Believe

[Ta'mur Rokar]

Ta’mur Rokar had heard rumors of a powerful Sith weapon, the Cataclysm Gauntlets, making its final resting place on the highest peak of what was left of Cloud Mountain. Jedi Knight Ta’mur Rokar had travelled to the jungle-world of Cularin and began his search. His search was only briefly derailed by the over anxious food vendors in Hedrett, and additionally the dua-wurm took another half hour or so to slay, and of course climbing the mountain itself presented a bit of a problem. By the time he reached the summit it was dark and he was quite tired.

Sure enough at the top of the Mountain displayed on top of a pedestal laid gauntlets reeking of the Dark Side’s power. The Jedi Knight’s stomach knotted up… something was clearly amiss. Ta’mur of course had to question why they were displayed in such a manner. Perhaps this Republic World’s past had caught up to it…

Ta’mur looked about yet saw nothing. Perhaps his fatigue was messing with his ability to comprehend the his surroundings… Maybe the thin air was messing with his head but he saw nothing. He stepped toward the gauntlets and reached out to grasp them...

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

“Thiiiieeeef.” A voice said in a slow, long and drawn out manner. The voice sounded older and yet there was something terribly off about it almost vile even. Emerging from the shadows was an elderly pale red Twi’lek. He walked with a limp and was dressed in dark robes.

He chuckled behind an eerie smile. “All you Jedi are the same… Vandals… Liars… Thieves.” He stepped a little bit closer still.

 

[Ta'mur Rokar]

Ta’mur froze in place upon hearing the familiar voice. His hand bolted for his lightsaber. He activated it without so much as a thought and turned to face the emerging creature.

“A ghost?” He asked in disbelief. He knew sometimes that Sith artifacts had the added challenges of their former master attached. Ta’mur knew of the previous owner… Lord Kataklysmos… a vile Lethan Twi’lek, strong supporter of the Sith cause and a stone-cold killer. He had arrived on the scene out of no where. Killed so many beings and then just disappeared from the Galaxy, Ta’mur like many others had very much hoped he had died. Now looking upon the former Jedi… he knew that was a pipe dream.

He shook his head he knew it wasn’t true. “Not a ghost… It is you… Flesh and bone.” He sighed. He knew the hell he was about to go through fighting the beast before him. He knew just how powerful this Sith was.

Yes, Ta’mur had encountered this Sith before. He had seen his fall from grace in the Jedi Order. Ta’mur was there all those years ago and he knew the troubled being [member="Ryak De'ruus"] was from the start he had an eye for these things. No one in the order did anything about it. All those murders they could have prevented from happening all because of their inability to make a judgement.

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

“What are you doing here, Master Jedi?” .The Sith asked. “Here to destroy my property?” He said with a smile as he snatched the gauntlets up with an invisible hand of the Force.

“You know that I can’t allow that.” He said putting his gauntlets on his hands ever so slowly and diliberately. Ryak’s intense eyes stared into Ta’mur Rokar’s. The Sith Lord smiled. He knew he had the upper hand. Ta’mur was out of breath from the ascent and while the Jedi was most strong he was also very tired and alone atop of a very tall mountain.

 

[Ta'mur Rokar]

Ta’mur said no more words. The time for words should have ended as soon as he saw [member="Ryak De'ruus"] That was the gravest mistake he had made in a long time. Ta’mur knew the beast before him was extremely dangerous and he didn’t know why he had hesitated up to this point. Perhaps the flashbacks running through his mind. The fights they had in the past had all but torn this very courageous feline’s courage away. Ta’mur felt helpless but to remember how his own Master could not beat the Sith hat stood before him.

He took a deep breath and looked down onto the jungle world. Was this to be his grave?

He looked back to the Sith Lord and shook his head as if in some way the Sith Lord was feeding him such negative thoughts. No! He this would not be the planet he died upon. He charged the Sith Lord, knowing the preemptive strike was the only way he had a chance. Here Ta’mur was a master of many martial art forms, a master of many lightsaber forms and force abilities with numerous years of experience fighting a cripple and yet he knew he was still the underdog in this fight. That’s how powerful this Sith was. That’s how smart this Sith was. Baiting Ta’mur into such a fight when he was exhausted was in fact brilliant.

He approached at such speed Ta’mur believed there was no Universe in which Ryak could feasibly have a chance to counter. Ta’mur swung his blade downward to fall upon the sith lord’s head so it’s contents could not have the opportunity to devise such villainy again. Activating a second blade he held with his prehensile tail he spun round to deliver a follow up jab. Close combat was his strong suit and not Ryak’s but the tactician in him knew that he still had to end the fight quickly. His reserves were depleted and there was no way that he would last long in any capacity. Hopefully his strikes would land and he would survive this encounter.

 

[Darth Ferus]

Cloud Mountain. An appropriate name, from what could be seen. Which was, sadly for the Zabrak making his way to the top. Nothing. He had absolutely no visual on his surroundings, which would normally be an issue. Yet he walked in a clear path, avoiding unseen obstetrical as if he could just feel them there. Which he did. The life around him glowed to his eyes, illuminating the world in a way most would say isn't possible. Despite the clouds, he could feel the trees as he stepped by them, hear the insects scurry across the ground as he stepped close. This place was beautiful to him, and why he wanted to make it to the top.

He had no knowledge of a Sith artifact, or that another was on his way up. He had no idea there was a Sith and a Jedi at the top ready to fight for their lives. And yet that is where his path would lead him. But for now the man enjoyed the peace of the air, in his own bliss as he moved ever slowly to the top to see it all with his own eyes.

@Ta'mur Rokar [member="Ryak De'ruus"]

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Ta'mur closed in on the Sith Lord quickly, but he had foreseen the movements far before they were made. He knew the unwavering Ta'mur better than even Ta'mur did. He knew why he behaved the way he did and exactly what made him tick.

As Ta'mur approached him, Lord Kataklysmos' eyes widened and so too did his smile. He turned his palms upward and released a sickening blast of dark side energy, the most powerful version of force blast. This blast had broken bones with its impact before. Jedi Masters had failed to stop its rush and a tired Ta'mur Rokar was in no position to dodge or pull up a veil. Ta'mur was a heavy handed brute and whilst the jedi had developed extraordinary powers on the light side... He was a swordsman first and foremost and always fell into the same old tricks.

 

[Ta'mur Rokar]

Ta'mur Rokar's head snapped back with such force that everything went white for a brief moment. When Ta'mur regained control of his tumbling body he realized he was in far more danger than he had previously realized.

Ta'mur had taken that blast nearly full force. He managed to pull up just at last moment and was knocked out for a brief moment. After that his head had collided with a jagged rock, busting him open and he rolled off the edge of the mountain and somehow instinctively reached out and grabbed a root to keep himself from going down into the abyss to follow his sabers.

Ta'mur saw the blood roll onto his nose before he felt the warm familiar ooze on his nostrils. He quickly tried to gather his wits, trying to remember where he was and what he was doing and then it came back to him in a flash as he heard the footsteps and the sinister breathing of the villainous Twi'lek.

Dangling from the side of the mountain he tried to pull himself up quickly to no avail. His muscles had all but given up on him. If he had but a few more moments he would have been able to surge himself forward, but alas his time was up. The Sith Lord would be upon him in moments. He had to focus his remaining energy quickly.

 

[Ta'mur Rokar]

[member="Lord Kataklysmos"] [member="Krest"]

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Brain over brawn. Kataklysmos once was a strong strapping young twi'lek but gone were those days. He too had once fallen into the trap of honing only his skill with a blade just as Ta'mur fell into his trap. He stacked the odds greatly against the trilanii because even though the trilanii was just a knight by the Jedi Order's standard... Kataklysmos did fear Ta'mur. Ta'mur Rokar's abilities reached far beyond his rank, his speed unmatched, his tactical prowess transcended time itself and his skill with a blade was a force to be reckoned with. Kataklysmos was not entirely certain he could beat Ta'mur in a clean fight, even with all the dark side secrets at his disposal. But here he was closing in on a victory with the legendary warrior.

He stepped forward and looked down at his opponent, "I never believed before that our final chapter would be so short, Ta'mur." A darksheer began to manifest in his hand. "Goodbye, Ta'mur. Say hello to our Masters for me in the void." He said as he cast the hardened spear of midnight black at his helpless foe.

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Oh dear.." The voice of the Zabrak came after the Darksheer would find a faint glimmer blocking it's path. The Zabrak had rushed to the top after the initial burst of Darkside energy. He had no idea what exactly was going on, but upon reaching the top he saw two things. First, @Ta'mur Rokar hanging from the side of the cliff, and [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] hanging above. Forming a darksheer. Krest know the skill rather well, it killed him once upon a time. So he knew enough to form a Barrier to protect what he assumed was a Jedi.

Within his hand was a flat bladed lightsaber hilt, so far unlit. Sure, he should attack, but he wasn't too sure on what was going on. Rather than make a mistake, he chose to speak, calling out to the assumed Sith Lord.

"You uh.. Wanna explain the man hanging from the ledge?"

 

[Ta'mur Rokar]

With the ringing in his ears Ta'mur heard nothing of the dialogue. Everything was still quite hazy and with the approach of a red-horned Sith-tatted demon Ta'mur let out a heavy sigh. Ta'mur believed Kataklysmos was not alone in this plot. With all the strength he had left he unleashed a last ditch effort of Electric Judgement atop both [member="Krest"] and [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] once his energy was gone everything faded to black. His body went limp and fell about ten feet from where it was caught in the midst of a mud slide that carried his body for miles where his body came to rest at the base of the mountain. The Force had intervened on that day on Ta'mur Rokar's behalf. It wanted him alive for some reason. It was the close of the chapter but only the beginning of the real story.

He was going to need medical attention... but the Force had already accounted for this....

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Just as Lord Kataklysmos was about to respond to the intruder he was struck with a barrage of lightning that threw him onto the floor where he convulsed for half a moment. He had taken his eyes off Ta'mur which would end up being a fatal mistake. Ta'mur Rokar was always dangerous and this was something Kataklysmos would have the scar above his brow to remind him for years to come. He rocketed to his feet (as quickly as a man who had a chunk of his led missing could) and looked over the edge for his Jedi nemesis.

"No! No! Nooooo!" He screamed. He didn't see him anywhere and there was no way for him to confirm Ta'mur Rokar's death. He was freaking out that his glorious plan had potentially failed. All the planning the preparation... his go between that had given Ta'mur the tip that lead to the ambush... was now in danger himself.

Kataklysmos grasped at his headtails angrily. His eyes bulges until he breathed and allowed himself to calm down enough to speak.

"If that Jedi is still alive...." He gulped "...He will not hesitate to kill me." He said. "I have foreseen it.... He kills me."

@Ta'mur Rokar [member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

@Ta'mur Rokar [member="Lord Kataklysmos"]

A red mouth would open to speak, only to go silent. The Judgement would hit him and hit him hard, but the blast would be redirected to the gauntlet strapped to his wrist. With a gasp he would stumble to the side, weakened by the blast. He would push himself up to try to find the Jedi, but he was lost, gone from the area. Which left the Sith Lord. He would look at the lord with a rather blank stare.

"... Who are you again?"

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Kataklysmos' look of anger turned to confusion and then to a look of joy. It was a strange string of emotions certainly. "I am Ryak De'ruus." He said with a wry smile. "And you... look tired from your long trek..." He said reaching out toward the Zabrak. "Come.... I have a place near here where you can rest before you need to go... or to stay as long as you would like... I have been here near a decade now... and I'm sure you'll grow to like it as well." There was something sinister about his humble offerings but there is always much just beneath the surface.

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"I'm.. Not exactly sure I want to." Krest didn't exactly trust the Sith. Well. At all. The offering was nice, but he was once a Lord, and being nice was never just because. There was already enough of a reason for Krest to either strike [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] down or leave. In fact, he was already reaching for his saber. "I have a better idea honestly. Explain what just happened, and perhaps I'll join you. Otherwise, we may not end up getting along.."

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

He nodded, "That's exactly what I intend to do." He took a step toward the cave he ha outpost himself in for the past ten years. "But the tale is very long and my muscles are rather weak." He said lifting his robes up so [member="Krest"] could see the chunk that was missing from his leg.

"I have to sit. Grant an old Twi'lek a seat..." He said laying it on somewhat thick though in reality he was not in peak physical condition. "I will answer any questions you may have. Just come... there are others like you with the same curiosities just beyond this ridge."

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Riiiight.. Sure.." This wasn't exactly the best scenario. And it turned a rather.. Wrong turn after [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] decided to show some leg. Without even waiting the Zabrak would turn immediately to leave, just shaking his head.

"Bloomin crazy.."