A Promise Kept

[Vrak Nashar]

Naboo
[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Revenge was something sweeter than explanation. It was a delicacy that could only be explained to those who had experienced it, something that should be sought, and looked forward to. It lurked always in the back of the mind, a compulsion that tore at you and always remained.
Vrak knew this.

He had felt the steady pull for what felt like an eon. Always he had ignored it, always he had put it to the side. There had been an Empire to run, a people to guide, a daughter to watch after. Yet eventually the silence had reached him. The quiet strum of vengeance had overcome to the desiccated nuisance of absolute nothing. His life had become one of watching his child, of raising his daughter and ensuring her mother didn't run off with her.

The sheer boredom of it had gotten to him, and finally he could no longer sit.

Rage had overtaken him, and he knew exactly what to do with it.

Memory of humiliation, anger at being trapped beneath an ocean stirred within him. The thoughts rose to the surface again and again, stewed until Seraphina had practically admonished him for his senseless anger. It was time, he needed to take his vengeance, he needed a release from the senseless dull life that he had taken on.

The Empire was no more, but what had happened before was still there.

His Hssiss Class shuttle cut through the atmosphere of Naboo, the ship's stealth systems kicking into gear as they swooped lore. Their direction wasn't towards the palace, no, that trick was one he had already pulled once. Instead they cut directly towards the east of the city; towards Pyne Estate.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

There were occasions where Jamie had thought back to earlier times, to a time where she had met a particularly vulgar Sith Pureblood on a distant planet on one of her research expeditions. He was the first of his kind she had crossed paths with, and if stories were to believed, he was every bit as repulsive as they were made out to be. Uncontrollable animals filled with endless rage and a lust for power above all. No atrocity was beyond comprehensible if it meant they could extract a sliver of power from the deed.

Vrak Nashar was exactly that. Evil.

The very embodiment of the Dark Side of the Force. A plague.

Since his unfortunate escape from prison, the idea of recapturing the red man had been on her agenda, albeit far at the back. She had received intel that suggested the Sith had created some sort of empire along the fringe of space, though those reports later confirmed that it had died nearly as quickly as it grew, perhaps replaced by the much larger Sith Empire that loomed within its own space in the galaxy, swallowing planet after planet in its wake. She felt sorrow for those systems that fell to the Dark Side, the corruption within it.

Her resources prevented her from actively seeking out another attempt at apprehending Nashar for his crimes, a fact that she did not take lightly.

She knew that one day he would return. Vengeance was to Sith as oxygen was to humans, necessary for life, and without it, a slow, agonizing death. On this particular day, she had visited her family estate with Mariya. The younger sibling had tagged along for the sake of spending time with Jamie, though her mother and father were away on business related to an Alliance peace effort, one that involved the delivery of medication and food to war-torn worlds. That was their typical duty, and so was not unusual to be away. That gave both Jamie and Mariya time to indulge in the quiet relaxation with a break from their own duties.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

The Naboo countryside was calm, peaceful. Great plains of grass and rolling hills that seemed to stretch out for miles until they struck city or jungle.

It was here that the Hssiss shuttle found itself floating lower and lower, it's black silhouette hidden within the shadow of night. The vessel swooped down among the rolling hills, tucking itself close enough to land so that no one would see it. Then, upon the horizon buildings began to form. They were few and far in between, grand manors that had been built by the various royal and rich families of Theed. Vrak watched them, yellow and red eyes searing with burning intensity.

"Stop." His voice bit down hard, the pilot glancing up for only a second before he reacted to the command.

The ship bucked for just a second, then slowed. A breath seemed to pass over the pilot, and then slowly the ship descended onto the grassy plains. For a brief moment Vrak lingered within the cockpit, lips thinning as he watched the buildings ahead.

A heartbeat passed, then two. The stars shone overhead and finally the Pureblood turned on his heel. His boots rung out against the metallic floor of his ship, echoing down the emptied halls. He stepped into the hangar, four of his former royal guard stiffening as he passed them by. A single wave of his hand was enough to bring them into action, each of them flowing into step behind Vrak. They moved quickly, the ramp of the ship lowering and sending a cool gust of night air across their robes.

"Kill anyone there." He commented dryly as the five men began to head towards the estate. "The girl is mine."

No answer came from the Guard, but as the small group moved towards Pynewood estate a storm began to form overhead.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

She'd been in the library, a large chamber filled with books of various subjects. Philosophical, ancestral, historical, and more rested on the shelves, though meticulously cared for day in and day out. Physical books were something of a collectible, given the ease of access that datapads provided, yet her family had maintained quite a large collection. Jamie had seated herself at one of the lounging chairs off towards the corner near a large arch window.

Index finger turned a page, though the blonde lingered, hesitating and diverting her attention from the text to the window. There was a calling within the Force. It drifted along through the light evening breeze, subtle but ever present, and all too familiar. A distant recollection in her memory stirred, yet it seemed almost unbelievable. Carefully the woman closed the text and set it beside her, rising to stand and look out across the horizon. Suddenly the Jedi's eyes illuminated, the ocular lenses she wore activated, rotating and focusing across the treeline beyond where her typical vision would allow. Figures moved, their shadows barely recognizable beneath the pale moonlight. Her vision shifted, hues of blue, orange, and red. There was no mistaken now, there were six. They moved with purpose and intent. She stalled for another moment allowing her eyes to once again return to their normal state.

From the chamber she rushed across the hallway, down the corridor and entered her room. Atop the dresser she retrieved her lightsaber and comlink. With it she put out the only call that would receive it in time. The other Jedi Knights of Naboo. Hopefully they would arrive sooner than later. Her family's estate was hardly a defensible building, and she knew Mariya had only her Security Force issued sidearm.

"Mariya!" She shouted, "Trouble outside! Get to the speeders and go to the palace!"

There was no time to wait for her response, Jamie rushed towards the front courtyard to greet the Sith once again, saber in hand.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

His eyes had always worked well in the night. Perhaps a gift of his species or the darkside itself, but when Jamie moved outside into the estates courtyard Vrak spotted the movements. He saw the girls lithe silhouette, heard the shout to someone else. His lips thinned as he spotted someone else moving within the dark, a figure that was too small for him to clearly make out. His scowl deepened.

What was to be an attack of surprise had already been ruined.

His fingers slipped free from their place within his robes, unclasping the metal clip that had kept his cloak in place. The black fabric caught the wind, whipping back for a brief second before floating away from the Purebloods shoulders. The guard did the same, their red cloaks falling to the floor as each of them bounded forward and up into the courtyards.

They landed with muted thuds, boots digging Into loose gravel.

The pureblood came to a halt, fingers laced around the hilt of his saber-staff. He stayed silent for a moment, eyes wandering over Jamie before they flicked towards the smaller figure running behind her. His gaze swept over Maryia, a small smile twirling his lips.

”Take the girl.” A loud snap-hiss nearly drowned out his voice, one side of his lightsaber bursting to life.

The Guard and Vrak moved at once, each of the four men dashing towards Maryia as the Pureblood leapt towards Jamie. His lightsaber flicked high, slashing down towards the Queen of Naboo.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Without a breath of hesitation the sun colored blade flickered to life with a roaring crack in the girl's right hand. In an almost singular motion Jamie rolled her left wrist, allowing the beaded bangle that had rested around it to fall into her palm. With Rominaria in hand she snapped forward and caught the midsection of the Sith's own saber-staff. With a one-handed grip she dug her feet against the soil beneath her to give herself leverage and momentum, long enough so to release the small orbs in her hand with a violent thrust. Their targets being the armored guards Vrak had brought along with him. The measure was simply to buy the younger sibling enough time to reach the speeder and escape, though Mariya was not without her own measures. The brunette pulled free from her waist the small blaster, finger firmly squeezing the trigger several times even as Jamie thrust forward the stun pearls. Mariya cared not whether they were killed, whereas Jamie was much kinder.

Four shots rang out in quick succession just as the pearls detonated. The speeder was just on the other side of the small retaining wall, and so she made for a dive over the three foot obstacle and rolled her way closer, vigilant that her pursuers were perhaps still chasing after.

The single handed grip Jamie had against Vrak's saber staff, as well as her sprinted momentum and stance in the dirt only lasted but a moment before she needed to break away, allowing the two blades to lower as she stepped a single step back, casting her arm wide across the lower abdomen of the Sith in an effort to force him on guard. The aura of the light side radiated harmoniously from the blade as she wielded it, and if one concentrated hard enough, it would appear that Jamie was far more relaxed and sure of herself than any prior time the two had met. Even more telling, she was notably silent with her words, considering their prior encounters.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Vrak skidded backwards within the gravel, his feet shifting to catch himself and ensure that he didn't fall over.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the small bead fly towards the guards, each one striking home. Two of his men doubled over as the tiny electric charges rushed through them and brought them to their knees, the fire from Maryia's blaster catching them and knocking them over. The other two only flinched, the small beads striking one of the armored plates that the men wore. The charge still hit them, but only slowed them, the two bolts from the blasters going wide.

The guard surged forward, rushing after the girl and hoping to catch her. They each drew force pikes, one flipping the weapon as he prepared to throw it towards the girl and hopefully wound her enough to slow her down.

At the same time Vrak wasted no time with his assault.

The Pureblood radiated hatred. The darkside swept from him like a torrential river. There was no taunting words, no drawing the girl in. He was here to kill her, end her and bring his vengeance to a climax. A snarl pulled over his face, and all the frustration he had born over the last few years were unleashed. His fingers tightened around his lightsaber and Vrak darted forward, the blade flicking from low to high, his off-hand suddenly sparking with bright blue.

A shock of lightning jumped from his palm, pre-empting the lightsabers slash.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Mariya was a sprightly young girl, nimble and far more acrobatic than Jamie could ever have claimed to be. A few of the blasts had gone wide, typical given that she was running at the same time, yet as hopeful as she had been to actually injure or kill the armored soldiers, all the better that they were slowed by her shots. The brunette rolled but a moment before coming upright once more, continuing her sprint towards the speeder bike that her father owned. It seemed Jamie's devices, whatever they were, had managed to slow a few of the others, leaving just a couple to continue pursuit.

Luckily for her, they were larger, slowed by their weapons and armor, and her thumb managed to fire the engines as her free hand cast to the side and fired another volley of shots just as the engine roared to life.

Down her hand went to engage the bike, sending it lurching forward in an attempt to flee Vrak's guard.

Jamie had no more time to indulge them herself, and shifted her focus to Vrak. The yellow hued saber cast an angled defense as the Sith lurched forward, her warm azure irises caught the momentary glimpse of the electrical force that was about to be released from the Pureblood's free hand, and as it cast from his hand the blonde directed what she could into her own weapon. The streams of blue and white arched their way up and down the hilt, while a few stray bolts snapped at her hand and wrist as she made for her defense. The Jedi stood her ground, gritting her teeth against the sting of the shock, the calming effect of Rominaria providing a semblance of steadiness to her stance.

The red bladed staff collided once again with the much shorter single edge that Jamie wielded, and prompted the girl to take on a second grip to alleviate the larger combatant's strength of momentum. Inches apart, she stared the Sith in the eye, his amber orbs filled with fiery hatred. It was a contrast of light and dark in the truest of senses. From the vibrant colors of their eyes to the deepest saturation of their lightsabers. One was there to kill, the other to exact justice for crimes committed.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

The guard kept up their assault. Bolts struck their armor, glancing shots landing on their shoulder blades and chest. Black scorch marks erupted upon the carapace, the Royal guard flinching slightly but only slowing a bit. One of the men grabbed for his force pike, the weapon flinging towards the edge of the speeder bike in an attempt to run the repulsor engine through.

It was a desperate gambit, an attempt to stop the girl. The guard knew that if they failed in their task Vrak would likely execute them.

There was no failure to be had here today, there was no inch that would be given. The Pureblood had come to this world in order to execute the Queen, to ruin her world and bring it to sunder. There was no question to that, no stopping it. So the Guards did the only thing they could, the second man rushed forward and leaped forward, giving no regard for his own safety as he attempted to grab onto Maryia and grapple the bike even as it shot forward. He knew that the vehicle could strike him and run him over, but his choices were few.

At the same time the Sith Lord himself gave no regard, his eyes fixed on Jamie's.

Rage tore through him the darkside bursting from him in a surge of power. His fingers tightened on his saber-staff, the weapon pushing against Jamie's bright yellow blade. His throat rumbled, and then suddenly he fell backward.

One foot shifted behind himself, his lightsaber fell back in a gambit to cause Jamie to fall off of her balance and trip forward. The Sith Lord then retreated just a single step, using his off-hand to force pull Jamie off her feet and throw her into one of the nearby columns.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The speeder thrust forward, just fast enough to avoid the force pike that had barreled towards it, though not quite fast enough to prevent the guard from jumping into her flight path in some suicidal attempt to grab hold of the vehicle. He would succeed, though immediately begin being dragged beneath the vehicle, his body pulled against the harsh ground at speeds encroaching on 310 miles per hour. The idea of being pulled or hanging on as the bike began to reach such speed was enough to make a person cringe. Though just as the guard held on, so too would Mariya lean to the left and right as she sat, firing on either side in an attempt to further injure the guard and force his release from the bike. In between short bursts she would lean the vehicle slightly, to further pin and drag the man.

Jamie stammered forward, though not off balance, but enough to falter as Vrak pulled back from her. She felt a weightlessness to herself as she lifted from the ground and was cast a ways from where she stood and into the marble pillar that stood at the opposite end of the courtyard. Fire shot through her back as she fell to the ground. Her weapon had fallen just by her feet beside her the moment she had hit the structure. Her eyes adjusted in the darkness, illuminating once more in a bright blue hue, allowing her to better see the Sith in the darkness. She reached forward, fingers lacing around the brownish hilt of the weapon, and the surge of the lightside encompassed her. The pain that flooded her back subsided some, though would continue to linger on throughout this fight.

The yellow blade snapped to life once more, and Jamie stepped forward, blade extended to meet Vrak as he would undoubtedly waste no time in rushing her again. Far off in the distance however, a thunderous roar erupted in echoing waves above the cloudy horizon.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Even the best trained soldier couldn't hang on to the back of a racing speeder for long. The Guard found himself struggling for breath as the Speeder raced along, his body dragged against the earth. Gravel, rock, and whatever else was on the ground found itself digging and scratching through his armor, bruises and cuts forming along the mans skin every few seconds as Maryia continued her attempt to throw the man off. Pain shot through the man, but his hand reached out.

Fingers curled around the end of the speeder, he grabbed for wiring, pipes, anything he could get ahold of. He tore at the engine, trying desperately to stop the speeder before finally his strength gave out. His hand wrapped around a small piece of the engine and then finally he let go, tearing off a piece of the machinery.

At the same time Vrak stared down at Jamie, still only one half of his saber-staff ignited. He stared at the Queen of Naboo, expression grim. Lightning lanced above them, bouncing from cloud to cloud as rain drops began to fall. A muted sizzle rose from his red blade as the rain began to pour. The blade lowered into the ground, carving into the rock below as he slowly began to strut forward.

"They'll take her." He spoke finally, his voice ringing out over the storm.

His blade cut a red path through the gravel. "And I'll break her."

A free hand shot up, a massive spark of lightning bounding forward towards Jamie in an instant before Vrak once again dashed forward, lightsaber slashing towards her legs.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The speeder stuttered and shook as the red guard fell from his grip, tearing away a piece of the vessel with him. Quickly the girl glanced back to see him rolling violently to a stop, though her attention was immediately brought back forward, eyes glancing down to see that one of the cooling lines had been severed. While not absolutely critical for the immediate moment, Mariya would need to reduce her speed to roughly seventy percent of the speeders maximum, to avoid potentially overheating the engines before reaching the palace within the heart of Theed.

She was still several minutes out at optimum speed, now it would take longer.

The Queen stood quietly, having seen Mariya escape, albeit with a single guard still in tow. Sure enough she believed the younger girl could take care of herself in that regard. She was resourceful and cunning. His words of intent did little to sway Jamie's resolve in that moment.Her illuminated eyes glared back at the Sith with blind indifference. She pitied him, more than anything. He was a victim of his own design. He had lost an empire he had built, likely due to his own ambition. Whatever the cause she surmised it had been his own hubris that brought about its collapse.

"You're wrong, Vrak."

Her hand outstretched as the Sith once again brought a volley of electricity to bear against her, in unison with his devilish saber-staff. The volley and saber in combination would find a shimmering field of resistance, as if it struck a shield of some kind, just inches away from the blonde's hand. If one looked close enough, they would see the small smirk on her face as his efforts were foiled. It was a simple trick, though one that she used sparingly in effort to not over extend herself as she had as a student years before. And so as the serpent's blade repelled backwards she lowered her hand and arched forward, slashing her sun soaked blade towards the man's weapon wielding arm in an effort to relieve him of his ability to fight further.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Guard forgotten, the girl forgotten, Vrak focused himself entirely upon his foe. In his mind the goal was singular, nothing mattered save for killing her. He would catch Maryia, he would break Jamie's family, but first he would kill her. There was no question in that, there was no need to reinforce the thought.

The Sith recoiled, his face contorting with rage as his advance was stopped.

Bright yellow blade went slashing upward, the Pureblood's stance shifting just in time to see the lightsaber slash through only the surface of his flesh. Bright crimson skin sizzled and malformed in an instant as Jamie's lightsaber passed through muscle, cauterizing the wound in an instant and sending a surge of pain through Vrak's arm.

A hiss escaped his lips, eyes opening wide in rage as the rain began to slash and pour down.

He roared, his voice booming out into the courtyard.

Before Jamie had time to move again Vrak reacted. The sleeve of his robe fell down his arm, the severed cloth sliding over his palm as his other hand came to clasp the long handle of his saber-staff. The second half of the weapon finally ignited, red blade springing into life with a loud snap-hiss. He slashed the weapon forward, cutting now at Jamie but instead digging the crimson blade into the gravel in front of him.

Super heated rock shot up into the air and directly at Jamie's face, followed quickly by the other edge of his saber cutting towards her abdomen.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Dirt, rocks, and debris scattered in a violent surge up and towards Jamie's face. Instinctively she raised her free hand to try and protect her face from the blast of harsh stone that assaulted her. Several cuts from the pebbles and stone appeared on her arm, cheek, and beneath her chin. Some of the dirt had managed to catch her in the eyes, and for a moment blinded the woman as she stepped back. Vrak's second strike found its way across the top of her right thigh, tearing open both clothing and a bit of flesh as it dragged quickly over her.

The bite of the lightsaber across her forced open her eyes with an immediate glare and a yelp. Her own blade slashed violently twice, in opposite directions with heavy swings to force Vrak back and away from her immediate space. With a singular motion the blonde outstretched her arm to the left, pulling her hand forward and directing two of the fallen guards Force PIkes straight towards Vrak in what would appear to be an effort to skewer the Sith Lord through.

The same thunderous roar from before drew closer, this time accompanying a pair of incredibly heavy flaps of air.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

The Pureblood let out a curse, stepping back as Jamie slashed her lightsaber wildly. His eyes followed her hand, opening wide as he saw two flashes of metal pulling towards him.

Vrak's lightsaber flicked forward and then to the right, bisecting the force pikes as they flew towards him and sending the metal crashing to the ground. One of the pikes landed in the ground beside him, skewering through his robes and slicing along his side as the metal shards landed in the ground. He felt blood dripping down his side, a thin trickle of crimson slowly soaking into the black robes. The wind pressed at him, nearly throwing him off balance as he took half a step back.

A growl escaped his throat, hand coming off his lightsaber hilt as he tore away at his cloak. "I'm going to tear out your throat."

His words were emphasized by the sound of ripping cloth, the droplets of rain falling on his lightsaber as he shifted and readjusted himself.

The storm above was growing more dense, clouds gathering upon one another. Another flash of lightning erupted, this time directly above the pair. The rain quickened, falling from a drizzle into a steady pour. Water mixed with blood on his side, pain and rage began to emanate from the Pureblood.

"Then show your corpse to your sister." He burst forward again, lightsaber hacking low before quicky flicking high. His movements were no longer practiced and patient. There was no smooth transition. Instead he moved like a wild beast, each blow stronger than the last, more and more force striking down.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Repugnant was the best word to describe Vrak Nashar. A Sith so vile and heinous the very syllable spent vocalizing his name was enough to make one sickened. He thrust himself upon his quests for vengeance one after another, never sated with what he had. Only after his empire had fallen did he take on this retribution mission against Jamie. Yet for all it was worth, her sister was somehow now a target of his hatred. Nothing was innocent in the eyes of a Sith. For half a moment Jamie would have wondered if he had the aptitude to care for anything, even something such as a child. It simply didn't seem possible.

He was an animal.

"You'll fail. Just as the Force wills it."

The dig at his achievements was short and direct. She wasted no time attempting to convince him to rescind this thirst for revenge. She knew it to be without merit. Either he would kill her, or she would incapacitate him.

As the Sith rushed her again a cataclysmic flash of pure light would radiate outwards from her hand. Blinding in its nature, though not inherently destructive to those of the Dark Side, its purpose was to blind, rather than to kill. Should the Sith have failed to shield his eyes, he would be left with nothing but a veil of white before him. While it would hardly last long, it would potentially give her the moment she needed to attempt a calculated strike through the center of the Sith's saber-staff, hoping to sever the blade and short it.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

A scream passed from his lips, rupturing from his throat involuntarily as blinding light scorched his eyes. His hand flicked up towards his face, falling away from his saber-staff so that he could shield his eyes long enough to keep his retinas from being burned.

The Sith recoiled, the light searing enough to be painful even through the wash of rain that now poured down from the heavens.

His heart beat, and then suddenly he felt the pressure of Jamie's lightsaber cutting through the hilt of his saber-staff. The bright yellow blade slashed through sleek durasteel, bisecting the weapon in an instant and shorting out the blade as half the weapon fell to the floor. His fingers tightened around the remaining half, eyes popping open just in time to see Jamie moving ever closer to him. For a few seconds time froze, his rage grew, and then the Pureblood let out a bellow. "NO!"

The word boomed out within the rain, and the force went with it.

A concussive blast echoed from the Pureblood, a massive wave that cascaded with the darkside and lashed out.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The wave of energy that rippled forth from the Sith sent Jamie stumbling backwards, the force of the blast shaking her off balance and causing a malfunction of the optic lenses she wore. For a moment her own vision blurred, before returning to that of a typical human. The vibrant blue that had cast light faded from view, leaving Jamie with only her natural vision. The girl toppled over, falling onto her rear, back against the fountain in the center of the courtyard, having lost her balance from the power of Vrak's bellow.

Her eyes caught sight of the severed saber staff, its lack of red illuminating in the darkness, leaving only Jamie's deep yellow to cast excess light from the burning plasma around her form.

The injury on her thigh burned, and flexing the muscle beneath the skin caused her more pain.

From where she sat the girl looked towards the Sith, the fiery rage within him burning ever more. Her hand set on her thigh, a small bit of energy coupled with a warm glow shifted between her palm, and the wound on her leg. Her eyes watched Vrak as she began the process, hoping that he would remain blinded for a few moments longer, in order to alleviate herself of the pain her leg caused her.

"It's over, Vrak!"

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

His eyes folded open, white spots filling his vision. He could just barely make out Jamie on the ground in front of the fountain, the bright glow of her lightsaber illuminating her figure just enough for him to recognize her. The courtyard itself was dark, the white spots floating across his sight as he looked around and tried to find where everything else was. His ears rang slightly, hearing enhanced by the temporary blindness. Slowly his gaze dropped towards the severed lightsaber in his palm.

The end of the hilt sparked, cauterized and cut wires attempting to create a connection with the diatium powercell that was no longer there. The weapon struggled, the crystal inside singing as it tried to force it's blade into life. He blinked, his head shaking slightly as a free hand rubbed his eyes. Heavy, frustrated breaths left his lungs, fingers tightening around the broken hilt. A strained crack could be heard as the durasteel warped and bent under the pressure of his grip.

"No." His body shook with rage, head twitching.

His arm flung to the side, the lightsaber hilt tossed to the side. "No...no..."

The Pureblood said the word again and again, the force slowly building around him. The darkside warped and twisted, it's form becoming almost palpable. Droplets of rain crashed against crimson skin, singing where they landed and sending small wisps of smoke into the air. Fingers twitched, the severed force pikes that he had earlier tossed to the side rising into the air behind him.

"No." He said it one more time, eyes blinking again as his vision began to clear. "Not yet."

The words were punctuated as his hand closed into fist, the pierces of the pike surging forward directly towards Jamie.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

There wasn't time to close the wound, not entirely, not even mostly. She had only just begun the process when her attention was forced elsewhere. She looked up, ears ringing from the earlier assault on her senses. He spoke loud and clear enough, though the word was the same each time. He repeated himself with venom cast from his tongue each time the word left his lips. With her elbow she began to slowly pull herself up, using the fountain as support for her weight, and a crutch for her back. It reduced the stress on her thigh and made it easier for her to stand.

Jamie watched as Vrak lifted the metal shards, pieces of the pikes from the ground with his connection to the Force. Slowly they angled their way towards her. His intent was to either pin her to the ground, or send them through her body as she had earlier aimed to do to him. Perhaps he didn't care either way, but regardless she knew the intent.

Steadying the weapon at her side she waited for their inevitable drive forward. They came quickly, the first she deflected with Rominaria. The second grazed her hip, along the same side as her already wounded thigh. The blonde's eye twitched as her body felt the brief cut across her waistline. The third shard was redirected to the side with a swipe of her hand and a push of the Force. It was the last one that drove into her shoulder, the pointed tip finding its way between the muscle of her left arm that sent her back against the wall of the fountain once more, nearly knocking her into the pool of water behind her. Her left hand fell to her side. She felt the incredible surge of pain rise up as she let out a cry into the evening air.

The woman retained a moderately defensive stance, slumped against the marble fountain, her weapon aimed towards Vrak, ready to protect herself, should he get closer.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]