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Post by Shaman Anaxilea on Mar 3, 2013 8:17:01 GMT -8
Sernpidal City was the capital city of the planet Sernpidal.
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Taung H'rel
Retired High Councilor 
Posts: 468 
Affiliation: Galactic Empire
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Post by Taung H'rel on Aug 28, 2013 16:43:11 GMT -8
The City and all its people saw a brief, and for them, never ending beam of blue fall from the sky, before a wave of fire and shockwave turned them into plasma, just before the planet they were on exploded, extinguishing all life in a violent end.
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Ambar Calmcacil
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Posts: 29
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Ambar Calmcacil on Apr 9, 2015 0:20:35 GMT -8
*The trek into the city felt like it took far longer to Ambar than it really had. It at least gave him plenty of time for thought and preparation, considering all the angles of what he might be dealing with. The Sith could have been removed from the world some time ago by an outside force, for instance, and the force that removed them either resided here now or left them to their own devices; if the former, perhaps they were just as malevolent rulers as the Sith were. Perhaps the Sith left of their own accord, finding no more use for the world. Or they were still here, their numbers dwindled or perhaps as strong as before.
Or stronger...
Ambar had no intentions on staging a coup with only Samantha by his side if they were dealing with some strong force, but that was why he was beginning this mission with reconnaissance. He had Jedi he could call in if needed for a larger assault... At the same time, was it worth potential risk of life and munitions just to free a small, out-of-the-way rock from a little Sith influence?*
"Of course it is, dumbass," *he muttered aloud.
Said muttering caused Samantha's head to whirl around to look up at him with a confused furrowing of brows.* "What?"
*He grunted and shook his head, answering,* "Just thinking to myself if it'd be worth bringing in more Jedi forces to free this world if we need to, at risk of losing some. But of course it is."
*She studied him for a moment, admiring his dedication and resolve to right his past wrongs, though wondered how far that resolve of his would take him. Not over any edges she hoped... But she had faith he would keep control, so she only nodded and continued onward with him into the city itself.*
"You!" *came a gravelly voice, causing Ambar to tense; he knew when he was being recognized, and he began to reach for his saber, turning towards the source of the voice... but it came from what appeared to be a somewhat-elderly Sernpidalian, wearing worn and slightly-tattered clothing, clutching a beer bottle by the neck and pointing at him shakily with the same hand.* "You back to ruin us summore?" *he continued, voice slurred only slightly.*
*Ambar relaxed his defensive posture, relieved he was no threat, but at the same time he looked around, making sure no one else was around; they were in the mouth of an alleyway, one that didn't seem too populated. Or clean. The place was almost ghost town-like. He tossed a glance at Samantha, who seemed tense, nervous... unlike her. Was she having flashbacks of some sort, triggered by the man's recognition and the fact that they were standing on this world? She jumped at the hand on his shoulder, but he held it there, giving her an encouraging smile when she looked up at him. She managed to smile and relax a little, so he removed his hand and focused on the apparent-drunkard.
She had been trembling...*
"Suppose I should've known better than to expect this face," *he thrust a finger in the direction of his scarred cheek,* "could easily be forgotten." *He'd hoped at least their street clothes could have been a good cover, but he should've known better.*
"Yer damn right!" *the man retorted.* "Cared not for us folks' wellbein' and simply disappearin', leavin' the world in disarray..."
*Ambar shook his head, glancing around again.* "I've made some mistakes. I know that. I'm sorry."
*The man stared at Ambar lengthily, in disbelief. Finally, he managed,* "You're what?"
*Despite everything, Ambar couldn't help but smirk.* "The old me was a fool with no regards for anything but his own goals. The new me is different. I've come back because I have regards for others. I need to know what I might be up against, though. You hungry? Maybe I'll treat you to something, and in exchange you can tell me everything I need to know..."
*He was being stared at, not just by the man, but by Samantha as well. This had been the first true mission they had been on together since their reunion, and this was a completely different partner than she was used to. Ascin would threaten, even hurt those he interrogated, perhaps even kill if he was feeling violent enough, and show no remorse for any of it. But the man standing beside her was showing remorse and offering food to someone he didn't even know—and quite honestly stank—in exchange for information on how he can make Sernpidal a better place. Quite frankly, she was amazed by it... and was starting to feel better about being on this world with him again, despite the bad memories previously associated with it.
The man himself finally scratched his head for a few moments, looking at the ground confusedly, as though wondering whether he was dreaming. When he looked up, he grinned a crooked-toothed grin.* "I know a place. Promise it ain't fancy so it won't be emptyin' your wallet. Heh heh, maybe I had too much to drink but this is all a bit unbelievable."
*Ambar smirked. He had been used to carrying out good deeds as of late, but something about this particular deed... it felt good. Good to know he was truly making a difference, or beginning to. It was only the beginning of a little payback to the people he'd wronged, and to the group he'd left to perpetuate the wronging...* "Lead the way," *he offered with a gesture. The man nodded, nearly stumbled, then beckoned them as he led them down the street...*
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Ambar Calmcacil
Member
Posts: 29
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Ambar Calmcacil on May 17, 2015 13:37:23 GMT -8
"Tell me about the current government," *Ambar asked, a fork full of some strange cuisine, local he assumed, in his hand.
The Sernpidalian—whose name was Danir, they'd learned—had been right: This certainly wasn't a fancy place. It wasn't some dive either, but it definitely had seen better days. A product of poor government and lack of sufficient funds? Perhaps... and the food certainly wasn't that appetizing either. Danir certainly seemed to be enjoying it, as though it were the first real meal he'd had in months.
For all Ambar knew, it was.
But his enjoyment was cut short by Ambar's information request, and he stared up at the ex-Sith with a scowl.* "What gubberment?" *he asked scathingly with a half-full mouth. Swallowing the mouthful, he sat up, looking none too pleased.* "Like ah said, ya left the place in disarray when you vanished."
*Ambar winced a little, but pressed onward, asking,* "Surely some sort of figurehead exists?"
*Danir scoffed and shook his head, muttering,* "If ya can call 'im that."
*There was someone? Ambar's fork fell to his plate as his palms smacked on the table, himself nearly rising completely out of his seat.* "Who?!" *he demanded, almost desperately.
The act had caused Danir to jump and nearly cower, but neither Ambar's expression nor his tone were threatening. The Sernpidalian blinked, then seemed understanding as he answered,* "Tarlidan."
*Ambar's eyebrows creased and he looked down at the table. That name sounded vaguely familiar. He repeated the name under his breath a few times as he finally lowered himself back into his seat, trying to put a face to the name. Finally looking back up at Danir, he asked,* "Duros?"
*Danir chuckled mockingly.* "The same. Couldn' forget one o' yer own, could ya?"
*Ambar scowled.* "He's not one of my own." *He paused for a moment. Come to think of it, he hadn't even given his name to Danir. Perhaps he assumed Danir would know... And perhaps he was correct, only the name Danir knew was no longer the name Ambar went by. Ambar raised an eyebrow at him.* "... what is my name?"
*Danir gave a single, derisive laugh.* "As if anyone could forget the name of those who ruined us! Darth Ascin, and his precious Satsi!" *He indicated Samantha with his finger as he concluded.
Of course. He had the wrong names. But before he could correct that, it was, surprisingly, Samantha who spoke up defiantly.* "Samantha!" *she declared.* "I lost the name Satsi years ago! When—" *She stopped abruptly, looking up at Ambar, who met his gaze. She was about to reveal that she'd left Ambar and was taken in by the Jedi, and that was when she shed that name. But they were here to show a unified front... She couldn't let that detail slip right now. She returned her gaze to Danir, defiant once more, and concluded,* "... when we gave up our old ways and joined the Jedi!"
*Ambar nodded, first to her, then to Danir, and added,* "And you can refer to me as Ambar Calmcacil, thank you very much."
*Danir frowned, repeating the name "Calmcacil" under his breath much like Ambar had Tarlidan's, as though he too vaguely recognized it. Then he shrugged and shook his head, looking at both of them.* "Was that to hide from yer past? That little scar o' yours makes it kinda hard to hide."
*Ambar shook his head.* "Not hiding from the past. Putting it away. It no longer defines me. But this isn't about me. Tell me more about Tarlidan's, shall we say, regime, and how I can topple it."
*Danir blinked rapidly, still seeming in utter disbelief at this notion that a former Sith, and indeed, essentially the former dictator of Sernpidal had returned, no longer a Sith, to overthrow the Sith leadership and return its government to the people. He scratched his head a moment, then, quietly, answered,* "He takes up residence in the same place, if ya 'member where that is." *When Ambar nodded, he continued,* "'E hardly shows his face, but when he does, it's to remind us all he's in charge. Takes what 'e pleases, doesn' give back..."
"Damn him," *Ambar growled, staring at the window to the street outside. Without looking at Danir, he asked,* "What about his defenses?"
*Danir shrugged.* "Nonexistent, or hidden. Most o' the military and navy were taken by you many years ago, and never returned."
"Brilliant." *Ambar stood, deciding the food on his plate wasn't worth finishing, and stepped away from the table, leaving a few credits.* "This should be simple then." *He pressed something against Danir's chest, and the man gasped, as though expecting Ambar had just killed him.
But the bum's fingers found nothing there but another credits chip. He stared at in shock for a moment, then looked toward the exit, where the two had exited. He stared in disbelief... then muttered a silent,* "Force be with you..." *before pocketing the chip and finishing his meal...*
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Ambar Calmcacil
Member
Posts: 29
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Ambar Calmcacil on Jul 6, 2015 21:50:35 GMT -8
"Relax," *Ambar assured a shrinking Samantha as they drew closer and closer to the old temple.* "This is a chance to prove your strength. Our strength. Don't let it get to you."
*Samantha had indeed been dreading the return, simply because she could sense the darkness, the same darkness from her past... It lingered. They were here to expel that, yes, but she still couldn't shake the sour memories from creeping into her subconscious. Still, Ambar was doing his best to encourage her, keep her focused... Or... was it some kind of ruse? Did he have designs on returning to old habits? Was his encouragement, his claims of wiping out evils of the past a trap, one he meant to spring on her?!*
"NO!" *she declared in fright, turning toward him as she backed away, whipping her dual-ended lightsaber out from its concealed holster with her right hand, her left palm extended as though to keep him at bay.
Ambar's eyes widened in shock as she did this, and he made no other motion than to stare at her in shock. He would have moved toward her, tried to calm her down, but fortunately there was no one else present, so he felt no urgent need to cover up the scene. But her expression... pure fear, and directed toward him. He wasn't even sure why, but he didn't like it; he felt like something stung inside of him... But he could only ask,* "'No' what?"
*Her breathing had intensified, stomach heaving as she stared him down frightfully. He hadn't attacked, he hadn't made a move to stop her, instead he only looked upon her with genuine concern, asking what her exclamation meant. Her mind raced; had it all just been an overreaction? A trick of the dark side? Then already she was failing, and she felt highly ashamed of herself. She took a step and nearly stumbled, hiding her lightsaber once more, her head hung low.* "Nothing... I... just had a bad thought..."
*She started to walk away on her own. Ambar watched her as he followed, completely taken off-guard by the mere idea that she'd apparently thought he'd turn on her. How long had they been reunited? How much quality time had they spent together? How much had Ambar given for his friends and family? He'd taken in Baylee, and, while he couldn't exactly call himself a perfect father, he knew there was clearly a loving relationship there... What had possessed Samantha's mind?*
"Don't let it get to you," *he repeated.
Samantha almost stopped again; the repetition was meant to be encouragement, but it only reminded her of her failure just then. She grit her teeth and sighed, then spat on the ground.* "Kriff it," *she declared of the approaching darkness.*
*She was trying. And it was plain to see it was tough. But Ambar smirked; she would soon be able to overcome those fears.
And then at last they laid eyes upon the temple. It was an unassuming building, as far as temples go, but still easily distinguishable from other buildings in the city. Ambar recognized it, but it was Samantha who had stopped in her tracks as she stared upon it with widened, hesitant eyes. As he came up to her side, he put a hand on her shoulder once more, not to comfort her, but to move her forward. She yelped as she nearly fell forward, then regained her footing and looked up at him in shock.* "The heck?!"
"No balking," *he stated simply.* "We're almost there."
"But we can't just barge in!" *she countered.*
"Their defenses are low," *he reminded her.* "I remember how this place was laid out, and I mapped it all out and we studied it, remember? We can just barge right in, and we will."
*The determination in his voice... Clearly he was a lot more eager than Samantha to get in there and get this over with. The creeping suggestion that this was a trap attempted to eat at her mind once more, but she forcefully batted it back down. She needed to focus, needed to take a page from her brother's book and get in there to shut down this operation. Free not only this world, but their own past.
The determined expression she wore when she looked up was a mask, but if this mask would give her strength, then she would wear it proudly...*
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Ambar Calmcacil
Member
Posts: 29
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Ambar Calmcacil on Aug 12, 2015 22:08:51 GMT -8
*The defenses were indeed low. Ambar simply walked in through the front door, Samantha at his side.* "You can't come in here!" *was the annoyed reaction from an armored guard that began to approach them, but then stopped; the body language showed clear recognition of the man's features.* "My Lord? You've returned?"
*Ambar scowled and even winced at the referral. He felt Samantha's almost-fearful gaze upon him; was she still afraid this was some kind of trap? But Ambar shook his head.* "I've returned, but not to be your lord. I'm freeing this place, and if you stand in my way, you're first to go."
*The armored guard stood still for several moments, staring Ambar down. Wordlessly, he drew his weapon, a simple saber, just as Ambar's purple blade slipped into his hand and came to life. Samantha responded in kind, her dual-bladed weapon alighting and she stood at a ready stance; the liberation of Sernpidal had begun.
The guard was subdued, but the commotion was neither unheard nor unfelt by others present in the complex. Those presences were very minimal, Ambar could tell, which at least reinforced the idea that this would be a fairly simple reclamation. Guards, acolytes, and other Sith were bearing down on them, so Ambar moved further into the temple with Samantha. Blades clashed as Ambar used the scenery to his advantage, kicking potted plants into enemies, ripping down Sith decorations as distractions or weapons...
Ambar was torn between the will to kill and the intent to disable; while indeed he wished to rid this world of its Sith presence, he didn't want to feel like a mass-murdered afterward. So when he had the opportunity to disable, he did so, but regrettably—or perhaps not—some lives were taken. The acolytes, he felt, were the ones most worth sparing, while the higher-ranked individuals he felt less remorse should he have to end their lives. Samantha also held her own very well, working off of Ambar's movements to surprise and disable foes, though of course Ambar had to be the one to protect her and make sure no lasting damage came to her.
The fights kept moving throughout the once-familiar temple, until he heard the commanding voice behind him call out,* "Stop, my servants!"
"Tarlidan..." *Ambar recognized immediately, turning to face the Duros.*
"Why have you betrayed us, Lord Ascin?" *the Duros accused.*
"The only thing I've betrayed is foolishness!" *Ambar spat back.* "I came to eradicate you and the rest of the Sith presence here. The people of this world are suffering, and I've had enough. So I'm gonna fix it myself."
*Tarlidan scoffed.* "By yourself and a little girl?"
*Ambar smirked his famous smirk as he gestured toward the halls behind him, noting the bodies—alive or dead—and the small assortment of opponents left.* "It wasn't hard. You've let yourselves go."
*The Duros scowled.* "We owe that to you, disappearing with the bulk of our forces on a foolish crusade to Belkadan, and never returning."
*... huh. Ambar had never actually thought about that. In the act of running off with the Sith troops and having them be crushed at Belkadan, Ambar had unwittingly opened up the door for himself to return to Sernpidal and easily finish off the presence there some time later. Smirking even wider, Ambar spread his arms.* "Well thanks, me."
*Despite the situation, even Samantha laughed, then grinned; there was no longer any trace of fear in her, no worry that this was some sort of potential trap. Ambar's smirk briefly became a happy smile, but it quickly returned to a smirk as Tarlidan growled,* "I've been trying to regroup what I could, but your foolishness made that difficult! And you're only going to smile?"
"Hey, dumbass, I told you I came here to eradicate you, not make things better for you. So fight me, or something."
*Tarlidan continued to scowl, then he too smirked; a pitiful attempt to match one of Ambar's.* "Very well. Stand down, men. And keep your pet aside; this fight is between men."
*At the "pet" comment, Ambar's smirk became a scowl.* "Shut your mouth."
"Your term, not mine."
*Samantha froze when she made the connection. Yes, "pet." She had been called that before. It... wasn't exactly an edifying term. Had used it here... she trembled, trying to fight the memories, wanting to react.*
"Kriff you," *Ambar growled.* "No longer."
*The Duros sneered.* "A mere tool."
*Ambar bristled, rage building up within him... No. He was being toyed with. Dun Möch. One of Tarlidan's specialties... Ambar had nearly fallen for it a few times during spars, but had never given in. He wouldn't now. Tarlidan was trying to trigger something within Ambar, perhaps spark some of his darker past tendencies, but it wasn't going to work.* "Let that be the last thing you say about my sister," *he said coolly.
Then the blades met.
Samantha, momentarily shaking out of her funk, took the opportunity to distance herself from the remaining followers of the temple, putting the battle between herself and them. Then she watched. Her brother had just claimed her as his sister, an equal, and refused to let the Duros speak ill of her any longer.
But Tarlidan would not be so easily silenced.* "You never saw anything in her but a weapon to use against your enemy."
"And then I changed my mind," *Purple and red danced, then locked as Ambar stared across the blades into large eyes.* "People can change and improve. Meanwhile you sat here to rot. Place is a dump."
*The blades broke and the duelists spun, putting some distance between each other.* "That's your best retort?" *Tarlidan answered, extending his hand.* "You were never one for Dun Möch." *Lightning crackled through the air, sailing towards Ambar. Acting reflexively, he brought his blade up in the perfect angle to redirect it directly towards the Duros, who only managed to dodge in the nick of time, leaving a scorch mark on the wall behind him.
Smirking, Ambar replied,* "And you were never good with lightning."
*Tarlidan scoffed.* "Then show me the proper way!"
*Ambar shook his head.* "Would be too easy then."
*The two approached, blades meeting once more, dancing and twirling. Samantha watched on, the display reflecting in her blue eyes. She had little doubt Ambar would win this fight... He had to! The world's freedom was at stake... and their past as well. They both needed to be freed. It all hinged on this battle...
There were few tricks, one not attempting to outdo the other. When challenging several disciples at once, they were necessary to keep them on their toes and gain the upper hand. But it seemed the two were determined to prove their superiority through sheer bladework. It was an impressive display, and both sides were locked into sheer awe at the scene.
Until, at last, Ambar found his opening, kneed Tarlidan in the stomach, then plunged his blade into his heart. As the Duros crumpled to the ground, Ambar turned to the few remaining disciples. Angered, they charged at him; they were met by both blade and decoration, and Samantha joined in the fray. Once the last few were dispatched, Ambar deactivated his lightsaber and slumped to a sitting position on the ground, breathing deeply, sweating profusely. Samantha was a little worn as well, but nowhere near the level her brother was showing.
After a few moments, he, still breathing somewhat heavily, looked at her, smiled, and said,* "Well, looks like we did it."
*... he was right. They did. They'd done what they set out to do! They removed the Sith. Killed their leader, defeated the few remaining occupants of the temple. She could feel the weight lifting from her spirit. They'd totally done it. She beamed, leaning into him as she wrapped her arms around him, Ambar wearily lifting one hand up to return the hug.*
"It's not over yet," *he breathed, regaining his breath and releasing Samantha, pushing himself to his feet and looking around.* "First, this has to go," *he indicated with a gesture at the bodies.* "... and Sernpidal's government won't fix itself in a day. We'll have to observe. Help put some pieces back together. Leaving them in pieces may be worse than leaving them with Sith who were left in pieces."
*Samantha looked at him for a moment before nodding; he was right. Standing, she asked,* "So what do we need?"
*Ambar glanced behind him, toward the office of the headmaster. There would be much information there... But not for now. For later. He began to head for the entrance, explaining,* "Troops for peacekeeping, of course. They can train a military and keep things under control. I'm sure my brother won't mind sparing a few. And if we're going to be here a while... I want my Baylee."
*Samantha smiled. It wasn't quite a relief that there was still much work to be done, but it was certainly an improvement already. That also certainly hadn't taken long either... But that was a good thing. Scratch one Sith-possessed world, and her past—their past—had been absolved. She did truly wish to simply go back home, but she understood the need to oversee rebuilding. And she would be there with him every step of the way...*
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Ambar Calmcacil
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Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Ambar Calmcacil on Oct 22, 2015 19:34:52 GMT -8
"You've all the reason in the world to distrust us," *Ambar spoke from the steps of the temple to the gathering of Sernpidalians that had come to see what the commotion was about.*
"You got that right!" *one of those gathered jeered, spreading murmur of agreement through the crowd.
Ignoring this—he deserved it, after all—Ambar continued,* "but I'm not the same man I was when I was last here. That's why I came back, to expunge what I left behind."
"Or are you just trying to deceive us?!" *another man called out.
Ambar frowned. He knew this would be difficult, but now that he was actually attempting to win them over, he didn't realize how it would feel: Desperate. He hated their past perceptions of him, and, coupled with Samantha's panicked reactions from earlier, he only now realized just how much of a monster he truly had been in the past. He'd managed to win over his own family fairly easily, and many of their close friends, while perhaps not as accepting, at least hadn't mistreated him.
But here, none of these people wanted anything to do with him. They didn't believe him, he could see it in their eyes, etched in their expressions, feel it in their hearts. He couldn't blame them, but he needed to end this perception of himself. These people needed help! And if they weren't willing to accept him, how would they accept his help?*
"The Sith are dead!" *he exclaimed, almost in desperation. In a more reserved tone, he added,* "That's what I came here to do. They're a problem I helped create, a problem I left thrust upon all of you; no leadership, no hierarchy, simply greedy Sith that lorded themselves over the population and refused to help with their woes."
"You never helped us before!" *a woman cried out, which was met by shouts of agreement.*
"Stop it!" *The shout was not his own, but Samantha's. His eyes widened and he turned as she hopped down a step, looking equal parts pleading and frustrated with the gathered crowd.* "I don't know if you'd remember me, it was ages ago, but I was his apprentice! ... I am again, but I wasn't for a while! Because I felt the same way about him. But you know why I came back to him?"
"Silver tongue, young miss, I pity you," *a man called out.
This caused Samantha's eyes to narrow upon him, and she was clearly not pleased with him at all.* "Don't act like you know!" *she shouted at him.* "He was different! He wanted to prove to me he changed! He even—" *She stopped mid-sentence, glancing up at Ambar. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to reveal that he'd cried in front of her during their reunion... Ambar could sense what she had nearly said, and his response was a neutral grimace, but still, Samantha continued, improvising.* "... he even was nice to me! And we've been back together for years, and he hasn't shown signs of being a Sith once! He fixed things, and he wants to fix things for you, too!"
"He's right!" *came a familiar, raspy voice from the crowd.* "Er, she is. They both're!" *Danir stumbled his way to the front of the crowd, his smell helping to part it, as he ascended a few steps and turned to face the crowd, spreading his arms.* "'E came outta nowhere wif plans ta remove the Sith 'ere! Even bought me a meal an' asked fer me 'elp to get inta the place!"
"Oh, you drunken fool!" *a woman exclaimed, clearly recognizing and pointing at him.* "You fell for his Sith tricks!"
*Danir shook his head, waving his hands defensively.* "No no no ye've got it all wrong! He's not a Sith! Said 'is name was, er... Amber Cauliflower 'r summit."
"Ambar Calmcacil," *Ambar corrected, watching somewhat dumbfounded but also hopeful the man's words would help get through to the crowd.*
"Right, whatever, point is—"
"Calmcacil?" *a man repeated.* "Like the Jedi?"
*Ambar looked directly at the man curiously and took a step forward.* "You know my brother?"
"Of course. It was pretty well-documented you tried to kill him, and that you'd gotten our armies blown up by him at Belkadan!"
*Danir tilted his head to the side for a moment, then raised a finger in recognition.* "Aha! That's why I thought it sounded familiar!" *He turned towards Ambar, pointing his finger at the man.* "And you went an' stole 'is name!"
*Ambar frowned, protesting,* "I didn't steal it, it's a family name!"
"Oh."
"You moron!" *the woman who recognized Danir cried out again.* "It's all lies!"
"Look," *Ambar said firmly, having had enough of this and striding a few steps closer to the crowd, pointing his first two fingers of his right hand at all those gathered. When they recoiled, as though he was about to use some sort of Sith technique on them, he glanced at the fingers, then sighed and lowered them as he continued,* "You can keep bickering and refuse to believe me, but as it stands, I'm trying to offer you my help, and you don't seem to want it. Maybe I should just leave—"
"Go on then!" *a man cried out, joined in by rumblings of agreement.
Ambar scowled at them, then continued,* "... and just leave you all in pieces, with no leadership, no economy, no protection whatsoever, and let you figure things out yourselves, leaving you vulnerable to another takeover." *The crowd fell silent. Ambar resisted a smirk. Maybe now they'd listen, even if reluctantly.*
"So... what do you plan to do?" *The first man who had spoken asked, hesitance in his voice, but also lacking in vitriol.*
"The first step is to establish planetwide communication, letting them know of the coming changes. I can call for my brother to spare some troops for peacekeeping and training a new Sernpidalian military. As for your government, well, I'm no good at that, so I'll leave that to you."
*The crowds looked around at each other, cautiously optimistic about all this, before someone asked,* "And what will you be doing?"
*Ambar almost did smirk, but that gesture was probably recognizable by them, so he kept it to himself.* "Overseeing it all. Once your military and government are back up and running, I'm skipping out of here."
*They seemed as though they wanted to accept this, but were still uncertain. After seemingly coming to an agreement among themselves, the first man from before folded his arms and nodded to Ambar.* "Very well. It's not like we have much choice."
*At this point, Ambar was fighting with himself to not smirk, and as a result it seemed like the corner of his mouth was rapidly twitching. Finally, he stilled his lip before replying,* "I promise I won't disappoint you."
*There were a couple of skeptic murmurs as the crowd started to break apart and go their own ways. Ambar turned back towards the temple, as there was business to attend to still, but he stopped when he realized Danir was also following him, putting an arm up to stop the man.* "I don't think coming with us is a good idea. It's... not exactly a pretty sight in there."
*Danir blinked, then his eyes widened in realization and he nodded repeatedly.* "Right, I uh, s'pose not, er... Good luck with the er, cleanup..."
*Ambar finally did smirk, now that the crowd had gone, and bid farewell to the man; they would likely meet again, no doubt. Ambar and Samantha, however, had their work to do, starting with calling in aid, then removing the bodies, and afterward, there was other business to attend to...*
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Ambar Calmcacil
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Post by Ambar Calmcacil on Dec 10, 2015 0:22:47 GMT -8
"This place is a dusty dump! Why'd you save it again?"
*Oh, Baylee... She certainly was very outspoken, but Ambar was just glad to have her here.* "Yes Baylee, I'm sure the natives would agree," *he replied sarcastically,* "and would rather just let the world be left to ruin, run by good-for-nothing Sith."
"I'm glad they agree!" *the small girl replied, seemingly missing the sarcasm.* "So they're all just gonna leave, right?"
*Samantha let a laugh slip before choking on the next one, her lips twisting in amusement as Ambar shook his head.* "Baylee, I was joking. The people here can't just leave that easily. They don't all have ships, and it costs money to buy one, and to buy a new home or rent an apartment on another world, and even if they do move, they can't guarantee they'll find a new job when they do. It's complex. This is their home. Those that want to and are able to move left already; the rest have to stay here."
*Baylee frowned, understanding and sympathizing with the idea.* "That sucks." *Looking up, she spotted a Sernpidalian on the streets, who was watching them skeptically. Still frowning, she waved to her and shouted,* "I'm sorry you have to live on this stupid rock!"
*Eyes widening, Ambar quickly grabbed her arm and lowering it, ignoring her protests as he leaned down to hiss in her ear,* "Don't say that, Baylee! That's rude!"
*Frowning and tilting her head, she asked,* "But don't they all hate it here?"
"That's not... Damn it. Baylee, not everyone hates it here! You're insulting their home! You have to be careful!" *He glanced at the Sernpidalian, even as Baylee gave an understanding "Oh." The woman seemed both confused and offended by Baylee's little outburst. Grimacing apologetically, Ambar stood up and called out,* "Sorry about her, she just likes to speak her mind!" *Snickering. He looked sideways at Samantha, whose hand was clapped over her mouth, face scrunched up in amusement. He wanted to roll his eyes, but he supposed he couldn't fault her...
The woman scoffed and went about her business, and that was when Ambar suddenly realized how urgent this all was. Sighing, he leaned down to Baylee's level again and, in a quiet voice, said,* "Baylee, honey, listen... These people here already have a hard time trusting me. You need to be more careful what you say, okay? In the end, they'll see all I meant was good, but for now, I need to gain as much trust as possible. Got it?"
*She shrugged and nodded, quipping,* "I know it's hard to stay quiet, but I'll try, Daddy."
*For a moment, he forgot the mission and thought about that word, "Daddy." A word he'd honestly never expected to hear directed at him. He'd doubted he'd ever find love, and yet fate had seen fit to deposit this young child into his life. Granted, it had been his doing... and also a slip-up on part of the Felucian cloning facility... but he was more than grateful all the same. She'd taken to him immediately, and just like that, he'd had a child...
A child who looked identical to Morgan. Granted, Baylee hadn't been content to be a "clone" of the girl—other than the literal sense—and had taken to making sure her clothing was different than that Morgan wore, as well as changing up her hair. Whereas Morgan typically wore plain clothes, Baylee's were usually decorated or had some sort of graphic on them. While Morgan had very long hair with bangs to her eyebrows, Baylee cut hers to a medium length, bangs grown out, hair split above her left temple, a hair clip on her right temple keeping her hair out of her face. She also had a blond streak through her hair, just to make it even more obvious that she was not Morgan.
Ambar had actually been thankful for this. At first, he'd often confused her for or thought of Morgan when he'd seen her, when she was very much her own person with her own personality. She'd eventually taken some annoyance to being confused for the girl, which led her to seeking ways to stand out from the girl. This worked in Ambar's favor, for he preferred to think of her as all her own. Something which, strangely, hadn't been an issue with distinguishing Samantha from Michelle, despite them sharing similar builds and hairstyles. They even had similar personalities...
Maybe the fact that he'd known Samantha longer, and in fact knew her before he knew Michelle, had something to do with it.
Thoughts finally returning to the present, he smiled at her, patting her on the shoulder and saying,* "Atta girl," *before standing as they made their way to the former Sith bunker.*
"It smells like someone died in here!" *Baylee commented as soon as they entered the building, wrinkling her nose.
Ignoring another round of Samantha giggles, Ambar muttered,* "Perceptive..." *In a clearer voice, he added,* "That's because someone did die in here. Well, a lot of people."
*Baylee contemplated this a moment, then looked up at Ambar almost accusingly.* "You did it!"
*Almost defensively, Ambar raised his hands.* "They were Sith! They were leaving the planet to ruin and tried to kill me! I sorta had to kill them!"
"Oh, right. That's why you came here." *Baylee shrugged and turned to skip down the hall. They she stopped, pinching her nose shut and retching. In a nasally voice, she asked* "You couldn't clean up?"
"We did..."
"Not very good..."
"Oh, Baylee..." *Ambar mumbled, allowing his face to meet his palm briefly. Recovering his posture, he led the way to the office of the bunker, which Baylee was quick to comment didn't stink. After "thanking" her, he sat down at the desk to take a look at the reports.
She had just arrived that day, along with a small regiment of forces from Felucia who were here to keep order and train a new Sernpidalian military. He'd seen to it that they'd set up a station for recruitment, while a makeshift council was being formed by the locals to determine politics. They seemed pleased that Ambar was mostly staying out of things and sticking to his role as an overseer and little more. Like he'd said, he had no interest in the politics, he merely wished to see everything come together.
Baylee climbed up into his lap and he lovingly put an arm around her as he looked at the reports.* "How long're we gonna be here, Daddy?"
"Long as it takes," *he answered simply, reading over the military reports. A surprising number of people had signed up for the training, and he was pleased for that. The world would be back on his feet in no time, and they could be on their way back home. Looking at his child, he asked,* "Why, miss home already?"
*She nodded, snuggling into him as she added,* "But I missed you, Daddy."
*Three years. He'd known her three years. And yet he still wasn't entirely used to these heartwarming moments. They never felt odd in any way; on the contrary, they felt good. And he still wasn't used to feeling good like this all the time. How did Aerandir manage it? Maybe it was a good thing, because he was ceaselessly grateful. He looked upon her with a smile, replying,* "And I missed you. That's why I needed you here. I could be here a while, and I couldn't be away from you that long."
*She smiled. Samantha too was smiling; she too wasn't quite used to this softer side of Ambar still, but, like him, she was grateful for it. They were a family. A family. Something that she never would have guessed, but she was nevertheless grateful for it all the same...*
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