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<blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 4174580" data-attributes="member: 10079"><p><strong>Chapter 576: Standoff</strong></p><p></p><p>Tobias stood staring into the barrel of a blaster, his peripheral vision showing two more aimed at him, and wondered if this was the kind of thing he was going to have to get used to as a Jedi...or maybe it was just what he got for being a BlueIce. Or maybe it was both. Either way, his lightsaber was on the ground at his feet and the three men didn’t seem to consider the fact that, in a second, he could call it to his hand again with very little effort. That was, of course, why Tobias had not been too worried to release the weapon.</p><p> </p><p>“The hell are we going to do now, Rem?” the man on the left asked the one in the center.</p><p> </p><p>“Will you shut up?” the one on the right snapped.</p><p> </p><p>Left rolled his eyes and then motioned at Tobias with his blaster, “What’s it matter what he hears? Blasted Jedi are mind readers anyway so we might as well talk. Not like we’re going to be able to leave him alive anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>“Stow it, both of you,” the beared man in the center, Rem, growled in his gruff voice. His deep-set eyes then shifted back to Tobias, looking down the barrel of the gun at the younger man very carefully, “I don’t like killing children, but you’ve put me in a very difficult situation.”</p><p> </p><p>Not hearing a question in that, but taking in the situation as he had been taught by both Marix and Master Ral, Tobias decided he had enough of a grasp on the current predicament he had quite literally walked into to attempt speaking. Slowly, he suggested, “Then you could just put down the blaster and not kill me.”</p><p> </p><p>That got a short laugh from Rem, but the one on the left, his voice a rather grating sound that made Tobias wonder how anyone could stand to be around him, said quickly, “Don’t you try any of those Jedi tricks!”</p><p> </p><p>Though the man on the right glanced to the loud one, Rem seemed to ignore him. Instead, Rem went on, “You are correct, young man. I could just put the blaster down and not kill you. However, you are either a Jedi or a foolish child trying to pretend to be one by carrying that weapon. I have seen many of the latter, but you carry yourself like the former. And you Jedi being as you are, there is no way I can simply leave you here without your morality forcing you to do something about this.”</p><p> </p><p>For a man that was quite obviously a killer, Rem was surprisingly formal and intelligent. And he was also right. Tobias had walked in not moment after what was clearly a murder, and he was a Jedi. It was his duty to do something about it. He couldn’t simply let these men go. Yet, at the same time, Tobias was not about to simply jump into action and kill them. He needed to wait, understand the situation a little bit better, perhaps figure out exactly what had happened, and then he could act.</p><p> </p><p>So, still speaking carefully and trying to talk in such a way that showed he was not trying any mind tricks, Tobias asked, “Did you really think you could kill someone in the lobby of an apartment building on Coruscant, of all places, and someone wouldn’t notice?”</p><p> </p><p>The problem, however, was that Tobias was not exactly experienced at handling delicate situations.</p><p> </p><p>But instead of getting angry, Rem shrugged in a way that didn’t move his blaster from Tobias’ face, “If I could have killed him in his home, I would have. It isn’t our fault we walked in when he was leaving.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah!” left was speaking again, “He even pulled a weapon first! Nicked me with his vibroblade!”</p><p> </p><p>Apparently, the man on the left was not very intelligent. He seemed to think that Rem was feigning innocence, when he was actually just telling the truth. But Tobias did note the tension was rising. The man on the right was still quiet, a hard look on his weathered features as his blaster did not waver at all. On the left, the annoying-voiced man was obviously jittery and ready to fire his blaster at any second. Rem’s looked of seriousness remained, but his feeling in the Force was growing more tense by the second. It was obvious he had made the decision to kill Tobias and was just trying to give himself a reason to make it Tobias’ fault rather than his own.</p><p> </p><p>Calmly, Tobias said, “Please put the blaster down, Rem. It’s the only way now.”</p><p> </p><p>In his mind, Tobias had expected some kind of remark in response to what he’d said. It didn’t have to be witty, and could have even been as much as just an apology. But there was no verbal response. Instead, Tobias’ eyes caught the slightest of movements from Rem’s extended right arm. Marix had taught him to watch for that kind of thing if he ever ended up in such a situation, and there it was. A slight tensing of the muscles in the arm, barely visible beneath the loose clothing but still very much there. Rem was about to pull the trigger.</p><p> </p><p>But thanks to senses drilled into him by Marix and Force-enhanced reaction, there was no way the blaster bolt would hit him in such a situation.</p><p> </p><p>Tobias’ left arm shot up in an arc, hitting Rem’s right arm at the wrist. There was a slap as the arms hit, and the Force of Tobias’ strike sent Rem’s aim off. Tobas’ left ear suddenly was dominated by the loud scream of a blaster bolt firing right past, but he ignored it and, in almost the same motion, swept both of Rem’s feet out from under him with his right leg.</p><p> </p><p>It was happening too fast for the others to clearly see what was going on.</p><p> </p><p>The next thing either of the other two attackers saw, Rem was falling to the ground, blaster dropping on the other side of Tobias, who had just spun to his left and twisted in just the right way so that both blaster shots from the other two men went right across either side of him. But Tobias’ didn’t stop moving, his left arm reaching around behind him and then calling his lightsaber to it. Tobias caught the hilt and brought the blue-green blade to life in the same moment the man on his left fired again. But all it took was for Tobias to continue his spin and bring his lightsaber up to deflect the blaster bolt and send it into a far wall.</p><p> </p><p>At the same time as the shot reflected off his blade in a flash of white-hot light, the right man also fired, forcing Tobias’ to twist around even more and then invert his blade to send that shot right into the duracrete floor just meters away from him. But the Force was yelling more warnings at him, and Tobias was no longer reacting as much as just letting it guide him. And with that, it took little effort to extend his right hand towards the man on the left and send a heavy blow at him with the Force.</p><p> </p><p>The man yelped at flew back just a few meters before slamming into the wall behind him and dropping painfully onto a piece of rather unique looking furniture beneath him. But it still wasn’t over, and the only one of the trio standing was squeezing the trigger of his blaster pistol again, this time with it aimed at Tobias’ head. So, in a flash of light, Tobias swung his lightsaber around and back up, slicing off half of the man’s blaster pistol and creating a shower of sparks and flame that caused him to jump back and release the destroyed weapon. Before he could even attempt anything else, Tobias’ right hand was reaching out and sending a wave of the Force at him, sending him against the wall not far from his flung companion.</p><p> </p><p>Then, hearing movement behind him, Tobias spun around again and put the tip of his lightsaber just centimeters from Rem’s chest. The man had been going for his blaster pistol, which was just a half meter out of his reach. But now, with a lightsaber so very close to his body, Rem froze and looked up the length of the weapon to Tobias, who was breathing heavily but somehow showing no hint of exhaustion.</p><p> </p><p>Steadying his voice and trying to return his breathing to normal, Tobias spoke firmly, “I just wanted you to put the blaster down...I was never going to kill any of you.”</p><p> </p><p>Rem’s eyes darted to his side to see his two companions unconscious against the wall and overturned pieces of furniture. The man then looked back to Tobias, “And now you are.”</p><p> </p><p>“They’ll live,” Tobias said in the same voice. He then did something that surprised Rem even more than the swift movements that had occurred just moments early. Tobias deactivated his lightsaber, “As will you. Now, please, come with me to the nearest security office.”</p><p> </p><p>For the shortest of moments, Rem looked to his blaster just out of reach, saying in a matter of fact way, “I could shoot you when you turn your back, you know.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Tobias shook his head and motioned for the man to stand up, “You know very well now that you couldn’t.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ankh-Morpork Guard, post: 4174580, member: 10079"] [b]Chapter 576: Standoff[/b] Tobias stood staring into the barrel of a blaster, his peripheral vision showing two more aimed at him, and wondered if this was the kind of thing he was going to have to get used to as a Jedi...or maybe it was just what he got for being a BlueIce. Or maybe it was both. Either way, his lightsaber was on the ground at his feet and the three men didn’t seem to consider the fact that, in a second, he could call it to his hand again with very little effort. That was, of course, why Tobias had not been too worried to release the weapon. “The hell are we going to do now, Rem?” the man on the left asked the one in the center. “Will you shut up?” the one on the right snapped. Left rolled his eyes and then motioned at Tobias with his blaster, “What’s it matter what he hears? Blasted Jedi are mind readers anyway so we might as well talk. Not like we’re going to be able to leave him alive anyway.” “Stow it, both of you,” the beared man in the center, Rem, growled in his gruff voice. His deep-set eyes then shifted back to Tobias, looking down the barrel of the gun at the younger man very carefully, “I don’t like killing children, but you’ve put me in a very difficult situation.” Not hearing a question in that, but taking in the situation as he had been taught by both Marix and Master Ral, Tobias decided he had enough of a grasp on the current predicament he had quite literally walked into to attempt speaking. Slowly, he suggested, “Then you could just put down the blaster and not kill me.” That got a short laugh from Rem, but the one on the left, his voice a rather grating sound that made Tobias wonder how anyone could stand to be around him, said quickly, “Don’t you try any of those Jedi tricks!” Though the man on the right glanced to the loud one, Rem seemed to ignore him. Instead, Rem went on, “You are correct, young man. I could just put the blaster down and not kill you. However, you are either a Jedi or a foolish child trying to pretend to be one by carrying that weapon. I have seen many of the latter, but you carry yourself like the former. And you Jedi being as you are, there is no way I can simply leave you here without your morality forcing you to do something about this.” For a man that was quite obviously a killer, Rem was surprisingly formal and intelligent. And he was also right. Tobias had walked in not moment after what was clearly a murder, and he was a Jedi. It was his duty to do something about it. He couldn’t simply let these men go. Yet, at the same time, Tobias was not about to simply jump into action and kill them. He needed to wait, understand the situation a little bit better, perhaps figure out exactly what had happened, and then he could act. So, still speaking carefully and trying to talk in such a way that showed he was not trying any mind tricks, Tobias asked, “Did you really think you could kill someone in the lobby of an apartment building on Coruscant, of all places, and someone wouldn’t notice?” The problem, however, was that Tobias was not exactly experienced at handling delicate situations. But instead of getting angry, Rem shrugged in a way that didn’t move his blaster from Tobias’ face, “If I could have killed him in his home, I would have. It isn’t our fault we walked in when he was leaving.” “Yeah!” left was speaking again, “He even pulled a weapon first! Nicked me with his vibroblade!” Apparently, the man on the left was not very intelligent. He seemed to think that Rem was feigning innocence, when he was actually just telling the truth. But Tobias did note the tension was rising. The man on the right was still quiet, a hard look on his weathered features as his blaster did not waver at all. On the left, the annoying-voiced man was obviously jittery and ready to fire his blaster at any second. Rem’s looked of seriousness remained, but his feeling in the Force was growing more tense by the second. It was obvious he had made the decision to kill Tobias and was just trying to give himself a reason to make it Tobias’ fault rather than his own. Calmly, Tobias said, “Please put the blaster down, Rem. It’s the only way now.” In his mind, Tobias had expected some kind of remark in response to what he’d said. It didn’t have to be witty, and could have even been as much as just an apology. But there was no verbal response. Instead, Tobias’ eyes caught the slightest of movements from Rem’s extended right arm. Marix had taught him to watch for that kind of thing if he ever ended up in such a situation, and there it was. A slight tensing of the muscles in the arm, barely visible beneath the loose clothing but still very much there. Rem was about to pull the trigger. But thanks to senses drilled into him by Marix and Force-enhanced reaction, there was no way the blaster bolt would hit him in such a situation. Tobias’ left arm shot up in an arc, hitting Rem’s right arm at the wrist. There was a slap as the arms hit, and the Force of Tobias’ strike sent Rem’s aim off. Tobas’ left ear suddenly was dominated by the loud scream of a blaster bolt firing right past, but he ignored it and, in almost the same motion, swept both of Rem’s feet out from under him with his right leg. It was happening too fast for the others to clearly see what was going on. The next thing either of the other two attackers saw, Rem was falling to the ground, blaster dropping on the other side of Tobias, who had just spun to his left and twisted in just the right way so that both blaster shots from the other two men went right across either side of him. But Tobias’ didn’t stop moving, his left arm reaching around behind him and then calling his lightsaber to it. Tobias caught the hilt and brought the blue-green blade to life in the same moment the man on his left fired again. But all it took was for Tobias to continue his spin and bring his lightsaber up to deflect the blaster bolt and send it into a far wall. At the same time as the shot reflected off his blade in a flash of white-hot light, the right man also fired, forcing Tobias’ to twist around even more and then invert his blade to send that shot right into the duracrete floor just meters away from him. But the Force was yelling more warnings at him, and Tobias was no longer reacting as much as just letting it guide him. And with that, it took little effort to extend his right hand towards the man on the left and send a heavy blow at him with the Force. The man yelped at flew back just a few meters before slamming into the wall behind him and dropping painfully onto a piece of rather unique looking furniture beneath him. But it still wasn’t over, and the only one of the trio standing was squeezing the trigger of his blaster pistol again, this time with it aimed at Tobias’ head. So, in a flash of light, Tobias swung his lightsaber around and back up, slicing off half of the man’s blaster pistol and creating a shower of sparks and flame that caused him to jump back and release the destroyed weapon. Before he could even attempt anything else, Tobias’ right hand was reaching out and sending a wave of the Force at him, sending him against the wall not far from his flung companion. Then, hearing movement behind him, Tobias spun around again and put the tip of his lightsaber just centimeters from Rem’s chest. The man had been going for his blaster pistol, which was just a half meter out of his reach. But now, with a lightsaber so very close to his body, Rem froze and looked up the length of the weapon to Tobias, who was breathing heavily but somehow showing no hint of exhaustion. Steadying his voice and trying to return his breathing to normal, Tobias spoke firmly, “I just wanted you to put the blaster down...I was never going to kill any of you.” Rem’s eyes darted to his side to see his two companions unconscious against the wall and overturned pieces of furniture. The man then looked back to Tobias, “And now you are.” “They’ll live,” Tobias said in the same voice. He then did something that surprised Rem even more than the swift movements that had occurred just moments early. Tobias deactivated his lightsaber, “As will you. Now, please, come with me to the nearest security office.” For the shortest of moments, Rem looked to his blaster just out of reach, saying in a matter of fact way, “I could shoot you when you turn your back, you know.” “No,” Tobias shook his head and motioned for the man to stand up, “You know very well now that you couldn’t.” [/QUOTE]
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