Private The Dragon's Horde

[Darth Empyrean]

Gala
Von-Kar Estate
869 ABY

The day was cold and dreary - overcast skies forcing the color pallet of the garden to seem washed out and grey. What was usually a rainbow of exotic flowers collected across the galaxy seemed little more than the poor imitation found in crime pits and brothels. Even the statues seemed to take a downtrodden look - matched by their owner, Carmine Von-Kar, a minor noble and business man well known for his local farming monopolies. He sat upon a marble bench, arms crossed as he stared emptily at the mando'ade rose bush next to him. Noting their bloom, stark azure petals, he could momentarily appreciate the rarity they held - only a few of these remained in the galaxy and he had one.​

​

But rarity was exactly what worked against him now. Within his home lay a collection of Force Artifacts he had collected over years of effort - but with the fall of the Sith, it became more and more dangerous to hold onto them. While many had turned out to be fakes, one in particular - the prize of his collection - was of immaculate quality and design. Independant apprasers had said as much - some of the most skilled in the galaxy - and of such quality was the artifact that more than a few who picked it up only to drop it and refuse to ever be within the weapon's presence again.​

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He wasn't sure what it was called, but the sword was dangerous. While most of his artifacts were simple trinkets, this one was not - and the danger it posed to his family for simply owning it grew by the day as rogue agents searched for any means to grow their powerbase. Because of this, he had called upon the New Jedi Order for assistance - to take the devilish thing off his hands, for the sake of him and his family. The thought of giving up such a valuable artifact pained him - but to be public with an auction would only paint a target on his back.​

​

"Sir.", Jon-Jon interrupted his train of thought with a smile. The butler had been with him for nigh on a decade now - always loyal.​

​

"The Jedi from Coruscant has arrived."​

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"Good, bring her to me - I'd like to meet her."​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Dragon's Horde​

---

Location: Gala
Valery: Appearance
Ship: Factory link
Tag: Darth Empyrean

It had been a long time since Valery actively searched out dark side artifacts - it used to be part of her duties as a Jedi Shadow, which she abandoned after becoming the Battlemaster of her first Enclave, and later the Grandmaster. But now after her awakening from stasis, and her arrival to the Silver Jedi on Kashyyk, she decided to play a more active role in the Galaxy once again. So when the call of a potentially powerful artifact reached her, she knew it was her time to act.

Strangely enough, this brought her back to Gala, one of the last worlds the war in the Old Republic had taken her to. The idea to return to it was strange, but she could set these feelings aside - there was an important job to be done.

She climbed into her X-wing and began the journey to the world not too far away from Kashyyk. So after a fairly short flight, the black X-wing came down through the atmosphere and landed close to the coordinates she had received. She wasn't sure what exactly to expect from this place or the artifact, but as she got closer and closer, she could feel something dark within the walls of the building below.

Climbing out of the ship, the butler would be the one to greet her, and she showed him the usual respect one could expect from a Jedi. A bow of her head was given, and she'd follow him inside to meet Carmine Von-Kar.

"Greetings. I'm Jedi Master Valery Noble - it's a pleasure to meet you," she said as she stepped into the room he had chosen to meet in. Her eyes only briefly shifted around, but quickly settled on the man. She bowed her head and straightened her posture while she waited for him to explain more about this artifact.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

The greenhouse had high round ceilings barreling over them both. In their joists and struts, immaculate flower designs spread from floor to skylight - complicated and insanely beautiful even by opulent standards. Decadence filled the garden with such purposeful intent the Jedi could almost choke on it; yet contrasting all the beauty and color that was held within it there sit the pale and still fading Carmine Von-Kar. He moved slow, purple bags hanging from his eyes as he looked up to her with the smallest hint of relief in his forced smile.​

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"Master Noble.", he intoned, stirring the word around his mouth like it was medicine he was both thankful and resentful to have to take.​

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"A pleasure to meet you too - but I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances."​

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His tone was low, quiet and exhausted. He stood and motioned for her to follow - heading to the side entrance of the Garden, back into the house itself. Each room was similar to the last, beautiful in nature but laden with the inklings of boonie mid-rim aesthetic. He spoke as he walked, ignoring the beauty of his home while servants and workers meandered about on their daily duties.​

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"I apologize for the secrecy in contacting your Order, I've been worried that the Sith might have come first if word got out of what I own.", he said with a shake of his head, each hand moving to hold themselves behind his back as his head hung low.​

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"It was a sword I had bought at an artifact auction sometime ago. Unlisted on galactic markets, the auction had a number of great finds - but it was the sword that caught my eye. It took a few million credits, but I managed to claim - and have regretted it ever since."​

​

"Of everything I own, I fear it. My daughters claim it whispers to them at night, my son has become delinquent since I've owned it. My own wife claims she's having nightmares, and I myself see people wander the halls of my own home. I've not even be able to touch it - It's like the sword stops you, fights you on it..."​

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"And now with the fall of the Empire, every two-bit Sith is hunting for a leg up. I worry they may come to my home, kill everyone here and take it - I'd rather the Jedi protect it now. It simply isn't worth the stress of it anymore."​

​

As they entered through another room's automatic door, it closed behind them - and she would feel the pressure of its being in full force. Dark and foreboding, heavy and infinite - it felt like she was drowning in the Force the moment she came within sight of the sword. She could hear the whispers, a hundred Sith Lords bound to its will, two golden eyes from each watching her from the darkness of the Force. Things the man could not even begin to comprehend transpired before her very eyes as the darkness seemed all enveloping.​

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And yet the man stood in its presence, unwaivering not for fear - but of ignorance. For he knew not what he held in his collection. Darkness incarnate, a sword crafted by a Sith of immaculate skill and danger - a mere portion of his body made manifest before her. Glinting steel that screamed bloody murder, and the distant echo'ing heartbeat of the Sith who fused their very being into their creation. For all those that suffered in its confinment now, there was only one she could not see holding the chains to their eternal damnation.​

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"This is it.", the man motioned, but it was a redundant gesture. She could already tell what was before her.​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Dragon's Horde​

---

Location: Gala
Valery: Appearance
Ship: Factory link
Tag: Darth Empyrean

Valery remained mostly quiet as she followed the man through his home. It wasn't because she was being disrespectful, but something else had drawn her attention since the moment she arrived. While feint at a distance, the darkness from the artifact was something she felt without a problem. It was beating against the edge of her mind, but unlike the people around here, she was able to shield herself against it.

Luckily, Valery was very experienced in dealing with artifacts. But this one felt unusually strong. She was going to have to be careful handling or neutralizing it.

As he then began to explain more about what it was doing to him and his family, her eyes shifted away from the beautiful home, and back to the man. It had finally broken her silence.

"Corrupted artifacts tend to affect those around them. I can shield myself against it, but you can not. You might not feel a thing but before you realize it, it's too late." she said with a somewhat distracted tone. They were getting closer, and she had a difficult time not focusing on what she felt.

As they entered through another room's automatic door, it closed behind them - and she would feel the pressure of its being in full force. Dark and foreboding, heavy and infinite - it felt like she was drowning in the Force the moment she came within sight of the sword. She could hear the whispers, a hundred Sith Lords bound to its will, two golden eyes from each watching her from the darkness of the Force. Things the man could not even begin to comprehend transpired before her very eyes as the darkness seemed all-enveloping.​

At this point, Valery hardly realized the man was still with her in the room. Her eyes widened as they fell on the blade, and she quickly reinforced her mind. The thought that it had been so close to all these people for so long.. they were lucky to not have gone completely insane.

"I.." she mumbled, as she found herself at a loss for words for a moment.

With a shake of her head, she snapped back to reality and stepped between the artifact and the man. She got closer to it and reached for it with her hand, but she didn't quite touch it yet.

"I'm going to take this away immediately, and I will neutralize it," she said. "Once it's gone, monitor your family and those who work here closely. If the symptoms don't stop, contact me immediately. You're all lucky to still be standing and thinking properly."

Valery then looked back at the artifact, but she was hesitant to touch it. Instead, she decided to channel the Force, using her hand as focal point to channel the energy into the purest manifestation - Light. It was a technique she had studied extensively during her time as a Jedi Shadow, and she knew more potent abilities to sever people or items from the Force or Dark Side as well.

For now, she struck the blade with a few gentle waves of this energy, wanting to test its reaction. Some artifacts became increasingly more volatile in these situations.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Artifact: The Slayer of Kings​

​

When she spoke to the man, his face furrowed into a look of concern. As much as the Jedi often hid their emotions - her body language was obvious, terror in even the most subtle forms struck at the man's primal sensabilities. Survival - but when he moved his mouth to speak she would hear nothing of his voice. Only a deep wave - like being underwater, muffled words covered by a distant cacophony of whispers.​

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The Dark Side spirits began to appear around her - but did not approach. Carmine did not seem to react to their presence, only pausing before moving his pale lips once more again soundless. Around her more than two dozen Sith looked upon her with their molten gold eyes in a half circle - faces shrouded by hoods. Their silence was equally as deafening as the rumbling in the force around her - while the sword itself seemed to shake ever so slightly beneath the glass case it was held in.​

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As the Force fully enveloped it, she would hear something far more insidious - Darkness Incarnate, manifest in a voice that scratched ur-Kittat runes into her very bones. His voice dripped with malevolent tones that sounded equal parts singer as they did demon -​

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"Overworking ourselves aren't we, Jedi?", the disembodied voice asked her through the Force.​

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As the seconds passed, she could almost feel the beings presence in the room - feel his voice on her neck, his breathe rolling across her skin, and the eyes of a predator looking upon its prey. There was nothing but sultry danger eminating from the presence around her; and even so, it carried with it such murderous intent she could swear her lightsaber could cut it in front of her very eyes.​

​

"Perhaps, you should put it back. Leave it be, and live to help another poor soul. This one is already accounted for."​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Dragon's Horde​

---

Location: Gala
Valery: Appearance
Ship: Factory link
Tag: Darth Empyrean

Following the flashes of light beating against the metal and darkness within, she felt as if the world around her froze for a moment. Insidious darkness washed over her, which only revealed itself as spirits began to manifest inside the room. She looked at the hooded figures and despite their silence, there was nothing calm about the situation.

She hardly registered the man who had brought her here at this point, and instead, her mind traced the echoes of the darkness that lingered in the room. She heard a voice and for a moment, the presence almost felt tangible.

"Perhaps, you should put it back. Leave it be, and live to help another poor soul. This one is already accounted for."​

​

Valery gritted her teeth and felt herself instinctively reaching for her lightsaber, only for her hand to stop just short of the metal hilt. This wasn't a problem her lightsaber was going to solve.

She had been face-to-face with dark side artifacts more times than she could count and hunted down powerful Sith and Dark Jedi. But this was different. A type of Sith magic was at display here that she hadn't seen before, and the danger it signaled to her through the Force made the hairs in her neck stand up. For many Jedi, the sheer darkness surrounding her would be overwhelming, and enough to have them shut down.

But Valery's trust in the Force to protect her had shaped into something else entirely. It shielded her against the dark side taunting her, and pulling on her, and forced her to finally react to what was happening.

"Leave now," she told the man with a tone void of emotion. She had no idea what he had been saying, nor did she care. He had to get out of this room immediately.

The sword and its true owner were far too dangerous, and thus she decided taking it with her was not a safe thing to do either. Her training had taught her to cleanse such artifacts immediately, and that is what she was going to try. However, she would remain vigilant. Turning the light side against it had already alarmed a dark presence, and doing it again would surely provoke another response.

But once again, the light began to flow around her, keeping away the darkness from her being like a shield of light, casting away shadows. She raised her hands and now began to direct the energy out towards it. With how powerful this blade was in the Dark Side, it would take time to purge it. Valery wasn't going to stop until nothing remained of it, or if its owner decided to show himself.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Without almost any perceptible movement, the man with fear in his eyes retreated from the Jedi before him. The room lost his presence, but in its place another set of eyes appeared, then another, and another. The room seemed to seal, the door was lost to the darkness that surrounded her with such opaque concentration she may as well have been in the void itself. Nothing but golden eyes shimmering like twin stars witnessed her now; leaving her alone amidst the danger.​

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And the voice that never wished to leave;​

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"A hero, aren't we?", it mocked through teeth dripping with venom. It seemed to rotate around her - from place to place, its presence ever constant.​

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Only as the light she perpetrated upon the sword grew, so too did the presence. When she could feel the first crack of the alchemic charms protecting the weapon, the darkness around her would seem to melt - the eyes cowered and closed, the world seemed to lose the void she was held within; but something far worse took its place. Behind her a man walked from the darkness - alabaster hair and eyes of ruby swimming in black. Dressed in heavy ornate sith dress robes, carrying a staff that would scar a lesser jedi to even perceive, he walked with a confidence that was a threat unto itself.​

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"If you wish to be a hero, then you shall die like one, Jedi.", he said with a face that carried almost no emotion.​

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"Perhaps they will tell stories of you in their caves when they are pushed to the brink of extinction once again."​

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Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Dragon's Horde​

---

Location: Gala
Valery: Appearance
Ship: Factory link
Tag: Darth Empyrean

The woman gritted her teeth and continued her onslaught against the artifact - no matter how strong the darkness, she always felt her inner light could cast it away with enough effort. Even now, it was slowly working, as the darkness that had originally enveloped her began to fade. But the voice remained.. it grew stronger and the presence behind it left a disturbance in the Force that a Jedi Master of her qualities picked up on immediately.

As the dark figure approached from behind, she stopped her attack against the metal blade instantly. Whether it was purged or not, she wasn't quite sure yet - it was at least weakened and shouldn't be a problem for her now. But the threat that had replaced it was far greater. Far more sinister.

The orange-eyed brunette turned around and looked the man in the eyes, her own expression calm and strong. She listened to his words but she didn't process them right away. His staff and presence were a disturbance that would have sent most other Jedi down a path of insanity without much effort. But she was trained to be a Shadow, and thus found herself surrounded by the Dark Side regularly. It had allowed her to develop her Force Immunity against what would otherwise cripple her mind.

But it had been some time since she felt anything quite like this.

As they stood within the same room, the strength of Light and Dark were already beginning to clash. It was only a matter of time before this escalated further, and it was going to be destructive.

The woman's eyes then narrowed and while she hadn't drawn her weapon yet, she was ready to do so in a split second. "Took some effort to get you to show yourself." she began, ignoring the more taunting comments he threw at her.

"But quite the entrance for a Sith."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

With her attention brought away from the Sword, Maliphant's own was brought to it. His ember like gaze departed from her, only to rest on the glass case she was near - and he moved towards it, slowly and surely of step, the click of his monsterous staff marking each movement against the marbled floor. Looking upon the artifact within, he exhaled audibly, then turned to the Jedi once more;​

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"Every artifact I create, I put a small portion of my soul into. My power is divided a thousand ways, and still I stand amongst the greatest of my peers.", he warned her.​

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"By touching it with your corrupted magicks, you strike at me - an insult you surely must understand I can not forgive.", marked with a dismissive shake of his head. When it was still, the same ruby jewels glared at her from behind alabaster strands of hair.​

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"Some have called me Tiamat. Akos. The Slave. Son of Sidious; a thousand titles but only one I've chosen to embody. You may call me Darth Maliphant for what time remains in your life; it will be the smallest honor I can offer the condemned."​

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A small tap of his staff, and the weapon began to impart upon her and the surrounding structure an imcomparable weight. As if the very sky itself was falling in on them, forcing the stone and metal foundations to strain beneath its force, begging through jagged cries of help for relief. Tons of pressure, and the Sith lord before her stood unwavering and unconcerned - but his eyes would never leave her. Waiting, testing, seeing if this alone would be enough to end her life.​

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Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Gala​

Valery: Appearance​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Darth Empyrean ​

​

​

The woman's fiery orange gaze narrowed at the Sith as his attention turned to the artifact. The veil that typically covered her ancient presence in the Force began to fade, and briefly, a smirk found its way to her features, "I do not desire forgiveness, nor do I feel regret for striking at your corruption. You're a taint to this Galaxy that needs to be removed." she said with calmness to her voice. ​

​

Whilst determined and confident in her abilities, she was not in the most ideal situation to be engaging anybody capable of murder and destruction without hesitation. This home contained more than them and its owner - there were others working here as well. A battle of the kind that would happen between Force-users of this magnitude would certainly endanger them. ​

​

He also wasn't the average Sith, and she stood here without the usual preparation she'd go through before such an encounter. Despite this, she kept her composure and stood ready in the face of evil, as per usual. His directed glare towards her would then be met with one of her own, and she'd make mental note of his name, despite his confidence in her not getting out of this alive. ​

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"Such a generous offer," she remarked without giving her name in return.​

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She wouldn't have much time to do so anyway, as the staff he held raised up slightly from the ground. In this brief instant in time, Valery felt the imminent power that would be unleashed and quickly braced herself. It was immense but she wasn't going to just stand there and take it. ​

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Using the Force to apply a telekinetic counter-pressure, Valery kept her body intact under the strain, but the building was not nearly as strong. Watching the roof and walls crack, she directed her hands outwards to gain control of the material herself. Normally, she'd try to displace it outwards, but this risked the lives of anybody still close to them.​

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So instead, she held it a moment longer than she would have liked and launched the stone ceiling towards the dark presence, whilst allowing the walls to collapse. Valery would jump back to distance herself from debris, but it made it a lot more difficult to strike back - she was forced to react, rather than initiate. She wasn't expecting the debris she threw to have much of an effect; it was merely a brief distraction while she jumped into the open air.​

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Her hopes were that she could at least lead him away from the building and its residents.​

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"Darth Maliphant, was it? It's going to take more than that to kill me," she said, almost as if to taunt him.​

​

​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

The air began to grow heavy with dust and debris as the telekinetic strength of Maliphant was put on full display; amplified by the most dangerous artifact he had ever made - minus the reconstituted Darkstaff. Her efforts to hold back his strength were futile - in a war of attrition, she would have lost in that moment; but few Jedi make it to master trying something to straight forward. Instead she lept backwards, and in the same moment launched debris from the ceiling at the Sith Lord - hoping to strike him down.​

​

For some, a simple telekinetic strike could prove powerful. Once, Mikhail Shorn was able to decimate innumerable foes with his telekinetic strength - but Maliphant was not so simple a beast, just as she was. Their opening flurries were simple tests of one another - gauging the limits each could hold themselves at until they could find who would push farther. She would notice Maliphant not move as the debris began to rain in around him - and when he was out of vision entirely, more debris would fall in his place.​

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She would find her place on the ground, but she would feel his presence still - the strike had not killed him, only confirmed when Maliphant began a slow walk out of the rubble using a melding power that allowed him to flawless clip through what lay there now. When he was clear of it, she could hear his staff click against the marbled ground once more - his clothes and hair completely untouched by the attack. HIs gaze watched her closely, and he stopped only a few dozen feet from her.​

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"Do you know why the sword has chosen to plague them with nightmares and paranoia?", he said in a monotonous tone, sound more rhetorical and bored than a true question.​

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"Because it's hungry. It consumes souls, traps them, feeds on them. Were you to simply leave it here, it would have killed the familly slowly - and been left to rot in their empty home. Releasing it will only bring more harm, because I'll simply give it to someone else - Truly you must've thought of this now, hadn't you?"​

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From the end of the dragon's head on his staff, a black blade tinged in crimson began to spark to life - but she would notice that it was not in fact a lightsaber, but a force saber carried by the Rakata Hounds. It was pure Dark Side energy, variable entirely in size and shape - only to be formed in the shape of a saber at the end of his staff. He couched the weapon in his armpit, allowing it to rest drag slightly against the ground. Harsh burns were left in its wake as he lowered himself to a stance accomadating the staff.​

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"You seem old, Jedi. Cryogenically frozen, perhaps? Force accident gone wrong? No - perhaps a hyperspace accident?", he said with a cock of his brow.​

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"Oh, what does it matter. What matters now is that all the years you've been alive - they've only led you to me."​

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His backfoot pressed into the marble like it was putty - snapping it behind the force of his enhanced push off, driving himself towards her with saber outstretched in a lightning fast stab unlike any she likely had seen. It was a strike so quick it was nigh comparable to the reports of Sidious's own speed when the Jedi attempted to capture him on Coruscant. Faster than the eye, nigh on faster than the Force - and directed towards nothing less than her heart.​

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Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Gala​

Valery: Appearance​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Darth Empyrean ​

​

As expected, moments after she sent the ceiling and walls towards the Sith, he slowly stepped out of the rubble unharmed. She had felt his presence untouched each passing second since her attack, which acted only as a brief distraction and opportunity for her to distance herself from the building. ​

​

Because as much as she had trained for these clashes, she came unprepared and the innocents nearby were an additional handicap that put her at a disadvantage. ​

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"Old? You wound me," she said as she reached for her lightsaber, fully aware that it wasn't her appearance he was referring to, but rather her presence in the Force. With a snap-hiss, the purple plasma flashed into existence, and much like him, she shifted into a combative stance. ​

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Her eyes locked onto his, and both her body and mind fell into the Force. Anything that could possibly distract her faded into the background, and through these mental techniques, she found focus.​

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Reaching out with her mind, she felt that the attack was imminent - even his stance showed this. But as he launched himself towards her with unnatural speed, Valery was briefly taken aback by the pace of his assault. There was no time to just stand there and think, however, and she too augmented herself to adjust quickly. ​

​

With a lightning-fast flash, Valery turned on her feet, rotating away her left side to force the incoming blade to pass by her side. Her own lightsaber rotated and clashed with the side of his weapon that was facing her, ensuring it would not land anyway. But with great speed came great momentum, and the sheer force of something moving this fast knocked her back a few steps. ​

​

But as she tried to adjust and fall into the rhythm of the fight, she spotted something that made it all much more difficult. Near the damaged building, Valery spotted a woman - likely one of many workers here. She was watching the fight, or at least, whatever she could even trace of it. ​

​

So rather than counter-attacking, she dashed into the path between Maliphant and the woman and shot her a glare in hopes of the woman retreating. This interaction would essentially show a weakness - her desire to protect these people, even in midst of battle. But she wouldn't be a Jedi if she allowed them to be harmed. From this position, she exploded back towards him, weapon drawn ready.​

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As soon as she came up close, a flurry of attacks was sent his way to test his defenses and keep him engaged in combat. She hoped to keep him busy for now, so the people here could escape. Valery herself wanted to retreat from this world for now as well - this wasn't the right place or time for this battle.​

​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

She had narrowly caught the blade, forcing Maliphant to readjust his footing so as to not be overpowered by an unsure grip. It was subtle and quick, but his feet found their place without even a second of hesitation; but Valery would slip. The common achille's heel of the Jedi was their constant awareness of nearby emotions - that any of them being flustered could upset them. It was even a fact used by the Nihil during the High Republic era to contain Jedi - by using the tortured screams of others to zap the power of the Jedi, stop them from being able to access the force through their zen.​

​

Whether she knew it or not, the damage she had done to the building - the fear she had shown to the master of the estate - all of it was slowing her, dulling the blade of her potential. On that same note, it fed Maliphant - making his blade sharper, feet ever so slightly fast, in ways only Master's may be able to tell for now, but something she would soon learn. Her gaze drifted from him from the briefest of moments, and Maliphant instantly knew why -​

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An innocent woman, caught betwixt titans she should never have known existed. Her mundane world would come crashing down in only a moment as Maliphant rushed the distracted Jedi, bringing his staff around with such a violent djem so inspired arc that she would go flying were she to block it. It carried with it the strength of a large freighter, empowered by the Dark Side as lightning crackled absently from his hand onto the ground; only the strong whistle from his speed warning her of the incoming strike.​

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In his free hand, he grabbed the woman before she could depart. A force choke lifted her, carried her drifting into their arena. She could not scream, but she squirmed violently at the unseen collar - barely stifling out soft cries of pain even as her eyes watered.​

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"Did you know I wrote a book on the affects of negative emotion en masse?", Maliphant said with a coy tone, the woman still drifting towards his outstretched hand.​

​

"I taught a generation of Sith to torture planets to weaken your Order. Does that inspire anything in you? Make you feel something?", he said as his ruby pupils turned to watch her reaction.

"Sad? Heroic? Even angry?", he mocked.​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Gala​

Valery: Appearance​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Darth Empyrean ​

​

As soon as she landed between Maliphant and the woman, her focus sharpened and her senses attuned themselves strongly to the Force. She watched its flow and interactions with time carefully, allowing her to read the flow of conflict accurately. Because of this, she was able to explode up into the air and off to the side just in time to evade the powerful swing of his staff. While she possessed a great deal of strength, especially when augmented by the Force, her focus was typically to evade. Again, her escape had been narrow, and she felt the burning sensation of lightning against her skin until she gained more distance.​

​

After she landed, her eyes shifted to the woman who was now being choked by an invisible grip. ​

​

Valery gritted her teeth at the sight, and while she didn't give in to any powerful emotions such as anger or hatred, something changed about the woman that made her look more fierce and far more determined. The fire in her orange eyes was lit, and she turned her fiery glare towards the Sith.​

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"It only further confirms my path," she said. For the majority of her life, her skills had been used hunting practitioners of the Dark Side, as well as their creations. Seeing innocents used like this only reinforced her desire to continue this path.​

​

She then paused and watched as the woman was lifted over towards Maliphant. If she were to engage him now, there would be many ways for him to abuse his hostage. So she watched and kept her lightsaber ready.​

​

"Put her down. You gain nothing by involving these people." she tried to reason, but she had a feeling that he wasn't quite like some of the Sith she had met and fought before. It seemed unlikely that this woman was going to get out of this alive, but this situation hopefully at least gave the other inhabitants enough time to make their escape.​

​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"I don't?", he said disheartened, with a strong sense of coy mocking. A forced frown signed it with disrespect as he looked upon the Jedi.

The woman drifted next to him, and he rested a hand on her head, brushing some of her hair from her face. Bangs now framed the terror she bore, and Maliphant's pale fingers gripped upon her jaw, adjusting her face ever so slightly as to look upon it; but Valery would feel his every sense still focused on her despite the theatrics.

"Were I to make her death slow, flay her pink and bare, would you lose your ability to fight as most Jedi do - or would it make you stronger?", the alabaster stranger said to her.

"Passion is the strength of my Order, Jedi. Didn't they teach you how close you can come to losing yourself when impassioned?"

A finger still glid across the woman's chin as he looked upon her. Waiting for her - testing her - but when she made no move towards him, Maliphant's hand mindlessly found the lady's own; and with a harsh snap he broke the pinky on the left hand. Her screams filled the air admist the dust and cracking stone; brought to her knees as she desperately tried to pry Maliphant's grip from her flesh. His strength, however, was inuman - and for all her clawing and pleading she may have well as done it to the iron shackles that bound men like Maliphant.​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Gala​

Valery: Appearance​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Darth Empyrean ​

​

Hearing his taunting and watching him bring the woman closer only caused the grip on Valery's lightsaber to tighten. She narrowed her orange eyes and briefly glanced at the poor victim that got trapped between the two. The Jedi felt her fear, her pain, and longing to get away, as far as possible. But there was no escape.​

​

"I can guarantee you that taking her life gains you nothing," she said as she looked him in the eyes. As much as it felt terrible to feel the despair of others, she was trained to set aside everything to fight the Dark Side. It was a necessity in order not to go insane, fall herself, or die when the lives of others were used against her.​

​

But his demonstration of cruelty, his alchemical skills, and his presence in the Force had gotten one thing out of Valery. She knew that the threat he represented could never be ignored. He surely didn't work alone, which meant the Sith problem might be far greater than she had anticipated.​

​

"None of what you've shown me today will," Valery said as almost a promise to him. A promise that she was going to always continue her hunt for him, and everything he represented. She then made up her mind - to stand by and do nothing would result in the woman's death, and less time for others to escape.​

​

So in an instant, she channeled the Force and exploded out towards the Sith with unnatural speed. The power within the Jedi grew significantly and began to manifest itself as twirling streams of light around her body. Once she got close enough, she released the Force in the form of purging light towards him, hoping to strike at his corrupted core.​

​

She didn't care much about how effective it would be - she hardly knew much about her opponent. But she was keeping her senses sharp, taking note of other presences nearby. When they were safe, she was going to get out of here as well.​

​

​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"Of course it won't gain me anything.", he mused.

"It isn't about what I get - It's about what you do."​

​

There was a knowing smugness to his words - like a secret he knew that she didn't. She'd watch that same unwavering expression hold itself as she dove forward - let loose the light of her justice upon him with extreme prejudice. Light engulfed both him and the woman's form - rolling over the innocent like a soft wave, and crashing into Maliphant like a tsunami. A storm built on zen, a white wash that would destroy what darkness he held in the world.

And in a brief moment, she would feel it. In the white glow of her attack, the presence of the Man would dissappear from everywhere around her where it had once rolled out like smoke from a fire. The intoxicating scent of him was gone - but when the light faded, and what should have been ash was left to greet her, she would see that same expression. He was unharmed by it, still gripping the woman, still watching her with a predatory calmness.​

​

"You were so close...", he said with a sudden frown - before the soft crack of vertebrae echo'ed through the quiet left in his voice wake. The woman's eyes ran red, she went limp, and he let her fall to the ground in a clump. Despite his claims, Valery would feel no pain - only the soft terror that arose in someone who could no longer breath on their own, could no longer struggle - someone who knew death was imminent.

"... yet just like the Order you claim servitude towards - it wasn't enough."​

​

A dark laugh eminated from the alabster stranger as he lifted his staff into the air - and within a split second, the sword that was in the display case appeared in his hand. The Darkness she felt was amplified to migraine like levels - even the armor he wore began to scream like a thousand voices overlapping again and again into a numbing cacophony of torture and sorrow. All of her training would be put to the strenuous test as he began a lurch towards her.

Staff extended, blade of pure dark side energy from its bone like maw - the pike moved directly towards her stomach with an uncanny speed. Whether it hit or not, he would twist it about and strike at her feet with a wide swing. To disable her, to capture her, to bring her back alive.​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Gala​

Valery: Appearance​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Darth Empyrean ​

​

After the blast of Force Light struck him and the woman, her eyes would narrow while she awaited the result. During her time of service, she had experienced great differences in effectiveness; from completely purging a dark entity with a single attack to powerful Sith defending themselves against the strength of the Light. But the way it didn't seem to phase him was new - he had his own way to counter it, to where it didn't seem to even weaken him.​

​

As someone whose expertise revolved around combating the Dark Side, this moment and the way it felt would be imprinted in her mind. This required further study.​

​

"Don't underestimate the strength of the Light," the woman finally said in response as he summoned the sword into his hand. She felt its darkness, the pain, and despair that it tried to bury into the minds of anybody remotely close to it. She simply frowned and once again channeled the Light, but this time not to strike at her enemy. She allowed it to freely flow around her, and encase her like a protective bubble that silenced the voices but could not purge their source.​

​

The stranger then exploded back towards her with immense speed and thrust his weapon towards her stomach. With incredible speed of her own, she pivoted and pushed her lightsaber against the side of his staff with just enough force to deflect it away from her body and avoid a lethal blow. Despite this, the momentum that came with the attack off-balanced her just enough to where she could not adjust her stance to defend against the second attack.​

​

The side of the staff clipped her legs and sent a shock of pain through her body, but one she was trained to fight herself through. She flipped over and used all her strength to push her speed to even greater heights, all to propel herself away from the handstand she transitioned into after her legs had been swept from underneath her. ​

​

Landing a relatively safe distance away, she stumbled slightly on her feet before her stance strengthened again. It wasn't so much the impact that harmed her, but the contact of the weapon cast in darkness violently struck at her core as it pierced the shield of Light that now quickly reformed around her.​

​

She still felt the aftermath of the hit though and decided it was best for her to get out and live so she could prepare to fight another day. There was much to learn from this encounter, and she knew it wasn't going to be the last time she met this Darth Maliphant. Next time, she was going to be far more prepared. ​

​

So in an instant, her facial expression turned into a slight smirk as the shield of light brightened to where it blinded one from seeing the woman within. The Light quickly faded and with it, Valery had visibly disappeared completely - Cloaked into the Force while her presence scattered across the area to make herself harder to detect. Slowly, this presence would begin to fade as well, as she gradually attempted to conceal herself completely from being sensed. ​

​

With her training in these particular skills, it was her best option to exfiltrate.​

​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

With her presence beginning to fade from his perception, Maliphant slowed his assault to a crawl, only to let the staff and sword in his hand fall away into the ethereal grasp of the Force. Unbidden by mortal boundaries, he let his strength fade as his hands clasped infront of him. It wasn't that he expected her to depart - he simply didn't expect another attack just yet. Even still, she could see in the micro twitches of his muscles how prepared he was for her to strike.​

​

His eyes closed when her form departed, but he spoke then;​

​

"I do not underestimate the strength of the Light; I simply do not allow myself to be victimized by its slave's. There is much you do not yet know, but I am more than willing to teach you - should you wish.", he said with a muted smile.​

​

"You may look upon the Galaxy and see the Sith weak - led by false prophets with skill at propaganda alone, but Darkness yet remains in the shadows. When you look into the sky, Jedi, know that I am waiting in the eternal abyss of space; all you need to do is ask for me."​

​

A hand moved to brush some hair from his face as he seemed to glace directly to where she stood - though she could tell quickly it was more by chance than by skill. His eyes flashed around the area before he spoke again;​

​

"Run away for now Jedi, I am sure we will meet again. When that time comes, bring an open mind - and you may let learn something you've hidden from your perception of reality."​

​

Valery Noble​