The Revenant

[Lord Nexus]

Heralded by a blood curdling scream, Zhin knew he had to move- and fast at that. Bumping into denizens as he ran, his only goal was to avoid it, what ever it was. He rounded a corner, and suddenly felt the ice cold hands of dread grip his stomach. It was a dead end.

Moments before

Zhin couldn't shake an ominous feeling. The cantina was thriving and tips were coming in- it should have been a good night- but somehting was off. There was a large crew of alien smugglers that had taken up one of the 'premium' booths, who had been reveling about a supposed great haul. They weren't tipping, but any bartender would know the type. Loud, boisterous and disruptive, better known as a**holes. He paid them no mind and was going about his duties. Then he felt him.

A man in heavy robes stepped through the front door. He was clad in heavy black robes, with his hood drawn. In most places, that would alarm people, but not in Nar Shaddaa; but it was what he felt that put him at discomfort. It was cold, akin to the eerie silence before the storm.
=Zhin=
"Want a drink, mate?"

The figure ignored him, which causes Zhin to reach under the bar for his 'crowd control'. Bad sign. Then events happened in a frenzy. Few words were spoken, but he did hear the man's tone, and the words that started this nightmare.

The robed man made his way to the table, slow and steady in his stride, As he came closer, one of the smugglers stood up. He was an impressively large Trandoshan- which made him note the man's size, as he was at eye level with the scaly hulk.

-Darth Nexus-
"Where is it."
-Trandoshan-
Private party. Leave.

With the imminent brawl, Zhin stepped back, ready to react in the blink of an eye. He still wasn't prepared for what he saw. The veil had fallen; he suddenly sensed what could be best described as a maelstrom of evil, radiating from the man. It was a dark and terrifying power that seemed to grip Zhin in terror. Unable to move, due to the sudden revelation, all he could do was watch as the figure reached up in a fluid motion and touch the Trandoshan on the chest.

With the touch, the smuggler was sent crashing into a near by wall, back first, with a terrifyingly audible crunch. The show of power must have terrified the smugglers as well, as they did not move, but stare in horror.

-Darth Nexus-
I said. WHERE. IS. IT!

His booming voice reverberated through out the cantina. Most hardened cantina dwellers took that as their queue to run. Only, they couldn't. The illumination strips suddenly pulsed violently, flickering on and off, and the front door made an audible click, indicating it was locked. That was when the screaming began. The smugglers seemed to finally snap out of their horror as they all stood raising blasters.

A snap hiss and an omious red glow broke Zhin out of his. Taking cover behind the counter, he heard blaster fire, hums and crunches, and of course, their screams. But one sound seemed to slice through it all; the clang of metal, which was right next to him. Zhin looked to his right, and in a moment of horror induced confusion, saw what appeared to be a medallion. And at that point he knew. This was the cause of the trouble, and it was his best chance at getting out of this alive. The screams still hadn't stopped, Zhin grasped the medallion and rolled over, pressing a concealed button on his side of the bar.

Click.

The noise was followed by a sudden, penetrating silence. He knew. As he rolled to his right, he cursed himself, knowing his bug-out door had alerted the man in black. Then he let his body do the work for him. Suddenly, fueled by a burst of adrenaline, he rolled into the open port (hidden door) and hit the ground running, all the while with the screams echoing in his mind.

And now here he stood. At a dead end with some demon hunting him down. Looking up at the towering metal covered walls, he swallowed, trying to come up with a plan.

Then he heard dread. In the form of a foot step. Slowly turning, assuming that if the devil wanted him dead, he would have killed him already. Turning to face him, he tried to make a face, but all he saw was a pale chin, a silver beard, and glowing yellow eyes. The figure did not blink.
=Darth Nexus=
"Give it to me."

He reached up, with an armored hand.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

For a person that had given his word to be with her, Zhin had proven to be rather unreliable. In a way it didn't surprise Ra that much. At the time that promise had been made, her life had been different and her life was perilous then. Now as lead of a merchant fleet, that excitement was gone. So Zhin had gone back to what he was used to...bartending, smuggling and drinking.

However, new things had happened on her life where she might be needing him and the protection he had said would provide. She herself a sith lord and able to take care of herself, two against one was always better odds than going in alone.

So now she hunted him down and knew where to find him. Nar Shadda. In all the years they had known each other, their relationship had stood the test of time. Not once had either hurt the other, even when she revealed to him she was sith. He had been a jedi previous to meeting her. While he had given up those days and didn't want to fight in wars, he seemed happy with her for a time. Then he was called away, following his own path again. Hoping to get him back into her life, Ra was following hints and clues as to which cantina he called his home right now.

It didn't take long, which was a bit of a surprise for her. Ra knew what kind of cantina he liked though so that probably helped narrow down the options of where she needed to look. She walked the street and there was something on the air, in the Force there was a change. Hearing the screams of patrons and the silence after, she hurried on. Her friend was in trouble. Ra was going to seriously have a talk with him about this later. Right now instead of him protecting her, she was going to rescue him.

Taking one of the back alleys, she knew he had an escape route set up, just didn't know where it would lead. It would be behind things though and not easily found. However, there was a clue. The sound of a lightsaber lead her to find Zhin and whoever was also hunting him. For a different reason though than why she did. What that reason was, she didn't know and did not actually care to at the moment.

A trained assassin, Ra hid her presence in the Force. If either of them had felt her before, it would be gone like a light being turned off. She also stealthed herself and went almost invisible. If a person knew to look for her, all they would see was a bending of the lightwaves around her. Gripping the Force, she used it to boost herself up to a roof of a nearby smaller building.

Following the sound of that saber, she found where she was needed and jumped down. Taking two turns and going straight, she pulled the blaster off her hip. Firing a warning shot only first, she came out of hiding and revealed herself to Nexus. A sense of a calm force hit him, a storm threatening to break open over him if he kept up on chasing her friend.

"What do you want with him? He is under my protection and who the feth are you?"

Narrowing her eyes, ​she had yet to get really angry and use her emotions to fuel any of her abilities. That storm had yet to break.

[member="Lord Nexus"]

 

[Explicitfolly]

(Woopsie)

 

[Lord Nexus]

The Dark Lord did not flinch at the sound of the blaster; yet both Zhin and Ra'a'mah could sense a focused surge of annoyance. The hum of his saber was ever present, basking them all in a sinister red light. Nexus took a breath, composing his aura and pushing his annoyance away. He did not turn to face her, yet she could sense that his mind's eye was locked upon her.

"This does not concern you. He has something of mine, and I simply want it back."

The low, composed toned did not sound sinister, but rather diplomatic and authoritative, akin to a commander who was being questioned. Nexus held his saber at his hip, angled away from him; an impromptu barrier for anyone that may want to get between him and his target. He turned his eyes back to Zhin.

"Don't. Move."

And with that, he turned to face Ra'a'mah (presuming she hadn't moved in to engage him at that point). He reached up, pulling down his hood to reveal his face. He was a looming man, standing at 6'7", and his shoulders suggested a weight to match. He had shoulder length ashen hair, and a grizzled, albiet handsome face in a brutish way. A thick silver beard lined his chin, yet upon closer inspection, one would notice tattoos beneath it. sith tattoos. His eyes, still in a dark side induced form of crimson and gold locked onto Ra'a'mah's. Then his nostrils flared for a moment, as if he was catching a scent.

"A sith...interesting." He didn't lower his saber or show any signs of disengaging. Like an animal, he was assessing the threat.

"I will say this only once; don't presume to interfere with my business...I will not harm your...pet...assuming he gives me what I seek. And if he doesn't give it to me, I will take it myself." And with that, he waited. His implication was obvious, yet his aura suggested that his wroth was quelled, for now.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

The fired shot did its job along with her words. For the moment his attention was on her and not Zhin. He said what he was didn't concern her and even though he didn't turn to physically look at her, Ra lifted one of her eyebrows before speaking.

"This does concern me now since he is one of my people. I'm sure we can arrange to get whatever item he has of yours back."

Replacing the gun to its​ holster, Ra did not relax for a moment or look away from him. Picking up on his tone, she held a shred of thought they would be able to work things out without having to fight. He commanded Zhin not to move and finally turned to face her.

He stood approximately a foot taller than her and his build indicated he might knew how to use his body. Apparently he needed a breath of air and smelled around them. Commenting on the fact she was sith brought a shadow of a smile to her lips.

For the moment, Ra appeared to not be holding any weapons in her hands. On one hip was that blaster and one the other was a double saber hilt. What he couldn't see were the two short saber hilts up her sleeves, the knives in her boots or the ball at the end of her braid. If he attempted to attack her or Zhin, he would soon find out she was far from helpless.

"A follower of the code. Yes I am sith."

Though she had been questioning just how sith she really was recently. Her skills were mostly neutral when she used them and within her position as lead of the merchant fleet, she had little opportunity to explore the dark arts. Those people didn't even know she could use the Force.

"Unless he has more than one thing that belongs to you, I don't intend to interfere with your business. Of course, if the time comes when you interfere with mine, then we will have another conversation."

Now it was more of a staring contest and fight for dominance than anything else. Ra wasn't going to back down and stood her ground as they looked at one another.

[member="Lord Nexus"]

 

[Lord Nexus]

Current Load Out: 1 double bladed crimson lightsaber with detachable blades.
Armor: Metallic lobstered gauntlets forged from beskar (unless such is not allowed) and matching boots

The tension was palpable- in the eyes of the force it felt as though a storm was about to crash into a wall. A maelstrom versus something indomitable. Then a third presence emerged. It radiated where Zhin was standing. It was warm, yet hungry; something yearning to be whole. In the eyes of flesh and blood, however, the world seemed to be at a stand still. A sudden silence set the tone for the situation.
=Amulet=
"Come to me..."

It called to him. Niether Ra or Zhin would hear its call but both could feel it. A low rattling sound pierced the silence as Nexus and Ra stared at one another. A concerned expression grew over Zhin's face as he realized that it was coming from his back pocket. The amulet itself began to pulsate within the force. It's owner was near, and it sought to be whole with him.

That was when things changed. The amulet reacted, and it only reacted to one thing- impending conflict. Nexus' brow furrowed, as his eyes left Ra for a moment. They drifted towards his shoulder, as though he was looking over it, though he never shifted his head. A second passed, but it felt like an eternity, before his gaze returned to her. He looked her from head to toe and back- he was sizing her up.

"I can sense your trepidation...allow me to open your eyes to something, child."

With the last mocking word, his non saber hand snapped up in a back handing motion; starting as a clenched fist and ending with an open palm, the dark lord unleashed a wave of energy. Gripped by the invisible hands of the force, Zhin was hurled into the wall directly behind him with great force. A wet crack followed by a thud was all that could be heard. He slumped to the floor, motionless- though Ra could probably sense that he was still alive. With that, Nexus shifted his gait, sliding one foot forward and tensing his body.

"A true sith doesn't need permission for anything."

His eyes flared as he allowed the darkness to fill him. His jaw clenched as he slowly bared his teeth, as a clear warning.

"We just take it. Now try to stop me."

 

[Ra'a'mah]

There was a clear sensation to anybody that might pass by to leave. Sensitive to the Force or not, the atmosphere was crushing, intimidating and to be left alone. Silence fell around them as those nearby decided it best to find themselves any place other than here.

Ra felt the calling of whatever Zhin had between it and its owner. It practically screamed to be with its master. Her eyes narrowed at this as she looked at the man. For a moment, he appeared to look away from her, but that glance moved back and appeared to size her up. What he said and then called her child with it sounding as if he was mocking her...which Ra had no doubt he was. His action of hurling Zhin against the wall, got her angry finally.

One of the few people in her life she trusted and he was treated was like a doll by this man. The anger that rarely was displayed would be felt through the Force.

"Perhaps, I may not be a true sith then. I'll stop you anyway. Even if the only reason was because you dared to hunt and harm one of mine."

Not ​knowing her opponent, Ra had no clue what he could or couldn't do. He might be bigger than her by a foot, she was probably quicker than he was. Something she would keep in mind. Embracing the Force, she placed a barrier around herself. It might not be much, but a small shield between her and this man would come in handy.

With a twitch of one wrist, a single small saber hilt appeared in her left hand. Igniting it, the purple blade hummed in the alley. She had a second small saber of the same kind up her other sleeve. However he may noticed she didn't hold her saber like a normal one, but backwards up her arm.

In the moment it took for him to see this if he did, she launched herself in his direction. If he didn't stop her with the Force or keep her from closing the distance somehow, she would make an attempt to punch him. With the little extra added weight of that hilt, her punch would actually have some strength to it.

[member="Lord Nexus"]

 

[Lord Nexus]

Once more into the fray. A snap hiss was all Nexus needed to know that the fight had begun.

As Ra charged, Nexus smiled. His energy turned from a storm- that is, a force of nature- into pure malice. He revelled in combat, and he hadn't had a good fight since procuring his gauntlets. This was going to be fun.

She charged... good; Nexus often preferred the role of defender versus the aggressor. It gave him the chance to assess his target before engaging. As she lunged, Nexus lifted his left leg while kicking off the ground with the other and shifted to the left; with the assistance of the force, he slid two meters from where he stood with a graceful pseudo jump (with the intention of clearing her strike). [If he cleared her strike, he would land and spring into action.] With that, he whipped around to face her, raising his non-saber hand.

A force user can hear lightning before it comes in many cases. A hum fills the air- acting as a pre-emptive thunder. This particular hum would have been near deafening, as it was one of Nexus' more practiced gifts.

Then came the hum, immediately followed by a dozen arcs spread in a wide blast, seeking Ra with the intent of weakening her force barrier. As light engulfed the alley, and colors painted the walls with brief silhouettes, most would probably presume that a new club opened where the two sith fought.
Synopsis: Darth Nexus slid to the left with his aid of the force, with the goal of clearing Ra's attack, while simultaneously putting a small distance between them, then engages her with force lightning in order to weaken or destroy her force barrier.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

With a deft jump he evaded her punch and moved himself out of her melee range. For barely even a heartbeat did they have their backs to each other before they both turned around to not allow the other the opportunity to exploit that weakness. She kept that saber up the back of her arm and her other hand free. With the barrier around her and him not attacking her...yet Ra was still confident in this confrontation. His attention was off her friend and that is what mattered.

When Ra did have to fight, she had focused on melee aspects and not so much on fighting from a distance. So when he called on the Force to strike at her with lightning, it connected with her barrier and destroyed it. It was not unexpected and while he was focused on it, she used that potential distraction to cause the ground under his feet start to open up under him.

Not actually using the full extent of that ability, she would wait to see what he did before making her next move. However, if he stayed put and actually fell into the pit that formed under him, he would get an interesting taste of what her greats fears were.

[member="Lord Nexus"]

 

[Lord Nexus]

As the lightning met it's mark, Nexus felt the shield expire. At this point he could have pressed the attack, however he had other ideas. As it was made clear that Ra was an experienced force user, he wanted to push that boundary. Instead of going in for the kill, he wanted to gauge her- he wanted to draw the fight out.

Perhaps he had made a mistake in doing so, as he encountered different for the first time in a long time. Moments before the ground opened, Nexus felt the tremor. He expected a telekinetic attack from the front, however it was beneath him that ripped open. In a split second, he had to decide; and that was all it took.

As the pit opened it's abyssal maw, Nexus did not run, but instead he reached out, using the force to grip the still unconscious Zhin. As Nexus fell, Zhin's body flew towards the maw, and in the last second where he could be seen, he locked his eyes with Ra's. He knew she would follow. And together they would share this adventure. A sinister smile graced his lips as he slipped out of sight, with Zhin in tow.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

For just a moment, Ra had expected her trick to work on this towering man. A moment later though, that trick backfired on her. Lucky for Zhin he was unconscious still and thus his mind would not be affected by the ability. Not able to prevent Nexus from taking her friend with him, she cursed out loud before using the Force to hurry to the pit she had opened and jump in after them.

This was her own fear, but even still it had an effect on her. Her senses dulled in the apparent total emptiness around them. That was her greatest fear. To be alone. Thus there was nothing in the pit.

Darkness, silence, no life...nothing.

Everybody has a fear. Facing it...

There was no sense of Nexus in her mind. This was a mental game now. Letting go of the spell as she went through the hole, they would be face to face in the brand new real sinkhole in the ground of the alley. Before she had joined him, her saber had gone back up her sleeve since she didn't want to accidently hurt Zhin when she jumped in.

[member="Lord Nexus"]

 

[Lord Nexus]

The darkness swallowed Nexus and Zhin, but not before Nexus saw the look in Ra's eye. He knew she wouldn't resist the bate. As the ground swallowed him he locked eyes with her, giving her a devilish grin. Then he was gone.

The two landed in the abyss with two thuds. Zhin hit the ground with a soft thud as he was still unconscious, while Nexus landed with a more reverberating thud as his boot soles met the concrete. Immediately he deactivated his lightsaber, allowing the darkness to engulf him. It was eerie, and unnaturally quiet- as though someone had blinded him. He reached out with his mind, sensing the endless expanse of nothingness.

Nexus sniffed the air, then let a low chuckle escape his lips. Everyone was afraid of the Dark. Yet Nexus was no stranger to it. His earliest memories were of him sitting in solitary confinment in a Red Eclipse Prison. He had learned to embrace the unknown, rather than shun it. He waited for the inevitable moment when Ra would enter in to rescue her friend. Then he would teach her what true darkness was.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

It wasn't a fear of the dark or unknown that Ra was afraid of, but of being truly alone. In her vision of being alone, it was projected as sensory deprivation. However, this was her pit so she had some form of control and did close the top off like she would have normally. With his saber now off, it was almost black in the pit. Only the light from the sky above shown inside.

It would put her at a disadvantage, but she hoped Nexus wasn't going to exploit it. If he looked up, he would see her following the two of them in. Instead of being in separate instances, she was in his.

Hoping her movements was quiet enough to not be noticed, she let go of the top of the pit and would attempt to land just as quietly as she could. Knowing her luck, she would land on his or Zhin's head though.

[member="Lord Nexus"]

 

[Lord Nexus]

The Dark Lord was surprised by the ferocity of younger Sith. While he did not look up in time, a tingle in the back of his mind warned that he was in immediate danger. He pushed off of the ground, leaping back, but not soon enough to feel the gust of displaced air as her foot nearly met his head. Landing a few feet away from her, he was about to engage when he heard it.

Come to me...

Through out his fight, he had allowed his mind to leave the matter at hand. His amulet. He looked over at Zhin, who laid conveniently face down, and reached out with the force, grasping the amulet which sat nestled in his pocket, calling it to his waiting hand. This was, of course, only the case if Ra did not engage him immediately.

Alternatively, if she were to go the agressive route and press the attack, Nexus would be forced to ignore the amulet's call, and defend himself.

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Ra'a'mah]

She found it surprising she didn't land on their heads. Luckily Zhin was off to the side and Nexus had moved out of the way in time. That would have been a nasty entanglement if that happened since Ra wasn't fully prepared to fight hand to hand.

Feeling the call of whatever Zhin had to its master, Ra chose not to interfere when that call was answered. His amulet flew past her head and into his waiting hand. Her focus was mostly on her friend and while their senses were dampened, she needed to get closer to him to make sure he was still alive.

Once she ascertained he was, Ra turned her head to look at Nexus. Her stance appeared that she was ready to fight if he got aggressive, but none was expressed to him. It was his turn to move if he chose to. If he didn't, then she would speak.

"You're lucky he lived. If he had died, you would have joined him."

[member="Lord Nexus"]

 

[Lord Nexus]

Once his hand met the amulet, something had changed. His aura flourished, turning from a maelstrom into a hurricane, though it was only briefly. He let out a low chuckle of satisfaction. Another piece had returned. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark, gold with malice. He felt that much more whole.

He felt power course through his veins, and though it was a fraction of what he once felt, that fraction fueled him. He threw the medallion over his neck as Ra checked Zhin's fate. When she spoke, his voice seemed eerily darker.

"Spare me your threats. If I wanted him dead, I would have struck the blow. And the same goes for you. You presume to know of my capabilities."

He stepped forward, towards her voice. Now his feet fell heavily upon the ground. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. They drew closer to her, unless she sought to avoid them. If she had not, they would stop mere inches infront of her.

"You think you know the Darkness, child? The fear of the unknown? Of loneliness? These things made me. If that daunts you, then know that true fear will be awoken in your heart today, should you choose to threaten me."

His voice seemed to loom, it was heavy in the air. All the while, she could see those eyes; crimson and gold orbs, locked with hers. She heard him sniff the air once more.

"But no; your death is not something I seek. You have piqued my interest, and I sense your conflict. You hold the dark side, but do not embrace it. Curious. Tell me why."

His last words resonated through the room, as well as the force. He embellished them, though not as a mind trick so much as in an authoritative way, as though she had no choice. All the while, he was at the ready to grip his saber, should his monologue or tone rub her the wrong way. This was playing with fire, and Nexus revelled in it.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

As he spoke, a question came to her mind and was spoken before she could stop it.

"Why didn't you kill him? If you had done it before I arrived I wouldn't have known what ever happened to him. And you presume to know mine..."

He was trying to use his size to intimidate her or at least Ra thought so. It didn't work and she stood her ground. Narrowing her eyes at what he said, she shook her head almost in denial of his words. Two of the three he listed off she didn't fear, the last one she did. As much as she wanted to deny each of them, he struck close to home as he spoke.

Pausing, he sniffed the air, but did not break his eye contact with her. For the moment, even her own eyes glowed back at him which was rare for her. This man really had gotten her mad and it did show on her. Though now they were speaking, her hold on her anger was fading just slightly and she did not lash out at him.

"Who are you to say I don't embrace it?"

It was a question with double or more meanings, it would be up to him how he answered.

[member="Lord Nexus"]