Ask Event [Telos] Always Have the Temple in Your Sights

[Jaesa Valerin]

OOC: If you plan to join as Sith, please wait for all participating Jedi members to join as well <3

‘Telos.’

As the ship broke the atmosphere and descended upon the snowy mountains where the former Jedi Temple was located, it was not difficult for even a knight like her to feel the pinpointed darkness which seeped out from the mountainside like an infected wound. There was a bad feeling which crept up in her chest and fluttered around in her mind. But, for the sake of appearances, Jaesa kept her worries to herself as she guided the transport down to the same clearing she had once landed her starfighter on.

“We'll be on the ground in a few minutes," Jaesa called out from the cockpit of the ship. The rest of the Jedi who accompanied her, one of which was the grandmaster herself, were mostly seated in the hold of the transport. "I was attacked by a Sith the last time I came here, so be wary."

Truth be told, Jaesa wasn't sure if that man or any of his friends would be present. But if the increased presence of the darkside, once only recognizable as she descended own to the entrance to the Sith Temple entrance, was to be noted for anything, was to be taken into account, he had done something terrible to this place. It really felt like the place had been wounded.

When the ship landed, Jaesa culled the engine and pulled on her cloak before exiting the ship with the rest of the Jedi who had accompanied her here. The air, now that it was winter on the planet, was even cooler than it had been a year and some ago when she had last visited this place. The Dathomirian woman quickly found Grandmaster Voran, who she had reached out to about this particular problem. Jaesa was a bit disturbed by the drastic change in atmosphere, but she kept a determined look and furrowed brow in place of it.

"I can lead you down to the entrance to the Sith temple. Unless they were left disabled, I've remembered the security codes as well." Her yellow eyes would then glance up to the atmosphere around them, searching for ships, then dipped down to the landscape around them, searching here as well as if the transport's scanners might've missed the obvious. No one was here, it seemed.

tags: @Valen Pelora @Wit

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex adjusted her robes…cold creeping under her armor. The atmosphere of Telos was safely contained outside the ship. No. The chill came from elsewhere. She could feel the Darkness reaching for the Jedi as they drew near. Her mind was carefully closed, her presence folded tightly. It did not seem to matter. The Force felt different. Jaesa had explained some of what happened, but the full picture was not clear. It did not entirely make sense with what she felt now. Alex was suddenly very glad she came.

There was more at work here than young Jaesa understood. The Grandmaster’s crystal hummed at her side. Yes…good they had come. They could not risk further perversion of the Temple. She hoped they could drive the Darkness out but if that failed…the Jedi would lock it all away. If the Temple could not be made safe than it would be hidden.

Slowly, the ship landed, and the Jedi began their descent. Alex stood and stretched. She smiled at Vin. “One of these times, we could just have tea…there doesn’t have to be incredible danger.” The Morellian Jedi quickly exited the ship…wrapping herself in the Force to banish the cold. Her breath still frosted in puffs. “That would be a good start.” Another shiver up her spine. “It will take all of us to banish the Darkness.” Her heartbeat just a fraction faster. “How certain are you the Temples remain abandoned?” She sensed nothing but that did not mean they were alone. The danger they faced was still very real.

@lizziie @Wit

 

[Orenth]

Spoiler: Theme

Supporting the other Jedi was Byron Ryker. The Knight was reminded of his time at the Dawn Temple on Spinitr. The mountainous region of the planet looked similar to the ones he flew through now. But the feeling he received from the region as he reached out to it was far from familiar. Each planet was unique in its feeling and this was the first time the Sentinel had come to Telos. He knew not to make the mistake of thinking he knew what awaited them.

The deep and hollow howl of the customized TIE/D fighter-bomber joined the other Jedi ships as they approached their destination. Locked into the TIE style cockpit of the Triskele, was his lightsaber. All jedi ships had them equiped but Byron had the Gauntlets of Spring and Autumn across either forearm. The Hands of Seasons, as they were called, had yet to be used outside of sparing but the ex-shock boxer strangely felt more comfortable using them than his lightsaber or even his former matukai gauntlets.

Hearing the information relayed by Jaesa Valerin, Byron kept his awareness spread outward. His fingers grasped the controls of his ship firmly, reaching into the sensors of the vessel directly and reading the information faster than an ordinary pilot. The ship itself was closer to an extension of his own body and consciousness. It was a much practiced and pragmatic use of Technometery among other things and aided in magnifying the full capabilities of any ship he flew. This would continue until Byron landed the Defender.

The Knight felt the chill of the fresh mountain air, tainted by the Dark Side. Byron took his hybrid style lightsaber from the weapons-lock interface and clipped it to his left hip. The Jedi engineer pulled his MK IV custom scatterblaster as well from the wall mounting and slung the boxy shaped weapon across his back. With his first pistol on his his right hip, Byron was more well armed than the average Jedi. When it came to dividing the Order into groups, Byron fit more in line with a Sentinel than one of the secretive shadows or diplomatic counselors.

Forming up on the Grandmaster, Byron remained quiet and vigilant. His eyes scanned for threats and then some. Without the sensors of his ship, the man practiced Force Sight. After the kyber crystal mines for Ossus had been won, Byron had thought it appropriate to be able to find hollowed out spots and detect the instability of certain portions of the earth. Sometimes when used in conjunction with plant surge the effects were bountiful. But the man doubted there would be much in the way of greenery inside the mountain. Bringing life to a place of darkness was no easy task but in the long term it could heal the scar left in this place.

@Alexandria Voran @Jaesa Valerin

 

[Kara Vaalki]

There was something about the air. Kara had experienced her fair share of icy winds, but the way the air swept through every crack and crevasse, the way it mournfully wailed, and the way it managed to seep past every layer of clothing she had and still chill her to her very core, was uncanny.

Kara herself was not oblivious to the scars the Dark Side had left on the land, but this close to the source, even an experienced (or at least well-travelled) Jedi like herself couldn't help but feel exposed. The insidious nature of the Dark Side could strip away all of your defences if you weren't prepared, and though more prepared than most, the corruption still unsettled her.

She shivered, and clasped the woven hooded cloak she wore tightly around herself. Maybe in different circumstances she would have maintained a stiff upper lip and tried to set a good example for the other Jedi, but this was no time or place for bravado or ego.

And....honestly, Kara just didn't know anyone well enough yet to try to take the lead. Sure, she had the experience of years, but this was a war they had been fighting while she was travelling beyond the Outer Rim, oblivious to the horrors the Sith were inflicting upon the galaxy.

This wasn't her war yet. But it would be.

Pulling out a datapad, Kara quickly scanned the status of the systems on her TIE Hunter, which she had landed close to where the other Jedi were assembling. Seemingly satisfied with the knowledge that the ship was secure, she looked up to turn her gaze to the assembled Jedi.

"Even if the temple is abandoned, there's always the risk of squatters or looters. Or wildlife drawn to the corruption. A darkened font of power like this is going to attract all sorts. Nothing we can't handle, of course. But assuming the whole place doesn't collapse on top of us," she said, squinting dubiously towards the temple, "there will still be plenty of nasty surprises to keep us on our toes, no doubt."

"I really wish I brought a thermos of caf, though."

@lizziie @Wit @Darasuum

 

[Renfry]

Theme​

All was white on the mountaintop of Telos. Snow trickled down from the sky and cold that far surpassed the ambient low temperature clung to the bone.

The faintest tinges of green were cast over the snow for only a few moments, but enough to alert perhaps the most uptight of the Jedi that something had happened behind them. When they turned, she was there. Dressed in simple red and black robes, the bled saber of Sada-Nau Tin was on her hip along with the hunting knife that had torn through the body of the Eternal.

Her eyes swept over each of them, a near-smile pulling at her lips as she did. This world - this place - was more alive to her than most because it pulsed with the Shadow. Once again a thin Veil separated this world from the far side of the dead. As she stood there, she would watch for signs of aggression from the Jedi and do as necessary if they attacked, but she wasn't yet interested in such crude actions yet.

After only a moment, her eyes settled on Alexandria. The second Grandmaster of the Jedi Order that the Empress had faced down. The second to carry that saber on her hip. The second to die with it?

You're wiser than Oota was. You left when the temple was being sacked, she said simply. The revelation would sit in the minds of each of the Jedi, and she knew it would sting. For a moment they would wonder if it was true. They would fear that it was true.

Oh, you didn't know? she asked, feigning ignorance. Perhaps you think I'm lying? Reach out to Dantooine. What do you feel? she asked, motioning out with her hand toward the air as if offering for them to try.

If they had the strength to reach out beyond the nexus, they would know what she said was true. They would feel the doubt put into the minds of the Padawans. The betrayal felt by Thelian at the hands of the Jedi Order as he was left to face the darkness alone. The defiance of Hannibal underlined by the torment shooting through his body. They would feel the agony of Clove as she crawled through the fields. Helplessness and anger would grip their hearts, and as they extended to sense the battle, they would be opening themselves to the dark nexus here, and the Witch-Queen knew it.

And there she stood in front of them. The Empress. The Sith of Sith. The source of all their pain and suffering and an easy object upon which they could direct the hate clawing at the doors to get into their mind. And on her face, a look of near-amusement at their pain and suffering, the fire in her golden eyes threatening to consume them.

@lizziie @Green Ranger @Darasuum @Valen Pelora @GABA @Wit @Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Words truly could not describe just how furious Jaikus was to be back on Telos. He had sworn that he would never return to the planet, and yet here he was – trudging through the snow and closing in upon very same temple he had left all those months ago.

Merely stepping foot on the frozen planet filled the Axxilan with profound anger, radiating outward through his aura in the Force. The Dark Side coalesced and roiled all around him, bringing an unnatural chill to the air that cut below even the naturally frigid temperatures of the planet.

Nevertheless, it was not desire that brought the Axxilan here now. Jaikus had a purpose for being Telos – a goal from which he would not easily be dissuaded. The arrival of the Jedi on the planet, existing as an obstacle in their path, only served to fuel the rage within him.

Jaikus arrived on the scene just as suddenly as the Andruil, materializing behind the Jedi in that same flash of green energy. Standing a few paces to the left of the Empress, the Axxilan was adorned in his usual armor. The ensemble of dark leather and armor-weave fit tightly to his form, contrasting starkly against the pale snow, while his features remaining shrouded by the metallic visage of his mask.

As soon as he arrived on the planet, Jaikus could feel the potency of the corrupted Nexus thrumming all around him, a darkness that bristled against his skin and caused his every hair to stand on edge. It was a sensation that was strikingly familiar. It was familiar because he had been directly involved in twisting the font of power into its current state. Perverting that very thing which the Jedi now sought to cleanse.

As he stood, citrine eyes casually flicked between the assembled Jedi, taking in the sight of his soon-to-be-opponents. His gaze traveled until it came to settle upon the sole face that he recognized amongst the Jedi. Upon Jaesa. Immediately, Jaikus remembered the Dathomirian woman from his first visit to the planet, recalling their duel within the temple ahead. More recently, he remembered her from the battle on Felucia, where her interference in the fight had nearly cost him his life.

You.

He stared, and citrine eyes seemed to luminesce a bit brighter behind the mask he wore, shifting a bit closer to animalistic yellow as his grip tightening around the hilt in his hand. Without a word, Jaikus finally ignited his saber, crimson plasma springing to life with a bitter hiss.

As Andruil spoke, Jaikus reached out with his mind - zeroing in on the chaos that unfolded on Dantooine. Above it all, Jaikus could feel the singular presence of Raze – echoing to him through the Force bond that they shared. In that moment, Jaikus could feel the dull agony of every lightsaber blow and wound Raze suffered, manifesting in the Axxilan as a phantom pain across his chest and thigh. He could feel all the rage and hatred that coursed through his partner, and it only served to amplify Jaikus’ own.

Through it all, Jaikus remained deathly silent. There was no outward reaction or displays of emotion. There were no taunting words for his opponents, nor any attempts to toy with their minds. Instead, the Axxilan remained still as a statue - looming like a wraith against the gentle snowfall. He stared, and the metallic visage of his mask tilted ever-so-slightly, remaining fixated upon Jaesa.

Upon the singular target in his sights.

@Phoenix @Green Ranger @lizziie @Darasuum @Valen Pelora @GABA @Wit

 

[Ashla Ti]

If the Jedi had eyes in the back of their heads they might have seen the sudden yet graceful appearance of Andruil and Jaikus, followed by the stumbling appearance of a young Togruta who wasn't sure what she was doing there. Where Andruil radiated strength and intimidation, and Jaikus burned with fury, the acolyte was...just there, little more than an afterthought, a curious bystander in this clash of giants.

Dressed in her armor and draped in a fur lined cloak to keep the cold at bay, the acolyte had her lightsaber in hand, the rest of her weapons hidden under the cloak. As the Empress began speaking Ashla stood in silence and waited, observing the Jedi. This was going to be a day of many first for her. Her first encounter with Jedi, seeing the Empress in action for the first time, seeing Jaikus without his corset for the first time, and most importantly her first opportunity to show everyone what she could do. This was an opportunity to earn the respect of the other Sith, and one she did no intent to let slip.

So she soaked in the dread radiating from the dark side nexus, and prepared to fight, be it to defend against an attack from the Sith, or to launch an offensive of her own.

@Phoenix @Green Ranger @lizziie @Darasuum @Valen Pelora @GABA @Altaris

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Behind the Empress and the others, including the awkward acolyte who was dressed as though she were on an ice mountain expedition, the Sith Lord, Tiamat followed adorned in her armor. Her pace just a tad slower than the others as she bathed herself in the dark side nexus that resided here. The chill of the mountain air was in now comparison to the cold that seemed to frost the bones and souls of those who chose to step foot on this world. Her blue eyes narrowed behind her helmet, finding the acolyte's coat distracting; the points of her hood seemed like they were missing pom-poms and the sight of that brought an internal chuckle to the woman.

Though, Tiamat found it more humorous for the Jedi to be here, clearly not too concerned with the spat that was occurring on Dantooine or perhaps their comms didn't get service this far from their homes. Regardless, she felt she shouldn't be surprised as they seemed to get themselves wedged in situations they didn't deserve or were needed to begin with. Jedi meddling in affairs that if she were honest, sparked her journey to where she was today. It was hard to decide if she harbored any gratitude for their actions, since after all, it has lead the redheaded Sith to great wonders, though it seemed nothing more than that.

There would be one Jedi present in the group that she was terribly familiar with and had held her word if she were to see him again in battle; their last meeting was pleasant, but there was an underlying feeling that he could not continue to adore her as she wanted. The touch of her cheek, his eyes spoke louder than any words, but she had started to ask herself, what did she want? Certainly being gawked like an untouchable statue was far from what she wanted; there was more and as Morgan had once ago put it, there had to be someone who danced the same as her. So now, this would be a finality into their meetings as her gaze sweep through the Jedi group and fixated on Byron (@Darasuum). There would be no hesitation, no delay, a death delivered efficiently, and hopefully one that would be respectful within his own Order.

Her gloved fingers grasped her saber hilt, her senses grasping tighter of the power she held inside and then there was something else. There were many things Tiamat could feel here presently, but through light years away, and despite the efforts of The Eternal, the bond she held with Emryc was firm, and so were the sensations that pulsed back and forth from the two. Sometimes that sensation was greater than any power within the Force as she felt an agonizing burning sensation. Something had happened on Dantooine. The pain grew greater, her torso tensed as she breathed through the waves that washed through her body; it made her want to run to the source, but she also knew where her duty laid.

Pain would not be a crutch, it was certainly a strength for the dark woman as her blues slowly faded to golds as she prepared herself for the first strike.

@Phoenix @Wit @Altaris @lizziie @Valen Pelora @Green Ranger

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Ah…so this was the path. Alex was the most uptight of Jedi and perhaps the only being in the galaxy to match Andruil. She turned in time to see the Empress materialize. Her mind extended to the Jedi around her. The Sith would find fear a far less powerful tool against the Grandmaster. She had faced the demons of her past and swore to protect the Order above all else. Warmth, comfort and confidence flooded from Alex. There was nothing to fear. They were together…never alone. News of Dantooine had reached them shortly before arriving on Telos. There was nothing to be done. Jaesa and Alex had come from Ossus and the Morellian Jedi trusted the Order to hold. No Jedi, no matter how faithful, could be everywhere they were need at once. They all knew this. It was a sacrifice they must accept.

The Grandmaster did not immediately respond. Her mind carefully enveloped Kara, Byron, and Jaesa. No fear. No hate. No anger. Peace and harmony radiated forth. She would accept whatever pain Andruil pushed into the Force. She would bear the burden of Dantooine…for that was her responsibility. The Sith here would find no frighten Padawans, no selfish Masters, no broken spirits. Alexandria Voran was a century old and walked the long journey to know herself. She would bear what the others could not. They had no cause to worry over the Empress machinations.

Alex carefully watched the other Sith arrive. Perhaps it did not have to be this way. She did not hate the Empress…she did not hate any of them…but she would do what was necessary. “It need not be this way.” Her voice was soft but carried across the snow. “Telos has served both the Light and the Dark. We are here to uncover those secrets…same as you.” Alex would accept the path she was given. Her eyes shifted across the group as her presence in the Force grew. Today, her faith was place in the Light.

@Green Ranger @lizziie @Darasuum @Phoenix @Wit @Altaris @GABA

 

[Jaesa Valerin]

The voice of the woman, Queen of Dathomir and Empress of the Sith, suddenly manifested in the quiet snowy mountains and rang out towards the group. Though the place was plagued by darkness, the woman held her own aura of it. The dathomirian knight turned with the rest of the group as Alex's own voice retaliated against Andruil's, fighting against whatever sorcery came with her words with a sense of warmth which blanketed Jaesa's mind. It certainly helped to calm the nerves which suddenly sprung to life in the woman.

Her own gaze, a rare golden yellow among Jedi, found and settled on the only man in the group of Sith before her. His saber ignited in his hand as Jaesa's eyes narrowed at the sight of him. Though was not the most fortunate of situations, a smirk tugged at the edges of the woman's lips. 'Back for more?' she wanted to ask, but she wouldn't call out while Alex was speaking to their leader.

Instead, Jaesa pulled her saber from her hilt and gripped it tightly in her hand, ready to ignite it when the fight began. Though Alex called for peace between them, the dathomirian was under no impression that things would end peacefully here. She kept her eyes level on Jaikus while she utilized Alex's projection of the Light to wrap and seal her mind off.

The Force began to coalesce around her.

tags: @Valen Pelora @Darasuum @Green Ranger @Phoenix @Altaris @GABA @Wit

 

[Orenth]

Spoiler: THEME

The sensation of a clammy darkness drew in, snaking its way into the glowing light produced by the brave individuals being that had come to the dark side nexus. The flowing waves and the manipulative ways of the Empress made Byron feel isolated at the center of his mind and from those around him despite being beside them. It seemed to come from the very air itself. But the lights' brightness did not grow weaker. If anything, the shadow would bring other thoughts to mind. The image of a barbed obsidian roots writhing out from the shadows in Byron's internal view. Whether it was the efforts of Darth Andruil or the presence of Tiamat, of what had once been Lyra.

The sensations from those on Dantooine were felt. More than that. Another, unlike the beings of the lightside. That silhouette of shadow, the tethered one. He was far away, in pain and tied to Tiamat. If not for Byron's connection with the redheaded dark sider and a pure matter of coincidence he would not have been able to piece together but if he had to make a guess. The person who was Tiamat's master, the one he had felt behind her on Denon and influencing her also was feeling pain. All signs connecting the pathways between Telos and Dantooine converged causing the expression on Byron's face to harden.

A huffed breath came forth from the standing Knight who seemed to have almost fallen into a meditative stance. He had opened himself up more to the surroundings, to the Force itself and while experienced, it was not without its consequences. Fear from the Empress, despair from Tiamat or maybe it was just a dark self-acceptance that Byron could not abide. She had fallen, and he had failed her. That much was certain.

The sentinel still was not sure if she remembered all of the details of her imprisonment. At her visit, the resolve to end her life was already there. But now he had to do what he must. He felt more than what he 'saw', multiple presences and malevolent urges and intents that almost seemed to be stepping out from behind the familiar woman but then disappearing like a trick of the eye, only it was in the Force itself. This was not the same as the shadowed-one, a far more corruptive force and not even living like the bonds he had studied.

Byron opened his eyes with a hint of lamentation in his expression and pulled himself back from the Force. A shaky cold breath followed but soon steadied and came to focus on the visual image before the Jedi. Snow in flurries drifted across with the wind between the two groups and down the mountain. A stark face off between the waring groups of light and dark amid the white mountain peaks and dark stone. Between everything the green of life was all but lost and ignored.

The Jedi refrained from drawing his lightsaber. The violent nature could not be ignored by the Sith before him and the truth was going to reveal itself one way or another. Grandmaster Voran took the diplomatic approach as Knight Byron felt the Force focus into his limbs. The beginnings of a flurry cyclone rotate and flow around Byron starting around his ankles and beginning to rise inch by inch with each second that passed.

@Alexandria Voran @Jaesa Valerin @Green Ranger @GABA @Phoenix @Wit @Altaris

 

[Kara Vaalki]

Slightly exasperated, Kara frowned as her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose, the frustration evident on her face. Taking a moment to compose herself, she looked up at the group of what were very obviously Sith, based on their flair for theatrics with the flashy entrance and the dark brooding gazes and the black upon black upon black upon black clothing.

Kara had never faced a Sith before. At least, not that she was aware of. There had been a fallen Jedi or two, and several natural Force talents with powers Kara had never even heard of, but Sith? Sith weren't exactly common in the far reaches of the Outer Rim.

If she didn't know better, Kara would have sworn she had stumbled onto some holonet drama. Were Sith really this over the top? How do they function? A society of theatre club dropouts? This is surreal.

"Look, that was a very nice speech, very powerful, I'm sure you practiced in the mirror for hours before you got here," Kara said, her voice clearly betraying how outright unimpressed she was with the display.

Still, part of it obviously was bravado born out of nerves. Kara rarely admitted to the hollow sensation she felt when the Dark Side was present. And even behind the Grandmaster's protection, the words still stung slightly. Kara had wanted to see the temple on Dantooine. The Order had changed and grown so much over the years that it was difficult to find out where she fit into the new regime. And sure, she knew none (or at least a very scant few) of the Jedi that had climbed the ranks, but part of her wondered if she might find a sense of normalcy by exploring the temples the Jedi had worked so hard to establish.

But Dantooine was a smoking ruin, a hollow husk that once held so many hopes. Just like the temple they now stood on the threshold of.

The galaxy was littered with the ruins of the conflict between Dark and Light. Would it ever end? Could she hope to make a difference? Was there any point in returning? What was the point of being a Jedi? Was she even worthy of that title?

Stop.

Breathe.

Kara inhaled.

I can hear the wind blowing through the mountains. I can feel it against my cheeks. Its cold. I am allowing myself to feel this moment. The air is clear and fresh and invigorating. Breathe.

She exhaled. Her hands fell to her side, and her shoulders relaxed. She didn't realise she had been tensing them.

I can feel the weight of my armor on my shoulders. I can feel the roughspun cloak itching against my neck. I can smell the wool - its damp from the snow already, and musty from years of weather and wear. I can feel the cold of my lightsaber. I can feel the warmth of the kyber crystal inside it. I can hear my heart beating. There is a warmth at my core. Breathe.

She inhaled.

I can feel the Force within me. I can feel the Force around me. There is more than darkness here. I am here. The Jedi are here. The Light of the Force is here.

Darkness will not take me. I am a Jedi.

Kara exhaled. Her lightsaber rested in her hand now, inactive but ready at a moments notice. Calm washed over her as she centered herself in the moment and her anxious thoughts washed away.

I am a Jedi.

@Valen Pelora @Darasuum @Green Ranger @Phoenix @Altaris @GABA @Wit @lizziie

 

[Renfry]

It was almost ironic the way that the Jedi were completely unaffected by the plight of their compatriots. And yet for how the Sith were allegedly harsh, unfeeling, and cruel they seemed to collectively have a reaction to the injury of one of their own. But that was because the Sith were people and the Jedi had trained themselves to be empty robots devoid of substance or emotion.

It wasn't the words of the Grandmaster that impacted Renfry, but the connection she also shared with Raze. The pain shooting through him almost tore through her as well. It wasn't the actual burn of a lightsaber, but the fear and anger that someone she loved was wounded, perhaps mortally so. The thought that he could be dying caused her to burn with rage that wouldn't be quenched by the snows of Telos.

No, you're here to destroy like you always do, she said, anger in her tone. They couldn't abide the existence of the darkness, it was the very purpose of their Jedi Shadows: to purge the galaxy of anything deemed "dark" by the Council.

Andruil's hands lit green and she tugged at the Shadow around the Grandmaster, throwing both of her own hands out to her sides. Green wisps wrapped around both of the Grandmaster's arms, pulling them in opposite directions and hoping to dislocate or rip them free from her body.

@lizziie @Green Ranger @Darasuum @Valen Pelora @GABA @Wit @Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Tense words were exchanged between both sides, and through it all Jaikus remained as still and frigid as a statue – thoroughly unmoved and unconcerned by anything that was said. Instead, the Axxilan kept his attention entirely fixated upon Jaesa, silently watching as she drew her lightsaber, prepared to finish what they’d started on Telos months ago.

And then he felt it.

The connection between Jaikus and Emryc was firm one. It was a bond through the Force made stronger by the intimate connection the two shared, and it meant that Jaikus felt every agonizing sensation that rippled from Dantooine, crashing against him with vivid intensity.

In that moment, Jaikus felt the phantom pain of a lightsaber piercing through his abdomen and exit out the back, carving a molten pathway through flesh and muscle as it went. He felt it as vividly as if it had happened to his own body, and he knew without question that it was real – that something had occurred on Dantooine.

Emryc..

It was a realization that brought a new kind of pain to wash over the Axxilan, piercing through his chest like a dagger. It was anguish at the thought that the person he loved had been wounded, and he was helpless to do anything about it, half a galaxy away. It was a pain that brought hot tears to stream down his cheeks, a single shuddered breath escaping through the mechanized filter of his mask.

In that moment, every instinct in Jaikus’ body screamed for him to leave. To abandon the objective, his allies and the Jedi, and leave Telos without another word. He wanted to run to the source of that pain, no matter what obstacle stood in his way. In that moment, there was no loyalty or sense of duty to Andruil or the Sith, and the original objective that had brought them to Telos no longer seemed important.

Jaikus knew only loyalty to himself and those that mattered most, and that alone beckoned him elsewhere.

The only thing that prevented him from doing so - the only thing that stood in his way - was Jaesa. Any desire for petty revenge was quickly forgotten, and Jaikus now only saw the woman as an obstacle in his path. An obstacle that prevented him from reaching the one thing that truly mattered.

In an instant, all of that pain and anguish was washed over, his face twisting and contorting with a new sense of pure, unbridled rage. It was rage that served as fuel to the fire that burned within him, eyes burning animalistic yellow as the Dark Side coalesced and built through his body. Even as his emotions churned just beneath the surface, Jaikus remained silent as a ghost. There were no taunting words or quips made towards Jaesa, and there wouldn't be going forward.

Instead, the Axxilan remained strictly focused upon eliminating that single obstacle in his path, as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Without any warning, Jaikus abruptly darted forward, intent on closing the distance between himself and Jaesa. The Axxilan moved like a wraith across the snow-blanketed ground – his body bent low to the ground as graceful steps carried him forward at alarming speed. The moment the woman was within reach, Jaikus sprang upward and arced his saber – still held in his left hand – across the woman’s body in a high diagonal swing, left to right, in hopes of carving crimson plasma directly through her torso.

As he did so, Jaikus extended his right hand towards Jaesa's lower half, violet sparks of electricity jumping between his fingers. He focused all of his anguish and pain into that single point, unleashing a stream of lightning towards the woman's legs - attempting to cook her from the inside.

@Phoenix @Green Ranger @lizziie @Darasuum @Valen Pelora @GABA @Wit

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He would turn against her in the end. There was no doubts about it, a long road that Tia had hoped to avoid lead them back to here. She felt some bitterness by this, given he had all the opportunity to come to her and yet he didn't, allowing the Force to carry him where he was needed. He gave her the reassurance that he would help her, but would never accept her for all she was, flaws included, but instead, he would see her as lost, an enemy, a threat that he had to eliminate from the galaxy. Would he fight her? Would he justify his own victory as liberation of her soul, that in which she never asked, never needed. Would he be able to live with himself for murdering someone he loved, and yet allowing criminals and strangers be spared of such judgment?

Those were the ideas she hoped haunted him as the Force started to whisper them in Byron's (@Darasuum) ears. He would hear Lyra speak, laugh, hear her smile behind her innocent words, calling for him. His mind, if kept vulnerable to her grasp, would find it hard to shake the love he held for her all while Tiamat stood unmoving but aware of her surroundings as her gaze swept the Jedi line. One knight caught the wrath of Jailed and there was another, who seemed to be caught up in dramatics with the Sith as she attempted to quip back to Renfry.

Tiamat let out a sigh and would throw a concentrated blast in an attempt to hit the unprotected, older Knight's (@Green Ranger) stomach while she sought to recenter herself. There wasn't time for theatrics or talk, the stance of the Jedi was quite clear, it was always their way and nothing else around it.

@Phoenix @Valen Pelora @Altaris @lizziie

 

[Ashla Ti]

The reactions of the Jedi were curious, and Ashla was sure this wasn't the last time she would think on them, but for now she watched, she observed, and she locked it all away for later. This was the first time she was facing Jedi, and there was much she could learn from this encounter, though her first impression was of cold indifference. Was that right, they were supposed to respect life, even worship it, but they seemed nonchalant about what was happening on Dantooine, and that surprised her.

But for now there was a fight to win, so she observed the four Jedi in front of her as she started moving forward and to the left, beginning to spread their numbers out a little, and her eyes fell on the man across the snow who seemed to be standing with his eyes closed. Not sure of what he was doing, she reached out with the Force as she slipped a hand under her cloak to pull out her blaster. The hand holding her lightsaber rose in the air as she manipulated the Force to make the snow at his feet rise up, to further impede his sight, as she immediately followed up with three shots from her blaster aimed for his chest. With his eyes closed, and the snow around him to further blind him, and unknown to Ashla the effects of Tiamat's mental assault to deal with, the Jedi might find it hard to avoid the shots till it was too late. Still, she was on alert and ready to react to anything he or the other Jedi might throw at her.

@Phoenix @Green Ranger @lizziie @Darasuum @Valen Pelora @GABA @Altaris

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Andruil was wrong but she’d never know it. The pain and suffering from Dantooine was real. Across a thousand stars it found them through dark magic. It was not that the Jedi didn’t care, not that they ignored the fear that raced across the galaxy. It simply never touched them. The Grandmaster accepted the sorrow Andruil offered. She took the pain and through that acceptance shield the three Jedi beside her. Alex felt every vibration in the Force…her heart weeping…but this was her choice to make. A Jedi’s life was sacrifice. The anguish of Dantooine was her sacrifice so that Kara, Byron, and Jaesa would remain focused.

Alex’s hurt but would not break. The Force had prepared her above all others for this. Her life had been loss. Her Master, Max, and all the others. It never became easier...yet you could survive. Difficult as it may be.

The anger in Andruil was expected. She hated them, didn’t she? But the suddenness of the Empress’ anger…her rage. Her outburst mirrored the sudden flame of emotion from the Sith rushing forward. Perhaps the Order was not the only one wounded from afar. She couldn’t shake the feeling one of them felt familiar. A known presence in the Force.

Alex had hoped for peace. A chance to break the wheel.

It was not meant to be.

The Dark side moved, and Alex moved with it. As green mist formed at her sides her left hand shone brightly with the Light. The Force rushed from her hand, the Lightside roaring to banish the Dark magic, cutting the ties before the ever bind. Her right hand struck out. The elements answering her call. Telos was cold and the moisture in the air was so close to freezing. One little tip was all it took to send the wind rushing and the molecules freezing. Large boulders of ice flew through the air as the wind whipped, they howled towards the Sith. Two for the Empress and one each for the rest. Alex continued to push the calm and serenity into the Force. They would not break the Jedi’s mind. The Grandmaster spoke as she worked. “So be it.” Take a chance Alex. “Although, your focus seems elsewhere.” She wasn’t a killer. She held that tenant above all else, but this had to stop.

@lizziie @Green Ranger @Darasuum @Phoenix @Altaris @GABA

 

[Orenth]

THEME
​

The culmination of a series of random events now taking place so close to one another led to this moment. Whether orchestrated, divine or something else entirely, the Jedi Knight couldn't help but be susceptible to the influences of everything happing now. He saw himself, possibly as a Sith as his own insecurities manifested in his mind. Turn into that monster for her. Cauterize it. She still won't accept you even then. You've failed again. What's one more time? Your Master is dead. You have to fight her. She's already dead. Who's next? Feel what those before you have suffered. This is what Indy felt, what Hans felt. Feel everything There were facts about the redhead that the man did not want to face. The empathy Byron tried to feel for even his foes would only lead to a loop with the events occurring on Dantooine. The bonds of the dark side wielders and the losses of the Jedi rippled through the force to make waves even here.

He stood there for a moment hesitating even as Tiamat drew her lightsaber. The approaching Togruta attempted to blind the Knight with the Snow despite him not relying on sight at the time. The winds sent around the Knight only picked up in speed and expanded around the Jedi reflexively along with extending his hand to chest height. His fist held out, was slammed into by the first bolt of the acolyte's pistol. However the Sith would likely mistake it for Tutaminis as they dissipated and only projectiles were desired by the aerokinesis that cloaked him. Perhaps the acolyte had mistaken him for some kind of bounty hunter and not a master of the elements. The other two would similarly dissipated against the man's palm as he began to advance towards Tiamat. (@Tiamat )

Byron's hybrid lightsaber hilt lifted off of his hip and was guided by the gale around him into his gauntleted left grip. Once in his left hand, etending out from the hilt became a deeper shade of orange, reflecting Bryon's self. Feeling everything, the pain, rage, sadness and death of now flowing through Byron. The winds round him accelerated into a twister that surrounded him from the waist down sent the Jedi. Now the man wasn't just infected with the dark side, he began to tap into it.

The lightsaber flickered as he crossed the open ground. The glow of the orange lightsaber flickered before flashing to a hot shade of magma red. When Byron spoke it was a deepened rumble with the weight of distant thunder. There were the oath he had said back then. An inevitability in his tone that was unlike the man who had smiled at the rain to the hitchhiking teenager.

"I bring death" Anger resided beneath his tone as the Sentinel selfishly let his passions become infected with the Dark Side. His muscles bulged and tensed as the corrupting power that flowed from the nexus fueled him. He was not a Sith, but he wasn't a Jedi. Not after today.

@Alexandria Voran @Jaesa Valerin @Green Ranger @GABA @Phoenix @Wit @Altaris

 

[Kara Vaalki]

There was a tendency throughout the galaxy to believe that every time a Force user closed their eyes to focus, that they were in some deep meditation, shutting themselves off from the world and somehow vulnerable for it And for some Jedi, this was true - immersing oneself deep into the Force was a thing, and especially for those who sought out the higher mysteries, or wished to look deep into the future, it was easy to be lost in the current and swept away from the here and now.

Fortunately, Kara was doing nothing of the sort. She had always preferred to focus on the here and now, and while she controlled her breathing, focusing on the moment, her senses stretched outward. The slightest disturbance was amplified tenfold.

And a concentrated blast of Force energy was slightly more obvious a disturbance than most. Kara's eyes snapped open, and they narrowed in concentration as she spun on her heel, sidestepping half a pace before settling into a wide stance, knees bent and hands raised forward as she seemed to seek to take the full brunt of the attack. But then the winds whirled and the Jedi's hands swept sideways in a broad sweeping motion, and the knot of kinetic energy shifted as Kara matched it with her own mastery of the Force. Rather than seeking to block or resist the attack, Kara only exerted enough energy to divert the full brunt of it, instead letting it sweep past her to dissipate into nothing.

They were only probing each others' defences at this point, and Kara figured that none of the Jedi or Sith present really expected the fight the be concluded quickly or easily. These things usually boiled down to skill with a lightsaber more than anything. Signalling her own intent, the Jedi's thumb flicked back the safety guard that covered the activator button of her lightsaber. She grasped the hilt in both hands as she activated the blade, which ignited with a loud crack, like gravel being ground together as the stream of energy coalesced into a single unified blade. Pale green lightsaber energy poured from the side vents of the hilt momentarily before the weapon's blade fully formed, spitting and crackling violently as the unsteady blade illuminated the Jedi.

Kara had intended to engage the fiery redhead, but rather than turn Voran's ball of ice into a hailstorm of razor-sharp shards, one of her companions had other ideas. Instead, Kara simply watched in stunned silence as the man stepped forward in front of her and....promptly tapped into to the Dark Side, judging by the waves of shadow and rage that were already pouring off of him.

Well.

Fuck.

@Valen Pelora @Darasuum @Green Ranger @Phoenix @Altaris @GABA @Wit @lizziie

 

[Jaesa Valerin]

Jaesa had fought the call of the Dark every day as a Jedi. Though her feet had not touched Dathomir since she was a baby, it seemed her heritage would not let her go quite so easily. Her master had taught her how to meditate against it, how to analyze and intellectualize her emotions, and how to combat it. For the first twenty-two years of her life she had never once tapped into the Dark Side, and to watch as a man of the Order fall to it right before her raised an indescribable emotion in her.

Was it anger? Was it disappointment? Whatever it was, it would have to wait.

The clear mountain air suddenly became clouded with snow as the Sith advanced on them. Jaesa held her saber vertically and parallel to her body, then ignited the blades. One side, then the other, zapped to life to glow a lime neon hue just left of yellow. As Jaikus' crimson blade came swinging upwards and his other hand shot electricity from below, she tilted her saber, catching his attack under one side and absorbing the lightning into the other.

In the moment after, Jaikus would feel the weight of the woman begin to push against him. His left arm was bearing the weight of her two handed grip on her heavier saber, so when she pushed forward to shove him away from her, he would forced backwards at least a few feet.

"I'm flattered you waited for me," Jaesa said, referencing their last interactions here with a mock look of bashfulness on her pale gray skin. Perhaps Jaikus had no intentions of tossing out quips, but Jaesa had no such reservations. As she spoke, two fingers lifted off the hilt of her saber to sent a wave of the Force at the man's abdomen as he stumbled back. She would then move forward, looking to take advantage of the moment, but held back as Alex's boulder of ice came crashing his way.

She wouldn't want to be hit by that.

tags: @Valen Pelora @Darasuum @Green Ranger @Phoenix @Altaris @GABA @Wit