See Them Driven Before You [Sith raid on Yutan Jedi Temple]

[Alexandra Feanor]

Location: Lightside Tree
Allies: [member="Shmi Labooda"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Abyss"] [member="Darth Ferox"] (Tag me if you arrive in the area)

Music:

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/XvxZs9V_2DQ

She didn't expect his hand to reach out, but the point was to occupy him and the moment he reached out she waited. Her saber collided with the hand but stopped short, not even coming close to penetration, but that was okay as she let go of the blade, hand leaving the activator button, and she only grinned. With a simple smile, her hand burst into light, and she shoved Hel back to the corner of her mind, having hoped the quick deception would work. She had prepared herself for this after all though not in such close proximity to the enemy.

That was Krest's problem, still thinking that she was on the fence but she could not blame him for believing so. Seven years had passed since the last time they had met and seven years was a long time for things to change. She had lost her family, and the Order had finally collapsed but it was that failure that forced her to find a new place in the force and when everything had left her all she had was it. Her garden had been her home, seven years of sitting in that garden connected to the light side, reading texts she had collected and studying artifacts she had dug up, every minute of every day spent studying.

One thing interested her more than all the others, and it was how the Jedi could bring forth a white light to protect and use as a weapon. Force Light had been something she looked over when the Order was still around, but it was not within her reach to even use it without being left drained. She had only done so once around Krest, and even then it was against Hakora and half-hearted. She still loved her brother at the time and now, even if what he had become was a mockery of what she had taught the kid; now there was also Krest who stood in front of her and reminded her of her failures. She didn't feel hate; she still felt that love that she felt for all her students. For Minna, Veino, Krest, Gherron, and of course for those who had been family.

She was behind that sad smile as the light extended towards Krest, all of this taking place in a split second. Those eyes that looked at him were not as broken as he thought and she still cried as she pushed out as much energy into the blast of light aimed at her friend. She cared for him but she and the Jedi would soon no longer have a mode of escape, it was to protect their lives that she was harming her old friend and while it brought her pain inside, she focused on her memories of what Krest had once been.

"Move Krest." Was the only words she had time to utter before abandoning her physical sight and closing her eyes so that she was not blinded by the burst of light that was sent out in full force.

She would not remain standing once she had begun the power applying a constant flow of the power while pushing back and separating herself from the man. She knew it would do damage to Krest, the moment she had seen him she knew how far he had fallen and that the Light would be able to wound him considerably. If he kept moving after was the problem and she was preparing for him to take his blade up against her once more. The entire moment was three seconds by the time she had repositioned herself away from him, keeping her hand at the ready should she need the Force's aid once more.

The tree nearby was a calming presence, one she was welcome to have as it's place in the force continued to bring the light to Alexandra.

 

[Darth Ferus]

Even as the light burned, there was no pained expression on the Sith's face. He did not cower back, huddling over like some monster of the night shined on by a flashlight. [member="Alexandra Feanor"] was no true lightsider. Hel made sure of that. A being of the dark, be it a figment of her mind or a ghost in the Force itself, weakened her. Weakened her light. The Force within him did burn away however, severing his connection in that moment. But his flesh did not peel.

The most he got was a slight headache.

And in that split second when the Grey put all of her focus on her power within the Force he kicked out with his cybernetic leg, aiming to stomp on her knee with it's mechanical might. His cybernetic hand came around, dropping the saber and activating the one within to stab into her chest. She may have removed the Force from his form, but he was right there, right in front of her, and his cybernetics were not about to fail now. So as she closed her eyes, thinking her power absolute, he would strike.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Darth Ferox"]

Alexandra had gotten out of range of his leg, but the blade he sent out was surprising to her. Her movement causing his blade to cut through her shoulder with shock crossing her face, eyes looking at the blade before the momentum of her body pulled her off the plasma blade, making sure that he couldn't cut out sideways. It was a good thing he had used a saber, something that made certain she would not bleed out but the pain on her face was not something she could quickly repress and she looked at her hand realizing the problem and cursing Hel once more for being a hindrance.

Ill deal with you after this you damnable spirit...

Her hand tightened on the saber still in her hand, drawing the second back to her hand and looking at Krest once more, conserving her energy and letting her own eyes take over again. Her ace had failed her because of that spirit, and trying again would just end with the same result which meant she would need to use the power she could generate for more reliable means of combat. This thought caused her to ignite the second blade once more, bringing the hilts together and waiting for Krest to move. They had to get out of here, but she knew the Jedi was busy with its own fight, a fact that made her grimace before shaking her head. If the Light itself was going to fail her, she had other ways to fight with the force.

He mind reached out to the seeds, grabbing ahold of them in the force and preparing them for what was needed.

 

[Rexus Drath]

[media] https://youtu.be/LkBKJMTCHGk [/media]​

The sith made their decision, and Rexus respected that. He simply stood there, adjusted his straw hat, and closed his eyes. It hurt. Not the physical pain he was feeling, but the emotional pain. He felt pity for the Cathar, he was lost in a life of hatred and death. So as he attacked and made his move, Rexus muttered a prayer silently to himself for the Cathar.

He stayed like that as razor discs and wild sith came flying at him, but during the last few moments he took one last breath and then spoke.

"Stop." The word sounded gentle as it exited his lips, but it was laced with power. Power beyond the deepest fathoms of what the sith had seen.

The discs simply stopped in mid air and hit the ground, and as for the young sith he'd be able to feel a master level grip forming around his entire body. One that could crush the bones of a rancor and crumple a speeder. It was unrelenting pressure even Freddy Mercury couldn't give justice to. Because at the end of the day, the sith was an kitten trying to fight an elephant. He was an acolyte and Rex was a master for good reason. This type of power was what he lived for.

But Rexus would speak once more, and he'd do so in a way that the Cathar hadn't heard before in his constant friendly demeanor.

"I could crush you like a bug. I could squeeze you until your entrails pour from your eyes and mouth like a slurry of Cathar soup. I could break you." He said in a very serious voice.

He then paused for a moment before smiling once more.

"But I won't. Because true power is having it, and not using it. Go home to your loved ones, Sith. We're done here. I wish you the best." Rex said as he let go the man.

He'd then send a blow of force energy in another repulse to break the grip around his legs. But he'd do something special afterwards, he wasn't going to lecture the sith. He simply turned around and started walking away. The force would then continue to flow around him as it shrouded him in a cloak of ethereal invisible energy.

[member="Thengil Ri'Shajirr"]

 

[TB-705]

At full sprint, the Cathar's other paw gestured in an attempt to rip the Jedi's lightsaber away and bring it into his grasp.

The hilt smacked into Thengil's open paw and he felt the thrill of triumph tremble through him. Suddenly, the world lurched as an invisible energy arrested Ri'shajirr's motion and brought him to a standstill. The pressure squeezed along the length of his body, constricting like the coils of a massive serpent.

Golden eyes glittered spitefully as the Jedi mewled, thinking himself the victor. Fool, I spent ten years thinking on how to kill your kind. Ten years in a Republic cell. Ten years without the feel of the wind against his fur. Ten years without the cool kiss of pure water. Only recycled refuse. Day in and day out in the hard vacuum of space.

Drath's words once more fell limp and flaccid. No more meaningful to Thengil than would be cries for mercy. If the Jedi had had spine he would have sought to end the Sith. Instead he deluded himself. Weak.

The grip lessened and Thengil immediately took a step forward.

"You will die," he said simply and thumbed the activation switch on human's blade. It flared to life in his paw, an iridescent bar that hummed angrily.

Long strides covered the distance between them swiftly. Thengil held his right hand at his side, drawing in aphotic power until he brimmed with the energy. With the left paw, the one clutched around the saber he thrust forward, aiming to spear the Jedi in the back through the left kidney.

[member="Rexus Drath"]

 

[Rexus Drath]

Why did they always want blood? They couldn't just walk away and choose the higher path. They always wanted to test you until you reached your breaking point. But thankfully Rex was a patient person. Although that didn't mean he wasn't going to defend himself. He was certainly capable of doing so. He could of turned around and broke every bone in their body with the force, torn him in half, pulled his guts out of every orifice he had, hell he could of been walking away with a new coat. But that wouldn't of been right.

"Keep it." Rexus said to the lion as his back was turned still.

He didn't bother turning around or striking back, he wanted to show the sith that there was such a thing as taking the higher path. And while the sith could brush it off as stupidity, weakness, whatever adjatiave or noun he wanted to use for it. The seed was planted. Whether or not that seed withered and died or bloomed was up to the Cathar.

But for Rex, he was done dealing with him. So once again taping into the force he augmented his speed and jet out of there. The wound on his gut would indeed suffer for it, but he'd get away from the sith and not have to kill him. Because that's where this battle was headed. The sith had too much hate in him to settle for anything less than either Rex's death, or his own. So Rex simply ended the confrontation entirely, speeding away deep into the forest.

[member="Thengil Ri'Shajirr"]

Spoiler

So sorry for ending our little affair. I gotta pull out of this thread, holidays for my family and stuffs I gotta do. Had a lot of fun writing with you though.

 

[TB-705]

The Cathar watched the human flee until the jungle swallowed him up and he could be seen no more.

Grimacing, Thengil turned away and flicked the switch on the saber. It shrank into nothing. Thengil glared at the hilt for a moment, a reminder of his failure to kill the Jedi, then loped toward the temple to reunite with [member="Velok the Younger"] and [member="Vitor Avendahl"]

 

[Pinda Solthar]

Allies: [member="Alexandra Feanor"]
Opponents: [member="Darth Abyss"] [member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] (Others with interest in jumping me )

She quickly recovered from her last attack, spinning around and using her foot as an anchor to slow herself. She began to think to herself, "His left hand constantly moves back and forth, staying at his back..."

She squinted her eyes and just then her minds eye showed her brief and vague glimpses of what seems to be a handheld weapon going off, and then glimpses of recognizable pale skin, the last was darkness shrouded in armor...Her bottom lip parted from the top when she refocused.

"Deception was powerful for reasons...for him to not be able to penetrate my mind, and to have sustained some sort of damage means that he's not done playing the game. That's where his skill lies."

She had fallen back on her left leg, most of her weight was there. Her eyes shot forward just as she noticed he'd launched himself towards her again. She noticed a hand-held pistol in his left hand, though the ammunition was your ordinary plasma. This was a slugthrower. Slug were less common and and definitely different from your usual plasma, but they could be countered. Rather than bounce off the blade they would melt when they converged with the energy. Noticing the explosion from her slight vision, she saw the three slugs, bending her knees slightly she ignited her emerald blade which was in her left hand; It would have been workable by now. When it sprung to life she brought it in front of her at a downward angle, meeting with one slug. Her right hand followed in quick succession as she swung downward from above meeting the second. As close as she was, she couldn't avoid the attack. The third however, made contact as it sliced through the right side of her body just on the edge of her abdomen. Because she had been moving and twisting her body, she just so happened to be in that position when the third slug made contact with her body. She stumbled back slightly, and instantly felt the pain to which her right leg began to shake slowly as she embraced it.

She had sustained far worse, so this she could still fight on. It even forced a slight smirk from her as it was getting more real by the moment. She was starting to enjoy it, as he was a more crafty opponent. Her Jedi training would allow her to push on albeit in pain. She pointed one of her hilts at the wound, and used the blue blade to cauterize the outside of it. Grunting in pain, she fell to her knee. At least she wouldn't run the risk of losing too much blood too fast. She then forced herself back up.

Only to see the female companion she was with at the start impaled by a crimson saber. Then she realized just how surrounded they were...She switched lightsabers, holding her own within her right and replacing the left with the blue. She felt more comfortable this way, because she knew her weapon better and it suited her style. Her body was sore, all this physical activity did leave her previous ailments vibrating through her body.

 

[Darth Abyss]

There is no problem a gun can't solve. The old bounty hunter proverb once again rang true in Abyss mind, as one of his slugs pierced through her body. Many sith and jedi alike disapproved of using such "uncivilized" weapons, but there was absoloutly nothing that he wasn't ready to do for victory. More than once he had been called a man without honor, and more than once he was the one that was still standing in the end. Guns were just the beginning, he had done horrendous, depraved things in the name of the sith. Every time he was outmatched he simply allowed himself to fall deeper in the eyes of those fools who believed in honor.

Normally this would be the moment for him to pull the gun back, as she took her time to stop her wound from bleeding, even going to her knees for a second. The weapon was for the most part a one trick pony, as soon as the element of suspires lacked, most skilled jedi or sith were able to defend themselves from the metal projectiles. And there was another large drawback to it: The weapon he wielded was small, easy to hide, and also outfitted with a suppressor to mask a part of the sound, but it sacrificed both range, precision and clip size. With three shoots already taken, he had exactly one left, and he wanted to make sure it was a good one. While she was still occupied getting to her feet, and switching her blades, he began to silently recite a old incantation of the nightsisters, a old spell that would serve him well in the next act of this fight. Many of those living in the shadows found a way to see in the dark, but this one was special. Instead of relaying of the amplification of low light vision, the spell painted a picture in the summoner mind, made entirely of sound, similar to echolocation.

The second she got up, he made a quick but very subtle move. The fingers of his right hand pushed two buttons at once. One turned of the red blade of his saber, the other activated the light absorbing cells webbed in the top of the hilt. These devices were a rather strange technology, used mainly by the hunters of the Kerestians, which were able to bend the light around them with a range of roughly three meters for a very limited period of time. Its use was similar to a smoke grenade, obscuring the vision of all those caught in the energy field, and only saber blades and other strong light sources were able to break trough the darkness they summoned.

Shrouded in his mantel of shadows, Abyss made his next move. First a few fast steps to his right, his steps leaving close to no sound in the process. If he had taken the slow route, he could've been completely silent, but he trusted the sound of the battle around them to obscure any indication of his movement. He also trusted the drums of war to overshadow the slight click of his gun, as he used the old witch spell to take aim, sending his last bullet at her right ankle. He picked this part of her body, because it played with the disbelief that someone would make such an attack, and that it seemed particularly unrealistic that someone could his such a target in near complete darkness. Even if she heard the click of his weapon, he assumed that she would rather keep her sabers in front of her upper body and head, instead of guarding her feet.

[member="Shmi Labooda"] [member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Elijah Black]

Allies: The Force
Opponents: You tell me, I'm open

It had been a while since she had partaken in the politics of the galaxy. She had withdrawn from orders and temples, from corruption and false knowledge. Her path had been her own. Perhaps for too long. Perhaps it was just right. The journey had been necessary for Zylah, to find out who she was and who she wanted to become. Away from the chaos of the world she had found the light, and it had kept her warm. She had grown. Perhaps the time had come to show the world her light?

The Force had taken her to Yutan. The Force had put her in the path of the Sith who now assaulted it. This could be the location in which she was destined to die. On the other hand, she could be destined to stop the attack. Perhaps neither, perhaps instead this was merely the beginning of a new journey. The outcome did not really matter at this point. All that did was the fact that she was here, and there was only truly one thing she could do. Fight.

Classically dressed, the pale Jedi strode down the temple halls in her dark brown Jedi robes, on top of beige tunic and under-tunic. The hood was up, bathing most of her face in its shadow. Though out of view thanks to her robes, her trusted lightsaber hung by her side. She carried no other weapons or armour but the Force. It had served her well thus far, as she had served it. Zylah hadn't been here long, and she did not know the temple well. Yet her steps were determined, carrying her with purpose. Darkness called out to her and she was about to give it her answer.

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| [member="Zylah Dvale"] |​

The stillness of the hallways contrasted brilliantly with the swirling vortex of energies at play within the Temple, the corridors of stone silent other than for the odd cry in the distance, the faint sound of lightsabers at play, the invariable scream of death that echoed more through the mind than any mere vibration of sound, a mote of light suddenly snuffed out, leaving only the darkness. It was an odd thing, to feel so close to a battle and yet, here, to feel that far removed from it.

The Jedi were, naturally, either fleeing the ruins of a Temple that would no doubt fall within a matter of hours, or surging towards the front of the Sith lines, desperate to push them back rather than allow the darkness to fall firmly over Yutan. It would be a futile thing, Tirdarius knew, but he had to admire their courage, the nerve which pushed them forward to fight for their final breath. In a way, at their end, they are more Sith than they are Jedi: seeking out their survival even when there is nothing left to do but die. The irony did not escape him.

Others among the Sith had sought out the Jedi directly, seeking to murder them and feel their hot blood wash over their hands, sating the bloodlust they so often had to restrain except in the presence of their hated enemies. Tirdarius had ever found this amusing: such childish passions wasted in pursuit of a moment's sadistic pleasure. His own objective ignored the Jedi in truth: the knowledge they stored here was more useful to the Sith than a handful of Jedi corpses. Perhaps even now, the Jedi were wiping out the data contained within their Archives, or removing the back-ups to join the evacuees on one of the few remaining ships that might make it to orbit. If Kaine's forces fail to do their job and keep things confined to the planet.

Black robes rustling around him as he moved, the Sith Lord strode along the corridors, noting with a touch of amusement at the architecture, knowing it would likely be levelled to rubble by this time tomorrow, unless the Sith found value in a dead monument. The stone chosen was all light in colour, brightened by natural illumination where possible, with artificial where it was not. The marble of the floor patterned in soft colours, plants aligned along the walls, to draw the eyes in a pleasing fashion. Such a focus on their aesthetics. It had ever been another lie of the Jedi: seeking to keep distractions to a minimum, their entire Temple was a stationary distraction for the inhabitants.

Footsteps drew his attention, a soft rhythmical tapping of leather sole against unyielding stone, heading in his direction. The Sith Lord looked up, grey eyes narrowing as he noticed the attire of the one that had appeared: brown on tan, the Jedi's preferential garb, their way of telling the common man that they were no different, and that humility was their path. Such lies we do tell, hmm? He shook his head, drawing his lightsaber from his belt, holding it deactivated within his hand, knowing well enough that in the midst of a warzone, violence would likely be the only response he might receive to the query he might offer.

"You choose an unfortunate time to be here, Jedi," he said, his tone calm and urbane, words carried along by the gentle intonations of a native Coruscanti accent. He knew he might have to kill her, but there was no harm in being polite. "My brothers and sisters have come in forth to see your kind wiped off the face of this world, and you can no doubt sense the success they are having in such a regard." The pinpricks of light they could both sense in the Force were diminishing moment by moment, flickering into non-existence with each heartbeat. "Will you stand in my way, or run while you can?"

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Abyss, his deception was commendable, though it had limited uses against a truly experienced fighter. This opponent most certainly fit the description. On quick feet, by all means inaudible within the backdrop of combat happening all around her, she closed the distance between herself and the duel of [member="Shmi Labooda"] and [member="Darth Abyss"]. Her presence in the force was shrunken, too small to matter, and her intent gone with it. Light did not show her form, only a discrete foot-imprint left a sign that she had ever existed.

Unseen, unheard.This was her forte, her path, and her calling: She was the Pale Assassin.

The bullet that strafed the Jedi Master's side wooshed past Ophidia's head, clipping a new hole in the fabric of her hood; she did not stop. The Jedi cauterised her wound and arose once more, and Abyss called on his tricks and immersed himself in the dark. She had her right foot forward, weight on the front of her feet and weighted forward in her stance. Ophidia raised her inactive hilt in a thrust, stopped, and pressed the activation button of the hilt while thrusting it down at the Jedi Master's back.

In that moment, she let go of her disguises and her shrouds to focus on her attack. All in one moment, her physical form and her signature in the Force materialised along with the furious snap-hiss of a bloodshine blade. Swift as a viper's bite.

[member="Shmi Labooda"] [member="Darth Abyss"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Atrox]

Spoiler: Music

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hziG9Nr6KHU[/video]

Whilst the carnage of battle waged on above the Temple, Karak was idly picking amongst the Sith Artefacts scattered around the room. It was clear that the Jedi who occupied the Temple had left this room with haste (explaining how he had gained access so easily) and was also surprised that no lightsiders had come to reclaim the Vault from him.

"Interesting." the warrior muttered as the troops sent by Darth Carnifex had arrived. They stationed themselves in pairs along the hallway, making for an intimidating wall of blasterbolts to whomever decided to arrive. Now, he had to wait for the fighting to cease, or something more interesting to happen.

 

[Catherine Soja]

Catherine Soja
Location: Third Floor landing pad moving to second floor rock guarden area.

She'd been helping evac some people with improtant items and archival back ups. But as things continued she had to go. As she marched down the steps she felt the clash of light and dark as she removed her light saber. By the time she made it to floor two she was feeling out who was where. As she passed thorugh the rock guardens for now mind feeling her options out no where was great but this was simply pickign where to make a stand. Here seemed like a good idea is blocked a straight path to the top and the evacuation. Also offetered her terrain to throw or fight around. it was a better defensive posistion.

 

[Pinda Solthar]

The muscles in her face twitched as she noticed him speaking words, and she began to think to herself "What does he have planned now?" Then the light around them seemingly vanished. It back dark in the section of the court yard they were in as if smoke fill the area and shrouded them all. Her body tensed up as now all she had was her sense abilities to rely on; thats where majority of her skill was when it came to abilities related to the force. Her vision was obscured and her hearing full of the commotion around them. She slowly began to squint her eyes as an anxious feeling grew deep down in the pit of her stomach.

When the tingling feeling spread across the length of her back she spun around as a crimson blade cut through the darkness. Her emerald blade produced an after image in its wake of shielding its master from attack, however the blades connected and bounced off one another with Shmi taking most of the recoil and falling back a couple of steps. The presence she knew...it was the same one she felt on Ruusan so long ago. The images from her vision made sense.

From all that she been witnessing, that attack was much to straightforward for him. It solidified who she knew it was. She reached out with her minds eye, trusting her senses she tilted her right arm forcing her blade to swing down. In that moment she felt the slug collide with her blade. After defending herself from the attack, her adversaries would surely be feeling the vibrating energy resonating from [member="Alexandra Feanor"] because even she felt it running up the edge of her back. She knew the effects, she just wasn't sure if they were in enough reach for her opponents to be fully affected.

"My vision may be clouded, but I still see you for what you are...pathetic"

She allowed herself to slip into the crevices of where she held her darkness, and had only begun the process of opening the floodgates. She was allowing herself to slip, and a storm began to rise within her. She felt [member="Darth Ophidia"] 's fury and [member="Darth Abyss"] 's deceit and the darkness they lived for. Using those strong emotions she was able to sense their presence. Not too far from Ophidia, she brought her left arm around swinging across in a wide arc that left a blue after image in its wake. The crimson blade was still there, and so was Ophidia's presence. The attack wasn't aimed for a specific area of her body, because Shmi couldn't full see it. However, she knew she was there.

She didn't forget Abyss, in the back of her mind she knew she wouldn't be able to fully press the offense until the darkness cleared...if it did at all.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

Master. The thought echoed through Abyss head, as [member="Darth Ophidia"], the pale assassin, broke the shadows that had obscured her, revealing the most powerful sith Abyss had ever meet in his journey from a young man, barley able to touch the force, to a lord of the sith. His master had finally returned, not just to this battle but the galaxy as whole. No there was certainly no way left for him to lose this encounter. His deception in combination with Ophidias skill would be a force of nature, unstoppable by any normal means. Without a miracle aiding her, the jedi had lost.

The darkness from his blade had begun to fade, but it was still present, only revealing shadows and silhouettes that barely were visible in the dim light that broke through the energy field. She was surrounded, blinded and injured, and Abyss would take advantage of any of these weaknesses to bring her down.

Her focus rested in his master, and while he in no way expected her to forget about him so easily, he was sure that she already had figured which of the two sith was the greater threat, or at least which one was the more imminent threat. Again he made a few steps to the right, this time slow enough to not make any sound at all, while storing the hilt of saber on his belt, and the gun back in the holster on his back. By now he stood on her right, creating a triangle with her and his master.

Each of his hands wandered in his sleeves of the other arm, and when he pulled them out, the blade of a small throwing knife rested in the fingertips of both of them. Throwing knifes had clear drawback compared to a gun, but they also had clear advantages. They were almost completely soundless, and other than bullets and blaster bolts they were extremely hard to defend with only a saber. If the super hot plasma came into contact with them they would melt, becoming a flying liquid that would leave nasty burns. If she would use the force to hold them back, then her focus would fade from Ophidia, a master with the saber, the apex of speed and finesse in her blade work. Or she could evade, opening herself up for other attacks.

With a swift move, the first knife was send flying towards her shoulder from his right, and only a second later the other left his left and shoot towards her stomach. He didn't needed the force to keep them in the air or control their movement, as he had spend quite a lot of time learning both the physical and mental skills needed to be both fast and precise with what was one of his favourite weapons.

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Elijah Black]

[member="Tirdarius"]

Soon Zylah too slowed her pace. It was the only thing left to do as there was now someone standing in her way. A Sith, no doubt. Perhaps surprisingly, a faint smile attached itself to her lips, drawing upon mild sorrow or perhaps regret. So it is you then. Though the effect was not quite as grand as the first time she had encountered a Sith on Telti, the same thought lingered at the back of her mind. Dark and cruel as they were, they still looked like people. He could've been a baker, a senator, anything, and she would have believed it had the Force and the circumstances told her otherwise.

"I don't believe that" she said softly and with a smile. "My timing appears to be just right" a pale hand reached into her robes to pull out an elongated lightsaber hilt. It seemed only appropriate, as he was holding his. She assumed he intended to use it on her. "Death and destruction has always been the favourite passtime of the Sith. You must know, even if you murder every Jedi here, even if you murder me, you will never win. The Light will never be vanquished, history has shown this." was she ranting? For a moment she was reminded of the masters at Ossus who once had tutored her in their classes, and Zylah couldn't help but wonder when she had become like that.

Distracted for but a moment, she locked her eyes with the Sith before her. When she smiled again there was a distinct hint of mischief to be found in her expression. "I'm afraid you're stuck with us for the time being. I'll do my best to make it entertaining." Though her blade remained deactivated, she changed her posture to a defensive one, one he might recognise as a stance of the third form. Perhaps it would not have made any difference if she had ignited her blade, but for whatever reason, she felt it would be more appropriate if he was the first to do so. She was not the one who had come here seeking violence after all. While observing him, awaiting his first move, she attempted to steel herself through the Force, bathing herself in the Light, coating her with a light shield. As to his question on whether she would stand in his way or run, it appeared he had his answer.

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| [member="Zylah Dvale"] |​

The slightest of smiles, the absence of any trepidation, that casual belief in what she stood for - such an interesting presentation. You could almost believe it. The young woman didn't fear him, which by itself was remarkable for a Jedi: they had a tendency to conceal their feelings beneath an outer mask, but nothing quite like this. So often they brush up against the Dark and don't even notice it, so convinced they are that they are above it all, civilised, far removed from petty emotions like hatred and anger. He didn't sense any of that from this one: this one was a believer.

That she had drawn her weapon only spoke to her preparedness: she knew the danger she might be in, recognised that battle might be upon her, and that a heartbeat might be all that stood between her and death at the hands of the Jedi's traditional enemy. But it was that sense of mischief that caught Tirdarius where he stood: it was almost eagerness. Perhaps this is one of those Jedi that truly feels herself swept up by the Force when that short moment between life and death comes rushing in with clarity. It wasn't unknown for a Jedi to enjoy battle: some reveled in it moreso even than the Sith, though they might deny it if confronted with such. But there it stands nonetheless.

"Death and destruction are ever a byproduct of our true goals," he remarked calmly, advancing towards the young woman with a casual stride that lacked that predatory intent that might be displayed were he planning to strike with immediate effect. "A body wracked with cancerous tissue must have it excised before it might return to health," the Sith Lord observed with a distant tone. "And the Jedi have ever insisted on using their powers to prop up the cancer. It spreads, and so the body wastes away, corrupted beyond any hope of survival."

It was a particularly sore spot between the two: the Jedi had never believed in rule, but rather insisted on supporting democracies led by lesser beings that could never truly live up to Jedi ideals. Fairness, moral virtue, justice, all swept aside in favour of a privileged elite who pretend to speak for their people. Lip service was given to democracy, but it was a lie: those who represented the people only ever represented themselves and their own interests, taking a slice out of the pie to aggrandise themselves, using the Jedi to lend legitimacy to the 'morality' of their enterprise. And even when the Jedi see it, they cannot act to stop it. The Jedi were servants, and never strong enough to stand up to their masters.

"You're a pawn in this game, girl, a set piece that has but one function: die for people that will never remember your sacrifice," Tirdarius noted, well aware that the Jedi might throw away her life and be satisfied merely to have offered resistance. So quick to present themselves as sacrifices on the altar of progress. The notion that they valued life rang hollow when they were so willing to position themselves to lose it. "And what will your death truly serve? Not my cause, nor that of your Order, who will simply record your name and let that be your legacy," he noted with a tone of contempt present in his words. "Is that all you are worth?"

 

[Darth Carnifex]

// Expansion Region \\​

Ombakond Sector, Yutan System, Yutan​

​

The hallway had been laid bare before him, only the faintest glimmer of carbon scorching to indicate that any sort of confrontation had taken place prior to his arrival. However the distinct lack of corpses, either Imperial or Republic, was confounding in the least. Ahead of him was another crossroads and at the center of it all sat a Jedi, cross-legged and contemplative, with the corpses of Blackblade soldiers forming a ring around him as the Force undulated around the Jedi's body. At the Dark Lord's approach the Thisspiasian monk uncoiled his powerful lower body, and rose up to meet his opponent eye-to-eye. Carnifex was unperturbed by his foe, one who appeared to be more attuned to violence than his other meeker compatriots that he had faced so far. He stood, proud and triumphant, just beyond the circle of corpses with his lightsaber unlit and held down at his side.

"You bar my path, little snake. An unwise course of action."

The Jedi narrowed his eyes, and his monstrous beard convulsed as mocking laughter spewed past his lipless maw. "I do not fear you, butcher, and I cannot let you pass. This temple will be your tomb, as it has become for many of my brothers and sisters." A multitude of lightsabers emerged from the airy confines of the Jedi's robes, each one sliding effortlessly into his four hands before blazing to life to shower the desolate hall with vibrant greens and blues that accented every shadow and highlighted all the destruction the Sith forces had wrought in their efforts to stamp out this remnant of the Republic. Yet still the Dark Lord seemed unphased by the Jedi's utilization of four lightsabers, and merely activated his own blade as the air grew thick with tension as the Force began to swell around the two champions.

"If that is your destiny, then I will speed you to your death."

It was Carnifex who attacked first, his massive bulk propelled forward by the Force to cross the distance between himself and his serpentine adversary, his lightsaber rising and falling like the executioner's ax. The Jedi crisscrossed all four of his own lightsabers to block the blow, yet even still he strained against the Sith Lord's physical might. They stood there for a few moments, lightsabers hissing and crackling with power as the Dark Side clashed against the Light Side of the Force. Then they disconnected, and the exchange that followed was a blur of action and sporadic violence that transcended the human ability to visually comprehend, beams of light clashing over and over again as these two masters of the Force tested each other's mettle, each one pushing the other's limits and probing weaknesses in the other's forms. The Thisspiasian's unique physiology allowed him to attack the Dark Lord from every conceivable angle simultaneously, but Carnifex was a behemoth clad in protective armor that saved him from a dozen different deaths at the hands of the Jedi Master.

Comparatively the Jedi only wore loose-fitting earthen hued robes and a cuirass of durasteel that snugly fit his muscular torso, which made him more susceptible to fatal blows than his Sith opponent was. Carnifex recognized this almost immediately, and centered his angle of attack to breach the Jedi Master's central line and crack the protective shell. Their theater of battle never truly shifted far from where they had originally met, save for the occasionally back-and-forth giving and taking of ground between the two of them. The Thisspiasian attempted to ensnare Carnifex's leg with his prehensile tail, but all that accomplished was the Sith Lord slicing downward to chop off a hearty portion of the tail's tip which only incensed the Jedi to attack faster and more ferociously in retaliation.

That lapse in composure gave Carnifex the opening he needed to bring an end to this quick, but excessively violent, confrontation. He feinted another withdrawal, hopping back out of the circle of corpses and goading the Jedi to pursue him. Still livid over the loss of a portion of his tail, the Jedi eagerly followed after to reignite the duel. They crossed beams again, but this time the Dark Lord reached out with his will to levitate one of the soldier's corpses from the ring and fling it with tremendous force at the Jedi's back. The impact caused the Jedi to stumble forward, his defenses momentarily parting only a fraction, but enough to give Carnifex the opportunity he had been seeking.

He pulled back his right hand away from his saber's hilt leaving his left to hold on against the continued saberlock while he cocked back his hand, and curled his fingers into a tight fist. He then propelled that fist directly into the Jedi's midsection, cracking the durasteel breastplate before continuing on into his chest cavity. Thick gouts of blood erupted from the wound, trailing down the Sith Lord's arm as he only pushed his fist deeper and deeper into Jedi's body. At one point he would flex out all of his fingers, power coursing up his arm and into their tips before lightning materialized deep in the Jedi's gut to electrify all of his innards and calcify his bones. The Jedi's body writhed in incalculable agony as the lightning continued to circulate unhindered through his system, frying every bodily system until at long last his heart exploded and his brain was reduced to liquefied paste.

Carnifex yanked his hand back and let the Jedi's corpse tumble down to the ground amidst all the others, only reaching down to wipe the excess gore off on the Jedi's smoldering robe. He then deactivated his lightsaber and continued on his way, journeying through several more corridors before he finally reached the threshold leading to a wondrous garden where [member="Shmi Labooda"], [member="Darth Ophidia"], and [member="Darth Abyss"] were all locked in mortal combat. He quickly decided not to intercede, and adopted a more observing approach while he surveyed the rest of the garden.

 

[Ellie Mors]

Walk

Reckless, thoughtless, and animalistic - [member="Tracyn"] made no concerted effort to evaluate his foe, no attempt to find a vulnerability in the Sith Lord. Perhaps it was how he worked best, to live life on the edge, to be fueled by adrenaline, to unleash the inner fury with an orchestrated show of force. Silara likened it to Juyo, only without the fury of the dark side, perhaps entirely derived from instinct and assumptions. But it was charging head-long into battle against a trained foe that was raised to deal with precisely this kind of an enemy that did the Jedi in, as she'd made example of the duo just minutes earlier.

But that similarity between the two fights was where it ended, she had let the two arrive at her before, there would be no repeat of that again. Vitium surged forward into motion, her twin lightsabers thirsting for the blood that only this man could provide. Primal, raging, she mirrored his instincts with an exacting rage, the eye of a colossal storm in which her blades were its walls. He leaped forwards, leg towards her chest, and she slid down and turned towards the left, rotating at the hip to keep him at her front while her lightsabers moved. Left saber came down like an extension of her arm against the man's ankle while her right was thrust towards his center to stab at his middle.

But it was the leverage of her blade coming down - her left - that she used in conjunction with the force to lift her small body up and through the air, an acrobatic maneuver that dragged her jab into an arcing slash intended to drag across his exposed face. He'd brought armor to a fight of speed and power, but hadn't taken the full measure to protect himself from. It was an all or nothing fight, and he'd only came with half the measure.