Anything to Survive

[A'jorrah Mazzic]

A'jorrah Mazzic had been ill for the past month and had been calling in and taking days off to try and manage her beginning months of pregnancy.

But, today was a day that she couldn't call in, today she had a very important meeting with the West Coruscant City council.

Her fiancee, Jedi Knight Falcon Gyndar had been nothing but loving during this time and taking care of her.

A'jorrah already had to have Falcon pull over at once to expell all the contents of her breakfast along the way. She was glad it had happened then and not after they picked up Justin and Beth, two of the orphans she was taking with her as a backup.

A'jorrah wished she could just go back home and crawl into bed, but this meeting was much too important for her and the orphans. This meeting would give these kids a real chance to change their lives. She was here to bring in a new proposal for better education programs in the Orphange districts. So, she had to go, there was no choice in the matter.

A'jorrah took a sip of water and sighed. She actually felt pretty bad.

[Falcon Gyndar]

Falcon reached over and placed a hand on A'jorrah's knee. He looked her over. She wasn't looking horrid, but she wasn't stellar either.

"Are you going to be alright?" One of the kids piped up.

"Yeah, 'Jorrah.. You gonna be ok?" It was a little bit of mimickery that made Falcon smile. The kids had very little clue what wonderful thing was happening with A'jorrah.

To be sure, she probably felt far from wonderful at the moment.

[A'jorrah Mazzic]

A'jorrah tried to smile. "Yes, children. I'll be fine. Just a bit nervous I suppose, there's a lot riding on this." It wasn't a total out right lie, but A'jorrah didn't feel like explaining any more.

She knew Falcon was concerned and put her hand over his that was on her knee. "I'll be glad to get this done and over with, I'm really tired." And sick...

She kept the last of her thoughts to herself, but was sure that her soon-to-be husband heard her.

"I left a message for the caterer to call you this morning for the reception. I didn't really think I could handle talking about food, luv."

[Falcon Gyndar]

He nodded, and kept an eye on the skylanes before him. Why did it have to be so busy this morning?

Falcon put both hands back to the controls. "I'll take care of it no problem, darling. Just take care of business, then please for the love of the gods of Tyntia, rest. I'll take care of the kids for you when it's all done."

[A'jorrah Mazzic]

"Thanks, luv. I will probably go to bed after I get back home." she closed her eyes for a moment as she leaned her head back and hoped that this would sickness would pass soon.

[Falcon Gyndar]

"Good girl..."

He was slightly concerned, but he knew she could handle herself. She always could, as long as he'd known her.

Falcon was quiet again, concentrating on the traffic. He could see the building from here. They would be there in moments.

[A'jorrah Mazzic]

She was somewhat relieved to feel the speeder come to a halt, maybe it would halt the churning in her stomach as well.

A'jorrah leaned over and gently kissed Falcon on the cheek. "I'll comm you when the meeting is over, shouldn't be too long."

She slide across the seat and slowly got out then straightened her dark green skirt while the children shuffled out of the back seat.

"Tell Knight Gyndar thank you for the ride, kids." She told them.

"Thank you, Master Gyndar!" They both piped with wide smiles.

With one last good-bye, A'jorrah waved as Falcon drove off, then headed up the steps to the Council building.

It didn't take them long before the three of them were issued into the council chambers.

"Miss Mazzic, you've come before us with a new proposal for your orphanages? Let us hear you out." The main council member spoke.

A'jorrah smiled and stood, "yes, I'm here to propose a grant for a new educational system for the area orphanges..."

[Shanyla Gyndar]

He drove off. He was gone.

HaHAHA. That imputent fool. Further pain awaits you, mine enemy.

She had a blank stare. The girl no more than fifteen or sixteen years of age was poised atop of the Coruscant Council meeting hall, awaiting the perfect opportunity.

Wait until he is out of sight, pretty girl. Then do your work, like the obediant, selfless person you are.

With these thoughts pouring into her helpless, blanketed brain, she could not know he was mocking her. She only heard the orders. Only her skills she had retained. No self, no freedom, no way out.

Her dark locks flipped about, being toyed with by the breeze, and her green eyes held no sparkle. "Yes, lord. It will be done, as you have commanded."

The timer had been set, the wiring done. The device waited. The puppet-girl jumped, as if suicidal, and landed into a crouch. She smiled meaninglessly, then walked away, slipping her hands into the long coat's pockets, and fidgeting with something.

Click...Ten, Nine, Eight...

It had begun. The trains of many lives were about to be thrown from their tracks, and burst into flames. The unnamed teen slipped away into the bustling morning crowd.

...Three.....two.....One. Showtime.

[A'jorrah Mazzic]

It was unlike anything A'jorrah had experienced. One moment she was standing before the West Coruscant City Council with her gentle arms around Justin and Beth, explaining the eduacational needs, hte next was a horror story.

A'jorrah could hardly tell what was happening, she felt this horrific blast and then everything beneath her crumbled into a dark cloud. A'jorrah screamed as she felt herself falling and attempted to grab the children, but lost them as everything went black...

[Falcon Gyndar]

It could be heard for quite a distance. The shock could be felt. It made his heart stop. The vehicle came to a sudden and jerking halt as the Jedi Knight stuck his head out the window to see what was going on. Smoke, so much smoke. Fire...

No.. Not the Council Hall... Not the children..Not..

His thoughts were spiking as his eyes searched the near horizon of buildings for the high pinnacle of the Council Hall. With all the smoke it was so hard to see. He worked hard to assemble his calm composure. It was just barely effective.

I've got to make sure it wasn't them. Gods, please.

Gyndar pulled out of traffic and headed back. He had to know. He had to also be there as a Jedi, to preserve life.

[Thalius Nendor]

Is it done, pretty girl?

Excited, so excited. He wants to see the knight's blood boil with anger.

"It is done, master."

Yes. It was all coming together, step by step.

Excellent. Come to me.

Obedience. Compliance. One of the best parts of the hunt was making your prey want for your head so blindly and enraged that the kill would be pleasurable.

"It will. Oh yes, it will."

[Falcon Gyndar]

He was quick to arrive, quick to freeze at what came into view. The worst had happened. Inside he was kicking himself.

Stop it, Gyndar. This'll get you nowhere. Find out how this happened, and try to discover who did this.

He nodded to himself, clenching his teeth. There was a faint knowing feeling, a gut instinct that told him he knew the suspect already. As he moved in, he pushed past the media crowd that was gathering to query a man of the public service who came into play at this scene. The findings his Jedi senses presented to him were not entirely what he thought they might be. It was a depressing reminder, and an angering wake up call.

"What happened?" ....."Master Jedi...At this moment, we don't know. Though it's quite suggestive of a..."

Falcon interrupted the man. "...a bomb. I can see that now. Yes, thank you."

He walked away from the man, and towards the wreck that was once a smooth, tall structure. His control was beginning to slip. Falcon stared at the rubble, and fumbled into his pocket for his comm. He brought up Rikki's number, and dialed her up.

"Rikki... yes, it's me...I won't be making it this morning for our lesson. Are you watching the news?..." His voice was losing its composure, by the tiniest increments. By the time he spoke next, it was a cracked whisper. "...She's in there, Rikki."

[A'jorrah Mazzic]

"...'jorrah...'jorrah...wake up." A small muffled voice spoke.

The young woman groaned as she heard some rather strange and nerve rattling noises. She hurt all over, but her left leg hurt the worse as she slowly opened her eyes to a horrifying sight.

A'jorrah was lying in rubble, and above her was a good chunk of building that looked like it could fall at anytime. "Oh, my God." She whispered as the smoke and dust filled her lungs making her cough.

Everything around them was creaking and groaning with a vengence as she carefully sat up.

"What happen'd, 'jorrah?" Justin asked as he crawled over to her.

Light fixtures were buzzing and popping all around them, leaving small sparks of light about the small area.

It had given off just enough light to allow her to see his bloody face. "Oh, Justin, you're hurt..." A wave of pain in her leg drew her attention quickly as she moved a bit. She grit her teeth and breathed carefully. A'jorrah was hurt.

"Ugh," she groaned as she looked down at the place of pain and winced. A gleam of white bone had ripped through the layer of thin fabic of her shirt. A compound fracture.

"Justin, where is Beth?" She asked immediately.

"I dunno. Can we get outta here?"

"Beth! Can you hear me? Beth!!" A'jorrah yelled as the area continued to groan as bits and peices crumbled and fell. It was about then that A'jorrah caught sight of a little yellow peice of fabric. Yellow fabric from Beth's dress. "Oh, God, Justin she's buried!" A'jorrah yelled as she knew she had to get over to the child.

About that time, she began hearing calls for help and howls of pain coming from different directions, echoing from everywhere. It sounded of a ghoulish holo-vid, only this was real.

A'jorrah tried to get a hold of her comm, but when she brought it out...it had been busted.

"Beth! Hang on, Sweetie, we're coming!" The young woman called as she ripped a strip of fabric from her shirt and carefully wound it around the gaping wound of her leg. She cried out as she tied it.

With another strip she cleaned off Justin's face and wrapped it around his head where she found another wound.

Her thoughts came to Beth, and A'jorrah knew this wasn't going to be easy to get to her, but she had too.

A'jorrah had to get to the child as Justin began to help her up.

[Rikki Van-Warren]

Rikki had just flipped on the Coruscant news channel and nearly dropped her comm.

A bombing at the West City Council Hall, the distruction was horrible and A'jorrah was in that mess...somewhere. "Oh, Master, I'm on my way!"

Rikki ran like mad to get to her Master, taking a cab was pretty much impossible, traffic lanes had begun to jam up from the disaster a few miles down.

[Falcon Gyndar]

Gyndar flipped his comm shut, and stuffed it back into his pocket, surveying the rubble. There would have to be a way in somewhere...

No. Wait for Rikki. You can't do this yourself. Not in this state of mind and you know it. Falcon clenched his fists, and closed his eyes tight. There was only so much he could do right now to restrain himself. Why couldn't he recall the lessons of Prito, his Master from the beginning?.... His mind was covered in a thick dust. It clouded his judgement. Natia had been right about his needing to really take it easy. That daughter of his was wiser than he realized.

Breaking from his thoughts, he surveyed the footpaths for his padawan. She would be here in a jiffy. Such a reliable young lady.

[Rikki Van-Warren]

Rescue vehicals of all kinds began to scream and wail as the Watch cleared lanes for them to go down.

Rikki proceeded at an even pace, she used her Force senses to duck and dodge dust covered people who were trying to get out of harms way in case another building was in danger.

There was nothing much left of the Council building, but a broken down steel skeletal structure of a once beautiful building and as Rikki neared that, the end result was mortifying.

The building itself had been blasted apart and left nothing in it's wake but a vast amount of horrified people covered in dust or hurt and piles of crushed cement.

"Master!" Rikki called as she found him and saw the look on his face.

[Falcon Gyndar]

He glanced at her.

"I'm here. Mostly."

Falcon rubbed a hand over his face, and dropped it to his hips, where both hands would sit for the moment.

"What are your thoughts?"

As much as he didn't like to waste any time in this situation, calm was the best choice.

[Rikki Van-Warren]

"She's alive." Rikki said almost immediately. But, where she was was going to be very hard to tell.

Her face was calm as she studied the partitions of the building or at least what was left.

"What in the universe would be the reason for this, Master? Why today?" That was her first question.

Her attention took her to another part of the broken down structure. "An opening, Master! Over there!" She pointed to it as the rescue workers began to appear everywhere.

"We'd better hurry, Master or they won't let us near it." Rikki spoke quickly as she looked at Falcon.

[Falcon Gyndar]

Falcon ignored her question, but responded immediately to her sudden exclaimation. The knight nodded solemnly. He wouldn't burden her with the depth of what was going on here.

"Let's go, Rikki." He said, placing an absent minded hand on her shoulder. He then dropped it, and began to head to the opening at a quick jog.

[Rikki Van-Warren]

Rikki was quick to follow, she knew that time meant everything and her adjenda was to get to A'jorrah as quickly as possible.

At the opening was a crumbly mess of concrete and debris. As she climbed through her robes were torn and her bare skin was scratched and cut.

"Master, can you feel her?" The Padawan had to keep a clear mind as she began to hear moans and terrified screams.

Everything around her was graoning with a vengence as if any moment it would topple upon them.

[Falcon Gyndar]

It was dark.

There were the moans and screams of the various people who worked here that were being reached by crews in other sections of the building that were the safest ones, oddly enough, and the endangering crackle of the building's power. Amongst the various lifesigns, Falcon had to sift through to feel out for A'jorrah's. It was a few moments, but then...

"Ah.. Yes.. Yes, she's here. In this section. I can feel her... and two other signs of life with her."

It was a small panic. Those signs could be A'jorrah and the two kids.. which would mean something he didn't want to think about. On the other hand, it could mean only one of the two children he'd left with her had survived....Another thing he wished he could keep out of his mind. It would remain to be seen.

"Can you feel anything nearby?"

This was a small test to see if she'd been working on her skills. An odd time to think about it, but Falcon had always been an odd master.

[Rikki Van-Warren]

Rikki used the Force to enhance her sensing abilities as she had outside. There. It was an air pocket, packed behind a mound of very unstable rubble.

"It's air pocket, Master!"

[Falcon Gyndar]

"Good, Rikki. Let's get to work."

They would have to be careful Very careful. Falcon felt out for the air pocket also.

Yes. There it is...

He approached it, feeling out the best place to get in without losing everything.

"Look for the safest spot in this pile. We don't want to let everything fall."

[Rikki Van-Warren]

Rikki concentrated hard on this pile. It was all unstable.

"Master, I can't find a very good spot yet. I'll kep searching." It all seemed to be connected like a 3-d puzzle, if one peice was taken out, three would fillit's place and then there was the lingering piece of building above them that endlessly creaked and groaned.

[A'jorrah Mazzic]

The pain was too much to bear as A'jorrah tried to step on her injured leg. She cried out and collapsed in some lose debris, scraping herself even more.

"Beth! Oh, God, help me!" She said through grit teeth as she began to crawl towards the little girl. The pain was unbelievable, but A'jorrah had to get to Beth.

It took her a couple of curse words and lots of tears to finally get to Beth's buried body.
"Help me, Justin." She said as the two of them began to dig furiously.

Beth's face was scratched, puffy and pale as they uncovered her. "Beth, sweetheart. I'm here and we're going to get you out of here and fixed up. I'm so sorry, sweetie!"

"Beth..." A'jorrah's voice cracked as a light nearby flashed and she saw true paleness of her face.

"NO! Oh, God! No!" A'jorrah cried as she held on to the body of the little girl. Beth was dead.

[Falcon Gyndar]

Falcon suddenly stilled...

"Did you hear that? Rikki? Did you hear it? That scream....Gods, we have to get to them."

He took a couple steps closer to the rubble surrounding the air pocket. "This has to be done now"

[Rikki Van-Warren]

"If we both dig, Master, I'll hold the opening with the Force. It'll give you a chance to get in there and get them out!" Rikki said quickly.

She had advanced in her telekinesis skills a great deal since her arrival nearly a year agol.

"Let's do this!" Rikki began to dig.

[Falcon Gyndar]

Falcon began to dig quickly, but carefully. He kept pace with Rikki as they removed the rubble with a small sort of ease.

"Are you positive your skills are up to par to hold the opening?"

It wasn't that he didn't believe her or trust her, because he did. He just needed to be sure.

[Rikki Van-Warren]

"Don't worry, Master. I can hold it." Rikki knew the hole would be no problem as she already began to hold back the sides to keep what they had open.

But, there was another piece she was concerned about, that was further above them, it was creaking and groaning with a vengence.

[Falcon Gyndar]

Falcon took a deep breath.

"Alright. I am going in."

Falcon slipped through the opening, still kept in the dark. There was some light coming into this small cavern-like space, enabling him to see the bare, jagged edges of the crumbled builing. Looking at them made his slight anger spike, countered every time by a calming thought that yes, everything would be made right.

"A'jorrah...Sweetheart? Can you hear me?" He looked around, examining carefully. The knight could feel her close by...He had been working away all the other life-presences to concentrate on hers, and he followed that trail, carefully getting closer.

"We are here to get you out...Just stay where you are, love."

[A'jorrah Mazzic]

"I'm here, Falcon..." Her voice was strained with both emotional and physical pain.

His voice was like the brush of angels wings as she held onto Justin. "Justin and I are over here!" She coudn't quite see him yet and shifted slightly.

Pain seared through her upper leg causing her to cry out.

[Falcon Gyndar]

Falcon's ears seemed to perk up at the sound of her voice. Then her cry of pain. He could hear Justin's whimpering as he got closer, and almost tripped over a rock when he was about to pass them.

"Oh.. there you... are...." He stopped speaking as he saw Beth lying limp on the ground.

"She is......isn't she?" A'jorrah just nodded at him, he nodded back, rather seriously, then looked to Justin. "Can you walk?" He asked this as he crouched down to look at A'jorrah's leg. "Oh that must hurt, peaches."

[A'jorrah Mazzic]

A'jorrah nodded as tears fell down her cheeks, she'd never felt so helpless. "It doesn't hurt nearly as bad as my heart..." She looked over at the stillness of Beth. "I couldn't save her..."

A'jorrah coughed as the ground rumbled, spewing in dust and grit.

"Ummm, Master! You need to hurry!!" Rikki called and there was a strange tone in her voice.

A'jorrah looked at Falcon as the building rumbled all around them. "What's happening, Falcon?" A look of fear was on her face.

[Falcon Gyndar]

Justin may be able to walk, but he wouldn't be able to get out fast enough now. Falcon looked A'jorrah over a brief second, then carefully scooped her up. While he was crouched with her in his arms, he looked at Justin again.

"Hop on my back, young man, and hold on tight. We have got to get out of here."

When the boy did so, Falcon stood. The weight of both of them being supported by him brought the still mending twinge in his leg back to memory. He shut it out.

"Rikki! I'm coming...." Then to A'jorrah..."Hold on, honey.. this will hurt."

On the side of caution so he wouldn't trip on large debris, Falcon quickly began to make his way to the exit. When they made it out, he continued to move to get them as far away from the building as possible, and to the safety of the medical teams nearby.

"You're safe now... all of you."

Just then, the building began to creak now. His arms empty, Falcon turned sharply around, to see what he would have thought the least likely to happen this day.....

[Rikki Van-Warren]

Rikki breathed a sigh of relief as her Master brought out A'jorrah and the little boy. They made headway for the exit, but as Rikki saw her Master get out with the two he'd gone in for...she heard it.

A terrified voice just to her right, the opening and escape route was right before her, but the building was starting to crumble again, bringing down more debris in it's wake.

"Please, help me!! Don't leave me here!" A terrified woman screamed and reached out for the Padawan.

"Master!" Rikki yelled, but he hadn't heard her over the rumbling. Rikki looked at the woman, she couldn't just leave her there.

Rikki jumped down and started digging frantically. "Hold on, I'll get you out!"

Things started falling everywhere around them. "Lookout!" Rikki heard the lady scream as she looked up and saw a large peice of the building falling towards them. Rikki screamed and fell on her back.

She formed an invisible bubble around her and the woman, with all the shielding power she had as all the light around them was blotted out.

"Oh God..." Rikki's voice cried out as she knew that her mind could not withstand this much longer.

Master, I'm trapped and my power is weakening...I'm not afraid. I'm sorry, I failed you, Master...I'm so sorry... A blood curdling scream could be heard through the Force as Rikki's Force-shield fell and her Force signature was wiped out.

[Falcon Gyndar]

As everything happened.. and it happened quickly, Falcon took weak, wobbly steps backwards, shaking his head. He knew he could do nothing for her the moment she fell to her back.

He had to watch her die from a distance.

The impact of her caring presence being ripped from his mind so suddenly made him collapse, falling to his knees, then face-forward to the ground. For many minutes he lay still, even his breathing was unsure. When he lifted himself up to a kneeling position, there was only one thing he could think of for hours afterwards, when A'jorrah and Justin were taken to get medical treatment, when he was returning to the temple, when he was eating his evening meal. Just one thing.

Stalis'ur'talin will die.