The Great Cathedral- Entrance Hall "Well, Vic?" Kara called over her shoulder, not taking her eyes off Neesa. "Have you decided if you're going to help me or try to kill me?" The young Zeltron heard no answer- but saw Neesa's eyes flicker to something behind her. When she glanced around, both Vic and Rosencrantz had vanished...only the slightest trace of black smoke remained in the air. Before Kara could even think about this sudden development, Neesa was upon her, hurtling through the air, sabers flashing at incredible speeds. Tag: Xan
The Great Cathedral- Entrance Hall It enraged Kara, to be forced to fight defensively. Her rage found an outlet in her counterattack, as she locked blades with Neesa and shoved her back as hard as she could, sending her stumbling backwards a few feet, though the Imperial Knight managed to maintain her balance. With a gesture and the power of the darkside, a couple of pews and a dozen corpses rose into the air behind Kara, and sailed past her. She felt them fly just inches past her own face as she stood directing them. The projectiles smashed into Neesa and sent he crashing to the ground, bleeding from the mouth. Before Kara could finish off her downed opponent, a long, thin spear of deepest black formed in the air above Neesa. It was a weapon of the Force, and it flew straight towards Kara's head. Tag: Xan
The Great Cathedral- Entrance Hall Having avoided the black spear that had been hurled at her, Kara bounced back up and lunged forward, lightsaber raised high and stabbing down. Neesa did not move quickly enough; indeed, she barely moved at all. Perhaps she knew she was beaten, and would not fight any more. Perhaps she was simply exhausted, and unable to stir her muscles. Or perhaps she simply could not contend with the will of the City, which was so strong, so overwhelming, that the distinction between the City and the darkside itself seemed trivial. And the will of the City seemed almost certainly to favour Kara. And so it was that Kara's saber tore into Neesa's chestplate. The Imperial Knight immediately thrust herself forward into the blade so that it sank up to its hilt into her chest. Seizing her foe in sort of grim embrace, she screamed once again, straight into Kara's face. It was the same technique that she had used previously, but this time the inhuman shriek was fueled not only by rage, but by the final thoughts of a dying woman, and was all the more powerful for that. What was more, it was at point blank range. Tag: Xan
The Great Cathedral- Entrance Hall Kara's expression changed to one of astonishment as the Imperial Knight thrust herself forward on the blade, right up to the hilt, and seized the front of the Jedi's robes. Neesa screamed, the same inhuman shriek that she had unleashed only minutes ago, a vile, unnatural sound that seemed inescapable. As her foe opened her mouth, Kara flung up her other hand and desperately summoned the Force, trying somehow to block or absorb or turn aside the power of the attack. The shriek seemed to last for ever, still echoing in Kara's ears even as her enemy finally dropped lifeless to the floor. The young Zeltron did not know to what extent her defensive efforts had worked...certainly the noise had seemed somehow muted towards the end. After a few seconds, she realised something was wrong. As she looked around, she noticed that her perception of the environment had changed, as if one of her senses had suddenly been blocked off. Her initial instinct was that her hearing had been damaged. Something seemed muffled and distant, like voices fading away... But as she stepped past Neesa's corpse, and heard her own footfall upon the stone floor, she realised that she could still hear the outside world perfectly. Slowly and horribly, realisation dawned as the fallen Jedi tried to access the only one of her senses that really mattered to her. And she felt nothing. She had been cut off from the Force. Gone was the dark but warm embrace of the City. Gone was the old but comforting touch of the Light. And it struck Kara that she was a powerless murderer without allies or assistance, deep within a strange and evil place. She was alone. Tag: Xan
The Great Cathedral- The Candle Room The lift finally came to a stop, and Kara stepped out. Before her was an enormous cylindrical chamber, lit by what seemed like thousands of long candles. Their flame was unnatural in colour, and seemed to shift every few seconds between a rich scarlet and a marine blue, resulting in the rather unsettling impression that the room was alternately bathed in blood and deep underwater. More corpses of cultists were strewn across the ground like puppets abandoned by their master, their limbs twisted out of shape and pain still etched onto the features of their faces. Most of them bore lightsaber wounds. At the far end of the chamber was a long staircase, spiraling up towards the uppermost reaches of the Cathedral. And lying at the foot of the staircase, battered and broken, was Sydney Losstarot. He had propped himself up against the wall, and he was still conscious. As Kara approached, she could see that he bore cuts and wounds all over his body. Blood seemed to be coming from his back, though as he was sitting against the wall, she could not see why. He smiled wanly as she approached. "Congratulations," he said softly. "You won my game." Tag: Xan
The Great Cathedral- The Candle Room "The Imperial Knights' work?" asked Kara. "Correct," replied Sydney, breathing heavily, his eyelids half closed. "They have ascended to the roof...to complete the ceremony. And you are, at last...owed an explanation." "The dark power of the City is our family's legacy," he continued quietly. "The Blood Sin, as it is known. It has empowered us for generations, passing on to the next heir as soon as they come of age. "Years ago, I succeeded my father, Moff Bardoba, and became the City's keeper. Unlike our ancestors, my father and I despised the power of Lea Monde. Together we swore that this...tainted gift...would never reach Joshua. It would leave our family, forever. There are...ways...of passing it on to outsiders... "So we arranged this game. My kidnap of Joshua, my flight into the City, my time in the Forest...all part of our plan to find a worthy successor. My closest friends, Hardin and Rosencrantz, assisted me. Hardin remains loyal, and an hour ago completed my orders and took Joshua to safety outside the City walls. Rosencrantz, however, still secretly hopes that I will pass on my legacy to him. Even as I speak, he is fighting your comrade Vic...believing that he is eliminating a rival. He is wrong...neither Vic nor Rosencrantz are my successor. "That 'honour'...belongs to you, Kara Dysar. "Through your trials and challenges, the City itself has chosen you. How far you have come...in such a short time. How you will use Lea Monde's power, I do not know. But my family will be free." Slowly, he pushed away from the wall, gasping with pain as he did so, and began to twist around to expose his back. "Unfortunately...there has been one factor that I had not anticipated...one who has...interfered with my plans." The great tattoo that had once covered Sydney's back was gone- in its place was nothing but red raw, bloodied flesh. The skin had been intentionally sliced off. "Guildenstern knows the secrets of the City," said Sydney. "He is performing an ancient ceremony that will transfer the Blood Sin to him, regardless of my will. Skinning me of the rune on my back was the first part of this ritual. The second is the sacrifice of an innocent...poor, naive little Samantha... "You must stop him, Jedi. No matter how far you have fallen, or the murders you have committed...you are not yet lost...but Guildenstern is a monster." Tag: Xan
