Precursor.

[Darth Eversor]

Ambria; Devil's Court. ​

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In a place where many-a sin transpired, Darth Eversor stood among still rotting corpses from his past. The abandonment of his monstrous form to blend with the galaxy's cultural divides, so that he may continue his wrath. Jedi robes littered the cave's floor, and halfway decomposed skeletons lay shattered and desecrated. Mementos of a time when the entity starved for flesh and blood, a creature of much more savage tactics and habit. But he had become something much more, he had evolved into an apex predator, royalty to the God-King and executioner under his awful power. ​

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But yet, a higher calling was just out of reach. A scheme hatched by the twisted [member="Darth Ferus"] implied a method that could help turn the tide against enemies of the Sith. A true horror that they would not soon forget if all went according to plan. If the procedure worked, then death and suffering would spell out the end for many, and glory and righteous anger would consume. The answers weren't clear, however. What could come of alchemy was ambiguous at times and could yield unsavory results. Darth Eversor put a certain degree of trust within the Sith Assassin, for his title held quite an admirable reputation. ​

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"...If you still live in some way, I want you to remember the moment I stole your body from you. The day I ruined your pathetic life. But surely you see now that I am using your very hands to help build a future that is worthwhile, something grandiose and beyond the minds of your Galactic Alliance or whatever fickle moniker you tag to yourself." ​

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The Sith spoke to the boy's broken spirit, but there was no response within the Force. Had the beaten and consumed vessel finally succumbed to the dark will of the God-King's hellish spawn? It seemed more than likely. The aura of the cave grew with feelings of dread and sludgy corruption, the painful cries and screeches of past victims echoed as residual hauntings that would forever embed themselves inside the False Butcher's psyche. He cracked a sinister grin and twitched ever-so slightly at the pleasure he was gaining from the damned environment's negativity. A sweet symphony of broken dreams and a lack of mercy. ​

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Darth Eversor could only imagine what joy the assassin would take from this place. The planet itself was practically a nexus of energies that swirled and shifted with each new death added to the scoreboard. And Ambria did welcome its shadow-dwelling kin with a thirst for crimson. The first time the Darth was graced by Ambria's desire to be fed, he knew he must obey his brood. The cradle of the dark side of the force was not to be denied assistance and care. Absolute power to harness and protect. ​

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And there he stood watching the horizon from the cave's maw, awaiting destiny.​

 

[Darth Ferus]

Darkness was the best of friends a Sith could have. There was nothing more bitter than to dance with the darkness, and when you were leading that deadly dance between power and death, nothing was better. [member="Darth Eversor"] would not be kept waiting long, for the Sith Lord Darth Ferus found himself bored. Day after day with little result from the wurm constantly wrapped around his shoulders.

She needed a blood lake to thrive. And her children would need a proper host for their power. A host that Eversor could create. Or be created from him. Which ever would work. In his tattered red cloak the Sith walked right up to the hellish spawn and offered a single nod. "And so begins a new day. Are you prepared?"

 

[Darth Eversor]

Darth Eversor gazed upon [member="Darth Ferus"] in silence for a moment before giving the assassin a small nod. Death loomed over both of them and the planet's insatiable curiosity for its children of the dark brood intensified and whispered to both of them like a mother soothing a newborn. The entity inhaled deeply and rolled his eyes to the back of his skull, basking in the scent of carrion. This moment would be one of transcendence for both of the Sith here today, a day to remember for all tomorrows and the victories they shall claim from such a glorious occasion. ​

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"...A new dawn is on the horizon, Ferus. And due to the Black Empire's dismantling, we owe a service to the future we began to mold. It will be us that ushers in a contingency of control and fear, masses will kneel and our enemies will know suffering as they should. It is only fair."​

 

[Darth Ferus]

'Fair'. Ferus had never cared about what was fair, or just, or right. He wasn't here to usher in a new darkness to make the masses submit. No, he was here only to seen that the fruits of his labor didn't go to waste. The wurm on his shoulder stared at [member="Darth Eversor"] with it's ageless gaze, seeming to size him up. Was this to be the basis for what her children would soon inhabit?

"Indeed it is. Are the sacrifices in line? The pool ready? All must be in order, and without interuption. Otherwise, you may die." The Sith made sure it didmt come across as a threat, but a warning on what would happen should it go wrong. Alchemy needed concentration, for the slightest misstep would ruin the end results, and by extension this experiment.

 

[Darth Eversor]

"Everything is in order. This place was once my domain, and I, a hunter for this planet's hunger.'​

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Darth Eversor stepped over towards [member="Darth Ferus"], hands shrouded beneath his blackened robs and cloak. The hell spawn would stop at nothing to humor the notion of gaining such a responsibility that would grant him an audience struck by terror incarnate. He could even feel the gaze of the assassin's wurm, but paid little attention to the creature. As for the "sacrifices" he had in mind, they were hand-picked and chosen to transcend the realm of servitude and become anew with grand possibilities for their lives. This was inherently a lie, for they would truly be robbed of all innocence or humanity. They were to be puppets.​

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"...Those men that have served me, Ferus... they will be our initiation."​

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Perfect."

A darker grin crept on the face of the Alchemist as he looked over those who would become empty. Dozens of those who claimed to be Sith, claimed to be worthy of the power Ferus was to bestow upon them. Oh, such lies were perfect for such a dark rite. A simple nod was offered to [member="Darth Eversor"] as the Sith Lord moved into the center of the crowd. With simple pointing he moved the young and loyal Sith around to a rather specific set up. So specific that the amount of men and woman were equal on either side. Once they were in position, Ferus moved to the center and closed his eyes.

The ritual began with a chat. But as the Sith spoke, no words could be heard. There was absolutely no sound coming from his form, and instead there was the thick feeling of darkness. As Ferus's lips moved, so too did the heavy feeling. It spread out to all corners of the rooms, then shifted to one side and then the other. The Sith's form by this point began to visibly become shrouded in darkness. Clouds of black clung to his form, shrouding the tattered red cloak.

"Sava Esk."

The first words spoken were like fire. The heavy feeling of the Dark was replaced with heat, and the air became thick with electricity. Literally. Sparks danced across the air as if the room was a thundercloud. Unease began to set in the crowd of the loyal, and one decided enough was enough and began to move out of where Ferus had set him. But, it was too late. Glowing red eyes of Ferus snapped open and his hands raised up from the prayer position they had been in to the sky, and lightning erupted below the feet of each sacrifice.

In an instant they all turned to ash and blood, ceasing to live in a sudden realization of betrayal. Once they were all to ash, the Sith lowered his hands, and so too did the lightning. Across the ground the now red streaks burned into the ground, scaring the empty room with electrified blood and ash. Circles formed across the ground, twisting and contorting until a complex rune formed. Eventually the electricity faded, leaving a glowing dark red on the ground.

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"Stand in the center, and we can begin the lengthy process of changing your body. Be warned, this will take days, perhaps weeks, and all the while you will be in a constant state of pain. Are you prepared for that?" The Sith, after the glow became steady, walked right out and motioned for Eversor to walk to the center.

 

[Darth Eversor]

Darth Eversor observed the spectacle in twisted awe, a devious grin spreading across cracked and bloodless lips. The scent of singed flesh and crimson wafted into his nostrils, the entity basking and relishing in the essence of death. Ambria flared in response by congregating storms just outside of the cave, streaks of purple lightning and the cacophony of thunder boomed across the empty wastelands. It was almost as if the planet felt excitement and cheered for its devilish brood, supping on the betrayal and unmerciful nature of the two Sith. ​

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And then the moment of fruition presented itself. This would mark the very moment that [member="Darth Ferus"] and the entity created a new possibility for the galaxy to bear witness to. A parasitic notion that would burrow deep into the minds and hearts of thousands - if not millions across the stars. Big plans were in store, and nothing would stop the god-king's hellish duplicate from harnessing the opportunity to make everyone he possibly could aware of such a grandiose scheme. ​

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Darth Eversor looked to Ferus as he informed him of the process and its implied effects. ​

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"...There is no going back now, we must press on and embrace our paths to ascension..."​

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A silence struck the Sith for a brief moment as he looked to the runic pattern upon the floor. ​

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"...I am ready..."​

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The echoes of metallic footfalls approached, and then, there was silence.​

 

[Darth Ferus]

Lies.

Sith were famous for it. Made a trade of it. Some ruled entire nations with it, while others killed with it. Red eyes stared as [member="Darth Eversor"] made his way to the center. With every step, the Sith Lord whispered in darkness. With every echo, Ferus let his magic work. This rune, this circle, a focal point. It was not the beginning of the ritual, rather the table the spell would be placed upon. Ancient words were so softly spoken, unknown to but a handful of Sith in the whole galaxy. With every word, the dully glowing runes would brighten. As soon as Eversor made his decision and stepped into the center, the room was burning with a bright red glow.

Right about here is where the lie would become clear.

Ferus had no intention of ushering a new age in under the hellish clone. He didn't care. What Eversor offered was lives, and the Alchemist was going to take it. Once more lightning erupted from the runes, but even over that the crackling of electricity could be heard all throughout the cavern. Screams came next. The Zambrano's soldiers, all tied to Eversor by loyalty, died. One by one lightning consumed them until what was blue turned red, and nothing was left but ash and silence. The stench of death would become overwhelming as even the Force shuddered as the large number of dead.

All the while, Eversor would be trapped in the ring, lightning surrounding his form to do to him what it had done with others. Ferus's betrayal of his trust would be oh so clear as the lightning would erode his body, sealing him to a fate worse than death. And as his form was erased from existence, the mad grin of the once Red Assassin would be the mutants only solace.

Ferus had gotten what he wanted.

 

[Darth Eversor]

Betrayal was a thing Eversor had not realized firsthand, among the many loyalty he questioned among his own kind, he had not once been crossed or used. This was new experience altogether. Upon stepping into the runic pattern, he observed as the bodies of each man and woman he had betrayed himself as they were obliterated from existence. Nothing more than ashes and the thick fog of burning hair and clothing remained, but something wasn't quite right about the way things were going. ​

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Trapped and unable to make a move, the entity found himself in his final moments staring down [member="Darth Ferus"] with unchecked rage. But even with all his focused energy the monstrosity could not rewrite what had already been documented for history. Death was to become him, and there was nothing he could do but stand and watch as every fiber of his being twitched and tensed with seething anger. ​

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Suddenly a cacophony of demonic howls would escape Darth Eversor as he could feel his vessel being torn apart by the trickery of the assassin, but he could only find himself at fault for agreeing to this cheap scheme to a rise in power and status. For the first time the once proud abomination felt shame. Not for anything he had done, but for being so blinded by the greed he used at the forefront of his thoughts over rational calculations. Bested by mere lies, the being fell to his knees and no longer had a stable connection with that of the Force, unable to make any attempts to escape the torture and confinement he was locked inside of. ​

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Memories of victories and those he had slain without mercy flashed across the creature's mind as he felt the bond to his vessel dying, pain racked his conscious and made him unable to even speak or scream in pain. All he had to himself was his inevitable fate, and those he struck down dragging him into the pits of the netherworld where he belonged. ​

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And then... Darth Eversor ceased to exist. Silence filled the cave, and the Sith known as Ferus would find himself in isolation. ​

 

[Keira Priest]

Outings - or rather, missions - such as this always began with some report of Sith activity. It was almost always like that, a seemingly fairly open and shut case that could be solved with a quick dispatch of the appropriately equipped individuals to handle such a threat. Problems occurred when the best equipped individual happened to be her and perhaps a small handful of others within the Crusaders, though she despised risking the lives of the vode for tasks such as these. Keira would much rather have it be her own life on the line rather than anyone else's, and that was the case here as well. Besides, she was arguably the most experienced out of all of them when it came to dealing with Sith, and rightfully so. She used to work with them, after all.

Admittedly, Ambria wasn't a planet that should have immediately raised the hairs on the back of her neck. After all, it lay outside of even Clan space, but even that was far too close to home for her liking. Any and all remnants of the Sith needed to be quashed before they were allowed to rise again, and it was that she was intent on doing. It gave her something to focus on and draw her attention towards, and after the utter disaster that had been the talks with the Silvers, this was a medium within which to focus that frustration and drive to accomplish something more and better for the galaxy. And right now that something better met ending the life of yet another Sith and bringing things one step closer to some kind of end.

By the time her transport made landfall on the surface of Ambria she had entirely adopted the persona of a warrior, forgoing that which made her human and focusing on drawing out the aspects that made her deadly instead. The full ensemble of phrik plate had been donned once more, along with her two lightsabers, Kalso's Revenge, the Akaa'gai and the Marauder. Nothing more would be needed for this, that much she was certain of. After holding her own against two Sith Lords she was likely more confident in her ability than she had any right to be, but it only served to further prove to herself that she was the right person for this particular job. And maybe she was, but that didn't halt her self-assuredness any.

The cave itself was rather nondescript, and easily looked over by one not sensitive to the Force. For an individual like her, however, it was nigh impossible to miss. The blanket of sheer toxicity that emanated from it made her certain this was her ultimate destination, the air heavy around her only hinting at what likely horrors awaited within. Without pause, giving herself no time to think or second guess, she entered the cave. At once her senses spiked, on the lookout for any immediate danger, only to find the single, isolated chamber entirely empty and seemingly void of life, the opposite of what the ethereal itself communicated. Wordlessly she allowed her presence to pulse, akin to a beacon, attempting to draw out whatever had made house here.

[member="Darth Eversor"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fWz8s6xYfA&index=31&list=PL0D7F6715D87225D0​

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The wind gave voice to the planet as silent whispers engulfing a vast canvas of nothingness. A sensation that something was about, but nothing to be seen. Within the cave where the lone woman trespassed, something malevolent stirred in agonizing slumber, too weak to manipulate the corporeal plain but still conscious enough to feel the presence of another. The corpses of sadistic murder and twisted religious zealotry littered the room with rot and expressions that told stories of what horror might have taken place here. Runic symbols carved into flesh, patterns drawn across the floors and walls with coagulated crimson. Death was here, it loomed over the isolated entrance into the planet's body like an open, festering wound that would never heal. ​

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The fresh impression of greed would linger in the air among the thick of darkness, and the presence among the dead stirred and clung to the very life force of [member="Keira Ticon"] in an attempt to get her attention. But little did she know that it would be something much more foul than any mere Sith that found justification in delusions of grandeur. Among the detritus of torn fabrics and fallen Jedi robes, a tarnished and burnt helmet lay perfectly within the center of an alchemist's circle. A very faint but audible hum would resonate from within it, almost as if it could respond weakly to the dregs of bitterness lurking within the woman's very being. ​

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She would find virtually nothing in this place except what once was, and what had already transpired. ​

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But yet... there was something still fighting. ​

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Something waiting to be let out from its cage.​

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And then, the winds from the planet itself would carry into the den of atrocities with a single whisper.​

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"...Here..."​

 

[Keira Priest]

As terrible as it was to gaze upon, ritualistic death such as this wasn't as foreign to her as she would have liked. This reminded her far too much of what she had seen from the Sith Lord Dredge, but on a scale that somehow held more finesse. Without ceremony Keira knelt to examine the nearest corpses, recognizing a small handful as Jedi, something that didn't surprise her in the least. Further along there seemed to be Sith, a sight less common but not unheard of. Being an Order that thrived on deception and death to gain the upper hand, nothing less would have been expected. This was the work of someone who knew full well what they were doing every step of the way, meaning an experienced fighter. Good.

The single whisper that hissed through the air jarred her back to reality and drove all immediate thoughts of a fight from her mind, helping to remind her exactly why she had come in the first place. You see, problems arose when someone like her came in too close of contact with the darkness. If she resisted the enticing pull even slightly it would wear her down until she was nothing but a shell, but if she accepted the same would transpire through different means. This time around she was able to steady herself enough to locate some kind of middle ground, one that allowed her to build up a metaphorical wall between herself and those fallen, though she far from isolated the overwhelming aura of death entirely.

A part of her still found solace in the overwhelming dread and toxic darkness that embodied her surroundings, drawing on a thread of it and pulling it into her core, the partial high it brought about indescribable in the euphoria it wrought. Her more rational half had to step in and quell that rising volatility before it overwhelmed her entirely. The darkness that still resided somewhere deep within her core, now empowered by that which clung to the cave and the bodies within, reached out to touch on the presence she detected thrumming within the helmet. A part of her knew she was going to release something, and the other was resigned to this fact and determined to bring to an end whatever emerged.

[member="Darth Eversor"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

Virulent anger swarmed and began to pulsate throughout the cave, the helmet that lay nondescript began to emit an eerie purple glow as the eye sockets lit up with a presence that would dominate and thrive from the torture that took place in such a hellhole. Suddenly the runic circle underneath the scorched metal would illuminate with a negative energy that further reached out to leech the very Force from [member="Keira Ticon"], trying to manifest and gain a physical form. A low rumble would shake the cave as the same voice that whispered earlier would sound off again, but this time with a more aggressive tone. The corpses that lay still would begin to twitch and writhe as what little life was left would be drained and consumed.​

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"...I was damned to this place, condemned by falsehood and the lies of an underling..."​

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"...Blood...sacrifice...my thirst is renewed..."​

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The woman's presence had caused a sort of reaction and gave the dark entity just enough leverage to find its way back into the physical plane. Unwilling to vanish or dissipate into the netherworld from the lesser cruelty of another, for the one betrayed was as harsh as any malice fathomable. Darkness incarnate, slayer of many, the deeds of the foul minded would not be expunged from the minds of the hopeful. Death would come once more, and without any mercy to spare. Life was to be taken by his hand and none other, the false butcher would reign with supreme terror and atrocity once more without a moment to spare.

A haze of unnatural distortion would blanket over the lone stranger, and all natural light source would be diminished despite daylight being just outside the cave's entrance.

Something wicked this ways comes.​

 

[Keira Priest]

The presence that attempted to attach itself to her own sent spikes of pain stabbing through to her very soul, something she instantly retracted from. Never had the dark struck out at her in such a way, its presence always maintained as something akin to a friendly entity rather than explicitly lashing out. Certainly the darkness had never manifested as a malevolent presence, but Keira had always retained a sort of control over it. This was different, and she despised every aspect of it. Her presence in the ethereal shrunk itself down to something the size of a pebble in order to protect itself, though at the same time another part of her wanted to reach out and draw on his own power just as he did the same to her. Consume Essence was a vicious cycle, and one she had never made an effort to break.

When that voice again slithered itself into her very subconscious she became instantly more alert, her hand straying towards the two lightsabers at her left hip. Rarely did she take up the weapons anymore, having taken more of a liking to her tomahawk and other, decidedly more Mandalorian ways of combat. That instinct had driven her to the sabers meant something more was at work here, and it wasn't anything she liked. Slowly her breath hissed between her teeth as she forced a fraction of the battle-readiness from her, pushing aside the natural adrenaline rush that accompanied, her hand slowly straying from the hilts of the blades and instead resting inches away from the tomahawk at her belt instead.

She pushed herself to her feet, adopting a stance not properly described as anything else other than that of a warrior that had witnessed far too much not to be prepared to face a threat such as this. Whatever was to emerge, well, she would make certain it didn't get any farther.

[member="Darth Eversor"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

Swarming within the distorted shadows just ahead of [member="Keira Ticon"], a humanoid figure was knelt to the ground. The once rotten flesh permeating throughout the room turned into the aroma of singed hair and burning marrow. Made new once more, the physical manifestation of the darkness within Ambria's womb looked up and stared at the woman who had obviously been made aware of his presence long before now. Her demeanor was something that intrigued him, reminded him of a time not too distant that involved the sacrilege and dismantling of planets and multiple species that dared to test him. Was this stranger attempting to do the same? Was this challenger worthy?​

She must be if it was her energy from which he garnered strength to become corporeal once again, nothing less than exceptional power would suffice for his reincarnation. ​

But now... now came the true test of might and worth. A grandiose pull on the dark side could be felt radiating from the woman, but his was something of a vacuum that inhaled the intoxicating addiction without pause or reconsideration. Death was his drug, and sanguine was his liquor from which he stayed in a blood crazed stupor. ​

A commanding baritone voice emanated from the vocal cords of the flesh born of the twisted dark, further attempting to intimidate the lone warrior.​

"...I should be thankful for your most humble charity, traveler. But you have brought yourself to a lonesome land in which you will never be found..."​

He paused and shifted his position and stood strong and confident, his gaze never once blinking or changing.​

"...You gain nothing here, but this place... my home, gains another soul to its community of the banished and those never to return..."​

Looking down to his right side, the new flesh grasped a warblade of even more twisted origin than he, a testament to his sin to the galaxy and all horrors wrought upon the innocence he murdered in cold blood. He eyed the weapon and then raised it, pointing it towards his would-be opponent and whom he intended to be his latest victim.​

"...I will feed..." ​

 

[Keira Priest]

In comparison to the realm of control she exercised this creature was the antithesis, a pieced together representation of the Dark Side and all of its most corrupt aspects. It was the most terrible parts of sentient life itself in one being, a twisted and corrupt manifestation of all of that negativity siphoned into a physical form. Perhaps the worst part about it was that it didn't faze her as much as it reasonably should have. In some ways it was reminiscent of an old friend, and it was that which scared her the most, that she hadn't and would never shake that old mindset. It terrified her, that no matter how much she wanted to change this was always what she would be at her core, yet still she found solace in that.

The first inhale was shaky, but the following exhale was decidedly steadier, communicating a new resolve. If the both of them were monsters in their own right, then at the very least the better of the two would be the one to come out on top. Keira regarded the sword in his hand with a sort of carelessness that spoke to having faced worse threats. Wordlessly her hand shifted to pull one of two sabers from her belt, her thumb gliding over the button for ignition. An orange plasma blade snap-hissed into existence, the steady hum of the weapon droning in defiance that she would stand and fight for as long as he still stood tall.

Her brow furrowed slightly in some form of concentration, a wall of stone having built itself up behind her eyes. A simple look seemed to bring about the veritable wave of the Force that she threw towards him, one fully capable of knocking him off his feet and into the wall of the cave. Regardless of whether it connected in full or not she would spin her blade leisurely, inclining her head, "You can try."

[member="Darth Eversor"]