Valleys and Shadows; Light Within the Void

[Asinine Soup]

The arid hum of the turbolift shaft echoes through and through, assortments of bangs and pings adding life to the otherwise desolate ship; with a flicker of robing, Ashanna pulls herself up to the final ledge that allowed her back to be placed against the entrance to the captain's quarters. Curo hums, sending his vocals resonating about the turbolift tunnel, and as it seemed he had an idea, she squints and waits.
These doors were relatively thin, so cutting through them with ease would leave Curo stepping in with his crimson blade flourishing; Ashanna steps in shortly there after, staying behind him with her own lightsaber failing to ignite. As the small security detail lift their weapons to fire, Curo's plain flourish of the lightsaber turns into something of a dance, for deflecting blaster bolts was an act of precision, speed, and anticipation - scarlet hyphens of energy bolt back toward the few up ahead, one even striking the rayshield at what would have been a death blow to he who sat behind it sending ripples of energy radiating outward.

It would be noted that Ashanna allowed Curo to be her respite and protection as she, herself, simply utilized the Force to send those shooting at them barreling into the walls at Mach speeds; they crash with an oof two by two, clattering to the ground to their leader's dismay. It was a moment later that a simple grin crosses the confirmed Chiss' visage; in tandem to his change of demeanor, Ashanna winces and cries aloud, dropping to her knee in very evident pain as she clutches her torso.
"Ah...seems the toxin is settling just fine," he coos from behind his shield. A cold sweat breaks from the Ysanna's brow as she squints, peering up before revealing - with a weak voice - "...my eyesight is rapidly failing, Curo."
"See, that's the first sign that you're going to die, my dear, followed by paralysis of limbs...then the restriction of your heart and lungs. Unless, of course, you counteract the toxin with..."

He reaches into his cloak past what was clearly two parts of Curo's lightsaber and casually places a tube-injector - writing signifying it was a counter-toxin of some kind - upon the arm of the throne-esque chair he sat upon and rolled it upon the cylindrical bottom it adorned. The antidote was clear, so it seemed, and as Ashanna grunts again trying to clear her vision, she peers up again with a furrowed brow. Did he not realize how easy it would be to get him to Force the antidote over?
She reaches out her hand to attempt to influence his mind to bend to her whim, though finds pain being the quickest answer in return. She groans and falls to her other knee, forehead nearly striking the ground as she cries aloud.

"Did I forget to mention it targets your...midichlorians?" His crimson eyes direct to Curo as his grin remains pasted upon his sweat-stained face. "Now...I suppose this is the part where...we get ta' goin' over terms, hnn? At least before this cultivated disease spreads through your pretty little partner's entire body?" He chuckles and the belligerent laughter fills the room, sending echoes bouncing about the walls. He presses a button upon his arm chair and summons a new dispatch toward his chambers, likely to...clean up the mess.

Ashanna herself simply tightens her eyes shut and focuses on maintaining her breathing. Curo would feel the Force begin to suppress itself within as it was clear she was certainly attempting to purge herself of the poison that had spread incognito through her veins.
"C-...curo...get that...kriffing antidote, Curo."

 

[Viabuck]

Everything was going exactly to plan. The guards were every bit as incompetent as he could have hoped for and it would seem in that moment that there was a very clear shot toward claiming the life of the man who had forced them into their current situation. With Ashanna disposing of the hired help, there was only one thing left to attend to and in truth, the Togruta found himself practically enthralled by the notion. There was something very intense budding from the hatred that had come to form within his heart and it was being held back only by the tiniest of threads, the last outward projection of civility that cloaked the savage beneath the surface. The predator... The-...

Ashanna... The man was speaking.. She wasn't well. In that moment all speech was drowned out by a buzz, his visual acuity taking note of what he felt was essential, the observance of the vial becoming his primary focal point and the sole objective. In that moment a very faint vibration could be seen or felt all around Curo, his barely contained anger starting to overflow as white hot rage began to course through his body. It was like venom.. He may not have been the one who had been poisoned yet the notion of someone daring to do such a thing to one of his comrades?.. His -only- true friend?..

"Unforgivable.." he snarled through clenched teeth, his left hand clenching tightly as his borrowed light saber was slowly brought to his side, the weapon burning brightly at his side, the red glow that the blade gave off giving the Togrutan Knight's already furious demeanor an even more ominous look. "You don't get to toy with lives... -HER- life!"

Without a moments hesitation Curo's hand was thrust forward, his palm being held open for moment though suddenly closing as if he was grabbing something, his fingers balling up suddenly as if he was seeking to crush an invisible ball.

'Use your anger... Focus it. Draw upon it.. Make it your strength.. Save her.. Kill him.. Make him pay..'

In the span of only fractions of seconds, the surge of raw albeit it corrupt energy coursing through his body gave him everything that he needed. He asked and so it would deliver, just as his would be tutor had promised him that it would. For with the sudden screech of metal, the projectors of the ray shield would begin to hideously shriek and screech before suddenly exploding upward, the metal pieces along with multiple other fragments of the now crushed device would suddenly go shooting straight toward the man whom they had only seconds before been protecting threatening to embed within his flesh. During this time, Curo would make another motion, this one seemingly smoother in motion, the vial which was the presumed antidote being launched straight toward his open hand where it would likely fall into his possession before it had time to be damaged by debris or the man who would undoubtedly be quite surprised by this sudden display.

"You will -never- do this to anyone else.... Ever... -Ever-... Again." he hissed now pacing forward ready to finish this encounter.

 

[Asinine Soup]

"You once asked me...'why do you not despair'. I have your answer."

Spoiler: *Theme Here*

​

Ashanna grunts in pain - both physical and emotional - for the dark taint deep within Curo's conscience came as a gurgle to her own psyche and caused her to wince all the more.
"...how short-sighted...you'd listen to that thing in your hea--"
She's ultimately interrupted by the sound of the machine creaking and screaming, then suddenly exploding in an array of light that leaves several fragments of durasteel lodged within the one seated and throned within. The vial escapes the grasp of he who previously equipped it, but as it lands within his palm and Curo extends his proclamation, a cackling chuckle emits in an echo within the room...along with a groan of an unconscious guard off to the side.
"You will -never- do this to anyone else.... Ever... -Ever-... Again."

One couldn't help but to feel the slowly building torrent of pure rage that exceeded the Togrutan's own in the span of an instant; perhaps by a fathom or two, the laughter seems to increase the aura of disdain and emotion fill the room akin to a a tub filling with liquid. The laughter gives way to the man previous presumed unconscious or dead sitting up and beginning to pluck crimson stains of injury from his clothing and skin, his anger renewing as each shard is discarded and tossed to the ground with a clatter and ring.
"Heh...heh...quaint how...you choose to save your deadweight...on a hope that the serum...actually works rather than call for...your lightsabers." The voice had surely shifted to something filled with malice, and as the figure stands up, one might even grasp the illusion that he was bigger than he had previously been. Of course, this man hadn't stood in front of them as such yet, only having previously peered down from above the arena.
"You thought I just collected lightsabers from unlucky jedi who were subject to a little poison? You thought I kept trophies of Sith that just happened upon an unlikely fate ? Had you not once thought that I alone held the power to slay them as I will surely slay you, you pathetic piece of filth?! "

The slow build-up of rage suddenly explodes as the being's intent is suddenly revealed...along with his power. The serum was a lie, and both Curo and Ashanna would have likely realized it at the same time. It was at that moment that the Ysanna on the ground would allow the inevitable monologue of the individual up ahead and begins working on curing herself - through the Force, nothing would stop her from accomplishing this. Focusing inward, she continues to shudder breathe, sighing in and exhaling out in staccato.
"You were in the arena so that I could gauge your skill before gathering if you were worthy to provide test enough. You Jedi - so viable to the taint of darkness and never truly understanding how kriffing dead you are until you look into the eyes of a true being who thrives on the Dark Side...one such as me! Do you not grasp the concepts that you've been taught as younglings?!" He scoffs. "I started there, too, yes...but I evolved into something greater. And now your blood will aid in my development. And your death...my salvation!"

His duster sweeps the ground as his blood stained hand reaches down toward his hip and pulls his own blade previously concealed, then a second from the opposite hip. With a crack of his neck, the sound emitting about the room, both blades suddenly hiss to life and emit a ruby glow deep with resonate energy and malice, Force cackling at his fingertips in the form of a gentle lightning - volatile and ready to be released, but bated as the grinning man before them stepped down the final step of the podium leading to his 'throne'.
"Come. Use your anger...so that I may feed on it!" Cackling, he'd pause, then ready his stance.

"Make me pay. Boy."

"Curo...don't you dare...forget what I told you when this started," Ashanna's voice was soft, her own depths of energy masked as it always had been as their enemy up ahead taunted and spoke. The plague within her took it's toll, but she begins to shape her own reality with the Force.
"...don't you dare fall. D-...don't you dare give in. I will rid this fault from my blood...just...h-hold him off. A little while." She knew as well as he the depth of this one's power rivaled the two of them put together, though the energy Ashanna herself had reserved would have to be released if they stood a chance of survival. With a grunt, she tosses her arm out and allows Curo her own azure lightsaber. If he were to accept the gift...he would experience...a fragment of peace from within the crystal that belonged to her in a fraction of a second:

Spoiler: *Catch the Lightsaber*

Rolling hills of green splashed upon the deepest blue the eyes could see looming atop it; wind rushes onward, pushing the effervescent, soft clouds forth. Had I fallen asleep?...Was I waking up?
The haze of the sun glimmering through the wavering shadow of the tree above which flowed freely within a wave of wind. The rustle of the dancing leaves were alluring, and as I looked up into the sky - cloaking my squinty eye with the shadow of my uplifted hand - I couldn't help but feel...warmth. Warmth from the day, the warmth of the grass, the warm - yet cooling - allure of wind as it trails my skin, caressing my hair. Life.

Life is so precious. Why so often do I forget?
My ears return from nothingness to the sound of laughter and splashing of water, its mist spreading freely through the air. It was warm today, and my family was but enjoying it - as is their right as intellectual products of nature. Self-proclaimed, nonetheless manipulators of their domain. Life is energy, and there's plenty of it. Relax that energy and enjoy all that comes with life? Is that what this...feeling was telling me?
What is this feeling?...It's so vast. In that vastness, everything is connected.

The wind whistles through my toes as I loose myself within it, now longer questioning - simply...enjoying.

And so I thanked it softly beneath a whisper.

"Thank you."

​

Her voice nearly seems to echo as the fight beholds incoming.
"...don't...give in, Curo. Fight. And find honor in your resilience...don't. Give. In."

 

[Viabuck]

Damn it.. This was not going how he had hoped.. None of this was going how it was supposed to. This man.. This thing that savored the suffering of others was meant to cease to exist the moment that he could reach him. This was to be nothing more than a predator escaping a cage and utterly eviscerating it's captor and yet everything had gone so wrong. Everything was taking a turn for the worse and now with one of the few friends he had in the known universe facing her potential demise, it would seem in that moment that the only thing preventing him from falling into the depths of despair was his cold seemingly endless rage.

This man.. This... -Sith-.. It was trying to bait him into a situation which he simply lacked the capacity to win. Lacking the true capacity to harness the dark side of the force on a level equal to his opposition, in this moment he was far too clouded to call upon the light, a seemingly endless chasm existing between himself and the power that he had only weeks prior been able to call upon at a whim. How easy had it had been to fall prey to the very thing that he had spent his time as a Padawan learning to resist. How easy it had been for him to give himself over in the name of a quick well of power. Something which would never be enough to truly best this man who had poisoned Ashanna and now stood before him ready to end his life.

The red glow of the borrowed saber staff enshrouding his orange skin in a glow giving him the visage of what could be a depressed looking demon of some nature would begin to flicker slightly as the weapon was brought to his side, the confused Jedi preparing to make his stand against the corrupt force use the despair nearly overwhelming him before a blow could even be struck and yet in a few words and the reactionary out stretching of his right hand, the orange flesh of his fingers would enclose the hilt of the lightsaber offered to him in a moment of need.

It was in this moment that the woman's words which he had heard and yet been unable to process reached him, the turmoil that had welled within him being parted by what felt like the essence of everything good in the galaxy. Perhaps an overstatement or possibly an overestimation based upon his previous circumstances yet to him it was accurate. This warmth.. The sensation of a peace he had not known for some time now came to him. In that moment he was just a boy again, his masters words being spoken to him as vividly and clearly as they had the first time that they had been imparted, the visage of the aged and wrinkled red skinned Togrutan woman being as clear as day both to Curo and Ashanna should she feel the force rippling outward from Curo as he underwent his revelation of sorts.

'Curo... You will be tempted because you possess passion.. You feel things very deeply and while you may attempt to quiet your emotions you must be mindful of who you are. You will never be free if you cage who you are.. There are things in this world far more dangerous than attachment and allowing yourself to feel.. Caging who you are will make you little more than a slave.. And it is not the forces will that you be it's prisoner.. Free yourself Curo and you will find that above any hatred or anger that might well within your heart whenever things seem to be their most dire.. You will find that you are a righteous man and that the darkness has no true hold on you... You are my student and while you may never be the best of Jedi.. You will be among the best of men.'

The hiss of Ashanna's lightsaber igniting filled the room, the blue radiance emanating from the blade being held outward in front of him, a rather elaborate stance being taken. While the red double bladed lightsaber continued to burn off to the side, poised and ready to strike, the weapon that he had cross his body, ready to ward off the dangers that would arise in the moments to come, particularly as he made his first move, his demeanor shifting from it's outwardly aggressive savage like nature to a more serious controlled state of being. A series of steps being taken the Togrutan would enter a charge barreling straight at his opposition, double bladed saber held outward as he lunged, darting to the right while lashing his left hand inward one of the double bladed saber blades threatening to divide the enemy in half during which time he immediately pivoted and brought his right hand down, the burning blue blade being directed at the Chiss' top most guard hand, instinctively assuming that a block would be made and aiming to inflict a crippling blow early in the exchange.

While keeping track of three lightsaber blades would inevitably prove to be a challenge it seemed to be well within the realm of possibility for this newly focused Curo that had clawed its way back from the darkness.

 

[Asinine Soup]

"Because you're as incorrect as you are weak in comparison to true power. I do not despair because the despair is yours and yours alone - what's within me is testament to your downfall. Now experience the purgatory you created so intimately for yourself. Look into my eyes, for that depth is the last thing you will ever see. And as you do, experience peace for the first time in your existence."​

The Sith Chiss that had previously taunted and utilized Dun Möch against his opponent was remiss to see a renewed spark of energy exploding with renewed conviction. He surely felt the despair and hopelessness and used it to aid his own strength; he felt the anger and the rise of vengeance incoming, only to be squashed by helplessness and anxiety. But one thing he couldn't say he felt from these two Jedi a single instant...was 'fear'.
Why was that so? The Togruta had fallen, had he not? His partner lie on the ground, surely quickly succumbing to her sickness. And yet they fought? He hadn't the time to observe this conundrum for in that instant, the Force carried Curo right in front of him, and ready as he may have been, his confidence had over-calculated his odds. Two crimson blades meet with a crash and hiss, and as Curo pivots and brings a blue blade down with a Force-imbued strength, the second weapon would rise as well - the lightsaber lands a scant inch away from the hilt of the dark side user's weapon, and it had been said inch away from his fingertips as well. It was either luck, the Force, or both that he hadn't been disarmed in that slight of moment, but as blades lock, the attraction of energy to energy forces the duo at a test of strength.

Curo had the momentum, thus the advantage. This wouldn't stop the Chiss from gritting his teeth and sliding both of his blades outward to attempt to open Curo's guard and, in tandem, send a swift black boot cloaked by a duster to strike his chin by the heel. "Hnn!" If the attack landed, the advantage would be taken and a spin would become of the Sith, for her intended to then bring both of his lightsabers overhead and down unto Curo.
If unfettered, his blades would surely cleave the Togruta in two, but being his form was off-balance, it was certainly not as swift as the warrior himself. If Curo could keep up his momentum and strength within his speed, his warrior instinct would keep this powerful Sith on the rise.

Which would lead to his fall and ultimate demise.
One might surmise.

Meanwhile, Ashanna drags her weight upon the ground and groans lightly as her partner up ahead leaps into combat. The Force about her whirlwinds and cascades back inside of her, radiant pools of energy encircling her akin to a planet's magnetic field rippling in invisible pattern. The ailment within had struck her midichlorians as previously mentioned, but that just meant her unaffected essence had to be utilized to dispel what ultimately plagued her.
And so she does. With scattered breathing in and then breathing out, to reverse the effects meant to cleanse all impurity. With nothing more than a moment's concentration (where knowing one's self certainly came in handy was one was able to sense the off-balance and the taint of false equilibrium, as she had from the moment she awoke in the pit), she was able to sense the concoction pumping through her veins...entering her cells. So she reaches out with her mind and stops the blood and plasma that most closely related on a cellular level with the poison within.

Sweat drops from her brow, then, as she groans in agony - she felt that, for sure, but she had frozen what was being pumped. Now it was time to get rid of it. It had to get out, and the only way out was through the skin...through the pores. Through the muscle.
Ashanna breathes heavily in preparation as though she, in the following moments, were going to pull a bullet out of her leg...or an arrow out of her knee.

Evolve, Curo. Accept yourself as who you were...then excel and conquer the only thing keeping you where you are: your mind.

 

[Viabuck]

The hunt was on it seemed and there was little time for self reflection or doubt in himself. In that moment that wasn't any internal struggle over right or wrong, there wasn't any thoughts of malice and inflicting pain. There was only necessity and it was necessity that fueled every movement that the Togrutan would make. In the wild predator needed their prey to fall so that they could continue to exist and in this situation, it was no different. There was a task that needed to be performed and the end of one life for the continued existence of another had take precedent.

With his attack being blocked, the kick that came his way would come as little surprise, the only action that he could take being to bend backwards, his form arching and narrowly evading the blow while leaving himself open. Intentional or not, when the overhead strike came toward his vulnerable form, the act wouldn't go without answer, an outstretched arm holding the double bladed saber up and meeting the strike dead on, the hilt of his own saber existing in the gap between his attackers two, his arm completely straight and stiff as possible to resist the strength being applied against him, his stance dropping to kneel, making his body as short as possible and gaining as much balance as possible while coiling himself down in his stance like a wound spring.

And that was when he sprung, his body launching upward, pushing with his powerful set of legs and aiming to drive both lightsabers upward with his one saber staff while immediately sweeping up his opponents middle with the brilliant blue blade to either strike a blow or force a block, opening up a sudden swipe inward with his staff, the blade crossing his body and then spinning and sweep back down around, aiming for a two fold strike with the weapon before lunging back away and preparing to defend against a counter attack should his weapons be met in opposition.

Aggression was still in his nature in combat but this was so much more so. There was little reckless, more of a refined fury focused on efficiency and striking down the enemy while being ready to defend at a moments notice... Perhaps three blades weren't as impractical as he had always thought.. At least not with his capacity to estimate the whereabouts of his own weapons on a near supernatural level.

"You're finished... You don't need to die.. You can surrender.. But I think we both know what you're going to choose.. You can't win this though.. I'm a superior duelist and unlike you I've something to fight for that goes beyond just power.." he remarked coldly, a glance being paid back over to where his comrade was recovering. He needed to keep an eye on her whenever possible and prepare for the worst. Sith weren't notoriously clean fighters by any extent and it was due to that fact that he made every effort to keep his body and blades between them.

 

[Asinine Soup]

Blades hiss as they clash, and as surely as the sun rises, the Sith's blades rise as well. The only action he could take to prevent being bisected was to hop backwards with a sluggish shift of his own momentum; it wouldn't prove him swift enough to evade the blades entirely, no, for his weight shift was previously committed to severing the Togruta below into two pieces from his crown to his pelvis.
Instead, the duster he adorned was phased through like butter as was the now-to-be-revealed durasteel armor that compensated for bodily protection; a harsh, red line glowed brightly at his mid-section that easily could have been his intestines instead, though as he pivots away with his right blade held low, ultimately leaving the second strike grazing his blade with a passing hiss. The two slide away from one another, the few-second combat having been rather intense...incredible, really, for the Sith hadn't thought the Togruta would have been able to resist his temptation, nor would he be able to keep level headed about the entire situation.

Perhaps this Jedi was more powerful in the Force than he thought. No matter. Every Jedi had his weakness. Perhaps his ally was his?
"You can't win this though.. I'm a superior duelist and unlike you I've something to fight for that goes beyond just power.." Curo states as the Sith breathes heavily, still somewhat surprised at the burst of energy this duelist was able to fight with. No matter. The Force would be used as a weapon as the Togrutan Jedi peers over his shoulder. A sudden cascading presence of energy flies forth with the intent to surprise grip him along his chest. The focus presented could be felt by even Ashanna from afar, for the attempt would be meant to grasp Curo...then, with a corresponding flick of his arm, the Sith would aim to send Curo soaring through the air toward the edge of the room to slam against the wall. What lightsaber and finesse with a blade can't do, perhaps a durasteel wall could!...For the force that Curo would be flying would leave him a fraction of a second to raise a defensive shield to prepare for impact. Hopefully it was quick enough, for the speed by which the Jedi would be flying could have possibly met mach speeds near-instantly.

"THIS IS MY POWER!" the Chiss would hiss, then, for directly following the mass movement of Force, he conjures his rage, puffs his chest, then throws out his arms...cackling lightning chirping at his fingertips and ultimately aiming to send Curo to his demise, the lightning heating the very air around it in a fashion that steam is all that was remnant of what the energy touched.
One problem.

"There is no death,"​

A few moments earlier, Curo would have peered over his shoulder to witness Ashanna kneeling up to her feet, not looking in the best of moods nor health. With a dark rim beneath her eyes, she huffed and allowed sweat to drip from her brow, but that would've been the last that he saw of Ashanna were the Sith to grip unto him. Ashanna looked on helplessly as he did so, but no matter - she had already begun conjuring the Force. She'd purged half of the symbiote from her system but resolved to aid her best friend, for a lengthy fight with a Sith like this was death.
The amount of energy she could apparently hold was staggering, and steadily it was growing - lost in his own rage, however, the Sith failed to feel the presence of the Ysanna as raw energy encircled her like a quickly forming hurricane.

And as soon as lightning had begun to chirp from the Chiss, Ashanna takes three steps forward and throws out both of her hands.

"there is the Force."​

A tidal wave of the Force conjures in front of Ashanna. The very air it affected distorted as the presence acted like a vacuum to those in front of it, the unconscious strewn along the sides of the room ultimately rolling ragdoll from the impact as he who stood in the center would be subject to the massive impact and be flown straight into his throne. He lacked the breath after the harsh impact to even grunt in pain or surprise. The tidal wave continued flowing forth immeasurably ripping through the throne and the pieces it once lied within as it lasted long enough for Curo to not only gather his bearings, but to witness the feat itself, Ashanna's hair blowing this way and that as the Force crafted a disk of counter-relativity about her own presence.

"Your code has condemned you!"​

Suddenly, she takes another step forward, conjuring very tangible and visible essences of the Force within her very palms; the energy is thrown forward in a blast that rolls through the tidal wave toward the man up above - possibly broken already - who could do nothing but watch pinned to the remnants of his throne and the security detail finally arrive from the turbolift a second later. But what they did, rather than shoot, was watch the madness in awe, weapons lowered to the hip.
The orb of kinetic Force slams into the man's chest, the impact heavy enough to dent the durasteel wall behind him and send him lodged into it. With teeth grit, Ashanna lets loose three more with screams of effort that silences the pain the Sith had been ejecting into the Force since this ordeal began. While he had been resisting, his heart hadn't changed...for he didn't even fear the death that was quickly engulfing him until it had finally clawed it's fingertips around his soul.

The three Force 'bombs' cripple the durasteel on impact and send a mangled corpse ricocheting from the thick, cracked object and loosely flip-flop unto the ground surrounded by what was left of his 'kingdom'.
Breathing heavily from the effort exerted, Ashanna blinks to Curo, winces a grin, then behind her toward the security detail. After seeing what had happened to their leader, they start and gasp as the Jedi peers toward them. The Ysanna lacked the strength to do or say anything, but they didn't know that - it was likely Curo could feel her frailty, however, so the fate of the detail that would likely run if someone said 'boo' was in his hands.

For now...Ashanna would take a kneel in the passing few seconds for it was evident the plague still affected her. But it couldn't kill her, no, it wouldn't. She couldn't help but to give Curo a smile the next time he drew near and whisper, "I'm proud of you."

For what? She couldn't explain. Perhaps she would after she woke up, for consciousness quickly slipped through her fingertips at that very moment. She slips into the light.

 

[Viabuck]

He had predicted this. Why was it people couldn't accept when they were in an unwinnable battle? Only by accepting that certain things were insurmountable could a person hope to find a means of alleviating their losses and yet this Sith.. This Sith would repeat the mistakes of so many others and yet in the moment as the dark sider called upon all of his rage, Curo would struggle to make up the difference in raw power, both of his hands being thrust forward, the middle and index fingers of both hands lifting as he visualized a circular construct in front of where he stood and pushed the center of it outward, the intent being to manipulate the force in the matter of a fraction of a second to put up a defense barrier against the primary impact... Which it would though not on the level that the Togruta had been hoping for.

The barrier would crack and splinter, the bubble in the middle of the barrier being driven back as the impact crashed over it, the entire manifestation giving way shortly there after sending the defender backwards, his feet lifting off of the ground though in a manner which allowed him to land a short distance backward in a crouched position. Preparing to retaliate, both weapons held at his sides and preparing to break into a sprint the noticeable build up of electricity would be detected and it was in that moment that he came to a realization of what was about to happen to him.. And on a scale that he couldn't have hoped to manage in his own earlier combat with the beast from Korriban.

Fortunately though, his very own guardian angel wouldn't be having it on this day it would seem.. For before he could be struck down by the lightning of a furious would be Sith Lord, the Knight found his adversary being thrown about as if he were a rag doll of some nature as it fell victim to the very force that it sought to wield. A grin playing across his face as he watched attack after attack find it's mark, almost looking as if the deranged man was falling victim to invisible cannon fire.

Of course there was one thing that he needed to take care of and as the man went hurtling backward, a hand would be thrust forward, a rattling taking place on the man's belt as yet another lightsaber went shooting through the air back toward the orange skinned hand of the Jedi who tossed the red weapon up into the air, his hand securing his own blade and slicing down through the hilt in one clean motion, the two red blades dissipating as he held his original green bladed lightsaber in his hand, his eyes falling upon the crowd before shifting a glance to Ashanna... It was quiet... And reasonably so given what she had done.. This woman really was remarkable in many ways... But then again..?

So was he.

"... And now to slaughter anyone standing here in the next five seconds.."

It wouldn't take long to reduce the room to a ghost down, the swinging and menacing of Ashanna's blue lightsaber proving sufficient to frighten away the bystanders with a hum of the weapon striking fear into the very core of the cowards who now abandoned the room leaving Curo to gather up his comrade. Rather than leave her knelt down upon the ground struggling to recover, he aspired to provide as much physical support as was possible, both sabers being holstered at his sides as he tucked one arm underneath of her knees while supporting her back with the other. She may have not needed -that- much aid but his social ineptitude combined with his general desire to see her recover trmped any other notion for now.

"Thank you for keeping me in touch with who I am." he responded, taking her statement of pride to heart for a moment as he carried her toward the direction most of the crowd had fled in. If there was a hangar to get them back to their ship, this would in all probability prove to be the best course to take. The walk wouldn't be all that bad even considering his exhustion, a glance occasionally being paid to the girl whom he had taken it upon himself to support.

"It's always something worse than the time before... We're fortunate that we always manage to come out as well off as what we do... All things considered." he half joked, considering the fact that he had given into his rage and she had been rather severely poisoned.

 

[Asinine Soup]

With a smile and a semi-conscious giggle, Ashanna wearily murmurs, "I'd say that's what I'm here for." The detail fled and one could only guess where this huge station was, let alone where it's inhabitants fled to in the chaos. She wondered what would happen to it as they left. While it would probably benefit to locate a control room to peek a location for later visits, in her absence of thought the only thing the Ysannan could truly think of was a bed on a safe ship traveling through the silence of hyperspace.

Heaven, really.
"It's always something worse than the time before... We're fortunate that we always manage to come out as well off as what we do... All things considered."
To this, Ashanna's laughter echoed Curo's in a much more joyful fashion when she adds, "Worst possible outing, huh? At least we weren't in the desert this time, right?"
She could only vaguely recall where Curo and herself had been when they were kidnapped - floating in space and the alerts blaring that they had been locked in a beam...the cabin filling with smoke...a figure with accompanying men stepping within the airlock as she lost consciousness.

It was all a blur, and likely for good reason. Ah well. It was time to get out of here, and as their slow but steady pace kept her awake, Ashanna finally asks as they near the hangar bay, "Do you think there's an easy way to power?...Is power all that's important?" The mangled corpse of the Sith was plastered in her mind's eye and as her energy was slowly replenishing, one might even feel the apprehension she had about the conviction the Sith sadist held toward Jedi and Sith alike.

The question was accompanied by a confused arch of the eyebrow. She would leave it to her hero to find their ship...or preferably any way off this floating hunk of garbage. How they managed to defeat beasts, droids, security, and a Sith in one sitting as well...was...

...testament. To what? Skill? Luck? The Force? Destiny?

The topic's subjectivity leaves a resounding "time will tell" and "to be continued."

 

[Viabuck]

Carrying Ashanna in a foreign environment may have made things a bit difficult but not enough so to obstruct the naturally nimble navigator. A kind smile being offered to the girl whom he held when the talk of avoiding yet another desert based excursion, he chuckled briefly and nodded his head. "It certainly could have gone worse.." he acknowledged, his footsteps increasing in pace as he actually proved to be a remarkably fleet footed even with the added passenger throughout his navigation. Skidding to a halt as he bypassed a window, as he stood there looking inward, the rather unpleasant looking ship that he had learned to call his home away from home came into sight, a brief sigh of relief being given.

Now slowing his pace (and in doing so providing a much smoother experience) and setting off toward the large double doors leading into the hangar, the question that had been posed gave him pause for a moment. The question was most certainly a valid one and not one that he could answer all that easily. While it certainly wasn't everything, did it perhaps have at least some connection to -everything-? It was a question that required a surprising amount of inner soul searching.

"There are easy ways..." he finally answered after some thought, his mind racing back to the sudden surge of energy that flooded through his body and traveled outward through his fingertips. He recalled the feeling briefly of the raw hatred that inspired him to crush the very innards of a machine and cast them at his enemy with enough force to embed them into his very flesh. He had felt so much raw power.... And it had come by simply demanding it.

"I've never felt so powerful as I do when I give in... to whatever it is. I can do so much more.. Anything becomes possible and it's exhilirating. It's so easy and yet so costly all at once... Power in itself isn't important but in a way it's like the universes currency.. The more power you have the more you can take care of important things.. Friendships. Love. Family. Duty. Power is currency to make these things more tangible.. But by going the easier path, you lose the parts of yourself that cared and gave those things value.. I've only slipped a few times but to be honest?.. I'm not sure I can say it isn't worth it."

By now the duo had arrived at the outside of their vessel, the loading ramp already distended and waiting for them to board, the Togrutan looking up onto the ship, a look of deep contemplation written over his face.

"I don't intend to give myself over anymore when it can be avoided.. I won't take shortcuts.. But thinking over it? If your life had been in mortal peril and there had been absolutely no alternative? I don't even know how far I would have thrown myself down that pit. I think that the predicament that I've found myself in now. I know what it can do and I know it will keep pulling at me and I'm going to resist it.. But when I need to? Really and truly need to? I'd access it again and again if it protected the existence of something I hold dear... Because which would be worse? Using the darkness to protect something and bring yourself peace.. Or losing something and risking despair?.."

Clearly Curo had pondered the dark side for a great deal of his time as a Jedi and in spite of receiving the 'proper' answers from his teacher, he had either long had his own conclusions or was starting to form them as he seemed utterly calm as he recited his thoughts aloud to the Ysanna.

"I suppose that's where I'll always fail both the council and you. While you feel the force so vividly and can navigate it so beautifully.. I have no such luxury. I'm a creature of impulse and whether I like it or not, the more that I care about things.. Even beyond personal attachment.. Even fulfilling my obligations, the more I find that I'm drawn to what I know is wrong.. And yet I can't recall a more fulfilling time in my life."

He chuckled now, his leather boots impacting with the metal of the ramp way as he boarded the ship navigating to the crews quarters, his body kneeling down next to the bed and gently placing the woman down while lingering there for a few moments longer.

"That either says little for my life up until this point or is simply a testament to how addictive power is.. In any case.. That's my long winded answer. Can I get you anything? Water? Medicine? Anything at all?"

 

[Asinine Soup]

Ashanna listened without interrupting, and as they made it to their sweet junkpile or respite, she would be offered this and that - testament to Curo's kindheartedness; she shakes her head toward 'water', then grins shaking her head toward medicine, and chuckling softly as he offers anything at all.
"You've given me all I wish of you, my friend, and given it abundantly - so thank you," she indicates. Compared to the Ashanna that presented herself in those training courtyards on Tython in what felt like years ago...it was certain that the galaxy had changed the girl's demeanor yet not her spirit. It was the same, though she had learned quite a bit about the truth. She was no longer that...galaxy-ignorant girl prone to getting into a fight over cultural differences, and she couldn't quite figure out if it was a good thing or bad. She'd certainly changed, she surmises, as she's let gently onto the crew quarter's resting area.
She reaches up and places a hand upon the Togruta's shoulder and grins, supporting her weight with his firm strength for but a moment longer; she'd be able to stand, then, though it was clear she was rather exhausted still. She'd sacrificed a lot today, and as she wished to make her way to the cockpit, it was clear by her accompanying stumble back unto the bed that it was time for actual sleep. So she groans in disdain.

"...well...you could...set this location in our logs with it's coordinates and leave this station on a light speed horizon, if you may; I don't think I'll rest until we're long gone from here and back in friendly space." She pauses, opening her eyes and twisting to face Curo while laying down, hair spread out about the rather uncomfortable padded bed.
"And maybe when you're done...you can come back and rest, and...tell me how you got that scar on your lekku?"
A grin formed as the gentleness of her spirit once more began to fill the room. Perhaps...through all that had happened with the pair, it would prove to be immensely difficult for her to shift in a way that Ma'hel once thought she might.
She was spotless. She wished more than anything to help others shine just as brightly and pure.

She knew if she tried, maybe Curo could be testament to what was possible if the mind was open to progress - breaking down tier by tier of the mortar that indicated 'you were made this way' or 'inevitable' was step one.
She had a lifetime companion, and she knew his heart. And it was well. Unfortunately, though, Ashanna's eyes had lidded closed shortly after her query; if Curo were to return after getting them out of this place, he would find her fast asleep...dreaming dreams and dreaming visions.

Flying.