Log:Carida: Communications Breakdown
Communications Breakdown
OOC Date: August 8 2020
Location: Carida
Participants: Jedi Order, Knights of Ren, Reliquary: Elrych Cometburn, Zandra naMuriel, Kuolo, Jax Greystorm, Vhe Tenara, Syrus, Sebek, Oozlevort, Errod Zand, Yverin, Imani, Yuun, and Malik Ren as GM
The short story: The Jedi and their Darkside adversaries clash for control of territory in the ongoing war on Carida.
The long story:
[Malik Ren]
The landscape of this part of Carida was built long ago by volcanic activity, but over millions upon millions of years, a constant deluge of rain has carved the volcanic mountains into steep valleys and chasms. Dramatic waterfalls plummet to lush valley floors, feeding rivers with only a short distance to travel before they meet the surge of the sea coast. The rocks are black, peeking out amongst a thick jungle of plants, trees, and jungle vines and flowers, and sea-birds patrol the black-sand beaches below.
It would be an idyllic place, if not for the war.
The First Order's communications outpost is located on the top of a high plateau, separated from neighboring mountains by steep valleys, and from the sea by a tall, dangerous cliff dropping straight to the rocks, sea-arches, and surging surf below. Overhead, TIEs and X-wings battle for supremacy of the skies, but the noble X-wing fighters haven't been able to get close enough to clear a path for bombs or strafing. With the Republic unable to just carpet bomb the installation, it's become a ground game.
The paths up the mountains are tricky, but secretive, allowing the Jedi to creep quite close! If they can just get to the facility, nothing in there will stop them from taking it to pieces. But the way forward is far from clear, as the Knights of Ren and a Lord of the Sith have the high ground, and the area around the installation is bristling with black cloaks, red sabers, and chain-whips.
[Elrych Cometburn]
Elrych had just been in the sky, fighting the TIEs with the likes of Rogue Squadron. Yet... when they realized the only way to get to this outpost was through the winding a twisting paths up the plateu, he returned to base to catch a shuttle with the team willing to go. Thankfully that was mostly Jedi. Taking a deep breath he gathered the force within himself, it crashing through him like the swollen river after a storm. He felt it surge and in him power stirred awake. Letting out that breath he found himself approaching the base, blue eys catching sight of sabers and whips. "Man... you guys are everywhere these days." Offer the Corellian, smirking coyly as he presses the red button on his black and gold saber. The blue mephite focused beam squeels to life, letting off a whisper of a humm, hungry for battle. "There's more of you. Well hello there, I'm Elrych, nice to meet you."
[Zandra naMuriel]
Zandra also had been in the sky with Rogue, at least at some point. She too has taken the opportunity to join ghte team trying to get to the outpost. She is nervous, still, not thrilled with the idea of combat, but she reaches for the force, calming herself, and letting it flow through her. She is behind Elrych, as the team zig zags along that sneaky path, trying to get as close as possible. <<So much for any surprise attacks,>> she mutters, as she crouches down, half behind the scenery. << Alright, here we go. >>
[Malik Ren]
Malik Ren is one of the waiting figures, red-bladed saber already humming in hand. He is masked, wearing that helmet that seems to share some sort of origin point with the one Kylo used to wear. As always, not physically imposing, not a tall man, but pacing a length of the ridge like a predator waiting for a meal to arrive. "So we are. There's a war on, you might have heard?" he 'greets' Elrych, voice distorted through the vocoder, perhaps still a bit recognizable. "Come up and allow us to receive you with the welcome you deserve."
[Kuolo]
Lord Kuolo's red-streaked TIE Bomber was out, parked at the side of the landing zone. He was here, somewhere, lingering. But he couldn't be physically spotted. He was near Malik, waiting, but only the strongest Force users could peer through the dark cloak of shadows he wrapped himself in. His lightsaber was in hand, but, it wasn't ignited; it would make his hidden position more exposed. He was a shadow; a freezing wind. He warned Malik how to find him, to suss him out, if he couldn't sense him in the force.
[Jax Greystorm]
Jax seemed to be everywhere these days. In the sky on the ground. Though as he made his way with the team of jedi silently through the forest he made no attempt to alter the temperture or use the force to repel the bugs. The Corellian though didn't complaint when his fellow Corellian jedi emerged and gave up the stealth attack. Jax though steps out behind Elrych and to the side of Zandra. His hand going for his saber and letting the blade emerge.
[Vhe Tenara]
Vhe is steps behind Elrych, the earthen hues of her robes helping her to blend in even as the saber lowered at her side is near silent, a softer thrum than the other blue blades around her as it stays steady even, far more focused is the pontite crystal powering the blade. Brighter cyan offers more light and it reflects off the side of her braided hair that restrains the wild nature of the leonine mane. The Ysanna is sure of herself in the wilds, her booted feet taking careful steps when the colors of crimson paint the space before them.
Slowly she steps to the side, the blade being brought up to be held in both hands as she looks from figure to figure now that there is a physical obstacle in the path of their goal. She lowers slightly, bending her legs as sharp amber eyes consider their foes. She counts quickly to herself and glances aside to Elrych when he identifies himself. She offers no name as the woman reaches out in an attempt to seek more information and finds nothing but emptiness within the Force.
[Syrus]
The resident brooding Kiffar librarian has recently been in talks with one of those fancy alchemists that everybody loves and has secured for himself a handsome new set of armor. His flanged helmet remains very much the same, but his suit has been refined; lighter, sturdier materials and an overall more intricate design.
The big Knight comes to a stop near Malik, one of his sabers jumping to life as the Ren opens with a volley of threats. "Or simply develop a modicum of wisdom, turn, and leave," he adds.
[Sebek]
There, beside and behind Malik Ren, with the red blade of Tei Tenga glowing ominously, was Sebek of the Desert. Clad in his traditional raiment, with the screaming beast face embedded into his helmet, the topknot sticking out, he was as always ready for battle. There was a hissing noise from his helmet, something resembling satisfaction, before his deep oozy velvety voice dripped. "No, permit them not to depart. Allow the Jeedai to embrace their love of glorious battle, allow them to fall as pretenders, fat in their belief that they hold moral high ground.".
[Oozlevort]
Oozlevort is sporting black-and-grey versions of his findsman robes. The semi-famous Gand is set up on top of the NIGHT BUZZARD, a prison transport, and has made himself a sniper nest. Peeking off the roof is the very long barrel of his projectile rifle. Let's see a faux-Jedi reflect a bullet! He adjusts his scope's rangefinder, seeking a target through the dense jungle foliage.
[Errod Zand]
"I hunted in a place like this," one of the black-clad figures observes in a grating voice from the Knights' position up one of the winding pathways towards the top of the flattened outcrop. "On Ylesia. A pride of Reeks had made their home at the top of a plateau. Not normally a problem, until they picked it clean of vegetation and started making forrays down into the valley, trampling one of the local hierophant's daughters while she was-"
The story is interrupted by the arrival of the Jedi, and the ordinary brown eyes behind the slits in his plain metal mask tighten as his attention shifts. "Felt about the same as this," he murmurs in a low, complaining rasp, snapping the chain-whip off of his back and into life. "Everything comes back around, every borrowed moment to be redeemed by some unseen accountant, shifting the digits of life to and fro. One to zero. Zero to one." A deep breath steadies his mind for battle, and he steps out of cover to fall into line.
[Yverin]
Yverin awaits amongst the ranks of similarly dark-clad figures. A fresh sight amongst the individual styles. His height and lithe figure blends into the rest of the knights, yet the glow of the burning plasma inbetween the grey metallic bridges of his whip remind of his presence. A straight 'blade' formed of the crimson weapon, the shrouded humanoid stands firmly atop rolling slope of land descending into the depths of river-corroded grounds. Lips part and a muffled, incomprehensible mutter of gentle and soft Echani dialect escape the otherwise menacing melee fighter awaiting his pursuit of blood in this conflict.
[Imani]
Imani is standing near Malik and the others, though off to one side enough to give them room to fight when the time comes. She has her armor on, the inscrutable face-plate turned toward the approaching Jedi. She has her weapon in hand already, looking prepared to fight, but not yet rushing at anyone in particular. "You know," she says after Errod finishes his story. "I've never been hunting before. Not proper hunting of animals. Maybe I should try it one day."
[Yuun]
Having met up with the ground forces heading to the planet, it was time to embrace a few things he felt. Yuun sat quietly on the transport, he really didn't speak with the other Jedi, though he did bow his head and smile, a hint of the old Yuun was stirring. Still there was a lot he still needed to go through. As they exited the shuttle as it came down in for landing, he stretched out and he could feel the dark of the force present. A slight frown graces his face, though his eyes narrows his eyes. He is tired of the FO and the Knights of Ren. Each engaement with the Knights the Jedi had loss, not today. He was tired of being on the back foot and those emotions can be felt from him possibly by the other Jedi. As they move through the terrain, he is quiet, his movements, footsteps everything is silent. His lightsaber is within his hand and he moves with the grace of a predator, one who's suffered and gain knowledge and understands what's at stake.
He keeps out of sight when their foes come into view, he wasn't playing to tactics he used before, it's time to change things up some.
[Malik Ren]
The Jedi are swift in their ascent up the hill, their footsteps sure and their progress wasting no time! The Knights await them, save for Oozlevort in his perch atop the Night Buzzard, and in a matter of seconds, moments, the battle is joined!
[Elrych Cometburn]
Elrych smirks, huffing a chuckle as Malik speaks. He's about say soemthing back when Syrus speaks... "Oh for the love of- Syrus... can't you see we're having a /moment/ here... geez." He glances towards Vhe, showing off that smirk to her. There might be more he's communicating but it's silent for now. The Self assured Corellian. There's word from the Faleen which just causes Elrych to shake his head in disapointment. His eyes fall upon the others, stopping at Errod, "Mustache Guy! I was wondering if Malik killed you already or not. Congrats, you've made it past two months." There is a deep breath from Elrych as he listens to the wind, focusing on it. Then, like a flash of lightning he rushes forth. His blade a blur of blue as it slices up wards, at Imani? Yes Imani, one of the non force sensative of the group. Elrych was always unpredicatable. Sebek had no proper name for him. Malik likely had limited information on him. He ws Choas in a little bundle. He strikes out again, hitting the electro whip weilder before spinning and missing Errod. "You should really dumb the normies Malik... THey cramp your style..."
[Zandra naMuriel]
Zandra ignores the fussing and bante for the moment. The violet haired Jedi is only a hair slower than Elrych, as she also rushes in. She moves to the side, as Elrych talks, so they're not hopefully in easy target range for someone to hit both of them. There's a moment as she listens, when a brief smile crosses her face. "why does it have to come to this?" she wonders briefly, as she moves into action. She swings her glowing green lightsaber at Yverin, even though she doesn't know who he is. But if he's got a force weapon, she's attacking. There's a cat-sure and swift whirl to then follow up with a couple swings at Errod, before she turns to clash sabers with Malik. Gulp!
[Malik Ren]
"What you don't know about style could fill the infinite void, Elrych Cometburn," Malik remarks to the first Jedi up, as they begin to strike at the non force-sensitive Knights! "But thank you for your concern, it is precious." As Zandra strikes at Yverin and Errod, he seeks his revenge in a vicious series of swipes that almost end very badly for Zandra, but luck is on her side.. just that once!
[Kuolo]
He didn't expect them to approach so aggresively--They were Jedi, after all. But then, the war was doing much for them. Malik's Knights were taking heavy losses, however, so waiting for a breach in the complex wasn't going to be possible. Around them, moving through the battlefield, shadow to shadow, is Kuolo.
The cold wind came first, washing over Zandra swiftly. The temperature drops seventy degrees in a fraction of a second--more than enough to take the breath from anyone within the sudden wind. It wasn't long before a biggter distraction came, however, as the shadows spill open the form of Kuolo, and the sudden snapping of Anuesana's lightsaber. It's to no avail, however, as the Jedi manages to keep herself from being struck by the crimson blade.
[Jax Greystorm]
The Chill of the area around Kuolo and well Zandra made it feel like they were fighting in the shade. The shock of the cold does cause a wisp of hot breath to emerge from beneath his hood. He stops for a moment, "There he is." Then he threw his saber the blade spinning as it goes flying through air striking Oozlevort and his sniper rifle. Then the blade draws back immedately to his hand as Jax brings the saber up in a defensive stance. "Lets keep this between us."
[Vhe Tenara]
Vhe watches as the others rush into battle, aiming to take out their foes with accuracy that gives the Ysanna heart. It gives her little chance to pick her target but she rushes forward, the pontite blade cutting the air with its silent hum. She swings it up and around in a blue of cyan that catches the. moisture in the air and hisses, sizzling to raise steam along the blade as she sweeps in to aim for Sebek. Then she is moving through her motions, bringing the blade low and up to reverse her attack and then a thrust in her final sweep towards his center as her feet dance and twist her about. She's nimble and the sleeves tunic leaves her the freedom of her movement.
Her heart hammers in her chest, blood singing in her ears as she keeps herself moving and trying to stay away from the blades that come back in her direction for the moment, footing not all that sure upon the rainforest floor.
[Syrus]
"All I see is the petulant whining of a boy playing hero. Talk less; you rarely offer anything worthwhile to a conversation," Syrus remarks back to Elrych. A very few short moments pass and the Knights lose a good chunk of their numbers. It's the way of things.
Deciding to mourn the semi-famous Oozlevort later, Syrus steps forward and heft his blade towards Vhe, a Jedi his is unfamiliar with. The growling crimson blade is intercepted by her's a few times before he manages to cut a shallow chunk out of her side, stepping past her onto his next target.
[Sebek]
As chaos burst into existence and the battle was joined, it was a marked difference to the last time the Knights had tangled with this particular pack of Jeedai. As the long-handled Tei Tenga was brought to the fore, Sebek of the Desert was confronted with ferocity in a cyan package. "Yes, YES! Behold the fury of the Jeedai!" he exclaimed, basically roaring in the poor girl's face as he one-handed swept away the low strike, gently parried the reversal, and simply stepped out of the way of the third thrust. Wherein She Who Dances did just that, Sebek's feet hardly moved. The diminishing law of defensive effort, one might call it. "But now I cripple you, She Who Dances." As the strike from He Who Learns came about and nicked her, the Falleen capitalized on the opening. Swinging wide over her head with an attack he would insist was for intimidation and not merely whiffed, he did a reversal of his own.
WHUNK. The flared pommel of Tei Tenga, a horrible thing that had claimed the skull of He Who Whiffs in the past, slammed into the back of She Who Dances's lightsaber hand. It hit hard, hard enough that Sebek was aiming to break said hand and hopefully the saber within. "And thus you fail, She Who Dances. Your fury lacks teeth. Seek me out, for I owe you defeat." And with that he dismissed the woman by moving away towards the boy, the child, and the one who had far more skill than his attitude would admit. "Aha, He Who Brags! Bring forth the anger that fuels your skill! Embrace your hatred of our kind!"
[Oozlevort]
Oozlevort is checking his scope. There, across the lip of the plateau, there stands Malik Ren and a few others with chainwhips and lightswords. Then, over the lip comes Jax Greystorm. ZERO IN. "Oh, Oozlevort has you now, Oozlevort's little pretty..." What's the bright blue thing heading toward him? Perhaps it is glare of the system star passing through the atmosphere. "Oozlevort must adjust the glareshield... Wait... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" It's like in slow-motion as the saber cuts apart his rifle and slices through his carapace! He lays smoking on the top of the prison transport. Maybe dead, maybe not.
[Errod Zand]
"It's not all fun and games," Errod grumbles to the sunshine beam of Imani, moving in to clash blades with the Jedi. It's always a harrowing experience and there were no stims in his system. He liked to have stims in his system to fight anything, let alone Jedi.
Zandra is unknown to him, and in truth, was not is target; after seeing Elrych take Imani out, the blue blade swung towards him, moving almost faster than should be possible. He stutter-steps backward, the tip of the blade humming past like the angriest bee. "Hm," the man growls under his breath, becoming cognizant of Zandra's green hurtling towards his head out of the corner of his peripheral. "Krif."
The helmet with his head inside it drops, his body following it, but Errod's stance is severely compromised by the movement; a hand props him up, the worst tripod. He sees the green blade reverse, a back-handed swipe coming his way, angling for his unprotected left side, but there's little he can do about it. His hand kicks out, letting his body drop the rest of the way to the ground, and the chainwhip flails out desperately.
His attempt to save himself nearly costs him his life.
Instead of hitting his torso square, the collision pushes the green saber off-course, and the tip drags through his shoulder, plowing through flesh and bone and leaving a cauterized furrow behind before catching the chin of his masked helmet. The force tears it clean off, and almost takes his head with it. It's difficult to tell in the blood, blood, blood just how bad the injury is, but there's no movement once the headgear rolls to a smoking stop.
[Yverin]
Faith.
Solace for many, drive for some, hope for else. For Yverin it is nothing, as his grumble under his breath in his Eshan-native tongue serves nothing to protect him from the fury of the 'Jeeedai'.
The Echani rests the rapier-esque blade diagonally from one hip to the other, one palm clutching it as he awaits poised for the robed figure charging directly from him. A flick of his wrist, the glowing plasma in crimson serves to strive for the incoming wrath of blinding sapphire. The patience is only rewarded with a SIZZLE through the mesh of plastoid and flexsteel, glowing brilliant orange. A spurt of crimson escapes the torso as a deep stroke of Zandra's lightsaber decimates the thin layer of grey and black material. The momentum of his own failed parry and the female's strike sends him plunged with force at his right shoulder, tissue and flesh allowing the scent of burnt carrion into the frosty air. Locks of snow hair spread alike strains of individual beams of a frozen star on the soil, white soon to be stained from scarlet rivers running up his incapacitated body sloped along the valley.
[Imani]
"If it's not fun and games, what is it?" Imani is angled toward Errod just slightly during their little sidebar about hunting, which means that eventually she can see the Jedi charging for him, but without the preternatural gifts that those with the force have, what she fails to sense until it's too late is the blur that is Elrych rushing at her. He was so much further away the last time she made note of him. Even were she to have been facing him fully it might not have been enough time, she's skilled, but she's just a regular human when it comes right down to it, and that means normal human reflexes. They're just not fast enough to throw herself out of the way in time even though she tries, which means Elrych's saber cuts through the side and back of her armor, leaving behind brutal gouges that presumably go down to the flesh beneath. There's just a small yelp of protest, and then crashes into the ground, still. Like Oozlevort, she's only maybe alive, possibly dead, either way she's not getting back up again.
[Yuun]
Yuun watches and moves through the terrain, he's not left the side of his team mates and family. He pauses at that thought that just come to him, family. He lowers his head for a moment, they weren't team mates they were friends and family. Which as he sees the attacks come in, he watches as enemy and friend alike fight, though as Zan drops and Vhe due to their injuries, a pang of guilt spike within him for just a moment.
He quickly moves, his speed enhanced by the force taking someone who is already fast and making them faster. The familiar snap-hiss of his lightsaber activating is heard and the sound fades just as fast as it activating. Seeing Vhe goes down, the dark skinned jedi leaps over Syrus, and swipes mid-air towards Syrus. The blade sizzling past where he was just at. Landing and spinning about, he lunges forward stabbing his blade towards Syrus back, upong striking him, Yuun continues moving, he doesn't stop it's just a blur of motion as his lightsaber spins and slashes diagonally towards Syrus, and with that, Yuun dashes off towards Zan and Vhe standing there guarding the two. "Come get these two!" he calls to the others.
[Malik Ren]
Casualties begin to mount as Oozlevort, Errod Zand, Yverin, Imani, and Vhe Tenara all fall to the terrible weapons of their enemies! The air smells like burned blood and seared Gand, as the Jedi carve their way closer to victory over the communications array that would enable them to cripple the transmissions of the Order!
[Elrych Cometburn]
Elrych was not your typical Jedi. He bragged, he talked game, he... was... merciless on the battlefield. Rey would probably have words with him later after they pick his bloody corpse up off the ground... "Oh Syrus, did I strike a nerve. I feel bad... rea-" That's when Vhe is taken out of the battle, he presence flaring in their bond. It causes the Jedi pause a moment. his face becomes serious and he goes silent. The grib on his blade tightens, his guard becoming high, tip of his blade pointed downwards in the stance of Vapaad. As Yuun enter to strike at Syrus, Elrych closes the distance and lances in with that Powerful Jab. He withdraws, not sticking around the the horrible aftermath of his attack and instead now focusing on Sebek. He triwls his blade around in a flashy way before striking out with two powerful and heavy swings, his blade vrooming with deadly hunger! "There is no hatred, I feel nothing for you. Nothing but the serenity of the ground and sky around me. The unity of nature." He's serious too.
[Zandra naMuriel]
Zandra's breath catches with the sudden plummetting temperature, even though she knows that trick. She is somewhat startled when Kuolo appears out of nowhere, but she manages to hold her own at first, a bit. She turns her attention to Malik when he attacks, her green blade clashing with his, as he attacks. With two of them, she finds herself in a bit of a bind. She's got the force running through her, as she tries to decide what to do. In a heartbeat, she makes a call and attacks, her blade swinging at Kuolo, though she's aware that Malik is there as well.
[Malik Ren]
Sparks fly as green mets red! Block, block, and then a stab, a bright white hot of pain as Malik's attack sneaks through Zandra's defense! "You knew you shouldn't have come here," Malik remarks easily, as he steps out and clears a wide open opportunity he's made for Kuolo to strike into. "You were right, girl, you were right."
[Kuolo]
Kuolo didn't care that they fought back, or that they arrogantly spoke out. The truth was, he wanted them to fight. He wanted their arrogance. He wanted their Pride. Every fallen comrade struck down, on this place so far from 'civilization', was a victory. Every Jedi lightsaber hilt stained red, literally or figuratively, brought them closer to welcoming death. That was how you fought the Jedi; planting the seeds of darkness.
What Kuolo cared about was Zandra's focus, her determination to fight back against Malik and his onslaught. His strikes complimented Malik's aggressive form. Kuolo was more reserved, striking out in a tempered, distance-keeping makashi. That is, until Malik extracted himself from the engagement. The makashi style then shifted into the more dextrous Ataru. He leverages his leg against Zandra as she recoils from Malik's stance, and the crimson blade seeks to find its mark.
[Jax Greystorm]
As people go down in a fight around him, Jax moves to engage Sebek. A series of saber slashs from the Corellian equal a whole bunch of squat other than it looks like he's in a Rave somewhere like the lower levels of Coruscant. He lets out another breath, "This cold can't be any good for you, He who talks about the the desert non-stop."
[Vhe Tenara]
Syrus joins her focus on Sebek and Vhe, twisting around each strike is losing ground, losing the advantage as the blur of Syrus' blade sweeps close to her face and lights up the widening of her eyes before they reflexively narrow against the glow of the blade. The hiss of the moisture in the air leaves her deaf to one side for a second as it rebounds off the crimson hue.
She twists about, her blue blade clashing with Sebek's and then Syrus but her foot slips and she twists about to compensate, leaving her arm open and prone to the strike that comes down hard against flesh and bone.
CRUNCH CRACK
There is a shriek of pain swallowed up by the battle around her as Vhe's hand is thrust open and the saber falls from her grasp lit in crimson. Before the blade hits the ground the light of it disappears and it rolls away from her position as she collapses to a knee and grasps at her ruined crushed hand with the other across her body. Sweating now from the pain as her body shakes, Vhe struggles to find her breath after the shock of it all and is at first as her eyes sweep for her saber as the chaos continues around her.
[Sebek]
"The bravest lie is the one we tell ourselves, He Who Brags!" boomed the mirth-filled and joyful voice of the Falleen who was weaving unscathed through the firey blue assault. Sure, the kid might be telling the truth, and Sebek might even believe him, but the amount of fun involved in admitting it was a flat zero. "Behold the anger when I struck down She Who Dances! I can TASTE IT!" Eyes locked on He Who Brags, he flipped his saber around behind him to defend from He Who Whiffs, weaving through those strikes with more movement than he would have liked before he brought Tei Tenga down upon He Who Brags' defense. Whunk! "Behold the anger of the Jeedai bringing forth pain!" Sizzle! "You and I are the same, He Who Brags!" CLASH! "Yet I delude myself not!"
[Syrus]
Syrus is struck! Yuun's blue blade digs in deep up along the Kiffar's chest, sending sparks flying. His armor trying its best to hold off the assault, but it can only do so much. A huge, glowing groove is cut out of Volo's torso; organs and burnt offal baring themselves to anyone who casts their eyes his way. His heart, a scarlet, mishapen thing has been cleft in twain and smoke pours out of his chest. The Kiffar's jaw drops within his helmet, his breathing slowing as the full effect of the damage becomes known to him.
Hatred fills the man now; his eyes glassing over for a moment as he takes a struggling, shuffling step forward. Frowning lips begin to twitch as he moves along jaggedly, his mortal wounds stitching themselves together before everyone's eyes. It's a horrifying sight to see as smoldering flesh wraps back around his exposed innards, and it takes immense concentration from the man not to just keel over. It's because of this that Elrych's attack goes undefended; the Corellian's saber piercing low and adding another scar to the Knight's torso, leaving the man to tumble over onto the ground, bloodied but unbowed.
[Yuun]
Yuun didn't see the healing effects of the Dark Side by Syrus, then again Syrus was weak he didn't rely on the people who he joined originally and like a coward he fled to the dark side. Yuun keeps guard of his friend Vhe, though he does feel the strong dip in temperature and he can see his breath before him. He shivers and he closes his eyes, "I'm one with the Force, the force is with me." he says to himself not to anyone in particular. His eyes focuses on Sebek and quickly he moves towards the man.
Yuun's foot steps are sought with purpose as he quickly closes the distance between himself and Sebek. He lunges in towards Sebek aiming to pierce his chest. Upon making his attack, he flicks his blade off and in a split second he twirls his blue blade and comes at Sebek's mid-section from right to left, turning his body and moving fast enough that it looks like he's using a double bladed lightsaber. His back to Sebek the whole while until each strike is blocked and Yunn quickly hopes back. He watches his opponent.
[Malik Ren]
The field begins to even out as the forces of good and evil trade strikes under a sky streaked with falling debris, smoke, and the flares of ship cannon fire! Three against three remain: Elrych, Jax, and Yuun fighting for light, and Malik, Kuolo, and Sebek battling for the encroachment of darkness...
[Elrych Cometburn]
Elrych dodges out of the strike from Kuolo, before turning in to three broad strikes against Sebek. They are well met, parried or dodged. He stands there awaiting for the onsault. He reaches out in the force feeling for Vhe. She's there if weak. Taking a deep breath he calms, eyes darting from the three red blades that remain, ready.
[Zandra naMuriel]
Zandra's head turns at Malik's words. She's straining to keep up with the tag team that's on her, working hard to try to defend herself. The young jedi student has learned somewhat since she was last in this situation, as have they all, of course. She manages to parry a couple of Malik's attacks, her movements still fast, if constrained by the two red sabers confronting her. While Malik's saber slips her defenses, slowing her down as it slices through robe and touches skin, it's not as bad as it could have been. The pain is there though, bringing a hiss from Zandra, and watering her eyes. "Oh yes, I should have come. Combat isn't always needed, except where you are concerned. And if we're going to fight, then we come to fight." Her words are calm though, measured. Serious. She takes a breath, as Kuolo's attack finishes what Malik started. She raises her blade to defend, a bit wobbly, even as Kuolo changes his stance. There's a quiet dignity as she fights a losing battle, knowing it, and still continuing to fight. A quiet determination, a fierce commitment to what she is doing. It doesn't fail even as she is hit by that red blade, sliding through her and spewing blood, as she slides to the ground, her blade still partly blocking, just enough to keep that blade from killing her. Maybe.
[Malik Ren]
The ranks on both side are thinned by brave fighters bleeding into the dirt, and Malik appears to have no mercy for any of them. It's hard to tell, what with the mask and all, but he has not stopped to check on his fallen comrades, nor cried out to them, even if perhaps he feels their agony in the force. Even if it's echoed somewhere inside him, hurting with them, responsible for them, all of them.
Or maybe he just doesn't care.
He steps over the fallen Zandra as she falls, and the heartless vocoded voice remarks, "You should practice more."
Elrych is next in his sights, blocked, blocked, and a worrying near-miss. "All of them fall, one and another and another," Malik's inhuman voice remarks to him, now. "You could reach for the power you need to protect them... but you will not, and thus, you fall with them."
[Kuolo]
Kuolo step passed the form of Zandra, defeated. It was enough that they fell, he didn't need trophies. The crimson blade flourishes a bit as he walks, taking a conservative, wrist-pointed makashi stance to open up Elrych's form. He didn't strike the defeating blow himself, but, he was happen enough to see the defeat of another Jedi. "All they do is practice," the vocoder mutters, as Kuolo steps passed Elrych as well. He only recognized one of them. "They lack the heart to kill us," he says.
[Jax Greystorm]
Jax must find himself stepping up to engage Malik Ren. This really hardly ever goes well for Jax. THough that doesn't mean Jax doesn't step up to protect the fellow Jedi. "Malik. Fancy Words. Lots of anger and rar. They're hollow and empty. The Darkside it's not stronger. Faster yes. Stronger no. Search your feelings, You would be just as strong as you embraced the light. You sold yourself to the darkness for nothing." His saber whiffing as he slashes out at the villain and whiffing.
[Sebek]
The problem with being the most irascible individual currently planetside is that every single metaphorical gun is aimed at you. What was a fair three versus three was quickly becoming 'dogpile the Falleen' and said Falleen was howling with laughter. "Yes, YES! This is the anger of the Jeedai! Claimants to the throne of hatred! Embrace your fury!" Speaking of fury, it was at that point that the Force screamed in his mind and his saber flicked behind him to block the strike from his midsection. Twisting down and around away from He Who Brags, he blocked the rapid strikes and found himself face-to-face with He Who Dances. "YOU!" he screamed, his ire suddenly brought to the fore. "You are owed-" the assault from He Who Brags was an interruption. He turned, adjusted like a healer mid-raid, and locked him saber-to-saber. "Interfere not with what will transpire, He Who Brags! Your time here is at an end!" The Force bubbled and heaved like it was going to be sick around Sebek and Elrych and, with a push forward on his lightsaber empowered by his fury, he launched Elrych off his feet and into the trees and forestry below. "You are owed defeat, and you will not claim it without discarding your lies of heroism!"
This pointless pontificating of course left him with his back to Yuun. Good move, Sebek.
[Yuun]
Yuun wasn't finished and as Sebek and Malik both went after Elrych, he couldn't let them..... he let's out a breath as he quickly moves in to confront Sebek and as he does, there is nothing ot say as he strikes with an overhead strike, slashing his blade through Sebek. He quickly leaps in towards Malik, there is no wild swings, but he does see that he will need to be cautios as his attacks miss Malik. He moves in front of Elrych as he faces down Malik.
[Malik Ren]
Somewhere far below, one of the valleys is marred by the heavy machinery and artillery noises of a walker blasting its way through hostile territory -- perhaps attempting to help secure this very same communications array? But the outcome is still unwritten, even as the ranks thin further on both sides. Elrych falls, but so does Sebek of the Desert, Consumer of Hounds, and Many Other Names Besides!
[Elrych Cometburn]
Elrych enter the fight of his life, his blade clashing first with Malik twice in a brilliant show of skill and devistation. The blue and red glow cascades across their faces. The Jedi is sweating, tied for the exertion. He was a Knight but he still had much to learn. Despite this, he was cocky to the last, barely dodging out of the way of Malik's final strike. He turns rapidly, blade in one hand as he starts to back away, gaining distance. "You don't understand, Oran..." He used his original name... "I am on a path that leads me to power beyond your wildest dreams. I just feel bad you don't realize it... because I'll be back... again. And Again... and I'll never stop. Ever, even when I'm dead." That Corellian smirk of his returns as he takes on Kuolo, their second time clashing in history. The blades are met blow for blow. It's Sebek who catches him off guard. The Jedi turns, feeling the pulling of his precognative abilities. He's not fast enough! He's launched into the air and crashes into the foresty bellow, lightsaber extinguishing mid air. What happened to He Who Brags? Find out next week on Star Wars: AoA.
[Malik Ren]
"Oh, Elrych. I don't know about that. My dreams are fairly wild." Malik lets Sebek step in to finish what he's started, shaking out his saber with a vwom-vwom as though loosening his wrist. "Will you be back? See you next time, then, and if you're dead, I suppose you can commiserate with Oran about that." Elrych falls, perhaps the bravest among their number, and then Malik turns his attention to Yuun, leading off with an alarming near-miss! Lucky that the force is with him!
[Kuolo]
The red lightsaber flourishes as Malik steps ahead of him to take on Yuun. The masked Sith instead turns towards Jax. In a moment, the warmth around Jax dissipates rapidly, as the temperature drops. Kuolo's lightsaber blade is held off of his body in his primary hand, but, he was just as dangerous with the left. The linen-wrapped hand raises and Kuolo channels his mastery opf the Darkside into Jax. Crackling, crimson energy arcs from Kuolo's hand, channeling into Jax.
[Jax Greystorm]
Jax sees the red lighting streaking from him. His hand stretches out as he calls on the force to dissipate the lighting. The lighting connects ans flows through the Corellian and out into the ground beneath him. His hood drops to reveal his face and there's a grimace on his face. "That didn't work like you wanted." Though it did slow him up as he moved in to strike. He dances around to strike the Sith lord. "Then again it's not going the way I wanted it."
[Sebek]
They say pride goeth before the fall. There was a bit of wriggle-room there when it came to Sebek, who had well and truly kept his. Said pride was singlehandedly his source of both his power and his greatest downfalls. Of course He Who Dances wouldn't stab him in the back. It was inconceivable. To be fair, he didn't. He just opened Sebek's back up from shoulder to hip. How very sporting.
To be fair, though, Sebek would have done exactly the same.
The Falleen slumped to the ground as he realised that his ability to stand, let alone fight, had been completely compromised. Before unconsciousness took him, he hissed in fury, now knowing that he owed He Who Dances defeat /twice/.
[Yuun]
Yuun moves with deliberate strikes andhe isn't trying to be fancy, he's not fought Malik in some time and honestly this is the first time they've gone one on one. He can sense his friends fighting, and he winces inwardly as Jax tries to dissiapate the lightning, "We can do this!" he calls to Jax as he swings and misses, he doesn't press his attacks, attacking and backing off, he has to analyze his opponent this time.
[Malik Ren]
Lightning begins to flow through the air, cruelty and anger and power made manifest! Everything is cast in a harsh, eerie shock-light from Kuolo's power even in under the broad daylight, like a strobe-light casting strangeness and evil itself onto the surroundings. This makes Malik's assault on Yuun stand out in stark light-and-dark, perhaps a metaphor for everything else at stake here, and this time, the blade strikes. It hurts, but not enough to bring him down, not yet.
[Jax Greystorm]
Be by chance or the the force Jax brings his saber up to block the red lighting a second time. The lighting dances up and down his blade as it hisses angrily. Jax lets out an exhale and smiles as the lighting arcs up and away. Jax moves in to strike at Kuolo. He was tired and still standing. He was still here.
[Yuun]
Yuun is struck as Malik comes in with his assualt. The red blade slashed along his left side, and teh bite of pain from the burning blade causes Yuun to grunt in pain. But Yuun channels the force through his body as he begins to push the pain aside, he couldn't allow this to slow him. As the force flows through him pushing the pain aside as well as having saved him from taking a much more brutal wound. Yuun pushes his attack, he couldn't let down the others, he couldn't. He wasn't going to allow doubt, or fear take hold of him.
As he launches his attacks, his strikes are well timed, fast and precise but each time he thought he had his mark, Malik parries his strikes away, still he doesn't show fear to his opponent at all, he stands resolute.
[Malik Ren]
It's a brave fight, and well-fought, but ultimately, Yuun's one-on-one battle with Malik Ren ends with the courageous Jedi cut down! The force is his ally, and it flows through him, fueling his peace and his power -- but the perversion of the same, the corrupted dark side of the force, is an overwhelming adversary to face. In the attacks from Malik and Kuolo, against Jax and Yuun, there lies every warning their masters have told them about why this is an evil thing.
"Greystorm boy," Malik greets the last one left, "You stand alone on the precipice here, and now the choice is yours. Surrender, take your dead friends, and go -- or join their fate. You do not have the power to stop us. You are undone, all of you."
[Kuolo]
"It won't," Kuolo answers, finally, as the crackle of lightning dissipates some and the onslaught fails. He was able to continue offsetting each of the strikes, even as Jax's final ally falls to Malik's blade. "You should run," he adds, "I don't know where they found you. But, the Jedi won't win this. They never do."
[Jax Greystorm]
Jax looks to the carnage around him. His saber drawn in a defensive stance. "You're right I can't take the two of you. You held your precious station. Though I got to ask, did you win? Did you? You're knights are down to a man, Malik. There are more jedi. The lord of the Sith force lighting was defeated by a nobody. YOu don't even know my name. You've won this day but there will be others. I'll see you two around. Check over your shoulder. If it's not me it'll be another jedi. In the end the light proved stronger than the dark. There will be other commandos." With that Jax moves to help up the most injured of the jedi.
[Yuun]
Yuun wasn't trying to lose, his attacks were spot on, but Malik was better. Trying to reposition before Malik attacked again, Yuun is too slow and Maliks attack barely was able to penetrate his defenses. Searing bruning pain lances through Yuun and he drops to his knees but again he doesn't give Malik the satisfaction of seeing fear.
[Kuolo]
"Your 'Jedi' kill indiscriminantly on a planet full of soldiers," Kuolo says, shaking his head. "There's no citizenry here to save. You came to a world of enemies for slaughter, for war. If you want to save people, go to a world with peop--" Squint. Where did Jax go?
[Malik Ren]
Jax actually surprises a laugh out of Malik there, though it sounds strange through the vocoder. "Really? Did I win? Don't be precious, of course we won. Look around you, look all around you, at her, and her, and him... and us." His smile is heard rather than seen. "Do you know, someone once asked me how many bodies I'm willing to stack up to open the doors I want to open? My people, anyone else's people? Do you know what I said?" He gestures, and one hand reaches out, making a shooing gesture... poor Vhe, her injured body tumbles over to come to rest next to Zandra. It isn't far, and the telekinetic action isn't much more than a shove. "As many," flick, there goes Zandra, now a little closer to Vhe. "As," flick, Yuun is lightly shoved toward the two women. "It takes."
With that, he turns toward the base again, even as white-armored stormtrooper medic teams are rushing out to collect the Knights. Overhead, the X-wings peel off and disengage; the communications outpost remains in First Order hands, just as some time ago, the Republic kept its hold on a reservoir. Carida continues to bloody both sides, over and over, and all the promises of 'we will meet again' will no doubt hold painfully true for all.
