Private Remission

[Darth Quizitus]

The boy's faceless mask stared at the wicked grin of Darth Quizitus as the tension built. The raging fury clashing against the boy's cold desire for revenge. The tension boiled until the whelp charged at him with his lightsaber at the ready. The Sith Lord was quick to block and expected another strike, but when he felt his collar being gripped, he knew he was in for a surprise. With a loud thud he crashed against the ground and flew even further into the rubble as the boy launched a blast at him.

Laying on the ground, Quizitus was slow to get back up until pieces of his temple came at him. A hand snapped out and halted the rocks before sending them back at the boy as the Lord grinned with a bloody lip. With elegant grace the Sith Lord jumped up and onto a large piece of a pillar behind him, motioning for the boy to attack him. "You dare to use my own temple against me? Didn't your parents teach you any manners?" He scoffed, his lightsabers drifting around him. "Your confidence in this fight amuses me, whelp. But you forget who you are dealing with."

He raised his hands up and the dust immediately started to circle them. More sand and dust picked up until a massive sand storm engulfed the ruins of the temple with blistering speed. This time he went on the offensive, launching at the boy with his lightsabers at the ready in his hands. One slash to the legs before immediately swinging at his chest. Electricity crackled around his blade with every swing, intent on stunning the boy if he attempted to block the blows. "You are a joke! A fraud! You think you understand the Force?" His taunts halted as he swept his leg along the sand in front of him, sending a plume of dust and sand blasting up at the boy.

Mathieu Brion Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Quizitus' rage and therefore his power seemed almost limitless. Cadere knew only a few people that could recover from an attack like that, and as the Kiffar watched the man get back up. He couldn't help but respect. Respect the man's refusal to back down, to die on his feet instead of his knees despite the contempt he held for the Twi'lek. Cadere's lightsaber cut the rocks sent back at him in half before suspending the second wave in place.

His gaze followed Quizitus as the Sith leapt on top of a pillar, watching him as he continued to taunt and talk down on him. "And you forget you aren't facing the child you met on Lothal years ago." the Kiffar countered, keeping close attention to the dust that circled around both of them. Muscles tensed as he watched the tattooed Twi'lek rushed him with a speed that rivalled or even surpassed his own.

Quizitus moved so fast that Cadere was unable to anticipate the electricity coiled around his two lightsabers as he crouched to block the attack to his leg. His muscles burned as a familiar but painful sensation rushed through his entire body, a pained grunt escaped his lips as he gritted his teeth. raising his lightsaber to protect his chest as he fought through the pain.

The second strike was the killer, amplifying the pain and shock within his body and muscles. Left completely stunned, he was unable to protect his face as the sand and dust hit his face and clouded his visor. His body vibrated from the shocks that still lingered in his body but it was enough for him to expel a telekinetic pulse and quickly hopped backward into a retreating handspring.

On one knee, Cadere quickly regained his bearings. His muscles were tight but he had to ignore it, he couldn't afford to make a mistake or fall to pain - not here. Shakily getting up to his feet, Cadere lifted an arms and hovered his palm in front of his face , rushing back into the fight he removed the dust and sand from his visor using the Force. Lowered the tip of his blade, dragging it along as it touched the ground creating sparks. Finally, in one swift motion, Cadere jerked his lightsaber from the ground and brought the sparks with him, launching them in the direction of Quizitus' face before lunging into a roll to his side and curving behind him. Standing up into a crouch, he swung his lightsaber at the Sith's ankle before retreating with another backflip.

He would need to play it even smarter, with the lightening infused lightsabers being a dire threat.

Mathieu Brion Darth Quizitus

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Remission​

Location: Korriban
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, two lightsabres, EMP emitter, various items
Tags: Darth Quizitus

---​

The rumbles continued as Mathieu hastily descended down the stairs of the building. Simply jumping down like the Sith Lord have done would have been quicker but this was most definitely safer and less straining. Especially considering that he was wearing heavy armour. Mathieu was uniquely well suited to it - but even then, he hoped to avoid the kind of gravity defying landing that would be necessary from such a jump.

As he moved, however, he noticed how a dust storm seemed to gather. It was unnatural and he could feel how someone was reaching out through the force to cause it to happen. The question was why. He didn't know of any Sith rituals that required a dust storm and it certainly wouldn't help the SIth preserve his massive library.

His pace quickened as he started to suspect foul play. But when he came down to the ground floor, he realised that it was worse than that. The Darth didn't linger to save his library or to reminisce in it before surrendering. The lightsabre clashes revealed that Cassie was still in there and the two of them were fighting. "Blast it Cassie" he cursed under his breath. For a moment, his mind went to Eleven - the boy wearing his best friend's face. Yenna's words echoed through his mind. They really were different persons. And he couldn't stand the idea of losing Cassie forever. It would mean that he couldn't meet Quizitus outside like the Lord had heeded him to - but then, he wasn't willing to sacrifice Cassie's life in exchange for a less perilous completion of his mission.

Mathieu braced himself against the harsh sand and dust that rained down at him as he made his way to the core of the library. The lower reaches had not been as severely affected by the fires as the floor where they started but it still culminated in a rather hellish experience. Through the thick dust, he saw the two red blades clash in the distance - one clearly infused with some electric properties. Memories of a similar encounter on Korriban flashed through his mind - it was an advanced technique to be weary of.

He had stayed hidden for longe enough. Once close enough, he could see Cassie's form as he made his attack against the Sith's ankles. Immediately, the large Morellian sprung into action and reached out through the force to grab hold of some fallen debris, both blunt and sharp. Quickly, he flung it towards the Twi'lek's back in order for it to strike against his core - and importantly, his Lekku. It was another two-pronged attack from the two friends.

But Cassie had to be disabled and captured too. Igniting his sabre, the Jedi moved in close as the fallen Knight rose and transitioned into a backflip. Coming up from behind the Kiffar, Mathieu swung his sabre in a wide sweeping motion - almost as if he was cutting down a tree - the sabre was, unless stopped - destined to cleave through his friend's hands and then legs before striking Quizitus' core.

 

[Darth Quizitus]

With the lightning having done their job, he let it dissipate as the boy came for another round, this time trying to distract him with sparks from the sand. With a growl and a swing of his hand, more sand blasted in the way and towards the boy as he rolled away. The Sith Lord's lightsaber blocked the swing to his ankle as he spun and glided along the sand with grace, practically defying gravity as he held his weapons at the ready.

He was about to go in for the kill when he felt the danger. With a hand raised, he spun around to push the debris away, but one got through and sent him tumbling through the sand with one of his lightsabers skidding away from his grasp. Auzob pushed himself up and looked down at the sharp rock sticking from his side. He yanked it free with a growl and pressed a flaming hand over the wound to cauterize it, if only for the moment. His attention turned towards the Jedi and the boy as they engaged, his speed carrying towards them as he raised his blade.

He saw an opportunity to strike down them both. His blade swung wide in an attempt to cleave through both of them. The danger from the Jedi's blade became clear and he adjusted to block...

But pain soared through his side, causing barely a second's distraction.

Barely a second was all that was needed.

Searing pain rocketed through his gut as he stumbled back, wide-eyed with his mouth agape. A hand instinctively came up to clutch at the wound as he looked down, his legs giving way underneath him and bringing him to his knees.

A cough spewed blood from his lips as his breathing became laboured. It seemed that the Jedi's strike hit more than just his gut...

"No..." He muttered, his lightsaber slipping from his grasp as it extinguished, leaving him to stare up at the other two in shock.

Mathieu Brion Cadere

 

[Cadere]

As he made his attack against Quizitus' ankle, Cadere felt the presence of his old friend return. Following that, came that familiar sense of dread as he transitioned into a backflip. Upside down and mid backflip, his eyes caught sight of the Morellian's broad frame behind him as well as the lightsaber that threated to cut through his limbs. The Kiffar positioned his right arm forward and in the direction of where Mathieu's lightsaber was to strike, allowing his remaining Mantellian vambrace to absorb the blow.

However, the force of Mathieu's blow managed to knock Cadere to the side and out of his backflip. Catching himself, the Dark Jedi threw his arm toward the sandy ground and performed a sidelong one-handed cartwheel onto his feet. Landing in a crouch and a fairly safe distance away from Quizitus and Mathieu, his attention drew to the Twi'lek's wounds. The Morellian had managed to get the drop on both of them.

Watching as the Sith Lord fell to his knees, he cautiously rose to his feet and surveyed the downed enemy. Was this a trick? Or was he seriously injured. No, this was real. The shock on the man's face, the weakness in his voice, even the relinquishing of his lightaber - he'd seen it enough to know this couldn't be faked. Cadere moved his foot forward, taking a step closer before stopping. This was his opportunity to get what he'd came for, with Quizitus injured and Mathieu distracted, Cadere could take what he needed and go.

And that he did. Backing away, the Kiffar slipped into the night like a ghost. Once in the clear, he masked his presence and searched through the rubble for any items that were still intact before calling upon his shuttle to pick him up. He'd gotten what he needed. There was nothing left for him here now.

/Exit Thread/​

Mathieu Brion Darth Quizitus

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Remission​

Location: Korriban
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, two lightsabres, EMP emitter, various items
Tags: Darth Quizitus

---​

Sparks sprayed across the three of them as his sabre hit Cassie's vambraces but they didn't interrupt his swing. Instead, it continued until it found flesh. With his best friend and now enemy knocked off course, Mathieu's eyes fixed on those of the Darth. Realisation of what had happened was spreading through both of their minds, both of them seemed to have a suspicion of what had happened but neither of them recognised it as a fact. Not yet. Sure, the Twi'lek was injured - but he had mended that, right? He was going to fight through his pain and let the rage fuel him, right?

Darth Quizitus coughed up blood. A storm of different emotions and feelings rushed through the young Morellian as the blood spluttered onto his face and armour. The sullied white plates were filled with burn marks, dirt and ash. Dark red, the blood stood as a stark contrast against it all. Mathieu swallowed hard. This man was going to surrender. Regret filled his eyes as he whispered "B-bbut you were going to surrender" with a clear shiver to his voice. What had he done?

In normal cases, he would already have extinguished his blade by now. But then, in normal cases, the danger would have been over by now. It wasn't. Cassie was still there and that meant that he was still not safe. In truth, Mathieu wanted nothing more than to see if the Lord's life could be saved or if his pain could be eased. His gaze - or perhaps stare - clearly not quite as at peace as a Jedi should be, shot towards Cassie. The man who had interfered and who had caused him to come back. Perhaps a Jedi shouldn't hold resentment. Perhaps a Jedi shouldn't feel rage or fury. But his friend had already made him cross those lines in the past.

Then, Quizitus collapsed. It was like a wakeup call. Rage and fury suddenly turned to compassion and regret. Mathieu extinguished his own blade and quickly crouched down by the Lord's side. His caution tempered his compassion still, and he positioned himself by the Twi'lek's head - if his arms made any sudden movements, he would be able to react. "I'm so sorry" he spoke quickly and apologetically before reaching for a pouch by his belt with his free hand. The Jedi let out an agonising grunt as the Darth's previous strike had done quite a number to his armoured arm. Still, he managed to push through it to find a kolto pack. With the experience of a soldier, he injected it by the Lord's arm "This will make you well" he said, hopelessly in denial of what was happening.

Mathieu had never been the most adept force user. Sure, he had spent some time at the Healer's wing of the Silver Rest and even looked into healing a bit more when he was with Inara. But he was still far from good at it. He quickly, in one last act of desperation, looked up to his best friend for guidance. But Cassie was gone. "I'll try to..." he trailed off a little as his eyes frantically scanned Quizitus' injuries. He didn't know where to start and let out a small "to... uh heal you. I'm so sorry"

 

[Darth Quizitus]

The Sith Lord was staring up in shock, unsure of what to think or do. His temple was in ruins, by his own hand, but it was a desperate measure taken to safeguard his knowledge. His life's work. Mathieu was beside him, trying to help him with his wounds while apologizing all the way. Ironic that the Jedi was not at fault this time. But that was not important.

The boy rushing to the ruins was a bigger concern.

"No... my work!" He grunted, trying to stand up but almost falling down immediately. He shoved Mathieu away from him as he stumbled forward to try and get to the heap of stone and debris as he held onto his wound. "He can not have my work..." He looked to Mathieu with a mix of panic and rage for a moment as he wiped blood from his mouth. "This is your doing." He growled as his eyes started to glow. With a powerful force push he sent the boy flying away from him as smoke started to pour from his mouth. "He will not have my life's work!" He declared with a booming voice.

He stumbled and crawled through the ruins until he found a spot high enough for his liking. "THIS IS MY DOMAIN!"

The flames poured from his mouth first, then his hands. Sand and hot winds swirled around him, continuing to build as more and more flames erupted. With a roaring scream the flames amplified until the Sith Lord was surrounded by a storm of hellfire, hot enough to melt anything and everything around him. The sand turned to magma and the blistering winds kept picking up speed. The ruins of the temple heated up until the stone gave way as well. All the while he continued to scream with rage within the firestorm...

Then it stopped.

The Sith Lord was gone, only burnt robes, ash and a scorched lightsaber remained on the smouldering rock where he stood. The ruins were a molten mess and the sand was glassed over by the heat. The winds calmed down and the fire ceased to let the glossy remains cool down. In the wind, his roaring voice still travelled for a moment before an eerie silence set in.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Remission​

Location: Korriban
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, two lightsabres, EMP emitter, various items
Tags: Darth Quizitus Cadere

---​

The Sith - with the strain of his wounds and brutal combat now showing clearly - was struggling to move forth. Mathieu knew that his strike had done some serious, perhaps even lethal, damage to the man. Fatalities were to be expected and he had caused them in the past. But this dragged out and painful process seemed unnecessary from numerous points of view. While perhaps justified in his efforts to save Cassie, the Darth could have lived if Mathieu had just waited outside like they agreed. And not being able to land a strike to knock the man out of the fight rather than to kill him was another failure.

Whether it be compassion or guilt, he wanted to help the man. Allow him to die with some sense of peace. But as he moved forth to support the Twi'lek, he was reminded that it was indeed a Sith that he was dealing with. Even in his current state, the dark lord was still as potent as ever. The force propelled push told as much as it sent the young Morellian flying.

Mathieu reached out through the force and allowed it to carry him a bit further than the push would have sent him. It allowed for a smooth landing. If battle was once more upon him, he was ready for it. Upon turning around, however, he saw when the Sith Lord finally stopped and let out a horrid roar. It appeared to be fuelled by rage and sorrow. The Jedi carefully stepped closer but soon stopped as blistering hot sand started to swirl around the lord in an ever growing circle. Eventually, it would even force Mathieu to take a step back lest he wanted to risk letting the magma-like sand burn him.

The hell-like environment persisted for an uncomfortably long time before it suddenly ended. The young Morellian could no longer feel the Darth's presence and it seemed like the room agreed - for while the fires would remain, peace seemed settle. The chaotic and violent sounds of battle were gone and what had once been an unappealing hellscape had become somewhat pristine as sand had now turned into glass. With careful steps, Mathieu advanced closer to the centre of the chamber where Darth Quizitus had made his last stand. He picked up the scorched sabre. The Lord's polite offer of tea echoed through his mind. The large Morellian let out a sad sigh "I'm sorry"

/End Thread