Scorpion Moonrise

[Isaac Rennek]

Somewhere
In
Space

[member="Tai Fa"]​

​

The eyes of Vanja del’Vaan burned a hole through the transparisteel of the bridge, opening up a void into space that would suck them all in and extinguish all light. Or so she felt inside. Her back was turned to Tai Fa, and with good reason. She could not look at anyone right now, not even him. There was so much anger, so much hate. Her eyes burned red. She could not tell if she was crying, but she did find it hard to see. The hatred was not aimed at Tai Fa. Even so, she was unhinged, out of control, a mess. She did not wish to be seen by him like this, even though she was fully aware that his eye pierced all. Just like her blade would pierce them all. Every karking one. They would pay for what they had done to her, to Master Hadjah, to Ryloth. They were not Jedi. The Jedi were already long dead. Soon they would join her.

“When do we move?”

The rage was barely guarded behind gritted teeth. Even knowing she could not hide anything from him, she still tried. She had her dignity. She needed to show him that in time she could collect herself. Vanja did not even see that herself, but even if she did not believe she should make him a believer. He could not be allowed to take this away from her. She needed to be assigned this task. She needed it badly. And she believed it was her right. Why else would he tell her? Why else would he teach her the ways of using force and the Force. While restrained, Fa was so in appropriate measures. He had improved upon the Jedi model which were self-restrained to an agonizing fault. Those lying hypocritical bastards!

It was only a few moments in the past when Tai Fa had revealed the truth he had just learned to her. He appreciated him coming straight to her. She only wished she was strong enough to receive it. Her mentor, Master Hadjah, had been working to improve things on Ryloth. Mend old wounds, forge alliances between rivals. Everything was coming together. In doing so some past sins would have to be forgiven. Vanja knew the rest of her particularly militant branch of Jedi did not see eye to eye… But to resort to this. Murder by neglect. They thought by not wielding the sword their hands would not be stained by Hadjah’s blood, but they were all drenched in it. Slavers had killed her friend. Terrorists. But Vanja could put two and two together. Something had put them up to it. Someone had given them arms, purpose, a target. And with the evidence brought to light by Tai Fa, it led straight back to the Jedi cult… This trechercy could not go unasnwered. They were no better than the pirates and slavers themselves. They were worse. For the first time Vanja saw someone who might rival her disgust for the slavers. For the first time she saw the slavers and pirates only as the mindless pawns. To be disposed of too, naturally, but merely a symptom of the real problem. There was a different cancer in the galaxy that spread its poison under the guise of light, freedom, and equality. Bantha poodoo.

​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vanja Del'Vaan"]

It was clear there was a hunger permeating from the twi'lek girl.

A hunger that could be dangerous, if it was not offset by discipline and moderation, but that was a progression they were working on with her training. Slow moving progress, but progress nonetheless. The revelation that this extremist Jedi organization was the cause for her Master's death had hit her hard.

But that had been the aim.

Was it true? Not completely, no. But the best lies were born out of the truth and it was not dissimilar here. It had been time to shift her fixation away from the slavers.

The hiss of the bulk doors heralded the arrival of Vulgrim Blackwell.

"Soon." Lord Fa retorted, before his wing gestured towards the huge, bulking form of Vulgrim. It was clear the Maelibus had some difficulty getting through the door. "I will not be accompanying you today, instead I wish to see how well you cooperate with my associates."

"This is mister Blackwell. He and his will be your help during this mission."

The hat shrouded much of the fire from the Maelibus' eyes, but when he retreated from his bow it was still there. The echo of the fire still lingered in the air.

"Miss De'Vaan." It was a smooth voice that swept up from his voice. Heavy-set and baritone, but the cadence was far prettier than was to be expected. "How do you do?"

 

[Isaac Rennek]

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]​

Vanja turned too look in the direction of the opening door. She had not expected... That. Fa had many associates and underlings, but none quite as hulking, imposing and... Impressive. Vulgrim was... strangely hot. Woah, okay Vanja, she thought to herself, snapping her mind out wherever that was going before her mind could be allowed to linger on it. She made a mental note to have her head checked out at a later point, just in case. Hardly a compatible species. Though perhaps her otherwordly curiosity grew out of a strong sense that all Twi'lek men were weak and dull.

"Uh huh" Vanja muttered without making eye contact with Fa, barely registering his words. What the hell kind of beast was this? She was not familiar with this breed. Did it even speak? There was fire in him, and with a piercing gaze such as that, perhaps he did not need words.

Ohh. It did speak. Well, in fact. The tone of his voice was not one she had expected, but after processing it over a moment, nothing else made sense for him. "Mister Blackwell." she returned, not taking her eyes off him. How do you do? Oh... Right, well "Near shaking with unbridled rage and an insatiable thirst for blood and vengeance. How do you do?" her voice was surprisingly calm and nearly mockingly polite.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vanja Del'Vaan"]

The humanoid was giving him strange glances.

A large demon head cocked to the side as the silence stretched out and veered into the awkward area. Vulgrim exchanged a brief look with Lord Fa, who simply shrugged in the universal gesture of confusion. It seemed that both of the aliens weren't entirely too sure what Vanja was thinking right now. But before it could get too awkward, she suddenly piped up again and responded to him.

The nod Vulgrim gave her was a serious one.

"I see." The Maelibus retorted after a moment. "Lord Fa filled me in about the situation. Very unfortunate indeed."

He had read that mammals were very prone to losing themselves in their emotions. They could go from 'zero to ten' in no time at all, which could caught you off-guard if you weren't paying attention.

This is why it was imperative to be polite, caring and understanding with her feelings.

That was what Vulgrim had read anyway.

"I am quite fine, thank you." A nod with a smile - rows and rows of sharp teeth showing themselves, enough to bite a throat out or crumble durasteel - followed soon. That was another thing he had read. Apparently it was important to smile often and plenty when in the presence of mammals, if you were interested in building up a social rapport with them.

"We will be arriving in orbit soon, why don't we go to the hangar bays, yes?"

Another look was exchanged with Lord Fa, who simply nodded and gave them leave to go. The brush of a wing passed Vanja's shoulder, just enough to remind her to stay focused and centered as much as she could in the moment.

After that Vanja and the Maelibus exited the bridge and started for the hangar bays.

They had to take a lift and the music was making it a bit awkward.

It didn't help that Vulgrim needed to crouch painfully, so he didn't break the little cabin they were in.

"So...... how did you meet Lord Fa?"

 

[Isaac Rennek]

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]

You bet your sweet demon butt the humanoid was giving him strange glances.

Vanja wasn't aware of any awkwardness or prolonged silences going on. For all she knew her thoughts were her own, and mostly they were, although they seemed to have picked up on the perhaps unexpected focus of her curiosity. She took no note. Vanja had way too much on her mind to pay attention to detail, with the crushing news of what had truly went down on Ryloth, and this massive beast of a... thing suddenly walking into the room.

She was surprised at the calm tone and eloquent vocabulary. He was quite gentlemanly, whereas she nearly expected a beast on leash whose only purpose was death and destruction. No, he seemed more educated than that, yet still maintained that same air about him that he could tear down a building and those within it if he so desired. On a totally unrelated note, Vanja felt the need to have a chat with Tai Fa about the air conditioning on his ship. It was starting to get quite hot in here.

The brush of Fa's wing meant more than her body or face expressed. It was as most a cold reminder to stay the course and stick to the plan, as it was a comforting condolence to her loss. Maybe it wasn't intended as such, but that's how she felt it.

"Sure thing. You take the lead" as soon as Vanja said that she gave pause. She had began walking towards the door, and in her pause she did a 180 turn and walked backwards for a few steps, looking towards Tai Fa for confirmation. Who was in charge? Was it her or him? She had assumed him, but you never know.

Now the pair got cramped up together in a tiny elevator on the way to the hangar. It was rather bizarre. The elevator was anything but tiny, but Vulgrim sure made it seem that way with the way he was crouching and bending to manage to fit into the thing.

Vanja's eyes glanced down at Vulgrim's feet. She studied them, in an attempt to be subtle. There was something to be said for men with big feet.

Then she realised he had spoken. "Umm what?" she said, immediately straightening herself out and looking up at him? "Oh. Uhm, on Ryloth. Explosions." That.... Was not a great explanation. "He didn't make them. But he was there." Much better. Cue inner eye-roll. Vulgrim probably knew the details, given he had been briefed for this mission. "What about you?"

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vanja Del'Vaan"]

Lord Fa did not tip her off on his thoughts.

When she turned around and shot him a questioning glance, he simply cocked his head, smiled and then waved with his wing again. This was as much as she would get from him in the way of: "You can go now and you will have to figure it out on your own". Perhaps it was a test of sorts, to see if she would grab control or if she was capable of taking orders... or simply be able to play nice with others. It was difficult to gauge when all you had to judge was a beak.

"Oh." Vulgrim thought about Ryloth for a while. He was aware of the change in government and ruling class, of course, a return to the status quo minus some concessions to his Lordship.

"I used to operate a ranch on Ukio." The Maelibus explained patiently, while they climbed out of the lift. They passed through the hangar bay and settled themselves into a mid-sized freighter. One that was slightly more comfortable for his size, mostly because it had been made for him.

"Lord Fa convinced me that it was not the life for me and now I work for him."

That was very succinct and not the entire truth, but it was not for him to disclose Tai's secrets. If and when the Thirriken wished to tell Vanja about their business dealings, the avian presumably would.

"He told me you have issues with controlling yourself?"

 

[Isaac Rennek]

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]

"A ranch?" She looked up at him in mild surprise. "What kind of animals did you keep?" she had a hard time picturing him as the domesticating farmer type fella. But perhaps he was dealing with beasts of a slightly more exotic and dangerous type.

"Lot of people like you on Ukino?" she wasn't familiar with the system. Or his species. Maybe it was for the better. Many stereotypes came to mind when glancing over at someone with his appearance, but perhaps it was best not to judge these things in advance without any other data.

Vanja gave a chuckle as Vulgrim went on. "Fa can be persuasive like that" she didn't really pick up on the fact that he was keeping more details from her. Maybe she would've assumed. Maybe it didn't matter. As long as she got her revenge.

When he commentating on her having issues with controlling herself, almost as if to prove his point, her nostrils flared and she was about to chew him out. "I don't have..." Instead the blue girl took a deep breath. "Sometimes I like to do things differently." she simply said.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vanja Del'Vaan"]

One big orb of fire settled itself towards her as Vulgrim studied her curiously.

Why did she sound so surprised? At least, it sounded as surprise, but even after all these years it was sometimes difficult for him to gauge the reactions of these humanoids. But the inflection of her voice when she asked what he was herding told him all that the Maelibus truly needed to know.

It amused him that she couldn't picture him herding his animals.

"Banthas for the most part." Deadly serious too. There truly was no joke to be found in his voice. "Very peaceful and relaxed."

The fact that the past time he had started to import and export wildlife like rancors and the sort wasn't truly important. That was simply playing into the stereotype she was so interested in.

Big guy, so he had to be herding big and dangerous animals, right?

"Ukio," The calm correction followed soon. "It's a farm world in the Outer Rim. My kind doesn't live there, no, the planet would probably have been reduced to rubble if we did." With none of the Diathim living near them and keeping them in check, the Maelibus would presumably swarm Ukio and turn it into a wasteland. Every species hunted to extinction, the continent wrecked as his siblings tunneled and established colonies underground.

It wouldn't be pleasant.

The freighter took off and was approaching the emerald lush world this supposed Jedi Order had settled itself on. The name escaped him now, but they were making good time. It wouldn't be long, before the pilot would breach the atmosphere and allow landing procedures to settle.

"Oh, I understand, miss Del'Vaan. But a different thing does not automatically make it the right thing, yes? Vengeance is a dish best served cold, no? At least, that's what I have been told, sadly I do not have much experience with vengeance or similar enterprises."

 

[Isaac Rennek]

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]

"Banthas?" she repeated, looking up at him in surprise. That was unexpected, and she couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "Well then. That was unexpected" she muttered, but let it rest with that. Either he was the biggest, meanest looking bantha herder this side of the galaxy, or he didn't want to talk about it.

Actually, no, she didn't drop it. "Do you have a favourite one? What's its name?" was he the type of person who would care? Or was it all just meat and pay to him? She hadn't any idea. The name didn't really matter, it was more like an interesting test to see how he'd respond to the peculiar question.

"Right" Vanja muttered when her mispronunciation got called out on. She imprinted it into memory. Surely, she'd make the same mistake again though.

"Ah. You're a violent bunch then?" she eyed him over once again. Yup. That made sense. Total sense. Guy was a beast. If the rest of his kind resembled, then well dang, genocide it is. "There a lot of you?" she wondered if he wasn't like the rest, but figured not to bombard him with questions. Based on what she said she could possibly learn something, take it from there, or just take the hint and not bring it up. Whichever. Didn't make or break her day.

"Of course not. Different is just different. Whether it's right or not is a hit or miss thing" she shrugged, tone getting slightly defensive as if she was under attack, but she calmed. He was not the enemy. If she was going on a potentially dangerous mission with a stranger, she'd like to know whether she'd have to watch her back as well. "But you're right. Cold vengeance would be much more satisfying. The hot version comes at a higher chance of failure. And I will not have failure. Win fast or slow doesn't matter in the end, but I will win" the last bit was more of a reminder to herself than to him, but he had managed to get her thinking out loud so he got a piece of her mind as well.

"I won't hold us back. Tai trusts me. I will not fail him" for once she sounded calm, calculating and determined. Now that was a buff that probably would only last ten minutes with a cooldown that was way too long. #Nerd

"What about you? What's your vice?"

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vanja Del'Vaan"]

Admittedly this wasn't the first time people reacted in such a fashion.

He probably should have been used to it by now, but for some reason it always caught him off-guard. Why would it be strange for him to simply herd banthas, instead of rancors or similarly aggressive species? Was it because his species was naturally predisposed towards violence, death and destruction? That could be it, if not for the fact that most people didn't even know that Maelibus existed. They simply judged on the basis of his teeth and talons.

Which was a bit sad.

"Oh, yes." Vulgrim responded, before he grew a bit sad at the thought of his prized bantha. "Bertha. She was magnificent, so gentle and never hurt a fly."

A shrug of the shoulders followed.

"They killed her, my competitors."

Then he had ripped them to shreds, of course. It had ruined his suit. But Bertha had deserved at least a measure of justice and as such it was only fair to kill them as well. Limbs thrown about, blood gushing royally and soft entrails escaping their bodies, there had been a poetic beauty to it all.

But that was an instinct he tried to suppress as much as possible.

Did Lord Fa trust her? Why would have asked for him then, Vulgrim wondered internally. After all, he simply could have attached a company of Vigor Troopers to her and let her sort it out herself.

The Maelibus wondered if the Thirriken was expecting him to kill her, if it turned out that she wasn't capable of being pragmatic.

Keep an eye on her, Blackwell. That was what Tai had said, but what did it mean? The avian never seemed to enjoy simply talking straight and obvious with his words.

"Oh, ironically enough? I can get angry." But there was a wide difference between her being angry and him being angry. Both in terms of body count, property damage and the risk that it posed to themselves. Whilst Vanja was still at risk of death... or worse, Vulgrim hadn't yet found a challenge he couldn't truly break himself.

"So, I have some experience with it, which is why you should take my advice to heart, yes?"

 

[Isaac Rennek]

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]

She was surprised when she heard the tragic tale of Bertha the Bantha. At first she had thought it a joke, but judging by the tone of the voice and his bodylanguage she believed it completely. Vanja only had his size and appearance to go off, and was far from free of prejudice. Though to his credit, his demeanour so far had disproved all of her initial suspicions. He was full of surprises. An intriguing character to be sure. Sophisticated and calculating, possibly, which would explain why Fa would associate himself with Vulgrim - Fa loved that sort of type. She hoped he could pack a punch too, but she felt that nearly went without saying. But at this point nothing would surprise her...

"I'm sorry" for once she didn't joke, but was completely genuine. A bantha Bertha may have been, but regardless of sentience or species, pets find a way of becoming a part of the family. She would not dismiss his grief simply because Bertha was a bantha. It was important and she mattered too because of her value to Vulgrim.

"I hope you got them back for what they did to her." she said, though made sure not to phrase it like a question. She didn't want to rip up old wounds and have him linger on a topic of pain. She was comfortable moving on.

It was a good thing that Vanja didn't consider what Vulgrim considered, cause damn, that made sense. She was but the initiate, unproven still. But with this her successes would begin to build up. Although it was not a solo mission, it was her first without the direct supervision of Tai Fa. If she returned with good references and remarks from Vully, then that would bode very well for her career indeed.

Vanja chuckled when he mentioned how he too could get angry. She couldn't help but picture that their anger manifested in completely different ways. He knew when to be calm, when to unleash. And when he did it was with a righteous fury, not sulking and complaining at events out of her control. Which made her think... "Yeah. Got any for me now? Anger management for dummies?" While instinctively she might've responded with stubbornness and resistance to being told what to do and given unsolicited advice, as had been the case with Vitor, she buried her pride before Vulgrim. Any help was good help. He was after all on her side. No point in feuding when there was growth to be had.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vanja Del'Vaan"]

The inclination of the head followed at the extension of apologies.

Teeth sharp as razors ripping through flesh, blood flowing richly and sprayed about. Torn-apart figments of life scattered across the green grass and dead bantha eyes studying it all in the progress. It had been a massacre, a short one, but a massacre regardless. His suit stained to the brink with blood.

"Thank you." He simply responded, before considering her next question. What was a piece of advice that Vulgrim could give to Vanja in this very moment?

Large shoulders shrugged as the ship rattled once they breached the atmosphere and entered the planet's skyline in truth. There was ocean scattered all around - the base of the Jedi centered around a group of island, which had been fortified and turned into an amalgamation of forts.

They would have to land in the jungles and breach the fortress by foot.

Vulgrim still wondered why they simply couldn't talk to these people. Sure, they seemed excessively militant, but they were still Jedi at the end of the day.

Perhaps they would surrender if asked nicely to avoid further bloodshed.

"Remember that uncontrolled anger only serves your enemies. Perhaps it is satisfying in the moment, but if you lose control and that causes you to lose in truth? I very much doubt you will be happy with that, yes?"

 

[Isaac Rennek]

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]

"Right." Vanja muttered with her head lowered, considering the giant's words. She knew he was right. "That sounds like what Fa would tell me. Own your emotions, use them but don't allow them to use you. They'll let you run loose, run wild, and you will burn to a crisp by your own flame. Or something like that." Anger did not care for success, for a goal or higher purpose. Anger was anger, all it cared to do was rage.

"I guess... It just comes to me. It's strong. The things these people have done..." The nature of fire was to reach as high as it could, consume as much as it could. It was chaotic and destructive, making no distinction between friend or foe, all it was were the flames. It was a hard thing to tell it to give pause. But Vanja could not afford to become the flame, Vulgrim was right.

It would be her own personal project, something to work on. But until then... "Do you think they'll see us coming?" she looked against the horizon as their ship grazed through the atmosphere and moved to set down in the jungle. There were a few more obvious landing spots, but that simple fact was what disqualified them, and so they had set down where the jungle was thick, but just barely granted enough space for landing.

Vanja had all her gear with her. There wasn't much; her lightsaber and the Force were her weapons. She was pleased, however, that they were setting down in a jungle. That usually meant it was warm. No need to get boggled down in heavy coats or furs.

"How do you propose we do this? There's two of us and probably a lot of them" a distraction would be good. Some kind of support. "How much do you care about this ship?" Vanja said, a glimmer in her eye that hinted of a plan.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vanja Del'Vaan"]

That did sound like something Lord Fa would say.

The avian had showed himself to be a surprisingly eloquent sentient and that was one of the reasons why Vulgrim had no issue working for him. After all, he did not truly possess the ambition to run his own operations or snatch power for its own reasons, so it wasn't truly that bad to work for someone else. If it had to be someone, the Thirriken was a prime choice of employment.

Polite, studied, eloquent and with a sight that reached far.

"Lord Fa is quite eloquent in his own way." Vulgrim agreed with her after a moment, before they walked out of the cargo bay and onto the solid floor of the jungle underground. His talons sunk into the ground almost immediately and the Maelibus frowned at that, before shaking his head. It would be days, before the mud could be completely removed from his chitin carapace.

A tilt of the large head as he looked from her to the ship.

It was a fine ship and perfectly modeled for his size. Which wasn't as easy to find in a Galaxy dominated by the small-people, but if it meant a mission success? Well, he could always request another ship from Lord Fa.

"I was considering simply walking in there and having a chat." A shrug of the shoulders followed. "You can sneak in from the other side, while I chat... and then we sort out business."

He still wasn't a huge fan of such missions.

Wholesale slaughter without any shape of diplomacy was so uncivilized. But he realized that sometimes there simply wasn't a different way.

 

[Isaac Rennek]

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]

Oh. No blowing up the ship on a suicide run against the temple. Damnit. Would've made a nice bang. But fiiiiiine let's talk.

"A chat?" Vanja still did not look convinced. "That's what got my mentor blown up in the first place. Talking when they wanted battle. It's not their style. But suit yourself... I'll blend in"

But she would like to hear what they had to say, still, so Vanja would play along.

Did they even know she had deserted? Did they know of her recent activities? Even with the Jedi she hadn't followed their orthodox dress code, she wondered if she could blend in as one of them even now. Little had changed outwardly. If necessary she would try. Until then, however, she would try to be sneaky.

With a nod to Vulgrim she withdrew into the treeline and started moving wide of the temple, at a pace so she could be in position when Vulgrim did his talking. It was his show now. Hopefully for their sake he wouldn't get himself shot while approaching. That'd severely limit her own chances.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vanja Del'Vaan"]

The slow lumbering trajectory of the Maelibus was not lost to the Jedi, once he came into the range of their sensors.

At first nothing happened.

Until everything happened at once. The walls suddenly occupied half a dozen of faceless masks, the gate to the raised itself and out poured another half dozen of faceless masks. But these ones had lightsaber pikes, already ignited, at least three of them anyway. The rest were already baring their blaster rifles and aiming them at Blackwell with a menacing ferocity that would not be mistaken on the usual Sith. This confused Vulgrim to one degree or the other, because he never seemed to follow along the thread of thought that his visage was menacing.

To himself Vulgrim seemed perfectly genial, especially when wearing his magnificent suit.

"Ah, greetings! We would like to-" The booming voice was cut short when the blaster rifles went to their knees and put the stock of their guns to their shoulders. This made Vulgrim blink.

"Gentlemen, please, we truly do not need-"

"FIRE!"

It really devolved from there.

The first shot clashed against one of Vulgrim's horns, which was shrugged off alright. He seemed bemused before shaking his head slightly to get the steam off. But then they burst against his suit and it got ruined. Eyes widened, monstrous mouth twisted in a roar that made the closest Jedi back away for a few inches, before resuming their onslaught on the dangerous demon.

Blackwell lost control.

It wasn't pretty.

 

[Isaac Rennek]

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]

Hopefully for their sake he wouldn't get himself shot while approaching. That'd severely limit her own chances.

It wasn't quite that. But not far off. At least he was standing. And he was furious! It was kind of hot.

The one saving grace to it all was that the beast that was Vulgrim now had the full attention of the welcome party. It allowed Vanja to move with stealth and speed from the treeline and come up towards the group from behind. Diagonally, from the forest, but in the midst of chaos those few who did spot her might mistake her for another Jedi from the establishment.

Vanja nearly stopped in her tracks at the menace Vulgrim became. He unleashed that terror upon them, the same terror they had anticipated when first meeting him. Had they only known they were dealing with a gentle giant they might not have awakened the dragon.

Vanja's blue lightsaber joined in the hum of weapons. Yet instead of coming to the aid of her 'comrades', she cut them easily enough down from the back. Although as best she could she kept her distance from Vulgrim. She didn't want to risk him mistaking her for an enemy and gobbling her up as well.

Nasty.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Vulgrim did not have wings, but once they started shooting at him from the walls it didn't matter.

Briefly his attention slipped towards the girl.

PRETTY but a tinier voice spoke reason she is a friend. Do not touch her.

The incarnation of hatred and wrath roared against that tiny voice, but the tight clamps of centuries of civilizations were not as easily ignored and thrown out as that. Instead a blaster shot to his face made him refocus his attention to those tiny figures on the barricades. With one mighty swoop the Maelibus pushed himself off the ground, his claws digging into the walls halfway through and started climbing. Some fled there and then, yet, others were braver than that and would fight until their death came. Few of them realized it had already arrived.

Another leap took him over the walls and send him crashing into one of the Jedi.

His weight squashed him immediately and the claws dug into the soft meat, making it tear. But by now Vulgrim's carapace was steaming, almost boiling from the many blasters shots it had deflected and absorbed.

Tiny (comparatively) cuts lining his body and oozing amber liquid that functioned the same as blood for humanoids.

[member="Vanja Del'Vaan"]

 

[Isaac Rennek]

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]

Absolute madman. Vulgrim was showing off the monster within, and she could only be grateful he was on her side. Little did she know how close she had been to becoming torn apart herself. She could hold her own, and her own power and prowess of the art of war was growing with her experience, but even she did not know how long she could last against that.

Vulgrim was on a rampage, seeing red and going after anyone who was near or engaged with him. In his red rage he did not see all, nor did he make sure to finish all of what he started (which wasn't much of an issue, as most of those he touch lost parts of their bodies they would never be reunited with again).

Yet, it meant Vanja was reduced to mop-up, which she had no complaints about. Today was not a day to complain to the gentleman demon. She finished those who were already down, stabbed more in the back... You'd think it would trouble her, but instead it filled her with adrenaline. Perhaps it was the battle. Or perhaps it was the fact that she was getting vengeance.

Vulgrim had wanted to talk. Vanja had predicted this. The battle, the carnage. The betrayal of the Jedi. They did not abide to any code. They were glorified butchers who hid beneath the title Jedi, and thought it made them free to do as they wished. No more.

With the area in front of the temple cleared, lightsaber in hand, Vanja moved towards the main gate. She had looked upon Vulgrim with astonishment as he climbed. There was no way she could do that. Main gate it was for her. They'd meet inside. Perhaps, with the pace they were going, they had a small chance of not dying during this surprise attack.

May the Force be with them

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vanja Del'Vaan"]

Somewhere down the middle the Maelibus stopped the climb.

Not because of any sense of exhaustion, but the instinct of the beast honed inside of him. Every Maelibus had an expanded and elaborate sense of tremors and vibrations. It was how they found their way in the tunnels they dug back at their homeworld. So when Vulgrim's claws dug deep in the duracrete of the building to climb, he had the perfect medium to sense the vibrations made by bodies moving inside. His head cocked, tilted as if he was quieting down to listen.

Then strong claws burrowed straight through the duracrete like butter and immediately cut through a passing Jedi. Chaos erupted once more as their reality shifted to accommodate this new set of turns.

Vulgrim was now one floor above Vanja.

She would hear the screams and shouts, the monstrous roars that seemed so contrasting to the way he had behaved with her in the shuttle, how was it that such a gentlebeing... could turn so quickly? But it was righteous fury in Vulgrim's eyes - they had ruined his suit and for that they would pay the ultimate price.

Nothing else mattered.