STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Broken

Vera-Kin leaps down as well, leaving Astrune's body on the balcony with her disabled ship. She strides up to where Barker is strangulating Tineas and asks Barker to release him, then uses the Force to lift Tineas into the air, holding her lighted lightsaber toward him.

"Tell us, Tineas."

Colby is unconscious.

Tineas is disoriented by the lift but refuses to talk.

"I can tell you that you won't stop him," he says.

"I think we'll be the judges of that, thanks," Rianna says, making sure that Colby is still alive before heading back to stand next to Vera-Kin. She keeps her lightsaber in her hand but does not ignite it.

Tineas has no response to what Rianna says, but instead decides to spit right in Rianna's face.

Rianna recoils in disgust, wiping her face off on her robe and trying to resist the sudden flash of anger and urge to simply run him through.

"That's right," Tineas goads. "Too weak to kill an unarmed man."

"I am not weak, and I am not going to give in to your taunting," Rianna replies coldly.

Vera-Kin will rather abruptly drop him.

"Barker, keep him restrained," Vera-Kin says. "Take him to the speeder and cuff him. Take off those gauntlets, too. Don't want him causing trouble."

She turns to Rianna. "So now what do we do?"

Tineas responds surprisingly well to being dropped, landing on his feet. Before Barker can get to him, he lunges for Vera-Kin, gauntlets crackling with deadly energy...

Rianna reacts by using Combat Push to knock him back away from Vera-Kin.

"No!" she shouts, igniting her lightsaber. "Barker, grab him!"

Rianna stops him in his tracks by flinging him sideways onto the ground, where Barker dogpiles on top of him and starts punching him all over again. Tineas is knocked out clean.

Which wraps things up at the Astrune estate. Shortly after Vera-Kin calls Major Bradox to inform him what has become of Astrune- a fate that he does not mind in the least.

"Makes my job easier," Bradox says. "I will inform the masses of Astrune's and General Hirget's deaths... that conflict is done for Ord Coridari. Martial law will remain imposed until everything is returned to normal, though."

Tineas and Colby are submitted to the hospital with concussions, whilst Barker goes with to receive some treatment for his burns and keep watch over Tineas. His gauntlets are confiscated by Major Bradox' men.

"What of your other villains?" Bradox asks.

"We still need to find them. Astrune had been working with them, though," Rianna says, sighing. She had no idea how they were going to track down Rand at this point.

"Major Bradox, put your men on alert," Vera-Kin says. "They are no doubt in the city."

Vera-Kin looks to Rianna.

"Though I have an idea where they may be..." Vera-Kin says. "Look to your vision, Rianna."

"The giant crevice in the planet...you believe that's where he is?" Rianna says, recalling how in her vision she had dropped down into it and encountered both Rand and Myraline there.

Vera-Kin nods.

"The Great Rift?" Bradox asks. "That's where the mines are. What would they be doing there?"

"Nothing that could be good, that's for certain," Rianna says.

Bradox frowns.

"I have men stationed out there. I will try and get in touch with them."

-

In the intervening time, Rianna heals 10 damage and Vera-Kin heals 18, having access to full medical treatment. Colby has been roused from his knock-out but is demanding to be released. Barker is watching over him.

Bradox returns to you with bad news. He has lost contact with the men stationed by the mines.

"Find out what happened to them," Bradox says. "I have a feeling it's what you're looking for."

"More likely than not, it is," Rianna says. She'd prefer to heal a bit more damage, but doesn't think there's much time to waste now.

Indeed, time is of the essence. You have no idea what Rand is doing down in the mines with that Box, or even what is in the Box.

Unless there are any other preparations that you wish to make, Bradox can arrange a speeder to take you out to the mines with all due speed.