In a Galaxy far, far away...

[Pam0wl]

Nyx smoothed her hands over the leather repeatedly, checking how well it fit in the reflection of nearby shop windows. She couldn't stop smiling; her shoulders were back and her head held high, seeming to take pride in her new jacket. "There are alternatives to bathing; I should know." She cheekily grinned, sticking her tongue out, "But I suppose I don't want to ruin the leather. I'll have to manage."

The girl seemed utterly content with her life. She had done more time with her life in the short couple of months with Al than she had accomplished during her years on the streets. She was becoming something, someone worth being. She was going to be a jedi; she was able to help people and stop evil in the galaxy. At least, that's what she hoped. She still had a long way to go. No matter how quick she learnt, some things just came with time. Nyx was still finding herself, still finding out about her past, about her mother and father. For now she shook off the thoughts and focused on the present. The great market city still had lots to offer, still so much to drink in.

"Lightsaber Lane? Do a lot of Jedi come here to get parts? What stops people who aren't jedi from trying to make a lightsaber?" She queried, looking around at the hustle and bustle lining the streets. She had yet to see any other jedi there and truth be told she did not expect to see any. Since they had left Dantooine, Nyx had not encountered others from their order, which was surprising, given their numbers. The on going war with the Brotherhood had the Army of the Light stretched thinly with no end in sight.

 

[Alastar-Ro]

"That's a good question kid. The truth is there's almost nothing stopping a person from creating a lightsaber, you've seen for yourself how all of the parts are easily obtainable in just a day." Al spoke over the crowd, shouldering himself through to the strip he'd seen earlier that day. "Thing is though, a functioning lightsaber requires a crystal. Not so easy to aquire, and without one you've just got parts."
He waited while some transports passed through, dual lanes of lifts that brought people to other sections of the ship like the housing district.
"Did you know people lived here? And not just the shop owners. This whole ship runs independent of the Republic, unofficially yet efficiently governing themselves. The only true law here is that of Captain Cindel's. I met her once years ago when I was about your age, scared the force out of me near literally. No friend to my Master, but not an enemy either. I learned the difference, and many other hard truths when we needed her help. See, this ship harbors all sorts, it's also considered neutral ground. You'll scarcely find the fool picking fights here breathing air much longer, Nyx, and I say this to drive the point home, even a Jedi can not interfere with the ongoings of this ship. Not without the Captains permission."
The transports finished passing and the way forward cleared for pedestrians as Al briskly started towards the other side.
"Here we are, all kinds just like I said."
And he was right. A hilt was mostly at its core just a series of everyday fittings arranged in a peculiar way. That wasn't to say that every lightsaber was crafted from junk, but the mysticism was mostly untrue. As a first saber for Nyx, the parts here would do just fine. From solid metals to synthetic, soft grips, clips, quick connects so that your saber could easily be broken down, the options were nearly limitless.
"Have fun kid."

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx followed closely behind, ensuring she was not lost amongst the crowds. She was tall for a girl but still many aliens and sentient towered over her in the bustling streets. Every so often she would jump slightly to keep him in sight. Whilst Nyx followed, she listened to Al explain more about the strange city. It sounded a bit like Nar Shaddaa but with more law and order. The merge of different fractions and populace; that would explain why she saw a mixture of opposing figures rubbing shoulders, bounty hunters and mercenaries, followers of the sacred way religion walking the same streets as free roaming pleasure slaves. The whole city seemed to be one conflicting melting pot; Nyx was surprised it had survived so long.

She was even more surprised by Al's further recollections. "Captain Cindel...is she scary like Master Onstella?" Thinking about that white haired witch still gave Nyx the shivers. The elder still unsettled the young girl; she did everything in her power to ensure she never displeased that woman again. "How did you meet this Captain Cindel?"

Upon arriving at the shop, Nyx drove right in, scanning and inspecting various options and materials. She took and handful of them and simply sat herself down in one of the corners, looking at the pieces like she was contemplating a puzzle. She spent her time looking at the different grips and hilts. She was extremely fussy with her finishing piece, liking the style of one but not the material, the length of the other didn't seem right or the weight unsettled uncomfortable in her hand. By far it took her longer to select this piece than it did all the others combined. For a while, she just amused herself, laying out the components she had, mixing them up, changing them to see what suited. Probably most younglings rushed to get their first lightsaber put together, but oddly with Nyx -despite her eagerness- was almost methodical and precise. From her choices, she seemed to favour the solid metals as oppose to the artificial ones. The outer design was sleek and modern.

Yet Nyx noticed one oddity amongst the options she had chosen; it looked like a grip but rather elongated and without a hilt on either end. She wouldn't know it, but she had picked up a grip for a double bladed lightsaber. Yet as she looked at it, inspecting each ends, one could see her mind was slowly working it out, coming to her own conclusions. A double sided saber? I haven't heard much about them...I know some Jedi have two separate lightsabers but a two in one....how strange...cool.

 

[Alastar-Ro]

He watched as his apprentice took in the various fittings one could use to construct a saber. He looked himself, going over the various pieces for inspection, feeling the heft of some against others. Truly this method of hilt creation greatly speeded the process of creating a saber. He never would have thought in his youth that he'd been able to just buy a lightsaber, but in truth it wasn't so hard. Mostly what Nyx was looking at were spare parts, pipe, and fittings, anything from an air recycler of a starship to the insulated guts of a blaster. He admired how simple and even fun this task had become, unlike his own grueling experience meditating over a forge for days with no food and minimal water, something he'd swore he'd never have Nyx do.
He'd sworn he would not interfere with his apprentice while she chose her lightsaber. Even done in a shopping district, this were a sacred tradition of the Jedi, one of the few he truly honored. While the lightsaber itself was not to be considered more important than diligence and tranquility, Al fervently believed in what the lightsaber stood for. It was his precious tool and friend, it stood by him while he himself took a stand for those who could not themselves. With it he could better serve the galaxy, defend peace, and fight to keep the light in the darkest of hours. So, with that in mind, he did not interfere with Nyx while she all too curiously inspected a length of hilt that could only be used for a double bladed lightsaber.
"Why wouldn't she? When is anything ever easy?" He said to himself, exhaling a deep sigh.

 

[Pam0wl]

After a time, Nyx finally seemed to settle on the last feature of her light saber features. She settled on a slim, short handle hilt, silver in coloration with a soft grip wrapped in black material. It fit comfortably in her hand, compact and practical. But still, Nyx's attention was stolen away by the double sided lightsaber hilt; it called to her for some reason. It looked exotic and exciting, all the sort of things that spoke out to the budding adventurer. As she continued to inspect the object, her thoughts grew distant, the rest of the world fell away; there was only Nyx and the unassuming hilt. Tentatively, her fingers ran over its surface, incurring a vision to flash in her mind. There was little to the actual scene, but what she did see what the saber roaring to life with two beams of blue light. It looked beautiful. She recognised the distinguishable hilt, it was the same one she held presently in her hands. It was as if the force was giving her a tantalizing glimpse into what could be possible in the future.

It caused Nyx to blink at first. This vision was not like the periodic ones of the past she often experienced - with unspoken confidence, she felt as if she had gazed into the future, seeing the double sided lightsaber in its prospective form. Was it her destiny? The force had solemnly mislead her. Though she was ready to constructive her singular lightsaber now, was she destined to wield a double saber in the future. Nyx smiled subtly to herself, gazing longing at the hilt of the would be double saber. She had seen its potential, what it could become. Though she purchased the single hilt, she also included with the double saber, perhaps hoping one day she would put it to use. Finally re-joining Al, she was eager to proceed to the next final stage.

"So what now?" Nyx asked, looking at all the components laid out before her, "Can I put it together?"

 

[Alastar-Ro]

"You'll need somewhere quiet. See, we construct our first saber with the force, a method that both proves you're ready to wield it, and serves to completely tune your crystal to you."
He looked around, thinking of their next move.
"Tell you what kid, how about we stay on board for the day, rent a room. You'll be able to construct your saber there in peace. Yeah, that's actually perfect, a day away from the ship." He said while looking around. "Ah hah, there we go..."
He stepped over to a monitor and punched in a few commands. You could book a transport to the housing district through the use of stand up monitors such as these, at the very least ensuring you're ride on the next tran if the closest one was already full. They were in luck however, as one was just about to arrive, and it was relatively empty.
"So. Board the transport," he said just as it came into view a ways down. "find a place, I'll get some food, and then we can-"
A chill rose through his spine, he looked around but saw nothing. But he felt it, a powerful disturbance in the force, dark and foreboding. His eyes raced through the crowd, something was happening sooner than later. His hand slowly went to his lightsaber, the other to a soldering pen from his utility belt.
"Nyx, take this and put your saber together. Now."
He hovered his apprentice, moving closer and closer as if to cover her from an invisible threat. The transport was far still, too far to wait on for an escape. He slowed his breathing, concentrating on his senses as they were his only warning at the moment. Now he gripped his hilt in both hands, keeping it close to his body for when he'd have to activate it, senses screaming at him that danger approached.

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx nodded eagerly at the simple plan. She could finally piece together the puzzle that would be her lightsaber and get to stay longer in the strange space faring city. But the excitement and anticipation was cut short - coldness seized her, unlike anything she had ever experienced before. It was dark and overwhelming, like a volatile storm brooding in the enclosing distance. Nyx had never sensed something so dark - even the visions from the rakata ruins were different from this sensation. It nearly robbed her of breath, of coherent thought. Only Al's sudden order grounded her back to reality. Quickly, she fumbled with the soldering pen, looking for some sort of cover as she began to finishing process, her eyes cautiously darting around her for any sign of their unseen enemy.
The impending doom looming over them distracted her for a moment. One hand gestured in the air, levitating the components whilst the other hand held the soldering pen steady. She began merging the pieces together, attempting to focus solely on the task at hand and drown out the hustle and bustle of the market crowds.

Finally, her lightsaber roared to life with a brilliant blue blade, but Nyx could not admire its completion as she quickly backed to Al's side, holding the saber ready.
"A-Al? What is that?" her frantic eyes scanned the crowds, she could sense something was about to happen but she wasn't sure what. "What's happening?"

She wouldn't get an answer - explosions rocked the streets. Detonators had been placed in random areas with no apparent targets but it sent people running, inciting panic and fear. Crowds began to flood in and out of the area, some seeking to use the transport to escape whilst others blindly sought other means. Nyx was about to edge closer to Al when she was thrown off her feet. Nyx suddenly found herself dragged along the ground, pulled by an unseen force. Nyx desperately tried to grab for purchase, anything to try and slow her movement. Al was swallowed up in the chaotic crowd, leaving Nyx panicked and unfocused. "Al!" she cried desperately, raking her nails into the dirt to try and stop. "AL!!!!!!"

She fought the whole way, struggling and thrashing. Luckily, she had taken the pressure off her lightsaber switch, ensuring running civilians weren't cut during her rapid motion. But when she did finally come to a stop, she was tugged into a darkened alley away from the main streets and away from prying eyes. At first, Nyx was disorientated, blinking rapidly to try and refocus on what had caused her sudden abduction. The shadow looking over her froze her in place. The darkness rolling off the hooded figure robbed Nyx of instinctual thought. He seemed so familiar, so terrifyingly familiar. But it was his voice she recognised straight away.

"At long last. The lost star." Yellow, bloodshot eyes peered down at her under the hood of his cloak.

Gnashing her teeth, Nyx flared with life, rising her saber ready. But with a gesture of shadow man's large, meaty hand, Nyx lost consciousness. The world around her darkened as she was forced into a state of oblivion. Al...

 

[Alastar-Ro]

BOOM!
A wave ran through Al's whole being. He kept his footing, but then more explosions went off randomly. Shops were set ablaze and debris fell from above, and Al found himself pulled along with a panic stricken crowd as terror and screams filled the ship.
"Hey! Let me theough! Let me through!" He already knew his pleas dell on deaf ears, these explosions while seemingly random did hold a purpose, to incite maximum panick.
His mind raced to see the bigger picture, why would someone do this?
"Al!"
"NYX!" He yelled. Where was she? He caught a glimpse of her being pulled by an unseen force before he were shoved once more in the violent crowd.
"AL!!!!!!" She cried with true terror in her voice.
"NYX!!! HOLD ON!" He tried even harder to separate himself from the sea of people, but all of his strength did him no good.
"I'm coming Nyx! Nyx!"
Desperately he called the force to himself, quickly releasing a surge of power around him that he'd otherwise never even think of unleashing on an innocent crowd. He hoped he wouldn't hurt them as he let the force out around his being in an explosion. Most of the crowd in his area buckled, falling over themselves in unison. There wasn't much room to fall to begin with, so nobody was sent flying or hit the ground, but it did give Al just enough squeeze room leap high into the air and onto a stopped transport. From there he scanned the area, feeling through the force where he needed to be. He could sense Nyx faintly, but slowly she grew weaker and weaker. He activated his lightsaber now, kicking off the transport and onto the next, closing in on where he'd last felt her.
He came to an alley and didn't stop. He only needed the slightest moment of understanding, the dark figure standing before Nyx told him all he needed to know. Al could see those yellow eyes, he would recognize the aura of a Sith anywhere. With no intention of giving the man time to defend himself, Al aimed a sideways blow with his lightsaber that first caught the nearbye side of the alley, ripping stone and mortar and metal rebar out with a hissing howl as the combination of all those things and Al's own saber flared in the man's direction.
"Graaaaaah!"

 

[Pam0wl]

The sith acted with seasoned reflexes. Through the force, without even a gesture, the flying rocks and rumbles froze in the air as his red saber roared to life within his grasp. With even, undaunted eyes, the sith parried with Al's green saber, staring the jedi down. On closer inspection, Al could see the lower half of the sith's features were covered with a breathing apparatus, seeming to aid him in his breathing - at some point, it was clear the bulky, mountain of a man had suffered some sort of injury.

"This is fated, jedi. Not even you can challenge the will of the force." The sith easily dwarfed Al, in height and muscle. He had not trouble countering Al's strength and even held his clashing saber steadily with one hand as his other hand gathered tendrils of ice blue lightning. "The girl escaped me once. It will not happen again." With that he send the lighting hurtling straight towards Al, uncaring if it struck him or merely distracted him for a moment. He jumped back to Nyx's unconscious form, unceremoniously slinging her his shoulder as he prepared to flee. It would only be a matter of time before patrol droids and law enforcement arrived to contain the scene of destruction. With any hope, they would assume it was Al and further delay him.

Leaping up onto the rooftop of a nearby building, the Sith cast Al one last withering glare before activating one last string of explosion, essentially creating a smoke screen of rumble, dust and destruction. The sith would have loved nothing more than to battle Al and even gleeful kill him, but the sooner he was off thee floating city with his prize, the better. He had spent years searching for the child, hidden amongst the scum and filth of Nar Shaddaa. He would not let her slip through his fingers as her troublesome mother had done.

 

[Alastar-Ro]

The Sith was fast, strong, powerful in the force, and experienced. His reaction to Al's blow was no small feat, more so a testament to his strength that he barely, if at all recoiled. Still, Al preshe'd on with his blade, hoping to gain some ground in the struggle. He was an ugly one, that's for sure. Al took in the details of his form while he could, noting the breathing construct on his face.
"The girl escaped me once. It will not happen again."
Then he did something Al didn't think possible. He let a hand off of his saber, and despite Al's best efforts he could not move the beast back or overpower him. His free hand channeled lightning, enough where Al knew what was coming his way in a moment. He prepared himself best he could, strengthening his powerful force wall in anticipation of the blow. The man let loose, and sabers locked Al had no way to dodge without opening himself up to a counterattack. So instead he took the lightning, feeling it wrap around his form without quite touching him, but not being able to shake it all the same. This wasn't as concentrated an attack as it could have been, it was clearly meant to delay his responses instead.
The Sith took hold of Nyx, and Al could only watch as he dispelled the lightning in front of him. He was leaping away as Al freed himself from the darksiders attack, but as he leapt to pursuit, the Sith turned once more with a detonator switch in hand.
"Nyx!" Al yelled as a series of explosions sent him hurling to the ground with a thud. His back slammed against the street, heat searing his front side before rubble and smoke followed. All he could hear was the ringing, a nonstop ping in his eardrums that swallowed all the other noises he could possibly recognize. Blood pooled from the back of his head somewhere, random cuts decorated his face from the debris flying past him, and he was pretty sure he'd dislocated his left shoulder on impact.
He felt for his saber, it was there beside him. Finally his eyes opened but he could scarcely see outside of his tunneled vision. Then he felt nausea, a dizziness as he tried to sit up. He had suffered a concussion he realized, and his left arm wouldn't respond to his commands. Still, he stood as best he could, catching himself on a broken chunk of building as he faltered. He had a job to do, he had to find Nyx. He couldn't abandon her to such a monster...
This time when he hit the ground, he didn't get back up. But it wasn't the wounds he suffered that caused his fall so much as the blaster set to stun that took him in the back.
---------------------
Eyes opened slowly, blinking at first to adjust to the light, but still they opened. He could feel oxygen being fed to him through a mask and he recognized that he was floating in a bacta chamber. Naked. He peered to the left and found an older model medical droid monitoring a vitals reciever, probably his. His head was blurry, he was having trouble recalling exactly why he was there, or what had happened. He looked around the room but couldn't find or sense Nyx- CRACK- the glass holding Al splintered and exploded, releasing bacta in wave as he fell to the ground landing hard on his knees and ripping his breather off.
"Nyx!"
He stood, shaky at first but he could do it.
"Oh my, you're not supposed to be up yet." The droid exclaimed.
Al looked around the room for his things, but they weren't in sight.
"I'm calling security." The droid said, hitting a series of digits on the monitor.
With haste, Al ran out of the room found himself in a brightly lit, white hallway. He looked around but there was still no indication of where he was or how he'd gotten there. Then he sensed what he assumed was security, hearing their footsteps clacking from down the hall. Behind him he heard more, there was nowhere for him to go but back inside medbay.
"It's a fight then." He said to himself. Armed with naught but his fists and naked form, Al readied himself.
"Hold!" A voice demanded from over a speaker. Al recognized it as none other than Captain Cindel, he must still be on the Bazaar.
"Jedi, we've no wish to fight you!"
He hesitated some, his breathing ragged and his pulse racing still.
"Nor do I!" He yelled back.
Silence. Then he could make out a single set of footprints making their way down the curved corridor. Blaster in hand but not raised at him, Captain Cindel gave him a single look over and smiled
"You've caused quite the ruckus on my ship Jedi, I hope you've a very, very good explanation."

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx woke up with start. The last thing she remembered were those blazing yellow eyes; then nothing but darkness. Frantically, she fought to stand and run but she immediately felt a convulsive shock assault her. She quickly fell back down to the floor. As the fog eased from her mind, Nyx found her wrists were bound behind her back by some sort of static cuffs. Exaggerated movement sent electrical charges, incapacitating the detainee depending on the power setting. Nyx's was low, but it was enough to keep her immobile. Slowly, carefully, Nyx shuffled herself into the seating position. If she couldn't flee then at least she could try and take in her surroundings. It looked like a warehouse, with crates, boxes and other shipping containments. There was no noise or signs of activity; there weren't even any droids. There was just Nyx. And the Sith.

She heard his hulking footsteps before she saw him. Like the mythical bogeyman, he emerged from the shadows, clouded in darkness. Though the lower half of his face was covered by some sort of breathing mask, the mirth in his eyes told of his smug self entitled victory. "We meet at last, little star. Face to face." He even gave her a mocking nod as some sort of greeting, though Nyx just eyed him like wary loth-cat.

She recognised him from the crystal caves on Illum. Part of her had hoped he wasn't real, that he was just some sort of figment of her fear made flesh. But this nightmare was real. He was real far before she was even born. "You hurt my mother..."

He didn't deny it, though his gloved hand ran absently over his mask. "She did worse to me."

Nyx remembered the memory, vision or whatever it was she had seen. Her mother had sent the sith flying, crashing into solid walls; there was no doubt hr would have permanently injured from such an assault. Nyx sneered almost smugly at the thought. "You deserved it."

"My, you are a spiteful thing, aren't you?" His iron grip took hold of her jaw, painful wrenching it up to meet his gaze, anger flashed in his eyes before slowly fading into amusement. "That's good. It will serve you well." Harshly, he pushed her away and marched off, speaking into a communicator as he observed the nearby monitors. "I have acquired the target." there was a pause. The volume was too low for Nyx to hear anything but from the Sith's angry rebuttal, she could only assume it wasn't good news. "I don't care if the city is on lock down, get a ship here now!"

Nyx's heart seized. Ship? Was the sith planning on taking her with him? Why? Frantically, she began searching for a way to escape, talking as she did so in order to perhaps by time. "Al is going to save me. He will stop you."

The sith merely chuckled. "He can try. I've killed a number of jedi. He will only be yet another one of my victims."

"Will you kill me?"

Shaking his head, the sith returned to stand before her. "No. That would be wasteful. You are destined for something greater. You were fated among the Brotherhood."

"Never!" She lashed out, kicking the Sith in the knee, even if his thick muscular leg barely seemed effected by her assault.

Nonetheless, he did not look amused. "Vicious kit." Kneeling down to her level, his gloved fingers illuminated with tendrils on icy lightning. "I see your master does not discipline you for your defiance. No matter. It shall be your first lesson until my tutelage." He flicked his fingers out, chuckling as the bolts assaulted the girl's body. He did not worry about her cries; they were in a disused loading warehouse on the space port sector. The building was condemned with no immediate links to any activity. Nyx could scream as much as she liked, but no one would hear her.

 

[Alastar-Ro]

"You're a lucky one, aren't you?" Captain Cindel said between sips of a flask. "I've seen men die from lesser things." Her hands were mechanical, the left one more so than the right as the prosthetic came at least up to her forearm. She'd had them since Al met her over ten years ago, though he doubted she remembered him offhand. Brief was their time together and he was still only a Padawan, but he bet she'd remember Master Diem if he mentioned him. He also bet it'd do him little good in his situation. Cindel judged individuals quickly and harshly, connections meant little to her, and even if she considered Diem a friend she'd scarcely favor Al for it.
He looked around the room. He'd been given some new clothes, a black shirt, black pants, his leather jacket, utility belt, and lightsaber were nowhere to be seen however. He knew why, it was no secret she was holding him for his connection to the bombings on her ship, and to arm a prisoner was counterproductive. His shoulder hurt where it had been set back into place and he had a lump on the back of his head where several stiches held a nasty cut together, but all in all Captain Cindel was right. He was lucky.
"The bombings were a distraction to separate me and my apprentice from one another." He explained, again. "I pursued, but another set of detonators left me as you found me." His grit his teeth. It was all he could do to keep cool, hold his anger inside of him instead of lashing out and forcing his way out there to look for Nyx. If he failed now, if he couldn't keep it together then Nyx's chances became even worse. He'd need Cindel's help no matter what the cost.
"I need to be out there, Captain. I have to find Nyx before-"
"You Jedi, always such an air of urgency. From the sound of your story, it seems as though he were trying to leave with this young girl of yours. But that's impossible right now, see, my girl is on lockdown."
"Every second she's with him her life is at risk!" The room shook slightly, he had to put a handle on his emotions.
"Perhaps, but that's why it's so important that we sit and talk. I've given you ample time to gain my favor young Ro, and you've- yes, I remember you-" Her red lips twisted into a smile at Al's slight shift of expression. He hadn't thought she'd recall his younger self. "As I've said, ample time."
He exhaled. Of course, things were different out here. Honor codes were bound by favors. He who owed the most would play slave to he who was owed, and he knew exactly what she wanted.
"You don't care that this Sith bombed your buildings and hurt your people? You've just as much cause to pursue him as I, yet you'd take the opportunity to strong arm me into both doing your work for you, and owing you a favor." He said everything plainly, single toned. He just wanted to say everything out loud so he didn't miss anything.
She crossed her legs, her grin expanding somehow even wider.
"Fine. I don't care." He stood up and towered over her. "My word is my bond, now give me my lightsaber and tell me where this son of a bitch is."
He recalled why she scared him, it was for the same reason she could rule over such a large ship with so many diverse sorts unchallenged for so long. Captain Cindel was simply always two steps ahead, and she always, always got what she wanted.
"Very good." She stood, sizing Al up and locking her lips. "I've needed the assistance of one like you for quite some time now, your old dog won't answer any of my calls."
Good for him. Al thought.
A droid entered as if he'd been waiting this whole time, and in his arms were Al's things.
"So where are they?" Al asked, clipping his belt around him.
"We found footage from the scene. The big one didn't manage to destroy all of our street monitors with his detonators. You'll need a team."
"They'll get slaughtered." Al dismissed the idea. He'd save Nyx, but he wouldn't sacrifice others who's sole crimes were Cindel's servitude. Nyx wouldn't want that.
"Very well. But you can't serve me if you die, so try not to do that. And if you are going to bite it, hurt him for us so I can bring him down."
"I'm not going to lose." He grabbed hold of his lightsaber, clipping it to his belt and feeling for his back up saber. Then he took hold of his jacket, slinging his arms through the sleeves and stretching his body. He was still in fighting shape, he absolutely had to win.
"Come." Cindel motioned him from the doorway. "It's one thing to have a troublesome Jedi on board, but I won't stomach this Sith a moment longer."
Al followed her to a transport, armed with an entire strike team of rugged looking bad-asses, all of whom would die the moment they accompanied him. He shot Cindel a harsh look.
"I said no team."
"They're your backup. You'll go in alone as I promised, but I have stake in this."
"Fine. Let's get moving." He'd wasted enough time. Anger surged through his being, but it was fear that bothered him most. He feared for Nyx, she was a tough girl but she'd never faced something like this. Fear that he couldn't protect her, fear that he was too late.
I'm coming Nyx. I won't let him hurt you anymore little sister. I'm coming to end this.

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx panted, trying to overcome the round of bolts that had struck her. It was a distastefully painful experience, being zapped with force lightning and she most certainly did not want to repeat it again. The tendrils assaulted her nerves, muscles constructed and clenches whilst blood boiled. The pain was agonising, but brief, as the sith brief intervals in ensure no permanent damage was done to her young girl. He had spent years hunting the elusive street rat, he could not return to the Brotherhood with her half dead. For now, he ceased any further punishment and instead scrutinized her lightsaber, weighing the merit of her first attempt. It had after all be a rushed job. "A noble effort." he finally determined, "Though a bit crude. Parts are more inferior than what they could be. But still-" He activated her blade, wincing slightly at the brightness of the blue blade. "-not a bad effort. You master must be proud." deactivating the blade, he attached it to his own belt, ensuring Nyx could not be a hold of it.

"What do you want from me?" Nyx finally hissed, cautiously eyeing him, fearful of another bout of lightning, "I mean, what are you really after? And no cryptic answers."

The sith merely shook his head in disbelief at the girl's ignorance. "Your abilities hold the potential to do great things. You can look into the past and claim lost knowledge. Anyone can look into the future, but to see the past? The possibilities are endless. We tried for a number of years to convert your father but he was too..." the sith trailed off, trying to compose the right word.

"Righteous?" Nyx supplied, letting her distain for the sith drip into her tone, though he promptly ignored her.

"I was going to say stubborn. The dogma of the jedi code was too strong in him; he would not see reason. Yet there is still hope for you, young one."

"Don't count on it."

A look of disappoint flashed across the sith's eyes, along with belated annoyance. "Defiance is unbecoming. And will only lead to pain. The sooner you learn this, the better." Already his finger once again glowed with threatening static, causing to Nyx to scoot away as he advanced. "Are you not even tempted by the power you could possess? Ancient secrets and technology - at your very finger tips. Could you deny yourself such treasure?"

Nyx froze for a moment, letting the sith's words weigh in her mind. It did sound tempting. It had not been something she had even considered. What could she learn from the past? The essence of darkness flickered within her, foreign tendrils coaxing and whispering delightful promises of power. The Sith would smile under his breathing mask, seeing his suggestion -amplified by the force- was slowly wearing down the girl's mind. She had not been taught to close herself off from external forces yet. She could been easily persuaded, with the right tools. But an alarm sounded from nearby monitors, breaking thee sith's concentration and loose hold on Nyx's mind. Hazily, she banished the thoughts from her mind with a vigorous shake of her head whilst the sith approached nearby transmitting monitors.

"So, he's coming. Hmhp. The fool should have given up whilst he still had the chance." He turned once more to Nyx, deviously forming a plot to lure Al into an ambush. "Let's see how quickly we can get him here. Shall we?" With that, he sent another barrage at Nyx, inciting a loud scream that would ring out in the area. The sith had hoped the teacher and student had formed some sort of bond. He eagerly wished for the teacher to feel his student's pain and suffering. It was unbalance him, the sith -Vermon- would play it to his advantage.

 

[Alastar-Ro]

"This Sith, he tough?" One of the men - Royce - asked Al as they sat in the transport. Like the others he had a suit of dark green armor that slipped on over his head, big shoulder pads and a clunky chest piece strapped around his being. His in particular had a skull and crossbones, with a metal hand reaching up to grab it all painted on messy. Some were bald or had crew cuts, Royce had his short hair greased back enough where you could see scars outlining his hair line. This was not his first face, probably a wanted criminal from some space sector who found refuge in Cindel's service. Al took in all the faves of these men, knowing that he fought not only to save Nyx, but to protect them from going in after him should he fail.
"I've fought tougher." Al said quietly. "But yeah. He's tough."
"Ain't seen a Jedi like you really, most er ya are kind of more... uh-" A bald man, Jericho Al read off his breastplate, made a sort of hand gesture, both hands shaking in the air like he were mocking a wizard or something. The men in the transport all laughed, but Al's face only tensed. He needed this rust wagon full space waste to move faster. His impatience must have been showing through his eyes, which unknowing to Al had locked on to Jericho with such intensity that the man's mouth opened dumbly, and his hands fell.
"Stop being an idiot Jeyo, Al just lost family, have some respect." The tone in the transport changed, Al felt ashamed of himself.
"Sorry man. We'll help you get your sister back from this guy." Royce said.
"Yeah man, sorry. I get a little dumb when my nerves are shot." Jericho, or Jeyo as they called him, said to Al.
"I know the feeling." He said as he grabbed his saber, inspecting it momentarily to ensure perfect working order. Then he swallowed his pride and stood up to address the men.
"There's a teenage girl out there with a madman. He's probably at this very moment torturing her, trying to corrupt her young and innocent mind. I'm going to do everything I can in there, but he's stronger than I am."
They looked up at him, he could sense their rising conviction, which actually wasn't what he was aiming for. He needed them to truly grasp the severity of the situation.
"Let us go in with you man, how many of us could he possibly fight while you're swinging away at him with your laser sword?"
"Yeah, come on. We'll mess this guy up no problem!"
"I'm not trying to rain on your collective parade guys, but bad as we are, I think we'd just get in his way." Royce said finally to the men.
"It's true. Bad enough he has my apprentice, but he could easily use you all against me."
"So what can we do, man? you've got a collection of criminals, mercenaries, and ex-psychopaths. There's gotta be something we can do to make this easier."
"Well..." Al began, an idea formed in his head. "actually-"
---------------------
They arrived at the warehouse, the entirety of the trip taking only about an hour.
"Be careful Jedi! Try not to have to use the codeword, I still think it's a dumb idea!" Royce yelled.
Al smiled for the first time in hours. Then it was back to business as the transport hovered away from behind him. He still felt angry, hurried, and it was time to face a hard truth.
This Sith is better than me. He's stronger by far and he plans carefully. I need to be better.
Approaching the factory he heard cries of pain, Nyx. He was torturing her! Al could all but feel it himself, practically see the events unfold in his mind. Every single muscle and impulse in his body urged him to activate his lightsaber and cut the Sith's head off!
And... that's exactly why I can't do that.
He fell to his knees and closed his eyes.
There is no emotion... there is peace.
There is no ignorance... there is knowledge
He could hear Nyx scream once more.
There is no passion... there is serenity. I'm coming Nyx, better than before.
He approached slow, carefully with his senses on alert for traps. This Sith whoever he was, now he faced a true Jedi. His torture of his beloved sister did not have the effect he planned, instead Al rose above the taunt and shined the light side within him as powerful as he possibly could. Nyx would be able to feel it, the calm, tranquil peace that trailed alongside Al with every step he took. The assured relief with every breath. He was at this moment more one with the force than he'd ever been, knowing full well what was on the line forced Al to dig deeper within himself than he ever had prior. This was not the same Jedi as moments ago.
Finally he entered into the same room as the pair, lightsaber still attached to his belt and hands bare.
"I'll ask you to hand over my student, then leave in peace. I'll only ask once Sith, so I plead with you to see reason and end this here."

 

[Pam0wl]

Under the bolts of the Vermon's overzealous lightning, Nyx began to flicker in and out of consciousness again. Despite the shocking currents ravaging her body, Nyx felt her mind retreat into a comforting tranquillity, easing away the pain of the sith's assault. She recognised it instantly as Al's soothing aura. Relief slowly poured into her; she knew Al was on his way.

Vermon moved to intercept Al, intending on keeping him away from his prize. He would dispose of the would be hero quickly; transport would be arriving soon. Even on lockdown, there were ways to escape. As the sith marched to meet Al, he let his thunderous footsteps echo out, a simple tactic which at times inspired fear in his opponents. They were slow and unrushed. The sith was a mountain of muscle, his whole being forged by rigorous, harsh training. The dark side flowed through him like a turret. He was one of the most esteemed warriors for the Brotherhood, having conquered cities and planets in mere hours. His overconfidence was well founded; he desired nothing more than to crush Al and perhaps even take his saber as a sort of trophy.

"You should have ran when you had the chance, jedi. Here, you will die and I shall return to the Brotherhood a hero - with my new apprentice." The sith boasted and taunted, aiming to unsettle Al using whatever dirty tricks he could. The sith was experienced, he knew many tricks and deceitful methods of gaining advantage over his opponents. It was just a matter of time. He kept walking, goading Al into an early assault. "The girl was destined to join us. Surely you sense it, do you not? Deep down, she has the makings of a Sith. She just needs the right guidance, and you pathetic excuse of a jedi are not fit to be called her master." He was waiting for a reaction, something to gauge the success of his mocking jeers and barbs.

Truthfully, there was no true darkness in the girl...yet. But she had powerful emotions; if he could incite rage and anger within her, she would easily fall down the dark path, especially with the temptation of knowledge. Many fell to its seduction; the seed was already planted within her. Under Vermon's nurturing supervision, the child would become a force to be reckoned with. The Brotherhood would finally be able to crush their enemies and seize the galaxy; already he shivered with anticipation, yet it soon died with Al's words. He snorted at the polite request, disgusted with Al's lack of emotion. Drawing his red saber and Nyx's blue, the Sith readied himself. "Peace is a lie..." angered by the jedi's tranquillity, the sith charged first, leaping into the air to empower his oncoming strike with bone shattering force. He would not stop until one of them was dead.

 

[Alastar-Ro]

The Sith ignited both his and Nyx's saber, but if such a fact bothered Al, he didn't show it. He lunged at Al, intending more than likely to crush him beneath either his own weight, or that of his blows. Al didn't move, nor did he reach for his saber. Instead, he watched. Big as he was, his mass would naturally harm his speed. Most opponents wouldn't be able to rationalize a suitable strategy against this mountain in the heat of the moment, but Al came prepared for this. He waited until the apex of his opponents jump to make his move.
Focusing purely on his enhanced speed, Al raced forward like a swoop bike beneath Vermon, who's decent may as well have been in slow motion to the Jedi. He ran from Vermon directly towards Nyx, reaching out towards her and gripping her electrical restraints with the force, in one swift motion destroying them and freeing her. She was unconscious or close to, but he wasted little time scooping her into his arms and sprinting down the closest corridor.
His comm bleeped to life as he muttered a word.
"Trouble-child."
"Roger."
Al appreciated the irony more than he thought he would when the building started to explode around Vermon. Royce and the others had been hard at work while Al kept the Sith distracted with his all encompassing aura of light, he only hoped they left enough of his escape route clear like he'd instructed. If things went as he planned a transport with Royce and the boys awaited them by the back exit, now he just had to get them there.

 

[Pam0wl]

To say the sith was surprised by Al's actions would be an understatement. He was absolutely livid. He had expected Al to fight like a prideful beast, using tooth and nail. Instead he found the green space knight had snatched his prize right from under his very nose. By the time Vermon had landed and spun round, the pair were gone. Only the broken static cuffs remained.

The sith roared in outrage, "COWARD!" The sith's fury and blazing anger manifested into a violent storm. Nearby crates and structures cracked and shattered until the overwhelming torrent of his power. He was about to give chase when a barrage of familiar explosions blocked his past. The sith saw the irony of the situation and it only further encased him. Using the force, Vermon shielded himself with the force, waiting out the worst of the blasts still until he continued in hot pursuits. Al would practically feel the simmering volley of emotions charging after him; it would not be long before Vermon once more gave chase. It was clear he wasn't going to simply part ways and cut his loses. He had spent years tracking his quarry, he wasn't going to let her slip through his fingers.

Nyx was barely conscious in Al's arms. She thought to stay awake but she felt so tired and sluggish. Her line of sight of blurry, though that could easily be because of the speed Al's momentum carried them. But she could it was Al, his aura through the voice. A small smile tugged weakly at her lips, she spoke in barely a whisper, "Knew...you'd come..."

 

[Alastar-Ro]

Rounding a corner, Al found himself face to face with a large glass pane. He gave a harsh kick with his boot, shattering glass outward to the depths below while bleeping his comm once more.
"We're here!"
"So are we, get ready."
A roofless aircraft swooped into view within arms reach of where Al stood. He stepped forward, landing one foot on the transport for balance and handed Nyx over.
"I got her man, jump over!" Royce yelled. The men all motioned for Al to jump on so they could leave, they weren't eager to meet the Sith. But Al shook his head, retracting back inside the warehouse.
"Take her and go."
"That's crazy man, that's crazy!"
"Just jump on!"
"Al, come on man I know you're a Jedi, but-"
"If I don't fight him here while I still hold the advantage, knowing Nyx is safe, the next time he comes he might..." He shook his head, not finishing the thought. "He'll be here soon. Take her to Cindel. I put a recording in Nyx's jacket, give it to your captain should I not return."
The pounding in the corridor drew closer, it was time.
"Alright man, I get needing to choose when and where."
He looked at Nyx one last time, taking in all the details of her while he still could. He reached out with the force to sense her, feel her aura once more. It was troubled, but she was still thoroughly Nyx. The Sith had failed. He smiled, lingering around her for as long as he could before the transport started pulling away.
He already missed her deeply. He loved her, Al realized. She was more so his family in their short time together than anyone he'd ever known. He wished he'd brought her to meet his mother, that he'd done more to show her just how much she meant to him. If he should survive today's events... well, as it were Al focused purely on his opponent first.
He drew his saber and continued away from his opponent until he came to an open area. He'd need space to fight this monster, room to exercise his greater speed so he'd not be cornered. He exhaled, centering himself in preparation as a calmness came over him like a wave. He had his wits, his speed, his saber skills, and most important, he fought for a loved one. With righteousness his voice roared throughout the warehouse.
"SITH!!!"

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx seemed reluctant to release her hold on Al's jacket. The warmth of his aura had given her comfort, his light banishing the darkness that tried to assault her. She didn't want to be parted from him so soon, especially as she could sense the raging beast of a man that was coming for the both of them. Part of her wanted to stay and fight beside Al, though the Sith had claim on her lightsaber and she could barely stand, let alone fight. "Al..." She audibly whined as his form grew small and distant. She realised she was on some sort of transport, being taken away from the conflict that was about to unfold. "Al...we...have to stay...fight." though she seemed barely able to keep her eyes open. The encounter with the sith had seeming drained her of energy. Instinctively, she had done everything she could to hold off the Sith's attack. Though physically she was no match for Vermon's lightning, she was able to revert inward slightly, using the force to act as a sort of buffer for the agony and pain she had experienced. But now she was left fragile and frail, needing rest in order to recover from her ordeal. Yet still she called out to her friend and teacher, "Al..."

To her brother ...Al ...

"JEDI!" The sith roared back with equal villainy as he came upon the empty handed green knight. His yellow eyes scanned the distance, searching for the kiffar girl he had sought after. But she was gone. He could sense of presence growing faint with distance, and it served to only enrage him further. "You think you've won, pathetic Jedi? You think I am the only one who will come after her? You can not protect her forever. You have only delayed the evitable. You have only sealed your doom!" With that he charged again, flinging himself at Al. But the Sith had learnt from before. Al had spend over the him, so the Sith would fight with brute strength and power. Parrying Nyx's blue blade against Al's green, the hammered it repeatedly, attempting to stagger and weaken the human as he did so before slashing his red saber out and across, aiming to disembowel him then and there. Years he had patiently bided his time tracking that street urchin down, waiting for the right moment to pluck her form obscurity. Then this jedi showed up and ruined his finely made plans. How could he return to the Brotherhood a failure? He, one of the fiercest warriors ever bred from the dark side.

He would crush the jedi into the ground, would slowly squeeze the life from his body and watch the light slowly fade from his eyes. Then he would dispatch those troublesome fools and reclaim his prize. All these images, he sent like a preserve barrage to Al's mind, hoping to unsettle him and unbalance. Whilst he physically hammered against Al's defence, he battered against the jedi's mind, hoping to conquer one or the other. "You can not defeat the dark side, Jedi. It is infinite. It is powerful. It is me, and I am it. You dare to challenge the dark side? YOU DARE TO CHALLENGE ME?!" spurned into a berserker like rage, the Sith only increased his power and strikes, becoming more like a raging storm than an actual man.

In keeping with the sith's power, the atmosphere around them darkened and intensified. This foreboding presence would not shift until one of them was defeated. Until one of them was likely dead.

 

[Alastar-Ro]

Al met the Sith's charge with the very tip of his blade, always keeping a full sabers distance between them. It took minimal effort for Al to fight this way, outputting little against his opponent's ferocious strikes. Instead of his usual tactics of overpowering his opponent with well timed counter, he'd have to rely on his Makashi footwork to continue defending himself while walking on angles so as to keep himself from being cornered. The brute was stronger than Al, stronger than anyone he'd ever met actually, but there was always a way.
A full step backwards kept him out of range from the Sith's vicious side swipe. Al realized his opponent had been sending mental suggestions, but just as he'd done earlier, he closed himself off from this Sith's mockery. Perhaps sensing that, the Sith responded with a verbal assault. His Dun Möch rarely failed, Al could tell through his confidence, and that he sensed Vermon himself to believe his own words. Still, Al was working on a way to turn that to his advantage. In rare form, Al was able to continue to dodge or lightly parry the Sith's overbearing assault away from himself. It was a frustrating tactic for one on offense when the opponent turtle up as Al did. It was considered a cowards move in some culture, to only dodge and retreat, but his Shien proved to be a wonderful substitute for Soresu in this instance as his defense never faltered. Now it was time for Al to fight back.
"What will the Brotherhood do with you when you tell them a single Jedi and some pirates thwarted your plans. What's their stance on failures?" Al asked with perhaps the largest shit eating grin he'd ever donned. His legs were ready to jump around and away from the Sith should he react how Al imagined he would: violently.