Life & Death For The Ren (Kaalia Voldaren)

[WolfMortum]

Within the tunnel of Faster Then Light speed, Caehl Ren sat within his quarters of the Furious Class Corvette preparing for the coming fight. Many recently had defected away from the First Order and specifically the Knights of Ren, turning traitor to the likes of the rising Sith Empire. The Upper Echelon of the First Order Security Bureau had yet to sanction an official stance against these traitors, some escaping with the simple removal of memories pertaining to the security of the First Order's intelligence yet in the eyes of the Disciple of Ren, this wasn't nearly enough to sate his disgust for those who turned their backs on the Will and Might of the Supreme Leader.

Already the Disciple had taken action into his own hands in order to track down that of [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] who was reported to be among those turncoats who had left the First Order in the wake of their lies. She of whom had lectured Caehl about loyalty to those within the presence of the Ren, about the hierarchy and order of things and most especially denoting his place among them. She who had positioned herself upon a pedestal in the face of devastating news that [member="Ara Ren"] had been murdered by his own hands, had then turned her anger upon him during which he was still recovering from his new life, the transference of cybernetic replacements to make up for his brutal defeat upon the world of Bespin against the Jedi of the Galactic Alliance. Deadly sight, he still remembered the spiritual descent of flames upon his innards, the heat of a force he could not give the appropriate words to describe. He had been vulnerable and weak in his recovery yet now...-Now there was a debt to be settled, not only for his sake but for the pride of Sieger Ren, so that those who would hear of these traitors would too come to understand the result of such deceit.

Mygeeto, a frozen floating giant of which the Caehl's investigation into her movements since leaving the Bastion of Ren had led them two. At the controls of the vessel Delengtha Ren brought the Corvette out of hyperspace with a shuddering jolt, the hyperdrive working overtime to pull the craft out of the FTL field and back into open space, the illuminated blue glow of the world within Sith Space now looming over them as they arced down towards it's atmosphere and closer towards Caehl's target. This need for vengeance was personal and far apart from his typical characteristics the Ren had seen from Brennan in the past. Typically what he desired did not outweigh his loyalty and duty to the Supreme Leader yet this time the two seemed to coincide with one another. Without seeking consent from his superiors, yet logging in all his movements within the FOSB security database under his authenticated identification code, he would make it exceedingly easy for the Ren to follow up on his actions should there be consequences to come. After all, as rogue as his incentives might be, he would forever answer for the decisions he was responsible for within complete transparency to that of his Master. The Master to all of the Ren. Sieger.

The ice labrythine wastelands came swiftly into view as the vessel dropped down through the clouds, the landing ramp descending as the small crafted turned to expose the Disciple to the harsh winds of the forsaken planet, some distance yet from the co-ordinates Kaalia Voldaren was supposedly nearby. Caehl had tried to warn her of the lines she were crossing, even after the result of her anger towards him, he had posed to her that her decisions and tendencies to test the boundaries of their duty to the First Order would come at her expense and as fate or the will of the Force itself would have it, today he was here to play judge, jury and executioner.

Stepping down from the corvette, he turned to look back up as it took back to the air and made for orbit that it might remain afar and out of sight until Brennan Cabrol was ready to call on Omega for extraction. Today would be an example of his unwavering loyalty to true progress in the galaxy, the pursuit of a truly possible peace, through the subjugation of oppressors and the force of strength to be reckoned with, yet inevitably falling before the shadow of the First Order. Today, the hand of Imperialism had come for Kaalia. A Zealot of the Ren against a traitor who had come to call upon herself as Sith, a fight that would see these lands run red.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Another expedition on Mygeeto.

It was something that was nothing new to Kaalia anymore. Ever since discovering the fortress that was in the process of being renovated into a central gathering for the Valkyries, her Valkyries, the woman was often found traversing the frozen wasteland of the Sith Empire held planet to map out its surroundings. Normally speaking [member='Aria Vale'], [member='Darth Imperia'], or both would join her in scouting out the territory, but this time she was alone. This was by her own volition, however. Every once in a while she needed some time on her own to recollect her thoughts and recharge and despite the fact this planet was not the most hospitable, she got what she wanted here. There was nothing to disturb her, to interrupt her.

Her booted feet compressed the snow underneath them with every step the redhead took while traversing the snowy path, and it was the only sound that could be heard as she walked. The wind was completely still and no creature was anywhere near her, the rhythmic sound of her steps helping her focus her mind. She brought the collar of her coat closer to her face as she mentally went over everything that had recently happened, causing her to smile. So much had happened, but it had been nothing but positive. Arrangements for her marriage with [member='Ishana Pavanos'], the love of her life, were being made as she walked here, she had breathed life in the Valkyries, and had been officially recognized as a Lady of the Sith. As she thought over all of those things, she came to a single conclusion: She was happy.

The Sith Lady had done things her own way, carved out her own path, and succeeded. Obstacles had been overcome, goals had been accomplished. She couldn't sit still, she never would, but as she looked back she was satisfied. It was a foundation to build on. People had tried to hold her down, tried to pull her off the path she was walking saying she would destroy everything, but here she was. She had proven her doubters wrong, left the opposition in the dust. She had picked her battles carefully and it showed.

Then, something in the air shifted.

Like ripples in a pool of water there was a disturbance in the blanket of the Force, and it did not come from Kaalia. Honing her senses towards it she took it in, much like tasting a piece of fruit. It was a person, somebody powerful in the Force, yet she did not recognize the presence. It was drenched in feelings of retribution, of vengeance, but the question of why remained a mystery. The woman was the only other person in the vicinity, and one would not come here to track someone down unless they were absolutely sure their target was actually here. No, this presence was headed her way.

The smirk on Kaalia's face did not fade, however. In reality it grew in size as she, seemingly unbothered by the fact someone was hunting her down, simply kept walking without a single stutter in her step. Whoever was after her did not have to know she knew about this. She felt the presence of the crystals of her lightsabers and it fed her power even further. Whoever this person was, if they made even one move to cross her they would meet the wrath of Darth Avacyn, Lady of the Sith.

[member="Caehl Ren"]

 

[WolfMortum]

The frozen wasteland offered something that his previous ventures hadn't, the cold and merciless wind sought to slow his pace yet before him the white horizon was all that he could see before him, no structures of sentience, no cities nor technologies to eat away at the natural world, it had been some time since he had been in an environment such as this that for a moment, the Ren found his mind lingering upon a hint of appreciation that rarely managed to surface. 'Pathetic...' he sought to remind himself, 'Focus on the Target, nothing else matters'.

With the aid of his Cybernetic Exo-Skeleton, his pace increased against the weight of the snow that sought to impede him. His Ocular Neural Interface working in conjunction with his Helm in order to balance out his vision and negate any disorientation that he might have felt without the visor's link to the central chip buried within his skull. Thermal vision took priority over typical sight, his senses acute to all around him as the interface jumped into overtime and from afar he could pick up on the few heat signatures within the area. It was the first time that he had needed the visual aid and in discovering it's effectiveness over such a wide spread area, his mouth curled some into a half smirk beneath the phrik shell of the man, this was the calm before the storm.

Closing in upon the heat signature that could only be the target of sentience, Caehl Ren took his time in the hunt. [member="Kaalia Voldaren"], though she would not recall, had scorned him greatly not only in her defiance against the Supreme Leader but her personal aggression taken against himself, an action he could now attribute with the likes of the Sith that she had defected to, imposing her will upon another during such a time of vulnerability. He made no move to hide his force signature, quite the opposite, the anger that he felt for her treason was palpable and he allowed the Force to become twisted and fueled by his malevolent intent.

She had been one of the few Knights of Ren that he had allowed himself to work alongside, far more closely than the others. The Disciples among him were mostly thought of as opposition, standards of which he would rise above and use to fuel his own progress. They were not his enemy, unlike the way Kaalia had eventually treated him, yet he was not the kind of person to rely on others for survival or sustenance. Ever since their first mission with Ara Ren, the two women had held his respect not only as those above him in the chain of hierarchy but those that he would follow willingly. That all changed when the Galactic Alliance attacked Bespin however...

"Kaalia Voldaren..." His voice cut through across any active and open comm channel as he continued to stride through the field of snow and ice towards his targets location, his comm-link within his helm reaching out to seek her own communications device if she held one in her possession, "For the pride and honor of those you once claimed loyalty to, I have come to kill you".

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"K--li- ---dar-n..."

A muffled voice was heard from the pocket of Kaalia's jacket, a small comms device present in it. This was no doubt the man who had been tracking her down, and with a face filled with curiosity she lifted it out of her pocket and attached it to her left ear. She said nothing, electing to let the voice on the other side speak first. Whoever this was knew her name, which was slightly confusing to her, but it would not matter if she turned the snow beneath her feet red with the blood of them here.

"For the pride and honor of those you once claimed loyalty to, I have come to kill you."

The words confused the woman even further, but through that she smirked. This man had tracked her down to enemy territory to find and kill her, yet she did not know why. An amusing scenario that in her mind would absolutely not end the way he had wanted. She brought her index finger to the device in her ear and tapped on it, switching it from receiving to transmitting. Calmly walking forward, she spoke words filled with power. "I do not know of these people you are talking about, but know that if you approach me you will seal your fate." The redhead had gotten a thirst for battle and blood and the source of the voice would sate both of them. "Perhaps you don't truly know who I am. My name is Darth Avacyn, Lady of the Sith. Lady of Defiance." She paused once more. Suddenly waves were sent out through the Force, exerting her command over it. It was a taste of the power she wielded. "If you value your life, turn back the way you came. This is your last chance to preserve it today. If you are adamant on making this your final resting place however..." Suddenly Kaalia came to a halt, standing inside an icy cavern. Her eyes were ablaze with the Dark side as she turned on her heel, now facing the entrance. The Force aura around her acted as a beacon. Perhaps he was mistaken in his efforts to track someone down, perhaps he had found the right target. It did not matter to her. If he wanted to face her, she would grant his wish.

"Come find me."

[member="Caehl Ren"]

 

[WolfMortum]

Against the wrath of the cold abyss outside of the cavern she had entered, a darker silhouette would gradually become more and more visible as Caehl Ren had made his way through the ensuing high winds of Mygeeto, following the former Ren's presence within the Force and answering her beckons with a ready sword hand, the hilt of his lightsaber gripped tightly within his right hand, the ignition of his blade lighting a crimson glow against the field of snow around his feet, digging his way through the footwork, the black of his visor staring her down and his pace slowing none until he himself reached the mouth of the cavern and stopped just out of arms reach. While the view of the traitor to the Order of Ren disgusted him, it was even further disappointing that she would fail to recognize who he was and why he had come. In all truth, [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] had been fortunate to be cut loose from the First Order with her life still in tact; according to his database, her memory had been wiped clean of all possible intelligence that could've compromised the Ren's place in the galaxy yet in the eyes of the Disciple, this simply wasn't enough for the defilement of their creed, their oath having not only been broken, but she of whom who had stood over him lecturing to the deformed and beaten body of his after his last fierce battle, the lessons and virtues of loyalty and service to the First Order.

"It is time you faced judgement for your heresies, Kaalia Voldaren" The words were called forth unto her through the audio transceivers of his Helm, masking the deformity that had been wrought upon his natural body by the burning of force lightning at the hands of a Jedi with as little decency as this self-proclaimed Sith held. "Raise your weapon and prepare to die" he concluded, giving her the honor of a fighting chance due to their past experience and missions together. This woman, despite her defection had been one of the more easily relate-able members of the Ren by happenstance. They had been paired together on a number of missions alongside that of [member="Ara Ren"] and deep down somewhere beneath the implants and cybernetic enhancements, his cold hearted exterior, breathed a hint of regret for what he was about to bring down upon her. She had taken the decision away from him the moment she had turned her back, there was no question within the mind of the fanatic, his inhumane sense of service and purpose within the Ren whispered the words over and over within his mind as he looked upon his soon to be opposition. Treason, demands death.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

And so, he had decided to not heed Kaalia's words. The woman watched as he approached with the hilt of his lightsaber already in hand. What he would find was his target sitting on an elevated layer of ice, the time that had passed waiting spent climbing up there and taking out an amulet out of a small box she always carried with her. That amulet was now around her neck, concealed by her coat, but the Dark side energies that came from it were far from hidden. Jumping down she took hold of Mirari and Cruentis Cor and faced the man, the faintest of smirks appearing on her face. Looking him over left the redhead slightly disappointed, however. She wanted to see his face, but the helm he wore deprived her of what she wanted. She would rip the thing off the moment she had defeated him however, so that she could see his face in his final moments. Seeing him suffer, that was what she wished for.

Then, he would speak again. It seemed he was adamant on using her birth name, but not only that was the reason she let out a loud chuckle. "The one who stands in front of you now is not Kaalia Voldaren. She is asleep." Her eyes ignited, the red and sulphur colors now blazing in her irises as the Dark side swirled around her. It was an oppressive aura that would cause those who were not able to withstand powerul Dark side presences to recoil in fear. "I am Darth Avacyn, but who are you? I cannot seem to remember." The two lightsabers ignited, revealing beams of blue and red from the hilts. The woman she used to be represented in blue, the woman she was now represented in red. A reminder. Taking her stance she was ready to strike at a moment's notice, yet she remained standing right where she was just for a little while longer.

"You have got guts," Avacyn answered with an amused tone, "Or perhaps you are just really foolish. It makes no difference to me. I will not allow you the honor of killing a Lady of the Sith." That final sentence what had made her the embodiment of defiance. She simply did not allow things to happen. She had refused to die, refused to be defeated, refused to be consumed by the Dark side. She had overcome everything in her path through force of will. Failure was not an option.

With a flash the woman dashed forward, the passive application on Wind Shaping making her movement almost inhumanly graceful. Ending right beside the man she slashed forward with a saber and with the other went to intercept any potential block, a proactive measure. As the Dark side flowed through her the amulet around her neck deepened the connection, feeling her battle rage build. Keeping it carefully under control she let none of that anger show, storing it until the right moment.

[member="Caehl Ren"]

 

[WolfMortum]

"You are a heretic and a Traitor!" Caehl Ren barked back in defiance, moving to engage her as she came at him swiftly on the attack. His lightsaber taken up into both hands, moving to counter the first blow with the aid of his Ocular Neural Interface elevating the pace of his instinctive responses to her movements, the HUD in his helm reading her movements and the cybernetic within him empowering his natural strength and speed, enabling the Disciple to meet her in equal force; though her second blade would produce a fair challenge against his single.

In order to meet the Jar'Kai practitioner in battle and fend off the two weapons, his strikes lacked strength and instead relied on speed to counter her attack, the first of his low arcing sweeps coming around to rebound her initial blade away from him before lifting his lightsaber up in a diagonal cross guard, defending his upper body and allowing her second to come into contact with it before applying strength behind the guard and trying to force her away from him with a harsh drive against their saber lock.

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]'s presence was caked within Darkness, it radiated with a power that Caehl Ren himself could admire, the two Dark Side Practitioners creating a temporary nexus in their doing battle unto one another, a presence of aggression clashing against mutual defiance of other, an echo of energy that would be felt all across the frozen wasteland with every blow that they sought to land upon the other.

Wishing not to allow this new self proclaimed Lady of the Sith to be given a chance to jump back on the offensive, it was Caehl this time that would answer her arrogant and proud taunts, lifting the lightsaber in a high guard and using the strength of both arms to bring it about, cleaving down from the woman's left side aiming for her throat and seeking to take her into two, through down to her hip. The attack was a simple one, meant for a killing blow and with two weapons of her own she would indeed have the skill to fend it off yet the power behind the attack, he expected would take more than a single sword arm with the drive that his cybernetics carried against her. It was this need to raise both weapons that he hoped to catch her off guard; if going as he expected, he would follow through with a brutal kick out against her mid-section, a force behind him that he hoped would take the air from her lungs and cripple her temporarily.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Waves of the Dark side spread through the Force as the two had decided the other had to die, but no more than one would get their wish. Kaalia found it to be a shame, to have someone so strong with the Dark side not be on the side of the Sith, but it could not be helped. This one's thoughts screamed fanaticism, something that in the woman's mind was an uncurable disease. It rotted away one's freedom of choice, their ability to be their own entity. In a way she pitied him, but that did not mean he would be shown any mercy. He had decided to come here, and as such he were to bear the consequences.

All the man's words did was solicit a grin from Kaalia, amused by his claims. Time to react with words of her own was not permitted to her however. Her strike was blocked, as expected, and now it was time to see how he would react. Using both hands he put more power in his guard than what the redhead put in her strike, leaving her unable to push through, but instead she was driven back. Speed was going to have to be in her favor, the cybernetics likely enhancing his already greater brute strength. She took multiple steps back to even the playing field once more but once again no breathing room was permitted, with a cleaving strike coming down on her person. Blocking the strike would cost too much energy, so instead Kaalia called on her speed. Rolling to the side she dodged the strike instead, creating more distance in the process. Looking up for a split second she noticed the overhang she stood on before, giving her an idea for later.

"The Sith are the heirs to the Dark side, and my title was granted to me by the Dark Lord himself. Watch who you call a heretic." A taunt. Perhaps to enrage him, perhaps to bait him into attacking her again, perhaps both. Kaalia stood still with her guard up, waiting.

[member="Caehl Ren"]

 

[WolfMortum]

"When this Dark Lord's helm is crushed beneath my boot, he may receive the recognition deemed worthy of those who stand against true Order" Caehl Ren responded, expressing his lack of appreciation for the false prophet that [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] had chosen to forsake the true glory of Sieger Ren, turning to follow the way of the Sith in all their arrogance and disillusion. "Come down from your pedastal and face the fate your actions wrought upon yourself..." Caehl Ren's left hand reached out, summoning a wealth of telekinetic force and drawing upon her general direction he sought to pull her away from the depths of the cave, slowly stepping backwards so that he was met with a silhouette of the light that cast done upon the shadow of the caves mouth, seeking not to be restricted in movement nor moment enclosed by those walls of ice. He showed no intention to attack until she would be ready to face him on her own two feet, regardless of whether she would put up a fight against his attempt to draw her back in towards him, Caehl wished for the fight between them to be left with no regrets, no holds barred as he knew of her experience, she who did not recall who he was nor harbored the same respect for what he could and had done in the line of duty alongside her in the past yet his recognition of the service she had given before was not eradicated in her decision to turn traitor, simply marred the perspective he had held over the person he thought he might have known better.

Reaching for his belt, the same hand sought to pull a pair of Incendiary Grenades from his person, calling back to her in explanation of his temporary retreat and return to the open air for which the torrents of wind threatened to overturn his octaves, "I will not be drawn in like some baited creature. If you are so strong in this heresy that you have found of such worth, then show me this strength you claim and let us be done with such petty games, woman"; the grenades chimed and circled with light as the timer began furiously counting down, the incendiaries cast from his head and back into the cavern. His knees bending before launching himself backwards through their air, propelled by cybernetic suspension and artificial strength, landing several meters away with well enough room for his foe to join him in the open field before the mouth might be consumed in flame and burying what might have remained within.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"It is almost sad..." It was the start of a sentence that was left unfinished. As she sought to explain that whatever were to happen to the Dark Lord in the future was something that she simply did not care for, only interested in the freedom she had in the Empire that happened to be led by him, she felt a telekinetic grip surround her. It sought to pull her out of the icy cave they were standing in, but if she were to leave it would be on her own accord. With her eyes ablaze, seemingly starting a hole through her enemy, a barrier created in the Force surrounded her to protect her from the pull. "That won't do," the woman said at the edge of his hearing, "you don't choose where I go." Her tone was soft, almost innocent, but malice and venom was found deep inside it if one listened closely. "Nobody does but I."

The words he spoke right before trying to pull her however was what struck her. Not because of what he said, but because she didn't know what he meant. Yet he knew her name, there was no mistaking he had the right person. What exactly she did was what occupied her mind for a moment, but when the man reached for his belt the thoughts were quickly expelled from her mind. He wanted nothing to do with this cave, a statement made clear as he lobbed a pair of grenades. The words that followed confirmed it and immediately Kaalia started moving, leaping a distance impossible without the Force with the aid of Wind Shaping. The redhead preferred Wind Shaping over techniques such as Force Jump, her deeper connection with the elements around her not strange to a Kro Varian. Landing a safe distance away from the mouth of the cave the grenades exploded, causing the entrance to collapse. Once again corrupted eyes gazed towards the mask of the man in front of her, a sly grin forming on her facial features. "You want to see my strength? Very well."

Inside Kaalia's mind was one objective; make him regret she stopped 'playing games'. Seemingly calm and collected she clipped Cruentis Cor back to her belt, now leaving one hand free. With that hand she reached out in the Force, making it listen to her will as she had done ever since embracing the Dark side within her being. The man was enveloped in metal, but what mattered to her was that which it covered. Pressure would be exerted on his ribs, a grip of Force Crush slowly pushing it further and further inwards. If left completely alone she would in time completely crack them and every organ they protected. It was aimed at forcing his hand, see what he would do if forced to act. Such was her way of combat.

[member="Caehl Ren"]