Long Overdue (Jedi Skirmishing Sith Empire's Ossus Library!)

[Er'in Tenel]

Location: The Hall of Knowledge
Equipment: Black Lotus (Lightsaber), Erin's Robes, Sith Amulet, Shadowclasp
Engaging: [member="Bekk Mag'ra"]

​

(music)​

She felt the rush of power from deep inside her soul, the heat and glory of the Dark Side as it burned through her limbs, speeding them and guiding her hand. Here in this place, it came with the sick taste of corruption - but she was the master of her destiny, not the Force. She commanded, it obeyed, and strict intellect and training leashed her passions to her will.

Soretsu - a defensive form. Perhaps the defensive form. Typically Jedi. But also telling that her opponent took this stance first. The battle between two Force Users was much, much more than a contest of skill with a lightsaber or control of the Force.

"A Jedi must be aware that to place ones self on the defensive is to place one in a position where a Jedi cannot always defend the innocent." She quoted from memory, the records of the Jedi she had read coming to mind easily, verbally seeking a chink in her opponents resolve. "Although, I fail to see any innocents to defend here."

As she spoke, Er'in's blade flickered out with precise, almost linear movements, a flowing sidestep taking her to one side as she lashed out with fury-driven speed, going for a right-to-left moulinet as a feint, followed by a beat attack on her opponents primary saber to draw it out of line.

 

[Koda Fett]

​

​

LOCATION: OSSUS SITH LIBRARY - INTERIOR
ALLIES: [member="Darth Carnifex"] - [member="Taeli Raaf"]
ADVERSARIES: [member="Kaine Australis"] - [member="Manu Xextos"] - [member="Calder Icehammer"]

A killer; nothing more, nothing less.

There were too many things that Fett needed to be lest he become another scavenged corpse, picked clean by the opportunistic collectors, and then the foul creatures that devoured wayward souls. Quick, had certainly been among them. He considered himself rather adept at his movements, but not everything could be so easily avoided-- especially a lightsaber wielding bullet cased in the infamous metal so often tucked away in the depths of Mandalore. Yet, it could be, much like death itself, become momentarily delayed or otherwise thrown from it's course. Surely to eventually return, but Fett never feared death. He still wasn't quite sure as to whether he welcomed it, or simply felt indifference among it's presence. You die, you die. There isn't much to it beyond that. But, he always held the idea of something quick and relatively painless in higher regard to it's opposite. There'd been nothing more harrowing than the desperate cries of a man that teetered on the edge of mortality.

The Bounty Hunter pertained his combative stance, even if for a moment. Fett had an inane variety of gadgets at his immediate disposal, and only one were to truly become the necessary tool for salvation. His Carbine had been held firmly within both gloved hands, and so the following appeared from seemingly know where, but it were his rapidly flickering eyes that enabled the Hunter's Aide: a hardlight projection that surely wasn't to stop Australis, but provide a momentary obstacle, or force instinctive hesitation in moving forward at the sight of a sheer wall appearing before him. Fett thrust himself towards the floor, littered with the remnants of the since detonated surface, coming into a roll. Assuming that Australis continued to barrel onwards-- through the wall itself-- that blade of his narrowly avoided the armoured figure as it pivoted to face the direction it came at the conclusion of it's manoeuvre.

It hardly mattered the Bounty Hunter as to whether or not Australis had been present, for his next action had been nothing more than precautionary. His armour might have faired considerably well against a lightsaber, or any weaponry he obtained, but he wasn't entirely willing to allow such a thing to get close. His bloodline hadn't been particularly fortunate against the weapon from a more civilised time. Fett paced backwards as he let loose a volley of blaster bolts, continuing to do so if Australis remained in the field of play, and halting that effort if not.

 

[Amilthi Camlenn]

Location: Chamber of Antiquities
Equipment: Black Robes, Lightsabre, Thermal Detonator
Tags: [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Alexandra Feanor"]

Something had suddenly changed in the flow of events, it accelerated and intensified. Amilthi felt it a split second before the gates of the Chamber of Antiquities began to open. She pulled herself together in anticipation of a confrontation, putting her mind back on her objective and preparing to face the obstacles in her way. A quick step to the side brought her ought of sight from the inside.

When the blue-faced woman rushed through the door with forceful steps, clearly in a state of alarm, Amilthi, still a dark-robed figure with a hood over her head, lost no time to slip by her and inside with astounding quickness. She was not trying to remain undetected, and had no illusions that she would not, but merely made sure she was inside.

The two women turned around simultaneously and their eyes met. Amilthi said nothing as the door already began to close. In the background, she could dimly make out another dark-robed individual tumbling down the stairs and scrambling to gather fallen items from the floor.

Behind her, the two Akuza Guard droids that were posted as guards in the Chamber of Antiquities sprang into action.

 

[Jerek Zenduu]

Location: The Hall of Knowledge
Equipment: Water-soaked Jedi Padawan robes, Lightsaber, Hololink
Engaging: [member="Micah"], [member="Rick Kaloo"]'s flood
Nearby: [member="Bekk Mag'ra"], [member="Erin Tenel"], [member="Mishel Noren"], [member="Nefertari Sovint Vael"]
Objective: Recover and resume

(Post Soundtrack: Dive by Steven Curtis Chapman)​

It washed over him in a rush, submerging him in its flow, sweeping him along its current; unhindered by his presence, uncaring about his wellbeing. It merely was, it existed and obeyed laws known only to itself, any glimpse of understanding came merely by observation. Mere observation could never hope to understand its true raw power, it was no mere construct or being, but nature itself.

He surrendered himself to it.

Submerged within the Force, Jerek was a mere bystander to the events beyond. He was a being of energy here, able to ride the currents of the Force as he could walk or speak. He drew power from it, and it sustained his spirit happily and easily. It was a willing, if at times reluctant, partner with Jerek, and through it the teen found the power to sustain himself, but could only watch as his body was buffeted by the invasion of water.

The boy felt nothing as he was slammed against a shelf, tumbling over himself as the water toppled the shelf off its footings and freeing it, along with his body, to be carried along with the waves. He was a helpless bystander as a succession of shelves followed, falling like so many dominoes, dumping the teen unceremoniously on his back amid the debris.

As temporal sensation returned, the padawan immediately groaned. He coughed, feeling water discharge from his lungs, and rolled himself to the side to avoid choking on it once more. He drew in quick, halted breaths, his chest heaving as it tried to restore its airflow and provide him with the oxygen he needed. He coughed again, dry this time, driven purely by the overcompensating spasms in his lungs.

He forced his breathing to slow, drawing from the Force for control and comfort. He felt warm, his skin perspiring despite already being wet, as he struggled to regain command of his own body. The boy laid there for a few moments to regain his strength and composure, eventually willing himself up on unsteady arms into a seated position. He brushed damp hair back from his face, wringing it out with two hands pressed against his skull, and tucking the limp forward strands behind his ear. Taking another moment to rest, he used it to scan the state of the library's main hall now.

It was hard to see much in the darker chamber, it seemed that the water had extinguished open flames that had been used to illuminate the hall. From what Jerek could see, the flood's effects still lingered, though some of it had receded —to lower levels or back out of the library, he couldn't tell. The sea of fallen shelves, their stored tomes despoiled by the flood's waters, gave way to allow the full extent of the chamber's vast area to be observed. Though the dim light would normally make it hard to see, the occupants of the library found ways to make themselves known; in one area blades of purple and cyan were locked in a vicious embrace, in another the water steamed and boiled around two figures nursing a bright ball of fire.

The ball of fire allowed Jerek to spot Micah. He did not need it, for the Cathar boy glowed bright blue, hovering at the center of a bubble of energy. The water seemed to have settled around it, leaving its occupants —and Jerek could see now that there was another person inside it with Micah— dry and safe.

Meanwhile, he felt like a drowned rat, his soaked garments pressing heavy against his skin.

Jerek felt a sense of relief at Micah's fortune, but it was quickly countered by his own groan of pain. The flood had dealt him a beating, and though it did not rob him of the ability to stand and carry on, he did so with pained reluctance. He pushed on, steadying himself, drawing strength from his connection to the Force to regain balance and stability. A cautious step, and then two, told him that he could continue. The pain was fading, becoming only a dull throb in his limbs, a lingering catch in his throat, a low ache in his back. A few aches and bruises were trivial enough to deal with, far less threatening than the perils that still faced him within the Sith library.

He avoided the other pairs of Force users inside the hall, focusing instead on Micah. The Sith boy had said he'd read lots of Jedi "stuff." And with much of it now waterlogged or destroyed, it was possible the Cathar was now the only remaining resource for that knowledge. The only one he could access without instantly being confronted by a lightsaber, anyway. As he made his way back to the Cathar, Jerek formulated the questions in his mind.

He had plenty of them to ask.

 

[Anden Fancelo]

Anden Fancelo​

---

​

---

The Hall of Knowledge​

Objective: Investigate what's going on.​

Allies: TSE​

Enemies: Jedi​

​

The hardened soldier moved with caution. Fully understanding what danger there might be, and what type of predicament he'd be in, being with no armor or weapons. A troublesome situation to be in, especially with the hostile company that he'll soon discover. He was glancing about on his trek to fulfill his curiosity as to what was going on, and either ways. The exit to leave the library that he knows of, is towards all that ruckus.

This was bad, very bad. With Anden proceeding through a path between a collection of books that looked to contain quite the amount of knowledge, a muffled explosion was heard up top. He held still for a moment before stumbling slightly after another loud noise occurred, the section of the library he was in started to shake. Something crashed into the library, whatever it was. It was a mystery. The books that were well rested within the high shelves of the collection started to fall off, as if they were sprung awake. Having little time to process whatever just occurred the shaking, Anden rushed off from the path in a sprint and saved himself from practically getting crushed by a bunch of books.

After rushing around the corner, the sith acolyte [member="Micah"] came into view, and as did [member="Jerek Zenduu"] . He looked over to the pair and spoke. "Hey! What's happeni-..."

Splashes of water were heard and it made him put a stop to his words. He glanced over to the direction of the sound and there he saw it, a miniature tsunami, one that was suited for washing this entire floor perhaps. He'd back away immediately trying to seek for something to help him to escape eventually finding nothing, and little time. All he could do was get down and brace himself. And he did, until the cathar stepped in.

A large splash of water was heard in front of him, and Anden looked up seeing that no water has touched him whatsoever. He'd look to floating Micah, who is holding up a field of some sorts in front of them, against the storm of water. Fancelo was speechless, he had no words to use. But his expression was filled with something that shown gratitude and relief.

After a couple of moments, the water washed off and thinned. The field that protected the acolyte and the stressed out soldier, faded. And as did Micah's consciousness, he fell to the ground blacked out from the exertion of his will. Fancelo held the boy up and realized what happened. He picked the acolyte up, with the intent of taking him somewhere safe.

A debt needed to be paid.

 

[Romi Jade]

Ossus Sith Library​

Exterior​

Allies: [member="Kaalia Pavanos"]​

Enemies: Jedi​

Objective: Coren. Cotan. Rhane​

​

Spoiler

[youtube]https://youtu.be/2U9FW0fY0cI[/youtube]

​

Having seen the damage she sought in the wake of her scream she silenced her wail. To her...it was Veiere she saw thrown across the landscape like a rag doll. Having seen [member="Rhane Varless"] launch himself into the air, she could assume he would retaliate in Coren's place, and he did. Feeling his massive form take up the space behind her, she could feel the vibrations through the ground. Romi sprang forward, before twisting her frame while yanking her lightsaber from her waist. With graceful energetics she whipped her scarlet blade around, etching snakes through the air in a quick figure eight. The space between her and the knew adversary would be stonewalled enough as to prevent him from physically closing in.

The moment her back foot touched the surface of the ground, she had every intention of using what spare second she could to dive forward with her blade ferociously. Though, before she funnel the strength to do it, she felt a chill race up her spine, and immediately after pain shot through her head. Seeing [member="Coren Starchaser"] back on his feet, she pushed through the pain, and there was an eerie vibration that sounded in the air; the air was full of what seemed to be akin to static. She lowered her lightsaber if only a bit, and yielded control to the Force. She spun to her side, breaking into supernatural speed as she whirled and danced out of the trajectory of his blast. Rhane would be the one left standing in direct line of the stasis field.

Having little no control over her balance as she sped off due to acting on impulse, she stumbled and fell forward, only stopping herself short of hitting the ground by the hand she dug into the dirt.

Ugh

In irritation she jumped up from her crouched position to scan the field. She heard the ferocious roar of the dark sider, pulling Romi's attention that way, before being pulled the other way by [member="Cotan Sar'andor"] with Romi having a sickly confused reaction to what he was saying...there was something about him she felt she knew...but with this world merging with all the others that lurked in her memories...she knew no differences.

She stepped forward, "You're helping him...? He burned the enclave! I'll destroy you both..." Of, course she assumed Cotan was someone in league with Veiere (Coren).

With snarl akin to an animal, she launched herself into the fray. Mostly wanting to beat Kaalia to the punch. She'd land just a few feet away from them both, reaching them both at the same time the Sith Lord did.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Objective: Remove Romi from the equation
Allies: [member="Cotan Sar'andor"] [member="Rhane Varless"]
Enemies: [member="Romi Jade"] [member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

The fight here was something different. He knew there were people from all the Jedi Orders here, who had their own score to settle with the Sith. For Coren it was getting Romi back. But while others were going through their own motions, with their own objectives. What he was doing was approaching Romi, but while he was doing that? He could feel the Light around him. Allies, from Varless to Cotan.

And [member="Mishel Noren"], not far off. He took a deep breath, pushing out the Force. He felt her pull and need the power. He was able to, with the distraction to feed it to her. “MIshel, be safe. Protect the Jedi.” Whatever she needed, he’d be able to give her. But he also had his own task here. He came to this world, hoping to track down either Raaf, or Romi, and he had one right in front of him. “I’ll be fine.”

With that, the Jedi snapped to. Jade, Varless, Sar’randor, and the newcomer. He grabbed his lightsaber, the Force crackling around him, the radiant energy of the light side not as focused as he normally utilized, but very focused, enough to help the light siders, and maybe disrupt the dark siders just enough to slow them down. His saber was held in the defensive shien position, as he looked from Jade to the other Sith.

“Take them both.” He ordered, as he stepped forward, one foot in front of the other, saber behind him. A spin of the hilt, and the telescopic saber extended, held under his arm, the blade was pointing out, a warning. “Stand down, Jade.” Any sense of calm in his voice was gone. Coren Starchaser had fallen into business mode.

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Objectives: Don't die, don't let allies die, figure out what's going on
Allies: [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Rhane Varless"]
Enemy: [member="Kaalia Pavanos"]
Frenemy: [member="Romi Jade"]

Cotan didn't have time to get a response to his question before somebody else showed up and joined the fight. She somewhat-conveniently ignored him, rushing straight for Coren—only to find Cotan's amber-bladed weapon protecting the man, a quick turn and activation protecting the fellow Jedi. Coren then quickly gave a short command, before returning his full attention to Romi. "Sorry, miss, but I can't let you do that," he said, faux-apologetically, to the Sith lady. "Gotta keep the guy alive, after all."

He broke the contact, quickly stepping to where he was facing the Sith lady. It'd been a while since he'd fought a Jar'kai practitioner. Not so long since he'd fought two people at once, but that was more-than-slightly different. Maybe I shouldn't have left that old training saber with Rhia. He shifted his stance, taking up a standard Soresu opening position.

No better time than in the middle of a battle to practice his other forms. "So, can I have a name before you try to kill me, or are we doing this the impolite way?"

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Emperor's size was perhaps his greatest strength and his most debilitating weakness. It afforded him immense strength, enough to tear off limbs and crush bone with his bare hands, but it also made him slow and lumbering. He couldn't maneuver to the fullest advantage in confined spaces, even a chamber as spacious to the average man as the Magnus' suite was turned out to be quite cramped for someone like the Emperor. Still, he didn't complain nor did he let the limitations of the environment disheartened his fury.

Where the ceiling made him bend his neck, he uprooted the supports and tossed steel and stone aside until his head was exposed to the elements outside. Where furniture impeded his advance or retreat, he scattered them into ash with an afterthought. Soon enough the room was more or less clear of intrusion, the roof was torn apart and every fixture demolished and eradicated.

It was just them, the champions of the Dark and the paragons of the Light.

"She's told me many things about you, Manu Xextos. If you so crave a reunion with your family, perhaps I can send you to Dalia." One blade caught the other in a dazzling display of flashing light, followed shortly by the others connecting solidly with each other. They were at a momentary impasse, their blades locked against one another so that neither combatant could strike at the other without first breaking the lock or overpowering the other.

The Emperor, while immensely powerful, was not interested in just overpowering this man.

So, in a surprising twist, the Emperor let go of his left blade.

Instead of clattering to the ground, the blade stayed elevated against Manu's weapon, pushing with the same amount of strength as if his hand was still clasped around it. He reached out, hand striking forward like an asp's bite until the tips of his fingers were mere inches from Manu's body. Lightning crackled across his coiled fingers, a thunderclap radiating out from both of them to displace anything else that hadn't been destroyed in their fight to the outer wall, and then energy was violently discharged from the Emperor's outstretched fingers.

Right towards Manu.

[member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Manu Xextos"] | [member="Calder Icehammer"]​

[member="Taeli Raaf"] | [member="Koda Fett"]​

 

[Manu Xextos]

Location: The Underside of Trouble
Allies: Jedi [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Calder Icehammer"] etc
Enemies: Sith [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Koda Fett"]
Objective: Oh no he didn't. Time to get real.

The Dark Lord was a krayt dragon in a cupboard. Spewing aside building materials and stuck in the confines of the space. And I thought I had trouble ducking under doorways. He bashed his way through, rocketed stroke to stroke. I clench the handles of Nuada and Borghan, seeping into my abilities in Force Body to keep up with the maleficent Sith Lord.

“Be… quiet.” Teeth clenched. My muscles went rigid. Instantaneously, I knew [member="Ahani Najwa"] was under the Dark Lord’s thrall. Only a relationship more intimate than I want to understand could bleed my sister’s name from Ahani’s insane lips. Nothing could budge Dalia’s memory from Ahani but a terrible lucidity. An unholy parlay. The battle fell away, all other participants blips of insignificant time as the truth expanded. Bitter and refusing to be tamed.

This isn’t fun anymore.

‘Kaine. Bail. Don’t come back for me.’ The mental suggestion hit at Kaine Australis’ mind like his wife’s warhammer at full tilt. Get out.

Power alone is nothing to the humility of a life freely given to the Light of the Force. The stalwart mercy of the Light is a bulwark beyond reproach. Blades entangled, the passive hatred of House Zambrano’s Scion meets a curious sincerity in the face of an Echani whose descendant sons still carry my identical appearance. Sons and their fathers.

“You are not allowed to use my sister's name in vain!” Mothers and their daughters. And there my mother’s new paramour was, speaking her name. My voice no longer bears the lilting baritone of which Kaine Australis and the Jedi are familiar. Not since the decade after Palpatine’s death have I felt the surge of passionate might steal once-damaged vocal chords.

One of his lightsabers attacks in mid-air.

I let go the hand on Nuada, that shimmering silver lightsaber. Nuada, the saber of peace. Yet, it does not go out. Two could play, Kaine Zambrano. I snap and grab the wrist of Carnifex’s hand, wrench the fingers and palm up until they lock. Lightning pours from the Emperor. I reach out my hand to collect it, draw the energy into my body. The energy has to go somewhere or stop my heart.

’Get. Out. Now.’

“Rrrrrgggggrrraaaaahhhhhh!!!” Stop it like Dalia’s stopped. The horror, which begat and ended our world. Borghan drops out of my hand, the blade still shining as it batted Zambrano’s equal away. My right hand surges into the middle of our bodies…

The smell of ozone. ​

​

​

A terrifying flash of prismatic light.​

​

​

The clap-BANG of two syncopated Masters of the Force, who refused to pull the slightest punch. ​

Brrzzkkt-tkaFWOOM​

… a shocking and terrible bought of Electric Judgement released in an explosive display of the Dark Lord and my energies combined. Everything and everyone within the vicinity of our bodies would likely be disintegrated, or flung away from this crux point at indecent velocity.


As for Kaine Zambrano and Manu Xextos, thrown by the shockwave…

​

This one’s going to burn. ​

 

[Koda Fett]

​

LOCATION: OSSUS SITH LIBRARY - INTERIOR
ALLIES: [member="Darth Carnifex"] - [member="Taeli Raaf"]
ADVERSARIES: [member="Kaine Australis"] - [member="Manu Xextos"] - [member="Calder Icehammer"]

Antagonistic, as always.

Mandalorian Armour may have been awfully resistant to a great many things, and Fett's had surely been no exception with the given modifications, but an electrically charged, entangling chord was certainly excellent at providing immobilisation-- especially when the attacker possessed an incredibly lethal weapon. Still, the Bounty Hunter had been rather quick. It entrapped his left leg mid-movement, caught in it as the electricity coursed through it and into his armoured figure, tensing his entirety whilst falling towards the floor with a crash. Several blades had been immediately extended from his forearm before slicing downwards and cutting right through the chord. But that hadn't changed the simple fact he remained on the floor, particularly vulnerable.

His T-Visor expression stared blankly, if not with assumed contempt as the electricity ceased to course through his frame, contracting each muscle, and forcing a grunted hiss of pain to escape his shielded lips. Koda had immediately retracted the blades that sliced through the chord, freeing him, and that very wrist shifted upwards towards Australis as the barrel of the Carbine had, as well. Fett managed to squeeze down upon the trigger, launching another bolt, but aimed straight for the metallic hemet that protected Australis' skull, and flames had spat violently from the exhaust of his jetpack as he slid backwards against the flooring, preparing a wrist-mounted missile.

Yet, it never came. Instead, Manu Xextos-- he who so despised Carnifex --released this wave of energy that Fett seemed helpless to combat. He was certainly no force user. The Bounty Hunter had been thrown from his hardly projected course, thrown across the flooring further and into a wall where he crashed once more.

Perhaps it'd been a mistake to intervene.

 

[Rhane Varless]

Objective: Capture [member="Romi Jade"]​

Allies: [member="Cotan Sar'andor"] [member="Coren Starchaser"]​

Enemies: [member="Kaalia Pavanos"]​

​

Rhane lurched forward at Romi, arms extended and ready to capture her. She sensed his presence and leapt forward, her crimson saber activating and slashing at Rhane. When he missed her, he was going to fall forward on his face. Coren's stasis field hit him, momentarily catching him in the air and allowing him to plan for the fall. The stasis field was quick, ending soon. He fell down. As he laid on the ground he felt hot liquid press against his face. Rolling over and looking down, a crude figure eight was carved into his chest. He sighed, transitioning into a kneeling position and preparing for an extended duel. He pressed his lower right hand against his chest, attempting to close the wound using Force Healing, such a power was boosted by his robes and thus had excellent effect. The mark on his chest quickly scabbed over and then formed a large scar. He sighed and returned to his feet.

''This ends now.'' he pointed at Romi, suddenly unleashing both of his double bladed lightsabers and entering his preferred Jar'Kai stance. He circled the girl for a moment, passing by Coren for a split second. He whispered into Starchaser's ear.

''I'll engage, use that stasis field again on me and her while I distract.'' he said in a hushed voice to Coren, turning so Romi couldn't see what the two were saying. He kept up the circling for a few paces before lurching at his opponent. Suddenly, mid-air, Rhane pulled apart both of his sabers! The Besalisk now wielded four single blades. He attacked his opponent, attempting to overwhelm her, rather than maim or kill. He could tell Coren loved her...

 

[WolfMortum]

Location: Ossus, The Hall of Knowledge.​

Inventory: Jedi Robes, Ul'onore & Al'Keyva.​

Allies: The Jedi Academy Network.​

Engaging: [member="Erin Tenel"].​

​

​

​

"...Although, I fail to see any innocents to defend here".​

​

The words of the Sith Knight, Erin Tenel, spoke true in the fact that as a Jedi, this was not a typical case of "protect and serve" where assignments where concerned. Although the remark would prove to hold little sway in her desire to cut him down, the Force sending his instincts into a frenzy in precognitive warning, his sword hand being guided to defend himself while he took a swift step backwards to evade the woman's sharp movements, her accuracy and form with the blade, the proof of somebody well trained.

As their Lightsabers clashed, the area around them lit up with the flare of cyan and crimson energy, the cracking sounds of their blades moving almost in sync with one another as Bekk did all he could to try and keep his opponent from landing a blow against him. The clashing of energies, not just in their blades but their opposing Force signatures was almost stifling. A constant strain on the mind to feel the power and depth of the Darkside flowing throughout the great Pyramid, here his opponent was at home in the chaos, where the Lightside survived only in those few Jedi whom had managed to infiltrate the facility.

"Relinquish your blade, I did not come here to harm anyone" the Zabrak spoke quickly, his eyes on her own while his senses remained open to the Force and any sign of further attack; "I've come for the knowledge lost to the Jedi who called his world home, before your Empire took it's claim. We do not need to fight one another, all I seek is that which belonged to the Order...", of course Bekk expected that he was pushing chit uphill, but he had to try and opt for a peaceful resolution between the two, for he genuinely did not wish to have to harm the woman...Nor did he seek an untimely end for that matter.

Spoiler: Tags

[member="Romi Jade"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Micah"] [member="Koda Fett"] [member="Jerek Zenduu"] [member="Manu Xextos"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Cassius Droma"] [member="Rick Kaloo"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Filiae"] [member="Ailuros"] [member="Amilthi Camlenn"] [member="Fane Magnus"] [member="Calder Icehammer"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Energy cascaded over the Emperor, a sonic boom pushed him back.

He could feel the impact of his lower back against the lip of what remained of the chamber's wall, disorientation as he tumbled backward over it. Air against his face as he fell, and the bone-shattering impact of his body as it crashed into the sloping facade of the Great Library and began to tumble down it. Each impact rattling every bone in his body until they snapped, the sound of his own body breaking resonating in his ears as succinctly as he the current of air rushing past him.

Though he felt none of it, he was nonetheless completely aware of every injury he sustained.

Finally, power flooded his being as he summoned his discarded weapons to his hands, ignoring the feeble protests of his body as he slammed his two weapons into the side of the building. Scarlet blades carved a pair of molten canyons to slow his descent, only stopping when the lightsabers are dug so deeply into the temple's outer wall that his arms were buried up to their elbows in slag. Yanking both arms free, the Emperor paused for a moment to ponder his situation.

The majority of his bones were broken, and those that couldn't be immediately repaired through the powers of Dark Side healing would need to be looked at by his physicians. Both of his arms had suffered fourth-degree burns along the hands and forearms, with some of his own fingers rendered skeletal; held together only by the necrotic powers of Sith Magic at this point. Looking down, the Emperor saw that he was only three-fourths of the way down the temple's face, and made the decision to levitate the remaining meters until his feet were safely on the ground.

Several Jedi, having evacuated the temple because of the rushing torrent that had flooded the lower levels, were now directly opposed to him as he landed. Many of them activated their lightsabers, several of them stood in shocked silence as recognition dawned on them.

Their inability to immediately react spelled their doom.

Tendrils of writhing fog billowed out from the hem of the Emperor's robes, snaking along the ground to completely envelop the field around him. The grass withered and die on impact, the vitality leeched from each individual blade in a matter of microseconds. The Jedi fared even more horribly, the moisture evaporating from their bodies within moments of contact. Skin as brittle as aged paper crackled and exploded into ash as their bones disintegrated, blood turning to dust in their veins as they too collapsed and decayed into nothing.

Revitalized, the Emperor again sought out the enemy that had rebuffed his attack.

His own step-son.

​

[member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Manu Xextos"] | [member="Calder Icehammer"]​

[member="Taeli Raaf"] | [member="Koda Fett"]​

 

[Koda Fett]

​

LOCATION: OSSUS SITH LIBRARY - INTERIOR
ALLIES: [member="Darth Carnifex"] - [member="Taeli Raaf"]
ADVERSARIES: [member="Kaine Australis"] - [member="Manu Xextos"] - [member="Calder Icehammer"]

The Bounty Hunter couldn't resist the satisfaction that accompanied a bolt striking true, smearing across the face and singing the skin. He was hardly unscathed himself, too, possessing more than enough scars that ran deeper than most; his back, once aflame remains stained from that particular incident, and several slices never truly healed themselves-- Fett often runs his fingers along the crevasse created by stray shrapnel, even. But, a lightsaber wound had never been received, nor did he had any intentions of garnering one. Especially the kind that pierced him entirely, surely resulting in an untimely demise. Others, however, were sure to find comfort in his inevitable death. Fett had wronged more than enough people, creatures, things. It was only a matter of time before they eventually caught up to him, surely.

Fett had hardly ben talkative amidst combat, but if he were then it was rather likely he would so openly swear as Australis had. His jetpack, once more, spat aggressively as he slightly raised his torso, soaring backwards-- leaving the lightsaber to narrowly avoid his groin after propelling himself from the other Mandalorian. Fett had purposefully placed himself at an angle, shifting upwards and into the air due to the slight inclination of his torso. He flew above the roofless room, giving no mind to Carnifex who had been flung from the Library itself. He was the Dark Lord, after all, entirely capable of handling himself.

It was in such a rapid and fluid motion in which he flew, moving overhead and pivoting within the air at the height of comfortable distance. Yet, still, forced to act rather quickly. His wrist, again, thrust forwards and launched a barrage of wrist-mounted missiles in the direction of Australis, paired with the technologies his helmet possessed in an attempt to maintain incredibly accuracy.

 

[Manu Xextos]

Location: Tumbling outside the Library
Allies: Jedi [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Calder Icehammer"] etc
Enemies: Sith [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Koda Fett"]
Objective: Give ‘Dad’ a new nose.

‘Manu’ The whimper of a memory faded, jagged as the wreckage which tears at my back and legs as I fall. Blasted back while the room explodes. The sound of my robes fluttering useless as conquered flags beats ears stung by the sound-wave.

Snap-cracks slice across my body. Bones crunching, wrenching, shattering as I hurl through the remains of the building’s top floor. Ping on the way down. The pain shatters my eyes with sparks of colour. My breath disappears. Brain stunned by repeated, falling blows.

I keep falling.

The kaleidoscopic pain cutting through my vision fades halfway down the monument to knowledge. I reach for my lightsabers, calling them to my hands, but only my right grabs its’ quarry. My left arm dangles, uselessly shattered. I kick my feet out against the side of the library and only my right answers the will of my body. A roar of pain would have pushed out of my lungs, if the left one answered. Nuada & Borghan rush to my belt clips. Reaching deep in the streams of the force, I tug upon those, which grant dominion over the wind and gravity.

I slow my descent and veer off from the building, hanging in midair. The flow of the Light’s healing balm succours the worst of my wounds. I bark as my left lung inflates, as ribs reknit. Left hip returns to socket. Yet, the leg is useless. The arm dysfunctional. Robes of white and grey wool shred with the crimson of my blood. Useless and ragged.

My healer’s senses scream to my right, the other side of the library. Jedi cry out in death, to feed the walking corpse my mother chose for a bedmate. A husband.

​

“CARNIFEX!!” ​

Coiling the wind currents around my injured body, I veer through the air and pick up speed. Force equals mass times acceleration. Acceleration be thy name, holy Light.

I don’t need half of my body to spear him into the heavens from whence my help comes. Flying around the building, only my inner focus on the Epicanthix Butcher King’s tainted presence in the Force guides me. I’m moving too fast for my eyes to see their target. I don’t need them.

The Dark Lord is a beacon of putrid regenerative magics.

The roar of the wind is my only vocalization as I heave my right shoulder down, and spear Kaine Zambrano in the gut in an attempt to throw and lift the both of us into the sky itself. Away from the Jedi, who have no chance against the Dark Lord.

Away from Kaine Australis, and the Jedi I promised to protect. Up. I have to bring him up, where the air thins. If only it would work.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"CARNIFEX!"

His name spears through the air, drawing the tyrant's attention upward as the faint form of Manu Xextos sped towards him like a hyperaccelerated kinetic slug. Moving too fast for the Emperor to avoid, his last effort before impact is spent bracing himself with the Dark Side of the Force, a layer of energy coating his body right as Manu reached terminal velocity.

Impact, the wind is knocked from Carnifex's lungs.

He's rising up into the air, the sheer force from the impact is enough to lift his body up off of the ground. Had the Emperor not taken a moment to prepare himself, he had no doubt that the smaller man would've continued straight out through his back. Instead, they were locked in close combat as the Emperor's skeletal hands reached out for purchase, grasping at Manu's tattered garments as the ground continued to grow ever distant.

An elbow came down, attempting to cave Manu's skull in but instead landing square between his shoulder blades. Both hands then clasped together, arms raised back over the Emperor's head before crashing down right on the middle of the smaller Jedi's back. Trajectory altered, both now fell through the air and back down to the ground, the earth churned up as the Emperor's body skipped like a stone across it. More cognizant than when he fell from the pyramid, the Emperor recovered quickly as he tucked his body in and rolled to a crouching stance.

Blood seeped from the Emperor's mouth, congealing into a glob of gore as he spat it out onto the ground. "I'll make you watch as I take her again and again over your broken body."

Both of the Emperor's lightsabers shot up into the air, crimson blades igniting and spinning in place; held aloft only by Carnifex's total mastery of telekinesis. Exposed bone crystalizes, growths of glossy black stone bursting from marrow to coat the Emperor's hands and forearms in wicked formations of unnatural origin. A spark ignited a blue flame which surged to coat the newly formed black sheen, the Dark Side of the Force growing ever stronger as the Emperor again squared up against his opponent.

Spinning blades moved in from either side as a torrent of flame gushed forward to incinerate Manu.

[member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Manu Xextos"] | [member="Calder Icehammer"]​

[member="Taeli Raaf"] | [member="Koda Fett"]​

 

[Manu Xextos]

Location: The Air. Then the ground. Ouch.
Allies: Jedi [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Calder Icehammer"] etc
Enemies: Sith [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Koda Fett"]
Objective: Starve the Lungs of the Dark Lord

The impact cost me horrific seconds of breathlessness. Body guarded by an inner strengthening of the Force, my tormented lungs still crave oxygen. Kaine’s elbow crashes hammer-like upon the flesh of my back. A snap-crack elicits another barking scream.

We tumble in a trajectory I didn’t intend. There is only enough time to angle my body in favour of my functional right side. I kick Zambrano off in time to send him pinging into the ground like a flat stone on a calm lake. A cushion of air prevents a fatal impact. Another crack-snap.

My arm is broken. Using the remains of my tunic to telekinetically wrap and knot my arm against my chest, I stumble onto my right leg, the left taking no weight. Crimson sputum expatriates my mouth. Spat on the ground.

The library is ever farther away, a relic of distance and our cesated velocity.

“Gee, really? Mom must’ve lost her self-respect, along with her mind. It’ll take me three seconds to turn your wives and children as barren as your forfeit soul, Darth Carnifex. I will end your line at the root. I should have done it on Sabarene, when you were the Puppet-King Darth Vornskyr. I’ll make good on that mistake. You will never own Ahani the way you desire. You will never know the joy of fathering a child of her line.

I will salt your earth until you are nothing but a barren immortal, surrounded by your family’s graves!”

The Light answers this horrid call of the despicable. Trust and obey, the sun says, bathing the face which once ruled Thyrsus with my wife. Borghan and Nuada leave my belt, igniting and flinging toward the twin sabers of the Dark Lord. A tangle of red and silver distracts the fissuring of our minds.

And I see it. I see and I chuckle amidst grips of pain. Beings of the black waters. An infant in its’ father’s arms, bathed in water dark as tar. A bride. Pale and mighty. Farseen visions are potential futures, often tainted in moments like these, by their inaccuracies or those sights my mind wishes to see. “They will never see the day. Three seconds… is all… I… need.”

The powers of control give dominion over many parts of the cosmos. I need none but the ability to alter the air around us. One hand reaches out, swirling mists of the atmosphere of Ossus coming under my control. A man that large needs an indecent amount of resourced atmosphere to fill his barrel-lungs.

Kaine Zambrano roars at me with the fires of the infernal depths, and I answer by reversing the air pressure to starve him and his flames of all oxygen. A flicker through the Force. The connection between myself and my mother [member="Ahani Najwa"] ripped open by a desperate son. Ahani, roused from her perch gripping her temples. Clawing at her invaded mind. I want to make him feel it.

 

[Tabigarashu Madara]

Location: Enroute to office (broom closet), near the Chamber of Antiquities
Allies: TSE
Enemies: People with big feet who AREN'T WATCHING WHERE THEY ARE GOING
Objective: Don't get stepped on!

It was a little difficult to tell what exactly was going on. Oh, not just in the Library. All was chaos, but Hirou was used to that these days. They were getting older however, which made it hard to react quite as fast as they once did. Hirou was definitely a middle aged Nezumi these days- perhaps getting just a BIT pudgy around the waist-line.

But no, not just that.

It was a little difficult for those looking down in their mad rushes to figure out just what they were looking at.

A crumpled clutch of flimsy.... with a tail?

Hirou had rolled up their work and now carried it, some of it slung over their back, the rest clutched in their front paws as they ran down one hallway and turned into the next. It looked like nothing else than a small pile of trash dashing through the halls as people shouted and lightsabers hissed. Some of the papers were wet, and Hirou was leaving a tiny trail of watery footsteps in their wake.

"Hey!"

The tiny voice squeaked, but by the time the person realized where it had come from, the pile of flimsy had bounced around the corner. The Nezumi narrowly avoided behind stepped on, darting around a corner. Breathing heavily (from all the running, not the extra weight, of course not), Hirou paused, leaning against a wall to catch their breath in a quiet alcove. Quietish.

What in the black maw was going on?

Hirou would get to their office (technically a repurposed broom closet, but they didn't need much more, not really) and try to muster the Saaraishash elements currently on Ossus. How many were here? Their ears flicked back, tail lashing in irritation. Not very many at all. It hadn't been all that necessary. This was a LIBRARY for goodness sakes.

Rude how loud people were being!

[member="Oros"]

 

[Romi Jade]

Ossus Sith Library​

Exterior​

Allies: [member="Kaalia Pavanos"]​

Enemies: Jedi​

Objective: Coren. Cotan. Rhane​

​

Spoiler

[youtube]https://youtu.be/2U9FW0fY0cI[/youtube]

“Stand down, Jade.”

Her chest rose and fell, her breathing intercut into the empyrean as everything she knew merged into one; she was really struggling to tell the difference. When she heard her name though...it seemed as if it were Coren but...she wasn't sure what to believe at this point really. She assumed it was some trick being played on her... Her face began to twitch as she gave her response, it was really just a snarl of irritation. Then she launched herself at him—unthinking, a wild woman, while her hair was flying.

She only broke her sequence with a quick pivot, responding to the flashing weapons of [member="Rhane Varless"] . She went into a frantic backpedal, holding on tightly to her hilt as she was forced back, not having the initial momentum to match his power. She kept her bladework tight in hopeful show of resilience. Then...she hopped backwards whipping her blade furiously over head to catch two of his blades, breaking away a few seconds after, only to launch herself into the air as spun around clockwise to cut into the trajectory of the next move in his sequence, knocking it off course. His next attack would be the one she'd stone wall as she landed gracefully back on the balls of her feet. Her lightsaber flashed up, as she horizontally caught his parallel blades in a lock. She applied enough pressure to hold him for a few seconds...

The woman's nostrils began to flare in irritation, before whipping her weapon around in a circular parry that would drive the trajectory of his lightsabers down and under her body, to which she deftly hopped and broke live combat. Twirling away, she would be on [member="Coren Starchaser"] next...She stared up at him, murder in her eyes, and began clawing for him again.

In a supernatural burst of speed she was stepping into his guard to close the deal, using the physical momentum from her retreat from Rhane to get closer. She rolled down onto her right hip, then came around, slashing wide and level with her scarlet lightsaber. Her blonde hair shone with reflected highlights as it lashed from one shoulder to another.