New Orders

[Julian Orspach]

OOC INFO: This is not a Julian Orspach post.

Cast of Characters:

Jordin: A human Jedi Padawan, age 13
Talmore: Jordin's Master mixed Zabrak and Human age 47
Clone Troopers: Clones
Guest: Any random character I need

BIC
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The ringing was back, pounding on is inner ear threatening to pierce through his skull and split it open from the inside out. What was it?He cringed and gripped his lightsaber tightly trying to maintain his focus on the duel, the yellow blade hummed and clashed with the blue blade of his Master making a brilliant green flash for moment, but the ringing intensified and his focus dropped. The green blade found his shoulder and struck too, training settings or not that HURT. He let out a groan and fell to his knees. He was going to be lectured, he knew it. He could already hear the words before they were spoken. "Focus my Padawan, focus is the difference between life or death" That was exactly what he was going to say. He was not a precognitive Seer, by trait, but his natural abilities in this area were heigtened when compared to most Jedi, but he still was not quite a Seer. His visions were two erratic, they lacked a time or place and sometimes they weren't visions at all, but twinges in the force, needles poking him from all different directions.

"I'm sorry Master."

The older Jedi grunted as he defeated his Padawan with ease. His student was young still, young enough that mistakes were more plentiful, more forgiveable. Soon however, soon he would need to master his distractions and find his center, mistakes like this could not be made as he got older, or truthfully now. Perhaps that is why they had been paired together, his blue blade extinguished himself and he went over and placed a hand on his student's shoulder.

"No, you're dead, you don't have the ability to be sorry anymore my young Apprentice."

He offered the young man his hand and pulled him to his feet, there was something wrong with him, he could feel it and he could see it in his eyes. The Jedi Master's own senses were far more focused on the here and now. He monitored the living force of course and tried to listen to it's requests and guidance, but in the heat of battle, the now represented more of a pressing need.

"You know what I'm going to say, so I won't. What is troubling you Jordin? You were fine yesterday."

He was dead? That was an unpleasant thought, Talmore was right though. His lack of focus would have cost him his life in a real battle, a real battle. Wow. That was a thought. Real battles happened, they did, it was just a part of their reality and they were more common than anyone wanted to admit. Jedi died. He'd be a number, his body would be on a funeral pyre and then he'd be just a memory, another Padawan lost, another Jedi lost in this war.

"Master, I don't know. Its like the force has taken a knife and implanted it in my ear and it is trying to stab its way out."

Honesty was the best policy, Talmore was the Jedi Master after all, Talmore had already trained another Padawan, maybe he could help?

::General, we will be departing for Coruscant at 0900, it is 0800 now local. I suggest you and Jordin here board and get your things stowed away.::

The Clone commander had strolled up behind Jordan and had been facing Talmore during his brief statement. He patted the young Padawan on his back, he reminded him of himself at that age. A lightsaber on training and a training blaster bolt to the shoulder felt about the same, but the kid was tough, he could walk it off.

::Listen to him Kid, I took my fair share of blaster bolts in combat training. It helped me avoid the real ones.::

"Thank you Commander, we will get our things in a moment. Young Jordin and I have much to discuss, but thank you for your insight. You'd be wise to head his words my Padawan, a combat veteran knows a thing or two about focus, Jedi or not."

He had noticed that the clone trooper had moved away after delivering his message and imparting his words of wisdom on the "kid" as he called him. The clones had proven themselves invaluable, and he for one was glad to have them with him. There was an unspoken trust, a bond that had been formed in fire. Now, back to Jordin. The ringing was distressing, it was causing the young Jedi physical pain and that was enough to hinder the focus of anyone, especially if it was as severe as he described it. Could there be something physically wrong with him? It was a thought, but he quickly dismissed it. He was keenly aware that his young apprentice fell somewhere between a Seer and a normal Jedi, so the force and whatever methods it chose to employ were not to dismissed so quickly.

"That sounds unpleasant. Be mindful of the moment young Padawan, your precognitive abilities are an ally, but they can be your undoing if you allow them to distract at the expense of the moment."

That said. We're not dueling now. Do you see anything or is it just the ringing?"

He nodded to the clone and gave him a faint smile, a smile that said he was the student and everyone else around him was the master. That was okay though, it was how it was supposed to be. He liked the clones, the clones were cool, Padawan or not he sort of thought they were hardcore and he looked up to some of them with almost as much respect as he looked up to other Jedi.

"It feels like...blue. There is a distorted blue light..I can't"

"Concentrate young one, feel the Force flow through you, listen."

He drew some of the pain from the fresh saber burn from the young man's shoulder to allow him to gain some perspective and focus on what the Force might be trying to tell him.

"Yes Master."

He closed his eyes and everything was enveloped in white energy, the landing pad was gone, the ship was gone, and his master was gone. Off in the distance he saw a small blue light hovering at about eye level. He cocked his head to the side and approached the light. The blue glow seemed to push the white energy away from it and it existed in it's own void where there was nothing but black surrounding it's edges. As he got closer, the ringing subsided and tried to examine the light. It was a form, a form that looked like it could be a man? That was silly, it was pure energy, it could not be a man or could it. He reached out to touch the black ages around it, his fingers burned as if he had just grabbed a hot coal. He recoiled and that's when he heard it.

"roder"

Roder? What did that mean? He squinted and stared at the blue light, he had to feel it. He had to reach past the black edges and feel the blue light to understand what it meant. He took a breath and shoved his whole hand through the blackness and into the blue was it were. An intense pain shot through his arm and went straight to his heart. The Force screamed at him, it was so clear that it was almost basic.

"DANGER!!! DANGER!!!!"

The light was gone, the white energy drained out of his vision and his eyes shot open. He saw sky his master's face, and felt himself being shaken. There was sweat on his brow and four clone troopers surrounding him.

"JORDIN! Snap out of it! Good! Calm yourself Padawan, calm yourself."

A medic ran over and dropped to his knees by the young Jedi, he pulled syringe from his kit and found the vile marked "Human Adrenaline." The kid was conscious now so he didn't need as much of a dose, he filled the syringe to the 5cc mark. He ripped the Jedi's sleeve and injected it.

::Deep breaths kid, your heart stopped and you weren't breathing for a little bit there.::

My heart stopped? He took in deep breaths through his nose and his eyes dilated as the adrenaline quickly went to work. He tried to sit up, but he felt the hand of his master push him back down for a moment. What did this mean? What did any of it mean?? Danger? Where was the danger, what was the danger? He cringed and pushed his way into an upright position past his master's own physical strength. This was something, this was more than any of his visions had ever been before, this was a clear warning.

"Master...I....I saw danger, I heard danger. The Force sceamed it at me! The next thing I know I'm looking up at you."

The elder Jedi paused for a long moment, Danger? A vision that was strong enough to nearly kill his Padawan? What was this? His eyes focused on his young Apprentice as he forced his way up. Talmore supported his back and wiped the sweat from the young man's brow. This was something to bring to the council at once, perhaps they could make sense of it. There was one Master in particular that he felt should hear what Jordin was saying, one master that could make sense of this. He heard a beep of a commlink and one clone backed away. A commlink, that was the answer, he should be in range why not.

"Steady Padawan, we're taking this to the council."

His head turned to see the commander who had stepped away.

"When you're done, we're changing course."

A blue light.

The ringing intensified and his stomach burned like the fires of Mustafar, he cringed and he felt his lightsaber fall into his hands. RUN screamed the force RUN!

::Execute order 66.::

NOW!!!!

His focus returned and adrenaline surged through his body as he sprang to his feet and his yellow lightsaber sprang to life.

(We're in danger NOW Master!)

Now?! The Elder Jedi felt the burn, felt the sinking feeling in the pit of his gut as he saw the trooper receive his orders. Order 66 what was that?! He had never heard of such and order, then Jordin was on his feet, weilding his lightsaber. He had to trust, he had to trust his Padawan, his own saber appeared and it's blue blade snapped itself into existence as he turned up the setting....it was done already? He didn't change it to the lethal setting, Jordin?

"I sense it too."

The blaster fire that erupted from the clones towards the Jedi was a blur to him, they were surrounded, the force seemed to take control and guide his lightsaber, blocking and deflecting most of the in coming blaster bolts that came his way back into the troopers. He heard his master's voice in his mind. "FOCUS" that's what he would do, focus. Questions about the clones betrayal could wait, questions about the others could wait, and questions about the intense loss that he felt surge through his body would be silenced, as they too could wait.

A blaster bolt found his shoulder, exactly where the training blow had landed before. He get his teeth and focused. He let out a force push towards the offending clone. As the clone fell, his blaster hit the ground and discharged sending a bolt into his own head at near point blank range. The helmet exploded and killed the commander instantly. The same commander....who had moments before told him to focus.

They were gone, they were dead. He must have taken down fifteen or more of them himself. He turned to see his master.

Talmore dropped to his knees, the bodies of 39 clones lay on his side of the battle. His torso was riddled with blaster wounds, there must be seven of them total, good shots. All of them. He fell back and his eyes stared the sky.

"Padawan...Jordin!"

His heart sank. He ran over and dropped to his knees and lifted his Master's heavy body up and cradled his torso in his arms.

"Master!"

Tears rolling down the young Jedi's cheeks.

"Master NO!"

He struggled to breathe, but he must say something, he must help the young Jedi in anyway he could.

"Always...remember my Padawan, Focus. Feel...the Force, you...did...well today....Jordin, you...did well."

He nodded qucikly and tried to will the first aid kit over to him with the force.

"Yes Master, I promise, but you'll be here to train me, you'll be here, you'll be okay."

He smiled and shook his head at Jordin, he reached up and touched his Padawan's face and took his final breath as his arm fell away and he went limp in the young man's arms.

Noo....

"Master no! Come back, please I need you! Master....."

The tears flowed freely and he sobbed for a long moment, before he heard it again. He had to run, he had to go, far away from here. He gently laid his master's lifeless body down then carefully smoothed his features and shut his eyes. The young man then took his master's lightsaber and attached it to his belt opposite his own.

"I have to go Master, I'll never forget what you have taught me. Goodbye."

He gathered his strength and ran off, never looking back, he had to find a way to warn the others, he had to find to find Master Yoda.