Ask Obsidian Ascension

[Darth Tempest]

Just before Vahliri slipped into the closet herself, the door slid open with a hiss. Of course it did. ‘Cause why would anything on this Force-forsaken planet go the way she had anticipated it would? She immediately whipped around to face the light that poured in - right hand instinctively hovering over the concealed hilt of her lightsaber. Her gaze immediately fixed onto the three men at the door, all of them stepping inside - even if it was only the one, who started badgering with questions. She could come up with a good excuse for this, right? Even if put on the spot, Vahliri could find a way to make her presence make sense.

Before the half-Annfyn could begin, the closet door - not completely closed from before - opened with a loud creak. The man of the hour - Thorton himself - tumbled out, dead eyes facing his comrades, as his body slumped hard onto the ground. The gasps and horror of the soldiers was soon followed by a foul stench that emanate from the dead soldier - providing some truth to a regular saying amongst soldiers.

Vahliri didn’t even need to look back, though that didn’t stop her right eye from twitching.

Without a hint of warning, the half-Annfyn stepped forward - pulling both of the lightsaber hilts from her belt. In a flash of crimson, Vahliri arched her first blade horizontal across the mouthy soldiers neck - separating his head from his shoulders. Her second blade briefly thereafter found purchase in the chest of the man closest to her, only allowing him to elicit a brief grunt and groan of molten agony.

The third and final soldier made no attempt to engage Vahliri alone. Instead, he promptly turned on a heel and started down the hallway. “HEL–!” He cried out, his voice loud enough to just cause the half-Annfyn to wince. It was hard to tell if anyone would hear him, but the half-Annfyn had to operate under the assumption they would. The Force coiled around his throat, silencing the rest of his pleas. A sickening crunch followed as her grip tightened, snapping the man’s neck to finish him off.

“Fucking bullshit..” She grumbled to herself. The grip around the third soldier didn’t release quite yet, using it to physically yank his body backwards and into the room. With all four men piled on the ground, Vahliri quickly closed the door behind her - locking it from the inside. Picking a direction at random, Vahliri quickly began to make her way down one of the hallways - attempting to move beyond anyone who came to investigate the brief noise. "Where the fuck is Varyn.."

While Varyn might’ve been internally screeching, the Champion would be pleased to find his plan of jumping into the large garbage can.. Actually worked. Half-a-dozen pairs of boots marched right past his little hiding spot, speaking amongst themselves in their native language. A few moments passed, and silence once more filled the area - giving Varyn all the indication that the coast was, in fact, clear.

Just before the Champion would begin to open the lid, however, a bit of shuffling broke the silence. “Shit.. That was close.” A voice muttered somewhere close to the trash can and in the alleyway - revealing that Varyn wasn’t alone after all. From the footsteps, it would only give the indication of two individuals in the alley.

“Thought they might’ve been coming after us,” Another individual replied with a sigh of relief, a bit of anxiety still evident in their voice, after having believed themselves almost caught by the authorities. “Think the coast is clear. Just us,”

“About time,” The voice replied, followed by a bit of hushed laughter and whispers. Rather than leaving the alley, Varyn would be able to hear something bump against the trash, followed by the occasional grasp or heavy breath. It wouldn’t take Varyn very long to figure out what was happening outside the trash can, leaving him the option of trying to cause a distraction, or simply.. Wait it out.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn felt a wave of relief that he hadn't been found, but that was quickly replaced by disgust at where he was and the smell that accompanied it.

Evidently he was the only one bothered by the smell, though, as he could hear the grunts and other sounds that were coming from just outside his trashcan.

For a moment, he seriously considered just climbing out of the trashcan and being on his way, but then he decided these people were banging in an alley, so maybe they deserved a hint of trolling.

He focused on the Force and let the picture in his mind's eye become a reality. The lid to the trashcan popped open slightly, and as it did, an illusion of a raccoon began climbing out, complete with chittering and everything.

He could hear the momentary shriek of surprise as they tried to shuffle away, and just for good measure, Varyn made sure the raccoon "pursued" them. It was kind of hissing by this point, and still following them as they sprinted off down the alley and Varyn climbed out of the trash can, plopping onto the ground and heading back in the direction of the window Vahl had disappeared into minutes ago.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Just as quickly as the grunts and moans filled the alleyway, they were replaced by shrieks of terror. Varyn would feel the trashcan rumble as the two outside bolted in the opposite direction - completely oblivious to the fact that it had been an illusion. Or that they had an unwitting audience of one. Thus, Varyn would have no problems crawling out of the trashcan. As he did so, Varyn would almost certainly catch a glimpse of the individuals fleeing down the alley.

While his illusion shrieked, the man - still with his pants barely up - tripped in the mud, landing into a puddle. He only floundered on the ground for a moment or two before managing to get back on his feet, not even looking back but simply fleeing in terror from the rabid raccoon.

Second time must have clearly been the charm - as Varyn would have no problems getting into the window this time around. Of course, the Champion would additionally be greeted by Vahliri’s own handiwork inside. One man slumped half-way in a closet, one with his neck snapped, and another two with saber injuries. It was clear who had been responsible, and that their “no bodies” proposal went about as well as expected.

Meanwhile, Vahliri continued right along her path - fortunately not meeting any immediate resistance along her path. Whether it was sheer dumb luck, or the arrest outside had caused some commotion, there weren’t many people wandering the hallways at that moment to question her.

Spotting the armory, Vahliri reached for the panel - pressing the button to open the door and slip inside.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn leapt back up through the window and landed to see... wow, Vahliri had been busy. Yeah, but he wasn't supposed to kill anyone.

Kriff, Vahl, he said, shaking his head as he kept moving forward past all the dead bodies she had left in her wake. Wasn't this just typical Vahl behavior. No point in crying over spilled blood, though.

She didn't stop so he didn't either, moving to the armory and slipping inside. It'd be kind of nice to get into some other clothes after being in a dumpster anyway. He quickly started rifling through lockers before finding a uniform to slip into.

He wasted no time in stripping down, pulling on the officer uniform and putting the code cylinders in place before finding a spot in the belt pouches for his lightsabers.

How do I look? he asked, turning back to Vahl and realizing there may not be a uniform in here to fit her.

Uh... we could put you in binders... play the whole "you're my prisoner" routine, he suggested.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri was pleasantly surprised to find no bullshit waiting in the armory. The room was empty and with the lights left on - a few lockers open to reveal uniforms inside. Thus far, it was the best thing to have happened since arriving on Thule - and the half-Annfyn was cautious about hoping for much else or pushing that luck.

The half-Annfyn wasn’t in the room for long before Varyn arrived - coming in from the same direction she had. Before the Champion could get a word in, Vahliri raised a hand - silencing and protest and cutting off any side-eye. “Before you say shit, the first one tried to touch me and the others intervened.” She said flatly. The woman wasn’t going to apologize, even if it complicated things.

Of course, she couldn’t help but scowl a bit upon realizing there was no uniform that fit her. She began to sort through pieces from different uniforms, hoping to find something to make it work. It wasn’t until Varyn spoke that she paused, pondering his idea before sighing. She couldn’t really argue it had merit.

“You sure this isn’t just an excuse to see me in handcuffs?” She said after a moments, hints of a playful grin tugging at her lips. Vahliri shook her head, but ultimately nodded - prepared to go along with his plan.

After a few moments, she sniffed. “The hell is that smell?”

 

[Varyn Atrix]

As Vahl mentioned that they'd tried to violate her, Varyn relented. Okay, fair enough. Kark them, then, he agreed. They'd make due with the bodies, then.

Varyn started searching for a pair of cuffs when she made her joke. His face turned a slightly brighter shade of red and her comment. I! What?! Uh... he sputtered. I mean, he couldn't deny that he would have l... no, couldn't even think of that.

That's not why I suggested this! he finally settled on. That was true, and he hadn't even had to admit that he would have loved to... wait, nope. Nope, nope, nope.

When she sniffed and smelled him, he stuck his head over to sniff again and winced.

Yeah, well while you were killing all our friends, I was hiding in a dumpster, he grumbled.

And then he did something that she was not going to be expecting.

Buy me three minutes, he said, darting away and grabbing another uniform as he did. She would be slightly shocked to hear the sound of running water and, four minutes later, he reappeared, pulling on another uniform with still-wet hair.

Okay, let's go, he said, moving over to cuff her up and sliding a helmet on himself.

They'd be out the door now and on the move, heading down the street on the opposite side from where the arrests had been made.

Guess I should keep in mind how little resistance I got to me putting you in cuffs, he muttered quietly, just unable to resist.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t help but grin wickedly, watching Varyn get completely flustered by her joke. The half-Annfyn shook her head a bit, giggling to herself. The half-Annfyn wasn’t the type to linger in the awkward and complicated nature of their relationship, and had no qualms about making the admittedly dirty joke to lighten the moment. “Mhm,” She said with an arch brow, feigned suspicion plastered across her face.

The half-Annfyn grimaced a bit when Varyn admitted hiding in a trashcan. “That really would explain it.” She said, though not attempting to be unkind. “Seems like we’ve both been busy.” She was about to speak up again when Varyn pulled the most Varyn move ever - scurrying off to take a three-minute shower in the middle of their mission. "Varyn what.." Vahliri blinked a few times, pulled out a datapad and began idly scrolling around. No one really knew they were in the armory anyway.

“One minute late,” She quipped as he returned, appraising him with an arched brow. Her lips tugged up a bit before the half-Annfyn spun around, allowing the fellow Champion to cuff her. The twin pair of lightsabers were clipped to the inside of her cloak, out of view for the time being. She glanced back over his shoulder at the comment, nudging him with her shoulder.

“You never asked before,” She said with a grin before looking back ahead, shoulders back and chin tilted up despite being handcuffed.

They made it out of the building without issue, beginning their approach to a cluster of military complexes. Vahliri knew that the defensive command and consoles would be heavily guarded inside, but it was one step closer to their goal. As they reached the entrance, Varyn and Vahliri would be stopped by two men guarding the entrance - dressed in crimson armor and with electro-pikes held vertically in their hands.

“Halt,” One of them commanded. “Where are you taking the prisoner?” His helmet flicked from Varyn to Vahliri. “What is the crime?”

Without giving Varyn time to respond, Vahliri jerked - jamming her shoulder into the Champion harshly. “Apparently trying to eat is a fucking crime.” She hissed venomously.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn wondered about what she said. He'd never asked. He had tried to get close to her, and she'd always pushed him away. Always wanted Altair instead and kept him on just as the backup piece. He knew that wasn't a fair way to look at this, but it was hard to look at it any other way.

Varyn guided them toward the military complex where they would find the defensive systems they needed to shut down as well as the generators that controlled those systems. They only needed to be offline for a few minutes for the Imperial warships to come swooping in.

Shut up, he hissed at her as she talked about eating. He wondered if - based on the venom they'd each managed to produce - if there wasn't some pent up animosity being added that wasn't entirely fake.

She's one of the ones from that drug bust. Selling so she could "feed herself" as I keep kriffing hearing all the way here, he grumbled.

Lockups almost full. You're one of the last through for the night. Right over there, the man said, pointing to some outdoor cages, totally exposed to the elements where people were locked up in conditions worse than zoo animals.

Varyn pushed her inside the gate, shoving her in the direction of the cages before vanishing into the network. People were begging to be let out, but most seemed to be trying to avoid his gaze. He could just imagine what happened when someone drew the guard's ire.

He kept leading them through the maze of cages before catching sight of the generator in the distance.

Left side, was all he muttered quietly to draw her attention that way.

 

[Darth Tempest]

“Go fuck yourself,” Vahliri snapped right back at Varyn, amber eyes glinting with raw vitriol. Despite what the fellow Champion might’ve thought, the half-Annfyn was a decent enough actress - and the words expressed in that moment were far, far from the reality of things. Perhaps their relationship was awkward.. Perhaps they both needed space. But from Vahliri’s own side of the conflict, there was little animosity to draw upon.

The half-Annfyn glared at the guard, but otherwise said nothing else while Varyn led her inside. Her gaze flicked between the various different prisoners in their cells - the begs for freedom and whimpers of sorrow filling her sensitive ears. All of them longed for freedom. All of them would make a break for it, she knew, at the slightest opportunity.

All they needed was that opportunity.

Vahliri continued to follow the path Varyn walked - her shoulders back and posture poised - proud even while being led as a prisoner. It wasn’t until the Champion whispered - vaguely mentioning something off to her left - that only her eyes flicked in that direction. She stared back at the generator for a split moment, knowing that was to be their destination - while also knowing they probably couldn’t just walk up to it, either.

“Be ready to move,” She whispered back at Varyn.

They continued to pass some of the cages - until Vahliri finally spotted a panel on the wall. While the outdoor cages provided maximum exposure and humiliation for the prisoners in question, they were not nearly as secure as the ray-shielded holding cells inside. Without warning, Vahliri paused in the middle of the maze - bucking back against Varyn. “The cuffs are too fucking tight,” She barked back at him. In reality, however, it was only an excuse to stop a few feet away from the panel.

The Force billowed from the half-Annfyn’s fingertips, focused directly into the electronic circuitry of the device. It took several moments, but the power was abruptly cut to the panel - which in turn cut power to the locking mechanisms on the cages behind them. With a creek of metal, jail doors opened - and the prisoners inside, for the briefest moment, only stared. That moment passed - and the hallways were suddenly filled with men and women rushing from their cells - attempting to make an abrupt break for the exits behind them.

“Now.” Vahliri said, starting to march her way towards the generator. The distraction would likely draw the attention of any and all guards, and would allow them to continue on their objective unembedded. In theory.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn could tell what she was doing when she stopped, and he glanced back to her as the doors to the cells began to burst open. He reached down and unclipped the cuffs on Vahliri's wrists.

Sabers out when we reach the generator, he suggested. At that point, the cover would be blown and speed and violence of action would be more important than stealth. Particularly with things already in chaos here.

He started pressing onward, rushing toward the generator as the prisoners began to break. He could hear blasterfire and screams in the distance, and a piece of him for just a moment felt a tinge of guilt that they had used these people as fodder... but they had also given them an opportunity for escape. The chance of release.

His hand reached into his pocket, saber hilt slipping out into his right hand. Take the control room and slash up the controls, he suggested. It would take them offline long enough for the fleet to come in.

Fleet's ready? he asked since that was the most important bit of this entire plan. If they dropped the shields and no one came, they were going to fail.

I see two guards outside on the platform, two inside the control room and one in each of the two guard towers, he said. Their work was cut out for them but it should be easy for two Sith.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Just as the cuffs were removed from her hands, Vahliri began to move towards the generator in the distance. While the half-Annfyn didn’t feel particularly good about using the prisoners as a distraction.. She certainly wasn’t going to lose sleep over it. The men and women were likely marked for death either way, and Vahliri had - at the very least - given them an opportunity to escape that fate.

Vahliri’s hands slipped beneath the billowing fabric of her cloak - pulling free the pair of lightsabers. She opted not to ignite either one quite yet - keeping both hilts wrapped between her fingers. “We’ll still need to fight our way into the building once shields are down,” Vahliri said quietly. The fleet would arrive shortly, but the pair would still be sitting ducks on the ground for those crucial first minutes. They would need to establish a foothold and wait for the larger force to begin their descent.

“I’ve made sure of it,” She nodded back when Varyn asked about the fleet. Things had been planned and coordinated down to the nitty-gritty detail - and all they needed to do was play their part in the operation. She left little to chance.

“I’ll take the men inside the control room,” She muttered quietly, her back pressing against a corner just before they stepped out onto the platform. “Guard towers are all yours.” The half-Annfyn said. Without another word, she rounded the corner - finally igniting the pair of crimson lightsabers whilst dashing across the platform. It didn’t take long for the two men on the platform to take notice - blasters immediately raised towards the saber-wielding half-Annfyn.

Presuming that Varyn was close behind her, Vahliri closed the distance between herself and one of the men on the platform. Her shoto rose to deflect a blaster bolt fired from the man’s rifle, while her primary saber arced in a diagonal slash across his torso - carving a molten channel through his ribs and out his shoulder.

She left the other man for Varyn to deal with, immediately making a break for the control room. The two men inside hadn’t taken notice quite yet - but the same couldn’t be said for the pair of watchtowers that loomed above them. Alarms already blared due to the prison break, but now the soldiers manning those towers began to fire upon Vahliri and Varyn - attempting to pepper the pair from above.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn was about to object to taking both the guard towers just based on their positioning, but being Vahliri, she was already yeeting herself at the enemy, leaving him to try to deal with two guard towers on opposite sides of the compound before either of them died.

No point in moaning about it now. Instead, his own sabers leapt to hand, right saber bursting to life as he darted up the stairs of the first tower. Fortunately, he'd managed to kill that guard before she'd drawn too much attention.

WHile she dealt with the next guards on the platform, Varyn leapt from the guard tower, landing smoothly and pressing off to close the distance to the other quickly. If there was one skill he had, it was that of swordsmanship.

His saber swept broadly, slashing the bolt from the guard tower in midair and directing it at the final guard on the platform, striking him cleanly. It was too bad no one saw that because Varyn was actually quite impressed with himself.

No matter. He closed on the final guard tower, ascending in a blur and dicing up the man at the top who fell to the ground in several pieces.

Another drop and he hit the ground. By the time he made it to the platform, Vahliri would just be emerging, and he turned his attention to the main building.

Time to hit it? he said, saber falling to his side as he took a deep breath. There was an odd certainty and confidence within him that he didn't normally feel.

He could already make out ships dropping out of hyperspace above and it was Vandelhelm all over again. Fighters and bombers tore through the sky while turbolaser blasts rained on military targets.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Regardless of what happened behind her, Vahliri kept her eyes firmly fixed onto the control room. It was the only thing preventing an outright-invasion of the planet, and the half-Annfyn knew that the sooner the generators went down, the sooner Thule would fall.

As she sprinted, Vahliri brought her left-handed saber up in a clockwise rotation - deflecting a blaster bolt from the guard-tower closest to her. The streak of crimson plasma terminated into the ground, and the half-Annfyn continued right into the control room. Slamming her fist across a panel to open the doors, Vahliri stepped inside - both sabers moving into defensive guard. The two men manning the room - little more than technicians - clearly weren’t expecting someone to burst into the confined space. They fumbled for their pistols, but not before the half-Annfyn lunged towards them.

Her left-handed saber swept in a wide, horizontal slash - moving across one of the soldier’s belly from left to right, before abruptly flicking up diagonally. He fell to the ground in a multitude of pieces, sizzling and with molten streaks carved across his body. Vahliri didn’t stop moving - immediately dashing to the left to avoid a bolt from the pistol of the remaining soldier. But he didn’t last much longer, either. Within the confines quarters of the control room, there was little matching a lightsaber-wielding opponent. Stepping onto his left flank, Vahliri thrust her saber through the soldier’s chest - piercing through his heart and out the right side of his ribcage.

With both men dead, Vahliri turned her attention to the control paneling - an assortment of flickering lights and control levels, each regulating proper to the generator and shield maintenance. With her left saber, the half-Annfyn carved a multitude of deep gauges across the terminal - eliciting several alarms and hisses of electronics frying past repair. Her other arm hung in a wide arc across some of the metal conduit running across the ceiling that led out to the generators outside.

To seal the deal, Vahliri extended her hand towards some more of the equipment on the wall - Sith lightning pouring from her fingertips and piercing deep into the sensitive electronics. By the time she stepped out from the control room, smoke softly rose up from the doorframe - a multitude of systems critically failing. It only took a few moments for the generators themselves to overheat and cease functioning - bringing down the shields that protected Thule.

“Quickly.” She said back to Varyn - giving the Champion a quick once over, satisfied that he hadn’t been injured during the ambush. Without another word, Vahliri began her sprint towards the military building - keeping only a single saber ignited, while the other hilt lingered in the palm of her hand.

Drawing upon the Force, Vahliri sent a concussive blast through one of the second-story windows of the building - shattering it and opening the way for both of them to enter. She leapt upwards, latching onto the windowsill before pulling herself inside.

"Once we secure the building, we randevous with Imperial forces here." She said back to Varyn.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn watched as she leapt up into the building and he quickly followed after her.

Sounds good, he said with a nod. But I don't plan to get split up, he said. That said, he remembered the incident on Vandelhelm and her... resistance to cooperating with him. No, there was little chance of them splitting up... too stubborn for their own good.

This all seems familiar, he said quietly, half-grumbling that ransacking palaces was pretty familiar.

Let's go, he said, motioning off down the hall and heading for the stairs. Soldiers were pouring outside in the hopes of cutting off the Imperial assault, which freed up their path more than normal.

Warlord, right? So probably not hiding in a bunker, he said, pressing onward toward the upper floors where the throne room was likely to be.

Of course, their work would be cut out for them in that regard as well as the Warlord was surrounded by his royal guard. Oh yeah, this would be fun...

 

[Darth Tempest]

As she crawled through the window, Vahliri stepped into what was clearly a Palace Arboretum. An assortment of tropical and exotic flora filled the room, with tall glass windows that lined every wall - allowing for light to beam in. It was a reminder that despite the militant nature and Sith idealology, Thule was very much a monarchical society - with a head of state who indulged in all the finery and luxury of his station. The half-Annfyn rolled her eyes a bit when Varyn mentioned refusing to get split up.

“Just go along with my plans and we won’t,” She quipped back at him. Despite the light and airy tone of voice, it was a reminder just how stubborn the woman could be.

Her fingers curled tightly around the hilts of her lightsabers, amber eyes narrowed as they began to ascend the stairwell. “Don’t get too familiar,” She said back at Varyn. “Defenses on Thule won’t be so frantic as they were on Vandalhelm. More importantly, the royal guard are fanatically loyal to their King.” Her brows knit together. “Unless he is dead, or otherwise bested in combat, they won’t surrender.”

“In the Throne room,” She answered after a moment.

Almost on cue, the pair would be halted in their advance up the stairwell. Rushing down to meet the invaders, four individuals in solid crimson armor emerged - saberpikes pointed lethally towards the pair. “BY THE WILL OF THEROS!” One of them shouted, thrusting his weapon forward to impale Vahliri through the middle of her face. Another two began to close in on Varyn

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn already knew what Vahliri's plan was and he hated it. He was already angry about it and having flashbacks to watching her lose an arm in the last duel he had to just stand around and watch.

I'm not going to stand around with my saber up my shebs while you do all the fighting, he said bluntly. They weren't together, he didn't have to try to keep her happy, technically. She would object, he would probably stay silent, and then he'd shank someone when she was trying to challenge the king. Was it dishonorable? Yes. Was he with the ISB? Yes. Did the ISB care about honor? No. Was it pragmatic? Somewhat. Was it spiteful? A little. Can I keep asking these questions? Probably. Will I? No.

Before she could keep arguing with him - because she would argue with a wall if she walked into it - they were attacked. Thank goodness.

Varyn's sabers burst to life, and he went to work right away. A parry and slash combined with a sidestep and followed by a blast from the Force cut down the first guard and threw the second off balance. As he spun for a follow-up attack, one of the Champion's blades caught the weapon and pushed it aside while the other carved cleanly through the entire torso diagonally.

Varyn didn't even miss a beat as he lunged past the falling torso and slammed one blade through his torso, pinning him to the wall while the other pinned the man's weapon against his chest. A yank of the blade and the man had a new inlet from his shoulder to his heart.

 

[Darth Tempest]

To her surprise, Varyn seemed to know exactly what she was planning - long before the words even left her lips. Perhaps the half-Annfyn was merely predictable.. Or perhaps, more likely, the Champion was just able to read her well. It was testament to everything they’d been through and how well they knew each other, and Vahliri couldn’t mask the faint smile that tugged at her lips.

Of course, that didn’t mean she agreed with what Varyn was saying. The half-Annfyn didn’t consider the matter lightly, and had given it more critical thought than Varyn likely gave her credit for. Despite the risks, the half-Annfyn knew her plan was the best path forward.

“Varyn..” She began, only to find herself unceremoniously interrupted by the arrival of Thuleian Royal guard. Gritting her teeth, the half-Annfyn ignited her crimson lightsaber - immediately stepping forward to engage the masked enemy. Stepping to the left, she just narrowly dodged pike that attempted to impale through her face, slicing through the air just above her shoulder.

Moving onto the man’s flank, Vahliri brought her right-handed saber down in a horizontal arc - slicing through his upper thigh in one clean stroke. In the same motion, Vahliri lifted her left hand towards the remaining guard - the Force billowing outward from her fingertips. Within a split second, Lightning ripped from her hands - sending a deadly surge of electricity straight into the man’s chest. She held nothing back, working to dispatch the men as quickly as possible.

With another elegant stroke, Vahliri flicked her blade downward - carving a molten channel through the floor, and through the legless guard still agonizing on the ground, separating his head from his shoulders to finish him off.

Only then did Vahliri turn to face Varyn, saber flicking down. They had a moment of reprieve - a moment to discuss - before they’d be faced with more resistance. “Varyn listen to me,” She began, a softer inflection to her voice.

“You said it yourself, Thule has the potential to be a hotbed of resistance and potential rebellion. If we just murder the King and force our control - we’ll have half-a-dozen Warlords and distant royal attempting to claim the throne.” Her browns knitted together. “We can do it, but it’ll be more costly than it could be.”

“If I challenge him myself - if I play according to their rules and win? At the very least, I will assure some support for myself. I’ll be in a better position than otherwise.” She glanced up the stairs. Her sensitive hearing was able to pick up on additional footsteps, alerting her of soldiers beginning their approach.

“You won’t just be standing around,” She stated flatly. “I need you there to prevent one of his men from interfering, or a rival trying to murder me at the end of the duel if I’m injuried. And if it starts to go south? You’ll be there to step in.” If at any point Vahliri started to lose the duel, she had no qualms with simply moving to assassinate the King. It was clear Vahliri wasn’t conceding entirely, but it was far more negotiating on her part than usual.

“Give me the opportunity to see it through my way, at least.”

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Of course she wanted to continue to argue about things, although... he had to admit that her arguing was slightly less argumentative than normal. Her tone of voice was softer, and it seemed to have the desired effect at least to an extent. But more than that, he listened to her logic, and he couldn't argue that it made at least some amount of sense.

He let out a throaty growl in the back of his throat, face looking quite serious as he considered what she said and finally raised a finger off his lightsaber hilt and pointed it at her.

If I get so much as a funny feeling in my gut I'm stabbing someone, he said. And he would do it. If for even a moment he thought things weren't going there way or he had even an inkling that someone was going to double cross them, he would stab so many people. Funny how far he'd come since his Jedi days. He'd have burned down entire cities for her, though, he wouldn't admit it out loud.

After you, he said, his face hard and serious as he said it. True to his word, he would let her head in first, making her challenge as they came to the throne room.

Red-suited guards lined the corners and an eccentric throne made out of melted down swords sat at the far end of the room. The King was... well, there was no way to put it except he was a behemoth of a man. Well over six feet tall and seemingly built out of pure muscle, the red hue of his skin almost gave Varyn the impression that he may have had Red Sith blood in his ancestry somewhere.

One bad feeling, he muttered quietly so that only Vahliri could hear. His eyes swept across the room from one person to the next, considering the quickest ways to bring everyone in the room down.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri let out a small sigh of relief, nodding when Varyn finally relented. Despite his reluctance, the half-Annfyn knew that her own plan was almost certainly the best course of action - and would afford her the most legitimacy as a ruler on Thule. She would uphold her end of the bargain, if things started going south. Though she wouldn’t admit it at this point, Vahliri had been prepared to make Varyn wait outside the Throne Room if he couldn’t control himself during the course of the duel. Regardless of their history or relationship, no one was going to jeopardize the opportunity laid out before her now.

“I am capable of handling myself, you know.” She said towards Varyn, tilting her head a bit. With that, the half-Annfyn turned back towards the upward stairs - amber eyes fixing onto the set of doors leading into the Throne Room. As she approached, Vahliri brought the commlink up to her face. “Imperial Command, this is Champion Kahtal. We’re entered the East wing of the Palace, and are closing in on the Throne Room.” She said, the opened channel transmitting back to the fleet in orbit and forces beginning to make landfall.

“Wait for my signal before making any additional advances into the Palatial district. If you do not hear back from myself or Champion Atrix within the next half-hour, proceed as originally planned.” Even if Vahliri died during the duel - even if Varyn fell with her, Thule would fly the Imperial Banner.

With her chin tilted up, Vahliri stepped into the Throne Room - pushing the doors open as she entered. At once, her amber eyes flicked up to the King - staring down the behemoth of a man, seated upon the ancient Throne of Thule. The half-Annfyn wasn’t stupid enough to believe it would be an easy fight, or that she would come out of it unscathed.. But that didn’t deter her, either. Her fingers instinctively curled around the hilt in her right hand, while the other was safety clipped to her belt.

She spotted a handful of Royal advisors and viziers standing behind the king, eyes wider as they muttered frantically amongst each other. A single guard began to move towards Varyn and Vahliri - deciding that the pair had gotten close enough to the throne and the monarch seated atop of it. The half-Annfyn didn’t hesitate to reach out with the Force, bodily lifting the Royal Guard and proceeding to throw him harshly across the obsidian floor, coming to a halt at the base of the throne.

“KING THEROS!” She voice boomed across the Throne room, just as her crimson lightsaber snapped to life. The tip was pointed towards the throne and towards the king she addressed. “I, Vahliri Kahtal, invoke the right of Arau’kesh!” She snarled the words, not even looking back at Varyn as she spoke or to address the surprise of those assembled. “One warrior - one Sith - to another, I challenge for your throne and holdings. And only the strongest may reign upon Thule.”

“Defend your throne, or surrender it now.” Her saber flicked down. “Choose.”

 

[Varyn Atrix]

If I didn't think you were, I'd be putting up a lot more of a stink, he said. Whether she believed it or not, this was mild, and it was a testament to the fact that he did trust her.

As Vahliri made herself known, Varyn did what he did best. He waited back in the shadows, looking for an opportune moment to strike. Never noticed but always present like a shadow waiting in the dark. Wonder where he could have learned that.

He remained back, watching what unfolded, his entire face taking on a hardened look that was far from his normal, more relaxed expression.

The King... well, he didn't look to happy. He rose from his seat and reached down to grab a sword that rested against his throne and a shield with the other hand.

You dare to challenge me, the rightful King of Thule. I'll have your head and toss it to your imposter regime, he said. His patience didn't seem to be his strong suit as he moved toward her, the royal guard taking a step back.

He raised the shield in his left hand and held his sword tightly in his right, looking and waiting for Vahliri's first move.