Private A Darkness Unchecked

[Rannan Kol]

While the galaxy reeled in the aftermath of Tython ripples from the collosal engagement spread outwards to touch outlying territories. The Expanse Region, the Mid Rim, the Outer Rim nothing was left untouched by the devestation of Tython which saw countless lives snuffed out in a conflict that had reached its pinnacle. To some Tython was not the immense clash it was meant to be though, it was a distraction.

Planets at the edge of Galactic Alliance territory had been hit first. Places in the Inner Rim and the Expanse that were just outside of the Alliances sphere of influence. As Tython had drawn the attention of the Alliance Fleet, as well as the Jedi other worlds become ripe for the picking.

Rumors circulated of Marauders and Acolytes that would descend upon worlds, striking deep into small settlements or disenfranchised areas where they set upon the local populace. When they left it was only these 'rumors' that remained. Only those with the foresight to run quickly and hide well remained, small settlements were almost wiped off the map.

Montitia was a poverty stricken world that straddled the fence between the Galactic Alliance and the Eternal Empire, unclaimed by either faction to this point. Neither a metropolis nor under populated it rode a space in between with many of the inhabitants simply unable to leave the planet for a better future. When the Shuttlecraft and Transports began to descend many of those who saw them and had heard the rumor understood what would occur next but there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide....

----

Dark Robed Figures lined the Ziggurat that stood in place of one of the settlements that had befallen a grim fate, Marauders stood at the outskirts looking up at the structure that would act as their altar. Men, women, children no one was spared. Those who could not run or were not cut down outright were brought here.

At the top of the Ziggurat, built of steel and stone was a large circular opening where prisoners were deposited. They were all thrown inside of the structure after no more of them could be chained to the interior walls like cattle. Inside only darkness and the screams and whimpers of their fellows waited to greet them.

The Dark Apostle stood at the top of the Ziggurat as well, his Acolytes watching while he presided over them with fingers steepled together at his fore...

"The Void calls and we have answered."

...when he spoke Kol's voice, charged by the force carried out across the masses with clarity...

"While the eyes of the galaxy remain on Tython our work has gone unimpeded. While all eyes have been on the Maw we have prepared our sacrifice. All that remains is for these lives to be snuffed out, consecrated in darkness and fed to the black."

...cheers, the sounds of weapons clanging against one another rose up as the Marauders called back whereas the Acolytes, dark robed all stood in relative silence.

Once the sounds died down again Kol would turn and begin to prepare for the ritual sacrifice that would see thousands dead.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Montitia
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rannan Kol

"ETA 5 minutes!"

Valery turned her eyes to the Alliance officer and dipped her head in acknowledgment while she made sure her two lightsabers were strapped properly to her belt. Within the leading shuttle of the task force sent out to Montitia, she had been patiently going through her routine of mental exercises to calm her mind, and center herself in the Force. There was great darkness ahead of her and the soldiers she brought along — it was a constant echo in the Force ever since she focused her senses on the future.

To have heard that some exploited the battle on Tython to cause trouble elsewhere without any real opposition was hardly surprising to her, but the nature of the reports that had reached her within the NJO's Council Chambers was extremely troubling, to say the least. Entire populations of small towns along the borders had disappeared, and not a single trace was left of those who were taken. All that remained were the few witness reports from survivors who had been hiding, but their intel was limited. They only covered brief glimpses of the attackers, the screams they heard, and the eerie silence that was left behind when it was all over.

But it was enough for Valery to respond to this mysterious threat. So after she received more reports from the border about potential words that could be hit next, she meditated and communed with the Force for answers, and eventually, her focus turned to Montitia.

"We're close. Check your gear, and be ready to depart!" she called out.

The small task force of ships dropped from hyperspace moments later and immediately began a fast descent through the atmosphere to reach the surface as quickly as possible. Both to avoid early detection and to give the attackers less time to respond if they were detected anyway. Either way, the moment the shuttles touched down, Alliance soldiers moved out to set up a perimeter with Valery leading them at the front to offer protection.

"I sense a great disturbance in the Force ahead. We move out under cover, and stop whatever is happening here."

 

[Rannan Kol]

Location: Montitia
Equipment: The Dark Sacraments; Apostle's Vestments

The Ritual seemed to hold the attention of most of those involved. Of the Marauders at the base of the Ziggurat and the Acolytes that lined the structure none seemed any the wiser that they could soon find themselves under attack. They say appearances can be deceiving though.

It was not the drop out of hyperspace nor any early warning system that may have alerted the enemy that the Alliance was coming, it was a disturbance in the force. Like many of the Jedi that were in a sense his counterparts Kol was attuned to the force, the Dark Jedi Master could dip into the ebb and flow of the force and sense the presence of others who did the same. Whether or not he shared the information at his disposal was something else entirely though.

The Dark Apostles concern for those who followed him was essentially nil. There would always be those readily available to replace the ones who fell here today.

At the top of the Ziggurat he circled around the pit that descended deeper into the structure where darkness was the only constant. Down below the whimpers of those imprisoned within were joined by the subtle rattle of the chains that held many of them. When Kol had circled the pit and come around the face a lengthy set of stairs that ran from the bottom of the ziggurat to its pinnacle he would call out...

"Bring the first so that we may begin."

...his arms sweeping to either side of him as he drew back the Apostles Vestments until his forearms revealed themselves. Two Acolytes, dressed in dark robes with masks concealing their faces appeared at the top of the stairs, a smaller figure held between them and drug along towards Kol. As he was brought closer the Dark Apostle set his eyes on the child barely into his teenage years, a boy with eyes stained red from tears shed...

"An innocent life, a soul unblemished to feed the black and open the way. It begins."

...there was a methodical way that Kol spoke, a way that the captive child and the Acolytes holding him heard but couldn't fully appreciate. Kol's eyes set upon the sacrifice but flickered beyond him, out past the base of the Ziggurat where the landscape of a settlement that once existed was now replaced by twisted steel, broken buildings and smoke that filtered higher into the skies. The Dark Apostle couldn't seem them but he could feel them, at least one of them though he didn't let on.

Turning his right hand towards his hip the 'Dark Sacrament' clipped there would fly into his palm and raising his arm Kol would ignite the dark mulberry colored blade of the lightsaber as it came up over his head. He prepared to strike the boy down, to send his corpse down into the darkness of the pit as the first sacrifice to begin the ritual he planned but his movements were slow, deliberately so. The Dark Apostle loved to play games, it was the same reason he warned none of those who followed him----he wanted to see if the element of surprise was worth a life, an innocent life or if the Jedi would trade that to strike down so many darksiders here today.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Montitia
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rannan Kol

Carefully and quietly, Valery and the Alliance soldiers moved through the remnants of the settlement that surrounded the strange Ziggurat built into its center. Death was a constant pulse in the Force here, but more overwhelming was the fear and despair she could feel emanating from the structure alien to this world. But with a few hand signals, Valery ordered the soldiers to spread out and approach in formation so they could engage the attackers from various angles. She hoped to take advantage of the element of surprise, and thus far, it appeared as if they hadn't been noticed yet.

But the closer they got to their target, the more Valery felt a painful tension rising in her chest. Looking up with her fiery eyes, she watched as two dark-robed figures carried a young and frail looking boy up to the pinnacle of the structure, where a single man was waiting for them. His darkness was unlike that of the others — far stronger and more refined, much like how her own fiery strength in the Light was a unique experience to others.

In an instant, she knew he was the real problem, the darkness behind all of this.

"Ma'am, we're setting up to strike on your command," the officer whispered through his comms to Valery, but she didn't answer him and remained fixated on what was happening up there. It was only when the Dark Apostle raised his weapon, that her eyes suddenly widened and without any words spoke, she jumped into action.

He was too far away to use her own lightsabers, so instead she reached out with her hand and pulled the young boy back so Rannan's blade missed target if he committed to the swing. She knew it would alert both him and his followers, thereby neutralizing her element of surprise. But if she allowed sacrifices to be made just to gain some kind of advantage, she felt like she'd be losing sight of what it meant to be a Jedi. To help those who can't protect themselves came first, and that could never change.

"Now!" she called out, and from multiple directions, blaster fire was sent directly for Rannan's followers, while Valery ignited one of her two violet blades and glared in the Dark Apostle's direction. He was going to her problem to deal with.

 

[Rannan Kol]

Location: Montitia
Equipment: The Dark Sacraments; Apostle's Vestments
Tagged: Valery Noble

A threat had no meaning if there was no intention to carry it out. The Dark Apostle's lightsaber swung diagonally, slashing at the young boy so that it could carve a path across his chest. Only the actions of Valery saved the youth as he was pulled just beyond the reach of Kol's lightsaber ensuring that the deed was not done.

While the blaster fire erupted moments later the ambush was neither completely lost nor intact. Many of the Marauders would be caught off guard, blaster fire catching them in the rear and falling them forcing them to regroup before returning fire as they fell back towards the base of the Ziggurat. The Acolytes were in a far better position, lining the Ziggurat proper their lightsabers ignited and they prepared to meet the advance of their attackers.

The Acolytes that had been holding the boy released him and he seemed a distant memory as they turned, igniting their own crimson lightsabers. As for Kol, he didn't seem altogether to displeased as his focused veered out into the remnants of the settlement beyond the ziggurat…

"Defend the Ziggurat, do not let them disrupt what we've worked so hard for."

…his voice while not especially loud carried into the minds of his followers, especially the Marauders who were encouraged to sacrifice themselves by charging out into battle with all manner of sadistic weaponry. Many would die there was no doubt but their purpose would be served.

Kol stepped around the pit again, circling towards the edge of the ziggurats pinnacle where he felt the strongest connection to the force pulsating out away from him. The Dark Acolytes, positioned to either side of him would have moved ahead, wielding their lightsabers to deflect any incoming blaster fire in a fluent display of technique and prowess. When he came closer to the edge of the ziggurat Kol's lips expressed a small smile…

"There you are."

…her light was surely a match for his darkness, now that she was so much closer to him he could feel her without more than a remedial effort. He stood, he watched then his lightsaber deactivated.

Like a parasite injecting itself into a reservoir Kol let his mind extend past the physical, transferring it into the metaphysical as he reached beyond the boundaries of his body.

The Jedi might expect an attack from the front or some grandiose display of power but Kol's manipulation of the force was more subtle if no less impressive. He reached out until he found what he was looking for, an Alliance Soldier. In a moment he saw through the mans eyes, felt the muscles in the mans limbs convulse and attempt to resist him and he snuffed them.

The Soldier would drop his blaster and charge at Valery from the rear intent on bull rushing her and throwing her to the ground in an act of surprise. He would reach for her throat with both hands, attempting to lock them around her neck so that he could begin to choke her. There was confusion in his eyes but his body reacted without his consent and his voice was not his own when he spoke…

"Hello, Jedi."

…the Soldiers lips rose and he bared his teeth, his gums were blood and he leaned in to press his mouth closer to Valery so that he could try to bite a chunk out of her cheek.​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Montitia

Looking up at Rannan as he appeared at the edge of the structure, Valery felt a strange sense of danger sending shivers down her spine. He had deactivated his lightsaber and showed no real intentions of approaching to engage her up-close, yet the darkness that surrounded the area was far more sinister in nature and almost overwhelming for just a brief moment. Her surprise, however, quickly faded as she felt someone rapidly approaching from behind.

Valery turned around to see one of her own men charging her, and before she had a chance to react, he tackled her to the ground with both his arms around her waist. She fell onto her back and had the wind knocked out of her, but there was not even a second to catch her breath — both his hands gripped tightly around her throat, forcing Valery's eyes wide from just pure shock, and that's finally when she realized what was happening.

"Hello, Jedi."​

Valery heard his voice and watched the blood-filled maw open so he could sink his teeth into her skin, but Valery wasn't going to let it happen. A hand came up and while her fiery eyes pierced through his compromised mental barriers, she began to channel the Force to project a field of Force Light against him. The blasts, while not harmful to the man himself, disrupted the mental link between the Sith and this soldier, which she hoped would return the man back to normal. But whether it did or not, she had gotten him off of her, and climbed back to her feet.

"Hold positions and keep them in the open!" Valery called out. Her soldiers had positioned themselves behind cover from the ruins of the settlement, while the marauders and acolytes were a little more exposed on the Ziggurat and around it. She hoped that would give them an advantage while she sorted out this new problem. Right now, she wasn't sure if his mental abilities allowed him to control just a single soldier, or if all of them were at risk of becoming his slaves.

So in an attempt to counter it, she allowed her own mind to reach out and used her strength in the light as a shield for those around her. Whether it was going to be enough to save all of them, she didn't know, but none of them had the ability to protect themselves against this, so it was up to her now.

Rannan Kol ​

 

[Rannan Kol]

Location: Montitia
Equipment: The Dark Sacraments; Apostle's Vestments
Tagged: Valery Noble

In a sudden display of prowess and Force Light that penetrated into the mind of the Soldier who'd been compromised by the Dark Jedi the presence of Kol was ejected. It was not a violent reprisal per say but it caused the Dark Apostle to step backwards a pace whereupon he regained himself in the process as his senses flood back into himself. Raising a hand to his temple Kol touched himself there once as he recovered atop the Ziggurat.

The Marauders fared far worse than the Dark Apostle. At the base of the structure, out in the open it was difficult for them to defend themselves. On the other hand, defense was never a forte of those half crazed and immersed in bloodlust.

Blasterfire cut down the Marauders, dropping them where they stood. Many of them had charged forward to make distance on the Alliance Soldiers however it was a futile endeavor for the most part. The closer they came the easier it was for the Alliance to cut them down, their ranks were thinning quickly and, on this front, at least it would likely seem an overwhelming success for Valery and the soldiers she was commanding.

As Kol watched the Marauders charging towards what seemed certain death the smile that had touched the corners of his mouth reappeared. He didn't seem distressed though the potent display of Force Light would ensure he could reach out and wrest control of another mind close to Valery. Mentalism was more than mind control and impressing your will on another though; it was also about manipulation…

"Clever."

…he said, almost as though he thought she could hear him across the distance before he remarked…

"But I don't have to come to you, you have to come to me."

…Kol would let his mind extend past the physical again, flowing into the realm of the metaphysical. It was not that he wanted to reach out and seize control of the Alliance Soldiers any longer, merely skew their perception to some extent. Even so those closest to Valery's light would likely be unaffected but that was inconsequential to him.

Illusions could be a powerful tool when used correctly. They allowed images to fill the minds of men. They turned friend into foe and vice versa. They could break the mind and create shackles that bound even the strongest among us in place.

The Alliance Soldiers, especially those furthest from Valery would see the change. A subtle shift in perception made the Marauders appear to be Civilians, captives now fleeing away from the Ziggurat after the initial assault had cut many of the enemy down. It was more than just that though. New Marauders appeared, phantoms that looked real but were entirely harmless. Not all of these phantoms were figments of the mind though, some were real just not really what they seemed; they were images overlaying the appearance of other Soldiers making them appear as the enemy.

Valery couldn't see them, her light protected her and Kol had not even attempted to cast the power of illusion into her psyche but the rest, the rest were not so fortunate unless they were close to the Jedi Master.

Kol didn't wait to see if the Alliance Soldiers started cutting themselves down or let the remnants of the Marauders pierce their ranks to begin the slaughter, he turned away and moved back to the pit at the epicenter of the Ziggurat. The Ritual still required his attention.​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Montitia

With her use of Force Light, her attempt at shielding the other soldiers around her from the mental attacks seemed to have worked. None of the others turned against her like some strange type of zombie, and with the positions they held, the incoming Marauders were being gunned down in great numbers. It was carefully progressing to becoming quite a successful mission, yet Valery still felt that something was off about the whole situation.

The Marauders weren't receiving new orders to minimize casualties, and the Sith responsible for one of her own soldiers turning against her made no move to aid his people. It wasn't too uncommon to watch Sith care nothing about the lives of those below them, but in this case, losing meant that his plans would crumble completely. It made no sense for him to do nothing and just watch from the top of the Ziggurat.

But that's when she felt it.

A sudden spike in the Force, signaling a sudden change in the casualties taken by the Alliance. When her eyes shifted to her own troops, she watched some suddenly turn against each other, while others were firing at nothing at all, whilst under the impression that something was getting closer to them. It was pure chaos, and even though she wasn't quite sure what the Sith's capabilities were, there was only one reasonable explanation for all of this.

He was manipulating their minds again. This became increasingly more evident when she noticed that what was happening didn't affect those close to her at all — they were shielded by her powerful presence and use of the Light.

"Captain, try to guide your men through, I'm going to stop this," Valery ordered the man closest to her. She trusted him like no other, and while he'd likely be exposed to the mental assault as well with her departure, there was only one permanent way to shield the minds of her soldiers. She had to go after the one causing all the trouble. So with an explosive jump, she through the air and over the Battlefield, her hands reaching out only to forcefully shove aside anybody in her path with a Telekinetic blast. When she landed, she moved with Force-augmented speed and made her way up the Ziggurat.

Nobody was going to stop her, and there was only one target in mind.

"Your fight is with me, Sith."

Rannan Kol ​

 

[Rannan Kol]

Location: Montitia
Equipment: The Dark Sacraments; Apostle's Vestments
Tagged: Valery Noble

There was a moment where, feeling a manipulation of the force Kol would have turned to look back over his shoulder but rather than wait for Valery to ascend the Ziggurat he made his way around the pit until he stood at the opposite end. When Valery reached his position, her telekinetic blast thrusting the two Dark Robed Acolytes that had been at the top of the Ziggurat alongside Kol aside the Dark Apostle was waiting for her with the pit leading down into the structure between them. He'd strategically placed it between the two of them as an obstacle that would need to be traversed before the Jedi Master could reach him.

As she appeared at the top Kol, still holding the 'Dark Sacrament' he'd deactivated in his right hand would cant his head to the side and permit himself to lean forward briefly as though inclining himself to her….

"You're not who I was expecting."

…it could be that after Empress Teta and Coruscant that Kol expected Caltin Vanagor to find him again and in doing so ensure they battled one more time. He didn't know Valery Noble but he wasn't disappoint, her energy was different than that of the opponent he knew. There was a moment after he straightened that he regarded her remarking with a bit of bemused response…

"Am I a Sith? Or do I call a different head on a different 'snake' my Master?"

…he waxed in a rhetorical sense then, galvanizing himself with the force in as much as Valery had he became a blur of motion as the lightsaber in his right hand activated, igniting in a flash of dark mulberry energy while turning his right side ahead. As his right side whipped forward his arm would extend, the lightsaber would slide from his grasp and he would hurl it at Valery in what became an horizontal arc that saw it spinning wildly at her midsection across the berth of the pit between them.

Around the Ziggurat the Acolytes that had been waiting, lining the structure would likewise act using the illusions cast into the perception of the Alliance Soldiers to finally attack, gaining ground swiftly where the Marauders had all but been cut down in the initial assault.

It was a matter of divide and conquer. Valery was correct, Kol's fight was with her but he had successfully divided her from the rest of her troops which may have been a tactical error on her part. Time would tell.​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Montitia

"You're not who I was expecting."

"Well, I hope I won't disappoint, then," Valery said with a faint smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. She kept her weapon drawn for now, even with the pit separating them, and Rannan not having made any move against her quite yet. The skills he had turned against her soldiers had shown that he was quite resourceful and certainly unpredictable. So she couldn't allow herself to drop her guard, even for a second.

"Am I a Sith? Or do I call a different head on a different 'snake' my Master?"

She raised an eyebrow but offered no verbal response this time — she was familiar with a lot of Sith, especially those who served the Maw. But she didn't recognize him at all, which meant they had either just missed each other at every major battle, or he worked alone more often than not. Perhaps a combination of both.

Either way, a surge within the Force snapped her into focus, and within less than a second, his crimson blade ignited and a weapon was tossed her way. It was a type of attack that had been turned against her several times, and whenever it happened the first time, she had a trick of her own up her sleeves. She first waited for the last possible moment, making it appear as if she was going to move to try and evade the attack, but instead called on the force to manipulate her bond to the universe around her.

This ability she learned in her days as a Jedi Shadow allowed her to phase through the blade, making it seem as if she was just an immaterial illusion as well. The ability was fairly rare, so she hoped it sparked enough surprise in this particular moment. With her violet blade raised, she made the jump across before his weapon could return and aimed a powerful telekinetic blast at him, meant to shove him back and away from the edge of the pit in this moment of surprise she was trying to take advantage of.

If successful, she'd make her landing and stand ready to engage.

Rannan Kol ​

 

[Rannan Kol]

Location: Montitia
Equipment: The Dark Sacraments; Apostle's Vestments
Tagged: Valery Noble

The Lightsaber whirled, Valery stood and Kol felt as though he might have caught the Jedi. At the very least the Dark Apostle believed she would rely on one of the more conventional tactics that he'd seen other Jedi use in the past. Not so though. As the lightsaber passed through Valery Noble and continued to whirl into the distance Kol's features became filled with both intrigue and irritation.

It was a fairly rare power as explained so the Dark Apostle actually was caught offguard. Such things were not his to command.

The Telekinetic Blast that followed caught Kol as well, sending him sprawling backwards as it impact with him. The 'Apostles Vestments' would in fact eat much of the blow but enough damage transferred through them that the blood vessels in the Dark Jedi's chest would burst leaving bruising to bloom where he'd taken the brunt of the attack. Skidding away from Valery his teeth gritted against one another and with legs stretching out behind him he balanced himself by leaning forward and using his left hand as a counter point.

When Kol came back up, moments after Valery had landed and prepared to engage the Dark Jedi rushed her. Extending his right hand in the process he was calling his lightsaber back to it, summoning the 'Dark Sacrament' that had whipped through Valery's immaterial form so that its natural momentum brought it back to his palm. If the Jedi didn't avoid it a second time then she would only be in its way again as it came around at height with her midsection again, this time from the rear.

That was not all though.

While Kol called his weapon back to his waiting hand his left hand, drawn back as he came to his feet again would thrust towards Valery. While his mastery of telekinetics likely weren't as refined as hers the Force Push was made with all the power to throw the Jedi Master backwards and directly into the pit seeing as how she and Kol had changed positions.

The Battle around the Ziggurat was largely forgotten by the Dark Jedi at this point. Blasterfire and the crackle of energy accompanied by the sounds of the dying static noise in the background.​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Montitia

Her little trick with Phase was one she could only really pull off once against each enemy she faced, so to see it effective brought a brief smirk to her lips. Rannan wasn't badly injured by any stretch of the imagination, but she had been able to force him away from the pit and find her footing without some kind of obstacle standing between them. More importantly, the focus she demanded from him with her attack likely interrupted his illusions to some extent as well, allowing her soldiers below to fight the Acolytes with more effectiveness.

Whether it was enough or not remained to be seen, but fighting alongside them down below while they couldn't tell friend from foe would only put them at more risk, and she wouldn't exactly be in a comfortable position either.

The Dark Apostle then regained his own balance, and as expected, he called the weapon back to his hand. This time, she decided against Phasing her way through and jumped up to avoid the blade. This, however, did expose her to the telekinetic blast that followed soon after. She was sent flying back towards the pit, and she knew that without any action taken, she'd end up falling all the way down.

So in mid-air, she suddenly spun around and sent a pulse of Force energy to the inner wall of the pit, which she used as counter-force to keep herself from falling all the way down. The impact on the ground still wasn't exactly comfortable, but she quickly jumped back up to her feet and drew her blade, now ready to face off against him again. He had his own weapon back, and now there wasn't a single thing in the way of them clashing.

"I'm not letting you sacrifice these people," She told him while she slowly walked forward, her fiery eyes fixated on him. Her determination was strong, and so was her strength in the Light, but she was still on a timer with their forces clashing down below. So without wasting any more time, she augmented her speed and moved in rapidly to deliver a powerful strike aimed across the torso, hoping it would draw out his guard, so she could follow up with a flurry of fast-paced attacks.

Rannan Kol ​

 

[Rannan Kol]

Location: Montitia
Equipment: The Dark Sacraments; Apostle's Vestments
Tagged: Valery Noble

If the power of his illusions had been weakened, or broken it was largely inconsequential to Kol who focused on the Jedi in front of him more so that the battle being waged around the Ziggurat at its base and in the remnants of the settlement surrounding it. Given the focus that he now invested in Valery it seemed unlikely the manifestation of his powers would remain as effective on the battlefield but if any of his Acolytes had come within distance of close combat he'd already leveled the playing field. Now all he needed to do remain conscious of the task at hand.

As Valery came at him, sensing her manipulation of the force to augment herself Kol did likewise. Force Speed came naturally to the Dark Apostle ensuring that he could match her. The Lightsaber in his right hand came up at an angle as he steadied himself so that he could redirect the force of Valery's blow rather than meet it directly in an attempt to deflect it across her body. While he did this Kol was moving too, circling to come around her on the outside of her swordarm.

In the same breath that his movements were happening the second 'Dark Sacrament' would have flown into the palm of his left hand, summoned telekinetically by its master. The Dark Mulberry blade of the lightsaber activated, igniting the weapon which Kol held in an inverted grip and whipping his arm across from the left to right he tucked it close to his hip and fanned the blade out ahead of him. He'd been circling with the aforementioned deflection so the blow was meant to come around and catch Valery across the back or clip her side beneath her swordarm, just above the hip.

In essence Kol sought to switch positions with the Jedi Master via a short engagement that played on their augmented speed but also basic footwork and an awareness of their surroundings....

"You know you cannot stop me. Their fate is a forgone conclusion."

....he said, his voice quiet but focused as he came around hoping that his back would have been to the Pit leading down into the Ziggurat when he stepped back to disengage from Valery again thinking that maybe her momentum, quick as it was might send her right on past him in conjunction with his own display of footwork and martial aptitude. Of course there was no saying it was.

"What do they call you Jedi?"

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Montitia

The moment Rannan summoned a second blade into his off-hand, Valery turned to the Force and drew her second lightsaber telekinetically off her belt as well. The violet blade ignited to meet him in a similar Jar'kai style, allowing her to quickly meet the strike that came from the weapon he held in an inverted grip. Crimson and violet plasma hissed against each other, but Rannan sought to exploit his deflections to circle around Valery.

With subtle pivots on her feet, she followed along and covered her rear against what could have otherwise cut her wide open. But it did leave him with his back to the pit, and thus the people she was here to protect.

"You know you cannot stop me. Their fate is a forgone conclusion."

"You don't know how many times I've heard that before," Valery quipped back before she made her approach, albeit more carefully than before. With both duelists utilizing two weapons, each attack had a quick and easy defensive response from one blade, followed by counter-attacks of the other. But in a moment where one such class occurred, she focused her eyes on his and grinned a little at the question.

"Valery Noble," she answered before she pushed away against the blades and drew her own back up into a guard, "Can't say I've caught yours either," she continued but she offered very little time to respond, and made a quick wrapping motion with the fingers of her left hand — a more subtle use of the Force to try and suddenly pull him closer. At the same time, she made her step forward and aimed a quick and precise sweep to his midsection, hoping to complete her draw closer technique.

But more importantly, she wanted him away from that pit.

Rannan Kol ​

 

[Rannan Kol]

Location: Montitia
Equipment: The Dark Sacraments; Apostle's Vestments
Tagged: Valery Noble

There was a crackle of energy as their lightsabers engaged one another. The Dark Mulberry of the Dark Apostles blades against the Violet of the Battlemasters. Not many Jedi were proficient with two lightsabers at once, many seemed to prefer one blade for its practicality or due to a lack of manual dexterity. Kol would admit to himself for a moment that this Jedi excited him to some extent however her quip back to him did not.

"The Jedi may change but their rhetoric stays the same."

…he began to weave the 'Dark Sacraments' in a defensive pattern as she began her approach anew but her tactics weren't merely reliant on her skill with the lightsabers she held. He felt the manipulation of the force and in a sudden exertion found himself being pulled towards her. Rather than attempt to fight in Kol leapt up and over.

The Force Jump would utilize the momentum of Valery's own pull to help lift Kol up and sending him flipping over his opponent which also put him out of arc with the sweeping motion she made at his midsection. As he leapt high, carrying himself over her and flipped forward the lightsaber in Kol's right hand would have snapped downwards in an attempt to clip Valery over the back of her left shoulderblade. It was a minor attack, quick but not especially deadly however if it struck it would activate the Katak crystal that imbued the blade. Every strike, no matter how minor would begin to sap away a small portion of Valery's vitality.

He'd have come down, out of the jump somewhere in the rear of Valery and swinging around to face her again Kol would extend his left arm just so while doing likewise with his index and middle finger in a gesture that mimicked Valery's own moments ago. It didn't seem to bother Kol that they'd changed positions again, hoping to catch capitalize further the Force Push he offered in return didn't seek to see them continuously changing positions but rather send her reeling backwards and down into the darkness of the pit….

"Valery Noble."

…he finally reply while making the gesture….

"I'll remember you. I am Rannan Kol."

….he was preparing to press his own attack then, maybe he even intended for them to take their fight into the pit and into the heart of the Ziggurat.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Montitia

While her subtle use of Telekinesis had drawn the Dark Jedi closer, the momentum it generated allowed him to move over her with a Force-assisted jump. Picking up on this, Valery crouched down lower and spun on her feet while she raised her blades into a guard, thus choosing the safe approach of keeping herself shielded against his attack, at the cost of not being able to exploit his time in the air.

When he made his landing, another swing came for her but she held both blades up in a guard against the attack and narrowed her eyes when he repeated her name. She took note of his own, knowing that if this clash were not to end with either one of them dead, she'd likely encounter him again. However, alongside these introductions came a manipulation of the Force not much different from what she had displayed earlier.

The Force Push connected, and sent Valery back towards the pit again. This time, she knew trying to avoid the fall was going to be difficult, so she decided to try and take away any advantage he could gain from her being down there. With a quick extension of her arm, she projected the invisible strings of the Force around his waist and attempted to pull him down along with her. There was a risk to this, considering the people she wanted to save were all down there, but she couldn't risk him getting the high ground over her.

Seconds later, whether he was pulled along or not, Valery landed at the bottom of the put and cushioned her fall with the Force. Not wanting him to fall on top of her, she quickly jumped aside and drew up her weapons, ready to continue their clash down below.

"You'll have to get out of here somehow if you want to remember me," Valery said as her fiery eyes looked around.

Rannan Kol ​

 

[Rannan Kol]

Location: Montitia
Equipment: The Dark Sacraments; Apostle's Vestments
Tagged: Valery Noble

---

He didn't resist.

Already preparing to press an attack Kol would sprint forward as Valery manipulated the force to grapple him around the waist and pull him down with her. In a sense she would find him a willing participant as forward momentum carried him and he leapt down into the central pit of the Ziggurat after her.

The Ziggurat itself was large as indicated earlier. Altogether it likely stood several hundred feet from its base to its pinnacle which would account for its depth as well as the necessary space needed to imprison so many people for sacrifice. Inside the only light came from the entrance to the pit high above ensuring and the deeper it went the more it dimmed, down at the bottom of the pit it was almost pitch black.

Descending behind her Kol, like Valery would have used the force to cushion his landing as he struck bottom. The 'Dark Sacraments' wove themselves into a defensive pattern as he locked eyes with the Jedi Master...

"Why would I ever want to leave? I have everything I need down here with me."

...his statements were meant to carry an ominous tone, Valery had drawn up her weapons intending to continue their clash but instead Kol stepped back into the darkness and deactivated his lightsabers. The Dark Mulberry blades snuffed themselves as the Dark Apostle used the black to his advantage.

There was an eerie silence that permeated the bowels of the ziggurat broken only by the subtle rattle of chains indicating men, women, children had all been chained to the interior walls of the structure and the whimper of those, weak and lost to despair that were simply discarded into the ziggurat when the Marauders and Acolytes ran out of irons to chain their prisoners with.

This place was strong in the Darkside. Even without the ritual having been performed the Ziggurat was built by those who worshiped the dark, the interior of this dark altar was saturated. Imagine the beacon of dark power it might create if the ritual Kol intended to perform was completed.

In the darkness Kol knew how to move, knew how to step and he was quiet using a natural agility to aid his movements.

"Tell me, Valery Noble do you have a husband? A Child? Perhaps a favorite Padawan? What is important to you? What do you love? Share with me."

...in the darkness Kol's voice seemed to resound throughout the interior of the structure. In response the sound of chains and stirring of bodies started to accompany it almost as though they were prompted by the Dark Apostle. It would grow more urgent as time passed.

Of course Valery knew he could cast illusions into the minds of others, making them see what he wanted them to see. It was in fact much easier to touch the mind of an individual and read their surface thoughts. Naturally our minds tended to snap to those things we held as most important to us, the touchstones of our lives which is why Kol was deliberate with the questions he asked and what he said to her. In a moment, without even realizing it she might reveal more than she intended to to him.​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Montitia

"Why would I ever want to leave? I have everything I need down here with me."

Valery's eyes narrowed at him when he said this — his tone suggested a plan of some kind, and she didn't like the sound of it at all. It wasn't enough to spark fear or deep worry, but it created an uneasy atmosphere. One that was strengthened by the rattling of chains, the cries of people in need, and the despair she felt echoing through the Force. This was a dark place, created by those touched by the Dark Side, and so this structure only amplified everything she felt in an endless loop. If her mind hadn't been as strong and well-trained, it could have easily made her go insane.

"Careful what you wish for," Valery finally commented back, her blades drawn ready and her intent to make a move flowing out into the Force. But before she could, he disengaged his weapons and retreated back into the darkness. Normally, Valery's Keshian eyes allowed her to easily follow people in the dark, as the Infrared light from their body heat was something she could see. But he wasn't only surrounded by darkness, he was in cover and quiet enough as well.

"Tell me, Valery Noble do you have a husband? A Child? Perhaps a favorite Padawan? What is important to you? What do you love? Share with me."

The question sparked images in her mind instantly, some of which bled out through her mind into the Force. First, a comfortable feeling as she stood within the tight embrace of her husband, followed by a smile of her daughter looking up at her with all her usual energy. The question from the Dark Jedi hadn't just sparked these images, however — it would feel as if a fire had ignited within the Jedi Master just at the mention of them. Her love for her family was the only thing that could ever truly get the internal conflict deep within her to fire up. Nothing else could ever bring her close to the edge.

"You're going down a path you'll regret, Rannan," Valery warned him as the grip on her lightsaber hilt tightened. "But I'm not here to play your games. Show yourself."

Rannan Kol ​

 

[Rannan Kol]

Location: Montitia
Equipment: The Dark Sacraments; Apostle's Vestments
Tagged: Valery Noble

---

The images were brief but the feeling they provoked radiant out from the Jedi Master with far more potency than was required for the Dark Apostle to pick up on them with a mere surface connect. Even if Kol hadn't let his mind extend to brush the surface of Valery's the warning she offered in return, alongside her body language would have alerted him to the emotions she felt. He'd touched a nerve deep within her and it was to her disadvantage to reveal as much to him however subtle it may have been.

Inside the darkness of the chamber Kol moved, his footsteps quiet. Every movement he made deliberate. Whether or not he was trying to circle around her was irrelevant, he cloaked himself in the dark taint that the ziggurat housed ensuring it was a blanket for him to wrap around himself. When he spoke his voice seemed to cast itself from all around the chamber....

"Don't be coy, Valery. You're already playing."

...he'd chide her then, musing from the blackness while the sound of rattling chains and the moans of those deposited on the floor of the chamber continued to grow. It was almost as though the presence of the Dark Apostle was irritating them, prompting them to revisit agonies and unseen horrors....

"Do you long for the comfort of your husbands embrace? Is it your daughters smile that you see looking up at you?"

...clearly he'd caught on to some of her most prominent surface thoughts to follow his inquiries, the surface scan of her mind with his own let him pick up on what flashed across her consciousness. He didn't shy away from potentially pushing her towards anger, fury and the embrace of the darkside. It was a slippery slope once you started down it after all.

Aside from his own voice the rattling of the chains, the moans of torment they grew and then----there was nothing. Silence. It was as though everything in the chamber had gone still....

"Let me give me what you want."

...his voice was accompanied by the sound of footsteps rushing towards her, a masculine silhouette started to form before emerging from the darkness. It was her husband or the clearest picture of him that Kol could form from the brief images that had flashed across Valery's mind. Distorted by the darkside with a sadistic glee in his eyes and a malevolent smile etched across his features. He came at Valery with hands caked with dried blood, fingers twisted into claws and calling out…
​

"Hello, Wife! Don't you want to be with me!?!?"

…he'd reach for her, right at her face and try to latch onto it and scratch her eyes right out as he clawed at her. Valery might wonder was happening then, did Kol craft another illusion using the connection he'd established with the shell of her mind or was this something else entirely? Whatever it was if it struck Valery it would certainly feel real to her….​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Montitia

"Do you long for the comfort of your husbands embrace? Is it your daughters smile that you see looking up at you?"

It was at that moment Valery realized that Rannan had seen the images in her mind, and likely felt the powerful emotions that came alongside them. Her family was her biggest strength, her driving force to push herself through any hardship just to get back to them. But fear of losing them was her biggest weakness, and one he was undoubtedly going to try and exploit now. It didn't make her angry, however, but the intensity within her was rising quickly.

She was in control, but it was a very precise balance she needed to find.

"I'll be seeing them again very soon," Valery assured him but her reply was met with silence. Not just from him, but the rattling of chains and the cries for help ceased to exist very abruptly. Another illusion or had he killed him all instantly? The latter seemed unlikely because so much sudden death would leave a mark in the Force, but she couldn't quite explain it being an illusion either.

That was until she saw and heard him.

"Kahlil?" Valery watched him approach from the shadows, but there was something different about him, and the intent she felt in the Force was only hostile. She shook her head, took a deep breath, and gritted her teeth — she knew this wasn't real, no matter how well it was put together. Rannan had played into her fears exceptionally well but there was one thing he didn't know and could never account for in an illusion.

The special bond between her and her husband — a Force dyad.

So as it came for her to claw her open, Valery released that fiery intensity within her in the form of Light. Her hand came up and through it, withering blasts of Force Light lashed out at the illusion and darkness around her, hoping it would help her pierce whatever was disrupting her senses and messing with her mind.

Rannan Kol ​