SLAYER 6 (Smoke Demon)

[Nightmare Moon]

Open to Jedi and GA aligned characters.

It was a grand night at the Coruscant Royal Opera. For the first time in over 300 years there was to be a performance of 'the tragic history of Dr Talmodis' a play detailing the fall of a noble jedi sage to the darkside due to his own curiosity for sorcery and the temptations of a foul spirit from chaos. The play itself was rumoured to be cursed and each prior performance had been met with tragedy such as the lead singer spontaneously catching fire or beams from above falling to crush the chorus. However this did not stop the rich and powerful from wanting to host repeat performances and in some regard the danger and mystique of the performance even drew them. And come they had : bankers , politicians , judges and businessmen all wanting to say that they had watched such a risque performance. There were notable absences of course namely Duchess Kastaria who claimed that if she wanted to see infernal spirits she would simply conjure them herself and without the terrible singing and Count Ghraff the star dragon congressman who had claimed illness and had given his tickets to charity (In reality he was waging a private vigilante war against a certain Hutt crime lord who was selling illegal drugs to children). But for the most part the building was packed to the brim with the planets upper crust.

While there was no 'exact' reason the Jedi had to believe the event was dangerous they had sent several Jedi anyway. When several esteemed Jedi Masters began to get bad feelings for something then it was usually best to pay attention or suffer the consequences. Thus Rathu was standing around one of the boxes with his mane immaculately combed wearing a tuxedo. His greatsword was concealed in the massive double bass violin case strapped to his back.

On stage the performance had just reached one of it's famed climaxes. Talmodis was just about to summon the demon even as his lover the beautiful Violetta was attempting to stop him and draw him back to the lightside. Violetta played by an Zeltron Mezzo-Soprano had just finished her piece and Talmodis himself played by a Miraluka as per tradition began his rite of summoning in a bass tone.

The hairs on Rathru's mane began to stand on end.

One did not need to be Naga Sadow to realise that this was a real summoning spell and a potent one at that. From behind the curtain that hid the back part of the stage screams began to emanate and a thin tide of what appeared to be blood started to trickle forth onto the stage. The audience believing this to be simply part of the show clapped politely and continued to watch. Violetta on the other hand realising something was wrong was trying to snap Talmodis out of what appeared to be a trance like state but he was having none of it and even as he spoke the words to the spell he reached over grabbing her with both hands and with supernatural strength ripped her head from her neck. Vein's and muscle fibres dangled grotesquely but worse red smoke began to pour from the stump of her neck circling the stage. Talmodis himself burst into flames still shrieking the incantation as his flesh burned away. And the smoke from the fire joined with that from Violettas corpse and other streams that were now emerging from behind the stage curtain.

There was no time to ask questions. Action was needed now. Filling his lungs Rathru roared at the top of his voice:

"MOVE!"

Hurling the case from his back as he charged for the stage sword now in hand.

The guests began to panic and high paid security personnel drew all kinds of weapons and began to fire at the shape that was even now manifesting on stage. Over twenty feet tall and covered in thick wiry hair the beasts wingspan must had been enormous, thick curled horns covered the top of it's head and it's mouth was filled with fangs that a Rancor would envy. Its bottom legs were that of a goat and in between it blatantly displayed it's manhood which dangled by it's tail. In it's hands the fires of chaos began to well and it hurled them at the audience and it laughed with the deep boom of the kettle drum while watching them burn.

The ancient Sith purebloods had called this class of being the Sisqua and had taken great pleasure in summoning them to decimate their enemies. Capable of shape-shifting and numerous other powers they were terrible foes and had been the death of many Jedi in the past.

Rathru swore to scatter it's essence into the wind.

 

[Necris]

He'd been enjoying the performance standing at the back in the gods of the theatre he'd be quietly watching hidden in the shadows of the darkened room and as the horror on the stage started to unfold he'd moved down the aisle his robes left in the cloakroom he wore battle armour which cause the audience to regard him with mixed curiosity and panic and as Talmodis tore Violetta's head from here shoulders he stepped up onto the lip of the gods and turned looking at the audience around him.

"You all might want to leave."

With that he leapt from the gods twisting in the air he landed on the lip of the upper circle his hands coming up as the beast threw a pair of fire balls into the lower circle he extended the force his face in a sneer as he turned the fireballs away from their intended targets twisting them out into into the supporting walls of either side of the theatre with impacts on par with heavy ordinance they exploded tearing large chunks of the wall apart.

His shoulders slumping in relief he turned his attention to the beast as Rthrun launched himself into the air great sword in his hands, he turned his attention to the lighting rigs above the beast and again lifted his hands twisting his grip he used the force twisting and tearing as the structure roaring as he exerted himself he tore the dura steel and wood frame work from its fittings releasing it to rain down on the stage in deadly clumps, he size of the beast meant it would not be able to evade any of the structure as it tore into its back forcing it to it's knees, but even as Gol watched he knew the damage was minimal.

He drew his lightsabers and leapt into the air following Rathru's lead.

 

[Orphen]

Ignis had been looking over the script of the play, grimmacing at some of the words which were in it... he'd seen this was truly an act of the dark side of the force, the play, though famous, would no doubt be revisited like many whose fascination of the noir would lead them to recreate this play in the attempt to pass by the negitive effects of the play. Though it seemed that was impossible, the play WAS the negitive effect. He was unable to show himself, though he sent another JEdi knight instead. Orphen, one who loved the arts, and gave her the details on the play, and what may happen. Orphen had recently procured a hurricane crystal from a travelling vender in her eternal hun to study precious crystals from around the galaxy, but she was eager to help.

Orphen standing at the exits opened them wide to aid in the complete evacuation of the theatre, as people streamed out the spawn of shadow, fear and smoke roared loudly enough for her to hear, as fire and vorpal power crashed down for some of the populous Orphen sent a wave of telekinetic energy to bar it from harming the people in her care. Soon, the last of the living escaped, the Jedi Sentinel's blade exploded to life, the near solid beam of the Ankarres Sapphire and the Arkanian Dragon pearl lit up in her hands. Caris on her back as well as her heavy armour weave clothing.

Stepping forward, chanelling the force through her, she called out to the others.

DONT FIGHT IT PHYSICALLY, IT WONT RETAIN ITS WOUNDS, USE NOTHING WITHOUT A FORCE SIGNATURE, ITS MADE OF FORCE ENERGY, ONLY ENERGY WILL HURT IT!

The Smoke demon was large, and powerful, a manifestation of the dark side of the force, Orphen's body began to react to its presence negitively repelling it to some extent, its influence did not wash over her, though as it attempted to it would cause pain. The togrutans' eyes were fierce, and focused. Rathru had already exploded into an offensive, but smoke demons were powerful, such a direct approach may not be a good idea.

 

[Nightmare Moon]

The demon slammed down as the durasteel light fittings smashed upon it's back. However if it was at all phased by the attack it made little sign to show it. Reaching out the devil grasped on of the metal beams that came down with the fittings firmly in one of its crimson hands the infernal power residing in it's body causing the material to smoulder and give off the scent of brimstone. Shrugging off the rest of the debris it swung its makeshift club down for Rathru in a devastating blow.

The Maelibus was not going to be stopped so easily and as the golden fires that surrounded his force blade flared to life he sheared the pylon in half ducking under the falling end. Following this the knight entered combat with a upward thrust from his greatsword entering the force demons innards causing it to leak smoke and entrails from the sizable hole that the weapon had made. Due to the light side energy flowing through Rathru's blade this was a true hit and the demon was not pleased with the knights achievement.

With a motion of it's left hand both Rathru and his blade dislodged from the demons belly rising up toward the demons torso held by the invisible energy of telekinesis. Throwing up a quick force barrier Rathru was not entirely swift enough to mitigate the damage of the coming attack and the Smoke Demon delivered a punch that sent the golden warrior flying across the room smashing through several chairs.

With a leap the demon took to the air its vast wings unfolding and beating though weather or not it truly needed them to fly was debatable.

Looking to Gol and Orphen it began to bring its hands back and forth like a degenerate conductor. All across the room tables and seats began to rise from the floor and hurl themselves violently towards the Duros and Togruta Jedi. The force behind the objects was significant and if not guarded or dodged properly could easily maim the pair.

 

[Necris]

His blades crossed is a arc and a table splintered into four around him, landing he rolled under a collection of chairs and came to his knees hands up pushing with the force against a table as it came to crash down on him the combination of forces snapped the table in two and he was forced to drop to the floor again as the wood bounced over him, he rolled again and came to his feet his arms snapping out and his blades shooting through the air like spears they punched into the demon his cyan blade burning bright as it cut through the beast the orange blade embedding itself in the beasts torso he drew his hands back to himself as he ran and e blades returned, using his momentum he sprang up and ran along the wall as more furniture crashed around him.

"This could be harder than we thought Rathru!"

 

[Orphen]

Orphen winced as Gol attacked the creature with a basic lightsaber, though, it was a good thing she usually came prepares, taaking the purified Caris from her back, the glimmering force sword was a beakon of power in the room, one of many however. Taking it in her hand, she wrapped the blade in the power of her telekinetic control, winding back and hurling it across the room for Gol.

GOL, CATCH!

She yelled, the purified blade had an affiliation of the light side of the force, having been saturated in it before, Caris, the name of the shard in the blade began to flow his energy through it, giving the blade a slight mirror'd sheen to it.

That should hurt the damn thing, don't lose it!

She said with a frown finally moving toward the battle, her own lightsaber in her hand burning brightly, her near white crystal blue blade hummed fiercly, more like a focused blowtorch than a lightsaber, she ran in on the beast, her armour was resistant to effects of the force, her hood up as she refused to attack the creature head on jumping and running across the chairs she landed beside a person whom the Demon had severely injured, resting over them and welling her healing powers over, as his burns and fear quickly began to subside, this man would be up soon, and ready to escape.

Orphen would save as many people as she could.

Rathru! the Actors back Stage!

 

[Nightmare Moon]

"Thou dost speak the truth Gol." Rathru called out to his brother in arms across the room. Making his way through the maelstrom of furniture his blade turned most of the debris that flew towards him into kindling though the odd stubborn piece fell through striking at his carapace. Heeding Orphans request Rathru vaulted the stage ripping what was left of the curtain away to reveal what was going on behind. Many were simply piled of gore and ashes killed by the demon as arrived. A sacrifice so that it may claw it's way out of the festering pit that was Boga - also known as the darkside. However some were left still standing though their exit was blocked by a large pile of wood and metal that obstructed all egress from the building. Rathru strained himself as he called upon the full force of his telekinetic powers and hurled the heap out of the way of the door causing the terrified survivors to flee as quickly as their legs could carry them.

The demon however was not idle during this time. Though lighsabers were not the most effective weapon against it the still had enough light side energy in them to hurt and Gol's saber throw removed the last of it's organs round it's stomach displaying it's spinal cord in a macabre fashion. Welling power in it's mouth it spat a quick force blast of middling power towards Orphen and spun in the air towards Gol and the force blade that Orphen had tossed.

Swooping down like a hawk the demon lashed out it's right arm to slam the Duros Jedi into the floor.

"Gol make haste and strike for the head!"

Rathru activated force valour and with an astounding amount of force hurled his greatsword across the room at the flying beast.

The blade stuck into the beasts shoulder right bellow the arm it was using in an attempt to crush Gol.

If fate smiled on them then it might be enough to throw the beasts attack off enough for Gol to perform a significant counter to the devil.

 

[Necris]

Smacked to the ground he was thankful for Rathru's intervention and the release of pressure son his chest rolling from the claw he'd failed to catch the force blade thrown to him but it lay close by snapping us hands down he sent his lightsabers lancing up into the beasts face and rolled over the blade pushing himself to his feet he came up blade held ready he looked into the face of the beast the orange blade protruding from the creatures cheek while his own cyan blade had punched in under the eye the tip of the blade punching through the skull.

He hesitated as he made eye contact and saw himself reflected in that baleful orb, dark and terrible he stood a monster in humanoid form his eyes glowed with a hateful fire and blades of crimson hung in his hands, an island of blood flowed round his feet from the mountain of corpses behind him, he knew this for what it was his greatest fear was not the beasts of the galaxy, nor the enemies that assailed the Alliance from all sides got his greatest fear was himself what he would become if the dark side claimed him, if he gave into the seathing anger that lingered in his heart, he saw this visage presented to him by the dark magic and he snarled not in anger but in revulsion the beast had tried to weaken him with the visage it had not worked his resolve reinvigorated he fed off the energy of the force within the blade, within the hall and he threw himself at the beast his free hand lashing out blasting the beast with the power of a gale, it rocked the beast smashing it's face aside with the force of a battle cannon he followed in its wake blade flashing and cutting into its chin and up into its face through the baleful orb freeing his cyan lightsaber and out though its temple. The demon recoiled howling from the wound tearing the other lightsaber from its face adding to the ruination of that side of it's face.

He stood ready force blade in his right hand cyan lightsaber in his left the blade of his fallen master laying inert at his feet.

"You should never have tried showing me my fears demon, I have already faced them and come into the light."

He beckoned the demon towards him while at the same time using telekinesis to dislodge Rathru's s great sword and send it back through the air towards his comrade.

"I am ready for you demon do your worst."

 

[Orphen]

FEAR!?

Orphen knew what was coming before it was going to happen, she did not think the rumours were true, though she did not know fear, her blood did. Fear was not an emotion Orphen was physically capable of, though deep in her memories, she was afraid once, before she was severed from the dark side, there was only one creature on shili that the togrutan clans were afraid of... That creature may be more than the three of them could take.

Orphen after healing the man moved to the next few innocents, untrapping them, helping them get to a situation of such that they were able to flee, in panic they retreated for the exits. Orphen's arm was aleady bleading from annonymous shrapnel which had grazed her without her even knowing. But she looked up to the beast, flexing her hand, flexing her mind, smoke demons could be banished, but she needed perfect focus on the light side of the force for what was yet to come, though, that being said, was there enough time.

Do it orphen, do not hesitate, these two know what to do, superficial woulds harm its focus, though it is a being made of the dark side, made of smoke, it is simply choosing to feign its wounds...

Orphen backed of, as the telepathic speech of her force blade echoed through her mind. Standing back, she bought her mind to herself, beginning to whisper under her breath, the power of the light side of the force like an open circiut rushing through her as she gripped her wrist and curved her fingers as if holding an imaginary ball.

I am a sun, and this is my flare,

Focus-harder!

the light of my surface, the serene heat of my will,
feel the essence of my self split in two...

 

[Nightmare Moon]

Rathru held his hand high and caught the blade (with a little help from telekinesis) as it sailed through the air. The demon stalked back from Gol a low rumble in its throat. Though the strikes with the lighsabers were little more than sheer pain without substance to the being it had taken enough wounds from forceblades to feel the drain on its energy.

Gol not giving into his fear had also unnerved the creature. This was not good. For a spirit that fed on fear coming across one who had triumphed over their terrors was unpleasant to say the least. But it's vicious and deceitful mind had already fixed on another plan of action. Sensing Orphans thoughts the smoke demon began it's metamorphosis into the form of a great Akul - genocidal beasts that had been the bane of the Togruta for thousands of years.

More smoke began to pour into it's form which had now taken the guise of a massive lump of expanding flesh as it attempted to increase it's body mass to the size of an Akul.

Rathru didn't know precisely what it was attempting but he was damn well sure that it was nothing good for anyone involved or the universe as a whole.

"Gol - see if we can supress it's transformation till Orphen calls forth force light"

The Maelbi's feet barely touched the ground as he charged the pulsing lump of flesh hacking at it's mass like a lunatic with his forceblade.

 

[Necris]

He nodded once and strode towards the forming mass of flesh as a tendril lashed out towards him he hacked it aside with the force blade sending the appendage twisting away from him, as he neared tue mass it writhed away from him as if afraid of his touch and he leapt at it blade raking along the length of the flesh opening it a spilling vapours from the wound he stepped under Rathru as he swung his great sword a strange cold stillness about Hamas he blade slashed and stabbed.

He frowned as the mass continued to expand and he changed tack slashing open a large verticals rend he thrust the both his blades into the mass and focused his force powers his eyes narrow slits he drew the two parts from one another tearing the mass open.

"Rathru focus your powers lets pull this thing apart."

 

[Orphen]

The light in Orphens' hands began to glow brighter and brighter as she closed her fists, the harrowing light that escaped her focus ripped at the dark tendrils which came close to her, though as she spoke under her breath, the lights in her eyes sped up, as if they were magnesium fireflies whirlwinding in the recesses of her corneas.

With the flare, comes the power of light,
The power of light, bright enough to sy away the nightmare,
break the nights silen grip
destroy the darkness.​

The light in her hands solidified to an extent, she became more than just a Jedi, she became the condiut for the pure manifestation of the light side of the force, she opened herself up to it, the force flowing through her like a wind tunnel, channeling through her and becoming purest light. Exploding outward in both of her hands, though Orphen's energy drained quickly, too quickly, this skill was untrained at best. Though several crystals on her person aided this incredible draining effect, it was mere mitigation, and not much of an effect.

Orphen would use te rays of force light to combat the creature's expansion, Channeling it into something nearby, purifying it, but she used the light to seal the monsterous creature into the pendant of a dead actor that had been on the stage. It was not an easy task, but Orphen was not completely strong enough to kill the creature with her own mastery of light. Though she was not strong enough to seal it properly either. The smoke began to escape, as orphen fell backwards, physically and mentally spent.

Destroy it... quick...

She panted faintly.

 

[Nightmare Moon]

Rathru did not even look to Gol, did not even say a word. As he brought his blade down golden flames shining like the sun knowing that Gols would also strike the vessel which now contained the festering miasma that was now sealed in the pendant. The impact from the blow rocked the very theatre itself shattering the stage pendant and the very earth beneath them. An unearthly scream of pain and rage resonated throughout the building - the sound of the damned manifestation dispelling back to it's core components : the unclean emanation that pour forth from chaos.

Falling to one knee Rathru began to steady his breathing and regain his energy. Touching something from the otherside was always taxing and could be damaging to the psyche if not handled properly.

 

[Necris]

The beast destroyed he sagged his energy fleeing his body the force sword became a cane to support him as he struggled to stand, his body hurt but the cybernetics had stood the battle which pleased him. He looked around the theatre and sighed such destruction, such death the sickly feel of it clung to the air it make him feel unbalanced out of sync, looking around he felt the anger boiling under the surface that longing desire to wipe the sith out. He closed his eyes turning his head he hurried the building fury and looked to Rathru.

"The next time you fire the forges I'd like a new sword."