Ask Umbara Angst

[Zorya]

Zorya was not surprised when Kaldar’s own saber lit up, the blades clashing in a shower of sparks. His agile reflexes, the simmering rage evident in his movements, all confirmed her suspicions. This was a man of the shadows. Zorya could taste the dark tang of his anger, could feel it seeping into the Force that bound them.

The sudden shove sent her skidding backwards, her boots scraping over the age-worn floor, but she recovered with preternatural grace. Her eyes, now luminous in the crimson glow of their clashing sabers, were fixed on him, unfathomable and assessing.

"Oi, ye bilge-sucking brute!" O'bog's indignant shriek sliced through the tension as Kaldar's Force grip closed around him, the pixie hurtling towards the far wall with a startled squeal.

Zorya, never one to let her companion take the brunt of the attack, reacted with quicksilver speed. She reached out with the Force, wrapping it around O'bog, her command as sharp and unyielding as durasteel. She halted his flight mid-air, leaving him floating in a state of bewildered suspension.

"I ain't no crashin' torpedo, ye hulking lummox!" O'bog sputtered, shooting Kaldar a glare that could sour blue milk.

Zorya felt a surge of protective fury rise within her, hotter than the coruscating blade she held. Her heart pounded a frenzied tattoo against her ribs, but her countenance remained as serene as a droid's. A gale force of emotion whipped through her, but she channeled it, not into wanton destruction, but into icy determination.

With a calculated whirl of her lightsaber, Zorya pivoted on her right foot. Her left leg coiled, a loaded spring, and then she launched. The movement was more like a huntress's pounce, a silent promise of deadly precision, than a mere leap.

She aimed for Kaldar's right, his saber hand, intending to pressure him into defense. Her crimson blade angled diagonally, a scarlet streak slicing through the gloom, meant to intercept his weapon and bind it once again.

@Phoenix

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar had gained the general reaction that he had hoped from the woman, her attention switching to saving her companion. Attachment. Weakness. Exploitable.

As she reached out with the Force to steady her companion, he struck again, saber swiping down diagonally at her saber arm just below the shoulder while her attention was stolen away with her other arm to steady her companion. It would come down long before her own attack on him, and would hopefully end the fight as quickly as it had begun.

This was not how I thought this day was going to go, the thought rang somewhere in the back of his mind.

Even as he did, he prepared himself for a counter-attack or assault of her own. There was pride and fury, but perhaps layered beneath it there was also a sense of satisfaction at having an opportunity to test his skills. And finding that not everyone in the Sith Order was as spineless as his master had led him to believe.

@Aberforth

 

[Zorya]

Zorya's heart pounded in her chest as her lithe figure nimbly danced around Kaldar's swift strikes. Each crackling pass of his blade cut the air where she had been mere fractions of a second before. The hum of their clashing lightsabers pulsed in her ears, overlaying the rampant thud of her own heart. Retreating, Zorya felt her back touch the cold, rugged wall of the Sith Academy, the ancient stones icy against her skin. Lightsaber duels had never been her strength; her art was more veiled, more cerebral.

Internally conceding her vulnerable position, she maneuvered O'bog with a forceful yank, drawing the Ximpi back to her side. As the goblin fluttered onto her shoulder, she could taste the stale, oxygen-starved air of the academy, feel the telltale shiver of the Force radiating off Kaldar. Despite the predicament, a wry grin stretched across her ebony features.

"Well, ain't ye a feisty one!" O'bog screeched, dusting off his wings and re-adjusting his perch on her shoulder. His tiny eyes bore into Kaldar's. "I'll admit, yer skills in combat do credit to yer teacher, lad. But yer sneaky tactics, they could use a bit of polish."

Zorya watched Kaldar through O'bog's eyes, a flicker of curiosity igniting in their shared consciousness. Her silent lips moved, uttering no sound, but O'bog caught the message. He looked up at Kaldar, his tone tinged with mischief and audacity.

"Got to ask, though," O'bog posed the question, "Why all the skulking and secrecy, boyo? Ye hoping to steal a few Sith secrets, or just fancy a bit of the ol' cloak and dagger?"

@Phoenix

 

[Kaldar]

He didn't drop his guard as the imp broke what was otherwise just a series of grunts and gasps as the two battled one another, but even as the "silence" was broken, Kaldar's guard didn't drop. Nor did his eyes tear away from the woman who had attacked him.

He considered pressing the attack and simply trying to kill her, but for what? Pride? Practice? Those were probably foolish endeavors to risk one's life for. The stories he'd heard of Darth Vader said he likely would have done so, but Sidious? Or Raze? Being a Sith and surviving in this world was about more than just that.

Why? Perhaps it was a good question. A valid one at that. He wasn't sure he had a good answer to it. It entertained him? It was good practice? He distrusted everyone he met? Any of those were probably correct answers, but none really captured the reasoning.

And none were insights into himself that he was interested in providing to a stranger who had just tried to kill him.

Because I can, he said instead. Perhaps he was just stubborn to a fault, and it was certainly bound to get him in trouble someday, but he would die on that bridge when he came to it.

His mind churned through the possible outcomes of the coming few minutes, and he settled on his choice as his saber snapped out in his hand, still held in his palm but no longer buzzing in the space between them.

Now are we getting this place up and running to train new Sith or not? he asked, more direct than he had up until this point. And after a fight like that, it seemed he was still proposing a partnership. How Sith.

@Aberforth

 

[Zorya]

O'bog's laughter trilled through the cavernous halls of the Sith Academy, echoing off the imposing statues and towering pillars. "Ah, 'cause ye can, eh?" He snickered, flitting through the air around Kaldar's head, the tiny creature's sharp eyes glinting with amusement. "Aye, that's as good a reason as any, lad!" His wings buzzed as he resumed his perch on Zorya's shoulder, chuckling to himself.

Silent amidst the resonating laughter, Zorya studied Kaldar, her dark gaze unwavering. She remained uncertain about the Sith before her; he was enigmatic, his motivations still a riddle. The flavors of his actions – brash, audacious, and reckless – hung heavy in the air, an intriguing cocktail that only compounded the enigma.

As O'bog settled down, Zorya communicated her thoughts through him. "Y'know, lad," he started, "we're trying to breathe some life back into this ol' Sith Academy. 'Tis time to train a new generation of Sith assassins and spies. Like in the days of the Brotherhood of Darkness, it was." His voice was sincere, even respectful as he gestured around the ancient structure. "At first, 'twas just a passion project, but we've gotten the blessings of Sith leadership."

The Ximpi flitted higher, his gaze roaming over the ruins. "We've got the airspace above the Temple locked down, and unleashed some beastie to keep the rabble away." His small head cocked towards Kaldar, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Given that yer a Sith, we'd be grateful for any help you can offer, boyo."

Zorya kept her gaze steady on Kaldar, her unspoken question echoing in the words of O'bog. She had initiated this confrontation, seeking to understand the stranger in their midst, but now it was his turn to respond. Will he stay or will he go?

@Phoenix

 

[Kaldar]

Despite their attack on him moments earlier, Kaldar still couldn't help but like the imp. He had a feeling they were kindred spirits in their own way. While he flitted back to his partner's shoulder, Kaldar's eyes settled on the woman. She still looked like she wanted to murder him, and possibly she did, but he also had a feeling that was just how she looked at everyone.

Don't try that again, was all he said further on the topic. He still wasn't certain whether she had done it to test him or because she actually wanted to kill him, but he had a feeling if it were the latter, things would have been even more vaggressive, and the fight would not have ended. It, like everything thye seemed to do, was a game of dejarik.

So they were trying to raise up an army of assassins. In the galactic climate today that was probably prudent. The Sith had no armies, and wouldn't be fielding huge fleets any time soon, but blending in, striking from the shadows, and gaining influence in secret were all the way forward.

Plus Kaldar was no stranger to this. His master had wanted him for just such things even if it had never taken as well as his master had hoped.

If I help build this, it's as a partner, he said. He wasn't interested in being anyone's lackey anymore unless their name began with Darth. He'd come too far for that already, and if his time was to be invested, then it was best to invest it in something that would pay out for him.

He'd have extended a hand, but to put it plainly he neither trusted them nor knew which of them to extend the hand to, so instead, he simply waited for their reply to his demand.

@Aberforth

 

[Zorya]

The moment hung heavy in the musty air of the Academy, laden with a tension that was nearly palpable. O'bog's laughter had faded, leaving an almost eerie silence save for the distant echo of subterranean creatures. Kal's ultimatum lingered, his words as clear as the cerulean hue of his lightsaber. Zorya's gaze remained steady, the embers in her eyes gleaming with a mix of acknowledgment and challenge.

"Partner, eh?" O'bog interjected, his voice a gravelly whisper. His tiny body fluttered with glee. "The lad's got stones, no doubt about it!" Zorya felt the imp's excitement through their connection - he thrived on moments of audacious daring like this one. Yet, her own feelings were a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. She felt a grudging respect for the brazen Sith, a flicker of cautious optimism, and an undercurrent of apprehension.

Through O'bog, she conveyed her response, "Well, lad, ye've got more gumption than sense. But then, that's part of the charm of being Sith, ain't it?" The imp's laughter echoed through the ancient hall. "We're not here for lackeys, Kal. We're building something new, something powerful. But it ain't a place for the faint-hearted." The imp tilted his head, looking at Kal with bright, mischievous eyes. "So if ye're in, ye're in as a partner. No half measures."

The declaration hung in the air, a challenge and a promise wrapped together. The imp turned to Zorya, his tiny hands making a thumbs-up gesture. Zorya, for her part, merely nodded. The decision had been made.

She had no illusions about the road ahead; alliances were delicate, volatile things, especially among Sith. But in this moment, she dared to hope. For the Academy. For the future. For the Sith. Alliances could crumble, but she knew that from the rubble, empires could rise.

@Phoenix

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar liked to think that he was a decent reader of people. He still had more to learn, but it didn't take a genius to know that there was tension in the air. Ultimately, the silence was broken by the imp as he seemed to take to the idea more than his companion. Kaldar had a feeling that was the case more often than not.

More balls than sense? Maybe, but he'd more or less gotten what he wanted, so it paid off in the end. He gave a smirk, though, as his new partner said they weren't here for lackeys.

Of course you are. You're starting an academy, he said with a snicker. It was perhaps a touch too much of the truth. Sith students may not be able to be afforded as cannon-fodder anymore, but they were certainly still the grunts of the Order. Even more than Champions who were... also kind of the grunts of the Order. There was a lot of life spent being a grunt before you got to be a Master or Lord.

I'm not interested in half measures, he said. Although he didn't fail to notice the veiled threat, he seemed to take no offense at it. In truth, lack of half-measures was precisely his concern.

Well, in that case, let's get to work, he said.

//Thread