First Reply Flowers of Dantooine

[Regulus Nacht]

There was no reason to panic as Braze activated his second blade; the sharp, violet hum of the light-sai introduced an unexpected challenge. However, her experience battling Jar'kai users within the Sith Order gave her the knowledge to understand what he was doing. He maneuvered the shorter weapon to probe for openings at her wrists and the gaps in her armor.

She had no choice but to retreat, each time the violet blade lunged toward her centerline, Mythem stepped back, her boots echoing sharply against the stone. She intercepted his primary blade with quick, jarring parries, breaking contact immediately to deny him any advantageous position. This strategy relied on his speed working against him, banking on the hope that his smaller frame would tire before her own endurance faltered.

With a light chuckle, Mythem teased, "Oh, does the little man need two blades to take me on?" Her voice dripped with confidence as she spoke. Meanwhile, Braze capitalized on his speed, his dual blades creating a dazzling web of light around her. He moved like a blur, his jade eyes and humming plasma forcing Mythem to constantly adjust her defenses.

Yet, each time he lunged, she responded with a firm counter, whether it was a shoulder check, a precise parry, or a sudden kick aimed at his lead shin. She remained steadfast, patiently waiting for the right moment to strike as the current began to falter.

Then, the opening appeared.

With a fierce growl, her hand reached out with the force, causing the ancient, splintered floorboards of the corridor to buckle and splinter. Three massive slabs of stone and wood broke free from their moorings, hurtling toward Braze with the relentless force of a landslide.

 

[Braze]

Tags: Regulus Nacht ​

Braze had made his intent plain, as far as tactics were concerned. Speed, angle, and intrusion; he had crowded the heavier armored woman where her protection would weigh most dearly, and turned the exchange close and fast, having raised the stakes again by bringing the smaller blade to life beneath the reach of his first.

She hadn't answered him by contesting that intimate line for long.

Through Force Sight, he felt the corridor convulse before the wreckage fully rose. Her will bent toward the space he had stolen as old stone strained, and timber shrieked with the sudden, violent shudder as the floor between them came apart in an aggressive upward surge.

If she could not comfortably live with him inside her guard, then she would tear the ground out from beneath that advantage and buy the room back by force. Whether wise or not, with him nearly on top of her own position, Braze did not linger to judge it nor question it as he was forcibly removed from her intimate inner guard.

His longer blade arched high to guard while the light-sai stayed low and close, his smaller frame twisting sharply as he tried to knife through the narrow seam before the corridor fully burst apart. For but a fleeting moment, it almost seemed possible…

Then the rising wreckage caught him hard as a broken section of the floor volleyed upward into his lead side and slammed hard across his hip and thigh; not enough to stop him outright, but more than enough to rip the line out from under him. Pain flashed hot through his small form, knocking him away as his footing skittered sideways, his body pitched off the angle he had desperately wanted, and splintered debris hissed past in a rain of dust and shattered wood.

He gave ground as the position itself had become untenable. Boots scraped hard against stone as he withdrew a few sharp steps, padding away as his shoulders drew inward. Some of the grace left his next step; the ache in his hip burned bright enough to remind him that clinging too long to a winning angle could still be made costly.

Dust rolled through the hall in pale sheets, filling the space between them and obfuscating her towering silhouette through a thick cloud bathed in a rusty sunset glow. Braze settled lightly on the balls of his feet despite the building pain, weight adjusting gingerly with care, the shorter blade held nearer his middle while the longer weapon traced a guarded line before him. His jade gaze never left her form as he leveled the chalcedony rapier toward her in a pointed guard, panting heavily.

She knew what that distance had become: unbearable, perhaps, or near enough. This was her attempt to reset the spacing on the most violent terms available, to make the corridor itself deny him what her armor could not easily protect.

The pain along his side gave way to a spreading warmth, wet and wrong against his skin. He faltered a half-step and looked down. Crimson spilled from the wound, trailing heavily down his leg before collecting at his foot in a dark pool.

A half crooked grin touched his mouth despite the pain, teeth set a grit behind it. "And yet one 'little' man appears to be more than you can safely handle."

 

[Regulus Nacht]

Mythem stood still as the dust settled around her and Braze . The remnants of the corridor lay in ruins, the dull thud of falling debris still resonating faintly in the air, while the metallic tang of blood mingled with the dry, crushed stone. Even through the haze, she could detect the scent of his injury, a reminder that even the Echani were not invulnerable, or perhaps this one was simply a lesser example of their kind.

"Oh please," she quipped back, her voice adopting a mocking sweetness, "If safety was my concern, you wouldn't be bleeding all over the floor now would you. Echani-boy." Without waiting for a response, she strode down the corridor, stepping over the shattered wood and broken stone. Her tall figure moved confidently, the orange blade of her weapon glowing steadily at her side.

She wouldn't give him time to refute her remark, advancing down the corridor over splintered wood and fractured stone. Her towering frame moved through the midst, orange blade glowing in a loose but steady guard at her side.

Mythem pressed the advantage without mercy, refusing to let the distance he'd clawed back become comfortable again.

She propelled her free hand forward, causing the air to grow dense as she unleashed a focused wave of telekinetic energy, targeting the shattered floor beneath him rather than him directly. In that instant, she closed the distance with astonishing speed, her orange saber sweeping in a broad, horizontal arc, poised to slice through him at the waist if he failed to retreat.

 

[Braze]

Tags: Regulus Nacht ​

Braze was driven lower than his natural diminutive height as the shattered floor threatened to give way beneath him, forcing him down to one knee. One hand clamped over the wound at his side before dropping to the broken stone for balance, his smaller frame drawn inward beneath the pressure of her advance. He fought to keep what distance he could, though precious little of it remained.

When that hand rose again, it was slick with crimson red against pale skin, as he snapped it outward in a sharp, graceless motion, flinging a narrow arc of blood toward her eyes in the hope of buying only the barest instant in the inelegant attempt.

Quickly he moved with a sudden burst of Force beneath him, hurling him into a retreating jump as her orange blade carved through the space he had been trying to abandon. He twisted through the motion and rolled out through an open alcove, retreating into the warmth of the sun and the wider ground beyond. Better there than here… where the corridor narrowed choice, and every ruined stone she shattered was one more wound laid upon a place he still meant to save.

"Too slow~ You'll have to be much faster than that if you want to do me in, darling." he sang back, burying the pain beneath the Force and pitching his voice up into something especially sweet, shrill, and irritating on purpose.

 

[Regulus Nacht]

Irritation settled across her face as she realized that Braze had once again managed to outsmart her. A slow trickle of something warm slid down her cheek, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught the glimpse of crimson, though quickly confirmed it wasn't her own by checking for any wounds on her person the moment he dashed out of the temple corridor into a nearby alcove.

With a single black-gloved finger, she wiped the blood from her cheek, her eyes narrowing in contempt at the thought of the Echani daring to taint her with his vile essence. The pain coursing through him from her unyielding assault was evident, yet he maintained a mocking posture, a defiant smirk playing on his lips.

This only served to feed the flames of her anger, even as it clouded her judgement, blinding her to the strategic advantage she once held. The tension in the air crackled, a volatile mix of anger and pain, as she struggled to keep her focus amidst the chaos of their confrontation.

Mythem glared at the person standing before her, a smirk playing on her lips as she remarked, "It's clear why the Jedi Order chose to exile you here, little man. Your voice is like nails on a chalkboard." With a firm grip on her lightsaber's hilt, she steadied herself, feeling the surge of energy coursing through her as the vibrant orange blade sliced through the rubble and debris in pursuit of her target.

Her attack was chaotic, lacking any discernible pattern, yet it was fueled by a singular determination to bring him down to the ground where he truly belonged. Each swing of her weapon was a testament to her relentless drive to assert her dominance in this confrontation.

 

[Braze]

Tags: Regulus Nacht ​

"Oh, so you've heard of me then~?" he chirped in that same sickeningly sweet, sing-song sort of tone. He was surprised she knew he was in a manner exiled.

Braze eased farther from the interior, giving ground toward a large tree as her blade tore through more of the old architecture behind him. Stone split and fragments broke loose under her relentless forwards assault. Dust rolled through the alcove in choking sheets, and with every formidable yet reckless cut she drove after him it became clear the structure had taken more than enough abuse to turn treacherous.

His attention caught on a weakened column just as another violent stroke sent strain shuddering through the stonework. He did not waste the opening, as with only a small, gentle nudge through the Force, he pressed that compromised section forward, aiming to turn the ruin she had carved into a hazard of her own making. The attempt was guided enough not to end her outright, but to break her pursuit, and maker her feel crowed with her footing, and force her to contend with the collapsing alcove as she chased him out toward the open air.

 

[Regulus Nacht]

Mythem's gloved hand, slick with the remnants of blood, gripped the hilt of her lightsaber with a determination, her focus unwavering despite the taunting voice of Braze echoing in her mind. Each mocking sentence seemed to fuel the roaring fire within herself that compelled her forward despite knowing the risk.

"Its easy to recognize trash from the cream of the crop." She snarked back, movements never slowing as the orange blade continued cutting through the swirling dust and debris, leaving behind overlapping arcs of deep scars across the walls, armored boots could be heard crunching the rubble beneath her feet as she pressed forward without a moment's hesitation.

Such overconfidence would prove to be her downfall, as a nearby column began to weaken, leaving her momentarily stunned. With a deafening roar, the massive pillar trembled, cracked, and collapsed inward, bringing down a significant portion of the alcove's ceiling along with sections of ancient stone.

Debris crashed against her shoulder pauldron with a punishing impact, throwing her off balance as fragments of stone and wood cascaded around her. A sharp edge struck her head, momentarily blurring her vision, while another piece slammed into her armored side, forcing the air from her lungs.

 

[Braze]

Tags: Regulus Nacht ​

nce the collapse settled, Braze edged a little closer to check on her… cautious in every step. He kept his distance, unwilling to get shish-kebabed by some jagged bit of metal the woman might still hurl his way if she had enough spite left in her. Pain still lingered through him, sharp enough to make him pause, and he drew in a slow breath as he turned his attention inward for a moment, trying to mend what he could before risking the rest.

Only then did he inch nearer, his gaze fixed on the rubble, searching for movement… for the rise and fall of breath, for some sign she had made it through. He did not want to walk into another attack, but neither did he truly want to find a corpse buried beneath the wreckage.

"Hey, lady… are you still conscious?"

 

[Regulus Nacht]

As Braze neared the rubble mound, there was a notable lack of movement from the Sith Knight who was likely ensnared within the wreckage. Despite any visible injuries the Sith may have sustained, the dark side of the Force thrived on anguish and despair, using such suffering to empower its chosen champions.

With a swift and deliberate motion, the orange-hued, curved blade cleaved through the main stone pillar as if it were mere butter, effortlessly slicing through the ancient rock to carve a clear path for Mythem to haul herself up. Blood trickled down her forehead, mingling with the jagged edges of her armor, which was now embedded with fragments of stone from the surrounding debris.

One of her eyes was nearly sealed shut, overwhelmed by the crimson flow that cascaded from above. Despite the chaos, she exhibited no signs of fear or agitation; instead, a profound sense of disappointment washed over her.

It was a stark realization that her training had fallen short, leaving her vulnerable in a moment that demanded the insight of a seasoned warrior. Unlike a Sith Lord, who might have discerned the subtle cues in the Echani's movements, she felt the weight of her limitations settle.

"Oh...you'll pay for that. Oh how you'll pay.." A sinister smile spread across Mythem's face, her lips curling with a malevolent delight as she tightened her grip on the lightsaber, its blade humming ominously in the light of the alcove. She reveled in the thought of retribution, her eyes glinting with determination that promised pain for those who had wronged her.

 

[Braze]

Tags: Regulus Nacht ​

"Oh good… you're still alive; Now go to sleep. " Braze called softly.

He raised one hand, and the wind answered. It gathered around her in a tightening vortex as the air was drawn away in thin, spiraling wisps. Air was siphoned away in spiraling streams, only to be fed into the ring of azure fire he kindled around her, the flames rising high, rearing into towering walls of blazing blue, hemming her in as he sought to rob her of breath and strength alike.

Braze sought to rob her body of its strength before it could be turned against him yet again. Starved of oxygen, even the strongest frame would surely begin to fail; thought would blur, limbs would grow heavy, and consciousness itself would start to slip. If he could render her unconscious, then at the very least he could drag her from the premises.

 

[Regulus Nacht]

The azure flames roared, casting a fierce glow in Mythem's golden eye, while the searing heat threatened to drain the very air she needed to breathe. A wave of dizziness washed over her, tempting her to surrender to Braze , aware that Jedi typically refrained from striking down their foes when a peaceful resolution was possible.

Yet, the oppressive allure of the Dark Side surged within her to provide temporary relief, compelling her to embrace its power rather than resist. With a primal snarl that morphed into a harsh cough, Mythem reached out not with her hands, but through a desperate surge of the Force.

She did not aim at the fire or the Jedi; instead, she commanded the shattered remnants of the alcove, the fine dust, splintered wood, and sharp crystalline shards that had just assaulted her. The dust thickened into a suffocating, murky cloud, transforming the blue flames into a dazzling, erratic strobe light.

Mythem manipulated the grit, directing it toward Braze's eyes and his exposed wounds, aiming to disrupt his focus and heighten his discomfort. Amidst the chaotic swirl of gray and blue, she surged forward, not with a slash of her saber, but with a focused telekinetic force aimed at the ground between them.

The ground erupted, forming a barrier that separated them. This separation allowed her the chance to step away from the alcove, drawing on the dwindling strength of her battered body. It was time to make a strategic withdrawal from the temple on Dantooine.

 

[Braze]

Tags: Regulus Nacht ​

Braze watched in awe as she found a rather inventive path out of his ring of fire, and he made sure to take a mental note of the impressive feat. A manic sort of smile spread across his mouth. The act was striking enough that he paused, drawing up both hands with open palms and firmly, yet slowly clapped one across the other in a sharp adulation of approval. Perhaps it might have come across as arrogant, belittling even, however the gesture was offered with genuine commendation. Before he could put words to just how impressed he truly was, she followed it with a direct attack.

He sought cover raising his forearm over his eyes from the worst of her barrage, moving away from the immediate area, seeking shelter beyond a low garden wall. The blazing wall of fire smoldered down in his retreating wake. Though they were both injured, and likely bleeding he made no further attempts to pursue her.

 

[Regulus Nacht]

Mythem staggered back from the barrier of upturned earth and stone, her vision swimming with black spots. The ground felt treacherous beneath her boots, cracked flagstones slick with blood and grit. There was no strength left within her to run, so she was forced to stumbling her away out of the alcove into the debris lined corridor that now filled the once pristine entrance to the temple complex.

Her remaining good eye flicked back to check if Braze was following, but there was only silence. As she turned away, her boot caught on a jutting spar, sending her crashing forward into a pillar. The collision knocked the breath from her lungs, forcing a wet cough that left blood on her lips.

She spat a curse and pushed herself to her feet, the taste of dust lingering on her tongue. The Dark Side pulsed through her, a bitter energy that propelled her forward despite her body's desperate pleas for rest. At the entrance of the grand doors, she stumbled again, her injured leg giving way. Mythem tumbled down the few steps, her palms and forehead scraping against the rough stone.

Lying there for a moment, she struggled to catch her breath, her eyes fixed on the fractured lintel where the once-vibrant blue Jedi seal had been, now marred by the fierce exchange of their earlier lightsaber battle. Pushing herself up, she felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing her masters would be pleased with her report on the Dantooine Temple.

She limped through the outer archway and into the tall grass, the night wind whipping her cloak like a worn banner. The temple lights flickered behind her, but she refused to glance back. Each labored step took her further from the light and deeper into the moonlit plains, where her shuttle lay concealed beneath a shroud. Finally, her boots found the ramp, and as the cool air rushed past her, the ramp sealed shut, marking her departure.

End Post