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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 2961548" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 383: ComplicationsThe Vong had arrived already, their fleet in a distant orbit of Ithor...much farther from the planet than the planet’s defenses could currently reach. But the transport and its two Coralskipper guards were allowed through, and down to the planet’s surface below. Down where Corran Horn and a small group of other Jedi waited. Waiting to decide the fate of Ithor...and hoping that the Vong would hold to their word of leaving the planet if their command lost.    And nearly everyone left on Tafanda Bay waited. Most of the cities of the planet had been evacuated in the previous days, but some always remained behind in any evacuation. Together with the Jedi and New Republic forces in the cities, they all waited.    All but a few...    A fizzling sound signaled the deactivation of Jyren’s lightsaber as he looked across the street to his Duros friend, “Now yours.”    Rulae shook his head, still holding his blaster steadily, “Put the weapon down, Akan.”    Jyren’s eyes went wide for a second before he got his reaction under control. But he did noticed Tobias’ head spin around to look at Jyren in surprise. Even Marix, who was now sitting up and shaking off the dizzying feeling from the remainder of the poison, glanced his way.    Knowing exactly what that meant, Jyren said, “Its more complicated than you think, Rulae.”    “I do not think that is possible,” Rulae’s voice was flat, and his two, teardrop shaped eyes seemed to somehow be focused on one tiny detail that Jyren just couldn’t pick up. And then, Rulae added, “That amphistaff should have taken your face off.”    Damn.    Just...damn!    Why did everything always have to go so pear shaped exactly at the wrong points? Always, right when it was the worst possible time...BAM! The universe got turned on its head and everyone was out to get Marix and Jyren again. Of course, he should have been used to that by this time, and it shouldn’t have been a surprise at all. But...as usual, it was.    So, Jyren decided it was best to just jump the gun and play dirty, “I’m still your friend, Rulae. Still the same person. I told you everything I could. Everything I left out was to protect my family.”    “The charges against you are not against your family,” the Duros responded with a few steps forward, “They are against you, and you alone.”    “No,” Marix suddenly spoke up, her voice as strong as ever as if nothing at all had happened. And she was on her feet, too...not all that impressive, considering her relatively short height as a human, but it still said much.    Rulae glanced in her direction and had a look of slight confusion for a moment, but before he could say anything Jyren cut in again, “I told you that I tracked down a man that had captured Marix. He was a former Imperial...and the only person who knew how to find him was the man I broke out.”    “That does not excuse anything, Raan.”    “I did the right thing!” Jyren snapped, a sudden wave of anger rippling through the Force from him, “You cannot imagine what would happened to the New Republic if I had not done those things. You can’t possibly think of the billions that would have been murdered. Yes, New Republic men died trying to stop me...but I did what I had to do, and it was the right thing.”    For a long moment, there was silence. Rulae seemed to be trying to piece things together, but before he could say anything at all, the three others exchanged quick glances. They all, suddenly, felt something.    Something strong and...and...    “We need to leave this planet now,” Marix stated, grabbing Tobias’ arm and then looking straight to Jyren.    “I can’t let you leave!” Rulae snapped at her, turning his weapon towards her but noticing she had turned her back and was heading off.    Jyren, having taken a few quiet steps towards the Duros, then reached out and snatched the blaster pistol from his blue hand. As Rulae started to swing at the human, Jyren stepped back again and looked him straight in the eye, “Something is happening, Rulae. The duel...or...no...worse. If you want to live, come with us.”    Rulae stared at him and blinked a few times before sounds could be heard. People....yelling...moving...running? Something had happened. And...and then another sound. A sound that Rulae knew very well. The odd noise of Coralskippers.    “Go,” Rulae said finally, “The Araddon is where I should be.”    “Your fighter is too far away,” Jyren said, shaking his head and just doing what Marix had done and grabbed his friend by the arm to drag him to Loki, “Come on.”    There was not a chance to argue. Rulae found that Jyren’s grip was stronger than it should have been, and fighting it was useless. Besides, from the looks of the sky above, they were right. The blue was...was...fading, almost. Not like a fade from day to night, but something else. Something...sickly. Something wrong.    It barely took any time before they arrived at the small docking bay where Loki rested, and for the first time, Rulae got a good look at the odd ship. It was like nothing he’d ever seen. And, at the speed they were running, something he wasn’t getting much of a chance to see, either. By then, Jyren had let go of his arm and, as they were heading for what looked to be the hatch, Rulae noted the distinct sound of engines powering up.    “Someone’s already inside?” he yelled, noting that the two others were only a few steps ahead of them.    “Its complicated,” Jyren said over his shoulder before stepping into the hatch and then immediately rounding a corner to follow the other two.    The hatch closed like an iris behind the Duros, who noted the unique design of the corridors before quickly turning to follow the other three. Out of his element, he decided it was best to tag along and figure things out as he could.“Loki, get us the hell out of here!” Marix was yelling at...at...nothing, as far as Rulae could tell.    “And what in the name of the Force happened?!” Jyren yelled...upwards, Rulae noted.    But before he could say anything, they’d reached what had to be the cockpit. Both Jyren and Marix swung into the only two seats there were in the interesting looking cockpit, while the young human stood behind Jyren’s chair and held on slightly.     As Rulae took up a place near the back of the cockpit and he watched the ground rising through the viewport, he ‘heard’ something very odd. [The New Republic is saying the Jedi won...but...]    “But what?” Marix was growling almost as he hands grabbed what looked to be a control yoke and aimed them into the now-green sky.    [...the Vong released a toxin in the atmosphere...]    All of them exchanged serious looks this time, but it was only Jyren who managed to speak up, “Get us off this planet as quickly as you can, Loki.”    Rulae was beginning to think this ‘Loki’ was some kind of AI program within the ship...especially when the odd response sounded in his head. [I am trying but...it hurts...]    Okay...maybe not. Though everything was getting stranger and stranger, Rulae couldn’t help but note that they were definitely moving fast. It wasn’t long before the sky gave way to the black of space. And...off in the distance, flashes of red and green could be seen.    “The fleet.”    Jyren nodded, but looked over to Marix instead, “Do it.”    She nodded and, as Rulae started to yell, they escaped the planet’s gravity well and made the jump to hyperspace.    In the silence that followed, Rulae said quietly, “...I should be on the Araddon.”    “No,” Jyren responded over his shoulder, “We have to show you something. The kids...they’ll be alright.”    “...but what about Ithor...?” the voice of young Tobias was soft and obviously terrified.    Rulae wasn’t sure what to say, but he couldn’t help but notice that both of the other adults looked up slightly. Then came that voice in his head again. [I am alright but...but that toxin...it was very strong...]    “They lost the duel...so they won’t take Ithor...” Jyren said silently to himself.    It was Marix who finished the thought, however, in a flat, cold voice, “...but they made sure no one can have it if they can’t.”</blockquote>

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