Star Wars CLOSED An Uneasy Alliance

A two player RPG between @Tay Neir and @Tia

After the fall of a friend and a lover two beings find themselves lost and looking for answers. Both beings have swept the galaxy far and wide looking for their call. They then find it and the small planet of Kamea.

A planet on which both the light and the dark sides of the force clashed for many decades until now they exist together in perfect harmony with each other. The light creating life and the dark side destroying it. The light bringing warm, clear, sunny days. The dark bringing stormy, cold, dark nights. The light creating creatures to graze. The dark creating creatures to feast on those creatures. Together the two co-exist, helping the other side of the force to do their job. Both beings would feel a call from their respected side of the force drawing them to this planet. What will they find? Friendship? Murder? Love? Who knows, the galaxy is full of surprises.

 

It's been three weeks since the Sith and the Grey Jedi fought in the streets of Theed City, Naboo. During the course of their duel with lightsabers Theed authorities arrested both combatants for public disturbance. What should have been a routine detainment quickly turned into bloodshed, despite cries from The Grey Jedi Cort; Tia, the Sith acolyte, slaughtered hundreds of Theed police and escaped custody taking the Grey Jedi with her.
Now...they are on the run, and wanted throughout The Republic.


Name: Tia Vainglorious
Affiliation: Sith Acolyte
Age: 19
Weapon: twin lightsabers, (Crimson blade) The Force

Appearance: long blonde hair, green eyes. Around 5,7.

 

Name: Cort Dreit
Affliction: Grey jedi
Age: I honestly forgot
Weapons: Twin lightsabers (green blade), dc-11 blaster, the force

IC: Cort Dreit

Cort was currently stood underneath an overhang with a grey cloak swung over her head covering her face and her headtails. Thanks to a certain Sith acolyte, Cort was now on the run from the very government she had once served. Cort bit her lip as she remembered the scene she had forced to flee. She had even had to ditch her droid as Droids were easily tracked. She was not waiting for anything, she was under the overhang because the sky was grey and cloudy, and it was chucking down with rain. The weather perfectly described Cort's mood. That was when she felt it. The call in the force. It was the third time that day and this time she followed it. She jumped into an unlicensed x-wing and set a course for a planet she had never heard of. A new droid sat in the droidsocket. Cort then made the jump to hyperspace.

 

IC: Tia
Kamea

A lightsaber was at the Bith's throat. Darth Virulenta (Tia) held it there while staring a cold stare with piercing green eyes into his obsidian black ones. "I don't know what you w-want" the Bith stammered. The Sith acoloyte did not know his name, nor did she wish to learn it. Tia had sensed that the Bith was force sensitive, and she could tell he was pretty powerful. She leaned forward and her lips were now almost touching the flesh near his ear, "something you don't have..." fear now engulfed her opponent, and he whispered "Cort...help me!"

@Tay Neir

 

IC: Cort Driet

Cort heard the whisper through the force and used the force speed ability to rush to the location. Cort saw Tia up ahead and that was not what Cort needed right now as Tia had her saber to a bith's thoart. Cort realized that the bith had called Cort by her name. She stood behind Tia so that she was out of her eyesight but well within the bith's. It was then that Cort unclipped her saber for safe measure.

"Tia, it's been a while" Cort said with a vicious tone in her voice. Cort had never got along with Tia but even more so now that it was Tia's fault that they were both on the run.

TAG: @Tia

 

IC: Tia/Virulenta

Tia heard the voice, a small thin smile formed on her lips, but she did not turn around. Instead she continued to hold the blade to the Sith's throat. "indeed it has Cort, come to save your friend?"

TAG: @Tay Neir

 

IC: Cort Driet

"I do not know this bith, Tia. But somehow he knows me. Cort then ignited her green blade and held it to the biths throat to stand alongside the red blade of Tia.

"How do you know my name, Bith?" Cort asked. Standing next to Tia was the last thing Cort wanted to do.

TAG: @Tia

 

IC: Bith Prisoner

"You are a friend of Aleric, I do not feel him in the force anymore". Tia's thin smile turned to a snarl "Aleric is dead". The Bith would have bowed his head in sorrow if he could "how?"

Tia looked directly at Cort in response "because not even a grey Jedi could save him"

TAG: @Tay Neir

 

A combo with @Tia

IC: Cort Dreit, Bith and Tia

Cort listened to the bith talk about Aleric. It was painful, even more so when Tia looked directly at her when she spoke. Cort turned to face Tia but still held her green saber towards the bith.

"That wasn't my fault, Tia. I did everything I could, but you stood there whilst we were losing Aleric." She said before turning back to the bith.

"I'm guessing Aleric told you my name then, bith" she said adjusting her grip so that one wrong move from the bith would send a saber through his chest
"yes...if you are the one called Cort" he said gazing at Cort with a long gaze.

Tia continued to stare at Cort "you should kill him"
"I am yes, Cort Driet, former freind of Aleric" Cort said to the bith. She then heard Tia's words. Cort moved her eye so that she could see Tia out of its corner.

"You think I'm not considering it." She said before moving her eye back to the bith in question.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't send this blade through your chest."Said Cort as her green blade hovered dangerously close to the Bith's chest.
"Because, there is more light in you than darkness. Aleric saw it..."

Tia snorted at this "enough of this, finish him"
"Your right, lucky for you I can control my emotions in the light and a little in the dark. I use both sides of the force." Said Cort as deactivated her green saber. She then stood between Tia and the bith.

"I guess you'll have to kill us both, Tia." She said. Tia then moved her head over her shoulder to look down on the bith.

"I didn't catch your name by the way, Mr. Bith" she said offering him a small smile.
"my name is An'Yon. I'm part of a small force sect in the outer-rim. We-"

Tia had heard enough, she force pulled him across the ground toward an old twisted tree. "The more force users there are, the greater the threat to the Sith" she lifted her ignited lightsaber high above her head, ready to strike.
Cort watched as the both was pulled across the ground. Cort re-ignited her saber and lunged towards Tia. Swinging her blade in front of An'Yon aiming to block Tia's red blade.

"Tia, I understand your judgement but I will not allow you to kill An'Yon. I can keep an eye on him if you need me too." Said Cort as her hood came down of her face revealing her face. A woman gasped near by when she saw the two force sensitives as she regonized them both. Cort looked over at her and knew that she would contact republic authorities if she got away. Cort then unclipped and ignited her other saber sending it towards the woman, pining her in place.
Tia deactivated her lightsaber, I could use this Bith to my advantage she thought. She then looked at Cort, "you know if you let her go" she gestures to the pinned woman "she will only tell on us, you must do what you have to do. It's all any of us can do"
"I understand that Tia, which is why the jedi have effective means than killing" Said Cort. She reached out with her hand and wiped it across the woman's forehead.

"You do not know who we are" Said Cort. The jedi mind trick was something she had used many times before.

"I do not know who you are" The woman repeated as if in a trance.

"You will now go on your way" Cort said as her saber returned to her hand.

"I will now go on my way" The woman repeated before walking away. Once the woman was out of sight she turned back to Tia.

"My point exactly" She said. Just then she felt a call in the force. Cort didn't understand she was already on the planet where the call had come from. What was the force trying to tell her.
Tia watched with an amused expression at the mind trick "cute" she said in a mocking tone. She then saw she was distracted and considered the possibilty of killing all three that were in front of her. But she had other things in mind for Cort.
"Thanks" Cort said sarcastically. She clipped one saber to her belt whilst the other green blade was still humming.

"Have you ever felt like the force was tryna tell you something Tia?"
Tia snorted at the question, the force was a rather frivolous thing to her, at least in day to day applications, it was a mere tool. A tool that could sometimes be useful, and one a lot of people did not have. To Tia Cort's question was like asking if had she ever felt a hammer was trying to tell her something. "no" she half lied, "and if the force ever did, I would quickly remind it I control it, it does not control me"
Cort thought their was something Tia was not telling but she knew better than to pressure a sith to talk from experience. The last one she had pressured had almost killed her and would've if she had not found sanctuary on Decameron Alpha. Cort then turned to An'Yon and kneeled at his side

"If you want you could come with me, I will protect you the best I can, there is something the force wants me to investigate, I could use another." her gaze turned to Tia.

"Unless Tia cares to join me." Cort said
"if you want me to join you just ASK" Tia said indignantly.
"Well in that case, Tia wil you join me in investigating whatever this is?" Cort said raising to her feet surprised that Tia was even gonna consider it. Cort had exoe Ted her to instantly say no. Tia moved her headtails out of her face except the one that was missing thanks to her former master within the jedi order, the memory still bothered her.
"I will if you say 'Tia will you please accompany me in my quest' then I will....and if this...thing" she looked at the Bith with a bit of disdain "behaves itself".

An'Yon gulped
"Fine. Tia will you please accompany me in my quest?" Cort said.
Tia gave a smirk "yes I will" she turned to the Bith "come, you"
Cort allowed the force to guide her to an old temple. The temple looked like it had been through a war. It was certainly an old Jedi Temple but Cort didn't understand why there was a dark side presence around it. There was writing around the edge of the great double doors. Cort couldn't read it but knew it was the ancient and forbidden language of the sith.

"Where's a protocol droid when you need one." Cort said. She then turned to both of the others.

"Do either of you speak sith?" She asked.
"protocol droids cannot read Sith, it's against their programming some senate ruling..." Tia strolled to the ancient door and ran slender fingers over the symbols. The Bith looked at Cort and then at Tia, afraid to ask if she could read the ancient looking hieroglyphics.
"Not if you know where to go Tia." Cort said before sensing the fear in An'Yon and she knew what he was afraid to ask. Cort decided to ask herslef.

"Tia, can you understand it?" Cort asked saving An'Yon the trouble
Tia was silent a long minute and then mumbled something under her breath. An'Yon stood closer to Cort before Tia spoke up "ancient languages aren't my forte kids, so...in a word, no... but I can tell you something Sith graffiti on a Jedi temple...nice"
"then I guess we better press forward, the call is coming from somewhere inside." Replied Cort. The moment she had said this the doors to the temple opened. Cort looked next to her at An'Yon.

"Come on, An'Yon, stay close" She said before walking onto the marble floor of the temple.
An'Yon hobbled along beside Cort, looking around in wonder. Tia closely followed behind them with a roll of the eyes.
Cort had never seen architecture like this. It was certainly older than the grey temple in deacmeron alpha. She felt the call getting more and more powerfull as the trio went further into the temple. Just then Cort felt a rumble and the ground gave way under here feet. As she went down she grabbed onto the edge with her right hand and she was holding onto the floor.

"An'Yon a little hand" She said. But then she fell into a cavern below. She landed awkwardly on her leg and felt it snap. Her sabers had unclipped from her belt. On landed next to here and the other had flown in Tia's direction.
An'Yon looked at Tia as the latter grabbed the hilt. An'Yon shouted down to the injured grey Jedi "Cort...are you hurt? can you hear me?"
"An'Yon, I can hear you. I think I have broken my left leg. Where's Tia?" Curt shouted back up. Her voice was shake after the fall and the pain that she was being forced to endure. Now that she was down here the call was even stronger, the strongest it had ever been.

"An'Yon, the call. It's coming from done here somewhere."
An'Yon looked over at Tia who wasn't taking any notice of the situation and was observing the temple walls and ceiling. An'Yon shouted down to Cort again "she's uhhm, she's here, can you move?"
Cort tried to get her self up and she rested on a wet rock before slipping and crashing back down to the ground. Her head then looked at the distant figure of An'Yon.

"Not really, Mate. It's a broken leg for god sake." Curt said sounding angier than she meant too.
An'Yon once again looked at Tia and cleared his throat "Miss...miss" Tia turned around "are you adressing me?" An'Yon could only stare at her. Tia sighed and looked down the hole and feigned surprise to see Cort down the hole with a broken leg. "Huh...guess the caretakers in your....grey Jedi temple never taught you to watch your step huh? looks like you're in a bit of a bind there Cort"
"Yeah, for once you may be right, Tia" Cort replied as she force called her saber and ignited the green blade.

"Have either of you two seen my other saber by any chance?"
Tia threw the hilt down to her. "here it is!" it lands with a clatter at Cort's feet.
An'Yon swallowed hard "are you going to help her out?"
Tia shrugged "the dark-side will help her out"
"I'll be fine but if anything, you two need to come here, the call is stronger here" Cort said as she called her other saber to hand.

"Do you see any safe way down?"

OOC: To be continued

 

IC: Tia:

An'Yon scratched his waxy bald head and looks around "not really, there are some overgrown tangled weeds I could use to make a rope but that might take ARRRGGHH" An'Yon was already on his way down being pushed by Tia

Cort used her right hand to slow An'Yon's fall.

"That's one way to do it, hey, An'Yon?" Said Cort exhausted.

"Can I have a hand?" Asked Cort.

An'Yon feeling dazed thinking he was done for staggered to Cort and helped her " can you stand?"

Tia herself jumped down and used the force to slow the drop and landed steadily,

"Not really An'Yon. I'll do my best though." Replied Cort. She then turned her head towards the tunnel ahead and a horrible beast came out of it. Whatever it was it was strong with the dark side of the force. Cort did not know what it was and she turned to Tia. "You know what that thing is by any chance?" She asked.

Tia edged back slowly "yeah I know what that is...it's a Terentatek, cute ain't it...?"


"A what?" Asked Cort. She had no idea what it was but it smelt of danger.

"An'Yon give me a hand backing up will you please?" Asked Cort. Her sabers hung at her sides.

Tia rolled her eyes thinking that Cort needed a new master, and soon, one which would teach her things.

An'Yon grabbed Cort's hand and pulls her to her feet "it looks hungry"

Tia gazed at the creature in the eyes and slowly moved forward, hand out trying to center it.

"yeah, and I don't wanna be its dinner An'Yon, Tia on the otherhand clearly does" Cort said watching Tia approch the thing.


Tia walked up to it, and it made a terrible wailing sound as though in pain and ran back into the hollow cave,
she turned back to them "I told him you two were a delicacy..."

"you had too didn't you, Tia? You are a very complicated being" Cort said.
"Let's press on." Said Cort as she motioned into the hollow cave with her free arm.

An'Yon supported Cort as they walked forward, draping Cort's arm over his shoulder.

Tia turned back and watched them "you aren't serious? how do you expect to defend yourself with a broken leg?"

"That's for you to find out Tia, I have learned many things since Aleric's death." Said Cort as the three were submerged in darkness. Cort unclipped and ignited her saber.

"Let's just try not to kill each other, no matter how tempting it may be" Cort said with a little anger in her voice towards the end of her sentence.

Tia couldn't help but grin at Cort's last statement, the more she used her anger the more it fueled Tia. She unclipped a small torch from her belt and turned in on, "so...who exactly is your master Cort?"

"that depends on which order your referring to, the jedi or the grey?" Cort replied. This was a sensitive subject for her as her master within the jedi order had done terrible things to many padawans including cort. It was because of him that she was missing a head tail.

Tia pressed on forward "why don't we start with your Jedi master?"

"As you wish. My jedi master was Fotol Milo. He was a brilliant jedi master and trained many padawans. His training methods were recognized by the council only after..." Cort started to explain.
"after what?" Tia encouraged

"I think my headtails can answer that one. It was because of his training methods that I lost it. I was his last padawan before he was exiled from the order. It was only because of I am related to a member of the jedi council that put an end to his training methods. None has seen him since" Cort explained as she was being helped along by An'Yon. Cort then yawned.

Tia "I see..." she said moving cautiously forward through the cave, "is that when you decided to go grey?"

"No, That was when I left without anyone knowing one night. I fled to the outer rim. Away from the jedi, later found a droid, he became my friend. The only one I've ever had. We were both surviving in the wild for 6 years before the sith found us. He attacked us. Nearly had me but my droid took the blow saving my life. It was that day the force took me to the grey order and I became one. You do not decide to go grey. The force does. I am not as trained as I should be Tia. I do not know how to use the force or duel with a lightsaber as well as I should" Said Cort before yawning again. She then turned to An'Yon.

"Put me down here."


An'Yon obeyed the request.

Tia stopped to look behind her, shining her torch on them "maybe you need a better teacher then"


"What are you trying to say Tia?" Asked Cort looking up at the sith acyolete. Cort then used the force to pull a few rocks and she rested her head on them.

"you've been awefully quiet An'Yon, is something up?" Asked Cort looking up from her makeshift pillow of rocks.


"exactly what I said, you need someone to train you better in all those things, to help you see the force in a new light"

An'Yon sat perched on a rock contemplating "I was just engrossed in your tales Cort, they were fascinating"

"fascinating is one thing to call it An'Yon." She said giving him a smile. She then faced Tia.

"I suppose you are right Tia, I do don't I." Said Cort as her eyes closed.

Tia observed her a long minute but did not say anything,

"You just gonna stand there or you gonna get some sleep, I would while you can Tia" said Cort.

Tia curled her lip at the suggestion "rule number one, always sleep with one eye open. In my order you never know when somebody will come up behind you and try to murder you. Only the strong survive in the way of the Sith, are you strong Cort?

"Well unlike you I'm not part of the sith order, I use the force to protect myself during my sleep, hence why I sleep with one saber on me at all times. As to am I strong, right now not really." Said Cort as she opened one black eye to look at Tia.
"you rely on your saber too much..." Tia said as she sat down on a rock and stretched.

"yeah, but it keeps me safe.Afterall I know how to use it more than my force abilites." Cort Replied
"that's sad" Tia quipped

"how much do you know about that stuff Tia. The darkside of the force?" Cort asked.

Tia observed her closely before answering "as much as my mentor has taught me, and others is my temple, so you could say I know quite a bit"

"that makes sense. Same with me and the grey, they only really teach me the light. I need someone who will teach me the dark side as some call it." Cort replied as she offered one of her sabers to An'Yon.
"you'll need it more than I will"


An'Yon looks down at the lightsaber and takes it "thank you Cort"
Tia rubbed the back of her neck thinking about how on earth she was going to sleep on a bunch of rocks "are you implying I teach you?"

"Only if you wish to Tia." Cort replied. Cort noticed Tia rub the back of her neck. Cort had been the same way once. Cort had now grown used to it.
"You'll get used to it, Tia" Cort. She then looked up at An'Yon
"I could teach in the lightside of the force and how to properly use a lightsaber, An'Yon. All you have to do is ask" Cort said.

Tia shakes her head and sighed.

"thank you Cort" An'Yon said rather tired, I would like that.

"we'll begin your training soon An'Yon, for try get some rest" Cort said before she finally fell asleep.

Tia sat on the rock with her back against the wall trying to get comfy, she finally closed her eyes herself and rested.

Cort later woke up and a little tingle was running down her broken leg. Cort then got up and put her full weight on it. The leg was healed. Somehow it was repaired. Cort looked at the other two and decided to let them rest. A creature then came around the corner it lunged for Cort but Cort ignited her green saber, sliced the creature and deactivted her weapon all in one fluid movement. She cut parts of the creature off and began to eat it's meat. Cort wasn't concerned about what the creature was.

Tia woke at the sound of the commotion and stared at Cort eating "you mind? some of us are trying to rest" she glanced over at the Bith who was still in a deep sleep.

"sorry about that. Help yourself if you want it" Cort replied before taking another bite. Cort then followed Tia's gaze and looked at An'Yon. He was still sleeping.

Tia looked at the raw meat and almost gagged "no thanks, not hungry" she looks down at the Bith "looks like he hasn't slept in a long while, wake him if you want, makes no difference to me...honestly you will never make as a student of the dark side, you are too....considerate"
"How in the galaxy can he sleep thorugh that, should we wake him?" Cort asked

Tia smirked at this as An'Yon woke "mmmhm? what? oh...hello Cort how long was I sleeping?"

"I don't know, we've only just woken up ourselves, you want some meat, it's the best we're gonna get" Asked Cort stepping to one side enough so An'Yon could see what she was on about.


An'Yon sniffed the meat and started nibbling "thank you"

Tia picks up a rock and throws it at Cort testing her reaction.

TAG:
@Tay Neir (mention @Kato Sai )

TBC...

 

Combo

IC: Cort Dreit, An'Yon and Tia

The rock hits Cort directly in her headtails. She turned towards Tia faster than blaster firing.
"What the hells your problem, answer me that Tia" She said angerily. Tia beams
"that's it Cort....show me your anger, you want to know the dark-side? it must come from within YOU, nobody can each you that"
"you want my anger huh. You've got it." Said Cort as she ignited her green blade and lauched herself at Tia.
"perhaps" said Cort as she called her other saber to hand from An'Yon. She ignited the blade and also aimed a force push at Tia. Tia flew backwards with the push and grinned again. She defended herself against all of Cort's attacks
"you want to know the dark-side?"
"just try me" Cort said as her eyes flashed between black and red. She then aimed a force choke at the darksider. Tia felt her windpipe being squeezed slightly and gripped her hilt, loving the sensation
"does it make you feel powerful Cort?" she asks
"You could say that" said Cort gripping her sabers with one hand whilst holding Tia with the force with the other hand. An'Yon was still as Cort had left him.
"you want to feel more powerful than you could ever imagine?" Tia said gazing at her through gritted teeth.
"What could you offer me that I don't already have, better make it quick, you'll dye otherwise" Said Cort.
Tia's eyes gaze from Cort and then to An'Yon
"you want to kill? kill the Bith and I will show you the dark-side" Cort reilized what Tia was asking. Cort looked over at An'Yon. She let go of Tia and as she looked at An'Yon the anger that was just there disappeared. She fell to her knees and began to cry as her sabers rolled away. Tia deactivated her saber and clipped it back to her belt
"you are no Sith"
"no, i'm a grey jedi Tia, I always will be, I was mistaken of the true power of the darkside" Cort replied.
An'Yon looks on in terror to shocked to speak. "you get to live another day Bith" she said curtly
"I will not allow you to harm An'Yon and I will protect him if it's the last thing I do" Cort said but she couldn't bring herself to look An'Yon in the eye and she began to cry once more.
"you can't even protect yourself....Jedi"
"Do you don't know me as well as think. If I couldn't protect myself, how am I still alive after being being the wild for years. I have experience that may never have Tia." Cort said between tears.
"you're weak because you are scared of seeing your potential, what you could do...unbound by the shakles of Jedi 'wisdom'
call yourself what you like....white, grey, green, blue...you're still a Jedi"
"Yeah, I am a jedi, I can not run from that" said Cort rasing to her feet and kneeling beside An'Yon still looking at Tia.
An'Yon put a resting hand on Cort's shoulder. "Then what are you doing here? chasing voices in a dark cave? you are as honest as trade federation viceroys" said Tia
Cort smiled at An'Yon. He seemed to calm her.
"The force it doesn't usually call beings, whatever is here the force doesn't want it to be here." Cort said to Tia.
a small smile formed on Tia's lips "then you are prepared to kill"
"I'm prepared to kill anything but An'Yon" Replied Cort
"anyone?" Tia grinned.
"If I have to Tia." Cort replied.
Tia presses her fingers together "fascinating. Do you still hear the whispers?"
"Indeed I do, they are coming from down there" Said Cort pointing down a tunnel to their left
"Then...lets go...unlesss you're scared" she teased looking at both Cort and An'Yon.

TAG: @Tia

TBC...

 

IC: Darth Vulnus/ Aleric
The Call

Hunger called..
The subjugation of Death Watch had drained Lord Vulnus of his reserves. His black gloved hand began to tremble, a sign of his dependency. He had been promised power, and now he was a slave to the insatiable hunger. Lord Nihilus had been a slave to it, and now his voice had stilled; Revan’s communications had ceased as well, either a sign of success that the virus was hard at work or abject failure. What Vulnus knew was he had been played a fool by dead men, and forgotten his own power.

All that drove him now was hunger. He needed a strong source of Midi-chloria to feed on, and his senses were now calling him to a unknown planet. His ship came into orbit above it and there, he could smell it, two strong signatures of Midi-chloria, and one smaller morse, enough to restore him to full strength. Vulnus piloted his craft into atmosphere, and made a quick scan of the terrain. From his senses there was Force Users on the surface, in fact, there was familiar scent to them.

The ship landed near some jagged rock. The ramp descended in its onyx grey, walking down it was a figure in black robes and silver mask with a red visor that rose like a crescent moon of red light.

The Lord of Hunger made his way across barren rock, and followed the scent. With each step his need to feed grew stronger, his head splitting from the agony of it. There he fell on one knee, teetering, his black robes flapping in the wind as he felt the gnawing. He was pathetic, a junkie, and his drug at the moment was out of reach.

TAG: @Tay Neir @Tia

 

(Combo with Tay and Kato, always a pleasure )



IC: Cort Dreit

Cort led the way down the tunnel but stopped dead as when she reached the next intersection she had no idea where to go next as another more powerful presence was interfering. Cort could sense the being was coming to them. Whatever it was it sent a shiver down her spine. She then waited for Tia and An'yon to catch up.

Tia walked with a steady pace, leaving An'Yon behind and caught up with Cort. "I sense fear from you, from you both" she said as An'Yon finally caught up with them.

Lord Vulnus made a fist with his glove, trying to command the pain to submit to him. The Lord of Hunger rose back on his feet and made his way to great fissure in the rock. The scent rose from below and with one swift motion, he leapt down, sliding his body between the two slabs of rock into shadow.

Cort turned to face Tia.
"Another approches us, I can't go forward whilst his presence lingers, we wait for them to arrive" Said Cort allowing the fear to be heard in her voice. Cort turned to An'Yon
"You ready to begin your training?"


Tia sighed and rolled her eyes, leaning on the wall with her arms folded. She didn't like hanging around waiting, especially with two scaredey Nexu's that she had for company.
"uhh sure" the Bith blinked with an unsure tone.

"great, here you'll be needing this" Cort said handing her main hilt to An'Yon. She then proceeded to unclip her second hilt.
"First thing you want to do is obviously ignite the weapon" she said before igniting the green blade of her saber.

Cort's main saber


Cort's second saber


"Then I want to know how well you can use a lightsaber, so when you're ready attack me."

An'yon stared at the weapon, and his thumb slides at the hilt, and the blade burned like emerald and it hummed.

"You alright An'Yon?"

"I've never held a lightsaber before"

"That's alright, most people haven't. Just swing it and allow the force to flow through you. Every being has their own way of using a lightsaber, mine is the form of jar kai, meaning I use more than one blade"


Deep in the cracks of the planet, Vulnus made his way, veins of ore glowed brilliant reds and yellows, illuminating s oath in the underground tunnels. As the Lord of Hunger passed, the lights went out like candles, him sucking on the Force energies that gave them light. All around him shadow fell, the shadow of death.

An'Yon starts swinging wildly, almost too close to Tia's face
"watch it!!" Tia yelled and force pushed him into a wall.

Vulnus came to forked path, one tunnels of shadow leading to the right, another to the left. The Dark One took a whiff, and proceeded down the left. As pressed on, he felt something latch to his leg. The rpcks around him began to shake, as the tail of a small Vexis rose and teeth were plucked from his ankle. The serpent levitated before his chrome mask, the sickle shaped glowing visor motionless.

“We are alike.. both driven by our need to feed. Both slithering on our bellies as slaves in the shadow.”

The Lord of Hunger lowered the Vexis on a flat rock and left it unmolested.

"thats it An'Yon" said Cort smiling at the bith. As the blade came almost too close to Tia's face, Cort laughed at Tia's reaction.
"Tia, please. He's learning much like you and I once did" said Cort holding a hand up to Tia.


The Lord of Hunger made his way through the serpentine tunnels tell he saw a light, the emerald color growing closer. He stopped a few yards from it, and felt the presence of those nearby. One was alien to him, a Bith, who wielded the saber. His Midi-chloria levels were fresh, but dwarfed compared to what he sensed coming from the Instructor, who’s voice seemed familiar, as if in some distant dream of another life. Then he felt the third person in the banquet, she was cloaked in that familiar hue of shadow and violence. A memory stirred, broken, like a mirror shattered over jagged rock. But the need to feed outweighed his faculties, he stretches out his hand towards The Bith, and a great current of red formed into gnarled coils of red light, they swam in the air like sea serpents, heading for the Bith and then the next course.

Cort looked to the side of her down the tunnel that they had came from and sensed the presence. Somehow it had snuck up on them. Cort then saw the coils of red light and launching herself towards An'Yon aiming to tackle him away from the light. She then kicked herself up and began running towards the figure.

Vulnus saw that his red serpents were evaded and now the Jedi Tutor was running towards him. The Dark One reached inside his cape and plucked a black Stalactite with one hollowed out end, the pummel retaining the spike of black rock like a jagged tooth. With a motion he ignited a burgundy red blade and stood on guard to meet the Jedi.

An'Yon stared at the unfolding events and dropped the lightsaber "Cort, be careful!" he looked around to Tia who was still leaning against the rock, "Tia do something!!"

Tia smirked at Vunus "there he is..."

Cort heard An'Yon. She watched as the figure ignited their own lightsaber. She swung her saber towards their head. She was not taking any chances and called her other saber to hand. The wood on the hilt rubbed against her skin as she wrapped her hand around it. She ignited the blade and the green blade extended from the hilt with a *snap-hiss*. Jar Kai was her strongest lightsaber combat form.

Vulnus parried and deflected the stroke that sweeped at his head, the crackling sound broke the silence of sarcophagus like tunnel. The second saber of the Jedi was coming, the fighting style familiar to The Wound, as was the Jedi. Curious. Vulnus kept a Makashi stance, spinning his burgundy blade in a flurry as his other hand was free and beginning once more to swirling with red current at the finger tips. He needed to feed and soon.

An'Yon looked on desperately. He made the momentous decision to step in and help Cort, his friend, a wave of bravery flowed through him and was about to step forward, to be blocked by Tia's arm.

AnYon looked at her "but Cort, she might die"

"That's the idea" Tia replied matter-of-factly.


"I can handel myself An'Yon. Tia's right to keep you back" Cort cried as she did her best to block the attacks with both sabers. She saw the figure's hand swirling with red at the fingre tips.
"Oh no you don't" Cort as she swung one blade towards the figures free hand. It was only a feint. She the kicked ahead of herself aiming to knock the figure back.
"Who, may I ask, are you?" Cort asked the figure.

Vulnus attempting to save his fingers, was caught off guard and knocked back against the carved rock wall that curved into tunnel. The Wound did not make any sudden movements, he felt faint, his free hand began to tremble as if with palsy.

“Who am I..”

The query of the Jedi met a void in the Darth, he had known once. But that was a dim memory, snuffed out with the light that had once been blinding.

Regaining his resolve, Vulnus rose from the wall and gripped the saber hilt with both hands.

“I am hunger..”

The Dark One launched into powerful Djem So cuts, the blade infused with the last ounce of his strength, the hope it would break through the Jedi’s defences.


Cort managed to defend herself against the first few cuts but was defenseless after that. The cuts broke her defences and she could feel blood rolling down her forehead. Hunger had broken her defences and cut her in seconds. She rubbed a hand over her forehead and it kept coming. Cort continued on. She got up again, and ignited her green sabers once more. That's when one person flew into her head along with a single name. Cort wispered the name and it ehoced through the tunnel
"Aleric"
She didn't know why or how her former freind had flown into her head but he had.


Vulnus had broken through, he had drawn blood, it was at this moment he could feast and satiate his hunger when the Jedi whispered a name.
“Aleric.”
The Wound halted his bsttering of blows, and stood there with both hands gripping the holt tightly, the burgundy blade humming and pointed behind his helm’s top.
The Name echoed through the tunnel, as it did in his mind. His memory was clouded in shadow, and yet he recognized the name. Vulnus lowered his saber to his side.
“Aleric.. that name.. to whom does it belong?”
The violence in Vulnus was curbed by his curiosity, and even his hunger.

"A lost freind. He had helped me thtough some difficult times until he was lost. His presence faded to nothing. He mine and the bith's freind. To the sith acoylate, I don't know"

Vulnus felt his strength depleted. His hand shook more violently up his arm and he nearly fell. He deactivated his saber and placed it inside his cape. Now his whole body trembled, and he felt it seize up, he reached for his mask, and tried to remove it, but he collapsed against the edge of the wall. His breathing now shallow.

With one breath he begged the Jedi.

“Kill me.”

Cort stepped forward and held a saber to the side of the figures head.
"I may not be a jedi, but I can see your suffering. Be free" and she swung her saber towards the figures chest aiming to fullfill his wish, whilst holding the other at her side.

Vulnus’ life force seemed all but gone when his mind drew on a name, he whispered it aloud.
“Thank you, Cort.”

Cort was taken by surpise when she heard her own name come from the figure. She hadn't told him her nam neither did the others.
"how do you know my name?" She asked. Her saber dangerously close to hunger's chest


Vulnus hand shook wildly as he reached for his mask, he had to fight to control it, for the glove bounced off and the fingers were half seized and not moving.
“A memory..”
The mask depressurized, two great gusts of air came from below the mouthpiece, as it was shakenly removed to reveal a pale face with long dark brown bangs, and grey eyes.
The flesh near the left jaw was rotted, and at his forehead was a great scar with black stitching that criss crossed.

Cort didn't understand what she was seeing. She deactivated her sabers and clipped them to her belt. She then stepped towards the figure.
"You need to sit down" she moved her hands so that she could help him.
"May I?"

Tia looked on a thin smile on her face "Hallo...Aleric"

Cort looked over at the sith Acoylote.
"You're seeing things Tia. Aleric is gone, we both sensed it"

"is he...?" her eyes lifted to Cort. "Are you so sure?"

"I'm sure Tia. Once one goes..." She couldn't bring herself to say dies. "...they do not come back"

"Lets test your theory..." Tia said with an air of superiority, "if he is gone as you say, he will try to kill you...kill US"
she steps forward in front of him. "Aleric, you remember me?" she said with a sneer.

"I think you'll find, Tia, that he just tried to kill us moments ago"

"kill you" she said with a snort, "now look at him..."

Vulnus looked at Cort and Tia. There faces familiar. He coughed up black fluid.

Cort considered what Tia had said.
"You're right. This debate ends here" she said before igniting her emerald blade.
She swung the blade above her head and brought it in the figures direction.

Despite herself, Tia activated her lightsaber as quick as a blink and blocked the blow.

"since when do you protect others?" Cort snarled

Tia had no answer, but simply pushed at Cort's blade with her own, eyes fixed with hers

Cort pushed back with her own blade. She then ignited her second saber and swung it at Tia's waist.

Vulnus stirred in the commotion, the two battling before him. Tia had protected him, but why?
The Dark One tried to raise his hand, it fell limp, he tried again to point his fingers at Cort, conjuring the current, it ebbed and then flowed, he felt this would be last breath, and with it, he unleashed the red bolts on Cort.
This was his last chance at a transfusion.

Tia moved out of the way with a forward roll during the distraction and unclipped her second saber with gritted teeth.

Vulnus laid there, his bolts of blood began to scatter, seeking flesh to plug into. One stay bolt coiled at Tia.
The bolt hit Tia and she shrieked low


Vulnus felt a jolt as the bolt mace contact with Tia. It made his entire body lung upward and he stood to his feet, the fresh feeding restoring him, but he tool care to cut it off before it would drain the Sith anymore. Vulnus felt his mind clear and then he saw vision, a man om his back and the lady he had just drained reviving him.

“Ah.. at last.. I feel it.”

Tia exhailed in as she felt a bit of life force leave her body and then went to her knees to recover, glaring up at him


Vulnus stepped towards the Lady and offered his hand.
“I did not intend to feed on you, I am in your debt for earlier.”

Tia: *grasped his hand and lifted herself to her feet* "you..fed on me?"

Vulnus nodded.
“I feed on the Force, the life blood inside all living things.”

"then feed on her!" she gestured to Cort, annoyed

Cort watched on as the event unfolded before her.
"I'd rather it if you didn't" Cort said as she deactivated her lightsabers clipping both to her belt. The bleeding had stopped for now and Cort could sense that Tia was annoyed.
"Why exactly do you feed on the force?" Cort asked crossing her arms.

Vulnus reached for his helm and resealed it on his face. The red crescent visor glowing the darkness of the tunnels. He turned his head to Cort,
“To feed on The Force is to become a Wound, a black hole that consumes life and Midi-chlorians.”
The Dark One paused.
“It is to become a crack in the fabric of all living things. To gain the power to consume worlds, but at a price, which you have witnessed, a need to replenish by feeding.”

"So like Darth Nhilus?, so what your just simply a wound. Nothing more?"


Vulnus breathed through his mask, it echoed like resonating chamber.
“Lord Nihilus was my teacher, at first I thought I was at last receiving a purpose in my brokenness, but I was merely the pawn of dead men. Beware of the spectras of Sith Lords or the ghosts of Jedi, your life is here and now, their part in the Force games is over. Live your life, seek your purpose, and let The Force speak to you here and now, not through ruins who only make more ruins.”


"That was a lot easier when you're presence wasn't here. Your presence has blocked the force showing us were we need to go. Just one more question did you know a man by the name of Aleric Qel Droma?"



Vulnus ruminated on the name Aleric. His memories were more defined since feeding on Tia, as if some transference had taken place. He saw a man in brown hair discovering the wreckage that had Nihilus’ mask and speaking with the dead Sith Lord. He the saw a planet, a Hutt, and a virus, the same man with brown bangs and the name being shouted, “Aleric! Aleric!” Then he saw in first person and saw Cort speaking to him, “Aleric.”
Vulnus turned to the Jedi.
“Yes, I know Aleric Qel Droma. He is alive.”

TAG: @Kato Sai @Tay Neir

 

IC: Vulnus (Aleric), Cort Driet, Tia, An'Yon, Zoe Ramphal, Dolop

Vulnus laughed.
“You hold a blade at his throat.”
"You are Aleric?" Cort asked confused
Vulnus nodded.
“What is left of him. Honestly my memories are like a fractured mirror, some shards large enough to see.”
Tia scoffs "what do they teach in that grey Jedi academy of yours Cort?"
Vulnus listen to Tia, “Grey Jedi.. I think I once was one.”
"to be Fair Tia, I'm bearly at the grey temple," she then turns back to the wound.
"You were one, when you were Aleric. I will not harm you, just answer me one thing. Is there a way to cure this"
Vulnus chuckled.
“What makes you think I want to be cured?”
He paused.
“If there is another way to draw on the Force without needing to drain life, the answer lies somewhere.”
"We may be able to help you, we need Aleric. Just try not to feed on us okay." Cort then pointed at An'Yon.
"And that includes my Padawan."
Vulnus crossed his fingers,
“I will try to refrain from feeding.”
He did this half to appease Cort and half in snarky way, Tia had rubbed off on him.
"That's good enough for me." Cort then turned her head towards Tia
"Shall we continue onwards with, for lack of another name, Aleric?" She asked
AnYon smiled humbly at Cort "Padawan?"
Cort turned to face An'Yon
"It's what Jedi call their students, and in my opinion it sounds better than apprentice which the sith call their students. You are under my guidence now An'Yon"
"well good luck with that Anyon" Tia quipped

AnYon ignored Tia's biting remark and bowed his head to Cort "it is an honour"

Tia sighs "as warm and fuzzy as this is, shall we press on, hm?"
Vulnus or Aleric went silent and became like their shadow. Now that he had fed, he coukd return to his mission, aiding Revan, but he was tired of being peon to the dead, even reanimated dead. Instead he found some solace around familiar faces and restored memories. He decided this mattered more, to find out who he had been and who he would be.
Cort smiled at An'Yon.
"Let's. I assume that we go directly ahead" Cort said as she walked forward. As she entered the next tunnel she ignited her main saber whilst throwing the other at An'Yon. She was testing his reflexes. She turned her head to 'Aleric'
"Come on"
Aleric Vulnus followed, he had become silent, his mind pouring over framenrs of memory. He let Cort lead on with his Bith Disciple.
Cort walked on. She then turned to 'Aleric'.
"So I'm just making a wild guess here but, do you just remember fragments of what you used to be Aleric" She asked. She turned left as the tunnel turned.
"Also if me calling you Aleric bothers you, all you have to do is tell me"
Aleric broke from trance at Cort’s words. Is mind less clouded.
“My mind is a wall, crumbling. Though pieces of brick have been replaced by all this.”
At the query about should he be called Aleric, he replied,
“You may call me Aleric, for that is the person you knew and I may yet be again.”
"Thats interesting, what causes you to remember these things, mainly, why now rather than before?"
Aleric kept the same pace as Cort.
“That is the mystery. Perhaps its the familiarity of yourself and her.” Aleric turned to Tia.
“You said we were friends once.”
"Me and you were. I don't know the relationship between Tia and yourself."
Tia didn't even turn to acknowledge him "no, we were never friends, just two strangers on the same journey"
“And yet you keep saving my life.” The words slipped from Aleric’s tongue as if automatically.
Tia again did not say anything, but bowed her head as if in deep thought.
AnYon noticed this and looked between the three that were with him.
"Do you know what we are looking for Master Cort?"
"He has point Tia." Cort said without turning to her.
"No my padawan I do not. First thing you should know, never question the way of the force, it guides the force sensitive throughout their life"
Aleric scoffed.
“If that is true it has guided me into oblivion.”
Tia finally looked at Aleric "you remember I have saved you before?"
Aleric turned to Tia.
“Yes.. on a planet of fire. I can see it in my mind’s eye.”
"what else do you remember...?" she looked at him intensely.
AnYon felt a shift in the force "uhm Master Cort...should we...leave them to talk or...?"
Aleric paused.
“A kiss..”
Cort also felt the shift
"Yes my young padawan, come on" She said as she stepped aside for An'Yon.
"If you need me Aleric, I'll be just a little bit ahead"
AnYon followed her new master.
Tia didn't even flinch as she continued to look at him. "that is how you remember it? it was nothing" she snapped finally.
Aleric tilted his head,
“Maybe for you, but for me it was the kiss of life.”
"An'Yon, for me the bond between Master and Padawan is important if the training is to be successful, so first I want to know how much you trust me" Cort said as she sat in front of her padawan.
Tia watched him, She had heard it said everyone had a weakness, her own mentor had put her through a lot of trials, she overcame all of them, some were harder than others, and he had taught her more than she could think was possible, not just about the force, but philosophy and sociology too. Her own Philosophy was this: 'The Sith is something to be surpassed' to be more than Sith should mean to not shed weakness but to become immersed in it until it made you stronger, after all how can you become a master of something you push away, The more Tia thought the more unclear about what her weakness was, she then lifted his chin with her thumb and finger "you're lost aren't you?"
AnYon looked at her mentor with solid, black eyes "I trust you master"
Aleric kept pace with Tia.
“Lost? We all are. The Sith make slaves, The Jedi make jail keepers. I am done with them both.”
"that's good An'Yon. I want to know a little bit about you, if you were paying attention yesterday you'll already know a great deal about me. But I suppose it couldn't harm to tell you a little bit more. You tell me and I'll tell you" Cort said to her padawan as she laid his first task out ahead of him.
Tia gave a small grunt at his remark "the Sith break the chains of oppression, but...if you're happy being a grey..."

AnYon sits on a rock "I was born on the planet Clak'dor VII to a small family, I had an older sister and two younger brothers. We lived in a small village. When I came of age I was sent to a prestigious university in Coruscant to study languages, it was there II found I was...sensitive to the force"
"One moment" Cort said to An'Yon

"The jedi do indeed do as you say, but I left for other reasons. But what does that make greyjedi, Aleric?"
She then turned back to An'Yon.
"Anyway as promised I'll tell you about me, I was born and take in the jedi temple. I never knew my dad but my mom was a jedi master. I rose to the top of every one of my classes. I was a strong duelist by the time I was 10 and at the age of 14 I became the padawan of a Gort Landor. He was a brilliant master and I respected him more than any other jedi in the order. At the age of 16 I fell in love with a fellow padawan named Dolop Toland. She was a skilled duelist as well and we grew feelings for eachother. I lost her when her life was taken from her when we were 19. I lost my master near the same time. I then became the padawan to the master who made me lose this..." Cort spun so An'Yon could see her missing head tail before turning around to face An'Yon once more.
"After 5 years under his tutulage he was thrown from the order and I left. I survived in the wild for many years, I never trusted anyone. Then I went to the grey temple and I quickly became freinds with Aleric and it was he who tuaght me to trust people again. He also helped me open my heart again and fall in love once more. Aleric helped shape into the nutolan sat before you know. Any questions?"
AnYon soaked all the information in "how did Dolop die?"
Cort sighed at this question.
"I thought you might say that. We were on a scouting assignment in the swamps of Naboo when we were ambushed by pirates. Damn good pirates too. As we defended ourselves the pirates managed to separate me from Dolop. I managed to defeat my attackers and when I found Dolop she had already been disarmed and a pirate grabbed me from behind. Before I could get rid of him Dolop was shot from behind. She died in my arms. I rushed towards her and managed to get her dying form into my arms and she gave a chain that I used to wear constantly. She died right then. The gungans helped me get her to Theed. The chain is still with me" Cort explained and she produced a gold chain and attached to it was a capsule. She opened it up and a small sjheet of paper fell out. She handed it to An'Yon.

"That was Dolop." She said before she started to cry. She couldn't bring herself to look at the image

Aleric looked at Tia through his red crescent visor.
“Break chains? I wear the chains of dead Sith Lords who made a peon of me. The answer is to harness your own power and forget dry sermons of dead Sith.”
He heard Cort’s retort and nodded. Grey was a better path, for it put no limits on knowledge and power.
"I'm sorry I must look like a complete wreck" Cort said to both Aleric and An'Yon wiping away a few tears before more fell down here face.
AnYon sympathetically patted Cort on her back "she was very pretty master, I'm sorry"
Tia chuckled at Aleric "suit yourself"
"Thank you, An'Yon." Cort replied managing a weak smile before her lip began to shake. Cort had never revealed this much about herself. She was already regretting saying anything about her former girlfriend to An'Yon with the way she was reacting. Cort put the chain around her neck before reaching out for the pitcure that she had handed An'Yon.
Aleric paused,
“My life is a warning, heed it and escape the same fate.”
He turned to Cort who was weeping.
“Tears are precious. I can no longer shed them. Let them flow if you can.”
Cort turned to Aleric and walked to him.
"Thank you, Aleric" She said before hugging Aleric. She then walked back over to An'Yon and gestured for the image once more.
Tia rolled her eyes at the display of emotion around her. "You must harness your grief, and master it"
AnYon humbly passed the image back to her master
Cort rolled the sheet up and put it back into the capsual she then turned to Tia her face still wet.
"Don't, please, just, just don't, Tia" she said between tears.
Aleric hugged Cort back. He felt himself softening, this was what he had forgotten. Being a Gray is not a lone walk, but a journey with friends.
Aleric turned to Tia,
“To master grief is to express it and let it pour out. Or else it will grow into a great hole inside that can consume you and worlds.”
"That's correct, let's press on." Said Cort as she walked ahead of the group. She walked directly ahead.
Cort stopped dead in her tracks when she felt a searing pain in her head. She placed a hand on the wall whilst placing the other on her forehead.
She then falls to her knees, cutting her hand on the jagged tunnel wall.
"Snark" Cort cried
Aleric looked at the fallen Twi’lek. He lowered his black clothed arm in attempt to help Cort up.
“Are you alright?”
"I'm fine" Cort said as she took Aleric's hand with her non blood covered hand. She let go of Aleric's hand and she collasped. She had fallen unconcious.
Aleric looked down at unconscious friend. He lowered himself to inspect her wounds.
Cort awoke. She looked around her and saw a black void. She then stood up and the 'floor' of the void rippled. It was water that she was stood on. She looked at herself and saw she was glowing slightly.
"I can't be dead" She said. She heard a the water move behind her and when she turned she was shocked at who she saw.
"You're not, my love. You are simply seperated from your galaxy temporarily" Dolop explained.
"Dolop, what is this place?"
"A mystery that I am still trying to figure out" Cort flung herself forward and hugged Dolop. She started to cry on Dolop's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, my love" Dolop wrapped her arms around Cort.
"It's alright Cort. There was nothing you could have done" Dolop replied.
"Don't shut your heart away again Cort. Open it and allow other beings to love you like I do. I am always with you." Dolop said as she faded away. Cort woke in her physical form. She couged a few times and saw Aleric. She flung her arms around him once more.
Aleric helped steady the newly resuscitated Cort. He held her in embrace.
“Are you alright? What happened?”
The warm embrace of the Twi’lek seemed to tear down a veil of shadow in Aleric. The fog of was beginning to lift in Aleric, who took off his helmet and let it fall, rolling on the ground.
Cort liked the warm embrace of Aleric. It made her feel safe.
"I saw her Aleric. Dolop spoke to me" She replied.
Aleric placed his chin on Cort’s shoulder, the one with severed lekku.
“What did she say?”
Cort allowed Aleric's chin onto her shoulder. She moved her severed headtail away from him though.
"She said Don't shut your heart away again Cort. Open it and allow other beings to love you like I do. I am always with you."
A tear rolled down Aleric’s cheek as he listen to those words. He felt the wound, the need to feed for the first time fade away. Was this the answer? The key to the end of his prison and slavery?
Removing from the embrace, Aleric took his lightsaber hilt and offered it to Cort.
“Will you help me be rid of it? I feel all at once my self reborn, is this the way to defeat the Void? Love?”
Cort took the hilt in her hands. The nutolan studied the hilt up close for the first time. She knew Aleric wouldn't use a saber like this. She then responded to her freind.
"I will do whatever it takes to help you Aleric. Is it the way to defeat the void? Only you can answer that question as you are the one affected by it. Just tell me what I need to do Aleric"
Aleric smiled, for first time in so long.
“I feel the Void fade when we embrace and treat each other with grace. Destroy the saber, it has been used for evil. I will make another one..”
"I understand" Cort said. She threw the saber into the air, unclipped and ignited her own saber and sent the green blade through the hilt. As the hilt was distroyed it sent out a little shockwave and sent her flying off her feet.
"Ouch"
Aleric leaned down and offered his hand. Which now had cyan blueish glow
Cort took Aleric's hand and stood up.
"Cheers. What now?"
As Aleric took her hand, he felt The Force channel through him to heal wounds. He had feared the ability to mend without draining was gone.
“We press on. Have you found what you are looking for?”
"No not yet, guess we will have to find out together won't we?" Said Cort as a being bumbed into her she put her hands on Aleric's shoulders to stable herself before rounding on the being. She was a female human. She was wearing a set of cream jedi robes that had torn to pieces. She had a blu saber in her hand and Cort could tell from the hilt that it had a second. Her black hair was in tatters and she looked like she had seen the worse end of a fight. When she and Cort saw eacother a purple glow appered around the edge and then faded.
Aleric saw this dark haired maiden appear.
“Who might this be?”
Cort crossed her arms against her chest to show she wanted to know the same question. The human then intoduced herself.
"My name is Zoe Ramphal. Sorry about my appearance, I know its not the kind you want walking up to you. You four are?" The human asked looking at the four in turn. Cort was the first to answer.
"Cort Violet Dreit, grey jedi" She said. She relaxed as the human smiled at her. It warmed Cort inside. She remembered the same sensation when she had first met Dolop and knew what it was. She smiled back.
Aleric gave a slight bow.
“Aleric Qel Droma, Prodigal Gray Jedi.”
Saying his full name once more had an effect. No more darths or Wound (Vulnus). He was himself.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both, especially you Cort."
"It was pleasant to meet you too Zoe. We should get some rest"
"No need to tell me twice" Zoe replied before laying down and falling asleep. Cort turned to Aleric and she was smiling more than she had in years.
"You know Aleric. Zoe might be who I'm looking for. She's so cute" Cort siad and she meant it.
Aleric smiled.
“Well you must follow your heart my friend. Alas, who I find cute is married to darkness.”
He turned to Tia
“She is obligated to hate me when he training is finished.”
"I get what you mean. I did that for so many years Aleric." Cort said before she herself laid down and fell asleep. She was exhausted.

TAG: @Kato Sai @Tia

 

IC: Darth Revan & Udin Metheus
Arrival

A great long starship came pit of hyperspace. Its haul looked painter in blood on grey and hanging from it was matching Carnelian. Hanging from some of long tentacles were small vessels of serpentine shape. They we released upon the planet, digging into the bedrock like roots and tunneling through the earth. One great root fell and dug through soil like a drill, aboard it was a figure in crimson robes and a blood stained Mando mask. He was piloting the organic vessel through the tunnels. Beside him was another figure of pale complexion, his face obscured by a hood of onyx coloring and he piloted the unusual vessel. Revan sat on a throne of tentacles that lifted him up like arms. He could sense Vulnus was near, as well as others strong in the Force.

“Begin terraforming..”

The other vessels that dug into the rock opened vents and released a great cloud of crimson that filled the air.
The planet was being transformed.

TAG: @Tay Neir @Tia

 

Combo Post
@Tay Neir
@Tia
@Kato Sai

Cort woke up a little while later. She looked around and saw the others and stood up herself. She turned to her right to see Zoe already up and Cort sat next to her.

"You alright?" Cort asked

"Couldn't sleep, you?" Zoe said

"Same" Cort replied resting her head on Zoe's shoulder

Aleric stood up and took a breath, having slept. He wondered if Tia was going to leave, he could sense her silence said more than words. A lot had happened, he had changed radically, in truth he wanted an exuse to caste aside the role of being a Wound, though its effects had not warn off fully. He felt the need to feed, but it was not as strong as before.
As he turned, a flash of a image of a red mask.
“Did you think you could betray me? I am coming for you Qel Droma..”

Aleric eyes quaked like gelatin.

Tia who had been fighting a dull headache the entire...whatever all that was, startled at the voice and grabbed the hilt "friend of yours?" she looked at Aleric with a raised eyebrow.

Aleric turned to Tia, his face sweating.

“Not exactly.. they..”

There was a great rumble, the tunnel seemed to be collapsing.

“Oh no.. they are here!“

Aleric took a step back towards Tia, he had no weapon.

"They...?" Tia asked as she started to back to the wall warily as the tunnel shook, a boulder came loose and knocked AnYon on the head, he was out cold.

A great carnelian tentacle tore through the rock and latched on the cieling to hold it from grumbling. Exiting out of yellow tongue like ramp was Lord Revan and his apprentice Udin.

“There you are.. Lord Vulnus, and who might this be?”

The Necro Sith Lord tilited his helm at Tia.

Tia curled her lip at the creature "none of your business"

Revan let out a maniacal laugh.

“This one has spirit. I like that. Now Lord Vulnus did you complete your mission?”

Aleric nodded.
“Death Watch has been infected. But I am no longer Vulnus, just Aleric.”

Revan stepped closer, his elongated mask tilting.
“What am I going to do with you? You sway like the tentacles of the Sarlaac.. when if you applied yourself, you would be more powerful than any Jedi or Sith.”

Aleric shook his head. His long dark bangs parting.

“I want no part of this future you envision.”

Revan reached put his black gloved hand and Aleric felt his windpipe seized and close, his body being raised into air and brought closer to Revan’s face mask.

“I know better.. you are still a Wound like that pathetic creature Nihilus. You resist the hunger, but for how long? You and the virus are the same, draining already doomed souls.”

Aleric choked, his face turning red.

Tia activated her blade "release him...now"

Revan turned his helm to look at Tia. He then threw Aleric with a wave of his hand.

“Let’s see what you are made of.”


Revan ignited a garnet lightsaber.


Tia: "I'm made of sugar and spice and all things nice..." she steadied her grip of her saber, the sharp tip pointing at the Sith's chest.


Revan laughed as before.

“Perhaps you will prove worthy of living...”

Revan sweeped his blade and knocked the tip down and charged, thrusting with both hands at Tia’s face.

Tia ducked, and gracefully moved around the Sith using the force to guide her, she was now behind him "I'm tired, and have a bit of a headache...this machoism is bit beyond us don't you think? hm?"


Revan was surprised, she was quick.
“You have potential..”

He turned.

“Perhaps you would consider replacing Vulnus and help me create a new galaxy.”

Tia scoffed "help you? I don't even know who you are or what you stand for..."

Revan laughed.
“I am the Dark Lord Revan. I intend to take Sickness, bio-weapon I71A, and cleanse the galaxy, making all submit to my empire. You would be my right hand.”

Tia stood perfectly still, lightsaber still activated, "you know nothing about me..."

Revan lowered his head.

“I offer you a seat, nothing more, to a new age.”

Tia deactivated her lightsaber and looked at Cort, and then Aleric then back to the Sith "do you know who my master even is?"

Revan laughed.
“Masters.. how antiquated. In the future I shall create there will only be living and undead. Free and slaves.”

As Revan spoke a red circular orb floated out of the ship and it popper open, four needles with a red serum.

Revan turned to Aleric,
“Vulnus come and stand beside me.”

Aleric shook his head.o
“I will not.”

Revan floated the needles above.
“You will return to your place Wound Hound, or I shall turn you or your friends into brainless servants!”

Aleric began to reach out with his hand, he knew what he had to do.,

“Leave them alone!”

Aleric ran at Revan, and all four needles came to his head like a crown.
“Easy Vulnus or you will die.”

Cort stood up at this point and ignited her one of her own green sabers.
"Vulnus is dead, we killed him only Aleric exists now Revan. I know you from the old tales but I will not be afraid of you." Said Cort. Zoe however coward away from Revan.

Revan titled his visor towards Cort.
“If you truly know the tales about me, you should be afraid of me Jedi Like your companion”

He then turned back to Aleric.

Aleric reached out in The Force, swirling around the needles.

Revan insisted,

“Join me, or die.”

Aleric’s eyes shimmered grey.

“No.”

He then lunged and Revan directed a needle into his head, the other three Aleric pulled into his head, creating a crown of needles. The red serum inside emptied, and Aleric fell on one knee.

Revan stepped back.

“What.. why did he?!”

Aleric fell on the ground, his body shaking all over in a seizure, his eyes white and his mouth spewing foam. Then he stopped and became lifeless.

Udin who stood next to Revan saw the opportunity had at last come, He ignited his white saber and cut Revan across the side. Udin then motioned to Cort his fellow Grey sister to attack.

He was not certain what the Sith Tia would do.

Tia went to her knees beside Aleric, and didn't even look at Cort to see her reaction, foam spewed from his mouth and Tia gagged at the thought of what she was contemplating doing "can you go one day without dying??" she muttered to herself.

Revan teetered from the cut through his lower abdomen and fell on one knee.

Aleric laid still, frozen beneath Tia. Was he gone?

AnYon stirred and rubbed his head "I'm fine by the way" he said, it sounded more sarcastic than was meant, but nobody took any notice.

Tia took his hand and closed her eyes and spoke through the force "hear me..."

Cort lunged towards Revan. Her green saber slicing towards Revan's head. Zoe looked over at the bith and ran towards him. She slide across the floor to reach.
"You alright?" She asked the Bith. Seeing Cort launch herself into battle lifted Zoe's spirits. Cort was warrior that was clear.

Anyon lifted himself and rubbed the back of his large head "yes-I think so" he looked around "we have company?"

"Yeah. Can I ask you name, mister Bith?" Zoe said as she unclipped and ignited her blue saber. One blade extended from the hilt.

AnYon looked at the girl "certainly my name is AnYon, I'm the padawan to Cort here.

Zoe looked over at Cort dreamily and that purple glow appered the rim of her eyes before it faded once again she then looked back to the bith.

"A pleasure to meet you An'Yon. I'm Zoe Ramphal" She said holding a bruised hand to shake An'Yon's.

Revan’s head was struck clean off. His body fell on his chest. Udin then rushed to Aleric and Tia,
“I developed a antidote to the virus.. only one batch.”

Udin gives it to Tia.

“There is great risk that it will fail or worse.”

Cort deactivated her saber and clipped it to her belt. She raised a brow

"That was easy" she then turned to Revan's companion, "You wanna hope it works for your sake" She said walking towards them.

Aleric’s silent body began to hum with life. The words of Tia drawing him from the Netherrealm. His eyes opened, yellow with gnarled merigold veins, his irises green.

Cort knelt beside Aleric.
"Aleric?" She asked. Zoe even came over and knelt beside Aleric.

Tia watched Aleric return to the current world and looks at Cort "what is this one going to call himself?" she murmured,

Anyon took Zoe's hand "nice to meet you"

Zoe looked at both the Sith and Cort. Cort clearly cared about Aleric as he was her freind. The sith was harder to read. Zoe stared at Tia trying to figure her out. She had not long escaped from a darksider and in all honesty she didn't trust them. Half her saber was still ignited at her side.

Aleric rose up to the faces of friends among him. His head was hot like a brand in the fire and he felt an impulse to attack and sink his teeth into flesh. He resisted and fell on his side.
“I will not! Arghhhh!”

Cort was the first to respond.
"Aleric, take it easy" She said and placed a hand on his side.

Aleric turned his teeth bearing, Cort’s heart beat he could hear like a drum and the flow of blood like sand in glass.

“Get away from me! I’m.. dangerous! Ugh..”

Udin whispered to Tia.

“He is going feral. Administer the antidote or he will be Aleric no more.”

Tia noticed the new girl, Zoe staring at her "don't try anything..." Tia *administered the antidote into Aleric's arm.

Aleric leapt like a Nexu, Udin using The Force to hold him back.

“Everyone, hold him in place. Make a cage of the Force till the antidote takes hold!”

"Who do you think you're ordering about?" Tia said before throwing her arms out in front of her to hold Aleric back "you-ain't the...boss of me"

Udin holding the Force Barrier with Tia,

“It was not a order, my Dark Lady, I spoke only im haste to contain our friend so that the medicine may do its work. I would never presume to command..”

Aleric leapt again with greater force at Udin’s barrier.

“We need to sedate him. Does anyone have the skill to quiet him?”

Udin said this because he was a Novice in the Force, only having recently been made a Gray Jedi.

Tia saw some eyes were on her "don't look at me, I create chaos, I don't serenade it"

Zoe and Cort had also thrown out their arms but when the question came Cort remained silent. It was in fact Zoe who spoke.

"I can give a go." She said and reached her out with her mind attempting to connect to Aleric's. She had closed her eyes to give her more concentration. Cort whistled at An'Yon and nodded her head at Aleric and did the reaching out movement with her free arm.

Aleric felt his mind giving way to the animal, the virus was seeking control and he lashed put, then he sensed something else, another was channeling into his mind.

Zoe could feel the virus but she was making progress. Slowly but surely she was reaching into Aleric's mind.

"Calm" she said into it.

Aleric felt a cold wind rush through his mind, he heard Zoe’s voice. His body began to settle and stop beating against the invisible fields of Force energy.

Cort was amazed by what she saw. Aleric was settling.

"Whatever you're doing keep it up Zo" Cort wispered into Zoe's ear. Zoe spoke again into Aleric.

"That's it. Feels good dosen't it. Breath." She said.

Aleric felt as if the fever had broke and began to lie down. Udin released his part of the barrier.

“It’s working! Well done.”


"Thank you" Zoe replied. Cort then released her part of the barrier

Tia claps sarcastically.

Zoe looks over at the sith and raised a brow.

"What's the sarcasm for Sith?" She asked.

"just showing my praise at your...'good job'" she said sneering at her.

"Yeah right" Zoe said rolling her eyes at the sith. She then turned to Cort.

"What's her problem?"

"I don't know, she's a sith." Cort replied.

Udin stepped forward and checked Aleric’s vitals. His pulse wasn’t racing, Zoe’s work had calmed it.

“Now we wait.”

"Oh good I like long waits" Tia sighed and sat down on a rock.

"Great job" Cort said and she and Zoe embraced eachother. They pulled away almost instantly and they both blushed. The two laughed and went to An'Yon.

"You alright my young padawan?" Cort asked.

AnYon lifted himself up to his feet, nodded and looked over at the headless Sith "who was that?"

"That was Revan. Ever heard of him?" Cort.

Aleric became still, his chest rising up and down in a calm sleep. Udin pulled back an eye lid and saw the green irises were gone and the gnarled veins were faded.

“It seems to be working.”

Meanwhile the corpse of Revan laid twitching slightly, the head and mask rested there.

"Let's just keep it that way shall we?" Cort shouted over. Zoe then tapped Cort's shoulder and they saw Revan's corpse twitching. The two shrugged and looked away.

"only stories..legends" AnYon said

Udin got up and went over to Revan’s corpse, examining it. He took a syringe and took a sample of his blood and using a datapad to determine its contents.

Udin looking at the cells saw they were still active. That healthy cells were being replaced with the Bioweapon cells.

“They should all be still..”

Aleric jerked awake, gasping, causing Udin to leave the corpse and see to him.

“Aleric, can you hear me?”

Cort and Zoe rushed towards Aleric and stood by him. They were glad it seemed to have worked.

Aleric turned, seeing familiar faces, and coughed.

“Oh.. what.. I am alive..”

Udin took out a scanners that made a green light on Aleric’s eyes. They were normal, reading healthy.

"Yeah, its mostly Zoe you have to thank, Al." Cort said as she handed most credit to Zoe.

Udin did some final vital checks.

“You have another to thank.” He motioned towards Tia.

"Yeah her as well I suppose." Cort said but she didn't sound too happy about it.

"It was a team effort" Zoe added

"Yeah, you're right. It was." Cort said.

"you're welcome" Tia added and gave a small wink to Cort, she enjoyed winding her up.

"Ugh" Cort said as she walked off. Zoe followed her.

Aleric took another deep breath. He watched as Cort and Zoe walked off, and heard Tia, turning to look at her. Udin removed a respirator with a tiny tank of oxygen and placed it on Aleric’s mouth.

“Breath.”

As Aleric took his breaths, and rest were busy, the body of Revan stirred. The head shot out blood red tentacles to the neckline and pulled itself back to its place. The Dark Lord rose slowly, his movement blurry, for he concealed it with his power. He took some steps back to squid ship and entered in. He operated the controls which were made of intestine shaped tubes and bone. With a jerk of his hand, one of tentacles began to light up purple, and point at the group like the muzzle of a barrel.


Cort looked around an saw it.

"Guys am I the only one seeing this?"

Tia looked at her "yes you are so stay away from the spice, of course we can see it!"

"Well, you never know anymore Tia" Zoe replied. She ignited the other half of her saber so that the two blades joined Cort's own green saber.

"So....Do we run or do we get crushed or possibly worse?" Cort said to none in particular

Aleric breathed in and watched the squid shape ship rising into attack position.

“Abeloth..”

The mention of the name of Chaos seemed to make his blood turn cold. The Squid Vessel suddenly halted. Inside Revan toyed at the intestinal buttons, nothing.

Tia shoved Cort forward "get your friend to 'calm' it".

"I've never seen this before so it's not as easy as that, Darth Annoying." Zoe snapped at Tia deliberately calling her annoying.

"Viurlenta...from the word Virulent, but close enough" she turns to Cort "fiesty ain't she?"

Aleric stepped forward, his breaths echoing in the respirator.

The tentacles suddenly dug into the ground, and black hole began to form. Revan leapt out and fell on his face.

Aleric took the respirator off.

“Oh no.. what have I done..”

Emerging from the black hole was oil colored tentacles that reached our grabbing at the vessel and pulling it in, it suddlent made crunching sounds and a figure formed from it, that of a Woman with pale skin, black eyes, black long wavy hair and a tentacle in her mouth that she slurped up.

“Mhmm.. so good..”

Revan turned to see The Queen of Stars.

“No! Not her! Who summoned her?!”

"Anakin Skywalker probably" Tia mused "this cave has produced so many weird scenarios, why not at this point?"

"I like that spirit, Tia" Cort said before turning to see the black hole.

"Revan dosen't seem to be having fun for once" Zoe said.

Abeloth smiled, a great pily black around her lips, her teeth like that of a firaxan shark. She walked over to Revan and leaned down to smell him. She then leaned back.

“It was not you who called me forth.”

Revan reached for his saber, which flew out of his hand. Abeloth ignited it and dug it in her oily gum, removing a sucker from a tentacle. She the deactivated it and threw it at Revan’s helm, knocking his head back and bouncing away. She then turned to notice Aleric and the others. Her walk was like that on a wave, moving like a wraith.

“The one who uttered my name.. come forth.”

Aleric took some steps.

“It was I.”

Abeloth made a great smile deforming her chin into a black crescent of teeth. She drew near to him and took a wiff from his face.

“Yesss.. it was you. And so handsome too.”

Udin stood rather uneasy, what was this being? It was able to consume the squid vessel as if it was nothing.

"Aleric, is there something we need to know?" Zoe asked

"Like who.." Cort began before Zoe finished her sentence

"And what she is?"

Tia wondered whether this was just a weird dream and if someone had slipped her some strong ale as all this was unfolding.

Aleric turned to Cort and Zoe, but then back to Abeloth.

“Milady of Chaos, would you oblige my friends with an introduction.”

Abeloth smiled more, her mouth gaping open.

“Such manners!”

One of her hairs turned into tentacle and caressed Aleric’s face.

“I am Abeloth, Queen of the Stars, and consumer of worlds.”

"You're not gonna cosume us now, are you Queen Abeloth?" Zoe asked.

"please do" (Tia)

"not helping" Cort said through gritted teeth.

Abeloth looked at Zoe and approached, her tentacles of oil swirling around.

“Mhmm.. no. Your friend set me free, the least I can do is spare his friends. They are your friends right handsome?”

Aleric nodded.

“Yes.”

Abeloth took note of Tia.

“You called out to be consumed..”

Abeloth smelt Tia from distance.

“Ah yes.. you are rank with it. The darkness.”

"That's Sith perfume, toxic to some life forms, They call it...noxious 22" Tia said, "If you want some I can certainly ask my suppliers back on Korriban..."

AnYon came forward "is it wise to try and annoy this ....creature?"

Abeloth bore her teeth at what Tia said, and then laughed.

“I like your attitude!”

Aleric stepped forth.

“My queen, the pilot of your calamari, Revan.. he is.. well trying to kill us.”

Abeloth turned to Revan who was crawling towards his saber hilt.

“Is he?! Well now that isn’t polite at all!”

Abeloth threw a tentacle that latched on Revan’s leg and hug him upside down, so that his visor was at her eyes.

“Naughty!”

She then made her mouth massive, a cave opening with jaggid teeth and swallowed Revan hole. His screams echoing till they were faint.

Both Cort and Zoe stood in shock as Revan disappeared.

"Queen Abeloth, we thank you but what's happened to Revan?" Cort asked. Zoe's back then began acting up and she bent herself backwards before standing in the up right postion. Both girls deactivated their lightsabers and clipped them to their belts.

Abeloth turned to Cort, and eyed her missing Lekku.

“He is in the Void. Torment is now his existence.”

Aleric felt compelled to add,

“The place all darksiders go to, their Netherealm.”

Abeloth nodded.

“Precisely.”

"The name its self if enough torment for me thanks, your majesty" Said Zoe.

"You're back acting up?" Cort asked

"Yeah"

"Cross your over your chest" Cort replied as she put her arms around Zoe's stomach and clicked her back. Cort then let go of Zoe.

"What the?"

"feels good doesn't it?"

"Yeah. My back ain't felt this good in ages, Cheers Cort"

"Your very welcome"

Abeloth turned to Aleric,

“Walk with me.”

Aleric went down a tunnel a distance from Cort, Zoe, Tia, and AnYon.

“You having summoned me has far reaching consequences. You have saved your friends, but doomed the galaxy.”

Aleric sighed.

“I know. I seem to land everything in deeper water no matter how hard I try.”

Abeloth chuckled,

“You are so cute that you care, makes me just want to eat you up.”

A tentacle pulled at his cheek.

“Since you freed me, I am willing to give you a chance to save the galaxy, to persuade me to not devour it this time.”

Aleric raised his head, what did she mean by ‘this time’?

The Queen of Stars smiled, her Firaxen oiled mouth large, dominating her face.

“This is the offer, you come with me and on our travels you try to convince me why I should spare well.. anything.”

Aleric nodded.

“I accept, milady and queen.”

Abeloth clapped her hands.

“You please me! Oh this is going be a pleasure..”

Aleric looked down the tunnel at his friends.

“If I fail? To convince you.”

The Queen of Stars face and countenance shifted.

“Then you will rue the day you were born Son of Qel Droma.”

Aleric took a breath.

“When do we start?”

Abeloth smiled.

“At once! Bid your friends farewell.”

Aleric bowed his head and headed back down the tunnel. He walked up to Cort and Zoe first.

“I have to leave. I appreciate all you have done for me. I pray we will see one another again.”

Aleric leaned in to hug Cort.

"I do too Aleric, may the force be with you." Cort said as she embraced Aleric.

"Hope to see you around Aleric and May the force be with you" Zoe said holding her hand to shake Aleric's.

Tia watched Aleric carefully.

After a sweet embrace, Alwric gave a nod to Udin.

“That antidote saved me.”

Undin placed his hand on his Gray Brothers shoulder.

“Take care, the danger you dance with now is far greater than a virus.”

Aleric smiled.

“What will you do now? Return to Decameron Alpha?”

Udin nodded.

“I need to report all that has transpired to Caretaker Polmath and resume my training.”

Aleric placed his hand on Usin’s shoulder.

“May the Force Be With You.”

Udin replied, “And with you.”

Aleric then made his last goodbye to Tia.

“Well.. you have saved me from death more times than I can count. The time has come for me to make up for it at last, and undo the messes I have made if I can. I want to say loving you has given my life great meaning, and now the time has come that I give something back, for I feel selfish.”

Aleric desperately wanted to kiss Tia, or at least her hand, but he knew how she felt about a breach of her personal space. So he simply took off a a golden necklace with the crest of Qel Droma and floated to her.

“Something to remember me by.”

Aleric then turned towards the tunnel where Abeloth awaited and began taking his steps towards the greatest test of his life.

Cort turned to Udin.

"When do you return to Decameron Alpha?"

Tia stared at the necklace in her hand and then clenched her fist, head bowed and eyes closed.

Udin turned to Cort.
“Soon. The presence of this Queen of the Stars needs to be known. Then again, Polmath may already know.”

Zoe nudged Cort and the two looked at Tia.

"Looks like Darth Impenatrable has a soft spot for Aleric"

Cort turned back to Udin

"Well, when you do see Caretaker Polmath, at least tell him I said hi?"

Udin nodded.

“I shall make your good wishes known to him.”

Aleric made his way to Abeloth who cleaned her teeth with a black tentacle.

“You ready handsome?”

Aleric nodded.

“Yes my Queen. Let’s begin.”

Abeloth summoned a great shadow portal, like the one before. It made a great circle that rose like a gate.

"See you around I guess...What's your name?" (Cort)

Udin smiled, his nose and eyes concealed by his hood. The Nagai replied,

“Udin Metheus.”

"A pleasure, Cort Violat Dreit.”

Udin gave a bow with his head placed on his left shoulder and then made his way to a squid ship, which he piloted and flew back into the sky, on his way to Decameron Alpha.

Aleric and Abeloth stepped into the gateway and it closed behind them. Would he ever see Cort, Tia, Udin, or Zoe again? Only The Force knew. Now his mind was on the task at hand, to sway Chaos to not consume all he loved.

TAG: @Tay Neir @Tia
Mentioned @greyjedi125

 

Combo Post
1446484[/URL]]@Tay Neir
1447030[/URL]]@Tia
1382832[/URL]]@Kato Sai

Tia opened her eyes and glared at Zoe "you don't know me, you think I'm weak huh?" she grabbed Anyon in a force choke and lifted him off the ground.

A wormhole opened up and a figure fell like a star, his body surrounded in larimar light as it plummeted from the sky and crashed above the tunnels. Rising out of a crater, which burned like a brazer of smoke, a gloved hand grabbed on the edge. Emerging a familiar face. Great bangs flying in the wind and a chiseled jaw with a scar. Aleric climbed out of the hole, and rolled on to his scarlet cape. His face covered in whiskers, and his eyes shining as he looked to the night sky. The stars twinkling above, him reaching to them.

“I thought I’d never see.. you twinkle for me.”

He spoke as if in a trance. Breathing the night air, his breaths rising up in clouds.

Both Zoe and Cort responded in sync. Cort threw a force push at Tia and Zoe released a barrge of force justice.

Tia threw her arm out and repelled the push from Cort, the fore colliding. She then used Anyon as a shield to block against the force justice

tay neir said:

Cort could feel the push between the two sides of the force and the moment that the force justice collided with An'Yon, Zoe unclipped and ignited a single blue blade before launching forward. Cort currently held in place by the two sides of the force.

Tia dropped AnYon on the ground and force jumped over Zoe, breaking the force tug with Cort. Tia picked up a rock and force threw it at Zoe.

Zoe sliced the rock in two just as two green blades stood at her side, Cort had joined her

Aleric laid there beneath the stars, free of its Queen. He heard a commotion below him. He felt the presence of friends that had been many lightyears away. He rose up and found a mouth of a cave, and went back into tunnels. He ignited a larimar blue blade, his featured bathed in its light.

Tia sneered at the three.

"so reliant on your laser swords, pathetic"

Cort and Zoe looked at eachother and then back to Tia. Zoe ignited her second blade and the two lauched at Tia, kicking dirt up behind them. Four blades where heading directly for Tia.

Tia lifted several rocks and threw them at her aggressors "you're really starting to annoy me..."

Aleric was surprised to see his friends, they looked as they had when he disappeared so many years ago, or was it years?

A rock flew at him in tumult, which he caught. He just watched.

"That's the idea" Cort replied but she had predicted the move. She launched both of her sabers at the rocks using the force to slice a few rocks keeping the path clear for Zoe. Zoe brought her right blade towards Tia's midrim.

Tia stopped the blade with the force "the force is not with you today sweetheart" she snapped.

Zoe smiled. She deactivated her lightsaber and threw it aside striaght into Cort's waiting hand. Cort had the three lightsabers clipped to her belt.

"It appears that our skill cannot be proven with a lightsaber, but what martail arts, Darth?" Zoe said.

Aleric cracked a chuckle, Tia was so sassy, as he remebered her. The brilliant colors of the sabers and light they gave off made the tunnel bright. The Gray Jedi had deactivated his blade and rested against the wall in the shadows.

Cort thought she saw something move but she ignored and wondered what Tia whould do next.

Tia glanced at Aleric and gave him a small 'you're back' smile. And then returned her gaze to Cort "always so eager to fight...is your speeder size so small you need to compensate or something?"

"Why you looking at me for, it's Zoe that challenged you or are you just a chicken?" Cort replied

Aleric removed a biscuit from a pouch and chewed on it. Tia noticed him and seemed affable, which unnerved him a little, he was use to her being contentious.

"because I'm talking to the owner of the one you call Zoe...gonna have a pet, keep it on a leash" Tia said blanking Zoe completely and looking at Cort.

Aleric removed a chrome flask and drank some blue milk. It left a ring on above his upper lip.

"I don't own anyone Tia. Zoe is her own independent woman that can do what she wants when she wants. I am only her to advise and teach one being, An'Yon but even then I can't tell him what to do all the time. So you gonna take Zoe up on her challange or are you gonna continue being a chicken that goes cluck cluck cluck all day long, Tia?" Asked Cort motioning at both Zoe and An'Yon as she said their names.

Tia's eyes widen at the obvious playground tactics and shakes her head "I was only playing, wasn't I Bith?"

Anyon blinked twice at her unsure as she walked passed him to Aleric "well you look shiny..."

Aleric gave a smile. Nothing had changed. It was as he had left, and yet for him, he was not the same. Abeloth had left her mark on him, and he’d never be the same again.

Cort followed Tia and saw Aleric.

"Back so soon?" She asked

Aleric emerged from the shadows, his face painted with scars, facial hair, and wrinkles at the brow.

“For me.. it has felt like an eternity.”

Zoe turned around next.

"Looks like it. You drop in and out like the snot of a Rancor" She said

Aleric smirked at Zoe.

“Indeed. I am what I am.”

"So, are we safe from...her" Cort asked

Aleric nodded.

“She is satiated. It came at a price.”

"What price?" (Cort)

“A child.”

Aleric looked at Tia.

“My child.”

"What? You? Had a Child? With who?" Cort was surprised. She had never known this

Aleric took a deep breath. He leaned against some rock.

“My daughter. She is.. part Chaos and part me. A child of the Queen of Stars and a Qel Droma.”

"I'm sorry Aleric" Cort replied

Tia did not say anything. But simply slid back into dark shadow,

Aleric nodded to Cort. He saw Tia go into the shadows.

“Life is full of difficult choices.”

"I'll agree and there some things that are hard to say" Cort said. She looked at Zoe when she said but Zoe was paying more attention to Tia as she went into the shadows. Zoe also took back her saber from Cort and it hung at her side.

Tia felt the presence behind her "leave me alone"

"Why's that Tia? You seem troubled" Zoe asked


Tia turned to face her "I thrive on trouble..."

"Prehaps. I don't really understand the sith but I know that for sure. Tell me why the shadows?" (Zoe)

Aleric paused, his face riddled with a heaviness. He left Tia to the shadows, “If you need me Cort, I’ll be on the surface.”

Aleric headed back, there he stood and rain began to fall. He took a shoto saber blade and ignited thewhite hot blade, and saw to the whiskers, he cut, there was slight crackling and spark, the hairs falling. He looked into pool ofwater that expanded from sky falls.

He looked more himself, albeit still altered.

Cort watched as Aleric headed back to the surface and then went to Zoe.

"Hey" She said

"Hi" Zoe replied

Cort then to her padawan.

"Are you alright, An'Yon?" She asked

"Now that we're alone I'll ask again. Why the shadows?" Zoe asked to Tia

Aleric stood in the sky water, his hair drenched, his eyes shining grey, and his scarlet cape carrying droplets to the ground. He heard the crackle of thunder, and then bolts of lightning. There was movement in the flashes, stirring of tentacles in the mud, great pods rose nad pouring out was Gammoreans and Rodians running like animals, their eyes yellow with those veins.

Left overs from Revan.

Aleric ignited a Larimar blue saber, the beam bathed his body in a matching blue glow and it crackled as rain drops.

One pig face leapt with clawed hands, and Aleric sweeped his blade catching its neck line and rending asunder the head from its shoulders. A Rodian screamed and somersaulted from a mound, Aleric pointed his free hand to send the ravenous bug head flying into the sky with The Force, it fell and landed on some rocks, loud cracks of bone. The Gray Jedi cut through a tentacle, and met a jettisoned Zabrak whose teeth were yellow and it swung a machete blade, its eyes were pure, and so the two danced beneath the falling sheets of tears, more Infected pouring out of hills like insects looking for a bite.

Tia "because I like the shadows, darkness is my allie"

AnYon: "I don't think I'm cut out for the force training Master, it's too heavy"

"It is for many beings, you and Cort are alike in that sense. I can feel it. There's also something else I can...feel about Cort" Replied Zoe. Cort rubbed her chin before repling to An'Yon.

"It's not for everyone An'Yon but its only through persistance that we achieve this feat. One can become a formidable foe if properly trained" She said trying to persuade An'Yon to continue his training.

"sounds like something you need to talk about with your friend" Tia said, turning back around, lowering her head.

"I don't want to be a foe master, I don't like fighting, my folks said the force is about preserving life, not trying to destroy it with lightsabers and weapons" AnYon said, almost fatigued.

Aleric knocked the Zabrak against the haul of the Squid ship and beat him in skull and horns with his saber’s pummel. The Gray Jedi turned to a hord of Infect and unleashed purple bolts of lightning, the gnarled strands of energy hit pools of water and the Gammoreans and Rodian fell down, having seizures. The Zabrak looked at the Jedi,

“Kill me..”

Aleric turned his saber held to his side.

The Zabrak spit up blood.

“I have seen enough.. put an end to my misery.”

Aleric raised his blade and prepared to strike when he saw in the eyes of Zabrak a familiar weight. He lowered his saber and handed the hilt to the Zabrak.

“Do me. I have suffered enough, I have lived up to the Qel Droma curse long enough! Strike me down and aa you do I will send bolts into water at your feet and we may both end these lives of torment.” The Zabrak too the saber hilt and poised it for a cut with both hands, sweeping the blade behind his head.

As Zabrak swung, Aleric dropped his head and sent s currrnt of purple bolts in the water causing the Zabrak to tumble on his back and his body siezure from the volts. Aleric caught the saber hilt and began to cut down into the Zabrak, beating the white blue blade into his flesh, until it was pulverized, his face contorted from rage as he shouted loud beneath the gloomy sky. The Zabrak was now unrecognizable, lifeless, and Aleric hilt was stained in red that drip with clear drops of rain.

AnYon was becoming more fatigued, and stumbled on a rock, Tia was still in the shadows out of sight.

The Infected continued to swarm, and Alwric cut them down with a sweep, a thrust, and cut. He tore through them like leaves, his rage growing rather than subsiding. As a group of pig faces came clambering down a rocky hill, Aleric pointer his hand to sky, and channeled bolts of amethyst into it; the lightning charged drops of rain that fell on the Gammorean Undead, zapping them and throwing them to the ground, their bodies smoking from charged droplets.

AnYon's breathing becomes laboured

As Aleric cut through another wave of the elected, in the sky a black rippled aformed, like waters of shadow. The Gray Jedi did not notice the upside down pool of oil, nor the shadowy figure that fell from it, its cape flapping like a funeral train. The Figure landed on black heeled boots, their face cloaked in a black hood. The Figure drew near Aleric, making its way to a hill above the carnage. They stood there until the last Pig face was pummeled into the ground.

Aleric breathed heavily, his brow wet with perspiration and the fruits of precipitation. He looked up and saw the Shadow with an ignited white blade, the Figure leapt in cartwheel and began beating his blade with such force, he was pressed into the mud. The Shadow let out a cry, revealing a feminine voice as she beat the drum of Djem So. Aleric fell in the mud, blocking the succession of blows that hit like a hammer, he went under the mic of dirt and water and then was leviated back up and throw on a plateform, he bearly got his bearing when she waa on hin again, pressing the heels into his sides as she held him down and beat at his blade, the sparks flying everywhere, she cried out,

“Aauhhhh!”

Aleric grabbed her left heel and tossed her off, she sliding in the rain over the metal pavement. Aleric leapt and cut down ward with both hands, the Girl rolled, in her place a great lava orange mark that quickly turned black. She then leviated some crates of chrome and threw them at Aleric, who cut through one, severing it in half and two pieces flying past his left and right sides. The Gray Jedi rushed to stop her, she was using both hands to break the cables of a transmitter tower that ascended over twelve meters above. Aleric fired some bolts from his fingers that hit her, causing her to lose control of the transmitter, it creaking and losing supports. The Shadow Girl let out a cry, the bolts circling her body. She came in contact with small puddles of water that amplified the voltage and carried the current through her. Her black robes steaming, the transmitter creaking, ready to fall, Aleric deactivated his saber and turned to leave her to her fate when he voice broke over the metal grinding,

“Father!”

Aleric’s eyes became strained, he turned to see her laying below the collapsing transmitter, he reached out with both hands, halting it. He then walked towards her, his neck riddled with veins from the weight, his face flushed and pain of holding the transmitter up. He let go with one hand nad grabbed her pulling her to his arm and then took her up, her legs dangling in arch as he ran and the transmitter fell, crashing into many pieces.

Aleric took her to a entrance of the facility on surface, that afforded shelter from the rains.

“Amina.. Amina! Are you alright?”

The Young Girl stirred and looked up into her father’s face.

“I am now, Father.”

She rose up and hugged him tight. A tear dripping down her pale skin.

Cort knelt down in front of An'Yon.

"I fully understand An'Yon. Your training ends here." She said. She was not a jedi and so she was not going to become a tyrant and force An'Yon into his training. She had only began on his acceptance and she ended it on his command. Zoe then walked up behind her.

"You are wise Cort. Wise beyond your years." She explained. Something then flung Zoe off her feet. Cort reacted instantly she ignited her saber and as the beast went to strike Zoe, Cort sliced its claw off and killed the beast with a saber to the head. Cort helped Zoe to her feet and Zoe hugged Cort, which took her by surprise. Zoe then did the last thing Cort would have expected. She said the words,

"I love you Cort, more than you know"

"I love you too Zoe" And the two continued to embrace.

AnYon fainted, his face was drained. Tia had been draining him of his energy secretly from the shadows.

Zoe turned and dealt with An'Yon, whilst Cort went to Tia.

"Really?" She asked raising a brow

Tia simply winked at her, and smirked.

On the surface Aleric sat on a metallic bench with his daughter. Amina pulled her black hood on aa Aleric iffered her some warm tea.

“How is your mother?”

Amina wrinkled her nose.

“Oh you know.. up to no good.”

Aleric chuckled.

“I can imagine.”

The Son of Qel Droma starred at his flesh and blood. When last he had seen her, she had been but a child.

“So.. how..”

Amina interrupted.

“You don’t have to act so weird father. I have grown up and the past is the past.”

Aleric saw her bluntness came from her mother.,

“Then why are you here?”

Amina face contorted into a stone like expression, she felt the fire rising to the surface.

“To kill you..”

Aleric did not stir at this revelation.

“I see.. and what would that achieve?”

Amina snorted.

“I’d be free of this.. this weakness. I tire of being plagued by you in my memories, in my dreams. I want to be free of it.”

Aleric took a deep breath.

“Then why don’t you? I offer myself if it means an end to your suffering.”

Amina rose up and crossed her legs.

“See! There you go again! You take every reason I have to hate you and.. melt it away.”

Aleric rose and placed his gloved hand on her shoulder.

“I am sorry I was not there.. I fled because the weight of what I had done, my betrayal of The Force, I couldn’t bear it..”

Amina turned her black hair unfurling in the wind, her grey blue eyes fixed on her father.

“You took everything when you left! Now all I have is the darkness. And with it I will break these chains! These memories ans pain!”

Aleric lifted his hand from her shoulder.

“You must do as you must. I will not stop you.. just as I cannot stop her.”

Amina turned around.

“Her?”

Aleric nodded.

“You are like her in some ways, she too calls on the darkness with all her soul. Before your mother.. there was her.”

Amina wiped some damp black mascara from her eyes.

“Is she here?”

Aleric nodded.

“Below in the tunnels. She could teach the power of the dark side. Your mother is Chaos, but her knowledge of the dark side is eclipsed by her own nature. Tia could teach you, if she doesn’t kill you first.”

Amina smiled,

“I like her already..”

Aleric offered his hand.

“Take you to her I will.”

Aleric and Amina headed back to the tunnels.

"You're unbelievable sometimes, you know that right. But you know what, I'm calling truce with you Tia. You did what you had to, to escape the Theed police and I'll give it to you, you put on quite a show" Cort said as her response to the Sith Acoylte's smirk.

"careful now, calling me unbelievable...the compliments, your girlfriend will get jealous" Tia enjoyed getting under Cort's skin. It entertained her.

"Well, we haven't exactly figured that out yet. The affection is clearly there both ways though" Cort replied. She scratched her neck to prevent her reacting to Tia the way the Sith wanted her to. Zoe looked over at the pair and could only just make out the two beings. Zoe was right when she had said that both Cort and Tia shared a love for the shadows because otherwise Cort would have lit the area up. Zoe smiled a little. Why she didn't have a clue it just felt right.

Aleric and Amina made there way in tunnels, they saw Cort and Tia having a discussion.

“Is that her?” Asked Amina.

Aleric nodded.

“Who’s the Twi’lek?”

Aleric crossed his arms in a resting posture. “That’s Cort, a dear friend and sister of mine in the Gray Jedi Order.”

Amina raised her dark brown eyebrow.

“Gray Jedi? What is that code for bipolar?”

Aleric laughed.

“In a manner of speaking, we do balance the two polars, light and dark inside outselves.”

Amina scoffed.

“That’s stupid.. no offense Father, but you cannot play with fire and ice together, either the ice melts or the fire is snuffed out.”

Aleric chuckled deeply in his chest.

“Perhaps..”

"well this is the second time you have come up to me in the last half an hour so if you have something to say to me...say it" Tia said folding her arms.

"I'm only here to ask why drain An'Yon. He's not much of a threat now is he? It would've made sense to do to me or Zoe but you went for An'Yon. Why?" Cort asked. She noticed Zoe looking over at the two but she was preoccupied with Tia.

Amina stepped in to the matter.

“Why not drain me?”

She stood in front of Tia.

“I am a better morsel. And if I survive, you agree to train me in the dark side.”

Aleric shook his head, making a bargain with Tia was foolhardy, he knew, he had the marks on his body and soul.

"And you are?" Cort asked the newcomer. She crossed her arms across her chest.

Tia "you ask for a reason? you don't look in the dark for answers...when you stare into the abyss all you will ever learn is the unknown...is there something in the blackness lurking...is it going to leap out and grab you any minute...? Tia grabbed the Twi'Lek by the shoulders and made a 'BOO!' sound. 'you know nothing of darkness, if you did you wouldn't ask why...'

Amina was suprised Tia just ignored her, made her indignant. She decided to address the Twi’lek’s query.

“I am Amina Qel Droma.”

She turned to Aleric and pointed.

“He is my father.”

"Well, of course I don't. I may be a grey jedi but I haven't dived into the dark side that much" Cort replied. Cort pushed Tia's hands off her shoulders.

"Besides we have a guest, Tia" Cort said before turning back to the new being that had called herself Amina. She noticed Aleric behind her and put two and two together.

"Well, the Qel Droma line continues. Isn't that right Aleric?" Cort asked.

"well that's a relief" Tia retorted after her "you don't have it in you"

Aleric nodded, and stepped forward.

“Indeed my friend. My daughter is impetuous, forgive her.”

Amina turned with a glare.

Aleric came closer to her.

“Father!”

Tia went to AnYon, knelt down to feel his pulse "he we live"

Aleric enjoyed embarrassing his little girl, albeit she was not so little, and she was not a girl, but a woman.

“Making up for lost time.”

Cort then walked to Zoe and the two stood side by side. Zoe placed her head on Cort's shoulder and Cort kissed her forehead.

"Good, at least none's dead" Cort said replying to Tia.

"yet.." she said glaring at her. (Tia)

"Yeah, yet" Zoe replied.

"Well, let's try to keep it that way shall we?" Cort asked.

Amina looked at Tia.

“Is it true you know the dark side?”

Aleric’s Daughter wasted no time, despite Tia not acknowledging her.

Tia looked at her directly, almost looking right to her soul "I do"

Amina took a knee.

“Teach me.. I pledge myself to the Darkness and your teachings.”

Tia looked at her with a thin smile "kill AnYon then I will teach you"

Amina ignited her white hot blade and thrusted at AnYon, aiming for the Bith’s chest.

She let out a scream of rage.

Cort ignited a single green blade and launched ahead of the bith.

"Back off, Amina" She said holding her blade towards Aleric's daughter.

Aleric ignited his Larimar blade and joined his daughter’s side.

“You draw a blade against my daughter?”

Zoe ignited her own blue bladed lightsaber and stood beside Cort.

"You're a fine one to talk, drawing a blade on my girlfriend." Zoe snapped.

Tia stood aside gleeful in the chaos she had just made.

Aleric felt his eyes begin to burn like embers, his blood went cold and filled with oil.. the dark side.

“Amina.. I am with you.”

Amina smiled,

“Yes father.”

Aleric lunged with both hands, cutting at Cort with Djem So strength. Amina thrusted at Zoe, and began more thrusts.

Cort and Zoe broke into the two duels. It was typical of Aleric to go for Cort with his Djem So. Cort blocked some and dodged others. She swept her green blade towards Aleric's left arm. Zoe ignited the second blade of her saber and switched from her Ataru to Jar Kai. Zoe lunged forward with her blue blade aiming at Amina's waist.

Aleric felt Cort’s blade cut his arm, there was sparks and part of robe tore with an orange burn that turned black.

“Arrrgh!!”

This sent Aleric into a fury, he swung wildly, his body covered in a blood red aura of Force Rage.

Amina parried the two blades of Zoe, and moved low to the ground in her footing. She hissed through clinched teeth. She then somersaulted over head and thrusted her white hot blade like a spear at Zoe’s head.

Zoe swung her saber around in time to catch the white hot blade. She then struck towards Amina towards her in an attempt to rebound the attack onto her. Cort felt guilty when her green blade cut into Aleric's arm an even more when he cried out in pain. Cort was having difficulty blocking Aleric's attacks to the point that she to had to switch from her main combct form to Jar Kai. She unclipped and ignited the second green blade and swung back against Aleric. She swung towards Aleric's neckline with one saber and towards his waist with the other. All four blades of Zoe and Cort where in play now.

Tia felt hungry for the first time and thought about rummaging through someone's rucksack for supplies.

Amina reached out her hand as Zoe’s blade rose and pushed her blade on itself, Amina conjuring the Force used her enemy’s blade snd her own to flip backward like on poled and land next to Tia.

Amina then turned to the fallen AnYon and stabbed downward to slay the Bith.

Cort’s marks landed, the tip cut open Aleric’s larynx, his voice broke and the second mark cut him at the waist, him falling backward.

Cort deactivated her sabers and was absolutely devastated with what she just did. She dropped to her knees and her sabers rolled away. Zoe turned to late to protect An'Yon and the bith was slain. Zoe deactivated her own saber and slid over to Cort. Zoe called Cort's sabers to hand and the two sat in silence.

Aleric dropped his saber and grabbed for his throat. He spoke and all that came was wheezing, he was on his knees helpless.

Amina stabbed, but turned at the sound of her Father.

“Papa?!”

Tia clasped her hands "good, you did...very well, daughter of Aleric, there is hope for you. Now...look what those two" she gestured to Cort and Zoe "they're not be trusted"

Amina saw her Father in agony and charged ready to decapitate both Cort and Zoe who seemed in a trance, when Aleric raised his hand up in rebuke.

Amina dropped her saber and saw to her Father.

“Papa?! Are you alright?”

All that came from Aleric waa whistling and wheezing sounds.

Zoe reached towards Aleric. She then looked back at Cort, who was still staring at the ground. Zoe examined the injurys that Aleric had sustained from his duel with Cort. He as pretty injured. She looked at Cort and all the colour had darined from. She had gone green to white. Her skin then began to turn red and her coal black eyes were no more. Now they were orange.

"Cort?" Zoe asked

"Yes?" Cort replied, her voice dark.

Amina by reflex was going to throttle Zoe till she saw her trying to help Aleric. The Daughter of Qel Droma looked at Cort, and said with clinched teeth,

“I will kill you.. I promise you.”

Tia knelt beside Aleric touching his hands and closed her eyes and leant down to touch his lips.

lease do. It's the least I deserve." Cort said as she stood. Her breathing had become heavier and she clipped her lightsabers to her belt. Zoe then looked at Cort herself.

"Now I'm no medical professional but you've managed to cut his larynx. You've also cut him at the waist, My love" Zoe said taking in Cort's current apperance. Cort then turned to face Tia.

"What did you say about me and the darkside, Darth Virulenta?" Cort asked.

Tia looks over at her "because you are no Sith...Sith represent the true power of the dark-side, everyone else are imitators.”

"Perhaps that's true." Cort said with a sneer before walking into the shadows so that she could see the other four but they wouldn't be able to see her visualy. Zoe then turned to Tia.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" She asked.

Tia looked down and wiped Aleric's brow "yes.”

"What happened to Cort? She's gone from green to red. Is that to do with the darkside?" Zoe asked as she was a jedi and had no idea about these things.

Aleric tried to call out in The Force and tell Cort,

“I am sorry.. my paternal instincts got the better of me.”

He wasn’t sure if the mental words would reach the mind of his Twi’lek friend. So much was happening, and feelings were raw.

Aleric felt Tia’s hand touch, her hand always soothed him, for it had resurrected him many times. If he never spoke again, it was worth it to have her be so close to him again.

Amina almost drew her saber to follow Cort into the shadows and grant her wish. But she heeded her Father’s hand of cessation of hostilities.

Tia shrugged over at Zoe "perhaps she's shy" before turning back to Aleric "can you hear me?"

"No, Aleric. It is not you that needs to apologise, it was by my hand that you have recieved those wounds, and now I must suffer the consequences. It was my blade that injured you, my grey brother and it is my body that will forever be changed from the darkness of the emotions from my years. The Darkside has caught up to me. I am not who I was." Cort said. The darkness in her voice carrying across the cave but she herself remained hidden.

Aleric called out in s broken rasp,

“T-i-a.”

The Gray Jedi was worried at the words spoken by Cort. He sensed hopelessness in his friend and struggled to redirect attention to her.

Amina was relieved, she hugged her father’s side.

“You’re alright.. you’re alright.”

Tia said only one word, but it was authoritative "RISE.”

Aleric rose up, feeling much of his pain numbed. Amina joined him and both faced Tia.

"Thank the force" Zoe said allowing a smile to form across her face. Cort just simply looked on from the shadows. She didn't even blink throughout all of this. Not since she had spoken last.

Tia turned to Amina, "your dad is strong, are you sure you want to know the dark-side?"

Amina bowed to Tia.

“I have never known the light, only darkness. In it I find strength. Balance is folly, the fire always wins, ice melts. Teach me the ways of the dark side and I will serve you faithfully.”

Aleric did nothing to stop his Daughter, instead he placed a hand on her shoulder and winked at Tia to tend to the matter. He went into shadows to find Cort, who he reached out for.

Cort unclipped one of her saber as she sensed Aleric, the blade red blade stood at her side to guide her grey brother.

Aleric drew close to her.

His voice rasping,

“C-o-r-t.”

"Yes, my grey brother" Cort said as she deactivated her red blade and stood with her back to Aleric.

Tia smiled "this cave is strong in the dark-side..." she looked over at the innocent body of the Bith, "it is always abhorrent to kill a force sensitive, unnatural even" she turned to the direction of the cave "Cort will remember her failure to save him for the rest of her life, all because she's "grey""

Aleric used The Force to convey thoughts to his friend Cort.

“You did nothing wrong. We all were under the thumb of emotion. Now I understand the Jedi’s ‘There is No Emotion.’

"Say that to my apperance, Al. My saber and my apperance suggest otherwise, Cort Dreit, the nutolan is no longer there, now I am on the surface." Cort replied to the grey jedi.

Amina stayed bowed.

“Yes I feel it.., the darkness chills my breath.”

Aleric was pained, Cort was not herself and all this pain was his doing. Once again he drew his friends into the field of fire, the crucible.

He thought to himself,

“No matter how hard I try, no matter how good my intentions, those I love the most pay the price.”

Aleric wandered off into the tunnels. He came to a pool and felt a compulsion to caste himself into it.

Cort walked after Aleric nedding to leave the main cave behind her. She was now fully visible.

"Al, it's not your fault. It's mine. This" Cort then waved a hand down her body

"Is not your doing. This is from my entire life. I have also kept my emotions of anger and hate to myself and this is the consequence I must pay" Cort explained. She placed a red hand on Aleric's shoulder.

"You have always been like a brother to me Aleric and you always will" Cort said lookung into Aleric's eyes with her own orange ones.

Aleric turned to Cort, his face heavy, the wrinkles and scars like strokes on a canvas.

“All those times I died, I wonder if it had not been better if I had stayed in the Netherworld. All I bring is pain Cort.. pain to you, to my daughter, to Zoe, to the galaxy.”

Aleric ignited his Larimar blue blade over the pool of waters.

“I want to live, to see Amina fall in love and have children, to be with Tia for even another second.. to spend time with you and Zoe, but The Force would be better served if I had never been born!”

Tia felt her holoprojector beep in her pocket, took it and hit a switch to reveal a recorded message


A young officer type spoke "Lady Virulenta, Lady Tempestia wishes to speak to you urgently on Corellia"

"It will be done Captain Jacin " Tia replied as the hologram faded.

"I must go, I am needed"



Captain Jacin


Virulenta/Tia

"Aleric, the force is not affected by one person. You've seen Amina's reaction to what I did to you. If I returned without you, she would have my head. You know what you want, Al. Right?" Cort asked

Aleric felt the presence of Tia fading, he sensed a departure.

“Yes.. I know what I want.”

Aleric placed his hand on Cort’s shoulder.

“Come with me. You may feel broken, but lets explore the shadows. If love can survive even in darkness, let it be so.”

He then made his way to Tia who with Amina looked ready to depart.

“T-i-a..”

Aleric then spoke to his beloved in the Force.

“I am coming with you.”

Amina hugged her father.

Cort had followed Aleric back into the main cave and stood aside. Zoe had located Cort and stood next to her. Cort kissed Zoe on the forehead.

"We are together my love" She wispered to Zoe. The two then looked at the trio.

Tia turned to face them "we go to Corellia...there where we go might be dangerous, but if you are willing to explore the dark...." her gaze turns to Amina "I will guide you through its blackest depths..."

Amina bowed.

“I will follow you into deepest shoals, Master.”

Aleric approached Tia,

“I need a respirator, and new armor. I will protect you with my life. You have my saber.”

 

@greyjedi125 read the above post when you get the time and you'll see what I mean

L_B Edit: Do not use game threads to chat or message.

 

Combo post with Tay and Kato (thanks guys )


Cort then stepped forward with Zoe at her side.
"We're coming with you as well" She said.

Tia turned to face them "oh...?"

"Something, Darth Virulenta?" Cort asked swinging her red headtails out of her face

Tia blinked at her "put your saber away Cort"

"As you wish, Virulenta" Cort replied deactivating her red blade and clipping it to her belt to sit next to her other blade.

Aleric stood at ready, Amina took her place at Tia’s side and covered her tier up locks with a black hood.

"So what now?" Zoe asked Cort.
"We let the Virulenta decide that" Cort replied

"Now we get out of this cave" Tia said flatly.

"We're right behind you my lady" Cort said and Zoe nodded her head in agreement

Aleric stepped forward to take point. He always volunteered to be the tip of the spear.
“F-o-r-w-a-r-d.”
Amina became Tia’s shadow, moving as if she was caste by her Master.

Cort and Zoe then took the rear and travelled behind Amina

Aleric came to one of the Squid ships on the surface, he placed his gloved hand on his saber hilt. He had slain many of the Infected, but had it been all of them?

Tia stopped and saw her ship in the distance.

"it's big enough for all of us I think..." she said, as if to herself.

Aleric approached the ramp of Tia’s ship, and stood like a sentinel, waiting for all to board. He smiled as he watched Amina follow Tia. He never thought he’d see his daughter and love together, much less master and apprentice.

Tia sat at the control desk, switched on the engine and prepared for take off. She punched a few buttons and inserted a datapen into her droid "don't touch...anything" she warned to everyone. "Everything is how I want it, if you must sleep....don't snore"

Amina took a seat in chair behind Tia. She obeyed her Master, not touching a thing.
Aleric went into cargo hold and sat against a crate. His massive frame he felt would not fit in tighter quarters.
There he had some time to reflect on everything that had happened.

Tia got up and went to Aleric with a breathing mask and respirator "this should hold you until we get to Corellia" she passed it to him "you may meet up with Ijaat once we are there"

Aleric put the respirator on, it made his face appear menacing.



“Thank you Tia.”
His voice was aided by apparatus, it sounding like an echo in the chamber.

Cort and Zoe followed the others onto the ship and sat at stations within the area. Both of them did as Tia asked. Cort would return at a later date. Her orange eyes saw Aleric go into the cargo hold. She followed him and stood in the doorway.
"Something on your Mind, brother?" She asked
Zoe looked out of the viewport and sat thinking how quickly things had changed with Cort. She wondered what the Jedi order would think.

Aleric turned to Cort.
“So much has happened. Tell me, my friend, how are you coping?”

"Not great, still getting used to the new look to be honest. Still trying to wrap my head around the dark side. It keeps giving me a headache. What about you?" Cort asked as she walked towards Aleric

Aleric nodded.
“My vocal cords feel like melted wires. As for the dark side.. its as familiar to me as my right hand.”

Cort wiped a hand over her left brow
"Sorry about that. What do you mean by familiar?"


Aleric paused and then looked at Cort.
“Well I was a Darth, then a Wound, but my experiences with Abeloth really made aquatinted with the darkness.”

"That's fair. So you know the dark side well then" Replied Cort


Aleric nodded,
“As Gray Jedi we are suppose to know the dark side, balance it with the light. But to know the darkness is to fall, it cannot be tried, you must leap into it.”

"Jedi make me sick" Cort said with a look of disgust, her hand brushing past her sabers as if to empathise her point

“So you intend to commit to the Sith path? So be it.” Said Aleric.

"For the time being, yes. The dark side won't leave me alone. I'll seek out Caretaker Polmath upon my arrival back to the grey temple. You reckon he can help?" Cort asked her grey brother as he had known the caretaker longer than she had.

Aleric took a breath and wheezed.
“The Caretaker is wise and can help us all. The duality is rejected by Jedi and Sith, and yet we are drawn to the dark and called to the light.”

"I think you're the wise one, brother. You've helped me more than the caretaker. This is a matter that I believe is beyond you." Cort said as Zoe came in and sat next to Cort. Zoe rested her head on Cort's shoulder and Cort began to stroke Zoe's hair

Aleric took another deep breath,
“Perhaps.. you must walk your path, I mine. I have already swam the darkest channels. I embrace the darkness because the one I love is part of it, and my daughter has submitted to it. But I remain a Jedi.”

Tia had sat back in the pilot seat, and listened to the conversation between the grey Jedi, and tapped in co-ordinates to her destination.

"buckle up people, we're on our way" before anyone could strap themselves in, she had already zoomed to hyperspace.

Aleric felt the jolt of hyperspace and rose, he gave a bow tp Cort, leaving the cargo hold. He came to porthole watching the stars stream by in brilliant tails of white.


it was Tia'ds modified IG-88 droid that spoke next "Tempestia has been waiting for you"

Tia did not say anything in response and got up from her seat.

Aleric drifted off as he watched the stars sail past. He was now standing asleep.

Tia paused on her way back to glance at Aleric, she shouldn't have been surprised at this new peculiarity, but she indeed, was, she shook her head in a bemused fashion and sat next to Amina "you really want to know the dark-side?" she turned to Cort "and do you?"

Amina bowed her hooded head low.
“Yes Master, the dark side is my chief aim.”
Meanwhile Aleric caught some zzzs.

Tia observed her quite some time "you're not afraid?"

Amina eye flickered with a purple flame.
“I was born the child of Chaos, fear is nothing to me.”
Meanwhile Aleric rocked in his sleep, his mind dreaming of him and Tia holding hands on a lava planet.

"Fear can be a powerful ally, Fear is fuel" she studied her carefully. Tempestia can probably teach you the meaning of fear....she thought to herself.

Amina sighed.
“How can fear help? Does it not paralyze?”
Aleric in the dream realm then saw his daughter playing with a blond boy.

"only if you don't control it" Tia explains. "Mold the fear, harness it, and then let it explode like a detonator"

Amina bowed her head.
“Yes Master. I shall try to conjure and channel fear. Though I will need instruction.”
Aleric approached the short hair blond child who turned. He heard a voice, “Ulric, come along!”


Cort turned her head towards Tia whilst Zoe fell asleep on Cort's shoulder.
"I do, I am not afraid of the darkness anymore instead I embrace it,anything to protect my love" Cort said to the Sith. She understood the darkness more than her and now she needed to understand it more than ever.

"I see...interesting" Tia said in thought.. "Get some sleep. I will wake you when we approach the Corellian system.

TAG: @Kato Sai @Tay Neir

 

IC: Aleric Qel Droma, Cort Dreit, Zoe Rampal, Amina, Tia, Tempestia.

Cort did as she was told. She rested her head on Zoe's and she fell asleep instantly. Aleric awoke from the dream with a jolt. Was it a vision or desires lurking in the recesses of his mind?
Whatever it meant, he decided to take a stroll.
Tia closed her eyes and meditated.

"you bring visitors?" it was Tempestia's voice
"yes" was Tia's reply
"I hope you don't regret bringing them" came the terse reply.
Tia sighed low and took out an energy snack from a box stored under the control panel and began to eat
Cort's sleep was peaceful. Zoe's ,however, was not. She saw many visions of Cort if she continued down this path and she began to twitch in her sleep. Her lightsaber had unclipped from her belt and it rolled away across the cargo hold.
Tia was somewhat perturbed by ruckus and shouted over to the Grey Jedi "hey! you! keep it down"
"Say's you Virulenta" Said Cort in her sleep. She may be asleep but she still knew every word any one said
"it's my ship" she grumbled over, "besides you've dropped that weapon you people obsess over too much"
Aleric made his way back to Cargo Hold and saw saber hilt rolling, he stooped down to pick it up and looked at it. He saw Zoe was missing one from her belt, and so went and clipper it slowly back on.
"Not my weapon, not my problem" Cort replied
Tia snorted "we're approaching Corellia"
Cort woke and nudged Zoe.
"I'm up" Zoe said before she stood up. She also helped Cort to her feet and the two joined Tia and Amina
"What should we expect, Virulenta?" Cort asked crossing her handa behind her back a Zoe took a seat
Aleric entered the bridge and saw the world on screen.
The beautiful cyan blues and whites filled his eyes.
“So beautiful..”
"we expect the unknown...." Tia responded cryptically as she approached the planet

"preparing for steady landing" the mechanical voice of the droid said as Tia entered the atmosphere towards the landing platform and landed with ease.

on the Platform awaiting them stood three figures.

Tia turned to face them "if you think I was bad...." she warned wearily.
Aleric descended the ramp, he saw Tempestia, who he had memory of. Then a Mandalorian who suddenly rushed at him. Aleric leapt in side cartwheel off the ramp, using the joist. Ijaat went into crates inside and there was a loud clambering of metal.
Aleric lowered himself.
“I guess he missed me.”
Tempestia rolled her eyes at the sound of clanging metal, and then what appeared to be a thud.
"These are them?" she said with a raised eyebrow
"they are" Tia responded, she glared at her inquisitor, it was as if these two were battling for dominance.
"wonderful" Tempestia flashed a smile "welcome"
Amina bowed to Tempestia, her face shrouded in her hood.
“Alzalam alaikum: darkness be with you.”
Aleric regained his composure and approached.
“Lady Tempestia, greetings.”
Ijaat was out cold, two droids dragged him down the ramp, his helm scraping on the metal causing sparks
"see to him Captain" The Darth ordered.
Captain Jacin kicked him sharply in the ribs for him to awake"

Tempestia observed all the visitors and inclined her head to Aleric "you have sustained injury I see....as has your friend "she glanced at Cort
Aleric’s voice cracked a little.
“Aye, Milady. Please tend to my friend first.”
Ijaat rose up and rolled his shoulders.
“What did I miss?”
"you missed your target" Tempestia spat at him
Tempestia stepped in front of Cort examining her markings thoroughly as though a doctor would.
Ijaat lowered his T shaped visor and helm in shame.
Aleric reached for his neck, the scarring and blackened flesh looked like volcanic rock breaking into scales.
He took a breath.
Tia glanced at Aleric. She was sure Tempestia was going to use them in some way, or any way she could.
Aleric took out a vial of ree liquid from his pouch on his belt and took a syringe and stuck his neck. His breathing went from labored to a steady calm. He closed his eyes and could sense in The Force he was surrounded in shadow, save for Zoe’s aura. He knew that to wield darkness was go be a perpetual puppet of it, the Sith claimed to control The Force, but in truth emotion controlled them
Tempestia finished her 'diagnosis of Cort and then without any kind of warning, she removed his breathing apparatus, letting it fall to the floor and then cupped Aleric's cheeks and kissed him passionately on the mouth, her eyes wandering over to Tia to see if there was any rage, or emotion on seeing this.
Aleric’s eyes had been closed when he felt his respirator removed and chilled lips meet his and begin bending into his mouth with their moistness, he opened his eyes to see Tempestia. It was hard to know how to react, he knew that fire was on his lips, and sensed the motive, but it had been a while sense such pleasure had touched him. He pulled away, breaking the meeting of flesh.
“I wasn’t aware we were on such friendly terms..”
He noticed his breathing was not struggling after the make up session.
Tempestia smiled first at Tia then at Cort "I was just...reading the situation.." she said, her eyes were lit like fire, everything about her was flame. And everything about Tia was ice, as she stood by the entrance of her ship, motionless, without ant discernable emotion coming from her at all.
Cort stood still as the new lady seemed to examine her. Thempestia's aura was different to Tia's but she didn't mind. She watched one as Tempestia walked away. Zoe took that moment to stand by Cort. Her face gave away that something was bothering her.
"What is it my love?" Asked Cort turning her head only slightly towards Zoe.
"Nothing, it'll be fine" Zoe Replied but Cort could sense there was something she was not telling her and crossed her arms behind her back whilst watching Tempestia and the other get aqquinted with each other
Aleric looked at Cort, who was much altered. He owed her for helping him come back from the depths of being a Wound, and if he could, he would help Cort come back. However, Aleric knew that sermons would not restore his friend.
Tempestia turned to all of them "you all must be hungry" her smile again warm and welcoming. "Come let me whet your appetites, I have a small transport waiting"
Cort turned to Tempestia
"We're behind you Lady Tempestia" She said readjusting her belt Amina followed Tia, her focus one with the darkness.
Aleric paused as the party prepared to attend a feast. He stooped down and found a necklace, he opened it and inside was a picture of Aleric and Abeloth. Rising up Aleric knew it belonged to her daughter.
“It begins..”
He knew now he would lose her to the darkness, as he was once lost.
The group ascended onto a modest looking shuttlebus, driven by Captain Jacin. Though the journey was short and fairly comfortable Tia had said not a word, but her stare was like Ice towards Tempestia who was seated in front of her.
When they arrived at their destination, Tempestia showed them inside what looked like a renovated hotel, that was now a private residence and to a dining room, the air was filled with delicious and mouth watering aromas.
A chef of Gungan origin, one would assume on first glance gestured them to their seats
Aleric saw everyone was getting comfy for the meal, he approached a server droid and made an inquiry.
“Is there a water closet hers?”
The droid showed him to a door that had twi’lek head rolled up in a circle around the neck and on the other door a twi’lel with two lekkus. He entered in and went to a sink that had lighting that was motion activated. He placed his hands under a faucet and used water to clean up hos face. From his black cloak he removed a rolled up garment and robes. The tunic was a silver grey, with black, and the robe was a traditional brown of the Jedi. He took the tattered black robed of his Wound phase and pitched them in a waste basket that incinerated the material.
Aleric returned back to the diner, he was now presentable.
Cort took a seat with Zoe her side. Cort took in the room and it's occupants. She then turned to Tempestia.
"What we eating, Lady Tempestia?" She asked. She was completely relaxed. Zoe however was uncomfortable being sorrounded by so many dark siders. Cort sensed this and placed her left hand on Zoe's right leg. Zoe relaxed instantly, Cort made everything better even if she was a darksider herself right now.
Tempestia rested her clasped hands on her chin as she regarded Cort "for starters we are having Pog soup, followed by Colo Claw Fish and for desert we have plum Ice Cream direct from Naboo"
Server droids started to dish the soup to all the guests, Tempestia had noticed Tia was still staring the same icey stare but pretented not to notice. She knew she would have it with her Sith ally later. "So...what made you accompany Virulenta here all the way to Corellia?" she said to her guests
Aleric exited the lavatory and man with short spiked hair and two worm like attenaes protruding out of his head came from back door smoking a neon orange stick.
“Wanna buy some death sticks?”
Aleric levitated the stick out of his mouth and held it.
“There is a galaxy full of horrors, full of death. I suggest you not peddle it in these sticks.”
Aleric snuffed out the stick and waved his hand.
“You no longer want to sell deathsticks, you want to go home and rethink your life.”
The death salesman repeated those words and left out the back door.
Aleric joined the rest, sitting on the edge of a booth.
"I'm only here cause Cort's here" Zoe said as she began to eat.
"You might wanna slow down, Zoe. Most Sith enjoying killing others" Cort said before turning to their Sith host.
"You think I trust Virulenta enough to come on her own with him?" Cort asked motioning her head towards Aleric.
Tempestia chuckled at the Sith remark "oh Contraire, young one, Sith don't enjoy killing. We like to preserve life as much as possible. Sure, some might proclaim our methods are doing so are unnatural, but if one is to make progress, one must do unnatural things some times....like advances in the medical field, some things would not have been acomplished without thinking outside the box, the trouble is most people, are too rigid, too set in their ways" she turns to look at Tia before back at Cort "the Jedi are like that"
"Hey, we are not" Zoe snapped and went to continue before Cort waved a hand at her.
"Not now, Zoe. Not against the sith afterall remember that it was a jedi that made me lose a headtail. Keep that in mind" Cort said bluntly before turning back to Tempastia
"Yes, sorry about that afterall I'm still new to the darkside and so will confuse with the narrow veiw of the jedi" Cort said
"I do not take offence at your friend, young one " Tempestia's voice was soft, calming "in fact her devotion is to be admired, not many have strong convictions in their beliefs these days, I do not want to convert anyone, after all that is how wars start..."think like me, or else" She observed the deformed Lekku "you said a Jedi did that?" she looked concerned.

Tia felt the emotion, a feeling coming from Aleric.
A droid came pit to Aleric and brought him some broth. He sniffed it and dipped the cracker into it. It was filled with meat stock, a custom of Bantha Stew. The Gray Jedi had no objection to Tempestia’s words, he believed the forcericide caused by wars between Jedi and Sith was folly, which only ended in peace and then incitement, then war again, and thus repeating from generation to generation.
Cort replied to Tempestia.
"My former master in fact. Wasn't that nice of him?" She said
Tempestia frowned "no it wasn't, we have technologies that could help regrow it" she suggested.
Aleric took another spoon of soup and a black tentacle came out like a tongue and grabbed the liquid.
Tia looked over at Aleric, giving him 'a look'
Amina noticed the tentacle too, her eyes flickered with flames.
Aleric looked over at Tia,
and made nonverbal gesture,
“What?!”
Tia shook her head, she could tell his emotions were all over the place from the storm's kiss.
Aleric took a napkin and dabbed his face. A droid hovered over to take the plate.
Aleric cleared his throat,
“So. What is the mission? Why are we on Corellia Tia?”
Tia bit into some fruit "this is the world of technology, so...there are plenty of possibilities" she said with a wink.
Cort sat in silence and then looked at Tempestia
"What does that include, lady Tempestia?" She asked
Aleric folded the napkin.
“I see.. so playing it by ear.”
The Gray Jedi chuckled. Tia and Him had done that before.
Tempestia looked at Cort with a twinkle in her eyes "why science of course, science with a touch of the force"
Amina rolled her eyes. Her father courted Tia and kisses Tempestia. He was a Jedi Giglio.
"How can I be sure I won't get killed in the process, my lady?" Asked Cort with a sturn look on her face
Tia looked at Aleric again "with me yes, with Tempestia there is always a plan..."

Tempestia took a bite of claw fish "you have to trust in the will of the force, young one" she said to Cort
Aleric noticed Temoestia’s words, “trust in The Force? I thought Sith bend The Force to their will?”
He felt he had caught her, some device or intrigue she was using on Cort and Zoe.
"The Sith are misunderstood dear" she said to Aleric "generations of propaganda by a corrupt senate has fed misinformation to the public. Think about it...their advisors were a council of Jedi that resided in an ivory tower...of course they would put the Sith's name and practices through the mud, it's in their arrogant nature. They probably even believe half the spiel they shout"
Aleric saw that Cort was becoming entangled in the snares of this Sith Tempest. So he decided to stand up, and excuse himself.
“Pardon me, I take my leave.”
He went to back door of the diner and went outside, where in the ally he took a breath, his throat still burnt
Tempestia turned to Cort "not only can it be done young one, but you will be an inspiration for many..."
Amina watched her father flee over the topic. Was this her chance? She decided to stay and sipped some blood wine.
Cort considered for less than a moment.
"When can it be done, Lady Tempestia?" She asked
"Cort?" Zoe asked before Cort put a finger to her upper life
"Not another word, My love. Go to Aleric, ask him the location of the grey temple, seek out caretaker Polmath, he'll take care of you." Cort explained. Zoe looked at each darksider in turn before following Aleric. She walked into the ally and kicked a wall.
"Ow, Kriff" She said angerly.
Aleric turned to Zoe.
“What’s this? Are you alright Zoe?”
Tempestia sipped some wine "as soon as you wish, Cort. There is no rush here"
"No Aleric, I'm not." Zoe snapped angerly
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." She said quickly afterwards
Cort smiled.
"I'm ready as soon as you are, My Lady" Cort said bowing her head. She then looked at the door that Zoe had left through and wondered if she had made the right descision.
Aleric drew closer, he motioned his brown robed sleeve to touch her shoulder.
“There is no need to apologize. I too am rattled by all this.”
Zoe looked at Aleric.
"Cort mentioned a grey temple and a Caretaker...What was his name?" She explained
"excellent" Tempestia said, the same cheerful smile as before raising her goblet "to many possibilities"
Aleric replied, “Polmath. He is my overseer and a Grandmaster of all Gray Jedi.”
Cort raised her goblet and smiled pushing Zoe out of her mind.
"To many possibilitys" She said. Her dark voice sounded unatural when she spoke.
Zoe replied to Aleric
"That's the one. Cort trying to get me to seek him out. Do I go Aleric?" She asked
The Gray Jedi paused.
“Your soul will be safer if you go to Polmath, but your heart I can see is still tied to Cort. You’re training in Dacameron Alpha will make you a student of Balance, Cort is in imbalance, falling hard for the dark. This will put you in conflict. For your sake I would wish you go to Polmath, but the matters of the heart are strong, you must decide what matters most, your soul or your soulmate."
Tempestia emptied her glass and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "Follow me to the labs Cort"
Zoe took in the information and made her descision. Whatever the reason Cort was sending her to the grey temple it must be for her own sake. She assumed that Cort knew the location.
"Decameron Alpha?" She asked
Inside the chamber Cort emptied her glass before getting up from her seat and walking towards the labs. Whatever happened to her she could now garuntie Zoe's safety. She just had to hope that Polmath would keep her safe.
Aleric smiled.
“Yes, I have its coordinates.”
The Gray Jedi took out a datapad and removed a purple chip with lines of chrome metal on it that looked like circuits.
“May The Force guide you Zoe. I must stay behind and see this through. I hope we see one another again on Decameron Alpha.”
The lab was clean, spotless even, and many concoctions were bubbling away in flasks and test tubes. Tempestia briefly spoke to a droid that rolled to Cort and observed her Lekku "lay on the specimen table please"
"Thank you, Aleric." Said Zoe before offering Aleric a comlink.
"Take this, keep me updated on Cort" She said.
Aleric took the comlink.
“I will. May The Force be with you Zoe.”
Cort did as she was told. She just had to hope that she wouldn't be incinurated.
Zoe found a ship and plugged in the datachip. The coordients were set and she left the planet and made the jump to hyperspace.
The droid injected a clear liquid into her arm, when you awake...your Lekku will be regrown"

Tempestia comes up beside her "everything will be just fine, Cort. Trust me" she places a soothing hand on her forehead
Aleric returned inside, only Tia was now left in the dinner. It had been a long time since they were alone together.
Tia had not eaten much, and had drank nothing at all, she was absent-mindedly stirring her soup with a spoon
Aleric placed his hand on the table.
“I sense this is the end.. I have felt it for some time. You must go down a path and I down mine. You resent me.. I am a weakness, la amore. Then again we never did exchange much in that way, save a kiss or a touch of hand. I understand now, you need no one, nothing. And I need too much, I crave intimacy and connection. Probably I will end up the same, my overbearing need will keep me from attaining it.”
He paused.
“There I go babbling while you sit silently. I just want to say, I am grateful for it all. Every moment we shared. I don’t care if you choose to forget it or claw me out of your memory. You will always be in my heart Tia, for better or worse.”
With that Aleric shed a tear and wiped it with knuckle of his black glove.
He rose up once more to leave,
“You will make a powerful Sith or whatever you aspire to. You’re lack of need will make the galaxy fall to its knees. I on the other hand will die again, in exile and be forgotten as I so desperately hope to be, to become erased by The Force.”
With those words Aleric left Tia at the table, and exited the diner, he caught a public transport that was a silver bus shaped hovercraft. It came to a hangar where charted ships had dials and screens reading in green and red departures and arrivals. He approached a kiosk.
A droid with yellow eyes popped up and asked, “destination.”
Aleric replied,
“The Unknown.”
Droid replied,
“Does not compute. No Hyperspace lanes to Unknown.”
Aleric sighed.
“Then Rhen Var.”
Droid calculated.
“There is one vessel heading to Rhen Var, cargo class.”
Alric put down some credits and headed for the departures, there he found an old vessel,
A man with pilot helm stood hauling blue barrels aboard. Aleric approached him. The man had long brown hair, and his brow was wet with sweat.
“You must be the live cargo I was told was coming, please get aboard, we don’t have all day.”
Aleric got in the freighter, and rested against a crate. The ship took off and flew past the great Cruisers and Destroyers built for the wars. They were great massive whales of steel, suspended and being molded by thousands of Corellians. Torches lit up the haul like candles. Aleric looked out the porthole at it.
The freighter soared into the sky and once cleared took off into space and then made the jump to hyperspace.
The stairs sailed by in white streams in a black canvas. Aleric rested his head and fell into a deep sleep.
Upon waking, he was informed on the comms,
“Approaching Rhen Var.. prepare for some chop.”
The ship tore through the sky of ice and descended on the plains of snow towards some facilities of brass colored structures. The freighter landed and Aleric exited in brown robes, covering his head with a hood. He made his way to the structure, when a blue translucent figure approached.
“Ulic..”
The Ancestor approached his Progeny.
“You return.. does this mean you found that which you seek?”
Alric removed his hood.
“In a manner of speaking. You were right, about her, about me, about all of it.”
Ulic drew closer.
“You carry a heaviness I recognize, and you have come to the place to this place to cure it.”
Aleric nodded.
“Can I be cured?”
Ulric drew closer, his eyes gleaming witth blackness.
“If you die..”
Alric sighed.
“I have many times..”
Ulic laughed.
“I speak not of your mortal clay, but another kind of death.”
Aleric looked at his Ancestor sternly,
“Teach me.”
Ulic shook his head.
“You fail to understand, this kind of death will mark you, you will not be the Aleric you were, but reborn.”
Aleric took a deep breath.
“Fine.. whatever.. long as in the end I feel nothing.. nothing!”
Ulic came closer, face to face.
“Then come.. what awaits is a new world.. and knowledge that will change forever how you understand The Force. But be warned, once you start, there is no going back..”
Aleric followed Ulic to the mouth of a cave.
“Come.. into the Void we go..”

TAG: @Kato Sai, @Tia (@greyjedi125, Mentioned)

 

(Combo post with Tay Neir )


Cort felt herself get drowsy and finally she was out. She would wake up later but for now she was out.
Cort awoke some time later and she felt different than she had when she had gone to sleep. She placed a hand on the back of her head and her head tail had regrown like Tempestia had promised. She went to a mirror and noticed that it was the only thing that had taken on the old green of Cort's skin. It bothered her and she hid it amongst her other Headtails but at least they were all there.

Tempestia entered the lab with her usual joyful smile "good morning, Cort you look refreshed. I have news for you. Your friends Aleric and Zoe, they have deserted you" her smile became a frown. "I know how badly you must feel right now but...you are welcome to stay here"

"I will stay, Lady Tempestia. Zoe's left you say?" Cort asked as she turned to face her.

"yes" she said sadly "she didn't think you were worth it"

"I thought not, the jedi never trust a dark side" The dark side of Cort said but deep down the light side of Cort was glad that Zoe was out of the way. It prevented Tempestia getting her

Tempestia sensed the little bit of light within Cort, this one will be hard to sway fully, she thought "tell me something Cort" she gestured her to a seat "what is your deepest desire?"


Cort thought long and hard about this before finally replying to Tempestia.
"A hard question to answer. I need power. Power to protect those I car about. I can never find it. That would be my deepist desire" She said.

--

Amina turned to her sith master.
"Why are we really here?" She asked Tia

--
Tempestia nodded "I understand" she then looked at her with a serious expression "your desire is attainable, however, you must be 100% dedicated if you are to achieve it. You see your problem, Cort is that you are a grey Jedi. You know what this means don't you? deep down inside you know. You are conflicted, every day, every minute you question which side is right, The light...the dark....neither. With each passing day the confusion eats away at you until you miss the Reek in the room...being both light and dark stops you achieving your greatest potential. You want my opinion?" she leans in close "I have a greater respect for the Jedi than I do the 'grey way'. I can help you Cort...I WILL help you...but you you will need to make a choice. Are you brave enough to do that?"

--

Tia looked at Amina "you still here too?" she snapped.

--


"I am, the light will be snuffed out, Lady Tempestia" Cort replied darkly.

--

"Why wouldn't I be?" Amina snapped back

--

"good" Tempestia patted on her shoulder "become my apprentice and we will achieve greatness"

--

Tia stood and approached her "you will know when you need to know"

--

"I pledge myself to you teachings, My master" Cort replied kneeling before Tempestia

--
"Who say's I don't need to know now?" Amina asked purple flames igniting in her eyes. She was a child of chaos and she would fight as much as she could whilst remaining Tia's apprentice

--


"Good, but I must be sure. Are you willing to kill your past? are you willing to kill everything in your past?"

Tia stared at her coldly, "I say"

--

"Tell me what I must do, My Master" Cort said her green headtail coming loose from her red ones. She pushed it back under them out of sight from her new master.
--
"Yes, Master" Amina replied backing down


-

Tempestia placed a hand on Cort's shoulder "you must be willing to destroy even people, including ones you considered your friends...even lovers"

--

"Yes, My master. Who's first?" Cort asked darkly

--

Tia pulled a face at Amina she was not accustomed to be called master, nor did she want an apprentice.

--

"Zoe" came the steady reply "I'll be your friend now"

"Yes, My master. I'll find a ship and go after her. There will be resistance from the grey jedi." Cort explained as she held her saber hilts in her hands.


"We shall be ready for any retaliation from her grey friends" Tempestia replied "the dark-side is stronger. Go now my faithful apprentice, kill her"

Cort left the room and as she passed Tia, she stared at Tia.
"My master is better at turning people than you, Virulenta" She said. Her hands clenched around her sabers. Amina stood and observed the Sith apprentice. She certainly had a point.

Tia simply laughed at this. Tia did not want or need extra baggage. An apprentice was the last thing on her mind. "I'll make a note to do better then" came the sarcastic reply.

"Don't make me laugh" Cort replied sarcasticly.

Tia rolled her eyes and went on her way.


TAG: @Tay Neir @Kato Sai (mention: Amina)

 

(Combo post with Tay Neir and Tia)


Cort flew her ship back to her master on Corellia. She wasn't surpised to see that she was still there. Cort bowed before her master with a red hand still over her stomagh from when she had stabbed herself.
"My Master" She said

Tempestia studied the girl carefully. She arose from her seat and placed her hand on Cort's shoulder "it is done then?"

"Yes...My master" Replied Cort through struggled breaths.

Tempestia's gaze travelled to the wound "show me"

Cort removed her hand from her stomach to reveal the hole beneath it. You could see right through it and it was clear that a lightsaber had gone through it

Tempestia turned to Captain Jacin "prepare the medic room immediately" she turned back to Cort "you see now?....they are not your friends. We will have you fixed, sleep..." *she places three fingers on Cort's forehead

Cort fell asleep immediately

A day had passed, Cort's wound had been fixed advanced medical technology and she was now suspended in a bacta tank

Cort awoke suspended in the bacta tank and it took her a minute to figure out why. That's when she remembered her stabbing herself and Zoe at the same time.

Tempestia arrived at that moment and hit a switch on the wall. Draining the tank of fluid, she then hit another switch releasing her.
She smiled at her new tutee. She was rough around the edges, but could be moulded into whatever Tempestia wanted, she had proved her loyalty, Tempestia could see that, but now she wanted to know just how far her loyalty would go:

"Cort, how are you feeling?" she said gently

"I'm fine, My master. Enough of the name Cort." Cort said as she stood before her master. She called her lightsabers to the belt of her jedi robes. Upon seeing the robes her face grew a look of disgust. She hated the cream colour and she showed it.

Tempestia smiled at this clearly pleased "good, use the anger, the hatred, harness it. You know...my friend Tia does not like you very much"

"Feelings mutual" Cort replied with snare

Tempestia chuckled at this "good, good. Tell me something, did the grey Jedi interfere in your mission?"

"Only Cort's grey brother, he didn't get involved much. If anything he only delayed Zoe's death." Cort replied as she swung a black cloak over her robes. She would change her robes later

"so the grey Jedi are scared....good, I guess they will not be a problem in our plans, even the one they call....caretaker" she grinned.

"Most likely. After all, the attack was on their home turf. I don't think they'll like that very much, My master" Cort said pushing her green headtail back under her red ones. It was fading to red but the green still remained for now.

"well" Tempestia replied as if the grey Jedi were just an annoyance "we'll let the grey just philosophise and overthink the basic concepts of life and the force as they always do....to truly know something, you must become a full Sith, are you ready to do that?"

"I am, My master" Replied Cort as she unclipped and threw her green lightsaber across the room leaving her red bladed one clipped to her belt.

"Good" came the short reply

the lights in the medic room go out, leaving a dimly lit red security light. Suddenly emerging from the shadows and across the walls emerges three half grown ice spiders.

"kill all these, and my apprentice you will be" she told Cort with a smile "oh....and the room will be contamination safe as soon as I close the door. That means air tight, you have just three minutes to kill the beasts before you die, and be sure these little babies can hold their breath for far longer than that"

with that Tempestia opened the door "may the force be with you...or however that platitude goes...." she said before closing the door, sealing Cortina inside.


Cortina ignited her red lightsaber as the Ice spiders came towards her. One launched itself which led to it's own demise as Cortina swung her red blade slicing it clean in half. Another struck her from behind whilst the third scuttled towards her. Cortina swung her blade around but only just missed the spider. Cortina called upon the force after that. She used her left palm to call her green saber and ignited the blade. She lunged herself forward and sent one spider into the air whilst striking the other in the head with her green blade and its back with her red one. The spiders lifeless corpse fell down and the final spider swept towards Cortina. Cortina launched itself towards the wall and the green blade plunged into it. She swung her red blade to her side and she and the spider stood staring at the other. Cortina then pulled the spider towards her and sent the red blade forward. The spider hung lifeless at the end of the saber before it dropped to the floor as Cortina deactivated her lightsaber and got through the wall with the other. She quickly called her saber to hand before deactivating it so the green blade vanished from sight. Cortina then turned to face Tempestia.

Tempestia was impressed, "kneel" she commanded

Cortina did as she was told and kneeled ahead of Tempestia.

Tempestia rumbled low "from this moment you are now....Darth Paroxis, dervived from the word Paroxysm, Rise"


"Yes My master." Replied Cort as she rose to her feet.
"What is thy bidding My master?" Cort asked swinging her black hood over her head so that oy her orange eyes were visible

Tempestia walked to the window "now we accelerate our plans"

Tag: @Tia

 

***Combo Post***
@Taylor Neir
@Tia
@Kato Sai

IC: Arn Geddon
The Hunter

The Phantasm descended on Corellia with no sound. The scythe shaped vessel made for the outskirts of the Shipyard where a downed cruiser laid. There Corellians dared not venture, for a dark side cult dwelt, the ship covered in red graffiti and the eye of the Sith. They were called The Sith Hunters, a remnant of an Old Relublic mob of dark side adepts that had taken residence there.

The Phantasm dug its landing prod into ground, it standing like a monolith of dark grey metal, the hooked blade of its cockpit opened and a ladder descended. Arn Geddon climbed down with a light movement, his Blackguard robes blowing in the wind, and his mask fixating on the ship. He too was a Hunter, his prey relics. He moved in sporadic bursts, as if he was a phantom, his steps muffled, and his black cape even roller up to not catch the wind. He found a damaged porthole, and entered in.

"What have we here..?" Tempestia said on eyeing the new arrivals through some macrobinnoculars "come Darth Paroxis, we shall welcome them."

Arn slithered and slunk into the great belly of metal. Inside was candles are lit, and ornaments of gold, and tassels. He climbed up into a steel support and saw a circle that made an eye of red, upon it were cloaked figures in tattered garments of red chanting. One of them with a green hood and robe stepped forward.

“Ishka!”

The others became silent.

“Bring forth the sacrifice!”

A white hooded figure with a mask stepped forward and knelt.

The Green Hunter took a curved knife and the Sacrifice bore a neck.

“Immortal gods! Who demand our blood! Behold our offering!”

Arn turned to look away at a pile of trikets, among them was staffsabers and saber pikes, and lots of kyber. He swung and descended and headed to the pile, he waved his hand as the commotion of madness rose, sifting through the junk.

"I'm with you my master" Paroxis replied as she shifted her black cloak to hid her cream jedi tunic. It made her angry but it would have to do for the time being. She clipped her lightsabers to her belt.

Tempestia lead Paroxis to where the black caped hunters were "can I help you?"

Arn turned to see a Lady who addressed either him or the cult.

“Ahem.. I am fine thank you. Just perusing this stash of trash.”

The Hunters were in such a ecstasy of bloodlust they heard not their conversation.

"Why's that exactly" Paroxis asked.

Arn stepped closer to Paroxis.

“Treasure.. there is always precious things hidden away if you have the eyes to see.”

With that he plucked a holocron of lavender hue and eyed ot with his visor.

"You really think these things can just be handed around. How do you know it ain't mine or my masters?" Paroxis snapped as the being picked up a holocron.

"I don't care what you do with that. That belongs to the jedi" Paroxis explained as she shifted one hand under her cloak wrapping it around one of her sabers.

Arn pulled the holocron closer to his slit in his visor and examined it with his internal scanner.

He then looked at Paroxis with a tilt of his head.

“Jedi? Oh I have no interest in their secrets. Only that which pertains to the dark side captivates me.”

He noticed the Apprentice reaching for her saber.

“Don’t.. or you will die.”

The voice of The Hunter changed to a rumble.

"Is that a challenge?" Paroxis snapped back. Her orange eyes glistening from beneath her black hood.

Arn chuckled,
“Temper temper.. you are Sith then, the eyes give it away.”

The Hunter levitated the holocron to Paroxis.

“I have no desire to dance with slaves.. I can still see your chains unbroken, your ire unfocused.”

With that Arn threw down a canister that created a shroom of smoke.

"There are no chains to broken. I am loyal to my master, never will I return to the light of the jedi" Paroxis replied before the canister was thrown down and the shroom of smoke was created. Paroxis growled but wouldn't do anything unless her master told her to.

"What are your orders, My master?" Paroxis asked.

Tempestia had listened carefully with an amused expression "if the man wants a challenge my apprentice...I say you give him one, providing of course, his lackey's don't come to his aid" she turns to Arn "I'd hate to have to kill them"

"Yes, My master" Replied Paroxis as she unclipped and ignited a red blade.

"So a Challenge it is, yes?" Paroxis asked Arn.

---

In a dark meditating chamber Tia sits, legs crossed, and eyes closed. Intune with the force, her breathing slow

On Naboo away from paroxis and tempestia, Zoe was meditating herself, when she came across someone she wish she didn't

"Tia, the last person I want to be honest" Zoe said through her meditating state.

"Zoe..." came the reply through the force, she felt she was injured, and she also felt Aleric was with her.

"That's me yes, why am I hearing you of all people?" Zoe asked.

Tia smiled in the chamber "didn't you know? I control the force, it bends to my very whim.”

"Yeah, alright" Zoe replied rolling her eyes

"You seen Cort?" Zoe asked.

"I have...it seems she has a new master" Tia replied.

"What do you mean?" Asked Zoe.

"she is now an apprentice to Tempestia, but you already know that don't you?"

"First hand. What's her name now?" Zoe asked.

"I don't know" Tia replied truthfully "but if you want your friend back, you should act quickly.”

"She believes me dead. I am not about to run in blindly Tia" Zoe responded. She had already been nearly killed by Cort, she was not about to do that again in a hurry.

"Then allow me to be of assistance..."

"What can you provide me with that I don't already have?" Zoe asked.

"inside information" The force echoed.

"For what price?" Asked Zoe.

"your guarantee your grey friends do not get in my way, once Tempestia is eliminated. You see Zoe, there can be only ONE TRUE SITH order" Tia said.

"You have my word," Zoe replied. She was pretty sure that she was making a terrible mistake but she needed that information.

"it is settled then"

"Indeed, Tia" Replied Zoe.

Arn was climbing a black piece of rope when he heard the ignition of a saber.

“Can this gal not get a hint?”

As The Hunter hung above the throng, he let out a deep sigh and leapt down into middle of the crowd, both hands filled with chrome orbs, which he threw up and unclipped his saber. The grenades fell and set ablaxed the caped cultists as they ran about as living brazers, one ran between Arn and the persistent Sith.

The Blackguard ignited a ruby blade and ran amongst the fires that danced and darted in this arena. He aimed the tip of his blade like a spear point for Poraxis’s heart.

Paroxis saw the blade and leapt aside before swinging her red blade in a backwards arch towards Arn's back. She ignored the fires completely as her focus was Arn.

Arn released his hand from his hilt and threw down his left hand to cause a shockwave on ground, throwing a burning cultist up behind his back.

The blade struck the cultist as Paroxis was thrown in the air herself. She used this to her advantage by removing her blade and then launching it like a spear towards Arn.

The Blackguard turned his visor to see the blade coming like an arrow, instinctively he threw his left hand upward to catch it. The blade bore through his forearm. The Blackguard then plucked it out, holding two sabers in Jar Kai stance.

“It is never wise Sith to surrender your arms even for a kill shot.”

The pain of the hole that had cauterized in his arm was like burn that went to his very bones.

“Now.. do you have any other souvenirs for me?”

Paroxis chuckled,
"I didn't." She said before her green blade. She held it to her side.

"It's never wise to fight me using Jar Kai. Afterall I know a great deal about it myself, as I tend to use it from time to time" She explained. She held the green blade towards Arn but stood back enough so it wouldn't actually touch him no matter how she swung the blade.

"Shall we?" She asked with a smile.

Arn looked at the green kyber flame.
“So you were a Jedi.. now I really hate you.”
With that The Hunter leapt and spun his two blades around his body like fan blades, and made a sweep of the twin red blades from below the left hip and the right shoulder.

Paroxis cuaght the red blades against her own green blade. She knew that Arn's words of hate were true as she could feel it radiateing from him.

"I was a grey jedi to be more specific" Paroxis said as a staffsaber flew towards her. She ignited the two blades with a flick of her head and barrel rolled to one side.

Arn made a cross of his blades to defend against the barrel roll. His blades crackled.

As sparks flew up at his visor he peered over one of his blades.

“Gray Jedi? Oh you mean the madness of those who think they can balance the darkness and the light.”

Arn poised himself into a stance.
“Fools.. you cannot serve two masters. You will either love the dark and hate the light or love the light and hate the dark.”

"At least we agree on something" Paroxis replied before thrusting her green blade forward aiming for it to pass between the crossed sabers of her opponent.

The blade passed through the gap and dug into his mask, using The Force he leapt backward, and spun his blades to cut down two cultists.

He then paused and examined the hole in his helm, there was soot and some scarring at his nose.

“Well met Sith.. well met.”

Arn deactivated Paroxis’ saber and tossed it back to her.

He then deactivated his own blade and lifted his hands up.

“I ask for a parley, you have proven your skill and I would rather not escalate this till either of us is corpses. Why deprive tue galaxy of acolytes of the darkness?”

Paroxis caught her red saber with an outstreched hand and clipped her green one to her belt.

"Parley it is. What is ones name, may I ask?" Paroxis replied wiping soot of her saber hilt.

The Blackguard took his mask off, revealing shoulder length black hair that curled at the ends. His eyes were coals, and his face pale and his nose sharp. “Arn Geddon, that is my name.”

Tempestia stepped forward "I am Tempestia, and this is my apprentice"

Arn bowed his head to Tenpestia and raised his hand our t from his chest, the fingers making a crown.

“Enchanted. It is good to see others bending The Force to their will.”

"Indeed" she said extending her hand to him "and you? what 'order do you belong to?'

Sensing the Dark Lady was consenting, he took her hand and kissed it.
As he recoiled and released her hand after pausing and holding it a moment he replied, “I was a Blackguard, a guardian of dark side relics on Mustafar. Then I wanted more.. and became what I am now, a Hunter. Side? I am on the Dark Side.”

"I see" Tempestia said intrigued. "When you say you want more, what does that mean exactly?"

Arn smiled.
“I am glad you asked. It started with a holocron.. the secrets became like spice to me. I now seek more knowledge, all things arcane. A crystal is just a trinket to some, to me if is a key.”

Among the Cultists stirred The Oracle. Many had been lost to the inferno, and yet thirteen still stood. They began marching to pile and took up light pikes and staffsabers.

The Oracle shouted,
“Defilers! They taint this holy place! Slay! Slay! Slay! Make them pay for their sacrilege and harm to our brethern!”

Paroxis turned at these words and growled.

"Great, now this is your doing Arn" She snapped as she ignited her red saber ready for the attack.

Arn turned to look at the Cultists.
“You insisted on dueling Sith.. I was content to climb away.”
The Blackguard ignited his saber.

"That's Darth Paroxis to you" Snapped Paroxis as Arn ignited his saber.

Arn smiled,
“Darth.. ah titles, how quaint.”
He spun his saber into an arch to meet a pike.

"Don't get me started" Replied Paroxis as she brought her blade up to meet yet another pike before twisting her saber around to chop off her opponatnes hands before sending her blade through his chest.

Tempestia stood back and watched the goings on with a smirk, arms folded.

IC: Aleric Qel Droma

A ship descended upon Corellia, it was pod shaped and appeared like a falling star. It landed near the City Limits. Exiting the ramp was a figure in dark grey robes. He made for the city center, crowed around the wraith robed figure were all manner of species, Rodians, Ithorians, humans, and etc. He searched and found the diner, empty, abandoned. He stepped on some glass with his boot. He placed his black gloved hand on a table, and it began to tremble from pulse of The Force.

——————-

Arn parried and cut the Saber pike in half, then somersaulting and stabbing a Cultist in the face.

Tia silently walked up behind the grey shrouded individual, "you can't save her...Cort"

Aleric turned his head and removed his grey hood with both hands, one hand hesitated, and mechanical noises came from the glove.

“I did not come to save Cort.”

Tia stared at him with her twinkling green eyes, though shining they were as cold as ever "why have you come Aleric?"

Aleric stepped closer, his hands coming together as he brushed off some dust.
“You.”
The remark was so direct, and for first time he was in control of his more poetic tongue.

"You have to come all this way just to fight me?" she said, the voice was almost tired,

Aleric shook his weary face.
“No. Fighting you is not my aim.”

"Then why have you come? if not to fight or save?" she asked, her voice calm.

“I missed you.” Aleric took a seat on edge of a booth, his new lightsaber dangling on his leg pad of his tunic.

Paroxis sliced upwards forcing a cultist to block low. Paroxis changed her direction at the last second slicing the cultist's clean in half. She then held the cultist in a force choke whilst engaging another. It was at that moment that she felt a familiar presence but she was too tied up to think about it.



Tia didn't say anything for quite some time "your thoughts betray you"

Aleric smiled.
“They do indeed.”
His mechanical fingers twitched in the black leather. Tia’s long pause did not unnerve him, he enjoyed how she was not quick to speak as he was.

—————-

Arn Geddon saw that short work was being made of the Cultists, he decided this was the opportunity. He made his way to the stash of relics, and removed a emerald green pyramidic Holocron. He dropped it in a black satchel.

Tia began to move towards him, only stopping a mere several paces away "I don't know if you think there is something between us. But you are wrong, you couldn't be MORE wrong. I am a Sith, and what's more I don't give a mustafar's river how you feel. So...if I were you I'd turn around go and back to your ship....and return to your friends"

--

Tempestia saw Arn take the holcron and smiled, he could have it, it was only a small trinket, and she could offer much more.

Aleric widened his smile, causing wrinkles.
“My missing you does not require you to feel anything for me. I miss you even as you are, even if you hate me. I did not come for you to requite my own emotions. I just wanted to see you.”

————-

Arn saw Tempestia catch him stealing the holocron. She myst be strong to sense him in stealth mode. He approached her.
“You saw.. who are you? How are you so strong in the shadow?”

Tia continued to stare at him, he did not deny his emotions, she would give him that. And his emotions were strong, but controlled.

She exhaled deeply "well you've seen me"

---

Tempestia's smile lit her face like a blazing fire "you want to know my secrets? I will reveal all in time"

Aleric nodded,
“Seen you I have. Though I could look at you for an eternity and not ever tire of the sight of you.”

————-

Arn considered for a moment.
“On second thought, I have no desire to be a disciple.

"Why not?" Asked Paroxis as she clipped her saber to her belt.

Arn turned to Paroxis,
“I live on my own terms, no one dominates me, I submit to no one.”

"That's the boring part" Replied Paroxis shrugging her shoulders.

Tia curled her lip at Aleric "if you are trying to soften me up, it's not working"

---

Tempestia's smile was unmoving "I don't want to dominate you or anyone for that matter, Paroxis, do you feel dominated?"

"Not at all, My master. I feel free if anything" Paroxis replied.

Aleric chuckled, Tia’s remarks always stirred him.
“Soften you? I prefer you this way.”

————-

Arn listened and sighed,
“Masters.. that is simply short for slavemaster. I have seen how the Sith operate and the only part I feel compelling is their use of the dark side, not their dynamic of master and apprentice.”

"You continue and I swear I will rip your head from your shoulders" Paroxis snapped.

Tia could feel Paroxis anger rise the short distance away, it contrasted the calmness radiating from Aleric

----

Tempestia liked the fire coming from her apprentice and put a calming hand on her shoulder "come, apprentice. If this so-called darksider does not want to know our secrets, his loss. I also sense something else from you....something or someone you want to confront?"

"I'm right behind you my master" Replied Paroxis as she glared at Arn once more before returning her gaze towards Tempestia.

 

(Combo post with Taylor Neir and Kato Sai)

Aleric could sense Tia’s calm that came from him. He drew closer.
“That is what I offer you. Calm. And you offer me the Chase, that I will never possess you. Truth is I enjoy never catching you.”

———

Arn turned to leave,
“On that note, I shall bid you both farewell.”
He puller out the Emerald Holocron.
“At last I have found you..”

Tia was about to respond when she heard a familiar, joyous voice of Tempestia "Ahh so he comes back, Aleric isn't it?"

Tia/Darth Virulenta


Darth Tempestia


"It is, My master. Aleric Qel Droma, never seems to know when to die" Paroxis explained as she walked beside Tempestia

Aleric was pained Tia was interrupted by The Tempest. But he let it go.
“Hello Tempest.”

Tempestia glanced between Tia and the grey Jedi "there is nothing for you here, as you can see, your friend Cort is no longer, she is now free from troubles and doubt. She is now Paroxis"

Aleric lowered his head to make eyes like dagger edges.
“I did not come for Paroxis.”

"That's a sham" Replied Paroxis sarcastily. She then looked at Tia and back to Aleric
"You come for your girlfriend. Dosen't affect me I murdered mine" Paroxis said

Tia snapped "I am NOT his girlfriend"

Paroxis chuckled
"Temper, Temper"
"It's fun winding you up, Virulenta" She said with a smirk

Aleric saw the effect Paroxis’ words had on Tia. Her loud response indicated that he might have made a mistake coming.
“I do not claim any title of that sort Darth. I simply visiting.”

Tempestia winked at him "then you should stay awhile...."

Aleric put his hood on.
“I will only stay if Tia doesn’t mind.”
He was concerned about the strain in her voice during the objection.

Tempestia inclined her head not waiting for any objection "good it's settled then, my apprentice, please assist in Aleric in settling in"

Tia scowled.

Aleric lifted his hand.
“Hold on Tempest. Tia has not answered or do you speak for her now? Well Tia? Does this Tempest now make decisions for you?”
Aleric said this in surly tone.


"Is that your way of refusing my master, Droma" Said Paroxis stepping forward and staring at the grey jedi with her two bright orange eyes from beneath her hood


Aleric looked at Paroxis’ fiery eyes witj contempt,
“Look at you, so assertive now that you made allegiance to the dark side. Tell me, do you think you honor AnYon’s death by becoming a brawler of Bogan?”


"Don't speak to me about that bith. He means nothing to me anymore. His death was a neccesary one for both myself....and your daughter, Droma" Replied Paroxis crossing her arms across her chest

Aleric sighed.
“Right, attachments mean nothing to the Sith, just as the Jedi forbid them. A time will come when you too will be disposable. I will not weep for you then, you reap what you sow

"I am always disposable. Does it stop me on my quest for power? Course not" Paroxis replied smiling in the shadow her hood created


Tia watched as the conversation ensued. She did not answer to Tempestia, she answered to no one but her master, Ike. But she had to keep up appearances. Tempestia was a new kind of Sith.

"you can stay if you want to Aleric"

"tell me more about this AnYon, a Jedi was he?" Tempestia asked.

"He was a non-alinged force sensitive bith. He wasn't jedi, sith or even grey jedi. He was Cort's padawan for a little while before he was killed by Droma's daughter my master" Explained Paroxis turning to her master


Aleric crossed his arms and nodded to Tia.
“Then I will stay.”
Qel Droma did not respond to Darth Paraoxis. He listened as he described the Bith that was his path to Bogan as if it was incidental. Cort was dead, and Aleric had learned to let go.


Tempestia stroked her chin in thought "intriguing" she then turned to Tia "this was the Bith you sought out for purposes you did not disclose to me?"

"the very same" Tia answered curtly.

"My Master, where will Droma be staying?" Asked Paroxis turning her back on Aleric. This was something that Cort would never had done but Paroxis wasn't Cort

"I know where he would like to be staying..." she replied, looking at Aleric with a lecherous grin. "I think he shall have the room on the 3rd level, away from all the noise"

Aleric gave no hint of emotion. He stood like a statue. Everything had changed.
He was a lone Jedi in a sea of Sith.

"As you wish, come along jedi" Replied Paroxis before she began to walk away her black floating out behind her

Aleric followed Paroxis out of the diner. He no longer recognized who he had once called friend.

Paroxis led him to a nearby housing complex in seilence and then up to the third floor.
"This is where you're staying jedi" Said Paroxis as she removed her black cloak to reveal the jedi robes beneath
-----

"so, Aleric has come just to see you?" Tepestia asked turning her her Sith companion. "so he says" was Tia's response.
"why have you not killed him? that is unlike you. Or are you using him in as a pawn in some master game?"
Tempestia closed her eyes and tried to gauge anything from Tia, though she never truly could. She opened her eyes again "you are the strongest telepath I have ever come across Virulenta, it was always your strongest skill in the force...and you can mask your feelings just as well. No matter...I trust you will do the right thing"

-----


Aleric looked at the robes that matched his own. He did not speak, for the Sith saw everything.
He nodded.

"Why are you here, Aleric?" Asked Paroxis her voice dark but as dark as it had been a few minutes ago


Aleric whispered,
“I came to see Tia.
My training is incomplete. I need to be sure of something..”

"That makes two of us my grey brother" Replied Paroxis.
"What is it you need to be sure of?" She asked leaning against a wall

Aleric crossed his arms.
“To be sure she is free of all feelings for me.”

"Fair. I need to know one thing though Al" Paroxis replied
"Did my girlfriend survive?" She asked turning towards Aleric


Aleric considered the question. He did not know is Paroxis would use the information to turn Zoe to the dark side or if he was playing Jedi Sentinel. So Aleric decided to not conceal the truth, of he was to die in all these intrigues of the Sith, at least he’d have a clear conscious.
“She lives.”

Paroxis let out a breath she was not aware that she had been holding.
"Thank the force" Paroxis said resting her head on the wall behind her.


Aleric nodded.
“I have seen a vision. In it all I know has become darkness, and the galaxy burns.. I die, this time I do not return from the Netherworld.”

Tempestia's voice is heard from the doorway "not interrupting I hope..."

Aleric turned to Tempestia.
“No, please come in.”

"This is a new development but its like you said you must walk your path as I do mine but I can promise you one thing, my girlfreind will not turn. I'll make sure of it." Replied Paroxis doing a "I cross my heart and hope to die" motion

Tempestia came in with her usual cheerful demeanour "I trust you will be comfortable" she then glanced at Paroxis, she sensed relief from her, maybe even regret.

"Master" Said Paroxis as Tempestia appeared

Aleric nodded.
“Comfortable, yes quite.”


Tempestia strode up to Aleric "hear me, and hear me well. You do not know her, you have never known her...she fell to the dark at a very young age" she then drew closer and whispered in his ear "you might be able to save your other friends...maybe even Paroxis, but she is putrid" she then looked at him, her features couldn't be more friiendly, there was no smugness there at all, just the kind face of a years old friend giving friendly advice. She then turned to her apprentice

"you hope to die about what?" she asked

"Why does that matter?" Paroxis replied snapping at Tempestia for the first time since they had met

"it doesn't my apprentice" the Sith inclined her head once more "forgive my concern, as I am your guide as well as your mentor and friend"

"Well sometimes keep you nose out of my conversations my master" Paroxis snapped back resting her foot and upper back against the wall whilst crossing her arms over her chest.

Tempestia gave a small smile "of course"

TAG: @Kato Sai @Taylor Neir

 

**Combo Post***
@Taylor Neir
@Tia
@Kato Sai

Aleric observed the tension of Master and Apprentice. In addition he ruminated on Tempestia’s words, and he walkss over to window. In his mind he saw red bolts of lightning and a everlasting darkness.

He whispered to himself,

“Its hopeless..”

What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" Paroxis asked Aleric slipping her black cloak back on.

Aleric turned his eyes had crimson veins of energy.

“I see it.. it is coming as sure as a storm..”

Tempestia still stood in the doorway, her smile unfading.

"Your vision?" Paroxis asked.

“An eternal darkness that expands across the galaxy.. the balance lost forever. A future where all light goes out,” Said Aleric.

"You've spoken of this before and quite I don't see the harm in it" Replied Paroxis

"But I do" came the sound of Zoe's voice. Paroxis began to look for her even in the force but there was nothing to show where the jedi knight was.

Aleric left the room and went to the stairs and climbed them tell he was on the roof, rain drops fell on him and his eyes filled with bolts.

“Its hopeless.. there is no escape..”

He walked to the edge and looked down below to the roads filled with speeders.

A voice filled his head,

“One step.. and you shall see, the end of misery.”

A voice behind Aleric said "long way down" it was Tempestia.

Aleric jolted, he became dizzy, the flood lights below strobing in his vision with the splash if water.

He stepped back. His heart pounding. He then turned to Tempestia.

“You win. I have seen it. The shadow will swallow everything.. and there will be no place for me.”

He reached for his saber hilt, his mechanical fingers tapping the grey chrome metal.

Tempestia "I always win, Aleric, and you want to know my secret?"

Zoe took that moment to reveal herself. She stepped out of the shadows on the far side of the room.

"Hello there" She said making Paroxis turn towards her.

"Zoe, you survived" Paroxis replied

"As did you" Zoe said

"How did you mask yourself so well?" Asked Paroxis

"Used an old freind of yours and masked my force signature at the same time" Explained Zoe

"Why are you here?" Asked Paroxis as she approched Zoe

"I came for you, my love" came the reply from Zoe

"But I almost killed you, why would come back into the danger zone for me?"

"Because we still love eachothrr Paroxis. Come away with me, leave all of this behiind" Replied Zoe.

"It is too late for me, My love. My path is clear" Said Paroxis as the two rested their forehead on the other's.

Aleric forehead was riddled with woe.
“Secret? Its not a secret.. hope is leaving the galaxy and you shall find what all Sith have sought, an unending empire.”
He tapped the saber hilt more as in a nervous tick. “Go ahead and tell your secret.. I have none.. it is over for the Jedi.. for The Republic.. for freedom and justice.. and for The Balance.”

Tempestia stepped forward "the reason I win is because I have become so powerful...you see I inject midichlorian cells within my own through science, and a bit of Sith secrets...you could even say there is a bit of Cort in me right now"

Aleric raised his mechanical hand out as if to touch Tempestia, to touch the darkness.
“Science.. I have heard of the breakthroughs of the Sith…”

Tempestia stepped one step closer and lightning flashed across the sky "they say the chosen one had a midichlorian count over 20,000 I hope to double that.”

Aleric blinked.
“Is your ambition to become The Sithari?”

Tempestia tilted her head slightly "enlighten me" she said.

Aleric found a retaining wall to a air system and sat on it.
“The Sith’ari is a chosen one of the dark side.
The Prophecy according to Adas goes,
The Sith'ari will be free of limits.
The Sith'ari will lead the Sith and destroy them.
The Sith'ari will raise the Sith from death and make them stronger than before.”

Aleric paused.
“Some believes Sith Lords of the past fulfilled it, each laying claim to the mantel, however none was truly ‘Free of Limits,’ nor raised the dead.”

Another flash of lightning illuminated the clouds as Tempestia gazed at him "are you going to jump to your death Aleric?"

"I hope not" Zoe said as she joined the two closely followed by Paroxis.

Aleric contemplated Tempestia’s question.
“My death I have foreseen, and it is not by my hand. When it comes I will be glad of it.”

Aleric’s voice was heavy with burden. The voice of Zoe chiming in did not seem to lift it even.

“Is there anything we can do to prevent your vsion, Aleric?" Zoe asked as she stood on one side of him with Paroxis on the other.

Aleric’s eyes flickered with the ribbons of crimson energy.

“Prevent? How can one stop what is coming? It is a cruiser falling from the sky. It is inevitable.”

"Then what do we do?" Asked Zoe placing a hand on Aleric's shoulder.

Aleric turned to Zoe.
“All we can do.. be the balance for as long as it lasts.. until the end.”

"For some that may be a little more difficult" Zoe replied looking over him to Paroxis.

Aleric looked at Paroxis.
“He is simply embracing The Inevitable. Perhaps you should too.. it would be easier.”

"Enough of these empty platitudes and ancient philosophies of the force, they mean nothing....NOTHING. Anakin Skywalker was supposed to destroy the Sith was he not? look at me, look at Ike, look at Lord Insipid, Lady Bellorum, Sith exist, and darkness rises and dull grey clouds that call themselves 'Jedi' to meet it....there is no balance" yet another flash of lightning struck as Tia spoke behind them.

"I will not, I'm a Jedi much like the rest of my family" Replied Zoe as Paroxis embarced her.

"That's why I love you, you belive in what you are" Explained Paroxis before she turned towards Tia

"Everyone has their own view on the balance and I share you're view Virulenta" She said.

Aleric turned to see Tia. Ha rose and looked at her,
“What you say is true, in the end your darkness will win. The only solace I now have is death, for in Netherworld I am promised peace, but for the Sith everlasting torment called Chaos. So you see my love, you will reign in this life and be deposed in the next. I shall fall in this life and be raised up in the next.”

[Chaos is a place Sith go to after death to be tormented, https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Chaos/Legends]

"Jedi fairytales" Tempestia interrupted "tell him to jump Virulenta, he will do anything you ask of him"

Tia looks at her, then at Paroxis, then at Zoe and finally to Aleric "let me help you be raised then..." she said and extended her arm in an attempt to lift him with the force.

Aleric felt his body levitate.
“So at last.. the vision is concluded. She that raised me shall slay me.”
He turned to Paroxis and Zoe and smiled.
“Let your love blossom.. I believe I will see you in the next world.”
Aleric now closed his eyes.
“Send me home Darth Virulenta.”

Tia's rage built inside her, memories of her past flashed before her, painful ones, of loss, pain, suffering, Sith teachings, the rain was was pouring now and the raindrops mixed with her tears as she guided the force so Aleric was now suspended several feet away from the edge, Tia unclenched her fist and Aleric fell into the darkness below, he was gone. Tempestia smiled, her hair was soaked, tangled mess, it was raining even harder now as Tia raged to the sky above.

Aleric fell, his body wrapped in his cape as a shroud of burial. The rain baptized his body as he descended story after story towards the stone pavement that would send him into sarcophagus. As his body smashed the ground, great fissures rose from a crater upon which his body gave way, the great bowl filled with rainwater and blood, and rising up out of the broken mouth was a vapor and then a beam of blue light which shot high into sky. Then it crashed on rooftop near Tempestia, Paroxis, Virulenta, and Zoe. Emerging out of the shroom of smoke was Aleric, his figure illuminated in white and blue glow like the stars. He walked forward, his steps gliding across the concrete.
He then stood and looked at his hand which glimmered.
“This will take some getting use to.”

"You're like something that just won't flush away!" Tempestia grunted as she let forth electric bolts from her fingertips at the new Aleric,

Tia joined her and a double dose of electricity shot after Aleric.

Aleric covered his head with a hood of white light, the gnarled bolts of Tia and Tempestia pasted through him and struck the air system which exploder in shroom of flame engulfing The Force Ghost Aleric. After a moment he emerged from the flames, untouched by fire and lightning.
“You can no longer harm me Sith Ladies. I am beyond your reach. Though now I may haunt you and ensure you will never be rid of me should I so wish it.”

Tia and Tempestia both ceased with their assault and looked at each other. "What sorcery is this?" Hissed Tempestia.

Aleric took some steps closer, rocks and debris floating around him.
“This is no craft, no sorcery. There is no Death, There is The Force.”

"A Jedi can become a force ghost once they die. It's an ability that many jedi have done but a sith can not" Explained Zoe and Paroxis nodded her head in agreement.

Aleric nodded in his glowing hood.
“Lady Zoe is correct. Eternal life lies only with The Jedi.”

"Seems very elitist" Tia grimmaced.

Aleric stepped closer to Virulenta.

“There was a Darth who achieved immortality, Lord Marr, who believed There Is No Death, There is The Force and became an ally to Jedi Master Satale Shan. Lord Marr was willing to embrace truth in the Jedi Way, while remaining a loyal Sith to The Empire.”

"And why are you telling me this?" Tia snapped back.

Aleric smiled.
“Hope. To give you hope when you meet your end.”

"Pretty pointless doing that if half the galaxy is gonna die anyway?" Snapped Paroxis.

Aleric turned to Paroxis,
“That is the point. The Sith cannot conquer The Netherworld. They are confined to Chaos. Thus the aim now is to make converts, so that they may last forever in Peace.”

"How do you plan on doing that?" Asked Paroxis

"She makes a good point" Said Zoe.

Aleric glided across the pavement.
“The Force will make a way.”
Curosity drew Arn Geddon to the scene, he found Aleric’s body in a large basin of blood and water, and began picking his pockets. He took the dark grey metal saber from his belt and ignited a lava orange blade.
“A crystal from my home world.. this belongs to me.”
He deactivated the saber and clipped it to his belt, and rifled through more of the belongings.

Tia looked over at Zoe "how did you get here so quick anyway?"

Tempestia sneered "does it matter? we have immortal celestial beings in our midst.”

"What Paroxis's master said" Replied Zoe.

Tempestia ordered Ijaat the bounty hunter to see what Arn was up to before turning her attentions to Zoe, the rain had eased considerably but they will still all drenched. "so you accept she is Sith?"

Arn climbed up the building with the grace of a Lothcat. He used the drain pipes as his rope and came to a window. Inside he saw something sparkle. Making a claw spike from his glove, he began carving a large enough circle to enter. When he dropped in he came to a dresser, and noticed movemwnt on the bed. There was tall figure in armor, one of Mando sort, his metal armored torso rising up and down.

Ijaat cried out in his sleep,
“Wall.. smash!”

The Blackguard saw in the Mando’s cuffed hands a necklace with ruby crystals, one in center the Eye of Bogan.

He tried to slip his black glove into gauntlet of the Mando when he tightened his grip. A Vulptex pup came wandering in, its icicle hairs shimmering. Arn grabbed the pup and began to hold it in preparation for the switch, the pup made bark noise and Ijaat stirred.

Arn hissed,
“Shut up you popicicle mutt!”

Ijaat rolled over,
“Smash Jedi!”

The Blackguard prepared the switch when the Vulp bit his wrist.

“Dank farrik! You Dank piece of Bantha Poodo!”

"I do. I do not love her because she was a jedi or because she is now a sith. I love her because of who she is" Zoe replied and Paroxis smiled at this whilst she removed her black hood.

Tempestia face palmed and shook her head "I waste my breath.”

Tia made a gag reflex gesture at Zoe.

Aleric looked over the edge and saw his body had sunk in the crater crypt.
“Mortal flesh find your rest.”

"Do that again Virulenta and I'll destroy myself" Snapped Paroxis ignoring her master.

"You'll destroy yourself? please do" Tia quipped

Ijaat leapt up and hit his head on ceiling, causing a great hole with cracks. Arn dropped beside bed and went underneath.

“Intruder! Alert! Alert!”

Arn laid underneath, the bed squeeking, the Vulp came under and growled. Arn put a finger to his mouth.
“Shhhhh! You cold canine!”

"I believe what she meant to say destroy you" Zoe said after seeing Paroxis grip her saber hilt.

"Oh...." Tia replied unfazed. "I prefer the first option, destroying herself.”

"I don't care what you prefer, only what I prefer and I'd prefer to see you dead" Paroxis replied as she unclipped her saber.

The bed was flipped over and tossed against the dresser. The Mando grabbed The Blackguard by the throat.

“Thief! You will bleed!”

Arn reached for his saber hilt and igniting it soun the blade in disc, cutting Ijaat’s arms clean off.

Ijaat fell down and cried out,

“Argh! My arms! Me arms!”

The Mando began thrashing on the floor kicking at Arn.

“Good Force you are pathetic excuse for a Mandalorian! I ought to put you out of your misery.” Instead Arn picked up one of Ijaat hands and lowered it to him,
“Here, let me give you a hand!”
He then clubbed the Mando with his own limb.
Then tossing the arm aside, Arn raised the Mando with The Force.
The Blackguard picked up the necklace and held it in front of Ijaat.
“Now.. tell me, what is the worth of a armless Mando?”

Ijaat gulped.

“Absolutely nothing!”

Arn threw Ijaat out the window, the Mando landing perfectly in a dumpster, his two arms bouncing next to him on some trash.

Tia yawned in an exaggerated manner, "no need to impress your girlfriend! flowers will suffice.”

"I ain't tying to impress her. You have been annoying since the moment we met and now I've enough" Replied Paroxis igniting her red blade.

"I'm so scared! pwease don't hurt me miss day old siff lawd" Virulenta said in mocking tone.

"Ladies Enough" Cried Zoe.

"That's right listen to your owner" Tia jibed.

Zoe ignited her blue saber and launched forward herself closely followed by Paroxis and her red saber.

Tia rolled her eyes "Two against one eh?"

Tempestia stood back with a grin.

"Isn't this familar?" Asked Paroxis as she swung her blade at Tia's waist whilst Zoe swung at Tia's head.

Tia stepped backwards dodging the blow and ducked before doing a side roll landing next to Aleric "yes you are too predictable.”

Arn scurried out the door with Vulup chading him barking.
“Get back you frosty mutt!”

Meanwhile Aleric watched the squabbling and sighed.

“So brash are the living..”

Zoe swept towards Tia's shoulder and Paroxis sliced towards Tia's stomach.

Tia force jumped and landed on a flat tower-top.

"had enough yet?"

Aleric walked through one of saber blades, and dropped through the floor to the hallway where Arn was.

“Hello there.”

Arn stood petrified.

“Wha..what the?!”

Aleric smiled.
“Boo!”

Arn jumped dropping the necklace.

"Not yet" Replied Zoe as she bent down. Paroxis ran forward and used Zoe's back to propel herself up and joined Tia.

"You ain't the only one that can get to high places, Virulenta" Paroxis said as she held her saber to her side.

Arn made a x his fingers.
Aleric laughed.
“So tell me Thief, how do you like my lightsaber?”
He eyed the one hanging at the Blackguard’s belt.
“Uh.. you mean that corpse was..”
Aleric nodded his hooded head.
“Take it with my blessing. It is of little use to me now. As for necklace.. I suggest you return it or you will be hunter by A Tempest.”

Tia kissed Paroxis' cheek "calm yourself dear.”

Paroxis backed away until she was right on the edge.

"Do that again, I dare you" Paroxis snapped.

Tia blew her a kiss.

Paroxis launched forward again whilst igniting her second saber. The green blade extended from the hilt with a *snap-hiss* and the blade was at Tia's throat whilst the red blade was behind Paroxis's back in a reverse grip.

Tia was fueled on Paroxis' anger and she sneered at her as the green hue eliminated her face "you betray yourself.”

"Do I now?" Asked Paroxis as Zoe and her two blue blades joined them.

"yes" came the swift reply. "now what? is this where my knees should start knocking?" (Tia)

"No" came the short response as Paroxis swung one blade at her head and one at her stomagh whilst Zoe swung on side of her double bladed saber towards Tia's waist.

Arn sneered.
“It is my policy to never yield treasure.”

Aleric face became real stern.
“Then prepare to die for it.”

IC: Lord Malum



As The Sith seemed content to infight, and The Ghost of Aleric confronted TheBlackguard, the sky of Corellia began to thunder and bolts of amethyst colored lightning began to overtake the crimson ones, and a black cloud shrouded the sky, and descending out of a great hole of shadow was a ship. The vessel was a golden brass with violet painted on the haul. The Centurian Class Battlecruiser filled the sky, and below sentients looked in awe at the opulence. A great white porthole opened and a beam of white hot light descended on a skyscrape which rocked and then burst into flame and rose in a ball of black smoke. Human and Alien alike screamed as the Cruiser unleashed more beams that turned skyscrapers into smoke stacks.

Inside Ghost Aleric turned and walked to the window. His face grave.

“It has begun..”

Tia somersaulted over Zoe and Paroxis and landed several metres away and attempted a force push to Zoe.

Zoe was pushed backwards and hit the wall with enough force to knock her out. Her lightsaber rolled out of her hand and Paroxis deactivated her lightsabers and clipped them to her belt.

"You will pay for that" Said Paroxis.

"yeah?" Tia said winking at her.

This enraged Paroxis and she aimed her own force push at Tia.

Tia is thrown backwards and would have been pushed off the roof had she hot grabbed hold of a small turret, grasping both hands around it, she steadied herself, and landed again.

"Your quick I'll give you that" Paroxis said as she launched herslef forward.

IC: Lord Malum and Aleric

As the great beams tore down the skyline. Aleric returned to the rooftop to see the Centurion Vessel. A flood light came overhead and the Netherjedi heard the chanting,

“There is no victory—there is death. Through power I am enslaved. Through the Force I am doomed.”

Aleric saw yellow robed and hooded figures free fall from the sky, many landing in streets of Corellia, igniting amythest blades sabers as they cut down citizens. Some Corellia security opened fire, bolts of red flying, many deflected and some guards were skewered with the purple hot blades.

Aleric glided off the rooftop and landed in the streets, there he stood face to face with Yellow Robed Doomian. The Hooded figure approachec him and took its purple tip of its glowing blade to touch him, seeing it pass through, it gave a bow.

“Doom! Doom! You must come! Death! Death! We find rest.”

Aleric nodded, the Doomian Warrior escorted him to the great white light which raised Aleric up into the ship, disappearing in white light.

Inside he was in a massive room of mist, and the walls were purple chrome with yellow lines. The Doomian lead him through the mist to a throne where one sat, towrring in golden armor, a purple robe and hood, and a mask that had features of a skull made of metal.

Aleric bowed.

Lord Malum raised his hand, and the Doomian walked away.

“Death.. you radiate it.”

Aleric nodded.

“I am in the Netherworld, this is projection of myself.”

Lord Malum rose, his height rising to the ceiling.

“Then you are welcome in these halls.”

Aleric smiled.

“Your hospitality honors me Lord..”

“Malum,” said The Titan.

Aleric looked about.

“It is a honor to meet you. I am or rather was Aleric Qel Droma.”

Lord Malum crossed his great purple clothed arms behind his back.

“Qel Droma.. I know that name. I met a Quell Qel Droma.”

Aleric face became tense.

“Quell? That is my father’s name! But he is dead.”

Lord Malum turned, his skull mask fixed on The Force Ghost.

“He is among us.. first among The Doomed after myself.”

Aleric was stunned, this news had even a Ghost queasy.


[Doomed (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/The_Doomed)]

Tempestia stood in front of Tia "enough Paroxis, she is fuelling your rage, that's good, but harness it, for more important things"

"Yes my master" Replied Paroxis finally backing down.

Paroxis ran to Zoe's side and held her in her arms. She was relived that Tia had only knocked her out and she called Zoe's saber to hand.

Aboard The Gloom, Aleric stood in a chamber adjacent to the throne room. To his surprise, a contingent of Yellow Robed Doomians rose up the light beam with a body. Aleric in his larimar blue glow glided to see, but the body was hastily taken away. One Doomian turned with hood, and approached.

“Aleric..”

The Force Ghost recognized the voice at once. Had he still had a spine, shivers like needles would have climbed.

“Father..”

The Doomian Lord drew closer.

“I see you have died in the manner of the Jedi.”

Aleric nodded.

“Your alive.. all this time. Why did you not tell me?”

Quell crossed his mustard clothed arms.

“When I was converted, my old life had no meaning. Your mother and you were now tethers to this world.”

Aleric grimaced.

“Well I would have desired to know you were alive.”

Quell’s voice remained stoic.

“Ironic coming from The Dead.”

Aleric smiled.

“What is to become of Corellia? And my friends?”

Quell paused,

“Doom. They are to be destroyed.”

Aleric face became sorrowful.

“I cannot have that.. I care for them.”

Quell eyed His Son through his visor.

“For one in particular albeit.”

Aleric sighed,

“Yes..”

Quell scoffed,

“You are just like your mother, sentimental.”

Aleric’s face became riddled with concern,

“I must meet with your Lord, surly he would postpone doom this once?!”

Quell huffed,

“The Lord Marshal does as he pleases, but you may try..”

Aleric prepared to glide when his father raised a hand out.

“First come with me.”

Aleric followed his Fathee into another chamber where he found a becta tank of yellow liquid and tubes like roots ij the ground. Inside was floating a body of a man. Aleric approached the glass.

“What is this?”

Quell pressed a key and the milky yellow liquid drained and Aleric floated back in shock.

“What.. what..”

Quell approached, and pulled lever that sent a current of volts into the body and Aleric felt his Spirit being pulled, like streams into it, he shouted,

“No wait!”

It was too late.

Aleric jolted awake and the tube of glass was removed. Quell stood over him in his yellow hood.

“The Lord Marshal finds ghosts to unpredictable. Though we admire death, The Jedi path is a perversion.”

Aleric coughed up mustard fluid. And fook a breath.

Quell stepped closer.

“You have a choice Son, convert and join the glorious campaign to rid the galaxy of all life, and achieve Doom. Or I can lock you in this becta fill its over and Netherverse has come.”

Aleric looked at his father with his silver blue eyes.

“May I attempt to convert my friends? Give them a chance to join The Campiagn?”

Quell nodded.

“Yes, I will speak to the Lord Marshal and send you with an envoy.”

Aleric bowed his head.

Afterwards Aleric was cleaned by droids and two Doomian Ladies in yellow dresses began to cloth him in the yellow robes. Finallt he donned the Mask of Oblivion that many of male Doomians wore. It had four visors like crescent rings and a mouth piece that was oval and sunken in.

Aleric was escorted by two Doomian Marauders with Sythe Pike Sabers. Waiting at the light rail, Quell stood holding a lightsaber.

“Obedience without reservation till Netherverse come!”

Aleric took the saber and bowed.

He and two Doomians descended the white light and landed on the rooftop where Tia and Paroxis where. Aleric stepped forth, his yellow robes blowing in the wind.

Paroxis looked up from the unconscious form of her girlfriend and saw the yellow robed figure.

"Aleric" Said Paroxis regonzing his presence in the Force.

Aleric stepped forward, his steps were staggered, not use to his legs. His voice sounded muffled with static that cleared up.

“The Doom has come my friends. They offer you clemency if you convert.”

"What?" Said Paroxis as stood up.

Aleric left the two Doomian Marauders who stood guard. He drew close and spoke in a whisper to Paroxis.

“They will kill us.”

He motioned his helm and hood up to the Cruiser floating above.

Aleric them stepped back,

“The Doomed have come to cleanse the galaxy of life. The Force can only be appeased when nothing remains.”

"Let them try it" Wispered Paroxis before she brought her hand up to her forehead and she stumbled backwards.

Aleric ignited yellow jasper saber blade and stood in front of Paroxis.
“If you do nor convert, you will be destroyed.”

Aleric called to Paraoxis mind.
“I am trying to save all of us.”

"I know brother and I'm thankful for that. It's Paroxis you need to get through not me" Replied Paroxis but when she spoke it was Cort's voice that came out not

"Back off Dreit" Bellowed Paroxis her voice returning Paroxis's.

Aleric paused.
“Cort? Wait.. I thought.. who am I speaking to now?”

Paroxis looked up and when she did her eyes where differant colours. Her left was black as was natural to her species the other a bright flaming orange.

"That depends, Al" Came Cort's voice.

"I thought I told you to back off." Replied Paroxis's voice.

"That ain't gonna happen I'm afraid Paroxis!" Exclaimed Cort's voice.

Aleric looked closely at the two eyes through his quadvisor. He listened and heard two distinct voices.

“Two.. there are two of you!”

The Doomian Marauder stepped forward, one reached for its back and pulled a golden metal curved boomerang weapon, it pressed a button and ignited a energy blade on it and threw it towards Cort/Paroxis. The boomerang was 3 feet long and spun with a velocity of turbine. Aleric had a decision to make, to be part of The Doomed or to fight them.

"There is yes. There always has been" Replied Cort's voice

"Don't make me destroy again Dreit" Said Paroxis's voice

"You kill me you kill youself" Explained Cort's voice as Paroxis's body dived out of the way

"Now you seem to be trying to get along with me" Said Cort's voice and Paroxis's growled at this

"In your dreams. I don't care about you, your girlfriend or anyone that you associate with including your mother Pooja Dreit, I only care for myself" Snapped Paroxis's voice.

Aleric made his decision. He leapt and parried the boomerang saber with his active laser sword, and pointed his hand to throw a Marauder off the roof top. He then dropped and rolled, and came up beside Cort/Paroxis having heard the last bit of Paraoxis’ words.

“Paroxis, you depend on Cort to survive. The two of you in one flesh, thus Cort’s passions effect you. You are connected, do not dismiss Cort and what she values.”

Aleric stood in a Ataru guard, waiting for the other Doomian to attack.

"You aren't the boss of me. I'll do what I want" Replied Paroxis's voice as she unclipped and ignited her red blade

"Yeah and you'll do it by killing us both" Snapped Cort's voice as she unclipped and ignited her green blade

"Green's an ugly colour" Said Paroxis's voice

"Red's an ugly colour" Replied Cort's voice.

The Remaining Marauder charged with its Saber Scythe, Aleric engaged the Doomian, blocking the long swing.

Cort/Paroxis launched her red saber towards the Doomian Marauder and shot force justice towards the blade.

The saber tore into the Marauder and the bolts went inside causing it to light up from inside and fall over smoking. Aleric turned.
“Nice one!”

"Thanks" Replied Paroxis's and Cort's voice as the red blade returned to her

"What do we do now?" Asked Cort's voice

"Why don't we join them?" Suggested Paroxis's voice

"Paroxis" Snapped Cort's voice

"What?" Replied Paroxis's voice. Behind them Zoe began to stir.

Aleric turned to Zoe stunned.
“You would convert?”
He deactivated his yellow jasper blade and clipped the hilt to his belt.

"What?" Replied Zoe as she stood up confused

"At least you're awake" Said Cort's voice

"Ok, what have I missed" Replied Zoe.

Arn Geddon made it to rooftop to see the commotion, he began pilfering the fallen Doomians, taking a Boomrang Saber.

Aleric was glad to see Zoe was alright.
“My mistake, my brain is well muddled after being out of body so long. Paroxis you would join them?”

"Makes my life easier" Came Paroxis's voice

"Aleric can you please tell me what the kriff is going on? Also where's my saber?" Zoe said as she looked around taking in everything.

Aleric nodded.
“The Doomed have come. They are crusading to Netherverse, their aim to purge the galaxy of all life, and create a emptyverse for The Force to rule with no obstructions, no sentient life to conjure it and wage wars.”

"Okay, but what that? Can you explain that" Asked Zoe pointing at Cort/Paroxis

"Hey, that has a name thank you" Replied Paroxis's voice

"Two actually" Corrected Cort's voice

"Shut it, Dreit" Snapped Paroxis's voice

"Make me Paroxis" Replied Cort's voice angrily.

Aleric looked at Cort and Paroxis as he attempted to explain what he understood to Zoe.
“It seems Paroxis was not Cort shifting into a Darth persona, rather there are two beings within one flesh, Cort and Paroxis.”

"I didn't know that was even possible" Replied Zoe as Cort/Paroxis launched at her

"Paroxis what are you doing?" Asked Cort's voice which sounded surprised

"What does it look like Dreit" Snapped Paroxis's voice as she swung ger red blade at Zoe who was current unarmed.

"Aleric, a little help. I can't control anything" said Cort's voice as Zoe rolled away.

Aleric reached out with both hands and commanded a gust of the Force he sent like a invisible wave at Paroxis. Pieces of debris, electrical wiring, shards of metal stirred and flew up in the air as the gust headed for Cort/Paroxis.

Cort/Paroxis dived and rolled and a metal shard hit her in the stomach.

"I didn't mean try to kill us" Said Cort's voice. Zoe called her saber to hand and clipped it to her belt before crouching down next to Cort/Paroxis.

Aleric placed hus hands on his metal mask.
“What have I done?!”

It was in that moment The Centurion Cruiser of The Doomed primed its energy weapon above them and Aleric seeing himself illuminated in white light looked up.
“Oh no..”

Suddenly coming out of hyperspace in atmosphere was two Razor crest Gunships in yellow and white that bombarded The Gloom with a pay load of bombs. The haul of Purple Centurion ship was covered in cluster of fiery balls. The Gloom turned, its primary weapon de-energizing.

The Razorcrests made another bimbing run, flying up high and dropping another pay load, the Centurion Class Cruiser being covered in more shrooms of fire, and smoking now as it crashed through a skyscraper of silver metal and broke in twain and fell below. The Doomed Cruiser began to ram through the Shipyards as the Gunships dropped more bombs on it and swooped back towards the rooftop where Aleric, Arn, Cort/Paroxis where standing. The Razorcrest landed and the ramp dropped with yellow robed and hooded figures who matched The Doomed save for a shawl at the neck that was turquoise. They approached Aleric and Company and said,

“Do not be alarmed, we are The Atoned, and we have come to help.”

"Yeah right" Came Paroxis's voice before blood spilled from her mouth

"Not now Paroxis" Said Cort's voice as she rested her head in a metal beam behind her.

"Can you help her" asked Zoe as Cort/Paroxis's breaths became less frequent but she was still holding on.


One of the Atonei removed her hood, her face etched with markings of the Zabrak, she came to Cort/Paroxis side and laid hands on her. A blue light came from her hands, The Force calling to the wounds.

Aleric marveled as two other Atonei ignited sabers, one red and the other had a teal blade and held them to his neck.
“Wait! I am not The Doomed! I am a Jedi.”

Cort/Paroxis felt the wound healing and her life force returning

"He spent the truth, he is a Grey Jedi" Said Cort's voice backing Aleric up.

"But why a red saber? Not very...good" Came Paroxis's voice.

The Zabrak female removed the shard of sharp metal.
“Stand down Vemus and Zomulus.”
The two Atonei removed their sabers from Aleric’s neckline.
“My name is Harerra, and to answer your question, the red saber is because Vemus is a Dark Jedi and Zomulus is a Jedi.”

"Well, it's nice to meet you all. My name's Cort Dreit, Grey jedi" Said Cort's voice as she stood up

"Sith Appentice Darth Paroxis" Said Paroxis's voice

"Jedi Knight Zoe Ramphal at you service" Replied Zoe as she stepped forward.

Aleric was relieved to be free of the saber blades.

Harerra smiled,
“All better. It is a pleasure to meet you all. We The Atoned are splinter sect of The Doomed. When we saw the madness of Malum, we had to act, for he will not stop till all life is snuffed out. He fails to understand life creates The Force, and so he harms it with his violence.”

"So in other words your basically a rebeillon against them?" Asked Cort's voice.

Harerra nodded,
“We are a collective of Jedi, Dark Jedi, Sith, and everything in between. We have made peace with each other, so that we may face this great threat.”

"Try saying that to Paroxis" Replied Cort's voice

"You really think I'll make peace with you. HA. Don't me laugh, Dreit" Replied Paroxis's voice

"See what I mean?" Said Cort's voice.

Harerra laughed,
“Well we have our own quarrels, but The Doomed is our common enemy. We learned to Atone for what Malum has done.”

Aleric took a knee before Harerra who’s lashes fluttered.
“I have done great harm as a Wound in the Force, and potentially could have as a servant of The Doomed. I eish to atone, to start anew and serve The Force as a Gray Jedi and among your ranks in this conflict.”
Harerra smiled as she bid Vomulus come, she removed a turquoise scarf and wrapped it around Aleric yellow neckline.
“We wear turquoise for tranquility, to be calm towards are differences in the Force so that we may face The Doomed.”

"So where do we go from here?" Asked Zoe

Harerra smiled.
“First we rest and enjoy a meal together, then we prepare, Malum’s ship is capsized for now, but he will not be disabled for long. I suggest we take refuge inside. Vemus and Zomulus send word to Norda to make one last bombing run and then join us here.”

The Jedi and Dark Jedi bowed their hooded heads and boarded a Razorcrest.

"I have things things back on Decameron Alpha. May the force be with you." Zoe saud before she kissed Cort/Paroxis and left.

"How many of you are there exactly?" Asked Cort's voice.

Harerra nodded.
“May The Force Be With You.”
Aleric rose and stood beside Harerra, he looked for Tia and Tempestia, to ascertain what they would do.