Legorii
18-06-2012 00:36:19
Legorii clenched and unclenched his right fist as Marick’s audio playback ended, irritation welling up within him. He was to be the only Anzati Dark Jedi, and especially the only one in Dajorra airspace. Unfamiliar with his target, and ruefully aware of how large the Dajorra System truly was, the Archpriest was unsure where to begin. He was sure he could access one of Void Squadron’s StealthX fighters, but he had no leads, and the task of searching the entire system could take months.
Months, Legorii did not have. A rogue Jedi… he mused, briefly entertaining a few impossible options. According to the Proconsul’s information, the other Anzat – Don’arock, as he was known – was extremely adept in the usage of the Force, and would thus present a significant challenge to the Krath in that department. The Arconan was confident he could defeat his target in hand-to-hand combat, but it would do him no good if he could not first find the man.
Marick’s intel had come, of course, from the Dajorra Intelligence Agency. The DIA covered multiple planets and moons, and kept an eye on the affairs of other Clans and Houses as best it could. Legorii was well-versed in its services and capabilities, and had worked closely with its director while he was the leader of Oblivion Brigade – formerly Arcona’s top black-ops team. If anyone could help him obtain more information on his target, it was Major Helder Kemp.
--
When he arrived at the DIA headquarters, Legorii was directed to a special branch of the agency that specialized in tracking high-risk individuals within the star system. It was this branch that had uncovered the information on Don’arock that the Entar already possessed, and they were the ones who could best help in hunting down the former Jedi. Immediately upon arriving, an agent was assigned to work with the former Qel-Droman Quaestor.
“Greetings, sir, my name is Reykic Sundais, and I am here to assist you in any way that I can,” the agent introduced himself, seating the Arconan at a navscreen and lightly touching a few controls. On the screen, a colorful image of the Dajorra System appeared.
“I’m looking for a rogue Jedi named Don’arock,” Legorii began, and was surprised when the agent quickly tapped a few keys and the screen zoomed into a sector that the Arconan was unfamiliar with. His crimson eyes were glued to the screen, watching carefully as Reykic manipulated the data.
Biting his lip, the agent finally looked back at his guest. “Sir, we cannot pinpoint his exact location. I am familiar with your target, and was actually involved with the initial compilation of his information following the Battle for New Tython. He has been elusive and somewhat timid, and has not yet touched down in an officially-monitored Dajorran starport.” Reykic hesitated, his eyes returning to the screen, before he continued.
“We…well, sir, we have reason to believe he is on Gethsemane, the only currently habitable moon of Ereboros on the outer edges of the system,” the agent declared. Legorii stared at him momentarily, the gears of his mind turning.
“Why?” he asked curtly.
Reykic, looking nervous, glanced around to make sure there was no one else within earshot. “There are whispers of a resistance movement brewing on Gethsemane. Our organization does not have a strong presence on the moon, or on Ereboros for that matter, and our mild attempts to gain a foothold have been violently halted.”
Legorii’s crimson eyes picked over the agent once more as he considered this new information. Aware that this was his only lead, and even if he did not find his target on the moon he would, at the very least, be able to nip the fledgling rebellion in the bud. Nodding as he rose from his seat, the Archpriest gathered his Shadesworn robes about him. “Very well, Reykic Sundais, I will travel to Gethsemane – and you will come with me.”
--
Legorii sat in the cockpit of the Lambda-class shuttle, his mind wandering to the possibility of meeting this rival Anzat on the field of battle. Beside him, Reykic leaned back, a blaster rifle balanced on his lap. The pilot and navigator assigned to the vessel, just now beginning the descent toward the surface of Gethsemane, had been silent for the entirety of the journey.
“Reykic, what kind of shot are you with that rifle?” Legorii asked, his mind returning to the present.
Opening his eyes, the intelligence agent grinned, the first unprofessional expression he had thus allowed. “The best shot of any non-Force user you’ll meet, sir,” he responded confidently. Hoping that it was true, the Arconan turned back to the viewport in time to see the blurred northern land, mostly highlands and hills. The d’Tana Range cut across the continent, and Legorii hoped that the rebels had not set up their camp in the mountains.
“Put us down in the foothills just north of the mountain range,” Legorii commanded, relying on the Dark Side to guide him to his target. As the transport hovered closer, large estates that presided over healthy swaths of land became visible. Sections of the moon were still scarred by war, but the area that the Krath and his DIA aide were entering remained mostly unscathed. The two AEF pilots would remain with the shuttle and await the return of their passengers.
Exiting the shuttle, the hunt for Don’arock began in full.
--
Gethsemane’s famously tall grasses had been hacked short, the result of what looked like precise lightsaber cuts. The rogue Jedi had been here, of that there was no doubt. Legorii led the way, following the hewn path through the highland grasses toward the base of the mountain range, but Reykic was close behind with his rifle readied.
They walked for what felt like hours, their adrenaline pumping at the prospect of combat. Reykic had been trained in the Arconan Expeditionary Force, and was familiar with fighting alongside Dark Jedi. Still young, he was opportunistic, and eyed connections with prominent Arconans as the key to his own career advancement. It was in both of their best interests for Legorii to succeed.
Suddenly, the path through the grass opened up into a clearing, surrounded by a rocky outcropping. Legorii’s Dark Side energies flared, the equivalent of a foul odor passing momentarily through his nasal cavity, as he sensed his target was near. Sure enough, the enemy Anzat stood alone in the center of the clearing, facing the two intruders.
“Greetings, friends. We have been expecting you,” Don’arock said solemnly, his arms sweeping outward in a universal gesture of welcome. Legorii knew he was not alone – the rocks behind him likely concealed more than a dozen other rebels, though the Arconan could not sense a potent Force connection in any of them. Reykic shifted his weight uncomfortably at the Entar’s side, obviously concerned about their position.
Inclining his head slightly, the Qel-Droman acknowledged Don’arock, but made no immediate reply. He issued a soft command to the marksman at his side, instructing him to stand aside with his rifle at his side, but to remain ready to cover him if needed. Igniting Soulflayer, Legorii stepped forward, finally confronting his assignment after a hunt that had taken him to the very corner of the Dajorra System.
“After the slaughter you witnessed on New Tython, I am not surprised you have lost your way. But why have you acted against Clan Arcona? Were you not warned enough of our might?” Legorii’s characteristic taunting came into play once more as he quizzed his opponent, who had not yet ignited a saber or drawn a weapon of any kind. Managing a wan smile, Don’arock – who was older than Legorii by a few hundred years – spread his hands and unleashed a storm of Force energy.
Taken aback by the flying stones and quaking ground beneath his feet, Legorii stumbled. The other Anzat’s talents with the Force far surpassed his own, and he knew that he had to engage him quickly. Relying on his own Force powers, the Arconan dodged rocky projectiles as he charged, his emerald saber leading the way and slashing through a handful of stones that attempted to slow him.
Given no other option, the former Jedi ignited his own azure saber, meeting Legorii’s charge and deflecting his opening slash. A Soresu practitioner, according to the DIA intelligence provided to him by the Proconsul, the Qel-Droman was confident he could quickly gain the upper hand. Bolstered by the Force, however, Don’arock proved a worthy foe. His augmented muscles and techniques kept the Krath at bay, and he did not tire nearly as rapidly as the Entar did. Curiously, no other rebels showed themselves – perhaps their leader had given them the same orders that Legorii had given Reykic.
The melee continued, as Legorii’s weapon steadily based aside the other Anzat’s blade, keeping him on the defensive and limiting the time he had to utilize his Force aptitude. Boosting his own strength and speed, the Archpriest swung viciously, and was on the verge of destroying his target when alarm bells sounded in his head and he was forced to duck and roll away from a barrage of blaster fire. Coming to his feet, he spun, and found himself facing Reykic Sundais.
“Sorry, sir,” the intelligence agent spat. “The only rebels are Don’arock and I. Thank you for walking so complacently into our trap.” Sneering, the young man opened fire once more, his blaster rifle loosing bolt after bolt of lethal energy. Dodging and deflecting the shots, Legorii bounded towards Reykic, and in a few paces, was just a meter away from him.
“You are a fool, Reykic Sundais. This Jedi was just using you for your inside information! You are disposable,” Legorii shouted, enjoying the brief seconds of fear that suddenly contorted the shooter’s face, before the face was ripped off with a precise slash from Soulflayer. Flicking his wrist, the Entar spun the blade back around to parry a slash from Don’arock, who was dismayed to see his “resistance movement” crumbling.
“The only Anzati Dark Jedi here is me,” Legorii declared with a note of finality, before his blade slipped between Don’arock’s defenses and tore through his gut. Wrenching the metallic hilt up, the Krath laid waste to the other Anzat’s internal organs. “You are not even worthy to have your soup feed one as powerful as I,” Legorii whispered as he lowered his target to the ground, leaving him all-but dead on the ground. Satisfied, the Arconan simply turned on his heel and left the way he came, hearing the last pathetic breath desert the defeated Anzat’s ravaged lungs.
Soon after, as he boarded the shuttle and headed home, Legorii told the pilots that Reykic had been killed in combat, but that the mission had been a successful one. Then he placed his communication to Marick.
“Proconsul, Don’arock is dead. One Dajorran Intelligence agent has been killed as well. You and I have to talk. I am concerned that something much more serious is afoot in the Arconan military forces – there is certainly some degree of unrest.”
Sashar
19-06-2012 11:05:11
Contract Completed.
Grade: Excellent. 3 pts.
Comments: Much more like it! An interesting contract with a nice little twist at the end, I liked the way Legorii's main reason to punt this guy was because he wanted to be the only Anzat. Nice touch. Yeah, it was a solid effort. I enjoyed it. Keep up the good work, and if you're after the Superior grade, then try making it a little longer in the future.
- Dash