It's Dangerous to go Alone

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Was that screaming?

Graxin shuddered as he broke through the insect ridden trees at the edge of the forest. Rotten twigs cracked like thunder ripping apart the sky, and the leaves that shuddered under his boots crunched in a way that could only be held akin to that of someone eating a bag of chips in a very silent library.

Off subject metaphors and analogies aside, Graxin was not very quiet.

Any ahead could see him as well as hear his coming. He shone like a beacon in the force, a pillar of light clouded with the faintest ebony tendrils of doubt. Where was Felicity? Was she already gone?

The girl was his responsibility, and though he had managed to detach himself from most earthly distractions, he dearly loved his little sister. It was a weakness and a hindrance to his duties as a Jedi; a hindrance he would never shake. So long as she lived, he would always have a fatal flaw beyond any form of morality, code, or material desire.

There was no other flaw that could ever hold a candle to that of little [member="Felicity Mason"] for the Jedi Master.

"Sith."

He breathed behind the mask, amber eyes narrowing as he peered through the pale din of the moonlit forest. There, just beyond the clearing, he saw something bunched up behind a mess of trees. Nothing was supposed to be in this forest.

Without hesitation, Graxin's lightsaber, a blade recently forged and the first of which he had ever made entirely on his own, snapped from his belt to his gloved hand. The cyan blade roared to life like liquid fire, a righteous weapon to burn away all the impurities of the Bogan. His second blade, its pointed black hilt swaying ominously from his belt, remained untouched for now.

The Master was renowned for his skill in Jar'kai, having employed it more than any other member of the Order in recent times. It was his greatest talent, but that would remain a surprise for now. Hastily , Graxin reached for the lightsaber of Darth Vulcanus and clipped it to to. half noose wrapped around his shoulder under the sleeve. It was hidden, and at the same time, woefully out of reach.

"If you want a prize, I think I would be worth more. A lone Jedi Master is a much better trophy than a little girl, no?" He boomed, taunting whatever stood just beyond the brush, that acrid source of corruption on his beloved Ession.






[member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Asterion"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

The metallic noise rasped through the wind, and Asterion saw movement broken by the light and moving closer. He violently pulled off the hilt from his brown belt and he ignited the crimson blade with the snap-hiss as he firmly held the blade back slightly, casting that inimitable blood-red glow over the area.

He turned to the girl beneath him.

”You just learned your first lesson – never let your emotions betray those closest to you.”

Slowly, he turned to the welcoming sound of another blade spitting to life, a cyan glow breaking from the tress ahead and highlighting an intimidating mask of the warrior wielding the weapon. He spoke with a hint of desperation, but also of reckoning.

”I’d rather not waste my time with a loner already blinded by the Light.”

Asterion moved his blade forward, pointing with deadly precision to the girl cowering on the floor. He sneered slightly, trying to goad the warrior.

”This is far more…virginal…to the touch, and for that reason is the only prize I want.”

Of course, the Sith knew what he was saying, but hoped it would come across far more horrific than the truth of why he wanted the girl.

”Follow me all you like when I leave, but, honestly, stand down or she dies right here and I move on without her and find another.”

Fingers flexed on the hilt, a pressure swelling inside him.


[member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

”You just learned your first lesson – never let your emotions betray those closest to you.”
"No-! But I-"

But he was right. She'd made it way too obvious. What did Graxin say about controlling her emotions again? She kept forgetting that part. Now she was truly sorry for forgetting. He was going to hurt Graxin, just to teach her a lesson, wasn't he?

”I’d rather not waste my time with a loner already blinded by the Light.”
Or perhaps not. Felicity relaxed, for only a moment though. The heat of the crimson blade at her neck made her entire body tense up again. Who could blame her for being scared? She was young, hardly into her training. Anybody would be. And with the next words out of her mouth, it became even more horrifying.

”This is far more…virginal…to the touch, and for that reason is the only prize I want.”

The girl bit back a sob, clamping a hand over her mouth. She took what he said literally, and that could only mean one thing for her. This was what mother warned her about. This was what happened to young girls when left alone. And she'd already promised Owain that she'd wait for him...
She was trying hard to be brave here. Trying not to be what she knew she was- A frightened little girl in the body of a teenager. What would Mother do? What would she do? She'd find a way to save herself and save Graxin. Somehow.
Tears sprung to her eyes before she could regain control of herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold them back, but it was too late. She was crying at the feet of this Sith, in front of her brother.

[member="Asterion"] [member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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The Sith's words made his stomach churn. Graxin had grown up on Gratos - he knew exactly what Sith Lords did to prospective apprentices. Some wanted them to breed an heir, others were out to prove their dominance in any way possible; immorality and the general wrongness of the act holding little weight.

Truly, Graxin had considered returning to Naboo and taking up a more passive role, opting to teach his sisters in the less violent areas of the force. To leave the war behind and become a peacekeeper rather than a general. This Sith instantly changed that possibility; it reminded him why he had left the Republic.

The Sith were animals that needed to be exterminated entirely. Their Lords, Initiates, Apprentices, children, servants, all needed to be burned away in righteous flame for the galaxy to once again be at peace.

"Shatter his soul."

The familiar apparition of Darth Vulcanus hissed to the far left. Only Graxin could see the being - he had used Sith Alchemy to enslave his soul in a desperate attempt to keep the Dark Lord from using essence transfer. Now, the prideful Graug haunted him whenever it sought to amuse itself.

"Shatter his bones! Melt his flesh! Drink his blood and bathe in his entrails!"

The errant Master shivered, and lowered his blade. The human part of him demanded that he obey. The natural paternal instinct ingrained into his very being was begging him to toss the lightsaber away for Felicity's sake.

But that would not help her.

He drew in a deep breath to center himself. "You went to quite a bit of trouble getting on Ession, I am sure. As I'm sure you understand her value to you." The fledgling Jedi Master began, pacing left and right over the dead, dew soaked grass.

"The Jedi Temple on Ossus would have been easier to steal an initiate from, so clearly you've come here for a specific choice. I'm sure you can sense her prowess. Do you know of her rare abilities?"

He continued, cocking his head back to try and assert some sense of control over the situation. His voice was cool and settled, as if he were discussing a game of déjarik rather than speaking to a Sith Lord.

"The girl is a seer, and has the potential to be a powerful one at that. Harming her would only waste your efforts, and then you would die. In the time it took for you to end me, or fight me off long enough to escape, my Jedi will come, and I assure you they have very little tolerance for Sith on our world."

Part of it was bluff, part of it was truth. Graxin was a well practiced liar, and the mask helped to hide his dismayed expression. Jedi would indeed come one they felt conflict so near their temple, but then Felicity would likely be dead, and she was far more important than killing the Sith.

Graxin was gambling everything on his own capacity to intimidate, and if he failed, both he and Felicity might be killed by this creature. He had no idea what the Sith was capable of, but death might be better than becoming his slave.

Where were those damned Jedi?

"Either way-" He hesitated for a moment, and swallowed heavily. "You've lost."

If only he'd had time to alert the fleet defense. They might have been able to form a blockade over the immediate area, but it was too late for that now.

To the side, Vulcanus bristled.

"The girl may die. You may die. He may slaughter your defenders. They may not even come. You gamble too much." The late Graug rumbled. "Do not forsake the lessons you were taught. You were to be my successor! Did you learn nothing of caution?!"

Graxin grit his teeth to hide his panic. Felicity's sobbing only served to chip away at his nerves.

Taking the apparition's advice, he clenched a fist, and erected a fragile barrier around himself. It would only serve to stop a blow with the force, as it was purely ethereal. It would stop nothing of the kinetic variety.


[member="Asterion"] [member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Asterion didn’t take his eyes off the man in the mask, wielding the blade and conflicted with both Light and Dark aura. Who was he…he certainly sounded like a Jedi, but he didn’t feel like one.

The Sith’s left eye narrowed slightly with the peculiar waves of Force energy coming from the masked man. However his lip curled into a smirk as he heard the girls muted sob.

”The problem with your breed – “ Asterion killed his blade and immediately transferred it to his left hand, stepping back and violently pulled the girl up to her wobbly feet, ” – is you talk too much.”

He pressed the black hilt to her tear stained cheek, the hollow of her jaw a nestling place for the warm hilt.

”She is indeed powerful, but now here are your choices. My blade melts her flesh, bone and muscle and you are responsible for the mutilated death of the Queen’s daughter. You’re already toying with your conflicted emotion. She’ll be dead, but your nightmare will only just begin.”

Asterion shifted his weight and lowered his head, mockingly exaggerating a thought.

”OR you stand there and wait for help that will never come, I take her, and then you can come find me when you’re not a danger to yourself and an embarrassment to her family as some old protector. Trust me, either way…you’ve lost.”

He felt the soothing flow of Dark Sider energy course in his veins as he felt totally in control – of course he didn’t want to kill the girl and waste his time, but if he had to, it wouldn’t be his problem.

”You got 10 words left before I run out of patience with you, coward.”

His fingers tightened around the scruff of the girl’s neck – was it instinctively a protective grip…?


[member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Felicity was crying. Ugly crying. Face scrunched, eyes red red and puffy, sniffling and gasping. She had not yet mastered the art of pretty crying like mother and Celeste. The both of them knew how to cry with dignity, or well, it Mothers case, she knew how to cry when it was politically advantageous. Both females were perfect actors. Even if she wasn't scared out of her mind, Felicity knew she would never be able to manage even a single 'pretty' tear.
And she was scared. She was absolutely petrified. She was looking death in the face again. But she had no fight in her now. She wasn't fighting for her planet and her people. And her enemy wasn't just a young woman in a maid costume climbing through vents. This was a Sith. This was what Daddy had been. This was what he'd warned her about. Unlike Daddy, this man would not hesitate to kill. Daddy may have been raised a Sith, but she knew that did not define him. But when she looked up at the man from her visions, all she could see was the red glow of the lightsaber at her neck.
With a cry of dismay and pain, she was pulled to her feet, legs shaking so much she thought she might stumble. His hand at the back of her neck burned hotter than the saber hilt on her cheek. She swallowed hard.

"B-big brother," she whimpered, looking straight to [member="Graxin Rade"]. If this was going to be her last words, she needed to make it count, "I'm s-sorry. I love you. Tell Owai-"

She couldn't get the rest out. She mouthed the words, but her voice died. She missed Owain so much. He always knew how to cheer her up. He could always throw some clever insult at her and make her smile. Her very best friend.
And mom. She wanted so much to see mom. And Dad. Daddy would know a way out of this. He was so clever. And Celeste. And Uncle Elliot, and Uncle Z. And...

As long as she had them out there, she'd have to survive. For their sake.

[member="Asterion"]

 

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There were so very few options. The Jedi grimaced behind his mask, and settled his gaze on the Sith. He would remember what the man looked like, and if not, his connection with Felicity was one that could marvel the greatest masters and their apprentices. It was more than just a simple bond, it was flesh and blood that tied the two together.

He had no hope if he struck now.

He did if Ession moved to intercept the Sith. Even if he escaped, Graxin would find him.

Find him and execute him publicly to show just what happened to Sith who stood against the Ession regime. Lord Jo-shal had already been made an example of, another certainly would not hurt.

Reluctantly, Graxin thumbed off the lightsaber.

"You've doomed yourself. There is nowhere in the galaxy where you can hide from us." He stated evenly. "The girl will return to my side, and you will be put down. Your allies will be executed, your apprentices imprisoned, and your poisoned bloodline wiped from the galaxy. No Sith that has crossed us has lived to brag about it."

He gestured with a pointed finger. "Harm her, and I ensure you, you and your people will suffer before I end them."

There was only one solution to the Sith issue: extermination. They had to be out down before they could spread any further.

Redemption was a wasted effort when they almost always fell back into their heretic tendencies.

And none would harm the Mason family without retribution.

"Felicity, hold fast. I will find this man, and he will die." He continued, giving all his attention to the teenager. His voice was all calm confidence; not even the slightest tinge of anger lacing his words.

He kept that within, a burning cauldron ready to explode the moment Felicity was out of reach. She was his weakness. Nothing else mattered.

"The Dreadguard will arrive soon." It was a warning to leave. "They will kill you whether you have the girl or not, and no lone Sith can stave them off."

He could do nothing to retrieve Felicity or halt the Sith's escape. It was bothersome, but Graxin's anxiety was gone now. This Sith would die, and Felicity would ultimately return to his side. It was just another obstacle waiting to be stepped over-- or in this case, on.

[member="Asterion"]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

As the masked Jedi spoke, his venom was seething, and Asterion could feel it. This was a warrior on the edge, and as long as he had the girl, he had the bargaining chip to decide which way he went. Pulling the hilt from the youngster’s face, leaving a small red graze on her cheek, he fixed it to his belt and maintained his grip on her.

”The problem with that, coward, is I have no Master. I have no allies. And my Apprentice – “ he looked down at the crying girl, and then back to the Jedi, “ – I doubt you’d be able to kill her as easily as you say.”

He pulled her up roughly, dragging her back with each step of his own moving backwards to the fighter, eyes on the man who was itching to strike.

”I’d keep an eye on those emotions of yours, coward, or else you’ll not be able to look in the mirror and recognise yourself as a warrior of light. You’re one step away from being me. Feels good, doesn’t it.”

Stepping up the loading ramp, clearly in view of the Jedi but with their images silhouetted by the landing lights, Asterion found little resistance in the deflated spirit of the girl and seated her in the main bay of the ship. He pulled down a restraining guard over her body, used to hold cargo in place, and crouched down to look her in the eyes.

”You have a great power inside you that I will bring out of you, and you will understand why I have done this. Your destiny is one more powerful than that Jedi out there could ever understand. Your old life ends here, but your new life starts.”

A face that gave little emotion, but words that had slight empathy to them, showing he wasn’t totally a monster, Asterion backed out and turned to the Jedi. He didn’t take his gaze off him, letting their distaste for each other hand in the cold air; as cold as their emotions.

I’ll break her in gently for you. I hope you had a good look at the girl you knew, because when you see her again, she’ll be all mine.”

Tightening his right fist as he spoke, Asterion reached to the frail tree trunk to the right of them and broke the bark with the Force aura he controlled, splintering it enough to make it start to list and come down between the two warriors.

He span around and moved back into the fighter, sliding into the cockpit of his small craft and gunning the engines into life, ready to quickly take the ship away from the planet with his prize.


[member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

She believed him. She trusted what Graxin said with every cell in her young body. He'd come for her. Big brother would always come for her. Before she was dragged away, she gave him a weak smile through her tears. She would wait. She would hold on forever if she had to, as long as she knew someone out there was looking for her. Someday they would be together again, and then she would go home to see mom and dad again. And she would find Owain and punch him on the shoulder.

She believed in her friends and family. She believed in their love. So when the Sith pulled her away and restrained her in the cargo bay, when she finally lost sight of Graxin at last, she was able to look her kidnapper straight in the eye and look defiant through her tears. Something in his voice calmed her though. She could not explain why. Something in his tone seemed almost... kind?

She wanted to ask about it, but she was smart enough to stay silent. She knew what the wrong words could cost, but she was not going to let him break her. She was a Mason. She was the daughter of a Queen. She was the eldest child of Keter. She was the baby sister of Ession's own, [member="Graxin Rade"]. She was the messenger of Naboo during the invasion. She'd been through that hell already and she survived with little more than a torn ear.
She would survive this. She had to survive this.

[member="Asterion"]

 

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Graxin grumbled a curse under his breath. Every fiber of his being
was demanding that he charge this Sith. He wanted the creature dead, forgotten from the galaxy. Then Felicity would be safe, and they could continue to live life as they saw fit. That, of course, was not really an option.

He watched silently as Felicity was led aboard the ship, agonizingly helpless from his position. All he could do was watch.

Or...

"Shlurk." He snapped into the comm system of his helmet. "Unidentified ship will be leaving on an unknown vector from my location. Take two of the stealth frigates, track it."

He only heard a grunt in reply . The Graug would do his duty.






[member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Asterion"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

The loading bay doors closed.

The engines roared into life with a deep blue glow.

The earth scorched beneath the ship and it gently rose and turned.

The Jedi wasn't in his line of sight as the Sith crested the trees but he called out to him with the Force, picking up his aura immediately.

Better luck next time, coward.

Asterion pulled up the holo-display directing the clear way to his destination; the place he was born and where the new Sith would also find new life. He turned his head to the trapped young girl, face swollen with tears and fear.

"Get your rest, kid. You're going to need it."

The ship rose and accelerated forward with what could be heard as a satisfied scream into the night sky and out into space.


[member="Graxin Rade"] [member="Felicity Mason"]