"Something is jamming the signal either here or at the other end. I can't tell."

Of course it got jammed, republic security is pathetic. He thought to himself.

"I wouldn't be suprised at all if it was from our end, for every loyal soldier comes three more traitors."

"And why are we even here? Voleran already has a huge head start on us, if we don't get moving we'll loose him again."

"I wouldn't be suprised at all if it was from our end, for every loyal soldier comes three more traitors."

Zarev sighed and tried to refrain from whacking Corsail over the head with something. "Corsail...these men fight and die for the Republic. I dare you to say that to a squad of them and see how they react."

"And why are we even here? Voleran already has a huge head start on us, if we don't get moving we'll loose him again."

The jedi was rapidly becoming angry with Corsail. Had he forgotten that Kif was still sitting in a speeder? Apparently he had.

"We are here because Kif is badly injured and requires medical attention. Or have you forgotten? If you have a problem with this mission feel free to take it up with me after Kif gets medical care!"

He turned to look at the group and pointed at Avriela. "Avriela, I want you to go and get Kif from the speeder and bring him to the medical bay. I'm trusting you to watch over him while we go after Voleran. Keep a close eye on the medical equipment and if anything goes wrong call one of the medical staff."

The former sith nodded and headed out towards the speeder.

"C'mon Light, you're going to help me carry Kif inside.", he said while the others walked inside.

He took a glance and saw Avriela walking out a little bit later. "Or...she can get it. I'll see you inside."

Varik walked past Avriela and into the hallway, catching up with Zarev and the others.

"And why are we even here? Voleran already has a huge head start on us, if we don't get moving we'll loose him again."

"We are here because Kif is badly injured and requires medical attention. Or have you forgotten? If you have a problem with this mission feel free to take it up with me after Kif gets medical care!"

"Corsail, you're really making me want to drive a spike through your head.", he said, shaking his head disapprovingly.

Per'dra stifled a chuckle just in time. Corsail, you never fail to bring out the worst in all of us, when the best is what we need to be... She followed the others to the medical bay at the Republic headquarters, hoping that Kif would recover fully and quickly. "Mind if I take a quick look around and try to figure out what's jamming the signal?"

"We are here because Kif is badly injured and requires medical attention. Or have you forgotten? If you have a problem with this mission feel free to take it up with me after Kif gets medical care!"


Corsail scowled Zarev, "And have you forgotten the reason Kif is in this condition is because one of our own crew?"

He let out a short sigh, "I just don't think we should stay here too long, if Kif is going to have to stay for awhile we need to leave him here and continue the mission. We can alway pick him back up after they fix him up."

"Corsail, you're really making me want to drive a spike through your head.",

"Why don't you just try it? I'm sick of you and your stupid jedi code that you don't even follow! I wish every jedi would just drop-" He cut himself off.

"Nevermind, i'm going outside to see if I can patch up that speeder." He left the outpost and walked up to the busted speeder, he could barely see anything because of how dark it was, but he tried to make a few minor repairs anyway.

"Mind if I take a quick look around and try to figure out what's jamming the signal?"

"Go right ahead." Zarev said as he looked at the medical bay for a moment to see how advanced it was. It looked like it could handle Kif's injuries. "I don't like the fact that we've only been here for a few minutes and someone is already jamming us."

"And have you forgotten the reason Kif is in this condition is because one of our own crew?"

"I just don't think we should stay here too long, if Kif is going to have to stay for awhile we need to leave him here and continue the mission. We can alway pick him back up after they fix him up."

"I am not leaving Kif here alone. And you need to realize that it was not Varik who did this to Kif. It was a Sith Lord who had possession of his body. You need to get over it."

Avriela walked in gently carrying Kif's limp form. "I'll stay here with him while you deal with Voleran if you can catch up with him in time. I promise you, I'll guard him with my life if necessary."

She gently set Kif's body down on the medical bed and turned to Per'dra. "Can you help me hook him up to the equipment? I know how to treat lightsaber burns but I'm not sure how to hook him up to the monitors."

Light began examining the speeder he'd driven after having helped Avriela get Kif out of it.

Under the hood, there were a couple of old pieces of wiring that had almost given out in a couple of places, which he could see thanks to the light from his lightsaber. Luckily he could replace it with some he'd found in a nearby toolkit. He closed the hood after this and jumped into the driver's seat, deactivating his saber and replacing it on his belt.

Turning the ignition of the speeder it revved to life more powerfully than before. The headlight turned on, and, while testing the turning of the speeder, Light noticed Corsail bent over the messed up speeder. He parked it again in the original spot and walked over to him.

"Hey, everything alright? Do you need a hand?"

"Hey, everything alright? Do you need a hand?"

Corsail looked up from the busted speeder he was working to see who had just walked up. What do you care if i'm alright? he thought to himself.

"I'm fine." He said through gritted teeth, "And no I don't need help with this blasted speeder." Though he realised those words probably sounded pretty stupid if Light was paying any attention to the condition the engine was in.

"I do have a question though, do you follow the jedi code?"

"Certainly, Avriela." As a part of her Padawan studies, Per'dra had been given the choice by her former master, Yun Xiaolin, to specialize in certain areas of training over others. She had chosen two: combat and medicine. She was unskilled in the ways of espionage and machine repair, but her skill in the former two arts was almost unmatched among her peers. Thus, she nodded at the Twi'lek. "All of these various wires, tubes and medbay machines look intimidating, but they become as familiar as the back of your hand once you know how to use them." Carefully, she hooked Kif up to the equipment she had just mentioned. "There. That ought to do it, although I ought to double-check everything." With Avriela's help, she did, teaching her along the way. "Piece of cake! Now it's time to try and see what's jamming Grand Master Shan's signal."

"I don't, but that's the reason I don't belong to their Order. We disagreed on some of the key points. I'm still good friends with some of them, but I tend to follow my own moral code.

You know, that thing looks more messed up than when I pushed it. Have you been banging on it? That tube shouldn't be falling out like that. Do you know what you're doing?"

Do I know this guy from somewhere? I'd swear I'd met him before all of this... Maybe Varik knows.

"I don't, but that's the reason I don't belong to their Order. We disagreed on some of the key points. I'm still good friends with some of them, but I tend to follow my own moral code."

Corsail nodded, "Thats what I thought, you took their training, then abandoned the jedi order."

You know, that thing looks more messed up than when I pushed it. Have you been banging on it? That tube shouldn't be falling out like that. Do you know what you're doing?"

Corsail felt insulted, he'd been flying his star ship for years and had done some pretty major repairs on it, for someone to assume that he didn't know what he was doing with a speeder angered him.

"Yeah, that happens when you drive a half broken speeder at top speed. And also, it's kind of hard to do repairs in total darkness." Just as the words left his mouth the engine completely blew out, sending sparks flying in different directions.

Corsail snapped his blasters out of thier holsters in a split second out of reflex, then quickly holstered them again after he realised what had happened. "You have got to be joking!" he crouched back down beside the speeder to take a look.

"Great, now I need a whole new engine for this thing."

"I wouldn't say it that way, but other people can judge my actions in whatever light they want."

Light watched the events unfold, raising a hand only to shield his eyes from the sparks.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Give it to the Republic soldiers for scrap. We can either procure a new one while we wait for Kif to get better, or there will be enough seats if we leave him here."

((Sorry for the long wait, I was away from my home computer for a few days.))

"Piece of cake! Now it's time to try and see what's jamming Grand Master Shan's signal."

Zarev thought about what was happening for a moment. "I think it's safe to say that we're being monitored by someone or something. The signal wasn't jammed until after a few moments into the conversation."

He turned to look at the group and thought again. "It can't be anyone here since we would have sensed it...And I doubt Vlalkor had any motive to do it since he's with Havoc Squad."

He turned to Per'dra for a moment. "Is it possible that someone could be monitoring use either through some sort of listening device or through the force itself? If so...we most likely have a serious security breach."

"I wouldn't worry about it. Give it to the Republic soldiers for scrap. We can either procure a new one while we wait for Kif to get better, or there will be enough seats if we leave him here."

"I don't think we have any time to wait for Kif to heal, if we don't get back to the mission we'll lose Voleran again." Corsail turned to look at the entrance to the outpost, "Someone jammed our signal, which probably means the enemy knows where we are."

"Maybe you should help Zarev waste time looking for where it's coming from, thats what everyone else is doing."

He turned and looked out into the darkness, "I can't shake the feeling that someone is watching us."

"Maybe you should help Zarev waste time looking for where it's coming from, thats what everyone else is doing."
"I don't see the point in that. For all we know, it could've been jammed from the other side. I'm more content to do something that will get us ready for the next part of our little quest."

"I can't shake the feeling that someone is watching us."
"I'm not the only one then, huh?"

Light walked over to the speeder he'd driven and sat on the back of it.
"Do you need anything? I'm going to see what I can do to get supplies for the group, so I'll ask them in a bit."

"Do you need anything? I'm going to see what I can do to get supplies for the group, so I'll ask them in a bit."

Yeah, I could use two million credits. He thought to himself. "I guess I need some extra energy packs for my blasters if you can get any, I was running low."

Corsail started towards the outpost entrance, "I'm going to see how long they intend to stay here."

Light started walking with Corsail, assuming he knew exactly where everyone was.

"I'm not very familiar with blaster technology. Energy packs... What do they look like again? And do you need a certain kind?"

"I'm not very familiar with blaster technology. Energy packs... What do they look like again? And do you need a certain kind?"

Corsail unholstered one of his blasters and pulled the energy pack out, "This is what an energy pack looks like, this kind is pretty common, and i'd be suprised if a military outpost like this doesn't carry any extra."

He placed the energy pack back into the blaster and locked it in, "They don't have to be the same kind as I have now, they just need to be compatible with my DTB-27Bolt blaster pistols, which should be mostly anything, as long as you can tell the size difference from a blaster pistol and a blaster rifle energy pack."

He entered the room where Zarev and some of the others were and stopped.

"Still wasting their time I see." He said in a low voice.

Varik found himself staring at a terminal for several minutes, sorting through several processes in order to most effectively trace the signal. Thankfully, the signal was targeting mainly the communications grid, and not the local power network. After switching from local high-powered scans, he decided to amplify it with a thermal scan.

"I think I found the source.", he said out loud. "It's relatively close by."

"Keep an eye on Kif, okay?", he said to Zarev as he approached Light and Corsail, whom were just entering.

"I'm going to go scout around and eliminate the source of the signal jamming, you two are free to join me, if you wish.", he said to them. "Unless if you'd rather stand around all day."

"Very well, since I can't seem to pinpoint it," Per'dra replied, disappointed. "I think Zarev is onto something. The one who's monitoring us seems to be doing it either through the Force or some technological method that I've never seen."

"This is what an energy pack looks like, this kind is pretty common, and i'd be suprised if a military outpost like this doesn't carry any extra."

"Two per blaster will do, right? So four total."

"Still wasting their time I see."
Light smiled slightly, with only the corners of his mouth turning up at the quiet statment.

"I'm going to go scout around and eliminate the source of the signal jamming, you two are free to join me, if you wish."
Light scratched the back of his head and answered "I have stuff I need to do. Corsail was just looking for something to do though. Oh, and before you go, do you need any supplies or anything for our trip?"

"Two per blaster will do, right? So four total."

"Correct." He said, as Varik walked up.

"I'm going to go scout around and eliminate the source of the signal jamming, you two are free to join me, if you wish."

"Whats the matter? Scared the sith might get you if you wander out by yourself?"

"I have stuff I need to do. Corsail was just looking for something to do though.

"I'm just ready to get back to the mission, and this just seems like a waste of time. If I had it my way, we would have dropped off the twilek in the medbay and left by now."

"What are you expecting to find out there anyway? And how far away is it?'

"Whats the matter? Scared the sith might get you if you wander out by yourself?"

"I've learned from personal experience that it's foolish to investigate alone.", Varik replied.

"I have stuff I need to do. Corsail was just looking for something to do though. Oh, and before you go, do you need any supplies or anything for our trip?"

"Not really. Maybe a grenade or so."

"I'm just ready to get back to the mission, and this just seems like a waste of time. If I had it my way, we would have dropped off the twilek in the medbay and left by now. What are you expecting to find out there anyway? And how far away is it?"

"It's only a few kilometers away. At the most, I'm expecting an entire base. At the least, a small outpost. I think a specific person is blocking out the signal - most definitely a Dark Jedi, but I'm not sure."

"Correct."
"Not really. Maybe a grenade or so."
"Okay, so I'll see what I can do about a fragmentation grenade or two. I don't know if they'd have other kinds, so I'll stick to the most common kind." Light said this to inform Varik, but it seemed more like thinking aloud.

Light began to walk towards the others, spotting Zarev first, and moving in his direction. Once he was close, he said:
"Hey Zarev, you need any supplies?"

Republic Outpost
Balmorra

"Keep an eye on Kif, okay?",

Zarev turned and smiled. "Don't worry, I won't let anyone hurt him." he said quietly as he looked over at Per'dra.

"I think Zarev is onto something. The one who's monitoring us seems to be doing it either through the Force or some technological method that I've never seen."

"In either case, we need to be on our guard." He said as he looked over at Varik.

"It's only a few kilometers away. At the most, I'm expecting an entire base. At the least, a small outpost. I think a specific person is blocking out the signal - most definitely a Dark Jedi, but I'm not sure."

"You don't think it could be Voleran do you?" Zarev asked. "If he is the one jamming us, I would recommend retreating if you run into him."

Avriela walked out of the room after overhearing some of the coversation. "I'd be happy to come along and help out."

"Hey Zarev, you need any supplies?"

Zarev smiled. "Thank you for offering but I'm good. I think that now would be a good idea to check the insides of our weapons though. Just to make sure we don't have any problems while in combat."

"It's only a few kilometers away. At the most, I'm expecting an entire base. At the least, a small outpost. I think a specific person is blocking out the signal - most definitely a Dark Jedi, but I'm not sure."

"Fine, lets go see what it is, and if possible, eliminate it."

Corsail holstered the blaster he was holding and followed Varik out of the outpost. He looked over at his speeder and remembered the destroyed engine.

"My speeders engine is completely fried, which one are we taking?"

Light nodded at Zarev, but was already turning away.

"Hey Avriela, do you have a minute?"
Light said this loudly enough, but Varik and Corsail didn't seem to hear as they went ahead and left the building.

((Just to clear up any confusion caused by the two posts above.))

"Hey Avriela, do you have a minute?"

Avriela looked back at Light and nodded. "Of course. What's bothering you?"

Zarev turned to look at Per'dra while Light and Avriela spoke. "I would like to talk to you once we have a free moment." He said quietly as Varik and Corsail left and went out by the speeders. "It concerns Corsail."

"My speeder's engine is completely fried, which one are we taking?"

"Then we take Light's.", Varik said. "Thankfully, he left the 'keys' in the ignition."

He jumped in the driver seat, and motioned for Corsail to sit in the passenger seat. He turned on the engines and started up the landspeeder. It then took off, as he drove in the direction of the signal jammer.

"The sooner we get this done, the sooner Zarev and Per'dra could do whatever the hell they're trying to do.", he said aloud, shaking his head. "I just want to get out of here. I want to do something, not sit around all day."

Light walked over and quickly and quietly said
"I wouldn't suggest going somewhere practically alone with Corsail. Unpredictable at the best of times, and he's made it clear he doesn't like you."

In a louder voice he spoke at a more normal pace,
"Just wondering if you need any supplies, for the journey ahead."

"The sooner we get this done, the sooner Zarev and Per'dra could do whatever the hell they're trying to do.", he said aloud, shaking his head. "I just want to get out of here. I want to do something, not sit around all day."

Corsail almost decided to jab at Varik about how jedi were supposed to have patience, but insted, he just remained silent.

"Well, thats whats going to happen, if Zarev decides he wants to wait for Kif to heal."

As they drove on something occurred to him, "We should stop here, if there is an enemy ahead we don't want to alert him by driving up with this loud speeder, wouldn't you agree?"

Per'dra sighed. "I hate it when I have an idea that sounds sensible, but turns out terrible. Zarev? I'm sorry I wasted so much time, both yours and mine, but what else can I do? If it turns out that someone IS monitoring us, I want to get to the bottom of it fast so that we're not under surveillance anymore."

"Well, thats whats going to happen, if Zarev decides he wants to wait for Kif to heal."

"We should stop here, if there is an enemy ahead we don't want to alert him by driving up with this loud speeder, wouldn't you agree?"

"Good point. The enemy is about a few hundred meters away.", Varik replied.

He ignited his lightsaber to be a light as he navigated his way through the canyon, loosing his footing as he fell down a slope onto another crevice.

"I don't like this planet. Too much canyon. Reminds me of Korriban.", Varik said to himself. "What do you think we'll find?", he asked Corsail.

Balmorra
Republic HQ

"I hate it when I have an idea that sounds sensible, but turns out terrible. Zarev? I'm sorry I wasted so much time, both yours and mine, but what else can I do? If it turns out that someone IS monitoring us, I want to get to the bottom of it fast so that we're not under surveillance anymore."

Zarev gently smiled. "You didn't waste anyone's time. It was a good thought and your not alone, I want whatever or whoever is monitoring us to be stopped at all costs."



"I wouldn't suggest going somewhere practically alone with Corsail. Unpredictable at the best of times, and he's made it clear he doesn't like you."

Avriela smiled. "Thank you for the advice, but in my time on the run I've run into many people who don't like me. I will take your advice to heart though and make sure I'm not alone with Corsail."

"Just wondering if you need any supplies, for the journey ahead."

The former sith caught onto what he was doing and nodded. "I could use a few ration bars and a spare power cell for my lightsaber. It looks like my current one is starting to fail.



Balmorra
Canyons

Among the canyons of Balmorra, a man wearing a dark cloak watched and waited as his targets got closer and closer to him. His face was blank, there was no expression, no typical sith sneer on his face. It was as if his mind had been wiped of everything except his current objective.

Kill the interlopers, make sure Voleran made it to the Master.

He looked down at the detonator in his hands and for a brief moment his old personality surfaced, his hands shook as he tried to reassurt his control over his body only for it too fade after only a moment.

Darth Sevairis, the newest member of the Dark Council pressed the switch and watched as a large explosion sent a large amount of rocks sliding down the rock face towards the two intruders.

Stop...Make it stop! His old personality screamed at him as he ignited his lightsaber and prepared to finish the two off if they survived. This is my body, not yours!

"I don't like this planet. Too much canyon. Reminds me of Korriban.", Varik said to himself. "What do you think we'll find?".

"I have no idea, but I..." he took a short pause, then continued, "I feel something very dark nearby, I'm not sure what it is.

Corsail looked around at the canyon walls, trying find anyone that might be watching them, but even with Varik's lightsaber ignighted it was still almost impossible to see much of anything.

"Maybe we should have-" A large explosion high on the canyon walls sent boulders and hundreds of rock fragments down towards them.

"Look out!" he shouted as the rockslide came crashing towards them.

"That's pretty sensible of you."
Light smiled at his own words' double meaning.

"I'll make sure to get those for you."

Light felt a tingling sensation, but the disturbance in the Force could only be from Varik and Corsail's little journey. He hoped they were okay silently before flicking his wrist in a small wave to Avriela and turning to walk over to Zarev and Per'dra.

"Look out!"

Varik looked up to see a massive rockslide tumbling toward them.

"MOVE!!", Varik shouted as he pushed Corsail out of the way.

He tried to duck and move out of the way, but the rockslide was already there - crushing him and sending him down into the lower depths of the canyon. After a few minutes passed he tried moving the rocks with the Force, but he was too constricted and too weakened to do anything effective.

"Corsail, help. I'm being crushed down here.", he said through the comm.

"MOVE!!"

Corsail used Variks push as a force of momentum to thrust himself as far as he could. He escaped the main force of the rockslide, however a few rock slabs smashed against his shoulders. The impact from rocks sent him smashing into the dirt.

He let out a groan of pain and tried to stand up. "My bones feel liked there cracked. You alright?" Just then he realised that Varik wasn't with him.

He quickly turned around to look at the huge pile of rocks behind him.

Was he crushed? He wondered.

"Corsail, help. I'm being crushed down here."

Corsail was surprised by the sudden noise his comlink gave off. He quickly snatched it up and answered. "Varik? Hold on i'll dig you out." The thought crossed his mind that he could let Varik die, but he dismissed the thought and instead, started digging away at the huge rock pile.

He grabbed his fathers lightsaber from his pouch and activated unleashing its yellow blade. He used it to slash through the rocks, making them crumble away into little pieces.

"I can't believe i'm doing this." He mumbled to himself as he slashed away at the rock pile.

Balmorran Canyons

Darth Sevairis watched the rocks rolled down the hill. He felt nothing as one of the targets pushed the other out of the way, only to end up trapped beneath the rocks. He ignited his crinsom lightsaber as the other one ignited a yellow lightsaber and began slashing at the rocks.

He was about to force leap down when his legs suddenly buckled slightly as his former personality tried once again to assert itself. I AM SITH! YOU CANNOT CONTROL ME!!!

THIS BODY IS MINE!

A voice in the Dark Council members head whispered back at him. You were sith...now you are but a puppet. Perhaps if you finish your task you will finally know the freedom of death but not before.

Sevaris's body suddenly relaxed for a moment as the other personality took control back away from him.

Now...Kill them.

Sevairis launched himself into the air and landed on a small outcropping before jumping again and landing on the top of a boulder before finally landing a few feet away from the one wielding a yellow lightsaber. His rasied his lightsaber in a defensive stance and unleashed a stream of lightning at Corsail.

"This...must...not..." He whispered painfully as he tried once again to take control only to fail once again.

Balmorra
Republic HQ


Zarev looked up sharply as he suddenly felt a dark presence...and he could also feel the emotions of Corsail and Varik. They were clearly fighting with...something or someone.

He turned to look at Per'dra. "We have a problem. It feels as if Corsail and Varik ran into trouble. This darkness that I feel...something feels wrong. As if the darkness itself is being tainted by something else."

He looked at Avriela and Light. "I'm positive, they're going to need help."

Corsail felt him coming and spun around to face his enemy, however he wasn't expecting a blue arc of lightning heading towards him. Caught off guard, the force of the lightning sent him stumbling backwards, tripping over the rocks.

"Arghh!" he cried out in pain as the lightning burned through his skin. In pain, Corsail tried desperately to use his lightsaber stop the incoming waves of crackling death. Catching hold of the arc, he redirected it into the cayon walls.
With his free hand he snapped one of his blasters from out of its holster and fired three rapid shots towards the deadly sith lord.

He knew his blasters probably wouldn't do any damage, but he had to do something to interrupt the siths endless assault.

Light felt the sensation shift to more of a dark presence in the Force.
"Are all of us going? Someone should stay with Kif, right? And we still need to pick up the supplies that everyone needs, though that may wait until we take care of the disturbance."

Balmorra
Canyons

Sevairis's lightsaber dropped down and easily deflected the blaster bolts being fired at him but was forced to stop hitting Corsail with force lightning. He quickly force jumped backward and grabbed Corsail through the force and slamming him repeatedly into one of the canyon walls.

"Make...Make it stop!" He whispered painfully as he felt the other presence within his mind suddenly lose most of it's hold only to return a moment later at full strength.

No. You will serve for the rest of your life. the voice whispered back.

Balmorra
Outside Republic HQ

"Are all of us going? Someone should stay with Kif, right? And we still need to pick up the supplies that everyone needs, though that may wait until we take care of the disturbance."

Zarev looked over at Kif and nodded. "I'll stay with Kif but I don't think that only one of us should stay here. I've been feeling something...odd from some of the troops stationed here. Almost like...you may find this odd but It feels almost as if there's someone else with them in their heads."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I could be wrong though."

The sound of a speeder starting up and quickly taking off made Zarev look up in surprise. Also, Avriela was nowhere to be seen.

"I think one of us just took matters into her own hands. Avriela is gone, and one of the speeders just took off."


Balmorra
En route to Canyons

Avriela was planning on what she was going to do even as she rode towards where she could sense Corsail, Varik and the dark presence was. The dark presence she was feeling was strong...very strong. She could sense both Corsail and Varik were still alive but if they were fighting something this strong than it was a good bet that they wouldn't be alive for long.

Hold on Vaik...I'm on my way. And Corsail, if we survive this you better be grateful that I saved your paranoid backside.

She could tell that she was getting closer, the canyons were just ahead. She could also see strange flashes of blue and red light ahead.

Most likely lighting and blaster bolts...she thought.

"If you wish, Zarev," Per'dra said stalwartly, "I'll stay with you, or go after Avriela. If something is going on with the Republic troops, and there is an odd presence trying to speak to their minds, I'll try and see if I can sense it again."

Corsail had one moment of relief from the barrage of lightning, but before he could make a move he was picked up through the force and thrusted into the canyon wall. He flew through the air and smashed into the rocks, and before he even hit the ground he was thrown at another wall, and another, and another.

Corsail smashed into the ground, still clinging to his fathers lightsaber. In pain, Corsail stood up on one knee. His chest felt like it was caved in, and he could barely breathe. The sith looked half distracted with himself, but he knew that he didn't stand a chance alone.

Focusing on the rocks that were trapping Varik, Corsail summoning all his strength projected a rippling force wave that smashed into the rock pile.
Completely drained, Corsail collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Corsail's force wave cut through the rocks, making an opening large enough for Varik to focus his energy on. He amplified the Force through his leg, and repeatedly Force kicked the rocks until they flew in a massive arc a couple dozen meters away. Getting up, he held his head as he felt lightheaded, and stumbled onto the ground - using his hand to keep him from falling onto the ground. Shaking his head, he pushed his hand until he stood upright, and then grabbed his lightsabers from his belt - igniting them and holding them in the traditional Jar'Kai stance.

"You must face judgement for all of the blood you have spilled. Surrender, and I will consider letting you live.", Varik said.

Republic HQ

"I'll stay with you, or go after Avriela. If something is going on with the Republic troops, and there is an odd presence trying to speak to their minds, I'll try and see if I can sense it again."

Zarev was about to respond when suddenly a red light began to blink and his jedi senses began to scream danger! at him. He ignited his lightsaber just as the door opened and a small squadron of republic troops staggered in. One of them in the back was holding his head and was trying to speak.

Kill them my puppets...Make it so they never interfere with my plans again.
The majority of the troopers pulled their rifles off their back and aimed them at the group, but two of them in the back including the one that was holding his head hit the ground with a thud.

The lead trooper's hand was shaking violently. "N-No...Don't....Don't make us..." He whispered painfully as his finger hovered above the trigger for just a moment before it hit it and blaster bolts began to cut through the air.

Zarev's lightsaber instantly moved in front of Per'dra to block the first of the shots even as he twisted his body to the right to avoid the shots being fired at him.

"Light! Protect Kif! Per'dra! Try to disable them only! I think something is...controlling them somehow!"


Balmorra
Canyons

"You must face judgement for all of the blood you have spilled. Surrender, and I will consider letting you live.",

Sevairis raised his lightsaber and brought it down in a defensive stance even as he tried to speak without the voice in his head taking control again. "Please...Kill me...he gasped as his body fought the intruder for control only to lose once again. "Has...me." he whispered as his body relaxed once again as he lost total control.

Bad idea. The voice whispered to him as Sevairis's body stretched out his hand and a massive amount of lightning began to form in it.

The sound of a speeder quickly approaching didn't register on Sevairis's mind until it was nearly right on top of him. The dark cloaked figure who was driving the speeder force lept into the air and unleashed a narrow stream of lightning that shocked Sevairis for a moment as the back end of the still active speeder came close to taking off his head but he managed to barely move out of the way.

Avriela pulled her hood off and ignited her double bladed lightsaber as she landed next to Varik and looked down at Corsail then at Varik.

"I'm here to help." She said as she gathered the force around her and dropped into an offensive stance next to Varik.

Per'dra raised both of her hands and then lowered them slowly, projecting a stasis field around the hostile Republic troops with the Force. All of them froze, moving not a single muscle, as its currents held them bound. "Now, then," the Jedi said firmly but kindly. "None of you can speak, being in stasis, but I know that all of you can hear me. It seems as if someone is trying to control you through the Force, manipulating your minds. Who is it? Think the answer if you can, because I'll be able to sense it. I am a Jedi, here to serve."

Republic HQ

"None of you can speak, being in stasis, but I know that all of you can hear me. It seems as if someone is trying to control you through the Force, manipulating your minds. Who is it? Think the answer if you can, because I'll be able to sense it. I am a Jedi, here to serve."

No...I must not be revealed! Not yet. I have hoped to use you and your men to spread my influence to the rest of Balmorra, but it appears I won't be able to. Die my puppets, die.

The group of republic troops behind the lead trooper suddenly began to blink rapidly. The eyes of all of them began to turn red as blood vessels began to rupture.

No... The lead trooper thought to himself. The jedi...needs to know whats...happening! He thought urgently.

No. You will not reveal me!

This...This is my mind! The trooper thought back as he briefly took back control of his mind even as his blood vessels began to rupture.

A man! he thought rapidly. A dark cloaked man! He came to Balmorra weeks ago...did something to my squad! Infected us with some sort of force affliction! Took over our minds and forced us to spread whatever it was to the others!

His vision was quickly turning red and he knew that he was going to die any moment. He brought up the mental image of the man that he and his squad had seen that night. A tall man...wearing a black cloaked robe. A man with force powers that he had never before seen. A man with a silver lightsaber hilt.

You fool! Do you realize what you have done?!

Y-Yes...I've given them a fighting chance. the trooper thought as his eyes closed for the last time.



Balmorra
Canyons

Sevairis looked at the new combatant and shook his head rapidly as his gathered a massive amount of force lightninig in his hand and launched it at Varik and Avriela even as he reignited his lightsaber and threw it in a spinning arc at the two of them.

Varik barely had time to block the lightning with his lightsabers, when he saw Sevaris throw his saber in an arc - heading toward Avirela. Noticing his distraction and his focus in the lightsaber in the air - Varik put his lightsabers on his belt, and ran in a massive sprint towards Sevaris - leaping and tackling him. Although he didn't knock him to the ground, he used his momentum to swing behind him and put his arm around his neck. He dug his knee into the back of his leg and got him in a chokehold.

"Now, I shall ask you again, surrender, or you will die.", Varik said, temporarily putting a hold on the fight.

Balmorra
Canyons

Avriela saw the lightsaber coming at her and quickly ducked out of the way as Varik tackled Sevairis, the tackle disrupted Sevairis's concentration and the lightsaber hit the ground.

Sevairis couldn't move for a moment as Varik managed to get him into a chokehold. But that didn't last for more then a minute as he managed to get one of his hand's free and grabbed Varik's arm around his neck and in short order began to crush the bones in his arm.

"Stop...Stop me..." He whispered. "C-Can't control...He has...everything." he gasped as his mind fought the other presence wthin his mind for control again.