Ask Event Apocrypha

[Drow Venn]

Drow felt his chest clutch as he saw the monster harness his own attack and use it against Maura and Quin. It was very much Drow's worst nightmare come to life - his actions causing the harm of other Jedi around him. Feelings of darkness began creeping up in the back of his mind, telling him that this was all his fault, that he started life as a violent thug and he would die a violent thug, that he was no true Jedi.

"You're not the first Dark Side abomination I've killed before. So if you want to survive, you'll back down." Drow taunted the creature before haughtily, adopting a slow, measured pace of breathing that kept his fear at bay and let him focus solely on the task at hand. Taunting was good, it would keep the creature's attention focused on him instead of Maura or Quin, while also stalling to give him some time to think. He ran down the situation in his mind, quickly trying to see a way out for the two young Jedi under his protection right now. Obviously, he'd like to be able to get out alive but that simply wasn't the priority. Quin and Maura had followed him down this accursed path and now lay on the ground, hurt, because of his attack. Regardless of his intentions, Drow felt responsible and he wasn't going to let his actions hurt them any further.

He leapt without warning towards the creature before him, saber still ignited. Adopting his preferred Form II, Drow began stabbing with precise movements at what could be the monster's weak spots - its eyes, its chest, and its joints, all the while preparing to adopt a defensive parry if the monster counterattacked.

"Back to the ships, you two! I'll be alright! Go!" Drow bellowed as he fought.

TLDR: Drow taunts the monster, and attacks it with his lightsaber, while telling Quin and Maura to leave him.

 

[Waxillium Drast]

Wax had followed after the man, after all that was why they had come up here, willing to see what was up his sleeve. But when he mentioned destroying the station, well that was where he brought things to a stop.

"There are people on the station," he said as he slammed a hand down on the console besides Kharn, "fighting whatever mess you've got here. So till you explain to me just what is going on here, we're doing nothing. Start with what it is that you were doing here." He had caught the slip of tongue, and there was no way he was letting him do anything till he had some answers.

@Logan @Altaris

 

[Darth Draugr]

Draugr's attack was that of precision. Though, it had only landed on two of the banshees, surely due to the effects of the attack made by the Jedi. Mangy lightsider may have his uses alive, but the damn kid should choose his next actions carefully unless he wants and enraged Sith Master kicking his shit in. Nevertheless, the Zabrak would take notice of an incoming attack from one of the two banshees he missed. Tentacles of sort extending out of his hands to try to jab at the Sith.

With a quickness, he would release his lightning blast and dash to the right, Figuring the two banshees being electrocuted were fried enough to be useless, he would hold the banshee attacking still with the force with a stasis. This would give Trace the clear strike without falter. These things were annoyingly aggressive, and the faster they get cut down the better.

The Jedi seemed to be having a bad time over on the side. Although annoying and an enemy, the Jedi's assistance could prove useful in this expedition. At least for now that was. These creatures draw strength from darkness it seemed, and when the Force Light attack was used, they seemed almost defenseless. If the Jedi dies, it wouldn't phase Draugr at all, but for now Taz may serve the Sith fairly well.

@Logan

 

[Veer Altaris]

Veer’s lips immediately tugged towards a scowl when the man mentioned destroying the station. The Axxilan was no Jedi, but even he couldn’t stomach the potential of killing any of his allies still deeper within the facility - not really knowing if they were alive or dead. The man was almost desperate to get them to agree, and it only caused the Axxilan’s suspicions to indeed.

“You heard the man,” Veer said coldly. Though he didn’t get closer or add any other input, both men would see the Axxilan’s fingers linger on the trigger of his pistol. It was a subtle reminder that neither of them trusted Kharn one bit. If the man started to get jumpy or uncooperative, Veer would have no problems dropping him on the spot.

All the while, Veer allowed his gaze to briefly flick around the chamber. He looked of anything of note or what might’ve been out of place - or that might key him in on any of the experiments that had taken place on the station.

[/abox4]

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Tazlen + The Sith

The combined efforts of Draugr and Trace were too much for the lone Banshee to handle, it would seem. Even so, the Sith Master would still find a bit of shock and surprise on his face when the creature he attempted to freeze in place was still able to resist, however slightly.

It seemed that, at least at this point, the hubris of the Zabrak would go unpunished. Though, if he were capable of digesting any food for thought, the Sith might consider not believing himself to be so infallible and strong. There would come a day, as it always comes for any who draw breath, where he will be shown that simply wasn’t true. And he wouldn’t be able to swallow his pride and be humbled as he was in the past. Severed heads aren’t as easily replaced as severed limbs, after all.

More to the point, however, the Draugr’s stasis would be enough to halt the Banshee’s advance while Trace went to work. Her slice through the monster’s tentacles would sever them cleanly, and her follow up attack would find purchase. As the blade of the lightsaber sliced into the Banshee’s neck, though, Trace would find just the smallest iota of pushback, as if the force field surrounding the creature had started to return.

Luckily for her, though, it wasn’t enough to stop the inevitable. Trace’s saber blade would slice through, severing the Banshee’s head from its shoulders, sending it rolling across the floor.

Unfortunately, Tazlen and Anai wouldn’t quite have the same level of success. The Sith girl would be able to dispatch the Banshee she’d dazed a few moments prior, her flying lightsaber finding purchase and removing the head from the creature before it regained its faculties.

As Anai circled her saber around to attack the Banshee closing in on Tazlen, however, she would find that an un-dazed monster was a much harder creature to destroy with simple parlor tricks like throwing your lightsaber.

A gust of darkside energy would erupt from the Banshee to send the flying lightsaber completely off course, flipping through the air and landing on the ground harmlessly several meters away.

As Tazlen called upon the lightside in an attempt to banish the creature with force light, he would see the true nature of the Banshee that stood before him. As the healing light erupted from the Jedi’s hands, it would sear the Banshee’s skin and elicit a screech of unfathomable pain, but in the same token, the Banshee’s resolve would only solidify into a curtain of durasteel.

Pressing through the pain, and with Anai’s potential distraction nullified, the Banshee would continue its attack. Sleek tendrils would wrap themselves around Tazlen’s throat, tight enough that he would immediately begin struggling to breathe.

This struggle wouldn’t last long, both fortunately and unfortunately for the Jedi. With immeasurable strength, the Banshee would use its tentacle to slam Tazlen face first into the ground. It would then lift him up and throw him in the direction of Draugr, using the Jedi as some kind of organic torpedo.

It would turn to face the three Sith and their Jedi friend, its power in the darkside returning to full strength as it scrumpt its Banshee scream. It was alone and it knew it, its sisters having been destroyed so unceremoniously.

The Banshee knew it couldn’t prevent the interlopers in the breeding chamber from destroying the pods it had been commanded to protect - the next generation of Banshee Mothers sleeping silently in their amniotic sacs, defenseless.

Tendrils snaked from the banshee’s palms once more, though this time they went directly into the floor beneath it instead of lashing out to attack anyone. It needed to summon the final defense of the pods, the one they kept contained because its power was too great, too fearsome, too… hard to control.

They had heard evidence of this creature the entire time they’d been in the station, the slow drip, drip, drip ever present in their ears. Pieces of it finding their way through the nooks and crannies, the paths of least resistance to gather information, to spy, to watch.

But now, well, now was the time for it to fulfill its true purpose.

On the far side of the room, a portion of duracrete floor would drop down a few inches and slide to the side, revealing a large, square hole. Out of that hole would rise a monstrous being, three crimson red orbs housed within a quivering mass of oily miasmic darkness given form.

The horrific being would feel like a void in the force, a black hole of pure and unfathomable darkness and evil that would give even the Sith a moment of pause.

The beast hungered and even that echoed through the force as it moved towards the group, hovering above the ground as its sickening form reached out and retracted like a serpent’s tongue.

The Left Choice

The Shadow Monster would make no attempt to hinder Maura and Quin as the rainbow haired padawan raced to the Knight’s aid and then for the exit.

As far as It was concerned, it could find Maura later. The Ishi Tib was willing to sacrifice himself to save them and his body would serve as an adequate if a little antiquated vessel until he was reunited with Maura.

The moment those two exited the hole in the door, they would see a barrier of shadow coalesce and bar them from reentry. The fight on the other side of it would remain between only Drow and the Shadow Monster.

As Drow lunged forward and began his attacks, he would find the Shadow Monster to be far quicker than he would expect - almost as if it were able to become incorporeal and reappear just to his side as the Ishi Tib leapt forward.

A clawed hand would swipe at Drow’s right arm, slashing through his clothing and leaving deep gashes in his upper arm that would feel like he’d just been stuck with a white-hot poker.

The Shadow Monster chuckled, deep and low like far off thunder, as it eyed the Ishi Tib like a predator circling outmatched and overwhelmed prey.

I might not be your first, but I will be your last, little green Jedi. The creature said in the same taunting tone it had used before.

And when I am done with you, the girl will be mine.

On the other side, Quin and Maura would have little choice but to leave Drow behind. Every second they wasted staring at the door was a step closer to their own deaths, whether they knew it or not.

The faintest echo in the force would tell them both that somewhere in the station their friend Tazlen was in grave, dire need of their help.

What would they do?

Veer + Wax

Kharn was not a brave man. He was not a soldier or a Jedi like the two who stood before him. When Wax protested and Veer hovered his hand over the blaster on his hip, Kharn simply did not know what to do other than answer the questions he was asked.

I… Kharn trailed off a bit, biting his lip in worry. He did not know how to explain exactly what had happened on this god forsaken station, or how it was possibly entirely all his fault.

Listen, when all of this started, it all seemed so harmless. A private benefactor with seemingly limitless funds built this station and our task was to find a way to meld the human mind with a VI. Imagine the possibilities..

Kharn paused again, unsure just how much he should tell them. All things considered, he figured it would be best just to be honest. There was nothing left for him to lose at this point.

But we kept running into roadblocks. Our benefactor kept demanding results and we simply could not deliver. That’s when.. When we decided to use more unorthodox methods. I believe some call it.. Darkside alchemy. The techno-organic abominations you’ve encountered on the Station were the results of our experiments. Imperfect monsters, but ones that could be repurposed into other things. Organic generators, guards…

A screen began to flash next to Kharn, playing some kind of emergency alert. Something about how containment levels were beginning to be breached.

Shit. We really are running out of time. The primary test subject was.. My brother Urza. But the experiments and darkside magic were too much for him to handle. He went berserk and sent the abominations on a rampage, killing everyone else in the Station. Except for me. Some kind of punishment, I guess.

The screen was still flashing, but so far only one containment level had been breached.

We cannot allow Urza off of this station, do you understand? He’s figured out how to infect others, how to create monsters and abominations of his own design. Cybernetics, droids, it doesn’t matter. It’s like a plague. If he gets off of this station, if anything we've done here finds its way to the outside world, the galaxy itself is completely fucked. We must destroy this station, but I can't do it myself.

Kharn would leave his words hanging as silence filled the air. He had not much else to say.

It had all seemed so harmless..

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

 

[Trace]

Trace had that sinking feeling in her gut. Things were getting worse, and their Jedi was out of commission. She could barely kill the banshees, they were on the enemy's home turf, and they didn't even know what they were down here for. It led to only one logical conclusion: they needed to get out of here.

We've gotta go! she shouted. She was confident the other two could kill the final banshee and so instead she moved over to the Jedi and snatched him by the clothes to drag him back to his feet. She knew he was hurting and while she wasn't going to die to save him, she owed him a debt in a way, and she didn't like being in debt.

Come on, meatshield, we're not dying here, she said. Despite her rude words, he would be able to tell that she was trying to help him. If she truly were treating him as a meatshield, she'd have left him here to die while they escaped.

Either way, she started moving to leave the way they had entered, suddenly quite glad that she'd marked the floor for a hasty exit.

@Sreeya

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Despite being conflicted on what was the right thing to do, Quin quickly realized that he and Maura didn’t have much of an option. As soon as they were out the door, it became clear that there was no easy way to get back in. He turned back to Maura, though the guilt never really left his voice. He’d told him earlier that no one would fight alone, and yet…

“We have to go.” He forced himself to pull it together to restate what Maura had been saying all along. He tried to take a deep breath but ended up wincing instead when he felt his rib move even slightly. “Or else… it would have been for nothing.” With a final glance at Drow and the monster still battling inside, he would begin to ascend the stairs, trying his best to move as quickly as possible despite the pain in his chest. Whatever happened next, Quin would never forget what he’d done for them.

On the way up though, he would feel a faint ripple in the Force. It didn’t tell him much aside from the fact that it didn’t feel pleasant, but he saw a clear image in his mind of the Jedi who’d had his hand on Maura’s shoulder earlier— Tazlen. He glanced at Maura, wondering if she’d felt it too.

“I think something went wrong with the others.” He looked up. He didn’t know how long it would take to reach the top, but it had to be enough. So much had happened in so little time and he knew they couldn’t wait any longer to help the other Jedi. “We’ll make it. We have to.” At that point, he didn’t know whether he was talking to himself or to Maura.

Spoiler: TL;DR

Quin goes up the stairs with Maura

@lizziie @Fantasy Liver

 

[Darth Draugr]

As the Banshee died Draugr had a moment in his mind, brief and internally, that he had been glad a Jedi weakened the enemy. He knew deep down these were strong creatures of the darkness, and he knew it would have resulted in death for the Sith one way or another had Tazlen not intervened, but he would not admit it. His pride was too great and his hatred too strong for him to admit a Jedi saved them.

When Draugr looked over at the Jedi hurtling his way, he would stop him in the air with the force and drop him to the floor. A slight courtesy to the Jedi having almost sacrificed his life to keep them alive. It would be the only favor gifted from the Zabrak. The last Banshee summoning this other large beast was enough for him to know when to tactically remove the group from the room. "Get out of here now!" The Zabrak shouted as he ran as fast as he could for the exit. The trail Trace had left was of great use during this escape.

Whether or not the Jedi was grabbed was not his concern, he just knew if were to die it wouldn't be here. At least he hoped it wouldn't be. Being the leader he was he would check to make sure his comrades were leaving as well. If they chose death it would be their problem.

@Logan

 

[Tazlen Axil]

There was nothing Tazlen could do as he was grabbed and slammed against the ground. There was audible crack as his nose broke, along with several bones in his face. A few teeth knocked out, blood pooling out of his mouth. Well, his days of being a diplomat were probably over. Pain surged through him, his entire body bruised and broken as he was hurled like a rag doll towards a Sith. His eyes were watery and hazy and he had no clue as to his bearings.

He slumped to the ground when Draugr halted his throw, moments before someone else grabbed him. Tazlen coughed and sputtered, his entire face a red stain from the harsh smash it took. There was a high pitched whistle whenever he took a breath, blood pouring out. The Jedi felt weak and lightheaded, “Nice and tenderized meatshield..” He added gruffly in between his squeaky breaths. He kept up as well as he could, knowing full well she would drop him like a sack of potatoes if he went too slow. His saber hilt was in his left hand, though he doubted he would be using it. His sole goal was getting out.

@Phoenix @Logan

 

[Anai Skhess]

While the Kaleesh sith's lightsaber attack was deflected by a Banshee that now had regained its strength, Anai wouldn't just sit idly while it attacked the jedi. Unfortunately for him though, her attempt at protecting him had failed and, therefore, he had been relegated to being a distraction. Anai would stretch both of her hands towards the creature, having noticed that Draugr had been able to use the force against the other banshees previously, she would try to exert pressure on its neck, trying to overcome the thing's barriers until she was able to break it, taking advantage of whatever vulnerability it could have from the last ditch effort from Taz.

Granted, the banshees had managed to shrug off Draugr's force attacks before, but it was one done in a moment while he also had split his focus to attack two at once, Anai would try to break the neck of the creature over the course of it smashing Taz's face in and then summoning what came next, enough time to gather her focus and her strength on one foe that was determined to do something else.

Regardless of the effectiveness of her attack, if she had managed to finish off that banshee or not, she would stop her attempt after the wall was broken and something even more horrifying arrived, sending chills down her spine as she felt its wicked presence in the force. Not thinking about it twice, Anai would try to get as far away from the creature as possible, retrieving her lightsaber using the force on the way out and following Draugr but looking behind in case Trace needed help...And the jedi too, she guessed.

Spoiler: TLDR

Attempting to break the last banshee's neck but gtfo of there regardless of how effective it was, getting her lightsaber as well of course.

@Logan

 

[Maura Starwalk]

Maura did her best to support Quin as the two of them ascended the ten flights of stairs back up toward the room they'd first entered. Though the padawan was better off than the knight - a broken nose was better than broken ribs - she was still feeling the beginning effects of fatigue. "Yeah..." was all she could muster in response to Quin's statements.

They made it to the top of the staircase much slower than they'd come down, but they made it. Exhausted, Maura shuffled over to the side to carefully release Quin down next to the wall, then turned back around and faced the door they'd just come through. She could feel something wet on her skin as she stared at it, so the girl wiped her hand across her face, smearing a combination of blood and tears across her cheek. There was a culmination of emotion that could be weighing heavy in her chest, but only a dull sense of numbness permeated through the girl.

"We need to find Wax and Tazlen," she agreed after a moment of silence. Her voice was shaky, tainted with a solution of nerves, fear, and tiredness.

The girl's long ears remained tilted toward the closed door even as she turned away from it and toward Quin, listening on edge for any sign of echoing in the empty staircase. Whether Drow or that thing, she couldn't tear her attention away from it. "I need to find them. You should go start the ship," she began, her voice quiet, but steady. "You're hurt more than I am. I can- I can still run." Her body ached, but she could move more than a limping step at a time.

Black eyes glanced back toward the closed hangar doors, and then to the ship she, Tazlen, and Wax had arrived in. It was larger than the one Quin arrived in, being a transport and all, so it'd be able to hold the four of them, at least. Maybe more. "It's unlocked. I'll-"

Did she find a way to reopen the hangar, or go looking for Tazlen and Wax? Or maybe she should barr the door, just in case. The padawan looked down at the comlink on her wrist. She'd never gotten a response from either of them, just static. Did she try again?

<This is Maura. Quin and I are in the hangar. If- if anyone can hear me, please respond.> Hopefully it reached someone, but if the response still came like static as before, the girl's ears would droop and she'd turn her eyes back to the center and right doors. (@Sreeya @Wit)

There was no terminal that she could see in this room. The padawan began to wring her hands and look around rapidly, unsure of what to do. The guilt of leaving Drow behind still gnawed on the back of her mind, and she could feel panic beginning to rise in her chest.

"I'M GOING TO LOOK FOR A TERMINAL!" The words burst from her mouth as she stumbled forward, her desperate attempt not to lose herself to a panic. The mantra from before began replaying over and over in her head, and she made her way toward the doors they'd had to choose from in the first place. She had to trust that Tazlen and Wax and that other guy would be able to make it out on their own. She couldn't leave Quin alone, even if he was on the ship. If that thing came back...

There was the left door - she wasn't going back down there - the center door and the right door. If she remembered correctly, the center door had sealed after the Sith had entered, but now it was wide open. The padawan cautiously made her way that way, figuring that the centermost door would be the most likely to lead toward terminals and stuff anyway.

Maura would walk through the center door and immediately begin to look for a terminal. Once she found one, the girl would try to find a way to reopen the hangar doors. They were trapped right now, as far as she was concerned. She had to make sure they had a way to escape once Taz and Wax got back.

Spoiler: tl;dr

1. Maura helps Quin up the stairs.
2. Once they reach the hangar, Maura tells Quin to start up her, Taz and Wax's ship while she looks for a way to open the hangar.
3. Maura attempts to use her comm device to reach them again.
4. Maura wanders into the center room, tries to locate a terminal, and attempts to find a way to reopen the hangar as soon as/if she does.

tags: @Logan @Sicadorito

 

[Veer Altaris]

Throughout the speech, Veer couldn’t help but grit his teeth tightly. There was no mistaking the anger and disgust that etched into the Axxilan’s features - mahogany eyes narrowing into harsh daggers. He despised the Sith and the arts they practiced, and was utterly repulsed by the idea of someone subjecting their own brother to the experiments.

“You deserve far worse for everything you’ve done,” Veer growled. Without warning, the Axxilan leveled his pistol on the man - finger hovering over the trigger. If he moved or attempted to reach for a weapon, Veer would have zero qualms putting a bolt between his eyes.

“We’re not destroying this station until the people down there - trying to deal with the problem YOU created - are given a chance to get out.” He said flatly. The Axxilan didn’t really give Wax an option in the matter, but doubted the Jedi would argue with his plan at this point. The Axxilan jutted his chin towards some of the equipment in the back of the room.

“Open the hangar doors.” He commanded. “We’re going to attempt to contact anyone still alive using the same equipment you’ve been using to relay the situation to the group,” Even if systems were damage, Veer could only assume some of the terminals were still operational. His gaze flicked to Wax, “If that doesn’t work, we’ll try to reach out with comm equipment.” If the Jedi had methods of contacting the other three Jedi in the station, they’d be exhausted.

“Start moving.”

 

[Waxillium Drast]

While Wax wasn't as aggressive with his displays of content about the story that was shared with them, he did share in Veer's sentiment. Kharn would have to stand trial for what he had done, and help figure out who else was responsible. He was sure an operation this big would have a credit trail leading far beyond this single space station. But, more importantly they had to make sure everyone got out safely.

Getting Maura's message as Veer was commanding Kharn to open the hangar doors, Wax stepped back to respond to her while Veer dealt with Kharn.

"We're gonna get the hangar doors open for you, you need to leave at once." He gave quick glance towards Veer and Kharn, wondering if he was about to lie to the padawan. "We'll follow as soon as we can."

Having spoken to Maura, he immediately tried contacting Taz. "Taz, if you can hear me, start moving towards the hangars. Get everyone to evacuate at once! I repeat, evacuate! Shit's worse than anyone could have expected."

Having tried his own attempts to contact the other Jedi, he turned to see if Kharn complied with Veer's instructions to try and communicate with everyone over the station comms.

@Logan @Altaris @lizziie @Sreeya

 

[Drow Venn]

The Shadow Monster's claws ripped through Drow's spacesuit, adding another deep gash to the Ishi Tib's already heavily scarred body. His years as a mercenary and Jedi had left quite the number of mementoes on his person and if he wanted to escape with another, he'd have to think quickly.

He stifled the pain roaring from his arm and instead quickly analyzed the situation. The beast obviously outclassed him in speed and, it seemed, even in power. But it wasn't invincible or Drow would already be dead. All he needed to do was reach his Y-Wing and he could blast this thing and everything else on the station to kingdom come.

He just needed to get out of this damned room.

The Shadow Monster blocked the hole that he and Maura had cut with its own body but Drow went for it anyways. Holding his lightsaber over his head and as quick as he could, the Jedi Master would sprint for the hole the Shadow covered and dive through it, lightsaber first.

Either this thing was incorporeal and Drow would pass right through it or it wasn't and it would soon be in for a world of hurt as a lightsaber pierced it. Then again, Drow might also be in for a world of hurt if this plan didn't pan out but he didn't see very many other options before him.

TLDR: Drow dives through the hole in the door lightsaber-first, hoping to either pierce the Shadow Monster with his blade or pass through the Shadow harmlessly.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Tazlen + The Sith

The Banshee that had unlocked the floor had been greatly drained by the action, so much so that it couldn’t do much to protect itself from Anai’s attempt to snap its neck. The monster would fall to the ground as the Sith and the Jedi attempted to flee past it, its tendrils still locked into the ground.

As each of them attempted to hightail it out of there, the creature behind them would lash out with the force. The monster only had one target it was interested in, only one of those that fled before it managed to catch its eyes. The one that oozed with the power of the darkside more than any other person in this Station: Draugr.

A shockwave of pure darkside energy rocked across the ground and stormed straight for the Sith Master, looking to upend him and send him flying before he could manage to make it out of the room.

The rest of them would be unaccosted as they tore through the tunnel system, following Trace’s breadcrumbs so as to not get lost. Assuming none of them stopped to help Draugr, that is.

Depending on what Maura chose to do, they would either run into the little Jedi on their way out or eventually, they would find themselves back in the center room. Though, even with their speed, it would take them several minutes to make it all the way back out.

The First Shadow and the True Shadow

Out of all the things the Shadow Monster had expected from his current quarry, it had to admit, doing absolutely nothing was not one of those things.There was no resistance to Its attacks, no defense, nothing.

A needless sacrifice to buy an iota of time. It would not matter.

The Shadow Monster’s claw swipe had a more devastating effect than it had originally intended. Instead of mere slashes in the Ishi Tib’s skin, his arm would be cleanly severed, sent flying across the room, lightsaber hilt still firmly in its grasp.

Before Drow would even be able to comprehend that his arm was no longer attached to his body, the monster would look to finish this fight before it ever truly got started. With the Jedi Shadow making no attempt to stop the creature, it would continue its claw attack and rip through Drow’s torso and dig deep into his chest.

The creature would stop at the Ishi Tib’s heart, enveloping it in Its hand before tearing it straight out. The organ would beat several more times before falling silent, Drow’s body falling into a heap on the floor.

With a smile that contained the purest essence of evil, the Shadow Monster would consume Drow’s heart entirely before it would shimmer and fade into smoky blackness.

The smoke would float through the air and into the Jedi’s corpse, as if the now dead Jedi were sucking smoke into his mouth.

Shadow Drow would then stand to Its feet, darkside energies slowly stitching closed the worst of the wounds that the Jedi had suffered just moments prior. Even the arm which was still severed and on the floor would begin to coalesce and return as if it had never been removed at all.

Flexing its new fingers and getting a few loud cracks, Shadow Drow’s gaze was drawn to the hole in the door of the laboratory, a truly devilish grin creeping across Its features.

All your fault.. It whispered in Drow’s voice before disappearing from the laboratory, leaving only a small cloud of smoke behind.

Quin + Maura

As Maura left Quin in the hangar and went to look for a terminal in the central room, a few tense moments of silence would pass for the Jedi Knight.

That was until he would hear the sound of footsteps heading towards him from the hall they’d just left from. As if appearing out of nowhere, Quin would see the form of Drow heading toward him.

Where is Maura? The Drow would ask, tilting its head just a little oddly as it approached Quin. Drow's voice would also sound a little.. off, but he wouldn't quite be able to place why.

Did she go through there? The Drow asked, pointing its finger towards the door that led into the elevator room.

Quin would get a very strong sense of unease as the person before him, the one he thought he knew, spoke and moved. It was like watching something that was so close to being human but simply.. Wasn’t.

Maybe Drow had gotten a concussion in the tussle before emerging victorious? Hard to tell.

Just then, the hangar bay doors would begin to open, heavy durasteel groaning in protest as the inky blackness of space would slowly become visible behind the energy screens.

Go to the ship. I will find Maura.

Saying nothing else, Drow would turn away from Quin and head for the center room.

--

Meanwhile, Maura would find a working terminal, though just where she might find hangar bay controls wasn't quite obvious. Poking around the interface for awhile, she would eventually find what she was looking for. Just as she was entering the commands to open the hangar, her terminal would get a notification in the corner that the door was currently being opened.

Whatever was going on upstairs, it would seem Wax had been true to his word and gotten the bay doors open. There was little left of note in the central room, at least nothing that Maura would feel compelled to investigate.

Well, except for that bad feeling she'd felt earlier, the one about Taz. Maura's eyes would be drawn to the doorway the Sith had gone through so long ago, and she would know Tazlen was that way.

She wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew she did.

A cold feeling would make the hair on the back of Maura's neck stand up suddenly, a very bad feeling striking her right in the gut. A feeling about Quin.

There was something very wrong going on in the hangar.

Veer + Wax

It would be clear that Kharn was becoming very nervous and agitated as the dynamic duo began making demands. His eyes darted to the screen next to him and back to the men several times as Kharn bit his lip and let them say whatever it was they were going to say.

At least they hadn’t just killed him.

I can open the hangers, but I don’t think you understand the gravity of the situation here. Kharn said, his voice cracking and a little hoarse. Overloading the Station uses a turnkey system that needs two people, but it can only be done manually on the overseer’s terminal one floor up from here. It was designed to be operated by droids in the event we needed to destroy any evidence of what we were doing.

Kharn paused before saying the next part, unsure of how these two were going to take it. Especially the Rebel who’s trigger finger - or lack thereof, considering - seemed to be quite itchy.

With the lack of power to the station, there will likely not be enough time for the key turners to make it to the hangar before detonation.

Gaze hovering between Wax and Veer, Kharn would shrug, a morose look shadowing his face.

I am willing to turn one of the keys.

Pressing a few buttons on his console, Kharn would send the command for the hangar doors to open.

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

 

[Drow Venn]

Age had finally caught up to the old Ishi Tib. Waiting for the monster to make the first move was a fatal mistake. Perhaps in his younger years , he might have been fast enough to counter the creatures assault but not now. Age, the cramped quarters, the unexpectedness of the creature's ferocity, whatever you might call it, Drow wasn't ready for it.

But he was ready for death. He'd made his peace with dying a long, long time ago, before becoming a Jedi even. One kind of had to when choosing the profession of mercenary. Death was a part of the battlefield and young Drow had grimly accepted it as a reality of the job.

Accepting it was one thing but being satisfied with it? That was something Drow hadn't dreamed was possible until he became a Jedi. To give one's self in the service of others? It was the best death a Jedi could hope for and one Drow had been seeking ever since he'd decided to atone for his time as a soldier. Atonement...

I believe you have atoned. That the work you have done in service to the Order proves your heart beats for the Order.

Alex said that, the last time she and Drow had seen each other and a smile came to Drow's face, even as he died. The Grandmaster of the Order had said he'd atoned. That was good enough for him. That same meeting, Alex had even offered to have him come out of exile and back home. And though there was a tinge of sadness that he now never would, Drow died happy, knowing he'd done what he could for the Order in his final moments, not as a Shadow skulking in the dark but out in the open as a Jedi Master again, defending the future of the Order.

He was now finally able to stop fighting.

TLDR: Drow is no more.

 

[Maura Starwalk]

Before she could figure out how to open the terminal herself, Wax came through her comlink. He'd somehow gotten the hangar doors open himself, and wanted her to leave. Immediately.

<But what about Taz- > (@Wit) Before the girl could continue into the comlink, the sound of voices caught her ear. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but she didn't remember anyone other than Quin being in the hangar when she left. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up, and she could feel the much too familiar feeling of dread send shivers down her spine. There was no forgetting the paralyzing horror that thing instilled in her. Maura bit down on her teeth and prayed it wasn't it.

Her breath began to quicken, and her fingers curled tightly around the hilt of her lightsaber. The padawan would quickly attempt to find something large enough and out of the way for her to hide behind so that she could hopefully see whoever was approaching before they saw her.

<Quin, are you okay?> (@Sicadorito) The girl hissed to her comlink under her breath before whoever entered the room, all while turning the volume of her comlink down as low as it would go without being completely silent. She kept one ear trained on it, one ear and her eyes trained on the door to the hangar, and her hand gripped tightly around her blade. The padawan really had no good reason to be so freaked out about the approaching footsteps, but the dread and the hair on the back of her neck only grew more and more anxious...

She just wanted to go home.

Spoiler: tl;dr

Maura hides and tries to contact Quin.

tags: @Logan

 

[Trace]

Trace heard Draugr agree and half-dragging the Jedi (@Sreeya), she made her way out into the hallway. And just like that, she was off. Following the path, saber in hand, she would carve a way out for herself and for the others, making all speed.

It wasn't until hundreds of meters down the path that she realized they were missing one of their people. She realized Draugr hadn't come, but... she was too far now. Too far to turn back, too far to die, so she did the only thing she could do: she pressed on.

She tore through the tunnels, ascending back to the main room once again, always on guard for whatever they might face. With any luck Mr. Meatshield would have started recharging some of his mystic energy in case they needed it, but Trace wasn't holding her breath.

2B, get the ship fired up and ready to go! she commanded into her comlink to her pilot droid.

She moved into the hangar, spotting "The Drow" but not thinking much of it. This whole place gave off horrible vibes, but... well, she didn't use eyes. She couldn't deny that something was weird, but who could tell what.

 

[Darth Draugr]

As the Zabrak had been booking i to make it out of the room, he felt a rumble in the ground, but before he could react the blast sent him flying forward, and out of the room. Using the force, he would break his fall enough to make any damage minor at most. But now he had to take on the monster by himself. The other Sith and Jedi made a run for it. Draugr didn't blame them for not looking back, if he were a Champion he may have done the same thing.

At least now if he killed it he'd know it was just his efforts and no Jedi. Using quick thinking, the Dathomirian pulled out the blaster he picked up off of IG-101 and began blasting shots at the monster before him. It didn't seem to have any defenses, so blaster shots moving at their speed, it'd be almost impossible to dodge. Draugr would get onto his feet as he fires and begin making his way out once again following the trail Trace left.

He was behind by a lot now, but if he can keep the monster at bay with the blaster he should be alright.

@Logan

 

[Quin Leonkri]

“Sure Maura, just don’t go too far, alright?” Her suggestion to start up the ship made sense, especially in the event of a quick getaway if the creature came back. As for letting Maura go off on her own in the direction the Sith had gone… he didn’t like the possibilities of what could go wrong there, but he knew that there was no way he would be able to keep up. If anything, he’d slow her down, and that might be worse than just letting her go on her own.

In thought and just as he was about to get in the ship, the sound of footsteps caused him to pause. He looked back to see Drow approaching, blinking twice to make sure that it really was him. However, what should have been a warm and pleasant feeling at seeing that he made it out was promptly replaced with unease as he walked over. He looked real and all, but something just seemed off.

“She… left.” Quin hesitated when answering the Ishi Tib’s first question. For some reason, he felt like he shouldn’t be telling him this, but he replied to the second regardless. “Yes.” But the second Drow began to head in that direction, he took out his comms to let Maura know. She contacted him first, however.

“I’m fine,” he answered into comms, turning slightly to the side so that if Drow turned around, he hopefully wouldn’t hear. “Drow is headed your way, but something about him feels… different. He’s looking for you.” He paused, trying to figure out what to do next. He simply didn’t trust the Ishi Tib to be alone with Maura, and despite his better judgement, Quin decided to follow him as he made his way into the door. As he did, he would rest his hand on his saber and stay a good distance back both to hopefully keep Drow from noticing him or to give him some reaction time if he did. The ship could wait.

Spoiler: TL;DR

Quin hesitates but decides to follow Drow, trying to stay hidden.

@lizziie