With the final breath of the Maw drawn across a galaxy at rest, the Galactic Alliance breathed anew; life, fresh and free born into an era of peace and growth. The surface of Coruscant was rippling with joy and celebration, with colourful bursts of fireworks into the starless skies drowning out the elated cheering.
"It is a time for peace and celebration for all the people of Coruscant, the Jedi included." The voice of Korvan seemed almost difficult to hear across the communicator wrapped tightly in his palm with the winds whipping by him.
The continued sounds of rushing air, beeping speeders and thunderous celebrations echoing across the planet made it almost impossible to focus upon the craft ahead of him. His brow furrowed, affording a delayed answer. "I agree, master." Rakaan said with some degree of difficulty.
"Then why is it that I see you falling after the speeder I explicitly told you to leave alone?" A tinge of frustration in his voice, staring from behind the screen of an offered tablet with a sigh in his breath and a roll to his eyes.
Rakaan crashed his body into the sleek crimson exterior of the speeder, slipping with the continued squeak of his hand attempting to grasp onto something. It caught onto the very back of it, and only then could Rakaan ever consider himself thankful for the needless accessories of gangsters. With the handheld device in his spare hand and rushed towards his mouth, he spoke with exertion, "Was I supposed to let it go?" He demanded despite the question, swinging a leg onto the craft, "That would be terribly un-Jedi of me, master."
"You were
supposed to let it go and leave it to the CSF. Who, as I can see, are closely behind your very fugitive. And you." Even further annoyance rife in his tone.
Flashing a glance backwards, only then had the sirens and lights of the Coruscant Security Force become known. "Well," panted Rakaan after finding his footing on the roofless speeder with the driver exposed, "let me show them how it's done."
"Rakaa~!" The trailing voice fell further from earshot as the communicator fell to the undercity below, nothing more than a floor of bright lights from this distance above.
"Schutta!" Cried the Rodian, whipping around and onto a knee in the spacious front seat of the craft. The volley of blaster bolts whizzed by Rakaan narrowly, avoided with deft weaving before the
snap-hiss of his retrieved lightsaber started to beam brightly in his hand. Uneasy footing shook him back and forth, though the Force guided his hand. A red bolt clashed with the blue, pinging off into the Coruscanti sky before the fifth shot struck the controls and gave the pair pause.
The display sparked around the burned in hole, struggling to come to life with a static screen that in time showing nothing at all. Their heads turned in tandem to the rear, then back to the front. Nothing sounded, well... great. A flutter filled Rakaan's stomach a mere moment before the speeder dipped, falling forwards nose-first. While Rakaan lifted into the air behind it, the Rodian snatched onto the steering stick in an effort to control the failing speeder.
The blue blade disappeared into the hilt while Rakaan barrelled further into the air, falling and tumbling. His shoulder crashed into a passing speeder, accompanied by the terribly expected 'oomf' and pain before facing the undoubtedly crashing speeder craft. He straightened into a free fall, leaning further forwards and becoming a missile. He zipped through the traffic unscathed, narrowly. With an arm outstretched, he grasped onto the backseat and pried ever forwards.
A screaming Rodian with more curses than Rakaan had ever known sat struggling in the seat.
"Move over!" Rakaan shouted, pulling himself closer to the steering stick . Falling, though not into a nose-dive anymore. The harsh pulls on the stick seemed to make some progress on evening them out, though not enough. Slipping forwards into the driver's seat, Rakaan prodded and poked across the dashboard will prying back further and further on the stick. The speeder whined and sputtered with every effort.
"C'mon, c'mon." He said, to no avail.
The Rodian balked some more. "Watch it," Rakaan cautioned, "before you get us both killed."
He surveyed the area in a flash, finding startled stares seeing his inevitable crash. It smoked a black plume, tall and thick as it fell furiously through the air past the promenade. Though Rakaan saw a... suitable platform, veering towards it. The crowds below screamed, running, ducking to the sides of the platform and back into the nightclubs and bars while the careening crimson speeder came down the centre.
"Hold on." Rakaan muttered between gritted teeth, bouncing about within his seat while it rumbled and appeared to be in its dying moments. With a harsh, metal tearing and groaning thud, the speeder crashed into the walkway. The windscreen was first to crack, then shatter. The duracrete seemed to catch the speeder by embedding it within itself. The durasteel exterior was ruined, totalled. Twisted and destroyed. Of what there was to say of the interior parts, Rakaan refused to think.
Though his unlikely passenger was quick to move, hurling himself out backwards and over the side of the speeder. The green-skinned alien tumbled across the ripped up duracrete amid the beginning flames and smell of smoke, refusing to take his large black eyes off of the Jedi.
"Stop!" Yelled the young Jedi Knight with sweat upon his brow, bounding from his seat and after him. Though the Rodian had his choice of words, threatening and bragging while he raised the stolen hilt of Rakaan's lightsaber. The Jedi threw his hands up, as if to surrender.
With an exhausted laugh raking across his vocal chords, he breathed a sigh at length. "I'll be going now," said the Rodian between breaths, "and with this little prize, and you won't follow me if you know what's good for you."
His long fingers attempted to fiddle with the hilt, trying to turn it on. He cursed beneath his breath, finally turning to look towards it and cursing even louder. Rakaan never so much as moved his hands, calling upon the lightsaber with the Force and watching as it rushed to his call. He ignited the blue blade, pointing it towards the Rodian. "You'll be going nowhere." He said smugly, joined at last by the lights and sirens of the Coruscant Security Force.
-----
"For you, master Jedi." An officer handed Rakaan a holo-communicator with the blue-tinted image of Korvan's disappointed face. It seemed almost a still image, which told Rakaan all he needed to know.
The exchange was full to the brim with the mentions of 'recklessness' and other such chidings, replied to with various apologies and a recurring 'I know'.
"You are a Jedi Knight, Rakaan. It is time you act as one." The ever-repeating sharp rise to master Tolderyn's brow caused Rakaan to shamefully avert his eyes, "No more of this, we will not speak of it again. Return to the temple, celebrate as you wish."
It would seem Rakaan hardly listened, he more waited for his turn to speak. "Master, I couldn't let him go and escape. I had to-" He said quickly, almost frantically with the knowing that he was never going to finish his sentence.
"Rakaan." The calm voice of Korvan cut him short with ease, "Brave as it was, you put many at risk with your actions. You were lucky that no one was hurt, let alone killed. The war is done. It is time to rest, Rakaan, can you do that for me?"
The Jedi Knight swallowed what lump rose in his throat, looking sour and nodding. "Yes," the words escaped his mouth though the 'no' his thoughts replied with seemed to be much louder.
"Good," Korvan replied with a warm and kindly smile, "then I will see you soon."
The war was done, though Rakaan could not help but think he was not made for peace.
