Mission The Purification of Ukatis [NJO]

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

Location: Corrupted nexus
Accompanied by: Oukranos Cthylla, Jedi Master
Tags: Valery Noble Jasper Kai'el Corazona von Ascania Dominik Borra Kara Jade Colette
​

While Kass added her strength to the ritual, Oukranos turned to face their foes. The bodies of the dead were reanimated by the power of the nexus, their shambling corpses lunging at the Jedi. With a gesture of his hand Oukranos set the husks ablaze, fire turning their bodies to ash.

A few waded into the river to put out the flames. Oukranos manipulated the water, creating miniature tsunamis that crashed into them and swept the dead away. Finally, as a horde of rabid racyon undead stormed toward the Jedi, he lifted the muddy ground beneath them, bucking them through the air and blowing them around in a cyclone of elemental fury.

 

[Loomi]

Ukatis
Tags: Ko Vuto , Braze , Aliris Tremiru

Ko had gotten it. Was that a blaster? Loomi shook the daze out of her system. It didn't matter. They weren't done yet, and now she was a bit more keen about her surroundings. As another hand approached, the Godoan drew her blade in the blink of an eye, piercing it with a rather unnatural display of speed. She had done the same on Elom when bisecting the sithspawn she had faced. A quick draw was a good skill to have, even if her bladework was ultimately sub-par.

Ko was targeted by the tall antlered creature as it charged at him with a furious intensity. Its red eyes locked onto him, and a gut-wrenching feeling of dread may have washed over Ko in this moment. This creature seemed to defy the laws of nature, as if it were a manifestation of nightmares and ancient legends made real.

"K-Ko!" Loomi called out. "Watch your back!"

The teen was quick to jump into action, reaching out with the force to feel for threads. Radiant strings would appear around the creature, protruding from a rather large branch above it. Whatever that... thing was, Loomi knew she couldn't let it touch her friend. She wove the threads together around it's antlers, dragging it up into the tree and tying it to the branch. It would begin to flail, swinging aimlessly from its antlers, but it would at least be contained.

Chittering came next, followed by a mass of shadow and red eyes. The racyons. A shudder went down Loomi's spine as she reached for her net.

"S-someone help me with this!" she shouted back to the group. "W-we might be in the clear if we can ensnare a bunch."

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Ukatis
Tags: Valery Noble , Kassogtha Cthylla , Corazona von Ascania , Dominik Borra , Colette , Kara Jade , Jem Fossk

Lux Ultima​

Kill them all.

Jasper felt a wave of darkness approach them. Valery was focused on the wall, meanwhile the dead themselves seemed to be rising up around them. Almost immediately one went for Cora. The knight quickly drew his blade, letting force light into it before bringing it down on the reanimated body, driving it into the dirt.

"Cora," Jasper began, turning to the young woman, "Stick with Val. If she loses her focus we may not have another shot at this."

With that he strode out, claymore in hand. The rest of the group needed a rally point, and Jasper was wasting no time in leading the charge, beginning to cleave through the incoming horde. If the nexus wanted to fight back it would have to go through him, and for better of for worse the knight was as stubborn and hard-headed as they came. They'd need to get through his dead body first, and the Sentinel of Harmony had no intentions of dying any time soon.

It would be hard to protect his people if he was dead after all.

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

Aliris stared at the hand like someone would with a snake. Frozen, wide eyed. She couldn't bring herself to move. Her power wasn't working. Why was she so uncertain? So afraid? She wasn't alone, was she? The hand suddenly pulled back though, as if reeling from unseen force. Oh. Her gaze finally pulled from it towards Ko. He was the one pulling it away from her. She should feel more relaxed, right?

She didn't.

They were still fighting. There were still monsters all around them. Loomi, Ko, Braze, they weren't safe. Braze struck down the hand, but there were more, weren't there? Worse, something else came. Something much bigger. She stared up as the creature stepped behind Ko. A figure from her nightmares. No, no this wasn't okay. This was wrong.

"They're in danger, aren't they?"

Everything seemed to freeze all at once. The shouting, the fighting, it all stopped. Aliris blinked quickly, looking around. Why- What? She went to stand, but she couldn't. None of this made any sense.

She looked around, blinked again, and suddenly she was looking at herself. No, not herself. The Sith yellow eyes the girl had made that clear. The dark mirror of herself smiled wide as she sat cross legged within the chaos.

"They're pretty weak. Your friends."

"What did you do? What's going on!?"

"I gave us some time to talk. Though it's not like time has actually stopped. Ko's in a lot of danger right now, isn't he? So are the other two. They're weak. And you can't even make that metal of yours move."

Anger. Not just at the First, but at herself. She was weak. Way too weak. If she wasn't so damn weak then her friends wouldn't be in danger at all, would they?

The First seemed to know this, given the grin that formed wider and wider as Aliris continued to get angrier and angrier.

"Am I going to have to help you again?"

That sent a chill down her spine. Whatever anger she felt turned to pure fear. The last time the First had taken over, the things she could do. the people she killed. No. No that wasn't okay. That wasn't something she could let happen again. She shook her head quickly, clutched at it. No, that couldn't happen again.

"But they'll die."

"No! Shut up! They're not- They're not weak!"

The First's grin only got crueler.

"Fine. Then watch them die. Perhaps not now, but soon enough, I imagine."

Time rushed back. The creature before Ko reached down, but it never reached him. Instead, Loomi caught it in the strands she could make. Aliris blinked in surprise as the monster was taken care of. Left dangling. Yeah. Yeah! They could do this, couldn't they? She let herself smile briefly. They could do this. They'd already shown themselves to be so much stronger than the First seemed to think they were.

She forced herself to her feet. Abandoned the liquid metal to instead grab part of the net with her friend. She was terrified, trembling even. But they weren't alone and they could do this together.

"Okay! Let's try it!"

Loomi | Braze | Ko Vuto

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Ukatis, by the river
Attire: Jedi Robes
Equipment: Nightsister Energy Bow, Lightsaber
Tag: Valery Noble | Corazona von Ascania | Colette | Jasper Kai'el | Kara Jade | Kassogtha Cthylla | Jem Fossk | Dominik Borra

Kneeling near Valery and the other Jedi, Dreidi focused on Grisial, Asaraa, Kristyl and her other connections that provided her with joy, positivity and emotions that were based in Light Side. Inhaling deeply, she could feel the darkness of the Force surrounding her and attempting to corrupt her soul. It was clawing at her from the inside and Dreidi had to focus on her connection to the Light Side, to the good she felt being with others and her want to help those who couldn't defend themselves.

Giving all she could to Valery to help strengthen her ability with the Wall of Light, Dreidi was willing to surrender everything she had to ensure that Valery could get her best chance in saving Cora's home from the darkness that was festering here. Even though Dreidi believed Cora was better off with the Jedi than those where, she wasn't going to allow her friend's home be ruined by the darkness of this Nexus.

When Valery ordered to kill the reanimated the corpses, the beings reminded her of the way that certain Magicks by the Witches of Dathomir was focused on the use of the undead. Drawing on the Magicks she had learnt and developed over the years, she closed her eyes and focused on her words, speaking in her ancestors' native tongue, she casted the spell. It took a few moments to gather the energies, but she was able to create a half sphere behind Valery to protect her from attacks. At least for a time.

"I'll keep this up as much as I need to," Dreidi informed the others, focusing on the task at hand.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Valery Noble Jasper Kai'el Dreidi Xeraic Dominik Borra Jem Fossk Colette Kara Jade Kassogtha Cthylla
​

Steady. Don't push beyond your limits, or you'll be a liability more than an asset.

Able to tap freely into the Force, Cora resisted the temptation to pour her strength into Valery's Light all at once. It took a conscious effort to keep her support controlled and flowing consistently.

Unfortunately, her instincts were correct. Something was wrong. Decrepit bodies, their skin ghostly pale and shriveled, rose from the dark waters and ambled to the shore. The sight sent a chill rattling down her spine.

The reanimated corpses were faster than their unsteady gait let on, and as Cora struggled to concentrate on purifying the nexus, one lashed out dangerously close to her. Freezing in place, she was caught between continuing her task and leaping out of the way—but it was a choice she didn't have to make. A heavy exhale force itself from her lungs at Jasper quickly cleaved the monster in two.

"Cora," Jasper began, turning to the young woman, "Stick with Val. If she loses her focus we may not have another shot at this."

Cora nodded quickly. "Right. Right, good luck!"

Despite her confidence, Cora momentarily wavered. It had been months since she'd manipulated the Force with any level of skill, and the weight of Royal expectations dragged her certainty down further. As much as she despised Horace, his words and actions toward her had begun to take root, damaging her self-image at such a tender, turbulent age. Maybe the Price was right, perhaps she could be of better service in the capital, seen and not heard, furthering the strength of the Cholmondeley line though bearing heirs. Maybe this had been a mistake, maybe she shouldn't have dragged the Jedi into his mess, maybe—

The dark thoughts swirled in her head faster and faster, picking up steam until they suddenly stopped with a breakthrough of clarity. The Jedi—her friends—were here of their own volition, because they never turned away from someone in need. It was in their bravery where Cora found her courage and steeled her resolve.

They'd made it clear that no matter what Ukatis did to her, she would still be one of them. Valery, Jasper, Dominik, Dreidi, Kass and Oukranos, Colette, Kara, Ko, Loomi, Braze, and those she had yet to meet—they were all here, giving it their all.

With renewed focus, Cora pulled her attention to the present, to the threat that was directly in front of them. Dreidi was effectively shielding Valery from behind, warding away the zombies as if they were phobic of the light. Muscles tensing to rush in front of Valery, Cora paused and whirled around when she felt something wet and bony clamp around her neck. Face to face with her was the cadaver of a middle-aged man, his face partially eaten away by decomposition. An eyeball dangled from its socket by a lonely string of connective tissue. Cora didn't have time to take in his ghastly features, for as soon as he grabbed her, she gasped in disgust and sent her fist through his skull. Fragile as it was, the bone caved in easily and splattered the Princess with brain matter.

"Ew!" She complained, shaking her hand wildly in an attempt to rid it of viscera. Her outfit was ruined too, and her frantic brushing would only remove the larger gelatinous chunks.

Corpses were still emerging from the river in the direction Valery was facing, and the apprentice quickly scrambled to her side. With arms outstretched, she conjured a barrier in an attempt to push back the approaching zombies. For the most part, it did work—but it had the side effect of redirecting traffic towards those who were on the river bank.

Gritting her teeth, Cora held up the shield while inching closer to the water…

 

[Fantine von Ascania]

Crouched with her hands clasped above her head and eyes squeezed shut, Fantine cowered as the ghastly hands crashed down upon her.

Except they didn't. A bright beam of gold and black plasma slashed through the dark creatures as if they were made of wet tissue, ushering pained screams as the projectile limbs withered to the ground. Fantine attempted to scramble away from the chaos when one of the dark fingers grazed her ankle. Strength drained from her legs and she tumbled back to the ground, shivering in fright.

"Wh-wh-" Her voice trembled, unable to form words as she looked up at the warrior mounted atop his large vulpine companion. I'm that moment, her teenage heart swooned.

Sensing one much stronger in the light, the remaining hands lashed out towards Vulpesen , intent on siphoning his strength until he was a wilted as the decayed plant life around them.

"H-hey!" Finding her courage, Fantine stood on quaking legs and hurled a rock at the shadowy creatures. "Leave him be!"

 

[Colette]

The thought repeated over and over as Colette assessed the situation. There had to be a better way to do this than to merely throw herself at the danger and hope that it wouldn't bite her back, and in this case quite literally so. The problem was the water, but that wasn't something that could just be taken away even if that just so happened to be where these walking dead were appearing from.

Screw it, the dumb plan was the only plan she could come up with on the spot and it was one that Jasper himself had already sprung into action with. Colette let the grip on her presence go in order to let herself slip just a little bit further into the force and trust that it would help guide her as she positioned herself in front of Corazona to hold the hostile forces back.

It became a dance of sorts. There was only one possible outcome in this fight, and it was one that she could only achieve by having faith in both herself and the movements of the force. This wasn't a spar, but it was something that they had most certainly primed her for. Valery drilled combat effectively and Colette was a studious learner.

Despite the resistance of the undead it still felt like a repetition of the same cadence and movements that she went through when she truly allowed herself to just exist within this part of her own mind. It wasn't emotionless, it wasn't disconnected from the reality she surrounded herself in. This was just a girl, the force, and the complete faith she held in its means to show her the way through to the end of all this.

 

[Dominik Borra]

OBJECTIVE: PURIFY THE NEXUS

​

The River's waters churned with the bodies of the dead. The first thing to enter Dominik's mind was to start pulling the trigger. The second thing was wondering how so many bodies wound up here in the first place. Someone's dumping ground, political assassinations, a past disaster? Perhaps the area's natural darkside attunement attracted deaths to occur here over the decades. He only understood The Force from an academic point of view, so those trying to cleanse it would know more than he, able to feel the very nexus.

Dominik kept his mind as cold and logical as he could, going through the motions of pointing and shooting and stepping away and forward. It was the only way to keep the Nexus from affecting him. He had felt Valery's attempt to shield him, but as she communed with the Light that protection vanished. She would need all her concentration, and he would have to deal.

"EEEEEEEEEEEK!"

The scream of a young girl far away broke Dominik's cold focus. His head snapped towards the sound but before he could get moving one of the Jedi( Vulpesen ) and his fox were rocketing off. He stood his ground and ground his teeth. That wasn't one of the Jedi, some girl had followed them out here?! That stupid arrogant child, she could be killed or worse!

Despite the efforts of Kassogtha Cthylla 's elemental attacks, undead had risen all along the river and were quickly swarming. His droid's alert made him refocus on the current horde coming at them.

A zombie grabbed him by the arm, it's teeth and bone fingers attempting to pierce his bodysuit. Dominik turned and swung the scattergun at it like a club, growling and grunting as he smashed smashed smashed the thing to pieces. He took steps back towards the Valery Noble 's group and shot another zombie and feral racyon encroaching on them, the scattering blaster bolts whipping by their hair before they tore the offenders to burned chips. One leapt out of the water straight for The Sword of the Jedi. He clicked empty.

Dominik ran forward, flipping the gun around in his hands and swung it like a bat, crying out as he sent the thing crashing back to the ashy earth. Half a domed shield came up by Dreidi Xeraic before Corazona von Ascania screamed. The SIA-issued firearm leapt to his hand but she had already dispatched it and came crawling to the circle, putting up another dome to complete the barrier. He dropped the scattergun and began walking around the circumference of the barrier, shooting twice at each zombie, the physical projectiles blowing holes in the heads of the oncoming undead until two jumped him from behind. His armored elbow smashed into one's shoulder before his gun lodged into it's mouth and blew it's skull off. The other wrestled his leg and gnawed at the metal plating. He pointed and pulled the trigger, but he was out. He kicked the thing with his other leg, sending it sprawling on it's back before Dominik stomp kicked it's head in. Two more had come at his back but Jasper Kai'el dispatched them with his claymore. Another ran and leapt at him through the trees, but Dominik was able to speed-reload and blast its head before side-stepping the flying corpse.

Two racyons and one zombie had been able to hit the barrier just as Dominik had his back turned. He grabbed one racyon by the neck and swung it at the zombie, feeling and hearing it's neck snap like thin twigs before it even hit the zombie and sent it sprawling. This zombie was smart and kicked his legs out from under him, then got ontop of him. The second Racyon joined him, and a third zombie came to join the pile forming inches from the barrier.

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: Ukatis, Woods
Tag: Braze | Loomi | Aliris Tremiru

Fortunately now it seemed as though Ko's friends were starting to regain their footing, and confidence. That was very good. He watched as Braze managed to finish off the shadowy appendage that he had frozen in place. Saving Aliris from getting grabbed by it. Although he couldn't help but roll his eyes over the use of the nickname.

They weren't in the clear yet however. He looked over at Loomi, about to ask if she was okay. But before he could she called out that something was behind him. Ko narrowed his eyes and turned back to see it. Having expected it to be one of the gloomy hand monsters. But instead only saw the dark figure of some antlered beast which surprised him.

Thankfully his Godoan friend acted quickly as what almost seemed like ropes and vines came down to entangle the monster and hoist them up. Where they thrashed trying to get themselves. But every time there was one thing taken care of it seemed like there was another. There were birds as well, possibly the crows from before now taking advantage of the chaos.

As the group braced themselves for the impending danger, they were met with a swarm of glowering creatures that could fly, but with a sinister aura. These nightmarish creatures swooped down from the darkness, their leathery wings creating an eerie symphony of unsettling flapping sounds.

The air was filled with a cacophony of chilling screeches as the flying horrors launched their relentless fly-by attacks. Each pass felt like a brush with death, their razor-sharp claws narrowly missing the members of the team. The creatures moved like shadows, elusive and impossible to predict, adding to the chaos and disorientation of the moment.

As some descended down to the quartet of padawan Ko reached up, with his free hand. Creating a rudimentary but solid telekinetic barrier above them to protect from the pesky birds. Seemingly not a moment too soon either as Loomi and Aliris worked together to take care of more adversaries. It was just one new thing after another. He wondered how much longer they could keep this up for.

 

[Kara Jade]

Appearance: Link
Tags: Corazona von Ascania | Jasper Kai'el | Valery Noble | Dominik Borra | Colette | Kassogtha Cthylla | Dreidi Xeraic | Jem Fossk
​

A small smile graced Kara’s face as she saw Colette regather her focus, and stand at her side. It was an easy thing to fall down, to be knocked to the floor by an oppressive force. The hardest part was getting back on your feet and remaining there. She wasn’t Colette’s Master, but knew that Valery was. And even if the teenager was convinced of it yet, Kara knew she’d grow into a fantastic Jedi.

Confident that Colette had a handle on things, Kara shifted her attention away after dispatching a couple more corrupted Racyons. From the riverbed, a pair of shadowy apparitions surfaced from the darkness. Both eyes sprung open at the same time, hands lunging towards the Knight.

Kara quickly deactivated her lightsaber, bringing both her hands up and projecting the Force through them. The apparitions slammed against the shield, pushing against it. And Kara could almost swear she could hear something akin to a growl coming from them.

With her focus on holding them back, her mental defences slipped a little. And the oppressive Dark presence found its opening.

At the same time, the river itself seemed to surge in the wake of something new. Bodies rose from the water, pale and shrivelled, their appearance did not betray how quick they were. One ran towards Kara, hoping to take advantage of her focus being diverted.

Kaaaaaaara…

The voice snapped at Kara’s attention, but rather than distracting her, it filled her with a righteous fury.

You dare?!

It was a familiar voice, of an old smuggler that had taken her in during her teenage years. Made her part of the crew, and of a family. Cassius Ordo, the very namesake she had given her son.

Angering swelling in her heart, Kara injected her Force shield with Light, blasting it against the shadowy hands, dissolving them into nothing. The zombie tried to reach her, but with a flick of her wrist, Kara reactivated her lightsaber and decapitated it.

The Knight looked around, taking in where everyone was. From those focusing on the purification still, to those defending. Jasper was at the front of the latter, cleaving through swathes of the undead with his claymore. Cora had taken to Valery’s defence, raising a barrier up to stop the enemy from reaching the focal point of the purification.

Kara saw the state Dominik was in, and didn’t hesitate to move. She dashed over, bringing her free hand up to send out a blast of Light. It washed over the SIA agent harmlessly, but blasted both the Racyon and zombies atop him. The creature was sent flying, dissolving with a horrific screech, the zombies were a bit more durable and only the third was knocked away from Dominik.

The undead snarled at her, but was swiftly met with a lightsaber stabbed through its brain. Kara used the Force, yanking the remaining zombie; the one that was still trying to bite and scratch at the Agent, pulling its head back enough for him to get a shot in.

“You good, Agent Borra?”

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen let out a growl as he saw his new charge collapse from the touch of the hands and his blade slashed down again, bisecting one hand as another reached up to grab him. Vulpesen's eat flicked to the sound of Fantine's shout. Tugging hard onf Shadow's fur he whirled around just in time to see the rock take the hand's attention way from him. Slowly it began to drift away and towards the one who had hared to launch a rock in its direction. A sentient foe might have known his mistake. The hand never saw the five tails that crashed down on it with pulverizing force.

Shadow shuddered beneath him and he could feel the beast's strenght drain as it made contact with the hand. Still, the Veran fox was a hardy creature and she kept her footing. "Easy girl. Good job," he soothed, patting the fox's flank. "You! Get on! This ain't a place for a lady," Vulpesen ordered, his golden gaze snapping the the girl on the ground. It wasn't that he was naturally unkind, or curt. But this was, for all intents and purposes, a battleground. Politeness was a luxury that necessity replaced with brevity.

As Shadow swung her tails around, forming a sort of staircase for Fantine to use in mounting the creature, Vulpesen kept his head up and looking around. He was no stranger to beings coming back from the dead. He himself had led an exodus of his people from the netherworld in what had been known as the miracle initiative. But what he saw now, clambering out from the river, mouths agape in greedy hungry growls, was far from a miracle. It was a nightmare. "Crux! You've gotta be sh-" He cut himself off as he realized the nature of his company. Politeness could be forgone, but there was no need to be crass.

Fantine von Ascania

 

[Dominik Borra]

| Kara Jade | Valery Noble | Jasper Kai'el | Corazona von Ascania |
​

He was stuck on his stomach as the zombies and Racyon clawed and ripped at him. He cursed and tried to push himself up but for desiccated corpses they had a lot of force bearing down on him.

"You were sleeping..." Came a voice. "While I died." Familiar. Who's... who's was that? "I needed you." And he realized it wasn't one voice. It was a dozen or so. Old friends, close comrades. Lady Kay, Vaulkhar, James Justice, just to name a few. He hadn't thought of them in a long while, and hearing all those voices at once took the fight out of the agent. Their voices, private conversations, praises, jokes and cries replaced the snarling and the pain. He knew it was just an attack of the Nexus, a mental invasion using his own memories stolen and weaponized against him. But the pain came back, that pain he first felt when he woke up from in that bacta tank. Seeing the headquarters destroyed. The news reports of his past friends all dead or missing. Of curling up against the cold metal wall, wet and naked, totally unsure of what to do next.

And then Light washed over him. The voices vanished and he was suddenly back on the ground, the weight on him leaving. And anger came back, this time fully his own.

Kara used the Force, yanking the remaining zombie; the one that was still trying to bite and scratch at the Agent, pulling its head back enough for him to get a shot in.

He was able to turn onto his back and raise his gun to the snarling zombie and blasted it to pieces. Kara Jade was standing there. He hadn't associated much with Knight Jade, and all he knew was that she was skilled, as all Jedi were, and recently had a child.

“You good, Agent Borra?”

He nodded and with her help he stood back up. He raised his gun again over her shoulder, the silenced barrel inches from her ear as he took out another rampaging Racyon descending from the tree branches. "Thanks. I owe you one. Seriously."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Loomi Aliris Tremiru Ko Vuto

As the battle raged on, Braze found himself in a rhythm, confidently handling the creatures and monsters that dared to approach. His lightsaber danced with precision, its bright green-blue glow cutting through the darkness like a beacon of hope. He felt a surge of pride as he saw Loomi and Aliris holding their own. Ko's swift and decisive actions and skill were a boon on their own as well.

Braze's heart swelled with determination as they fought as a team, protecting each other and pushing back against the malevolent forces that threatened their lives. He could sense the fear he once felt dissipating, replaced by a newfound sense of strength in their friendship.

However, as the battle continued, Braze couldn't help but feel a sense of unease lingering at the edge of his consciousness. The shadowy creature with antler-like appendages had not made another move since Loomi's quick thinking trapped it, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was watching, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Suddenly, as Braze was about to engage another corrupted creature, he felt a sinister presence behind him. His instincts screamed at him to turn, but it was too late. The new shadowy creature moved with a deadly swiftness, its elongated appendage striking out like a serpent's fang. Before Braze could react, the appendage impaled him, sending searing pain through his body.

"Ah!" Braze cried out in shock and agony, stumbling forward from the force of the attack. His lightsaber fell from his grip as he clutched at the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood. The creature, with its predatory eye fixated on him, retreated back into the shadows, leaving Braze gasping for breath and struggling to stay on his feet.


As the chaotic battle raged on, the situation took a terrifying turn when a pack of rabid Racyons emerged from the darkness, their eyes glowing with a malevolent red hue. Their once-cute appearances were twisted and contorted, as they snarled and snapped their sharp teeth, driven by a rabid fury. The sight of these corrupted creatures sent chills down the spines of the Jedi padawans.

The Racyons moved in a frenzy, attacking with wild abandon, leaping and clawing at the group from all directions. Their swift movements made it difficult for the Jedi to defend themselves, and Braze found himself trying to fend off multiple raccoons at once. He called his hilt to his hand once more, using his free hand to press on the open wound. He swung his lightsaber with precision, trying to drive them back, but they were relentless in their assault.

In the midst of the chaos, the evil blackened unicorn creature reemerged from the shadows, its red eyes fixated on the Jedi group. It moved with an eerie grace, circling them slowly, like a predator stalking its prey. The dark aura surrounding the creature made the air feel heavy and suffocating.

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Ukatis
Objective: Kill the ichor
Tag: Thelma Goth

"I don't think these can be reasoned with!" he grunted as he charged one of the approaching monsters. Seeing a big oily claw slash at him Silas snapped his body to the right and force pushed its slimy body into one of its fellow attackers. It sent them both back toward the lake but only for a short time.

As he looked to go after another, he suddenly heard the scream of Thelma. Silas snapped his head to the vampiress and saw her being gripped by one of the many monsters coming at her "Thelma!" he yelled with urgency, his hand raising and aiming straight at the abomination. Shutting his eyes, he allowed the force to flow through his body and wrap itself around the thing attaching itself to Thelma. Nothing seemed to happen at first, but then it was starting to become more clear to Thelma that the monster's body was beginning to shake. Slowly but surely, the thing was peeled away from her body and hovered in the air slashing its claws at her beyond its reach. With a mighty grunt, he used a lot of his power to fling the creature high up into the air and out of their view.

However, that didn't come with a price to pay. When he had just lowered his arm, multiple claws slashed his upper body to make him yell in agony. Some had gone deep and blood was already seeping from the wound. Stumbling back, he fell to the ground and instinctively raised his saber at three of them approaching.

They had been fighting for a long time now, who knew how long they had left in them...​

 

[Thelma Goth]

"Thelma!"

Thanks to Silas' intervention, Thelma was soon freed from the grip of the creature. But not without cost. She collapsed on her hands and knees, drained of energy. Fighting to stay conscious, she watched through dim vision as Silas was attacked, sharp claws drawing blood. He fell to the ground, where three more of the creatures were swiftly upon him.

With a wordless cry of defiance, Thelma struck out with the Force, dragging two of the creatures away from him. She managed to plunge her lightsaber into one, causing it to dissipate, but the other lunged at her. By now she was too weak to fight it.

Instead, she bit it.

The thing thrashed in her grip, finally vanishing in a plume of smoke, leaving the little vampiress with black ichor running down her chin. "Silas!" She managed to stagger to her feet, rushing to his side to help him defeat the remaining creature.

Silas Westgard​

 

[Valery Noble]

Ukatis

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania Jasper Kai'el Kara Jade Colette Kassogtha Cthylla Jem Fossk Dominik Borra Dreidi Xeraic Open

Deep in her focus on the Wall of Light, Valery's awareness of those around her only slipped away even more, but she had placed her trust in the others, and it wouldn't falter now. The undead from the river were coming at them in waves, but with Dreidi Xeraic and Corazona von Ascania staying close to provide a barrier against them, most were being redirected elsewhere. This allowed others to pick them off, and slowly but surely their numbers were dwindling.

"It's time to finish this."

The moment Valery's words left her lips, the intensity of the Light grew alongside an overwhelming surge in the Force, burning away the Darkness that remained very rapidly, while the wall began to expand across the waterline. But in a desperate last attempt to resist, the corrupted forces in this forest all reached out at once, summoning not just the undead, but whatever creatures had been within the woods to the location of the Jedi.

Within less than a minute, the corrupted and undead had the group of Jedi surrounded.

Exhausted from all the energy she had used, Valery dropped down to her hands and knees and breathed heavily. Her long hair had fallen around her like a cloak, with thick strands sticking to her sweaty face. She couldn't give anything more, so whatever happened next, the Jedi and SIA agent would not have her help.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Valery Noble Jasper Kai'el Dreidi Xeraic Dominik Borra Jem Fossk Colette Kara Jade Kassogtha Cthylla
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Cora—and the Force sensitives around her—would feel the Light burn away the Darkness at the focal point for all of this chaos; the river. Yet, the waters did not calm.

They revolted, attempting to throw off the yoke of the Light. In one last ditch attempt to ward off the trespassers, the river suffused its remaining power into the forest around it and called upon all living things to obliterate the Jedi and their allies. It would spew no more undead specters from its depths, but those that remained were quick to surround the holy warriors.

A violent scream rippled from above as a swarm of black birds, possessed by the Dark influence, swarmed the sky above them before diving down onto the group of interlopers.

"Look out!" Cora shouted, tackling Valery out of their path as she heaved for breath on the bank of the river. Her Master was drained from emitting such enormous power to cleanse the infected nexus, and the Padawan felt a sense of responsibility wash over her. "It's…it's okay, Master Noble. We'll handle the rest from here, alright?" Her voice was low and encouraging, and she exchanged a look with Dreidi.

Clambering to her feet, Cora drew the ancient knife gifted to her from Crenical von Ascania—the only weapon she carried given that her lightsaber was currently mounted above her husband's mantle. The Princess stood her ground, hovering protectively over her Jedi Master as the residual Dark energies gave one last push to eliminate them.

"The river's stopped producing these…things!" She called out to the others, dodging and ducking and slashing her way through the onslaught of creatures. "If we dispose of what's left, we just might make it out of here intact!"

Cora was breathing heavily. Though decorum dictated that she keep a trim figure, it had been months since she'd been on active duty or had been put through one of Val's hellish training regimens. As the blade pierced the throat of another zombie, her eye caught the ragged attire that hung from its body. Dirty and worn as it was, she recognized it. Peasant's clothing with patterns unique not only to Ukatis, but to this region.

Huh? Does that mean-

Once she saw it, it was everywhere. The bridal dress of a female corpse that shambled towards Dreidi. The farmer's tunic of a body splayed beneath her feet.

A guttural roar was the only thing to pull her focus away from the realization that the river was not spawning creatures on its own. It had taken the lives and bodies of civilians.

The wind was knocked out of Cora as a black bear, possessed by nefarious energy, threw her to the ground.

 

[Fantine von Ascania]

Vulpesen

With trembling limbs, Fantine hoisted her skirts and clambered atop the vulpine creature.

"Th-thank you for saving me." She whimpered to the strange man and his sentient mount. She'd never seen a beast like this, but then again, she'd never seen disembodied hands pierce the earth and attack people. The forest seemed to by dying and full of frenzied life at the same time.

Fantine blinked owlishly as her savior stopped himself short of uttering a curse word, perhaps unaware of what he'd been about to say.

"I…I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Sir. I thought that I could help, but I only made things worse." Fantine frowned, shuddering at the unpleasant sounds echoing all around them. "Do…do you know what's happening? Are you one of the Jedi? My older sister is out there and I'm worried…"

That was only part of her concern, truthfully. She wanted to be able to save people too.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Ukatis
Tags: Corazona von Ascania , Valery Noble , Everyone else lol

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Jasper was quick to step in, throwing a punch with his mechanical arm that dislocated the jaw of the bear that had emerged to strike Cora down. He had sheathed his blade by now, full on tackling the creature and holding it down in a head lock. In an instant a light aura was spilling from his body. Not a very large radius at all, but concentrated enough to be flooded into the possessed creature.

"Alright," Jasper hissed through gritted teeth. "Just stay still for me."

He looked back to Cora with concern in his eyes. How badly had she been struck?

"Cora!" he shouted back. "Are you okay?"

He'd turn to the nearby group, settling on the first person he saw.

Dreidi Xeraic . Yeah, that worked.

"Knight Xeraic!" he called out. "Cora's down! I need you to assist her while I take care of this thing!"