Loose Ends

[Darth Empyrean]

Coruscant, Entertainment District 8032
Cirqa 853 ABY

Interacting With: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] │ [member="Alexandra Feanor"] │ [member="Arekk"]
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The night had gone exceptionally well, as the two moved through the streets of Coruscant with a hearty laugh and two jubilant souls. They had already seen a play, eaten dinner, and drank just enough to feel tipsy; all the requirements of a good night in most people's book. It did the two well to get away from the stresses of Sith life, and enjoy themselves outside of the strain of constant training, even away from the responsibilities of Harper’s Respite; the exact reason they came here tonight.

Both during and after the Emperor’s Ball, Maliphant and Nilia had spent hours speaking to each other of their lives. Who they perceive themselves to be, their history, their aspirations, everything that made them human, and for the first time they expanded beyond the world of ‘Master & Apprentice’ but people simply enjoying one another's company. When the conversation of attraction came up, it was only natural they decided to spend a few nights together travelling to Coruscant to enjoy the world of casual living, outside that of the Sith; and it had gone exceptionally well, evident by their laughing as the two moved towards the safety of Maliphant’s blockade runner, The Scarlet Will.

As the two winded down in the final hours of the night, hands held together for warmth in the crisp air, Maliphant’s jacket over Nilia’s shoulders, he offered her the gentlest of smiles while speaking earnestly in a lull of the conversation, with only a tinge of alcohol disturbing his tone;

“You’re beautiful.”, was all he said as the two wandered forth into the darkness, too preoccupied to realize the looming events.

Street lamps illuminated them as they wandered through the towering skyline of Coruscant, their ship only a few more kilometers from where they stood, docked in a luxury port Maliphant had bought weeks prior for the sake of ease while building up Blackwell Industries on the planet; but one that served its duties regardless of the conditions of its use.

It was anyone’s guess if they’d actually make it back, tonight.

 

[Arekk]

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CORUSCANT, THE CORE WORLDS​

ENTERING THE CITY ABOARD THE EBON HAWK​

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"I don't really care if you cry
On the real you should've never lied
Should've saw the way she looked me in my eyes."​

♫ // w. [member="Nilia Saavilin"], [member="Darth Maliphant"], [member="Alexandra Feanor"]​

Home.

When Ar'ekk said ages ago that he would never set foot on Coruscant, his homeworld, ever again he wasn't really lying about that but here he was again. This time with some company to his side, Alexandra Feanor, an old friend from his Jedi days that had agreed to tag along with for a very difficult task that had been kept very under the wraps and in a need-to-know basis in exchange for his services to the cause the woman defended.

His hands were tightly gripped to the Hawk's steer as he transmitted the landing codes to the security forces requesting them through the holoscreen, welcoming them to the beautiful yet clogged and alive even during night time skyline of Coruscant. Known as the center of the galaxy for some,

Ar'ekk really struggled coming back here again due to past occurences. Memories of his family dying on this very same planet, meeting Jyn for the first time and the struggle of surviving in the underworld as a foster child.

"Get your gear and prepare for landing, we'll be out shortly." His voice echoed throughout the milennia old ship as he let Alexandra know the current status. "And it'll be over soon."

Nothing ever did.

The Ebon Hawk touched the ground on a solitary landing bay and the metallic ramp lowered itself automatically, releasing compressed air from the sides as two shadowed figures emerged from within.

It was time to tie loose ends.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Location - Coruscant​

Gear - Armor, Spear​

​

​

​

Alexandra shrugged in the armor, getting it to rest a bit more comfortably and honestly surprised how well it fit. She had to wear some bindings to make sure everything fit correctly but the new body was remarkably close to Vulpesen's old stature, making the gift actually useful. It would be some time before she was completely used to the armor, but this was still more than enough movement and hid her face, making it her first choice for a mission like this. After all, she was not suppose to present a martial or even law enforcement portrayal of her position as a Jedi. As far as the Republic was concerned, she and her order were Civilians, and that was all.

This was fine in her mind though, it kept her to a purely academic and historian role when she arrived on battlefields as an observer. And it meant that if she defended herself, she would have nothing to fear in connecting the Republic, as she was a civilian and nothing more acting in self defense. But when she needed to conduct missions with the Hand or today with her friend, she had this armor as an option. And it made her feel like she could actually let loose.

Sure, she was still a Jedi, and none of her actions today would be directed in hate or even distaste for their target. It was merely a interest in testing this man once more after being told who the target was and even more so getting in a good fight. She partook in brawls all the time, keeping herself active and having her fun, as fighting felt even better now with this new body. The Zorren instinct to fight played on her already love of combat, making it almost insatiable sometimes.

"Keep a cool head you moron, I don't need to be the one dragging you off to get you a new body if you get careless... Im running out of my own replacements as is." She cracked the joke, mostly because she knew she could not complete the ritual anymore. Hel was gone, and with Hel gone she had become firmly planted in the light. It would take something massive to happen to shake her resolve at this point, especially when her mind and personality were still the lightsided one from when she had split herself in two.

She grabbed her spear, checked the daggers in her armor, and then smiled as the ramp came down. Calmly walking down the ramp and looking around, letting [member="Arekk"] lead the way.


[member="Darth Maliphant"] [member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

The Core, Coruscant, Entertainment District 8032, Undetermined Time
Calm Evenings | Interacting with [member="Darth Maliphant"] | [member="Arekk"], [member="Alexandra Feanor"] ~ Good Thing ~ "Finally, I get to stand on my own feet."
——————————————————————

It felt like a game, one she had not played in years.

Nilia had achieved the rank of Senator so young in the Sovereignty due to constant ambition and work ethic. There had been no time for relationships beyond the professional, no romance in her dreary life, none except those seeking her heart in order to reach beyond that to the depths of the Sovereign Senate. That had not been tolerated, in the slightest, and had led to many failed attempts over the period of the Sovereignty to create connections. Of course, there had been that bond, but, well-- We all know how that ended, don't we?

She'd come to not trust love. Now, more than ever, considering the circumstances.

But with Maliphant, for these few nights, she could let that go and pretend to be someone else. It felt liberating.

He called her beautiful and she huffed, a faint smile growing, "Some would say you are as well." The Eaduan noted, obviously referring to his androgynous looks and how many at the ball had been enticed by them. Somehow, this night had turned out better than the affair on Galidraan; sure, that night had been full of truth, but the deceptions of the Empire as well, which she still wasn't comfortable being associated with. Old habits, truly.

With his jacket over her bare shoulders, gaunt features illuminated in the flickers of neon and light that the district offered, she did have that tinge of the ethereal. Dark eyes, dark hair, dark half-moons under the aforementioned eyes. The smile she offered him grew loose with drink and kind with affection; and she leaned in a little conspiratorially, "I do hope you have a good cover story in mind for [member=Thesh]."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Coruscant, Entertainment District 8032
Cirqa 853 ABY

Interacting With: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] │ [member="Alexandra Feanor"] │ [member="Arekk"]
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Maliphant leaned against her in a manner befitting the intoxicated, just as she had done so to conspired in hushed tones with him. His face contorted slightly in a thought provoking manner, his free hand finding a place on his chin as he made an exasperated ‘Hmm’, just to reinforce vocally his supposed thought. When he was happy at the overzealous interaction, he gently laughed before shaking his head, speaking softly to the kind soul on his arm;

“Something something, special training.”, he said with a hearty grin.

“That’s all we do, Nilia, my dear. We only train.”

He spoke in a sarcastic, almost teasing manner, but didn’t press it as he wandered through the streets to the docks; simply enjoying the company of his apprentice, despite all that was to come. Although he didn’t know of the Jedi who awaited them, he did think every few moments of just how they’d break the information to Thesh that the two had courted themselves into an affair; not something he’d like to speak to the boy of. The ‘Birds & Bees’ wasn’t exactly his strong suit, and Maliphant was no father; at least not yet.

It was very likely they’d simply excuse their escapades as private training, though the details of which were to be smudged and restricted. ‘He wasn’t old enough’, something along those lines Maliphant supposed, he’d only hoped it be enough to cut down any curiosity he had; to save face more than anything.

Still, as the two walked with the joy of neon lights to shroud their faces, Maliphant tightened his grip on his Apprentice’s hand, speaking in the same soft, slurred tones of a man who well enjoyed his night;

“When we get back, I have the latest ‘Cloudburner’ film. Want to watch it with me?”, he said with a casual glance over, the lightsaber he always carried bouncing dangerously in the coat Nilia carried with her.

 

[Arekk]

_______________________________________________________________________​

CORUSCANT, THE CORE WORLDS​

DISEMBARKING​

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"The gilding on the mask had cracked to reveal the rot underneath."​

♫ // Gear: Lightsaber, Pistol, Armor // w. [member="Nilia Saavilin"], [member="Darth Maliphant"], [member="Alexandra Feanor"]​

He would've laughed if he remembered how.

Imaginary outcomes from the inevitable went through his mind like holoflicks, an incessant flood of images caused him to lose focus for a moment prior to disembarking from the legendary vessel. Same spot as he was standing on yet a thousand years ago a man had the same doubts as him, Revan, as he traveled to the unknown with his crew to unearth some awful truths. Making sure his weapons were in place and ready for combat, Ar'ekk tested the armor's cloaking system before stepping down the metallic ramp with Alexandra behind him.

Coruscant was awfully different to Lithios in almost everything you could think of, the absolute lack of rain and the polluting air was intoxicating besides the disgusting stench emanating from who-knows-where that was signature from this ecumenopolis. He truly felt at home one way or the other though it had been quite some time, running into familiar faces was unlikely a couple years later though not impossible. The task at hand was more important than anything, even if that meant sacrificing oneself for the greater good.

"I've gotta get her back, Alex. She probably thinks I've abandoned her, though I did, in some way." Restless nights negotiating that very same thought had brought him to this, a rescue bound to fail regardless of how hard he tried. "I just hope we're not too late."

Scanning the sorroundings, Ar'ekk saw nothing but a couple of junkies on the corner of a grimey alleyway injecting their lives away, so he signalled Alexandra to follow until they reached their destination marked on the datapads concealed beneath their clothes.

"We are not too far. Let's go through the plan, shall we? Take a vantage point while I go directly to them, making use of the cloaking system that my armor's got. It's a one-time use thing so once it's off you've got my back. After the confrontation, we'll get away through the same path we just took."

The man looked at Alexandra with confidence, eyes piercing her soul almost.

"If anything happens? Take the airspeeder I've got hidden in CoCo Town, warehouse number sixteen. The security panel's password is 2471. Do not come back for me."

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Location - Coruscant​

Gear - Armor, Spear​

​

Alexandra looked at Arekk with a bit of a saddened glance before grabbing the man and drawing him into a hug, patting him on the back. She knew the man had a heart but he was being silly, in more than one way. This woman was important to him and Alexandra would not just stand by and let him confront her alone, even if it meant watching from the shadows. She had no intention of interrupting what Arekk needed to do and was only there to help out her friend.

"I know the plan you dunce, you go get your girl. Got it?" Her smiled was hidden by the fox like mask but it was there, leaving her to back up and start walking. She walked with a very odd stance, the spear held behind her with both hands, her body cloaked, face hidden, and hair missing from view quite completely. It would be hard to even think this was the Jedi Master of the Republic's Jedi, as it looked like she was some young woman who did not take things seriously. She was relaxed and walking with a bit of merriment, even as she started up the side of a building, using a fire escape to get up to the roof.

"Oh and booze breath." She looked at Arekk as she shouted at him, her voice cheerful and full of life.

"Stop talking like that, the chance of that happening is a million to one, trust me, human calculator. Remember?" She laughed and let herself bleed into the shadows, following Arekk with unseen grace and moving across the roof tops. She would hide her presence, keeping herself off anyone's radar until it was her time to stop on in and occupy anyone that would interrupt Arekk's little moment.

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

The Core, Coruscant, Entertainment District 8032, Undetermined Time
A Disturbance | Interacting with [member="Darth Maliphant"] | [member="Arekk"], [member="Alexandra Feanor"] ~ Good Thing ~ "Glad to be, I'm getting tired of getting beat."
——————————————————————

"Ha. Training, sure. Mm. Yeah, why not? I haven't seen a good holovid in... Ummmm."

For some reason her mind was acutely aware of the weapon in the coat's pocket. It was unlikely she'd be able to grab it if needed, or even wield it effectively, but she could tell it was there. Sense it. It provided a distraction for a second, as her brain meandered through thoughts old and new.

"A while. I came here before, you know."

Not in reality. It'd been through the shadows of a nascent Force Bond, one that was exhausting to recall, she'd never really left her planet during her 'visit' to Coruscant. It was remarkable, what the mind could make itself suppress, sometimes, "I like it better like this though." Nilia confided with a smirk, her temple bumping against his in that manner pairs do when they are buzzed and unable to get a grip on fine motor control.

"How much further to the ship, you think?"

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Coruscant, Entertainment District 8032
Cirqa 853 ABY

Interacting With: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] │ [member="Alexandra Feanor"] │ [member="Arekk"]
___________________________________________________

“Doesn’t matter. We could walk forever, and I’d be satisfied.”, he said before laughing at the gushy nature of his own comment, heartily wiping a tear from his eye before simply shrugging, still leaning against his would be apprentice.

“In truth, I forgot. A few dozen meters maybe?”, he offered with a shake of his head.

It was true, he had forgotten, but the comment he made was only half a joke. He couldn’t help but laugh at the implications of ‘feelings’ and Sith, but the very nature of the night had given him hope. Somewhere in the darkness, the two would walk beneath neon lights and broken caricatures showing this oversized twi’lek dancer or this new raving galactic product, but it didn’t mean much to Maliphant; the simple joy of leaning against his legacy was enough to keep him entertained.

He also wasn’t actually sure they were on the right docking number regardless. Would have helped if he had the foresight to contact the droid known as GOOBER to deploy a pickup for them, and yet here they stepped, walking the streets with half a destination. Maliphant’s mind wasn’t entirely focused in those moments, more focused on the joy he felt at life than the combat oriented sith Alex had seen before, or the calm and calculated sith Arekk had seen. For once, around Nilia, he appeared human for once; not the demigod aura he put off.

In those careless moments, he wasn’t aware of the distant force auras, even if Nilia could likely begin to feel the pressure of Arekk’s bond with her. No, Maliphant instead hummed his favorite piano tune, their corvette still nearly a hundred meters away; numerous other frigates in between such.

 

[Arekk]

_______________________________________________________________________​

CORUSCANT, THE CORE WORLDS​

ON SITE, PREPARING​

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"The gilding on the mask had cracked to reveal the rot underneath."​

♫ // Gear: Lightsaber, Pistol, Armor // w. [member="Nilia Saavilin"], Darth Maliphant, [member="Alexandra Feanor"]​

"I remember but at this rate I really don't mind dying while trying. I shouldn't have walked away when I did."

His actions continuely ran through his head every sleepless night, going back and forth through the events that unfolded that led them to this point where ambushing both Nilia and Maliphant to get her back into the "good side" whether that was something she didn't want was their only option. If only he had insisted more or said something that made the girl he shared a Force bond with to reconsider everything she had been doing.

But he didn't do anything but walking away, suffering the loss was as good as anything else but he wouldn't stay with his arms crossed. Not tonight. Not ever or he'd never forgive himself.

His blaster pistol was ready to be used, trigger-finger wanting to do some exercise but aware of the risk that implied shooting at any one of them during this "rescue" attempt. Keepinng things clear and effective were much better, if things went south then Alexandra would have his back just in case. Relying on lethal force wasn't a thought that crossed his mind but surely was kept in the backburner if needed.

"Ten more minutes." Ar'ekk's eyes scanned the sorroundings, anxiously waiting for someone to pop up. He really wished he had a cigarette tucked between his lips right there and then to ease his nerves. "Just want to be done with this already."

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Location - Coruscant​

Gear - Armor, Spear​

​

​

Alexandra walked along the roofs and paced while her friend waited, whistling to herself while Daeda sat on the edge of the roof and watched her with curious eyes. The Wolf would be remaining up here, out of way of the combat but also giving her a second pair of eyes and ears, letting her have a better understanding ot the area she was going to have to work in. Her hand moved along her belt, touching the pistol at her side. It was an old slugthrower, nothing special and containing fifteen rounds, merely meant as a last resort or when her spear and the daggers in the armor were not going to help her.

It was then that she groaned and looked at Daeda, sighing as she removed the mask to set id down before sitting on the edge of the building as well. She let her red hair peak out from the hood but kept the hood itself up just incase while she ran a hand through Daeda's fur. The only other feature that could be seen was a more distinct one, her tail resting on the ground and laying still while she sat on that rooftop. But many races and species had such an appendage, so she did not worry about that giving her away.

Her hand rested to put the spear down as well now, taking out a datapad and working on some records she had not finished. She needed to get a good handle on the archives that the Jedi Order had at its disposal before she could be certain that her students could progress. It was alot of work scattered around in those databanks, but not something impossible for her.

She continued with that until the two in particular were seen by Daeda, who imparted the knowledge and sight onto Alexandra who looked up from her datapad, staring for a few seconds before grabbing her mask. It was about time to get ready.


[member="Arekk"] [member="Darth Maliphant"] [member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

The Core, Coruscant, Entertainment District 8032, Undetermined Time
The Laws Of Attraction | Interacting with [member="Darth Maliphant"] | [member="Arekk"], [member="Alexandra Feanor"] ~ Good Thing ~ "Follow me to rivers wide and valleys deep."
——————————————————————

Low heels tapped across duracrete as she laughed, a soft click-click-click that served as background noise. She hadn't laughed like that for a while, really. It sort of felt good? No, it did feel good. This evening had been lovely, a good reminder of what she'd left behind, but could still enjoy.

Something was wrong.

It was sudden, perhaps a little too sudden, but Nilia stopped in her tracks. The soft noises of her footfalls halted, and she more than likely yanked Maliphant back with her to a standstill. Moments away from what her senses warned was imminent danger.

"Mal, wait." That was an affectionate way to refer to him; but there was a hint of hesitation in her voice, enough to send up red flags. Dark strands of hair turned in the still evening air as Nilia's head turned back, and then forth, a frown across her fine features. Logically, it was unlikely that her master-turned-companion wouldn't be able to sense something she could, simply due to the differing skill levels, but there was one thing that he wouldn't be able to detect -- An old Force Bond that didn't involve him. Brown eyes narrowed and she let out a tense exhale, lips curled a bit, "There's a problem." The former Senator muttered vaguely, his jacket shifting around her shoulders.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Coruscant, Entertainment District 8032
Cirqa 853 ABY

Interacting With: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] │ [member="Alexandra Feanor"] │ [member="Arekk"]
___________________________________________________

Maliphant adored the night, adored the way he could abandon the need to stand as a stoic figure of unparalleled danger, if even for a few hours, even fell in love with the music of the night and the casual way Nilia smiled at his poorly crafted jokes and drunken mannerisms; not something he often allowed himself to do. There was very little time in Maliphant’s life for the chance to enjoy himself, making the act of such slightly difficult around anyone other than Nilia, it seemed, at least to be fully open with himself. However, as she tugged on him, his joy turned to concern as she spoke; the soft utterances of an unforeseen problem on her lips.

He hadn’t been paying attention, hadn’t been focusing on the force as he had trained himself to do. Despite all The Force held, he believed in the ancient teachings of Kreia to ignore the force when able, to never rely on it as a foundation, but utilize it as a strength when required. At the mere mention of danger however, he abandoned the need to ignore it, and brought his full attention back to the Force to feel the distant echoes in The Force, the danger that echo’ed through the air around them. Maliphant tensed his jaw as he moved to lean down and hold Nilia, as if to be discreet.

Wrapping his arms around her, he slowly reached into the inner pocket of the jacket she held over her shoulders while he leaned his head against hers, a sudden, dangerous seriousness in his look as he spoke to her;

“Nilia, do not get involved.”, he said in quiet whispers, only a few inches from her.

“If worse comes to worse, run for the ship.”

The force began to purify the toxins in his blood, sobering him up at an alarming rate, though he kept it down just far enough not to be noticed by the distant auras that watched them. Maliphant knew Nilia did not have the combat experience to go up against most opponents, at least not yet, and his worries couldn’t help but focus on his apprentice rather than himself. The same would have applied to Thesh, sure, but with Nilia it was something… more.

As Maliphant’s fingers finally grasped his lightsaber hilt beneath the coat as they embraced, he offered her the gentlest of smile as he closed his eyes; the last chance for the night to tell her how he felt;

“Whatever happens, know tonight was wonderful.”

“Don’t ever forget it, for what it was, not what it will become.”

 

[Arekk]

_______________________________________________________________________​

CORUSCANT, THE CORE WORLDS​

CONFRONTING THEM​

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"The gilding on the mask had cracked to reveal the rot underneath."​

♫ // Gear: Lightsaber, Pistol, Armor // w. [member="Nilia Saavilin"], [member="Darth Maliphant"], [member="Alexandra Feanor"]​

Ar'ekk had been watching both Nilia and Maliphant holding hands and walking together in complete harmony, his heart sinking and feeling his blood boil throughout his entire body. Despite all of this he wasn't going to back down because in his head everything was a trick by the Sith Lord, that Nilia was unable to see beyond this man's tricks to keep her under control and at the end of the day everything would be fine because they'd finally be... together.

The slicer had the advantage on this reunion of sorts, having crept up behind the duo and hiding from their sights thanks to the built-in cloaking system his armor provided, the barrel of his blaster pistol pressing against Maliphant's head while eventually revealing himself. Just a mere pull of the trigger and everything would be done with but he was better than that, always been, mission was about Nilia and not killing the Sith.

"I suggest you drop that right away." The sound of his voice oozed confidence but at the same time little snippets of anxiety popped up. "Nilia."

"You know I wasn't going to leave you with him. That day I met up with your master, I didn't abandon you let alone decided I wasn't going to try and save you. The difference between me and him is that I truly know who you are. You are not a bad person, don't give into darkness."

His eyes lit up a little as the neon lights reflected on the pavement, casting an orange-ish tint on one side of his face. Seeing Nilia again made him feel alive again despite the situation that was unfolding right before them.

"I've spent sleepless nights just thinking of you. I'm here and I won't go without you, even if that means giving my life in exchange. That's a promise, Nils."

It was decided.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Location - Coruscant​

Gear - Armor, Spear​

​

​

It was about time that Arekk moved as she watched the two enter the area below her. She was curious to see what was to happen but it would appear they caught on before she could move to act and subdue them. They stopped and with Daeda's help she could tell they were in no way calm, having sensed the danger most likely. She was a bit saddened to put an end to what seemed to be a good night for the two, but her friend had an objective she would help complete.

It was interesting that this situation had come to pass for her, seeing the man that was with Arekk's target, and leaning forward in interest as she sat above them. Her hands tapped on her legs as she smiled and was itching to fight him again. He had been interesting to her, a curious being with a presence in the force she wanted to study and understand, something below the surface that Alexandra needed to see. Her eyes continued to focus on the man when she heard Arekk begin to speak, and Daeda provide her a bit more strength to hear hearing.

It would seem he wanted to get straight to the point, making her sigh and watch the standoff being formed. She looked specifically at the hand heading into the jacket that hung over the shoulder of Nilia. She had wondered why the two sith were not carrying weapons but now assumed there as a pistol or saber hidden in that jacket, causing her to itch a bit more for the fight that was taking shape.

"And where will you bring this Arekk, where oh where."

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

The Core, Coruscant, Entertainment District 8032, Undetermined Time
The Laws Of Contagion | Interacting with [member="Darth Maliphant"] | [member="Arekk"], [member="Alexandra Feanor"] ~ Good Thing ~ "'Cause I got to-- Hey, hey, hey, hey."
——————————————————————

The seriousness of his tone, coupled with the sudden proximity, figuratively and literally stole her breath.

It hadn't even dawned on her that he'd been reaching for his weapon, for that was how captivated and small her world had turned on a dime.

"What?" Nilia demanded softly, black eyes endlessly searching across her master's alabaster expression. It was then that the second voice, one that seemed more tormentor than saviour, did she break eye contact. Her gaze narrowed past Maliphant, despite his potentially-unintended efforts to obstruct her view, "Ar'ekk."

It was a calm, almost cold muttering of the name, her facial expression almost blanked out upon seeing him emerge from shadows. Everything was crystal clear at that moment -- Maliphant's words, the forboding sense, the awkward inclination of being here. With clarity came realization; realization, anger. It was slow to stir, fast to gather.

"...What?" She repeated more softly, upon hearing the former Jedi's words. Dark brows started to press together as her mind whirrled in response. Slow to speak, her gaze hollowly landed on him without so much as a pang of true recognition, "If you'd have known me, you would have known this is what I was meant for." How terribly true. Her uncle was a Lord in his own right, her mother a merciless Mandalorian. No doubt the members of her family tree could have filled a world's ocean with the blood on their hands, cast shadows over star systems with their own darkness.

Nil'ika had been born to overshadow them all. That wild assurance in her status was evident in how the look turned even colder, "I can't abandon this."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Coruscant, Entertainment District 8032
Cirqa 853 ABY

Interacting With: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] │ [member="Alexandra Feanor"] │ [member="Arekk"]
___________________________________________________

Maliphant could feel Arekk press the weapon to his skull long before he spoke, closing his eyes as he leaned his forehead Nilia, in part to enjoy the final moments of their embrace, in part to focus himself. There were only a few more moments to pull what last bits of alcohol from his system, or else he’d be a severe disadvantage during the engagement; something he couldn’t afford if he intended to keep Nilia out of the conflict.

“She's made her choice, Arekk.”, he said with a quiet threat. There was a danger in it unknown the entire night, one that smoldered; the unknown wildfire before it burned down the continent. It carried weight, something both Arekk and Nilia fully understood he could back.

“Perhaps it's time you leave, with dignity.”

While Maliphant hoped it’d be enough, he could feel Arekk’s urge to kill, the deeply seeded hatred he held for the Sith. In stages like this, it was only a hair’s breadth away from losing control and failing to protect what they intended, even so common in force sensitives that case studies had been done on such. Perhaps he feared for his own well being, but he couldn’t help but worry the Jedi would turn on his apprentice, either through accident or purposeful destruction of that which refused to turn back.

With this fear in mind, he couldn’t idle any longer. As the last drops of his blood were cleansed through The Force, his eyes ripped open as he tore a breath from the sky itself, dropping the lightsaber as commanded; only to twist faster than comprehension could allow. Maliphant had been in his training armor so long, the act of being outside of it created a monster that moved far faster, far better than anything even Alexandra saw;

That which tore through reality now was a fledgling God.

From facing Nilia, to turning around to grip and tear Arekk’s wrist away from either of them in the hopes of ensuring his failure to shoot and harm them, it took less than the blink of an eye; a feat only capable through The Force. To capitalize, Maliphant’s knee came upwards in a sickeningly loud strike to Arekk’s stomach with enough force to not only rip him from Maliphant’s grip, but send him sliding across the docking bay, all the while the Sith’s free hand pulled the lightsaber he had dropped behind Nilia’s back, around her, and directly into his hand before being ignited.

There was a moment he stood there, carefully placing himself between Nilia and the would be assailant, waiting for Arekk to recover if the hits had landed, before he spoke his final peace;

“Leave, Arekk. I won't warn you again.”, his words littered with more venom and fire than ever before; every emotion flaring in the corrupted golden gaze of a Sith hell bent on the warpath, proverbial chains tearing at the beast that sought retribution.

 

[Arekk]

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CORUSCANT, THE CORE WORLDS​

CONFRONTING THEM​

_______________________________________________________________________​

"The gilding on the mask had cracked to reveal the rot underneath."​

♫ // Gear: Lightsaber, Pistol, Armor // w. [member="Nilia Saavilin"], [member="Darth Maliphant"], [member="Alexandra Feanor"]​

Beyond her anger and spite Ar'ekk could see the woman he had once met, the good person that remained within her and couldn't simply fade away by anything in the world. Her words pierced him like daggers as she had embraced the path that once led him to utter self destruction, living in fear and unable to take full control of his life. Soon that power would drain every single part of her body until there was nothing left but an empty shell.

That couldn't happen to her, not as the former Jedi lived. He had to try the impossible, defy all odds no matter how difficult.

"Don't do this, Nilia." If she knew how their lives could've ended in a similar way, his own life built on pure nothing and all the things that happened to him throughout the years should've sent him straight into the claws of darkness but did not. She was strong and smart enough to realize that even if she had already been seduced by Maliphant. "You eventually will. I'm going to help you."

The conversation was abruptly cut as her male companion grabbed his wrist and twisted it around, knocking the blaster from his grip and with the subsequent stomach kick hurl him flying in a backwards motion until he smashed his back against a metallic pole. Sparks popped up all over him as the contact was made, small grimaces of pain heard in plain darkness as the rain began to pour over their heads.

"Alex, don't intervene just yet." He said between painful coughs, almost whispering into the commlink on his right wrist. "Try to look for an opportunity to take Nilia and make a quick getaway. I've got this."

Slowly regaining his footing, Ar'ekk allowed the black leather cloak that hung to his shoulders to eventually fall and reveal the crossguard lightsaber attached to his utility belt. Very much like his opponent they were armed properly for tonight and if the situation required it then it'd be a fight to death. Pressing a button on the hilt ignited the lightsaber which in return made an aggravated sound, the cracked blue crystal making the blade look as unstable as its wielder.

"Try me."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Coruscant, Entertainment District 8032
Cirqa 853 ABY

Interacting With: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] │ [member="Alexandra Feanor"] │ [member="Arekk"]
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Unlike the harsh blue light of the lightsaber Arekk held, Maliphant’s was soundless, elegant, made invisible through the use of alchemy. If Arekk decided to look through the Force to see it, it would appear as though many blades came for him, though only one was real, and the direct result of its Ghostfire crystal. Maliphant gritted his teeth as he minded the presence of Nilia behind him, only to speak softly between Arekk’s tyrades;

“Stay safe, Nilia. Do not get hurt.”, he said quietly.

As he did, Arekk would once again witness the unburdened speed and ferocity of the Sith; that which had held back for months to ensure nobody would guess his true prowess. Seven thousand years of Sith Lords, the augmentation of artifacts so dark they were banished from reality, and the ascended nature of his pure potential within the Force, all served an orchestra of war that sung a beautiful song; rushing forward at Arekk with no chance for testing each other's limits, just the outright breakneck pace of a man who moved faster than perceivable vision. The metal ground they walked upon dented downwards as Maliphant’s foot left its mark, just as he would leave his mark on Arekk soon.

While Maliphant often took a Niman style, he faced Arekk now with his training of Juyo, much of which he had learned from that of Darth Sidious. The undying Sith Lord was considered the greatest blademaster in the history of the Order, surpassing even Revan or Tulak Hord, and his knowledge was pressed into the psyche of Maliphant even know. Multiple strikes struck outwards, each invisible, yet the presence of eight concurrent blades moved with the ferocity of a thunderstorm.

The invisible blade soundlessly moved to Arekk’s throat in a stab, struck to his leg in a shattering cross slash, and upwards full swing, a strike from both flanks, and another three seemed to come at once from the top. Juyo was a brutal style that focused so heavily on aggression, multiple strikes rang out almost at once, and anything short of a complete defense would be overwhelmed in only a moment’s notice. There was a reason why it was considered so dangerous, and it began to show as the darkside took over Maliphant’s features, his electrum eyes burning with passion as veins in his face began to darken.

Maliphant was no longer allowing the games to play out, and Arekk would not get the chance to threaten him, or Nilia, again.

 

[Arekk]

_______________________________________________________________________​

CORUSCANT, THE CORE WORLDS​

CONFRONTING THEM​

_______________________________________________________________________​

"The gilding on the mask had cracked to reveal the rot underneath."​

♫ // Gear: Lightsaber, Pistol, Armor // w. [member="Nilia Saavilin"], [member="Darth Maliphant"], [member="Alexandra Feanor"]​

This was nothing like he had ever faced in his life as he read Maliphant's body language and watched him adapt a very difficult form that only a handful of people were able to master the way he did, his experience prevailing over this fight which would eventually prove to be determinant at the very end. Yet Ar'ekk would not give up so easily as he had turned Makashi into an art of its own.

Maliphant struck with efficient fast attacks from all over the place, his movements were too much to handle and that made the former Jedi to take a few steps back to regain his footing and focus on surviving the battle rather than finishing everything with a single motion. After all, the mission was to recover Nilia from the Sith Lord to finally escape and not to kill anybody.

Though extremely difficult and taxing to converse his energy during their skirmish, Ar'ekk was able to deflect the life threatening stabs and slashes aimed to key parts of his body that would immediately put him out of the fight and more so end his life swiftly. Their plasma blades clashed harshly with a plethora of sparks flying all over the place, his mind and heart racing so fast that it felt like the world would come down on him anytime now.

No games tonight.

His next idea was to engage Maliphant up close and dirty, trying to use the Force to his advantage and combine that with rapid lightsaber slashes to his opponent's sides. Move back and forth, retreat and wait for the next attack would buy Ar'ekk enough time.

But how long?