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Post by Quinn on Jun 7, 2007 21:16:18 GMT -5
Anakin was walking up the steps of the Jedi temple, a legion of clone troopers at his back. Darkness flitted in his eyes as he led the men into the main chamber of the temple.
The main chamber was huge, as big as a parade ground. None of the Jedi were out, and one of the clone troopers spoke what Anakin was thinking.
"Sir, something is wrong here..."
Indeed there was, and Anakin's danger sense flashed as there was a low FWOOOOOOOO-CRACK as a subsonic slug pierced a clone trooper's helmet and entered his head, killing him instantly.
Anakin spun, lightsaber lit, but the arena seemed to fill up with soldiers, and not clone troopers, but soldiers from a different planet. Not Corellia, but somewhere close. Clad in jumpsuits in urban camouflage with tactical vests and blaster rifles aimed at the clone troopers, a single man strode out at the level that Anakin and the 501st were on.
A lightsaber in his hand, wearing combat fatigues instead of robes, black hair and goatee framing a weathered face with piercing ice-blue eyes.
"And who are you?" Anakin asked savagely.
"The man preventing you from slaughtering innocent people." he said, voice low and threatening. "Surrender now, and you and your men will be spared."
"And what makes you think that you can give me such orders?" Anakin snarled.
"My men and women have superior weapons, and an elevated position, with no avenues to rush, and cover from which to reload. You and your men... do not." the Jedi spoke. "And while your men may have five years of combat experience, my people have at least fourteen. Now toss away your weapons, or face the consequences."
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Post by erickson on Jun 8, 2007 4:21:20 GMT -5
"Hurry," she whispered to the sleepy Younglings and Padawans, filing down toward the waiting transports. It had been hard to get those ships in place without them being spotted, harder to keep it a secret from the Council.
But someone on the Council was corrupted, her friend was sure of it. She looked back along the line, concern on her face as she spotted her.
The Jedi Investigator had worn herself to a thin, sick shadow of herself, following the slim, dangerous trail. Now she stumbled in the "children's wake, strain clear on her face as she 'listened' for the shift in the Force. "Hurry them," she said hoarsely. "It won't..... hold.... much longer." She stumbled, then went to the side where she was quietly ill.
The Guardian looked at the Investigator's Protector. "What is wrong?" she asked. "She's ill," he said abruptly, his face flushing. "Dammit, this is killing her. Can't we hurry these kids any more?"
"No, not and keep them together," she answered him. "You know their Masters agreed to protect the children's back-trails. so they could get away. Without more adults, we can't hurry them faster. And the littlest are already hurrying as fast as they can go."
"Damn Anakin, anyway," he growled. He was answered by a stifled gasp halfway up the line of children, where a heavily pregnant lady was helping to keep them going. "Sorry, Senator," he said gently. "I don't think he ever intended it to go this far. He just got in over his head." She nodded, wiping tears from her eyes as she kept the children going to the waiting ships.
Others would die that night, caught by Palpatine's transmissions to the clone troopers. But not the Younglings and the younger Padawans at the Temple. Their Elders, and the combat troops gathered by one irregular Jedi, would see to that. The warning had been brought by the last Investigator, who stumbled among them as they fled.
Will she die when the others do, wondered the Guardian. All those deaths to come! She's so sensitized............Looking back at the Protector, she feared that there would be not one death, but two. She shook her head. He did not realize, did he, how clearly his frustrated love for his charge showed.
She turned back, lips closed over unspoken words, to lead the last way to the ships.... and safety. _________________________ "It is bitter to lose a friend to evil, before one loses him to death." - Mary Renault, The Praise Singer
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Post by Quinn on Jun 8, 2007 8:19:03 GMT -5
“Then you should know that your men cannot stop me.” Anakin snarled, face contorted with rage, lighting his lightsaber, the blue blade springing to life. The other man chuckled, head shaking.
“I know that, but it is I who will fight you.” he said, smirking. “And you may be the Ataru master, but I don't think you can do much against the Konasu technique.”
“And what is this fabled technique you found?” the dark one snarled.
“Oh, I didn't find it. I just made it up.” the soldier-jedi laughed. “Be warned, not even Windu could pierce it. Granted, I couldn't land a blow on him, but still...”
“Men...” Anakin's hand made a movement.
“I wouldn't if I were you.” he was warned. “My people don't need an order to fire, or even move. We may not be many, but we're all battle trained and willing to defend ourselves.”
“Fi...” and before the whole word was out, his hand disappeared in a red flash of light, the bolt continuing towards a clone trooper and taking him in the torso. And all hell broke loose, as the clone troopers raised their weapons, but the man was right. With half cover and an elevated position, the clones were slaughtered by the squads, and not even their mandalorian training could help them.
Anakin and the soldier-jedi however, rushed at each other and were locked in an elegant duel, in spite of the chaos about them. The blade of the light one was a pure white, clashing against the blue in defense of those fleeing the temple. The blue clashed again and again, but the white made no move to move through and hurt the man striking the blows, purely defensive.
What Anakin did not expect, when his blade was locked with the white, was a booted foot catching him in the belly, followed with an uppercut to the jaw. And with a man who normally bench-pressed 115 kilograms making the blow, it was a hefty one. Anakin was knocked back, tried to sit up, raising his lightsaber, instead having the limb neatly sliced off just below the elbow, and the lightsaber's white blade at his throat, a combat boot upon his chest. All sound of the blaster fire had died away, all the clone troopers slaughtered, with no losses on the defender's side.
“It's over Anakin.” the man breathed heavily, ice blue eyes sharp and unforgiving. A man with a beard and wearing robes rapidly approached the pair.
“Padawan Quinn, we must be moving. Stun him, and let us be on our way. He'll come back to us one day.” the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi informed the man known as Sixtus Quinn.
“Right.” Sixtus replied, raised a blaster, aimed at Vader's head. “You shouldn't have attacked us, especially since we had the high ground.”
“FU...” Anakin started to scream at Sixtus, enraged that a mere padawan had brought Anakin to his knees, when he knew no more and slipped into unconsciousness.
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Post by Morris Cutler on Jun 8, 2007 11:14:14 GMT -5
*Whie Malreaux maintained the rear guard of the group as they approached the shuttle. If indeed Anakin was taken down the perhaps the vision he had on Vjun wouldn't come to pass.*
*He kept pace with a pair of Padawans, Gavin Spry and Callista Darkstar if memory served him correctly and Scout ran with him. After the episode on Vjun both had been hesitant to share their feelings with each other, fearing the harsh judgement of the Jedi Council and had stayed well away from each other. Now they were going to be forced into close quarters again with each other and both dared not say what they were thinking.*
*The young boy, Gavin ran up the ramp and turned to look back at what was going on when he found himself yanked into the shuttle by Master Harkness.*
"No time to gawk come on, we have to keep moving. Whie are all the younglings loaded up."
"Yes Master Harkness, all the younglings are accounted for."
"Good hop in we have to be quick to grab the rest of those guarding the rear. Scout, Callista let's move. Quinn will be right behind us. Master Ti has the big ship waiting in orbit to get us out of here."
*Whie did as instructed as did Scout and Callista, the latter taking a seat next to Gavin.*
*The pilot, whom no one was sure who it was fired up the engines and prepared for a hot exit.*
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Post by erickson on Jun 10, 2007 21:14:38 GMT -5
The pilot had graduated from the Republic Naval Academy with distinction, with no assistance from either her unknown parents or her non-existent patronage. Shortly after that graduation, she had been recruited by one of the Republic's more secretive services, and her record had quietly disappeared.
Quinn had called in a favor he had not wanted to use to get her services as a pilot. He and his father were at bitter odds after the latter's abandonment of his family on Vervun during that planet's occupation by the Separatists. Quinn's mother had died during that crisis - shot as an example - and the boy and his young friends had taken to Guerrilla warfare. The Republic had recalled his father for a different duty, a recall that Quinn had not yet forgiven him for. His father was attached to Republic Intelligence, a fact he had only recently learned.
He had grudgingly requested that his father find the best pilot for this mission, reluctantly sharing the details ferreted out by Kathryn, and had received this woman as a pilot. She was refered to by his father as "The Major", and was totally nondescript in appearance.
Now she picked up a communicator. "Master Erickson, get to your fighter, I'm ready to take off. Major Quinn, disengage, we've got them all aboard."
His previous rank in the Vervun Insurrection wasn't known to many people. In fact, his own father didnt know it........
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Post by Quinn on Jun 10, 2007 21:24:49 GMT -5
"This is Major Quinn, pulling out. They're down, head out now, we have our own transportation. Over and out." Quinn clicked off the comlink, and turned to his band of warfighters. "It's time we left. We've overstayed our welcome, and the Temple has now been evacuated. Let's roll."
The platoon double-timed their way to the hangar bay, where several transports and a flight of fighters sat quietly on the deck. The transports had no markings, and neither did the fighters. Although the fighters themselves were very distinctive, having only one quadgun, and outer missile racks.
Quinn was sure that by this time, the transports had fled, and left the people who could fight to get out. If they hadn't he would have some words with the pilots...
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Post by Morris Cutler on Jun 10, 2007 21:37:51 GMT -5
*Shaak Ti waited in orbit with the large transport she had managed to procure just before the events had started to unfold. Her stomach was in knots as she felt the deaths of hundreds of Jedi scattered across the galaxy. Already primed, her small crew of Knights and a few civilians provided by Bail Organa had the ship ready to recieve the smaller carrier and those who had survived.*
*Inside the waiting shuttle Gavin had taken Callista's hand and was holding it tightly, both trying hard to clamp down on the growing fear. Whie Malreaux placed his hands on their shoulders and smiled. "There is no emotion, there is peace, we'll get through this, right Scout."
"Sure we will, you younger padawans will be ok, we're here."
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Post by erickson on Jun 13, 2007 7:21:25 GMT -5
"Have Ben take my fighter," was Master Erickson's reply. "I'm pinned down, and will try to make it to my0 own ship."
She switched to her native tongue. Fare thee well upon thy journey, may it be smooth, my Padawan. "
Understanding the Long Farewell from one who expected to die in the obscure tongue, the Major was prepared for her young co-pilot's sudden rise to dash for the door, and hit him with a stunner bolt. He slid to a halt on the floor, blue hair and feathers in disarray, before gaining the door.
"Astrid, your Padawan is out cold on the floor. What are you planning?"
"You stunned him? My thanks, Major. He can't go where I'm going. I'm going to try and make it to the emergency beacon to warn off other Jedi - wish me luck!"
"You'll need more than luck," was the cool reply. "You'll need a good reason to get back out again. Tell you what, Astrid, I'll tell you a couple of secrets concerning you and your Padawan if you make it back to the pre-designated rendezvous."
"Done!" said Master Erickson, and signed off.
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Post by Quinn on Jun 13, 2007 8:25:22 GMT -5
Quinn blinked at this exchange over the comms, and leaned forward, sighing to himself. "Okay Guns, get your best pilot and have them get the hell out of here. You, me, Ox, Index and Scope are going to go back up Astrid. And we're doing this quietly."
Guns, his actual name unknown to most, nodded and removed himself from his seat and went back into the troop compartment. Quinn unbuckled himself from the main pilot's chair, and extracted himself from it. As soon as he was standing, he grabbed a tac-vest, lacing it on, and his standard short-pattern lascarbine.
"Astrid, Quinn here. I'm coming with a squad to assist, no argument. Sending Kiri and Firax your way now. Coordinate with them as needed." Quinn sent over the radio. Guns came back up with a solid-looking youth at that point.
"You're going to head for Haven. It's logged in the navicomp, but you need to slave the other ships in this group with it. Scope! Ox! Run and rendezvous with Astrid immediately. The rest of us will secure the signal and have Index start on disabling it."
The two clicked their confirmations over the radio, and Quinn saw two figures, one small and one large run out across the landing pad and into the temple.
"Right, let's load up and roll out." Quinn told to Guns and Index. Both nodded, and the three ran out, and were in the temple as the assault shuttles blasted off the pad.
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Post by Morris Cutler on Jun 13, 2007 8:44:32 GMT -5
*Meanwhile, the shuttle that carried the Padawan's and younglings took off and sailed through the atmosphere and the freedom of space beyond, on approach they saw the large ship, that was commanded by Master Shaak Ti and before too long was safely aboard.*
*With a heavy hum of engines the ship entered hyperspace bound for the coordinates provided to them by Sixtus Quinn*
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Post by erickson on Jun 13, 2007 8:48:54 GMT -5
"I'm almost there," said Astrid calmly. "I can....." and then she stopped, and they faintly heard another voice saying, "Hello - I've been waiting for you," and the sound of two lightsabers igniting, before the comm link was cut.
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Post by Quinn on Jun 13, 2007 17:48:29 GMT -5
Quinn gritted his teeth, and booked right out for the communications center of the Temple. "Scope, Ox, she's already there! Do not engage unless you have a clear shot, over!"
"Roger that Lead." came the female voice. "And if she's about to lose?"
"Separate them with a sniper shot, then have Ox lay her opponent down!" Quinn talked into his radio while he trotted along the halls towards the communications relay.
Kiri and Firax reached the place after thirty seconds of hauling ass, and Quinn was forty seconds right behind them.
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Post by erickson on Jun 15, 2007 0:14:17 GMT -5
The two Jedi Master had been fighting for some time when Ox, Scope and Quinn showed up. The lick of lightsaber contact was almost incidental, as both fought in styles that owed more to the street that the Academy.
Knuckles, knees and boots were freely employed. Distance was closer than sane, given lightsabers were involved. They looked evenly matched, and both were bleeding from broken noses and mouths. Cuts were evident. Astrid's outer tunic was half-off her, impeding her moves, and as they watched, Gry's saber licked out and severed the remaining fabric on the shoulder. His saber came back, off, then forward into her right shoulder, and was turned on. It was a move to disable, not to kill. She shrieked, dropping her blade, and he grinned. "Remember what I told you? You're mine, you and your pretty-boy Padawan. Mine to use, Astrid."
Hand covering her wounded shoulder, stopping the blood flow, she snarled at him," In your DREAMS, Gry!"
"Agreed." came a voice from the darkness, and something flitted around in the darkness. Quinn stepped forward, lascarbine raised and aimed at Gry's head.
"He's left, flown free. You've lost Gry. No revenge for you."
A red dot settled itself on Gry's head, and it wasn't from Quinn either.
"NO," screamed Gry and stepped forward, lightsaber plunging inward. He hand came off her shoulder, and she pushed the ForceBlade into his chest, as he pushed his into her abdomen.
Gry's head exploded along with most of his upper body as a hot-shot round impacted on his forehead. Quinn ran forward, slinging his carbine as he caught Astrid as she fell. "Index! Kill the transmitter! Ox, Scope, Guns, cover us!"
She stirred. "No, Quinn, set it to tell them - RUN!" and fainted.
Quinn gently laid Astrid down, and laid both his hands on her abdomen. "As soon as we're out of here, you and I are going to have a LONG TALK." he growled, her wound knitting itself together.
Index did as Astrid suggested, it seemed a much smarter idea. Ox, Scope and Guns took up positions to cover the lot of them. Twenty minutes later, Quinn had finished his healing, and Index had finished messing with the transmitter.
"Tell them..run," she repeated, stirring. Looking up she said, "Oh, hello, Quinn - did we get the Bastard?"
"Yes, but we'll save the... discussion until we hit the Bird." Quinn stood, and took his lascarbine to his shoulder. "We're moving out!"
She stood up, shakily. Looking around, her saber flew to her hand. "Lead the way," she said.
"Keep the saber off. It kinda attracts attention." Quinn looked at her, then up and down. "And we're gonna need to get you some new clothes."
"Yeah" she agreed. "Blood-red is SO not my color... Bird's on pad 25."
"Then let's get moving." Quinn said, and the squad began to move through the temple. Not running, but walking fast, with their weapons at the ready.
She walked in the center of the group, hoping to mimic a prisoner, if spotted. Around them, there were many bodies, mostly clones, but a few Jedi among them.
They rose in levels, to where the diplomat pads were.
They reached where the Bird was, and it sat facing out, gently humming, ready to go. Quinn had stayed silent this whole time, only communicating to his squad via hand gestures. He gestured to the ship, and Scope gave a thumb's up, signaling all clear, and the whole squad RAN to the ship and up the ramp. It hissed up as soon as they were all aboard.
"Astrid - Astrid!" yelled the ship."They've got a tractor on me from the Star Destroyer. I can't break loose, Boss!"
"Bird! Prepare a salvo of concussion missiles! Fire all five at the same time!"
"WHERE?" yelled the 'Bird frantically. "TARGET?"
"They're lifting me!, the ship yelled, panic in its voice
"Doesn't matter! The tractor beam will accelerate them where they'll slam in before they can react!"
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Post by Gabe© on Jun 15, 2007 1:53:30 GMT -5
So much death.
The popping of cracked transparasteel on duracrete floor was quite audible as the figure moved through the building, silent except for that pop under his foot. He carried a helmet in the crook of his left arm.
Almost as if the Force died. Jedi Master after Jedi Master had fallen beneath the blade of former apprentices and allies. Palpatine had subverted so many. The dark side had scored an overwhelming victory the likes of which hadn't been seen in a millennia, if not more.
"Palpatine," the figure whispered. Dark Lord of the Sith. Betrayer of billions. "How many will cheer Order 88? How many will praise your name in the decades to come?"
The figure wasn't normally poetic nor melodramatic, but the constant blaze of loss from the steady annihilation of the Jedi Order even affected him. He had long ago left the Order, feeling it was the fool's path. He knew now that the Order was composed of beings, regardless of their esoteric knowledge. Beings were flawed, every last one of them.
The figure paused beside the corpse of an ARC officer, crouching to pry its blaster rifle from stiff fingers. The power pack was still three quarters charged. A soft chuckle, lacking any amusing, arose from the shadowed figure's lips. He laid his helmet down on the ground beside the corpse.
"The Son of the Suns," he whispered softly. "The hope for us all.."
The figure turned just as a squad of Clone Troopers slipped into the far side of the hollowed out building. They immediately noted him, weapons immediately lifting up as they approached.The figure laid the weapon down and offered a brief prayer to the soul of the clone.
"You! Have you seen any Jedi?" The commander of the squadron ordered as they neared the figure. "And step out into the light. Now. What happened to that trooper?"
"The Jedi are fading from this world," the figure said as he stepped out into view. Young, silver hair, the armor of a Mando'ade. The soldiers hesitated. The Mandalorian Protectors were heroes and teachers to them, especially the ARCs. "I believe you'll find them fleeing. Those that remain will be shortly destroyed."
"I see," the clone commander said as he flicked a wrist to his men, who began to back out. There was a tone of deference in the man's voice now. "Be careful, sir. There are still a few Jedi Masters hiding. Most dangerous, they are."
The Mandalorian watched the clone troopers vanish. "Indeed," he said as he ran a gloved hand down his face. He looked back to the fallen clone trooper and whispered a new prayer, this one in Mando'a, "Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la."
"Not gone, merely marching far away"
The Force flared around the one time Jedi as he rose. As he did so, his helmet rose smoothly from where he had laid it, dropping soundlessly into his gauntleted hands. He slipped it on and tightened the clips, immediately opening a channel to a private focusing tower on the other side of the planet. The signal launched outwards into the void of space.
<<"It's about time you signed in,">> a voice spoke crisply in his helmet. <<"I was getting worried, Harth. Fenn will be sad that some Jedi didn't finish you off.">>
Set Harth grinned. <<"Nothing to worry about. The Jedi are truly on the brink of destruction. I had to see it with my own eyes. It's a bit sad. Reminds me of the stories of the last Jedi Purge.>>
<<"Ah yes,">> the voice on the other end replied. <<"I believe the Mandalorians had a part back then as well. We seem to have a way about us.>>
If only you knew, Set thought to himself. He slipped into the shadows once more, the Force twisting around him, bringing his effective presence to almost nil. <<"I'm heading out now. A shame that Vader did such a good job. I would have enjoyed a little conversation with an endangered species.">>
Set Harth vanished once more into the shadows of Coruscant, leaving the Jedi Temple to be cleared out by Palpatine's minions and the legendary Jedi Library to be pilfered of all its grand history.
As he went along, he began singing a war chant that had been written during the reign of Mandalore the Great. It spoke of rivers of blood, bloated bodies hanging on stakes, of decapitated heads covered by clouds of black flies. It was a sad song too, of lost allies and dead lovers. The grief was real in the man's voice. The Jedi had always been part of his identity, even when he had fled the very Jedi Temple that lay as a charnel house filled with the corpses of younglings.
Even when he fought Yoda, who had been all of a Jedi Knight at the time.
The grief was real, as was the dedication.
The Jedi would have a patron in Set Harth, even if he was a secret one.
He would help them learn the Mandalorian art of, "ba'slan shev'la."
Strategic disappearance.
And so Set Harth vanished, singing his song of death and mayhem, of love and loss.
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Post by erickson on Jun 15, 2007 3:20:08 GMT -5
"I like that idea," the ship growled
"Then do it already!" Quinn practically cried out, flipping on the switches that released him from the gun turret once Ox showed up, now free of his heavy-weapon harness. Quinn slid down the ladder, and ran for the cockpit as Ox scrambled up the turret access.
Astrid was already there, flipping switches one-handedly. the ship shook as she hit the final one CH-OOM!CH-OOM !CH-OOM! CH-OOM! CH-OOM! as the missles deployed
Sixtus slid into the co-pilot's seat, and buckled himself in. For a terse second, he listened, and smiled as he heard the BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM of the missiles impacting at the speed of sound. "Let's get moving before another Venator ges a lock on us.
"It's gonna be close," she said. The ship flipped and flipped again pulling fighter maneuvers as it slid between two closing Venators, exiting just before they collided.
"Damn," she said softly. "Everspirit and Steadfast - I flew off both of them. Now they're hunting me....." she got busy plotting in a jump course, then stopped. "Quinn, Coordinates?" she asked.
"Jump for Corellia, then Haven. Speed is essential." Quinn grabbed the radio in his ear. "Ox, Guns, we got fighters coming in on us. As soon as they're within range, burn them." He got a pair of acknowledgements.
"Index, you ready?" Quinn asked. "Yeah Quinn, ready to go in Engineering." Index replied.
"Scope?" he asked, turning around in his seat. She was manning the shield systems for when they would have to be repaired. He turned back to Astrid. "Okay Captain, I say we get the hell outta here."
We're still not a jumpdistance - and I cant get around that blasted Corellian Gunship." Her frustration turned to glad puzzlement when the Gunship slid aside - and into two of the fighters. "Go, Bird, GO!" came the transmission from the gunship, just as a Venator opened up on the gunship "NOW!"
Quinn was managing the missiles, and shot off another salvo as the Bird hit the outer edge for the jump limit.
The quad laser cannons were working overtime as Ox and Guns shot at fighter after fighter.
the ship shuddered, then hit hyperspace just as the Gunship exploded
As the ship entered hyperspace, Quinn pulled off his radio set, and sat back in the chair, sighing heavily.
"OK, said astrid, and limped back in the direction of medical.
Quinn slowly sat up, unbuckled himself, squeezed Kiri's shoulder, and limped after Astrid towards the medical bay. He was the most qualified one anyway.
He found her stripped, under the shower, her face to the wall. after a few minutes he realized she was crying. It's hard to do with a broken nose, so she made snergling sounds
Quinn stopped there, blinking. He then pulled off his jacket, shirt, boots and socks. He walked underneath the water where Astrid was, and leaned against the wall. "I need to heal your nose."
"Go ahead," she said, eyes closed.
Quinn gently put his hand to Astrid's nose, and YANKED on it to straighten it out.
"OW!" she yelled
Then he ran his healing touch over her nose, and everywhere else she had injuries, leaving tender, pink skin. "Now, do you know what mistakes you made back there?""At the temple?"
"Yeees, Quinn" she said in an injured-patience voice. "Now, I've just had a bad shock, so could you save your lecture for later?
"Nope. You left Jeff and went out on your own, mistake number one. Because that means you're stuck with me. What's more, you left Jeff stunned at the hands of the Major. And you would not have survived to return. And how do you think Jeff would've felt about that? Or if you had survived only to fall to the Dark Side once again?"
"I left Jeff safe. That's all that matters. If I die did not.....matter.
"If you would've taken Jeff, you and he would've easily have taken out Gry, the transmitter, and gotten out."
There was a good chance he would die, Quinn, and he....matters to me
"ASTRID, HE WOULD'VE DIED IF YOU HADN'T LIVED TO RETURN!!!!" Quinn yelled at her.
She gave him a look of surprise. "Why?"
: "He can't live without you." Quinn exited the water stream, and picked up his dry clothes. "Besides, you NEVER go alone into enemy territory. As soon as we get back, I'm running you through Boot."
"Whattya mean he cant live without me," she said. "And I'm a Jedi. Jedi operate alone.usually."
Quinn walked out. "Why don't you ask him that question? Whoops! You can't! Gonna have to ask him that once we hit Haven. I'm sure he'll want to have a few words with you."
"He's a Padawan, ready for Knight's Test,Quinn," she yelled after him. "If he can't operate without me, I've failed."
By then, Quinn had disappeared, headed towards a spare room on the ship.
"Actually Astrid, you could talk with Jeff via the hypercomm." Bird said quietly.
She muttered, finished washing, and wrapped a bathrobe around her. "Why, Bird?" she asked.
"So you could let him know that you're okay instead of letting him worry? It works two ways Captain..."
"ok, Ship," she snapped, walking out still wrapped in the bathrobe to the 'comm
"Oh, that stung." Bird said quietly.
"Open comms - to what ever ship Master Ti is flying." said Astrid
The comm center beeped a few times, and a feminine voice answered. "Hello?"
"Shaak TI, I need to speak to my padawan, please," said Astrid
"Oh, hi Astrid. Sure, I'll put you through." several moments of silence followed before a muffled "Hello?" the voice was a little deep.
"Hi, Jeff. I'm OK, and Gry will not be a problem from now on - Quinn's sniper took care of him," said Astrid.
"Could you explain why you had your sister stun me?" he asked, still muffled.
"Sister?" said Astrid
"She'll explain that herself. Now could you please answer the question, MASTER?"
There was a long silence. "Jeff, I wanted you safe," she finally said.
"And so you felt that by not letting me take care of myself, you had to, oh what are the words you use?" the voice on the other end sounded very hurt indeed. "Wrap me in wool?"
"Jeff, can you explain something? Why Quinn thinks you'll die without me?"
There was silence on the other end of the line. "Quinn talks too much." Jeff growled.
"Quinn said you'd explain/ So EXPLAIN," Padawan.
The silence was deafening. "Astrid, I'm not sure how to say this..."
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