The Fallen Blade: "Rebirth"

[Darth Victress]

.

The Usurper, as she called herself; her moment to claim destiny had arrived. Research, hours spent, trips on Korriban to defeat cultists as well as searching for the signal deep into the frozen Tundra. Here she was to capture what her birthright had promised her: The ancient weapon of the Sith. And whomsoever wielded the weapon, power would be insurmountable. She was wearing her Sith Maruader robes laced with Phrik coated gauntlets. Twin sabers at her side along with a pugio blaster pistol at her left thigh in case she needed it. The ebony helmet covered her facial features, presenting the Darth as a fear inspiring sight.

The signal tracer worked, relying partially on technology as well as her own force intuition to descended deeper into the catacombs until they arrived at what appeared to be an open chamber with a singular, raised rock platform in the middle. She could feel his presence, the ancient one and his reeking force signature from even further deeper than the room they were in. The weapon itself could not be localized however the dark lord was not so foolish as to let her eyes deceive her.

Holding the metal shard upwards, she focused a beam of negative light towards the wall; the power of the artifact crushed against the middle chamber and caused an eruption of stone and debris to crumple downwards. The shard would work close to its natural host weapon, allowing the possessor of it to claim the weapon for themselves. A passageway opened and was visible, leading even deeper into the abyss.

At this time, she could feel his presence growing, likely awoken by the damage she had caused and her own aura challenging him outright. Igniting her saber, the plasma weapon seared to life in her right fist; drawing the force around her defensively, she snarled and called out to him. "You are unworthy of the weapon you wield. Face me, wretched scum!"

She challenged, her head tilting to the side towards Eriana and whispered, "Stay behind me to keep safe, fight smart and we shall down this adversary.."

@Taz @EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

The dark caverns on this cold chilly planet was where Eriana Fox found herself now. She'd been on the planet's surface, safe and sheltered in her Sacellum temple, when a Darth with her own mission came sauntering in. The woman was a mystery to Eriana and her frightening aura quickly kept the blind Sith from keeping a calm mind. Darth Victress, as she called herself, submitted herself with such authority that Eriana herself couldn't help but bow her head. She'd never met someone so powerful, and yet so beautiful. Her aura within the Force was terrifying, but Eriana wanted nothing more than to embrace herself in it. Lady Victress was an enigma to Eriana, that was for sure.

The two had gone deep into the caves of Ilum in search of an artifact Lady Victress desired. The Confessor, Eriana's nickname within the Sith, had agreed to escort the Darth as far as she could. But her knowledge of the caverns was not yet mapped out complete yet as there were simply too many paths to walk. Luckily Arianna had come with a scanner for such a task. And it led them right to their enemy. She'd been used to the terrifying auras deep within the walls of Ilum's caves, but this was something different. It reminded her so much of the Sith Crusader Eriana and a fellow Sith had run into during the conquest of Ilum. Eriana wondered if this signature was the same. She herself didn't know the trick, but it was possible for a Sith to create an echo, a shell of themselves. She hoped this is not what they had fought that day; leaving the real enemy alive and waiting

As she so often wore, Eriana was dressed in Sith robes over Sith marauder armor which was tailored to fit like that of a corset, rather than a heavy metal chest piece. Her shoulders were left bare and the rest of her body was covered in a tight leather that kept her warm in the cold. Two curved lightsabers were clipped to each hip. Over everything was a long white coat with the hood drawn up over her head. Long black hair draped down in front of her shoulders and her bangs covered her gray eyes which were closed at the moment.

As Darth Victress used her scanner, Eriana saw within the Force that the walls crumbled and revealed to them a path. She could feel this dark aura growing even more powerful from within. Their enemy was close. Beside her, Arianna ignited her blade; The Confessor would do the same. Eriana took her two curved hilts and ignited her right hand blade. Her left she would keep behind her back and unlit. She would fight one handed at first, and then overwhelm her enemy by surprising him with the second sword. After her superior called out to the darkness, taunting it, she would turn and whisper to Eriana. The concern for the blind Sith made Eriana blush a little. Why did Lady Victress care if Eriana were to fall in battle? Was she serious about her promise to escort her to Korriban after this?

"Do not worry about me, my lady. I can handle myself."

​

 

[The Storyteller]

The chilling darkness of the passageway was suddenly illuminated by a a rift of power that neither Sith had likely felt before, not even the Witch priestess of the new dark church. This new power rivaled that of the Darth and even she would quietly admit that the feeling gave a tiny chill down her spine.

The deeper the pair traversed the further it went down and more narrow the path became. The walls of the catacombs closed in tight around them, and the aura of this unknown power gave a feeling of dread and fear, a sense of crushing weight and the slow pressure on their lungs, robbing them of a full breath. As if the walls were caving in, crushing them slowly. Try as the two Sith might to push out the feeling it would not go away.

Finally the pair would come to the source of the dread. An wild opening, nearly 30 meters in diameter. Lines with jagged rock walls. Visibly tainted and wild force energy. The dark side breathing life into the resting warrior and the figure suddenly stood in the shadow of the wild force fisher. As if called from the grave my this would be Usurper.

The cloaked figure stood only to nearly a foot taller then the Darth herself. Under it's dark tattered robes looked to be set of armor that resembled something similar to those to that of what the two women were wearing. When the dark figured fully emerged from the shadows it's blade ignited, cutting the darkness before falling to it's master's side.

"My blade had taken the lives of many, of Jedi and Exile alike. You know nothing of worth, of power. Petulant children."

@Faded Truth @EmilyHuene

 

[Darth Victress]

.

Arianna advanced into the open chamber, glaring brazingly at the dark sided animation of flesh and vile power that manifested approximately 15 meters in front of the two women. Narrowing her eyes, she scowled almost immediately at his words, "It may have done so at one point in history, but you have not lived to the potential of the weapon you wield. It is time for a change of guard, destiny has reserved that right to me.." She stated, bringing her own saber into an aggressive Makashi stance as the force wrapped around her defensively. She could feel the seeping anger of the creature in front of her as well as its resilience; it would not give up the Fallen Blade to easily, it would be up to the Dark Lord to wrestle it away.

She felt invigorated by the chilling darkness that swept over her as she made through the passageway, imbuing her with a sense of confidence and bloodthirsty conviction. She had almost neglected the respiratory distress the catacombs caused, whatever discomfort may have occurred initially now disappeared with the thrill of opportunity, a chance to claim the weapon fate had arranged for her. Slowly, she advanced upon her foe from his left while she presumed that Eriana would do so and advance upon his right. Eyes kept their piercing gaze upon the fallen Sith Lord, prepared for whatever would occur next.

@EmilyHuene @Taz

 

[The Confessor]

Darkness bathed her in a chill far worse than the winds of Ilum's surface. Eriana stood frozen for a moment as she felt chilled to the bone, as if she would freeze in place right there and then. It was horrifying and palpable. She could taste it in the air. Her eyes were a cloud of green and black energy making it nearly impossible to see. The ghosts and souls of the past vanished around them as they could not stand the sight or feel of this monstrous energy.

But her companion continued onward. The Darth pushed through knowing her treasure was ahead and that gave her the strength to move. Eriana calmed herself, reminding herself that this aura was not the Dark side itself. It was a person. And they were using the Force for their own gain. They kept the Force bound to them like a chained dog and allowed it to attack whomever came to attack its master. But this is why Eriana would win.

Beyond any doubt, Eriana knew that the Force did not wish to be caged. It was a living thing made up of all living things that ever existed and would ever exist. She prayed to that being, and in turn it would reward her with power far greater. It would allow her to chance to end this blasphemer. And that is what pushed Eriana forward.

"I say this prayer to the Dark side. That which has given me the gift of life and of breath. That which shows me the path in the dark and grants me power to do its bidding. I beseech you now, give me strength so I may show the true power of your might. In this I pray."

Eriana caught up with Lady Victress and then continued to walk behind her. She could see the walls in the caverns becoming more and more linear. Their path was being restricted so the only way out was forward. There, they would find their enemy. Eriana could see this is where the source of the false power was coming from. It surrounded him in a think aura that Eriana swore she could touch if she were to extend her hand. He was wearing robes just like any other Sith; the minute differences lost to the blind Sith. It would extend its powerful blade and bring light to Arianna's senses. Eriana did not need the weapon's light to see the path before her. Here is where the usurper stood. Here is where he would fall.

The two powerful children of the Force began to speak, throwing insults and threats and the other. Beside her, Lady Victress raised her blade for combat. Knowing Makashi as the basic of most aggressive stances, Eriana mimicked her companion's form. She would trick this Sith into thinking she was a mere apprentice to the woman, and that she knew less than she. He would then underestimate her, and that's when Eriana would bring out her Florentine style blades. The sudden change would hopefully be enough to catch him off guard and allow Arianna to finish him. She just had to be patient.

The battle would soon begin. They were currently in the mental phase: who would attack first? Lady Victress began to move to the right; Eriana would mirror that and move to her left. Her face and eyes were mostly hidden behind her bangs, so the man would not be able to tell she could not actually see out of them. This gave her another advantage. It had worked on the last Sith who walked these icy caves. It would work again. If possible, Eriana would move to flank him, setting him between the two females.

 

[The Storyteller]

The Exile made no more threats or retorts. Rather, it simply stepped back into the shadows of the chamber. His blade gone along with him. As quickly as the two Sith had felt the bone chilling power of the dark sider, they would suddenly feel nothing. As if the the cave itself swallowed him whole.

He was indeed a shadow himself, the warrior cloaked by the dark side, masking not only his aura but his movements as well. The living force in the cave, along with the two Sith's shared auras in close proximity would only aid the Exile in this skill. And before either realized it. He was at their back.

The exile unleashed two raw force energy balls at either Sith, targeting their backs. They were not as powerful as one of building energy but they would be enough to burn skin if they struck un-armed flesh.

 

[Darth Victress]

.

Arianna had kept her guard maintained, eyes on alert while she constantly had the force wrapped around her defensively. As he suddenly vanished, she scowled and lofted a brow. She had come wanting a fight, but had not anticipated that this Sith was capable of such tricks and odd powers. Did he teleport or did he merely vanish using the shadows for concealment? She moved around slowly, peripheral vision keeping track of Eriana as she scanned the room and then suddenly felt the invocation of dark energies generate in a position behind them.

Springing around, she took a step back and instinctively raised her blade upwards to block the bolt of hatred that seared towards her. The length of her weapon shimmered in its crimson light but also empowered with a short application of force shield, bashing against the incoming attack and allowing the heat to dissipate off to the sides. Drawing the force back upon herself, she shot forwards with an aggressive Makashi stance and slashed towards her adversary with a diagonal attack targeted at his left shoulder to his right hip. Her free hand remained unengaged for now, but if needed to react quickly with a force initiated power, it would be prepared to do so.

@EmilyHuene @Taz

 

[The Confessor]

It seemed like this wouldn't be a mad dash to kill one another like the last fight she'd been in. Her opponent retreated into the shadow and deactivated his blade. Not that it mattered to Eriana. She could still see just fine in the dark. But, to her surprise, the man completely shut off his aura. Just like that he was gone. Eriana gulped a little, not sure what to make of this. Turning around suddenly she placed her back against Arianna's and extinguished her own blade. She kept her left hand behind her own back to hide her weapon, and in the chamber that was only filled of her red light, the hilt would be plenty hidden between the two girls.

"Don't trust your eyes," she whispered a mental connection between her and the Darth. It was a repeat of what she'd said to her when they were up in the temple above.

While she might not be able to see his body within the Force, Eriana still had other methods. And this would probably only work for Eriana, and none else. No matter how hard the Sith tried, he would still need to breathe, but even if he held his breath, he could not stop his heartbeat. Eriana's ears which were sensitive to smaller sounds due to her being blind could hear the footsteps as the usurper tried to sneak past them. The Confessor knew exactly where he was. He was trying to flank them. She could feel the vibrations along the ground and the sudden shift in the rocks that her sonar-like vision provided her. Yes, there he was.

Now the question, did she tell Arianna? Part of her wanted to. To explain what she saw and help her partner. But, she did not wholly trust this woman yet. She'd come into her temple and recruited Eriana for this death match giving the Blind Sith no cause to object. She didn't hold any spite towards Arianna, but she also hadn't heard that trust from her. Besides, if she were really a Darth whatever attack this man had planned she should be more than capable of defending against it.

Then again, it stood to reason he'd go after "the apprentice." He thought she was the weaker but it would be his downfall. Eriana pondered whether the Darth had figured this too. But there would be no time to question her on the matter. As soon as the usurper found his mark he shot Force imbued balls of energy at the girls. Eriana hadn't expected him to suddenly lurch out with the Force. His saber, yes. But this came much faster.

Taking the hit to her torso the girl was shot backwards. It knocked her breath away, but she was able to roll back up. Fine. So that's how it was going to be. Beside her, Arianna had been able to block her own projectile. Good, she had been ready for such a threat. Now they needed to return the favor.

An idea then came to The Confessor, as she remembered her last fight down here. They hadn't won because of their sabers. They'd won thanks to the Force. Eriana clipped her right blade to her belt while raising her right hand to focus an attack. She was about to relay this thought to her partner, but her comrade did not wait for a second attack. Lady Victress then shot forward and prepared to slash at the enemy with her blade.

This was Eriana's chance. Reaching out rather than building up an attack, she grabbed a fistful of the usurper's robes and yanked him forward with all her might. The man was surely going to be surprised by the sudden pull and it might give Arianna a better chance at cutting him down. He wouldn't be able to dodge this way either. He was in trouble for sure.

 

[The Storyteller]

The Exile simply activated his weapon, cutting away the part of his old cloak the Eriana tried to pull from. Then reached out with the force and released a powerful force blast to cause the charging Arianna to be be shoved into the other female. Even if the attack didn't completely knock over the pair, it would halt the charging attack.

Like these women he was not a fool, he could feel their power in the force and knew they were not mere acolytes of the force. He could also sense they were not used to working together. Their bumbling around would soon be their end as the Exile simply fell back into the shadows and extinguished his blade once again.

Once more hidden by the force the exile would flank right of the pair. Before lashing out with the force again. Sending green and red fingers of lighting into the pair. As they were still close enough to the attack to arch from Eriana to her feeble friend Arianna.

 

[The Confessor]

This Sith was quick on his feet. He cleverly was able to pinpoint the exact place she had a grasp on his cloak and remove it with his blade. Eriana felt the fabric give and fall faster; she let go of it soon after and prepared herself for another attack. Before she could make the attack her partner was pushed back towards her. The blind Sith held her hand and used a mirroring concussive blast of her own to slow the girl so they would not collide, her back merely fell softly into the gloved hand of The Confessor. And then he attempted to make another escape into the dark. Coward!

With her partner in front of her, Eriana would whisper silently in her mind, "He's moving to our right. I'll block his attack, you go in to attack again."

Eriana pulled away from the Darth and pushed her back against her again like she'd done before. All the while training her senses to her left -now- so that she was ready for the usurper when he struck. She was fully prepared to block another wave of energy he would send. Only he didn't use energy. Instead, she used lightning. Not having time to grab her saber, she moved into the blast to protect her ally while trying to block with a Force shield. Most of the lightning he was able to conjure at just a split second will was able to bounce away but Eriana will still hit with a good shock causing her to fall to one knee. She kept her barrier up enough to block Arianna from harm, but she'd be stunned for a moment.

The pain was awful, and she felt her whole body clenching in agony. All of her muscles fighting her. She tried her best not to scream, but it didn't stop her from grunting and taking deep pained breathes.

 

[Darth Victress]

.

She had to admit that the ancient sith was clever, cutting off the clothing that Eriana used for the force pull; she did not expect the force blast to occur so soon and thus her charge was intercepted squarely in the chest by the telekinetic push and her form sent staggering back until a mirroring force by her ally prevented her further descent. Flickering her saber into a defensive position, she turned to the right when her comrade was able to locate his position. She would have been hit by the force lightning had it not been for the interruption that her ally provided, creating the force shield to block the blow but yet shards of electric current slid off and scraped against her armor.

With a snarl, she advanced forwards; as Eriana had taken the brunt of the damage, the Sith Lord took the mantle of aggression on her adversary as she closed the gap between the two. Arianna relied on her superior force reserves at this time, knowing full well that the ancient one had already used three force attacks and likely his concentration would be waning. The dark councilor on the other hand was fresh and fully prepared for battle; a burst of speed placed her into melee range as she made a singular and quick stabbing motion with her primary right handed saber. The force wrapped around defensively and was anticipating a clockwork of counters that her opponent could throw at her. A wicked smile grimaced on her face, as it seemed the fray had finally begun.

@Taz @EmilyHuene

 

[The Storyteller]

The exile did not expect such a selfless act from another survant of the darkside. One or another should of allowed the other to fall. Yet they were working as a team, rather effectively. That was troubling. There was no time to continue to dwell on such strange things however. With the one down, limited now not only by the act of a force barrier but also by his lighting bleeding through, there was the other to deal with.

The exile had also admittedly played out his hand. He now drew the force back to himself allowing his stamina to build once more. He shifted left as the other Sith charged forward. Bringing his blade alive once again, raising it to a defensive position before him.

 

[The Confessor]

As Eriana took a knee to gather her senses, Lady Victress shot forward to deal with their enemy. She couldn't tell where they were as her vision had gone horribly blurry. Her Force imbued sight was static-y and it made it hard to see where the two bodies were against all the lines of the walls, floors, and shards of ice. But for now, she didn't seem to be in any danger so she focused on clearing her mind and prayed that Arianna would keep her safe for the moment while she recovered.

 

[Darth Victress]

.

The Darth stabbed in a single, fluid motion only to have her blow blocked by her adversary's weapon. However, as her stabbing motion was forward, she had full use of her left hand and utilized it to release an agonizing cone of Force Lightning onto the Sith's vulnerable right torso. Simultaneously, she pressed a second button on her lightsaber hilt, activating the dual phase of the blade and allowing it to seamlessly extend into her opponent. If the Sith would be blocking with his defensive stance, the extended weapon would likely cut into a portion of his elbow or if unlucky, even his chest.

Her attacks were quick and almost immediate, force wrapped defensively as her attention was squarely focused on the task at hand. She would feel Eriana weakened temporarily, but the Sith Lord could hold her own easily in single combat until her ally would be healthy enough to rejoin the fray.

@Taz @EmilyHuene

 

[The Storyteller]

The exile had blocked the blade with ease, but had not accounted for the dual phase. The Sith ancestor might of tried to counter but was halted from doing so when the Sith Lord countered his defense with the force lightning attack. The lightning danced over the exile's body, causing his grip to weaken on his hilt. The extended blade then punctured his liver area.

There was no fight left in the exile. When the lightning attack stopped, he fell from the blade and crumbled to the ground. Dropping the saber hilt. Releaved of his burned the exile would suddenly start to fade away. Returning to the force.

@Faded Truth @EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

And then it was over. The Force had gifted them both with a victory today. Eriana felt with her vision the sensation of the usurper fading away leaving only her and Lady Victress behind. Visibly sighing, Eriana would bring her spare saber back to her waist so that the matching pair were together again. Then, exhausted and still slightly numb from the lightning, she would take this an excuse to relax a little. The blind Sith would relax her legs and sit back on her butt with her arms behind her for support. She leaned back some to let her long black hair fall away from her and let the cold wind of Ilum's caves cool her down.

"Well. Now I know I really don't like being electrocuted. Good thing, huh." Turning her attention then to Arianna, The Confessor would then ask, "So you got your saber. What are you going to do now...?"

If the redhead was going to fulfill her silent promise, she would share this victory with the blind Sith. A feat that Eriana would likely not be able to resist. Her mind wondered if Arianna had said previously would still hold true, the part she knew about at least. Was the Darth serious about taking her to Korriban? Or was that merely some side thought now forgotten since the prize was won?

 

[Darth Victress]

.

Victress snarled as the dual phase lightsaber stabbed into the liver of her opponent, finishing him quickly with a burst of force lightning to seal his demise. As the life form and his corrupted energy began to fade from existence, she could feel the tingling urge of victory. Her face was well covered but a wide cheeked smile was evident underneath as she put her weapon away and called forth the Fallen Blade into her grasp. "Behold...the ancient weapon of our Order!" She roared, igniting its crimson blade as it gleamed a brilliant bright through the darkened caverns. Its force energy was palpable and unique, its light brighter than any other bled kyber could replicate. The original weapon for the original Sith, and now it belonged to her. The notion would signify her ascension, solidifying her place among the Dark Council, feared and revered for her accomplishments.

She sighed and slowly extinguished her weapon, turning towards to face the Confessor. A single glove hand moved upwards to remove her duraplast helm, allowing red locks of hair fallen down the sides of her face as she walked closer to the Blind Sith. Tossing the helm to the ground, her hand reached forwards and took grasp of Eriana's chin, pulling the woman closer to her. "I suppose I must do well on my promises..." She said, a lustful smile gleaming with sin cast across her lips. She would tease the Confessor with her physical intimacy, fingertips playing gently into the underside of the cheek and beneath the edge of the earlobes. "Perhaps you need to release your hesitations...I sense considerable conflict within you.."

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

The woman would ignite the stolen saber that now belonged to her as a way of proving its worth and excellence to the Force itself. Eriana would ask her what she'd do next and the Darth would then set the blade side while also pulling away her helm. Long locks of red hair fell from the helmet and Eriana's advanced sense of smell picked up the shampoo she'd used last to shower with. Even in battle she still retained that sense of feminine beauty.

Arianna then moved over to the blind Sith and would crouch practically on top of her as Eriana was leaning back against her arms; her legs now under the Darth's and trapped between hers. Reaching out she gently lifted Eriana's chin to look in her direction for she had a habit of simply looking straight ahead due to her blindness. Eriana gasped, her heart pounding. Even with her hand covered by her glove she still felt so much more graceful and gentle and just so much more than anything Eriana was used to. How could she be so strong yet so serene?

Ariann's voice -no longer disoriented by the helmet- would whisper lustfully about a promise she was to keep. Eriana couldn't help but shiver. Lady Victress used her nails to run across Eriana's soft skin making her whimper as for some reason her entire body surrendered to this woman. She wanted this. She couldn't stop herself. She knew she was supposed to be taken by another but in this moment there was just her and this beautiful woman standing over her. It broke all of Eriana's defenses. She was a slave to this girl. And although she could not physically see her striking beauty, it translated over into the Force like the brightest flame Eriana had ever come into contact with.

Her voice then teased her further, making light of the fact Eriana needed to release herself and that there was much conflict within her. In a breathy tone Eriana tried to find her words, "I...I don't know what you're talking about." Her hands shook at her sides. It took everything in her not to reach up and just pull Arianna to her, ending this game once and for all. She was dying to feel her face, to know what the woman really looked like, so she could affirm the beauty and astonishing sight that she was.

 

[Darth Victress]

.

It was a well guarded secret, that the dark lord preferred the company of women. And thus, as Eriana chose to attempt a resistance against the teasing advances, Arianna pressed even further. She was a master of deceit, and this was no different than any other. They had both grown lustful in these caverns, surrounded by the temptation of dark sided energies and feeding off the corruption evident in the conduit beneath their feet. "Silence.." She commanded, her gentle tone adopting a more firm and aggressive demeanor as she shoved the Confessor backwards against the wall behind her. No where to go now, Arianna's free hand came up to grasp at Eriana's cheek as finally the Darth gave the blind Sith what she craved..her face. Lips connected with each other in a fiery explosion of lust and seduction, soaking the chamber with their exploits. It was a fitting end to what had been a tumultuous journey. With the corpse of the ancient Sith in witness, lights suddenly vanished through the cavern and plunged it into darkness.

There was no more movement save for the rapidly ascending interaction between two lovers; the only sounds that echoed through the hollow grounds were those of their union.

If Eriana had wandered from her desires, Arianna would ensure she was reborn on this day

//end thread