Darker Truths

[Carach]

[member="Darth Filiae"] [member="Jacob Crawford"] [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] [member="Darth Vesper"] [member="Ignis Imura"] [member="The Matador"] [member="Darius Sedaire"] [member="Helix Syndicate"] [member="Bo Lin"]

He could feel the stirring in the Force.

A shift where the Lightside grew more oppressive and attempted to push them all away. Back from where they had come from, away from their target and their goal here amidst the Black Library. But there was a reason these Inquisitors had been chosen to leave the conquered hangars and once more push into the depths of the Library, none of them were corrupted in the way the more powerful Lords of the Sith were of the Empire.

They were either not as immersed, still in training or... using other means to be of assistance in this endeavor.

"Curious." Vulgrim rumbled as Matador picked a path and his speed increased. Followed soon by Ignis. Which left the rest of them here... in the crossroads where Blackwell had to decide which route they would truly pick.

Or if they would trust the feeling of a mercenary.

"Both sides have merit- yet, we are small in numbers already. Splitting it up even more?" A brief shake of the head. "That will increase our chances of being crushed by caretakers such as these." A talon, sharp and long, briefly cut through the air and indicated towards the mechanical automatons in pieces around them. With the Dark Lord himself and Helix's assistance when it came to breaking through the initial layers of security?

They had a cushion for a... total party... wipe? Vulgrim was not entirely sure where that came from. It did not sound like any military jargon he had heard of.

"We move as one. That is the strength of the Empire."

When they finally found their way to Matador and Imura, the seemingly strange apparitions were still very much in force. But Vulgrim felt the stirring more here, as if something sentient was manipulating what they saw... felt, experienced.

"The Library tries to hide its face from us." The Maelibus declared after a moment of thought.

 

[Jacob Crawford]

With everyone's combined effort, the initial defenders were felled and know either littered the ground in parts or devoid of what powered them.

Jacob grumbled as he rolled his shoulder. Although it was more from the ever lingering presence of the Light, rather than any of the dull pain he was currently feeling. With a soft hiss, his lightsaber deactivated but kept the hilt in hand just incase they came across any more threats.

Which at this point was no doubt inevitable.

They carried on as one, moving further down the corridor and into a circular room. Three doors were presented to them, three options each with their own variables and an unknown at the end. It was a choice, one likely led the way to where the Nexus, while the others remained as distractions.

No doubt they'd find the right one by just travelling deeper in, with the overwhelming presence of the Light growing even stronger.

Jacob turned to look as Vulgrim spoke to the hologram of the Dark Lord. It was interrupted momentarily as the Matador marched ahead and chose a door to pass through. He said nothing about it, opting to remain with the group as a whole, and not favouring splitting up in a place like this. Although there was some merit to one of the other Sith; Vesper, on following either Matador or Imura. Whatever dangers or traps would likely be revealed by the more enthusiastic of their group.

He agreed on what was being said, merit to both options but an attempt to divide them further would be a mistake. So he ultimately agreed with Vulgrim's assessment, and followed along as the carried on and followed in the wake of Matador and Imura.

Although the comment about their being a puppet master got him thinking. Jacob stepped closer to one of the walls, placing his hand against it and stretching out his senses. He tried to find it; some type of mental connection that tied the automatons and defenders to their controller. But each movement made Jacob wince, feeling the Light trying to move against the action.

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Ignis Imura"] | [member="The Matador"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"] | [member="Bo Lin"] | [member="Darius Sedaire"]​

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

"Understood."

She Darth Filiae did not follow the ones that delved after the Matador for long, but waited until most of the group had passed. Her eyes set on the path not taken and she knew they were going the wrong way. She couldn't explain it, but she knew it. The Csen'ai always told her to be wary of such feelings, but trust them if they were strong.

Slipping quietly after the rest, she gripped [member="Jacob Crawford"] by the arm and pulled him a little closer while raising a finger to her mouth.

"Come, quietly."

Filiae looked at one of the others, a big and strong one and his plaything, almost as big and strong as Vulgrim she reckoned. They would do just fine. With a sideways nod of her head she beckoned them too.

"We take this path. I scout ahead, quick, quiet - You guys follow, stay close."

She looked into their eyes before heading quickly up the middle path. Her footsteps making little to no sound.

​

[member="The Matador"] [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] [member="Ignis Imura"] [member="Jacob Crawford"] [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] [member="Helix Syndicate"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darius Sedaire"]​

 

[Cedric Grayson]

(Sorry for taking so long. My dog passed away and I was having trouble finding the desire to write.)

They were aware of him.

Their words were lost to the Library's defender, but their presence here was far louder than any scream. The Library called to him in a primal need for help. Its desire carried over the intimate connection that it had forged with Darius, sending its would-be protector into something of a silent frenzy.

His emotions were calmed. His heart had been deadened. There was no great passion within Darius Sedaire, only quiet acceptance.

The signal sent from the Library's heart were well encrypted indeed. Attempts to discern the information they contained would be hampered by a few thousand years of outdated coding and archaic defensive walls that baffled most modern machines. The signal's intended target lay on the other side of the galaxy - it would need quite some time to send the message in full. Then came the arming of the explosives; a far simpler task, but one just as important.

The Sith fortunately did not know that, but he felt that they would soon.

Something malignant touched upon the library. The Light's touch recoiled at such a transgression, immediately severing its connection with the being that had sought to commune with it. The lightsaber grew heavy in Darius' hands.

The dueling chamber echoed with each of Darius' heavy footfalls. The Jedi Knight watched the chamber's secondary entrance - an entrance designed for his travels alone. The Sith had stumbled upon it, as it was one of the faster ways to the heart of the Library.

The Force had guided them. Even here, in this holy place, the Bogan's cancerous presence could still be felt.

A curse fell from Darius Sedaire's lips as he stepped into an elevator that led to the chamber's upper stands. Several meters above the ground floor, Darius perched himself in the chair that he had often watched padawans spar from months ago.

But the Library is empty now.

"Let them in, and then seal all the doors save for my exit." His cowl was drawn over his features. The path that blocked the Sith opened near instantly, revealing the circular coliseum-like room. From the opposite end, six holodroids armed with green lightsaber pikes strode out the doors. The sound of locks sealing behind them overpowered the silence of the room.

The droids, clad in simple cloaks in imitation of traditional Jedi garb, stood sentinel below Darius. The Jedi Knight regarded the intruders.

"Welcome to my home. You could have knocked before you started making a mess of things."

[member="Darth Filiae"], [member="Jacob Crawford"], [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], [member="Bo Lin"], [member="Darth Carnifex"], [member="Slayne"], [member="Ignis Imura"], [member="The Matador"], [member="Helix Syndicate"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Jacob Crawford"] [member="Darth Filiae"] [member="Ao Xian"]

From the depths of his body the simian rumbled.

Another human.

Two.

One blue, one pink, both squishy no matter how much metal the female added to her flesh. He cared little for her machinations, but something stopped him from ignoring her. There was more at stake here than his pride and Kazmai looked down upon Ao.

The Goddess was squinting at the retreating form of the blue metal warrior. "We go with, Radiant?" He rumbled further.

No words this time.

Just a soft tip of her head and then she moved graceful as ever. Molten gold gliding through the air and over the floor like water.

"Always humans." He mumbled to himself as he followed. Kazmai did not try to be silent, it would have been an exercise of futility. In truth Vulgrim had seemed more reasonable to follow. Larger than him, deadly and also... polite.

But the Goddess commanded, the Force tugged and Kazmai followed.

"Will this library pave the way for your ascension, Light of the Rising Sun?"

 

[Ao Xian]

[member="Jacob Crawford"] [member="Darth Filiae"] [member="Kazmai"]

The entire place itched.

She could feel it, crawling across her scales. Like fingernails trying to find a purchase and catching at every ridge just enough to pry the edge up by a millimeter before letting go again and letting them lie properly.

Ao hated it.

And yet.....

"Perhaps," she allowed as she moved beside Kazmai. Loyal, reliable, Kazmai. If there were a being she could trust beyond Kalak, it was him. So why was she so reluctant to explain further?

Because power pulsed. Hungry and writhing. She didn't know if what she sought would be found in these halls. Until she was certain she was hesitant to name it, to give it form.

She had very little to consider, regarding the humans. They were useful creatures she admitted. If she were honest? It was a combination of two factors. Their intense hunger- a trait she could at least respect even if the creatures themselves were deeply flawed.

And the incredible usefulness of thumbs.

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob coiled his mental reach back, the Light's presence was too overwhelming for any far reaching efforts. It was pointless to try and use the Force in anything but small amounts right now. The Light Nexus' was going to becoming increasingly suffocating the further in.

As he shook the cobwebs away, he felt a hand suddenly wrapped around his arm. Jacob snapped towards the source, then paused realising the Chiss was pulling him along.

There was a moment thought to resist, but he refrained upon seeing that they were going the opposite way the others had. The cyborg had a plan it seemed, at least Jacob assumed she had.

He nodded, following after her without question. Although his footsteps weren't as quiet, Jacob was still able to keep silent as he moved.

"Understood."

A hushed voice, eyes fixed on Filiae as the Chiss disappeared down the hallway. He kept up his pace, rather awkwardly trying to while remaining quiet as possible.

He spared a glance back towards Kazmai and Ao Xian. Jacob wondered if the simian was able to be stealthy...he doubted it though. And his smaller companion, well she unnerved him the most out of the two - and he wasn't quite sure why.

[member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Kazmai"] | [member="Ao Xian"]​

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

At this time, there were two things Darth Filiae had learned from her mother springing to mind. The first: How to move quietly and to disappear from memory without using the Force - It was difficult, but far from impossible to fool even the most hopped-up force user. And Filiae? Filiae was trained by the very best in the business. The second: Do not assume your comrades are as quiet as you - She trusted her own ability to go unseen in the next chambers, but not the others', and that was okay. In fact, her plan hinged on it.

She moved quietly along her chosen corridor, placing the balls of her feet down first to test the ground whenever she stepped, and keeping close to the walls while being aware of how the light reflected around her. She leaned more and more on memories from her training than guidance from the Force.

In a strange way, that shift of focus helped her forget about the constant, incessant itch of the light.

The corridor carried her up a set of stairs first, and she peeked over the edge of the staircase with a mirror before climbing it properly, always thinking a step ahead of where she went. When she found the staircase clear, she waited for the others to catch up.

She had an idea that perhaps they could circumvent opposition by taking this route and shut down the aura of the light.

[member="Jacob Crawford"] [member="Ao Xian"] [member="Kazmai"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Ao Xian"]

The investigations by the birb and his Inquisition had told them hints of what was playing here.

There was something inside the library, deep, further in its depths, that was causing this field of light. They had probed the edges all around and found that no matter from which direction they came, the intensity of its effect were roughly the same. It increased as well, the deeper they wandered. Even a beast such as Kazmai felt the effects on his mind and his fur and his bone and his paws and his eyes and his teeth. It was much the same as being bathed in pudding, he thought.

Pulling you back as you tried to move forward.

His anger was simmering, but that only seemed to increase the effects of the aura. "This place reeks of the light." Kaz rumbled softly, but his pawsteps were causing more sounds than his voice. There was nothing to be done about it.

His weight, his size, every step made the floor shudder ever so slightly.

They caught up with Filiae at a staircase. The Chiss was studying them intently- "I will go first now." The simian declared. It was not random, no. Because he felt something gathering up those stairs- they were getting closer to the center now. This was a matter of logistics and logic. These were all squishy beings - even his Goddess... fragile, oh so fragile, compared to his thick skin that could withstand so much more. It only made sense for him to go first.

Protect her.

Ensure her ascension.

The rest would sort itself out in the end. He moved past the Chiss and the other human, odd- that one. Jicab? His face was familiar even to him. All humans looked alike, but this one... it was as if he had seen this specific face on many others. Quite the mystery. Kaz started to ascend the stairs, each step a creak, each step a rumble, each step his fingers curling tighter around the grip of his power hammer. Until the Sith found himself in an open room.

In the middle?

Gold beast made out of metal.

Kazmai tilted his head.​

​

Sniffing softly.​

​

Then he smiled.​

​

This would be good.​

​

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

"By all means"

Of course she let him go first, she had not halted at this point because she was tired. She too could feel the light growing more intense, more dangerous. She stopped at that point and let the brute pass so she should not have to wait for him when faeces hit the fan. She did not fall back into the group this time, but followed just behind Kazmai. She used his bulk to make herself harder to spot when entering the room. She looked around his side, plucking the hilt of her sabre from the side of her hip.

She studied the gold beast for a second, looking at its joints and machinations. It was a thing of beauty. Shame she would have to put it down.

His logic and logistics was more or less sound, but it ignored some information that was probably not the most available to him: Filiae was raised an assassin, she did not need thick skin to take point. Now that the shield - Kazmai - was set, she flicked the switch hidden in the hem of her fitted clothes. Her form seemingly disappeared as the cloaking device activated, reducing her form to an oscillation on the air.

She took two steps back to give herself a running start as she jumped on the wall and pushed off from it, bypassing Kazmai and lauching herself into the open room. As her feet hit the floor, she threw herself into a roll to cover more ground and begin outflanking the clockwork machine.

Coming out of the roll, the Chiss skidded up to a knee stance, the sabre hilt held behind her. She activated the blade, making her stealth field generator flicker dangerously. The clockwork beast looked at her, but it was too late. Darth Filiae threw the sabre as the yellow blade ignited. It spun through the air and embedded itself in the clockwork beast's knee, bringing it off balance.

[member="Kazmai"] [member="Jacob Crawford"] [member="Ao Xian"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

His hand twitched when Kazmai spoke, soft as it was it still managed to rumble across the corridor they were walking down. Jacob could feel the anger coming from him, like a tidal wave that was being battered back by the Light Nexus - and the wave just got more angry each time.

Jacob didn't hesitate to step aside as the giant moved ahead of them, intending to take point from Filiae.

It made sense to him on the basic level. Kazmai was much bigger, and certainly looked like he could take a more direct hits than anyone else in their group. Although Jacob was sure his intentions were more to protect the smallest.

He followed after him, noting Filiae keeping herself close to the simian. He recognized what she was doing, and kept his eyes fixed on her as she disappeared via her cloaking device. Jacob held the gaze for a second, before he could no longer follow her. She had moved quick, enough that the other three had just got into the open room when Filiae made her appearance known - igniting her blade and causing the stealth generator to flicker.

A distraction.

The Chiss threw her lightsaber, embedding it into the machine's knee. And that seemed to be the moment it all kicked off.

Kazmai charged forwards, taking advantage of the enemy's off balance to send it crashing to the ground. That was when Jacob leaped into the fray, running towards them as he grabbed his lightsaber hilt. The machine was imobile right now, but its arms weren't. As he got close, Jacob noticed it swing its right arm to try and strike Kazmai.

Red blade ignited, Jacob lunged forwards. The golden arm went swinging towards the simian until Jacob's weapon pierced down through its elbow joint. He had taken the moment before to examine the machine, although with the lack of accuracy that Filiae's cybernetics gave her. Instead, Jacob acted on instinct, and struck at a common point of weakness that would damage some of its movement.

And it seemed to work, if the sound of gears grinding echoed through the room was any indication.

[member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Kazmai"] | [member="Ao Xian"]​

 

[Ao Xian]

Ao watched as the three moved, sapphire eyes narrow and consuming. The Xykan herself did not wade in. It could be argued that was because she thought it beneath her, especially when the others were so quick to move forward. But in truth it was because she would be little help indeed and she knew that at a glance. Teeth and claws against metal, while the Force itself felt like molasses around her? She would accomplish nothing beyond damage to herself and while Ao'Xian was many things, she was not a masochist and she had nothing to prove. She knew her worth and her pride was genuine enough that she had no trouble accepting times when there was nothing she could add.

Tipping her head to the side, she watched. Each of them moved differently. All had their own methods. Their own strengths and weaknesses. But together they became stronger than the sum of their parts.

This was the illustration of why Ao'Xian was loyal to the Empire. Because despite the pride and perfection she saw in herself, part of that was knowing what she lacked. There was no perfection without self awareness. And the Empire had that. Knew to embrace the skills of different people, to put them in positions to shine.

There was no singular Sith that could accomplish what the Sith banded together could.

She watched as Kazmai's hammer fell in what she could sense would be the final blow.

But without the others?

It never would have reached that point alone.

[member="Kazmai"] [member="Darth Filiae"] [member="Jacob Crawford"]

 

[Carach]

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

Head cocked.

The fire in his eyes burned brighter at the challenge given. Six on one. Head cocked just an inch more to stretch the muscles and let the tension break inside of it, the upper-front of his robes were cast aside to reveal gleaming obsidian carapace. Sharp talons, teeth sharper, stretching out to his full height and Vulgrim positively dominated the relatively little arena here.

"I have been made aware that Sith..." A frown there at the ridges before his eyes. "...do not knock."

A shrug followed.

"My apologies for what comes next, for what it's worth."

The force within him build and came upon a wall. The effects of the Nexus no doubt, it made him sick, but luckily... he was not a human. He had walked many years without the Force buffeting him... and would continue to do so. Vulgrim dashed as the sentinel droids came upon him, the dance had begun and there would only be destruction at the very end of it.

Death comes to us all.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Ao Xian"]

It was only the soft whine of the Force that stopped him from rushing in immediately and crushing the golden beast with his might.

Instead it whispered patience.

Kazmai growled softly, but obeyed the directives of his Goddess. Truly it could only be his wisdom guiding him along in this moment and Kaz would not ignore it when she chose to impart her guidance. The flicker of the lightsaber off the side spurred him on, mighty hammer tracing with him as he rushed into the battle. The automaton crashed the ground, its knees broken and molten by the 'saber.

His hammer was already coming down with all his might.

To shatter its head and put an end to this madness. He saw the fist of the beast - spiked and dangerous - incoming, but could do nothing about it. Not when momentum and weight had taken over his movement.

It was only through the actions of the second human that when his hammer connected with the beast, that he wasn't impaled at the same time. It shattered and the whine of the droid sounded through the room. "Human." Hammer once again on his shoulder, eyes looking down at the squishy one. "You move fast." One more pointed look and then it seemed that he had shared all the compliments and thanks that he was prepared to give in that moment.

Instead Kaz wandered back over to Ao, knelt softly and bowed his head to her.

"Your guidance led me, your blessing spurred me on. Thank you." A glance over to the Chiss. "What's next, assassin?"

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

As Kaz turned back to the foxy thing, Filiae jumped onto the back of the golden automaton and called her sabre back to her. She slashed the back of the beast open and plunged her metal hand into it.

"First, we have to remove the crystal in this, or else it will rise again."

She yanked out a crystal and inspected it.

"And now we move on, head where the light is the strongest. We shut this place down."

The Chiss put the crystal in a pouch with the rest and looked around. There were two ways out of there, looking identical. Her eyes closed as she reached out a hand and sensed where she would least like to go. Right.

"This way."

She moved quickly but quietly, checking the way before entering. it was a corridor, broken off wit side-room after side room until it ended on a spiral staircase. At the top of the staircase? She sensed pain, and she could see a light she did not want to put her eyes on.

"We are close."

[member="Kazmai"] [member="Ao Xian"] [member="Jacob Crawford"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob could almost feel the shift in the air as Kazmai brought his hammer down upon the machine. It was an imposing weapon, one Jacob was certain he never wanted to be on the receiving end of.

There was nothing to stop it was is smashed into the automaton's head, crushing the outer shell and it's inner components into the ground. It's left arm was still unimpeded, but it had barely gotten it off the ground before its head was caved in. The Inquisitor slowly pried his lightsaber free of the machine's arm, taking several steps back to size up the now immobile enemy. His gaze flickered over to Kazmai as the simian spoke, realizing he was talking to him.

He simply gave the giant a sharp nod. They certainly wouldn't have been able to take down the machine as easily if it weren't for Kazmai.

Jacob turned to Filiae as the Chiss spoke up, reminding everyone of a important fact about the Library's automatons. Although it did make the Sith wonder if the giant construct would even be able to function with its head essentially crushed. The crystal seemed to power them, but would it have even be able to move in its current state?

A question for another time, one he was keen on diving into once this was all over.

He pushed on, following behind Filiae as they moved forwards. The presence of the Light was getting overwhelming at this point, even before they had reached the spiral staircase. To Jacob it felt like he was trying to walk through a lake, the water reaching up to his waist. It was a similar feeling to when he was exploring someone's mind, that mental weight of trying to wade through unfamiliar territory.

And it was drawing on Jacob's anger.

The Sith pushed forwards, past Filiae and leading the way up the stairs. Jacob tightened his grip around his lightsaber, ready to ignite it at a moment's notice. They were about to be really close to their 'prize', and there was no doubt it was going to be heavily guarded.

He took cautious steps at the top of the staircase, eyes immediately searching for anything in the immediate area. But it was dark, unnaturally so. Whether that was because the lighting was poor, or if the Nexus was causing it. Jacob wasn't sure, but either way he couldn't see the source, but he sure as hell could feel it.

It was in that moment his senses flared with danger, managing to pierce to shroud forced over him. There was barely any further warning, just the sight of a red streak of plasma suddenly blasting across the darkness towards him. Jacob snapped his lightsaber on, bringing it up to deflect - but instead the impact sent him flying backwards and crashing into the opposite wall.

[member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Kazmai"] | [member="Ao Xian"]​

 

[Ao Xian]

Ao was not the epitome of patience. And yet even still, sometimes it was necessary.

She looked up at Kazmai, regarding him for a moment.

"You have earned them," she said finally, before following the others.

She watched with interest as the blue skinned one, the one he called assassin, so neatly disarmed the mechanical menace. Ao had never been one for technology- it seemed like simply a different flavor of magic to her, one that she struggled on occasion to understand but ultimately ended up shrugging and dismissing as something she would ever truly need to understand.

There were a dozen saved, unsent messages on her desk. She still had no idea why no one had ever responded to any of them.

Technology was inscrutable, yes.

The air got thicker as they moved. Not physically, but she could almost imagine a heavy fog weighing down, blunting their senses, their capacities, their connection to the Force itself. It became abundantly clear, very quickly, that it would not be four knights of the Sith that homed in on the center of this heaviness. But whatever other skills the four brought with them. Not Sith Knights. But simply Ao, Kazmai, Filiae and Jacob.

Simply?

Ao smiled.

There was nothing simple about any of them.

Each had something in them that they brought along with the Force. No true sons and daughters of the Sith could only rely on just that alone.

The light lancing out and striking Jacob was the only warning they had. Pressing against the walls, the hallways was filled with laser fire. Proximity triggered? Perhaps. Likely in fact. Perhaps there was a way to shut off those defenses, but no one here could know the secret of it. Slinking low to the ground, Ao peered into the room beyond.

A book, open on a pedastal. And the air full of the angry whine of blaster fire. With or without the Force, Ao did not think that Filiae could dodge the deluge of red- she was human shaped and walked upright. Jacob? Could possibly block it, but his shields were weakened by the proximity to that thing. Whatever exactly it was. Kazmai? His strength was pure of muscle and bone but that wouldn't allow him to power through.

That left her. And it was in that consideration that she realized it did not merely fall to her, but that it was the reason she was here at all.

Because the laser fire filled the air from ceiling.... to a half meter above the floor.

Just enough for a Xykan to slip through. If she was correct and it would not change once it detected her.

"You trusted me once. Can you do it again Kazmai?" She looked up at him, sapphire eyes intent.

"Your radiance has shown me the path many times before, Captured Light of Dying Sun. Show it to me once more, please."

She gave him a single nod. And then she moved.

Like water over stones. Like lightening arcing between clouds in a storm. Long and serpentine, she stayed close to the floor, red laser fire flashing above her, illuminating her scales. One sliced too close, singing her mane. Another took the tip off of a horn and she hissed but kept moving.

Of course, there was no way to reach the book itself in this fashion. She paused for a heartbeat. Breath came hard and fast, eyes closing for a moment in preparation.

And then she leaped.

Three shots slammed into her long, sinuous form, but she had enough power in the jump to land on the pedestal. With a whimper she slammed the book closed and slid back down to the floor.

Still.

[member="Kazmai"] [member="Darth Filiae"] [member="Jacob Crawford"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Ao Xian"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"]

The Will of the Goddess does not bend before the grievances of mortals.

Kazmai did not like it, but this was the truth that was the center of his life now. It was not his task to control or guide Ao dramatic pause Xian, no, she would always know better. Her design and her view long in the future, pushing and guiding them all along. Perhaps the simian would never truly see the full scope of her imagination. But even the barest of flicks would be enough for him. Even with all that... Kazmai had to stop himself from jumping into the battle himself.

Every muscle in his body was rigid, straining, every jump and every leap made by Ao...

He snarled when the turrets hit home hard and that was when Kazmai roared. The Force suddenly flowed back into him, the muck and mud rushing away in the tide of the Darkside as the source of the Lightside nexus was extinguished.

Turrets targeted him, all they hit was a mountain rushing through the storm, before leaping and crashing around Ao's limp form. There the huge hulking beast remained, calling upon the Darkside of the Force to strengthen himself. "Radiance?" Kaz murmured, almost gently, but no touch. Never touch. The turrets kept targeting him and the Knight of the Sith let it soak up. The Force kept him strong, kept the attention away from Ao. But it would be up to the two humans to destroy the rest of the turrets.

He cared not about them.

All that Kazmai cared about was Ao flick his eyelids went Xian.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

When Jacob was blasted into the wall, Filiae ignited her sabre and brought it up in defence. After batting away the first few bolts headed for her, ducking and weaving out of the way of a few more, she positioned herself between Jacob and the blasterfire. This was not her ideal position, but by the will of her and the cybernetic enhancement in her eye, she could maintain the defensive position for just long enough to-

What was that?

The slithery one, what was her name? Ao Xian? Filiae watched the foxlike creature dart ahead under the firestorm of red plasma. Filiae asked herself, could she make it? Bolts of red struck the shiftling knight, and for a moment Filiae thought not. The Chiss stepped forward, pressing against the torrent of plasma, hoping to push far enough to aid. Instead, she was pushed right back, almost stepping on the human.

"Ravri'ihah"

She had looked away from Ao a moment, a second perhaps, and then the Chiss heard the thud of a book closing. She looked to the book's direction, and saw the giant Kazmai lauching himself in the way of the plasma and protecting Ao. Something had shifted, she felt the oppression of the light beginning to give way. Her anger, her hate, it did not itch like a flea-infested rug - Though the light was still strong in this place. They were not debilitated by it any more.

She saw the giant battered by turrets, she herself was still kept at bay by the same fire, but less now. She would prefer not to lose the muscle of their operation here and now. A grin spread over Filiae's lips as she quickly delved into the pits of mechu deru faster than she ever had. Her right hand batted away a last bolt before she clenched her left, and the turrets stopped.

"ros csei s" The turrets turned sharply, one pointing to the other. "Eat plasma, Jedi scutta." One by one, the turrets blasted each other in succession.

[member="Ao Xian"] [member="Kazmai"] [member="Jacob Crawford"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Rage boiled from within Jacob, battling against the Light that was attempting to smother it. Each and every attempt to bring it out resulted in a searing pain across his senses. He was too close to the Nexus to even amuse the idea of trying to use the Force.

Slowly he stood up, placing his hands against the ground in order to push himself up. Jacob hissed, feeling his right wrist ache with pain. He had used both hands to try and deflect the turret, but the concussive hit had struck that particular spot.

His back had also taken the brunt of the impact, slamming into the wall. But Jacob wasn't one to let something like that keep him down, winded maybe but he wasn't immobile.

Thankfully Filiae had intercepted the turrets, stopping them from attacking him further. It gave Jacob the time to move forwards, only to pause when he saw an orange blur suddenly run across the ground. For a moment he wondered what Ao Xian was doing, until he realized she was using her small size to avoid the turrets completely.

She was going for the book, and Jacob knew it wasn't going to end well. The turrets reacted to movement, even if their focus was on the Chiss, they'd change their target the moment they spotted someone moving towards the Nexus.

The blasts hit her, and Kazmai roared.

It coincided with the book's closure, cutting off the Lights' smothering presence, allowing for the dam to finally collapse. Jacob unleashed his fury, its presence spreading out like a plague across the room. With Kazmai essentially distracting the turrets, the Sith pushed forwards. Power hummed through his body, no longer deterred by the Nexus. It burned along his arms, down towards his fingers were it crackled to life and he blasted the nearest turret with lightning.

"Eat plasma, Jedi scutta."

Filiae handily took care of the rest, twisting and manipulating them through Mechu Deru and turning them on one another. Small explosions filled the air as each was destroyed, one after another until there was only silence.

Jacob cautiously walked forwards, gaze moving from the hulking figure of Kazmai to the small one as he approached and crouched down. He noted the former's lack of contact, and as such Jacob kept to a respectful distance.

[member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Kazmai"] | [member="Ao Xian"]​