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Post by Crystal Spire on May 27, 2021 20:25:55 GMT -8
Crystal's eye's widened. Her master had appeared so quickly she hadn't even had time to prepare. She had forgotten his power. It far surpassed her own, despite training with the man for years. So much work, pain, tears... He had been mercilessly cruel and had grown strong on it while she faltered. But no more. No, now she was ready to claim her power, the very birthright she should have had long ago.
"I'm here for truth, for answers, and for my power. You have no control over me. I may not remember how I left here but I know i'll remember this moment for the rest of my life." Crystal gathered her anger at all the times she had felt helpless, scorned, shamed; and dark clouds gathered over head. A storm approached. Thunder rolled in the distance. Crystal met her master's eyes; his golden and her own deep blue. "Your power is mine." With a snarl, she leaped at the robed figure and snapped a kick at his face.
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Post by Spectres of Midnight on May 28, 2021 5:44:25 GMT -8
Clan Mother Zazdi stood over the ever growing clan. Though there was little in the way of choice when accepting the aid of the Sith, she was certainly hesitant on the aid they claimed they were willing to give. Yet, seeing what had been provided and the growth of her clan had laid her doubts to rest. Some SIth were even willing to mate with her daughters in order to produce even stronger sisters for the future.
As she stood there, a female Sith assigned as a liaison between the two groups approached. "Mother Zazdi. We have received a message from the orbital defenses. It seems that a sole starfighter has made its way to the surface. Lord Turkais has allowed it to pass and suggested it would be a good test of tracking and stealth for some of your newer daughters. Perhaps even a moment for combat experience as well if needed, though he has specified that direct contact is to be only as needed."
The Clan Mother turned her attention to the Sith when she spoke. It was a curious matter that the Sith in charge of the defenses had allowed someone to land here. But if he felt it would be a good test for her daughters, perhaps it could provide such an opportunity. "Pity he wishes for us to not engage. I'm sure these newcomers would find the power of my daughters illuminating. No matter. I will select a trio of sisters and send them off. Do they happen to have an idea as to where they landed."
The Sith nodded and provided the information before departing, leaving the Clan Mother to her daughters. Moving among them, she chose three, one new recruits with a more experienced sister to lead. Leaving them within the building, she provided them with the information regarding their task before beginning an incantation. Mist rose from the ground and the trio walked through, rendering them invisible. With the Cloak of Invisibility in place, the sisters departed to intercept their targets.
It took some time to catch up with the ones that had landed, though they eventually found them a few kilometers from their original landing spot. They had had the ship first then tracked them from there on. Using the terrain and their invisibility, the Sisters followed from a distance. They weren't concerned about being discovered, only ensuring they were fully aware of everything going on around them.
For hours they watched, taking in all they could about the newcomers should they need that information for combat as well as to report on later. It wasn't much longer before they came to a stop and the arrival of another Sith. It was a bit confusing at first. Why send them if they were only going to send their own agent to handle this? But listening to the conversation, it seemed this Sith might not have been one with the Resurgent Sith and an apparent master to Crystal Spire, at least at one time. For now, the trio stayed back and watched the battle unfold, wondering if perhaps she and even her companion could be recruited to join the Nightsisters and the Sith. Only time would tell.
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Adonias Altari
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Post by Adonias Altari on May 28, 2021 18:13:08 GMT -8
*Adonias snarled in frustration. He no longer had a clear shot on the older man. Lowering his wrist gauntlet, he charged into the fray. Aiding Crystal, Adonias threw a well-aimed punch at the man's midsection. Now that the Sith master revealed himself, any other feelings of being watched faded into the back of his mind. Had he known that 3 Nightsisters were observing their fight, he might not be as confident as he was in the heat of battle. He shouted to Crystal, keeping up a heavy guard and not once taking his eyes off of his opponent.*
"Hey Crystal! Do we have a plan?!"
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Post by Crystal Spire on May 28, 2021 18:43:41 GMT -8
Darth Strife:
Strife slid aside and Crystal's strike missed him by inches, then he dropped down under Adonias' punch while sweeping a leg out designed to knock the warrior off his feet. Power burned bright in his blood and his heart sang. He had been alone for far too long in the recesses of this planet occupied by others. He had no designs over planet control, only fools did. So he had lain quietly while others came, rulers rose and fell. He had been on this planet using the force to sustain him for many decades. But it seemed time to leave. He had other plans in mind and this world was far too crowded.
"Tell me, little one. Would you like one last lesson?" Without stopping, Strife moved straight from his leg sweep into a leap that took him up and over the pair, landing behind them. He didn't wait to see if his attack had landed. He wanted to make this quick.
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Adonias Altari
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Post by Adonias Altari on May 28, 2021 18:55:51 GMT -8
*Adonias was none too happy when the Sith performed a flawless leg-sweep on him. He lost his footing and fell, choosing to use that momentum to combat roll back into a crouch, standing directly between Crystal and her Sith master, the young Mando reached a hand back to grasp his sword hilt. The blade was forged with a cortosis weave that could withstand even a lightsaber. At the same time that he unsheathed his sword, he used his free hand to activate and lob a couple of flash-bang grenades at the elder man.*
"CRYSTAL! CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COVER YOUR EARS!"
The young Mando's helmet filtered out both the harsh flash and sound.*
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Post by Crystal Spire on May 28, 2021 19:07:33 GMT -8
Crystal's anger grew as her master slipped past her. The past haunted her but so did the unanswered questions. Where had her master been when someone had beaten her and left her to die on another world. Had she meant nothing to him? She almost didnt hear Adonias' words but was able to close her eyes before the flash bang grenades went off. With her hands still pressed to her ears, Crystal shouted back at the mandalorian. "The plan is to disarm and destroy." She ran to where Adonias had crouched and lowered her voice so only they could hear her words. "Can you get into the trees? You can attack from a range while I distract him?" Before the words even finished flowing from her mouth, she had spun away and lept back into battle.
Focusing her mind and anger on her master, Crystal focused the force into a strong push, hoping to get the man off balance enough for one of them to scrore a hit. She had missed embracing her anger and the force, she had a feeling it had been a while since she had communed with either.
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Adonias Altari
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Post by Adonias Altari on May 28, 2021 19:20:02 GMT -8
*Adonias rolled his eyes as he sheathed his sword, even though he knew she couldn't see it.*
"Do I look like I have a jetpack?!"
*Understanding that this fight was mainly between Crystal and her former master, Adonias ran past the cloaked Nightsisters and leaped up branch by branch, swiftly climbing a nearby tree. One branch snapped beneath a booted heel, threatening to send the young man plunging down a few meters. He wrapped his arms around a thick branch and hauled himself up, starting wish he had left his armor at the ship...Once he got into a good position, Adonias unslung his DC-15 rifle, and aimed down the sights. Once he had a clean shot at the other man's left hand--feeling the need to literally disarm him--Adonias gently released a breath as he squeezed the trigger.*
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Post by Spectres of Midnight on May 29, 2021 7:18:28 GMT -8
As the battle continued, the Sisters realized the danger of being as close as they were. Bit by bit, the battlefield was spreading as new strategies were being attempted. The biggest realization was when Adonias ran by them and jumped into the branches of the trees around them. Weapons ready, they leapt away in order to ensure they remained undiscovered. Caution had to exercised to an even higher level in order to stay close enough fully report the details of the encounter but to remain hidden away. Being drawn into the battle such as this was far from ideal, especially when it was unknown how such a reveal would be taken. Best to stay hidden and deal with the winner when they were exhausted if need be.
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Post by Crystal Spire on May 29, 2021 14:28:03 GMT -8
Darth Strife:
The man was one with the force, and moved like water tipped from a glass, seamless and unstoppable. He formed a bubble of protection around himself to shield against the grenades. These children were nothing, just annoyances. It was time to show them what the force could do in the right hands. The storm continued to gather over head, lightning flashed once and thunder rolled after just a few seconds. Then the rain fell and he breathed deeply before moving towards his old apprentice. He ignored the Mandalorian running from battle. This was between him and the one who refused to be less.
"You left. Years ago. You left without a word and you never came back. Now you come back but I sense you are damaged and weaker than ever. You don't deserve to know the secrets I taught you nor wield the power the dark side brings." Strife absorbed the force push without his stride breaking and continue to rant at Crystal. "I trained you since you were but a child, come crying for power to save your family. You were nothing but a sniveling infant and I gave you far more than you deserved. Now I will break you." With those words, he unleashed a barrage of force lightening on the girl. The bright lightening arced towards Crystal only a few feet away now.
Crystal:
Crystal barely had time to blink before being surrounded by pain and electricity. She crumpled to the ground, screaming. She wasn't used to these attacks after so long and thought her force usage was more than good enough to match Darth Strife's. She was starting to realize that she had gravely misjudged the situation. That was all the rational thought she was able to produce, her thoughts became unjointed as the agony swept through her.
Darth Strife:
The man relished in the pain he inflicted on the girl. A flash in the force was the only warning he had and he nearly had time to whirl out of the way of the incoming rifle shot. The shot grazed his left hand, cutting off the lightening abruptly. Like an explosion, the force blew out from Darth Strife as he bellowed in rage and pain. The force blast flattened several small saplings around the clearing and Darth Strife narrowed his eyes up in the direction the rifle shot came from while holding his injured hand close to himself.
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Adonias Altari
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Post by Adonias Altari on May 29, 2021 14:53:33 GMT -8
*Adonias hooted with victory and couldn't help but send the formidable Sith lord a very obscene gesture in his triumph.*
"HEY! Darth Sparky! PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE!"
*The sound of Crystals screams, brought him out of his victory haze and he slid down the tree, running for the Dark Lord in rage.*
"Only an ASSHOLE beats on young women!! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!"
*Clouded with rage, the young Mandalorian unsheathed his cortosis vibrosword and swung with all his strength, hoping to cut the man in half. A few feet shy of his target, a powerful force push traveled down his arm, down the blade length...and was channeled into the side of the sith master.*
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Post by Crystal Spire on May 29, 2021 18:34:16 GMT -8
Darth Strife:
At this point, the sith was pissed, soaked by the storm, and still favoring his hand. He didn't expect that the warrior he had dismissed at the beginning of the fight had any connection to the force at all. His eyes widened at the execution of the force push and he was slammed backwards across the clearing at least twenty feet before slamming into a large tree. The wind was knocked out of him and his ribs were definitely bruised. The back of his head must have been cut by the bark of the tree as blood started to sluice down his neck, washing away with the rain water. The man stood slowly, gathering the force to himself again.
"You've succeeded in gaining my attention, Mando." Darth Strife sneered at the warrior. "Now you can take her place if you're so concerned." With a wave of a hand, the sith lifted one of the earlier downed trees from the ground using the force and whipped it at the figure before him.
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Adonias Altari
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Post by Adonias Altari on May 29, 2021 18:44:52 GMT -8
"OH SHIT!!!"
*Adonias ducked but couldn't avoid the tree entirely. His helm was violently knocked off of his head. The young man was dazed as he landed on the flat of his back. Suffering from a concussion, he groaned painfully...his blurred vision catching a glimpse of his buy'ce dented nearby, the HUD offline and his T-visor cracked. Slowly and painfully, the young Mando clambered back to his feet and fired two wrist rockets at Crystal's Sith master.*
"Sorry we skipped introductions, sheb-head. I'm Adonias! And I don't give a flying shit about YOUR name, Mr. Sparkles!!"
*Adonias tightened his grip on his sword and rather than foolishly run at the Sith master, he stood protectively in front of the fallen woman in a battle stance. He glared at the pissed off man in front of him, more angry than afraid. Without turning to look at the young lady, Adonias softly called out to her.*
"Crystal! Are you alive? Sound off!"
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Post by Crystal Spire on May 29, 2021 19:01:56 GMT -8
The rain dripped on her body, cooling it off but also sending bursts of agony through her. Crystal's eyes fluttered slowly open as her body still lay twitching on the grassy floor. What? She struggled to remember how she went from standing to laying and it all flooded back. She forced herself to slowly stand, streaks of burns clearly evident across her left arm and now exposed lower torso. The lightning had burned off the cloth around her mid section and caused the skin to bubble as well. Moving hurt. Crystal tried to push all the pain down, suffocating it with the anger and rage she felt instead. That is what would feed the force.
"I'm still alive and kicking over here. This isn't going how I planned though." Crystal dropped into a fighting stance behind the warrior, waiting for her master's next move. "We need a new plan."
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Adonias Altari
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Post by Adonias Altari on May 29, 2021 19:12:00 GMT -8
*Adonias felt relief to hear Crystal's voice but was all but mortified when he glanced over his shoulder to see just how injured she really was. His rage reaching an all new high, Adonias's hatred for the Sith master was more than enough to give his blue-grey eyes a Sith, yellow-tinge.*
"A tactical retreat might be in order. Go back to the ship, Crystal...I will buy you time. If I'm not back in ten minutes, hit the autopilot. My ship will get you away from this place. Now GO!" *Shouting in a voice that brooked no argument.*
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Post by Crystal Spire on May 30, 2021 9:05:43 GMT -8
Darth Strife:
The sith waved his uninjured hand again and the wrist rockets veered off course and exploded against a tree nearby. Again, he pulled on the force brining it to bare against the two unwelcome guests. They might try to flee but they wouldn't get far. He would bring this planet down on top of them before allowing his former apprentice to leave again. "Neither of you will be going anywhere. You think to challenge me, you a fledgling." He looked at the Mandalorian with those words then looked at Crystal with his next. "And you, a failure?" He reached out with the force attempting to snag Adonias in a crushing force grip, aiming to lift him off his feet and watch him slowly choke to death. A fitting end for such an irritating individual.
"My name is Darth Strife and I have been here long before you, boy. You will learn your place."
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Post by Spectres of Midnight on May 30, 2021 11:07:29 GMT -8
The cloaked X-70B Phantom-Class Prototype made its way to the surface, the Sith that had held back the defenses from eliminating the lone starfighter used the Force to guide him and his team of five Sith Knights to the location of the encounter. Their presence had been concealed, allowing them to simply observe the situation in order to understand what was happening. No doubt the Nightsisters were already there, but the arrival of another Sith required further attention. Whether this was a Resurgent Sith member seeking them out or a rouge Sith not apart of their order was unknown. Whatever the case, they would step in only if necessary.
Reaching the area where the battle was fought, the ship landed, remaining cloaked so as to not draw attention. For now, the group watched from the cockpit from a distance.
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Adonias Altari
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Post by Adonias Altari on May 30, 2021 11:40:23 GMT -8
* Adonias sensed something bad was going to happen. Realizing the direness of their situation, Adonias blurted out a desperate proposal, seconds before the force tendril effortlessly lifted him off the ground, and invisible hands wrapped around his throat, cutting off his air supply. His armored hands clawed at the invisible hands around his neck. His sword slipped out of his grasp and fell 5 feet to the damp, grassy ground below him.*
“WAIT! Take me instead!! Let her go! I will take her pla—“
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Post by Crystal Spire on May 30, 2021 11:59:06 GMT -8
Crystal knew that Adonias was right. They needed to retreat. They stood no chance. Fear left a sour taste in her mouth and drove out her anger. She had let her anger cloud her instead of letting it fill her with truth. She truly was the failure her master claimed she was. She took a hesitant step back, then to her shame, she turned and fled. She would leave this cursed planet and never return. Answers weren't worth the risk.
She ran as fast as she could, not at full speed with all of her injuries. Every other step was a limp. Soon the sounds of battle faded. The sudden silence coincided with the end of the rain. Crystal held back her nausea. She had left Adonias behind, he would die. She knew it in her bones. She would avenge him, he had started to grow on her even though he was but a means to an end. When she reached the ship she raced inside, closing the hatch behind herself, she waited the ten minutes to see if Adonias had followed. The minutes passed agonizingly slow.
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Post by Crystal Spire on May 30, 2021 12:50:03 GMT -8
Darth Strife:
The sith paused, with the Mando in his grasp, watching him slowly choke. He kept his eyes on Adonias even as he sensed Crystal running from battle. Things were moving on this planet, there was more at work here than could be seen. He made the decision quickly. Yes. Why shouldn't he take this overzealous boy as his new apprentice. He sensed a river of power running through the boy's veins and it could be harnessed to suit his own needs. With a wave of his outstretched right hand, he sent Adonias head first against a nearby tree with the intent of knocking him unconscious. He would take the boy to another planet, where he would train him to be more than Crystal every could have been.
"You may regret offering yourself in her place, Mando." He murmured the words while calling his ship with a push of a button on his communicator. The ship had been hidden for a very long time near his strong hold, long ignored by those who now commanded the planet due to the location and the curse he had woven through the building's walls decades ago. It was however in perfect condition and would be perfect for transporting himself and his new apprentice to the next hidden base awaiting them in another galaxy.
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Adonias Altari
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Post by Adonias Altari on May 30, 2021 12:59:36 GMT -8
*Adonias was so dizzy from lack of air, that by the time he gasped in a greedy mouthful of oxygen, he was unaware that he was sailing head-first into a tree. He was knocked unconscious immediately. He was going to be in dire need of medical attention as his already concussed skull received a minor fracture. Blood from a gash on his head, ran down his face, mixing with the mud puddle he landed in...there was a very real possibility that the young Mando could lose his memory as well.*
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