"What do we do if we run into those Jedi? I take it that killing them is out of the question." Vizan got a definite look."Alright how about just knocking them around a bit. No real damage." Jorg snorted."Be lucky if we don't get our asses kicked. Remember they actually have training, and there's at least two of them if not more." Vizan growled."So we just let them take her." Then he thought it over and smiled."Of course if they should upset her, there will be two less Jedi to worry about." Jorg rolled his eyes. "Not funny Vizan. We may not like them, but at the moment we need them. With our dear cousin, King Vizla already bartering away our kingdom for support.There's no way we can hold him off without their help." Vizan went silent. It was the same arguement he'd had with his own father. So why was he poking his brother? Red. With her beside him.There would be no reason to deal politely with these weak willed hypocrites. Vizan breathed in a shallow breath, and looked at his brother. A man who was far from weak or a hypocrite. He shook his head hard.
"I'm sorry about earlier. I wasn't thinking." Jorg smirked. "Didn't know there was a difference?" Vizan took a playful swipe at his shoulder.
"I'm serious. Red's not a weapon. If we do get to her first. We hand her over to either the search party or the temple. Taking her home is not an option." Jorg smiled. He'd never felt so connected
to his twin as he did right then. He procceeded to press the speeder's spedometer til it buried itself. Racing like a mad man for the small outpost market.
The Siti tracker sniffed, trying not to salavate. As the two masters inquired about the 8 birds. The fox wouldn't lead her on a man made trail.
If small enough, it would lead her into the animal tunnels that dotted the surface.
Morgan followed the fox behind the refuse piles as the critter had gotten the scent of the tracker. Fie growled. Damn dog headed freaks still liked to chase their little cousin's fluffy tails. Fie nearly yipped, but suddenly sat. She needed to calm down before her actions drew them in. As they finally made their way from the garbage heap,
Morgan greatfully let go of her nose.
A tug hit Jorg as they passed over a solo traveler and it's four legged companion. It fadded as they landed only a few yards away from the Jedi.The Siti warrior barred his teeth at the Mandalorian's, before slinking off to follow the scent.
Steai turned towards them as they came from behind the masters.He nudged Manni, who was still nagging the old nag. "Wh....Oh." Manni eyed Jorg and Vizan. "Never would have believed it. If I hadn't seen it. Your father must have been livid, when you came along." Manni exclaimed to Jorg with a bit of good natured laughter. Jorg brought the boy to heel with a flicker of his wrist. In a whisper, more deadly then a snarl he said.
"You have no idea Jedi." Then he let the surprised child go. Smiling. "I see that with all your powers. Two lone women have alluded such well trained children." While Manni ignored the comment and smoothed out his robes. He didn't see his curious partner take a poke. Steai's eye's widened in awe of such abilities.
"How? I've never ran into you. Or even a mention of your name on any of the lists at any our academies." Vizan snorted, folding his arms.
"My brother is self taught." Steai blinked like an idiot."Taught himself? Did you find some hidden archieve on Mandalore? Did you sneak into one of the older and lesser visited temples? Was your mother...." Jorg took hold of Steai by the throat. Steai struggled to swallow. Manni coughed. "Please forgive my companion's inquisitive nature. It is his greatest weakness." Jorg slowly let the man touch the ground.
Morgan patted the foxes head after the speeder had passed overhead."Good girl. I wish I could change you back, but this is all new to me. And right now we need a sly fox to keep the man off our backs." Morgan looked back, seeing the vapor trials lead back to the outpost.
"Guess they finally got our scent. Can you find us a quicker way back into the city? "
Fie sniffed the air and then started off. Morgan made a face, as the fox took her to a sewer cover."Well I didn't say cleaner. Just quicker. " Morgan resettled both packs onto her shoulders before starting down. "Damn. How are w...." Fie jumped onto the packs. Pulling Morgan off balance and down into the unpleasant water way.
"Oh why now? At least in fur it wouldn't have felt so gross." Fie cried out as she rose up out of the muck. Morgan having been unceremoniously rolled face first down into the water, stood up spitting and sputtering wipping her face off. Before hanging up the packs on the ladder, and digging out a shirt and a still somewhat decent set of clothes. "Here dry yourself with my shirt and get dressed. Thank-god the woman had boots in our sizes." Fie greatfully got into the clothes. As they started out, Fie took one of the packs. "My name's Fie by the way." She held out her hand. Morgan took it."My name's Morgan. Sorry about all this, but I wasn't expecting to show up here at all." Fie laught.
"Where were you expecting to find yourself?" Morgan chuckled, it all was too fantastic to believe. She still was having trouble wrapping her own mind around it all. "Definitely not here.
This is Coruscant. I am right about that, aren't I?" Fie eyeballed her. "Yes." Morgan shook her head. "Amazing, just amazing.What's the year? 22BBY?" Fie laught. "Don't tell me you don't know what year this is." Morgan stopped. Fie looked back at her as she traveled up ahead."I'm serious what year is this?" A roar up ahead of them, stopped Fie from answering.Grabbing Morgan's arm she dragged her up ahead into a side tunnel. Pushing her stubborn companion into a run.
The Siti tracker growled, a sewer wyrm. An unevolved relative of the hutts, but with a taste for any warm flesh. He drew his blaster and headed down the same tunnel that the fox had taken the girl. Soaked and weary they finally stopped. Morgan breathing heavily looked up into the shaft of light that squeezed itself down through the holes.
"You think if I gave you a boost. You could pop the hatch." Fie eyed this stranger. "Yes." Already planning on abandoning this crazed being. When a wet dog smell hit her nose. "He's here." Tracker slowed his progress keeping his ears tuned to the wyrm's. While his nose kept both of the girl's scents close.
"Come on out you dog headed prick. I can smell you even from here." Dirty and tired the two women stood in the middle of a sewer crossroads.The shafts of light, revealing the stark contrast between them. "What are your names?" Tracker asked as something tugged at his memory. "Who sent you?" Fie answered.
"Hey we don't have time to play 20 questions. I don't think that roar was actually all that friendly. Unless you think becoming dinner is." Morgan gruffed out. Holding out her hand she answered his question."Name's Morgan, this is Fie. Now give, who sent you?"
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"Where's the kriffing tracker?"Steai swore taking a look around. "Lost your tracker?" The Crown Prince smirked. Jorg folded his arms and frowned at his brother. They were here to help not make things worse."We've come to help find and bring her to the temple." Manni eyed him suspiciously."Why would you do that? There's nothing in it for you." Vizan snarled at the all too common sterotypical comment."We may not be the great civilized people that you are, but we do have some morals. She's too innocent to be thrown into our problelms. " Steai looked into the crown prince's eyes. He may not be as great a force user as Manni, but he was a living lie detector. He shook his head."They're telling the truth. She's changed again, this time into a fox." Jorg swore loudly. Which got even Vizan's attention. "We passed them about six miles back."
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Slug's men took out the furthest of the guard's first. The bodies redressed and dumped over the side, they made their way up into the temple. Spreading themselves out they then used gernades to distract from the main target.
The window's shattered in Master Kala's and Zori's rooms. Zori kicked the intruder, swinging him back out of the window. Where the hell was Helm when she needed him. Off sleeping?
The man swung back towards the opening, just as she launched herself at him again. Catching onto his harness, she found his knife and barrowed it to test his resolve."Have mercy lady. I'm only getting paid for this." Zori hmpfed, as if that made it any better."Who are you working for?" The man was starting to sweat.
"He'll kill me." She pressed the flat of the knife to his groin."What do you think will happen if I start slicing." She stated. "Alright. Slug Hutt, hired us to...." His hands suddenly went from his groin to his throat. As his accomplises had slung a hangman's noose around his throat. While cutting away the harness.Though she hated to, Zori swung the strangling man's body close enough for her to jump. Catching the barest edge she took a look back. The speeder now made off with its leaking corpse. "Helm wake up! I need you." Zori cried out as she felt herself lose the tenious grip. Master Kala reached down and grabbed Zori's arm from the weak ledge she clung to. Clasping her to him as tears rolled down her face. Where had he gone to when she'd needed him? Zori now felt more alone then she'd ever felt before.
"Where am I? NO! I have my vessel, she's not ready to be without me. She needs me." One of the Hall of Shadow's many doors opened. Morgan came out smiling." Morgan?Sister. Why have I been taken from my vessel?" He hurried to her. Morgan sighed. This would not be as well recieved as she'd hoped. Clasping him by the shoulder she continued to smile while herding him towards the door specified by the Almighty.
"Helm. My dear brother. My truest friend." He stopped. Nothing good ever started out with that phrase."What have you done now?" Morgan frowned.
"I've done diddly squat in that department. Now just listen. God has decided to give you a second chance at life. Wait!" She held up her hand to his telling face."Your craft will remain with her, she'll be just fine." Helm shook his head."But if I'm re-born it'll be years before I meet her again. I don't want to wait." Morgan looked deep into his eyes.
"Your in love with her.Wow. I didn't think she'd fit your type." Anger lite up his irises."What my type is, is none of your business." Morgan laught as they now stood at the door. "I remember that conversation. You didn't like my Chosen all that much. Had your own designs on me.Sorry, but here we are." Helm looked at the dark door.
"Where am I going?" Morgan shook her head.
"Even if I knew. I'm not allowed to tell you." With a nodd, the big dork went through it. She closed it swiftly. Before he found out where he was going. Terra laid a hand across her abdamen, feeling the new life begin. She sighed in contentment.The boy would be as beautiful as his father and as clever as his mother.
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"You feel that Steai. I think we may have found our runners." Steai frowned.They weren't the only ones that had found them.The sewer wyrms were closing in on them from all sides. Jorg felt the tug again, she was down there.
Vizan inquired. "Do we let her take care of them or do we help?" The question made the master's pause. Jorg growled and took out his blaster and popped four holes in front of the wyrms. Screams of pure putried terror errupted from the wyrms as the sun's rays boiled their skin. Manni uncovered the manhole."Ladies did you have a nice run? Tracker?" Steai was unoffically elected to go down into the sewer to keep the wyrms at bay. As the master eased down into the muck, Tracker grabbed him by the arm."I must get them to my village. We will come after they are more adequately prepared." Steai looked over the small group. "I agree, I doubt the temple would allow them in in this shape. We will send the princes to make the report while we wait for you." Fie narrowed her eyes at the force user.
"You boy's coming? Or would you rather be the wyrm's first course?" Morgan said as she followed Fie up the rope. Tracker followed as the Jedi collapsed the four tunnels, hopefully trapping
the disgusting bugs for awhile. Before he sprang up through the hole.
Jorg saw the exhausted but happy face of Red.
Vizan grabbed his brother's arm as the man made to go to the stranger.
"Oh Lord's of the Sith. Don't get too close Jorg, or we'll both need a bath ourselves." Jorg blinked and then saw the deep blush of the girl as she made eye contact. Steai came forward. Having ditched his drenched boots, robe and had cut away most of his leggings. Vizan smiled.
"Webbed feet? Not all human are you." Steai frowned but brushed it off."If you would do us a favor? Report back to the temple.We're going to try finding a watering hole big enough to dunk these 3 in before returning." Vizan nodded.
"That would be for the best. This way they will have a place prepared for them when they arrive. It looks like they could use the rest." Steai smiled broadly."I think we all deserve a rest, after all we've been through. Stay as our guests at the temple, its the least we can do." Steai held out his hand. Jorg for a moment hesitated, then gripped the man's hand. Vizan did the same.
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"You know him your ladyship?" Tracker inquired in a respectable whisper. Morgan shook her head."Ladyship? No. Just Morgan please." Tracker bowed to her request."But you know this Prince Jorg." Morgan paled at the title.
"They took care of me on the ship.When I first arrived. If you can call nearly landing on them arriving." Tracker frowned at this new information.
Pathbourne's were not supposed to land willy nilley just any where. Something must have gone tragicly wrong."Did they touch you or exchange blood with you?" Fie made a face at the Siti tracker. "What kind of question is that? Don't you think if they had, that they'd even be alive. Trust me they didn't." Morgan put her hands to her face at being talked about in such a manner.
Tracker still persisted.
"Morgan? Did you exchange blood?" He said most urgently. She thought back. "No."
Unknown to her, Jorg had taken in her blood.
From a split lip on her arrival.
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Master Kala and Zori found themselves under watch in the inner workings of the temple. Zori now seemed like a lost child without her mentor.
"Come child let us begin your training. Though I can not sense a force ability within you. It is important that you are well prepared for your duties." Zori rolled her shoulders, wiped her eyes and nodded. Time to start a new life, hurt or not. After a rudimentary run of styles, he showed her styles he hoped would be new for her.
Though new. Her eye's quickly picked out the weak points in each and they began to talk and experiment on how to deal with them.
Tracker had the Jedi wait up on the road not far from where they had been rescued.
"We do not trust any force user. Not even those who proffess to be of the light." Morgan followed through the harsh brush and said.
"Yes.They seem to have plenty of trouble with that very problem, themselves." Fie hmphed.
"All light has darkness and all darkness some light. One can not exist without the other. The balance must be kept." She said as they disappeared behind a wall of brambles.
"What about the wyrms?" Morgan asked. Tracker pointed up at the ceiling."They can not burrow into what we live in." The tunnel was made from pure granite. Hard unmovable granite. "How?" The warrior shook his head. "Your ancestor did, the how will take time to explain."
Morgan stopped."That's impossible.This isn't Earth. So I can't have ancestors that did this." Tracker remained silent as they came out onto a balcony, that stuck out over a large cavern. The old warrior howled and the people came forward. Morgan's ears popped again at the newest language."My people our long wait is over. The Pathbourne has returned." At this a deafening cheer went up from the crowd. Morgan blanched."What is a Pathbourne? And what's so important that you've been waiting for?" Tracker turned. His old eyes to the young woman. She had truely no idea who she was. Fie stepped in. "I may not know what a Pathbourne is, but if you couldn't pull big and scally off back home. I'd say that qualifies as something special." The Siti chief nodded. "Lil' fox is right, but for you not to have arrived at the Chamber of the Pathbourne. It must mean all is not well within the family." As they traveled throught the Siti people many parted and bowed. Fie liked to think they did so out of respect, but it was more likely they hoped to escape the stench.
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"Think they'll have any trouble?" Steai nudged Manni. "None, they couldn't handle." Manni said confidently. "I mean the princes, not those 3."
Manni laught."I meant the princes. Nothing with a good nose would touch those 3." Steai frowned.
"Did you believe Prince Vizan when he said that his brother taught himself to use the Force?" Manni shook his head."That's bull shit. No one as powerful as him gets that good without training." Steai paced in front of Manni.
"I heard only rumors that a prince of mandalore had been sent to the Watch.You don't think they're training users do you?"
Manni checked his fear."No. For starters, they hate us. Second the only ones they'd willingly get to train them would be Sith. And that one didn't seem the type." Steai shook his head."Neither did Master Stefan." Manni frowned and bent his head."Maybe not to you, but he always seemed a little to mad about his lot in life.Too grasping."
Manni eye's came across his companions webbed feet. Smiling he inquired."So how's your sister, by the way?"
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Master Kala stopped their friendly chat,with a raised hand. There was trouble up above.
"Guards! Guards! What is the matter?" Two guards rushed into the sanctuary. "There are two Mandalore's wanting admittance to the temple." Kala nodded. "Whom did they say they were?" The one guard snorted. "The Crown Prince Vizan and bodyguard." Zori stood up from her meditation position."Do they appear to be twins?" The guard radioed up to his outside counter-parts. He nodded. "Then they are, who they said they were." The guard that had snorted paled.
Jorg calmly handled the onslaught until they took aim at his brother, who was still trying diplomaticly to gain entrance. Dropping his defenses, he stepped in line with a blaster's stunn bullet. Vizan turned just in time to catch his brother as he fell.
Morgan gasped in pain. Her knees buckling,
only by sheer luck did the attending maid catch her from ramming her head onto the shower faucet. Tracker felt her pulse, it was there but so weak. NO!No. She couldn't die. Not now when they needed her the most. He left her to the healer as he stomped off in a hurry to the comquarters. "What have you done? The prince's were sent to bring word. Now I sense you have stepped us all firmly into trouble."
The young master swallowed hard and tried to put on a arrogant face, but only succeeded in looking ill."We were attacked earlier. We thought they may have had something to do with it." Tracker nodded. "How badly were they hurt?" The young man couldn't look up for a moment.
"The bodyguard was hit a number of times, its hard to say if he'll recover." Tracker growled.
"You must make it your first and only priority to see that he does. He must not die."
Morgan was cleaned, dressed and carried to the waiting jedi. "She doesn't look so well. What's wrong with her?" Steai said as the red haired stranger was gently placed into the back of the speeder looking more dead then alive.
Fie shoved Steai over as she took the driver's seat."I'll drive.You two see if you can't stop her from going over the edge." Steai looked to his friend who was already busy at work.Sliding into the backseat as the Siti took over his seat. Manni shook his head, with the way she was barely breathing it would be a miracle if she made it to the temple.
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A long hallway with many doors slowly appeared to Morgan. The bodyguard double was already there trying not to lose his stomach. She was only doing marginaly better. As Morgan made it to his side, he lost it. Morgan turned but couldn't block out the retching sound. Collapsing beside him, she joined in. Luckily what came out seemed to disappear. For she never heard the mess hit the near floor. Opening her eyes, she saw gaping holes beneath both their heads. Surprising her enough to stop her stomach's reflexes and cling to the man next to her. Jorg had never felt so worthlessly helpless as he upended whatever he had last eaten. Which thankfully hadn't been much, when he felt a tug on his heart. The unfortunate stranger knelt beside him in the same situation. He made to wipe his mouth but found that it was clean. Red on the other hand was squeezing the life out of him and looking down. He hadn't noticed before the absence of what should have been on the floor. As holes had opened up right where they had been needed. Which brought little comfort. Perhaps those that had brought them did not want their hall needing a cleaning. He slid in a calming breath,yet they were still alive. That in itself said much. As gently as he could, he eased her arms away. "My lady if they would have wanted us dead. We would be." Laughter filled the hall and the stranger clasped him tighter. Her one hand trailed down his body. How long had it been?
"Don't show fear, my lady." He said horsely.
"Don't show it? I'm fricking wearing it on my sleeve. I've made so many wrong turns, so many bad judgements. People lost their lives because of them. Don't tell me to not show fear. I know where I'm headed and I have every right to be scared shitless." Jorg looked down at her wide eyes, she couldn't have been more then 18 or 19. Not old enough to have made those kinds of decisions."Who are you to have done so?" Her trailing hand found its goal, Jorg's side blaster. She rose and shot out at the laughter that rang off the walls. Babbling as she tried to hit the damned mark.
"I am the last descendent of Cyprus Walk. First leader of the Republic Rebellion against D.C. and its hordes of loyalists. I was the Supreme Commander of the last remaining navy submarine corps.God have mercy on those I left behind." She quivered as the ammo ran out, her eyes automaticly searching for another weapon. Jorg handed her another cartridge as he got to his feet. Where she found herself suddenly breathing in his strong scent as he held her close.
He smelled so good, his arms so strong. It felt safe and comforting. Something that the war hadn't allowed for. She raised her head up from his chest and kissed him. Jorg had felt the need to hold her as her words had spilled out into the open. Where did she hail from that such youths were made into Supreme Commanders? What parent would allow such things? Had there been no one else? Such questions filled him as he held her. His mouth opened only to be invaded by her own.
"Excuse me dears, but you should really take this somewhere else." The previous Pathbourne poked. Yet the two ignored her, as they were seemingly too engrossed in each other to even listen. "Well this is good, but this is no place for that. Well not until your dead at least." The woman smirked as she popped through a door bringing back a broad sword. Far too big for most mortals.
Pain radiated from where the flat of the sword had come into contact with. Breaking them apart.
"Finally I have your attention. Now hurry through this door before your bodies die. Come on you've wasted already too much time, you'll be lucky if they haven't pulled the plug already." Jorg pulled Red through by her hand. " What's your name my lady?" He smiled as light poured over them.
Morgan blushed. "I'm not a lady. I'm just Morgan."
Jorg laught as the light became too bright.
Vizan sat tired and weary beside his brother's barely breathing body. When it suddenly inhaled a large breath. Too large for the tube to handle.
"By the glories of our fore fathers. Nurse come quickly!" Tears he'd been holding in grief now spilled out in happiness as his brother came back to him.
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