these kinds of stunts!" Katrina shot back.

"This is a Force Crush we're talking about, honey! It is not a power to be used lightly. Even I wouldn't dare kill someone in that manner!" I replied sharply.

"Maybe you wouldn't, but some of us happen to keep it an option." Katrina bantered back, her roses hissing and snapping their petals at me.

"Maybe it shouldn't be." I shot back. "Maybe it should be banned, an Unforgivable Technique!"

"What?! Now that's just unfair! Whatever happened to fighting the enemy with everything in our power?" Katrina roared. It was lucky that distance separated us, for her roses would be lashing out at me by now and I'd be frying them in defense.

"Calm down, you two." Master Elendil sighed as lightning crackled between our eyes. "Don't make this any worse than it has to be."

"<I agree. With moments like these, it would be all too easy for the Empire or Remiel to exploit it. We must stand together.>" Lowbacca said.

"You are husband and wife. Don't make stupid mistakes that you two would regret in your anger." Rydo said sternly.

Our tempers began to cool as the Council pleaded for us to remain calm. It would be bad if the Masaki Clan was split on political and idealogical grounds now.

"My apologies, Masters." Katrina sighed.

"Forgive me, Councilors." I replied, sighing.

"Now, shall we vote on this situation and get it out of the way?" Master Blayden interjected. "We still have the Cylons to worry about."

"Very well. I vote to banish Bailey Kipper." I said. "Until as such time he redeems himself, he will be considered a Fallen One."

"I vote to keep him close. He might still be useful." Katrina said.

"I agree. Putting him amongst ANBU will make sure his darkness is directed against the enemy and not our allies." Tsunade said. "We contain him."

"I vote to banish him as well." Emily Rydo said. "The use of a Force Crush is a very Dark technique. I'm surprised you two want to keep him around."

"Banish him. He is a bad influence on the students and I will not have him poisoning their minds." Harry Blayden said curtly.

It was three to two against the ex-Combat Knight. Now it was down to Master Elendil.

"While it would be interesting to keep him within the ANBU, the fact remains that the Woodian people have placed a bounty on their heads, and some Coredians might follow suit as well." Elendil looked at me. Then I thought of Taylor and sighed. Yep. Taylor is the most likely Coredian to add to the pile of money the Woodians had for the bounty. Hell, just for the sake of the Woodians, Taylor might just hunt the idiot down himself. He's been in EWT from the beginning after all. "I vote to banish him on the condition that he finds redemption. Should he find redemption, he will return to us. Otherwise, his name shall be in the Fallen One list until the day he dies."

Ahh, the Fallen One list. Lady Nightshade is the number one on that list, but Itachi, Kabuto, and the now-deceased Orochimaru were part of it as well, as well as all the Jedi who fell and are now part of Nightshade's Sith army.

It was done. Bailey Kipper will no longer be amongst us. He will leave all his effects and never return to Coredian space again on pain of death. He will wander the Outer Rim until as such time death takes him or he returns to the light. He will never again pick up another lightsaber on pain of death as well.

Should he return, his name will be on a much smaller Redeemed List. Very few Jedi who fall to the Dark Side are redeemed. Even so, those who do are often treated as second-class citizens considering that the lists are public. We Coredians do not take treason lightly, after all. It's one of the few crimes that has a death penalty (firing squad) in our nation. I recalled that as Emperor, I had the responsibility of personally ensuring that the death penalty takes place and all appeals are approved or denied and ensuring that the individual is dead, whether by the hand of the firing squad or my own hand if it happened to be a Dark Jedi, and the Empress now has the same responsibility.

Should Bailey returns to Coredian space, he will definitely find it a hostile place indeed.

=====

GNN News Alert!

"This just in! The High Council has banished the Fallen One Bailey Kipper from Coredian space. He now joins the likes of Darth Nightshade and Lord Itachi on a kill-on-site order should he ever return to Coredian space. For one man, it is a dark day for him indeed. Would he ever return to the Light? In the meantime, you can find the list of other Fallen Ones and Redeemed Ones and their descriptions on the government holoweb site gww.juraitemple.gov."

=====

A private message was sent to the Woodian Governments and the Coredian Governments as well.

"We would like to meet with representatives from both the nations of Evil Woody Thoughts and the Imperial Republic of Coreworlds in Los Angeles or perhaps on the battleship Rock 'N' Roll Damnation to discuss the current matter now unfolding in our midst. Premier MacIntyre and Grand Sensei Tadanobu is very, very concerned about this matter and would like to ascertain what exactly is going on from both sides."

Reply from the Diplomatic Corps:
"We have no problem with this if the Woodians have no problem."

Unfortunately, this was not the time for diplomatic communications. The Parliament suddenly found itself reconvening with a new agenda item less than a half hour after it had suspended session, having already appropriated emergency funds to handle the influx of Colonial refugees and outlining an immigration policy to match. Furthermore, and unfortunately for CoreWorlds, only two Members of Parliament had not ever laid their own eyes upon a Force Crush victim (most MPs had seen the carnage in the Parliament Building wrought by Darth Ebolus, and then been re-elected, if nothing else), and an eighty-four member supermajority had seen ten or more Force Crush victims with their own eyes. A fifty-seven member majority had survived at least one Force Crushed relative.

Meanwhile, the Woodian news outlets had taken to showing a real-time bounty counter across the bottom of the Holovid screen, that had an incessant habit of increasing at least six times per second. By the time that Parliament called itself to order, the bounty on Bailey Kipper's head had risen to six and a half billion credits and showed no signs of even slowing. The Woodian news bureaus had to remind the Coredian news bureaus that the bounty on Bailey's head was initiated by a mother who lost all three of her children to the Force Crush technique...not that the Coredians would particularly care.

The Parliament immediately suspended session for a half hour for purposes of caucusing. Unfortunately, it still took at least a little bit of time to actually WRITE the bills and/or resolutions that Parliament would consider...and the entire process was broadcast live. Draft circulars flew about the chamber as reporters interviewed clumps of MPs to find out what was going on. And immediately upon the beginning of caucusing, news reached the Chamber that the Jedi Order had cast Bailey into exile.

"They cast Bailey into exile so that they are no longer responsible for his actions! He is free to hunt us!" several MPs immediately accused, into the air.

Namely, the roving media reporters on the Parliament floor found that EVERY proposal floating around would expel all "other-than-Light" Jedi. Some expelled all non-Woodian national Jedi from the country. Fifteen little islands of debate popped up on the chamber floor, as lawmakers debated amongst themselves how to distinguish between a Light Side Jedi and "other-than-Light" when the Shinobi were known to be less than fully trustworthy when it came to following the law if a mission was at stake. Roving reporters found a consensus forming around banning all Jedi that were not Woodian citizens; better to err on the side of caution, and ensure that Force Crush was never employed on Woodian soil.

The camera managed to zoom in on a draft bill scribbled in a notebook, an ever-growing huddle of MPs around it. It had already evolved through fifteen minutes of input. The filing details weren't filled out yet, parts of it were scribbled in shorthand, it was rife with improper and missing formatting punctuation, and the lines that technically should have been in all capital letters were not (this would be corrected by the Parliamentary reporter when the draft was transcribed into an official document) but the text was what mattered:

The 84th Parliament of EWT

Noting with deep regret that Bailey Kipper, a Jedi Knight from CW, utilized equivalent Force technique as Darth Ebolus, upon a Woodian citizen

Deeply concerned about the distinct possibility that Jedi originating from CW will further visit these horrors upon Woodian citizens within EWT

Further concerned that the current doctrines of the Jedi Order concerning "walking the line between Light and Dark" condone, or at minimum, fail to adequately discourage such conduct

Noting that distinguishing between Light Jedi and Dark Jedi may prove impossible when the Jedi Order shrouds its darkness in secrecy

Concerned that, if any Jedi at all are allowed to enter EWT, that Shinobi will falsely claim to be Light Jedi in order to gain entrance under false pretenses

Acknowledging, with deep regret, that therefore, any measures undertaken to protect Woodian citizens from further Dark Conduct on the part of the Jedi, must apply to ALL Jedi who are not Woodian citizens


[several line breaks to add additional pre-ambulatory clauses; this is, after all, a text being caucused upon]


CANCELS all visas, for whatever purpose, of Coredian Jedi to be present in EWT

Orders Jedi currently within EWT to leave within 48 hours

Instructs Customs officials to deny any Jedi of Coredian origin entrance into EWT

Instructs the Ministry of Customs to procure as much ysalmari as necesssary to ensure that entrance bans against Jedi are enforceable at points of entry

Appropriates up to 1.5 trillion credits from Emergency Reserve Funds for this endeavor

Invites the Ministry of Customs to petition for the appropriation of additional funds should the reserve exhaust before the necessary supplies are procured

Instructs the Ministry of Defense to keep the planetary shield at a minimum of ten percent power at all times to prevent rogue Jedi landings in isolated areas

Instructs the Ministry of Defense to open the shield only the bare minimum necessary to allow commercial shipping and other legitimate interests to pass provided they are positively identified

Many of the MPs huddled around this bill thought it was not enough. "We must make it clear to their aristocracy that they need to pressure the Order to get off its addiction to the Dark Side. Six hundred ninety four million casualties are quite enough," the news reporter with camera and microphone caught one of them as saying, the casualty numbers referring to Darth Ebolus' reign of terror. It was a fairly representative comment, and the MPs hurriedly debated on what kind of sanctions to use: Bans from doing business in Evil Woody Thoughts, threats of nationalization, or merely losing access to investors? It took only a couple of minutes for them to agree that a relatively gentle poke would probably be better than a missile if the aim was to prod the aristocracy to lean in a certain direction. At least the Coredian aristocrats would be able to see SOME restraint on the part of the Woodians today.

Something to the effect of "All Coredian-owned, or majority-Coredian owned, businesses must choose to either comply with Generally Accepted Standards of Woodian Accounting (GASWA) or have their securities delisted from all Woodian stock exchanges" was scribbled into the blank space in that notebook.

"What about charity? The Masaki charities are active here. We have no idea whether or not those charities are slush funds. And the Masakis--with a few exceptions--walk just as close to the Dark Side as anyone in the Order, Bailey Kipper being the known exception that is darker than the Masakis."

"Aff," the bill's author replied, hearing no objections, and further scribbling something about requiring Coredian not-for-profits to abide by the accounting standards as well, or face the thought of Woodian citizens being banned from donating more than a thousand credits a year to non-compliant charities. The bill's author then proceeded to present it to the Parliamentarian and Secretary to have the draft cleaned up a little and submitted as a bill.

Five minutes later, the bill was voted upon, the necessary debate already having taken place during caucusing. The yeas carried it, 99-1.

And it, caucusing included, was all on live Woodian Holonet.

And the Bailey Bounty counter on the bottom of the Holonet screen? 27.9 billion credits.

---------------------------

"That is quite absurd!" The Governor exclaimed angrily. "In my opinion, Bailey Kipper is a hero for saving Caligula and is being made a scapegoat just to appease the bloodthirsty nature of the Woodians. They even call him Sith when he is far from one! If the Council had any sense, they would exonerate him and stop this madness with all their power! Now if you'll excuse me, I have duties to attend to."

"Thank you, Governor." Terry said, inwardly sighing as he believed that the Governor's words would make an even bigger backlash. "And thank you, all of you, for a very interesting day. We'll keep you up to date on the latest from Coredia and around the galaxy. This is GNN, with your host, Terry Williams!"

It was very rare for the Woodian media to self-censor itself, and this self-censorship was at least partially accidental. However, the media at the moment that this came in happened to be more concerned with Parliament. Thus, the planetary governor's comments went relatively unnoticed in Evil Woody Thoughts.

The comments could have made things much worse, but instead slipped through the noise...thankfully, from the Coredian point of view...

A private message was sent to the Woodian Governments and the Coredian Governments as well.

"We would like to meet with representatives from both the nations of Evil Woody Thoughts and the Imperial Republic of Coreworlds in Los Angeles or perhaps on the battleship Rock 'N' Roll Damnation to discuss the current matter now unfolding in our midst. Premier MacIntyre and Grand Sensei Tadanobu is very, very concerned about this matter and would like to ascertain what exactly is going on from both sides."

The Woodian Ministry of State sent the following reply:

"We will meet for such discussions if and only if all of the following conditions are met:

1. The place of negotiation shall be fully covered by a ysalmari Force bubble.
2. Neither Woodian representatives nor Coredian representatives shall be armed in any way (including lightsabers, kunai, and other similar objects). Both sides submit to search to verify this condition.
3. Security is New Dornalia's responsibility.
4. No contact between Woodian and Coredian representatives is allowed outside of the above conditions."

Los Angeles

"More word just came in on GNN. Apparently, the Coredians surrendered to the Cylons, who were apparently aligned with the Empire!"

The assembled in the little room that had met earlier about the Woodian problem now assembled once more. This time, the matter was of greater importance, one that could spell trouble for the MacIntyre Administration. Looking over the document and facepalming once more, he then said, "Motherfucker. As if I needed something else to shit on my day. First the Woodians and the Coredians are at each other's throats, now we have the Coredians making peace with the Cylons and their regime's popularity plummeting!? Jesus Fucking Christ in a 12-piece chicken basket with extra mashed potaters on the side. Can't these people do what's good for them?"

He leaned back, picked up a bottle of scotch, and proceeded to drink straight from the bottle. After several gulps, he put the bottle down, stumbled for a bit due to the sheer amount of alcohol flowing through his system, and then said, "Well, ladies, do you have any suggestions? Any suggestions about how I should handle this?"

Carla then said, raising her hand, "Now look. We could issue a statement--"

"AND THEN WHAT!? The people know my stance on the Masaki Clan and the Imperial Republic....." MacIntyre said in an exasperated voice. "We love them. We care for them. They are our revolutionary comrades-in-arms! Daniel Alexander Masaki was to be our Mao Zedong! Our Simon Bolivar for the modern era! And now, they've made peace with the enemies of the Revolution! It's enough to drive a man to drink."

Junko quietly took the whiskey away from the Premier, nervously and not eager to see him drown himself in several slugs of the stuff. She then said, "Umm.....this also complicates things in another way."

Carla then said, "You sent volunteers, right? The ones dressed as Coredians?"

Junko nodded and said, "Yes, but....Enviei ao mo----I sent the mad monk to lead them."

MacIntyre then gulped, stumbled to the trash can, and vomited in it with some of the largest volume Carla and Junko had ever seen in a long while.

He then regained his composure, and simply said, "You sent Batov? Oh that's just perfect. When Batov hears of this, God knows what he'll do! Junko, I really should listen to those damn Senators and begin restrictions on the guns your people get! Jesus christ!"

He then sat back down, and threw the ficus on his desk at the wall, crying out with the words, "MOTHERFUCKER! FUCK IT ALL!" before slumping down into his chair, and going, "God...those People's Congressmen are going to eat me alive in the next meeting. Especially PC Hartounian. He's hated the Coredians for a while. This will be the ammo he needs to get some kind of damned movement going."

Junko then mentioned, "Also, let's not forget the Woodian Expulsion and Restriction Edicts....at least that's what we call them."

MacIntyre then said, "I don't give a fuck. I just want things to go back to normal."

----------------


The Woodian Ministry of State sent the following reply:

"We will meet for such discussions if and only if all of the following conditions are met:

1. The place of negotiation shall be fully covered by a ysalmari Force bubble.
2. Neither Woodian representatives nor Coredian representatives shall be armed in any way (including lightsabers, kunai, and other similar objects). Both sides submit to search to verify this condition.
3. Security is New Dornalia's responsibility.
4. No contact between Woodian and Coredian representatives is allowed outside of the above conditions."

A reply was sent back to the Woodians, declaring:

"We will not only agree to the above conditions, we are eager to follow them."

A copy of these requirements was sent to the Coredians, with the simple postscript, "Here are the conditions the Woodians are proposing for any meeting to take place. It is suggested that you follow them to the letter in order to expedite negotiations and prevent further unpleasantries from occurring."

The Coredian Diplomatic Corps rankled at the new restrictions. A Ysalamari Force Bubble, for goodness' sake! Well, in the interests of peace, they would send one Envoy Wes Hunter, an experienced diplomat (and a non-Force sensitive to boot) who will convey his government's positions on the matter. In a fairly short time, he arrived at Los Angeles in a Diplomatic Shuttle. Of course, he's unarmed and all that.

By this point, all Clanner assets had been entirely removed from the Caligula system, and all that could be salvaged of their own units had been taken as well to be used for reconstruction. Not a single piece of Clanner tech had been left behind, as if they had never been there. Still, the wormhole from whence they had come stood intact, crackling with energy and creating sub-space anomalies from time to time. It was well worth study, as it -was- a two-way wormhole, and while it looked unstable, it was quite the opposite.

____________________________________________________________

"And you agreed to this Trial of Possession?"

"Aff. It was the honourable choice to make."

The ilKhan of the Clans stepped forth to Jaime, staring him down with a gaze that could kill.

"Have you any idea what your decision may have cost us?"

"Aff."

"Where is the failure who brought dishonour to us? She will pay with her head for this insult!"

"Beta Wolf Amelia is now amongst the Coredians, my ilKhan."

The ilKhan's face contorted with anger as he heard those words. Roaring in anger, he turned on his heel and whipped his fist around, catching a poor unfortunate freebirth slave across the temple and sending her flying across the chamber.

"And I take it she is now a bondsman, quiaff?!"

"Aff."

The ilKhan sighed, gaining his composure. He dipped his head down as he groaned in frustration. He rubbed his temples as he felt a massive migrain start to take hold. They were the most unpleasant things he had ever had since the day he lost his eye.

"Jaime...what do you propose we should do now?"

Jaime carefully planned out his words. It wasn't every day that the ilKhan asked his opinion, and it seemed that the ilKhan was more distressed about the present situation and pissed off at Amelia for losing rather than getting pissed off at Jaime's decision.

"Well, my ilKhan," Jaime began, "I believe that we should seek out the Woodians and the Coredians to maybe strike some kind of deal before the Maho caste can wreak any havoc. I explained to their representatives at Caligula that we of the Warrior caste hold no sway in the machinations of the Maho, and that anything they do can not be held against us."

"Very well then." The ilKhan walked to an ornately carved stone desk. "Take a JumpShip back to Caligula with a full compliment and see to it that you make this deal work. I want to see results, not battle records."

"Aff, my ilKhan." Jaime bowed to his leader honourably. He then straightened up, turned on his heel, and walked out of the chamber.

Los Angeles International Spaceport

The shuttle carrying Hunter was led to Hangar Twenty-Five, the hangar designated for all the incoming delegates to the meeting. Hunter, if he bothered to look outside the windows, would have seen a massive Dornalian flag unfurled on the side of the hangar, a military band, and two rows of Red Army infantry in full battle gear, along with both Robert MacIntyre himself, an assistant, and Junko Tadanobu.

Hunter would have probably recognized it as an honor guard of some sort. MacIntyre, however, hoped it would also remind the delegates of the power of their host and head off any drama that would occur. The band, composed of electric guitars, electric bass, and all the ordinary instruments you'd find in a marching band, played the Coredian national anthem before proceeding to the Dornalian National Anthem, and then the Red Army's fight song, which modern audiences would recognize as AC/DC's "Fling Thing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z72-_oFKibc)."

MacIntyre, who had by now sobered up and cleaned himself, greeted the shuttle with a friendly but stern gaze. He was waiting to see who had been sent by Coredia, and whether they'd make his day any worse than it already had been. Junko quietly snatched away his flask when he wasn't looking; as it was, MacIntyre had been hitting the bottle and Junko wasn't going to stand for that....she, meanwhile, greeted the shuttle with a friendlier gaze. After all, despite all this, it was wise not to show anger....especially if one was going to do marraige counseling.
-----

With the Coredian acceptance of the Terms, the Woodian Ministry of State was faxed this following message:

"The Coredians have agreed to your terms. Please send your delegates as soon as possible to Los Angeles, California, Earth SSR to begin negotiations.

--Commissariat of Foreign Affairs, Workers State of New Dornalia"

At this moment, the Caligulans were beginning the process of repairing their planet, and the small town caused by the destruction of the Jedi and the Woodian Admiral. At this moment, Rock Lee was in the local hospital, bacta patches slowly introducing the red, sticky, healing liquid on all the wounds that opened during the fight. The fight...It was truly an odd prospect to have the woman he fought as an enemy pay a kind of life-debt to him. Master Lowbacca had found it quite amusing.

"<Not even among the Wookiees had a life-debt been so imparted! You, my friend, are in for some interesting times.>" He had said, chuckling.

Now, though, his thoughts turned to her. She was quite beautiful, and he did hit on her a bit during the last moments of the duel, but he wasn't sure about spending a lifetime with her. He wondered how she would react upon returning to the living world. Probably not well, judging by her rants earlier.

Well, he would have a few weeks to find out. She would be in a bacta tank for somewhere between two weeks and a month, or so the medics told him. The bacta Caligula had on hand wasn't exactly top-quality, but at least it wasn't expired. Even so, her injuries were quite extensive and even with the best healing materials available, it would take a week for her to recover.

In the meantime, Rock Lee would figure out how to break the news to her.

=====

Bailey Kipper awaited his sentence, trying to remain calm, but failing. Master Lowbacca has yet to return from the Council meeting, leaving him to brood. What fools the Council are to kowtow to the Woodians! We saved them and they have the gall to dictate policy! I will stay as far from them as I can, if only to preserve my sanity!

"<Mr. Kipper.>" The presence of Lowbacca filled the room. Bailey distinctly noted the lack of his title. "<You are stripped of all titles and citizenship and henceforth Banished. If you remain in Coredian space when twelve hours pass, we will have no choice but to eliminate you. You will never again carry another lightsaber or use the Force or else you will be hunted down. Do you understand this?>"

Bailey's heart swelled with anger. "Master, what is the meaning of this? You cannot expect to allow our esteemed ally to dictate our policy!"

"<It is not just that. Your use of the Force Crush has ignited a great controversy within the galactic community. It was meant to be a last resort technique and to kill anyone in that fashion...Honestly, I am surprised and disappointed that you would do it.>"

"I see. I will find the next transport out." Bailey sighed. "The Force be with you."

"<May the Light return to you.>" Master Lowbacca replied.

=====

Some time later, as Bailey took his seat on the first transport out of Coredian space he could find, he remembered a disk that the Clansman Jaime has given him and decided to use the trip to read the contents....

Live from the Woodian Holonet

"And now, perhaps our viewers abroad wonder why all the outrage, why the mess. Now, with his Special Commentary, Rainn Thoreide reports!"

"Thank you, James." Rainn shuffled papers, his expression perhaps betraying his thoughts. " 'I didn't vote for him, but he's my President, and I hope he does a good job,' an actor once said, hundreds of years ago in a republic known as the United States of America. Today, that time honored quote, oft used in the aftermath of an election, finds itself cited not in a dispute between two citizens of rival political parties, but in a dispute between nations. The citizens of Evil Woody Thoughts most certainly did not vote for the Coredian Senate, nor the Jedi Council, nor the Masaki royal family, but they certainly hoped that ALL of the aforementioned parties would do a good job."

"Those seventeen words, 'I didn't vote for him, but he's my President, and I hope he does a good job,' have, more or less, formed the cornerstone of the relationship between Evil Woody Thoughts and CoreWorlds at least ever since the two nations allied with each other in the aftermath of the brutal civil war (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=452833) fought two years ago. We as Woodians must at some point ignore our many differences with the Coredians, not that we may prosper as a nation, not that we may achieve, not that we may benefit, not that we may lead the universe, but simply so that we may function together in war against a common enemy."

"But critical to the meaning of those seventeen words is a trust, an implicit trust, that the counterpart in the alliance to which they are applied, can respect the fact that reckless use of the Dark Side killed well over half a billion Woodians just short of two fleeting years ago. The images that we saw with our very own eyes, that ninety-eight of a hundred Members of Parliament have seen with their own eyes (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10814337&postcount=676), remain seared permanently in our minds for as long as we live. The War Orphans are still with us, four and a half million of them in the city from which I broadcast alone. The ubiquitous Search and Rescue markings (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10731387&postcount=631) from the infamous Body Count Searches in the week following Darth Ebolus' demise are still with us."

*footage of mass graves, of the Parliament that Ebolus had massacred in his initial coup, and of Force Crush victims is played along with the preceding paragraph.*

"Contrary to what the protests outside of the Coredian Embassy may lead you to believe, Woodians do well remember the part that CoreWorlds played in preventing that body count from rising either further. We remember well that the cloaked shuttle that carried Whitfield past the Dark Lord's orbital defenses and to the Trial of Annihilation that marked the Dark Lord's demise was provided at the behest of the Coredian government. We remember well the critical manpower that the Coredians provided for the grizzly task of searching for, of identifying, the multitudes upon multitudes of dead bodies left anywhere they could be stashed, including the Royal Family Members who actually participated in that search. We remember well that Taylor Masaki, a member of the Coredian Royal Family, adopted as his own son a then-five-year-old War Orphan with no one else to go...indeed, a War Orphan that knew not where his next meal would come from when the gulags opened as the guards had no clue what to do, the grizzly relationship with their slave driver very abruptly severed."

*footage of the searches plays during preceding paragraph, then returns to Rainn*

"That trust, that sacred trust, was broken today, torn to shreds by someone by the name of Bailey Kipper, who today, when confronted during a bidding for a Trial of Grievance, stated that he would fight, and I quote DIRECTLY from his bid, 'unarmed.' Of course, Woodians, the civil war fresh in their heads, know all too painfully that the Force is a weapon, with which one may burn, electrocute, choke, immobilize, and yes...dare I say it...PHYSICALLY CRUSH his enemies."

"When Admiral Aidan Zhukov, whom Bailey Kipper was challenging, had the audacity to actually point this out, Bailey Kipper replied, and I quote again from his bid, 'What is it with these people?' before abruptly closing the channel, leaving Aidan to believe, quite reasonably, that Bailey would do whatever the hell he wished. It is quite telling that Bailey refused to forego even the use of ONE FORCE POWER in his bid. He could not, in his bid, forego even the Darkest of powers; he could not even rule out, in advance, the use of the most extreme Force-usage Woodians have yet seen--Force Crush. Nay, he simply had to keep EVERYTHING within his list of options, even when directly challenged on waiving only the most egregious uses of his ability."

"Of course, we all know what happened--Bailey proceeded to do exactly that. He proceeded to use his abilities in the most egregious way known--he proceeded to transfer Admiral Zhukov's very life essence into the palm of his hand and CRUSH it, as if he were simply squeezing a milk carton in his hand to compact it before throwing it in the landfill."

"In that moment, that sacred trust was crushed along with Admiral Zhukov's physical body."

"In that moment, Bailey took into the palm of his hand the very psyche of the Woodian people, their most sacred grievance ever known, and violated it, as if to rape the mourning of the legions of Woodians who survived a relative murdered in exactly the same manner as Bailey murdered Admiral Zhukov."

"In that moment, the Woodian people saw, quite graphically, that not all Jedi have even so much as had the slightest respect for their memories of suffering, indeed, that some Jedi represent a direct threat to their physical lives."

"Of course, Bailey's actions beg the question: Was he trained that anything goes in a duel? Was he trained that the use of Dark Techniques in battle are, indeed, honorable, because the ends justify the means? Was he trained that power, whether it be measured by midichlorian count, points on a star chart, or subjects under his government's thumb, is more important than any semblance of moral decency?"

"Indeed, we have received some unexpected insights into this very question. In a development that has been somewhat drowned out today--I wonder why--the Coredian Government ADMITTED that it had detonated a Weapon of Mass Destruction, a singularity bomb, in its embassy on Kobal, killing a great many civilians, as one might imagine, in the process. Indeed, swallowing half a city with a black hole seems just a little bit reminiscent of Darth Ebolus' deployment of tectonic missiles to quell those who opposed him (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10033388&postcount=304), a deployment of Weapons of Mass Destruction that we will never forget."

*Footage (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10033388&postcount=304) of Ebolus' WMD deployment is played during the preceding paragraph.*

"So, does the Government of CoreWorlds actually sanction the use of those Weapons of Mass Destruction? Not the missiles that Ebolus used, but the admission, on the part of the Coredian Government, that IT used Weapons of Mass Destruction against a city, a city of a nation from which six million refugees arrived in Evil Woody Thoughts today. I find the lack of footage of the destruction curious--and disturbing--as if the Coredian Government is still in denial of the magnitude of the destruction that it is responsible for. And, let me point out, that it is not the lowly lieutenants who order the use of such weapons. Someone from CoreWorlds, very high up, decided somewhere that the destruction of civilian populations is perfectly permissible, and the lowly lieutenants follow those orders."

"Meanwhile, the Parliament knows that at least large parts of the Jedi Order cannot be trusted if a mission is at stake. The resolution that it passed just half an hour ago specified the willingness of Shinobi to deceive as the reason WHY the Parliament took the step of expelling all Coredian Jedi, instead of simply trusting the Order to willingly identify "other than Light" Jedi who, of course, pose a much greater threat of Force Crushing Woodian citizens than Jedi who reject the philosophy of 'anything goes.' Indeed, were a Shinobi to have a mission in Evil Woody Thoughts, said Shinobi would have little qualm about spouting Whitfield quotes to the customs officer, that his visa application might be stamped with, 'APPROVED.' Therefore, the harsh, and regrettable, necessity is for the Parliament to admit that the Jedi Order's penchant for secrecy makes distinguishing Light from Dark impossible, and thus, regrettably, because the line between the two is so blurred, it must all be expelled for Woodians to be able to go to bed at night without losing sleep over the thought that there might be a Jedi intent on killing them."

"Though Woodians know not the details of what is hidden behind CoreWorld's layers upon layers upon the layers of secrecy, they know that the Coredian Government hides something...and regardless of the details of the libraries of classified documents, Woodians can tell, IT STINKS. Secrecy is an excellent tool for corrupt governments that have something to hide, and one look at the Coredian Corruption Perceptions Index will tell you just how suspicious Woodian businesses are about doing business in CoreWorlds. If there is one thing that secrecy does not foster, it is honesty."

"I accuse the Coredian Government--by which I mean either the Masaki Family, Jedi Council, Senate, or any combination of the three, of authorizing the wholesale genocide of civilians should military expediency merely suggest it, as happened on Kobal."

"I accuse the Coredian Government of training its Jedi padawans that Master Yoda's admonition, that the Force is to be used for knowledge and defense, never for attack, is a mere suggestion, no, a mere footnote that must be subjugated to lust for power, for prestige, for 'whatever it takes to kill, not defeat, but kill my enemy, preferably in the most bloodthirsty way possible.' "

"I accuse the Coredian Government of encouraging amongst the Jedi Order the use of Dark Tactics, not even as a last resort, but as a first resort. If the Coredian Government not believe me, I challenge it to time how long after the start of a duel it takes Daniel Masaki, Emperor of CoreWorlds up until early this afternoon, to use Force Lightning, which for millenia was held as the domain of Dark Jedi."

"I accuse the Coredian Government of using its state secrets statutes to hide the true extent of corruption within the Coredian Government."

"I accuse the Coredian Government of tolerating such corruption."

"And there you have it. Palpatine managed to hide his machinations quite well, too, gradually rotting away what remained of the Old Republic in the process. Indeed, secrecy was Palpatine's greatest ally, arguably as great as the Force, as he managed to keep an entire Separatist Army off the books. Indeed, that the Coredian books are so ridiculously thin has me wondering just what CoreWorlds is keeping off the books as well. An army with which to invade us? Possibly, now that we have decided not to kowtow to them, but even I will concede that an invasion is somewhat unlikely. Still, that CoreWorlds would condone the use of Force Crush (let us face the music...an Exile merely means 'We wash our hands of responsibility for what he does') speaks volumes about what skeletons in the closet have not yet decided to march out."

"Of course, the Masakis are fully open about one thing---their endorsement of the Dark Side's use. Therefore, they only have a very low threshold to meet as far as moral clarity is concerned."

"RESIGN."

"Thank you and good night." Rainn shuffled papers before the station cut to commercial break.

By the time that Rainn concluded his Rant, the Bailey Bounty counter at the bottom of the Holovid screen had reached 80.7 billion credits...

--To Bailey Kipper

--From Star Colonel Jaime

--Thought of the day: Qui sera, sera.


To the Fallen One, I bid you my condolences on your inevitable banishment from you home.

I must be quick with this message. I, too, am of the Maho caste, and I could not admit to the others that I was. Only our ilKhan, and now you, know of this. You must be quick to hide, for the ones that I spoke of will surely seek you out. Should they find you, millions, perhaps billions, of lives will be at stake. That is why I implore you to make sure that you are hidden well, for any one of those seven are easily more powerful than Amelia. Do not try to fight them. If you encounter one of them, contact me via that hyperpulse code at the end of this message. I bid you good luck.

A word of advice: go to someplace desolate.

May you live well and die honourably.

_________________________________________________________


A little girl was running. Running fast. She held a knife in her hand, drenched in blood. Her jumpsuit was also covered in blood. It wasn't her blood. She could hear others. They were yelling to one another. Fear covered her face as she ran.

Amelia...

Faster she ran. She could hear the others gaining on her. She looked behind her, and then she felt herself falling. She tumbled down a ravine. Standing back up, she could see the faint images of others at the top of the ravine. She broke into a run again. Running, running, running. A clearing! She could see the light! She broke into the clearing and...

Amelia...

The little girl stood stock still, her body quivering with fright. Before her, a man with short hair in a casual business suit stood with his back to her. His hands were in his pockets. Slowly, he turned around.

"I found you, Amelia..."

Suddenly, she was falling...falling...falling...

________________________________________________________


"NO!" Amelia's ki exploded forth from within the bacta tank. The glass shattered into thousands of pieces, and the medical equipment and droids were torn asunder, shattering into their own pieces. As the glass shattered, Amelia was pulled down by the rest of the bacta as it flowed across the floor. She was naked, her body completely exposed. She could feel things on her, and she slowly pulled off the monitoring devices. She felt so exposed...so helpless...so vulnerable...

Amelia slowly crawled to her knees, and then slowly pushed up to her feet. She staggered a bit, and then she suddenly vomited blood all over the floor, contaminating the bacta covering the floor. She could hear alarms going, and she knew she had to run. She just had to. She quickly rushed for the door, but it wouldn't open to her presence. She pressed a button next to it...still nothing. She then dug her fingers into the metal, and she slowly pulled at each direction. Once she felt the door give way, she put all her inhuman Clanner strength into opening the door, and it slowly opened. Once she had enough room to slip through, she stepped out into a corridor, and took a look at her surroundings...

___________________________________________________________


In the Caligula system, a single JumpShip emerged from the artificial wormhole leading to the Clanner homeworlds. It floated in space, scanning its surroundings before it sent out a hyperpulse message around the Caligula system. Hopefully someone would catch it.

This is Star Colonel Jaime of Clan Wolf. I am here to represent the Clans and to meet with the Woodian Admiral Makaryk to join him at his meeting with the representative of the Core Worlds over the dispute of Bailey Kipper's insult to Admiral Makaryk's nation. I request only coordinates of his location so that I may meet with him. Nothing more.

"Are you sure this is going to work, Star Colonel?" The Comms officer turned her head to face Jaime.

"Aff. I could tell that, even after the whole ordeal in this system, the Coredians and the Woodians were still interested in sitting down with us to negotiate something." He shook his head. "Look, you worry about communications. I will worry about politics."

"Whatever you say, Star Colonel."

After Rainn's Rant

As the Clanners packed up, so too did the Woodians. Of course Admiral Makaryk had been watching the news whenever he got the chance, and knew full well that the Parliament had just taken the rather wise safety precaution of expelling all Coredian Jedi. Moreover, he figured that the Clanners were probably wondering why Evil Woody Thoughts had not declared war yet. Just as in bidding, the best response is the most parsimonious one that can counter the threat...and no, war is NOT parsimonious, he thought to himself. Ironic that Aidan saved the Coredians two wrecked fleets.

He ordered Woodian engineers to stay and assist in the rebuilding of the town, as he knew that some damage during a duel against a Jedi determined to win at any cost, even his own Fall, was inevitable. Perhaps it was a small signal to the Coredian civilians that, while Bailey Kipper had destroyed Woodian trust in Jedi, Woodians did not presume to judge civilians by Bailey's actions, too. Nay, Bailey's actions were squarely laid upon the Jedi Order, the entity responsible for his training and conduct.

A transmission arrived from the Ministry of State, ordering Admiral Makaryk to Terra. Specifically, a place called "LAX." He had to think for a minute--it was one of those damned three-letter baggage tag codes that spaceports used; for example, the EHY was shorthand for the Eheayana spaceport. He then realized that he was being ordered to Los Angeles, which placed him in New Dornalian territory. He also noticed the part about making sure to come unarmed, as New Dornalia was responsible for security...and he would have the benefit of meeting in a ysalmari bubble.

The Medic of Doom (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13122112&postcount=82), having observed the Clanners (with whom he had imbibed 200-proof liquor) packing to leave, decided to find other things to do. Namely, inquire of orders from Admiral Makaryk.

"You are drunk." Makaryk did not ask, he stated a fact rather than asking a question.

"Aff."

"You are going with me to Los Angeles. Who knows how much alcohol you will find there?"

"Aff." Los Angeles? What's that?

---------------------

In the Caligula system, a single JumpShip emerged from the artificial wormhole leading to the Clanner homeworlds. It floated in space, scanning its surroundings before it sent out a hyperpulse message around the Caligula system. Hopefully someone would catch it.

This is Star Colonel Jaime of Clan Wolf. I am here to represent the Clans and to meet with the Woodian Admiral Makaryk to join him at his meeting with the representative of the Core Worlds over the dispute of Bailey Kipper's insult to Admiral Makaryk's nation. I request only coordinates of his location so that I may meet with him. Nothing more.


"Are you sure this is going to work, Star Colonel?" The Comms officer turned her head to face Jaime.

"Aff. I could tell that, even after the whole ordeal in this system, the Coredians and the Woodians were still interested in sitting down with us to negotiate something." He shook his head. "Look, you worry about communications. I will worry about politics."

"Whatever you say, Star Colonel."

One of the random Woodian Star Destroyers in system picked up the hyperpulse transmission, and Major Ehrell (the same person who had given Bailey the tanto in the expectation he would commit ritual suicide with it) happened to have transferred back to his post there. He sent the following reply:

This is Major Ehrell of Evil Woody Thoughts. Admiral Makaryk is still in the town in which the Trial of Possession was fought, making arrangements to repair the physical damage there. *inserts LZ coordinates* You probably wish to hurry, as he is scheduled to burn for Terra in exactly eight minutes and thirty-one seconds.

--To Bailey Kipper

--From Star Colonel Jaime

--Thought of the day: Qui sera, sera.


To the Fallen One, I bid you my condolences on your inevitable banishment from you home.

I must be quick with this message. I, too, am of the Maho caste, and I could not admit to the others that I was. Only our ilKhan, and now you, know of this. You must be quick to hide, for the ones that I spoke of will surely seek you out. Should they find you, millions, perhaps billions, of lives will be at stake. That is why I implore you to make sure that you are hidden well, for any one of those seven are easily more powerful than Amelia. Do not try to fight them. If you encounter one of them, contact me via that hyperpulse code at the end of this message. I bid you good luck.

A word of advice: go to someplace desolate.

May you live well and die honourably.
The Fallen One sighed. "It never ends."

He stewed in his disappointment, his anger and his guilt, and yes, his hatred of the Woodians. All of his negative emotions swirled around in the cauldron that was his heart. Swirling, swirling, swirling. Until all that remained was a cold, calculating clarity that he never knew before. He knew where he had to go. He knew what he must do.

He decided that he would need some supplies. Supplies with which to survive the location he would attend to. But he had little money with which to buy the stuff as his account was locked up tighter than a guy in carbonite. He mulled over this dilemma. He couldn't use the Force on pain of death...or could he? He was Banished. The Council had washed their hands of him. Really, is that the worst they could do to him? A small laugh escaped his mouth. If that's so, then so be it. He will die fighting. They who have turned their backs on him in favor of the soft Woodians. They who have decided to turn their back on the Dark techniques taught to Combat Knights to ensure victory over their enemies.

From that thought, it was only a matter of seconds before he turned to the idea of building a new lightsaber. He would need it if he was to survive.

The transport soon descended onto a faraway world called Taris. Here, they didn't care about Jedi or Sith as long as they didn't cause trouble. Here, the Fallen One would stock up on supplies and items for building a new lightsaber. Here, the first stage of his true Fall would begin...

"NO!" Amelia's ki exploded forth from within the bacta tank. The glass shattered into thousands of pieces, and the medical equipment and droids were torn asunder, shattering into their own pieces. As the glass shattered, Amelia was pulled down by the rest of the bacta as it flowed across the floor. She was naked, her body completely exposed. She could feel things on her, and she slowly pulled off the monitoring devices. She felt so exposed...so helpless...so vulnerable...

Amelia slowly crawled to her knees, and then slowly pushed up to her feet. She staggered a bit, and then she suddenly vomited blood all over the floor, contaminating the bacta covering the floor. She could hear alarms going, and she knew she had to run. She just had to. She quickly rushed for the door, but it wouldn't open to her presence. She pressed a button next to it...still nothing. She then dug her fingers into the metal, and she slowly pulled at each direction. Once she felt the door give way, she put all her inhuman Clanner strength into opening the door, and it slowly opened. Once she had enough room to slip through, she stepped out into a corridor, and took a look at her surroundings...
The sight of a naked, bleeding, woman crashing out of the door startled the nurses in the corridor. They screamed for help, who came in the form of orderlies who tried to calm her down, but were thrown back by the inhuman strength of the woman. Then, at the end of the corridor, stood Rock Lee. Weakened. Less able to fight her if it came to that, but his eyes bore no ill will. In fact, they bore kindness and worry. He didn't like what he had to say, but he knew it was the only way. "Beta Wolf Amelia. By order of your Clansman Jaime, you have become my servant, a 'life-bondsman', and I am in charge of your well-being. As such, you must return to treatment. Please. You will perish if you don't."

Understood. Jaime out.

As Jaime ended the comm, he began walking towards the exit of the bridge.

"You are to hold here until I contact you with instructions," he said to his XO.

"Aff, Star Colonel," replied the tall Elemental.

A few minutes passed, and then a Darket shot out of the main hangar of the JumpShip. Using the coordinates provided to him, he triangulated his reentry, and then shot down to the surface of the planet. The Darket was engulfed by flame as it made its descent, and at this point, Jaime allowed the auto-pilot to take hold. Once he made it through and into the atmosphere, he was given back control, and he gunned his afterburners to the town. Once it was in range, he flew low, buzzing the town before looping back around and landing at the exact same location as the Trial of Possession had been held.

The cockpit door opened, and he slowly walked out, taking off his helmet as he sought after someone to direct him to Makaryk...

____________________________________________________________


"You lie!" Amelia's angered outburst caused her ki to flux once more, and the walls in the corridor around her bowwed and cracked. Turning on her heel, she ran as hard as she could, which was surprisingly fast given for what she had been through. She did not look back at Lee as she wheeled around a corner...whap!

Amelia stumbled back as her vision blurred. An brave orderly, albeit a stupid one, had smacked Amelia across the face with an empty bed pan. As her vision cleared, her gaze of death focused on the orderly, who then attempted the same thing twice. Amelia raised her hand up, catching the bed pan in her hand, and then sqeezed, crushing the piece of metal like it were paper. Screaming, the orderly turned tail and ran, leaping into an open door before shutting it and locking it behind her.

Amelia paid little heed to the cowardly orderly. All she did was keep running down that hall she had turned down...

As Jaime ended the comm, he began walking towards the exit of the bridge.

"You are to hold here until I contact you with instructions," he said to his XO.

"Aff, Star Colonel," replied the tall Elemental.

A few minutes passed, and then a Darket shot out of the main hangar of the JumpShip. Using the coordinates provided to him, he triangulated his reentry, and then shot down to the surface of the planet. The Darket was engulfed by flame as it made its descent, and at this point, Jaime allowed the auto-pilot to take hold. Once he made it through and into the atmosphere, he was given back control, and he gunned his afterburners to the town. Once it was in range, he flew low, buzzing the town before looping back around and landing at the exact same location as the Trial of Possession had been held.

The cockpit door opened, and he slowly walked out, taking off his helmet as he sought after someone to direct him to Makaryk...

Admiral Makaryk caught a whiff of the unmistakable odor of ozone as the Star Colonel streaked through the atmosphere. Someone was in a big hurry--someone knew he was leaving. Not wishing to waste time through intermediaries providing the visitor with directions to see him, as he was due to leave for Terra in only eight minutes, he sprinted directly to where he thought the visitor might land...that open area where the Trial of Possession occurred.

It was a short sprint, about three hundred meters, which the Admiral managed in about thirty-three seconds. He took a deep breath--one such breath would be sufficient to keep him from talking like he was too much out of breath--before recognizing the person disembarking from the craft that had just streaked across the sky.

"Star Colonel Jaime." He splurged for a half second on another fairly deep breath. "You wish to speak with me, quiaff?"

Lee sighed and ran after her, calling into his comlink for backup. There were times like this when he wished he knew how to use sleeping jutsus or hell, even the Force. Now he probably had to knock her out all over again, and the doctors would probably scream at him for doing that to their patient!

As luck would have it, there was a doctor-nin in the hospital and as he saw Amelia pass by, he first wiped his nose, then expertly threw some hypodermic needles tipped with strong sedatives at her. Let's hope that worked!

=====

Meanwhile, one young Jedi in Evil Woody Thoughts was seriously unhappy with the whole affair. Kevin Bailey, Jedi Navigator, actually looked forward to completing Nav School when the order came for all Coredian Jedi to leave the country forthwith, all because of one stupid Jedi who didn't know better.

He sighed as he packed up what passed for his items. The experience he gained in Woodian Nav School would definitely be invaluable for Coredia, but he had the strong feeling he would miss a lot more. Well, at least the non-Force Sensitive engineers would learn the rest of the stuff and teach it to others. He wondered if he could get them to teach him. Probably.

Jaime nodded as the Admiral asked his question.

"There would be only two reasons for my return," he replied. "For a second invasion or to see you. Thankfully, it is for the latter reason today." It was a rather dry joke. Clanner humour for you. Ain't much to go around these days.

"I returned to specifically request from you an audience with you and a higher dignitary from the Core Worlds," he continued. "The Council of Khans is desparate at this point, and to quite my surprise, they wish me, of all people, to strike a deal with both your respective nations, and perhaps any others that you know of, for resources. Also to my surprise, and to my dismay as well, the Khans will offer our entire warrior force and fleet as mercenaries." The last word was uttered with a tone of disgust, showing Jaime's dislike of this proposal.

____________________________________________________________


Amelia's body was acting on instinct, and as the needles came flying at her from down the hall, she backhanded them away. Spotting the individual who had thrown them, she made a run at an angle towards the wall that the doctor-nin was closest to, and then using her ki out of instinctual focus, she ran along the wall, up to the ceiling, and over the doctor-nin's head. Losing her 'adhesive' effect, she flipped, over as she fell to the ground, landing on her feet, and continued running, making a diving leap over a wheeled bed that came down a hall intersection to her right, and then rolled, leaping back to her feet and running for the stairwell.

You can't get away, Amelia.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Jaime nodded as the Admiral asked his question.

"There would be only two reasons for my return," he replied. "For a second invasion or to see you. Thankfully, it is for the latter reason today." It was a rather dry joke. Clanner humour for you. Ain't much to go around these days.

"I returned to specifically request from you an audience with you and a higher dignitary from the Core Worlds," he continued. "The Council of Khans is desparate at this point, and to quite my surprise, they wish me, of all people, to strike a deal with both your respective nations, and perhaps any others that you know of, for resources. Also to my surprise, and to my dismay as well, the Khans will offer our entire warrior force and fleet as mercenaries." The last word was uttered with a tone of disgust, showing Jaime's dislike of this proposal.

The Admiral listened to the Star Colonel, finding his Clanner humour little more than a waste of time under the time pressure and glanced at his stopwatch while the Star Colonel spoke, quickly returning eye contact so as not to be disrespectful. After Jaime finished speaking, the Admiral replied as quickly as he could get the words out. Either this was going to be an incredibly fast negotiation or he would run late. The latter might be unavoidable...at least his breath had returned to normal by now.

"Aff, you are looking for a deal," Admiral Makaryk acknowledged. "Unfortunately, I am scheduled to leave in...six minutes, forty seconds. I do not see how a Coredian Representative can be procured quickly enough to negotiate in such a short timeframe..."

Meanwhile, one young Jedi in Evil Woody Thoughts was seriously unhappy with the whole affair. Kevin Bailey, Jedi Navigator, actually looked forward to completing Nav School when the order came for all Coredian Jedi to leave the country forthwith, all because of one stupid Jedi who didn't know better.

He sighed as he packed up what passed for his items. The experience he gained in Woodian Nav School would definitely be invaluable for Coredia, but he had the strong feeling he would miss a lot more. Well, at least the non-Force Sensitive engineers would learn the rest of the stuff and teach it to others. He wondered if he could get them to teach him. Probably.

"Kevin Bailey." A Woodian student who lived across from him in the dorm, not to mention constantly fought him just for the practice of it, had caught him packing. "I can only hope that your government figures out a way for us to keep the darker Jedi out while whitelisting the Light in. Unfortunately, there are enough ninjas in the Order that the government feels that it cannot risk your government ordering a hit on a Woodian," he said in an understanding voice. "I wish midichlorian tests could discern Light from Dark...alas, they cannot. You might appreciate this."

The Woodian produced two paper star charts, one of the Milky Way and one of Coredia's home galaxy, as well as a datapad that contained both on a digital format. "Do not forget what you have learned. May the Force be with you."

Amelia's body was acting on instinct, and as the needles came flying at her from down the hall, she backhanded them away. Spotting the individual who had thrown them, she made a run at an angle towards the wall that the doctor-nin was closest to, and then using her ki out of instinctual focus, she ran along the wall, up to the ceiling, and over the doctor-nin's head. Losing her 'adhesive' effect, she flipped, over as she fell to the ground, landing on her feet, and continued running, making a diving leap over a wheeled bed that came down a hall intersection to her right, and then rolled, leaping back to her feet and running for the stairwell.

You can't get away, Amelia.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Pertubed that Amelia had the almost-ninja ability to walk up walls, the doctor-nin chased after her, grabbing another set of needles dipped with sedatives and chased her with said needles, followed closely by Rock Lee, who tried another tack for Amelia. "You are disgracing yourself before your Clan, Amelia! Cease at once or be dishonored!"

"Aff, you are looking for a deal," Admiral Makaryk acknowledged. "Unfortunately, I am scheduled to leave in...six minutes, forty seconds. I do not see how a Coredian Representative can be procured quickly enough to negotiate in such a short timeframe..."
Fortunately, Lowbacca was still on the planet helping with the recovery effort when one of the soldiers gave him notice of a Clansman returning near Admiral Makaryk's area. Wasting no time, he utilized the Force Speed technique to get there quickly, not even breathing hard as he arrived. "<Admiral Makaryk and...ah, Star Coloniel Jaime. How nice to see you again. Is there anything you wish of me?>"

"Kevin Bailey." A Woodian student who lived across from him in the dorm, not to mention constantly fought him just for the practice of it, had caught him packing. "I can only hope that your government figures out a way for us to keep the darker Jedi out while whitelisting the Light in. Unfortunately, there are enough ninjas in the order that the government feels that it cannot risk your government ordering a hit on a Woodian," he said in an understanding voice. "I wish midichlorian tests could discern Light from Dark...alas, they cannot. You might appreciate this."

The Woodian produced two paper star charts, one of the Milky Way and one of Coredia's home galaxy, as well as a datapad that contained both on a digital format. "Do not forget what you have learned. May the Force be with you."
"And with you...my friend." Kevin nodded and packed away the two star charts for later reading. He then closed the knapsack and hefted it over his shoulder. "I hope one day our governments can reach an understanding and I can return. In the meantime, I believe we could still correspond through email. Good bye."

And so he left to pass on what he knew to his people...

Jaime nodded to the Wookie. "As it is likewise, Master Lowbacca. I was just speaking to Admiral Makaryk about proposing a trade deal to both the Woodian people and the Coredian people. While we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, so to speak, I believe that negotiations as such would still be possible. However, not to be rude to either one of you, I would prefer it if I spoke to people in the higher echelons of both your respective governments. I very thorougly doubt that either of you have the clearance to make a deal on the level that my superiors are offering."

__________________________________________________________


Amelia was almost to the door. She was so close. She reached out, grasping at the handle.BAM! The door flew open, and Amelia was through. She quickly closed the door behind her, slamming it shut into the Doctor-nin's face, and then ran to the stairs. Looking down, she could tell she was more then Star's worth of floors up. Still, she wasn't about to be caught. She had to get away. She just had to. He would get her if she didn't keep running. She quickly traveled down a flight of stairs, rounding around and eyeing the next door down, just in case someone came through it.

Katrina sat and watched the holo-net intensely. Anger rose in her, as she watched the proceedings before her. The Coreworlds, once the greatest of allies to the people of the Twelve Colonies of Kobal, now were responsible for the death and murder of tens of thousands of colonial lives.

Slowly she reached into her bag of buttery popcorn, and continued to watch. The Woodian Parliament, seemed to be the only nation that cared, aside from the Colonies themselves. She slowly placed some of the popcorn in her mouth in anticipation. Was Admiral Cain right? Were the Coredians really the enemy of the Colonies, and the free loving people of the universe? Had everyone, not only the Colonies and the Woodians, but everyone been fooled by their large eyes, and small smiles? It appeared it was true.

“Mommy what are you watching?” the voice of her young daughter said, as Alexandria came running into the room.

“Just learning about the local customs, honey. It would appear that these Woodians, are much better people than we thought.”

Jaime nodded to the Wookie. "As it is likewise, Master Lowbacca. I was just speaking to Admiral Makaryk about proposing a trade deal to both the Woodian people and the Coredian people. While we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, so to speak, I believe that negotiations as such would still be possible. However, not to be rude to either one of you, I would prefer it if I spoke to people in the higher echelons of both your respective governments. I very thorougly doubt that either of you have the clearance to make a deal on the level that my superiors are offering."
"<I am a member of the High Council of Coredia.>" Master Lowbacca replied, the droid on his belt translating his words. "<I tell you the truth when I am the voice of the nation when I speak to you. Of course, any deal will have to be put to a vote in the Senate, but if it goes well, I'm sure it will not be long before it is implemented.>"

__________________________________________________________


Amelia was almost to the door. She was so close. She reached out, grasping at the handle.BAM! The door flew open, and Amelia was through. She quickly closed the door behind her, slamming it shut into the Doctor-nin's face, and then ran to the stairs. Looking down, she could tell she was more then Star's worth of floors up. Still, she wasn't about to be caught. She had to get away. She just had to. He would get her if she didn't keep running. She quickly traveled down a flight of stairs, rounding around and eyeing the next door down, just in case someone came through it.
"Oh no you don't!" The doctor-nin simply knocked the door down with his fist, then threw more needles at Amelia. If she got out now, he would never live it down from his colleagues, not to mention she's going to die. At least by now, the local sheriff's office was called. Even Jedi (which this chick seems to be) will be downed by stunners.

Jaime nodded to the Wookie. "As it is likewise, Master Lowbacca. I was just speaking to Admiral Makaryk about proposing a trade deal to both the Woodian people and the Coredian people. While we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, so to speak, I believe that negotiations as such would still be possible. However, not to be rude to either one of you, I would prefer it if I spoke to people in the higher echelons of both your respective governments. I very thorougly doubt that either of you have the clearance to make a deal on the level that my superiors are offering."

"Neg," Admiral Makaryk ceded after Lowbacca said that he had authority to negotiate right here and now. "I can technically refer any final proposal to the Prime Minister, to be submitted to Parliament, but the military is my primary domain. In order to negotiate a trade deal, I would need an appropriate civilian representative to be present."

"Well, I cannot negotiate with just one individual," Jaime replied to both men. "I believe it would be better suited if we could arrange something. I did hear the you were to leave for Terra, Admiral. Perhaps this is because of the Aidan-Bailey incident? And if so, am I to assume that you are meeting on neutral ground with an affiliate of the Core Worlds?"

___________________________________________________________


Several of the needles missed Amelia narrowly. However, one did manage to stick. Unfortunately, Amelia's adrenaline was so high that the sedative pumped into her was like trying to sedate a blue whale with a single beaver tranq. As if on instinct, upon being hit, Amelia grabbed onto the hand-rail of the staircase, and then jumped into the open space in the center. She had to be at least ten floors up, but it didn't matter to her. Soon, she was in free-fall, descending towards the ground floor...

"Well, I cannot negotiate with just one individual," Jaime replied to both men. "I believe it would be better suited if we could arrange something. I did hear the you were to leave for Terra, Admiral. Perhaps this is because of the Aidan-Bailey incident? And if so, am I to assume that you are meeting on neutral ground with an affiliate of the Core Worlds?"

"Aff. I burn for Terra in five minutes, thirty-two seconds, and yes, this is over that 'incident,'" Admiral Makaryk replied, glancing at his stopwatch as he did so. Occasionally, Woodian military precision got carried slightly overboard, and the Admiral exuded a mechanical efficiency typical of Clanners in these situations, despite his lack of authority to negotiate in the here and now. "The meeting is on neutral soil." Turning his attention partially to Lowbacca, he added, "Suggest that we petition New Dornalia to add the Star Colonel to the invitation list and add this additional agenda item."

Several of the needles missed Amelia narrowly. However, one did manage to stick. Unfortunately, Amelia's adrenaline was so high that the sedative pumped into her was like trying to sedate a blue whale with a single beaver tranq. As if on instinct, upon being hit, Amelia grabbed onto the hand-rail of the staircase, and then jumped into the open space in the center. She had to be at least ten floors up, but it didn't matter to her. Soon, she was in free-fall, descending towards the ground floor...
Suddenly, she found herself floating in mid-air. If she looked up, she could see that the doctor-nin was concentrating on keeping her afloat with a handseal before she crashed. Now, several more sedative needles flew at Amelia. Hopefully this time, she would drift off into dreamland so that she could be healed.

"Aff. I burn for Terra in five minutes, thirty-two seconds, and yes, this is over that 'incident,'" Admiral Makaryk replied, glancing at his stopwatch as he did so. Occasionally, Woodian military precision got carried slightly overboard, and the Admiral exuded a mechanical efficiency typical of Clanners in these situations, despite his lack of authority to negotiate in the here and now. "The meeting is on neutral soil." Turning his attention partially to Lowbacca, he added, "Suggest that we petition New Dornalia to add the Star Colonel to the invitation list and add this additional agenda item."
"<That would be a good idea.>" Lowbacca agreed. "<We can do this and our other little issue at the same time.>"

=====

GNN Special Report

"Hi, this is Andy Landers, filling in for Terry Williams on this special report. The Dragon Queen Tamitha has called for a press conference to speak out against the quote, unquote, 'national PTSD that Evil Woody Thoughts seems to be going through'. We have her live now from Issus!"

The Queen walked up to a podium in her human form, her beautiful bronze-red hair tied up in a bun. She wore a very elaborate kimono of gold and red trimmings. "Greetings, ladies and gentlebeings. For those of you who don't know me, I am Tamitha, Queen of the Dragons and Consort to King Sarinon. I have come out to strongly object to the statements made by various Woodian correspondents of our shaken leadership."

"I have watched the Masakis grow from a happy childhood to strong-willed men and woman that sacrifice their own happiness daily so that Coredia be free of Imperial tyranny. I have watched them struggle with the Darkness without and within, having counseled them many times on matters grave and trival alike. I have watched them suffer many tragedies and tribulations, and not one of them have come out unscathed. Who can say they remain unscarred by the machinations of the Dark Side?"

"I am, like many of us, disappointed that they would unleash a Weapon of Mass Destruction on an allied nation and do not condone that. A foolish mistake, but a mistake nonetheless! We must forgive and move on! And yet on the heels of one incident comes another!"

"I have one thing to say to Evil Woody Thoughts: Go see a therapist. You are a nation that has undergone a terrible time (national PTSD indeed), just has we have gone through terrible times. That is understandable. However, you are overreacting to a cultural misunderstanding. A sorrowful one, but a misunderstanding nevertheless, and one that threatens to tear apart the very alliance we have worked so hard to build!

Our enemies will be pleased. Those who use Force Crush without a care in the world would be delighted to see us tear each other apart.

I have many words to say to one Rainn Thoreide.

"I accuse the Coredian Government--by which I mean either the Masaki Family, Jedi Council, Senate, or any combination of the three, of authorizing the wholesale genocide of civilians should military expediency merely suggest it, as happened on Kobal."
"Do my ears decieve me? Do you know what you say? We have not, nor will ever condone such tactics for the sake of expediency! And for the record, the Cylons have done far more damage than the tragedy of the Embassy's fall! You are blind if you do not see that!"

"I accuse the Coredian Government of training its Jedi padawans that Master Yoda's admonition, that the Force is to be used for knowledge and defense, never for attack, is a mere suggestion, no, a mere footnote that must be subjugated to lust for power, for prestige, for 'whatever it takes to kill, not defeat, but kill my enemy, preferably in the most bloodthirsty way possible.' "
"Ah, but sometimes the best defense is a good offense to defeat our enemies. We do not condone the likes of Force Crush, but we do have the willpower to do what it takes to succeed! This is not a war to be won by sending harsh words and hate mail over the battlefield! One must do what one must to defend the innocent from harm!"

"I accuse the Coredian Government of encouraging amongst the Jedi Order the use of Dark Tactics, not even as a last resort, but as a first resort. If the Coredian Government not believe me, I challenge it to time how long after the start of a duel it takes Daniel Masaki, Emperor of CoreWorlds up until early this afternoon, to use Force Lightning, which for millenia was held as the domain of Dark Jedi."
"This is where we must differ again. Dark Tactics, if used at all, are always used as a final resort but if battles are won properly, they would not be necessary. On your second argument, Lightning is an elemental skill with its uses in battle, just as fire and ice are used in battle. We have always allowed it as part of our arsenal -and it requires strong constitution to use in the first place- and we do not intend to be rid of it anytime soon."

"I accuse the Coredian Government of using its state secrets statutes to hide the true extent of corruption within the Coredian Government."

"I accuse the Coredian Government of tolerating such corruption."
"Corruption has always been a part of government since time began and it will always be a part of government as long as sentients seek to further themselves and there will always be a need to defeat it. You may not understand it, but there are indeed more pressing matters than search for every instance of corruption, like a Black Crusade bearing down upon us all. But make no mistake, we do root out corruption, and when we do, the corrupted pay dearly!"

*Many aristocrats and several Senators suddenly shuddered*

"I turn your words upon you, Rainn Thoreide! I accuse you of using a single regrettable incident to threaten the alliance against the Black Crusade, of which is far more important than this petty squabbling over idealogies! I accuse Mr. Thoreide of not understanding that there are great differences between our two cultures. I accuse Mr. Thoreide of lacking even a single dose of pragmatism! Every nation has different standards and we all must respect those differences! Or do you wish to continue casting stones upon us?"

"We all must stick together through thick or thin for as divided as we are, conquest becomes all that much easier for the Empire and the Black Crusade! This concludes my statement. Thank you, and may the Force be with you"

OOC: Revised version of Dornalia's rant. Sorry it's late, there's a little thing called "math test," "essay about Vietnam" and "tests to study for."

IC:

The Thoreide newscast inevitably reached New Dornalia, and it sparked a controversy over Dornalian support of the Masaki Clan and the Imperial Republic. Was it true? Was the so-called "Son of the Revolution" and "Hero of the People" really nothing more than a self-interested butcher?

The opinion pages began filling up across newspapers, holoforums, chatrooms, local TV stations, musician's lyrics, academic papers and more. Some urged the Dornalian government to leave Coredia, saying taxpayer money had been wasted on a "bunch of damn failure junkies" that had obviously used it to finance terror and keep an eternal war going for its own political gain. Others said that the actions of Coredia were justified, that "Revolutions were not made by poking the enemy with soft cushions" and that they were the victims here of both a severe cultural misunderstanding by "those Uppity Woodians" and an ongoing genocidal war by the Galactic Empire, which wished them dead, and that all they needed was more Dornalian support to keep them going.

Ultimately, the result was just more headaches for Premier MacIntyre, who could barely keep away from his whiskey flask....

---------------

NDBC News

The Chess Headman (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v630/Senor_Nb3/?action=view&current=WI276981_JohnCleese.jpg)Report

Why Talk Is Cheap, but Revolutions are Not!

"It seems the Masaki Clan has been the topic of discussion as of late. Thanks to one Rainn Thoeride and one Bailey Kipper, now worth 80.7 billion Woodian Credits, the HoloNet is abuzz with commentary on the legitmacy of the Masaki regime. If you're willing to believe the Thoeride Report, then our favorite Son of the Revolution, Hero of the People, and Liberator of Coredia, Daniel Alexander Masaki, is not any Son of the Revolution, no Che Guevara for the modern era but a bloody serial killer-cum-kleptomaniac who seems more at home in a padded cell surrounded by yslamiri than at the head of a government. Indeed, given Mr. Masaki's recent actions, its not hard to insult him, or find fault. Some would question the legitmacy of the Kobal Incident, this commentator certainly does.

However, watching his footage, I, Chess Headman, cannot be entirely bought by his rhetoric. Indeed, I am prepared to dispute Mr. Thoeride on his conclusions, obviously biased and created with tunnel vision so narrow you couldn't even fit a pin through the logic. Here's my take on the situation.

To begin, peering beyond the yellow journalism one must remember that Mr. Masaki has a war, nay a Revolution to win. I'm sure Daniel Alexander Masaki has better things to worry about, I'm sure, than balancing his checkbooks and worrying about what Senator has done what in their personal or financial life. He could easily punish war profiteers at a later time, when he doesn't have to worry about shots being fired at him. The Woodian media should recognize that frankly, there's bigger issues at stake, and it doesn't make sense to bring comparatively minor issues up now, especially not during an epic struggle for national survival.

I suppose what I'm trying to call for here is a healthy dose of pragmatism. If the Woodians are intending to play Superhero, then let them play Superhero on the REAL enemy, and stop wasting their time.

Don't get me wrong. I don't condone violence against civilians by any means, and I am certainly unhappy about Kobal.

Still, despite all that has occurred, I do not call for all of Dornalia to pull out from Coredian lands as a result of this. The Quit Coredia Coalition recently organized in London, with a certain People's Congressman Eilan Hartounian is misguided, and in my point of view does not offer a genuine solution.

Rather, I stand behind the Masakis, for their Revolution is a Revolution worth having.

Mr. Thoeride obviously doesn't understand that to fight--AND WIN--a revolution, one cannot be timid. A revolution is not like going to a chocolate shop and buying the appropriate sweetmeat. It is a bloody, nasty, drawn-out affair that will inevitably involve the use of tactics some consider underhanded.

I must concur with the recent editorial made by Tamitha that despite all that the Coredians supposedly done, the enemies of the Revolution have done worse. Asfaltum, for instance. Alderaan. The Federal Union's Homeworld of Terra Prime.

They need all the support they can get, for despite all their very human mistakes, they are still one of the only active movements to keep the Revolution alive. To let them be extinguished simply because we find moral fault with some of their warts is unacceptable, for if they die, who will take their place? I can't think of many candidates.

Can the Woodians be prepared to lead the Revolution? Judging by the state of affairs in Evil Woody Thoughts, I say not.

I suppose the amazing part for me is that despite the fact the Masaki Clan is in danger, despite the fact millions of its children have died at the hands of the Empire, despite the fact it is surrounded by hostiles, the Woodians choose this opportunity to divide what should be a United Front and instead take the opportunity to attack their allies, when they should be helping them. Why? For from what I understand, if you look beyond Mr. Thoeride's article and look at the facts with a simple, nonjudgmental lens, is a major cultural misunderstanding gone out of hand that really doesn't deserve this silly and sad conclusion!

To those Woodians watching, I am not made of stone. A man died, no doubt about it. A good man, so I have heard, a war hero named Aidan. And life is a damned thing to waste.

However, Mr. Kipper did not understand the consequences of his actions! How could he have presumed you Woodians had a taboo against the Force Crush? You can't very well expect everyone you have Trials with to know that. Dornalians certainly would not have that knowledge, and we wouldn't expect you to know our worst insults and cultural offenses as well. You would punish an entire nation, an ally, for the sin of one man? Seems rather unreasonable.

Lastly, I have it on good authority--GOOD AUTHORITY--that you Woodians shouldn't be ones to talk in this matter. I'm not going to say where I got this footage, for I might get in trouble if I do. I'll only hint it came from a certain other Force-using nation besides the Coredians and the Woodians and us who's on our side.

(Shows footage of Colonel Allaire brutalizing a Huntarian private (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=517561&page=4))

I'll let the footage speak for itself. Of course, if you don't believe me, I can easily get in touch with the private in question and his commanding officer, a certain General Verneal? After all, the certain nation this came from is a friend of ours.

Put a bounty on me if you wish for saying that, but I feel you need to hear that from a third party, someone who has their emotions in check and their eyes clear of rosy or blackened tints. Chess Headman out."

OOC: ND, your link is broken. Delete the extraneous http...it managed to duplicate itself.

I am waiting for certain additional events to occur before posting IC.

OOC: ND, your link is broken. Delete the extraneous http...it managed to duplicate itself.

I am waiting for certain additional events to occur before posting IC.

OOC: Fixed.

"Splendid," replied Jaime. "Since it seems we are pressed for time, I shall take my leave back to my ship to prepare my entourage. An appropriate nav beacon would suffice to give us a ship to attach a DropShip to as well."

___________________________________________________________


The needles struck true, imbedding themselves into Amelia's back. It wasn't long before the duely stressed target began to feel her consciousness slipping, and before long, she was out, murmuring as the forced sleep proved to be just as stressful as her miraged daydream. Still, one would wonder why she, a Clanner, could have such a mental breakdown of such caliber...

"Splendid," replied Jaime. "Since it seems we are pressed for time, I shall take my leave back to my ship to prepare my entourage. An appropriate nav beacon would suffice to give us a ship to attach a DropShip to as well."

"Aff." Admiral Makaryk gave a parting bow before seemingly disappearing into thin air. In reality, he was transported into one of the orbiting Immortal Star Destroyers...and he wasted no time in personally activating a nav beacon mounted on the underside of the Star Destroyer's docking bay, either.

"Star Colonel Jaime," he radioed back groundside, "Follow your nav."

He looked at his stopwatch. One minute, twelve seconds to scheduled burn. Depending on how long it took the Clanners to dock, he would run late...

...And he hated running late.

"Splendid," replied Jaime. "Since it seems we are pressed for time, I shall take my leave back to my ship to prepare my entourage. An appropriate nav beacon would suffice to give us a ship to attach a DropShip to as well."
"<I cannot leave Caligula for long, but I believe that reconstruction can take care of itself until I return.>" Lowbacca said. "<I shall be up momentarily.>"

With that, he left the entourage and called for a shuttle to take him to New Dornalia.

The needles struck true, imbedding themselves into Amelia's back. It wasn't long before the duely stressed target began to feel her consciousness slipping, and before long, she was out, murmuring as the forced sleep proved to be just as stressful as her miraged daydream. Still, one would wonder why she, a Clanner, could have such a mental breakdown of such caliber...
The doctor-nin sighed and called for a stretcher to take her to the secondary intensive ward unit as the primary one was trashed. He would have to keep Amelia sedated while she's healing and decided to prescribe sedatives along with the bacta. Rock Lee also sighed in relief and swore to never leave her side again.

Jaime made quick time to the Nav beacon via his Darket, and he was soon joined by a single Overlord DropShip, which took a different path towards the underside of the Admiral's ship, flipping over to attach to the underside just a few tens of meters behind the hangar. Jaime, however, took his Darket and made to enter the ship's hangar, sending a pre-recorded request for landing clearance.

__________________________________________________________


For now, Amelia was calm...well, as calm as her troubled dreams would let her be. All anyone could do at this point was hope she didn't have another outburst like the most recent one. However, unbeknownst to all, a small, flea-sized creature clung to the ceiling. There were many to be exact, and they were all focused on Amelia and Lee...

__________________________________________________________


A lone, shadowed figure stood within a room in an unknown location somewhere in Clan space. The figure stood facing what seemed to be a 'crystal ball,' and within it, the figure could see Amelia and Lee. The peripheral vision within the sphere was blurred, but it didn't matter to the viewer. The figure smiled, and the smile showed a row of glimmering teeth with extra-long canines. The figure was soon joined by a second figure, and then a third, a fourth, and then a fifth and sixth.

"I see my golems have proven useful," stated the fifth figure.

"That they have," replied the first. "You have proven useful."

"That doesn't make it any different," said the sixth. "We still ain't fightin'. It's the fightin' that counts."

"Patience, Kotaro-kun," said the fifth. "Your chance will soon come."

"Josef is right," said the third. "Soon you will have your chance to prove your worthiness. Until then, we must be cautious, and we must observe how both subjects take to one another."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

"Then let us reconvene at another time," stated the second. "Once we have our information, we shall choose a time and place to strike. We still have much to learn about this culture."

The sphere then blurred entirely, and then focused on the figure of Jaime within the cockpit of his Darket.

"This one has already proven useful without knowing it," the second continued. "He will never know that he will be the catalyst to Amelia and Lee's demise, as well as his own."

Admiral Makaryk, much as he hated it, waited for the others to dock upon his ship, personally granting the necessary clearances. However, he thought it unusual that a DropShip would dock aft of the docking bay...the docking bay was the part of the vessel designed for such things? Not to mention the nav beacon originated from said docking bay. Yes, it was possible to cram an Overlord DropShip in that thing. Not the easiest of tasks, but tractor beams would have made it easier, that's for sure.

No later than had the Clans radioed that they were secured to the ship than the engines burned at full thrust to break the vessel of Caligula's gravity well. The entire ship vibrated as the two-and-a-half kilometer ship shot forward as one of the ancient Saturn V rockets, the g-forces partially, but at full thrust, not completely, compensated for by inertial dampeners. No doubt that Clanners, accustomed to accelerating at only a couple G-forces at a time, would be surprised. Nobody bothered to warn them, though a few engineers were curious as to why the proper docking bay facilities were not used.

When, after only a couple of moments, the Star Destroyer left Caligula's gravity well, the stars elongated themselves into starlines as the ship jumped into hyperspace. Kearney-Fuchida jumps were more efficient over short distances, but this voyage would have required no less than fifteen such jumps, and a solar recharge time of no less than a few days at each stopover point. The Clanners were in for another little surprise.

"Estimated time to Terra Prime: Three hours, fourteen minutes, thirty seconds."

The Clanners were rather surprised by the sudden pull on their ship, and the Overlord began making a few complaints at the strain via alarms and status messages. However, once the Star Destroyer had settled into a maintained speed, the Overlord began to stop its complaining. The Clanners, however, could only watch in wonder as they saw streaks of light passing them by. Were those stars? They must be, some concluded. Still, all they knew is that this was a new experience for them, and they shouldn't take it lightly.

_________________________________________________________


Within the actual hangar of the Star Destroyer, Jaime had disembarked from his Darket fighter, and he was now standing in the massive hangar of the ship. He was fairly impressed at the design, and now he had decided it was time to figure things out about the culture. Thus, he made his way to the personnel door on the far end of the hangar. Hopefully he could get someone to help him find his way to the bridge to speak with Admiral Makaryk.

"Admiral Makaryk. Star Colonel Jaime wishes to see you." A technician's voice came over some random speaker built into some random panel in the bridge.

Makaryk himself flipped a switch to reply to the tech a kilometer away. "Where may I find him?"

"He is attempting to find his way from the docking bay to the bridge, Admiral."

"Advise him that I am on my way down. I do not intend to keep him waiting."

"Aff." The tech left the comm open in case the Admiral wished to reply, but after no reply was forthcoming, shut it off and went to inform Star Colonel Jaime that Admiral Makaryk would be arriving shortly...

---------------

Meanwhile, Makaryk flipped through the various surveillance cameras of the ship's docking bay, looking for Star Colonel Jaime's precise location. It did not take terribly long for Makaryk to identify him, primarily by the confused look on his face; he looked quite lost. No matter. The transporter room was a mere two floors below the bridge...

No sooner had the tech informed the Star Colonel that Admiral Makaryk had been appropriately summoned than the Admiral himself materialized directly in front of the bewildered Clanner.

While Jaime's face wasn't exactly one to show bemusement at anything, the teleporting always got him. He could never quite get over it as it was a very foreign technological advancement to him.

"I swear by Kerensky's name that I will never quite get used to the teleporting technology that your people employ, Adrmiral."

"It is better than keeping you waiting, quiaff?" The Admiral could only give a faint, wry smile in response to the Clanner's rare bemusement. "However, I suppose that you did not wish to see me about our transporters..."

"Neg," replied the Star Colonel. "I am more curious about how your people developed as a whole. The last that my people have Terra recorded was during the war against the Word of Blake, and that was many, many millenia ago. It ended in Ghost Bear's and Wolf's presence in the inner sphere becoming non-existant."

"Aff," the Admiral acknowledged. "Our history is a bit more...recent. During those millennia that you speak of, we would have been considered one of those 'underdeveloped nations,' to use a euphemism for something the Clans would have laughed at, to be sure."

"Our history would only start becoming of interest to the Clans approximately ninety years ago, with the Christofascist Wars. The Christofascists were religious extremists, not too dissimilar from the cultlike ways of the Word of Blake. After they were defeated, Woodians started devising ways to purge corruption, waste, and sleaze from their government. After only a few generations, investigative journalists and auditors, whose function it is to expose such sleaze so its perpetrators can be properly dealt with, became so influential that were Evil Woody Thoughts to adopt the Clan caste system right here and now, the investigative journalists and auditors would rank somewhere between warriors and scientists in terms of respect that is accorded them."

"For another thirty years, our society purged itself of the corruption and sleaze, but kept to itself. We terraformed for ourselves an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean an island about the size of Honshu, the main island of ancient Japan. However, an abrupt climate shift transformed the growing patterns of our little slice of territory from subtropical to boreal temperature and precipitation problems; therefore we found our self-sufficiency abruptly ended."

"I probably would make a horrible Loremaster, but oh well," the Admiral sighed, as he realized that he was probably boring Jaime to death by now. He continued...

"Forty-eight years ago, our history really becomes interesting, as this self-sufficiency problem became an emergency. Then-Prime-Minister Jacob Whitfield persuaded the Parliament to approve what basically amounts to an Exodus. We purchased any technology that we could find, reverse-engineered it, and set it to our own use, and found a system to settle in that could better accomodate our needs. For the record, some of that technology happened to be Clan OmniMechs, as well as records of Clan lore left digitally within. Four-fifths of our population on Terra left, until our territory there was able to restore its own self-sufficiency in terms of foodstocks. We began screening all..." the Admiral struggled to find a word to adequately describe a freebirth pregnancy without offending the sensibilities of a trueborn Clan officer "...amniotic samples for birth defects about a year thereafter, and with the wealth of new technology that we had just acquired, we developed the ability to repair such deficiencies in utero. There is therefore a sort of generational schism in Evil Woody Thoughts...the older generations are completely freeborn, while the newer generations, while still almost entirely freeborn, have had the worst genetic deficiencies removed. Serious birth defects have gone from one in six hundred live births fifty years ago to one in seventeen million today. However, we have not adopted a eugenics program for the purpose of engineering people to perform specific tasks in adulthood as the Clans have. Very, very few in Evil Woody Thoughts would you actually class as trueborns," the Admiral admitted. "Yet, a mere eleven years after our own Exodus, this ship class was designed, launched, and tested."

"For another forty years did we refine ourselves in relative isolation, until a Sith Lord, whom we would go so far as to consider outright bloodfoul..."

The last word hung in the air for a very long time. Admiral Makaryk stopped speaking, memories of his own Trial of Refusal against the Sith Lord racing through his head. Memories of having his own sentience purged from him as his mind literally forced itself to become that of Darth Ebolus two years ago...

The continuation of freebirth was a disgusting thought to Jaime. However, he knew and could come to terms with other cultures viewing freebirth as a natural part of life. Technically, it was the natural way of life. Still, that did not deter Jaime from wanting to learn more about the culture.

"By the tone of that last word, I can tell that the man you speak of created a very turbulent time in your nation's history," Jaime stated flatly. "While I do not wish to dig up painfully memories, I wish to inquire about this time in your history."

"This...Darth Ebolus...purged the military of those not loyal to him. He would summon a high-ranking officer into a closed-door meeting, as he was an admiral, then proceed to use Dark Tactics, not unlike those you saw with Bailey, to render his victim physiologically incapable of thought, and enslave the remainder of his brain to him. It was not a bondcord that allowed him to send forth minions as direct proxies with which to Force Crush the resistance to him...it was a direct mindlink."

"Those officers...myself included...fought a Trial of Refusal, of course. However, he was a master at fragmenting other officers such that they could not anticipate and prepare ahead of time...and he enslaved them one at a time."

"When the loyalty of the military was sealed, he marched on the civilian government. Jacob Whitfield, by now a Jedi Master, interceded on behalf of the Parliament in what would be retroactively classed a Trial of Abjuration, but Darth Ebolus defeated him and proceeded to massacre every member of the sitting Parliament. It is for this reason that the seat of government is now ensconced by the only form of life known to neutralize the Force. A monthlong civil war ensued. The resistance on our capital world could not defeat him, but on Terra, the resistance very nearly drove his forces off the planet and threatened to liberate the capital world as well."

"Therefore, Ebolus ordered the deployment of a seismic weapon against the resistance territories on Terra. I will be able to show you its effects from orbit when we arrive. However, he failed to destroy the resistance on Terra; only a week later, the last of his forces on that planet were destroyed."

"At this point, Master Whitfield used a cloaked shuttle to sneak to the mansion that the bloodfoul had appropriated for himself, and challenged him to a Trial of Annihilation. Six-hundred-ninety-four million civilian deaths later, the bloodfoul at last met the fate that he deserved."

"When the bloodfoul met his death, the mindlinks between himself and those whom he had enslaved severed, for obvious reasons, leaving his former proxies in need of a quite thorough neural regeneration. Meanwhile, investigative journalists found security tapes that had footage that Darth Ebolus had neglected: the various Trials of Refusal that those in the military had fought against him. As the entire population views Darth Ebolus as bloodfoul, those recordings exonerated those whom he had enslaved from the bloodfoul's treason. And you wonder why we view Sith with such low regard..."

Jaime listened intently to the Admiral as he spoke bitterly about the prior war. His respect had now tripled for the Woodians, and he could see how closely related his people were in respects to them. His distaste for those 'Sith' who used this 'Force' had now also tripled. To use such means to power was cowardly indeed, and he could also see the similarities of his former caste and those who used the Force.

"I could only imagine your distaste for the Sith," Jaime replied. "Since my ilKhan has given me full diplomatic authority, I believe I could provide your nation with warriors to train your military. Perhaps I may also be able to provide your nation with a genepool, as well as a fresh batch of warriors from said genepool."

Silence prevailed for several seconds as Admiral Makaryk's mind spun with the ramifications of Star Colonel Jaime's offer. Let me get this straight...a confederation that fights Trials of Possession over genetic material and the lineages they represent is offering the use of such material to a nation that consists nearly entirely of freeborns, whom they believe are inherently genetically inferior. Yet if freeborns touched a vat of Clan genetic material, the Clans would no doubt execute said freeborns and then some. Now it was Makaryk's turn to look bewildered, as the Star Colonel in front of him had done when observing transporters in action, as his mind fought to reconcile what he knew of Clan custom regarding genetic lineages with the words his ears had just heard.

Maybe he intends to have trueborn Clan scientists handle the genepool? The offer does not make sense otherwise.

"From what I know of Clan culture, it is all but blaspheme to allow foreigner freeborns to handle such genetic material, and we certainly have no desire to dishonor your genetic lineages. Such a deal would, by necessity, need to include the services of Clan scientists in maintaining such a genepool, quiaff?"

--------------

Lastly, I have it on good authority--GOOD AUTHORITY--that you Woodians shouldn't be ones to talk in this matter. I'm not going to say where I got this footage, for I might get in trouble if I do. I'll only hint it came from a certain other Force-using nation besides the Coredians and the Woodians and us who's on our side.

(Shows footage of Colonel Allaire brutalizing a Huntarian private)

I'll let the footage speak for itself. Of course, if you don't believe me, I can easily get in touch with the private in question and his commanding officer, a certain General Verneal? After all, the certain nation this came from is a friend of ours.

Put a bounty on me if you wish for saying that, but I feel you need to hear that from a third party, someone who has their emotions in check and their eyes clear of rosy or blackened tints. Chess Headman out."

In Caligula Orbit

Major Ehrell could only laugh at the Dornalian pundit as he watched him attempt to refute Rainn Thoreide. This last point, especially, he found quite laughable, for he remembered that incident quite well. He had been a crewmember aboard the vessel upon which the Colonel had come to visit the Huntaerians.

He remembered watching the honor guard proceedings live, via Holovid, in orbit. He DISTINCTLY remembered that the Colonel was behaving as could be reasonably expected in a color guard ceremony, and that the Huntaerian private in question had attempted to trip the Colonel (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12334419&postcount=46), not to mention attempted to kick him in the groin (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12334582&postcount=50), *BEFORE* the Colonel had broken his leg. Self-defense, not to mention a necessary dose of unit discipline, the Colonel's alleged "brutality" against the private was.

The Major took a few minutes to dig up the FULL footage of the event. The unedited footage. The footage that showed the private attempting to trip, and kick, the Colonel first, before the Colonel did anything to his leg.

Rainn Thoreide would enjoy this. Major Ehrell hit the SEND button on the Star Destroyer's transmitters...and smiled.

Rakka Space Station, Exodus Fleet

Young John Watsen was but one of many young children haphazardly thrown onto the giant, city-sized station as it awaited the jump to hyperspace. All around the station, battle raged as the First and Sixth Fleets and the Allies at Jurai fought to keep the enemy off the Exodus Fleet. The Rakka and Reki are part of the Second Group, the group currently making the run out of the system. It is here that young John awaits th eugly news spilling out from EWT about Coredia's dark side being exposed on the evening news...

OOC; Your cue, EWT!

OOC: EWT, can you somehow speed up your trip to Los Angeles, please? Thanks. I do have talks to run, and I'm going to look rather stupid if I all involved parties are not in fact there.

OOC: EWT, can you somehow speed up your trip to Los Angeles, please? Thanks. I do have talks to run, and I'm going to look rather stupid if I all involved parties are not in fact there.

OOC: I will speed things up on my next reply to Skagura. (Skagura, you need to cooperate somewhat with this...)

Rakka Space Station, Exodus Fleet

Young John Watsen was but one of many young children haphazardly thrown onto the giant, city-sized station as it awaited the jump to hyperspace. All around the station, battle raged as the First and Sixth Fleets and the Allies at Jurai fought to keep the enemy off the Exodus Fleet. The Rakka and Reki are part of the Second Group, the group currently making the run out of the system. It is here that young John awaits th eugly news spilling out from EWT about Coredia's dark side being exposed on the evening news...

Indeed, it did not look like seven-year-old John would be calling himself Masaki anytime soon. Despite the best efforts of Taylor Masaki, who had adopted the War Orphan two years ago, young John still did not feel welcome amongst the Coredian royal family. Anakin, Katrina, and to a lesser extent, Daniel, made sure of that.

Indeed, if the Exodus had a good side, it was that John was actually separated from his alleged family members. He scribbled out an Academy homework assignment in a corner somewhere, sitting atop a crate, ANBU guards watching him. While John sometimes liked to play hide-and-seek with the ANBU, cloaking himself in the Force so well that most could only hope to detect him via air displacement (and no Jedi had yet thought of this), this was certainly not the time for games like that. At least I won't get dragged off to Anakin's soccer games for a while, he thought to himself. He did not even approve of the sports the rest of the royal family played, preferring ice hockey instead. Much less the wealth he knew to be stashed away in numbered accounts somewhere, not to mention the thought that he despised the mere thought of being royalty.

But he sensed a mass revulsion in the Force. Surprisingly, not so much anger as shock, disappointment, and a deep sense of betrayal, millions of voices hurling almost like a hive mind. It emanated from John's home...his native home...and he walked over to the nearest Holovid to see what was going on, using the Force to turn the thing to the Woodian news outlet.

When he learned of the deeds of Bailey Kipper, when he learned that the Jedi Council had Exiled (read: washed its hands of him) said Bailey Kipper, he could not contain his own revulsion, which manifested itself in a pile of vomit on the floor. Fortunately, it missed his homework assignment. John quickly scribbled out "John Masaki" and wrote "John Watsen" in its place. It was probably a good thing that Katrina wasn't here...John would sense her darkness, that she had condoned Bailey's actions, no doubt...

He shoved his homework assignment, the last four questions out of thirty left unanswered, in an ANBU guard's face as he shimmered away from visible existence. Cloaked, he made his way to a secluded janitor's closet, where he wept, invisible to anyone else, what little noise his crying made not quite carrying through the door he had closed behind him.

His distress spilled over into the mindlink that had developed between himself and Taylor Masaki over the last two years. Taylor, the Woodians have expelled all foreign Jedi because Bailey Kipper Force Crushed a Woodian officer in a duel. Both had seen for themselves way too many Force Crush victims...

As luck would have it, Taylor Masaki was returning from the Outer Rim with his brother and his old teacher, Izumi Curtis, who had finally been persuaded to join the Council when his son managed to contact him through the bond. He had believed that even with the war heating up, all would be well when he got home. He was wrong.

His distress spilled over into the mindlink that had developed between himself and Taylor Masaki over the last two years. Taylor, the Woodians have expelled all foreign Jedi because Bailey Kipper Force Crushed a Woodian officer in a duel. Both had seen for themselves way too many Force Crush victims...
John sensed a bewilderment coming from his father, then as the news sank in further, angry flames began to roar, although not literally. Taylor knew Kipper, although not well. What the hell?! What kind of idiotic bastard is Kipper?! Tell me more, kid!

=====

Meanwhile, the Fallen One in question had finished collecting the supplies he needed to survive. Now, he hired a freighter pilot heading for Bespin to take a little detour to Hoth. He felt that it would be far enough away from civilization in order to allow his Exile to come to pass. Perhaps, he thought, he could figure out a way to return to Coredian space in the Iceball planet.

"Aff," Jaime replied. "Still, in all eventualities, we intend to train your own scientists in handling this genepool. However, I believe I should wait to explain the full offer when we arrive on Terra. Once we arrive there, everything will be explained in full detail."

((FAST FORWARD TIME!))

As luck would have it, Taylor Masaki was returning from the Outer Rim with his brother and his old teacher, Izumi Curtis, who had finally been persuaded to join the Council when his son managed to contact him through the bond. He had believed that even with the war heating up, all would be well when he got home. He was wrong.


John sensed a bewilderment coming from his father, then as the news sank in further, angry flames began to roar, although not literally. Taylor knew Kipper, although not well. What the hell?! What kind of idiotic bastard is Kipper?! Tell me more, kid!

I did not stay to watch the news, I was so disgusted, John replied. I know little more, except that a deep sense of disappointment with the Jedi and feelings of betrayal I feel from home...

"Aff," Jaime replied. "Still, in all eventualities, we intend to train your own scientists in handling this genepool. However, I believe I should wait to explain the full offer when we arrive on Terra. Once we arrive there, everything will be explained in full detail."

"Aff. These discussions are best carried out with representatives of the civilian government present, as the Parliament would need to approve any agreement. The meeting on Terra should provide a convenient place for such discussions," the Admiral replied.


((FAST FORWARD TIME!))

When the ship exited hyperspace, Admiral Makaryk was disappointed to see that the territory Evil Woody Thoughts held was on the nightside of the planet, and therefore, the civil war damage that he had intended to point out from orbit was not visible to the naked eye. He sent a note to the Star Colonel that he would gladly take him to see it after the meetings concluded. Incidentally, he also made sure that Star Colonel Jaime had the proper landing coordinates for the place that he knew as "LAX," as well as the conditions of the meeting that had been set. Especially the one about being unarmed.

Meanwhile, as Admiral Makaryk himself went to the teleporter room to beam down from orbit (and grabbed the medic who was supposed to be present as well), another shuttle from Evil Woody Thoughts arrived, the two arrivals timed to coincide. That shuttle bore the Prime Minister Elleayovskii, and it docked at LAX just as soon as the Admiral and the medic beamed down...

The medic looked quite dejected when the Admiral yanked his scalpel from his hands and threw it in the nearest garbage receptacle. "No weapons," the Admiral reminded the medic.

When the ship exited hyperspace, Admiral Makaryk was disappointed to see that the territory Evil Woody Thoughts held was on the nightside of the planet, and therefore, the civil war damage that he had intended to point out from orbit was not visible to the naked eye. He sent a note to the Star Colonel that he would gladly take him to see it after the meetings concluded. Incidentally, he also made sure that Star Colonel Jaime had the proper landing coordinates for the place that he knew as "LAX," as well as the conditions of the meeting that had been set. Especially the one about being unarmed.

Meanwhile, as Admiral Makaryk himself went to the teleporter room to beam down from orbit (and grabbed the medic who was supposed to be present as well), another shuttle from Evil Woody Thoughts arrived, the two arrivals timed to coincide. That shuttle bore the Prime Minister Elleayovskii, and it docked at LAX just as soon as the Admiral and the medic beamed down...

The medic looked quite dejected when the Admiral yanked his scalpel from his hands and threw it in the nearest garbage receptacle. "No weapons," the Admiral reminded the medic.

Los Angeles, California, Earth SSR

The sudden beaming down of Admiral Makaryk and the medic-cum-witness surprised the Red Army Honor Guard, and MacIntyre (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v630/Senor_Nb3/?action=view&current=p07302iuwj0.jpg) had to cast a cold gaze at them in order to make them think twice about drawing their guns. The more conventional landing of PM Elleayovskii was greeted much more warmly, with LAX Tower Six bringing her shuttle to Hangar Twenty-Four. She would also be greeted by her country's National Anthem, played by a mix of marching band and electric guitar, the Dornalian Anthem, and the Red Army Song (OOC: See the post where I first greeted CW for a link to the song.).

The assistant whispered in his ear, the man recognizing Makaryk from the assistants' work at the Foreign Affairs Commissariat researching the Woodians for this meet. He also informed him about the Coredian delegate, who seemed to still be in his shuttle. Then MacIntyre saluted the Admiral snappily, as best as a civilian could. He then bowed and extended his hand, saying, "Welcome to Los Angeles. The name and title's Comrade Premier Robert MacIntyre, the man who runs this little show we call the Workers State."

He then wistfully and with a tinge of regret, said simply, "I wish that we could meet under less trying circumstances, Admiral Makaryk." He then turned to the medic and said, "And you are?"

Los Angeles, California, Earth SSR

The sudden beaming down of Admiral Makaryk and the medic-cum-witness surprised the Red Army Honor Guard, and MacIntyre (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v630/Senor_Nb3/?action=view&current=p07302iuwj0.jpg) had to cast a cold gaze at them in order to make them think twice about drawing their guns. The more conventional landing of PM Elleayovskii was greeted much more warmly, with LAX Tower Six bringing her shuttle to Hangar Twenty-Four. She would also be greeted by her country's National Anthem, played by a mix of marching band and electric guitar, the Dornalian Anthem, and the Red Army Song (OOC: See the post where I first greeted CW for a link to the song.).

The assistant whispered in his ear, the man recognizing Makaryk from the assistants' work at the Foreign Affairs Commissariat researching the Woodians for this meet. He also informed him about the Coredian delegate, who seemed to still be in his shuttle. Then MacIntyre saluted the Admiral snappily, as best as a civilian could. He then bowed and extended his hand, saying, "Welcome to Los Angeles. The name and title's Comrade Premier Robert MacIntyre, the man who runs this little show we call the Workers State."

He then wistfully and with a tinge of regret, said simply, "I wish that we could meet under less trying circumstances, Admiral Makaryk." He then turned to the medic and said, "And you are?"

"Someone whom Admiral Makaryk has just disarmed," the medic replied, casting an angry glance at the two-meter-tall Admiral in the process. Had this not been such a public place, said sarcasm would have been a grave mistake. But neither the medic nor the Admiral wished to fight against the other in front of the Dornalian security guards, much less the Premier.

"You know full well that a scalpel in your hands is no different from a bayonet in mine," the Admiral replied, maintaining a somewhat-controlled tone of voice in front of his hosts. It would be a shame if the two fought here and now over it. The medic yielded, and shut his mouth, still having not answered the Premier's question. "Woodian medics have an annoying habit of not identifying themselves," the Admiral explained to his hosts, as he returned the Premier's salute far more crisply than the Premier had saluted him. "I advise calling him by his rank, Major."

Prime Minister Elleayovski remained surprisingly quiet, not much caring for New Dornalia's ceremonial indulgences. The glare from Admiral Makaryk's eyes informed said Dornalians that the Woodians present just wanted to get this over with...

Prime Minister Elleayovski remained surprisingly quiet, not much caring for New Dornalia's ceremonial indulgences. The glare from Admiral Makaryk's eyes informed said Dornalians that the Woodians present just wanted to get this over with...

It didn't take the assistant's whisperings and musings on Woodian culture for Premier MacIntyre to figure out he was making the wrong sort of impression on these people. Notably, Makaryk's expression conveyed the idea that, simply put, he was not impressed by the display of power the Honor Guard put out.

MacIntyre nodded, and said simply to the sullen Medic, "As you wish, Major." He then stepped back, and explained frankly to the Woodians, "Gentlemen, there's a diplomatic motorcade outside waiting for us to take us to our destination. It's a little outside the city, somewhere private for us to have our little chat, as it were."

He then motioned to the three limousines outside, two for the nations and one for the Dornalians, and what seemed an array of Red Army motorcycles
outside, presumably for the Honor Guard to keep up an escort in. He then said, "Honor Guard's going to escort us there."

MacIntyre then concluded with, frankly, "Now, gentlemen, ladies, it looks like you're in no mood for ceremony--so, we'll get moving."

He then whispered to the assistant, who knocked on the door of the Coredian shuttle and said, "Sir? We're leaving."

OOC: Gonna need Skagura to post his men making their entrance and stuff.....

Meanwhile, the Fallen One in question had finished collecting the supplies he needed to survive. Now, he hired a freighter pilot heading for Bespin to take a little detour to Hoth. He felt that it would be far enough away from civilization in order to allow his Exile to come to pass. Perhaps, he thought, he could figure out a way to return to Coredian space in the Iceball planet.

Said Fallen One might be a little more than surprised to find no less than four fully operational spaceports on Hoth. To be more specific, four such spaceports to handle tourists to the Iceball Planet. Perhaps others looked upon Hoth as wasteland, but Woodians saw it as prime territory for Cross-Country Ski Resorts, and Hoth was too far removed from the rest of Coredia to have various politicians demanding bribes and running extortion rackets, meaning it was one of a very few places in Coredia that honest Woodian businessmen were willing to invest in.

So much did Woodians like their winter weather that Hoth was rated five stars for cross-country skiing marathons...and one of the resorts had actually submitted a bid to run the Woodian Winter Olympics here twelve years in the future. Bailey Kipper would be most disappointed if he hoped to get away from the scorn of his detractors here...

...Then again, who needs solitude when one can hunt those who oppose him for fun and profit?

Lowbacca slided into New Dornalia rather easily, having reverted to realspace after the Woodian Star Destroyer did. After the customary greetings and so forth, he entered the limo along with the ambassador sent by the Diplomatic Corps.

=====

"Here you go, sir. Hoth looks like it's been colonized, though." The freighter pilot said. "Although who would want to colonize this iceball is beyond me..."

The Fallen One didn't hear the man's words as he seethed. He sensed the inhabitants on the planet were nothing more than the pitiful Woodians. Woodians! How dare they befoul this world!

The Fallen One's heart grew even blacker as he stepped off the freighter. He used the Force lightly, hiding his face from the...ah, what would be appropriate for them...they called him Forcebirth, so in return, they shall be called...filthbirth.

The Fallen One smiled dangerously. Yes, they are nothing but filthbirth. Once I am set up on this planet, things will get quite...interesting.

With that, he decided to fade from what amounts to civilization on Hoth, traveling kilometer after kilometer over snow and ice until he reached a cave that would serve well as his base of Exile. Then, he began setting up his home away from home...

I did not stay to watch the news, I was so disgusted, John replied. I know little more, except that a deep sense of disappointment with the Jedi and feelings of betrayal I feel from home...
Ah. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to grab the news. Taylor said and closed down the link. "Hey, bro. You know where's the nearest holonet terminal?"

"Yeah, it's on "c" deck." Jacob replied. "Why?"

Taylor's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Get Teacher and meet me over there. If what I got from John is true, Daniel's in a whole lot of trouble."

"All right." Jacob sighed.

Soon, they arrived at the deck and linked up to the Holonet. And drank in all the horrible news that has occurred. The Colonial Civil War. The Caprica Incident. The Invasion of Jurai. The Massacre of Konoha and the Peace with those who did it. And worst of all, in Taylor's eyes, the Battle of Caligula and all the subsequent fallout that has occurred.

"It seems that I have joined the Council just in time." Izumi growled. "My esteemed colleagues will never live their recent actions down again, mark my words."

"That Kipper. He is so going to pay for this. The Council would exile him rather than have to deal with him." Taylor grumbled.

"You might have a chance. There's a bounty on his head." Jacob mentioned.

"And a number." Taylor said, unhooking the phone part of the holo and began dialing the Woodian News. As he waited, he gave a mental ping to John about the bounty on Kipper's head.

Lowbacca slided into New Dornalia rather easily, having reverted to realspace after the Woodian Star Destroyer did. After the customary greetings and so forth, he entered the limo along with the ambassador sent by the Diplomatic Corps.

"Great. Lowbacca. The Protector of the Sith." The medic sighed. "Let us get under the ysalmari bubble."

Admiral Makaryk merely nodded his agreement. Lowbacca had associated himself so closely with the Sith that practically the entire Woodian population now regarded him as persona non grata, not to mention an accomplice to any future crimes Bailey might commit as a result of being set free to do as he pleased with the Force. Admiral Makaryk entertained the thought of turning around to hunt the Sith right here and now, but thought better of it...at least for now.

Prime Minister Elleayovskii showed no visible emotion as she climbed into the limo. However, she knew that the Admiral and the Medic had reached an unspoken agreement to shun Lowbacca utterly.

Welcome to Hell, she thought to herself. Her own respect for the Wookiee had diminished greatly of late, as well...

=====

"Here you go, sir. Hoth looks like it's been colonized, though." The freighter pilot said. "Although who would want to colonize this iceball is beyond me..."

The Fallen One didn't hear the man's words as he seethed. He sensed the inhabitants on the planet were nothing more than the pitiful Woodians. Woodians! How dare they befoul this world!

The Fallen One's heart grew even blacker as he stepped off the freighter. He used the Force lightly, hiding his face from the...ah, what would be appropriate for them...they called him Forcebirth, so in return, they shall be called...filthbirth.

The Fallen One smiled dangerously. Yes, they are nothing but filthbirth. Once I am set up on this planet, things will get quite...interesting.

With that, he decided to fade from what amounts to civilization on Hoth, traveling kilometer after kilometer over snow and ice until he reached a cave that would serve well as his base of Exile. Then, he began setting up his home away from home...

Those on Hoth did not yet know whom they were dealing with. An innocent-looking eight-year-old tourist pegged Bailey with a harmless snowball, having no idea who Bailey Kipper was.

"Samuel! You know better to throw things at strangers!" the kid's mother snapped. However, neither had any idea whom they were dealing with...

Ah. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to grab the news. Taylor said and closed down the link. "Hey, bro. You know where's the nearest holonet terminal?"

"Yeah, it's on "c" deck." Jacob replied. "Why?"

Taylor's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Get Teacher and meet me over there. If what I got from John is true, Daniel's in a whole lot of trouble."

"All right." Jacob sighed.

Soon, they arrived at the deck and linked up to the Holonet. And drank in all the horrible news that has occurred. The Colonial Civil War. The Caprica Incident. The Invasion of Jurai. The Massacre of Konoha and the Peace with those who did it. And worst of all, in Taylor's eyes, the Battle of Caligula and all the subsequent fallout that has occurred.

"It seems that I have joined the Council just in time." Izumi growled. "My esteemed colleagues will never live their recent actions down again, mark my words."

"That Kipper. He is so going to pay for this. The Council would exile him rather than have to deal with him." Taylor grumbled.

"You might have a chance. There's a bounty on his head." Jacob mentioned.

"And a number." Taylor said, unhooking the phone part of the holo and began dialing the Woodian News. As he waited, he gave a mental ping to John about the bounty on Kipper's head.

A hundred thirty billion? May as well add my account to it, John replied. Not like I'm going to use it anyway. I need only what is required to play hockey left over.

"Great. Lowbacca. The Protector of the Sith." The medic sighed. "Let us get under the ysalmari bubble."

Admiral Makaryk merely nodded his agreement. Lowbacca had associated himself so closely with the Sith that practically the entire Woodian population now regarded him as persona non grata, not to mention an accomplice to any future crimes Bailey might commit as a result of being set free to do as he pleased with the Force. Admiral Makaryk entertained the thought of turning around to hunt the Sith right here and now, but thought better of it...at least for now.

Prime Minister Elleayovskii showed no visible emotion as she climbed into the limo. However, she knew that the Admiral and the Medic had reached an unspoken agreement to shun Lowbacca utterly.

Welcome to Hell, she thought to herself. Her own respect for the Wookiee had diminished greatly of late, as well...
It was rather hard to tell the emotions of a Wookiee, seeing as his face was covered by a mass of fur, but even so, the Wookiee was stoic even though he didn't need the Force to know that the two military Woodians hated him for "protecting" Bailey Kipper. He mentally sighed as the limo began moving.

Those on Hoth did not yet know whom they were dealing with. An innocent-looking eight-year-old tourist pegged Bailey with a harmless snowball, having no idea who Bailey Kipper was.

"Samuel! You know better to throw things at strangers!" the kid's mother snapped. However, neither had any idea whom they were dealing with...
The Fallen One stopped as the snowball pelted his back. Slowly, his Force-masked face turned around, staring at the boy with cold, emotionless eyes. He sneered at the young filthbirth and the whore, then walked onwards, collecting the boy and his mother's faces in his mind for a future...visitation.

A hundred thirty billion? May as well add my account to it, John replied. Not like I'm going to use it anyway. I need only what is required to play hockey left over.
As Taylor continued to wait for a response from the Woodian News (and scowling at the elevator music and the "Your call is important to us" responses), he replied. You sure? That's a lot of money to shove into this bounty.

Welcome to Hell, she thought to herself. Her own respect for the Wookiee had diminished greatly of late, as well....

MacIntyre rolled his eyes, and simply facepalmed when they weren't looking, not saying a word. It seemed that what Chess Headman had reported was true, and it showed, especially with the presence of the Wookiee here, who was apparently none other than the legendary Lowbacca. Or infamous, as the situation seemed to say.

"Okayy......" he quietly muttered to himself, so no one else could hear, stunned by the level of hatred these Woodians showed towards their former allies. He had a good feeling that this medic and his boss were not going to submit to "marraige counseling" easily. And neither was the woman, whom the assistant identified as the Woodian PM--well, maybe she would listen. He wouldn't expect those (He wanted to call them animals, but the word seemed a bit harsh) trigger-happy killers, especially that medic, to listen, but by jove, at least he would try to make them understand Dornalia's feelings.

As he watched them enter the limo, he resisted the urge to slap the medic; then again, something told him that the medic was A) not eager to be here and B) probably going to beat his scrawny civvie-with-two-years-of-National-Service-ass in a fight. So, he stayed his hand as he got into his limo with Junko and the assistant, and the Honor Guard began moving to their cycles....

OOC: Skagura, either post your guys landing, or I'll RP moving along without you (though I'll assume you've gone with the Woodians if this has to occur.).

OOC: Skagura, either post your guys landing, or I'll RP moving along without you (though I'll assume you've gone with the Woodians if this has to occur.).

OOC: Yeah, Skagura, please post. I will hold my post regarding the negotiations until such time that either said post occurs, or ND decides to continue.

The Fallen One stopped as the snowball pelted his back. Slowly, his Force-masked face turned around, staring at the boy with cold, emotionless eyes. He sneered at the young filthbirth and the whore, then walked onwards, collecting the boy and his mother's faces in his mind for a future...visitation.

"Apologize to that man right now!" the mother demanded, but before the boy could comply, Bailey had gone. Samuel knew he was in deep trouble, but he had no idea what the stranger really had in mind for him...

As Taylor continued to wait for a response from the Woodian News (and scowling at the elevator music and the "Your call is important to us" responses), he replied. You sure? That's a lot of money to shove into this bounty.

I am sure, John replied. You know I hate being a rich snob. May as well put it to a good cause as long as the opportunity is there.

"Apologize to that man right now!" the mother demanded, but before the boy could comply, Bailey had gone. Samuel knew he was in deep trouble, but he had no idea what the stranger really had in mind for him...
The Fallen One decided to hire a speeder bike and went to whatever amounted to a dealer on this planet for such a device...

I'm sure, John replied. You know I hate being a rich snob. May as well put it to a good cause as long as the opportunity is there.
Sigh. All right. Taylor replied and began accessing the two accounts. "Jacob, Teacher, want to join in?"

"Well...I suppose." Jacob said, accessing his account as well.

"You boys go on ahead. I'm rather stingy today." Izumi Curtis waved Taylor's suggestion away.

The Fallen One decided to hire a speeder bike and went to whatever amounted to a dealer on this planet for such a device...

The Fallen One was in for some disappointment. As Hoth was pretty much a cross-country ski resort, speeder bikes were nowhere to be found. However, ski shops were readily accessible...

Sigh. All right. Taylor replied and began accessing the two accounts. "Jacob, Teacher, want to join in?"

"Well...I suppose." Jacob said, accessing his account as well.

"You boys go on ahead. I'm rather stingy today." Izumi Curtis waved Taylor's suggestion away.

"This is the Bailey Bounty Fund, how may I direct your call?" a frazzled operator asked into Taylor's earpiece. It was quite obvious through the Force that the phones had been ringing nonstop since the news of Bailey Kipper's misdeeds first broke...

The Fallen One was in for some disappointment. As Hoth was pretty much a cross-country ski resort, speeder bikes were nowhere to be found. However, ski shops were readily accessible...
The Fallen One saw no speeder bikes in the resort, but he did see lots of ski shops. Seeing as there was no other mode of transportation (other than Force Speed), he went to one of the ski shops and browse around...

"This is the Bailey Bounty Fund, how may I direct your call?" a frazzled operator asked into Taylor's earpiece. It was quite obvious through the Force that the phones had been ringing nonstop since the news of Bailey Kipper's misdeeds first broke...
"Finally! This is Taylor Masaki and I want to place a bounty on Bailey Kipper." Taylor said, steel in his voice as he mentally contemplated the many ways he could take down the idiot.

The Fallen One saw no speeder bikes in the resort, but he did see lots of ski shops. Seeing as there was no other mode of transportation (other than Force Speed), he went to one of the ski shops and browse around...

And boy, did Bailey Kipper find skis. Lots of skis. Skis for every height, from midget to Wookiee and beyond. Thick skis, thin skis. Aluminum versus composite...hell, there were even *antigrav* skis. Many pairs costing less than a hundred credits (the antigrav models excluded from the sale)...

"Finally! This is Taylor Masaki and I want to place a bounty on Bailey Kipper." Taylor said, steel in his voice as he mentally contemplated the many ways he could take down the idiot.

"And what amount would you like to contribute to the Fund?" the operator asked, a tone of exhaustion in her voice; nevertheless she remained quite polite.

And boy, did Bailey Kipper find skis. Lots of skis. Skis for every height, from midget to Wookiee and beyond. Thick skis, thin skis. Aluminum versus composite...hell, there were even *antigrav* skis. Many pairs costing less than a hundred credits (the antigrav models excluded from the sale)...
For a moment, Bailey Kipper wasn't sure what to buy as there was so many! He decided to inquire about them and went to the seller. "Hello. I'm new to the ski resort and I'm wondering if you could help me choose a ski."

"And what amount would you like to contribute to the Fund?" the operator asked, a tone of exhaustion in her voice; nevertheless she remained quite polite.
"How much you're putting in?" Taylor asked Jacob.

"Ten million." Jacob said.

Taylor grinned. "I'll see your ten and raise you twenty."

"Twenty-five!" Jacob replied quickly.

"Twenty-five. sold!" Taylor grinned wider as he turned to the operator. "Fifty-five million credits."

For a moment, Bailey Kipper wasn't sure what to buy as there was so many! He decided to inquire about them and went to the seller. "Hello. I'm new to the ski resort and I'm wondering if you could help me choose a ski."

"Sure!" the proprietor jovially replied. "How far do you intend to ski? Do you intend to ski on powdered snow or icy surfaces? Which is more important to you--tight turning radius or speed?"

"How much you're putting in?" Taylor asked Jacob.

"Ten million." Jacob said.

Taylor grinned. "I'll see your ten and raise you twenty."

"Twenty-five!" Jacob replied quickly.

"Twenty-five. sold!" Taylor grinned wider as he turned to the operator. "Fifty-five million credits."

"Fifty-five million credits," the operator confirmed. "And to what bank will this donation to the Fund be charged?"

(OOC: Yeah, pretty much the required account info here.)

"Sure!" the proprietor jovially replied. "How far do you intend to ski? Do you intend to ski on powdered snow or icy surfaces? Which is more important to you--tight turning radius or speed?"
Bailey thought about it for a moment. He smiled thinly. "I want to be able to ski on any surface, and go quite far indeed. Speed is more important than radius at this time."

"Fifty-five million credits," the operator confirmed. "And to what bank will this donation to the Fund be charged?"

(OOC: Yeah, pretty much the required account info here.)
"Bank of Coredia." Taylor said and the Twins gave their account numbers as well as that of John's to stuff into the bounty.

Bailey thought about it for a moment. He smiled thinly. "I want to be able to ski on any surface, and go quite far indeed. Speed is more important than radius at this time."

"Longer skis are more stable at higher speeds," the proprietor explained, selecting two of the longer pairs around, one antigrav, one conventional. "Depending on your budget, you might want to go with the antigrav, as that is about the closest it comes to speeder bikes here on Hoth. The width you should select for your skis depends largely upon what surface you ski on; since you want to be a jack-of-all-trades here, you should either go with a middle width or get one narrow pair, for the ice, and a wider pair for the powder..."

"Bank of Coredia." Taylor said and the Twins gave their account numbers as well as that of John's to stuff into the bounty.

The operator took the account information down, along with how much was to be debited from which of the three accounts. "One last question. Congratulations, you are the largest donors to date. Do you wish to recognized, or donate anonymously?"

"Longer skis are more stable at higher speeds," the proprietor explained, selecting two of the longer pairs around, one antigrav, one conventional. "Depending on your budget, you might want to go with the antigrav, as that is about the closest it comes to speeder bikes here on Hoth. The width you should select for your skis depends largely upon what surface you ski on; since you want to be a jack-of-all-trades here, you should either go with a middle width or get one narrow pair, for the ice, and a wider pair for the powder..."
Bailey nodded. "Ah. Get me an antigrav middle width. That would be how much...?"

The operator took the account information down, along with how much was to be debited from which of the three accounts. "One last question. Congratulations, you are the largest donors to date. Do you wish to recognized, or donate anonymously?"
"Recognize us." Taylor grinned. Boy, the Council's going to be pissed off when they learn of this!

Bailey nodded. "Ah. Get me an antigrav middle width. That would be how much...?"

The proprietor gave Bailey the skis that he wanted and proceeded to the register. "That will be four hundred thirty six credits..."

"Recognize us." Taylor grinned. Boy, the Council's going to be pissed off when they learn of this!

"Affirmative. Thank you for the donation, and have a nice day!" The operator grinned as she forwarded word of the donation to the media...

A few minutes later, "TAYLOR, JACOB, AND JOHN MASAKI DONATE A TOTAL OF 55 MILLION CREDITS TO BAILEY BOUNTY" started scrolling across the bottom of the broadcast of Woodian news outlets...

The proprietor gave Bailey the skis that he wanted and proceeded to the register. "That will be four hundred thirty six credits..."
"Very well." The Fallen One nodded and forked over the cash.

"Affirmative. Thank you for the donation, and have a nice day!" The operator grinned as she forwarded word of the donation to the media...

A few minutes later, "TAYLOR, JACOB, AND JOHN MASAKI DONATE A TOTAL OF 55 MILLION CREDITS TO BAILEY BOUNTY" started scrolling across the bottom of the broadcast of Woodian news outlets...
"You too!" Taylor said and turned off the comlink. "Hehehe! The Council will never know what hit them!"

"Agreed." Izumi Curtis smiled thinly.

Jacob just sighed and shook his head.

"Very well." The Fallen One nodded and forked over the cash.

"Thank you and have a nice day." The proprietor accepted the cash and gave the necessary change, and Bailey Kipper now possessed what passed for transportation on Hoth. The finest skis around...and with the antigrav on, they handled quite well, too...

"You too!" Taylor said and turned off the comlink. "Hehehe! The Council will never know what hit them!"

"Agreed." Izumi Curtis smiled thinly.

Jacob just sighed and shook his head.

The fifty-five million bounty that the three Masakis had contributed still failed to cheer John up. He wanted the bounty to actually be paid out...

Hoth

"Oh. My. God. Don't these people know the meaning of customer service?!"

Linda Jensen let out a harumph, soon after acquiring her skis. The daughter of the head of the Jensen Design Bureau, she ws one of three daughters legendary for being strong-willed, and to varying degrees, quite spoiled. Overnight, it seemed New Dornalia's switch to some sort of a free market economy produced a generation of nouveau-riche along with general prosperity, for better or for worse--Linda was one of them, and she didn't mind flaunting her status.

"I swear, if they backtalk me again at the table, I'm going to have my father talk to them!" she uttered furiously, folding her arms in a defensive position. She then walked out, her very husband Mike holding her skis, sighing and going, "Let's go, dear. The slopes are waiting."

As they walked out of the checkout area, Linda noticed an unusual person. Somebody renting out skis that gave an aura of dread and malice. She didn't pay much heed to him, until Mike's skis bumped the fellow upside the head. She then took the skis away from Mike, and slapped him in the face, going, "Clumsy oaf! Gimme those!" She then bowed, and apologized to the man.

Then, they quickly left, eager to hit the trails.....

The Fallen One felt someone bump his head as he put on the skis. He saw that it was some man and her wife. He barely acknowledged the woman's apologies as he tested the skis out. Indeed, the skis handled quite well and it didn't take long for the Fallen One to get a hang of the snowy mode of transportation. He sped over drifts and ice lakes, avoiding the ubiquious wampas and grazing tauntauns. Before long, he found an appropriate area from which to begin his Exile. A network of caves that was oddly enough warmer than the rest of the planet. Noting that geothermal activity was likely the cause, he began setting up his humble abode...

The Fallen One felt someone bump his head as he put on the skis. He saw that it was some man and her wife. He barely acknowledged the woman's apologies as he tested the skis out. Indeed, the skis handled quite well and it didn't take long for the Fallen One to get a hang of the snowy mode of transportation. He sped over drifts and ice lakes, avoiding the ubiquious wampas and grazing tauntauns. Before long, he found an appropriate area from which to begin his Exile. A network of caves that was oddly enough warmer than the rest of the planet. Noting that geothermal activity was likely the cause, he began setting up his humble abode...

The next morning

"Why I should take you out to ski after your behavior yesterday is quite beyond my comprehension." Samuel's mother yanked the little brat outside.

"Mom, he left before I could say I'm sorry!" the eight-year-old kid whined back. The mother simply sighed as the two of them started to ski outside of town...

"Maybe you will see him today," Mom shot back. "If we do, you had better apologize, or you will be reimbursing me for the expenses of the trip. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mom." The kid sighed. Little did either one of them know how badly they did not want to run into one Bailey Kipper...

OOC: Start the torture and the killing!

The Dornalians would then have a very interesting surprise on their hands. No sooner had Makaryk, Lowbacca, the Woodian Prime Minister, and the medic arrived at LAX, the massive Overlord DropShip detached from bottom of the Woodian Star Destroyer, soon followed by the single Darket fighter employed by Star Colonel Jaime. The fighter, however, in mid-descent into the atmosphere of Terra, then changed its course, and it soon entered the massive DropShip as said DropShip opened up a hangar door to allow the small craft inside.

The DropShip soon landed at the designated tarmack, dwarfing the other two ships that had arrived, and the DropShip then opens up, allowing a trio of men to walk down the ramp. At the center, Star Colonel Jaime Kerensky. Flanking him were two massive Elemental warriors, each of whom bore no weapon, nor their trademark armour that they lended their name to. They were quickly, but steadily, approaching the motorcade.

The Dornalians would then have a very interesting surprise on their hands. No sooner had Makaryk, Lowbacca, the Woodian Prime Minister, and the medic arrived at LAX, the massive Overlord DropShip detached from bottom of the Woodian Star Destroyer, soon followed by the single Darket fighter employed by Star Colonel Jaime. The fighter, however, in mid-descent into the atmosphere of Terra, then changed its course, and it soon entered the massive DropShip as said DropShip opened up a hangar door to allow the small craft inside.

The DropShip soon landed at the designated tarmack, dwarfing the other two ships that had arrived, and the DropShip then opens up, allowing a trio of men to walk down the ramp. At the center, Star Colonel Jaime Kerensky. Flanking him were two massive Elemental warriors, each of whom bore no weapon, nor their trademark armour that they lended their name to. They were quickly, but steadily, approaching the motorcade.

MacIntyre turned and saw the warriors inbound. He could only mutter to himself, "Holy Jesus" as they walked closer to the motorcade. His Red Army Honor Guards, about to embark on their journey, turned t face the suspicious newcomers and held their rifles in the "ready position," keeping them low in a manner similar to SWAT teams but ready to raise them and shoot at MacIntyre's orders.

MacIntyre, however, held his hand out, staying his men. He motioned for two of the bigger Red Army men in the ranks to follow him, and then walked up to the Clanners with a confident pose, flanked by his bodyguards. He then gave a snappy salute, before saying, with a confident tone that had a hint of "we are not amused," "I am Comrade Premier Robert MacIntyre, leader of the Workers State of New Dornalia. May I ask who you are?"

"I am Star Colonel Jaime Kerensky, Warrior of Clan Wolf and representative of the Clans," Jaime stated flatly. "I am here to negotiate on behalf of my people with any respective members of the Woodian and Coredian nations in respects of trade by order of the ilKhan of the Clans."

The Elementals eyed their counterparts, whom they stood over by at least two feet. Their faces were cold and calculating, and both were prepared to kill anyone who dared harm their commanding officer.

((As a size reference to all, Elementals are about nine feet tall, weigh in, on average, at about four hundred pounds of pure muscle, and are strikingly intelligent.))

"I am Star Colonel Jaime Kerensky, Warrior of Clan Wolf and representative of the Clans," Jaime stated flatly. "I am here to negotiate on behalf of my people with any respective members of the Woodian and Coredian nations in respects of trade by order of the ilKhan of the Clans."

The Elementals eyed their counterparts, whom they stood over by at least two feet. Their faces were cold and calculating, and both were prepared to kill anyone who dared harm their commanding officer.

((As a size reference to all, Elementals are about nine feet tall, weigh in, on average, at about four hundred pounds of pure muscle, and are strikingly intelligent.))

MacIntyre simply replied, "As you wish. Follow me, please" The sudden entrance of these fellows, who were quite intimidating in size, shook things up for Comrade MacIntyre. He didn't quite know what to do with them. Clans? ilKhan? The heck were these guys? People from a video game? The name and setup sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it....

He then led them to the Woodian automobile, after some consultation with his Assistant, who pointed out the fact Woodian military seemed to have similar rituals to these "Clans." He then bowed and said, "I am sorry we could not secure appropriate transport to the meeting. You will ride with the Woodian Delegation."

He then bowed, and walked back to the Dornalian limo. After everybody got in their respective vehicles, they proceeded to move out.....destination, a little spot in the Hollywood Hills, just outside of town. They would take the scenic route, albeit the cropped version. After all, there was no time to waste.

Jaime politely nodded to the Dornalian Premier, and he motioned for his Elementals to follow him. That they did, almost like pets, and they soon arrived at the Woodian limo, the Elementals stepping in first, weighing down the car some, and then Jaime stepped into the vehicles, shutting the door behind himself.

"Greetings, Admiral," Jaime said. "And greetings to you, Adopted One." That later part was in reference to the medic, obviously.

"Greetings to you as well, Star Colonel." Admiral Makaryk now felt like he sat in one of those ancient commercial airliner coach cabins...the Elementals took up so much space that legroom was very scarce indeed. However, he did not say anything about it; he knew better than to complain about a Clanner's bodyguards, and besides, he would not want to, anyway. This was probably actually his fault, as he had failed to advise the Dornalians of an Elemental's, er, spatial requirements.

"Star Colonel Jaime of Clan Wolf, it is a pleasure to meet you." Prime Minister Alexis Elleayovskii cast a glance at the Admiral to let him know that if he screwed up, he was in trouble. "I am Prime Minister Alexis Elleayovskii of Evil Woody Thoughts, and run the civilian half of the government."

The Medic, as well, returned the greeting, though he was not quite sure why he was here. To find alcohol, perhaps?

Jaime nodded politely to the Prime Minister. "It is an honour to meet you as well," he said. "As is custom of my people, we refer to one another by our proper names rather than a prefix and our surnames. With your permission, may I refer to you by your title and your first name? It allows for easier conversation as, not to be rude, your surname is...quite a mouthful."

As the motorcade made its merry passage, the Assistant turned nervously to MacIntyre. He replied, "Sir--"

MacIntyre replied, holding his hand up, "I know. I'm not a Force user like Junko here, but I could just smell the malice oozing from those Woodians. I mean Jesus--what the hell did the Coredians do to deserve that!?"

He then reached for his hip flask--seemingly, the one island of sanity in these days. Junko then teased him, holding it up in front of the Premier's face with a smile, uttering thus: "My mother used to say, Antes só do que mal acompanhado. Better alone than in bad company."

MacIntyre simply sighed, and said, "Since when did you become my mother?"

Junko replied, holding that smile, "Since you started drinking, Robert. And not like you usually do...."

The Assistant then said, "Anyway. The point is, is that Woodian military officers are some of the most dangerous men I've ever read about."

MacIntyre said, with sarcasm: "Oh no! Read about? Heaven forbid we should worry because of a fact in a book!"

The Assistant then replied tersely, "Think of the medic in the hangar. Didn't he look dangerous enough?"

MacIntyre thought for a moment, and then said, "Sure. I suppose. Ain't that the province of all military men? To look nasty?"

The Assistant then pointed to his PDA and said, "Yeah, but the Woodians can back it up. They're fierce fighters, with a military culture that makes the pre-Apocalypse Samurai of 15th Century Japan look like the Swiss. They have stringent standards of training for their ground forces at least equivalent to that of our Powered Armor brigades. And, they've got a long-standing hatred of the Dark Side in all shapes and forms, no thanks to one Darth Ebolus. Don't believe me, look!"

He then thrust the PDA into MacIntyre's hands, and then said, "Hmm...I see. These guys do look like tough motherfuckers."

The Assistant then replied, "Whatever Lowbacca did to insult them, sir, must have been something grave. And believe me when I say this, but I would think it is obvious from the News--Woodians do not forgive easily."

MacIntyre turned and said, "So? What do I do about it?"

The Assistant then said, "I feel that the conduct of the Woodian Military will only hurt the progress of this summit. I am sorry, but all the witness testimony they can potentially provide cannot dissuade me from this conclusion."

MacIntyre looked at him skeptically. He folded his arms and let out a "humph," saying, "You sure? I want these fuckers to speak. I want both sides of this sorry equation to talk....I am really not in the mood to choose my friends and these Woodians are making me choose. If you ask me, they gotta answer for themselves, along with the Coredians, as to why the hell they're making my resident Jedi take away one of my favorite pasttimes with their silly argument. Why they have to choose NOW to divide the good guys in the face of trouble. Maybe I can even slap some sense into these guys and gals. Bring in some wise marriage counseling from Father MacIntyre."

The Assistant then sighed. He could only say incredulously, "You can try that. But I must warn you. At least do something to handle those Woodian military officers. Do not let their anger consume this conference. You wanna do effective marriage counseling, you wanna keep anger down....Lord knows that's what my brother learned."

MacIntyre then said, "Hmm. In that case, I might just make them useful somewhere else. Maybe send them to Jurai. Help out Operation Jailbreak there. Or at the very least, get them to say only a little and then make a decision from there."

The Assistant nodded, replying only with, "Good idea."

MacIntyre then leaned forward, and turned on a music player, queued up to Scotland the Brave. He then wired it up to the all call function on the limo's communications, putting it in touch with the other limos. He then contacted the Naval Aviation detail assigned to the convoy, asking them to escort the convoy on its way to its destination. After a reply, he then contacted the other limousines as they went onto a relatively clear stretch of highway, going, "This is Comrade Premier MacIntyre. As you know, New Dornalia has been assigned security detail for this meeting. Therefore, we will provide not only the Honor Guard, but also a Cadre of aircraft to guard us from the air.

You should see them coming....


...right about....

NOW."

At that, several Marinesko II fighter jets swooped down, flying in V formations over the convoy. However, they then did something even MacIntyre didn't expect. After all, he expected a flyby and then an escort flight. However, the fighters formed up into single file columns and then flying level with the windows of the limos as Scotland the Brave began playing, the sounds of Scottish bagpipes and marching bands swelling into the respective cabins....

The dignitaries, if the pilots could see them, would be able to see the pilots waving and smiling at them, some snapping pictures to commemorate the occasion and the inevitable expressions on the faces of the dignitaries, as they moved to thier destination, before the whole gang flew back up and assumed a normal escort flight formation.

Jaime nodded politely to the Prime Minister. "It is an honour to meet you as well," he said. "As is custom of my people, we refer to one another by our proper names rather than a prefix and our surnames. With your permission, may I refer to you by your title and your first name? It allows for easier conversation as, not to be rude, your surname is...quite a mouthful."

"You may omit my surname for the duration of these talks, though I suspect that our naming conventions are somewhat different," the Prime Minister replied to the Star Colonel. However...

For this little mistake, the Prime Minister slapped the Admiral across the face, her eyes boring into his, warning him that she was displeased. Admiral Makaryk knew that he had Screwed Up, and the Prime Minister did not even have to say it. But she did.

"Why did you omit this information from the report of what to expect?" she demanded.

Oh shit. And if there is a Trial over this...it will look bad. Very bad. It will look like a coup. Admiral Makaryk knew he had no choice but to invoke the rite of surkai...of forgiveness. Unfortunately, the Elementals sucked up all the available space in the limo, not to mention that kowtowing was kind of difficult with a seatbelt on. Therefore he bowed his head in deference to the Prime Minister instead...

"Prime Minister Alexis Elleayovskii." The Admiral, unlike the Clanners present, had no problem pronouncing her last name...the name by which a Woodian would typically address the Prime Minister. To only use her first name would have been a further insult to her, a refusal to recognize her position of head of state, somewhat akin in severity to a Clanner refusing to recognize another Clanner's earned Bloodname. But nobody really wished to get involved in naming conventions...and the Prime Minister might be in the mood to yield to the Clan naming conventions. Such was not Admiral Makaryk's prerogative.

"I have erred by failing to provide you with adequate information about what to expect regarding naming conventions at this meeting," the Admiral sincerely admitted, his error having been brought to his attention by the Prime Minister slapping him across the face. "Therefore, I petition you to allow me the rite of surkai, Prime Minister."

This is rare, Alexis thought to herself. Something I, in fact, have never experienced. And in front of foreigners? Damn, he must be serious. Though she was not as well versed in the ways of the Clans as the military, being a civilian herself, as evidenced by the naming conventions flub, she at least knew enough to know that the Admiral was requesting forgiveness (and any punishment she deemed necessary to save face) at the same time.

"You have an unspoken agreement with the Medic concerning the shunning of Councilor Lowbacca?"

"Affirmative," the Admiral admitted.

"Your punishment for your omission shall consist of my periodic orders to respond to Lowbacca's questions or statements. I will ensure that Lowbacca is not shunned so. Your request for surkai is thus accepted."

"Affirmative." Admiral Makaryk once again bowed his head in deference to the Prime Minister.

MacIntyre then leaned forward, and turned on a music player, queued up to Scotland the Brave. He then wired it up to the all call function on the limo's communications, putting it in touch with the other limos. He then contacted the Naval Aviation detail assigned to the convoy, asking them to escort the convoy on its way to its destination. After a reply, he then contacted the other limousines as they went onto a relatively clear stretch of highway, going, "This is Comrade Premier MacIntyre. As you know, New Dornalia has been assigned security detail for this meeting. Therefore, we will provide not only the Honor Guard, but also a Cadre of aircraft to guard us from the air.

You should see them coming....


...right about....

NOW."

At that, several Marinesko II fighter jets swooped down, flying in V formations over the convoy. However, they then did something even MacIntyre didn't expect. After all, he expected a flyby and then an escort flight. However, the fighters formed up into single file columns and then flying level with the windows of the limos as Scotland the Brave began playing, the sounds of Scottish bagpipes and marching bands swelling into the respective cabins....

The dignitaries, if the pilots could see them, would be able to see the pilots waving and smiling at them, some snapping pictures to commemorate the occasion and the inevitable expressions on the faces of the dignitaries, as they moved to thier destination, before the whole gang flew back up and assumed a normal escort flight formation.

Great. More useless ceremonial crap. If the Admiral and his Medic companion were not impressed by earlier pompous Dornalian displays of Shiny Military Toys, this little display was not going to lighten them up either. It must be meant for either the Clanners or Coredians; did we not convey to them that we hate this kind of shite? Such thoughts danced across both the military officers' minds. Fortunately, rather than boring their glares of doom into the nearest Dornalian, they ignored the display completely.

The Prime Minister did not particularly care for it either. "I hope they have vodka..."

The Elementals were a bit surprised by the display of the Dornalian Air Force, but Star Colonel Jaime wasn't to impressed. He eyed them, and he nodded to them in respect, placing his right fist over his left breast in salute to them, Clanner style. The Elementals copied said motion, although clumsily as they had a hard time moving about the rear compartment of the limo.

"Amateurs," Jaime muttered, but only audibly enough for Makaryk, Alexis, and the medic to hear. The Elementals scoffed in amusement at their commander's blatant, behind-the-back insult, and they soon began talking between themselves in Gaelic.

The next morning

"Why I should take you out to ski after your behavior yesterday is quite beyond my comprehension." Samuel's mother yanked the little brat outside.

"Mom, he left before I could say I'm sorry!" the eight-year-old kid whined back. The mother simply sighed as the two of them started to ski outside of town...

"Maybe you will see him today," Mom shot back. "If we do, you had better apologize, or you will be reimbursing me for the expenses of the trip. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mom." The kid sighed. Little did either one of them know how badly they did not want to run into one Bailey Kipper...
Little did they know that after the Fallen One has set up his humble abode, he set about waiting for his first prey. Still hidden with a Force glamour to hide his face, he waited for the mother and son to arrive. He will be kind and courteous, until it was time to reveal his true colors...

Little did they know that after the Fallen One has set up his humble abode, he set about waiting for his first prey. Still hidden with a Force glamour to hide his face, he waited for the mother and son to arrive. He will be kind and courteous, until it was time to reveal his true colors...

Ironic that the Fallen One's first prey consisted of the same child who yesterday had thrown the snowball at him. Young Samuel waved to the man, whom he did not recognize as Bailey Kipper, but did recognize as his victim yesterday. "I'm sorry for throwing snowballs at you yesterday," he shouted out, so that the man could hear across the blowing winds.

Ironic that the Fallen One's first prey consisted of the same child who yesterday had thrown the snowball at him. Young Samuel waved to the man, whom he did not recognize as Bailey Kipper, but did recognize as his victim yesterday. "I'm sorry for throwing snowballs at you yesterday," he shouted out, so that the man could hear across the blowing winds.
The Fallen One heard the kid's words. He smiled inwardly and shouted back. "You should learn to respect others, boy!"

His eyes flickered to the mother, then back to the kid. The mother, first. Then the kid.

The Fallen One heard the kid's words. He smiled inwardly and shouted back. "You should learn to respect others, boy!"

His eyes flickered to the mother, then back to the kid. The mother, first. Then the kid.

The kid waved back as the mother and child continued on their route, having no idea what was to befall them...

The route ahead carried a hidden danger: a Wampa Ice Creature, camouflaged on the snow and waiting for its prey. Bailey had used the Force to control the creature and now it lay in wait for the mother and the boy. When they came too close to the Wampa, it charged, attacking the mother with its huge paws and wicked claws.

Unfortunately for Bailey, Wampas were not an unknown hazard on Hoth...

In order to avoid getting sued off their asses, the Woodian resort companies with operations on Hoth warned all of their guests to be well armed when outside of the resort itself. Very well armed. In fact, some of the hospitality workers called these disclaimers the "Wampa Warning Guides" as they not only advised armament, but also advised to keep all such weapons on maximum power and to repeat fire until the tourist was absolutely sure the threat was removed, as wampas have a nasty habit of surviving single blaster shots and continuing to hunt. Moreover, said guides warned that melee weapons were extremely handy should the blaster power packs ever run out of charge.

The kid did not need to be told to run as the Wampa in question charged his mother. The mother rolled out of the path of the wampa, extracting a high-powered blaster in the process...the wampa managed a grazing swipe on her coat sleeve, but did not penetrate to her skin.

But wampas were quick. The mother knew she had not much time as the wampa overshot her. With her right hand, she fired her blaster, on maximum power, squeezing the trigger several times. With her left hand, she extracted some of the White Phosphorous Mace that she had bought as a precaution at the resort, her hand squeezing her backup tightly...

Even shot several times, the Wampa was forced beyond its usual nature to attack and kill the human woman, maddened by the shots it incurred. But even as it would soon die burning from human ingenuity, it was nothing but a distraction as Bailey appeared to arrive in time to save the day. The last vestiges of his Jedi heritage came to the fore as he appeared to reach out for the Wampa...but instead, he grinned wickedly as the mother suddenly found her chest tightening and collapsing inward. This time, Bailey poured ALL his hatred onto the poor woman, Crushing her until her blood ignited from the pressure...

As for the kid, something invisible smashed into his back as if a heavy bag had hit him...

Samuel was knocked down from some blunt force against his back, into the snow. His head faced the battle between his mother and the Wampa. Too injured to run away, he had no choice but to observe the mother's true fate.

He knew it was not the wampa that killed his mother as he heard the sickening sound of bones popping like popcorn. As the Fallen One closed his fist around the woman's life essence ever tighter, the boy saw his mother's blood boil off from a distance. He saw his mother's body implode from where he had been knocked down...and implosions did not happen because of White Phosphorous Mace detonating out of control, try as Bailey might to make it look like it.

The mother let out one last shriek of doom before her skull imploded and her brain came to a full boil until all that remained was organic ash. Her extremities crushed themselves and likewise boiled. The staccato sound of crushing bones continued to fill the air and seemed to echo off the wind. And the perpetrator was grinning like he was at the circus...

The boy shuddered at the raw power of Bailey Kipper. And the raw evil. The Fallen One had revealed himself, if only to the boy, by his utter malice.

When Bailey first Crushed Aidan, he was sickened by the raw power he had unleashed. He struggled with it, almost swearing it off. But then the Exile came, driving him deeper into Darkness. Now, now, he enjoyed it. He enjoyed the feeling of a wretched Woodian suffering by his hand. He enjoyed the amount of power the Dark Side gave him as his first prey was destroyed by its power. He was drunk, and he wanted more.

His eyes, sickly yellow, turned on the boy, whimpering and shaking with fear. With several large steps, he reached young Samuel and plucked him off the snow. He sneered at the brat. "You shouldn't have thrown that snowball, child. Now, I will teach you some respect."

He shoved the kid towards his mother's ashes and pointed to the black, ashen goop. "Bury your mother in the snow."

The kid might have been afraid for his life, but his conscience, hardened by witnessing these sorts of things at the age of six during the civil war, got the better of him. He could not bring himself to abide by such evil. Some vague notion of "war crimes" danced through his head.

The kid ran from the one whom he saw as Darth Ebolus Incarnate rather than comply with the order. Or at least tried to...

The long, strange journey of the Caravan of Fools was about to end. For it stopped at the Hollywood Hills Resort, a relatively isolated golf course and business retreat center nestled in a spot relatively isolated from prying eyes. In this case, however, it looked more like a fort than a country club. Pillboxes were set up, with machine gun posts and Kurosawa Powered Armor suits patrolling the grounds along with infantry patrols. Temporary SAM missile batteries, metal detectors, and barricades to keep unwanted guests out were in full force as well. A flagpole was set up, with the Dornalian, Coredian, and Woodian flags flown explicitly at equal heights.

The motorcade drove into the front gate, and the Naval Aviation planes peeled off, flying away to make a holding pattern around the resort. The motorcycles stopped, and then their riders dismounted, shouldering their rifles and opening the doors to their respectively assigned autos. The whole shebang was then greeted by another squad of Red Army, this time, with two Kurosawa suits and two equipped with bagpipes. Saluting the Premier as he left his limousine, he saluted them back and then said, "Comrade Captain. Please lead us to the meeting area, along with the Honor Guard."

The Captain saluted, as much as a Powered Armor warmech with a shoulder mounted railgun could. He then said, "Aye, Comrade Premier."

He then did an about-face, and then led the whole shebang inside to the waiting meeting area, with the whole train of Honor Guard in tow. Along the way, the sound of bagpipes could be heard again, the two pipers in the squad working their unique instruments and making them sing. This time, it was the Scottish "Regimental March," which thundered through the halls until they reached the Meeting Room, a large hall with a round table and several chairs set up. The music stopped, the Honor Guard then fanned out to the walls, assuming a ramrod straight stance, and the Powered Armor stood at the Doors.

MacIntyre then motioned to the chairs, saying, "Gentlemen, ladies, please sit down. Refreshments will be provided, as well as a meal."

MacIntyre then grew serious, dropping the otherwise friendly tone, once everyone had sat down.

"Now then. To the subject of this meeting."

He then turned on a TV and played a clip from the Rainn Theoride report, the one that caused so much controversy. After several minutes he shut it off.

MacIntyre then stood up, no, shot up, quivering with anger. He then angrily, but with some reserve, said, "Now, ladies, gentlemen. I want to ask one question."

"What the hell is going on here?!"

He then continued, "I need to know what the hell has suddenly turned my allies against one another. I need to know what the hell has suddenly forced the Workers and Peasants of this fine Workers State to play the favorites game in choosing who to support with their hard-earned tax dollars! I need to know what exactly was running through those minds of yours, when you decided to try and divide the war effort at this critical time!"

He then concluded, "And, here's something I do know--I'm going to do something about it. Because I will not brook this argument any longer. I will not play favorites over some hangups you boys and girls decided to foist on one another! I will not let the effort to stop the Black Crusade, which is occurring inside Coredian space as we speak, be divided because of cultural differences!"

He then turned to Junko, who then shook her head, whispering in his ear, "Calm down."

MacIntyre then said, turning back to the assembled, "So now, I need testimony. Because it's time for me to perform some marriage counseling.

I want the Coredians to go first. Then, I want the Woodians to go. If the Clans choose to testify, then they may. Then, we will begin working out a solution. And if anybody gets cold feet, we're locking the doors until something everybody can agree on gets worked out."

He nodded to one of the soldiers, who gave a thumbs up and approached the door, smiling evilly.

"On my signal, Comrade Sergeant!"

"Aye, Comrade Premier!"

He then said, turning to PM Elleayovski, "First though, I want to talk to you. In private."

"Running from your mother's grave?" Bailey asked as a Force wall appeared in front of Samuel. "How unlike a mother's son. Now, clean it up!"

"Running from your mother's grave?" Bailey asked as a Force wall appeared in front of Samuel. "How unlike a mother's son. Now, clean it up!"

Samuel ran straight into the Force Wall, as he was unable to see it, and the impact knocked him back.

Still defiant of Bailey's evil presence, he said flatly in a voice that he would never speak to his mother, "No. You murdered her, you bury her."

Samuel ran straight into the Force Wall, as he was unable to see it, and the impact knocked him back.

Still defiant of Bailey's evil presence, he said flatly in a voice that he would never speak to his mother, "No. You murdered her, you bury her."
The Fallen One breathed in sharply. "Ahh. Defiance from one so young. I suppose it wouldn't hurt for me to bury her."

With that, he Force-shoved some snow over the remains of the woman and then sent another blow at the boy to knock him out.

"Move, you shit!"

Linda slapped Mike again, to keep him moving. With a sigh, her whipped husband kept moving behind her, clumsily shifting the cross-country skis back and forth on the snow.

"Humph! They had better conditions at Mammoth! I'm going to complain to those worthless fucks at the Customer Service counter. See how they treat me. Can't get decent service from a Woodian. No siree! Fucking cunts!"

Linda De La Tour Jensen, scion of the Jensen family, maker of Dornalian guns, cursed the attendants who had advertised good trails and beautiful vistas on the catalog. Now, she found herself trudging through the seemingly endless tundra, spitting on the ground and watching it freeze and cursing with enough force to make the air shake with her Valley Girl accent.

"Keep. UP!"

Mike sighed, and struggled to keep going. The man never had a single hour of cross country skiing under his belt, and he barely had time to attend a class given by an instructor. Now he was paying the price, following his pushy and overbearing wife over the snows of some godforsaken world. Was the Jensen arms fortune really worth this?!

Then, Linda spotted something. An altercation of some sort. Normally, most people would go away, and just leave well enough alone. But, the Jensen sisters had a problem with extreme curiosity.....

She then said, "Oh my God! Honey, there's people fighting down there! We have to take a look!"

Mike then said, "Um, I don't know...."

Linda then yelled at him, saying, "You don't get your little ass down there, and you don't get any tonight! You hear me! I own your ass!"

She then bashed him with a fist, and then he got up, saying, "Okay, okay..."

They then walked down towards the site below. Nestling up behind a nearby snowbank, they watched the events unfold....

The long, strange journey of the Caravan of Fools was about to end. For it stopped at the Hollywood Hills Resort, a relatively isolated golf course and business retreat center nestled in a spot relatively isolated from prying eyes. In this case, however, it looked more like a fort than a country club. Pillboxes were set up, with machine gun posts and Kurosawa Powered Armor suits patrolling the grounds along with infantry patrols. Temporary SAM missile batteries, metal detectors, and barricades to keep unwanted guests out were in full force as well. A flagpole was set up, with the Dornalian, Coredian, and Woodian flags flown explicitly at equal heights.

The motorcade drove into the front gate, and the Naval Aviation planes peeled off, flying away to make a holding pattern around the resort. The motorcycles stopped, and then their riders dismounted, shouldering their rifles and opening the doors to their respectively assigned autos. The whole shebang was then greeted by another squad of Red Army, this time, with two Kurosawa suits and two equipped with bagpipes. Saluting the Premier as he left his limousine, he saluted them back and then said, "Comrade Captain. Please lead us to the meeting area, along with the Honor Guard."

The Captain saluted, as much as a Powered Armor warmech with a shoulder mounted railgun could. He then said, "Aye, Comrade Premier."

He then did an about-face, and then led the whole shebang inside to the waiting meeting area, with the whole train of Honor Guard in tow. Along the way, the sound of bagpipes could be heard again, the two pipers in the squad working their unique instruments and making them sing. This time, it was the Scottish "Regimental March," which thundered through the halls until they reached the Meeting Room, a large hall with a round table and several chairs set up. The music stopped, the Honor Guard then fanned out to the walls, assuming a ramrod straight stance, and the Powered Armor stood at the Doors.

MacIntyre then motioned to the chairs, saying, "Gentlemen, ladies, please sit down. Refreshments will be provided, as well as a meal."

MacIntyre then grew serious, dropping the otherwise friendly tone, once everyone had sat down.

"Now then. To the subject of this meeting."

He then turned on a TV and played a clip from the Rainn Theoride report, the one that caused so much controversy. After several minutes he shut it off.

MacIntyre then stood up, no, shot up, quivering with anger. He then angrily, but with some reserve, said, "Now, ladies, gentlemen. I want to ask one question."

"What the hell is going on here?!"

He then continued, "I need to know what the hell has suddenly turned my allies against one another. I need to know what the hell has suddenly forced the Workers and Peasants of this fine Workers State to play the favorites game in choosing who to support with their hard-earned tax dollars! I need to know what exactly was running through those minds of yours, when you decided to try and divide the war effort at this critical time!"

He then concluded, "And, here's something I do know--I'm going to do something about it. Because I will not brook this argument any longer. I will not play favorites over some hangups you boys and girls decided to foist on one another! I will not let the effort to stop the Black Crusade, which is occurring inside Coredian space as we speak, be divided because of cultural differences!"

He then turned to Junko, who then shook her head, whispering in his ear, "Calm down."

MacIntyre then said, turning back to the assembled, "So now, I need testimony. Because it's time for me to perform some marriage counseling.

I want the Coredians to go first. Then, I want the Woodians to go. If the Clans choose to testify, then they may. Then, we will begin working out a solution. And if anybody gets cold feet, we're locking the doors until something everybody can agree on gets worked out."

He nodded to one of the soldiers, who gave a thumbs up and approached the door, smiling evilly.

"On my signal, Comrade Sergeant!"

"Aye, Comrade Premier!"

He then said, turning to PM Elleayovski, "First though, I want to talk to you. In private."

Admiral Makaryk and the Medic both rolled their eyes at the display. It was very clear that the Dornalians intended to blame the Woodians for everything. Including for MacIntyre's apparent drunkenness. Apparently, the Coredians could murder all three Woodian delegates present, and the New Dornalians would think it just fine. Therefore, they braced themselves for about twenty-six hours of lectures on how evil they are, and how they are obstructing the Revolution...all while not looking like they were bracing themselves for about twenty-six hours of lectures on how evil they are, and how they are obstructing the Revolution.

Prime Minister Elleayovskii, meanwhile, simply watched Rainn's Rant replayed on the Dornalian tape. She had seen it before. Unfortunately, though (fortunately for Coredia) most Woodians had already been too worked up over the incident to notice, she also bore a transcript of the Caligula Planetary Governor's inflammatory comments (OOC: somewhere on the first page of this thread) that Bailey was a hero. Over which she planned to lodge a protest. Rainn Thoreide had just received more...public notice.

Alexis heard MacIntyre whispering in her ear. She quietly nodded her assent to such a private meeting...

The Fallen One breathed in sharply. "Ahh. Defiance from one so young. I suppose it wouldn't hurt for me to bury her."

With that, he Force-shoved some snow over the remains of the woman and then sent another blow at the boy to knock him out.

The boy fell into the snow, unconscious after a single punch that knocked him over. Bailey's punch was enough to cause Samuel to bleed from the head, not that he was aware enough to care. Bailey had shut the kid's mouth, all right. Until the kid woke up, anyway...

The boy fell into the snow, unconscious after a single punch that knocked him over. Bailey's punch was enough to cause Samuel to bleed from the head, not that he was aware enough to care. Bailey had shut the kid's mouth, all right. Until the kid woke up, anyway...
Bailey didn't want to murder the kid. Not yet, anyway. He wanted to have a little fun, first. As soon as the two of them reached the cave, he'll be healed.

Suddenly, there was a presence on the next snowdrift over. Bailey snorted in anger. I wasted enough time now with the brat! Now I'll have to deal with two more!

He disappeared from view, and the next thing the Dornalians knew, there was a shadow in their presence. A terrible shadow, with malice in his eyes.

Prime Minister Elleayovskii, meanwhile, simply watched Rainn's Rant replayed on the Dornalian tape. She had seen it before. Unfortunately, though (fortunately for Coredia) most Woodians had already been too worked up over the incident to notice, she also bore a transcript of the Caligula Planetary Governor's inflammatory comments (OOC: somewhere on the first page of this thread) that Bailey was a hero. Over which she planned to lodge a protest. Rainn Thoreide had just received more...public notice.

Alexis heard MacIntyre whispering in her ear. She quietly nodded her assent to such a private meeting...

MacIntyre then calmly took her outside of the room, and then motioned for the Comrade Sergeant to lock the doors as they left; he did so promptly. Leading her into a small locker room, he then became much more friendly, and even frank.

"Prime Minister Elleayovski. I do have to apologize somewhat for the attitude in the room. But you must understand my displeasure. That, however, is not why I have taken you aside for the moment."

He then sighed and said, "I have some concerns about those men you brought to the conference. The Admiral and his Major friend."

He then stopped to buy a sports drink, before continuing and pacing about, "I don't like their attitude. Especially towards Lowbacca. I know something happened to make them feel that way."

He then said, turning to her and looking her in the eye: "But, I want a resolution to this conference that will be satisfactory for both sides. That will provide some ground work for better things in the future. However, I will be blunt. I don't think that's going to happen with them in the room. Especially with what I hear about the fighting prowess of your Officers. I have it on authority, and basic observations, that your men are some of the best fighters we've seen. We don't want their aggression spilling into this conference."

Bailey didn't want to murder the kid. Not yet, anyway. He wanted to have a little fun, first. As soon as the two of them reached the cave, he'll be healed.

Suddenly, there was a presence on the next snowdrift over. Bailey snorted in anger. I wasted enough time now with the brat! Now I'll have to deal with two more!

He disappeared from view, and the next thing the Dornalians knew, there was a shadow in their presence. A terrible shadow, with malice in his eyes.

Linda then turned around. Gasping in horror, she then scooted back and said, in Valley Girl speak, "Oh. My. God!" She shrieked, scared to death at what was going to happen next. She then said, panicked, "You....you attacked a child! Why....why would you hurt a child, you sick fuck?!"

Mike, meanwhile, then said, "Screw this! I'm fucking leaving!" He then began to clumsily try to escape....however, Linda grabbed his coat and caused him to trip, saying, "Say something you dipshit! Protect me! You're the man!"

Mike then stood up. Quivering, he then said, summoning some false bravado, "Now look here! Where I come from, we don't hurt children! Um, yeah! So you better fix him up and apologize, mister!"

"Oh, I didn't hurt him...much. He was being a brat, so I just shut him up." The Fallen One replied mirthfully. "Now. I would like to...invite you two to my humble abode. The cookies should be done around this time."

Bailey was clearly in the mood for jokes.

MacIntyre then calmly took her outside of the room, and then motioned for the Comrade Sergeant to lock the doors as they left; he did so promptly. Leading her into a small locker room, he then became much more friendly, and even frank.

"Prime Minister Elleayovski. I do have to apologize somewhat for the attitude in the room. But you must understand my displeasure. That, however, is not why I have taken you aside for the moment."

He then sighed and said, "I have some concerns about those men you brought to the conference. The Admiral and his Major friend."

He then stopped to buy a sports drink, before continuing and pacing about, "I don't like their attitude. Especially towards Lowbacca. I know something happened to make them feel that way."

He then said, turning to her and looking her in the eye: "But, I want a resolution to this conference that will be satisfactory for both sides. That will provide some ground work for better things in the future. However, I will be blunt. I don't think that's going to happen with them in the room. Especially with what I hear about the fighting prowess of your Officers. I have it on authority, and basic observations, that your men are some of the best fighters we've seen. We don't want their aggression spilling into this conference."

The Prime Minister nodded. "Frankly, they object to Lowbacca's presence because they believe that Lowbacca did not adequately address the gravity of what happened, and when they attempted redress, it was denied them. Because Lowbacca protected Bailey from the Woodian outrage, they view him as the face of the Council's decision to Exile him. Unfortunately, Woodians very much look upon the Exile as nothing more than an attempt of absolution from responsibility of his deeds, 'washing the blood from the hands,' so to speak. There is widespread concern that Bailey Kipper will commit more Atrocious Acts. Pretty much our entire nation already regards Bailey as Fallen, and by Exiling, rather than incarcerating, Bailey, Coredia has turned him loose upon us."

She sighed. "It is for this reason that I must regrettably mention that Lowbacca's presence will cost between fifteen and twenty-five votes for ratification in Parliament. Whatever agreement comes out of this, Lowbacca's signature effectively torpedoes it as the vote will almost certainly fail to pass the required two-thirds, sixty-seven out of a hundred votes required to ratify an agreement that overturns existing law. Were all such controversial parties to leave the talks, the chances of an agreement that could actually be ratified would much improve."

The Prime Minister nodded. "Frankly, they object to Lowbacca's presence because they believe that Lowbacca did not adequately address the gravity of what happened, and when they attempted redress, it was denied them. Because Lowbacca protected Bailey from the Woodian outrage, they view him as the face of the Council's decision to Exile him. Unfortunately, Woodians very much look upon the Exile as nothing more than an attempt of absolution from responsibility of his deeds, 'washing the blood from the hands,' so to speak. There is widespread concern that Bailey Kipper will commit more Atrocious Acts. Pretty much our entire nation already regards Bailey as Fallen, and by Exiling, rather than incarcerating, Bailey, Coredia has turned him loose upon us."

She sighed. "It is for this reason that I must regrettably mention that Lowbacca's presence will cost between fifteen and twenty-five votes for ratification in Parliament. Whatever agreement comes out of this, Lowbacca's signature effectively torpedoes it as the vote will almost certainly fail to pass the required two-thirds, sixty-seven out of a hundred votes required to ratify an agreement that overturns existing law. Were all such controversial parties to leave the talks, the chances of an agreement that could actually be ratified would much improve."

MacIntyre sipped his sports drink, and then said, sighing "Jesus Christ. I don't like the sound of this. Makes my problems with those damn People's Congressmen and funding the Mao Zedong Mark IV seem like child's play. I know if one of my Acolytes did that, I'd have Internal Security and the Acolytes hunt the bastard like a dog. Give him the old Enemy of the People moniker, like they used to do before I got there."

He then got up, and stretched out. He then turned and replied to Elleayovski, "I don't have any other choice. You've got my balls in a vise."

He then facepalmed and said, "I mean, I wanted Lowbacca in on this. His input about the situation would have been worthwhile. But, I guess we have to kick out all of the nasties."

He then faced Elleayovski and then said, "I'll do it, only because I want these meetings to mean something. I've had worthless meetings before. Not cool. From this moment forth, both sides are no longer welcome."

He then smiled and said, "You wanna break the news to the assembled, or should I? I don't imagine your men like me much, what with all the ceremony. They may listen to you better."

MacIntyre sipped his sports drink, and then said, sighing "Jesus Christ. I don't like the sound of this. Makes my problems with those damn People's Congressmen and funding the Mao Zedong Mark IV seem like child's play. I know if one of my Acolytes did that, I'd have Internal Security and the Acolytes hunt the bastard like a dog. Give him the old Enemy of the People moniker, like they used to do before I got there."

He then got up, and stretched out. He then turned and replied to Elleayovski, "I don't have any other choice. You've got my balls in a vise."

He then facepalmed and said, "I mean, I wanted Lowbacca in on this. His input about the situation would have been worthwhile. But, I guess we have to kick out all of the nasties."

He then faced Elleayovski and then said, "I'll do it, only because I want these meetings to mean something. I've had worthless meetings before. Not cool. From this moment forth, both sides are no longer welcome."

He then smiled and said, "You wanna break the news to the assembled, or should I? I don't imagine your men like me much, what with all the ceremony. They may listen to you better."

"It would be worse if I broke the news to Lowbacca. You are the neutral party here...and if I have to enforce your order...I will." Her voice carried an icy tone, obviously in reference to the two military men, not MacIntyre.

"Oh, I didn't hurt him...much. He was being a brat, so I just shut him up." The Fallen One replied mirthfully. "Now. I would like to...invite you two to my humble abode. The cookies should be done around this time."

Bailey was clearly in the mood for jokes.

Mike then nervously turned to Linda, looking for a reply like he usually did. Linda got up, and then simply replied, "Well don't just stand there, you wuss!"

Mike sighed, before saying "Well, I dunno....this guy has cookies. And I don't wanna ski anymore."

Linda then said, taking him aside, "But he hurts children! Not. Cool!"

Mike then replied, holding his hands up frantically, "But honey, he has cookies. And you know how we both like sweet things...."

Linda then sighed. She then said, whispering to him and then getting loud near the end--a favorite guilting tactic of hers--"Jesus, you're like a fucking kid. Fine. We'll follow Mr. Child Abuser into his Abuse Cave, for FUCKING ABUSE COOKIES! But after four, we're done."

She then turned and smiled at Bailey, saying, "We'll be happy to come over!"

She then muttered, covering her mouth and turning away from Bailey, "*COUGH*Mr. Child Abuser*Cough*"

"It would be worse if I broke the news to Lowbacca. You are the neutral party here...and if I have to enforce your order...I will." Her voice carried an icy tone, obviously in reference to the two military men, not MacIntyre.

MacIntyre then got up, holding a nervous grin, and then said, "Good idea. I'll tell them."

He then led the PM back into the conference room, the Comrade Sergeant locking the door behind them. He then remained standing and said, "I've come to a decision."

He then coughed, and then spoke.

"It is difficult for me to say this. But, I will be frank. Prime Minister Elleayovskii and I have concerns about the presence of both Admiral Makaryk, the Major, and Lowbacca. She notes that, simply put, any document with Lowbacca's signature on it will not get passed by the Parliament of EWT. Not a good thing for this conference, and a conclusion I must agree with if this conference is to succeed.

Also, I have concerns about the Woodian military men aforementioned. if this conference is to succeed, then a spirit of compromise and some sort of goodwill must be attained. I do not believe this is possible with the Woodian military involved. Especially, given their obstinate yet perfectly understandable hatred of Lowbacca and their legendary reputation for aggressiveness. Aggression may work on the battlefield, but here, no dice.

Therefore I will have to ask both sides, Admiral Makaryk and his Major, and Lowbacca, to kindly exit the room with a minimum of bloodshed and with all due speed."

He then motioned for the Comrade Sergeant to unlock the door.

"Thank you."

MacIntyre then got up, holding a nervous grin, and then said, "Good idea. I'll tell them."

He then led the PM back into the conference room, the Comrade Sergeant locking the door behind them. He then remained standing and said, "I've come to a decision."

He then coughed, and then spoke.

"It is difficult for me to say this. But, I will be frank. Prime Minister Elleayovskii and I have concerns about the presence of both Admiral Makaryk, the Major, and Lowbacca. She notes that, simply put, any document with Lowbacca's signature on it will not get passed by the Parliament of EWT. Not a good thing for this conference, and a conclusion I must agree with if this conference is to succeed.

Also, I have concerns about the Woodian military men aforementioned. if this conference is to succeed, then a spirit of compromise and some sort of goodwill must be attained. I do not believe this is possible with the Woodian military involved. Especially, given their obstinate yet perfectly understandable hatred of Lowbacca and their legendary reputation for aggressiveness. Aggression may work on the battlefield, but here, no dice.

Therefore I will have to ask both sides, Admiral Makaryk and his Major, and Lowbacca, to kindly exit the room with a minimum of bloodshed and with all due speed."

He then motioned for the Comrade Sergeant to unlock the door.

"Thank you."

The Medic and the Admiral were both more than glad to rid themselves of Lowbacca's presence. As they got up to leave, with due speed, the Admiral asked, a serious tone actually in his voice, his eyebrow raised, "Where is this Battlefield that you speak of?"

The Medic and the Admiral were both more than glad to rid themselves of Lowbacca's presence. As they got up to leave, with due speed, the Admiral asked, a serious tone actually in his voice, his eyebrow raised, "Where is this Battlefield that you speak of?"

MacIntyre then said, smiling, "You can go help fight against the Black Crusade. My intelligence is somewhat hazy, but we believe fighting is going on around Jurai in an all out struggle for supremacy."

He then concluded, "You fight there, and I may even buy you a drink, as well as help you fellows out with some of our stuff."

Mike then nervously turned to Linda, looking for a reply like he usually did. Linda got up, and then simply replied, "Well don't just stand there, you wuss!"

Mike sighed, before saying "Well, I dunno....this guy has cookies. And I don't wanna ski anymore."

Linda then said, taking him aside, "But he hurts children! Not. Cool!"

Mike then replied, holding his hands up frantically, "But honey, he has cookies. And you know how we both like sweet things...."

Linda then sighed. She then said, whispering to him and then getting loud near the end--a favorite guilting tactic of hers--"Jesus, you're like a fucking kid. Fine. We'll follow Mr. Child Abuser into his Abuse Cave, for FUCKING ABUSE COOKIES! But after four, we're done."

She then turned and smiled at Bailey, saying, "We'll be happy to come over!"

She then muttered, covering her mouth and turning away from Bailey, "*COUGH*Mr. Child Abuser*Cough*"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Bailey hissed. "Now come."

He poked the two with the Force, and then they went down to pick up the boy. After that, they eventually made their way for Bailey's cave, where they would begin the suffering...

=====

Lowbacca sighed. "<I understand. If my presence is a detriment to this conference, then by all means, I shall step aside. Perhaps I shall tour this city in the meantime.>"

With that, he stepped aside and left the room, asking for a tour guide at the same time.

MacIntyre then said, smiling, "You can go help fight against the Black Crusade. My intelligence is somewhat hazy, but we believe fighting is going on around Jurai in an all out struggle for supremacy."

He then concluded, "You fight there, and I may even buy you a drink, as well as help you fellows out with some of our stuff."

"Aff." Admiral Makaryk nodded as he yanked the lingering Medic out of the room. "We will stop by Caligula to scoop up the fleet and then observe and join in the fighting at Jurai. Must have been what we were waiting for, and what this little incident diverted us from."

The two had scarcely left the building when they vanished into thin air. Or so it would seem...the Immortal Star Destroyer in orbit received the two. A few minutes later, it was in hyperspace, enroute to Caligula...

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Bailey hissed. "Now come."

He poked the two with the Force, and then they went down to pick up the boy. After that, they eventually made their way for Bailey's cave, where they would begin the suffering...

=====

Lowbacca sighed. "<I understand. If my presence is a detriment to this conference, then by all means, I shall step aside. Perhaps I shall tour this city in the meantime.>"

With that, he stepped aside and left the room, asking for a tour guide at the same time.


Linda stuck her tongue at the man, and then turned to Mike when he was about to whimper, going, "You wanted those abuse cookies!"

They then followed into the trap....

-------------------------------------

MacIntyre smirked, replying, "No problem. May as well make the most of it."

He then called the resort staff, and then said, "Hi. This is the Premier. Yes, I need someone to show a guest around the city for a bit. Yes, its important. Thank you. Buh-bye."

Several moments later, a kindly tour guide then appeared. A gentegata, one of those Dornalian catgirls, she was somewhat short, with the classic ears and prehensile tail. She arrived with a briefcase, a packet of papers, some car keys and a uniform that consisted of a polo shirt and some golfing shorts. The woman then saluted and said, "Hello! I am Marianela. I will be escorting you around the city on a Guided Tour..."

She then flipped through her packet as she said, "...Mr...."

MacIntyre then said, "Lowbacca."

Marianela then replied, "Ah! Lowbacca! My sister mentioned you, she's in the People's Acolytes....anyway enough hero worship! Let's go!"

She then led the Wookiee to a waiting open topped minibus, skipping brightly along the way. She then motioned for him to go in, apologizing for its relatively empty interior, saying, "Well, not many customers here with the guns around, si?"

She then lept into the seat next to Lowbacca's, and then the bus began speeding away, the radio broadcasting the latest Top 40 hits...

Jaime and the Elementals merely kept to themselves, listening from their vantage point at the other end of the table. They understood the circumstances as to why Lowbacca and the Woodians were being separated. Hell, they did plan to explain the situation, as they, too, were a neutral party in the whole debacle. Still, they kept quiet until they had their chance to speak.

Jaime and the Elementals merely kept to themselves, listening from their vantage point at the other end of the table. They understood the circumstances as to why Lowbacca and the Woodians were being separated. Hell, they did plan to explain the situation, as they, too, were a neutral party in the whole debacle. Still, they kept quiet until they had their chance to speak.

MacIntyre then turned to the audience left in the room, and then had the Comrade Sergeant lock the door. He then said, "Right. Now, let's get started. Refreshments will be served, as I have stated before. These include a variety of drinks, and something Junko suggested....what was it?"

Junko replied, "Churrasco. Traditional Brazilian Churrasco. Figured I may as well feed our guests with something tasty, no?"

MacIntyre then pointed to a rolling cart full of a variety of drinks. There was whiskey, vodka, brandy, coca-cola, water, whatever one needed, they would find no want of items to quench their thirst. Also, joining them would be the smell of cooking steaks, pork tenderloins, and chicken, plus traditional Brazilian sausages, and all the accompanying sea salt, garlic and marinades thereof....all delivered on rolling carts.

He then said, "Now then. Let's get your refreshments, and then the Coredians start first. So, let's begin, shall we?"

OOC: I know CW may be out for a bit, but just wanted to get the framework going.

Credit goes to these sites for the Churrasco bit:

http://www.maria-brazil.org/brazilian_barbecue.htm

http://bbq.about.com/od/regionalandethniccooking/a/aa061299.htm

The Elementals eagerly eyed the food, although they kept their composure. Still, Jaime could see the hunger in their eyes, and he nodded to them as they looked to him like dogs begging for table scraps. They both grinned, and they quickly, but politely, requested that they be given plates topped off with meat. Jaime, however, politely requested a bottle of pinot and a chilled wine glass, as well as a plate with one skewer per type of meat.

The Elementals eagerly eyed the food, although they kept their composure. Still, Jaime could see the hunger in their eyes, and he nodded to them as they looked to him like dogs begging for table scraps. They both grinned, and they quickly, but politely, requested that they be given plates topped off with meat. Jaime, however, politely requested a bottle of pinot and a chilled wine glass, as well as a plate with one skewer per type of meat.

The servants nodded, and before long delivered their order, presenting Jaime with the plate and skewers as well as the wine, a fine Napa Valley vintage. It was clear the country club had rolled out its finest china for this job; not that the Woodians or Elementals would care.

((C'mon guys, let's get this thread moving, eh? I wanna start pwning people for money now!))

((C'mon guys, let's get this thread moving, eh? I wanna start pwning people for money now!))

(OOC: I am trying to hurry up the Somalia Trial of Position so I can insert a certain character in this RP. Hence the wait.;) )

OOC: Now that the Somalia RP is done, the character freed, time to finish this one up, methinks. I claim thread necro rights as the OP. :D

-----------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere on White Diamond V
Time: Concurrent with the Terra Summit

Jedi Knight Keith Allaire suddenly noticed the niggling bad feeling he had had for the last hour get far worse, as he wrapped up his geology-related "homework" on the surface of White Diamond's fifth moon. He had been here for a survey, as he was studying at the University of White Diamond to become a geologist, and it was important enough, or so he thought, that it not be interrupted by "bad feelings" unless they were about something specific and imminent. However, as he released his concentration from his geology studies, that bad feeling grew into all-too-sharp focus, and he realized that he had made a mistake in ignoring it, though he was not too sure what he could do about it anyway. He could pull some degree of rank in the Woodian military, for he was a Colonel there, but in the Jedi Order, he had very little rank to pull. He was one Knight amongst thousands, and even if he was a well-respected one, he had only attained Knighthood less than a year ago.

Those considerations were relevant, for whatever he sensed, it was a dispute between the Woodian military and the Jedi. Oh, great. He sighed, which fogged up the breathing mask in the comparatively light Elemental suit (well, compared to what the Clans were used to, anyway) that he used. He also sensed a large degree of anger emanating from the planet below him. What exactly have the Jedi done to piss us off? He shook his head as he headed back to his ship, which contained a Holoprojector.

Upon turning it on, he watched the news. He watched what had happened on Caligula. And he learned just how quickly the Jedi Council had reached its decision on Bailey's Exile; even without the transcripts, it was obvious that the meeting had been in great haste, and the timestamp was all over the Council's public announcement. Unfortunately for the Jedi Council, the Woodian media was airing a timeline of events by now, that put the time between the Force Crush, the time between the second duel where Bailey recused himself, the time between the start of the Jedi Council meeting (it had to have started after Admiral Makaryk left the present Councilors to themselves), and the time of the Council's announcement.

"The Council did WHAT!?" Keith squawked. "Yes, I know that Exile is traditional punishment, but that is only after making sure he will not pose a threat to innocents! And the timeline leaves NO time for any mental evaluation!" Colonel Allaire found himself taking deep breaths. No wonder the Woodians were so pissed. Had Colonel Allaire been groundside, he probably would have made his way through the Coredian Embassy Protesters to deliver their message straight to the Coredian Ambassador there. The Parliament's response was harsh, to be sure; he would be allowed in Evil Woody Thoughts only on account of him being a Woodian Citizen, and he knew that. Of course the Order could reasonably be expected to be unhappy about it, but then again, what had they let go free? What had they unleashed?

Even more concerning was the Jedi Order's penchant for covering up mistakes. It was not a new tendency, Keith knew it had gone back to the days of the Old Republic, but it bothered him as a Woodian officer ingrained with the notion of personal responsibility and seeking surkai, penance, from those whom he had personally wronged. And it would not sit well with the Woodians. Even more disconcerting, he could not find his Master's telepathic signature in the Force, which no doubt meant he had withdrawn in disgust.

He knew what he must do. With Master Whitfield's whereabouts unknown, he was probably in the best position to try to mediate a settlement, even though he did not like the thought. That, and the Woodians, he knew, would expect an apology and for Bailey to be returned to custody, if only to make sure he wasn't going to murder anyone else, which he probably already had. There was a summit already underway on Terra, but Keith scowled at the list of dignitaries. People with little or no political room for compromise...on both sides.

He headed for the surface, destination: Coredian Embassy to Evil Woody Thoughts. He intended to try to speak with the Coredian Ambassador...if he had not been recalled back home by now.

-----------------------------------------------

MacIntyre then turned to the audience left in the room, and then had the Comrade Sergeant lock the door. He then said, "Right. Now, let's get started. Refreshments will be served, as I have stated before. These include a variety of drinks, and something Junko suggested....what was it?"

Junko replied, "Churrasco. Traditional Brazilian Churrasco. Figured I may as well feed our guests with something tasty, no?"

MacIntyre then pointed to a rolling cart full of a variety of drinks. There was whiskey, vodka, brandy, coca-cola, water, whatever one needed, they would find no want of items to quench their thirst. Also, joining them would be the smell of cooking steaks, pork tenderloins, and chicken, plus traditional Brazilian sausages, and all the accompanying sea salt, garlic and marinades thereof....all delivered on rolling carts.

He then said, "Now then. Let's get your refreshments, and then the Coredians start first. So, let's begin, shall we?"

"Yes, let us begin." Prime Minister Elleayovskii took a swig of vodka before trying some of those Brazillian sausages. "Time is short when the only thing separating Parliament from the electorate is the marble wall."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Bailey hissed. "Now come."

He poked the two with the Force, and then they went down to pick up the boy. After that, they eventually made their way for Bailey's cave, where they would begin the suffering...

Samuel wasn't really given the choice in the matter, as the Sith had to literally drag him along. He was a bit...uncooperative along the trip to the cave. No matter; that simply meant no suffering for him.

About two-thirds of the way there, the party happened upon more cross-country skiiers. "Call for help!" Samuel yelled at the top of his lungs. "The Sith is here!" Whereupon one of the skiiers immediately got out a Holophone and called 911...

Yes, the Woodian resorts had actually developed Hoth enough for it to have the trappings of mini-civilization. Enough to disgust Bailey, to be sure.

OOC: Now that the Somalia RP is done, the character freed, time to finish this one up, methinks. I claim thread necro rights as the OP. :D

-----------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere on White Diamond V
Time: Concurrent with the Terra Summit

Jedi Knight Keith Allaire suddenly noticed the niggling bad feeling he had had for the last hour get far worse, as he wrapped up his geology-related "homework" on the surface of White Diamond's fifth moon. He had been here for a survey, as he was studying at the University of White Diamond to become a geologist, and it was important enough, or so he thought, that it not be interrupted by "bad feelings" unless they were about something specific and imminent. However, as he released his concentration from his geology studies, that bad feeling grew into all-too-sharp focus, and he realized that he had made a mistake in ignoring it, though he was not too sure what he could do about it anyway. He could pull some degree of rank in the Woodian military, for he was a Colonel there, but in the Jedi Order, he had very little rank to pull. He was one Knight amongst thousands, and even if he was a well-respected one, he had only attained Knighthood less than a year ago.

Those considerations were relevant, for whatever he sensed, it was a dispute between the Woodian military and the Jedi. Oh, great. He sighed, which fogged up the breathing mask in the comparatively light Elemental suit (well, compared to what the Clans were used to, anyway) that he used. He also sensed a large degree of anger emanating from the planet below him. What exactly have the Jedi done to piss us off? He shook his head as he headed back to his ship, which contained a Holoprojector.

Upon turning it on, he watched the news. He watched what had happened on Caligula. And he learned just how quickly the Jedi Council had reached its decision on Bailey's Exile; even without the transcripts, it was obvious that the meeting had been in great haste, and the timestamp was all over the Council's public announcement. Unfortunately for the Jedi Council, the Woodian media was airing a timeline of events by now, that put the time between the Force Crush, the time between the second duel where Bailey recused himself, the time between the start of the Jedi Council meeting (it had to have started after Admiral Makaryk left the present Councilors to themselves), and the time of the Council's announcement.

"The Council did WHAT!?" Keith squawked. "Yes, I know that Exile is traditional punishment, but that is only after making sure he will not pose a threat to innocents! And the timeline leaves NO time for any mental evaluation!" Colonel Allaire found himself taking deep breaths. No wonder the Woodians were so pissed. Had Colonel Allaire been groundside, he probably would have made his way through the Coredian Embassy Protesters to deliver their message straight to the Coredian Ambassador there. The Parliament's response was harsh, to be sure; he would be allowed in Evil Woody Thoughts only on account of him being a Woodian Citizen, and he knew that. Of course the Order could reasonably be expected to be unhappy about it, but then again, what had they let go free? What had they unleashed?

Even more concerning was the Jedi Order's penchant for covering up mistakes. It was not a new tendency, Keith knew it had gone back to the days of the Old Republic, but it bothered him as a Woodian officer ingrained with the notion of personal responsibility and seeking surkai, penance, from those whom he had personally wronged. And it would not sit well with the Woodians. Even more disconcerting, he could not find his Master's telepathic signature in the Force, which no doubt meant he had withdrawn in disgust.

He knew what he must do. With Master Whitfield's whereabouts unknown, he was probably in the best position to try to mediate a settlement, even though he did not like the thought. That, and the Woodians, he knew, would expect an apology and for Bailey to be returned to custody, if only to make sure he wasn't going to murder anyone else, which he probably already had. There was a summit already underway on Terra, but Keith scowled at the list of dignitaries. People with little or no political room for compromise...on both sides.

He headed for the surface, destination: Coredian Embassy to Evil Woody Thoughts. He intended to try to speak with the Coredian Ambassador...if he had not been recalled back home by now.
Fortunately for the Colonel, the Coredian Ambassador, one Jacques Versailles, was still residing in the Coredian Embassy, although he had to obey Master Elendil's orders on recalling all Force-sensitive personnel, which would make his job a bit harder.

Well, as if his job wasn't hard enough already trying to soothe angry Woodians.

"Ambassador. There's a Colonel Allaire on the line. He says he wants a meeting with you, sir." His secretary announced, peeking through the Kashyyyk-bought wooden doors. "Do you want to take it?"

Jacques sighed. He really did want someone to explain to him why the Woodians are so enraged at the Coredians (aside from what the news pundits were saying, that is. He didn't trust them...much.). As far as he cared, Force-users were Force-users and the use of their powers are only as good or bad as the user themselves.

Now if only someone among the Woodians would come along and explain themselves...

-----------------------------------------------

"Yes, let us begin." Prime Minister Elleayovskii took a swig of vodka before trying some of those Brazillian sausages. "Time is short when the only thing separating Parliament from the electorate is the marble wall."
"Yes, let's. We are deeply concerned about the disproportionate outburst that your nation has produced and as you can imagine, it has left our people literally scratching our heads." The Coredian representative noted. "We, of course, are sorry that Darth Ebolus has cut you so deeply that it should happen, but we just cannot understand the outburst. Even Darth Nightshade, -the sister of Daniel Masaki if you don't know already - for all of her evil and disgusting practices of enslaving her own people -and yes, reports of her and her husband employing liberal doses of Force Crush is available for those who wish to see them- has never caused such outrage."


Samuel wasn't really given the choice in the matter, as the Sith had to literally drag him along. He was a bit...uncooperative along the trip to the cave. No matter; that simply meant no suffering for him.

About two-thirds of the way there, the party happened upon more cross-country skiiers. "Call for help!" Samuel yelled at the top of his lungs. "The Sith is here!" Whereupon one of the skiiers immediately got out a Holophone and called 911...

Yes, the Woodian resorts had actually developed Hoth enough for it to have the trappings of mini-civilization. Enough to disgust Bailey, to be sure.
Disgusted at the interruption, The Dark One reached out and Crushed the holophone, along with the hand before the cross-country skiier could do much more than dial the numbers. He then sensed that there was large lake under the skiiers and decided to make them to 'drop in' so to speak. Using the Force to probe the snow and ice under their feets, he sought cracks and crannies within the ice so as to decide on the best method for destroying their footholds without causing trouble for himself and his 'charges'. Once he discovered the best place to do so, he unleashed the Force, and the ice and snow literally exploded under the skiiers' feet...

Fortunately for the Colonel, the Coredian Ambassador, one Jacques Versailles, was still residing in the Coredian Embassy, although he had to obey Master Elendil's orders on recalling all Force-sensitive personnel, which would make his job a bit harder.

Well, as if his job wasn't hard enough already trying to soothe angry Woodians.

"Ambassador. There's a Colonel Allaire on the line. He says he wants a meeting with you, sir." His secretary announced, peeking through the Kashyyyk-bought wooden doors. "Do you want to take it?"

Jacques sighed. He really did want someone to explain to him why the Woodians are so enraged at the Coredians (aside from what the news pundits were saying, that is. He didn't trust them...much.). As far as he cared, Force-users were Force-users and the use of their powers are only as good or bad as the user themselves.

Now if only someone among the Woodians would come along and explain themselves...

"I will be there in twenty-five minutes," Colonel Allaire told the receptionist, before deactivating his ship's transmitter. Fortunately, it wasn't a starfighter, so he had enough space to change from his Elemental suit into his Class A's (ugh, this is why he hated formal meetings). Shortly thereafter, he rocketed off the moon, notifying Space Traffic Control of his flight to the surface so he could get the planetary shield deactivated. Oh, yes, they were already following the Directive of Parliament to keep the shield on to prevent Rogue Jedi Landings.

A few minutes later, he found a place to park his shuttle in the Government District, on a platform well above the throngs of angry protesters. He teleported down, having the courage to actually walk through them rather than just teleporting inside of the Coredian Embassy, and indeed, the protesters knew perfectly well who he was, and allowed him to pass. About five minutes later, he arrived at the gate, and identified himself to the embassy security so they could let him in.

When he went inside, he bowed. "As a Woodian Jedi, I do believe I can explain the situation outside to one Jacques Versailles."

----

OOC: Will do the other stuff (Terra conference and Bailey) when ND gets on.

"Yes, let's. We are deeply concerned about the disproportionate outburst that your nation has produced and as you can imagine, it has left our people literally scratching our heads." The Coredian representative noted. "We, of course, are sorry that Darth Ebolus has cut you so deeply that it should happen, but we just cannot understand the outburst. Even Darth Nightshade, -the sister of Daniel Masaki if you don't know already - for all of her evil and disgusting practices of enslaving her own people -and yes, reports of her and her husband employing liberal doses of Force Crush is available for those who wish to see them- has never caused such outrage."

MacIntyre nodded, as did Junko. The two said nothing, taking notes and hearing out the Coredians, MacIntyre clearly resisting the urge to interject and Junko occasionally glaring at him to keep his mouth shut.

The calmer of the two, Junko leaned forward, and folded her hands on the table as she said, "Something to note indeed, though--to play Devil's Advocate--the example you used might belie the reason why the reaction took place." Turning to the Coredians, she replied, "No offense intended, sir." Turning to Elleayovskii, Junko nodded and said, "Now, let's hear your side of the story, shall we?"

Disgusted at the interruption, The Dark One reached out and Crushed the holophone, along with the hand before the cross-country skiier could do much more than dial the numbers. He then sensed that there was large lake under the skiiers and decided to make them to 'drop in' so to speak. Using the Force to probe the snow and ice under their feets, he sought cracks and crannies within the ice so as to decide on the best method for destroying their footholds without causing trouble for himself and his 'charges'. Once he discovered the best place to do so, he unleashed the Force, and the ice and snow literally exploded under the skiiers' feet...

At this, Linda and her companion freaked out; and Edvard Munch's famous painting seemed true to life as their expressions contorted into something akin to horror. Linda pointed at the scene and said, stuttering, "Wha-wha-what was that for!?" In the meantime, Linda and her husband began moving slowly outside of the circle, before breaking into a brisk run.

MacIntyre nodded, as did Junko. The two said nothing, taking notes and hearing out the Coredians, MacIntyre clearly resisting the urge to interject and Junko occasionally glaring at him to keep his mouth shut.

The calmer of the two, Junko leaned forward, and folded her hands on the table as she said, "Something to note indeed, though--to play Devil's Advocate--the example you used might belie the reason why the reaction took place." Turning to the Coredians, she replied, "No offense intended, sir." Turning to Elleayovskii, Junko nodded and said, "Now, let's hear your side of the story, shall we?"

And if there was anyone calmer than Junko in the room, it might have been the Prime Minister, surprisingly enough. "I had seen a few of the media reports before coming here, of course. Unfortunately for the Coredians, the Woodian Navy released the recordings of the actual bidding of the duel that took place. Admiral Zhukov directly challenged Mr. Kipper to declare the Dark Side off limits, and Mr. Kipper refused. From a Jedi, and to a representative of a nation that went through what it did, so recently, that alone would be highly inflammatory. Much less actually doing what he did, when the media coverage of what had happened was so extensive within Coredia that any Jedi not living under a rock should have known that such use of the Force against a Woodian would have incited mass revulsion."

She took another swig of vodka. She had a feeling it might be a good idea. "Also, you may wish to instruct your planetary governors to be a bit more tactful. I caught this gem in the media--fortunately it got drowned out by the head explosions in general--but it is rather...indicative, and not in a good way."

"That is quite absurd!" The Governor [of Caligula] exclaimed angrily. "In my opinion, Bailey Kipper is a hero for saving Caligula and is being made a scapegoat just to appease the bloodthirsty nature of the Woodians. They even call him Sith when he is far from one! If the Council had any sense, they would exonerate him and stop this madness with all their power! Now if you'll excuse me, I have duties to attend to."

"Moreover," the Prime Minister continued, "there is the matter of the timeline of the Jedi Council meeting concerning Mr. Kipper. It would seem the Council barely deliberated at all, and acted far too hastily to give Mr. Kipper the mental evaluation needed to verify that he would not be a threat to others to release him. Woodians are nearly unanimous in believing Mr. Kipper too dangerous, too much of a threat to others, to release so cavalierly, which in turn, gives us the impression that the Council looks to dump its problems on someone else. From what I heard in the short time before I left to come here, many fear for their own safety because he is released. Much, if not most, of the Parliament's rush to expel Jedi can be traced to acting upon the fear that Mr. Kipper would attempt to enter Evil Woody Thoughts and proceed to slaughter Woodian citizens. As much as you perceive overreactions, Envoy Hunter, Coredia has really managed to soil itself in the eyes of Woodians of late."

Disgusted at the interruption, The Dark One reached out and Crushed the holophone, along with the hand before the cross-country skiier could do much more than dial the numbers. He then sensed that there was large lake under the skiiers and decided to make them to 'drop in' so to speak. Using the Force to probe the snow and ice under their feets, he sought cracks and crannies within the ice so as to decide on the best method for destroying their footholds without causing trouble for himself and his 'charges'. Once he discovered the best place to do so, he unleashed the Force, and the ice and snow literally exploded under the skiiers' feet...

At this, Linda and her companion freaked out; and Edvard Munch's famous painting seemed true to life as their expressions contorted into something akin to horror. Linda pointed at the scene and said, stuttering, "Wha-wha-what was that for!?" In the meantime, Linda and her husband began moving slowly outside of the circle, before breaking into a brisk run.

"Aaargh! My hand!" The sound of crunching wrists and fingers filled the dry Hoth air as the skier's hand, as well as the phone, was crushed. The 911-caller had just hit the send button too, allowing the phone to send a signal, for all of a third of a second, before its destruction. Which, unfortunately for Bailey, meant that emergency operators had something like a sonar ping of a signal to go on. Police and EMTs were dispatched to the site of the signal immediately, though the pair of skiers vanished beneath the ice well before the emergency personnel could ever hope to arrive.

Samuel tried to bolt. Not that he would get very far, of course...

-------

OOC: Don't forget about Colonel Allaire showing up at the Embassy, CW.

And if there was anyone calmer than Junko in the room, it might have been the Prime Minister, surprisingly enough. "I had seen a few of the media reports before coming here, of course. Unfortunately for the Coredians, the Woodian Navy released the recordings of the actual bidding of the duel that took place. Admiral Zhukov directly challenged Mr. Kipper to declare the Dark Side off limits, and Mr. Kipper refused. From a Jedi, and to a representative of a nation that went through what it did, so recently, that alone would be highly inflammatory. Much less actually doing what he did, when the media coverage of what had happened was so extensive within Coredia that any Jedi not living under a rock should have known that such use of the Force against a Woodian would have incited mass revulsion."

She took another swig of vodka. She had a feeling it might be a good idea. "Also, you may wish to instruct your planetary governors to be a bit more tactful. I caught this gem in the media--fortunately it got drowned out by the head explosions in general--but it is rather...indicative, and not in a good way."
Envoy Hunter winced at the governor's statement. "I see. Well, I will admit that the governor will not like what the Council will say to him about that."

"Moreover," the Prime Minister continued, "there is the matter of the timeline of the Jedi Council meeting concerning Mr. Kipper. It would seem the Council barely deliberated at all, and acted far too hastily to give Mr. Kipper the mental evaluation needed to verify that he would not be a threat to others to release him. Woodians are nearly unanimous in believing Mr. Kipper too dangerous, too much of a threat to others, to release so cavalierly, which in turn, gives us the impression that the Council looks to dump its problems on someone else. From what I heard in the short time before I left to come here, many fear for their own safety because he is released. Much, if not most, of the Parliament's rush to expel Jedi can be traced to acting upon the fear that Mr. Kipper would attempt to enter Evil Woody Thoughts and proceed to slaughter Woodian citizens. As much as you perceive overreactions, Envoy Hunter, Coredia has really managed to soil itself in the eyes of Woodians of late."
"I don't really know what goes on with the Council meetings, and I don't wish to speculate at this moment." The Envoy sighed. "I assure you though, that if Bailey is as dangerous as you believe he is, he will be dealt with."

"Aaargh! My hand!" The sound of crunching wrists and fingers filled the dry Hoth air as the skier's hand, as well as the phone, was crushed. The 911-caller had just hit the send button too, allowing the phone to send a signal, for all of a third of a second, before its destruction. Which, unfortunately for Bailey, meant that emergency operators had something like a sonar ping of a signal to go on. Police and EMTs were dispatched to the site of the signal immediately, though the pair of skiers vanished beneath the ice well before the emergency personnel could ever hope to arrive.

Samuel tried to bolt. Not that he would get very far, of course...
Satisfied that the two skiiers would not be seen for some time, the Fallen One turned his attention on the would-be escapees. "Oh no you don't, my friends! I have only just begun!"

With a flick of his wrist, the boy and the young couple were lifted off their feet and encased in an invisible Force bubble. He moved quickly, sensing that the authorities would be arriving soon. He soon headed back towards his cave...

-------

As all this was happening, Colonel Allaire was ushered into Ambassador Versailles' office. "Hello, Colonel. I'm glad you came. To make a long story short, I need an explanation as to what's going on here. I've seen the news, but...it's still strange to me. Can you help explain it all?"

Envoy Hunter winced at the governor's statement. "I see. Well, I will admit that the governor will not like what the Council will say to him about that."

"I don't really know what goes on with the Council meetings, and I don't wish to speculate at this moment." The Envoy sighed. "I assure you though, that if Bailey is as dangerous as you believe he is, he will be dealt with."

MacIntyre and Junko nodded again, as they listened to Elleayovskii's speech and then heard Hunter's rebuttal. Notetaking was the order of the day, with the scribbling of pens onto pads of legal paper. The two then reviewed their notes, and looked at one another.

MacIntyre put his finger up and asked the question, "So, if I'm hearing this correctly, the Woodian people, thanks to the actions of one stupid idiot, are now suddenly blaming an entire system for said" He then coughed and said, "Excuse me, pardon my French--dumbfuck's problem? IS there something I'm not getting here?"

Junko grinned sheepishly and said, "What my comrade means here, Prime Minister, Envoy, is that looking at the facts, it can be said that the ignorance of one man has caused this whole mess. Why have the whole nation incite itself to anger? It is akin to a Red Scare. I do understand perfectly that Kipper has to be brought to justice for his crimes, but I am not sure the kind of justice those angry crowds propose is the way to do it."

Satisfied that the two skiiers would not be seen for some time, the Fallen One turned his attention on the would-be escapees. "Oh no you don't, my friends! I have only just begun!"

With a flick of his wrist, the boy and the young couple were lifted off their feet and encased in an invisible Force bubble. He moved quickly, sensing that the authorities would be arriving soon. He soon headed back towards his cave...

"Woah!! WOAH!"

Linda felt herself tripped up and lifted into the air, as she was trapped into the Force bubble with her husband. Unsurprisingly, she began to berate her husband again, saying, "It's your fucking fault, bitch! If you didn't insist on those fucking abuse cookies, we wouldn't be in this Goddamn mess!"

Turning to Bailey, she screamed, "Listen you scrawny fuck! I am Linda Jensen! You let me down, I am a woman, a babe in control of herself! You will not oppress me! My father knows people! One word, and he'll have People's Acolytes come down on you with a ton of bricks! We'll shove firecrackers up your ass!"

MacIntyre and Junko nodded again, as they listened to Elleayovskii's speech and then heard Hunter's rebuttal. Notetaking was the order of the day, with the scribbling of pens onto pads of legal paper. The two then reviewed their notes, and looked at one another.

MacIntyre put his finger up and asked the question, "So, if I'm hearing this correctly, the Woodian people, thanks to the actions of one stupid idiot, are now suddenly blaming an entire system for said" He then coughed and said, "Excuse me, pardon my French--dumbfuck's problem? IS there something I'm not getting here?"

Junko grinned sheepishly and said, "What my comrade means here, Prime Minister, Envoy, is that looking at the facts, it can be said that the ignorance of one man has caused this whole mess. Why have the whole nation incite itself to anger? It is akin to a Red Scare. I do understand perfectly that Kipper has to be brought to justice for his crimes, but I am not sure the kind of justice those angry crowds propose is the way to do it."

"It is a problem. Had Mr. Kipper faced justice...inside of a legal system, rather than a Three-Minute Exile, Woodians would likely be waiting to see what becomes of him. In some ways, I will concede it is a Red Scare, but then again, given what records exist of him during and after the duel, he is a threat. I suspect it is impossible for the Council to perform a proper mental evaluation during the four minutes it is reported by the media to have convened. Regrettably, the inactions of the Coredian Government so far have fed the so-called Red Scare."

She facepalmed. "Also understand that I did not 'have the whole nation incite itself to anger.' About the only thing that I could do to incite such anger on my own would be either to eat a baby on live Holovision, or be involved in a major corruption scandal. And I am sure that this incident does raise questions amongst some as to how Jedi are trained. Why would a Knight so inexperienced, his judgment relatively untested, be taught such material anyway?"

Satisfied that the two skiers would not be seen for some time, the Fallen One turned his attention on the would-be escapees. "Oh no you don't, my friends! I have only just begun!"

With a flick of his wrist, the boy and the young couple were lifted off their feet and encased in an invisible Force bubble. He moved quickly, sensing that the authorities would be arriving soon. He soon headed back towards his cave...

"Woah!! WOAH!"

Linda felt herself tripped up and lifted into the air, as she was trapped into the Force bubble with her husband. Unsurprisingly, she began to berate her husband again, saying, "It's your fucking fault, bitch! If you didn't insist on those fucking abuse cookies, we wouldn't be in this Goddamn mess!"

Turning to Bailey, she screamed, "Listen you scrawny fuck! I am Linda Jensen! You let me down, I am a woman, a babe in control of herself! You will not oppress me! My father knows people! One word, and he'll have People's Acolytes come down on you with a ton of bricks! We'll shove firecrackers up your ass!"

"What the hell?" Samuel squawked. "Mrs. Jensen, why don't you actually CALL your father? This Sith will kill us all!"

As all this was happening, Colonel Allaire was ushered into Ambassador Versailles' office. "Hello, Colonel. I'm glad you came. To make a long story short, I need an explanation as to what's going on here. I've seen the news, but...it's still strange to me. Can you help explain it all?"

"Indeed." The tone of Keith's voice definitely told the Ambassador that Keith was not happy about the situation either. "If you think you have it bad, imagine getting stuck with the ability to sense the collective thoughts of those millions of people out there. Anyway, too be blunt. A Jedi Fell to the Dark Side. The Dark Side in general, and Force Crush to be more specific, makes Woodians collectively want to vomit. That the Jedi Council reportedly met for only a few minutes, possibly without the Jedi in question present, before releasing him, has those people thinking that the Jedi Council either 1) wishes to wash its hands of the thorny issues this incident has brought up, or worse, 2) wants to release the Fallen One to do whatever he wishes to Woodians, as long as he does not do it within Coredian borders. They certainly could not have taken any evaluation as to the Fallen One's mental sanity, nor assessed that he would not be a threat to others if Exiled, in the four minutes the meeting is reported to have consumed. No mental evaluation is done in so short a time."

Colonel Allaire took a breath. "I know it sounds like paranoid vitriol, but I am afraid the Jedi Council REALLY shot themselves in the foot on this one."

"It is a problem. Had Mr. Kipper faced justice...inside of a legal system, rather than a Three-Minute Exile, Woodians would likely be waiting to see what becomes of him. In some ways, I will concede it is a Red Scare, but then again, given what records exist of him during and after the duel, he is a threat. I suspect it is impossible for the Council to perform a proper mental evaluation during the four minutes it is reported by the media to have convened. Regrettably, the inactions of the Coredian Government so far have fed the so-called Red Scare."

She facepalmed. "Also understand that I did not 'have the whole nation incite itself to anger.' About the only thing that I could do to incite such anger on my own would be either to eat a baby on live Holovision, or be involved in a major corruption scandal. And I am sure that this incident does raise questions amongst some as to how Jedi are trained. Why would a Knight so inexperienced, his judgment relatively untested, be taught such material anyway?"

Junko now had to sigh. She shook her head, and muttered something in Portuguese under her breath. She replied to the Prime Minister, "Ms. Elleayovskii, I did not accuse you of inciting the hatred. That is merely a misinterpretation of my words. I merely say that the people themselves are moved somewhat irratonally, is all. Though I do understand certainly the cause of their anger."

Turning to Hunter, she said, "After all, this is why we Acolytes reserve such powers for those who are mature enough to realize that this sort of trouble can happen because of them. If this was one of my boys, I would have had Vanguard tear him to pieces before Ms. Elleayovskii's citizens had a chance to get mad. Why the wait?"


"What the hell?" Samuel squawked. "Mrs. Jensen, why don't you actually CALL your father? This Sith will kill us all!"

Linda then said, angrily, "Well, I'm tied up, you little brat!" She then turned to her husband and said "YOU DO IT!"

He sighed and pulled out his phone, and began dialing to Los Angeles.....and then muttered about a signal.....

"It is a problem. Had Mr. Kipper faced justice...inside of a legal system, rather than a Three-Minute Exile, Woodians would likely be waiting to see what becomes of him. In some ways, I will concede it is a Red Scare, but then again, given what records exist of him during and after the duel, he is a threat. I suspect it is impossible for the Council to perform a proper mental evaluation during the four minutes it is reported by the media to have convened. Regrettably, the inactions of the Coredian Government so far have fed the so-called Red Scare."

She facepalmed. "Also understand that I did not 'have the whole nation incite itself to anger.' About the only thing that I could do to incite such anger on my own would be either to eat a baby on live Holovision, or be involved in a major corruption scandal. And I am sure that this incident does raise questions amongst some as to how Jedi are trained. Why would a Knight so inexperienced, his judgment relatively untested, be taught such material anyway?"

Junko now had to sigh. She shook her head, and muttered something in Portuguese under her breath. She replied to the Prime Minister, "Ms. Elleayovskii, I did not accuse you of inciting the hatred. That is merely a misinterpretation of my words. I merely say that the people themselves are moved somewhat irratonally, is all. Though I do understand certainly the cause of their anger."

Turning to Hunter, she said, "After all, this is why we Acolytes reserve such powers for those who are mature enough to realize that this sort of trouble can happen because of them. If this was one of my boys, I would have had Vanguard tear him to pieces before Ms. Elleayovskii's citizens had a chance to get mad. Why the wait?"
"I do not wish to presume what the Council can or cannot do here." The Envoy sighed. "If you wish to hear an explanation, there's a Council member strolling Los Angeles right now."

"Woah!! WOAH!"

Linda felt herself tripped up and lifted into the air, as she was trapped into the Force bubble with her husband. Unsurprisingly, she began to berate her husband again, saying, "It's your fucking fault, bitch! If you didn't insist on those fucking abuse cookies, we wouldn't be in this Goddamn mess!"

Turning to Bailey, she screamed, "Listen you scrawny fuck! I am Linda Jensen! You let me down, I am a woman, a babe in control of herself! You will not oppress me! My father knows people! One word, and he'll have People's Acolytes come down on you with a ton of bricks! We'll shove firecrackers up your ass!"

"What the hell?" Samuel squawked. "Mrs. Jensen, why don't you actually CALL your father? This Sith will kill us all!"
"Yes. Mrs. Jensen, is it? Why don't you call dear daddy to save you?" The Fallen One sneered. "There is no one to help you now, so you might as well prepare yourselves for what's in store!"

He chuckled darkly all the way to the cave of his humble abode...

"Indeed." The tone of Keith's voice definitely told the Ambassador that Keith was not happy about the situation either. "If you think you have it bad, imagine getting stuck with the ability to sense the collective thoughts of those millions of people out there. Anyway, too be blunt. A Jedi Fell to the Dark Side. The Dark Side in general, and Force Crush to be more specific, makes Woodians collectively want to vomit. That the Jedi Council reportedly met for only a few minutes, possibly without the Jedi in question present, before releasing him, has those people thinking that the Jedi Council either 1) wishes to wash its hands of the thorny issues this incident has brought up, or worse, 2) wants to release the Fallen One to do whatever he wishes to Woodians, as long as he does not do it within Coredian borders. They certainly could not have taken any evaluation as to the Fallen One's mental sanity, nor assessed that he would not be a threat to others if Exiled, in the four minutes the meeting is reported to have consumed. No mental evaluation is done in so short a time."

Colonel Allaire took a breath. "I know it sounds like paranoid vitriol, but I am afraid the Jedi Council REALLY shot themselves in the foot on this one."
"I see." Well, at least there was an explanation for the vitriol. "I would say that the huge explosion over Bailey Kipper would have had them choose option number one. I will say that this whole thing is a rather large explosion for one man's failings. If I could barely understand it, you have to believe that the Council is just as confused. And yes, Exile is the preferred choice of punishment, mainly because the Council believes that a period of 'cooling off' would help in restoring light to a person. Evidently, it appears that in this case, it's not working."

"I do not wish to presume what the Council can or cannot do here." The Envoy sighed. "If you wish to hear an explanation, there's a Council member strolling Los Angeles right now."

Junko nodded and then said, "I am aware of that, yes. Not willingly either." She then got up and said with a calm smile, "Mr. Hunter, I will go myself to talk to him. As Acolyte to Jedi. I will go into the city and seek him out. It will hopefully not take long." Rob said simply, "Jun, you know that man is going to torpedo the damn treaty. I want resolution here, not a Red Scare. You even think about getting him, and I will be very unhappy."

Junko said, frowning, "As you wish, Comrade Premier. Be glad we're in mixed company."

"Yes. Mrs. Jensen, is it? Why don't you call dear daddy to save you?" The Fallen One sneered. "There is no one to help you now, so you might as well prepare yourselves for what's in store!"

He chuckled darkly all the way to the cave of his humble abode...


Jensen said, grinning, "I think I will, you faggety bishie fuck!" She pulled out her phone, and dialed her father's number onto it. She then said, screaming, "Dad! It's me, Linda! I've been fucking kidnapped! HELP!"

Junko now had to sigh. She shook her head, and muttered something in Portuguese under her breath. She replied to the Prime Minister, "Ms. Elleayovskii, I did not accuse you of inciting the hatred. That is merely a misinterpretation of my words. I merely say that the people themselves are moved somewhat irratonally, is all. Though I do understand certainly the cause of their anger."

Turning to Hunter, she said, "After all, this is why we Acolytes reserve such powers for those who are mature enough to realize that this sort of trouble can happen because of them. If this was one of my boys, I would have had Vanguard tear him to pieces before Ms. Elleayovskii's citizens had a chance to get mad. Why the wait?"

"I do not wish to presume what the Council can or cannot do here." The Envoy sighed. "If you wish to hear an explanation, there's a Council member strolling Los Angeles right now."

The Prime Minister sighed as she realized that talks had already reached an impasse, on account of the Envoy's inability to do anything, and on account of aforementioned Councilmember's inherent ability to torpedo anything emanating from this conference due to Lowbacca's perceived "protecting the Sith," as the Woodian media so bluntly put it. At least the glares of the Dornalian delegation had not been reserved exclusively for her, as the military had earlier had her thinking they might be.

"Recognized, that you do not seem to have any authority nor autonomy to actually do anything, Envoy Hunter. Recognized, that said Council member is, at the moment, the one most controversial to Woodians, the face of the Council's perceived inaction, and therefore, as Premier MacIntyre pointed out at the beginning of this meeting, would be detrimental to these talks. Therefore, I move that this meeting be suspended for two days, and suggest that another, less controversial, Councilor be brought here to participate."

Meanwhile, at the Coredian Embassy...

"I see." Well, at least there was an explanation for the vitriol. "I would say that the huge explosion over Bailey Kipper would have had them choose option number one. I will say that this whole thing is a rather large explosion for one man's failings. If I could barely understand it, you have to believe that the Council is just as confused. And yes, Exile is the preferred choice of punishment, mainly because the Council believes that a period of 'cooling off' would help in restoring light to a person. Evidently, it appears that in this case, it's not working."

"Yes, as a Jedi, I know about Exile. Unfortunately, neglecting to evaluate the person to be Exiled for mental stability seems to strike most non-Jedi as quite reckless. I do not wish to be in the Council's position should Mr. Kipper actually murder someone. I realize the Council is busy with Jurai at the moment, but I should wish to speak with them on the matter within the next couple of days."

------

OOC: Not enough to go on for Samuel. Let the torture begin, then I can post! :D

Jaime had been listening intently off to the side for some time now, and it was finally his turn to speak on the matter.

"While I understand that Bailey is under the protection of Master Lowbacca, and that there seems to be some form of treaty in the works here that impedes further negotiations, perhaps I can solve this simple problem." Jaime took a sip of his drink, then placed it down on the table in front of him. "I will have one of my men hunt down Mr. Kipper, and either bring him here to face trial by his peers or flat out kill him. Either way, there are no legal sanctions to impede us from doing so as we are not technically allied with any government at this table."

Jaime then sat back, and waited for this to sink into the minds of the other diplomats.

The Prime Minister sighed as she realized that talks had already reached an impasse, on account of the Envoy's inability to do anything, and on account of aforementioned Councilmember's inherent ability to torpedo anything emanating from this conference due to Lowbacca's perceived "protecting the Sith," as the Woodian media so bluntly put it. At least the glares of the Dornalian delegation had not been reserved exclusively for her, as the military had earlier had her thinking they might be.

"Recognized, that you do not seem to have any authority nor autonomy to actually do anything, Envoy Hunter. Recognized, that said Council member is, at the moment, the one most controversial to Woodians, the face of the Council's perceived inaction, and therefore, as Premier MacIntyre pointed out at the beginning of this meeting, would be detrimental to these talks. Therefore, I move that this meeting be suspended for two days, and suggest that another, less controversial, Councilor be brought here to participate."
"I believe that would be a good idea." The Envoy nodded.

"Yes, as a Jedi, I know about Exile. Unfortunately, neglecting to evaluate the person to be Exiled for mental stability seems to strike most non-Jedi as quite reckless. I do not wish to be in the Council's position should Mr. Kipper actually murder someone. I realize the Council is busy with Jurai at the moment, but I should wish to speak with them on the matter within the next couple of days."
"Well, you do have a point there." The Ambassador sighed. "I shall inform the Council as soon as possible."

------

OOC: Not enough to go on for Samuel. Let the torture begin, then I can post! :D

Jensen said, grinning, "I think I will, you faggety bishie fuck!" She pulled out her phone, and dialed her father's number onto it. She then said, screaming, "Dad! It's me, Linda! I've been fucking kidnapped! HELP!"
And of course, her phone was ripped from her hand and Crushed into a pile of broken silicon. Bailey grinned. "I changed my mind. I don't think I'll need the headache just yet. I need to have some fun first."

Not so long later, they reached Bailey Kipper's cave and headed inside. "Welcome to my humble abode."

With that, a boulder moved to cover the entrance in such a way that it would make it just another ordinary rock outcropping.

Jaime had been listening intently off to the side for some time now, and it was finally his turn to speak on the matter.

"While I understand that Bailey is under the protection of Master Lowbacca, and that there seems to be some form of treaty in the works here that impedes further negotiations, perhaps I can solve this simple problem." Jaime took a sip of his drink, then placed it down on the table in front of him. "I will have one of my men hunt down Mr. Kipper, and either bring him here to face trial by his peers or flat out kill him. Either way, there are no legal sanctions to impede us from doing so as we are not technically allied with any government at this table."

Jaime then sat back, and waited for this to sink into the minds of the other diplomats.
"Well, I can thank you for the offer, but Coredians really don't like others cleaning up their own messes, and I will admit this is a mess." The Envoy admitted. "Still, if we need you..."

"I believe that would be a good idea." The Envoy nodded.


"Well, you do have a point there." The Ambassador sighed. "I shall inform the Council as soon as possible."

------




And of course, her phone was ripped from her hand and Crushed into a pile of broken silicon. Bailey grinned. "I changed my mind. I don't think I'll need the headache just yet. I need to have some fun first."

Not so long later, they reached Bailey Kipper's cave and headed inside. "Welcome to my humble abode."

With that, a boulder moved to cover the entrance in such a way that it would make it just another ordinary rock outcropping.

Junko nodded, and leaned on the table. Thoughtfully, she said merely, "So we shall recess for two days, whilst a more suitable member is found. I am willing to assent to that." Turning to the Comrade Premier, who had sneaked a shot of whiskey under her radar, she glared at him and said, "What say you?"

MacIntyre then said, "I have no objections. Two days' break. Feel free to spend it however prepping evidence, making business calls, etc." He then picked up an appropriately heavy object, and then held it in place, as he said, "Unless the Clanners have anything else to add, besides their offer, I will bang this object, and move this meeting to be in recess until this time....in two days."

--------

Now they were in trouble. Linda hated the bad feeling she was getting from the cave, and her husband merely recoiled in fear. This guy meant business. And unfortunately, the scion of the wealthiest arms dealers in New Dornalia insisted on herself. That made things more interesting.

Linda glared at Bailey, and said, "Don't you even think about violating my womanhood, you sick mustard-looking bishie scrawny-ass motherfucker! I'll have you know I know karate! I took Women's Self Defense Classes to deal with perverts like you....get off of abusing children and sinking people in lakes....sick fuck...." Her husband said, "Linda, I think maybe we should do what he says; we're his hostages....not wise to anger him."

She then turned to her husband and said, "Herbert, can I say something?"

Linda then screamed at Herbert, saying, "I've got this!"

She smiled, and stuck her tongue out at Bailey, saying in a taunting, overly confident tone, "I AM THE BABE IN TOTAL CONTROL OF HERSELF HERE! I made that phone call, my father will be here any minute with Marines, and Acolytes and Red Army throwing firecrackers in your bishie ass! You'd like that! Yeah, you heard me!"

---------------

Jensen Design HQ, Long Beach, California

The phone call, eminating from distant Hoth and grainy at best, was loud and clear in its emotional content. As Mr. Jensen listened to it on his own personal phone, he winced....his daughter was in trouble. He winced, his steak sandwich dropping onto the plate as he lept up and picked up the phone. He dialed a number and said, "This is Jensen. Get me the Comrade Premier. He's busy? Get me ANY government official, or barring that the nearest Acolyte temple, or Kroot mercenary hut."

He then grimly said, "We have a problem."

Los Angeles

Prime Minister Elleayovskii found the Star Colonel's offer...interesting, to say the least. Sounds like something Admiral Makaryk would have proposed, she thought to herself. Still, the Clanners might be interested in the bounty on the Sith's head; it had probably doubled, or more, since she *left.* But she could not be sure. She would have to check the news when she got out of here.

She resisted the urge to indulge in one last bite of Brazilian meat before leaving. "I look forward to the resumption of talks two days hence." Of course, it was pretty much a lie, like all diplomatic statements were, but a harmless one and one that her facial expression hid quite well. Expressing her honest feelings about the matter--that she was sticking her neck out for a Coredian Government that couldn't even be bothered to send a noninvolved representative with some authority to actually do something--would not have been becoming a Prime Minister, to say the least. A Woodian Military Officer, perhaps, but not a Prime Minister.

She found it somewhat ironic that the military, who in the vast majority of nations was told to shut up, could, in the case of Evil Woody Thoughts, speak more bluntly and freely than her, probably simply because they did not have voters, nor the inevitable headaches from diplomatic protests over word parsing, to worry about...

Coredian Embassy, Great Woody City

Colonel Allaire gave the Coredian Ambassador contact information so that the Council could interrupt his meditations and surveys, if need be. "I admit that waiting as long as I did to pay attention to my nagging feelings was a mistake on my part," he admitted. "I do not wish for such error to repeat itself. Please convey that I wish to speak with them as soon as they have a moment."

He then gave the Ambassador a bow, to signal he was ready to leave, before turning around, and looking at the swarms of protesters outside. While he could have simply teleported his way past them, such was the coward's way out of the whole mess. Therefore, he opened the gates, and walked through the Shadow of Death by Trampling, even taking some time to try to calm a few of them down. While he was not successful, at least the protesters weren't trying to kill him, too...

Keith sighed as he waded his way through the angry crowd, and realized that the best way to try to defuse this a little bit might be through Teh Media. Keith did not particularly like Teh Media, for it tended to feed Teh Fanclubs abroad in New Dornalia and Coredia, but if he gave the interview in Evil Woody Thoughts, he wouldn't have to deal with the cultish following. At least Teh Media here did not send paparazzi after him, like the foreign media tended to do. Oh well, sometimes the duties of a Jedi Knight involved Sacrifice (http://www.despair.com/sacrifice1.html), even if it was not quite the sacrifice that the Old Jedi Order had had in mind.

Yes. Oh, yes. After he finally returned to his quarters, after two hours of wading through pissed off protesters (who had every right to be, Keith admitted), Keith bit the bullet and called Rainn Thoreide's office. He could sense that his secretary was going to receive a nice little bonus for booking this, to say the least.

Less than an hour later, Teh Ten-Second Ads started to appear. "Tomorrow at Nine: Rainn Thoreide Responds to the Dragon Queen and Chess Headman! Also, do not miss his Exclusive LIVE Interview with Colonel Keith Allaire, Jedi Knight..."

Somewhere on Hoth

Samuel, meanwhile, retained the defiant look on his face even after the boulder rolled over the exit, locking him into the cave. He wondered if there was an alternate route of escape, perhaps digging a hole through the snow, but alas, Bailey would pretty much have to be sleeping for Samuel to pull that off. At least these Dornalians had called for help!

However, Samuel did not seem to mind angering Bailey--after all, what Woodian wanted to be caught dead acceding to a Sith? While Linda and Herbert were screaming half at each other, half at Bailey...and thus distracting him...Samuel picked up a clump of ice bigger a bit than his fist and threw it at Bailey's head, as hard as he could.

----------

OOC: Maybe go to the next day everyone, so we don't have to RP the minutiae of the meeting in LA breaking up and whatnot?

Somewhere on Hoth

Samuel, meanwhile, retained the defiant look on his face even after the boulder rolled over the exit, locking him into the cave. He wondered if there was an alternate route of escape, perhaps digging a hole through the snow, but alas, Bailey would pretty much have to be sleeping for Samuel to pull that off. At least these Dornalians had called for help!

However, Samuel did not seem to mind angering Bailey--after all, what Woodian wanted to be caught dead acceding to a Sith? While Linda and Herbert were screaming half at each other, half at Bailey...and thus distracting him...Samuel picked up a clump of ice bigger a bit than his fist and threw it at Bailey's head, as hard as he could.
Said ice clump was deflected by Bailey's powers with ease, and then Samuel was hoisted up in midair by the ankles with TK. "Ah ah ah! Play nice, child!"

Leaving the boy up there for a while, the Fallen One moved onto the couple.

Now they were in trouble. Linda hated the bad feeling she was getting from the cave, and her husband merely recoiled in fear. This guy meant business. And unfortunately, the scion of the wealthiest arms dealers in New Dornalia insisted on herself. That made things more interesting.

Linda glared at Bailey, and said, "Don't you even think about violating my womanhood, you sick mustard-looking bishie scrawny-ass motherfucker! I'll have you know I know karate! I took Women's Self Defense Classes to deal with perverts like you....get off of abusing children and sinking people in lakes....sick fuck...." Her husband said, "Linda, I think maybe we should do what he says; we're his hostages....not wise to anger him."

She then turned to her husband and said, "Herbert, can I say something?"

Linda then screamed at Herbert, saying, "I've got this!"

She smiled, and stuck her tongue out at Bailey, saying in a taunting, overly confident tone, "I AM THE BABE IN TOTAL CONTROL OF HERSELF HERE! I made that phone call, my father will be here any minute with Marines, and Acolytes and Red Army throwing firecrackers in your bishie ass! You'd like that! Yeah, you heard me!"
A dangerous smile sprouted on the face of the Fallen One. "Are you truly certain you are the one in control here? We'll see about that..."

He rounded on the girl, pushing her hard against the ice wall. He carressed her face. "You will be quite a challenge, but I shall break you first! Welcome to the first day of hell!"

A dangerous smile sprouted on the face of the Fallen One. "Are you truly certain you are the one in control here? We'll see about that..."

He rounded on the girl, pushing her hard against the ice wall. He carressed her face. "You will be quite a challenge, but I shall break you first! Welcome to the first day of hell!"

Linda then shrieked as Bailey slammed her against the wall. She recoiled in pain slightly, as the slam made her body wince in agony. Then, came that taunting stroke....

Herbert then weakly said, "Uh...yeah! She's my wife you wierdo! Don't touch her!" Linda sighed, and said to Herbert, "Daddy's talking to Mommy. Let me handle this." She then turned back to Bailey and then grabbed his hand, and she then proceeded to a ) spit in his eyes, and b ) deliver a hearty slap with her free hand. She then said, pinching Bailey's wrist, "Don't you fucking touch me! DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME!"

Said ice clump was deflected by Bailey's powers with ease, and then Samuel was hoisted up in midair by the ankles with TK. "Ah ah ah! Play nice, child!"

Leaving the boy up there for a while, the Fallen One moved onto the couple.

Samuel strained against the grip of telekinesis, but the Sith had him immobilized. Had he had comparable abilities, he would have been more than happy to bring the entire cave down upon his head, but alas. He had no weapon and no freedom of movement. However, he did have to applaud the courage of the Dornalians, no matter how futile it was.

Not even when Linda struck the Sith did the telekinesis break. The kid, when trapped, could only threaten, "Just wait until Master Whitfield finds you!" As he had been the one who defeated Darth Ebolus, Samuel prayed to him, more or less the patron of Evil Woody Thoughts, for deliverance...

Linda then shrieked as Bailey slammed her against the wall. She recoiled in pain slightly, as the slam made her body wince in agony. Then, came that taunting stroke....

Herbert then weakly said, "Uh...yeah! She's my wife you wierdo! Don't touch her!" Linda sighed, and said to Herbert, "Daddy's talking to Mommy. Let me handle this." She then turned back to Bailey and then grabbed his hand, and she then proceeded to a ) spit in his eyes, and b ) deliver a hearty slap with her free hand. She then said, pinching Bailey's wrist, "Don't you fucking touch me! DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME!"
And so begins the first of many horrible things to come for Linda, Herbert and young Samuel, who was forced to watch it all. Soon, the Fallen One will tire of it all and kill them, but first, he had his way with them.

=====

The Council was notified of Keith Allaire's request for a meeting concerning the Bailey Kipper Fallout Scandal. They sent the Ambassador notice that they will be available at 2000 hours Galactic Standard Time. For those who are militarily illiterate, that means 8 pm. The Embassy forwarded that notice to the Colonel...

The Council was notified of Keith Allaire's request for a meeting concerning the Bailey Kipper Fallout Scandal. They sent the Ambassador notice that they will be available at 2000 hours Galactic Standard Time. For those who are militarily illiterate, that means 8 pm. The Embassy forwarded that notice to the Colonel...

8 pm Galactic Standard Time meant...three in the darned morning tomorrow here. Keith sighed. Well, he may as well make his way back to base and go to bed now...

He arose at two in the morning, next day, and quickly cleaned himself up, dressing in his Class A uniform, which he may as well just wear all day, considering he will need it for the Rainn Thoreide interview this evening. He then spent a few minutes setting up a secure Holoconference connection with the Jedi Council; a couple of minutes before the appointed time, the connection was ready, at least on Keith's end, at least. Now it was up to the Jedi Council to uphold their end of the appointment.

--------------------

Semi-related Jedi Council Meeting (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13474696&postcount=397)

"Recognized that you are right. None may use these weapons without our consent. But our investigation has revealed that someone had access to them. Someone had access to steal not one, but three bombs under our noses. One had detonated. Two more remain unaccounted for." Tsunade sighed; apparently she really didn't want to deal with this either.

*snip*


Major Ehrell thought for a moment. "I wish to begin training after this Council has completed its reconciliation with the Woodians. That should not take an excessively long time. In the meantime, I will begin the process to get myself on leave. I do not know if you extrapolated this from the footage I showed you...but my MOS can be best described as, 'combat medic.' Oh, and should the Council wish for assistance in its investigation of the Caprican War Crime...investigations are Evil Woody Thoughts' specialty."

"We shall officially request such an investigation." Daniel said. Katrina reluctantly nodded. "In the meantime, we shall give you leave to complete your training and for us to complete our reconciliation."

"I will inform the proper military auditors that you wish for assistance." The Major bowed to take his leave.

Given the nature of the investigation, the Military Auditors were required to notify Prime Minister Elleayovskii, given that the possibility existed that such a black hole bomb was located on the embassy in White Diamond. This presented a slight problem should it actually go off. Like, a continuity of government problem. She had thought that Evil Woody Thoughts had made it perfectly clear, upon grant of the embassy space, that Weapons of Mass Destruction were not allowed. As far as the excuse as "destroying sensitive documents" was concerned, well, that's what shredders, and in a dire emergency, a fireplace, was for; governments had relied for centuries on those two methods...until Caprica. And given Caprica, this threat to Continuity of Government was unacceptable.

Therefore, she sent a little note over secure transmission to the Coredian Embassy. It read:

The Ministry of Defense has notified me that the Jedi Council has requested the assistance of its Auditors in its investigation of the Caprica Incident. Ordinarily, this would not be of urgent concern, but it has also informed me that two similar-class weapons are unaccounted for. The Embassy Agreement forbids Weapons of Mass Destruction on the embassies of either Coredia or Evil Woody Thoughts. Unfortunately, given the information I have, placed in the context of the events on Caprica, your embassy may pose a threat to Continuity of Woodian Government.

It is my duty as Prime Minister to protect the Woodian people, and I would very much like to verify that such a threat does not, in fact, exist. I see, off the top of my head, two possible ways of doing this:

1. A thorough search of every square inch of the Embassy for the unaccounted-for weapons, or
2. A relocation of the Embassy and its contents to an unpopulated area.

In the event of noncompliance, I may be forced to make an emergency motion to temporarily move the Capital elsewhere, until such time that the matter is resolved, to ensure Continuity of Government. Unfortunately, such a motion would make this situation very, very public, and I do not believe the Coredian Government needs more negative publicity right now.

In the event that your Government selects Option 1, it is preferable that the existence of the search be verified by Woodians. Given your Government's penchant for secrecy, perhaps the verification services of a Woodian Jedi could provide reasonable assurances to that effect.

Furthermore, as a Caprica-type incident at a consulate would also have rather unfortunate consequences for already-strained relations, I request that the various Coredian consulates within Evil Woody Thoughts be either so searched, or relocated, as well.

/signed
Prime Minister Alexis Elleayovskii

8 pm Galactic Standard Time meant...three in the darned morning tomorrow here. Keith sighed. Well, he may as well make his way back to base and go to bed now...

He arose at two in the morning, next day, and quickly cleaned himself up, dressing in his Class A uniform, which he may as well just wear all day, considering he will need it for the Rainn Thoreide interview this evening. He then spent a few minutes setting up a secure Holoconference connection with the Jedi Council; a couple of minutes before the appointed time, the connection was ready, at least on Keith's end, at least. Now it was up to the Jedi Council to uphold their end of the appointment.
It was time. The High Council assembled punctually for the meeting, aside from the one or two that are on official business. A secure connection was established with Allaire's own tranceiver and then it began.

"It is a pleasure to meet with you, Colonel." Master Elendil began. "I presume you wish to speak with us about our national relationship."

It seems nothing gets past the Grandmaster of the Order...

The Ministry of Defense has notified me that the Jedi Council has requested the assistance of its Auditors in its investigation of the Caprica Incident. Ordinarily, this would not be of urgent concern, but it has also informed me that two similar-class weapons are unaccounted for. The Embassy Agreement forbids Weapons of Mass Destruction on the embassies of either Coredia or Evil Woody Thoughts. Unfortunately, given the information I have, placed in the context of the events on Caprica, your embassy may pose a threat to Continuity of Woodian Government.

It is my duty as Prime Minister to protect the Woodian people, and I would very much like to verify that such a threat does not, in fact, exist. I see, off the top of my head, two possible ways of doing this:

1. A thorough search of every square inch of the Embassy for the unaccounted-for weapons, or
2. A relocation of the Embassy and its contents to an unpopulated area.

In the event of noncompliance, I may be forced to make an emergency motion to temporarily move the Capital elsewhere, until such time that the matter is resolved, to ensure Continuity of Government. Unfortunately, such a motion would make this situation very, very public, and I do not believe the Coredian Government needs more negative publicity right now.

In the event that your Government selects Option 1, it is preferable that the existence of the search be verified by Woodians. Given your Government's penchant for secrecy, perhaps the verification services of a Woodian Jedi could provide reasonable assurances to that effect.

Furthermore, as a Caprica-type incident at a consulate would also have rather unfortunate consequences for already-strained relations, I request that the various Coredian consulates within Evil Woody Thoughts be either so searched, or relocated, as well.

/signed
Prime Minister Alexis Elleayovskii
The Ambassador's language became colorful when he received the letter from the Prime Minister. As if it wasn't enough trouble happening on his plate! Unfortunately, he had no choice but to forward this to the Council as well. He worried what the response would be...

It was time. The High Council assembled punctually for the meeting, aside from the one or two that are on official business. A secure connection was established with Allaire's own tranceiver and then it began.

"It is a pleasure to meet with you, Colonel." Master Elendil began. "I presume you wish to speak with us about our national relationship."

It seems nothing gets past the Grandmaster of the Order...

"Oh, yes." If there was another thing for the Grandmaster of the Order to pick up on, it was Keith's displeasure with the Council's recent judgment. "I stand in the middle of a densely populated city where practically everyone believes that Bailey Kipper is coming to murder them. Quite frankly, they would be correct, if the Parliament had not shut down Customs until blanket midichlorian tests for all entering the country could be arranged. Did the Council even bother to evaluate Bailey Kipper's mental sanity before Exiling him?"

"Oh, yes." If there was another thing for the Grandmaster of the Order to pick up on, it was Keith's displeasure with the Council's recent judgment. "I stand in the middle of a densely populated city where practically everyone believes that Bailey Kipper is coming to murder them. Quite frankly, they would be correct, if the Parliament had not shut down Customs until blanket midichlorian tests for all entering the country could be arranged. Did the Council even bother to evaluate Bailey Kipper's mental sanity before Exiling him?"
"Unfortunately not." I gave Keith the answer. "We just kicked him out the door without any evaluation."

"Unfortunately not." I gave Keith the answer. "We just kicked him out the door without any evaluation."

"So the charges of the 'Four Minute Exile' that the media around here have leveled against you are correct, then." Knight Allaire resisted the urge to facepalm. "There are a lot of Woodians out here who believe that you released him so quickly to kill as many as he could. Many others believe that you did so to wash your hands of his blood. And yet I sense something, almost like you have already been informed he has done something dark since his Exile."

Keith shook his head disapprovingly. "I am well aware that Exile is the traditional punishment in such cases. However, Exiling him before evaluating him was damn reckless on your part, and you know it. What if he does not see Exile as punishment, or a chance to meditate, at all, but as an opportunity to unleash some sick, twisted revenge spree?"

"So the charges of the 'Four Minute Exile' that the media around here have leveled against you are correct, then." Knight Allaire resisted the urge to facepalm. "There are a lot of Woodians out here who believe that you released him so quickly to kill as many as he could. Many others believe that you did so to wash your hands of his blood. And yet I sense something, almost like you have already been informed he has done something dark since his Exile."

Keith shook his head disapprovingly. "I am well aware that Exile is the traditional punishment in such cases. However, Exiling him before evaluating him was damn reckless on your part, and you know it. What if he does not see Exile as punishment, or a chance to meditate, at all, but as an opportunity to unleash some sick, twisted revenge spree?"
Several members of the Council winced at the thought. Was there no end to the problem with Bailey Kipper? He could very well do it and the Council will have further headaches to look forward to.

Master Elendil sighed. "This is going to get worse than it'll get better. Since you know your nation better than we do, what do you propose we should do, Knight Allaire?"

Several members of the Council winced at the thought. Was there no end to the problem with Bailey Kipper? He could very well do it and the Council will have further headaches to look forward to.

Master Elendil sighed. "This is going to get worse than it'll get better. Since you know your nation better than we do, what do you propose we should do, Knight Allaire?"

"Well of course, if Woodians do hear of any further Bailey Kipper Atrocities, they will expect the Fallen One to be confined to a ysalmari cage for the rest of his life." Keith spat the words out in disgust, both with the actions of the Fallen One and the Jedi Council who so recklessly enabled him. "As to your reckless endangerment, as prideful as the Jedi Council is, it will have no choice but to humble itself if it wants the headaches to end. You..." Keith pointed his finger at the Council... "did something incredibly stupid with practically no deliberation at all, and innocent lives are in danger for it. If you wonder why Jedi were expelled so quickly, it was with the aim of keeping Bailey Kipper out of this country. This entire nation saw what you failed to see, and that includes a couple billion normals. Your political cowardice made you BLIND."

Keith sighed. An eerie silence hung in the air, as the Council absorbed his harsh words and Keith seemed to meditate, both to calm himself down and to consider what advice to give the Council. He noted who was present, and noticed for the first time that Master Whitfield was absent. He probably could have given better advice to the Council than Keith could; Keith wished his old Master was here, but he seemed to have gone, and Keith was stuck giving the best advice he could. He thoroughly searched his feelings, and got a really bad one in the pit of his stomach.

"Well..." Keith finally spoke again, calmer this time. "Aside from the obvious thing, returning the Fallen One to justice, probably the best you could do to Redeem yourselves in the eyes of Woodians is to invoke surkai for your reckless endangerment, alternatively, your enabling of any and all of Bailey's future crimes." Keith had chosen the word 'Redeem' carefully, for as the Council viewed Bailey Kipper as Fallen, Woodians viewed the Jedi Council as Fallen. "I sense Bailey has already confirmed his descent into the Dark Side; it is too late to escape this unscathed, I fear. Nevertheless, humility--something normally alien to this Council, I know, especially when exercised publicly--will serve you well. You must, if you are interested in repairing relations, publicly ask the Woodian People for forgiveness. The most reasonable ones see you in the role of a mental hospital warden who released a known serial killer out on the streets. It is, should the Council entertain doing right by the surviving family members of any Bailey Kipper Victims that turn up, also advised that compensation be made to survivors and dependents of those whom he murders before you can catch him. Apology over the manner of Admiral Aidan Zhukov's death is also probably a good idea, though his fate is now overshadowed by fear that his fate will be visited upon others, and be advised that there are a hell of a lot of Woodians asking uncomfortable questions as to why the Dark Side is taught to those who think it appropriate to use in an honor duel, after getting called on it."

Meanwhile, on Hoth...

There were searches afoot. High winds had suspended searches for a few hours, but now that said winds had died down, the searches had begun again. While Bailey tortured Samuel, Linda, and Herbert in his cave, the search for what had happened to those who called 911, only to have the connection cut off, with what sounded on the 911 recording like a phone getting crushed, was on.

During the downtime, technicians traced where the 911 call had come from, and found a frozen-over lake there. Searchers probed beneath the lake with equipment designed to detect organic materials, and shortly thereafter, cut open the ice and pulled out two frozen-to-death people. A couple, it looked like.

One of them had a crushed hand. And a crushed cellphone was found nearby on the lake floor. The evidence was damning. Falling into a lake did not crush cell phones and hands like that. Try as he might to cover it up as an accident, the Sith had been through here. The find was quickly reported back to the settlements. Fortunately for Bailey, the wind had blown over his tracks to the cave.

Meanwhile, the black spot in the white snow that the winds had uncovered was visible for miles in a snowspeeder. Overnight, the wind had blown the snow that Bailey had piled on his victim, off, into a snowdrift against a cliff. It was during the search for Bailey's hideout that the Black Blob was found. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that said Black Blob (who happened to be Samuel's mother, but the investigators didn't know that), had apparently fought off a Wampa, as its incinerated remains were found nearby. However, close inspection revealed the Black Blob to be a pile of ash, black goop, and finely crushed bone...of a human, and this, too, was quickly relayed back to the settlements, along with a DNA sample.

The Sith Bailey Kipper was here, somewhere.

"Well of course, if Woodians do hear of any further Bailey Kipper Atrocities, they will expect the Fallen One to be confined to a ysalmari cage for the rest of his life." Keith spat the words out in disgust, both with the actions of the Fallen One and the Jedi Council who so recklessly enabled him. "As to your reckless endangerment, as prideful as the Jedi Council is, it will have no choice but to humble itself if it wants the headaches to end. You..." Keith pointed his finger at the Council... "did something incredibly stupid with practically no deliberation at all, and innocent lives are in danger for it. If you wonder why Jedi were expelled so quickly, it was with the aim of keeping Bailey Kipper out of this country. This entire nation saw what you failed to see, and that includes a couple billion normals. Your political cowardice made you BLIND."

Keith sighed. An eerie silence hung in the air, as the Council absorbed his harsh words and Keith seemed to meditate, both to calm himself down and to consider what advice to give the Council. He noted who was present, and noticed for the first time that Master Whitfield was absent. He probably could have given better advice to the Council than Keith could; Keith wished his old Master was here, but he seemed to have gone, and Keith was stuck giving the best advice he could. He thoroughly searched his feelings, and got a really bad one in the pit of his stomach.

"Well..." Keith finally spoke again, calmer this time. "Aside from the obvious thing, returning the Fallen One to justice, probably the best you could do to Redeem yourselves in the eyes of Woodians is to invoke surkai for your reckless endangerment, alternatively, your enabling of any and all of Bailey's future crimes." Keith had chosen the word 'Redeem' carefully, for as the Council viewed Bailey Kipper as Fallen, Woodians viewed the Jedi Council as Fallen. "I sense Bailey has already confirmed his descent into the Dark Side; it is too late to escape this unscathed, I fear. Nevertheless, humility--something normally alien to this Council, I know, especially when exercised publicly--will serve you well. You must, if you are interested in repairing relations, publicly ask the Woodian People for forgiveness. The most reasonable ones see you in the role of a mental hospital warden who released a known serial killer out on the streets. It is, should the Council entertain doing right by the surviving family members of any Bailey Kipper Victims that turn up, also advised that compensation be made to survivors and dependents of those whom he murders before you can catch him. Apology over the manner of Admiral Aidan Zhukov's death is also probably a good idea, though his fate is now overshadowed by fear that his fate will be visited upon others, and be advised that there are a hell of a lot of Woodians asking uncomfortable questions as to why the Dark Side is taught to those who think it appropriate to use in an honor duel, after getting called on it."

I sighed. This is going to be a nasty one. "Thank you, Knight Allaire for your advice. We shall dismiss you now--"

Before we could do so, an off-screen knock came and an apprentice came in. "Masters, I'm sorry to disturb you, but it's an urgent message from the Coredian Embassy on White Diamond."

He gave the Prime Minister's letter to the Council Members, who all grew shocked and uneasy. Not only did Bailey continue to gnaw on them, but so did the Caprica Incident. Sheesh! It'll never end, would it?

"Actually, I take that back. The Prime Minister requests that our Embassy be searched due to the possibility of a repeat of the Caprica Incident." I sighed. "She suggested a Woodian Jedi be involved in the searching. Would you assist us in this matter, Colonel?"

I sighed. This is going to be a nasty one. "Thank you, Knight Allaire for your advice. We shall dismiss you now--"

Before we could do so, an off-screen knock came and an apprentice came in. "Masters, I'm sorry to disturb you, but it's an urgent message from the Coredian Embassy on White Diamond."

He gave the Prime Minister's letter to the Council Members, who all grew shocked and uneasy. Not only did Bailey continue to gnaw on them, but so did the Caprica Incident. Sheesh! It'll never end, would it?

"Actually, I take that back. The Prime Minister requests that our Embassy be searched due to the possibility of a repeat of the Caprica Incident." I sighed. "She suggested a Woodian Jedi be involved in the searching. Would you assist us in this matter, Colonel?"

"Whatever this is about, I sense it stems from all the trust that Coredia has thrown away in the last couple of days," Keith grumbled. "Just what exactly would I be searching for? And does the search extend to the consulates as well?"

"Whatever this is about, I sense it stems from all the trust that Coredia has thrown away in the last couple of days," Keith grumbled. "Just what exactly would I be searching for? And does the search extend to the consulates as well?"
I sighed. "Singularity bombs. And yeah, might as well search the consulates as well."

I sighed. "Singularity bombs. And yeah, might as well search the consulates as well."

"Aff," Knight Allaire acknowledged. "I have already committed to an interview in..." he looked at a clock offscreen... "sixteen and a half hours. To attempt to smooth your mistakes over, something which I did not have to commit to doing at all. It may take a couple of days for one person to get all of the consulates." He glared at the Councilmembers, especially Katrina and Tsunade, whom he knew to be prideful, and the Council knew that for Keith to volunteer for a session of media seppuku was a very big deal. Curtis and Sarinon, Keith did not know much about, but had he known about the pride of Dragons, Keith would've glared at Sarinon too. "A further word of advice. Do not couch an apology in diplomatic double-speak, as it will make you look insincere. Will there be anything else, Masters?"

"Aff," Knight Allaire acknowledged. "I have already committed to an interview in..." he looked at a clock offscreen... "sixteen and a half hours. To attempt to smooth your mistakes over, something which I did not have to commit to doing at all. It may take a couple of days for one person to get all of the consulates." He glared at the Councilmembers, especially Katrina and Tsunade, whom he knew to be prideful, and the Council knew that for Keith to volunteer for a session of media seppuku was a very big deal. Curtis and Sarinon, Keith did not know much about, but had he known about the pride of Dragons, Keith would've glared at Sarinon too. "A further word of advice. Do not couch an apology in diplomatic double-speak, as it will make you look insincere. Will there be anything else, Masters?"
"Yes. Do you know the whereabouts of Master Whitfield?" Elendil asked as Katrina and Tsunade glared back, refusing to give up on their pride. Looks like I will have to give them another talking-to. "He left Coredia a short while ago and didn't leave a message."

I looked to Sarinon. Who knew what the Dragon King thought about all this? He, like all dragons, have a strong measure of pride within them, but they also have their engimatic moments. Could this trigger one of them?

"Yes. Do you know the whereabouts of Master Whitfield?" Elendil asked as Katrina and Tsunade glared back, refusing to give up on their pride. Looks like I will have to give them another talking-to. "He left Coredia a short while ago and didn't leave a message."

Keith shot Katrina and Tsunade another glare before turning his full attention to Master Elendil's question. He did not answer immediately, but rather meditated for a moment, searching his feelings for his Master's presence. Finally, after a couple of moments of silence, he had to reply, "Neg. I cannot find his presence at all, anywhere. It appears he sought to withdraw. Are you sure that Master Whitfield failed to leave a message of any sort?" Keith asked the Masters. Keith had known him to be subtle sometimes...

Keith shot Katrina and Tsunade another glare before turning his full attention to Master Elendil's question. He did not answer immediately, but rather meditated for a moment, searching his feelings for his Master's presence. Finally, after a couple of moments of silence, he had to reply, "Neg. I cannot find his presence at all, anywhere. It appears he sought to withdraw. Are you sure that Master Whitfield failed to leave a message of any sort?" Keith asked the Masters. Keith had known him to be subtle sometimes...
Elendil searched his memory, then recalled that moment..."Ah, I believe he did. It was rather subtle. He said, 'May the Light return to you', clearly referring to the Council."

Even Katrina and Tsunade were taken aback by the message. From one as respected as Master Whifield, it was certainly a big bombshell to land on the Council. If Whitfield felt that the Council itself had darkened...well, it was certainly time for some soul-searching, wasn't it?

"Thank you, Colonel." I said. "We'll take your advice to heart. Hopefully, this Council will choose the right path. May the Force be with you!"

Elendil searched his memory, then recalled that moment..."Ah, I believe he did. It was rather subtle. He said, 'May the Light return to you', clearly referring to the Council."

Even Katrina and Tsunade were taken aback by the message. From one as respected as Master Whifield, it was certainly a big bombshell to land on the Council. If Whitfield felt that the Council itself had darkened...well, it was certainly time for some soul-searching, wasn't it?

"Thank you, Colonel." I said. "We'll take your advice to heart. Hopefully, this Council will choose the right path. May the Force be with you!"

Keith, without emotion, watched the reaction on the faces of the Councilors, the shock, the surprise. Of course, his Master's message to the Council was not surprising to him. Nor should it have been, if the philosophy concerning the Dark Side's use that he had noticed the Order embracing outside of Master Whitfield's teachings meant anything. Of course, given Keith's background, not even he would have been classified as Perfect Light, but he figured he was a damn lot closer than about half the Council. The manner in which Master Whitfield had decided to make his point did not surprise him too much, either.

"I suppose you have your answer as to what happened to Master Whitfield, then. May the Force also be with you." Because you will need it to sort out the sandtrap you have made, his mind added, disgustedly. The afterthought, he made damn sure not to share with the Council. "I will commence the embassy searches immediately, though I prefer to come unannounced." Keith wanted the searches to come unannounced, so that anyone hiding singularity bombs in the embassy/consulate would not have the advance warning to move them, but he wanted enough proof of authority so that the staff would follow the orders the Council had given him. Still, with all non-Woodian-citizen Jedi kicked out, he should have had enough authority on his own, because few if any embassy staff could stand up to a well-armed Jedi without other Jedi present, now that he was assured privately of the Council's blessings. "I would appreciate it if you just quietly transmitted a written order to me, that I can present to embassy staff upon arrival. If in fact there are singularity bombs where there should not be, I do not want to give those responsible advance warning to move them. Oh, and I commit media seppuku at four in the morning tomorrow, your time, if any of you are interested in watching." Knight Allaire gave the Council his customary 45 degree bow.

He left the feed on, leaving it up to the Jedi Council to dismiss him. The bow should have ended it, given the Council's earlier words, but they might have wanted to reveal the format of Keith's proof of orders, too. Keith looked at a clock outside of the Holo-image he projected to the Council; it was 3:45 in the morning. Keith sighed, he figured a good search of the consulates would take about six hours each; if he was incredibly efficient, he might get the embassy and two consulates before his appointment...

"A good idea, Knight Allaire." Master Elendil noted. "As the head of the Diplomatic Corps, I shall give the written notice. Please prepare a waiting datapad for transmit and printout."

He waved and a holographic keyboard appeared out of thin air, produced from another holographic projector from within the Council chambers. This is his order:

"By the Will of the Force, I, Jedi Master Armas Elendil, Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, Head of the Diplomatic Corps, do hereby give Jedi Knight Colonel Keith Allaire full authority to search the Coredian Embassy and its consulates in Evil Woody Thoughts in any way necessary. Disobey at your Peril!"

Jedi Master Armas Elendil

He then transmitted the order to Keith Allaire.

Keith quickly produced a datapad to receive Master Elendil's written order, pleased at the wide latitude afforded him for operational security. The order downloaded in less than a second, and then another object, a jammer about the size of a heavy blaster rifle and twice as heavy, flew into the Council's view on the holoprojection as Keith visibly prepared for his mission. "I will print out the order on my way off this base. Should you wish to leave me a message while the operation is in progress," Keith began as he clipped it to his utility belt, "leave it here, at the barracks. I will check back here when I pass through." He then proceeded to give the Council the relevant contact information, before adding, "If you attempt to send me a message directly, this jammer will probably intercept it. I intend to have it on the entire time I am searching. No messages in or out--otherwise, the other consulates get warned. I have nothing further, Masters." Keith bowed respectfully to the Council; by now, they knew that they probably shouldn't be holding him up on his mission, either. He left the transmission on for a few seconds for the Council to express its feelings and dismiss him, but was in no mood to waste time. He shut it off before changing uniforms.

Class A dress uniforms were a bit overkill for searching janitors' closets and plumbing, so Colonel Allaire changed into his battle dress. He quickly put his utility belt on, weighed down by the twenty-four kilo jammer on one side. Keith rummaged around for another one as ballast on the other side, not to mention the second one would add strength to the transmission jamming, and tightened his utility belt so that the weight would not sag the belt so much that gravity could make a nuisance out of it. It was uncomfortable, but it could have been worse, much worse. His lightsabers and blaster felt like feathers compared to the combined weight of the two jammers.

Of course, there was also the naginata that Jacob Masaki had refined for him a bit less than a year ago. In this case, Keith suspected its use would come not as a weapon, but in using the blunt end of its shaft to inspect flooring and walls for hollow sounds that would betray the existence of trapdoors, hidden compartments, and whatnot, places that otherwise would make excellent places to conceal nasty little things like singularity bombs. As he by now had had the opportunity to develop his geokinetic senses, and could sense vibrations in the ground, he might be able to get away with poking the ground floor maybe in only a few different spots, but the walls and upper levels would require a lot more thorough inspection to weed out the secret compartments, indeed. Considering the thing weighed nearly as much as both of the jammers combined, and that he would be using it a lot in the next couple of days to flesh out those pesky secret rooms and compartments, this mission was going to provide him with lots of exercise indeed. He sheathed the thing in its saya, then mounted the saya across his back.

And, with that, Colonel Allaire left, and walked down the barracks hall to a common office, whereupon he printed out a few copies of Master Armas Elendil's order. He wasted no further time. A quick *pop* disappeared the Colonel, and all of his gear.

He reappeared on the Coredian Embassy grounds at 4:02 in the morning, local time, and the very first thing he did was switch on both of the jammers. The second thing he did was show his identification to the security guards on duty, followed by a copy of the Council's order. "Rouse every soul on this Embassy for inspection. There are to be NO transmissions, inbound or outbound, from this Embassy while the inspection occurs," Keith ordered the guards, his voice leaving no room for objection, and coming out sounding about as stern as Darth Vader.

----------------

OOC: CW, don't forget, the Council still has much to discuss as well.

He reappeared on the Coredian Embassy grounds at 4:02 in the morning, local time, and the very first thing he did was switch on both of the jammers. The second thing he did was show his identification to the security guards on duty, followed by a copy of the Council's order. "Rouse every soul on this Embassy for inspection. There are to be NO transmissions, inbound or outbound, from this Embassy while the inspection occurs," Keith ordered the guards, his voice leaving no room for objection, and coming out sounding about as stern as Darth Vader.

"Yes, sir! We'll rouse the staff immediately!" The guards saluted as soon as they saw the orders and moved swiftly to rouse the staff, including the Ambassador, who was ushered out in a robe and night gown and even had bunny slippers.

"What's going on here?" The sleepy-eyed Ambassador groaned as he wiped sleep from his eyes.


=====

So there it was. We closed off the connection to Keith's holoprojector with a 'may the Force be with you' but we have opened yet another door with Keith's advice.

"Well. It appears to me that Keith's advice makes sense." I mused quietly. "Let's try some humble pie for once."

"How can we let someone like that, a mere Colonel, dictate what we can do?" Katrina sputtered.

"How can we not? Our pride has brought us this far. Can we afford to allow it to take us further?" I exuded calm when I said that, laced with a deadly steel. "If a mere Colonel could see what we, the High Council could not, what more can those who are like the grass see? What faults would they be able to spot?"

"This Council has a choice. Either we continue on the path we are on and allow people to suffer even more, or we can choose a different path, a path of humility and open the road to healing." I said, getting up. "I will give this Council twelve hours to decide. Until then, may the Light return to us."

My final words were like a slap in their faces as I echoed Jedi Master Whitfield's sentiment. As I walked out of the Council chambers on Issus, I could feel a cauldron of emotion rolling out of my colleagues, especially my wife and the Hokage. The next twelve hours should be interesting indeed...

"Yes, sir! We'll rouse the staff immediately!" The guards saluted as soon as they saw the orders and moved swiftly to rouse the staff, including the Ambassador, who was ushered out in a robe and night gown and even had bunny slippers.

"What's going on here?" The sleepy-eyed Ambassador groaned as he wiped sleep from his eyes.

"Ambassador Jacques Versailles." Keith bowed slightly, though he had a look on his face that could have wilted the plants of Katrina Masaki herself. He pulled out the orders that he had received from the Jedi Council. "I want this entire embassy searched, now, for singularity weapons and similar-class items forbidden by the Embassy Agreement with Evil Woody Thoughts. Per order of Master Armas Elendil, of course. There are to be NO transmissions in or out. No one comes in, no one leaves."

Then, much to the horror of the Ambassador and embassy staff, Colonel Allaire reached back for his naginata. Thankfully, they could breathe a small sigh of relief when the Colonel did not point it at anyone, but simply held it at a perfectly perpendicular angle to the floor in front of his feet. He held the blunt end of it about nine inches above the ground, leaving the embassy staff to wonder what in Coredia he was up to.

The naginata suddenly dropped, making a heavy metallic *thud* as the blunt end struck the floor. To Keith, that thud was quite useful, as it produced vibrations in the ground that allowed him to discern whether or not the ground underneath was, in fact ground, or whether it had been hollowed out, as if a basement, or worse, a secret area, had been built underneath. "NOTHING shall escape my notice," he demanded, "no basement, no secret compartment, no trapdoor, no hiding place for Forbidden Weapons shall be left unturned. I have the ability to use the vibrations in the ground from dropping this as sonar, so do not deceive yourself into thinking such areas will be hidden for long." He would have to give the upper stories a more thorough poking with this however. "Again, NO TRANSMISSIONS."

The Ambassador would normally have objected to the breach of sovereignity if it weren't for the written note by the Headmaster of the Order himself. Even so, he jumped at Keith's demands and may well have given in anyway. And so did his staff. In the end, the combination of Keith's demands and the horrifying repeat of a second Caprica Incident ensured that Keith Allaire would be unhindered in his search. "Of course, Master Jedi. Search away."

Little did the Ambassador know that the search would soon bear fruit...

OOC: This is the point where that spy should enter.

OOC: Agreed to by myself and CW.

Apparently, the order of “no transmissions” failed to reach someone, or apparently said someone chose to thumb his nose at said Jedi. At any point, Colonel Allaire was busy poking the walls, looking for hidden rooms to search, while the embassy personnel around him searched every nook and cranny for forbidden WMDs, motivated by fear of his wrath, when everyone around him heard a sharp chirping sound. Keith immediately looked down on the LED lights on his jammers, and found flashing yellow ones.

Which meant they had blocked a transmission in the last few seconds. The look of steel on Keith’s face betrayed what had just happened to the staff, many of whom took several steps back as the generalized thought of “Oh, shi—” set in. However, Keith used his Jedi senses to find a much sharper variant of that thought, the thought of failure of the person who had attempted to send the transmission to his handlers warning of what was happening.

CRAP! The spy’s thoughts were far sharper than the generalized feeling of “I hope I am not the one about to get pwned” amongst the general embassy staff. Somewhere on the third floor, someone facepalmed, even though Keith was two floors below him. But of course, with Keith being a Jedi…

Embassy workers parted to clear Keith a path up the stairs as he moved swiftly to deal with the one who couldn’t follow orders. The spy heard his footsteps when he reached the third floor. “NOOOOOO!”

Of course, the cry attracted Keith’s attention to that room. "Is something wrong?" he asked, in a polite tone of voice that belied the need to deal with someone who couldn’t be bothered following orders.

"Uh...uh...no!" However, feelings of sheer fear and terror radiated forth from the spy for anyone with any sense to pick them up. Even a normal could have seen the fear on his face.

"Are you sure?" Keith sensed a lot of nervousness, and deceit, in the voice.

"No, Master Jedi."

"You were attempting a transmission, were you not?"

"No, sir."

Of course, Keith noticed the communications equipment nearby, and walked over to pull up its logs. He really didn’t like being lied to. Meanwhile, the spy sobbed in terror, knowing his exposure was imminent. The sobbing by itself was a dead giveaway. Never mind when the logs confirmed he was lying, as if Keith’s Jedi senses were not enough. Keith copied the last two hours of the logs to his datapad, and meanwhile, the Force whipped the spy’s body like a doll in a tornado as Keith abruptly telekinetically froze the spy, then flipped him upside down.

"Aah. Let me go, bastard!" Realising he was exposed, his true colors showed. Keith held him tighter, so tight that his jaw closed and locked in place. He was not exactly in a mood to suffer treacherous fools at the moment. Unfortunately, spies like him had ways of ending themselves...and the jaw clenched a tiny capsule in his mouth, releasing a deadly poison, but even that was not enough. Keith, his senses alert for anything that might compromise a good, thorough interrogation, telekinetically opened his jaw just enough to pull the capsule, and the poison, out. Which, of course made the spy sob harder, out of fear, terror, and a complete, utter sense of failure and helplessness.

Keith jerked the spy along with him as he returned downstairs obviously not pleased. When he returned, he found various embassy staff nervously whispering to each other, and cast them a glare that silenced them instantly. “Someone does not know how to follow orders,” Keith said brusquely, giving the spy a look that suggested that death would have been overly merciful. “I will hold him in place as we finish the search. I will remove him to the Coredian military base on Terra as soon as the search is complete. Let Admiral Basque deal with him." Well, I guess by necessity, the first consulate to be searched is the one at Eheayana...


"Spy. A damn stinking rat of a spy!" the Ambassador spat out as soon as he learned of this.

At this point, a strange smell seemed to emanate from the spy and his pants grew wet. Alas, the public humiliation of the spy begins! The embassy staff struggled between amusement at the spy's predicament, anger at the spy for being a spy, and almost-pity at Keith's treatment of the spy. It would be better for death to come to the spy, but alas, it would not, so long as Keith held him in his grip.

"Dishonorable scum." At this point, the spy felt one of his arms twisting painfully backwards as Keith used the Force to force it far more back than the shoulder joints would normally allow, until he heard assorted popping sounds of distress from the joint. Compounding the spy's suddenly very painful public humiliation problem, Keith separated his legs until the spy was doing a banana split in the air. The Jedi, none too pleased with the spy's own thoughts, then flipped him back upright, kneed him in the balls, and then, for a fraction of a second, released the spy from his telekinesis.

He released him, only so the natural reflex of crying out and grabbing his balls could kick in. Less than a half second later, he was telekinetically re-restrained, Keith moving his arms back to painful positions at will. He glared at the embassy staff. "Resume the search, and do not disobey orders again," he scowled. Meanwhile, the poison pill, and half-dissolved cyanide powder that Keith had pulled from the spy's mouth, floated in the middle of the air. "Also, find me a pillbox or something to put this in, for evidence." He glared at some random embassy worker/victim. "Please," he added, realizing he had forgotten his manners. "I will be around."

Before said worker had found a suitable container, Keith picked up his naginata again so he could continue to flesh out secret compartments by listening for hollow sounds, jerking the spy around behind him so as not to leave him unattended...

OOC: CW, there any such classified areas that the embassy staff doesn't necessarily know about but that Keith would find in such a manner?

As the frightened embassy worker scrambled to find a suitable container for the evidence and the spy moaned in pain, Keith Allaire got to work searching for contraband in the Embassy. While he would find none, there are several secret compartments built into the basement, as well as a fake wall that hid an escape route should the normal entrance be compromised. Luckily, they weren't used for anything more sinister than extra space...

In the meantime, he was beset by looks of horror from embassy personnel at what he did to the spy. Well, something that looked like a mix of horror and amusement, although it was hard to tell considering that Keith did, at least openly, what was normally reserved for 'Gitmo' style prisons, and the fact that he was a Jedi that did it only made the horror more potent. Jedi aren't supposed to do such things!

Colonel Allaire found the two basements easily enough, and had searched both of them within a half hour. The horror of the onlookers, he found easy enough to ignore. Though Keith wasn't exactly being mushy lightside at the moment (training as a Woodian military officer did have its harsher elements, after all), he knew he stopped far short of what the Empire did, using Dark Jedi and Sith as agents. Keith knew the horror of the onlookers did not take into account that the spy would soon find himself in a Gitmo-type prison, just as soon as Keith had a spare moment to deliver spy up to the proper authorities. At no point was the spy's life in any remote danger. Of course, for the spy, that presented a problem.

Though Keith searched every square inch of the basements, he found nothing out of the ordinary. Fifteen minutes after he came back up, and pocketed a neatly packaged-in-pillbox cyanide pill with the spy's incriminating saliva in it from a very nervous and fearful staffer, he found the emergency exit by gently poking the blunt end of his weapon into a wall and sensing that it was, indeed, a false wall. A search of the revealed pathways, however, revealed nothing, but it did reveal to the embassy workers that Keith was intent on searching every damn square inch of this place.

Meanwhile, the spy continued to watch from his vantage point that fluctuated between two and three feet in the air, completely unable to move or comment. Though Keith did briefly entertain loosening his grip on the spy's jaw, to allow him to briefly speak. He decided against it, however...

As Keith went searching, the Ambassador managed to steal some coffee and calm down after Keith's initial pwnage upon the spy. Speaking of the spy...

The Ambassador noted that the spy was still floating in the air as Keith was rooting through the embassy on a quest to find contraband. He called to Keith wryly. "You do realize that we have a detention room in the attic, yes?"

As Keith went searching, the Ambassador managed to steal some coffee and calm down after Keith's initial pwnage upon the spy. Speaking of the spy...

The Ambassador noted that the spy was still floating in the air as Keith was rooting through the embassy on a quest to find contraband. He called to Keith wryly. "You do realize that we have a detention room in the attic, yes?"

"Oh?" Keith turned around from his search, his voice genuinely curious. "I was unaware of detention facilities here. Would you mind taking the two of us so he can be otherwise restrained? I do not exactly like having to drag oozing hate and fear with me everywhere I go, for the sake of making sure the spy complies with restraint."

"But of course, Master Jedi." The Ambassador bowed slightly, careful not to spill his coffee. To make a long story short, he led the Knight and his prisoner through the embassy halls and up a lift to the attic, where a simple cell awaited the spy. Then the Ambassador took out a special keycard and opened the cell with a swipe of his card. "Toss the bastard in there."

Keith simply nodded to the Ambassador as the spy almost flew into the back wall of the cell. Not quite, however, Keith didn't want to be on the hook for paralyzing him; the spy stopped a few inches short. Keith tightened his grip on the spy slightly and cast him a dirty look, shaking his head in the process. "Enjoy, dishonorable scum." The Jedi then released the traitor, so abruptly that there was nothing for his body to do but crumple to the floor. Keith then closed the door and asked the Ambassador to lock it, before he had to forcibly restrain the spy again.

For the first time in more than an hour, the spy could actually move his body and speak at will...

Meanwhile, on Hoth...

There were searches afoot. High winds had suspended searches for a few hours, but now that said winds had died down, the searches had begun again. While Bailey tortured Samuel, Linda, and Herbert in his cave, the search for what had happened to those who called 911, only to have the connection cut off, with what sounded on the 911 recording like a phone getting crushed, was on.

During the downtime, technicians traced where the 911 call had come from, and found a frozen-over lake there. Searchers probed beneath the lake with equipment designed to detect organic materials, and shortly thereafter, cut open the ice and pulled out two frozen-to-death people. A couple, it looked like.

One of them had a crushed hand. And a crushed cellphone was found nearby on the lake floor. The evidence was damning. Falling into a lake did not crush cell phones and hands like that. Try as he might to cover it up as an accident, the Sith had been through here. The find was quickly reported back to the settlements. Fortunately for Bailey, the wind had blown over his tracks to the cave.

Meanwhile, the black spot in the white snow that the winds had uncovered was visible for miles in a snowspeeder. Overnight, the wind had blown the snow that Bailey had piled on his victim, off, into a snowdrift against a cliff. It was during the search for Bailey's hideout that the Black Blob was found. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that said Black Blob (who happened to be Samuel's mother, but the investigators didn't know that), had apparently fought off a Wampa, as its incinerated remains were found nearby. However, close inspection revealed the Black Blob to be a pile of ash, black goop, and finely crushed bone...of a human, and this, too, was quickly relayed back to the settlements, along with a DNA sample.

The Sith Bailey Kipper was here, somewhere.

Meanwhile, on Hoth...

It was time. Time for the authorities on this remote winter wonderland resort to report the bodies that had turned up. Given the evidence, a travel advisory suggesting that Woodians stay away from Hoth, for their own safety, of course, was probably also a good idea. While police easily identified the bodies pulled out of the lake (Bailey had, after all, only Crushed the hand with the cell phone in it), thanks to intact ID pulled out of the victims' pockets, the black goop found near the dead wampa was another story. Bailey had so thoroughly Crushed his victim that even the DNA was damaged, leaving the police to search for some isolated toenail, or ANYTHING, where the DNA was good enough for a test. It was even impossible to tell whether or not the black pile of goop had been male or female. The local authorities alerted the local resorts to note missing persons who did not return to their rooms overnight.

Meanwhile, that travel advisory, oh, yes. As to whether or not to evacuate the existing tourists...who knew what Bailey would do? One problem, the next transport off this rock wasn't scheduled to arrive for more than twelve hours. Yes, even though Hoth was developed as a resort now, the iceball planet was still quite remote. One of the detectives on the case typed up a dispatch identifying the victims, submitted pictures of the victims (including the pile of black, Force Crushed goo, with a graphic picture warning attached), and put it on the Woodian Press Agency wire as a Travel Advisory Alert.

It took less than a minute for the Woodian News Network to pick up the wire story from distant Hoth. "We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for this breaking news report," a random anchor who had not quite made it to the 6 AM news prime time, yet who just happened to be in front of the Holonet camera, broke in. "Three bodies have turned up on Hoth, two of them with evidence of Force Crush. Two of the victims are reported to have been pulled out of a frozen lake, identified as Terry and Joan Tlaska of Godfrey, Neyata Province. A Force Crushed phone was found on the lakebed floor, and Terry Tlaska is reported to have had a Force Crushed hand. The third victim, authorities have not been able to identify. Detectives report they cannot even get an adequate DNA sample. Pictures just in...we have to warn you, the pictures are graphic..."

The pictures aired, and within a moment, the Bailey Bounty counter on the bottom of the screen jumped well over fifty billion credits, totaling 347.68 billion credits for proof of Bailey's death by the executioner's hand. With proof that he had killed three innocent people within a day of his release, and considering it was only the start of the business day in Evil Woody Thoughts, a bounty exceeding a trillion had to be a realistic possibility by sundown...

Meanwhile, a quiet cauldron of anger, disappointment, disgust, and a general sense of mass hurling welled up amongst the Woodian populace, and Keith sensed it immediately as he shut the detention cell door to lock the spy in. He walked over to the Ambassador, and quietly whispered in his ear, "I sense the media has just reported that the Fallen One has killed innocents." He said nothing more.

The inevitable protesters were too disgusted to repeat the raucous chants of the day before. Instead, they mixed ketchup with water before leaving, until it had about the same thickness and consistency of human blood. Many then splashed their hands in it, to symbolize the blood of innocents on the Council's hands, the Jedi Council being, in their eyes, accomplices to the three reported murders. Even the retired judge that a random journalist found on the streets, when asked about the Fallen One Murders, replied, "The Jedi Council should be immediately charged with three counts of reckless endangerment resulting in death."

Unlike the day before, the protests were made in a sickening, somber silence; they were just as much a memorial as a protest over the Jedi Council's Fall. As the embassy was pretty much closed for the search, and walled off, those on the lower floors, unable to see over the walls, might not even notice. However, the Woodian News Network did air internationally, and it was only a matter of time before word of the Fallen One's crimes spread to Dornalia and Coredia...

Meanwhile, a quiet cauldron of anger, disappointment, disgust, and a general sense of mass hurling welled up amongst the Woodian populace, and Keith sensed it immediately as he shut the detention cell door to lock the spy in. He walked over to the Ambassador, and quietly whispered in his ear, "I sense the media has just reported that the Fallen One has killed innocents." He said nothing more.
The Ambassador would have facepalmed if it weren't for the coffee in his hands. "Great. Just great. Now my job's going to get even harder!"

=====

"Damn, this is big news." GNN Anchor Head Terry Williams whispered as he saw the Woodian News report from Hoth. The executive producer then began orchestrating his staff like a military camp. "Get me WNN! I want to verify those statements! Issue Breaking News warnings to the affiliates! Terry, as soon as we get verification..."

"I know." Terry nodded, then sighed. "Damn. The Council is going to be creamed over this..."

As GNN worked hard to break the news on the Coredian side, the High Council were in meditation, each member asking the Force for assistance when they felt a great welling of anger and disgust from the direction of Evil Woody Thoughts. Something had happened...

The Ambassador would have facepalmed if it weren't for the coffee in his hands. "Great. Just great. Now my job's going to get even harder!"

OOC: You forgot teh spai! Hope you don't mind if I fill in the blanks a little bit.

--------------------

Keith ignored the spy's ranting and raving about how Keith mistreated him, about how he had been tortured, about how he was soooooo going to pwn Keith in revenge. The latter merely caused the Jedi to roll his eyes, and wonder why he had not been harsher. Oh, well, at least he was locked up. For now, Keith ignored him.

"Let us go back downstairs, shall we?" Keith suggested to the Ambassador. "This is a spy and a traitor over there, after all, within earshot. But suffice it to say that the difficulty of your job in the near future is directly dependent on what the Council chooses to do with my advice."

"Damn, this is big news." GNN Anchor Head Terry Williams whispered as he saw the Woodian News report from Hoth. The executive producer then began orchestrating his staff like a military camp. "Get me WNN! I want to verify those statements! Issue Breaking News warnings to the affiliates! Terry, as soon as we get verification..."

"I know." Terry nodded, then sighed. "Damn. The Council is going to be creamed over this..."

The Woodian news networks were more than happy to provide Galactic News with the contact information for the Hoth authorities, as well as provide verbatim copies of the travel warnings against going to Hoth originating from the Woodian Government. Meanwhile, they broadcast live interviews with the protesters, hands dripping in mock blood, right outside of the Coredian Embassy, who demanded justice for the three known counts of reckless homicide...

As GNN worked hard to break the news on the Coredian side, the High Council were in meditation, each member asking the Force for assistance when they felt a great welling of anger and disgust from the direction of Evil Woody Thoughts. Something had happened...

Upon searching their feelings further, the Council would learn that "that mere Colonel," as Katrina had called him, had been correct. That their political cowardice had indeed cost innocent lives. That flipping on the news would, indeed, provide them with the specifics, including the fact that one of the victims had been so thoroughly and gruesomely crushed that even DNA identification was thought to be impossible.

Visions flashed through their minds. Of the victims. Of the young kid who directly witnessed the Crushing of his mother, the one that was unidentifiable. What had happened to him, what would the Force did not reveal. That another of the victims had had his hand crushed, along with his phone, while calling for help. And then promptly drowned.

And then the protesters. Quiet, letting the mock blood dripping from their hands speak for itself. Yes, indeed. The Council had blood on its hands.

OOC: You forgot teh spai! Hope you don't mind if I fill in the blanks a little bit.

--------------------

Keith ignored the spy's ranting and raving about how Keith mistreated him, about how he had been tortured, about how he was soooooo going to pwn Keith in revenge. The latter merely caused the Jedi to roll his eyes, and wonder why he had not been harsher. Oh, well, at least he was locked up. For now, Keith ignored him.

"Let us go back downstairs, shall we?" Keith suggested to the Ambassador. "This is a spy and a traitor over there, after all, within earshot. But suffice it to say that the difficulty of your job in the near future is directly dependent on what the Council chooses to do with my advice."
"I hope the Council does the right thing. I really do." The Ambassador said as they headed down the stairs. His words were laced with sorrow and hope at the same time.

The Woodian news networks were more than happy to provide Galactic News with the contact information for the Hoth authorities, as well as provide verbatim copies of the travel warnings against going to Hoth originating from the Woodian Government. Meanwhile, they broadcast live interviews with the protesters, hands dripping in mock blood, right outside of the Coredian Embassy, who demanded justice for the three known counts of reckless homicide...
"Got it! WNN just gave us the story!" The producer yelled and then rushed to the backroom with his staff to edit the Woodian news in time for the 10:00 news. In the meantime, the Breaking News continued blaring and some news channels began showing Woodian clips.

Then...

Fancy music and the GNN logo blared on holonet screens all over the galaxy.

"This is GNN, with your host, Terry Williams!" Announced the announcer.

"I'm Terry Williams and tonight's story: Chaos on the Ice Planet of Hoth!" Terry spoke, as a picture of Hoth with red blood on it was in the background. "Thanks to sources within Woodian circles, we have confirmed that three people have been killed and at least one more missing at a Woodian ski resort on the planet of Hoth. Hoth, as you know, was a planet that was supposedly deserted by the Rebellion years ago, but it seems that it has been revived by Woodian ski enthusiasts as a resort planet. While it remains to be seen who did it, a huge amount of speculation surrounds former Jedi Knight Bailey Kipper as the culprit. Bailey, as you know, was a Jedi who killed one of the Woodian Admirals using the Force Crush technique, one of the darkest in the Force-using arsenal. GNN left a message with the High Council, but so far, they could not be reached for comment..."

Upon searching their feelings further, the Council would learn that "that mere Colonel," as Katrina had called him, had been correct. That their political cowardice had indeed cost innocent lives. That flipping on the news would, indeed, provide them with the specifics, including the fact that one of the victims had been so thoroughly and gruesomely crushed that even DNA identification was thought to be impossible.

Visions flashed through their minds. Of the victims. Of the young kid who directly witnessed the Crushing of his mother, the one that was unidentifiable. What had happened to him, what would the Force did not reveal. That another of the victims had had his hand crushed, along with his phone, while calling for help. And then promptly drowned.

And then the protesters. Quiet, letting the mock blood dripping from their hands speak for itself. Yes, indeed. The Council had blood on its hands.
The Council was horrified at the visions. Bailey Kipper has indeed done what they most feared, what the Woodians said they would do. Even Tsunade and Katrina, those two hardline members of the Council, regretted allowing Bailey Kipper to run free. The Dragon Sarinon was not amused either, as he was losing a possible lucrative market.

It was time for surkai.

When we returned to the Council Chambers twelve hours later, we drank all we could on the holonet news and the editorials from all over the galaxy. You wouldn't believe how angry people, not just Woodians, but our own, were at our foolishness. It almost made me cry.

"Well?" I asked sternly. "What have we decided?"

"We...we must ask our Woodian allies for forgiveness." I heard Katrina speak quietly. She and I had quite a row last night over the issue, but in the end, I beat down her plants and told her off...


I stood among many electrocuted and burned plants, trying to ignore the mushroom gnawing on my head. "I'm sorry, Katrina, but this time, I must put my foot down. The Empress can afford to be humble once in a while! You can't let your pride drag down the rest of the nation, because that's not the way a Masaki rules!"

"Well, why don't you take back the title?! I'm only taking care of the throne because you decided to be noble!" Katrina yelled, throwing a yowling mandrake at me.

KZZZZT! The mandrake was electrocuted and joined the other plants.

I smiled thinly. "It's my nature to be noble, my dear. Isn't that why you married me? Besides, you could do with a dose of humility. Your head is swelling up already."

That pissed her off. "DANIEL! I'll make you into fertilizer for that!" A crack of a Rose Whip, and I narrowly avoided being stuck by thorns.

Then her hand was covered with mine, I tore the whip from her and I leaned on her, pushing her on a sofa. "Not this time, my dear. Not this time." I said with a smile, then it went away. "Humility is knowing when to swallow your pride and admit your faults. Can you admit fault with our treatment or lack thereof of the Fallen One?"

Katrina humphed and looked away. Her mind churned as she mulled over the idea. She was a very prideful woman and I wondered if she could put it aside long enough to ask forgiveness of the Woodians. Then, to my pleasant surprise, she sighed heavily. "I admit fault with the Fallen One. It was stupid of us to send him away so fast."

I sighed in relief. One down.

"But you're still sleeping on the couch until my plants are healed!"

Damn it.

"We admit fault, Daniel." Master Elendil sighed.

"I cannot be Hokage if I cannot learn from my own mistakes." Tsunade said.

"This should be the beginning of the end of our darkness. Let us excise it now." Master Blayden nodded.

"Even Dragons can admit faults, but don't make me do this again." King Sarinon said grudgingly.

"Well, it's about time the Council get its stuff together." Master Curtis nodded once.

From New Dornalia, Master Lowbacca spoke as well. "<Indeed. I cannot emphasize how much we need to seek forgiveness. Especially me. I was the one who pushed for his Exile, all too quickly.>"

"I agree with Master Blayden. The sooner we seek this surkai, the sooner we excise our darkness." Master Rydo nodded.

"Yes, Daniel. Let's not waste any further time." Katrina nodded.

"Very well. It is unanimous." At last, the Council agreed on something that was good. "Let us inform the media, then..."

When the news of the events on Hoth reached Mr. Jensen, he knew his worst fears had been confirmed. Picking up his phone, he then said, "Mr. K, how is that search for Mercenaries? People's Acolytes?"

A garbled voice on the other end said, "We have gathered up some from the Underground, sir. They are Forcepowered, some of them, and others at least claim to be the best shootists we know. As for the latter, we have a squad of them from the Las Vegas Temple, from the National School."

Jensen then said sternly, "Good. I want them sent to Hoth ASAP. I want them to find Mr. Kipper, and kill him dead. Now. My daughter's life is at stake."

"Yes, Mr. Jensen. Will do."

As he hung up his phone, a couple of Toyota S-2000 shuttles lifted off from McCarran International in Las Vegas, and made their course to Hoth.....

"I hope the Council does the right thing. I really do." The Ambassador said as they headed down the stairs. His words were laced with sorrow and hope at the same time.

OOC: Only responding to this for now, other stuff will go in the new thread you intend to make. Well, I'm mostly only responding to this for now. The fact of the matter is that Bailey Kipper has lots of opportunities to torture in twelve hours' time!:D

--------------

"They had better do the right thing," Keith scowled as he went downstairs to resume the search. He was almost done with the ground floor, but the embassy needed to be searched top to bottom. Of course, as he had already managed to scare shitless most of the workers at one point or another during the search, he had little difficulty 'motivating' them to help out a bit. Besides, the workers didn't know what he had done to the poor spy out of their view. They didn't need to know that the answer was "little if anything," either.

After the first floor was searched, so was the second. And third. And attic. Keith's tendency to poke the walls with his spear, not to mention the floors, to make sure that there were no other false walls the ambassador was either not telling him about, or did not know of, meant the search took a couple of hours per floor. Keith ignored the grumbling from the staff; orders from the Jedi Council were orders from the Jedi Council. Keith had no intention of suffering a Black Hole Bomb go off in the capital of his home nation because he overlooked some damned cranny. Usually, a quick glare alone turned out to be enough to 'persuade' a reluctant embassy worker to shut up. Even after he searched the building, he went outside to search the courtyards and whatnot.

When at last he was finished with the search, he assembled everyone except Teh Spai in a large room on the third floor. "There are to be NO transmissions in or out, for the next sixty-six hours, including couriers. For those of you who cannot do math, that is two standard days and eighteen standard hours from now. The sole exception that I am allowing you is to watch one Holovision set, over landline cable, inbound transmission only. Nothing outbound, and I will be damned if you transmit anything to a consulate. Disobey, and I will not be pleased, as I shall return to check the transmission logs. I caught one spy. Pray you are not the next I catch." Colonel Allaire cast a suspicious-looking glare at the assembled staff before going up to retrieve Teh Spai.

Teh Spai found himself abruptly telekinetically held up, and shut up, totally immobilized, as Keith extracted him from his prison cell. Unceremoniously, Keith physically grabbed his wrist and teleported to a Woodian military base with him, careful to get him on an outbound shuttle as soon as possible, without letting him see much of anything. The Jedi unceremoniously bounced him off the shuttle's metal plating to get him inside its door, before lifting off.

Before jumping into hyperspace, Keith sent a transmission to the Jedi Council (OOC: about five hours before they would've reconvened), making sure to hold and restrain Teh Spai such that he faced away from Keith's keypad. He kept it short, and to the point.

I finished searching the Main Embassy Complex in Great Woody City a few moments ago. I still need to search the consulates. Though I did not find singularity weapons at the main embassy, my search did yield a spy who attempted to send a warning to his handlers after I gave the order for no transmissions. I ordered the embassy to close for 66 hours so that it does not notify the consulates to prepare to be searched. I am turning over the spy to Admiral Basque for now, and request that he be kept alive at least long enough for me to complete my mission, such that I can personally interrogate him after the mission is complete.

/signed

COL Keith Allaire

As soon as he transmitted the encrypted message, he jumped into hyperspace for the short ride to Earth, whereupon he called Coredian Space Traffic Control for permission to land "at that rumored mountain installation, to personally deliver a present to Admiral Basque..."

------------------------------

When the news of the events on Hoth reached Mr. Jensen, he knew his worst fears had been confirmed. Picking up his phone, he then said, "Mr. K, how is that search for Mercenaries? People's Acolytes?"

A garbled voice on the other end said, "We have gathered up some from the Underground, sir. They are Forcepowered, some of them, and others at least claim to be the best shootists we know. As for the latter, we have a squad of them from the Las Vegas Temple, from the National School."

Jensen then said sternly, "Good. I want them sent to Hoth ASAP. I want them to find Mr. Kipper, and kill him dead. Now. My daughter's life is at stake."

"Yes, Mr. Jensen. Will do."

As he hung up his phone, a couple of Toyota S-2000 shuttles lifted off from McCarran International in Las Vegas, and made their course to Hoth.....

Dawn, Hoth

Of course, Samuel hadn't been able to sleep last night. The couple of brief, half-hour-at-best naps he had managed turned into complete nightmares. Some of the Sith doing the same thing to him that he had done to his mother. Oh, yes. Fear. (http://www.despair.com/fear.html) Little Samuel's mind was rife with it.

Of course, little did Bailey know that the Acolytes were already on his trail. Upon their arrival on Hoth, the local authorities promptly provided them with everything they knew, including the origin of one aborted 911 signal, originating from where the Woodian couple had been found drowned in the lake, with the Force-crushed hand which had obviously been holding the Force-crushed phone that searchers retrieved from the lake bed. They also provided with the Acolytes with the origin of another call (thank you cell phone tracking technology!) originating from a rare Dornalian citizen on Hoth, in the same vicinity...

Little did the Acolytes know that Bailey Kipper was more than adequately prepared to deal with them...

Dawn, Hoth

Of course, Samuel hadn't been able to sleep last night. The couple of brief, half-hour-at-best naps he had managed turned into complete nightmares. Some of the Sith doing the same thing to him that he had done to his mother. Oh, yes. Fear. Little Samuel's mind was rife with it.

Of course, little did Bailey know that the Acolytes were already on his trail. Upon their arrival on Hoth, the local authorities promptly provided them with everything they knew, including the origin of one aborted 911 signal, originating from where the Woodian couple had been found drowned in the lake, with the Force-crushed hand which had obviously been holding the Force-crushed phone that searchers retrieved from the lake bed. They also provided with the Acolytes with the origin of another call (thank you cell phone tracking technology!) originating from a rare Dornalian citizen on Hoth, in the same vicinity...

Little did the Acolytes know that Bailey Kipper was more than adequately prepared to deal with them...

...and that the vaunted "Mercenaries" and "Acolytes" sent by the Jensen Design Bureau consisted of a squad of newbies fresh out of Novitiate training, and lot of gun-crazed, overconfidents who felt they wouldn't be troubled much by some snotnosed kid. (OOC: CW: These guys are easy for Bailey to take out....so you can let Taylor take out Bailey.)

As they were directed to the location by Woodian authorities, the band of ruffians and newbies disembarked from their shuttles, the Mercenaries pulling out any number of machine guns, Cadian Lasguns, Blasters, and such, whilst the Acolytes began meditating.

One of the mercenaries laughed at the Acolytes, declaring, "Heh. Look at those karate kids go." Another, presumably the leader, chimed in with, "Yeah, motherfucker, you'd think Bruce Lee would be comin' in soon." The Leader spat on the ground in contempt, and charged his Lascannon, before calling out, "Where the fuck is that spook!?"

A somewhat thin figure walked out, with sunglasses and a not too entirely inappropriate trenchcoat. With a dashing air about him he adjusted his sunglasses to the tune of snickers from the Mercenaries, one of whom went, "Damn, boy. This ain't Vogue." The figure glared at them, before the Leader said, calling to the Acolytes and the rest of his band, "Let's go. We ain't got all day! We got people to kill and damsels to save!"

With that, the band marched toward an uncertain fate in the ice wastes of Hoth.

I finished searching the Main Embassy Complex in Great Woody City a few moments ago. I still need to search the consulates. Though I did not find singularity weapons at the main embassy, my search did yield a spy who attempted to send a warning to his handlers after I gave the order for no transmissions. I ordered the embassy to close for 66 hours so that it does not notify the consulates to prepare to be searched. I am turning over the spy to Admiral Basque for now, and request that he be kept alive at least long enough for me to complete my mission, such that I can personally interrogate him after the mission is complete.

/signed

COL Keith Allaire
The message was recieved and filed for review by the Council, who wouldn't be happy about a spy in the Coredian Embassy at Great Woody City.

As soon as he transmitted the encrypted message, he jumped into hyperspace for the short ride to Earth, whereupon he called Coredian Space Traffic Control for permission to land "at that rumored mountain installation, to personally deliver a present to Admiral Basque..."
Admiral Basque was quite interested in this spy and ordered that the man be given every courtesy as he lands...

------------------------------



Dawn, Hoth

Of course, Samuel hadn't been able to sleep last night. The couple of brief, half-hour-at-best naps he had managed turned into complete nightmares. Some of the Sith doing the same thing to him that he had done to his mother. Oh, yes. Fear. (http://www.despair.com/fear.html) Little Samuel's mind was rife with it.

Of course, little did Bailey know that the Acolytes were already on his trail. Upon their arrival on Hoth, the local authorities promptly provided them with everything they knew, including the origin of one aborted 911 signal, originating from where the Woodian couple had been found drowned in the lake, with the Force-crushed hand which had obviously been holding the Force-crushed phone that searchers retrieved from the lake bed. They also provided with the Acolytes with the origin of another call (thank you cell phone tracking technology!) originating from a rare Dornalian citizen on Hoth, in the same vicinity...

Little did the Acolytes know that Bailey Kipper was more than adequately prepared to deal with them...

...and that the vaunted "Mercenaries" and "Acolytes" sent by the Jensen Design Bureau consisted of a squad of newbies fresh out of Novitiate training, and lot of gun-crazed, overconfidents who felt they wouldn't be troubled much by some snotnosed kid. (OOC: CW: These guys are easy for Bailey to take out....so you can let Taylor take out Bailey.)

As they were directed to the location by Woodian authorities, the band of ruffians and newbies disembarked from their shuttles, the Mercenaries pulling out any number of machine guns, Cadian Lasguns, Blasters, and such, whilst the Acolytes began meditating.

One of the mercenaries laughed at the Acolytes, declaring, "Heh. Look at those karate kids go." Another, presumably the leader, chimed in with, "Yeah, motherfucker, you'd think Bruce Lee would be comin' in soon." The Leader spat on the ground in contempt, and charged his Lascannon, before calling out, "Where the fuck is that spook!?"

A somewhat thin figure walked out, with sunglasses and a not too entirely inappropriate trenchcoat. With a dashing air about him he adjusted his sunglasses to the tune of snickers from the Mercenaries, one of whom went, "Damn, boy. This ain't Vogue." The figure glared at them, before the Leader said, calling to the Acolytes and the rest of his band, "Let's go. We ain't got all day! We got people to kill and damsels to save!"

With that, the band marched toward an uncertain fate in the ice wastes of Hoth.
"Ahh..." Bailey hissed softly as he sensed the presence of Force Sensitives. He made sure that the three battered and bruised hostages were secured tightly before setting off. "Now, don't you leave, my friends. We'll expect visitors soon!"

With that, he dashed off into the snow...

Admiral Basque was quite interested in this spy and ordered that the man be given every courtesy as he lands...

Colonel Allaire wasted little time touching down on the landing pad in some tucked-away military installation, deep in the mountains of Coredia's little slice of Terra. Of course, said mountains aroused his curiosity a bit, but there were more important matters to attend to. Like Admiral Basque coming out to the landing pad to personally meet him.

Colonel Allaire quickly unstrapped himself and banged the spy's head against the ceiling as he used telekinesis to abruptly jerk him out of the shuttle's cargo compartment. Making sure said spy was completely immobilized by telekinetic vice grip o'doom, Keith proceeded to exit the shuttle, bringing the spy with him and letting various parts of his body bang against the egress ramp, and other assorted sections of the shuttle's underside. It was quite obvious that Keith was not interested in making the spy's life very pleasant.

Colonel Allaire stopped a few steps short of the good Admiral, snapping to attention and saluting. "Colonel Allaire reporting with my present, sir. Would you like to open it?"

The Admiral nodded, returning the salute. "Thank you, Colonel. Let me open this present..."

TAAA-DAAA! There was a Spy inside! The Admiral took it.

"This spy will be in good hands, so to speak. You have nothing to worry about here." The Admiral said and snapped his fingers, allowing the MPs to take him to the brig, roughly that is. "I thank you once more. You will be commended, Colonel."

Colonel Allaire bowed. "You are welcome, Admiral. Enjoy your new toy. However, I must request that you do keep it alive at least long enough for me to complete my current mission, and then return to interrogate him. Personally." Keith made sure his voice projected enough for the spy to hear that last bit.

"Certainly, Colonel. I will assure you that he will be alive when I'm through with him. I'm just going to soften him up a little." The Admiral replied with a cold smile. "May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you, too," Keith gave the Admiral a parting bow before returning to his shuttlecraft. He had consulates to search. Starting with the one at Eheayana, a five-minute-or-less suborbital burn from here. He wasn't in the mood to waste time, either.

Not long thereafter, Keith set his shuttlecraft down on the consulate's landing pad. Colonel Allaire wasted no time in whipping out Master Elendil's order, and shutting down the consulate entirely to search it without leaks. Activating the jammers on his thigh, he started searching. About the only good thing in the embassy staff's favor was that by now, it was midday, not four in the morning...

"May the Force be with you, too," Keith gave the Admiral a parting bow before returning to his shuttlecraft. He had consulates to search. Starting with the one at Eheayana, a five-minute-or-less suborbital burn from here. He wasn't in the mood to waste time, either.

Not long thereafter, Keith set his shuttlecraft down on the consulate's landing pad. Colonel Allaire wasted no time in whipping out Master Elendil's order, and shutting down the consulate entirely to search it without leaks. Activating the jammers on his thigh, he started searching. About the only good thing in the embassy staff's favor was that by now, it was midday, not four in the morning...
Were the Colonel remiss in whipping out his orders, the Consulate would have hemmed and hawwed and complained about the lack of communication to speak with the Council and clarify the order. As it was, the Colonel found nothing untowards at each of the consulates, not even another hidden spy.

=====

Meanwhile, with Keith Allaire out of the way, Admiral Basque was able to show his true colors as a dangerous man as he slammed the spy up against the brig wall, with two guards outside pretending not to hear.

"You son of a bitch! How dare you show your face to me!" Admiral Basque growled like a bear, punching the poor spy in the face with his powerful fist. "You better be prepared to sing, or else!"

After a while of using the man as a punching bag, the Admiral left the man battered and bruised on the ground for the Colonel's later pleasure...

Were the Colonel remiss in whipping out his orders, the Consulate would have hemmed and hawwed and complained about the lack of communication to speak with the Council and clarify the order. As it was, the Colonel found nothing untowards at each of the consulates, not even another hidden spy.

Keith took another five and a half hours to search the Consulate, with the same fine-tooth comb he had used on the Embassy. Having found nothing, he ordered the consulate to remain closed in the same exact fashion that he had so ordered the embassy, and left to return to Great Woody City for his scheduled live interview with Rainn Thoreide...

OOC: I know this post is extremely meh, but I have more important posts to work on, like the interview itself...

"Ahh..." Bailey hissed softly as he sensed the presence of Force Sensitives. He made sure that the three battered and bruised hostages were secured tightly before setting off. "Now, don't you leave, my friends. We'll expect visitors soon!"

With that, he dashed off into the snow...

The Ruffians trudged through the snow, adopting some form of paramilitary tactics as they attempted to scour Hoth for their quarry. Assembling into a column, the pack tried to move slowly, and the Leader, not eager to waste any of his own men, called to the head of the Acolyte squad on his radio, "Hey, Comrade! Have your boys take point. They've got the Force after all, and the only one of us that does is Pretty Boy."

The Sensei nodded, and his squad broke up into two man groups to cover the flanks of the main mercenary column upon his orders, the Acolytes Forcemessaging one another to keep their senses open to anything.

As the squad trudged through the wastes, they passed by the lake bed, and the enbankment where Linda had tried to escape. As they moved past it, the Leader thought to himself, "Hell. Whoever did this is serious." Of course, he didn't say that out loud. Indeed, when one of his men and an Acolyte began to get nervous, he shushed them angrily, saying in a hushed whisper, "Silence!"

As they moved past, the Acolytes began detecting Dark Forces.....and several Forcemessages later, the head of the Acolyte squad radioed the Leader, saying, "My boys have picked up the quarry. He's near."

The Leader motioned for his squad then to stop moving, and get down, to see what was up....

Looking over an icy hill, the Fallen One took note of the Acolytes and their gun-toting companions. The companions wouldn't be much trouble and the Acolytes...well, they may be children, but they'll be useful snacks for the time when his former bosses decide to send a powerful enough Jedi for a challenge. It was the leader that could prove to be a challenge, but even then, the Fallen One believed that even he wouldn't last very long.

It was time. The first thing that occurred was that ice once more buckled under the Acolytes' feet, seeking to drown the enemies and/or dwindle their numbers...

Looking over an icy hill, the Fallen One took note of the Acolytes and their gun-toting companions. The companions wouldn't be much trouble and the Acolytes...well, they may be children, but they'll be useful snacks for the time when his former bosses decide to send a powerful enough Jedi for a challenge. It was the leader that could prove to be a challenge, but even then, the Fallen One believed that even he wouldn't last very long.

It was time. The first thing that occurred was that ice once more buckled under the Acolytes' feet, seeking to drown the enemies and/or dwindle their numbers...

The ice buckled, and as the Leader and his forces moved to escape the crumbling ice, a sight reminiscent of Lake Peipus occurred, as half of the men fell into the water. Weighted down by their gear, the Mercenaries in the half sank, despite attempts by their surviving team members to save them. Some of the Acolytes made it out.

The Leader and his teammates began scanning the environment, one of the remaining mercenaries going, "The fuck!?" The Leader then glared at him and said, "Shut it." The Leader poked one of the living Acolytes and said, "Fuck is that douche?"

The Acolyte said, "Unknown.....this guy is tough to spot exactly."

The Leader then said, "Fuck it. We're moving on." He then glared at the Acolyte, going, "And you better find that little shit. Fuck am I working with you karate kids for?!" They then moved forward away from the ice floes, scanning the wastes and rugged terrain now for their quarry.

Now, it was time to attack. The first thing the Fallen One did was whip up a blinding snowstorm to cover the Acolytes' sight. Then, he moved in swiftly, running at top speed before reaching the group and slicing at random foes with a new red lightsaber that he produced. The mercenaries were the first targets, but any Acolyte caught in the arc of deadly light were to beware...

Now, it was time to attack. The first thing the Fallen One did was whip up a blinding snowstorm to cover the Acolytes' sight. Then, he moved in swiftly, running at top speed before reaching the group and slicing at random foes with a new red lightsaber that he produced. The mercenaries were the first targets, but any Acolyte caught in the arc of deadly light were to beware...

The mercenaries began being cut down, and they began scattering in the midst of the snowstorm and the sudden ambush by Kipper. Those that had their wits--who were few by now--put on IR goggles, including the Leader, and tried to open fire using short, controlled bursts. The others who weren't so sensible just sprayed into the blinding snow wildly, one man's burst hitting an Acolyte in the leg.

The Acolytes were somewhat better prepared, though their inexperience made the danger to the Fallen One less than usual. One hapless lad found himself spotting the glow of the light as it ripped apart a Mercenary and he tried to block it with his own Red saber.....

Unfortunately for the lad, the former Combat Knight proved to be quite overwhelming as powerful sweeping blows hammered against the pitiful though spirited defenses. This boy, Kipper decided, shall be the first target of Bailey's Force Drain...

At the same time, the mercenaries found themselves crashing against each other by the power of Kipper's telekinesis.

Unfortunately for the lad, the former Combat Knight proved to be quite overwhelming as powerful sweeping blows hammered against the pitiful though spirited defenses. This boy, Kipper decided, shall be the first target of Bailey's Force Drain...

At the same time, the mercenaries found themselves crashing against each other by the power of Kipper's telekinesis.

"FUCK!" The sudden and wild bodyslams induced by Bailey's moves caused the shots to veer wildly, turning some of the bursts against the other mercs as they fell to the ground. Those who weren't hit by friendly fire were tossed about, unable to act as they tried to get their bearings. The Leader wondered what the hell they had gotten into, as they had come up against an opponent whose power was clearly something not to be sneezed at.

The Acolyte meanwhile, was thrown back by the strikes, and consumed by the Force Drain, screaming as it occurred. Another Acolyte tried to throw a Force Shock at Bailey, while the rest attempted to retreat....

"FUCK!" The sudden and wild bodyslams induced by Bailey's moves caused the shots to veer wildly, turning some of the bursts against the other mercs as they fell to the ground. Those who weren't hit by friendly fire were tossed about, unable to act as they tried to get their bearings. The Leader wondered what the hell they had gotten into, as they had come up against an opponent whose power was clearly something not to be sneezed at.
While the Mercs were being slaughtered by their own people, the Fallen One went for the Acolytes.

The Acolyte meanwhile, was thrown back by the strikes, and consumed by the Force Drain, screaming as it occurred. Another Acolyte tried to throw a Force Shock at Bailey, while the rest attempted to retreat....
Feeling pumped, Bailey barely noticed the Force Shock, but he did notice the Acolyte who tried to shock him and attacked accordingly, lashing out with his lightsaber before using Force Drain on him. Then he gave the rest a sadistic look...

While the Mercs were being slaughtered by their own people, the Fallen One went for the Acolytes. . .Feeling pumped, Bailey barely noticed the Force Shock, but he did notice the Acolyte who tried to shock him and attacked accordingly, lashing out with his lightsaber before using Force Drain on him. Then he gave the rest a sadistic look...

The rest of the Acolytes attempted to flee the area. Using Force Speed, the lot ran as fast as possible, trying to get into some sort of cover, maybe a snowbank or a rock, where they could regroup and deal with this fellow in a more orderly fashion. The target was too dangerous to engage as it was, and frankly, the Mercenaries were proving to be only cannon fodder.

The Mercenaries themselves by now were reduced to a quarter or less of their strength, and only the Leader could keep it together as his men were now trying to flee as well--those that weren't dying from friendly fire. The Leader spotted the quarry's distinctive Red saber--a slightly different shade than the Acolyte Red--in the distance, and opened fire....

The rest of the Acolytes attempted to flee the area. Using Force Speed, the lot ran as fast as possible, trying to get into some sort of cover, maybe a snowbank or a rock, where they could regroup and deal with this fellow in a more orderly fashion. The target was too dangerous to engage as it was, and frankly, the Mercenaries were proving to be only cannon fodder.

The Mercenaries themselves by now were reduced to a quarter or less of their strength, and only the Leader could keep it together as his men were now trying to flee as well--those that weren't dying from friendly fire. The Leader spotted the quarry's distinctive Red saber--a slightly different shade than the Acolyte Red--in the distance, and opened fire....
"Fool." The Fallen One smirked as he deflected the lasgun blasts back at the Leader. He shall reserve the Force Crush especially for him...

"Fool." The Fallen One smirked as he deflected the lasgun blasts back at the Leader. He shall reserve the Force Crush especially for him...

The Leader ducked, as Pretty Boy, the psychic Mercenary, stood up and proudly faced Bailey, whipping out a common Dornalian pistol, a Mauser C/96, Shansi model in .45 ACP. Aiming it at the rogue, he proclaimed in a proud, basso profundo voice, holding his other hand to prep a Force Throw, "Your reign of terror is at an end! I am Brother Yuki, and I will rescue the maiden you hold captive!"

Meanwhile, the Acolytes were fleeing further, turning to see the man boast. They had a bad feeling soemthing was going to occur.

"Not today you will!" The Fallen One growled deeply as he grabbed the Pretty Boy with a powerful Choke and began squeezing the breath out of him. "Not ever, pretty boy!"

"Not today you will!" The Fallen One growled deeply as he grabbed the Pretty Boy with a powerful Choke and began squeezing the breath out of him. "Not ever, pretty boy!"

The man came to regret the bravado; he clutched his throat futilely as he tried to struggle against the Force Choke. Dropping the Shansi Mauser, he began panicking, calling for help as his powers proved futile against the Choke. In the end, he succumbed, and the Acolytes said simply, "Shit." They shook their heads, though no love was lost--you didn't challenge a Dark Jedi like that and live to tell about it.

The Leader surveyed his available men. Not good. The damn karate kids fled somewhere--typical treacherous scum--and his men were useless against this guy. He decided to play out the battle, and buy some time against this guy. He wasn't going to go down easily, not to some thug with superhero powers.

First thing, he moved to take Pretty Boy's Shansi Mauser and then fled, firing back with the pistol as he ran to a snowbank. The Leader then radioed the Acolytes, saying, "Get your cowardly asses over here. I need help!"

The reply was Forcemessaged thusly.

"Here's a hint. Plan better."

Now the Fallen One turned on the Leader, almost lazily deflecting the pistol blows. He stalked towards the snowbank where Leader hid like a coward. Now was the time to Crush this insolent pest. Now was the time to end his pitiful existence...

Now the Fallen One turned on the Leader, almost lazily deflecting the pistol blows. He stalked towards the snowbank where Leader hid like a coward. Now was the time to Crush this insolent pest. Now was the time to end his pitiful existence...

The Leader saw the relentless figure of Bailey Kipper march toward him, and now, he felt very much afraid. If Bailey cared to notice, he'd note the Leader was quaking in his boots about now, only holding a semblance of his martial bravado from before. Still, he would have also detected a determination to die fighting.

He whipped out the Cadian Lasgun, set it to the maximum setting, and began pouring shot after shot into the figure that was more shade than man at this point.

As this occurred, the Leader felt his body under intense pressure....he then saw the last thing he would ever see. A relentless figure marching toward him, a herald of death.

The only thing he could think as he was being Force Crushed was, "Oh sh--"

The Acolytes, meanwhile, had by now figured out the situation was becoming desperate. And with that, they decided to try and flank Bailey and find their objective...

Now that the leader was nothing more than a bloody smear on the ice, Bailey Kipper grinned darkly as he sensed his prey trying to sneak away. Like a nightmare where the nightmare's antagonist keeps on coming no matter how fast you run, the Fallen One stalked each one of the Acolytes, battling and draining their life force. Except for the last and youngest of them. That one will provide a fine meal for later...

The Acolytes tried to break and run, but like a 1980s slasher film, the squad fell one by one, as their adversary chased them down like dogs. It wouldn't be fair to call it a hunt; it was a slaughter. All the Force tricks and lightsaber combat couldn't keep the Fallen One at bay, and bodies soon littered the snows of Hoth.

The survivor that Mr. Kipper took for his trophy was 17-year old Kayla Tunstall, from the Temple of Las Vegas. Like most Acolytes, she was older than your standard issue Jedi padawan, recruited older and trained in a classroom and fieldwork setting. Now, she was thrust into a situation quite unlike her classes, which she had barely finished. The others were Comrade 3rd Class for some months now, she had only made 3rd Class a couple of weeks ago. The cake and Chinese Buffet was still fresh in her mind.

The situation was becoming puzzling and frightening. Why not eat her? What did this man want? She could only imagine the worst, like in all those horror stories she heard in the news....or like the poor woman she was sent here to rescue. Was she dead? Given this man's ferocity, it wouldn't be a surprise if she was. But then that would be bad. For it would mean more meat for the gristmill, probably.

And they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, "Who is like to the beast? who is able to make war with him?"

"Come, my dear." Bailey Kipper grinned sickly. "There's a few guests of mine I want you to meet..."

With that, he dragged her away to his cave, where horrors soon awaited her, as she could see from the battered guests.

"Come, my dear." Bailey Kipper grinned sickly. "There's a few guests of mine I want you to meet..."

With that, he dragged her away to his cave, where horrors soon awaited her, as she could see from the battered guests.

With Tunstall in the cave, Linda shrieked in horror. She then said to the Acolyte, "Were you sent here to rescue me?"

Tunstall sighed, and merely replied sullenly as she was forced inside, "We tried, ma'am. Couldn't do it. I'm the only one left." She hung her head low in shame, contemplating the trouble she was now in.

Linda wasn't so inclined. She exploded in a burst of anger, saying, "Fucking bint! My daddy hires only the best men to do his jobs! Maybe if you tried a little harder against this scrawny shit, I'd be out of here!"

Tunstall looked up and said, curtly, "Gee, thanks. Bitch. What the hell was I supposed to do!? Your daddy hired some men alright. He hired some armchair generals and a fresh squad of Acolytes who barely got any fieldwork done. So blame your daddy. Not me."

Linda then growled angrily, muttering, "I thought you Acolytes were supposed to be good. Hmph. No matter, my daddy will find some other way to get me out!"

---------

Meanwhile, over the phone in the Long Beach, CA offices of Jensen Design Bureau....

"Mr. Jensen, we haven't heard from the team."

"What?"

"They were supposed to report back by now. Apparently, our quarry was tougher than we thought it was."

"Shit. So my daughter's still down there and I'm out of men?"

"Well.....most probably."

"Shit. Get me the Coredian Embassy. NOW!"

With Tunstall in the cave, Linda shrieked in horror. She then said to the Acolyte, "Were you sent here to rescue me?"

Tunstall sighed, and merely replied sullenly as she was forced inside, "We tried, ma'am. Couldn't do it. I'm the only one left." She hung her head low in shame, contemplating the trouble she was now in.

Linda wasn't so inclined. She exploded in a burst of anger, saying, "Fucking bint! My daddy hires only the best men to do his jobs! Maybe if you tried a little harder against this scrawny shit, I'd be out of here!"

Tunstall looked up and said, curtly, "Gee, thanks. Bitch. What the hell was I supposed to do!? Your daddy hired some men alright. He hired some armchair generals and a fresh squad of Acolytes who barely got any fieldwork done. So blame your daddy. Not me."

Linda then growled angrily, muttering, "I thought you Acolytes were supposed to be good. Hmph. No matter, my daddy will find some other way to get me out!"
"Let him try...Anyone he sends will simply be sent to the grave." The Fallen One hissed, then smiled sickly. "But tonight...it's time for a little fun."

---------

Meanwhile, over the phone in the Long Beach, CA offices of Jensen Design Bureau....

"Mr. Jensen, we haven't heard from the team."

"What?"

"They were supposed to report back by now. Apparently, our quarry was tougher than we thought it was."

"Shit. So my daughter's still down there and I'm out of men?"

"Well.....most probably."

"Shit. Get me the Coredian Embassy. NOW!"
"Coredian Embassy, how can I help you?" Asked the receptionist.

"Coredian Embassy, how can I help you?" Asked the receptionist.

Mr. Jensen then spoke grimly, "This is Robert Jensen from Jensen Design Bureau. I need to get in touch with someone about an important matter. It concerns Bailey Kipper, and the fact he's taken my daughter hostage."

Mr. Jensen then spoke grimly, "This is Robert Jensen from Jensen Design Bureau. I need to get in touch with someone about an important matter. It concerns Bailey Kipper, and the fact he's taken my daughter hostage."
"Hold on one moment. I'll route you to the Ambassador."

Ambassador Andrea Wiltkins was in her office when she received the call. "Thank you. I'll take it from here. Hello?"

As all this was going on, the Council decided that now was the time to send someone more amendable to the Woodians to the negotiations at New Dornalia. In this case, they sent Master Harry Blayden, the Headmaster of the Academies. Hopefully the negotiations could continue now.

In a very short time, he arrived in ND space, awaiting traffic control...

LAX quickly rushed him through to Hangar 24, where he landed. The flags were still there, but otherwise, the reception was much simpler.

A single government auto was waiting with a unit of California Highway Patrol to escort Blayden to the Hollywood Hills resort where the negotations were taking place. Clad in their distinct khaki uniforms and riding speederbikes, the CHiPs moved to make sure the Coredian was safe as he was delivered to the meeting area.

------

Jensen, meanwhile, spoke sullenly to Wiltkins.

"Ms. Wiltkins, I am not going to mince words. My daughter Linda and her husband Herbert were kidnapped whilst honeymooning on a ski trip on Hoth. I can only surmise that Bailey Kipper's been responsible. After all, the team I sent to rescue my daughter has not returned, and they were some of the more inscrutable and violent individuals I could find to do the job. They even included a team of People's Acolytes.

I would like your government to act in rescuing my daughter. I don't know what's going to happen to her, but I do not surmise it will be pleasant or wholesome. I have done all I possibly can without paying a ransom--which the man has not asked for and I will not do--or asking Premier MacIntyre to send in Internal Security Bureau or the Red Army. Please help me."

LAX quickly rushed him through to Hangar 24, where he landed. The flags were still there, but otherwise, the reception was much simpler.

A single government auto was waiting with a unit of California Highway Patrol to escort Blayden to the Hollywood Hills resort where the negotations were taking place. Clad in their distinct khaki uniforms and riding speederbikes, the CHiPs moved to make sure the Coredian was safe as he was delivered to the meeting area.
Master Blayden allowed himself to be lead to the meeting area and was directed inside to meet with his counterparts...

------

Jensen, meanwhile, spoke sullenly to Wiltkins.

"Ms. Wiltkins, I am not going to mince words. My daughter Linda and her husband Herbert were kidnapped whilst honeymooning on a ski trip on Hoth. I can only surmise that Bailey Kipper's been responsible. After all, the team I sent to rescue my daughter has not returned, and they were some of the more inscrutable and violent individuals I could find to do the job. They even included a team of People's Acolytes.

I would like your government to act in rescuing my daughter. I don't know what's going to happen to her, but I do not surmise it will be pleasant or wholesome. I have done all I possibly can without paying a ransom--which the man has not asked for and I will not do--or asking Premier MacIntyre to send in Internal Security Bureau or the Red Army. Please help me."
"Rest assured, sir, that we will do everything in our power to defeat Bailey Kipper. I will inform the Council of this immediately."

=====

A few minutes later, the Council deliberated on the situation and decided to send someone to take Bailey Kipper out before he caused more trouble. It helped that there was a pissed off Taylor Masaki standing before them.

"Taylor Masaki, you are charged with the defeat and/or capture of Bailey Kipper." One Councilmember ordered. "He can no longer be allowed to harm others."

"Gladly." Taylor replied. "It's about time you guys got around to dealing with him!"

"Taylor...just go." I said to him, a little sternly.

"All right." Taylor sighed. "But next time, clean up your own messes!"

With that, he took the next available transport to Hoth, which happened to be a fighter. Soon, he and Bailey will come to a reckoning...

Master Blayden allowed himself to be lead to the meeting area and was directed inside to meet with his counterparts...

The almost paranoid levels of security that greeted the Woodian PM and the Coredians from the first day of talks were still there, and a man in Kurosawa Armor, much to the consternation of the hotel staff and the matenance of their shiny floors, escorted Blayden to the conference area. By now, Junko and MacIntyre were seated, making small talk and Junko glaring at him whenever he wanted some booze.

Junko and Robert then stood up and greeted Blayden with a bow, saying, "Good day, Master Blayden, I am Grand Sensei Junko Tadanobu of the People's Acolytes." Robert then said, in a rather friendly yet businesslike manner, "I'm Comrade Premier Robert MacIntyre, Workers State of New Dornalia. Refreshments are going about, feel free to imbibe." The two then lead Blayden to a chair at the table, as the Kurosawa walks off, MacIntyre going, "Please, do sit."

Junko then said, staying with Blayden, "Oh yes. There are ysalamiri here. Were you informed of that?"



"Rest assured, sir, that we will do everything in our power to defeat Bailey Kipper. I will inform the Council of this immediately."


A simple, "Thank you" was uttered and Jensen hung up the phone. Now, he wondered how to hide the news from the media. PNN would love to use this as a fodder for their pro-Quit Coredia campaign. NDBC's Gossip Girl Column would eat this up too. So, he then made another call to the Security Department.

"Bob? This is Mr. Jensen. No one hears about the call to the Embassy or the Mercenaries. Is that clear? I don't want every chatty cathy in this city to shoot their mouths off."

The almost paranoid levels of security that greeted the Woodian PM and the Coredians from the first day of talks were still there, and a man in Kurosawa Armor, much to the consternation of the hotel staff and the matenance of their shiny floors, escorted Blayden to the conference area. By now, Junko and MacIntyre were seated, making small talk and Junko glaring at him whenever he wanted some booze.

Junko and Robert then stood up and greeted Blayden with a bow, saying, "Good day, Master Blayden, I am Grand Sensei Junko Tadanobu of the People's Acolytes." Robert then said, in a rather friendly yet businesslike manner, "I'm Comrade Premier Robert MacIntyre, Workers State of New Dornalia. Refreshments are going about, feel free to imbibe." The two then lead Blayden to a chair at the table, as the Kurosawa walks off, MacIntyre going, "Please, do sit."

Junko then said, staying with Blayden, "Oh yes. There are ysalamiri here. Were you informed of that?"

"And I am Prime Minister Alexis Elleayovskii of Evil Woody Thoughts, but you knew that." She, too, made her introductory bow, but if Blayden had enjoyed the use of the Force during these negotiations, he would be able to tell that she really didn't want to be here. However, as his senses were smothered by the ysalmari, the only sign of such visible to him was that the Prime Minister looked just a little on the tired side, as if only managing an hour or two short of a full night's sleep. Indeed, the Prime Minister had spent much of the night before on anonymous messageboards, gaging public reaction to the recent developments, and in contact with various Members of Parliament that wielded influence over which way any vote would go. It was constitutionally far more difficult for the Prime Minister to "ram something through" the legislature than it was for the Masakis to bully the Senate or MacIntyre to ram something through the People's Congress...

"Yes, I noticed. Pleased to meet you, Madam Prime Minister." Master Blayden wasn't as peeved as some Jedi he knew would be when it came to loss of Force, but it was still like losing an arm. "Now, let's get down to business..."

"Indeed," the Prime Minister nodded slightly at Blayden's suggestion. She did not particularly want to be here either... "I have been in communication with the Parliament, and the MPs that I have spoken to indicate that they have no intention of re-admitting Jedi back into Evil Woody Thoughts until such time as the Bailey Threat is completely removed. Anything I propose before then will almost certainly get tabled. That is not to say that your trip here was pointless...just think of this meeting as a post-Bailey negotiation. Of course, there is the matter of bringing him to justice..."

Jaime was alone this time, having kept the Elementals back at the DropShip. He did not bother to introduce himself, as this specific incident regarding Bailey Kipper was of no concern to him. He was merely waiting to finally speak with the representatives of each nation on the matters of Caligula and of trade. For now, he kept silent, merely listening.

That is not to say that your trip here was pointless...just think of this meeting as a post-Bailey negotiation. Of course, there is the matter of bringing him to justice..."

The Dornies sat down, and Junko then said, "It is something we can all agree upon, that Mr. Kipper must pay for his regrettable actions. Yes?" MacIntyre then said, nodding, "Especially as he's taken two Dornalians hostage now, as has been informed on the Woodian media feeds." MacIntyre seemed to cringe in anger when speaking that last line, as if he knew one of the hostages. Junko nodded, she then said, displeased at Jensen Design's mention: "One was a student of the People's Acolytes--something I take seriously. Especially since the Jensen Design Bureau decided to send them in without my permission."

The Dornies sat down, and Junko then said, "It is something we can all agree upon, that Mr. Kipper must pay for his regrettable actions. Yes?" MacIntyre then said, nodding, "Especially as he's taken two Dornalians hostage now, as has been informed on the Woodian media feeds." MacIntyre seemed to cringe in anger when speaking that last line, as if he knew one of the hostages. Junko nodded, she then said, displeased at Jensen Design's mention: "One was a student of the People's Acolytes--something I take seriously. Especially since the Jensen Design Bureau decided to send them in without my permission."

"Indeed." The Prime Minister's look hardened a bit at this being brought up. Of course she was aware that Dornalians had been amongst the reported victims; she was not aware that said Dornalians had connections. Of course, that should not have mattered, at least not to her, unlike the Coredians, and to a somewhat lesser extent, Dornalians, Woodians were not nepotists. "Now you know why Evil Woody Thoughts believed him such a threat to public safety and national security that such extreme measures became warranted to keep him out of the country."

"Indeed, that is understandable." Master Blayden nodded. "But rest assured, our very own Taylor Masaki has been sent to deal with the threat posed by Bailey Kipper. We shall receive his report fortwith..."

=====

Hoth

Taylor Masaki finally landed on Hoth, sensing a darkness beginning to permeate the icy landscape. "No doubt about it, he's here."

He wasted little time in beginning the hunt for the Fallen One. Speaking with the authorities, checking out the place where Bailey killed all the Acolytes, and generally making ripples in the Force to force Bailey out. Either that or find his hidey-hole and see whether the hostages survived.

After several hours of tracking, he felt a presence...and ignited his lightsaber to block the one of the Fallen One. "Heh. So you show your true colors at last, Bailey? How disappointing."

"Taylor Masaki. So they send you to destroy me? Fools. I will drain you and become more powerful than ever before!" The Fallen One hissed between blade clashes.

Taylor was sickened by what Bailey had become. "Bastard. What did you do to the hostages?"

"Ahh...the 'hostages'. Well, don't worry, you'll soon join them!" Bailey chuckled and gathered all his power and launched a vicious assault on Taylor.

Damn! He's stronger than I thought! Taylor thought as he backpedaled, trying to recover from the vicious assault. Then, he disappeared as Bailey launched a fatal blow.

Seconds later, a massive ball of fire lashed out at Bailey and he barely jumped out of the way, his robes singed by the heat. Taylor came out swinging, such that for a moment, it looked like the tables were about to be turned on Bailey as he found himself facing a Masaki for the first time since his Padawan days, and not in a practice duel either. Clearly, the initial assault was a fluke and Taylor's Djem So proved to be a fine match for Bailey's rage. They dueled for an hour, throwing fire and ice and Force powers at each other. They were evenly matched as Taylor's fiery will fought against Bailey's black heart.

Bailey was in trouble, considering that he knew that Masakis had a way of overcoming obstacles such as himself unless he found some way to deal with this wretched Masaki. And suddenly, he found it. As Taylor slashed and sliced, he was focused too much on defeating Kipper to notice a solid block of ice ramming the back of his head until it was far too late and he blacked out.

Bailey panted hard, growling softly. "He took more out of me than I expected. I shall have to drain more Jedi if I am to be strong enough to challenge the Council themselves."

With that, he began dragging the unconscious Masaki back to his lair, where he will torture him and his other guests...

Is there anyone out there who could defeat this man, this beast?

Jacob Masaki felt a distant Twinbond suddenly grow dim as Taylor was knocked unconsious. Taylor, why didn't you ask me to come with you? So reckless!

He sighed and concluded his alchemy class. "Right. Read chapter 35 and do all the questions for homework, to be turned in on Friday. Dismissed."

With that, he sent a notice to the Council that Taylor is MIA and to send backup before taking a ship of his own and blasted off for Hoth.

Soon, the Council learned of it and decided that a major case of backup was needed. Moments later...an urgent message was recorded on Keith Allaire's comlink.

=====

In the depths of Tenetia, where the darkness lies, the Dark Lady meditated, bathing her emotions in hatred. She grinned evilly as she sensed her brother has been defeated by Bailey's hand. "Hmm...This is interesting. I wonder if this Fallen One would be interested in joining our cause. He will be a fine addition to the Dark ranks..."

She called forth two Sith, one a baldie with a psychopathic gaze and the other an imposing Sith Marauder with a taste for murder. "Darth Bandon. Lord Kaox Krul (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kaox_Krul). You are tasked with the collection of one Bailey Kipper and my brother Taylor Masaki's corpse from Hoth. Do this, and your rewards will be great. Fail me..." She left the threat hanging.

"It will be as you wish, Lady Nightshade." Bandon bowed deeply.

'Waste no time. Go." She hissed and they left. Her throne then turned around. "If all goes well...a new Sith will be born from the ashes of hatred...if not, then either way, my pitiful brother will die and Daniel will suffer even more before I end his reign once and for all."

She cackled madly into the darkness as a Sith Infilitrator model shuttle lifted off from Tenetia and jumped into hyperspace...

Jacob Masaki felt a distant Twinbond suddenly grow dim as Taylor was knocked unconsious. Taylor, why didn't you ask me to come with you? So reckless!

He sighed and concluded his alchemy class. "Right. Read chapter 35 and do all the questions for homework, to be turned in on Friday. Dismissed."

With that, he sent a notice to the Council that Taylor is MIA and to send backup before taking a ship of his own and blasted off for Hoth.

Soon, the Council learned of it and decided that a major case of backup was needed. Moments later...an urgent message was recorded on Keith Allaire's comlink.

The Council's timing was just a bit short of perfect. While Colonel Keith Allaire had just finished searching the last consulate, but he had not showed up at the Coredian Embassy to authorize it to re-open yet, or reported back to the Council either. But the uber-urgent priority signal on his comlink indicated that reporting to the Council would probably have to wait.

The Jedi Knight was not surprised by the contents of said comm message. Taylor Masaki had let his last name get to his head again. Keith's only reaction was a quick suborbital burn to Great Woody City, whereupon he quickly found a place to land and teleported directly inside of the Coredian Embassy, bypassing security entirely for want of time.

His stay was short, brusque for that matter. The first five seconds were spent informing the embassy staff that the embassy, and its consulates, were personally cleared by Keith Allaire, operating on the authority of Master Elendil, were cleared to re-open. The second five seconds were spent demanding the use of some very specialized comm equipment, to, as Keith so eloquently put it, "make Admiral Makaryk have a heart attack."

As it was, Admiral Makaryk was pulled out of a meeting with his advisors over possible candidates for a Trial of Position to replace Admiral Aidan Zhukov, to answer said HPG transmission from Colonel Allaire. As this was the first time anyone had ever pulled a stunt like this, he figured it had better be good. Little did he know, it was.

"What the fuck is this all about?" Admiral Makaryk demanded coldly, as he appeared as a hologram in front of Keith.

"I need immediate transport and 'Mech prep to Hoth. It concerns Bailey Kipper."

At this, Admiral Makaryk put two and two together, and his anger at being interrupted faded, for he could think of no worthier reason for the interruption. "The one whose bounty exceeds three trillion credits?" Admiral Makaryk had been watching the news, apparently.

"Aff."

"Get your ass up here, then," Admiral Makaryk ordered the Colonel. "I will transport you to Hoth."

Moments later, Keith arrived in the docking bay of a waiting Immortal Star Destroyer. He quickly ordered a lance of jump-capable Shadow Cat IICs (http://www.forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=419235) prepped for extreme cold-weather conditions. He had a nagging feeling that he might need extra 'Mechs, thanks to his own connection through the Force.

As for Keith himself, he used the two and a half hour trip to get some Force-enhanced rest, having received none since he started the embassy searches. Well, most of it, anyway. A half hour before arriving, Keith awoke, and changed into full winter battle dress, that he would blend in a bit better in the snow (and wear more protection against the elements). After he had prepared himself, he checked on the cold-weather preparations for the 'Mechs, and beat two slacking techs to a bloody pulp for sitting around while letting their colleagues do all the work. A few drops of their blood splattered all over Keith's arm in the process, but Keith used the Force to alchemize away what bloodstains he could. He did not know that Jacob Masaki would be able to get the rest shortly...

Less than three hours after first receiving orders from the Jedi Council, he personally piloted a DropShip bearing four Shadow Cats to the resort village where all of these tourists had disappeared from. As the DropShip descended through the unusually thick cloud deck, Keith had to have his hand constantly on the joystick for the vector thrusters, as howling winds buffeted the craft, the turbulence made even worse by the DropShip's own retrorockets. The raging blizzard and night conditions (by local planetary rotation, the landing occurred at eleven at night) did not even faze him...

The Ambassador sighed in relief now that the Embassy was open again and there was even a spy captured! That had to count for something...

=====

Jacob Masaki reverted to realspace over the Ice Planet of Hoth and landed near the ski resort town. Little did he know that Keith Allaire was already there, but he did notice the Star Destroyer in orbit and the Dropship, so he knew that the Woodians were getting serious about getting rid of Bailey Kipper...

Meanwhile, Keith wasted no time after landing the ungainly DropShip in getting to his 'Mech. He had made sure that his neurohelmet record was with him, so grabbing a neurohelmet was not an issue, as he used new technology that stored his calibration settings on a datapad to calibrate the stock neurohelmet in thirty seconds. Datapads for portable neurohelmet settings no doubt would have made a Clanner drool, the technology only engineered in Evil Woody Thoughts since after the civil war.

Quickly, he tested his Shadow Cat's systems, and then found the resort's private security department, the closest thing to a police department that could be found on Hoth. Though the staff was surprised to see anyone out this late at night in a blizzard, they were more than happy to provide Keith with the coordinates of all known Bailey Victim Body Finds. No doubt, this would provide Keith with leads and enough information to get close enough to lock onto Bailey's Fallen Force Presence.

Meanwhile, as Jacob Masaki landed not far from the DropShip, Keith sensed the arrival of the familiar present. Go to the DropShip and grab a 'Mech, he ordered, not particularly caring that he happened to be bossing around the third-in-line for the Coredian throne. Colonel Allaire was the military commander, dammit. Besides, he had been ordered here by the Council. Taylor did teach you how to pilot them, quiaff? He knew that somewhere on that Star Destroyer resided old neurohelmet calibration settings for Taylor Masaki, and radioed Admiral Makaryk to download them to the DropShip. As Taylor and Jacob were twins, Taylor's settings should be close enough for Jacob to use...

Aye. Jacob replied and checked into the Dropship. As they were all the same -Shadow-Cat models if he recalled correctly- he picked one and got in, putting on the neurohelmet. Ready for calibration.

Keith used his own 'Mech's loudspeaker to order a tech to decrypt the data sent from the Star Destroyer and put it on a datapad with which to calibrate Jacob's helmet. A couple of minutes later, said tech (having seen Keith beat two slackers to a bloody pulp, and not wanting said fate) scaled Jacob's 'Mech using the rungs up its legs, and popped in Jacob's ingress/egress hatch, whereupon he inserted the datapad into a receiver in the cockpit and flipped a switch...

Whereupon he noticed Jacob had made the mistake of putting on the neurohelmet before the recalibration. Which meant that Jacob would have to deal with the sensation of his mind shutting off. Then turning back on again, as if his mind was little more than a rebooting computer. It took a few seconds for the neurohelmet to synchronize itself with Jacob's mind, and it wasn't perfect because the neurohelmet was using Taylor's prerecorded settings...but it was good enough for a pinch.

As Jacob's mind cleared, several nav points appeared on his HUD, marking the locations where bodies had been found. "Follow me. We sweep the nav points and investigate any sources of Darkness we find along the way," Keith directed, throttling his own 'Mech to top speed, which, with the antigrav power plant, was quite substantial. The blizzard did not seem to impede the 'Mechs all that much, either.

Meanwhile, Jacob noticed something else. Keith's mind semi-melded with his, as if Keith was using Battle Meditation. Moreover, his sensor range started fluctuating a bit with each footfall of Keith's 'Mech, as Keith used his geokinetic senses to sense vibrations in the ground and interpret them, and as the 'Mech had some ground-vibration sensors mounted in its feet, Keith's abilities extended the range of said sensors markedly. The heavy snowpack muddled the readings a bit, but Keith's mind still made sense of it...and projected the resulting Force-enhanced data to one Jacob Masaki as well.

Jacob felt very strange when his mind shut down and rebooted for a second. "That was weird..."

Even more getting used to was using Keith Allaire's geokinetic senses to aid his own senses, but after a while, he managed to get it all down to a dull roar, so to speak. Now was the time to get on with the search for the Fallen One!

Nav Point Alpha
46 km Southeast of the Resort
14 km from Bailey's Cave

So this is where they found the 'drowned' skiers with the Force-crushed hand and cell phone, Keith thought to himself, his use of Battle Meditation to synchronize his mind with Jacob Masaki's making said thought known to him as well. I sense a faint aura of Darkness. Nav Beta is heading 156, but the Dark seems to come from about 190. So...

Keith's mind seemed to stop, as his 'Mech came to a halt in the blizzard. He weighed the options. They had been out here for about twenty minutes; these antigrav heavy scout 'Mechs were fast. Good sensors, too, that could cut through the nighttime blizzard of Hoth.

Set course for 170. Colonel Allaire came to a decision. If Bailey was going to sense them, let him think the two 'Mechs would miss the hideout...

And thus did Colonel Allaire charge his 'Mech directly into the blizzard once again, ordering Jacob Masaki to follow. Scarcely fifteen 'Mech footfalls later, Keith's ground-vibration senses picked up a vague echo of a large cavern. As they continued on their heading, they drew closer, though they were not headed directly for said cavern. And Keith's mind discerned more details about said cavern, first its general shape, then the weight of the rock itself against the ground. Meanwhile, the Darkness grew heavier.

As they passed within six kilometers, Keith narrowed his senses, and detected that the floor of the cavern bore weight probably too light for boulders. Thirty kilos here, sixty kilos there, sixty-five kilos suspended from cavern ceiling, et cetera. In other words, weights against the cavern floor that correlated to humans. And once this was done, Keith knew. And the thought, which conveyed the same certainty that Darth Vader had had when he found the Rebel shield generator from probe droid transmissions, filled Jacob's mind forcefully enough to make him shudder.

The hostages are there.

Among them, of course, was Taylor Masaki, still unconscious (or Keith would have sensed him right away.) Maybe Jacob Masaki could do something about that through the twinlink...meanwhile, Keith plunged towards the cave at full throttle, ETA five minutes, ordering Jacob to follow in the process.

(OOC: Now's a good time to RP the two Sith landing, too, in addition to the obvious fun. The Star Destroyer would probably radio a warning that a ship came out of hyperspace and landed somewhere near.)

As the two Jedi headed for Bailey's lair, the Sith sneaked their way onto the planet as well, their Infiltrator ensuring that anyone would not be able to detect them until it was too late. They landed swiftly in one of the wastelands and then began tracking their quarry...

Little did they know that they were tracked, even for a moment...

=====

Jacob scowled as he noticed the crimes one Bailey Kipper has done. He needed to be put down, that's for sure. Along with the first crime scene, they came across the Acolyte and merc corpses being fed upon by ravenous wampas as they neared the caverns. He shook his head and followed Keith to within six kilometers of a powerful Dark Side aura.

He's near... Jacob thought. With that in mind, he began nudging the Twinbond he had with Taylor to get him to awaken.

Taylor began to stir as the bond was poked. He was disoriented and his limbs were tied together, so for a few minutes, he didn't know where he was or what happened. He began looking around for clues...

As the two Jedi headed for Bailey's lair, the Sith sneaked their way onto the planet as well, their Infiltrator ensuring that anyone would not be able to detect them until it was too late. They landed swiftly in one of the wastelands and then began tracking their quarry...

Little did they know that they were tracked, even for a moment...

Sure enough, in a system like Hoth, sparsely populated as it was, the amount of space traffic for the Sith Infiltrator to blend into was absolutely nil. Unless the Sith counted the large, what-class-was-it Star Destroyer in more or less geosynchronous orbit over where they intended to land. Even a fighter would have attracted the Star Destroyer's attention, for bored sensor officers in want of something, anything, to detect.

As the Star Destroyer's sensors picked up the Infiltrator, based on a small power signature against absolutely NOTHING to disguise it, for a period not to exceed fourteen seconds, said bored sensor officers punched in keypads to bring up visuals. Which, as they didn't offhand recognize the ship's class, were fed into the ship's computers.

The result the computer spat out was somewhat startling.

BEST MATCH: SITH INFILTRATOR CLASS. 32% PROBABILITY. MORE INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS CLASS TO ENSURE MORE ACCURATE READINGS.

One of the sensor officers wasted no time in notifying the unit groundside to expect company. He sent a message that would make Keith and Jacob's blood run cold, for sure.

For their part, Keith and Jacob were less than two kilometers away when their comm system cackled to life. "This is Major Burnke from the Star Destroyer Union. Be advised, we have detected a small craft landing near your present location. The blizzard obscures the exact landing site, but sensor readings indicate a thirty-two percent probability of the ship class being a Sith Infiltrator. Stay Alert."

"Aff," Colonel Allaire acknowledged to the Star Destroyer, slowing down a bit to divert more of the fusion engine's output into a communication that could reach the Star Destroyer, then speeding back up. Jacob, we just might have some company... Meanwhile, the distance to the cave rapidly ticked down by the second. Six hundred meters. Five fifty. Five hundred...

Jacob scowled as he noticed the crimes one Bailey Kipper has done. He needed to be put down, that's for sure. Along with the first crime scene, they came across the Acolyte and merc corpses being fed upon by ravenous wampas as they neared the caverns. He shook his head and followed Keith to within six kilometers of a powerful Dark Side aura.

He's near... Jacob thought. With that in mind, he began nudging the Twinbond he had with Taylor to get him to awaken.

Taylor began to stir as the bond was poked. He was disoriented and his limbs were tied together, so for a few minutes, he didn't know where he was or what happened. He began looking around for clues...

Meanwhile, young Samuel had been quite nervous when Bailey Kipper had brought in Taylor a few hours ago, for he had recognized Taylor from the media coverage of him at the end of the civil war. If Bailey could take out Taylor...Samuel shuddered at the thought. But now, Taylor seemed to be awakening, if a bit groggy, perhaps sparking just a tiny sliver of hope in the boy...

Still, he did not say anything. While Bailey had largely spared him, he had been forced to witness Bailey's torture of the Dornalians...

Sure enough, in a system like Hoth, sparsely populated as it was, the amount of space traffic for the Sith Infiltrator to blend into was absolutely nil. Unless the Sith counted the large, what-class-was-it Star Destroyer in more or less geosynchronous orbit over where they intended to land. Even a fighter would have attracted the Star Destroyer's attention, for bored sensor officers in want of something, anything, to detect.

As the Star Destroyer's sensors picked up the Infiltrator, based on a small power signature against absolutely NOTHING to disguise it, for a period not to exceed fourteen seconds, said bored sensor officers punched in keypads to bring up visuals. Which, as they didn't offhand recognize the ship's class, were fed into the ship's computers.

The result the computer spat out was somewhat startling.

BEST MATCH: SITH INFILTRATOR CLASS. 32% PROBABILITY. MORE INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS CLASS TO ENSURE MORE ACCURATE READINGS.

One of the sensor officers wasted no time in notifying the unit groundside to expect company. He sent a message that would make Keith and Jacob's blood run cold, for sure.

For their part, Keith and Jacob were less than two kilometers away when their comm system cackled to life. "This is Major Burnke from the Star Destroyer Union. Be advised, we have detected a small craft landing near your present location. The blizzard obscures the exact landing site, but sensor readings indicate a thirty-two percent probability of the ship class being a Sith Infiltrator. Stay Alert."

"Aff," Colonel Allaire acknowledged to the Star Destroyer, slowing down a bit to divert more of the fusion engine's output into a communication that could reach the Star Destroyer, then speeding back up. Jacob, we just might have some company... Meanwhile, the distance to the cave rapidly ticked down by the second. Six hundred meters. Five fifty. Five hundred...
My first thought: Nightshade. Jacob replied as they neared the cavern.

Meanwhile, the Sith approached the cave quickly, sensing that they will be needed there.

Meanwhile, young Samuel had been quite nervous when Bailey Kipper had brought in Taylor a few hours ago, for he had recognized Taylor from the media coverage of him at the end of the civil war. If Bailey could take out Taylor...Samuel shuddered at the thought. But now, Taylor seemed to be awakening, if a bit groggy, perhaps sparking just a tiny sliver of hope in the boy...

Still, he did not say anything. While Bailey had largely spared him, he had been forced to witness Bailey's torture of the Dornalians...
Bailey Kipper opened his eyes. "They are here..."

His plan was simple: to prevent the Jedi from unleashing their full power like Taylor did, he will bring out a hostage to use as a human shield. As planned, he went to collect young Samuel and drag him out, noticing that Taylor was awake. "Don't worry, Masaki, I'll be back soon after your reinforcements are taken..."

With that, he roughly dragged the young boy outside, forced to suffer a powerful blizzard with wind chill factor that's definitely below zero without the benefit of his winter clothes, and waited for the Jedi to approach...

Bailey Kipper opened his eyes. "They are here..."

His plan was simple: to prevent the Jedi from unleashing their full power like Taylor did, he will bring out a hostage to use as a human shield. As planned, he went to collect young Samuel and drag him out, noticing that Taylor was awake. "Don't worry, Masaki, I'll be back soon after your reinforcements are taken..."

With that, he roughly dragged the young boy outside, forced to suffer a wind chill factor that's definitely below zero without the benefit of his winter clothes, and waited for the Jedi to approach...

Keith immediately sensed Bailey's fell intention. That scum. Shut down and teleport out of the 'Mech. Against someone who uses Force Crush, a 'Mech cockpit is a deathtrap. Meanwhile, Keith shut down his own 'Mech, threw off his neurohelmet, and took up his naginata. A second later, he had *popped* right behind Bailey, definitely intending to distract him long enough for Samuel to get a chance to escape being a human shield.

Keith concentrated on his surroundings as he moved to make a heavy, hard attack against Bailey Kipper, extending his Battle Meditation to both Taylor Masaki and Samuel. The effects of the Battle Meditation quickly cleared away any remaining grogginess or confusion on Taylor's part, as his situation became crystal clear. Unfortunately for Taylor, he'd also recognize who was projecting the Battle Meditation and thus clearing his mind...one Colonel Keith Allaire...

With the naginata, Keith did not need his lightsabers, so he telekinetically shot one into the cave, instructing Taylor to use it to free himself by wielding it telekinetically himself. Meanwhile, there was still the problem of the freezing eight-year old kid who had also entered Keith's mind as a result of the Battle Meditation...

Even as Keith Allaire continued heavy strikes against Bailey closest resembling Makashi attacks, young Samuel felt his mind overtaken. By a would-be ally. He suddenly got the urge to dig, and saw that (hopefully) Bailey was a bit distracted at the moment to restrain him from doing so. Even as Keith used his thermokinetic Force powers to warm the boy up to a tolerable level, the boy dug straight down into the snow, so that he would have insulation from the wind and elements and be able to wait out the duel...

As the epic battle around them heated and boiled over, the Dornalian women were clinging on. The resounding crash and profiles of a Shadow Cat, the lighsaber flying into the cave gave some hope to Kayla, who was lucky to have maintained her sanity so far throughout the ordeal. She smiled. The cavalry had come.

It didn't take two and two to realize that saber was meant for Taylor Masaki, who had been thrown into the cave with them when he was captured, to get the others out. She'd grab the saber, but she was in the crude but sturdy binds Bailey engineered for her. Then, a bit of realization--she had the Force after all. She then punted the saber to Taylor with Force Push and said, "Break our binds and then do what you must," implying the obvious task of freeing them and dealing with the monster above.

But whereas Kayla was still sane, if somewhat disturbed by the ordeal, Linda was a mess. And that was putting it lightly. Without going into too much detail, it was safe to say that judging by her fetal position, her blank stare, and damaged clothing something rather ugly had occurred. And admist all the noise, not a reaction. She could only think about...that.

Her husband was trying to console her, but she wasn't responding very well to anybody right now. Kayla could sense that it would take a while for her psyche to get back to normal. Kayla then spoke to Herbert, saying, "How's she doing?"

Herbert shook his head.

"Not good. She hasn't been doing for a while."

A few sounds of lightsabers clashing.

"I think you better give her some time," Kayla said. "Lemme try. In the meantime, I think we better let the people above sort it out." Herbert nodded and backed off, as Kayla shunted herself rather crudely towards the dishonored scion-in-law of the Jensen Family. "Linda, this is Kayla....they've come to save us. The cavalry's come to save us!"

Linda nodded briefly, and said, "Not in time. . ." her voice trailing off in a quivering, disturbed manner. "Why God, now!? Not before?!" Kayla then poked her and said, "Hey, hey! That doesn't matter. The important thing is, people are here now to deal with Bailey and he's going to get his. That Mecha, those men out there with lightsabers, the Masakis, the Woodians--they've come to save us and deliver some poetic justice to the man who violated your person."

When Linda remained unconvinced, Kayla then continued her talk, as she tried to assauge Linda and coax her into some sense of normalcy, beginning with, "Look. No one, I mean NO ONE, should make you feel like a victim without your consent. You do this, you skulk in the corner and he wins. Guys like him feed off of that. Especially Sith. So you have to pull yourself together. Damnit, you are Linda Jensen. Nevermind the money, nevermind your family name, know the fact you are a person! Not an object, but a person!"

Battle of the Forgotten City (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7BJqkzj3eg)

Keith immediately sensed Bailey's fell intention. That scum. Shut down and teleport out of the 'Mech. Against someone who uses Force Crush, a 'Mech cockpit is a deathtrap. Meanwhile, Keith shut down his own 'Mech, threw off his neurohelmet, and took up his naginata. A second later, he had *popped* right behind Bailey, definitely intending to distract him long enough for Samuel to get a chance to escape being a human shield.

Keith concentrated on his surroundings as he moved to make a heavy, hard attack against Bailey Kipper, extending his Battle Meditation to both Taylor Masaki and Samuel. The effects of the Battle Meditation quickly cleared away any remaining grogginess or confusion on Taylor's part, as his situation became crystal clear. Unfortunately for Taylor, he'd also recognize who was projecting the Battle Meditation and thus clearing his mind...one Colonel Keith Allaire...
Jacob popped right after Keith and his blue lightsaber sprang to life. Now Bailey Kipper was in for it as he was not only fighting Keith Allaire's deadly naginata but also a master of Soresu and one of the Alchemy Masters of the Order to boot. Bailey fought hard, using all the powers of the Dark Side at his disposal, but it would not be enough, especially not a two-on-one battle like this.

And once Taylor came out to do battle, it was all over.

With the naginata, Keith did not need his lightsabers, so he telekinetically shot one into the cave, instructing Taylor to use it to free himself by wielding it telekinetically himself. Meanwhile, there was still the problem of the freezing eight-year old kid who had also entered Keith's mind as a result of the Battle Meditation...

Even as Keith Allaire continued heavy strikes against Bailey closest resembling Makashi attacks, young Samuel felt his mind overtaken. By a would-be ally. He suddenly got the urge to dig, and saw that (hopefully) Bailey was a bit distracted at the moment to restrain him from doing so. Even as Keith used his thermokinetic Force powers to warm the boy up to a tolerable level, the boy dug straight down into the snow, so that he would have insulation from the wind and elements and be able to wait out the duel...
Taylor grumbled as he telekinetically picked up the lightsaber and used it to destroy the restraints. "I'd rather drink bleach than have Keith of all people come and rescue me. It's demeaning!"

Still, he was secretly glad to have an opportunity to end the bastard's life once and for all. He cut the hostages' restraints and headed outside.

=====

At the same time, the two Sith reached the battle zone in time, their Sith sabers springing to life as they jumped the two Jedi. Darth Bandon forced Jacob to break off contact with Bailey and the other one attacked Keith with a vicious blow.

Bailey Kipper was bouyed by the Sith defending him. "Did Lady Nightshade send them? What does she want of me?"

Battle of the Forgotten City (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7BJqkzj3eg)


Jacob popped right after Keith and his blue lightsaber sprang to life. Now Bailey Kipper was in for it as he was not only fighting Keith Allaire's deadly naginata but also a master of Soresu and one of the Alchemy Masters of the Order to boot. Bailey fought hard, using all the powers of the Dark Side at his disposal, but it would not be enough, especially not a two-on-one battle like this.

And once Taylor came out to do battle, it was all over.


Taylor grumbled as he telekinetically picked up the lightsaber and used it to destroy the restraints. "I'd rather drink bleach than have Keith of all people come and rescue me. It's demeaning!"

Still, he was secretly glad to have an opportunity to end the bastard's life once and for all. He cut the hostages' restraints and headed outside.

=====

At the same time, the two Sith reached the battle zone in time, their Sith sabers springing to life as they jumped the two Jedi. Darth Bandon forced Jacob to break off contact with Bailey and the other one attacked Keith with a vicious blow.

Bailey Kipper was bouyed by the Sith defending him. "Did Lady Nightshade send them? What does she want of me?"

Kaox Krul, the Sith who came swinging at Keith, just might have made a slight mistake. Keith quickly swung his naginata around, either clearing anything within nine feet or slicing anything within ten feet in half in the process.

But Krul and Bailey kept up their attacks; nevertheless Keith was able to keep his defenses up as both of their lightsabers locked on his naginata concurrently. Keith had to use all of his physical strength to keep from being overpowered...but there were other ways of attacking, ways of outflanking the Sith and Dark Jedi.

Like, from below. Keith broke the lock himself by teleporting back forty feet, and Kaox Krul found the ground exploding where Keith had just been, like a powerful anti-vehicle mine blast just in front of him. The blast threw a nine-foot base of snowpack more than a hundred feet in the air, showering the entire battle scene with falling chunks of snow and ice, and even the rock underneath said snow up about thirty feet, tearing into the flesh of both Krul and Bailey as shrapnel, well, unless they were really good at Force Barriers and whatnot, anyway. It definitely would not have been an expected attack...

Knight Allaire knew that Bailey had tried using the kid presently tunneling through the snow for insulation against the cold winds of Hoth as a human shield, so the next thing he needed to do was keep Bailey away from the boy. To him, this was a most personal task, so he teleported straight behind Bailey, who had just had the ground blow up in his face, and attacked him from behind with his naginata, wishing to dispense with the threat he posed as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Keith started to cool the frigid, nighttime Hoth air directly in front of him even more; only about twenty degrees seperated the air temperature from the condensation point of oxygen. Even as Keith dueled Bailey, Battle Meditation focused Taylor's mind on Krul, in an effort to separate the two...

Kaox Krul, the Sith who came swinging at Keith, just might have made a slight mistake. Keith quickly swung his naginata around, either clearing anything within nine feet or slicing anything within ten feet in half in the process.

But Krul and Bailey kept up their attacks; nevertheless Keith was able to keep his defenses up as both of their lightsabers locked on his naginata concurrently. Keith had to use all of his physical strength to keep from being overpowered...but there were other ways of attacking, ways of outflanking the Sith and Dark Jedi.

Like, from below. Keith broke the lock himself by teleporting back forty feet, and Kaox Krul found the ground exploding where Keith had just been, like a powerful anti-vehicle mine blast just in front of him. The blast threw a nine-foot base of snowpack more than a hundred feet in the air, showering the entire battle scene with falling chunks of snow and ice, and even the rock underneath said snow up about thirty feet, tearing into the flesh of both Krul and Bailey as shrapnel, well, unless they were really good at Force Barriers and whatnot, anyway. It definitely would not have been an expected attack...
The two Sith roared in pain as the attack struck them, but that only fueled their rage and allowed them to turn the rock attack upon Keith, turning his shrapnel into their shrapnel...

Knight Allaire knew that Bailey had tried using the kid presently tunneling through the snow for insulation against the cold winds of Hoth as a human shield, so the next thing he needed to do was keep Bailey away from the boy. To him, this was a most personal task, so he teleported straight behind Bailey, who had just had the ground blow up in his face, and attacked him from behind with his naginata, wishing to dispense with the threat he posed as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Keith started to cool the frigid, nighttime Hoth air directly in front of him even more; only about twenty degrees seperated the air temperature from the condensation point of oxygen. Even as Keith dueled Bailey, Battle Meditation focused Taylor's mind on Krul, in an effort to separate the two...
Bailey sensed the threat from Keith and teleported out of the path of the blade, ensuring that his end won't be as quick as Keith thought. As Keith cooled the air to supercold temperatures, Bailey went for the kid with the Force, trying to drag him out of the snow and use him as a shield against Keith. Then, he would have no choice but to lessen his attacks or watch the kid die before his eyes, or by his hand.

Meanwhile, the nudge toward Krul made Taylor grumble as he really wanted to deal with Bailey by himself, but the Dark Jedi advanced on him, so he had no choice but to play the David to his Goliath and take him out of play. As it was, the Dark Jedi utilized a lot of fast and powerful strikes against him and Taylor was having trouble with him. At least when between using fire attacks to burn away his strength.

Jacob had perhaps the easiest time against Darth Bandon, who was a powerful but arrogant Sith, who kept on using Dun Moch to try and trip up the Alchemy Master to little effect. His skill with Soresu was almost on par with *the* master of Soresu, but Jacob was always too modest to see himself as another Obi-Wan. That of course, didn't explain the explosion of skill and ability to use the environment to his advantage as Jacob sent spear after spear of ice spikes at Bandon, who was surprised by the skill and power of the younger Masaki twin.

Three Jedi facing three Sith...well, that was certainly a battle worthy of the Archives! Who will win remains to be seen...

The two Sith roared in pain as the attack struck them, but that only fueled their rage and allowed them to turn the rock attack upon Keith, turning his shrapnel into their shrapnel...

While Keith had already teleported out of the way to intercept Bailey, he made a mental note that he probably should not allow such attacks to even be survivable in the future...

Bailey sensed the threat from Keith and teleported out of the path of the blade, ensuring that his end won't be as quick as Keith thought. As Keith cooled the air to supercold temperatures, Bailey went for the kid with the Force, trying to drag him out of the snow and use him as a shield against Keith. Then, he would have no choice but to lessen his attacks or watch the kid die before his eyes, or by his hand.

Oh, Keith had absolutely no intention of letting Bailey Kipper get away with that. Keith promptly teleported himself between Bailey and Samuel, so that the boy was behind him and the human shield idea would not work, whereupon he Force Pushed Samuel straight out of Bailey's grip. The kid felt like an airbag had just exploded into his chest, but he was uninjured, but the force of the push sent him rolling through the snow, away from the battle, for more than a hundred feet.

However, Bailey was too much of a threat for Keith to physically watch it, though Battle Meditation still allowed Keith to telepathically track the kid. If Bailey thought he would get too far from Keith's naginata that easily, he had another thing coming, as Keith matched every use of teleportation the Fallen One made. And Keith, after the Fallen One's brazen attempt to use the eight-year-old as a shield, Keith wanted the Fallen One gone as quickly as possible, even as he forcefully moved the kid out of the Fallen One's path as required. The faster the Fallen One was removed from the battle, the less threat to his hostages.

Therefore, as Keith and Bailey traded melee blows, Keith's naginata against Bailey's lightsaber, Keith started getting ideas. Neither one seemed to get the edge over the other within an acceptable timeframe (which, given the circumstances, Keith defined as fifteen seconds or less), so Keith decided that a multidirectional attack was needed.

Within one quarter of one second, Bailey suddenly found trouble coming from no less than four separate directions, Keith's precision manifesting itself in one brutal combined-Force-powers attack, the kind that only a military man would think to execute. Meanwhile, Jacob and Taylor knew to expect one bigass attack, and brace themselves for what was coming, thanks to Keith's use of Battle Meditation...

His lightsaber hilt suddenly got hot, real hot, as in glowing-red hot, deformed-hilt hot, to the touch as Keith spiked its temperature, Keith's liquid oxygen ball plunged towards Bailey's torso, Keith teleported as the ground exploded directly beneath Bailey's feet with even more force than it had the last time, resulting in an explosion powerful enough to blow a leg off an AT-AT, and Keith's naginata flew straight at Bailey's head from where Keith arrived at, with the same precision as a guided missile. The ground had exploded with such force that it was sufficient for a minor concussion wave that knocked Keith down, even though he was now fifty feet away, as he re-appeared to throw the naginata, but his aim was still true, and the Jedi quickly got back up to ensure that Bailey Kipper, Fallen One, was killed by the attack...

Samuel, however, was by now a safe distance from the explosion. Keith still sensed him via his Battle Meditation...

Meanwhile, the nudge toward Krul made Taylor grumble as he really wanted to deal with Bailey by himself, but the Dark Jedi advanced on him, so he had no choice but to play the David to his Goliath and take him out of play. As it was, the Dark Jedi utilized a lot of fast and powerful strikes against him and Taylor was having trouble with him. At least when between using fire attacks to burn away his strength.

Jacob had perhaps the easiest time against Darth Bandon, who was a powerful but arrogant Sith, who kept on using Dun Moch to try and trip up the Alchemy Master to little effect. His skill with Soresu was almost on par with *the* master of Soresu, but Jacob was always too modest to see himself as another Obi-Wan. That of course, didn't explain the explosion of skill and ability to use the environment to his advantage as Jacob sent spear after spear of ice spikes at Bandon, who was surprised by the skill and power of the younger Masaki twin.

Three Jedi facing three Sith...well, that was certainly a battle worthy of the Archives! Who will win remains to be seen...

Meanwhile, Keith's Battle Meditation ensured that Jacob and Taylor remained completely focused on their targets, despite Keith's unleashing of his powers on Bailey...

Oh, Keith had absolutely no intention of letting Bailey Kipper get away with that. Keith promptly teleported himself between Bailey and Samuel, so that the boy was behind him and the human shield idea would not work, whereupon he Force Pushed Samuel straight out of Bailey's grip. The kid felt like an airbag had just exploded into his chest, but he was uninjured, but the force of the push sent him rolling through the snow, away from the battle, for more than a hundred feet.

However, Bailey was too much of a threat for Keith to physically watch it, though Battle Meditation still allowed Keith to telepathically track the kid. If Bailey thought he would get too far from Keith's naginata that easily, he had another thing coming, as Keith matched every use of teleportation the Fallen One made. And Keith, after the Fallen One's brazen attempt to use the eight-year-old as a shield, Keith wanted the Fallen One gone as quickly as possible, even as he forcefully moved the kid out of the Fallen One's path as required. The faster the Fallen One was removed from the battle, the less threat to his hostages.

Therefore, as Keith and Bailey traded melee blows, Keith's naginata against Bailey's lightsaber, Keith started getting ideas. Neither one seemed to get the edge over the other within an acceptable timeframe (which, given the circumstances, Keith defined as fifteen seconds or less), so Keith decided that a multidirectional attack was needed.

Within one quarter of one second, Bailey suddenly found trouble coming from no less than four separate directions, Keith's precision manifesting itself in one brutal combined-Force-powers attack, the kind that only a military man would think to execute. Meanwhile, Jacob and Taylor knew to expect one bigass attack, and brace themselves for what was coming, thanks to Keith's use of Battle Meditation...

His lightsaber hilt suddenly got hot, real hot, as in glowing-red hot, deformed-hilt hot, to the touch as Keith spiked its temperature, Keith's liquid oxygen ball plunged towards Bailey's torso, Keith teleported as the ground exploded directly beneath Bailey's feet with even more force than it had the last time, resulting in an explosion powerful enough to blow a leg off an AT-AT, and Keith's naginata flew straight at Bailey's head from where Keith arrived at, with the same precision as a guided missile. The ground had exploded with such force that it was sufficient for a minor concussion wave that knocked Keith down, even though he was now fifty feet away, as he re-appeared to throw the naginata, but his aim was still true, and the Jedi quickly got back up to ensure that Bailey Kipper, Fallen One, was killed by the attack...

Samuel, however, was by now a safe distance from the explosion. Keith still sensed him via his Battle Meditation...
Bailey's lightsaber grew hot and an iceball, a ground explosion and a naginata were all heading toward him at the same moment. What was a budding Sith to do? Simply die?

Not a chance! Bailey had the fortitude to teleport when the iceball was thrown, incidently missing the ground explosion and the naginata. Unfortunately for him, his lightsaber was lost in the process. Growling with hatred, Bailey still had a secondary weapon, the tanto that one Major Ehrell gave him but he would not use it on Keith, for he was far too dangerous. At least right now.

As a former Combat Knight, Bailey knew many ways to kill a man, both with the Force and without. He recalled that a simple technique was often the best. Bailey recalled that training, and then struck out, aiming a Force Strike at Colonel Allaire's eardrums to rupture them. If successful, Keith would feel like he's been shot in the head and a severe loss of coordination would result. Failure, and Bailey would have to try something else...

Meanwhile, Keith's Battle Meditation ensured that Jacob and Taylor remained completely focused on their targets, despite Keith's unleashing of his powers on Bailey...
Eye of the Tiger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DupDSqsP3Wg&feature=related)

Meanwhile, Jacob and Taylor utilized their Twinbond to the fullest, and with Allaire's Battle Meditation in the mix, it was only a matter of time before they would be able to finish off the Sith Lords. As Taylor fought the giant Kaox Krul, he was warming up the air around him to unbearable levels until it literally ignited into a fireball, bathing him in what amounted to a cloak of fire and flash-melting the snow around him into water and then steam. Kaox was suddenly wary of this new Jedi trick and a warning bell rang in his head as the fire lashed out at him and he rolled to the side just in time. The fire didn't die down, though, but formed into a roaring tiger made completely of fire.

"'Tyger Tyger burning bright...'" Taylor grinned. "'In the forest of the night...'"

With a mental command, the tiger struck with a speed that astonished the Sith and slashed with fiery claws, leaving deep burn wounds in his flesh. The Sith retaliated with his lightsaber, but to no avail, for the tiger simply reformed and struck again. Sith and tiger went down in bestial savagery, and the roars of them both filled the night air...

=====

Jacob, however, used a different tactic to fight against Darth Bandon. Using Soresu to the limits, he slowly began luring Darth Bandon towards the cliffs of the cavern wall, where he had a plan to end this Sith once and for all. Luckily, the Sith Lord was too consumed with defeating him to notice that he was about to fall into a trap. The kind of trap that only an alchemist would be able to produce.

"You fight well, Jedi..." Bandon grinned sadistically between slashes. "Your sister mentioned something about your being a master of Soresu. You would be a vital addition to the Sith ranks. Why not join her? Siblings are meant to be together, after all."

"Nah." Jacob replied confidently. "We fight too much to do something silly as rule a galaxy. Besides, the Sith don't have a good pension plan. I mean, wrinkly face and yellow teeth? Yecch! No thanks, Bandon!"

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'll have to cut your head off then. Take this!" And Bandon doubled his efforts, only to be met by more whirling blade action...

Bailey's lightsaber grew hot and an iceball, a ground explosion and a naginata were all heading toward him at the same moment. What was a budding Sith to do? Simply die?

Not a chance! Bailey had the fortitude to teleport when the iceball was thrown, incidently missing the ground explosion and the naginata. Unfortunately for him, his lightsaber was lost in the process. Growling with hatred, Bailey still had a secondary weapon, the tanto that one Major Ehrell gave him but he would not use it on Keith, for he was far too dangerous. At least right now.

As a former Combat Knight, Bailey knew many ways to kill a man, both with the Force and without. He recalled that a simple technique was often the best. Bailey recalled that training, and then struck out, aiming a Force Strike at Colonel Allaire's eardrums to rupture them. If successful, Keith would feel like he's been shot in the head and a severe loss of coordination would result. Failure, and Bailey would have to try something else...

Unfortunately for Bailey, Colonel Allaire had the same ability of precognition that had told Bailey to teleport only a few seconds ago, meaning he had about a half second to react to what was coming himself. Anticipating some kind of acoustic attack, the Colonel wasted no time in using the Force to effectively shut down his eardrums, meaning they would not vibrate at all, rendering him deaf for the second or so during which Bailey attempted his Force Strike. Keith also made sure to maintain constant pressure both in the fluid inside his ear, and the air outside, to further blunt Bailey's Force Strike. Of course, just because he had temporarily sacrificed his hearing did not mean he was suddenly ignorant of his surroundings--he had sacrificed his hearing precisely to prevent the extreme disorientation that he knew Bailey's attack would otherwise cause. He had been around enough loud noises in his military career to know what the "feeling of getting shot in the head" was like, and this was a bad time to experience it...

Taylor and Jacob noticed a slight flicker in Keith's Battle Meditation, as he sacrificed one of his six senses. Still, he had the Force, and every other sense except hearing, and even the hearing returned after Bailey's attack had conclusively failed. That he kept the Battle Meditation up even as he sacrificed one of his senses spoke volumes about his concentration abilities...which no doubt made Bailey shudder.

Keith looked at Bailey for the second or so his hearing was out, as his naginata returned to him. The temporary sacrifice of hearing, while perhaps it should have pissed Keith off even more, actually had mellowed Keith slightly. If only slightly. The fire had gone out of Keith's eyes, it seemed, and Keith would soon yield anyway, even though Bailey had been disarmed...

Only there was one slight problem. It was all a feint.

Keith vanished. Almost even before he reappeared behind Bailey, he flicked his entire arm as quickly as Jacob Masaki flicked his lightsaber-bearing wrist in his duel with Darth Bandon. Only the hand on said arm held Keith's naginata, the blade of which flew through the air right at Bailey's neck level. And if Bailey had enough time to teleport, Keith would merely follow him...

All the while, Kayla could feel the action in the Force. The clashing of sabers, the tricky moves, the love, the hate, the sibling rivalry writ large on a galactic scale. As she consoled Linda and tried to talk her back into reality, Kayla muttered to herself, "Come on guys....beat them....do it for us, damnit! We're counting on you!"

The cry could, unbeknownst to Kayla, be faintly be heard by the heroes, but not at a volume enough to distract them from the task at hand. Still, they'd be able to hear the words of encouragement.

Victory! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn8fReXz0pQ&feature=related)

Unfortunately for Bailey, Colonel Allaire had the same ability of precognition that had told Bailey to teleport only a few seconds ago, meaning he had about a half second to react to what was coming himself. Anticipating some kind of acoustic attack, the Colonel wasted no time in using the Force to effectively shut down his eardrums, meaning they would not vibrate at all, rendering him deaf for the second or so during which Bailey attempted his Force Strike. Keith also made sure to maintain constant pressure both in the fluid inside his ear, and the air outside, to further blunt Bailey's Force Strike. Of course, just because he had temporarily sacrificed his hearing did not mean he was suddenly ignorant of his surroundings--he had sacrificed his hearing precisely to prevent the extreme disorientation that he knew Bailey's attack would otherwise cause. He had been around enough loud noises in his military career to know what the "feeling of getting shot in the head" was like, and this was a bad time to experience it...

Taylor and Jacob noticed a slight flicker in Keith's Battle Meditation, as he sacrificed one of his six senses. Still, he had the Force, and every other sense except hearing, and even the hearing returned after Bailey's attack had conclusively failed. That he kept the Battle Meditation up even as he sacrificed one of his senses spoke volumes about his concentration abilities...which no doubt made Bailey shudder.

Keith looked at Bailey for the second or so his hearing was out, as his naginata returned to him. The temporary sacrifice of hearing, while perhaps it should have pissed Keith off even more, actually had mellowed Keith slightly. If only slightly. The fire had gone out of Keith's eyes, it seemed, and Keith would soon yield anyway, even though Bailey had been disarmed...

Only there was one slight problem. It was all a feint.

Keith vanished. Almost even before he reappeared behind Bailey, he flicked his entire arm as quickly as Jacob Masaki flicked his lightsaber-bearing wrist in his duel with Darth Bandon. Only the hand on said arm held Keith's naginata, the blade of which flew through the air right at Bailey's neck level. And if Bailey had enough time to teleport, Keith would merely follow him...
It was over. Bailey Kipper's neck was severed by the naginata in a bloody spray and his head rolled off his shoulders, ending his short but violent reign of terror. The darkness that exuded from him immediately began to fade away...

=====

Likewise, Kaox Krul was mauled to death by the fiery tiger, but just to make sure that he was truly dead, Taylor walked up to him and stuck his lightsaber in the Dark Jedi's chest, cauterizing the heart to ensure it won't beat again. The Fire Tiger roared in triumph and then faded away. Taylor grinned victorious. "And that's all it wrote, folks!"

=====

Closer...closer...now! Jacob was the last to defeat his foe, but only by moments as he suddenly took a backwards leap up onto the cliff wall and slammed his hands on the wall. Crackling energy sundered the entire cliff face, and though Bandon tried to escape, he couldn't due to a Force Wall in place that prevented said escape. In the end, he was crushed under tons of rock and ice, completing the Sith triad's deaths.

As if it sensed the deaths of the Sith (which, considering the nature of the Dark Side and Sith alchemy, isn't far off the mark), the Sith Infiltrator sent a tightbeam transmission to Tenetia alerting the Empress that its passengers' hearts have stopped beating and then triggered a thermonuclear selfdestruct charge, sending a firey mushroom into the air. A simple but effective method of preventing its capture....

Victory! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn8fReXz0pQ&feature=related)


It was over. Bailey Kipper's neck was severed by the naginata in a bloody spray and his head rolled off his shoulders, ending his short but violent reign of terror. The darkness that exuded from him immediately began to fade away...


Unfortunately, naginatas were somewhat messier than lightsabers, and the Blood of the Fallen One managed to back-spray all over Keith's right arm, his chest and torso, and even all over his face. Keith merely stared down as Bailey's fallen body crumpled to the ground, blood still dripping from the Fallen One's severed neck, staining the nearby snow in red. The blizzard still raged, and the snowflakes that fell atop Bailey's body and spilled blood melted. Still, it was only a moment before the chilling winds of Hoth had cooled Bailey's body enough for snow to start sticking and accumulating on his corpse, and the bloodsplattered snow quickly received a new coating of white. Keith watched Bailey's corpse slowly get buried under a snowdrift, shaking his head.

Colonel Keith Allaire still sensed the minds of the two Masakis, and of young Samuel, linked to him; so disgusted was he that he had had to visit this fate upon one who, up until a few days ago, had been a member in good standing of the Jedi Order. So disgusted was he when he had seen his deeds along the way...that, unlike Caligula, he could not even claim the cover of a duel. How to "duel" those skiers that Keith had observed the wampas eating earlier?

He gently kicked Bailey Kipper's fallen head, such that it faced down, the top of his head buried in the snow, the now frozen-shut cut of the neck now facing up. As if he did not believe Bailey was dead either, he took his spear, and raised it, blade facing down. Silently, Keith unceremoniously plunged his weapon into the snow, impaling Bailey's head through the spinal cord. Keith swung the naginata back up, and saw the weapon's blade poking about a foot above Bailey's skull, most of his face covered in a quarter inch of snow.

"Taylor, next time, do not let your last name inflate your head so much it pops," Keith chided him silently, the word 'pops' having a double meaning--over-inflated ego like a balloon, and getting knocked out. And then...

Hey, Samuel, come here. Keith still had not actually terminated his Battle Meditation (from which he had figured out his name), and the kid did as ordered, running towards Keith, even getting knocked over by the howling winds a couple of times. Keith used his thermokinesis to keep the kid from getting too cold, and the kid practically jumped up onto his left arm. To the kid, Keith provided warmth...in more ways than one.

"There are still hostages in the cave," Keith informed the group, "so let us pay them a visit." Keith, with Samuel still clinging to his arm, entered, carrying Bailey's head impaled on his weapon...

"So passes Bailey Kipper." Keith said nothing more, letting Bailey's impaled, snow-dusted head speak for itself.

Kayla took one look at the head, and smiled. She then said, "Thank you God...." as she breathed a sigh of relief. The monster was dead, St. George had slain the dragon and they were free. She then said to Herb, "Herbert, we're free!" Herbert wept with joy, as they then poked Linda, Kayla going "Linda! He's dead! The man's dead! You're alive, you've won!"

She moved her head just a little to look at the naginata. She then began to weep. A small smile crept on her face, which seemed to suggest they were tears of joy. But she didn't do much more than that, and when Kayla tried to communicate, Linda refused to listen.

Kayla then turned to Keith and the Masakis and asked, "Guys, I'm gonna need a little help bringing Mrs. Jensen back to health."

"Don't rub that in." Taylor grumbled to Keith. His thought: I'll learn from this and be stronger for it!

Jacob gave Bailey's head a sad look and then they headed inside to check on the other hostages.

Kayla took one look at the head, and smiled. She then said, "Thank you God...." as she breathed a sigh of relief. The monster was dead, St. George had slain the dragon and they were free. She then said to Herb, "Herbert, we're free!" Herbert wept with joy, as they then poked Linda, Kayla going "Linda! He's dead! The man's dead! You're alive, you've won!"

She moved her head just a little to look at the naginata. She then began to weep. A small smile crept on her face, which seemed to suggest they were tears of joy. But she didn't do much more than that, and when Kayla tried to communicate, Linda refused to listen.

Kayla then turned to Keith and the Masakis and asked, "Guys, I'm gonna need a little help bringing Mrs. Jensen back to health."

Jacob looked sadly at Linda. "She's going to need help. We'll have to take her back to somewhere more comfortable than this place."

"Don't rub that in." Taylor grumbled to Keith. His thought: I'll learn from this and be stronger for it!

"Then do not MAKE me rub it in," Keith replied to Taylor as he entered the cave. But there was still the matter of Bailey's former hostages...

Keith sensed, more than anything else, relief that Bailey was gone; it probably was a good thing that he had brought his head in here as irrefutable proof. "The Star Destroyer that brought me here is still in orbit," Keith replied to Kayla. "I will request immediate extraction, though with the blizzard, I cannot make guarantees."

He then headed back outside to use his 'Mech's comm equipment, trying unsuccessfully to shake Samuel off his shoulder. "You just will not let go, will you, kid?" Keith asked the boy, giving him a friendly look. Samuel just looked up at him in reply. Keith shrugged and headed off to the 'Mech with the boy attached.

Colonel Allaire scrambled up the thing, being somewhat careful not to bump the boy's head on anything, and climbed into the cockpit without a second thought. The boy watched as Keith powered the thing back up, warmed up its reactor, and dumped all its power into radio-hailing the Star Destroyer overhead. "This is Colonel Keith Allaire. Requesting immediate extraction for..." he thought a minute... "for seven people. Uploading nav."

"Sitrep?" the voice of none other than Admiral Makaryk answered. It seemed as though Admiral Makaryk had taken a personal interest in the mission, given that he had been on Caligula and all.

"I met Jacob Masaki at the resort, and Taylor Masaki was one of the hostages. Bailey Kipper is dead, but two Sith joined him after the duel started..."

"Two Sith?" Admiral Makaryk's voice showed concern.

"Aff, Admiral. Jacob Masaki muttered something about Nightshade sending them."

Even from afar, Keith could sense Admiral Makaryk's blood running cold. "Then we must evacuate Hoth immediately," the Admiral ordered. "Nightshade might look to smite the planet. You will have your extraction, take your 'Mech and any you brought with you back to the resort and evacuate that. You will have your shuttle immediately."

"Aff. That will reduce the extraction demands to four," Keith replied. "Oh, and I request that you send a transmission to Issus to inform the Jedi Council that my mission is complete."

The Admiral acknowledged the request and cut the transmission, leaving Keith to remove his neurohelmet and teleport back to the cave, whereupon he stumbled upon Taylor's lightsaber. "Taylor Masaki, this is yours," Keith presented it to him... "I would very much like mine back. Also, Taylor, come with me, as Admiral Makaryk is ordering the evacuation of the entire planet. Jacob and Kayla, stay with Herbert and Linda here until the shuttle arrives to extract you, which should not be long. I have a feeling I will have to extract Samuel personally," Keith said.

At that, the boy only squeezed Keith's arm harder.

"
The Admiral acknowledged the request and cut the transmission, leaving Keith to remove his neurohelmet and teleport back to the cave, whereupon he stumbled upon Taylor's lightsaber. "Taylor Masaki, this is yours," Keith presented it to him... "I would very much like mine back. Also, Taylor, come with me, as Admiral Makaryk is ordering the evacuation of the entire planet. Jacob and Kayla, stay with Herbert and Linda here until the shuttle arrives to extract you, which should not be long. I have a feeling I will have to extract Samuel personally," Keith said.

At that, the boy only squeezed Keith's arm harder.

Kayla nodded, and continued to console Linda as she began babbling a little. She could be barely heard to say, "Things.....fall....apart....and yet come back together?" Herbert then said again, "It's alright, it's alright," looking desperate and afraid, as his wife was enduring something he'd never want to go through....

Kayla then looked at Samuel, and said, smiling, "As we say back home, keep on truckin' little buddy." Sam had been a bright spot in that time in the cave, and his stubborn resistance helped to keep her going. She then gave him a thumbs up. Even Linda seemed to respond. She cracked a slight smile, and let out a cracking moan that seemed to say, "Good....luck....Sam....you survived...."

Taylor took back his own lightsaber and gave Keith's back, muttering a thanks as he headed for the 'mech. Inwardly, he was glad to have someone like Keith as his backup, but Force forbid that he openly say something like that!

Meanwhile, Jacob stayed with the former hostages to do what he could to console Linda until the shuttle arrived.

=====

Nightshade seethed with fury as she received the deaths of her Sith minions. "How dare they! How dare they! I shall burn Hoth for this!"

And to follow up on the burninating, she called forth Admiral Bradley to send a mighty Star Destroyer task force to issue a Base Delta Zero upon the frozen planet. Nevermind the fact that it was sparsely populated, it was the principle of the matter that it be done.

Three Star Destroyers swiftly entered hyperspace, blasting full speed for the planet. Their orders: eliminate all life on Hoth.

The Wampas were doomed...

Taylor took back his own lightsaber and gave Keith's back, muttering a thanks as he headed for the 'mech. Inwardly, he was glad to have someone like Keith as his backup, but Force forbid that he openly say something like that!

Meanwhile, Jacob stayed with the former hostages to do what he could to console Linda until the shuttle arrived.

"You are welcome. Now, we need to get going." Colonel remained silent as he rammed his throttle to full speed, his ‘Mech barreled through the blizzard, with no problem, at full throttle, Samuel still clinging to his arm despite the warmth of the cockpit and the availability of a jump seat that seemed just big enough to accommodate him (or Taylor, for that matter). The boy remained silent, too, for that matter, too traumatized by the whole ordeal to say much. Taylor no doubt sensed the feeling, he had had one such young kid attach himself to him, once. Now Keith had similarly picked up such a lifeform, like a dust particle attracted to static or something.

When the two arrived at the village, they found the DropShip that had been deployed to insert Keith already two-thirds loaded with evacuees from the resort. There was, however, space enough for the two 'Mechs, and Keith quickly took over command of the evacuation for this particular resort, ensuring that everyone else in the village was boarded within ten minutes, even going so far as using his Force senses to make sure he had gotten every last sentient. It mattered not that Samuel still hung onto Keith's arm like a koala bear to its tree. The mission be done...

Scarcely ten seconds after the last sentient was boarded, Keith ignited the DropShip's engines, and the thing blasted off through the blizzard raging outside, turbulence be damned...

Meanwhile, as Keith and Taylor ensured the nearest resort village evacuated to the Star Destroyer Union's docking bay, the shuttle arrived within a hundred meters of the cave to extract Jacob and the Dornalians...

Nightshade seethed with fury as she received the deaths of her Sith minions. "How dare they! How dare they! I shall burn Hoth for this!"

And to follow up on the burninating, she called forth Admiral Bradley to send a mighty Star Destroyer task force to issue a Base Delta Zero upon the frozen planet. Nevermind the fact that it was sparsely populated, it was the principle of the matter that it be done.

Three Star Destroyers swiftly entered hyperspace, blasting full speed for the planet. Their orders: eliminate all life on Hoth.

The Wampas were doomed...

Unfortunately for Nightshade, even at top speed, the distance between the Core and Outer Rim was too great for any Woodians to be caught planetside for the bombardment. By the time her Star Destroyer task force arrived, the last of four DropShips (one DropShip for each resort on Hoth) had just concluded its docking with the Union.

However, the Star Destroyers still managed to get there before the Union jumped into hyperspace. "Admiral Makaryk, three Star Destroyers have just appeared on our scopes, and they are not allied!"

"Shields up!" the Admiral ordered. Though shields usually were up at all times, per standard operating procedure, they had been lowered to allow the DropShips to dock. "All crew to battle stations." The orders sent chills up the spines of the tourist evacuees.

Colonel Allaire overheard the order. "That includes you, Taylor and Jacob." He glared at the two to show that he meant business. Meanwhile, he went to change into his Elemental suit, as it could operate in zero atmosphere and keep him alive should he have to eject from a starfighter...a possibility, to be sure, given that 90% of his training was in ground combat. And finally, Keith managed to get Samuel off his arm in the process!

After he was suited up, Keith teleported to the docking bay and commandeered his own X-wing. Meanwhile, his mind enveloped the entire crew of the Union, including her starfighter pilots, coordinating them. Even Admiral Makaryk was taken aback at his subordinate's use of the Force, as he too found himself so enveloped, but he had read about what Colonel Allaire was doing.

The wampas might not be doomed after all...

"You are welcome. Now, we need to get going." Colonel remained silent as he rammed his throttle to full speed, his ‘Mech barreled through the blizzard, with no problem, at full throttle, Samuel still clinging to his arm despite the warmth of the cockpit and the availability of a jump seat that seemed just big enough to accommodate him (or Taylor, for that matter). The boy remained silent, too, for that matter, too traumatized by the whole ordeal to say much. Taylor no doubt sensed the feeling, he had had one such young kid attach himself to him, once. Now Keith had similarly picked up such a lifeform, like a dust particle attracted to static or something.

When the two arrived at the village, they found the DropShip that had been deployed to insert Keith already two-thirds loaded with evacuees from the resort. There was, however, space enough for the two 'Mechs, and Keith quickly took over command of the evacuation for this particular resort, ensuring that everyone else in the village was boarded within ten minutes, even going so far as using his Force senses to make sure he had gotten every last sentient. It mattered not that Samuel still hung onto Keith's arm like a koala bear to its tree. The mission be done...

Scarcely ten seconds after the last sentient was boarded, Keith ignited the DropShip's engines, and the thing blasted off through the blizzard raging outside, turbulence be damned...

Meanwhile, as Keith and Taylor ensured the nearest resort village evacuated to the Star Destroyer Union's docking bay, the shuttle arrived within a hundred meters of the cave to extract Jacob and the Dornalians...
"Our ride's here. Come on!" Jacob urged the three Dornalians.

Unfortunately for Nightshade, even at top speed, the distance between the Core and Outer Rim was too great for any Woodians to be caught planetside for the bombardment. By the time her Star Destroyer task force arrived, the last of four DropShips (one DropShip for each resort on Hoth) had just concluded its docking with the Union.

However, the Star Destroyers still managed to get there before the Union jumped into hyperspace. "Admiral Makaryk, three Star Destroyers have just appeared on our scopes, and they are not allied!"

"Shields up!" the Admiral ordered. Though shields usually were up at all times, per standard operating procedure, they had been lowered to allow the DropShips to dock. "All crew to battle stations." The orders sent chills up the spines of the tourist evacuees.

Colonel Allaire overheard the order. "That includes you, Taylor and Jacob." He glared at the two to show that he meant business. Meanwhile, he went to change into his Elemental suit, as it could operate in zero atmosphere and keep him alive should he have to eject from a starfighter...a possibility, to be sure, given that 90% of his training was in ground combat. And finally, Keith managed to get Samuel off his arm in the process!

After he was suited up, Keith teleported to the docking bay and commandeered his own X-wing. Meanwhile, his mind enveloped the entire crew of the Union, including her starfighter pilots, coordinating them. Even Admiral Makaryk was taken aback at his subordinate's use of the Force, as he too found himself so enveloped, but he had read about what Colonel Allaire was doing.

The wampas might not be doomed after all...
The lead Star Destroyer's commander noticed that there was a none-to-friendly Star Destroyer in orbit of Hoth and ordered his TIEs out to ruin its day. Gnat-like black fighters soon boiled out of the hangar bays and the Star Destroyers wasted no time in laying waste to the enemy Star Destroyer with their heavy turbolaser batteries. Deadly meters-thick green bolts lanced across the sky to plaster the Union with their displeasure at the intrusion.

Meanwhile, Taylor and Jacob found that their own fighters were in the Union's hangar bay and commandeered them, then sensed Keith's Battle Meditation encompassing the battlefield. Jacob whistled. He hasn't felt a meditation this good since the Battle for Konoha. He wondered where Keith got the goods, but the wondering will have to wait since he's now plunged into a battle with large numbers of enemy TIEs...

"Our ride's here. Come on!" Jacob urged the three Dornalians....

And with that, they ran into their ride. Kayla and Herbert did a shoulder carry, however crude it was, of Linda. She was sort of responding now, but still detached from reality.....

Kayla, as this occurred, could feel something powerful out there. Something from the good guys? She couldn't tell, given her inexperience as Linda as they were rushed from Union's hangar to the medical bay. But something was going on, judging by the X-Wings lifting off. She wondered if the People's Navy could be of any use?

The lead Star Destroyer's commander noticed that there was a none-to-friendly Star Destroyer in orbit of Hoth and ordered his TIEs out to ruin its day. Gnat-like black fighters soon boiled out of the hangar bays and the Star Destroyers wasted no time in laying waste to the enemy Star Destroyer with their heavy turbolaser batteries. Deadly meters-thick green bolts lanced across the sky to plaster the Union with their displeasure at the intrusion.

Meanwhile, Taylor and Jacob found that their own fighters were in the Union's hangar bay and commandeered them, then sensed Keith's Battle Meditation encompassing the battlefield. Jacob whistled. He hasn't felt a meditation this good since the Battle for Konoha. He wondered where Keith got the goods, but the wondering will have to wait since he's now plunged into a battle with large numbers of enemy TIEs...

"All gunnery officers, hold fire." Admiral Makaryk's voice growled throughout the Union on her PA system. "I have something special planned for them. Accumulate charge in whatever capacitor will accommodate it." The Admiral allowed a wan smile to cross his face, for the enemy knew not what they did. That, and as the enemy fired first, Admiral Makaryk had everything he needed to justify adding these three Star Destroyers to his kill board, or possibly capturing them as isorla, despite the fact that Evil Woody Thoughts was not technically at war with Tenetia. Yet.

That, and the small little issue of the three Star Destroyers cutting off the Union's plotted hyperspace vector. Why, the Union would just have to clear itself a path!

Meanwhile, Colonel Allaire led the Union's three wings of X-wings to intercept the enemy TIEs, thankful that Woodian engineers had modified their stock of X-wings to be compatible with 'Mech-grade neurohelmets, like the one contained within his Elemental suit. Namely, because he was forced into the decision of fighting well outside of his training (ground combat), or not fighting at all. The Clans had a term for that feeling--powless, though for Keith, this problem was ameliorated somewhat by his starfighter's neurohelmet capabilities and his own Jedi reflexes. Though starfighter combat was perhaps the one thing Taylor Masaki could best Keith Allaire at as of this moment, the Colonel could still quite easily hold his own against standard TIE pilots.

Tenetia's fighter pilots might have been surprised by the sheer capacity of this outnumbered-three-to-one, allegedly-sitting-duck's hangar bay; its capacity to deploy starfighters matched that of all three of their Star Destroyers put together. Meanwhile, Colonel Allaire made sure that this became a big problem for said enemy fighter pilots, using his skill at Battle Meditation to sharpen the reflexes of his wings, allowing them to evade TIE lasers more easily and allowing them to target more precisely than even standard Woodian training allowed. There were a few isolated Woodian casualties, but still, in general, Knight Allaire's Battle Meditation should prove deadly indeed...

Meanwhile, aboard the bridge of the Union, Admiral Makaryk watched the enemy turbolasers splatter harmlessly against the Union's front deflector shields, which were holding at just over 90%, having adjusted for the initial barrage from the three enemy capital ships. Oh, sure, combined, they might be able to wear down the Immortal Star Destroyer's shields after an hour or three. But, despite appearances, the Admiral had no intentions of letting the three Tenetian Star Destroyers survive that long. Emboldened by Knight Allaire's Battle Meditation, and somehow able to vaguely gauge the capabilities of his gunners through it, Admiral Makaryk ordered, "Route every joule stored in capacitors through PPC Number Sixteen, and fire it to within two meters of the point Star Destroyer's bridge on mark."

"Mark." Immediately, no, simultaneously, a dark thick, focused superheated bolt worthy of the Lightning Emperor Seal of Approval lashed out against the target, flash-slagging the origin point and rendering PPC Number Sixteen inoperable in the process. Woe be onto the Empire when the necessary cooling technology was perfected...