The calming storm

[Marlith Laurien]

“Yes I thought that I’d never come back,but here I am.”

She took a bite of the meat it was tough and hard and had spicy undertones.

“If we’re lucky the storm will be gone in the morning”

She looked out her small window at the sand whipping by it made the already dim light pitch black. She was used to them she remembered being lued her to sleep as a small child during nights where her mother was loud , drunk and flirty with guests. She remembered hating her mother as a kid and she still kinda did.
“So I reckon you’re a padawon?”
She looked at his robes that he wore,nothing like her baggy jumpsuit with a simple chest gaurd.
“Don’t really know a whole lot about Jedi and all that force stuff”
She excelled in ships and blasters knowing their ins and outs.

[Adar Bolner]

Marlith's words surpised Adar. He did not expect her to figure that he was a Jedi padawan, not so quickly at least. He thought that maybe he should be more disguised. Despite the fact that the Jedi were not in danger within the Galactic Alliance, it was still dangerous to be recognized as one. Sith easily could infiltrate the Alliance or the Empire, and if they spotted a Jedi there were more than eager to remove him. Not to mention that a lot of criminals or even civilians were not too kind to what they call "space wizards". But this young woman did not seem to be in any of these categories.

"Yes, I am indeed a Jedi padawan of Master Vassa. I never expected my life to go down this road, but I sure am glad."

He could not help but laugh a little at her innocence of the Force. Being around so many Force sensitives had made him forget that most sentients of the galaxy are not sensitive to the Force. But they are part of it, and it is truly magical.

"The Force binds and connects all things, living or not. It is all around us, and brings this galaxy close. It really shows us that we are all one in it." He paused. He hoped he wasn't boring Marlith with his talk. Adar really loved to talk about the Force. It was something so mystical and fantastic that he wanted everyone to know, Force sensitive or not.
"Some people like me can feel and experience the Force more intently. But it does not favor us. Even you right now are connected in the Force in your own, unique way, even if you cannot feel it."

While talking, the two continued to eat and drink. Adar thought that the meal was pretty good. Certainly better than what his father would cook for him back in the day. He made sure to thank Marlith for the food and accommodation once again, and prepared to go to sleep.

[Marlith Laurien]

“It’s not a problem I still have a few friends from my smuggling days that sell me dried food in bulk.”


Marith smiled warmly. She opened a crate of dried meat and vegetables and started counting to see how much she had left. She took note of the cost and type and condition of the item.

“...almost out of the mixed meat....”
She muttered to herself as she put everything back in the small crate neatly. She put the paperwork up before taking off her hard but smiple chest piece and hanging in up. Her jump suit was a size or two, to big. She yawned as she crawled into bed dozing off. Marith slept soundly through the night.

[Adar Bolner]

The two of them were sleeping, the whole town along with them. But whilst they were resting for the day, others were making moves. The Tuscan raiders were inching closer and closer, still under the cover of sand and wind. They had hoped the storm would have stopped by now, but it was still unrelenting. They could not make a move right now. Some were visibly and audibly frustrated. To be so close only to be denied of your rewards by some natural phenomenon... They would wait. Wait all night if they must. The sentients of this village harbored what was to them most holy. Water. Gallons of it. They would take it all sooner or later.

----------------------------------------------------------------

The twin suns rose above the horizon, shining bright light to all. Soon, this town would wake up and go about its day. But at the same time, the sandstorm begun to lose strength. Marlith was right. And as the sand begun to settle down, the Tuscans attacked.

The guards were caught completely by surprise. They thought no one would be able to approach with this sandstorm! As they fell one by one, panic ensued. They had managed to regroup, but the raiders had the upper hand. It wouldn't be long before most of the people living here would be dead...

----------------------------------------------------------------

Adar was awakened by a sharp pain in his chest. Like he was being stabbed a million times with the universe's sharpest knife. Yet he was completely fine to an outside observer. A disturbance in the Force, and a local one. The Jedi padawan could feel the pain and fear and worries of everyone in town. Something was clearly wrong. He got up, grabbed his clothes and gear.

"Merlith, something terrible is happening. I... we must investigate immediately."

[Marlith Laurien]

Marlith jolted awake and hopped out of bed getting her chest piece on hastily fasenating the straps. She grabbed her blaster and bolted out the door completely unprepared.


She climbed onto a roof and flipped a switch on her blaster making a basic sight pop up. She calmed herself before aiming at shooting a raider she watched it fall before she felt a sharp pain in her knee. She looked over her shoulder to see a raider had stabbed her knee with a gaffi stick.
She missed her shot a few times before barley shooting it in the head. The adrenaline dulled the pain. The hard part was going to be pulling the staff out.


She hissed in pain as she pulled out the staff making the wound worse. She proper herself up before tearing the sleeve off her suit an using as a bandage for her wound.

[Adar Bolner]

Adar watched as the woman sprinted out of the door. He could not even yell at her to wait before she was gone. Better follow here quickly, before she does anything rush, he thought. What he saw stunned him. Tuscan Raiders. No wonder he had sensed so much pain and fear coming from the town. He did not dare think how many had died already. He would focus on stopping the raiders from doing any more harm. While Marlith had climbed onto the roof of a building, Adar was on the streets, engaging the raiders with his vibroblade. The Tuscans were good fighters, but they could not match a Jedi's training in hand to hand combat. The aliens however were not stupid and they soon begun to face Adar in groups of 3 or 4.

That was more of a challenge, and at times they got pretty close to wounding Adar, but with the aid of the Force, he managed to hold them off. Until he heard Marlith in pain. One of the raiders managed to sneak past him and climb up to where she was. That split second that he was distracted thinking if she was alright, a raider stabbed him in his left shoulder. Adar exhaled sharply, and immediately counter attacked the raider. After a little while, the raiders seemed to all leave him alone, and instead looking to move to another location within the city, even going past him. A brief moment of respite for Adar and Marlith.

"Marlith, are you alright? The Tuscans must have found what they were looking for... aaahh..."
His shoulder was still untreated, and a sharp pain had just hit him. He pulled out a bacta patch, and carefully applying it to his wounded shoulder. He felt a burn as it touched the open wound, but that lasted for one moment. "This should do it. Now, are the people safe? Where did the raiders go?"

[Marlith Laurien]

“I don’t know.”

The make shift bandage would work for now but it wouldn’t last long and she knew it.

“Are you ok, looks like they got you in the shoulder.”

She flicked the safety on her gun making the sight pop down. She put her wight on the wall and slowly pulled herself up keeping pressure off her wounded leg.


“I’ve seen these guys out in the distance before but I didn’t think they’d attack.”

Blood was already seeping through the sleeve and dripping on the ground making a crimson puddle on the clay roof. She used her gun to support her weight.

“This is going to hurt”


She braced for a fall as she found the biggest sand pile and hopped down on it. She slide down whincing down the whole way. She pulled her self up again.
“Where did they go.”

She scanned the area with her eyes. She was keeping a level head. She had to see he couldn’t let the pain and fear get to her but deep down she was scared. Adrenaline was still rushing through her body dulling the pain.

[Adar Bolner]

As they were both unsure of where the raiders were headed, a group of villagers was running towards them, getting chased by the Tuscans. As soon as they saw Adar and Merlith, they hesitated and eventually gave up the chase. The villagers were thankful. Amongst them were a few children, looking at their parents with fearfull eyes. Some were outright crying. Adar tried his best to calm the crowed, and assured them that they would all be safe. He and Merlith would deal with the raiders. He also made sure to try his best to calm down the children, promising them sweets if they behaved nicely. That would come out of his pocket, but if it would make them happy, he did not mind it one bit.

As Adar was about to ask the group for any information on the target of the Tuscans, a man came forth and spoke up.
"The raiders are heading for our water! They are slaughtering anyone who dares oppose them, and driving off the rest! Please stop them, we cannot replenish that water in time to prevent mass dehydration!"
"Do not worry, they won't succeed in their heist. Get to safety inside your houses. May the Force be with you. Let's go, Merlith."

The man was surpised, some of the other villagers too. The phrase, his cloak... this man was a Jedi! They had thought of themselves as the most unlucky being in the galaxy. Getting hit by a sandstorm and then attacked by Tuscan raiders. But for a Jedi to find themselves in their village at this time? That was the best thing they could have hoped for.

The villagers moved, and Adar sighed. This was not going to be easy. But he had faith in the Force and in himself. Not to mention he was not alone. The old smuggler woman had lived here for a while. She definetly knew a lot more than Adar about the town, and her input here could make the difference.
"Merlith, you take the lead from here. You know this place better than me. We need to get to the water tanks, and fast."

[Marlith Laurien]

“This way fallow me”


She made her way to the water tanks. She stoped to wrap the wound in her other sleeve stuffing the hole with gauze. The adrenaline was starting to ware off as the pain slowly grew she was slowly down as they got close to the water tanks


“We’re almost there”


She kept limping eventually making her way to a spot were she could snipe off the raiders. She sat down and got her gun ready turning off safety flipping up the sight looked down the crosshairs taking slowly deep breaths.



“Can you still fight”


She glaanced up looking up at him.

“I can cover you from up here”

[Adar Bolner]

He smiled at her, reassuringly. "As long as the Force wills it and I can move, I can fight. Stay alert in case they try to sneak up on you again."

With that, he moved in, closing the distance between himself and the raiders. It seemed the majority of them were rushing to get as much water out as possible. Since they encountered resistance in the form of two warriors, they decided to retreat. But they were not about to leave empty handed. A dozen were guarding the rest while they worked, and it was them that engaged Adar. One of them spoke to Adar.
"Oru uru kak", meaning "Drop your weapon". Were they hoping he was going to simply surrender and let all the innocent villagers die in this dessert town? Not in a million years.

"Sorry friends, but that water belongs to the residents. Next time, try to trade for it instead of stealing it." Adar held his weapon fiercly, entering Shii-Cho form of lightsaber combat.

"Odu dury lod!", meaning "Kill him!". The fight was on.