Kessel - Do You See The Truth?

[Darth Tagus]

Kessel was a lynchpin, a vital planet for trade both legal and illicit.

It was, also, a glorified mining outpost with the worst kind of people operating it. There was slave labor and cruelty of a kind that most people would balk at. As it was, Zeven supposed that as a former slave himself... he should probably feel some kind of kinship for the slaves who were whipped and beaten for failing to meet impossible demands.

He should feel some kind of empathy with them due to their shared experiences and likely feel some kind of growing anger at the slave-masters and those who punished the slaves more directly. By all rights, according to most forms of media, he should storm over there and catch the whip in his hand, feeling the phantom pain across his back from his own lashings, and demand that this stop.

By all rights he could feel that way and everything in the media and the general consensus of most people demanded that he couldn't feel any other way.

Instead of sympathy, Zeven felt loathing.

Looking at the slaves didn't make him angry at the slave-masters or the slaves themselves - it made him angry at his own former master for not dying in even more agony for putting him in bondage in the first place and angry at himself for not killing the man sooner. Perhaps it was selfish to not wish to save others from the same fate but he was a Sith.

He did selfish is spades.

So instead he just sat on a crate as he watched them load up an Imperial transport with some of the materials that had been purchased by the local Imperials. Sat on said crate happily eating a meiloorun that was.

He had a sweet tooth.

@vamp

 

[Dalo Claxus]

.

"What the hell do you mean the power converter is busted?" Dalo sounded exasperated. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb, trying to stay calm in front of the pilot.

"They knocked out our engines! Everything there is fekked! We need a new ship." The pilot, another human, sounded equally exasperated, shouting back at Dalo from his position in the captain's chair. The ship was a shitty freighter, not meant to take heavy fire from pirates, so they had gone down like a sack of potatoes. It was a wonder the pilot had managed to steer it into the atmosphere above Kessel, earning them some time by sending them barreling toward the surface. Somehow, they'd shaken off the pirates, since they hadn't pursued—probably thinking the rebel ship was as good as gone. They were right.

Dalo stepped outside to get some fresh air, hopping out of the freighter and onto the dusty dirt that covered most of Kessel. Bare "desert" was the only thing he could see for miles, save for a mining outpost just up ahead. It was one of those big holes dug into the ground, though at a smaller scale. Several ships were coming and going, which was likely going to be their way off-world. The Jedi turned to poke his head into the freighter and call out at the pilot. "I'm gonna go check that mine over there!" he shouted. "Try to see if you can fix something."

The Padawan headed out and began the long walk toward the outpost. It was about a hundred meters of walking under the blaring sun, and he could feel it burning down on the back of his neck. Dalo wasn't wearing a cloak; he was in his normal armor, looking like any other smuggler, his lightsaber tucked in his right boot. It was a Force pull away if needed, though he wasn't planning on fighting the entire outpost for one crappy hand-me-down freighter.

He was hiding his Force signature, fully aware that they were right in between a Sith world and Sith space. It wasn't unlikely that an Acolyte was overseeing something or other, and Dalo didn't want to get detected. He just wanted to get off this world and home, where that was.

Lifting up his arm, he waved to a nearby stranger, who was sitting on a crate and snacking. It was clear this man didn't have much to do besides watch the workers, so Dalo figured he was as good as any other person to talk to. "Hello there!" he called out from about 10 meters away. "My friend and I were ambushed by pirates and our ship crash-landed near this outpost. Who can we talk to for some assistance?"

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Honestly.

A crash landing on Kessel? This kid was slavery bait if such a thing actually existed. Zeven actually wasn't sure that was a thing but the kid looked to be the definition of it if it was a thing. He looked at the kid for a moment, looking him over as if assessing him for a little bit as he probed the kid with the Force.

There wasn't anything there it seemed like so he just shrugged and turned away from the kid as one of the slave-masters started walking over to the kid with a whip and a pair of restraints in hand. Zeven hummed a little bit.

"I'm going to hazard a guess..." he pointed at the slave-master, "And say Not Him."

The slave-master said something in his native tongue, which Zeven didn't speak and he had no intention of learning. Instead of even bothering to acknowledge the slave-master, he just turned back to the kid and eyed him warily.

"You even old enough to legally fly, kid?" he asked the young-looking man, genuinely curious for a moment, "Because if you're not... that's breaking the law. And breaking the law on Kessel is punished with some time as a slave so..."

To be fair it wasn't breaking laws that got you enslaved on Kessel - it was not promising enough profit to be worth letting go back out into the Galaxy and this kid? Yeah he didn't look like he was going to be bringing in the cash.

@vamp

 

[Dalo Claxus]

.

Well, Dalo wasn't sure what else he could have expected from an Outer Rim planet. He'd lived on Tatooine for so long; he was used to the cutthroat world, and a small portion of his brain still worked that way. A corner of his mind had been poking him, pointing out that this was Kessel, but the Jedi hadn't expected to be accosted this early. He didn't even step foot into the mining outpost when the slaver approached.

Unsurprisingly, but still sadly, the stranger didn't even bat an eyelash as he witnessed the events unfolding in front of him. He was clearly an Imperial, though Dalo was unexperienced enough to have not noticed that at first. The shuttle did bear the seal of the Old Empire on it, but he didn't know what that looked like, having only interacted with a single Sith before.

He looked at the approaching slaver, a middle aged man with a scarred face. Gray, uneven stubble covered some of it, the same color as his hair, which was clumped and looked as though it hadn't been washed in weeks. Dalo didn't even want to get close enough to see what he smelled like. Luckily, he wouldn't have to.

He unholstered his blaster, which he carried for occasions like this. The Jedi leveled it at the slave-master, then fired, a little faster than normally expected from someone who looked like they were fated to be sold into slavery. No one had expected this, not even the slaver, who looked the most surprised as the plasma flew toward him. Three bolts burned into the man, first searing through his armor and the other two hitting his sternum. He fell, wound still smoking, the flesh charred. Dalo winced inwardly as he felt the life leave the man's body, sending small ripples throughout the Force. It was self defense. It was necessary. Besides, the slaver was scum, his life's sole purpose to ruin as many others as possible. Dalo shouldn't feel bad.

Some enforcers nearby had taken note of the killing, though none seemed to particularly care. The slaver had approached at his own risk, and Dalo wasn't really disturbing the workers as they mined, therefore not filling any criteria required for their intervention. He stopped by the corpse, taking the whip out of its arms. "Allow me to ask again," he proposed, cracking the whip down on the packed dirt and sending dust flying. "Who is willing to part ways with their ship?" His face was hardened when he looked up at the stranger. "I would hate to ask again."

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Ah the kid had some guts.

However, the only ship around right now was, actually, Zeven's ship. He raised an eyebrow as he drew his lightsaber from his belt and held it in his right hand. He didn't ignite it yet; he just held it in his hand. Stepping away from the crates he had been leaning against, Zeven tilted his head to one side slightly as he regarded the kid a little bit longer before shaking his head.

"Do you know why I didn't try and stop them from enslaving you?"

It was an odd question he supposed but he didn't much care. He was in control here and now and he felt it. There was a heady feeling of control that he just could barely contain it within himself. Smirking ever so slightly, he ignited his lightsaber as he took a makashi dueling stance, his right profile presented to Dalo with his saber held in a ready position.

"Because if you lacked the strength to stop it then you would have deserved it. Freedom is not a right of all - it is a privileged of the strong."

He smirked.

"Now you're strong enough to avoid being enslaved - but you are not strong enough to take my ship. So do yourself a favor... and wait for the next ship."

@vamp

 

[Dalo Claxus]

.

Dalo threw down the whip when the man took out his lightsaber. He was edgy, certainly more so than that Deucalian Sith he had fought before. Judging by his demeanor, and his cocky attitude, it was obvious this one was less wise. Dalo had been running into Sith more often lately, and it was a damn shame, because his patience for them was slowly growing thinner and thinner. He stepped forward while the man talked, then stopped 8 meters away, watching him speak, hands at his sides. The Force dripped off his right finger tips, his hand hovering only centimeters above his lightsaber.

"Who are you to decide the rights of others?" he asked, a predatory gaze on his face. He couldn't see himself in that moment, but Dalo would not have liked the way he was looking at the man. Some would mistake it for hate, and it would be hard to blame them—his scowl certainly emanated loathing.

He suppressed it, realizing he was letting his emotions get the better of him. Dalo had no reason to hate all Sith, but this man was getting on his nerves and slowly pushing him. If they were all so arrogant and selfish, perhaps they really should be wiped out. The Padawan's hilt flew to his right hand. "Maybe I would wait," he replied sardonically. "But today, I'm not feeling particularly patient." It was somewhat true, but during battle, he would need to wait. A Jedi was never on the offense.

He cleared his mind, pushing away all emotion. All that was in his head was the Force, the Padawan envisioning a white light and nothing more. He assumed a Niman low-guard stance, his left side facing his enemy, then waited.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Oh it seemed that today had gifts in store for Zeven.

Not only was the kid going to try and fight him but he was a Jedi as well. As soon as he started to sense his opponent channeling the Force he began to do the same, channeling it mainly to his free left hand. Grinning a little bit, he looked the Jedi in the eye even as the kid seemed to grow angrier and angrier by the second. Tutting a little bit, Zeven flashed his teeth in a sharp grin at the young Jedi as he tried to control his emotions.

"Little Jedi... your inner Sith is poking through." he taunted the Jedi, "All that anger, all that loathing. You want to strike me down, don't you?"

He licked his lips a little bit.

"Not the Jedi way there boy." he continued to tease as he slowly began to circle the boy, moving to his own left and the Jedi's right, "Do you suppose that shoving all of your emotions away after you've let them run rampant is the way of the Jedi? No. No you're still tainting yourself with the Dark Side for allowing yourself to entertain those thoughts - pushing them away once you've already let them sway you into action does nothing to remove the taint."

Zeven chuckled as he continued to build the Force within himself.

"Maybe you will take a ride on my ship kid... You could come with me to Korriban. Learn to accept that anger and that loathing and use it."

@vamp

 

[Dalo Claxus]

.

"It's hard to not want to strike you down," he half joked. "But a Jedi doesn't give in to such primitive emotions. Sure, it would be nice to kill you. But your life is not mine to take."

The Force flowed through his body freely, from one hand or foot to the other, the same way his blood did. The Padawan was gathering it, the power ready to concentrate on one area of his choosing or to simply form a shield if needed. He didn't want to attack yet—it was not his place to do so. Still, the Sith seemed to have a point. Sure, Dalo's Masters had taught him that it was normal to have feelings, and that they should be suppressed, but the Padawan hadn't given much thought as to why they should be suppressed. If they felt things the same as the Sith, then what made the dark siders so inhumane? Their willingness to act on their emotions? And if doing so was forbidden, why did they have emotions in the first place? Surely, life wasn't meant to tantalize them. It was frustrating, trying to rationalize things as a battle was brewing, but Dalo stayed attentive, his gaze not leaving the Sith.

"There was a Deucalian among your ranks. I'm not sure if he still is, or if he's chosen a different path. I'm not sure if he's dead, either, but I was once in the position to kill him." Dalo stared at the Sith, trying to gauge his reaction. Most likely, the Mirian would be apathetic, perhaps quip about the Deucalian being weak and deserving to die after being bested in combat. "I let him walk away. And maybe I'll do the same for you, too. If you don't put up too much of a fight."

He reached out through the Force, channeling all of the energy that had been gathering in him until now, and welded it around the man's hand. Then, he twisted, his left hand going through with the motion as if directing it. The Sith's wrist would break as his hand rotated 360 degrees, causing him to drop his lightsaber. If Dalo was successful, he would move to subdue. If not, he would remain where he stood.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Zeven raised an eyebrow.

"Arrogance is a Sith trait as well, child." he told the Jedi student with some patience in his tone, "If you are so intent on proving yourself suitable for the role of a Sith Acolyte you should just apply for the academy already.

The Jedi boy used the Force after speaking to him.

Maybe he thought he was distracted or maybe the boy was just a fool but he used the Force to attempt to twist his wrist. With the level of power the boy was wielding this was not subtle, it was not quick and it wasn't overwhelmingly powerful. So rather than use the Force to resist his attack, Zeven instead resisted the attack physically with his physical might, which stopped the attack from having the intended effect as it slowed the movement of his wrist to being almost non-existent.

As soon as the boy attacked with the Force, Zeven would launch his own, a charged Force Push that would rocket across the short distance between them in the space of a second at most before slamming into the Jedi, lifting him off of his feet and sending him flying backwards. The Jedi would not have the time to block with the Force considering he was already committed to a use of the Force which was being effectively resisted and would be interrupted as soon as Zeven's attack landed.

@vamp @Cainhurst Crow

 

[Shizuo Aramusha]

The planet of Kessel was a truly disgusting place, but it had its uses. For Shizuo Aramusha, those uses were two-fold. The first, was a source of inspiration. The planet was absolutely dripping with suffering and negative emotions. The anger, pain, hate, and fear, of this world was a font of power for the sith, a source of philosophical and meditative contemplation.

The other was spice. Spice that Shizuo planned to acquire, though not use himself. It was a potent tool of manipulation, and he would need to secure some connections to make the most of it. The sith, gave a cough as he took in a wheezing breath, the sides of his malformed mouth exposing a skull-like visage as the being who few would ever believe to be a Kyuzo anymore walked along the upper level of the mine.

Nightsister magic had transformed his body. And he needed more of its power, craved it as much as those who took spice craved its touch upon their minds. Using spice as a means of control was crude, but it had the potential to force compliance, should he need to. However, in his walking, Shizuo felt something from down below. It was small at first, but it grew moreso as he continued.

He sensed something, below him. The presence of the force, being made to bend, and gathering in power. And something more, emotions within the force that bleed through, a coldness that was familiar, but one that was not. The sith reached down and pulled out his saber, making his way with a brisk pace towards the stairs as he went down 2 at a time, descending until he was at the ground entrance of the cave.

The sith, garbed in his medium armor, came to a skidding halt as he entered a loading room of sorts. His eyes scanned the area, and landed firmly on two figures. One, a greenish humanoid, and another, what looked to be a human of blond hair and pale complexion. The 7 foot tall sith tilted his head as he looked at the human, feeling with the force something unknown about the human. His presence in the force, it felt...wrong. There wasn't anger, or emotion, or intent. It was like, staring into a vacuum, or a empty pond, rather then a raging sea like with normal force users.

He let out a growl from his throat as he looked between the two, a curiosity to him much like a predators eyeing an unknown animal. Shizuo's own presence in the force having a putrescent quality to it, something wholly unnatural and off with his own part of the force as the sith felt confusion more then bloodlust at the moment.

The sith, looked towards Zeven, feeling the familiar dark side touch within him, as he didn't immediately ignite his saber. His attention went towards the human as he finally spoke.

"Who...or what...are you?" He asked, his voice sounding like an echo, deep and dark, as if 2 people were speaking in tandem with one another, "You feel...wrong."

@Nefieslab @vamp

 

[Dalo Claxus]

.

He hadn't expected the attack to work, really. Dalo knew his limitations, and had known the man would shake his twist off easily; it was a small area that was far away, making it harder for the Padawan to manipulate, so he didn't feel bad when it failed. Rather than keep trying, he just gave up as soon as the Sith resisted, just in time for the Acolyte to send a counter attack his way. Dalo couldn't block with the Force, he knew that. Still, it would take nearly a second for the hit to actually strike, time in which he moved, dashing to the right. When the wave hit, it hit his left shoulder, feeling like a shove from someone exceptionally strong. Dalo stumbled backwards for a few steps, keeping his lightsaber up in case the Sith found this a good chance to strike, but didn't let himself get tossed around so easily.

He was gathering the Force once more, and ready to attack again, when another Sith arrived, this one looking greener and more dead than the other. "I feel wrong?" he asked, frowning. "Your presence in the Force resembles something that's died and has spent weeks rotting in a lake." And it was true. While dark siders usually felt like cold ripples in the infinite sea that was the Force, this specific dark sider stunk. It was unlike anything he'd seen before, but every user had their own different signature smell/feel in the Force, whether they stood out more or less.

The newcomer seemed otherworldly, though Dalo did not fear him. He may have been unknowledgeable about some things, but that only meant he was less likely to be scared of the unknown, especially when the unknown had a weak presence, clearly an Acolyte—7 foot tall, but still an Acolyte. If fighting the Mirialan was a bad idea, fighting this hulking abomination would be a recipe for disaster.

Dalo raised his lightsaber defensively and planted his feet in the ground, gathering the Force to himself but refusing to attack now that he was on the defensive. He didn't know if the new guy planned to join into the fray, but it would put the Padawan at a severe disadvantage.

@Nefieslab @Cainhurst Crow

 

[Darth Tagus]

It seemed that another Sith was on this Force-forsaken chunk of rock. Honestly that was more surprising than finding out that this kid was a Jedi. As amusing as it was to see the two of them question who felt worse, Zeven didn't let it distract him from the fight, even if he didn't immediately attack.

Instead he began to pull the Force to himself again and held his lightsaber in the same ready position as before, now moving slowly to the other side of Dalo. He was circling the kid so that he would be between himself and Shizuo. If they continued to fight this would divide the boy's attention.

If they didn't?

Well it never hurt to be careful.

"He's a Jedi." he told the other Sith before adding, "Or at least he likes to think he is. Look deeper than the surface and you'll see it though... the rage and the hatred... the burning ambition as well."

He looked at the kid for a moment.

"You're on the wrong side of this, kid." he argued quietly, "How can it be that the 'right' path has you deny who you are? Because your emotions... they're part of who you are. Your hopes, your dreams, your passions and your responses are what make you a living being. The Jedi want you to put them into a little box and ignore your natural reactions. We Sith...? We might be a lot of things but we have more freedom than your rebellion does. As a Sith you would be free to be yourself; not just another Jedi. Yourself."

@vamp @Cainhurst Crow

 

[Shizuo Aramusha]

"Jedi...So this is a jedi..." Shizuo said as he looked to the young man, the very thought of running into one seeming like a fairy tale. His father told him stories of the jedi, a very long time ago. It was so hard to remember, but the memory dredged up into his mind. They were guardians once, protectors, but they had failed. They had been defeated by the Empire, long, long, ago.

"Your presence in the force is hollow...How can it be that you control it, when you leave no scar on it? No...you're not controlling it. The power is being drawn out...impossible..." The question was more one of curiosity then anything else. There was something under the surface, but it was barely there. His use of the force was like a empty void, where Shizuo was used to the screaming, turbulent, presence of the force being made to bend to its users.

This jedi, the way they used the force. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before. Not for the power, but the way the power was being given. "You leave no mark on the force, no piece of yourself in bending it...How is this possible? That is not possible...There is only Passion...Only the Force..." Shizuo still held his saber, and he ignited it as a look flared up in his eyes, the coldness starting to emanate from deep within as a darkness bubbled to the surface.

"Yes...I must know what makes you tick..." He brought his saber before himself, a flourishing guard used by those of the Makashi school of combat as he looked to Daro, and to the fellow sith who would join him. "Whatever strange acts you've done to use the force...however you can use it without anger or passion...No secret can stay hidden in the fire of battle."

War revealed all things. War would reveal what made this Jedi function. Of that, Shizuo was certain. Nobody could hide their true selves when their lives were put on the line.

@vamp @Zeven Visz

 

[Dalo Claxus]

.

Dalo sized both men up as he held his lightsaber out in front of him, realizing the odds weren't in his favor. He had the Mirialan, who was quite clearly stoking the fire in Dalo, and the newcomer, who seemed to simply be confused as to who the Padawan was and how he "ticked," having come to the conclusion that trying to kill him would be the best approach. Dalo stared at the more alive-looking of the two—though that wasn't saying much—refusing to let the man circle him into an even worse position. The Jedi stood his ground, only stepping back once to assume his stance once more, a determined expression painted on his face.

"Yeah, wonderful idea," he replied sarcastically to the Mirialan. "I should just come to the Sith, where the grass is greener and my compatriots will be murderers and psychopaths, and who will want to kill me more than my enemies do." Dalo shook his head in a minuscule gesture. "I'd rather control my temptations and have a clear conscience, free or not. The Sith have done nothing but oppress and work in their own interests. I'm not that selfish."

He held his hand out and reached out, grabbing the blaster pistol off the ghoul's (@Cainhurst Crow) belt, leveling it at the Mirialan and firing three shots at his lower chest, spread out to make them more difficult to deflect. They came rather close to each other, so he would need to be fast to do so. The Jedi fired two more at the ghoul's upper chest and one to his head, discarding the pistol after that by throwing it away, down into the chasm that was the mine. He hadn't used much energy, so most of the Force that he had been gathering remained with him, the trivial use of energy for telekinesis not weighing much. He kept his saber raised, and feet planted in the ground.

@Nefieslab @Cainhurst Crow

 

[Darth Tagus]

Seemed that the larger Sith was more than happy to actually get stuck in, both with some philosophy and with the fight itself. Grinning a little bit, Zeven couldn't help but bark out a laugh. The kid had balls he would admit that and he found himself rather enjoying the fight so far but there was one thing that he couldn't help but point out.

"You're unbearably naive."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Your allies despise you. Do you think that the Mandalorians just, what, stopped hating the Jedi? Sure, they hate us - but that doesn't mean they love you, Kid. They've never stopped hating and mistrusting the Jedi either and do you know what you and yours are doing?" He smirked, "You're empowering tomorrow's enemies in the blind hope that they'll help you beat today's enemies. Except if the Mandalorians beat the Sith Empire... you'll be next. And you won't stand a ghost of a chance against them."

While the kid was grabbing the blaster, Zeven attacked the kid directly. In the time it took for the kid to draw the blaster, Zeven's own attack was launched and on it's way; A blast of the Force directly at the kid, specifically at his unarmored and unprotected crotch. With the kid's attention on the other Sith and his concentration on trying to remotely use the blaster, he would have almost no way to counter (or split his attention to dodge) what would be, essentially, a swift and brutal kick to the balls.

Whereas Zeven wouldn't even need to block any shots because none would come - the kid lacked the fine control needed to draw a weapon, aim the weapon and fire the weapon before Zeven's more basic attack was launched and landed. Even if the shots were loosed, Zeven would neatly block each bolt in turn even with the slight spread, as he was turned to present a narrow profile (decreasing the area that could be fired upon and the area that needed to be protected) and each shot came with a delay that gave him time to reposition his blade.

Not that it would be needed as either the kid would need to abandon the attack to attempt to dodge, breaking his concentration, or Zeven's attack would land and the pain would make using the Force too much of an ask for the Kid.

And that was if Shizuo did absolutely nothing, which was unlikely.

"Give it up kid. We're not even trying to kill you but that could change." he warned Dalo, "Lay down your weapons and step away from them."

@vamp @Cainhurst Crow

 

[Shizuo Aramusha]

Shizuo watched him pull his blaster off of his belt, not bothering to stop him as he regarded Dalo and his actions like a hawk. He didn't want to end his life, he wanted to find out how it was he could use the force as he did. Hearing him chastise the Sith, gave him pause as he quickly assumed a defensive stance, his makashi guard shifting into a soresu opening stance.

He didn't know his comrades intent, nor did he know if Dalo would be more skilled in combat then his opponent assumed. However, the kids words did resonate something as the sith decided to go on the advance. He ran forward in a charge towards Dalo, moving his sabers blade to the ground as it carved a path of molten rock and burning dirt towards his foe.

Stopping a few feet away, he jerked his blade out from the ground and towards the man, a blur of crimson light coming inches away from him, missing as Shizuo brought his saber into an overhead slash, and brought it down. His aim however, was not towards Dalo himself, but his saber. He aimed a Sarlaac Sweep maneuver towards the man's lightsaber, aiming to slam his own saber against Dalo's to at the very least, knock it away from him.

He wanted to see how well this man fought when pressed and on the defensive. "You've got a lot of words against murder...for someone with a weapon in your hand..." He said as his eyes looked to the blue color of his saber. They didn't even bleed their kyber crystals. What a strange, strange, people, "Or do you carry this weapon, just for show?"

@Dalo Claxus @Zeven Visz

 

[Dalo Claxus]

.

He said nothing of the Mandalorians and their tentative alliance, mostly because the Padawan didn't really care for such politics. The Mandalorians were helping them, and they were helping the Mandalorians, dislike or not. So long as the alliance remained, he would continue viewing the warriors as friends. Should that change, so would his approach. It was really that simple. War sometimes required imperfect decisions, and an alliance like this was one of them.

"At least we're not tearing each other apart based on who's edgier," he shot back.

Dalo was successful for a moment, having unholstered the blaster, but that's when the Mirilian struck. The Padawan noticed him charging up the attack, and knew he would have to ditch the pistol, so he did. He unholstered it with the Force, then, seeing an attack coming, threw it toward the Mirialan's face, not caring much for accuracy since he was busy also dashing out of the way. Dalo dived to his left, away from the two Sith, and then rolled, Force augmented speed ensuring he dodged the brunt of the hit and the overhead slash coming from the ghoul. The blast coming from the Mirialan grazed him, almost tearing his robe off his body and leaving him naked, as well as striking his right shin with enough force to leave a nasty bruise later, as if he'd kicked something indestructible with all the force he could muster. It hurt, but the Padawan would carry on, the pain slowly subsiding as adrenaline set in, and his body became more focused on surviving.

"Maybe I would have surrendered if the odds were a little more fair," he remarked, back on his feet and in a dueling stance, the Force around him, ready to augment his speed. He walked clock-wise to his left, the Mirialan directly in front of him while the ghoul was at his 2 o'clock. "Who said lightsabers are for murdering?" he asked. "If my intention was to kill, I would have probably opted for a vibroblade, which isn't merciful enough to cauterize wounds."

@Nefieslab @Cainhurst Crow

 

[Darth Tagus]

There was still several meters of distance between himself and Shizuo so Zeven was able to see the blaster coming, thrown at his face, and merely move to avoid it, letting it sail harmlessly past him out of sight of all three of the combatants. Instead of staying static however, Zeven began to move to one side even as he advanced on Dalo.

He would continue to move to Dalo's left while Shizuo continued to move to Dalo's right.

The boy Jedi could choose to either continue to retreat to keep them both in his line of sight or he could accept that he was going to have to keep one of them in his sight while the other plotted outside of his field of view.

"You have an odd way of looking at the Galaxy that extends beyond your mistakes about the Force, Kid." he couldn't help but add, "This is the perfect time to retreat or surrender - you're outnumbered and you're in hostile territory. Drop the saber and we'll let you go."

He shrugged once.

"Bounty is just for the saber after all." he smiled a little bit, "Besides... I don't want to kill you Kid. I'm kind of interested in how someone with that much raw emotion is going to turn out. But where are my manners? I am Zeven Visz."

@vamp @Cainhurst Crow

 

[Shizuo Aramusha]

Shizuo watched as Dalo evaded his attack, his eyes following the young jedi as his saber began to smolder the rock it had connected with. The sith drew it out as he slowly twirled the saber with his wrist, making his way towards Dalo's right side as he stalked, slightly hunched forward like a jungle cat as he slowly marched in tandem with his comrade, circling the young man.

"You call your weapon merciful...I am beginning to understand." Shizuo said as he continued to circle Dalo, the darkness that surrounded him seeming to part for a moment. When he spoke, his voice sounded almost more normal, though weaker then before, "You think you're above all of it, don't you? That's why there's nothing of you when you use the force...you keep yourself separated from it...you keep your feelings, from mingling with the force..." Shizuo said as his lips pulled into an off-putting smile, a wheezing laugh escaping him as he spoke.

"You're a murderer, just like us. But you just don't want to admit it, right?" Shizuo said as he stopped spinning his saber and leveled it towards Dalo, "I am Shizuo, of the Aramusha Clovac. It's a tradition, for a killer to give another killer their name, on the field of battle." He said, following suit after Zevan's example.

@vamp @Nefieslab

 

[Dalo Claxus]

.

This had been dragging on for a while, and he knew that the pilot was likely to be expecting him to be on his way. Besides, Zeven was right—it was time to retreat. Dalo needed to find an escape before the man went looking for him and ended up getting enslaved, so the Jedi used a neat little trick Padawans in the temple used for pranks. He lifted his free hand up, palm facing the two Sith, closed his eyes, and with a small burst of Force energy, he caused a blinding flash of light to envelop the room. No sooner had the two Sith been temporarily dazed than he broke into a charge toward the door, ignited saber in his hand just in case, though he doubted anyone would be in any shape to contest his exit when all they could see was white. "Dalo Claxus!" he shouted over his shoulder as he ran out.

If unhindered, he would dash out the door and to the Mirialan's freighter, shoving workers aside and shutting the door behind him. The Padawan was no ace pilot, but he knew how to get a ship off the ground, and that's what he did. The craft hovered up shakily, some crates of spice behind him getting knocked down, sending powder flying in every direction. The Jedi didn't even bother getting higher up, since he would need to pick up the pilot. He maneuvered the freighter toward the crash site, eyes set on the landscape above, oblivious to what was happening behind him. A rocket hit the left side of the freighter, wrecking one of its engines from the get-go. Cursing, he brought it low in front of their crashed ship. The pilot ran out to meet him.

"Hop in!" he yelled over the roar of the functioning engines, and the man obeyed without a word, throwing himself into the freighter. As he recovered, Dalo was focused on the controls, and they slowly gained altitude until they were far from the prison. He handed the controls to the pilot and then sat down on the durasteel floor of the freighter, catching his breath.

As enlightening as the debate had been, he couldn't help but inwardly cringe at how edgy and ignorant the two Sith had been, Zeven the more delusional of the two. The man was arrogant and selfish, assuming that everyone wanted the same things from the world as he did. Dalo would not fall to the darkness. Not for a green-skinned nerf herder who needed back-up to take on a Padawan.

@Nefieslab @Cainhurst Crow

EXIT THREAD(?)​