Private Punching Through Doubt

[Silas Westgard]

Thankfully, the soup tasted golden. His eyes seemed to roll slightly just from how good it was, and soon his spoon plunged into the bowl to have had another. Looking back up to Kahlil Noble he seemed to ponder on the question he asked and chewed on a large chunk that was floating around in the soup. Compared to many, he relatively had a very good upbringing.

"I grew up on a grassy planet called Azbrian, where my parents built their own house on the plains. There was a decent population on the planet itself, but many of the people who lived there were spaced out, so we mainly lived off the land and grew our own food. I'll always cherish my time there because of how peaceful and simpler the times were. All I needed was my family and the great outdoors to keep me company."

One day he hoped to go back and relive some of those memories again. It truly was a special place for him...

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That sounds like a good life." A really good life. Kahlil peered curiously to Silas now, setting down his spoon. A peaceful life, that turned to violence? He wasn't sure which was worse, to know peace or to never know it, but no one should ever have to go through either path.

"How did you end up in such a violent life?"

 

[Silas Westgard]

"It used to be..." he mumbled out before having another spoonful of his soup. Silas didn't seem to react much when he asked him about his violent life and seemed to be more comfortable answering that than his homeworld. With a deep sigh, he dropped the spoon again and put his arms on top of the table. Which unintentionally showed off the scars he picked up from that way of life.

"I didn't choose it, I was forced by my will. I don't know the full story, but my father had got himself into some deep water with a gang I presume from Denon. When I returned from my regular trek on the plains, the house was on fire and as I got closer I could hear them... screaming." he said with an emotionless face, doing well so far to keep it together.

"They burned them alive and forced me to watch as I tried to save them... I couldn't do anything" Silas said in a lower tone, lowering his head down from the master in sorrow "Instead of throwing me in there with them, they took me and used me as a slave for their business deals. For two years I had to look after myself with days on end when I wouldn't have any food. The only thing they gave me was the knowledge to fight, even if that was a struggle to survive" he frowned, while his hand swirled the contents of the bowl around repeatedly.

"If you did anything wrong, like mess up an assignment they'd give you a beating. Some of the scars I have are from that, but most of them are from the assignments themselves. All of them were tedious, and you never knew when they'd pull a knife out on you..." Silas glares down at his arms and relives some of the moments which gave him a certain scar. Unfortunately, many of them were hard to forget.

Kahlil Noble​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil listened in silence, only taking a couple more spoonfuls of his soup in the process. There was a lot for Silas to unload, but that was part of the reason why he'd asked the question that brought it up in the first place. The past was hard to talk about. Harder to accept. When Silas finished, Kahlil reached out to pat his shoulder. Smile softly, as he always did. He understood, better than most.

"You survived. Don't fo-" He cut off, immediately spinning from his seat. His saber sprang to life as he did so, his eyes staring up at the approaching figure. A woman in a cloak, seemingly normal. But the danger, the power of the Dark that radiated from her. The lethal intent she brought. The hood pulled back as tendrils escaped, slithering through the air. Her eyes narrowed on the Jedi in front of her.

"Jedi."

Kahlil immediately reached over, ripping from the ground the table they'd been eating at. Scattering food in the process before ducking behind the table with Silas in tow. Around them people suddenly turned to stone. They'd started to run, but anyone within eyesight of the Sithspawn couldn't escape from the flash.

"Tzihra Satwas. Don't let her see you, or she'll turn you to stone. Go around, get her from behind. I'll keep her attention."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Silas didn't really want pity for his past, In the end, no one really cared for what he had been through. Although, when it came to Kahlil Noble he was one of the few that understood. Like him, he had a rough few years with family and violence. When it came to explaining it all again, it was so much easier than anytime he had done it.

Feeling a hand touch his shoulder his hurt blue eyes looked up to Kahlil, reminding him of how his own father used to calm him down in times when he was upset. He watched as he said a few words to reassure him, but he wasn't able to finish his sentence. A cloaked figure from the crowd hissed at them with malice, unleashing an unnatural power that forever turned their bodies into solid stone of agony. Before they suffered the same fate, Kahlil reacted fast and ducked behind the table. At the same time, Silas followed him without question by throwing his body behind the makeshift shelter

"Yes master!" he said back to him calmly with a scent of determination in his tone. Tapping him on the shoulder, he raised his hand up to indicate a distraction for him to run and slide into a nearby market stall to the right. Putting three fingers up, he slowly lowered them one by one until a fist was formed to say go.

With that, he shot himself out of his hiding spot...

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil nodded once. He was all business, especially when Sithspawn were involved. But no sooner did Silas speak up that the Master reached out. Paused his count with a simple pat on the Padawan's head. "Just, be safe. No matter what." Right. Silas was still a kid. Seemed even he could forget that. Turning his gaze back to the cover, listening for the creature on the other side, he waited for the count down. Then blew out the table he'd turned into a barrier for them.

He sent it flying right for the gorgon, utilizing the whole thing as a barrier to keep him hidden as he charged forward. It gave him enough cover so when he got close he could stab forward, through the table with his green blade to try and catch the gorgon. A hiss of pain was a welcome sound, though the sudden appearance as the Gorgon came around the edge to stare down at him wasn't.

Well, shit.

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

"The same goes for you too," he said with a slight smile before bolting it to the stand with a quick slide. At the same time, Kahlil Noble flipped the table and charged at the Sith with the table to cover his body from turning into solid stone. Silas knelt behind a butcher's stand and witness his blade cut through the table and collide with its body. Although, even that wasn't enough to take it down.

Silas noticed the Sith's head begin to move around the table, focused on turning Kahlil into a permanent art piece as the seconds went by. Without really thinking, the padawan grabbed hold of a butcher's knife on the table and snapped to his feet. Drawing back his arm, he flung it straight at the woman's back before ducking under the stall once more to evade her deadly eyes.

It was clear her gaze was the problematic thing about her. If they could somehow blind the Sith long enough, they could surely even the odds.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil braced himself for the worst. He knew what they could do. He also knew they could, with time, undo it. The Jedi here. It's why he wasn't as keen at protecting everyone initially. Deal with the threat, then help the incapacitated. Seemed he was going to be on- He blinked as the gorgon esque Sithspawn freaked out and looked around. Then he saw it. A knife? He bit back the chuckle before swinging his blade up.

The green flashed unnaturally bright just as the woman looked back. The resulting squeal was more than enough evidence that something had gone wrong for it. Force Light, he knew all too well how weak they were to it.

Especially their eyes.

"She's blinded! Help me restrain her!" Kahlil's saber extinguished as he raised his hands. Gripped through the Force to bind her. Bring her to her knees. "We need her to help undo this mess!"

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

The knife went flying through the air, going fast and true straight into the back of the Sith. Peeking up from the stall, he saw the stone turning darksider squeal out in agony. With that, Kahlil Noble was able to raise his lightsaber and blind the woman for now. It was unknown how long she'd be like that, right now they needed a restrain and safety net.

Looking down, he saw a heavy sack of meat next to his feet and didn't waste any time dumping it out of the bag. It was thick enough for the Sith to not see through, and if they could keep it on her head, she'd bring no harm to anyone else while they figured out a way to bring everyone back. Picking some loose rope next to the pile of raw food, Silas ran from behind her and suddenly placed the bag over her head while Kahlil kept her grounded. The Sith seemed to thrash her head as the padawan began to fasten the rope, tight yet enough for her to still be able to breath

"Feth, I should have expected something like this to happen down here!" he grunted, struggling slightly to finish off the knot.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil joined the Sithspawn wrangling, hooking his saber on his hip in the process. Strong as the Sithspawn was, she'd been weakened by the Light. And the Jedi Master was no push over when it came to his own strength. Within a minute they had the creature bound and pinned to the ground. And only then did he let out a sigh of relief. He turned his gaze to the statues around, his face surprisingly calm despite the anguish on their faces.

"Do you know how to use the Light, Silas?"

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Within minutes, both Jedi had pinned the sithspawn to the floor. With it being blind and tied up, it had nowhere to go, especially when Silas was sitting on its back to keep her from wiggling so much. The padawan looked up to Kahlil Noble and slowly shook his head as he glared at the multiple statues around them.

"I'm afraid not master. Although, it certainly did help us in taming this thing that's for sure" he said with a grunt as he looked down to the sithspawn and tapped her lightly to calm down.

"Will it help us free these poor souls from their stone tombs by any chance?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"In a way." The Light was probably their best bet. From the cussing out he was getting by the Sithspawn he doubted she'd actually help. Technically he should probably of just cut her down. But, well. Sithspawn were people once. Some of them. And knowing how they were made.. He let out a sigh before reaching down. Tapping the bag. At once the struggling stopped as he used the Force to simply knock her out for the time.

They could handle that later. Instead he motioned for Silas to take a seat.

"Close your eyes. I guess we'll start that lesson, if it means helping these people."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Below Silas, the Sith spawn shouted every word under the sun at the two Jedi, almost like it was goading them to do worse. Even so, her protests were soon shut down by Kahlil Noble who simply tapped the bag she was fashionably wearing. Instantly, the Sith fell motionless in a deep sleep and finally fell silent for the two Jedi to talk.

"That's one less thing to worry about..."

The padawan looked up to his master with a brief smile and nodded to his instruction. Pushing himself from the site spawns body, he sat himself down on the cold floor below with a cross of his legs. Slowly but surely, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself for what his master had to say next.

"Can we save them from this alone Master?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"If I didn't think we could, I'd already have put a call out." Kahlil sat with him, eyes closed. Taking a breath. The anguish of the people around them was very real. Closing his eyes, he could feel it. But being a Jedi was about taking that pain, that fear, and acting with the Light anyway. "Be calm, let yourself breath. You feel the chaos around us, yes? The pain, the fear. They're very much alive and aware of the state they're in. They're horrified. Unable to do anything but know they're stuck. So be their light. Help them get free."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Silas felt Kahlil Noble sit next to him and join him in his efforts, guiding him through the ways of how to save these trapped souls. The padawan calmly breathed in and out, his mind focusing on the very fear they felt. Like what Master Kahlil said, many were horrified and afraid of never getting out of this stone confinement. With nothing but his chest steadily rising up and down, he guided the light towards them for their reprieve. Some of their concerns began to falter when they felt his presence, slowly but surely regaining hope of being free again.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Good. Focus on that feeling. That hope." Kahlil's own presence reached out as he spoke. Nothing visible, but the overwhelming feeling of calm came as waves through the chaos of fear around them. The Light, pure and simple. "Use it. Find the dark, find the stone ritual. It leaves marks on the Force. Erase those marks with that light and help them come back."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

"Yes Master..." he replied back to him in concentration. The boy listened to Kahlil Noble and his wise words, directly going to find the dark that kept their innocent souls trapped. Silas directed his energy to the stone structure closest to him, one that was frozen in place when he was turning to run. His pure light shot towards the marks in the force, pressing into them with immense pressure and warmth that not even the dark energy could withstand.

After a few moments, the marks that once littered the force began to evaporate from the power of the light side. In turn, pieces of rock began to crumble away from his body to reveal normal flesh and bone once more. The victim's face which was only filled with shock soon turned into one of pure joy, thankful that the Jedi had saved him from eternal torture.

Silas smiled slightly in the corner of his mouth from his cries of relief. Now he'd have to do the same for the rest of them and fix this disaster once and for all.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil had drifted off into his own focus once he was sure Silas had figured out his own. The Jedi Master let his mind wander, drift into the embrace of the Force. When Silas opened his eyes, he'd see that there were no people left in stone. Kahlil himself was glowing, faintly pulsing with the Light itself. An ever calm expression on his face. He'd stay like that for a couple more moments, even as there seemed to be no one left in stone before finally opening his eyes.

"You did well, Silas."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

One by one the once idle forms of the citizens all began to break free and run back to their families with open arms. Through that time Silas didn't how many people he had saved, only concentrating on the force alone to make sure everyone was finally safe and sound. When he came to the realisation there was no more trespass in the force, his concentration finally broke and his eyes opened.

Silas looked around him and saw there were no more stone statues to be found, only him and Kahlil Noble who was still glowing slightly from the force flowing through him. The padawan proudly nodded to his master and couldn't help but release a smile at how well they both dealt with the situation.

"Thank you, Master," he said back to him as he got on one knee and looked back to the unconscious woman tied up behind him "What of the Sith spawn? do we take her back with us?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil turned his gaze towards the Sithspawn as Silas mentioned it. He was quiet for a moment, seeming to think something over. Then sighed. There was only so much they could do for Sithspawn. Turned willingly or not, it was irreversible. And yet,

"What do you think we should do, Silas?"

Silas Westgard