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Post by Emperor Spellca on Jun 16, 2011 17:04:52 GMT -5
"You are fighting the mental battle of a lost man. Now rise, you are a Sith and you shall fight like one." As the Dark Lord moved over the fallen Jedi. The room seemed to darken as the shadows crept inward around the black-cloaked Zabrak. "Enough of your Jedi talk, this is the path you wanted and the path you are destined to take! Just think about what the Jedi did to your family...will you let their death go without being punished?"
The Sith called the bone lightsaber to his hand and pushed it at Johma. "Min killed your family...make him pay..."
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Post by johma on Jun 16, 2011 17:46:02 GMT -5
Johma glared at the Sith Lord that was standing over him. The darkness surrounding them was actually visible. The Echani shook his head at the words of him having already lost. He couldn't have fallen, he wouldn't. And still there was that nagging in the back of his mind. He could give into his darker desires and become a servant of the dark side.
Rising up to his feet, Johma gripped the hand;e offered to him, the smooth surface feeling natural in his hand and his expression darkened as there was mention of his family. He activated the weapon, the bright red blade flashing into existence. Yes Min should pay for what he had done. his Father, and his mother and sister.
"Yes I...." Johma faltered, when had Min slain his family. Johma couldn't recall that. He tried and all he could see was the smiling faces of his parents, his father pushing him to improve his technique as he sparred with Miri. Dropping the weapon and clutching his head, Johma fell to his knees.
A gutteral scream came from the Jedi as he fought to regain who he was. Johma had always been a man of the moment, knowing who and what he was had always been very important to him and now it was being attacked. Looking up at the dark visage of Spellca, Johma focused and gripped the weapon that had been thrown to him.
Rising to his feet. Johma held the lightsaber so it pointed at Spellca just as he had done to Kanta. "No Spellca. I will not fold to your lies. You may be able to enter my mind, but you do not understand the first thing about me, and without being able to do that, you will not turn me." He said as he deactivated the blade and tossed it aside. "You may be able to weaken me, but I will rise and be stronger for it each and every time." He said as the darkness in the room seemed to shrink from Johma. He had been able to see it, this was a mental realm, and Spellca was an invader.
However, In the physical world, Johma was tossing and turning despite his injuries. The medics were trying to calm him and Larani was next to him gripping his hand, but despite her efforts to touch his mind, she couldn't reach him with Spellca attempting to warp him, though she could sense the darkness coursing through her student and that concerned the Duros greatly as she had only lost one student to the dark side before and she didn't think she could bear that happening again.
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Post by Emperor Spellca on Jun 16, 2011 17:59:50 GMT -5
"You have no other chance! You are a puppet of my will and your life is mine to control - you living or dying is my choice."
The mental assault continued on and on. In reality Spellca was watching a duel on Korriban, but his influence spanned wider than even he was conscious of - Min was correct, a trap was set.
"The corpses of your parents: your mother and father...your sister. Dead and mutilated by a Jedi ordered by his fellow Masters to cleanse you of the only thing you had left outside of these Temple walls! Master Min, your friend, destroyed them. Your motherly master Larani let it occur knowing the pain you would suffer. You know the truth and yet you defy me!"
Force lightning shot from his hands in the dream, the pain in this nightmare must have felt so realistic against the already battered Jedi's form.
~ ~ ~
((I control both characters so this is easier for me))
Master Min stood by the door with his head lowered. His ear was tilted to hear every event that was going on but his face remained composed.
He decided to speak. "Master Larani, he is a strong boy. He will not fall to Spellca's Order...not while he has someone like you to pull him back from the brink."
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Post by johma on Jun 16, 2011 18:16:23 GMT -5
"You are wrong Spellca everyone has a choice as long as they don't give that option away." Johma replied. He listened as Spellca went on about his family and what had been done to them by the Jedi Order. He shook his head as the images flashed in his mind. "STOP IT!" He yelled. "The Jedi Order is not perfect, but they would never do such a thing and we both know it. And Master Larani wouldn't ever stand for such a thing. She would take the entire Order on before just letting that happen if that command was given." He said just before the lightning slammed into him.
Johma knew this was a mental realm and that it was his mind being assaulted. Still, he felt the pain and his mental projection of himself staggered back and he fell to his knees. "You'll have to kill me first Spellca." Johma said as he let his mind clear, once more the area around him seemed to brighten as he struggled to his feet.
"You've already made far to many mistakes... you've done nothing but try to cause me misery." He staggered once more. "Lied and attempted to warp what I know to be true." He said as he regained his stability, the lightning circling around him instead of coursing through him. "All you want is a puppet and someone from the Jedi Order to land a blow to it. You have no concern for me and would betray me in a heartbeat." He said as what would seem to be a visible glow emanated from his mental self.
Larani looked over to Master Min and smiled. "I know, and I'm sure he'll pull through this." She said as she noticed her student struggle even more before calming down. She gave a chuckle as she looked at him. "And as much as I want to do so. I don't think he needs my assistance, even if he would turn it down, which I doubt he would. Though he's apparently putting up quite a fight on his own." She said as she was able to sense a glimmer of Johma's will break through.
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Post by Emperor Spellca on Jun 16, 2011 18:33:43 GMT -5
"How noble...but foolish." Spellca's hand reached out and from it came a blackish smoke that encircled the area. When the smoke resided, the bodies of Johma's parents laid brutalized and sliced apart before him. "Where is your nobility now, Jedi? Can you save them? Did this happen or will it occur? Can you stop it? Can you guard your home world alone?"
Spellca looked as Johma's sister appeared behind him and walked towards her brother. "I can let you save them from their fate...you can stop their deaths. You can kill Min and prevent years of galactic warfare!" A yellow lightsaber blade whipped through the girl's midsection and then was stabbed down onto her by a obscure Jedi holding a pike. "Hehehe..." Spellca fired a blast of Force Lightning at the cloaked Jedi causing him to be destroyed.
The corpses disappeared and the dream began to fill Johma's mind with images of his childhood super-imposed over scenes of them being butchered by a whirling yellow blade.
~ ~ ~
"I feel incredible pain coming from him through the Force...I guess you feel it as well. " The Jedi walked in from the door and sat in the corner of the room - he sighed as he entered a state of meditation. He believed that all minds must be clear in order to keep Spellca's mental attack from doing damage.
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Post by johma on Jun 16, 2011 19:44:19 GMT -5
Johma refused to let himself listen to Spellca, though the sight of his parents laying dead still had an impact. He looked back to Spellca and gave a slight sneer. "That won't work Spellca, and if they fall from this war it will be on your Empire, not me. I will be there to defend them if war is to find them." He said before turning to see his sister be struck down. The obscure figure was wiped away.
"What is wrong with you Spellca!?. When are you going to learn that I don't let dreams and visions like this hold me down and direct me?" He said before images flashed across his mind. They were images he could not and would not accept. "Stop it damn you." He said though the brightness around him didn't waver. He was using every bit of focus he could muster, but he refused to let himself be swept into the Dark side for this.
"You aren't welcome here Spellca, leave at once." He said as the images cleared from his mind. Standing tall his mental self lost the wrappings and he was clad in his robes. "I have told this to your minion before. I am Johma Casto, Echani warrior and Jedi Knight, I will not give in. If you wish to keep at this, you will be met with failure." He said, still shaking the images away.
Larani looked over at Min. "The pain is there, but he's fighting it. I think he's found the root of himself. If he can hold onto it, I think he'll be out of this soon enough." She said as she brushed a small cloth across Johma's sweating forehead. "I guess I'll have to train him to shield his mind against this kind of thing. I never thought he would be targeted like this." She added.
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Post by Emperor Spellca on Jun 16, 2011 20:00:23 GMT -5
"Many shall die for your insolence." The bone lightsaber activated and was thrown into Johma's back piercing through. "Your mind may be that of a Jedi...but pain is pain regardless. Suffer now, Johma...because your family and your race will be butchered for your refusal of my offer."
The illusion vanished from his mind but the pain lingered like a real blade was plunged through Johma's body.
~ ~ ~
"He left..." Min said in a low volume. "Master Larani, I will get a medical droid to check up on him. I would like to make sure his organs aren't failing...I have seen many mental attacks cause mortal damage. But it seems he rejected whatever it was...I feel it through the Force."
The master exited with a few of the medics, not only to find a droid but to allow Johma privacy - Min had a hunch that he would be uncomfortable with a room full of people following such a traumatic fight.
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Post by johma on Jun 16, 2011 23:23:07 GMT -5
Johma gasped as he felt the blade pierce him and he fell to his knees. At Spellca's comment, he glared through his pain. "It figures you would stoop to such level... I won't let that happen." He replied before collapsing and fading out.
Larani gave a nod to Min as she felt Johma's mind start to ease slightly, though there was something new. Johma's eyes snapped open and he jerked into a sitting position, ignoring his injuries.
"Spellca, it was Spellca." He said as he gasped for breath. He looked around and saw Larani sitting there. "He's going to attack my homeworld, we must send warning. I don't know when, but they must be ready for him." Johma was clearly in a panic. He knew that his people could defend against an Imperial attack, but if headed by the Sith, the losses of his people would be vast.
"Calm yourself Johma, we'll send word, just lay back now." Larani said softly as she gently pushed her student back into a restful position. We must have you be rested quickly or you won't do anyone any good." She said as her hand rested on his chest sending calming and healing waves through the Echani. "We'll just have you rest for now." She said soothingly.
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Post by Sal-Kari-Min on Jun 16, 2011 23:54:58 GMT -5
Min and a 2-1B medical droid returned into the room. The droid looked at the master with an odd tilt of its head, "Master Min, we ran an examination earlier. He was on the path to recovery as expected."
"Sith sorcery, my droid friend...is far beyond your programming. It is your job to ensure the health of those injured, is it not. I feel the patient may be injured, now ensure his health."
"Roger that." The droid walked over to Johma.
Min, although blind, moved his head to the side so he could not see exactly what was going on. "I will tell the Republic officers at once to send a guarding fleet to Eshan while putting Corellia on high-alert." With his head still tilted to the side the master asked Johma, "At your word, I can have Republic SpecOps slip your family into protected custody."
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Post by johma on Jun 17, 2011 0:09:37 GMT -5
Johma felt himself ease up at his master's touch of healing. Before long Min was back in the room. Johma gave a smile at what Min had to say but he knew that the Republic was strained. "Send what we can spare. The Eshan forces are very capable on their own. As for my family, if we can indeed spare those people I would be grateful, but as much as it pains me to say this, do not strain the people we have available. The other lives on each world are worth what we have." He replied clearly agonized by what decision he had to make.
Johma trusted in the Republic's ability to keep his family safe, but the conflict didn't revolve around him and his family. If something terrible happened due to the Republic focusing on getting his family to safety, he would feel terrible. Of course it would be excruciating if something happened to his family due to his neglect. The worst part was that he knew the it was what Spellca wanted. Johma made a mental effort to keep it from being personal, but he knew that Spellca had to die. Anyone who would go to such lengths couldn't be allowed to have a free run through the galaxy.
Larani simply watched Johma in silence, her hand remaining in place. The most she could do to help was to keep him stable and be right there for him. Later there might be more she could do, but that would be after Johma was back on his feet.
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Post by Sal-Kari-Min on Jun 17, 2011 0:28:23 GMT -5
Min nodded and exited the room. He drew his comlink from his robe and contacted the officer in charge of Special Operations, "The family of Johma Casto is to be placed in protective custody - they are wanted by the Dark Lord for execution."
"I will send Nova Squad at once, they are stationed on Corellia. Anywhere you wish, Master Min?" The man's voice was like sandpaper, it was obviously one of a former Navy drill instructor.
"I own a villa on Cerea, my family used to live there before they moved to Coruscant to be with me. Cerea still isn't a member of the Republic but tell them it is a dire emergency under the order of Master Sal-Kari-Min."
"Alright, Master Min."
The Jedi slipped away the comlink and returned to the room. He looked at Johma as the droid moved away. The droid turned to the master, "All seems to be in good health. We will continue our observations."
"Good." The Jedi Master sat down in the corner of the room. "Your family shall be moved to a personal villa of mine on Cerea, far from the eyes of the Sith. The unit is being mobilized, I wouldn't be surprised if we can put you in contact with them by tomorrow."
The Master smiled. He was happy not only to move the family out of Spellca's crosshair but to also know that Johma had fought back the Sith and won.
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Post by johma on Jun 17, 2011 18:00:46 GMT -5
Johma gave a small sigh of relief at hearing that action would be taken to help his family. He wasn't sure if that encounter with Spellca was real or not, but he couldn't bear to take the chance that people would suffer due to inaction on his part. That would be far worse than making an effort and failing. "You have my thanks, though now I think it's time to let myself actually rest, no mediation this time. I just wish the sleep." He said as his eyes drooped wearily. "Please wake me if there is anything that needs my attention." He said before drifting off to his slumber.
Larani waited until her student was asleep before rising and giving a small nod to Min and then leaving the room. She needed to visit her chambers so that she could turn her attention to this problem. Johma was in no condition to do much of anything, but he was a target, and now she had to take steps to ensure that her student would be able to face what was ahead of him.
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Post by Sal-Kari-Min on Jun 17, 2011 20:15:13 GMT -5
Min followed the Duros master to her chambers on his own accord. Standing at the door-frame as she entered, he spoke. "It troubles you to see him like this...not just the injuries; the mental state - the terror during meditation. It isn't common for any Jedi to be assaulted like this. Perhaps he needs to return to his family for a time. I was in exile for almost a year and it served me well."
((Short post since I have to leave))
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Post by larani on Jun 17, 2011 20:32:27 GMT -5
Larani paused for a moment at the thought of Min's suggestion. All in all she didn't think it was a bad suggestion. "We'll have to speak with Johma about that Master Min. He's going to feel like doing such a thing would be to abandon us. While I think it would be good for him, we should perhaps think about how we wish to present the idea to him." She said thoughtfully.
"Perhaps making the place where his family is being kept as his current posting. I do not want him feeling as if he's just being sent away. If we give him a task he will be content and he can spend time with his family." She said. Larani knew full-well that Johma was the type of person who wished to actively serve a purpose. He wouldn't do well if he felt that he was the one being shielded by being taken off the front lines.
"The decision is of course to be determined, but please take that into consideration. It would likely be far worse for him to think he was being sent to such a thing solely for his own protection. It's hard enough for him to be in the position he's in." She added.
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Post by Sal-Kari-Min on Jun 17, 2011 23:51:29 GMT -5
"You are his teacher, Knight or not, you may be the only person he will honestly take advice from to heart. Exile may help him, but at the same time, we cannot afford to be a Jedi down during this time. Also, as you said, his warrior temperament may not allow it."
The older Master thought about a solution. "Perhaps there is another way to satisfy this mad man..." He nodded his head. "That's it. Byss..."
Min looked up. "Spellca wants a front row seat to the destruction of the Core Worlds. He wants to reclaim Byss for the Sith - I believe he may be trying to turn Johma to the Sith in order to get a ghost in the machine. I believe he wants Johma to fall slowly and damage the Jedi Order so he can jump into the Core while we waver our options against the Sith."
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