Ask Event Apocrypha

[Drow Venn]

"Probably easier if I cut with you."Drow said matter-of-factly before revealing to Maura that he carried a lightsaber. His golden blade sprang to life and with a practiced hand, he got to work slicing through the door, taking the opposite corner Maura started on.

TLDR: Drow cuts through the door with his lightsaber

 

[Anai Skhess]

Anai kept silent as the sith trio moved forward, walking behind Draugr while keeping an eye behind them just in case. It felt like the deeper they got inside the space station the worse it got, just how many strange abominations would they have to deal with before finally being suddenly assaulted by very loud screams that sent chills down her spine, more strange things to deal with, now with the ability to give them tinnitus.

While the other two sith decided to take the attack head on, Anai instead would use a short burst of force speed to try and avoid it altogether. However, she would not only move away from the strange banshee creatures, but she would also attempt to get closer to them with this maneuver, going for the one situated leftmost of all of them before closing the short gap there would be between them and trying to cut that one's head off, her eyes set on the closest one to her shortly after that, both the screams and the force powers were a nuisance and her lightsaber the way to remedy it.

Spoiler: TLDR

Dodging and getting closer to the leftmost banshee using force speed before going for a lightsaber strike

@Logan

 

[Waxillium Drast]

Wax stared at Veer for a moment, trying to decide whether or not the man was truly back in control or if something else was still pulling the strings. Either way, they had to make a choice. There was a chance that the elevator would take them up to a trap, and if Veer seemed to be intent on going up, could they really let him run off on his own? The Sith might need their help, but the man missing half a hand (that too thanks to yours truly) most definitely needed their help.

Wax gave Taz a resigned look and shrugged his shoulders before taking a step to follow Veer. "If he dies its on me. Maybe we can stop whatever is going on here." He was letting his guilt drive him a little, but given the general vibe of the day they were having, that wasn't the worst emotion he could have given into. He followed after Veer and stepped into the elevator.

@Logan @Sreeya @Altaris

 

[Tazlen Axil]

Tazlen looked between Veer and Wax, hearing the logic in their sentiments. He walked with them towards the elevator and stepped in. He heard the man on the screen. His face was devoid of emotion for a moment as he considered his options. In the end, he sighed and placed a hand on Wax’s shoulder.

“Take care of him,” He smiled at his fellow Knight and punched the button to let them take the elevator to safety. However, he sprang out last second, drawing his saber hilt to his hand. Without a second thought, Tazlen charged directly through the door that the Sith had taken earlier. It didn’t matter what was behind that door, Tazlen would make sure it threatened no one. Jedi or Sith. Even if he would die for it.

@Logan @Wit @Altaris

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Tazlen + The Sith

The moment Trace tried to find purchase with her lightsaber, she would be greeted with a defense that would likely take her off guard: the complete and total lack of one.

As soon as the blind Sith’s weapon were to make contact with the Banshee’s body, it would hit an odd force field that seemed to envelop the entire creature. It shimmered outward from the point of contact, like dropping a stone into a still pond, a wave of dark energy rippling across the monster’s body.

If it were capable of doing so, the Banshee would have grinned malevolently at Trace’s failure. Instead, its mouth simply hung open, slack jawed, a scream of eternal pain and torment carved into granite.

Now so close to Trace that the Sith girl could probably smell the Banshee’s breath, the monster would wrap darkness around its hand and backhand her with enough force to send her into a nearby wall - damn near feeling like she just got run over by a speeder.

Likewise, Anai would find a similar barrier to her offensive prowess. As the Kaleesh’s blade made contact with the Banshee’s throat, the attack would seem to bounce off of a force field.

With the strength of several Wookiee’s, the Banshee would grab Anai’s lightsaber arm and whip her to the ground, smashing her into the duracrete.

Draugr’s attack would be more successful than his compatriots, but only just. His strength in the force was great and he would be able to grip the two Banshee’s by their throats, stopping them in their tracks. Though, not for as long as he would have hoped to.

When he made an attempt to smash them together, he would find the monsters resisting him. With a pulse of force energy, they would break free of his bondage and begin advancing towards the Sith Master in earnest.

As if drawn to the strength of the Zabrak, two more Banshees would turn their attention towards him, leaving Trace and Anai to deal with only the single Banshees who they’d initially attacked.

Dull metal tendrils would slither from the palms of two of the Banshees closing in on Draugr, shooting out and attempting to wrap around his legs and torso.

–

It would have taken Tazlen a few minutes to traverse the maintenance tunnels the Sith had gone down once he’d made his decision. Luckily for him, Trace’s foresight to leave a trail behind would serve him quite well in the labyrinth the Jedi now found himself in.

As Tazlen raced through the tunnels, he would hear the wailing screeches of the Banshees echoing off the durasteel. Eventually, the Jedi would find himself staring at a scene that would likely take him several moments to process.

He’d arrive just as the four Banshees were beginning their attack on Draugr, metal tendrils sliding from their palms. Tazlen would also see one of the monsters bearing down on Trace, and another looming over Anai who was on the ground.

He’d have a few more tough decisions to make, it would seem.

The Left Choice

Quin’s quick thinking was enough to save his life, at least for now. The blade of his lightsaber was enough to repel the attack at his chest as the monster’s clawed hand swiped through it, severing several of its talon-tipped fingers in a puff of plumed smoke like gushing blood.

Though, when the Quin attempted to gain distance from the monster, he would find his force push simply passed through it, like wind blowing through campfire smoke.

A fang bearing grin split the beast’s lips as a pair of bone-shaped wings erupted from its back, sending a wave of force energy of its own directly back at Quin, almost as if the beast was redirecting the attack the Jedi had made against it.

Outside the door, Maura and Drow would find their cutting steady, but slow going. Even with both of them working in tandem, it would take them several precious minutes to cut a hole big enough for them to fit through.

The heavy durasteel would fall inward into the lab and they would both be met with the same visage: the shadowy, abysally black form of the creature, wings spread wide from its back - its power in the darkside crashing over them like hurricane waves slamming into a beachhead.

Veer + Wax

As the two men stepped foot into the elevator and pressed the arrow to send them upwards they would find themselves whisked away as they watched Tazlen enter the maintenance tunnels.

A sense of unease would settle over Veer and Wax as they continued to go up, though whether it was a strangeness in their stomach from the speed of the elevator or general anxiety it would be hard to tell.

After what seemed like forever, the elevator would suddenly stop, sending Veer and Wax lurching from the abruptness. The doors would slide open, revealing a long, dimly lit hallway that stretched out before them.

On one of the walls they’d notice a small sign with an arrow indicating that it was down the hall to the left that read: “Test Subject Holding.”

There was no one here to greet them so the path forward would need to be forged on their own instinct. Wax would feel the energy of the darkside in the air like a haze, almost a humid feeling that stuck to his skin. In his ear, Veer would notice the faintest of whisperings.

After a few moments, they'd hear the sound of metal scraping against the floor as two creatures rounded the corner.

@Altaris @Sreeya @Fantasy Liver @lizziie @Charles @Versok @Scoobert @Phoenix @Wit @Sicadorito

 

[Tazlen Axil]

Tazlen burst into the room and skidded to a halt, eyes widening at the scene before him. He had hoped to find Maura and Quin, but instead he was in a room with nothing but Sith. The Dark Side pulsed so strongly here it almost made him vomit. It came predominantly from the creatures that were attacking the Sith.

The Darkness fueled the Sith, but it was also the life source of the beasts that attacked. He could sense them feasting on it and growing even stronger. The Jedi’s eyes narrowed as he drew the Force to himself. The Sith in the room wouldn’t like this, but he considered it necessary.

Without warning, he thrust his palms up as the Light Side flowed from deep within him. He drew from his reserves, not yet exhausted in the Force. There was a blinding light that suddenly filled the room, but it would go further than that. It was a complex power, and it would deplete Tazlen quickly, but it would also cause the banshees to hopefully weaken tremendously since they were immersed so much in darkness. They relied on darkness for their attacks and this would ideally cut into that and cause them blinding agony.

The downside was that the impact would also be felt by the Sith in the room, but to a lesser degree since he was specifically targeting the banshees. If his attempt worked, all the Sith would hopefully have a chance to strike and crack through the barriers around the beasts.

He was unapologetically and loudly Jedi, and the entire room would know and feel it.

@Phoenix @Versok @Scoobert @Logan

 

[Trace]

Trace was more than a little shocked when her saber simply stopped short of striking her target. That had never happened before, and she had a suddenly, dreadful feeling that she was going to die. It settled over her for a moment in the pit of her stomach, and there was the feeling that she should run.

That was when the blast of concussive energy slammed into her, knocking her off her feet despite her natural balance, and sending her sprawling back several steps on the floor.

She was defiant to the last, however, bringing her lightsaber around as she tried to push herself to her feet. She was sure the deathblow would come any moment... but it didn't. Instead she was hit with a blast of pure heat and she didn't have to look to know it was a Jedi.

Unlike many Sith, Trace didn't really hate the Jedi, per se. They were a nuisance and often the enemy, but at that particular moment, she'd never been more happy to see one.

The flash of light fortunately wasn't terrible for her (what was blind may not be blinded) and she wasn't nearly so steeped in the Dark Side as these creatures, letting her take advantage of rather than be debilitated by the flash.

She leapt forward again, thrusting outward with her lightsaber to attempt to impale the creature and sweep the blade up to bisect its entire upper half. This time, however, she let the Force flow through her and down her blade, its energy looking to dispel the barrier protecting the creature. Combined with the weakening from the Jedi's attack, she could only hope it would be enough. If it wasn't, she knew it would likely spell the end.

 

[Drow Venn]

True, Quin's Force attack hadn't seemed to have affected this abomination and, in fact, seemed to make the beast stronger. And if Drow had been around to witness this failure, he probably would have adjusted his own strategy. But, he'd been busy cutting through the door and, thus, he saw no reason not to launch a Force attack on his own against this creature.

"Cover your ears!" he shouted to the two younger Jedi, as he touched the button on his spacesuit that would open up his visor (and inadvertently reveal his identity if the two younger Jedi were aware of it) before unleashing an epic Force Bellow that he hoped would rock the creature to its core.

TLDR: Drow unleashes a Force Bellow at the Dark side creature while telling Maura and Quin to cover their ears

 

[Maura Starwalk]

The thick durasteel fell out in front of them and clambered onto the ground, filling the empty space with a loud, resonating echo. The padawan immediately focused her attention further into the room, desperately hoping to see Quin still standing, and feeling a mixture of relief and horror when she did. Relief because he was, and horror because that thing was still there.

She could feel her throat begin to weigh down into her chest, and her pupils dilated to cover her entire iris as her vision began to tunnel in on the thing once again. But unlike last time, she was not quite so easily swayed into the hypnosis as before. Her jaw clenched, her teeth ground together, and her eyebrows furrowed until wrinkles covered her nose. She would focus - she had to focus - for Quin.

Drow shouted for her to cover her ears, so she did as he told while her head turned to see what he would do. When his visor opened up she did not recognize him, but she was impressed - no, shocked - by the strength of the Force which escaped his beaked mouth. Not only was he a secret Jedi, he could do that?!

The shock was enough, at least, to help her refocus. "Being afraid is okay." Tazlen's words played like a mantra in her head, followed by her own master's teachings. "Face your fear and don't let it control you."

As soon as Drow closed his beak, Maura reignited her lightsaber and started forward steadily toward the thing. There was not a part of her body that wasn't tense, but she kept replaying those words in her head like they were a lifejacket around her. The padawan then suddenly burst into a sprint, pulling the Force into her body to speed herself up much like she did whenever she was told to run so many laps around the temple (Alex wasn't a fan of her posting on Switter, to say the least). Her lightsaber was kept at her side angeled down as she ran, and would remain tightly gripped in her hand until she reached the thing.

The padawan closed the distance much quicker than would normally be possible, and once Maura reached the creature, she would do one of two things:

*If the creature had any arm stretched out preparing to attack @Quin Leonkri, the girl would strafe to his right and swing her saber up and attempt to cut through the attacking arm. Her thumb would slide down to activate the saber's dual phase a few moments before she would theoretically hit, and she hoped that by doing so she might cut further up the arm or counter the creature's attempt to pull back just out of reach of the blade's normal length.

**If the creature did not have an arm out to claw Quin, she would instead continue running just long enough to get behind the creature (or to the creature's right side, if there wasn't room behind it) and swing her saber up to try and sever its bony wings at the joint with the back. Her thumb would activate the dual phase mode of her saber once again, insurance she wanted just in case.

Spoiler: tl;dr

Maura is surprised by Drow.
She covers her ears and repeats a mantra in her head to stay focused.
She then uses Force Speed to try and reach the creature as quickly as she can after Drow's bellow.
*If the creature is attacking Quin, she will attempt to sever the attacking arm with help from her dual phase.
**If the creature is not attacking at that moment, she will flank it by going behind it (or to its right if there is no room behind it) and attempt to sever its wings at the base.

tags: @Logan @Sicadorito @Fantasy Liver

 

[Quin Leonkri]

When the creature didn’t seem at all affected by the Force push, Quin had to take a step back in shock. Whatever it was, it was unnatural. The bony wings and the wicked smile that appeared on its face as it seemingly redirected his attack refocused his attention on the monster itself though, and he would try to avoid the blast by dodging to his right.

At least the others are sa— A clang and the sound of Drow’s voice telling him to cover his ears would lead to him doing just that. He glanced over to see the Ishi Tib letting out a Force bellow, his helmet off now, with Maura right beside him. They had stayed for him? For a moment, he was conflicted between the immense gratitude that welled up inside him and the worry that once again sparked up for Maura. The other Jedi had all but entrusted her safety to him in the hangar, but if she got hurt now trying to help him…

Speaking of other Jedi, how did Drow know how to project his voice like that? And where did his lightsaber come from?

That was something he could wrap his mind around later. The moment the Force bellow was over, Quin would lean forward into a feint with his saber, trying to keep the monster’s attention on him as Maura went for her attack.

Spoiler: TL;DR

Quin attempts to dodge the energy blast. Then he covers his ears at Drow's force bellow, and afterwards feints with his saber to hopefully distract the monster so that Maura can attack

@lizziie @Fantasy Liver

 

[Waxillium Drast]

The elevator ride wasn't the most enjoyable experience, so when it ended, even if a little more abruptly than Wax would have liked, he was glad to be able to step out of the confined space.

"Keep your eyes out for trouble," he whispered to Veer as they started moving, "no idea what we're gonna find." He paused, before giving him another sideways glance. "How's the hand?"

There wasn't much time after that for a good heart-to-heart, as the two of them were joined by two creatures rounding the corner. Immediately pulling out his blade, Wax stepped ahead and to the side, opening some distance between himself and Veer to have room to swing his blade. As it came to life, he reached out with the Force and grabbed the thing on the right and tried to slam it into its partner.

@Logan @Altaris

 

[Darth Draugr]

Draugr's attack had seemed to only work for a short moment before the creatures had hit a blast of their own with the force to resist and stop the hold Draugr had placed on them. They had to be fairly strong to stop the Zabrak in his tracks like this and now that both of his teammates had been getting their shit rocked, he was looking to face a four vs one situation.

That was of course, before a blast of heat came through the room and just screamed light side. Draugr had luckily not been affected nearly as bad as the banshees, but the attack was annoyingly Jedi. 'Damn Jedi..' Draugr thought to himself. They can't ever find an attack that doesn't hurt others in the process. Probably why so many die in their defenses.

Tazlen's attack would open opportunity for the Dathomirian though. Draugr using the force would reach within himself feel the darksided energy that was left fuel his strength and target the four Banshees before with a large current of Force Lightning, but it wasn't blue. The hue of the burning sensation would be green and had a slight smoking effect come off of it. The Zabrak was adding in some of his Nightsister magick to his attack hoping these Banshees wouldn't have an answer. He would release as much anger into his attack as he could.

@Logan

 

[Anai Skhess]

All the creatures they had seen so far had been quite mundane in nature, even if they were a wicked combination of flesh and metal, they still worked the same way most of the things in the galaxy did and attacked in similar manner. The strange force field meant these things were more advanced, something else...Something that obviously took the Kaleesh by surprise, who suddenly found her arm grabbed by the Banshee.

Thankfully, force sensitives could use the force to protect themselves and soften blows when they hit surfaces, the reason why they could fall from very high distances without dying or be thrown to walls without breaking their backs. That being said, given how she was taken by surprise, even though Anai would cushion the blow and stay in the fight, she would definitely feel the pain...Fortunately, someone would provide a window of opportunity for her to take advantage of.

She did not know where that uncomfortable light came from, but even though it affected her, it would be far, faaaar more uncomfortable to the abominations they were fighting. Taking the opportunity she was given, Anai let go of her lightsaber with the arm that was grabbed by the thing in order to catch it with her free hand. After that, she would try to strike at the creature once more, this time trying a diagonal cut that would both cleave the torso and cut the arm that was grabbing...But even though the jedi's light might've weakened the creature, she wanted to make extra sure the creature got hit, so she tried to use the force to channel a telekinetic blast through her lightsaber, enhancing the strike with her force weapon, if the lightsaber didn't pierce through maybe the banshee would feel as if it had been hit by a truck because of the blast that accompanied it.

Spoiler: TLDR

Cushioning the Hulk Smash with the force, then using force weapon to strike back extra hard with her lightsaber

@Logan

 

[Veer Altaris]

Veer couldn’t help but grit his teeth, but didn’t attempt to stop Tazlen from pulling some Jedi-style bullshit. It wasn’t surprising, and while the Axxilan ultimately respected him for it, that fact didn’t make his actions any less irritating. The Jedi was likely to get himself killed, and it meant one less person to address the elevator path.

With no other option, Veer moved right along - mentally and physically preparing himself for whatever came next. With only one good hand, Veer pulled the pistol off his waist - flicking off the safety.

He winced a bit as the elevator came to a stop, stepping out quickly and without a word. The Axxilan couldn’t deny the general feeling of unease, not the whispers that suddenly returned to his head. It was a fact that immediately caused his stomach to turn. Why couldn’t they just go away? Why couldn’t they leave him alone?

Veer only hoped they wouldn’t get louder. He needed to keep control - and mentally began to recite Tazlen’s questions from before, in an attempt to keep himself grounded.

“Never better,” Veer said dryly, lifting up his gloved hand. He wiggled the stump of his fingers, with only the thumb largely remaining.

He didn’t make it far into the room itself before the two creatures rounded the corner. Veer allowed his gaze to flick between the two for a solid second before lifting his pistol and leveling it upon the creature on the left. Without a moment of hesitation, Veer loosed to blaster bolts into the creature - aiming for its head and torso respectively.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Tazlen + The Sith

The sudden arrival of the Jedi was quite possibly the only thing that saved any of the Sith from an untimely although likely deserved, gruesome and unsavory death. The pulsating Lightsided energy that Tazlen released would wash over everything in the chamber like a breath of fresh air. At least for a few moments, but perhaps a few moments is all they would need.

As the lightside energy enveloped the Banshees, they would shriek in unison, the searing pain they were going through evident in their otherwise inhuman voices. The pain was so great that it would cause them to recoil in horror, the force fields around them shimmering and seeming to fade away - at least for now.

As Trace lunged forward, her lightsaber would find no resistance now and plunge straight into the Banshee. As the blind Sith tore her blade upwards, her attempt at a bisection would be successful, leaving the Banshee as two separate and equal pieces of quivering body horror squirming on the ground.

Likewise, Anai's attack with her lightsaber would find equal purchase. The crackling blade of plasma would slice off the Banshee's arm and straight into its midsection, while the follow up blast of telekinetic energy would send it flying backwards. Unlike Trace's attack, though, this Banshee would not be instantaneously defeated.

Smashing into the nearby wall, the monster would be dazed for a moment, but would nevertheless begin to rise back to its feet if left unaccosted.

The wave of force light that Tazlen had unleashed had been necessary but not without its consequences. Despite his best attempts to shrug off the effects of it, Draugr would find that the darkside power he so relied on was still diminished, the Jedi's attack having seared it harshly. It would come back to its full power in time, of course, but as much as it effected the Banshee's so too would it effect the First Blade's chosen assault.

The lightning infused with magick crackled from the Sith and arced towards the Banshee's, slamming into one and hopping to a second. The powerful reserves the Sith would need to take out all four of the creatures in the same attack simply would not be there, like a reservoir that had been rapidly emptied by Tazlen and were only slowly refilling.

Despite this, the two effected Banshee's would find themselves unable to truly defend against Draugr's assault, the combination of lightning and other energy frying the technological circuits that ran through and sustained them. Both of the Banshee's would spark and lash out violently before their heads exploded in a bloody show of oil, machine parts and organic viscera.

One of the remaining Banshees would send both of its palm tendrils straight towards Draugr as he was unleashing his lightning, looking to impale him straight through the chest with their sharp, sword like tips.

Recognizing the threat that Tazlen represented despite the toll he had just undergone, one of the remaining Banshee's that had been closing in on Draugr turned its attention towards the Jedi. With erratic, almost teleportation-like movement, it would begin moving in on him, metal tendrils slipping from its palm.

With uncanny speed, the tendril would lash out towards Tazlen, looking to wrap itself around his throat and smash him into the ground.

Like the First Blade, the Banshee's power would return in time as well, but for now their seemingly impervious defenses were still down.

But the Sith and their Jedi savior would need to act quickly. Time was not on their side.

The Left Choice

The power and control that Drow had over the force was impressive. The Ishi Tib was a Jedi Master, after all - but even they are capable of making grave mistakes. Ones born of ignorance yet still blameless, sure. But mistakes nonetheless.

The force bellow ripped across the distance between Drow and the monster, knocking desks and other random debris around in the process. Instead of slamming headlong into the creature like one would assume, the force energies would swirl and cyclone like water going down a drain.

The monster would grow in strength, fueled now by Drow however inadvertently.

Despite its proximity to Quin, the beast’s attention would be instantly drawn to Maura.The person he’d wanted originally, the one who had been so easy to manipulate. The one who had been ripped so unceremoniously from its grasp.

Though, the repeated mantra going through the young Jedi’s head and her newfound resolve came as a surprise to the monster. A tinge of confusion that was soon swept aside. Its power swelling, the would show Maura that no matter what she told herself, it would not save her. She was right to be afraid and it was not ever going to be okay.

The force energy the monster had absorbed from Drow would erupt from its open mouth. An unholy, reverberating, perverse bass sound that would rattle Quin down to his bones.

The strength of it combined with the Knight’s close proximity to the monster would result in several cracked ribs as Quin was knocked backwards and into the wall.

The pulsating energy emanating from the monster would slam into Maura when she was still several strides away. It would hit her directly in the chest, pushing all the air from her lungs as it knocked her straight into the ceiling before she would fall on her face.

Since the energy had been released in all directions instead of being focused like it had been from its source, it would fade in power before reaching the Jedi Master, leaving him to watch, unharmed, as his own choices had resulted in such catastrophic failure and pain in those he had sworn to protect.

The monster's gaze would land on Drow, a sickly grin spreading across its almost demonic, shadowy face. A whisper on the force would caress Drow’s ear, sing-songy and saccharine but dripping with darkness.

They will die. All your fault. Cover your ears.

All your fault.

Veer + Wax

The creatures encountered by Veer and Wax would not put up much of a fight. The Jedi would receive little resistance to his force attack, slamming one of the monsters into the other, which allowed Veer's blaster shots to hit their target, felling one of the creatures with ease.

Before either of them could have time to destroy the remaining mechanical menace, a man would come skidding into the hallway. Emaciated and disheveled, they would recognize him as the one who'd shown up on the screens. The man would take out his own blaster and finish off the last creature, leaving everyone now gathered in the hallway in silence.

Clearly out of breath, Kharn would take several moments before holstering his weapon and turning his attention to the two men that had managed to make it up the elevator.

Only you two, huh? He asked, his voice shaky and laced with just a smidge of disappointment. Hopefully you will be enough.

With a wave of his hand, Kharn would motion for Veer and Wax to follow him. Should they listen, he would lead them towards the "holding" area that had been his home and his prison for the past however the hell long he'd been here.

Eventually, Kharn would usher them into the security area where he'd managed to find a terminal in the first place.

We need to destroy the Station. Kharn said, taking a seat in one of the available chairs. It's the only way to make sure what we - er, what they have done here dies here. It's the only way. Pausing for a moment, Kharn's gaze would shift between Veer and Wax a couple times, like he was seeing if they would just go along with what he said. Your friends are probably already dead. I am sorry. We are running out of time.

@Altaris @Sreeya @Fantasy Liver @lizziie @Charles @Versok @Scoobert @Phoenix @Wit @Sicadorito

 

[Trace]

Trace was an acrobat before she'd become a Sith, and she was an absolute dervish when it came to a lightsaber. The creature she'd cleaved through had fallen to the ground in a heap, dead, and Trace spun on to her next target.

The Jedi and the Councilor both were being attacked. Trace had no love for Jedi, but simply for the fact that he had likely saved their lives she would have saved him. Would have. But she wouldn't risk the life of a Councilor to do it.

Acting more on instinct than anything else, Trace lunged forward, saber swing vertically up in an attempt to cleanly cut through the tentacles lunging at Draugr (@Scoobert) before continuing that blade's same momentum into an arc to cleave through the Banshee's neck.

 

[Anai Skhess]

There was no time to waste, no time to doubt, the jedi had given her a chance to strike back and so she would use it. Anai wouldn't even wait until she got herself up before throwing her lightsaber at the banshee that had been stunned by her attack, the force guiding it to cut the creature's head off now that it was dazed and not able to react properly, the Kaleesh doing nothing but getting up while this happened in order to concentrate as much as possible in order to bring a swift end to the Banshee.

However, Anai wouldn't have her blade return to her just yet, guiding it towards yet another Banshee as she quickly looked around, the target of her blade as it circled being decided just after she understood the situation: Trace was already helping Draugr, but the jedi was in a vulnerable position. Even though Anai didn't like to admit it, the jedi had just saved her life, she should have been able to handle that one on her own, but she didn't.

Trusting in the strength of the other sith to handle their fight without her help for a moment, she would repay the jedi's kindness just this once, although a good part of her reasoning behind this was rooted in morals that she had before being a sith, the Kaleesh also realized now how useful it was to have a jedi on the team, she for sure would rather have him around should they encounter more strong creatures vulnerable to jedi powers. So, Anai tried to guide the lightsaber towards the Banshee headed for Taz, trying to split its head in half now that it was focusing on someone else and hopefully distracted...And hopefully before it got close enough to seriously wound the jedi.

Spoiler: TLDR

Saber throw to finish off the dazed Banshee she sent flying before and then guiding that same lightsaber towards Taz's banshee while it's distracted, hopefully before it kills him.

@Logan

 

[Maura Starwalk]

She didn't even reach the thing before her force-aided sprint met a force it couldn't compete with.

Maura hit the shockwave - or rather it hit her - and her body was unceremoniously slammed up into the ceiling. The air was forcefully expelled from her lungs on impact, and before she could even gather her bearings, her body dropped right back down to the floor of the room. There was no crack in her ribs like Quin would hear from his, but her body ached and she was still paralyzed as her body desperately tried to inhale again.

Breathe. Breathe... Breathe!

Gasp!​

A raspy, breathy sound escaped her throat as the padawan finally managed to catch her breath, and her body immediately curled in toward the fetal position. She'd had the breath knocked out of her before, and though she hated it every time, it was nothing like this. Her back hurt, her front hurt, and she was pretty sure the warmth trickling out of her nose was blood.

Maura raised her head ever so slightly and looked in the direction of the thing. It was looking over her, its attention on something - Drow, she assumed - behind her. Her black eyes wandered to the left and found Quin slumped over against a wall. She stared, watching him until she knew for certain she was watching the tell-tale rise and fall of his chest. He was still alive. She was still alive. Drow was still alive. They had to make it out of here, but how? She couldn't fight that thing! It'd taken her out with one hit!

Her eyes began to travel away from Quin, and it wasn't far from him that she saw a familiar door with a familiar hole. It wasn't the one she and Drow had cut through, but rather the one she and Quin had. Her gaze rested there for several seconds, jumped back to Quin, then back to the door, and back to him once again.

The padawan had a choice, but one of them felt like suicide and the other gave her just a glimmer of hope. She could stand back up, reignite her saber, and try and face the thing along with Drow. If she failed - if Drow failed - they would die here, alone in this dark room. She would never see her master again, she would never see her friends again, and they would never know what had happened to her.

Or, she could put every morsel of strength she had left into making sure she and Quin got out of here alive.

In the end, it was never a choice. Maybe the noble thing to do - the Jedi thing to do - was to get back up and stand her ground alongside the Ishi Tib, but Maura was only a child. She was terrified and hurt, and as the adrenaline began pumping through her body, her mind - no longer chanting her mantras but still just as focused - zeroed in on what she felt was her only option. What, realistically, was. Self-preservation won out in the end, for her and the only other soul in this room she knew.

She needed to get Quin - and herself - out of here. She would not die here in this hell of a place.

As quickly as she could, Maura pushed herself up away from the ground and shakily tightened her fingers around the hilt of her saber. She started toward Quin, first at a crawl, but slowly gaining height as she grit her teeth and commanded her muscles to work. Her heels dug into the ground, her calves flexed under her weight, and her stride grew longer and quicker all while she slowly brought the Force into her. The padawan was never all that good with the Force. Her control of telekinesis was average at best, and her control over her psychometry was almost nonexistent. But if there was one thing the girl knew how to do, it was how to run fast and use the Force to run even faster.

Banking on Drow to distract the creature long enough for her to get to Quin, the padawan scrambled across the room to get to Quin. Upon reaching him, she wrapped her free hand around his wrist and tugged him along unempathetically toward the door.

"We're leaving," she stated, her voice shaky with adrenaline and emotions she was holding back. If she could, she would attempt to push him through the hole in the door and then climb through after him. As long as she didn't have to defend herself from an attack, she would begin helping Quin up the stairs as quickly as she could manage, using every fiber of will she had and the Force could provide to keep pushing forward. The thought of the consequences pushing herself this far would have on her body was far from the first thing on her mind. "We're leaving," she repeated at the threshold of the stairs, as if saying it again might help her find the strength for the both of them.

She was counting on Drow to keep the thing busy, and that the hole in the door was too small for that thing to get through. She could only hope that he could find his own way out, and she really wasn't just leaving him to die.

She just really, really wished this was all just a bad, terrible, horrible nightmare.

Spoiler: tl;dr

Maura formulates a plan.
She then, seeing the thing's attention is on Drow, uses the Force to get over to Quin as quick as she can.
Then, regardless of Quin's condition, pulls him/helps him along with her to the door they originally came in.
They then start up the stairs. Her lightsaber is still in her hand just in case.

tags: @Logan @Sicadorito @Fantasy Liver

 

[Tazlen Axil]

Tazlen was exhausted from the Force Light, normally a power reserved for Jedi Masters that could sustain it for longer. Even then, there was no denying that he had made the correct assumptions on how these things operated. They were steeped in darkness and they were already beginning to recover the powers they had before. Tazlen had to be smart about how he used his abilities. He knew he was vulnerable - no one here would help him despite what he had done. As the tentacle came for him, the Jedi weakly jumped to the side, unable to react in time to muster a solid counter. To his utter shock, the Kaleesh Sith jumped to his defense.

His hope was that Anai’s attack would at least distract the banshee from keeping its focus on him. Tazlen would use that opportunity to level his palm and apply another Light side power, this time performing a Force Heal. This time he only focused on the one Banshee instead of all of them at once. This hopefully meant it would mean compounded damage for the single Banshee. On the other hand, this also meant any remaining Banshees were likely able to regain their previous connection to the darkness.

If Anai's attack failed to distract the Banshee, Tazlen would promptly eat shit from the Banshee successfully slamming him to the ground.

@Versok @Logan

 

[Quin Leonkri]

When the monster’s attention turned to Maura despite his efforts to keep it on himself, Quin felt his heart drop like a stone. Unfortunately, before he had much time to react, the creature opened its mouth and a sudden force slammed into his chest. He could feel it throughout his entire body as it sent him flying back toward the wall.

At the moment of the impact, Quin’s vision flashed white as pain shot through his entire upper body. It would come back a few seconds later, but he found it difficult to focus as he struggled to gather himself again. Every breath he took, however short, felt as if he was taking a stab to the chest, and when his hand gingerly went up to feel for what might be causing it, even a gentle touch was excruciating. It was almost as bad as being shocked by Sith lightning, but this felt, in the moment, even worse. What was more, he had the taste of metal and salt in his mouth, and he realized that he’d bitten his lip hard when he’d taken the hit.

Still, the fear from before hadn’t gone away. In fact, it had only gotten worse since he’d lost sight of the others. Where was Maura? He lifted his head to look, but the pain of shifting his body even just that little bit made it difficult to see. He was vaguely aware of someone coming toward him, though. A voice spoke of leaving and a hand wrapped around his wrist, and then he realized that it was the Padawan.

“Maura!” he exclaimed, though it barely came out as more than a raspy whisper as his eyes focused on hers. He let her help him up to his feet, trying to ignore the intense pang in his chest as she did. “Are you hurt?”

As they began to move, she mentioned leaving again, and for a moment that was the best thing he’d ever heard. He made his way after her, trying to keep up as best he could. But the moment he crossed the threshold of the door and saw the stairs, Quin felt his body turn into stone as a horrible realization hit. The sudden stop sent another jolt of pain through him, but that was the last thing on his mind.

"Wait, we can’t leave without—” A cough cut him off, and he winced as he met Maura’s gaze. “I have to— go back for—” With an effort, he turned himself around to search for Drow. He couldn’t just leave him here. How could he call himself a Jedi if he did? The rational part of him told him to run, to leave him behind, but once again he felt like his feet were bolted to the floor.

Master… what would you do?

Spoiler: TL;DR

Quin lets Maura help him to the door, but he realizes that they would be leaving Drow behind and stops

@lizziie @Fantasy Liver