Make it Bleed

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Alisteri Haxim"]

Once inside, the tunnel was a very different experience from the hole.

While the hole had tried to lure him in and sting him once inside, this cave merely existed. It had a strong presence in the Force, which felt like the light and dark wrestled for control, but were locked in a stalemate. It did not lure him in, yet its presence was alluring.

When Alisteri stepped inside, the residual darkness of his footsteps left a trail of half-heard whispers. The scent of smoke lingered just shy of being sensed, as if it was there until he tried to smell it. Shadows looked at him, eyelessly and ushered him forward. His very presence tipped the scale of the wrestling match between the light and dark, smothering the hold of the light little by little.

It was a drop that overfilled the cup.

Yet there was no violent reaction in the cave. It simply stretched on, winding back and forth, up and down. It delved deeper and darker into the canyonside.

 

[Darth Strosius]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

Although he was hesitant to do so, Alisteri let out a small sigh of relief as he stepped into the cave. Any relief from this planet's sun was a welcome one, even if it might end up with him falling off a the side of a canyon again. Regardless, his gaze swept over the cave in case he saw any other surprises.

As he began his stride into the depths of the cave, he could idly feel the conflict within the cave. He could almost see the darkness around him coiling and moving as if it were alive.

He didn't dare turn on any sort of light, he trusted in the Force and he had no intention of disrupting this conflict for much longer.

Thus far the cave had allowed him safe passage, and he prayed that it would continue to do so.

Not that he put much stock into the generosity of the cave, nor was he blind enough to think that he could pass through the cave with no events occurring. one of his hands idly came to rest on the blaster at his hip as he moved forward.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Alisteri Haxim"]

The cave simply went deeper and deeper.

It wound from side to side, up and down. Some spots would require him to climb or slide. One or two places he would have to crouch or nearly crawl through the darkness. Yet, the cave simply let him move on with no new challenge.

it was enough to let one consider, was it the right way?

If he looked behind, he would only see darkness. It was so thick, he would barely be able to see his own hand in front of him.

Yet, looking ahead, he would see the way clearly. Following it, he would find light soon beginning to peek through and bounce off the walls. Yet, there was no obvious source for it, no hole in the stone. Sensing the Force, he would feel the warm, bright sensation of the Light somewhere up ahead. The tunnel teemed with signs of life, though no living thing was seen.

It felt, inhabited.

Was this where the Jedi lived?

 

[Darth Strosius]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

Caves were a not-so fond memory for Alisteri. His parents were killed in one, he had to work in them when he was young, and he constantly spent time either around or in them even after he stopped directly working in them with the rest of the slaves. Caves both rubbed the young man the wrong way, and gave him a small sense of life back on Kessel.

This cave however? Alisteri absolutely despised this cave.

The darkness was oddly comforting, yet that feeling of comfort was hardly enough to outweigh the exhausting and ever-shifting trek through the cave.

For once in his life, he was relieved to see any sort of light.

Still, he could feel what lay beneath it. The Light side of the Force was an even more unfamiliar part of the Force than any other. It was...an interesting feeling compared to the barely familiar one of the Dark.

Was there something alive here? The Jedi? Potentially, but it could always be something else.

A bit of prodding should be enough to discern the Jedi from a creature.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Alisteri Haxim"]

When Alisteri began to prod and inspect he would discover a few things:

Firstly, what he felt was layered. Rather than simply radiate from a simple source, there was a compound of presences creating the strong, sense-able field of the Light.

Secondly, there was a more general radiance coming from up ahead. It felt a lot like the dark around him in that it seemed to have a belonging to this location. It was the Force, and the specific signature of this canyon coming to a peak of brightness. Within this field, he sensed life in lower forms, such as plant life, simple animals, or perhaps fungi.

Thirdly, within the centre of the field, there was a living centre, something thinking and something powerful. If he continued to prod, he might be able to touch the mind that was there, but his senses would also whisper to him that pressing too far ahead might give him away. The presence was not moving, but definitely alive. It did not seem to be sleeping or pointedly on guard. It was just sitting still.

The shadows feared that central being, though it exuded no aggression, its mere presence made the darkness weaker. Like a pit of snakes, the metaphysical shadows that clung to the cave walls hissed soundlessly against what most likely was the marked Jedi.

 

[Darth Strosius]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

The moment that he could feel something more than just the Force that surrounded him, Alisteri was quick to pull his mind back. He didn't want to be discovered after all. He could feel the presence, just barely due to his sudden exit, but he knew something was there.

Hopefully that amulet he had was enough to hide his prodding from...well anything that was sensing the Force.

His hand idly drifted to the blaster at his side, although he doubted that it would do much good. The Power Mace probably wouldn't do much either. He hoped this Jedi was clumsy. He drew the blaster from his hip and checked it over for a moment before slowly making his way forward, trying to hide his steps.

Soon enough he entered the field, wincing as he subconsciously felt the bright Force around him. Get in, get out, try not to get killed. Easier said than done.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Alisteri Haxim"]

When he broke his connection, Alisteri could feel with some confidence that whatever consciousness was there had not discovered him. The amulet hung quietly in its place, not giving any sign of doing anything. Or perhaps it was simply working so well that one could not tell.

The blaster looked fully functional as well, as if it waited to fire and kill.

As Alisteri entered the field, it was as though the shadow he cast was smothered. It did not hurt him, but it felt as if it searched for him. With careful footfalls, he proceeded. The cave widened and opened up. Actual light came streaming from up ahead, laying down illuminated spots from which patches of green sprouted, and reflecting off crystal shards growing out from the walls and floor.

The presence in the Force was up ahead, sitting on a ledge. It sat perfectly quietly, not moving or making sound. From its position it had an overview of the wide cave section. However, there were several little nooks and crannies, and outcroppings to hide behind.

 

[Darth Strosius]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

The field was a bit more idyllic than he had been expecting. Light, some greenery, and the occasional crystal or two made a rather pleasant atmosphere. For the first time in awhile, Alisteri felt calm. Perhaps even fairly comfortable. Like he could rest here.

He decided almost immediately that he hated this place. Hopefully he could set a fire or two before he left.

The presence, what he assumed and hoped was the Jedi, sat just up ahead. Ripe for the picking. A picking that could result in him limping out of the canyon, but what was the point of being afraid of a broken bone? Or a few broken bones.

With a quick survey of the area that laid before him, he crept over to the nearest outcropping on the left side. He glanced out from his cover, and once he was satisfied with his view, he quickly moved over to the next natural cover that was ahead. If he could keep this up, he might be able to be upon that presence before it even knew he was there.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Alisteri Haxim"] (OOC: Sorry for the long wait, work and invasion took up a lot of focus)

As Alisteri moved, the figure did not appear to move, but sat perfectly still.

A little dust settled back on the floor, having been kicked up by Alisteri's movement. The entire room felt as though it was holding its breath, or perhaps it was just Alisteri himself that did.

Then, a sound.

It was not much more than a sound of displeasure as the figure shifted just a little bit to the left, adjusting their posture and then exhaling deeply to set himself in his position. He seemed to be sitting on his knees, hands cupped in his lap, eyes closed, breath slow and steady.

Asleep? No, but not attentive either. Or so it would seem.

Through the holes in the cavern wall and ceiling, through which the light entered, one could hear the barest tumble of the stream outside. The rapid movement of water severely muffled by the thick walls, yet carried by the surfaces that let the sound bounce its way inside.

 

[Darth Strosius]

[member="Darth Ophidia"] (OOC: It's fine, the invasion sounds more important and interesting anyway. I'm eager to see how it turns out.)

There was a feeling of dread somewhere in the pit of his mind as Alisteri approached the figure. There was no movement or sign that he had been discovered, yet his paranoia was prodding him with each step he took. Something just felt off about this whole situation.

Then he happened to kick up just a tiny pinch of dust. He idly hoped his breath was as quiet and as small as it felt.

He was frozen in place by the sound, his gaze locked on the figure dead ahead. The blaster was gripped tightly in his hand, he was ready to aim and fire at the first hint of an attack.

It would be the better part of a minute before he began moving again, although his tense grip on his weapon didn't relax. He wasn't sure what the figure was up to exactly, but he doubted it was anything too passive. Meditation perhaps? At that thought his free hand idly touched the amulet that he had tucked away.

It didn't matter, he knew what he had to do. He could've sworn that all noise in the field came to a deafening silence, even the distant sound of running water, as he raised the blaster. He was more than likely a bit farther way than he should've been, but he was prepared to deal with the consequences.

For a long moment as he aimed the blaster at the figure, he felt a small iota of calm over his body. That moment was quick to pass as he pulled the trigger and fired the first shot of the struggle to come.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Darth Strosius

Perhaps unexpectedly, the shot was true.

The figure jerked to action the moment Alisteri pulled the trigger, it reached for something, but before that something could be brought up, the shot had made contact.

The jedi did, however, not simply fall over dead, but clutched his wound and threw himself up to his feet. His right arm dangled limply as he staggered up to standing. His eyes scanned the room before stopping, staring at Alisteri.

The Jedi released his wound and picked up the object he had formerly reached for. It ignited into a long blade of yellow plasma, illuminating the Jedi's features.

In the back of Alisteri's mind, he might feel a nudge from a cold hand, and a whisper: If you are not the strongest or most skilled, be the most devious.; sense his prejudice and use it to your advantage.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Ophidia

For a brief moment, Alisteri was still. Frozen in place, as if in shock. That moment thankfully didn't last long. He cursed under his breath as he saw the Jedi look at him, he quickly moved towards the nearest crystal growth for protection.

He doubted that it would offer much cover from the Jedi, but it was better than nothing.

A small shiver suddenly ran down his spine, easy to write off if it weren't for the whisper that accompanied it. He thought that he simply imagined it at first of course, but it was a feeling that he couldn't ignore. It was far too specific to be a stray thought, and far too familiar.

He idly clicked his tongue and shifted his grip around on the blaster handle. Even Jedi weren't blaster-proof. Or so he hoped.

Alisteri thought about glancing around his cover and firing off another shot, but something told him he may not get another easy hit. Instead he closed his eyes and breathed out, attempting to find himself in this field. He could feel the presence of the Jedi, as well as the seeming blankness that covered his body. The amulet at work, he presumed. Now, what could he feel from the Jedi?

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Darth Strosius

The Jedi had seen Alisteri, at least momentarily, but he could not feel him. He felt where the bolt had come from, how it burned his flesh and made it hard for him to breathe and move.

This was all unusual, and it made him unsure of what he was facing.

"Come out, wherever you are."

The yellow blade cast a light through the cave, which glittered with water and crystals in response. But it also created a hard contrast between the light and dark. It gave Alisteri, hidden in the force, a path to walk that shrouded him in the contrast.

The Jedi felt something though, eyes, distant and piercing. From where? Did they play tricks on him? Did they shroud his eyes against this assailant. Ophidia's influence grew in the room as the Jedi bled and grew unfocused. It was as though the darkness itself became palpable.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Ophidia

Alisteri steeled himself, so this amulet was better than he thought. Of course there was something else that he could sense, something dark and almost familiar, but he couldn't spare the time to focus on it.

He could vaguely feel where the Jedi was, but it was more like a direction instead of an actual location. Perhaps he would get better at this with time.

The young man dashed out of his cover, spraying a small line of three shots as he ran around to a larger crystal cluster. "And here I thought you Jedi were talented in combat!"

He idly smirked under his helmet as he slid behind a crystal. A little bit of taunting may not do much to a Jedi, but would make him feel better. Alisteri popped up from around his new cover and fired off two more shots before quickly sliding back down.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"So you are a fighter."

The Jedi on his pinnacle scoffed, holding his sabre high and turning slowly to the left to shift the illumination of the room in an effort to find his assailant. This time, when Alisteri shot, the Jedi managed to deflect one of the shots and dodged the next by jumping down from his high place and into the centre of the room.

"No, you're a coward, hiding in the dark."

He turned quickly, checking behind him as if he assumed Alisteri would strike him from behind now. Or perhaps as if she had felt something probing his back with invisible fingers. The darkness practically cackled as it withdrew from the Jedi's reach.

"How come you are here?" The Jedi asked the wall "I doubt you found me on your own."

The Jedi turned again, sabre held in front of him.

"You don't have to do this."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri silently cursed under his breath as he heard one of his shots being deflected, peeking around his cover to see the Jedi out of the corner of his view. "A coward? I prefer strategist."

His pride was unwounded of course, not that he was focusing on such matters at the moment. If this Jedi were to die, then the least he could do was humor him a little. "Someone has demanded you to become one with the Force, so to speak. I almost pity you, you either have bad luck or you are insufferable to the wrong people."

The reason hardly mattered to Alisteri, he was merely following orders.

He didn't bother responding to that last remark, but it did make him smirk. If only that has bedn said out of fear.

With that in mind; he vaulted over his cover, firing wildly towards the Jedi as he sprinted to another cluster of crystals ahead of him.

Darth Ophidia

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Darth Strosius (Man, I am just the worst)

The Jedi twirled the blade in his hand, readying himself for another barrage, and let his senses survey the room. The darkness battled his senses, like a thousand shadowy snakes snapping at him from every angle, lurking in every shadow.

"You listen to them, but ignore the voice of the Force."

He repeatedly tried to beat the shots back, sending some crashing into the sand right behind and right ahead of Alisteri as he dived for the next crystal cluster. It would seem, in taking less time to aim, Alisteri was almost more accurate, perhaps guided by the Force.

And while the Jedi fended off most of the shots, two slipped through. One snipped his leg, making him fall to one knee, the other hit the hilt of his sabre just after he had parried another shot.

The silver sylinder and three severed fingers were sent flying as the Jedi screamed in pain.

He tried to push himself up, but with two wounded arms and one wounded leg, he could not summon the strength to fully rise. Instead, he leaned on the wall behind him, eyes searching fervently for a sign of Alisteri.

"Listen to the Force."

He squeezed his eyes shut, both in pain and expectation of it.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Ophidia (Nah you're fine)

To say that the Jedi's scream didn't cause Alisteri some level of pride would be a lie. It almost reminded him of his first kills, but he quickly snapped out of his little reverie. This was far from over due to a single lucky shot.

He wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away because of overconfidence.

Alisteri actually considered the Jedi's words for a moment as he stood, his blaster trained on the wounded man. "So close to death, and you still try to mince words?" He was slightly impressed.

He walked forward slowly, glancing to the side to see if he could spot the fallen weapon of his foe. The last thing he needed was the Jedi pulling it back into his grasp with the Force. "All that meditation, all that training, and look where it got you."

The young man stopped about two meters away, his finger hovering over the trigger and the barrel pointed straight at the Jedi's chest.

"Pinned against the wall in a cave, like a rodent in a cheap trap. The Force has failed you, listen to it all you want; but it won't stop me."

Not now anyway.

Out of spite or curiosity one, Alisteri closed his eyes and let his mind drift to the cave around him. He would listen to the Force, as his only mercy to the Jedi. He opened his mind and let out a breath that searched for something greater than himself, right before he pulled the trigger.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Darth Strosius

The weapon of the Jedi had rolled up to one of the crystals and lay nestled up against it. If Alisteri stepped too close, such as two meters from the Jedi, he would have the sabre behind him, but if he took a few steps to the right he would probably be able to get close while also be able to see it coming should the jedi try one last defence.

"Listen-"

He screwed his eyes shut as he tucked his injured hand under the injured arm to keep it from shaking. The pain wracked his concentration, but then the expression of suffering began to give way to serenity.

"-Force."

As Alisteri listened, out of spite or curiosity, he first heard nothingness. Then, as he let his mind wander and reach out, he would feel the great strands that tied all things together; life and death, motion and stillness, violence and rebirth. Between it, a great fabric, an energy, a force. And in this place that Force was at war. The flickering light of the Jedi in front of him was near swallowed by the unnaturally dense, writhing darkness that consumed the cave around him.

He could sense whispers, disembodied, drifting in the darkness like a memory external of himself.

And in the darkness he saw the hooded figure who had sent him there, staring down at him with eyes like burning coals. Her very presence a promise of power immeasurable.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri had never truly let his mind sink into the Force, he had prodded it and tested the waters of course. He had even managed to wield it, albeit in a rather simple and brutish way, before during his assault on those pirates. All of it paled in comparison to what he felt now.

He reeled himself in, as some sort of attempt to not be overwhelmed by what was beyond the cave. He focused on the walls around him, he felt the conflict easily. The Jedi was faint, but the light still managed to shine through the crushing darkness around him; he was almost impressed. Then he saw her. The source of this crushing darkness, from what he could tell.

He repressed a shiver under the gaze of his master, he couldn't afford weakness now. He still had a job to do.

"Tell me, as someone experienced with the Force," The apprentice opened his eyes, staring coldly at the Jedi before him. He extended his free hand, his palm wide open as he focused on the sabre. He felt its presence, knew its location, and now he wanted to hold it in his hand.

"Do you fear death? Does the Force scare you? You'll be at its mercy will you not?"

He knew how he would answer the questions, but he didn't bother thinking of his own opinions at the moment. Actions mattered more than words right now. Alisteri moved a single finger, and the blaster fired easily.