Two for One

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]Ziost[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] a planet that Nikias had sworn to himself that he'd never return to. His first time on the planet everything he had known[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] everything he had been had changed. Nikias had been a fresh[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] wide eyed Jedi knight that thought scouting the planet would be a simple task. That he could fight anything and anyone that rose to face him... Just how wrong he had been[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] upon arriving at an abandoned city reality had come crashing down on Nikias. All the soldiers that he had brought with him slayed by Sorzus Syn's alchemical creations[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and Nikias himself barely surviving them. All a part of an elaborate plan for Syn to acquire a new host and escape the planet... Nikias had been tricked and now he bared the burden of the Syn talisman that lay embedded in his chest. Their essences combined. Never had he thought that it would come in handy the way it had.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Nikias had went under the guise of Sorzus Syn herself and summoned two Sith to the abandoned city. While all the alchemical creations were dead it still made sense for Nikias to broadcast the message from the tower of Syn to make it more convincing. The two Sith he had summoned to the planet had both been involved in almost murdering a jedi and taking the hand of one of Nikias' friends. One that was on the list of people Nikias would go on a warpath over[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and indeed did these two start a war without even realizing it. The inferno in Nikias' chest had done nothing but grow since he had found Joza and Vorian. Both of them on the verge between life and death[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] even now the images of the wounded Vorian had burned themselves into Nikias' memory. No... What the Sith had done could not stand. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]So you willingly invoke my presence? [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Syn asked her spirit materializing. Of course only Nikias could see it and hear her so he did not worry about the hoax being ruined.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"No... I did nothing but use your name. I do not want your knowledge or alchemical creations. They are pointless to me." Scowling Nikias slowly moved to the entrance of the tower where he now stood on the top of the steps looking down across the maze of a city. He'd given the two exact coordinates for the tower in the city and waited for them to come. "Revenge is a dish best served cold." [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]You become more like a Sith every day. Deny it if you wish,[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] but your will is no longer solely your own.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt][member="Abelain Narv'uk"] [member="Blazing Eye"][/SIZE]

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Nikias"]
Blazing Eye was in the quarters assigned to him on the Paladin, kneeling in the middle of the room. His sword lay on the ground before him, his hands were on his knees. He was meditating. It wasn't like Jedi or Sith meditation, where they drew on the power of the Force. Blazing Eye's meditation was simply finding his inner peace and grabbing hold of it to center his mind, clear his head, and focus his thoughts. He often did this after battles. It gave him time to think about the battle, to look at it from a distant perspective, to analyze it without distraction. Now, he was meditating on the battle with the pink-skinned Jedi. He thought about the battle, turning it over and over in his head, looking at it from every angle.

After a while he grew tired of it, and decided to begin his daily sword drills. Grabbing hold of the sword on the ground before him he stood. He started out with the blade in a standard ready position, then began to go slowly through a series of drills, stabbing at imaginary enemies, blocking invisible strikes. Eventually he sped up, and up, and up, until his blade and body were nothing but a colored pinwheel of motion. Yet at the center of this maelstrom he was completely at peace, completely content. There was something about sword combat that did this to him. A flashing blade held so much beauty to one with the right eye.

Eventually he slowed until he stopped, breathing heavily, his body dripping sweat and even his tough arms beginning to ache. He stood until he had recovered sufficiently, then walked out of the room towards the bridge. They were in hyperspace, heading for a planet called Ziost. What they would find when they got there remained to be seen.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Nikias"]

Despite the differences in their abilities and philosophies, Abelain engaged in similar activities to Blazing Eye. He sat upon the ground within his quarters, a small room that he had resided within since he had first joined the ship and it's voyages. There lay a simple bed in the corner, and a dresser against the wall which held various items strewn across it. A nightstand lay directly to the side of the bed, and a comm lay upon it, awaiting the call of the crew with information or change in status. The Arue'tii ran his hand along his chitinous arm, down his shoulder, allowing it to rest gently upon the light bubble of exoskeleton upon his chest. It had healed to the point of providing protection once more, but it still ached and looked somewhat out of order, a bump where a bump should not exist.

Meanwhile, his finger had been healed rather rapidly via a bacta injection. As the needle could not penetrate chitin, it had needed to be guided into his mouth and carefully set into the finger through extensive surgical procedures. It had been an uncomfortable procedure, but without heavy complication. His mind snapped back to the prone Jedi, laying prostate upon the ground and slowly inching away from life. The sudden slash of a blade, followed by the fall of an appendage striking the dirt and grass covered ground. He spoke gently, his voice still rumbling from his chest, "May they find peace in their eternal joining with you, One Escalation. May they be judged not upon their alignment, but upon their fulfillment of them." He concluded his prayer, fingering irritatingly at the bulge upon his chest before arising from his position upon the floor and exiting the room.

They had been summoned by a Sith known as Syn. The reasoning had not been given other than that they were to appear before them. To any other Sith, this might have seemed an open invitation to training, or the gaining of knowledge and power, an opportunity to become vassal to a mighty lord. Abelain did not feel the same way. It seemed without good cause that they would suddenly be called by someone they had never met, nor even heard about. The Arue'tii could not possibly know that Syn was actually a piece of the Jedi avenger awaiting them upon the planet, but he did assume that the individual was attempting to do them harm. It was almost certainly a trap with the point of assassination and perhaps the acquirement of his vessel; The Paladin.

He believed it to be the Inquisition. An organization that had been founded within the Sith only recently, one whose prime purpose was to hunt down traitors and heretics to Sith doctrine. Abelain had participated in the coup against the Emperor, only to be left behind when the rebels had finally defeated that figurehead. His name had not been revealed, nor the name of his ship, and it seemed that a mixture of confusion, bureaucracy, and a lack of identifying efforts had kept him out of the seeing eyes of the Inquisition. It was only a matter of time before they inevitably discovered his treachery and went to remove him for it, but there were greater threats for them to destroy before they came upon him, and for that reprieve he was thankful.

He entered the bridge, air-conditioned oxygen striking against him as the bulkhead slid open. "Have we arrived?" He spoke, his voice inquisitive of the situation. His liaison to the crew had been a young and ambitious Lieutenant by the name of Stall, and upon speaking with the captain, he spoke, "We have approximately two minutes until arrival, sir." Abelain nodded, leaning over the shoulder of one of his bridge officers and whispering warm orders into their ear, "Prepare a shuttle. Alert my guardian."

 

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]"My will has always been my own. I never took the jedi code to heart[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] never swore myself to it. I was always a warrior before I was a jedi." [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Nikias spat back at the Sith manifestation. Beginning to pace to and fro above the temple stairs the flames of his hate and passion burning as bright as a star. The Dark aura of the Syn Talisman radiated from Nikias' body turning him into a beacon of the force. Even if he hadn't sent the two Sith the coordinated to the temple his presence could still be sensed for yards to miles depending on how well trained ones’ senses in the force were. While the emotions Nikias was experiencing were intense they did not go unchecked. No this seething rage did not turn him into some raging[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] raving maniac. He was calm[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] cool[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] collected and let it burn. Nikias fed the flames more but kept them tamed similar to a pyromancer. It fueled him and the time would soon come when he unleashed it upon his enemies. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Then why did you label yourself as a jedi? Was that upstart Krius correct in his judging of you? Do you truly have no ground to stand upon?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"One does not need to follow a code to live. The jedi preach that emotions aren't to be accepted,[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and the Sith code promotes one’s self alone... You should know that best[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] you're the one who created it after all."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]It was my code,[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] the same code that is a paradoxical quandary to many of the jedi. In fact[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] when I created it was an inverse of the jedi code... I'd recommend you watch your tongue when discussing my code whelp. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"I could care less about offending you,[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] your code means nothing to me. The jedi code means nothing to me. What matters and guides me is my own personal code." [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]So be it. [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Syn said as her spiritual body dissipated leaving Nikias alone with his thoughts. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"Now come to me my little ones,[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] come and meet your ends." Nikias said looking up to the dark blueish gray sky. A storm was building up in the atmosphere and at the base of the temple. [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]In truth besides what the two had done to his allies Nikias had done no other research on the two. He did not know their fighting styles; how powerful they were or the number of their allies. However as sith he expected them to come alone as ordered to do so. [/SIZE]

[member="Blazing Eye"] [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Nikias"] [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

Blazing Eye was on the bridge about the same time as his commander. He walked up to the creature and clasped his hands behind his back.

"One need not be a Jedi to sense that you think this is a trap," Blazing Eye said. In truth, he believed it himself. A person they had never met, practically ordering them to come to them? It smacked of treachery.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Nikias"]

The officer called various orders down to the hangar, and moments later the shuttle that the Arue'tii and his guardian would be taking to the surface had been prepared. He had scented the blood of the Esh-Kah approaching long before he had reached the bridge, but had not paid any attention to him until his orders had been achieved. Now that they were being fulfilled, he turned fully to his guardian, listening to him make a remark on his apparent paranoia. It was a logical conclusion that he had reinforced in his mind, there was simply no way that the individual upon the surface wasn't attempting to murder them. Yet, despite his mind telling him that it was a dangerous and unfruitful venture, he was prepared to travel down to the planet and to attempt to discern what the antagonist calling for them wanted.

"It is not required, no. I believe it is a trap simply because there is no reason that it would not be a trap. We do not know of anyone who would wish to meet us upon Ziost. Therefore, it is very likely an ambush set by our enemies. Be on your highest guard." He spoke, his voice emanating from deep within his chest and traveling a fair distance despite it's relatively low volume. He returned his eyes to the front of the bridge as the ship suddenly emerged from hyperspace, rattling surfaces for the briefest moment and forcing those standing to lurch forward slightly as the Paladin compensated for normal space once more.

The world below them seemed to be composed almost entirely of forests and tundras. The idea of the Arue'tii needing to walk through a freezing blizzard sent a chill of worry into his heart. They possessed a powerful hide, forged from tough chitin which could even resist contact from lightsabers, but his species did not produce heat, and therefore would quickly find themselves incapacitated should they be trapped within an exceptionally cold area for more than a few moments. Thankfully, his people were new enough to the galaxy, and in few enough numbers that almost no one had ever lain eyes upon them, or discovered their weaknesses and strengths. The world did not seem to possess a very large amount of infrastructure, which meant that the message could only have come from a very few specific locations, and it would only take a quick scouting with the shuttle to discover the location of their host.

He returned his view to his guardian, motioning towards the door from the bridge, "Shall we depart?"

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]
"Absolutely," Blazing Eye said.

OOC: You have control of Blazing Eye. Get us down to the planet and I'll take back over.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Nikias"] | [member="Blazing Eye"]

The shuttle would skirt through atmosphere, violently whipping against fierce winds as it sped towards the surface of the world. It was surprisingly quiet within the cabin of the vessel, though on the outside one would quickly believe themselves to caught in a storm. Finally, they broke from the skyline, diving through a cloud and piercing it's center. This piece of the planet was one that had not yet been searched, but within himself, Abelain knew that this was where the message and subsequent summons had originated. He could feel it in the vile and malevolent force that permeated the setting, basking it in the glow of darkness. The city below seemed empty by it's lack of transportation, and the Arue'tii began to grow paranoid once more of the true reasons for their visits.

It took only a few minutes for the vessel to land within a clearing in the city. The hydraulic hiss of the ramp announced their presence upon the surface, and the Arue'tii stepped down it, red cape trailing behind him and gently rubbing against the ground. He cast his analytical gaze back towards his guardian, awaiting him to remove himself from the shuttle and follow. As he waited, he took a deep breath of the air, allowing it's warmth to surge into his lungs and fill them with renewed vigor. He did notice a distinct lack of the iron scent that commonly permeated cities; that of blood, and that further reinforced his idea that the city had been abandoned. Where once it had lain testament to the congregation of life, now it stood only as a festering wound upon the otherwise undisturbed nature.

They were not immediately attacked which was a good sign, but Abelain still did not trust the intentions of the summoner. There was no doubt in his mind that they were attempting to eliminate himself and his guardian, and so he quickly went through a listing of his weaponry, accounting for both the ancient Sith vibroblade at his side, and for the crimson lightsaber he had taken from an Iridonian that had been severed from life. They were ample weapons in his hands, and with his expertly trained companion at his side, he felt confident that they would be capable of enduring any trial that might emerge from the slumbering squalor of the city. Still, despite his personal confidence in their abilities, he would prefer to gather information on why they were called for without triggering violent response.

"Shall we proceed?" He hissed, nodding his head towards a particularly high tower.

 

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]Your quarry has arrived. [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]The sith spirit chimed in as she materialized next to Nikias who stood near a font that he had at one point drained his blood into. Dried patches of it clung to the inside of the font and small dredges of blood remained. All calling back to the time when the amulet had bonded itself to Nikias. Looking up Nikias could hear the sound of a shuttle landing outside in the city. That was one thing about the abandoned city[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] one could hear almost everything that went on in it. It was eerie in a way and not even Nikias had gotten completely accustomed to it yet. The first time when he had arrived the city had seemed abandoned at first then the alchemical creations of Syn had come to life. No longer did they litter the city[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] even if they did Nikias wouldn't have used them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"I know... I can hear them." With a pivot on his heel Nikias began making his way to the entrance of the tower. The sound of Nikias' boots hitting the floor echoed off the inside of the tower and funneled out the entrance for his two guests to hear. Each step drew him closer to the tower doorway that would open up allowing him to look upon not only the city but those that he wished to make suffer. What they had done to Joza could not be forgiven. Nikias remembered having to save her and Vorian from the planet of Felucia. The blood that had caked itself upon Joza's prone body. How he had been the one to build her new arm from the ground up[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] the days spent toiling over it... So fresh in his mind.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Getting cold feet jedi? [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Syn asked her spirit dematerializing but her presence remaining. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Stepping out onto the top of the stairs Nikias stood in his silver robes that shined in the Ziost sun[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] or what bit of it there was. "You have come..." This was not a question but a statement aimed at the two Sith. "Good... Now prostrate yourselves if you wish to keep your lives." Nikias did not expect the sith to truly do such a thing. They took their pride into consideration before all else. It was a way to test them. To see what they would do.[/SIZE]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"] [member="Blazing Eye"]

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Nikias"] [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]
"By all means," Blazing Eye said to his commander, shielding his eyes from the Ziost sun. He was waiting for his commander's direction when suddenly he spotted a man in silver robes heading straight for them. Something about him set off alarm bells in Blazing Eye's head, his years as a duelist and warrior giving him a great grasp of body language.

"Stay behind me, dark one," Blazing Eye said, moving in front of Abelain and grasping the hilt of his sword in readiness. The statement was one of a guardian who wished to take any hits before his commander, not of one who thought his commander couldn't hack it. Blazing Eye stared down the man as he approached, daring him to attack. Then the man spoke, and Blazing Eye drew his sword, holding the massive blade one-handed, the blade towards the ground. He stood in front of his commander, a look of pure fury piercing into his now-enemy's eyes.

"Threats such as that are a good way to get your head removed from your shoulders," he growled, "Watch your next words, silver one, or we'll see who will end up on the ground."

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Nikias"] | [member="Blazing Eye"]

Upon entering the proximity of the tower, Abelain took notice of the pounding stamp of boots within the interior of the massive structure. Moments later, he felt the familiar olfactory sensation of blood reach his senses, and he mentally went to work attempting to identify it's species. The conclusion he drew from his analysis was that he had never encountered one of the being's kind, and that filled him with curiosity at what it's physical traits might have done to it's outward appearance and ability. The steps became close to the doorway of the tower, and it swung open with a gentle creak indicating that it was a well-worn entryway. The being that strode out of the unknown of the tower seemed to possess skin composed with the same color of ashes, a sickly grey that immediately alerted the Arue'tii to the possibility that their host could be plagued with illness.

The individual gave no true greetings towards them, only acknowledging their presence and ordering that they prostrate themselves upon the ground before him. Abelain glared daggers into the inferior species, immediately feeling provoked by the bold and haughty way in which the summoner acted. The Arue'tii took heed of his guardian stepping in front of him in a protective gesture, and also noted how the Esh-Kah reacted to the words with a threat of his own. That brought a faint chuckle to him, emanating from deep within his chitinous chest. There was no doubt that Blazing Eye felt the same way about such threats to their honor, and he had quickly exacted a similar stance mentally. They would not be ordered about by a cretin who would not even have the courtesy of identifying themselves.

"No." The word echoed out from the gradually growing 'smile' that spread along his face, protecting the true mouth from harm. "I choose to bow to none, but those whom I wish to bow towards. You have given no reason for us to react in that manner, and now you hasten to threaten us?" He hissed, the words obviously growing in anger by their fiery delivery, "I shall have you know that if you genuinely move to kill us for not obeying, that your city shall be turned into a slag which burns so greatly that you shall wonder how such an inferno can exist in our realm." He finished, standing straight in opposition to the call for kneeling to a false idol. Much of the curiosity he had previously held about the details of the summoner were lost in his prideful retaliation of words, but one question still stuck to it's burning embers. "Why have you summoned us?"

 

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]Standing upon the steps Nikias' eyes landed on the two Sith at the base of the steps. How brave the two were[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] especially the... Servant? Knight? Whatever the species was Nikias had never met one before nor even seen it in any texts. Couldn't have been to important a species then could it? Glancing at the sword as the creature grasped the hilt Nikias' brow raised. And you said these were the ones your legacy fell to? Nikias thought convening with the spirit of Sorzus Syn in the private chambers of his mind where all his thoughts and emotions would be safe. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]I spoke nothing of beings like these! These are not my Sith. [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]The apparition screeched the insults to her kind getting beneath the corporeal entities skin. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"Oh and who will be the one removing my head?" Nikias asked descending three steps and glaring daggers at the slave or whatever his job was. "Will it be you?" With a scoff Nikias glanced over to the other creature... Abelain. Oh he knew Abelain[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Joza had told Nikias about the one who had commanded for her left arm to be taken. Just looking at the being dredged up the flames inside Nikias' chest. "Or will it be you?" [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Not yet descending another step as he preferred the high ground Nikias looked at the two contempt in his eyes. If he had the ability beams would've been flying from his eyes to burn the two to ash. "Oh if I move to kill you[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt], you'll destroy this city? Well go ahead[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] put in the call. There's no one here. I do not care for this city. I came for you. For what you did to Joza Perl... Name ring any bells? How about a Krux?" Nikias asked rubbing his head. "Joza mentioned something about him. Oh yes how he abandoned you..." Casting a glance up and down Abelain[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Nik shrugged. "I can see why."[/SIZE]


[member="Abelain Narv'uk"] [member="Blazing Eye"]

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Nikias"] [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]
As the being spoke, Blazing Eye learned two things. First, this man was obviously insane. Second, he was no Jedi.

"Whether you think so or not you are no Jedi," Blazing Eye said, keeping his blade and mind ready, "You are a fool to seek revenge. The battle on Felucia was no fault of ours. We came in peace, and attempted to continue as such. Your two Jedi friends refused to compromise and attempted to interfere, and we defended ourselves and our honor. That woman is lucky that I only removed her hand and not her head. Is this how mercy is repaid?" Blazing Eye was getting frustrated at this man, but not just this man. It was appearing to him that no matter who he met, he was always looked at as a bloodthirsty murderer just because he carried a weapon and was willing to defend himself and his honor.

"Joza Perl fought well, like a true warrior," Blazing Eye said, "Why soil the memory of her brave stand against a far superior opponent by seeking worthless revenge? I can see the darkness in your eyes, silver one, I have lived a long time. You think that Abelain and I are nothing but murderers who kill for pleasure and simply to hear the screams of our targets, but if you seek this worthless revenge, what makes you any better?" Blazing Eye didn't know how Jedi had changed in the past centuries, but he knew that in the days of the Barsen'thor, Jedi did not seek revenge. Revenge was the path to darkness, as the Barsen'thor had said.

"If Joza feels so strongly that she must regain her honor by killing me, then let her face me," Blazing Eye said, "No rules, no limitations, just two warriors in honorable combat. Strike against us now, with rage in your heart, and you will fall." Blazing Eye took a few steps back, nudging Abelain to do the same, to neutralize the man's height advantage.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Nikias"] | [member="Blazing Eye"]

The individual that had summoned them was very clearly confident in their abilities, or perhaps even prideful. Abelain could tell that simply by their lack of fear, or even of concern for the threat that they had each made. It was a mutual feeling as the Arue'tii did not feel threatened by the man, especially after he had ordered that they lay prostrate. Those beings that needed to order respect often did not deserve it. His eyes flickered back and forth between his Esh-Kah guardian, and the pale man as they spoke. It very suddenly became revealed that the summoner had lain a trap for them. There was no true surprise for Abelain, as that had been expected, but it did come as a shock that the man was hunting them not for the Sith, but instead for the Jedi. He spoke of Joza Perl, the pink skinned woman that they had faced on Felucia, and whose hand he had ordered severed.

It was curious to find a Jedi acting as an avenger, but it did seem to fit their hypocritical code. The only thing that didn't fit was the apparent darkness seeping off of the man in waves strong enough to be nearly palpable. The Jedi used the Light side of the Force, refusing anything to do with the Dark on a matter of principle, but this man seemed more in tune with the side of the Sith than of the Jedi. The anger that he had felt only moments ago vanished in an instant as the stranger's goal was revealed. He had given them all the information they needed about the purpose of their visit to the planet, and now Abelain saw that it was the worthless cause of vengeance that propelled the man to invite them to Ziost.

The city was remarkably dead, and their words seemed to echo off of every canvas, propelling outwards to a far greater distance than they would otherwise have reached. The pale Jedi spoke momentarily of Krux, speaking of his abandonment and how he sided with the deceased traitor in his judgement. The Arue'tii shook his head, a deep growl arising from within himself and appearing as noise out of the 'smile' which crossed his face, "You side with the traitorous dead." His eyes found the pale man's, boring into them with surprising intensity, "Krux abandoned me after he had slaughtered hundreds and felt the crushing weight of guilt. I had attempted to stop him from partaking in the actions, and he lashed against me. Do you protect the actions of a murderer? See, you are a hypocrite in that you remark that we are awful, and yet we have not stolen the life of your friend." He did not know of the condition of Vorian Adasca, but he could only assume that; since they had taken his body, he had survived the wound.

The Esh-Kah Blazing Eye spoke of the conditions that had led to their fateful duel upon the planet, and the Arue'tii nodded with each sentence, his eyes still intently glaring at the pale man, as if expecting a sudden attack from a viper. "We came in peace, and were met with only hostility. We defended ourselves, and as Blazing Eye states, that does not make us murderers, nor vile sadists. Your actions in hunting us down for the sake of renewing bloodshed make you more of a proponent of violence, than ever we were." He had called them to the planet to fight, there was no doubt about that, and yet he seemed unable to comprehend that the very action he was pursuing was his motive behind attacking. It was nonsensical, and absurd, but inferior species acted in strange ways. He stepped away from the stairs very slowly, moving only a meter away as he did not mind the height advantage incurred by the future foe. Abelain's hide could stop any surprise attacks far better than the Esh-Kah, and it made sense for him to be the initial target of any assault as he was the leader of the duo, the one who had made the decision to amputate Perl.

 

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]Hearing the words that he was not a jedi was something Nikias had dealt with ever since joining the Sanctum. Even after proving himself dedicated to a cause of eradicating the Sith he had never truly accepted that code. Never saw himself as truly one of the mystics. No[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Nikias had always been a warrior and general before he had ever been a jedi. If being a jedi meant standing on the outskirts and watching as worlds were ravaged and destroyed Nikias would never truly want the title. In his eyes he had left the title of being a jedi where it belonged. In the past and with a naiver Nikias. One that believed he could ever be accepted by a group of do gooders. Sometimes you had to step into the dark to destroy it. Many Sith had told him that trying to turn him to the darkside. Bring him over to them[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and instead it had brought the Hellyni to oppose them. Oh the irony. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Did he say Mercy? [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Nikias thought examining the Esh-Kah. "You said you granted mercy but you took her arm... No mercy is letting them go without taking a limb. Did you do it out of some misguided warriors code? How barbaric." Nikias spat at the base of the stairs where it would land before the Esh-Kah and Abelain. They had both done nothing to show that they had showed mercy. Nikias remembered the broken and near dead Vorian when he had come along. Without the treatment Nikias had provided the jedi would've died. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]They are speaking true words... [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Syn said sagely. You act less like a jedi and more like a Sith than you will ever admit. Even now this revenge is brought on by nothing but your rage. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"This is not about my anger,[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] nor did Joza ask me to do this. I do this because I want to[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] I care little for your pitiful ideals of honor. And to be honest with you I am no better than either of you. I am probably the worst one in this city as we speak[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] if not on the entire planet. Yet I will not claim I am a jedi[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] I am one who accepts the Dark to destroy those that hide in it." Waving his left arm Nikias would release a wave of telekinetic energy at the stone tiles at the base of the stairs. They would explode the shrapnel turned into lethal projectiles aimed at the two.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"I on the other hand will show no mercy." [/SIZE]


[member="Blazing Eye"] [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Nikias"]
Blazing Eye tried to feel anger at this man, but he felt only pity. Pity that this man knew nothing of honor, pity that he seemed to desire his own self-destruction.

"You may think you are making me fear you, or to feel bad for what I did to that woman," he said, "But I only feel pity for you. I am bound by the oath I swore, but you are bound only by the darkness within yourself."

The man waved his hand and the tiles exploded. Blazing Eye immediately moved his arms and blade to protect his face and body, and shrapnel pinged off his blade and stuck in his arms. He sucked in a sharp breath, but pushed through the pain. The ones that hit his body did not have enough force to puncture the body armor he wore there, but he felt blood begin to flow from strikes to his arms. The metallic smell activated his warrior's instincts, and his eyes filled with the hate and rage of battle. He faced the man, ignoring the blood that made his arms warm and sticky.

"Those who live by the sword, die by the sword," he said. He let out a cry and rushed the man, testing his defenses with a series of quick strikes, one across to the left with the blade, a quick strike to the right with the weapon's blunt back edge, followed by an upwards strike at the man's face.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Nikias"]

The pale man admitted to his baser feelings of hate and vengeance. It was an open confession, but the man seemed to hold no repentance for his actions, nor for the actions that he was about to engage. There was no doubt in Abelain's mind that they would be drawn into another violent contest of brawn and might, but it seemed unlikely that they would leave this opponent in the same state as the others. The other foes had been hypocrites, but the summoner was a far worse type, he was a monster who took delight in his work, and that type of being simply could not be allowed to stalk at their backs during their journeys. By the end of the day, the Arue'tii knew that blood would have been spilled.

The sudden explosion of Force energy emanating from the man came as a shock, and the blue-skinned explorer watched as chunks of stone and ceramic shattered into hundreds of shards, flying towards the pair with the force of slugthrower rounds. The hint of premonition warned the Arue'tii a single moment before the eruption, and he jerked his head sideways, diverting his eyes from the sight of the detonation. Dozens of shards struck against his chitin with clinking and clangs, each one reduced to a fine or jagged point, but most not large enough to cause blunt damage. They lay at his feet a moment later, pieces of a broken structure that had failed in their goal of eliminating him. He could scent the blood leaking out of his Esh-Kah guardian, and knew that fate had not been nearly as kind to him.

Despite the obvious injuries, Blazing Eye trudged forward with remarkable stamina and determination, engaging their mutual enemy in his favored melee combat. Abelain glanced at a long shard of broken stone laying at his feet, nearly two centimeters in length, and he drew it to him with a rapid telekinetic expression of the Force. He clutched it in his oft-hand, laying his right hand upon the cylinder that lay fettered upon his side. It was withdrawn from it's bondage, and a moment later snap-hissed to life, covering the ground immediately below it in crimson, the color of blood already seeping against the street, foreshadowing of the coming trials.

His weapon having been drawn, the Arue'tii began to circle counterclockwise, moving towards his side, but allowing the distance between them to remain, senses ready to encounter any new environmental hazards or sudden attacks as he began to flank his foe, allowing Blazing Eye to wield the brunt of the assault against him.

 

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]"I think you have it the wrong way. I am not bound by the darkness within myself. It is I who has harnessed it and confined it." It had always been that way for Nikias[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] during his time as a padawan he had to deal with a poison that at any point could send him into a mindless berserker and not too long after becoming a knight he had been attached to Syn's talisman binding him to one of the most ancient Sith in the galaxy with a talisman just as corrupting. Even now Nikias could feel the heavy aura of the darkside trying to force him into embracing it completely. Into giving in to the spirit of Sorzus Syn. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Those who live by the sword die by the sword? Is that what you're teaching the Sith? Never mentioned such a thing to me. [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Nikias aimed at the spirit. Though the more the Esh-Kah spoke the more Nikias began to feel as though he wasn't a Sith at all. More so something akin to a slave or warrior dedicated to their honor. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]We preach no such things in the Sith. There is honor yes,[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] but none such as that. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"Aw..." Nikias said watching the steps the Esh-Kah took. There was a large difference between fighting Nikias and Joza. Joza for one was much more of a duelist than Nikias would ever be or claim himself to be. Nikias had devoted his training to telekinesis[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] enough so that he had even been able to pose a threat to other Sith knights slamming one into a wall. He was pretty sure news stations were still talking about how he had nearly destroyed a few rooms of a hotel on Bespin. Of course Nikias had paid for the damages. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The hand that had been waved to destroy the tiles at the base of the stairs would tighten into a fist creating an invisible fist intending to surround and grab onto the Esh-Kah's entire body similar to a choke in a way. When you could blow apart entire walls with the force lifting a humanoid was no problem. Following this Nikias would swing said arm with the Esh'kah in the telekinetic grip guiding him like a missile at his ally Abelain. [/SIZE]


[member="Abelain Narv'uk"] [member="Blazing Eye"]

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Nikias"] [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

The grip took hold of Blazing Eye and he felt himself freeze.

Honorless fiend! Blazing Eye said as he was thrown aside, shooting like a missile towards his commander. Whether he hit him or not, Blazing Eye slammed into the ground, still stuck in the Force grip.

"I faced Joza Perl in straight combat, face to face, one warrior to another!" he yelled at the man, releasing his emotion in the only way he was capable of doing so, "You strike at me with something I cannot defend against, with no respect, decency, or honor! You are no warrior! You are a bloodthirsty fiend who seeks only destruction! Who is the true monster here!"

Blazing Eye continued to struggle against the Force grip, rage strengthening his struggles.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Nikias"] | [member="Blazing Eye"]

The encirclement had seemed to work quite well, and soon the Arue'tii was standing directly horizontal to the pale assailant. Blazing Eye had charged towards him, attempting to slash into him with his weapon, only to be held still a few steps away from the target. Abelain analyzed that for a moment, brief confusion suddenly igniting into bright understanding of the situation, and a moment later the hurled form of his ally neared him. He pointed his lightsaber away from his ally, avoiding an unintentional impalement as he had done to the Jedi upon Felucia, and; since it was still clutching shrapnel, used his oft-hand to slow his guardian, his feet digging into the ground with surprising force before allowing the Esh-Kah to fall to the ground naturally.

The element of flanking had definitely been lost, and now he could feel the eyes of the pale man upon him once more. Dark energy continued to reek off of the man, heightening a growing sense of evil that swirled about the place in waves. The sweltering weather was no match for the singing energy of the Dark Side in it's natural habitat; revenge. Abelain ignored the angry calls of Blazing Eye, apparently still trapped in the telekinetic vice of their mutual enemy, and instead erected a basic Force shield around himself to deter any attacks of similar nature. He began to approach, a solemn step gradually rising in it's actions, his feet striking the ground to the beat of an increasing tempo.

He charged, lightsaber clashing down towards his opponent in a well-rehearsed performance of Shii-Cho, the vertical cleave aimed to tear his opponent asunder. Expecting the blow to be parried, he spun sideways, using his left elbow and it's sharpened chitin as a short-range knife attack towards the ribs of the pale man, hopefully taking him by surprise with the unorthodox fighting style. He cared little for protecting himself from the burning assails of a lightsaber, as those had proven in the past to be inefficient at defeating him, but there was consideration placed for attacks involving the Force, as those could affect him even with his hide being as powerful as it was.