The Shadow Rises

[grammaticus]

The Bunker was small at the moment, barely large enough for him to take ten steps in any direction. It was a sorry state that he had found the place in, a forgotten hole in the ground on the world of Ambria, but all that was changing now. In the corners of every room and leading down hallways further underground were hundreds of construction droids.

It would take some time for the Bunker to be brought to full readiness, capable of sustaining the new project he had recently undertaken. As if on que a small alarm began to echo through the bunker, the droids ignoring it entirely and going in about their work.

"Suppose that must be our new arrival..." Turning, Animus waved his hand at the small entrance to the Bunker, the wall sliding seamlessly into the wall next to it.

"Welcome, I am pleased to see you made it here alright."

[member="Ella Nova"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

His name was [member="Darth Animus"] and he had come bearing an invitation, which she could not ignore or avoid. This was what she had been waiting for, but did she ever consider the possibility that one of his followers would approach her? If Darth Ayra was honest with herself she had considered it to be a tiny possibility. There were certain routes that could be taken to make her acquaintance, but unlike the Sith that they were set to plot against together she was not a known commodity in the overarching Sith Order. She was known only to a few Sith, whose former association with her had only been during the time that she had walked among them in the One Sith before her untimely and sudden death. Only a few knew that she was still alive all this time later, and that handful of people were set to be joined by another Sith Lord, whose commodity Ayra found ironic. She knew nothing of him.

But the prospect of working together to undo the reigning Dark Lord of the Sith was something that she could not pass up. For all her plots, schemes and manipulations among the allies who would inevitably face the Sith Empire, Darth Ayra knew that real victory had to be achieved through something more than mere cunning. The beginning stages of the Grand Plan, taken on with a new face, had already been planted, but as the galaxy continued to move, she would move with it, and Animus had made contact with a proposal. So she had traveled back to Ambria to hear his proposal in person, less a holo feed was intercepted by some nosey Republican.

Wearing a loose fitting robe that was ceremonial to her order, Darth Ayra stepped into the small room as the wall opened up for her. Lowering her head from her head the much smaller woman stared up at her potential ally. "It wasn't hard to come here. I've lived on this planet before, near Lake Natth. A good of place as any to plant the seed to victory."

Lowering her hand into her robe, Darth Ayra produced a Lightsaber blade. She had built it long ago with specifications learned from the tomb of Freedon Nadd. It had been a weapon that was supposed to be given to another, but alas, the blade held some value to man. Extending her arm outwards Ayra handed Animus the weapon. "A small beginning of many more things we will collect."

 

[grammaticus]

Animus dipped his head, the helmet revealing no emotions as he slowly reached out his hands. With reverence he wrapped us gloves hands around the hilt of the weapon, holding it up to his eye level. Turning back to [member="Ella Nova"] he bowed his head slightly. "The gift is accepted with gratitude. This shall indeed be the first of many things we shall collect."

Turning toward the center of the room, Animus waved his hand, calling to the force and raising a small pedestal from the ground. Placing his hand on it, he turned to Ella, featuring for her to step on as well. Once the Sith was on the small platform, Animus sent a burst of force energy straight into the device, and the two of them shot down. The tunnel they sped through was barely lit, with a few sections of earth still visible, evidently still under construction.

"Ambria was my first choice for a new base. Our proximity to Lake Natth will give me something to study when I am not busy, and provide us with a potential limitless source of energy if we can only harness it." After several minutes of travel the platform came to rest in a massive underground chamber. Massive statues lined the room, flanking a set of stairs that led to a huge stone door. Engraived in the door were pictures of countless different eras in Sith history, depicting the greatest victories, and greatest defeats in equal measure. Walking up the steps, Animus turned to face Ella for a moment as the doors began to swing open.

"Welcome to the Order of Shadows."

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Animus"] |

Centuries ago, long before the Four-Hundred Year Darkness, there had once lived a Sith sorceress. In those days it was said that Ambria had been a lush and vibrant world, though it's current landscape would make you think otherwise. It was said that the sorceress sought eternal life, and so with her powers, attempted to absorb all life on the planet. Instead the world was destroyed by her ritual. Later a Jedi would come, interfering as they do, and centered all the power of the dark side into one location: Lake Natth. Darth Ayra had known of this story since her days an apprentice, and when she had left the First Order with the Holocron of Heresies, she had traveled to Ambria to live by the shores of the lake for a time where seclusion merited meditation and learning. Despite what the Jedi had done she had felt the power of the dark side beneath the waters, and had considered the possibility of unleashing it's powers. As she was taken down by Animus she wondered if he had thought of doing the same thing.

Walking beside the other Sith, Darth Ayra's eyes fell upon portraits portraying the history of their people. Her eyes fell upon a drawing of the exiles, a group of Dark Jedi who had once served in the Jedi Order before discovering the dark side of the Force, who waged a war against their former friends before discovering the species of red skinned aliens on Korriban a century later. They turned to portraits of ancient Sith Lords. She recognised Freedon Nadd, the King of Onderon; Darth Revan, progenitor to the Rule of Two; Marka Ragnos, famed to have been the most powerful of the ancient Sith; and Exar Kun, who had walked in the same footsteps of the exiles several centuries later by becoming a Dark Lord of the Sith. Each of them contributing some knowledge, some discovery in the dark, but all ultimately failures. They shouldn't be revered, she felt, but rather scorned for their many inadequacies.

Averting her gaze away from the Sith memorabilia to the Order of Shadows, Darth Ayra folded her arms across her chest as she considered it. "Everything starts small but it remains to be seen if they can grow to become bigger. I believe this could be the start." Lowering her hand into her robe, Darth Ayra produced a book and passed it along to Animus. "Sow the seeds of betrayal and watch what happens when they begin to grow."

 

[grammaticus]

Animus accepted the time in his hand, nodding his head to [member="Ella Nova"] as he stepped back, running his hand slowly over the cover of the book. Knowledge was power, and every scrap of it in the galaxy was worth the effort of learning. This particular book would keep Snimus busy for some time, and he analyzed and broke it down. It was a worthy gift indeed.

Turning, Animus extended his hand, sending a wave of force energy into the door, unlockin hidden mechanisms within the pictures, some of the figures turning as they moved into different positions. Finally the door began to open, revealing a massive chamber, dotted with small passageways to places unknown. Purple flame billowed from bowl suspended by chains, held by hooded statues at regular intervals down the main hall. Approaching the two Sith, three security droids gave a brief bow before Animus handed the leader the blade he had been given earlier.

"Take this to the vault at once. Now, my comrade, walk with me. We have much to discuss I imagine." Gesturing with his hand, Animus began to walk down the length of the main chamber, his armored boots echoing in the vastness of the place. The book he had been given, almost laughably small in his hands, was held firmly to him. He would not put it down till he had read it all.

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Animus"] | [member="Thraxis"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"] |

Following Animus into the chamber, Darth Ayra begun to speak, wasting no time on beginning their plot. "I believe it is possible to create a coalition against the Sith Empire. To achieve this we will need to do much, but the way to do this has already been put into motion. The beginning phase starts with the book that I just handed to you. Do you know who [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] is?"

"I do not doubt that you will read the book that she wrote, and in my opinion, foolishly published. The naive fool, I think, believed she could gain some forgiveness through it's publication. Regardless I believe that this can spark the beginning of the coalition that I speak of. It follows the chapters that she wrote about the Battle of Anoat and her time on the Kuragin station. I will arrange it that relatives of the civilians that were killed during the Alliance's attack will make a plea to the Humbarine Council to bring Yvarro to justice for her part in their deaths. I will make sure that the plea is covered up, and saved for later."

"In the meantime I will make arrangements for Yvarro to be taken by the Purple Rejects, a small crime organisation from the planet Formos who specialize in selling narcotics in the slums of Secter 3. There I will show her that a plea was made to Humbarine and into a court of law held by the New Republic. I will give her the option to work for me in the Empire or turn her over to the New Republic, using the Humbarine Council to trial her. This will make a political windstorm in the Senate and force urgent debate on the prospect of the Sith response to trialing one of their famous officers. In either eventuality we stand to gain advantages."

Pausing her walk and turning to face Animus, Darth Ayra spoke to him face to face. "If you find this to be acceptable then what I require from you is to locate and find a ship. It is rumoured that Carnifex rides a Super Dreadnaught. I do not know it's name, it's specifications or design, only that it belongs to him. If I can turn Yvarro then this will be phase two of the plan, and if not, well, it will be useful information to leak to the Mandalorians."

 

[grammaticus]

Animus nodded his head as [member="Ella Nova"] spoke, his mind already working through all the plots and fall back plans that would have to be put in place for such a scheme to work. It was a good plan in theory, though the Order did not have the resources on hand at the time to focus entirely on it. Patience would be required, patience by all parties.

"An excellent plan, and one sure to gain is much in the long run, however the Order of Shadoes does not have the resources or manpower at this time to launch into such a plot. I advise patience, allow us to bide our time and establish ourselves more fully. Use the time to solidify the ground works of your plan, and gather new relics and knowledge to empower us. Then, once we are ready, we shall launch this plan of yours."

Coming to a particular chamber, Animus turned to Darth Arya, bowing his head slightly once more. "I wish to confer on you the position of Shadow Lord. You are clearly of sound mind and power to hold the rank, and trust your day on the Council will bring us much."

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Animus"] |

"To confer power so easily is not the way of the dark side. Only through strength do I gain power."

Moving away from her newly acquired ally, Darth Ayra lowered her hand down onto her hip and produced a Lightsaber. It had been the weapon of a Jedi Knight she had briefly known in the past, and current blade until she constructed a new one. Until that moment it would have to suffice. Thumbing the ignition button of her blade a blue flashing light burst forth from the cylindrical hilt. Spinning her Lightsaber expertly in her finger tips, Darth Ayra lifted her gaze towards Animus with a goading smile. "To have cunning is one thing, but to possess strength is another. Spar me Animus, and we will cement our partnership."

 

[grammaticus]

"You have already proven your worth to the Order, and your power is known. However, if we must..."

He watched Darth Arya draw her lightsaber with interest, his hand reaching down and unclipping his own from his hip. He brought the blade up to a guard position, igniting the crimson blade and facing his new opponent. Smiling beneath his helmet, he nodded his head to [member="Ella Nova"] before beginning to march forward. "I hope you are prepared for this. I shall not hold back." The moment the last word left his mouth, the blade in his hand lashed out in a series of cuts and jabs as he launched himself forward, hurling himself straight into the assault.

It would do no good to play things safe in this duel. There were things on the line he could not afford to go wrong. He would show Darth Arya his strength, and ensure that she understood the Order of Shadows was an organization not to be ignored.

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Animus"] |

"Often the weak encourage strength in the form of words, and often the words find themselves lacking the conviction necessitating that strength."

As Animus unleashed a flurry of strikes and stabs towards his opponent, Darth Ayra responded with evasion techniques, swerving her body to avoid one, dodging another, and maneuvering her blade to deflect a third, never outright parrying her opponent but merely helping his attacks along their way in a direction that would cause her no harm. The dark side of the Force flowed through her, providing her strength and gave her foresight as to what was about to happen. This ability to predict and time her movements accordingly was both a symbiosis of her ability with the dark side, Lightsaber training and instincts honed in the battlefields of war. She had fought in the One Sith Wars many times on behalf of her master, Darth Pandeima, who encouraged her to move up the hierarchy of the Sith Order that they sought to usurp.

This predated some commitment to their cause, and as a consequence, the Old Republic had fallen in the wake of the Sith invasion. Whilst nothing had come about through her infiltration of the One Sith (if you could call being apart of the reason why the Old Republic fell as nothing) she had at least honed her battle instincts and skills in real life and death scenarios in the theater of war, rather than through the training simulations that she had practiced with Kresh and Pandeima.

Never possessing the physical strength to overwhelm her opponents, Darth Ayra fell into a rhythm of evasion, deflection and endurance, allowing Animus to maintain the pressure as he came forward with every strike. Dodging another flurry of attacks, Ayra leaped backwards and landed away from her opponent, using the dark side to cover herself in an invisible layer of protective Force energy that would repel and stop Force attacks. Her game was an ultimate defense and her trick was to ensure that her opponent tired themselves out first before she dealt a finishing blow.

 

[grammaticus]

Animus fought in silence, his mind focused entirely on the duel at hand. He moved by instinct, his saber cutting out before he even realized it was, and deflecting the few strikes that could have proven dangerous had they come too close. He slashed the ground before him, sending up a wave of sparks between the two Sith, his helmet protecting his eyes as he drove forward in his assault. He began to realize his opponents tactics as he progressed, seeing her willingly give ground as he pushed forward, however he did not alter his approach. He had been trained to never surrender the initiative in battle, and he would not allow his foe to dictate how he fought.

He came to a halt when Darth Arya leaped away from him, a smile crossing his face as he began to march forward once again, his blade held at the ready to his side. As he moved forward, he connected with the Dark Side of the Force, letting it flow through him and revitalize him. It was a simple technique his old Master had once taught him, and in this duel it would prove quite beneficial. If his foe wished to delay things, let her. He would drive her into the ground until she had nowhere left to flee to.

"And sometimes, words hold the ultimate power in this universe." Launching himself forward, Animus reached into his cloak and drew out a second lightsaber, igniting it and proceeding to engage in a flurry of attacks from two different directions. Despite his size he could move swiftly, and his body became a mere blur of motion as he drove his relentless assault forward. He had been challenged, and he would not back down now.

[member="Ella Nova"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Animus"] |

It was a game changer. The addition of a secondary Lightsaber was a quick adaption on the part of Animus. There were parts of Darth Ayra that were impressed by his sudden transition from single Lightsaber combat into the realm of two Lightsaber blades, which would ultimately change the sequences and pacing of the fight. Recognising that his opponent was set to elongate the duel so as to achieve victory, Animus had now changed the flow of the fight and it was showing. He was relentless in his drive to achieve victory. Beforehand, Darth Ayra had been able to tell where Animus would strike, moving her body accordingly to either dodge the blow or deflect it with her own Lightsaber. But with the addition of a second weapon it had become impossible to continue the fight in that way.

Instead of finding ways to dodge, evade or deflect Animus' weapons, Darth Ayra was forced into outright parries to stop one blow before moving out of the way of the next, increasing her evasion tactics and expending her energies as she continued to keep herself out of the way of his attacks. With each parry, as their blades met, the taller and stronger mans blows counted even when his strike failed to hit the area of the body that he had been aiming for. Instead of slashing an arm, or stabbing at her body, Animus was met with a blue light that was seemingly in the way of every strike, but yet it was he who was gaining the advantage.

Whereas his assault continued to increase in it's pace and ferocity, Darth Ayra's defense was beginning to crumble. At the last pass she barely managed to contort her body out of the way of a strike that would have undoubtedly won Animus the duel. As the second Lightsaber blade came in after evading the first, Darth Ayra lifted her hand forward and delivered a Force Punch into Animus' abdomen, as she captalised on the fact that her opponent hadn't taken the necessary precautions in protecting himself from her Force Powers in place of a relentless assault designed to ware her down.

 

[grammaticus]

His opponent was faltering. Where his pace before had been a slow steady advance, he was now taking ground at an increasingly aggressive rate. The second blade in his left hand moved as smoothly as his right, from years of grueling and pushing training at the hands of several different teachers. His foe was a skilled warrior though, as each of his attacks were deflected from their destination with mastery and precision. He couldn't help but be impressed as a two pronged strike he launched from different directions was deflected by a single parry move, before the flow of the duel resumed. He had hoped the addition of the second saber would end this duel quickly, but it seemed that would not be the case.

Just as he launched a new two pronged assault from above and below, Animus saw an opening in his own offense, and cursed himself for it. Before he could correct the mistake, his foe capitalized on it. Before his mind even registered the impact he was flying backwards through the air. Just before impact with the wall behind him he threw up a hasty cushion of force energy, marginalizing the damage. He still felt the impact wrack his body however, and the wall behind him cratered slightly from the impact before he slid to the ground. Shaking his head, Animus stared Darth Arya down for several seconds before taking a step away from the wall.

He suddenly rushed towards it and jumped, planting a single boot on its surface then propelling himself away from it using the force, sending himself right back towards his foe like a projectile, the blades in his hand already flashing through the air before he landed on the ground again before his enemy. He needed to end this quickly, and had to be more careful. He continued his relentless assault against his foe, but this time, he kept himself on guard, the series of attacks slowing slightly.

[member="Ella Nova"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Animus"] |

Beads of sweat ran along the brow of Darth Ayra, and both her arms shook from the heavy exertion of having to outright block two Lightsaber blades from a man that was both taller and heavier than herself. As Animus was blown backwards she lowered her arms as the small reprieve between both opponents was created by the blow that had sent him crashing to the other side of the room. Her eyes followed his body as it fell into the wall, watched as pieces of the wall scattered around him as he immediately rose back up to his feet. She nodded in approval of his unrelenting push. He had great knowledge in the dark side, she saw.

As Animus launched himself across the room back towards her, Darth Ayra knew that if the fight returned to the same pace that Animus- no, Darth Animus- had set beforehand then she would lose. He was bigger, stronger and had honed his talents to make sure that such advantages in a fight such as this were used to captalise and captalise quickly on his weaker opponent. Yes, he had just been launched backwards into a wall, and the blow that she had conjured with the Force had not been exactly weak, but any such injury or fatigue caused by such an unexpected but yet equally desperate attack wouldn't slow him down, Darth Ayra saw.

To try and fight on equal terms with an opponent who clearly outmatched her in such circumstances was not wise, and she was not a fool.

As Darth Animus soared through the air to press her again, Darth Ayra did the unexpected. The blue shining light of her Lightsaber went out as she thumbed the ignition button and deactivated it. As she did a pair of Lightsabers, held in either hand of her opponent, tore through her body. Defeat, if not death, was assured but yet as Darth Animus saw his weapons chop her down he would notice that they hadn't hit anything at all but thin wisps of black smoke that rose into the ceiling.

Using her powers in the dark side to create a Force Illusion, Darth Ayra left an imprint of herself where she had been standing just a few split seconds beforehand, then slipped into the darkness of the room and immersed herself into it as Darth Animus landed to deliver a finishing blow. In the darkness Darth Ayra begun to murmur incantations beneath her breath to increase the power of her Force Illusions, but that would take time and until she had finished muttering her spell she observed from the shadows, watching the founder of the Order of Shadows from the darkness like a ghost. Ironic.

 

[grammaticus]

Animus cursed under his breath as he pulled his blades from the body of the illusion, ignoring it as it faded in a plume of black smoke. He had faced sorcerers and witches in the past, he knew the powers they held. He immediately switched from an offensive footing to defensive, holding a blade in front of and behind his torso, covering both sides as he slowly began to turn in a circle, his eyes and helmet sensors trying to find a target in the encroaching darkness. He would not be able to win in this situation he knew. He had faced his fair share of defeats in the past at the hands of illusions. He had to act.

Channeling the Dark Side of the force, Animus began sending arcs of Sith lightning down the lengths of his lightsaber blades, the crimson color becoming augmented by the arcing blue lightning. Without warning Animus spun on the spot, slashing one of his sabers through the air. At the same time he released the lighting that had been building up in the blade, creating a wave of Sith lightning that cascaded away from him and expanded before colliding with everything in its path. He turned on the spot and slashed with the other lightsaber while he began to recharge the other, the second wave pushing out and striking nothing as well.

He continued to do this, turning ever so slightly every time and carpeting large areas with the Sith lightning, drawing ever more power to him. He could not keep this up for long, but he had to try and draw his opponent out from hiding.

[member="Ella Nova"]

 

[grammaticus]

-Error-

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Animus"] |

Eyes glaring at her opponent from the darkness, they widened wildly as Darth Animus gave into the most raw and potent use of the dark side in the form of Sith lightning in an effort to draw his opponent out of the darkness and end the Force Illusion that would have brought her victory. Stopping her incantations, Darth Ayra evaded the first streak of lightning and reactivated her Lightsaber to catch the second. Succeeding in ending his opponent's attempt to conjure a lethal Sith spell, which would have manifested illusions designed to attack his psyche and break his spirit, Darth Animus was once again on the offensive and Darth Ayra on the defensive as she begun evading his attacks.

Emerging from the darkness, exposed by Darth Animus and his lightning, Darth Ayra drew on the dark side to increase her speed, and in conjunction with her predictive abilities guided by the dark side, begun weaving in and out of the way of the lightning that was being blasted in her direction. Using the built up power of the dark side, which she had initially planned to use for a lethal Force Illusion, Darth Ayra once again fell back onto her original strategy: evade her opponents attacks, deflect any that she could not avoid, and wear him down until fatigue set in.

 

[grammaticus]

Animus turned as he sensed his foe approaching him once again, sending a further few arcs of lightning at her before discharging them. The tactic wouldn't work at close range, and he could already feel the expenditure of so much energy drawing on him. He could only sustain himself with Dark Side energy for so long before it began to have the opposite effect. He had to end this duel quickly or else he could no longer hold the advantage over his foe.

As their blades met once again, Animus altered his tactics once again. Following a double slash at Darth Arya, he spun around in a brief circle, his cloak billowing as he went. When he came back to face Darth Arya, the two sabers had become one, forming a saberstaff as Animus began his new offensive. The two blades traveled in arcs as he drove himself forward, their broad strokes seeming to cover everywhere at once as he inched himself forward. To ensure his enemy was kept off guard still, he began to add in other attacks to his pattern, lashing out with his armored boots and fist whenever he attacked with his saberstaff, able to wield the weapon one handed as years of practice drove his instincts.

"I urge you to give in, Darth Arya. You have proven yourself a capable opponent, we need not push this any further."

[member="Ella Nova"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Animus"] |

Use of Dun Moch. Considerable power in the dark side. Ability to move and create complicated sequences with three different weapon forms, and above all else, he possessed cunning. As they traded blows, Darth Ayra gave considerable consideration as to whether or not this man was the apprentice that she had been looking for. He possessed all the traits, all the necessary qualities to carry forth the paradigm of the Sith philosophy if he could be nurtured. But could he help her destroy the Sith in order to rebuild the Sith Order to follow the true ways of the dark side?

The dark yellow eyes that were brimming with the dark side and windows into the soul of Darth Ayra followed the transition from the two bladed stances of Jar'kai into the double-bladed variety of the form. It was another sequence that was deliberately designed to change the course of the duel back into the favour of the taller Sith. As she was just getting used to the sequences, transitions and maneuvers of dealing with two Lightsabers being used to assault her, through careful insight given through a combination of the Force and the combat that they were trading with each other, Darth Animus had changed the entirety of the duel through the double-bladed variant of the Lightsaber, changing the sequences that she was just beginning to learn into new ones that changed the angle of where Animus' strikes were coming from.

But this time the tables hadn't turned in the favour Darth Animus had been seeking to turn. Unlike beforehand, where he had been using two Lightsabers in either hand, Darth Ayra already knew the sequences of a double-bladed Lightsaber. In fact, it was through the use of a Saberstaff that she had originally developed her craft in Lightsaber combat. Of course with each individual who trained themselves to use a Lightsaber with two blades, the sequences, transitions and use of the weapon was slightly different as the forms and styles there were practiced with it became individualistic to the user. For example, if Darth Ayra was also using a double-bladed Lightsaber against Darth Animus they would never be carbon copies of each others form.

But by the sheer fact that she had been trained to use such a weapon in the past meant that as Darth Animus transitioned into sequences that were required for a double-bladed Lightsaber, Darth Ayra begun compensating for the changes much quickly than she had done in the past. She knew that a user of such a weapon could create an illusion where to an untrained opponent it seemed that each of the blades on either end were coming from all over the place, creating an affect where it seemed that the assault was relentless. It required subtle feints, and swings where the victim was placed on the back foot as they tried to compensate for attacks that weren't done to land but merely bait movement or decisions that would give the assaulter opportunities to land a lethal blow.

With this in mind Darth Ayra begun compensating movements, pretending to move one way and switching to the next to bait the feints that Darth Animus knew. With the dark side flowing through her, still amplifying her movements and reaction times, she was beginning to learn how her opponent attacked with the double-bladed Lightsaber and was catching up with each second that the duel continued.

 

[grammaticus]

Animus ceased his attack all at once, stepping away from Darth Arya and regrouping himself. He had felt the momentum of the duel turning against him, his change of tactics ineffective compared to his other moves, and his foe gaining tactical advantage for the moment. He gained nothing by continuing the current assault and so ended it swiftly, putting distance between himself and his opponent. Disconnecting the two sabers from each other, Animus held them in either hand as regarded Darth Arya, his mind working through his next move.

His foe was learning from him the longer the duel went on, studying and memorizing everything he did. If he was going to have any chance to end this duel in his favor, he would have to strike hard and fast, ending the duel before Darth Arya could adapt to his next assault. Steeling his resolve, he decided his next course of action.

Gripping the the blades tightly in his hand, Animus began to gather pools of Dark Side energy in his hands. He then launched himself into the attack again, his barrage of strikes increased tenfold as he drove himself forward to achieve final victory. Every time he made a strike with a blade, he dispelled the Dark Side energy in his fists at Darth Arya. The waves of Dark Side energy bombarded Darth Arya as Animus drove forward with his physical attacks, the two pronged assault fueled with everything that Animus still had left in him. He would win in this moment, or it was all over.

Continuing his assault, he began to gather small trickles of Dark Side energy into himself, taken from each impact and formed into a single mass within. He held onto it fiercely, preparing to launch his final gambit if he had to.

[member="Ella Nova"]