Snowfly Forest Choose and act. Kara made her choice, and acted upon it. She saw the momentary shock in the faces of her foes as they sensed what was to come, but they could not move quickly enough. Lightning flew from the Jedi's fingertips, blasting into Grissom and Duane so hard that they were tossed several feet back, with scorch marks left in the dust. Their limbs shook like those of ragdolls, their lightsabers falling from their jerking hands. The arc of electricity grew stronger, seeming to feed off itself, chaining from one body to the other and back, trapping them in a net of blue fire. Suddenly an eerie white light seemed to surround the dying pair, and for a moment it seemed as if their violent throes had produced some sort of death-aura...but then Kara noticed that the light was coming from the snowflies, who had curiously returned, swarming above the two Knights. As a Zeltron, Kara should have felt the pain of her victims screaming out to her...but the presence of the snowflies seemed to mask it with a soothing sense of contentment and peace. She did notice, however, that the skin of both Grissom and Duane was now heavily charred, and that the pair were lapsing into unconsciousness from the agony. A few more seconds would be enough to kill them both. Perhaps this realisation would be enough to make Kara break off her assault...or perhaps she had already decided to go for the kill. Sydney had finished his drawings, and stood quietly nearby, apparently waiting to see what she would do. She no longer felt his presence in her head- her decision was her own. Tag: Xan
Snowfly Forest In the heart of the forest there was death, and there was silence. It was broken by the menacing hum of a lightsaber. Sydney Losstarot found the green blade at his neck, though he did not seem concerned. "Now," said Kara quietly, "no more games. Tell me what this is all about, Sydney." For a moment there was no answer, and the snowflies continued to flutter busily around the two corpses, resembling luminous flies swarming over carrion. "The City whispers to me," replied the Mullenkamp leader with a thin smile. "Of darkness, of decay, and of every death. Three Imperial Knights now fallen by your hand. I did not expect such steel in the soul of a Jedi Knight." The drawings he had been making on the ground started to shimmer with a faint light. "As you may have guessed," he continued, "this is not about the kidnap of my brother. Yes indeed, Joshua is my brother, and Moff Bardoba my dear old father. Your Council was ill-informed as usual. The Emperor was aware, however...and so his Knights arrived with that particular advantage over you." Kara glanced down at the drawings which were now pulsing with blue and white light, and saw that they were a series of arcane symbols...centered around two stick figures... "This is about a test," said Sydney. "And thanks to you, three have failed already..." The drawings were now ablaze- and behind Kara, the burned bodies of Grissom and Duane shuddered back to life, rising to their feet with inhuman, blood-curdling shrieks. In the instant Kara took to look at them, Sydney was gone. His voice echoed in her head. Will you be next, little Jedi? Tag: Xan
Vic had successfully knocked his opponent - Guildenstern - over, and took that opportunity to escape with the Bounty Hunter. The Jedi placed his lightsabers on his belt and ran with all the speed he could muster in order to latch onto the leg of Rosencrantz. Had he not used the Force to boost his speed, he probably would not have made it seeing as he just barely caught the foot of the bounty hunter. "Hold tight!" Jan yelled as he propelled them upwards while, at the same time, continuing to fire at the Imperial Knight by the stream. His shots were more accurate than what Vic would have expected since the man was guiding not only himself, but Vic as well, with the jet pack. There was no doubt that this man was using the Force to keep himself in line. Suddenly, Vic felt pressure on his right foot which yanked the pair down ever so slightly. He looked down and saw the Imperial Knight that he had crushed under the debris of the fallen shack, Samantha, grasping onto his foot. Jan obviously felt the added weight of the Imperial Knight, his flying a little less balanced. "Get her off!" he yelled over the sound of the blaring jet pack. Vic was not sure if he would be able to hold on to the leg of Jan with just one hand, thinking the weight of Samantha would be too much to handle, which would cause a problem if he decided to use his lightsaber. While he thought, he violently shook his leg, which would probably do more harm than good; the shifting of the weight would probably throw Rosencrantz's flying off balance. With seemingly no other options left - at least none that he could think of - Vic decided to use his lightsaber. The Jedi let go with his left hand, strengthening the grip of his right hand with the Force, and grabbed for his lightsaber. Flicking it on, he kicked his leg forward in hopes of getting a decent look on Samantha. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent the blade sailing towards the elbow of the Imperial Knight, keeping clear of his own leg, yet attacking a place that would most certainly get Samantha off.
Tircolas Flow Vic's first response was to shake violently, causing Rosencrantz to veer dangerously towards a nearby building before managing to correct his course. They were now at least twenty feet high and rising rapidly, as the bounty hunter tried to steer them over to the other side of the river. Vic decided to remove their unwanted passenger with his lightsaber. He let go with his left hand, strengthening the grip of his right hand with the Force, and grabbed for his lightsaber. Flicking it on, he kicked his leg forward in hopes of getting a decent look on Samantha. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent the blade sailing towards the elbow of the Imperial Knight, keeping clear of his own leg. The female Knight was not a fool- and with very little room to maneuver, she had no other option. She let go. The saber grazed her elbow as she plummeted. Vic glanced at her and saw that instead of becoming a sticky mess on the ground, her landing had been almost completely softened by Guildenstern, who stood below, using the Force to cushion the fall of his comrade. As Samantha was lowered gently back onto solid ground, Guildenstern looked up, his face furious, rage pouring out of him through the Force...and then it was over, and Vic and Rosencrantz were safely away, leaving their three foes behind. A moment later they landed somewhat roughly in the shade of a crumbling watch tower in the north of the city, and the pair finally had a chance to catch their breath. Tag: nemisis Snowfly Forest Kara drew upon the Force once again, quickening her actions. She sidestepped and darted forward in colourful and lightning fast blur, aiming a blow at Grissom's head and withdrawing with equal speed. Hit-and-run was the only strategy she could use until she had determined the capabilities of her foes. As she wheeled back around she saw that her strike had decapitated Grissom, and his head dropped cleanly from his neck. To her surprise, the head looked up at her, and grinned. The body continued to move of its own accord, lighting up its saber and swinging at its foe, apparently without the need for vision. The head stayed on the ground, spitting out huge globules of something that was certainly not saliva- the foul liquid was burning the ground that it landed upon. Why these undead could survive dismemberment was a mystery- perhaps it was because they were Force Users, or perhaps because it had been Sydney who brought them back to life. But there was no time to ponder the differences. The undead Duane was still whole in body, and lurched forward into his own attack, slashing down and overhand towards Kara. Tag: Xan
Vic was satisfied when his plan had partially worked. He did not injure the Imperial Knight, but she did let go and plummeted towards the ground at high speeds from the fairly lengthy fall. Looking down, Vic expected to see Samantha either unconscious or dead from the fall. However, she had not even hit the ground yet. Unfortunately, Guildenstern had arrived to cushion her fall with the Force, his face flustered with anger. The Jedi Knight could not help but be annoyed by the fact that Samantha had survived the fall. It would have been one less Imperial Knight to worry about while trying to complete the mission. Though, he was a Jedi Knight, he was not suppose to have those feelings. He was not even suppose to engage them, let alone wish death upon them. This was not the first time that this city had changed him. Earlier on, he had ignored the mission to follow an illusion of his lost lover, he had grown angry during the duel with Sydney and now he was hoping his opponents would die so he did not have to worry about them. Vic, and his Jedi companions had to finish this mission as soon as possible before it changed them for good. Within moments, Rosencrantz and Vic had landed safely and out of range of the Imperial Knights. Vic was glad for this break, able to catch his breath. He wanted to keep moving, to hurry up and find this boy. Yet, there was still questions that Vic needed Jan to answer. "Alright," he said, his breath finally returning to him. "You need to explain further...Who are you? Where did you learn the Force?" His voice was stern and he stood as still as a statue. He needed answers, and he wanted them now.
Rosencrantz stepped forward into the city, after the darkness of the tunnels the fresh air and sunlight seemed to breath light into Kimara. She could not help but feeling as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders, though a small part of her mind warned to keep her wits about her. This was not over, not even close. "We will work better if we split into two teams," Rosencrantz suggested. "You and I-" he said, pointing to Vic"-will head northwards, to the Snowfly Forest. You two-" he gestured to Kimara and Anengy"-should go south, towards the Temple of Kiltia. I believe the boy we look for will be found at one of these locales, but we must move quickly to outpace the Empire's Knights." Kimara did not relish the idea of splitting up, Kara was already on her own, and though Kimara suspected she was still alive the idea of further fractioning the compainions did not sit well with her. Vic seemed to hesitate only a moment before agreeing, and offering a quick blessing toward Anengy and herself. The young Arkanian nodded to Vic and Rosenthal, then looking toward Anengy commented, "Well, no time like the present right?" Waiting would only give the Imperial Knights an edge, and at this moment Kimara wanted wanted nothing more than to find this boy and ensure his safety.
Tircolas Flow "Alright," said Vic after a moment, his breath returning to him. "You need to explain further...Who are you? Where did you learn the Force?" The Jedi's voice was stern, his stance firm and unyielding. He had seen many things in this City...the dead rising back to life, dragons summoned from the shadows, murderous Imperial Knights...and the ghost of his own wife. He was not in the mood to be toyed with anymore, and it showed. "I expected you would question me," said Rosencrantz, holstering his blasters. "I suppose there is no harm in telling you. I feared that if you knew you would not let me accompany you, or worse, you would attack me. I hope that I have gained your trust after that...encounter." "The truth is that I was once a prominent cultist myself- I co-founded Mullenkamp with Sydney. We parted ways eventually, over certain...differences. But I still count him as one of my close friends. He may have gone too far this time, but he is not the villain you have been led to believe." He slung his jetpack over his back once again. "If you have no further questions, I suggest we head into the Snowfly Forest. It is not far from our current position." Tag: nemisis Snowfly Forest Kara dodged the acidic saliva before parrying the headless body's attack and backing away- before wheeling around to intercept a strike from Duane, who entered the fray with a overhand slash. Kara blocked it at high guard and summoned the Force again, hurling the undead Knight off his feet. Her mind worked furiously, and soon she came up with a new strategy. She spun and slashed at Grissom's decapitated body, easily passing his guard and slicing his legs out from underneath him. His upper torso fell to the ground with a thud, though it quickly regained its balance thanks to its arms, and began pulling along the ground towards Kara. The legs, meanwhile, charged at her, leaping into the air and kicking furiously. It was almost comical if not for the fact that she was still in real danger. Duane meanwhile, rushed in for another attack, while Grissom's head continued to spit, aiming higher now so that he could get greater distance. Tag: Xan Rue Sant D'Alsa Kimara and Anengy proceeded together, quiet and withdrawn while they contemplated all that had happened so far. Fortunately the streets seemed to be deserted in the southern area of the City, and they had some welcome peace while they reflected, and gathered themselves for what was to come. And without warning, the Force blazed into life, brimming with anger and violence and terror. A rapid barrage of scarlet lasers poured towards the Jedi pair from all angles, only narrowly missing them and scorching the ground. A quick look around revealed nothing- the buildings and huts seemed to be as empty as the streets. But the blaster fire continued, and it became apparent to both Jedi that they were under sniper attack. Tag: Despised, Trimaj
Snowfly Forest I am going to kill Sydney, Kara thought, her anger like a storm within the Force. Once again, the snowflies seemed to be gathering, this time just above the Zeltron, bathing her in a blue-white glow. She raised her free hand and threw the Force at Duane again - and this time, her power manifested itself as lightning. It blasted straight into her foe's chest and tore straight out the other side, forming a huge, gaping hole. Duane roared with pain, but continued his advance. The flesh around the newly-created cavity began to crumble rapidly, dropping to the ground and disintegrating into dust. The lightning seemed to have worked, and it occurred to Kara that it made sense to fight fire with fire... made sense that these creatures of the dark could only be destroyed permanently by the dark... Tag: Xan
Rosencrantz did not hesitate to answer the questions being thrown at him. Judging by the fact that he had just holstered his weapon, Vic felt a little more at ease, but was still ready to pull out his weapon at any moment. "I expected you would question me. I suppose there is no harm in telling you. I feared that if you knew you would not let me accompany you, or worse, you would attack me. I hope that I have gained your trust after that...encounter." What the Bounty Hunter revealed next made the Jedi Knight want to pull out his lightsaber and slash Jan down. Apparently, he had been the co-founder of this Sith Cult along with Sydney. However, he must have seen the error in the ways of his good friend, saying, Sydney "may have gone too far this time." That was a bit of a relief, yet Vic could not help but feel even more suspicious of Rosencrantz. "But he is not the villain you have been led to believe." "Not the villain he is made out to be?" Vic asked, his voice betraying his shock. "He is the leader of a cult who has kidnapped his own brother. Not to mention the fact that he has already tried to kill my fellow Jedi and I." He decided to leave out the fact that he was a practitioner of the Dark Side since Jan himself was as well. He did not want to upset his only guide through this city. Not until the man had worn out his use. Yet again, Vic felt ashamed of his own thoughts. Not until the man had worn out his use? That was not a thought a man should be having, especially a Jedi Knight. Again, it showed the effects that this wretched city was having on Vic. "If you have no further questions," Rosencrantz said, "I suggest we head into the Snowfly Forest. It is not far from our current position." Vic stayed silent for a moment, thinking on what to do. Should he trust this man, a former member of the Sith Cult? What if he was tricking Vic, secretly working with Sydney and leading Vic to his death? It was a tricky situation, one that the Force was giving little hints on which way to decide - possibly because the Dark Side was clouding the Force so much within Leá Monde. "Lead the way," Vic finally said.
Tircolas Flow "Not the villain he is made out to be?" Vic asked, his voice quivering with obvious shock. "He is the leader of a cult who has kidnapped his own brother. Not to mention the fact that he has already tried to kill my fellow Jedi and I." "If you have no further questions," Rosencrantz said, ignoring this outburst, "I suggest we head into the Snowfly Forest. It is not far from our current position." Vic stayed silent for a moment, thinking on what to do. The Jedi faced a difficult situation. One hand he could be walking into a trap, and even if he wasn't he was still allowing himself to be led around by a cultist. On the other hand, Rosencrantz was a useful guide for now. "Lead the way," the Jedi finally said. His companion nodded silently, and strode ahead. They had only been walking for two minutes when Rosencrantz began to speak once again. "Sydney told me you lost your wife," he said simply. Tag: nemisis
The duo began to walk, Jan leading the way. Vic felt uneasy following this man now, not knowing exactly what he was being led to. The best situation, Jan would be heading straight towards Joshua and an end to this horrible mission. The Worse situation, the Bounty Hunter was leading him straight to Sydney and other cultists which would most certainly lead to the death of the Jedi Knight. Very soon after they began to walk, Rosencrantz began to talk. "Sydney told me you lost your wife," he said. Vic nearly stopped in his tracks, but managed to keep walking. It wasn't a surprise that Sydney knew, he had formed the vision of Kelia. How Sydney knew this was what troubled Vic. He assumed the bounty hunter was trying to get a rise out of the Jedi, and Vic was not going to amuse him. "Yes," he said. "Five years ago." His expression, his voice, was as bold as ever. He made sure that his true feelings on the matter were hidden deep down inside so that Jan could not see - or feel - them.
