Dathomir Crystal Hunt (Ballen-Ist)

[Slot 19]

Ah, Dathomir. Suffocating humidity, weird wilderness, and Rancor rampancy. Add that to the Nightsisters lurking in the mountains and you've got yourself a real winner for a vacation destination. Luminara put a hand over her eyes to block the sun as she scanned the location around them. She'd been with Ballen for almost a week since they met up. She was still a little bit achy from their more steamy moments. It wasn't really that big of a deal. They'd moved on, and this trip was evidence of that. She still didn't quite understand why they had to come all the way out here just for a Kyber Crystal. "So, Ballen, we came here for some amazing Kyber Crystal, right?" She said, her voice sounding as dull as this little treasure hunt felt.
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Dathomir, a place he had been before once. On that day, he had defeated a Dathomirian Sorcerer, who employed many types of "magic" in order to combat the pureblood. Though, in the end, Ballen-Ist had emerged triumphant, a thought that urged him to grin slightly as he walked across the dark, barren sands. Tall mountains were present in the far distance, however the most noticeable scenery were the several dead looking trees that decorated the apparently endless desert. The young Knight's feet would shift through the sand, his mind focused on searching out and claiming a certain item. He could not help but pause, and turn briefly to look at [member="Luminara Rikanati"], who spoke falsly, and with a dull tone of voice.

"Have you ever slain a rancor before?" He would question, completely disregarding her question at first.

 

[Slot 19]

Luminara thought for a moment. "Not that I can remember. There's a first time for everything, I guess. Not to mention something to look forward to." She said with a devilish grin to the world around her. Her red-gold eyes glanced over at the Pureblood. "I'm guessing you have?" She stated.
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"It was the first test given to Ferus' favored acolytes, I suppose. I suppose he did not like you," the boy would taunt, a playful grin on his face as he turned away from the Twi'lek, beckoning for her to follow with a wave of his hand. As the duo continued across the sands, the dead trees would become more noticeable in quantity, appearing more frequently than before. The sand beneath their feet would also become more dense, slowly but surely turning into an almost rocky terrain. "I was the only one who passed. Though, it was just a virtual reality chamber." the boy seemed to sigh in disappoint after stating such.

Having recovered from their little "training" session from earlier, Ballen-Ist would feel stronger than ever, his dark side energy permeating and emanating from him uncontrollably. It would begin to spread significantly, even though he showed little control over it. It was the only thing he knew how to do, for he had never been taught in stealth arts. Eventually, the terrain would take a drastic drop, leaving [member="Luminara Rikanati"] and the Knight on a high cliff edge.

"What we seek is neither a Kyber or Kaiburr crystal," he began, recalling whatever it was she had asked earlier. "What we seek, is a crystal used by Dathomir's Nightsisters."

 

[Slot 19]

Luminara rolled her eyes at Ballen's snide little comment about not being Ferus's favorite. She'd only ever been in it for the Zabrak's looks, anyway. As they stood on the cliff edge, her tattooed eyebrows would raise at his answer. "A Nightsister Crystal? I wonder, what's the difference, exactly? A special color? A special ability?"
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The boy's dark aura would creep down the cliff's wall, quickly spreading across the rocky flat grounds below. The dark side energy he gave off would do little, but alert others within the area of their presence. On the horizon, a rather large shadow could be spotted advancing at a surprisingly fast rate. The boy's arm would lift, moving from it's previous relaxed position by his side. Instead, it would place his gloved hand onto the handle of his sword, firmly grasping the hilt in preparation for combat. The pureblood would ignore her request, not wanting to get into the contrasting aspects of the crystals previously mentioned. However, he did know that the Kaiburr crystal greatly enhanced one's force abilities, while the Kyber crystal contained information of all force sensitives in the galaxy. Two extremely rare items. "The Nightsisters utilize the dark side in many different fashions, you know," he continued, sounding as if he were educating a child. Even so, no hints of anger or frustration were in his tone, for he was content.

"Specifically illusions."
[member="Luminara Rikanati"]

 

[Slot 19]

Luminara eyed the shadow approaching them, putting her hand on her own saber. When Ballen mentioned that Nightsisters were good with illusions, she looked over at him with a sort of insane grin and an unnerving gleam in her eye. "Really now? Well then, perhaps we should catch a Nightsister and see how she does it. It would make for an excellent fight." She said excitedly.
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Ballen-Ist would scoff quietly at her eagerness. He could not help but admire it, though was she ready to face an opponent of this magnitude? The pureblood was not worried in the least, for he had managed to deactivate the mechanical rancor in one move. After much calculating and tactical planning of course, and that was when he did not even know the most basic force powers. The silhouette that had gotten closer would come into clear view, as it's massive feet stomped violently upon the rocky ground, shaking it ever so slightly. The Knight's dark aura had been felt by the Rancor who was converging on their location, along with the single Nightsister that rode upon it.

Lifting his arm in a slow sweeping motion, Ballen-Ist would draw his blade, it's light songsteel-like material glowing brightly due to the many bolts of lightning that ran along it's length. The Sith took a moment to pause and think, wondering how he would fare against such a foe. Turning his neck to face [member="Luminara Rikanati"], the boy would grin, before stepping forward, causing his body to descend off of the cliff at a rapid pace. A thick blanket of telekinetic energy would begin to exude itself from beneath the Knight's body, causing him to hover slowly to the surface, where he was now on equal grounds with the raging beast. "I expect you to go all out, regardless of any fatigue you may be experiencing." The boy would comment, obviously referring to their night on Tantorus. He wondered how she would respond to such teasing, and to the massive opponent that was about fifty metres away, and approaching. Atop the Rancor was pale skinned female alien, who wore a shining crown that was decorated with a large shining red jewel.
(OOC: LMAO!)

 

[Slot 19]

((OOC: Ahem..... Tugoro...... ))

Luminara watched as Ballen jumped down from the cliff. She noticed that the Nightsister approaching had a lovely jewel on her head. So lovely that she wanted it. She jumped down after Ballen, landing gracefully beside him. She gave him a seductive smirk when he made his little comment. "Let's not forget who had to take an entire day of bed-rest while I was up and moving," She playfully retorted. She pointed at the Nightsister. "Whoever pulls her off the beast gets 500 points. But whoever gets the jewel off wins the game."
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

It would now be Ballen-Ist's turn to roll his eyes, after listening to [member="Luminara Rikanati"]'s comment. He tried to push the memories of that day from his mind for now, though it was difficult. After a few moments of planning, the boy's dark figure would dart forward with considerable speed, heading towards the Rancor that easily loomed fifteen metres over the duo's head. Having gotten a good look at the area from atop the cliff, Ballen-Ist would begin to head towards the direction the Rancor had come from, his agile form gracefully weaving itself in between the creature's feet, as it halted briefly due to the Knight's advance. The Nightsister did not take kindly to this, for apparently she held pride in her ability to tame and control Rancors. After shouting a few things in a foreign language, the beast would turn, following the pureblood as he was apparently...Running away?

The Nightsister on the other hand, would notice the Twi'lek's vulnerability, leaping from the beast's back and onto the rocky surface that the Acolyte stood. In her hand was a simple looking staff, most likely made of wood. Though, most force sensitives would able to sense the energy that surrounded the weapon, allowing it to contend with even a lightsaber. The warrior would scream loudly, in some sort of battle cry, before charging forward and swinging the staff violently. It would attempt to smash into the Twi'lek's torso.

 

[Slot 19]

Luminara laughed, activating her blade. "Come, sister of the night. Let us dance!" She cried playfully. She would commence with using the Makashi style that Ballen had so willingly showed her that first day, prancing and twirling and jumping with grace and finesse. She would slowly gain speed as she moved in circles around the woman. Her jabbing and slashing would be a nice contender to the sister's own might. And they hadn't even gotten to the Force contest yet....
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Seeing as Ballen-Ist had surveyed the area earlier, he knew just what to do in this situation. The force aided his speed, causing his body to move like a blurred shadow across the rocky landscape. Even so, the Rancor would be unrelenting, following as it tracked the Knight towards his destination. In the virtual reality chamber, Ballen-Ist had managed to defeat the simulated Rancor by outsmarting it, and he aimed to do so today. In the distance, was a gathering of extremely tall trees, some that even extended to eighty feet in height. This was not an uncommon thing for Dathomir, for it's gravitational pull was weaker than most planet's. Ballen-Ist would enter the forest, weaving through the many wooden protrusions before beginning to climb one. The massive Rancor would barrel forward, smashing the trees to the side with it's strength.

The Nightsister's strike would be avoided with finesse, for [member="Luminara Rikanati"] had an impressive grasp of the Makashi form. After utilizing it's quick foot work, the Twi'lek would find herself overwhelming the Nightsister, who was only barely able to keep up. The repetitive blocks and dodges were tiring her out, which ultimately led to her resorting to the force. A brief and slightly powerful burst of telekinesis would be released, hoping to push the Twi'lek away from the moderately injured warrior. Lifting both of her hands, the pale skinned female would begin to focus her dark side energy, shooting forth a single stream of red lightning.

 

[Slot 19]

Luminara avoided the push sent by the sister with ease. The Lightning was beautiful to behold, but not normal. She avoided most of the stream, but some of it nicked her in the arm. It burned like normal lightning, but it also made her feel slightly... drained. Ah. So that was it's secret. Luminara gave the Nightsister a twisted smile. "Your Lightning's got a nice shock to it, and a lovely color. I, however, prefer something a bit more flashy..." As she said this, she would raise both hands and begin sending the woman a torrent of brilliant purple electricity. From a distance, it would look like a small storm.
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Thanks to the thick forest, Ballen-Ist had been able to elude the Rancor's sight, allowing it to tear down tree after tree with it's strength. It would be slightly intimidating, if the young Sith were some sort of coward, he figured. He knew that facing the massive creature would be foolish, and figured that there were easier ways to taking it down. Hopefully he would be able to reenact his display of skill all those months ago. Placing his feet upon a sturdy, dark branch, the Knight would watch silently, not daring to move a muscle as his black clothing allowing him to somewhat blend in. The Rancor would continue it's movement, it's long clawed arms sweeping wildly in order to destroy anything that obstructed it's path. The young boy had managed to utilize his speed, giving him an advantage of height. From atop the tree, he would peer down at the beast, who desperately wanted to destroy him. Lifting a single arm, the Knight would begin to release a torrent of lightning, that would flow as a single beam and impact with the ground in a dazzling show of brightness.

In the distance, the same could be said for [member="Luminara Rikanati"], who decided to counter the Nightsister's offensive technique with her own. The purple energy would surge forward as the red dissipated, shortly after the warrior's telekinetic assault had failed. The Nightsister would grit her teeth in anger as she lifted her staff, allowing it to take the brunt force of the Twi'Lek's lightning. The female would begin to skid backwards, being propelled by the magnitude of Luminara's technique. The lightning she unleashed would eventually overload the staff, causing it to combust in an explosion of lightning. It would rack the Nightsister painfully, causing her to stumble backwards in a dazed manner. As a last ditch effort, she would begin to attempt and penetrate Luminara's mind, with her already weakened one. If successful, doppelgangers of her form would appear, that seemed to rush forward and strike at lightning speeds. They were all fake, though would the Twi'Lek be able to tell the difference?

 

[Slot 19]

The sister's pathetic excuse for an illusion disgusted Luminara to no end. The images were there, but they were wispy and lacked substance. The weakness of it all made the Twi'lek begin laughing hysterically, even to the point of drawing tears. Flicking them away, Luminara settled down. "Alright, dearie. You've had your fun. There's no need to drag out your humiliation any longer." As she said this, she would stare directly into the Nightsister's eyes with a smug grin. She would also penetrate the woman's mind. This Illusion would be that of Dathomir, but it would be burning to ashes. The sky would be filled with black smoke, the air with sulfur and ashes. A fire would ignite at the Nightsister's feet, causing her to feel the sensation of burning alive.
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The Rancor would begin to rear it's ugly head wildly, turning to watch as the beam of electricity shot past it, and into the ground. The creature's beady black eyes would follow the substance as it neared the ground, before averting it's attention to thing of greater importance, that being where it had come from. The bright crackling violet energy that had been released would dissipate moments after, doing little to actually harm the beast. It was a simple distraction, for Ballen-Ist had already taken flight. The pureblood's cloaked figure would shoot through the air at an impressive speed, nearing the Rancor while it had been distracted. The Knight's plated boots would slam violently onto the creature's rough hide, while he held his lightning blade high up into the air.

The Nightsister's illusion would begin to wear off, for it was no match for [member="Luminara Rikanati"]'s prowess in the technique. Even with one of their Force Crystals, the pale skinned warrior stood little to no chance. She could feel her mind being invaded as the Twi'Lek's dark aura surged forward, forcing her to experience hell on Dathomir, apparently. A bright light would be conjured all around the area, as fire lit out of no where. The flames would lick and dance around the Nightsister, causing her skin to burn, becoming a crispy black color. Of course, it was all an illusion, and only mental strain had been inflicted. The Nightsister would drop to the ground, unconscious due to the pain that she had experienced.

The force imbued katana that Ballen-Ist wielded would spin, aiming it's sharp point downwards at the Rancor's head. Thrusting forward, the young pureblood would expel his own force into the hilt of his weapon, allowing a mechanism to slowly but surely activate. The blade would impact with the Rancor hide, offering slight resistance before parting due to it's sharp aspects. The sword would lodge itself into the creature's cranium, before a devastating storm unleashed itself upon the beast. Tendrils of lightning would begin to emit from the blade's metallic material, electrocuting it from the inside while some streams traveled to fry it's body considerably. The beast would roar in pain and defeat as it's consciousness too faded, dying shortly after slamming into the tall trees. Ballen-Ist's form had leaped high into the air, allowing him to land just outside of the forest's entrance. His sword was now covered in thick blood, though with the employment of his telekinesis, he would scrap it from his prized weapon. "Not bad!" He yelled across the landscape, watching as the Nightsister was defeated.

 

[Slot 19]

Luminara made a kind of pouty expression as the Nightsister fell unconscious. She was hoping there'd be more screaming. Ah well. She walked over to the woman. Bending down, she used the Force to pluck the jewel from the sister's crown. She turned to Ballen, waving the jewel high in the air. "I win!" She called back to him. Turning back to the woman on the ground, Lumi would hold her saber above her for a moment. "Such a pity. I was hoping to actually learn something from you. Oh well..." Then her saber went through the sister's chest.
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Ballen-Ist would arrive on the scene shortly, watching as the Nightsister was stabbed violently through the chest. Her energy signature would begin to fade, as the plasma beam was pulled from her flesh. Peering forward with a focused stare, the youth would spot the sparkling crystal, which had already been claimed by the pale Twi'Lek. "Hah," he would scoff under his breath, rolling his eyes as she bragged about her victory. The pureblood's feet would come to a stop as he looked down at the corpse, examining it for any notable items. Unfortunately, there was nothing for him to claim.

"I doubt you would've learned anything, unless you were an actual member of their society," Ballen-Ist would claim, pausing briefly before finishing, "Though, there is always torture."
[member="Luminara Rikanati"]

 

[Slot 19]

Luminara gave him a sideways glance. "In that area, I don't think they'd have anything to teach that I didn't already know." She held up the crystal, examining it closely. "So, how does this work again?"
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The youth would shrug briefly, watching as [member="Luminara Rikanati"] examined the force crystal. All he knew, was that it enhanced the Nightsister's abilities, which were also available to other force sensitives. Thus, he figured it would work the same way with the Twi'Lek, hopefully increasing her illusion prowess. Though, in all truths, he had no clue how it "worked."

"How should I know? Do I look like a Nightsister to you?"