Trouble in the Jungle

[H3xle]

LOCATION: Anderahl

Taryc could hear her breath loudly in the confines of her helmet. Her legs burned with lactic acid as she continued to run through the jungle underbrush, her unlit sword in her right hand, and her left hand pumped next to her. She knew there were pursuers, despite the fall of the House of Rahl, the predominant culture on the planet continued with the legacy values of predator and prey. The predators behind her were definitely hunting her, as they should. She had obliterated the leader of their cult less than an hour earlier in what she had thought was an empty ruin. She hadn't known the Sith leader had been supressing his peoples presence in the force. Just the sheer concentration that had to have taken blew her mind, and she knew that if he hadn't been doing that, she may not have won.

Off to her right, a rocky outcropping split off into darkness, a cave opening leading the way down. With a bit of focus, she lit a brand of fire from her left hand, and sent it straight on the path as she dove to her right. She focused on dampening her own presence in the force, hoping the multitude of sith cultists hunting her followed what they believed to be the sword they had seen her smite their leader with. She knew the noise of her breathing was muffled by her helmet, and she had landed inside the cave, so hopefully there would be no sign of her true location just yet.

She heard, through the amplification systems of her helmet, as people passed her position. She held her concentration for a long while after the last of the noises faded away. What had at one point been a solo job of taking out a leader of a sith cult, now seemed to require more power. She knew Elpsis would be mad at her once they were all done, she should have told the Firey prophetess what she was doing, but had thought she could handle it on her own.

She let go of her concentration on reducing her presence in the force and took some time to focus. She knew Elpsis very well, which was the only way this was going to work over even the relatively short intersystem distance between Anderahl and where she assumed Elpsis was on Tygara. She focused, taking time to clear her thoughts except for the message she was sending through the force to her lover. Once the crystal clear message was the only thing in her mind, she pushed it out with all of her strength, homing in on her lover's signature in the force.

'Elpsis, I need help. On Anderahl in Ka'a system. Please.' She sent, pushing her power to it's limit to have it reach her lover.

After that, it was a waiting game. She had an unknown number of indigenous people hunting her between her and her ship in the city of Kaerva. She wasn't anywhere near as familiar with the jungle here as the locals would be, yet the only fear in her was that she had disappointed Elpsis, going into danger without telling her or letting her join.

For the time being, she had to wait. If any found her, she would fight, but until then she kept to the cave and watched.

[member="elpsis elaris"] | [member="maiev"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Taryc Ap'Irae"], [member="Maiev"]


Far away from the wild jungles of Anderahl, Elpsis' room was in a state of considerable disorder. This tended to happen quite often. Various clothes were strewn across the room, often in rather odd places. This included underwear. Likewise, the bed was a bit of a mess.


The young empath was presently occupied. The lovely lips of a possessed witch called Maiev required her full attention. Being a diligent girl, Elpsis was quite focused on her task. There was tongue and all that. The two were basking in the afterglow of activities that asinine regulations forbid this one from elaborating on in detail.


Just as the makeout session intensified and Elpsis' hand moved across the older woman's shapely butt, she felt a sharp jolt surge through her skull. It was comparable to a strong electrical current. The mental shock was powerful enough to pull her away from the aforementioned lips, forcing her to focus on something other than satisfaction of carnal desires. Which also saved this one from trying to come up with more euphemisms.


Oh, dear. This was...awkward. "Taryc is in danger," Elpsis gasped, looking rather alarmed. "She's on Anderahl. I need to go." Where the hell was Anderahl? What the hell are you doing there? Maybe Taryc would actually hear her, or perceive that her lover was both deeply concerned and sort of pissed about her getting herself in danger, no matter how hypocritical that was. Either way, Elpsis managed to disentangle herself. Her clothes ought to be...somewhere. She found a bra by slipping on it and tripping after she got up.

 

[Maiev]

Maiev had already come to enjoy Elpsis' company, that much had become quickly apparent during and after the events on Felucia. Whether it was in bed, or running through a fungal jungle chasing down Sith cultists. Then there was whatever they had gotten up to between then and now, though it always usually ended up with the two wrapped up in another.

Only this time it seemed to have been the focus of the day, a time to just simply relax. Until something had suddenly pulled the empath away from their makeout session.

And for a moment Maiev had been particularly grumpy that things had suddenly been halted, but that was quickly smothered by her concern for the redhead.

"Elpsis, what's wrong?" Though a second later she had her answer, 'Taryc' was apparently in danger. The witch was confused, but whatever happened had clearly distressed the empath.

Kalax on the other hand, had a different reaction having caught a glimpse of the emotion; the connection Elpsis and Taryc had.

<Oh my, well this ought to get interesting....>

The spirit's words were heard, but Maiev's focus was elsewhere, particularly in stopping Elpsis from falling. She had managed to slip from the bed in time to catch the redhead before she completely tripped over.

"Take it easy Elpsis." Probably not the best words to say, but they weren't going to get anywhere if they were rushing about like headless chickens. "Let me help you." And the witch wasn't just referring to getting themselves dressed, as she was still by Elpsis' side when they had departed from her room.

[member="Taryc Ap'Irae"] | [member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[H3xle]

What the hell are you doing there?

As she sat in the cave, the eastern sky beginning to lighten with the dawn, she heard the return call from her lover. Elpsis was far better with the mental powers of the force, and Taryc could feel her familiar firey presence in the message. Within the message, she could feel that she had interrupted something Elpsis had been focusing on, but finer detail eluded her skill level.

'Hunting Sith...' She sent back sheepishly, pushing the message up and off of the world of Anderahl. She was exhausted, black starting to creep into her vision. She tabbed a booster shot from her armors systems. Instantly, the black faded away, and she felt more awake. She'd have to be careful, though. She had few of those stims, and they could get addictive if used too much.

[member="Maiev"] | [member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"], [member="Taryc Ap'Irae"]


Siobhan or Kaida would have reacted with more control and discipline. Elpsis had been bloodied on many battlefields from an early age, but she was still fairly young, and not a professional soldier. Moreover, she was an empath.


A mixture of anxiety, guilt and anger swelled up inside her. Thus it was good that Maiev caught her, both literally and figuratively. She nodded slowly, taking a deep breath to calm herself down a bit. She would do Taryc no good if she was a big ball of nerves.


"Ok. We can do this. Together. I gotta save her. Thank you for wanting to help. I appreciate it," she said feelingly. Impulsively, she planted a kiss on Maiev's cheek. As she dressed herself with more discipline and then proceeded to grab her lightsabre and a bolt pistol, there was another jolt in her skull.


She winced slightly. She knew now what kind of danger her lover was in, and could feel that she was not in good shape. This pissed her off. Mean Sithies would taste her fiery wrath. I'm coming. That was all she sent. If Taryc was hurt and in danger, it was unwise to tax her with intersystem mental communication. "She's fighting Sith. There's more gear on my ship. Let's go."

 

[Maiev]

"You know I'm always willing to help." The witch smiled as Elpsis gave her a kiss on the cheek, then proceeded to get dressed while also helping the empath do so as well. Throwing her one article of clothing or another given how widely spread they had been around prior.

Eventually they were both fully dressed, Maiev taking a moment to secure her pair of blades to her belt. She was never too far away from them, even if she was enjoying the company of someone like Elpsis.

Maiev's eyes narrowed at the mention of Sith, partially becoming a lot more serious at the mention of them, but also her eyes seemed to light up too. Their previous adventure on Felucia had demonstrated the witch had no love for the Sith ways, and any excuse to rid the galaxy of them was good in her books.

The pair was swiftly on their way towards Elpsis' ship, and along the way Maiev couldn't help but cast concerning glances towards the empath. She didn't need the redhead's powers to know the emotions that swirling in her at that moment.

Concern. Anger. Pain. Determination

All the while Kalax was presently coasting along, oddly happy much to Maiev's confusion.

And why are you suddenly so chipper?

<Oh no particular reason, just happy we're getting to take down some more Sith.>

Maiev had a suspicion that wasn't really the case, but right now she wasn't going to argue it given it meant the spirit wasn't grumpy anymore.

[member="Taryc Ap'Irae"] | [member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[H3xle]

Slowly, night became day, and the woods surrounding her cave shifted from ethereally dangerous, to almost fey. Around her, she heard the sounds of diurnal creatures stirring and going about their day. The sounds coupled with coming down off of the stim sent Taryc into a light sleep.

Dreams passed, nothing she could recall except for the barest feelings.

She awoke to a blaze of red light in the forest, as the last rays of the sun hit the trees around her cave. She checked the status of her armor, then did a mental check of herself. Everything was alright, if a bit stiff from sleeping in armor. She stood slowly, and cast around with her thoughts, searching for the hunters or Elpsis. Not knowing how long she had really slept, she held out hope for her lovers arrival.

Reality was quite the opposite. She felt the hunters once again, they weren't extremely close, but they were moving with more purpose and focus, and not running. She paused, thinking of her best course of action. The hunters had a good file of people between her and her ship, and she was still too far out of range to bounce a signal off of it to the authorities, even if the authorities would have done anything, she didn't know. Her cave wouldn't stay hidden, but leaving it would leave a trail, and in armor she wasn't the least bit stealthy.

Instead, Taryc slipped down into a seated position and deepened her breathing. She laid her blade across her lap and focused. The lava crystal in her blade blazed with life, casting a soft red glow around her. The tanray crystal in her breastplate grew warm, and burned a brighter red. The kasha crystal turned the color surrounding her to gold, as she touched it with her mind. Each crystal was attuned to her, helped her focus, but each crystal also had their specific purpose, one that was not what she had in mind.

Centered and focused, she released the crystals in her mind, letting them fall dormant again as she dug into her memories. Before she worked for Firemane, before she had met Elpsis, or Draco. Back to the time when she was a far different woman, back to when she was an Inquisitor of the Three and the One, in the service of the Host Lord of the Primeval.

A part of her mind balked at the thought of using those teachings again, she had become wholly of the light, to the point where she could imbue it into her fire. She didn't know if falling back on her older teachings would taint her.

Breathe in.

She visualized her options. On the one hand, she could reach out to her old teachings, and cast a fear out around her hiding place. If she could keep it subtle, it would push people away from the cave without them noticing at first. The down side was that dark side adepts could home in on it and find her faster. She felt some with sensitivity, but with the strength of their leader, she didn't doubt some were hiding their true power.

On the other hand, she could rely on her fire. Controlling it, she could draw them to her, but force them to come at her only from certain directions. It would also act as a beacon for Elpsis to home in on her. The down side was that she would literally be calling them to her.

'I can't go back to what I was, I can only be what I am today.' She thought to herself, banishing the thoughts of dipping back into the dark side. She picked up her blade and stood, stepping to the entrance of her cave. She focused on the tanray crystal once again, bringing it to life as she formed her idea in her mind. She could clearly see the area around her cave, she was deep in the woodlands, with a river less than a mile to her west. All directly around her was forest.

Taryc drew her sword up before her, igniting the blade with an easy thought. Then she turned the blade to point down, and thrust it into the loamy soil. The blue fires along her sword burst out, encircling her cave at a rough radius of a hundred meters. She set the fires there, lighting them with a focused thought through her tanray crystal. After a few moments, the wood caught, and she focused on drawing the line of fire closer, making the conflagration bigger. She barely felt herself take a knee in front of her planted blade, so intent was her focus on setting a fire that was too wide to cross easily, and too hot to brave otherwise. The only other portion of her mind left outside of the task waited for them to come, and hoped Elpsis wouldn't be too far behind.

[member="elpsis elaris"] | [member="maiev"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"], [member="Taryc Ap'Irae"]


Elpsis' ship happened to be an old tramp freighter. Admittedly it had good shields, guns and significant cargo space, matching the capabilities of a good smuggler ship. However, it still looked like it was held together by spit, everything glue and duct tape.


Siobhan had tried to compel her niece to get a more appropriate ship, especially since she was nominally a Mistress of the Fire Order and thus had to look more respectable. But the redhead had adamently resisted. It was what she had. It would suffice.


While night became day on Anderahl, the freighter shot through the blue tunnel of hyperspace, moving as fast as its engines would allow. Normally Elpsis would have centred herself through meditation, but she simply could not stand still, let alone.


Exercising, disassembling and cleaning guns did not provide her any solace. The same applied to sparring. It was doubtful that Maiev had ever seen the empath this antsy or off-kilter before. Perhaps with the help of the older witch, she managed to calm down a tad.


In between the empath pacing a lot, Maiev probably heard a few things about Taryc. "I met her on Kaeshana. We kicked arse together. She's real cool. Like a paladin," se might have said something like that. "Why the feth did she go off alone? I should slap her." Or kiss her. Or both. Finally, she focused enough to pray to her deity.


"Great White Wolf, blessed mother and guardian, whose voice I hear in the winds, and who gave me the breath of life, hear me.
You, whose fur warms me and whose teeth protect me from evil.
You, from whose loving care I receive nourishment and who endows me with the great gift.
You, who raised me from great distress and made me see the divine feminine.
For I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me see the beauty of your creation and never think myself above it.
Make my hands respect the thing you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Help me seek pure thought and act with the intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelmning me.
Make my wise so that I may understand the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
Make me strong, not to be greater than my sisters, but to fight the evil wrought by the Black Wolf.
So when life fades, as the fading, my spirit may traverse the void and find peace in your eternal forest without shame.
I beg of you, keep Taryc safe. For her soul is noble and she does good."


By the time the autopilot-directed ship dropped out of hyperspace, she was clad in battle armour, carrying a lightsabre, bolt pistol and a bunch of grenades. Taking the controls of the vessel to guide it herself instead of leaving that to the computer, she steered it towards the green orb that was Anderahl. Lacking physical sight to fly the ship in the conventional sense, she let the Force guide her.


As the freighter pierced the planet's atmosphere, she felt a pricking in the Force. Then she perceived a bright conflagration of flame. "That's Taryc. It must be her. I'm taking us down," she called to Maiev. She could only hope that they would not be too late.

 

[Maiev]

Maiev wondered for a while whether Elpsis' ship would be able to end lift off, she had made a brief joke of that when she had first laid eyes on it. Mainly in an attempt to try and ease the empath's concerned mood, but there was also some real concern buried within it too.

Once they had finally departed, Maiev bore witness to a side of Elpsis she had never seen. Of course, she knew the redhead was capable of being concerned and worried, but this was to an entirely didn't level. The empath just seemed off, completely unable to keep a level head.

The witch had tried her best, in between Elpsis trying to do various things to distract herself, Maiev was right there helping her.

But ultimately it still resulted in the empath pacing back and forth a lot of the time. Although, she had gleamed bits of information of this Taryc woman. Which finally made certain things click in Maiev's mind, especially noticing how Elpsis spoke of her.

Well, this is going to be thoroughly awkward.

<Oh, it's going to be thoroughly amusing.>

You're enjoying this too much already, aren't you?

<"So, we just kicked some Sith arse...oh and I'm also sleeping with your girl."> To say the least, Kalax was practically thrilled to have some measure of payback for Maiev and Elpsis' actions on Felucia.

In the end Elpsis was still quite on edge when the ship finally left hyperspace, but she managed to guide the vessel down towards Anderahl and into a landing. Maiev was dressed in a similar outfit to the one on Felucia, with her twin Dathomirian daggers attached to her belt. She was never really one for armor, but maybe the events today would push her in that direction.

"Lead the way," she gave Elpsis a nod as they departed the ship, deferring to the empath knowing she'd be able to find Taryc quicker.

[member="Taryc Ap'Irae"] | [member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[H3xle]

Taryc was focused on the fire, and the circle of earth inside of it's circle. She didn't notice the burning meteor of Elpsis's tramp freighter, nor the beacon within the force that the Mistress of Fire was. Instead, she was stoking her fires hotter and hotter. Already the fires were dancing between blue and white, the trees in path of flames had since crumbled to ash, as the flames evaporated any moisture in the trees, then immolated the wood itself.

The first few hunters to reach the circle made the error of trying to push through it. They believed themselves strong, and so their hubris and charred bones lay as testament to foolhardy action. The rest of the mundane hunters hung back, knowing they couldn't get through. The next were the dark side adepts, who protected themselves from the heat by wrapping themselves in the Force. Whether by Taryc's design or sheer luck, they passed by trees as the sap in them boiled off to vapor, expanding too rapidly for the wood of the tree. The tree then exploded, sending wooden shrapnel through the adepts. As their concentration passed with their life's blood, their bodies burned as well.

Then, a single figure stepped into the fire, his passage cooled the flames around him as he passed, and the other acolytes and hunters gathered closer. As he passed, the flames sprung up, keeping the others outside the circle of flames for now.

Taryc looked up, stood, and pulled her sword from the earth. The flames around the circle dimmed to a bright orange, as she stopped focusing on stoking it and the flames had to subsist on their heat and the fuel of the remaining wood. Her sword limned itself in wicked blue flames, and she took a defensive stance.

"Come now, flaming warrior. We can be civil." The man said with a cruel grin as he swept his arms to the side in a flashy show that he wasn't armed. "You killed my Master and freed me to lead these warriors and hunters. I owe you a debt, and I always pay my debts..."

Taryc would normally have let the banter happen, she enjoyed it most times. However, she was tired, and focused, so she didn't speak. She took a step forward, and thrust with her flaming blade in both hands. The man did not look disappointed, and their dance began.

[member="Maiev"] | [member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"], [member="Taryc Ap'Irae"]


And so they made landfall. Elpsis could see the beautiful bonfire in the distance. Strangely, the sight calmed her down a bit. If Taryc was burning things, she was still alive. Uncertainty she could not deal with. A horde of rabid Sith? That was easy.


"I think she'll like you," she remarked as an aside to Maiev as they hastened out of the ship. A circle of flame had laid waste to a portion of the forest. Fires crackled, while the scent of charred flesh was strong in the air. It was accompanied by the wails of those who were injured or dying.


Under other circumstances, the damage done to the forest would have upset Elpsis a bit. She would have taken the time to mutter a quiet prayer for the dead, beseeching her deity to ease their passage into the realm of the dead and perhaps show clemency. However, things were different now. All she wanted was to smite the motherfrakking Sith and get to Taryc. She would show the resolution that Aunt Siobhan seemed to think she lacked.


Taryc, I'm here. Her ethereal eyes perceived the paladin's fiery presence in the distance, wreathed in a circle of flame. Dimly, Elpsis could hear the sounds of battle, though she could not make out who Taryc was fighting or how she was doing. She would find out soon enough. Various shapes impeded her path. Their auras radiated evil intent. They carried a variety of weapons, ranging from conventional to alchemised and enchanted.


Since they were no longer being stoked by preternatural means, the flames had become less intense, running only on their own heat and the wood they consumed. Abruptly, this changed, just as the acolytes took notice of the intruders' appearance. She was incandescent, an inferno that talked and walked, projecting charring fire in every direction that showed a Sith presence. Heat, light and fire burst forth, an incandescent whiteness of energy meant to swallow the wicked.

 

[Maiev]

Both host and spirit let out impressed whistles when they finally caught sight of the inferno. It was impressive to see, and of course Kalax couldn't help but chime in.

<Naturally, she'd be attracted to another who can set things on fire.>

Maiev smiled slightly at Elpsis' words. Taryc seemed like a pretty cool person from what the empath had spoken of her. Albeit that was while said redhead was also pacing around concerned about her. Nonetheless, the witch figured she was going to learn more about her very soon.

Once they had departed the ship, Maiev immediately wrinkled her nose at the smell. Burnt wood and flesh, one a lot worse than the other. It wasn't a completely unfamiliar scent to her, but the witch hadn't crossed it enough to build an immunity to it.

Their attention was drawn to the sounds of combat, and Elpsis was swiftly on the warpath.

Maiev simply followed, knowing the empath would be making a beeline towards Taryc.

And they were indeed soon upon the Sith. While Elpsis came upon them as an inferno all on her own. Maiev used what shadows still managed to linger amongst the remaining fire.

She lunged towards the back of one of the Sith, her blades slamming into their back.

[member="Taryc Ap'Irae"] | [member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[H3xle]

Taryc struck first, stepping forward towards the Sith. Her flaming blade slid down to her right side, pointing backwards until her shoulders and hips shifted as one. The sword sliced through the air, trailing blue-white flames, and cut an arc through where the man's chest had been. The Sith had stepped back as quickly as Taryc had stepped forward, and his hand slapped the blade past.

He came in, his elbow flashing towards Taryc's face. She ducked her chin to her chest and rolled under his arm, the elbow skipping off the top of her helmet.

It felt like a hammer had slammed into her helmet, and threw her roll off. She quickly gained her feet again, slipping into a defensive position just in time to intercept an incoming kick. She shifted a small distance to the side, slipping her blade in an angle to deflect the kick. She then stepped forward and body checked the man in the same direction.

Surprise flickered onto his face for the first time, but Taryc just assumed a defensive position again, focused on the man and trying to sense the man for how he is hitting so hard. She couldn't get a grasp on anything but the sickly aura of the dark side. He got to his feet slowly, and grinned again. He lunged in, hands open to grasp her blade. She shifted minutely again, and he instead grabbed her wrists.

He continued to grin, and push against her. She gave ground slowly, moving back towards her cave while straining against the man.

Then Taryc saw fire bloom behind the man. She took a moment to loosen her focus, getting driven back a few more steps as she felt the presence of Elpsis, and another woman. In her moment of distraction, the man headbutted her and threw her back, wrenching the sword from her hands.

She landed heavily on her back, and the man eyed the now flameless blade silently for a moment before taking a step forward. He paused bodily when he saw the sharp rises and falls to Taryc's shoulders, then grinned cruelly when he assumed she was crying. He took another step forward.

Then Taryc turned her external speakers on, and ripped the blade from the man's hand with a mental pull. In a blink she was on her feet, and the flaming blad was held in a reverse grip.

"This has been nice, but my rides here." Taryc said, then took a quick stutter step and lunged.

The man took a step back again, and tried to slap the blade out of the way, but this time the blade held true. Taryc took a quick follow step, her left foot coming forward to in front of her lunging foot. The blade dimpled his shirt, and she spun and leapt on her left foot. Her blade drew a flaming circle around her, and cut through the upraised arm like a lightsaber through soft butter. She landed with her right foot first, and her left foot lashed out and around, kicking the man away.

As he rose, she stepped past him, her blade sliding into the back of his head and punching into the dirt beneath him before sliding out smoothly. She sheathed the blade as she walked towards Elpsis and her friend. Her hands stretched out and drew the flames of her inferno to her. Her hands spun around each other slowly, as if Taryc were manipulating poi. The inferno split into two balls of fire, flaring around her body as she approached the Sith, sending individual balls out to slam into people around her who were standing between her and her cavalry.

[member="Maiev"] | [member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Taryc Ap'Irae"], [member="Maiev"]


"Taryc!" A blazing inferno swept over the Sith cultists. Elpsis' goal was singular: To make them all burn. Not just for Taryc, but also for herself. They would all be purged in the cleansing flames and sent straight to the hellish netherworld of the Black Wolf. Perhaps Auntie Siobhan would be proud of her then.


Between herself and Taryc, balls of flame lashed out, striking cultists like flaming boulders. It was beautiful. However, Elpsis was so focused on stoking the flames that she did not notice a cultist who had managed to sneak up on her, taking advantage of the smoke.


At the last possible moment, precognition screamed inside her mind, and she spun, diving for cover. A rock hurtled through the air towards her and slammed into the side of her head. Pain shot through her and she fell into a daze. Luckily, training soon took over and her lightsabre flew into her hand, producing a burning orange blade.


Just in time, for the Sith had emerged from the smoke and pounced. Their lightsabres sizzled loudly as they clashed. Red warred with orange. The Sith kept assaulting the empath, pressing her advantage as she battered the empath's defences.


Elpsis was, all things considered, only an average duellist and needed a bit of time to focus her powers. A fireball leapt from her hand, but the Sith was quick on her feet and dodged. Some of the flames scorched her, but she launched herself at Elpsis again, drawing on her pain.


Feinting a slash towards the empath's wrist, the Sith sliced into her hip joint with a downward slash, then rammed her boot into her face. Stunned Elpsis staggered, spitting droplets of blood, then fell when a hard punch connected with her ribs.


The pain caused anger. As the Sith's lightsabre came sweeping downward, she gave her a good kick and grabbed it with her hand. Shock radiated from the masked Sith when the empath held on to the glowing blade. It hurt horribly, but it did not move an inch.


Waves of heat surged through her body. Then they were directed outward and exploded like a nova. A cry of anguish erupted from her opponent, for the Sith's hand been melted. Dropping her enemy's lightsabre, Elpsis got up. She slammed her mind into that of the Sith, who was still in the throes of agony.


The illusion she conjured up was particularly nasty, for it made her enemy believe that her entire body was being consumed. A burning fireball that took of the shape of a firebird reinforced the illusion. "M-mercy, end it," the Sith begged while she lay on the ground, trying to shield herself from the illusionary and very real horrors that assailed her.

 

[Maiev]

For the most part the Sith were occupied more with the fire being thrown about, than they were with Maiev. Her initial assault had landed true, blades piercing through the back of one man sending them crashing to the ground.

She quickly pulled back as a pair of red lightsabers came down, attempting to decapitate her.

Maiev flipped backwards, narrowly dodging the attack and making some distance between her and the Sith. Although the dual wielder didn't waste time in closing the gap again. The witch summoned the Force to her hands and blasted the Sith back across the clearing.

<Behind you!>

Kalax's warning was just in time, as a stream of lightning tore across towards Maiev. She had just enough time to sheath a blade and bring her right hand up to form a shield. The attack struck the translucent, green barrier. Maiev immediately began chanting, Dathomirian words flying out of her lips as the lightning crackling along the shield - absorbing it.

Eventually the Sith got the idea that his attack wasn't getting anywhere, and he called it off. But it was too little, too late. As Maiev dropped her shield, the power shifted like an ichor around the witch's hand. But before she could counter attack, she felt a leg suddenly slam into her back, sending her flying forwards into the dirt.

Maiev swiftly stood, up spinning from her grounded state and jumping to her feet. A quick survey around revealed she was surrounded, five different Sith had taken spots around her. The witch grinned in response, as they began to close in on her - red lightsabers ignited.

With a blade in one hand, and the other still crackling with power. She attacked. One by one, they all began to fall.

[member="Taryc Ap'Irae"] | [member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[H3xle]

Taryc whipped the balls of fire around once more, then was near Elpsis. Her nostrils flared as she looked upon her lover, but now was not the time for either the pleasures and pains that their reunion would be, there were still Sith about. Taryc drew in the fire from her balls, letting them wreath her armor as she suddenly lunged just past Elpsis's armor. She caught a sithling with a saber in midair, her shoulder to the womans solar plexus. Her legs drove her several steps onward, then slammed the woman into the ground with an audible thunk. The fires that had suffused her armor had faded, but still burned the sithlings midsection. A beskar boot heel ended the sith's life before she could think to bring the saber to bear again.

As Taryc looked around, the sith that still survived were either in the process of being conquered, or running for their lives. The weariness of the past days of chase and force use were getting to her, but she refused to yield to it. She stepped over towards Elpsis, glancing over at the other woman who was both playing in and with the shadows. She wasn't so far exhausted that she didn't notice how capably and readily she had fought to help Elpsis rescue Taryc, and if the young witch could sense emotions, she would only feel gratitude coming off of Taryc in regards to the new woman.

As Taryc reached Elpsis, she glanced around one last time, then doffed her helmet. Lines of exhaustion were visible on her face, dried beds of sweat were visible through the streams of newer perspiration. Nonetheless, Taryc smiled sheepishly at Elpsis.

Through the whole battle, and the chase and wait that preceded it, Taryc hadn't been truly afraid. Now, however, her stomach was doing gymnastics. She sorely did not want to disappoint Elpsis, and she knew that her current predicament was all to likely to do just that.

"Hi honey, thanks for the pickup." She said in a chipped voice, tucking her helmet under one arm and expecting either a kiss, a smack, or both.

[member="Maiev"] | [member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Taryc Ap'Irae"], [member="Maiev"]


The Sith acolyte was burning from the inside out. Her agonised screams were music to Elpsis' ears. The scum deserved to suffer. The Sith begged - not for mercy, but for a quick death that would put an end to her torment.

This was what pulled the young empath back. She was enjoying the Sith's pain. Abruptly, Elpsis recoiled and the torturous illusion dissipated. She took a deep breath as shame flooded her soul. The acolyte lay before her, clutching the stump that was left of her arm after her hand been melted.


"Kill me," her enemy's voice was weak, but defiant in the face of death.

"No," and with that Elpsis knocked her enemy out and put her in a deep sleep. "No, I won't kill you," she said quietly, almost in a whisper.


Auntie Siobhan would have slain the Sith and moved on without giving it any further thought. Defenceless or not, the woman would have been an enemy to her. [member="Tempest"] would have probably done the same. Elpsis could not. Did that make her better than either of those two? No, but it simply was not her way.


The empath bent down, checking the acolyte's pulse. She was still breathing. The pyromancer's will banished the flames. Close to her, Maiev was tearing through the remaining cultists. Then she sensed a new presence approaching her - Taryc.


Abruptly, Elpsis got up. "You...," was all she could say before she gave the older woman a slap. Fortunately, the redhead had retracted her gauntlet earlier. Then she pressed her lips against Taryc's, kissing her heatedly.

 

[H3xle]

Abruptly, Elpsis got up. "You...," was all she could say before she gave the older woman a slap. Fortunately, the redhead had retracted her gauntlet earlier. Then she pressed her lips against Taryc's, kissing her heatedly.

Taryc took the slap in stride, it was what she expected despite her exhaustion. The kiss pushed her back a step.

She dropped her helmet to the ground and wrapped her arms around her lover, holding her close as she returned the fervent affection. The surroundings were forgotten for those blissful moments, as were her aches, pains, and exhaustion.

She took a deep breath in of Elpsis, then slowly released. Their lips were the last thing touching before Taryc stepped back, and brushed the back of her gauntlet across her face, smearing tear tracks with ash, mud, and blood.

"Elpsis...you..." She shook her head and closed her eyes, tilting her head up. "You have to be so disappointed in me...and I can't blame you." She took another deep breath in, then looked her lover in the face. "I'd ask for your forgiveness if I felt I deserved it...I should have told you what I was doing, asked you to come along, and I have no excuses as to why I didn't. I'm sorry, my Sun and Stars."

There was nothing but honesty and contrition in her eyes. Her normal determination could still be seen, but only under a layer of exhaustion and guilt. Grief at hurting someone she loves by just being a blockhead and running off to hunt Sith on her own. As she continued to watch Elpsis, her breathing grew easier, she let tension she'd been holding for days wash away. No matter what happened, this part of it was done, and she would take any berating, punishment, or shaming that Elpsis deemed fair.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"] | [member="Maiev"]​

 

[Maiev]

Maiev ducked as a red blade came sweeping over, trying to take her head off. The Sith attempted a second swing, but the witch slammed her right hand into the man's abdomen. A green pulse flashed, before he was sent flying backwards into a tree.

But the green energy moved like a whip, wrapping around the Sith and immediately pulling him back towards her.

Only this time her blade pierced his chest on the return trip.

She peered over to Taryc, feeling a sense of gratitude from the woman - picked up by Kalax and passed on to the witch herself. Maiev could tell the spirit wanted to say something, but it was interrupted as another saber came soaring towards her chest this time.

Maiev ducked, legs bent in a seemingly awkward angle as she ducked beneath the red blade. And before he could try and plunge down for another attack, Maiev lurched up and slammed her sword into his stomach.

The last of the enemy were running at this point, giving Maiev a breather as she slowly stood up. Only for the sudden sound of a slap echo across the clearing.

<Well, that's certainly not how I expected that to go.>

Almost a moment later, the two began kissing.

<And now it's back right on track...>

Maiev chuckled quietly, watching Elpsis and Tarcy for a bit before she gave the two their peace and wandered over the the only Sith that was still breathing. Using the last of the energy, Maiev chanted under her breath, twisting the remainders into a physical material and used it to tie the woman's legs together.

[member="Taryc Ap'Irae"] | [member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Taryc Ap'Irae"], [member="Maiev"]


Amidst the emotional reunion, fires raged and the ground was littered with corpses. Elpsis ignored all that for a moment, just focusing on Taryc. One of the benefits of being an empath was that most of the times you could tell when someone was lying and when they honestly felt like chit.


It was by no means foolproof, but quite reliable. As a result, Elpsis could tell that Taryc really felt bad. "Yeah...I am mad and disappointed," she admitted, pausing for no reason other than just to let those words sink in. If Elpsis were a bit more like her aunt, there would have been more berating.


"But above all I'm just happy you're ok. Don't do this to me again, you hear me?! You better make it up me." Then she pulled the older woman into a hug. This was slightly awkward because both were wearing armour, but nonetheless.


Finally she released the former Inquisitor. Glancing towards Maiev, she saw that the witch was using her mystical ichor to up the lone Sith. Elpsis had temporarily forgotte about her captive, so it was good that Maiev restrained her. "This is Maiev. She's a very good friend," she spoke. A special friend with perks and benefits? Considering this was Elpsis, it was not rocket science to figure out.