STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- City in the Clouds

As it is, you lose initiative as Rianna struggles to get back to the sculpture under fire. Every Guard in the area- including Zaltus- starts blasting away at you. The Guards to the east circle around so that they don't have to shoot through the sculpture and join their cohorts in the halls.

Oh boy... due to a bunch of 6s rolled by the Guards, Rianna finds herself with 20 damage taken before she limps into the sculpture.

----

WING GUARD AMBUSH, Start of Turn 3

North Hallway

Zaltus (G14): 1/0 [MM EE GS] (2F)

Guards (G7) x2 (pistol)

Guards (G6) x2 (carbine)

East Hallway

Center

Rianna (LS10): 3/41 [OGu RI CL] [FwGu PS] (2F) (sculpture)

West Hallway

Guard (G6) x1 (carbine)

South Hallway

Guards (G7) x4 (pistol)

Guard (G6) x1 (carbine)

----

Rianna hisses in pain as she ducks back into her cover...before deciding to dash out to the North, swiftly cutting down two of the pistol guards. She'll use one of her remaining points on Ward and tap Riposte if it would trigger.

"Why?" she asks Zaltus as she gets close. "Just how long have you been in on this?!"

Initiative is theirs. Thankfully, between Ward and the sculpture's mild protection, nothing comes of it. Rianna frantically deflects all incoming fire before making a desperate lunge toward Zaltus and his men.

Zaltus fires but does not land a single shot on you. Bad rolling rather than guilt, as he only shows 2s through 5s.

Rianna jumps in and cuts down the two guards that first stepped in with a pair of quick slashes, with 7 successes.

----

WING GUARD AMBUSH, Start of Turn 4

North Hallway

Rianna (LS10): 3/41 [OGu RI CL] [FwGu PS] (1F)

Zaltus (G14): 1/0 [MM EE GS] (2F)

Guards (G6) x2 (carbine)

East Hallway

Center

West Hallway

South Hallway

Guards (G7) x4 (pistol)

Guards (G6) x2 (carbine)

----

Zaltus doesn't honor you with a response. He seems distracted and has pressed a hand to one ear.

She's going to slice down the other two guards there, again tap Riposte if it would trigger.

The Riposte tap won't do much for you where you are now. Zaltus is not shooting and it will be absolutely appalling if Rianna only manages to kill one Guard.

Okay, scratch that tap...tap Cleave, though, to give Rianna a bit of protection against the other guards.

2-1, Rianna gains initiative! She promptly hacks down the Guards with carbines that are blazing away at her, with a tremendous nine successes (all but one being 5s). That should keep her happy for a short time.

The Guards to the South move East to keep the sculpture out of their line of fire, while Zaltus backs up to stay out of melee range of you. He is talking into a communicator with his free hand and has his pistol trained on you.

Rather annoyingly, Rianna loses most of her Cleave protection to just two of the Guards, who both roll three successes and nearly get her with their pistols. Still deflects both tremendous shots regardless.

----

WING GUARD AMBUSH, Start of Turn 5

North Hallway

Rianna (LS10): 3/41 [OGu RI CL2] [FwGu PS] (1F)

Zaltus (G14): 1/0 [MM EE GS] (2F)

East Hallway

Guards (G7) x4 (pistol)

Guards (G6) x2 (carbine)

Center

West Hallway

South Hallway

----

"Hurry this up!" Zaltus shouts to his men.

"Hurry what up?" Rianna asks nastily as she advances on Zaltus. She'll attack him, lashing out with her lightsaber; swap Cleave for Perfect Strike. "With betraying me? You think this is going to go unnoticed? As much as I'd prefer to avoid them, I know who one of the Jedi here is...and I'm sure she can sense what is happening..."

Zaltus stands his ground as you come at him. You inflict 12 damage to him as you cut the communicator out of his hand, and he opens fire back at you. He gets you for 7 damage (that you really do not need right now), then triggers Riposte for another 11 damage to him.

"I'm counting on that," Zaltus says.

You notice that you are no longer being fired at from the rear.

"Why?" Rianna asks, striking again with her lightsaber. "And how long has Rand had you tucked away in his pocket?"

Zaltus decides not to answer that, spending a Fortune point to dodge your attack entirely.

"You have company," he says, backing away down the hall.

From behind you, advancing down the corridor you came in by, approaches a very familiar presence that you have known all too well since you became a Padawan...

Rianna spins around to face Myraline, debating with herself whether she should just run away entirely, and suddenly realizes that her fighting Zaltus looks very bad...and that that was likely the plan all along...

"Is my family even still alive at all?" she snaps, glancing back at Zaltus.

Zaltus is high-tailing it out of there.

"RIANNA!" Myraline yowls, looking about the room. "What have you done?!"

Her Padawan with whom you are familiar, Ciira Treen, stands beside her, and just behind them stands one of the brawniest Jedi you have ever seen. All of them have their lightsabers in hand, likely because they heard the fighting.

The portion of the Wing Guard you didn't slaughter stands just behind them.

"What have I done? Only been fighting for my life after having been backstabbed!" Rianna shouts back. She'll shut down her lightsaber, hoping that maybe she can make this mess not get any worse than it is already...

"I have not turned to the Dark Side, Myraline...do you really think so low of me?" she says in a quieter voice.

"What in the Galaxy are you talking about?" Myraline asks. "Have you really become so paranoid that you think everyone is in on some plot against you?"

Something feels off about Myraline, Rianna...

"I'm not being paranoid!" Rianna replies. "Should I even try to explain what I've been through here, or will you just dismiss it all anyway?"

Rianna narrows her eyes at Myraline. "Why are you here? Something about this feels wrong to me."

"There is nothing to explain," Myraline says sharply. "You free-for-all killing spree across the Galaxy is coming to an end. I have seen all the bodies you have left in your wake."

Myraline is normally quite calm and composed. It is disturbing to see her so worked up, so uncontrolled, so...

Angry.

"Master, please, something doesn't feel right..." Ciira says, trying to grab at Myraline's cloak. Myraline pulls her arm away.

"You are the bane of my career, Rianna Xi!" Myraline screeches. "I did not train you to become this monster, and yet you have become one nonetheless. I am taking you back to Coruscant, right now, where you will stand and take the full judgment of the Council."

"My killing spree? I've done no such things!" Rianna replies, taking a step back. "What is wrong? Myraline! This isn't you!"

"Lay down your lightsaber, Padawan," Myraline snips.

"I'm not...what is going on? Myraline, I've never seen you like this. You're frightening me..." Rianna says, backing up another step and getting ready to turn and run if she needs to.