Junction They Came From The Wall | SO & HR Junction of Ord Vaug and Bassadro

[Corazona von Ascania]

Darth Strosius Novac Lyrikal

Unfortunately, it seemed their conversation had come to an end. The pair of Jedi could stall no longer.

Cora had to give Strosius credit - despite being trapped in an enclosed, albeit spacious room that now pulsed with the inherent light woven into each brick, he remained unflappable. Such was the hard-fought disposition of a Sith Lord.

She also had to give Novac credit, for the Padawan had stood stalwart in the face of the Dark.

The Sith Lord lashed out as he descended. Cora slid back on her right foot, jerking her head back as far as it could go - unfortunately, not entirely out of his range. The tip of Strosius' lightsaber grazed her cheek, crossing over an old scar gifted to her by his contemporary.

It might've been a miscalculation, or it might've been an intentional sacrifice; either way, Cora lifted her hand, grimacing, then clenched it into a fist.

Before Strosius could recover from his heavy descent, the shattered duracrete tiles surrounding him would fire themselves up and inward at blistering speed, aiming to skewer the Sith from all angles.

Pain was no stranger, and the Jedi hissed her way through the raw, searching ache blooming over her cheek.

 

[Kasir Dorran]

Cali Ziiva
​

The remaining civilians had fled by now; he wouldn't spare them another glance. His attention.. hunger.. irritation.. focus, remained fixed on the Pink One. Natural selection would handle the others. It usually did.

The rich scent of cocoa was heavy on the senses amid the blur around him. A memory slipped in, a fissure in his austere armor, when the Sangnir discovered at one of the Order's season gatherings on Jutrand that he did indeed possess a sweet tooth. Fortunately, he had been disciplined enough to bury it. Usually. But now? The smell of it taunted him. And strangely, there were no follow up attacks from his foe. Just that infuriating voice..

Her words made it all the easier to track her through the aisles. Not much different than being guided like sonar, except by an infuriating voice. Silent as a shadow, he weaved around fallen displays, past topped shelves. Only once he drew near, did his steps slow.

The Sith's hand extended, fingers curling. One of the bars quivered on the floor before lifting, drawn into his palm, a small treasure in the ruin. The wrapper was torn; the chocolate inside softened by the earlier blaze.

"Even your chewing is loud," Kasir muttered as he secured the saberstaff to his belt. With a venomous tilt of the head, he scoffed. "No, you don't get my kind. I imagine you've never had to bargain with a craving. You can just give in, right? I don't have that option."

Teeth broke the brittle shell. A small piece was drawn inward and held at the tongue. Dark and rich under the bitterness, enough to unsettle his palate. His brow furrowed minutely. "Your luck ends when I'm done with this."

 

[Warren of the Narrows]

Daxin's voice cut through the panic, "Warren now!" The Selonian didn't hesitate. A paw caught the earring roughly in the air, holding it gingerly to ensure it didn't detonate with him holding it. So far so good, the imposing Sith was more focused on the other two Padawans than he was on Warren playing catch. That was alright for now, it meant Warren could work uninterrupted.

The Selonian slammed his shoulder into the controls as he approached, turning them on with a mechanical buzz and whir. He needed to get them running before he could turn it against the Sith. The sound of the machine coming to life was enough to stop the Dowutin in his tracks and shift his focus to Warren and the controls. That was good enough, he was far enough away from Daxin and Del that the plan should go off without a hitch. The Padawan was far too innocent to know that never happens.

The machine did come to life, and the supports moved slightly, a ripple shifting the platform above as Warren struggled to complete his task. He gripped the ion earring in his paw a bit tighter now, waiting for the right time to let it go. The Sith had started to piece together what was going on, and it was apparent to the Selonian that he was about to use the platform himself. Warren had already thrown himself away from the controls by then, scrambling across the platform just before he triggered the ion charge. The towering mass of Dark Side energy stretched his arm out, trying to crash the platform onto where Warren had been.

The Dowutin's vision would be temporarily blinded by the explosion of ion energy that sparked from the control panel, the lights of every button on the board lighting up all at once while the crane moved erratically. While the Sith struggled to regain his sight, the platform started to sway more, the supports for it whining as they did. This was not what the Padawan had planned, and it was quickly going south. He needed to think.

Before he had a chance to even formulate a plan the first support snapped, dangling the platform dangerously above Daxin and Del, and before long the second support snapped, a yelp leaving Warren as it did. He shot his paw out with the Force, trying to help balance it or at least aim it away from the others. He felt the strain immediately, as the Sith was also trying to control the platform, likely wanting to use it to smash the Jedi.

The Padawan was obviously no match for the Sith, and even if the other two were helping, it wasn't much of a battle. The weight of the platform shifted violently between them while the Dowutin forced harder and harder against their grip through the Force. That was until the Temple's interior defenses activated somewhere deeper within the structure.


Even if Warren couldn't see the sigils themselves, he felt the Light that emanated from within ripple through the Force around them. The crushing pressure of the Dark Side weakened just enough for the balance to finally shift. Combined with the sudden surge of Light flooding through the Temple thanks to Corazona von Ascania 's activation of the runes, the Padawans were finally able to wrench the platform away from the Sith's control and send it crashing down toward him.


With the ion blast still disrupting his senses, the Sith was unable to stop the collapsing structure before it slammed into the landing pad in a deafening crash, throwing sparks, smoke, and dust in every direction.

"We need to leave while we can, the evacuation zone is ne-" The Padawan's words were cut off by the sound of a lightsaber and the smell of molten metal. The Sith was cutting his way out from the platform that covered his massive body.

"Run!" Warren motioned for Del and Daxin to go with him. He needed to make sure the evacuation zone was at least reached, it was his duty to save anyone he could.

Tag: Daxin Veyr Del Mirah
Location: Jedi Temple
Objective: RUN!

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Friends! None
Not Friends? Kasir Dorran
Objective: Keep Sekrits Safe from Black Harvests
Equipment of Note: Mobile Workshop, Lightsaber (Blue) with Lens Modulator, Bubblegum Popper Gloves

​

"Huh? Done with what?" Cali called out, her pink puff of hair sprouting into view. Bright eyes blinked as she peered down the row at him. "What do ya got there?" That wasn't chocolate, right? 'Cause, like, Sith didn't like chocolate. Well, they liked dark chocolate. Sometimes. She liked dark chocolate too. And milk chocolate. And every other kind of chocolate. But it was a little unexpected seeing a Sith stop fighting for a snack.

"And, uh, I don't know if ya've noticed, but I'm a Zeltron. There are, like, lots of people that look at me and think I'd be a fun time. To you that might not sound like much, but cuteys like me actually enjoy making people around us feel good. They feel good, we feel good. Kind of the opposite of the Sith shtick, I think, where where other people feel bad, ya feel bad, which is actually empowering... somehow. I don't really understand, but I don't think yer the type to be interested in having me let loose with the pheromones."

That's how people totally got the wrong impression of Zeltrons. They went to Zeltros looking for a good time and started getting frisky, and so what was a Zeltron to do? They didn't mind hedonism. The guest didn't mind hedonism. So hedonistic acts happened. If everyone stopped being so frisky then there'd be less frisky business going on! Still lots of parties and entertainment venues though. Those would never stop.

So, naturally, someone like Cali had to restrain the impulse to respond to peoples' emotions out in the galaxy. It wasn't easy. Well, it was when Sith were involved because so much negative energy was just... no, Cali wasn't in The Mood for all that. Killing and destroying wasn't her deal.

 

[Kasir Dorran]

Cali Ziiva
​

Elongated shadows around him formed as the threads of death weaved tighter across the Force, a dark tapestry that stretched into every corner of the galaxy these days. Storms tolling the eternal knell. Loss and violence was nothing new; perhaps, he’d grown accustomed, or numbed, to its presence. While the idea of retreat never crossed his mind, there was no desire yet to advance down the aisle toward her. Just an undead sentinel amid gathering dusk. Even so, his cold gaze flicked down that space, landing on the pink puff of hair.

Ignoring her first question, pale fingers peeled back the wrapper to expose just a sliver more from its prison. A small bite followed. He could’ve devoured it in one swallow, then launched back into the fray, but found himself savoring it instead. Maybe it was even a small act of defiance against the hunger of sweet crimson sustenance commanded. The second question was ignored too.

Cold air leaked from his lungs. “You reveal too much. Though, I suppose that won’t matter after today.” The tone carried no regret, only a promise and threat intertwined. Naturally, he always kept his word; she wouldn’t be the first Jedi to fall at his hand, and assuredly not the last.

“I noticed.” The view on hedonism was lower than most in his own personal hierarchy; many grasped for that bliss that was just sand slipping through fingers. To him, it was refuge for the aimless, a cup that many tried to fill but would never find full; it was often more common among those who walked the Light’s path.

His experience with the pull of pheromones was limited. He imagined some hapless traveler stumbling into a diner on Zeltros, then suddenly caught leaving with a spouse. Dangerous in its own way.

“I was forged to feel nothing, unless I choose to. And even then..” The Sangnir’s voice trailed off, lacking proper terms to describe the complexity. Many emotions were not his to process like most sentient beings; they were tools, and illusions from another life. “Your chemicals wouldn’t register for me the way you believe. I process stimuli differently.”

A free hand lifted, fingers loosening in a gesture meant for something unseen. “What soothes you is suffocating for another.” To Kasir, the Pink One existed only as a heartbeat wandering through a mausoleum. “You drown yourself in feeling. That only clouds judgement. So why bind yourself to something that will only drag you under?"

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Friends! None
Not Friends? Kasir Dorran
Objective: Keep Sekrit Chocolate Safe
Equipment of Note: Mobile Workshop, Lightsaber (Blue) with Lens Modulator, Bubblegum Popper Gloves

​

"Is that... chocolate?" Cali blindly scrounged up what was around her and shoved it in the bag at her side. "If stimuli isn't such a big deal to ya, Bob, then why are ya enjoying my chocolate? Ya know, I threatened to slap a Sith Lord for my Xobos, but I'll totes take on a Sith Knight for some chocolate."

Cali got back on her feet and stepped out into the open with a surprisingly clear-eyed set look to her expression. One might even call it seriousness.

"If ya got any more of that chocolate, Bob, I'm gonna have to ask you relinquish it into my custody. Because no matter what ya say, chocolate'll never drag me under. It tastes too good to be wrong!" If Kas was suddenly hoping to have a serious, philosophical debate then the man was going to need to toss the chocolate over first. Otherwise, Cali was getting ready to emancipate the deliciousness from the clutches of evil.

What about the people? Look, a city was big. Like, really big. A chocolate bar was small. Usually too small. One Cutey could only do so much, and saving a chocolate bar was infinitely easier than saving a city by herself. Oh, also, chocolate was totes her thing. Like, she would walk a thousand miles for good chocolate thing. Construct a wormhole to another galaxy because they'd sent word of a brand new kind of chocolate thing. Kas might not know just what he was getting himself into with the Pink One's eyes on him... well, on the chocolate in his hand, really.

 

[Novac Lyrikal]

Corazona von Ascania Darth Strosius

novac felt the light side of the force wash over him as the runes light up, it was pretty but sadly novac didnt have time to appreciate them.

the sith talked about them 'forgetting how the galaxy works'. novac was born and raised on butler's cove, a world kept secret to protect the ssither as they regained their population numbers. "spent to long in the core worlds? please i was raised on a world you didnt even know exists. since then i've explored backwater worlds full of junkyards and old battlefields, i dont know everything but i know enough about how the galaxy works."

as the sith came down and swung his sword novac barley moved out of the way by lifting himself up and back on his tail in a S shape. he always thought he was lucky his master used force speed during their sparring, improving novac's reaction time. novac quickly took the chance to try and stab at the siths where the neck met the shoulder from above.

 

[Kasir Dorran]

Cali Ziiva
​

For a long moment, Kasir didn’t move, nor did he blink; he just let the silence stretch in this.. aisle standoff. Looking down, the bar was examined as if it were some holocron under intense examination. Why did chocolate matter so much to her? Her threats, the bravado, insistence on calling him Bob.. all of it began to collide. Mayhaps it would’ve amused someone capable of amusement; he was not one of them. The Darkseeker wasn’t even sure why he was entertaining it. Synthetic sweetness should’ve been meaningless under crueler calculations.

Clearly, this deliciousness being taken from 'evil' clutches was more noble than rescuing a pitiful city.

Threads of the Force continued whispering against the back of his skulk. Lips barely parted; there was no rush to explain. “No.” ‘Twas all the pale Sith could muster in that moment. Apparently, the fate of life and death now danced on the edge of that small parcel; never would Kasir have guessed the flavor of candy and some illogical sense of defiance to be what survival was written on.

Fingers that cradled the dark rectangle slowly closed. “Are you really gonna die over some chocolate?”

Never was he one to raise his voice, especially when his undead observation alone had been known to erode defenses. The slight pull dared to form at one corner of his mouth. Though, it betrayed no more feeling than the ceremonial dagger sheathed beneath the robes.

“Do you think it’ll taste better if it is won? I've watched Jedi die for honor, for the Force itself.. but never for sugar.'" The first thing he’d been genuinely curious about in some time, because in truth, he too was willing to bleed for it. “I believe all of it belongs to me now. So go on.. surrender it.”

The final shard of the bar disappeared. The chew was slower this time. Once finished, the wrapper fell from his grasp. One finger that was streaked with melted chocolate rose, and lips closed over it with the coldest smile.

“Choose your hill carefully.”

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Friends! None
Not Friends? Kasir Dorran
Objective: Keep Sekrits and Chocolate Safe
Equipment of Note: Mobile Workshop, Lightsaber (Blue) with Lens Modulator, Bubblegum Popper Gloves

​

No? No what? No, he didn't have chocolate? No, he wouldn't surrender it? No, he wouldn't remain enslaved to anger and violence and refuse all the pleasant things life had to offer, like walks on the beach, or little umbrellas in fruity drinks?

"No." Well, it had been good enough for Tall, Dark, and Hostile, so it was good enough for her! Okay, no it wasn't. "I'm not dying. I got places to be. But look what ya did," she pointed at the ground, "all that delicious stuff is going to waste because ya wanted to blow up a perfectly nice shop. But we can save it! Before any water starts leaking or critters start nibbling!"

Then her eyelashes fluttered. "What? No, of course not. How could it taste better because of how I acquired it? And sugar? Bob, have ya ever had eight-five percent chocolate? Ninety-two percent? One hundred? Ya know, the really strong and dark type? The sort that makes ya fall and roll around because of how strong it is, but ya want more anyway. Totally not about sugar. I could get sugar from anywhere, Bob." Her craze was for chocolate. Not sugar. Certainly not palm oil or whatever cost-saving ew-oil was used. It was all about that cocoa.

"Huh?" Cali blinked again. "Surrender? Bob, I don't think ya quite have a feel for the moment. I cannot, in good conscience, leave the deliciousness behind for someone like you to senselessly destroy." The saber was drawn from her faux blaster holder. "Leave now, and we can all good home happy." Okay, Sith probably wouldn't be happy, but that was 'happy' for them right? Being upset? They were totally opposite like that.

Suddenly her hair flopped to the side. "Oooor we could maybe share the chocolate." Her eyes widened at the idea as the unignited saber was casually pointed in his direct like one might absently wave about a pen. "Ya know, eat a few bars, not fight or chase people. That'd be kind neat too."

 

[Kasir Dorran]

Cali Ziiva
Objective: Strike me down and the chocolate becomes yours
​

Endurance through trial was the essence of the Sith, but only silence pressed in as the Pink One's mind began to spiral. Accusations hovered like a feather's weight; too light to wound him. Rather than lament fallen allies, mourning clung to.. sweetness alone. Then again, the fate of other Sith in New Cov wasn't exactly his concern.

Winter sharp quiet settled, the kind that made even the dust hesitate. Such was the silence that foretold grim battles fate would possibly unleash soon. "No," the Sangnir replied once more in return to her 'no'. "Your assumption is flawed. This place was broken when I arrived. Whatever you think I 'blew up' was already beyond saving."

The bristle of instinct answered the lightsaber wobbling in his direction. Another slow blink followed. He refused to glance at the scattered wreckage between them; Kasir's gaze stayed locked on her.

"You seem convinced you won't die today," added with a shake of his head. "Then you'd better stop pointing that thing at me." New motives to tear into hear were multiplying quickly anyway.

Then she pressed on with percentages; it sounded less like flavors and more like.. medical conditions. Not a spark of humor touched what escaped him next. "You speak of chocolate as though it grows stronger with each.. fraction removed." Words were void of spite. Whatever the phenomena was.. it defied categorization. "Nothing gains power by losing part of itself." Debate over chocolate held no interest, though a lesson from one wrought in the Dark must be delivered nonetheless. Didn't their Order teach detachment?

"Your devotion to sugar borders on ritual, does it not?" murmured thoughtfully. "But your explanation clarifies nothing for me."

The offer to share only registered as another word for trap. Just a means of lowering the defenses so that her blue saber could slip in. A slow blink followed. "There will be no friendly exchanges. I would never fall for that."

Redistribution of weight was gathered first, followed by a handful of paces that narrowed the gap. His tongue brushed against a wickedly sharp canine. "Surrender all of the bars in your bag. Every last one." An unspoken thought also broke free. "And the ones you think I do not know about." They could've been stashed anywhere earlier.

A hand drifted upward to catch the fall of raven black strands and push them behind his ear. "Only then might I consider sparing you.. so choose your priorities wisely. Because I assure you there are some lines I will not hesitate to cross. And you, Pink One, would do well to consider where you stand when that moment arrives."

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Friends! None
Not Friends? Kasir Dorran
Objective: Protecc Chocolate
Equipment of Note: Mobile Workshop, Lightsaber (Blue) with Lens Modulator, Bubblegum Popper Gloves

​

"Huh?" Cali blinked. "I told ya, Bob, it's not about the sugar. And the percentage is an increase in cocoa, not a removal of cocoa. Sugar has no taste. I mean, yeah, everyone likes it, but the majority aren't walking around sucking on sugar cubes, ya know? Flavored sugar cubes, sure, but not sugar alone. Sugar takes the bitterness or, uh, dryness away -- gives you something more than the overwhelming to hold on to. But it isn't the main ingredient of chocolate." Did that clarify enough for him? It should.

Well, unless he was asking her for a tour of a chocolate factory. That'd been one of her and Xobos' earlier dates in fact. Not that Cali was planning on dating Kasir. The man was handsome, but he was no Xobos. Even as a Dark Sider Xobos had a sweetness to her that the Zeltron never lost sight of.

"Ya'd never fall for friendly exchanges?" Yep. Figured. "Not everything's a conspiracy, ya know? Sometimes sharing chocolate is just sharing chocolate. I mean, next yer gonna accuse me of trying to seduce ya with pheromones despite having said ya'd totes never succumb to that so why would ya be worried in the first place?"

The Zeltron before him met his eyes as he moved forward. She met his danger, hungry, sinister gaze with her own large, bright eyes.

"Ya already crossed that line, Bob. Remember? Earlier. I'm the one offering to sit down and snack on chocolate. Yer the one supporting the people engaged in an assault on an entire planet. I'm the one with a line to cross, and I really, really don't want to, but if ya try to take my chocolate, Bob... I'mma warn ya now, I know how to defend myself." Cali's voice didn't turn deep or dark though it did have a little less cheer as she watched the man's movements. "Ya ain't the first Sith or Dark Sider I've faced. Though I wish ya'll would join me for a drink instead of getting with the stabby stabby."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

There existed nothing else in the universe but His blade. Even He was just a shadow, a wraith from which the meter and a half long beam of sunfire emerged. All of His hate was channeled through His blade, anger and fear the kindling for the explosive power that animated His every action. Yet, despite the turbulent emotions being funneled through Him, the Dark Lord's face never once changed or shifted in expression. All of His concentration was centered on the fight, the exhilaration of combat a silent but ever-present sensation.

Where Lily conserved her energy in the face of His overwhelming aggression, He only intensified His ruthless attacks. He drew not just from His own wellsprings of energy, but drew upon the chaos and suffering that pervaded the temple as the battle grew more desperate and vicious. He was a maelstrom of the Dark Side, an event horizon in the Force. Hate gave Him power, not just His own, but the hate and fear that every being felt towards Him in all the galaxy. All of it channeled through Him, feeding His unfettered mastery over the Dark Side.

He jumped, somersaulting over the Jedi Knight as His blade flashed out towards her head. He landed on His feet, the stone cracking beneath the pressure. With a subtle gesture, the land around Himself and the Jedi was wrenched upwards with explosive force. Rocks and shards of trees and dirt flew towards Lily Decoria from every angle. Carnifex struck during this moment, thrusting His blade towards Lily's body as He swiftly closed the gap in only a few short steps.

Lily Decoria ​

 

[Kasir Dorran]

Cali Ziiva
​

The Zeltron hit him with a torrent of alien words that crashed against the fortress of his mind. Logic warped and twisted in the depths of that void. Unblinking fathomless orbs betrayed disturbance beneath a mask that could've been carved of marble. To Kasir, chocolate was just a simple concept: something sweet. Perhaps even a soft lie murmured for comfort. But there he stood, being lectured by some pink professor.

Brows twitched. “What you’re trying to tell me is, more cocoa makes it stronger, but sugar has no taste, yet it changes the taste, and this.. bitterness, is something people seek out on purpose?” Before he could stop himself, another thought drifted up. ”And people willingly pay for this poison?”

Another surprise might've been that he even considered her words; indeed a more curious anomaly for one who prized control above all else. Strange, almost, these tendrils of warmth she exuded, like a serpent around the spine, tempting to unravel him. A labyrinth he had no wish to enter, for his creed was uncompromising; desire was command, obedience natural as breathing. Pure dominion. Others became thralls to his intent, bound by forces that required no ceremonial blade.

“Sentiments have no place in my dealings," fell words sharper than obsidian glass. “If you offer your chocolate freely, it means you want something from me. But generosity? Nothing but a fool's weakness."

A subsequent step drew him forth, simply a means of testing the sorceresses nerves. “I'll ask you one more time. Give me the bars,” gaze lifting to the wild pink tangle above bright eyes. “And don’t you dare insult me further by pretending you didn’t stash more in that unruly mane of yours."

Another shadow darkened the pale assassin’s countenance while searching for the familiar line of one’s jugular vein. “Maybe you’re right,” breathed like nightfall. “A drink might just be the cure this cursed night demands.”

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Friends! None
Not Friends? Kasir Dorran
Objective: Keep Chocolate Safe
Equipment of Note: Mobile Workshop, Lightsaber (Blue) with Lens Modulator, Bubblegum Popper Gloves

​

Blink. "Poison? Chocolate's no poison. Poison kills! I mean, yeah, sure, chocolate can kill if you eat way too much of it, but that's like going out of yer way to harvest the poison gland of something super lethal and then consuming it kind of way too much. Ya know what I mean? Okay, and if ya eat the sugary chocolates then maybe ya have some health problems, maybe ya could call that poisoning, but ya're really stretching. No one uses chocolate as a poison. No one." Cali paused and stared at Kasir for a moment. "Okay, someone trying to kill a species that's allergic to cocoa, maybe. But that's just not nice and a terrible use of good chocolate."

Kas had found the True Cutey. Previously, her enthusiasm had been refined, honed to a purpose of survival -- and tempered by being completely oblivious to what was happening and why someone was trying to kill her. Now chocolate was the subject of the moment and Kas was actually engaging instead of flailing a sword around. The Pink One had been set free. Words. Endless words.

"Who said ya could have my chocolate?" Cali pointed at the shelves behind him. "There's more chocolate there. Ya can have some of those, I can have some of mine, and we can talk chocolate all night long. No one gets my chocolate. Well, some might, but we're totes not at that level in our relationship." Offer her chocolate... Dark Side had really done a number of Bob's head.

Despite yet another step, Cali continued to just stare at the man. Blink. Suddenly a throaty laugh and a face-splitting grin followed his wild accusation of having stashed chocolate in her hair. "Ya wanna hear about the time I stashed chocolate in the Nether?"

"Uh, Bob? Bob. My eyes are up here, Bob." Bet that was the first time he'd heard someone say that. Actually, no, wait, probably not. Wait, no, why not? He wasn't a vampire or something!

"So, uh, probably some chocolate milk in the cooler," Cali added absently as she turned to move down the crossing aisle she'd popped out from to meet him in talk of cocoa. It led to the wall units where chilled beverages were. Kas might think she was scared and trying to elude him by ducking around a corner, but Cali really was trying to find the chocolate milk for Bob.

Of course, if he tried getting handsy, Kasir would find the Zeltron capable of surprisingly flexible dodges that looked like crouching down, bending over, or tripping to get out of the way. Was it all a show? Was it intentional? Only time would tell.

 

[Darth Nefaron]

JEDI SCUM: Balun Dashiell
DZARA BRO'S: Helix Lirka Ka

Balun did not move to strike.

Unfortunate. But not unexpected.​

Nefaron scoffed at the idea that the lives being lost were of any consequence. Was he so certain that any Sith Lord truly cared for those who served them? They serve because they are lesser and cling to power like leeches. Carnifex, Strosius, even the Witch Queen of Korriban and her wretched husband would never sacrifice themselves for any number of innocents. While the Corpse Lord might have said as much, he instead chose a different route.

“There is no death. There is only the force.”

The logic of the Jedi, defenders of life, while admitting that every death merely saw one rejoin the force, unless of course they had dove deeply into the Dark Side, but why dwell on that? What mattered was that the Jedi Knight and Sith Lord would not be rushed by the battle above; they were in their own little world now.

“Are you truly so blind that you believe the artifact I seek to be of Jedi origin? No, dear boy, this portion of the temple was to contain the Dark Side, as your order did so long ago on Coruscant. The darkness could not be destroyed, so instead it was buried.”

Nefaron reached out with the force, removing the ancient plaque that had adorned the statue he had been so focused on to reveal an ancient mechanism, one that creaked to life with the application of the force. Slowly, the floor beneath their feet began to slide open, the Corpse Lord stepping onto aged metal as a device was revealed, one that took up nearly the entire chamber, though it focused in on the center to reveal a holocron of sorts. But this device was not of Jedi make, but instead it glowed red and radiated the sickening power of the Dark Side. It was only then that the droids that had been concealed within the chamber revealed themselves, leaping from the shadows to both block Balun and protect their master. The four droids made for their weapons, but Nefaron waved them away as they stood idle.

“Across the galaxy, artifacts of great power are hidden away. We could spend millennia hunting for them, or we could rely upon this humble little thing to show us the way-“

Nefaron approached the device, his pale eyes admiring the craftsmanship of the Sith long since passed. In an instant, a current of lightning leaped from his fingers and into the advice, at last activating it after such a long slumber. Soon, the room filled with the projected image of the galaxy, systems long since destroyed and others never discovered, were revealed to the pair of force users, as were several convergence points of the force's power.

“Think of the power we could obtain, the power to end this disastrous war forever and reign over a galaxy that enjoys our peace. The combined powers of the High Republic and Sith Empire would pale before our might.”

While the power to rule the galaxy for a while may not be enough for Balun, Nefaron knew all too well what may be.

“You could finally find peace. Your son is safe, your mind at rest. Stand at my side and leave this place with me, and all can be yours.”

 

[Darth Strosius]

Equipment: Lightsaber - Sword - Dagger - Robes
Tags: Corazona von Ascania / Novac Lyrikal
--------------------------------------------

Staying still after landing was necessary for the handful of moments that He needed to steady His footing but He knew that He couldn't afford to simply stand His ground with two opponents on either side. Both of them moved back to avoid His initial strikes but only one shifted back in to make a return strike, the serpentine Jedi, and that was the one that Darth Strosius moved to meet first. A wise maneuver as it turned out with the rubble at His feet suddenly shooting up towards Him.

His armor and robes might could take the debris well enough without bothering Him too much but that was simply a risk that He didn't wish to take, any possible impairments this early on in the fight could prove disastrous. As such the Sith Lord pulled His lightsaber back and swung His arm wide to knock away as much of the rubble hurling up at Him as He could, using a quick yet heavy step towards the serpentine Jedi to try and carry Himself out of the majority of the assault as He did so.

The blade being swung at His neck was intercepted easily enough with His sword arced up to divert it away from meeting its target, however doing so whilst His other arm was still occupied did leave Him somewhat exposed for a brief moment. A brief moment that He couldn't afford to lose. Violet lightning arced from His armored fingertips, up the length of the sword in His grasp and then sparking out towards the Jedi He was now stepping towards. A simple move to gain some distance and keep momentum in His favor, force the slithering one to move back and the other to move forward.

 

[Kasir Dorran]

Cali Ziiva
​

There was no humor here. Kasir's brain was being pulled in multiple directions at once; not an easy thing for one to achieve against him. Did she talk this much all the time, or was it only when the subject was chocolate? Boots felt heavier now, standing there, caught in a horrific dialogue loop. On the other side, he remained calm, calm as a Sith might be; he didn't even offer an awkward smile, which might've been the best option for this whole ordeal. Each sentence just collided with the next..

"You're guarding your chocolate like treasure. Then you barter with it. You offer it. Then snatch it back, then offer it again. You truly make no sense. I didn't ask for the store's supply. I asked for yours. And don't delude yourself; there is no relationship. Whatever level you're imagining is just fiction."

A sigh left him. A rare thing, dragged from somewhere deep and ancient. When the Pink One mentioned a story about stashing chocolate in the Nether. The Nether, of all places. The very realm he was still debating sending her to for good. Her voice seemed to dance around that word as if it were some playground rather than a graveyard of souls.

His chin lifted barely an inch. "I was not admiring you."

Trailing her like a shadow slinking through a grocery aisle, he beat her to the cooler. "You offer substitutes as if they will fool me." He was Kasir, creature of shadow and blood, with hunger that stretched beyond time. "Did I ask for milk? Did I so much as glance at these frothy abominations squeezed from banthas? No. I did not. Milk won't quench immortal thirst; not now, not ever."

Surely, a joke eked out of ignorance. Maybe it was time to break from this maddening cycle, before one's voice went hoarse from explaining. "Tell me Pink One, how can I make it clearer without repeating myself again and again?"

From the hush of his robes the ceremonial dagger emerged. "You're impossible."

​

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Friends! None
Not Friends? Kasir Dorran
Objective: Keep Chocolate Safe from Nibblers
Equipment of Note: Mobile Workshop, Lightsaber (Blue) with Lens Modulator, Bubblegum Popper Gloves

​

"It is treasure. My treasure. My own. My deliciousness." Cali grinned. Then she flipped her head to the other side. "Only as fictitious as yer name, Bob." At this point, any time she'd ever see his ghastly self again she was going to call him 'Bob.' It was his name to the Pink One before him. Not that it was her fault. Not entirely.

Then they had a little race through the store. One bright eyed and enthused, the other grump and brooding.

Cali drew up short. A little flick of her thumb along the rod she carried accompanied her halt. Substitutes? Fool? Did he ask for milk? Well, obviously not. She'd heard every word he said and he never said milk. But he had been thirsty and was on a chocolate kick so Cali was trying to be nice. And what was that about frothy?

"Yeah, well, even the best chocolate doesn't sate my immortal hunger for more chocolate, but we do what we can, Bob." Like, jeez, chocolate milk wouldn't even slake his thirst a little? Guy must be seriously dehydrated. Might be a medical condition. Should probably see a Doctor.

"Uh, make what clearer? I mean, all ya've said is thirst this and thirst that, and claim I have chocolate in my hair. And all I've claimed is that ya should really stop this invasion and recklessly destroying good chocolate. How am I the bad guy here?" Her eyes dropped to the dagger he pulled out of his robes. "I already knew ya had aggression issues, Bob, that isn't clarifying anything."

What Kasir wouldn't know was that Cali had flipped her glowstick (saber) into non-lethal mode. Even if he did know it'd only make him scoff all the harder. Didn't much matter to the Zeltron Not-Jedi though. She just didn't want to accidentally cut him in half. Safety first! "Come on, put down the dagger and let's talk about it, Bob."

 

[Balun Dashiell]

THEY CAME FROM THE WALL | SO & HR JUNCTION OF ORD VAUG & BASSADRO
LOCATION: New Cov, Site of the Ancient Jedi Temple
INVENTORY: High Republic Jedi Robes | Crossguard Lightsaber | Standard Lightsaber
DIRECT TAGS: Darth Nefaron
ALLIES: The Jedi Order | The High Republic
OPPOSITION: The Sith Order

​

"Don't patronise me, there's natural, end-of-their-cycle loss of life, and then there's sudden, violent murder that entirely disregards the Will of the Force and disrupts the natural order of life. Every life lost to sentient intervention creates a wound in the ether, you know this as well as I," Balun Dashiell retorted, giving a disappointed shake of his head. He did not truly expect the Sith Lord to turn away from his objective, but the Jedi Knight had to at least try to give Nefaron a peaceful way out. Reciting the Jedi Code to him, rather than the final of the Tenets, might have been amusing were this not a life and death situation, the irony that a Sith was trying to convey the mantra of the Jedi, regardless of the intent behind Nefaron's words.

Darth Nefaron was not finished with his speech, however, and when the Sith Lord spoke of the Dark Artifact within the Temple catacombs, the very chamber that they now stood in, Balun remained silent, observed Nefaron and listened intently. If there was something to be learned here, something of the Sith Lord's ambitions that might hint further to his future plans or even reveal more about the individual himself, Balun wanted to ensure he did not miss anything.

The Sith moved back toward the old statue, removing the plaque at the base to trigger a hidden mechanism. How Nefaron had learned of this, Balun couldn't know, but it certainly made him wonder, given that the Temple was of Jedi make. There soon followed a series of clicks from beyond the stone, and before the Jedi Knight understood what Nefaron had done, the floor beneath his feet quaked and began to part at the centre of the room, Balun on one side with Nefaron now in the clear. The Jedi moved to step back, the motion a little disorienting with the pace of the receding floor, yet he stepped to the side of the room and began to circle around towards the Sith, watching, ever studious, Crossguard still in hand and ablaze with Sunfire glow.

It was only when he came closer in proximity to Darth Nefaron once more that he sensed movement from either side, his front foot driving hard against the stone floor to propel him back several paces, dashing to get clear of the guardian droids who had intercepted his path with weapons drawn, Balun's own lightsaber raised instinctively at the ready and anticipating the start of conflict between them.

Nefaron ordered them to halt.

An arc of force lightning expelled from his fingertips, activating the holocron-shaped device, much larger than the authentic repositories of knowledge. It was only now that Balun could confirm what he was looking at as the holographic depiction of their Galaxy illuminated the room in a great sphere of translucent light, showing countless systems and hyperlane routes, many of which Balun didn't recognise. When the Sith Lord spoke of hidden relics, objects of power stored away from the known Galaxy, Balun's eyes narrowed on Nefaron. He spoke of Kellan Dashiell , an attempt to sway the Jedi Knight to his side, yet Balun didn't doubt for a second that Darth Nefaron would only use someone like him, eventually discarding him just as he had disregarded the fighting going on in the levels of the Temple above.

"War is inevitable as long as there are people willing to do harm in order to profit. As long as there are people willing to kill over a difference of perspectives and ideologies. Lasting peace is a pipe dream, but it's a Jedi's responsibility to protect and serve, to lessen the damage others are willing to inflict. To serve, Darth, never to rule." Balun's gaze returned to the two droids standing between himself and the Sith Lord, the Jedi having made a life of understanding, building, and maintaining technologies such as theirs, and having observed their make for known weaknesses when visible.

"Though I can't help but wonder why you're so interested in tempting me of all the possible Jedi out there, you could simply try to take this by Force, yet this is the second time you've tried to sway my allegiance".

Former Mentor: Ala Quin
Jedi Apprentice: Cerys Dyn
Major Faction: The High Republic
Sub-Faction: Jhaessa Prime
Conglomerate: Dashiell Incorporated™
Subsidiary Company: Dashiell Retrofit™​

"Speech"
'Thought'​

 

[Kasir Dorran]

Cali Ziiva
​

A suspended moment stretched as dark eyes hung on her; what was it that unsettled him so? The entire situation was tangled somewhere between disbelief and.. resignation. The Jedi simply didn’t fit any mold he recognized. The Pink One moved through a sphere entirely her own, some place governed by unwritten laws? Well, clearly invisible to everyone else.

A cool, slow breath left him. “No,” came the firm reply. Though, in truth, claiming ownership on something like that wasn't entirely foreign to him. None of that mattered now. “That isn’t your treasure. It’s a strange conviction, really, but not all chocolate belongs to you.” The tilt of the head accompanying Kasir’s words appeared almost incredulous. “And seriously.. stop calling me Bob.”

How had she survived this long? The question wasn't rhetorical anymore. Kasir genuinely wanted to know. Well, that would require further conversation, though the question was certainly floating in the back of his mind somewhere amid violence and whatever else. ‘Twas no secret the galaxy was not kind, nor forgiving. Entire civilizations in history had vanished because someone made a bad decision at the wrong moment. Somehow this Zeltron wandered through life armed with nothing but optimism?

His brow creased, the mask of detachment slipping; maybe it revealed something along the lines of baffled intrigue. "Immortal hunger for chocolate doesn’t even make sense. It’s not a condition. It’s not a curse. It’s not.. anything.”

He gave a small shrug. “But if it’s real.. maybe that’s the thing that finally takes you down.”

The dagger pointed her direction. "Look, I don't want to talk anymore. There's nothing about me you'd understand. I'm done here. Done with this store, this whole mess." His tone hardened with frustration. "You should just go. Leave with your Jedi friends, or whatever's left of them." Certainly fewer than when she arrived, if he were to guess.

He affected a glance toward the periphery where shadows registered outside from one of the windows. The invasion was far from over, and the night's grim work had only just begun. An entire city to break open, all of it waiting for him Strangely, a note of hesitation stirred within him; the impulse to end her life was absent. There were plenty of other foe to carve through. “Go. Before I decide I’m done tolerating you.”

​