Dont be late...

[Mantic Dorn]

The times were rolling down the huge holographic screen that dominated the center of the huge dome resting as ceiling over the space port main room and hub of information and ticket distribution.

Chazwa space was overrun by fugitives and military transports and late departures were common enough.

Mantic sighed as he watched the time table shift for the third time today.

He was supposed to travel to the orbiting Praxeum, one of two jedi destroyers designed fir the jedi order and for now housing the bulk of the jedi's left.

But there was no real rush. And it was good to feel the flow of people around him. Despite the usual rush of morning traffic in general Mantic felt at peace at the heart of the republic.
So he decided to simply enjoy being here while waiting.

He placed himself on top of a broad stair way, with only eight steps leading down to a myriad of benches. Behind him a row of shops and fast food restaurants lined themselves up and where he was standing the flow of people were constant.

Mantic tucked his hands inside his sleeves and watched the people in front of him. Families, aliens, loners, businessmen and victims of the war. They all formed a pattern to him, a web that although chaotic was a reassuring statement that these were living breathing people of the free world. He was proud to be their protector.

However, allowing himself this luxury dulled his senses for other activities around him and little did he realize what was about to come...

[member="Niaana Ren"]

 

[Niaana Ren]

​

Ever feel like you’re not alone.​

​

Sometimes you’re right.​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ETYjLp0j8E​

Powerful wakes in their force, slithering and slipping like scent, drawing her forward to what she lacked. Niaana was perhaps the most twisted of creations from the once Sith Lord Raien Keth over the decades, now her creator little more than a walking suit of dead armor, Niaana was very alive, and very hungry for new experiences free of her servitude. She felt nothing herself, only able to draw from others, and today she sort a strong gathering of force energies.

From up high on her perch she overlooked the crowds, teeth chittering like the primal energy she sort, hands moving, lacking control, always some part of her moving and never at rest. Stealth field engaged, squatting hunched and invisible, her fingers moved like claws, showing the absence of her people’s usual poise or restraint breaking free across her muscles.

Yet her aura was inverted, a hole, missing rather than visible, that in itself was a sign but only to those with imagination or sharper senses than the acolyte.

What did come hunting Mantic….

Absolutely nothing visible. Niaana loved her games, even more so than her former master. One large man at the nearest restaurant developed a cough, and then a sneeze, someone else just fainted, people began to look concerned. Was it based on the food?, in the air? Nope definitely someone had poisoned the food, very clever though, keeping it localized in a specific spot where crowds might gather.

That invisible silhouette above him revelled in this, barely able to contain herself from their suffering, but she must, not yet…. Dropping to the next platfom, so agile. she ran her hand towards the nearest mains cable, cloaked, watching for her opening, she just need him to react, and the sheer volume of knives she so sort to release could begin to play. She wanted those people gathering together, to help the others.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]​

Gear:
Weapons: Knives, all kinds, powered, unpowered, saber resistant and unresistant.
Secondary: Dual Lightwhips, Shockwhip.
Grenades: Smoke Grenades | Flashbang | Gas (Nauseating, Knockout)
Hidden Blade (Signature)
Belt Stealth Field Generator (On)
Breathing Mask, Plus Backup
Black Echani Fibro Armor, Shield Suit (Light Melee) | Echani Accuracy Glooves
Ship: Single civilian fighter landed with camo net, ecm jammers, cloaking device, and shroud (anti tractor) countermeasures.

 

[Mantic Dorn]

There was a disturbance.

Mantic frowned snd looked about. In the nearby cafeteria-like restaurant near by something had happened.
A light had been extuingished and people were agitated about it.
Knowing that these things were not unnatural in itself Mantic did feel that something was off with the situation.

He joined the crowd that was gathering to get some sort of impression on what was going on

[member="Niaana Ren"]

 

[Niaana Ren]

Three things happened next.

Spark hiss... The mains cable she clawed at had a knife thrown through it, lights went out, sparking obviously where she was, but cloaked and invisible it might look like a powercut to most. Through darkness right a flashbang grenade was dropped, and left a knockout gas grenade fell. Not thrown, just dropped, falling steadily toward the crowds. The food poisoning wasn't fatal, she wanted those people alive and in panic while she worked.

To the back of the gathering below, she let herself fall, like the cat she often mimicked, her feet and knees braced her hands to fall on landing, grenades falling or being moved where they were, she shielded he eyes, and then those of the others around her soon to be masked. Shadows were expelled around her form into the crowds, black, unseen. She was no Master, her form was not completely cloaked except for the actual cloaking device itself! It was more a hazy masking, in a powercut shadows just made things harder to see still, thankfully you didn't need your eyes as a Jedi Master!

Out of the blackness, the dark and any gas or flashes, came Niaana’s lightwhip uncurling toward him in a forward lashing of the weapon. These were wild weapons, the Master might have to think about the crowd as well as himself, Niaana was counting on it as an evener. Even so, her first attack was a thrusting lash, seeking to puncture, not a wild swing that might wrap around a weapon or flick off to the crowd. A chameleon in the night hunting into a crowd that might panic or scream, her emotionless form saw the first servings of their dread.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]​

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Gas?

Mantic prepared his lungs to hold breath for a longer period of time. It was a technique trained to stay under water over time, yet he believed it might help equally at this situation.

Then came the flash and Mantic who had bee searching the crowd for immediate danger was as surprised as the next.
Screams, panicking people, parents shouting out for their children, fear of lives, the sheer storm of emotions forming the tornado the [member="Niaana Ren"] molded.
Everything was chaos.

Blinded he needed to turn inward, find focus and allow the force to guide him through this mess.

Then came the whiplash. While the assassins plan had worked it had also given Mantic a warning, time enough to not be completely surprised. He turned his torso 90 degrees followed by his left foot moving in the opposite direction causing him to twist away from the entanglement of the whip.
Never the less, the lash scoured across Mantics chest, flailing a gruesome burn scar across his skin, cutting his robes and clothes.

Smoke rose from where his clothes had been hit and he realized that the weapon used was a variant of the saber. Grinning in pain he also realized fact. The attack was meant for him.

With his sight still blurred, small white dots started to appear to him. With the support of the force he would regardless be able to navigate himself and locate his foe shortly.

Mantic pressed his left hand toward his back as his lightsaber hilt flew into the grip of his right swordhand.

 

[Niaana Ren]

Addicted to accentuating the worst aspects of her creator, Niaana's hand slipped from her belt fluidly, accuracy gloves clasping and locking, her gaze finding her new victim.

Which wasn't Mantic, a knife flew out of her hands, separated from her cloaked form scything in a whirring sound through their darkness, just a standard but sleek little black knife, aimed to a man to Mantic's right. Hopping up she rolled toward their stairs he had stood on previously, launching another knife, this one one imbued with the force to match his saber, its trajectory saw it spinning wide and right, just like Raien once used to. One to distract, one the real threat, curling inward toward Mantic now, still cloaked in darkness.

So many toys.... she exhaled through her breathing mask, half wishing she could taste what those around her did.

Springing forward to the lowest step, her whip raised up, their suffering around her flowing up into the palm of her hand with the weapon, causing her to feel and perhaps give her position away in their force. She cracking it forward again, a light blow, looking for forward punching speed rather than curling direction or power. Whoever had trained Niaana knew a lot about force techniques, or at least whip fighting so not to overextend her weapon. First Raien graduating further to [member="Darth Ferus"] the Echani girl had seen quite some demonstration by their sides.

Sadly all this movement and now emotion left a definite shimmer where her shape should have been, both in the dark and the force. Despite her overly elaborate display this was an acolyte fighting a master.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]​

 

[Mantic Dorn]

The attack had been a surprise and Mantic was still recovering from the initial disorientation.

To his right a man fell forward, slumped over a throwing knife sticking out from his chest. A web in the force was detached.
Death,

Death was not enough though. As with every life it had strings attached to it. Others who felt and lived affected by it.
The young boys terrified whipser next to Mantic sent ripples of utter and complete fear and terror around it.
"Daddy..?" it spoke and the small body of a boy bent kneee next to his father, trying to shake life in the dead limbs that was supposed to pick him up and comfort him.

Another victim in the endless evil that the sith were washing over the innocent. A tint of regret and anger swept across the jedi's mind. Wether it was his own or a projection of the childs emotions was uncertain.
Mantic did not have time to contemplate though. A new threat emerged and his training started to kick in. He had to seperate himself from emotions in this dire time, despite that every ounce of any being resembling humanity would desire to focus on what had just happened instead. But the jedi training did not allow for emotions to rule in pressed times, like this. It would be a path to eventually join the very darkness that now had thrown one of its creation toward him. He had to dismiss it and focus on allowing the force guide him through it all.

A second throwing knife, now with a clear force signature attached to it came hurling directly toward him. He could not distinguish it by sight but felt it approach. Determined to make whatever this was stop, he turned his mind into that of combat.
The siths slaughter to get to Mantic was to be stopped.
While he could not see the exact location of the dagger Mantic raised his hand and formed a force shield which into the knife came to a halt, and then drop down to the ground with the sound of metal hitting stone.
At this point he could not help but glance at the fatherless boy. It served the assassin as a distraction enough.

The whip came forth. It struck Mantics free left arm and tore a gruesome wound from the elbow up to his shoulder.

Pain. Mantic was used to pain, but never the less it made hm grin and stagger back some more.

[member="Niaana Ren"] appeared to him. Her force signature starting to be visible to his inner sight. She was fast and cunning, a foul assassin using whatever means necessary. But despite her initial successes of surprise Mantic was not defeated. He was hurt, and up until now he had been foolish enough to be distracted. Now the scene was becoming clearer to him though.
The pain also sent signals to his body to prepare itself.

Lifting his saber in front of his face Mantic quickly drew an X in the air. It was a show of respect to his adversary, despite that she did not deserve it in the jedi's mind.

Building up he refocused the force inside him as he would let his body be embraced by force valor, a powerful ability to vastly imbue his body with supernatural speed and strength. It would allow him to supersede his enemies natural skill and ability.

While she seemed to have excellent skills with her whip Mantic also recognised lack of attunement in her. She was not that well trained in the dark side that would be necessary to best a jedi knight in hand to hand combat. Especially not one who's prime skills was that of swordmanship.

The moment of surprise had passed and Mantic was now fully prepared to face the sith.

 

[Niaana Ren]

Once upon an Echani, if these were different lifetimes, the X would have been given a deep bow to start, but not here inside this tormented young castaway. Withdrawing silence, agile steps but borrowed emotion betrayed her location if he searched, if he listened. Seemingly her attacks would pause, stop, then come from another angle, that seemed to be her way, hit and run, but not stick around for what happened next, often the infuriating way of an assassin.

Through it all Mission's lack of more extensive training or rather control, even natural to her people, started to become apparent. This place had proved a perfect distraction, and unfortunately just as much for her, she was feeling a high, drunk from the outpouring of emotion or distress around them, allowing her to feel what she so craved, which lit her up in the force. Roll of her hips upward, her next attack not only had a giddy unnerving laugh signaling direction but also the weapon went wild, curling, whipping around to Mantic's left side at shoulder height, like the holofilms would show you but sadly like a novice. The curling attack was just as dangerous to her, as it was to him, and also anyone around them, lightwhips could be incredibly unpredictable when wielded this way, and all too easy to entangle.

Around them through the dark people were pulled away or staggered about, technicians worked to restore power, not yet with success but people were responding to try and get secondary lights online, she didn't have all that long to finish her mission until the lights would make it even easier to spot her. Shimmering cloaking field giving her an edge but only till he fixed on her in the force, which he was doing...

[member="Mantic Dorn"]​

 

[Mantic Dorn]

It was necessary to grieve because of what had happened here on this day. This young but ambitious assassin had caused pain and suffering to many.
Many had become sick, or worried to such a degree that their minds would be filled with nightmares for months, maybe years to come. A child had been made fatherless. Such evil was brutal and unforgiving. It could however not be faced by hate and vengeance. There would be time for grief later. Controlled grief without a looming darkness shedding its venom upon the innocent.

The jedi knew this in theory and his mind was set to perform this duty without involvement of emotions.
Hence when the third attack came, Mantic was prepared. His precognition warned him about what was about to happen and his force valor imbued his reflexes with superhuman speed and agility. He dodged the tip of the whip by rolling underneath it, and with extreme speed he tumbled up close [member="Niaana Ren"] to strike forth the tip of his saber in a lethal straight piercing cut, meant to impale the siths heart on his blade.

There was no pardon or otherwise consideration about his actions. From Mantic's perspective [member="Niaana Ren"] had to be killed right away to stop this sick and twisted madness.

 

[Niaana Ren]

Her body carried around by her wild swing, it was just plain luck that nobody around them was cut in two, though more than one person dived away as this bright hissing red trail came out of blackness around in a circle. Niaana couldn’t match his speed, but she had the benefit of distance, if she could see him fully! This shifting flying form came toward her and all she could do was attempt a last minute jump back. Penetrating her invisible shimmer, Mantic’s weapon shorted out the mini shield grid atop her armor with its brushing contact, and cracking blue flashes burst out atop the translucent form.

Leaning back… further up their stairs her backward jump brought her, only her awkward leap landed her on the stair’s railing, slipping she caught her knee painfully and went over the edge back to ground. Not too far up, it still left a great railing in between them, a small dip down over the edge, and Niaana with a bruised knee. Trailing with her, her lightwhip ripped up stone and metal, twisting or burning it as she went. Cackling wildly from the pain, the rush of emotion however was dimming, as more and more people moved away... they never stayed long enough to let her play.

In front of her smoke was thrown, as she scrambled to her feet, feeling an awkward limp. The grey field going up in a hiss to block sight and sound further, not that mantic needed it but it made everything that bit more perilous. While in front of her, her outstretched whip flicked up once more through the misty grey and unseen blackness, no target, just making the direct approach harder or that bit more risky.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]​

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic felt his saber only stir air. The sith had escaped his deadly attack by jumping back and landed on top of the stair. While Mantic was not a slow person in himself, trained since a child in the arts of lightsaber fighting, he was a master of combat, and had given his entire life to this. there was nothing else in his life but being a jedi warrior. Her movement would have surprised many but this jedi merely noted the events and kept going.

Mantic wore no armor for the occasion and would be able to continue a prolonged fight without much effort, but despite this he continued his more precise and energy saving stances. for the time being he did not know if more sith lurked in the corners so saving energy was still a good tactic. He moved with speed empowered by the force to the railing and reached over or over the stairs to give him full control over her position,

While she had landed a bit further away after the stumble over the railing Mantic clenched his left hand forming a powerful force around her and pulling her back to him at the same time as he twirled around to land a strike directly across her neck, a technique called draw closer, used by the Niman form.
this one was meant to decapitate her.


[member="Niaana Ren"]

 

[Niaana Ren]

Ow, she thought as she was grabbed, cackling wildly once more. Nothing surprising about falling over and banging your knee! More like painful, rare it was indeed to expect to kill someone in a single saber swing! Yanked forward and up, her aching leg relieved of its weight as she flailed around, pulling her through the smoke was smart, putting her close again was smart. Also dangerous with that whip following her which now trailed behind, ripping up the ground as she was yanked, to send sludge-like superheated stone and metal thrown about.

Burning noises from below, the side of the stairs began to collapse as she barreled toward the railings, Niaana’s free hand ignited a second whip, her shockwhip lashing itself to the railings to her side. The charge of the slavers choice weapon sent volts down harmlessly into the spaceport's floor, leaving her almost pulled apart like a cracker, tendons tearing in the left arm. While Mantic tried to yank her closer, her sudden stop meant his weapon went wide, but this hurt like hell, and whatever giddy schoolgirl nature had driven her to the point of reckless abandonment, the grin was well and truly wiped off her face.

Back to the smoke, the echani girl lost grip of her shockwhip and fell down, again painfully hitting the floor below the stairs, the wind knocked out of her, her lightwhip came down with her, which sent more of the stairs sides tumbling downwards, and yes that meant toward her. Even as she groaned pained, still you could hear her cackling voice below, enthralled with the pain and suffering which she was allowed to feel, a wound in the force drawing all sliver of emotion it could toward it.

Her hand reached for another knife, and it sung its way upward...

[member="Mantic Dorn"]​

 

[Mantic Dorn]

The girl held impressive imagination, and utilized her ideas with great effect.
Mantic had to give her that as his saber entirely missed its target. And not only that, she had managed to escape his grip.

Impressive... he mumbled as he realized what a danger this one could become if left to her dark and foul craft.

Mantic leaned over the ledge of the broken stairs as the dagger came flying up. His left hand quickly reached out and grabbed the daggers hilt in mid air. He was fully focused on her actions now. The full power of the force flowing through him, and her skills was not enough to surprise him anylonger.

"If you give yourself to republic justice sith, there may still be hope for you. I can help..." he pleaded with his deep yet clear voice.

With his offer out there he tried to discern any conflict in the sith. He was a jedi and would accept her surrender, yet he would not hesitate to continue his attack nor end her existance should the dark side have her fully in its grasp.

[member="Niaana Ren"]

 

[Niaana Ren]

Noble, strong, reserved and just, Mantic was the perfect example of a Jedi. He was however speaking to a child, and he saw it now perhaps in the force as she lay there wounded. Conflict? She was a wound, she had no conflict than her very existence, all she was ever made to be.

No one had ever asked her.

[member="Raien Keth"] had spent decades perfecting and torturing everyone he came across, families, communities, other Jedi, the Sun guard, the Midnight guard. Niaana, the circle of six, the sith spawn and her kin was his last real work, because he too would soon pass, but not before the next legacy was complete to survive him. Was Mission a failed attempt at that? Was she a failure as a Sith, as his sister? These thoughts echoed, causing her to laugh wildly. [member="Serian Loria"] or Manu would have turned in their grave, well no Serian or Manu would have killed her where she stood for being the abomination she was, but both never claimed to be perfect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooYRhoLk90s​

None of these decades, centuries of history and torment, except perhaps surface impressions could Mantic know, but perhaps there was lingering residue. What he could know is that the laughing stopped, and she stood looking up, the debris had broken her cloaking field, and the lights were coming on, he was looking at a young Echani girl, twisted beyond recognizing with a wild look in her eyes.

“Mission.” She said coldly, raising her chin with pride, there was nothing else there just her mission to talk to, brushing down the dust from her armor, her leg felt heavy, and her left arm lay limp by her side.

If he approached she would run, if he attacked she would move, he had one shot to save this girl. One. Then he would have to kill her or let her flee, for he was right, she would become terrifying one day if not stopped. He spoke to Mission, purpose, drive, and yearning hunger to feed to fill the gap of the rest. Why however had she stopped to talk to him, defined by the mission, what was her mission today? To kill him, there was danger for mantic in waiting.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]​

 

[Mantic Dorn]

The scene had changed. Most of the people had fled the location leaving only a few truly schocked or hurt ones behind. In the distance sirens indicated that the police would be here soon.

Mantic bit his lip as he saw the girl scramble to her feet, her mind rushing with memories and emotions. He sensed the conflict in her, albeit burried deep down. The sheer hatred and evil that had its grip over the ones of the dark side was such a clear thing in her regardless. It was painful to consider just what she must have endured to become such a monster. He closed his eyes forcing himself to remain focused, she was at his mercy and while he too was a killer, their approach to taking lives was the complete opposite.

With the blade of his saber deactivating he took the leap down to her side amongst the rubble. He would be in short distance of her.

His right arm held straight out, his finger pointing a direction for her.

"With your help, I can teach you to mend things. You owe it to many." he explanied with a serious tone and tried to get her to meet his eyes. He was truly sincere in his offer. The echani was young enough to be his daughter making him willing to risk this position. This was not the time for deep discussions or making metaphors. He pleaded to her straight out. Speaking directly to her own mind and heart, should she be able to still hear it.

He was however placing himself in danger by this move. This would be a good moment for her to try and continue her attack should she choose to.

He instead held out his left hand toward her, offering support for her to stand.

Should she choose to follow the direction of what his right hand was pointing to - her eyes would find a lone boy holding his dead fathers head in his knee. [member="Niaana Ren"] s dagger still burried in the mans chest, while the child desperately kept crying for him to wake up...



[member="Niaana Ren"]

 

[Niaana Ren]

There was momentary flinch from Niaana as he landed, because she was always moving some part of her body, hands uncurling, feet drawing in then out. Most Echani spoke through motion and so chose their body language or expression carefully. It might be noted that a constant movement, never being at rest meant just that, if you knew the species.

He spoke to the mission or drive inside of her, and was clever to go the direct route not to meander philosophically, also the use of the child, she followed the outstretched finger looking at the one who now would know great loneliness and loss from such a young age.

This didn't evoke emotion like a normal person, or even some sith's strong adverse reaction, just memories. Yet there was that danger Mantic might sense still growing, though it may prove hard to pinpoint where.

The hand was offered and the words, mend, owe, duty, help. These things though they might not seem like it balanced each other out. Owe, duty, to the sith and her master, but to mend and help the younger memories inside of her, like the child, to help the child she'd made an orphan.

Niaana reached to touch his hand, and a great shiver in the force might grip him, drawing energy into her, eager to understand to know and to feel what he meant more clearly. He may lose an hour from his life, a week, or just feel a great headache, or nothing at all. For Niaana's part this was done naturally, she'd been trying to train the technique but here and now it emerged on its own, innocently almost the first light steps into a draining of sorts.

So what did happen to someone who felt no emotion, no remorse, or anything at all, suddenly connected to a Jedi Master in this way. Whether she was successful or not, and whether instead this was the emotion radiating off the kid or not, a look of clarity came across her eyes. “Kill me.” she asked of him, warrior to warrior, “there isn't any time.” For in that moment she stood as Echani proud, honorable and reserved, looking at herself in the mirror, seeing everything she would never have. The draining or attempt stopped but the clarity wouldn't remain for long, she threw her weapon far away.

Above them the sense of urgency grew, for it was not below where the killing signal would come from...

[member="Mantic Dorn"]​

 

[Mantic Dorn]

There were moments in life that defined who you really were. Moments that would close doors or open new ones. Times when who you are was questioned and brought into light in all ones failures.

Mantic felt her draining attempt surge through his fingertips. It was s feint attack, yet it served as a catalyst if sorts for her true self to open up, enough to recognize the monster she had become.
It must be dreadful beyond understanding to reach insight on the evil one has done.
And for what?

Mantic shivered slightly as a pearl of sweat broke through his skin and escaped down his forehead.
She even recognized the right thing in ending her existence. For the briefest of moment Mantic reached back, as if preparing a strike.
If she can see this truth... then she is not beyond redemption...

Instead of a stroke Mantic leaned in and grabbed her by the waist. An embrace to lift her up from the rubble and bring her to standing position opposite to him.

"Only you can destroy the darkness in you. Only you can separate yourself from your past deeds and devote yourself to restore that which was broken." he whispered.

"But I will help you. If you will allow me."
Mantic let the sheer light of his power hold them both for the moment, should she choose to try and fight the darkness it could help her.
On the other hand. If her moment of insight had come to a short now the jedi master would be an easy target for [member="Niaana Ren"]

 

[Niaana Ren]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj9jkVQS-No​

Button pressed above. Red flashes blinking subtly from behind her, “thank you.” Niaana said with a whisper into his ear. You know, she hung onto that emotion, that one sliver in her. It was beyond her to cry, she didn’t even know what crying meant. Niaana instead hugged him, put her chin on his shoulder, and let herself have a hug. Watching the orphan with his father, "please help him." That was her first hug, even as whatever emotion she had taken began to drain from her, eyes beginning to lose themselves, she had that much.

“You have,” she answered him showing vulnerability, he'd stopped what could have been so much suffering. There might have been tears if such were possible falling from her cheeks. The red blinking on the back of her neck increased in tempo, eyes flashing open. “You have to let me go now.” She let go of him, and smiled. Echani, when it was time, there wasn’t hesitation, she stood true to her heritage.

Mantic would feel a sharp pinching sensation to his arm intending to cause the muscle to release, Echani martial arts, finding even racial memory in her final moments. Niaana kicked away, mantic could cling onto her but it might feel how dangerous that was right now. The killing signal was not for him, it was for her, she had failed, she was of no more use.

The figure above. Many levels distant.​

​

Taresa Kae, the Third Sister. [member="Matsu Ike"], [member="Hana Kae"]​

Each assassin of the six had a device, only the first knew of it till today. [member="Nima Tann"] might see a vision of her padawan from very far away, for even those who had been redeemed [member="Taiden Keth"] carried the same, only they may not know of it. Hana Kae’s descendant had sent the signal, the explosive in red blinding light to follow the blinking in mere seconds, Mantic had to duck! So typical of Raien to twist Hana’s memory this way, old, old old conflicts even now.

Niaana looked at Mantic till the end, she was happy, he’d redeemed her, though she’d never know life, she knew what it was to be alive, to be Echani. If only for one second she was free, maybe that was enough. In front of him she ducked down to shield others from harm, and red explosive light claimed her body from view, there would be little but rubble left. The black cloaked form of Taresa walking across the high platform toward her ship to exit without a further word, cloaking device switching on....

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic felt the light in her as she whispered words of gratitude into his ears. He felt astounded at what had transpired. She was far stronger then he had first thought. As she stepped back he gave her a warm smile trying to assure her that it would all be fine.
But his features soon changed as he realized something terrible was about to happen. She threw herself away, a motion that most likely saved Mantic as he reached out for her just before the explosion was set. Raising his arms to shield his face in the last seciond was all he managed, but it was enough thanks to her sacrifice.

Staggering back, as dust and rubble settled around them Mantic lowered his hands.

"no..." he slumped and looked at the lifeless corpse of [member="Niaana Ren"]
As the republic law enforcement moved in Mantic knelt down and held her one last time.

You were damned, but you brought yourself to the light. I will see to the boy. Rest with the force." he mumbled and turned toward where the boy was sitting. He would make sure to hold his promise to the sith.
He would make sure to carry the legacy of her redemption with him at all times.