Private The Fading Light of Dusk

[Nouqai Veil]

When she was writhing in pain and agony under the cruel torture by delivered by the elf lady, the wookie had came to her rescue making the fight his in a huge scuffle. The large beast had roared at her - of what she understood was for her to flee. Despite how much pain she was in, Nouqai did not hesitate to get away. The padawan summoned her lightsaber, limping and thrashing into the deeper waters of the creek before allowing the current to carry her exhausted form in a ride downstream.

At some point, the flow had taken her down to the river, the girl pushed to the shoreline by gentle waves, nestling her against the large rocks. The laceration on her side was deep, excruciatingly painful, the copper blue blood bleeding into crystal cleat water. Thankfully, with the water surrounding her, her biology started its regeneration process, very slowly closing the wounds. The gnarly burns on her forearms had also began to heal. Her leg was still frozen, rid of sensation.

The 14-year-old was tired, in shock and angry, after such an encounter how wouldn't she be? She was far too exhausted and overwhelmed to get up. Laying emotionless staring up at the horizon - it would almost appear as if she was dead. It felt as if she was. That sky, the beautiful colours of dusk. The light fading as the sun set below the horizon, the blue blending seamlessly into orange[/b] creating such a vibrant art of nature.

Nouqai closed her eyes, exhaustion taking its toll as her consciousness trickled into a state of rest. Perhaps this lovely sunset would be the last thing she'd see.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Frustration.

Deep and utter frustration.

He had them, three Jedi padawans, a Jedi knight in his grasp. The battle had gone far from his initial plan certainly, but he had them on the backfoot the entire course of the struggle, two of them had been taken out of the conflict entirely, and the other two, if he had just been allowed to apply more pressure.

If he had just...

It was not the first time those damn Ysalamir had gotten in his way. It was ironic in some sense, that the very beings that proved that life could exist without the Force, had not only once, but now twice, been used to block his will.

He unfortunately could not blame all his woes on them.

The Vornskrs had been their own damn problem.

Another irony, that one of the names of Kain- Darth Carnifex would be used to also block his will.

Alas, a crushing victory that would have seen the Jedi brought down, their young taken to be taught the truth.

Foiled.

Any that would be captured would not be by his hand, and he was already filled with disgust at how many no doubt had been killed.

Still, even as operations wound down, Malum found himself hunting still in the woods for any that remained, officially he was to be of the rearguard, and hunting down any Jedi that remained certainly was within that job description... he creatively interpreted. He imagined he would find nothing, the Jedi had mostly escaped, the rest killed, if there were any somehow still left, they likely were far too hidden for him to find now.

Still, defeat stung.

And he needed to wipe it away.

And as he reached the river bank, a background of rich blues and oranges oscillated, but such was not the greatest beauty of them of all.

It seemed his prayers had been answered.

A young humanoid... yet amphibian... girl? Washed up along the shore, small in stature, entirely blue, with tentacles for hair. Injured.

And as he could already tell.

Force-sensitive.

Jedi.

He pulled, commanding the Force to obey his order, bringing her onto dry land, as he looked her over... allowing the clear water of the river to continue traversing down its path without obstruction.

Padawan or knight?

Too young to be a knight he decided.

Then there was a chance to convert one.

Still, first, he needed to make certain she was well.

Pulling off his cloak and laying it over her, as he leaned down upon his knees and searched.

Nouqai Veil

 

[Nouqai Veil]

The child felt herself move. Not on her own will, but carried by a gentle force. It stirred her exhausted form awake, something soft draped over her. Glowing cyan eyes opening to a figure hovering over her. Her expression shifted, concern and worry to apprehension and a feral snarl. He had red eyes, that she only associated with one thing: Sith. The sith came back for her.

Nouqai hissed and screamed, trying to push the man away. The child was injured and weak, but she still had what little of fight there was in her. Then without warning, she spat, a pair of glans within her throat ejecting dark ink - a defense mechanism to temporarily blind and sting if only mildly. Nouqai scrambled onto her feet, running back towards the water she was pulled away from with a very noticeable limp in one of her legs.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

From what he had found from a quick glance, it seemed that whatever she was, she was nothing he had encountered before, though, that meant little, it was not as if he knew all the amphibian alien species of the galaxy. Yet what was intriguing was the wound at her side, seemed from the outset to be far deeper, and far more dangerous than it would initially imply.

Yet strange as it was, it seemed to have mostly closed up, seeming to be a far smaller wound.

Unfortunately, he had little time to look over her further, it seemed being pulled out of the water, her natural habitat? Was enough to stir her awake, and as glowing cyan eyes quickly found his red.

He saw emotions quickly pass.

Concern.

Worry.

Apprehension.

And the unfortunate.

Ferality.

She seemed to know what he was, and considering her state, he had a pretty good idea of why that was.

Her juvenile hisses and screams were not enough to drive him away, but he found himself withdrawing back anyway, he would need to capture her if it came to it, but if instead he could simply convince her, talk to her, it would be far better for them both.

And he could give respect where they were due, she had survived whatever had attacked her, and that took special skills.

Ones which he would prefer to willingly have.

Her ink almost struck him, lost in his thoughts, as he leapt back, knowing not what infernal poison could be within, but narrowing down his prospects of what she was. All the while she desperately limped away toward the water, caring not for the mud on her feet, as she was all too convinced, a monster was on the prowl.

He would need to convince her otherwise.

And protect her still injured form.

"Stop!" He shouted, firm, as he raised a hand, and pulled, aiming to stop her in her tracks, "I am not your foe! You are injured, I am here to help."

To him at least, that was all true.

Nouqai Veil

 

[Nouqai Veil]

Just as the elf lady did not appear just to blast of the vonskrs cornering her but also to terrorise her, this newcomer was not here to help. Before she could dive in the deeper waters however, she felt herself pulled away. No no! "Lies! You are sith just like her! Stay away from me!" She screamed. Her arm flung his direction, her hydrokinesis propelling a heavy spash of water his way, breaking his pull.

Then she reached through the force, summoning her weapon, the signature of the familiar crystal. Where ever it was on the shore nearby, it flew towards her grasp. Those cyan eyes grew red, she felt the fear and desperation, and the hatred, she yearned for vengeance on the sith - on the lady elf. For them to hurt as much as she was. The child had already lost so much blood, some of her wounds still excruciating, certainly she was in no condition to fight.

The lightsaber of purple plasma hissed as it was unsheathed at her side, held by the hand that was marked with the fresh sith emblem, bloody and inflamed. The water simmered and sputtered around the blade's submerged end. Nouqai extended a small clawed hand, fingers outstretch as she commanded the force around the sith, to throw him into the water's end. It was her habitat, an advantage to be had.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

There was much to unpack, and so very little time to do it.

Confirmation of assumption came quickly, among the most notable theories his mind had constructed, she had been in fact attacked by a Sith, yet considering her situation, and her words, it seemed that though she had survived, she had not actually beaten her foe, or perhaps having only done so, under great strain to her own body, and clearly duress.

He twirled out of the way of the torrent of water that was shot his way with the pressure that might have melted his skin off.

It seemed as unfortunate as it was, once again he would have to employ through force, what he wished to do through accord.

He watched with narrowed eyes, as the hilt of her lightsabre was pulled to her, he might have moved to intervene, yet... this would be an able test of her capabilities.

And show her his own superiority.

Yet she still held the initiative, as Malum felt himself be pulled by a power beyond the material world.

Pulled towards the riverine currents.

Clever.

Malum raised his own fingers, the ring upon his finger blazing, as it seemed the air was pulled away from the environs.

And then a great blazing storm of fire erupted out of his fingers, rapidly burning hotter, and hotter, a bright orange, turning to a blinding white, and then a pale blue. Such heat could boil and evaporate water in an instant, bore down upon the amphibian, and her domain which she attempted to draw him into.

Nouqai Veil

 

[Nouqai Veil]

Fire. Just as the lady elf had thrown at her from her cybernetics, this man had the same trick up his sleeve, albeit with a ring. The young amphibious sentient dove in deep, breaking the hold she had on the force. The intense heat drew bubbles that broke the surface of the water, the vicinity now fogged up by the steam it created.

Moments passed in silence and placidity as the water settled. The tentacled siren was no where in sight, that one might think she had fled.

Until the waters ripped, the shoreline rushing backwards, all the while, the water level rising behind into a single massive wave. The silhouette of the child in all her glory, with burgundy tentacles sprawled outwards, was visible through the crystal clear water of the ascending wave, accented with the fury of a now glowing amber eyes.

The last light of day was setting into the horizon behind, the orange ray magnified through the crystaline wave. With a push of both her clawed hands, the waters came rolling rapidly towards the sith lord. The force and weight crashing down on him. The massive current would pull him into the depths, where she might meet him to carry out her wrath.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

She evaded the flames, or at least he assumed she did, her dive into the water had clearly reached such sheer depths that even as the top layer of the river burned, boiled, and evaporated away, she was far from its surface. The water made for a rather difficult barrier to overcome, but not insurmountably so, and if she chose to hide in those depths, as her constitution clearly laid out...

She could hardly win.

But should could draw this out for an annoyingly long period, as he sorted out exactly what his next move would be.

Alas, it seemed that there was more bite than he had initially expected, red eyes narrowing as he saw the water begin to recede from the riverbank, acting far beyond the manner of a river, as the first small wave struck the bank, as far beyond, he saw the beginning of a phenomenon more akin to that of oceans.

He took one step back, widening his stance, holding his ground against the coming tumult, his mind processing rapidly ideas and proposals on how exactly he would counter.

Only to narrow his eyes.

As at the heart of the large wave, that threatened to be a tsunami, if only the river held more water.

He found her.

Lightning burst out of his fingers, coiling around his arm, as he gazed forward, defiant. He would need to be careful, or otherwise he would be the one that was brought low, but as the lightning burned hotly white around his arm.

It burst forward like the webs of an invisible spider.

As he leapt backwards, as the water crashed.

The lightning fraying outward for the target, contained in a natural conductor.

Nouqai Veil

 

[Nouqai Veil]

It was not easy to see through the moving waves. Nor the sparks of light that entwined the Sith's fingers and coiling around his arm. It was more impossible to move out of the way... out of the water that was her medium of power.

As the waved moved rapidly, the bolt of electricity was unleashed in her way. He had leapt out of the trajectory, untouched by the water that now heated with his power. The waves collapsed, and so did she, her hold on the waters no more. The girl's body seized, overcome by the painful spasms as electricity surged through her entire being.

Yet it did not kill her. As the waves calmed down and electricity dissipated, she remained at the bottom of her realm, albeit barely conscious. It was the lies of the Sith, he was never here to help her like he claimed. Perhaps now she would be finally safe, laying at rocky floor of the lake.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

As the wave collapsed before it reached its precipice, before it even reached landfall, it was enough indication that the lightning had struck its target. If the sight of her small form, being struck, and collapsing inwards, as she fell deeper into the depths was not enough indication. She was not dead, that much he was certain of.

Even as she fell, the subtle swell of her chest, while the Force.

The Force still flowed freely out of the padawan.

Such was part of the plan after all, tempering the lightning to simply enrapture the Jedi, rather than outright kill her... still, it had been a risk, one which he had perhaps too rashly taken, as taken aback as he had been with her little aquatic trick. Suffice it to say, it seemed that the Jedi, had a particularly well-skilled cadre of padawans within their ranks.

More the reason, to free them from their chains, and restore their sight from the indoctrination which had them wrought.

Beginning with this one, for after all, even though his intention had not been to kill the girl, lightning, especially lightning that was not his, that burned so hot, was a difficult power to control, if he had lost focus for even one second...

However, even as the victory was his, he had a feeling that the battle was not yet done... and he could not abandon her down there.

He let out a sigh, as he walked to the water's edge, the armour would drag him down, so, it was a good thing that he did not intend to do this naturally.

He dived into the depths.

Nouqai Veil

 

[Nouqai Veil]

There was the muffled echo of a heavy splash through the water. Where the teen laid at the bottom, recovering from the haze of the nasty stun, her muscles sore yet starting to heal from the water. Eyes that returned to their cyan hue opened up to see a figure descending from above. The Sith was returning.

Why? Was the Sith Lord so determined to finish her off that he'd traverse such depths just to get to her?

Nouqai Veil could barely move her body paralysed by exhaustion. This would be the end of her surely, it was a life far too short.

Even as she laid unmoving, there was the desperation, fear, and most of all... the fury. With what little strength she had, the girl reached out, her clawed hand extending to grasp the man's arm. The connection of force was made, her entire being was ravenous. It was a skill she never learned yet it felt so natural to execute... vitalising as she drew in the Dark Lord's power and life upon herself.

He was in her realm. The sustenance that he required was meters above them on the surface, only so long that he could go without. Her grip remained vice, the aquatic sentient got up. Multiple tentacles began wrapping itself around his arms, neck and face, trying to restrain him. All the while she drew upon his power, utilising to manipulate the waters current and temperature. Icy cold.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Suffice it to say that he was not the best of swimmers, especially when it came to wild waters, Jutrand did not have many of those left, and certainly, the Marr estate could not claim ownership of them. Still, he was taught to swim proficiently in the pools the estate held, a necessary survival skill long drilled into him.

One of the more... fun, moments of training, he would privately admit.

Even as his body shook, hating, that he had so wilfully thrown it into the cold depths, without an opportunity to warm up, the blood flowing hot from his heart, doing its best to keep the shivers at bay, as the armour weighing him down, at any other moment setting off a panic, now was useful, as it dragged him down towards the bottom of the river, towards his query.

He was glad his initial theories were accurate, the bubbles alerting him to the fact that breath was still being taken, all the while, he held his own for dear life, he knew he only had a few seconds, he would need to use them as best he could, as he willed the Force to his command, even in the riverine bowels, kicking his feet, pushing himself further.

He would need to use the wind to save him, to save them both, as they certainly would not be able to float.

His musings were halted, as he reached the padawan, only for his eyes to widen, as a clawed hand found itself making a firm grip on his arm. Another theory, this time unfortunately, correct.

Bubbles erupted out of his lips, as the tentacles wrapped themselves around other limbs and body parts, constraining him, constraining him in a way that he had never been constrained, in an environment that was far more hostile to him than any other.

He felt his throat struggle.

He felt his lungs cough.

No, no, no.

His eyes drifted up, even as he struggled, so tempted to reach into his sides and pull out his lightsabres, yet her limbs, her vice grip, made that impossible, as he stared up desperately, a fading sun, leaving him in darkness, would he really...

...And then he felt it.

As if fangs were not only tearing skin, but tearing into his very core...

...No...

...He felt his control of the Force sway, and spill, as the power within him, the will to command all which lay outside of him, grew weaker, and weaker...

...Drained, by a Jedi, who was using a technique, that even though clearly untrained... was entirely of a school of the Force which her masters would have denied. As the water around them grew colder.

He had found his apprentice.

Jets of wind emerged beneath them, having trapped herself by his side, both the armoured Sith and the amphibian padawan feeling the waters shoot past them quickly, shot out of the river, landing, ungracefully, on dried land.

As Malum took a fresh breath, telekenesis snapped awake, to pull various limbs off him, restraining the padawan against the riverbank, as Malum, pulled himself up.

Nouqai Veil

 

[Nouqai Veil]

She needed only a few more second snuff out her foe, a few more seconds until his desperate struggle would cease. It would be her first life she'd take, not by malice but in defense of her own. Yet the power running through her veins felt liberating, to final seize the upperhand in these dark depths.

Just a few more seconds, as her hold tightened, as the remaining air left the Sith's lungs in a fit of bubbles. As his life force drew onto her... and so did the darkness into her being.

Until she felt the force warp around, not of her doings, not of her own currents, but of wind. Her victim had grasped on to the little control he had to find a way out of his predicament, all the while dragging her along with her as they were propelled up. From waters, into the air and then falling back onto the rocky shore.

Nouqai grunted at the impact. She had been so close... too close to delivering death. But now she was forcefully pulled out of her realm and back onto land. She scrambled, but the Sith Lord was faster... physically stronger despite the so recent asphyxiation, he pinned her down. Drawing frantic screams from her lips.

"What do you want?" She asked furiously. There was still reminiscence of the power she drew. She channelled it, in another desperate attempt to rid herself off the sith Lord, she sent a burst for force from her being.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He ignored the voice for a moment as eyes considered the status of this truly intriguing specimen. Alien, no doubt about that, yet, while he would certainly not be one to know of all the species of the cosmos, the sheer... difference this one painted to the ones he did know, was... odd. Now it was not as if she held no similarity to other aquatic species, after all, that was how he could tell she was an amphibian of some sort, even if her actions were more than indicative of that.

Yet, what exactly she was...

Malum's eyes widened, as he sidestepped, yet even still, as her voice rang in his ears, he was pushed back, any exhaustion she faced tempered by the desperation in her action.

Flung backwards, saved only by that it had missed his centre, he landed with bent knees, as he narrowed his eyes.

"...I want to know why a Jedi acts so much like a Sith... as far beyond that, I was honest enough in what I said, I am here to help you... though it seems your injuries from earlier have faded, lightning however can leave its mark."

He offered out his hand, from some distance away, softening his orbs.

"...Let me help you."

Nouqai Veil

 

[Nouqai Veil]

The burst of force had created distance between them, allowing her to scramble to her feet, standing in a stance defensive. The Sith spoke. "I am nothing like you! I will never be. " She spat. "You threw fire and lighting at me! You shot us down from the skies. " That did not sound like someone who intended to help. "Your kind are savages harming the innocent." She yelled.

Then there was a loud rumble overhead. Her head glanced upwards, catching the light of a blue ship speed past the darkening skies above. Help. She had to find her people, the Jedi would truly help her. Nouqai gave a look towards the Sith Lord, eyes narrowing, who's arm was extended in an offer that she would never take.

Then once again, she ran, bolting in the direction of where the ship gone. "Help!" She screamed, hoping that somewhere out there her comrades would hear her.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Even as his hand was still out in offering, his eyes hardened at the response, "You are naive little one, you are already like me, and the Jedi will know that, they will not accept you, you only have one place," She had taken the defensive posture quickly, good, whoever had trained her certainly knew what they were doing, even if they had not taught her one of the golden rules of such encounters.

Never speak.

Yet, such was forgivable, she was still quite young, and had not yet entered into his training. Still, the rest of what she said, was enough to narrow his eyes, as though he realised the essence of the matter, it was hardly as easy as she laid out, "We are at war, young one, and when one throws acid at your face, and draws their lightsabre, I am forced to treat you as an active combatant, but remember, I rendered and offered you aid, I still offer it now." He had long since grown more than a little annoyed at the characterisation of his people as evil monsters.

Some amongst their ranks, certainly, but all of them? Even most? Hardly.

"The innocent? Hardly so, misguided as your kind are, you are hardly innocent," He answered icily.

A light took his attention, far above, a blue vessel gliding into the atmosphere. It seemed their reinforcements had arrived, and as she began to sprint off, her screams echoing the jungle vines.

Part of him wished to let her go, write her off as a lost cause... yet, her potential... that so young, she might indeed have not yet fully fallen for their indoctrinations and lies...

The Force whipped around him, as it pursued after her, reaching her mind, and twisting, it would be momentary pain as her brain would ache, as she hopefully crash into the ground, all in exchange for everlasting salvation, to be enlightened of the truth of their galaxy, of the Force.

Nouqai Veil