No Turning Back (Taeli Rae)

[Zion Mirtis]

"The same person? What do you mean?" she asked, still confused and yet wary. She stood and insisted with "You're talking like the Sith re you enemies, but you're one of them. You're one of us!" She shook her head as more thoughts started to come to her mind. "No... No. You're not telling me something. What is it? Why are you lying to me, Master? Why?" her voice was almost harsh an insistent now as she wanted an answer from [member="Taeli Rae"]​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Raven"]

"Let me pose this question to you, Sophie, so you can understand a bit better," Taeli said, brushing off the accusation of being an enemy of the Sith. "Are you the same person you were when I found you in that Ossus ruin, or have your experiences changed you? The same applies to my journey. I can't predict how things could turn out. I could return even darker than ever, I could stay away and live my life as a Gray hermit on some forgotten world, I could join the Jedi and fight for the light. I could even end up sequestered away in some monastery, studying the abstractness of the Force."

Turning to look at the ruined main statue, she continued.

"I'm trying to say I do not know what the future holds, it's constantly in motion after all. Something that both Jedi and Sith accept as fact is that we can never know how the future will play out."

In a whirl of her dress, she faced her old apprentice again.

"If I was lying, would I have given you comlink to contact me when you want? Would I be on Ossus or Ruusan, instead of studying Bast castle here on Vjun?"

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Her question had proven to put Sophie in a more compromised position. She looked down when she mentioned the comm-link before realizing her hands were shaking. She felt bothered by everything to the point where her head was hurting. She felt it hard to think straight. Everything she said made sense and yet didn't. Something was wrong but what? She spoke of turning to the Jedi and yet not? It was starting to swirl in Sophie's head.​

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"I...I don't know. I can't think straight." she said while still holding her head as she shook. "My head hurts... Everything's so confusing..." looking as though she was going to feint.​

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[member="Taeli Rae"]​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Raven"]

"That's the problem with personal journeys, they can be confusing," Taeli said, noting a few things about Sophie right now. She was theorizing that perhaps some form of psychosis was starting to develop in the girl, something that had been slowly developing genetically or spawned by her overuse of the dark side and her darker emotions ruling her.

"Sophie? Are you okay?" she asked, concern in her voice as her former apprentice gripped her head, almost as if in pain.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

"It's just....you're not making sense." She said, while still fusing with her headache. "You...you say you're going on a journey and you might wind up with the Jedi? Why?" she began to calm but her tone now turned into a more sad one. "Why would you ever do that? I...I don't want you to leave, Master. I don't want to leave you. I...." she was choking on the words now, tears brewing in her eyes. "I...I love you, Master!. I just want to be with you." She turned away now, hiding her sobbing face from [member="Taeli Rae"] . Her truth had come out and now she felt it was both the wrong time and the worst of situations. She was practically pleaded at that point and now feared the rumors that were true about her.​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Raven"]

"I didn't say I was joining the Jedi," Taeli replied. "I only said that could be one of dozens of possible outcomes of this journey." The admission of her apprentice loving her, while flattering, was not entirely expected. Yes, Sophie had been rather devoted to her, but Taeli had assumed that was just being deferential to her master and a growing friendship.

"I'm sorry Sophie, I really am," Taeli said in a whisper, trying to be gentle about this. "I see you as a friend, a good friend, and you're certainly an attractive girl, so I love you that way . . . but I don't have romantic feelings for you. I'm truly sorry."

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Hearing the other greater fear had only broken Sophie's heart more. She had sensed that her master did not feel the same for her, something she wished were another paranoia in her mind. But no. It was true. Finally hearing it had made her bring her hands to her face to try and rub her reddening eyes that streamed more tears. Her head didn't hurt as much anymore but her gut now felt like a brick had been stuck inside. She hunched herself away more to hide from [member="Taeli Rae"] , not wanting to see her break like this. It was all she could do now. Her master was leaving, she did not love her, and she may or may not return to the Sith ever again. All of it was just more weight on Sophie's heart.​

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But then, after a few moments, her mood seemed to change. She went quiet and still, only the little sounds of her sniffles filling the air. They too subsided as she began to stand taller now, not looking at her master.​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Raven"]

Taeli wanted to comfort the girl, feeling bad about the whole situation. Her reaction to her words was not . . . good to say the least. Taeli might be hiding her presence in the Force, but Sophie wasn't. The pain, the rejection of her love . . . something had just changed, and her body language had changed too.

"Sophie?" Taeli asked tentatively, not liking where this situation was going at all. "Sophie, I truly am sorry, and it's not like you won't have a way to contact me if you need something."

 

[Zion Mirtis]

She'd not responded at first. Instead the loud breathing of her trying to calm herself could be heard. Her emotions were changing now. No longer rejection, but spite. No longer loss but loathing. No longer pain but hate. Her eyes had been closed as she calmed herself. Her lips curled into a sneer. Finally they opened and she turned back to [member="Taeli Rae"] , only a great change had come. Instead of her more usual steel blue eyes they had now turned a horrid yellow. A sign of her devotion and want of the darkside taking over. There was no sign of passion or comfort or devotion. Any of the things that had been Sophie. They were gone. Only the cruel face of Darth Raven looked at her now.​

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"My name....is Darth Raven." she scowled, reaching for her lightsaber and drawing it. "And you....are a TRAITOR!" ​

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Her loud scream was soon followed by a sudden burst of the force sent towards her former master. It was powerful enough to shake the walls as she fired it. Whatever the reaction Taeli had Raven then followed up but running towards her with her saber overhead and ready to cut her in-half.​

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(And now the proper music lol)​

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1k5zo0w6N8​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Raven"]

"No," Taeli said sadly as her former apprentice spoke her name . . . her Sith name and declared her a traitor. "I'm not a traitor, but you are to yourself."

Then came the powerful burst of the Force, and Taeli had two options. Block it or take it, and she decided to take it for strategic purposes. The wave of energy sent her flying through the air, towards the statue. Sophie might think it gave her advantage, but Taeli righted herself in the air and landed lightly atop the statue, her own lightsaber flying to her hand and igniting, the new purple blade shining in the darkness against Sophie's red.

"You should know," Taeli said, jumping down just in time to catch her apprentice's attack with a block of her own saber, "you've never seen me at my full potential before. I've always held back in our sparring matches and lessons."

Without another word, Taeli broke the blade lock and began firing off feints and light strikes in an overwhelming speed at her apprentice, aiming to force immediately on the defensive.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

As their blades locked Raven's eyes burned as she looked right into Taeli's. There was only the Sith she'd become now, no longer the girl she once was. Even as [member="Taeli Rae"] warned her she was always holding back Darth Raven has hissed "Then I'll just have to kill you quick!" before breaking off. As her master attacked she was fast but Darth Raven was managing to hold her own; both from practice she'd attained from those like Darth Ferus and her own use of the darkside to guide her blade. As they fought she shouted out "I see it now! You're going to go to them. You'll go to the Jedi! You will betray us all!" She locked blades with her again. "And after you were the one who showed me how weak they were. You took me away from them and made me into this! Are you upset now? Want to try and change be back?" She pushed away and kicked at her master to send her on her back before trying to attack with a blast of Force Fire from her free hand.​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Raven"]

"No, I'm not off to join the Jedi," Taeli said, slightly impressed that Sophie had become better with a blade, "but then you can believe what you want. More level heads already know what I'm doing out here, including a Voice of the Dark Lord."

As their blades locked again, and Taeli looked into the purely corrupted eyes of the girl before her, she sighed internally even as Sophie tried to taunt her with dun moch. Fishing for a reaction, trying to invoke a sense of pity and guilt in her to throw off her fighting abilities. She didn't feel guilty though because of what she before her.

"I didn't transform you into what you are now, you let your own darkness control you too much and too long, not controlling it to fully understand how to properly use the dark side without becoming just another stereotypical Sith. Something isn't special anymore."

It was a low blow, yes, but Taeli knew that the girl she had trained was gone now, replaced by someone fully possessed by the dark side. Still, the kick came and Taeli sidestepped it and the flames projected at her, using the Force to augment her speed beyond anything her apprentice had seen her use. Her lightsaber came down towards the extended leg, not looking to sever, but to simply injure to the right side of her knee. Aiming to weaken, push Sophie further on defense.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

The words from [member="Taeli Rae"] had only made Raven all the more angry. It wasn't helped that both her attacks were missed, only for her master's saber to wound her leg. She yelped and fell to one knee for a moment before growling and standing again. Despite the pain she was still driven by her now untempered rage. After more words of how Raven was falling to the darkside, becoming something less than she was, she let out a resounded "SHUT UUUUPPPPP!" ​

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Her hands faced out before bolts of Force lighting flew out and tried to strike at Taeli. But Raven was pushing so much out that some had reached farther and struck the walls or nearby statues and other objects. Some cracking while others breaking altogether.​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Raven"]

She had already experienced someone using Force Lightning on her a little bit ago on Saleucami. She was not about to let someone else who was letting off steam do the same thing. Her lightsaber's second blade ignited and she began spinning them in an intricate pattern to block and absorb the bolts. A few slipped through, but they only caused her to grit her teeth in pain as the electricity shot across her form. The rest of the room . . . was not so lucky.

"I taught you better than this," Taeli said, no emotion in her voice as she deactivated the second blade, advancing towards her former apprentice again. The whole point of this fight was to make Sophie so angry that she started making mistakes, openings for Taeli to strike out in. "Apparently my younger sister is a better apprentice than you were. She actually heeded my words about too much darkness and letting her emotions control her."

With that said, she attacked again, her blade aiming to strike against Sophie's left hand or arm, all the while she launched multiple attacks and feints so Sophie would have no room to conjure more Lightning. If Taeli was honest with herself, she was still holding back because she didn't want to really hurt Sophie.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

More insults. More infuriating words. Raven only growled as she tried to push more lighting, only for it to be blocked by [member="Taeli Rae"] using her second saber. If anything Raven knew she was forcing her to use more effort in the fight since it had come to that. She still felt her holding back, however, and wanted to fight her as her best. Even if it meant dying she didn't care. She hated her and wanted to see her suffer. She wanted her to be forced to consider herself that much of a threat. She wanted to let her see what she'd done, how she had killed the very thing she made. When Taeli stuck again Raven tried to hold her own before feeling another saber strike to her arm. It hurt more, making her stumble back and fall to one knee. Her body was mostly covered by her robe still on, but that only game Sophie time to take the pain, bite her lip, and then try something else. She stood and lashed one hand out, this time with Cryokenisis. A stream of ice was aimed towards the floor where her master stood while the ice built around the wall behind her, making large sickles and the like form in the process. After that she tried attacking, this time with a heavy sweep to the left.​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Raven"]

It was like a roulette of abilities, just about everything she had taught Sophie trying to be used against her. Ice formed on the floor from Sophie's concentrated blast at the floor and Taeli felt herself start sliding as a heavy sweep of crimson came barreling in on her right, Sophie's left. Using the momentum of the slide, she slide along the ice under the blade and used the Force to slide past her apprentice.

Righting herself and spinning to her feet like an ice dancer, she sighed. Sophie was trying to make her use her all against, but she didn't fee like she needed to. Sophie, for as strong as she was right now, was still only a Knight and Taeli was a Master. She was still far stronger than her opponent.

"Don't make me take a limb Sophie, just stand down, you can't win this fight," she said. "I know every trick you're going to use, but you don't know all the tricks I do."

She doubted the woman would listen to her, she was too consumed by anger and hate now. Maybe in the future they would be able to talk civilly again, but not until she cooled off. Instead of aiming for her opponent herself, Taeli reached out with the Force and began freezing Sophie's lightsaber's power cell.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

She felt the impact before seeing her master slid to the side. Raven had changed her stance to face her before hearing [member="Taeli Rae"] say how there was nothing to best her. She then began to feel the cold in her hands before seeing her saber start to ice. It wasn't her. Her master was trying to take her weapon away from her. She would never allow it. Using the force fire again she heated the saber in hand to keep it from dying out, showing her master she wouldn't be beat that easily.​

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"I've learned a few of my own." she retorted before reaching out with the force.​

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A part of the wall was weak from the ice and the force lightning from before. She used the force to rip it down towards her master, distracting her enough to try and run at her again with another strike. Only this time when Taeli would try to defend or attack a burst of smoke would come and Raven's cloak would fall to the floor; no Raven inside. This was a one-off ability but Raven had tried using it this once as she reappeared behind her master, trying to strike at her back.​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Raven"]

"So I see," Taeli said, watching her apprentice heat up where the ice had started to form. Her brain had already seen a way to capitalize on that, she would need to be merely patient now. The Force ripped out from Sophie, and she could hear the wall falling behind her . . . perfect. As Sophie ran forward and disappeared into a puff of smoke for a moment, it was in the moment Sophie was moving behind her that Taeli cracked the wall into small segments to fall in a pile around. A few stayed floating though, forming a ring around her.

Closing her eyes, she built a mental map of the room around her, like she had been taught, and began using Force Sight to find her apprentice. The dark side energies she radiated highlighting her in red as she moved to her rear.

When the attack to her rear came, Taeli whipped around and directed the rocks at her former apprentice and friend in a hail of shards that would certainly hurt if any connected.

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Raven should've known better. She was attacking out of anger and not thinking straight. She let herself get right into her own trap used against her as [member="Taeli Rae"] had turned and sent rocks towards her. Raven held her arms in a cross as best as possible before creating a Force Barrier. It came up in time but the growing impact of the rocks and Raven's own jumble thoughts were causing it to break faster. The last one had hit so hard, from both the impact itself and the last of Raven's concentration breaking, that she went flying back towards a window. She crashed through and landed outside on the landing bay in front of the castle itself. Landing on her back with a loud thud she groaned in pain, rolling on her side after a moment and coughing as she tried to pick herself up.​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Raven"]

Taeli walked slowly to the window and jumped down to land gracefully in front of Sophie, the rain starting to fall heavily. It wasn't the acid rain this world was famous for, not yet anyways. It would be soon though.

"Give up yet?" she asked, her lightsaber blade sizzling as the raindrops hit it and evaporated in a puff of steam. She hadn't even needed to use the spinning function yet, and the double blades only to block the lightning. If Sophie was in her right mind, she might recognize that she was making mistakes in going about this . . . such as Taeli had frozen part of her lightsaber, and then Sophie had reheated it using fire. Metal usually didn't appreciate that sort of attention for too long.