Private Wrongful Crusade

[Eric Drasmus]

LOCATION: Teta

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History had patterns.. they repeated, again, and again, and again. Eric knew well the cycle, and yet here he was, on his way to the Teta system. Word had come that a Dark Side Cult, The Krath were having a resurgence. The Jedi Knight decided a message needed to be sent to these witches, one of whom had recently been on Dathomir, in what reports called a major cataclysmic event. Eric was on his own, no permissions from The Council, he was rogue, tiring of waiting. He should be at the front lines, fighting the Sith, he would be, save that he knew their game.. their invasions were a pattern as well. No, if there was going to be Balance in the Force, there needed to be an total victory over one of the Dark Enclaves, a shattering of the shadows. And so he had come to Teta, a place where Jedi had come long ago, eons even, and faced this Cult, and yet still here it was.. entrenched, and thriving.

The Jedi Starfighter came out of hyperspace, and descended towards the planet. Its arrow head shape piercing through clouds of shadow, that had great bolts of lightning striking as if hands where stretching out.. yeah.. this was the right place alright.
The vessel set down near a clearing on the outskirts of the great city. There the storm seemed to swirl, clouds stretching down near a henge of upright stones of finest white, The Jed Knight descending the ramp as he came to it and he heard a voice,
"A Jedi.. bold of you to come to Teta."
Taking his saber hilt, he immolated the bright peridot green blade and held it, his long turquoise robe flowing in the strong wind system around the henge.
"I mean you no harm Jedi.."
Emerging was short woman with long white braids coming from a black hood, and her eyes gilded as finest gold.
"I am merely curious what draws you here.. it has long been since your kind came here."
Keeping his eyes fixed on her, he held his blade at a low guard and said,
"I have heard whispers.. whispers of a cult here on Teta."
The Old Woman gave a smile,
"A cult you say? How strange."
Eric began to pace around the Old Hag, his weapon poised as a spear, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"What can you tell me about the Krath?"
The Old Woman chuckled,
"Oh that.. they are long gone.. destroyed so many ages ago that few remember."
The Jedi Knight was more gruff with his next words,
"I think you are trying to decieve me Madam.. I know the Krath are back, one was responsible for an incident on Dathomir."
The Old Hag chuckled some more,
"Oh that.. imitators.. child's play, youths from Teta dabbling in some black magic and trying to scare folks."
He gave her a stern look,
"Nightsisters do not scare easily.. there were witnesses, and I have come to bring them to justice."
The Old Woman began to cackle, letting out such a laugh, she bent her head into her chest,
"Oh.. haha.. my dear Jedi.. I am amused by how your kind throws that word around so wistfully! The Galaxy has not known justice ever.. in that you are deceived. It simply is a cycle that keeps repeating over and over, light and dark, overtaking one another on a cosmic board. I suspect you believe you will come and bring a triumph for the light here.. there was one before you who thought the same, he came and he failed.. becoming one with the Darkness."
Eric raised his blade up to his side,
"I am not that man.. where he failed I shall not."
She gave a grin,
"We shall see Jedi.. we shall see. Now if you please.. put out the mighty fire and come.. we shall see if you have what it takes to remain in the Light.."
Eric deactivated his lightsaber, and clipping the ring to his belt as he began to walk with the Hag. Already this seemed.. ominous, she probably was a scout or pawn of this Cult to lure him into a trap.

 

[Eric Drasmus]

The Hag lead the Jedi into the City:

The great stone structures were a testament to Teta, that they were still in use so many eons since they had been built. The Markets were full of people, all of which gave glances at the Jedi, who the Hag led.
"You must pardon their curiosity.. they have not seen a Jedi in some time."
Eric could feel it.. the strong poles here in the Force, particularly the Dark, it seemed the entire planet was draped in it, much like the buildings with the flags of the royals that called this planet theirs.
"If you want to know about cults.. you need to meet Sahira Keto , she is quite an expert in the Krathcraft."
Eric with a very gruff voice said,
"Take me to her."
The Hag nodded,
"Though.. beware Jedi. Even these Youths with their anemic power can leave a mark.."
The Short Old Woman lead him through the market to tower at the harbor, there great banners of purple unfurled and blew in the wind, she pointing to them leading out on to a boardwalk into the sea.
"Follow the flags.. and you shall find her. Remember Jedi these occultists are not to be underestimated.. you go at your own peril."
The Jedi turning,
"Thanks for the warning," he said with a manner and bearing of surliness, making the Hag chuckle,
"I like you Jedi.. I hope you survive,"

With that The Jedi Knight began to walk the boardwalk, as he followed the regal banners, there became less and less people, those that he did encounter seemed.. heavy, with some untold weight bearing them down as anchors. He could feel it.. some sort of sorcery. He now came to its end, the waves beginning to lap over in a roar, the sky in a thick black cloud as bolts fell like gnarled hands beckoning to him. As he took another step, a wave drew up and rising out of it was a figure in black with blades and mask, it landed on the deck and began to a flurry of cuts, Eric using his hands with the Force to redirect and push they tips of those daggers away, the assassin did a cartwheel, and then corkscrew, contorting its body as it came at him. He stop them in mid air and then threw them back into the waves that came up as if to catch them. Another wave lapped over and another of these Shadow Shinobis began to swing its curved sword at him, he drawing up his lightsaber hilt and blocking it with his blade that appeared instantaneously, the green glow bathing the attack and him as he then broke off and raising the weapon with both hands over his head let fall his avalanche of attack, that made this warrior retreat in three back flips into the surf. Eric stood, his hair wet, and his clothes soaked, as another wave came carrying a boat, upon it was three figures who let bolts fly, purple which he began redirect with twirl of his blade of hot peridot kyber, sending one back at the front boatmen and making them smoke and fall into the waves.

This was quite the welcome party...

 

[Eric Drasmus]

The waves carrying these corsairs kept crashing on the pier, and Eric made his way to the final boat at dock, its great lavander sails made ready to caste off, with his saber he leapt into the air, and landed on the deck as the anchor was pulled up, and deck hands stood ready with clubs, and one had a slugthrower. The Jedi held his burning kyber, poised to cut them down, when there was snap, from the bow a figure stood in dark gray robes, a hood over their head as they looked out at sea, they snapped gnarled fingers, and the crew began to cease their attack of Eric. Keeping his blade immolated, he made his way past them, they were not badly kept hands, they wore purple capes, and brass gorgets, some of them had the finest trimmed beards he had seen outside The Order.

Moving through this sea of face he came to the One he had made them all stand down, his blade still humming as he poised the tip at them.
"You must be Sahira. The Old Madam spoke of you, said you would lead me to the Krath."
His blade crackled and hummed louder and louder as if responding to something, when the figure turned, two gilded eyes peering at him from the darkness of the hood. The Jedi Knight was not afraid, though he should be.. or at the very least be even more guarded. He felt it at once, something trying to slip into his mind, it was like an arrow, a bolt searing his mind. And he resisted as he made an attempt to not cry out, they were trying to invade, to read his thoughts and the pain was severe, it took all his fortitude not to give them satisfaction, as he felt the worm trying to tunnel through the recesses of his brain.

Eric looking with eyes that burned like kyber,
"What are you searching for Witch? What do you think you will find? There is no place therein that harbors a den for your craft.."
He began to advance, which made he step back, he was resisting, as he pointed his blade at her neckline.
"If this is the dark side.. I am disappointed. Is this prob all you can conjure Sorceress? Where is the more brilliant displays of your power?"
He was goading her, provoking her, just as he felt the serpent in his mind travel, he was trying to get her to strike, like a cobra, so that he would have the just cause to retaliate.
"Come on.. I can feel your anger.. let it out.. strike! Let's see what Krath's might to a Jedi is."
He gave a smirk, she in his haste to wrangle his mind, had given him a tether to her own intent, and he was using it against her. He could sense her every feeling as she had made the link in haste. His eyes burning with the indignation of a true Knight ready to put this foe in their place.

 

[Sahira Keto]

She felt it at once.. that familiar burn of the Light. It drew closer and closer as the sun is want to do, and she recoiled, moving to the front of the ship to draw on the darkness of the clouds above and the waves of the sea. Looking out to the great ocean she felt some comfort, out there one was at the mercy of the Storm, and only the strongest would make passage. She felt him board her ship, and sensing his intent, that he would kill them all, she snapped her index and thumb finger on her mechanical right hand. The hand that was lost to that abominable weapon that fell on her on Dathomir.

As he drew closer she turned, seeing The Jedi face to face was a pleasure. Few of them ever came to Teta, its history of destroying the Qel Dromas enough to keep most Jedi away. That was how they were, afraid of the Dark, though this one was different, he carried himself with a sense of purpose and when she reached out to use her kraft, a rite known as a Drain Knowledge, this would have a duo effect, allow her to know her enemy and do him some harm. As the invisible serpent of ghastly purple lunged and stuck his mind, she found it was as if trying to get through durasteel. And once inside, she did not find his memories accessible, he was resisting her.. how? What kind of Jedi was this man? And then he began to bait her.. mocking her power as feeble, taunting her, making the wave of her ire rise up inside her till she could hold back no more. She thrust her hand, one after another as if making a serpent, touching the index, middle, and thumb together, she watched as they did knock his face side to side, and yet.. each time those eyes came back to look into hers.. his face painted with victorious grin.
"You wish to know the power of the dark side Jedi? So be it! Taste the Ulimited Power of the Dark!"
Extending her hand, a current formed around his palm and then fed to her tips, and a bolt of deep purple lightning struck The Jedi and threw him to the Stern, where landed, smoke rising from his body, the crew gathered as if a procession to her power, her standing behind them as she removed her hood in glee.
"You underestimated the power of the Krath!"
The Crew began to cheer, preparing their clubs and Cosair Vibro Swords to let fall on him and finish the Jedi off, when as they dropped their wood, and metal, they hit a field that threw them back, at this point Sahira had turned back to the Bow, her long flowing black hair as if a banner blowing in the wind, when she turned her pale face, his gilded eyes narrowing to look at The Jedi.

 

[Eric Drasmus]

Eric at last had struck the nerve he intended, and she let him have a measure of the power the Sith coveted. The bolt with its push threw him to the back of the ship, he he collapsed on his knees, smoking rising from his chest, and the crew all deciding to do her job for her. They beat at him with their clubs and blades, all of which met an invisible field, absorbing the blows and making them all step back and tremble. Looking up, his brown bangs flowing, he met her gaze as he rose up and extended his hand, each finger stretching out, and balls of white lights with a tinge of emerald rose and became bolts that dug into the crew members, turning them briefly bright white, and showing skulls, ribe cages, and limbs of bone in black as they fall began to fall down before him prostrate, their bodies had a steam rising from them, and their hearts were stilled.. The Jedi Knight drawing closer to The Krath Witch with his hand poised to let more bolts fly, she saw her conjuring her own, and another bolt of purple came at her arching as if gnarled branch was falling upon him and he dove, extending and letting the current of his Judgement latch on to her and began to raise her up in the bolt of green and white, and then she let out a scream as her skeleton in black was shown and she fell on the deck, smoke rising from her body.

Walking over to her Eric drew his saber hilt in one hand and igniting the peridot green flame held it to her neck. Her eyes for a moment closed and then opening to look up at him.
"Now you know the Power of the Light. You will take me to your Cult.. or you will die. Do not think that because I am a Jedi, I am above cutting down an unarmed woman.. not that you witches are ever unarmed.."
His eyes contained a measure of green flame, a rage that was not as the Sith knew, this was the fury of countless souls that had been tormented, tortured, abused, and seen their worlds burn. A rage that make recompense for what the sons and daughters of darkness had done. This was not revenge, it was a reckoning, and Eric intended to show those who thought they were safe in the shadows, that any moment the Light could come and expose them, and bring judgement upon them...

 

[Sahira Keto]

The Jedi rose and to her great shock he took down her entire crew with a form of lightning she had not seen before. All of the deck hands were smoking and incapacitated. She drew her one organic hand to caste a bolt, she did, and he somehow evaded it. What happened next was a blurr, she felt a searing heat, and her body raised for a moment into the cold crisp air hat became as needles when combined with the burning inside her from the electrical shock. She fell on the deck, and let out a gasp, her long raven black hair disheveled, and wet, her body shaking as if she had been dropped into the ocean itself. Then she felt the heart of his saber, poised at his neck and another threat. She had clearly underestimated this Jedi. He demanded she take him to the Krath, and she began to contemplate how their numbers could overwhelm him.
Giving a response she said,
"So be it Jedi.. I will.. take you to them."
She was unable to rise yet, laying there,
"You must take hold of the rudder, and steer us out to sea.. my people are on a Island."

She gave slight smirk as she watched him go to the back of the ship, she was unable to assail him in her state, perhaps one of the reasons he had demonstrated this power in the first place, that did not matter. Once with her Sisters, their combined power would overwhelm him, and she would make him The Sacrifice to the dark side...

 

[Eric Drasmus]

The Jedi Knight content that she was subdued both in body and spirit, made his way to the Stern of the ship and began to take hold of the rudder, the sail doing the rest of the work for there was a fair wind. They were heading out into the ocean, far from the city of Teta. It made sense a Cult would be on an island, there they could ensure better control of their indoctrination. This Witch had shown some skill, though she was arrogant, expecting him to be as ephemeral as some Jedi. So many of those youths now did not carry a warrior's bearing, they were little better than pencil pushers with lightsabers and they elicited no awe, no fear in the dark siders. That was what Eric had made his mission, to teach their enemies the Light was to be something to fear, or since the Council did not like that word, revere and respect.

The sail across the waves was rather calm for the storm brewing in the air, the thick black clouds as if reaching down, and bolts even striking the waters, sending a geyser of water into the air. They were coming to something where the water was beginning to churn and he using the Force pulled the Witch to the wheel and said,
"What is that?!"

He was not afraid, she would sense no trace of worry, rather in its place was a fury, he knew that these occultists had tendency to uses crafts and he wanted to rule this out as thus. He began to create more current in his finger tips at her neck,
"I will ask you again.. tell me what is ahead or I shall make you burn once more!"
His voice was laced with an almost Reek like gruffness, and his eyes conveyed that he was not making mere threats, that he would without hesitation caste her back into Judgement, and burn her till she spoke.

 

[Sahira Keto]

Sahira let out a gasp as she was caste on to the wheel and under his power, a part of her was rather aroused, so forceful, she was the one who was use to inflicting this kinda of behavior on others. She looking into his eyes could see that emerald like flame, it reminded her of the Nightsisters on Dathomir, though this was not Magic, this was The Force in a form she had not seen, it was not the dark side either, for she knew it well. Was this as he said? The Light? If so she had never seen it this way, and it intrigued her. He was threatening her again, she saw the bolts beginning to form on his finger tips,
"That is the way.. the path to our island.. you must fall."

She saw that he was not convinced by her words,
"The only way to where you seek is to let the ship be taken by the ring.. resist and you destroy us.. you must surrender to it Jedi."
She gave a smile as she looking more closely at his finger tips,
"Tell me Jedi, what is this power? I have never seen one of your kind use it.. it reminds me of what I wielded against you.. though it is not from the Dark."
She was inquisitive, that was her nature, and to be this close to a Jedi without spilling his blood was a rare thing. The ship was beginning to be taken by the cyclone, the circle of churning water, she looking him in the eyes as she raising her mechanical hand wich malfunctioned, the tips of her gnarled fingers touching his cheek.
"If you want to know the Krath.. to truly face us, you must plunge into the shadow of the sea."
She was getting a little repetitious, but she needed him to not destroy this vessel and have them lost at sea. She already was too weak to swim, and the prospect of falling into sea as their ship splinters would mean certain death. She was at his mercy, and so she was using all her kraft to try and convince him to do what would save them both.

 

[Eric Drasmus]

So they were headed into a whirlpool, a phenomenon of the seas that could take a ship down beneath into shadow and it would pop up somewhere else, perhaps many miles away. The Witch was telling him this was the way, the means to come to the island she had promised. He felt skeptical as he looked into her eyes, she was being rather adamant that this was the only path to the destination where her Cult dwelt. He gave a out a sigh and said,
"Very well.. if this is a ruse or you try anything with your witchcraft.. I will kill you."
He tone was absolutely cruel.
When made inquiry about his power, she scoffed,
"You would not understand witch.. you dabble in black magic, and think the darkness is your ally. You could never fathom my power even if I explained it to you."
Taking some rope, he grabbed her by the mechanical arm and too her to the mast, and began to bind her to it.
"I know you cannot swim in this state.. this binding will save your life. I would let you drown, but I need a guide and hostage when we meet your Cult."
His words were so cold, bearing not an ounce of feeling, as if she was simply a droid that he was bothered to have to make companion. Eric treated many of the Dark persuasion thus, to him they will little more than animals, they let their baser passions control them and loose havoc on the galaxy. If only the acolytes of the dark side could be utterly wiped out, then perhaps they would at last have peace...

 

[Sahira Keto]

His agreement to enter the ring, the gateway to her people made her smile, her white teeth bearing and her gilded eyes squaring on him.
He made new threats, to which she motioned her mechanical arm, the only limb working,
"I promise I shall not try anything.. well in the manner of harming you, that will come later when you will ask me to."
She was beginning to use her charm, her rather sadistic charm.
When he told her that she would not understand the power he wielded, that was probably fair, if it was the Light then she was its enemy, and thus could not access it, though her curosity was peaked, if only to better understand her enemy.

When he took her and began to bind her with cord to the mast, she let out,
"Ooh kinky.. you going to gag me too? It has been a while since I was bound thus by such a handsome and strong one."
She was beaming with a smile, her allusions were clearly not about being prisoner of an enemy, rather it was well her flirting. She had made many conquests, her power allowing her to connect to the feelings of others and manipulate them to her purposes. This Jedi however, had resisted her power which made him a real challenge. A part of her hoped that when they got the Island of Krath, that there would be time to torment him and try and pierce his defenses.