What's to Come...

[Romi Jade]

E A D U​

Spoiler

[youtube]https://youtu.be/VbGqVU7Fkwk[/youtube]

“Whether you feel you can, or feel you cannot...you are right.”

​

Sigh.

Her next step placed her in front of the cave, just as she felt the whispers of the Bendu crawl down her spine. She felt a new type of ignorance...as she didn't even know herself anymore since she and [member="Cassius Droma"] landed on Eadu. She didn't regret that fact that she was being turned inside out, but she was hesitant to do the work.

She wondered what awaited her...

All she could hear was the subtle roar of the cave, which seemed to tug on her spirit and pull her forward. She reached out and gripped the surface of the stone protruding out from the edges.

"What will I face?" she said at almost a whisper, knowing her Apprentice would be watching and the Bendu would be listening...

"You are your own worst enemy..."

Her hair blew across her back, and her chest rose and fell repeatedly; she managed her breathing.

She decided. The darkness felt warm and when she was enveloped in it, the light that guided her initially vanished. She persisted...expecting.

Soon...her skin grew in warmth and the hollow echo slowly faded. Ahead...she could see red and orange hues; she proceeded.

Spoiler

[youtube]https://youtu.be/iTzkaXHDlsY[/youtube]

She stepped forward, the surface under her feet became marble; A throne room...

"Wha...?" Air escaped her lips, "Where...?"

It felt real....

Her eyes twitched.

Ahead...it seemed to be a silhouette of a figure upon a throne. She could see nothing but a blur...

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The figure on the throne seemed entirely comprised of swirling, writhing shadows with pits of molten copper shining brightly in place of eyes.

At her appearance the figure rose from the throne wrought of twisted and fire-blackened metal, gliding down the three-step dais the throne was raised on to loom menacingly before [member="Romi Jade"]. It radiated dark and terrible power, the keen wail of a million lost souls muffled beneath its shrouded edifice.

Th̢͡ę͡͝ ͠d̴̢a͏̀r͜k̵n͝e̡s̡̨͜s͡ w͡͝i҉̵͠l͘͢ĺ͠ c͡o̕͟ńśu̷me͜ ̴̢͡you̵̸͘,̡ ̷a̸̷͞s͡ ҉͜it͘ h̷̨a̡͡s̡͡͏ ́͞c̴̡͘o̸͠͝u̷n͘t͞l͜e̶̸ş̵̷s͟͡ ͟ó̢t̨̀͢h͠eŗ̛͢s͝͡͡.̨͠

When it spoke there was no noise, for its black speech was felt rather than heard. The sensation was not unlike the grating of nails on a chalkboard, stone cracking and breaking with the intensity of an encroaching thunderstorm. All light flickered and die around it, all hope was suffocated like a roaring fire deprived of oxygen.

There was nothing but horror, despair, and the death of all things.

From its right hand exploded a three meter beam of crackling crimson energy as translucent and smokey as the being that wielded it, but there was no denying just how terribly lethal it was despite its apparent lack of solidity.

F̸́a͝l̨̛͡l̴͟͡ ̷̕t̡o͏͟ th̴̨e ̶͠B̧̕͜utche̢̢̢r̴͜ ͝Ḱ̴í͠n͢g̵̡͝.̵̕ ͢͏F҉aļ̷l͝҉ ̕͏t̨o̵̷ ̵̢͝t̶͢h͏͏é͘͘ B͘l̷ac̛͡ḱ̵ ҉I҉r͘͞o͏͢n̶͏ ̵͏͡Ty̨̕r̴a̡̕͝nt͘͜͟!̸

It came for her, murderous intent shining in its soulless eyes.

 

[Romi Jade]

A shift.

Her equilibrium was thrown out of flux; she felt uneasy for a split second. She shook it off, just as she felt the wail rush through her body. Gripping her stomach she'd clutch whatever skin she could grab as her knees grew weak for a moment; What she truly felt was of something ominous, something that was darker than anything she'd known up until now.

She could see the silhouette still, squinting to make sense of it she saw a bright red flesh; it seemed like a spark. With the screeching filling the crevices of her ears, she failed to focus enough before launching herself out of the way and behind one of the base which held fire. Breathing heavily, clutched the hilt of her lightsaber in her hand.

She had only a second, She pushed forward and rolled from the opposite side of the pit. Planting one of her knees against the marbled floor to apply friction and keep from sliding, she ignited her her scarlet blade.

She slowly stood to her feet, beckoning forward with her head; her hair flung forward over her shoulders.

Swift manipulation of her wrist allowed her to twirl and spin her weapon in successful motions as she charged the dark and menacing figure before her.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The shadow pivoted, its burning eyes tracking [member="Romi Jade"] as she rolled for cover, activated her own weapon, and then charged towards him.

C̀͟o̕͡͏̶m̷̕͜ȩ̶,̧́̕͘ ̶͝f͏̵̷̢a̢̨͘̕i̷̷͘͞ļ̀͜,̵̧ ̧̛͝d̶͞҉̶í̷̷e̵̢̕!͜͞҉

Whatever opening blow she would levy against the shadow it would block, the crackling blade of lethal energy moving unnaturally quick to meet her own blade like they were magnetized. In return it would strike back with unrelenting ferocity, the brutality of its ferocity was staggering. Wide, powerful strikes telegraphed the shadow's preferred fighting style of Djem So, with no parry going without an immediate and devastating counter attack that utilized Romi's own momentum against her.

J͝e̸̴̶di, ̷h͘o͘͢w̸ can҉̢ ͟y̵̴͠oư̶͡ ̵̨ho͘͘pȩ̕͟ ̛t҉͜o̧ ͜s͏̛ù̵͠r͠͏v̸̸͢i̵ve̴͏̧?̷ T̛h̡ȩ ͜d̴̵͝ark̷͘n̕e͜ss̨̀ ̀͘s̶̶u̢r̴̢r̷͡oún̶ḑs̡̕͠ ͞y̡͏o͢u͞,̴́ į҉t̷͞ ̨h̴ą́͝s͢͞ alr̶̛e̶͡a͢d̴͝ý i͢͞n̨f͢͞è̛͜c̕t͏e̷d̕ ͡y̨͘ơ͜u̷̡r̛͠ ̵̢Ǫr͏̕d̷́͜ȩ́r͟͞ ̵f͡rom̶ ҉t̀o̕p͠͞ ͏͟t̢́o ҉̸̧b̨͞҉o̵ţt̢o̶m̡!͡ ͜͞Y̕͟͝ou̵͠ ̛̕ar̨͡è͠ ̢͢f̨̕i̸̡g̷͟͝ht̶͘͞i͏̢͞ng ͜͠a̷̸҉ ̡͢ẁ͘a̶r҉̕͡ ͝t̴͡h҉̷a̸̧͞t͜ ̨͏y̴̨o̴u ͞͞ha̵̡v̨͜e̵҉̀ ͡à̡͘l̡r̶̷̛ead̶ỳ̛ ̨̛l͞o̶̶s̸҉t́͟!̀͢

More words like nails on the chalkboard of Romi's mind, monstrous and spine-numbingly evil.

 

[Romi Jade]

Spoiler

[youtube]https://youtu.be/qzVBqBosf5w[/youtube]

Bounding off her back foot, she ascended into the air. A few feet from the ground she came crashing down, using gravity to leverage most of her blow. The room was engulfed with the crackling lethality of the blades combining for a split moment before she was warded off. Repealing one another, she slid back with only a a couple of spare feet between them only to be met with his retaliation; quick but powerful staggering blows.

She went to defend herself from his initial blow, only for her wrist to to feel the recoil. She knew his strength outclassed her own in physicality. She retreated step after step while managing to parry each attack over trying to bulwark the shadow before her; she forced into defense no less.

The last would come from above, her body beckoned back after the brief break in combat only to meet his weapon head on and hold him there; she was forced to her knee.

Ugh

She'd cringed under the recoil surging through her arm and body. Her hair hanging parallel to her face she kept his blade from dealing a deadly blow.

Mmmm...

From the depth of her mind, that voice would return. A shriek like no other. She took a deep breath, after seeming like the world around her slowed.

"N-No!"

Quickly, she ran her thumb over the ignition of the weapon. Timing it so, she fell to her other knee and pushed herself between his legs. Emerging on the other side she jumped back to her feet and drew her weapon again. She'd reinitiate combat after charging him again, stepping inside his guard she'd bat away the reactive end of his blade with the her own in a reverse grip; she'd quickly flip her blade back around to go for the opening.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The shadow was paradoxically solid and ethereal simultaneously, it did not seem to bow to any laws of reality as [member="Romi Jade"] might. When she slipped past him he did not turn around like a normal individual would, but rather the shadows shifted and the perspective changed. His whole body seemed to reverse in a manner that would break every bone in the human body if attempted by anything other than a mass of writhing hate and death.

Y̛ǫ̴u̢͜͝ŗ̴̧ ҉s̀t̶ŗ̷u҉g̛͢g̢͏̧l̵e͟͟҉s̵̛ a͟͝re̴ ̨̧̢i͟n̡͏͝s̴̀̀i̕͝gn̷͟ifica͟nt,͡͞ ̧́e͘͡v̀e͜r̀y̶͠t͝͏hí͢͞ņ̴͡g͟͠ ̵̨you̕͝ ҉̨̡a̶͜͝r̴̴̡e̷͢͜ ̸͠sţ҉ŕ̢i̸̢v̵͜è͘d͏ ͠t́͟o̢ ac̡͏̵h͟͠i̷e͏̀v͏e ̢͜͠w̷̵̛il̷̛l̵̢ ͞b͠e̡c̕o̢͠m͏e҉ ͘̕as͝ ash̷͟ ͡͠i̷͞n͏̢ ̡͘͏y̧͟o̢͠͞u͠r̡ m̶̨ou̵͘-͝͏̴

The shadow's voice was cut off by an ear-splitting wail as the tip of Romi's blade cut a divot in the shadow's torso, smoke bubbling up as the flayed ends caught in the path of the lightsaber smoldered with embers. The rift began to heal itself back up, but it was obvious that the shadow suffered great agony as a result.

The wraith's mouth stretched impossibly wide, a great bellow of hate and rage exuding out from its darkened depths to assault Romi with waves of dark side energy and intense feelings of despair and hopelessness.

Then it moved in, lightsaber blazing brightly as it sought to cleave her head from her shoulders.

 

[Romi Jade]

Uhn...

"Wha..." Her voice was but a whisper...

Her head beckoned back in shock; she watched on as the wounds bonded just as quickly as they had been made. She fell back on her back foot, soon she'd stumble backwards as the earth shaking bellow drove her back.

Ugh...

Spoiler

[youtube]https://youtu.be/QZsMtxomy28[/youtube]

"What are you...?" The blazing trail of his lightsaber reflected deep within the icy veins of her eyes; her eyes being wide in disbelief.

Her glowing blade worked in a furious, humming blur, whipping up high to match his. Soon her would be batted away as his strength was obviously greater; she made up for it in speed.

"Never let self-doubt hold you captive..."

The words of the Bendu echoed through her head.

Her lightsaber's glowing blade swooped in an up-turning circular parry between the two, it'd force a bit of space between the two of them. She used that break to put herself back on the offensive, presenting a speedy staccato of attacks in return. "I'm no prisoner!" that attack to follow was bit more powerful than the rest.

She was starting to understand how wicked she was being to herself.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Anger.

Hatred.

Fear.

They were the tools of war - the tools of the Dark Side.

War had ravaged the galaxy for so many decades, so many thousands upon thousands throwing themselves into the fires of hatred as nation clashed against nation. The Core Worlds were a ruin from the war between the One Sith and the Republic, and the conflagration continued to spread as ideologies met on the field of battle to kill and be killed. This was the trap of the Dark Side, the ultimate folly of the Jedi's retaliation against the rising tides of Imperialism.

The harder they fought, the stronger the Dark Side became as more and more worlds were scoured by conflict.

Ţ͏h̸e̶̶ h́͟á̸rd́͢e̵̢r͘ ̴y͏̢o̡u͡ ͏s͘͝t҉r̀u̵͢ǵg̕͝ļ͘e,͠͠ t̡h̸͜e͏ ̧̢͠m̵͝o̵̧̧r̡e͏ ͞p̕͜owe̛r͏fu̷l҉͏ I ͜be͘co͏me͟҉́.̨ T̷h͘͢e̕҉͞ ̵͜w̷̢a͝r҉̶ ̧y̶o̷͡u̶̕͞ ̧͠a̕n̛d̨ yoų̡r͏ ̶͡ķi̕͞͝ń̀͜d̴̢ ̨h͟a҉͡s̕ ̨w̨a̷̸g̕e͡d͘ ̛͘͜wá̷̴s҉͢ ͢ĺ͢o͜s͜͞t ̛͜tḩ̀͟è̀͜ ̴͜m̢͝͏o͠m̷e͘ń͡t̸̢́ ͠ỳ̢͠o̧u ̷͘͢r̕a̵̷i̧s̴͜͜ed̀ a͞r̕͘m҉̧͞s̨ ̴̛n̨͡o҉͘t ̧͡i͞͡n̡͞ ̴d̶͜ę̴̷f͡e͜n̕s͝e,͜͜ ̕b̧͝ú̵t͟͡ ́͘͡ì̧͠ń̵̀ ̵a҉͘g̡͝͞g̛̕͡ŗ̢e̷s͢҉s̴̛i͟҉̴ơņ͠.̶

Truer words had never been spoken, from Kaeshana to Mirial the Jedi have attempted to proactively stem the ocean of darkness spilling forth from the bastions of hate. Yet for all their efforts all they have been rewarded was death, loss, and ruin.

"What are you...?"

The shadow chuckled, Í̵͝ ͝ám ̡̢̀thę ̡a̴m̸̕a̶̕ļg҉͝a҉m̴̸̛ąt̶͜i̵ơ͘͏n̨͘ ̵́o̸f̨̀͟ ͞͠y͢͞o̶̢u̶̵͜r͜͢͡ ̕͏f̡͏̶u͞t͝u̕҉r̸̨̀e̴̡. ̷T̶̀hi̛s͏ ̧͞p̸at̵͝h ͠tḩ̶e̸̶͢ ͞J̶͡ed͏i̧ ̴h̴͟a̴v̧͢e ͢ş͜e̶t҉͡ ͏̵t̨͠h͝e̸̡mş̛҉el̸̨̢v̨es͜ ͜o͟n͡ ͟͟w̸͟įl̡l ̶͘͠d̸̡el̡͏i̧v҉̷̛e҉r̀ ţ̧h̡̛é͝m̕ ̵͡u̵̷n̛ţ̨o ̷d̨̢̕e̷ştr̛̕u͏̴́ct̵̨͜ion̢͟,̛͢҉ ͢ą̢͘n͢͠d̢͞ f̸̨͠r̵̕͠ǫ͞ḿ̨ ̧̀͏t̀̕h̶͠ei̵͜r̛ ̸̕͠a̵s̀͜h҉̨͢ȩs̴̡͟ t̴͡͝h̴͠e̛͟ ̨̡͝S̢̧͠i̕͝t̶͜h ͜͟w̶i͞l͏l͝ ̸͢r̶̢͟í̡s͠͠e̡ ́͢t͜͏o̸̴ ̵̷̨d͘͠o҉mi͏̸n̛͞a҉̢te͜ ̵͏t̴̨h̛é̵ ̨w̷͞͞h̸o̴̕͟ĺe̶ ̕̕҉ģ̡a̢͞l̸̢a̢̨x̸͜͞y͘.͢͠͝

He advanced as Romi advanced, their conflict ferocious and unrelenting as neither side deigned to give up the offensive. No matter how hard Romi fought, the shadow swelled in both size and power as it feed off of her violence.

Could the Jedi truly be the defenders of peace if they were so willing to wage war on behalf of the Light?

[member="Romi Jade"]​