Just My Type

[Sage Bane]

Location: Bumps and Thumps Nightclub, The Cream and the Crop Casino, Coruscant Undercity​

​

Sage Bane leaned against the bar of the nightclub at the lower level of the Cream and the Crop Casino, the Coruscant Underworld’s beacon for the depraved and the deviant. Sage usually drank on the house at the aptly named Bumps and Thumps. Being the half-brother of one of the council members of the CRC, the criminal syndicate who ran the casino, definitely had its perks. The regulars who frequented the club were usually the darkest and most hedonistic types of people, most of them men and women fresh from the streets of the one of the most dangerous places in the galaxy, the Coruscant Undercity. Black leather-clad, half-naked bodies writhed on the dance floor. Bound slaves hung from the ceiling. Behind Sage was a naked body clothed only in sushi. Shirts and shoes were optional. Decadence was encouraged.

Sage had not come to the Bumps and Thumps to partake in all of its vices. He was on a mission to apprehend a suspected traitor in the ranks of the One Sith. The suspect was a Sith Knight named Lorth Lithal, a human who was apparently a leader of a small but dangerous sleeper cell of cultists who wanted to resurrect the long-dead Cult of Exar Kun. Chatter intercepted on the Holonet told of Lorth’s plans to unearth the bodies of long dead Sith Lords in the hopes that the cult would release some ancient spirits. Force only knew their plans after that. Sage suspected that Lithal was probably a few starships short of a Fleet. Like most cult leaders, the man probably swayed his flock with a pure, unadulterated charisma whether or not his cockamamie schemes made sense.

Sage was given a partner on this particular mission, a fellow Sith Knight named Sitara Qin. Not only was Knight Qin who trained under one of the Voices of the Dark Lord, Darth Carach, said to be a fierce warrior and Force adept, but she was also known for possessing an almost alarming physical beauty. The kind of beauty that could tear down all a man’s defenses with just a glance. That news was music to Sage’s ears. The Sith Knight felt that anything that got the blood racing was worth pursuing, and Miss Qin sounded like someone who might enjoy the chase. A shot appeared in front of him on the bar, and he shrugged and knocked it back, letting the strong whiskey burn his throat. Just because they were on a mission, didn’t mean they couldn’t have a little bit of fun along the way. Self-restraint was only for those who were not able to control themselves in the first place, wasn't it?

[member="Sitara Qin"]​

 

[Sitara Qin]

So this was the Bumps and Thumps nightclub.

Appropriately named and a popular destination for thrill seekers who liked to stick themselves anywhere. The Coruscant Undercity was notorious, and the Cream and the Crop Casino was only one of their infamously fine establishments. It almost made her wonder why Lorth Lithal, a human traitor who had hopes of resurrecting the Cult of Exar Kun, ran here of all places. But judging by the scantily clad men and women—some who were hung as human displays on the walls wearing nothing but thin leather—it was no wonder he’d hang out here. Heck, if she had nothing else to do she’d definitely love to party at a place like this.

She spent lots of time with the Sith Assassins and she learned that to catch a person, it was best that you didn’t stick out like a sore thumb. The leather jumpsuit and dark makeup she was wearing made her look like one of the regulars who ventured into this place. The only problem was, was that she was just a little bit more clothed. Of course, she wasn’t here alone. In fact, she spotted her partner: the devilishly charming Sage Bane. It was a pleasure to work with someone who trained under the highly coveted Matsu Xiangu. It was an even better pleasure who worked with someone cute.

She walked behind him, casually taking two pieces of sushi off the person who laid behind the knight. Futomaki, yum. She slipped the first roll into her mouth, disturbingly undisturbed by where she had acquired the rolls of fish in the first place. It didn’t matter, within the walls that thumped with hedonistic beings and a criminal on the loose, the fish was the least of her concerns.

Casually, she slid next to the brunette knight. She pushed the other roll of sushi over towards him, a coy smile playing on her lips. “So, you come here often?” She asked, tossing her dark brown locks over her shoulder. If he looked at the roll of fish below, he could see a rolled up piece of paper.

Catch sight of him yet?

| [member="Sage Bane"] |

 

[Sage Bane]

A strobe light flashed a woman in and out of Sage’s view. Perfect cupid’s bow lips. Ink-black hair. Porcelain skin. An invisible halo of the dark side. This certainly wasn’t Lorth Lithal, so this must be... He dropped his gaze to the sushi roll and plucked a small scrap of paper from the middle, examining her message. Sitara. He gave her a wolfish grin and shook his head indicating a negative.

“The only dark-sided presence I’ve sensed tonight is yours, Knight Qin. Either Knight Lithal is masking his signature, or fashionably late is more his style.”

Sage’s hidden amphistaff arm surged beneath its banelith masque, Yuuzhan Vong technology that kept the monstrous limb looking human. The heady combination of senses--flickering lights, loud music, warm bodies, a beautiful woman--threatened to bring the creatures out to play. For Edge’s sake, not now. Sage gave them the mental equivalent of a sharp tap on the nose. Heel. He raised his gaze to the beautiful woman before him, indulgently giving her a once over. As the dance music got louder, he leaned in closer, gently laying a hand on her shoulder. His lips grazed her ear.

“I’ve heard quite a bit about your special talents.”

His emphasis infused the word with sin. A leather mini-skirted Twi’lek sauntered by, trying to catch his attention with her shapely curves, but his rapt attention was laser-focused on Knight Qin.

“It is said that you possess the ability to manipulate light and sound waves to render yourself almost invisible to the naked eye. This could come in handy as we hunt for the traitor. Could you teach me this, Knight Qin? I promise to teach you something in return.”

[member="Sitara Qin"]​

 

[Sitara Qin]

Ah, so they’d have to go bird watching all night. Sitara rolled her eyes and slumped against the bar. “Bo-ring.” She faked a yawn and shifted her gaze to the devilish knight. He was far taller than her, even when seated. His features were sweet, almost soft though still retained a sort of dangerous charm towards him. Interesting. “At least we’ll have each other to entertain ourselves, yes?” Her fingers moved to the side of her neck, caressing it for an instance as her eyes remained locked on his.

The music shifted slightly in tempo and volume, which strained any prying ears from listening to their conversation. “I’ve heard quite a bit about your special talents.” Sage spoke. The sentence caused her to raise an eyebrow. Her hair fell against her shoulder as she moved, cascading over her bare shoulders. For a second, her eyes betrayed her by revealing an instance of fluster. Then her lips curved into a coy smile.

“My talents.” She uttered, as the half-chiss began to unravel what he was talking about. She chuckled for a small moment, obviously thinking he meant something else. She smiled, nodding as she listened to the information she had on her. Force Cloaking was a special talent, one that she hadn’t quite gotten the hang of. She learned it from being an assassin, however, it took her time to fully render herself invisible.

“I’m decent at the skill, though I do need to further develop the ability.” She admitted, while signalling the bartender for a drink. A mintinni. Preferably with twists. “I wouldn’t mind making the little training trade, though I must say I’m far more excited to learn from a skilled illusionist—especially one who trained under the highly talented Matsu Xiangu.”

The bartender served her her martini and for the moment, Sitara broke eye contact with her handsome companion. She thanked the bartender as she took a small sip of her drink, taking in the mixture of sweet mint and and orange peels. "Deeeeelicious. Do you want one?"

| [member="Sage Bane"] |

 

[Sage Bane]

Sitara had an air of playfulness that Sage found infectious. The Sith Knight suddenly felt fairly uninterested in finding this cult leader at all. In fact, he was certain that he would much rather stare at Sitara all night instead. Lorth Lithal could die in a fire. Slowly and painfully.

“You can practice your skills on me anytime,” said Sage, a sly grin lifting the corner of his lips.

“I would be happy to teach you illusions, Sitara. It will mean that we have to share a head space for a while, since the invocations need to be passed on mentally. Once we find Mr. Lithal, we can try to use them on him, and although Force users are markedly harder to fool, this is powerful Sith magic. I think the two of us together can do it.”

He would never admit it, but Sage wasn’t sure if he felt completely comfortable with Sitara inside his head. It was dark and treacherous in there. Not to mention there were those unmentionable thoughts he was thinking about her. Plus, Sitara would likely find out about his horror of an arm, and know of what Matsu had done to him on Ashera. The events of that day were his own private mystery, something he only revealed when he was ready. Still, to teach her the gift of illusions. Surely that was more important than his ego?

He raised his gaze to her again, his attention drawn and quartered by soft black hair and full lips. Despite the fact he had wanted to stay sharp in case Lithal made an appearance, when Sitara asked him if he wanted the sweet-smelling drink she was enjoying, Sage nodded in affirmation.

“Why not?”

He was suddenly finding it very hard to say no to her.

[member="Sitara Qin"]​

 

[Sitara Qin]

She laughed. “Don’t tempt me.” He was definitely easy to get along with. It was his soft, yet striking features and his devilish allure. Something about him seemed dangerous, though perhaps that could be said for anybody who joined the dark side. They were just a tad more adventurous than other people, and Sitara liked that. Another thing that she liked was this boy’s smirk. Very sexy.

“Sharing head space, huh?” It was scary how the mind—probably the most sacred private part of a human being—was so easily infected, invaded, and easily manipulated. Everybody stored their secrets there, and she was lucky she had nothing to hide. Perhaps a few memories which weren’t exactly rated PG; but hey, everybody had those right? “Guess that means I’ll get to see all the porno you’ve been watching.” You could really tell a lot about the person by their deepest desires. There were the types of people who were just too vanilla, and well Sitara was definitely a person who enjoyed rocky road. Something with nuts, and marshmallows.

She turned to the bartender again, ordering another mintinni with twists for the fine gentleman beside her. It came after a few short moments. The best part about the drink was that it left your breath fresh—well, as fresh as alcohol breath can get—which meant talking to people or doing other various activity that involved the mouth was better. “Mintinni’s are great.” She urged him to take a sip, just so he could see what she was talking about. She in turn, took a sip from her own drink and swallowed the cool green liquid tainted with oranges.

She felt more immersed in the conversation she was having with Sage than she was in the assignment. That’s wasn’t really good, considering this guy was supposed to be dangerous. He probably had a set of interesting kinks too, though some of the lads and ladies in this fine establishment were far from decent. Sitara almost wondered who’d go fishing in a sea full of mudfish—though if you were a wanted criminal, your choice of location was probably narrowed down. At least Sage was cute, with those brown eyes of his. His hair was pretty long too, it made her want to move it away from his eyes.

Which compelled her to lean in and do it.

“I must say, you’re a terrible partner.” She scrunched up her nose. “You’re far too distracting.”

| [member="Sage Bane"] |

 

[Sage Bane]

“I could say the same about you, Knight Qin.” he laughed. “Ol’ Lorth is going to have unearthed a whole mausoleum before we catch him.”

Sage didn’t have a shy bone in his body and playfulness tended to egg him on. He liked to find out exactly where the line was and then dance right on the edge, often crossing it just for fun. Like a puppy who plays too rough, sometimes his boldness ended up getting him a smack. It was usually worth it. The more Sitara flirted with Sage, the closer he inched to her, the more he threw the idea of personal space to the wind. He was so near that not only could she see every handsome feature, such as his chiseled jawline but, also every flaw, like the slave collar scars around his neck.

“I easily could teach you some very basic illusion spells, pateesa. Right now as a matter of fact.”

Looking deeply into her eyes, Sage cradled the small of her back with his hand, then tilted his head in and gently touched his forehead to hers. His eyes snapped shut as he began to reach out with his mentalism powers to seek entrance into Sitara’s mind. It felt a bit like someone rapping softly on a door, only inside your head. In turn, Sage opened up a neural pathway to his own consciousness and unfolded it for her, leaving it free for her to explore. She would hear his voice echoing through her mind, seductive and elusive, a velvety shadow.

You only have to let me in, and then our minds will be joined.

He had too much respect for her to enter uninvited.

[member="Sitara Qin"]​

 

[Sitara Qin]

“We ought to be careful then.” She grinned. “Or we’d be the next pair of bodies Lorth’ll disentomb.”

Sage was magnetic, and easily drew her in. He was playful, and pushed as she pulled, reeling him closer towards her. He was easy to get along with, and Sitara could see them getting along quite well. As he drew her in, with the promise of illusions, Sitara could feel the hairs on her body beginning to rise. Intruding people’s thoughts were a common factor from others she had met. Or well, maybe that was just Carach. However, she was guilty of the crime as well,—a trait she probably inherited from him—and often forgot other people actually had personal space.

But as he cradled the small of her back, and as her eyes explored every detail of his warm body, she found herself relaxing. His eyes were far softer up close, his jawline chiselled, and…what were those markings? Her brows furrowed as her irises traced the marks on his neck. Either Sage liked to play, or he was a play thing. She certainly hoped it was the further. She pressed her her fingers to his chest, her right hand searching for his heartbeat. She inhaled his scent, and closed her eyes as she began to let him in.

‘Sage.’

She called out to him in the darkness. Her mind was a pitch black canvas, with occasional bursts of the most vivid of colours. Would he try to explore her past? One filled with a neglectful father and criminals who were better parents than the only one she ever had? A photo album filled with pictures of a brother she never met? Her mother’s clothes which were nothing more than strings?

She ran away from those, and ran towards his voice. She was afraid of venturing too far; perhaps refusing to accept the truth of those scars or the women who left them behind. She chased after his voice, a comforting sound that called out to her, asking her to let him in. But was she ready to open herself up to a man she barely knew?

‘I see you.’

She might as well meet him in the middle.

| [member="Sage Bane"] |

 

[Sage Bane]

Treading carefully as if over thin ice, Sitara entered his mind. In the darkness of the night club, the other patrons would see something akin to two lovers sharing a tender moment of looking into each other’s eyes, but the reality of the two mind-linked Sith was quite different. He was curious about Sitara’s memories but he felt it disrespectful to go plundering through her thoughts. He knew better than that. Now that Sitara had access to his consciousness, Sage wondered how much of his past to expose her to. Inside the mind space, illusionists, especially inexperienced ones, were vulnerable to mental dangers. From mere anxiety attacks to full blown psychotic breakdowns, madness was always a risk. Bad things sometimes happened to the dreamers who were unaware. Bad things like Ashera. As soon as he thought about what had happened on the planet of Ashera, Sitara would see it play out in her mind’s eye, almost like a Holo.

During war with lightsided cultists, Matsu Xiangu had invited him into her mind, but had warned him only to go where she allowed. Her admonishment couldn’t have been clearer. If her apprentice trespassed, he would end up as one of her hapless experiments, his brain floating in a jar in a Coruscant laboratory somewhere. But like a stubborn mule, Sage did what he wanted anyway. His curiosity got the best of him, and he began to explore the areas she commanded him to avoid. Matsu took a memory of her arm burning and fused it into a powerful illusion that consumed Sage. He felt his arm burning, the flesh charring away from the bone, and in his moment of madness and excruciating pain, he became obsessed with cutting it off. And so he did. Right there on the battlefield, in front of Commander Temi and her stormtroopers, he cut off his own arm with a vibroblade and no anesthesia.

He was about to explain the memory to Sitara when suddenly, he felt another presence in their shared mind space. A dark-sided intruder, who was definitely not the beautiful Sith Knight. His fingers gently pressed into her back as he began to try and wake his partner. They were both vulnerable to the interloper, a person he suspected was Lorth Lithal. There was no doubt, the other Knight exploited the porous walls that Sage had created. There would be time to weave some illusions later. Right now, they had to protect their minds and all the secrets within them.

"Sitara. It's not safe in here."

[member="Sitara Qin"]​

 

[Sitara Qin]

He hadn’t allowed her to live out one of his most painful memories, instead, Sitara was allowed to watch it unfold in front of her as a projected image. She stood there, disturbed by the view of his own mind being invaded by his master. She was given the valuable opportunity to work with the Sith Lady herself, and although it was a brief lesson, it allowed her to learn how to craft some of her own illusions. In fact, she had a few techniques up her sleeve that she could use for later. As of now, however, she needed to pay attention to the events that unfolded in front of her.

She touched her own arm, cringing as he thawed his arm off without any help such as anaesthetic. “Ouch…” She whispered, and the hairs on her arms began to rise. Her first instinct was to run to him, perhaps give him a friendly squeeze or embrace. It would’ve really sucked if the price you paid for venturing into unwanted territory was losing your arm. She was certainly glad Carach didn’t cut any of her limbs off.

And then she felt it, the slight shift in the atmosphere that allowed her to realize that something was…off. She looked away as the image began to fade. Sage’s voice called out to her and she sighed. Of course he’d sense them here. He wasn’t some stupid apprentice after all. They were all in the same level. She followed the voice, realizing she needed to go back to her own head. She felt a slight jab to her back as though someone was trying to wake her up.

She needed to find her way back. She needed to find her way back.

Sitara’s eyes opened and everything was a strange blur. She moved away from Sage, groggy from the mild interaction. She squeezed her eyes shut, before blinking rapidly for her eyesight to clear. She sat up, looking around. She patted the saber carefully hidden in the pocket of her jumpsuit. She couldn’t cause too much of a commotion here.

Her eyes searched the crowd for a sign of the cultist. “Where are you?” She gritted her teeth.

If he wanted to play hide and seek, then she was ready to count to ten.

| [member="Sage Bane"] |

 

[Sage Bane]

Sitara's eyes began to flutter awake, and she moved backwards, giving a slow shake of her head. Being jolted out of the dream space could be disorienting, so Sage extended his arm to her so that she could steady herself. She didn't need coddling though. Sitara was already in attack mode, lightsaber out, her big brown eyes searching through the crowd for their quarry. Sage was impressed by her determination. Their initial flirtation had almost made him forget that there was a fierce Sith Knight hiding behind her girlish laugh. He was quite looking forward to seeing her fight. There were some other things he was also looking forward to doing with her, but that would have to wait until their mission was complete. She might have gotten a peek in their mind space, his imagining the sweep of his hands over her curves while she moved over him. If she did, it didn't bother him. Sage had no regrets about his desires. He was more ashamed that she saw his moment of weakness on Ashera. His arm had since been replaced, fitted with a monstrous Vong prosthetic, but his emotional wounds from that day were still fresh.

His focused snapped back to their mission, Sage branched out with the Force to try and sense Lithal. Like a predatory animal, he narrowed his eyes and raised his jaw as he caught the other man's scent.

"He's here. In the night club."

Intertwining his fingers with Sitara's, he took her hand and lead her through the crowd. The closer they got, the more powerful they could feel the other man's dark sided aura, an aura that was now familiar to them both.

Suddenly, there was a shock of white-blonde hair as a man clad in black leather shot up from a nearby booth and ran. The Force signature matched. It was Lithal. The other Sith became a blur as he used Force Speed to sprint to an open turbolift.

Sage cursed under his breath and headed towards the turbolift as its doors closed with a hiss. If either Knight made it inside Lorth Lithal's mind, they would find that the Sith Knight was headed to the casinos higher floors, to the Golden Hour Opera House.

[member="Sitara Qin"]​

 

[Sitara Qin]

Sage confirmed what she already knew. They moved through the crowd, her hand in her pocket just in case she needed to whoop out her lightsaber and begin to attack someone.

And then someone bolted.

Sitara’s body immediately turned to his location, her eyes caught a man in black leather. His hair was a white-blonde, and she wondered why she didn’t notice his force signature earlier. She gritted her teeth, mentally slapping herself for not catching up with him sooner. Her mind connected with his for a moment, before being forced out by the distance that separated them. She turned to Sage, and gave him a slight nod as they bolted for the turbo lift.

Despite being separated now, she didn’t come out empty handed. She leaned against the door, still exhausted from the force used earlier. She sighed, waiting for the second turbolift to open for them. She mashed the button impatiently. “Ugh.” She groaned.

“Can’t say we didn’t see that coming though.” She grinned. “Before he took off, I saw a large chandelier if that means anything.” Did it? Was there anything in this casino that had a giant chandelier? Everything here seemed pretty cheap, if she were being honest.

"Hide and seek has only just begun.”

| [member="Sage Bane"] |

 

[Sage Bane]

"A large chandelier, eh?" Sage said. His brow furrowed as he pondered just where that chandelier might be located. His brother had given him a tour of the casino a few months back, and he seemed to recall the Golden Hour Opera House having an enormous crystal chandelier hanging from its vaulted ceiling. Sage frowned as he remembered how Cryax had bragged about the opera house as if it were some shining star of Coruscanti culture.The Chiss was especially amused when he mentioned the feature that made it so unique: The operas themselves were performed by slaves. It was a detestable travesty that made him want to slap the smirk right off his brother's blue face.

The door to the turbolift opened with a hiss, and Sage nodded to Sitara with a crooked grin.

"After you."

Sage's fingers walked over the face of the terminal until he found the button for the opera house which was a few floors above Bumps and Thumps. The mammoth skytower that was the Cream and the Crop Casino had roughly one thousand stories so it would take them a couple of minutes to get to the Opera House's floor. The two Knights could be in the elevator a while, and Sitara's porcelain skin looked too inviting to resist. A devilish grin spread across Sage's face as he wrapped his arms around Sitara's waist from behind, and planted a feather-light kiss on her neck.

When they reached the opera house, the door to the turbolift opened to reveal an empty theater, completely dark except for faint shimmers of light glinting off the great crystal chandelier above. There were no operas being performed at this time of day, and the theater was eerily quiet.

Suddenly the air around them shimmered as Lorth Lithal appeared a few feet in front of the two, emerging from his Force cloak. The cult leader had been waiting for them, and he had the element of surprise. His first potential victim was the raven haired beauty. The traitorous Knight extended a hand and reached out with tendrils of the Force, attempting to drain Sitara's powers from her body. If she used any skills utilizing the dark side, it would be siphoned to Lithal, feeding him and exhausting her.

[member="Sitara Qin"]​

 

[Sitara Qin]

The downside to turbolift fun was the timing. Perhaps, if they weren’t chasing down this stupid cultist, Sitara would slam down the furthest button and try to keep the doors closed for the duration. Sage was adorable, and she would definitely see more of him afterwards.

Quiet

The turbolift hissed open to reveal a seemingly empty theatre. The lack of sound made her uncomfortable, as though she really was playing a game of hide and seek and Lorth Lithal was a very good hider. She took a step out of the lift and kept her breathing steady. Her eyes moved from Sage to the opera house in front of her, the majestic chandelier hanging in front of them.

She jumped back as Lorth Lithal materialized in front of him, suppressing a scream of surprise as his beady eyes looked back at theirs. He was expecting them, like a predator in the night. He didn’t seem alarmed, in fact, he seemed too smug. Sitara growled, telling herself that striking now was her best chance at shooting him down.

Lightning started to dance between her lithe fingers before jumping from her hands and into the man. However, just as it left her fingers, it evaporated into thin air. She gasped, feeling as though something had been taken from her. Her eyes searched Sage’s, wanting answers. She gritted her teeth, looking back at Lorth Lithal.

“No more games.”

| [member="Sage Bane"] |

 

[Sage Bane]

In the hands of someone like Lorth Lithal, who would use it against his fellow Sith, the power of Force drain was a nightmare made real. The pale-skinned, leather clad cult leader stripped the lightning right out of Sitara, even before she began to cast it. Opposing the ability had stumped him throughout his training, but through trial and error, the Chiss hybrid had eventually learned how to combat it, and then how to wield it himself. The key to stopping the drain was breaking the user's connection, which could be done several ways.

One of the best methods, although crass and somewhat painful, was forceful physical contact, which was the method Sage chose. The Knight flew forward, striking out at Lithal with a fierce headbutt. The man's head snapped back with a crack, and the invisible tendrils Lorth had tethered to Sitara broke apart. As Lorth windmilled backwards from the strike, Sage had a moment of indecision. His best offense against a drain practitioner was his amphistaff arm. Like most Vong biots, the Force-dead trio of creatures could not be harmed by Force powers such as drain. However, the revelation of the black, leathery tentacles, topped with fang-filled mouths usually disgusted potential love interests. Yes, Sage was that vain.

His desire to protect Sitara, no matter the price, won the battle as Sage instructed his arm to reveal itself. A groan escaped his lips as the flesh on his bicep began to peel down the length of his arm. Sage's face was wracked with pain as the final bits of pale flesh flaked away, unveiling three enthusiastic black tentacles. The hungry trio of beasts immediately weaved towards the panic-stricken cult leader, snapping at the air around him. He averted his gaze from Sitara. To see revulsion on her lovely face would shake his confidence. Instead he stuck out his chin and snarled at Lithal.

"So we finally get to meet the infamous Lorth Lithal, eh? Apologies for my rudeness, but..." Here, he glanced down at his ampthistaves.

"I'm just not the hand-shaking type."

[member="Sitara Qin"]​

 

[Sitara Qin]

To have her abilities drained from her like that was weakening, and for once, Sitara was unsure of what to do. It was like somebody had stolen something from her, and she was so desperate to get it back. As Sage charged forward, Sitara felt even more powerless than she had been. She didn’t need to be saved, but at the same time, she was undoubtedly grateful to him.

She felt the the dark energy around her coiling loose, snapping, and setting her free. She felt a sudden liberation charging through her veins, and her senses whipped to life as though she was imprisoned and she didn’t even know yet. Lorth was moving back, probably plotting his next move. Sitara garnered up her energy this time.

She could feel tension in the air, and her eyes temporarily moved to Sage’s arm. His skin was flaking away. She bit her lip. Was this an illusion? Her eyes darted back to the cultist, and back to her partner. She squeezed her eyes shut, before opening them again. No. The memory. Sage. He truly did thaw his arm off. This was merely…his replacement. Her eyes widened in temporary horror.

However, she did have to give him credit for that line. She could feel the lightning swirling up her arm. She wouldn’t let Lorth Lithal gain that kind of power over her again. Her eyes moved around. She needed a plan. A plan to trap this stupid poodoohead.

And then her eyes found it.

Expensive. But totally worth the assignment.

‘Try to see if you can get him to the centre of the room.’ A grin spread over her face. Sitara may be in the Sith assassins, but she liked ending things with a bang…In many different ways. She would move, getting ready to position herself. Her mind would send him the same picture she sent him a few minutes ago before they headed up the turbolift.

The big chandelier.

| [member="Sage Bane"] |

 

[Sage Bane]

The look on Lithal's face as Sage's amphistaves broke free was almost worth the huge lump the Sage could feel welling up on his forehead. Terror, repulsion, confusion. Sage loved this moment: the revelation that the opponent was now fighting something so inhuman. It was the ultimate psyche-out in battle. Still too uncomfortable to face Sitara, Sage's predatory gaze stayed trained on Lithal. An image was suddenly pressed into his mind: the sparkling chandelier in the middle of the room. His lip lifted at the corner. She was such a clever girl. His brother would be incensed by the destruction of one of the Opera house's expensive showpieces, but the Chiss would have to suck it up. Since when could Cryax Bane not afford something?

As he advanced on Lithal, Sage whipped his arm forward, driving the man back like a rogue circus animal. The sight of three living and breathing whips, threw Lithal into a panic and he jumped back. Good, getting warmer, Lorth. The Knight raised his hand and began to try and drain from the amphistaff itself, but the Force dead creatures continued to writhe and snap. Lethal poison jetted from their mouths. The two men moved as if dancing, Sage walking forward and Lithal backtracking, until the cult leader was standing directly under the chandelier. He hoped this worked. Sage glanced back at Sitara whose face showed a determined smile. If Knight Qin did what he thought she was about to do, he needed to get the kark out of the way.

"Your turn, dear." Sage said. Then, using the Force to move him like the wind, he strafed to the side, in the hopes that he would dodge any possible flying glass.

[member="Sitara Qin"]​

 

[Sitara Qin]

One shot.

One shot was all she had, unless she wanted to feel her strength leave her body again.

She wasn’t going to let that happen. As Sage and Lithal moved through the orchestra, she was preparing herself to shoot. They were moving like birds striking through the air. In this case, Lorth Lithal was a harrier, relying on his eyesight and senses in order to land attacks; but Sage was a falcon and moved quickly, out manoeuvring the pale blonde. As he distracted the cultist, Sitara had begun to saw away the foundations that held the chandelier in place.

Suspended on the wide ceiling was the chandelier, glistening in all its golden glory. Sitara’s eyes met with it, glowing a faint combination of amber and blood orange, waiting till the longest gem falling in the center aligned perfectly with the cultist. There was only one foundation left.

Sage moved smart, and as the cultist was distracted enough, it was Sitara’s time to strike. In this case, she was an owl. A silent stalker in the dead of night, and it definitely looked like she was about to catch her prey.

‘Get ready.’

As the lightning crackled in the palm of her hand, it jumped onto the metal string that suspended the large decorative in the air. It shook in place, before falling onto the cultist.

Shards of glass burst as it hit the ground, and Sitara formed a barrier to protect herself.

This was definitely an expensive blow, but they’d pay an even higher price if the cultist had gotten away.

| [member="Sage Bane"] |

 

[Sage Bane]

Sage was already mid-dodge when the chandelier crackled at its base and plummeted downward, landing right on top of Lorth Lithal. The half-Chiss got a few nicks, but nothing that a little bacta couldn't take care of. The cult leader lay there motionless beneath the broken crystals, his body as pulpy as bloody meat and his eyes rolled back in his head. Sage clicked on his commlink and some droid security to take him away. Unconscious or dead, Lithal was no longer their problem.

"Nice work, Knight Qin," beamed Sage. Beautiful and deadly. Sitara Qin was a knockout in more ways than one.

Sage crossed to Sitara, his eyes holding a hint of worry, but she looked no worse for the wear. As an apprentice, she might have been in danger of collapsing from the drain, but at this stage in her training, recovery from drain was no problem. He stood a few feet away, wary of closeness. One bite from his arm, with its hungry, sentient heads, and he would be calling for a medical droid as well. One of the black tentacles rose up in disobedience, snapping at Sage's face, and he cuffed his feral pet with his fist. Showing them who was the alpha in this relationship was the only way he could fully control the creatures. In time, he would master them, or at least that's what Reverance had insisted during the fitting of the biot.

Bane would have love to stay with Sitara, sharing a few more drinks with the gorgeous Knight, and letting the night take them to a dark corner of the club where they could share other things. However, his arm needed attention and feeding. Not to mention, it would take several hours to get them back in the biot's masquer, a painful process which Sage did not want Sitara to have to witness.

Clearly uncomfortable about his arm being exposed, he cleared his throat and a weak smile crossed his face.

"Would you like to go on a proper date with me? Say, tomorrow night?"

[member="Sitara Qin"]​

 

[Sitara Qin]

She was definitely exhausted. Although their encounter with Lorth Lithal was brief, it still did a number on the two. Sage seemed uncomfortable with the faux-arm being revealed, and Sitara was still shaken from the effects of the force drain. Perhaps, a good night’s sleep would pave the way for a better day. After all, the light blonde cultist was nothing more than a corpse with expensive chandelier pieces sticking out of his flesh.

“I couldn’t have done it without you.” She said, coming down to where the other knight stood. She kept her distance from him as the heads on his…—hand?—seemed as though they wanted to attack her. She saw what it did to the powerful cultist and she wasn’t ready to be bitten in that regard. If he wanted to in any other ways though, well, he was free to do as he pleased.

The night was still young yet both knights seemed a little bit weary. As Sage cleared his throat and asked her to go out with him tomorrow night, Sitara couldn’t help but giggle. She was exhausted, she was tired, but oh how she wanted to party. Another problem for the Sith had been eradicated, and it called for a celebration! Despite the fact that the pairs of eyes on his hand looked at her with a hunger—and not the kind she liked—she still found the other knight incredibly interesting and appealing. He'd make for good dinner conversation, and maybe something else.

“Of course. I’ll see you on the dance floor.” She winked, before turning on her heel and walking away.

‘Have a pleasant night, Sage Bane. I’ll be thinking about you.’

[Exit]
| [member="Sage Bane"] |