Rising of the Moon

[Jairdain]

Knowing she was going to be spending some time on Voss in the near future, Jairdain was there to arrange a few details for the time she would be here. Wanting to borrow a few of the tomes from the Shrine of Healing, she was there in the catacombs under the Shrine. Having once been through the Mystic's Trial, she was welcome to come and go as she pleased.

There was also the fact she had felt something through the Force. Her presence was needed in the Shrine today. Not knowing why though, she literally was in the dark about it. Being physically blind was not a huge issue for her since she used the Force to see and quite often could see more than those with sight. Sadly she was unable to see the writing on these ancient texts.

Having a small device that would read to her, she searched the archives for what she was looking for. Knowing the Voss didn't have the same feel for light and dark like most of the rest of the galaxy, she hoped to impart some of their teachings to the crown prince she advised. They would be spending their time here soon and she wanted everything in order when that happened.

A cold breath passed through her, like somebody walking over her grave and she stopped looking for the item she was searching for. Now focusing on what was around her, she looked around with the Force. Somebody or something was here that shouldn't be. It was the Force and her intuition speaking to her. Shaking her head, she didn't see what she felt and moved on. Oddly a shadow against the wall moved, without vision though, Jairdain did not see its movement. Knowing something was nearby, she was on her guard.

[member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

The planet Voss was a bright, somewhat beautiful place. From the ranging forests, to the deep azure oceans, and the mountaintops. Unlike so many planets Darth Excidium usually frequented, given the nature of the business he typically used, the majority of his travel plans involved dying worlds. It was no surprise that some of the most powerful dark side resources were on planets filled with decay and death, after all, and it was rare to seek knowledge outside of that general category. Still, there were rumors of dark creatures and twisted mystics that existed in the Nightmare Lands, which gave Excidium interest a pique. Perhaps he'd visit, much like a tourist that wanted to see the underworld of Coruscant. Yet, here he was, walking down the lengths of one of the main cities of Voss, Voss-Ka, on his way to acquire some important - or so he hoped - texts about physical manipulation and body healing. It was interesting how events unfolded following a several day long bout of research and investigation into alternate methods of repairing his body. The many years of dark side use had left the Sith Lord a little worse for wear, which while not a life threatening problem yet, certainly held increasing danger. And if there was one thing Excidium believed in, it was precaution and preparation. So, instead of waiting for the Force to tear his body apart, he would instead seek potential methods on how to avoid that particular downfall of the dark arts...

Dressed in his ragged robes, the Sith walked among the crowds of Voss and other city inhabitants. It was a simple enough feat to blend in with the peoples around, by using the Force to mask his visage through some straightforward rituals and magics. So, to those around, Excidium wasn't anything other than a less finely dressed member of the native species, complete with varied skin patterns and colors. Out of the need to remain undetected, the Sith Lord had avoided disquising himself as a Gormak - as the populace of Voss-Ka might not have appreciated the jest.

Still, within a short amount of time, the Voss imposter found himself standing at the entrance to the Shrine of Healing. According to his research, which had been gleaned with the assistance of various resources the Sith Empire had in place, there were catacombs beneath the structure proper. Only certain individuals were allowed free reign in those places, aside from groups of people that were being led by guides. So, deciding to avoid being ushered along with a group and having to go through the hassle of slipping away when it suited him, Excidium was simply another Voss entering the Shrine.

So far so good, Excidium thought, bowing his head as he passed several armored Voss, noting their movements and weapons. Voss Commandos? They look prepared.

Several turns and hallways later, the Sith Lord was at the entrance to the catacombs. He walked in without hesitation, nothing less than someone who belonged to those around, and began his descent. The torchlight cast shadows down the long underground pathways, each of which had numerous openings that led to more catacombs. While the passages were acceptably lit, not quite dark enough to cause Excidium to lose his physical sight, he felt it prudent to be prepared - and with a pause, several moments of meditation and finally a low flow of Force, the Sith Lord's vision expanded as Force Sight flowed over him...

"Better."

Continuing with less concern, but still maintaining a low presence in the Force, Excidium knew he was largely alone and felt the energy to maintain the Voss visage wasn't needed. As he passed through a doorway, the Sith allowed the mask to drop, even as he stepped out into a small study space with several exits and a single occupant passing the same way. It appeared to be a human female, clearly not a Voss, and she hadn't noticed him - yet. Slipping back against the wall, tucking into the darkened alcove, Darth Excidium suppressed his presence more so, especially as he felt the brush of Force presence from the individual nearby.

This could complicate things, Excidium thought, glowing eyes watching from the shadows as the individual kept walking, appearing perplexed but otherwise continuing onward. Or perhaps not...

After a moment, Excidium moved away from the wall and smiled to himself. However the smile dropped as several loose rocks from the wall he had pressed against toppled to the floor with clacks and dust. Turning to look at the Force Sensitive nearby, the Sith Lord began to prepare himself, his power starting to build within him. The robed intruder couldn't be discovered, not yet, and knew he had to act fast if his presence was discovered...

[member="Jairdain"]​

 

[Jairdain]

That chilled feeling persisted. However, Jairdain had yet to pinpoint exactly where, who or what was causing it. Starting to move away from him, that feeling receded ever so slightly. Giving a far more of a mental nod than anything physical, she turned in the direction of Excidium after his movement caused the loose, rocky debris to fall to the ground.

Placing a Force Barrier around her, one of her hands fell to her saber hilt, but she didn't draw it. Not normally a physical fighter, Jairdain was reluctant to draw and attack just because his presence wasn't normal. She felt no real fear and was more concerned about the tomes and artifacts around them.

Finally pinpointing him through the Force, she focused on the man she saw. What she felt was a dangerous calm. Somebody that would kill if needed. Evil, but not malicious. A man with a goal and right now she had his attention.

"Come out, you can't hide from me for long. I won't harm you unless you attempt to attack me first."

Her hand stayed at her hilt and Jairdain waited for him to come out away from the wall. If he attempted to stealth away, she was also a trained assassin. So it would be a difficult feat for him to accomplish fully.

[member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Excidium felt the pressure of Force roll over him, as the individual he had been trying to avoid located him with the power. There was reluctance to fight, but also a determination to do what was right. It felt like a Jedi, if the ragged Sith was being honest with himself. In response, the Sith Lord maintained his calm, but prepared, demeanor. He was willing to kill in order to get what he wanted, but there hadn't been any direct threats made against him, and despite his allegiance Excidium still had some morals that he liked to follow - at least when it suited him. For right now, having a fight in ancient catacombs was a quick way to have a dozen Voss Commandos brought down on his head, and that was certainly a situation he did not want to fight his way out of...

"As you say," Excidium said, walking more toward the middle of the room. He was dressed in worn and stained robes, with a patched cloak covered with tears and flint. His hands, that were being held up as a show of peace were stained with ink. "Perhaps the better result for this encounter could be that we each go our separate ways? After all, I simply want something that could be helpful to me, and you do not want a fight..."

The ripple in Force use was unmistakable, as the Force-user - potentially a Jedi - channeled her energies into some power. The same sensation was likely coming from Excidium, also, as he continued to use Force Sight to avoid being plunged into darkness, should the nearby torches go out. She appeared young, with long dark hair and modest - but fashionable - choice of clothing. The lightsaber on her belt, near her hand, was another form of confirmation as to her identity. Unfortunately, the Sith Lord knew he had to do something in order to have the opportunity to grab the tomes he was after, but whether that opening presented itself sooner rather than later was of concern. There were others in the catacombs, as well as guided tours, as well as patrols - and if any of them were to witness the standoff currently taking place, then Excidium knew his options would drop to only one...

"Surely many tourists want tokens of their visit to the beautiful planet Voss? You wouldn't deny me mine, would you?" Excidium smiled, his green eyes glowing as he kept his gaze on the young female. "What's your name? Perhaps an arrangement can be made?"

The emphasis on the word name was a cue for Excidium to reach out, his power subtle, in an attempt to follow the young woman's thoughts. If he could find a way through mental defenses, then the potential for avoiding drawing unnecessary attention was worth it...

[member="Jairdain"]​

 

[Jairdain]

She could tell when he realized he had been caught. There was an acceptance, but he still seemed resolute to accomplish whatever it was that brought him here. Jairdain's intuition told her he wasn't here to destroy anything or to cause intentional or irreparable damage to the archives.

"You haven't gone through the Trials here. You don't have the same aura as the others."

Speaking with a sense of confidence, the only questionable word she said was aura. Basic was not her native tongue and Jairdain spoke with a slight accent, one that only one person had ever identified. A sith lord name Lykos. They had fought a mental duel, leaving each of them connected and scarred. The memory of that meeting surfaced briefly and a sudden headache grew in her head. Not knowing why it came up now, she shook her head slightly to try and get rid of that headache. It didn't work and that ache stayed.

Knowing the routes and schedules of the passing commandos and tours would have been nice. Not living here Jairdain did not know when they came through or how often. They were only exchanging words so would be less likely to draw any attention, but this man didn't know or think of that.

When he spoke of taking a memento of his visit, Jairdain scoffed slightly before speaking.

"I might be blind, but I'm not dumb. What do you seek here?"

Because that headache snuck up on her and continued to cling to her mind, she did not notice his subtle touch and her defenses did not release. His touch on her mind was like a hot knife slicing through butter. Even without the pressure from him, she would have given her name. However, her willpower resisted his suggestion to make a deal.

"I am Jairdain Ismet. However, I am unsure if there is anything you could offer that I would be interested in."

[member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Only haphazardListening to the Force-User before him, Darth Excidium was instead focusing on the task of finding that weakness in her mind. The subtle probing had been less effective than the Sith cared to admit, and he suspected he was dealing with someone of similar capability in the Force. Most Apprentices or Padawans would have unintentionally opened a thought process to burrow deep into their psyche, which in turn would allow Excidium the chance to begin affecting that mind in several foul ways to his advantage. This time, however, there had only been mild thoughts to the surface, not enough to latch onto and delve. Still, the effort hadn't been for naught, as a brief - but seemingly important - flash of an individual appeared in the female's minds eye, along with a name...

Smiling, Excidium began preparing himself. He had the opening he needed, and was a little surprised to learn his opponent was blind. That could explain the heightened mental capacity, requiring far more training and power to maintain awareness of her surroundings. The question about what he sought was simple enough, to which the Sith inclined his head, motioning to the catacombs behind him - he wondered if the action was noticed - before speaking, his voice low:

"I seek knowledge, which is kept within these catacombs in scrolls," Excidium stated, his eyes shifting to take in the several scrolls on shelves in the open room. Based on his research, the more important tomes were farther in the maze of tunnels beyond. "And I do not believe you are dumb, not for a moment. In fact, I suspect you are quite the opposite, and have been subjected to presumption by your peers, who underestimate your capabilities."

After a moment, the female's name was revealed - Jairdain Ismet.

"How can you be so sure, Jairdain? Surely there are things you want in this galaxy?" The Sith Lord spoke lowly, using his voice to lure Jairdain closer, making her listen to the low tones more closely than a normal conversation. Excidium wanted that focus on him, to be waiting on his words, to see what he might do. He only needed a few more moments to prepare, and then he would be within her subconscious. "I have boundless knowledge at my disposal, I am certain some form of agreement could be made..."

And then Excidium was ready. He had gathered his energies, weaved his powers and had the knowledge required to strike fast and hard.

"Perhaps I can offer you revenge. Revenge against someone who has done you harm. The chance to settle the score with a Sith Lord named Lykos?!"

When the name was sent toward Jairdain, twisted with the dark side to gain purchase in her mind, Excidium released his power - Memory Walk - with the intention of causing the female mental anguish, suffering and pain; the ability focused on the actions taken against her by Lykos, aimed at causing Jairdain to relive the memories over and over, with the goal of causing her to become debilitated with enough emotional and mental pain that it began to almost feel like a manifestation of physical suffering... and then Darth Excidium would strike.

​

[member="Jairdain"]​

 

[Jairdain]

Still not sensing his ever so gentle probing, Jairdain was unaware he had gleaned her brief thought of Lykos from her mind. At least he revealed the truth of why he was here, but it raised the question in her of how he knew about the catacombs in the first place. Granted Voss was the former home to the Silver Jedi and thus had become more widely known to the galaxy. Prior to that though, she thought this world was almost unknown.

The Voss were a neutral people, not picking sides between light and dark. They had their own issues to deal with the Gormak as well as the corruption in the Nightmare Lands. An area most people feared to go. A location Jairdain had traversed several times.

Unsure if what he said was meant as a compliment or not, he continued on and made a very accurate observation. Many people did question her mental ability because she was blind. The woman could not read or write, her education was that of primary schooling only. Anything else beyond that, she had learned on her own. She was not mathematically inclined.

The suggestion that he may have something she wanted was again met with resistance. He tempted her with knowledge and she scoffed. It may not have been anything verbal, but through the Force it should be felt if he was empathic at all. Deeper down though, Jairdain understood and fully knew it was truth. She would never know everything, but she had no interest in the type of knowledge he offered.

Within moments, she felt him gathering the Force within him and knew he was going to pounce. With what she had no idea and then he released it. The mental attack hit her and her natural defenses felt it this time. This was something beyond the Force and something her mind had developed when she was just a child. It had never failed before, but there could always be a first time.

If it worked, then he would be physically blinded for a few minutes. Not entirely blinded though and he would see through the Force like she did. When it went off, the other people were usually too surprised and disoriented to do anything until their sight returned. It allowed her time to get away. Not this time though, she was going to stand her ground.

"You think I haven't already worked things out with Lykos? Then you are mistaken."

A small smile​ was on her lips as she spoke and instead of moving away, she would attempt to close the distance between them. Not to combat, but to keep him there until the commandos would arrive. The Mystics here would have felt the Force going off and sent the commandos to find out what was going on.

"That score has been settled for years now. Who are you?"

[member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

"Who am I? You may call me Darth Excidium," The ragged Sith said, offering a small mock bow of the head. He wanted to buy time, to find that hole in Jairdain's mental defenses, and push deeper. "And how it pleases me to know you've sought revenge on your tormentor... but is such an action appropriate for a Jedi? You are a Jedi, yes?"

Excidium had felt the thoughts of Jairdain, his manipulations having worked... to a degree. And just when the Sith Lord was about to apply pressure with his Memory Walk ability, he suddenly found an impossible mental pressure and power throwing his mind back and out. With a suddenness that almost caused a panic, the Sith found himself blinded. Physically the universe plunged into darkness, and for several moments the Zelosian was unable to function, unable to process, and unable to move. Darkness had always effected his species in such a way, causing a deep lingering fear in his culture, due to a natural night-blindness they suffered as a whole. And while Excidium had experienced night-blindness, and trained hard to overcome it with the Force and certain powers it offered, this was like nothing he had felt before... a total eclipse, ultimate darkness.

"What have you--" Excidium began to stammer, and out of rage and pure hatred, he lashed out with the Memory Walk power, effectively aimed at punching through mental defenses with brute force and power. "You've blinded me!?"

Reaching down to his lightsaber, Excidium's teeth gritted and his rage began to roil out of control. His fear had become an uncontrollable torrent of anger, one that he would use to -- but then, suddenly and without warning, the world began to filter back into perception. But not the visual sense he expected or wanted.

"What is this? Is... is this how you see the universe?"

With a curl of his lip, the Sith Lord blinked his eyes, still not seeing in the physical spectrum at all. Instead, his senses of sight were altered, his mental vision filled with auras that moved and shifted, shimmering in a multitude of colors. He was reminded of the novelty rings he had seen as a child, of the changing colors they displayed when feeling different emotions. Truthfully it was based on body heat, but that was beside the point... and suddenly, with a growing sense of fascination, his deep fear of blindness now gone in the wake of some visual stimuli, Darth Excidium began to examine his current state. The perception of individuals based on - what he presumed - were moods allowed for a variety of uses, especially as the more angry individuals seemed to be brighter. And judging by the large group of glowing auras rapidly approaching from above the pair, Voss were on the way.

An aura appeared from behind, glowing extensions that Excidium believed were hands, reaching for him. Activating the weapon in his hand, the Sith Lord pivoted on his heel and slashed diagonally across the energy emission. There was a flash of white, as the individual the aura belonged to felt surprise, and then that same energy signature began to fade to black before falling to a stop on what Excidium assumed was the floor. It was difficult to visualize specific obstacles or objects in the environment, especially not being used to 'seeing' like he was. It was hard to concentrate, his mind wanting to reject the sensation.

Still blinking, Excidium began to stumble away from the aura of Jairdain. He caught a brief glance at the color of her energy, her emotional state, but without the knowledge or understanding she had, he couldn't say exactly how she felt or what was happening... instead, it was all the Sith Lord could do to began leaving the immediate area, to avoid confrontation with a group of enemies he was completely unable to handle in his current state. And with a growl, Excidium began to move quickly along barely perceptible hallways, seeing more auras fading into existence all around him as others approached or began feeling shifts in emotions...

Curse this!

[member="Jairdain"]​

 

[Jairdain]

If Jairdain had any doubt before of the alignment of the man, the name he provided cleared it. He was a sith. That alone was not a bad thing, she had been there and made judgement on his path. Just meant she needed to be far more careful than she already was. When he said he was glad she had gotten revenge and questioned if that was something a Jedi would do she pretty much sent him the sensation of a mental roll of her eyes.

"There was no revenge involved and why does everybody think I'm Jedi?"

Even if Darth Excidium had phrased it as a question, it was still an assumption. Not entirely inaccurate, but not totally true. Jairdain allied herself with the Silver Jedi, but her path was not one of a pure Jedi. Having been down the path of the Sith for a while, the initial corruption had been based on lies, deceit and eventually Jairdain had seen through it. Shattering her mind yet again, when she recovered, she knew she could no longer consider herself Jedi.

Perfectly aware of her mental defense going off, when he reacted, she was ready. The fear boiled off him and that surprised her. Scared of the dark? The question leaped into her mind. Even if he hadn't calmed down and was still just as furious at the attack, he gained control of his senses and actually used her blinding to his advantage. The first person to react in such a way other than padawans she was training to use the Force to see.

"Yes, Darth Excidium, that is how I see the life around me. Everything has emotions, down to the smallest molecule. Oh feth!"

That last part was her reaction to him killing the person that approached him from behind. They both appeared to watch as the life of the Mystic that came to find out what was going on faded away. He turned away from her to head deeper into the catacombs and she followed. Her headache was now much worse, probably due to his attempted attack on her.

Thoughts beyond that of Lykos surfaced. Memories of her times of captivity were there. When the cultists physically abused her, killed the others around her, the fear they felt. Her second capture where in the end she fell to the dark side and got corrupted by Krest. The mental torture he had inflicted upon her that caused her first mental breakdown. These memories almost brought Jairdain to the floor and actually stopped her for a moment. That was the moment he needed. Using it to his advantage, he moved further away from her.

Struggling to maintain control of her memories, Jairdain stopped and focused. She took the moments needed, much like when she had done as a Jedi and allowed the memories and emotions brought up to just be. There was nothing she could do now about changing anything and she accepted this. Once that was accomplished, she had survived his attack...whatever skill that was, she felt the need to learn. How useful it could be in the future. Maybe he did have knowledge she wanted.

The darkness did not affect the blind woman and she gave a calm and steady chase to Excidium. if he used that vision granted to him by her attack, he would 'see' an oncoming and potential storm. A steady flow came from her and if she caught him, that storm would break on him.

[member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

As Excidium stumbled through the catacombs, consistently knocking his arms or catching his boot on rocks, the Sith couldn't help but wonder if his vision would return to normal. Despite being quite intelligent, he had never quite encountered an effect like the one currently being experienced; never before had someone else's power taken over his own mind and forced such an alteration. It was equal measures of concerning and intriguing. Yet, despite his situation, Excidium remained mindful of his purpose on Voss, and he tried to pierce through the visual kaleidoscope in order to locate that which he sought. Excidium also tried to ignore the growing storm of glowing color behind him, which he felt was Jairdain through the Force...

"Where is it?" Excidium cursed, arms out before him as he kept trying to blink away the stimuli. "It should be here..."

With a shout, rage, the Sith Lord clenched his hands into fists and for a moment his vision returned. Surprised, the clarity immediately faded back to the mottle of thermal glows. But, at least through channeling the Force with his anger, Excidium had managed to see - even if only for a brief moment. Thankfully the catacombs were well-lit, otherwise he wouldn't have noticed the change so obviously. Knowing he had a method, even if unpredictable, to see clearly for moments at a time, Excidium continued his path. He still knocked into walls he didn't notice, or caught his feet on stones he was unaware of, but he could see the open area up ahead with several glowing lifeforms within...

<"W-what are you doing here?"> Asked one in it's native tongue, a flourish of color passing over the being. Confusion, perhaps. <"These sacred grounds are off-limits to--">

The Sith Lord slashed with his lightsaber, cutting the Voss cleanly through. Stepping toward the second individual, Excidium pointed his blade and growled in a low tone.

"Do you speak Basic? The tomes on Voss healing techniques... tell me where they are, or you die alongside your companion."

"Two chambers over," The younger voice said, heavily accented, the sound escaping from the white glow. "B-but you cannot hope to escape with the Commandos and mystics coming."

Darth Excidium sneered, pushing past the Voss. He didn't want to waste anymore time, not with Jairdair likely recovering and approaching. So again, the Sith Lord continued, making his way clumsily. The visual sensation was beginning to fade, however, as the glowing gave way to Force Sight clarity at increasing intervals. With luck, by the time he reached the next chambers, Excidium would have his vision back - or at least most of it. And after taking several turns, the Sith Lord stepped into a wide open alcove. He focused his energy, forcing his eyes to fight the mental power over it, to push it away and reclaim his own eyesight... and it worked, just long enough for Excidium to see a neatly placed tome, with the Voss text clearly sewn onto the front.

There. Finally!

Using the Force, Excidium called the book to his outstretched hand. With a thud, it landed in his palm, wrapped in his fingers. Moving quickly the Sith Lord continued, his vision once again fading, even as he remained unaware of the catacombs growing steadily darker, the torches fewer and fewer as he descended further down...

[member="Jairdain"]​

 

[Jairdain]

Even though Jairdain was hurting from the skill he had hit her with, she was recovering. The memories it had brought up were just those and the pain was all mental. Debilitating for just long enough for him to make an escape. Now his actions did not actually make her mad, but resolute and set. The commandos here might be able to slow him down, but the Mystics were not fighters and wouldn't stand a chance.

Following the trail he left behind in the Force and the sound of his lightsaber, Jairdain felt the death of the catacomb worker. Not a Mystic or commando this time. A simple worker that helped keep things in order. There was another and gave him directions. He lived luckily for doing that.

"May my Gods take these souls."

It was muttered more under her breath than spoken loud enough to be heard, but if Excidium could hear it with the noise heading their direction, it could give him further insight on her.

She knew her blinding would be fading off of him soon and wanted him stopped before that happened. Rounding the corner, she saw him take something from one of the shelves and continue on. He went deeper into the darkness of the catacombs. There would be no escape for him from what she knew of the lay out. If she could have focused enough, she would have gone into stealth and followed him. His attack was still affecting her and she was unable to perform more than a couple of things at the same time.

"Stop, Darth Excidium! Going deeper there is no escape."

​Speaking loud enough to be heard, Jairdain then continued to follow him deeper. The sound of gather forces behind her followed her, but in the narrowing confines and darkness, they were slower than the two single people.

[member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Arm outstretched, hand running along the catacomb walls for stability while moving, the mottled colors of the vision were certainly waning. Darth Excidium was now experiencing a confusing form of double-vision, as the Emotion Sense and his Force Sight overlapped. It was completely overwhelming, his senses not prepared for the transition, and it was all the Sith Lord could do to keep going. With little choice, Excidium stopped using the Force Sight, feeling that wrestling with two visual senses wasn't prudent to gaining an advantage once again. Also not wanting to stop, knowing enemies were closing in on his slower pace, he kept using his physical touch to keep from knocking the stone too often. The echo of shouts and calls, as well as subtle footsteps, caused Excidium to curl his lip in frustration; if he had been able to see, then things might have been different...

"Where is the tunnel?" Excidium said, growling as his robes shifted about him, his strides long but reserved. "It should be here."

Having a basic knowledge of the catacomb layout, the Sith Lord had been following a rough estimate of a path. Since the information had been older, there had been numerous changes made since then, as clearly evidenced by the Zelosian's confusion. Not one to forget anything, if Excidium was having trouble with directions it meant things weren't parallel to what he knew. Still, a general sense of direction was serving him well, despite the threats creeping up on him, gaining at a faster pace than he was escaping.

Rounding another bend, the world was pitched into sudden darkness. Excidium froze. For a moment he thought he might be blinded again by whatever mental defense Jairdain had used, but when the glowing vision didn't return, another unfortunate realization hit the Sith Lord - he was in the dark, in the catacombs, with no light around... and he had allowed his Force Sight to fade out, which would take time to call on again.

This is getting worse, Excidium thought, securing the tome he held within his robes, freeing up his hands. Reaching again for his lightsaber, the Sith Lord activated the red blade. And the illumination from my lightsaber is barely enough to help my eyes...

Just as he was about to move again, Excidium felt he wasn't alone. The Sith sighed, turning in the direction of Jairdain who was behind him, her Force presence clear as day in the pitch black of the tunnel, with the only light source being his red lightsaber...

"Hello again."

[member="Jairdain"]​

 

[Jairdain]

Not one to use maps since she couldn't see them, Jairdain followed him easily. She knew the paths here and if there had been changes, she just took them in as they came. The catacombs were not a place she came frequently, but could see fine through the Force. Her sight was second nature to her and just as natural as breathing. It took her no focus to use and it was entirely different than the spell Excidium used when he used his Force Sight.

She came up behind him, but not close enough to touch and stopped. He had stopped as well. Looking through the Force beyond him, she could see they were almost at the end. Assuming on the other side of the wall was earth, Jairdain would send a shove at him with the Force. Unless he resisted it, it should send him back into the wall behind him as he now had turned to face her direction.

Not bothering to respond to his spoken, "hello again", Jairdain would remain silent as she stood waiting on his reaction.

Tilting her head, she listened for the sound of the nearest commandos and shook it slightly. In the narrow corridors here, they were forced to move slightly slower and go single file. This confrontation, no matter how it ended, would be over by the time they arrived.

[member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Excidium clicked a small device on his belt.

Jairdain had seemingly lost her willingness to discuss things. The wave of Force flowed over Excidium, causing the Sith Lord to stumble backwards and impact on the catacomb wall behind. Had he been able to see completely, perhaps he may have been able to prevent such a graceless display of being knocked backward. As it was, the ancient earth took a lot of the impact, cracking and dropping dust and rocks, causing echoes throughout the darkness. From one of the passageways the boots of very near Voss Commandos thudded, their voices carrying as they spoke to one another in preparation for a fight. The efforts of both Jairdain and the commandos was commendable, certainly, but fortunately for the Sith Lord, he had reached the location he had intended... more or less.

"It's a shame, Jairdain," Excidium spoke lowly, his voice unwavering despite the vast discomfort he felt at how little he could actually see. "You seem to possess very unique abilities, ones that I would have taken great pleasure in sharing and learning... but it's clear you have another path, one that doesn't include my lessons, or your teachings."

As he spoke, Excidium moved slowly, passing by the section of wall that had suffered the most damage from the Force push. He kept his lightsaber raised, held between them like a dim light, solely to keep sight of his opponent, even though it was barely adequate to see more than shapes or patches of dark on darker. As the Sith Lord felt a surge of anger to his left, in the direction of the commandos, he knew they had arrived. Shifting his lightsaber, a warning blaster shot rang out, illuminating the catacomb passage briefly as the Sith Lord redirected the shot, sending it back the direction it had come - and hearing an impact, followed by some sparks and a cry of pain, as the bolt hit body armor.

"I will be keeping an eye on you, Jairdain..."

All at once, the passageway erupted into a hail of blaster fire and spinning lightsaber blade. The commandos began attacking, moving so that they didn't hit their ally nearby, taking carefully aimed shots in an attempt to bring down the intruder that had caused the alarm and killed several individuals. Yet, despite their efforts, Excidium's weapon moved in a flurry of twists and turns, all becoming one long motion as he deflected each shot. His blade caught two bolts at once, sending them both harmlessly into the ground at Jairdain's feet - followed by a smirk - before Excidium called on the Force and planted his palm against the cracked wall.

The catacomb exploded outward, the damaged portion of solid structure turned to dust, sand and debris!

From the newly made hole, the bright moonlight began to filter through, filling the passage with a natural light that allowed the Sith Lord to see. His world was no longer darkness, and seeing the forces arrayed against him, Excidium knew it was time to beat a hasty retreat. Beyond, the catacomb had opened onto a cliff face, offering a wonderful view of Voss at night. The infiltration had been a success, he had that which he sought, while also offering more in the form of a wayward Force user. With a final deflection of several blaster bolts, the Sith Lord dived through the opening and out into the space beyond... and like clockwork, a transport roared past to fill that space, allowing the Sith Lord to land squarely on the upper hull. Turning back to the opening in the catacomb wall, Excidium deactivated his lightsaber and looked at the mysterious individual within.

And then with a burst of engine and speed, the transport was gone, disappearing out of view into the night...

[member="Jairdain"]​

 

[Jairdain]

She had to give him credit on his reaction. Sensing his discomfort, the reason was fully unknown to her, but Jairdain assumed it was because of the situation...not because he was afraid of the dark.

Her shove had the intended affect and had him against the wall. Hearing the sound of it cracking and the debris falling was not fully lost on her, but it didn't sink into her mind that it provided him an escape route to use. The commandos arrived and carefully aimed their guns at him. While the sight of the flashes had no effect on her, the fact he was able to control the direction they were deflected, caused her raise her eyebrows slightly. Two had landed directly in front of her, the other deflected back at the Voss firing at him.

The shots that missed him, hit the wall, further weakening it. When they were finished it didn't take much effort from him to finish the job she had started by throwing him against it. His parting words weren't a threat, but a fact. As he smirked, they both knew they would meet again sometime. For now though, their encounter was finished and he jumped out of the newly made hole in the wall.

Running to it, Jairdain would follow his presence through the Force for a few moments before turning away.

I would say the same, Darth Excidium, but I cannot see. We will meet again.​

Her attention now on the chaos in the catacombs of the Shrine, she learned he had taken one of the tomes from here and which one it was. She made a vow to them, she would get that book back to them and where it belonged.