Open Under Crimson Skies

[Novaron Rah]

Theme
Death Enabled for all participants​

The war was escalating. Heroes on both sides of the conflict and countless dead. Still, the victory on Byblos had spurred the galaxy on and finally restored at least some degree of previously lost faith in the New Republic, the Jedi and the Sector Rangers. Perhaps they could come out on top yet. Despite these victories, there were lessons to be learned of their failures as well and the wound of Ajan Kloss was still very much an open one, susceptible to being torn wide again should the Sith ever discover the new locations of the Jedi sanctuaries dotted across the galaxy. The Jedi Padawan named Crix Aran had formed a plan to further defend the locations and upon hearing his concepts, Nova immediately offered his assistance and prepped to leave to Dathomir to scour the ancient tombs of the Zeffo for the memory cores of their droid guardians. But he would not be going alone.

Dathomir was always a dangerous place, twisted in darkness by the Night Sister clans that called it home. Even a fully trained Jedi Knight would be staring death in the face on the crimson world. Because of the threat and the wisdom to acknowledge this was a task well beyond him alone, Nova had contacted a fellow Knight to request his aide, Isen Ramm. During their first meeting on Yavin IV, both Jedi expressed interest in serving side by side and it seemed the day had finally come. Together, aboard Nova’s fighter, The Nightshade, they departed for the mysterious and dangerous planet.

The temple’s location was known to the Jedi Order but little else of what to expect. Dathomir was, after all, a world that very few Jedi had the courage to explore. Still, the pair of Knights had managed to remain undetected by the local clans thus far and found a landing zone a short distance away from the colossal structure, now standing in it’s shadow. Long ago, the stone crossway had been destroyed and was now replaced by a rickety bridge of wood and rope. Once across, only the Force knew what awaited them.

”At last, Isen, we serve along side as brothers,” Nova’s black lips cracked into a smirk as he overlooked the canyon, his arms crossed across his tunic as a near child-like sense of wonder was displayed in his eyes. Both sabers hung at his hips while his blaster remained slightly further down on his right thigh. Along with his binocs and comm, he had also opted to bring along two remote detonators and a med pack.

”Expect the unexpected, my young Padawan,”

The words of Master Donishiva rung in his memory. Words that had proven useless countless times in his time as a Jedi, though even during his time as a mercenary it was a mantra he lived by. Today was no different.

”Let us see what Dathomir has to offer us, my friend,” Nova finished before he started across the bridge, keeping his senses open and alert to any potential threats.

@Isen @Nefieslab​

 

[Isen Ramm]

Dathomir. The young Jedi Knight had never been on the planet proper, but he had been close. Master Max started the plan to get the Haven-Class medical space stations up and running. It certainly was a good faith effort to provide healthcare to many who would not have it. But it was also a clever way to get the Jedi some goodwill in various places around the galaxy. The "Haunted Station" had drifted eerily close to Dathomir, and Isen and the rest of the Jedi crew had to deal with it accordingly.

Few planets were so connected to the Dark Side of the Force to have never fallen completely under Sith control. Dathomir, so far as Isen knew, was one of the few planets to have that distinction. Even during the Imperial Era, all the Sith could maintain was a garrison. While that may put some people at ease, it did not give Isen any peace of mind. If the Nightsisters and their kind could hold off the Sith for thousands and thousands of years, that was telling in and of itself.

Needless to say, Isen was on guard. He came with both of his created lightsabers clipped in front of him for everyone to see. He also had both purified lightsabers from the Dark Side cultist warrior on Onderon tucked tightly inside his pants and tunic behind him. A hidden surprise if need be. He wore the more orthodox attire of the Jedi Sentinals of old- thin undertunic with a thicker, sleeveless tunic over the top. And over that, he wore a hooded robe. For now, the hood was down. The tall boots up to his knee allowed the pants to fluff out just below the leg joint.

”At last, Isen, we serve alongside as brothers,” Rah said to Isen.

Isen clapped the large Cathar on the shoulder, having to reach up to do so. "It's an honor, and all mine," Isen said back. It certainly was. He had great respect for Novaron Rah, one who had been in the battles, had lived through the uncertainty and dangers of battle. Isen was not the same Jedi he met back on Yavin before his Jedi trials. He had been knighted since and matured a lot since then. Izel Thral knew exactly what Isen needed, and his trials forced him to conquer those deficiencies. One of them was to be more open with those who are clearly friendly and to try to lose some of his introverted ways. He certainly had come a long way in that regard.

And when Rah told him this was a mission that could bolster the defenses of the Jedi temples and bases, Isen felt as if he had no choice but to answer the call. It was imperative that the Jedi do whatever they could so that another Ajan Kloss tragedy never took place. Isen was more than prepared to do his part. If temple or tomb raiding was necessary, then so be it.

”Let us see what Dathomir has to offer us, my friend,” Rah said as he started across the bridge.

Isen walked with him, side by side toward the temple entrance. "Somehow, I doubt it will be a warm welcome with hot tea and crumpets," Isen said in his typical deadpan manner.

@Tulos @Nefieslab

 

[Novaron Rah]

Crossing the bridge as it swayed from left to right under the weight of the two Jedi, Nova kept his attention glued on the temple ahead, being careful to not look down. The doors remained closed, meaning they would need to find a way to raise them to gain entry, but at least then they were already across the first obstacle.

”Judging by some of these exotic plants, I would be wary of any tea offered to us here, boy,” Nova replied, nearing the end of the bridge. His expertise was wildlife, not flora. Still, much of the plant life around him practically screamed ‘poisonous’ out to him.

Finally, his feet touched solid ground once again as the temple door towered over them both. Tarnished gold plating adorned much of it but at the very top, an empty slot that looked to hold some sort of an orb-like construct.

”I’ve heard many of these temples are essentially just large puzzles. If I was a gambling man, I would bet on that hollowed out section above is where we need to place the key. Question is… Where is it?” The Cathar looked around but the landing of rock before the temple entrance was small, and it was easy to tell that no such key existed here. Still, the edges of the old bridge that once existed to cross the chasm were there and gold gilding along the pillars of each side gave Nova an idea.

”When this temple was built, there was more to it than what we see here today,” He thought aloud as he walked closer to the edge of the landing. Looking down to the depths, the shadows enveloped much of what it had claimed thousands of years ago. Raising his left hand, Nova closed his eyes and called on the Force, collecting it’s energies into his open palm. Slowly, a ball of light began to glow and expand before finally, he opened his eyes and cast it downward. As it descended, much of the bottom of the canyon became revealed. Remnants of the bridge that once sat atop gorge came into view, scattered across the bottom. As well as a giant golden ball.

”Ah, there it is,”

@Isen​

 

[Isen Ramm]

Isen had no qualms looking over the side of the bridge as they walked past. He and his master had spent time in the canopy of Ajan Kloss learning how to trust the Force from one branch to the next without looking with physical eyes. The Force had eyes that made the two orbs in his head pale in comparison. He listened to Rah try to work this thing through. He listened patiently and carefully.

Puzzles. Isen wasn't much for games, but he was logical enough. The Cathar seemed to put two and two together much more quickly realizing that much of the ruins may well be in the canyon below them. As they looked down, they spotted a huge golden ball.

”Ah, there it is,” Rah said.

Isen looked over the cliff. It was a long way down. So far down the ball of light illuminated a large area, but could not light up the entirety of the wall....far from it actually. Isen figured it was a good 100 meters down, and with an item that large, he wasn't sure about the logistics of using the Force to pull it up from that deep in the chasm. And if it had been down there for some time, well that would create other problems. Isen walked back out on the bridge and looked down to get a view from another angle. "Ah, forget it," Isen said and aimed his grappling spike launcher from his Jedi utility belt into the side of the cliff. He gave it a good tug to make sure it was secure and hoped over the bridge railing and swung over to the side of the chasm. He looked up at Rah and shrugged as he hung on the side of the cliff. "I can get it halfway up if you can get it the rest of the way."

With that, he started sliding down the cliff wall using the grappler to make his way to the bottom. There was a large section in the middle of his descent where it was nearly completely black all around him. He could see the illuminated ball created by Rah below him, and he could see the eerie, natural light of the planet's atmosphere above him. He finally got to the bottom and took several deep breaths. He cupped his hands and reached out with the Force. The ball was embedded into the ground. It had been there for quite some time. Mud and dirt dried and built up around it. It quaked it first, like it was having to be jarred from the very ground that didn't want to let it go. Finally, Isen shook it loose as mud and dirt and plant growth began to fall away from it as the giant golden orb began to float upwards. Up and up and up....It was no easy task. Isen began to shake as he kept lifting the ball higher. The ball itself would start to shake a bit, evidence that Isen couldn't hold it much longer. He certainly hoped that he could get it far enough for Rah to finish the job. For if he couldn't, that beautiful golden sphere could fall back down on Isen.

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

Nova pondered quietly as to how they could bring the orb up to the landing and make use of it, but Isen moved first. As the Kiffar launched the grappling hook, the elder Jedi pulled his hand from his chin and smirked. He was glad to have brought the young Jedi along, no doubt.

"I can get it halfway up if you can get it the rest of the way." Isen stated before rappelling down the side of the cliff face.

”Be careful, boy! I can carry you or the key, not both!” the Cathar yelled after him. It didn’t take long before Isen’s long strides of descent took him out of view. The darkness of the canyon enveloped him completely but as Nova reached out, he could see him through the Force with ease. With nothing to do but wait, he watched carefully until finally his partner could be seen at the bottom of the trench.

Then the ball began to rise. Slowly but surely, the sphere’s ascent was clear so the Knight began to prepare for the hand off. Nova began pooling the energies of the Force around him, basking in it’s empowerment as he waited. Foot by foot, the golden sphere was nearing the half way mark when it began to shake. Evidently, it was reaching a point where Isen was struggling to maintain his control though Nova was still pleased with the progress he had made. Standing at the edge of the cliff, the Cathar held both hands out ahead of him and propelling the collected energy to grasp the key but it was still a good distance away.

”Just… Just a little bit further, boy!” Nova called out. The key was so close… So nearly within reach. Then, just as it seemed the sphere would drop and return to the dark depths of the canyon, the Cathar felt it within his grip. ”I’ve got it! Now get back up here!” he barked as he closed his eyes, envisioning the golden sphere in his hands. Lifting it took more strength than he had anticipated, likely due to the sway of the dark side that infected the world, but he was slowly succeeding in bringing it back to the surface.

It couldn’t stop there, unfortunately. Once the key had broken the plain of the canyon, he continued to lift it upward. Guiding it away from the gorge and back towards the door, the sphere continued to climb until it was about twenty feet over his head. It was beginning to grow heavy, weighing the Cathar down and wearing out the strength in his arms but finally…

*clunk*​

Nova opened his eyes in time to watch the doors begin to swing inwards to reveal the temple’s main chamber. Much like the canyon that they had just retrieved the key from, the interior was dark as night and shielded anything that awaited for them within but it was clear by the amount of dust on the floors that nothing had disturbed this entrance in many years. Unclipping his saber from his belt, the Cathar ignited the blade and held it over his head as he awaited his companion.

”Well done, my friend. Well done, indeed. Now, shall we?” With his left hand, he motioned for Isen to proceed and began to walk into the temple himself.

@Isen​

 

[Isen Ramm]

It was as if a literal weight was lifted from Isen's shoulders as Rah took control of the giant orb. Isen took a moment just to watch so that he could rest. He had exerted a lot of energy using the Force to lift that heavy sphere to Rah, and he still had a long climb up. Feeling he had gotten a second wind, Isen began the long trek back up the cable. A good athlete, naturally strong, and even more so after his working in the mines of Mon Gazza, Isen was able to make relatively quick time back to the top. He gathered his grappler, put it back in his belt, and nodded to Rah.

The Cathar motioned for Isen to go in first, so Isen would lead the way. The temple was dark and dusty. Likewise, Isen ignited a lightsaber and held it in his right hand in front of him, it's cyan blade providing some light in the darkness. "The Zeffo..." Isen said absentmindedly as he struggled to see in the grand entrance. "Interesting history. They were peaceful enough. At first, anyway." Isen continued walking forward slowly. He loved history and culture, and the Zeffo was an interesting case study. "And slowly, the Dark Side corrupted almost the entire species and nearly killed them all off."

No doubt there would be a ton of interesting history here, relics and artifacts of an interesting species that may or may not be extinct. But, they were looking for droids. More specifically, memory cores from droids. As Isen scoured the room slowly, using his lightsaber as a light source, he passed a bronze statue. He gave it no mind and continued to walk past it. Isen, however, heard a click right next to him. He turned his head as the statue was turning his head toward Isen. The statue's eyes were glowing red. Isen and Rah would hear click-click-click-click-click-click-click and seven more sets of red eyes were glowing in the darkness.

Isen backed away, but all eight of the guardian droids, the droids created to protect the main entry, started walking menacingly toward the pair of Jedi. The Kiffar Jedi looked over his shoulder at Rah. "I guess they can all be scrap metal as long as we save one memory from these guys, right?"

@Tulos

 

[Renfry]

Renfry wasn't happy. All the defenses she had installed on Dathomir, and evidently they had not responded quickly enough to intercept the ship that had set down on world. She supposed that was the nature of small ships landing. What they had done, however, was alert her to the presence of the enemy.

Taking along two Nightsisters to pilot and guard her own ship and another half dozen of her personal guard, she had set out immediately for the position relayed by the gun battery scanners.

Dathomir was a unique world, and despite being a "Sith" world, the Sith were not allowed free rein of it. In fact, Renfry barely even saw herself as a Sith and in part because of that there was incredibly limited air traffic in and out, which was what allowed her to so easily detect trespassers... again. The last Sector Ranger to come here had left, so perhaps whoever this was would as well?

Her ship landed close to the intruders and two of the Nightsisters departed to inspect it, ensuring no one else emerged from it as a threat and attaching a few surprises should this devolve. They vanished back into the woods to conceal themselves and watch the landing site only a few moments later. For her own part, the Queen took the remaining four - two armed with energy bows and short swords and two armed with pike-like weapons and double swords - toward the temple.

With the intruders already inside, it didn't take long for them to cross the bridge to the temple entrance. The temple entrance that hadn't been opened in generations. That these trespassers had just violated. To say that she was angry was an understatement. You didn't come here to kill them, she reminded herself, though that was beginning to feel like a questionable idea. These outsiders had no respect for anything that was sacred. Tomb raiders and thieves. Each word that ran through her mind only made her angrier.

From just inside the entrance and not all that far away from the intruders, she and her guards paused. Lightsabers. She wasn't sure if the revelation that these were Jedi made the intrusion better or worse, but it certainly made it a greater threat.

But she didn't begin to attack, nor did she hide herself. She simply stood there, arms crossed, in front of the entrance to the temple. The light behind her would sting their eyes as they were adjusting to the dark, but that was the least of their worries. The pair of Jedi already had eight guardian droids to contend with, and Renfry had no intention of helping them. Perhaps they'd simply be killed by the droids and that would be that.

They don't like trespassers either, she called out to the two Jedi, voice laced with the anger she felt at hearing things like "they can all be scrap metal." They weren't helping their case for her not killing them. She didn't realize that Isen had been one of those at Byblos. With both combatants in flight suits and only approximately five seconds worth of time in the same room, it was nigh impossible for either to identify the other, but had she done so, talking likely would have simply flown off the table altogether.

@Isen @Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

More often than not, history would prove to be a valuable teacher to any who would listen. Isen, it seemed, was more than thrilled to lend an ear when those lessons were being taught. Nova couldn’t help but chuckle as the Kiffar began to vaguely describe the history of the Zeffo Sages. His own Master was a history buff of magnificent accord and while he did not share these views, old Donishiva had taught him much.

"And slowly, the Dark Side corrupted almost the entire species and nearly killed them all off."

”As the dark side tends to do. If I’m remembering correctly, this must be the tomb of the Zeffo Sage Kujet. Of the three sages of their Order, Kujet was the last to reign over his people and his dictator tendencies marked the decline of them all. Unfortunate. The Zeffo deserved a better fate,”

The temple was silent, save for the voices of the Jedi and the hum of their weapons, so when the clicking began it was hard to ignore. It started from one specific area at first, then another. Then another. Finally, it felt as though the clicking was coming from all around them.

”Well this didn’t take long, did it?” Nova growled as he brought his lightsaber ahead of him. Eight sets of glowing red eyes focused on both the Jedi as the seemingly bronze statues came to life, stepping down from their pedestals. In the center of their chests, a spinning blue orb could be seen. Their power source, Nova deducted. ”Force be with us, boy,” the Cathar growled as one of the Temple Guards leaned in for it’s attack.

The heavy right arm of one guard came in a downward arc as it closed in on Nova whilst they stood facing one another. Turning his body to the left to avoid the Guardian’s swing, the Cathar loosened his grip on the hilt in his right hand and called it across his body to his left hand before swiping upwards. Blade met steel and severed the arm at what would have been the machine’s elbow, sending it to the floor of the temple with a metallic clang. This did not slow the Guardian, however. Instead, it now drew back it’s left hand and delivered a punch across it’s own torso but with his own right hand now free, Nova was able to catch the attack through the Force and pushed the fist down into the ground before spinning the blade in his left hand and sinking it into the back of the Guardian’s neck.

"They don't like trespassers either,"

As he stood from the rubble of the now destroyed Guardian, the silhouette of what seemed to be a woman stood in the entrance way of the Temple. The light filtering in from behind her masked her appearance, but not the evident anger in her voice. They were meant to arrive here undetected. They had failed. And this woman was furious of their intrusion.

"Night Sister?" Nova called out to the newcomer whilst watching for any approaching Guardians at his back.

@Isen @Phoenix

 

[Isen Ramm]

"They don't like trespassers either," the voice came from behind him at the entrance. Now that was unexpected.

Isen backed further away to triangulate his view between the guardian automatons and the Nightsisters at the entrance. After he had taken several steps back, he noticed that the droids offensive posture changed and they created a more defensive "V" formation with one wing of the V one droid shorter since Rah had destroyed it. Their eyes still glowed red, but they stood more at attention in a guarding formation. Isen took a few steps forward and the droids immediately began their offensive posture, moving toward the Jedi. Isen backed away, and once more the droids reverted to their "V" formation protecting the center of the grand entrance.

"Interesting," Isen said absently. He looked at Rah and then at the strangers who apparently were none too pleased to see two Jedi in the temple. "They protect a threshold. Interesting programming." He looked back at Rah. "Smart, really." It was smart. The guardians of these grounds couldn't be drawn out while another group snuck in behind.

Isen turned his attention to the Nightsisters. There was an apparent leader of the group, so he addressed her. He didn't know the Nightsisters had so much respect for the tombs of the Zeffo. But the Zeffo were believed to be extinct or very near, so who really knew? "We aren't here to desecrate a temple or steal ancient, sacred artifacts. We're not tomb raiders. The Jedi revere their temples and tombs deeply. We know that we are not alone in that regard, and we want to respect that." He looked at the destroyed droid and then back to the leader of the Nightsisters. "We're actually here to research the droids. That's it. The Tomb Guardians are legendary. It's lost history and technology that needs to be preserved." All that was true, but nobody needed to know that the Jedi were looking to use the information to bolster their defenses around their bases and temples.

The Kiffar looked at Rah, wondering if he was about to overstep with the upcoming offer, but if they got into a fight here, the odds of completing their mission just slimmed down to almost nil. "What if you joined us...to see to it that we don't disturb the grounds and respect the sacredness of the tomb? Will you allow us to do this research under your eyes, your supervision?"

Isen wasn't at all convinced that asking nicely would work, but being polite and respectful was always worth a shot. More flies with honey than vinegar and all that. And besides, they were the trespassers here. Isen looked at Rah to see if he was willing to add a sales pitch for the idea or if he was ready to scrap it and fight.

@Tulos @Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

How perceptive, she replied to the first Jedi to speak to her. Considering the only people supposed to be on this world were Nightsisters, he had indeed guessed she was a Nightsister.

However, what the next one said nearly made her jaw drop, and the spike of anger within her would be unmissable in the Force.

You have the audacity to invade my world, violate a temple that hasn't been opened in generations, declare your intent to scrap and steal whatever you find, and then ask me if I'll help you in robbing my people and my world?! she practically spat the words. In that light, it certainly didn't look very good, especially since nothing she had said was actually false.

She let the statement linger for a moment, letting them really ponder what they had done and how it not only appeared, but actually was.

My counter-offer is that you leave this place and never come back or I swear by Dathomir's crimson sky, you will never leave this place, she said. As if to emphasize the point, the archers at the far end of the formation aimed their bows and pulled the strings though neither fired.

Her own hands were in claws at her sides, ready for them to fight, though not one of the Nightsisters attacked. The last Force-users she had found leeching one of her temples had been killed and his body blood-eagled outside the temple he had taken over. They were fortunate they had not pushed further inside or she likely would have jumped straight to attacking.

I suggest you take my offer, she said, her voice now like ice as everything froze. The odds were not in the Jedi's favor, but if they wanted a fight, she'd happily give it to them.

@Isen @Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

As Isen approached, searching for some common ground between themselves and the Night Sister before them, he reached out and felt the presence of the additional witches she had brought along. Five hostiles on one side, seven on the other. If it wasn’t for the fact that their lives were in peril, the Cathar would have almost found the situation humorous, walking so blatantly into such a situation.

“-omb Guardians are legendary. It's lost history and technology that needs to be preserved," Nova hid his amusement as best he could, not wanting to provoke the Dathomiran woman any further.

”I’m afraid that ship’s left the starport already, boy,” Nova whispered to the Kiffar as he looked over the droid remains at his feet. He wasn’t wrong in his claim but from the point of view of the woman blocking their escape? They were already knee deep in shit. And finally, the ultimatum. He couldn’t blame her, of course, but he wasn’t turning around already.

”If I may?” the Cathar asked as he retracted the blade of his saber and slowly bending down to set the hilt on the ground before standing straight with his hands in the air. ”All we require are the memory cores of these droids. I understand that this world, everything the sun touches here, belongs to your people. We were wrong to simply come here without first seeking your permission, I see that now,” Nova’s eyes darted from the woman at the forefront to the four others behind her, watching each one carefully in anticipation of them making a move. It was clear that they would not, unless ordered.

He could sense her overwhelming anger at their presence. He knew negotiation was unlikely to be successful. But he had to at least try.

”Items of such worth can not be bought with currency or sweet words. Nor can we expect you to simply let us walk away with them. Not if they mean as much to you as you’ve so obviously made clear. Actions speak louder than words, however, and if we were willing to… make a trade? You let us leave with both the cores and our lives and we will be in your debt. Any time, any where. You call, I arrive. Can we strike a bargain?” The likelihood of a Night Sister clan accepting the aide of a Jedi was slim. Nova wasn’t convinced this would work, preparing to retrieve his weapon should she try to claim it for herself and order an attack but he would not strike first.

@Phoenix @Isen​

 

[Isen Ramm]

Interesting how the Nightsister characterized this situation. Invade? Two Jedi invading an entire planet, one as wrought with tough people as Dathomir? Seemed far-fetched. Violate? Mmmm...maybe their presence alone would be a violation, though there was nothing sacred about the droid memory centers they were interested in. Declare? He was asking a question when he brought up scrap metal. There was no declaration there. Isen was curious to know just why this place was so important to the Nightsisters. The leader seemed to covet this tomb of a Zeffo like it was one of their own.

Consequently, the one in charge apparently wouldn't have it from Isen, and this was Rah's mission anyway. It appeared he was going to give negotiations another go.

The Cathar could trust the Nightsisters however much he wanted. Isen wouldn't put his lightsaber on the ground. He would meet the action halfway by retracting the blade and clipping it back on his belt and standing tall in a non-aggressive, but alert posture. What Rah was offering was...dangerous. Any time? Anywhere? If she accepted this offer, what if the Nightsisters called to collect and asked the Jedi to destroy a village that needed to be made an example of? What if she asked them to deliver some hidden, Dark Side artifact that would endanger the lives of thousands...or even millions?

The young Jedi wondered if the stakes were too high on their side. He half-hoped she wouldn't take the deal. Isen had no desire to be indebted to the Nightsisters of Dathomir. But, Rah was the lead here, and he would ultimately back his play whatever it was. Isen's comments seemed to make things worse, so he decided to not say anything this time around. He simply turned his eyes over to the leader of this group to see what her response was to the counteroffer to the counteroffer.

@Tulos @Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

The thing about ultimatums was that they didn't have counter offers. Renfry's eyes were no less murderous now than they had been moments ago, though it was impossible to see in the current lighting.

Aratha, she said to her guards in their native tongue. A sheen of green snapped over the lightsaber placed on the ground as a small, simple barrier came into being. Renfry didn't try to steal it, simply keep the Jedi from it. And it was relatively easy to do with the element of surprise. If his hand hit the sheen it would simply be stopped and if he tried to pull the saber through, it would bounce off the practical wall that was there, remaining within the small dome.

The Nightsisters moved with the speed and skill of a lifetime of being apex predators on a world where everything was dangerous. Not only that, but since taking these particular women on as guards, Renfry had trained them extensively in how to combat Sith. The world of the Sith was cutthroat, and skills to kill a Sith translated well into skills to kill a Jedi.

At the periphery of the formation, the two archers - Sheehan and Taureen - each moved to flank further out on their respective sides. And both unleashed their already-drawn shots. They were smart enough to target the man without a weapon first as deflecting or blocking the bolts of energy would be significantly more difficult for him. In a classic crossfire, addressing both shots coming from greater than a ninety degree angle would be difficult. Sheehan's shot was aimed at the cat-man's (@Tulos) right side and Taureen's shot at his left side making dodging to either side almost a guarantee that one of the shots would strike him squarely in the heart and jumping backwards let him jump right into the waiting arms of angry, killer robots.

Meanwhile the two pike wielding women - Iliacus and Carnitine - moved in straight. The power of the Shadow flowed through their weapons as they each thrust at the non-cat man (@Isen). Iliacus thrust high at his throat and Carnitine went low at his belly just above the belt. Neither woman was in any danger of being struck by the energy arrows as those traveled much more quickly than the Nightsisters and would have already struck home by the time they crossed the firing path. In the event that something unexpected happened, however, they were no fools.

 

[Novaron Rah]

The woman chose battle. It was inevitable, of course. As she spoke out a single word, one of which Nova found himself unable to comprehend, a green smoke like barrier formed around the saber he had placed on the ground. While the Cathar wasn’t familiar with the magic of the Night Sister clans, he knew well enough that the weapon would need to remain there. Even if he had wanted to retrieve it, the guards armed with energy bows had made reaching for his weapon to be a far more dire mistake than simply messing with an unknown magic.

Still, he wasn’t unarmed. Calling the shoto saber clipped to his belt to his left hand and igniting the blade, Nova simultaneously stepped forward with his left leg, turning his torso to face Sheehan and bringing the blade of his weapon upwards to meet with the energy arrow she had fired in hopes of returning it to it’s sender with just as much speed and velocity that she had dispatched it. However, as Tavreen was in closer proximity to the Cathar when she had fired her shot, Nova wasn’t entirely able to avoid the arrow she had fired. While turning his body had taken him out of a lethal positioning, the purple bolt of energy still skimmed across the back of his right bicep and had left a smoking wound about a quarter of an inch deep and across the entire mass of his arm.

Growling as he turned his head to glare at the Night Sister that had harmed him, the Cathar grabbed the remains of the destroyed droid at his feet through the Force and whipped the metallic remains towards her as hard as he could possibly manage. He had no doubts that these women would be skilled warriors, more than a match for two Jedi, but he was not about to run.

@Isen @Phoenix​

 

[Isen Ramm]

When the green sheen of magic covered Rah's lightsaber, all pretense of a peaceful outcome or the option of leaving was gone. Isen didn't hesitate. Immediately both lightsaber hilts went to his palms and ignited cyan blades. Truth be told, Isen was satisfied with this result. Not because he wanted to fight necessarily, but even death may be better than giving Nightsisters a blank check for your services at any time and in any place. "So be it," Isen said, readying himself for a fight.

Taking a survey of what was happening, it became apparent that the archers were aiming for Rah which left the two Nightsisters with pikes embued with the Force through their Shadow magic to attack Isen. They were coordinated, coming at him side by side both thrusting simultaneously at the Kiffar Jedi. Seeing that he would have to defend both pikes as they approached, Isen deftly spun the lightsaber in his right hand into a reverse grip with the blade blazing under his fist.

Iliacus was the Nightsister on the right as Isen was looking at them, and she tried to pierce through Isen's throat with her pike as Carnitine, the Nightsister to the left as Isen looked at them, tried to gut him with a thrust in the belly. Isen stayed mostly square to them but stepped just outside the left shoulder of Iliacus to create some distance from Carnitine. His left hand turned over in a "thumbs down" position so that the blade was facing the ground. He reached across his body slightly and moved the blade in his left hand right to left, parrying the pike intended for his belly and directing it to the left of Isen's body. Meanwhile, the right hand with the reverse grip would punch just above the pike so that the Cyan blade intercepted the pike intended for the throat and pushing it to the left as well.

In typical Djem So fashion, Isen would immediately counterattack after his his parrying defense. To do so, Isen would pivot on his right foot, opening away from the Nightsisters. The right hand which had intercepted the pike that went high would quickly drive the cyan blade toward the Nightsister intending to impale Iliacus through the chest. The lightsaber in his left hand would release the first pike due to the distance and guard high to protect against a retaliatory swipe from Iliacus.

It would be very difficult for Carnitine to provide any sort of immediate help or attack as Iliacus would now be between her and Isen. Iliacus would likewise find it difficult to counter due to the nature of the pike as a weapon and Isen closing the distance and getting to the Nightsister's side.

@Tulos @Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Sheehan was forced to leap to the side and back toward where the group had begun as the cat-man (@Tulos) sent her shot back toward her. As for Taureen, the droid parts were a bit trickier. She had found first blood, but the cat-man had retaliated. She cast up her hands, catching the pieces in the air in front of her, now surrounded by a green sheen of magick. The impact still forced her feet back along the ground, skidding over the temple floor. While it didn't seriously wound her, it did buy the cat-man freedom from further attack from Taureen for the moment.

It didn't, however, prevent him from another attack from Sheehan. She sent another bolt through the air at the cat-man's chest, wary should he try the same trick again. Her positioning also ensured that she would not hit any of her compatriots with her shot as well.

Meanwhile, Renfry continued her assault on the man's saber. The barrier "condensed" around the saber hilt, altering the energy from barrier to grip as her hand clenched. She would snap the grip of the saber in two. For a Sith Lord capable of bringing down walls or ships, it was relatively simple to do if unopposed.

Meanwhile, Isen's (@Isen) deflects against the jabs were successful, but that was about where the success would end. In order to use Iliacus as a central point around which to play ring-around-the-rosie with Carnitine, it required Iliacus to be at the center of the proverbial circle. The problem was that she was nowhere near that point. The advantage that a staff weapon offered was additional reach. At just over six feet in length, the pikes the two women used ensured that they were still well outside easy reach of their opponent or any position that would place them within a single step of him. In other words, a single step toward Iliacus's left side would still leave him nearly four feet in front of her rather than right at her side.

It also assumed the women would simply stand still for his counter-attack, a grave error in any fight. Iliacus stepped back as he stepped forward, keeping her reach as an advantage in the fight and further exacerbating how exposed he was. Meanwhile, Carnitine stepped forward and pivoted to continue facing him, keeping her distance from Isen the same as it had been to start.

So, as Isen pivoted on his right foot to thrust at Iliacus, he would immediately run into two problems. The first was that she didn't do anything to stop his thrust. Not only was his saber already far outside the reach of the Nightsister, but the use of a reverse grip cost him nearly an extra foot of reach. He thrust and found nothing but air.

The second was that the pike had plenty of reach. Iliacus thrust again at his right side, which as he'd already asserted would be deflected away by his left saber. The problem was that Carnitine now had a completely clear shot and thrust accordingly. Her spear would almost certainly find purchase directly through his heart as he was completely open and exposed in a wide pivot. One of his blades was tied up in a missing thrust toward Iliacus's chest, and the other would be busy defending himself from a stab in the right kidney, which left very little focus to be spent on Carnitine and even fewer limbs to be expended in the defense.

 

[Isen Ramm]

Isen had to admit, he was a bit surprised that the Nightsisters were trained to thrust their attack while they were stepping away. To that end, it was a surprise to find so much distance between him and his target. And, he was now in a somewhat precarious predicament if he were to be honest. When Iliacus stepped back, she was more or less behind him, more at his 4:30 really. Meanwhile, Carnitine had turned to more or less face him head on.

That said, while the pike had the very clear advantage of reach, the lightsabers had the very clear advantage of speed. After a thrust, the pike must then be pulled back before it can thrust again. Lightsabers can instantly track from one attack point to the next without the need for "loading up." The lightsaber Isen attempted to backhand into Iliacus's chest had no problem whatsoever hammerfisting downward with the reverse grip hooking the Nightsister's attempt at his right kidney and driving the spear into a path behind his back.

Meanwhile, the lefthand saber rose to this position for just this purpose. He anticipated it might be Iliacus that would be striking high, but it was in position nonetheless to protect against Carintine's attack. Once more, Isen turned his hand over in a "thumbs down" fashion so that the blade was angled toward the floor. He would catch Carnitine's attack chest high and push it to his left. He would now have both pikes in contact with his lightsabers, and both lightsabers inside of the pikes.

If they were closer together, he would have lept forward and swiped at both of them, but Iliacus's position made that impossible. So, he suddenly switched his offensive target to Carnitine as she was in front and in view. Isen would lunge forward with wicked speed at Carnitine using the Force to hasten his arrival. Isen would be thoughtful and mindful to keep his cyan blade on Iliacus's spear until he passed the tip of it moving away from her. As for the left lightsaber, once Isen's body was past the pointy end of Carintine's pike, the thumbsdown grip would flick to a "thumbs up" position, circling from right to left and continuing that trajectory with a slight slashing motion to his left aimed at Carnitine's neck. The saber hilt in his right hand, once the blade cleared from Iliacus's spear, would spin in the Kiffar's hand to a normal grip. It one solid and smooth motion, it would slash from right to left aimed just above the hip.

Regardless of how the attack went, he would push off his left foot, spinning back into the direction of his attackers to create some distance between them while keeping the two Nightsisters in his view, both sabers in front and at the ready.


@Tulos @Phoenix

 

[Novaron Rah]

Nova watched as Taureen halted the incoming assault of droid wreckage, a green glow appearing that matched the same mysterious energy that held his saber in place. He wasn’t convinced that the scrap parts weren’t going to be a threat but as Sheehan returned fire with her energy bow, he was forced to turn his attention back towards the Night Sister and their Queen. Another arrow closed in while Nova’s right arm was still stretched across his torso following his throw of the wreckage. Unable to bring his shoto around to meet the arrow in time, the Cathar had no choice but to dodge. Leaning his right shoulder ahead to bring his torso down and out of the line of fire, he would shift his weight to allow him to pivot on the ball of his left foot, his right leg extended to maintain balance, to complete a 270 degree turn and bringing him to face the pair at the doorway.

It was clear that Andruil’s focus was on the weapon she had sealed away as she reached out through her magic to compress and destroy the hilt. The longer Nova remained a distance away from the Night Sisters, the more time it gave Sheehan and Taureen to keep their barrage of arrows alive and giving her to opportunity she needed to obliterate his weapon. He needed to find a way to not only break Andruil’s concentration but also bring an end, if only temporary, to her archer’s assault.

Taureen, still with her vision obscured by the floating droid wreckage, had been focused on keeping the droid carcass from crushing her and had not yet moved her focus back to the battle. Still low to the ground, Nova reached out with his right hand and hoped to grab Taureen through the Force. Capitalizing on her being distracted the Cathar would then sweep his hand back to the right, hoping to throw the Night Sister towards both Andruil and Sheehan as well as the wreckage she had halted, though he was unsure if their magics would prevent him from doing the latter.

@Phoenix @Isen​

 

[Renfry]

Snap.

Renfry had spent her time doing nothing but exerting herself to break the saber. The energy was sapped up by the crystal and stored. The thing was that lightsabers that were torn in half by extreme exertion in the Force - not cut with a saber or crushed by a quick blast, mind you, but torn asunder - exploded. The energy she had been pouring into the weapon erupted outward without warning and in the blink of an eye.

The cat-man (@Tulos) had originally set the saber down in front of him and then stepped forward before moving into a crouch directly over the hilt. For this reason, when it detonated the effect was devastating. In order to avoid being blown up, he would have had to evade or stop the attack before the saber snapped, and now it was simply too late for that. The detonation would take his legs off if not his entire lower body and potentially even kill him outright as if crouching atop a detonating grenade.

As for his attack against Taureen, by the time he had completed his dodge and pivot, the Nightsister had already dropped the droid parts to the ground and had plenty of time to address the grip he was trying to gain on both her and the wreckage. As with before, his attempt - though it would be cut short by the explosion - would prevent Taureen from launching any more arrows.

Instead, she cast her hands up once again in defense. The Force's energy fluctuated all around she and the rubble, making an attempt to get a good grip that could be used to hurl human and machine around impossible.

Sheehan, meanwhile, moved closer to the side of her Queen.

As for Isen's (@Isen) battle against Iliacus and Carnitine, it shouldn't have been possible for him to make two different saber motions with the same blade at the same time, but perhaps it was simply Jedi speed that allowed the illusion of both actions happening at once.

He leapt forward at Carnitine who wasn't expecting such a rapid transition. She backed up, but her foot caught on the ground. A single moment's stagger or imperfection could cost everything in a fight. The Jedi's blades plunged through neck and hip as Carnitine tried to bring her spear back in line in time. And like that, the life drained from the Nightsister, a woman only hoping to protect her home.

The reality of the death struck both Renfry and Iliacus. Pure, unadulterated rage flowed through them both. Iliacus was in a position to capitalize though. Isen had moved away from her, but she had followed close on his heels, once more not remaining still.

With his sabers still in the body of the dying Nightsister, Iliacus thrust her spear. A saber may have the advantage of speed, but it was truly impossible to reposition a saber behind you when it was still in the process of killing another person in front of you. And these attacks didn't wait. It didn't wait for him to spring off and reposition, it would strike home while he was too tied up to defend. Such was the disadvantage of a two against one.

 

[Isen Ramm]

Isen took no joy as he watched the Nightsister's life force drain from her body, nearly instantaneous as Isen's attacks were more slashes than pierces. The flick from left to right at the neck of the Nightsister would almost completely remove the head from the neck and the blade would come out clean. The righthanded blade that dug into the hip wouldn't be quite as clean due to the nature of cutting through the middle of a body.

But, Isen knew there was a Nightsister behind him, and he could not sit and mourn the death of this Nightsisters or give any contemplation to it. The numbers still favored the Nightsisters, and Rah was having significant issues of his own as well and was short his primary weapon. Isen thought that perhaps the best way to negate the numbers advantage would be to create chaos. Isen knew blocking an attack directly from behind in this state would be...less than optimal, so he immediately bounded to his left over the threshold of guarding for the droids in order to avoid that attack from behind. There would be no counterattack, and even if he had planned one, it would do him no good. The crystal in Rah's lightsaber exploded and the backblast of rushing wind threw Isen even deeper into the room.

Isen rolled several times over and got to a kneeling position well inside the room. The clicking of the droids sounded one by one, and they turned their attention to Isen. For his part, he had to scan his surroundings. Droids, Nightsisters, and the condition of Rah.

@Tulos @Phoenix