Into The Dark [Open]

[Braak Naxar]

Braak emerged from the council chambers after being summoned by the Jedi council for yet another mission, yet this one was slightly different - he had been ordered to travel to the Outer Rim worlds. Tatooine. The Jedi Council had reason to believe that a certain Bounty Hunter, who had been paid a considerable sum of republic credits for killing a senator involved in an up-coming political movement, was currently seeking refuge there, away from the prying eyes of the Republic. Braak had never been there in all of his years as a Jedi, yet he still knew of it's reputation. He knew that it was the 'melting pot' for the lowest, most dispicable pieces of scum throughout the whole of the galaxy. He knew, from word of mouth and also the unlimited amount of knowledge available to him from the Jedi archvies, that on the planet of Tatooine the Republic did not exist. Credits were worthless and there was no law. The only means of structure they had there were through gambling and trading pieces of scrap and other items that other people may find useful.

"This is going to be an experience..." Braak thought to himself as he marched through the hallways of the Jedi temple towards the Jedi archives. He thought it would be best if he revised some extra information on the planet and it's type of inhabitants before he actually arrived. He would have enough time during the journey to look through the information he was about to collect and prepare himself a bit more. He quickly glanced towards the Chief Librarian who was in her usual perch behind the desk at the front of the archives and gave her a curt nod before continuing towards the nearest data terminal. He flicked his brown over-alls over the chair in a fluent motion as he sat down and flicked his datacard inside the terminal. He quickly copied a whole section of information on Tatooine onto the datacard and watched the screen carefully as it showed the progress of the download. Once it was completed, he took out the small card and placed it within his robes and took his leave from the archives.

Soon after leaving the archives, Master Braak Naxar arrived at the hangar bay of the Jedi temple where he located his starfighter - his CEC S-100 stinger-class. He approached his starfighter quickly and placed his hand onto the locking pad near the side of the cockpit. He entered the personalised code into the small terminal on the side of his transport and watched as the re-inforced cover of the cockpit slid back to grant him access. He placed his foot onto the side of the ship and leavered himself into the seat inside, comfortably. All at once, he tapped the co-ordinates for Tatooine into the nav-system and the button to close over the cover for the cockpit. The cockpit seemed to beep to life as all of the computer systems began to register the destination, and the lights began to flicker to indicate everything was set. The engine of the starfighter roared to life as the thrusters ignited. Moments later, Jedi Knight Braak Naxar was gliding over the glorious skyline of Coruscant towards his destination.

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The journey had taken Braak roughly four days to arrive at Tatooine as his starfighter only had the standard class-1 hyperdrive. Yet he had kept himself occupied with meditation, keeping his mind clear, and also the research he had collected from the archives before his depature from Coruscant. Everything he had downloaded prior to his depature had told him pretty much everything he already knew: Tatooine was one of the worst places in the galaxy. It's population filled with scum.

Braak broke through Tatooine's atmosphere as his ship began it's slow descent into the seemingly endless dunes of sand below. But as he descended further and grazed over the top of yet another, seemingly identicle-to-the-rest dune of sand, he noticed a rather big and lively structure. "Mos Entha, I'm guessing," he mumbled to himself as his ship honed in to land. Braak considered for a moment whether to land his ship somewhere in the empty 'desert' but decided against it. You could never be too careful here on Tatooine, he figured. He located a small landing pad near the centre of Mos Entha and landed his ship safely in the secure area.

Braak hopped out of his starfighter, sealing the cockpit over and typing in his personal security code. He glanced around the area, squinting his eyes in the intense light of the two suns to get a better view and immediately realised that the archives were correct. Everywhere he looked were different species of smugglers, gamblers, spice dealers - everything. He pulled up the hood of his brown over-alls and began to walk forwards into the bustling crowd. Hopefully he wouldn't stand out to any average member of the crowd as they all seemed too busy in their own doings to pay attention to anybody else. But to the trained eye, he would stick out like a multi-coloured Bantha. He began to merge with the crowd, calculating where would be the best place to start his investigation. He realised now that trying to find a specific Bounty Hunter here on Tatooine would be no easy feat.

[Administrator Theo]

"I will not fail you again! " Bloody nosed and near sobbing, Navis slowly picked himself off the floor and slid backward until he was out of the chamber. He fled, as fast and as far as he could go. He had failed for a third time, and a fourth time would mean his death. He entered the hangar, a small and petty thing, then jumped into the cockpit of the antiquated Davaab-Type fighter. The thing was nearing it's one hundredth birthday. It was a Mandalorian fighter used back when the Mandalorians were a power to be feared. It's intricate bubble cockpit had been something Navis fell in love with by the first flight.

The starfighter's thrusters activated, it left the durasteel landing pad and took to the skies. Without a hyperdrive, the starfighter could not leave the Outer Rim, but, barring extremely prolonged travel, it could make it to far flung Tatooine, or even Vanqor or Rhen Var. The Sith, although still maintaining a sizable training force on Korriban, had little left in the way of military firepower.

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"Yes sir, this is Starliner Oh-Oh-Five requesting permission to dock." Navis' force came in, suave and calm. The crackling voice that replied was that of the Anchorhead Port Control.

"Roger that Starliner. Dock in Bay Fourteen. Enjoy Anchorhead." Navis turned the Comlink off and brought the Kavaab down, turning it to face away from the bulkhead doors so that if he needed to exit, he could hastily climb into the cockpit and be up and away in no time. He shut the engines off and activated the locking device, a simple switch under the seat. He climbed from the cockpit, his robes left across the seat.

He was fashioned in black boots, black leggings, and a black tunic. His lightsaber attached to his belt was actually in a miniature enclosed holster of sorts to conceal it. He paid the dock fee and entered the bulkhead doors into the heated, arid atmosphere of Anchorhead.

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Navis had spent three days on the crowded dust rock and no leads had come up on his target. He was staying at the Slaughtered Bantha, a seedy three story resort that housed enough criminals to fill the Republic's jail cells for the next two hundred years. Navis knew if he returned empty handed, he'd be killed with a single lightsaber blade. He had spent damn near two hundred credits bribing Czerka officials and local hunters trying to find a lead. There were none to be had, until the night of the third day.

"Jedi landed in Mos Entha." The Iridonian grumbled in its own language, his Zabrak companion translated into thick basic for Navis, at the behest of fifty credits a piece, the last of his given sums by the Sith on Korriban. "He's been staking out the Hunters Lodge, and the Bounty Hunters Office." It was all the information he needed. It had to be Master Tyvall! He gave them their credits and left the residential district in a hurry. He neared the edge of Anchorhead when finally the vast expense of space caught him. He'd never be able to make it to Mos Entha by himself. He would need to acquire a ride.

It took Navis four hours to finally convince someone to a local Nikto on a speeder bike to grant him a ride. He rode on the back, and as they finally left Anchorhead, Navis gave the Nikto a single tug across his shoulder which sent him reeling from the bike. Navis pulled himself forward on the seat, took the controls and shot forward. He would find Master Tyvall, and slay him. Than he would become a full fledged Sith Warrior.

[Braak Naxar]

Braak had been here on Tatooine for several days now and still, he had no better leads on his investigation. It occured to him several times that the Bounty Hunter he was searching for had possibly left the seemingly safe haven of Tatooine, but this assumption was shot down by the realisation that a Bounty Hunter wouldn't be so stupid as to leave so soon. He was still a highly-wanted individual within the Republic and there would not be many more places he would be able to run and enjoy his freedom.

For the past several days, Braak had been watching both the Hunters Lodge and also the Bounty Hunters Office carefully, as they were the most likely places for a Bounty Hunter to reside whilst here on Tatooine. He had even been sitting in on several cantina's dotted around the city and eavesdropping on shady conversations that were taking place in the shadows, but still, he heard nothing. Not even a whisper that could have possibly gave him a whiff of what he was looking for. Since the second day of arriving here on Tatooine he began to think it was an impossible mission; one that he couldn't complete alone. He frequently returned to his starfighter which was still docked safely in the landing port of Mos Entha and contacted the council to inform them of his progress. Not that he was making any. They urged him to stay focused and let the force guide him.

As Braak repeated his routine for the third day, drifting slowly through the jostling crowds outside the Hunters Lodge, he felt a slight disturbance in the force as the warm, dragging day was slowly closing to an end. He didn't know what it was, or where it was but he knew that it felt close. It felt as though it was growing stronger. But he had no choice but to shrug it off; he was in the middle of an important assignment for the Republic and he could not let a distant feeling get in the way of his better judgement. He had to stay completely focused on the present which was an important lesson he had learnt from his master when he was just a padawan learner. "You must stay focused, Braak," the voice echoed inside his head. "You cannot let something that is illusive distract you. It is like background noise, you learn to ignore it. Stay focused on the present," his old master's voice continued. Braak nodded once to himself, giving himself re-assurance that the voice was right.

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The two suns of Tatooine were slowly climbing their way up into the sky on the fourth day of Braak's stay here. Already the air was warm and sluggish, and Braak's robes clung to his skin as he came out of the small grovel he had found a residance in. He had not had a chance to change his robes since he arrived here on Tatooine, too caught up in his investigation. They were stained with sweat and frayed near the edges after the continuous battering they had had from the many different feet and paws tredding on them as he had made his way through the crowds. The illusive feeling was still there today, in the back of his mind, yet he forced himself to lock it away and forget about it. He shook his head and began to walk among the waves of scum that passed through the streets of Mos Entha for another day.

Braak decided the best thing to do today was try a different approach. He had not tried direct contact with anybody since his arrival and thought that if he began to interrogate people - the right people - he might make a bit more progress.

He sat outside the Bounty Hunter Office for several hours, monitoring the people that went in and out. He decided the best approach would be to tail one of the so-called 'clients' after they leave and get them when they are on their own. But first, he had to look for the right type of client.

After around two hours of keeping a watchful eye over the entrance to the Bounty Hunter Office, he noticed a vulnerable-looking Rodian leaving. Keeping a careful eye on the Rodian as he began to merge with the crowd, Master Naxar stood up and began to follow him, keeping his distance to avoid suspicion. He followed him for mere moments, hoping that he would soon make a turn that would lead them both away from the many different eyes at the centre of Mos Entha, until the Rodian did just that. He had led them into a narrow gap with half a dozen doors on either side. But with not another soul in sight. Braak decided that his time had come to take action. "Excuse me," Braak said from behind the Rodian with an authorative tone. "I'm wondering if you can help me. I've been looking for someone..." The rodian turned around to face the Jedi Knight and made a sound that Braak assumed was a disgruntled yelp.

[Administrator Theo]

He was here. He was close. A quick use of Detect Life reassured Navis that the Jedi was in Mos Entha. He merely had to find him. He was the hunter, and a use of Danger Sense would be relatively unwarranted and wasteful, as he was sure the Jedi was unaware of his presence. He stalked through the crowd, his shoulders loosely twisting to maintain a small distance from the others that lurked through the crowd. Another bout of Detect Life told him a powerful Force User was closer, down at the end of the avenue. It had to be Master Tyvall.

He turned down the avenue, of which he immediately recognized was a less than popular street as it harbored both the Hunter's Lodge and the Bounty Hunter's Office. Navis had forgotten that by using Detect Life in such close proximity to Master Tyvall that he would really be giving away his existence to the Jedi, but he continued onward none the less. He spotted the familiar brown cloak of the Jedi as he briefly addressed a Rodian. Navis fought back a smile. This was an ample time to see what Master Tyvall was made of.

"He is here to kill you." The thought suggested. Navis' soothing, calm voice mused in the Rodian's skull, via Projective Telepathy. The Rodians face changed, as much as the static, insectoid face could. If the Rodian knew anything of a humanoid conscious, it'd be listening to its own and trying to get out of there, scared for its life, or attempt to fight the Jedi off with whatever weapon it could muster up.

Navis, feeling somewhat nauseated by his over usage of the Force, wavered in his confident stride. He was but an acolyte and his continued straining of the Force made it very difficult to maintain his composure. He attempted to remain far behind the Jedi as the confrontation began, far enough to escape if discovered, far enough to see his target at all times.

[Braak Naxar]

Braak watched the Rodian carefully, his arms at his sides so that he did not appear hostile to the obviously paranoid being. It was clear that a lot of people here on Tatooine had a similar paranoia about them; there was no law and there was no right or wrong. Only yourself and whatever weapon you had available to you at the time. Braak kept this in mind and was ready to reach for his lightsaber hilt at any given moment, knowing that the Rodian before him was more than likely to have a blaster or vibro-weapon somewhere on his body.

Braak noticed a slight change in the green face before him as if something was changing his judgement. It was only a slight change that he could notice as he was not fully familiar with the Rodian species' use of body language, but he was able to spot it enough to know it was there. Master Braak made a peaceful gesture with his hand and began to speak in a calm and soothing tone, "I am not here to hurt you. I just want to ask you a few questions and you will be on your way."

The Rodian seemed to be having an inner-conflict with himself as the Jedi Knight spoke. His actions seemed edgey and undecisive, it was as though he could not decide whether to confront the Jedi with force or simply flee. Braak watched him carefully, his hand still expanded outward towards him in a peaceful gesture and realised that he would have to push forwards if this confrontation was going to get anywhere.

Braak closed his eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the force to surround him. Once he had mustered the potential energy he would need, he re-opened his eyes and looked directly into the Rodian's own. With a simple gesture with his out-stretched hand he cast Affect Mind over the Rodian and began to manipulate his consciousness. Braak used this force power to alter the Rodian's judgements to his whim and force the Rodian to see that he was a Jedi here to help. After mere moments of manipulating the Rodian's mind, he ceased the alteration. "Well? Can you tell me what I need to know?" Braak asked calmly. He did not know the Rodian language, Rodese, fluently but he was sure he knew enough to get what he needed. The Rodian nodded, a queue for Braak to ask what he needed. "I'm looking for a Bounty Hunter somewhere here on Tatooine. We don't have a name but we have reason to believe he's seeking refuge here," Braak asked. The Rodian immediately began to sqwuak in reply and Braak managed to capture the words: "Arrived here days ago. On run Republic. Not in Hunters Lodge or Bounty Hunter Office. In Slaughtered Bantha."

Braak quickly dismissed the Rodian once he had the information he needed and turned around to leave the narrow alleyway. As soon as he turned, he noticed a somber figure ahead of him, completely clad in black. Braak looked towards the figure, completely focused on the being as a strange gut feeling began to agitate him.

(Thought I'd include the Slaughtered Bantha to make it interesting I'll change anything if you need me to.)

[Administrator Theo]

He was close. The conflict was inevitable. The crowd and the midday sun was a constant, but Navis' faith did not waver. He had been tasked with the death of Master Lejal Tyvall at all costs. It would concrete his position as a Sith Warrior, and if he failed -- he would find only death awaiting him at the Sith Academy on Korriban. He felt the presence coming nearer, and his hand stretched across his form and unbuckled the leather holster that held his lightsaber. The silver hilt was clean and unused. He was ready.

They neared, and Navis' heart beat skipped as the scarlet blade activated with a resounding whirr. The last few people standing in between the Sith Navis and the Jedi Braak quickly dispersed.

"Aaaaah!" Navis shouted, the Force propelling him forward in a single leap, fueled by both the Force and the teachings of Ataru, the two handed vertical swing coming down with everything he had. Battles between the Jedi and Sith at one time in the galaxy was not unusual. Thousands of them did battle on the planet of Ruusan only fourty years ago, but people, even the scum of the universe that inhabited Tatooine had thought the Sith were defeated by the Army of Light. The appearance of such an incident only added to the confusion as people scrambled to get inside.

He had hoped to slay the Jedi with a single, killing blow, claim his lightsaber, than return to Korriban in victory. The only discrepancy was that Navis' weakest feat was with the blade, and Ataru at that was very tiring after prolonged use. A battle of attrition could not be waged. Master Tyvall had to be dealt with swiftly, decisively. The blade was intended to cut straight through the Jedi Master's forehead and chest, to sever him through completely.

[Administrator Theo]

Moderation Marks

[Battle between the Sith Acolyte Jerran Navis and Jedi Knight Braak Naxar has begun. Transpose this into a Battle Thread and continue this thread only after the battle has been decided.]