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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 3585686" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 473: New Planet, Old LightsaberConsidering how fast things were moving around her, half of which she had no idea about, Venda was doing quite well. It helped that she had a great deal of exposure to cultures and peoples that were completely alien to her own, though admittedly, the Alraxians were the most...unique she’d ever seen. Their seclusion from the rest of the galaxy likely had everything to do with that.    The people themselves were interesting and she was doing her best to take in everything she could, especially the living ship...but it was Marix that, for obvious reasons, had her main interest. The woman was...like nothing Venda had ever seen. It was obvious to her that the threats against Venda were not bluffs...Marix would have no problem killing her. But then they step off the ship and Venda watches the woman embracing her child with a warmth that she’d never seen before. It didn’t seem to make any sense that one person could have such polar opposites within them.     It was worrying, to be honest. There was a very strong darkness within Marix and Venda felt like she should do...something about it. Of course, there was the problem of knowing next to nothing of either Marix or the Alraxians as a whole, so it was hard to make a safe judgement. But still...    That didn’t really matter at the moment, though. An impossible darkness had suddenly appeared on a planet like she’d never been to before...so full of life. And now she was running, running to catch up with Marix’s son and the man that was carrying him. Running with two very large Alraxians at her side, both of whom were armed with swords nearly half her size. Running and feeling something approaching...something extremely dangerous and very focused.    And then there was a vaguely familiar sound.    It was almost a blaster rifle, but the pitch was too high and it was more like a speeder that needed a new engine. A half second later, there was a cry from the Alraxian at her left and she stopped her run to turn and see the large humanoid hitting the ground of the courtyard with a burning wound on his face unlike anything she’d ever seen.    “Mrrakesh!!” the other Alraxian let out a loud growl and dove past her to where Venda could see two humanoid figures that were even larger than Alraxians.    They were both holding metal swords that were straight and tipped at an odd angle and were running faster than any creature Venda had ever seen. Instinct was kicking in for her, and the Force was beginning to take control of Venda’s actions. Her lightsaber was in hand, green blade alight and ready as she fell into step right behind the Alraxian that was charging.    In a flash, the two huge creatures were on top of the Alraxian, their swords swinging in. A high blow was parried but Venda could see that the second sword, coming in for the feline’s gut, was not going to be blocked in time.    But then, suddenly, the incoming blade was wrenched into another direction and its wielder sent to the ground. The Alraxian was a Force user! A strong one!    Was that why this planet felt so alive?! Were they all Force users?!    There wasn’t time for those questions, though. As the Alraxian was forced onto the defensive, being driven down by strong blows from this monstrous attacker, the other was on its feet. But the first two had moved, and Venda had placed herself in between them, swinging her lightsaber in a short arc to catch the downed creature off guard.    It didn’t work...and she got another surprise.    Her lightsaber struck the sword and there was no sound at all as they held there, the lightsaber somehow unable to cut through it. She immediately knew why. The Force was flowing around that sword! These attackers were Force users, too!    Venda could not hold her blade straight, and was suddenly overpowered by an impossible strength. The push from the creature sent her into the grass of the courtyard at lightning speed and her head was spinning before she even hit the ground. The Force took control of Venda’s body and she rolled to the side to avoid a strike into the ground that would have cut her in two. Using the momentum and trying to ignore the blurred vision, she jumped up to her feet and took a couple of steps back to try and give herself a moment.    “Jeadai!” the creature spoke through a mask over its face that muffled its gruff voice, and though the word sounded odd at first, Venda could pick out ‘Jedi’ fairly easily. It reminded her of the Vong at first, but they didn’t have the same odd accent...there was a hint of understanding of Basic in the voice at some level, just not being able to pronounce the word, itself.    But it said that word as it was coming at her again, and as she sidestepped a strike, another voice called out, “Anda Mrrakesh! Ahleska ir Enrai’el!”    Venda’s movements took her into a position where she could see the speaker was the Alraxian. She had no idea what was said, though, and was also a bit busy ducking under a swing from the thing’s sword. A knee caught her in the chin and sent her head snapping back before she went to the ground again. Venda tasted blood and while the Force was trying to move her again, her body wasn’t responding.    A sword was coming down at her, and then it disappeared, pushed off to the side. An arm fell onto her and a blue substance that was nearly liquid followed it. Venda’s vision cleared enough for her to see the Alraxian standing over her, with on arm gone and the same blue liquid leaking from the wound. There was also a sword coming through his chest and his skin was becoming a metallic silver colour.    “Ahleska...ir...” he didn’t finish whatever he was trying to say. But his eyes shifted.    They looked over and past Venda. Hers followed and she saw the man nearly to the ship...running alone. Unprotected. Suddenly she knew what the Alraxian had been saying.    Drawing upon the Force to strengthen her injured body, Venda was on her feet and sprinting at full speed away from the two creatures and back to what she was supposed to have been doing. She could feel them behind her, hear their heavy steps in pursuit...so close that a single misstep from her would mean they were on her.    But she was almost to the older Alraxian...and he was almost to that ship.    Then she heard the sound again. The blaster-like noise that she realized was coming from the same general direction the first had. Time seemed to slow as the Force propelled her faster, yelling so many things at her that Venda had no time to even attempt to understand all of them. Instead she just did what she was taught and didn’t question...let the Force guide her.    Suddenly, Venda found herself a step behind the older Alraxian, her lightsaber swinging up and then holding for a fraction of a second. It was then that a green bolt of energy collided with her blade, the force of the impact sending her stumbling back as the bolt reflected into the ground, sending up a shower of dirt and grass.    But even as she lost her balance, her arms were still guiding the lightsaber. She caught a heavy blow from a metal blade and instead of fighting it, simply redirected it upwards, twisted to the opposite side and then lowered her lightsaber to catch the attack from the second creature. This one she managed to stop, but the strength behind the attack was so great that it broke her wrists.    Venda cried out in pain and lost her grip on the lightsaber as she fell to the ground of the courtyard again. It was obvious she was out of her league here. But the older Alraxian should have made it to the ship now...    Vaguely, she heard another sound. It was like the others, but much more blaster-like in origin. She saw movement above her and one of the two large figures that had been bearing down on her hit the ground and stopped moving. The first sound echoed again, followed by a symphony of the new one.    A few moments passed and Venda felt new presences around her...one overpowered all of the rest. It was...gentle. It was also helped her to her feet. As Venda’s eyes regained focus, she saw a group of Alraxians...at least a dozen, probably more. All of them were wearing the same uniforms as the first two, guards of some kind, and they were holding weapons that didn’t look like anything she had ever seen...some kind of circular device around the arm...    But no, the one helping her up was wearing something different. It was a female, barely taller than Venda, and she had a pair of bright orange eyes and a voice to match her soft presence, “Can you walk?”    “I...I think so...” something in that voice had Venda answering without realizing it.    “Come quickly,” the Alraxian woman was now helping Venda walk towards the ship, “There are a great deal more Mrrakesh in the Palace and we must leave immediately.”    Venda nodded, her mind a haze and the adrenaline rush gone. Pain was creeping in, mostly from her wrists but also from her jaw and shoulders. She realized she was covered in something that was probably blood, though it was blue, and that did little to make her feel better. But as she was being walked into the ship, still in a daze, Venda realized there was something important she hadn’t figured out yet, “Marix’s son...”    “Is safely aboard Loki as we all will be in a few moments,” the Alraxian woman had a smile on her face, “We are all in your debt, mistress Jedi. If you had not delayed the Mrrakesh the Knights and I would have been too late.”    As Venda was guided aboard the ship that was apparently called Loki, she managed a glance behind her. The other Alraxians, apparently the Knights that the woman had mentioned, armed with those odd weapons that didn’t resemble anything she’d ever seen, following quickly. And off to the side were two bodies...those creatures. There were pockets of black burn marks across their backs. And in the distance, she could see a pair of Alraxians running to catch up, carrying a large...thing between them.</blockquote>

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