Long Nights With Dark Lords

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

​

Coruscant - Black Pyramid - Nightfall​

​

No government backing. No Order affiliation. A solo mission under the cover of darkness would be the only ally she found on Coruscant that night. It was all risk, and little reward. That small reward however was all she'd need. To put a minor dent in the Sith's unwavering confidence would make this mission worthwhile. A dropship with false magnetic signatures had got her at least through the atmosphere and into the planet. She was on her own from there. The Jedi stepped toward the cargo ramp as it was lowered. An air drop was safest. Though getting out would be the real trick. As she fell towards the surface the massive structure pierced through the sky and entered her view. Flipping a switch on the jetpack attached to her back, her freefall began to slow, ensuring that she did not simply fall to her death.

After months of research she'd received a brief overview of the surrounding area of the facility, and a general idea of what she might find inside. Her priorities were freeing prisoners, if any, and destroying the research lab of the complex, before escaping. A daunting task, but one that was unmistakably important to the task of freeing Coruscant from Sith rule. Before dispatching to the planet she'd inserted a pair of contact lenses to aid in navigating through the dark and enhancing the eye's natural detailed range. She carried little else with her, save for her twin sabers, armor, and a small energy shield, in the event she encountered any pesky droids or your typical guards.

As she descended towards one of the structure's hangar bays the Jedi pulled the chute to the jetpack, allowing her to quietly drift down and out of immediate sight of the guards standing by. Here she would wait, cautiously studying their patrol, waiting for an opening in their guard to sneak past. She wasn't looking to kill anyone here if she hadn't the need. She may not be a Jedi of the Republic anymore, but she was also no senseless murderer either. So here she would wait until the time came where she could sneak by unnoticed, towards the inner sanctum of the structure. She'd been given intel that the facility was overseen by a Sith Lord, though that was speculation, and had no duracrete evidence to prove such claims. She would need to navigate her way first to the laboratories and plant the charges contained in the small pack she had brought along, then find a way to free the prisoners.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

It was on nights like these that he brooded the most, with the dull hum of the Coruscant night life against a backdrop of darkness upon which the light of innumerable stars were sprinkled. He sat in a chair lined with expensive maroon velvet with his armor stripped away and tossed to the shadowy recesses of his chamber. In his left hand he held a goblet fashioned from the bleached skull of a long dead Sith Sorceress, but even in death he could still feel some remnants of her writhing behind those empty sockets. The very thought of her shrewd face and sassy disposition brought an annoyed frown to his otherwise emotionless, yet heavily scarred, face. He brought the rim of the cup to his lips and drank deeply from the swirling purple liquid held within, the taste blossoming across his tongue before running down his throat to quench the gurgling in his stomach. He pulled the cup away and let loose a small sigh of pleasure, but the frown still remained as his thoughts turned from the faces of the dead to the faces of the living.

Specifically one who had managed to vex him so thoroughly at Taloraan, the events playing vividly in his mind as if they had happened just five minutes ago instead of several weeks. He knew that this body would eventually start to fail him as the power contained at his heart ate away at everything around it, corrupting and degrading his physical form while his mind and spirit remained strong and resolute. What worried him was how quickly it had begun to fall apart, it had only been six years since he had escaped the fiery clutches of Chaos and reformed himself on the mortal plane. But perhaps that was the price of losing one's original self, for these flesh-copies he had constructed seemed to not possess the capacity to contain his power, and thus their longevity was reduced significantly the more he called upon the heinous power of the dark side.

It was worth it, truly, for he had the ability and resources to craft more and more, but it was a laborious task that required both time and an ever increasing amount of sacrifices to power the animus of resurrection. Luckily such things were in an overabundance in the sprawling empire the One Sith had carved out of the former Republic heartland, and with his influence it was not hard to acquire the reagents for his malicious rituals. Even now he sat at the pinnacle of the largest correctional facility on the face of Coruscant, a construct of his brilliance utilizing his own design that incorporated an ancient pyramid design directly influenced from those old tombs on Korriban. But it was no ordinary prison for behind those slanted sides housed levels upon levels of dungeons and laboratories all dedicated to the mutilation of flesh, mind, and soul to further not only his own twisted agenda but that of the warmongering Empire.

And at the structure's apex was his own abode, a multi-story penthouse outfitted with phenomenal defense systems and macabre works of art. It was this section of the black pyramid where his sleeping chamber was located, but the Sith Lord could not bring himself to sleep. Distant thoughts and a dull buzzing at the back of his skull kept him awake long after his mate, the voluptuous Invicta, had already fallen prey to slumber many hours ago and was currently snoring gently in the massive bed behind the chair that he currently occupied. Was it the horrors of his own memories that kept him awake, or was it a premonition of something far more substantial and present?

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

It would take a few minutes to carefully, and quietly remove the HVJ from her back without alerting the guards. Still she managed well enough, placing the pack next to the various crates and barrels that she hid herself behind for the time being. After all, if she were to make a quick escape, that would play a key factor in doing so. She was in deep, uncharted territory in this place. Getting caught would likely prove very, very disastrous. Slipping from the confines of the jetpack, she peered her head from behind cover, observing the guards once more. She assumed that a facility such as this would likely be far tighter, security-wise, once within the walls. It was unlikely that prisoners would ever make it to the hangars, so that was perhaps the reasoning for more lax measures in security this far out. As one of the men passed by the other the Twi'lek made a rather swift gesture with her diminutive hand, knocking over a set of crates near the outer edge of the hangar floor through her will of the Force. The cargo, likely destined for the next arriving ship, toppled over in a spectacular display of noise and disarray, the contents of which poured across the floor. Both guards could clearly hear and see the disruption, and immediately tended to the situation, diverting their full attention to the mess now at hand. This momentary lapse in observation garnered the pink one just enough time to slip past the pair and into the inner hangar.

Once inside she had several options to choose from, with little time for which to make her decision. A lift towards the left would take her down, while a corridor would lead further into the level she was presently on. Alternatively, there was another corridor on the far end of the room, presumably leading further into the floor, but a different quadrant. Rather than risk the chance of being seen crossing over the floor, she headed through the corridor. As she made her way down the ever expansive hall, she began to understand the gravity of the size of this facility. It looked grand from the outside, but the inside housed far more secrets than she could have imagined at first glance. Sera had nowhere near enough explosives to take down everything, the best she could hope for was to plant charges in such a way that a number of floors above might collapse, thereby causing collateral damage in turn. The intel she'd gathered appeared rough, parts were missing, likely due to either old or misinterpreted information, but it would have to do.

The one major downfall to infiltrating a complex such as this was when you stuck out. There was obvious, and then there was Sera. Bright. Pink. Sera. The woman would have to make doubly certain that she was not caught slinking about, whether by droid, organic, or camera. That alone was an exhausting task. A maximum security facility had all of the above, and in abundance. This was not a pretty endeavor, and that was speaking gingerly. Several times she found herself pinned against a wall, crouching behind furniture or lab equipment, or even pulling herself hand over hand along various rafters to avoid blatant detection. It was impossible to be certain as to whether or not she entirely avoided cameras, or any other hidden gems that might be kept lurking around such a heinous place. The best she could do was remain focused, plant the bombs, and try to release those held captive.

I really ought to have brought those topography droids. They might be just mundane enough to have avoided detection and get me a proper readout of this Sith spawned hell hole.

Locating the first of the three locations on her journey the woman waived a hand across the door to the laboratory. It seemed empty for the time being. A good sign for now. There was a ventilation duct on the lower end of the wall, that would be the most discreet location. Carefully, and as quietly as possible, Sera removed the grating that covered the vent, before reaching into the satchel she carried across her side to reveal a compact thermal bomb. Placing it inside the vent she primed the explosive and reseated the grate. A soft sigh passed through her lips. One down, two more. No alarms, no rushing guards, and no Sith yet. If she made it through this without a hitch she would be astounded.Though there was still the issue of figuring out just how to go about freeing the prisoners, and even if she managed that, how she was going to get them to safety.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

A tremor.

A whisper.

It pulled at the frayed strands of his mind, calling for him, beckoning him below. There was not a whole lot that went unobserved within the edifice of tyranny he had constructed for not only were the halls and rooms put under constant surveillance by a horde of mute servitors hooked to machines by cables and tubes, but a darkness permeated the structure from the bottom up that seemed to writhe and seethe with a sentience of its own. But it was merely the visage of Vornskr's pale shadow, his imprint in the Force left behind to watch over his domain like an obedient hound. And it had sniffed out something, found an entity that was not like the rest of the soulless drones and heartless psychopaths that flocked to Vornskr like a pestilence.

It smelled of the Light.

But such a sensation could not be picked up by mortal instruments both organic and artificial, only one deeply immersed in the Force could taste the aura of another. Of course there were quite a number of Jedi imprisoned within the pyramidal temple, bound and gagged while periodically being subject to horrific soul-shredding experiments by the Sith Lord and his menagerie of unholy zealots. Some have been driven so far from the light they once cherished that they willingly embraced death's embrace rather than continue on with their pitifully gray existence, while others have been broken entirely and now torture those they once called friends and allies. The Black Pyramid was a place where boundaries were tested on the body, mind, and soul. The limits of each are pushed beyond reasonable capacity: flesh is reforged in a crucible of hate, the mind is broken down and stitched back together by glassy eyed seers, and the soul is torn forcefully from the body only to be shoved back in to see how much abuse it could take before it eventually crumbled to nothingness.

And now a foreign object moved freely though his domain, and he found such things infuriating. In one swift movement he rose from his chair and exited the room, slipping on a black zeyd-cloth robe to cover his semi-nude form while gesturing to a nearby pair of Imperial Sentinels that perpetually roamed the winding halls of his penthouse. "Come with me" he said, "A lamb has wandered into the wolf's den."

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

A cold shiver ran down the back of the Twi'lek's neck as she scampered down another one of the long, darkened corridors that led her deeper into the treacherous chasm that a particular Sith called home. There was something lurking about here, something truly sinister, much unlike any Sith she'd ever encountered. It felt as if it were evil incarnate, its' taste nearly palpable on her tongue. Surely this was not something born of the living, no it couldn't be. Still, she had to finish what she'd come all this way for. To flee now would be meaningless. Crouching down beside the end of the corridor, she peered her head around the corner to get a glimpse of what followed just beyond. A rather long catwalk separated this junction of the quadrant to the next. The problem? It was entirely exposed. No cover, no hiding. Sera leaned her head against the wall and sighed. It was simply too risky. Even if the guards didn't see her, surveillance surely would. She had no choice but to return to where she came from earlier and descend the lift leading to the next level.

Making her way cautiously back towards the turbolift near the hangar, a patrol of a single guard took up post at an intersection she would have to cross in order to continue. She watched, studying him from a distance for a short while, time she really didn't want to waste but was forced to regardless. The guard turned and began making his way towards where she had taken up cover. With limited options she slid open the door of another laboratory open and crawled inside, pressing her body up against the wall next to it as flat as possible. The sound of boots against the cold durasteel floor grew louder as the man drew ever closer to her rather poor choice of hideout. The noise halted just outside the room. She closed her eyes, holding her breath. After a few brief moments of tense silence the footsteps continued on down the hallway and began to get softer and quieter with each passing step. Sera let out a relieved sigh, waiting just a few moments longer before opening the doorway once more and slipping down the corridor.

Reaching the turbolift she stepped inside, her heart beating as loud as a bass drum. Her pinkish finger pressed the down button, and as the doors slowly crept shut, that feeling of dread, darkness, and terror washed over her once more. She couldn't be certain if there were sentries posted at the lift, but if there were, she would be quickly discovered. Without pause Sera retrieved her lightsaber and expeditiously carved a small circular hole through the top of the lift, catching the durasteel so not to make an abundance of noise. With the hole large enough now, she jumped up and through it, taking with her the cut piece of ceiling and placed it lightly aside. There was no way to patch the hole, so she would have to take that risk and hope that nobody noticed it anytime soon. Inside the shaft of the lift, a small number of ventilation shafts interconnected here, where air would be pulled upwards and recycled within the complex. This seemed to be a suitable location for the second bomb. Carefully the Twi'lek attached the device to the outer wall of the shaft, priming it much like the first. Sera then crawled into one of the ventilation ducts and began the arduous task of snaking her way hand over hand through the rather cramped space to the final destination for the third explosive.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The lift finally reached its destination and with an audible ding the doors opened to reveal the scowling face of a Sith Lord, his crimson eyes peering into the empty space before rising up to peer through the hole neatly cut in the metal roof. Behind him the two Imperial Sentinels milled about soundlessly, dark eyes glaring out from behind narrow slits in the heavy linen that was haphazardly wrapped around their putrid faces and fastened by a durasteel helmet resembling an Aquila with flared wings. The Sith Lord turned to his silent guardians, "Double the patrols and wake the others." One slightly dipped its head in acknowledgement before both of them turned awkwardly in the hallway that was too cramped to hold their massive ten-foot frame, leaving the Sith Lord alone in the darkened hall half-way between the threshold of the infiltrated lift.

Removing the comlink from his side he contacted central security, "Heat up the ventilation shafts, we have a rat in the system."

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Pausing mid-crawl through the tight quartered space, the woman could hear the clank and popping of what sounded like pipework. Moments later, a rather strong gust of air passed over her. Was she found out? Or was the system on a timer? She had no intel on the air filtration system to know for sure. It made little difference for the time being however, as she had nowhere to go but forward. Turning around in such a tight space would be impossible for any being with a skeletal system larger than that of a small child, so forward she must go. Minutes later she took a moment to rest, realizing that the heat had been activated. It's not cold outside, why would the heat be...That was all the confirmation she'd needed. Someone knew she was there, and that someone knew roughly where she was. She'd have to adjust her plan accordingly. There would be no time to free prisoners tonight, unless they were along her escape path. She would have to find a suitable place to plant the third explosive before making her way to the upper level hangar, and hope that nobody had discovered her little gadget that had been stowed away.

She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and continued pushing forward against the flow of air. It would figure of course, that she chose an exhaust duct to crawl through, rather than an intake. Not only was she fighting against the flow of air current, but she was receiving the brunt of ever increasing temperatures. Reaching to her side to retrieve one of the saber hilts secured to the hip, she was just about ready to cut her way through to whatever room awaited below when she noticed ahead an opening in the shaft. A small grating that overlooked another chamber of this death trap. Cautiously she crawled towards it, ensuring she made as little noise as possible in doing so. Green eyes gazed through the mesh cover and into the room below. Silence. That was good enough for her. Slowly she twisted the screws that connected to the inside of the duct, though they fell one by one to the floor below. Once the final screw was removed the mesh grate began to fall towards the floor, only to be halted mid-way by her telekinetic hands. The object was floated quietly to the floor before being released, and the Twi'lek hopped down into the room.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Black-plated guards roamed the halls with blaster rifles hugged close to their chests, cold eyes staring out from behind colder visors that constantly streamed information in regards to the security breach at hand. At the head of the bunch was an assigned captain with distinct golden markings rather than the typical blue and red of the standard guardsman, and a decorative Aquila insignia had been scorched into the plating covering his left breast. "Tui emdlykil poi' xi am sizisr hezi dulaybu rizim kinimkemb am dui zimdesodeam ruohd duii' vuaari, rdoi' osild omk rid vionamr da rdym. Tui Mordil kirelir duip osezi, xyd mad mivirrolesi' emdovd." barked the captain in perfect regal Epicant, which was then translated by the helmets of those soldiers who could not understand the language of the Epicanthix: The intruder may be on levels five through seven depending on the ventilation shaft they choose, stay alert and set weapons to stun. The Master desires them alive, but not necessarily intact." was the basic translation, and conveyed exactly how far they were ordained to go in regards to inflicting their own desires upon the miscreant who had the stones to break into the domain of one of the Dark Lord's chosen champions.

Whoever they were the Blackblades could respect the audacity, but at the same time their hatred festered in their bellies for the slight indignation they now suffered because of lax incompetence. However; their ten-foot tall compatriots (the Imperial Sentinels) felt nothing for the intruder, their minds lobotomized and under the yoke of the dark master they served. They would perform their task with robotic efficiency and zero morality, but they too knew to keep the intruder alive for the master. Even still their grips tightened on their massive alchemized halberds, ready to lash out at the slightest hint of provocation. Behind them was a robed individual bereft of eyes or tongue with dark etchings inscribed onto his pallid skin for he was one of the Vornskr'ei seers that helped maintain Vornskr's vast network of arcane intricacies and spells, and it was he who directly controlled the acts of the Imperial Sentinels that lumbered behind the more independent Blackblades.

Motion sensors directed a nearby hunting party to a relatively empty section of the dark laboratories close to the ventilation system where the intruder what theorized to have tried to escape through, and the Blackblades fanned out to try and corner their prey.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The moment the Twi'lek's feet touched down on cold durasteel flooring the lights in the room flickered on. Kark. The female could feel the ever growing presence of the darkness. It felt tormented, festering, of the dead but made to be of the living. Something unnatural. It sent a wave of tremors up her back, making the tiniest of hairs stand on end. She closed her eyes, felt through the Force, opened her mind and outstretched her presence. Soldiers of the pyramid were making their way towards her. Whether the light triggered their advance, or her location had otherwise been compromised, she had to get moving immediately. Drawing a deep, tense breath, Sera opened the door leading to the corridor. With her head cocked to the right, her eyes widened, what looked like a fully mobilized squad of soldiers had surely noticed both the light flicker on, and her brightly colored head and lekku peer out from within.

The jig was up. It was time to relinquish the idea of subtlety and simply bolt. Out of the door and to the left the woman ran, full on sprint towards the opposite end of the long hall. Her eyes glanced back for just a moment, to see the figures of the guard and their position. The third explosive still needed to be placed, and she was out of time to do so secretively. She would have to hope that the first two bombs would at least cause a partial collapse of that sector, and set back some of whatever research was being done. In the mean time, she reached into the pack and removed the third and final device, priming it as she continued her marathon.

Rounding the corner of the corridor a large double barred doorway blocked her exit to the inner sanctum where the prisoners were held. A massive cell block containing what was likely hundreds of unfortunate captives. As quickly as her legs could carry her she headed towards the door with her right arm extended, sending a powerful force of telekinetic energy tearing at the joints of the door frame to weaken it. Rather abruptly the guards within the tower stationed in the center of the panopticon would both see and hear her rather grand entrance as the double doors were torn from their hinges inwards, followed by a rather small stature pink Twi'lek carrying a curious looking device in her left hand. The woman took a moment as she halted her sprint to gaze up in awe at the countless number of cells encompassing the structure. There are so many...

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"You have no idea." retorted the voice form the shadows, a gravely voice that not only grated against the ears but shivered down the spine to chill the soul with it's evil. Already alarms began to sound as spotlights pivoted to focus on [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] as he beheld the grandiosity of the Sith Lord's prison, guards hurrying along the various catwalks to train their weapons on her with lethal intent yet they did not fire. It was as if the whole world held its breath in anticipation as the showdown grew in intensity, the prisoners within the ray-shielded cells craning their heads to peer out to look upon their would-be savior as she courageously stood her ground. Yet from behind her came a darkness so malignant in its existence it caused those same prisoners to shrink back in fear and pain, many of them huddling in the farthest corner as wounds carved into their flesh burned red hot just from being in the presence of this being.

He wore a cloak of midnight black over armored plating that hugged every muscular angle of his body, and various trinkets and baubles dangling from his frame that rattled softly with each long stride. His hateful gaze bore into her, pinpricks of sulfuric yellow in a sea of blood-shot white sclera, and his mouth split into a cruel grin that caused his cracked lips to break and bleed to stain his teeth scarlet. "It's not everyday that a Jedi musters up the courage to come into my domain, but the suffering that entails I cherish the most. So tell me, Jedi, have you come here for revenge? Or are you just tired of being hunted down?" A lightsaber hung loosely from his belt, but with a mere twitch of his fingers it flew into his open palm where his fingers wrapped around the curved-hilt tightly. Yet he did not activate the crimson blade hidden within, and instead chose to study the byzantine Twi'lek before him like a predator would stare longingly at prey.

And the tension mounted.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Seraphina watched as the dozens of guards scampered about on their catwalks above, positioning their weapons towards her while the tower itself allocated their spotlights upon the Twi'lek standing before them. The footsteps that followed promptly from behind caused the female to crane her neck to the side, fixating an eye to the one who now spoke to her. His voice sounded as corrupt as the words that slithered from his lips. Adjusting herself as necessary to properly face that which defined the very essence of what it meant to be Sith, she momentarily shuttered her eyes, a half smirk on her face while she shook her head slowly, head tails trailing just behind her gentle movements. "Come now, you must know that Jedi don't act on revenge. Those are your teachings, your way." She lifted her right hand; pointed to the cells above and around. "I came for them. I came to prove to them that even in the darkness that pervades these halls, light will always find a way through." Her dark green pupils glared towards the saber hilt held in Vornskr's hand. The darkness she'd sensed earlier, it encapsulated him now as he stood a short distance away from her.

The pack she carried with her containing the third and final explosive was gently dropped to the ground from her left shoulder before the Twi'lek moved a number of steps to the side. A pink hand drifted towards her hip, releasing the latch of one of her sabers. She held the weapon, still pointed towards the ground, examining the surroundings and the guards that had encircled the Sith and the Jedi on the walkways above. While there were quite a few, and certainly more than enough to exterminate her life, she was confident in Vornskr's intent to take her alive, and moreso that they would not act without his say-so. Sith ruled through fear, and she was positive that the men, or creatures that served him did so under that same level of fear. "The corruption of the dark side, it has consumed you." Her eyes closed, feeling through the Force. "You've welcomed the darkness, embraced it with open arms. What is it that drives your desire for the pain and suffering of everything around you?"

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Daddy wasn't very nice to me when I was a child" he mocked, "And you should know as well as I that a black hole devours all light, and you've waltzed right into its icy center." Perhaps his mockery wasn't too far off the mark, but while it was true that Vornskr did not have the most compassionate or stable of childhoods his inner hate no longer derived from the anger that had been directed at his parents. For as long as he had known how to hate it had boiled inside of him no matter how hard he tried to relieve himself of the festering contagion that pulsed at his core, and thus he eventually abandoned all attempts to alleviate his pain and turned his own suffering into power enough to enslave millions and shape the course of history. But his endgame for the galaxy could be seen by many as nothing more than a demented pipedream, but if he were allowed to fulfill his insane desires then all of the galaxy would burn at his command.

"And all you shall prove is the futility of your compassion for these mongrels." He swept his left arm in a wide gesturing pattern towards the levels up levels of ray-shielded cells that ascended upward indefinitely, "Look upon their ruin, Jedi. I have stripped them of all hope! There are even Jedi here who I have whittled down to a pitiful husk, devoid of individuality and the dogma your kind still cling to despite the shift in the Force's balance." He snarled, his voice taking on the consistency of sludge when referring to those wretches creatures he had tortured beyond all recognition physically and mentally, warping their souls just for the sadistic pleasure of seeing how how far the limit's of one's mind, body, and spirit could be stretched before they finally broke under the strain. Vornskr considered those hulking behemoths that [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] saw earlier escorting the Blackblades to be one of his finest works, all vestiges of their former identities completely eradicated and replaced with undying obedience.

The perfect soldier.

The Sith Lord pressed the activator switch on his lightsaber, and with a sharp snap the scarlet blade erupted from the emitter to bathe both of them in a sinister red glow. He raised his blade to angle it towards her aggressively, "And so shall I strip you of your humanity, until all that remains is an decrepit husk!" And with frightening speed he lunged forward to swing his blade in a diagonal arc towards torso, seeking to cut across her chest from her left hip to her right shoulder.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Cautious green eyes stared back as the crimson blade sprang into existence, its' vibrant synthetic crystal illuminating the immediate vicinity like a beacon of danger. She'd danced to this tune more than once before. Sith, always so eager to charge head first into their target that they pay themselves no heed. Seraphina took two steps back as she felt the twinge in the Force, subtle cues in Vornskr's body language that indicated what her opponent was about to do. So as the Voice of the Dark Lord charged towards her, she just as quickly pressed her thumb over the biometric activator switch, snapping to life Maseru; Her purple hued saber. The blade was distinctly thinner than that of Vornskr's due to the manner of construction that had been chosen to compliment her preferred Ataru style of combat. She chose to leave Astana at her side, engaging the Sith Lord with a single blade for the time being. The Epicanthix stood well over a foot above her, and judging by his overall appearance, backed that up with a substantial weight difference as well. A brilliant spark of light cascaded across both Jedi and Sith as the two plasma swords collided mere inches away from the female's waist with a wicked hiss. The power that followed through with the strike forced her to back peddle a number of steps, feeling the raw strength in the momentum of his attack.

"Those you imprison that remain alive, hope is not lost upon them. Their will you may have broken, but life breeds hope. Not even you, Sith, can take that from the living."

The Twi'lek took only a moment to adjust her stance and posture, taking into consideration the drastic differences in the two fighters, before retaliating against the behemoth standing before her. The ground she'd lost in her stumble was retaken as she re-engaged him, making a precise slash across the lower abdomen. The intent was different from Vornskr's in that she was well aware that she could not overpower him. Instead, she would have to make this more of a game of outmaneuvering than one of power-punched strikes. As quickly as her blade lashed out it would be withdrawn in favor of a mild retreat, to force him to follow after her by measure of a backwards handspring, rather than stand fast to receive another brunt attack. A saber lock for her could end disastrously, so she needed to avoid that at all costs.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Currently it was Vornskr who held all of the advantages in this confrontation, not only was he larger and more powerful than the lithe byzantine Jedi, but he knew every nook and cranny of their surroundings. This was his domain, and he was the undisputed lord of the metal they stood on. And he considered all souls residing within his dominion subject to his authority, and it was in this structure where so many wills had been broken and shackled to his black will. "You know nothing of the depth of my power, Jedi, I have toiled long to unravel the secrets of the spirit and you shall witness first hand the fruits of my labor." The Sith Lord blocked [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]'s strike at his abdomen, and swung out in retaliation only to growl in agitation as his blade cut through empty air as the lithe Jedi danced out of his range. Perhaps she was not as foolish as he had previously assumed, she knew where her weaknesses laid and she did everything in her power to avoid a direct confrontation with his brutality.

But raw strength and decades of lightsaber training was not the Sith Lord's only strengths, for he had learned how to harness the rage that seethed within and channel the living Force through himself to destroy his enemies. And he called upon that power now as the Dark Side flooded his system, the coldness spreading through each extremity until it discharged as white hot cerulean lightning from the gnarled fingertips of his left hand to arc through the air to try and catch the Jedi directly in the chest or stomach. Such a vulgar display of power send ripples of energy surging throughout the prison spire, unsettling the prisoners so that they began to hurl themselves against the walls of their cells and wail in agony and discomfort as Vornskr's power radiated profusely. The soldiers, however; remained relatively unmoved by such a move, as they had been conditioned to their Master's wickedness through direct exposure and to the gradual corruption left in his wake.

And the air would grow heavy with static, and the overpowering stench of ozone would choke each breath as the senses were assaulted.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Avoiding a blow for blow confrontation was the idea. And had she not disengaged Vornskr following her brief attack he may have landed another overwhelming strike against her. Her feet touched down against cold durasteel once again, her body returning upright. To her surprise the Sith had chosen not to follow along in her dance. Instead a terrible storm of lightning flooded her vision, sparks and tendrils seething from his fingertips in a determined rage. The Twi'lek raised her right hand, lowering the saber held tightly in her left to direct towards the ground. Seraphina's eyes squinted partially due to the blinding light that was produced at such a short distance, but also due to the inability to entirely deflect the vast amount of energy being released. A number of spectators amongst the vast number of cells would see the energy being diverted up and around the body of the Twi'lek, with an occasional tendril snapping at her torso and right leg that would cause a momentary spasm in the muscle, as well as a noticeable pained expression on her face.

In need of a plan to break the concentration of her opponent, Sera deactivated her saber with her left hand, returning it to its' resting place at her side. Maintaining eye contact with Vornskr, and focus on deflecting as much of the electric current as possible, the woman retrieved the detonator to the three bombs from the small pouch adjacent to her saber hilts. Two of the three explosives were placed well enough, the third however was dangerously close to both Jedi and Sith. The risks were high, but she had to stop the assault of lightning. The bombs placed in the elevator shaft and laboratories would hopefully accomplish their implied function, while those within the prison were about to witness a rather impromptu display of fireworks.

Green eyes shuttered closed as pink fingertips pressed the activator on the detonator switch.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The lightning arced through the air to hit the shield erected by [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"], sparks of energy rebounding from her palm to scorch the walls and floor a terrible black. However; the ferocity of Vornskr's assault was powerful and perfectly directed, and some of it managed to spill over her defenses to dance across her byzantine flesh. The inmates above and below would shield their eyes from the spectacle for fear of being blinded by the vulgar power. Darth Vornskr sheathed his lightsaber and added his right hand into the mixture as lightning erupted forth anew from his fingertips, his mouth quickly curling into a frustrated scowl as his displeasure rose when the Twi'lek failed to roll over and accept her fate from his onslaught. He took a step towards her, then another as he continued to lay into her with his strength, and for a single moment time seemed to slow to a stop as he made eye contact with the Jedi.

And then all he knew was a blinding light staining his eyes and an ear-shattering eruption coursing through his ears.

Being so close to the satchel of explosives sent the Sith Lord flying back as they detonated, his back hitting the far wall with a rather rough impact. The Sith Lord collapsed to his knees as fire washed over him from the explosion, but quickly enough he conjured a shield to protect himself from further harm. Meanwhile the other two explosives detonated and fire raced through several floors and knocked out several power generators stationed near there. The lights began to flicker, and one by one the ray shields guarding each cell disappeared as backup lights flooded the chamber with an eerie red glow. Already nearby security forces were responding to the plumes of smoke that rose up from the pyramid's sides, including several fire gunships that idled nearby and began to attempt to extinguish the flames. Meanwhile those prisoners that still had any shred of desire to escape quickly made a run from their cells only to be intercepted by those Blackblades who had been far enough away from the blast to be relatively unaffected. Those that had been were knocked off of their catwalks to plummet to the hard ground below.

Darth Vornskr slowly rose from where he had fallen, his eyes now burning brighter than ever with unadulterated hate as they searched the wreckage for the Twi'lek Jedi. "GUARDS!" he bellowed, "Sound the alarms, mobilize all reserves... and bring me that wretch's head!"

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4fgGZEggxE​

​

Boom. A relatively light word to use when taking into consideration the proximity that Seraphina had been in with relation to the explosion. Her eyes had closed immediately before the blast, having released her fate to the will of the Force and hoping for the best. In less than a second's time, a deafening sound rang out as the bombs went off one by one in unison. Intense heat washed over her body followed by a massive blast of energy that lifted her body from the ground as if nothing more than a leaf in the wind. Shards of shrapnel, debris, and durasteel imbedded itself in her body as she was sent through the air weightlessly. Her still conscious body collided with the central tower wall where loosened duracrete from the building fell atop her, creating a pile of debris that somehow managed to conceal her body, perhaps in combination with the smoke and dust that now encapsulated the chamber.

The oxygen had been punched out of her lungs, leaving her unable to catch her breath or voice any kind of pained cries. For a few moments she simply lay where she landed, hearing others scream as they made attempts to flee, most seemingly in vain. She heard the impact of bodies landing on the ground around her, but aside from the loudest of sounds, she had been temporarily deafened by the explosion. The Twi'lek heard Vornskr shout something, but couldn't make out anything besides the call for guards. Very shortly thereafter though she could hear the high pitched tone of the complex's alarm system.

For a minute all the Jedi could do was lay still taking short breaths while her lungs settled from the abuse they had just received. Her body ached now; She could feel the warm trickle of blood running slowly down her leg. There was no way she was lifting the debris from her body by hand, she'd have to borrow from the Force to lift the duracrete from on and around her. When the time came that she felt comfortable enough to emerge from beneath the wreckage she focused her mind on the rubble around her, lifting it up and off of her as a single collection, and subsequently dropping it beside her body as she rose from hands and knees to her feet.

Though quite a bit of dust and fog still clouded the room, she could see Vornskr, clear as day just a dozen or so feet away from her with a sinful rage in his eyes. It seemed he was rather displeased with the fireworks she set off in his home. "Sith!" She shouted through the haze, igniting both purple and green lightsabers in a vibrant glow that would be seen from all around as they angled diagonally towards the ground, extended by both hands with palms facing forwards in opposite directions away from her body.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Sith!"​

​

He whirled around towards the sound of the voice, his eyes burning with hate as blood trickled from the fresh wound that now marred his already disfigured face. The nearby guards all leveled their weapons towards the Jedi with the intent to shoot her dead, but the Sith Lord raised his left hand and they quickly lowered their guns in response. "The queen is mine!" he bellowed, spittle flinging from blood-stained teeth. He retrieved his lightsaber from his side, letting the curved weapon slip into his palm before activating the scarlet blade and then without anymore pretense or insulting banter he lunged forward to engage the Jedi. Darth Vornskr had plenty of experience both fighting with and against two lightsabers, his own blade flashing out to clatter against both of hers with such ferocity it seemed like he wielded more blade than the one he visibly fought with.

Meanwhile all around them the guards continued to deal with the escaped malcontent, generally trying to bring them down with non-lethal methods so they could be confined to their hellish cells again. But there were those who desired to not return to that pitiful existence, and willingly flung themselves over the edge of the higher precipices to die on the ground far below. Others lunged, unarmed, at the guard's weapons and were brutally run through by a hail of blaster bolts. Those that could not commit suicide were dragged back into their cells kicking and screaming before eaten the butt of the soldier's rifle, knocking out their front teeth and rattling their brains into unconsciousness. Eventually an elite anti-riot battalion had arrived at the facility, and went to work pacifying the escaped prisoners with a combination of stun batons and armored shields that were used to great effect in bashing entire groups of people down to the ground.

However; despite the wall of sound from the ensuing prison escape, it seemed that all focus was held on the vicious lightsaber duel between the tyrannical Sith Lord and the would-be liberator [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]. To the untrained eye they both moved as a blur, their heightened senses and training allowing them to move at speeds an average individual could only dream of without the added benefits of advanced cybernetics. But whereas Darth Vornskr was a maelstrom of hate and bitterness, Seraphina was an oasis of tranquility and spirituality. Yet neither was willing to give up ground to the other, and it was obvious that they had reached an impasse.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

If Vornskr looked closely he would see, for a split second before he lunged towards her, a smug smile on her face. One that could be interpreted as a hint that she was quite proud of the chaos she'd caused. That smile would disappear as the rather large man charged her again, turning to a focused determination. The prisoners that committed suicide by leaping to their deaths was hardly what she had intended by freeing them from their prisons but, perhaps to them, that was freedom. She would not mourn their deaths, but embrace in the realization that they had returned to the Force, where all living beings came from and returned to.

Her blades raised to meet Vornskr's violent onslaught. The weight, momentum, and force behind his sizable attack was enough to push her skidding backwards, despite her feet having been well planted. Like a pair of locked wheels on ice she skidded back about three feet as he unleashed wave after wave of raw hatred upon her. Green eyes peered down at her leg to check the severity of the injury she'd incurred. Shrapnel had embedded itself in her thigh, along with a few scorched marks from the lightning. Topping the list off was the rather nasty looking gash in her upper calf that was bleeding slowly, but steadily. Unfortunately, she'd never studied Jedi Healing, something she'd always meant to, but never had.

Each strike made against her felt heavier and heavier. She stared him down as their sabers locked, the hatred she saw in him was unlike anything she'd ever witnessed before, on any field of battle. It was simply inhuman. The humming of his saber began to lower closer to her face, forcing the Twi'lek to buckle one knee to the ground. The heat from the weapon could be felt on her face. Her jaw quivered momentarily. Then, in an instant she released her left hand, rolling Vornskr's blade down her shoulder and arm. Seraphina let out a shriek of agony, feeling the weapon burn its way atop her skin down her arm. The saber in that hand was released to the floor with a soft clank, the green blade fading from sight. With an abrupt burst of energy the Twi'lek thrust her right hand forward to hurl a powerful burst of telekinetic energy directly into the Sith's gut, before stumbling back in shock from the searing agony she was now in.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

There was something resembling satisfaction flashing across Vornskr's face as his blade managed to slip through her defense and scrap against her left arm close enough to flash roast her skin, but his satisfaction was short lived. Pure instinct took over [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] and with a great roar of pain she slammed her fist into Darth Vornskr's gut, and with the Force augmenting her strike she would send the Sith Lord tumbling back as he practically crumpled at the midsection from the blow. He rolled over backwards for several meters before he managed to shoot his left arm out to dig his armored claws into the floor, his fingers carving great canyons in the metal before he finally came to a complete stop. Slowly he rose, steam billowing off from his body as his hate visibly manifested itself as a searing heat that seemed to emanate from his body's core.

He lifted his head to look up at Sera, his eyes burning with that same piercing inhuman hate like before. "Enough of this charade!" he snarled, and like a snake his right arm shot up towards Sera. He made a grasping motion and Sera would feel her throat constrict as if someone had placed their hands on her windpipe and began to ruthlessly throttle her. His grip would only increase in intensity the long he maintained that connection, "You made a grave error in coming here, Jedi, and now this temple shall be your tomb!"