Home Is Where the Heart Is

[Keira Priest]

Music

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Antecedent​

Abandoned Dragon Palace Casino​

The planet of Antecedent, once the bustling capital of the infamous criminal syndicate known as the Red Ravens, seemed almost hollow in both appearance and atmosphere. Where once the Dragon Palace Casino had stood as a beacon of influence across the entire Outer Rim the edifice was empty, its bright neon lights now burnt out, the crowds that had once vied for entry now dispersed for all of time. It was a strange sight, as the building had never been completely vacant of life throughout her entire tenure with the Ravens. To witness it in such a state brought a hollow sensation to her core despite her years of detachment from the organization. This was never how things had been intended to be.

It had been years since Keira had so much as set foot on the planet, let alone ventured to the grounds of the Casino. Once this had been a route she took on a daily basis, and it was that path she walked now, after having wandered the same streets for a few hours in nothing more than remembrance. When she did finally arrive on that formerly hallowed ground she stood still at the entrance for long moments, looking over that still achingly familiar architecture. Every last detail that had been present previously still lingered, though perhaps in an altered state thanks to the vandalism and ruin that had taken its toll. Still it was something impressive to behold, even if it was far worse for wear.

The door had been made short work of after a few creative applications with the Force, and she had made her way inside, jimmying the door shut behind her so no one was inclined to follow. The air inside was choked with dust and decay but still breathable, and she remained for some time on the main floor, meandering her way between tables and slot machines, absently trailing her hand across them in passing, lost in thought. This was never how things should have turned out, and she ached at the thought of this wasted grandeur, willing to return it all to how it had once been. But she knew such an option was far from feasible, no matter how much she wanted it. That simply wasn't in the cards.

With the turbolifts now nonfunctional she had to settle for taking the stairs to the upper level where the offices for all upper echelon members of the syndicate were still housed. Walking those halls was like stepping back in time, and she found herself lost in a walking daydream for a few minutes, half-expecting to find herself awakening at her desk from some kind of nightmare. But that wasn't to be the case, and as she stepped into her old office she found everything as it had once been right down to the letter. No looters had made it this far, it seemed. Slowly she lowered herself into her old desk chair, fumbling in the bottom left drawer for where her bottle of Corellian whiskey had been stashed once upon a time.

That, at least, remained the same, and closer inspection revealed that it had been left unopened and was therefore still consumable. With a sort of reverence for the past she unscrewed the cap, tilting her head back and taking a long swallow. A slight smile found her lips as she savored the burn of the alcohol, true Corellian brew having been a rare commodity since the destruction of the planet. This brought on another rush of nostalgia, one that was nearly overpowering, and she remained at her desk with the bottle still held in her grasp as she was taken back to the far simpler time of six years ago. If only life was still so easy, but too many factors had been altered for things to ever be the same as they had been.

Briefly she considered the bottle before taking another drink and sealing it shut, placing it gently back in its proper place and sliding the door shut as if the desk would fall apart without her gentle touch. Ascending again she made her way to the top floor of the Casino, where once she and the other Ravens had rested their heads at the end of the day. Entering her old room she stood in the doorway for a long moment, trying to discern some sense of normality but failing. Just as she had in the years before she vaulted up into her bed, foregoing the ladder and laying back down on the bed, closing her eyes with a quiet sigh. Inconceivably, for a few short seconds, she was at peace.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

After the fall of the Red Ravens, and the drop of the contract on it's executives head of offices, Darth Ferus had moved in. Not literally of course, but any loose lips, any looking for a better deal, he snatched them right up. The collapse created chaos, and through that opportunity. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of these once wanted people were to be paid highly, just so Ferus could keep tabs on those who had once been his Assassins top targets. Months passed, and most of these informants dropped from the planet. The once thriving community was gone, and they needed to get to a place they could survive on.

So needless to say the Sith Lord was surprised when one of the informants that did stay holocalled him. A direct line to one of his holopads that had just been sitting there to collect dust. It was a brow raising conversation when he was told that a woman who looked just like [member="Keira Ticon"] had walked out of this snitches spaceports. He was thanked, naturally, and the Sith ended the call. At least he was in a ship, his own ship. Moments later, he was in a hyperspace route to the planet itself.

Perhaps an hour or two later Ferus exited his ship, dressed in his signature red black cloak, and met with the snitch. A Torgruta by the name of Kalin. He was a kind man at least. "My Lord, I.. I did not expect you to get here so soon. Is she this important?" There was hesitation in his voice. Perhaps he actually cared for this female, or what she had once stood for. Not that it mattered to the Assassin. A false smile was offered to him as the red eyes of the monster focused in.

"All targets are this important. If she's come back, after all these years, she is looking for something. And if it's a threat to myself or my people, well. It wont make it off this planet." Something in his gaze made Kalin without a doubt believe Ferus. He gulped down his fear before waving over a small droid. It was a simple tracker droid, one that had followed Ticon all the way to her old residence building, though it didn't follow inside. "She's returned home, though the place is abandoned. There's nothing there, nothing even worth of salvage anymore. She's not a thre-" This kind mans voice was cut off as he was lifted into the air. Something closed around his throat, crushing, breaking. He struggled, gasping for that much needed breath, ripping at his throat to pull what ever it was away. But he couldn't find anything. As his blue eyes began to pale, Kalin figured out what it was. The Sith was not going to let him live. Why would he? A rat who snitched out someone he respected? He was untrustworthy, and deserved to die. So he waited for death.

Death didn't come. He was dropped from the choke, sending him to the ground where he coughed and hacked, breathing and taking in the air his body had so missed. There, on the ground, he heard Ferus speak. "She is a threat, so long as I say so. Now, you'll tell me everything, understand?" Kalin nodded furiously as his gaze focused back in, gazing up to the Sith Lord. "Y.. Yes of course, I *Cough* I'll tell you everything. Just let me live." Another smile took over the features of the Sith as Ferus nodded in agreement. But this smile only sent shivers down the aliens spine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~​

​

Darth Ferus stepped out of the hanger, flexing both sets of fingers as he did. Perhaps he had gone a bit too far. His red gaze returned to the bloodied and mangled body that was once his informant, one that had stayed true even after all these years. Bit by bit the Sith had broken and tortured every part of his body. From it, Ferus learned where Keira's own room was within the large casino,and a safeword used by the guards to let her know they needed to come in. He even learned that Kalin had once been a bodyguard to the woman. Oh, how times changed. A wave of his hand closed the door on the desecrated corpse, and the Sith Lord walked his way to this abandoned casino. There was still much to be done.

Like a shade he walked through the town, going unnoticed as he crept along. Ferus was nothing more than an unfamiliar face to those who saw him, and that's the way he wanted it. Darth Ferus was a name known by so few that he could still walk among the populace without being found out, and that was what he had on his side. He was anonymous. Step by step took him to the jimmied door. A single hand pressed against it, trying to push it open only to find it stuck. Well, that won't do, he thought to himself, and with more than he probably needed behind it he ripped the door clean off with the Force, sending it soaring into the street behind him. There, it struck a wall, where it would remain unless someone pried it loose. Both of these actions, ripping the door off and the door striking the wall, did little for stealth.

The loud noise of metal tearing and clanging filled the casino. Not that he was here for stealth, not anymore. He felt her, oh yes. She was close. After all these years, he would see her once again. He stepped into the front room, pushing aside the tables and slot machines that had fallen in his path without any real effort. He didn't even bother waving his hand. The safe word he had learned from that unfortunate man from before was probably a false one after all, and Ferus was tired of walking in shadow. To someone who knew him, he could simply be himself.

"Come out, Ticon."​

​

​

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"I've come for you."​

 

[Keira Priest]

By this time Keira had drifted into a state halfway between the dreamworld and reality, one filled not with half-fantastic musings but rather poignant memories that drifted from the edges of her subconscious into her mind's eye through no apparent will or wish of her own. Truth and falsity existed as one in that realm, melding the past with the present nearly seamlessly. In fact, she nearly expected one of her brothers to come ambling through the door to wake her, or perhaps receive a call from Cryax that her assistance would be necessary on this or that new expedition that was to be undertaken. However, as much as she would have reveled in a return to simpler times, neither of those scenarios were to come to pass. Not anymore.

Instead the only sound that greeted her was the tearing and clanging of durasteel two floors below, and instantly she leapt out of the bed and onto the floor, awareness extended beyond herself. The words spoken through the Force itself drifted like poison into her mind, leeching through her form, reminiscent of a slow poison's trickle. Without offering any sort of reply she shrunk her ethereal presence down to nothing, a technique that prevented another from sensing her unless they had time to kill and cared not for alerting their potential prey as to their presence along the way. She had learned by this time in her life to take no chances and always be on the offensive, even if that looked quite a bit like avoiding a confrontation for the time being.

While her opponent may have had the element of surprise she had the added advantage of being on what had once been home turf. Regardless of the state the Casino currently found itself in, she knew every niche like the back of her hand. Sometimes it paid to have belonged to the upper echelons of one of the most notorious criminal syndicates in the galaxy, and this was one of those times. Momentarily she remained deathly still within the confines of her room, formulating a plan. While the electricity may have been offline, there was a backup generator that had been primed to function under the most dire of circumstances, with a separate line feeding energy into every office on the floor beneath her. An idea sprung into her head, and she flashed a grin.

Moving at preternatural speed she took off for the second floor, her figure a blur in the halls. Once she arrived in what had collectively been the office of the President of the organization she fell back in the chair and spun to face the desk, flipping a hidden switch that would reroute power to that room alone. The monitor booted up in seconds, and she entered the passcode still remembered from a time long past, managing to access the security settings rather quickly. With a metallic clang that matched the one he had created earlier blast doors slid down to cover every entrance leading to the upper floors of the Casino, with any luck before he was able to move through them. After a bit more maneuvering through the system she was able to coax a few of the security cameras online, amounting to three extra pairs of eyes scattered throughout the building. Not much, but it would do.

"Let me think..." Muttering absently to herself she began to search through the doors of the desk, locating the object of her search a few minutes later and setting it on top of the desk. Sure, the slugthrower pistol was rather average, but with a little luck anything could be deadly. The next item of interest was rather mundane, all told, manifesting itself as an unopened pack of cigarettes. Without ceremony or fanfare she took one between her teeth and, producing her own lighter, brought the flame to the tip and lit it. Taking a drag she exhaled a cloud of cyan smoke, watching with vague interest as it dissipated into the air. There really wasn't much to do at this point other than watch and wait, and she was confident enough in her own ability to do just that.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

The lack of an answer did something odd to Ferus. Anger built up in him. He could feel [member="Keira Ticon"] , or perhaps he couldn't. Perhaps the Force was playing tricks on his mind again, making him feel or see things he normally wouldn't. This was annoying. Enough to piss him off. And without her answer, he feared the informant he had wasted time on had given out some sort of signal to his prey. A warning that Ferus was coming, so she could run and hide. This paranoia, this anger, it swelled within him to the point lightning crackled all along his form uncontrolled.

Step by step he went farther into the room, the tables and slot machines no longer just shifting away but blasting away, slamming into the walls around him as lightning danced along their forms. He was furious. She had to be here. Ticon just had to be here, he wasn't wrong. Not this time. He would kill her, put her head on a pike outside as a warning to any of the remaining Ravens. Ferus would not fail his hunt this time. Just as his rage reached a boiling point however, the power was cut.

Darkness shrouded his form, and the lightning that would light up his surroundings began to fade. Ah, she was here. Rage subsided to joy. Thrill. And perhaps a hunger. Yes, yes! She was here! And she had given him the one advantage she shouldn't have! Darth Ferus was a Sith, but more than that. He was an Assassin, and the shadows were where he roamed free. He literally sank into the darkness, even the glowing red of his eyes sinking away into the eternal black. On thermal he would still be visible, but not even night vision could see him now. The Shade would wisp through, almost like dancing as he moved. Ah, this was his life. This was his -home-.

No more did he push the objects around him. If Keira wanted to play in the dark, she would get her full share of this night. With inhuman speed akin to a ghost the Sith would fly through the building. He didn't have the layout she did, but his victim before had been rather forthcoming on where the power room was. Oddly enough, this was going to be his back up plan if things didn't go the way he wanted. But so far it's going in his direction.

That was until he hit the blastdoors.

Just outside this door he would stop, just for a second. The light of the room banished any sort of concealment he would have had, and the red tattered cloak and his blood red eyes flashed as just an image, a spook. Not even for a second he would remain outside it, but his gaze would be glued to the camera, as if he was looking right at her. You know this can't stop me. The Voice of the Shade seemed to echo everywhere just as he faded from view again.

The next noise would be far more haunting. With far more power than necessary the Sith reached out for this blast door, and begun to rip it open. If not stopped, he would rip down the door with a louder screech of metal than the first. He would have his prey, and nothing would stop him.

 

[Keira Priest]

With booted feet kicked up on the desk Keira sat and waited, a crooked grin slowly forming as she sensed the anger building up within him for those first few moments. Had she not been concealing her presence currently she would have drawn off of that wave of rage in return, allowing it to supplement her own ability. As it were she simply took it as a sign that the pieces were falling into place at least moderately well, tripping him up where typically he would have been overwhelmingly confident in his own talent. Sometimes the trick to winning a fight was letting the other know they weren't near as invincible and unshakable as they liked to think, and this was a part of that. If he wanted her dead so badly, he would have to work for it every step of the way.

When he looked to the camera she allowed smoke to drift between her lips, obscuring the screen that granted her his image for the briefest of moments. Those scare tactics might have had their desired reaction on another, but as it were she was only amused, a lighthearted sensation of thrill and anticipation rooting itself in her abdomen. A quiet laugh escaped her, one she let echo through the Force and drift through his mind. He may have been having his fun, but so was she. Only time would tell which one of them would obtain the ultimate bragging rights by bringing down their adversary in one form or another. Dead or alive, a victory was a victory, and if she had her way he wouldn't be walking away from this one. If things went according to plan, he would be leaving in a body bag.

Now that a few minutes had passed she supposed it was time to move, if just to make herself more difficult to locate. Standing from her chair she drifted out of the room, allowing the natural shadows of a long abandoned building to do their job in concealing her presence on the physical plane. Certainly she wasn't as gifted as the assassin, but she wasn't keen to shy away from this conflict. Just then the screeching of metal once more raised in a shrieking chorus, and she grimaced slightly as the sound reached her. Unsurprisingly the blast doors hadn't stopped him for too long, but so long as it slowed him for at least a little while she couldn't complain. This wasn't about fleeing, it was about sending a message that she was stronger and better prepared than she had been before.

Leaning out over the edge of the railing that afforded her a view of the main floor sprawling beneath her she swung her feet out over the edge and perched there, at ease despite the heights that would have caused most arguably saner individuals to immediately lose their balance. It afforded her a better view of him so long as he remained on the bottom level, but also granted her a potential leg up if he did decide to join her in the second floor. It would take nothing more than a gentle push for her to tip over the edge, and a precise application of the Force to slow her descent and leave him with more ground to cover between the two of them. For the moment, however, she enjoyed this new vantage, legs swinging absently where they hung over the edge.

Possessed of a dangerously carefree and nearly childlike demeanor thanks to the dizzying and intoxicating effects of an imminent fight and the adrenaline coursing through her bloodstream she hummed quietly to herself, smoke drifting into the air from the cigarette still perched at the corner of her mouth. Taking it between forefinger and thumb she studied the ember burning at the end, pulling another lungful of smoke into her system before she pinched out the minuscule orange fire and let the souvenir of her past tumble to the floor below, small wisps of cyan trailing absently from its tip. With a quiet sigh she released the hold that had been keeping her aura and power both in check, letting the raw defiance of her presence radiate outwards. "I don't want to stop you, Sith." Just as his own, her words rippled outwards and into the Force, "I want to play."

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Deeper and deeper he went, walking towards the power room. No longer was Ferus running, no longer in a hurry. She was here, and she wasn't going to leave. Not with how much was left to do. It wouldn't take very long before he ended up in the very same room she was in. Slowly he looked up, his red eyes burning in the darkness with a mixture of hate and joy. Hate for the one that got away, joy for finding her. Yet.. There was something else that seemed to click in the mind of the Sith Assassin as [member="Keira Ticon"] spoke to him. Play? Play?

Play?​

​

A grin spread wide over his face as the word echoed in his head. Perhaps he was quick to judge her for death. One who found this insanity fun could earn his respect. But was it truly? Was she just putting up a false mask to throw off his game? Most likely. Or perhaps not. He didn't know, and he didn't care. Lightning began to crackle down his arms, illuminating the immediate area around him. No more words, no more cat and mouse. With a quick movement Ferus brought his arm up, unleashing a blast of the lightning for the woman up on the second floor. Why bother chasing when he could strike now?

Lets play.​

 

[Keira Priest]

Music

Even as electricity arced and crackled through the air in a deadly collision course with her form everything about the encounter remained deathly silent and still. In a movement that possessed a strange sort of gracefulness for all of its inherent recklessness Keira let herself fall off the railing, spinning through the air and narrowly avoiding the lightning that had been intended for her form, though it cut close enough to raise the hairs on the back of her neck and singe her skin regardless. Through a careful manipulation of the Force she was able to slow her descent, saber igniting in a brilliant flash of orange in midair. Landing in a crouch and straightening after a few seconds of collecting herself and adjusting to new surroundings that weren't unfamiliar in the least she rolled her head in order to crack the vertebrae of her neck in quick succession.

No attack was pressed on her part. They had nearly passed the point of such obvious offensives, the game they had played beforehand only a further testament to that. A sort of grudging respect had formed upon their parting of ways after the first encounter, with it not having much of a foundation to solidify itself upon before the Ravens dissolved and the chase was temporarily forgotten. Now that it had been rekindled that same spark was back, though for the moment he was nothing more than a target, herself holding a similar lack of value in his eyes, no doubt. Right now he was a challenge to be overcome and brought down through whatever means proved necessary, nothing more and nothing less.

Her blade droned through the air as she spun it once, the movement almost lazy in its attributes. The illumination the saber provided cut through the darkness that enclosed them, glimmers of neon still shining through the grime covered windows, adding a haunting taint to their ruined surroundings. They were here together now, both at once embodying the roles of predator and prey, it unclear in that moment who was who. "It's been eight years." Her voice was quiet, hushed as if in reverence of their surroundings and the potent memories this place held for her. The Casino marked the beginning of her true life in the galaxy and also the instigation of the downward spiral that led her right back through its doors.

Cobalt eyes watched him steadily even through the gloom, not once flinching in their assessment of the Sith Lord. Their first clash had been far too fast to process, leaving either little room to discern just who they were doing their best to eviscerate. This one seemed to be the exact opposite, a slow burn rather than an explosion, allowing each to drink in the very essence of combat between two individuals that were weapons in their own right. Drawing the Force into her very core she prepared for the onslaught that would likely be soon to follow, though just like the last time she wouldn't be the first to act, though for very different reasons. "Why do you still care?"

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

A silence fell upon the Sith. His red eyes watched her as she dropped, him never once making a movement to strike out against her. The orange glow of [member="Keira Ticon"] 's own lightsaber illuminated the form of Ferus even after he let his lightning fade. He hated her. She who survived. She who got away. Keira was a token that this great Sith Lord could fail. That the Dark Lords Shadow wasn't all he was cracked up to be. She was a symbol of weakness.

Then why didn't he go after her immediately?

As her question rang in his ears Ferus couldn't help but wonder why now himself. So many opportunities had presented themselves before. Was he afraid? Afraid that she was better than him? Good enough to get away again and completely tarnish his reputation? Or did he secretly admire her, the one who survived his hate? Perhaps it was both. But neither explained why now. Why after all this time of the Red Ravens no longer being wanted, why after the Dark Lord himself was slain, and Ferus no longer important within the Sith.

What did he have left to prove?

The answer seemed to scream in his head once he had figured it out. For the first time in his life, the Sith had nothing. No cause, no one to impress or please, no one to lead. He had students to teach, but they weren't his true apprentices. His true one, [member="Darth Ophidia"] , had surpassed him in ways he couldn't imagine. She was the future now. He was the past. His very anger seemed to fade away as those burning red eyes began to dim.

Why do you still care?

"Because I have nothing. And you, who has nothing, are the only person I feel I can relate to." Red eyes flashed with hate again. Yes, she was one who had lost everything. The Red Ravens died, and she became nothing, yet she didn't fall to despair. Not like he did. Keira was stronger. This realization filled the Sith with anger as he watched her. Fingers flexed, lightning danced across knuckles, eyes narrowed.

"That, and you're the only one who will play."

This second realization seemed to send a sense of joy throughout Ferus, and his once somber disposition quickly changed into a savage grin. At least fighting was still something he could enjoy. That, and drinking. Heh, what a life the once terrifying Darth Ferus lives now. "Tell me I'm wrong."

 

[Keira Priest]

What I wrote this post to

This was the first time he had spoken to her, truly spoken, and in those first few moments after those final four syllables passed his lips Keira was left in a momentously less tense silence. Her stance took on a fractionally less battle-ready quality, muscles loosening where they had once been taught in preparation for an immediate retaliation. It seemed their interactions had lapsed into a far more civil nature, and she wasn't certain exactly how to process this new facet. While it wasn't entirely unwelcome, her interactions with the Sith had been limited to nothing more than the battlefield until this moment. This would do little to alter her opinions of that particular dogma, but it lent a slightly different side to things regardless.

Her eyes at once seemed to harden and soften in their gaze as she took him in for all that he was, a supposedly broken man that had nothing but his want and will for combat sustaining him. It was that which haunted her, as she had once been the same, finding solace only in the chaotic dance of battle. Now, however, she had more, more than he would ever supposedly obtain for himself. In the next second she was suddenly drawn back to focus again on what he had to say, and supposed a reply of some kind was in order. "You're not." A beat passed, and her head cocked slightly to one side, a gesture reminiscent his own. "At least, not entirely." Details were sometimes everything, after all.

"I have a lot more than nothing, now. More than I've ever had, and more than you ever will." That last sentence could be interpreted as a more personal dig if he so chose, and she certainly wouldn't deny it herself. "I'm better now, too. Stronger." This next statement was spoken as more of a definitive fact than the one previous, as if she was more assured of its certainty than that of anything else. If there was one truth that she could always stand by, it was her capabilities as a warrior to stand against most any odds and come out on top, or at the very least level with whoever her opponent happened to be. She had left behind the idea of letting herself be a pawn when the Ravens fell and she won her freedom from the Primeval.

As was typical whenever she entered any sort of conflict her demeanor began to shift, slipping into the persona that embodied everything lethal about her and shedding anything reminiscent of her typical self. Instantly she was hyper-aware of every nuance of her surroundings, senses shifting into an overdrive that slowed her perception and heightened her reaction time. This was a state of mind she had carefully honed for years, learning to sink into it and draw herself out of such a thing at will. It was effortless now, this mentality that was quite capable of making her far more deadly than she was already. Drawing in a deep breath she timed its release with that of a burst of the Force meant to knock him backwards and, if not countered in any manner, send him careening off his feet and into whatever ruin lay behind him. This was long overdue.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XjqGn2VsIE​

​

Stronger? Ferus already assumed [member="Keira Ticon"] to be stronger. But just by hearing those words echo from her lips made him that much angrier. Here he was, standing there feeling sorry for himself. Where was his Sith pride? Where was his confidence? Who cares if his apprentice surpassed him. Who cares if the One Sith no longer needed him. Darth Ferus was still breathing, and so long as he was, he could get stronger. Deadlier.

Angrier.

Black leached across the otherwise pale skin of the Sith Lord. Every visible part of his body seemed to be covered in the swirling design as it formed from nothing. They were the mark of Ferus bringing the dark side fully through his body. The Dark Mark of the Sith Assassins. Ferus would fight now, not out of boredom, not out of revenge, not even out of a desire to kill someone similar to himself. He was going to fight to prove to himself he still could. Success or death.

​

​

With a massive swipe of a black marked hand the cloaked Sith would create his own blast of the Force. Lightning rippled around him as a single pure blast of the electrical current ripped through the air, to counteract the blast of his rival. The lightning did little however as the Sith soared backwards through the air as he was hit. Yet as he was launched back, Ferus regained himself, twirling in the air to land on both feet and throw the blood red cloak to the ground. His lightning from before slammed into the ground, leaving behind a bright blue glow that didn't seem to fade, instead it would just pulse as if it was a heart.

No longer did the Darth grin or grimace. Instead his face was pure calm. All his emotions hidden, save for the black lines etched across his bare chest. His eyes burned with a focus not many Sith could have when using this much raw emotion, but that was what Ferus was truly known for. His controlled rage. As if throwing a quick jab he turned his body, sending his right fist out with lightning once more dancing across his fingertips. Another bolt was launched, this one aimed directly for the woman before him. This bolt wasn't meant to burn or shock, rather slam into the girl and send her soaring back herself, admittedly with some burning going on.

There was no going back now.

 

[Keira Priest]

Moar music

When silence once more reigned over them Keira knew the time for talk had ended with finality. Now nothing more than their actions would speak for them, each well-placed strike dictating where words failed. When he prepared himself she did the same, rolling her neck in order to crack it, momentarily clenching and loosening each muscle systematically from head to toe, working her way downwards slowly. Once he struck she erected a barrier of the ethereal in order to lessen the blow, still being driven backwards and off her feet, though with fractionally less force. Just as he had done she twisted in the air, turning her body to land in a crouch, still sliding backwards a few feet. Remaining there for a second or so she slowly straightened, stepping forward once again.

Still her blade remained ignited, a physical symbol of her defiance that refused to waver. Twirling it twice she flashed a crooked grin that demonstrated she was finding some kind of enjoyment in pushing her limits. Instead of flames he seemed to favor lightning this time, but then, she had her own signature attacks as well. "You never struck me as the self-destructive sort. I thought you Sith were too proud for that." They had switched places, it seemed, him taking on the role of one that reveled in the fight, herself having accessed a touch more refinement than had been coming during their last encounter. That brief moment of recompense was all it took for her breath to level out, and with that her stance once again took on a hardened edge.

As brash as ever she darted towards him, releasing a shockwave of the Force with a cut of her hand through the air, one meant to unbalance him just as the one previous. But instead of immediately capitalizing she would turn and shift past him, letting her saber fly, hooking back behind his head in order to strike him from behind. It was a tactic she hadn't utilized in a long while, and one that felt strangely comforting to return to. Assuming there was no interference the leather hilt of the weapon would snap back into her palm, the delicate links of the chain that attached the charm her brothers had given her tinkling audibly from the swift movement. In the blink of an eye the two were moving as a blur, perfectly honed warriors.

"So, alright," That crooked smile again returned, fading in mere seconds. "You've been hunting me for however long. What is it you know, exactly? I want to see how wrong you are." In truth she was moderately curious, both as to his actual reply and if he would grant her an answer in the first place. Regardless her feet slid across the floor until they were shoulder-width apart, already bracing for a sudden and violent retaliation. The one habit she hadn't lost was that of verbally picking at her opponents, something that had succeeded in pushing him to the brink the last time as well. Some people were entirely too easy to get at, she'd determined. Thankfully he happened to be one of them.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

The same tactic as before? An unsettling frown formed over the Sith's features as he watched the wave from [member="Keira Ticon"] come towards him. Did she think so little of him for his little outburst of emotion before to stoop as low as repeating herself? How insulting. Another swipe of his hand would come down, releasing a similar blast of lighting as before. This time however, his spark would cancel the telekinetic blow. The lighting would slam into a nearby wall, once more leaving a blue hue that would not fade away.

What came next was a bit more of a surprise though. Sure, he expected her to strike from the front. It's what he would have done, especially after using a predictable move. So when she moved past him and struck from behind, his instincts took over. His body twisted around and away from the burning blade, though no where close enough to escape. The singing heat of the weapon burned across the left side of his face, adding another black mark as his flesh sizzled. Pain burned throughout his body, causing his eyes to flare up.

So she wasn't a one trick pony.

Her question, her voice, all of it would fall on deaf ears. Here, in combat, there was no place for words. Sure, he had his fair share of taunting his opponents, and normally he'd do that. But she wasn't some low level chump or easily taunted foe. She had his respect. Lightning snaked up his arms as he turned from the burn across his face, and without holding back he would unleash the torrent for what it was, burning, mind numbing pain.

 

[Keira Priest]

A crooked grin with a dangerous edge to it turned up one corner of her mouth. While Keira wouldn't necessarily admit it aloud, she took far more of a sense of satisfaction in her ability to inflict injury on him than was likely wholly appropriate. Rarely in her life had she been able to truly best another, and so any minute opportunity was taken to heart. Now he would have something to remember her by, just like the scar she had that trailed from shoulder to collarbone on her left side. It was only what was fair and just, in her eyes. However, she wasn't granted much time to contemplate that momentary victory before he struck out again, once more with a flash of electricity, this one seeming to take on a much more volatile edge than those previous.

Instinctively she raised her hands against the assault, fully expecting to be hit with the brunt of the bolts. However, to her surprise, there was nothing other than the sensation of her open palms being pushed back, a slight tingling sensation radiating through her arms from that starting point. Looking down to her hands she blinked in awareness that, through some strange conduit of Force energy, she had begun to absorb the energy of the lightning. Just as soon as she noted this anomaly, however, that reflexive concentration broke and the electricity struck her body in full force, crippling her and bringing her to her knees with a cry of pain. Time and time again she had experienced this same assault at the hands of many, but she never seemed to get used to it.

Even as she was broken down she drew on that same agony to pull strength into her core, the cold rage that powered his attack flowing both ways to grant her a fraction of that same power. Utilizing that she focused entirely on his rib cage, taking the ethereal energy she had focused and crushing around his chest like a vice, attempting to forcibly push the breath from his lungs and quite possibly break bone if it went unopposed. Typically this was an attack that brought on a quick, albeit painful, death, but with her lack of concentration due to his own attack it manifested itself as a slow end. She might have respected him just a bit due to his strength and capability, but he would be treated just the same as any other adversary.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

He wouldn't stop. No, he couldn't. His red eyes flared wide as he watched [member="Keira Ticon"] writhe in pain. It was exquisite. Breathtaking almost. Ferus was so absorbed in the fact he was killing her all outside influences were gone. Faded. It was just him, the lightning, and the girl in front of him. On her knees, crying in pain. All of this was perfect, to a degree he didn't expect. The Sith was elated.

That was, until the crack of one of his ribs snapped him out of his euphoric trance. All at once the lightning stopped, and the Lord let out a hiss of pain, stumbling away from his adversary. A quick burst of the Force would be used to break this hold and keep the rest of his ribs intact. With this new found pain coursing through his body however, there was no control when his hands burst forward, releasing a blast of pure destruction from his palms.

The floor, walls, all ripped as the blast was sent forward. Rage, hate. They were the forces of destruction. And now he was unleashing it in it's purest form. As soon as the blast was released however his form felt heavy, drained. His red eyes narrowed as the realization set in, and his black lines faded quickly. Too much energy spent, and that wasn't going to come back on it's own.

With another hiss he flicked his wrist, and the hilt of a lightsaber strapped to his waist would end up in his palm. The signature snap-hiss of the blade would be the only sound the Sith would make at this point. He was reduced to his blade again, and that slightly bothered him. Well, at least now he could return the favor of his now scarred cheek.

 

[Keira Priest]

When the crack of his rib breaking sounded audibly Keira didn't bother to withhold the laugh that trickled past her lips, an undeniable sign of the sway the dark held over her in that moment. There were consequences of her pulling the Dark Side into herself, those that had the capacity to be irreversible, and she had to tread a very fine line, lest she fall again. Already she was dangerously close to having too much fun with things, but she had learned over time how and when to reign herself in. Almost regrettably she slowly closed off the two-way pipeline of power that had been crudely forged between them, not sealing it off completely but only allowing his own negative emotions to fuel her in small increments.

Quickly enough he was back on the offensive with a rippling wave of the Force that tossed everything in its path away like so many feathers. Crossing her arms in resemblance of an 'X' in front of her she threw them outwards, loosing her own repulse that would meet his own in the middle, though she was still driven back a few feet. Her chest rose and fell visibly due to the energy expended, and she knew it would be awhile before any more large-scale attacks of that nature could be attempted by either of them. Reaching her left hand out to her side the hilt of her blade snapped into her palm, and she thumbed the button for ignition, orange plasma once again thrumming into existence.

It would be up to him how this next phase of their bout would begin. His capabilities with a saber had yet to be tested, and she would have plenty of opportunities to press the offensive once he opened up with his beginning sequence. Again she would conceded to watching and waiting, saber droning through the air. Next to her applications of telekinesis this was the facet of combat where she found her niche, claiming mastery over two of the more aggressive styles of combat herself. It was time to see if the firestorm of a combatant she once again held at arm's length was able to claim the same of his own talents. The blade seemed to be his last resort, and she was going to make him work for it.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Ferus just stood there, blade in hand. There was no form, no hint at what he could be planning. Instead, he seemed to be catching his breath so to speak, especially when [member="Keira Ticon"] made no move forward. Hate burned in his eyes, yet he still had a face of simple concentration. His free hand however was poised open, palm towards the ground. Those ever persistent blue spots that had formed from his lighting strikes from before had faded, yet the air still cracked with static.

He never once made a move. He watched. He waited. The longer she took, the more energy he could regain. This pause and silence was to his favor. What will you do now, Ticon? You've given me the high ground. A smile cracked on the edge of his lips. She was trying to keep herself calm, to flirt with the edge but never go over. He could feel it. It was a dangerous line. When you fall like Ferus has, you can keep control in ways you can't when that line is blurred. If only he wasn't here to kill her, there was so much that could be taught.

 

[Keira Priest]

Contrary to what [member="Darth Ferus"] seemed to believe, Keira wasn't simply waiting for him to lash out against her. Instead, much the same as he, she was gathering her strength once again. Being one who prized her ability in telekinetics, she would much rather have the ability on hand rather than reverting to one mode of combat. That wasn't to say she necessarily doubted herself, because she knew full well lightsaber combat was another facet she had taken to honing with a deadly proficiency, but she would rather have two different hands to play instead of just one. He might have had the high ground, but she was right up there with him. Regardless of whether the pair would believe it, they were equals in many respects.

"It's funny, you know," Her voice once more took on that conversational tone, as if they weren't in the middle of trying to carve out the other's throat or otherwise end their existence permanently, "You caring so much about me being a Raven when that organization fell years ago. Hell, I abandoned them even before they took their last breath. That name stopped meaning anything to me a long time ago, so pardon me if I find it amusing that you seem to hinge on that one fact about me when I'm much more than another criminal now. You're the only one here who hasn't moved on." That was just as much a statement of fact as it was a provocation, and she held it as truth regardless of his interpretation.

The orange plasma of her blade retreated back in on itself, disappearing into its hilt that was then hooked at her waist with a careful slowness. "You'll have to excuse me that I find this whole thing rather pointless when the both of us could just walk away. This is a waste of our time." Her words functioned partially as a distraction as she gathered herself, regaining any energy lost so that she might strike again. For a moment she seemed to concentrate, brow furrowing just slightly, though her expression soon smoothed over into nothing more than silent focus. "But I suppose if you're still going to insist on finishing what should have been forgotten then I might as well play along." If he wanted a fight so badly, far be it from her not to play along.

Not bothering to stall any longer she thrust her arms outwards, releasing a shockwave of the Force outwards in all directions, one that was capable of matching the destructive force of his own similar attack. It was a manifestation of her emotion in the physical realm, a controlled attack that did a fine job of representing her largely defiant nature.

 

[Darth Ferus]

A brow raised as [member="Keira Ticon"] spoke. Again and again she spoke, and never once did he interrupt her. Stop her from speaking, make a move. Let her have her convictions. Let her think what she wanted, there was a much larger truth she hadn't realized yet. A smile formed on his face as she went on. It wasn't until her lightsaber retreated that he finally showed some kind of move.

That being the fingers on his free hand flexing.

By the time her blast shot out towards him those blue dots from before reformed below his palm. The lightning he had shot off before had embedded itself within the metal of this structure, waiting as he controlled it to be brought back into play. As for how, energy. Lighting ripped from the ground into his hand, and the grin slowly widened. As a prior Sith said so long ago; Unlimited Power.

Similar to her his lightsaber would shut off, and with that same hand a barrier of solid energy formed. It shimmered a deep red, and with his refound energy the barrier would meet the blast head on, and hold. Once the blast finished, the barrier fell, and the snap hiss of a lightsaber filled the air again. He continued to smile, his red eyes watching and staring. And finally he spoke.

"This has nothing to do with the bounty on your head before, or you getting away, or anything like that, Keira. And if that's what you think this is, you've lost." He was poised for defense as he spoke, knowing that she could of tried to attack him at any point, even right after the shockwave. It's what he would have done after all.

 

[Keira Priest]

With seeming effortless abandon each of them were calling on attacks and defenses in a sort of synchronized dance, neither explicitly harming the other beyond superficial injury. It was a strange demonstration of something resembling respect, and not one she entirely reciprocated. He was worth nothing to her, death being the only proper resolution to this encounter unless he gave her a good reason to exercise anything close to restraint. "I appreciate your dedication to being cryptic about all of this, but I don't really have much time to waste playing guessing games. You're going to tell me or you're not, and either way I don't really care. Right now you're in my way, so you're just an obstacle to get rid of. Nothing more and nothing less."

Almost before it was called back into her hand her saber ignited, the ethereal being shunned as a secondary weapon rather than something to be called upon openly. The blade sparked across the ground as she spun it, and for just a moment she seemed to consider her plan of attack, as if it would be anything different than her typical straightforward aggression. "I wouldn't say I've lost anything so far. Assumption can be a killer, you know. Maybe that's why there's so few of your Assassins, anymore." For her to prefer word over action was something entirely different, but she hadn't been looking for a fight. It had instead come to her in the form of this Sith Lord, and seemed to be long in leaving.

There would be no more goading, and instead she pressed the attack in the form of short, powerful strikes meant to overwhelm one's opponent and force them into an immediate defensive with little room to maneuver. She was most comfortable when on the offensive, and it showed in the confidence of her own precision. It was his move, at least figuratively.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Should of taken it.

It was the only thought to go through the mind of the Sith Lord as [member="Keira Ticon"] began to speak. She should have attacked. He wouldn't be so forgiving. With a surge of speed Ferus blasted forward, his form but a blur as he rapidly and suddenly closed the gap between the two. Lightning danced down his red blade as the Assassin moved, and it became clear why he was as large of a threat as some stories may say.

He wasn't the best duelist. He wasn't the best sorcerer. Ferus was, however, one of the best at mixing the two. As the electrified blade struck out his foe brought up her blade again. A smile formed. It was with his right hand he slashed, bringing the blade upwards towards her left side to cleave her in two, but that wasn't the real danger. The danger was that his left hand swung with his right, but without a blade. Instead, a blast of raw energy would be used to smack the floating saber from her grasp. One hand to render her defenseless, the other to strike a killing blow. It seemed perfect in the mind of this twisted Sith.