Fullmetal and the Saber Ghost (Ibby)

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard raised an eyebrow, but said nothing at first. He lowered the landing ramp, and gently set down Sybi'ta's lightsaber on a table just inside the ship, in a room that was basically his living room. He finally sat down, and sighed.

"I did not feel truly angry until I saw the remains of the planet before me. The ship I was on had emerged from the dig site like a turtle from its shell, and I, or rather the Sith inside me, turned its guns upon the city nearby. Then, finally, he decided that I would be the weapon to destroy his prison. And I was. The whole planet was recognizable as what it once was, but it looked like some kind of burnt crumb, with pieces of it falling off into space."

He opened a beer that was on the table next to him, and grimaced.

"And I can never make peace with it, or I will die. And probably kill everybody on the planet around me."

[member="Sybi'ta Mandarik"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

The ghost sat down across from Evard, exerting the same concentration to keep her from passing through the seat as she did when walking -- an easy task, like listening for one's name while doing other things.

While her rescuer told his tale, Sybi'ta studied her surroundings, still paying attention to what was said. The room they were in appeared to be a living room of sorts, will all manner of items that were foreign, yet intriguing. She made a mental note to ask about everything later, when they were not discussing such heavy subjects.

As Evard opened a beer, Ibby returned her gaze to him. "That is truly a sad tale. I must confess, I do not know what I would have done had I been at the sacking of Coruscant, much less be the one who destroyed it. The fact that you have not yet broken under such a heavy burden attests to an inner strength many people do not possess." The ghost wondered briefly, though, why the alchemist would still choose the Sith over the Jedi, especially since it was a Sith who caused the destruction of his home. However, she pushed that thought aside, not wanting to earn his ire.

So instead, the Padawan said, "When I was still alive, I heard many of the Jedi discuss the incredible abilities of the Masters of old, including being able to drive out spirits of Sith who had possessed Jedi Knights. Have you thought of contacting the Order? Perhaps, if I were to accompany you, they may be willing to help. I just hope the techniques had not been lost to time." It was a risky suggestion, as the alchemist had made it clear he disliked her people, but it was one she was willing to take. The gears in her mind were whirring, attempting to help Evard like her Master trained her to. Not only would he be freed from his curse, but she just might be able to fulfil her self-appointed task of bringing him back to the light.

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard sipped his beer, and smiled, the facial expression only showing half of how he felt about that idea. He had his reasons why he'd never gone to one of their many temples across Republic space, and for generally disliking the order, besides the ill-fated mission the Order had set his parents to. But there was another reason he'd never gone to the Jedi Order, or to the Republic sect of it, anyway.

"Syb, the Jedi Order as you know it has been dead for almost a century. It has split into sects, and sects, and more sects. The great battlemasters and healers are no longer accessible by public channels as they were. You'd literally have to run into one in the street to avoid all the channels you gotta go through to get permission to see one. The Sith were much more accommodating, but I was unlucky to be asking around at a time of war. Those who were left simply taught me to contain the Dark One better."

[member="Sybi'ta Mandarik"]

 

[Ibby]

@[member="Evard L'Rik"]

Ibby mulled over what Evard had said. It distressed her that there was absolutely nothing from her day which remained intact, and that it was the Sith, not the Jedi, which the people had to turn to.

Nothing from my day...

Or is there?

The ghost stood up suddenly, her face grim, yet determined. "It is not in my nature to simply give up," she told him. "If we cannot go to the New Jedi Order, then we must seek advice from the old."

Hand to her mouth in a brooding nature, she began to pace, thinking. "The library at the Academy had spoken of the Great Hunt, on Tython. Tython, which used to be hone to the Je'daii Order and then, later, the Jedi Order. Tython, which might still contain records of the techniques!" She stopped to look at Evard. "Especially if the Order had relocated there. It would be simple to travel to the planet; I could vouch for you to whatever sect of the Jedi is residing. I'm certain the records could still be there. They could be the key to removing the Sith from your mind!"

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard smiled at the ghost, and barked out a laugh. Go to Tython?

"I'm sorry, Syb, but I'm not sure where the Tython Archive even is. Plus, I got chased off by those fething Jedi Protectors last time I was there. The new Jedi have seriously done a nice job of stealing or destroying everything that your Order had. Ossus, and Voss, and Coruscant, and even Tython are closed to me. Every other major Jedi temple of old has been taken over by the Sith or these new bastards. Yavin, Dantooine, and even the rebuilt Taris one. And no offense, but these bastards aren't gonna take the word of a ghost. Not even one as light as you."

His smile turned crooked, and gave a glimpse of something slightly mad.

"What if I were to sneak in, though... I don't really care about getting caught, so much as this stupid Sith being released. I'll go in, copy anything I need, and then find somebody to help me."

@[member="Sybi'ta Mandarik"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

Her shoulders slumped when once again, her plan was shot down. I believe this might have been why Master Ki Mun Da was the head strategist, she thought darkly. Looking up sharply as a bit of foul language was dropped, Ibby couldn't help but feel a shiver travel through her essence at Evard's smile. It seemed...off. Unnatural.

I hope I will not live to regret this...or would it be die? Exist? I hope I will not exist to regret this. Giving up on the attempt to make her sentence politically correct, Sybi'ta instead focused on the alchemist's plan. "If you go, you will take me with you, yes? I am certain I could provide assistance, somehow..." And perhaps keep Evard from killing her fellow Jedi, fragmented though they may be.

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard winked at the ghostly woman, and grinned normally again.

"You're worried I'm gonna kill somebody important? That'd definitely get me caught. Don't worry, you're coming along."

[member="Sybi'ta Mandarik"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

"Not just the important; any Jedi, really, be they a youngling or Master." She ignored the wink, unsure of what to make of it. People normally did not wink at her. Such was the aura that the Jedi had given off though, back in her day.

So, instead, the ghost smoothed down her skirt before looking back up at Evard. "Now that my presence in your mission is assured, might I inquire about a tour of this....vessel? It is a make which I am most unfamiliar with."

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard grinned at the ghost again, knocking back the rest of his beer.

"I'm not really gonna kill anybody... Probably. Don't really like having to clean blood off my arm."

He cracked open another bottle, chuckling slightly. He waved his cybernetic arm around the room.

"Well, I've got lots of sharp objects hanging on the walls. This is my sitting room. That door leads to my bedroom. There's a kitchen and more rooms in that general direction. And that's the tour, Syb."

Now, he wasn't sober in any shape or form. This was his fourth beer, counting the half-finished one that had smashed in his hand outside. Up until now, there hadn't been anything to indicate his intoxication, but now he was really obviously sodden.

[member="Sybi'ta Mandarik"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

[SIZE=12pt]Sybi’ta’s eyebrows furrowed together, not at all reassured by his response. “Probably’s” and “Maybe’s” were never something that the Padawan wanted incorporated into a plan. She liked certainties. Certainties were safe. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Which made her own situation that much more ironic. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]A faint scowl soon joined the knitted brows at Evard’s less than stellar tour. “What a wonderful tour,” she replied dryly. As he took another swig from the alcoholic drink, it occurred to her that this individual was currently intoxicated. Oh, of course. Not only is my saviour someone well-versed in the ways of the dark side and a detester of the Jedi, but he is also an alcoholic. The ghost turned her eyes upwards. Master, why do I get the feeling you are enjoying this?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]With a soft sigh, she moved forward and reached for his real hand. “Perhaps you should not drink so much, else I will no longer be the only ghost here.” As she touched him, though, a peculiar thing happened.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]It was a special day for the younglings. Yesterday, they had finished their trials. Today, they would be told whether they’d move on to become Padawans, or be expelled from the Order. Thought the cost of failure was high (in their minds, anyway), the children nonetheless had an air of excitement about them. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]A young girl, her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, stood next to a Zabrak boy of the same age. Leaning close, she whispered, “How do you think you did?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The boy grinned at her. “I bet I was the best one the Masters ever saw! Well, next to you.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The girl giggled in response. “No, I bet you did better than me. Some of those problems were hard to solve.” She nodded towards the group of Jedi Masters and Knights who stood a small distance away. “Who do you think you’ll get as a Master?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The Zabrak shrugged. “I dunno. I want a fun Master, though! Like Jedi Rumin! What about you?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The girl shrugged, looking at the Jedi. “I’m not sure, maybe—“ She stopped. Her eyes had connected with a Cerean male, one she’d never seen before. The moment their eyes met, the Cerean gave the girl a gentle smile, and the girl felt a tingle go down her spine. Though she was too young to understand, the Force had converged at that point, that one point which would determine the rest of her life, short though it would be. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Because in that instant, to her bemusement, Sybi’ta knew which Jedi would train her. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The flashback ended, and the ghost withdrew her hand sharply. How did that happen? she wondered. What happened?[/SIZE]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard blinked hard, and shook his head. He'd felt pain when Syb touched him. His head felt like it was going to split in half, and when he opened his eyes, he saw his dad bringing home the Dark Holocron that had caused his son to go mad and massacre the whole planet. As the scene progressed, he heard his dad say something excitedly, and then the vision went dark. Not like blinking, but Dark. The vision of a man in Sith armor stood in his mind, laughing.

The blonde Hapan screamed in pain as he blinked again and the vision faded. He was breathing hard, and the beer bottle in his hand was starting to crack. He quickly downed the rest of it and groaned.

"Syb, what'd you do to me?"

[member="Sybi'ta Mandarik"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

Ghosts didn't need to breathe. That was one irrefutable fact of life and death. Even so, her own chest heaved as if she'd ran a mile in strong, opposing winds. She was trembling, too, and not just because of the peculiar flashback -- seconds before she broke contact, Sybi'ta felt the pain that Evard had been experiencing, and a dark presence had pressed against her mind; an evil, slithering darkness which reminded her of the Sith.

Keeping her distance, the ghost clutched her hand and appraised the man warily. "I believe the better question would be, What happened?" she said. "All I know is that as soon as I touched your hand, I...I was revisited by an old memory." Something kept the Jedi from revealing what her memory was, foolish though it might have been. After all, they had occurred centuries ago, and would have no impact on today. Perhaps she was afraid he would dismiss the importance? Or perhaps this latest event had shaken the slowly-building trust she'd been creating for him.

Either way, the dead Padawan was shaken.