Don't Panic
From her position on the ground, in a very subtle crouch, breathing softly and muted on every spectrum, Niysha could make out a few things: the critter was quite distracted, and Valery was a springy little devil. Neither of them seemed terribly interested in things happening in other parts of the ruins. And there was still the main room with the blindingly powerful object inside. In all aspects, Niysha had the run of the place. Valery might or might not be able to handle this beast, but until she did or died, it was just... Niysha and the artifact.
She could just take it. And leave.
Sith were impulsive creatures, driven by instinct just as much as Jedi were, but with far more raw emotion behind those gut reflexes. Most acted on rash temper and naked ambition; it was the main way that most achieved any level of power. Niysha lacked those coarse passions, but she wasn't without her vices. When faced with a situation where she could simply take something she wanted, her greed welled up like a swelling tide. She stared into the blinding, bright heart of the innermost room of the ruin for several seconds. Transfixed. It would be so easy to just take it.
As always, though, she possessed astounding self-control. Fear tempered her basest impulses before greed could tempt her into making any mistakes. Valery was going to kill that thing sooner or later, and there was only one way out of the room. Fear brought to Niysha the cold logic that she wouldn't be able to escape, and Valery could kill her much more easily than she did the monster behind her. Fear sharpened her mind and senses, bringing with it ideas she wouldn't be able to consider in other situations.
Niysha had just a few seconds. She rested on her knees, deactivated lightsaber across her lap, and let herself slip away.
The galaxy was vast. Infinite. Trillions of stars, ten times as many planets, uncountable masses of stardust between them. In that unending expanse was a single, imperceptibly tiny speck of dust. Upon that speck were a few trees, and a few old rocks. Beneath one of those rocks was a spiralling mass of darkness and stone, tunneling down into the planet. And deep within those dark tunnels was a loud, squirming creature fighting a tiny, blazing star.
The unshaped detritus of thought and destiny that was once Niysha swirled into that space, suspended in the convenient myth of time for the breath of the moment and the infinite desert of the future. Everything All At Once was impossible to percieve, but fortunately, the Force didn't need what remained of Niysha to understand everything to bend to her will. The unending chaos of All Things was thick and turbulent, but with focus, will, and no slight bit of slightly frenzied panic, the amalgamated mass of what once was that might once again become Niysha tore through it to find exactly what was needed.
She fell back into herself.
Niysha only had seconds to act. With a deep breath, she stood from her position, turned slightly out of cover, and held out one hand to touch the Force in front of her. She gently caressed all that laid between her and the beast, then, when she felt its essence, grit her teeth and channeled every ounce of impotent, useless fury into one violent action. Her fingers gripped tight, clutching an invisible object in midair. In tandem, one of the monster's claws halted in midair and emited a sudden sound, like cracking ice.
For just a moment, its momentum was halted, and its chitin weakened along just one limb. Raw power was difficult, but she didn't need to crush the thing's throat, or its claws. All she needed was to fracture a joint for a moment and bring its movement to a screeching stop. Her presence, formerly silent and tiny, wept wrath, flavored with insecurity and frustration. She might be able to hold it for another second or two.
Valery Noble
She could just take it. And leave.
Sith were impulsive creatures, driven by instinct just as much as Jedi were, but with far more raw emotion behind those gut reflexes. Most acted on rash temper and naked ambition; it was the main way that most achieved any level of power. Niysha lacked those coarse passions, but she wasn't without her vices. When faced with a situation where she could simply take something she wanted, her greed welled up like a swelling tide. She stared into the blinding, bright heart of the innermost room of the ruin for several seconds. Transfixed. It would be so easy to just take it.
As always, though, she possessed astounding self-control. Fear tempered her basest impulses before greed could tempt her into making any mistakes. Valery was going to kill that thing sooner or later, and there was only one way out of the room. Fear brought to Niysha the cold logic that she wouldn't be able to escape, and Valery could kill her much more easily than she did the monster behind her. Fear sharpened her mind and senses, bringing with it ideas she wouldn't be able to consider in other situations.
Niysha had just a few seconds. She rested on her knees, deactivated lightsaber across her lap, and let herself slip away.
The galaxy was vast. Infinite. Trillions of stars, ten times as many planets, uncountable masses of stardust between them. In that unending expanse was a single, imperceptibly tiny speck of dust. Upon that speck were a few trees, and a few old rocks. Beneath one of those rocks was a spiralling mass of darkness and stone, tunneling down into the planet. And deep within those dark tunnels was a loud, squirming creature fighting a tiny, blazing star.
The unshaped detritus of thought and destiny that was once Niysha swirled into that space, suspended in the convenient myth of time for the breath of the moment and the infinite desert of the future. Everything All At Once was impossible to percieve, but fortunately, the Force didn't need what remained of Niysha to understand everything to bend to her will. The unending chaos of All Things was thick and turbulent, but with focus, will, and no slight bit of slightly frenzied panic, the amalgamated mass of what once was that might once again become Niysha tore through it to find exactly what was needed.
She fell back into herself.
Niysha only had seconds to act. With a deep breath, she stood from her position, turned slightly out of cover, and held out one hand to touch the Force in front of her. She gently caressed all that laid between her and the beast, then, when she felt its essence, grit her teeth and channeled every ounce of impotent, useless fury into one violent action. Her fingers gripped tight, clutching an invisible object in midair. In tandem, one of the monster's claws halted in midair and emited a sudden sound, like cracking ice.
For just a moment, its momentum was halted, and its chitin weakened along just one limb. Raw power was difficult, but she didn't need to crush the thing's throat, or its claws. All she needed was to fracture a joint for a moment and bring its movement to a screeching stop. Her presence, formerly silent and tiny, wept wrath, flavored with insecurity and frustration. She might be able to hold it for another second or two.
Valery Noble
