Second Time's a Charm

[Hal Terrano]

Market Place, Kazarak

It was a difficult time to be a Jedi, if there wasn't such grave circumstances surrounding the events of the galaxy then the word to have described it would have been frustrating. Defections. Invasions. Even suicides. Nobody was seemingly safe from dark influence that the One Sith were spreading, and that was just one side of the story. Through the red tape, the new orders springing up in Rebellion of the old, doubts and difficulties with leadership it was a grim time. Hope was fighting a losing battle, morale shrunk away seeming as if it would never be seen again.

They had to do something, they had to do anything.

Nemene Athaem Talith

Hal's non-existent eyebrows furrowed as he read over the case file of this atrocious woman. Profiting from and running barbaric bloodsports. Massive counts of slavery. Kidnap. Torture. Torture of Jedi. The Sister Queens of Rattatak liked to leave them alive, leave a nice trail so they could be found and rescued. They always recorded their atrocious activities, leaving the footage to be found, a calling card along side a shallow cut of the throat.

Padawan Terrano had watched them all, face never moving, never reacting. This elicited concern from a few of the temple Masters, who in their indecisiveness ended up murmuring and passive-aggressively arguing amongst themselves about such stoicism within the Order.

He watched a recorded interview with one of their victims. A twi'lek Padawan, fifteen years old. Her lekku had been horribly mutilated. Saani, that was her name. The interview only provided more torture as they had asked the girl what the two twisted women had done to her. The girl twitched and fearfully sobbed throughout her description of events. Stuttering and stammering all the way.

Padawan Saani killed herself a few weeks later. [member="Nemene Talith"] had to be stopped, she had to arrested and brought to a trial, and this time not to escape.

A collection of disgruntled Knights and Padawans, Terrano included found themselves gathered, minds set upon justice and before the Masters of the temple could even notice they were gone.

Their trail had taken them to the despicable world of Kazarak. One of the galaxy's many hubs of slavery. It wasn't despicable in the same manner as say Nar Shaddaa. No, it was luxurious, decadent, humid.

Sweat trickled down the head of Padawan Terrano, his lack of eyebrows causing him to continuously need to wipe the back of their eyes. The group, eight in total found themselves scattered throughout the marketplace, disguised as merchants, traders and slavers. Blending into the crowd, waiting for the monster that they wished to bring to justice.

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene strolled through the wide open and lavish corridors of the Kazarak slave market. Two identical women in black and red armor moved behind her, each seemingly ready to pounce on anything that moved.

The Queen of Rattatak ignored them for the most part. They were not friends to go shopping with, they were her bodyguards. It had been in a place very much like this that the first Jedi assault on Nemene had happened, the first time they had tried, and succeeded, taking her. Of course she knew nothing of Hal's coming attack, but the memory twinged in the back of her mind as she stepped into the slave market.

The memory however did nothing to adjust Nemene's stance.

Her muscles did not seize out of fear, her body did not stiffen in preparation, and indeed she seemed to begin to walk even more nonchalantly as she stepped into the markets, her skirts sweeping from side to side as her steps carried her forward. The crowd seemed to part every time she drew near, knowing full well that getting in someones way with Nemene bearing...was a bad idea.

The traders, slaves, and everything else parted way before the three women, and Nemene confidently strode into the center of the slave market, her Lightsaber pike used like a walking stick.

 

[Hal Terrano]

The way that this woman carried herself was disgusting. She didn't care. All those atrocities she had committed didn't lay upon her mind at all, no, in fact the abhorrent queen took it all in her stride. The very sight of her sauntering through the markets caused the man to frown, but that was Hal Terrano, emotional repression expert.

The gathered Jedi were not all made of such stubborn stuff. Knight Keesh. Rodian. Upon the suicide of the unfortunate tortured Padawan he had reacted by placing his boot through the wall. Terrano of course was disapproving of such an outburst, given the complete lack of discipline on display by somebody who was considered his superior.

He bit his tongue, but perhaps he shouldn't have.

The Rodian came barrelling out of the crowd in his merchant's disguise, immediately moving to ignite his brilliant blue lightsaber. Of course, this wasn't the plan, the plan was apprehension.

“FOR SAANI!”

Hal seized up. He watched the emotional knight ignore the two women that flanked her, instead Keesh lunged at Talith, aiming to skewer the wicked Queen's heart (terribly, cliché), his speed bolstered by the Force.

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene didn't move, her head didn't even turn.

There was no need after all. The Sirens were well trained, they were killers to the extreme, and this included Jedi. As the Rodian jumped up and ignited his lightsaber, stabbing towards Nemene's heart, the Siren on the left pulled a short knife from her belt. The blade flashed as she stepped forward, slicing into the Rodian's midsection as her sister stepped up and clotheslined the man.

The green skinned alien fell to the ground with a massive sputtering and guttural noise of blood spurting from his body. It had only taken a few seconds, and the boys ignoring of the two Sirens had been his complete undoing.

The Siren that had slashed the boy kicked away his now deactivated lightsaber, looking up at Nemene with a slight nod. The Queen finally allowed herself to turn, looking down at the Rodian as if first noticing.

“Saani?”A smile turned her face.

Her voice echoed throughout the marketplace, or perhaps just in the Rodians ears. “Oh yes." She sounded thoughtful, as if just remembering something. "I remember Saani. She broke within a day.”

 

[Hal Terrano]

Hal winced, observing as the Rodian Knight's poor judgement lead to his instant incapacitation.

This wasn't how this was supposed to go, they were supposed to move as a unit, exercising a calm caution all along the way. Approach, apprehend and with minimal aggression to boot. This had been thrown out of the window, they had fallen at the very first hurdle.

Keesh, on the ground and in the process of bleeding heavily ground, clutched at his stomach as if trying to keep his life blood in.

They had to help him. Sensing the danger the Jedi that were further away from the scene had already began sprinting towards the source of the action. Hal, however, being close to the action merely stepped forward, still keeping a good distance of five metres from the ladies. He didn't ignite his own lightsaber just yet.

“Y-you filthy schutta! DON'T YOU S-SAY HER NNNAME!”

Terrano, whose stunted emotional growth wasn't handy in a charged situation like this interjected. “Be silent, Knight Keesh.” The Rodian's outburt was helping nobody.

“NO! NO, HAL! S-SHE CAN'T GET AWAY WITH T-THIS!” the alien screamed, still writhing upon the ground. With as much strength as he could muster Keesh rolled onto his wounded stomach, attempting to get up onto his knees. “WE HAVE TO....we we have to...”

Hal stood steadfast, quickly glancing over his shoulder he caught the glimpse of another Jedi sprinting to the scene. Padawan Solusar. Human. Female. A girl so nave and so empathetic it hurt a little to think about. She would likely not be much help to this situation.

 

[Lira Dajenn]

The Siren closest to the Rodian stamped down on his back. The green Alien thudded against the ground and screamed in pain, blood pooling beneath him as sand and dirt was pushed into his open wound. The Rodian seemed to shiver and shake as his will tried to push his body upwards.

The Siren however wouldn't let him, her boot pushing into his back as the knife dripped onto the back of his head. Nemene looked at the Siren, and then to the girl that was charging her. Eyes flickered to The Rodian, and then the other Jedi that had spoke. A quick flick of her fingers sent one of the two Sirens towards the charging girl, the mute drew a blaster from her hip and began to relentlessly pull the trigger.

The Unique sound of the WESTAR began to thrum through the air. The Padawan stopped in her tracks, her lightsaber flickering and blocking one bolt, then two, then a third.

By the time the fourthcame the Siren was upon her. A knife had entered her hand, black with golden lines. The blade clashed with the lightsaber, holding it in place as the Siren thrust her pistol towards the girls mouth. Just as she was about to pull the trigger, a tug on the weapon sent it flying. The Siren's head snapped to the side, seeing her blaster land in the palm of a Jedi. She frowned, and struck the padawan hard in the ribs, sending her to the floor.

Nemene watched the scene for a moment, then turned to regard the Rodian on the floor. “Don't worry yourself Hal. I will silence him.”

Her tone was mocking, drowned out by the Hiss of her lightsaber pike igniting. Before the young man had time to act, Nemene stabbed the blade through the Rodians skull.

 

[Hal Terrano]

Action exploded around them, as one of the woman's guards prevented the Jedi Knight from getting up by so cruelly stomping down upon the Rodian's back. His gurgles and objections were horrifying to behold, but the other guard charging towards Padawan Solusar split his focus in two.

Well she didn't get brought down instantly, managing to deflect the bolts that threatened to put her down so swiftly. Hal found himself caught in indecisiveness. To aid Keesh or Solusar? The stoic practically felt the blow to the young woman's ribs impact through the air.

The Queen spoke, drawing his attention back but too late as the blonde man witnessed the lightsaber pike end the life of his fellow Jedi.

Instinctively Hal drew his own lightsaber, another blue blade springing into action. His face remained still, and the lack of emotional reaction that came from him was had his mentors worried.

“Nemene Athaem Talith, you are to be arrested and brought to justice for your crimes.”

“Get away from her!”

“Daska!”

Two more Jedi onto the scene. Another human female, this one a Knight. Ayumi Mozh, promising Jedi Consular and mentor of the currently downed Daska Solusar, who snubbed all conventions of lightsabers and wielded only the Force. Followed closely by Forren Gar, Nautolan padawan, the opposite number of our dearest Hal, social, popular, a bit of a joker. He came brandishing a yellow blade, those black eyes full of bubbling rage.

They both came barrelling at the Siren who had Padawan Solusar at her mercy on the floor. Leaving Hal, assuming a defensive stance in the face of the monstrous Queen and her second guard.

“Throw down your weapons.”

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene grinned, a wide evil little grin.

Her eyes flickered in the direction of the numerous Jedi that were coming towards her Siren. Realizing the woman was outnumbered she sighed slightly. Though Hal seemed to be the most calm of the bunch, she hardly had time to play with him, not when one of her greatest tools was nearly overwhelmed. Even one of the Siren's could not handle three Jedi...though these were hardly Jedi.

Her eyes drifted back to Hal, and her lips pursed slightly, as if she was going to kiss the Jedi. “Certainly.”

Her fingers unwound from the lightsaber pike's hilt, and with a nonchalant push she allowed the weapon to begin its fall towards the ground. In the instant that her palm left the metal hilt however she began to move. The force ran through her, purple lines beginning to etch on her skin as her muscles flexed with increase strength.

In the blink of an eye Nemene was across the marketplace.

Her target was the female Jedi that had come, the one that had taken the blaster from her Siren. Nemene appeared before the girl in what seemed like an impossible speed. One second she stood before Hal, the next her hand was upon the womans throat, nails tearing into flesh and force lightning streaming from her palm.

The girl screamed, her entire body burning as Nemene's lightning tore through her. The scream rang out through the market place and then suddenly went silent as the girl died. The smell of Singed flesh permeated the air, and the womans fried corpse fell to the floor as Nemene released her.

She turned to face Hal again, a grin on her face.

 

[Hal Terrano]

They were in over their heads.

He blinked and she was gone, dashing across the marketplace to the skirmish that was taking place over there. Another Jedi lost, Padawan Solusar. Poor girl. Her Master had arrived just to watch her student get destroyed, the anguished scream of Ayumi Mozh accompanying those last dying remnants of Daska. The Knight, now with vengeance on her mind came at Talith, sending a venomous Force push at the Queen to send her away from the Padawan's body.

The Nautolan Forren however keep his focus reserved for the Siren, leaping forth with his yellow blade slashing downwards in the aim of cleaving the woman in two from head to pelvis.

What about Hal? What was our stalwart hero doing in the face of pure evil? Well, while death reigned around him he reached out and summoned the Queen's abandoned weapon with the Force, catching the hilt and clipping it to his own belt. The Padawan looked back upon the scene just in time to see that woman's sickening grin.

“Nemene Athaem Talith, you are to be arrested and brought to justice for your crimes!” He repeated, this time actively bellowing as the Jedi began to walk towards the Queen.

Damn it, Oregano! Can you be useful?

[member="Nemene Talith"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Of course the force push didn't hit Nemene. She couldn't let a Jedi, even a Jedi's force energy touch her, no no that wouldn't due at all. In the blink of an eye the Mother of Lies was once again gone from the marketplace, reappearing slightly to the left of the aggressor Jedi. Of course the goal of the attack had been accomplished, Nemene had been forced away from the Jedi's corpse.

The instant she reappeared however Nemene lashed out again, force lightning crackling from her fingertips, jumping the gap between her and the attacking Jedi in a moment.

At the same time as she moved, so did the Sirens. The first danced a beautiful dance with the Nautolon. Rolling away from the saber-strike only barely, the hissing plasma slicing through platemail with ease and cutting into flesh. She let out a silent hiss, not having the vocal cords to scream. The womans leg shot out, hooking and pulling at the Nautolons feet.

The other Siren however, turned her attention to the spice rack.

With the Rodian now dead, or close enough to it, she was free to move about. Drawing a blade similar to her sister the silent woman stepped up to look the blonde man in the eye. She signed something, though it would be unintelligible to him, and then grinned.

The woman dashed forward, Knife slicing towards his midsection while a tiny fist shot towards his sternum.
[member="Hal Terrano"]