Chapter 144: Let’s Flip the Table!(2/3)
“We'll find her.... We'll find her...” Anakin said to them both over and over. Of course they would! R2 was infallible!
....Well mostly infallible..... Maybe mathematically probable. As hours went by. R2 gave out a low whistle as the lower layers were filled to the brim with the poorly designed mishmash people. They came across giant plants? Organs? Things that gathered up the mishmash people and made more mishmash? Anakin destroyed those with his star fighters blasters after R2 cleared it... Mistress Padme wasn't in this one either. Or the next one, or the one after that, or the one after that.
After the five hundred million, six hundred and twenty three thousand, three hundred and fourteenth time looking for Mistress Padme R2 turned his eye sensor towards Anakin and whistled to him to get his attention. R2 had been flying the ship on auto pilot now for the past hour. Anakin had fallen asleep due to exhaustion. He snapped awake with a.. “Did you find her!?”
-'No, I'm getting a signal from the surface.'- R2 beeped, and whistled at him.
“Oh... Just ignore it... Keep looking.” Anakin said and leaned back in his seat. R2 did as he was instructed. Then he felt a surge of energy override his data base and forced his holographic projector to turn on.
“Anakin, what the fuck are you doing!?” A very angry, and familiar voice shouted across the communication line. It was Master Lash! R2 liked Master Lash. He was super friendly, and gave R2 a lot of upgrades.
Anakin snapped awake again and stared at the tiny holographic of Lash in his armor. The tiny version of him stared at Anakin so hard that Master Anakin visibly deflated under his gaze. Perhaps his spring assisted servos needed maintenance? “I'm looking for Padme!” Anakin said through audio transceiver.
“Padme? Really? The same Padme who is sitting in Ghost Industries medical facility calling for you, wondering where you are because you've ignored the last five fucking calls!?” Lash shouted loudly at him. Anakin's face drained of color. Uhoh! R2 checked his vitals, yes he definitely needed a recharge.
“She's alive!?” Anakin shouted, and took control of the star fighter and whipped it around. R2 punched in the nearest exit to the surface without question.
Master Lash cut off the holographic communication so quickly it surprised Anakin. Master Anakin quickly dialed in the keypad and called him back...But the called was ignored. Once, twice, thrice... R2 felt like there was a bit of irony in the situation. Anakin ground chompers in frustration. R2 could feel the energy capacitor fall out from outside the cockpit.
They soon found a tunnel that led up to the surface and Anakin recklessly flew up and nearly shorted out R2's circuits. They made a bee line straight towards the industries section of Ghost Industries and that was when R2 was swamped with chatter from the rescue operators. A droid overseer contacted him and asked if they could use him as a processing station. R2 complied and nearly overloaded his circuits. He quickly dialed it down, and then almost exploded in shock as Anakin had dove straight at an entry gate into the shield that covered the complex.
-'Waaaaaaaaaaa!'- R2 Whistled and tried to get Anakin to slow down. Ghost Industries had established an atmospheric shield to filter out the toxic ash. Gateways had been erected to allow ships, and transports to pass through. Anakin had slipped between two transports moving in and out.
“Almost there! Almost there!” Anakin shouted as a crimson energy cascaded across his body. R2 whistled at him to try and pull up, they were coming in to...Oh Master Anakin ejected out of the star fighter. Using all of his processing power in 3.5 seconds R2 ejected as well just before the star fighter crashed into the landing pad.
R2 landed and looked around, rotating his head to see the star fighter crash, and skip of the pad falling below. R2 felt a little bad as emergency workers had to dive for cover. But it all worked out as the wreck stopped mid air and was slowly let down. R2 activated his third wheel and rolled after Anakin, whistling innocently. Upon entering the doorway he found Anakin screaming in rage as he was currently floating off the ground and being held in place by none other than...
“Hello R2, have you had a busy day?” Master Lash said to him as he walked over and patted him on the head.
-'Oh yes! Let me tell you about it!'- R2 Beeped at him excitably.
============================================================
(Erik Lash / Hunter-Saurian)
“Anakin I'm not letting you go any further until you calm down.” Lash said to the Jedi quasi-Sith who was boiling with rage.
“LET ME GO! I HAVE TO SAVE HER!” Anakin shouted at Lash. Anakin looked like he'd been burning the midnight oil on both ends. Then when he ran out of wick, ate the candle wax.
“Save her from what? She's in the medical bay under surgery.” Lash called out to him. But Anakin wasn't listening anymore, a crimson glow often associated with Sith and/or Dark side Force users. He was drawing attention as they were on a traveled hallway in the tower.
Lash rolled his eyes and slammed Anakin into the wall several times. Much to R2's dismay. “Not to worry, he's fine. Just needs a good knock!” Lash replied as he patted the disgruntled droid.
“LET ME GO! I WILL KILL YOU!” Anakin shouted, and his eyes turned a brilliant yellow. So Lash stopped throwing him against the wall and just held him aloft. He crossed his arms and just watched him throw his temper tantrum.
Anakin struggled and kicked his legs in a futile effort to gain purchase in the air. In a roar of frustration Force Lightning erupted from his fingers and collided with Lash who just stood there and absorbed it. R2 hid behind Lash in confusion. While the service, and emergency workers avoided the hallway for now. Anakin fought against the Telekinetic binds with the Force and pulled his light saber until Lash took it from him. Which caused the child to scream in frustration.
“WHY ARE YOU KEEPING HER FROM ME!?” Anakin screamed.
“Because she's in surgery... If you rush in right now as you are. You'll rip apart the medical droids in an idiotic attempt to 'save her' as you said. Which would kill her.” Lash replied in a bored tone.
“I HAVE TO SAVE HER!” Anakin shouted again, he sounded like a broken record at this point.
“From what?” Lash asked.
“FROM YOU!” Anakin snapped and screamed in pure rage. A distorted ripple of dark side energy burst from him and collided with Lash and did absolutely nothing.
“What are you talking about?” Lash said in complete confusion.
“I WONT LET YOU TAKE HER FROM ME!” Anakin screamed again and struck out with Force lightning again, and again. Lash reached out and created a baffle field.
“Anakin, Padme is a friend and nothing more. Maybe bordering on a familial sister feeling. I fully support your relationship with her. I want you two together. If I am being perfectly honest, I'm looking forward to the day you two have kids. I was hoping to be like an uncle figure or something.” Lash said in a bit of shy tone. He was kinda looking forward to meeting a young Luke, and Leia in the future.
Then just like that all that rage, fear, and hatred just popped like a zit. A gush of dark side energy enveloped the whole area. But thankfully it was empty at this point save for R2 who beeped in confusion. “Is... Padme pregnant?” Anakin asked in a soft voice.
“Not currently... It's kinda a future thing. There a bit of Force tapestry that suggest she may have twins one day... With you!” Lash said, and made an exasperated gesture towards Anakin at the end before his eyes went fully yellow again.
“....Oh...Oh! Wait... You've seen my kids!?” Anakin asked, as he vaguely remembered that Lash had the gift of Foresight.
“There are several futures where you and Padme have children. As I said, I was looking forward to it..... Why do you think I was going to take her from you?” Lash said in total confusion.
“Cause......” Anakin said, and followed by incoherent mumbling.
“Anakin, I swear by the Force if you don't speak up. I'm going to smack you around until candy comes out.” Lash said and raised his hand.
“CAUSE YOUR BETTER THAN ME!” Anakin shouted at him.
“Anakin, I'm several centuries old. Give it time and you will surpass me. Wait, hold on! That still doesn't make any sense. Do you really have so little trust in Padme? She's in love with you. You've defied the Jedi Order, and the Republic Senate for this love. Where the fuck is this com.... Wait a minute. As Palpatine been talking to you?” Lash said at last, as something clicked into place.
“...What! This...This has nothing to do with the Chancellor!” Anakin said, but it was plain as day. Palpatine was using Lash's relationship with Padme to drive Anakin to the dark side via his insecurities.
“By the Force this is so stupid. We are at war. We just got our asses handed to us by a third faction, and you are acting like drama filled teenager!” Lash shouted at him then released him from this Telekinetic Field.
“Tell you what Anakin... Since you are so determined to paint me as the bad guy in your little drama. I'll play it up.” Lash said to him as he walked closer, towering over the shorter man. Anakin stepped back and called for his light saber but it refused to move.
“If you don't start shaping up... I will take Padme from you. Because as of right now, you are more boy than man. Because Padme deserves someone who will actually pull his own head out of his ass, and take proper care of her! Instead of a self absorbed glory hound like your self!” Lash screamed at him by the end. Anakin went pale at the accusation.
“She's on med deck twelve, thirteen-A. She just finished surgery, and is still high as a kite on pain medication. R2 knows the way. Next time we see each other Anakin I expect to see a mature, and understanding adult. Because if I don't, I will break every bone in your body until I do.” Lash growled out his words and shoved past him. “Fucking pathetic.”
By the end of Lash words Anakin had all but wilted into a dead shrubbery. He walked across the hallway and picked up his saber off the ground. He glanced at R2, his quirky ally that beeped at him with a simple phrase of. -Organics are weird- Anakin hung his head, and followed after R2. He glanced behind him but Lash was already gone. That...Could have gone better....
Lash continued towards the landing pads and watched as one by one the Force fate touched marks he had left winked out of existence. His Elites were hard at work and apparently found the last one a few seconds ago. A swirling vortex of midi-chlorians came rushing towards him, and swam around him like a flock of fish.
'GRATITUDE. RESPECT. QUERY?' -The living Force used its multi worded phrase, each word held hundreds of words and phrases jam packed into one.
“You need to contact The Father on Mortis... Abeloth is acting up.” Lash replied, and the swirling fish school of midi-chlorians froze in place.
'CONFUSION. ERRATIC. HELP?' -The living Force asked for help again, twice in the same week? What is the world coming to.
“I helped make the mess, I'll help clean it up. Though you may not like how I do it.” Lash replied, and the midi-chlorians danced around him once more then flew off into the horizon.
“Alright, lets go check on the Jedi.” Lash said, the took off into the air and made best possible speed towards the Temple. Which was once he was past the atmospheric shield that covered Ghost Industries he broke the sound barrier.
On a normal day Coruscant would be covered in traffic. Transports, and space craft would be in designated lanes to ensure safe passage to and fro across the planet. You couldn't just fly anywhere, you'd get killed. Now? Well now the only thing flying was emergency vehicles, and the military. The once pristine towering structures of the cities skyscrapers were in ruins. The few that remained were on fire, and barely serviceable.
Like desiccated corpses with their bones sticking out past the dried out skin. The architecture of Coruscant had gone from the living heart of the galaxy, to its necropolis in little less than three days. According to the chatter on the network over three billion were reported missing or more than likely they were dead and transformed at a body factory. By weeks end the estimated three trillion populace of the planet would be a lot lower. But what was even lower, was the Jedi.
Lash gradually came to a stop as he came upon the Jedi Temple. Unlike the rest of the surface this place was still under direct attack by the monstrosities. Lash switched through his Perceptions until he found the Faith Sight and found the energy trail of the monstrosities leading deeper into the layers of Coruscant. Lash dove through the ground via Earth Swim. The thousands of feet of stone, and metal gave way to an open space and three different factories stood and pumped out servants to the Yuuzhan Vong.
Lash focused his vision until he found the brain, and heart of the factory. Then through a combination of Divination – Clairvoyance and Telekinesis he destroyed both. Oddly enough Grasp Heart worked. He concluded with the last of the three, and just like flipping a switch the tide of flesh and bone diverted to the nearest factory which was several hundred miles away. So he returned to the surface to fight the remaining monstrosities who continued the fight.
Lash dove straight towards the temple's entrance and slammed into the ground with enough force to shatter the foundation. The resulting kinetic force flung the monstrosities into the air, or into pulp across the floor, or walls. Elemental Manipulation – Fire and he created a blue hot flame for cremation. Turning the remains to ash. He Blinked across the entrance to the main hall to find some of his Manifestations in defense of the temple. He reached out and recharged their energy. Normally he would do that automatically but distance did play a part. Or maybe he was just distracted...
The Saurus warriors, and veterans present disguised themselves as Jensaarai defenders. Though their spirit animal design on their armor was similar to his own. They linked with him and gave him a compressed information feed of the temple. Apparently a dark side kyber crystal juts out of the central mountain that the temple sits on. Instead of fleeing towards the dry dock and fleeing the temple the Jedi stayed in the temple to defend their home. Which caused mass casualties. What a surprise!
“Please secure the temple... Wait. Check the basement or more importantly the prison cells. There are a few down there that if are alive could prove useful. After that, work your way up.” Lash asked his Manifestations who obeyed regardless.
Lash used his foci and cast the spell Acceleration as always the Force... No wait. The Force didn't come to consume his energy? Perhaps the midi-chlorians were just to busy to care. Once the spell took hold he sprinted through the giant halls with haste and came across several monstrosities attempting to claw their way into a room. Which was a little odd, the claws and fangs on the creatures had an organic bile that made them easily chew through even beskar.
Lash reached out and turned them into pulp then ash. The sudden silence was a little unnerving. But a light above the door lit up and a holographic projection of a youngling looked at him. “Jensaarai, is it safe to come out?”
“The temple is not secure. However the never ending tide into the temple has been stamped out. Is anyone wounded in there?” Lash asked, he tried to keep his voice even and friendly. He knew he came off aggressive even when he didn't mean to.
“I...I-I don't know. Master Luminara went to sleep and hasn't moved since.” The youngling called out, and Lash snapped his attention towards the door. He all but dove straight the wall with Earth Swim and came into the other side.
The room was full of broken bodies, and dying Jedi. A few younglings jumped to their feet in defense with...Wooden swords? But collapsed in relief when they saw it was a Jensaarai. They broke down crying, as the youngling at the holographic door frame came running over. Lash cast a area of effect Corpse Repair, Soul Heal, Sooth, Nature's Supplement, then last but certainly not least, Kiss of the Grave.
The younglings watched in horror, and fearful hope as the bodies of their peers, and mentors snapped back together. Bones mended, flesh sewed, and skin renewed. Then with a resounding boom! The entire room shook and every dead body in the room coughed and sputtered with life. But Lash ignored the cries of joy as he walked over to a young woman named Master Luminara Unduli who was dry heaving and coughing our remnants of her now repaired lungs. Lash knelt at her side, and provided a hand which she took. After several minutes a miniature version of her in the form of Padawan Barriss Offee all but latched onto Lash.
“Hello Padawan Barriss, did you miss me?” Lash said in a teasing tone, as he opened up his available arm having returned to his is default near-human form.
“I knew you'd come.... Eventually.” Barriss whispered between her tears. Master Luminara finished her fit and leaned against Lash.
“What took you so long?” Luminara asked in a breathless whisper.
“Traffic...” Lash said with a shrug, and a bark of a laugh came out of Luminara.
“Better late than never...” She replied...
“I'm sorry to say, but were not done yet. The temple still isn't secure.” Barriss curled up and clearly didn't want to move.
“I understand, what do you need?” Luminara asked, as she pushed off of him and looked around the room.
“I need all of you to stay here in this room, and recover. But first can you explain why they couldn't get in. I watched those things dig through duracrete like wet clay.” Lash asked, as he slowly helped both Barriss, and Luminara to their feet.
“Sound, Master Lash. Specifically a sonic emitter.” A Jedi Master said softly as he held a device in hand. “The emitter is used for meditation. We jury rigged it to create an amplified sonic distruption directed at the door, and walls.”
Lash had to stop and think about that for a moment. The monstrosities were clearly still lethal, but why would a sonic emitter prevent them from getting through? This would require some testing later. Lash took a quick look through the emitter and copied the design. Then helped the Jedi set it back up and slipped through the wall via Earth Swim. The entire room, from its walls, floor, and ceiling was covered in that sound. That resonating frequency. Questions for later.
Lash went to recast Acceleration then realized he didn't need to. Even in a room full of Jedi the Living Force didn't move to eat his magical energy. Maybe they stopped? Whatever, thoughts for later. So he flashed through the great halls looking for survivors. Unfortunately he found very few, and even fewer bodies. Anything organic could be used as fuel and the industries monstrosities were not picky.
Eventually he found himself in the old folk home of the temple. To be honest Lash was a little worried about Master Yoda. But it seemed luck, or rather the Force was with him. As Lash turned the corner he saw a tide of monstrosities attempting to get towards a choke point. While the flare of light sabers cut through the tide. Lash yanked out a few dozen and dispatched the creatures. Then did it again, and again until the last creature died. Much to the surprise, and shock of Mace Windu who looked up at Lash.
“Master Lash, my heart good to see you it does.” Said the delightful muppet voice of Yoda as he gradually walked into view with his light saber, and walking stick.
“Any wounded in there?” Lash asked out of genuine concern.
“Many are, yes.” Windu replied, as he slowly got back to his feet. What traces of bitter dislike Windu had for Lash was gone in that moment.
Lash moved passed them both and found a similar sight like he had just left. From wall to wall was a butchery of bodies, and survivors desperately hanging on for life. He called on the familiar spells and pick me ups he recently used. Bones mended, flesh sewn, and limb regrew. Then with a resounding boom! The once dead snapped to life, and the living were revitalized. Lash's energy levels dipped but quickly refilled as always. He turned towards Master Yoda who had collapsed to his knees and openly wept. Why? More than half of the room was still dead. Their tethers were long gone. So all Lash did was repair, and clean the bodies. Ready for a Jedi burial.
Lash took a few minutes to create the sonic emitters, caring little for the fact that he simply created the machines out of thin air. While Windu asked him questions about what was going on. Once the last emitter was in place Windu looked like his soul had been sucked out of his body. He fell to his knees and just gaped openly at nothing in particular. Lash nodded in understanding and directed one of the living Jedi to secure the door behind him, and activate the emitter. He'd come back once the temple was secure.
Lash quietly left the old folks home and made his way through the rest of the temple creating secured rally points. Still having no clue as to why the sonic emitters prevented the monstrosities from clawing through the walls. Maybe it wasn't the emitters but simply the location? As Lash looked around he saw clear evidence of the monstrosities forced entry into rooms, and walls. But it looked as if the deeper they got the longer it took.
Lash ran his gloved hands across the walls surface and used his Transmuter title effect and read the usual duracrete and/or durasteel combination found in most places. But then he came across a trace of kyber crystal. That would make sense, a Jedi Temple using kyber as a building material to focus the Force. But the outside of the temple showed clear force of entry by the creatures. They peeled the layers off with ease. So why was the inner portion of the temple secure?
In the end Lash had no idea, nor did he have the time to waste. No, he had wasted enough time as it was. He put it out of his mind and raced through the rest of the temple. He sent a Nature Domain pulse through the area looking for life and got a odd reading from the central area. He moved quickly, and quietly to find the central peak of the foci mountain tip that the temple was built around. There he found a curious sight.
When those who are in balance with the Force, or at the very least lived side by side with it in peace died. They would join the living Force, and the cosmic Force. Traveling the rivers, and oceans of living energy. However, when one lived out of balance with the Force. Treated it like a servant, or slave. When they died, it almost seemed like the Force extracted due justice from those individuals. More often than not, but exceptions did apply. Dark side Force Users were imprisoned in a location, or an object almost at the behest of the living Force. Like they had to pay back their karmic balance.
That is what Lash saw now. The very tip of a mountain peak, with a giant dark kyber crystal jutting out of it. Circling around the crystal were the tormented souls of dark side users. They flowed around it in a clockwise motion with a constant ululate song of despair. Lash could see their hollow eyes, and gaping mouths screech in horror. As their wisps circled the drain. Then at the ground floor of the temple next to the crystal were dozens of people sitting in meditation around the dark side energy. Including several Jedi younglings...
“Master Lash!” A youngling called out from their forced meditation, the children jumped to their feet and tried to reach him. But cloaked figures snagged their arms and kept them still. “Please you have to help Kanan, he put on the armor and now the Sith spirit wont let him go!” The youngling called out. Oh crap.
Lash swept his eyes across the hall and made his way gradually towards the meditating figures. The room was grandiose, with wide open spaces allowing for hundreds of people to fit, and have room to spare. The floor had a rich brown to black stone flooring reminisce of marble? With gold, silver, and rose quartz for an almost calligraphy art style depicting the history of the Jedi Order. It was very well done. Though the blood, viscera, and ominous dark fog that boiled off the crystal ruined the atmosphere.
As he made his way forward one by one the... Sith stood one by one. But that was in Lash noticed they were slightly transparent. Sith spirits, tied to the crystal? Lash flipped through his many Perceptions and found that every single spirit was tied to a singular individual who now stood at the head of the column. The man...woman? Individual was tall or short? They almost seem to flicker between two different people. They were clad from head to toe in full armor. A synthetic mishmash of thread and metal plate. With a full face mask, a horizontal slit visor, and a shadow crimson hood. On both shoulders was a row of spikes from front, to top, to back. All in all the armor was intimidating, but also practical.
“....You are not Jedi...” The Sith spirit tied to the armor had two different voices who spoke in an odd reverb. One was Kanan Jarrus, while the other was a voice forgotten by time and in desperate need of a glass of water.
“No, I am what many call a Jensaarai.” Lash replied, and gave a simple bow towards the speaker. The Sith spirit tilted their head ever so slightly as if they had heard something interesting.
“Follower of the hidden truth. That is what that word means within the Sith. You are neither Sith nor Jedi.” The Spirit continued, the other spirits moved in a single cohesive movement. They did an about face and looked directly at Lash. Though several stood next to the group of younglings both protecting, and guarding them.
“May know who I am speaking too? I am Master Lash of the Jensaarai Order, Mand'alor the Renewer, chairman of Ghost Industries, and Grand Admiral of the Galactic Militia.” Lash said a slew of titles but he was sure if Nazvo were here she would interrupt him and tell him he was missing several others. He should really get a list.
“...Curious... Tell me, is it normal to send children into war?” The Spirit asked, as it gestured a single finger from his relaxed state at the younglings. That was an odd question since these younglings were still in training.
“...I was under the impression that the moment you could hold a weapon in your hand you were a fighter, at least in Sith culture. Or, do you mean how the Jedi send younglings into battle? I strongly disagree, but you above all should know how stubborn Force wielders are?” Lash replied with a simple shrug, as he glanced at the younglings who looked like they were watching a tennis match as they turned their faces back and forth.
“....Fair to say.... My host accepted my help under the condition I would keep his charges safe. It is clear to me that they are not safe here at the temple.” The Spirit spoke with a far off expression. Not say that Lash saw his face, but simple his wide open stance, shoulders back, and his head titled upwards towards the sky.
“Best way to keep your people say is to give them tools, and skills needed to keep themselves safe.” Lash replied as he watched in morbid fascination as the Sith Spirit caught one of the wailing souls and pulled it into his armor. The glowing red aura around the armor grew in power. Ah...Fuel source.
“...My name is Darth Marr, of the Sith Empire. Though I come to understand that it no longer exists.” The Spirit of Marr spoke and Lash went perfectly still, an action that did not go unnoticed by Marr. “Do you know of me?”
“I do, your living form helped kill the Sith Emperor in millennium past. You found a balance between the Force and moved on your final days.” Lash spoke in almost reverent tones. Darth Marr was a complete bad ass in the history holocrons.
“.... I see.... Tell me Master Lash... Kanan Jarrus speaks of the Sith. How this war you fight... This... Clone War.... Was instigated by a Sith, singular as if we no longer have armies across the stars... What happened to my people?” Darth Marr asked, as he began to gradually walk towards him with slow confident steps.
“Darth Bane introduced the 'Rule of Two' which promoted the idea that there should always ever be a Master, and an apprentice. Never more than that. Though its a bit of hogwash. Since the current Sith Master has over a thousand Dark Acolytes. But those are just semantics. Because of Darth Bane they killed off the other prominent Sith. As odd as it may sound it actually made the Sith that more dangerous. Because it forced them to adapt, change, and improve their thinking. They no longer come at you head on, but sideways. It's how they think, its how they move.” Lash replied and took on an almost educator teacher role until Darth Marr was a hands reach from him.
“...So my people live -->>