You Die, Or I Do. (Invite Only.)

[Jacen Cavill]

Orbit of Malachor V​

The Bridge of the Sion​

"Sir, she's been trying to reach you for a few day's now. The Serpana attack was planned before she knew of your prior engagements for Blas-Tech." The ship's captain followed the pacing man along the bridge of the Monitor Class Corvette. Normally under-staffed, the ship had it's fully compliment of a crew for the first time in a while. Increased activity in this sector warranted the current compliment on the ship, even if it did make the Sith Lord feel cramped. His steps matching his master's, the captain followed dutifully trying to catch Lord Kryptus up on the latest updates in the Hegemony. There were various subjects to catch the Sith Lord up to, but he wasn't paying the man any attention. "Lord Kryptus, if you'd give me but a moment I can catch up on what you've missed the past few days while you've been out training and gathering artifacts." Their footfalls stopped, and all eyes on the bridge shifted to the two meter tall man who currently looked more like a rancor than a human being who was once a count. "Thank you sir, now if you'll allow me to catch up you." His throat cleared and then he pressed on bravely. "It seems that we have a new mis-"

"Enough, I have a mission. Not you. Fool." Kryptus never even turned back to look at the captain, his mood easy to identify. Yellow and red eyes peered at everyone on the deck, daring them to say anything. Fear permeated the Force, and he soaked in it for a moment as he heard the captain struggle to breath. "You sir," he said as he rounded to face the disrespectful captain who was falling to his knees. "You have failed me, and your incompetence and lack of respect will be the end of you." Jacen Cavill's face had a disapproving look, and he assessed the man like a boot would assess an ant. "You don't deserve to know what the afterlife is, but don't worry friend. I have a solution so you can be immortal like me." A dark tendril of the Force extended towards the viewport from which the Sith Lord usually rested, and Daesumnor flew to his hand in an instant. Jacen cradled the blade for a moment before stroking the alchemical creation. "Enjoy your immortality."

Taking the blade in one hand, he quickly impaled the man. Holding the hilt, he could feel the man's essence transfer into the weapon he now wielded. Dead eyes looked up at him from where the Captain had been on his knees, the life forever gone into the powerful blade. After pulling the weapon out, he cleaned the blade off before sheathing it. "Is there anyone else who feels the need to speak to me right now?" Silence met the Sith, and he smiled before walking down stairs to the comm room of the vessel. A few strokes on the console dialed a number, and he kneeled on the holopad so his visage could be seen by the woman with which he hoped to speak.

"Who or what am I hunting now?


The question hung in the air as the feed to [member="Rave Merrill"] opened. Cavill's face looked at the floor, as he viewed the maker of his weapon as a Master of sorts. Their bond was of the sort Sidious and Vader shared, and he enjoyed the hunts she sent him on.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Jacen Cavill"]

Stand up, I'm not Palpatine was on the tip of her tongue, but Kryptus was acknowledging her as the one with the plan, and she was that, even if nothing else about her fit the Sith mold of the situation.

And it was, by all accounts, a solid plan. Not that she had anything personal against the target, but some people just needed to die, at the right time and in the right way.

"Prey like you've never tackled before, Kryptus. Prey challenging enough that right about now you'll start to wonder whether I'm sending you to certain failure. There's a holocron, one that guided the modern Jedi Order -- the holocron of Je'gan Olra'en. It's believed to still be in the possession of the one who kept it then.

"Darron Wraith.

"Feel free to decline the task. There are other ways to kill Wraith, though none of them assure me that the holocron could be recovered. And you will need to kill him to take it from him. I'm sending you a set of coordinates that cost me blood and lives to obtain."

 

[Jacen Cavill]

"Darron Wraith."

Those two words hung in the air for but a moment, as Cavill pulled deeply from his memories of the prominent Jedi in the Order's recent history. A dossier appeared in his head as he recalled everything about the man, and his face contorted in shock and awe. Looking up, he finally stood to his full height so that he could look down at the holographic form of the woman he worked with. "You wish to send me against one of the Jedi who can put a Sith Lord down, who wounded Lady Desmius and stopped countless other Dark Lords?" It was true apprehension that showed on his face, and his rage was growing. Bulkheads were bending as he let his will extend out as he continued on his rant for but a moment.

"Do you not know everything about the former GrandMaster of the Jedi Order? How he fights like the fabled Mace Windu? Or how he is a master at telekinesis and can handle multiple duelists at once?" Frustration continued to mount, and more of the room continued to bend against his will. A long exhale escaped his nose as he walked away for but a moment considering his options. "Fine, I'll do this but I'm going to have to do a few things you won't like in the process to handle this man." A plan was forming on how to take down the Jedi Master, and it was going to be grisly.

"When I do this, and if I succeed. I want full access to your vaults of knowledge." There wasn't a question mark to end his words because he was making a demand, and he didn't even give her a chance to respond. Kryptus cut the feed and marched out of the room, there was more Sith poison to take.

He was going big game hunting, he needed to be at his best.

[member="Rave Merrill"]

 

[Darron Wraith]

Cato Neimodia​

(Formerly) Darga The Hutt's Palace​

"Ah, good to see you GrandMaster Wraith." The Neimodian lowered his head in respect as Darron got off the Ol'raen and walked off the ramp. This particular ambasaddor had known Wraith during his time leading the Order, and it seemed his news was outdated. "I'm no longer GrandMaster, but thank you for that Denonia." Darron and Denonia respectfully bowed to each other and embraced each other as friends. It wasn't everyday that a Jedi and a Neimodian were friends, but they had become that way after Wraith had helped liberate the world and annex it into the Republic a few years back. "Well then, I hope whoever leads them now is half the leader you were friend." His words were warm as they stopped their embrace, and began walking towards the former palace, now political center for Cato Neimodia. It's former owner had died during the 800 years after the Clone Wars, and from it's perch above the bridge cities allowed it to be a political center of the world. Here decisions were made for the other trade worlds nearby, and those benefited the Republic as a whole.

"Oh, don't worry my friend. Kiskla Grayson is doing quite the fine job, and no one can be as bad as Selena Halcyon was. That much I can promise you." A mutual laugh was shared between the two as the boarding ramp to the Ol'raen closed and they started heading towards the palace proper. Through the Force, he could sense the Ambassador's worry, and he decided to question him on it on the spot. "So what troubles you friend, why the need for an encrypted message directly to me? I'm leading the Tython academy and coordinating some of the Republic's military operations now myself." That troubled expression only grew further, and Wraith could see his hands shaking slightly. "I-I don't want to discuss it so out in the open like this my friend. This isn't something we need to talk about once we get inside so that not everyone can hear this." There was some truth to his words, but there was something that Darron was picking up on.

It was fear.

So they continued their march, and the Jedi Master only casually glanced at the rather advanced Mirari guard droids that patrolled the building. Though he did notice their keen interest in him. Must be my armor and the lightsaber I wear he thought innocently. How often did they have to fire on Force-Users on this world? It wasn't a true question, for he knew the answer. This planet was a hotbed for trade, and that invited multiple groups to attempt things on the world. So Wraith appreciated the caution, and he kept his words to himself as he walked step for step with the Neimodian of the same height towards the imposing palace before them. It's unique architecture was both eye appealing, and garish at the same time. Had he had the time, he would have stayed and paid more attention to it and a certain vessel that was docked on the other side. A Monitor Class Corvette that would have stood out for it's definite Imperial origin.

Wraith saw none of that though as he entered the palace. Instead, blue eyes fell on the droids line up for levels with their weapons trained on him. Then they fell on a towering man covered in a black duster of an unknown material who trained his matching blue eyes on him. "Who is this?" Darron motioned to the man, the droids and then looked back at the Ambasador who was quickly distancing himself from the Jedi Master. "What is the meaning of this," he said. Wraith pulled his lightsaber hilt from his belt and tried to assess the situation, but the Force was giving him nothing but the fear emanating from the Neimodian. Realization struck him, he doesn't fear me....he fears him. Sky blue eyes focused back on the man across the grand hall, and the doors behind him closed as more droids quickly came in before it bolted itself shut. All their weapons were on him.

"Why did you do this?" It was all he could manage before the Neimodian back up further. "I'm sorry, I was offered more for your life and profitable investments in the Tion Cluster! Forgive me!" He started to scream as he ran away, leaving Wraith by himself with all the droids and the man across the room. Walking cautiously towards the center of the room, his face appeared grim and set in stone as he eyed all fifty droids with their Blas-Tech weapons trained on him, and the man who had yet to speak. Nothing had been stated yet, but he did know where they stood: against him. He also knew where he stood.

Inside a kill box.

[member="Jacen Cavill"]

 

[Jacen Cavill]

The Palace​

Standing 100 Meters from [member="Darron Wraith"]​

Cavill said nothing as the Jedi Master and the Neimodian had their little squabble. As their conversation ended and the Jedi Master walked towards the center of the room, Cavill raised one hand and four shots rang out and killed the Ambassador where he stood. Their rifles retrained on the lone figure in the middle of the room, who resembled stone at the moment. It took all he had to not be in awe of the Jedi before him, he had read much about the man. Looks like he is everything they said he was and then some, well he didn't know the last part. That little bit of information would soon come out the moment they started doing battle. No, the storm hadn't quite started yet. This was the silence before, the calm if you wanted to say such a thing. Tensions were high in the room, well they were high coming from the lone lightsider in the room. The fifty Mirari droids emitted no emotion, and the Sith's Force signature was currently null. That was until he took the ring off his hand.

That was when everything changed.

First, there was the throbbing. Senses that had been closed off suddenly opened. No longer constrained by sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch; his world opened up. Every living being on the planet was suddenly in his focus, but he didn't care for any of that. There was no need to worry about anyone, for no one would be coming. A jamming signal had been cast over the planet, and the Olraen was currently locked in place. There would be no escape, and the government had been paid off handsomely by [member="Rave Merrill"] and himself for this particular acquisition. So he turned all his senses to the paragon of the lightside before him, and he was almost blinded by the storm he saw in the Force. There it is, that's the superconductor everyone speaks of in legend. Then all his senses went back to himself, and he focused only on himself. Soon the energy of life was bent to his will by his rage and lust for battle. Cavill soon became the very axis of the universe in his mind, and all that dark power coursed through his veins as his eyes changed to their Sithly hue.

Darth Kryptus leapt forward to be only a few meters away, his face a pale color now. "You're probably wondering why you're all alone here." Kryptus's voice no longer sounded human as he reached into his terentanek duster and pulled Nihlus mask out. "You know, I have to wear this for appearances. I can't let the galaxy know just yet who's hunting all the Jedi and why." Cooly, he placed the mask on and pulled the hood on the duster over to hide his hair. Then he reached back and pulled Daeasumnor from it's sheath and held the blade in a one handed grip, his balance perfect. "You see, I'm going to kill you and make an example of you while taking all of your precious Jedi artifacts. It's been ordered by those far above myself." Kryptus took the greatest alchemical creation of Rave Merrill in a two handed grip, before nodding his head at the Jedi Master before him.

Fifty triggers pulled simultaneously as the Dark Lord of The Sith lunged, his blade in a high over head strike as he tried to obliterate the Jedi Master in one strike.

 

[Darron Wraith]

Shatterpoint was a beautiful gift.

It allowed him to assess situations in a near instant fashion, and see how everything was connected. To the naked eye, they could only the droids and their weapons aimed at them. Or they would simply focus on the Sith Lord before them issuing taunts. Maybe they would have felt fear at knowing they were being hunted, or a bit disturbed with the mask that the man put on. Darron Wraith felt none of these emotions, instead he quickly dissected the situation before him. Through his sphere of responsibility, he could see lines connecting the man before him to the droids that were lined above him. More lines connected from him, to the sword that he was currently wielding. A pattern emerged, and Wraith saw where he had to strike if he wanted to survive this encounter. It wasn't above, and it wasn't retreat that was required. No, something much more brash was required.

He had to take down the man he had seen in his visons.

In an instant, he had pulled the electrum plated hilt off of his waist and gripped it tightly in his gloved hand. Mace Windu's own weapon lay in his hand, it's new wielder just as skilled in Vaapad as it's creator. All emotion flushed from the warrior, and in it's place the Force filled the empty cup he had become. One thought held solid though, and he latched on to it in that instant. His desire for combat, or rather his love for it, were what his mind focused on. Sky-blue eyes soon became the focal point of the storm within even as his face remained calm. With that one thought in mind, he let the darkness around him channel inward. Half the loop had been created instantly, and he continued to let all the darkside power funnel into him in that instant. Words were being said to him as this went on, but he paid no attention to it. There was only the beat of their two hearts, and rapid threat assessments as he focused on ways to accomplish what needed to be done.

Darkness raged, and dark intent flooded him. A flash of what would happen played before his mind mere seconds before, and that was what saved him. It wasn't all the training, all his power and abilities. Every lightsaber training session he had ever had meant nothing for a millisecond, for it was this small gift that had been his true blessing. A lone snap hiss could be heard as the amethyst blade ignited and he went into a two handed grip just as the shots flew at him. Not knowing where to go with his blade, he simply trusted the Force as he always had. His true friend, and ally in combat didn't let him down as bolt after bolt were ricocheted back at their senders or away from him. Another surge could be felt, and he simply looked up in time to see the Sith Lord above him. All his rage could be felt, and Darron finally let the circuit complete. All that darkness, matched with his own ferocity extended back up as he raised one hand towards his opponent while his other hand batted bolts back.

Lightside energy wrapped around his opponent, and his will and the Force's were one as he gripped and threw the man as hard as he could into a wall. His attention merely diverted, he tried to go for his attacker. Mirari droids continued their barrage, and Darron Wraith was left dancing with his blade to avoid being mowed down by stray blaster shots.

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Darron Wraith"]

Success flooded his mind as he got airborne, and every muscle gave wholeheartedly to what he was about to do. In his mind's eye, he could see Daesumnor magically make it past the distracted Jed's defenses. In that moment, the sword would absorb the man's soul and be forever bound. Kryptus would be denied the message he wanted to send, but Darron's dead body would have to serve as notice enough. This dream formed in his mind as gravity pulled him down, and his blade arched back further behind his back. It was a classic Djem-So attack being used by a man wielding an alchemical weapon. To most, the weight and heft of the weapon would have stopped him. For a man who's power resided in enhancing himself to levels few creatures could dream of made the weapon weightless to him. He knew that he could counter the Jedi's speed and power due to his own abilities. Jacen hadn't counted on one thing though.

How crafty the former GrandMaster was.

An invisible hand grabbed him, and in one motion slung him THROUGH a wall. Stone, mortar, and durasteel caved against the force of his impact. Landing with a thud, the masked Sith Lord simply sat there for a moment. The impact itself hadn't hurt, but his ego was wounded from being so unceremoniously handled. Rage coursed through his veins, and the darkness flooded his muscle fibers once more. Picking himself up quickly, dust fell off his duster and he re-gripped Rave's gift to him. Yellow and red eyes looked to the hole his own body had formed, and all his attention focused on his target. He's still dealing with them, good. It was the only thought he managed as he let his speed turn to a blur as he bolted from the hole he had formed and back onto the central part of the spacious room they were in. Had it been unoccupied, it would have been the centerpiece due to it's golden coloration and ornate textures. Here it was just a killzone, and he intended to use it.

His sprint slowed as he resumed the high, two handed, Djem-Sp stance. Mirari droids re calibrated their targeting, and they focused exclusively on the Jedi as their commander neared. Seeing an opening as he drew within three meters, he came crashing in with a slash aimed from the right to left right at the Jedi Master's elbow. All of the darkside energy he could muster fell with that blow as he took a step forward, using his hips to make the strike have true cleaving power. Even without the Force, such a blow from a two meter tall man built of muscle would have cut down most anything. With said power added on to it, he hoped the blow would be enough to fell the distracted Master who wasn't even facing him.

Even Sith could hope.

 

[Darron Wraith]

[member="Jacen Cavill"]

Bolts were raining down on him, making it impossible to see in the room that was supposed to be his death trap. Volley after volley rained down on him, and his amethyst blade beat them back. Deep in the back of his mind, his mind took him back to training sessions on Dantooine. Reality had the Jedi Master fighting for his life, but he was reminded of learning from his parents. The memory flashed forward, and he was training next to his brother, then again he was training alone with Teferi Efreet watching over him. Stone walls on Tython surrounded him, and he was at peace as he worked against the training droids that fired their intermittent blasts at him. It had been a keen lesson in how to avoid being lulled to sleep by consistent attacks, and it was why most Jedi were always prepared for differences in blaster combat. An individual shot wouldn't be what killed you if you were immersed in the Force and your training foundation was a solid as bedrock.

What would kill you was a change in tempo, or the unexpected.

A three shot barrage would hit, followed by a single shot towards his hair. Vaapad allowed him to move as a blur, his blade appearing like there were many more. Darron's speed and precision weren't doubted, but the droids weren't getting tired. His memory finally fading, he began to form a plan. Shatterpoint was at work again as he ducked, dodged, and rolled away from the blasts he couldn't hit. Grenade after grenade had been thrown, and he had returned them to their senders graciously. Wherever the Sith Lord was, he didn't pay any attention to him, his focus was strictly on the present. Cracks in the stone began to become illuminated in his mind, and their paths connected as he finally found the one place he needed to push to achieve his intended result. Wraith's focus split, and he began to push on that collection of stones, hoping they would soon fall.

Then he came back.

"FATHER!"

Wraith knew who's voice that was, and he knew he was the only one that could hear it. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end, and the familiar feeling took over. Completely letting go of the control over himself, his left foot took a step forward as he kept a two handed grip on his blade. His right foot planted, momentarily becoming one with the ground beneath it as he rotated his hips and torso to face what had made him turn around. There he is, he thought to himself, the monster in my dreams. Whatever it was that was attacking him, Darron had his blade ready as the alchemical blade came crashing against his. The impact rocked his entire body as their blades crashed, ripples of energy going up his elbows and down into his knees. Holding strong against the assault had been his natural reaction, and he was paying for it now. Locking blades now appeared to be the foolish strategy, and he quickly planned his next assault. Shatterpoint was long forgotten, and that collection of stones in the center of the palace had been forgotten. Instead he took a different path.

Wraith attacked.

Their blades locked, he slid forward while keeping his feet beneath him in a quick shuttle forward. This close into his opponent, and he knew that the man wouldn't generate that much kinetic force without drawing upon his reserves. Sparks flew for but a moment as azure eyes met the red ones behind the mask, the rage behind it ever present. Darron took a quick forward step with his left leg as he immediately dropped his hips. This allowed him to place his right leg behind him to help him spin around, all the while he took his blade in a one handed grip. The amethyst blade was uninhibited as it went for the Sith Lord's shins.

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Darron Wraith"]

Fething Darron Wraith, why won't you die!

The thought was ever present in his mind, and the rage only built as their blades finally collided. Shockwaves made small bits of dust and stone move as the alchemical creation of one Rave Merrill finally locked with the hilt Mace Windu had made. Behind the mask of Nihlus he was focused, and ready. Darkside energy was flowing through his veins, and the Sith poison he had injected himself with earlier was taking effect. Realization had hit as they had finally locked their weapons for the first time, I can beat him. It was a truth he had noticed in the milleseconds when the initial clash of weapons had happened. Darron Wraith wasn't used to being hit with that much power. Everything the Sith Lord had read up on the Jedi suggested he was a powerhouse, and that his blows where to be avoided. Guess we now know who knows the truth in that statement. It only emboldened him as he started to press his blade against the purple one before him.

Kryptus smiled behind the mask, until the Jedi ducked below him. His immortality threatened again, he reached even further into the darkess. The onyx energy flooded his muscle fibers, and cleared his senses as he let his emotion take him further down the worm hole. Sith poison enhanced senses allowed the moment to play out in slow motion, and he couldn't help but admire the speed with which his opponent moved. Everything about Wraith screamed warrior, and everything he did was flawless. Holo-vids and recordings had only hinted at the ferocity he was facing, but Darron didn't have something Jacen did.

He didn't want it as bad.

Technique would dictate he would take a hard Djem-So strike and try and level the Jedi Master that had ducked and was trying to maim him. Technique would dictate he would fall on some archaic form of combat and limit his ability to defend himself against a much faster and skilled opponent. So Jacen Cavill did what any self-respecting darksider would do in the face of his impending doom: he improvised. Kryptus stepped into the attack and let Daesumnor fall to his left hand as he squatted down, his intent showing itself. His enhanced grip caught the bracer, while keeping the blade far from him. Blaster bolts fired on both men, a testatment to their rather unexceptional aim under duress. Powerful digits gripped the cortosis weave, and it cracked as his power rippled into the prosthetic hand of the Jedi Master below him. In one swift motion, he tightened his grip as he stood up to his full height. With Wraith no longer touching the ground, he pulled on the Force some more as he finally launched the Jedi Master towards a wall.

BOOM!

It didn't stand a chance against his throw, there was now a hole in the wall.

Gripping his sword tightly, his eyes never left his target. Pain was written all over the Jedi's face, and Cavill took the opportunity to strike. Knees bent, and he launched himself forward into a controlled leap that carried him into the space. Sewage pipes were near by, and blaster bolts had scarred the ancient walls. Tapestries were burning now, and the entire place stank of death. Through the Force, he could feel the man's body reeling from the assault. "You should have just died when I gave you the chance Jedi, you only made this worse on yourself." In one swift motion, he took Daesumnor in a reverse, two-handed grip and leapt right on top of the prone Jedi. I'll have your soul now, he thought as he brought the blade up and down to impale the Jedi in his heart.

 

[Darron Wraith]

[member="Jacen Cavill"]

Hope was something Wraith had always clung to, it was why he was the Jedi he was. Fundamentally he hoped for the best in every individual and every situation, it was just his central rule. The Code accounted for most things, but at his core he always hoped for the best. It was why when he flew a starfighter, he hoped to never have to fire it's blasters. It was why when he arrived at a tense situation that he hoped to never have to use his lightsaber. It was why he hoped that people could see the right path to follow without Jedi intervention ever, and why hoped all who fell could be redeemed. So it came as no surprise to himself that he hoped his blade would hit home and this battle would be over before it started. Hope was such a strong emotion, and Darron hung tightly to it as the amethyst blade whizzed towards the Sith's shins. The mental image had formed, and he hoped it was a vision. Maybe there is a way I can stop this all now and save this man who is trying to kill me.

Then a gloved hand gripped his bracer, and latched down so hard he thought he was going to lose his arm.

Wraith's hope was shattered in the moment, reality wasn't going to allow for hope on this day. Darron waited for the moment to crystallize, for all his opportunities to illuminate so he could let his training dictate the course of the battle. It never came for him though, and the blaster bolts finally started hitting home. Thanks to his armor nothing penetrated his torso, but their unwelcome impacts could be felt. All of that was of little consequence to the man as he was jerked off his feet and thrown like a pebble towards a lake to be skipped. Except he wasn't a stone, he was a nearly two hundred and thirty pound man and there was no water for him to land on. Such was the speed of the throw that all he could do was exhale as his back struck the stone first, Wraith somehow had been flipped in the course of his flight. It collapsed, and Darron's teeth clenched against each other as he let the air escape his lungs as he was thrown through the wall. A deafening crash was followed by a loud thud, then ringing as he lay there. Blood beginning to fall from a few small cracks.

What sounded like muted blaster bolts could be heard, but he didn't have the energy or the self-awareness to get up. Only seconds passed as his attacker advanced on him, but it felt like an eternity to the reeling Jedi Master. His senses started to come back to him, and he noted the awkward position he was laying. Wraith's field of responsibility finally resurfaced just at the tail end of the Sith's little speech. Thank the Force I missed that, I don't want him to monologue the entire time. A reply was ready, but Darron didn't even have time to talk as his attacker came on him again. Where did he learn to move that fast? Who taught this man, and why have I never ran into him before. These were the thoughts crossing his mind as he was staring down Daesumnor as the blade came screaming for his heart.

Darron took a reverse grip on the hilt he had managed to keep his hand on, and then rolled to his left just as the blade went through the floor where he had been. Wraith uncoiled, for he had no other choice to go. If he stood up he would be exposed, so he rolled back to the center as he reactivated Windu's blade. The impact pushed his attacker of balance as it made the blade crooked, and much harder to pull out of the ground. With his free hand, he pulled on the darkness that was being fed into him and launched the full power of electric judgement right at the man wearing the mask of Darth Nihlus, from point blank range.

 

[Jacen Cavill]

CRASH!!!

Dust and rubble flew from the pair of Force-users as their power collided, all the power they had converging as their blades clashed. Towering above the prone Jedi, the Sith berated himself for missing his chance. Sweat dripped down his pale skin and collected on the inside of the mask of Darth Nihlus , the weight of his hood only annoying him further. Muscle fibers twitched and flexed as he pushed harder against the amethyst blade that was blocking him from victory. Trinkets bounced against his belt, along with the various tools he had brought with him for this mission. Bearing down further, he tried to use all the leverage he had to try and get the blade back on it's wielder. Frustration and rage built as he pushed down harder, the seconds ticking by slowly as he tried his hardest to kill the man below him. His knees bent further as he tried to get closer, and his hips torqued as he put more of his strength into it. Everything was solid between the two of them in the Force: light versus dark, and he could feel the shadows closing in on the Jedi Master. A grin began to form, even as he strained against Mace Windu's lightsaber blade.

The world shifted, and hairs began to stand up on the back of his neck.

Wraith's free hand launched lightning directly at Kryptus' face, and he was defenseless. Emerald streams flew over him, pushing him back and away from his target. Muscles involuntarily contracted and flexed. Saliva began to form as his teeth clenched against themselves, he had been caught fully off guard. Armed with an army's worth of tools to kill a Jedi, and the sword to forever murder him he was nothing. Those same knees that had been bending him towards his opponent now were bending as the strength was sapped from his bones. The Gauntlet of Kressh did nothing for him, because this was an unexpected attack, and his other trinkets did little for him. Eyes blinded with pain could see the Jedi Master beginning to start to sit up, even as the energy continued to flow freely from his hand. Through the Force, the balance was shifting even further as blinding light consumed the darkness.

Cavill always had a plan though.

Velok's auction had been a gift that was still giving, as evidenced by what he wore. Moridin's gauntlet had been charging for weeks, left alone just for this battle. The Sith Lord had always intended for it to be an easy out if he were corned by Vaapad, he hadn't thought about the Jedi's electric judgement. Little needles of pain flooded his body as he resisted, and with great effort, raised his free hand. Focusing on the next few seconds, he simply let it happen.

With a simple flick of his wrist, all hell broke loose in the room.

A cannon-sized blast of a Force Push was lauched from the gauntlet, sending both men reeling. The kick from the energy launched Cavill back through the hole in the wall, while the Jedi Master absorbed the whole brunt of the blast. Mortar and stone were nothing against all that saved kinetic energy, and the downward trajectory forced the floor to cave in. A massive hole formed, and the opening led to the sewer...

...and an injured Jedi Master.

 

[Darron Wraith]

[member="Jacen Cavill"]

Blood was flowing from his lips now, and he was fairly certain he had a concussion. Brusing was already forming under the armorweave he wore, and his breast plate was cracked. Breathing in and out was a chore, and he was fairly sure a few ribs were broken. At least down here I'm not getting shot at from every angle. Darron tried to chuckled, and immediately stopped the moment more blood left his lips. Ye, those rips are broken. In the shadows, he couldn't really assess himself as well as he would like. His gloved hand moved over the bare, exposed skin. More hisses of pain fell from his lips as he found multiple cuts, abrasions, and blaster burns. Wiping his face, his glove was covered in a bit of blood. Reaching over to a nearby bit of water running down the wall from a burst pipe, he cleaned his face quicly as he took in his surroundings. It wasn't ideal, but he could finally bottleneck all those who were hunting for him. Down here I can limit his movements, make this fight a bit more fair. That was the strategy he had adopted from the moment he had been forced through the floor, now he just had to follow through on it.

Metal steps could be heard above, and the darknes rose as those sounds drew nearer. A lesson from his childhood came to mind, the words of Teferi Efreet echoed in his minds.

"Can't find what they can't sense, see or feel young Wraith."

Diminishing his Force signature only took seconds, the Art of The Small almost reflexive to him. Echos of boots above filled the cavernous space below, and Wraith left his brief area of solace. Soon he was knee high in water, and he slowly moved through the waste. Steam pipes were bursting in other areas, a by product of the blow he had just received. Uncertain steps became more sure as he finally got his breathing back to normal, and the rush of endorphins had passed. More noise filled the area, and splashes could be heard, they were all coming for him. Shadows danced down the winding hall ways, courtesy of the emergency lighting that had been triggered. A klaxon could be heard in the distance as the droids began a search for the Jedi Master. In his sphere of responsibility he could feel the negative spaces where they brushed past his blood. More midichlorians died with each passing second, but the Jedi Master did something he didn't usually do.

Darron Wraith ducked under the water and hid.

Shatterpoint allowed him to see where his advantage was, and he targeted what was skewing the odds. Invisible tendrils of Force energy began wrapping around all sources of light, then it progressed towards all the Mirari droids. Stealth was key as he held his breath and crawled past the patrols, towards the all consuming darkness still near the area where he had fallen. Willpower soon joined those tendrils in the Force, and the superconducting loop reconnected itself. His mind was as one with the Force, and everything his senses wrapped around suddenly paused. Tension wracked the droids as lightbulbs burst everwhere, consuming the entire sewer in darknes. Mirari droids resisted before their panels began folding in, before the pressure became violent and they all gave into the pressure. Sparks flew as motors and servos were crushed, and the number of pursuers on the Jedi Master soon dwindled to one.

Darron Wraith burst from the water, the Force his ally.

Suddenly on his feet, he sprinted towards the opponent. His vision was denied due to the darkness, but the Force allowed him to see everything clearly. Light rushed for the darkness, and he took a two handred grip on the hilt in his hand. The Sith Lord didn't know he was there, and Wraith struck, stabbing his blade directly at the darksider's heart. In that motion, the amethyst blade sprung to life with a single sound as the battle resumed.

One that had defined the Jedi Master's life.

Snap-Hiss.

 

[Jacen Cavill]

SPLASH!

All two hundred and fifty pounds of his two meter tall frame came crashing down in the sewer below. More splashes joined as he sent his Mirari droids in a wide search area to find the Jedi Master. Their search and kill programs had been initiated, and as one they fanned out into the adjacent corridors to try and find the Jedi Master. Water was splashing everywhere, and steam was bursting from pipes, remnants of the damage that had just been inflicted. Sparks flew from the hole above, and the Sith Lord couldn't be bothered by any of it. Instead, he focused solely on his target. Darkside corrupted orbs scanned around, looking for signs of his prey. Small globules of blood were visible as the water levels rose within the sewer below, right where the Jedi had fallen. "Good, he's injured. This will make it that much easier to track him down." Bending down to grab the blood, he played with the small trickles of the life fluid of the Jedi. The viscous fluid moved between his thumb and pointer finger for a moment before he rinsed it off his hand with some sewage that was beginning to flood up to his knees.

"He went that way," his words echoed off the walls as he pointed Daesumnor towards a particularly dark hallway. Water sloshed on his pants as he pushed forward, fatigue beginning to set in. Cavill's breathing was a little more difficult, a few pieces of metal were piercing his back after he was thrown across the room by that blast. Drops of his own blood were flowing down his back, and it made the terentanek duster stick to his flesh. The simple armorweave he wore underneath was useless against pointed objects, and how it had made it up his shirt blew his mind. Either that, or it was the first hints of a concussion that were starting to form. Regardless of his abilities and trinkets, if he was caught by surprise he could be wounded.

Cavill hated that fact.

He wasn't allowed to really dwell on that fact, the Force trembled around him. Lights shattered, and the sound of metal bending and groaning as it was crushed by invisible hands. Reaching deep within himself, he started searching for the source of the energy. That was when he heard it, but he felt it before he heard it. Everything slowed down, the world crystallized around him and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. A demonic voice filled his ear, hatred and malice lacing it's words. "He's about to kill you, and you weren't even ready." Dread filled his heart, then converted to the fuel he needed to power him in the next few milliseconds just as that sound sprung to life and the entire cavern filled with purple light.

SNAP-HISS!

Daesumnor moved as energy flooded his muscle cells, the alchemical blade deflecting the kill stroke with a simple flick of his wrist. Stepping forward and to the side of his opponent, he brought the blade down in a powerful overhead slash. His blade aimed squarely right at the Jedi Master's skull.

 

[Darron Wraith]

[member="Jacen Cavill"]

Djem-So was something Darron Wraith knew intimately, as well as a lover knew their mate. Countless hours had been spent practicing the different katas and strikes that made up the form of powerful blows that he used to practice. His height and length were his supreme advantage at first, but as he grew into his frame, he developed powerful blows that couldn't be blocked. Wraith's torque and ability to use maximum amounts of energy for long amounts of had made him one of the premier Djem-So duelists in the galaxy. Many a battle and duel had been won with his power, and his ability to use it to it's full advantage. Many a darksider had fallen to his mighty blows, and his ability with it had been what caught the other Master's eyes. It had been what had allowed him to fully become the man he was, and to graduate on to something far greater.

Vaapad.

Though his blade was batted away, Wraith quickly reshuffled his feet, watter splashing as he did. The superconducting loop between the two allowed him to slide away and absorb the darkness that had been aimed at him. Every blow the Sith Master unleashed on him only reaffirmed Darron's knowledge of his techniques, and he knew what to do next. He is a straight up Djem-So duelist. Time to up the speed of these blows. It was a simple strategy, and one that he quickly slid into just as that blow came for his head. More water splashed as his feet changed positions as he brought the amethyst blade up and over his head while angling it down. Echoes of blades crashing against each other filled the cramped area, but Wraith averted being bisected by diverting the power of the Sith's strike away from him. Using the momentum of the strike to push him back, he reset his feet and lunged in again.

What followed next was what had built his legend, and what beings across the galaxy knew him by. Within three seconds he unleashed a volley of blows. Darron's first strike was a stab at the Sith's knee, it was merely a feint as he moved in for position. Each strike was a check, his next was a slash from right-to-left that was meant to cleave him in half. Drawing in closer and closer to eliminate his advantage of length, Wraith got airborne and borrowed a little from Ataru as he did a flip above the Sith in the confined area and brought his lightsaber crashing down at his exposed back in the hopes of stopping the man's assault on him.

This is what he had spent his adult life doing, and it was what defined the next few moments for him as well.

[member="Jacen Cavill"]

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Darron Wraith"]

Cavill wasn't an idealist, he was a realist was delusions of power and grandeur. He full well knew going into this mission that there was a chance Wraith would defeat him and bring him to justice or kill him in the middle of the duel. A man of that stature and ability wasn't stopped easily, and he wasn't to be taken lightly. That was the reason he was armored to the tooth, and carrying more weapons than he probably should. He had never, ever brought his combat droids on a mission with him until now. Nor did he just take Sith poison without a good reason, he knew the side effects and what they could do to him. Every one of these things indicated something that the Sith Lord wouldn't just out right say or admit easily to others or even to himself.

Jacen respected and feared the Jedi Master.

Those words would never leave his lips, but he had studied his opponent thoroughly. Countless hours had been spent researching Vaapad, and studying the movements to formulate strategies. That was why he knew that the Jedi Master would try and take away his reach, why he would keep the battle close to keep him from getting to unleash his full wind-up. It was a smart, and very bold plan, most were too afraid to get that close to Kryptus. Looking further into Wraith's records, he saw an inordinate amount of emotional control despite every reason to not have it. Studying more on the man revealed a keen mind and a kind heart, the latter he wanted to explot, and the former he wanted to remove permanently from the Jedi. That was his strategy, well at least part of the two fold one he would have to use at this point. Survive and kill, that was in it it's most base nature.

So when that purple blade became a blur, Daesumnor became a static object. Soresu wasn't natural to him, but it was something he would need to use in such a cramped space. Without the the excess movement his strikes became deadly efficient. Where he would have drawn back and wasted energy to block both blows, he instead moved his blade only as much as he needed while keeping a two handed grip on it. When the Jedi Master leapt up and over him, Cavill simply turned around and kept his feet shoulder width apart as he prepared for the slash, his own blade angling to absorb the blow.

Instead of staying on the defensive as the smell of ozone flooded his nose, he pressed on to the offensive. He pressed forward, gaining some separation from the Jedi while pushing him away. Then he began his march, with each step a blow was delivered, his volley designed to beat down his defenses. It was simple, when a foot touched the ground Daesumnor was launching a killing strike on the Jedi Master. There were no checks coming from the Sith, each blow was meant to end the battle as he pressed the Jedi Master back towards the hole they had created earlier. Determination crossed his face as he launched a downward strike aimed at Wraith's left shoulder, before following up with a stab and then ending the flurry of blows with a low blow right at the man's right ankle.

Now the battle had truly begun.

 

[Darron Wraith]

[member="Jacen Cavill"]

Each of his blows were beaten back, and then he was shoved back as if he were a child. Darkness rolled in waves around him, and through the Force he could feel it surrounding him. This isn't the first time you've been the only light against the dark Darron, you can do this. Mentally propping himself up wasn't in his nature, but then the next volley of blows came in, and he understood why as he was beaten back like a padawan. Standing just shy of two meters tall and weighing only a few pounds less than the man attacking him didn't allow him to comprehend why he was beaten back like he was. What did you do to yourself boy? The question could barely form as he felt the distinct burn of a lightsaber against his shoulder, his lightsaber. "AHH," he screamed as he jumped back only to have to step back further and further and further to avoid having his blade drive deep into his own flesh again. Panic wasn't an emotion he felt, but he did understand something that he hadn't had to deal with in a long time.

He wasn't physically strong enough to fight this man, or monster. Whatever it was.

Finally understanding that it's strategy was flexible, Wraith instead did something he didn't normally do. He ran right at the Sith Lord, and avoided being decapitated as he rolled right into the water. Windu's blade deactivated for a moment as he rolled in the water before standing up behind the Sith. Spinning while reactivating his blade, he brought the blade in a three strike sequence intended to throw off his balance. Each blow was awkwardly placed so as to throw the Sith off balance, anything to keep him from unleashing more of his powerful volleys. Wraith's elbows ached from catching his strikes, and he was pretty sure his prosthesis was damaged from the battle. It's responsiveness was lagging somewhat, but he was able to compensate with the Force.

Then an idea formed, and his senses extended upwards. If he couldn't bring the Sith Lord down with his unpredictable patterns with varying tempos. He would adapt his strategy to one that worked very well on Coruscant. I pray to the Force that that act doesn't define my life. Wraith knew in his heart that it wouldn't, so that was why he felt no regret or remorse when he repeated it.

Except when the ceiling fell on them both, he had no escape plan.

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Darron Wraith"]

Spencer Jacobs could absorb energy at quite the alarming rate, and it was a most wondrous talent. Back when he traveled with the vagrant fleet, he had witnessed her catch a lightsaber blade in her bare hands. No damage had been done to her hands, and she had held it like he would have grasped his hilt. That had been one of the most humbling, and awe inspiring feats he had ever seen, especially at that stage of his development. How she had managed to push herself that far in the Force had been something he didn't comprehend, how she had done it without selling her soul as he had was another thing entirely. For every ability he had, there had been a lesson, something painful he had had to do to become what he was. His fighting techniques had come from the Echani, his build from his time in the Serreno military before he was to assume his title. Every bit of lightsaber training and swordplay had come as a painful lesson, his deadly sight had been honed by others. Others had taught him their powers, which brought him back to Spencer Jacobs and her ability to catch lightsaber blades with her bare hands.

Kryptus was powerful, but he wasn't [member="Spencer Jacobs"].

All of Darron Wraith's strikes managed to graze home, even if they did hit lightsaber resistant hide. Vibrations traveled up his arm as the Gauntlet of Kressh began to power up, but it wasn't needed. Foot work and blade placement, albeit poor placement, was saving him at the moment. Even as the purple blade worked against him in ways he had never seen, he was constantly trying to back away from the strikes. Wraith was everything they had said he was and more, everytime Jacen had him the Jedi Master fought back. It almost reminded him of the time he learned how to fully encase him self against the fire that was going to destroy him. Darron was fighting his fire with a fire of his own, and then a feeling in the Force reminded him of an ability he had also learned during those lessons against the flame.

You want to bring the house down? How about I bring you THROUGH the house?

Energy raced through his body as he saw his opening and lunged, his power surging through his veins and muscle fibers. His opponent twisted and struggled as he wrapped Daesumnor around him as he formed an energy shield around only himself. As soon as it fully materialized he pulled on that shield and accelerated HARD through the rubble as everything collapsed on them. It only took moments for them to explode through the roof, the poor Jedi's body being beaten and battered as he was used as a battering ram of sorts upon their escape. Cavill released his grip about thirty meters above the complex and he let the Jedi Master tumble from his grasp, his body limp. He paid the man's descent no attention as he heard a resounding crash. Instead he did the most pompous thing he could.

He landed smoothly.

 

[Darron Wraith]

Jedi training included many disciplines, getting flown through a stone building and dropped like a rag doll wasn't one of them. There had been battles where he had leapt from starfighter to starfighter, or where he had been thrown around by the Force. Earlier in his youth he had fought much bigger men in the slave mines, and he had lost badly. His earlier defeats in his career had seen him get dominated by his opponents, especially by his older brother. Each of those had molded and formed him into the man that he currently was, all those physical battles had formed who he was. All of the emotional scars he had had helped him grown even more as a person, and better himself as a Jedi. That, combined with all the disciplines he had learned had given him a wealth of experience to draw upon. At this point in his career, there should have been nothing that could have surprised him at all.

The Force always found a way to surprise him, and this time it wasn't a good one.

More ribs snapped as his lighsaber was deactivated, and he barely kept his grip on the hilt. In situations where he felt challenged in battle, he would typically hear a line of advice from his past. Sometimes he would even hear the voices of those he held the closest to him, and they would offer him strength and encouragement. Whenever he had struggled, those voice had kept him on the right path. When the Jedi Temple had fallen, he had nearly let himself die. Yet, in that time of need the Force had offered the words his dead daughter, and she had told him of the fact that his son was still alive. There was none of that this time as his body was bent, battered, and used as a blunt instrument as the Sith Lord somehow rocketed them both out of the building.

All he heard was the wind rustling, and the sounds of bones breaking.

The rush of speed was traded for the sensation of falling, and he had no defense for what was happening. Normally he would have allowed the cup to become empty. His trust in the Force would allow his truest ally in battle to come rushing to his aid. The day would be saved, and he would find the proper maneuver to best his opponent. This wasn't that day for him, and he could feel it in all of his battered bones. Blond locks whipped past his face as his descent only increased in velocity, his legs and hands also appearing in his field of view. All that he could hear again was the sound of the wind whipping through his ears, and then he heard one more sound before everything went black for a few moments.

BOOM!!

What followed next was in a daze, but he somehow managed to find himself and get into a position where he was on his knees. Blood was pouring from his mouth, and his head was throbbing. Everything on the Jedi Master hurt, but he still had his lightsaber hilt in his hand. Motion was making him dizzy, and sparks were flying from his right forearm. A full medical assessment and a week in a bacta tank where what he needed at this point. In his heart of hearts he knew he wouldn't be getting that, and instead he just prepared for the inevitable assault that he could hear coming for him. Footfalls echoed in his inner ear, and he could feel blood pouring from them as well. The dirt below had more of the coppery tasting fluid, from multiple cuts to his face, but he was undaunted. Darron Wraith finally sat back on his knees, and stared the approaching Sith down.

"One day, you will feel like I do. I don't know who does this to you, but you won't always stand so tall. Someone will break you."

[member="Jacen Cavill"]

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Darron Wraith"]

Confidence was dripping off of him like blood was dripping off the Jedi Master before him. Feeling weighted down, he let the duster slide off him of him. Black locks that were starting to grow longer were finally exposed, and his blood red eyes could be seen despite Nihlus' mask. Dust broke in his wake as the heavy coat fell to the ground, revealing the red and black plats that covered his black armorweave. Both of his gauntlets reflected light off of them, and water ran off of his face. Blood was mixed in, and his locks clung to his face where sweat, blood, and grime had all mixed together on him. Daesumnor reflected light on the Jedi kneeling before him, and a large shadow began to crawl up the broken man before him. It appeared in the flesh like it appeared in the Force for him.

Darkness was swallowing the light.

"One day, you will feel like I do. I don't know who does this to you, but you won't always stand so tall. Someone will break you."

Kryptus stopped in his tracks, and he let the tip of his blade point towards the ground below. "Please Jedi, spare me this prophetic poodoo." Marching forth again, slowly, he let his blade slap at a few stray pebbles as he closed the distance. "I'm going to defeat you," he knew in his mind he had already won. "Then I'm going to break you in ways you never been broken before," that was a promise for what was about to happen. "Then when your body is broken, I will break your spirit and show you that you have truly failed." Oh he already had a plan for that, and he had paid for it in credits in blood. Once he was only a few feet away, he allowed his rage to build and let that energy flow up his spine and into his skull.

"Then I will kill you and let everyone see how much you failed."

Deadly sight built up, and he unleashed the blast as all his hatred went to that Jedi. At first the burning produced smoke as his hate was unleashed, and then the red beams of energy were released at full power from the Sith Lord.

 

[Darron Wraith]

[member="Jacen Cavill"]

"Then I will kill you and let everyone see how much you failed."

Precognition flared, and the world around him slowed to a crawl, like it had all the other times over his career. The sky above was clear, and the sun was shining above him, not a single cloud marred the view above him. Birds were no where in sight, but he could hear their cries, or whatever planetary equivalent was nearby. Despite the Sith Lord's rhetoric, his words about a lack of planetary support were true. No one would be coming for him on this day, and his communication equipment had been destroyed, leaving him with only one option for a back up plan. Knowing how thorough he is, I can't count on that. One lone plume of smoke in the distance, nearly five hundred meters away let him know the Ol'raen's communication array was probably destroyed. Metallic steps in the distance barely reached his hearing, only re-affirming everything he had already suspected. All of this was gathered within seconds, even as the beams of red energy shot straight towards hims.

He could only count on himself, like always.

Digging deep into himself, he allowed all of the pain he felt to fade from him as he exhaled. Every emotional scar cleared from him, and the injuries he had sustained faded from memory as the Force flowed throughout him. Wraith's breathing slowed, as he brought one leg up to leave him only on one knee. Blue eyes only glowed more as the light flowed into him, flashes of memories coming across his mind. @Je'gan Olra'en crossed his mind, his first kiss with [member="Rosa Gunn"], his feelings for [member="Kiskla Grayson"] also flowed through his veins. Memories of all of his triumphs crossed his mind, of Adamant Company, of his children and how they both were doing well. Tobias' blonde boyish hair crossed his mind, and the visions of Elanor only strengthened his connection to the Force, and most of all he thought of all the lives he had saved. That positive energy built up as his mortal frame became filled with light.

His left hand of flesh weakly rose, and white light erupted from it. Knocked off balance, he had to catch himself with his gloved as he was rocked by the blast. Through his sphere of responsibility he could feel the darkness and hate flowing towards him. All of the Sith Lord's selfishness and hate were battling against Darron's selflessness and purity of spirit. Just like every lesson he had heard, and ever given on the darkside he had given, real life was telling the same story right now.

Rage was a powerful force, but it was nothing against a man with faith and a cause. That thought empowered the Jedi Master, and soon both blasts died down. Standing to his full height, it took a lot more effort than usual to hold himself up. Blood was oozing from multiple wounds on his body, and more than a few bones were broken. His spirit stood strong, and he eyed his distracted opponent for the first time. I'm the first of many, he thought to himself. If I don't stop this here, he is only going to continue to do this, and I have no idea who is next. Memories of his friends, of his fellow Jedi, and all those he had ever defended crossed his mind. The moment crystallized as Shatterpoint kicked in, and all fault lines led right to the darksider right before him. I have no choice,this must stop now. "It ends here, Sith." That became his rallying cry as the light continued to flow within him, and he allowed his muscles to fill with the energy of light.

His path clear, he sprinted at his opponent. Darron's plan was fully formed as his left hand reached out and pulled Mace Windu's lightsaber hilt to his hand. Crossing the gap between the two, he tossed the hilt over to his right hand just as he got into melee range. Blows were swapped as the two men became blurs, but the Jedi's blade never ignited during the short scuffle. A cracking noise filled the air as his fist of durasteel struck a soft spot in the Sith Lord's armor, and that was when he saw his moment. An opening appeared, and for an eternity the moment hung their. Wraith's left hand struck the man in the face as his right hand extended right towards his sternum, the emitter of his lightsaber blade pointed right at the same ribs he had just broken. His attacker went to punch, and in a millisecond Wraith pressed the activation plate.

The smell of ozone and burning flesh filled his nose as the amethyst blade sprung to life. A decisive blow finally struck.