Become One With All Things
S W O R D _ O F _ T H E _ J E D I
GALACTIC ALLIANCE
NEW JEDI ORDER
OUT OF THE LINE OF FIRE
TAGS: OPEN
ARMOR | LIGHTSABER
POLARIZE
A series of images flashed. GALACTIC ALLIANCE
NEW JEDI ORDER
OUT OF THE LINE OF FIRE
TAGS: OPEN
ARMOR | LIGHTSABER
POLARIZE
Lines of men and women being forced into a large warehouse. People screamed from within, others cried, and every so often, a pained grunt escaped the mass as someone experienced a lesson they wouldn't soon forget. Outside of it stood several armed gangsters. Most of them looked too nasty to tangle with for the everyday individual. The twi'lek hurried over to a droid armed with a nasty looking blaster-rifle meant for mid to long-range shooting. The alien's body trembled as he stepped up, though it couldn't be from fear. He seemed to be laughing at a joke he must've muttered seconds before.
As he stopped, the droid looked down at him.
"What is it?" the monotone voice inquired. "You should be out collecting more bodies. The buyer is demanding at least thirty able-bodied meat sacks."
"I managed to find some top quality wares, sir," the twi'lek turned and motioned towards a pair of women unconscious in the back of his speeder. "It took a bit of work to separate them from their brats, but I know the boss loves those zeltron and human women most. I hear there's a higher payout for them."
The droid turned and stepped over to the speeder. It leaned over the side, its movements as emotionless as the tone of its voice. "Yes, I believe this will do well. I will ensure the proper sum of credits is transferred to your account upon completion. Now, get back out there and do your job. We'll be leaving soon."
"Very well, sir, yes sir," the twi'lek turned and hurried off. He passed by several large speeders, each capable of holding a dozen people in the back. Out the corner of his eye, he noticed a fountain with muddy brown water and spit. "Disgusting."
Ryv gasped as he came back to. He dropped the twi'lek's head and turned to reorientate himself.
"Shit, shit, shit," he took off down the way he came at an astonishing speed. The Force came to him without request, seemingly to aid in stopping whatever horrendous fate awaited the captured citizens. His body blurred against the city's backdrop. Buildings, stalls, and speeders passed by without the Jedi Knight taking notice. His sole focus was the park he'd passed through minutes before. He moved past the abandoned bodega and slid to a stop along the same duracrete sidewalk as before.
"Dammit, where's the fountain?!" he hollered as he turned full circles. He sprinted down the road adjacent to the park, his gaze trained on each street he passed. Several minutes later, he finally spotted the same fountain from his vision. "Aha!"
Ryv's booted foot pressed down into the street to slow his speed. He slid half a dozen feet before he slammed into the side of a building. All he could do was grunt, wipe at the now tender flesh, and take off running yet again.
"C'mon, I can't be late, c'mon," he pleaded to the Force as he passed the fountain. When the same warehouse from his vision came into view, he looked to a nearby building and leaped atop it. The moment his feet hit its surface, he tucked his knees, dropped into a roll, and immediately jumped back up to push onward. His chest ached as each breath physically burned his lungs. His legs yearned to stop moving, but he couldn't slow down. Instead, he increased his pacing further, ran to the edge of the first building, and cleared the ten-foot gap between it and the next set of homes. He cut across several streets this way until the warehouse loomed ahead of him.
He arrived just in time to witness a pink-skinned woman shoved into the back of a speeder. The door slammed shut behind her, and the culprits of the kidnapping hurried into the vehicle.
"Oh, I'm gonna enjoy every second of what I'm gonna do to you slimy bastards," Ryv snarled as he stepped up to the ledge and soared through the air. This time his feet found purchase on the enclosed speeder's top, and he dropped to his knees. It jolted into action immediately, picking up speed much faster than the Jedi anticipated.
Unable to keep his balance, he found himself tumble back and over the side. He flailed out with an arm and caught the back of the speeder's bumper. Unfortunately, the rest of his body slammed into the street. His flesh burned as he felt segments of his skin tear with each second in his precarious position. His other hand gripped tight on the bumper and pulled.