Spiders [Rule of Two]

[Darth Ayra]

Rule of Two​

Spiders​

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| [member="Via Dolorosa"] |

Dathomir. It was a world that held ancient heritage to the dark side. But it was one of only the few that had it's roots outside of the Sith dichotomy. There are many who had studied the ways of the dark side who claimed that if it had not been for the Jedi then the Witches of Dathomir would have been strong contenders to claim the mantle of being the physical manifestations of the dark side. But alas there were no truth in those claims. Only the weak allow their chains to keep themselves bound. The Sith knew that it was through victory that their chains were broken, and that the Force set them free.

Still Darth Ayra had experienced things that few Sith would acknowledge. It just so happened that it was a Nightsister who played an integral role in damaging the Sith Order that she was building. Rave Merrill had discovered truths that no other follower of the dark side had ever learned. From the constructive of weapons and behemoths made through the powers of the dark side through to the discovery that a certain lineage of Sith Lords had endured. She had tried to destroy that lineage. Despite the damage that she had caused to the Order of the Sith Lords they had still survived. But at great costs.

It was during her feud with Merrill that Darth Ayra had first considered the possibility of making her her Sith Apprentice. She had strength. Power. She was cunning. Intelligent. She understood that to follow the ways of the dark side were to invite betrayal, pain and loss. She would have been worthy if not for the fact that her cup had been filled a long time ago. The cancers that infected the Sith paradigm that had settled their roots into Rave had taken her long before they had met in battle. It was a significant loss to the cause that someone as strong as Rave had been lowered so.

In her continued bid to find the Sith Apprentice she longed for had brought the Dark Lord to Dathomir. If there was anyone here that showed even a glimpse to the remarkable potential Rave had shown to Darth Ayra all those years ago then there could be a worthy successor here on this planet. Someone far more malleable and pliable to the teachings of the dark side. Following her feelings, Darth Ayra allowed them to guide her through the forests of Dathomir. They told her there was something to be discovered here.

Or perhaps someone.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

All across the jungles, plains, and forests of Dathomir a cold, steady torrent of rain fell from the skies in a blissful punishment enacted from Gods long dead upon heretics who now embraced a religion unfavorable to the deities. The Clans of the Sisters, spread throughout the red and green planet, where in turmoil; war. Their culture, lifestyle, and beliefs had been robbed and raped from them from countless rulers; and yet, as the embers of survival flickered cautiously they endured the hardship, fighting amongst themselves and invading enemies. So was the way of a Nightsister!​

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The scars of betrayal from Count Dooku, known as Darth Tyranus to one Mother, had never healed, leaving a tainted, metal like taste in the mouths of those Sisters who desperately struggled to forget that creeping nightmare. However, as history marched on, smashing ideals, conquering souls, and forcing concepts like mental slavery upon the defeated; the pride of the Nightsisters struggled to embark into a judgment of a whispering mist.​

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And yet, even in their darkest catacombs of existence they endured. Evolved. And for some....Forgot!​

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As the cascade of rain fell upon the opening eyes of an upturned face, the twenty-something witch wondered, sometimes loudly, who she was. Or what she was! She met one Sith Mother, who claimed her not. She heard the stories of her other dead Sith Mother, deceased and labeled misunderstood among her peers. And among her own peers....she...was...an....abomination. She took the blood of others, and sometimes not from just animals. She slept barely, stalking religiously. When lessons were being taught, she had an annoying inquisitive mind, yearning and craving more; where others simply took as fact. And those that mocked her in class....systematically disappeared.​

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Brushing away a droplet of rain who felt the need to invade her left brow, she scoffed at the weather; restraining from flashing her fangs in anger. Below her, a slight disgust of jealousy mooching in, she watched as those inferior Sisters learned something special. She wished to learn something special, but as fate would somberly decree; she was on punishment. Again!​

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"One day," she spat digging her broken, dirty claws into her perfect flesh, "You will barter for your meaningless existence....and on that day....I will show you the flaws that have created such a malignant tumor you call life."​

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"And cut it all away," she added drawing a dull hunting knife across her face, "With exquisite perfection!"​

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[member="Ella Nova"]​

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Via Dolorosa"] |

As rain assaulted the Dark Lord of the Sith she continued through the forests until she finally came to a seemingly random stop. The size of the trees here and their branches were as vast as they were old. They dwarfed her so that the rain wasn't as prevalent as it was beforehand, with only a few droplets managing to cascade through the hanging branches and wood onto her hooded head. Guided by the dark side of the Force her feelings had brought her to this particular spot. To the oblivious eye there was nothing here save for some trees and the native fauna that covered most of the planet. There were some wildlife nearby but nothing of importance.

But Darth Ayra felt it differently. Her feelings had told her to stop in this place. Immersing herself into the dark side, feeling it's currents flowing through her, Darth Ayra reached out with her powers to expand her senses. This technique had been used in the past to summon wildlife such as Rancors on other planets, but Darth Ayra wasn't calling out for the primitive mind of some beast of burden. She was calling out to Force-sensitives and only those who were strong enough in the Force to not only feel her presence but subsequently allow their feelings to guide themselves to her.

As the knife cleaved it's way through Via's face that was when she would feel not only the pain given from steel on flesh but the presence of the Sith who had come to her homeworld.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The cold steel bit hard, yet not to deep, into the flesh of the Nightsister Witch. Upon the manifestation of the pain. a new sensation arose in the girl; something foreign but powerful. Whipping her head to the left first, she saw nothing. To the right, a hooded figure standing silent; watching her. "Intruder," she began whilst slipping the fingers of her left hand around the hilt of Viridi Nubila, "You are trespassing upon sacred ground of the Spiderclan. Per the wisdom of the Clan Mother....all those found in violation of clan law forfeits their life." Despite her proclamation to this outsider, she didn't speak the activation spell for her weapon; nor did she have the heart or loyalty to uphold the laws she had been raised on. With each passing moon, she found herself either by her choice or the acts of her sisters growing more disconnected. She was, after all, different from the sisters; within her own clan and those of their rivals.​

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However, this hooded being had snuck up on her, an experience that was not only rare but never once occurred. Via was highly in tune with her surroundings, either because of her growing mastery and knowledge of the Force or through her vampiric senses. Regardless of whatever kept others from sneaking upon her, this figure done it easily. Via felt a mixture of disturbance and curiosity. Her Mother, the one that still breathed, had explained to her daughter that the Force was an enigma with the ability to grant those that controlled it unique abilities. Was such an ability to mask oneself in the Force to literally hide their presence from others a possibility?​

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Taping her index finger on the metal object attached to her waist, she eyed the offworlder up and down. Was the one standing across from her a threat? If so, why had she refrained from attacking her when clearly the advantage belonged to the hooded one. No, Via thought to herself. This person wanted something; but what? "Why are you here," Via inquired. "You would be wise to answer quickly. I've spared you but the others," she said gesturing with her free hand over her right shoulder where the others were hard at learning, "Will show you no quarter once they detect you."​

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[member="Ella Nova"]​

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Via Dolorosa"] |

A crimson light protruded from the left hand of Darth Ayra as her gaze fell upon the Nightsister. Beyond her she felt the presence of others much like her with their unfamiliar power in the Force. This world was alive with the dark side and yet it felt unlike anything else. Korriban was desolate and hollow. Lehon had been vibrant and powerful in the dark side. Dathomir, much like the Lost World, was full of jungle and terrain but despite their similarities did not exactly feel the same. There was something alive in this world unlike the others she had visited before.

"If you are going to threaten another with their life then you should be able to act upon it," Darth Ayra replied coldly to the woman before nearby branch broke off from a tree hanging overhead and fell with a velocity towards Via which suggested that it was being thrown by something or someone. Darth Ayra clenched her right fist as the invisible hand of the Force propelled the branch towards Via with every intent to kill.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

With the arrival of the crimson light, Via never took her gaze off the figure. Only fools, dead fools, allowed themselves to be blinded by distractions, and whether this was a distraction or not; Via would not allow herself to be overcome with folly. Whilst the woman talked, perhaps even threatened the Nightsister, a snapping sound echoed overhead, alerting the young girl to the impending danger. Now, she had to address this distraction for it was not in her line-of-sight. Quickly, she glanced upward to see a massive branch falling unnaturally from the sky, the jagged edges looking like sharpened teeth poised to dig satisfactorily into her body.​

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Hissing loudly, in response to the diminished echo, she threw herself to her left, avoiding the initial contact with the branch. However, the thickness and size of the branch released a bellowing shock wave upon hitting Dathomir's surface, briefly tossing Via off balance. Catching herself, she spat the activation word awakening her weapon from it's slumber, the green smoke pouring out from the hilt's top reshaping itself into a mist-like blade.​

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Positioning her feet, then shifting the balance of her weight properly, Via moved into the second from of lightsaber combat; makashi. She had only resorted to this style a couple of times, since rarely did she face someone wielding a lightsaber. Of her two forms, this one was the weaker of the two, however, in both instances she was required to call upon it; success had ensued. Slowly and methodically she began to close the gap between them, her eyes scanning for any slight movements. When none came, she charged the woman slashing her blade in a downward motion toward the woman's right leg.​

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[member="Ella Nova"]​

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Via Dolorosa"] |

Lifting her Lightsaber into the path of the Nightsister's blade Darth Ayra expertly deflected it in a motion that would take it away from her body. A Jedi would call the techniques and the style that Darth Ayra used with her Lightsaber as Soresu, but she wasn't a Jedi and the Sith fought very differently from their light side counterparts. Jedi who practiced similar techniques or style would use this form of wear down an opponent for the purpose of getting them to back down from the fight, or tire them out long enough in order to capture them. But Darth Ayra did not practice this form of these purposes. Her style was designed to wear down an opponent enough that when the time came to transition out of the defensive style and into offense they would be too fatigued to survive long against her assault. These were the subtle but often crucial differences between Jedi and Sith that few realised or admitted. To label her techniques under a Jedi pseudonym was laughable.

Instead of outright parrying or blocking her opponents Lightsaber Darth Ayra only merely maneuvered her opponents blade with deflections that would come narrowly near to landing on their target but nearly always miss. When it came to Lightsaber combat the two combatants fought not only with their bodies but with the Force also. The interchanges, reflexes and motions of the duel were often guided as they were by skill but also through guidance given by the Force. So with every deflection or near miss that her opponent made were about as frustrating as outright missing her altogether.

This was on purpose. With every miss or near glance of their Lightsaber Darth Ayra continued to draw them into continuing their assault. There were many who were encouraged by the near misses, or the fact that was on the defensive, and as a consequence were lured into thinking that they need only keep up so as to maintain their assault on their opponent with the prospect of victory in sight. But as the fight continued to long itself out the more that victory seemed to slip out of view.

After deflecting her opponent's blade Darth Ayra wheeled herself behind a tree, evading the Nightsister and drawing her in to attack. Through the machinations of the Force the Dark Lord subtly influenced the emotions of her new enemy. She wanted this Nightsister to be angry, to grow hateful and become encouraged to kill the smaller woman who had trespassed on her lands. This would only expedite the duel to it's natural conclusion if her opponent fought the way that Darth Ayra wanted her too.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The exchange of attacks and defensive counterattacks continued between the two participants, and as it did, lightening from the sky flashed brightly long enough to show each combatant's features to the other; only to dissipate to bow faithfully to it's thunderous master. The wind began to pick up, not to be outdone by other elements, whipped about ferociously to give the scene a macabre-like environment for this struggle of life versus death; howling like death loving spectators for a grisly outcome. ​

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It was during these exchanges of back and forth, that Via realized two things. The first was a cold fact she struggled mentally to accept, that the more prolonged this fight was, the clearer of defeat would rest menacingly upon her shoulders. It was apparent her opponent was far more skilled than she was, and this angered her beyond comprehension. Try as she did, she was outmatched, even overwhelmed.​

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The second was not as clear-cut as the first, until she felt those vibrations within the Force. Via knew the Force, practiced the Force, even embraced the Darkside where the others amongst her Clan viewed it as near heresy. This fight, she now understood, was being manipulated by this woman who possessed a mastery of the Force unlike any she bore witness to. And sadly, she was powerless to halt it. Yet, she was committed regardless to the one-sided affair.​

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Then in a surprising move, the woman deflected her last attack, only to take solace behind a tree for defense. Cocking her head to the left, placing her free right hand on her hip, Via was unsure of her next motive. Suddenly and unexpectedly, she felt a swirling of her emotions, a brewing mixture that turned her stomach sour; an iron taste of sorts flooding her mouth. Her anger, her hatred, her need to kill, the need to feed flooded her body, washing away her self-control until she was a machine designed to destroy. Using a strength unknown to her in the Force, she ripped from it's dying roots the tree that protected the smaller woman, Via's eyes glazed in murder.​

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Hate filled!​

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Anger driven!​

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Via attacked!​

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The world, the forest, all around her vanished under a blanket of darkened red as her unabated, relentless strikes, thrusts, and slashes filled not with control; but with the cold desire to kill, maim, slaughter, and to stand victoriously over this woman took a dark hand to her heart. And though, in her mind, she should control herself; she embraced the idea of not conceding.​

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[member="Ella Nova"]​

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Via Dolorosa"] |

It was barely imperceptible. No doubt a woman without the power of the Force would not have even felt it, let alone hear it; and as a consequence they would have been flattened by the tree that Darth Ayra had leaped behind only moments before. Yet the Dark Lord did have the power of the Force at her disposal, and as such she would hear the imperceptible sounds of roots breaking beneath the roar of the winds and the storm that raged above them. In the few seconds that elapsed she perceived the fall of the tree, knowing where it would land, and how she would die. A subtle glance into the future given by the power of the dark side.

Thumbing the ignition button of her Lightsaber Darth Ayra gathered the Force into her feet and leaped into the air just as the crimson light was extinguished. She somersaulted over the tree, her body and robes writhing in the freezing cold air before contorting itself into a fall that allowed her to land on top of the tree bark just as it collapsed where she had been standing only moment before.

SNAP-HISS!

Igniting her blade after landing again Darth Ayra realised that she had lost where her opponent had been standing prior to her jump. Reaching out with the dark side she realised that her enemy was far better than she had initially anticipated. The Nightsister was a fraction slower than she was when it came to Lightsaber combat and yet had skill with the blade. As her senses expanded around her Darth Ayra considered the possibilities of who this woman was. She realised then and there than this previously unknown Nightsister had displayed raw emotion that had been unleashed through the dark side of the Force. It had nearly crushed her. It would have crushed anyone else.

Was it possible that the dark side had brought these two women together? That through her powers in the Force this Nightsister had reciprocated in kind? Or was this merely a taste of what the Nightsisters of Dathomir had at their disposal when another threatened them and their lands? Was this person a suitable candidate to become her Sith Apprentice or just a mere obstacle to be removed en route to finding the one who would become the disciple she needed?

Whatever the outcome Darth Ayra knew enough that when it came to fighting another who was capable of using the Force to attack that precautions were necessary. It had been one of the first things she had learned when it had come to learning Lightsaber combat. Manifesting a Force Shield around her Darth Ayra knew that it would protect her from her opponents abilities in the Force and subsequently forcing their duel to continue with the Lightsaber where the Dark Lord knew she had the advantage now. Stood upon the tree, out in the open, she assumed that she must look like an open target ready to be destroyed by her opponents unadulterated rage and new found hatred for her enemy. She welcomed the next assault for Sith do not shy away from conflict. They created it.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The series of movements, jerks, and flips was majestically, almost hauntingly, beautiful in their timing. The way the woman moved about fluidly, constantly aware of her surroundings was worth praising; but Via held no praise. The feelings that overwhelmed her kept her focused on the kill, still her query opted for sudden movements. Eyes of a predator, she continuously tracked the woman hoping, craving, all along salivating for some mistake.​

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And it came!​

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The calculated second the woman's feet touched down on the tree, Via assaulted with the aid of nature. Despite her internal struggles, one lesson she had learned early one was the command of nature. As a child, she scoffed at the lesson, willing to catch bugs with beautiful wings over understanding the potential nature possessed. Through cracked knuckles and misplaced words of discouragement, as was the way of the Nightsister Clans, the young witch learned painfully what was expected of her. For years, lost to her Mothers, she fought to become the Clan Mother, failing every test possible; yet they still loved and protected her with broken encouragement. Outccast! Freak! Words associated with her upbringing for her failings!​

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Even the freaks of Dathomir have their day.​

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Along, feeling ashamed, Via strolled through the jungles of Dathomir; seeking her spot within the pecking order. Upon a rock her backside sat, she toiled a single, dying vine through her cold fingertips. To her amazement, the vine responded to her actions, or words. Proudly, she lept from the rock to speak to the Clan Mother....​

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....and now as the figure with the crimson blade stood proudly upon a tree, did Via attack not of sound mind, or controlled mind, but of joint mind that through​

the surge of the brier did the tree which upon the figure stood reach out with thorn-like appendages seek to engulf it's own invader, seeking impalement over forgiveness; breaking the mental hold the figure possessed over the Witch.​

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[member="Ella Nova"]​