Conrad sat in meditation, his eyes solid white as he stared at Jaina. "Miss, please...Stay...If the Master has ordained that you are to see this, then please, he must have an honorable reason. The field is there to protect you. " His voice changed quickly, as his gaze turned to John. "Master, this is Ezekiel, we are beginning our landing now." Conrad turned back again.

"Fulcrum, show her the world." The eyepiece shifted, showing a complete holographic map of a planet. There were representations of cities, and farms, many otehr things that seemed odd. Until Jaina looked at it sideways. It was a battle map, troop strengths and otehr heavy fortifications labelled. Then she saw five shapes descend upon the surface of the planet, five small birds from this perspective.

"Zoom in." The eye zoomed into a landing zone, where nearly a hundred heavily armored soldiers emerged, their armor nearly three times as heavy as anything she had seen so far. Their weapons, similar to the oens seen so far, were double barelled, and they spat forth solid slugs at a rate taht terrified. They buzzsawed through an enemy group easily, tearing them into pieces.

THe return fire came, mostly blasters. The blasters ricocheted off of armor plates, and the advance contiued, unabated. The battle raged as other defenders came out, these ones carrying heavier weapons. THe support weapons were starting to make a dent in the line when the skies opened up.

nearly two hundred warriors equipped with jet packs dropped onto the fortified position. in minutes, they were over run, the close combat weapons and pistols taking a heavy toll on the support troops. The battle lasted another hour. As it progressed onward, The white robe John was wearing started to steadily turn red, and his body was wracked with pains.

Blood flowed against the forcefield, its hotness being agitated by the energy of the field itself until it cooked off. John finally sat down in the chair, exhaustion setting in as the battle ended. He was stained with blood and sweat.

John sat quietly in the chair, the fields lowering.
"Another world freed of Tyranny. There was a democratically elected government on that world, six years ago. It was toppled by a military commander. What was left of the civilian government as well as the people of the planet requested help."

"THis is Ezekiel. We have recovered our dead, and are returning home. The tenth companies of the Novas and the Skulls have been chosen to stand watch."

"Affirmative."

In the barracks....
The squad took their prisoner to the holding cell, after removing all of his gear and clothing and giving him a "thorough" search. He was dressed in simple horizantal stripes of alternating balck and white. he was placed inside a cell, and then another field dropped. A crazed looking man was stalking around the the forcefield, testing it. He seemed to be in the throes of a rage, and an addiction. The doors were sealed before he was even released.

Outside....
The soldiers escorted the young woman into the ship. As soon as everyone was inside the ship was sealed as well as it could be and the gas vented. Afterwards, the repair team sealed the damage to the hull.

Jaina was in shock..she didn't know what had just happened, and frankly, didn't give a damn. It was time to go.

"John...um....it's been a pleasure. But I gotta go. I got kids at home, the babysitting probably wondering where I'm at. Heh...yeah...so....I'll be seeing you around."

Jai nodded with a faked smiled and strode quickly to out of the room, down the hall, and to the ramp they had entered the ship on..."For the love of Xendor's Minions, open this door!"

Xyron awoke in a pathetic excuse for a holding cell. He figured he would be put in one, after all he broke into the ship, now he had no way to get anywhere. He could no longer protect Jaina or the reporter. It was over, and the stupid thing about it all he didn't even know who was the head all this. He punched his hand into the wall, practically breaking his hand, but he didn't care about himself anymore. He just cared about the people he needed to protect. He shook his head, and looked down at the stupid clothing he was now in, "Great, just great." He didn't know why he was puting himself down, he had been in worse situations before and had gotten out of them. 'Yes, let's have a little optimism here.' He stood up and swung his foot into the door several times. 'Not a dent. what I'd give for that steel cutter.'

René was marched down the corridor by the mysteriously tall men and saw Jaina Solo Darklighter rushing towards the hatch. "Good luck," she muttered and followed the guards to- well, wherever they were taking her.

OOC: uh, theseus, you are in a holding cell, without any equipment. so you might want to edit that last post.))


IC:

The wave hit her slowly at first, but it widened and deepened as she walked. there were thousands of voices reaching out, calling to her. Conrad's voice was a hoarse whisper in the mix, but it was heard. Maharas walked over to her, watxhing her silently at first, then speaking.
"You are new to us,you know that don't you? We have no smugglers, bounty hunters or for that matter any other rougish people among our kind. I have served my master for nearly three hundred years, i have fought in several crusades, i know what the master showed you, he did so for a reason."

"He is akways weak after a battle, but his strength returns quickly. Besides, you will fuel Azrael's anger if you leave quickly.As i understand your snoop is aboard, as is the witless creature who cut a hole in our ship. NOw ordinarily, we just take and kill such people out of hand, but you are here, so that complicates matters." The veil of blue eye winked at her once, and she had a feeling that he might have just been saying that to scare the hell out of the journalist who was being escorted to a meeting room.

"Miss Solo, please stay." Maharas stood next to her "I would like to hear how one smuggles things..."

The group escorted Reneae into a meeting room, offering her a nice chair and some refreshment, however, as she was walking she heard a dark voice say "Now ordinarily we just take and kill such people out of hand..." Winston stayed in the room, two others staying outside the room

"You are going to have to turn off your electronics, miss."

By now, Jai had lost all formalities and manners, and gone scoundrel...
"Look here, Buddy...Number one: I don't know that girl. And I've only seen that guy at my mother's office once of twice. Personally, I don't care what ya do with 'em."

"Number two...I have no clue what's going on and it's scareing the frell out of me."

"Number three...Azrael can get over it. In fact, let me save him from you freaky people. Get him out here."

"And finally, number four, you don't care how people smuggle things...that a crock. Your just trying to get me to stay...well this is one smuggler that won't go down without a fight...so don't go trying anything, Pal."

René settled in, quite disturbed. 'They're going to kill me. They're going to kill me. They're going to kill me,' she thought. She said, "What do you want from me?"

Xyron kicked the door as hard as he could, if he could keep kicking like this for the next hour or so it's gotta make a dent. He heard a noise outside but he payed it no mind, probably the guard coming to see what was going on. He swung his foot out to land a hard kick in the door but it opened and his foot landed in the stomach of the guard. The guard flew back and smashed to the ground.

"Whoops." He grinned and noticed the field was turned off as well. "Maybe there is a chance after all for Mr. Xyron." He looked out into the halls and found they were empty, 'now all I have to do is find where that reporter is.' He saw a man walking around next to the cell he just exited, looking really angry and filled with rage, as if he was looking for something that wasen't there. He scratched his head and took a look near his cell and found his gear laying there. He took off the weird looking strips and put on his gear. "Much better."

He put the strips on the guard and threw him in the cell and locked the door, then he found the field controls and turned them back on, the man next to it started testing it. "This place is just full of weirdos..." he muttered to himself. He then ran off down the hall, and checked everywhere for the reporter.

ooc: theseus, you are encased in a force field, no random luck, sit down and wait your turn))

IC: Maharas looked at Jaina, confusion in his eyes. " Miss Solo, you need to calm down. Azrael will not go with you, he is bound by the same obligations as the rest of us are. WE will not leave our masters, it is not our way. And as for smuggling, i am actually quite interested in it, for the masters speak of it often, and i am curious to understand what it is that makes them so interested in it." His face was stern but sincere. "And as for lies, it is not our way. I have yet to tell you a single lie, nor have any of my people told you any falsehoods. We are a rarity in space right now. If you would be kind enough to sit and talk with me, i would be most appreciative."

The rest of the troopers had dispersed to their sections, an entire squad was sitting outside the brig, full close combat gear ready to go. They all had Korizine gas cannisters ready, and they knew that if the forcefield was tampered with from the inside, the vents inside the room would release a massive dose.

Maharas walked over to a small heating unit, pulling the dark red cannister from the center. He poured the steaming liquid into a cup, handing one of them towards her. "Please, sit and tell me about smuggling. If i had meant to cause you any harm, Jaina, i would have by now, i would have at least tried. You have done nothing to my people, but witness one of our battles if my guess is correct. If you have seen what i think you saw, you saw the engagement at Horam VII."

"It should have gone quickly, five companies of various chapters sent to engage an unlawful militaristic government. The people asked for our help. The Master is very wary about such engagements. He does not like us going around in public like we usually do. Our style tends to revolve around dropping out of the sky, shooting a bunch of enemy soldiers, looking impressive in our powered armor, walking around, shooting a few more enemy soldiers and being thanked by the natives. It is not the simplest of lives, but i do not get the choice."

"The master is afraid though, i can see it in his actions. He does not wish to see what would happen should he die. The consequences after his death would be most hostile. My people would demand retribution, and blood would flow as you started seeing my kind in the skies above your native worlds. I do not wish to see another Grand crusade, not in my lifetime." Maharas looked sad and troubled.

Jaina might have thought about what he was saying. Realizing the very heavy prison that existed around John unable to act without being watched and scrutinized, unable to ever be free of this responsibility again.

"Why is he bound like this?"

"Master Sheridan is one of the survivors of the bloodbath at Misery. He stood shoulder to shoudler with our Emperor at his final living battle. Our Emperor is not the same as that Palpatine fellow that John and the other Elders speak of, but he is our god, divinity made flesh, and it is he who gives our strength. They say John was picked by the Emperor as his last breath left his body. John would lead us, speaking of the Ways of Old, keeping us true on our path. He would redeem us until our Emperor returned. He is the Prophet of the Emperor, he bears our wounds as we ourselves bear them."

"What?"

"You had to have seen it, Master Sheridan will bleed sympathetically. All of his clothing will eventually stain itself red with blood, our blood. I have heard that he even feels the injuries as we feel them. He is the closest thing i have to my god, and i will not let harm come to him...."

"I think sometimes that he is older than the rest of us, but he was not created the same as i was. I was chosen as a boy to bear this responsibility for my people. I proved myself in combat, and in the ways of survival to earn my people's freedom. Master Sheridan came to us fully formed, fully intergrated, at the apparent age of 70. His ways were unknown, but he was accepted and become one of us, but he was not born of us, like i was, like Azrael was."

"I must sound very odd to you, speaking of intergration and such. if you wish to understand better, here, touch the areas over my heart." He opened his robe, the chest anyway, revealing a latticework of connection ports and subcutaneous implants, which seemd to be able to jack in to something else. he held his robe open, waiting for her to decide.

Elsewhere....
John had changed again, walking down the hall. He heard Maharas's deep baritone voice, talking quietly to Jaina. He felt a great deal of shame for exposing her to the war as quickly as he did, but he thought she was worthy of it. So very much like her grandmother she was. he walked quietly, Conrad following just as quietly as he entered the waiting room, nodding to Winstion as he entered. The young albino gave him a precision salute as he stood watch.

John turned slowly, studying the young woman who was shaking visibky in terror. He watched her, studying her from all angles before quietly saying, "Now Miss Leancaster, what am i going to do with you?"

Conrad whispered quietly into his ear, speaking very softly. John responded , loud enough to hear. "if he continues to prove to be difficult, feed him to Carn and share him among the bretheren." Conrad nodded once before relaying the message to the brig watch team.

René smiled dryly at the man.

"That's what I wanted to ask you," she said. "I also want to demand you let me go. You've got no right to hold me here, or that gaurd in the barracks. Don't ask me how I know, I honestly can't tell you. Oh, and as for refreshments, I'll take a Nubian Brandy on therocks with half a twist." She paused, then with a sweet smile, added, "Please."

She took the chance to look around for a possible place to escape to. She knew nothing about nothing when it came to ships, so she would have to count on other people's luck. If they got any, that is.