Corrupting A Soul (Invite)

[Will]

''I am not holding her. She can merely leave, if she wishes. You, however.'' Zamiel slammed Santoro into a wall, a ring of durasteel pellets orbitiong him. He fired them all, following behind to hamstring his opponent. The Jedi thought he could instill fear into Zamiel. One of the most foolish mistakes to make.

 

[Santoro]

Using his trademark speed, Santoro swiped his lightsaber in a downward arc, the durasteel pellets falling away. The Jedi spun and allowed the molten metal to hit the wall, and he paced in a large circle, in the ready position. He simply smiled, expanding his focus, keeping a close eye on all four of the other people in the room.

"Adriana, you have transport waiting outside. Please, make this easy on me and go, I don't think I can handle four opponents at once."

 

[Emma Lou]

Adriana just looked at both of them and then left. She did not want to argue with him and she was tired of being on this place.

 

[Will]

Zamiel nodded as the door opened, and swung shut with ultimate final force. Zamiel turned to the man whom he had let into the little play he had organised. ''I do so love it when the dark side finds another.'' He said in a mocking tone. ''Fools like her are so easy to twist, to bend, to break '' As he said the last word, Zamiel knocked Santoro to the floor, letting him get back up.

 

[Santoro]

And he did so. Santoro stood with grace, and simply faced his opponent, his lightsaber held out in a neutral offensive stance, leaning forward slightly, the weapon clutched between his two hands.

"Notice she didn't kill me. She wasn't broken, only tainted, and thats easy to fix. I don't want to kill you, Sith, not right now- I'd much rather do it with that bomb I planted on the way in, when I'm safely back on Coruscant." He grinned, and took a few cautious steps forward, closing the gap between them. He focused the Force around him like a shield, intended to deflect away any telekinetic attacks, forcing pure swordsmanship to the inevitable conflict.

------Elsewhere------

Caden stood at the end of the hallway, blaster pistol drawn in his left hand, his vibrorapier in his right. His combat droid, Diz, came around the corner, his heavy repeater blaster still smoking. The passage was clear to the Phoenix, thanks to the new hole in the wall. The pirate turned, and caught sight of Adriana. He sheathed his sword, and ran to her, putting a hand on her arm.

"We've got to get out of here, come on."

 

[Emma Lou]

Adriana pulled away from him with some force. As she did he could see all the cuts on her body from the Akegata. She did not want to leave Santoro, because he had come to save her, but she did not want to stay either.

"We can't leave him"

 

[Santoro]

"Sure, we can stay here and die, and then everything he's done was in vain, or we can get on the Phoenix as planned, he escapes as planned, and you two kiss and make up as planned. Sound good?" Caden nudged her along the right path one more time, nodding for his battle droid to escort her to the ship.

"Tell Hoppy to get out the medkit, too, get ready to dress those cuts."

 

[Emma Lou]

Adriana finally followed his up the ramp. He was right. She did not need to dress her wounds though, they would heal.

"The cuts are fine. I do not need anything for them"

 

[Will]

The katyen stood in the shadows of the ship, the bomb Santoro himself had planted in his hands. He silently set it to the hull, and slipped away, hidden. He had scanned the girls mind, making sure that dark whisperings were still present.

* * *​

''You mean the bomb that is now on your own ship? I think not. It's been rewired. You won't be setting it off now. And there is a comlink damper in this rooms very walls. You won't be warning them. Now, attack me, because i'm fine with killing you.'' Zamiel held his weapons ready, pellets orbiting his head like a crown.​

 

[Santoro]

"Aw, let's just stop the charade- there is no bomb." Santoro grinned, and stood, holding his lightsaber casually at his side. "You darksiders and your lies, never fails to amuse. When would I have time to plant a bomb?" He shook his head, disengaging his lightsaber.

"Here's the thing. You may have no problem killing me, but you also have no reason, and you're not a stupid man. Sure, you can strike me down... But then what? Then, you still lost your apprentice-to-be, and you've got a big, bloody mess to clean up. I could go on, really, or you could just let me out that door, and we could talk philosophically later."


------Elsewhere------

With reluctance, Caden lifted off and out of their makeshift dock, kicking the Phoenix's thrusters onto full, pressing him firm against the seat. Hoppy whirred in displeasure as they broke the atmosphere, and disappeared into the nothingness of hyperspace.

 

[Will]

''No.'' Zamiel fired the durasteel pellets, like bullets, and charged. One would hit. He would have to prioritise. He did hate the forntal charge, but philistines need to be treated as such.

 

[Santoro]

Daniel Santoro did not switch on his lightsaber. He did not raise his hands in defense, he hardly moved. A corner of his mouth twitched up, and he took a breath.

Time had slowed for the Corellian, or so it seemed. He saw the pellets fly, saw them accelerate in his direction, throwing the air aside. He couldn't help but laugh inside- it didn't matter. All those pellets could do was kill him- and he was no longer afraid of death.

Dan's mind flashed to his childhood, and growing up on Coruscant. He had always been a troublemaker in the Temple, leading his own little band of younglings through their trials, watching them one by one gain masters, and cheering them on. Suddenly, he was thirteen, and he still had not been claimed as a Padawan. It was his last chance- displaying his talents in front of Mur Matto- his first master. He won.

The Sith Wars broke out shortly. They were bloody, and they were bad... and Mur was taken from him. The war suddenly turned personal, and all he remembered was his rage. His frustration. His desperation. Then there was the Alpha One.

The mobile battle station developed for the Jedi, the Alpha One could be considered Santoro's first ship. He left the Jedi behind, forming his own sect of Fighting Jedi, and commandeering the station for his own purposes. His mind flashed to the strange avian/feline Jedi who guided him, Renvere, and his beautiful and powerful wife- Lee'aka. He remembered Ryan, and Jannus, and Till. He remembered the battle... And he remembered the crash.

Santoro remembered visions. Thoughts, images of slaughter. His friends were dying, and all he could do was watch. He was everywhere and nowhere at once- he was caught between life and death. He had grown then, steadied himself, become more powerful. Readied himself. Then, he returned, to find his visions had come true. He left the galaxy.

He remembered the Phoenix, and Hoppy, and the solitude. He remembered the strange Force-empty beings, and he remembered his meditations. Finally, he returned, and joined the Midnight Men. Then, he met her.

He remembered Adriana. Her smile, her laugh, and most of all her wit. He then remembered one key thing- that she was safe. It comforted him, made him stronger. He closed his eyes, and savored it, finally at peace.

Daniel Santoro was at peace when the durasteel bits hit him in the chest. He was at peace as he fell to the ground, his lightsaber arcing away from him lazily. He was at peace as he hit the floor, and he was at peace as consciousness slipped away. Santoro did not fear death- he had faced it, and he had overcome it.

 

[Will]

Zamiel could tell the ex-jedi was alive. He had hit healing stasis as soon as the pellets had entered his flesh. He didn't care. The seeds of the dark side were sown in the girl. ''Remove him.'' Zamiel stated, leaving the room.

The two Katyen took him to a mountain top, and left him, returning to their master. They had cut great gashes across his body and arms, as a reminder.

 

[Santoro]

Santoro did not fear death, because death had not called for him just yet. Close, surely... But not entirely. He opened his eyes, slowly, and tried to sit up. It was difficult. He rolled over, and felt a cold liquid on his body, and covering his face. Water? No... Too thick. Blood. HIS blood. He shuddered, and pushed himself up, resting on all fours. He sat back on his legs, and reached for his belt, feeling for his lightsaber... There it was. He smiled as best as he could, and then reached back a few inches, to his commlink. He tapped a combination on the keypad, and fell back to the ground, letting unconsciousness take him again.

The Eros lifted off of the ground, and flew at it's moderate speed towards Santoro's beacon. It's ramp lowered, and Diz, the combat droid, pulled the unconscious man aboard, and headed towards the atmosphere. Within the minute, the rickety ship made the jump to hyperspace.