A Midnight Premonition

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

_______________________________________________________________​

I'm at war with the world and they
Try to pull me into the dark
I struggle to find my faith
As I'm slippin' from your arms

It's getting harder to stay awake
And my strength is fading fast
You breathe into me at last
_______________________________________________________________​

Ever since Sera had encountered [member="Darth Ferus"] at Onderon, her mind had been constantly at odds with itself. Whether this was due to the traumatic realization that he had beaten her, both physically and mentally, or simply because in those final moments when he had opened his mind to her, unleashing a vision so heinous, so evil, something so abhorrent that she frequently suffered from nightmares now. A defeat is always difficult to swallow. This was something that far exceeded any kind of defeat she had ever experienced. The atrocities he was willing to commit were so sinister that, an honest threat or not, were monstrous to think of.

Resting her consciousness had become something of a gamble every night as well. It seemed she was at the mercy of her own sanity. Some nights she slept at ease, without worry, without fear, without turmoil racking her brain. Other nights she would awaken several times, tormented by demons in her mind. The mental scars of that day would often pierce her dreams. On occasion they felt so real that when she awoke she would worry for days on end that what she had seen would come true. Often meditation would bring clarity to her nightmares. She found herself in deep meditation much more frequently than ever before.

When her mind wasn't focused on the images of death and horror in her dreams, her conscious mind would often tear her back to that brief battle. Sure, she had managed to impede his assault, escape from a terrible demise, surprise Krest a few times, and even stop him in his tracks for a brief moment twice. But it simply wasn't enough. Had he even given her his full strength? Did he spare her life out of pity? Why? Questions she had no answers for continuously danced through her mind constantly.

How had he bested me? What did I do wrong? How can I surpass evil so tainted with darkness? ​

The Jedi's mind slipped quietly into the darkness as her consciousness subsided, her body finally succumbing to what she hoped would be a restful sleep. The final thoughts she had would drift to Cambria, her home. Her mother Dahlia, her father Kethzen. She'd meant to return several times of late but was constantly recalled back by the Order for obligations that needed to be fulfilled. She had now begun teaching Padawans since her promotion, and so some things slipped through the cracks, but her family was never forgotten. She would see them again soon.

[member="Darth Ferus"] | [member="Gherron Vael"]​

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron opened his eyes, well, his conscience, to a field of pure black. Where was he? He tried to speak, but nothing came out. He couldn't even remember exactly where he was last, which was strange. When he concentrated a little, he found that he sensed another presence; light like his, and... female? Though the weird thing was, it seemed to be all around him. What was going on? As he wondered about his situation, he soon found himself walking forward, and realized he could now see his legs beneath him, as well as the rest of his body. All the while, he tried to find exactly where the presence was coming from. "Hello?", he called out. There, his voice worked again. Now to find out where this strange place of darkness was... He began to feel light, the more he walked. Lighter than air. This place just got stranger and stranger. "Hello?", he called out again. Where was he?

[member="Darth Ferus"] [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o69dwV2lwDA​

​

​

Sweet dreams. Or, at least for the Darth, they were. Having completed part of his goal with [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] , he slept calmly at his own place. But what he had done to the Twi'liek would be enough. The darkness within her mind had manifested to what Darth Ferus had wanted. A nightmare beyond the normal. One that would affect her as he had always intended.

As dream faded to nightmare, the world slowly turned to something Sera would recognize right away. Her parents home. Yet within it wasn't just her family. Something dark emanated from within, almost haunting. It called for Sera, as if it wanted her to come closer, to enter the front door. Something was very amiss. And that was when the first cream came. The sound of terror filled the area from the home, and to Sera, she would hear her mother.

[member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sweet dreams. That would be one way to put it. Of course, they would be anything but sweet this evening. As her ephemoral subconscious awoke, she would find herself on Cambria. Hearing a man call out twice the word Hello, Sera looked around. She felt the presence of another Jedi. As the shadows turned to colorless figures, which then transitioned into a recognizable body she would find [member="Gherron Vael"] wandering along the city street alone, seemingly dazed or confused. She had only met the knight in passing a handful of times, but she knew his name.

"Gherron? Gherron! Hey! It's Seraphina. Are you okay? What are you doing he-" A searing pain shot through her psyche and interrupted her sentence. She looked around the surroundings. It was her home. She was finally home. How did I get here? Why is Gherron here? What is going on? Her subconscious wouldn't grant her the clarity that she was dreaming. To her, this was happening. It was happening right now, right here. For a moment she felt ecstatic, she finally got home to see her mother, her father. How the time had passed. She was eager to tell them about her knighting, that she had found a second home with the Jedi, and hey, for some reason a Jedi she never really associated with in the past had joined her on this little journey to visit her family and share in the grand news!

Her excitement would be quickly stamped out though, as the feeling of sheer dread would take root in her very core. It ached her heart, and tore at her stomache. She nearly vomited from the grotesque darkness that enveloped her childhood home. "Something's wrong. Gherron. Something's wrong! That's my home! Something's happening! Come!" She pointed towards the house, a small, two story building that she had grown up in as a small child. Without a second thought her lightsabers were pulled through the air to her hands, igniting as she sprinted at full speed with the Force to aide her momentum, immediately checking herself against the door to force it open as she heard a shreak of terror. "No! I'm coming! I'm coming mother! DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!"

Her voice was shrill, near panic levels as she rushed in. Hopefully Gherron would follow, she had no idea what to expect, but she wasn't going to let anyone bring harm to her family.

[member="Darth Ferus"] | [member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Do not worry child, I have not touched her." An eerie voice would call to [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] and [member="Gherron Vael"] from within the home. The voice itself would be familiar to them both, yet at the same time warped. It was as if he was speaking into their heads. Flashes of red and pain would begin to assault their minds, and the screaming would continue from within. "In fact, I didn't even pull out my sword." The screeching would suddenly increase, only to end a moment later. A dark silence would fill the air until a ripping crack replaced it. Within the home, as the female would find her way through, she would find nothing but signs of torment. Into the attic the trail would lead, and within would be nothing more than the corpses of her parents. Mangled, deformed, they lay scattered around the room.

And within the center was none other than Ferus, both hands behind his back. "If it pleases you, your father fought bravely at first."The sickening grin she would know all to well would once more form on his face, and his features would once more take on that of the demon. Her nightmares were to become reality.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron continued to wander around, utterly confused until he heard someone call his name. Turning to face the source of the voice, he saw a fellow Jedi, one he'd seen a few times in the past. Last time he checked, she was a padawan learner, but a good one at that. "Serahphina?", he mused aloud. What was she doing here? She almost asked him the exact same question when her face contorted in pain. Rushing over to her, he tried to see if she was injured in any way. Not having the same face for long, she seemed to steady herself. Her face turned to one of joy for a moment, before immediately turning into dread. She told him that something was wrong here. Never having a moment to reply, Gherron was thrust into a mental battle of wills. As if on cue, he heard a scream from the house Sera had pointed at, and noticed that she was already beckoning for him to follow her, lightsabers at the ready. Drawing his own, he ignited it and followed close behind. Her terrified voice called out to his soul, and he immediately felt sad for her. He had realized this was a dream now, and something told him what was going on. Was she reliving her past? Better yet, how did he get into her head? Questions threatened to boil over, but he kept himself in check. Whatever had to run its course would. He was just here for the ride, and to help his comrade through her trial. As he stood beside her, he heard a familiar voice, accompanied by a dark presence assaulting his mind. It was excruciatingly painful, but he'd been through worse; mentally as well as physically. The voice that came next told Gherron exactly who it was, and so he wasn't too surprised when the man stepped forth. "So I guess I can call you am enemy once more, huh?" His steely grey eyes hardened on the sight. When he'd last saw the zabrak, he was right not to trust that he'd turned his back on the Sith. Likely just a ploy. "Hmph. Ferus. More like Fetus. Like what you're gonna be when I'm finished with you." The insult was elementary, but it helped Gherron stay rooted in the moment. The zabrak needed to go down. And he needed to go down as soon as possible. However, it was still Sera's dream. Looking to her, he waited for her to make a move. He would back her up, no matter what she did.

[member="Darth Ferus"] [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Forcing her way into the home she looked around the vicinity like a tiger searching for prey. Her eyes were crystallized geysers, forming what would be a magnificent eruption should she discover any harm had befallen her family. She snarled in contempt as she observed the scene, her sabers aching for revenge towards the perpetrator. The voice, that voice. It was all too familiar. She knew the vile force at work could only be that of [member="Darth Ferus"], the Sith vermin she met back on Onderon. The one who had nearly killed her. It would be time for retribution.

Her psyche tugged at her, begging for her to listen to sanity, that this was not real. That this was nothing more than a dream. But it felt real. What more could there be to it? The feeling was there. The sense of urgency. The angst building from the fear of the unknown. [member="Gherron Vael"] was here. Surely she wouldn't be dreaming of him. Why would she? If it were her dream, she would simply defeat the Sith and wake up. No, this had to be real. And her family would not be taken from her today.

The screaming and trail of evidence lead her closer and closer to the destination. And upon reaching her endpoint, a frantic shriek would force its' way from her very core. Her eyes locked on to that of her family. A single, rage induced force push would be unleashed from the Jedi Knight's hands in an attempt to shove the Sith Lord away from her mother and father so that she could check on them, to wake them from whatever unconscious state they might be in. Though in her heart she knew they were dead. The overwhelming sense of grief would grab hold of her heart, nearly pulling it straight out of her chest. Though slowly, that grief would change, it would fester into the desire for vengeance. The only true justice a Sith deserved. Swift, merciless, justice.

Her ears heard the mocking in Krest's voice, though it was drowned out by the sheer anger she had for him. Raising her sabers up into her combat stance, the tears dried away as she prepared to once again battle this darkness. She turned back to Gherron, seeing that he was still with her and ready. Nodding to the fellow knight she gripped her weapons. "We can take him together."

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Fetus?" A rather bored expression would form on the Darth's face as [member="Gherron Vael"] tossed out his insult. [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] couldn't of ended up picking a worse partner to be the light in this dark dream. This was followed of course, by the rageful push causing him to slide backwards from the pair. His dull eyes would shift to the pink girl as he himself reached down to one of his sabers, pulling free the pale blue blade. "Neither of you will win, simply because you have no conviction to the causes you preach. Neither of you are Jedi, and are instead hypocrites. This world is -your- dream, Seraphina. This is what you imagine will happen." Pointing the blue blade at the pair, his golden eyes would be filled with anger.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Standing from the corpses of her fallen family she turned toward the Sith. An unbearable grief consuming her youthful face as tears welled in her eyes, staring him down. A cold, darkened tone would come from her words, sharp as a sword. "You're a karking animal. One that should be put down for your senseless crimes. You will yield today, Sith. You will fall." Without a second thought she charged the Sith with a hate-filled rage. Summoning her sabers to her hands and igniting them in a fluid, singular moment without waiting for [member="Gherron Vael"] to respond or react.

The glimmering hue of the purple and green blades would erupt from their durasteel hilts as they arched downwards with a passionate hatred that was palpable. "You WILL pay for your crimes today, schutta!" Closing the distance, she slashed her left handed saber horizontally inwards across his midsection while the right handed blade arched downwards towards her opponents left shoulder. A screaming anger filling her lungs as the words poured from her mouth. "Your kind have no place in this galaxy! You are vile, vicious animals! You kill for sport and oppress for power! Stand down and surrender!"

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

The red man would seem to move with [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] , slipping his way back as she closed the distance. His feet were constantly on the move as she let out her insults, and they would only bring about a grin on the red mans face. She was so vivid with anger, anger that he had not seen in a very long time. As her attacks came across he would dance about her blades, sliding back just enough to let the blades pass by his flesh before slipping back in on her open left side. She was foolish to let both her sabers stay so close. His robotic limb would shoot out to her left hand, aiming to simply grab a hold of one of her weapons as his right flesh hand holding his saber would come around, thrusting for her presumably open left flank.

"You are no better than the Sith you hate so much. You are nothing but a hypocrite, unworthy of being called Jedi. When you pick sides, you should keep true to their convictions. You have done no such thing, and instead spit on any of those who have been your master."

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera remembered. Remembered that encounter on Onderon. The last time he had managed to get her in his grasp. She remembered his cortosis armor. Not this time, Red.

As his hand shot out to grab hold of her own left hand she would twist her arm and dip her hand down, deactivating her lightsaber so that he would be unable to grab hold of the blade or deactivate it. With his own blade approaching quickly she reversed the hilt in her hand and reactivated the saber, halting his from colliding with her body. A surge of energy coursed through her, releasing from her hand in the form of a powerful Force Blast, intending to stumble the Zabrak back and surprise him. Without skipping a beat she lunged forward and positioned her sabers in a crossing fashion toward his midsection, however as she did so her fingers would tap the activators on her saber, ensuring that if he were to try and block with his hands there would be nothing there to halt, choosing only to activate the sabers as they were only inches from his abdomen.

"You know nothing of the Jedi, Schutta. You are Sith. The evil of the galaxy which must be purged. I will see to your defeat and you will yield!"

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

The blast would catch the red man off guard. While he didn't expect [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] to fall for the same Cortosis trick, he had expected her to simply be surprised at how close he was willing to get. The blast itself would knock him off his feet, as if to cause him to land on his back. But it would take more than a simple force trick to finish him. A light push towards the ground would cause the Darth to turn his fall into a flip, letting him once more land on his feet in a semi crouched position. With both arms to his sides, he would see the female right in front of him. So she had continued to press the attack. A grimace formed on his face as he was sure he was about to be pushed into defense.

Until he saw her sabers off. Trakata, the style of turning ones saber on and off to pass through guards or set the opponent off balance. It was rare he saw someone use this, as it was incredibly dangerous. Leaving yourself open was not something one should do. Bringing back his saber, he would feint a block to an attack yet to be struck, aiming to lure her in closer. As her sabers would just begin to come to life, raw hatred and anger would suddenly emanate from his form. A blast of blue would suddenly fire forth from his saber hand, arching through the air to blast into her form. Force Lightning was not his best ability, but he knew it well enough to zap one with an active saber, and a grin formed over his face.

She had left herself defenseless at the wrong time.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

With the Zabrak on the defensive she smiled. It was about time he knew what that was like. Their previous engagement found her constantly warding off his attacks, with little success involved. This time the table was turned in her favor, and she intended to exploit that to the end. Nothing he said or did mattered. He would pay for the murder of her family. One way or another he was not leaving here a free man. As she drew her sabers with her attack and activated them, she noted the momentary look of feigned fear followed by a hateful rage, which fueled the barrage of lightning towards her body.

Sera had felt that pain back on Manaan. Not from the Force specifically, but from the large electrical generator that had exploded. She was anything but interested in reliving that agonizing pain. The girl turned her hand, sacrificing the attack. [member="Darth Ferus"] would watch as his lightning screamed towards her body while her hand seemingly halted and deflected the energy away from her body. The more focused and powerful form of Force Barrier would be employed. Rather than surrounding herself in a spherical bubble to repel attacks at all sides, Force Deflection would gather energy within her hand to deflect the onslaught of lightning away from her body. While she wasn't a master of the skill, she was able to send the lightning off in sporadic direction away from her body.

"The Dark Side is inferior. That is why your Order has always lost in the end. The light will prevail against all else." Sera returned her sabers to face the Zabrak, half expecting him to surrender, the other half expecting another cunning ruse. He was indeed a master of deceiving opponents, but she had grown much since their last encounter, and would not make those same mistakes again.

 

[Darth Ferus]

"The dark side is inferior? And yet you stand there, shouting these hypocritical statements. All the while Using The Darkside Yourself!" Gradually his voice would raise as he finished his sentence. The anger from before would grow in a split second, and similar to their last encounter his skin itself would slowly begin to turn black. Every second talking to her fueled his rage. Without [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] even realizing it, she was giving him more and more power. The lightning would cut off as a hollow roar escaped the red mans throat.

Here in this dream world this fake Ferus was not as adaptive as the real. It was limited to the small amount of consciousness the real man had gave it. And rather than make it as smart as possible, Ferus gave it a rage that he himself couldn't use without death. The entire form of this dream Ferus would become cloaked in the black veil that was the darkside, yet it flickered back and forth like a flame. Heat would emanate from the form, giving the very real fact that the now black man was actually on fire. The saber in his hand would fade, as if it was never there to begin with, and the man beast would suddenly charge forward. On all fours the man went, like a beast itself. Leaping through the air, fire coated fists would aim for her form, fearless of the sabers she may be holding.

There was no more chatter from him as he went into this primal rage. Everything became instinct, the thrill of the hunt. He was now the monster she assumed all Sith were, a hate filled vessel of pain and destruction. The faint glimmer of barriers formed around his limbs as he launched his fists for her chest, as a protection method. A deflection for her to have to deal with.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"The light is my only ally you demented sadistic lunatic! And it is the light you will fall to once again Sith!"

For a moment it seemed as if the two would begin engaging in a screaming match. Of course, that was before he started to turn into some hulking, monstrous, man-beast. The Twi'lek watched as [member="Darth Ferus"] turned into... Something sinister. Something of pure evil. Flames of hatred quite actually burning atop his body. The taint of the dark side was a curse, an abhorrent tormentor. She would put an end to this yet.

As he charged towards her she released a deafening scream, throwing her hands down towards the ground as she drew in a wealth of Force energy so focused and controlled that she hadn't to this point thought capable. Releasing it just as he closed the distance into a shattering Force Wave that rippled through the air with the force of a hurricane. Nothing around her mattered, only the defeat of the Sith and justice for her family. The windows and doorways to the home would blow apart, shaking the structure at its' core.

 

[Darth Ferus]

The form of the beast seemed to settle midair as the wave came towards it. The scream seemed to do little to the primitive minded Sith Lord, but it was the blast that would affect him. As the rest of the room seemed to be blown apart he remained in midair. Glowing yellow eyes fixated on [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] as the black flame around it's form billowed in the air. It was as if it had paused itself.

But a closer inspection would show black tendrils of the force gripping everything around it. Like a spider it held itself in place, it's unblinking eyes never once wavering from her form. She was it's prey after all. Even as the blast went on however, it's head would slowly tilt to the side, and it's hollow mouth would open wide, fire dripping from it's lips like fangs. It's own Force Scream rang out, pure and primal. The floor, ceiling, what ever the female hadn't destroyed began to blow away, raw dark side energies fueling it's decomposing form. Tearing itself free from it's own web, it would charge forth through the storm itself, it's body clawing across the destroyed floor. While slow, it was still coming for her.

It's head would suddenly twist upside down as it's mouth opened once more to let loose a primal scream, only this time a word would come forth.


K̴̡̥̯͗̐ͬ̅͗͑͗̕I̲̗̥̤̰̋͛͋̃ͥ̚L̴̨̧̺͎̅̂̈́̓̓͆ͫL̳͎̣̞̦̫̻̠͗̽̀̚̚


Filled with raw energy, once more it would go to destroy the surroundings. A figment of a dream, it's powers stemmed from the normal into being able to control the fabric of her mind itself. So long as she was in this nightmare and she refused to accept it as such, it would have the power. Such was the nature of this dream.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The Twi'lek looked on as the beast managed to withstand the power from the wave of Force energy, suspended above her in the air.. And as it came loose from its position and once again came charging towards her, its' defiled maw calling out to her, Sera felt a cringe in her back. She'd seen the work of the Sith on Prakith and Kashyyyk. Their deformed monsters and experiments that roamed freely as if they were some kind of pets to be glorified with their destructive, killer nature. Was this Sith Lord somehow forming an illusion? Or was he now capable of some kind of alchemical transformation?

She extended a single hand towards the beast as it approached. One of her last telekinetic abilities she could call forth would be to contain the beast in its' place. She wasn't certain to what extent she could exert this control over him, if any, but she would try regardless. There was nothing to lose. She was going to defeat this evil no matter the cost. Releasing another wealth of energy from within her she would attempt to utilize the Force to Grip the Sith Beast, restricting its' movement entirely and halting its advance. With her free hand she would whip her arm from behind her, activating her lightsaber as she threw it in a boomeranged motion towards the hopefully restrained [member="Darth Ferus"].

 

[Darth Ferus]

Once more the beast was halted. Gripped by [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] , it was held in mid air. But it did not flail, did not panic. Its eyes stayed put, ever gazing at her form. It's yellow eyes would turn red however, the glowing orbs seeming to shrink as the saber got close. Without warning, another scream would emanate from it's form, this time concentrated. The blast would go to knock the saber off course, and into whats left of a nearby wall.

But it wasn't done. While it's body was pinned, it's arms were not. Reaching outwards, it would seem to be hopelessly clawing at her form. But it's limbs stretched outwards, going to grasp a hold of her shoulders in a mere second. This nightmare beast was beginning to deny normal logic, and her grip would suddenly shatter as it's form followed it's arms, landing practically on her chest as it's massive burning jaw went to bit onto her head. If she could not stop it, the beast would suddenly fade, and she would find herself within a white room.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The darkness was ever approaching. Her body was growing tired. Her arms ached with exhaustion. Her mind felt expended. The sheer amount of strength exerted and required by the constant draw on her telekinetic ability was daunting. With the falter of her grip on the beast it was free, though not before she noticed it seemingly breaching the laws of physics. Its' body molting and stretching to the beasts desire. Her secondary saber made its way toward the mark and was knocked away and well out of reach as if nothing more than a pest to the monster. The last thing she remembered was the beast freeing itself from her bindings, and grasping its clawed limbs on to her shoulders, digging in tightly as the darkness overwhelmed her consciousness and she slipped into nothingness.

An unknown length of time would have passed to her before a gasp of frantic air filled her lungs, forcing her eyes open and jerking her body upwards in a panic. Where had she gone? What happened? Was she dead?

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Nope, not dead. Dreaming, still. I mean, you were before." Ferus sat beside her, legs crossed. He was still eye level with [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] , possibly do to the fact that he was levitating. Any sort of darkside aura or mark was gone, at least for the moment. "Now, before you try to attack me, I think it would be best if we chatted. Here, we won't really be able to fight, as none of this is real. This conversation though? Very much so. Now, sit." The Red Assassin waved a hand in front of him, nodding once to her. He really did seem to be lacking hostility though.