Episode VI: Balance of the Force

[Quietus]

Location: Edge of the Whisperstorm

Connor pushed on, stopping for nothing and no-one. It had taken him hours, and now he wearily skirted the bones embedded in the walls of the large canyon precipice he stood on, and used his body to slide down into the darkness below, a stretch of land covered by rolling clouds that echoed around the atmosphere above.

There was no wind as Connor crashed down to the ground as he slid down the steep rocky incline, his clothing torn and his breath strained, but he knew he couldn't stop. With each flicker of the Force he tried to use, he saw Akala instead– the beast, in battle with many others, south of where he was; the sky rolled onwards like a herd of lumbering Rancor and sounded just as vicious and wild.

Pushing on, he pulled his greatcoat around himself as he kept a steady pace, running underneath the eerie rolling clouds above him to get to the source of this puzzle; his beloved Akala and those who mis-understood her intentions.

"What an honorable quest you lead ... "

A voice sounded from off to Connor's left where there the faintly glowing figure of a young woman materialized. Like a ghost, she was, transluscent and wisps.

"You won't get there in time if you continue as you are," nothing but certainty and truth in those words. Pale eyes looked Connor over as she lifted a hand to produce the beginnings of a rift.

"I can take you there now ... for a price."

 

[Darth Infernus]

Location: Font of Power
Allies: The Dead, Akala
Enemies: The Living, Specifically [member="Xander Carrick"], [member="Gherron Vael"], [member="Wanderer EXO"], [member="Nefertari Sovint"], [member="Bol-Jahir"], [member="Barkt Melan"]

Infernus did not stop his assault.

The explosion grew, the force push having evolved through the gifts of Akala. He growled, his montrals shaking with the concussive wave that were brought forth form the blast. The lightsaber within his hand twirled, and his other hand shifted.

A flash, his body shifting, and Infernus dashed towards the Bothan that he had earlier assaulted. Within half a second he was next to the man, his lightsaber bared against him. He slashed towards the mans legs, his off hand crackling with blue and purple lightning.

A spark jumped towards the man just as his lightsaber cut diagonally at the bothan.

 

[Aithne Charr]

Location: Font of Power
Allies: [member="Bol-Jahir"] [member="Xander Carrick"] [member="Gherron Vael"] [member="Wanderer EXO"]
Enemies: [member="Akala"] [member="Darth Infernus"]

(Reposting due to new information about the dagger's location)

Solan's eyes peered into the white light given off by the detonation and he raised a brow as he saw the man pointing at a blade resting in [member="Barkt Melan"]'s hand and saw a new dead attacking the bothan. With a breath in Solan breathed out immediately after as he pushed forward and tossed the bothan to the side before intercepting the strike with the blade of the alchemical scythe, pushing the force into his limbs to keep up the hold on the blade that struck out as he had to hold that man there no matter how he could. Hopefully the bothan would get the hint as solan's blade held the saber. Strike now.

 

[Veino Garn]

Where was he? The Netherworld somewhere, if he remembered correctly, near some giant spired tower. Who was he? Veino Garn. He remembered that, although who Veino was, he couldn't quite quite remember. There was so many others inside his head right now, raging and swelling. He huddled against the ground, trying to force them out of his mind.

Something was happening out there. He could feel it vaguely, but did it matter? He slumped back against the rock, exhausted. No, that was wrong. Who knew how many had gone missing from the galaxy and were lost and confused? They needed help. He couldn't just lay around feeling miserable for himself.

Veino dragged himself to his feet and stared out into the area around him and started walking, although it was more of a stumble. Every emotion from those in the region echoed through his brain, dragging him away from himself and whatever was going on.

Keep walking. That was his mission now. One foot. Then two. Then once more until it became a rhythm. He focused on that and clutched at the sound of his feet crunching against the ground. Slowly, the ground passed beneath him as he went wherever he'd end up.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Location: Whisperstorm
Present: [member="Lorelei Darke"]

He heard the voice before seeing the vision of the translucent girl.

Slowing down, face streaked with sweat, his scars on his back and side burning with the tightness of his skin, Connor breathed hard and stood before the girl...the ghost...whatever. In a world as twisted as this, was this a message from Akala, or had his destiny caught up with him to give him purpose?

The journey seemed to have lasted forever, with no visible morning, noon or night. He was alone, fighting for something, and now help was presenting itself when nothing else had. She was an intoxicating vision, and she had found him...but why?

"Who are you?" His voice broken with heavy breaths, hands at his side, hilt gripped in his hand.

"Tell me how to get to the princess - I have to help her and show her she can be loved."

His mind really was not his own.

 

[Quietus]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"I am Siigryt," the apparition replied in kind, eyes narrowing faintly as she watched the man. Above her lifted hand the miniature rift swirled, ephemeral tendrils lashing about.

"and I can take you to her, but you -" the woman's head tilted back, faint smirk appearing within her expression, "you must give me a memory in return."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Location: Whisperstorm
Present: [member="Lorelei Darke"]

Puzzled, he scoffed slightly, looking past Siigryt and at the rolling, windless clouds above them.

"Never heard of you - what are you, a Jedi long gone with the Force? My own brain playing tricks on me? And you want a memory, you can have as many as you want. What do you want to know, hm? "

 

[Thalia Rist]

Location: Aimlessly moving through teh void in the direction of Whisperstorm and past the font of power.

She shivered as her body moved on its own, the darkness had claimed her for what felt like hours now as she moved without purpose or thought, unable to think and her heart pounding dangerously close to the levels of fainting for her heart. She was tired too, her arms felt like led and her legs shaking under the weight of her body while she moved in such a way that showed her balance was barely there and she was near dead on her own as it was. Finally she just collapsed to her knees as she sat in the void between Whisperstorm and the font of power. unable to move as the darkness closed around her and left her alone.

 

[Nefertari Sovint]

Location: Font of Power
Allies: [member="Bol-Jahir"], [member="Xander Carrick"], [member="Gherron Vael"], [member="Wanderer EXO"], [member="Solan Charr"]
Enemies: [member="Akala"], [member="Darth Infernus"]

(HEAVY EDIT TIME)

"HOLY SITH!" Nefertari yelled as the explosion knocked her off her feet and extinguished her blade. The force had been crazy before she ended up in this literal hell hole. Now it was dangerous to use.
Her pendant glowed, not super bright, but it was visible.

Getting up, she looked around for something to fight. Nef didn't delight in bloodshed, but this was something else. Everybody's safety was at stake here.

Her eyes fell on Akala. She didn't have the special dagger, but Akala would be in deep trouble if Nefertari got her hands on it.
Picking her blade up and reigniting it, Nefertari cut her way over to Gherron. Sith, blue minions, and equipment lay at her feet as she helped him up.

As a farmer came at them, Nefertari stabbed him and took seeds from him.
Her own naivety got the better of her as she threw them at Darth Infernus and attempted to use plant surge. She might as well have thrown firecrackers as they all burst with with a rapid bang and flashes. Nef suffered some minor burns.

 

[Khan Ra]

Location: Edge of the Whisperstorm, near the fight
Objective: Find Akala

Khan had been trekking through the endless storm of the Whisperstorm for what seemed like hours... but he doubted it could have been that long. Could it? How close was he... Where was he? Was he even going the right way? Khan frowned, closing his eyes for a moment as he tried to reach out with the force... to find where he was. Rather than learning his location, Khan saw aother image of the purple-skinned Monster that was Akala. He was close... He could see that now... The Felactian continued forwards.

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[SIZE=14pt]Field of Blades[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Moving away from [member="Nickolas Imura"], moving toward [member="Darth Vornskr"][/SIZE]


He goaded, a tactic which had never swayed her from her path in life and certainly not in death.

She was content to wait but just as she settled in for the long haul something changed, a subtle shift in the dynamic of the Netherworld that insisted she work faster. She let her dead dissipate from around him, curling back in waves over each other to gnash their teeth and drag dry-dead skin against one another’s corpses – a sound like snakes. She lifted her sword one-handed, moving to meet the Armored One again, this time cutting to the chase. She would welcome him to this place the right way, show him what he might become at her command – a return to his roots, bone and ash. He matched her hit for hit, responding with precision. She’d forgotten the thrill, what the rush of her blood through her veins felt like when it finally came to blows – she could imagine it now in place of the sludge-movement of the mud she had left. She blocked a wide swing of his blade, his momentum pushing to the left, and just as his gauntleted hand connected with the left side of her ribcage the rifts opened.

The entire Netherworld gave way to its current Master’s whims, portals opening to the world above, thousands of souls screaming and crying out as they were pulled from whatever they’d come to know. Disoriented, she felt the quiver of her Dead as they felt opportunity, resisting the urge to abandon her and the urge to stay with her all at once. But they wouldn’t leave, not even when they felt something inside of her tearing, a pain she hadn’t felt in decades ripping through her head as a Soul wrested itself from her grasp and moved to the man who’d just cracked one of her ribs.

She might have gone after him, reset her dead and worked through the sudden pain.
But something had come through the Rift.

She turned and stalked towards the feeling, the one who’d come through, digging bloodied fingers in to her skin and popping the casing of thin, dead flesh that covered her ribs to pull the cracked one away from her lungs. It snapped and came away in her hand, more of her tar-sludge blood soaking her side and running down her leg. The legions of her dead came behind her, some walking and others dragging what was left of their bodies, leaving trails of gore in their wake as they grabbed at those rushing towards the Rifts and dragged them to the earth and their end.

[member="Rameses Zambrano"]

 

[Cira]

[member="Selinica Miriya Cailis"]

"Places and things."

Came a rather cheeky reply. Crunch. The sound of an apple being bitten into was certainly loud; ah but was it real?

The woman came out of nowhere -- but considering where they were not strange -- and there was certain devilry in her bright crimson eyes. Bright magenta purple hair would flank her face and she carried herself with this distinct buzzing energy.

A flash of a grin a lick of her lips.

"Good. Bad. And then the really bad."

 

[The End Narrator]

[SIZE=9pt]And so it would be.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Aaralyn Gyndar, formerly Rekali – bloodline of the House of Ledias from Corellia, daughter to Ember Rekali and [member="Kryslin Ledias"]…would make the grand entrance into the Realm of the Netherworld. Some considered it to be the home of the damned, the unsaved – perhaps it was just the opposite, those lost in the stream of chaos and turmoil while the damned roamed free. Maybe it was everything and nothing all the same, because of [member="Akala"], a beast of a thing that threw the balance of the Force itself into a swirling vortex of dark and light that could not be touched without consequence. How did she know about her? She had tried to sense her children through the Force and discovered what she needed to know – and heard the stories of this place from her husband and son.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]She was a woman of many titles – formerly and present – but none of that mattered here. Here, she was mortal, essentially. The Force was lost to her and was of no use, it would be her wits and combat prowess that would aid her but beyond that – she [/SIZE]couldn't[SIZE=9pt] rely on anyone or anything. Everyone was an enemy, except for [member="Kian Karr"] who traversed the rift with her from Voss to the edges of Whisperstorm. Thankfully, her son [member="Aton Gyndar"] had shown her the way – as [member="Falcon Gyndar"] had refused, protested and even attempted to sabotage her vessel before she left.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]She loved that man, truly – but this needed to be done…somehow. Even if it [/SIZE]wasn't[SIZE=9pt] by her, she had to ensure someone did it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]She’d pull both sabers free from their confines, igniting them with a snap-hiss of blue white fury and a violet blaze of energy. A quick twirl gave her reassurance that she was ready, her purple gaze shifting through her HUD to Kian before she turned back and made the jump...[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]And there was hell when the realms shifted.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The sound of millions of souls screaming, pierced her ears and caused her HUD to violently shift colors and the glass to crack – her hands would come up, and she'd disengage both sabers before she ripped free the set of goggles from her eyes. With a disgusted groan and an annoyed glance at the discarded equipment, she tossed them aside, her gaze then shifted before her and eyes would grow wide in shock. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Oh…no.” Was all she could say, how else could one react to such chaos and turmoil? [/SIZE]

 

[Siigryt]

Location: Whisperstorm
Present: [member="Lorelei Darke"]

Puzzled, he scoffed slightly, looking past Siigryt and at the rolling, windless clouds above them.

"Never heard of you - what are you, a Jedi long gone with the Force? My own brain playing tricks on me? And you want a memory, you can have as many as you want. What do you want to know, hm? "

Siigryt's corporeal form flickered in an intangible gust of power. She gave no answers, said nothing of her existence, but she did draw near. Free hand motioning towards him, a wisp of blue extended to surround the man, furling along his living figure and seeping in through his ears, nostrils and mouth.

There she delved into his subconscious, deep into the far reaches of his mind...

A single, small memory, taken far enough back, was enough to unsettle the foundation of his entire life. A major memory? The domino effect would shred through every resulting decision made thereafter.

Coming across the Order Of The Silver Jedi after interpreted communications from Jedi master Iella E'ron, Connor was taken by the Order.

The wisp withdrew, taking with it the glowing orb of this singular pivotal memory from [member="Connor Harrison"]'s mind. The unwraveling of his life within the Silver Jedi Order would come slowly but surely now...

"The payment is made," Siigryt grasped the orb within her free hand, threading her fingers over a glowing jeweled amulet resting around her neck. The ghostly woman gave a sanguine smile.

Before her, the small rift grew large enough to permit the man.

"your path awaits."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Field of Blades
The whirl of battle, and the splatter of violence was all that he knew. He could not remember how many he had killed, or how many times he had been killed in the maelstrom of constant battle that dominated the barren expanse as far as he could see in any directions. Despite the fact that he knew he was dead, he could feel each bite of injury as if it were real, and no matter how many times he felt it he could not accustom himself to the pain. With each death he could feel a part of himself being torn away, a piece of what made himself Kaine devoured by the hungering void of the Netherworld, and he despaired because he knew that eventually he would lose his sense of self, and would become a faceless berserker in a sea of death. However; something pulled him away from the bloodbath, a voice that resounded through the nether that crashed upon his soul like gnarled nails upon a chalkboard.

"My son..."

If he had a heart, it would have sunk down into his gut, and he suddenly whirled around and around, his eyes searching for something he could not see. He could feel them, however; the two entities he had never thought to meet again. He suddenly found himself away from the combat, his incorporeal form slowly losing it's detail as the thrum of battle became a fuzzy buzz in the back of his awareness. He sought to find words to voice himself, but the only words that spewed forth from his ethereal form were words that any person would know.

"F-father? M-mother? It... cannot be..."

[member="Viktoria Zambrano"]
[member="Rameses Zambrano"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Location: Whisperstorm
Present: [member="Siigryt"]

As the ghostly figure moved to him, radiating nothing but calm and serenity with her peaceful appearance, Connor didn’t move; didn’t flinch or back down. He stood strong and still, letting her evaluate him, or whatever she was doing.

As the whisps of faint blue energy wrapped around him, he didn’t take his eyes off the figure, and felt small tingles down his back, his arms and his thighs as a soothing feeling passed through his brain. There was no pain, no discomfort – and then it went.

The energy subsided and returned to the figure before him. Something had been taken, and he didn’t know what.

"Payment? What do you mean? "

Concern came to his voice, and with a step-forward, he halted as another portal of energy was steadily opening at the control of Siigryt. Wincing at the intense brightness in the dark surroundings of the clouds above, Connor looked into the swirling vortex of greens and blues that would help him on his quest for salvation.

He took two steps forward, inches from the rift. Connor looked sideways at the vision, a sense of being truly alone washed over him.

"What have you done to me – please, tell me. How can I trust you that this will take me to her?"

 

[Seris Vant]

Location: Font of Power
Allies: @Barkt Melan [member="Xander Carrick"] [member="Solan Charr"] [member="Gherron Vael"] @Bol-Jahir [member="Nefertari Sovint"]
Enemies: @Akala @Darth Infernus

A lot of good shooting him did. The large slugs just passed through him. Some trick or was he a ghost? The Ferryman said this was the land of the dead. And it was proving to be true. Seris tucked in her rifle, fighting him wouldn't provide results. The man eating monster wasn't something she wanted chasing her either. If it was content to loaf that was fine. Screams and an explosion raised the hail of battle all around. More undead were pouring in, closing in in on her. Seris threw her head left then right, getting a feel for the battle. Most of the foes were on the other side of Akala. Fighting who knows but they'd be friendly, probably, a risk worth taking none the less.

Seris broke out for the other side. Running past Akala's right flank, giving a wide of berth as possible. A very large brutish and toothless corpse came charging in from the side. Hefting a narly looking sword to bring down on her. Seris was not a master of close combat, she was a sniper. The situation called for it though. Slipping aside she blocked his strike with her rifle. The force resonated down her arms, she licked her lower lip as a thirst for blood and battle stoked in her. Seris slipped one arm down and charge the other on the back end of the gun forward. Stock shocking the brutes head. Without a moments hesitation she flipped the gun around and sunk a slug through his abdomen. The rotting flesh just fell apart and the monster heaped over. It was fun knowing they weren't all going to be invincible. "Friendlies"? Seris shouted out to the group, fending off more undead as she moved closer in hopes of support.

 

[Nima Tann]

She felt that her Force wasn't working as she felt before. She was powerless yet again, sighing at her demise, she continued moving to the Whisperstorm, which, she could feel Akala's presence than other places. If she was there maybe she could put an end to her and let the world get back to normal once again. And maybe put an end to this love, because her heart already had someone and this one was just interfering, and she didn't want to be confused for this once again. She mediated a lot to see which was real and which was not. What was he doing right now, hah, probably getting in danger. She shook her head, he was probably fine. But then... he didn't look good back at the time. But it was probably because her skin change, the first thing after this, she'll probably go to the archives and search about this. Yes, she searched before, but now there was progress.

LOCATION: Near to Whisperstorm

Yes, the presence continued to grow stronger and stronger. She was here, or whatever form she was right now. But she continued towards t he Rift to reach her.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Location: Font of Power
Allies: [member="Xander Carrick"] [member="Wanderer EXO"] [member="Nefertari Sovint"] [member="Solan Charr"] [member="Barkt Melan"] [member="Seris Vant"]
Enemies: [member="Akala"] [member="Darth Infernus"]

When Xander overode Gherron, saying to instead make a circle around the bothan with the knife, he nodded and did just that. Raising his blade, he fought off more ghosts and undead away from their position, trying to keep them away from the man. When a particular Sith was raised from the dead, it attacked immediately, sending a torrent of lightning in their direction. Gherron watched as Xsnder intercepted, blocking it with his blade. When he saw that he had a chance, the Jedi master had sent a force push in the Sith's direction, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Gherron's eyes widened in shock when he was thrown back from the blast, stumbling back a good five or so feet. Cradling his head for a moment, he murmured softly, "Ooo-kay.... So we don't use the force when in the Netherworld. That's a bad thing."

Gherron looked up then to see a hand jutting forth, that of Nefertari's. Taking it gladly, he got up and tucked his blade away. Reaching for his pistol, he plucked it out of its holster and marveled at it for a second. This would be its first true combat test. Loading a few rounds into it, he took note of a sniper shot he'd seen pass straight through Akala a few minutes prior. Slugs weren't going to have any effect, then. Taking that into account, he loaded all three slots with shock rounds, closed the chamber, and ignited his lightsaber once more. Rushing over to help Nef then, he raised the pistol at the Sith lord Infernus and shot two rounds of pure electricity at his chest, then followed in with a slash to the leg with his lightsaber.

 

[Nefertari Sovint]

Location: Font of Power
Allies: [member="Xander Carrick"], [member="Wanderer EXO"], [member="Gherron Vael"], [member="Solan Charr"], [member="Barkt Melan"], [member="Seris Vant"]
Enemies: [member="Akala"], [member="Darth Infernus"]

Nefertari drew her blaster and fired several shots into the hordes of adversaries before returning it to the holster.
Of course the main problem was Akala, but sometimes you have to take care of a lesser problem before getting to the main predicament. Nef went for Infernus.
I certainly hope this has the same meaning between cultures and times... She thought, picking up the glove of a fallen enemy.
As Nefertari reached the Sith Lord she slapped him across the face with the glove she had picked up and dropped it at his side before moving back, quickly, to a safe distance.
If this guy knew the meaning of what Nefertari had just done, he would either come at her or do something like laugh and turn away.

Turning to Gherron, she asked "If the sith accepts, will you fight at my side?"