The Old Ways

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

He chuckled quietly as they wandered won the ramp of their ship. "Growing accustomed to it?"

In truth, he himself sort of was. For fifty years of his life he had worked to gain a seat on the Council, to overthrow the established order and bring himself into power. Now that it was done killing another Councilor seemed like a paltry task in comparison. Why would he be concerned? Why would he care about one man when an Empire already served his will. He considered this for a moment as they wandered through the sparport and towards the exit.

The sun had already set, and darkness shrouded the small settlement, only a few lights still flickering.

"Remember." He told her quietly. "This world is still infested with Rakghouls."

He doubted they would encounter many on the way, but it was important to be weary, and Vrak couldn't help but consider the thought as they wandered outside of the settlements reaches and into the plains just ahead of the fortress.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"It's always something." She remarked, mostly to herself, though Vrak would still hear her. Nothing was ever as simple as just finding the target, waiting for the right moment, and then ending their miserable life. There was always an obstacle, or a series of them. Be they guards, buildings, security, cameras, traps, abominations created by ancient Sith Lords or plagues spread across the galaxy.

It was always something.

"Very well." She said, setting her hands to her hips to ensure that both crimson blades were securely attached in the event they became necessary before they reached Berilin's palace. With light quickly fading beneath the horizon it gave them both an advantage and disadvantage. It would be harder to spot them, but whatever was on the way would also be a bit harder to see.

With the Lekku Rings, she had a way to see in the dark, even if her eyes failed her. That, coupled with Force Sight, and she was golden.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

Vrak of course didnt have the benefit of the two rings on Seraphinas neck, nor did he utilize force sight. Instead he simply allowed the force itself to guide him, the odd ebb and flow of power that he could already feel coming from the fortress at the base of the cliff. It was like traveling hy the moonlight itself, though notable he trailed behind Seraphina just slightly.

They moved quickly.

Their path took them over the great plains and through a swamp, the two stopping more than once in order to avoid the odd farmer or a patrol. Eventually they came to the cliff face just south of the fortress, a large cespool having formed at the foot of the mountain. The Pureblood stopped there, putting a hand on Sera's shoulder.

Without a word he pointed to something within the waters.

Four odd hunched creatures aat there, each one gbawing at something unseen. The Pureblood scowled and then mouthed one single word at Sera. 'Rakghouls'.

Dangerous even to them.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

She could sense them even before Vrak's warning. Green eyes widened as she took in the sight. There was simply no way the pair could eliminate that many without assistance. It just wasn't feasible. The Twi'lek bared her teeth in anger, turning her head to Vrak as he spoke silently to her. With a gesture of her head she made for the path, intending to find another way around. It was possible that the only way in would be to cross through them, but if that was the case, she would rather find where they were least congregated.

It takes a certain level of deranged to take up residence surrounded by those things.

Pink legs carried Seraphina cautiously around the face of the cliff towards another vantage point, one of which she hoped proved to be more fortuitous to their incursion. What awaited them inside was now a curiosity the assassin was interested in, given what congregated within the waters just outside. The man was clearly paranoid, why else would anyone have that many fiends lingering so closely to where one slept?

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

They moved quickly, The pureblood glancing towards the pool of Rakghouls every few moments with an almost paranoid vigilance.

Vrak had seen experiments of the creatures. He'd watched as Yidhra had taken some of their venom and infected half a dozen different species. Always, no matter the immune system, no matter the symptoms, no matter what was infected, they would always turn. A vaccine had been developed in the past, though to his knowledge no one had access to it now. Rakghouls were something truly terrifying. A single scratch could turn you, a bite would end you.

They were not something Vrak wanted to deal with, thus as Sera found their path along the cliff The Pureblood remained silent, following after her even as they began to climb the sheer rockface. His fingers dug into the stone, calloused hands taking him higher and higher as Sera lead the way all the up.

He glanced back when they reached the top, spotting the Rakghouls move like a swarm to some creature that had stepped into the pools. They tore at it, ripping it into shreds in a matter of moment. The Pureblood frowned slightly, but turned away. He found Seraphina standing at the top of the cliff face, her eyes fixed on the citadel just a few hundred feet from them now. "There it is."

Vrak mused.

The citadel stood tall, built into the face of a nearby cliff and surrounded by a tall wall. An odd pale glow seemed to be emanating from it, the flicker of flames lingering in only a few of the windows of the fortress itself.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"Are those his work?" She asked, eyes still focused on the structure before them. "If so there are likely worse things waiting inside."

Quickening her pace towards the wall that stood between them and the citadel Sera wondered whether or not Berilin would know they were coming. It was impossible to tell what sort of defenses might be inside the fortress, what kind of surveillance or what kind of monitoring there was, whether it was planetside or within the citadel.

"Come on. The faster we get this done the better. Lingering here is too risky."

The Twi'lek broke out into a full on sprint once cleared of the Rakghouls, intending to leap up and over the surrounding wall and hopefully into a courtyard or something similar. Perhaps if they broke through whatever was waiting quickly, there wouldn't be time enough to respond, especially if Berilin was not expecting company.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

Vrak followed quickly, not replying to the slight bite in her words.

The two silhouetted rushed over the open ground, both of them bounding up and then over the thick walls of the citadel. There was a slight bit of hesitation in him before they landed, his eyes tracking something within the back of the Citadel's courtyard. The creature seemed hunched over slightly, but Vrak could still make out much of its massive form. His lips thinned, and then as he and Seraphina came crashing into the courtyard The creature moved.

It whirled about, turning towards them and letting out a putrid roar.

Vrak's eyebrows lifted, his Saber-staff immediately falling into his palm as the mutated creature rose onto it's feet and stood, an odd green liquid churning within the vials on it's back. Briefly he glanced at Seraphina, saying nothing but instead dashing forward.

She was right, the faster they ended this the better.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"Unnatural." The Twi'lek muttered, shaking her head. "More of your people's sickening creations."

The woman refrained from drawing her own weapons. A rancor of ordinary size and temperament was enough of a hassle to be forced to engage. One nearly twice its' size, strength, and toughness? While there was no doubt the two, or even just herself could kill the beast, it would require a great deal of outmaneuvering and energy to be rid of. It made more sense to simply evade and escape it than to try and kill it.

"We don't have time for this thing. Especially not if Berilin knows we're here, and I'm sure by now he will have an idea that someone is."

It wasn't exactly a quiet roar that the rancor had made.

Across the courtyard, behind the massive experiment of a creature was where they needed to get to. A series of windows elevated above the ground would be a hard jump, but perhaps manageable. She ran forward as well, though hardly to attack the rancor, instead breaking off to the left in an effort to round the creature and head towards the opposite side of the large expanse of courtyard.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

His lips thinned.

Backing down from any fight was difficult enough for him, but she was right. This thing was a distraction, it was meant to stall whomever entered the fortress, not stop them. He scowled slightly and followed Sera's lead, his gaze reaching above the Rancor. There he saw the slight overhang of the window ledges. He continued to charge the creature, it's great maw opening suddenly as it's clawed hand swiped forward.

Vrak bounded up, using the force to propel himself higher.

His blade swept slightly to the side, grazing against the creatures skin as his feet landed on the creatures claw, then pressed against its arm. Using the force he jumped again, bounding on the creatures head before once again pressing up and over. He jumped from the creatures back, his lightsaber deactivating as he momentarily flew through the air. His hand reached out and his fingers latched around the ledge, digging hard into the stone.

For a moment he hung there, then slowly he pulled himself up.

He motioned for Sera to follow, holding out a hand to catch her with.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera followed suit, though rather than using the body of the Rancor to propel herself up and onto the ledge she utilized the few lower ledges and balconies to first scale the more ground level floors before leaping up one final time towards the ledge where Vrak had climbed. Her hand fell into his as he caught her, allowing him to pull her up a ways before she scampered over the railing and out of reach from the violent creature below.

"Thanks."

The woman brushed the bit of dust that settled on her chest before looking back down at the Rancor. "Let's go find him."

With her lightsaber back in hand and ready she pushed open the door that led inside the building. A small light could be seen just outside the room that she stepped into, likely corridor ambient lighting whereas the room itself that she now stood in was in darkness. Where they were in the building was a mystery, though this room in particular looked to be rather unused. There was an emptiness about it, a notable lack of furniture or furnishings, and a cold air lingered as green eyes looked about for any sign of danger.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

They wandered down teh hall of the citadel, and with each step Vrak couldn't help but feel...off. His lips thinned slightly, his gaze dropped towards the floors. They seemed uneven, stretched almost. Sith magic perhaps. There was no real way to tell.

Then a light flickered up ahead.

"Vrak."

The voice rang out within his ears. It was Berelin of course, there was no question to it. The Sith Lord grasped his lightsaber tighter, his eyes wandering towards the light. He briefly glanced towards Seraphina as they crested through a large archway. Beyond it stood three men. A pureblood at their center, a male Twi'lek, and a Human to the right. Vrak watched them for a moment, then eyed the odd altar within the center of the room before them. "Let's not mince words."

Vrak said as his lightsaber burst into life. The Councilor for the Sphere of War seemed to shirk slightly at the words, as if he had expected some grand speech or monologue. Vrak however didn't have time for such things. He wanted this Kaggath done with. He knew this own forces were being slowly wiped out over Korriban, and the faster he killed Berlin the faster this would be done.

Without another word Vrak charged forward.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The sound of Berilin's voice carried through the air, filled with a sickening honey as the syllables were uttered beneath poisonous venom. The Twi'lek's expression turned sour behind the veil obscuring her face. Face to face with the man himself, and two seemingly guards at either side, one of which were a fellow Twi'lek made her anger flare like wildfire. The muscles in her back popped from her flexing of shoulders. Teeth bared free outside lips.

Twin blades fell into pink palms, igniting in a furious upheaval, casting a darkened glow of light around her body.

In tandem with Vrak she stormed forward towards the three. Berilin she would leave to Vrak, but the Twi'lek and subordinate human would find themselves at the hot end of her plasma swords. In the blink of an eye she fell upon them without a single word. There was nothing to say. They had each chosen their fates, and now they would forfeit their lives in the coming moments.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

He moved fast, though surprisingly Berilin moved faster.

The Older Pureblood drew his weapon in a flash, the beam of the lightsaber igniting instantly and clashing with Vrak's saber-staff. The two men scowled at one another, The Councilor for War letting out a stunted roar and he tried to push back against his younger counter part. For a moment Vrak just lingered, staring the other man in the eyes before taking a single step back. Berilin took the opportunity to lash out, slicing his blade low in an attempt to cut off Vrak's leg.

Saber-staff clashed with lightsaber in the nick of time, free hand rushing forward to grab the mans throat.

The Councilor For War let out a gnashing sound, his words stuck in his throat. Sparks rolled across Vrak's fingers, and then suddenly surged through the other Pureblood. The two men struggled as lightning began to flood the room, bouncing and sparking off the floor, walls, and everything else.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The two subordinates charged Sera, each one brandishing a deep red lightsaber in their hands. The distance between the three closed in a short breath, and a concoction of snapping and hissing from the three plasma swords began to echo throughout the room upon collision. Unlike her human opponent, the Twi'lek opposite her understood her people's singular weakness, and rather than attempt to fight a battle of blades, instead reached forward with his free hand to take violent hold of the woman's lek.

Quickly turning her head the woman shoulder tackled the man, throwing herself and her momentum into him. This broke her away from the other man, knocking both she and the Twi'lek to the ground with a thud. A quick scramble for weapons ensued, with Seraphina scooping up hers almost simultaneously. The human drove his blade down towards her, blocked by a scissor like defense made from the floor.

Pink leg rose, driving her foot and boot square between the man's legs. The connection was obvious as he stumbled back in writhing pain, affording her the time to stand back up and again block the follow up strike from the Twi'lek. With a quick maneuver of her wrist the red blade fell to her side, where she had opportunity enough to sink her secondary blade through the man's back. A silent gasp fell from his lips before he fell to the floor.

Deep green eyes glared back at the human who had recomposed himself.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

They were locked into place.

One sending charge after charge of lightning forth and the other desperately attempting to catch and disperse it. The two pureblood scowled at one another, Vrak pressing his lightsaber forwards and against the other mans blade. Lightning poured from his other hand, singing his fingers and causing pain to spike up the nerves of his arm. His digits tightened for a moment, and then Beralin finally fought back. The Older man pushed, and then his palm flatted.

The force flew from him, sending Vrak hurtling back against the far wall. He struck the heavy duracrete pillar with a loud thud, crashing to the ground a second later. His lightsaber tumbled away from him, rolling half-way across the room.

A moment later Berelin charged, bounding forward with his own blade drawn. The Pureblood jumped down towards Vrak, slashing at the ground. The Sith hurled himself to the right, rolling and extending his palm to draw his lightsaber towards him. The saber-staff tumbled through the air then smacked against his palm, igniting with a loud snap-hiss. As soon as the blade sprang to life Vrak charged forward and the two Sith once again locked in combat.

This time there was no out pour of lightning, instead they were locked within bouts of lightsaber combat.

Vrak went on the assault, striking again and again and pushing the other Sith back towards the far wall.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

A wad of spit flew from the lips of her deeply dissatisfied opponent. One of five lives within the room having been snuffed out fueled the rage dwelling within his chest. Two steps towards Sera and he swung hard, as if the saber were a bat, first to the left, then the right then from above. Each time the Twi'lek caught the blade and drove it away with one, then the other lightsaber in her hands. A quick manipulation of the Force and the man drew the fallen Twi'lek's blade to him, evening the field between himself and the pink assassin.

The two blades collided again and again, flashes of red on red against the floor and the wall.

Green eyes diverted attention for a moment from her own battle as Vrak was sent across the room and into the wall a ways away, before rolling away and re-engaging Berelin. Legs would have carried her towards him to protect him, but she was halted in her advance by the man before her. A snarl escaped her lips as she locked sabers again.

With a push of strength she released herself from the man, took a single step back, and then left arm shot outwards, sending her weapon into a spiraling motion towards Berelin's back. Perhaps he would see it coming, but perhaps a momentary diversion would be enough for Vrak to overwhelm and undermine his concentration.

Seeing the opening, the man used his two weapons to strike at Sera. One in either direction cut towards her midsection.

With no way to block both, her arms shot downwards, bracers catching the sabers on either forearm. Much to the man's surprise, an immediate resistance was found, and in a short second, the crimson plasma faded from existence, a short burst of sparks from the emitter indicating a malfunction. Cortosis. It had its' uses in a pinch, such as not getting your limbs severed.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

The Sith Lord turned, a mistake he would soon regret.

The elder Pureblood had to disengage from Vrak, pulling away and letting his lightsaber slide so that he could use it to bat away the blade that Seraphina had sent flying towards him. Vrak saw the opening and he instantly took it.

During an ordinary Kaggath this would have been disallowed, in fact the move would have been enough to see Vrak's head on a pike. Yet that hardly mattered. No one would leave this fortress alive, and as soon as he walked into the Council chamber with Berelin's head no one would dare question him. The Pureblood struck forward, his Saber-staff flicking low and twirling. His elder opponent let out a howling roar, calf caught by a heated beam of plasma.

In an instant the other Sith tumbled to the floor.

Seraphina's blade was sent clattering to the ground, but the moment Berelin fell Vrak pressed his attack. A foot launched forward, kicking the older Pureblood's wrist to send his lightsaber flying away. The life winked out of it as it went crashing against the far wall.

"WAIT!"

Berelin's voice echoed through the chamber, but Vrak gave him no opportunity for Mercy. The saber-staff swept forward, and in one quick motion he severed the Council members head.

In the say heartbeat Vrak turned, his free hand rising as he saw Seraphina's now disarmed opponent. A surge of power floated through him, lightning coursed across his fingertips and bounded towards the last remaining opponent. With a single powerful strike the man was sent tumbling to the floor.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

As the man was sent to the ground in a writhing agony, muscles refusing to act, leaving him temporary paralyzed, Sera shot a quick glance towards Vrak, noting that Berilin had been dispatched in the moments between her spinning blade and the human's attempt to sever her torso from her body. A simple nod his way before turning back to the man on the floor. Several whispered syllables were murmured as he tried to speak words of plea and mercy.

A silent shake of her head was all the answer he'd receive before invisible hands of the Force strangled him to death in the coming seconds.

Only after his heart had ceased beating did she release the hold around his throat. Turning back she retrieved her weapon from the floor nearby where it had fallen, replacing them both by her sides on either hip. Green eyes fell to Vrak, a pink hand pulling away the veil from her face to reveal the smirk on her lips. "You're welcome." She razzed. "Looked like you needed some help."

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

He gave her a disapproving stare.

"He would have fallen." Vrak assured her, defending his own ego while batting her assault to the side. The Pureblood had been fairly confident in his bout with the older man, mostly because of his youth. He frowned for a moment however as he looked at the Councilor's severed head, glancing towards Seraphina for a moment before kicking it towards the center of the room. It rolled there for a moment, stopping directly in front of the odd alter.

"Rest assured." The Pureblood said as he wandered towards her, his lightsaber finding the hook on his belt. "You'll not lose your palaces yet."

They weren't hers of course, but at this point they might as well have been. Seraphina stayed within his palaces around the Caldera more often than he did. Most of the time she could afford to rest and wait until he assigned her another task, while he himself was administering the Empire itself. His hands settled on her hips as he finally found his way across the room, his fingers tightening to pull her close. "Things will become far more interesting now."

He told her quietly.

"For the both of us." There was a finality to his words, as if by this move he had sealed their fates.