Log:Jedi Order: It Arrives

Jedi Order: It Arrives

OOC Date: November 8, 2021
Location: Devaron
Participants: Jedi Order: Rune, Kasia Ashkuri, Chani Tahn, Ax, Zandra naMuriel, Qutha Buvu Pah, Jax Greystorm, Ben Solo, and Rey Skywalker

The sun had set about two hours ago over the jungles of Devaron.

There is a thick mist in the air that is lingering low to the ground amongst the trees and sitting at the base of the hillside that leads up to the Jedi Temple of Eedit...

The mist is moving, rolling, in slow wafting clouds that seep in and out of the trees like gently crawling fingers beckoning one toward the jungle.

The Wookiee security force that guards the Temple are walking in duos around the perimeter grounds on patrol as dutifully as ever. They often are confronted with wild animals or the like, having to put them down with bowcaster or long gun, but they keep the Temple yards safe and secure with only a recent incursion that overwhelmed them... all the Jedi likely remember that...

But tonight, its something new. Not an army, not a wild animal with claws or fangs...

Tonight its a solitary figure.ALARMS sound to the interior of the Temple, the Wookiees calling for alert status to the front gate of the temple. The signals say its not a drill, that something is there, something has arrived...

Though it's been happening more frequently, Rune isn't sure he'll ever get used to having alarms send him scrambling from a restful moment where he considers safe. The newest of these alarms happens to be at the Jedi Temple where he had been relaxing in his room after a particularly fruitful session with the training droids. Regardless of where the call sounds, the reaction is the same, the young Ysannan Jedi sprinting from his room as he pats over his form to make sure he has the essentials.

"Robe, check. Lightsaber, check. Wits, yet to be seen." He remarks as he makes his way toward the lift to plunge toward the entrance to the temple below.

Once at ground level, the initiate sprints towards the wide open doors, passing cautiously through the archway to approach the gate with trepidation. Curious hazel eyes shift from place to place while he makes his way to the Wookies that raised the alarm. "What is going on?"

Though she isn't here as often as maybe she should be, Kasia is here tonight, spending time doing something she didn't think she'd have to do again. Studying. When the alarms sound the old tomes are abandoned as she quickly makes her way down to the security force on the main floor, then to the front entrance once directed there. Something has arrived, and the reaction is enough to have her already gripping her lightsaber in one hand while trying to get a sense of exactly what has shown up at their door. "What's..." She starts, but Rune gets the question out ahead of her and she waits for the answer.

When the alarms begin blaring within the stone walls of the Temple of Eedit, Chani rushes out of the waterfall room with a bewildered look on her face. She's dressed in a dark brown overtunic and lighter under, with tan trousers and brown leather belt and boots. Her hair is bound up and pulled back, leaving her face unhidden and her expression apparent. Her proximity to the front of the temple means she's not sprinting to get to where the Wookiees have gathered, but there's a slight jog to her step that has the soles of her boots scuffing against the stone floor. Arms hanging by her sides, she gazes out through the massive open door of the temple and into the Devaronian night. Kasia and Rune receive quick glances, but there are no words from Chani.

Ax hadn't spent much time at this temple and wasn't here when it was last assaulted, but alarms going off and the assurance that it wasn't a drill is enough to get the Echani's hackles to rise.

Ax picked up the pace, and was running towards the entrance to the temple from the landing pad, reaching down and pulling the oddly hinged hilt of his lightsaber in his hand, snapping his wrist to extend it to the full length of the double-bladed staff. Not igniting it, but having it at the ready until he knew what was going on. The others voiced their questions, so he didn't need to add to any cacauphony of voices over the din of the alarm.

Zan has only recently arrived, so was just disembarking when the alarms started to go off. The good news is that put her pretty much right at the turbo lift. The violet haired Jedi promptly changed her mind and headed for the ground floor and the entrance. Of course she might have to wait on the lift, but as she heads down, if there are others, she'll join them on the lift, as they make their way down. She follows behind Rune and Kasia, quietly, already looking to see if there's anything that needs doing. She could try sliding into the shadows, if need be, but for the moment she stays visible, backing up and helping those who have already arrived. She offers a nod and a smile to those who are ahead of her. "Hello there. What seems to be the situation?" She was a bit late and missed Rune's question.

Goggles in place, lest he be completely blind, Qutha arrives at a quick jog, head on a swivel to look every direction he can on his approach. Voices and questions being prevalent the flora man acts prudently and keeps his lips tight. Nodding to the others who've made their presence known, the Zelosian seems content to linger on the edges of the group. Hands tucked into the sleeves of his robes and content to simply look curious while awaiting the group to be addressed.

Jax had been teaching a class to some of the younglings, well it was after dinner so it was more he was telling them a story with jedi themes too it. So when the alarm goes off, "Attention everyone, We will have to continue this tomorrow night. Please return to your rooms, just like you've practiced and do what security says." He looks to the Wookiee security there and with a nod. Then slips out of the hall and his feet carry him towards the situation. Though when he arrives he's missed both Kasia and Rune's question. He does hear Zandra's. His eyes peer out in the mist.

A man in dark clothing pads through the temple corridors, passing as quietly as a figure of his stature can. Ben reaches the central courtyard at much the same time as the others, his dark eyes scanning over Rune (can this really be the same Ysannen he first met on Byss, nearly mute?), Chani (her silence marked for reserve rather than timidity), and the others, erstwhile obstacles now allies in a common fight.

"Where's Rey?" he asks, since everyone else seems to have the 'what's going on' question well in hand. His gaze flits towards the wilderness, towards the mist drifting out from the trees, but his mind reaches outward in all directions, seeking her presence if it can be found. "Is anyone expecting a delivery?" The question is phrased flatly enough to pass for sincere.

With the Jedi arriving at the front gate, the three teams of Wookiees all slowly make their way toward them from either sides of the main pathway in to the temple. The leader of the group looks to Rune and Kasia, then to the others.

He 'Rrrroooowls' quietly and then motions with his long gun toward the end of the main pathway...

As the rest of the Jedi responders arrive, they can all in unison view what lies at the end of the pathway. A single solitary face, illuminated brightly, unnaturally bright. It is pale, old, and just staring at them from afar. The face hovers in the black of night against the backdrop of the jungle. The features of the face flicker in the brightness of its illuminated form.

It stares. at them.

The edges of a black robe are visible in the warm jungle winds coming in from the north, gently waving around the shadowy figure's form.

A good twenty yards away, the face shimmers in the night.

And just stares...

From inside the temple, Rey jogs, her quarterstaff in her right hand, restored with a new silver metallic end to the part she scavenged from it. She jogs toward her companions and ends up amongst them, stopping beside Ben and the others, her staff coming up to aim toward the sky as she looks at their faces, to the Wookiees...

And then out to the face.

Bright and motionless, the face of Palpatine just stares at the Jedi.

The others arrive and Kasia's head turns to look back at them, concern causing her brows to draw closer. The instructive 'Rrrrowwwwl' brings her gaze back around to the front, to the dark clad figure in the distance. "That can't actually be him, right?" she asks softly, stepping forward so that she's just ahead of Rune in what might be an entirely unwanted but still performed protective move over the younger Jedi. "I don't know if it matters that he's seen us, if it is actually him then no doubt he knows that we're here." The hand on her weapon grips all the tighter, but she doesn't ignite it yet. She clears her throat and lifts her chin slightly. "Can we help you with something?" The words are shouted loudly enough that it should carry to the figure.

"Doesn't seem like any of us knows," Chani remarks to Zandra, and then looks towards Ben. "I haven't seen her." Passing into the night, Chani regards the encroaching mist before looking to the three teams of Wookiees. The gesture with the bowcaster serves its purpose: Chani's vision trains itself on the pathway leading up to the temple jutting out of the thick forest of the planet and to the figure that has emerged from the foliage. She recoils out of instinct, taking half a step back and jutting her right hand out in front of her, arm angled down, as if to stop some thing enchroacing towards her. It's not fully lifted, with her palm trained towards the ground. "It can't be real, right? It's just another.." Chani trails off.

"What the...." Ax mutters upon seeing the face staring at them from the forests. Blinking a few times, he looks towards the phantom, because this shouldn't be real. Ax looks to the others gathered, to make sure they're seeing the same thing, and he's looking back towards Palpatine or Palpatine's ghost, or clone, or whatever the hell it was. "There's a cloning facility that really needs to be shut down."

Zandra flashes a grin at Chani, at her reply. A half shrug, and then there's the wookiee pointing them in the right direction. The mist is already creepy enough, honestly, but then there's the black cloak and the -staring face. "Well, that's not ominous or foreboding at all," is her initial comment, a scowl crossing her face. She manages to not take a step backwards, but like the others, that brief moment of OMGWTF crosses through her. She reaches for the Force, automatically, checking if there's a force user there that she can sense. Or - anything there that she can sense. "I don't think we've had group hallucinations before, right? There's not something in the air or anything?" She takes a deep centering breath, her hand on her lightsaber hilt just like most of the others, ready to defend, if needed. "Ax, you got that right. All of them, really."

Pausing with the revelation of Palpatine's floating face has suddenly, unerringly, garnered all of Qutha's considerable attention span. Anything he might have said? Forgotten. Evening itinerary? Wiped. He's seen the face once before and it was an unpleasant experience at the very least of what experiences could be described.

"Huh."

Jaw hanging slightly before he sidles a touch closer towards Chani, brow practically in his hairline, "Illusion? Though with what we've seen happen, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a hologram as much as something else." huffing a touch, "Dear oh dear oh dear..." hands wringing within his sleeves now.

"We've shut down two. Our interaction with the Kaminios didn't go well. Though I don't think this is there doing. THere was also that Byss droid factory." Jax muses. He looks to Rey as she arrives and gestures to well Palpatine. Then he turns to look back at the ghost. "In some ways the Cinder droids were worse."

"Not cloning," Ben replies with a cold stare at the motionless visage set like a flint against the temple. "Manufacturing. A Sentinel like the ones on Byss, if experience means anything. It doesn't always," the disclaimer tacked on to account for the unexpected, but the overall sentiment agrees with Jax.

His measured steps move forward precisely twice, drawing him even with Rey to match the ghostly face's stare. "How do you want to play this?" he mutters under his breath, head tilting towards the figure, but one hand is already behind his hip resting on the silver cylinder retained there by a sliding clasp.

Rey's eyes are on the figure off in the distance, much like all the rest surrounding her. She clutches the grip of her staff in her hand and feels a wave of anxiety waash through her body. But she doesn't speak, she lets the others do that in her stead. Her eyes do flick over to Ben to her left, then back to the figure after he's called out to. "I'm not sure." Rey quietly answers Ben, the uncertain words mirroring her uncertain expression.

It's only moments after he's called out to that the figure begins to move toward the Jedi. He isn't moving like a normal 'person' either as he comes out of the dark, he's gliding... smoothly... as he draws ever closer and more in to the light off of the Jedi Temple front facade the figure can be better seen.

His voluminous black robes are tattered and flowing freely in the wind as he moves closer and closer. He's not walking, he's hovering... he's flying slowly and silently toward the group of Jedi and Wookiee guards.

The Wookiees move nervously with this, their arms being gripped a bit tighter as they fear aggression from this 'figure'.

It flows over the cobblestones of the main walkway, with its torn and ripped garments dangling down toward the ground beneath it as it finally slows and stops within fifteen feete of the Jedi. The robes settle around whatever body lies beneath them, and the face...

The wrinkled, deformed, face.

It just stares.

Yellow eyes, the face illuminated so unnaturally inside the large hood that flutters as the 'thing' stops in its new place.

Much, much closer now.

The lingering silence is palpable. It grows awkwardly so in fact, until finally his unmistakable voice speaks out.

"I'm here. To join you."

Had he noticed his pride might have been hurt a measure, but Kasia's protective shift went unacknowledged, all of Rune's attention focused on the illuminated apparition that appeared outside of their gate. The voices and comments of his friends drift in and out of his consciousness as he nods here and there to some that registers. It's the statement of cloning facilities that gathers his notice and he risks a glance backward to Ax, Zan, and Jax in a measure of disbelief. Clearly someone needs to educate the former savage on the particulars of the aptly named 'Clone Wars'.

Rune's regard is drawn forward again as Ben steps near to Rey. He takes to squinting at the ghasty visage of the Sith that continues to haunt them well after death, lips drawn in a thin, tight line. "I did not like those droids, they were not pleasant." the Ysannan remarks as he turns the lightsaber hilt in his hand.

What he likes even less is the unnaturally creepy way this version of Palpatine floats toward the group. No sound, no bobbing up and down from a body that moves beneath, just eerie gliding across the cobblestones before the gate. If his heart wasn't hammering in his chest before it certainly was now, and the uncertain initiate takes a hesitant step back when the face stops nearby and speaks its request.

Fortunately for him, Rune is not the one to make such decisions of who joins them in their studies at the temple. But with all that has transpired before when encountering the man in any incarnation, he can offer a bit of advice. "I... I do not believe that would be a good idea."

Kasia's head turns slightly as she listens to the others speak, but her eyes remain on the menacing figure. It begins to move and she tenses, not knowing what to expect, but clearly anticipating something not good. Her thumb lifts and moves toward the button on her saber to activate the thing, but stops short of actually doing so. The being hovers nearer and she is still, not moving save her eyes that track the motion of this would be Palpatine. It's not until it speaks that she draws back slightly, thoroughly bemused. "I'm sorry. What?" she asks, only daring to turn her head enough to steal a glance around at the others, as though trying to measure whether they heard the same thing she did. "You want to join us?" Another pause, and then a lone word follows, a little louder and unmistakably suspicious. "Why?"

"Maybe we're all just seeing the same thing. Like a mass hallucination. The mist?" There's no mistaking it for the question that it is. Chani glances aside to Rune when he answers the Palpatine figure standing before them, but her attention always reverts back to the dark-robed figure. Her hand lowers back to her side and Chani steps forward. They are slow steps that grind against the sediment on the stone, and each is signaled with a soft tap of leather against rock. "You renounce all your ways? To join us, you would need to turn yourself over to the justice of the Republic to answer for your crimes first, I think. Though it's not my decision in the end." Chani doesn't descend the steps. Neither does the anxious set of slightly raised shoulders ever relax. She has moved closer, though, and her eyes remain focused on their visitor.

"This is insane," Ax mutters under his breath, mostly to himself. He just shakes his head. "Someone is gonna need to tell me about Byss after this," he says in a normal tone, his brain still trying to process what the hell is going on.

Focusing inwardly for a brief moment, he's moving his vision through different spectrums of light. He couldn't sense the phantom or whatever in the same way he senses other lifeforms, so maybe he could see through whatever this was.

Blink. Blink. Blink. Wait, what? "Who are you?" Zan asks the approaching thing. "Because two and two are not adding up to four at this point, and she's confused and befuddled. She glances to Ax, and then nods. "We can," she offers quietly to him. "Certainly." That said, she looks over to Chani and then she goes quiet, not entirely sure she has more to add at this point. She stands on guard, looking thoughtful. No life force, but maybe there's a - "Droid? Holocron?" she mutters softly, trying to figure out what they are seeing.

Expression changing to a 'Whaa?' sort of shift of eyes and mouth pulled a little more exaggeratedly, Qutha stares a little longer before his gaze goes to Rey, then Rune, then Jax, then Kasia, then Chani and then back to Palpatine who he is note quite certain actually said he wishes to join the Jedi.

At least his mouth finally closes when his expression begins to firm up.

Hands coming to rest at his side, the instinct to let them ball up and feed into the emotion trying to creep in combatted with a deep breath, eyes closed behind his goggles. Then another and he speaks up, polite but not withdrawing,

"The idea that anything like you would be trying to join the Jedi for anything other than to try and strike from within or practically the moment our backs turn is ludicrous. You've done such vile things that you couldn't possibly believe we'd trust you, I should think? Forgiveness is a good thing and even if you could be forgiven for the atrocities you've perpetuated - you could never be trusted among us." swallowing hard and shifting in his stance.

"I don't even want to know your why, close minded as that is... Your words are poison."

Jax says quietly to Rey and Ben, "Can you call upon the assistance of the jedi of old like Exgol?" Then Jax turns to look at Sheev, "Forgive my friends doubts. We personally not to say the jedi Order as a whole, do not have a promising history with anyone or anything that passes themselves off as Sheev Palpatine. So we are doubtful. If you're sincere openly speak your intent or be gone. We have no time for tricks and duplicity. The young man that spoke right before me is correct."

"No." Ben gives a short shake of his head, stepping forward where Rey holds back. "We'll destroy you. Like we did the others that look like you. Like we did your master."

"All your schemes and plans have failed. You come only to confuse and betray; you want to provoke a reaction? You have it," the big man snaps, tugging his weapon down into his hand in the process, the blade activating with sudden fury, flickering orange like a tongue of flame. "You will not enter this temple." That's probably a shared preference with the group. "And I will not let you leave." He's done his own work for that portion of the assignment.

The sinister face, illuminated, and unnatural. His yellow eyes look over the faces of the Jedi who speak out to him, who respond to him and cast their doubts. He visibly snears for just a second before his withered old lips fall flat again.

"I do not seek your /forgiveness./" He snaps back at them. "Nor, do I seek any -measure- of attaining your trust." He eyes the lot of them after these words leave his demonic visage.

Jax's words draw his snake-like eyes next, a sharp look given to the man.

"My intent." He starts again. "Is to reason with you. We have a common enemy. The leaders of this new Sith Empire... They are not of my line. They have broken free of my will and are seeking your total annihilation. /Our/ total annihilation..."

The ripped and torn robes of the shadowy figure continue to gently flow in the winds of the jungle air. From the north the sound of distant engines can be heard, and in the sky there are lights. Keen eyes may recognize them, X-wings. Scrambled by the New Republic who have caught wind of the alert status at the Temple no doubt.

With Ben's advance, the dark figure places his rotten eyes upon Ben's own. He does not yet react to the fiery lit lightsaber. He just speaks up again.

"Skywalker... I am here to join you, and in turn... I offer... everything." The ghost of Palpatine says, his voice laced with a calm sincerity, or as best as he can muster. "All that I have ever known, all that I have ever learned. It is within my memory. The galaxy's secrets... I offer you these. If you offer me safe harbor..."

Rey makes her way up to stand to the side of Ben herself now, her staff held in both her hands as she looks at the dark figure.

He looks back to her now.

"The secrets of Palpatine. Will... be... yours."

Rey, glances to the others, her loose strands of hair framing her face blowing gently in the winds before she looks to Ben, questioningly.

There are many opinions among the group, some spoken aloud, the majority of them being against letting whatever incarnation of Palpatine this is not being allowed inside the temple or even a 'step' closer than he currently is. It also seems, with the ignition of his unique blade, that Ben has made his decision as to the fate of this being, if that is truly what it can be called.

The chill voice of the monster seeps from the vision again, claiming that working together would benefit the Jedi and himself, the old Sith. At this, Rune's eyes narrow and, by depressing the button on his hilt, adds a green blade to join the one made of fire.

"Rey, Ben, and the Jedi have defeated you once, the master of the Sith. What this 'new threat' wishes was your own desire." He resolutely takes a step forward, ignoring the screaming of his nervousness. "What there is now is the same song but performed by a different band. We did not need your dark secrets then and we do not need them now." though the words seem strong, the wavering voice that speaks them belays his manner, the narrowed eyes betraying a measure of apprehension.

"I do not request forgiveness, my skepticism is more than warranted," Kasia says on the heels of Jax's request, but then it speaks and she goes quiet, lips pursing into displeased line. She might've had something else to say but Ben is making his opinion known, and she looks back to the keeper of Sheev's secrets, listening to his response.

"What good would those secrets even do us? What have they done for you? You have all of those secrets already, all that forbidden knowledge hidden away, and look where you are? Here, asking /Jedi/ to help you because you lack the power to do it yourself. So again, what good are you and your secrets to us?"

"So you're not here to join us, you're only interested in Rey. You're here to try to save yourself." Chani leaves her lips parted to exhale through them. "All that knowledge used for selfish purposes." Chani turns from her position and wanders closer to the temple itself. Her hand brushes against the top of one of the carved stones easily half her height. Turning her back to it, her hands plant against it and she hoists herself up with a little hop to sit atop it. She leans back against her outstretched hands and trains her gaze on the unfolding scene. Rune and Ben have their lightsabers drawn. When Rey's gaze passes over her, her shoulders lift in a shrug. The heels of her boots rest against the rock, angled with her toes pointed towards the ground.

"It's a droid, surrounding itself in a hologram, face is some kind of monitor or screen," Ax says, staring at the thing. "Not sure what exactly, nothing I've ever seen before, but you can see through it if you shift your vision a bit," he adds.

Then, Ben's bringing his lightsaber to life. "This might be a distraction," Ax says with a realization. Instantly, he's turning away from the Sheev-thing and looking towards the temple. Then, the words of the thing send a chill up his body. "Those secrets are better left dead with the original," Ax says, looking towards Rey. "Trust me, kid. Answers can be found in other ways than through someone as nasty and evil as Emperor Palpatine or his... whatever the hell this thing is."

Taking a breath, Ax looks back towards the temple, and he shuts his eyes, reaching out with his senses, looking for anything that might be out of place inside. Not knowing this place overly well didn't help matters, he was just glad he didn't bring the twins with him this time. At least the X-wings flying overhead gave him some bit of solace.

"Our friend here is right," Zandra says. "Your words are poison. You don't want to join us. You want to use us. You seek to lure us to your side in the end, with the promise of knowledge garnered over centuries." She doesn't have to say what Kasia did, nor what Rune did. They've already said it, after all. But her addition is crisp and on board. "It seems your time is over. Just stay dead where you belong." Her gaze stays on the droid. "Sort of the same thing we saw on Byss," she remarks to Ax, giving him a bit more info. Her gaze goes briefly up, identifying the X wings. Ax's comment about a distraction is noted - and she steps back, but not to run away but to look back at the temple. Her gaze then goes to Rey and she nods to the temple. "Ax and I can go run the inside perimeter?" she offers softly.

"Secrets of evil are secrets none the less." Qutha replies, his tone unchanging though his expression softening some. Not to remorse or towards acceptance. Pity would be more apt a way. "You're a hollow thing seeking to draw on the life of what you could not be. Whole. You are a perversion of what should be, you're an embodied imbalance in the force and you need to fade away."

Nodding to Chani now, "All your knowledge to be meted out, to string people along, to corrupt them." the zelosian shakes his head, "All the gold you offer is plated lead."

"Probably wise." Jax says of Zandra's plan. Then his eyes fall back on the Palaptine. "I think that's going to be a hard pass." His hand falling on his saber.

"It's an offer I've heard before. I thought I could twist it to my own uses," Ben replies flatly from behind the fiery blade now leveled cautiously in the droid(?)'s direction. "I'm a fast learner."

He glances towards Rey, meeting her eyes, the fire from his weapon dancing in his. He doesn't offer words of calm, reason, or wrath, no sage advice. Just pursed lips and a shaking head, and a shared memory of the cold stone floor where they last found themselves when a Palpatine had offered them everything.

"On the contrary." The Palpatine Ghost responds to the Jedi speaking up toward him, his eyes quickly sweeping across their faces. "I am here to help secure the galaxy, to help provide safety, and security... But."

The glowing face within the hood gently shakes side to side. "I can see that this gaggle of patch work warriors is too shortsighted to see the pathway to unlimited, potential..." He further says as the fiery blade is leveled in his direction.

He stares at Ben, and to the others who ignite their sabers.

"So be it..." He responds.

In the distance behind the shadowy figure, something emerges from the jungle canopy. A black shape rises forth, a circular ring that settles up in to the air. It catches the attention of the X-wings which divert their course and start to fly toward it....

The object begins to move toward the temple.

"If my offer is to be denied." Palpatine's Ghost continues. "Then I will explore other avenues toward my goals. The knowledge that I offer, will not, be offered again."

Rey looks toward Ax when he speaks to her, then up toward Chani as she settles back to observe. She looks back to the tree line then as the ship appears in the sky headed toward the temple.

"What I know could allow your armies to win this war within days. What I know could alter your futures forever... From answers of the Force, to answers of what lies beyond the Unknown Regions. To even, where, one's surviving last parent is being kept...."

This, of course, draws Rey's attention back down to the Demon on their doorstep. She takes a step forward toward the dark robed figure then. "What did you say." She speaks toward him.

What started with a certain amount of strength in confidence now waivers at the last words spoken, Rune's lightsaber dipping a hair at the mention of Rey's possible last surviving family member. Is he telling the truth for a change or is it a hint at something which is only meant to distract. Whatever the matter may be, there seems to now be a direct threat to the temple as a ship lifts from the trees and begins to head toward the structure.

"What is /that/?" Rune asks, stepping backward with wide eyes glued to the black ring that heads their way. He guesses at the height of the ship, wondering if he could possibly leap to the craft above or if they need to let the X-Wing take care of the slow moving object that bears no life signatures.

Kasia steps over so that she's nearer Ben and Rey, eyes lifting up to the sky to the dark shape that's hovering overhead. "Whatever he says, or claims to know, it's probably just a lie or at least will come with far too many strings attached to it to be worthwhile. Someone coming with honest intent would offer something like that up front for free to prove it."

"He might just be baiting you, Rey," Chani urges the young Paragon. "Saying whatever he can to get you to agree before gradually pulling you down the slippery slope of relying on him more and more. He's tempting you with something he thinks you'll want more than anything." She hasn't risen off her stone seat, not even when the black ship raises out from the dense jungle and begins to approach. "Isn't this what he does? Isn't this what we're warned about? Temptation, shortcuts.." Chani trails off. The incoming starfighters are getting closer. Their engines are unmistakeable. "Why would he need our help? He created an entire fleet of planet destroying ships for the purpose of making people obey him. Suddenly he's just powerless?"

"This day keeps getting better," he mutters, and with the rise of whatever the hell that was approaching the temple, he's running. He'd flown his skipray to Devaron, "Buster, get the Aftermath fired up. I'm on my way," he calls out over the comms. "I'll be on Saber comm frequencies, Jax. Keep me appraised." he says before pushing himself into a burst of speed. There were enough people here who could keep Rey calmed better than he could, and there were people in the temple, children and students, that needed protection from whatever the hell was coming towards it.

No weapon drawn, truth told he doesn't really have much for weapons besides a stun saber and the collapsible spear from back home, but Qutha simply drifts back to let the warriors go to war if they must. Any quips cut short at the sight of the approaching ring in all of its grandiose ominousness.

So it doesn't cut out all quips really,

"Bother and blow."

See that slipped out of the zelosian there.

Zandra looks to the droid/ghost thing, and then to Rey. "Well, if they're alive, somewhere, we can find them," she simply says. There is ocnfidence in their team and the things they can accomplish based on experience. "But that is still questionable, unfortunately. Hey, maybe he means my parent?" Not that she believes it for a second, but since old yellow skin ugly face didn't qualify, she throws something in. Ax heading for the aftermath gets a nod, and she makes sure she's also on Saber frequencies on her comm. "I mean, it could get really quite a bit better," she observes, still with a hand on the lightsaber.

"I hear you, Squint." Jax then lifts up his com unit. "Seventy, bring the Painted Guardian online. Prime weapons." Jax looks at Rey, "Somebody proably needs to be talking to the T-85s. If I know my proceedures they're probably engaging target locks and demanding the craft leave restricted space." Jax looks back to Rey. "Emperor's Black Bones, it's all lies. It's what he does. It's his poison. Reach out to the cosmic force. The jedi will tell you the truth."

There it is again. Everything you ever wanted, a dazzling balloon held out in pincushion fingers that could twist at any moment, poke through the thin veneer to vent what might be toxic gas. The twisted labs deep in the bowels of Exegol live behind Ben's eyes, the scene of a decrepit figure strapped to machinery raising withered hands and a fleet to conquer or crush the galaxy playing out behind them, that echoing word. Everything. Everything.

"You're /nothing,/" Ben jabs verbally, and when Rey takes a step forward, he matches it and keeps going, advancing on the black-robed droid as the ship approaches. The businesslike stride and the set of the weapon in his hand, back and down, held in an aggressive posture, belies his intention to stop those 'other avenues' right here.

Rey looks back to the others, listening to their responses, to their urging her to remain reasoned about this. They're right. She knows it. The 'thing' said it toward her though, "It..." She's about to speak when a noise happens in the sky. A loud thrumming noise that emits from the ring-shaped craft in the sky. Its a focused laser beam, deep crimson red that fires at one of the X-wings on approach. The T-85 is instantly engulfed in flames that light up the jungle, and a second later a thunderous explosion reaches the Jedi Temple!

A series of quick snap-hisses come from the shadowy figure, as Ben advances on it...

One long blade, two smaller blades forming a cross-guard. The blades waver and flicker with an unstable outflow of lightsaber energy...

The hungry crimson blade is swung toward Ben and pointed right at him. "You had your chance, Boy!" Palpatine's Ghost says to him.

Three more arms extend from the dark robed figure, and three more red bladed lightsabers ignite each in turn.

The floating figure, floats no more, as robotic legs fire down in to the stones beneath it, the legs all clattering across the ground as their metallic fingers unfurl from within its central housing. The robe of the Phantom swaying in the wind as a cackle suddenly comes from within its cowl...

"As pathetic, as I assumed." He says before he starts to laugh again.

The circular ring-shaped ship in the sky grows very close now as the spider-legged figure starts to run toward the Jedi!

All while cackling insanely loud.

Ax is off to the hangar and the others that remain, Kasia, Chani, Zan, and Jax all echo the same thought, that Palpatine is up to his old tricks but with a new front. There is a saying he had heard once before, 'Fool me once, shame on... shame on me. Fool me twice.... you are not going to fool me again.' or something to that accord, he has trouble remembering the correct phrasing on the spot.

Rune wonders quickly if he should be racing with Ax to the ships, if his fellow Jedi would need his support, but that moment is gone and Ben and Rey are advancing on the droid, one of the two with a more menacing air than the other. Lit saber in hand, the former savage advances as well, attempting to push the dread from his soul as the pair of lightsabers make their way toward the cloaked figure...

That is until the figure sprouts multiple arms, a malevolent lightsaber clasped in each hand. With only a moment spared for the widening of his eyes, Rune dashes forward past Ben to engage the scurrying droid with the ghost like face, his blade held aloft before he brings it down in a wide cut in an attempt to sever one of the limbs from its form. Instead, there is the sharp sound of two blades meeting and the young Jedi pushes back against the phantom with locked sabers.

The ominous shade of saber springs to life and Kasia is unsurprised, stepping back as other weapons ignite to meet it. She doesn't leap into the fight just yet, remaining near enough that she can, or at the very least leap in and assist those who might need help. A deep breath is drawn in and then she focuses on the thing, non-weapon wielding hand outstretched toward the Palpatine-droid-thing, and after a moment one of the arms lowers and the weapon clatters to the ground.

"Tell the starfighters to back off!" Chani urges someone with a method to do so. She is no longer sitting, but she's neither advancing on the droid spouting multiple arms or racing into the temple. Instead, she observes, lightsaber still on her belt and gaze trained on the unfolding chaos following the bright burst of the explosion in the air and the resounding boom that spread through the dense foliage and triggered all manner of birds to take off from their trees and animals to scatter madly in search of somewhere safer to be. "Be careful engaging it! Watch out for the other arms!" Chani holds her breath one seeing Rune clash one blade against a singular of the droid's, leaving all the other ones capable of attacking him with his defense tied up.

Ax is still trying to get to his ship and get it airborn. Even with force-enhanced speed, he's not figured out teleportation yet. The destruction of the X-wing only gets him to move faster.

Zan's blade ignites, as she prepares to fight as well. That ship needs more than the x wings can throw at it, but she's not the squad leader. She takes a defensive spot, blocking the entrance to the temple. A glance to the woookiees if they're still present. "Get inside, make sure everyone is okay," she tells them. The temple got hit ... again. "It's like a lightning rod for evil doers." That's said softly, but with some annoyance. "Then again, maybe that's us."

And then it all goes to chaos, leaving Qutha to back away from the conflict - where he might be more of a liability than an aid. Patting himself down and then looking to the wookiee guards. Mouth open to speak but then he realizes, he doesn't speak wookiee. They might likely understand basic. Oh and then Zan talks to them, confirming one of his internalized questions.

"Or help?"

Will they? Won't they? If they clap hands and declare themselves out, would he blame them? I mean, Rune and Ben are fighting a Palpatopus... Squidpatine? Sheev Cephalotine?

Robot tentacle lightsaber monster.

"Dear oh dear."

"That lightsaber..." Ben's eyes narrow as he feels familiar rage bubbling up from deep inside him, the anger going from cold to white-hot as the unstable blade activates in the Sentinel's robotic hand along with a pair of quillions. "It belongs to /me./"

But he doesn't reach for the lightsaber. He's more angry than that. His hand snaps /up/, towards the black ring, the mysterious spacecraft of unknown design and weaponry, fingers clutching as a falcon grasps its prey. Down, down, down, all of his focus is bent on it, mind and muscles straining in a body unable to tell the two apart, his arm quaking with the effort.

The ring stalls in its flight, starts to waver.

Down, down, down. Lips twist into a snarl, beads of sweat stand out on his forehead, and his presence in the Force, usually neutral, turns dark.

It isn't enough. The ring wobbles once more and slips free.

Loosing his hold, the reformed Solo glares at his hand, the sky, and the Sentinel each, tightening his grip on his lightsaber. His new one.

When Rune engages with the Phantom their sabers clash together, with a blinding bright flow of sparks from the connection. The cackling only intensifies as the spider-legged robotic menace suddenly spouts a cone of flame at the Jedi who dared to get close enough to strike at him!

The fire rolls out of the interior body of the black form, just as the Wookiees open fire! Their blasts all lance at the Ghost only to be absorbed by a spherical energy shield that bubbles up around its front and back!

It doesn't stay ground-level for long either, suddenly lunging up in to the air to land on a statue near to where Chani had been relaxing. The statue is crawled across before it begins to topple over toward the Jedi congregated outside their temple!

More cackling as the spider-Sentinel is now leaping to the front of the temple itself, its metal feet jamming in to the front facade.

From above it stares down at the Jedi... laughing at them, three sabers in its arms now, one left behind...

AS the ring-shaped craft flies closer, Rey turns to look at it. A sudden spout of fire from the ring explodes as it unleashes a barrage of warheads toward the temple

Rey's hand goes up, toward the ship, toward the missiles. She tries to concentrate.... she tries to calm herself and focus...

She can't.

"Get inside!" Rey shouts to everyone. "Run! Seal the doors!" She yells while turning to run toward the temple interior!

The Sentinel Prime just... laughs, from up above, as a rocket jet bursts from beneath its spidery legs and sends it off in to the sky toward the ring-ship.

Missiles incoming!

Chani's warning is well warranted, the Force chiming in with a prickling of the hairs on the back of his neck that he may be in a bit over his head. Knit eyebrows with focused eyes shift rapidly to widened alarm and he responds with an instinctive duck, yanking his saber free from the lock to drop in height. The air above him became a torrent of flame, plumes of fire rushing from the droid in an attempt to cook the Jedi alive.

Instead of all out Runebeque, the most that is received is a line of singed hair that smells something awful... he needed a trim anyway. Once the fire has made its exit, Rune stands to face the machine again but feels a rush of air as it leaps to its new perch on the statue. All chaos breaks loose from the falling rock, the missiles, the explosions, everything and Rey's shouted commands are listened to with utmost haste.

The Ysannan Jedi summons the Force to help him move quickly, his legs carrying him across the cobblestone path that leads to the opened doors with a bit more urgency. Rune dashes through the archway, trying to assist others as they make their way inside, the green glow about the interior extinguished once his blade retreats into the emitter. When everyone is inside, he watches in horror as the doors slam shut on the ravaging of the temple's exterior, stone and ornamentation falling as the world outside is barred entrance.

Ax was just getting into his ship and strapping himself in when the missiles came. While his droid had prepped it for launch, he hadn't had enough time to get it airborn. Only thing he could do is engage the shields just before the missiles hit. <<"Jax! Update! Zan! Anyone!">> he calls out over the comms, hoping that others got to safety before everything went to hell. Switching to the Republic naval frequencies, Ax yells into his ship's comms system. <<"Republic Fleet, this is Saber 3 aboard the skipray Aftermath. Requesting immediate medivac to the Jedi Temple, and bring in as much fire support as you can. I don't know what the hell that is attacking us, but it's got some serious firepower onboard. Unknown casualties at this time. I'll be airborn to offer aid as best I can once I get airborn. Don't bloody shoot me!">> Already, he's regretting not going for one of the TIE Defenders, he may never get a chance to fly one now.

Of all the ways this could have ended... yeah, this feels about right to Kasia. The concentration is broken as even more chaos errupts, the outstretched hand dropping as her eyes lift skyward. Rey shouts to run, and she doesn't hesitate to whirl around on the balls of her feet, launching herself forward to start a sprint back to the entrance of the temple. The jangle of bracelets and clatter of practical heels are lost in the din of the assault on the temple. Once inside she doesn't go far, whipping around to watch that everyone makes it inside.

Superheated rock fragments and metal pieces fragmenting off of the missiles explode outwards and shred through dense foliage and embed in stone. The right sleeve of Chani's tunic rips as some of those fragments cut through the cloth and her arm beneath like a hot vibroknife through butter, tearing at muscle fibers and tendons and ligaments. Their heated state instantly cauterizes burst capillaries and cut veins, while also burning skin and muscle and the multiple layers of tissue between the former and latter. Chani cries out in pain, though no verbal noise can quite express what it's like to have little pebbles carve through her flesh and careen against the bone beneath, where once cooled the jagged edges will cause numerous sources of internal bleeding.

Zan concentrates, her gaze on Rune as she tries to use the Force, to try to get it to assist her to create a force shield. She can't quite get it, but is distracted, somewhat, until Rey's shout catches her attention and she stutter steps as she starts to run. That causes her to reach to the Force, and she enhances her steps, getting herself moving fast enough too get inside, making sure that everyone is inside, standing more or less parallel with Kasia. She doesn't put her lightsaber away, keeping it to hand inc ase needed. << We're inside, Saber 3, >> she calls back on the comm. << Will report more once we can.>>

The Grevious Palpatine goes bouncing about before launching himself in the air. Rey gives the command for the jedi to pull back. Jax looks up for a moment, "Sith Spawn." He doesn't like that they've been beaten by this thing. He turns and runs the force flowing through him and guiding him as his feet carry him back to the temple.

Ben moves with the speed of someone who is used to missiles exploding around him, a brisk run that covers all the ground it needs to in enough time to get him safely inside, where he prowls like a caged animal, matted hair stuck to his forehead. The mist has infiltrated the interior and swirls around him now, and in a flicker of his old self, the lightsaber in his hand darts through it, cutting both fog and some of the temple's ancient stone, leaving an angry orange line that crackles and pops as the silica expands and contracts back again. His shoulders heave but he doesn't say anything, glaring down at the mar, a muscle in his cheek twitching as his jaw clenches down.

Fire and debris blast through the doors of the Jedi Temple before they can close, narrowly avoiding the death of the Jedi and Wookiees that rush back inside the main foyer of the building. Its rocked by the explosions outside, the lights inside all going off, only to be replaced by emergency backups that illuminate the interior of the foyer with a eerie red glow.

Rey lands near one of the greenery spaces, her back up against the stone planter and her quarterstaff rolling away from her toward the stairs down to the middle of the room. she spins around to look at the doors sealing, and then up at the building around them as it shakes and rumbles...

But it holds together, the building doesn't fall down upon their heads...

Outside, six red engines, with one central gold engine propell the ring-shaped ship toward space! New Republic fighters sweep up from the ground base at the near by village, pursuing the enemy craft. The A-wing and X-wings all spread out in to a diamond formation as they tail the ship.

Only to suddenly break off, all of the New Republic fighters scrambling away now!

The AFTERMATH will see it, Ax in his cockpit.

All at once. A sudden stillness broken apart by a ring of energy that detonates in a powerful BURST of red light!

A seismic charge!

The ring shaped ship fires its thrusters and flees in to space...