Foundations of Comradship: Meet the Trickster

[Wargrave]

*crunch...crunch...crunch*

The boots crushed the rocks beneath his feet, as the man walked towards the immense structure of Bast.

He'd been told to come here, just to prove his worth to the group. All ready he'd met several of the members, conversing with them as if he were one of their own...which to a certain extent, he was.

However...he had yet to fight with them. Or fight them.

Wargrave was required to do this.

"I seek, Master Hobgoblin...I'm ready."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

A small figure lay in front of the grand castle gates of Bast. With a cane in one hand and its' back propped against the gates, it appeared to be sleeping.

[Wargrave]

Wargrave approached the figure...he recognized him...it was Hobgoblin.

The two'd previously met when told of the change of Wargraves. All three men (if Hobgoblin could be considered man) agreed, Wargrave could be a member if he proved his worth. If he didn't...then he would have to try again.

Wargrave said again, the accent is his Basic visible, "I'm ready."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

The small figure continued to lie there. Eventually it shifted slightly, stirred-

-no, it was definitely not getting up.

[Wargrave]

Wargrave decided if Hobgoblin was like his old masters...he would speak when he was ready.

So, the Dark Jedi set himself down on a rock near the Dark Jedi Master...and waited...his eyes watching all around him.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob began to snore.

Loudly.

[Wargrave]

Wargrave didn't move, but he started concentrating. Whether the Trickster was awake or asleep was not his business.

Instead, he concentrated on the rock Hob sat upon. Slowly...it started raising from the ground.

When it'd gotten about ten feet...Wargrave let go his concentration...and the rock dropped.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

The small body of the dwarf dropped and hit the floor.

The difference between Hob and the rock was that, upon doing so, Hob vanished instead of shattering into a thousand pieces.

With his concentration devoted to lifting the rock, Wargrave had no warning of the telekinetic attack that picked him up and hurled him face-first into Bast's gates.

"Never assume what you see and hear is real," a voice told him.

[Wargrave]

Wargrave rose from the place where he'd hit the gates. The gauntleted hands had blocked his flight, but he still felt a bit of pain.

The cloak swirled behind him and he stared around the opening area.

"I am real though...and you know the agreement," he opened his mind to the Force, searching out Hobgoblin wherever he was.

"You're a trickster, but quite different. You don't speak in riddles."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"Riddles are constructs of the mind," the voice spoke. "Both they, and illusions, can decieve or reveal."

An illusionary mockup of a planet appeared before Wargrave, drawing his attention. Around the planet were little flitting things that glowed on occasion- starfighters. They were starfighters of different kinds, and they were fighting-

It was the planet Balmorra, under some kind of heavy attack. "A shame such a beautiful kingdom will have to go to waste."

[Wargrave]

"I don't care for Balmorra. Millard does."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"And do you not care for Millard?"

The image changed as though it were a camera zooming in, to show a room of computers and maps with Taylor Millard at its center. His face looked desperate.

[Wargrave]

"I am not he. I cannot help in this battle."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"A paltry excuse. Go to Balmorra and aid in the fight. Bast will still be here."

[Wargrave]

"I would...were it real."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"It is real. When it will happen, the question is."

A tall, black figure stepped into being between one air molecule and the next. It stood at the foot of the steps Wargrave had climbed. "But you are not easily diverted. Good. Goood."

"But why are you here? Loyalty to Millard alone does not a Dark Jedi make."

[Wargrave]

Wargrave stared at Hob.

"There is honor here. I was once a part of a group which held honor dear. I am here for that again."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"And suppose you found no honor? Suppose you found only the betrayal of chaos and disorganization? What would you do?"

[Wargrave]

"I would make sure those I watched over were protected."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

A low, rumbling laugh echoed across the landscape. "Protect, you say? Yes, we will test this protection you offer."

Without any further word of warning, the figure lifted both hands and placed them together. A massive gout of flame burned its way through the air, seeking to consume Wargrave where he stood.

The Force-inspired alarm bells going off in Wargrave's mind told him that this fire was very, very real.

[Wargrave]

Wargrave let the fire shoot towards him, without moving. His greyish eyes stared at the flame as he started concentrating.

As the fire got closer, Wargrave pulled his cloak across his body, shielding it from the flames. The fire itself dissapated as Wargrave's Force power absorbed what it could.

When the fire was gone, the Dark Jedi discarded his cloak...it was destroyed by the fire.

With the absorbed power, Wargrave turned the power on its master and shot a wave of Force Destruction at the dwarf.

Both Dark Jedi were thrown backwards as it exploded in front of Hobgoblin.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

The tall figure stretched and distorted- its' head elongated backwards with the force of the blast, its' torso bending like a tree in the wind.

Eventually, the elongated head touched down on the ground. It melted into a dark puddle, pulling the remainder of its' body along with it. The entire black mess stirred, thickened, then congealed into the shape it had been before.

From one hand, a lightsaber extruded itself and ignited. "You do have some power in the Force. Now, let us test your true skill."

[Wargrave]

Wargrave ignited his own deep cyan lightsaber and waited.

"Yes...let's."

With a hum, Wargrave's saber crashed down on Hobgoblin's blade.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

The shadowy figure distorted with the shock of the blow, sagging downward like melting tar. Then it angled the blade, allowing Wargrave's weapon to slide off it, and its' form rebounded upward growing taller than it had already been.

At the apex of the lengthening, the figure stabbed downward at Wargrave's head.

[Wargrave]

Wargrave dodged back, the blade of Hobgoblin's connecting with the ground and plunging in.

Wargrave's saber came up and he sliced at the shadow's head.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

The lightsaber hit the shadow's form and carved through it, reaching where the forehead should be-

-then the weapon slowed and stopped, as though it had been caught in tar.

The shadow reached its free hand up and took hold of the blade, forcefully removing it from where it had lodged. It flung the weapon backwards over Wargrave's shoulder with the weapon arm seeking to pull Wargrave after it.

[Wargrave]

Something wasn't right with this.

Wargrave let himself be thrown, extinguishing the lightsaber as he did. Rolling on the hard rock of Vjun, the Dark Jedi spun away from the collection of shadows, then rose to his feet, blue eyes flashing.

Something wasn't right.

"Show thyself Master Hobgoblin. Though thou art alien, thou are not in yonder shadows. Even thou couldst not grip a lightsaber blade like a sword," Wargrave fell back on his old tongue, the tongue he'd been brought up on as he faced the shadows.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

In reply, the shadow lifted an arm, which extended and elongated beyond the point of possibility. The attached hand took hold of Wargrave's throat, beginning to choke it.