Dorin Excoriate [Closed]

[Via Dolorosa]

The male Jedi attacked with both a purpose and without control, the latter would be his undoing. She commended his fortitude to defeat her quickly but in the first few strikes by him and the ensuing parries by her, she had already discovered his weaknesses. She could never boast the claim she was an expert or even a master swordsmen, so to counter her weakness she dedicated her time to studying the weaknesses of every lightsaber form and observing her opponent's moves. Everything was about patterns with her. Even those that tried to break one pattern would unknowingly fall into another, it was simply the nature of things.​

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She began to grow weary of this fight, for all the Jedi was doing was wasting her time; and it was time she could not afford to lose. Also, she could sense the Jedi was physically growing tired from pressing his attack as he sought a way to break through her defenses. If he had been her Apprentice, she would have chided him for over exerting himself, perhaps even punishing him for failing to listen to her teachings. So when the Jedi struck again, she caught his blade on hers locking the two blades together. Then with her free right hand, catching him off guard since she had yet to make an attack herself, struck the centre of his throat with a balled fist sending him into a fit of retching and gagging; his weapon shutting down and bouncing harmlessly on the floor. She twirled around quickly, placing her back to his front, and drove her blade backwards into his chest, soaking up his death through the Force.​

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The small measure of satisfaction from the killing the Jedi was all she could absorb, for killing the weak was beneath her; even if it was a Jedi. By the time she arrived to the vaults, it was empty minus a few objects here and there. Unsure if they were important or not, she produced a small thermal grenade from a pouch, located on her belt made of Knobby White Spider teeth, that was created from the feathers of a Jubba bird found on Dabobah and tossed it into the vault.​

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By the time the explosion took place, she was already halfway down the hall on the hunt for anything or anyone.​

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Allies: [member="Sage Bane"] ... [member="Amaethon"] ... [member="Darth Hauntruss"] ... [member="Darth Isolda"]​

Enemies: [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] ... [member="Tyranus Collik"] ... [member="Daniel Imura"] ... [member="Solan Charr"] ... [member="Varus Shatterstar"] ... [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Hauntruss' smile grew. An old foe and presented himself once more. Hauntruss commanded her units to follow Cyrus Tregessar's soldiers and support his campaign to finish cleaning up. Peeling away Hauntruss entered a sunken and destroyed area at the far end of the Kel Dor Jedi Temple. Taking a rotting stone stairway down to a great main chamber she began to hiss in the darkside feeling for her old foe. "T̴h͏e ̡fo҉ŗc͡e is͡ ̛st҉ro͠ng̸ wi̕th̨ y͟o͘u ͡K̡el͟ ̶D҉or. ̡H҉is̸ş hi͠s̷s h̶íss. Bu͜t y͘ou̢ a҉r̷e no͏t ͜a̴ f͡ul̷l Jed̛i͏ ̷y̸et͢." Hauntruss' form bleeded out of the darkness to meet the Kel Dor. Who was in meditation funnelling force to his side. "̡Bu̵t.̨ It͠ ̷i͘s ̡ǹe̴ver͡ ̶t̨o la̴te ̛tò ͏p͟ur͠g͡e͡ ̷youŗse̸lf̕ of͞ t̸h̡ese li̷e͏s a̧s͠ I҉ ͡ha̡ve͝ ͡pu͝rg̛ed ͘this̶ ̛wor̀l͝d. Ev͟e͜n̡tualļy al̵l̸ l͞i͟g͟ht̀ ̛d́ȩcays ąn͘d̕ th͘ei̷r is͜ on̸ly̢ ̷d̴ark҉ne͘ss."̸

Kian turned to face the voice behind him, his deactivated lightsaber hilt in his hand. Kian raised his head tilted it to the side as his silver eyes examined her. He'd felt her coming, her buildup of darkside energy was hard to miss. He wondered why they had come to Dorin. The Jedi Enclave here was out of use, millennium old. Had it been his fault.....had his past with the Sith tempted her into coming here. Kian pushed such thoughts away though. He was giving himself too much credit. The Sith wanted to destroy all things Jedi....theirs was a war of extermination.

"You've purged nothing." Kian said shaking his head, his face clear of the mask and goggles that hid his face in their previous engagements. "The harder the Sith fight to destroy, the more you tighten your grasp the more worlds you will turn against you. You can't purge the galaxy of the Jedi, its been tried before and you'll fail just as they failed."

Kian eyed the Sith for a long, silent moment and then added. "But I can offer you the same deal."

"It isn't too late to call this off. To take your ships and your soldiers and leave Dorin in peace." Kian said, his voice thick with resolve. "You don't belong here."

[member="Darth Hauntruss"]​

 

[Aithne Charr]

Solan stood there in the temple bent over a little with a smile on his face, really he hadn't expended too much energy but the door was a bit heavier than Solan had expected. This was not something that worried him too much as his strength would slowly return and he straightened up. "Look, just leave, i can knock you around a few more times, remove your hand. Your sith houndmasters won't know the difference. They are largely a feeble minded people as it is so i really wouldn't expect much from them in seeing past the deception."

[member="Amaethon"]

 

[Amaethon]

Allies: The Sith
Enemies: The Jedi, [member="Solan Charr"]

Charr's words gave him precious seconds to regain his equilibrium. Grabbing his lightsaber, he ignited it and he smiled.

'What do you know of the Sith, Jedi,' he sent the last word with derision.

He made a back handed throw of his saber at his opponent's head while he thrust out a telekinetic blast at his knees....

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Following aside Varus she could feel his energy, his passion and devotion. She smiled, though she turned her head away so that he wouldn't be curious as to why she was grinning for no obvious reason, especially at a time like this. He was simply a better Jedi than she, despite her dedication and loyalty to the Order. Not simply because he had been knighted before her, but because he was unique. Strong willed, and his emotions were well in check. Not to say that hers were not, but she was more prone to episodes of deep seeded anger towards the atrocities committed by the Sith, and their insatiable war mongering. The second reason being her relentless search for Rykev, her brother. She had longed to discover his whereabouts for years, without a single answer as to his location, or if he was even alive or not. The frustration of the unknown was constantly at the back of her mind, pulling on her, aching to find the truth. She wanted to hate him for abandoning her, but she couldn't. She just wanted to know the truth. That's all she needed to put herself at ease.

Watching as her fellow Jedi pushed the stone aside and stepped into the large hangar now well overgrown with foliage she felt a twinge, a piercing tick in her mind. She recalled the training techniques taught by Jedi Master Karr, and when she had realized the attempt to invade her thoughts she immediately shielded her mind, constructing a mental barrier around her psyche that would require an intense battle to overcome. Though before she had finished, she felt a beckoning. It was a dark energy, unlike Venefica's, but it felt familiar. She knew of no other Sith, or Dark Jedi who would peak her interest, it felt more personal, more connected.

Attempting to shake the feeling she followed behind Varus, her thumb and forefinger placing a bit of pressure on the bridge of her nose, immediately between her eyes. She paused her stride as Varus continued to look about. "Varus, something...Something is very wrong here. Find us a ship that will get us out of here and take my pack. Make sure those get off world. If I am not back in 10, leave. They are more important than me."

Without waiting for an answer she turned on her heel and ran back toward the inner temple. Holding only a single hilt she ran back through the corridors, checking every direction for the object of her distress, wherever he was. She dare not call out, for fear of other Sith in the area. Least of all she wanted to find Venefica, though her friend through some strange turn of events, she didn't know how the girl would react to seeing Sera here, or if she would be forced to try and take or kill the Twi'lek. Either way, she couldn't afford to pass this opportunity to see Rykev if he were in fact here.

Allies: [member="Varus Shatterstar"] - [member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Tyranus Collik"] - [member="Solan Charr"] - [member="Daniel Imura"]
Enemies: [member="Amaethon"] - [member="Darth Isolda"] - [member="Darth Venefica"] - [member="Sage Bane"] - [member="Darth Hauntruss"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus didn't have time to respond to the woman before she placed the bag gently on the ground, turned and ran out of the hangar. She was quick, but she couldn't possibly have expected Varus to leave her at the Enclave. That wasn't part of what made him the Jedi that he was, even if he had the option to considering the look of the broken down and destroyed ships in the hangar. It would do him well to take a look around, he was sure, and as he picked up the pack he noticed one ship that appeared like it could get off the ground, but he wasn't sure just how far it would go after that.

Walking up the ramp, Varus noticed the aging on the craft as he examined it with his free hand. As he did he noted that the ship still had power, which boded well for them if they needed to make a quick getaway, but he was almost positive that neither of them would be leaving that planet from that ship. In fact, he was fairly certain that they would become lost among the wilds of Dorin before they figured out a way off that rock. That, however, was up to the force and the fates that had been pre-decided for them both. Fates that, if Varus had anything to do about it, would not come on that day.

It didn't take him long to find a compartment to stow away the artifacts that Seraphina had given him. After that, Varus had made it down the ramp and carefully descended back into the temple, keeping to the shadows as he followed the still lingering force signature of the young Twi'Lek woman. He'd find her soon enough, but he felt that she wasn't leaving him for nothing. She had something waiting for her that she had to confront, and he'd allow her the chance to do so, but not without him waiting safely in the wings.

Finding his way to the second story, Varus continued through the Temple, spotting the young Twi'Lek Knight and keeping close as he remained shrouded in shadow on high. His signature in the force was masked by a powerful barrier constructed by raw, untainted power which hand't been spoiled by darkness or bathed in the light. It covered him, from head to toe, and for now, whether or not he was spotted, he didn't exist to the senses of the Sith or the Jedi.



Allies: [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] - [member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Tyranus Collik"] - [member="Solan Charr"] - [member="Daniel Imura"]
Enemies: [member="Amaethon"] - [member="Darth Isolda"] - [member="Darth Venefica"] - [member="Sage Bane"] - [member="Darth Hauntruss"]

 

[Sage Bane]

Location: Baran Do Temple
Allies: [member="Amaethon"] [member="Darth Venefica"] [member="Darth Hauntruss"]
Enemies: [member="Kian Karr"] [member="Solan Charr"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"]
Engaging with: [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

Sage felt a promising tug on his line. He was pleasantly surprised that his mind trick was working as he was still such a novice with the power. His success emboldened him to continue. Concentrating on strengthening the mental tether between he and the approaching Jedi, Sage let her brother’s face linger in his mind again, a red skinned Twi’lek with chiseled features. He attempted an illusion, of the brother's visage masking his own. Then he sent out the enticement, an urgent murmur skimming along a light wind through the Barin Do Temple halls.

If he were successful, the Jedi would get the feeling that her brother, who was standing around the corner, could still be saved. The Twi'lek had not fully fallen to the dark side yet. There was still a little bit of light left to cultivate, but it wouldn't be long before the Sith would snuff it out.

She needed to hurry.

Sage could feel the pulse of her light-sided signature drawing exquisitely near. His breath loud and ragged against the breath mask, Sage leaned against the wall with his hands on his knees, drained from the effort of overextending his mental powers. As she came around the corner, he danced backwards into the shadows, eclipsing himself in a darkened corner so that the details of his form were murky to her unless she had enhanced vision. His illusion was shimmering in and out. He knew that it would not be long before he needed full focus for his Ataru forms, so he did not bother to strengthen it. Perhaps she would see her brother standing there. Perhaps she wouldn't. Either way, he spoke from the shadows, his lightsaber hilt now in his hand. His voice purred in Basic, muffled from the breath mask.

“Sister. It's so good to see you.”

 

[Darth Hauntruss]

[Dueling with [member="Kian Karr"] In destroyed Jedi Chamber]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIb_5uNFzNE​

Hauntruss' usual taunting tone grew thick and dark. Her lips curled in a violent frown. Her teeth exposed like a beast bearing her fangs. She despised the superficial preaching of the light, the pointless resistance to the natural order of the universe -CHAOS and ENTROPY. The Force and the Darkside were natural components of entropy, there is nothing that wont eventually fade and die except for the darkness. Even stars will fade and will be left is darkness. Yet this fool would dear preach and lecture against the Order of the universe- the Order of the Dark Lord. Stretching out her fingers the hilt of her light whip slid across into her palm.

"I͠t's͝ h̨e͝r̡e͠sy̢ th̶e̷n..͢.͝Ke̢l͠ Dor. ̡ "her serpentine voice crackled in the mechanical echo of her breather. SNAP! HISS! The crimson whip of her blade exploded out. Step. Step. Step. Clank after clank, Hauntruss' dark steel tipped boots announced her slow approach. In an aura most foul her presence grew to that of a large shadow. It was as if night itself had begin to blanket the space around her. "̵I..̸.͘AM̛ DAR͢KNE̵S͟S.̡ I͢ ̨AM ALL͢. T̷he͝re҉ i͜s̡ n̵o w̡orl͘d͢ ẁh́i̢c̨h I͘ c̀a̴nno͜t r̴ęac̨h,͝ no͏ saf͡é have̡n̶ i̵n̨ f̶orce͢ ͟wh̢ère ͢my̸ ͟w͟his̷p͡e͝rs CAN̴NO̡T͜ ͡B͡Ȩ H́E̕ĄRD͡. I̸ b̨e̢l͢on͞g̴ ͘w̕e҉r̶e͝ ̸t͘h̛e ̛s͡h͟a̧dow̢s ͜r͏ȩach̴. ̕AN̡D̶ TH̸E̡ SH̡A͡D͡OWS RE̷ÀC̨H ̧AL̨L...J͞E̛D͘I!͏"

A flick of her arm over her head unleashed the whip in a violent crack that snapped in mid air diverting its razor plasma tip in a unforeseen snap that shot it from high straight down in an impaling trajectory at the Kel Dor's chest. All the while Huantruss continued to hiss dark taunts and lessons. Nothing now could stop her. The Kel Dor had chosen heresy over redemption and he would suffer the same fate as his world.

Spoiler

[member="Kian Karr"], [member="Varus Shatterstar"], [member="Kodo Das"], [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"], [member="Darth Venefica"]. [member="Amaethon"], [member="Sage Bane"], [member="Darth Isolda"], [member="Cyrus Tregessar"] [member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

"What do we have here," she whispered to herself as she entered a room housing several computer terminals. Upon close examination of them, four had required passcodes to gain access to their secrets while the fifth one was still on. It appeared among the turmoil a Jedi had absentmindedly left the terminal on, it's secrets ripe for the picking. She scanned through the contents of the terminals storage banks and found some interesting information that would be damaging to both the Jedi and the Republic. From a pouch she pulled a datacard and slipped into the side port, then began transferring the files to it.​

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The Sith Lady retrieved the datacard once the downloading process concluded, placing it securely in a pouch. Some of the information was encrypted but slicers and other computer wizards employed by the One Sith would have no trouble obtaining the hidden information. She was unsure if what she discovered would be of any use to the Crusades, but what little she was able to read might change the momentum in the galaxy in their favour.​

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Once the room had been properly dealt with, she made a quick exit and headed toward the entrance. She wanted to get this datacard sent up to the fleet as quickly as possible. If word was out that the Sith had purged the planet, then other Republic held worlds will begin bolstering their defenses. ​

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Allies: [member="Sage Bane"] ... [member="Darth Hauntruss"] ... [member="Darth Isolda"]
Enemies: [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] ... [member="Tyranus Collik"] ... [member="Daniel Imura"] ... [member="Solan Charr"] ... [member="Varus Shatterstar"] ... [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Rykev. Here? On Dorin? It makes no sense. The girl's mind was entirely barricaded at this point. She felt her brother's presence, but she wasn't' sure whether it was tied to the impulse that attempted to protrude its' way into her mind. It was a risk she couldn't afford to take, despite wanting to call out to him. Why is he with the Sith? Does he care nothing for me anymore? He knows what I am! Her lips began to tremble as she closed the distance on [member="Sage Bane"]. Her hand firmly gripped on her lightsaber. The close quarters of the temple corridors would make fighting any potential opposition on the way to her brother difficult, especially given her preferred mastery of Form IV, thus the need to fall back on her lesser accomplished form of Makashi, utilizing only one of her blades.

Rounding the corner she stopped abruptly. Her near sprint halted, forcing a momentary trip-up as she righted herself. The muffled voice called out to her as she gazed upon the darkened visage of her brother. It was difficult to see the fine details in the dimly lit area he stood in, but it looked relatively close, close enough that she could assume, given the length of time passed since they last saw one another, that it would be him. Though something was off...His voice. It sounded strange.

Is it the breath mask making him sound so odd? No...His tone...It sounds different. It sounds...hostile. He's never called me "sister."

A steady wave of unease washed over her as she looked at him. Her eyelids half-closing as she focused on him from the shadows. "...Ry? Wha-" She paused, unsure of what to say. Her suspicion was there that something was different about him. His tone sounded cold, careless. He had always been kind to her, despite his jealousy. Had he really turned into a psychotic Sith? They were siblings. Very close siblings. It wouldn't make any sense for this to be true. And why is he slinking back in the darkness? She had to know what was going on.

"What are you doing here?" She took a step closer, her saber still gripped tightly in her hand. "Why are you hiding?" Another step. "Where have you been?" Again, she moved ever closer, her hands slightly shaking, filled with anxiety. "I don't care what you've done. Please...We...We need to leave here." Her arms reached to embrace him, despite her better judgement and conscious practically screaming not to. She had to. Four years of her life was missing, this was her only chance between then and now. It had to be real. It just had to be.

Allies: [member="Varus Shatterstar"] - [member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Tyranus Collik"] - [member="Solan Charr"] - [member="Daniel Imura"]
Enemies: [member="Amaethon"] - [member="Darth Isolda"] - [member="Darth Venefica"] - [member="Sage Bane"] - [member="Darth Hauntruss"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Dueling [member="Darth Hauntruss"]

Kian remembered all too well that awful whip of the Sith. She was the only opponent that Kian had ever faced that wielded such a weapon. However, unlike the time when he was a padawan, Kian didn't have a shoto to aid in his defense against the weapon. One couldn't simply block the attack, as lightwhips tended to wrap around a parry.

Kian didn't even bother to ignite his lightsaber, at least not immediately. Instead he dove forward and to the side, rolling and coming up igniting his blade. One of the weaknesses of a lightwhip was the lack of defensive ability the weapon tended to have and for this reason, Kian would need to press the offensive and keep the Sith Lord on her back footing. It wasn't an unheard of thing for the Kel Dor to be doing, as a Shien user he preferred to be on the offensive. Coming out of his roll, Kian's yellow blade sprang to life as he came to his feet and he drove forward with a powerful, two-handed slash coming down in an attempt to connect with the base of the lightwhip where the hilt and the whip met. Kian hoped to take advantage of the fact that lightwhips were a more fragile design than typical Jedi and Sith weapons by damaging it and taking it out of the battle quickly.

"If you're looking to scare me Sith, you should know that I spend a great deal of time in the shadows." Kian said as he attacked, referencing the fact that he was a Jedi Shadow by training and had never shied from delving alone into the dark to hunt the enemy of the Jedi.

 

[Sage Bane]

Hook.
Line.
Sinker.

The Twi’lek Jedi whom Sage had lured rounded the corner and did a double-take. She was a pretty little thing, with pink skin and large round eyes a man could get lost in. A smile formed on his lips. The only one getting lost in this trap would be the Jedi herself. He would make doubly sure of that.

Sage discovered that the wall of her mind was now fortified, and he was impotently shut out. Not even a glimmer of a thought could be sensed, no matter how hard he concentrated. However, what he couldn’t glean from her mind, he could plainly see in her face. The pink Twi’lek’s lips quivered and her lovely brow was deeply furrowed. Best of all, she believed his ruse. Matsu would be proud of her little trick pony.

With shaking hands, the Twi’lek inched closer to him, calling out to him, her voice heavy with emotion. It almost... tugged at him. Sage had a brother and sister who he had recently been reunited with and he knew that feeling, the need to embrace someone who shared your name, your blood, even if you barely knew the person. He felt a momentary flash of empathy, almost as if he would like to return her embrace, and play the part of her comforting brother, for just a moment.

Like a bulb burning out, the feeling passed. Grinning, Sage ignited his lightsaber. Then, just when the Jedi was close enough to touch him, with an angry cry, he swept his saber in an arc in a vicious strike towards her midsection.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus watched the exchange with great interest from the upper story. It was hollow and quiet, going on unbothered for years by all but a few wild growing vines and nesting birds. It was the perfect vantage point, and with his ability to mask his presence in the force, he could have gone on unnoticed. When he saw the interaction between Seraphina and the man she seemed to know, his interest continued to grow.

He didn't hear her call him brother, and Varus was able to see right through his guise. He was just a man, but he had no way of knowing what Seraphina saw of the man, so when she saw a brother, Varus had to assume that she was moving to wrap her arms around an old friend or lover. One who moved to split her in half when they moved to embrace as Varus watched on, wide eyed and confused as time slowed almost to a halt, the moment frozen as he became stunned by the fact that he was watching an ally die.

No...

With the force, Varus gripped the woman with a gentle embrace around her waist, but what came next was not so soothing a touch. He yanked her back with a tug of the force that would have sent her a few feet backwards, though he imagined that Seraphina possessed the reflexes to roll head over heels to her feet. She was quick and nimble footed, but even then he wasn't sure that she'd survive such deception on the part of the other man.

The only downside to all of this was the fact that this would reveal that the pair of them were not alone.

Allies: [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] - [member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Tyranus Collik"] - [member="Solan Charr"] - [member="Daniel Imura"]
Enemies: [member="Amaethon"] - [member="Darth Isolda"] - [member="Darth Venefica"] - [member="Sage Bane"] - [member="Darth Hauntruss"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

So....Close...No! No!

As she reached out towards her brother, the visage dissipated, and the true form of the man standing before her would be revealed. No sooner did the appearance become clear to her before [member="Sage Bane"] lashed out, igniting his lightsaber in a wild slash towards her midsection. The snap-hiss of his blade followed by the momentary glance at the red hissing beam registered in her mind as the end of her life. She had no time to properly defend herself. Still in shock from the realization that this had been a ruse, she would stand still, accepting of her tragic fate. A few glimpses of her life would flash by as the blade arched towards her. Her family back home, her true brother, still lost amongst the stars, the Order and their endless struggle against this very enemy, Varus, who was hopefully preparing to leave with the holocrons, and Venefica, who would surely feel her friend's life extinguished in a matter of moments. It felt surreal knowing that there was nothing to be done.

A single breath in would be her final act as the crimson tongued energy sword made its' way toward her. As she drew in that breath, tendrils of Force energy would wrap around her small form, as if gently caressing her into the afterlife, however this was not her destination. Rather, she was violently thrown back by a wave of kinetic energy, as she tumbled backwards a bit she watched the saber of her newly discovered enemy pass harmlessly by her abdomen of what looked like mere inches. Regaining her footing in a crouched position her finger snapped towards the activator switch on her lightsaber, igniting the beautifully bright green weapon while looking her deceiver in the eye, then scanned the area for her hidden savior. Sera's eye caught sight of [member="Varus Shatterstar"], and she couldn't have been more relieved to see him, despite him not having listened to her. Thank you, Varus. The relieved and gracious mental message would be sent toward her fellow knight that she was now thoroughly indebted to.

From the crouched position she was in she leaped forward with a determined grace, slashing downwards with her left hand while her right hand was sent forward releasing a surge of energy in the form of a powerful Force Blast intended to knock Sage aggressively back into the wall before pressing the attack with a series of diagonal and horizontal slashes, her intent to disarm the man.

Allies: [member="Varus Shatterstar"] - [member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Tyranus Collik"] - [member="Solan Charr"] - [member="Daniel Imura"]
Enemies: [member="Amaethon"] - [member="Darth Isolda"] - [member="Darth Venefica"] - [member="Sage Bane"] - [member="Darth Hauntruss"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Her advancement toward the exit was halted when she felt through the Force that her friend, [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"], was in danger. She looked over her shoulder conflicted with what to do. Then again the Force spoke to her, showing her the presence of [member="Sage Bane"] in her vicinty while another presence had revealed themselves to the Acolyte. She snarled spinning around following the invisible lines to to their location.​

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Drawing closer to the trio, she equipped her weapon and ready to do...what? What was she going to do? Naturally she would aid Sage but could she really face Sera in combat, she thought not. Conflict! She found herself in a unique position, but she never went headstrong into any situation without a plan.​

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The moment she arrived at their location, she saw Sera in the motion of an attack against the Acolyte. Using the Force, she gripped Sage's body and violently pulled him to her away from the danger. ​

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"Sera...," she began. Her plan was now ruined.​

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The eyes of the Sith Lady fell on the form of the other Jedi and she hissed. With a small press from her thumb, she activated her weapon. ​

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[member="Sage Bane"] ... [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] ... [member="Varus Shatterstar"]​

 

[Sage Bane]

As Sage was expecting to feel his lightsaber connecting with flesh, it was a disconcerting feeling to swipe through air, and he fell off balance almost losing his footing. The Twi'lek Jedi flew backwards, pulled by an unseen force, landing just out of his range. Sage let out a cry of rage, his taste for her blood momentarily denied. In the next moment, the Twi'lek Jedi Knight attacked him. Other than his trainers and his Master, Sage had not yet faced an attacker of her skill, and his eyes widened in astonishment. Her speed and grace, the flurry of her strikes. Watching her battle dance would have be-spelled Sage had he not been her immediate target. A burst of energy slammed him against the wall, knocking the wind out of him and almost dislodging his weapon hilt from his hand. The undermatched acolyte desperately raised his saber in a defensive position across his body, but he was painfully aware that the Jedis attacks were about to overwhelm him.

Suddenly, Sage felt himself pulled backwards into a vortex. He landed at the feet of Darth Venefica. A lightsaber hummed over his head, and the acolyte scrambled to his feet. Sage sidestepped next to the Dagobah Sith, holding his saber diagonally across his body, poised to strike should the Jedi attack his Mistress He only wished he could somehow mute the horrid coughing and wheezing sounds that were coming from behind his mask.

[member="Darth Venefica"] [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Jedi don't leave their own behind... especially friends.

He responded in kind to Seraphina's telepathic message. A message she would get clearly as she had her confrontation, her enemy finally revealed to be nothing more than a liar and thief of precious faces. Varus had been sitting, meditating as he watched with his third eye the scene unfold below him on the first floor, performing the will of the force. He had been meditating in preparation for something, knowing that he'd need to be prepared as the force grew ever rigid. It was during his meditation that he'd felt the impending danger in Seraphina's immediate future, and it was his meditation that was broken in order to estrange her from death that day. A life all too worth a break in his concentration.

Pushing off the floor on which he sat, Varus calmly opened his eyes to reveal that his sapphire oculars were no more. In their place there was only light, a bright, burning, bluish hue that radiated as he glanced down to the first floor. He had entered the form of Force Valor in preparation for their battle there, knowing that, as powerful and resilient as he was, his limitations might need magnification against such overwhelming odds.

Two against a thousand. He liked his chances...

Dropping from the second story, Varus' form tumbled forwards and back upright, his hands held down at his sides, palm facing the ground. Before he landed he released a small burst of the force from his palms that impacted the floor and cushioned his landing, a gust of wind rushing out from beneath him in all directions as the already ruined tile floor cracked beneath his feet. The next moment, however, he started off in the direction of Seraphina and her uninvited guest, his eyes still soaked in a bluish-white color as he glanced over at Darth Venefica and narrowed his eyes at the woman as she hissed at him.

"The last thing that I want to do is hurt anyone.", he said first, either of his sabers darting from his belt and snapping into the palms of either hand. "Though I will do what is called for if necessary."

[member="Darth Venefica"] - [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] - [member="Sage Bane"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The acolyte was in over his head now that the ruse was up. Had Varus not intervened when he did, she would be dead, if not gravely wounded. The table was now turned as she advanced on the young Sith. His saber skills did not appear to reflect his more practiced mental skills. His form seemed loose, untrained. It was to be expected. As she continued the attack, her slashes controlled and calculated, aiming to weaken his grip on the saber to force a yield, or a release of the weapon from his hands. She was hesitant to cause any permanent harm to the younger man. He seemed either nervous or afraid of her at this point. With one final slash [member="Sage Bane"] was pulled violently from his location in a similar fashion to Varus' rescue a few moments prior.

As her saber followed through, cutting through the empty air where the acolyte was a moment ago, her eyes followed the path of the man to where [member="Darth Venefica"] stood, her lightsaber activated. Almost simultaneously Sera heard Varus' response in her mind, the other Knight dropping down aside her. She looked at the situation with angst. Venefica's call to her made her wince. The Sith had only likely seen Sera attacking Sage. Her finger slipped over the activator, silencing her saber as she lowered the hilt towards her hip. An audible pain could be heard as she answered the Sith lady. "Xhex."

Caught between a Sith apprentice and a fellow Jedi that would learn of her friendship with the Sith girl, wouldn't that be something to explain for both sides? Though Varus had yet to make an aggressive move, she couldn't be certain of what would happen in the next few moments. A standoff with all parties on edge. Stupid, Sera. You should have left when you had the chance.

Allies: [member="Varus Shatterstar"] - [member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Tyranus Collik"] - [member="Solan Charr"] - [member="Daniel Imura"]
Enemies: [member="Amaethon"] - [member="Darth Isolda"] - [member="Darth Venefica"] - [member="Sage Bane"] - [member="Darth Hauntruss"]

 

[Darth Hauntruss]

[member="Kian Karr"]
The Kel Dor was a nimble one. He had sprang away from her whip and in a swift about turn had already returned the favour in a close two-handed slash. Hauntruss hissed an annoyed groan. Flinging up her open palm and then thrusting into downward a blast of the force exploded downwards. The impact created a bubble that burst into a separating force that would fling herself and the Kel Dor apart. As the force bubble smashed into the chamber's floor she was brushed aside but not before she regained her composure flipping her body to land back on her feet.

All the while, landing on her feet Hauntruss continued her twisted lecture, "͢S͏c͟a̵re̴ y͏o̧u?̢ ͘No. ̢Ther̛e͡ ̵is͜ n̶o need͞ ̴f͜o̵r that̴.̨" Hauntruss readjusted the whip with a solid snap at the floor. "Y͠ou t̵h͡įnk҉ ͘y͝ou͡r͡se̛l̕f im͠m̀u̢ne ͏t́ơ ͝sha͢dows̀.͟ ͘Tha̢t̢ yo̕u͜ ͏s̵ay ýou hav́e͟ s̨pen̷t ti͟me in ҉t̀he̛m.̢ ̛JE҉D̕I ͡FOOL! Yo̧u know͟ ̕n͏o̧ţh̶i͠n͡g ̧of̵ true͠ d͝ar͠k͠n̶e͢s͜s̸. ͟If̸ ̧you̧ w̕i͘s̛h͘ to de̷f͞eat ̷i̡t t̕hen ͟I sh̨al̴l s͢hoẃ ͜you͘ ͟tr͠ue dark̛n̨ess.҉" The force was ecstatic and unstable but Hauntruss managed to coerce to her command for a short period. She could not use any of her more powerful dark sorcery -it was too risky- but simple telekinesis was stable enough.

Pointing her two fingers a salvo of debris flew at the Kel Dor while he would attempt to regroup his stance. The first group flew at his general body while a second group was delayed in flying at his head. And Hauntruss herself using the last group as cover would spring from behind it in a disorienting attack.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Her heart ached at the tone Sera had used when she said her name. Her real name. Only a select few knew her real name, the name she was given before she shed the skin of her old life and stepped into the role of Darth Venefica. Now she could almost feel the confusion from Sage and the male Jedi how this Twi'lek Jedi knew the real name of a Sith Lady. The veil that hid their secret was on the verge of falling, exposing them both. How did it come to this? They were careful but perhaps not careful enough. It was her fault she admitted to herself when she spoke Sera's name out loud.​

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The complex shook violently alerting her that the bombardment had once again started up. Fools! Then a thought came to her. Neither party involved wanted to be buried alive turning this enclave into their tombs. Time was slipping away so she needed to act fast. ​

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"Though I wish nothing more to see both you Jedi die," she said hoping Sera picked up on the word 'both' and knew that Darth Venefica saw only one Jedi here. "We only want what we came for...your objects of knowledge. In exchange for those I shall let you live. Refuse my offer and everyone here will die when the roofs collapses upon us while we stand around fighting."​

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She looked over at Sage and said, "If they refuse...kill them. But the male Jedi is mine."​

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Darth Venefica knew that Jedi preached against egos and she hoped the male Jedi Knight was one of them that listened. If he refused to compromise, she hoped that Sera could make him see reason. If not, then this situation was about to turn ugly.​

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[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] ... [member="Sage Bane"] ... [member="Varus Shatterstar"]​