Battle of Coruscant: Knock Down Drag out Street Fight

[Valen Pelora]

DRAMATIS PERSONAE
(POSTING ORDER/ 48 HOUR TIME LIMIT SYSTEM)
1. @Uleni as Pelinaryon Goh
2. @Irxirola Mishka as Irxirola Mishka
3. @Valen Pelora as Valen Pelora
4. @Aystil Baham as Aystil Baham
5. @Esther Nyx as Sigal Adi Chume'da
6. @The Living Daylights as Azalyn Sharzu
7. @TWD26 as Jinn Lo
OOC Thread

IC:

Progress was slow. The refuges were tired, bloody, and broken. He watched eyes glaze over as they walked forward in a haze. He could feel Sigal offering the refuges what comfort she could. He poured hope and strength into the Force, adding his voice to the Hapans. Deep in his mind he could feel his body protest. He ignored it. The Lightside roared through him, burning his body. The Force exhaustion was beckoning him but he would not yield. He would not falter until they were all safe. He had seen too much death, he would have no more.

His snapped to the present as Sigal cried out a warning. They were being watched. He heightened his awareness, spreading his mind wide in the Force. He urged the refugees to move faster. He took a deep breath of the Force, holding as much as he could stand. His mind searched, hunting for the familiar feeling. Fear. Anger. Hate. The Darkside. The Sith.

He sensed the Sith before the creature appeared. He felt the waves of hatred crashing over them. Infecting the refugees. Panic rose among them. The Lightside was his shield, he feared no Sith. The creature’s words were lost on Valen. He had served as Jedi for 23 years. He had seen and heard worse. The Sith were all the same. Monsters of the Darkside come to life, who prized titles, suffering and death. This one would fail as his brothers and sisters had before him. He would not be baited. Valen was finished with death.

Pain ripped through the Force as a refugee was gunned down. Screams rang inside his mind. He felt the mothers despair, he felt the pain, the suffering. The refugees were terrified. He had failed. He had promised, sworn, the Jedi would keep them safe. He promised no more death. He had failed. Raw visceral emotions filled the Force. He was stunned. He had put his faith in the Force. He had trusted the Lightside and it had failed him. He could not understand why the Force would allow this. Allow the genocide of millions. Allow the burning of Coruscant. Allow the fall of the Core. He was surrounded by failure.

In shock, he didn’t move when the Sith skied through the air towards Sigal. He was rooted to the street as the refugees fled for nearby cover. He didn’t move when Irx jumped to meet the challenge. He didn’t move as cries for help sounded. He was broken from his stupor only when Irx called out. He felt acceptance from the twi’lek, acceptance of death. No. No. No more. He would not lose Irx, he would not lose Sigal. His Lightsaber was alive in his hand, the Force coursing through him. He drank in the Lightside and pushed far past his limits.

He was one with the Force. He was a maelstrom of the Light surrounded by darkness. He saw the Sith locking sabers with Irx, he felt the man in the Force and he yanked. He pulled the Sith as hard as he could in the Force, enough to give Irx time to strike back. Valen scanned the streets. They had to keep moving.

“MOVE!” He wouldn’t leave Irx behind but they could not stay here. The refugees busted from cover and he fell in behind them. He reached out for Irx in the Force and tried to press upon him the need to keep moving. To follow behind them. He looked at Sigal and motioned for her to stay at the head of the group.

“IRX MOVE!” He shouted again as they took off towards the safety of the Walker.

 

[Aystil Baham]

There was a steady thrumming in Aystil's head, and it wasn't just from the bombs and blasters going off all around Coruscant.

The Dark Side was very present here, and it caused a chill to shiver down the human's spine. Even Aystil, a Sith by code, feared the tremendous power that the Dark Side contained. She stood in the shadows of a shop overhang, dust filtering down as the Sith ransacked the city. For a while, she chose to idly stand by. The Dark and Light tugged at her conscience in opposite directions, and a pang of sympathy struck her as Coruscant children ran for refuge. She ushered a few into the shop behind her, but she knew that safety there was only temporary.

Safety was always temporary, and she was on the side that caused such decimation. It ladened her with guilt, but she convinced herself over and over that she had made the right choice.

She knew that the destruction here on Coruscant was not entirely her fault... The Jedi had their place in this as well. They were supposed to be guardians, and they had failed these people. She couldn't deny that, but she could not hate them for that either. This chaos was part of her doing. She was not a brute; she didn't kill without good reason, but she was still closer to the Dark Side in actions than she was to the Light.

When the other Sith - who was slightly strange and unsettling in appearance - attacked the Jedi trio, she stepped out from the shadows. Her long, black hair was quickly revealed as the wind blew her black hood from her head, and her cape began to billow out to the side of her. In all truth, her alliance was not easily recognizable. She was clad in shades of gray and black, and she lifted her lightsaber out from its sheath at her side. With a Force powered switch, she turned it on and a violet blade extended from each end. Her twin-bladed saber swung low first, then high towards the already clashing Jedi and Sith's lightsabers. She was intercepting.

With any luck of breaking the two groups apart, she could speak first and allow the situation to be handled. She wanted the refugees to reach safety, but her loyalties stood with the Sith. If these Jedi attacked her, she would not hesitate to retaliate. Her gaze met the Sith's, one of allied promise, and then the Jedi's, a look that demanded explanation.

 

[Pam0wl]

The warning of foreboding dread came too late; their enemy was once again them on, just as Sigal had predicted. She cursed silently, having hoped they would have got the refugees further to safety before they were once again engaged. "Keep moving!" She urged them on, watching as Valen engaged with his enemy. As before, the hapan was reluctant to fully engage - her master had told them to keep pushing forward, even if it meant he was left behind. In the past, Sigal would have gladly left the -somewhat annoying- mirialan teacher. But the battle had changed them, had changed her, even if she was still unwilling to admit it. The hapan still wished to avoid direct conflict and battle but if push came to shove, she would be there to support her comrades. Fiercely.

For now, her progress slowed with the moving of the people. She kept ushering the wounded and fleeing on, whilst still keeping an eye fixed Valen. If they lived through this and he chastised her for it, she would simply state he told Irx to move; he gave no immediate instruction to Sigal. Ah, how she could find ways around the simplicity of speech.

But Sigal saw the violet double saber ignite, drawing her eye to an approaching female dressed in drab clothes, she first sighed with relief - believing her teacher was about to aided by another jedi. But then she sensed it; the underling darkness. It wasn't as pitch black as others she had sensed on Coruscant, but there was no mistake it. This female -however touched by light- was a sith. A brief flicker of alarm seized at her before Sigal battered it away. No. She would not become a victim of fear again; she was a jedi. The light allied itself with her -somewhat inconsistently at times- but still, the strength and will to fight was with her.

Time to -yet again- enter the fray.

The teenaged hapan immediate went to engage with her signature move; a powerful force shove, halting the black hairs advance. Sigal even angled herself just slightly in between the woman and the sparring duo. Though her eyes lingered on the progression of the refugees, her own purple saber was lit and readied - directly pointed at the grey clad sith. She expected the worst from the woman and was ready to engage in the unavoidable dance of combat. Already, Sigal began planning scenarios and options within her mind. She was familiar with the double sided saber, but not tremendously. However, with her Makashi Form II style, a single opponent should be manageable. Regardless of her inner thoughts, the blonde haired girl stepped forward, boasting and image of confidence and veiled aggression.

Focusing her amethyst eyed gaze directly on the sith, Sigal bared her teeth in a fierce display. "Get. Back."

 

[The Living Daylights]

Hidden within a horde of desperate refugees, Azalyn was trying her best to escape. She had successfully killed her master in secret; now she was free to return to Sith space without fear of someone hunting her. Such an exciting prospect. The Shi'ido had knocked out one of the refugees, then taken both her clothes and her form - a female Nautolan, blue and of slightly above average height and the suppleness of a Twi'lek dancer. Her clothes were also surprisingly adequate, and she wore them over the black garments she had been wearing beforehand. Perfect. Even now, the Shi'ido could sense conflict in the Force. The fighting hadn't stopped; her senses even told her that there was some fighting in her vicinity. Azalyn kept herself alert and ready for the slightest sign of danger.

Unfortunately, the refugee procession was slowing. Azalyn tried pushing past some of the refugees, but the throng was simply overwhelming. Short of simply butchering as many of them as she could, there wasn't a way to force her way through the mob to get to her starship. Their desperation and other emotions formed a powerful shield in their minds that made mind controlling them too much of a chore. The easiest and least conspicuous way would be to --

A blast stymied the movement of the procession altogether, and there were gasps and shrieks as the refugees parted around a man who had fallen victim to the fire - except for an old woman, who rushed to cradle the dead man. Sensing that the old woman's hope had been replaced with utter despair, Azalyn couldn't help but smile at her weakness. Then she felt the terror from all of the refugees in response to the man's death. The scent of their fear was... intoxicating. No doubt the attack had been directed by the Sith. Azalyn could smell the smug satisfaction in the Force. She knew there was someone else enjoying it as much as she was. Looking towards the direction of the blast, she spotted a Sith with a blood-red blade leap towards a Jedi - and another Jedi leap to intervene. Jedi? Azalyn could barely suppress mocking laughter. They couldn't even stop the refugees from being gunned down. The "protectors of the peace". Utterly pathetic.

As enjoyable as it was to take in the horror of the refugees, a fight between the Jedi and Sith interested her more. Azalyn hadn't actually come to Coruscant to do battle with the Jedi, but the opportunity had presented itself. There were three Jedi, and their exhaustion was palpable in the Force. This was a golden chance to slaughter them like farm animals. Not to mention that it was currently a one-on-three between the Jedi and Sith. Time to even the odds, Azalyn thought with unashamed glee.

She had barely got the thought through her mind when a pair of purple blades suddenly materialized and a human female swing at both the Jedi and Sith. Was she against them both? No, she has both light and dark in her... and conflict. A foolish and vain effort to reason with the two, then. The refugees had scattered in response to the blast; breaking away from them to join the fight would not be difficult in the slightest. Azalyn began to run towards the fight, barely noticing a few scattered cries of "What are you doing?" and "Come back!" from behind her. The refugees probably thought she was trying to get revenge against the Sith... or the Jedi. Azalyn called upon the dark side to obfuscate her presence in the Force, and slowed down her pace to a walk. It was time to give the Jedi a surprise.

Azalyn's eyes narrowed on one of the Jedi - a female - she was now close enough to discern her as a Hapan. She seemed to be the most tired of the three, so she could offer the least resistance. Her shrieks would be the most enjoyable. She was intently focused on the human female who had intervened in the Jedi and Sith's fight. And the Hapan girl had drawn her own purple blade. Good. She was distracted - she still hadn't sensed Azalyn's approach. Unclipping her double-bladed lightsaber with her right hand, Azaln ignited the two orange-red blades, but even as she did so, she raised her left hand and send out a fork of Sith Lightning towards the Hapan Jedi's back. The sound of electricity coruscating through the air masked the low growl of Azalyn's saberstaff igniting. She wanted the Hapan to be taken completely by surprise, but she didn't want to kill her immediately. She was going to enjoy this first.

 

[TWD26]

Muse for this Post
​

Dark shadows danced across the dimly lit plain as a purple blurry aura could be seen rising up into the darkness above. Through the blurry flashes the translucent outline of various men could be seen scattered throughout the dark plane--while a lone unknown body could be seen engulfed inside of the purple energy. There were a few groans and the ground shifted below, causing the body to rise into the air, as the purple energy was pulled towards a large mouth like structure that protruded out the darkness. In a matter of moments the energy was devoured by the dark mouth, shriveling and decaying the body that was floating in the air. There was another rumble and darkness reigned over the landscape--leaving the silhouettes of the men gathered throughout the confines of the space. "Rest...it's over now."

So it's finally over after four days...Jinn's eyes opened from his rested position and looked around. The vile stench of decaying sewage was heavy in the city's sewage pipelines, which the Sith had been dormant in for four days as the ritual took place. The dredge below Jinn's feet trembled as a distant boom and shaking could be felt. An earthquake on this planet... he paused as he focused his senses. The sound of blaster fire could be heard faintly in the distance. This doesn't appear to be an everyday occurrence, I suppose it's time to be leaving.

His shark like teeth clenched down together as his feet sloshed through the thick gooey water towards the exit of the sewage line. As he approached the sound of all out war could be heard in full affect, the presence of light and darkness could be felt, followed by the anguish of thousands of lives crying out. The former sith brought his hands up towards his eyes as he looked out from the high rise above towards the lower streets below. Thousands of civilians could be seen rushing away from the direction of blaster shots followed by the illumination of various crimson lightsabers. Hmm... His grey eyes narrowed as he noticed various hues clashing against the obvious Sith below. He closed his eyes, "So the Sith are attacking the Core now, and the Jedi are attempting to stop such threats," he spoke to himself. "Maybe Draxxon isn't crazy after all and his little plan might work." His eyes focused in, ignoring the screams and pleas for help, Don't worry you all will be spared and given eternal peace in due time, I know what I must do. His eyes closed for a few moments, "Remember to capture one of them alive for the ritual..."

The former sith slowly brought his hands up towards his face, clasping them together. He felt the particles of water from the sewage behind him and began to bend them in the force, dropping the temperature and molding it with his mind. Slowly a thick mist began to form behind him and slowly snaked out of the hanging drains towards the street below. The heavy mist began to crowd the streets where the battle was taking place, causing all of the participants to lose vision, and possibly even saving the life of what appeared to be a young jedi woman. The layer of mist would provide the civilians fleeing enough time to leave the area, thus their lives would be spared. His hands unclasped, leaving his right hand towards his face he pointed them upwards and vanished into the mist. He would reappear in the thick of the mist--smack dead in between the young Hapan and her attacker. A poison tipped dagger pointed towards the Jedi's back while his own poisonous vibroblade would be pointing towards the Sith. "This is why there will never be peace," his cold deep voice would cut through the dense fog.

Muse for Jinn entering the battlefield

tag: @Uleni ​

NOTE: Any Sith with knowledge about the inner workings and recent history would know my character as a former Sith who turned against the order.

​

 

[Irxirola Mishka]

The Lethan was prepared for the Sith's Dun Moch. He had prepared himself to die. He was ready for it. The strikes between the two were viciously traded, every time their blade locking the Sith would speak, and the Twi'lek would block him out. His words had no effect on him, as did his master's command for him to move. He wasn't going to move, he was going to hold his ground, and he did. Their blade's locked once more, and the Sith asked him a question. He thought the teenager was a Knight. "These sequences you are using against me... They are more worthy of a mindless barbarian than the accurate attacks of a properly trained Knight. You are a Knight, however, yes?"

The Twi'lek laughed, a vicious sound, "I am no Knight, whelp. Pathetic that you can't beat an Initiate, yes?" He said, insulting the man's size compared to his own. He broke the break, shoving his sabers forward, and when they moved in to clash again, the Sith was distracted by his violent clash with the Initiate, and was ripped into the air, his barrier caught in a lapse of judgement. He had forgotten about the youngling's master, and was ripped backwards, and slammed into a wall. Chaos had begun to ensue, and the Sith has focused on his fellow initiate, a blast of lightning was sent towards the Hapan female, and he also directed his attention to her.

"Nice, master!" He called out, encouraged, "He's yours, now." He said again, and turned to his friend, who was being surrounded in a mist. Wait..no, he was being surrounded in a dark mist. Little did the Initiate know everyone was being surrounded in the mist. He reached out with the Force, grasping onto Sigal's aura with his own and he imbued his limbs with the Force, and with unnatural grace, leaped and landed within an arms reach of his comrade. He moved forward, one of the Dark siders had a dagger pointed towards Sigal's back, and the Twi'lek, reached out, with an attempt at removing the Human's hand, and with his other hand, he reached out with his other hand, and sent a shock wave of the Force out with his hand in the form of a Force Push, attempting to surprise and break the Sith Inquisitor's barrier. "You're okay, Sigal. I'm here." His back was still turned to the Purple blade wielding Sith. He felt the same struggle in her that he felt in himself at times.

It was not his job to care, so he did not. "I'll take these two." He said, gesturing towards the Nautolan appearing Inquisitor, and the creator of the mist. "If you can, start thinking of an exit strategy." He said, as he felt a hammering against his Force barrier, as Pelinayron screamed, and he winced, and felt a life extinguish from the Force. He crushed his emotions down again, becoming a disturbing, unnaturally calm sea, instead of the tumultuous tempest that was the Sith who had engaged his Master. He ignited the saber in his right hand, and flipped the grip on his saber in his dominant hand, holding it in a reverse grip, while holding the saber in his non dominant hand in front of him, angled towards the Inquisitor.

His breaths were deep, and came quickly. He was visibly tired, and threw himself into the chaos of battle at a cyclic rate, and it had begun to take it's toll. This battle needed to end soon. He was prepared to fight until the bitter end, if it did not.


(( @Valen Pelora you're up.))

 

[Valen Pelora]

Chaos erupted in the streets. One Sith became three, fog coalesced around them, screams split the air, and three became four. The Jedi were beset on all sides, frantically acting as a barrier between darkness and the refugees.

Valen was awash in the Force. Exhaustion, pain, fear, and self-doubt were carried away on the tide of the Light. His mind was calm, his body ready. He felt only tranquility. He watched as the monstrous Sith was tossed from Irx and sent careening into the nearby walls, ending as a heap of ruble. He turned his attention to their newest adversary. He was still near the back of the group, farthest from Sigal and her fight. The Sith she engaged was unlike any Valen had ever felt. She wielded a violet saber in place of the recognizable red. She was surrounded by the Darkside but her corruption did not run deep. He sensed almost a mix of the Light and the Dark, as if the Darkside had not yet claimed the women. Maybe there was hope they could save one more life before leaving Courscant.

He took a handful of steps towards Sigal before the Force sang warning. He turned as one of the refugees stepped forward and outstretched her hand. Valen watched in horror as blue lightning arced from the Nautolan’s fingers towards the young Hapan. He could do nothing. He was too far; he couldn’t out race lightning. He couldn’t slam a Force Barrier into place. He could only hope Sigal would sense the attack in time. He would handle the Nautolan. He gathered the Force to strike and was blinded. A thick fog obscured his vision. He could sense Irx, Sigal and the darkness of the Sith. He didn’t need to see the Nautolan to find her, he only needed the Force. He built the Force within himself again and prepared to act.

A Moment from unleashing a blast towards the Sith, his ears split. An ethereal scream filled the air as the fog was pushed away. His heart ached as he felt another refugee die. He needed to get them out of here, they were too vulnerable. Valen turned his head to see the Nagai Sith rise from the ruble. He was broken, battered but alive. He had but a split second to watch Irx challenge the newest arrivals before the Sith charged. He had no choice. He’d have to deal with the Nagai before he could help his students. It had to be quick, they were all tiring. He watched the Sith launch, red lightsaber swinging for his body. Valen still had the Force gathered around him. He didn’t wait any longer. As the Sith sprang towards him Valen unleashed. His hands shot forward, he pushed and a blast roared forth. Lightsaber in his right hand, he reached out with his left and lifted a piece of durasteel with the Force. He tossed the debris after the Sith.

In a brief moment of respite, he quickly flicked on his commlink. “We aren’t making it to the walker. We need immediate evacuation, please lock on to my signal. Civilian lives are at risk.” He didn’t have time to wait for a response. His left hand rejoined his right as he took a defensive stance. First the Nagai, then the rest.

@Aystil Baham (tag you're it)

 

[Aystil Baham]

Aystil was caught midway by none other than Sigal, the Jedi's purple blade clashing with her own. The sabers screeched and crackled as they pressed against each other, and Aystil winced slightly at the sound. She allowed her brown gaze to meet Sigal's, and her eyes suddenly hardened with hatred and disgust. This girl immediately characterized Aystil as an enemy. "You've made a mistake," She snarled through gritted teeth, the lightsabers' glow casting violet shadows on her face and darkening her features.

Aystil allowed this unfortunate assumption of the girl consume her, and the Dark Side roared inside of her, pushing the Light down for a moment. With a grunt, she twisted her dual-bladed saber out of the clash, taking a few steps back. By the time she had stepped away and lifted her saber again, she paused for a moment. The fog drifted in around the clashing Jedi and Sith, and Aystil suddenly became very uneasy. Something new was here, but she couldn't quite sense whether it was Jedi or Sith. She swiftly waved her hand, a light Force Shield washing over her form. It would most deflect light blaster bolts and metal weapons, and still enabled her to fight with ease. It was only a precaution against the unknown, seeing as such a light shield would do little good against Sigal's saber.

Her body washed over in a mystical like hue, the sign of the light Force Shield. Swiftly she turned her attention back to Sigal in time to see the crackling flash of blue lighting that raced towards the Jedi. It seemed that another, very powerful, Sith had come into play. She thought of herself to be strong in the Force, but even she had not attained Force lightning yet. Perhaps it was because she bordered on the Gray in the Force.

Aystil sucked in a breath, using her lightsaber to, hopefully, distract Sigal from the oncoming Force Lightning behind her. She swiped her lightsaber diagonally downwards, aiming to take out Sigal's legs.

((Your turn! @Esther Nyx ))

 

[Pam0wl]

Sigal's determined eyes held those of her opponents; she saw her enemy's instant internal maelstrom shift with the Hapan becoming its sole focus.
"Perhaps I have. But such is life." Sigal steeled herself, undeterred by Aystil's double sided weapon - she spared with all kinds of oddities; more often than not her strength with Form II often played to her advantage. Truly, she did not wish to kill her opponent, merely keep her away from her Mirialan, believing the female meant him harm. They were fast becoming surrounded by sith, and with the lingering stains of darkness bleeding into her opponent's aura, the pretty, naïve was only able to assume the worst.

She was so focused on Aystil, her usual perceptive senses failed her. She did not sense the unease creeping upon them; instead, she used Aystil's apparent distracted focus to her advantage and send out a powerful force shove towards the woman, believing it would put distance between her and Sigal's companions. She was -however- dismayed by her opponent's shield, it rendered her attack not nearly as effective as it could have been, perhaps only shoving her a couple of metres back from her original position. Sigal changed tactics and surged forward, intent on dominating the exchange of combat. Once more she parried her saber against Aystil's before speedily thrust it like a jab towards her shoulder, aiming more for a disabling move than a complete killing blow. "I do not wish to harm you, but I will protect my friends."

Aided by the force, Sigal flipped back in an attempt to avoid Aystil's slash at her lower appendages. She had been so focused on the female battling her, so thrown by her confusing aura, that she did not anticipate the bolts of charged lightning crackling towards her. She could not defend herself against it. Never had she thought such a deviant, devastating power even existent; it showed the girl's true ignorance towards her enemies, as well as her own experience in battle. The force that the lightning struck her sent her tumbling away; she screeched as its shocking tendrils ravaged her body. It was a horrible sensation, the scorching electrified venom coursing through her like a plague, robbing her momentarily of mobility and control. She was merely carried across a short distance by the sheer power of the blow. Her tumbling form came to a halt amongst rumble; luckily, the attack had not been enough to kill her, but it was certainly enough to incapacitated her for a moment. Her nerves jumped as her breathing warred to regain regularity. The after effects of the lightning riddled her, even as she struggled to push herself up from the dirt. Blindly, her eyes frantically searched for the source of the electrical barrage. The confrontation with Aystil was -for now- forgotten. Sigal was not focused on staying alive. Her preferred method of lightsaber combat favoured only singular opponent; she would have to focus on the worst threat before attempting to divert her attention again.

(OOC - @The Living Daylights - batter up!)

 

[The Living Daylights]

The Lightning had struck home; the Hapan girl screamed in pain as she tumbled away into debris. Her screams were music to Azalyn's ears, and her pain was music to Azalyn's Force senses. The Nautolan-in-disguise allowed a cruel laugh to escape her lips as she relished in the pain of the Jedi, then noticed that her Mirialan friend was gathering the Force — for the purpose at striking at her, no doubt. Azalyn chuckled. Even as she herself gathered her own power, she playfully twirled around with her orange-red saberstaff with her right hand and mockingly beckoned the Mirialan Jedi to come at her with her left.

Her confidence disintegrated as her danger senses flared. Someone else had joined the fray; Azalyn could sense darkness within them, yet she also sensed ill will towards all of the combatants. A rogue Sith? She would have turned to get a look at them had a cold fog not set in, blinding all of the combatants on the field. That might have kept her from getting a good look at the new entrant to the fight, but whoever they were, they would be gravely mistaken if they thought that a fog would leave Azalyn — or frankly, any Force user worth their salt — truly blind. Azalyn threw herself into a backward leap, tucking her legs into the body and rolling in midair. As she did so, she used her saberstaff to weave a defensive pattern around her — a precaution in the event that she was the target of this new combatant. Her lightsaber blades met nothing, and Azalyn landed on the ground in a crouch, her double-bladed lightsaber angled in a Soresu pose.

"This is why there will never be peace," called a new voice from amongst the midst. Peace? This was someone trained in the ways of the dark side. Why were they looking for peace? Had their quest for peace caused them to go rogue? Azalyn's questions were many, but a battlefield was rarely a place for answers. It was a place for blood. That was what she had come here for, and that was what she would get.

Azalyn stood — and proceeded to be nearly knocked off her feet by a roar, derived from pure hate. The scream had definitely not come from any of the Jedi — their unwillingness to embrace the dark side denied them the opportunity to command such power. It could've been either the new combatant or the Nagai Sith who had begun the entire battle in the first place — Azalyn couldn't tell because for a brief moment, the Force Scream had overloaded her own Force senses with sheer hatred, leaving her briefly stunned and perhaps even afraid. The earth quaked, the mist parted, and the sky blackened, before Azalyn's senses returned to her, and she felt death. A refugee had dropped dead at the behest of the Force Scream as if it had been a command for them to die.

The mist had given way to reveal the new entrant in the battle. Azalyn's eyes widened for a moment as she caught sight of an infamous former Sith assassin who had struck down his own men and abandoned the Sith on Nar Shaddaa. He pointed a vibroblade at her, but his demeanour was otherwise too calm to have unleashed the Force Scream that Azalyn had just felt and heard a moment earlier. It had to have been the Nagai who had begun the battle, who was now rushing into combat against a Twi'lek Jedi. The Miralian Jedi who had initially prepared to fight Azalyn had changed targets and was now fighting the Nagai.

That left the new combatant and the Hapan Jedi, who had managed to pick herself up but was still recovering from Azalyn's Force Lightning, and had forgotten about her violet saberstaff-wielding opponent. The Hapan was poised to fight Azalyn, now, but between the two stood the former Sith assassin who had a blade pointed at each of them. As of yet, the Hapan wasn't a significant threat, but the new entrant was; Azalyn turned to him and twirled the orange-red blades of her saberstaff into a defensive shield, as it was customary of a Soresu practitioner. Azalyn's ability to detect the low, deadly hum of her lightsaber blades told her that her hearing had returned — it had been briefly incapacitated by the Nagai's Force Scream.

"Jinn Lo," she called to the new combatant from behind her shield of orange-red light, ready for combat. "I've heard much of you." Azalyn gathered her Force energy once more, ready to hurl an attack at anyone or throw up a defensive barrier at a moment's notice. "Your mistake was revealing yourself once again — for I will claim your head, and the prestige it will grant me among the Sith. I will be your doom!"

@TWD26

 

[TWD26]

Muse for this Post​

Darkness crept through the sanctuary of the Lo Clan, it was a subtle shadow that moved between the periods of lights, hut to hut and extinguishing the fires of hearts in complete silence. There was a crack towards the front door, followed by the sounds of hushed feet moving from outside the bedroom. A light flicked on and seeped through the crack of the closed bedroom door. There was the sound of something igniting followed by the sound of a swinging hum--voices gasped out, and the sound of futile resistance could be heard muffled through the mortar of the walls.

The boy clenched against the blankets of his bed, watching as the sound of footsteps approaching the door. His grey eyes clenching, hoping if they were closed whatever await outside the door would simply vanish, like a fleeting nightmare. With a sweeping swoosh the door to the bedroom swung open, revealing a sharp contrast of a shadowy hooded figure who contrasted in the brightness from the lights. The boy's heart raced as his hands clenched, his throat tightened, this was the end. Every second seemed an eternity, the anticipation of the red hue from the blade to come crashing down caused the boy to hyperventilate. The insidious presence of the figure could be felt hovering over the bed, the humming sound of the saber ringing in the boy's ear as the child crawled up against the corner of the bed. The sound of the saber collapsed, the boy panicked and took one last foolish breath--but, nothing came from it. Instead, the figure pulled the boy out of the bed and onto the ground.

The child peered up towards the man, his vision fading in and out with exhaustion and anxiety. He felt a tug and his feet began to pick up pace, he was thrown outside into the cold wet Wobani dirt. He was pushed further by the figure into the opening of the settlement where a dozen other children stood, some crying, others just as shocked as the young boy. The boy was forced into the row, he looked towards the other children for a few moments--his friends, and clansmen. The figure stepped in front of the children, looking down upon them one by one. There was a large pause, leaving the harsh winter winds to break the eternal silence. The sound of a distorted voice came from the figure, "There can only be one, the last one alive will come with me."

Everything after that went into a faded darkness, only a few blurry glimpses could escape the tunnel vision of adrenaline. Soon crimson began to fall onto the white snow, seeping into the ground as bodies began to fall one by one. Mist seeped around the opening as the brightest of the Lo's water force users fought in a frantic panic. All that the boy could remember from the long night, was sitting on top of a girl, three harvests older than himself--his hands wrapped around her neck as he crushed her windpipe. He didn't want to die, the young boy didn't know why, his body compelled him to survive...even if it came at the cost of losing his closest friends. In the end silence fell upon the settlement as bodies lay strewn about the snowy ground--all that remained was the young boy. "Come, there is much to learn."

________________________________________________
​

There was a disturbance, a darkness rang out through the force causing a terrible screech to shake the very landscape that the hectic battle took place on. The infamous Wobani Mist, was parted near the screech, pushing it towards where Jinn had entered the battlefield. His left hand clenched on the dagger that was pointed towards the Hapan, though his eyes focused on the Nautolan who readied a volley of lighting. This brief glimpse caught him off guard for a brief second, causing a blade from another young Jedi to come crashing down onto his left hand--cleaving it off.

As the hand dropped, it morphed into a clump of water that went crashing onto the ground below. The static from the lightning surged through Jinn and towards the Hapan's back, causing Jinn's body to morph into a watery blob that slowly fell--it was only an illusion. He listened from inside the mist as the woman called out his name. Am I really that infamous, interesting... He focused in, causing another illusion to morph inside a puddle beneath the Nautolan's feet as she talked. For a brief moment the hands clasped against her leg, attempting to trip her towards the ground before the illusion fell back into the liquid puddle.

The real Jinn hopped into the air, above the mist. With a subtle raise of the hand he brought the thick fog up with him. He closed his eyes, morphing the mist into small sharp pellets of rain. With a subtle wave of his hand he pushed the sharp liquid bullets in the direction of the various Sith, sparring the Jedi. His feet crashed down onto the street, the dagger in between his teeth, as he wielded the vibrosword with two hands, I only have enough force energy for one serpent attack and then the capturing ritual--I need to be smart. His grey shark like eyes danced around as he fell in between what he assumed to be a Jedi master who was flinging debree towards a female Sith. I have no quarrel with the Jedi today, my rituals are for Sith only...

Tag: @Uleni ​

 

[Valen Pelora]

The Nagai faltered. Valen felt the Force blast hit home, he felt the Nagai pushed from the street. He closed his eyes and reached. Searching for the Sith, searching for a hint in the Force. He felt nothing. The vicious, brutal, monstrous creature was gone. He cared little for what happened to the creature, as long as he wasn’t in the street. Two to go.

Exhaustion clamored at the edges of his mind. He ignored it and prayed to the Light. The Force gave him strength, the Force gave him hope. The Force would sustain him. He knew Force exhaustion was a real danger. He knew it could claim his life, he didn’t care. If that was the cost of protecting Sigal, Irx and the refugees. So be it. He would gladly pay.

The battle was moving away from him, carrying further down the street. Lightsaber in hand he quickly scanned the battle. The refugees were slowly moving towards the evacuation zone. The mist had become rain flowing towards the Sith. The Nautolan had engaged the arrival. The stranger seemed to be neither Jedi or Sith. Valen did not care. The ‘mist’ maker was targeting the Sith, that was all he needed to know. He would take any help, or distraction, they could get. Once the strange ‘grey’ Sith was dealt with they would evacuate. The Republic assistance would be close. They needed to only last a short while longer. They had almost done the impossible.

He ran towards Irx, watching him engage the young Sith. He was close, he could almost intervene. Then he felt it. Sigal’s suffering. The pain wracking her body. He had forgotten. His brief duel with the Nagai had consumed his thoughts. He had forgotten the Lightning, he had forgotten Sigal. Shame cascaded through him. He cast one last glance at Irx, the twi’lek was holding his ground. He sprinted towards Sigal, finding her near the rubble. Her eyes were wide, fear poured from her. He didn’t hesitate. He placed his hands on the young Hapan and washed her in the Lightside. He gave himself to the will of the Force, covering his student in the healing power of the Light. He cared nothing for himself. He cared nothing for the pain his own body felt. He had to help her. He couldn’t repair every wound, he was too tired, but he healed enough. Enough to get Sigal through this. He looked the young Hapan in the eyes, remorse blossoming deep in his soul.

"Sigal….I am sorry. Get the refugees further down the street, an evacuation team will arrive soon. Stay away from the assassin and the Nautolan. That’s not our fight anymore.”

He took a step away from his student and stumbled. Exhaustion overwhelmed him, he nearly fell. He shook his head and striated himself. He relied more heavily on the Lightside. He turned to the Hapan.

“Forgive me for asking so much of you, but I am terribly proud. I will send Irx after you shortly.”

He ran towards Irx and the human Sith. Gathering the Force, he pushed at the two of them. He put just enough Force behind the blow to split them apart. He looked at Irx and motioned for the young twi’lek to join Sigal. “Go!” Valen turned his attention to the human Sith. She was ‘darker’ than she had been. The Darkside gripped her more tightly. He didn’t attack.

“I don’t want to fight you and I don’t think you want to fight me. There has been enough death. I felt the Light in you, let go of the Darkness.”

He brought up his Lightsaber in a defensive stance. He didn’t want to fight the Sith, but he would if she forced him. They were too close to safety.

@Aystil Baham

 

[Aystil Baham]

The pellets of frozen mist hit Aystil after she had allowed her shield to slip. It hit her exposed skin, creating painful red 'sting-like' pricks on her flesh. She winced, brown eyes shining with pain. She quickly rubbed her arm and looked around for the source of this horrible mist; it seemed to be targeting her and the other Sith. Her concentration was interrupted by none other than Valen.

The dark haired Sith paused momentarily at his appearance, gripping her violet lightsaber tightly. "I..." She began softly, meeting his gaze. He sensed the light in her, and she couldn't deny its tugging on her soul. Aystil pursed her lips and gave him a sharp nod. "Take your Padawan, go quickly."

She knew what sparing them would mean for her. Ridicule, punishment, and maybe even death. She wasn't a favorite of the Sith overlords because of her merciful ways, and this might push them to the brink. The Light Side within her swatted the Dark away, evening out the colors within her aura. She still held onto her lightsaber, but it was angled away from him. She didn't really have her guard up now, since she was sparing them. She could only hope that they would remember her mercy if she were ever in need of refuge as well.

 

[Pam0wl]

"This should have never been our fight to begin with!" Sigal wheezed, staggering onto shaky legs. She looked at her master, perhaps unconsciously seeking comfort. But as always, the Hapan's viciously learnt persona kicked in, she looked for someone to lash out at and direct the bottling fury that had long been suppressed. "Why did you bring us here?" Sadly, it was Valen who took the brunt of it. Though his time with the Hapan had probably hardened him to it. Somehow, every time Sigal unfairly lashed out, Valen managed to pacify her. His words of pride nullified the bubble torment within her. Grounded once more, Sigal sullenly shrugged him off and attempted to push forward.

But she stopped. Valen was there with her, but where as... "Irx!" She cried over the fury of battle, though the twi'lek was no where in sight of her position. "We can't leave him..." She mumbled, more to herself than anyone else.

The cries of the refugees stole Sigal attention once more. The severity of the situation was dire - Sigal had no choice but to follow Valen's instructions and begin to once again lead the refugees away. She acted more on instinct than actual thoughts. Her mind was still trying to comprehend what had happened to her. The encounter with the strange greyling had left her confused, but the lightning strike from the sith had nearly crippled her. Pain still coursed through her. Sigal dreaded to think what injuries the forceful tumble had incurred on her beauty. Against her better judgement, her hand slowly rose to the stinging sensation slowly veining its way from her cheek and lip. Breath left her at the sight of blood coating her fingertips.

Hapans were known for their beauty, even more so for their neurotic narcissism and vanity. Blemishes, disfigurement, scars - they were as a good as a death sentence against the shallow people. And it seemed Sigal had sustained such a infliction, just as she had done many years ago during her first sparring sensation. And she reacted the same as she had done thing - with rage. The Hapan let out a screech, a near sonic, ear splintering noise that strengthened itself in the force before resonating out -though it was not really targeted at anyone in particular now. Sigal was running- she wished for nothing more than to flee the battle and find shelter away from the conflict. She desperately, selfishly wished to heal herself and restore her beauty. Somehow, she reigned in some control, using her torrent of unsavoury emotions to cut a clear path for the refugees to follow. Anything that got in her way soon became the victim of her misplaced anguished. Perhaps not the most ideal situation, but it -unconventionally- worked. For now, Sigal was slowly making progress with the refugees. The extraction team was within sight, ushering them over as quickly as possible before the fighting resumed.

Against her raging wounded vanity, Sigal cast a glance over her shoulder, searching for Valen and Irx. Hoping silently that they would soon follow.

@The Living Daylights

 

[The Living Daylights]

Azalyn watched in surprise as Jinn Lo's form melted into a puddle. An Illusion? How had she not sensed it? It had been a surprise — one that occupied Azalyn's attention just long enough for her to feel a tugging sensation at her feet. Looking downwards, she caught sight of a pair of hands pulling her leg, attempting to drag her down with them. The attack had the element of surprise, which made it a brief struggle before Azalyn's severed the hands with her blade. They dispersed into water once more, returning to the puddle beneath Azalyn's feet. Then she turned to attack Jinn Lo once more.

Unfortunately, the earlier struggle had been a diversion; the ambient mist suddenly turned into a shower of solid ice bullets that came at Azalyn with lethal intent. Blast! The Nautolan-in-disguise combined Force Deflection with lightsaber defense born of the Soresu form; the pellets were either redirected into each other or disintegrated upon contact with the Sith's orange-red blades. The moment the attack ceased, Azalyn cast her eyes about the area; the Jedi had taken the opportunity to initiate a retreat with the refugees, and the violet saberstaff-wielder — Azalyn had been right to not mark her as a Sith — was allowing them to do so. Treacherous weakling! The Nagai was now nowhere to be seen, but Jinn Lo was now in the vicinity of the Jedi. Regardless of what he wanted with them, what she wanted with him would take priority. And she wanted him to die.

She didn't care if the Jedi actually died or not — they were but a mere bonus now. The presence of Jinn Lo had changed the stakes for her entirely; her interest lay solely in claiming his head. With a burst of Force Speed, Azalyn rushed towards the rogue Sith, her lightsaber blades spinning in an intimidating pattern as she did so. Narrowing her eyes, she gathered the Force once again and unleashed it in a palpable wave of telekinetic energy that raced through the earth towards Jinn Lo and all the figures near him. The telekinetic wave gathered dust and debris as it rampaged across the city ground, with no sign of lessening momentum...

@TWD26

 

[Valen Pelora]

A shocked look spread across Valen’s face. He quickly smoothed his features and nodded at the Sith. He had expected the girl to challenge him, to force his hand. He was lost hope in peace. Whoever, or whatever, the young Sith was there was a Light in her. For a brief moment, the Light won the internal war over the Darkness. The Light and the Darkness could not live in harmony. The longer the girl tried to split two worlds, the greater misery should would find. Eventually, one would win. Valen hoped that small sliver of Light was a sign of things to come. Perhaps the girl would find peace, harmony, and the Lightside. Valen ran past the young conflicted Sith.

“Thank you.” A part of him prayed he would cross paths with the girl again. He could be the guide she needed to walk the path of the Light. To reclaim a life nearly lost to the Darkness. He pushed the young Sith from his mind to focus on their retreat. The Republic evacuation team was up ahead. Two large transports filled with Republic troops beckoned the Jedi forward. Sigal was leading the refugees towards the landing zone, Irx bringing up the rear. The troops jumped from the transports to guide the refugees aboard. Covering fire flew all around.

Valen batted away a handful of blaster bolts from intervening Sith forces. He reached the transport and guarded the entrance as the remaining refugees piled onboard. They had lost too many. He was thankful for the few they had managed to save. He ensured Sigal, Irx, and every refugee was safe, before he jumped into the transport. The pilot wasted little time getting the transport into the air. Valen held onto a hanging grip and stared out at the destruction of Coruscant. The world burned. He turned to one of the troopers.

“Where are we headed solider?”

“We have an evac zone near the capital building. It is holding for now, but won’t last much longer.” Valen solemnly shook his head. He asked a question he knew the answer to.

“What are your orders?”

“Evac as many civilians as possible, and execute a full retreat. The planet is overwhelmed.” The battle was over. The Jedi and Republic would fight to save as many civilians as possible. Coruscant would belong to the Sith. The Darkside had struck the very core of the galaxy and won. His heart sank. The war was a disaster. The Darkness consumed planets, and the Light was fading. He did not know what to do. He would make sure they got off the planet, and onto the Jedi flagship. He would rest, heal, and then decide. Sigal and Irx needed time to recuperate and process everything they had been put through. There was a long road ahead.

OOC: This completes Valen's involvement.

 

[Aystil Baham]

Aystil withheld her smirk as Valen's face revealed his shock. Truly, she had surprised herself, but was more than willing to let them go as long as no harm came to her. She was selfish, unlike the Jedi, and that was why she straddled the Light and Dark sides of the Force. The young Sith turned, knowing that the Jedi would not attack her now. She had bigger problems at hand.

Jinn Lo was a massive threat right now, and he seemed to only be targeting the Sith. This put her life at risk. He was deadly, but so was she.

Aystil rushed forwards, joining the other Sith to combat Jinn Lo. She had no intentions of becoming a part of his sacrifices today. Her lightsaber-staff hummed as she wielded it, the violet glow shining eerily upon her face. She didn't like Jinn's games; she preferred to face her targets head-on.