maskormenacelogs | IN THE FIELDS THE BODIES BURNING

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IN THE FIELDS THE BODIES BURNING

WHO: Obi-Wan Kenobi and some people who don't like him very much
WHERE: Maurtia Falls
WHEN: Early January
WHAT: There are some who believe that it is impossible to kill a Jedi. But everyone who experienced the Clone Wars knows that isn't true.
WARNINGS: Violence, character death, mental manipulation and memory erasure. Log is split into three top-level threads.

The truce was never going to last forever. In the end, the ancient conflict between Jedi and Sith flares back to life because of a simple misunderstanding. Obi-Wan Kenobi, newly-hired Maurtia Falls police officer and perpetual champion of justice, interfered in a drug operation that was helping to fund the imPort criminal organization called the Constellation. And Count Dooku, Lord of the Sith, leader of the Constellation, and continually too smart and paranoid for his own good, refused to believe this could be coincidence. He concluded that Kenobi was targeting his assets deliberately... Which meant that steps would have to be taken to deal with this threat.

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[Dooku's network lures Kenobi to an abandoned construction site with a tip about the drug organization, and he gets jumped by Dooku, Grievous, and Pucci. After a short fight, he is beaten down and Pucci removes his memories of Dooku's identity as Darth Tyranus, Sidious' apprentice, and the creator of the clone army, not to mention the details of the murder and his killers, before Grievous finishes him off.]

Edited 2018-01-04 01:09 (UTC)

[The tip that reaches the MFPD on Kenobi's drug case leads him to a place that is sketchy, even by Maurtia Falls standards. This building's construction has been languishing and forgotten for years, during which it has become filled with cobwebs, dust, abandoned pallets, piles of pipes and beams that will never become part of a wall. It is an ideal place for criminal activity like drug exchanges... or an ambush. Best of all, only one of its entrances was ever built.

Dooku has already instructed his accomplices to conceal themselves amidst the plentiful shadows and debris, and to still their minds to minimize the chance that Kenobi will sense their presence in the Force- a task the Count's own mastery of the Dark Side can assist with. Once Kenobi has stepped into the building, Dooku will be ready to collapse the entrance behind him with a wave of his hand. Then, the Jedi's fate will be sealed.

[He hadn’t questioned the tip. After all, the last one had led to a clear victory over the drug network that plagued this city. Building momentum for perhaps actually making a difference for change. Finally. Thus he suspected nothing as he came to the dilapidated building. Not having any inkling that he was a lamb being led to the slaughter. After all it did seem like the type of place one would find scum and villainy.

That part, at least, would be right.

Even so, he was on high alert. His senses well attuned to his surroundings as he cautiously made his way into the one obvious entrance. The dark side effectively shrouding the ambush from his mental radar.

However, once he was inside, the entrance collapsed on itself. Seemingly without reason and on its own. The Jedi quickly whirled around in alarm. His lightsaber in his hands with the blue blade igniting. The hum of the weapon and, the bright blue glow, evident within the now very dark room. Following a cough from the dust, Obi-Wan’s concerned voice was distinct.]

I have a bad feeling about this.

Not nearly bad enough, I'm afraid.

[Dooku's deep voice rings out of the shadows like a pronouncement of doom. With that, the Count steps forward out of the darkness, his own red lightsaber igniting in his hand as he does, holding it down and to his side. With his free hand, he points accusingly at Kenobi.]

You should have honoured our agreement, Master Kenobi. Now it is time to pay the price for your meddling. General, attack!

[Another lightsaber ignites, this time a green one illuminating the tall skeletal-looking cyborg.]

Time for justice, Jedi.

[It feels good to Grievous to be finally unleashed upon his enemy and he launches at Obi-Wan, that lone green lightsaber whirling dangerously toward the Jedi.]

[Whirling around at the sound of a familiar voice, and seeing the blade of a right lightsaber igniting, Obi-Wan raised his own in the Soresu opening stance.]

Dooku.

[Clearly he’s not pleased with this turn of events, though his brow creased slightly in confusion. Before he can ask though, Grievous makes his appearance. Well. This is not good. At the very least, the cyborg only had one lightsaber instead of four. He was not too concerned at the threat he posed. Dooku on the other hand, was different. He could possibly fight off one of them, but he was not liking his odds with both.

Waiting for the right moment, Obi-Wan then thrusts his own weapon to meet the General’s. The crackle and flash of two energy blades colliding filled the dark space. And in quick succession they did several more times as Obi-Wan parried Grievous attacks and responded with his own.

This wouldn’t stop his mouth though.]

You disappoint me, gentleman. I expected you both to be up to no good in this world. Though I hadn’t counted on stooping to the level of drug pushing pirates.

[Dooku scowls as he steps behind Kenobi while the Jedi is occupied with the General. His polite facade has fallen now, revealing a cold face with shadows falling across his expression.]

How little you understand! You have never comprehended my purposes.

[With that, he lifts a hand and blasts a crackling stream of brilliant blue lightning toward Obi-Wan's back. While Grievous pins down the Jedi's defense, the Count will strike from behind.]

And you never will.

[Not knowing the ins and outs of what Dooku has been doing behind the scenes, Grievous only knows the surface of Constellation's business and so he doesn't even believe Obi-Wan's words.]

Your taunts mean nothing here, Kenobi. We will have our freedom.

[Very used to his guards doing similar shock attacks, Grievous knows when to strike around the lightning. He keeps up his attack while Dooku wears the Jedi down further.]

[Obi-Wan did not become a Jedi Master for being stupid. As Dooku spoke, he could tell the man was moving despite Grievous providing a distraction. He had a good idea what he was up to as well.]

You’re right. I could never quite comprehend how a once respected Jedi Master could fall so far.

[He continued to exchange blows with the General. Blue blade crashing against green. He was a master of defense, his movements always flowing to conserve energy. Not aggressive and allowing Grievous to think he had the upper hand by keeping him on the defense.

And then he felt it in the Force, like a prickle at the back of his neck. In a flash his tone changed, and Obi-Wan moved in a quick spinning maneuver. A mixture of his favored Soresu, his originally taught Ataru, and the mark of contact Cho Mai. Swiftly evading Grievous, his blade effortlessly sliced through the cyborg’s mechanical wrist that held his lightsaber. Just in time to whirl around to lift his own to deflect and absorb Dooku’s lightning.

He would not be taken down so easily.]

[Dooku's lips curl back, baring his teeth.]

Jedi fool. I have risen further than you will ever realize!

[The Count had not expected Kenobi to be easy prey, but even so this is hardly ideal. Especially with Grievous now disarmed in more ways than one.

He springs forward, light on his feet with his lightsaber moving fast and precise, a rapid flurry of probing thrusts in the elegant Makashi style Dooku is a master of. He will buy Grievous time to regain his weapon, then finish this.]

General, you do not have my permission to fail. Destroy him!

[The cyborg gives out an angry growl at the loss of a hand - or, technically two as they were still combined into one. No need for four arms, usually, when he had only one lightsaber. He instantly goes to retrieve the lightsaber. The only prize left from his collection. But perhaps soon he will have another...

He splits up the limb remaining on his left side, making two convenient hands and arms. One now holds the green lightsaber. The other reaches for Obi-Wan, wanting to crush him. Dooku's words only inflame his rage at the Jedi. You do not have my permission to fail. He cannot fail.

With three-fingered claw and ignited lightsaber, Grievous finds another opening, dangerously clashing again with the Jedi. His anger fueling his strength so that it seems his strikes are even more brutal than before. Unrelenting and every hit aiming to kill.]

[It was when Dooku actually joined the fray, instead of attempting pot shots made of lightning, that things were truly getting problematic for Obi-Wan. For as skilled as he was with his perfect defense, it was the Sith’s perfect offense that was the ultimate foil. Driving Obi-Wan backwards as he was forced into purely defending himself. He had been beaten before by Dooku, twice. The count having had every opportunity to kill him then. He hadn’t, but Obi-Wan knew his luck might be running out in this case.

He was definitely regretting the decision to come alone, and there was no chance now to call for help.

There wasn’t even an opportunity to use the Force to perhaps give him leverage. Barely able to keep up parrying Dooku’s attacks and now Grievous as he once again joined. While Soresu was a form that allowed for energy conservation, this was hardly an ideal situation. And Obi-Wan could feel himself running out of steam quickly. The crack of energy blades clashing as sweat started to gather on his brow.

He kept looking for an opening, any opening, but was coming up short by the merciless onslaught. It was only a matter of time before they cracked his defenses themselves.]

[Meanwhile Dooku realizes he has made an error in his moment of anger. If Grievous does indeed kill Obi-Wan with his increasingly aggressive attacks, the Jedi will die with his memories intact, and incriminate them all upon his resurrection. He must be left alive long enough for Pucci to do his work.

The Count presses his own attack, his saber flashing and hissing in front of him as he advances step by step, and calls out to the General again:]

Do not finish him too swiftly. We will disarm him first.

[Just as Kenobi's apprentice had dismembered the Count, and as Dooku had once taken Skywalker's hand on Geonosis. Dooku flicks his red blade in a sudden, precise slash toward Obi-Wan's wrist, the hand that holds his weapon.]

[Grievous' gaze flicks briefly to Dooku in a moment on uncertainty but then he gets the point, continuing to distract Kenobi in hopes of allowing Dooku to make that disarming move and have it succeed.]

[Not too swiftly? He only had a split second to wonder what that might mean before having to focus fully on the fight again. Lifting his saber to block Grievous assault. The tactic working in that it provided Dooku the opportunity he needed.

White hot pain shot up Obi-Wan’s arm as his hand was cleanly severed from it. A cry of pain escaping the Jedi as he ducked away from his attackers, his remaining hand holding his arm with an expression of pure agony. However, he was not made immobile by such an injury, and he was not a man to give up despite it all. He was fighting for his life after all.

Thus Obi-Wan’s remaining hand reached out to call his lightsaber back to him. The weapon whizzing through the air back to its master.]

Edited 2018-01-10 02:06 (UTC)

[Dooku is surprised that Kenobi is still standing after such an injury, and that he can muster enough concentration to use the Force. Truly, he is a worthy opponent.

Which means he will show his respect by taunting him:]

You impress me, Kenobi. Your Padawan showed far less strength after I took his hand.

[With that, he strikes his lightsaber out again, this time slashing downward toward one of Obi-Wan's hamstrings.]

[Grievous doesn't have the advantage of the Force to guide his actions but he was built for speed and quick adaptions, particularly when it came to lightsaber battles. He almost instantly follows Dooku's lead now but mirroring it, going for the other leg. Kenobi best be very quick if he wants to avoid both potentially damaging blows.]

[Obi-Wan isn’t a war veteran for nothing. He has fought much and survived much, this Jedi wasn’t going down without a fight. However, he did have his limits. Distracted by the pain, he couldn’t move as quickly against one attacker, let alone two. Obi-Wan managed to fend off Grievous initially. Batting off his lightsaber with his own. But Dooku’s words struck a nerve, and then so did his lightsaber.

Another cry of pain as his leg was slashed, followed quickly by the other at the General’s blade.

Crumpling into a heap, Obi-Wan knew he was done for. The man struggling to catch his breath and grimacing against the fiery pain that wracked his body. He was defeated.]

[Dooku stands over Kenobi and points his lightsaber down at him, breathing hard from the exertion of the brief but intense engagement. And he calls out to the shadows:]

Carpo. It is time. Remove what we discussed.

[Time for Pucci to do his thing.]

[pucci nods, having obviously been standing aside for this. he wasn't much of a fighter, he and his stand were always more suited for stealth than the flash of crossed swords.

besides, there seemed to be more than a few grudges here. best to allow them to work it out.

his fingers seem to melt into obi-wan's head, a painless but strange experience for the man, and shift as he looks for something. he finds it with a hum, tugging a cd out of obi-wan's skull. it's a simple looking thing, just silver and largely blank except obi-wan's face floating on it.

when he pulls the disc completely out is when obi-wan is separated from every memory he ever made- everything, unfortunately for him, including learning the concept of language, what a fork was for, and of course who he even was. until that disc was back he'd mostly be a blank slate.

pucci regards the disc before glancing to dooku with a faint smile.] Would you like to see it for yourself before I do? Access to a man's entire life is a tempting thing.

[Unsatisfying. Kenobi was down but Grievous felt wholly unsatisfied by it. Of course, the Jedi was not yet quite dead... Maybe that was it. That's what he told himself. But the nagging feeling remained. The discontent and it grew as he watched Pucci do his work. Tampering with memory and mind. Grievous frowns to himself but remains silent, watching, lightsaber at the ready to strike the final blow when ordered to do so.]

[The Count gives a sly little half-smile. He likes the way Pucci thinks. And to learn Kenobi's deepest secrets, see his enemy's life laid open in front of him like a book to read...

An indulgence for another time, perhaps. Right now, they have a murder to finish.]

Tempting indeed. But I think not. We must move swiftly and be done with this business. Make your alterations. Then the General- [He nods to Grievous.] Will end this.

You won’t get away with this, Dooku.

[Hissing between his teeth in pain, Obi-Wan could only lay there and wait for whatever his attackers planned to do with him. However, he was certain this would not go unpunished, even if they killed him.

However, as that strange mancame over to him, he didn’t know what was about to happen. At first anyway. But as soon as he started to mess around in his head, terror seized the Jedi in realization. His memories. He had been threatened with their loss before. One of the most frightening incidents when he was a child. He tried to fight, tried to resist, but it was no use.

And then Obi-Wan’s expression went blank as the disc was pulled from him. Then there was fear. He was still in pain, he didn’t know these people, or anything for that matter. He also didn’t know how to express it other than by trembling.]

Very well. [pucci lifts the disc and places it against his temple, letting it slide partially into his own head.

he stands motionless during this, for all the world just standing in silent contemplation even though he was reviewing obi-wan's life was as much precision as he could muster. and what a life it was, from what he caught of it. what an interesting man from an interesting world. if the circumstances were different pucci would very much like to speak to him.

well, when he was done that would be possible. it wasn't as thought obi-wan would remember he had anything to do with this.

it takes longer than he's used to, the jedi were certainly a strange and willful bunch, but when he's done he pulls the disc out and opens his eyes.]

There we are. I suggest casting the finishing blow quickly after I return the disc, or he may come to enough to recognize us in his last moments.

[and when he's sure everyone is ready he'll put that disc back in obi-wan's head.]

[He doesn't like this. It doesn't seem fitting as a warrior's death - even for such as this Jedi. But Grievous pushes any thoughts of this bothering him aside as he's called to action. Moving forward, Grievous frowns down at the trembling man then without a word drives the lightsaber through Obi-Wan's heart.]

[There was only a blink from the man as the disc was put back into his head. That’s about all though as in the next moment, Grievous lightsaber plunged through his chest. The Jedi’s eyes going wide, letting put a gasp, before his gaze turned dull. The life draining out of him quickly.

It was then that Obi-Wan slumped onto the floor, completely lifeless. He was gone.]

[Constellation members burn the body and mock-up the scene of the crime. Dooku meets with Cad Bane to give Kenobi's lightsaber and appropriate payment. Kanan encounters a post-resurrection Kenobi and starts investigating.]

[Looking down at Kenobi's body, breathing hard after the strain of the fight, Count Dooku feels something. Not regret, certainly not guilt, but perhaps a faint tinge of... disappointment. Kenobi has been a worthy foe for years, and Dooku has taken a sort of pride in his performance, seeing him as part of a legacy of training through his Master, Dooku's apprentice, Qui-Gon Jinn. Now all his wit and skill has left him along with his life, and Obi-Wan Kenobi is nothing but a crumpled heap of flesh and clothes at Dooku's feet. Refuse to be disposed of.

The Count shakes his head once, slowly, then turns to speak to his accomplices:]

We must burn the body and ensure we leave no clues as to what has happened here. When he returns from death, his memories will be missing. Pucci, I want you to use your powers to make it seem as though local criminals murdered Kenobi, not us.

[He holds out his hand, and Kenobi's lightsaber floats upward to hover, rotating, above his palm.]

I will take care of this. It will lead his allies down a false trail, away from our interests.

I will take that.

[Grievous reaches for the lightsaber, those urges kicking in despite the implications that the evidence needs to be far away from them.]

[The Count coolly moves the lightsaber away from him, having it float just out of the General's grasp.]

Not this time, General. The Jedi know of your desire for trophies. You are one of the first suspects they will look at. This blade cannot be found in your possession.

[He looks at Grievous, then at the body of their victim.]

You have finally defeated General Kenobi. Take satisfaction in that.

[Exchanging a look with Dooku, Grievous makes an angry sound and glares down at the fallen Kenobi as if the Count's words were somehow Obi-Wan's fault. But he doesn't argue.]

As you wish, my Lord.

[It seems a hollow victory somehow without being able to claim his prize nor boast about the feat afterwards.]

[pucci had been considering the scene mostly, his strange looking stand hovering behind him and doing the same. they both glance over at that little exchange between grievous and dooku, pucci glancing away when it was resolved and whitesnake, his stand, letting out something like an amused breath as it vanished into the air.

pucci nods to dooku.] It will be done, Count. I have the feeling his allies here will inevitably dig deeper, of course. This man is hardly one to be taken down by simple criminals of the world.

[Dooku nods back, but not before casting a sidelong glance at Whitesnake. Such an odd ability, to summon an ally like that... but perhaps not entirely unfamiliar. The Count has seen Personas in action more than once, after all, and this 'Stand' appears to operate on similar principles.]

They almost certainly will. Do whatever you can to frustrate and misdirect them. We will confuse them with multiple layers of false leads.

[Including Pucci's illusions, and also the location of the lightsaber floating above Dooku's hand.]

What do you wish me to do?

[He stands, ready and waiting for further instructions. Maybe his services are simply no longer needed here. He did his job and Obi-Wan is now dead.]

You will be responsible for burning the body after Pucci's work is done, General.

[The ugly work of corpse disposal is hardly something the Count will dirty his hands with. Dooku speaks to Grievous without looking at him. He's looking down at Kenobi's lifeless form, his face unreadable.]

It will cover our tracks... and is fitting, in a way. Cremation is the traditional funeral for a Jedi Master, after all.

[Qui-Gon had received the same treatment after his death. Dooku had not been there.]

[Does Dooku think him to be a common criminal to clean up after them? Grievous utters a low discontent growl at the instructions.]

He does not deserve a warrior's respect. He is a Jedi.

I will not do this.

[He's being stubborn but will do it if pressed with the order. There's also a certain bounty hunter who wouldn't even argue about this if they need another option, as long as he's paid.]

[Now Dooku does turn away from the body, scowling and fixing Grievous with a hard look.]

Are you questioning my orders, General?

[He does not need this poodoo right now. Not with everything else on his shoulders.]

[For a moment he just glares back but then he lowers his eyes as compliance kicks in and respectfully answers.]

No, my Lord. It shall be done.

[The Count softly lets a breath out through his nose, unclenching his teeth.]

Good. See to it.

[And he turns aside, sweeping his cape behind him.]

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IN THE FIELDS THE BODIES BURNING

KENOBI VS. KAVINSKY/KAVINSKY'S NPCS HERE

KENOBI VS. CONSTELLATION MEMBERS HERE

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AFTERMATH THREADS HERE

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