Wherever the Cold Wind Blows...

[Rev]

Aÿisha Remy/Darth Illusia
Several Hundred Kilometers off the Perlemian Trade Route, Thanium Sector, Outer Rim Territory

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The hyperspace route blinked with continuity within the confines of the Lambda class transport. The green light every several seconds showing the pilot that things were in order. It was when it missed a blink that attention would be drawn to the lone light source, when it missed again the only one able to see the 'operating table' would announce the misfortune.

"Breaking Hyperspeed, prepare fo-"

The ship would suddenly jolt before sputtering out of the hyperspace tunnel. The vacuum of space would come to life in a blur of motion as the blue walls that once surrounded them turned to black littered with hundreds if not thousands of stars. Staring out one of the few windows the shuttle contained Illusia couldn't help but grimace at the thought of being stuck in space with no means of travel.

"Status."

The question came across as a comment, often as men and women of power demand answers so did the Darth. The pilot's hands quickly scrambled across various devices adjusting nobs and levers as the ship began to stabilize. After a long moment of silence the man's voice would finally fill the cockpit and hull.

"Hyperdrive is malfunctioning.. Thrusters are at 68% power.. Shields at full capacity."

The pilot continued on his status report until he was ultimately cut off by the Darth, the fear in the mans voice ever apparent since the ships faltering.

"Nearest settlement?"

The pause wasn't nearly as long as she'd predicted with the man's last act of suspense. He'd quickly answer before pointing at a glowing sphere in the distance. The white ball swirling with life as the clouds of weather ran their rampant path over the growing planet.

"Rhen Var, M'lady. If I put the thrusters to full we'll be there within the hour.."

Thankful they were in Sith space she nodded her head before looking herself over. The damages of Zebitrope IV still shining through on her normally impressive armor. Relaxing into the seat she looked at the stormtrooper squad around her and assured herself they could endure a few days on the ice giant.

"Put us down near something that can stand the trials of ice and snow... and remember your life is at risk, Pilot."

"Aye, Illusia."

The pilot would nod his head before hitting the thrusters and heading them closer to the white mass. Rhen Var wasn't known for its kindness, but rather its harsh weather and unforgiving terrain the men within that ship had a test in front of them that many would never be ready for.

 

[Sreeya]

Rhen Var was the only icy planet Thaed would go to willingly. He always had a fascination with the unnaturally calm nature of the planet, along with its vast mountains and the ruins left behind. He lingered around the citadel, or what remained of it, pondering upon all the histories that were played out within its walls. The courtyard was buried under snow, and yet he plodded around it, clearing a path where he could to make out markings of an old sign of civilization.

Though he was a Sith Lord, the Zabrak had a passion for aesthetics, especially those created by nature. He had often come to this planet to escape the daily grind of life within the Imperium. Though there was dynamism, even channeling the Dark Side at all times grew repetitive. Here he found an odd sense of clarity, perhaps from the very crisp air he breathed.

The Zabrak found comfort in solitude, standing out like a sore thumb among the vast white fields. He was adorned in black attire, the wind suddenly picking up and making him pull his hood up. He was cold easily, and had to rely on the Force to regulate his internal temperature to adjust accordingly.

 

[Rev]

The ship finally broke atmosphere and what they were met with was no surprise; blizzards and gale force winds. As soon as the ship hit open air it's own weight would begin to pull down against itself. Gravity finally taking effect on the heavy craft instead of floating weightless in the openness that was space. Standing from her seated position the Sith would gaze out at what she expected to be a white expanse, instead she was met with a wall of white. Her immediate thought was first going to hyperspeed, the tens of snowflakes hitting the viewscreen before inevitably being cast aside. Hitting a few buttons on the control input the screen would shift over to a new 'vision'; each somehow worse than the last. Completing the cycle Aÿisha would find herself back at the same snow covered windshield she'd started at.

"You know what's down there, and chances are it won't be soft.."

She spoke to only the pilot who already had enough on his plate. Tapping him on the shoulder he'd nod, the cold of a Sith creeping into his shoulder and sending a freeze that even Rhen Var couldn't rival up his freight driven spine. Slowly arcing the ship downward he'd look at the pre-loaded navigational charts as the descent began. A lone mark would suddenly pop up on the radar alerting the whole crew to what was in front of them: The Citadel.

"Ma'am, we have an Empire identified landmark... The Citadel?"

The distance on the object was closing with each passing second and the pilot pulling against the thrusting ship was the only time offered to the Sith Lord as she contemplated its existence.

"Take us do-"

Just as she spoke the ships right wing would come in contact with something foreign, the whole shuttle contorting in the air and spiraling into a frenzy. The pilot's hands would go into motion once again, but it was far too late. The very spire which climbed from snow-covered rock near Thaed would be the end to the vessel as it spun from the sky. The citadel in its wake would too meet its end, the finely constructed architecture collapsing in under itself from the brute force of the impact.

Seconds would feel like lifetimes until their own resting place was finally determined. The Lamda shuttle meeting the clearing absent of grace as it tumbled into a heap of durasteel. The ship would never fly again, some of the passengers would never make it out, and those that did would hopefully be spared the cruelties of Rhen Var, if it were possible. As the sound carried through the valleys of mountainous rock and drifts of snow it would just as suddenly fade into silence. The only audible sounds from the craft a few moans from the troopers within and cracks of flame at the exterior.

"S..-Statusss...?"

The Sith's voice would chime out against all other sounds in the interior, her hope being that she wasn't the only one capable of fixing this disaster..

 

[Sreeya]

The Force caused a chill to go up his spine that had nothing to do with the cold. He stopped what he was doing immediately, eyes narrowing as he slowly began to step back from the courtyard. Almost on cue, he saw a shuttle shooting towards the citadel. His eyes widened in genuine surprise, and the nimble Zabrak quickly jumped back a safe distance. From there, he watched the collision, the impact sending a defeaning roar throughout the otherwise silent valley. The citadel's very foundations rocked from the crash, large chunks of wall and debris falling into a snowy abyss below.

The Sith Lord watched in silence, his curiosity piquing. He reached out with the Force, sensing a few life forms snuff out immediately. He had to grin, wondering what poor souls just lost a mother, father, daughter or whoever else. The Zabrak turned and began to walk away, but the very sneaky side of him piped up. He could easily loot the dead or survivors of their possessions. A greedy glint in his eye, Thaed quickly turned and began to walk back towards the citadel.

Within moments, the valley was silent again save for the howling wind. It was as if the horrific crash had never occurred. As he inched closer, Thaed suddenly stopped. He felt a presence, a rather familiar one that poked at his psyche, sent shivers and almost..almost a hint of fear. He made his way towards the crash site, sensing that most had died. The presence he felt guided him like a dark beacon, though part of him wanted to go in the opposite direction.

As he came before the crash area, he used the Force to fling off a massive chunk of the citadel that had fallen atop the shuttle. There was a hole through its side, and he could make out who was inside. Amidst the dead bodies he saw an all too familiar figure. A saber hilt immediately jumped into his hand as he glared at the figure.

"You still draw breath...traitor.."

 

[Rev]

Her demand was met with silence, the gurgles of suffocation drowning out in the seconds that passed. Pushing herself off the floor of the ship, not being fastened in was perhaps the only thing that saved her from the fate of the others. Bringing her left hand to her temple it'd be met with moisture, pulling it away she cursed at the sight of blood. It was inside the ship that she assumed to be most safe, at least until the storm passed. Taking the time to look over the dead soldiers she'd stop at the pilot, looking over the mangled man's face. The viewscreen had shattered inward, a block of rock finding its way to his face in the tumble. Anyone that had been in there was long gone now. Tapping the poor soul on the back she couldn't help but stop her movement the instant the ship shook with life.

Watching as stone was ripped from durasteel the cold winds of Rhen Var no longer crept through the cracks and broken glass, but instead blew in cleanly smacking her fragile skin with its dread. Raising a hand to her cloaked she would slowly extricate herself from the crash site, coming out to take in the sight of Thaed. Smiling it was perhaps the last thing she expected, a fellow member of the Empire, and of the Sith? How impossible.. Lowering her hood she would go to speak, Thaed's own words cutting her off.

"Gr-.."

"Traitor?"

The word lingered at the forefront of her mind for the duration of their stare, her own thoughts wrapping around what her former ally had said. Clutching her arm as she stared across at the man a fear of her own began to swell as his lightsaber shot from hip to hand in an instant. Caught in the moment her right hand would reach to her own hip, the staff coming to her hand with as firm a grip one hand could hold it.

"Traitor? You spit such heresy at me!?"

Stepping out into the cold wind her initial want was to return to the warmth of the ship, but instead her enraged feet carried her deeper into the cold depths. Staring across at her counter-part she again felt tension spreading, the calm of Rhen Var only capable of so much before breaking.. She had just been part of it, Thaed a witness to it. Holding in a deep breath of the bitter cold air she narrowed her eyes on the Sith.

"I serve the Empire, fool, until my dieing breath."

 

[Sreeya]

Anger coursed through his veins at her words. Thaed had met the woman several times, had even gone as far as trusting her. And she had abandoned the Empire even when it needed her the most. Every frustration about the Imperium's state, every frustration over Exodeus' disappearance, all of it was directed at this one woman. The Zabrak felt energy quickly gathering into his left hand.

"Silence, wench! Where were you when our Emperor was replaced? Where were you when the Imperium needed you?"

Without warning, a massive, concussive blast erupted from Thaed's hand. It was enough to send Ayisha backwards and clear over the shuttle and to the other side of the field. Thaed sprang into the air after her, preparing to attack. He shouted at her as he moved.

"You've been consorting with Jedi. I know all about your roots, you tricky bitch. You're far worse than I am. You didn't think anyone would discover your ploys or ever find you again. You had no intention of ever returning."

He didn't want to admit she was better at his profession that he was. That was yet another reason he felt such anger towards her. It went beyond her traitorous actions. It was a personal matter, one that chipped away at his self pride and ego.

 

[Rev]

Thaed's words coursed within Aÿisha's mind, the anger which the Zabrak felt mirroring within the woman at his words. She could sense the energy in the area growing, a sloppy trait of the more violent and bloodthirsty Sith. She knew him better than he could ever have known her due to those very traits. The acolytes spoke of him with such prestige, unbeknownst to them that following in his footsteps wouldn't bring them to their destination. Thaed was unique in his abilities and talents, they carried him in ways a regular Force User would have to call for assistance. Attempting to copy or mimic the man only meant one thing: death. Illusia had become the opposite, a mere whisper in the confines of darkness. There was a mystique about her, and if anyone picked up the trail they'd soon lose it if not by choice, by the woman's will. Together now, the two swirled with the same emotions, the only difference would be their technique.

"The Emperor was replaced..?"

Her head lowered in thought and the emotion she felt emanating from Thaed finally revealed itself.. and at the worst moment possible. She'd be slapped with a wall of energy, it picking her up and sending her into a tumble no more elegant than the ships fall. Upon hitting the snow her body would curl into a ball, the loose snow from the crash site "soaking" her in; her body disappearing into the depths of a snow drift as her Force Signature followed suit.

"3.......2.......1....."

At the close of her short in-head count she'd use the Force to aid her legs in leaping. Her body escaping the drift as a cloud of snow grew in her wake. Behind the momentous push would be the ignition of her lightsaber, a lone crimson blade surging to existence as she chopped downwards at the Darth's right shoulder like a lumberjack would a block of wood. Her hopes being to remove the man's arm and end this fight with or without Thaed's life.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed jumped up and landed on the lopsided remnants of the shuttle, easily balanced. His very posture was a testament to his years of conditioning as a warrior. Though a single bit of movement could tilt the mess that was the shuttle, he stood as a statue, light on his feet. His anger, however, was a heavy burden now channeling rapidly in the form of the Force. Her words caused another pang of rage.

"A fact you would have known if you served the Imperium, you disgraceful wretch."

The Zabrak did not move a muscle, his vantage point doing little to pinpoint her location. She had gone blank within the Force, and he couldn't read her. She was a master of stealth, and he didn't pretend to believe he could ever surpass her skills when it came to that. Thaed's one clue to her next action was presented by the fact that she was just as enraged. She wouldn't sit quietly, and he simply had to wait. The Zabrak said nothing, his hood knocked back by the wind so his gleaming eyes were visible.

Sure enough, Ayisha had sprung up yet again. Thaed had the blink of an eye to react, and fortunately for him, that was an eternity. He raised his own ignited saber, swiping it to his own left before she could cross her arm over to bring the saber down to his right. This put him inside of her guard, her downward momentum driving her towards him. He quickly readjusted his own blade, cutting horizontally to drive the saber directly through her torso and instantly bisect her.

"You have no loyalties! You never have! You die today standing for NOTHING!"

 

[Rev]

While in mid-flight her eyes would fixate on Thaed, trying to anticipate what the Zabrak would do next. Watching his arm raise to the left her immediate reaction was to alter her blades trajectory to swat it away, instead she let the distance shorten. In the final moment the bottom and second beam of energy came to life, the double blade completing its circuit. The beam would instantly materialize in the path of Thaed's own weapon, her wrist and body twisting in opposite directions to fan the blade up and around the two. The two's blades would then lock in place, putting them face to face and Aÿisha's first blade of the staff would disengage, again bringing them to the same handicap. It was Thaed's final words that struck Aÿisha Remy deep, the words tearing her apart in more ways than he could know and the rage which ran rampant within her own core would reignite with passion that could rival even Thaed's.

Her eyes would show the pain her mind failed to materialize into words. Instead that rage would simply lash outward, her own palm from her injured arm directed at Thaed as the emotional blast of energy unleashed upon him directed at the hull of the Lambda shuttle; her hope to merely hold the Sith Lord back.

"You can pretend to know me, Silentius. Perhaps then you can begin to understand that which you fear. Become more than a brute, using his fists in anguish! Search your feelings! You know.. you can sense the truth in my words!"

She screamed at him, her words drowned out by the heavy winds that silenced even the collapse of a temple. If she could not get to the man, she'd eventually fall; her body was in no position for extended battle.

 

[Sreeya]

"There is no reasoning with you! Your actions speak louder than words ever could!"

Before he could say anything more, he was abruptly thrown back, as she had unleashed a blast of her own. The Zabrak tumbled backwards and off the shuttle, the sudden motion sending the entire aircraft rolling to the side and smashing into the snow. Thaed sprang backwards, flipping to stand on his feet again. He slowly rose, scowling at the woman before him, lightsaber gripped firmly in his hand.

"You are a cancer, a diseased tumor that exists for no purpose than to agitate. You play no part anywhere. You do not belong anywhere. You are nothing. You are no one. You pride yourself in your stealth, and yet in your isolation you've completely alienated yourself from everything you once stood for. You are worth less than each flake of snow you stand upon. You are worth less than the bottom feeders of Nar Shaddaa, the degenerates that yet serve purpose by contributing to disorder. You are an aimless, purposeless wanderer with nothing to add to the galaxy."

His words were fueled by anger, and he had began to pace back and forth, all the while glaring at her. The saber in his hand danced back and forth, the low hum drowned out by the wind that was picking up. He finally came to stand, sneering.

"Do you still want me to keep talking or fight, wench? Can you 'sense the truth in my words'?"

 

[Rev]

Each of the man's words stung more than the last, each of them in some way holding a truth to them. Thaed's emotional speech combined with violent acts would stir most, even break them. Yet she was different, she was just as he said.. A shadow without any ally but herself to rely on, but in her lonely journeys she'd experienced more, learned more than Thaed could ever fathom. His attention peaked only in his own interests and that list of interests was nearly as short as the Zabrak's 'fuse.' As a Jedi she learned control, something he could never understand; it was becoming a Sith that opened her eyes to the true possibilities.

"..and yet you waste your time on me?"

She would allow a smirk to curl at the corner of her lips, the blood from her temple finally reaching her cheek in the arctic temperatures. Some of the thickening life force had managed to freeze against her flesh, the cold chill forever dropping as time passed. Her eyes followed the pacing man, her body ready to react to his unorthodox nature.

"I sense the quiver deep within yourself.. The question you don't want to find the answer to. That darkness, that energy you thrive on.."

She'd step forward, her broken, injured left arm rising to form a fist as she stepped at the man. Her saber dropping back behind her and driving into the snow.

"...you too are a cancer, no more than the flakes which fall around you as I am, Silentius. The day you realize this, is the day I fear you."

 

[Sreeya]

For a long moment, there was nothing but the shrill howl of the wind. The planet itself was protesting against the presences of both these abominations, the wind kicking up snow and piling more atop the shuttle that was quickly beginning to get buried. The blood of the fallen had stained the field red, and yet the lifeless bodies were entirely ignored. That was when Thaed broke eye contact, glancing away to the side, though the anger still radiated from him.

"I have purpose. My purpose is chaos. My purpose is to be a catalyst, to bring disorder. I bring imbalance, and the Jedi fight to find equilibrium. Without me there would be nothing to fight, nothing to keep the galaxy moving. That is my purpose, however twisted it may be."

He envied her. She had a freedom he couldn't fathom. She was truly unbound, making her own choices and causing chaos wherever she pleased. Thaed would die before he ever admitted that to her. He looked back up at her, distaste clear upon his features.

"You are a broken shell of what you once were. I come here not to preach about your failings, but to punish you for turning your back on the Imperium. For letting anyone replace Exodeus!"

With that, he charged once again, closing the distance in a flash. This time, his saber was a flurry of motions, first beginning with a horizontal strike across her neck region from his left to right. It then carried into a diagonal strike from her left shoulder to right hip. This was followed into a pivot around her right side to drag the saber across her hip and towards her back.

 

[Rev]

As the man spoke the smirk which had curled onto her lips would slip away; fading instead to an expression of malice. Thaed's words spitting outward and reminding her of a child making their attempts to impress an elder. It was his rhetorical nonsense that allowed a pit to form at her core. One unlike any that nerves had ever put there. Shaking her head at the closure of his words she'd answer it with the same blunt honesty.

"If you truly believe that, then you are more an idiot than I ever could take you for. This universe was filled with chaos before you came into it, and will long after you're taken from it. Chaos is a fools tool.. chaos can be created by anyone.. by anything.. and above all else it lacks control. Chaos.. chaos controls you, Silentius, never the other way."

She would take the pause in time and Thaed's own speech to space herself from him. The unpredictable man was known for his unorthodox routine's and unique fighting style. She'd be a fool to let her guard down for more than a moment given improper spacing. It was his very words that would alert her to an incoming attack, something anger had a nag for bringing out in people. It was his incoming charge that dropped her into Soresu, the defensive form something she'd long past mastered.

Her blade would be firmly gripped in her right hand at the side, her right foot planted back while the left was forward. Thaed's first attack would be met with a vertical block, Aÿisha's own blade angling to deflect his slice up and over her head. Turning her body with the man's blade she'd cross her own in defense towards her left collarbone. As Silentius' blade would meet her own, her wrist would drop her crimson blade hugging centimeters from her own body as his blade slid down against hers. Following his twist her own blade and wrist would match his motion; her right wrist turning counter-clockwise as her body spun clockwise to face her foe.

Pushing close to the man to instead close the distance on him her arm would buckle as it begged for more strength. Staring into the Zabrak's eyes she couldn't help but narrow her own, the Force flowing through her body as she did all she could to both repair her wounds and strengthen them. Using their locked position she'd step forward with her right foot, pointing her toe at Thaed's own left knee. As suddenly as the right foot snapped forward as a plant foot, her left leg would come up, her hips twisting with all the momentum her own body could create. The result being a Force aided leg kick directed solely at Thaed's right calf.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed prepared to check the incoming kick, falling for the feint. He next experienced a sudden jolt of pain, gritting his teeth as he lost his footing in the uneven snow. He fell directly downwards, onto a knee. However, he wouldn't let that stop his barrage of attacks. As he went down, he swiftly adjusted his saber to slash across towards Ayisha's lower body. Her previous counters and saber engagement would have left her out of range.

"I control the chaos I inflict!"

Before his saber could connect, a blaster bolt slammed directly into the side of his bicep. The force was enough to knock him off to the side, and he scrambled to get up, grunting in pain. Thaed was still alert, rising to his feet and looking in the direction of the bolt. Keeping Ayisha in his sight, he blasted the wounded soldier with lightning, ending his life in an instant. Thaed ignored the searing pain in his arm, switching the hilt to rest in his left hand instead.

"I'm not letting you leave here alive, Illusia."

As he prepared another attack, he heard a massive rumble behind them. The mountains there had snow caked at the top, and the echoes and impact from the shuttle crash had finally shifted things into motion. For a moment, Thaed watched as a tumultuous wave of snow rapidly began to descend, threatening to bury the entire valley under tons of snow.

 

[Rev]

Watching the man sink into the depths of snow gave her an unsettling feeling. That pit in her gut had turned into something vastly different now. It was in that moment she'd stare at the desperate Sith cutting at air, her own feet taking a stride back for further safety. His words would be met with a familiar sound that she truly could never of expected; a blaster. Aÿisha's face would immediately go to the source, her eyes met with arcs of blue lightning as the man confined to the armor let out one final cry of pain before being ended.

Looking around her mind was no longer concerned with Thaed. The echo of the lone bolt piercing into her mind unlike any she could ever recall. It was like a shriek in the still of night, a final cry for help to be met with nothing but the cold howls of wind. Her eyes fixated on the mountaintops which remained still for the moment. She could sense Thaed's own life force approaching her, but she knew something more was to come, and it did. The ripple drowned out all other sounds, the ground at their feet quaking with life as the rumble turned from a soft hum to a dull roar. Disengaging her lightsaber the weapon would fall to her hip as her body turned to face the incoming white wall. Extending her right arm she would close her eyes and allow the very energy the avalanche created through the Force blanket not just the terrain, but herself.

A strong wall would encase around not only herself, but the deadly threat behind her. The thin layer of Force Energy protecting them from a certain death Rhen Var had no doubt cast upon them. As the white mass drew ever closer Illusia would dig her heels into the snow, her body feeling the impact of the hit as the wall and herself shifted backwards with the snow. The safe pocket would move with the expanse of land, her feet finally catching and holding place tens of feet from where they had started. In her action came a choice on Thaed's part, kill her and risk being crushed by the snow which consumed them or wait and see if they'd be spared a frozen fate.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed glared at the woman, watching as she erected a barrier around them both. He saw the onslaught of the avalanche, stuck between the crucial choice of ending her life while she was preoccupied or allowing them both to live. If he attacked her, there was no doubt that the disaster would consume them both. Thaed felt anger surging through him at this predicament, along with the throbbing pain of the wound on his arm. He shifted back from the massive impact of the snow hitting the barrier, which couldn't hold much longer.

The Zabrak observed the crushing, white waves all around them. He felt her barrier growing weaker. He knew he could end her life in an instant, and she wouldn't even know what was coming. It was as if his body acted of its own accord, causing him to jump forward and reach out. Instead of striking her, however, he grasped a hold of her good arm. He sprang upwards, using his naturally honed abilities to jump clear above the waves of snow. Trained extensively in Ataru, he was far more agile than most in the Order.

Thaed said nothing as he soared through the air, using the Force to enhance his movements. He first stepped onto the sinking remains of the shuttle, using that to jump up once again to a jutting platform from the citadel. He didn't stop there, springing up like a cat from platform to platform till he reached a lone, surviving tower. It was the tallest remaining structure from the citadel, the wind up here exceptionally forceful. The vantage point provided a panoramic view of the entire valley, including the avalanche that was rapidly consuming it.

The Zabrak swiftly slammed and pinned Ayisha against the durasteel, glaring into her eyes. There was hardly room for the two of them to stand, and his lightsaber still buzzed at his side. He did not step back, a firm grip keeping her from making any sudden movements. The Zabrak was unconcerned by the tremendous amount of snow piling in far below them.

"This changes nothing."

 

[Rev]

If everything hadn't been white at the precipice of her barrier, it surely became a blur of it once Thaed took hold of her arm. She could feel the natural energy that the very snow let off closing behind them which each push of the Ataru master. Using her own ability and connection to the environment, her focus would draw on that natural energy emanating from beneath. Each push the man had would have the aid of something more, the grace of his fluidity guided by the control of the environment around him. As her back became pinned to cold rock her body naturally was forced to hold a breath as the Zabrak glared into her eyes.

Letting her hands slowly drop, her fingertips would create trails in the frost of the snow; the cold friction burning her fingers which lacked the usual leather gloves. Looking from his powerful gaze to the still lit lightsaber at Thaed's side she nodded, a slight discord of sadness wrapping over her body in that moment. Placing her numbing left hand over where the Sith's heart was suspected to be she'd drop her head and allow a whisper to escape her lips, her eyes fixated on Thaed's deadly blade.

"..You're right."

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed said nothing as she placed a hand over his chest, though his hand twitched by instinct. Without his mental control, that same hand would have sliced through Ayisha's, removing the appendage from her body. The Zabrak gazed straight ahead, though she looked away. He stared at the durasteel behind her, his eyes narrowing at her words. He didn't trust her for an instant, and he fully believed this was all part of her act. His emotions would betray nothing, as he stood as a statue, devoid of any outward clues to his inner thoughts.

"It wasn't just Exodeus."

He spoke in a low voice, still not making eye contact with her. The wind struck particularly hard, the cloak he wore above his robes flying off in the distance. Thaed's body shielded the wind from Ayisha, though he hadn't done so intentionally. He finally lowered his gaze, biting back to keep from grinning at his next words.

"Andraste disappeared as well. I know you had ties to her. She is nowhere to be found. As good as dead."

 

[Rev]

The illusionist's eyes stared forward, her blank expression taking in everything Thaed had to say. At the mention of Exodeus her hand trailed down his chest, her finger tips just grazing his defined center. It was the shift in energy that radiated from Thaed that first snapped her from her daze, her eyes transfixed on the metallic of the Sith's hilt. She could sense the twisted darkness churning in his voice as Andraste's name slipped so soundly from his lips and her reaction was a mixture of plan and emotion.

Aÿisha's right hand would immediately lash outward, her interest in the bottom of Silentius' hilt as the natural wind pressing against his back changed with violent precision. The gusts would change from pressing against his back to sweeping up, directed solely at the Sith's hand. Meanwhile Illusia's own Force Energy would project outward, attempting to clasp the Sith Lord's wrist and contort it as the wind urged his hand at her. Using her extended hand to grab Thaed's incoming wrist she'd step off the cliff face and turn switching her own body with Thaed's. Then end result would be the two closer than they had started, her nose pressed to his eyes locked as the heat of Thaed's own saber radiated against both their throats.

"Watch your tongue... Or lose your head, Silentius."

She'd push her body into his, grinding her weight painfully into him to express her interest in this new information.

"Gone?"

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed grimaced at the sudden shift. She was quick, far quicker than he would have expected her to be. He remained silent, the heat of the saber causing tiny beads of sweat to quickly accumulate along his neck. He made no movements, feeling her press in and trap him against the durasteel. He knew it was hurting her more than it was him, her body still recovering from the crash. At her question, Thaed glared at her.

"Gone. While you were away gallivanting across the galaxy with Jedi. While you turned your back on the Imperium."

As he spoke, his free hand came up to grasp hers above the hilt of the saber. A grin slowly cut across his face.

"It's your life you want to take. Not mine. Can you live with it? Live with the knowledge that you abandoned her? That you have no idea what became of her? That she could be rotting away somewhere..her lifeless eyes vacantly gazing up at the stars..her lips never smiling again, her voice never calling out again. Can you live with that?"

He did not push her away, gauging her emotions, every tiny bit of tenseness.

"I am the least of your concerns, Illusia. Your actions have brought justice on their own."