The Fate of Hion

[Zaiden Dean]

Sno strode through civilised sectors, intent on reaching her objective swiftly. Zaiden may be dead, but his interests werent. Hion, a being in Zaidens words, that could one day bring down the Galactic Facions, was attempting to do something stupid. Dumb enough for the Force to warn the Ancient.

Utilizing her time with the Jedi, she swiftly breached the doors to see a Master, obvious through his presence in the force, and a few others. Lastly the Herglic she came for, "Hion?"

After the question she felt foolish, who else could fit the bill? "Hion i am Sno, i currently am the replacing leader of JAC. This may sound shocking, or it may not, Zaiden Greyson fell and with his fall he wanted your health to be a top priority. As a conglomerate we watch you, if a time comes for us to step in we will. As i am now.

"The force is singing about this all over. Leave while you have the chance, live to take down the republic on your own terms. Its obvious by now that it cant work." Sno said calmly. The being would either follow, or have another ally to defend him once the Jedi arrived.

What Zaiden saw in a whale, was beyond her.

@[member="Hion the Herglic"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

Eyes as black as the ocean's unfathomed depths looked from Alachei, to Dista, and then to Sno in turn. "Hauum, if you believe my wish is to destroy the Republic, then you know nothing... Sno." He inclined his head. "Gratitude, for your support, misguided though it may be." His squat head swiveled toward Alachei. "Many thanks to you as well."

The Herglic sucked in a deep breath. Now for the true confrontation. He turned toward Master Dista. A revered Jedi, Carn had the respect of many with whom he crossed paths. Even enemies. Orcus could admire his commitment to his cause, but he thought him overzealous by half. Hunt fish for your pod and you feed them for a day. Hunt continuously and the fish are wiped out and your pod goes hungry. This is the way of nature and the way of the Force. Balance, in all things. A dark whispering entered Orcus' head. He swayed slightly where he sat, eyes glazing a touch. The whisper did not speak of balance, but of death and destruction. It longed to rend worlds apart and watch them burn. This was the part of the darkness Orcus feared, the darkness that slowly eroded his sanity like waves against a rock. His eyes focused once more. He would not give in to it yet. One act of this play remained unfinished. He would see it through, to whatever end the Force willed.

Dispiteous eyes focused on Carn Dista. The Herglic smiled; a smile too wide and filled with too many teeth to be deemed pleasant.

"No," the sonorous voice boomed across the plaza. "I do not recognize the authority of the Jedi. I claim the right of non-refoulement. The persecuted shall not be handed over to the persecutors. By this law I shall not submit to arrest by the Jedi, nor will I be tried by the Jedi. In the event that I am deemed guilty by a trial of Republic Courts I will not receive punishment from the Jedi." The Herglic looked Dista square in the face, his tone perfectly calm and at ease.

The right of non-refoulement was a principle in both Republic and International law that forbade the rendering of a victim of persecution into the hands of the persecutor. That persecutor was usually a state actor. In this case, it was the Jedi Order. The cameras were watching closely to see how the Jedi Order handled this.

The Herglic, for his part, remained seated upon the ground. The extra-lage robes covering his figure made him appear almost in a monk-like state of meditation. He certainly appeared more the peaceful monk than did the war-like apparition of Carn Dista.

@HK-36 @[member="Yusan Fenn"] @Alachei Mnemenos @Hion the Herglic @Isley Verd @Diana Moridena @Daella Apparine@Askrut Fey'ra @[member="Carn Dista"] @[member="Sno Wyte"]

 

[Nyxie]

A bright smile crossed Alachei's face, her eyes yet still unfaltering in their archaic gaze. The whale was smarter than he looked.
Clap... Clap... Clap....
"And so shall you not be. I do believe the good Master has stated that you are to be tried by the Republic. By that end, as an acting member of the senate and the Galactic Republic, Ankai of the Ri'ess Sector worlds and judge by divine and political right, I deem that you will be tried and sentenced on Sikune, moon to Mnencheiasus. Now I highly suggest you come with me..." Alachei said, pulling out a pair of restraints - obviously for show as such things held little effect on those adept in the Force. "As laws and good faith won't stop a blade from cutting your throat."
She didn't expect but a single soul in the room to agree, as they all lacked her kind of wisdom without a doubt, but anyone with a sliver of wisdom or cunning could tell that her actions and investment in the matter leveled the playing field for all parties involved, removed all bias and absolutely eliminated any chance of bloodshed, destruction or needless violence. Should the whale oblige, none could hope for a better outcome. Yet... they likely wouldn't see it that way. They probably might even believe her of aiding and abetting. That wouldn't be surprising; they were the Jedi after all, and had seen brighter stars shine on their horizon in better days.
"There are two manned dropships that await us outside. If you have any love for life - and truly do mean it - you will choose the peaceful choice. I will not stop them from killing you, and we both know very well that no one will. The choice, indeed, is yours."
As for the strange girl... her place deterred Alachei not in the slightest. Whoever she was, she was a long way from home and lost in a real bad way to find herself in such a predicament.

@[member="HK-36"] @[member="Yusan Fenn"] @[member="Hion the Herglic"] @[member="Hion the Herglic"] @[member="Isley Verd"] @[member="Diana Moridena"] @[member="Daella Apparine"]@[member="Askrut Fey'ra"] @[member="Sno Wyte"]​

 

[Cedric Dorn]

“As Master Dista stated. We are not taking you into our custody but the Republics. You will be held in a facility here on Coruscant until the courts set a trial date for you.” Diana walked up behind @[member="Carn Dista"] with very near a sneer on her face, a dozen or so Republic Troopers walking behind her. "Despite what the Senator stated she has neither the power nor authority to set your trial location or date. The Republic will decide that as a whole."

She looked at the senator and frowned for a second, the woman apparently didn't realize that Senators had absolutely no powers when it came to the criminal justice system aside from making the laws that the Republic was run by, and even then it took months to make such a law.

A senator could not just declare that a person was to be tried and held on a planet, the Republic did not work like that, no government did otherwise you would have Senators and representatives from dozens of different worlds squabbling over every important prisoner for the right to hold them.

No, Hion would be held by the Republic, on the Republics capital, by the Republic Military and Coruscant Security forces. Diana moved on to stand right behind Dista, backing up the older Jedi Master with a frown still very present on her face. She held no weapons, and made no move to look threatening, in fact her eyes held pure annoyance. “Hion. Please surrender any weapons you may have on you and go with these troopers, if you wish it i will be the only Jedi to escort you but we both know that none of these men can stand against you and you could escape their grasp easily, i cannot in good conscience allow you to walk free without a Jedi escort. I give you my word as a Jedi Master that you will not be harmed in any way. By myself or any other Jedi, unless you resist.”

She hated the creature, but she had Hated Kaine too, and she had kept his word with him.

@HK-36 @Yusan Fennhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/2468-yusan-fenn/ @Alachei Mnemenos @Hion the Herglic @Isley Verd @Daella Apparine@Askrut Fey'ra @Carn Distahttp://starwarsrp.net/user/2601-carn-dista/ @Sno Wyte

 

[Nyxie]

Alachei smiled in a way only the Old King could, a look of amusement, faithlessness and utter dismay; the kind from someone so cynical as to expect little more from someone. "I am amused, truly, that you offer him your word despite knowing how very little he trusts your order." She frowned. The Jedi were bound to have their way or throw a fit if they didn't. His 'right' to non-refoulement or her genuine authority as a judge and adjudicator that carried over from her previous political stance meant little in this day and age; only the one with the larger stick held all the authority. In that one right, the Jedi were no different than the Sith. "Forgive me, for it was naive of me to think this one would be let off of the planet, let alone out of your sight. By his right to legal council, I would like to be present at all times pending his trial as I deem fit. I don't speak as a representative but as a judge; it is wise to remember that pending the trial."
"I understand that you do not trust this one, or likely anyone else for that matter, but on the same notion he does not trust any of you. You should know full well that he is unlikely to willing go with any of you. If you'd just oblige, I offer the peaceful way. Must you all push for such violence and bloodshed? Is that the Jedi way?" she said telepathically in a beseeching, reasonable tone to the Jedi currently present in the room, for which she was familiar enough with.
In truth, this was exemplary of why the Jedi seemingly needed to be segregated from the Republic.

(((I'm honestly not sure why I care anymore... )))​

@People who I'm too lazy to fix the tags for.​

 

[Serah Oricion]

Yusan watched silently with the hood pulled tight and his hands crossed behind him as he stood next to @[member="Hion the Herglic"], glancing between @[member="Alachei Mnemenos"], @[member="Diana Moridena"], and @[member="Carn Dista"]. His eyes were cold and bored, he had expected something else, a simple arrest that saved Hion's life for a time until someone came by and broken him out of his cell or place of residence. Yusan's eyes found their way to the new arrival, his thoughts projecting at @[member="Sno Wyte"] as he stood there. 'Hello miss, might i ask who you are and why you are here to protect my friend, last i checked i do not remember seeing you anywhere in the records nor this Zaidan Greyson...' Yusan's head had turned just enough for the right side of his face to be seen, as well as moving a bit to make the limp and cane obvious to her. He wanted to look weak on purpose, let her think of his inexperience or injury while he contemplated her. Oh and his mind felt that of a Droid and Popcorn eater watching, 'I wonder who is watching.'

 

[Darth Metus]

@[member="Isley Verd"] shakes his head, speaking with a mouthful o'corn.

"Fwen whill da Alaxy rern?" *insert obnoxious chewing here* "Da Edi ARE da Public."

 

[Cedric Dorn]

Diana shifted her gaze from Hion to the Senator once again. Her stare could have broken a statue in half and clearly she was not amused. She looked at the woman, then up and down at her unsmiling. The Telepathy she attempted to use on Diana was completely lost on her, the blademaster's mind was a sealed tomb to anyone but those she wanted in her head, and this senator was certainly not on the list.

“It does not matter if he trusts the Order or not, it matters if he trusts me. I am the woman that brought Kaine Zambrano to chains withinfor the Republic. He was a scourge on the galaxy that brought Genocide, War, and countless other crimes too heinous to describe to this galaxy. If I brought him in alive, if I brought one of the most feared and despised Sith Lords back to the Republic alive, then Hion should know I would do the same for him.” Slowly her eyes drifted to Hion, then back towards the woman. Her flat stair seemingly increasing in intensity. “And Forgive me Senator, but your statements contradict themselves. In one go you claim to be acting as Hion's legal council, and yet in the next you state to be the judge. You cannot be both, that would be ridiculous. Given the situation however i would think the Chancellor himself will preside over a trial such as this as was the case with Ahsoka Tano and later Barriss Ofee in the Clone Wars."

Diana knew her history well, better than most in fact. The first half of her lifetime had been spent with her nose buried in the books of the Jedi Library. She had enjoyed the tales of the Jedi at war particularly and the political intrigue born of it. "I ask you Senator to please leave this area and let us deal with it, you are only aggravating this situation further. However if you wish to stay i cannot force you to leave.”

She spoke in a level cool voice, no hint of annoyance or anger, no hint of any emotion at all. Slowly she turned back to Hion. “Please follow our earlier requests Hion.”

@[member="HK-36"] @[member="Yusan Fenn"] @[member="Alachei Mnemenos"] @[member="Hion the Herglic"] @[member="Isley Verd"] @[member="Daella Apparine"]@[member="Askrut Fey'ra"] @[member="Carn Dista"] @[member="Sno Wyte"]

 

[Nyxie]

Stares were nothing but that; else Alachei would have accidentally split planet after planet by now. All they did was make fools out of the foolish. She payed it no mind, all the wiser.
"And where is Kaine now?"
Alachei knew exactly where. They, however, did not. The Jedi were proving to be incredibly low on the totem pole, example after example. She wanted to have faith in them, but was given no merit to be faithful in, time again. She continued.
"There is nothing contradictory about it. My Jedi friend, what I said was that I am a judge, not his. Anyhow, I retain my previous request, as it is his full right, and mine.... Besides, how would I look if I did not keep my word? I have already invested myself to this, so I must see it through. As a Jedi, you surely understand this."
She turned to Hion and the VC briefly to leave one last statement.
"Hion, you can't draw blood from a rock," a clear jab at the others, "For your own sake, let us go."
She held her arms out in an 'after you' kind of gesture, waiting for him to proceed to their custody and hoping he would confide in her presence and wisdom. The Order and the Senate were never on even terms in hundreds or thousands of years; nothing new there. She prayed only that this silly battle of wits brought upon by Jedi who felt the need to feel accomplished in their lives would be over, and Hion would do everyone the favor of walking. Alachei was slowly (and unknowably) running out of patience for both parties, something thought impossible of her.

The Jedi were, simply put, a bunch of stiffs.

(((We're on the same side. Same. Side. ._.)))​

 

[Cedric Dorn]

“Fringe space, Panatha, Because the Republic allowed him to escape.” Diana spoke so flatly one could have built a building on her words.

Then her eyes drifted back to Hion without a further word.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

Orcus' squat head lowered slightly. A baritone hum, low in both volume and pitch filled the plaza. These bickering dissidents were only representative of how far the Republic had fallen. The Republic needed a strong hand to guide them. And the Jedi were neither strong enough nor wise enough to do so. Yet, he would not go with Alachei. As much as the Senator claimed justice she, like Sno, seemed more obsessed with the destruction of the Republic rather than its preservation. Did they not see? With the dissolution of the Empire but one true power remained to unite the Galaxy. Or perhaps Orcus was wrong. The strong survived war. War purged the weak. And death was but a natural part of life. Perhaps he should not be seeking peace, but war. Yet constant war only tore civilization and progress apart in bloody cycles of violence. Maybe the answer lay in balance. Light and Dark, War and Peace. A circle of balance. Yes, perhaps that was the answer.

"Senator, no authority but the Republic will I recognize." Black eyes turned to Diana. "I will not go with you, Jedi. The Republic may arrest me, the Republic may try me, but the Order will have no part in it."

Calm, but insistent. "You believe that since there is a potential for me to escape the arrest of Republic soldiers that that is a cause to violate my rights?" Eyes grew hard and sharp as obsidian. Echoes of the volcano within. "Such is the foundation of all tyrants, sacrificing liberty for promises of security. Hauum."

Orcus closed his eyes. "Hubris spills from you like a river from a shattered dam, Master Jedi. You presume to think highly of yourself, yet it took the entire council to subdue the Iron Tyrant. Hauum, but since you bring your escort of the defeated Emperor to the forefront... the Senator raises a point." Orcus' eyes snapped open and he pointed a flipper accusingly at Diana. "Kaine Zambrano never reached Coruscant and in response you place the blame at feet of others." Air snorted from Orcus' spout in disgust.

"We are not gods, Jedi. Any one of those soldiers you speak so lowly of is worth ten of you. They may arrest me, hauum. You may not."

@HK-36 @Yusan Fenn @Alachei Mnemenos @[member="Diana Moridena"] @Isley Verd @Daella Apparine @Askrut Fey'ra @Carn Dista @Sno Wyte

 

[Serah Oricion]

Yusan smiled as @[member="Hion the Herglic"] spoke and his words drifted out. This was slowly becoming one of the most interesting scenes in the past month and certainly interesting time but that is not always the case, his eyes did move towards Hion as he sent words without sound to the Herglic. 'You certainly know how to stir a crowd, though i must say it is entertaining, i do need to insist that you let someone take you in, i could do so if you so wish. After all, im not a jedi and every bit a soldier with how much fighting ive done, that and you can be sure in the intentions of the one taking you in.' While this was entertaining, he was afraid that this would not be civil for much longer so he hoped the telepathic words would be heard by Hion and that he would understand Yusan's want for doing so.

@[member="Diana Moridena"] @[member="Alachei Mnemenos"] @[member="Isley Verd"] @[member="Sno Wyte"]

 

[Cedric Dorn]

Diana blinked for a second, looking at the Whale with a listless stare that seemed to speak volumes. “You've been sadly misinformed Hion”

That was all she said on the subject of her defeat of Kaine. There was no point in arguing or trying to show her pride in defeating the Last Emperor almost entirely on her own. Oh it was surely there, that victory had formed Diana into what she was today, it had given her confidence, conviction, and a healthy dose of pride. It was what had made her into one of the most renown duelists in the galaxy. Perhaps the thoughts did border on Hubris, but they were true.

She could have pointed out that she had left Kaine to the Republic and it had been their decision to involve only a few Jedi in the transport. That the only real Jedi that had been aboard the ship transporting Kaine had been Sarianna, and A'donari, both only Knights. They as well as the dozens of Republic soldiers had simply been overwhelmed by an onslaught of Sith, Sith who were very much like Orcus.

Diana could have said this. She could have argued and chided and thrown a tantrum like a little girl, but she did not.

Instead she stepped to the side and waved her hand, allowing twelve Republic Commando's to step up and partially surround Hion in a half circle. Each of them raised their weapons and one held a very large pair of force shackles for Hions flippers and legs. Diana looked at Hion, then to the soldiers. “Then by all means, let them arrest you.”

That seemed to prompt the soldiers and one with a slash of red on his armor signifying he was a commander spoke up.

“By the authority of The Chancellor and the Republic I hereby place you under arrest....”

The man continued speaking for a few more seconds but Diana didn't listen. Instead her eyes watched Hion with a cold intensity. She remembered the last time he had been under arrest quite well. He had fled then, and quite honestly she expected him to do the same here. However, she would let the soldier take him into custody, she would follow the laws of the Republic...but she would watch, carefully.

 

[Zaiden Dean]

Hion was making a mistake...Sno knew it. But none the less, she to felt it better now for the giant to go with the soldiers. This was imbecilic to begin with, why someone whom could do good would turn themselves in was beyond her. But to each their own. The being wanted to see the inside of a cell, that was his decision. Now she had to do her best to make sure whatever happened, happened peacefully.

"Hion, right now you face overwhelming odds. Your best bet by far is to follow the soldiers." As she thought about the being possibly not going calmly, her blood began to heat. The pounding of her heart was in her ears, and she drew deeper breaths. The poison was working its magics again, trying to make her do wrongly. This time however, she didn't seek to remove the anger but rather harness it.

This could end badly, and if it did she would need her rage to power her greatest weapon; her electricity capabilities.

@[member="HK-36"] @[member="Yusan Fenn"] @[member="Alachei Mnemenos"] @[member="Diana Moridena"] @[member="Isley Verd"] @[member="Daella Apparine"] @[member="Askrut Fey'ra"] @[member="Carn Dista"] @[member="Hion the Herglic"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

The Sith glanced toward Sno and fixed her with a flat stare. "Hauum, who are you?" He asked pointedly. He did not care about the response, but about the question. The subtext of the question read 'why are you talking to me and how did you get here?' and the subtext did not require, nor intend to illicit an answer.

The Herglic stood up, eyes still fixed upon Diana. His eyes were full of an unreadable, foreign blackness more akin to the void of space than any humanoid eyes. Orcus continued to stare at Diana as he held out his flippers for the soldier to cuff him. The force shackles snicked into place, the mini-tractor beam linking the two together was powerful. Orcus did not believe he would not be able to pull his arms free, unless he wielded the strength of Dark Rage. He saw no need to do so here. The Jedi were being reasonable. For now.

Orcus nodded his squat head toward Diana as the commandos began to usher him toward the waiting dropship. Should any Jedi attempt to accompany him onboard the dropship, that would be another matter. He suspected promptly sitting down would illicit some attention. One could not ignore an eight hundred pound Herglic when they sat down and refused to move. Regardless, he doubted that the dropship had sufficient cargo space to fit both him, the twelve commandos, and Jedi.

No doubt they would be frustrated by the orbalisks covering his body, thinking them sort of weapon. However they could not simply remove them. The venom released upon their removal would kill the Herglic as surely as decapitation. The venom coursing through his veins now was already a millimeter of blubber away from sending him into an agony-induced rage. "Hauum. They wouldn't like me when I'm angry," he thought to himself.

As for the Soulsaber, frisking him - as the commandos promptly did - proved to turn up fruitless results.

@HK-36 @Yusan Fenn @Alachei Mnemenos @Diana Moridenahttp://starwarsrp.net/user/2157-diana-moridena/ @Isley Verd @Daella Apparine @Askrut Fey'ra @Carn Dista @Sno Wyte

 

[Nyxie]

Had the Jedi just let the Republic troops do the deed in the first place without second glance, things would have knowingly gone much smoother and unquestionably faster. Alachei was perplexed as to why they insisted to do things in their favor, as no one gained anything out of it but indeed lost a little time; time which could not be reimbursed into their lives. Was Alachei not part of the Republic? Was the Corps not now part of the Republic? No, the Jedi Order may have been the heart of the Republic, but it was still an entity to its own even through all the years. Perhaps its purging of eight centuries ago had still left them sore and apprehensive. For Jedi, at least in the one she had just encountered, she was hardly what Alachei would call the humble type. It was sad to see a Jedi hold a look of such dismay and hostility - that could not be the way of the Light. The Ankai had sampled the taste of sorcery, and practiced the arts of healing all alike, and yet still did not exibit the condescending behavior they did. She simply took it with a grain of salt, still confiding her faith in the others of the order whom she had yet to see. Needless to say, it was finally over - or so it had seemed - and things could progress as everyone planned.
"I will be in the red one, not far behind. May Oda-Luka'nn be with you...." said Alachei without so much as a glance at anyone as she proceeded to her own.
Everyone was heading in the same place, so hopefully everyone would play nice and remain cool. The last thing Alachei wanted to see was a potential ally once-more to the Republic and to peace be felled by hungering Jedi eager to silence the Dark. Perhaps one could not erase their crimes, but if proven worthy, they deserved the chance to atone for them in deed. Peace didn't come withut a cost... and few knew it better.
Perhaps her hopes were simply misplaced, and the senate had left her intuition dulled.

@[member="HK-36"] @[member="Yusan Fenn"] @...People​

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Finally, the Grandmaster made his way in. But instead of addressing the crowd that had gathered, or Diana, immediately, he made his way in and stood face to face with Hion.

He stared into the eyes of the whale, his expression cold and serious. It was easy for Hion to tell that this wasn't the naive and overly compassionate, freshly brushed Jedi Master that had stood there as Hion had turned on his own brethren oh so long ago. This was a different man.

Josh motioned for Diana to stop. "I want to talk to him" he said flatly. Arresting him and locking him up would eliminate the problem for now, yes... But that wouldn't solve anything.

He studied Hion's face for a moment, before speaking, calmly.

"So, this is what the Soulsaber has reduced you to then, Hion?" he asked, the fear of the unknown that had lingered way back when gone. "No" he corrected himself. "Not Hion The Herglic. That man disappeared when you touched that soulsaber. I was so foolish that day. So naive. I didn't know what that blasted blade would do to you. I thought the man I knew and worked with still lurked in there, just under a small spell. It's happened, after all, and history's shown it can be cured. And I doubt the Hion I know is entirely gone, but I thought you were stronger then that. I thought you could have fought, I didn't know that blade was that powerful"

"And for that... I'm sorry" he said, his tone somber for a moment. "I'm sorry I stood back, I'm sorry I didn't help Carn and get you locked up in custody. I'm sorry I didn't get you help, and instead I let you turn into this... This monster"

He let the term "Monster" stick to everyone for a moment, before speaking again.

"This isn't Hion The Herglic I'm looking at right now. This is Darth Orcus, a shell of what his vessel used to be. So misguided that he's resorted to pretty courtroom tricks to try and get a leg up on the Republic. It's Sith 101 after all... Mind games. Manipulation. Dirty little tricks. And if the Senate and Republic fall for this, then I don't know if I hold confidence in the government my Order fights for anymore. An Order which I have bled buckets for and drained sweat and tears to protect and let prosper, which I will continue to do until my dying breath"

He shook his head. "I don't want to talk to Darth Orcus. Darth Orcus is a coward, a manipulative shrew that resorts to petty legal tricks and that trademark sneering "Haaaaum" before he speaks that quite frankly irks me every single time you do it" he said, his words sharp like daggers, but at the same time calm and firm as he never let his eyes leave the Sith. "I want to talk to the man inside. Hion The Herglic. The man who was manipulated by a trinket to betray EVERYTHING he ever fought for. I can almost sense it, like the man I knew, the man I RESPECTED... Still lies in there, banging against his cage to get free from this darkness. I want to talk to the man who laid his life on the line for the Jedi, for the Republic, every single day of his life and kept a smile on his face because he loved it. The man who every Jedi in that Order couldn't help but admire and respect for his dedication, his loyalty, his determination. Because right now, I'm not looking at him" he said. He ignored the charges and the arrest for now, there would be time to address that after... Right now, he wanted to talk to the man himself. Diana's arrest could wait. Locking him up would do nothing if Hion could be freed.

He didn't care about the publicity this was getting, or the wishes of some to arrest the man... There was a Jedi in trouble, a Jedi in need. Inside of that blubbery husk of darkness was the man that Josh would do almost anything to save and bring back to his family.

@HK-36 @Yusan Fenn @Alachei Mnemenos @Diana Moridena @Isley Verd @Daella Apparine @Askrut Fey'ra @Carn Dista @Sno Wyte @[member="Hion the Herglic"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"Hauum," Orcus turned slowly. A smile split his features in half, too wide and too full of teeth to be pleasant. "You think that I never hauumed as Hion? I would lecture you on the finer points of Herglic biology and anatomy, but I believe my time would be better spent on the part of your speech where you revile the laws of the Republic as being... petty." He snorted through his blowhole for emphasis.

The Herglic suddenly stopped moving toward the gunship. Commandos surrounding him stopped as well, leveling their weapons at his immense, robed form. To think, that the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order was such a fool. Orcus had loved the Republic and the Jedi. But the moment the Jedi smelled a whiff of the Dark Side they became as sharks hunting for prey. Rather than trust the word of a Jedi Knight whose sterling reputation had equaled or exceeded all others, they chose to be blinded by their religious dogma. Rather than believe his word, they tried to arrest him. Then they tried to kill him. Yes, he had loved the Jedi Order once. He would have given his life for the Order. But day by day he had seen their morality slowly erode beneath constant warfare. Doubt seeped into his mind. Doubt he hoped would be proven wrong. His hopes were shattered the moment the Order betrayed him.

The betrayal hurt as surely as a wound in his heart. And oh, how it stung. The pain hurt worse than any orbalisk venom ever could. And now, Dragonsflame went in to poke and prod the wound with careless words. He had withheld the hurricane of darkness inside him from spinning out of control, but no longer.

"You wish to talk to Hion?" Orcus stepped away from the commandos, brushing past them like they were nothing and moving toward Dragonsflame. "Very well."

The Herglic inhaled deeply, drawing the Dark Ocean into him and feeding the hurricane of anguish. The facade crumbled, stripped away to reveal the indescribable pain he felt. The pain of anger. The pain of the orbalisk venom. And worst of all, the pain of betrayal. Mercy sucked out of Orcus' eyes faster than an open airlock. Nothing was left but twin voids of destruction. Beneath his parasitic armor and black robes, muscles rippled. He let the hurricane take over and gave in to the rage.

In an explosion of grace and might, Orcus tore the force shackles from his wrists with pathetic ease. The shackles fell with a solemn clank to the ground. But that sound, along with the sound of the Coruscant traffic, the chatter of the news organizations, and the hum of the gunship's repulsorlifts all faded as Orcus' dark rage took hold. He could only hear the beat of his heart as it pushed blood through his system. And that blood boiled.

"I am Hion," he pronounced, voice rippling with unadulterated anger, "and no matter what your threats there will be no trial, no arrest while any Jedi are in my sight or sense. Those who betrayed the very precepts of the Republic and the Order will not be suffered to dictate my fate."

@HK-36 @Yusan Fenn @Alachei Mnemenos @Diana Moridena @Isley Verd @Daella Apparine @Askrut Fey'ra @Carn Dista @Sno Wyte @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

The Chambers of Reconciliation
Coruscant Jedi Temple

Kiskla was watching from a live recording somewhere in the vicinity of the action.
Too many Jedi would be stepping on The Republic's toes, and appeal to the demands of the Herglic. She'd seen enough, and closed the blue transmission. From her seat in the council chambers of reconciliation, the mistress of The Force leaned back and a datapad rose to her beckon. Before her, played the account of Hion's leaving the temple, and a split screen of his records while associated with The Jedi. Apparently there was something in the writings about a Soulsaber.

Kiskla researched further. But in reality, she could read all she wanted, even reaching the intake of knowledge levels as Master @[member="Phylis Alince"] -- but in reality, she'd need some primary research done. That said, she reached out to the former Master of the whale who was now demonstrating his apparent authority. She was the same woman who had made it on some of The Republic's broadcast channels earlier that day when Hion had first made his entrance on Coruscant: Jedi Knight @[member="Kira Liadain"].

The request for her presence was sent.

 

[Carn Dista]

Occasionally some things made Carn question where he placed his vote. These occasions often came up when Dragonsflame had something vaguely emotional to say. However this time, he merely brushed it aside as a light difference in their takes on the Jedi way of life. They also differed in their views towards Hion. While Josh may have seen the Herglic as a fallen brother worthy of redemption, Carn believed him to be beyond such things. True redemption looked like beings such as Marek - Not this foul abomination of the Force. Still. While he didn't believe Hion capable, he would still attempt to remove bias and emotion from any decisions he might have to make. After all, Jedi were the guardians of civilization, not judge, jury, and executioner as so many would have happily believed. Occasionally executioner, and often judge or jury, but never all three. Not unless it was forced upon them. However all of these thoughts were disrupted by one simple act:

Hion had resisted arrest.

At the point Hion ripped his shackles off, Carn simply pulled his lightsaber off his belt and ignited it. Breaking cuffs and shunting republicans aside was a blatant effort to resist arrest, and the venerable Jedi (and his beard) would be having absolutely none of it. Choosing a dishonorable, yet somewhat effective tactic, Carn stepped forth. The deep green of his blade illuminated his body, and the calm-yet-deadly hum of his saber resonated through the room while he struck towards the back of Hion's Flippers? Leg-Udders? the Herglic's knees. His intention was simple, direct, and to the point: Shut the threat down before it hurt someone by way of immobilization. He had used form Zero. He hadn't objected to the arrest made by Republic officials. He had even remained quiet through the grandmaster's speech about the true nature of the twisted herglic that stood before them all. Yet now Hion had exhausted all routes other than that of regrettable violence. If Carn bothered to listen to the voice in the back of his head, he would have thought of the Republic Constitution, and the specific article about levying war on traitors, however he was much more focused on the precise strike at Hion.

@[member="Hion the Herglic"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

@everyone else.