Private The Holocron

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Wearing: Ceremonial Stealth Robes, shadow silk mask

Armed With: Clandestine Blades

Arrived in: RSSH Shuttle

Edge of Diarchy Space, Unknown world...


The Blastboat entered the Atmosphere at a gentle descent, its owner's presence reduced to a gnat by the special robes he wore. It landed in a valley that was lush with trees.

Nathan Bloodscrawl stepped out of the craft, on a more private but of business than usual...

He had left a Holocron on this world during the Gulag Era, one made by his Mother. His biological mother.

So much had been going on in his life that he simply hadn't had time to retrieve it.

Nor had he really had time to reflect on his current circumstances.

He was playing a dangerous game, walking a tightrope. The unknown patriarch of a House that existed in the shadows, leader of a massive shadow army.

All in service to preserving Jedi-Aligned governments. With the possibility of exposure growing to be a distinct possibility more and more by the day, Nathan was starting to feel the pressure of leading an army he had never wanted control of. Hiding them, feeding them, knowing the penalties for his discovery would be undoubtedly severe.

But he couldn't reveal it yet. He was trapped.

Completely trapped.

In truth, this was the closest thing to truly pleasant diversion he had had in months beyond spending time with his wife and children, doing something for him

He had gone in an unarmed but well defended hospital shuttle, an unreleased model that had been built for a ship they were still searching for. Hopefully a non military medical vessel at the very edge of Diarchy territory would draw less attention than something with guns. He hadn't crossed in here looking to start some chit. He just wanted a little piece of his birth mother back in his life.

Nathan walked the forest incognito to its old hiding spot. Just get the Holocron, don't linger, and get the feth out before the military decided to to get curious. That is, if they even had detected it.

Simple.

(Cutaway of J. Jonah Jameson laughing uncontrollably)

But nothing about today was going to be simple
He knew it. The Force was telling him to brace himself.

He was about to fall under the radar of someone significant...


Diarch Rellik

 

[Diarch Rellik]

Edge of Diarchy Space Unknown World, Forest Perimeter
Inventory - Conviction - Blooded Seer Cloak - Spear

A burning fuselage crackled behind him, thick smoke curling into the canopy above. The Jedi ship, a small, elegant courier lay shattered across the treeline, gouging a smoldering scar through the green. The forest had fallen silent now. No birdsong. No animals.

Rellik had been hunting Jedi within the edge of his borders and having come across some as they were leaving out of the dockyard, he had chased them to this world and shot their ship down. Now, within the forest where they crashed; he was intent on finishing them off. The Diarchy's new mandate would not leave room for weakness.

Now, he was focusing on the force. He had to find a clearing and landed a good ways away from where the ship full of Jedi crashed. As he reached out he could feel them. Running. Afraid. With a burst of speed he shot out chasing them.

As he began catching up to them he heard them call out.

"We just need to make it to the medical ship we saw land. Keep running!"

It seems they are running to a shuttle they saw land earlier.

One tripped, with the other calling out for him. As the Jedi knelt, trying to get up - the Diarch had thrown his spear without losing speed. It crashed through the main body cavity of the one who fell. The spear ripping itself out of the man as it made its way back to Rellik on its own.

The other two he was still behind. Moving as fast as they could. Crying out for their fallen friend.

Closer. Closer. Closer. Rellik came to them. When he was in reach he pulled them both back to him with the force.

"We must fight." // "We were so close." // "I know but we have no choice now."

The Diarch merely watched as they deliberated. Breathing heavily and afraid. The braver one launched, blade raised high in a poste di falcone stance ready to strike downward. Rellik easily swayed to the side and dug his blade into the Jedi.

"Find your balance in the force before you die." Was whispered into the dying persons ear.

Now left alone with the last one Rellik threw his saber. Purposefully hoping to lower the force barrier of the last combatant. As the Jedi knocked away his blade with his own, Rellik reached out into the force and began to choke the life out of him.

The Diarch let out a hardy evil laugh that could certainly be heard from whatever medical shuttle they were hoping to reach and all of the area nearby. He augmented it with the force purposefully to mock the fallen warrior.

Nathan Bloodscrawl

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan had found the old hiding spot where he had hid his Mother's Holocron.

It was an old cave full of flowers, hidden behind stones. He carefully undid the stones by hand, and retrieved the Holocron of his mother ,

He cradled it close to him, one of the last real pieces of her remaining, getting memories of her head falling from her shoulders at the fall of the family castle due to the woman who would later become The Battalion . He put it in the folds of his cloak, hiding its presence in the Force due to the robes it was inside.

That was when he felt it.

The deaths of multiple Jedi...and one who was rapidly having his life snuffed out.

He was speeding to them with the Force before he knew it, superhuman speeds and jumps rapidly carrying him over forest obstacles, the Robes natural properties concealing him in the shadows of the woods.

He saw a Jedi in a Force Choke. And worse, he saw no less than Diarch Rellik doing the choking.

Nathan hadn't wanted to start any chit. Least of all chit with one of the leaders of the Diarchy. His position was too precarious. The Diarchy had declared a free for all on any unauthorized Jedi or Sith in their territory.

It really was Nathan's own fault for coming here intentionally, placing himself in danger. He hadn't expected to encounter trouble. The smart thing to do would be to flee right now.

But that would mean letting that Jedi getting choked die, painfully.

Nathan couldn't let a fellow co-worker die. But he doubted pleas would get the Diarch laughing so sadistically to stop. Nathan's mind was made up on the spot about the Diarchy. But he had to take a risk.

He felt the weight of his mother's Holocron, his stomach twisting at the thought of having to risk it. But risk it he would to save even one Jedi.

"DIARCH!" Nathan shouted, his voice electronically disguised by a modulator attached to his throat as he stepped from the shadows of the tree line, removing the Holocron from his robes so the Diarch could see it clearly in his hands

"Let the Jedi go and fight me for this! Kill him and I shall flee and you shall never know it's secrets!"

Nathan put it back in the folds of his robes.

"If you are strong enough to claim the Holocron, then prove it! But the entry price to do so is that Jedi lives!" Nathan said, curved hilt Lightsabers falling into place from his sleeves, flashing on Viridian Blades.

Nathan meant it. If the Jedi choking died, he wouldn't bother avenging him. He would flee and he knew full well the Diarch would have no chance of catching up to him in time before he was in orbit. Not many Force Masters would pass up the chance to win a Holocron, so Nathan was banking on the greed for knowledge as a motivation.

But he would only give the Diarch the opportunity to win it if he spared his Jedi victim. That condition was set in stone. No mercy, no chance to win the prize...

 

[Diarch Rellik]

The Jedi in his grasp clawed uselessly at the air, fingers twitching as invisible fingers tightened around his throat. His boots scraped dirt. A wheeze rattled out. And then

"DIARCH!"

The voice rang out sharp and modulated. Hiding our identity are we? Rellik's golden eyes flicked up. His fingers didn't release immediately. He stared into the trees as the silhouette emerged.

"Let the Jedi go and fight me for this!"

A Holocron. He saw it in the man's hands. That with the natural obscuring features of the man, Rellik deemed he was sent here to find this holocron in secrecy. Classic Jedi, hiding their knowledge and wants. They could just be honest.

His gaze fell to the choking Jedi again. The weak one. His pulse flickered between Rellik's fingers like a candle nearly snuffed. He had already reaped three lives. A fourth would not enrich him further. But this… this was a challenge, a fight for a relic and a warrior bold enough to barter with his own soul for the life of another.

Rellik let the choking man drop with a grunt. His body hit the forest floor, gasping for air. With the release he turned fully to face his new opponent. Spear in his left hand and his saber in the right. Lifting upward he pointed the spear directly at this newcomer to his dance. He creaked his neck and the motion followed down his body, rolling shoulders and shifting his ankles.

"I have given him his freedom, put the holocron on the floor Jedi."

Those golden eyes were flaring with excitement. Not moving away from the frame of the unknown man in front of him. Even as his old prey fled.

"We begin the moment it touches the ground."

The Diarch would not wait. If the challenger placed the holocron on the ground the Diarch would launch into his assault with a throw of his spear and a dash into saber combat. He was hungry, and his attacks would show that hunger.

Nathan Bloodscrawl

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan saw it in the eyes of Diarch Rellik ...deadly cunning...and hunger...

Nathan saw the intent. Saw it in the way he grasped his spear.

But Nathan could play dirty also. Nathan, still holding the Holocron, positioned himself between Rellik and the fleeing Jedi.

Rellik had told him to place it on the ground...but Rellik had not specified how or when...

Nathan was complying...but complying creatively.

This alone might tell Rellik whoever he was fighting was very, very different from his usual prey...

Nathan was not a normal Jedi.

"When The Holocron meets the bed of grass...we fight..." Nathan said, letting the Holocron fall.

As it fell, Nathan dashed towards Rellik at blazing speed, blades in a guard, prepared to deflect attacks.

By the time the Holocron hit the grass, Nathan's Viridian Blades were swiping for Rellik's face, with intent to kill...

 

[Diarch Rellik]

Inventory - Conviction - Blooded Seer Cloak - Spear

Rellik's eyes narrowed, quickly analyzing the intent of the weight in the force. For a Jedi, the leap into combat was unexpected, yet it would be a valid response for how brutal he was treating the others just moments before. Where as the Diarch thought he would get the first prodding attack by throwing his spear, his enemy caught him with decisive action.

Without hesitation, he dropped his spear. A swift, practiced kick sent the weapon spinning away from the immediate fight, disappearing into the thick underbrush. It hummed faintly, alive and ready to obey, a silent threat lurking nearby a weapon that would return to its owner with a calling. Something to stab the Jedi in the back if needed.

Yet, that little maneuver did not leave Rellik much time to respond. Smartly his saber was already ignited. Nathan's blades flashed toward Rellik's face with lethal intent the first slash could be dodged with a quick response sway but each subsequent attack had enough ferocity and technique that he had to guard with his saber.

There was no room to be offensive under the assault. Inwardly, Rellik measured his opponent; fast, fierce, and based on his attacks - willing to kill.

The Diarch's timing was now coming into a dance with his enemies. When given the opportunity as he moved his footwork back under the Jedi's advance - when finding the right timing he would take an attack on his cloak and with the freedom of his hands try to create some separation with a force push so that they could re-engage on even footing.

Nathan Bloodscrawl

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Tossing the spear was a mistake, and as soon as it landed in the underbrush, a minor amount of concentration on the hooded man's part wrapped thick, heavy roots from the nearby trees around the shaft, even as his deadly fast assault was unrelenting on Diarch Rellik .

The spear could still be freed if Rellik tugged at it enough with his mind, but it might be potentially much more difficult.

Whoever he was, he possessed immense, frightening levels of skill to be able to do that without losing the focus and strategy required to maintain his attacks, which consisted of fluid spins and stabs that had seemingly random, alternating patterns that one moment targeted his wrists, and then the next going for swipes at his face, or suddenly veering for his chest, determined not to allow his opponent a pause to counter attack. The style the hooded man used seemed to be a hybrid of primarily Makashi mixed with elements of Vaapaad.

The moment of Rellik's counter attack came when he deliberately took a blow on his reinforced cape and on instinct. Nathan shot his hands out at the same time for a counter push, their power in a force lock, Anakin Vs Obi-Wan style.

Nathan didn't budge an inch, and he pressed his ancient power, the power of the Bloodscrawl Bloodline, bearing down on him to try and overpower the Diarch with sheer brute strength in the Force.

And given the amount of power the hooded man brought to bare, revealing him to be a very, very well trained master, there was the scary chance he might actually succeed...