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

[Kara Vaalki]

There was an old saying in the Jedi Order - never give up the high ground. It was a simple enough saying, but often misunderstood.

For one, one of the major key requirements of high ground was that there needed to be, well....ground.

There was a very simple reason for this - when a Jedi used the Force to jump, the moment they left the ground they were more or less committed to their trajectory until they landed. Jedi were - or at least Kara was - encouraged to avoid such acrobatics in combat, instead utilising time-old traditions such as footwork, or small hops and skips. Agility meant dextrously navigating the landscape, not leaping over it in a single, clumsy jump. A fleet footed Jedi would spot pitfalls and loose ground in ways that one that was leaping never could. They could change their direction, or momentum, at a moments notice. A Jedi mid-jump was, to put it mildly, quite vulnerable.

For Kara's part, she had anticipated the Sith's movements. Her low, ankle strike wasn't really meant to take the girl's feet out from under her, at least not literally. But as the Sith quite literally leapt back and up and away from Kara, she had left herself ungrounded. And there was a brief moment after she leapt, when her focus was depleted from augmenting her own jump and she began focusing her attention on Jaesa instead, that she wasn't focusng on Kara. And in that moment, the Sith truly was vulnerable.

Kara followed through on her low strike by switching her grip on her lightsaber, dextrously completing the swing by flicking it into a reverse grip. Her right arm extended, blade reversed, she released a quick swipe with her blade, releasing the weapon from her grip and arcing it up at the retreating Sith. Guided by the Force, the blade swept up towards the Togruta from below, just as the she was focus to defend against Jaesa.

Defending against Kara's previous low strike had clearly been difficult enough, but now the Togruta had to deal with being distracted by Jaesa, having just depleted herself by leaping (and thereby needing a moment to refocus), being midair and unable to reposition easily due to a lack of secure (or any) footing, as well as defending from Kara's saber, which was coming in from a very low angle that would make parrying the blade extremely difficult.

For her own part, however, Kara did have the advantage of secure ground beneath her. She planted her right foot into the ground beneath her, using a combination of last of the momentum of her slide, and the halting of her trajectory by digging her feet into the ground, to effectively slingshot herself back up to her feet with practiced dexterity. Had her thrown saber somehow missed its mark, it would snap immediately back to her grip, a simple task for such a Force attuned object that was only scant few meters away.

If the Togruta somehow managed to complete her vault and fire her blaster, Kara would be well positioned to deflect the bolts away from herself to harmlessly liquefy a unoffending mound of snow that had accumulated in the distance. And if the girl was struck by Kara's thrown blade and still somehow able to continue, then Kara would be ready for her.

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The Temple shook as lightning impacted the structure. The strength of battle waged in the Force starkly presented against the Telosian sky. Alex was tangled close to Andruil. Eldritch lightning having left its mark on both of them. Their sabers remained locked in place. She saw Andruil’s hand strike forward, but the women were too tightly locked. She couldn’t react in time. An iron grip latched onto her saber wrist. Instinctively, Alex flooded her body with the Force, rooting her body in place. Andruil would pull but find she pulled on the planet itself. Her wrist groaning with the struggle as the Light rushed to strength muscle and bone.

Alex’s hand was still roughly pointed at Andruil’s midsection. While Andruil pulled, Alex worked the Force again. A powerful burst of energy ripping from her hand. A fist shaped hammer of the Force shot out towards Andruil’s midsection. She grit her teeth, a grimace on her face. “Dantooine has hurt us both…” The Empress had to know. If Alex did, then her counterpart in Darkness certainly felt the same. "This could stop with us."

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

 

[Orenth]

The relatively graceful landing of the Sith Lord was not given much attention. Instead of focusing on the redhead at his 9 o'clock, the bearded ex-jedi was focused on the group of Sith and Jedi clashing not far away. Before his hand came to tighten their fingers around the hilt of his lightsaber, the ground would rise to meet the man. The weapon clattered slightly closer but never reached his hand.

Faster than simply falling face first, the man did not have a lot of time to react before putting both hands in front of him. In essentially a held-push up position, Orenth's head turned to look at Tiamat. It felt like he was under increasing gravity but he wasn't going to give in. "NOOOOO!" He howled with every fiber of his being. The rejection of what was happening was honed in the sonic reverberating shout aimed at Tiamat who held him in that moment. ( @GABA )

The man wouldn't stop resisting the hold she had on his body with his naturally strong physique. The power of the dark side, willed into his shoulders, his core, and every other muscle in his body would not be forced to prostrate until their unceremonious execution. His voice would rise continue to grunt as he came back to his feet with visible resistance.

It did more than crack the ground stretching between them and could make Tiamat risk losing her footing. Veins bulged along his forehead. A shelf of snow, ice and rock higher up in the mountains shifted. If the Sith wasn't blown back by the force of the banshee wail, it would at least hamper the continued hold and make the man's stance more vertical. "LET GO!" Any that looked up higher in the mountains would see that it would begin to just be a matter of time before they were all under a few more feet of snow. Both sides would have limited time to react.

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

 

[Renfry]

She yanked hard, but the Grandmaster didn't budge, but likewise, Andruil swung wide so that the blast flew past once again and the Empress would hyperextend the woman's shoulder in an attempt to dislocate it.

Her own saber swept up in a fluid motion, aiming to take the Grandmaster's arm off just above the elbow in a clean sweep. Regardless of the outcome of the strike, Andruil released her grip as she sensed something else far more impending taking place. She kept her saber at the ready and stepped back lest a final rogue attempt be made to slash at her as she disengaged.

The roar of snow, ice, and stone could be heard over the mountains and a glance back told her that it was now time to leave.

Seven thousand years. You really think it'll end here after all that time? And what outcome do you see? Us living in peaceful harmony? We who have hunted and genocided each other's people for seven millennia? she asked. She took responsibility for perpetuating the war just as she laid the guilt at the feet of the Jedi as well. People they each cared about were maiming and killing one another lightyears away, and it wouldn't stop. Perhaps in another time and place the debate would have been an interesting one.

But that wasn't to be right now.

Still on the ready to defend, a flash of green flame swallowed the Empress and she was gone once again. Where she had gone wasn't immediately apparent, but it was safe to assume that it was somewhere out of the avalanche's path.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He resisted in return, refusing to allow the woman's grasp dictate where he would be directed. It brought him to his hands and knees as he turned his head to look at her, but it wasn't the same look she recognized in Byron. He was someone else now, a weak-willed fool who now betrayed the values he once cherished in the Jedi Order. Tiamat of course wouldn't let him go as he cried out in his anger, the sound reverberated around them, strength and energy behind his cry for control and Tia braced against his attempt to shake her free. However, she would squeeze tighter, enough to make bones crack and crush if he were to let up in anyway.

He started to rise, the energy of the two Force users tempted the natural landscape, the pressure causing the hardest of stone and ancient ice to crack between them. Lines webbed outward, tracing along the battlefield and then there was rumble as he cried out again; Tiamat grimaced, her senses alerting her to something greater as it seemed the entire mountain was shaken awake, the rumbling of snow, ice and debris came tumbling towards everyone from above.

With her saber extinguished, she let out a huff of dissatisfaction as she released one final blast to push back Byron into the ship again before she took off to find cover in the ancient temple and a way back to her ship.

/exit [attempt] thread

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus saw his opportunity and immediately sprang to capitalize on, dashing across the snow until Jaesa was within his reach. It was clear that the Axxilan’s true objective was far from Telos, and the Sith was beyond impatient to deal with the Jedi and put this planet behind him. He reached out with the Force, and the Dathomirian would immediately feel an unyielding resistance against her limbs – halting her in place and completely sparing Ashla from having to deal with multiple enemies at once.

He wasn’t about to let the Acolyte get flanked by two enemies at once.

Jaesa would feel the breath being squeezed from her lung as Jaikus’ grip grew tighter, hoisting her into the air several feet off the ground. With a violent flick of his wrist, he sent the Dathomirian hurtling through the air and slamming into the side of the transport that brought the Jedi to Telos in the first place.

Jaesa would be able to feel the hull of the ship dent inward beneath, her body, likely the breath knocked from her chest the moment she made impact. In the event the woman did not walk away from the blow with any broken bones, she would undoubtedly be bruised and aching for days to come. Jaikus released his grasp shortly after that, allowing her to fall back to the ground.

Just as he did so, Jaikus was dashing towards her once again - saber angled high and prepared to carve through her flesh as soon as she was within reach. Before he was within melee range, however, the Axxilan abruptly stopped dead in his tracks – skidding forward a few feet across the snow. His senses alerted him that something had shifted, and his visor immediately snapped up to see the entire mountain rumble and release a shelf of snow, ice and debris.

A mechanized growl escaped from his mask just then, and he knew immediately that he only had precious moments to reach shelter. Instead of advancing closer to Jaesa, maintained his distance and reached out with the Force once again – coiling his grasp around the woman’s torso while she was – hopefully – still recovering from being unceremoniously bashed against the ships.

With an abrupt swipe of his arm, Jaikus attempt to throw Jaesa past the ships and into the cliff itself, slamming her body against the rocks, while additionally putting her closer to the avalanche of rumbling ice and snow.

Whether the maneuver was successful or not, Jaikus spun on a heel and – just like Tiamat – made a break for the temple entrance. He intended upon taking shelter within the temple, only long enough for the avalanche to settle. The Axxilan would not linger or progress any deeper into the structure, regardless of whatever urgings or reminders about their objective were lobbed his way. He was fixated onto a single objective now, and there was no dissuading him from it.. The moment he had the chance, Jaikus would set out and make his way back to his ship. He would leave Telos without another word.

And he would go to the only thing that truly mattered.

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

/Exit (Attempt?) Thread

Spoiler: OOC note

Just to clarify, the first 4 paragraphs of this post (The sections involving Jaesa being thrown against the ship, not the mountain) are an auto-hit, as Jaesa missed the posting window to defend. This was discussed and agreed to in coordination with @lizziie.

 

[Ashla Ti]

With Jaikus intervening to keep the second Jedi from attack her, Ashla was able to keep her focus on one immediate threat. As such when the sliding Jedi threw her lightsaber at the Togruta acolyte, she was able to react without the distractions of alternate threats to her life. She reached out with the Force and at the very last moment managed to push the lightsaber away from her, sending it spinning through the air an at an angle and landing in the snow behind her.

With the Jedi disarmed, and her own feet on firm ground now, the acolyte might have considered responding with an attack of her own, but then the while mountain growled around them, and she looked up to see a wave of ice, snow, and anything that came in its path, about to flow down towards them. All of them.

Realizing that priorities had changed, she started running, following after Jaikus and heading for the Temple, her lightsaber still held in her hand if she needed to defend herself. But if able to she would make for the Temple, and ultimately seek out a ship to get away from whatever consequences the avalanche would bring. Along the way she remembered what she had seen earlier, the reaction on the faces of her fellow Sith. She had not given much thought to it at the time, but with the immediacy of battle out of the way she could not help but think about her companions.

It must have been the food, for them all to react in such a manner. Suddenly not so sad about having missed Taco Tuesday, she dug around in the carry bag she had brought with her, and had a droid run to catch the other Sith before the left the planet. It carried for them small containers full of Tums, and a small note saying This should help!.

/Exit [attempt] Thread
@Phoenix @Green Ranger @lizziie @Darasuum @Valen Pelora @GABA @Altaris

 

[Orenth]

Exit Theme(?)​

The defiant primal staring eyes of the bearded man watched as the Sith Lord hesitate in her advance as the fallen jedi made headway in his own. Orenth remained open to the nexus of power, to the pain and emotions that others exuded in the heat of this fight. The hate Tiamat felt for Byron's weakness making her just a hypocrite like the rest. Still it was enough for her to persist the hold on him. Trying to hold him down would be draining her and was not a battle she would win as his own might endured. Some people said they felt anger. But Orenth chose to channel all of the rage his mind could comprehend. It was worth the risk, life or death and no question he wanted to live. It would buy him a few moments to get to safety and take down anything in his path.

Orenth didn't care what Byron had felt for the woman or her contradicting feelings. But she had chosen to deprive him even of the simple freedom of movement. Orenth just wanted to survive. Hadn't she already had the chance to kill that Jedi and failed? Was that really Byron's fault or Lyra's or Tiamat? Now the Jedi was as good as dead and she was pissed. The ex-jedi was too furious to find the irony in the situation. This wasn't a funeral and he wasn't a target for any grief she had remaining to give. She just needed to get out of his way.

Seeing her blade return back into the hilt he knew she was retreating. A moment later and she would let go of the stasis keeping his body relatively still. But not before the hand came to try to push him into the ship. The bearded brawler was light on his feet and wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice. Her own repetition would be used to Orenth's advantage as he leapt up and channeled the Dark Side through the strength of his body.

The bottoms of Byron's feet would touch the side of his ship. The push from Tiamat would be split as Byron's arms were outstretched in a high diver pose. Sparks would fly as his ship was pushed back a meter and his muscles strained. The horizontal pressure kept him in place and allowed to seemingly adhere for a split second before pushing off. The parts of the Triskele that had once belonged to the Jedi Knight was shattered further as his enhanced strength pushed off. Blasting with a leap up and over the open space, Orenth would evasively speed towards the Temple for his own shelter. Mid leap his right hand would find its way to drawing the MK I pistol he normally keeps on his hip. The cared not for his lightsaber and there was a Jedi getting beaten. It would be difficult enough for him to deal with what remained if they continued to put up a fight.

@GABA @Green Ranger @lizziie @Valen Pelora @Wit @Phoenix @Altaris /Exit [attempt?]

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex managed to twist away from the sweeping saber. Armor crackling as the blade passed by. The Force screeched in her mind as they disengaged. The Empress and Grandmaster briefly stood apart as their souls sensed what was to come. Her eyes flicked to the mountain. Each stood at the ready, but it was far too late. They had seconds. Alex felt the Darkness gathering. That same twinged from when Andruil appeared. “Wait…” But she was too late. Green flames burst around the Empress and Alex made no move to stop her. Instead, she stepped towards the roar of snow and ice.

She allowed her mind to unlock. The sense of Byron’s plunged into darkness finally expanding in her awareness. Alexandria Voran was a compassionate woman. She gave all for her family. Perhaps the nexus affected her more than she knew, but only one thought floated in her mind. Weakness. Byron had thrown away his oaths without a second thought. He had made no attempt to resist corruption. Worse, he put every life at risk with a reckless avalanche. Those were the actions of a man who did not care if his friends lived or died. A weak man who mistook violence for strength. If he chose to come with them, the Jedi would see he get the help he needed, but it appeared the man had other plans. She could feel him rushing towards the Temple...sprinting towards the Sith.

Alex stepped towards the avalanche.

She breathed deeply. Andruil was gone. This fight was over. She plunged herself into the Force to bring all her strength to bear. They needed time...Kara and Jaesa still needed her. Alex was a master of the elements. Telos would not kill them. Her saber snapped to her belt as her hands shot out, fingers splayed, and palms outstretched. Wind, ice, snow and the Force ripped forth. Every ounce of resistance the Grandmaster could muster hammered into the mountain of destruction. Her robes billowed as she strained to hold the mountain at bay. The roar of the wind deafening her ears. Her mind slapped against Jaesa and Kara. “Ship. Now.” Images of them plucking her before the avalanche fell would flash in their minds. It was all she could muster. Alex stood alone fighting against the inevitable.

OOC: Exit Attempt Pending @lizziie @Green Ranger

@GABA @Darasuum @Phoenix @Altaris @Wit

 

[Jaesa Valerin]

Her body collided with the side of the ship and she was saved from broken bones only by the last second attempt to cushion herself with the Force. Pain ran through her like a shockwave, and the air in her lungs was forcibly expelled from the force of impact. For a moment she was dazed, and as she plummeted into the soft snow below she could feel her stomach lurch. Before the nausea turned into actual throwing up, Jaesa again felt the Force coil around her chest. Not about to be thrown again, the attempt was met with heavy resistance, and all Jaikus managed to do was knock her over again. Though dazed and hurting, Jaesa still had a head on her shoulders and her senses came back to life as she was able to suck air back into her lungs.

'Ship. Now.' Those words which were unmistakably Alexandria's mixed with the roaring sound of snow rushing down the mountain sent Jaesa into action. The dathomirian struggled to her feet the quickest she could and slammed her fist into the control panel, opening the ship to allow her to stumble inside. The door stayed open as she ran to the controls, starting up the engine. Hopefully the sound of the ship roaring to life would alert Kara to *get inside*.

-----

Once Kara ( @Green Ranger ) was inside, Jaesa would yank the ship's controls to the left to swing the ship around and towards Alexandria. "Pull her in!" called Jaesa to Kara from the cockpit. The door was still open, and if Kara could pull Alexandria inside, they would be able to escape just as the mountainside collapsed around them.

And Bryon? He was not even a thought in her mind at the moment. He made his bed; now he could lie in it.

// exit attempt

tags: @Valen Pelora @Green Ranger @Altaris

 

[Kara Vaalki]

Spoiler: ooc comment

With the avalanche bearing down on them, all thoughts of continuing the fight evaporated from Kara's thoughts. Even the Sith's self-preservation instinct kicked in, as the dark Jedi all fled for the temple - along with the now fallen Jedi, Byron. Had this been the plan all along? Had he been a sleeper agent? Would he divulge any number of Jedi intelligence to the Sith now that his treachery was revealed?

For a moment, Kara's thoughts turned to anger. She looked to the temple entrance looming in front of the Sith as they raced towards it. It would be easy to crack some stones, bury them in the rubble - or even block their escape and let the avalanche take them all. They deserved it, after all, for all the pain and suffering they had caused, that they would cause. It was only right to take vengeance on them after being betrayed. It was only right.

And then, the moment passed, and Kara remembered her training. These thoughts were the temptation of the Dark Side - ever present, and often veiled in a sense of righteousness, but they were always there. The greatest enemy any Jedi ever faced was themselves. And all too often, they were not up to the challenge.

Byron would find that the Dark Side always led to ruin eventually. Whether it was today or years from now, he had failed himself. And despite everything, despite the hurt and frustration, deep down inside, part of Kara pitied the man.

Still, there were more pressing things to attend to. Such as....well, not dying. Calling her lightsaber back to her hand with the Force, Kara clipped it to her belt as she charged across the landscape towards the ships, heeding the command of the Grandmaster. As she reached the loading ramp of the ship, Kara spun on her heel, thrusting her hands out towards the Grandmaster. Having used only minimal amounts of the Force in her own fight, Kara had reserves aplenty, and the Force billowed out from Kara, reachign out and grabbing the Grandmaster with practiced effort, lifting and pulling the Jedi towards the ship, fast enough soas to make a hasty getaway, but not violently enough soas to disrupt her concentration.

The moment Grandmaster Voran was onboard, Kara would slam the ramp closed, bashing on the hull with the pommel of her lightsaber to signify to Jaesa that they were safe and they could floor it out of there. As the mountain came down on top of the plateau where the Temple stood and ice, snow, rocks and trees flooded across the landscape, burying everything in its path - including the entrance to the temple, itself - Kara found herself releasing a breath she didn't realise she had been holding.

At least they were safe.

/exit [?]

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

 

[Darth Tiamat]

It seemed the other two Sith would make the wise decision to head into the temple for shelter too. Tia was not certain where the Empress had gone, but since she knew how to teleport with her magic, she trusted the woman found her own way to safety. However as the acolyte followed inside, Tiamat turned back to see Byron also. There was disbelief that he was going to try to continue this fight after bringing down the mountain. At least the Jedi had the most sense to get in their ship and book it.

The woman grasped her saber tightly and the shadow would ripple as she woke it to feed again. Her saber ignited, ready to fend off any bolts released at the woman as he tried to save his skin. The man was coming for more obviously, blaster at hand, and he would feel himself being yanked forward by Tiamat's pull into the temple. On a positive note, it would probably save him the suffering of being buried by the mountain's peak. Negatively, now he had the strife of not only one but possibly two more Sith in the temple as they were ready to search for a way out.

If he managed to break from Tiamat's pull, it was hard to say if the others didn't want taste of the fool's gambit.

@Darasuum @Wit @Altaris @Phoenix

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

If it wasn’t obvious at this point, Jaikus wanted to leave Telos as quickly as possible. His mind was very clearly elsewhere, and nothing happening on this frigid hell-scape of a planet seemed to matter at this point. Without really acknowledging Tiamat or Ashla, the Axxilan began take measured steps past the temple entrance, fixated onto the familiar path that led down to the Sith Ruins.

From personal experience, Jaikus knew there was another exit to this place. Even if he had to swim to get there.

He only made it a few steps before Jaikus felt a subtle ripple through the Force – his senses alerting him of someone else approaching. He abruptly stopped in his tracks, whipping around to see Byron still approaching. Why? He hadn’t a clue. While the rest of the Jedi had done the objectively intelligent thing and left, Byron had decided to advance towards the temple and presumably intended to engage them all by himself.

The Jedi.. Former Jedi? Whatever he was, the man had a death wish – and Jaikus was more than willing to indulge him, so long as it meant being able to leave without further interference.

Just as Tiamat reached out to yank Byron forward, the Axxilan took a step forward and allowed his lightsaber to snap back to his waist. He had no intention of engaging the man in melee range, and instead he extended his left hand towards Byron. The Dark side built and coursed through his body, violet sparks of electricity jumping between his fingers that served as the only indication of what was about to happen.

Without any additional warning, Jaikus unleashed a stream of violet and blue lightning from his fingertips, carving a deadly path through the air in an attempt to strike Byron directly in the chest and remove him from the equation. Permanently.

Considering the man had no lightsaber to defend himself, in addition to Tiamat attempting to pull him closer, it was an attack that would’ve been exceptionally difficult to defend against. If the man somehow managed to do so, Jaikus would be prepared to react accordingly.

@Darasuum @Wit @Phoenix @GABA

 

[Ashla Ti]

Ashla noticed Tiamat stop at the entrance to the Temple as the Togruta ran in, and starting runing while looking backwards to see what the Sith Lord was doing. She came to a skidding stop as she saw her pulling the Jedi, or rather former Jedi, into the Temple.

She was unsure of what to do next, because her instincts told her to attack and finish the Jedi, she did not want to get on a Sith Lord's bad side by attacking or killing someone she meant to capture. But then Jaikus stepped up and launched lightning at the Jedi held in Tiamat's grasp. That was all the invitation Ashla needed.

She lacked both the strength, and the training, to muster lightning, and using her blaster would only give the Jedi opportunity to deflect them back at her and her allies. So she used what he had at hand, the box of Tums. Two tablets floated out in front of her and she wrapped it in the Force, using the power of the Nexus around them to turn the simple tablets into deadly projectiles as she sent them flying straight for the Jedi's chest with enough speed and force to rip right through them. With Tiamat holding him in position, and Jaikus lashing him with lightning, he might not expect or see the small projectiles that would come whizzing for his heart.

@Phoenix @Darasuum @GABA @Altaris

 

[Orenth]

He was in a tight spot. But the anger in his mind kept him from stopping for a moment. His feet were as fast as they were thunderous. They only became lighter as he was dragged into the temple. Ahead of the fallen jedi stood three Sith only one of which he was somewhat familiar.

Danger was clear but all the more reason why Orenth was focusing on dark fury. The pull from Tiamat only brought him closer to the Sith and faster. In fact, if it slowed down for a moment, he would charged forward, propelling him towards the Sith. The man's right hand knew he was not a good shot. But the distance fairly close to Jaikus as his fingertips sparked. The Togruta was beyond Tiamat and could be deflected so the best shot was the sith without his saber at the ready. Double tap the trigger would send stunbolts at the man who had just clipped his defense to his hip. This would be followed by Orenth then dropping of the handmade weapon. He wouldn't need it any longer.

With his right arm free, his blaster pistol would eventually clatter on the ground at the entrance of the temple behind him. This would allow the forearm sleeves of his winter garb to be holed with sparking impacts from the launched calcium tablets. The force wrapped projectiles were small and easily deflected from his armored forearm.

The bolt of lightening would still risk reaching Orenth if not for his left outstretched gauntleted hand. The curved fingers focused the electrical malice arching towards him. In the palm of his left hand he would try to reflect the powers back to catalyze his own force storm that would blast continually forward for only a moment his advance began to slow. Violet electricity fought to throw him back as Tiamat had pulled him forward. Teeth grit together behind cracked lips. Unfortunately for Orenth lightening was not a fast death, even if the champion was using both hands.

@GABA @Wit @Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Despite an overwhelming desire to simply leave, Byron had decided to reengage and forced Jaikus to do the same. The Axxilan spun around and positioned himself as the fallen Jedi was yanked into the temple, preparing himself for whatever the man would do in response.

Citrine eyes rapidly snapped to Byron’s hand, watching as the blaster leveled upon him. While Jaikus had returned the crimson-bladed lightsaber to his hip, he didn’t need it to defend himself. Just as Byron double tapped the trigger of his blaster, Jaikus abruptly dropped down and rolled to the right, ducking beneath the stunbolts as they passed where his chest should have been – instead dissipating into sparks of energy as they collided with the wall.

The Axxilan quickly came out of his roll and sprang back to his feet, violet electricity coalescing in his hands. Lightning sprang forth from the Axxilan’s fingertips at that moment, arcing through the air until it collided with the fallen Jedi’s last-minute tutaminis. Energy violently hissed and cracked through the air, battling for dominance.

Instead of relenting, the Axxilan continued to pour all of his energy into the electrical assault – not allowing Byron even a moment of reprieve. He took a single step forward, his other hand rising from his side and lightning began to pour from it as well. Jaikus knew that the assault would rapidly deplete his reserves, but there was method to his madness. Tutaminis was a skill that required immense focus, and with the additional pressure that Jaikus applied, it would require every ounce of Byron’s concentration to maintain. It would give Tiamat or Ashla the brief opening they needed to deliver a killing blow.

Or, should Byron allow his concentration to falter in an effort to block one of their attacks, Jaikus would push the opportunity and overwhelm the fallen Jedi with lightning.

@Phoenix @Wit @Darasuum @GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

In combination with the pull, which the former Jedi seemed a little too pleased for the extra jolt forward, he had to deal with the acolyte's tums toss and Jaikus' unrelenting lightning, which even with a distraction from the stun bolts, it wasn't enough to stop the yellowed-eye champion. For Tiamat, well, it seemed that Byron or whoever, had his hands (literally) busy with fending off the lightning. The pull was successful, brining him within striking range and he even helped a bit in his own desire to return to the fight.

As Jaikus unleased his second stream of potent dark side lightning, Tiamat swiftly closed the short distance between her and Byron as she came up on his left corner. She stepped into her backhanded swing that should be more than enough to sever the man into two halves as her blade would have cross through the upper half of his torso if contact was successful. Her free hand reached to the vibroblade on the small of her back, determined if he somehow managed to avoid her saber, he would then need to contend with the vibroblade she would then plunge in his side.

"No one will hurt me, not even you." the woman hissed. Regardless, if he stopped to focus on the attack from Tiamat, he would leave himself vulnerable to Jaikus and even Ashla. Where he turned to avoid the next attack, there were limits, and soon it would be checkmate for the former Jedi.

@Darasuum @Wit @Altaris

 

[Ashla Ti]

As the Jedi dipped further into the Dark Side to repel their attacks, Ashla had to wonder if this was what all Jedi were like, giving up when facing adversity and drawing on their own weakness to seek the power of darkness.

Regardless of whether or not that was the case, the issue at hand was dealing with him. As Jaikus avoided the stun bolts and fired lightning at him, with Tiamat moving in with her blade, Ashla started walking towards the Jedi, lightsaber coming to life at her side in her right hand while her left hand rose up before her as reached out with the Force. The two Sith with her seemed to have matters in hand, so she decided to switch her focus to support.

Reached across the distance between them, Ashla wrapped the Force around the Jedi's neck, and began choking him, a classic move that almost every Sith trainee learned about at one point of another. Yet this was her first time using it, and she hoped that it would achieve similar results as all the training manuals mentioned. She continued walking forward as she kept the pressure on, the choking grip tightening around the Jedi's neck to try and crush it.

@Darasuum @GABA @Altaris

 

[Orenth]

His right leg pushed off to move left as the champion rolled evasively. His right arm would remain behind his outstretched left that finished neutralizing the first blast from the champion. The right arm would come to block the slice aimed for his midsection barely in time.

The dangerous sith lightening Jaikus would throw his way would try to be stopped again with Tutaminis. But the burning electrical power bled through as it surged beyond the capabilities of Orenth's faltering focus. His right arm would have backhanded the saber strike for his midsection but the pain that shot up his left arm. He only managed to drop his right hand to his left hip to block Tiamat's lightsaber. Even by a Sith Lord, lightening was usually not a fast way to kill, but Orenth was also burning the candle at both ends. The sole focus of the champion was to electrically turn the fallen Jedi to a smoking husk and that was understood.

A tightness around his throat grew and even enraged, Orenth was not ignorant of the powers of deduction when the togurta stood with an obvious outstretched hand. He tried simply resist the pressure as much as he could but the violet archs from the champion had their marks. Finally, the man would feel Tiamat's vibroblade imbed itself between his bottom two ribs. His right hand reflexively would grab the handle or the hand that controlled it. But the fallen jedi was mortally wounded. Struggling to sharply inhale as he was choked out, he could not utter any response even if he had one.

@GABA @Wit @Altaris officially death enabled for byron/orenth

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat let out a yell as she felt her vibroblade sink into his flesh, sharp and painful pricks from the trailing lightning from Jaikus bit at her side and back. Pain was welcoming, the one thing she could count on to be there no matter the source. Despite him blocking her swing with her lightsaber with the gauntlet, there was a deep satisfaction to see him suffer instead. He did not deserve a quick death, not for anyone who dared to hurt her. The subtle promises to be there and help her, now meant nothing. She released the vibroblade and stepped back quickly out of striking distance, and withdrawing her blade to her side, though still ready to defend from whoever Byron chose to become today.

She stood in silence watching as he choked and cooked under the attacks of the other two Sith; she would only intervene if somehow Orenth managed to get back to his feet again.