Blood Must Have Blood

[Haytham Kaze]

Ruusan. Valley of the Jedi​

Underneath the Valley.​

Soon After the Battle of Ruusan​

​

​

The power of the Dark Side flowed through Athyssius's being. His black hair rested neatly cut, just touching his shoulders while he meditated on the Dark Side. In the past, in his relatively long tenure as a Jedi Padawan, he had always avoided meditating on the Force. He'd rather train himself physically. Running, cardio it was, was the simplest thing for him to do. He did it for hours a day, not stopping until he could do it no longer.

He had been dedicated to getting better in such a way.

Now, at this stage in his life, after the loss of [member="Vassara Raxis"], his Underground Master, he had meditated. They had met on Ilum. But she was a ghost within the Force. She had told him that she would be watching his progress. Was she watching him now? Had she seen him kill the Sith Lord that had cut her down in turn? Perhaps she had, perhaps she hadn't. Had she seen him beat his lover, [member="Joza Perl"] in anger? The consequence of that being [member="Nikias"] hunting him down of his own volition to leave a message with the at the time Sith Knight.

The question was there always.

Had she watched as she promised?

It didn't matter.

[member="Darth Orcus"] may not have said it, but he was certain that he'd be watching his Apprentice.

From the corner of his mind, something tugged at his senses.

Far off from the Citadel, but not far enough away that he couldn't sense it.

But he could feel the Dark Side of the Nexus being tampered with. He was attuned with the Nexus on the planet.

Reaching out into the Dark Side, he sought for the nearby Nexus. The Force was as good as any commlink to communicate. His metaphysical hands reached through the Nexus, searching, digging for the one that was hidden away. Opening his eyes, Darth Athyssius slowly rose to his feet.

A simple message was sent, presumably using the Syn Talisman that the Dark Jedi used as a conduit and translator for his words.

​

Nu tuti tadti'.​

​

I'm coming.​

 

[Akhilleus]

A Look of strain was upon Nikias’ face as he sat cross-legged in the caves beneath the surface of Ruusan. He knew not how long he had been there. He’d come during the siege on the planet by the Silver Sanctum, but not to aid them. More to aid himself than anything. For too long had the syn talisman been bound to the Dark Jedi. Wearing him down, draining his life force and trying to drive the Hellyni insane. The Hellyni was no longer in the same physical shape he had been before. His skin was like chalk, eyes sunken and lips chapped. All from the talisman, and from his attempts to alter it. Even now Nikias sat bathing himself in the power of the nexus letting it fuel his attempts at manipulating the amulet if only slightly.

While his body was there Nikias’ mind was trapped inside the Syn talisman wrestling with the spirit of Sorzus Syn herself for dominance over the ancient artifact. He knew he couldn’t win but the least he could do was try. You will never succeed! This was my greatest creation, even more so than the Murr talisman! You think that you can destroy what is mine?!

“No I don’t.” Nikias whispered as he drew on the nexus and used it to push more of his own power onto the talisman infusing his own life-force with it. “I do not plan on destroying you, I plan on joining you and ensuring that no other can use the talisman in such a way.” Nikias said a smile crossing his lips. Then came the voice of a being that Nikias knew, it was faint in his mind but apparent who it was. “Seems I may be joining you sooner than I thought.”

Nikias said his eyes opening. “If you want me come and get me.” He whispered letting the force carry his words to the being he knew wanted his revenge. It hadn’t seemed to have been that long since Nikias had bested Haytham, but this duel he knew he wouldn’t leave alive. Neither did he want to. All Nikias wanted was the suffering to end and to rest.

[member="Haytham Kaze"]

 

[Haytham Kaze]

Faster than he had imagined he would arrive, the Sith Lord stood outside the tunnel that would take him to the Dark Jedi Knight. His enemy. Long ago he had realized that the two of them were the same in the way that they would protect Joza. Clenching his fists, he recalled the damage that Nikias had inflicted upon him so long ago on Cloud Nine. Multiple mistakes had been made on the at the time Sith Knight's part. First was the arrogance that he would be able to take on whoever would dare challenge him, then there was the point when they were actually fighting.

Instead of playing to his own strengths, he aimed to be careful.

Even as a Jedi Padawan he had fought more wildly than he had that day. He had fought harder in times before that.

Even in recent days fighting the Coalition Forces, he hadn't been allowed to fight as hard as he had in the past. Numerous interruptions stopped him from doing that, a certain pink opponent that stopped him from going full throttle.

But she wasn't here.

Not now.

She wouldn't be coming to save him.

Saberstaff already in his left hand, he bore his underarmour and SI-HD armour over it. There wasn't a chance he was going to underestimate his opponent again. Armed with his trusty blaster pistol in the small of his back, he already started charging off into the tunnels, heading straight for the two Dark Sided presences he could feel now.

This time it'll end like it was supposed to.

[member="Nikias"]

[[OOC]: Feel free to stay that he came around the corner / corridor at the end of your post.

 

[Akhilleus]

Eyes slowly creaking open Nikias sighed. He had done all he could, there was nothing left but to accept his fate. He could feel it coming in the force, its warm embrace around him calling out to him. The will of the force is a flowing current; you can follow or fight it but it is always there. It had taken Nikias too long to realize this during his time as a padawan. So much time spent on trying to bend it to his will, or making a beast of burden. Only after his bonding with the Syn talisman did he realize it was better to be a companion of the force.

It is time. Nikias thought. Rising to his feet and breaking his concentration he turned to see Haytham. Something was different this time as the Sith rounded the corner. Something more refined? More confident? While he had been arrogant before Nikias didn’t get the same feeling as he did this time. What had happened to change the Sith? Even now Nikias could feel the eldritch aura that matched a Sith Lord. He’d fought many, nearly defeated a member of the Sith Dark council. He could feel the change in Haytham. “So you came… What happened to the battle of Ruusan? Did the Sanctum lose?” Nikias asked. There was no sorrow in his voice only curiosity. He no longer held true ties to the Sanctum. None of them probably even knew where he was.

It would seem odd, the wild and partially insane Nikias that Haytham had seen before was now more calm. Sage like in a way, and no longer did the darkside radiate from him in palpable waves but his presence was now one of the light merging with that of the Syn talisman’s dark creating something akin to a twilight aura. “I assume you came for your revenge? How long have you waited for this moment? To cut me down? To sing praise onto yourself as the vestiges of life leave my body? Has it all been worth it?”

[member="Haytham Kaze"]

 

[Haytham Kaze]

He didn't think he needed to confirm that the Sanctum had lost the battle of Ruusan.

Was it the Eight battle, or was it the Ninth? Technically, it'd be the Eight Battle if they were speaking of Light vs Dark, but it would be the Ninth if they were simply talking battles. Then again... It would be the Eight regardless, solely because when the Triumvirate had snatched the planet out of the grasp of the dying Techno Union, they primarily employed Imperials and Dark Siders to combat them. Not to mention the host of pirates in Fort Nowhere.

No matter.

"Joza is fine." He said, the only reference to the Sanctum he was likely going to make in their encounter.

His voice was much deeper than when they had first encountered each other, he was larger too, physically, but mostly in the Force. He was... Powerful. The unbelievable ocean of power that was the nexus charged him.

"Not long," he decided to answer. "You were a good opponent back then," he even went as far as to admit. No one would hear him except the Dark Jedi anyway. "I didn't just come here to kill you," he said as his thumb brushed over the ignition button of the saberstaff. It was nearly time, the Force told him so, but he had so much to say to this Dark Jedi who should've had a much smaller impact in his life than he should have. "I wanted to thank you for being to Joza what I could not," he bit out, drily. He wasn't going to get sentimental with a man who tried to punish him. He was only doing it because it was necessary.

"Your head will be split from your shoulders," he said. "But the reason why I'm here to kill you? Is because you slighted me. I let you slight me." Underestimating the Dark Jedi had been one of the greatest mistakes of his life. "I vowed to kill you. I told her I would." That was enough he figured, it wasn't as if they were friends anyway.

"I didn't come here to be a liar."

Snap-Hiss.

The azure beam of one plasma blade being ignited was seen as he began to close in on the Dark Jedi.

[member="Nikias"]

 

[Akhilleus]

A wave of relief washed over Nikias as he knew Joza was alright, he would’ve sensed if something had truly happened to her. Reaching out with the force one last time to ensure what Haytham had said was true Nikias simply smiled. Ever since his first days in the Silver Sanctum [member="Joza Perl"] had been something like a sister to him. He loved her, but not in the way of others. He would never touch her or have a night of passion with her. The times they had were many, and all came back to Nikias in flashes of memory. It was true that when death came memories flashed before your eyes. Worrying his bottom lip a few tears fell from Nikias’ eyes. “Goodbye.” He whispered letting the voice carry the message through the force and to Joza. He’d no longer be there to protect her, to aid her. He’d have to pass the task on.

“No thank you. Without you I don’t think Joza would’ve ever been able to grow the way she has. I expect much from her. She may not surpass either of us in power, but she will always be the better person.” Nikias said to Haytham and looking at the Sith Lord. “I hope at least that we can agree on.”

He had almost ignored the rest of the Sith Lords speech about vowing to kill him. Nikias had heard it but paid it no mind. Everyone had their time, and eventually it would be Haytham’s. Not reaching for his own saber Nikias raised his hands across his chest in an X. “I will not dishonor you by not fighting. I will give you the fight you want.” Head bowing Nikias drew the force in and when his head rose his golden eyes shined brightly. With a roar he pulled his arms apart and splayed his hands. The walls of the cavern exploded outwards shrapnel closing in on Haytham from all directions as if shot from slugthrowers.

[member="Haytham Kaze"]

 

[Haytham Kaze]

His left hand held the saberstaff and his right hand remained empty.

He had felt the relief wash over him when he had confirmed that Joza Perl was still alive.

With that done, he didn't need to vocalize his agreement with Nikias about the Zeltron being a better person than both of them. In some ways anyways.

The Sith Lord, Darth Athyssius may have been approaching, but he stopped when the Dark Jedi spoke those final words. They signalled something, a trap perhaps? But his right hand was already shooting out to create a bubble of protection around his person, his movements halting as the cavern's walls themselves struck out at the Sith Lord. He closed his eyes as he drew on the Dark Side Nexus. He practically bathed in the Dark Side as he weathered the storm, so to speak.

In a similar fashion to how [member="Nikias"] had thrown him through a wall on Cloud Nine, Athyssius dropped the bubble of protection and barely had to flick his wrist as the Force gathered the Dark Jedi up into it's powerful grasp and chuckled him heavily into the cavern. Lunging forwards, the hope was to close the distance in the blink of an eye and kicking him square in the chest after he bounced off the wall and further down into the cavern behind him.

 

[Akhilleus]

There had been two other Sith that had tried gripping Nikias in the force, one a lord and the other a knight. They had learned their lessons about trying to use the one ability Nikias knew best against him and he planned to teach Haytham the same lesson. He could feel the building up of energy and he himself even drew on the nexus behind him ready to meet Haytham’s grip. The invisible energy would begin to form around Nikias but instead of being flung backwards and into the wall as intended he met it with his own telekinetic might dispersing it. Eyes focused on the Sith Nikais lashed out with both his hands forming a semi-translucent bubble around himself that had taken everything from lightsabers to slugthrower rounds.

If Haytham decided to continue on with the kick or not Nikias was already on the move. Haytham had seen Nikias use ballistakinesis before but not in such a way. Nikias had developed the trick long ago when fighting a fellow dark jedi. Propelling the bubble, he himself was contained in Nikias became a bowling ball and Haytham the pin he intended to knock down. Just as he propelled ballbearings and his throwing spikes Nikias became akin to a missile in speed.

[member="Haytham Kaze"]

 

[Haytham Kaze]

Seeing when the Dark Jedi didn't bounce off of the wall as expected, that leg hadn't been sent up to kick him into the dirt.

Multiple thoughts raced through his mind when he felt his opponent gather the Dark Side into him.

The Coalition is a joke.

That was the last thought that had gone through his mind as Nikias began barrelling towards him as if he were a missile. The Force carried Athyssius backwards as he threw himself down and onto his back, saberstaff deactivating, as the fast movements of [member="Nikias"] brought him upon him quick. The man was close to stomping over him as he shot his legs up and into his stomach, aiming to carry him over his body with his own momentum and kicking him past further up the tunnel that the Sith Lord had previously come down.

 

[Akhilleus]

[member="Haytham Kaze"]

Nikias had never been a stranger to the darkside, his entire species even had a habit of going to the dark more so than the light. From the very beginning Nikias had a strong bond with the darkness. The calls of battle fed him, the many passionate nights he had. All things that fed his dark side, he had become even closer during his time with the Syn Talisman. Now he knew the dark intimately and could draw on it just as much as he could the light. Seems you have finally met your match. Sorzus chimed in Nikias’ mind. She knew that the man was tired, that he was running on fumes but the Sith had wanted a challenge and Nikias was going to give it to him. The least he could do was give Haytham what he wanted. The satisfaction of defeating him.

The tactic that Haytham had went to had been a miscalculation in Nikias’ eyes. He would’ve been better off using his saber or defending himself with an opposing force bubble. But to kick? He is not completely honed yet. Nikias thought and as the foot met his barrier he’d explode the force bubble outwards with enough force to shatter the Sith Lord’s knees.

 

[Haytham Kaze]

Once upon a time Haytham Kaze had been in a storm of wooden splinters and glass shards. Some sank into his flash, others caught into the flowing black cloak that he almost always wore since he had become a Sith under Orcus's tutelage. In those days as an early Sith Knight, he was so far advanced with the ability force repulse that he was able to rip the shrapnel out of his body and away from him in an explosion of the Force.

A split moment.

There was an explosion of Force pressing against his legs, and then the force repulse exploded from his body.

It threw the rock and dirt of the cavern around them in every direction as if an explosion had occurred on the terrain above them. It created a needed buffer to counteract against the explosion of power that would've otherwise shattered all the bones below his kneecaps. He needed those after all. Underneath his armoured legs however, the Kinetic Impact Gel took the brunt of the attack. What would've otherwise crippled him was reduced to growing welts and bruises all along his legs as he activated the rocket boots.

Pushing across the ground, he pushed off of the ground and threw his momentum forwards as he got back up to his feet a few metres up the tunnel ahead of the Dark Jedi.

Strengths.

He felt the shattered underarmour but he ignored it. There was pain in his legs, but he drew off of that. He was born and remade in the Dark Side, the pain he felt fuelled him as he headed back down the tunnel to the Dark Jedi.

In the blink of an eye he was in front of him and with the same snap-hiss one would expect from a lightsabre, the one sided saberstaff performed a horizontal cut, threatening to chop off half his jaw with the edge of the beam.

[member="Nikias"]

 

[Akhilleus]

As the two explosions met it was a clash of pure force energy. Dark against the mixture of dark and light. It was an explosion that shook the cave. The shockwaves echoed off the walls and Nikias was flung backwards a few feet. Without a barrier to protect himself the blast made him hit the ground hard where he rolled a few feet across the ground body becoming more cut and bruised than it already had been. Fresh blood leaked from cuts on his cheek, jaw and back. Nikias’ breathing was labored. He’d been down here too long.

It is time. A voice Nikias hadn’t heard in a long time said. It was a calming presence one that Nikias knew intimately. It had been his brother Vivicus. Come it is time… You’ve fought so hard and for so long. It is time for you to take a break.

Yes, I know… I have already accepted my fate. Nikias said as he rose to his feet. Without being in the proper physical condition to fight Haytham in close quarters combat and without his saber it was too late for Nikias. Closing his eyes, he looked down at the ground and released himself to the force. A split-second before the saber met his jaw the robes of Nikias fell to the ground with the dark jedi having vanished. He had released himself into the force. Nikias had attained the one thing he had always wished for… Freedom.

[member="Haytham Kaze"]

 

[Haytham Kaze]

His golden eyes burned brightly when the lightsabre's tip went through the robes, continuing the slash as there was nothing but surprise across his features, it cut through the cavern walls before he deactivated the lightsabre and the blue beam disappeared back into the hilt.

He drew off of the Dark Side of the Force, summoning it and bending it to his will as he leaned on the wall.

Realization came to him when he realized what had happened.

AAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!​

​

Absolutely rage rolled through his body and out of his mouth as the Dark Side exploded from his throat, being wrenched from it as if it were a vacuum sucking it from his very soul. The Force Scream wracked his body, exploding up into the ceiling of the cave. He could not recall being able to open his mouth so wide as the tunnel shook, dirt and rock already beginning to fall around him.

First it was Orcus that had told him, destroy an entire planet when you could take those close to the Dark Jedi? He had listened, instead of hunting down Nikias's homeworld to wipe the smudge that were the Hellyni from the Galaxy, he had instead hunted down the Dark Jedi for a time and when he was finally faced with him again, he was robbed of the vengeance he sought.

Likely even on the other side of Triumvirate Space, with the nexus amplifying his abilities, those receptive to the Force likely felt the rage he felt.

 

[Joza Perl]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSySE1bNFTk[/youtube]​

Location: Voss

It had been weeks since the failed Invasion at Ruusan, and the Sanctum had retreated to lick their wounds. Such painful events gave birth to a new resolve within Joza, and a realization that she could not maintain the lifestyle she wished and continue a romantic relationship with the man she’d fallen for. No, not while he’d proclaimed those who had taken her in—before and now—as the enemy.

And so she began to fall back on her previous Master’s teachings, learning how to control her feelings and mold them into something useful. She’d tasted the dark side on many occasions, and while she couldn’t deny its draws, she also couldn’t abide by it.

She’d been meditating alone in her room, about as monastic as she’d been in the past few years, when she felt it. Subtle tugs in the Force she might had missed had she not been connecting with it as fluidly as she was now. Something was wrong, and she shifted uncomfortably in place, but did not break her concentration.

Goodbye.​

​

Her breath caught in her throat, her back stiffening at that familiar voice. A voice she hadn’t heard in quite a while. She hadn’t known Nikias to communicate through the Force before…was his some sort of trick? The Zeltron was no novice at reading the waves as if they were feelings, and this presence seemed genuine. It was him. But what was the cause of such a message? She didn’t settle, but continued to mediate through the silence. And then the bond, that string of lights that she didn’t realize had been connecting her and the Hellyni, died out completely. It faded into wisps of smoke, and those too soon vanished.

He’s gone.​

​

She slumped, the pain of loss weighing heavily on her body. Her eyes opened, reflecting the grim truth of what had just transpired. Suddenly, a burst of anger rolled over her as if it were an ocean’s wave. Green eyes flared at the sudden onset of such a strong emotion, but it was not her anger. It was someone else’s, someone she held a strong bond with as well. While the lights on her end of this bond had blacked during Ruusan, they slowly began to light again. Dim but warm, it was as if they were little tealights set out in mourning.

Opening the palm of her left hand, Joza glanced down at it with a measure of surprise in her eyes. Her nails had bitten so hard against the flesh there that they’d produced little crescents of blood. At this, she allowed a surge of her own anger to pulse through her. She knew what had happened. He said it would happen. He wasn’t a liar.

She did not let her rage overwhelm her. She let herself feel it, then let it go. Rising smoothly, Joza determined that there was something she had to do. She and Nikias had been as close as siblings, and she owed it to him—and his people—to go to Hora and inform them of the situation.

Lifting a hand to brush a few stray strands of red from her eyes, she paused suddenly before pulling away, staring back at the saline glistening the edge of her fingers.

You’re an idiot, Nikias. Rest easy, friend.​

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[member="Haytham Kaze"] | [member="Zator Carr"]​