Ask Hunters of a Different Kind

[Kalique Baize]

Deep in the jungles west of Laressa, Phindra - 1100 hours​

It was fortunate how Phindra had recently decided to let in masses of tourists to boost the economy. A fortunate coincidence as Kalique had recently stumbled upon an old text about an ancient Sith lord who had apparently spend an eternity in a cave on Phindra.

The Sith was claimed to have chosen a life in solitude, spending years and years to meditate and dwell on the dark side, potentially even trying to find a nexus point buried under the surface and hidden in the depths of an excavation side...It all added up, actually. On Phindra itself there were rumors of people getting lost in the caves, harrowing screams echoing through the stony corridors and other 'paranormal' or 'spooky' activities happening around the site.

Said excavation side, or at least the outskirts of it, no deeper than a few meters beneath the surface, had grown into a famous spot for tourists - easily accessible via guided tours with trained archeologists and scholars for those who were attracted by the thrill, but mostly for those who wanted a cool selfie in a jungle cave...still, this all meant being dressed in a mud-colored, tight-fitting set of jungle-friendly clothes, spraying herself with tons of insect repellents, posing as a regular tourist and trailing along for hours.

Lucky for Kalique, she found an interest in such things. Learning about the jungles of Phindra and the dangers that lured inside was thrilling, but their huge group was so diverse that nearly half the people had started to annoy her after a while. There were some kids that just never stopped talking and while she usually didn't bother much, their neverending set of questions followed by a low attention span and flashlights spreading through the thicket whenever someone took another picture without giving any damns about how flashlights should be avoided...

There were species of all kinds, many interesting sentient beings whom Kalique had never seen before, but instead of paying much attention to their large entourage, she was focused on masking her presence within the Force as she couldn't tell whether others in the group shared her very specific, keen interest in the site and simultaneously scanning their surroundings for any 'paranormal activities'.

She half listened to what the scientists explained, but was hoping that they'd arrive soon...If the excavation site's true location would have been publicly known, she would have just gone by herself, but unfortunately she needed the experts for now. One way or another, as huge, beige ruins appeared in the distance, her spirits lightened up a little - she was close to checking whether the rumors had been true and one step closer to potentially destroying what filthy remains of the dark lingered in the caves.

Unbeknownst to the Knight, she wasn't alone in her quest to find whatever was hidden inside...

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

Ever since the withdrawal of the Sith from the empire there was an influx of activity in the shadows. Items lost for centuries, locked in deep vaults or lost to time itself would occasionally find themselves on the black market fetching a rather healthy price. This often meant that archeological sites would be filled with connoisseurs looking to sneak things off site in a hurry if anything that looked particularly interesting popped up.

Sometimes it was the scientists themselves if their greed got the best of them.

Now there wasn't always a connection but when Cyu heard rumors of a site running into a higher than average instances of accidents and unfortunate incidents, it caught her attention. If there was a possibility if retrieving a lost Sith artifact, she wanted to be the one to do so.

In search of clues, the pureblood found herself tagging along with the latest group enroute to the digsite dressed in worn, travelling brown robes. By herself she might of stood out but with so many strange and interesting sights around the group she could more easily blend in for the moment.

Whatever laid ahead, the devious dark opportunities would likely present themselves in die time but for now, cyu would seclude her presence in the force.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The knight was trying to find outstanding and unique formations within their environment, hoping to point her to the quickest way out later on as normal GPS simply didn't work in such a remote place. The Empire could still extract her, but it was cause unnecessary attention, so she was hoping to simply stay under the radar while quietly slipping in and out.

Her plan to find a way to split from the group at some point whenever she'd stumble upon something interest inside the excavation site was yet to be fulfilled, but step one was accomplished as the Ishi Tib archeologist announced their imminent arrival while the huge ruin formations grew on the dark greenish, moss-covered horizon.

Kalique was in genuine awe as she studied the pompous entrance as it was fairly obvious that before the entrance gate had collapsed, it had been even larger. There were plenty of scientists all milling about, erected research tests with all kinds of tech, but they seemed to be the first tourist group of today (which was no surprise as they had started their foot march at 4 a.m.). While their guide already began to explain how they should neither touch nor take anything with them, Kalique's gaze drifted from the entrance to their group.

The children seemed mostly excited while some elderly participants seemed in need of a break, so the Ishi Tib decided that they'd start venturing inside in five minutes. It was also their last chance for any bathroom breaks in the mobile restroom stations, so while the group was preparing itself for the actual part of the tour, Kalique pulled out her NalPhone and checked for a signal once more. Nothing. After starting the phone again, she took a sip of her water bottle before taking a brief moment to sense their surroundings. There was a faint, low, dark vibration she could already perceive, making her lips slightly curled into a smile. She was confident there was something inside - even if it was small, it would either be better off destroyed or safely stored away from the remaining Sith who were probably just waiting to get their filthy hands on it...

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

The bustling horde of civilians was an uncomfortable sight for Cyu who was much more used to the seclusion provided in the Order, or even the sparsely populated Sith core world's. The obnoxiously happy sprog of juveniles did nothing to improve her mood with one exception . One of the children had run off ahead of their teacher and poking around where they shouldn't, resulting in a swift scolding by their hyper aware supervision.

The pure look of the child's mistake was a delightful treat in the purebloods eyes.

As the group moved about they came across the first of many smaller blocked off limits sections where scientists had found something of note. A handful of pearly white bones stuck out of the ground in a rather uniform fashion, likely the final resting place of the beast that once roamed these lands.

The chance to see the natural habitat of a long extinct creature was plenty enough for the majority to come but that wasn't what had drawn her. The entrance to the cave was covered in strange etchings, most would assume that they were the work of eons of beasts making a mark in their territory but to the closer eye, some had the makings of something else....

Cyu's attention kept being pulled deeper into the cavernous enclosure without fully understanding why. For now she was content to hide from the small groups against the wall and making sketches of what she was viewing.

The tour guide excitedly explained everything they had learned of the beast and its likely carnivorous diet judging on the myriad of prey evidence lurking about. Their early theory was that it was some kind of large feline, making it likely a nocturnal hunter and thus optimized for taking down person sized prey due to its size.

Further in, they said, was also some evidence of primitive settlement millennia ago, which seemed to rumg a collective interest across the group.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The entrance of the subterranean excavation site was luckily secluded enough and overshadowed by a thick canopy made out of giant leaves that not much sun was passing through, making the humid, warm jungle rather bearable. The constant humidity still resulted in a thin veil of tiny water droplets that graced her face and made it harder to breathe, for her mind was focused on something entirely different anyway.

While the guides kept talking, the further she reached into the caves with the Force, the more of this slowly pulsating, sinister sensation she perceived. Whatever laid inside wasn't safe here and she was more than happy that it was apparently still here. Her mind wandered back to the scientists but while she started feigning interests in their findings, she actually surpressed a scoff when the leading archeologists outlined their assumptions about a beast living in the caverns as for her there was actually more and more evidence that the curious incidents and secrets surrounding it were connected to something far worse.

"Everyone set? Then let's get going! Everyone, please keep walking in line. Losing sight of each other can be dangerous and we will cross some very narrow passages! I'll lead you to the current digging site and we don't want anyone to get lost while taking a wrong turn!", their guide finally announced, making Kalique nod understandingly and start taking a spot relatively in the middle of long line of tourists. If she was to slip away at some point and follow this dark calling, she had to do it unnoticed, so she kept avoiding drawing any attention while absently scrolling through her phone gallery, pretending to admire the pictures she had taken along the way to blend in with the touristy crowd.

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

With every step further into the cave, the mysterious tingling feeling grew stronger. The string of lit torches showered the enclosed space with flickers of illumination in a natural classical way. That was one aspect of this whole operation that Cyu could appreciate, the modern tech could try to replicate such intricacies but she always found the most fun working with a real flame.

As the groups moved around the various exhibits with varying amounts of interest, they were dutifully led along by the guide until they reached the last safe point before the path became treacherous. Fortunately for them, this was also the last point that the children could reach before being led back, the dangerous path was technically not even properly secured so that they could guarantee everyone's safety but the more adventurous types would often pay more for the thrill.

Grumpily the children complied until they were once again distracted by something else on the tour, being led back towards the entrance for their eventual return home much to their supervisor's approval. The leftover group was smaller in size but still big enough to blend in with as the guide started to lead the way down the narrower path.

Through the first couple of winds and turns the path shrunk from being a few people across to at points only allowing one by one which caused the group to become quite spread out and vulnerable. Further in they began to notice the distance between each torch grew and darkness rushed in to fill the aching gap. The terrible silence was only broken by the sounds of feet trembling across a rocky path, bits falling away and causing panicky groans to escape their lips.

A small lady just ahead of Cyu found herself slipping, tumbling towards the edge of the narrow path and barely holding on. With terror and despair in her eyes, she looked up as the pureblood came into view, crying out in relief that someone was here to save her. But no salvation would arrive, as the beady opals watched with design as her mind wandered through the possibilities.

"Do a flip." was all she would hear as the black boots stomped their way down onto each hand, sending the craven off into the darkness once more before she herself continued along the path, alone.

Nearing a small clearing, the group started to reassemble together after the harrowing ordeal. It became apparent very quickly that their number had dwindled as a hushed wave of concern quickly spread. The tour guide attempted to calm down the group but wasn't he wasn't having a whole lot of success in that regard as people started to realize that it was actually dramatically more dangerous than they had been led to believe.

Cyu casually looked around, checking if there was an opportunity to ditch and disappear on her own.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The tour began and the excitement grew within the group. Kalique noticed how some kids already began to hop around excitedly, but were soon scolded by their parents who seemed a little more anxious about venturing into the shocking attraction but no one really seemed to be deterred by this dark tourism.

She could perceive fear, definitely, but she found the group relatively calm, given what they were about to do...well, the majority had probably no idea that something really dangerous lured deep inside, but Kalique was convinced they'd only be led to the excavation site not very far inside and not too deep underground, walk around, view some exhibits and leave.

However, little did she know that there numbers were rapidly decimated...The fear intensified. Then, death and despair. Emotions that were not foreign to her, yet it immediately began to feel like it was just feeding the darkness within...and the darkness close by. From a different direction, she could also sense a dark ripple within the Force, however wasn't able to pinpoint it and didn't even have to because frankly speaking, it was all around.

The path was indeed narrow and some families with kids already turned around before even getting far, but further inside, right were Kalique was, the large, diverse group was already splitting into tinier parties that however, took their toll. It was neither right in front nor behind her, but some souls were already lost. She was not their Knight in shining armor, but a 'shocked' tourist who'd only jump into action if she'd directly witness someone having troubles.

As eager as the scientist was, he tried his best to urge them onwards, warning them to step carefully, but even for Kalique, who weren't even that far off, it became increasingly difficult to locate the guides echoing voice and choose the right passage. The light behind her grew fainter and another waves of screams traveled through the tunnel system, so that she decidednit was time to take the first unguided turn.

Why? Because she was passing an entrance into a totally new, completely dark chamber that was somehow...silently calling to her. It was a faint trace, but a first lead, so after ensuring she wasn't being watched, she took the turn. As the torch she had been given didn't she'd sufficient light, she swapped it for a flashlight she had brought along in her hiking back stuffed with all kinds of potentially useful equipment and began to follow her own path from now on, guiding by the darkness within.

She was constantly staying alerted, but assumed there was no one going to follow. Yet, if so, she would play her part as the lost, frightened tourist who had involuntarily taking a detour, but he her main concerns actually revolved around that evil within...

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

The commotion continued as the group started to resemble a mob, hurling accusations at the frightened tour guide. The man insisted that the remaining route was much more spacious and accommodating and that they would be safe to continue as there was another exit, or they could go back the way they could. A general debate broke out among the crowd with some insisting that they would completely refuse to go back if what he said was true. Another portion was horrified at the thought and defiantly flipped off the guide, making their way back onto the narrow path, likely to never be seen again.

As the masses protested, Cyu took this as an opportunity to escape the larger group and make for one of the smaller nearby entrances. Interestingly she wasn't the only one with such an interest, with a sly eye she spotted another woman doing the same. The pureblood debated taking another path, the unnecessary distraction from her goal would only serve to slow her down, but at the same time, she hadn't really been able to have any real fun on the trip so far. Alone, and very far from prying eyes, there would be plenty of opportunities. After all, whose gonna hear you scream?

Ensuring that there was some time between their departure, Cyu slipped in behind the woman and slinked her way along in the dark. The light provided by the other was barely sufficient to keep her own path but it would have to do for now lest she accidentally reveals herself prematurely. Deeper still they walked along, the eerie quiet breached by the sounds of stones falling at the wayside, the creaking of distant objects, and the faint sound of deep laughter, as if the cave itself beckoned them on.

If Kalique was attentive, she would notice barely legible and worn etchings in the walls, simple writings in the Sith tongue that delivered a hark warning to turn back or else. This only heightened Cyutadakyr's interest in whatever lay ahead, although she remained mindful of how the other woman might react as she remained just far enough back, stalking her prey.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

With the flashlight and the Force, navigating through the dark was much easier with Kalique, especially now that she was the one setting the course. Still, after a while she noticed a living presence nearby, vague but clear enough to tell that it was not related to whatever lurked deep inside.

Regardless of who followed her and why, she couldn't risk any company during her endeavor to destroy whatever caused all this dark chaos, so she knew she had to deal with it swiftly. Whenever there was a selection of tunnels to choose from, she let the Force guide her, and as this presence behind her wasn't leaving, she began to consider how this someone might be steering towards a similar goal.

Obviously, it was time for a test. She couldn't use the Force without giving herself away, so while still focused on completing her task, she had to insert a little test. Let's see what you're up to, stranger. While the Force clearly pointed her towards the left, she ignored it's call and turned right, squeezing herself through a diagonal gap that led away from the source of the pulse.

Once through the gap, Kalique pressed on, purposely in the wrong direction even if it was getting continously harder. Just for a little while, but she had to shake it off. Or test whether it was interested in her, or the truth drowning in the depth of darkness. However, Kalique's side quest immediately came with a drawback. Apparently, whatever was calling to her wasn't exactly pleased with Kalique's change of plans, as she was suddenly hit by a burning agony in the back of her mind. She knew she had to hold on and resist the temptation of giving in, for the sake of her mission's success, but she slowly began to realize that the secret inside was indeed something powerful.

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

An intriguing thing this being ahead of her, the pureblood thought. Possessing a healthy dose of paranoia, one might wonder if her prey was beginning to feel trapped between whatever lurked below and the huntress behind her. Or perhaps it was a simple case of the former being a lost little bunny wandering somewhere she clearly didn't belong.

Licking her lips in anticipation, the hunt continued in stark silence as Cyu continued to prowl forward watching the other's every move. At what appeared to be something of a crossroad, the stranger turned right and away from the source of darkness that was drawing the acolyte in. simultaneously a curious thought crossed her mind, as well as a grumpy snarl as the disappointment that the person she was chasing might just simply be another boring tourist and not a tasty morsel for devouring.

As she made her own approach to the same crossroads, the opportunity to continue the hunt was quickly dwindling away with the woman disappearing. If she wouldn't have the chance to squeeze the very life out of her, there wasn't going to be the same level of fun in it but that didn't mean that she'd get to enjoy living. A quick glance around and Cyu found what she was looking for, a small rock about a foot across which she promptly picked up while making her way to the narrowest portion of the path that the other woman had taken.

With a gleam in her eye, the pureblood set down the rock in the middle of the path, holding up the near end with her foot as she slipped her velvet hand into her bag to retrieve the present that she would leave behind. A nasty little trick that would leave anyone scared to continue on, as she slowly squeezed a primed grenade between the rock and the floor. If the other woman was too careless, simply bumping the rock would trigger the explosive and leave her a foot shorter, if not worse.

With her present ready, and choosing the darkness over dessert, Cyu turned back left and made her way along the path.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

After walking for another few minutes Kalique simply stopped and listened, but there was nothing to be heard. Through the Force she could tell that she had lost her follower and this meant that the lost wanderer was either actually lost, or something far worse and yet expected. Someone else who was after what she had came for.

Squinting, she glared at where she had come from. With the presence gone, she didn't have to be as careful as before as she seemed to be rather alone, yet she had to reach that calling asap. Another thought crossed her mind though: The deeper she ventured, the more difficult it would get to find a way out, but now that the stranger was on the loose, she even had to hurry.

Determined, she set herself into motion again, however continuing along the new path. There had to be another way. The scientists-without daring to attempt reaching the cave's core- had already figured out that tunnels were connected and even if they weren't, the Force would help her find a way where there was no clear path yet.

She walked much faster now, not wanting to risk someone else would reach whatever laid dormant inside before her and after another 10 minutes she could sense this sinister sensation much stronger than before. "Finally" she quietly whispered under her breath, still watching her step but rather striding at decent pace to reach her destination sooner or later.

After following a zig-zagging path and squeezing through a vertical gap, Kalique had to realize that this impenetrable darkness from begin seemed to try prodding at her mind. Within a split second she had her protective walls down, not wanting to allow those sinister forces in, but she had a feeling this was only the beginning...Meanwhile Cyu would feel it to. The artifact would whisper soft promises to her already, and while the Imperial Knight would completely refuse to listen, maybe she would develop a different feeling towards the desired object. They were both getting closer quickly and a confrontation was probably not avoidable for ever.

@Xorism

Spoiler: Roll

18/20 for smoothness of the navigation part 2

 

[Nevizkas]

The path forward felt right within the pureblood bones and yet it looked anything but. The dark whispers began to intensify with every step closer to the calling. Along the walls appeared depictions of ancient beings, long since worn and could only just be made out. It appeared to show a cycle, the lords of the past dominated the region and exploited the populace before being overthrown by the empowered mob. In balance the dark side would retreat back into the cave, longing for its next acolyte to spread its misery upon the population.

Cyutadakyr's eyes moved quickly across the walls, searching for clues and any knowledge that it may bestow about how to access this power but it lay otherwise barren. After a short, while she came across a small room, much too small to be anything of note and therefore not her final destination.

Lying in the middle of the floor sat a monstrous abomination, its beady eyes transfixed upon the intruder who would dare interrupt its sleep. The voice's intensity peaked, commanding the acolyte to proceed. Springing up onto its feet, the beast aggressively moved forward to attack Cyu with a pair of savage swings of its claws.

It took all of her focus to slip in between the brutal attacks, both barely missing. In the narrow confines of the room, so very far away from other lifeforms, there was no hesitation for her to employ everything at her disposal. Force lightning began to cackle at her very fingertips before a torrent of power unleashed itself upon the beast.

The whispering voices now become manically laughing, their echoes filling her mind and empowering the attack as the dark side of the force as if it relished the opportunity to be spent inflicting pain and anguish. The beast quickly fell to its knees in pain, pulling its head down and returning to its dormant state.

Looking beyond it, the pureblood could see the far end of the narrow room open into another path.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Whether it was whatever remained of the Sith Lord she had read about or a whole different, sinister entity, she couldn't tell, but while following the pulsating darkness that was still calling her, she was glad for all the training she had received to resist such prodding.

While swiftly navigating through uneven terrain, more narrow passages and needing to jump down to different ledges every now and then, Kalique finally reached a point where she could sense an actual resistance. "Come...come if you dare", an eerie, dark voice laughed, the voice coming from both, everywhere and nowhere in particular, but somehow pushing against her for a quite some time.

Kalique paid the voice no attention, but her features changed to even more determined as she squeezed herself through the next passage. It was getting colder, and a sense of dread washed over her, but with gritted teeth and fierce determination she pressed on, not letting it deter it. She had to actively press against it, but it definitely slowed her down and made her steps much more cumbersome, but after a while, it was simply gone, as if it had suddenly lost interest in her. Good.

She was trained for this. The Sith Lord could try his games, but he would not sway her and she'd destroy whatever he kept hidden. She kept holding onto that thought, constantly staying aware of her surroundings before finally following another slope down that lead into a huge, rather open chamber.

The cone of light couldn't encompass all of the room, but from the moment Kalique touched the ground of the new chamber with her foot, the flashlight went off. She pushed the button repeatedly, but the device didn't offer more than a flicker any more and obviously it wasn't the battery, but whatever presence was still around.

With a slightly annoyed scoff, she let her lightsaber snap into existence, shedding an orange light through the room decorated with reddish smears of runes and images all across the walls before pressing on, realizing that she was approaching a hole in the ground that was drenched in a rather darker, reddish glow. This must be it...

Surprisingly, there was still nothing attacking her just yet, but she suddenly perceive a ripple within the Force clearly coming from her right. It was still a little off, but there was definitely someone tapping right into the dark and using the Force, making Kalique tense up and move into a readied stance. So someone was after the artifact after all and whoever it was, they wouldn't get in her way either. She was awaiting them patiently while familiarizing herself with the room as she was expecting that if someone was after it, they wouldn't be the talking kind...

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

Pressing onward along the path Cyu indulged herself within the dark side of the force, the power was immense and pleasurable, pulling her forward into dangers unknown. The hallway possessed barely a flicker of light but the destination was never in doubt as the lingering presence became a deluge as she neared its source.

Kalique would find a vast room with a small pool in its center, with channels leading to it from all four walls. Each wall contained a small grated hole leading into the unknown. There existed no natural light in this temple, as the darkness consumed all and yet she could make out some objects in the distance. Though of interest to the woman perhaps, one such wall contained a large collection of books, scrolls, and what looked vaguely like a ruby pyramid.

Slowly the walkway came to an end as it joined a series of grand stairs, taking one down floors. Cyutadakyr never felt so sure that she was in the right place at the right time, a flared confidence apparent in her stride as she arrived in the room across from Kalique. The bright orange hue gave away all that the pureblood needed to know about her new quarry, what a lovely little twist, she thought.

Cyu slowly and deliberately made her way toward the dark crimson pool located near the center of the room while keeping a close eye on the other woman. With a slightly depressed hemisphere, it was obvious to the trained eye that it was not just placed there as an interior design choice, but a practical, collecting one. Stopping just shy of its edge, she smiled before picking up a small metallic bowl and dipping it beneath the surface of the pool.

"Sup with me, these waters heal the soul and reveal your destiny." As she watched, the pureblood brought the bowl to her own face and started to consume its content with glee. A ravenous glare shot across the pool toward the other woman, waiting and watching to see what she might do.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique kept waiting patiently, the Force coiled around her free, left hand and her ethereal senses directed to her side, right where she had sensed the Force use. It was growing stronger with the moments and whatever had bothered her before was now seemingly lingered in the air in that direction as well.

If it was an actual Force ghost and someone who had come after the cave's secret, Kalique wouldn't have much fun, but she wasn't going to leave, obviously. She wouldn't until she'd destroy the disruptions' source, regardless of whether she'd have to deal with someone else first.

At first, it was only the sizzling lightsaber right next to her that was the only perceivable sound until she could clearly hear feet shovling over the dry, stony surface. There you are, she thought feistily, tightening her grip around the lightsaber as she watched her uninvited guest join.

So her intuition hadn't fail her. The woman in front her of - now, that she was no longer hiding and blending in with the huge, diverse group- was a filthy Sith after all. A pureblood even, if her eyes weren't mistaken. A species presumed extinct, yet she was living proof that they were just in the brink of it. Unfortunate. Time to help the natural order a little.

Was a chat really needed? Like a predator, she watched the other woman approach the pool in silence, not even flinching yet. Her green eyes coldly glared, the tense muscles not moving the tiniest bit until the Sith took a sip from the dark pool that might as well just kill her. A foolish mistake, Kalique thought, as the slightest smirk tugged at the corner of her lips before, without warning, she released the Force in a way that the apparently bemused Sith couldn't have expected.

Encompassing the metallic bowl with invisible tendrils that shot forth, the pureblood's drinking vessel would vehemently smash against her face, not only covering her face for a brief moment and take her sight, but actually hurting her in the process as the bowl would smack against her devilish features. Through a simple follow up manipulation of the Force, Kalique would focus on her victim's chosen souvenir and within a split second a heat would suddenly combust her skin, if she wouldn't react quickly enough.

As there was still quite some distance between them, Kalique then broke into a sprint, wanting to close the distance before her opponent would regain composure. While running, the lightsaber was still in front of her body, ensuring that it would be protected if the Sith would already fight back.

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

The playful knight was anything but, proving herself to be such a brutish warrior that she hadn't even taken the moment to consider what the liquid was or why it had to be consumed. The metallic bowl lashed across her face with its remaining contents splashing the pureblood, causing her to hiss and drop the bowl before the other woman's heating trick could set to work. A wicked smile found its touch as blood started to leak from her nose, as she pulled herself down into a combat stance next to the pool.

Had the distance been closer before Kalique began her attack, Cyu might not have had time for what was set to occur next. The dark side flowed into the room as easily as water through a sieve, the voices chanting in delirious pleasure as the object of their desire, at last, made its appearance.

The hilt of the Sith Sword appeared first, bubbling through the pool and offering its services to yet one more acolyte of the dark side. With determination and instinct driving her actions, Cyutadakyr took hold of it and cried out in the ancient Sith tongue "Sudas." as she connected with the blade and its powerful past.

The blade revealed itself as it withdrew from the sheath of blood, its appearance was crystalline and matched the hue of Cyu's own cheeks, but this was an alchemical illusion. Infused with Sith alchemy, it would be a potent weapon in the hands of a Sith, capable of blocking lightsaber and blaster strikes alike. Kalique would likely instantly recognize its danger beyond just being a sword in hand.

The sword in her right hand was held in front of her, Cyu helped close the distance until the woman was in striking range before suddenly swinging the blade vertically from above toward her head, seeking to end the fight before it began. The attack meant that her right foot had pulled forward a little, rotating her body and solidifying her stance.

Meanwhile, her left hand was ready to exploit any gaps in her defenses as she coiled the force within.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

While the bowl had smashed into her oblivious victim's face, the girl was at least quick enough to hurl it off before a sickening sizzle would have proved that her attack had been even more effective. Instead, the Sith and Kalique bith witnessed how something started bubbling towards the surface...

The Force shifted, until it was wildy flowing through the room and spreading a dark, palpable veil all across the chamber. The Sith had apparently triggered something of ritualistic nature, but one thought immediately crossed Kalique's mind. There were no Sith rituals without drawbacks, and the lord who had buried the artifact obviously wouldn't give it away voluntarily.

Maybe it that very moment he was beginning to use the naive, ignorant red-skinned abomination as a vessel, slowly draining her power until he was in control. Without any evidence, she couldn't back up her assumption, but for now her attention was on the sword that had surfaced and gotten summoned into the pureblood's hand after she had called for it.

Kalique was filled with a huge sense of dread as the sinister presence within the room just kept intensifying. She heard a cackle, but it wasn't to be located precisely and maybe it was just the Force playing tricks on her. It was as if the former lord had chosen its Champion to defeat the threat the Imperial Knight posed, but despite having the darkness attempting to prod on her mind, the Knight was as determined as ever to destroy the artifact the Sith had just acquired.

She wouldn't walk away with it. Kalique would ensure that. She wouldn't even walk away anyway, regardless of the fact that Phindar was no Imperial planet. The Sith had already proven herself to be a pest that needed to be destroyed before she, too, would wreck havoc on a much broader scale like all Sith did sooner or later, so the Knight uncompromisingly started this little dance that would only be short-lived by her foe.

The Sith might have been quick enough to draw her own weapon and raise it readily, but while she prepared her first strike to meet the Knight right on, Kalique intended to use her incertitude about the new weapon against her. While Kalique had trained with a lightsaber for over a decade, the Sith had literally just gotten her hands on the sword, meaning that she was neither used to its weight nor to the way it balanced itself.

Her strike came, but it wasn't as coordinated and precise as her own lightsaber would have been, so meeting it above their heads wasn't hard. Instead of just allowing the two weapons to clash by swiftly raising her right hand into the air, Kalique slightly tilted her lightsaber with a clockwise flick of her wrist, wanting to make her sword slide down just a little by using the momentum of her enemy's swing, so that her foe's weight would be forced forward just the tiniest bit. Then, with a powerful yank with the Force, Kalique intended to throw her off her balanced stance, while having her in her guard and making it impossible for the Sith to swing again without her still behind inwards to block.

With gritted teeth, Kalique was hoping that her pull wouldn't only reach the target of throwing her off balance, but the best case scenario would then be for her to kiss her lightsaber, as Kalique would follow her movement downward with her fiery blade, which would end the fight right away, but she wasn't foolish enough to believe her adversary didn't have another twisted idea of her own and she was just waiting for it.

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

Cyutadakyr's opening attack was quickly deflected, as her blade slid as Kalique intended. While Cyu's footwork was solid against a push, it wasn't entirely ready for the force pull resulting in the pureblood being pulled forward into a dangerously close proposition. The swing from Kalique's lightsaber came down swiftly and without warning, grazing the front of pureblood's cheek. A burning sensation quickly jolted through her body, a perilous reminder of the stakes at hand.

Though the knight may have won the first strike, the fight was far from over. Stepping to correct her footwork, Cyu swung her sword back towards herself overhead circling in order to allow for a diagonally downward strike from Cyu's right to left aimed at her upper torso.

In tandem and empowered by the dark side, a vicious torrent of force lightning burst from the pureblood's left hand, aimed at the knight's lightsaber hilt in the hopes of making the knight choose between taking the sword hit to the body or the lighting disabling the weapon.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Having hit her face with attacks twice now gave her an odd satisfaction that actually led to yearning for more, yet Kalique knew she was approaching dangerous terrain. With a Sith in the room and in such a sinister place flooded with dark energy, she was forced to be careful in order to avoid getting pulled into the dark herself.

Kalique's eyes followed the Sword, immediately making her raise her lightsaber again as she saw the weapon circling and coming down from above once again. As the Sith had to complete the whirl first, Kalique had enough time to prepare for blocking, yet as her eyes followed the Sword for a moment, she noticed the cackles as little too late.

As the blueish lightning took shape, Kalique's left hand shot forward as well, knowing that the Force attack would probably hit her, but it also meant that the Sith was putting all of her focus in the attack, so that she wouldn't be able to react in time for what Kalique still had in store.

Kalique had not been trained with one lightsaber only, but she was also quite capable at dual wielding, hence, as her hand shot forth, she was already summoning the second lightsaber that was still stored in her backpack and call it right into her hand, so that within a split second, she could press the button and hopefully impale the Sith with it, triggering a reaction that would not only break her focus, but possibly even end this fight.

Her teeth were gritted and a pained cry escaped her as the lightning struck, but the damage wouldn't be too bad if the Sith was incapacitated just a second later.

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

Cyu would never have expected her sword attack to go undefended, but much to her pleasure the pretty little thing happily took the malicious lightning with callous disregard for her own safety. The pureblood wanted nothing more than to hurt her, to inflict torturous wounds and drive the traitor to the brink of death, before bringing her back for more.

What she did not expect, was the sudden appearance of a second lightsaber to contend with as her force lightning struck true. The blade's ignition came after her own lightning struck, but unfortunately, it was not sufficiently potent to render her opponent immobile. Try as she might enhance her speed with the force in a vain attempt to avoid the blade's vicious touch, she was simply not fast enough to do so entirely.

Rotating on the spot to evade being impaled, the burning sensations erupted across her body as the blade gashed deeply across her torso. In that hair of a second, she realized just how badly she had underestimated her opponent. The agony inflicted was less than incurred, but the debt was due nonetheless if she survived. Darkness swirled all around the room, watching and waiting,

The sword fell abruptly from her grasp as she stumbled backward, before unceremoniously falling squarely on her back unconscious. If she was fortunate enough to wake once more, the pureblood would be in immense pain and require medical attention although as of yet her future was uncertain. Darkness swirled all around the room, watching and waiting.

@LadyRen