To the Tune of Evil. (Open Challenge)

[Evil Hobgoblin]

(ooc) Anyone who wants can join this thread, be it ally or enemy. :)

(ic)
Atop one of the buildings on Coruscant's streets, stood Hobgoblin. His eyes observed the speeders, moving swiftly and slowly, stopping and going. There was a melody to it all, a rhythm. Coruscant was self-contained, away from the rest of the galaxy and its problems, and these people, living on the great city-planet, were the very examples of smug superiority.

A clawed hand began to sway gently, in tune to the music of haste and indifference. The other hand joined in, the two hands moving in harmony.

And then his hands began moving our of sync. A missed beat, a pause subtly too long transformed into wild swings of dischord.

At first the traffic seemed to not respond. A stop too short, a spurt of unintended speed, and before long the speeders started crashing in tune with Hob's symphonic conducting.

The traffic tried to escape, but before long Hob had dozens of speeders dancing and crashing in tune to his power. They drove in a gigantic circle, with Hob at the center of the maelstrom.

Milivikal would greatly enjoy this, he thought.

This, the Jedi can not ignore.

[Zeke]

Zeke's telekinesis is no match for Hob's, but it does do something to help the carnage restore itself. Rather than try to prevent the wrecks, Zeke hauls the passengers and drives from the cars with his mind, placing them safely on the high walkways of Coruscant's higher levels.

"Hob! What's your deal?"

It's clear that the dwarf wants a fight. Zeke has his pike at the ready, and his sabers are in his pockets. He's ready to oblige, but if their last encounter is any indication, he doesn't stand much of a chance. But he's been Knighted since then, he's learned...and this time, he's got Kindo to back him up.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville yawned mightily, and rubbed her eyes before tapping the Goblin on the shoulder. Actually, she only thought about tapping him on the shoulder. Instead she stopped short of touching him, and let her hand fall back to her side.

"I don't think anyone is going to -"

Ah.

A screaming passenger in a plummeting speeder was yanked from the side, and placed on the platform nearest to the already gone vehicle. Someone was here...using the Force... but it was too little. A few people were saved, but there were too many wrecks, and apparently not enough saviors.

Hob seemed to delight in his symphony of pain, but it lacked a certain....finesse. She stepped back from him as he directed traffic, and eyed the Jedi who was making himself and his position known. He addressed only Hob, as De'Ville was slightly back, and out of direct sight. Until the boy moved, of course. She winked at him.

He didn't look familiar, but that made it easier. Her biggest fear would not be realized today. Not today. But maybe tomorrow. One day the Jedi she faced would not be a nameless idealistic fool, but a very familiar one.

She would die that day.

But that day was not today.

Her eyes narrowed. "He is not alone."

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

One of the speeders orbiting Hob was pulled out of the rotation and placed on the road below as gently as possible. The frightened passengers wasted no time, evacuating their damaged vehicles and fleeing as far they could.

It was Kindo who had moved the car, for though he only at the level of Knight, he already possessed telekinesis skills of the same caliber with some Jedi Masters. He repeated the process once more, saving the lives of a few more people.

Now he'd been in a great deal of fights, some with Apprentices, Knights, even Lords. He'd grown to understand what rank they were simply by the ability they shown. Whoever had caused this catastrophe was evidently very powerful, which only made him all the more ready. He immediately ran to where he knew the darksider would be, in the middle of it all.

He leapt to the rooftop from the high walkway, landing just a few feet behind Zeke. It came to him as a surprise when standing ahead of his Jedi colleague was but a dwarf. Could someone that small could move so many speeders like that? It wasn't long after that when someone else stepped up alongside Hob, almost concealed in the shadows.

" And just who are you? "

His hand dropped to his side and brushed past his saber hilt, just to make sure it was there. It wasn't a certainty, but Kindo got the feeling he would soon be needing it.

[Zeke]

Zeke grounds his stance.

"Kindo...that's one of the Black Hand's best...the Hobgoblin. Dunno who the woman is though..."

There's no mistaking the tone in his voice. Zeke doesn't like their odds.

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

Ki sighed loudly, but didn't hesitate to reach for the hilt dangling on his belt.

" Yep, let's do it. "

The chances didn't exactly weigh in favor of the Jedi, however Zeke and Kindo had a tendency to be stubborn in these situations. They'd fight whatever fight they had to, no matter who they were up against. At times it had been a crucial mistake, but on the other hand it had oftentimes proven to be a life-saving asset.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"Understand, you do not."

The dwarf's head gently bobbed and swayed. In spite of Kindo's efforts, speeders continued to crash. Some were simply thrown to the ground with pure telekinetic force, others more subtly grounded with chaos in the minds of their drivers. More often than not, however, the engines of the speeders turned against their drivers, unresponsive to any commands other than Hob's.

"Cocooned away, the Jedi are. Hidden on the city planet, unresponsive to the galaxy. Turned inward, their focus is."

The remainder of the cars in Hob's malestrom began to slow their movement as Hob continued to speak. "Ignorant, they are, of what is around them. Gone, the scars will be, by tomorrow. Built over by droids, they will be."

The cars in the air were at a full stop, even though Hob was still conducting. Zeke and Kindo could feel the Force build in the air above, an obvious prelude. Then he spoke.

"The people you saved, you know not. Mindless drones you have become. Indifferent, you are."

The dwarf's palms lifted upwards, reaching towards a crescendo. And then, lightning shot forth from his fingertips, swirling upwards, guided towards the energy humming in the engines of the vehicles above them. There was a massive set of simultaneous explosions.

And then, the speeders fell.

(ooc) I am deliberately ending my post here because that move took a lot of energy, and Hob will need some time to recover before he can fight again.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville walked towards the two young men, still hooded and cloaked, her thin face hidden. "Your friend is good at guessing." She had never seen either of them before. Strange. Hobgoblin was behind her now, recovering from the climactic ending to the dance of the speeders.

She turned her head to look from the short haired one to the other, the city lights casting a momentary glow on her features. Her eyelids were darkened with paint, twin jagged lines stretching from forehead to cheekbones. She circled the one called Kindo, surveying him up and down, making no threatening moves.

"Do you know where a girl can get a bite to eat in this part of town?" In the shadow of her cloak she might have winked at him. He felt a little hot under her gaze, the slight pressure she was applying to the pleasure center in his brain sending endorphines rushing to places the Jedi seemed to forget existed.

[Zeke]

Zeke doesn't bother with the exploded wreckage. Those people are already dead. Kindo can handle himself. Zeke's got a bone to pick with Hob. Warily he approaches the dwarf, coming to a stop several feet away.

"Hob, before we start fighting, I wanna know somethin'...what's the point to destroying these speeders and killing these people? What purpose does it serve?"

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob looked at Zeke. His mouth frowned and his ears drooped. It was sad that the youngster did not understand.

But the longer Zeke talked, the more recovery time Hob had. "Purpose? Hmph. Come."

The dwarf scurried to the edge of the building and pointed to the carnage with his cane. "Look at them. Care, they did not. Self-contained, in their own little worlds, they were. Driving, polluting, cursing at those who dared to impede their progress. All wretchedly unaware of their surroundings. They were as this city of cold metal is- unfeeling."

The dwarf hmphed again and turned to look at Zeke. "Now, all of Coruscant will be awoken. Realize, they will, the hard lesson I have taught them here today. Ignorance is not bliss. It is an excuse."

[Loki Ahmrah]

Having just dropped off a birthday present for a friend who works for the family business, "The Parish Pantry", Loki was just stepping outside the quaint, late-night café when he felt the urge to jump back inside and not a moment too soon. There was a ground-shaking crash which accompanied the unscheduled landing or rather crashing of a speeder bearing two young universtity students.

"Oh my!" The boy gasped, leaving the pantry accompanied by Mister Parish. He siezed a comm-link from his utility belt and spoke into it. "This is Jedi Padawan Loki Ahmrah reporting an accident at my current co-ordinates. A speeder has crashed, the passenger is dead but pilot is in desperate need of medical attention."

After patching his transmission through to the emergency services frequency, the boy's jaw went slack at the sight of almost a dozen similarly crashed vehicles which littered the road. Bystanders were fleeing in fear, there were screams and tears. Something was very wrong.

"Jedi Padawan Loki Ahmrah requested Jedi assitance at the following co-ordinates. Something isn't right here. In fact--" His pace quickened and he started running. "--there are Dark-Siders here."

[Zeke]

Zeke walks to the edge and stands next to Hob, surveying the carnage with a calculating look in his eyes. The old dwarf speaks true.

"Why go killin' 'em for it? It's human nature to look out for number one. But people can be taught to care."

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

Kindo felt strange, much stranger than he would usually be in the situation he was currently in. He wouldn't normally care that an attractive lady seemed to be flirting with him, but for some reason he couldn't help but want to return her feelings.

" As much as I'd like to go with you, you're going to have to leave this area. I don't want you to be in anymore danger than those over there. "

He motioned toward the building adjacent to their's, where most of the survivors had gone to get as far away from the calamity as their legs would take them. Some still ran about in panic, crying out for help to anyone who'd listen.

[Dios Kane]

:: What the heck, you're on your way to leave the place and all Hell breaks out, dragging me into it. I couldn't just leave, no. I had to get in some rough and tumble jostling match with some crazy dwarf and a chick.
I had only caught some of what the dwarf had said as I arrived but it was enough to know that it was my exact reasons for leaving the GJO. It is cocooned in the city planet. They never leave, I was leaving to seek the darkness and quell it, not expecting to find it here. How silly of me.::

Zeke, Kindo? What are you guys doing here?

:: Surprising enough to actually see other jedi here. And then there was the other guy. I'd seen him around before, reading books or something, really a kid in my book. But my focus was on the two people seeming to emanate shadows. My sunglasses opened small windows in the small HUD and began identifying the two. But I didn't have time for a stupid computer to do its job, asking was so much easier.::

Hey who's the half bit son of a... why hello? And who might you be miss? I would hope you aren't with this small fellow, the only woman I like fighting with is my wife and then I still have to say I usually give up there, she's just too strong for me.

:: I was gonna keep whatever cool I could, that little freak was doin tons of damage and people's lives were simply blinking out of existence from a whim of this guys thoughts. How simple and yet entirely pointless, why not just blow the GJO headquarters up, save us all the trouble. :D No, that was a bad thought, back to the calamity.::

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville stroked the side of Kindo's face. "Of course, let us go someplace else. More....private?" A fingernail scratched a line in his skin, but she smiled, and he felt reassured.

"Zeke, Kindo? What are you guys doing here?"

Lilaena glowered as a brash young man interrupted her, and Kindo blinked, and stepped away from her, her influence broken. "My name is Vide. Why do you spoil for a fight? Certainly you must have better things to do with your time."

But, looking at him, he probably didn't. She felt revlusion and disgust at his blind idealism, but enjoyed the violence she felt barely contained within his body. De'Ville turned back to Kindo. "Perhaps another time."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob nodded to Zeke. "As I have just done," he said, the volume of his voice beginning to swell. "A hard lesson, they have learned today. Taught, they otherwise would not have been. Not by you-or you- or you." he said, jabbing his cane at Zeke, Kindo, and Dios in succession. "Wait, you would, until out their mistakes had played. Hmph."

Hob turned around and stared at Zeke, a hard expression coming across his face. "And what good would that be, hm? Hm!? Valued more, those who were lost, will now be. Care, some will. And stronger, I will grow."

[Zeke]

Zeke's brows knit as he listens to the old dwarf. He's making too much sense...Zeke can't believe it, but he agrees with the darksider.

"Yeah...then I guess it doesn't matter then..."

He faces the dwarf and takes his stance.

"Doesn't matter what methods you use...just different means to the same ends..."

Just like his dream. Hob had done using the darkside what a Jedi would have done through the lightside. Not wrecking cars, of course, but teaching these people to actually give a womp rat's rear about each other.

"Fine...I'm done yakkin'...let's duel!"

[Dios Kane]

Look babe, I don't spoil fights, I spice them up for the taste of it all. Better things to do, yeah I got better things to do than look at your sorry excuse for a face and then look down on the half bit cretin over there.

:: I shrugged casually and ducked an object of scrap metal went flying past my head. In all honest truth I was scared out of my mind, just not showing it. Keeping my cool was the only thing I could attain here, trying to force all my emotions into a void, where they couldn't get in my way, but fear of the respectful powers around me held me at bay.::

Ya know Kindo, you just can't take all the girls for yourself, that could be dangerous, they're worse than a group of pmsed rancors when they get like her, trust me.

:: I stood casually back, my gaze flickering to Zeke for a minute as he offered his "challenge" to the dwarf he called Hob. My sunglasses were already identifying the two. But it came up with crap, and I didn't need crap right now, too much at risk. My hand brushed the glasses as I moved hair out of my face and the sensors turned off. I drew a lightsaber, the white beam slpashing shadows against the rubble before me and lighting the air. The short fellow had made some sense, the exact reasons I had quit the GJO, but not the same methods...::

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

Kindo paid no attention to what Dios had mentioned to him, for within his mind he was trying to piece together something that just didn't add up right.

The woman, Vide she called herself, had been seducing him it seemed, and despite all that was transpiring around him, he felt enchanted by her. When Dios had interrupted her however, he no longer felt the same way. His suspicions had now risen as he crossed his arms and stepped closer to this Vide character.

" Why aren't you frightened like all the others? People are dying over here and you're looking for a place to eat? Now that doesn't sound right. "

[Loki Ahmrah]

"Of course it doesn't sound right." Came a young voice from behind Kindo, Loki neared having finally climbed to the top of the stairs within the building on which they stood. The boy's breathing began to steady once more, a tell-tale bead of sweat on his forehead for he had made his way to the source of the disturbance as quickly as possible.

"Now--" He continued, coming to a stop alongside Dios, who along with Zeke looked like he was ready to jump right into battle. The young padawan's face grew stern and he addressed the two dark-siders. "--which of you have brought about this catastrophy here today?"

[Lilaena De'Ville]

All three lightsiders spoke, their words bunching together without waiting for a response from De'Ville. Or Vide... or whoever she was. The insulting one was acting brash, but was terrified. He'd be easy enough to take care of. Kindo was curious, but not upset yet. The young one....

....he could well be the most dangerous of the four Jedi on the rooftop. De'Ville pointed behind her at the Goblin. "It was he who did it. Thank goodness you are here!" Perhaps he'd see through the panic and fear she projected into her voice, but a little confusion would go a long way, and Kindo was very confused.

De'Ville moved past Kindo, trailing a hand near him, yet not quite touching him. He didn't know whether to be relieved, or disappointed. She faced his back, and then stepped backwards, bracketing the Jedi between Hobgoblin and herself, but looking like she was trying to escape down the stairs to saftey, as would any other citizen of the vast city.

[Dios Kane]

:: My white gloved had grabbed the woman before she could get past me any further. But I culd tell, just through he glove, the touch of her skin and the sense to my fingers... power... darkness. That wa all I could get, I was sure if I was better at sensing I could tel but I wasn't going to jump in any further than I had, but she wouldn't get away. My voice came out at a low rasp. My confidence wasn't lost, I just had a respect for power.::

No... Don't leave.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

He grabbed her arm as she walked past, his lightsaber still ignited in the other hand, but pointed up and away from her, towards the Goblin. Her voice was low, but audible. "Do not touch me."

Angered at the liberties he took with her, De'Ville yanked away from him, his grip on her arm pulling him towards her and off balance. With a swift move she planted the side of her hand in the base of his neck, and then kicked his elbow, sending sharp pains up to the hand that gripped the saber.

As he stumbled to his feet she already had a lightsaber ignited and in her hands, not even hesitating before swinging it at his back.

[Dios Kane]

:: I stumbled but I had been prepared, as well as I could. The attack, just the movements, my skin shivered as I twisted on one foot. The small short bladed lightsaber at my hip came off it's magnetic clip and was in my hand and reversed as I felt her attack ram against it.
I flew forward from the force, my momentum throwing me to the ground and I rolled and came up one knee, reholstering the short blade. I couldn't fight too well with two sabers and I knew it, I wouldn't waste my time trying.::

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...

:: My voice was shaky and I could hear my own sense of caution. Was it cowardice or just common courtesy? I had no intention of... Why was I acting like this? This woman was allied with the dark forces and she had just attacked me because I had touched her, in some societies that passed but not here.
I stepped forward with my blade pointed at the woman. I smiled now, grimly but a smile nonetheless.::

... but I'm goin to have to touch you again darlin' when I carry you off in stun cuffs.

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

It was now evident to Kindo who this Vide person was, rather, her intentions. There was no doubting she possessed great skill, but perhaps the combination of Dios and himself would give her a worthy challenge, one she couldn't simply walk away from.

His saber hilt, which he had turned off while under Lilaena's power, was still within the grip of his right hand. He immediately ignited the yellow blade, which caught both Dios' and the darksider's attention.

" Vide, huh? How about telling us your real name for a change. "

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"Catastrophies are in the eye of th' beholder, lad," Hob said in response to Loki, switching accents with an odd suddenness. "Ye might find more opinions than me own thinkin' that wreckage do be a good thing- that it wakes up th' people sittin' here on th' city planet from their self-absorbed little cocoons. Go ahead- question yer fellow there. Ask what he thinks."

It was Zeke Hob was pointing at. Although the dwarf had somewhat recovered from his earlier exertion, it stood to his advantage if he could sow disunity and mistrust among his enemies.

[Loki Ahmrah]

"I am not interested in the eye of the beholder. You have murdered innocent people here today and in the eyes of the law opinions are irrelevent. Fact, you killed these people here today and justice will be served, my dwarf friend." Loki answered, stepping forward reducing the distance betweem himself and the hobgoblin somewhat.

"The authorities are on their way. I will not allow you to take the life of another innocent being, now will you come peacefully and avoid further bloodshed?"

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob laughed, somewhat heartily. He could feel himself recovering and soon he would be ready to act again. He just needed more time, time that could be gotten with further debate.

"Justice, whelp, is th' creation o' sentients. As such, it be mutable from one government t' th' next, and even within governments. It does nae even apply t' everyone beneath those governments. Ye sicken me, young Loki, t' hear yerself so blindly spoutin' forth the platitudes with nae real understandin' of their meanin."

[Loki Ahmrah]

"Your efforts to confuse or even get a rise out of me have failed. My appologies but if I am to converse with someone I at least expect them to not lace their words with the rhetorical nonsense you so frequently spew." Again Loki answered, approaching the dark-side dwarf. He too was stalling for he knew that given a couple of more minutes and the authorities will arrive and take the perpetrator away.

"We disagree, this has been established berfore. Don't presume though that because I don't see things in the same light as yourself that I am less understanding of them, contrarywise, I have the intelligence not to make such a hastey judgement upon you. Now--" From his utility belt he detatched a synth-rope dispenser and threw it over to Kindo. "--bind her hands and feet. She has done nothing wrong here but cannot be trusted until this one is taken away."

The young padawan turned to face Hobgoblin once more, having taken something from a pouch on his belt whilst the dwarf was blind-sided and he held it in a tight fist.

"You still believe that this is the right thing to do don't you?" He asked, shaking his head with a degree of dissappointment. The hobgoblin was intelligent and wise, shame it was twisted.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville stepped back from the white haired Jedi, and kept her saber im front of her. Kindo felt slightly confused still, but his head was becoming clearer, and the young one tossed him synth-rope. She turned to the one who had touched her. "The only thing you touch will be yourself, you sick bastard.

"My name is Vide and you will leave me alone!" Kindo looked at her just in time to see her hand fly towards him, and the Force knocked him off his feet and sent him hurtling towards the edge of the building. At the same time the fully trained Dark Jedi moved on the Jedi Knight known as Dios, swinging her saber at him. He parried with his own saber, but she pivoted on her left foot and kicked him hard in the side while his saber was occupied with hers.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob's eyes glittered as he gazed at Loki. "And what know you of right and wrong, boy?"

[Zeke]

"Plenty. Loki's one of the better Padawans GJO has."

Zeke's stance doesn't waver. He knows Hob's attack is coming. But he also knows Loki has something up his sleeve...so let the boy try his hand.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

The dwarf smiled, but the smile had an edge to it. So did his voice. "When your first century of life, you have lived, and the oppression and prejudice from ignorant masses, you have felt, then to me with talk of right and wrong, you may come. For until my path you have walked, your rules apply not."

Hob steepled together the tips of his claws and snorted loudly. His senses were telling him that one of his two confronters intended to make a move, but he did not know which one. He could only react once they began.

[Loki Ahmrah]

"Then it seems, good sir, that the long years have taken their toll on your mental stability." The boy retorted, stepping closer once more. His fingers and toes were tingling for he had witnessed what awesome strength the malicious dwarf had tucked away inside. But he was dealing with the fear quite well, if he allowed fear to get the better of him then Hobgoblin would have already won. "I believe our rules do apply here, whether you want them to or not and speaking of which--"

Cutting himself off, Loki allowed for a grim smile to caress his lips and in his fist he could feel that which he had taken from the pouch by his side begin to tremble and indeed shake. In a matter of seconds it stilled and simply begun vibrating silently gaining frequency as he spoke. But he stood his ground for he would not engage in combat unless there was a profound need to do so. "--Are those sirens I can here?"

[Dios Kane]

:: I couldn't pay attention to Kindo, he was out of my mind but still within my awareness as the saber same at me, my block coming and then her knee into my side. I had armor on but her strength was still at large. I snorted as the impact went through and sidestepped, still locking the blade while my own armored knee, much bigger than the woman's smaller frame, connected with her side.::

I'm sorry you feel that way.

:: My knee flexed out and it kicked pushed her away as my leg straightened then snapped back as I resumed my stance. That close to the woman... I didn't care what her name was to smell the rank of the darkside. I didn't decide what was right or wrong, only that the darkside was a threat to what I cared for and it had to be stopped. I trembled as I rotated my saber around resuming a different stance, ready to counter, fear was in the back of mind, not noticed, but still back there. She could do to me what she had done to Kindo, but yet she had attacked me?::

[Evil Hobgoblin]

A pleasant smile suddenly crossed Hob's face. "I have misjudged you, young Loki. You sympathize with me more than I have sensed."

The dwarf closed his eyes and bowed his head. "More examples."

[Loki Ahmrah]

"I have sympathy for you, that is true. I do not agree with you." Answered the young boy, this time standing as still as stone. The behaviour of the dwarf had taken a dramatic change and this was when the padawan grew more alert. Dark-siders are dangerously deceptive.

His skin turned cold, his throat was dry and blood pounded in his ears like heavy footsteps of an impending doom. Loki steeled his nerves and stood straight, facing the Hobgoblin, the crystal in his hand tickled, it vibrated so quickly.

"Are you willing to go peacefully with the law enforcement when they arrive? They will be here shortly."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob gave no answer in words, but Loki could feel the Force warping and twisting in the dwarf's vicinity.

[Loki Ahmrah]

The silence resembled the quiet before a storm. Never before had Loki confronted a Dark-Sider of such potent strength and no matter how much you hope for the best and prepare for the worst, nothing can ready a padawan learner when facing the Hobgoblin. At least he wasn't alone.

The air grew thing all around and the boy narrowed his eyes at the dwarf, out of both curiosity and concentration. Quietly, he sighed and closed his eyes, he waited for the Force to guide him.

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

Despite all that was transpiring, not a word had been heard from Kindo. Lilaena had thrown him clear off his feet and over toward the building's edge, nearly sending him to his death. Unfortunately, he had collided headfirst with the compact ground, causing him to blackout for a few moments. He now realized, and was sure of it, that this self-proclaimed bystander was adept in the Force, but not that of the light.

He slowly arose, picking up his saber hilt as he did. He ignited the blade once more, and with the synth-rope still in hand, made his way back over toward De'Ville.

" You won't beat me that easily. "

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob made no move, no sound. With each passing second, the Light Siders in the area could feel their connections to the Force being dimmed, their reactions slowed. Lilaena, on the other hand, found things much clearer, her opponent's moves easier to respond to. Though it was unclear exactly how Hob was manipulating the Force in the area, one thing was certain.

The ancient power of Jedi Battle Meditation was being brought to bear.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville stumbled sideways as the Jedi kicked her in the side, and then gathered her feet underneath her and leapt at Dios, their lightsabers crashing together again. She felt the Force flowing around her and it whispered to her his attacks before he made them. He lunged forward, she melted back away, her lightsaber blocking, feinting, and parrying.

Dios stutter-stepped forward and she stopped falling back from him, and stood her ground, her arms and torso absorbing the shock of the lightsabers slamming together. De'Ville directed the Force into her muscles and reflexes and awareness, and battered the Jedi back, nearly forcing him to the ground from the strength and ferocity of her attacks.

[Dios Kane]

:: Attack after attack, defensive or offensive, mine or hers, all of them resulted in me being pushed back, there wasn't really ground to fight over but I could tell she had the upper hand, I could've told myself that from the beginning.
I spit to the side as I stood back holding my side for a moment. It still hurt a bit but that would be nothing if I couldn't defend myself once from her lightsaber. She knew everything I threw at her, and that could only be from the force, the foresight it gave force users was ridiculous and she had full advantage of it as far a I could tell.
I noticed Kindo to the side now, so he hadn't been swept away, one thing I didn't have to mark on my soul. I wanted to smile, t tell him I was glad he wasn't dead, but I could be where he had been at any moment. I had to do things, elaborate my moves and atacks so that oresight wouldn't even be at help. Make them so complicated that I would only perform the functions but not know where they would strike. That was extremely dangerous, but I had to have some kind of confidence to protect my love for Maia.
I closed my eyes and made a backwards step nd then slung one leg ahead of the other, throwing myself forward in a spin, my orange saber twisting. The only thing I focused on with the force was her... the dark one... I kept my focus on her and threw myself at her now, my sword dancing towards her. The styles came to my mind as I merged the elaborate stabs, cuts, and steps together to a dance of death that I produced out of desperate hope. Desperate Hope... my only hope to keep my love for Maia alive, I was no longer jedi of the GJO but I was of the force and I basked in the sweet spring feeling of the force as I attacked.::

[Ki-Adi Kindo]

^

[Loki Ahmrah]

There was little else to do now save for bringing an end to whatever this trickster was doing. The young padawan stood perfectly still, he had opened his eyes now having felt the presence of the Force fading. His ability to sense the Force was strong but up against the dark conjuring of the Hobgoblin they paled in comparison.

"That is enough!" His tone was as confident as he could manage although the insecurity dripped from his voice, thick and sticky like glue. He felt stuck on the spot, he dared not move but instead his fingers relinquished their tight grip on the agedan crystal trembling in his sweaty palm.

"Nrgh!" He grunted as he turned away and opened his hand and in that moment the entire street was suddenly bathed in a brilliant light. The resonant frequencies had momentarily unlocked the illuminating properties of the precious crystal used often in lightsabers. Except this kind of light, generated through the Force could not be shielded by closed eyelids and Loki hoped it would break the consentration of Hobgoblin thus breaking his spell.

If this failed the boy used the blinding distraction to pull one of Zeke's lightsaber hilts to his hand for he didn't have one of his own. "I hope you don't mind."

As the cold metal slapped into the palm of his free hand the other tucked the crystal back into the pouch to his side. The light gone he turned to face the malicious dwarf lightsaber in hand.

[Zeke]

Zeke's pocket tugs at Loki's telekinesis, and he frees his saber by upending his pocket.

"Not a problem, Loki."

Zeke intends to do this one with his Force Pike. He scrolls the electricity down to a minimum. He'll increase it as he sees fit.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

In the middle of his meditation, there was a sudden disturbance in the Force.

Startled at the disturbance, Hob released his grip on the situation. When he saw what had caused it, he almost spat. An Adegan crystal was useless outside of a lightsaber or Force spell. A Padawan like Loki would have accomplished nothing of substance with it. Still, it had been effective as a distraction, and Hob had to give Loki that.

But Loki had made the mistake of allowing Hob to feel the crystal in the Force. Even after putting it away, the Dark Jedi could see it, as though he had X-Ray vision. And the Force was still with him.

Hob tilted his head and grinned at Loki. "Wrong," he said.

And the Force channeled into the crystal in Loki's pouch, causing it to explode, sending out shards charged with Dark Side energy.

[Loki Ahmrah]

By the time Loki had obtained the lightsaber, he could feel the presence of the Force returning as strong as before, like a heavy tide crashing down upon a dry shore. He sighed but not a moment later his senses alerted him and his pulse raced when the dwarf spoke. That one word coupled with the sudden sense of danger meant he had made a big mistake and that he was too late.

The milky-white crystal shards effortlessly ripped to pieces the pouch to his side and he screamed in agony as the effect of the crystal shards on his thigh were no different to that on the pouch. Immediatly he fell to the floor and curled up in a faetal position clutching at his now crimson trouser leg. The pain was excrusiating and the blood flowed relentlessly.

"Someone help!" He croaked through raspy, gasping breaths. Already his face had become very pale and a cold sweat dripped from the tip of his nose. With the lightsaber hilt under his injured leg he applied all the pressure he could, holding onto his leg and something else.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob began to walk forward towards Loki, his expression calm and stoic. His senses were once again warning him of danger of some kind, but that was a risk he would have to take. Both Zeke and Loki would destroy him if they could, so the dwarf kept a close mental eye on both of them.

[Zeke]

Zeke is torn. He now must help Loki, by finding the boy medical help. But he can't take Loki and leave the battlefield, lest Hobgoblin join Lilaena in dispatching Kindo and Dios. A hundred possible courses of action present themselves, but Zeke can't decide on one. If he can take out Hob, then he can leave Dios and Kindo without worry. But that leaves Loki hanging. He can take Loki and run for GJO, but that leaves Kindo and Dios at the mercy of Lilaena, and possibly Hobgoblin. But wait...Loki has a commlink! Zeke reaches Loki before Hobgoblin and calls in for some medical help before moving the boy aside.

"Chill, Loki. Help's on the way for you."

He stands between the child and Hobgoblin, determined to prevent any further harm from coming to the Padawan.

"Your move, dwarf."

[Loki Ahmrah]

Quickly the boy came to terms with his predicament; he was wounded possibly to the point of being unable to stand and there was a notorious Dark Jedi closing in on him. His fear was replaced by determination and the sound of Zeke's voice was comforting and reassuring.

"Who are you?" He asked defiantly as the dwarf drew closer. Tight in his hand the second of his agedan crystals began trembling, except this time he focused on the Hobgoblin as opposed to what was in his hand. This not only made it difficult to predict Loki's actions but also made it harder to create the correct resonant frequencies but if there was one thing the young padawan could claim to it would be that he was a quick learner. And thus the clear stone started vibrating, the Hobgoblin wouldn't have the upper hand this time.

For the time being, Loki would have to rely on Zeke's protection.

[Maia Tharrinn]

Maia stood quietly beside her husbands’ ship, her wide eyes locked in concentration. She could feel a disturbance in the force. A cold realization that her husband, and friends were in trouble. Without another thought, the Jedi Knight set to running. Her small feet boosted by force speed. She called on the light side to aid her, and calm her. Maia pulled her light saber from the hoop at her side, she did not know what or who would be there.

As she reached the roof top, her eyes went wide. The dark side was in full force here. She could see the small crumpled form of the child Loki. Her heart went out to him, as did her voice via the force. "Loki, you will be ok. Just a few moments more."

She could feel her husband near, and she longed to go to his side. Shaking her head, she instead made her way to Loki. A look of determination filled her face. Maia raised her hand, using a force push to throw the Sith, that was walking toward the small fallen Jedi, off balance.

She ran to Loki's side and knelt down. She kept her saber ready, and placed one hand on the boys head, calling on the force to heal him. "Please... please." She whispered as she applied everything she had learned in her time at the GJO from her master AB.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Maia's intervention caught Hob firmly off guard. He had been watching Zeke and Loki, after all, and was not expecting a third person's intervention.

The small dwarf fell onto the duracrete roof hard, momentarily dazed by the fall. Then he got up.

"Interfering wench!!!" he roared, and with the words came a violent wrench in the Force that picked Maia up from where she knelt and threw her to the side.

A similar fate befell Zeke. Like a giant, invisible paw swatting him away, the Force obeyed Hob's command and struck the Jedi to the ground.

The dwarf scowled with annoyance. He just might have to use his lightsaber here.

"Enough tricks," he said aloud. "The boy needs help."

"And I will help him."

[Zeke]

Zeke stands, leaning on his pike for balance as he gets to his feet and points the blade at Hob. A flick of his thumb is all that's needed to activate the blade's vibro function and send a tendrils of electricity playing along the tip.

"Not on your life!"

Zeke's had enough. Loki and Maia are both in very real danger. So's he, but he doesn't care. He thrusts at the Hobgoblin with the blade of the Pike. If he can make Hob pay more attention to himself than Maia or Loki, Maia can heal the boy so they can help him. He hopes.

[Maia Tharrinn]

Maia groaned as the force lifted her and slammed her in the ground, and away from her goal. Maia's shoulder, that had taken the brunt of the fall, ached, and swiveled out of place. She looked back to where Loki was, her eyes fixed on only one thing, and that was healing him. She had to trust that Zeke would be able to take care of the rest. She hoped he could keep the Sith off of her until she could get Loki away from danger.

The Jedi knight crawled back to the boy’s slumped form, and begins to call on the light side again. "Come on Loki... I need your help with this." Her eyes glazed as she focused on the force, her own pain shut out.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville blocked an unexpectedly sweeping blow from the Jedi called Kane, then leapt over another one, launching her body over his head in a neat somersault and landing behind him, almost back to back. She stabbed behind her with her saber, but he evaded just in time, both opponents turning to face each other.

The Dark Jedi glared at him, noticing that the other Jedi with the short black hair was not actively opposing her anymore. Maybe he'd gone off to take a cold shower. She lunged towards Dios, who moved to counter, trying to pull on the Force to predict her movements, but she stopped the move halfway and changed tack. Coming in from another angle and forcing his saber up and away from his body with hers, De'Ville shifted her weight to one foot and kicked him squarely in the solar plexus with her other.

A touch of the Force and the blow propelled him backwards, the air leaving his lungs with a pop. She ran after, ready to finish him before he could regain his feet.

[Loki Ahmrah]

Lying on the hard, unforgiving floor, Loki could do little but maintain his current plan; the crystal was beginning to vibrate with a greater frequency but the boy was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain his current efforts. Despite everything he tried, his small body began to tremble and glittering beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.

"I'm sorry, Maia--" He groaned wearily, entering a state of shock trying to ignore his icy hand soaked in blood. The young padawan could feel the control slipping through his grasp and a tear trickled down his cheek. "--I can't do this."

He feared for his own life now and could feel consciousness leaving him. But he held on and with a burst of defiance focused on the agedan stone which was making his sweaty hand shake. He would be ready to release another burst of light at any moment now and it would have to be soon; time was running out.

[Dios Kane]

:: I hit the ground but heard her voice all at the same time. Maia! She was here but not, with Zeke and the kid, away from me, near the other danger, but then I could sesne my danger coming for me. I opened my eyes and leaned back on my shoulders and flipped up, bringing my saber up roughly to block a slash that I almost didn't catch.
She was there, right in front of me, my danger, and behind her I could see Maia. I sent strength throug the bond that Maia and I shared and I sent her love. That was all I wanted right now but people didn't always get what they wanted, I knew fear of loss followed my first feelings, there was nothing I could do against that, I was afraid of her getting hurt.
And that only drew me further into desperation, the fact that she was even closer to the danger I meant to stop. My desperate hope grew and my power in the force grew as I reached for it stronger this time. I flipped back away from the dark woman and then stabbed, I snarled as I lunged into it but it was like before, she stopped it as if she knew it was coming.
I closed my eyes, the image of Maia filling my head as I sensed the darksider and attacked at random but deadly points, guided by the force but at the same time, unconciously throwing everything I had to save Maia.::

[Maia Tharrinn]

Maia brushed her hand over Loki's flushed face. Her eyes growing sad at his weary tone. No child should feel that way, and it broke her heart.

"You can do it Loki, you have the strength in you. Master Anbira believes in you Loki, as do we all." Her whispered words renewed her heart, and she hoped it renewed his. Leaning down she called on the force, letting it flow into her, and sent it to him. Adding her strength to his life force.

Her aching body calmed as the force enveloped her, It's healing essence covering her as well as the child. She could feel Dios's worry, and a soft smile lit her face, erasing the lines of pain the had been etched there.

"Do not worry for me husband, your love keeps me strong." Maia drew from his love ,and his caring heart. Her love for the Jedi ways, and her extended family were all that mattered now....

[Evil Hobgoblin]

With a swift duck, the small dwarf was past the electrified pike and scurrying through Zeke's legs. Once again, he called on the Force, but this time it was for speed. His small form sped across the rooftop, heading for Maia, stepping and swirling through a set of manuevers that made his movements difficult to telegraph, and thus, difficult to interrupt with an attack.

[Zeke]

Zeke is right after him. He can't attack accurately; the dwarf's moves prevent a successful hit. So he goes for a quick fix: he shoves the dwarf with the Force, throwing his balance off. His next strike is still a miss, but closer than before.

"C'mon dwarf, they're no threat to you!" he mutters.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

For a moment, Hob teetered on the bring of tumbling to the ground yet again. Then his body spun and his rear foot planted. He stood his ground, facing Zeke. And then he grinned maliciously.

His hand shot forward and from it leapt Force Lightning that sought the body of the young Jedi Knight with frightening speed.

[Zeke]

Force Lightning. The bane of his existence. The blast catches him fully in the chest, dark tendrils playing along his torso, locking his muscles up and collapsing him to the ground. He grits his teeth against the pain, muffling the scream that issues from him as the blast fades away.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

With one opponent down, at least temporarily, Hob turns back to Maia and Loki. The dwarf begins to march over to her once again, his hand extended and promising to release the deadly power of the Force once again.

[Loki Ahmrah]

When Loki saw that Hobgoblin was preparing a second wave of his malicious lightning but this time in their direction, he took advantage knowing that a portion of the dwarf's attention will be dedicated to generating his attack. His eyes then caught sight of something by Zeke's side which gave him hope. So out he lashed with one arm and opened his hand sending the crystal out towards the nearing dark-sider. Again there was a brilliant flash of light, he had turned away and closed his eyes.

He daren't speak, he daren't think nor breath. He lifted his leg from under which the lightsaber suddenly became animated and soared at Hobgoblin whilst the light was still blinding. Releasing his telekinetic control over the first lightsaber, Loki allowed it to simply carry on with it's own momentum headed straight for the dwarf. Immediatly afterwards, the second of Zeke's lightsabers launched itself at Hob but this time from behind where Zeke lay.

The light started to fade and Loki opened his eyes hoping to see some good come of his efforts; if he had timed it right then the Hob's attention should be divided enough to ensure at least one successful hit. First he was distracted unexpectedly by a second crystal in a crucial moment before he released the heinous lightning upon both he and Maia, secondly there was the first lightsaber headed towards Hob which had up until that point been concealed beneath the boys leg and finally, the icing on the cake, the second lightsaber with it's blade burning bright soared at the dark-sider's left thigh from behind. Guiding the weapon Loki held his breath but could feel his conciousness slipping.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville's eyes were seared by a bright light from the other side of the rooftop, and Kane almost got through her defenses, but she quickly recovered. Her foot snaked out and hooked his ankle, yanking his leg out from underneath him and sending him flat on his back on the ground.

The Dark Jedi smacked his saber out of the way with a solid strike from her own, almost dislodging it as the Jedi tried to keep his balance and defend himself. As he hit the ground she kicked at his wrist, trying to dislodge his saber completely.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

(ooc) I've actually been waiting on Maia. I'm gonna give her 24 hours to post, but if she doesn't, I'll respond again.

[Dios Kane]

:: With Maia's confirmation, I gained the most confidence I would during this whole time. But I fell suddenly, taking only enough time to realize she had tripped me and had just knocked my saber a few feet away from me. I wouldn't bother with it, I quickly produced a ring between my fingers and my sunglasses were quickly slipped onto my face as I tossed it in the air. Of course I was on the ground so tossing it meant it went a few inches in front of my opponent. It went up and as it started to fall, I whispered two words.::

Night Fall...

:: The ring exploded in a ball of light brighter than the other I had just seen, it wasn't an explosive, merely a diversion. I rolled away and was on my knees with my mag revolver in my hands, pointed at my opponent's signature, my glasses gave me a clear view even through the light. Hope... desperate for hope!

[Maia Tharrinn]

Maia hovered over Loki trying desperately to heal him. Pulling every resource she had. She knew danger was coming ever closer, and there lives were in peril. Her light saber was still griped in her hand, unlit but not forgotten.

As Loki bravely used the last of his strength to fight Maia only worked harder to impart her strength on him. The Jedi knight could feel the force flowing through her, and passing to the boy. Soft tendrils of healing light. A smile lit her face, one of hope.

"That’s it Loki, help me heal you." Her soft voice whispered gently.


Ooc: I'm sorry all, my puter just got back. Had some probs, just prod me in pm when you need me to postie. :) thanks for your patience, once again sorry...

[Evil Hobgoblin]

(ooc) And now I will respond. :) Also, I'm assuming that my back is to Dios and that I am not severely hampered by his flashbang toy.

(ic)

The light from Loki's crystal dimmed almost immediately as it had begun. The threat of Force Lightning had been just that- a threat designed to provoke whatever response would come from the boy and his keeper. When Hob had felt the channeling of the Force through yet another crystal, he acted, blocking and diverting the channeled Force into a form of energy he could use for an attack.

There was the pressing need to defend himself from an incoming lightsaber. But all it took was a tiny bit of effort and the lightsaber shut itself off, landing neatly in Hob's outstretched hand.

Then he pitched forward as the second lightsaber burned through his thigh from behind.

Hob dropped to one knee, hissing in great pain, and snatched the second lightsaber out of the air, cutting it off as well. He tried to maintain his focus, but something inside of him had been burned and that distracted him a great deal. It was obvious he could not walk.

So he flew.

The small being lifted himself in the Force, propelling himself through the air towards Loki and Maia on sheer willpower alone.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville saw the Jedi throw something in the air, and her reflexes responded automatically. Just after it reached the zenith of its arc, it exploded in a bright flash of light, searing her eyes, but half a second later her saber cut clean through it. Two smoking metal bits dropped to the duracrete where the Jedi had been seconds earlier.

Using the Force she could sense where he was, and quickly advanced on him as he grabbed his gun. Blinking rapidly, her eyesight was already clearing, and De'Ville found him still on the ground, pointing a gun at her.

She held her lightsaber in front of her, "What are you going to do? Shoot me?" De'Ville extended her hand, and his lightsaber flew to it, smacking solidly against her palm.

[Maia Tharrinn]

Maia glanced up towards the fight, her eyes widened at the sight of the Sith coming at her in mid air. She had done all she could to heal the boy with the force. It was now time that he needed. She lifted her saber, though she loathed fighting. She had always been a respecter of life, no matter the darkness of the soul. But she would not let the boy get hurt.

Her eyes locked on the small form flying at her. A grimace filled her face. Maia had a horrible feeling this was going to be much less than easy.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

A blurring light whirred across Hob's eyes: flecks of dark on a harsh white background. Maia felt herself hammered backwards, towards the guard rail.

Hob's advance continued.

[Zeke]

Zeke picks himself up painfully, leaning on his Force Pike. The dwarf's dark bolts have him physically beat, but Zeke has yet to give up. He rocks back, weight balanced shakily on his feet. He makes a fist and pulls with the Force, maintaining Maia's balance and pulling himself after the Hobgoblin.

[Maia Tharrinn]

Maia tumbled backwards by the Siths blast. She cried out in pain as she teetered, off balance near the rail. She could feel herself steady as Zeke came to her aid with the force.

Raising her hand she sent a force wave back at "Hob". She quickly moved back to Loki. Her aching body crying out its own protests. She gathered the boy into her arms, trying desperately to carry him away before the Sith attacked again...

[Loki Ahmrah]

That last effort drained Loki of all his remaining strength. His head spun and eyes rolled randomnly in his ghostly white face which was clammy with cold sweat. Maia had stopped the profuse bleeding and somehow had soothed the boy's pain but never before had he been injured so badly; the crystal had exploded right next to his thigh tearing a deep wound into his leg and thus ruptured a major artery which had now closed up thanks to Maia's efforts.

His vision was a little blurred but he could see the dwarf soar towards him and all he could do was close his eyes.

[Dios Kane]

No... not you exactly.

:: I lowered the gun and fired at the ground before her. The bullet tore from the barrel, the magnetic forced bullet ripping through the air and pulling it with it as it passed by, within the few feet between her and myself, the bullet tore the ground with it as passed into the building and pulled the floor beneath her with it. It wasn't an explosion, but just a semi clean hole before her feet. It would probably keep going for a little bit, it was a messy weapon and I didn't like to use it too much anymore but it served its purpose.
And she had my saber, how fortunate. I designed my entire arsenal to just be pitfalls and tripwires pretty much, almost as dangerous to myself as they would be to the unfortuante person who took them from me. Lightsabers were built through extreme concentration and effort on the wielder's part and I had used an old Sith trick to booby trap mine, it had more to do with the trap than the force though. I focused on the saber handle, just enough to push my force essence into it to activate the trap and it sprung, the molded case I had specially gotten made by a good friend suddenly shifted in her hands and rotated as small spikes began to seep from inside, small enough to flatten then form but my handle was still larger than most others. I'd like to see how long she held onto that, plus the floor being torn out from underneath her in a few seconds.::

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Even as Zeke begins to drag the dwarf back from his objective, Hob let loose a ferocious blast of Force Lightning directed at Maia's back. The temporary break in control sends him back several meters as the injured dwarf and his assailant both grapple for telekinetic supremacy.

The dwarf grits his teeth as he attempts to continue propelling forward, one of his hands dipping unseen into a pouch inside his robe and fishing around.

[Zeke]

Zeke draws even with the dwarf, swinging out with the blade end of his Force Pike. He is too late to prevent the attack on Maia, but he can prevent further attacks...he hopes.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The lightsaber in her hand had a trick to it, and the trick was digging into the soft flesh of her palm. At the same time, Kane shot a hole into the roof at her feet. The hole was about six inches in diameter, but the roof was quite solid. De'Ville dropped the lightsaber into the hole, and used the Force to jump off the roof, somersaulting over Kane's head and landing behind him.

As he turned around to level the gun at her, she hit him in the face with her lightsaber pommel. De'Ville ignited the blade, aiming to slice his gun in two.

[Maia Tharrinn]

Maia cried out in surprised pain as the blast hit her in the back. As she flew forward she lost her grip on Loki. He was flung forward, and she had just enough time to call on the force to ease his landing. Maia lay there stunned, her back burning with pain.

"Loki call your Master...." She whispered to him through the force. All she could do now is draw on the force to heal her self...

[Dios Kane]

:: I screamed suddenly. My gun jerked back and flipped aound my finger, being reholstered as my other hand reached out and drew another lightsaber handle out. The black and red blade splashed out from a handle that didn't quite fit my hands but Tomak's had always been different.
The pain I felt from Maia had done it. could pay for the damages I had done, I could find my lightsaber again, but I couldn't lose Maia. I couldn't lose her! And this woman stood in my way to comfort the love of my life.
I stumbled back, holding my face long enough to know I'd have a bruise on my cheek but I felt much worse, I felt Maia's pain and mine was nothing in comparison. I turned to look at my wife only for a moment before I sarled and lunged at the woman, the black red blade flared in an arc as I spun it along at the woman, hurling a wall of force at her.::

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob's body suddenly drops out of the air and the dwarf leans backward, dodging beneath the tip of Zeke's Force Pike. The hand that was in his pouch comes out and flings a handful of sand at Zeke's face, seeking to either temporarily blind the Jedi Knight or distract him.

The dwarf pays for his evasive manuever, however, with a surge of pain from using the muscles around his recent lightsaber injury. His stance almost collapses as he lands on the ground, leaving Hob wincing and momentarily vulnerable.

[Zeke]

Zeke throws one arm up, too late to keep the sand from his eyes.

"Gah!"

Zeke buries his eyes in the bend of his elbow, eyes watering to get the sand from them. He opens himself to the Force, feeling the battle around him. If someone attacks, he'll know it.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob's trick has done its work, and the dwarf has the precious few seconds he needs to recover from the pain of landing.

Gritting his teeth and allowing the pain to spur him on, Hob jumps into the air, away from Zeke, over Maia, and lands next to Loki with some telekinetic pressure easing his landing.

Before anyone can react sufficiently, Hob claps a hand to Loki's thigh, his fingers tingling with electrical energy that the Force-charged shards of the crystal still embedded within Loki's body stir in reaction to. Loki himself shows no signs of being injured or affected by Hob's power.

[Zeke]

The surge of dark power helps Zeke to find Hob. Loki's signature is faint; the boy must be almost unconcious. Still temporarily blinded, Zeke throws a Force push at the dark outline he sees in his mind's eye, closing in on it as quickly as he can.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville noted his scream of pain...how it didn't correspond with any attack of hers. The woman. She had caught Hob's attack out of the corner of her eye, and put two and two together as he drew out another lightsaber pommel.

Anger built inside him, probably derived from the attacks on the woman, but directed towards De'Ville. She was slammed backwards by the Force, even as she brought up her saber to block his attack. He missed as she flew backwards, the strength of his push augmented by the strong emotions running through him.

De'Ville fell painfully, and staggered to her feet, shaking off the effects as he rounded on her, saber flashing dangerously. She brought her saber up just in time to block a vicious slash, and fell back before him, only barely getting her saber up each time to block his attacks. He kept advancing, and she continued to fall back before him, visibly tiring.

They were moving towards the other cluster of beings on the roof.

[Dios Kane]

:: The world was nohing to me now, I could see two things, one black and one white. One was the woman I would kill for keeping me from Maia and the other was Maia, who was slowly getting closer and closer.
I was tiring myself, I could feel the rage eating away at my already fatigued body but I tried as hard as I could not to sow down. I tried to focus my rage and throw the force at my opponent, trying to pull her closer to my blade as I tried to throw myself at her.
But the voice ran through the back of my head, like it always did when I got angry, it always came with it's questions. Why was I so angry? What would happen if I lost control and I died? Why not just stop fighting and run to Maia? Please save her if nothing else, save her! You WILL die if she does! The voice was so confusing but its ramblings only made me angrier, I knew I was stumbling, I knew I as breathinghar and that my grey red blood ws leaking out of my lip, but... Maia!::

[Loki Ahmrah]

Despite being afraid when the dwarf was upon him, Loki was not only too weak to provide any resistance to the dark-sider's efforts but found that the Hobgoblin wasn't hurting him. His jaw tightened with fear and his eyes were tight, expecting to have that heinous lightning course through his body. But it never came.

Nevertheless, the padawan afhered to Maia's advice and his finger pressed down upon his com-link, sending a distress signal back to the Jedi Order.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob bounced into the wall, screeching in pain but managing to keep his efforts going. The shards of crystal in Loki's body pulled themselves out through the cuts they had made. Some of them were reopened, but on the whole did not seriously injure Loki.

The lightning wrapped the blood-stained shards in in a fierce grip, attracting smaller pieces from the ground nearby. They all rose into the air above Hob's hand coalescing into a bright, burning orb.

Then the lightning ceased, and the crystal dropped neatly into Hob's palm. No longer was it clear and bright. It had a distinct red cast to it.

The crystal disappeared into Hob's sleeve and he stared at Maia. Her body lifted off the ground and hurled through the air towards Zeke.

[Maia Tharrinn]

Maia through the force had been attempting to heal herself. Her pain though still acute had lessened somewhat. She did not have time to counter the move "Hob" made. A cry of surprise, and pain tore from her mouth as she hurtled toward Zeke. The Jedi twisted her body to lessen the impact, slowing herself in time via the force.

"Zeke duck..." She called out. Her eyes slipped closed hoping it would not hurt too much when she landed. Her body and abilities were already weakened by focusing on Loki, and herself.... She had wanted to call out to Dios, to call for his help. But to distract him now would be deadly.

[Zeke]

Zeke barely has time to blink as Maia hits him. He catches her awkwardly, staggering back several steps and falling to one knee.

"You...you ok?" he asks between breaths. "This can't be good. Hob's doin' something whack to Loki."

He sets his master down and tries to clear his head, but he's finding it difficult to focus. He stands and begins to walk forward, Pike held by his side in a position that doesn't lend itself to fighting, but by the look of Hob he's probably not up for battle either.

"Leave the Padawan alone..."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville saw that his steps were faltering and his breath coming sharper. She stumbled back once more, blocked a wild swing from an increasingly desperate man, and then set her feet.

Her actions had been a ruse. Her body was indeed becoming tired, but as long as she had the Force to bend to her will, it would continue to function as she demanded it to. Reflexes jumped back up to par as Dios came at her again, rage leaking out over his emotions of concern. She blocked with surprising ease, caught his blade with hers, and then twisted her wrist.

The saber hilt popped out of his hand, the larger size of it making it difficult for him to hold onto. De'Ville laughed, and spun her saber once before aiming it at his chest with a vicious slash, destined to cut him in two pieces.

[Dios Kane]

:: I would later think on this and know that the lightside had forsaken me. But I had the title, I was a jedi knight, and no one could take that away from me. I might've been a dark jedi, different from the GJO but I was jedi, and like I said, I would think of this later not now.
Now I all I thought about was Maia and staying alive to help Maia. Tomak's saber flew from my hands and my rage filled eyes widened as I realized what her saber was about to do. I put my hands up in a cross, a feeble defense but just a mental impulse to do so while I tapped into an uncontrollable amount of the force and didn't exactly hurl it from my body to hers but let it explode in every direction. The focus coming from inside her. I didn't know how much power I could mass now, tired but filled with fury but I would not fail.::

[Loki Ahmrah]

Loki whined and whimpered almost inaudibly as he watched sharp shards of crystal break his skin which had been healed a degree by Maia but luckily, the exit wounds were acute and dry. His thigh still hurt but he felt better that his bleeding was minimal and that he no longer had pieces of crystal embedded in his muscle tissue. He sighed and swalowed, lying back on the cold rooftop.

Taking one last look down to the red light flashing on his com-link he closed his eyes and tried to relax, shutting out momentarily all that was transpiring around. He wouldn't leave his fellow Jedi to take on these agents of darkness whilst he lie on the job.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"Relax, lad," Hob said, mussing Loki's sweaty hair. A whisper in the Force suggested that the young boy get some rest.

Then a great deal of power surged forth from Dios Kane, and Hob knew he would have to act. Bowing his head, the dwarf concentrated on the Force for the last time in this battle. Around Loki and himself, an area of calm appeared, more a space of null activity than a shielded area. The Force blast hit the null space and filled it, draining itself as it did.

The gathered Force, Hob used inside himself, to start working on his wounds. He stood and placed a gentle hand on Loki's head, a few electric sparks coming from his fingers. "At the end of your day," he said to Zeke. "What good do you do? For all your effort, you would not have saved the boy. You had best rethink your priorities, for you are no Jedi."

Then the dwarf leaned backwards onto the small guard wall at the side of the building, toppling over the edge and out of sight.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Anger surged around the Jedi, and as he touched the Dark side with all of his passions, De'Ville felt a surge in the Force. It emanated from him, and knocked her clean off her feet. She turned her fall into a roll, and came back up.

She felt Hobgoblin dive over the edge of the roof, and she cast a glance back at Kane. He seemed exhausted.

De'Ville reached with the Force, and yanked at the supports that held the roof in place underneath him. Once dislodged, the entire roof would start to cave, but it would start underneath him. Satisfied that the damage had been done, and the roof was caving in beneath the Jedi, De'Ville leapt for the edge of the roof, diving over after the Goblin.

[Zeke]

Zeke's lip curls in a sneer and he casts his Pike aside with a spit of contempt. The dwarf has made a good point...again. Zeke draws the Pike to himself and walks away, disgusted with himself. The others are more than capable of handling themselves.