Two for One

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]The angered yells and insults that the Esh-kah shot bounced harmlessly off Nikias. Everything that the Esh-kah said reminded Nikias of some of the warriors on his homeworld. Honor above all else. It was a detestable saying and one that meant little in a galaxy such as this one. Those who clung to such ideals would soon find themselves on the receiving end of a saber or be left crippled and near death. It was no concern of Nikias' however he would let the Esh-kah believe his words truly meant something but not without giving him a parting gift. "Honor is useless to the dead." With that said Nikias would swing his arm throwing the Esh-Kah towards the wall of a nearby home and propelling it so he would continue through the wall. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Now that he's temporarily out of the way. Nikias thought bringing his attention to the chitin covered creature. Nikias had no clue just how tough the chitin was[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and wasn't willing to take any chances testing it out just yet. Best to go on and throw his best at it to see if it worked in destroying the Chitin. With a step back Nikias' eyes darted to his saber on his hip. In an instant the weapon leapt into the air before its owner springing to life. Its violet blade would catch the crimson sabers blow easily blocking it. The second attack however had not been expected. There was a sharp pain in Nikias' ribs and he could feel the warmth of his own blood. Due to the nature of the robes the kinetic force behind the strike had been stopped with the only real damage being done is the puncturing of Nikias' skin. Without the robes he was sure his ribs would've been broken or shattered at worst.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The mistake the Sith had made was thinking that Nikias couldn't find ways around a basic force shield[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] considering he had broken through the ones of fully realized knights as well it wouldn't be too much of a problem. Left hand opening and closing Nikias would create a telekinetic bubble around Abelain instead of himself. An unusual tactic but one that had come in handy dealing with those who wanted to bat away Nikias' telekinetic powers. The kinetic energy would form into a barrier and just as Nikias did with his ballbearings he would propel the bubble straight up into the sky. Bringing his left arm down he would do the same shooting the Sith back towards the earth and at the last second remove the barrier. Force shields could stop many things but Kinetic force wasn't one of them. [/SIZE]


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

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Nikias"] [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]
Again, Blazing Eye felt pity for the man.

"Honor is everything to the dead," he said as he went flying. He smashed through the wall, dazed but still alive. He lay for a second, trying to clear his head, but found that he could move again. Shaking his mind clear he stood and thought about his predicament. He knew now that he was practically useless at close range. He had no resistance to Force powers, and would do nothing but get in the way. So, he would have to find another way.

Standing up, he held his sword in one hand and in the other picked up a chunk of rubble. Hefting it, he spun around and hurled it like a shot put ball with deadly accuracy straight at the man in the silver robes. The man was currently concentrating on trying to lift Abelain, so Blazing Eye hoped that the incoming missile would do one of two things: be missed and connect with his target, or force him to shift his focus. As soon as the rock left his hand Blazing Eye hurled another, and another, and another, raining rocks hurled with precision accuracy at his opponent.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

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

Many sapient lifeforms throughout the galaxy; especially humans, had dreams of flying through the air. It did not matter to them whether they were propelled by strange and magical energy, superpowers, or by large wings capable of lifting their admittedly hefty frames, they wanted to soar the skies as the birds. There was even work towards making that dream a reality, innovations in the way of flight had led to planes and gliders allowing for usually grounded species to touch the clouds in a majestic manner. It was a prevalent dream, and shockingly one of the few similarities that could commonly be found among many different cultures.

Abelain did not want to fly. He had no desire whatsoever to suddenly be forced away from the ground where he could no longer control his actions and movements. One could even state that the Arue'tii had a minor fear of falling, though it wasn't an irrational phobia. Their species could survive blows from most weapons, and could even manage being savaged by monstrous beasts, but kinetic energy was not easily transferred through their hide, and was the primary way that his people had murdered one another throughout history. Abelain had only just scented the iron of blood being spilled from his opponent's flesh as it was rent lightly through his robe; apparently of powerful fabrication, when he was suddenly surrounded by the pale man into a Force shield.

It was similar to his own, but far stronger, and with minor probes against it, the Arue'tii came to the sudden conclusion that he likely did not possess the mastery of Force aspects necessary to punch through. In a moment, he was flying, being driven upwards by the pale man who made an accompanying motion with his arm. His stomach lurched in his abdomen when suddenly he began to crash back towards the ground at surprising speed, forced towards what could potentially be his doom. His mind raced by frighteningly fast, searching desperately for options as his heart began to reek of the stench of genuine fear, something he had yet to feel in the outer galaxy. The idea that had been planted in his mind minutes ago suddenly sprang to mind, and he worked to enact it.

His left hand, possessing the two centimeter jagged shrapnel suddenly loosened it's grip by the lightest margin, almost definitely imperceptible from the ground. He would only have one shot at his action before pain would overtake him, and he began to make mental calculations as he plummeted to the ground, the nauseous feeling in his guts not helping in the matter. He deactivated his lightsaber, clipping it once more to his side as he finally reached the culmination where he would strike dirt. The Force shield disappeared, and in that moment, the same moment that a hefty chunk of debris was being hurled towards the already distracted pale man, Abelain grasped the shard with the Force.

It launched through the air with the speed of a slug fired from a weapon, soaring majestically and so tiny that it was difficult to even differentiate from the grays of nearby buildings. The tiny shard of jagged concrete slid through the space between them, aiming to plunge into the side of the man's neck, into his jugular. Abelain didn't think that it would kill their opponent, but if he was bleeding heavily from the wound, it might slow down his ability to fight back, and they might yet wear him down through attrition.

Impact felt like the equivalent of being stricken by a truck, promptly followed by another truck. His vital organs smashed into their chitinous cage, rattling around loosely, and muscles split open within his body, snapped by the force of the blow and turning his outer pallor shades of purple in spots as blood welled freely. Darkness clouded his vision, and pain racked the entirety of his body, air became hard to breathe, and Abelain found himself sucking at dry breaths as he heaved for the life giving oxygen. It was excruciating beyond belief, and suddenly it became perceptible in the form of a monstrous shriek expelled from the little air reaching his lungs, and shaking the sky with it's intensity.

 

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]Creating a barrier with the force was already an easy feat that didn't require too much concentration from the user after it was created. This was made even easier when you had spent your time learning to put up a barrier off reflex alone. Nikias had spent days training under Ganner Rhysodes holocron where he learned to snap up a telekinetic barrier in the blink of an eye. Right hand raising Nikias erected a solid wall to block the first stone that came at him. It struck the shield with enough force that it shattered upon impact. The ones that followed met the same fate against the semi-translucent shield. Nikias didn't even have to take his eyes off Abelain as he did such. It was all an incredibly easy tactic and as it hadn't been a full sized barrier no energy was truly wasted during its creation. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Attention split between the two Nikias didn't even notice the sharp piece of stone till it was too late. Head leaning to the left it clipped his throat still cutting through it. The thing about the neck was the lack of pain nerves so Nikias wasn't slowed down in the least except for him right hand clamping down on the wound to staunch the bloodflow. The neck however while lacking pain nerves still bled a lot. Blood flowed from between his fingers and not even the screams of Abelain reached Nikias. All he heard was his heart pounding in his chest with a mixture of rage[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and shock by what had happened. He'd underestimated them and he was now paying for it. Foot stumbling back Nikias focused a small portion of the force to stop the blood flow with telekinesis.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Eyes darting to the screaming Abelain and the Esh-Kah that stood on the fray of battle they'd see the pale gold eyes glow brighter as the power of Syns talisman began to pump more into Nikias. A yell left the Hellyni's lips his head leaning back both hands snapping up to grip both the individuals he faced. Yes[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt], feel the rage! Feel my power! Give in to it. Let it meld with you.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Gripping Abelain[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Nikias would look down at the creature. "Never let me see you again. For you not killing Joza or Vorian I shall spare you." Then he'd throw Abelain aiming to throw him where their shuttle had landed. Nikias knew that both Sorzus Syn[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and a darker part of himself wanted to kill the two but giving in now would just be taking the last step over the edge. The Esh-kah on the other hand would get a much more brutal treatment. Nikias would lift his arm and bring it down multiple times each time slamming the Esh-kah into the ground with the one that followed becoming harder till he was satisfied. [/SIZE]

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

 

[Blazing Eye]

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

Though he was a great warrior, who till now had only been defeated once in single combat, Blazing Eye knew when he was beaten. A great warrior though he was, he was far out of his element when it came to this man. Blazing Eye had no defense for the repeated telekinetic slams that beat him over and over again into the ground, drawing a cry with every strike. On the outside he showed pain, but on the inside he was calm as could be as his mind and body relaxed and submitted to their fate. Blazing Eye knew he lost no honor with this fight. He had fought to the best of his ability, how little that may have been. His enemy had felt the sting of his own blood, and that was enough. With one last telekinetic slam, Blazing Eye was pushed a good half a foot into the ground, his body bleeding from a dozen wounds. As the black tunnel of unconsciousness showed itself, Blazing Eye swiveled his head to look at the man who had given into his anger so deeply he was willing to beat up a defeated opponent just to hear their screams.

"I hope you think that you achieved something here," he said, "Because I have no regrets, silver one. I have fought as a warrior should. You will get no screams of pain, no begging for mercy, no great requests for forgiveness because of what I did to Joza. I have found my peace, and my honor, and I am no stranger to Death's embrace. I have felt it before, and if he must claim me fully now, then I am resigned to my fate. The only thing you have accomplished from what I can see, is to push yourself even closer to the darkness that I can see consuming you. Someday, someone will come who you cannot defeat. It will not be me, but it will be someone. I hope that you can die with peace as I can." Blazing Eye let out a sigh of pure contentment as he let himself go and the glorious black tunnel of unconsciousness closed around him.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

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

Time became difficult to perceive as the Arue'tii lay within what he assumed may become his grave. His organs had settled back into place, and yet still they pulsed with radiant pain, shoving the awful feeling into his nervous system with each fateful pulse of his heart. He might have lain for hours in his mind, but in another moment a face became irritatingly plain to his vision. It was the face of the pale man, no doubt come to exterminate him and remove him permanently from the constant struggle of life. He held no fear of snapping his mortal coil, of ascension into the ranks of the One Escalation, where he might finally be met with the jubilant cries of his fallen comrades. It would be a glorious fate, one befitting of each and every member of his species who had faced the trial of death.

It was not to be his. His fate had not rested, and his goals were still prominent, flickering even now towards his mind. He needed to finish all that he had set about doing, and not even the relentless force of sleep's counterfeit would rob him of that. The pale man grasped at him, speaking words that he did not hear, nor comprehend, but even with his body crippled and battered, he moved to fight back. The most imperceptible of shakes in the man's grasp, and the movement of his hand generally towards his weapon suddenly halted a moment after they had begun. The fight having left his body moments ago when he had impacted the ground.

In another moment, a further realization struck him. That everything had faded into the radiant colors of pain, of vibrant purples, and yellows, and reds as his mind snapped into wound-induced delirium. He felt it surrounding him, beating down at him with it's violent force, and suddenly he had the urge to consume it. The rumbling of hunger within his stomach twisted and curled around in his intestines, forcing him to scent the iron scent of blood nearby, and to seek it's consumption. The pale man was bleeding heavily from his wound, and it incited that natural emotion, his nature telling him to hunt, and to maim, and to kill. To turn pain into his weapon and wield it as though it were submissive.

The shrieking stopped, and suddenly Abelain was flung towards their shuttle, landing against the harsh stone and sliding another meter before finally coming to a stop. His right hand clenched, the other not responding to the instructions given by his brain. He pushed warily against the stone, his knees refusing to rise for a few moments before acquiescing and allowing him to slowly stand. He snapped out of his haze, focusing on the burning of pain and fury raging within his soul, and upon the pale man standing there, slamming his ally into the ground with harsh brutality befitting his type of animal. He set off on his charge, limping dutifully towards his ally in the fashion of a cripple, his gait set by his wounds, but the fire in his eyes not befalling the same treatment.

"Paladin. Send the Hammer. We require medical assistance." He spoke into the com upon his head, continuing his slow movements. As he would near Blazing Eye, he cast his eyes towards the surprisingly nearby pale man, and for a hint of a moment he had an inkling for what he would do to murder him if he ever had the chance. He knew that if they ever met again, he would peel the man to ribbons, he would consume him in the slowest way possible, he would become the monster hiding in the dark, preying upon those that would dare trespass and assault it's residents. It was not for now, for now they had been beaten far too badly, and Abelain had no desire to fight further, the fire in his eyes vanishing with blatant reality. He approached his guardian, kneeling at his side as he began to slip into unconsciousness, and reached a hand towards him.

The hand contacted the back of the Esh-Kah, and recollection filled his memory of a time when he had sparred under his old master. After a terrible injury, he had shown them the way to heal using the Dark Side, though it came at great cost. He would not allow his companion to die, and the shuttles would take a few minutes to arrive. He found it necessary to staunch the bleeding, though further healing would simply need to wait. With a surge of renewed Dark Side energy, he flooded the system of Blazing Eye, sealing his wounds with the Force. His own body became more heavily wracked, his eyes shifting to a mildly darker color, and his chitin beginning to paint purple in various spots as he began to bleed. It was painful, and awful, but the Arue'tii showed a surprising amount of endurance in his healing. When it completed, the Esh-Kah would find that the most severe of his bleeding had been eliminated.

He collapsed, everything becoming hopelessly dark.

 

[Akhilleus]

[SIZE=10pt]Each telekinetic slam and cry brought no joy to Nikias[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] he wouldn't have been satisfied till the Esh-Kah was nothing but a bloody past on the stone tiles. However[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] he had done enough[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] even considering what they had done to Vorian and Joza[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Nikias had taken it to a whole different level and knew it. If he went any further it would be nothing but feeding the corruptive nature of the Syn talisman. Why did you stop?! Finish them! Do you not want revenge for your friends? Remember the way you found them. Beaten[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt], broken[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] bleeding. Because of them. Will you truly continue to let these beings live after what they have done? Show them your true power! Our true power! [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Sorzus Syn said giving the typical Sith speech trying to feed the flames in Nikias' chest. However[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] when one had lived with a poison that had done the same for years and had learned to tame that inferno the speeches meant nothing.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"They have learned their lesson. Let them hope we don't meet again." Nikias said turning to walk past the two and leave the village. He had done enough and there was no reason for him to stay. The two had made the threat to slag the entire city once before[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] while Nikias was powerful he knew that the chances of surviving an orbital bombardment would be zero. As we walked past the two probe figures Nikias scoffed. "So much for honor." The words of Blazing eye had bounced off his skin[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Nikias didn't care for the creature at all[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] to speak so much of honor and then not fight till the very end. It was disgraceful[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] on Nikias' world the Esh-kah would've been exiled for such a thing. Tempted to take the Sith's shuttle Nikias shook his head and moved past it onto his own ship that he had landed near the edge of the forest and out of sight to give nothing away. [/SIZE]

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

 

[Blazing Eye]

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

Blazing Eye awoke back on the Paladin, the sharp scent of bacta in his nose. He was in a medical room then. Blazing Eye sighed. Once again, someone had wrenched him from the grip of death, and left him to fight another day. Sometimes, he wished they wouldn't.

As feeling returned to his stiff muscles and he started to rise, Blazing Eye thought of the pale man, the honorless fiend who maimed his opponents for no reason but to hear their screams. Blazing Eye still felt pity for him. The man had scoffed at his honor, calling it worthless, and no doubt thought that Blazing Eye had not shown honor when he had refused to try and climb from a foot-deep hole in the ground to try and attack him. No doubt he only wanted more reason to beat them up more. The man thought he had achieved some great goal, but he had not fought a battle, he had mugged someone. He had attacked someone with no defense, then expected them to fight back for his personal enjoyment. It was sick, and he had the audacity to think that the Esh-kah was honorless!

But no matter, the opinions of the pale man meant nothing. He was an honorless fiend, and whatever opinions he had of honor were skewed and worthless. Blazing Eye knew he had done what he could, and no one could ask for more. He hoped the pale man was ready, because now it was Blazing Eye's turn to seek revenge. He just had to find some way to block the man's Force attacks. If he could do that, the man, and any other Force-users Blazing Eye faced, would be forced to face him in his element: blade to blade. As Blazing Eye sat up, the familiar segment of blue medical wrap over his waist, he thought about something he had read recently in the Paladin's libraries. Something about a way to block Force usage...

"Dark one," he said to his commander, who he hoped was with him in the medical center, "We must go to Myrkr."

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

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

The Arue'tii lay within a canister filled to the brim with a blue liquid which constantly lapped against his chitinous exoskeleton. He had been submerged within the device, leaving no part of himself uncovered. Upon further inspection, one would find that his entrapment constituted a grotesque sight. Long tubes with free-flowing liquid found themselves forcibly run down his open mouth, sliding down into his body and presumably his worst injuries. The body itself was not devoid of color however, and splashes of purple where blood had been exposed within the explorer were easy to locate and discern from the remainder of his natural pallor. Droid medical specialists, and crew doctors worked around on the outside of the cage where their unconscious and coma-induced master lay in death's counterfeit, unable to move.

His eyes flickered open within the liquid, life returning to what could otherwise have been considered a corpse for all intents and purposes. It shined a color that it had not shined before, similar enough to the light blue that it had once been, yet somehow darker in appearance, as though it had been tainted and corrupted. The chemical solution lapped against the membrane that covered his eye, unable to penetrate it and allowing the Arue'tii vision out into the world, the perception difficult through the wrong end of the glass, but clear enough that certain shapes became recognizable. His ability to scent blood had been halted by the presence of the encompassing bacta, but the Force still allowed him to sense the approaching figure of his guardian, apparently awakened from his slumber after his medical treatment.

Abelain did not know how many days had passed, nor did he know at the time that several more would pass before he was finally healed to his prime, but he was eager to lay his eyes upon his most loyal companion. The Esh-Kah could be heard nearby, but Abelain could not quite view him due to a curtain which was erected to create a sense of privacy for the wounded patient. An older female doctor; likely after hearing the call for him from Blazing Eye, promptly removed the curtain and revealed the crippled beast to him. The familiar shape of his favored companion became easy to view once more, and the only sign that he gave of acceptance to the proposed plan by Blazing Eye was a rapid flicker of his eyes, unable to speak due to the tubes violating his ability to communicate properly.