Here and there...

[Mantic Dorn]

The walls and corridors were filling up with the extremely large computers that the grand republic archive held in its possession.
Mantic strolled down the hallways as if walking through narrow allies in a large city.

He stopped and closed his eyes. A sign of a jedi at peace.

"For the love of.... crying out loud..!" he cursed under his breath. Having faced wars, famine, sith and even near death experiences - This was the closest he had come to fail his own temper.

"These machines are ridiculous!" he crossed his arms like a stubborn child and stomped his foot impatiently at the metal floor.

"Is something the matter master jedi?" a protocol droid appeared around the corner.

"Ah, finally." Mantic replied. He gave no more time to explain it to the droid. There was no need. "I am searching for information and I could use some assistance." he pulled free the data-stick he had carried around his neck.

"Who is this? And Where can I find him?"

The droid took the stick and moved away. The jedi followed under silence. He felt ashamed for his behaviour and made a mental note to be prepared for great tests of patience if he was to try this again on his own.
After having went down two levels the droid finally stopped before yet another wall of glowing hard drives. there it pressed the stick into a slid and stepped away.
"Here you go master jedi. This section should perform best for your request." his metalic voice instructed.

"Thank you. I believe I will be fine from here on." Mantic told the droid who left the corridor.

A small holodisc appeared in the wall. An image started to take form. Mantic reached inwards. He was not sure what he would be learning. He only knew it would most likely be unnerving.

​

Searching...​

Loading profile - [member="Darth Mythos"] ​

Warlord of the One Sith ​

Apprentice [member="Naga Itesak"]​

No further data​

​

Mantic sighed. that was not much to go on. He stroked his beard trying to figure out what he could do to learn anything else.
"Initiate Image feedback from the battle of Acraxis Fortress."

A few photos and still picturesdashed past. Most likely satellite images that would not reveal much.
"Zoom in, detect light-saber energies."

It worked, they were being zoomed in and he could recognize the green haze from his own saber and the black one wielded by [member="Darth Mythos"]. Absent-minded he touched the burn scars on hos face he had received from the sith lightning in their brutal battle.
The images were to fuzzy to reveal anything crucial. But Mantic was not looking directly at the two central figures.
"Zoom in on the sith trooper."

The image zoomed in and its uniforms and emblems was there. The quality of the image to poor for the human eye. but...
"Search database for military designations."

Searching....​

Emblem source found.​

Source: Atrisian royal guard​

​

An image of the royal guard of Atrisia marching to surround and protect its Emperor appeared on some public display of him. Mantic felt a shiver. Could it be..? That man, he had seen him before. The agitator that had almost cost him and [member="Lady Kay"] s life as she had tried to convince the people of Atrisia not to listen to... Animus Malgus. Mantic looked back to the image.

Animus Malgus​

Current position: Emperor of Atrisia, newly appointed.​

Origins: Naboo, laketown​

No further data​

​

This was not good. How could he have not seen this before. Yet, he couold not be sure. The sith he had faced on Aten II - was called [member="Darth Mythos"] - why was the royal guard of Emperor Animus Malgus giving their lives for him?
Mantic sighed and pulled out the datastick. He needed to find more pieces to this puzzle, there was something dark and menacing over the entire thing. Whatever it was that connected [member="Darth Mythos"] and Animus Malgus he had to find out.

A trip to Naboo might be a good next stop....

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Naboo- central space port. The place was vivid as ever. Apparently there had been a recent move by the Techno Union to seize control. There was tension in the air and the customers had given Mantic hell before he could enter.

Why does trouble seem to shadow me whereever I go.... Mantic felt a tad gloomy as he made his way through long lines of civilians who either wanted to leave or get into the cities of Naboo.

Mantic was not interested in the cities though. He had his eyes on something more remote. A mansion that supposedly was the property of one Animus Malgus.

After a short haggle with the local speeder rental he gladly left the bustling port behind him and headed toward the coordinates. There were many thoughts rushing through his mind as he sped through the landscape. Here and there road block made the journey longer then necessary but for the time being he managed to pass most of them with poor excuses of having family on other place. A slight nudge with the force helped of course...

Despite all the troubles it was to travel on Naboo at this particular time Mantic followed through and hours later the Malgus estate appeared on the horizon. It too had been ravaged by the conflict but he chosed not to take any chances.
He parked the speeder at a good distance from the building and started to make his way through the vegetation. He meant to go undiscovered and with effort he reached the building unnoticed.
While the wondows were shut MAntic found a cellar door that had been left open. Perhaps the mansion security had been in a rush. Or burglars had made a visit. Regardless Mantic, fully alerted of that there might be dangers, he slipped inside.

 

[Mantic Dorn]

The basement held an air of advanced science to it. White corridors with classy paintings.
Mantic had expected something less refined, more solid, more brutal. But this Animus Malgus held a fine taste and this home, even the basement, very much resembled that of the royal class of Naboo. At least it was what he wanted it to appear like.

There was a security camera in the far corner of the last corrido, but the power shortage seemed to have left it dead. There was at least some advantag to the current chaotic state of the planet he mused.
And so Mantic made his way toward the objecive.

If there was any place he could pick up on something to lead him on it should be here. The room was filled with buzzing hard drives and computers. Rather large it held several shelves and tables littered with machinery.
Biting his lip Mantic approached the nearest console. Computers were not his greatest skill but he had to try. He had been given a data stick with a program that should download whatever was on these hard drives.
He pressed it inside console and leaned in to see if the montor would reveal anything.

Then he felt it. A dark presence...

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh had been sent to Naboo for an important mission. At least it was important to his master Darth Mythos. He had come to remove any important information that could lead to his master. Any clues that could lead to Atrisia had to go. They had to be destroyed, however Rafeesh had been late arriving. He had made his way as quickly as possible to the ruins, but he had taken his time to get to work. It had been a wrong decision, he realized that in hindsight. But that did not help at the moment.

He moved quietly about the damaged buildings, searching for the computers that would have had the information. He hadn't been given the exact location of the computers, but he knew he would have found it eventually. Before he could do so however he felt a light presence. It was powerful, but it was a Jedi Rafeesh was certain. That made him wonder why the Jedi was here, searching for the information?

Rafeesh closed his eyes and allowed his mind to sink into the Force. He focused his sight through the Force. He didn't see the physical now, he saw the aura through the Force. He couldn't see the Jedi nearby, but it told him where the Jedi was not. He gently grabbed his lightsaber and walked slowly through the building. He spoke as he walked around, "Where are you Jedi? Come out and let us talk." He didn't know if the Jedi could hear him.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

He rose from his bent position, the tingling warning of a dark presence alerting him. He moved his hand to his belt and unclipped his lightsaber. Holding it loose in his hand he turned to the entrance of the room.

His fear was confirmed as a voice dripping of contempt made its way thruogh the opening. Whomever it was, he was close.

Mantic glanced at the stick in the computer. The program had started and was about to start downloading. He could not run, he needed to give it more time. Instead he turned inward, focusing on his inner light, preparing for the worst.

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh grinned evilly to himself, "Come now Jedi. You have nothing to fear, I mean no harm. Let us speak." He of course was more than likely not going to follow through with his comment. He expected a fight and was planning on taking the first strike given the chance. What was true was that he didn't intend on killing the Jedi. Oh no, that would be far too kind a fate for this investigator. He would bring this Jedi before his master and let Darth Mythos decide the fate of this man. He wondered why he was snooping around, obviously looking for the same information that Rafeesh was here to destroy.

He walked towards a doorway which led to an empty room, mostly burned and almost falling apart. He took a single look around the room before turning back and stalking slowly towards one of the last entryways in this corridor. He began pumping himself for battle, letting his anger and hatred begin to build. He thought of his home: Korriban, his time: millennia ago, his brothers and sisters: the Sith Empire. They were all gone now, he was alone in this galaxy, lost in an alien place still trying to find his place. He was without true defense and he could trust no one. This all made him incredibly angry, he could feel it. It built within him, like a river trapped behind a damn. In his anger he spoke, "Here Jedi, Jedi, Jedi. Come out and play!"

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

As [member="Rafeesh"] appeared in the entrance Mantic sensed his anger, the utter craving for destruction directed at whatever might ease the beasts pain. There was no doubt, there was no light in him.

With a grim face Mantic lit his saber, and raised it in front of his face to quickly drop it and draw an X with the tip of te saber in the air.

"I do not know who you are or why you have come sith. But please consider to withdraw."

Mantic expected no such thing, but if nothing else, words would give the program more time to finish downloading.

 

[Rafeesh]

"I cannot turn back, I will not." He said in a mocking tone, "Just like a Jedi, if I remember correctly."

Rafeesh's lightsaber lit to life. He slowly moved it back and forth as if in irritation. He smiled beneath the helmet. He truly didn't want a fight, that simply was not what he had come to do. But that didn't mean he would back down from the Jedi. It was a chance to gauge his strength and prove himself to his master. For now anyways, he wasn't intent on serving his man forever, he was after a different future. He had had another destiny before it had been taken from him. It had been his master that had done it, so he had difficulty in trusting his current Sith master.

"Seriously though, I am sorry that this has happened. All of this should have been destroyed already, I was slow getting here." His tone took on a more frank and friendly manner. He moved the lightsaber up in a salute before flourishing it down. It deactivated a moment later, however his finger stayed on the button. He wondered what the Jedi thought of him. He doubted that the he would recognize Rafeesh after all he was a new person in this time. He was only just now beginning to pick up power. He hoped to leave an impression.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic blinked. A trick, did the sith try to lure him into believing that he wished no harm?

Or was he indeed not completely corrupted? Did he actually seek a peaceful outcome.
In either case, each passing minute was giving the program more time to download the wanted data from tbe manor main frame. He would see if he could buy more time.

Without lowering his guard Mantic nodded politely.

"I see. Do not believe in that you must serve your masters whim." he tried

"We can both part here with deeper understanding on what brought us here. Who is your master?"

While he hoped to find some conflict, something that might resemble a wish for redemption he was more prepared for the opposite. Whatever [member="Darth Mythos"] had touched seemed to be fully and utterly evil. This person was just as dark to Mantic. So he prepared to defend himself and the computer since he know realized why the sith had arrived here in the first place.

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh looked for a moment to his right, thinking. It was only a momentary lapse in attention. "I am sure you can guess who my master is, the one who you are searching for I would assume."

Rafeesh pointed at the computers, he didn't know about the drive that [member="Mantic Dorn"] had in the computer. He took a step forward, keeping his hands still so that it didn't appear that he was looking to get an opening to attack. He stopped and said, "If you surrender now I will take you to him. Put down the lightsaber and we can avoid this battle."

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

There was always an air of anticipation before a fight. Even jedi felt it although jedi like Mantic had trained hard to control it and remain calm.
The sith was most likely [member="Darth Mythos"] apprentice. He have several then Mantic mused and thought for a moment on how vast the sith lords influence must be.
There was something about this onme though that made him stand out. He could not really put his finger on it but the tickling brush of something deeper, something more then this shell of a sith was brooding inside the apprentice before him.

As [member="Rafeesh"] stepped forward Mantic breathed in and sensed the room. His focus was on his lightsaber and precognition about what was about to happen. All life was sacred, even a siths, but he had no qualms about trying to take this ones for as long as he served the darkness. And while he was hoping to find ways he had as of yet been incapable of finding means to save them from the dark side corruption. He was most likely not going to succeed here either. He considered open an attack. He was within reach and had his guard down, it was the tactical right choice to do. But then, his goal was to prolong the meeting, finishing the program to break the main frames defenses and get access to all that was on it.

"I am afraid I can not stand down. Instead I would ask that you turned around here and now to allow me to finish my work here." Mantics voice was calm yet held an icy tone of determination. He shifted his position, drawing his saber above his head and the other stretched out in front of him. It was a move from the more offensive Ataru to the defensive Soresu in order to be better prepared to defend the computer should the sith try any move against it.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh shook his head and sighed. He hadn't really wanted it to come to this. Though he admitted that it would be interesting to see how this would turn out. Rafeesh clicked the lightsaber to life. Only the single blade was alive, he still needed to practice using the double side. He brought it up above his head and he held it there for a moment. "I am sorry Jedi, just like you, I cannot back down."

He slashed the lightsaber horizontally towards the Jedi's arm, a theoretically non-lethal strike, however he doubted that it would land.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

The strike lashed out from his right and Mantic took a quick step spinning around prior to the hit had found its intended target and pressed down his saber on his side deflecting away the blow that [member="Rafeesh"] had landed.

Mantic then completed his turn and in a low position thwirled around - his left hand unleashing force push against his opponents saber arm, all ina flowing motion as he with his swordhand pressed his own blade forward to penetrate his opponents belly from low. the strike would kill a beginner fighter, or at least be troublesome to avoid for a more skilled one.

Mantic had drawn his saber and was preparing to take the life of his opponent should he be capable of it.

It had begun...

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh was not a well trained swordsman. He had been a relatively good fighter in his day, but after his time in cryostasis he was still relearning his abilities. He was prepared for a miss, but the counter attack was unexpected. He was about to resist, when he felt a suggestion, perhaps that momentary premonition like those that allow Jedi and Sith to reflect blaster shots. He didn't know, but he felt that he should allow the Force push to take him and to follow it.

As his arm moved back he moved with it, fortunately he realized a moment later that he had. [member="Mantic Dorn"]'s maneuver only caught Rafeesh's side, burning the cloth and leaving a cut beneath. Rafeesh grimaced as he moved away, the pain was there. That was something that had unfortunately not changed, he still felt the pain as easily as before.

Rafeesh brought his lightsaber back around and held it with both hands horizontally. He flipped the switch and the second blade came to life, if there was a time to experiment with that there was no better point than in preparation for death. He waited for the strike.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

This one was perhaps not as well trained as his master, which was expected but Mantic stil felt something within his dark presence that concerned him. There was something hidden within the brooding sith.

[media]https://youtu.be/iCBL33NKvPA[/media]​

Still in his lowered position he pointed the tip of the saber toward his opponent who had backed off, a smoking streak cutting across his torso. Mantic had messed with the siths outfits. that was it but fore most he had taken taken the initiative off the duel. It was [member="Rafeesh"] who was surprised and not the other way around. A welcomed realization for the jedi.
While [member="Rafeesh"] was perhaps not well trained and showed marks of insecurity in his stance - he was still dangerous.
Mantic was concerned about whom, or what it exactly was he was facing.

The sith ignited the full length of his saber staff, a mark of a future assassin perhaps?
Drawing back on his forward foot he retook his opening stance. and started to make a half circle around his opponent [member="Rafeesh"]
The sith was not attacking but taking a defensive position. An unexpected turn of events. so far the sith Mantic had faced all drew on quick explosive anger, unleashing the dark side in them in furious powerful attacks. But this one held back, at least for now.

While moving Mantic tilted his head and made a fast step toward the left wall only to spin the saber around in his hand. It was a trick, common to the Makashi form, paint a colorful attack toward his opponents left flank but then have the saber slash down in low strike to the knees to rapidly raise in order to execute two more strikes toward the enemies head and neck. If the opponent lowered his guard and fell for the trick it could behead the opponent. The attacks were extremely fast but also, as all in the form, lacking strength. If [member="Rafeesh"] was not fooled by the trick he would not have much difficulties to block them.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh walked away and kept [member="Mantic Dorn"] in his center of view. He watched carefully as the Jedi used a seemingly complex move to slash at him. For less than a second Rafeesh was tricked, he remembered this move. He could recall a Sith trying to use a similar attack on him when he was a Jedi fighting against the Sith. What was that form, he needn't remember that at this exact moment. He did remember the ending to the move though, very tricky. He spun the lightsaber in his hand so that it was between him and the lightsaber, catching the blade and stopping the attempt.

Rafeesh felt something familiar, it was like guidance but from within rather than from without. He turned his whole body ninety degrees and swung his lightsaber towards Mantic in a simple strong strike. He wondered about the intelligence of doing this now, but then again he felt the Jedi to be the more powerful of the two of them. He wondered if the Jedi were still the same, would this one kill him if he won? Or would Rafeesh find himself a prisoner, for some reason he liked that idea. He could not have explained why, but he would like being taken captive by the Jedi, it was weird for sure.

 

[Mantic Dorn]

[media]https://youtu.be/j8FpbsrvkTE[/media]​

The two combatans seemed to measure each other, no one fullt comprehending the other ones abilities or each others position in the grander ploy that was unfolding around them under the watchful power sphere of [member="Darth Mythos"] banner.

[member="Rafeesh"] picked up the danger in time and parried Mantic blade both times. The speed of them both was impressive and Mantic realized that he had underestimated both his opponents wits and ability in precognition. This disturbed him.
Why could he not sense what was familiar with this man. Mantic could not help but feel that something was utterly wrong with the picture. Maybe if he only could gain more information on this group of siths around the mysterious Mythos he could also understand this one better as well. He must not relent on his mission though. He removed all thoughts on that this was a less powerful sith and focused his mind on empowering his body with speed and agility to give his body an even greater advantage in the fight.

The following strong slash created from the siths powerful 90 degrees spin surprised the jedi and forced him to perform a leap toward the near by wall, pushing a shelf filled with small computer components to fall over, and scramble across the floor. IN mid air, Mantic pressed his left foot toward the wall behind him and pressed forward rolling up just in range to resume the fight. With a few quick blows he forced himself to retake the initiative.

The moment gained a short brief to return to his preferred saber form, Ataru. He followed suit by leaping high and above his opponent. the room was not large enough to truly take advantage of the maneuver but Mantic sensed a conflict in his opponent and the aim was to in mid air to strike down and if the sith was inexperienced with the double bladed saber it might cleave his handle in two as the sith tried to block the areal strike. Regardless Mantic main intention was to land behind his opponent in a kneeling position and with back to back he would quickly make a broad swing behind his own back - a strike meant to hit across his opponents legs, thus severing them just below the kneecaps.

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh could almost feel the change in the fight. Not how his opponent was fighting, but he could feel himself tiring, he hadn't been in a proper duel since before he had been put to sleep. Now he was fighting a superior foe in methods that he was unfamiliar with due to the time in suspended animation. He knew he couldn't beat this Jedi, he realized that now of all times. Hindsight was always such a pain, it came far too late to do anything.

He watched with no small amount of approval as the Jedi fell back and turned it into an absolutely wonderful leap. He stood for only a moment, allowing the Jedi to come closer in that leap before Rafeesh ducked and rolled forward underneath the Jedi, separating the two of them by a meter. His lightsaber was shut off during the roll and when he stood his back to the Jedi only one of the two blades came back to life. He turned quickly and held his ligthsaber tilted forward towards the Jedi, he waited. He had to make the Jedi use up his strength while Rafeesh had to feed his own.

He closed his eyes for a second, a possibly lethal mistake, but in that portion of time he recalled all that had occurred in this time. He was weak yes, but his anger and longing for a way to return to his home was what drove him on. He allowed those emotions to bubble up within him, his anger, fear, sadness. They renewed him some small amount, he could feel his muscles complain just a fraction less. It was also here that he realized with a stab of pain that he had rolled across some of those computer components on the floor. The sharp edges of the pieces had ripped through his garment and his back was covered with small cuts that were slowly bleeding, some even had pieces of metal still in them. He knew now that there was little hope of winning this fight, he would just have to wear this Jedi out more in the hopes that it would slow him from finding Mythos.

Rafeesh held his lightsaber in both hands, silently waiting for [member="Mantic Dorn"] to again take the offensive.

 

[Mantic Dorn]

In mid air Mantic saw the sith bend down and roll forward, his two attacks therefore cut through air and ahd no impact on his foe. Landing with his back toward his foe he first prepared to parry but realized that the distance between them kept them both safe from each other at this time.

The jedi rose quickly and turned around. The sith was however not charging. He was passive. Why?

For a moment Mantic tried the thought of his opponent but in this he only sensed that [member="Rafeesh"] was building up more and more hatred, more and more darkness. Any chances of redemption grew smaller for each passing minute. Still, if the sith was not hiding a trick this might be in Mantics reach.
Should he hold back and try to capture this one?
While Mantic had superiour stamina and strength from his life long training as well as the force power that empowered him - sooner or later he would begin to tire. But for now he kept up with his Ataru tactics.

Twirling his saber around his wrist Mantic danced across the floor unleashing a flourish of quick and light attacks all over his opponent, it would require some effort to defend against them and if neither strike cut [member="Rafeesh"] down the series of attacks would end with Mantics left hand moving forward in a powerful force push meant to throw his opponent hard into the far wall. If that was successful it would be followed by a leap forward by Mantic performing a high power strike toward his enemy who should have problems fending himself with his back to the wall.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh was somewhat amazed at the quick movements and precise strikes of the style. He defended against only a few before he once more felt the sting of the lightsaber through his flesh. He dropped under the the flurry, falling to one knee as he tried to deal with the pain in his right arm and left abdomen. He allowed his saber to deactivate he felt his power quickly diminish. He had known this was coming, he had known that he would fail.

He tried to force himself back to his feet, to tell his body that it could handle the pain. He pushed with his left arm, feeling himself to begin to rise. However, he only fell down to his knee again. He tried to call on his anger, but knew it to be a false hope. He had come to the conclusion that the Dark Side was only good for avoiding being defeated, but the Light was more effective at bouncing back. He looked up, wondering what his enemy would do. He let go of his lightsaber and watched as it rolled to the slight incline until it stopped a foot away from him. He didn't let his eyes fully leave [member="Mantic Dorn"], knowing it was his decision for life or death.

He wondered who it was that stood before him. Was it death? Was it an attempt at redemption? If it was the latter, would they succeed? Was he capable of being redeemed, made whole? Could he turn from his darkness? Was he strong enough to turn away the evil that had been so long his companion? He had been in stasis so long and all that time... Could he look away and give up the power he had accepted? He looked into the eyes of his enemy and questioned himself for the first time in over a millennia.