Private Troubleshooting Freestar 11

[Del]

Troubleshooting Freestar 11​

Location: Kintan
Notable Equipment: N/A
Tags: Cadere

---​

Kintan. It was a system deep within the Silver Sphere and had, up until the war against the Bryn, been a member planet of Concord. But now, the Nikto had chosen to remain independent. There were doubts on how long it would last but one thing was certain: While it remained unaligned, it was susceptible to being influenced by other parties. Delphine had seen an opportunity in this. To extend Darth Insatious reach and adding a Nikto branch to his powerbase. Through bribes, promises of power, threats and charms, she had done much to secure him the loyalty of one of their more isolationist extremist branches, the Legion of Si'Klaata. But the most difficult task still laid ahead.

The Nikto Jedi Master Blavyg'bias Queesto had been an influential figure on Kintan for decades. Where her loyalties laid was obvious to most and removing her from action would be a massive blow to those who wanted to realign with the Silver Jedi. It ensuing chaos would also allow for the further growth of the Legion of Si'Klaata. This mission, however, was not one which Delphine was deemed ready to take on by herself, however. With veiled reluctance, she had welcomed Cadere to the planet - he was to take charge in the operation against Master Queesto.

She bowed as he stepped off of the shuttle in the Legion's private hangar bay "Welcome to Kintan, my Lord." She looked up as he approached from the landing ramp, eyes meeting his visor. Her eyes carried respect, fear, a bit of envy but also; curiosity. The girl gestured to a two-seated speeder by the mouth of the hangar "I have prepared a speeder for you. It has the coordinates to the Esral'sa'Nikto's Heavenly Temple." She looked to him, unsure if he knew enough of the locals to even begin understanding what she had in mind. With a patient smile, she elaborated further "It is an ancient temple set high in the mountains. It used to be a religious site but after it fell into disrepair, the Jedi - Master Queesto, specifically - restored it. She turned it into a sanctuary and a place for locals and Jedi alike to learn. I hear she is teaching padawan's from the Silver Jedi about ionization today." Looking to him, she chose her words carefully, hoping not to overstep "Should you decide to, we could pay them a visit."

 

[Cadere]

The girl continued to fall deeper into the black hole that was Insatious' influence, going so far as to secure him an entire planet. The Dark Jedi would admit, he admired her tenacity. However, she would call upon him for his aid in her endeavour. Jedi Master Blavyg'bias Queesto needed to be removed from the board in Del's grand game.

Despite this though, Cadere was not here to earn the Sith Lord's favour nor to aid Del, the fallen Knight was here to secure information from the Jedi Master herself, years ago when Cas Tynen studied under her as a Padawan himself, he was aware of an ancient holocron she had recovered from the ancient temple's religious occupants. It was discovered that the holocron's attunment to the Dark side served in the downfall of the unnamed religious group. The power promised within the holocron corrupted them all into betraying one another.

Master Queesto kept the holocron, under strict guard, to serve as a warning of the dangers in the pursuit of power. It worked, for a time, as he feared the consequences of these pursuits when he was a lowly Padawan. It didn't matter now.

As the shuttle pulled into the 'Legion's' hangar bay and docked, Cadere was first to step off onto the docking ramp with two Death Soldiers following closely behind him. Del was there to greet him, bowing toward him and addressing him as 'Lord'. Cadere raised a hand as to stop her "Save the formalities." he instructed, not one to flex his position within Insatious' private chain of command.

Cadere then went on to interrupt Del as she attempted to bring him up to speed on the task at hand "I know where it is, and I know its history." at times whenever Sakadi was unavailble, Tynen would often need to travel to Kintan and study under Master Queesto to mantain his Padawan development. Upon reuniting with the Nikto, he was certain the Jedi Master would recognise him.

Allowing Del to continue, she proposed the idea of heading over immediately.

"Not yet." he countered "Queesto is a powerful Jedi Master, and an intuitive one." Cadere concluded. Both hearing stories and seeing her in action personally, Cadere was well aware that Queesto was not one to be trifled with. "We need a plan."

Not only that but Queesto was there target, the Padawans and other students' deaths were unnecessary. They would need minimal casualties. Cadere paused, standing in place like a statue as he deliberated - going over a plan in his head.

"Del." he turned to face her "Your Legion, they will accompany us on our way to the temple." Cadere commanded as he approached the speeder, signalling the girl to give the order to the extremist group. "I will explain the plan on the way."

Del

 

[Del]

Troubleshooting Freestar 11​

Location: Kintan
Notable Equipment: N/A
Tags: Cadere

---​

Delphine wondered if it was easier to please Insatious than it was to please than it was to please Cadere. Her grandfather had clear expectations and even if he could at times be unclear, she knew that he always had her well-being in mind. Cadere, however - he was unclear by default and her impression was very clearly that he didn't care much for whether she lived or died. She would put his instruction to save the formalities to mind.

Allowing herself to be interrupted, the girl listened to what her peer had to say. Her eyebrows raised as she realised that he knew way more of their target than expected. Still, it wasn't clear to her why he would know of the Nikto Master. While she was a skilled instructor and a seasoned diplomat and governor, she was not a famed warrior. Of course, one could assume that Master Queesto had fought in a number of battles against the Sith before their fall but nothing which had earned her particular prominence to outshine her other skills. Delphine wondered why Cadere knew of the woman and why he spoke of it without disdain. Had they fought in the past, she would have expected at least some trace of it in his speech. A wave of realisation suddenly washed over her as she reached the most reasonable conclusion: This one had not always been Sith. The look of surprise was soon replaced by one of pity - for he was just like her. But for now, Delphine would stay quiet. Her assumption was far from a sure fact and she very much feared the consequences of prying.

She looked at him for a while as he stood in silence. The Original had announced that they needed a plan but he sure didn't seem very collaborative in producing that plan. Eventually, he would call for her. "Yes, my lord?" she suppressed her instinctual answer - it was not what he wanted. Committing to dropping the formalities, she clasped her hands behind her back and approached him idly with a friendly "Yeah?"

His following command entrenched her belief that he had indeed been a Jedi at some point. If his knowledge about Master Queesto stemmed from pre-mission research, he would also know that 'the Legion' was neither organised enough for her to command nor was it actually hers. For now. It was a political movement - one with far greater potential than it had achieved. It would change over time but for now, their resources were limited. Still, she offered him a nod and an encouraged "Sure! I'll see what we can muster." she smiled before spinning on her heels, letting her skirt flow in the wind as she walked.

From a distance, it could be seen how the girl summoned two formally dressed Nikto. Her manners seemed to return to more formal ones too - albeit still friendly in general. The confused and puzzled looks that she received could be seen from a distance. Still, it was clear how both sides seemed to have a good working relation and the two leaders listened attentively as Delphine tried to explain what they needed. Eventually, they would leave and disappear behind a door on the far side of the hangar. Meanwhile, the girl returned to Cadere.

"We should have some people with us soon" she smiled "We might have twenty guys or so. They'll be in the shuttle" Delphine pointed to the vehicle parked in the center of the hangar. Still not knowing his plan, she wasn't sure whether to speak up or not. The friendly demeanour soon gave way to a more fearful one as she looked up to him, obviously choosing her words carefully before speaking "So, uh, it would be good if the Legion wouldn't look like a band of thugs, y'know." Del looked to him to see if she had incurred his wrath or not "We were kind of hoping for them to step in and create order after the demise of Master Queesto."

 

[Cadere]

Stopping in front of the driver's seat of the airspeeder, heeding what the young Sith-in-training had to inform him. Twenty was adequate. Cadere turned his head toward the two Death Soldiers that accompanied him to Kintan, with a tilting motion of his head Cadere implicitly ordered them to accompany the others on the shuttle. As he prepared to seat himself inside the speeder, he felt Del's surface layer of emotions collapse and sensed her true feelings. She was fearful.

"So, uh, it would be good if the Legion wouldn't look like a band of thugs, y'know."

Cadere's crimson visor remained trained on Del's features, continuing to listen as she explained her plans with the Legion following Queesto's defeat. The Dark Jedi paused once she had concluded, slightly averting the gaze of his visor away from Del. He deliberated on her concerns, but truly, he was not concerned with her overall goals - the Kiffar was there to remove a threat to her mission and acquire information for him, nothing more than that. The intricacies of her plan and how she planned to secure the planet was her responsibility.

"So, figure something out." he coldly stated, entering the speeder as he said it.

Queesto's temple was no doubt guarded, and they were going to need as much support as they could in securing it and removing her influence, how Del dealt handled the Legion's public relations following this mission, he didn't care for. Once Del was seated in the passenger seat, he ignited the speeder's engine and zoomed off out of the hangar, moving through Kintan's region of mountains.

Cadere glanced over to his right and studied Del's skirt "Do you not have armor?" following her response, he shifted the conversation topic, revealing his plan to her. "Queesto is fiercely protective of her students." he revealed "She will be at her deadliest if they are under threat. But we can also use this strength as weakness."

Looking to the coordinates, Cadere steered the airspeeder slightly to the left as they began to draw nearer to Queesto's temple. Quickly glancing behind him, the shuttle Del had mentioned were some metres behind them. Returning his gaze forward, Cadere flew upward, avoiding a pointed peak from one of the mountains in the valley. Eyes on the path ahead, he continued to relay his plan.

"The two Death Soldiers that accompanied me will serve as the spear tip of our forces with the others supporting them. They will create a diversion at the temple, incapacitating, but not killing the students. It shouldn't be an issue, the temple is small and Queesto only teaches a handful of inexperienced Padawans at a time. Our forces will overwhelm them." moving on, he continued "You and I will find another way into her temple and finish Queesto while she is preoccupied with rescuing her students."

After concluding with his explanation of his plan, Cadere would park the speeder a short few miles away from the temple - giving himself time to mask his dark presence within the Force. A few minutes later, the transport would dock near them and once everyone was gathered, Cadere revealed the plan to everyone else - specifically ordering everyone to set their weapons to stun and to not kill the students.

"--once the students have been incapicated, round them up." Cadere turned over to bright haired woman beside him "Del will decide what to do with them." Cadere placed his arms behind his back and turned toward the temple's direction.

"Attack."

Del

 

[Elryn Freestar]

Elryn's eyes were softly shut as he calmed his mind, reaching deep within and opening up all of his senses to the Force's radiance that filled this room, and the galaxy. Left arm outstretched, his fingers twitched as he imagined the training droid's internal components, the material of its casing, its circuitry, and how it all fit together to program the droid. Calling upon the Force to aid him, like an extension of himself, he imagined using the ethereal energy to disable the droid, overriding its circuitry. Once the feelings and vision was clear in his mind, he let go, hoping to release a beam of purple, lightening-like energy.

Nothing.

Again.

Elryn opened his eyes, and sighed "I can't get this right, Master Queesto." looking to his fellow Padawans who were practicing individually, they all seemed to have some sort of handle on ionizing. A hint of shame washed over him, shame that he was falling so far behind. It wasn't just ionizing, it felt like he was failing at what it took to be a Jedi.

Master Queesto placed an assuring hand on the boy's shoulder "There is no shame in failure, Elryn. Only in giving up. Failure is what helps us grow." her eyes narrowed, focusing on the defeated Padawan. She could sense the underlying cause of Elryn's defeatist mood. "Your thoughts dwell on Silver Rest?"

"Yes." he answered the events had been plaguing him for some time now - both the event and the domino effect it had on the Silver Jedi. What they lost was a huge blow to him, but now it meant he was forced to be separated from his Master more - as she was off on the front lines in the war against the Maw, as well as helping relocate Jedi to other Jedi temples in Concord space. As a result of this, Elryn's training had to be taken over by a variety of different Knights and Masters - at least for now.

"We will rebuild." Queesto responded, attempting to assure the boy - but deep down she knew they were only words to him. Especially if, in her mind, he shared any traits with his genetic template.

A gasp left Elryn's lips with Queesto's head spinning in the direction of the temple entrance mere milliseconds after. They had both felt something. Due in part to Master Queesto's heightened senses and Elryn's unique connection with his template. The two exchanged a knowing look, but their undertones were entirely different. Where one's demeanour had shifted in order to keep her students protected, the other felt fear and concern, this was unlike any danger he'd had ever felt before.

A Zeltron Padawan came rushing into the classroom, panicked and out of breath "Master Queesto! I-I don't know what-- they just-- the main entrance-- I--" she struggled to find her words before eventually blurting out "They're taking us!"

Without a word, the Nitko ignited her emerald lightsaber and rushed to a random corner in the classroom, before pressing her hand down on a small panel. The wall seemingly opened a secret passageway, spinning on her heel, she addressed the Padawans and Initiates "This pathway will take you to the hangar bay, there are speeders that you can take to the nearest town. Go!"

With that, she disappeared outside of the classroom to combat the intruders and rescue her students. Elryn watched as one of the older Padawans took charge and led the others through the secret passage. His eyes darted between the passage and where Queesto had left. His hands shook as he deliberated, she was on her own and there were others that needed help. But his engagement in combat was severely limited - would he be a liability?

"Elryn, come on!" the de facto leader of the Padawans called out, desperation evident in her tone.

The Kiffar turned to her, offering her a look of sympathy and regret. His eyes lowered to the lightsaber attached to his belt, and without another word, the blue blade ignited and he rushed off behind Master Queesto.

Del

 

[Del]

Troubleshooting Freestar 11​

Location: Kintan
Notable Equipment: N/A
Tags: Cadere

---​

She looked at the Original in silence. The entire reason for his presence on the planet was to help secure it for their Master - and now he was jeopardising that for a reason that was beyond her understanding. Perhaps that was the reason he defeated her so quickly: Cadere understood things that she did not. Delphine did her best to seem sincere as she feigned a smile and enthusiastically said "Sure thing!" Perhaps, being Sith was about feeling like a sales rep. at times.

For a time, she was absently following him, her mind working furiously to figure out how to salvage a situation where the Legion of Si'Klaata would attack a respected Nikto leader and political figure. It was nigh on impossible without months - if not years - of preparation. Especially since Master Queesto didn't have all that many aspects which the public viewed negatively that could be exploited. Cadere's question caught her by surprise. The girl looked up to him, obviously confused. She quickly regained her composure "No." It was the quick answer - the one she blurted out to give herself a little more time. Leaning her head to the side, she eyed him curiously "Sometimes, that's better protection than reinforced durasteel, don't you think?"

As they continued, the Original spoke of their target and with that, he continued reinforcing her theory that he had once been a Jedi. She had spent quite a bit of time growing Insatious' influence on the planet and he had only just arrived. Yet, he spoke about the Nikto Jedi Master as if he knew her. Delphine wondered if he was even trying to keep it a secret from her or if it was public knowledge. Regardless, she had no interest in poking the wampa and so, she simply listened in silence.

And then he ordered that the students should only be incapacitated, not killed. It was an idea that she enjoyed personally too - while oftentimes effective, killing was one of the least elegant ways of reaching a goal and it did lock off information, influence and potential allies. She also knew that her grandfather had an interest in force sensitive individuals. Now, with her theory on Cadere's background and his apparent soft spot for young Jedi, she was even further motivated to keep them alive, if only to appease him and build trust between them. Before she could respond, he let them all know that she would decide the fate of the survivors. Keeping her cards close as for what would happen to them, Delphine nodded "Thanks. I appreciate that you trust me with this."

Right before they arrived, she would start sending a few brief messages to a Legion leader whom she trusted. Delphine he was not sure how to handle the potentially bad publicity while also tending to Cadere's soft spot for the Jedi students along with his unpredictability. And while her next move would not make the situation more predictable, it would set a cascade of events in motion. It was in the ensuing chaos that would undoubtedly follow that she hoped to find an opportunity to salvage the situation. "Activate the explosives, all of them. Also at HQ. Do not get detected." Soon, news feeds would be filled with reports of massive destruction and numerous deaths upon a mysterious massive attack on a number of a political parties - including the Legion of Si'Klaata.

Lead by the Death Troopers, the Legion mob would soon be on its way towards the temple. Cadere's plan was for them to find an alternate entrance and fortunately, there were a few possibilities. "The Garden of Tranquility" she said, assuming that he would know what she spoke of. It was a peaceful area by the backside of the temple. It had no great views as it was mostly surrounded by high rock walls - but it was peaceful nontheless. On the one side, there was a pavilion where Master Queesto often held her lectures, on the other, was a calm fountain.

After travelling for some time, Delphine would drop down onto the pavilion roof. While her presence in the force was masked, it was a veil with many holes. She still had ways to go before being able to hide herself completely. Still, the attack by the other end of the building was an efficient way of distracting their foes and while she was clearly a follower of the dark side, she didn't have quite as much to hide away as Cadere or Insatious. Right underneath, she could see a swarm of Padawans and initiates emerge from a corridor by the fountain and head towards some heavy shrubbery by one of the rock walls. The young athlete looked to Cadere, well aware of his apparent interest on keeping them alive. And so, she hopped down from the pavilion roof, hoping that she could make it look like she came from the other corridor by the pavilion "Hello everyone" she spoke with worried eyes and a friendly voice. Perhaps this was when her lack of armour would serve her well - at least if she could successfully deceive them "I know we haven't met, but you have to listen to me. They're attacking this temple and we need to get you out. There's a shuttle waiting for you over there" she pointed in the direction of the Legion shuttle they arrived on.

 

[Cadere]

Disavowing the girl's appreciation in his 'trust' in her, Cadere simply remained silent before initiating the offensive. Watching as the Death Troopers led the seizure, he looked toward an alternate entrance to the temple. Del mentioned the Garden of Tranquility, using a tone that suggested she was aware he knew of its existence, choosing not to confirm or deny her suspicions, Cadere marched onward in the direction of the garden.

Accompanying Del onto the roof of the pavillion, shortly after he sensed weaker presences in the Force, eventually watching as a group of young Jedi emerge from near the fountain. Exchanging a look with the young Dark side adept, she immediately took initiative. Cadere was not worried about the wellbeing of the Padawans and Initiates as he expected Del to follow orders, not out of respect for him, but for knowing the consequences if she steps out of line. Remaining hidden and out of sight, he continued to mask his presence and simply watched how she handled the situation.

Although difficult to hear what was being said, he witnessed the Padawans heading toward the area they had docked. Channelling the Dark side of the Force into his legs, Cadere launched himself into the air and directed his body with a forward somersault toward Del's direction.

Landing gracefully next to her, he cast her a sidelong glance within his helmet "Well done." the Dark Jedi commended, leading the pair inside the corridor by the fountain.

The temple had undergone heavy interior remodelling since Queesto took ownership over it. From what was initially a barren and abandoned religious site, filled with artifacts, debris and other forms of unoccupancy, Master Queesto had completely shifted it into a functioning Jedi Temple, similar to Silver Rest on Kashyyyk. As Cadere led Del through the halls of the temple, he could not help feel a wave of longing for the past - as memories of Cas Tynen's years as a Jedi flooded through his mind. His emotions radiated that of sadness and regret.

Approaching a turn, the decapitated body of a Death Trooper flew in front of him and dented the stone wall to Cadere's right upon impact. Cadere's head turned to the carcass as the smell of smoke and burning flesh filled his nose. Lifting his left hand, the Kiffar summoned his lightsaber into his hand before swiftly igniting it. Turning the corner, he found the Nikto Jedi Master, panting heavily as she stood among a group of defeated Legionnaires. Judging by her appearance she seemed to have taken minimal damage.

What was next to her caught him by surprise, a child, sharing his face and wielding a blue lightsaber standing at her side - fear reeking from it like a foul odor. This was an interesting development.

Only the hum of lightsabers filled the hallway as the standoff ensued. Breaking the silence, Queesto pointed her emerald blade at Cadere and Del "You dare attack my temple? Threaten my students?"

"I'm here for your holocron." he stated, however, his attention was on the clone. What was a clone doing here? And in the presence of the Jedi no doubt. Regardless, it wouldn't live to see tomorrow.

"You will not lay a finger on it. Leave this place, or suffer the consequences."

Cadere's cold gaze remained pressed on the clone, his right arm stretched outward as he took hold of its throat with the Force. Its feet lifted from the ground, dropping its lightsaber, the clone reached for its throat as it desperately gagged and gargled for the tiniest bit of oxygen. Queesto watched in horror as the clone inched closer to death, forcing her into action. Using Force speed, she rushed toward Cadere and immediately began her assault, forcing the Dark Jedi to break his concentration, and force him on the backfoot- for now.

Del

 

[Del]

Troubleshooting Freestar 11​

Location: Kintan
Notable Equipment: N/A
Tags: Cadere

---​

Maybe they were getting somewhere. It was - probably - the first time that Cadere had given her credit for something. Insatious had taught her about the ill-deeds of the Jedi. His lessons often involved much pain but ultimately, she was glad to have been given the chance to learn of their horrible core nature. In truth, it was hard for her to truly understand why the Original was so fond of them. But then, he has been far from pleasant and straight out cruel towards her - what else could she expect? Delphine bowed her head "Thank you"

As they moved, the ooze of a powerful light sided presence kept growing stronger. Suddenly, the head of a death trooper smashed into a wall. Despite being prepared to soon face a Jedi, the girl was still startled by what she saw. Her grandfather's death troopers had kept her safe for years. They had always protected her and had never tried to fool her. A sense of sorrow filled her as she immediately approached the head. Delphine knelt down and picked it up with both arms while Cadere turned to face their opponents. Looking at it, she could feel her eyes water and a silent sense of outrage brew within her being. And when her ally revealed his true reason for being there, it added fuel to the flames. He was supposed to be there to help grow Insatious' influence on Kintan and take out Queesto - instead, all he seemed to care about was saving Jedi kids and looking for holocrons.

Angered, Delphine's head turned up to the side. If stares could kill, Cadere would be dead. But right as her gaze settled on the back of his head, it was drawn towards the other end of the corridor. A clone? By the Jedi's side no less. Confusion mixed in with her ongoing storm of emotions. Why was this clone here? Had he betrayed their lord? Was he planted there as a spy? It was impossible to tell but the core mission remained the same. Master Queesto had to perish.

The Jedi Master launched herself at the one who was choking her apprentice. While it was clear that Delphine was not on the Jedi side, she had yet to show herself to be more than a non-combatant. Queesto's yellow blade ignited as she came crashing down on Cadere with an over-head attack. Whether blocked or evaded, she quickly followed it up with a high left-to-right slash while advancing aggressively. If the attack was allowed to strike true, there would be another decapacitation. Where one might have expected her to continue pushing the attack, the Nikto's main objective had been achieved and she was far too wise to continue a reckless attack.

Meanwhile, Delphine honed in on the boy. He couldn't be older than a teen and had a slim build. Channeling the force, she hurled the death troopers head at him. While caring, it was quite clear that she was not overly sentimental. If Elryn evaded too early, she would be sure to pivot the head's trajectory. But her main goal was not actually to attack the clone - it was to steal his weapon. Once the head had been thrown, she would extend her other arm and use the force to pull the sabre - if the fight was going to continue, the best course of action was to arm herself while disarming their foe.

If Cadere did not immediately counter attack, the Jedi Master would raise her free hand. Sparks - harmless in nature - with erupt from it and seek their way to the lamps which would all quickly be disabled. What followed was almost complete and utter darkness with two main exceptions - the red and yellow hued lights emitted from the sabres. And then, she deactivated hers, making her nigh on impossible to spot optically "Those who live in darkness are blinded by it"

 

[Cadere]

Moments before Queesto's attack, Cadere could feel sorrow trail to Del. In the split of a second, Cadere turned away from the Nikto and turned to see Del holding the head of the Death Trooper. Perplexed, he questioned how the girl could feel any type of sentimental feeling toward them - they were mindless soldiers, tools to be used, and a stark reminder of the years he spent tormented by Darth Insatious. Following his confession that he was there for the holocron, he could sense Del's rage begin to swell. Good. It meant she would fight better, increasing her chances of survival.

As the Nikto Jedi Master began her attack, Cadere placed both hands on the hilt of his lightsaber before thrusting the crimson blade upward, above head, meeting Queesto's attack. In quick succession, she broke away from their brief blade lock and swung for his neck. Re-adjusting his arms, Cadere slightly lowered his blade and swung it from right-to-left, their lightsabers collided once more. The Dark Jedi altered his footwork, placing his dominant foot fotward, counterattacking with a swift slash toward her waist.

Queesto managed to turn her blade and block Cadere before hopping backward, out of lightsaber range. Cadere rushed toward her, watching as she quickly used her free hand to deactivate all the lights in the hallway. It was pitch black with only the red hue of his lightsaber and the yellow hue of hers serving as illumination. Until it was gone.

"Those who live in darkness are blinded by it."

Unable to pinpoint the location of her voice, Cadere took a few steps forward - relying on his other senses and his connection to the Dark side to serve as his eyes. Queesto was like a beacon of light in comparison to him and Del, even the clone was a dim light when next to the Jedi Master. It wouldn't be too difficult to locate her.

The nearer he got to her, the warmer he began to feel, as opposed to feeling cold whenever he was around the Dark side, he would feel the opposite in the presence of the Light. When the warmth he felt was at its strongest, Cadere quickly and broadly swung his lightsaber in a 180 degree arc upward, narrowly countering Queesto's attempt at a surprise attack.

"It's a good thing that you're a guiding light." Cadere dryly quipped before using his sensations of warmth to pinpoint wherever Queesto was, attacking her with swift and powerful strikes - opening his flurry with a quick jab, slashing upward, and then downward in a diagonal motion.

MINUTES BEFORE...
​

Elryn fell to one knee, clutching at his throat and coughing violently as he desperately gasped for any available oxygen. He was temporarily mesmorised at the speed and ferocity which Master Queesto fought with, while still managing to look elegant and graceful. However, the Padawan's distraction would serve to be his undoing. By the corner of his eye, he caught a red blur speedily incoming in his direction - by the skin of his teeth, Elryn managed narrowly evade it by skipping to his left. The head's trajectory suddenly shifted and banked in his direction, knocking him into a wall.

Grunting as he landed on his behind, Elryn could feel his lightsaber leave his grasp. A gasp escaped him as he threw his arm forward, extending its reach with the Force as he telekinetically gripped its hilt like a vice. The hilt stopped in mid-air, violently shaking between the two Force-wielders. His chestnut eyes darted toward the culprit, there he spotted a red-headed girl he didn't notice in the heat of the duel between Master Queesto and the Sith.

Suddenly, everything went dark - but he couldn't let that distract him, if he was to lose his lightsaber he wouldn't be able to aid Master Queesto or defend himself.

But then an idea came to him.

Elryn released his grip from the hilt and in fact, pushed it toward the red-headed girl with force. Hoping to hit her in the forehead with his hilt. Like Master Queesto, he would use the darkness to his advantage...

Del

 

[Del]

Troubleshooting Freestar 11​

Location: Kintan
Notable Equipment: N/A
Tags: Cadere

---​

Although there was no light, the struggle between the Jedi Padawan and Sith Adept was still raging on. Trying to grapple a person's own lightsabre from them was never an easy task. It belonged to them - in more ways than just that of ownership. They made it, the crystal was bonded to them, they knew it better than any other item. But she had the initiative and years of training. It had to count for something.

"Ow!"

Delphine suddenly let out a pained and surprised noise as the jedi's unignited weapon hit her in the head. Life day had come early. The metallic object had hit her with tremendous force and droplets of blood started to form on her forehead. But the young athlete had been put through way worse by Insatious and the other clones. While the impact of the sabre would topple her, she would also make sure to grab it as she fell. Delphine had learned much from Insatious - one of the things she learned was to think multiple steps ahead. The boy may have got the better of her now - but she was now armed with his weapon, and that tipped the scales more than anything he had done to her so far.

With a smirk forming on her lips, the girl steadily got back up on her feet. She could see how Cadere and Queesto's blades clashed two or three times before the Jedi Master once more extinguished hers. Still, the Original continued his attack. It looked like he swung wildly but she trusted that he had found a way to track her. Delphine, however, did not trust herself to duel against anyone while fumbling in the dark.

Earlier

Queesto's surprise attack had been thwarted. She had seen the masked Sith fumble in the dark, at first confused, and then with purpose. It had brought her concern when she noticed the man move towards her but she needed to have faith. The Jedi Master's yellow blade ignited as she was about to launch her surprise attack but was immediately met with Cadere's own weapon.

His words barely registered as she quickly angled her sabre-arm to defend against another attack. Queesto was forced to take another step back but skillfully brought her blade up to deflect his blade a second time. As the third swing came, a gasp escaped the Nikto - instead of defending herself with her blade, she bounced back to narrowly evade the blade's range. And then, she deactivated her sabre once more. Cadere would continue to attack in her direction, seemingly able to sense her location. But Queesto, with the clairvoyance granted to her by the force, was the one who could 'see' clearly. And thus, she continued to move back, narrowly evading his strikes. Importantly, this allowed her to expend very little effort while the Sith's powerful and aggressive moves were bound to be more consuming.

"Aye. I will be you guiding light" It was clear to hear that her breath was uneven. Queesto was in good physical shape but the fact that her prime was long past could not be denied.

"Focus on my voice. Here, you will find peace - within the walls of our tranquil temple." The woman paused for a brief moment as she had to exert herself to avoid another attack. "See the depth of my being" she wanted to lure him to the light "Here, with tunnels going through the bedrock of Kintan, I will guide you to redemption"

Talking did not make the wise Master into a passive duelist. She was analysing his attacks whilst evading them. She had waited for the right moment. "But first..." she said, waiting til he launched another attack against her. Then, she employed a quick application of force flash. It was an ability that would normally blind someone for a brief period - a period which would likely be extended to someone who's eyes were accustomed to the dark. "...I have to expose you to the light."

Having waited until he launched the attack, Master Queesto would be quick to exploit his extended arms. Moving with tremendous speed, she would try to hold on to his sabre-wielding wrist with one arm while trying to knock him unconscious with the pommel of her sabre with her unignited sabre.

 

[Cadere]

Elryn was completely blinded, his Force sense was still not as attuned as a Padawan his age. With only a broad and rudimentary understanding of the Force, he could feel an overwhelming cold sensation from the Dark siders in the room, and Queesto's beaming warmth that emanated from her. But he didn't have the skill to pinpoint who was who. But he could focus on his connection to his kyber crystal to locate her.

Luckily, the occasional clashes of red and yellow were able to illuminate his path, and through these brief periods, he could faintly see the red-haired girl. Using the lightsaber strikes to navigate his way, Elryn moved around the two combatants and made his way over to the girl, memorising and surmising where he thought she'd be. Stealthily, the clone utilised the harsh sounds of the two lightsabers to mask his footsteps as he charged over toward the girl.

It was a foolhardy and dangerous move. But it was probably the one she'd least expect too.

Launching himself forward, attempting to tackle the girl. Elryn could feel an invisible force hit his back with the force of cruiser, sending him further, harder and faster into the girl than he'd initially meant to. Shielding his face, the Padawan felt himself collide, hard, with something that felt like another body...

MEANWHILE...
​

Master Queesto had managed to defend herself valiantly from his strikes, not expecting an easy fight, he was unsurprised by this. She proceeded to employ the tactic of occasionally shutting her off her lightsaber to throw him off guard, much to his annoyance. Cadere would remain calm though, focusing on his rage and hatred, recollecting on all his awful memories and moments, channelling it into ice cold focus. It was a game of cat and mouse, sensing each other through the Force as they fought, Cadere continued to attack as she evaded.

Her comments as he attacked were ignored, all he could focus on was the Dark side and his determination to survive. To win.

Finally, Cadere jumped slightly off the ground before driving his blade at a slight downward angle in order to impale her abdomen. Then everything went white, he released an uncomfortable grunt and shut his eyes tight beneath his mask, Cadere continued to rely on his senses and his heightened sense for imminent danger. Amidst the blinding white light that refused to leave his sight, the Dark Jedi felt the Jedi Master grapple his left wrist. Enraged at the discomfort of having been temporarily blinded, his focus began to chip and what leaked through was white hot rage.

Cadere's fast-acting precognitive ability warned him of what was to come next, with his free hand the Dark Jedi caught Queesto's wrist before it the butt of her hilt could strike him.

"ENOUGH!" he roared.

As if expelling every negative thought, encounter, experience, memory, and emotion from himself - an exeptional seismic-like wave of telekinetic energy discharged from his body. Its force was akin to a shockwave, knocking anyone close enough to it from their feet, denting and cracking the walls surrounding them, shattering the lights, and destroying any of the ceremonial Jedi decoration in the hall.

Wherever Queesto had landed, Cadere went on to deactivate his lightsaber before bending his right arm outward, reaching for a weakened crack in the wall. He tore a piece of it away like peelable fruit. Then jerking his right arm forward, the Kiffar hurled the broken piece of wall in the direction of what he sensed was Queesto's location. As it made its way toward her, Cadere pounced after it, ready to press on the attack if she were to defend herself.

Del

 

[Del]

Troubleshooting Freestar 11​

Location: Kintan
Notable Equipment: N/A
Tags: Cadere

---​

This was outstandingly annoying. If she could see something, Delphine would be able to assist against the Jedi Master. As it stood now, entering the fray would only end up getting her killed - for she could not defend against someone whom she could not see. Perhaps Cadere would be disappointed in the lack of assistance she provided but rushing in really wouldn't help anyone.

There was a way. Delphine knew the force was a versatile tool. There were always different aspects to it that could be learned and one of them was how to see through it. She had learned much under Insatious - he had given her a broad base understanding and then focused a bit more on some aspects which he considered more important. Force sight was an aspect which she knew of but had not mastered. 'Need is the mother of invention' - her teachers used to say it and it would have to be true now.

The yellow lightsabre had appeared for a few moments and clashed with Cadere's crimson red one. Now, it had been extinguished but the Sith was still attacking, meaning that Queesto had to be working hard at evading. Or possibly that Cadere was just swinging wildly. Regardless, Delphine closed her eyes - she wanted to learn how to use a tool and so, she would put herself in the ideal situation to use that tool. To learn how to use force sight, she truly needed to lack visual clues.

Reaching out through the force, the young athlete listened carefully. In truth, it was a frightening experience - she could be cut down at any moment and if Cadere survived and had noticed her just standing there, the fallout might be severe. The fear she felt would have to fuel the intensity at which she concentrated. Delphine would let her ears hear every little sound - the shallow breaths, the footsteps, the lightsabre cutting through the air, one strike after another. She would feel the small gusts of wind that occurred from the two fighters' swift movements in a still room. And then she would reach further - she manifested the shape of the corridor they were in in her mind and tried to sense where the other presences in the force were.

First, she sensed Cadere - the two of them had a connection from before. On the surface, she felt rage and hatred that even managed to stir her own emotions. It was fortunate that they were on the same side.

Then she sensed the Nikto Jedi - a calming presence, but a fierce one. Like a mother Kath Hound trying to protect her cubs. Not at all as horrible as Insatious had described the Jedi for her. In a way, she wondered what would have happened if it was the Jedi who had captured her instead of her grandfather.

Moving on, she sensed the boy. This time, she had no time to reflect - for his presence was approaching her fast. Breaking concentration, the girl opened her eyes. Instead of seeing the assailant, she only saw pitch black darkness and the crimson sabre in the distance. Delphine knew that she had messed up - the rudimentary level of force sight she had achieved wouldn't just magically turn on if she closed her eyes again. But then, the boy was disarmed. Her thumb moved to the ignition button of his sabre.

Unless she could deter him from attacking, the scenario did not bode well for the clone. He was about to charge someone armed with a lightsabre who - due to the darkness - was incapable of precision. But the powerful blast wave that Cadere produce shifted the scenario in the boy's favour. Both Elryn and Delphine were hit by the blast but Elryn was much closer to its origin. Before they knew it, he would have been flung onto her as they were both pushed back.

It did give her one advantage compared to if he had successfully tackled her. Now, he didn't have any control. Him crashing into her at this moment and with this tremendous force had probably been as much of a surprise to him as it had been to her. They had both been flung back together but it would not be long before they crashed. Delphine was on her back and Elryn on top of her. She quickly noticed that he appeared to be stronger and if he got the time to act, there was no question in her mind that he would be able to keep her down.

This presented her with two alternatives. She could ignite the sabre and impale him where he was. Or she could try to save him.

Using the momentum that still remained as they continued to glide back along the floor, the athlete raised her leg in a kick. The sudden movement was not meant to inflict any damage - since he was already on top of her, there wouldn't be enough room to do so regardless. What it did do was to apply enough force to continue his forward momentum while the friction against the floor was slowing hers down. It was a move designed to get him off of her.

Blavyg'bias Queesto​

Few things ever truly surprised the Jedi Master. The fact that her opponent somehow managed to catch her wrist didn't surprise her either. The Sith had already allowed her to come past his guard and while she had chosen to try to knock him out with the pommel of her sabre, she could just as easily just activate it and cut him down. But then she felt something and hesitated.

A surge of emotions and experiences came flooding from her foe and she could immediately feel something familiar. When the blast wave erupted from him, she knew. The Nikto Jedi Master had trained many padawans over the years. Each of them were different - unique in their own way. The emotional storm had given her a good clue and his application of telekinesis in a repulse-like fashion gave her the final puzzle piece.

Queesto had been thrown back, much like Elryn and Delphine. But she masterfully recovered from his attack mid-air and landed gracefully somewhere between Cadere and the other two. She looked to the figure, dimly visible behind the crimson red sabre with pity in her eyes "Casalius" her tone was not one of confrontation, but compassion. "You have fallen far" Before another word could be uttered, the Jedi Master heard the sound of the wall crumbling by her side. Then, it came flying towards her. Master Queesto made use of her own telekinetic talents to fire a translucent blast towards her foe. The blast wave would bring the wall-segment down in size as chunks and pieces would also fly towards the Sith. A loud, pained grunt could be heard as Queesto was hit by a sizeable wall-segment. Cas' follow-up attack would most likely be thwarted, however, as the blast itself and the many rocky pieces it brought would serve as a powerful counter attack to keep him back.

Her realisation had given her much more information about who she was fighting. It was a massive advantage compared to when she was still unaware. Calmly, Master Queesto raised her free arm with the palm facing downwards. Then, she applied a well-practiced technique of Force Exhaustion. Cas had always been an eager one. He was a doer and that had not changed. But what had once been a force for good had now become aggression. He was an attacker now. It meant that he was reliant on his stamina and while she had passively tried to deplete it previously, she would now try to do so actively. It was the key to defeating him. If successful, Cadere would feel tiredness kick in, both mentally and physically.

"Do you remember what you used to ask? 'How do I protect my friends?' Look at yourself now. Leading the charge against this temple. Attacking children. Fighting me for some relic." The Nikto Jedi increased the pressure of her attack on him. Trying to redeem someone who had fallen so far with a few exchanged words was an endeavour doomed to fail. But she would plant the seeds of redemption now - and continue trying to save him once he had been neutralised and detained. Her words may have been harsh - but the message was one of hope. "Your master, Sakadi, does she know? You must have done some terrible things since we last met, Casalius. And now, you must repent. You have to work, maybe everyday, for the rest of your life, to make things right again. And we are here-..."

Delphine​

After freeing herself from the clone, Delphine quickly tried to recompose herself. She sprung back up to her feet and tried to get a sense of where the Jedi Master was. The woman was talking too much for her own good, it allowed Del to better pinpoint her location. Probably too much for Cadere's good too - for between the Jedi platitudes, Delphine could gather much information about his past. The fact that the Jedi was allowed to speak without interruption concerned her. It meant that her aid might actually be needed.

Running forth quietly, the athlete held the boy's sabre in her left hand while keeping her right hand behind her back to keep her own sabre at the ready. Once close enough to the voice and where she could faintly sense that the Jedi Master was, she ignited the blue sabre and struck. It caused the woman to stop speaking but she appeared to be prepared for the attack. For just as the blue light illuminated Master Queesto's right hip, the yellow sabre ignited and blocked the incoming attack.

It was dangerous beyond belief. Delphine had previously tried to ensure that she wouldn't go in blind but now, she was doing just that. All she could do was to let the yellow blade guide her and guess where her opponent was in relation to that. The girl swung at the Jedi's weapon - if she attacked, at least the Jedi wouldn't be able to attack her. The weapon moved and she assumed that it was to block her sabre from hitting something. It was a good clue as to where the Jedi was. She then swung again, now with a good idea of where the Jedi was. Once more, the yellow blade moved to block her attack. A slight smirk grew on her lips as the Jedi was - inadvertently - revealing her position.

Master Queesto was going to wipe the smirk from the girl's face. Delphine made a third swing towards where she assumed that Queesto was. But this time, the yellow blade didn't move to block it. Instead, it moved to attack. When the boy's blue blade swept through the air, the young athlete realised that the Jedi Master had given her false queues and defended an empty space to create an opportunity to strike true.

Acting more by instinct than anything else, Delphine hopped to the side. The yellow blade would catch up but it gave her a little more time to ignite her own sabre. The yellow beam clashed with a red one, centimetres away from the girl's ankle. Fearfully, she did the only thing that seemed sensible. Resorting to an old move she had used as a dancer, Delphine made a few quick moves with her legs and bounced back, distancing herself from Queesto while moving closer to Cadere.

 

[Cadere]

Cadere
​

His defense had worked, serving to create the distance needed between the two. Cadere pressed on his attack as he heard the fateful word uttered. Queesto referring to him as 'Cassalius' made the Dark Jedi physically twitch under the hue of his crimson lightsaber. His mucles tensed, his jaw clenched and his grip around his lightsaber tightened.

Distracted by his fury, Queesto managed to redirect some of his attack back on him, struck in the shoulder by several small pieces, alerting him to evade the others. The effect that Queesto thought calling him by that name would have on Cadere was wrong, for the only thing he felt was seething rage at the mention of it.

Unaware of what Queesto was doing to him within the shadows, Cadere took a step forward before suddenly feeling an overwhelming sensation of fatigue. Which was... impossible, he was fine before, energised, fuelled by the Dark side's power and now, despite his growing anger, he felt himself grow weaker. The Dark Jedi's head whipped up in her direction - what had she done to him?

As he tried to shake off this feeling, he was forced to listen to what the Jedi Master was spewing at him. Master Queesto's words continued to anger him, rage trailed through his body like a wildfire, helping him fight against the effects of his fatigue but it wasn't enough.

"You... know... nothing." he said breathlessly.


Falling to one knee, the effects worsened but as if on queue - Del had finally entered the fray. Blindsiding the Nikto Jedi and distracting her temporarily, however, it wasn't enough to fully break her concentration. Cadere could feel her touch in the Force waver, he took the opportunity to focus on his rage, recollecting on all his past traumas. The Dark side allowed Cadere to burn through Queesto's hold on him like adrenaline burning through a sedative. Like the Sith Code, Queesto's chains on Cadere were finally broken.

Recovering his strength, Cadere pushed himself onto his feet - ready to continue on. Queesto was a fierce combatant, but she also utilised her strong command of the Force in tangent with her abilities with a lightsaber. In his hubris, Cadere allowed her to get the better of him. Not again. His lightsaber retreated into its hilt, and he charged in her direction before propelling himself from the ground, transitioning into a dive with enough momentum to pass over her head. Feeling himself close enough to her, his lightsaber ignited once more and he swung the crimson blade in the direction of her neck, before translating into an aerial cartwheel to land behind her.

If his attack did not strike true, the Dark Jedi would dive downward and strike at right ankle, transitioning into a roll, moving across her right side back to her front.

Elryn Freestar ​

Elryn's senses were in a state of frenzy, trying to process the sensations he was feeling without sight. An invisible force has struck him, flinging him into a flesh-like surface, and then the next thing he knew, he felt himself fall and land on something that felt like bones. Dazed from everything that had just occurred, he had no time to realise he was on top of the girl before he felt himself kicked off of her. Elryn fell hard on his back, making a resounding grunt. The clone rubbed his eyes as he fought to gather his bearings.

"Cassalius. You have fallen far."

The boy sprung up, eyes widened in shock. Cassalius? Did she mean... Cas? Cas Tynen? His... his... Master Yenna's old Master? But... h-he was supposed to be dead? He was the one behind the attack? Frozen in complete horror, Elryn could only watch as the girl attacked Master Queesto. His slender shoulders rose and fell, he didn't know what to do. He was more of a liability now, Elryn cursed himself out, he should have fled with the other Padawans...

No.

What was he saying? Master Queesto needed his help, it wasn't the time to have an existential crisis. As if it were divine intervention, as a piece of debris landed close by, from what he could hear. Crouching down, Elryn felt around for where the heavy sounding object fell. Once his palm hit touched the object, he knew what he needed to do. The boy was no match for his template, but he could pinpoint the location of the girl carrying his lightsaber.

Elryn's hand hovered over the rock and he began levitating it with the Force, closing his eyes and focusing on his connection to his lightsaber crystal. Once he'd figured out the general area of its location, Elryn's arm thrusted forward and following after it was the piece of debris, hurling in the direction of the girl's legs.

Del

 

[Del]

Troubleshooting Freestar 11​

Location: Kintan
Notable Equipment: N/A
Tags: Cadere

---​

A sudden sense of danger caused the young athlete to look down towards the blackness in the distance. Not hearing any footsteps and relying in her instincts, Delphine assumed that the threat came in the form of a flying object. Turning her upper body, she stretched out an arm towards the blackness, causing the rocky projectile to freeze in place mid-air. Although she may have been in a pond that was far too large for her own good, she was still capable enough to ward against a padawan. Still - this one appeared to possess an unproportionally strong connection to the force, most likely due to his nature as a clone and the original template that he was based on. Not bothering to wrestle complete control over the object, she did the second best thing. Redirection. Angling her arm towards where Queesto was, she allowed the rock to fly on towards the Jedi Master.

"Blavyg'bias Queesto"​

Dealing with the girl had been easy enough but it also revealed a problem. Previously, she had barely registered as a threat, but now, she had stepped in and efficiently relieved the fallen Knight from a predicament. It added another layer of complications to the already tiring battle. Having sustained injuries from Cadere's previous telekinetic attacks, the Nikto felt less mobile than before. It was something which would have to be overcome by relying on the force to whatever degree it was possible.

The fact that Cadere extinguished his lightsabre didn't do much to hide his movements from the Nikto Master. Her perceptive abilities were not reliant on optical sight. Instead, she trusted in the force - and that allowed her to see way more clearly than her eyes would allow her to. With a simple move, she raised her sabre to ward against his aerial attack. Then, she was faced by a problem - for it meant that she wouldn't be able to properly guard against the rock that Elryn and Delphine threw at her.

Queesto reached out through the force and slowed the pace of the rock while also trying to ward against the second attack that the fallen one produced. She failed in both tasks. Overextended, the Jedi Master was hit on the back by the rock while Cadere's swing cut off her foot by the ankle. Her intense focus allowed the Jedi Master to push on for a little bit before being removed from the fight. She immediately fell onto her knees but was nevertheless still not completely out.

Recklessness followed. Aerial attacks were always dangerous as much control was lost upon leaving ground. Rolling was worse. Not only did it make movement patterns very predictable, it also made it hard to defend oneself as the mere action of rolling was limiting in and of itself. With one simple swing, Queesto's yellow blade would more than likely be able to maim and kill the former Jedi. Knowing that her hesitation had spared him before, she wouldn't repeat the same mistake now.

But once more, her attack would be thwarted by Delphine's intervention. As the Jedi Master swung at her fellow Sith, the young Athlete came at a high speed. Producing a somersault of her own, she managed to time it so that she would be right above Cadere when her feet where high and head low. Extending her arms downwards, both the blue and red blade intercepted the yellow one before it could connect with the Original.

No graceful landing would be allowed. The girl had put herself in a vulnerable position and would be punished for it. With her free hand, Queesto produced a telekinetic blast that sent the girl flying. With a pained yelp, the girl could be seen impact one of the rocky corridor walls before both lightsabres were extinguished. Queesto knew that the attack hadn't been fatal - it had probably not even been enough to knock the female opponent out - but it was enough to daze her and at least remove her from the fight temporarily.

Saved, the Nikto Jedi expected her main opponent to follow up quickly. He had been overeager since before he became a Sith and nothing had changed on that department. She raised her blade to block an attack - this time, with noticeably less strength than before. It was clear that her stamina was running out and that her grave injury was wearing her down. It was, in truth, a wonder that she was still in the fight. With her last efforts, she would produce a telekinetic blow to send Cadere in the opposite direction from Elryn and Delphine.

"Padawan, tell Master Sakadi Marathi Sinvala that Cassalius Tynen has fallen." her voice was strained and tired - but still seemed to carry a sense of hope. She had intentionally kept Elryn's name out of her mouth for rather obvious reasons. "You have to run. I will hold them off"

Master Blavyg'bias Queesto finally fell from her knees. Pain was overwhelming her senses and she was no longer capable of continuing the fight in any meaningful capacity. Instead, she extinguished her lightsabre and once more focused on exhausting him. Not with any true hopes of survival - she had no means of escape and if nothing else, it was only a matter of time before the girl came back online. Her fate was sealed and she found peace in that. The intent was to buy time. Time that she could use to save him - or at least to make it easier for someone else to do so.

She had tried to convince him through words. Now, she would try to do it through an experience - a memory. They had done it together so many times in the past. And she would do it one final time with him now. This time under very different circumstances. Regardless, she used her last ounces of energy to centre herself and steadying her voice. The Nikto Jedi Master then started to repeat the Jedi Code - just like they had when he trained under her in the past. In pitch black darkness, he would have to listen to her voice and feel her pure presence in the force.

 

[Cadere]

Cadere
​

Cadere's attack before transitioning into his evasive roll seemed to have struck true, however, he was not fast enough to avoid a counter-attack from the Jedi Master. He cursed at himself for his recklessness, however, he was once again bailed out of a terrible fate by Del. Who's lightsabers he heard meet Queesto's the yellow, blue and red hues illuminated his immediate surroundings as his roll halted. Cadere stopped on one knee, swivelling his body in the direction of Del and Queesto.

He watched as Del was launched into the air by the Nikto's push, Cadere quickly reached out with his right hand and halted her momentum telekinetically. It wasn't enough to stop her from becoming dazed, but it lessened the residual pain she would feel once she regained her bearings. Following that, Cadere rushed toward his former tutor and struck at her lightsaber, knocking it from her hand.

Queesto met her disarming with a telekinetic push in his direction, it was weak in comparison to her previous Force-based attacks on him. The Dark Jedi's feet remained grounded as the weak force of her push slid him back only a few metres. She was beaten. Her foot was gone and she was exhausted, while he was still powered by the Dark side. Weak and pathetic. Confident, Cadere approached her slowly as she told the clone to run and inform Tynen's former Master. The clone wouldn't get far.

Stopping in front of Queesto, he stared down at her and when she looked up at him, searching for any trace of Cas Tynen within him - she was only met by the blankness of his helmet. His crimson blade illuminated her features as she recited the Jedi Code to him, a futile attempt at reaching out to his former alias. Without a hint of hesitiation or remorse, the Dark Jedi lifted his lightsaber and struck down the Jedi Master.

"Peace is a lie..." he retorted to the smoking corpse that lay before him.

Elryn Freestar​

Elryn gasped as he watched the rock he threw at the girl suddenly hit Master Queesto through the yellow lightsaber displaying her position. His eyes squeezed shut and his head averted from the sight of the Dark Jedi severing her foot from her leg. Once again, he was frozen by his hesistance on how to proceed next. Tears streamed down his face as he was forced to hear the Jedi Master being beaten down while he stood there unable to help.

She called out to him, her tired voice managed to temporarily hold his attention. She told him to flee and find Master Sakadi Marathi Sinvala - did she not know about her former apprentice's fall either? He hated running, but he was no use to her now and, maybe, if Sakadi didn't already know this information it could somehow help.

Spinning on his heel, Elryn ran - heading toward the light that shined in the other parts of the temple. The clone's tears fell off his cheeks as he sprinted toward an exit, any exit. Before the original would find him.

Cadere
​

As two Force-sensitive beings, one being born of the other, the two had a unique bond unlike anything else. It was something he learned from his other clones, much to his dismay, and as their progenitor and having spent much time surrounded by them, Cadere has learned how to capitalise on it. Probing the boy's mind, despite not being near enough to him, Cadere managed to predict where it was headed and he wasn't far.

Leaving Del, Cadere made his way over to the clone - ready to kill it once he had caught up. The lightsaber remained ignited as the Dark Jedi marched with purpose, like a battery, Cadere was overcharged by the Dark side of the Force, ready to explode any minute, pulsating with its power. Revelling in his kill of the Jedi Master, he itched for more, itched to atomise his inferior copy.

With a twirl of his lightsaber, the Dark Jedi rounded a corner exited the temple through the way he and Del entered. As he entered the open area of the temple's courtyard, he saw it, running off into the distance. Throwing his right arm out, he took hold of the clone's body and locked it into place with the power of the Force before levitating it from the ground and summoning it toward him.

Cadere's arm remained held up as he approached the clone, mere inches from its face, he scanned its features. Rage and hatred replaced the blood in his veins, he felt fury as he looked upon the clone's face, his face, as it was a stark reminder of what he had to kill, sacrifice, to kill Darth Insatious. Cadere hated seeing them, the clones' faces represented his lost innocence and the happier memories that came with it. Like the part of Cas Tynen that refused to die within Cadere, it seemed to keep coming back to haunt him through his clones. Especially this one, the overwhelming good he sensed sickened him.

The Dark Jedi's fingers curled into claws, the Force carried out his will, wrapping its bodiless hands around the clones body, crushing it from the inside. If this is what it took to finally snuff out what was left of Cas Tynen within him, so be it.

Del

 

[Del]

Troubleshooting Freestar 11​

Location: Kintan
Notable Equipment: N/A
Tags: Cadere

---​

Dazed. It was as if her senses worked perfectly. Her ears could hear the sounds around her. Her eyes could see Cadere's crimson blade raise to strike at the Jedi Master. She could sense a fearful presence shrinking away, Queesto's serene one and then Cadere filled with anger and rage. Importantly, she could feel how pain seemed to course through her from the back of her head and her back that took the brunt of the hit when she was thrown into the wall. At the same time, it was as if her brain only processed half of it. Organising her thoughts was hard. She tried to get up but quickly fell back down again.

With rapid breaths, the girl felt the pressure to recover increase. If her training under Insatious had taught her anything, it was that being helpless and weak was one of the most dangerous states she could be in. Fear filled her mind. Normally, she would be able to use that to fuel her recovery but this time, her lack of processing power ensured that Queesto's presence couldn't be blocked out. Instead of being able to channel her emotions, Delphine felt how something worked to keep her calm. At peace. It was horrible.

And then, the raised blade struck at its target. The sound of a lightsabre cutting through clothes and flesh could be heard as the Jedi's body fell before him. Residual traces of her serenity quickly slipped away. It helped the girl recover as the one thing that blocked her from doing so was now removed.

Before getting back up to her feet, Delphine collected the two blades she had used and sheathed her own behind her back where it had been hidden before. Once she was back up on her feet, she glanced towards Cadere who was charging away, blade still ignited. Confused, she took a few idle steps towards the Nikto corpse. A stray thought of how they'd deal with the political fallout of this floated by her still semi-absent mind. It was clear that she had troubles organising her thoughts. Still, she followed her instincts and ignited the clone's blade. The blue light revealed her immediate vicinity and notably, the Jedi Master's lightsabre. Carefully bending down, Delphine picked it up before extinguishing Elryn's blade and attaching both weapons to her belt.

With each step that she took, the athlete was feeling better. The effects of the impact against the wall still slowed her down but it was becoming less severe. Shen she finally reached the end of the tunnel where the exit was, she flinched back and shielded her eyes with her arm. Compared to the pitch dark corridor where they had been fighting, the light from outside felt blinding. As soon as she recovered, however, she could see Cadere choking his clone.

Her instincts told her that the boy had to be saved. It wasn't known to her whether he had actively betrayed Insatious or if he had been sent there as an agent. Loyalty to her grandfather meant that he would have to be saved - for he might have valuable information to share. But there was also curiosity - this clone was unlike all the others. This one appeared to be nice. He had attacked her just like them - but it wasn't in the same vicious manner. And if he was similar to how Cadere had been as Cassalius, perhaps she'd be able to learn a thing or two from him. Regardless of what the true core reason for her instinct to save him was, the Athlete sprung to action.

With ever quickening steps, the distance between the girl and the different Caderes closed rapidly. "No, stop" she spoke pleadingly whilst approaching her ally from behind. Once close enough, she made eye contact with the clone. He was probably feeling as terrified as she had been before. Soon, she would be close enough to put a hand on the Original's shoulder. With some footwork, she turned and slipped a shoulder and an arm between them and put a hand to his chest and offered a light but firm push "Stop. This one is coming back with us."

If that had still not been enough to convince Cadere to stop or to break his concentration, she would telekinetically try to push him - just barely enough to make him stagger back a few steps.

Delphine would try to step in right between the two with her back facing Elryn. She looked up to her masked ally. On the surface, she displayed determination and respect. If one dug a little deeper, however, she was reeking with fear, well aware of who was the more powerful of them. "Our Lord might have an interest in him." Where she would normally scan someone for their reactions, his mask made it a difficult task. Instead, she would just have to push on. "The ships are just over there. The other students should be there too. Let's just go, okay?" her tone was a soft one as she was careful not to make it seem as if she was ordering him around. As a last effort, she removed Queesto's lightsabre from her belt and offered it to Cadere "I brought you this. As a trophy"

 

[Cadere]

Cadere felt pure euphoria as he intently watched the clone's life leave its eyes, so much so that he felt himself grinning for the first time in years beneath his helmet. His moment of joy left as fast as it came when he heard Del voice against killing the clone. Not even looking at her, Cadere was so entrenched within the Dark side that he ignored her protests and continued to provide the clone with a slow death. The fear that leaked from it, he felt as if he could taste it, and it was delicious.

Then he felt the girl's hand touch his shoulder, Cadere's body twitched as his visor snapped in her direction and behind it were his scornful eyes. Del continued by slipping in between the two of them and pressing a hand on his chest, continuing to protest. Refusing to back down, Cadere's gaze moved from her and once more locked onto the clone who had now fallen unconscious from lack of oxygen to the brain.

To the Dark Jedi's complete surprise, he felt himself stumble backward. She had touched him with the Force. "You defy me?" he asked with a harsh tone, signifying she would be next if her next choice of words and actions aren't careful.

Cadere looked upon her as she defied him, feigning confidence but he sensed the fear within her. He listened to her reasoning for wanting to keep the clone alive, but his hold on it remained. She... raised a fair point, and beside that, maybe Cadere could gather information of his own from the clone. After a few moments of silence, his arm dropped to his side and his lightsaber extinguished. With his grip on the clone released, its near lifeless body fell to the ground with a harsh thud. If she wanted to save him, someone would need to perform first aid on him. And fast.

Taking a few steps toward the girl, he glanced down at the Queesto's lightsaber she had presented him, a trophy. "It's... acceptable." Cadere stated as he took the hilt from Del's hand and placed it on his belt.

Spinning on his heel, the Dark Jedi made his way back to the temple in order to retrieve the holocron he had initially came for. Cadere took a few steps back before Del would feel as if the wind had been knocked out of her as every bone and organ within her torso area felt as if it were being crushed under the weight of an anvil. Crushing her body from within, Cadere's hand was raised in a claw-like shape

"Touch me again with the Force, I will kill you." he warned her, holding his grip on her for a few moments before eventually releasing. After establishing that fact, Cadere continued onward to the ship - it was up to the Del if she wanted to the clone to remain alive, he did not have long.

Del

 

[Del]

Troubleshooting Freestar 11​

Location: Kintan
Notable Equipment: N/A
Tags: Cadere

---​

As soon as he turned around, Delphine's strong facade faltered. She let out a silent sigh of relief. At times, it could be hard to read Cadere. While his temper could flare up at a moments notice, it was not immediately obvious when that would happen. And with the mask, reading his facial ques was not an option either. It made defying him - which she did - all the more daunting. This time, it appeared to have gone well - perhaps a soft tone and some sort of tribute was the right way to go. Supressing a smile, she started to bow "Thank y-"

The girl stopped mid-sentence as she suddenly felt a crushing pain. Caught completely off guard, she let out a whimper as her legs gave way, causing her to fall to the ground right in front of the clone. "I'm sorry" she pleaded to him to stop. It was clear that Cadere was the stronger force user between the two of them. Still, the longer he continued, the more time she would have to let her fear take hold and fuel her own capacities. With time, she would be able to ease the pain slightly, using her full efforts to withstand the attack in whatever way possible. When he finally let go, she allowed herself to collapse completely with her energy drained after the fight and Cadere's reprimand.

Duty. For some reason, she appeared to be the only Sith who was truly bound by it. For the entirety of their mission together, it had appeared as if Cadere had done everything in his power to ruin their operations without openly defying Insatious. Meanwhile, she had planned it, worked on how to resolve the hiccups and participated. Her sense of duty and loyalty to Insatious was also what motivated her to find the strength to fight the exhaustion and lingering pain to get back up. A subtle but unmistakeable sense of rage surfaced when she briefly looked at Cadere's back as he reentered the temple. She had just been trying to do her job and he had made her suffer for it. While she would not let herself show any open hostility towards him, she would not forget this.

"Are you okay?" she asked, turning to check on the clone. At least this one appeared to be nice - albeit annoying. Considering his weak life signs, the lack of an answer was expected. He was most certainly not okay. "You'll have to work on your constitution" she spoke casually while tapping him on the shoulder and sitting up on her knees to examine his condition. The examination would only take a few brief moments - determining the main issue was easy enough.

Delphine laid the boy on his back "You have to work with me here, okay? I'm not a healer" she said, hoping that he could somehow subconsciously hear her. As she started to do compressions, she tasked the force to fuel her stamina "Find a powerful emotion. Some injustice you're mad about or-" a pause came as she found herself short of breath while doing the compressions. "Or if you've made friends you love." Having reached 30 compressions, Delphine stopped talking and opened his mouth to give him two breaths. She then returned to giving compressions. It was clear that she was tiring but she continued - both talking and giving compressions. "Focus on those emotions and reach out through the force. Let them give you strength. Strength to come back." Regardless of whether he succeeded or not, she would continue digging deep in her force and physical stamina reserves to try to save his life.