| abstract
| - 12/28/2007 06:33 PM Logfile from Dark Horizons. Sullust: Avuusid Falls - Turbine Array The plunging water of Avuusid Falls hides the turbine array. Four thousand feet of large hydroelectric turbines churn side by side in the array. Several walkways and gangplanks link their banks, providing access to them behind the rush; a scaffold running the entire height of the array. Three service elevators built into the north face of the wall lead down to the access platform. Players: Petrus Orin Obvious exits: [Down] towards Under the Falls. The waters fall in a cascading sheet, the mist soaking everything behind them. The turbines churn and chug, powering a large section of Sullust; their metal walkways are slick and dangerous with water. A shape stands quietly at the very top of the scaffolding, the wet mist soaking the silver mask over his face, dampening his black robes. At length, there is the deep whirring of engines in use, and a dim glow of light rising up towards the turbines heralds the arrival of one of the service elevators. Eventually it arrives at the platform, and the doors slowly slide open. But, oddly, no-one steps out. The shape stirs; the robes swirl wetly about its boots, water dripping to the ground. Beyond this, there is little reaction - darkly robed arms cross expectantly, and slowly a boot begins to tap against the metal floor, booming. "You've been a busy man, Petrus," declares a voice from within the service elevator; amid the booms of the footfalls. "Very busy indeed. Did you enjoy yourself?" "Very much so," comes the quiet reply, words difficult to hear through the roar of the falls, the mist. "These have been ... interesting times." A hand lifts, beckoning. "Come. Your presence is familiar to me." "It should be." The sentence hangs in the air, growing damper by the second, until the boom of more footfalls echoes on the rampart. A tall figure emerges from the elevator then, armored and visored as he steps into view. A long force-pike rests in his hands, which he taps against the ground. The end sizzles as the power cells charge. "Any clues yet?" From a clenched fist emerges the steel hilt of a lightsaber; its red blade emits with a crackling hiss, the wet mists steaming off it. "Perhaps," he says simply, taking a step forward. COMBAT: Petrus ignites his red lightsaber. "Well, I'll give you another hint in a minute, if you need it..." replies the other man, and he steps cat-like to the side, keeping his distance as yet from Petrus. The end of the force pike flares; a bolt of energy sent searing through the mists at the Sith. COMBAT: You fire your Kh'rusha Exotic Forcepike at Petrus! COMBAT: Petrus dodges Orin's force beam. The robed man moves lithely to the side, the force beam flashing past him as it burns a hole through one of his sleeves. He does not pause, still advancing with his lightsaber, drops of water disappearing into steam against the blade, his boots thumping against the metal. "What is your purpose here..." a pause, and then: "Orin?" "Congratulations," comes the reply in little more than a snarl. Orin twirls the pike in his hands once, perhaps for effect, perhaps with some training in mind -- the mists make it hard to see anything. But the flat shudder of the airborne droplets is hard to miss as the pike fires again. COMBAT: You fire your Kh'rusha Exotic Forcepike at Petrus! COMBAT: Petrus dodges Orin's force beam. This time, the shape ducks, teetering for a moment on the edge of the walkway as the shock beam flies over his hood; still he advances, boots thumping against metal, blade humming. "Still you have not answered my question. I sense ... you have brought more than a worthless pike to face me. I should hope so, or this will be -far- too easy." Orin shrugs, and standing straight, he lets his pike clatter to the scaffold floor; sending metallic echoes ringing against the rockface. "I thought I'd give you a chance to stretch your limbs. After all, there is no satisfaction in hewing your head from your shoulders if you were still warming up..." From his belt he plucks a silver cylinder, and with a flourish he flicks a switch. His visor sparkles with a ruby glow as a second blade of light to match Petrus' own flares into life. The sizzle of the mist joins with that of the other lightsaber's; a warning, threatening chorus. COMBAT: You put away your Kh'rusha Exotic Forcepike. You drop your Kh'rusha Exotic Forcepike. COMBAT: You ignite your red lightsaber. Petrus stops, amused, his blade held menacingly in his grasp. "Excellent. Perhaps this will be more amusing than I expected." Then, his boots resume their thumping across the scaffolding as he nears Orin. "Once I have cut every limb from your body, you will have to tell me where you found it. I do so like the color red..." A helpless shrug of his shoulders. Then suddenly, he steps forward, lunging out with his blade. COMBAT: Petrus swings his red lightsaber at Vaal Hirah! FORCE: You move with enhanced speed. COMBAT: Orin parries Petrus's red lightsaber with his red lightsaber. There is a vicious buzzing as their blades collide, for Orin has fallen into a battlestance and manages to drag his saber up in time to bat away the other's strike. The former Padawan curls a scornful lip and shakes his visored head as he then lashes down with an attack of his own an instant afterward. COMBAT: You swing your red lightsaber at Petrus! COMBAT: Orin's red lightsaber meets Petrus's red lightsaber with a crackling hiss. The fighters struggle for the upper hand ... COMBAT: Petrus's red lightsaber is struck from his hand and deactivated. The blow is caught by the Petrus's red blade, a grunt as the force drives the masked man back. A snarl emits from his mouth, as he struggles to gain the upper hand, but his blade is knocked from his hand and whirls across the scaffolding, teetering on the edge. He hurls after it, grabbing the hilt - but as he does so, he slips off the edge, his free gloved hand reaching back up to grab onto the edge of the walkway, holding himself there. Petrus picks up a Petrus's Lightsaber. With a growl of satisfaction Orin stalks closer; slow, purposeful footfalls carrying him closer to the former Supreme Admiral. The sizzle of his saber rises as he lashes it through the mists and a cold voice escapeshis lips as he goes. "Which limb would you like to lose first, Petrus? It's the least I can do to offer you the choice... a choice you did not give to me." He comes to stand above the Sith, gazing down at his foe. The muscles tighten in Petrus's grasping arm, as the other fist - hilt clenched into it - presses down on the walkway. His legs curl, boots scrabbling against the side, and then with a sudden snarl he pushes off and pulls up, his body for a moment in the air, hanging. He lands heavily on his stomach, several feet away from Orin on the walkway; instantly Petrus leaps to his feet, the red blade igniting once more. "So you're hear for revenge?" He says breathlessly. "How petty." COMBAT: Petrus ignites his red lightsaber. Orin turns slowly, deliberately to face Petrus anew, though he does not raise his lightsaber as yet. Instead he stalks closer and growls a reply: "Not just for myself, scum. For the hundreds you've killed, and for the pain you caused. And finally, as I cleave away your vile head, I shall do it for Aure." Suddenly his free hand raises; a tightly clenched claw that points to his adversary. COMBAT: You reach out with the Force to choke Petrus! FORCE: Petrus calls upon the Force. COMBAT: Petrus does not choke. For a moment, the air tightens around Petrus's throat; but he focuses, his fists clenching, a harsh breath drawn, and then Orin's attempt is flung away, and the masked man breathes out. "Aure? You think she will stand with you now, now that you have set down your path?" A harsh laugh as he advances again, swinging his blade at Orin's legs. "You must be forever dead to her now, Orin. Hopeless and helpless. What will you fight for then?" COMBAT: Petrus swings his red lightsaber at Orin's legs! COMBAT: Orin parries Petrus's red lightsaber with his red lightsaber. But Orin roars in reply and lashes down with his saber to bat away the strike. There is the violent crackle of the blades meeting once again and he wastes little time in flicking his wrist with a practised flourish. Up slices his weapon aiming for the masked face of Petrus Sabbatius. COMBAT: You swing your red lightsaber at Petrus's head! COMBAT: Petrus dodges Orin's red lightsaber. Petrus whirls under and away from the blow, but the red lightsaber strikes the mask, cleaving across it - an eyehole melts into the nose, the face becomes distorted. Snarling, a black fist reaches into his hood, pulls the mask away and flings it off the scaffolding. He steps forward, a heavy swing directed at Orin's chest. COMBAT: Petrus swings his red lightsaber at Orin! COMBAT: Orin parries Petrus's red lightsaber with his red lightsaber. The former Jedi is wily, and fuelled it seems with fury from Petrus' comments, and as the blow comes in he pivots away to the left; dragging his blade behind him to deflect his adversary's own. Quick as a flash he completes his spin and the arc of his saber completes itself with vigour to slash at Petrus' fighting wrist. COMBAT: You swing your red lightsaber at Petrus's arms! COMBAT: Orin's red lightsaber meets Petrus's red lightsaber with a crackling hiss. The fighters struggle for the upper hand ... COMBAT: Orin's red lightsaber is struck from his hand and deactivated. The ex-Padawan is too quick, too eager; Petrus's red blade flicks up, catching Orin's near the hilt and wrenching it downwards, ripping it free. Immediately he pursues, swinging downwards at his legs to rip them out from under him. Petrus's face is a mask of calm, but rage burns in his eyes - their natural brown again, the green of Mikado removed. COMBAT: Petrus swings his red lightsaber at Orin's legs! COMBAT: By sheer luck, Orin evades Petrus's red lightsaber. And that may well have been the end of Orin Lama-Shur, were it not for the training he has recieved of late; the reflexes honed by trials in jungle and desert. Leaping up with the Force aidng his efforts he evades the slash, sailing through the air a good dozen feet away to land by his lightsaber. Scooping it up in hi left hand he holds out his right hand curiously in a fist pointed at Petrus. There is a whirr, a click and the splitsecond emergence of a small spout from his knuckles. "Burn!" he seethes as a jet of searing flame erupts from the spout at the former Admiral. You pick up a Orin's Lightsaber. COMBAT: You wield your Hidden Cybernetic Flamethrower. COMBAT: You fire your Hidden Cybernetic Flamethrower at Petrus! COMBAT: Petrus dodges Orin's jet of flame. There is no time for surprise or shock; the flames roar out suddenly, and Petrus's instincts take over -- his own training, hours and hours and days. He ducks, rolling along the ground, the lowermost flames licking at his damp robes, steam hissing off them. Then he is on his feet again and flicks his lightsaber out of his hand, the blade humming in a dangerous arc... COMBAT: Petrus throws his lightsaber at Orin! COMBAT: Orin raises his hand. Petrus's flying red lightsaber lands in Orin's hand. But as the blade comes hurtling in, Orin's brow wrinkles behind his visor and his teeth clench with effort. The hilt of Petrus' lightsaber twists in the air and lands neatly into the former Padawan's palm. Orin rises slowly then, a deactivated weaponhilt in each hand, and a sneer curls upon his lips. "You've not been practising, Petrus. Let's see how your luck holds with athletics!" Once again a jet of fire comes roaring out from his cybernetic flamethrower as he advances upon his foe. COMBAT: You fire your Hidden Cybernetic Flamethrower at Petrus! COMBAT: Petrus dodges Orin's jet of flame. Petrus rolls out of the way of jet of flame, his gloved left hand shooting out, clenched into a fist. "Luck?" A smirk crosses his face - simple arrogance. FORCE: Petrus calls upon the Force. COMBAT: Petrus tries to rip Petrus's Lightsaber out of his hands! COMBAT: Orin's Petrus's Lightsaber rips free of his hand and flies into Petrus's. His arrogance is not without cause, for the Force coils around his saber and wrenches it free of Orin's grasp. With a growl the former Padawan ignites his own blade and moves forwards; the flamethrower whirring and clicking back into hiding. "You'll need it!" he cries as he breaks into a charge, and seeks to slice away Petrus' hand before he can wield his weapon. COMBAT: You ignite your red lightsaber. COMBAT: You swing your red lightsaber at Petrus! COMBAT: Petrus dodges Orin's red lightsaber. The red blade flashes towards Petrus almost as soon as his own lightsaber flies into his hand; he reels backwards, evading the blade, igniting his own and tossing it from his left to his right. He roars, swinging in a chopping motion at Orin's legs. COMBAT: Petrus ignites his red lightsaber. COMBAT: Petrus swings his red lightsaber at Orin's legs! COMBAT: Orin parries Petrus's red lightsaber with his red lightsaber. But once again Orin is on his guard and as he charges past Petrus he leaps into the air. Down comes his blade as he twists in the air and batters away the strike with yet another crackle of exploding oxygen. Landing on his feet the man now known as Vaal-Hirah rips away his visor to reveal angry, hateful eyes of sharp emerald, and these glare at his adversary. "Know now that all you have worked for will come to ruin, traitor. You have fallen from the Path, now pay the price!" he roars, before slashing out his saber in a deft one-two motion that may well pass Petrus' guard if he is not careful. COMBAT: You take off your Merr Sonn Visored Blast Helm. COMBAT: You swing your red lightsaber at Petrus! COMBAT: Petrus parries Orin's red lightsaber with his red lightsaber. The man's lips curl into a snarl, baring his white teeth. He is not fooled by Orin, the red blade flashing down to connect with the ex-Padawan's true strike; mist flickers and flashes off the two blades, dissolving into steam. Petrus pushes himself away, spinning, a foot slipping for a moment on the slick surface of the walkway; then he regains his balance. "It is you who have become deranged. I am the true apprentice - you are but a misguided fool." A sudden smile flashes across his lips. "The one with truth on his side always ..." but that sentence will not be completed, as he steps forward again, the blade hissing through the air. COMBAT: Petrus swings his red lightsaber at Orin's legs! FORCE: You move with enhanced speed. COMBAT: Orin parries Petrus's red lightsaber with his red lightsaber. Obi-Wan Kenobi slips out of hiding. From the shadow of a turbine, only sadness can be seen, as well as shock on Obi-Wan's features as the sight of his ex-padawan reaches his hazel eyes. He stands frozen for a long moment, a sharp exhale heard from his mouth as the two clash. The Jedi Knight is clearly conflicted, and he stands for several more moments, silent. Finally he finds strength apparently, for he comes from his perch, and a cyndrical tube leaps into his hands. "Stop, Orin!" he cries, and to the other masked figure, he murmurs. "Petrus Sabbatius, I can only presume. You are under arrest. Surrender." Once again Orin is on his guard, and once again there is the sizzle of their weapons meeting 'neath the roar of the waterfall. The emerald gaze of the once-Jedi bores into the brown of Petrus' own, as Obi-Wan's inner conflict ensues, and it is as he raises his saber to strike again that the cry comes out. Orin blinks and freezes, his attention diverted for a moment, and after a brief hesitation he backpedals a half dozen paces or so. "Obi-Wan..." he says in reply, though whether his tone implies joy or anger is lost to the rumble of the turbines and the Falls that power them. Petrus's face turns, the mask already discarded for Orin struck it asunder. For only a moment, there is surprise, shock in his brown eyes - and then he smiles mirthlessly, his teeth clinched. "Ah, a Jedi. What a surprise ... always ending up in places that they don't belong." His attention shifts from his adversary to the Jedi Knight, the red blade in his hand humming menacingly. "Will it never end? Will this masquerade continue until the Order is destroyed, your lies laid bare?" Obi-Wan struggles to speak, but no words come forth as his hazel eyes mist over with sorrow as he looks to Orin. At last, his jaw tightens, but he does not offer retort to Petrus, and instead says with near sad fondness, "Orin... Petrus will be stopped, but you must stop this. Now. Your venture to stop him has already blinded you." "This is your last chance, Petrus. Surrender. It will only be your lies that die with you. The Dark Side leaves nothing behind but ruin. Of everyone, and yourself." Petrus paces impatiently, his blade swinging and burning a deep gash in the ground beneath him. "-You- are the one blinded by lies, Jedi. Everything your Masters tell you, every word - nothing but deceit. The Republic is crumbling, and the Jedi with it, for the Jedi cannot stand because of your ineptitude, your folly." He slips into a defensive position, blade held with its tip pointing at the Knight. "Even if you destroy me ... there is a much greater power you cannot even dream of." "Get out of here Obi-Wan!" seethes Orin then, and a glare is sent his former Master's way. "This does not concern you, or any of the Order. You decided to do nothing while this scum murdered his way through the galaxy! The blood shed is on your hands as much as his! You could have stopped him months ago.. but you did nothing!" All but shouting at Kenobi, Orin's hand trembles from the emotion in his voice, and he turns his gaze back to lock upon Petrus. "It's time for my way, not yours. Either help me slay this cur, or go back to meditating..." "Anger will solve nothing, Orin. You are becoming what you wish to protect against. Do you want to become like him?" Obi-Wan's voice wavers slightly as he waves his hand towards Petrus, his calm demeanor cracking. "That is what you will become, should you proceed down this path. Hate will only consume you in the end. Hear me, Orin, stop this now. Petrus -will- be stopped, you have my word." With a low hum, the Jedi Knight's blade ignites with a gleam of blue, and he steps forward. "He deserves death, not capture!" roars Orin, taking a pace closer to Petrus. "Orin has taken more than the first step down the true path. He is beyond saving now, Jedi - don't even waste your breath." A laugh escapes his clenched teeth, low and mirthless. "In the end, the Jedi will be destroyed. You may try to kill me - perhaps you might even succeed. But in the end, there can be no redemption for you. The Jedi are finished. The sooner you realize that, the easier it will be for my Master - but he does not require your help." He takes a step, slashing at a railing which is severed from the main walkway, falls into the waterfall mist. "Nor yours," hisses Orin to Petrus, "not anymore. You have fallen astray, and are the one beyond redemption. I am here to correct the mistake, and you will not interfere, Obi-Wan!" The former padawan falls into a fighting stance once again, and curls a lip into a snarl. "This is destiny..." "Orin, to do this, is to lose yourself forever." Obi-Wan cries, "You will become him, if you continue." The Jedi Knight slows in his steps, slowly advancing.. "He has a Master, Orin, if we wish to put a true stop to this, we must find the root!" "You have already lost Orin," Petrus snarls, "whether you admit it or not." His brown eyes flit from the former Padawan to the Jedi Knight - both enemies, of a different sort. He steps further towards the edge now, steps careful, maintaining his balance on the slick edge; his blade flashes out again, destroying the other half of the section of railing. "Abandon the Jedi Order and its lies and hypocrisy, or be destroyed." "There is a truth to be found in his lies, Obi-Wan," growls Orin then, taking a step closer still to Petrus. "But it can wait. He will not repent, that is plain. You have no choice but to put him down... or let me do it for you." "I have no choice, if you will not surrender." says Obi-Wan, steps bringing him closer to Petrus. "He will not, but his Master is where we will unveil all the blood that has been shed, and bring an end to it. If his Master lives, this will only continue. I must try at all costs to capture him." He carefully keeps his balance about the slippery ground. A snarl emits from Petrus's mouth. "So Orin, you are a traitor too? You would stand with the Jedi ... even as they stand in our path?" His eyes narrow to slits, hatred emanating from his being. He moves quickly, suddenly, driving forward with his legs, his blade swinging at Orin's legs. COMBAT: Petrus swings his red lightsaber at Orin's legs! COMBAT: Orin tries to parry with his red lightsaber, but Petrus's red lightsaber hits and grievously wounds his leg, destroying Orin's Fine Leather Boots. Perhaps Orin is distracted by his old Master, perhaps Petrus' wrath is righteous after all, or perhaps the Force was merely bored of all the discussion... either way the red saber of the former Admiral rips into Orin's flesh; tearing down his calf and ripping open the boots that cover his feet. Cauterizing the cut at once, it is still a deep gash that buckles Orin's legs and sends him clattering to the floor. But even as he land he rolls with the momentum, chest rising and falling in pain. A cry of agony rends through the mists, echoing off of the rockface, until with a hateful glare his gaze sharpens. Some chain seemed removed in his eyes, some strength seeping through his mangled limbs for he rises then, and raises his saber anew menacingly. FORCE: You feel a lessening of your wounds! Your anger rises, swelling into a hateful rage that brings you strength. "Orin!" Obi-Wan cries in dismay, what shards of self-control he had left shattered with the Ex-Padawan's wound, and fall. His face turns to Petrus then, and his visage grows cold, emotionless. "You will fall here, Petrus. No more innocent blood shall be shed on your behalf." He advances, and then with a sharp step forward, he lashes out with a swift horizontal strike towards Petrus' legs. COMBAT: Obi-Wan Kenobi swings his blue lightsaber at Petrus! COMBAT: Petrus dodges Obi-Wan Kenobi's blue lightsaber. Petrus jumps over the blue lightsaber aimed at his legs, landing uncertainly, slipping slightly along the wet walkway and slamming against an undamaged section of railing. Even Sith are clumsy sometimes. But he uses the railing to his advantage, pushing off from it and snarling as he takes his own swing at legs, this time towards the left calf of Obi-Wan. COMBAT: Petrus swings his red lightsaber at Obi-Wan Kenobi's legs! COMBAT: Petrus's red lightsaber meets Obi-Wan Kenobi's blue lightsaber with a crackling hiss. The fighters struggle for the upper hand ... COMBAT: Petrus's red lightsaber is struck from his hand and deactivated. And alas for the Sith, for Orin's gaze watches this, and is devoid of mercy. He strides forward purposefully, ignoring the saberhilt clattering against the scaffold, and with a slice of his own weapon he lets loose a strike at Petrus' chest. COMBAT: You swing your red lightsaber at Petrus! COMBAT: Petrus dodges Orin's red lightsaber. Obi-Wan struggles to keep his footing on the treacherous, misty floor, and his first swing goes awry, swung wildly and it meets only thin air. Fortunately for the Jedi Knight, he finds his balance, and none too soon, for the Sith counterattacks, blue and red blade crackling as they meet, and the opponent's hilt deactivates. He yells aside to the Kiffar as he moves to strike, "Stop, Orin! This is not your burden to bear. It is my mistake. The Order's mistake." "Surrender, Petrus." he says, and he races to meet where the Sith moves to dodge the ex-padawan's blow, but he does not strike. Petrus's blow is shoved aside, his lightsaber flung from his grasp, over his head and clattering against the walkway, slipping dangerously towards the edge. Immediately he shoves himself backwards, reaching for it, falling to the ground, and it is this action that saves him from Orin's deadly swing. He lands hard on his back, robed body sliding with a screeching sound along the steel until he reaches his lightsaber and rises slowly to his feet, the red blade igniting with a hiss. He takes a cautious step backwards, towards the destroyed section of railing. "Never." Petrus picks up a Petrus's Lightsaber. COMBAT: Petrus ignites his red lightsaber. "Then die," rasps Orin, stepping forward to advance upon Petrus once more. A glance is shot towards Obi-Wan then, but no reply is made; the Kiffar seems bent on his task now and his weapon lashes left and right in front of him to set up a series of feints. Amid the flurries he then strikes for true; his wrist rolling to send his blade snaking out in search of Petrus' black heart. COMBAT: You swing your red lightsaber at Petrus! COMBAT: Petrus tries to parry with his red lightsaber, but Orin's red lightsaber hits and shreds him. Obi-Wan speaks no words this time either, for this time, he steps in to quickly disarm Petrus with a backhand slash to his hands. As he finishes the stroke however, he angles to face both sideways, should Orin advance further towards the Sith. COMBAT: Obi-Wan Kenobi swings his blue lightsaber at Petrus's arms! COMBAT: By sheer luck, Petrus evades Obi-Wan Kenobi's blue lightsaber. Pausing to exchange words with Jedi Knights never worked for anybody, did it? Petrus's attention shifts a bit too late, his red blade lifting a bit too slow - the Kiffar's strike is true, blade melting flesh, muscle and bone like butter, the red beam emerging out his back; yet by some fate, his 'black heart' is spared, the blade burning through him just above. There is a look of sheer shock on the Sith Knight's face; his eyes wide, his teeth biting down so hard that blood seeps through them, drips out from his mouth to spatter the railing. The smell of burnt flesh is cloying and sickly as he takes a half-step backwards, Orin's blade slipping neatly out of the front of his body. Words do not come, only a choking sound, as one of Petrus's knees buckles. The man takes a step back, his eyes half-closing - but where he steps there is no platform, and he lurches for a moment, teetering on the edge. Then he falls, mist hissing against the red blade still clinched in his hand as he disappears into the mist. As Petrus teeters, Orin steps forward but then halts -- the sight of his foe falling into the thunder of the Avuusid Falls giving him pause. He lowers his saber absently, before leaning over the rampart to watch the churning water far below. As the turbines thrumm and turn around him, the once-padawan looses a sigh, and a grim smile graces his lips. So too does Obi-Wan move to advance, but as Petrus topples over the edge into the misty falls, he sharply stops. Above the rumbling turbines and the roar of the falls, his voice is hardly heard, yet he murmurs, "Orin, come with me back to the Retreat, there is nothing left here. Petrus is gone." There is a glimmer of hope in his hazel eyes, and his lightsaber lowers, silently regarding the Kiffar. Long moments pass by with Orin watching nothing but the falls, before at last he raises his head and sighs anew. The grim smile turns sad then, and he turns to face the Jedi Knight. The hardness of his gaze melts a little then, mournful jade swimming among the cold emerald, but he shakes his head. "And do what, Obi-Wan?" he asks his old mentor. "Sit around pretending to care about the state of the galaxy? I know you mean well, old friend, but the Jedi are being held back. As I said, there is a truth to be found in Petrus' lies..." "What would you have done, Orin? Gone after Petrus as you have? Look where you are now, on the verge of becoming what you vowed to slay. The Jedi did not act until we were certain, and he was under watch. Close watch." Obi-Wan breathes a slow sigh, his features also slackening, but with grief as he looks to Orin. "There is hope, what would you plan to do if you did not return? Look where you have been driven just to slay him." "A small price to pay for the lives of thousands, or millions!" fumes Orin then, and anger flashes anew in his gaze. "If I have to give up my blessed balance and all the rest to save lives, then I will do! Close watch? Close watch indeed! Such a close watch that allowed him to not only take control of the Republic Navy, an influential planet such as Vanix II, and then run rampant through the galaxy bombarding innocents at will!" He points a finger at Obi-Wan, and replies, "Even if you believe that the Jedi are not misguided at the core, at least have the honesty to admit that you should have listened to me all along! You owe me that much, for what I lost..." "I admit.." he begins softly, "That we should have taken action sooner. But not all action ends in the slash of a lightsaber, Orin. If there is so little regard for your own balance, then you will only end hollow, as Petrus lies, and where his fate was sealed." His voice raises, visage now held squarely on the Kiffar. "Look where your hate lead you, look where it lead Petrus! He was so consumed in his lust for power for his own ends, that it betrayed him at the very end. Don't let it do the same, Orin. Your own yearning to stop Petrus has drawn you to the same path." "You have no idea what path I walk, Obi-Wan," retorts Orin, though his anger does subside a little as he meets the Knight's gaze anew. "You think my choices have been made for power alone? You do not know how I have suffered to know that scum walked and breathed freely, guilty of so many tortures and deaths.. you think I seek power? You know me not, old friend, and perhaps never did..." He takes a step backwards then, and inspects the churning of the Falls below once more. A sniff is given to the chaos there before he looks up once again. "I wish to save innocent lives..." he says softly. "As do you, but you serve the wrong Masters. I know you are a good man, a true man, but think Obi-Wan, think! Think about how you were held back from the start, for unclear reasons while the Council 'sought to be sure'. And think then how your greatest Master, the wise and mighty Yoda himself vanished when he was needed most. Think, then, about how the Jedi would choose to react, if Petrus were not the only threat the galaxy faced... think on how the Jedi would respond if a war were coming..." "Master Yoda has always had a reason to disappear, and so he has for many years. I do not think this time is any different." Obi-Wan replies, jaw clenching. "I have learned patience, that is the key factor. Reasons will always reveal themselves for those who wait. I beg of you Orin, return to the Jedi Retreat." But to the latter of Orin's words, there is pause, and he asks with a furrowed brow, "War?" "That's right, Obi-Wan... war. And before you say it, not of my doing." Orin looks to the Knight with a saddened, almost sympathetic stare, dropping his gaze to sniff anew. "I have learned that forces are massing beyond the Republic's borders, some new threat that will make the Hutts and their gangster empire look like a bunch of bar-brawlers. And the source of the threat, the driving force behind it... can be found within the Jedi Retreat itself. I will not go back there..." "...What?" Obi-Wan breathes, and his stare is incredulous at Orin, inklings of doubt seeping into his visage. "Where did you learn of this?" His smooth features only wrinkle further as he looks at the Kiffar. Orin shakes his head, and takes another step backwards upon the rampart. "That is not important at the moment, but rest assured, the eyes that watch this matter see a long, long way. Be wary when you return home, Obi-Wan... watch and listen for proofs that orders from on high are keeping the Jedi Order stagnant and iffectual.. notice how sterile they're becoming..." "And most of all," the Kiffar adds to his old master. "I beg you not to fight me, when I do what I must in days to come. I should hate to make an enemy of you, old friend, and that is no lie." "So shall I, and I do not speak falsely." Obi-Wan says grimly, and he steps forward. "I fear for what you must do, and what you have done to reach this point. I promised Aure -- myself, that I would not give up on you, and I shall not. If what you say is true, then we must reveal this together. To unfoil what has conspired in the Jedi Retreat." He takes another step forward. "Don't do this, Orin... I already lost you once." There is a smile at that, brief and flanked by grimness, but for a moment warmth rules the Kiffar's expression. Orin shrugs and replies softly: "Perhaps one day we'll both regain what we've lost, Obi-Wan. If they can ever forgive..." he adds. "Please do not tell Aure.. it may well be my own fault, but it would still hurt her. I don't think you wish her that harm." Stepping up onto the rampart quickly Orin then deactivates his lightsaber and stows it securely within his armour. His right arm raises to show the palm to the scaffolding beneath, and a whirring sound can be heard as two spheres emerge from a panel in his hand. Holding one tightly he then blinks and the other shoots out urgently in a sweeping arc; trailing a line of thin cable behind it that is attached to the first. The fired sphere finds and wraps around a supporting beam a good way below the rampart and wraps eagerly around it until it is stuck tight. COMBAT: You wield your Hidden Cybernetic Bola-Launcher. Orin turns his emerald gaze to Obi-Wan once again and smiles. "Fare well, Obi-Wan Kenobi, until the Force wills us to meet again." And then, he falls from the rampart... his body tumbling down until the cable grows taut and swings him gracefully down and out of view. He is gone. Obi-Wan hangs his head, chin dropping to his chest. Tears well in the corner of his hazel eyes, and his knees buckle to meet the slippery ground. "Aure..... I failed him." he breathes, shoulder shaking, "I failed him." He blinks back his tears, unable to retrain the flow. Cupping his hand to his face, the roaring of the turbines prevent any further noise from escaping Obi-Wan. That can be heard, anyway.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)